A Nightmares Love

The greatest internal conflict raged on violently inside Joseph’s mind. He was purposely walking himself into foreign, dangerous territory. He had no real gain from it, only the answers to a few questions that didn’t concern him. This was going to end like everything else in the past couple of days, with a whole lot of yelling.

Joseph cleared his throat nervously, “Celestia, do you-uh, have a second?”

“Of course.” The sun princess responded, looking up from her paper.

He watched her facial expression carefully as he planned out his thoughts, “Can we talk about Nightmare Moon?”

Celestia’s calm expression soured as her eyes donned an icy glare, causing Joseph to hesitate.

“Before you start yelling, let me speak.” His voice wavered slightly, diffusing her growing agitation as she let out an impatient huff.

“I’m really trying to understand this whole issue between you, her, and me.” He started, followed by Celestia sitting up straighter and leaning in, “I know it isn’t any of my business, but, why are you treating her like this? Why are you treating me like this?”

A long sigh came from the Sun Princess before she spoke calmly, “Is this the most appropriate thing to be talking about right now?”

“I mean, I feel like I’m owed some sort of an explanation after all of your disciplinary actions I’ve dealt with.” Joseph replied carefully.

An annoyed huff left the Princess accompanied by a frown, “While your courage and persistence is admirable, at this point in time it is becoming a pain in my flank.”

A large sigh left Celestia, before she stated rather dryly, “Very well then, you want explanations, ask away. Just don’t be surprised by my answers.”

“I know I asked this before, but why did you try to reform her?” Joseph asked carefully.

“Like I stated before, Luna was the one that pleaded that I not hurt her. Personally, I would’ve banished her for another thousand years in a heartbeat.” She said bluntly.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve seen what she’s done. What she is, and there’s something not entirely right about her. Though, it may be a thousand years of bitter resentment influencing my opinion. When Discord had his run of trying to take over Equestria, he did it with chaos and immature jokes. Nightmare Moon took it to a personal level. My filly sister, last close member of my family, was turned against me, then taken away. Her life destroyed alongside mine. While she suffered for Nightmare Moon’s actions, I picked up the pieces for a thousand years, upon her return and to this day, Luna is attempting at mending everything that was decimated by that monster.” Celestia responded, the anger clear in her words.

“I mean, I can’t really blame you for feeling that way.” Joseph said, which surprised the Sun Goddess, “But, that does not warrant the emotional distress that she faces everyday, and reprimanding me for being remotely close to her.”

“For that, I will apologize for my actions,” Celestia started, “But do know my reasoning is just. I have seen what she has done, and what she can do. I refuse to let her affect another being the way she did my sister.”

“I especially wish to not see that happen to you, while you can be a mild annoyance occasionally,” She said, punctuated with a smirk, “I do not want to see your life destroyed by something that can be stopped.”

A small smile crossed Joseph’s lips, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel I am capable of watching after myself around her.”

“Very well, I will respect your wishes, but please, do not fall victim to her.” Celestia said in a lighter tone, “While I grant you freedom to consort with her, I’ll be keeping an eye on you two.”

“That’s fine, thank you.”

“I also said before, that you cannot help somepony that doesn’t want help. Reformation is a two way street, I have attempted to help her and received nothing in return. Eventually, you have to move on.” Celestia concluded.

“Thank you for answering these questions for me. I will take into consideration what you said, but, last night when I spoke to her, she entrusted me enough that she didn’t start screaming at the sight of me.” Joseph said, causing Celestia to think to herself briefly.

“While I know my feelings about her are rather strong, I may have a change of heart. If she can confide in you, then so be it. If you wish to help her along in reforming, I’ll grant you the freedom to, but still remember, she can be dangerous.” Celestia negotiated, killing two birds with one stone.

A wide smile crossed Joseph’s face, “Thank you Celestia. I promise to do my best.”

Celestia smiled as well, “Good, now if you will excuse me, my court sense is tingling, telling me that the nobles are growing restless in day court.”

Carefully she folded up her paper and rose from her chair before walking away.

“See ya later.” Joseph called out, suppressing his happiness of the small victory he won. While she seemed slightly cross, he hoped she could forgive him in the coming days.

Hoofsteps echoed throughout the lone corridor. For once, Nightmare Moon had emerged before her moon loomed overhead. Her aimless wandering had landed her on the edges of the new castle. Foreign territory laid before her, as she tentatively stepped into the brighter, newer section of the castle.

She wasn’t really sure what she was doing this far outside of her section of the castle. She had full control over the old portion of the castle, and only ventured into the other part of the castle on rare occasions, usually when she was tormenting the newest castle guest.

