Confusion- Adjective: being perplexed or disconcerted.

Petrified- Verb: to confound with fear, amazement, or awe.

Fear- Verb: to have a reverential awe of; to be afraid or apprehensive.

Hopelessness- Adjective: having no expectation of good or success.

The definitions of these words were all that Twilight could think about. They were what she felt at this exact moment with the Nightmare Moon's Champion standing before her. Never before had she felt these feeling as strongly as she did at this moment.

She had been afraid when she nearly fell off a cliff, was surrounded by ghostly trees, faced a manticore, blocked by a sea dragon and even crossing a rotting rope bridge. She was stunned by how the other girls had each handled the situations differently and to this day was still amazed at the awesome power of her teacher and mentor.

But this was not like any of those scenarios. Here she was truly confused at what was happening, completely petrified by the armored creature before her and fearful that she would not live much longer.

After being suddenly teleported to this new chamber, she was feeling the effects of vertigo. Then she watched as the elements were taken from her by Nightmare Moon and she began to lose what little hope she had left. But the being before her, guttered that last ember of hope into oblivion. It even had the arrogance to greet her in a kind manner before inevitably ending her life.

Then, it smiled. It's slightly pronounced canines were enough to make her empty her bowels and bladder if they weren't stricken by the same petrified state the rest of her body was experiencing. In fact, she only just realized she was still breathing... hyperventilating actually. Her eyes widened as it reached a had toward her and she knew her end was nigh. She closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the pain as the hand... gently began to lift her to her hooves?

She cracked an eye open to look at the creature before her. Its red visor had disappeared and she could clearly see its.. his eyes. Whatever this champion was, it was male. Once she had her hooves under her, he kept a hand near to steady her in case she fell. He then stepped back and removed his helm and once again smiled at her.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" she was truly confused at this turn of events. Glancing at Nightmare Moon confused her even more as she saw not a look of anger but one of regret and loneliness.

"Neither of us said you would face me in combat. She only said you have to defeat me. However, I believe we can come to an agreement. One where all ten of us come out winners."

"Ten of us? There's only three ponies here?" Twilight watched as the... what was he? A hairless ape? But he has such a long mane and those eyes. They're like looking at a summer meadow.

"The ten of us include you, PInkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia and myself... though I'm not a pony." Now she was even more confused. "How do you know all of our names? Who's Princess Luna? How's Princess Celestia apart of this? And who are YOU?"

He smiled again, turned and bowed to the dark Alicorn. "Forgive me for not giving my name before, your grace." He stood again and for a moment, seemed to consider something. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Razgriz Alduin Himura and I am a Human."

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Nightmare's eyes widened at his introduction. 'A HUMAN? How is this possible Luna? They were only myth and legend before Celestia and I were born?' 'We know not how Razgriz came to be here, but I still trust him. I can see it in his eyes, he is here to help us Moon.'

The unicorn mare,Twilight, seemed just as stunned as she, for her mouth was wide open. Nightmare's ears perked up as her champion... HER champion began to speak again.

"I'm here to negotiate for the life of Nightmare Moon. She has agreed to rescind the eternal night and work with the current ruling body of Equestria under a probational status until such time as she is deemed fit to rule as an equal part of said ruling body." Nightmare was still trying to wrap her head around the legalese, when Twilight's eyes narrowed and her demeanor darkened.

"She's tried to kill the six of us tonight, she did something to Princess Celestia and she's EVIL!!" As Twilight screamed the last word, Nightmare could only hang her head in shame. Her actions a millennium ago and today had most definitely not been the right course of action. But she had been filled with jealousy and rage at her subjects complete disregard for her beautiful night. Only when Razgriz had opened her eyes to what her actions had wrought upon the ponies and how time had changed their view of the night, had she stepped back to she the monster she had become... the monster she had turned Luna into.

'Luna... can you ever forgive me? I have only wronged you and made you feared and misunderstood by the ponies you wished to protect and serve. I did not want this to happen... I even separated us from our sister for so long. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness--'
'Of course I forgive you Moon. You and I were one and the same and we both made those decisions together. I am as much to blame as anypony. It is I who must ask your forgiveness Moon.' Nightmare smiled. 'How could I not forgive myself?'

She waited for Razgriz to continue, "Her actions against you, the Princess and the ponies of old were wrong and harmful. However, she has seen the error of her ways and only wants to be given a chance to live and be forgiven. She has already been banished for a millenia, Twilight. A thousand years away from your family is a long time. Put yourself in Celestia's shoes, would you want Shining Armor killed after he was banished for a long time just because he threatened the land one time?"

