A Nightmare Christmas

by Harry Leferts

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Comedy, Slice of Life, Crossover, Human
Length: 5525

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for a plush...

It was your average Christmas Eve night on Privet Drive, and Nightmare was walking through the house when she heard a noise coming from the sitting room. Of course, she just had to go and check out what was going on herself.

Considering what happened, perhaps she would have been better off just having ignored it...

Published 2014-12-31 03:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-31 03:20:03 UTC

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling.

"Hello"-Normal Speaking
"Interesting..."- Nightmare Moon speaking.
'Huh'- Normal Thoughts.
'All mine...'-Nightmare Moon's thoughts
'Dear Father Christmas...' - Reading
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

As she grumbled, Nightmare made her way down the stairs of number four Privet Drive in the dark of night. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she walked into the sitting room where a darkened tree was in the corner. Of course, the reason that it was darkened was that the Dursleys had gotten an invite from Vernon's sister and had left for the week, telling Harry not to use any more electricty then was needed. It was then that Nightmare's eyes looked under the tree and narrowed as she growled due to it being bare. 'Shame that they are not here for me to show them my displeasure...'

Shaking it off, she continued her late night patrol of the house while upstairs, Harry slept with Luna, their dreams intertwined. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks as she heard the sound of flames and a moment later a thump coming from the living room. Her eyes widened before she rushed back where she came as the fear of fire overcame her. Once the plush had reached the entrance to the sitting room, she stopped and stared. Mainly because the fake electrical fireplace had been replaced by a real one and there was a man who was in front of the tree. "Now, this ain't right..."

Her eyes wide, Nightmare suddenly narrowed them as she slunk back in the direction that she had come from. 'I don't know what is going on with the fireplace... but if that bugaler thinks this is going to be an easy mark... he's got another thing coming...' It was but the work of a minute for her to grab a bag of marbles and a spool of fishing line. Then she snuck back into the room and glanced at a sack the man had. 'Obviously for his loot... but not this time...' Nightmare then used her magic to get the marbles into position and, a moment later, watched as the unknown man stepped on them and went flying... and then landed with a crunch and a grunt. However, she spared no time as she rushed into the room with her horn a lit as she rapidly tied him up. "HUZZAH! Nice try, you thief!"

Below her, the man blinked through pain as he looked at the plush that was on his chest with a frown. "Ugh... hello there, little one... how can I... uh, help you?"

He was only met by a scowl as Nightmare crossed her forelegs across each other as she looked over the man. "You can help by staying in place while I go and call the police to come and take you away. The nerve of burglerizing a house on Christmas Eve... Especially dressed as Father Christmas!"

The man only raised an eyebrow. "Well now, Miss Moon, I believe that this may be a... case of mistaken identity."

A moment later, the plush grabbed his by his collar as she stared into his eyes. "How... What did you just call me?!"

There was a twinkle in the man's eyes as he gazed up at her. "I do believe that your name is Nightmare Moon... the other half of Princess Luna of Equestria. Ho-ho-ho-ow..." He then grumbled a bit. "Note to self, don't laugh after having hit the ground..."

For several seconds, Nightmare worked her mouth as she felt a shiver of fear run down her non-existent spine. "Tha.. it... How do you know who I am?!" Before she could answer, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. "And so help me, if you are a danger to Harry..."

As he smiled, the man chuckled. "How do I know? Why, I would have thought it obvious." While Nightmare's eyes widened, he leaned up despite the line that kept him captive. "I'm Father Christmas."

Shaken, Nightmare shook her head as she fell off him. "N-no... there's no bucking way that you're the actual Father Christmas... he's a myth! An old mare's tale!"

Father Christmas just smiled and sighed. "As is the 'Mare in the Moon'." At her expression of confusion, he shook his head and wiggled one of his fingers and then to Nightmare's surprise, the fishing line transformed into licorice and then snapped as he sat up with a wince. He then reached into his backpack and slowly withdrew a letter which he gave her. "A very special boy who lives here sent me this letter. I think that it should be proof enough."

Trembling, Nightmare took the letter into her hooves and looked at it. She gave a glance to the person who resembled Father Christmas as she recognized Harry's writing on it before she opened it and started to read it in her head. 'Dear Father Christmas. My name is Harry Potter and I have been good this year. I know that most people say that you don't exist, but thanks to my friends, Princess Luna and Nightmare, I believe that you could be real. Anyways, I don't want much for myself, I got my wish of having some friends...' Swallowing as she felt like she could cry if she could, Nightmare continued. 'But all I want for Christmas, is the same thing that I have asked for before. And that is...'

