Chapter One
It was a dark Saturday night when the coven of those who sleep beneath the sleep gathered together in the house of their leader, waiting to hear the unholy word of their ancient gods. It had to be Saturday that they met, of course, both because of their day jobs and the fact that their children had their own things to do that evening.
They were enjoying the refreshments that the dark harvester had provided for them from the Sugarcube Corner with a few starting to get worried at their leader’s tardiness when the door opened up and their leader ran inside with panic barely visible, hidden by their hood, holding up the newspaper.
“Did anyone read this?” they asked, waving the paper around. There was a murmur of nos as ponies shook their heads before their leader placed the paper down and and tapped the weather section with their hoof.
“Look,” they spat. “That foolish false goddess has made plans to have a meteor shower on the day of our great and terrible gods’ freedom!”
There were jeers and boos at this, with some of the more inclined to violence moving to grab their pitchforks and ritual daggers when their leader shook their head. “No my brothers and sisters, I have a far more effective plan in mind. One that will force her to bow to our whims without the Guards breathing down our necks or coming after us.”
There was a murmur of confusion at this before the leader began to explain their plan and then they began to cackle with glee. They knew this would be the night that one of the false goddesses would fall.
Luna was looking at her latest petitioner’s request of the night when her adviser told her of a late appointment that had come specifically for her, regarding the formation of her stars. This was a marked improvement over the last request of some plum farmers, so Luna was greatly intrigued.
Sitting upright in her throne, Luna watched a handsome looking stallion stride into the chamber.
“Greetings, oh beloved guardian of the night sky,” he said in a rich voice, bowing low before. “I come on behalf on my religious organization that places a great deal of wealth of importance on the stars above.” He flashed her a dazzling smile before he continued to speak. “In a short while, an arrangement of your wonderous stars that we have been waiting for a long time and we were dismayed that you had so suddenly decided to alter what was set to be. Far be it for me, a simple stallion, to ask you to change your designs but I would be remiss if I were not to try.” The stallion levitated over a sheet of papers and Luna quickly examined them. They were all properly filled out forms and requests for a night sky orientation; all the Is were dotted and Ts crossed. It was completely and utterly perfect.
Luna looked up from the papers and said as such, before she added, “Just one more thing, Mr Star Chart.”
“Anything, Princess Luna,” he said, bowing low.
“Do I look like a fool?” she asked him with a smile on her face and though her tone was light, beneath it was a sharpness that caused the lunar guards to perk up. “I know exactly what that star arrangement is for and what you are; some deluded cultist leader that wishes to use my stars for their profane barbaric rituals for their false god.” She intensified her glare as she used her magic to rip up the paperwork into smaller and smaller pieces. “I am going to give you something you blashphemous preacher of whatever creed you corrupted that you more than likely do not deserve and allow you to leave unmolested.”
The stallion’s handsome face twisted into an ugly snarl of hate and rage, but he impressively managed to keep his mouth shut before turning around and storming out.
Luna chuckled to herself, shaking her head. “A rare sight, my dear ponies; somepony bold enough to try and get me to aid them in their dark ritual and wise enough to know when to return to whatever hole he had left.” Her eyes went to one of her better hunters, or trackers as they were called in these days, and informed them to keep an eye on Star Chart in case he proved not to be as smart as he appeared and tried to do something.
Little did Luna know that he had already prepared for this and his plans were already proceeding exactly as planned.
Celestia shook herself awake as she prepared to raise the sun, taking the cup of prepared tea with her as she went to her balcony. As she walked there, there was a blur of noise greeting her this day. She had not heard the likes of this kind of noise in a while and it took her a moment to realize it was an angry mob, chanting and waving signs. Celestia stared down at the mob below for a moment longer before she summoned her hip flask and added a bit of rum to her cup of tea.
Settling her teacup down on the railing Celestia tried to think of what her ponies could be saying as she started to raise the sun into the sky. Straining out her hearing, she was able to tell that they were protesting because a royal family member had openly insulted their religion and now everypony felt at ris-
Celestia jerked in surprise as she heard Luna’s name being said as opposed to Blueblood’s, and had to take a moment to let the notion that the mob was for Luna sink in, standing there for a few seconds before summoning a second teacup next to the first, pouring in rum with a bit of tea before sipping at it as it was going to be one of those days.
