It's been a long time.
How long exactly?
A thousand years. Nine hundred ninety-nine years and three hundred sixty-four days.
I've been waiting for this day. I've been counting every hour, every minute, every second of this unholy prison.
But not for long, Nightmare Moon--or Luna, imbued with bitterness--thought to herself as she lied on the large, tattered bed that she had slept in since her imprisonment.
How long have I stared at this wall?
"Too long." Nightmare Moon lifted herself from the bed and placed her hooves on the stone floor with a faint clop. The sound, faint as it was, filled the room, lingered, and then faded away. The silence that followed was deafening. It was enough for the mare--who was naked usually when it came to sleeping--to hugged herself self-consciously.
All I wanted, the mare thought, was to show my ponies just how beautiful my night was...
And looked what happened. Imprisonment. But there was no need to mope about now, not when freedom so close. Oh yes, that was right. Tonight, in twenty four hours, the banishment would end. Nightmare could finally get her revenge, after all this time--
Knock knock. Nightmare jumped in surprise at the sound of the double doors of her bedroom being banged against. Her sudden movement caused her leg to hit the bed. With a creak, the bed shifted backwards.
"Argh!"
"Your Majesty?" A deep, bass voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you awake?"
"For goodness sakes!" Nightmare snapped, reaching down to grab her leg. "Don't open the door, whatever you do! I'm...indecent!"
"Sorry," the voice replied meekly.
"Don't bother apologizing. Next time give a warning!"
"But I knocked!"
"At bit of noise before knocking would help! Like--" Nightmare stopped to search for something to where. She drifted over to a small, black basket and threw it open. Oh good, the stola. Stolas had been a popular The diamond-studded, midnight blue stola
“Larry.”
“It’s Shadowfright, your Highness.”
“Shadowfright?” Nightmare raised her eyebrows at him. “Is this an attempt to sound fearsome, eh?"
The large mass of smoke swelled in size in anger, his crimson red eyes narrowing into tiny slits. Then, after a moment, he shriveled up to half his size.
"Maybe," he mumbled.
“There there, my friend." Nightmare patted his head gently, watching as wisps of smoke floated off. "Do you know what today is?"
Shadowfright frowned at her and said flatly, "No."
Nightmare huffed. Shadowfright was her second-in-command, but he was pretty much clueless sometimes. This was one of those times.
"Did you forget about happened almost one thousand years ago?"
"Oh yes, that." Shadowfright narrowed his eyes. "Happy anniversary."
"Thank you." Nightmare brushed past him and started down the hall,.
"There's been an odd silence in the land of Equestria for some time now, my Queen."
Nightmare frowned. Yes, she had known this. For years she could still view the dreams of Equestria's ponies, able to tinker with them, clear their suffering if need be, live on as a legend. Only a few years ago however, Nightmare Moon lost connection with the dreams of the ponies.
The one string that kept me tethered to my home, severed.
Had Celestia realized that her sister grew stronger now through dreams, and had finally cut her source away from her? As the absence of dreams grew, Nightmare found her powers waning.
But alas, dear sister, you are too late. Nightmare mused. A few years of slowly weakening power would not prevent the alicorn from reaching her goal. This time, Nightmare wouldn't let Celestia win.
"Call for the Star Beings, Shadowfight." Nightmare began to fit the helmet on to her head. Shadowfright seemed to wilt.
"You want me to call on the Star Beings!"
"Yes, don't stand there echoing me!" The mare sighed and lifted up her breastplate. "Go to the Council Building and wait for me there."
"Asteria, Latona, Itsed—" Shadowfright paused, looking frustrated. "Itzpah—paw—"
"Oh for goodness's sake, Larry!" Nightmare pushed the creature out of the way. "I'll deal with this! You just stand there and look presentable. Be fearsome!"
Shadowfright grumbled mutinously and drifted away from the podium, right next to a shadowy wolf. LEaning close to its ear, he squawked, "I am fearsome. But it's hard for anybody to take me seriously when my own allies call me Larry!"
The wolf eyed him with cold amusement."To be honest, you're not very fearsome, Larry or not."
Shadowfright began to swell twice his size. "What did you say, scout?"
"Silence, the both of you!" Nightmare snapped, turning on them. The two shadows quickly hushed up. "And Shadowfright, the next outburst from you will end with your smokey head on a platter! Jerome, get the match "
"Now," Nightmare smiled mirthlessly as her underlings cowered before the flames, "they will come." She released the edges of her cloak, letting them flap wildly in the air as the blistering hot wind battered everything in sight. Grimmacing against it all, the mare threw her hands up as if to reach for the heavens above.
"Asteria, Latona, Itzpapalotl!" Nightmare yelled over the thundering roar. "Bearers of the light, protectors of the universe, masters of fate, I command you to descend from the heavens and grace this place with your presence. Assist us in our time of need!"
"Is that it, my Queen?" Shadowfright asked.
"They're refusing my request," Nightmare spat. "There is only one thing to do."
"Fine," Nightmare sighed, and shook her head, chuckling. "Of course, I should have known."
Silence answered her words, but still she continued on, knowing just what would happen if she did. Spreading her arms wide, the mare did a little courtesy. "I had assum'd that being the star beings, thou would be capable of answering such a menial task. and being that I am not some ingraft living creature, thou'd take the time to respond." Her voice lowered as she added, "But of course, I was wrong. haply thou fear me and mine presence. Haply thou recognize that I am better than thou, and doth not wish to confront me. Or haply..." Nightmare hesitated. Her voice had gotten softer and softer until Shadowfright had to lean in close to hear her. "...Haply ye are corky. If thou ignore mine request, thou forfeit from thy positions as powerful creatures. Obviously somepony needs to take thy places. "
An unsettling silence greeted her words.Then...
Boom!
"Unruly whelp! Thou dare to challenge our might and strength?" Nigtmare gazed at the peryton with mild interest. She had never liked this one--far too angry and ready to jump at one's throat. It was irritating. But still, she managed to smile at him and do a little courtesy.
"Finally, Asteria, thou've decid'd to answer me."
"Don't check at mine question, mare! Wherefore doth thou insult the star beings? Doth thou not wot we can doth to thou at this very second?"
"I was acknown of that, but I persist'd anyways. I would not be insulting thou if thou had answer'd me in the first place
"The Star Beings doth not wish to be involv'd in thy matters!"
"Asteria, enough."
The female peryton had spoken finally, and although she seemed friendly, her voice was as cold as ice.
"Latona, I'm sorry." Asteria bowed humbly before her. He threw Nightmare another glare. "...But this mare thinks that she is better than us!"
"Is that so?" The female peryton's eyes narrowed.
"Nay," Nightmare replied with a grin, "but sometimes it crosses mine mind! Nay matter--where is Itzpapalotl?"
Latona continued her perpetual frown. "Itzpapalotl dost not wish to speak to thou because of thy impudence."
"She needs to be hither, 'r else the is nay reason to hast summon'd thou."
"What couldst thou want with us that requires Itzpapalotl?"
"Thy aid to release mine beshrew."
"Ha!" Asteria scoffed, glaring haughtily at the Queen. "As if we'd help thou!"