The plush trailed off in her head and looked up as the man finished. "... For my two friends to be returned home where they can happily live, even if that means that I won't see them again. Though I hope it won't come to that. Signed, Harry Potter..." With a sad smile, Father Christmas took the letter back before he folded it and placed it into the envelope. "I sometimes get letters like this, where a child asks for a gift for someone else so that they can be happy. Even rarer is when I receive one where they ask such knowing that doing so might hurt them..." His eyes seeme to glow slightly as he looked at Nightmare. "You have a very special young man sleeping in his bedroom right now, and it's an honor to get a letter from him."

While she softly smiled, Nightmare nodded. "Yeah... he is rather special..." She then frowned and gave him a narrowed look with caused one bushy brow to raise. "If you're real then... how is it that the adults tell the kids that you're not? And why haven't you ever given Harry a gift before!?"

A sigh came from the normally jolly old man. "Firstly, I give some gifts to all the boys and girls of the world. However, the Christmas magic makes their parents believe that they had gotten them. I added that bit a few centuries back after a series of incidents... though some adults in the various world governments, militaries, and post offices know the truth." At her odd look, he brightened some. "It would be rather hard for me to do my work otherwise. And why else do you think that NORAD keeps track of me?"

Nightmare raised a hoof and opened her mouth, only to drop the hoof and close her mouth. 'That does make sense...'

Meanwhile, Father Christmas continued on. "As for young Harry, where else do you think that his little toys such as his tin soldiers had come from? I may not be able to bring much for him, despite I wish otherwise, but small things such as that his relatives will ignore and they still bring a smile to his face." At Nightmare's expression, he explained. "Anything bigger then that and the odd treat, his relatives might notice and give to their son. So small things it goes." Having seen that Nightmare understood, he shifted some. "Now, I'm sorry to run, but I need to-Oooh... That's not good..."

Seeing that he slumped back to the floor with his hand on his back, Nightmare panicked. "Are you okay?!" She then remembered how she had used marbles and how he had landed on them. "Oh no..."

A grunt escaped Father Christmas as he shifted a bit more. "I'm afraid that I might be hurting a bit too much to do what I need to before the night is finished..." When she asked about his magic, he shook his head. "I'm afraid that my magic only works for others, not for myself. No, with my back I might not finish tonight." Suddenly, a thoughtful expression crossed his face as he looked down at Nightmare. "Unless..."

Slghtly confused, and feeling a bit unnerved, she looked around as if to see what he was looking at. "Unless...?"

With a twinkle in his eyes, Father Christmas pointed at her, his next words sinking like a lead weight in her non-existent stomach. "Unless tonight you become my little helper and give me a hoof in finishing..."

There was a moment of silence as Nightmare stared at him before she let loose. "WHAT?!"

Slowly, Father Christmas just nodded as he looked her over, ignoring how she looked at the stairwell as if expecting someone to come down. "Yes... this could work indeed..."

Nightmare was having none of that though as she took a step back and waved her hooves in front of her. "I... I can't! Look, I'm sorry that you got hurt and if I could, I would, but I can't!"

Raising an eyebrow, Father Christmas just sighed and shook his head. "I suppose that you're right... which means that the several tens of millions of children who I am supposed to visit tonight won't get their presents..." He ignored the twitch from Nightmare as he continued. "And they'll wake up tomorrow night, their smiles becoming frowns as that one gift that they had wanted and would have gotten would not be there..." Another twitch came from the plush. "And if Harry ever found out, maybe by you letting something slip, then he would be disappointed in you and we all know how you would feel about that..."

Her expression deadpan, Nightmare growled at him. "Right now, I really hate you..." The man just shrugged before the plush shook her head. "However, even if your little guilt trip made me reconsider... which it did not!" She pointed a shaking hoof at Father Christmas. "I still cannot do it. After all, I'm just a plush..."

Having noted the slight sadness in her tone, Father Christmas hummed a bit before he smiled as he stroked his beard. "That could be a problem... but..." He waved a hand at her and a cloud of golden glowing dust flew from it and wrapped around Nightmare, raising her above the floor as she struggled. "It's one rather easily solved..."

Her hooves flailing at the air, Nightmare looked around in fear. "Wha... what!? Let me down! LET ME DOWN NOW!" There was a sudden flash of light and then Nightmare blinked as she slowly was set down on all four hooves. A moment later, she snarled. "What was all that... about.." Confused, she raised her hoof to her throat. "My voice..."

