1055 AD, November 2nd

“Thank you for coming in on such short notice. I realize how… hectic things must be in Canterlot.”

The Representatives of the Royal Court sat in their seats on either side of the large table, quiet.

“The attack on the castle last night on its own would have been enough to cause a panic, but the disbandment of the Royal Guard, the overthrowing of the two princesses, and the failure of the Elements of Harmony? Yes, the public has a right to be panicked. Still, the cost of property damage is astronomically lower than that of the changeling invasion and limited to the castle.

“In regards to the public, I want you to do everything in your power to calm them. Panicked masses have a tendency to riot and cause unnecessary injury to each other as well as damage property. The lack of a Royal Guard will also make it harder to contain these vagrants, so until the city’s new security force is established, this responsibility falls to all of you. In the meantime, I will be-”

Skrash

Nightmare Moon trailed off and she, along with everypony else in the room, turned to a unicorn mare dressed in sharp and practical clothing. Specks of yellow light danced across her horn and what remained of the glass of water in front of her.

“Census Stripe,” Nightmare Moon said evenly, raising one eyebrow. “Do you have something to say?”

“What are we doing?” Census Stripe questioned with a blank expression but a dangerously low tone.

“We’re discussing what our course of action is concerning the inevitable unrest that will occur in the public-”

“Are we really just going to sit here and listen to this bitch?”

By Nightmare Moon’s side, Ebony took a step forwards, brow furrowing and magic crackling up the length of her horn. Nightmare Moon held out a hoof to stop her and while she obediently returned to her place, her heated glare didn’t fade.

“Considering that I was a member of this court…” Nightmare Moon began calmly. “I believe you have already listened to me.”

“We made Star Secret a member, not you!” Census Stripe argued.

“I am Star Secret in case that bit of news went over your head. And now I am Empress Nightmare Moon, the new monarch of Equestria, so you must-”

“I don’t care if you’re the bloody Queen of Dragons!” Census Stripe banged her hooves on the table, her face twisted in rage. “You are not anypony’s ruler; Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are! We do not answer to you!”

“She’s right,” Wavelength, an ageing pegasus stallion, nodded in agreement. “I will not negotiate with some tyrant nor will I bow down to her.”

“It seems as though two of our members have suffered a lapse in judgement and intelligence,” Nightmare Moon leaned forward and clapped one hoof on the table. “Therefore, I hereby decree that Census Stripe and Wavelength are removed from their positions effective immediately.”

“Wh-what?” Census Stripe recoiled in shock.

“You think you can remove us?” Wavelength snorted and puffed out his chest with pride. “I am confident that my peers share the same feelings as I; the only one that will be-”

A vice-like grip of magic snatched the pegasus and lifted him into the air, a yelp of panic escaping his lips as he was held in place and slowly levitated over the length of the table.

Nightmare Moon ignored his cries for help as he quickly lost all pretence of courage. Once he was floating directly in front of her, she put pressure on his head and forced him to meet her eyes.

“Roam the world of nightmares…”

An ethereal glow emitted from her eyes and her pupils constricted to lines.

Wavelength gasped softly as his eyes were infected with the same green glow and suddenly went still.

The other Representatives of the Royal Court watched in horrified awe, any thoughts of action laid to rest upon seeing Ebony lighting up her horn in scarlet, daring them to interfere.

“…”

The stare-down between pegasus and alicorn continued for a full eight tension-filled seconds and when Nightmare Moon finally blinked and her eyes stopped glowing, Wavelength started screaming in blind terror, staring at nothing.

“So many useful spells lost to time; no way to counter them…” Nightmare Moon gave a cruel grin and placed a Zone of Silence around Wavelength’s head. “He’ll recover in time… though considering how weak-willed he is, I doubt there won’t be any permanent night-terrors.”

“He… he’s in charge of Canterlot’s trading…” Census Stripe stammered nervously. “And I’m in charge of the medical facilities. Y-you can’t-”

“I can think of six ponies that could do your job and be far more pliable to my orders,” Nightmare Moon dismissed her curtly whilst dumping the broken stallion onto the floor. “I never liked Wavelength, but you are marginally more tolerable, enough to extend a small mercy by allowing you to simply leave. Now if you would be so kind…”

She gestured to the set of double doors.

Census Stripe’s eyebrows pulled together in anger, but her fear was greater, and she got out of her seat.

She trudged towards the doors, the muted sounds of her hoofsteps on carpet the only thing able to be heard up until she finally exited, closing the doors behind her with more force than necessary.

“Now then…” Draconic eyes narrowed menacingly at the other members. “If there’s anypony else that has a problem with my rule?”

A short pause that held no objections.

“Good – then we’re all in agreement. I am now your Empress and Equestria is now a full monarchy. However, despite this, I still need the Royal Court to take care of the needs of Canterlot so that I have time to tend to matters concerning the rest of the country. You are all proficient at your jobs from what I’ve seen, so as long as you all remain obedient, your positions will remain untouched. In saying that, you should be notified that there will be some rather drastic changes I will be implementing at this precise moment.”

