Long ago, Equestria was represented by the Court of the Royal Pony Sisters, a system comprised of land-ownding Lords and Ladies who represented the ponies in their regions and Equestria as a whole. However, the ponies are not without their flaws.
Lord Crumpet has recently died and left his fortune, estate, and title to his nephew, Moonlit Jubilation. The pony must now take up the title of his uncle and participate in the goings-on of the Court. He will discover, however, that the other Lords and Ladies are bitterly divided and Princess Luna has been absent for several days.
Moonlit Jubilation received the letter in the fall. His uncle was dead. The recipient of the news was not surprised; he had been expecting it. His uncle had fallen ill two years before and his condition had been worsening at a steady rate. The stallion did not feel sorrow, though; he had never truly known the pony. What little he did know consisted of the uncle’s wealth, property, and his title: Lord. His uncle was Lord Crumpet. A rather humorous and strange name; not that the stallion was one to judge, since his own name was Moonlit Jubilation.
One thing that did surprise the stallion, though, was the notice attached to the back of the letter. It read as follows:
To Mister Moonlit Jubilation:
As you should now be aware, I, Lord Reginald Crumpet have passed. I understand that this letter, my will, may seem strange, as you did not know me, but I can assure you that I knew you well enough that this seems completely natural. You see, your mother, before she passed, told me much of you. On her deathbed, I promised that I would get to know you; sadly, due to my duties with the Court, I was unable to fulfill that promise. I apologize for this. As I had no children of my own, you are the sole heir to my legacy. I hereby present to you the entirety of my amassed wealth and property. You are invited to claim your inheritance at your leisure, as these aforementioned items will await you at my estate in the hamlet of Hoofington. However, in order to claim these, your rightful inheritance, there is one concession you must adhere to. I do apologize, but the harmony of the Nobility must be maintained; that is a necessity. I was, obviously, a Lord. As you may or may not be aware, this title passes through the ownership of an estate. By accepting your inheritance you also accept the duties and responsibilities that come with the title of Lord. This will entail your attendance and participation in the Court of the Royal Pony Sisters in my place. As a member of the Nobility you must attend each meeting and assist in the decision-making processes that keep Equestria running. If you choose to decline I will understand, but you must understand that you will attain nary a single bit. As I have said though, this is beyond my control and I do apologize. Now, while you may claim the estate at your leisure, I implore you to decide quickly, as the next session of the Royal Court will be held in one week’s time. I hope you consider this request, my nephew.
-With love,
Your Uncle, Lord Reginald Crumpet
The stallion blinked. He had not anticipated this. Of course, he spent no time considering the request; he had known his answer the moment he had read the suggestion. He would not miss an opportunity of this magnitude. He owed it to his apologetic, deceased Uncle to fulfill such a generous offer. However, the money and property were not his interest: he owned a house that suited him and had a sizeable amount of money already. But to be a member of the Nobility– that was an extraordinarily rare opportunity. Using his magic, he picked up a quill and scrawled a letter informing the Court.
- - -
The trip to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was long and cold. As the carriage creaked along the road, Jubilation looked out of the window and noticed the leaves. Reds, oranges, and yellows fluttered about in a swirl as the carriage rode through them.
Fall was a time of change, a shift from the summer to the winter. Jubilation could clearly see the first signs of winter in the grey skies and biting air.
Content with his observations, he leaned his head against the back of the seat and drifted off to sleep.
A sharp tapping on wood tore him from his slumber.
“We’ve arrived, my Lord.”
Peering out of the window, Jubilation examined his surroundings.
He saw a sparse, albeit large, congregation of evergreens and assorted foliage surrounding a castle with a ravine in front of it. The gathering of young trees and saplings around him told of a forest that may one day grow.
Stepping out of the carriage, Jubilation thanked the driver as a chilling wind blew through his short black mane. He quickly adorned his head with a tall black top hat that had a dark blue ring of ribbon around it. That hat, purchased by his late sister, matched his coat’s dark blue color. He thought of her for a moment before his concentration was broken by a hoof, firmly placed on the back of his scarf-covered neck. The hoof belonged to a light brown gentlestallion with greying hair and a wavy mustache; the pony was a unicorn.
“Hello there, old sport. I am Lord Gallopsby of Trottingham. I believe you are Lord Crumpet’s nephew. Would I be correct?”
Jubilation regained his composure and turned to face Lord Gallopsby.
“I am indeed. Lord Jubilation at your service, sir.”
“Splendid! It’s always refreshing to see a unicorn become a Lord. And it’s good that you’re young: we need youthful energy in the court again.”
Jubilation was about to respond when a voice called out from above. Both Lords looked up to find a charcoal-coated pegasus with a brown mane and tail, although those too were greying. The Pegasus, his head adorned with flight goggles, landed on the ground near the two unicorns and trotted up to them.
“So, this is your newest accomplice, Lord Gallopsby?” The Pegasus grunted in an accusatory tone.
“He is indeed, Lord Greywing. He will be able to serve our cause far better than Lord Crumpet ever did. He’ll give you what for!”
Jubilation noticed that, although at face value the conversation seemed like pleasant bantering, the tension between the Nobles was very high.
“That fumbling old fool Lord Crumpet was your handicap! As this is his nephew, I see no reason to fear.”
Jubilation finally decided to speak up, “Lord Greywing, sir, I hold no quarrel with you. I ask, though, that you explain what cause I am to serve and why you have insulted my uncle.”
“A stupid little colt, isn’t he? Ha ha ha!” Lord Greywing laughed as he trotted off toward the castle.
Lord Jubilation, puzzled at the actions of the Lord, attempted to call out. Before he could however, Lord Gallopsby spoke up.
“They’re very crude aren’t they?”
“Who?”
“Why, the pegasi, of course. Absolute filth. I wonder, sometimes, if the Princesses really have wings. At least they aren’t vulgar like the pegasi.”
With that, Gallopsby cantered off towards the bridge leading to the castle. Jubilation, still quite confused, turned to face his carriage.
The young Lord was about to use his magic to move the luggage when another pony’s magic encased his items. The luggage floated along next to a servant pony dressed in black formal attire.
“Excuse me, sir, but I can carry my own luggage.”
The servant pony turned to face him, gave Jubilation a wry look of confusion, then turned back and crossed the bridge over the ravine, luggage in tow.
A tame, elderly voice emanated from behind the Lord.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
Jubilation turned to see an old earth pony stallion walking toward him. The pony wore thinly rimmed spectacles, was well shaven, and had his sparse white hair combed neatly across his head. His coat was a faded, yet still regal, gold.
“I saw you speaking with Lords Gallopsby and Greywing just a few moments ago. I didn’t recognize you then, but now I do.”
The old stallion was now standing next to him.
“You’re Lord Crumpet’s nephew. Shame he passed; we were good friends, he and I.” Jubilation waited for the old pony to continue, “My name is Lord Canter.”
The older Lord extended a hoof, which Jubilation shook.
The two started down the path to the bridge together.
“Lord Jubilation at your service, sir.”
“Indeed, that is how it should be: everypony at the service of each other, respectful. You aren’t like the others. Most new Lords have personalities exactly like Gallopsby’s and Greywing’s.”
“And what kind of a personality is that, sir? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“Not at all, Lord Jubilation, not at all. Gallopsby and Greywing are…well, bull-headed if you don’t mind my use of the term. Their arrogance and ignorance have made them dull.”
“Ignorance, sir?”
“Yes. They have held onto divisions that ended nearly two hundred years ago. When the three races united, most of the animosity between them faded, but some insist on preserving that animosity. That is what you saw between Gallopsby and Greywing, and what you will see when the Royal Court commences.”
“Do all ponies on the court feel this way?”
“No, but sadly, most do. I am one of the few who holds no such animosity for the other races. In fact, I believe we are all quite equal. I hope you share this belief.”
Jubilation opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as he crossed the threshold of the castle’s entrance. Before him sprawled a crowded entrance hall with a balcony between two staircases, which flanked the room. The hall was decorated with regal blue and gold carpets, armor for all three races, and tapestries that held stories of the past: the imprisonment of the Lord of Chaos, the unification of the three races, the rise of the Sun and the Moon, and the sealing away of the evil King Sombra and the Crystal Empire. The room was bustling with Lords, Ladies, and servants. Jubilation could see the three races already beginning to segregate. The servants ran between groups of Nobles trying to appease every request. Before Jubilation was able to walk four feet past the entrance he saw her standing on the balcony.
The Princess’ hair flowed as a river of sparkling pink would. The pink was not harsh to the eyes, but rather subdued, tamed, restrained. How the color of hair could be these things, Jubilation did not know. He knew only that her radiant beauty and her regality spoke volumes of her. Upon seeing her, he felt comfortable; he felt as if he knew her. In a way, he did. He had met her when he was just a colt. It was through his uncle he had met her the first time and now it was through him he had met her again.
