The courthouse lies empty, its air as still and oppressive as a tomb. Only a few hours before, ringing shouts had echoed down the halls, spooking even the seasoned court reporters that slowly retreated further down the hallways until only a few guards remain. The towering tirade, meant for behind closed doors, rests etched in the minds of the dozens of ponies that had stayed, eagerly awaiting for the closed doors to permit them re-entrance.

They hadn't.

The shrieks shook the pillars and obliterated the few thoughtfully placed suppression wards on the room. Already, newspaper print was inked with emboldened letters as punctuated as they had been spat at the time of their utterance by the Princess of the Night.

Canterlot Times, Equestria Daily, Cloudsdale Chronicler, each rolled paper lies on an old white desk next to an uncorked bottle of ink and a quill propped on a sparkling golden dish. The mirror surface reflects the quavering glimmer of a lamps flame that illuminates the twilight shrouded study.

“Luna,” Celestia's voice whispers as she looks over the headlines of the preview papers heaped on her desk. All had some variation of the same thing:

WE ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO A WITLESS CHORUS OF THE DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND: SAYS PRINCESS

Celestia levitates a teacup in her golden aura, lifting it to her lips and taking a small taste. It turns as bitter as ash in her mouth. With a juddering breath, she sets it back down with a clatter, betraying her frayed nerves as it rattles on the golden saucer.

Luna was never the most tactful with the nobles, it was far from the first time she'd had to smooth over relations between her sister and the aristocrats. If she downplayed a few 'issues', now was basically the same as it had been in their youth. Admittedly, the time away had only further isolated her from the nobles.

A timid knock at her study door garners a reflective “Come in.” After the faintest of hesitations, a gold-clad Pegasus Solar guard peeks inside.

“M-ma'am." She says, clearing her throat and quickly scuttling in before closing the door behind her.

“Corporal Stratus, isn't it?” Celestia notices the slight freckling, knowing how to squint to see past the armor's glamours and enchantments.

The mare quickly nods her head, “Yes, ma'am.” she throws a shaky salute, realizing Celestia was content to stare with her matronly smile to await her report. Stiffening her spine, the guardsmare continues, “We have attempted several times to pass your message on to Princess Luna, however we were maybe, possibly, umm, rebuffed.”

“Oh?”

Licking her suddenly parched lips, the guardsmare couldn't meet her mistresses gaze. “Y-yes ma'am. The captain of the Night Guard insisted that she was indisposed and couldn't possibly be disturbed.” With a tremulous gasp of breath, she swallows hard. “We thought it prudent not to press the issue.”

The Alicorn takes another sip of tea, mentally working through things in relative silence. Another slight tap of porcelain on polished wood makes the guardsmare tense, only for Celestia to nod and smile in her direction. “That's probably wise. But the messages were delivered?”

“To her chief guardspony, yes, ma'am.” Status affirms, nodding her head.

The Alicorn slowly pans her listless gaze over the bundles of newspapers limply piled on her desk. She stares, making the guardsmare look back and forth between the papers and the unresponsive Alicorn. “That'll be all, Miss Stratus. You are relieved for the evening.” Celestia looks back, flashing a quick comforting grin that sends the pony nearly scuttling back out of the room.

As the door closes, she lets out a sigh she'd been holding for a while.

This was going to take some fixing, indeed.

“This is inexcusable. Prithee, who dost those aged specters think they are to usurp the throne in such a way?! To deny a princess with their... their...”

Moondancer watches as Luna stamps her hoof down on the plush sable throw pillows brought into the basement suite. She could do whatever the buck she wanted, the room was now the lair of the Knights of the Moon. Apparently. Colourful posters waver on the wall, still settling from Luna's previous outburst.

Sunny, you had better get back here quick and not leave me alone as her punching bag!

Moondancer swallows, spotting a few motes of dust fall from the underside of a somewhat rickety shelf housing some of her Ogres and Oubliette miniatures, just a few hoofbredths from her bookshelves bowing under the weight of gaming texts. Her eyes widen, noting how dangerously close the anchor was from slipping out.

With a throaty warble, she scoops up the hoofful of figures and deposits them on her cluttered writing desk, brushing aside her journals and writing implements.

