Prologue
Canterlot, Solar Empire | February 4, 1504 | 03:12
'Twas by night under moonlit coves,
Found we our solace, we sleeping droves.
Guiding wings of beckoned light,
Into ye, we lose our fright.
Out from ye, call we forth,
Those chilling winds, from the north.
Mem'ries shared, till all were lost,
Without Night Mare, our hearts turn frost.
"Are you ever going to sleep?"
The thestral mare writing jumped at the sound of a voice breaking the silence—a room so swept with sweet serenity, by sound glazed only with the flickering of a candle and the slow, steady strokes of an inked quill, now disturbed by the familiarly boisterous tone of her companion. A Solar Guard, of course. Well...not quite a guard. More of a gratuity-titled low-authority mare assigned to keep tabs on the thestral, who had been on a diplomatic mission to the Solar Empire for nearly three moons now. While they got along, it was times like this that the thestral mare, Nótt Eilíft, missed her days of soft-spoken thestral friends who would never disturb her at such a time in the morning. She sighed, noticing with a tinge of frustration that in her startled moment, she had accidentally splotched a jagged line of ink across her poem. Guiding, lose, our... she would think to herself, gazing with a frown across what once were words on the paper. She turned to the mare.
"Sundrip, please," the thestral said, already thinking of how many times she had reiterated this same request, "if you need me, speak softly or...knock...perhaps."
"Ah, my bad, I'll be sure to do that next time!" Sundrip said, smiling, as she usually did when she would offer the exact same reply in times prior. Nótt shook her head.
"Well, I assume you haven't forgotten that I don't sleep much," she continued, "so you must have used that as an...'ice breaker', as you folk call it. What do you actually need?"
"Well," Sundrip started, walking up to Nótt and nonchalantly looking at the poem as she spoke, "I was going to let you know that you, nor I for that matter, will be sleeping at all likely."
"Why?" Nótt asked, turning to her with a look of frustration. Sundrip gave a squeamish smile.
"Beeecause we have to be at the capital in less than two hours to prepare for a meeting between Empress Daybreaker and the leaders of the Ordinance of Dawn," the mare replied, "you know how they are about their morning meetings."
"Solar religions baffle me greatly..." Nótt muttered as she covered her face, "well, I suppose I'll take some of that coffee your kind so love."
"Goodness, we've known each other for long enough that you can refer to me as an individual!" Sundrip quietly exclaimed with a chuckle, "but if you'd really like some coffee, we can head toward the royal cafeteria area and have some made."
"Wonderful," the thestral muttered with a not-so-subtle note of sarcastic disapproval. Coffee was disgusting, and she found it particularly filthy as it seemed to her more a denial of the lunar beauty from which all equines would be naturally inclined to witness instead of the burning day. Still, if the Nightmare's wishes were truly to work in tandem with the Solar Empire, then her will was to be done. Even if it made little sense in the grand scheme of things. Nótt got up and stretched, preparing to follow Sundrip out of the door.
"Sorry I ruined your poem, it was beautiful, though!" she said with a smile. Nótt gave a grin as well, quickly allowing it to fade. One thing she wasn't adjusted to yet was the hospitable nature of the down-to-equus types within the Solar Empire. Always willing to be kind, always going out of their way to communicate what sometimes didn't need to be communicated. In this case, it was appreciated.
"You didn't ruin it," she said, looking back at the poem. Sundrip opened the door.
"Well, with those words crossed out, it has a different meaning," Sundrip said, "maybe I'm overthinking it, I'm not much of a poet anyway."
As she stepped out, Nótt glared at the paper.
Guiding wings of beckoned light,
Into ye, we lose our fright.
"Yeah. . ." she muttered, beginning to walk out of the door.
Graymourne Castle, Lunar Hegemony | February 4, 1504 | 03:12
"Hey. Hey, il bastardo, wake up!"
That damned Maretalian voice again. It irritated the Solar diplomat so much, but it was the job he wanted. He just figured he'd be working diplomacy with a nation that didn't stay up all fucking night. He shook his head from his slumber, turning to the thestral.
"Whaaaat?" he groaned, before turning to realize he had fallen asleep at a table full of high-ranking thestrals, "oh."