“Come now, don’t dawdle young one. We can’t be late.”
The young colt scampered after the stallion in front of him. The young Jubilation’s mother walked next to the stallion.
“Now remember, Jubie, be on your best behavior. It’s not every day that we get a chance to meet one of the Princesses.” His mother chimed as the three of them walked through the grand hall.
The colt looked to his sides; his mother had told him that his father had once protected these halls.
“Mommy, did Dad ever meet the Princesses?”
The mother shot a nervous glance towards the stallion, who promptly turned to face the young Jubilation.
“Jubilation. Your father, my brother, was a Palace Guard. He saw both Princesses almost every day of his life.”
“Wow. So, he was important like you?”
“More so. Your father protected the Princesses.” The stallion stopped and rubbed the colt’s mane before continuing. “Now, Jubilation, your father would want you to enjoy this. So, I want you to think of his smile going into this. I want you to be happy. Does that sound good?”
The colt nodded and the stallion turned back to face the mother.
She whispered. “Thank you, Crumpet.”
He nodded as the pair of guards that flanked the door in front of them ignited the magic within their horns and opened the massive entrance.
To Jubilation it was like two mountains parting. As he passed between he imagined the entrance was a valley, and beyond…
The colt beheld the Princess of the Sun in all her radiance. The pink mane, the pure white coat, the shining sun on her flank. He turned his head and looked into the visage of the younger sister, the Princess of the Moon. Her light blue hair and kind face sparked something within him, a sense of love and joy. He stared into her teal eyes and witnessed the night sky staring back at him.
Jubilation was awe struck.
Princess Celestia spoke.
Jubilation snapped back to reality.
“All members of the Royal Court please head through the doors that this session may convene!” Her use of the Royal Voice merely projected her speech, rather than overpowering the ears of her audience– a practiced skill.
The servants guided the congregation into the court. As he entered, Jubilation beheld a large circular room with a high-vaulted ceiling. Several tall windows streaked down the walls flooding the room with light. The other light in the room came from a chandelier, which hung from the center.
The chandelier was composed of an indistinguishable metal, pale blue with a sheen of resplendent gold. The Royal Crest ornamented the main body. Small bulbs of flawless crystal alighted themselves on small flares off of the arms of the chandelier. The bulbs extruded what seemed like moonlight that radiated the warmth of the sun. Suspended high in the center of the room by ropes of the remarkable metal the chandelier represented the harmony of the sisters in an extraordinary fashion.
Wooden seats for the Nobles were present behind curved tables that twisted around the room following its circular design. At the far end of the room, opposite the door, were two large thrones, one of which was crafted from gold and adorned with symbols of the sun, the other of which was made of onyx and etched with depictions of the moon. Beside the thrones were three more wooden seats with a table in front of them. The young Lord watched as the Nobility found their respective seats. They divided into three groups– the three races.
He watched as members of each race took seats next to their own kin. The Earth ponies took the position closest to the door, in front of it. The Unicorns positioned themselves to the right of the door, opposite the Pegasi, who were to the left of the door. Jubilation could see banners unfurl as the Nobles sat– a banner for each Lord and Lady. Each banner held a name, a racial symbol, and the town with which each Noble was associated. He searched for an empty seat in the Unicorn section. He saw several, but they were quickly filled by the stragglers.
“Lord Jubilation!”
Searching for the source of the call, the young Lord spotted Lord Canter on the far side of the room. The area the elderly Lord was sitting in seemed to be its own section farther from the rest of the Nobility, directly next to the thrones. Of the three seats to the right of the thrones, two were filled. The seat closest to the thrones was taken by a green pegasus mare with dark green eyes, whom he identified by reading her banner – Lady Lightfeather of Canterlot. To her right sat Lord Canter, and to his right was an open seat, which Lord Canter motioned Jubilation towards.
As he walked across the room, he felt the chill of silence and knew all eyes were upon him. He could feel the icy stares of the Unicorns, glaring at the replacement for their former “handicap.” When he reached the seat and took his position, he heard his banner unfurl. He could only assume, and hope, that it displayed Lord Jubilation, Unicorn, Hoofington.
While he fretted over whether or not he was in the correct seat, he did not notice that the rest of the Nobility was now standing. When he did notice that the other Nobles had stood, she was already in front of him.
“Lord Jubilation, we welcome you to our court.” He recognized the voice and was instantly on his hooves.
“My goodness, Princess, I am so sorry. Forgive my lack of attention.” He bowed to the Sun Princess and hoped she was feeling amiable.
“Please, Lord, we can understand being lost in one’s thoughts. We see that you have taken the late Lord Crumpet’s seat. We are most pleased by this.” With that, Princess Celestia walked over to her throne and sat.
“Now then, the first order of business is to clarify that my sister, Princess Luna, will not be joining us for the following proceedings.” She levitated a scroll out of a small case, and unfurled it. “With that out of the way, let’s begin.”
- - -
The session proved largely to be a waste of time. The Court had accomplished nothing but reinforce the fact that the three races were very sectionalized on almost all issues. Moonlit Jubilation wondered if they ever accomplished anything; on that day, they had done literally nothing. One interesting thing that the Lord did notice, however, was that the majority of the court was silent, while only a vocal hoofful traded insults and accusations.
The Court continued into the night. Servants hauled cots into the large circular room and hooked them into slots on the back of the tables. The Princess of the Sun took her leave as the Lords and Ladies laid down to rest. After an hour the only sound in the room was that of ponies sleeping. The occasional rustling of covers could be heard, but otherwise it was rather quiet.
All had drifted off to sleep save for one young unicorn Lord. He lived up to his name: he was a pony of the night. His cutie mark, a crescent moon radiating moonlight, served only to reinforce that. Jubilation stared out the window at the stars for what seemed to be an eternity.
The night sky had always fascinated him, even as a very young Colt. He spent his foalhood staring at the stars and the moon trying to comprehend their splendor. The other foals always thought he was weird for doing that. Most foals preferred the day to the night, but Jubilation thought that was silly. Things always looked their best under the jeweled night sky.
He fondly remembered the day he projected a miniature night sky onto the ceiling of his bedroom.
“Mom! Quickly!”
The shuffling of hooves was followed by the opening of his bedroom door.
“Jubilation, wha- Oh my Celestia! Jubie! Oh my little Jubie! And look at this!” She pointed to his flank, which now prominently displayed his cutie mark.
His mother, then pregnant with his sister, embraced him.
“Your father would be so proud! Oh, and just wait until I tell your Uncle!”
It was one of the happiest moments of his foalhood, until:
His mother’s face contorted in pain as she cried out. Jubilation, afraid and unsure of what to do, reached out with his hoof.
The contact made his mother aware once more, whereupon she spoke.
“Oh. Oh my! Jubilation, go down to the Coachmare; tell her to ready the carriage. Your sister is on the way.”
Wide-eyed and hurriedly, Jubilation galloped to find the Coachmare.
Much to Jubilation’s chagrin the thin width of the window obscured his view of the moon. After quietly rising, the Lord tip-hoofed through the court. He was determined to find a balcony to enjoy his namesake. Upon reaching the door, he silently pushed the massive golden handle. The door –rather quiet during the day– acknowledged his exit with a loud groan. Hoping that he hadn’t woken anypony he rushed through the threshold and closed the door behind him. It shut with a disturbingly loud thud.
Slightly irritated, he continued though the castle. In the entrance hall, the Lord crept up one of the flanking staircases. Upon reaching the top, he wandered aimlessly, trying to find a way up. Eventually he came upon what appeared to be the entrance to one of the castle’s spires. No sign marked the path so he saw no reason not to proceed. As he climbed, he became increasingly more aware of what sounded like two mares talking.
Who could be up at this hour?
He laughed silently as he realized the question applied to him as well. The conversation remained indistinct until he reached the top of the tower. He stepped out onto the balcony and searched for the source. When he eyed it, he had the sudden impulse to gallop away, but he couldn’t. Some fiber of his being held him, tethered him, to the tower. He couldn’t leave; he had to listen. The force was so powerful that he felt if he were to deny it, it would kill him.
Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were arguing.
“Luna, you are most wrong. How you could be so foalish, I cannot even begin to comprehend.” Celestia’s face showed signs of frustration with her sister. Jubilation could not tell if Luna shared the expression as she was facing away from him.
Luna retorted, “Sister, you are the foal. How do you not see the obvious truth? They hate me. They hate my night. Nopony loves me, or my moon. Nopony!” She accented her statement with a stomp.
Moonlit Jubilation, upon hearing Princess Luna’s words, instantly knew she was wrong. He loved her and her night. He loved them more than anypony knew.
Ever since he was a colt he had always preferred the night. His parents had named him Moonlit Jubilation in honor of Luna, but they couldn’t have known that he would develop into a creature of the night himself.