“Nightmare…” Beaker tore his disturbed gaze away from the silently thrashing Wavelength and cleared his throat. “Er… Empress… I doubt the nobility of Canterlot will take kindly to-”

Nightmare Moon snorted derisively. “They are for me to deal with. You no longer have to bow to their demands and only I will be able to take away your positions.”

Though they did not show it outwardly, a few of the remaining Representatives perked up at that idea.

“However, don’t think this gives you permission to engage in sordid affairs or go against me because I will find out and then you’ll have a lot more to worry about than PR.”

“Canterlot’s entire population will be restless,” Blue Diamond pointed out. “If I may be honest, you’re the bogey-mare of Equestria and you’ve seized power in a bloody coup. Granted, there were no casualties, but the Royal Guard was disbanded, the princesses are… gone, and so are the Element bearers. From the public’s perspective, we’re defenceless. And, well… they’re right.”

“I-I agree,” Tinshot nodded. “And with this whole invasion business, the fear might just lead to civil unrest across the entire country.”

“The formation of another security force is a top priority as well as the Entropic Fractures,” Nightmare Moon gestured to Ebony. “My Right Hoof mare will assist in both matters while I reaffirm trade relations with neighbouring countries. Beaker, as chief of Canterlot’s research, you will do everything to help in determining the nature behind these Fractures.”

“I’ll… It will be done.”

Nightmare Moon’s cold, calculating gaze settled on all of them at once.

“Whatever you may think of me, my ultimate goal was to rule Equestria, and now that it has come true, I have no intention of letting it to run into the ground, not when I worked so hard to gain it. I will do everything and anything within my power to ensure this land survives and is protected because it is mine. You’re either with me or against me, so choose wisely.”

“One thing, if I may…” Floral Flare said hesitantly, no doubt realizing how her strained relationship with ‘Star Secret’ could possibly spell bad tidings for her if she wasn’t careful. “What exactly… happened to the princesses and Elements?”

Nightmare Moon looked at her for a while and the mare shivered at the intensity of the gaze.

“They’ll live.”

Nopony questioned any further than that.

“… light… Twi… hear me? Twilight…”

“Ungh…” The purple alicorn opened her eyes, a sharp pain stabbing through the base of her horn. “Oh, my head…”

“Twi’?” A blur of orange entered her field of vision, the voice somewhat familiar. It sounded concerned, very much so. “Twi’, how’re ya feelin’? Can ya move?”

“Don’t really want to…” Twilight’s stomach churned as she lifted her head. She gave a burp and groaned again, placing her hooves over her eyes. “Wha’ happened, Applejack?”

“Ya don’t remember?” The blurry mass focused and Twilight could now see the farmpony’s distress, written clear across her face and… were those bruises?

“I…” Channelling magic into her horn, Twilight attempted to caress the back of her head, where the pain was most intense. She was confused when nothing happened. “I remember… the throne room and…” Her eyes widened in horror and she shot straight up. “Nightmare…”

Her vision swayed and so did she. Only the timed intervention of Applejack stopped her from taking a fall. Twilight rested against the soft fur of her friend’s chest and clenched her teeth against the ringing in her ears.

“Dagnabbit, take it easy,” The tone was stern, but it was anger born from worry. “That bump on your noggin was nasty; those bandages soaked right up.”

“Bandages?”

She raised a hoof to her head and felt the damp fabric. The instant she saw that her hoof came back bloody, she tried healing.
Again, nothing happened. Frustrated, she touched her horn and made contact with something cold and hard. Further exploration of the object revealed it to be circular and fitted tightly near the base of her horn.

“Oh Celestia, what…?”

“Ah think it’s made of that obsidian stuff,” Applejack told her in a low voice. “Ya’ll said it stops magic, right?”

Twilight nodded. “I… I did…” She never thought an obsidian ring would ever be used on her and could only be thankful she had been unconscious when it was fitted on. The pain would have been… “Where are we?”

The question was somewhat redundant, she realized, after taking one look at her surroundings.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were pure concrete, save for a single door made of metal. The only light came from a lantern hanging from the ceiling, most likely powered by magic. The room was sparsely furnished with only a single bed pushed up against the left wall and a toilet on the right.

“A dungeon or something…” Applejack provided. “Nightmare Moon threw us in here, the varmint. Didn’t even take a look at you; I was…” She frowned uneasily. “I was worried about you, Twi’.”

Despite the tense situation, Twilight smiled reassuringly at her friend. “It hurts, but… I can handle it,” She took another look at the room and her smile waned. “The castle’s dungeon… It was used to hold criminals, but since the formation of the Royal Guard’s own holding cells it was blocked off. Celestia used to say she was meaning to make it into a relaxation room, but never got around to it.”

“Hey, AJ!”

Both occupants started at the loud voice breaking the oppressive atmosphere and looked towards the door. A square slot near the top, barred, allowed the noise to carry.

