The Blood Moon Rises: Part 1
I was confronted by the reality of my situation before I was even aware I was in any sort of situation, restrained and on the ground. Looking over my shoulder in a way I knew I shouldn't be able to do, my eyes widened when I saw a familiar blue and black pony glaring down at me.
Her face was one of great anger and annoyance, clearly distrusting of me before any words could be spoken between us.
"Foul creature! Who art thou, and why doth thou take our visage?!" Princess Luna's words were laced with what I could only describe as a growl. To drive home the demand, she put more pressure on my arm that she had in a vice grip. The pain nearly made me groan as I looked around for any sort of escape.
My eyes caught the mirror on the far end of the room, and my blood ran cold.
That wasn't me that was being restrained by the princess of the night. Instead, it was a red version of Luna. The logical part of my brain wanted to deny it, to claim that what I was see was nothing more than an illusion or a nightmare. That reflection, Luna, the vice grip holding me to the ground, it wanted so desperately for it all to be fake.
But it wasn't; I could tell in the deepest pits of my heart that it was all real.
Moreover, I knew that red pony.
Princess Argent, a version of Luna that could only be described as pure evil. I... couldn't really say much else about her personality or actions, that's all faded from memory at one point or another. What I did know is that she had achieved everything that Nightmare Moon had wished to achieve. She had turned her Equestria into the Shadow Realm, reigning by absorbing fear and casting an eternal night over the world.
Hmm... Maybe I could work with this?
Definitely better than staying silent and letting my arm slowly be torn off.
I put on the haughtiest, most smug smile I could muster.
"Oh dear Luna, is that any way to treat a fellow princess of the night?" I asked with an almost sing-song tone. "I doubt dear old Starswirl would take too kindly to you treating your counterpart so roughly~."
That gave Luna pause, her ears perking up in a way that an animal did when they heard a stick break or an animal approach too loudly. I had her attention now, which was a good thing for the time being. Her grip on me loosened a bit as she responded.
"Explain thyself. What doth thy mean by such a claim?" She ordered an answer more than asked. "And what is thine uncouth way of articulation? It sounds unbecoming of one supposedly of equal standing to mineself."
I considered how to answer for the briefest of moments, sighing like I was considering entertaining a young child's question.
Luna did not take to kindly to that, her grip tightening once more.
"Oof! You really don't seem to enjoy my presence Lulu~." I giggled, keeping up the haughty attitude. I was never one of the theater kids growing up, but I could keep up a bit for a good long while when messing around with friends. "If you simply must know, I am your counterpart from another dimension. I travelled to Equestria using magics derived from those of Starswirl."
I changed to a more diplomatic smile, one that I hadn't used since my long string of job interviews. Polite, reaches the eyes, and giving a general sense of eagerness.
"Princess Argent, at your service~."
Luna looked at me, studying my features for a good long while. I wasn't sure what was going through her head at the moment, but it gave me enough time to think and rethink what I was going to say next, to consider where the conversation would go from here.
Eventually, the blue princess releases her grip, stepping back and crossing her ar- her front hooves.
Should probably get used to the pony terms.
Luna crossed the limbs over her torso, watching me for any sign that might show that I was lying, which I wasn't only by technicality. Had I not remembered any of Argent's most basic character details, this would have never worked.
"Very well 'Argent', what art thine intentions now that thou hath arrived in our realm?" She questioned; eyes narrowed in suspicion as she waited for an answer.
"I am in search of a fresh start, my cool blue counterpart." I explained, building a backstory in my head. I'd need to make sure to commit it to memory and ensure that it wouldn't crumble under questioning later, but for now I could play fast and loose with the whole idea. "After all, I achieved the very same goal that you've likely heard whispered in your ear a few times already~."
Luna froze, telling me that she knew exactly what I was talking about.
Perfect...
"W-We doth not know what the infers..." She tried to play off my statement, a bead of sweat noticeably forming on her brow. One might consider the sight strange, but equines actually can sweat.
Though I don't think that this was an intentionally accurate thing on the part of the show writers.
Still I pressed on, more and more enjoying the part of the smug, suave spoiled princess.
"Oh don't be so coy about this Luna. We both know what you've been hearing in the dark corners of your mind." I stepped closer. "To take the affection that you desire by force, overtaking the day and bathing the lands in... eternal night~."
