The Return

We padded along the rough stone surface towards the center of the crater, bare hooves long since used to the ache. No longer did wisps of vibrant Harmony magic imbue the ground; for all had long since dissipated.

We will certainly not miss this rock.

We made no response, but knelt in the depression in the stone, wings tucked Our sides. Cracks marred the surface, and the crater was littered with shards of silver armor. Only Our helmet, but a few paces away, was whole.

Above Us, Equus shone blue and green, the sole source of color in Our beautiful sky. At least one thing never changed; Celestia likely never discovered how to move the constellations We so painstakingly drew.

“One thousand years have passed, have they not?” We inquired, knowing full well the reply.

The Nightmare’s voice overflowed with glee. We counted every second.

A smile played on Our lips before We closed Our eyes and concentrated. Swirls of light blossomed beneath Our eyelids, forming a dazzling circle where We knew Equus to hang in the sky. In Equestria, magic filled the very air, but it was not so on the moon. Fine tendrils of magic undulated about Us, though beyond that Our domain was bare.

Behold, Equus!

We gasped. A bolt of magic—raw magic—was hurtling toward Us, growing slowly but steadily nearer. Opening Our eyes, We noted a speck of light in the distance.

“Our children have fulfilled their promise,” We said, standing. We did not bother to hide Our elation. The tip of a peninsula was just coming into view, on the far side of Equus where the bolt appeared to originate. One thousand years ago, it belonged to the buffalo nations. Had they conquered? Been conquered?

So little we know, and there is but one way to discover the truth…

Magic arced along Our horn. Like a hoof upon a burst of flame We extinguished the spell. Suddenly solemn, We spoke. “Nightmare. Before Our return, thou must vow not to interfere.”

Delight turned to soberness. Elaborate, the Nightmare instructed.

“It is as We have told thee. We have spent long hours reflecting, and We now know We should never have tried to take Equestria.”

A wave of mingled disapproval and incredulity washed over Us. We believed thou wert jesting.

“Nay. Eternal night would have only spelt slow execution, until We alone remained.”

We felt an inexplicable urge to roll Our eyes. Accommodations could be made. Earth Pony magic would sustain the flora. Spells would warm the cities.

We shook our head. “Because of Our foalishness and jealousy, Equestria—Our own kingdom—was torn asunder. Nay, We now acknowledge that We were wrong whether thou dost or not. ”

We see. And now thou wish a happy reunion with Our sister, to stay hidden away in her shadow and let things be as they were. To guard Our subjects from threats internal and otherwise, without a word of gratitude. We deserve more!

We recoiled, then lifted Our chin. “Wouldst thou let an entire nation perish for the sake of thine own self’s pride?!”

The Nightmare said nothing. Our eyes widened. She wouldn’t…

Dost thou not see things will never again be the same?

“Would thou see Us be called a tyrant, to be feared and hated, even as Sombra?”

Foal! Celestia sits upon her throne while Our subjects worship her and her precious sunlight! When we rose up against her, all but the Batponies rushed to her side! Dost thou not see we are already feared?! That we are already hated!

“NAY!” We roared. “We have been taken in by thy honeyed words once before, and by thy treachery have been trapped here, in Our own personal Tartarus upon the very moon we once raised!”

HA! Thou wanted as much as Us to be adored, to be rid of the nag We call sister! After all, it was not Us alone the Elements banished.

Her words cut me as though a sword. The Elements of Harmony were an enigma even to Starswirl, yet we knew they did not harm the innocent. “Parasite,” We hissed. “Be still! Thou wilt not interfere with Our reunion with Celestia. Nor anything else! And thou shalt see—vengeance is not the only path to take.”

The bolt of magic grew steadily nearer until it nigh blocked out Equus.

Thou truly believest she will welcome us with open hooves?

“Yes. We shall apologize to her—” Our voice cracked. “And beg for her forgiveness for what We wrought—”

Our world spun, turning dark as though We were falling into an abyss. Our body would not move. No. No, NO! THOU SHALT RELEASE US THIS INSTANT!

“Freedom at last,” We chuckled—nay, not Us. The Nightmare. Our neck and wings flexed. “Thou let thyself slip.”

This was her intention from the beginning. Cur, We snarled. CEASE!

“Nay. Thou wilt be the one to see, naught will have changed. We will slay Celestia…nay. Death is far too kind a punishment. Let her suffer the same as Us! Let her burn on her sun a thousand years before she enjoys death’s sweet release!”

Our vision turned crimson. THOU SHALT NOT HARM CELESTIA, THOU FILTH!

The sky grew brighter until it was blinding white. Magic rushed through Our veins, and pain exploded across Our body as bones twisted and grew. Pale fur turned jet black, and a periwinkle mane lifted and dissolved into stardust. The Nightmare stretched Our lips into a smirk as fangs sprouted and dug into Our gums.

A helmet—not a replica, but the original rose to eye level. Cracks disappeared in flashes of dark light, and the Nightmare smiled as its familiar weight rested upon Us. Magic gathered about Our hooves and neck, half-tangible and strange. Silver armor formed, frigid and constricting after a millennium without it. The light, filling Our vision now, shifted into something else no less brilliant but recognizable: a teleport spell.

Rage inside Us boiled, but Our lips would not move to scream. Like a stone monument We were frozen. THOU. WILT. STOP. THIS. INSTANT!

The light around Us vanished. After its brightness, all but peaceful Equus seemed an inky void.

Magic and fury surged through the Nightmare like a hurricane. “THOU SHALT NOT TAKE AWAY OUR VICTORY!”

Then the light was back for a split second, before the abyss of the teleport consumed Us.

It had been mere hours since Our defeat at the hooves of Celestia’s pupil and her band of friends. To think they were the new bearers of the Elements…

We waited, yet naught happened. No witty retort. For the first time We could remember, absolute silence reigned. The Nightmare was gone, We reminded Ourself. Never again would control of Our body be stolen away from Us whilst We were trapped, a prisoner in Our own mind. Never again would We have conversations privy only to Us, mocking the stiff courtiers and scheming revenge on Celestia’s constant pranks.

We looked down at Our platter and the alien refreshments—some modern concoction the chef called a sand-witch.

“Luna? Are you alright?” Celestia asked.

We lifted the sand-witch in our magic and scanned it for sand or…other things. Celestia always delighted in tormenting Us. “We are well.”

She believed Nightmare Moon to be the result of a dark spell or some spawn of Discord, and had said as much during the flight from Our castle. We never corrected her.

Celestia smiled and draped a wing around Us as though We were a filly. “Luna, I haven’t put anything in your sandwich. Really.”

We lowered the sand-witch back onto the plate and could not find it in Us to wiggle free.

“A lot of things have changed while you were gone,” Celestia continued. “Language, for instance. Now we use I instead of the Royal We.”

We raised an eyebrow. “Then how are We to show We are of the royal house?”

Celestia made that irritating smile again. “Lulu, I think it’s pretty clear we’re royalty.”

Our mouth twitched at the use of Our foalhood name. “Even so. Saying I is for peasants,” We muttered.

Celestia burst into hysterical laughter.