Nightmare Free Equestria

The night sky was in motion, with the moon rising and the stars twinkling. Below, watching from her balcony, stood Princess Luna. The dark blue alicorn stared up at the night above her, the only noticeable movement was she shifting of the ethereal energy that made up her mane and tail. Slowly her gaze shifted from the sky to Canterlot, looking at the city and its population.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"An apology?" a voice called out, causing Luna to jump and her wings to flair out. "I must say, that was not what I was expecting."

"DISCORD!" the princess shouted as she turned around. "Reveal yourself!"

"Now now, Lulu," the draconequus said as his serpentine body curled around Luna, bringing them face to face, "there's no need to be so blue." He rubbed at his chin a moment. "Although I suppose you can't really help it."

"Why are you in our quarters and eavesdropping on us?"

Discord uncurled himself from around the princess and set his hind feet on the ground. Opening his eyes wide, he placed one paw on his chest.

"Eavesdropping?" he responded. "Me?" The creature teared up, letting his jaw quiver. "Why Luna, I'm hurt. Here I am, trying to prove I have changed and to be a good friend, when I find a pony I care about upset. And here I am, accused of listening in on a private conversation. Surely it would do better if you were to actually talk about it to another instead of whispering to yourself so far above the city."

Luna rolled her eyes.

"You will understand our skepticism," she replied, "to either the concept of your willing kindness or your capability to sympathize with matters that do bother us."

"Oh, silly Luna.' Reaching out, Discord took a hold of one of her cheeks, giving it a pinch and a jiggle. "I might be one of the few beings you can talk to that actually understand. Or at least as close as you are going to come. You spent a thousand years trapped on the moon, and I spent a thousand as a stone statue." His eyes narrowed as one side of his mouth slid up into a grin. "Although I don't regret my actions nearly as much as you do yours. But then," he looked away from her, examining the claws on his eagle talon, "I didn't turn on my sister."

"It is not my sister who makes my conscience heavy," Luna said, looking out over Canterlot once more. "It is them, and what I have missed."

"Oh?" Discord moved to the edge of the balcony, looking down. "Your little ponies. Oh how quickly they forgave you for what you did as Nightmare Moon, and how much they have accepted you since your return."

"Indeed," Luna agreed. "They have been so kind and forgiving. It makes... me... feel all the worse for what now seems so petty. I grew jealous of my sister and let my anger consume me. Because of it, I missed so much." Turning, she walked toward the doors.

As soon as her back was turned, Discord stuck his head out over the balcony's railing. As quietly as he could, the draconequus collect a large amount of spit into his mouth. Slowly, he pushed it out of his mouth, letting it grow larger and larger before finally dropping from his lips. After seeing that it indeed did hit a guard (who did not seem to notice), he returned his full attention to Luna.

"So," he continued as he moved to stand beside you, "you are regretting becoming Nightmare Moon and threatening to cast all of Equestria into eternal night?"

"Indeed," Luna admitted. "So much so, that I wish that I could make it so it never happened."

"Well," Discord said as he rubbed his chin again, "not even I could do something like that." His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head, looking at Luna from the corner of his eyes. "But... I might be able to do the next best thing."

"No, Discord. I was not-"

"Now now," he interrupted, putting a paw on her nose. "Hear me out before you decide. I could make it so you could visit a world where you, Princess Luna, never became Nightmare Moon, and thus was never banished. What do you say?"

"I believe," Luna stated, "that the modern expression works best. 'What's the catch?'"

"Okay, you got me." Discord put his front paws up before moving to stand beside her again. "First, it will be about a week where you are, but only a minute or two here. Second, once you are there, I won't be able to help you. I will have no influence on anything that occurs. So if you decide you want to leave early, I won't be able to help you. As such, you'll be stuck for the full week, no matter what happens. Third, any beings you meet there will not be the ones you actually know. They may look and seem familiar, but they will reflect the world they grew up in, one where Nightmare Moon never existed."

"That still does not explain what it is that you gain from this." Luna narrowed her eyes at the creature, pointing a hoof at him.

"Me?" Discord blinked a moment as he looked at the accusatory hoof. "Well, if my helping a friend were to create a little bit of chaos, who am I not to enjoy it?" He pushed the hoof down and moved closer, placing an arm around Luna. "But the way I see it, this is a win-win situation. You get to see how life would have been, I get to do a good deed, and you will be back before Princess Celestia even notices that you're missing. Why, this might even help you find a way to help your precious ponies and feel like you are one step closer to earning redemption and forgiveness.

"So what do you say?" Pulling away to stand in front of her again, Discord held out the lion's paw. Luna looked at it, then him, then at the paw once again. Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh.

"Very well," the princess stated as she raised her hoof to place it in the extended paw. "I accept your offer."

The two shook on it.

"So glad to hear it," Discord said with a grin. "Now have a fun trip, and be sure to take plenty of photos for when you get back."

Before Luna could say anything more, Discord snapped his fingers.