Luna's eyes widened, her jaw dropping open as a lifeless gasp took in a much-needed breath of air for the mare.
"T-That is... pure and utter madness!" She shouted. "How could thou do such a thing?! What of thine sister?!"
"She had been banished for a time." I said like it wasn't a big deal. "I did say I was looking for a fresh start away from it for a reason."
Now the mare glared at me, viewing me with even more caution than before.
"...Expand on thine meaning." She demanded, plain and simple.
I let my smirk fall to an annoyed work, ready to deal the finishing blow on destroying Nightmare Moon before the idea could ever come to fruition.
"It was the worst decision I had ever made." I snarled, allowing the mask to fall for just the briefest of moments. My very real annoyance and hatred of the situation acting as an added fuel to the level of disgust I wanted to show for the thing that would have this mare banished for a thousand years. "Rather than acquiring the admiration I desired from my subjects, it only turned them to fear and hatred. Not a moment went by where I didn't wish to take it all back, to the point where I simply... left."
There was silence, complete and all encompassing. Just the two of us sitting in a room lit by the dim glow of the moon and stars, only the faint sounds of the forests acting as background for our empty conversation.
"T-This action... they art of the Nightmare Forces, art they not?" The princess's voice was quiet, almost pleading. It was as if she was scared of doing such a thing willingly. "W-We know that our sister and subjects hath not enjoyed our night as we hath wished, but to attempt something so... evil."
"I will not attempt to defend my past actions or make excuses." I stated without a hint of shame. "I am not proud of it, but I will not act as though I didn't do it."
Rather, I'm acting like I did do it, for your sake.
"...If we did the same, the results would not change... would it?" She asked, more to herself than me. "We would still find ourselves an outcast, would we not?"
I didn't speak this time, allowing the girl to come to the conclusion on her own.
When the deep huff escaped her muzzle, I knew I had managed to get through to her.
"As much as our soul aches to admit such an amoral thing, we believe we needed to hear that." Luna said with a shamed expression, looking down at the floor in defeat. "We were beginning to doubt our own judgement at times."
I smirked, gently draping my arm over the other mare's shoulder. The princess of the night was clearly surprised by the unannounced action, but thankfully didn't push back on me.
"You know, I've been thinking a lot about where I went wrong in my pursuit of recognition and admiration." I started as I circled around her, much like a serpent coiling around its prey. "And I think I've found it, in the form of public improvement."
"Public... improvement?" Was Luna's response, clearly lost as to what I meant.
"If we improve the lives of Equestria. Show them our ability to achieve peace and prosperity at a scale that Celestia can't match - if they know the princess of the night is the one behind it, then won't they be just so grateful to her?" I asked rhetorically, watching as the concept clicked together in the blue mare's brain. "That's it~. You're starting to get it."
I stepped back, crossing my own front legs.
"I mean, what even is the state of Equestria right now?"
Luna sighed.
"Tis none too prosperous, in spite of our sister and her entourage of nobles. Seems that no matter how many royal banquets they attend or gatherings our fellow princess has, things continue to decline. Trade is at an all-time low, crime hath reached an all-time high, and there hath been raising tensions between the three tribes."
"Then won't this be the perfect time for us to swoop in and fix things?" I practically whispered it, knowing that it's exactly what Luna wanted to hear. "If we figure out how to succeed where the Sun court failed, then we've shown our value."
A small smile seems to worm its way onto the mare's muzzle.
"P-Perhaps it is not such a horrid proposal." Luna admitted, before gesturing to me with a hoof. "Though, we doth still wonder where thineself fits into all of this."
"Isn't it obvious?" I smirked, holding my arms out wide and giving an overly dramatic bow. "You're looking at your new assistant and Regent, your highness."
"O-Our Reg-" She coughed, before beathing a bit in an attempt to calm herself down. "W-We apologize for such an unbecoming display. We were simply... unprepared for thine statement."
She looks me over, eyes wandering over me again.
"But we simply must ask how thine intents to fit in amongst the standard members of the court?" Luna asks, specifically pointing at my wings and horn. "Thine appearance would immediately draw eyes from every direction, and not the friendly kind."