“'Tis... 'tis Unfathomable!” the small collection of statuettes rattle on their desk, drawing a wince from Moondancer who quickly straightens out the slightly askew figures. The flutter of paper behind her said another of her lovingly crafted maps had detached from the wall.

Again.

With a sigh, the Unicorn mare nudges her glasses further up her muzzle, feeling the onset of a headache from more than just the Princess's volume.

I have a princess in my basement, ranting about the future of Equestria and its politicians, listening to what I have to say... kinda. I have the best princess within a hooflength of me, the immortal goddess of the night-

Moondancer glances back over her withers, watching as the Alicorn scrunches up her muzzle and sips her now-cold coffee with a before making a sour face and swirling the mug in her arcane grip.

-and I want to tell her to just shut up for a few minutes so I can figure out what I'm supposed to say.

“We will not let them dictate policy. Sister knows little enough about our allies and friends, thusly she would be unprepared to meet the Warmaster. What would a few rapacious administers be if even sister was not enough, without preparation.”

Luna had been dwelling on this for more than two hours, and gone through no fewer than four cups of coffee. It probably wasn't doing much for her jittery fits, and it certainly wasn't helping quell her new-found paranoid streak.

Well, here we go.

“Princess,” Moondancer can feel the gaze of the princess fall on her with the weight and severity of a lead lab coat. Swallowing back the nervous tang of bile rising in the back of her throat, she continues, “What are we going to do about it? Because, um, if it didn't go well today, it's almost certainly not going to be much better tomorrow.”

A slow grin spreads across the princess's face, but the smile never reaches her eyes. After burying her muzzle in the mug, she inhaled silently and steels her nearly predatory grin. “We have a plan.” The Alicorn gestures to Moondancer with a nod, indicating she should sit on her cushion a few hooflengths from her at the end of the table.

Only when Moondancer takes her seat, does Luna continue. “It is now abundantly clear to us, that the council and the academics shall not heed our wisdom. Thus, they will need convincing of three principle truths. First, that there is a danger on the other side that has henceforth been unaddressed. For that nightmare did not originate from me, or from Equestria. The first point of contact was from the other side.”

Moondancer's eyes widen as she nods, not liking what she had been only peripherally aware of earlier. “S-so, it's true that the creatures from there were the ones who-”

“Made first contact. Yes. And impressed upon us visions of what would come to pass if we declined.” The Alicorn nods solemnly.

“Was it that bad?” Moondancer keeps Luna's gaze though her forehooves do shake a little.

For one long moment, Luna's Cyan eyes seem to glaze, dilating like she wasn't there, before a tremulous shiver courses down her frame. “Like nothing We... like nothing I have seen.”

Moondancer's mouth opens, only for the Princess to sharply lift a hoof for her to keep silent, “While We know what you would ask, 'how bad?' well, in time, Magi.”

Moondancer just nods, not that there's much choice.

“Second,” Luna continues unabated, “They must see the Warmaster as being important. It is not enough that there is a danger, there must be a solution. And We know what and who it is. There are few beings of which I am aware that remotely match his might, resources, will, or determination. Sister, certainly, but where Celestia only turns to the blade in grim finality, he,well, it is not so much a final resort.” she chortles a bit.

“So, let me get this straight.” Moondancer uncomfortably and perhaps a little eagerly shifts in her seat, “You actually found a warrior prince like in a comic book?”

The Unicorn's confidence and goofy smirk disappears as Luna's eyebrow slowly rises. Luna's eyes slowly traverse the room, as if for the first time, actually seeing the Ogres and Oubliette books, Borealis Vallehoof and Frank Phrasetta posters, and assortment of painted minis. None of the paraphernalia quite fit into any 'museum catalog'.

“Not,” Luna's eyes never quite still but slowly fall back onto a now flush and uncomfortable Moondancer, “entirely.”

Sacred moon, banish me now.

The fur on the Unicorn's cheeks prickle up, trying to release some of the embarrassed heat all but radiating through her face. Her string of half excuses, apologies, and justifications comes out in an unintelligible babble as Luna's forehoof slowly tilts her chin up. She stares into a pair of aqua pools, deep as the ocean and just as unfathomable. But instead of being lost in them, a soothing calm and sense of deep serenity washes over the flustered Unicorn.