A small, smug smile crossed her lips at the thought of Joseph getting yelled at by Celestia. Him getting in trouble was a slightly amusing unintended consequence. A few moments passed before a sigh left her, and her chest tightened in an odd manner. Nightmare Moon couldn’t recall a time where she’d felt like that.

Another sigh left her as guilt clouded her mind. Even after everything she’d done, he approached her with kindness. Her mind went back to when she actually had a civil conversation with him. It had been a few days since then, and she hated to admit it, but she felt better about herself.

Everything wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, but waking up didn’t hurt so much, and for once, she could look at herself in the mirror. Nightmare Moon could also stand being slightly near Joseph, for once, no longer feeling the need to chase him off. A sigh left Nightmare Moon, while she hated to admit it, maybe she was wrong about the human all along. Maybe he was honest in what he said. It was hard for her to decipher who was true and who was bluffing, which led to her hostile demeanor.

Slowly she came to a stop, releasing a pent up breath. She stood still, closing her eyes while carefully trying to slow her rapid thoughts. Basked in the warmth of the sun, Nightmare Moon managed to calm herself and mind. It felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her chest as she stood there, slowly running his words through her head.

In an instant, her eyes shot open and she groaned. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get Joseph out of her head. Nightmare Moon settled for silence as a small frown crossed her lips, maybe he had cast a spell on her.

Before she could follow through on that train of thought, the faint sound of someone calling out her name echoed down the corridor. Nightmare paused for a moment as her ears swiveled towards the other end of the hall. Maybe she was hearing things, or the voices in her head were getting more rambunctious than before. It wasn’t until her name was repeated, that her head snapped towards the direction of the sound.

Cautiously she proceeded towards the echoing cacophony that traveled down the long hallway. Before she realised it, she was trotting faster and faster down random corridors, chasing the sound of her name. Nightmare Moon was seemingly entranced by the familiar, yet strange calling that she heard.

Without consciously realising her location, Nightmare Moon found herself before an unfamiliar door. Carefully she waited and listened, sounds she could never fathom emanating from the other side of the door. Shrill wails and screams of an instrument she could not place swirled around her as she carefully listened to the odd, driving beat of the song.

Though muffled, the deep vocals of the singer and strange instruments mixed together into a mess of sounds, that Nightmare Moon found herself taking a liking to. Time seemed to slow as she continued to eavesdrop from the other side of the door. As the verses progressed, the words she heard perplexed her.

“As your nightmare comes to life?” She said to herself, “What does that mean?”

Her curiosity reaching a breaking point along with her patience running out, Nightmare Moon carefully turned the knob on the door and peered in. Instantly her ears laid flat against her metal headpiece, in a poor attempt to protect her hearing. Nightmare Moon was sure this was the loudest thing she’d ever heard.

Nightmare Moons’ eyes scanned throughout the room, landing on the seated form of a familiar human. It now occurred to her how deep into the new castle she was. Slowly the door closed, concealed by the deafening roar, which seemingly came from everywhere all at once. Now on the inside, everything was completely different.

The floor thumped to the beat of the drums, as she could feel the vibrations traveling through her bones. The once muffled voice, was now clear and screaming into both of her ears. With a slight look of pain, she stood still, slowly adjusting to the incredibly loud sounds that surrounded her.

Before her in the dim room sat Joseph. His back was to her, silhouetted by the window before him, which he gazed out of. The music managed to conceal her as she carefully approached him. As her audible cover faded away, she froze behind him. Before Nightmare Moon could form a thought, the shrill wails of a familiar alien instrument pierced her ears.

A steady beat accompanied the wails as she was once again hidden in sound. This song was different, she noted. From what she could deduce, the same instruments were played with a different outcome. As the song progressed, she slowly found herself enjoying the beat. The lyrics intrigued her with the tellings of a brutal king. Until she heard something perplexing.

“Daylight to the night?” Nightmare Moon scoffed, “How preposterous.”

Before Nightmare Moon could realize her mistake, an unceremonious, nearly female yelp left Joseph. The ringing in her ears became apparent when the alien music was quickly silenced. Once the startled human managed to pick himself up off of the floor, he turned towards her with a furious glare.

“Sweet christ!” He yelled, “Warn me next time!”

Slowly the corners of Nightmare Moon’s mouth began to turn up, as a smile crossed her lips. Though it didn’t stop there, as she began to roar with laughter. It was a peculiar sight for Joseph, who now had witnessed another rare emotion that she had. While he watched her, his irritation slowly dissolved.