My smirk only widened, feeling a power deep within my body.
I don't know if my being brought here involved some being intentionally messing with me, or if it was just by sheer chance and luck, but the magic in this body flowed out with a practiced ease. In the blink of an eye and a flash of light, my form had been covered in an illusion that gave me a more standard pony appearance.
I looked like Luna after being initially redeemed, only red and with only wings.
"A pegasu- the intends to act as our Regent in the guise of a pegasus?" The princess asks, taking in my new form with a bewildered expression.
"Whyever not?" I wink. "After all, having a non-unicorn in such a position will be the talk of the nation. Sure, it may not be popular with the nobility, but everyone else will be over the moon with you choosing a common pony to be your voice and assistant."
Luna blinked.
"Over the... moon?" She asked, the phrase new to her.
"Elated, excited, happy." I listed the synonyms. "All of those things and more."
The princess took a minute to digest my explanation, and once a couple of seconds had passed, smiled.
"Yes." She nodded in agreement. "They shall be over the moon, Regent Argent."
"I am simply glad to be of assistance~." I teased with a playful bow.
The hard part was done, now to get to the harder part.
Actually helping run a freaking feudal nation, and having to navigate my way through the world of political intrigue.
Author's Note
Jeez, how long has it been since you last saw me on here? If you're wondering what I've been doing, I was posting on another couple of sites with a new name, Brain Power over on Space Battles and Ao3. If you're interested in all of the non-mlp stuff I've been posting since I've been gone you can go look over there.
So here I am posting a new story, one that will hopefully last for a good long while. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you guys next time!
The Blood Moon Rises: Part 2
We ended up putting our noses to the ground and getting to work almost immediately. It was already getting close to the time of lowering the moon and raising the sun, so Luna would have to go to a scheduled "breakfast" time with Celestia. It was really only such for the morning ponies, as myself and Luna will essentially have to be nocturnal in order to get to any of the duties the princess of the night - and now by extension myself - must perform.
And as much as I love breakfast food, it's not nearly so appetizing when you have to eat it for dinner every day. That fact only gets worse when you bring in the fact that this is essentially a medieval age, within an economic recession no less.
I shivered.
"And you've eaten gruel how many times in a row?" I couldn't help but blink a few times at Luna's... less than desirable eating habits. "Do they seriously not offer any other options?"
"There are a litany of other options that we are privy to, but we find them to be... distasteful." The blue mare admits, turning her eyes down with a sigh. "Our sister is often the one who chooses the menu, often choosing ornate pastries and rich confections to start her days. We simply feel wrong to enjoy such a lavish luxury every morning whilst our subjects live off of miniscule portions and struggle to remain fed."
I shook my head.
"Luna, as much as I admire your empathy, there is nothing wrong with enjoying more full meals." I allowed a real smile to cross my face. "If it helps, use that as a motivation to improve Equestria's prosperity. If every pony could not only be able to eat three meals a day, but be able to choose what that meal would be..."
"Perhaps the hath a point." She mutters. "But hath doth considered how it shall look for our image. Our sister is already well loved, and few ponies pay attention to her lavish meals. If we however were to do the same-"
"It could tarnish your already lacking reputation, I think I understand." I huffed. "To think such a disparity between diearchs would become so great. I experienced it myself, yet I still find myself lost as to how it even happened."
"Thine manner of speaking may not have helped." Luna snipped, though there was no heat behind her words. I even noticed a miniature smirk on her muzzle.
"Oh~? Was that perhaps a joke I heard~?" I asked, my smile turning sly. When the princess of the night shook her head, I only felt the need to tease grow stronger. "Oh come on Lulu~. You can tell me if you were making a joke at my expense. I promise I won't get mad."
And I was serious too, the girl seems like she needs some laughter in her life.
"M-Mayhaps we hath made a wee little bit of humor at thine attitude." She admitted with a bit of a blush, seemingly embarrassed at being called out. When I laughed again, she looked further embarrassed. "Twas not that humorous."
"Not every bit of laughter is derived from humor my blue moon other." I said, not delving deeper even as Luna's face practically screamed the word 'explain' at me. Instead, I changed the subject back to the previous train of thoughts. "In all seriousness, you really should just eat for the sake of your health. A princess can't afford to guide a nation without proper rest, socialization, or physical health."