Luna nods once, prompting an almost reflective gesture from Moondancer, even if the pony only partially understood the meaning.

“Third,” the princess continues, “They must see us as indispensable.” and nods with finality, sharp and quick in a little bob.

But Moondancer just blinks. “You're a princess of Equestria, I'm pretty sure they know you're indispensable.” Her reply only gets the princess to blink, and again, that slow eyebrow rise makes the pony shrink back into her turtleneck. “r-right?”

“Nay, we meant us. Our organization. Not Us, the princess.” Luna merely snorts, “if they were to say We were of little importance, 'twould be tantamount to treason. They may question our health and decisions, but not our worth.”

Realization quickly dawns on the pony as Luna flicks her tail, as if to dismiss an errant fly. “Oooooh.”

It was pretty apparent why the Royal We fell out of usage.

But Moondancer's reply comes with a sharp shrug, “Well, we kinda aren't that important. I mean, we haven't really done anything that anypony else could do. Except Sunset Shimmer. Well, and Twilight was pretty useful. Starlight Glimmer.... actually, why am I here?”

Luna's mirthless smile had since dissolved, but she takes a breath and gently prods Moondancer's chest through the scratchy charcoal turtleneck. “Do not sell thyself short. Thine aid to Magic was invaluable, and while thy powers are perhaps not as grand as Starlight Glimmer, we value thy efforts and quick-wittedness.” Luna's hoof taps the concealed medallion of the Knights of the Moon. “That medallion was not given to thee by accident.”

A rosy tint once more coloured her face, but this time the embarrassment wasn't quite so bad. Tongue tied again, the mare stares at a very interesting spot between her forehooves. Actually, it was a little dusty. She should probably clean this place more.

“This order shall engender itself, as its ponies have proven their worth and fortitude. So while, perhaps, not all shall venture across the planes to parts unknown-”

Shall venture into the what now?

“-it is still of the utmost importance. And as such, it must have loyal and talented ponies like thineself in its ranks. Have no fear, Magi, for thou art of great import to this endeavor!” The Alicorn strikes a pose, rising from her seat and thrusting a foreleg into the air.

Left to her surprise and confusion, Moondancer owlishly blinks at the Princess of the Night. "Uh-huh."

"Good! Then there shall be no more talk of worthlesness, especially not in the eyes of the dullards of the council. What will come to pass, shall come to pass, and they shall bear the consequences." The Alicorn shuffles a little on her hooves at the sudden and uncomfortable lull in conversation. It was the first real gap in hours. Luna turns her gaze to her now empty mug. “Friend Magi, wouldst thou grant us a boon?”

“Double cream, double sugar?” the question comes automatically to the Unicorn's lips, but it wasn't so much a question anymore.

“Please, and thou hast our thanks.” Luna grins in satisfaction as the Unicorn nervlessly nods. Moondancer quickly magicks up the empty mug in her grasp before turning to depart, just as confused as the first time she'd led Princess Luna down here.

At least the little errand would help her put a few of her thoughts in order. The door to their 'lair' closes behind her, and Moondancer trots into the short basement hallway, giving a start as the magical hearth's pilot light starts with a guttural whine followed by a faint bubble from the hot water tank. Maintenance rooms were always creepy, no matter how upscale. She'd bet that the Castle's basement maintenance room was just as creepy.

Nothing good ever happened in a boiler room, if comics, books, and campfire tales were any indication.

Staring down into the cup, the little ring of umber liquid swirled around at the bottom of the porcelain mug. “'Course the Princess of the moon would want a double-double.” She was a little surprised that she didn't just take it black, but such are the whims of royalty.

She makes her way down the hall, feeling the narrow walls pressing in on her as her hooves clatter across the cold foundation bedrock. The steep wooden stairway of rough hewn wood was always a little disconcerting to go down, but coming back up was a blessing.

The mare climbs the steps with a little more speed than is strictly necessary, reaching for the door only for the wooden door to slide open a hairsbredth from her outstretched hoof. A shadow of a pony blots out the light in front of her eyes, leaving a darkened figure looming up above her.

The Unicorn's heart seems to burst out of her chest as she lets out a startled squeak, only to jump and smack into the stone wall as, with a deep whoosh, the hearth's conjured flames spring to life. The mug falls from Moondancer's failing arcane grip, handle smashing on the first step before it bounces down the wooden stairs to shatters on the stone floor at the bottom.

