True Colors

Silver and Gold

Nightmare Moon sat alone in front of a plain board wall with a shelf on it. Along the shelf there were six simple wooden carvings. One of ponies laughing together, one of a pony speaking out to crowd in apparent defense of a pony behind him, one of a pony giving to another who seemed worse off, one of three ponies standing their ground in front of an angry crowd, one of a pony attending to another’s injuries, and one of a unicorn about to cast a spell. There was no church in Stalliongrad, despite it being a duchy capital. Largely, Nightmare suspected, because few ponies in the town believed in Harmonyism given that many were upset with the Celestial Empire here before there ever was a rebellion. In the end this meant that the ruler of the night and the grand army converts had no place to contemplate their beliefs. So, the soldiers had constructed this simple shrine in an isolated side of camp.

Nightmare was not here to contemplate her beliefs exactly, but to gather her thoughts. Twilight had seemed to take her rebuke with little care. Which only agitated the alicorn. The unicorn admitted her actions were rash, but she did not regret them. Quite in fact, Twilight seemed proud of them. The former-empress was uncertain where this sudden determination came from, her charge had always been more reserved, and she would have been proud if the circumstances were different. However, as they were, Nightmare Moon was infuriated by this stance her servant was taking.

She could at least be thankful that possible relations with Gildaris hadn’t been injured. The gryphon commander had been defeated by a female. So despite his current attempts to make negotiation hell, a fact only bolstered by Thunder Cracker’s aggressive attitude, in the end little he said or decided mattered. He’d be overthrown by one of his subordinates when they arrived back in Gildaris, and the facts would be relayed as they were, rather than twisted to the commander’s liking. The obsidian alicorn was both hopeful for and afraid of a positive response. The gryphons had said little of what they wanted so far other than possibly taking the Pie Duchy into their kingdom. Said request was a large one, but Nightmare suspected the gryphons wanted more than that for risking open war with the Celestial Empire. Regardless, they had sent back one of their own to carry the Republic’s response to their kind. The alicorn suspected it would not be long before this messenger returned, as he did not have to worm his way into the king’s court.

Still, Twilight could’ve caused things to go very badly. If she had killed the gryphon commander then the king of Gildaris would likely have been insulted at the treatment of his envoy. If she had lost then the gryphon commander wouldn’t be disgraced, and his fury at the treatment could’ve been used unhindered. Not to mention she would’ve died.

Nightmare’s blood ran cold at the mere thought, and she had to force herself not to shudder. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she was greatly upset about the idea of no longer having Twilight Sparkle in her care. She supposed she was attached the unicorn given that Twilight had been her slave, which she rarely liked to think of the young mare as any longer, for months. She’d had the magical prodigy by her side much of the time since they’d met, and she’d taught her charge most of what the unicorn knew. Yet it didn’t make sense why she felt this way.

The former-empress had been friends with several subjects over her years, though it was rare, and she was always saddened to see them inevitably die as she lived on. However, none of their passings bothered her nearly as much as the simple thought of Twilight dying. “Noctim for your thoughts?”

Nightmare Moon did not jump, but she was quick in looking to her side to see who had invaded her privacy. “Masque.” She sighed. “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you. Thinking. Pondering. Meditating. It’s no Equinenox Cathedral, but it’ll do.” The cream white unicorn answered.

“You’ve seen the Cathedral?” Nightmare wondered.

“Naturally. I grew up in Bridlelon. Family and me attended every service. I saw you and sister there a couple of times. Always separate.” Masque Raid explained.

“Of course. We couldn’t both step off our thrones often. Normally only one of us can take a break at a time.” Nightmare commented.

“Didn’t trust the Legate?” Masque asked.

“Depends on which one. Artillerus, only in matters of military. He has trouble enough relating with his troops. I can’t imagine putting him in a political position, and force him to deal with civilians or nobles. Krieger though? I would’ve trusted him with anything. He was loyal and charismatic, very friendly. I suspect had Tia not already been the Avatar of Loyalty he would’ve been instead. He could’ve been laughter too. That gelding was a blowhard for the fun of it. Katar? She wasn’t very good with normal ponies either, but she was dedicated to their wellbeing.” The alicorn reminisced.

“You knew them well.” Masque commented.

“The Legate is in charge of all divisions of the military, but has direct command over the Royal Guard. It is a lot of responsibility. I aided where I could. Which lead me to the position that I am held to by soldiers of the Grand Army. Point being that I have known most legates well, as I have often aided them.” Nightmare expounded.

“And what of the current one? Do you think it will be long before he sends the Royal Guard after us?” Masque Raid wondered.