Father Christmas chuckled as she froze when she realized something. "And there we go, much better then."

As her jaw worked, Nightmare looked herself over before she turned to Father Christmas who was watching her with a smile. A fact which brought that she now towered over his sitting form to the forefront of her mind. "I'm... I'm flesh and blood... How...?"

He just laughed though. "A little bit of Christmas magic." However, Father Christmas then sobered some. "It'll only last for Christmas though I'm afraid..."

Nightmare shook her head though in some amazement. "Still... this is amazing." She then turned and looked at him with a steeled expression. "Very well then... let us save Christmas!"

With a chuckle, Father Christmas took her hoof as she helped him to his feet. "Good attitude." He then noticed that she looked at the stairs as if she was fighting something. "I'm afraid that Harry can't come with us. My presence, you see, causes those who are asleep to go into an even deeper one." After the alicorn had nodded, he smiled and placed one finger to the side of his nose as he placed his other hand on her withers. "Let us be away then..." And then in a flash, the two dissolved into a cloud of golden dust and shot up the chimney and disappeared, the fireplace transforming so that it looked like it had originally had...

**********************************************************

Up on the roof, the cloud drifted out of the chimney before and then solidified into the two. Father Christmas gave her a slightly impressed look at how little she had reacted. "Most would have at the least stumbled after that..."

A snort escaped Nightmare as she spread her wings slightly and took a flap. "I, myself have a very similar trick as a matter of fact."

He just simply nodded and pretended not to notice as she stopped having caught sight of his reindeer. "Interesting... and very useful."

Raising a hoof, Nightmare pointed at the sight in front of her. "Are those really... and is that one in front actually got a..."

Father Christmas gave a chuckle as Nightmare got closer and observed the glowing light on the first reindeer. "They are and yes, Rudolf does indeed have a glowing nose." He them stroked his beard as he looked at her. And then, he snapped his fingers which caused a flash of light before it cleared to show her in what looked to be an outfit similar to the one that he wore. "Now then, I should tell you what you should expect..."

That caused Nightmare to turn from where she was looking herself over. "What's there to expect? I basically go down chimneys and then place presents under the tree. That simple."

For a moment, Father Christmas shook his head before he gestured for her to follow. "It's a bit more complicated then that, I'm afraid, Nightmare. The bag helps as only those presents that are for the house will come from it. Same with the treat bag." Nightmare glanced at the bag tied to his belt. "Those go into the stockings. However... there is some danger."

While she raised her eyebrow, Nightmare glanced at him. "Danger?" She then stopped and looked at him as he got into the sleigh with a grunt, the bag he had being thrown into the back. "How could you be in danger?"

A sigh escaped him as he sadly shook his head. "There is a... group of people, if you would, who dislike me doing what I do. In fact, if it was up to them they would have me stop and then try to erase the traces of any sort of magic... hogwash in my opinion. But then, that's their way of thinking I suppose." As he waved a hand, Nightmare waited for more details, but all Father Christmas did was shrug. "Other then that, the only issue is if a Grinch shows up."

Having heard that name before, Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "A... Grinch? Like the one in the book and cartoon movie?"

Chuckling, Father Christmas shook his head. "If only, that would make my job much easier. No... A Grinch is the representation of negative feelings regarding the holidays. All the anger, frustration, and such that some people have given physical form." He looked over the reins before he nodded. "They seek out to ruin the holidays you see, especially as they only have a life for that one night, this night. Normally, they wouldn't be a big problem, but..."

Reaching behind him, Father Christmas groaned as he rubbed his back much to Nightmare's discomfort. "I see... At least it's not boring..."

With a laugh, Father Christmas shook the reins. "Well then, let's be off. Now Dasher! Now Prancer! Now, Dancer and Vixen! On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! On Rudolph!"

As they flew through the night, Father Christmas made some stops to 'Train' Nightmare in what she was supposed to do. There was no trouble until they had just completed London when there was a flash of red light that nearly struck them. "WHAT WAS THAT!?"

Giving a glance back, Father Christmas grimaced. "Remember that first group I mentioned...? Seems that a number just found us..."

A scowl lit up Nightmare's face as her horn flashed, the next red light striking a shield and splintering into sparks. "I see... and how exactly would you have normally handled this?"

