MLP: Rise of Nightmares
#1 of MLP: Rise of Nightmares
Song birds sing their happy songs from the branch of a tree. The sun starting its journey into the sky shone it's like through an open window upon the face of a dark blue stallion. Feeling the warmth the light gave, the stallion looked up and yawned deeply. He wanted to go back to sleep but the light from the morning sun would not allow him to do so. So he rose from his bed and stretched his legs, opening his wings only to fold them against his side once more the stallion used his magic to place a silver choker around his neck. He placed upon his head a silver crown and slipped into horseshoes of the same material. Opening the door he was quickly greeted by a unicorn mare. "Good morning your majesty."
"Ah good morrow Autumn. I take it my wife is already up and about?" The mare nodded.
"Yes sire. She felt that it would be wrong to wake you since you had just returned late last night from your long trip to Concordia. She felt that you needed your sleep and asked that I wait for you to awaken."
The stallion yawned once more before speaking. "Pardon me. It seems the flight back took more out of me then I had thought. In any case are Silver and Midnight awake?"
"The young prince and princess are in the dinning hall with Princess Luna. If you like I can summon them for you." The stallion raised a hoof to stop her.
"That won't be needed. I will be heading there myself. You may continue your other duties Autumn, if I need anything I will be sure to call on you." The mare bowed her head and trotted down the hall. The stallion headed in the other direction down the hall and turned right before bumping into a familiar purple unicorn. He head was in a book she had floating in front of her and had forgotten to look where she was going.
"My my Twilight Sparkle if I were a dragon you would be in some big trouble."
"Oh, I'm so sorry your highness please forgive me I was just so caught up in this book that I wasn't looking where I was going."
Using his magic the stallion picked up the book and scanned the cover. "Subtle Inclinations? My dear Twilight just what is it you have in mind? Plan on seducing some lucky stallion?"
Twilight's cheeks turned a rosy pink before the stallion, using his magic returned the book to her. "It's not like that really I was just studying on a certain topic and this book was dropped on my desk. I looked through it and it seemed to be an interesting read."
"Well be that as it may have you seen your teacher anywhere?"
"Last time I saw her was in the throne room. I believe she is holding court right now, wait shouldn't you be there too?"
The shook his head. "My dearest Celestia thought it prudent I get some sleep since my flight from Concordia turned out to take longer then I had hoped."
"Oh that's right, you flew to the Elk Kingdom."
"Indeed. But I will not bore you with paltry details. You should be getting back to Ponyville soon. I am sure that your friends miss you."
The unicorn nodded her head before the two parted ways. The stallion made his way through the castle until coming to a set of large doors. He did not truly like court, hearing all the complaints from ponies but he knew what he was getting himself into when he married Celestia so he took a deep breath and opened the door.
"And that your majesty is how we can increase our output."
Celestia sat upon her throne while a pony of standing seemed to be discussing matters of state or something, the stallion was not sure. As they heard the door open, Celestia was the first to notice the stallion's entry. "Oh Lunar, you're awake. I had not thought you up just yet."
The stallion smiled to everyone as they all bowed their heads respectfully. He made his way up the small flight of stairs and took his spot beside Celestia. "I would not have had the sun's rays not woken me and kept me from sleep." He nibbled upon Celestia's ear before she flicked it and smiled.
"It is good to see you have returned safely your highness. I was just speaking with the Queen about how we might increase our weather output so that there will not be a drought like last year."
Celestia nodded her head. "I will see what I can do Chancellor." The stallion bowed his head before leaving the room. The two regal sat upon their thrones as a unicorn mare approached with a stack of papers for Celestia to sign. "So how were the talks in Concordia?"
"Dull to say the least. Honestly Tia I do not know how you put up with it all those years." The mare smiled as she finished signing the last paper within the stack.
"Well my dear husband if it were not for the events so long ago you too would have endured it right along with me." She giggled softly before leaning against his side. The stallion opening his one wing and draping it across her.
"Any reply to the letter I had sent?" Celestia shook her head to which the stallion sighed. "It's just as well. I figure that they must hate me for what I had done."
"Lunar it was not your fault. This is whom you are, if they can not accept that then that is their loss not yours. Besides, you have a family here. A loving wife and sister whom care about you deeply. Friends whom would do anything to see you smile and a pair of little ones that are just as much trouble as you were."
"Ah you mean as WE were. Do not think that you can blame their love for pranks on just me. I was not the one whom turned their sister into a Pinkie Pie look-alike when they were just a filly. All I did was help Luna get revenge on you for it." Celestia giggled as she nuzzled under her stallion's chin. Lunar smiled and returns it with one of his own.
"So shall we head to the dinning hall? If I know you, which I do you have yet to eat anything. Always trying to keep that girlish figure." This got him a quick jab from one of Celestia's hooves.
"Well I suppose I could eat something. Since court is over I do not see the reason but do me one thing would you?" Lunar looked to her as they both left the throne room and made their way through the castle to the dinning hall.
"What might that be dear?"
"Take a bath, you are starting to leave a smell."
Lunar blinked and stopped as Celestia continued on. He lifted a wing and took a sniff. "I don't smell anything."
It did not take the royal couple long before they entered the dinning hall. There was a table situated within the center of the room. Luna, princess of the night sat on the one side, Silver Snow and Midnight Sun sitting beside her. The three were so into their own conversation that they did not realized Celestia and Lunar had entered.