The former-empress hesitated, and turned her gaze from the shrine in thought. Off in the distance she could see a group soldiers training someone together. She narrowed her eyes curiously, and saw it to be her charge. Twilight Sparkle was training with the gryphon commander’s sword. Curious. Nightmare hadn’t thought the unicorn would wish to learn non-magical combat. She couldn’t tell for certain from this far off, but the young mare appeared to be doing poorly. Still, the soldiers helping her didn’t seem bothered either. The alicorn wondered if there was anything she could do to aid her servant in learning how to use the weapon properly. “Nightmare?” Masque asked, and snapped her back to reality.

“Hmm? Oh. Artillerus strikes me as unlikely to so readily move the Royal Guard off royal territory. It is more likely the Grand Army will be opponents again next, but we’ll face a much larger force this time, I’m certain. There is also the chance may send some royal guards or praetorians with our next enemies, but not large enough to be the primary fighting force.” She answered at last.

“Well, let’s hope for the latter.” The unicorn stallion replied.

Nightmare Moon snorted, “I still do not understand why the Prefect would turn traitor, nor do I trust him for it.”

“You turned traitor, and you were in an even higher position than he.” Masque Raid pointed out.

“Fair enough, but you do not know the Praetorians. They are too close to the Fae to be trusted so easily.” Nightmare argued calmly.

“Even when you made them?” Masque asked. “Besides, they are not faeries. All of Discord’s creations are long since destroyed.”

The obsidian alicorn stared at her current companion suspiciously. He was smirking knowingly. How much did he know? Who was he? “Whose your father?” She asked.

Masque’s smirk grew wider. “You didn’t know him, but you knew my mother.” He answered ambiguously.

Silence settled. After a few moments Nightmare spun her forehoof asking, “Well?”

“Well what?” Masque asked innocently.

The alicorn sighed in aggravation. If stallion was going to play games then this wouldn’t be worth the effort. She rose, and began trotting away. “Where are you going?” Masque asked.

“To watch my charge practice.” She excused, but was surprised to find she had already been heading in the direction of the young mare.

As she neared the group with whom Twilight was practicing she could hear the lavender unicorn, “I can’t put all my force behind it! The sword will break, and you’re stronger than me anyway!”

“That’s gryphon steel ma’am. Your bones will break before it does.” One of the soldiers she was sparring with replied.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have the strength to overpower you. Especially when you have a bigger sword.” Twilight complained.

“The size of a weapon does not matter when it comes to lethality. If you and your sword are too small to fight normally then be quick. Use mosquito bites. Don’t hack off limbs.” Nightmare advised, as she arrived.

The soldiers took notice of her, and abruptly dropped into bows. With a simple wave of her hoof they rose. Twilight stared at her in frustration with the rapier she’d won from the gryphon commander in her mouth. “Is it time to practice magic again?” She asked, speaking surprisingly well around the handle.

Nightmare was surprised by the unwelcomeness in her charge’s tone. “No. I…just wanted to watch.” She answered.

Was there something wrong with that? Evidently not. As some of the frustration seemed to fade from Twilight’s face at the explanation. “Your highness, if I may, the Magus can not rely on such small attacks for more armored opponents. Even with a blade of such caliber she’ll need a significant amount of force to pierce plate. Excepting that it’s shoddy work.” One of the soldiers interjected.

Magus? That was an odd word. The Alicorn had never heard it before, but judging by Twilight’s lack of reaction the soldiers had been calling her it for some time. They said it with such respect too. Curious. “Then the answer is simple. She must exercise more, and build up muscle. For now, Twilight, I advise that if you need more strength then put your legs into it.” Nightmare suggested.

Twilight quirked a brow, and gestured with her head for one of the soldiers to get into a fighting stance. An earth mare complied, and readied her sword. The lavender unicorn promptly locked her rapier with the soldier’s broadsword, and pressed forward with her legs rather than her neck. She held out for longer, but the earth mare inevitably forced her back. “That didn’t work.” Twilight grouched.

The earth mare put her sword away, and beat Nightmare to the punch by correcting, “It worked better, but, like her majesty said, you need to be stronger. Exercise.”

“I exercise plenty.” Twilight retorted, her aggravation at her lack of progress seeping into her voice.

“Magus, you work on stamina and speed. Not strength. You don’t have much muscle. Just enough. You need more if you want to use a sword effectively. Unless you want to levitate it, but we’d have difficulty teaching you then.” A pegasus soldier pointed out.

