MLP 30K: Rebel Dawn

'Oh buck oh buck ooooooooh bucking Tartarus!'

The simple pale oak doors rock open, its hinges groan and seem to wobble as they warp inwards. The click-puff of camera flashbulbs from the wall of photographers and hastily shouted questions don't elicit a peep from the trio of ponies that trot into the room set off in a normally quiet corner of the courthouse. Moondancer gulps down some more saliva that had been practically absent in the last few screaming minutes of 'The Interview'. The breath practically whistling through her straining teeth isn't really conducive to getting her calmed down, either.

'Please don't explode or immolate, Stars above, please please pleaaaaaaaase.'

One of the cameraponies mutters, “Hey isn't that that Moonprancer mare?” In response, she flicks her tail in irritation just as another flash and camera whine reflects off her glasses... now she's stuck worrying about a nearly smouldering princess and hoping she didn't flash the photographer back.

Moondancer uncomfortably shuffles after the Princess of the Night. Despite the air of almost unnatural gloom mingled with a heaviness as oppressive as a black hole, there was a certain light nearly spilling from the princess's whipping mane. Between the comet-like streaks in her nebulous mass of hair and what looked like a blot of blacklight almost silhouetting the regal mare, it was pretty fair to guess she wasn't having a great day.

It would be a good guess, even without having heard the previous hours of questioning.

The Alicorn's every muscle seems to tense in some rhythmic spasm that let her at least keep walking, though her wings were a flickering mess of flitting and ruffled pinions extending in spastic twitches. Her movements are quick and deliberate, each step coming down with more force than strictly necessary. But nothing was so grotesque as the bulging veins in her neck and the clenched jaw that genuinely hurt to look at.

“Princess,” Moondancer squeaks out. “It's not you, they're just doing what they normally do. It's an academic thing and now they, uh, they have a new project that's in their hooves. It's just sorta what they run to when they find something new. I mean, without Princess Celestia's endorsement-”

Luna hisses a sharp warning as she whips her head back around at an angle just short of spine-cracking, her visible eye red-veined and twitching.

There was no reply to that, just a deep prey-instinct that said her natural 'flight' instinct was worthless and 'fight' was hilariously hopeless. She had a better chance bursting a blood vessel in her horn from standing behind the princess than she did actually doing anything about an irate Alicorn. But, if she didn't think and didn't breathe she might escape notice like the oversized pony-shaped amoeba she was. At least, she was compared to the millennia old princess of unlimited cosmic power.

More camera flashes bathe the small enclosure in stark relief, illuminating the sharp silhouettes of the four Night Guard ponies that take up a position outside the door. They swiftly form a neat line between Luna, Sunset, and herself, and the milling crowd and reporters, only for the door to be caught in a cyan glow and slammed by the Princess's arcane might.

The second resonant bang is just as loud as the first, and Moondancer's scampering movements bring her careening into Sunset's flank, nearly knocking the second mare off-balance.

“How dare they!” Luna huffs, puffing her chest out. “Petulant, pretentious, pontificating ponies! Is this where Sister's guidance has led? Two overcompensating stallions and a few meat-headed mares that believe they know best for Equestria? Now, at the very moment Equestria sorely needs decisive decisions, this council chooses to rear their worthless heads?" She snorts, "We spent years dismantling the petty quarrels of the queens and kings of old, only to find it alive and well under sister's nose.”

“Princess,” Sunset sighs, “We should probably keep it down. The last thing we need is some newspaper ponies overhearing what we're all thinking.”

“Those arrogant, simpering foals! They would tell Us that We should be more open about our plans? To let THEM decide what to do about magical relics? Before their wet-behind-the-ears servants informed them, they were oblivious to its very existence!” Luna's wet snarl bleeds an air of predatory menace, full of vitriol and indignation.

“Princess.” Sunset replies a little louder.