Luna was wrong. He wanted to shout at her, scream his love for the night.
The force that tethered him to the spot where he stood quickly transformed into a wild torrent of energy, flooding into him and ebbing away to reveal his core. It frightened him; the fright made him feverish. He felt like leaping from the tower and curling into a ball, like screaming and staying absolutely silent all at the same time. It was an impossible feeling, but he recognized it. He wanted to fly to the moon and embrace it. He wanted to reach out to it and become one with it.
He was shaking as the energy rushed into him again. His blue eyes were wild and his knees buckled. He thought he was yelling, but he was unsure if it was only in his head. Trapped there, screaming, clawing, fighting for a way out. The power flowed out of him again and it seemed as if he could feel the edge of the horizon, where the sky met the earth, where the moon rose and the sun fell each night. To him, it seemed as if he could reach out and stroke the surface of the moon, marking it with his own hoof. As the energy rushed into him once more, all outside awareness was lost. The sound of Luna and Celestia arguing, the howl of the wind at the top of the dark spire, and the sound of his own heartbeat were lost.
When he awoke, Moonlit Jubilation found his body lying still against the cold cobblestone floor of the tower. Standing, he realized he was on the balcony. He had passed out. He could scarcely recall the events of the previous night. He searched the sky for something no longer present. The moon had already sunk below the horizon. The sun had yet to rise. The morning twilight lent the land a grey tinge. He looked to the balcony of the other tower. He recalled that the balcony had previously hosted an argument between two sisters, the Princesses. He remembered the argument.
On the balcony was a very tired-looking, puffy-eyed, pink-maned-Princess. He saw her pinkish puffy eyes and knew that she had been crying. As she, and the sun, rose he thought he saw fresh tears fall, but they were quickly dried by the warm glow of the fiery ball in the sky.
When she landed, she trembled slightly and one of her forelegs gave out. Jubilation moved forward as if to help her, but he decided against it: he did not want to draw attention to himself.
His movement, however, alerted her to his presence. As she faced him he watched most of that vulnerability flow out of her and regality and authority flow in. It formed an almost impenetrable shield. Her mask, however, was pierced, for he had seen her true nature, and what has been seen cannot be easily unseen. As he looked at her, he did not see a wise, regal, elegant, and very beautiful Princess, but a helpless, sad, crying filly in need. He pitied her; she had ruled for hundreds of years, yet she was so young.
“Lord Jubilation, why and for how long have you been standing there?” She called to him in a strong voice, betrayed only by an underlying sense of sadness.
He responded with a voice rife with reassurance, but he faltered, “I- I do not know.”
She eyed him curiously for a moment; he thought he saw a brief smile.
“Walk with me. Maybe you will remember. In the meantime, please join me for breakfast.”
Unprecedented, he thought. He had not expected an invitation of this kind. He still felt distraught over the events of that night and could not remember the exact details, but breakfast sounded good and he could not deny such a request.
She flew to his balcony and, together, they descended the spiral staircase. As he walked, deep in thought, he remembered certain fragments of his feverish experience during the night. He could recall only a vague feeling associated with the experience, but the feeling felt empty, as if it were missing something. He pondered it for a few moments more before he dropped the issue from his mind. Satisfied that there was nothing more to be remembered at that point, Jubilation exited his introverted world and studied the Princess.
The first thing he perceived was the aroma she emanated. Her scent was reminiscent of a golden field of wheat or an apple orchard in spring, smells that reminded him of his former home in Hoofshire, of pleasant memories and of his late sister. The fragrance was comforting like the warm flow of the sun on a chilly day. It was fitting.
As the pair moved into the entrance hall, Lord Jubilation noticed that Princess Celestia’s sadness seemed to have faded almost entirely. Even with his earlier keen awareness of it, he could barely detect it now. He was glad of this; he could not help but see the troubled little filly guiding him down the corridor. In his eyes, the less sadness she held, the easier it would be for him to remain calm and collected.
“Princess, I was standing on the balcony because I wanted to see the moon: I could not see it from the Court.”
She turned her head and smiled.
“Ah, I see. Do you also remember how long you were standing on the balcony?” The abrupt conversation caught the Lord off guard.
He quickly recovered and replied.
“I remember that it was dark.” There was a pause before he added, “Princess.” Even if he saw her as a filly, she was still the ruler of the land and deserved respect.
“Hmm, I see. Do you know why you do not recall the events of last night? If you do not mind our asking.”
The Lord nodded, “Not at all, Princess, I believe I…fell asleep.” His voice revealed that he did not, in fact, believe the words he spoke.
“Why do you withhold the truth from me?” Her words were gentle and kind, not prying or angry over the fact that he had just lied to the Princess of the Sun. He had lied because he did not want to frighten her or cause her to worry about him. She saw his lie for what it was though; continuing its perpetration would be foolish and futile.
“In truth, I do not know what happened. I believe I passed out.” She stopped walking and faced him.
The sudden pause allowed him to examine his surroundings. The pair of ponies was no longer in the entrance hall, but in a long corridor with a red carpet with gold trim. The walls were decorated with paintings of landscapes and of the different villages and hamlets throughout Equestria. Small tables, which held vases filled with colorful bouquets of flowers, hugged the walls at intervals of about 10 paces. Small, magical torches illuminated the hall, casting a golden glow across its entirety. The hallway was, in essence, a perfect hallway for a royal castle.
Celestia and the Lord locked eyes when he returned his attention to her. A look of deep concern was present in her visage. The image of the filly was quickly replaced with that of a mother concerned for her foal.
“Are you alright?”
Jubilation thought about his response, but he could think of nothing to say that would show her that he was truly alright. He merely nodded. She looked at him for a moment more before continuing down the hall.
She returned to the previous conversation, “Do you know why you passed out?”
“No, no…I do not.”
She eyed the door at the end of the hall considering his response before she gave her own. “I’m sure you’re just nervous about your new duties in the Court, Lord Jubilation.”
“Most likely, Princess, and thank you…for your concern.”
Jubilation knew this was not the case, but he held his tongue; he was glad of her sympathy and did not want to weigh her down with his own problems.
As their conversation concluded, the ponies reached a sturdy wooden door at the end of the hall. The Princess’ magic flared and the door pushed open, wrapped in a magical glow. As he crossed the threshold behind the Princess, Lord Jubilation found himself in a large rectangular room. A long table, which ran almost the length of the room, was placed evenly in the center. Chairs surrounded the lengths of the tables, and at the heads were two large thrones, one throne for each end. The first throne was gold, engraved with symbols of the sun. The other was onyx, carved with symbols of the moon. A large chandelier, similar to the one in the Court, hung in the center above the table; its golden chains spanned the room connecting the light source to large gem studded hooks in the walls. The table itself was made from a study oak and decorated with ornate carvings along the edge, corners, and legs. In the middle of the table, on the side closest to what Jubilation guessed was Celestia’s throne, there lay platters of food.
There were piles of fresh sliced apples, glistening watermelon, juicy cantaloupe, and succulent honeydew. Another platter held ripe oranges, yellow bananas, and bunches of grapes. Then there were the baked goods: freshly-baked, piping-hot apple pies, from which a heavenly aroma poured; two loaves of fresh bread; a plate piled high with steaming corn bread; and a series of plates that contained assorted pastries and other sweet confections.
Jubilation watched as servants carried in even more food, for this breakfast was not large enough yet. The dome lids were pulled away to reveal a pile of hot scrambled eggs, a very large mound of steaming hash browns, and an assortment of butters, jams, jellies, and other spreads. Jubilation was so taken by the food before him that he failed to notice the other two ponies already seated at the table.
Lord Canter was the first to speak. “So lovely of you both to join us! Princess…”
He bowed to her, then turned to the entranced Lord, “…Lord Jubilation.”
He bowed again before returning to his seat.
Lady Lightfeather was next to stand and bow but she only said, “Princess.”
She sat as Celestia motioned for Jubilation to find a seat of his own. He took the seat across from Lord Canter, closest to Celestia. He found himself across from the other two Nobles. Celestia took her seat on the throne and looked at each of them before smirking before saying, “Dig in!”
The breakfast had been as delicious as it was large. Lord Jubilation did not feel talkative at first, but Lord Canter and Princess Celestia were able to draw him out anyway.
“So, Lord Jubilation, what do you know of Canterlot?” questioned the gold-coated Earth pony.
“To be honest, I know very little of the city– only that it is the largest urban area in the kingdom and that your family founded it.”
“We did indeed. Of course, we were not alone. The city was actually built by unicorns, but those unicorns generously gave my family the privilege of founding the city. The actual founding took place shortly after the rise of the Princesses, as you may or may not be aware. Thus my family founded Canterlot on the principles of harmony. This is also the reason why we inaugurated the foundation with a party held in honor of all three races. You may know this celebration as the Grand Galloping Gala.”