"Is Solar Diplomacy typically meant to advocate for nap hour? I figured you lot had finished with that in your early years," a thestral said with a more Canterlotan accent. Posh and pompous like the Canterlotans, more eloquent than his intellect the solar envoy would think to himself. That thestral, Field Marshall Stellar Sequence, was the most annoying of the thestrals he was burdened with dealing with. Always looking for something—though with their differences, he needn't look too far. He continued, "we'd hate to inform your Empress that—"
"Marshall Stellar," a thestral mare retorted quickly, shaking her hoof, "we've been over this. All Solar subjects are used to long hours in the sun, three moons' time is not enough to adjust their circadian rhythm."
Ah, yes, the Solar Advocate, as it were. Field Marshal Shady Nightfall. She was pretty, but she could have her moments of annoyance as well. Thestrals were all like that, hardly able to speak about anything except business in the moment. No business? No problem—no conversation at all. For as irritatingly and blatantly racist as they could be by default, their worst aspect was how boring they were.
"I don't give a good gods-damn!" Stellar shouted in response, slamming the table which certainly roused the solar envoy, who simply raised his brows after a brief jump before the Field Marshal continued, "this is a meeting of dire importance, as any, and the least that this diplomat can do is show some fucking respect!"
"Language like that isn't very respectful," another one said, quietly. She was hooded, another envoy, but none would say where from. Stellar turned to her with a snarl.
"The only reason you're even here is from the blessed Night Mare's favoritism! Otherwise you haven't the right to—"
"The blessing of the Night Mare is the only right one needs to convene at this table," Shady said to him with a stern expression, "and she has a point. You should sit down and get back to the topic at hoof before you voluntarily opt out of that right."
Stellar gave a huff and a grunt, but sat down with no further words. The Solar Envoy sighed, glancing at the papers again.
"Two thousand, three hundred and twenty-six units of supply to the Trotsylvanian expansion initiative provided by courtesy of Shang-Hay using the recently-expanded Ho Chi Mane Industrial Railway. Four hundred and three units of raw construction materials, eight hundred and twenty-two units of non-perishable foodstuffs, three hundred and forty-six units of tools, three hundred and twenty-eight units of weapons, two hundred and six units of ammunition, and two hundred and twenty-one units of scientific intelligence documents to be distributed for education collaboration," the Envoy said, "and you're problem is logistical, because you have to supply at least one hundred and twenty-three barrels of refined oil as part of trade, and thirty-six more to fuel your own trucks because your fracking operations are too recent to provide a great enough yield. In order to secure a trade with the Solar Empire, you are going to need around three hundred pounds of Himallamian rare minerals, but you don't have enough of those. What I can do is secure a trade of oil for the exact amount required for half of your current rare mineral supply, around one hundred minerals, and over the next five months, you will provide the Empire with fifty pounds of rare minerals to cover interest garnered from the debt. If paid off adequately, this will increase economic relations with the Solar Empire, and trust for loans in the future as you develop your resource industry in the coming moons. The Empire will deal with all transportation logistics, in accordance with our shared intel which details that our need for rare minerals outweighs our need of oil, being in surplus. There, your problem is solved."
The seated thestrals, all except for the hooded one, seemed to be shocked by his ability to remember what had gone on despite his loud snoring. Sure, he was obnoxious as any Solarian, but he was more intelligent than most of them. Likely why Empress Daybreaker authorized his deployment to the Lunar Hegemony. Shady smiled.
"This does sound like an optimal solution, Firelight," she said, turning to the others, "all in favor of the proposed solution?"
Several ayes, and a reluctant raising of the hoof by Stellar. It was quickly passed, and the meeting adjourned. Firelight got up, not even taking time to stretch as he made his way towards the door. That maretalian voice sounded again behind him, this time with a more friendly tone.
"How in the world did you do that?" he asked, "I know you were sleeping for a majority of that meeting."
"I was resting, Luce," Firelight replied, "they teach us to listen while we sleep."
"That sounds...creepy," Luce said with a grimace, "well, I suppose you can get your sleep now."
"Not yet," Shady said unexpectedly, having seemingly just appeared behind them in her absolute silence. The two turned to face her with confused expression as she simply smiled, "I'll need to speak with you just before you get your shut-eye. Accompany me to my office?"
Firelight turned to Luce, who gave a more disturbed grimace, before providing a nonchalant salute and hurriedly leaving the area.
Fuck, Firelight thought.