As he unscrewed a thermos and poured some eggnog out, Father Christmas hummed "Ah, well... I don't want to hurt them so I just outrun them. Sometimes old Krampus helps me out and grabs them." Seeing the slightly unnerved look in Nightmare's eyes, he waved a hand. "He doesn't drag people to hell... well, not any more really. Part of the New Year's Treaty of 1891. Great meeting, let me tell you. Old Mother Earth happens to bring the best mead. Now Peter Cottontail... well, he can just fatten up an old elf with all those chocolates he brings to the meeting, though the arguments between him and the Tooth Fairy can get rather hilarious..." Father Christmas took a sip of his drink before he gestured to Nightmare as the spells continued to impact the shield. "You should have your eggnog now."

With a blink, Nightmare looked down at her hooves and blinked as she noted the cup of eggnog. "Wait, what? Where did this come from...?"

However, Father Christmas just continued. "I swear though, I would say that the Tooth Fairy and Peter have feelings for each other... not that either would ever admit it, mind you." He then looked at the sparks from the spells as they impacted the shield and shattered. "Hmm... rather festive... I like it."

Confused, Nightmare stared at him. "Er... I guess...?" Then she realized what he had said and her head snapped around so fast that if she was not an alicorn, then her neck might have snapped. "Wait, wait, wait... Peter Cottontail, as in the Easter Bunny as well as the Tooth Fairy and Mother Earth are bucking real?!"

Slowly, Father Christmas turned to her and raised one bushy eyebrow. "You are currently in a sleigh next to none other then Father Christmas, a sleigh being pulled through the sky by nine flying reindeer one of whom has a glowing red nose... And you have trouble believing that my fellow holiday spirits are not real?"

For a moment, Nightmare raised a hoof and opened her mouth, only to drop it and give him a sheepish look. "Point taken." As Father Christmas turned back to the reins, she looked back at their pursuers, barely seen through the clouds. "So you outrun them and then what? I'm pretty certain that there's still houses that we need to visit in this area..."

While he sighed, the elderly looking man shook his head. "Sadly, what that normally means is that we try to come back later on in the night. But we're running behind a bit, so..." He almost missed the steely expression that crossed Nightmare's face as her horn glowed. A few moments later, the lights stopped coming. "... What did you do?"

Chuckling, Nightmare gave him a smirk. "Nothing harmful. Just some illusions, that's all." She then frowned a bit. "Which hopefully they'll be chasing for the rest of the night if we're lucky." The alicorn then turned toward Father Christmas. "So... You mean to tell me that the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Mother Earth... and others are not only real, but regularly hold meetings?"

Finding a house, Father Christmas nodded as he tugged on the reins to get them to fly down toward it. "Once a year on the New Year, Nightmare. We show up for the regeneration of the personification of the year and then hold meetings for the next year. I will say though that Jack Frost comes across as rather... cold at times. Ho ho ho ho!"

All Nightmare did was groan...

********************************************************************
A few hours left in the night, Nightmare burped into her hoof as she leaned back into the seat she sat in. "I feel like I have gained a ton..."

As he laughed, Father Christmas bit into a cookie. "Ah, yes. The amount of treats that I have on this night does happen to have that effect... though I burn it off by using as much magic as I do."

While she shook her head, Nightmare sighed. "It still makes me feel like I'm Celestia... what with the amount of cakes and cookies she eats..." Having tilted her head up, Nightmare mumbled to herself. "I wonder... if Christmas is on Hearth's Warming then, does Celestia..."

For a few moments, the two was silent as they made their way across the waters of the ocean so far below, two F-14s flying beside them as an escort from a nearby Carrier. Finally, Father Christmas spoke up. "She thinks of her sister often you know." He seemingly ignored how Nightmare turned to him. "I sometimes talk to Santa Hooves, and he tells me that year after year, Celestia's biggest wish for Hearth's Warming is in fact to have her sister to be returned to her and receive forgiveness."

With a grunt, Nightmare turned to stare at the Tomcat pilot who stared back at her. "She wants Luna back... not me."

Chuckling, Father Christmas shook his head. "Ah... for right now. But in the future..." Nightmare turned to him, but all he did was wave at the pilots as they peeled off, soon replaced by two F-15s as they got closer to the US coastline, which he also gave a wave to as they waggled their wings back. "Hmm... well, the night is almost done..."

Shifting a little, Nightmare leaned back and nodded as she fought off a yawn. "Yeah... almost done..." A smile crossed her face as she turned to look at Father Christmas. "I'm sorry about hurting you... but not for helping."