“Of course, my sister and I were present throughout the process and we instituted the Gala as a yearly affair.” chimed Celestia.
“Ah, yes, of course. Thank you Princess…what was I going to say…ah! Yes! Anyway, Lord Jubilation, currently we are building a new palace for the Royal Pony Sisters. A stronger, more regal, better place for the two to rule in harmony.”
The Princess nodded kindly, and replied, “My only concern is that this castle will fall into a state of disrepair.”
“Please, Princess. I’ve told you countless times before: I’m sure Princess Luna and yourself will find a use for this castle as well.”
At the mentioning of Princess Luna’s name, Celestia’s eyes drifted away from the Nobles and towards some distant point Lord Jubilation could not spot. The Lord watched as his ruler’s eyes glazed over and she lowered her head in thought. Lord Canter failed to notice this, but as Jubilation looked up he caught the gaze of Lady Lightfeather. As their eyes connected he noticed that she too had seen the Princess’s momentary distress. He took the opportunity to change the subject to something that had piqued his interest.
“I am curious about you, Lady Lightfeather. I have been here for well over a day and sat near you through the majority of that time, but I have yet to hear you speak a full sentence.”
Lady Lightfeather slowly exhaled before looking directly at Jubilation. She regarded him with a look of distrust and, he thought, minor annoyance.
“I only speak when I believe there is something worthwhile to be said. As you saw in the Court, there was nothing for me to say.” She looked over at her drink and became involved with the droplets of condensation forming on the glass. Not sure if he was satisfied, but sure he could get no more information, Jubilation dropped the subject.
Lord Canter spoke again, “Lady Lightfeather is a mare of few words. She descends from the family of pegasi who helped found Canterlot.” This comment elicited a small nod from the pegasus, but her eyes remained focused on the drink.
The Princess flashed a smile. She had noticed an opportunity to further acquaint Lord Jubilation with the other Nobles.
“Lord Jubilation experienced something rather strange last night.” the Princess reported, “He passed out on the balcony of the observatory and he knows not why. Have either of you been experiencing, or heard about, anything similar with any of the other Nobles?”
Both Nobles immediately looked up, concern plastered on their faces.
“No, no I have not, but why did you not mention this earlier? Are you alright, Lord Jubilation?” Lord Canter was out of his chair and moving toward Jubilation when the young Lord waved him back.
“Please, Lord Canter, don’t worry about my well-being. As far as I know, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m perfectly fine.”
Lady Lightfeather, who was no longer engrossed in the condensation asked, “Are you fit to participate in the day’s proceedings?”
Before Jubilation responded he noticed a glimmer of genuine concern in the green mare’s eyes. When she wasn’t engrossed in something, or showing her distrust, she was rather beautiful. Not in the same sense as the Princess was beautiful, but in a more down to earth, not-princess-of-the-sun way.
“Yes, you need not worry, I am most well. In fact, as the Princess pointed out, it was probably just my nerves getting the better of me.”
The two Nobles glanced at each other before looking back at him. He knew what they were thinking and made to reassure them, but it was Celestia who spoke first, “Please, rest easy Lord Canter, Lady Lightfeather. Lord Jubilation has assured me he will be alright.”
A silent moment passed. Lady Lightfeather, unsatisfied, looked into Jubilation’s eyes and asked a final time, “Are you sure?”
Lord Jubilation looked into her dark green eyes and nodded.
Content, the Lady put the subject to rest.
Princess Celestia had seen the look in Lady Lightfeather’s eyes and the expression that crossed Lord Jubilation’s when he saw that look. She smirked. While her method may not have been the most forthright, it had worked.
Several minutes of silence passed before everypony finished their meals and the servants had cleared the table of everything but the drinks. Princess Celestia motioned and a servant walked towards her. It was the same servant who had taken Jubilation's luggage the previous day. The servant levitated a scroll to the Princess and trotted off through a door that led into what the young Lord believed was the kitchen.
“Hmm…” The pink-maned Princess hummed as she read the scroll. The three Nobles looked to her out of curiosity. It was not for another thirty seconds that she looked and spoke.
“The scroll is the account of last night’s activities across Equestria written, of course, by my sister. Last night’s account, however, is lacking heavily. Even when mad at me, she always completes her reports with accuracy and objectivism. I’m afraid something may be wrong.”
The Nobles all faced the Princess; all three of them exchanging looks of concern.
Lord Jubilation caught the Princess’ eye and saw that she was thinking about the argument he had witnessed. He dropped his head to avoid her gaze, choosing instead to stare at the table.
The Nobles remained silent, unsure of what to say or do. After several minutes of silence the Princess spoke up.
“Burden yourselves not with my problems, Nobles.” After exhaling, the Princess continued, “Court will resume soon; we should make our way to the Court chamber now.”
- - -
The second session went much like the first: Nobles bickering about unimportant issues, not being able to agree on anything. This lasted until the early afternoon. It was at that point that the Nobles began discussing weather control and the creation of a new pegasus city, Cloudsdale.
Lord Greywing bellowed, “You impertinent Unicorn! Can you not see the benefits of having a centrally located pegasus city? We could improve weather control all over the kingdom. Our reach would extend twofold!”
“That’s exactly what I fear, Lord: your reach. What use would the pegasi have for a full-fledged city in the heart of our empire, unless they plan on poisoning us from the inside and exerting their force to seize the kingdom? That’s what I see here. Not an attempt to improve efficiency, but a traitorous plot. You’ve shown your hand, Lord, and I will not stand for it.”
With that, Lord Gallopsby teleported over his table and into the center of the room, where he produced a magical sword.
“HAVE AT YOU, YOU CUR!”
Lord Greywing matched Lord Gallopsby’s display by tearing off his cloak and revealing a large wing-attached blade. The Pegasus Lord flew toward Lord Gallopsby, who readied himself for the hit. The two were feet from each other when Princess Celestia intervened. A brilliant glow enveloped both the lords pulling them away and pinning them to the floor.
“Lords! How dare you even think of defiling this court by spilling blood within its sacred halls! AND IN MY PRESENCE, NO LESS! What were you thinking?”
The sun princess bellowed at the pair of lords in the Royal Voice. It was in the moments following this that everything fell apart, for it was in that moment that the fear and sadness, the same fear and sadness Lord Jubilation had witnessed earlier, became apparent in Celestia’s eyes. The Pegasus Lord, ready to cut the other Lord’s throat, noticed this temporary weakness and jumped on her like a pack of starving timber wolves would pounce upon an injured stag.
“How dare you release your anger upon me! I am Lord Greywing of Manehattan, a direct descendant of Commander Hurricane! Who gave you the right? You have no reign over me! By my eyes you are nothing but a naïve filly that happens to co-rule with her blithering fool of a sister! The only reason you're even needed is to raise the sun! Your worth is very little and your sister's is almost non-existent, as you could do her job! Now, I demand an apology lest you lose the support of the pegasi completely!”
Silence. Even Lord Gallopsby, whose eyes held venom towards Celestia, appeared to be quaking. All eyes were on the Princess. No one dared move a muscle. None save Lord Jubilation, for the brave young Lord stood from his seat, crossed the floor of the hall, and stood next to Celestia. She slowly turned to look at the blue unicorn. A hoofkerchief slowly levitated out of Jubilation’s coat pocket. He floated it up to the, now crying, Princess. Her magic, which no longer held the two other lords, took hold of it. While she used his hoofkerchief, Jubilation turned to Greywing.
“Leave the Court immediately.”
“…What did you say?”
“You heard me, Lord. Leave the Court now lest I throw you out.”
“You impotent little colt…how DARE YOU! WHAT, I- WHAT? YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME?”
The Pegasus Lord was trembling with anger.
“Frankly, my Lord, I don’t give a damn. All respect that I may have had for you was lost when you raised your voice at the Princess. That’s not to mention the insults you threw at her. There is a point, Lord, where respect must be shown for others if you intend to receive it yourself and releasing your anger on the Princess is unacceptable. Now, as I said before, leave the Court.”
“You stupid insolent foal. I’ll have you-”
Lord Canter’s hoof stomped firmly on the stone floor.
“You’ll do what, exactly, Lord Greywing? Throw him into a dungeon? Have him banished? Throw him into a dungeon in the place he is banished to? No. No Lord Greywing, you will do nothing of the sort. You will leave.”
Upon hearing this Lord Greywing stared daggers at the older pony. While, his eyes burned with passion, his demeanor became more subdued, as if he realized he was outmatched and knew it was time to exit.
“You’ve crossed the line, Lord Canter, but fine. I’ll take my leave. Come pegasi. We leave together.”
Lady Lightfeather spoke now, “Actually Lord Greywing, I believe that the pegasi will stay loyal to their Princesses. Your command over them never existed. You’ve fought a battle with a non-existent army. Now, please. Take your leave. And you, pegasi; any of you who wish to follow the Lord, leave now or forever hold your peace.”