Canterlot, Solar Empire | February 4, 1504 | 04:12
Daybreak was in nearly two hours, and Nótt was not looking forward to the meeting. She knew that Daybreaker wasn't so painfully, ponyville-kind as the Solarians were by default, and she knew that the Ordinance was more stoic like the Thestrals at home. Despite that, there was only one thing she hated more than overtly kind people, and that was new people. Sure, she anticipated it when she became a diplomat—she was more 'compatible' in her professional guise with others than the other Thestrals—but after this many moons it was becoming a difficult weight to shoulder. She could only imagine how simple it must have been for the Solarian, to not have to be kind, just to get to the point without worrying about how the weather is, or worse yet, trying to speak and being blinded by the sun peaking through a window.
She couldn't ponder it long, of course, as while she was sitting in the large meeting room with her companion, Sundrip, the massive doors creaked open with a rush of hot and cold air simultaneously...and laughing. The voices were instantly recognizable, Empress Daybreaker and the Night Mare. Of course, there were three sets of hoofsteps, the first two being distinctly larger. It seemed a just-as-irritated Sunrise Sparkle followed behind them. While she did well to cover her frustration with the banter, Nótt knew all to well the means of covering one's true emotional response for sake of maintaining a stoic image, and she could tell by the subtle twitches in the Princess' left eye that she was ready to be alone—or perhaps with her now husband.
"Never a dull moment with you, Sister," Daybreaker said, her laughter falling to a light chuckle as she regained her composure upon noticing the two equines in the room. She looked taken aback. Nótt wasn't sure why, they were supposed to be there anyway. At least, she thought so, as the Empress approached them, looking at Nótt and spoke, "I must say, Nightmare Moon, I am impressed with your envoy. She seems to be two hours early."
"What?!" Nótt exclaimed, looking over to a nervously-smiling Sundrip.
"I don't think she knew," Nightmare said with a chuckle, approaching Nótt and smiling, "don't worry, little one, early is good. I'm sure you're as eager for rest as I am, but we have much to prepare for."
"Yes, beloved Night," Nótt replied, giving a bow.
"Since you are here early," Daybreaker said, "there are some things to go over apart from the ordinance. It seems that Diplomatic Envoy Firelight has sent a request from the Lunar Empire. A loan request."
"For the Trotslyvanian Expansion, right?" Nótt said, Daybreaker nodded.
"I like the proposal, perhaps you could issue a reply before your rest tonight?" the Empress requested, "if you need to wait a night, I'm sure that will be no issue."
"No, Empress Daybreaker," Nótt replied reverently, "I am capable of performing this task."
"As expected of a Thestral of your caliber," Daybreaker said with a smile, "I and the Nightmare have a few preliminary matters to discuss concerning the meeting that are best not laid upon your ears for the moment, would the two of you mind speaking with the maids and requesting a final dusting of the fine artifacts in the entrance hall? I want things to be most impressive for our guests. After that, have yourself a coffee if you need, I'm sure one of them would be more than willing to provide it."
Nótt smiled, hiding the fact that she had already had coffee. It's despicable taste still lingered in her mouth, but it surely kept her alert for the time being. She turned to Sundrip, who had begun to walk away. As the leaders stepped away to chat, Nótt found herself left with Sunrise Sparkle, who was looking at her. Staring, actually. Nótt realized she hadn't moved, and shortly after found herself staring back.
Oh no... she thought. She was in a silent, awkward stare-down with a Solarian Authority—the second in command, at that! Lady Inquisitor of the Solar Empire, Princess Sunrise Sparkle, Leader of the Crystal Authority and Ambassador to the Nations Abroad. Her income alone would drown the richest of Canterlot combined, and her power to execute a Field Marshal for looking at her funny was more than fearsome. All of these terrifying facts, and Nótt was just staring at her. She had to be quick, she couldn't just leave, but she didn't know what to say! So she spoke without thinking, hoping her mind would come to her aid before her consciousness did.
"You seem to be as irritated with the banter as I was, I could tell by your face," Nótt said. Why did she say that? That was the worst possible thing she could say! By the gods, she might as well have just said 'what an idiot, stupid solar authority, can't even hide your emotions'. Nótt immediately feared the worst until Sunrise's soft chuckle washed Nótt's very spirit with confusion.