The mare was stunned for a moment by such a serious statement.
"We... We belive that though might be right." My new boss admitted. "Very well, we shalt make a special request of the staff for a simple plate of hay hash. Such a simple dish was my favorite growing up."
"Hay hash?"
"Indeed." Luna nodded with pride, then turning to me with intrigue. "Doth our Regent hath other tastes?"
"I'm more a fan of a spiced rice and veggie dish called Biryani." I stated, eyes closing for a moment as I imagined the dish. It was one of my favorite foods, though it was the only one that lined up with the likely vegetarian lifestyle of these ponies. "It will likely be some time before I can enjoy it again, since the spices used tend to grow in different parts of the world."
"Perhaps international trade shalt allow for such a thing if we work hard enough?" The night based alicorn suggested the idea.
"Someday definitely." I smiled with a confident expression. "For now we should start internally. While we're waiting on the arrival of the food, we should look over the map of the nation again."
"Very well then." Luna allowed the discussion to return to the troubles of the nation. "We shall inquire about acquiring a detailed map post haste. And in the process... shalt we continue to discuss thine duties as out newest member of the Night court?"
"Why dear Lulu- I mean, your Highness~." I responded with an overly dramatic bow. "T'would be of the highest honor that we art to be accepted into thine great court of the night~. With our assistance and experience, may thine moonlight bring about an age of prosperity and triumph to these trouble fraught lands~!"
At this, Luna only rolled her eyes.
"Now the hath made fun of us!" She declared. "Dungeon! Dungeon for the, for one-thousand years!"
I had to bite back a flinch at that, simply due to the reminder of what was - and might still yet be if I'm not careful - this mare's fate. Even though I knew she was joking, the fact that this era was so chock full of thousand-year banishments filled me with a bone deep discomfort.
Regardless, I was determined at this point; committed past the point of no return. I intend to help this girl with the difficulties of her nation, and get her the respect she rightly deserves for it.
"Well the first thing that's immediately obvious to me is the roads, or lack thereof." I explained, gesturing vaguely as Luna and I looked at a map spread out on a table that was way to long for us. Several sets of plates and expensive looking silverware having to be removed by a maid staff that watched me with confused eyes. None of them spoke, but it was clear that they were suspicious of who I was and what my motives were.
Not that I really paid them any attention in return. I was too focused on this mess of internal trade.
"There art many roads, made by the paths of hundreds of our little ponies." The princess of the night explained.
"Yes, but these are dirt paths, with an unofficial label." I specified, tapping on the table. It was then that many members of the staff gasped, seeing and hearing the ornate pieces of black metal that covered my hooves. Though once again, these bits of commentary and hushed whispers were left to the background. "Without an official standard or protocol, ponies are liable to either lose their way and get hurt. Creating an official network of roads, with better paving and signage that can be used for directional input."
Luna put her own hoof to her chin.
"Thine point hath been made yet again. In addition, royally sanctioned paths and roads may well reduce banditry in the open." She blinked realizing something. "And in such cases where official roads have such crime occur, a militia can be quickly deployed due to the curs' reduced areas of options."
"Troop movement in general would be far faster on a paved road than on a simple dirt path." I added. "There's a greater chance that foliage or damage can occur on a dirt road, so even adding a layer of gravel can greatly improve its longevity without direct maintenance."
"But how shalt we acquire the funds and workers for such a massive project?" Luna ended up asking. "Though the royal coffers very well could be used for such a great revitalization of these trade routes, our sister mayeth not approve of thine idea."
"She holds that much sway?"
"Celestia and ourselves ought to both approve something of such a massive scale." The royal explained. "And without an existing example of success, there will be great doubt."
"Then we start smaller, with a single route." I answered, pointing to a point on the map. A small dot surrounded by bigger ones. "This small village right here, right by the sea and with good access to other major areas of the nation. Yet in spite of that, there are almost no trade to this... Manehatten or its ports. Should a road from here to this town right here, Brookwing, and show a viable increase in travel and trade between the two..."