“But if I levitate it that’ll take up almost all my concentration. Casting two spells at once when one requires you to stay focused on it is almost impossible. I want to use the sword naturally, so I still have access to my magic.” Twilight explained.

“Then work on building up your muscle, Twilight.” Nightmare responded, strangely put out by the other soldiers helping to teach her servant.

The unicorn sighed, seemingly aggravated at the amount of work it would take to learn this skill, and sheathed her sword. She looked around and dismissed the soldier, “I’d like to take a break. You can go.”

Saluting, the soldiers did as asked. “Could we…study some magic?” Twilight wondered once they were gone.

Nightmare smiled warmly. Only she could teach her charge what said young mare truly enjoyed. “Of course. I’ve been meaning to ask about the enchantment on your clo--”

“There you are.” A strong voice chirped.

Severely agitated by the interruption, the alicorn turned to see one of the gryphons. “Come,” He commanded in his odd bird-like speech. “Our messenger has returned. We have more business to discuss.”

The former-empress glared coldly at the arrogant gryphon before her. He thought her a gryphoness to be ordered around as he wished? “Do not speak to my master that way again.” Twilight warned.

The obsidian mare was surprised to once again have been beaten to the punch, but even moreso by her servant’s defense of her. The gryphon stared at the unicorn contemptuously, but amended his statement, “Please, come?”

Nightmare nodded in response her own glare disappearing. “Lead the way.” She replied.

“What is she doing here?” Thunder Cracker demanded.

“You have never been bothered by Twilight’s presence before.” Nightmare replied.

“Yes. Because she’s a slave, but we’ve never negotiated anything with a group she’s offended before.” Thunder Cracker argued.

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes at the aggressive earth stallion. She had insisted on coming. Which agitated her master slightly, and she understood why. Still, she felt it was her duty to know exactly what was going on. The soldiers almost all looked up to her, and even referred to her by their own title. Magus. She presumed it came from the word magic. The unicorn wasn’t sure that she deserved something like that, and she was still uncomfortable with the treatment. However, if they respected her so much that they placed her in a commanding position over them then she would do her best to fit the role. Which meant that she needed to be in the know with the council’s decisions. “She is here now, and that will not change.” Nightmare Moon insisted.

“Perhaps it would be wiser to not argue in front of our potential allies?” Masque interjected.

Twilight had to resist laughing at that. The incident just earlier that week had not been forgotten. The soldiers clearly disliked the gryphons, and the civilians in the town weren’t much more receptive. Needless to say, the Republic was, for the most part, upset that their “potential allies” had behaved so violently towards them. The unicorn was thankful that the gryphons would just be delivering supplies and then leaving. If they stayed and fought there would be more incidents, and Twilight was uncertain how she would deal with upset and angry ponies looking to her for guidance. “Yes, if you would cease bickering like females perhaps we could discuss our business.” The gryphon commander mocked, and caused Nightmare and Twilight to glare at him in unison.

“Gragh, fine. What did your king say?” Thunder Cracker asked.

“Half the duchy is not enough for what you ask. The whole duchy is not enough.” The gryphon commander answered with as much of a smile as his beak would allow.

“What!? That would double the size of your kingdom! How is it not enough?! All we need are some damn supplies!” Thunder Cracker barked.

“A lot of supplies. So many so that we won’t be able manage subtlety once you proceed beyond this town. The Celestial Empire will find out about what we’ve done, and they will come after us should you fail. We have no guarantee of your victory. Your force is several thousand strong and sizable, but the total of the Empire’s might is over a hundred thousand. You need to sweeten the deal if you want to be supplied.” The gryphon commander argued.

“What is it that King Gerrit wants?” Masque Raid interjected before anyone else could say more words of objection.

“In addition to the whole duchy we want you to cease all trade with Rapture, offer us better rates on traded goods, and to pay us back for everything we give you.” The gryphon commander explained.

Twilight may not have been lucky enough to have more than single daeum in her life, but even she was smart enough to know that the Lunar Republic wouldn’t have the money to pay Gildaris back when the war was over. If they did then it would severely sap what was saved up in the Empire’s treasury. The nation would be poor. Especially if trade was cut off with Rapture, the largest of the gryphon kingdoms. She managed to keep her mouth shut, though. She’d done enough to damage relations with Gildaris already, and her master would be very angry with her if she completely ruined the deal they needed so badly.

“Lofty demands.” Nightmare commented. “What’s stopping us from seeking something more favorable from the other gryphon kingdoms?”