"What does my brother being used in such a highly unlikely hypothetical scenario have to do with Princess Celestia?"

"Because Nightmare Moon is Princess Luna... Celestia's little sister." Nightmare at this point was beyond shocked. Razgriz's knowledge about Twilight's apparent family was astounding, but to use it in order to get her to empathize with her was pure genius. It seemed that Twilight was shell-shocked that she was even thinking about destroying the sister of the Princess.

Twilight turned to Nightmare, "Is this true? Your the Princess' sister?"

Nightmare lowered her shoulders and sighed, "When the stars released me from my prison, I wanted revenge and immediately sought out my older sister. I was expecting to fight her as we had before she banished me... however, she didn't make a move against me. In fact, she only said one thing before, in my haste, I banished her to the sun. She said to me, with tears in her eyes, 'Welcome back Luna. I've missed you.' "

Tears she had been holding back began to slowly fall at those words. Then the floodgates opened and she openly sobbed as she sank to her knees. Her horn lit and the Elements floated back to Twilight, wrapped in a light blue aura. Twilight looked at the Elements before her, then back to the Alicorn mare. This was Nightmare Moon? This crying pony before her was an all-powerful being... with feelings? And NOT evil?

Razgriz walked over to Nightmare, laid a hand upon her shoulder and squeezed. She leaned into him, bringing the hand to her cheek as she continued crying. As Twilight watched the touching scene before her, she turned upon hearing the sound of her friends coming to find her, calling her name to see if she would respond that she was safe.

Twilight stiffened at the thought and feelings that she had just experienced and her eyes widened in her epiphany. 'My friends... I have friends. I think of them as friends.' She turned to the elements and poured her magic into them. The stone orbs, glowing with the same lavender aura as her horn, levitated from the floor and floated to the entrance of the room.

Five mares burst into the throne room to a sight they did not expect. Twilight stood confidently and their enemy was being comforted by a mysterious newcomer. Their looks of relief upon seeing their friend alive and unharmed, were soon replaced with those of confusion.

Twilight smiled at her friends and turned back to the situation at hand. She gave the alicorn mare a deeper look, seeing her for what she truly was; a scared young mare forced into an unwanted situation... and a formerly malevolent force that had just begun to experience the same feelings she had just gone through. The realization that one has friends.

"Well then, let's do this girls. Stand aside Razgriz, I've come to a decision." Razgriz however stood his ground and stared hard at Twilight, waiting for judgement to be passed and poised to react as necessary. "Choose wisely Twilight Sparkle. Your decision here will effect the future in ways that even I can not possibly fathom."

"I understand exactly why there are only five elements here. The stone orbs are nothing but exactly that... stone." She then shattered the stones into several fragments with her magic. The other girls gasped, thinking that their only chance to defeat the enemy was now gone. "The Elements will always exist, as the Spirit's of the Elements of Harmony, are right Here!" Twilight's horn lit once more and the stone shards began to whirl above the heads of the confused mares behind her.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... Honesty." A few of the shards glowed orange and began to orbit the orange earth pony.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... Kindness." Shards with a pink aura began to orbit the shy pegasus.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... Laughter. Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of... Generosity. And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own hearts desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty."

The remaining shards began to glow blue, purple and red and began their orbit around the remaining three. "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge she threw at us tonight."

Nightmare stood, with a little help from the human, "But you still don't have the sixth element.... did the spark not work?"

"Oh it did. A different kind of spark." She turned to face her friends properly, "I felt it the very moment when I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all, are my friends."

A burst of light shone above Twilight, as a sixth stone orb descended toward her. "And when those elements are ignited by the spark, that resides within the heart us all, it creates the sixth element. The Element... of Magic!" All six mares were lifted into the air by the magic of the Elements. The shards combining and reforming into five necklaces and a tiara.

Razgriz stood before the Alicorn he'd sworn to protect and as one, the six mares spoke,"THE ONE KNOWN AS NIGHTMARE MOON WILL NOW BE JUDGED BY WE, THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY. STAND ASIDE, HUMAN. HER JUDGEMENT IS NIGH." Razgriz stared hard at the six mares who floated before him. He then reached behind him and took Nightmare's hand in his own.
"I will not stand down without guarantee that she will live, separate from Luna and free to make her own decisions. If there is no guarantee, I will accept whatever punishment is in store for her."