“All the work, all the secrecy to keep them safe from the creatures of Old Night, and they have the sheer gall to insist that WE are keeping secrets with which they should have been informed?!” The princess scoffs, choking back as she wheels on the spot, glaring blankly at the lush gauzy white drapes accenting the cheery sky blue curtains. Despite the warm accents framing the bright floor lamps that illuminate the vaulted room, there was nothing pleasant about the mood. Luna pointedly ignores the cheery springtime decor, and with her barely restrained stride and oppressive aura, so does everypony else. The princess of the night eyes a standing lamp, as if she were deciding whether to vent her frustrations on the furnishing or let it see another dawn. Folding her ears back, she turns away, “They should be pleased that we humor them at all. 'Thank you for appearing as summoned,' indeed!”

“Princess, is this actually helping?” Sunset keeps her place only a few paces from the guarded doorway. The Unicorn looks to Moondancer.

'Don't look at me, filly!' She was just trying to keep her lower lip from trembling.

Sunset's eyes roll as she takes in the room for a moment, then closes her eyes. With a flash, a glimmer of emerald magic coats the interior of the room. Moondancer knew it was likely a sound dampening spell, though it was probably too late for full damage control.

The gloomy Alicorn's very presence seems to mute the colours and dim the lights in a lavender shroud, “All of this is to keep them safe! If this is sister's will, to relegate the health and wellness of the ponies of Our lands to the idiotic, the unenlightened, and the self serving...” The rest of the thought goes unsaid, ended with a sharp snort. She doesn't see Sunset's eyes widen as she casts another fugitive glance at Moondancer.

Not that she had anything to say, her mouth had run as dry as the San Palamino desert hours ago.

Both Unicorns stay silent as their princess's face swiftly contorts back into a mask of anger. Her lips peel back, showing a row of pearl white equine teeth clenched with a pulse in her jaw from straining muscles. With a dismissive huff, she rears her head back, “Do pray tell, hath they bled for the common pony? Hath they sacrificed their estates and wealth? By what right canst they hitherto claim to make decisions and haul Us around by Our ears like a spoiled filly!” She growls, looking straight up from her position in the middle of the round room, spotting the Celestial sun sigil painted on the ceiling.

A quiet whisper passes the princess's lips just loud enough to be heard, “Do you have to deal with such foalish notions? How would you solve this?”

Her eyes close slowly, as if seeking serenity. But the tremors running through her wings and hooves don't disappear. Still, Luna stands in the center of the simple uninspired room, as if waiting for some gesture of divine providence to settle on her withers.

“Luna.” Sunset asks, edging closer towards the suddenly silent Alicorn. The slip into her old ponish cadence was a worry for everypony present.

The princess's lips curl at the edge into a mirthless grin. The low chortle starts as a rumble, deep and throaty from deep within her chest. Moondancer's simpering in the face of the mirthless cackle probably was intended to form a response at some point, but aside from a breathy squeak, nothing makes it past her lips.

“LUNA!” Sunset barks sharply, finally catching the Alicorn's attention. Her eyes blink open. “Please!”

Luna turns, wings flaring out to arc high above her head in a very noticeable threat display. Or, at least, partially. The right feathered limb stretches out like a half moon, the left merely seems to twitch and unfold with a few flaps before slowly stretching into a far weaker crescent. Despite the weakened display, the princess circles back at the centre of the open family room. She had a lot of space, it was meant for larger herds to gather themselves for more upsetting cases brought to the royal court.

“Luna, please.” Sunset whispers, standing up as tall as the Unicorn could. Her chest stays fluffed out, the little Knight of the Moon medallion prominently parting her golden yellow tuft. “Please... we need to decide what to do.”

Luna's eyes descend to the little charm, and even Sunset's eyes stay widened as Moondancer notices a little quiver in her legs. Luna's low breathy sigh seems like the sign to let Sunset deflate. The Unicorn mare lets out a deep gasp of a breath she'd been holding in.

“Thou art correct, Empathy.” Luna looks away and flutters her wings before folding them against her barrel with a displeased harrumph.