For once she seemed free. The worries of her world seemed to be shrugged off as she enjoyed herself. It probably wasn’t often that she laughed, or felt something other than misery. A small smile came to Joseph’s face as her laughter turned to sporadic giggles. She needed to laugh and smile more, he concluded, she looked better when she did.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Joseph asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Nightmare Moon paused in an awkward silence, attempting to formulate words “Quite?”

They both fell into silence as Nightmare Moon averted her eyes, focusing on a random spot on the wall.

“So...if you don’t mind me asking, besides scaring the living shit out of me, what are you doing in my room?” He carefully asked, hoping not to lose all of the ground he had gained.

Nightmare Moon looked back to him, “There was this, peculiar noise, which called out my name. As I followed it, I had found myself before your chambers. Care to explain why?”

“I was just listening to music.” He retorted, his cheeks reddening slightly.

“I know I was on the moon for one thousand years, but I beg to differ.” She spoke, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

He rolled his eyes, “That’s because it’s music from where I’m from.”

“Do they not know what music is there?” She added with a small smirk.

“Har har.” Joseph snarked.

Once again they fell into silence.

“So…” Joseph sighed, attempting to break up the awkwardness.

“I must admit though, that my curiosity has been piqued.” Nightmare Moon mumbled before averting her eyes.

A smug grin crossed Joseph's’ lips, “So it isn’t so bad, eh?”

An unamused glare was affixed on his eyes by Nightmare Moon. The tension in the air grew, as Joseph chuckled nervously. Though, relief washed over him as a small smile worked it’s way onto Nightmare Moon’s face.

Nightmare Moon was actually being honest, the alien music had caught her attention. Like Twilight’s need to learn about pointless things, Nightmare Moon wished to hear more of the strange music. There was an interesting air of comfort she felt being in his room, which managed to suppress the voices in her head that were telling her otherwise.

“Alright, I suppose.” Joseph sighed in defeat, “C’mon over here, I’ll try not to make your ears bleed.”

The smile on her face grew as she trotted over to one of the chairs in the disaster zone of a study. Nightmare Moon managed to suppress her slight anxiousness and sit still, while Joseph mumbled to himself.

The calm silence that had filled the room was only pierced by a slight ringing sound. Celestia’s sun had long ago set, causing darkness to creep across her kingdom and into Joseph’s chambers. A few candles scattered around the study bathed the room in a warm, dim glow.

“You humans are so...cryptic with you music.” Nightmare Moon commented, lost in thought.

Joseph smiled softly, “It’s just because you don’t understand the lyrics.”

Nightmare Moon scrunched up her face in a mock pout, before chuckling quietly. The smile on Joseph’s face grew after seeing her in such a relaxed state.

A subtle knock caught both of their attentions, before the door was unceremoniously kicked in. Nightmare Moon was on her hooves and in a defensive stance before the door could bounce off of the wall. She was perched and ready to attack, her pupils constricted to small slits while her wings unfurled slightly.

“Joseph~” Luna sung as she strolled in.

“Guess what day it is!” Chirped Twilight, following closely behind her marefriend.

Nightmare Moon physically relaxed upon the sight of Luna, but didn’t lose her frown when she saw Twilight.

“Oh-Hello Nightmare Moon.” Luna said in a surprised tone.

A small smile formed on her face as her gaze focused on Luna.

“Is this a bad time?” Twilight asked in a lower tone, moving towards Joseph.

“Nope.” Joseph calmly responded, turning towards the two Princesses.

“Is friday night pizza still happening?” Luna asked with a hint of worry.

A smile spread across Joseph’s face, “Of course it is, I just lost track of time.”

Twilight and Luna both smiled wide, “Good, now let us make haste; we’ve been waiting all day for this.”

“Alright, give me a second.” Joseph said, standing up and stretching.

He carefully collected a couple bits and his phone. Slowly he slipped on his boots before turning back towards Luna and Twilight. Both Princesses attempted to ignore the awkward silence that had fallen around them. It quickly dawned on him that Nightmare Moon was still in his presence.

“Where are you going?” Nightmare Moon innocently questioned.

Twilight and Luna shared a look, before Luna spoke up, “It has become a tradition to acquire pizza every friday night, since Joseph first arrived in Equestria.”

“Pizza?” Nightmare Moon added.

“Have you never had pizza?” Joseph asked incredulously.

She seemed confused as her brows furrowed, “Forgive me, for I do not get out much.”

“Pizza is composed of round or square flat dough, covered in tomato sauce and cheese.” Twilight chirped, while Luna began to drool slightly.

“Sounds...appetizing.” Nightmare moon commented condescendingly.