The mares floated silently and he felt a squeeze from the sleek alicorn mare. He squeezed back to reassure her. Then, Twilight's eyes opened and pure white light shone from them just before twin rainbows spiraled up from behind them, combined and paused in mid-air, prepared to strike.

"VERY WELL. PREPARE FOR JUDGEMENT AND MAY FAUST WATCH OVER YOU." The rainbow descended and engulfed the human and alicorn in a twister of rainbow magic. No sound escaped them as Nightmare embraced Razgriz for what she thought would be her final moments.

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After the blinding light show finally diminished, Twilight and her friends were slowly waking up from what felt like a small hangover. Using the Elements had drained their bodies of the natural magic within them, but the feeling was rapidly receding.

"Ugh, my head"
"Everypony ok?"
"Oh thank goodness!"
"Why Rarity, its so lovely."
"I know. I'll never part with it again."

As the girls then began to examine their necklaces and tiara, they noticed that each element looked just like the bearers Cutie Mark. "Gee Twilight, I thought you was just spouting a lot of hooey. But I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship"

"Indeed you do." The sun began to rise in the east, it's light pouring into the room. And as it rose fully above the horizon, a flash erupted within the chamber. As the light faded, in its place stood a tall white alicorn in full golden regalia. Twilight was immediately at the princess' side, elated at see her mentor safe and unharmed.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, I knew you could do it."

"But, you told me it was all an old ponies tale. If it weren't for Razgriz's intervention, we may have done something terrible today."

"Speaking of that..." Celestia turned and strode to the dias, where a young blue alicorn was just waking up... naked.

Upon seeing her nakedness, Luna attempted to hide her young pert breasts and nubile body, while at the same time trying to back away from the approaching alicorn. In her haste, she didn't notice she backed into something until she felt some sort of material being draped around her small frame. She whipped her head around to see Razgriz, slightly singed and smoking all over, putting a cape around her shoulders. Behind him, singed and smoking, lay a dark figure that was also covered by a cape.

Luna turned to her sister,"Princess Luna. It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us, we were meant to rule together, little sister." All the girls save Twilight gasped, "Sister?"

"Will you accept my friendship?" All the girls leaned forward, waiting for Luna's reply, Pinkie leaning just a little to far.

"I'm so sorry. I missed you so much big sister." She ran and embraced the white alicorn, who returned the hug in kind. "I missed you too."

As the two sister continued their hug, a slight groan was heard from behind the human. Razgriz turned to kneel and check on the dark form laying upon the dias. He reached down and lifted the black alicorn mare to a sitting position, ensuring that the cape continued to cover her body.

"Oh... my everything."
"Can you stand?"
"I never thought it would hurt so much to have a body of my own."
"I'm just glad it worked."

The princess approached the pair of them as Razgriz assisted Nightmare to her hooves and Celestia patiently waited for their attention. Once she was steady, Nightmare turned from the human and addressed the royal sisters.

"You stand accused of crimes against Equestria. Treason, rebellion, corruption and threatening the balance of the world." Celestia's voice was firm and powerful. She was ready to do what she must should the need arise. Luna was looking on with apprehension and hope.

"I do not deny that I have committed these crimes and I will gladly serve whatever punishment you decide upon. But if I may speak in my defense?"

Celestia's eyes narrowed and was about to deny her, when Luna took hold of her hand, "Please sister. Let her speak."
She looked into her sister's eyes for a moment, then sighed and nodded to the ebony alicorn.

"I have seen the error of my ways. I will do all I can to show that I am a changed mare. I'm willing to sacrifice everything, including my life in order to prove that I am no longer the malevolent bitch I was a thousand years ago." Nightmare stared into the eyes of Celestia as she spoke. Her eyes showed no fear or hate. Only resignation and pride. "So I ask of you, royal sisters of Equestria. Spare me, that I might live... to be with my friend." She turned her head to look at the armored man beside her and smiled.

Celestia watched in fascination. The scene before was not what she'd expected at all. "Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight stiffened and immediately came to her mentor's side. "Yes Princess?"

"What made you decide to only separate Nightmare Moon from Luna instead of destroying her?"

"Razgriz pointed out that, at the time, she was your sister. And I saw she had truly changed in the few hours since her return. I couldn't destroy such a new friendship... especially since I just began mine."

Celestia nodded and faced Nightmare Moon once more. "Nightmare Moon. You have been found guilty of your crimes through confession. We, the Royal Pony Sisters, shall now pass judgement over you."