'Okay, okay, breathe filly.' Moondancer repeats like a mantra to herself. She inhales sharply but gets only a rasping sound as a gob of saliva in her cheek sucks back through into her lungs.

The two other ponies stiffen suddenly as a gasping hack and rolling cough directs their attention straight at the one mare who wanted to avoid the whole situation. Moondancer's entire body quakes as a series of coughs wracks her lungs, making her the unwitting center of attention. Her eyes get bleary as she hacks and coughs, feeling tears gather in the corners of her eyes as she hears the paltry wheezing hiss.

“Magi?” Luna asks as Sunset merely takes a few steps back so she can thump a hoof on Moondancer's withers. Of course, the heavy pat did little but nudge the scholar's glasses further up her muzzle and conjure another wheezing fit.

Moondancer waggles a hoof with a mangled, 'I'm good' barely audible above her choking asthmatic coughs. But for all its awkwardness, the near electric sensation was dispelled. Moondancer finally falls mostly quiet, snorting to clear her nostrils and swallowing...

Only to look up and flush as both princess and protege fix her a look of mild disgust. If they hadn't seen it, they heard it.

“Eeew.” Sunset cringes, but a vague outline of a smile forms on her muzzle.

And only then did Moondancer seem to register the expressions. 'D-did I really just... Stars, banish me now.' Moondancer winces, feeling the sickly heat of embarrassment flood her face with an intensity just short of making her glasses fog up.

“D-don't be such a colt about it.” It was a little squeak to regain some dignity.

Luna merely looks aside and nods towards a long chaise at the other end of the room. Next to it was an end table laden with a few refreshments, a pitcher of water, juice, and some likely slightly stale cookies on a silver platter. It wasn't much, but eating suddenly wasn't really at the forefront of any of their minds.

'good job, filly.'

Still, Sunset quickly trots over, taking the glass pitcher and popping three paper cups from a stack. “Okay,” she starts while pouring some water. “Needless to say, that didn't go so well. But it's done for now.” She offers the drinks to her companions.

“Understatement.” Moondancer mumbles, taking the proffered drink and snatching a soft jam-centered cookie from the platter. “A combined five hours of testimony boiled down to what we already know. Then the council will get to 'evaluate' our project after a few summer-student fillies stumble in to give their school presentation tomorrow.”

“Evaluate the relic.” Sunset mutters, “That means it's gonna be in their hooves now until they decide if we get it back. And like Moondancer said, we're waiting on them even if it's supposed to be just tomorrow. Oh, and of course, they haven't said anything about funding us. And they didn't even agree to our plan to speak with anypony on the other side, let alone going back through. ” The fellow Unicorn says, finding a seat on the plush saffron divan set next to a standing lamp and potted poinsettia. Moondancer couldn't help but notice that it looked surprisingly healthy for being out of season.

She preferred fabric faux-flowers herself. They typically didn't die or wilt on her like the actual ones did.

“Correct, Empathy.” Luna nods sharply, still evidently irritated as she remains standing, pacing in circles at the center of the room while staring straight ahead. “But if action need be taken, then it shall, regardless of what some council of nobles suggests. Sister's changes to how proper organizations are funded is inconsequential. I will use what we need from my own treasury.”

“That's not the royal treasury, right?” Moondancer sways a little awkwardly, taking her paper cup and swishing some of the life giving liquid around in her parched mouth.

“Nay,” Luna sighs, “'Tis a sum allocated for Our personal use to use as We see fit.”

The room falls silent for a moment as Sunset looks up, “Luna, is everything we do, travel, accommodations, these medals and all that, funded by your allowance?”

“N-nay.” Luna stiffens, stopping in mid-trot. “The medals are from our old order. Though the rest, mayhaps, have been drawn from a stipend that We have been allocated for frivolities over the months.”

“... Stars above, I'm in an adventuring club full of fillies, paid for by an allowance. Again.” Moondancer mutters, nibbling at the jam filled cookie. “Luna's a little better at it than Lyra, I guess.”