“It is, so, you wanna join us?” Joseph asked, surprising all three mares.

Luna and Twilight shared another look before looking back to him, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why not?” Joseph asked, a hint of sternness in his voice.

“Just-Celestia might not like it if you don’t notify her ahead of time.” Twilight said carefully, forcing a small smile.

“Psh-I ain’t worried about Celestia.” Joseph nonchalantly said with a wave of his hand, “So are we going, or what?”

“I-I don’t know if that would be best.” Nightmare Moon finally spoke up, the nervousness in her words didn’t go unnoticed, “Being outside of the castle isn’t exactly-”

“-Oh c’mon.” Joseph pleaded with a small grin, “Everything’ll be fine.”

Nightmare Moon was silent in thought. She idly chewed on her cheek in an attempt to hide her anxiousness.

“I suppose.” She tentatively said.

Joseph smiled widely, “Great, you two cool?”

Luna and Twilight simply shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Yeah.”

“Good, now let’s get going!”

The walk out of the castle was relatively uneventful. They had managed to go unnoticed by Celestia, though a few guards sideways glances didn’t go unnoticed. Though the same couldn’t be said for their trip outside. Between Joseph and Nightmare Moon, every noble they encountered stopped and stared at them.

Most turned up their noses and trotted away, while others innocently looked on from a distance. While their group wasn’t the strangest thing in downtown Canterlot, they continued to draw attention. Twilight and Luna had learned to ignore the snobbish nobles. Nightmare Moon on the other hand, was being eaten alive on the inside by it.

She wished for nothing more than to rip into them. How she yearned to enslave the worthless worms to an eternity of hard labor. A small smile worked its way onto her face as she thought about the corruption she could spread through the streets, and turn Equestria into the militaristic country it could be.

Joseph was caught up in his own mental ramblings. As they trekked onwards, he took note of her lighter expression. In the past couple of days, he’d been there when she was her happiest and not so happiest. It was a rare sight, but she seemed momentarily free from the demons that controlled her.

He subtly watched her, scanning the crowds of ponies around her as the smile slowly slipped away from her face. Nightmare Moon’s gaze remained pinned to the ground, her head sinking low and her pace slowing down.

“Hey, you okay?” Joseph asked softly, looking over to the downtrodden villain.

“Their looks.” Nightmare Moon started, despair coursing through her words, “I cannot stand their looks.”

For what seemed like the first time, Joseph actually took note of the amount of ponies watching them. A sneer crossed his lips as he turned back to the dark mare.

“Don’t feel bad. They’re probably looking at me more than you.” Joseph said.

Nightmare Moon quirked an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Ever since I arrived here, the nobility of Canterlot looked down on me. Some see me as an animal, others as an exotic toy.” He stated plainly, “No matter what you do, if you don’t carry around a piss bucket for them, they’ll look down their nose at you.”

Nightmare Moon was taken back, “How dare they? I shall condemn them for disrespecting such a kind human. Their bodies will hang in the streets, and their children shall beat them with sticks.”

Joseph tried to muffle his chuckles as a warm smile crossed Nightmare Moon’s lips. Ahead of them a little ways, Luna and Twilight looked back at them with questioning glances. They hid their small smiles and simply shrugged them off before turning back around.

Before long they had finally reached their destination. A little shop sitting on the border of the castle walls and the shopping district of Canterlot. The remnants of daylight was replaced by orange streetlights. The cool night air swirled around the group as the Canterlot night inhabitants began to emerge.

Quickly they entered the dimly lit restaurant. The store was simple, a counter displaying various pizzas, a drink cooler, and tables sporadically placed around the floor and by the windows. The store was warm from the ovens and smelled of fresh dough and vegetables.

Given the time of night, the store was slightly packed. Ponies of every kind and class occupied tables throughout the store. Quietly, they picked a table by the front windows, watching ponies travel to and fro. Nightmare Moon and Luna sat next to each other, while Twilight and Joseph took the other side of the table.

In an instant, a bubbly blue mare stood beside the table. An apron was tied around her chest and a pen and pad of paper in her magical grip.

“What can I get y’all to drink?” She asked.

“Uh-water.”

“Tea, please.”

“Lemonade.”

“I will drink water as well.”

The mare gave a slightly queer expression as she looked at Nightmare Moon, before disappearing.

“So what’re you thinking?” Luna asked rhetorically, but directed it more to Twilight.

“I don’t know, let’s see.”

The two Princesses went back and forth quietly as Joseph entertained himself with his phone. Nightmare watched on in interest as Joseph’s face lit up with a faint blue glow.

“This is still an unfathomable thing.” Nightmare Moon commented, her magic gently taking it from his hands.