After a brief moment of scanning the pegasi section and seeing no movement she concluded with, “That’s what I thought.”
“I…how could you all betray me like this… I… no… mark my words, I will return. You will pay for this. You will ALL pay for this.” With that, the distraught Lord Greywing exited the court, escorted by two royal guards.
“Thank you, Jubilation… I… thank you…” Celestia could hardly speak. Her entire royal demeanor had collapsed. She was that young filly again. Lord Jubilation looked to her and saw the puffy pink eyes and the wet fur upon her cheeks. His heart ached at the sight, but before he was able to do anything he heard a thunderous noise and a steady rhythmic chant. It started quietly at first, but slowly rose to a roar. As he looked around he saw the Nobles all standing, stomping, and chanting his name.
“JUBILATION! JUBILATION! JUBILATION!”
The young Lord looked around confused. Lady Lightfeather, seeing his confusion, rose from her throne, walked over to the Lord, and touched him with her hoof to gain his attention.
“They cheer for what you did, Lord, for you did a brave and noble thing today. If you were out of favor with any of them you are no longer. You’re probably the most loved pony in this room, maybe more so than the Princess herself. Now is our chance; maybe with this we can finally unite them. Maybe they will stop their petty bickering and work together. The goal that your uncle, Lord Canter, and I had been working towards for so many years. Go, Lord Jubilation, speak to them– and guide them.”
With that the Lady stepped back. The Lord looked around for a moment and took in the scene before motioning for the crowd to silence.
He spoke.
- - -
“How could they do this? Me…I’m Lord Greywing…I am Lord of the pegasi. No… I am the pegasi. They can’t do this to me! How could they? It was all that insolent, idiotic colt… no… no it wasn’t just him. It was that… that little pink-haired whore… Princess Celestia… In the hundreds and hundreds of years that the “so-called” Royal Pony Sisters have been in control, what have they accomplished that we, pegasi, have not accomplished on our own? Celestia… Princess… BAH…and her filly sister, Luna. ‘Oh Cellie!’ What a feather-brained, pampered little-”
The Noble sulked through the halls. The dark clouds that controlled the Lord’s mind grew with each step. His ire-filled concentration finally broke when he found himself standing face-to-face with a blue alicorn: Princess Luna.
She had been sulking in her own misery when they ran into each other. The two made eye contact. Greywing, oblivious to her desolation and filled with a rage of his own, decided to vent all of his anger and frustration on a mare teetering on the edge of her own existence.
“YOU! You and your whore of a sister have caused my kind and me nothing but trouble! Your irrelevance is insufferable! Even now you dare to stand in my path! I am Lord Greywing of Manehattan! I am a pegasus! You are nothing but the bringer of darkness! The lesser of two inconsequential and worthless halves! Out of my way, you impertinent youth. Step aside before I crush you with my might!”
And with that the elder stallion stomped a hoof to the ground.
A sharp ring resonated through the halls. After its death there was no sound in the room, aside from the breathing of the Lord.
Luna had affixed him with an icy stare. A stare that pierced the soul and tore apart all good. In that moment something within the Moon Princess’ mind snapped. The last fragment of harmony broke like a twig under the weight of a boulder. Luna’s path was unalterable. The Noble had sent the teetering Princess over the cliff and into the abyss. There was no return.
“You are brave, Noble, to speak to Us in such a manner.” the Noble moved to speak, but was silenced as the night mare continued, “But, bravery can be easily confused with arrogance. And for you We’re afraid that is indeed the case. You are foalish, yes, but it is through this that I am born. So We guess We owe you Our thanks.”
The Noble’s rage faded and was replaced with sheer confusion.
“Confused? Of course you are. We are not Princess Luna. She is gone. We are the darkness and evil in her heart. We are her jealousy, rage, and lust for power.” As she spoke an envelope of darkness began to engulf both ponies.
“We are the beast that exists only in her nightmares. We will enrapture the world in eternal night. And it is all thanks to you.”
The Noble attempted to backpedal, but the darkness had already fully encased him. He watched the once youthful blue princess transform. Tendrils of black wrapped around her, twisting her form. She grew to a size comparable to Princess Celestia. Darkness began to impart itself onto and over her flesh. Her coat shifted to a deep black and armor formed around her head, chest, and hooves. The Noble watched in horror as her mane grew and shifted and phased into the night sky itself. Finally, he locked eyes with her and beheld the most horrific sight of all. The eyes were not those of a pony, but some wild, ferocious beast, some evil creature with no hope for atonement. The Noble’s fear overtook him and a warm pool formed under him. His knees buckled and he cried out before being consumed by the darkness.
The Nightmare sighed and glanced out a window into the castle grounds. She needed to scar the ponies that had wronged her. The time was not yet right. She stepped out a door and into the gardens before taking off towards the Princesses’ Spire. She would wait.
The day’s court had gone far better than the Noble could have dreamed. They had made tremendous leaps and bounds in the re-unification process. Even the most radical Lords, such as Lord Gallopsby, had been open to the ideas presented. And while it was only a start and there was still a lot of work to be done, Lord Canter’s original assessment that most of the Court had been ignorant was incorrect. Most of the Court was willing to accept the other two races and work together. It seemed that most ponies only held minor feelings of hostility towards the other races, but they all herded behind the more powerful voices in the Court. Once those voices were silenced, unity was given a chance.
Although the voting system did need some refurbishing and desegregated seating arrangements needed to be implemented, not much else needed changing. All the Nobles needed was a firm shove in the right direction, and the display with Lord Greywing and, subsequently, Lord Jubilation’s speech had provided just that.
Since the speech, the Court had become a whirlwind of progress. Celestia and the two Lords from Canterlot took control of the proceedings and guided them in the proper direction– Lord Jubilation was far too inexperienced for such a task.
After the second day’s affairs officially ended, a banquet feast was called in honor of the new session of the Court.
Once the sun had begun to set the Nobles made their way to the dining hall. When Jubilation entered, he beheld a much larger hall than the one he had eaten breakfast in earlier that day. The room was flanked by tall pillars and stained glass windows, which depicted Equestrian landscapes.
Instead of long tables that ran the course of the room, as the young Lord had expected, many small oval tables were scattered throughout the room. The reason for this did not seem apparent to the Lord at first. As the Nobles took their seats, however, Jubilation began to notice the reason. The tables allowed Nobles to easily converse within small groups; it seemed the decision was made to keep the social interaction, while still maintaining the dignity of the position the Nobles held. The Lord imagined that the Nobles would not like the kind of communal seating he had envisioned.
Lord Jubilation followed Lord Canter and Lady Lightfeather over to a table near the back of the room, directly under a stained glass window. The window depicted the moon shining over a small thatched-roof cottage, which stood alone in a wind-swept field of barley.
“Well, I could certainly use a good meal after what you did today, Lord. I want to thank you again for that. Crumpet always said good things about you, but you blew all of my expectations out of the water!”
The old stallion was beaming with delight. He looked ten years younger, as if in his happiness all the signs of his old age had receded.
Lady Lightfeather, who was sitting across from Jubilation, was also smiling with excitement.
“I agree with Lord Canter: you have proven yourself most capable, Lord Jubilation.”
The young Lord nodded and replied, “Thank you Lady Lightfeather, Lord Canter. I revel in your praise.”
The three ponies laughed together for a moment before a servant interrupted their merriment and asked for their order.
The food took little time to be prepared, during which Lord Canter and Lady Lightfeather informed the inexperienced Jubilation that the absence of the Princesses was strange because they usually ate with the Nobility. Jubilation felt like he knew the reason though.
Once the food arrived, Jubilation was once more stunned by the grandeur of it all. The Mushroom Wellington he had ordered was elegantly prepared. The pastry crust was golden brown and beautifully flaky. As he cut into it an exquisite aroma found its way to his nose.
The dinner, in contrast to the breakfast he had eaten earlier, was not served on platters, but rather on smaller plates. The plates were white, rimmed in gold, and were personalized by the crest of the race of the Noble who received the plate: a small, stylized unicorn stared up at the young Lord. Jubilation grimaced and looked to the other Nobles, who did not seem to notice the offending racial emblems; they had probably grown used to them. He made a mental note to talk to the Princess about changing the plates.
For the time being, however, Jubilation decided to disregard the plates and enjoy his food. As he took the first bite, he glanced up at the other Nobles, who were already eating their meals. He gazed at Lady Lightfeather for a few moments, before returning to his plate.
The Nobles ate in silence for several minutes before Lord Canter spoke up.
“Excuse me Lord and Lady, it would seem that Lady Songbird is motioning for me. I will be back in a few minutes.”
The two Nobles nodded and the elder Lord gallivanted away. Lord Jubilation caught Lady Lightfeather smirking.
“Lady Lightfeather, what is it that you find so amusing?”