But it does get a look from Sunset, “Don't you get most of your funding based on how well you do for the University?”

Two pairs of eyes bore into her as Moondancer's ears practically glow in addition to the rest of her face. “Well, I mean, if you want to throw in reductionist arguments and other similar things, then it bears some passing resemblance to-okay yeah, that's kinda... yeah.” Moondancer slurps the drink noisily and looks up to Sunset. “Well what about you?”

The mare shrugs, “I had a couple part time jobs, waitress, cook, and stuff.” Each word comes out more muffled than the last.

Moondancer just blinks, “Protege, huh?” she whispers, “Well, whatever.” Taking another breath she rests back, “So... no touching the mirror until my teacher says so. Yeah. This is bringing back a lot of memories.”

“If thou were instructed by an infuriating wretch of a stallion, verily.” Luna angrily huffs, draining the water in one gulp. Forcing down the mouthful, she eyes a floral pattern couch slid against the wall a few hooflengths from Sunset's divan, then shuffles over uncomfortably to flop across its length. “They can not stop us from meeting, and we know the truth though they decry it as a potential 'danger'.”

“I mean, they are kinda right.” Sunset looks over, levitating a jam cookie that Moondancer was slowly edging in on. “There's no doubt that the likes of Erebus are a real danger. Imagine if they just sort of 'showed up' right here. No wonder they don't want us talking to strange colts we barely know. We might be a bad influence on them.” Sunset can't hold back the little smirk for more than two or three seconds, thus she hides her grin behind the raspberry jam cookie.

“We could handle them.” Luna looks at her paper cup and quickly refreshes her drink before gulping that down just as quickly. “We have faith that Horus could stop the lesser, We could thwart the greater.” She sighs, “Besides, We saved him from nightmare beasts. We think we deserve a pass.”

“No comment. I... don't really know him.” Moondancer admits awkwardly as she shuffles back and forth on her hooves next to the table with the treats. Finishing her water, she quickly pours herself some grape juice and fetches a few more cookies in her grasp before looking for a spot to sit. Instead of occupying a chair, she waivers, wondering if she should ask Sunset to shuffle over a bit to give her some room. She sure wasn't about to ask if she could sit next to Luna.

That would be weird. The couch is bigger, but so is she.

“Here, c'mon, sit down.” Sunset wiggles a bit, curling up into the divan's cradle but sparing a pillow for Moondancer to have the rest. And, just as awkwardly, the cream-coated Unicorn complies. “So,” Sunset continues, crossing her forehooves and settling her chin down on top. “What's the plan? Just wait here until they make their decision?”

Almost as Moondancer slides in near Sunset, Luna shuffles off her couch and sets back to pacing, leaving the Unicorn to gaze at Luna's recently abandoned seat and wonder how awkward it is staying on the slightly-too-small divan with Sunset.

It was kinda weird wasn't it?

With no response from Luna immediately, Sunset polishes off her treat and washes it down before refilling her disposable paper cup. “There's little we can do but wait.”

Luna strides the length of the room, quickening her movements to a trot, head down as if on some ancient display. Both unicorns watch for a time, seeing the slight irritated flick of their princess's tail or the occasional flutter of an ear. Moondancer just looks to Sunset as if asking for permission to interrupt a malfunctioning Alicorn.

And just as she opens her mouth, she sees the slow smile forming on the princess's lips. She stops sharply, one forehoof raised before her bright cyan eyes travel up to the pair. “Was it said that the miserable bearded stallion was the head of the Equestrian Education Association?”

“Uh-huh?” Sunset offers with an inquisitive lilt.

“Then he was the one who previously inspected and denied Magic's school its accreditation, correct?”

Luna's grin was infectious in the same way the cutie pox was. A sickly and yet deeply curious sensation falls across Moondancer as she nods, “Yeah, that would be him. Twilight did say that he was more or less responsible. It sounded pretty bad at the time.”

“Yeah,” Sunset glances back, “I can't be sure but I think she was drunk-scribing Celestia in the middle of the night that first few days. Kinda didn't help it was the same time she'd just hoofed over all the goods, diary and all."