“Such a unique piece of technology.” She continued, looking over the phone as if there was a hidden key on it’s surface, “Relinquish your secrets!”

Joseph couldn’t help his cheeky smile as Nightmare Moon pouted over her failure of turning the phone on.

“Here, let me help you.” Joseph said, reaching over the table and hitting the power button.

Nightmare Moon was completely flabbergasted as the screen came to life, “What magical powers are stored inside.”

A voice calling out from just behind them caught almost everyone’s attention, “Is that my two favorite princesses and human I see?”

Twilight didn’t have to turn and see before she smiled and responded, “Hey Rocky.”

A tan stallion with a black mane and a dirty white apron came into view. His smile was wide at seeing his favorite customers, as he came to a stop at the side of the table.

“I see you’re all back again.” He commented, which was met with friendly smiles, “And I see you brought a...guest.”

Joseph could sense his slight unease as he looked over to the entertained villain, “It’s cool Rocky.”

The stallion nodded slightly, “So, what can I get for all of you?”

“We’ll just get a medium veggie-lover and a medium cheese pizza.” Luna said, folding up the menus and handing them to the chef.

Rocky smiled, “It’ll be right out.”

He quickly disappeared, leaving everyone in silence. Except Nightmare Moon, who seemed infatuated with the infinite secrets that were held on Joseph’s alien technology.

“This device, holds whole orchestras, plays and art galleries.” Nightmare Moon commentated to anyone who would listen, “And it is no larger than my hoof.”

Before Nightmare Moon could delve into more of her ramblings, two large pizzas were laid on the table before them. With a minor motion from Joseph, Nightmare Moon turned her attention away from his tantalizing phone, to the food before her.

Wordlessly everyone began to dig in. Nightmare Moon followed suit, picking up a slice and taking a tentative bite. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the slice of pizza in amazement.

“This is the food of gods.” She declared, “Unlike the peasant food that is force fed at the castle.”

They all smiled at that and continued on eating in silence. After a few minutes, mostly everyone had had their fill. Twilight and Luna looked satisfied as they reclined in their seats in a very un-princess-like fashion. On the other hand, Nightmare Moon and Joseph were devouring anything that was left on their plates.

Nightmare Moon seemed the happiest, bits of pizza on her muzzle. Her human counterpart took notice, carefully reaching across the table with a napkin and helping her. Twilight and Luna watched on as a light red tint washed over Nightmare Moon’s cheeks. Joseph seemed unfazed, leaning back afterwards and relaxing like the others.

As Nightmare Moon recovered, she spoke, “How I wish to have discovered this delectable cuisine sooner, as to not have to suffer through the cheap food provided at the castle.”

Everyone smiled and chuckled softly before Rocky re-emerged, pulling up a chair and taking a seat at the side of the table. Nightmare Moon watched on silently, as the other three conversed with their seemingly long time friend.

Time had escaped them as they spent a bit talking to the restaurant owner. Though afterwards they said their goodbyes and began to head back to the castle. The trip back to the was painless as ever. Almost all of the nobles had long since been in bed, the only other ponies of the street were those of the night. Who, debatably, were about as funny looking as the princesses, villain, and human. The journey back went by quick, as their full stomachs ached slightly with every step they took.

Carefully they had slipped back inside the castle, managing not to alert any guards patrolling the grounds. Once safely inside, they parted ways, leaving Joseph and Nightmare Moon on their own, as they wandered around the halls towards their rooms.

They moved in silence, content with being in each other's presence. Without realizing it, they both had found themselves before the doors to Joseph’s chambers. Joseph slowed to a stop before turning towards his dark companion.

“I suppose this is it for tonight.” Joseph said with a tired smile, his eyes barely slits as he tried to keep them open.

A small smile crossed Nightmare Moon’s lips, “So it seems.” There was a pause before she continued, “I wish to thank you for tonight, for giving me a chance.”

Even in his tired state, Joseph acknowledged her sincerity as she struggled to form a proper sentence, “It’s fine Nightmare Moon.”

Her smile grew as a slight wave of relief crossed over her face, “I shall not delay you any longer. Goodnight Joseph.”

His smile never left him as he turned and opened his door, before yawning out a reply, “G’night Nighty.”

She froze instantly. Her chest tightened again in the odd, yet now familiar manner. The door to his room closed gently, leaving her to her own devices in the hallway.

“Nighty?” She thought to herself, “He’s surely tired...He wouldn’t, would he?”

A small voice told her to question him, but she relented and started her own journey back to her end of the castle, her mind plagued once again by the peculiar human.

* * *