“Rapture is too content with their current situation to risk this. Feliniss is too far away to be of any aid to you until you capture North Bay, and you need our supplies before then. Feethers and Shrye are not only too far away to do you any good at all, but they wouldn’t be able to ship too many supplies to you without being caught by us, Rapture, or Feliniss. Besides, it would take too long for you to get a messenger through to the court of one of the other kingdoms. By then you will be starving. It’s a wonder that with a host this large in this land that you aren’t already.” The gryphon commander pointed out with what Twilight assumed was a sly grin.

“Bastard.” The young mare thought, and grit her teeth.

Thunder Cracker looked ready to spontaneously combust. Nightmare Moon appeared far calmer, but Twilight had been around the alicorn long enough to know better. The barely noticeable twitch of the eye. The slight lowering of the ears. The tenseness of the muscles. The former-empress was furious. Masque, however, was the one who broke the silence. “And if we agreed and couldn’t pay?” He asked.

“Then we take more land as payment.” The gryphon commander answered with a pleased look, clearly wanting such to happen.

“Bah! Your price is too steep.” Thunder Cracker growled, evidently trying to keep himself from starting another war.

“But we’re the only ones with a price.” The gryphon commander pointed out again and chuckled.

Twilight was having a very hard time trying to restrain herself, but she was fortunate in that her master apparently had an idea.

The alicorn rose from her cushion, and approached the gryphon commander. “Perhaps we do not have to pay our debt in money. What your kingdom desires most right now is land. Land enough to rival Rapture. Help us take the Empire. Give us at least a year to recover, and then we will help you take part of the Pack Lands for yourselfves Does this not sound agreeable?” She asked.

The gryphon commander hesitated, uncertain how to respond. “Would serve those two timing rats right.” Thunder Cracker, oddly, agreed.

“Two wars so close? That may be pushing it a bit.” Masque argued.

Twilight was inclined to agree with him. Though she could see little chance of avoiding it. There would either be one with the wolves or one with Gildaris. In the end, however, would it not be easier to fight Gildaris than The Pack? Then again, what proof did the unicorn have of this? True, the wolves awoke a more primal fear inside of her when she met them, but there was no guaranteeing that wasn’t just her. Plus the gryphons had size and strength to outstrip most earth ponies, and they also had flight. Not to mention that from the comments her soldiers made, and from what little she could tell of her own sword, gryphon crafts and armaments were the absolute best in all of Eden. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so much less difficult than war with the wolves as it appeared. “No.” The gryphon commander suddenly insisted. “Potential war with the Empire is enough. We shall have your money in payment. Not the wolves’ land.”

“Oh really? Would you three kindly tell me what would be of more benefit to Gildaris? Land to expand upon or money?” Nightmare asked the subordinate gryphons who had accompanied their commander to the meeting and remained silent until now.

The three gryphons looked between one another without a sound before one of them answered, “Land.”

“Hush!” Their commander ordered.

“Why Commander Leopard, are you not acting in your country’s best interests?” Nightmare asked coyly, forcing him to be quiet. “However, there is another issue. With all that we will already be giving a second war would be overpaying. So, in order to make things fair, I request troops in addition to supplies.”

“No. Risking war is one thing. Declaring it is another.” The gryphon commander argued.

“Are you three going to allow a coward who lost to a mare decide your path, and the path of your country?” Nightmare asked the subordinates.

They were quiet, but they were also glaring at their commander. “So,” The alicorn continued, “you will leave immediately, and go to your king. You will tell him that in exchange for steady supplies and whatever amount of soldiers he feels is appropriate we will evacuate Stalliongrad, and give him all of the Pie Duchy. In addition, provided a year’s time to recover after the Celestial Empire is overthrown, we will aid Gildaris in a further war against The Pack to claim more land for his kingdom. We will not, however, end trade with Rapture. We shall maintain it, but we will give Gildaris large discounts on any traded goods from us. This does not apply to traveling pony merchants who enter Gildaris to sell their items, nor to any other service we might provide.”

The gryphons nodded in agreement to take the message. While their commander simply appeared confused as to how he had lost control of the situation.Twilight, however, could only think of one thing. The Lunar Republic soldiers would have to work alongside gryphons now. "Shit."

Author's Note: Sorry all. I know this is a day late, but I have a damn good excuse. Halo 4. Now, in this chapter I wanted to focus a bit more on Nightmare Moon, it's been a while since we've had a chapter mostly from her perspective, but I ended up cutting a last section out. So this is divided evenly between her and Twilight I feel. I also wanted to focus more on their relationship. Someone pointed out last chapter that it has indeed been too long since I've progressed their shipping any. At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to shooting people in the face with a shotgun, and running into massive swarms of enemies on legendary for the fuck of it.