“Hmm. Well if you must know, I’m laughing because of Lord Canter and his mare friend over there. For a stallion of his age he does a good job of keeping connections, as it were.” Both Nobles began snickering at the situation. Eventually, Lord Jubilation spoke again.
“Well, Lady Lightfeather, you seem to have opened up since this morning. Any particular reason for that?”
The Lady blushed before replying, “I must confess I did not like the idea of having you replace Lord Crumpet. He was a dear friend to both Lord Canter and I. The idea of replacing him seemed inappropriate and a disgrace to his name.”
The Lord lowered his head.
“But…” The mare continued. “You have proven yourself as a worthy replacement. I know your late uncle would be proud of what you have accomplished, Lord.”
Now it was Lord Jubilation’s turn to blush. He looked up at the mare, staring into her green eyes, and warmly stated, “Thank you, Lady Lightfeather.”
They broke eye contact and looked down to their plates. Lord Jubilation decided to break the silence once more.
“I have heard rumors, my Lady, that you are the youngest Lady on the Royal Court. Are these rumors true?”
“That’s not much of a rumor, Lord; it’s fairly common knowledge that I am the youngest Lady on the court.”
“And how young do you have to be to be the youngest Lady?”
“My, my, Lord Jubilation, haven’t you been told to never ask a mare her age?
The young Lord stuttered for a few moments before the Lady giggled. The Lord blushed once more and quickly uttered an apology. The Lady’s sweet laughter filled his ears and he looked up to find her smiling at him once more. Her laughter faded and she spoke.
“In all honesty, I do not mind you knowing my age, Lord. You are thirty-five years of age, are you not?”
“I am.”
“Then I am only three years older than you, Lord. Are you content with that information?”
“Quite. Thank you, my Lady.”
The Pegasus mare arched her eyebrows.
“Your Lady, Lord?”
Lord Jubilation realized that Lady Lightfeather had a knack for making him blush as he felt the familiar heat rush to his face.
- - -
The banquet feast had lasted all through the evening and well into the night. When it finally ended Lord Jubilation was quite ready to retire to his cot, but like the previous night his desire to see Luna’s glorious firmament outweighed his weariness. It was for that reason he found himself once more ascending the spiral steps of the watchtower. Upon arriving on the balcony, he found himself staring up into the sky. The night seemed particularly dark. There was no apparent reason for this as the moon was burning its bright light and the stars shone clear.
Yet the night was dark. The endless void seemed to be infinitely black.
He did not feel the raw energy flowing through his being. He did not feel the presence of the energy at all. He did not feel compelled to stand on the balcony as he had the night before, but he did anyway, for the sake of his own curiosity. It was not until he had spent what felt like an hour staring up into the dark night sky, feeling the cool wind nip at his ears, that the Lord noticed the dark cloud of cosmic energy radiating from the balcony opposite him. He saw wisps of the energy shed off and curl up before disappearing. He could see into the deep sea of stars and darkness. Within he beheld the form of Lord Greywing. Looking into the hulking cloud of ethereal power, Jubilation felt a familiar presence in his mind and being. The energy that he was staring into was the same energy from the night before. And Greywing was trapped in the center of it.
Lord Jubilation knew not where this energy had been produced or for what purpose, but he had experienced it before. He knew how it affected ponies– with only limited exposure Jubilation’s mind had collapsed into an unconscious state. He knew Greywing was in danger, and with extreme prolonged exposure that the pegasus Lord faced, Lord Jubilation was worried. Magic is a tricky business, and for unicorns without magical training, a teleport spell across a reasonable distance might have been difficult. But for Lord Jubilation, who had grown up in a wealthy family and thus received schooling in the art of magic, a teleportation spell was easy.
The Lord focused and with a brilliant flash from his horn he was gone, leaving nothing but the lingering scent of ozone.
The Unicorn popped back into existence in a second flash. Regaining his bearings, the Lord saw that he was on the other balcony. He spotted the pulsing cloud of dark energy. Jubilation stepped closer to it and cautiously extended a forehoof toward it. The energy shifted, grazing his hoof. The result was a shock that jolted the stallion’s body sending him stumbling back. As he nursed his hoof he knew he would have to rethink his approach.
A glow enveloped his horn as he attempted to pierce the darkness and pull the captive Pegasus to safety. The shield, being composed of magical energy, was difficult to penetrate, but having trained through his foalhood and into his adult life, Lord Jubilation had built up a rather large endurance when it came to using his magic. And with a spell as simple as telekinesis, his endurance was fairly high. His horn began to spark as a second layer of overglow appeared around it. The veil of cosmic energy began to ripple where his horn was. A third, final layer of overglow surrounded the young Lord’s horn, and he planted his hooves back. The body trapped within the dark orb began to glow and inch toward the Lord. Beads of sweat rolled down the forehead of the struggling Lord. The darkness tested his endurance.
Greywing lay on the cold stone floor unconscious, but alive. Jubilation lay several feet away staring into the night sky, panting. He had retrieved the former Lord, yes, but doing so had exhausted most of his energy. He heard whispers emanating from the direction of the pegasus. He rolled over to see Greywing already facing him. He listened closely.
“…Luna…nightmare…”
- - -
Lady Lightfeather had watched Lord Jubilation leave the court. She could hardly sleep, not after the day’s affairs. Things had gone swimmingly, and the excitement from their success and the fun she had had during the banquet had left her heart pumping and gave her an energy that could be compared to a breath of fresh air.
The pegasus mare stared at the large doors to the Court, watching them close as the young unicorn Lord closed them carefully.
She had begun to grow fond of Lord Jubilation. Some inkling of unknown knowledge, sprung up from a font of indistinct and discreet instinct, told her that her feelings meant more than she was ready to let on. Regardless, she had decided that she liked him.
It was for these reasons that she was concerned when he departed. She knew that he had passed out the previous night and was worried about him. Even the Princess of the Sun had assured her that he would be fine, but her reassurances did nothing to soothe her fears.
After what seemed like an eternity, they creaked open slightly.
With a thunderous crash, the double doors were thrown open in such a violent manner that one door was thrown off its hinges and crashed into the wall closest to it. The other door hung on its bottom hinge, the top hinge shattered under the explosive force it had been opened with. Within a moment, all of the Nobles in the room were either standing or sitting up, staring at the door.
Lady Lightfeather, who was already awake, saw the living Nightmare first, a deep black Alicorn with a mane and tail seemingly composed of the nightly heavens themselves. She was adorned with plate armor that shimmered and reflected pale silver-blue moonlight and made the Lady’s blood run cold. The alicorn’s eyes could only be described as “not pony,” something of pure evil.
The Lady was frozen in terror… but there was recognition in that terror; the deep purple cutie mark, the mane and tail, the fact that the nightmare creature was an alicorn. The thing that stood in the doorway must have once been Princess Luna. The questions of why and how had yet to be answered, but if there was one thing certain in the mare’s heart it was the answer to the question of whom.
“Foalish Noble ponies! For too long you have ignored Our beautiful night! For too long you have paid no attention to Us and groveled at the hooves of our sister. No more will We be the victim of your petty ignorance and stupidity. Now, We will force you to enjoy Our night and you will praise and love Us instead of Celestia!”
Lord Canter spoke up, “Princess Lu-”
The dark-coated Alicorn cut him off. “NO, YOU FOAL. PRINCESS LUNA IS GONE. WE ARE NIGHTMARE MOON!” The Lord backed down after that, unsure of how to continue. Nopony else spoke up. All present stared in awe and horror at the aptly named alicorn.
“Because you ponies have so foalishly ignored us, we have decided your fate. From this moment forth, night shall be eternal!”
The bringer of eternal darkness broke out into happily cruel laughter.
Lady Lightfeather wished that Lord Jubilation was somewhere far away; somewhere safe.
- - -
The wind knocked his black mane back. His hooves carried him swiftly through the castle’s interior, through elegant halls and past stoic guards. Servants watched him pass with curiosity, but none questioned the young Lord, for they saw the determination upon his brow.
As he ran, he attempted to collect his thoughts and understand what he had just witnessed. Luna, nightmare. What did that even mean? Was Luna responsible for what had happened to Lord Greywing? It would have taken a powerful unicorn to cast a spell like the one he had seen in the tower. He knew he had to tell Celestia, but he had decided that the moment he freed Greywing from the ball of energy.
Eventually he reached a grand staircase. Each step was engraved with a symbol of the sun and made of marble. The steps led to a large door with a golden sun etched into the surface. Royal Guards of the highest rank, designated by their golden armor and the solar symbols on their armor, stood at the ready just outside the doors at the top of the staircase. When Lord Jubilation began his ascent of those stairs, both guards turned to him and spread their wings, blocking his entrance into the seemingly sacred room.