The elderly appearing man just laughed. "Ho ho ho! No worries Nightmare, I've quite enjoyed the help." He then gave her a wink. "Perhaps I might invite you for another trip sometime."

There was no surprise on his face as Nightmare's expression brightened. "Really? You mean it?" Then, having realized how she sounded, she gave a quick glare to some of the reindeers who snickered before she coughed into her hoof as Father Christmas laughed. "Er... I mean, thanks, sounds like fun."

Soon, they reached their first stop and Nightmare hopped out as Father Christmas called to her. "Be careful, Nightmare. This year's Grinch has not showed up yet and they have a habit of surprising one."

Throwing the bag over her shoulders, Nightmare snorted as she walked toward the chimney. "Let it come." Having spotted the shadow coming around the chimney, Father Christmas called out a warning, only for Nightmare to grunt as something slammed into her chin and sent her skidding across the roof. Once she had come to a stop, she grunted. "Ow..."

With a sigh, Father Christmas shook his head. "And there's the Grinch... seems that he took someone's form this Christmas."

Nightmare blinked and looked at him, a question on her lips only to stare as what looked like a muscular blonde man stepped into the light. "... What the... Dolph Lundgren?!"

As Nightmare got to her hooves, Father Christmas shook his head. "No, it's not him. It just looks like the actor." He then turned toward Nightmare. "Remember, as I have told you, Grinchs are formed from the negative feelings from Christmas. Feelings like anger, frustration, sadness, and the like. They seek to spread those feelings further by stopping me on my rounds."

The alicorn just gestured at the Grinch as he took a step forward. "That still does not explain why he looks like Dolph Lundgren!"

Giving her a shrug, Father Christmas just sighed. "Sometimes they take forms of real life people. A few years back, I fought one that looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was playing as the Terminator. Complete with half his face being a metallic skeleton..." He then grimaced. "Then there was that time in 1923 where one took the form of Theodore Roosevelt... And considering that Teddy and I had been friends before his death, that was hard."

There was a moment of silence as the Grinch took in the two before he cracked his neck followed by his knuckles. As she blinked, Nightmare sighed. "Just lovely..." A moment later, he rushed her before he picked the alicorn up and slammed Nightmare into the roof. "Oof!" Her legs then shot out and caught him in the stomach which sent him flying before she got back onto her hooves. "Heh... this should be fun." A snarl on her face, Nightmare got up onto her hind hooves which allowed her to tower over the Grinch. "Bring it on if you think that you're hard enough!"

While he watched Father Christmas took a sip of nog as he nibbled a cookie. Smacking his lips, he leaned over the side of the sleigh as Nightmare slammed into it, rocking it back some. "You know, this is rather embarrassing I would assume... Heck, Rudolf has put up better fights."

Nightmare gave a glance at said reindeer, only for it to wink at her which caused her eyebrow to twitch. As she heard a snicker, she glared. "Shut it." Once she got back into a standing position, Nightmare reached up and wiped a trickle of blood. "Not bad... but I'm better..." Her head lowered before she charged the Grinch, only for him to literally pick her up and perform a pile driver onto the roof. However, Nightmare was not out of it yet as her hind legs wrapped around his neck and she performed a flip that sent him into the roof. "You'll have to try better then that!"

In the sleigh, Father Christmas made punching motions. "Come on Nightmare! Give him a left! And a right! And a left! Another right!"

A moment later, Nightmare was slammed into the side of the sleigh as the Grinch attempted to choke her as he continued to slam her head first into it. "That's-Not-Help-ing!"

All the jolly old man did was shrug his shoulders. "I tried."

Meanwhile, Nightmare finally got him off her and just as he charged again, she stuck out one foreleg and clotheslined him. She then jumped onto his back and put him into a sleeper hold. "Oh yeah! What are you going to do when the Nightmare-mania runs all over you?!" A moment later she blinked as he lifted himself up and ran backwards until she slammed into the chimney, cracking it. "Ow... okay, maybe that..."

Nightmare then threw him away from her only to blink as something crashed to the ground in front of her. She then looked up to see Dancer shouting at her. "THE CHAIR NIGHTMARE! GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!"

For a moment, Nightmare stared before she grabbed the metal chair and smashed it into the face of the Grinch which caused his legs to shoot out from underneath him. Though he was about to get back up, Nightmare smashed the chair into his back and then head a few times. When he had stopped trying to get up, Nightmare looked at the dented chair and threw it away as she looked down at the Grinch. "Had enough yet?" To her surprise though, he disappeared into a cloud of green sparks which dissipated away. "What just happened here...?"