“Moony! You okay there, filly?” The nameless silhouette asks, its familiar husky tone as disarming as it had been for the past months.

“Magi?” Comes the concerned voice from down the hall, followed by an Alicorn's head poking out from behind the door frame.

Moondancer just holds a hoof to her chest to calm her thundering heartbeat. “F-fine. Ev-everything's just fine. Just trying to swallow my heart back into my chest, thanks.” But looking back up, she manages a wry grin at the all too-familiar figure standing a step above her.

Sunset Shimmer at least has the courtesy to look a little sheepish, flashing a grin and looking past her at the broken shards or porcelain strewn across the floor.

Luna's hoofsteps echo in the narrow hallway, thus putting the cream-coated Unicorn mare somewhat between the Sunny-faced Unicorn and one of the princesses of Equestria.

“Welp,” Moondancer swallows hard, her heartbeat still erratic and now a slight pain flaring in her cheek, “Gonna need to get some more mugs soon.”

Sunset still holds that sheepish grin before a flare of magic quickly sweeps up most of the larger porcelain shards before forming a misshapen pile. “I-um, sorry about scaring you like that.”

“Startling me, Sunset.” The ball of broken pieces is exchanged in mid-air, “I was startled, not scared. There's a difference.”

“Sure.” Sunset smiles and looks past Moondancer who just uncomfortably shuffles on the top step as if to ask 'you gonna move?'

Sunset weaves to the side, allowing Moondancer up but she keeps her focus centered on the Alicorn, “So, I delivered the letter to the post master like you asked, but there was something waiting for you, princess.”

Luna lofts a brow as Moondancer quickly takes her leave with the shattered mug still encapsulated in her magic. “Oh? From whom, pray tell?”

That may have caught Moondancer's interest, but having breezed up the steps, she emerges into her living room and quickly makes her way to the adjacent kitchen. “Ugh, this place is too small to be a secret lair.”

With her hooves clicking on the tile, she barely catches Sunset Shimmer's answer of 'don't know', brushed aside in the moment of disposing of the broken mug. She pops the top of the wicker wastebasket and tosses the jumbled assortment of broken pieces inside before realizing the princess was occupied. She was alone. At least for a few seconds.

Looking around the small galley kitchen and the counter separating it from the nook that had always sufficed as her dining room, she takes a moment to realize she was right: this wasn't really a great headquarters for some secret society. It was barely big enough for a Sunday night game of O&O.

Okay, so it was just big enough for three ponies to squeeze into the little booth seats around the table stuffed in a corner just shy of the backyard entrance, and the mudroom too-small to turn around in. It wasn't a great space, with the yellowing tiles, some dinged counter edges where the old elegant marble finish had chipped. The wall sconces that gave off that dingy light probably needed a scrub, and her cabinets were starting to peel.

Huh... you know it didn't look this bad a few months ago.

Okay, she'd usually stayed in here just long enough to fetch something from the fridge, then sat down with a bowl of oatmeal long enough to stuff her nose in a book. Maybe it would need some cleaning or upkeep. At least it had all the amenities, stove, fridge, sink, rack for drying dishes, and that lovely stainless steel coffee maker.

With a smile, she quickly flicked its switch and reached for some filters. A sealed canister held all the precious life-giving coffee beans that might be one of the few items she tended to splurge on.

Praise the night.

Fishing out another of her ever-dwindling stock of glasses and mugs, she sets about making two portions. The coffee maker bubbles and roils in its hissing, gargling fit as Moondancer sets everything else in order.

I guess I should be nice.

“Hey Sunset!” She hollers, “You want something to dri-”

The front door slams shut, leaving the mare to dart to the living room and poke her head out. She spots a somewhat stiff and confused Unicorn mare staring at the front door.

“What was that?” Moondancer calls.

“Princess got a letter.” Sunset hums. "Official seal."

“Oh.”

“Said call the guards and go to the ninth street bridge at midnight if she's not back or hasn't sent word.” Sunset stares at the empty doorway for a second before glancing back towards Moondancer with a note of concern.

“That creepy one in low-town? Okaaaaay, that doesn't sound suspicious or ominous at all.”