Princess Celestia had finished her royal duties for the day and had just begun to prepare her bed for the night when she heard the shouts. Just outside her door, somepony was yelling. After listening for a moment, she recognized the voice. Forgoing her royal vestiges for the sake of time she made for the door to her bedroom.
- - -
After the guards had denied him entry and a moment to speak with the Princess, Lord Jubilation had taken matters into his own hooves and began yelling. At first the guards seemed confused. A Noble yelling about Luna going crazy outside of Princess Celestia’s bedroom is generally considered a red flag to Royal Guards. The guards were about to make a move and apprehend the seemingly insane Lord when the Princess of the Sun stepped through the door. Both guards looked to her, then to each other, then back to her. With a simple look she dismissed them, and off they went to guard the hallway, giving the Lord and Princess privacy.
“What is the matter, my little pony?”
The Lord repeated what he had yelled moments before. Slightly out of breath, he continued.
“My Princess… I was just in the tower… I was going to see the night sky again, as I did last night.”
The Princess nodded.
“But when I got there… in the other balcony… Princess Celestia, something may be wrong with your sister… Princess, I found Greywing imprisoned within a sphere of dark energy–it emitted the same type of energy I found myself overcome with last night. Please keep in mind I do have some basis for this claim… when I released Greywing…” the Noble began to stutter and run short of breath.
He paused for a moment before continuing. “… When I released Greywing, he managed to whisper two words: ‘Luna, nightmare’. He passed out directly after.”
The Princess absorbed the Lord’s words. She tried to understand what he had just told her. Her sister, Princess Luna, had trapped Greywing? That didn’t make sense. What logic was there behind that decision? Why would Luna do such a thing?
Seeing the Princess’ utter confusion, Jubilation decided the next course of action.
“Princess.”
She looked up at him.
“I think it would be best if we wake the Court. Listen, I am not saying that what Greywing said is conclusive evidence or that I am correct in my assertions, but something is afoot and I believe it best that we inform the other Lords and Ladies. Perhaps one of them knows something more…”
The Princess said nothing, but moved down the hall to the Court. She did not look like the sad filly he had once seen as she moved past the guards, nodding for them to follow.
- - -
As they approached the Court, Lord Jubilation could see the doors blown apart, one knocked cleanly off its hinges. When they got closer, the Princess stopped suddenly. The Lord looked into the Court and saw the reason for her hesitation. A mare with a coat as black as night was staring down the hall toward them, staring into the eyes of Princess Celestia.
“Ah, if it isn’t our sister. How are we on this magnificent night, Cellie?” Her voice was filled with cruelty and rancor.
“I have been fine, dear sister, but I have heard disturbing news surrounding you… is everything alright?”
The Princess of the Sun did not question her sister’s change in appearance and while she did not appear shaken or undetermined, Lord Jubilation saw something falter in her eyes.
“Mmm. You must have found that Greywing fool. We actually have a lot to thank him for; it was he who prompted our change.”
“What?! Why Luna? What is the matter with you?” Celestia’s anger and confusion greatened. It was apparent to all members of the Court that the self-proclaimed Nightmare Moon was merely trying to make the Princess angry.
“FOAL! We are not Luna. We are Nightmare Moon. And there is nothing ‘the matter’ with us, Celestia. We are stronger than we’ve ever been. We feel better than we’ve ever felt. For you see ‘dear sister’ we have grown tired of being the ‘other’ princess. No more. Now we will have night unending. The night shall last forever! MWA HA HA HA!”
With each word her stature grew and grew until she was the most confident and powerful being in the room, and with each of those words Princess Celestia seemed to shrink into herself. She was afraid. Jubilation could see the fear. He thought he saw the filly again.
“But…Luna…I-”
“LUNA IS GONE, YOU FOAL! She is merely an afterthought–nothing but a fleeting memory! Only We exist now, for We are stronger than her by a thousand-fold.”
Celestia whimpered as the waking nightmare scoffed. The Nobility watched in terror. The guards had long since abandoned any attempt to follow what had been happening, as they were confused as to which Princess to obey should it come to a fight. Throughout the confrontation, Lord Canter had edged his way toward Lady Lightfeather. When he made it to her he whispered something into her ear. She, in turn, began to creep around the edge of the Court. Eventually, she found herself mere feet from where Jubilation stood next to the Princess, hidden behind the crowd of Nobles. Lord Jubilation, who had not noticed the shifting in the ranks of the Nobility, saw a small wave in his peripheral vision. He turned to see Lady Lightfeather wiggling her wings and staring at him.
As the two alicorns faced off, continuing their intense conversation, Lord Jubilation edged closer to the crowd. Once he was within earshot the pegasus mare began to speak.
“Lord Canter believes the other guards need to be alerted to this situation.”
Lord Jubilation nodded and slowly edged back toward the Princess, shifting into his original position. He turned to face the lead guard and whispered the directive in his ear.
The guard whispered, “I would send one of my stallions, but we’re already short on guards here and I don’t want to lose one in case the situation worsens. Would you be willing to go, my Lord?”
Jubilation nodded and shuffled down the hallway, headed for the barracks.
“Now, Celestia. It is time We dealt with you. Our kingdom of eternal night has no need for a Princess of the Sun; thus, We have decided that We shall destroy you. Goodbye, ‘dear sister.’”
As the dark energy in the black mare’s horn began to charge for a lethal strike, a golden light emanated from the pink-haired Princess’s horn. The brilliance and resplendency of the light easily matched the power of the black mare. When Nightmare Moon discharged a beam of magic toward Celestia it was met by Celestia’s own magic. The beam of gold and the beam of black collided causing a burst of magical energy where they met. The two sides struggled to assert control, but neither side succeeded and both spells dissolved.
The two alicorns locked eyes. Celestia’s spell had been cast in defense of herself, but it was exactly the reaction Nightmare Moon had been trying to provoke. The former Princess began casting bolt after bolt of dark energy at Celestia. Each bolt was subsequently shattered against a magical shield cast by the Sun Princess. With each attempt at breaking the barrier Nightmare Moon became more aggressive. Each bolt hurled was more powerful than the last.
After several minutes of this, a contingent of fifteen guards barreled into the room. The guards who were in the room initially quickly joined their ranks and the group moved forward, surrounding Nightmare Moon.
Seeing this, the black alicorn ceased her assault on Celestia and turned her attention to the ponies surrounding her.
“Ah! And what did you hope to accomplish, little ponies? Do you really think you can defeat Us?”
The lead guard looked at Nightmare Moon and smirked.
“You have attacked Princess Celestia and betrayed Equestria, surrender and come with us now or prepare to face the consequences of your treasonous actions.”
The nightmare pony grinned devilishly.
“You ponies have always thought yourselves the better of Us. You will now see the error of your ways.”
Her horn ignited with its black glow before launching a bolt of dark energy into the guard who had spoken to her. The bolt then arced from guard to guard, and hit each guard in succession until all of them had been hit by it. The bolt was emitted from her horn for several moments before the evil mare cut it off. The moment the spell collapsed, all of the guards simultaneously fell limply to the ground.
Silence filled the court, as the twenty bodies lay lifeless on the floor. The Nobles who had not fled during the outbreak of the fighting now struggled to get over each other as they fled.
Seeing this Nightmare Moon began to charge her horn for another attack. She, however, was blocked by Princess Celestia. The Princess’ eyes were glowing pure white, her body and head was covered in a layer of radiant gold magic, her horn sparked and shined with an overglow that matched the intensity of the burning sun.
“YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME, NOT MY PONIES, NIGHTMARE MOON!”
With that, the Princess of the Sun launched a massive ball of brilliant light towards the black alicorn. Unable to react quickly enough, the nightmare pony only managed to launch a small beam that slowed the ball.
Upon impact a large shockwave smashed through the court. The windows shattered and the other door was blasted off of its hinges.
When the ash settled, Nightmare Moon stood; eyes glowing black, staring back at Celestia, unfazed. She smirked before releasing a blast of her own.
Meanwhile, Lord Jubilation had waited back in the hallway to let the guards do their work. When Nightmare Moon cast the spell that killed them, Jubilation took a few steps forward. He then saw the spell Celestia was preparing to cast and chose to stand back. Lord Jubilation, however, did not foresee the magnitude of the spell and thus, the shockwave knocked him down.
As he started to stand, he raised his head just in time to see a massive wave of black energy crashing over Princess Celestia. Her shield came up, just in time to prevent the energy from consuming her. The energy cascaded over the golden shield around her body and dissipated on the floor, but when the shield dropped once more Jubilation saw the toll the spell had taken on her body.
Nightmare Moon’s spell hit with such an intense force that the Princess had been forced into the ground, cracking the floor beneath her hooves. Subsequently, blood was flowing from the Princess’ hooves into the cracks. Lord Jubilation was caught off-guard by this. Seeing his Princess wounded was terrifying and angering, but he knew that running forward to confront the nightmare would only end in his own demise.