Celestia took her place at the head of the table. Lunar felt that it was not his place, yes he was King but Celestia and Luna had ruled Equestria long before they married so he felt it was only right. Lunar took his place at her right and sat down. "Good morrow dear sister, honored brother."
"Morning mommy, daddy."
"Yeah morning guys."
Celestia smiled. "Good morning everypony. I hope that we have not interrupted anything?"
The three ponies shook their heads in response. Two maids had walked in and took both Lunar and Celestia's order before hurrying into the kitchen. "So Silver, your mother has told me that you wish to see the Summer Sun Celebration?"
The little filly nodded. "Yes papa. I even asked my teachers if I could attend. They agreed but said I had to write a report about it when I got back."
The stallion nodded before looking to his son. "So I hear tell that you would like to join the guard when you turn of age. Follow in your old man's hoof steps as it were."
Midnight did not say anything at first while the others looked at him. He then looked to his father and took off running out of the door and down the hall. "Was it something I said?"
It was late that morning as Lunar entered the room of his son Midnight. The large stallion had spoken about it to his wife and she came up with the idea that maybe he should talk to him about it, just to see what might be wrong. Lunar found the young colt sitting on the balcony of his room looking out over the countryside. "Midnight?" The colt said nothing. "Son... if it was something I had said that might have struck a nerve then I..."
"It wasn't you. I just can't explain why I did it. I mean the more I thought about it the more I wonder, is it really what I want?" Lunar walked up beside the smaller alicorn colt and sat with him. "I'm not like you father. I can't do the things you can. I tried training with Captain Shining Armor and...I'm just no good. Whenever I tried to fight back my body locks up and I can't move. I start shaking and I get so terrified that I can't even work a simple spell."
Lunar looked to his son and smiled softly. "Son, there is nothing wrong with being afraid of fighting. Honestly I would be more concerned if you weren't afraid. Hurting any pony for whatever reason is never a good thing and should only be used as a last resort."
"But you're not scared of anything."
Lunar nuzzled the young colt and sat back up before speaking. "There was a time I was afraid. I feared conflict and the outcome it caused but I knew that if I did nothing when I had the ability to do something even the slightest thing I could do to help, well that would be far worse then being afraid. I will tell you something that my father once told me. You have it in you to be whatever you want, all that you need to do is take that first step and never look back."
The little colt nodded and leaned against his father to which the stallion covered him with his wing. "I tell you what. The Summer Sun Celebration is being held in Ponyville again this year, why don't you and I go and make sure things are going smoothly hmm? I'm sure a certain unicorn can't wait to see you again." Lunar teased. Midnight gave his father a playful pushed as the stallion chuckled.
"I hope we are not intruding?" Both Lunar and Midnight looked back to see Celestia and Silver standing in the doorway. Lunar shook his head before they entered.
"Our son and I were just having a little chat about earlier that's all. I suggested that he come with me to Ponyville to see to the preparations as well as see his friend again."
"You mean Sweetie Belle?" Silver chimed in.
Midnight groans and rolled his eyes. "Dose everypony know that I have a crush on her?"
"No, not everypony. Just your father, your aunt Luna, your sister, me, your cousins Cadence and Blueblood....."
Midnight covered his ears. "Ok ok I get it." This elected a laugh from every pony in the room.
"In any event I think it best I wash up before we leave. Your mother pointed out that I am trailing a little bit of a funk." Lunar nodded to his family before leaving the room and making his way through the castle to Lunar and Celestia's private bath.
Once the water was the right temperature, the stallion removed his crown and choker. He then slipped out of his shoes and slowly slipped into the heated water. He lay back in the hot water and let out a sigh of relief. The heat slowly relaxing his muscles to the point of pleasure. He lay against the side of the large tub and closed his eyes. Little did he know that somepony else had come into the bath. The steam shrouding them from view.
The only way that Lunar knew he was not alone was when the water around him rippled. He quickly opened his eyes and was about to jump out when he was met with a familiar face. "And here I thought you didn't want to be near me because I smelled so bad."
"Oh please as if I have not smelled the same myself after a long trip." Celestia giggled.
"Well that's hard to believe coming from a prim and proper pony." The white mare splashed her husband playfully.
"Besides, I figured you would need help washing your back. I am not sure how humans did it but here it's a bit harder." Lunar smiled before turning around. Celestia took the sponge with her magic as lathered it up before running it up and down the stallion's backside, going between his wings and making sure to hit any area that he could not get to.
"These past eight years have been the best in my entire existence. I only wished that things had happened differently."
"How do you mean dear?" the mare asked as she continued to scrub the stallion down.
Lunar sighed. "Well the whole thing with Greaves. I mean why would he be so different from those before him?"
"I do not know my stallion. Greaves I fear was consumed by greed. He wanted to expand the gryphon's hold on the land and he didn't care who got in his way. But that is the past Lunar, The ring of Neria has been destroyed and the mine where the stone was found has been sealed off. No more shall we have to worry about it. Things do not happen for no reason. Like mother and father said, were you not here the tides of that conflict might have been very different." Upon finishing her washing of his back, the queen of Equestria laid against her king.
"I just get the feeling that something else is lurking out there beyond our sight."
A black Alicorn sat upon an obsidian throne. Flames burn all around the mare's throne room, giving it an otherworldly glow. She had been watching the royal couple for sometime now and cackled softly to herself. "You have no idea just how right you are my dear sweet Lunar."