Celestia placed an arm around Luna and walked over to a corner with her sister. As they conversed in silence, Celestia having cast a mute spell, Razgriz turned to Nightmare, "Whatever the decision, I want you to know that I will not abandon you. I promised to protect you... I will keep that promise."

She gazed into his hazel eyes, his long red hair stirring slightly with the light draft in the room, "I know. And thank you, my friend."

The pair turned as the sister's returned and their hands slid together, each one squeezing the other firmly in silent support. The six mares stood off to the side, trying to take in every possible detail and waiting in high anticipation.

"Nightmare Moon," Celestia and Luna spoke as one authoritative voice, "We haze decided... that you shall live."

The alicorn and human both released a breath neither realized they were holding, as relief washed over them.

The sisters' horns lit and magic surrounded the surprised alicorn. As she was engulfed in a sphere of blue and golden magic, lifting her from the floor, only a silhouette of the mare inside could be seen. The magic drew in the surrounding air, making Razgriz to take a step back.

The magic whirled around faster and faster and brightened to a blinding level, forcing him to throw up and arm to protect his eyes. In a flash, it ended, leaving the ebony mare standing once more... but something was missing.

"As a unicorn."

Nightmare turned her head only to see that her wings were gone. Her horn was a few inches shorter and she felt her magic reserves lessened as well. Her mane was now a solid royal blue and its ethereal nature was no longer present. Her cutie mark had changed as well. Instead of a crescent moon in a field of stars, there was a black circle in a field of stars. She looked at Razgriz, who was staring at her in amazement and noticed that her eyes were now only slightly catlike and still the same shade of turquoise as before.

"Well... I certainly did not expect this... but I am just happy to be alive." She faced the sisters once more, "Thank you, for sparing my life." She bowed in respect and thanks to her rulers.

Celestia smiled, then turned to face the one remaining anomaly. "May we have your name, sir?" Razgriz turned and bowed to the princesses. "I am Razgriz Alduin Himura, your highness. And I wish to thank you as well... for sparing her life."

"I should be the one thanking you, Razgriz. For you have helped to save two lives tonight, when I thought only one could be spared. Tell us," Celestia stiffened, her muscles poised to react and her eyes bore into his, "What are your intentions now? Why are you here? And How are you here?"

"Yeah, we wanna know too!"
"Rainbow's righ'. I reckon y'all better spill the beans bout'cha self."
"I must admit darling, I too am quite curious about you."
"STORYTIIIIIIIIIIME!!!!!"
"Um.. I'd like to know as well... if that's ok."

All eyes turned to the human with great anticipation. "Ladies, ladies, there will be time for my back story another day. For now I think we should focus on the joyous occasion of Luna's return. However, I will say that my intentions are my own and that they will not harm this land nor its people. As to why I'm here, I'll just have to see for myself because even I'm not sure. And for how I got here... You'll just have to ask Death when you see him."

All the mares in the room were shocked at his last comment. Celestia though seemed pleased enough with his answers and visibly relaxed... a little.

Before anyone else could say anything, Pinkie piped up, "Hey! Do you know what this calls for?" She took a deep breath, but before she could continue, Razgriz put a finger upon her lips.

"Hold that thought, Pinkie Pie." He walked over and whispered something into Nightmare's ear. Her eyes widened and she nodded her head.

"I agree. Princesses," she once again bowed to them, "I believe my time as Nightmare Moon has come to an end. From now on, with your permission, I'd like to go by a new name."

The princesses looked at one another and smiled. "What name would you choose for yourself."

"Nu Moon."

"Very well. As the sovereigns of Equestria, we hereby grant you, Nu Moon and Razgriz Alduin Himura, citizenship in Equestria."

Cheers of jubilation and smiles abounded at the news and Nu Moon hugged her human friend. "Now, let us all return to Ponyville." Celestia's horn began to glow and they all came in close to the alabaster princess.

At the height of the spell, Razgriz turned to Pinkie, "Ok Pinkie... you were saying?"

A flash of light and their surroundings changed from castle ruins to a library, " A PARTY!!!"

Author's Note

Alright... this chapter is done and I'm already working on the next one. Thanks to all who liked and fav'd and for all the constructive critiquing.

The pic was for referencing what I imagine Celestia to be wearing.... not entirely look like... I too, notice the lack of hands in the pic so don't mention it... please.

And, the Images of Luna and Nightmare are NSFW.

Also... please don't kill me for what I did to Nu Moon... this is my story... if you don't like it... you can leave...

Once again, anyone willing to make cover art and or fanart of Nu Moon... you're welcome to share with me.

Thanks and enjoy.