"I'm glad somepony could tell, I was getting tired of hiding it," she said, "I have no issue with the two of them chatting, it's just that I find their humor to be...mediocre at best."
Nótt laughed. Perhaps it was some special ability of Sunrise's, perhaps it was mind control. Sunrise approached her, holding out a hoof.
"I don't believe we've properly met, actually," Sunrise said, "this many moons and I haven't spoken to one of the Solar Empire's most important assets! Shame on me. I'm sure you know my name, Lady Inquisitor Sunrise Sparkle, and you?"
"Well, uh..." Nótt said cautiously, taking the Inquisitor's hoof and shaking it—at least she knew that much about Solarian culture, "I'm Diplomatic Envoy Nótt Eilíft, nice to...meet you? I think?"
"Most ponies would consider it a privilege," Sunrise said with a giggle, "I see you're still in a bit of culture shock, that's understandable. I couldn't imagine myself away from home for longer than a moon. I get homesick too quickly."
Nótt simply nodded. Was this the fearsome, ruthless Sunrise Sparkle everypony had spoken about for the last several moons? The same one that ordered the Maginuclear Strike against the Changelings? The same one who steamrolled the Griffons at the Guto River? The same one who melted avians? Perhaps it was the fact that she was well-versed in playing the part—but it seemed so...authentic. How strange it was.
"Well, I don't have much to do while they're sitting in there and chatting—Lunar diplomacy is not my business so much as everything-else-diplomacy is," Sunrise pointed out, before laughing a bit, "not that it could really be considered diplomacy when I'm involved, as you know."
"I've heard the stories," Nótt said, "hard to believe them when you act so...friendly."
"That's the point!" Sunrise said with a smile, "anyway, why don't I accompany you? I think we could get to know each other a bit better. Honestly, I didn't think a Thestral could make it here as long as you have, so you have my appreciation for showing me the error of my judgement."
"Thank you," Nótt said, smiling back, "I assure you, in any other case—you'd be correct. We don't really do well in this kind of schedule."
"I'm sure Firelight is going crazy about now having to work at night all the time," Sunrise said with a giggle, motioning for Nótt to walk towards the door. The two continued talking as they stepped out, before seeing Sundrip walking back.
"Hey, I was wondering where—" she froze in place as she saw Sunrise Sparkle standing beside Nótt. Nótt looked confused, before realizing that Sundrip definitely did not have the same view of the Inquisitor as she currently did.
"What you are thinking is true," Nótt said solemnly, "I am no longer needed, and am being taken to my execution."
Sundrip gasped, falling onto the ground and bowing to Sunrise.
"Please, please give her another chance Lady Inquisitor!" she pleaded, before continuing to spout off a slur of praise and begging. Sunrise raised her hoof, silencing the little pony, but she was not long able to keep a straight face before she began to laugh heartily, along with Nótt. Sundrip jumped up to her hooves, looking at both of them, "what?!"
"I was just talking to the Inquisitor, she's going to be accompanying us while we get things set up for the meeting later," Nótt said with a smile. Sundrip looked to the Inquisitor for confirmation, who was just gaining her composure again as she nodded in response. Sundrip was in an air of confusion that could almost be seen.
Solarians are so strange... Nótt thought.
Graymourne Castle, Lunar Hegemony | February 4, 1504 | 03:22
Field Marshal Shady was a very stoic mare, but more kind at heart than the other Thestrals. That, at least, was Firelight's basic observation. She behaved differently, though stories of her paralleled to stories of the Solar Inquisitor. It wasn't that she was nice, she just didn't seem to hold the more discriminatory views of the other Thestrals. Probably as a point of professionalism, rather than kindness, Firelight thought. After all, broader horizons offer broader solutions. More opportunity, more business, et cetera. It was a simple equation, but not to the more purist types. The same could be said for some of the equines from the Empire, though they usually were centered in small and outdated sectors just a bit behind on technology due to their being far behind on production. Firelight figured it was just a verbal show to satiate their need to mean something, when in reality, they didn't because they were too poor to mean anything.
He stepped in to the office, lit by candles rather dimly—like everything else. Much to his surprise, however, Shady had turned on a large oil lamp that illuminated the room brightly. She seemed to have a slight difficulty adjusting, but made not even a grimace in response. She simply blinked her eyes a bit more often, and a bit longer, before her pupils dilated and she smiled.