"Then it would show our sister that such a plan can successfully be applied to other areas of Equestria." Luna competed the sentence, using her royal 'we' style of speaking. A part of me wondering if that was simply a part of the times, Luna's own upbringing and lifestyle, or if she only spoke that way when acting in an official way.
I guess it doesn't really matter right now. We need to discuss other parts of this proposal anyways.
"...Sister."
Both Luna and I looked up from our detailed road discussions to see that Celestia had joined the table, at the other end of the oversized piece of wood that had been contorted into a work that defied all sensible measurements. Looking down to the other end where the solar diarch sat, I couldn't help but feel it reached a football field in length.
The sun princess herself was far different from what I expected as well. She looked almost exactly the same, but there was a sense of haughtiness and self-entitlement that existed under a layer of pseudo-smiles that didn't reach her eyes.
Both of us waited for her to say something further.
...Five seconds is long enough, right?
"As I was saying before." I continued, circling my hoof around the two towns that were being proposed for this royally funded project. "Hiring directly from these two towns will increase funds in the area, allowing money to flow in and then be spent on other businesses - essential and luxury. Purchases feed into more purchasing, which ensures that the economy will continue to move."
"Sister, wilst thou explain thyself?" Celestia's voice cut in again. The sudden aggression in her tone actually surprised me. Was this really the same lady that was always spouting about friendship and all of that jazz?
She must have changed after Luna was banished.
The moon butt, to her credit, didn't back down from her sister's harsh mood.
"Sister, lady Argent merely wishes to assist in the recovery of Equestria's economy and prosperity." She said with a kind, yet strong voice of her own. In spite of that, I noticed how some of the staff were starting to give her dirty looks when she began to 'talk back' to the sun god.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust at the blatant favoritism, but did my best to hide my own sneer.
"And pray tell what doth this pegasus haveth to say? We hath not heard of such an individual amongst the nobility."
"The nobility would not have, sister. Lady Argent was chosen from amongst the commoners."
...Why did the maids just gasp? Are you seriously saying that I'm the first "commoner" to hold any sort of political position?
Breaking feudalism for the win, I guess.
"Thou art allowing a commoner to dictate Equestria's future?!" The sun butt shouted the question.
"She doth not be a mere commoner." Luna stated. "Lady Argent possesses a great deal of creativity and understanding in the realms of economics. As such, we hath decided to make her our court Regent and direct advisor."
"Princess Luna, thou can simply not be serious." Once more the mare of the sun protested, though it seemed as though her voice was weaker this time. "Think of how the nobility shalt respond to such a declaration. We shalt be shamed!"
"We, as in only Argent and... I, will be shamed by the rabblerousers." I blinked when the moon girl used that word. I hadn't even known that the word was even an option to be used. "We hath already considered such consequences, and find that her expertise more than makes up for such minor setbacks."
Celestia was further deterred, though seemed to have one more bit of protest in her voice.
"Luna, we believe doth art making a grave error."
"And thou have made such known." At this point Luna was no longer paying attention to Celestia, her eyes back on the map. "Now then, you hath mentioned the concept of - oh what was it called again, snowball economics?"
I blinked, and smiled as I joined her in our plans for an economic revolution.
"Correct, I was about to get into more detail about that." My eyes stared down at Brookwing on the map, keeping a careful memory of the topographical levels that existed between them and Manehatten. "Think of it like a river or ocean current, where the current status is self-perpetuating unless a new factor is introduced. If we create royally paid jobs in the construction of this new road, it will add a new factor that will discourage wealth rationing and increase personal spending."
Luna smiled, continuing the refining of our idea with her own suggestions.
All the while, I could feel the eyes on me from nearly every other occupant in the room, already feeling like I have made more than a few enemies.
Author's Note
Jeez, I think this is the fastest that any of my Fimfiction stories have ever gained tractions. What, 70 likes in just a few hours, and featured on the from page in half that time? Way to make a shmuck feel like a million bucks (of the cash kind...).
Hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter as well. I had talked with a couple of online friends already about how I should go about improving the feudal Equestrian economy, and this was one of my ideas. They all really seemed to enjoy it, with one person having something along the lines of...
"You've taken all of those asoiaf si writers who think canals fix everything and made their idea actually smart."
I don't know how valid that is, and honestly I'm not gonna take it all that seriously.
Have a good one!