“At least they didn't have her testify, think she probably would have went a bit nuts.”

“Twilight's a good mare, she'll be beating herself up over this. She didn't give much of a statement in comparison.”

The back and forth between the two mares was enough to let Luna all but stalk up, getting noticed only by a jumpy Moondancer at the last moment. The little flinch and splatter of grape juice on the saffron divan prompting all three ponies to look at the dark spots forming on the edge.

“T'would be a pity if the school went unused.” Luna's grin is all teeth, “It would be a shame if a crown project of that magnitude went abandoned, would it not, my friends?”

“It was a nice looking building from the pictures.” Sunset nods.

“Filly, you got pictures? I saw the ads, but Twilight didn't send me anything.” Moondancer huffs, crossing her forelegs, conveniently trying to obscure the juice stain.

“I kinda figure it's because she might have been wanting to offer me a job here, not, y'know, a personal thing.” The fiery Unicorn mare offers up a bit of an apology, reaching over to give the bespectacled one a light nudge on her shoulder.

“Oh, not a personal thing? What, I'm not good enough to be a teacher?” Moondancer's bushy eyebrow raises as if trying to instill dominance... 'choose your words wisely, filly.'

Unintimidated, Sunset smirks, “Of a Friendship academy?”

“If we're calling social sciences, graphology, distilled homeopathy, and phrenology 'real science' now, then sure, why not.” Moondancer gulps down the juice in one draw before refilling it with a scrunched muzzle.

“And that miiiight be why she didn't ask you.” Sunset smirks, but swiftly returns her attention to a now-closer Luna, practically smiling in her face. Sunset quickly rears her head back, “woah!”

Luna's eyes were all but alight, the glittering of excitement a far cry from the rage-fuelled flames from only minutes before. “'Tis perfect. Friends Starlight and Moondancer, didst thou see the transcripts of this, so-called, communication from San Palamino?” The Alicorn's grin getting even wider.

“No?” Moondancer replies with a hesitant confusion before looking to Sunset, only to see the Unicorn sporting a mirrored expression.

Luna grins. “Tell us, dost thou know a spell of Tongues?”

'...'

Moondancer blinks, trying to limit a few thoughts to make the faint blush nearly undetectable.

“A translation spell?” Sunset hums, now curious. “I can't say I do. I mean, I may have cast one or two in practice but they were those X to Y kind of things, not, like, a general spell. You, Moony?”

“Hmm?” Kicked out of her thoughts, the cream-coated mare looks over. “What? Translation spell, no. Not really. I actually studied the language because it tends to need context indicators. Lots of spells flub those things.” She'd proofread a few first-year student papers to recognize the Mid-Griffonian mangling of, 'this carpet is not meant for eating.'

“Hmmm.” Luna taps her chin with a hoof and grins, wings fluttering in excitement, “Then We shall confer with one who, We trust, knows. Verily, this shall work. We shall give, and we shall take, and they shall call us wise and benevolent. For that, We shall require a mare of certain expertise to join us.”

Moondancer couldn't be sure why, but a sudden chill runs through her bones.

Luna nods, turning quickly “We must make preparations and send missives. Friends, we shall meet thee back at our lair by the mid-day hour. Our guards shall see to thine safety!” Luna takes a step back, and before anypony could convince her otherwise, she disappears in a cyan flash of light with a lingering whip-crack 'bamf'.

Moondancer blinks spots from her eyes, the after-effect of the teleportation still seared into her sockets. “Oh for Star's sake, filly.” she grumbles, setting the juice cup down on the edge of the table. She mutters grimly to herself, nudging her glasses up and over her hooves before massaging her eyelids.

A faint splashing sound reaches her ears a moment later, making them flatten out as she stops breathing completely.

“Well,” Sunset swallows, “That's never coming out. So, are we going to just pick up something to eat on the way back to your place?"

"Way to go outing our secret hide-out, Sunset."