"Take a seat, Firelight," she said softly. Firelight sat down in a very plush seat—definitely not a good seat for one wishing to stay awake.
"Am I being reprimanded?" he asked frankly. Shady gave a quiet chuckle and shook her head.
"No, not at all," she said in almost a whisper this time, "I wanted to remind you of your worth to us. Of course, I also wanted to give praise for your remarkable haste at providing a solution after what I'm sure was an egregious deliberation period for us both."
"Both?" Firelight said, quirking a brow. Shady gave a sigh.
"I am well-adjusted to long hours of business-oriented discussions, and I enjoy it—that's why I'm here in the first place, isn't it?" she said with a smile, before continuing, "but I don't much care for fighting and arguing. Debate is constructive, one offers a point, one offers a counterpoint, eventually, all reach a mutually-beneficial if mutually-compromising solution. The Blessed Night was...hasty to assemble her delegations, and while some choices of hers were good, some were questionable."
Firelight nodded, now intrigued by the batpony's openness about what would typically be considered a blasphemy by many purist thestrals—including some on the council. He paused in his thoughts as he noticed she had given him a look. It wasn't quite so different from any other look she'd give, except with her tone, it seemed incredibly threatening.
"I trust I can lament these things to you in confidence, yes?" she asked. Firelight blinked, before shaking his head.
"Of course, yes," he said quickly, "that is my job, after all."
"Your job is to encourage mutual solutions and provide communicative infrastructure for our relations to the Solar Empire," Shady corrected, "this is not your job, but I am asking you for this as a favor, we'll say, for which I assuredly shall owe you. I want the best for the both of us, Hegemony and Empire, but the best can not be achieved if issues not allowed to be addressed are not addressed."
"Well, of course, that makes sense," Firelight replied, turning to the side and stroking his chin. He looked back up to Shady as she continued.
"Some things I might endeavor to share with you have the possibility of becoming...perceived as threatening ideations," she said, "to keep such things private, well...I'm sure you understand the implications."
"I'd have to either lie to the Empire or keep secrets from them," Firelight said, "I'd be acting more like a spy than a diplomat. That is...quite the favor, if I am allowed to say."
"Whether you are allowed to or not, you have said it," Shady pointed out, "but that is alright, because you are correct. However, allow me to make my case with a single question."
"Shoot," Firelight said, awaiting her question. It surely was a good one, too.
"When is the last time you saw the Blessed Night present here?"
Firelight thought about it. He hadn't particularly paid much attention to it, though the more he pondered, the more he realized the amount of time Empress Daybreaker would spend with her subjects—even the lowest of them. Of course, most of her time was spent in the capital...but so was Nightmare Moon's. It didn't take long for the connection to form.
"Ah, I see," he said quietly, "what is a child without it's mother?"
"You," Shady said. It was rather point-blank of her to do that, and Firelight felt his heart drop at the word. While he was not as devout as most in the Solar Guard, or even in the entirety of the Empire, he still saw Empress Daybreaker all the same as the others. The Mother of Equines, the Guiding Sun, the Unyielding Sword of Flame, the Unbreaking Shield of Fire. He felt a sense of heartbreak and longing to see her again, something he had been distracted from after such a long time of dealing with the frustrations of Thestral society. Shady could see it in his eyes, as she got up from her desk and approached him, laying a hoof on his mane and stroking it gently, "so I don't tell you because I believe you to be a liar, or a keeper of secrets. I tell you these things because you must feel the same as we do. No Thestral in this nation feels as broken as I, when I think of our Mother. Do you understand?"
"Yeah," Firelight said softly, "yeah, I know what you mean."
Much to his surprise, Shady gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, before going back to her desk.
"From now on, we'll convene privately after your daily tasks are done," she said, "for now, you need your rest—I can see that the plush seat there has become very comfy for you. I can order you one, if you like."
She gave a sweet smile, and Firelight was not quite sure what to make of it. He wasn't sure if this was some strange manipulation, a test, or something else, but he wasn't about to deny a gift from one of the Hegemony's highest-ranking officials.
"You don't need to do that," he said, "but it would be nice."
"It would be no trouble for me at all, Firelight," Shady said gently, "now go on, get your rest. I will speak with you tomorrow morn at 0200 hours."
"Of course, Field Marshal," Firelight said, starting to get up. Shady gave a smile once more.
"Call me Shady."