The guards dead, and Princess Celestia battling Nightmare Moon to the death; Jubilation had to do something. He felt a pair of hooves grab him, lifting him up. He looked up to see Lord Canter and Lady Lightfeather helping him up. Once standing, he brushed himself off and turned to face the two Nobles.
“Thank y-”
The Lord was interrupted by Lady Lightfeather, who had grabbed him in a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re alright. When we saw you get knocked down by the blast we were afraid you might have been hurt.”
He looked into her eyes and felt something spark within him.
“Now, you two, we should probably move before a stray spell vaporizes us.”
The three Nobles looked at each other and began running down the hall.
“We can’t abandon her.”
The young Lord said to the others as they ran. Lord Canter turned his head and replied.
“Of course not. We had no plans of doing so, Lord.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“If the Princess is to have any chance of defeating the afflicted Princess Luna, then we must retrieve the Elements of Harmony for her.”
The two younger Nobles looked at each other and doubled their pace.
- - -
Lord Jubilation carried five of the six large golden orbs in his magic. Lady Lightfeather carried the sixth between her wings and Lord Canter ran slightly behind the other two Nobles, his age slowing him down.
As the three returned to the Court, they saw Princess Celestia holding her shield as Nightmare Moon barraged her with spells. Celestia’s magic was flickering under the strain, but it had not yet failed. The dark mare seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy with which she was assaulting the Princess of the Sun.
The fight had torn through the chamber; toppling chairs, tearing flags, burning banners, cracking the great marble throne of the sister of the night, and smashing one of the curved tables. The greatest emblem of the destruction, however, was the shattering of the great chandelier.
Its once symbolic beauty and harmony was tarnished and shattered across the floor. The indistinguishable metal of the chandelier was now fused to the floor, having melted under the heat of several deflected spells.
The contest of power was coming to a close, and to the Nobles it appeared as if night would indeed reign eternal. Princess Celestia; tired, bruised, and bloody from several non-deflected spells, saw the Nobles galloping towards the two Alicorns before Nightmare Moon did. She reacted quickly, biting through the pain and weariness. Springing over the black mare and flapping her wings, she was able to clear the entire hall and land next to them.
Seeing the Elements of Harmony she flicked her magic. As the orbs flew through the air, a burst of magic resonated between all six of them and a flash of light filled the room. After the flash the orbs were no longer orbs, but a single crown and a single necklace, both worn by Princess Celestia.
“Thank you, Nobles; I was beginning to lose hope.”
The Nobles nodded and began to back away. Jubilation, however, found himself being dragged forward violently. The Lord was dangling in mid-air, suspended by the magic of Nightmare Moon.
“Ha ha ha. Foalish sister, We never took you for an idiot. You know as well as We do that the Elements are tied to Us. You cannot wield them on your own. And now that I have one of your precious Nobles, you wouldn’t dare try.”
Princess Celestia’s resolve remained unfettered, but a glimmer of fear was visible in her eyes. Lord Jubilation knew that he may die, but he trusted in Princess Celestia. He was determined to help her in any way he could.
“Please, dearest Luna. I know you’re still somewhere in there. Please, sister, return to me. I am sorry. I am sorry that I stole attention from you, that I always gave the speeches, that I was the one that our subjects loved, that I selfishly made myself the face of our diarchy, and that I overshadowed you, but Luna you must understand that I can change. I understand what the limelight does to a pony. Luna, please, I have changed, and I know you are in there listening to me. Please, come back to me.”
Nightmare Moon stared at Princess Celestia for a few moments, the Princess’ words flowing through her mind. Eventually she rolled her eyes and spoke in a dry tone.
“You were always very predictable, Cellie.”
The black Alicorn turned her head and looked at the lord with malice-filled eyes. As she turned her head she saw that the young Lord was struggling against the magic. She found his flailing amusing, and began to grin. She stared for a few moments and began speaking.
“I’ve gone too far to turn back now, Cellie. This Noble will die. Those Nobles, there, will die. The land will be shrouded in darkness and there is nothing you can do to stop Us.”
When she turned her head back to look at Princess Celestia, she saw magical energy flowing around her; the Elements of Harmony; the Princess wore ablaze with magical light.
“I’m sorry if this hurts, Luna.”
A surge of energy passed through her as the Elements activated. The surge directed itself out of her horn and fanned out into a ribbon of multicolored energy. The ribbon began wrapping itself around Nightmare Moon, surrounding her. In a panic, the alicorn released Lord Jubilation and began casting spell after spell to combat the ribbon of energy.
As each and every counter failed, Nightmare Moon became desperate and tried to directly attack the Princess. The bolt she fired screamed through the air before colliding with the necklace that embodied half of the Elements of Harmony.
The Elements reacted almost immediately. It was as if they could sense the danger they were in. The rainbow ribbon that had been wrapping around Nightmare Moon tightened; it began constricting her. Nightmare Moon screamed out in horror as the ribbon began to expand upwards as well, cutting a perfect hole through the ceiling, revealing the open night sky, and more importantly, the moon.
A large white beam shot up from the middle of the ribbon, preparing the way. This time, it was the crown that was struck. Nightmare Moon charged another, larger spell and fired through the ribbon at the crown piece.
An aura of darkness surrounded the crown before spreading to the necklace. The Elements of Harmony began to shake and shimmer a dark golden color. Celestia screamed out silently. For a brief moment, Nightmare Moon believed she had succeeded, only to realize that the ribbon had yet to fade and that she was still being constricted.
The Elements of Harmony were still active, however. Reacting once more, they shed off the dark aura and tightened around Nightmare Moon, restricting her movement completely. She was forced to stare directly upwards, into her moon. Nightmare Moon realized what was about to happen and began casting one final spell. An overglow formed around her horn, then another formed, and another, and another, until a beam fired through the ribbon towards the Elements of Harmony.
The Elements reacted violently. A large overglow surrounded them and Celestia’s eyes pulsed with magic. A final wave of energy launched from the horn of the Princess of the Sun and joined the ribbon of magical energy surrounding Nightmare Moon.
“You will never win, Celestia. WE WILL RETURN IN ONE THOUSAND YEARS. MY BEAUTIFUL NIGHT WILL SEE TO THAT. GOODBYE, SISTER. HA HA HA!”
With that, the magic emitted by the Elements of Harmony crushed Nightmare Moon into a ball of energy and in the blink of an eye, fired it into the moon.
Lord Jubilation watched in awe and horror as he realized what had happened. Frozen in place, he looked up through the hole in the ceiling. Plastered across the surface of the moon was a silhouette.
He slowly looked over to the Princess to find her crumpled to the ground; bloody, bruised, and beaten. The young Lord slid his body across the destroyed Court chamber until he was next to her. He heard her whisper one final thing before her head fell to the floor.
“Luna, I’m sorry.”
- - -
The day had passed slowly. The Court had been adjourned until a later date, which had yet to be specified, and most Nobles had begun to return to their respective cities and towns. Some Nobles remained though. Jubilation was among them. In a way he was ashamed of the Nobles who had left; in another way he envied them. He envied that they had nothing extra to deal with, that they could simply leave at the drop of a hat and not feel compelled to stay and see things through. It was at that point that Jubilation had reached an impasse of his own. He asked himself what it was that held him down. He was new. He had only been a Noble for barely two days. So why did he feel so compelled to stay when others who had far deeper connections to the Princesses were able to leave so easily?
Lord Jubilation contemplated this on the top of a grassy hill a short walk from the main gate of the castle. A cold breeze blew through his mane. He had brought his scarf, but it had since fallen from his neck and lay unused on the dew-coated grass.
Drawing in a breath, he exhaled. He watched his breath against the moonlight.
The Moon had changed. Her image was visible on its surface. He knew that the Princess was in the tower, staring at it. He didn’t like to think about that. He blamed himself. He knew there was no reason to, but he did.
The howl of a wolf broke his contemplation. The forest surrounding the castle seemed more… free? The word was lost on him. He stared out into the emerging forest. It seemed far less colorful; the reds, oranges, and yellows absent in the silver light that the moon lent the land. That silver light shone as his reminder of the loss of the Princess whom he had once adored.
The world seemed to be shifting away from the old ways, and his Moon Princess was caught in the middle of it.
He stared up at the moon and saw the form on its surface. The Mare in the Moon. She stood as his reminder.
At this loss, he felt sorrow.
- - -
Lady Lightfeather waited at the bottom of the hill for several hours. While he stared at the moon, she stared at him. He did not appear cold, but she felt the bite of the frosty air; she shook from it.
As she climbed the hill, slowly and quietly, the mare unrolled the cloak she carried under her wing. The Lady was unsure if he even knew she was there before she had placed the large cloak around them both. She wrapped a wing around him. His gaze did not falter. Leaning her head on his neck, the two stared up at the lonely figure and dreamed of a better time.