She turned and threw out a hoof as she felt something pat her on the shoulder, only for Father Christmas to catch her hoof as if it was nothing. A moment later Nightmare dropped it as he smiled at her. "Congratulations, Nightmare, you beat the Grinch." He then guided her toward the chimney. "Now then... you should get a move on seeing as we have many houses left before the night is done."

Slightly stunned, Nightmare disappeared into the chimney. As Father Christmas climbed back into the sleigh, Comet looked back at him with an annoyed look. "You know that once she realizes that you're not actually hurt, then she's going to be very unpleasant."

Father Christmas just waved her off. "Bah... let this old man have his fun..."

********************************************************************
Finally, the night's work was done and the sleigh returned to number four. Inside the house, the fireplace once more changed and Nightmare and Father Christmas appeared in front of it. With a smile, he clapped her on the shoulder. "Ah... and once more done for another year, thanks to you, Nightmare."

She started to nod as he stretched out, only to freeze as she realized what her eyes were telling her. "Wait... you're not hurt..."

All Father Christmas did was give her a slight grin. "Well, you did see how I fought the Grinch. And you did learn a lesson." Father Christmas then sighed. "Anyways..." He took a step back before blowing some gold powder which drifted from the room. "I hope that you like your Christmas present... I might see you again next year."

And before Nightmare could do anything, he tapped the side of his nose and shot up the chimney which returned to it's normal state. Shaking it off, she frowned a bit as she muttered to herself. "I wonder what he meant by that..." Suddenly, she heard a shout from upstairs and her eyes widened. "Harry!"

Nightmare rushed upstairs only to stop at the sight that greeted her. For there was a flesh and blood Luna on top of Harry much to both's confusion. Then they noticed her and blinked, with Harry speaking up as Luna's jaw dropped. "N-Nightmare? I... you've got a real body?! And so does Luna!?" He then groaned a bit and held his head. "What is going on here!?"

It was then that the larger of the two alicorns noticed a note and picked it up before she read it, a smile on her face. "It seems that Father Christmas has given us a rather big and wonderful gift this year... letting us spend it together like this."

With a massive grin, Harry got out from under Luna before he hugged Nightmare. "This is great!" He then blinked and ran out of sight. "I got to make a special breakfast for this!"

As he rushed out of sight, Luna got up and turned to Nightmare. "H-how...?"

While she hummed with a thoughtful smile, Nightmare chuckled. "Ah... that's a rather long story and one that I will tell you soon enough..."

They both turned as they heard running and noticed that Harry stuck his head around the corner of the stairs. "Guys! We got a whole Christmas meal all on the table! And I think that there's magic keeping it good and hot!"

The two alicorns shared a look before they followed. And, sure enough, there was a Christmas meal on the table. With a smile, Nightmare slowly hugged both Harry and Luna as they reciprocated. "Merry Christmas and a happy Hearth's Warming to you both..." All three of them could just barely hear the sounds of sleigh bells as outside, the sun slowly broke the horizon...

************************** Epilogue **********************************

Having heard a noise in the sitting room late at night, Nightmare decided to investigate. Once she had slunk in, she stopped for a moment at the sight of the intruder before she looked at a nearby calendar and sighed. "Peter Cottontail, the Easter Bunny, I presume?"

The giant humanoid rabbit who had frozen slowly nodded. "Er... yes?" He then blinked and smiled as he clapped his paws together. "Wait, I know who you are! You're Nightmare Moon, Nickolas told the rest of us all about you." Then Peter reached into his basket and pulled out a small bag which he set down before Nightmare. "Here you go, some chocolates for Harry and Luna..." His voice trailed off as if uncertain. "I would have something for you, but..."

Nightmare just held up a hoof. "No, no... this is fine. Trust me on that." She then stood there for some moments as the two looked around them. "So..."

Clearing his throat, Peter played with his bowtie a bit before he coughed. "How about that weather then...?"

A sigh escaped Nightmare as she shook her head. "Yeah... rather dreary out... but then, it's Britain. Anyways... I'll just, um, take these then up to Harry's room..."

Happy for the excuse to get out of some awkward conversation, the Easter Bunny nodded. "Righto! You have a good day then."

Her lips curved in a smile, Nightmare nodded as she slunk out of sight with the bag of chocolates on her back. "Er, yeah... you too..." Reaching the stairs, she slowly climbed them. 'I'm not going to get involved here...'