Sunset sighs, “Yep.”

“You know, despite our titles, you don't think that Luna's gonna have us doing real knight things, right?”

Sunset shakes her head and turns, trotting back over but giving the door one or two last pensive glances. “Honestly, I wouldn't put it past her. It didn't help that you had a sword hung up in your bedroom.”

“That's for decorative display purposes only. It's a replica of... you know what, never mind. The point is, she left, we're up till midnight, and there's two cups of coffee on the counter. So, while I could drink them both, it'd probably get gross and cold before then. So, are you gonna help me drink this or not?”

Sunset looks over, sniffs the air, and shrugs with a friendly smile. “Yeah, why not.”

“Good.” Moondancer nods with finality, “Two creams, two sugar, and you're gonna like it, because I don't know a spell that can fix 'wrong' coffee.”

Sunset follows Moondancer into the kitchen, entering inside before a chuckle reaches the unicorn mare's ears. “Yes ma'am.”

Moondancer can only turn around and glare at the mock salute and poked out tongue from her somewhat taller friend. The Doom Gaze didn't even phase that mare.

She'd have to work on that.

Nightfall in the low-town quarters as cool and damp, a cloud of mist and fog had drifted down the mountain slopes and settled in eddies within the lowest stretches of Equestria's capital city. The Canterlotian streets felt dank and murky, swathed in obscuring veils of pale grey as lights barely formed islands in the gloom.

Luna had meant to observe the location in disguise. But she had come too late, twilight's last rays had cast a purple haze across the horizon and nightfall had completely stolen away the lowborn citizenry, who had retreated to their homes or to the inns within the city limit. A duo or her Night Guard had just passed by, crossing over the bridge and disappearing into the fog on the other side.

Luna sits in the lee of an older tower entrance, taking the appearance of a waif shrouded in a dull blue cloak. She blends in with the aged stone and corroded wrought iron fence like some mystic tarot card come to life. The narrow alleyway off to the side was entirely blurred from existence by the mists that settled among the discarded boxes and muck swept down in the light rains.

But below her, just down a short decaying stone stairway, was the bridge. Two stairways curl downward to the lower aquaducts that carried storm water down through the city. One was trafficked well enough, its line of lanterns shining a pale orange up to a riotous three story manse overlooking the sharp cut in the middle of the city itself.

The Prancing Pony inn was a well known travelers establishment, not far from Canterlot's main south gate or Hearthrow station. It was cheap, it was pleasant, and it had evidently been a landmark here for centuries. The moss clinging to the aged wattle and daub upper floors spoke to its aged architecture among the city of spires. Opposite it is a winding stairwell winding down to the city storm drain.

The other side of the bridge was constricted by tall three story structures disappearing in the misty night air. But lanterns on either end of the bridge, and another in the middle, would be hard to evade.

Where are you?

It was time, her moon was obscured, leaving little room for wane shadows. But with a slight hiss of magic, Luna spots the figure coalesce from the darkness, stepping out from a mist bank that swirls around their hooves.

It reveals a taller figure, a pony no doubt, but hidden behind a heavy maroon travelling cloak that completely hid their features. There was no hesitation, no scurrilous glances, the figure stays still in the centre of the stone bridge, overlooking the multi-coloured glass of the ancient inn.

There was no signal, just the appointed time, and it was now.

Luna carefully creeps down the steps, her hoofsteps muffled by a myriad of intricate spells, and appearing as any other dark coated Unicorn in the city. But she doesn't escape notice, seeing the hood of the other pony tilt her way. She brushes down the steps and carefully paced herself to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention, walking out into the middle of the mist shrouded cobblestone street. Little wisps swirl around her hocks as she sets hoof onto the bridge.

Without a single sound, she looks up at the blurry shadow of the cloaked pony, a Unicorn. Cold green eyes peer out from under the hood as the ivory-coated stallion stares down his muzzle at her, the black goatee easy to make out at this distance despite the deep set hood.

Luna bares her teeth, lips peeling back in anger into a passing imitation of a feral wolf, “Chancellor Neighsay.”

Author's Note

Alright, this is why I uuuuusually gather up a few chapters, having a nice little backlog so I can keep things on track. Been a busy week but here we are.