“AJ, who are you talking to? Is Twilight awake?” The brash and scratchy voice could only belong to one mare.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight moved to stand and almost fell again. With the farmer’s help in supporting her, she made her way towards the door and pushed her muzzle up against the window. “Are you okay? Where are the others?”

“Pinkie’s with me; we’re both fine!” Twilight’s limited view only allowed her to see a wall, but it sounded like the reply came from her left.

“Heya, Twilight!”

“Twilight’s awake?” That voice belonged to Rarity and it sounded like she was on her right. “Thank heavens, I was beside myself with worry!”

“Is Fluttershy with you?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, but the poor dear’s exhausted; I think that Stare really took it out of her. She…” Rarity trailed off and there was faint mumbling followed by shuffling steps.

“Twilight?” A soft and demure voice whispered.

“Fluttershy!”

A sigh of relief. “Oh, I was so scared when you didn’t wake up, I… I thought y-you…”

“I’m okay,” Twilight quickly assured the shy pegasus. “My head hurts, but it’s nothing to worry abo-”

“Like hell it’s nothing to worry about!” Rainbow Dash’s harsh tone bounced off the walls, emphasizing the anger in her tone. “You were bleeding and all they did was throw some fucking bandages on! If I see Nightmare Bitch again, I’ll-”

Rainbow Dash went quiet as an ominous creak echoed throughout the dungeon. The hoofsteps that followed sent chills down her spine as there was an extra noise accompanying the natural clip-clop of hooves; a distinct metal chime, like armor.

“My little ponies…” A rich and deep voice chuckled. “I trust your new rooms are up to standards?”

Twilight inhaled sharply as a large black alicorn in gleaming armor passed by her cell, the piercing eyes briefly glancing at her with no small amount of mirth.

“Nightmare Moon…” Despite her fear, it was barely suppressed rage that filled her tone; she had practically spat the name out. “What have you done with the girls and the princesses?”

“The princesses require more advanced containment procedures; that’s all I will say,” Nightmare Moon halted somewhere between her cell and the one on her left. “As for your siblings, I’m sure you’ll be relieved to hear that they are unharmed.”

“Where th’ heck’s my little sis’?” Applejack shouted, green eyes flashing.

Nightmare Moon smirked cruelly. “I’m afraid that I can’t reveal that information. We can’t have you knowing exactly where they are should you somehow manage to escape, can we?”

Rainbow Dash roared and banged on her cell door. “I’ll buck your teeth in! I’ll break off your horn and shove it up your ass! I’ll tear every feather off and make you eat them!”

The genuine fury in Rainbow Dash’s threats was enough to unnerve Twilight; she had never heard her friend so angry and eager to cause bodily harm.

However, the threats appeared to simply sluice off Nightmare Moon like water on a duck’s back judging by the way she simply laughed, as if they were the funniest jokes in the world.

“Ah, you would make a wonderful addition to my Praetorian Guard; so fast, so strong… so much potential,” The alicorn shrugged dismissively. “At any rate, shout and curse all you want, you’re not getting out of here until I figure out how you may all be of use to me. I already have the perfect leverage…”

It was clear she was referring to the girls.

“You won’t get away with this,” Twilight said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes at the villainess. “When my brother hears about what’s happened here, he and Cadence will-”

Her jaw suddenly snapped shut and a powerful force yanked her into the door. The force pulled upwards and dragged her by the head until her cheek was mashed against the slot’s iron bars. She heard Applejack shout her name and felt her teeth on her tail, but Twilight’s gaze was fixed on Nightmare Moon.

“You think they’ll be able to stop me?” Nightmare Moon stepped closer to the slot, meeting her stare. “In one swoop, I have neutralized the greatest threats to my being. The princesses and Element bearers are in my custody, Discord is petrified once more, and the Elements of Harmony are under lock and key. Equestria’s allies are another obstacle, but it is a mole hill compared to what I’ve already faced.”

Twilight whimpered in pain as she was pressed harder against the bars, as if to pull her through the gaps. The armored alicorn leaned in closer, enough for her to see her own terrified expression in the polished helmet.

“Be a good little prisoner and try not to entertain any foolish notions of escaping, hm? The consequences…” She paused and appeared to think for a bit. “Well, let’s just say, you won’t be the one getting punished.”

The magical grip on her skull was released and she fell back to the floor, almost cracking her head again. As Applejack fussed over her, she looked back up to the slot, shivering at the draconic eyes peeking through it.

“That goes the same for all of you,” Nightmare Moon looked away and walked out of sight. “Anypony makes trouble and I’ll punish the one sharing the cell with you. If both of you or more make trouble, then I’ll punish your little sisters… by blood or in all but.”

Rainbow Dash cursed vehemently.

“Settle in… get comfortable…” The hoofsteps began fading. “You’re going to be in here for a long time.”

Creeeak

CLANG

The evil alicorn gone, Fluttershy immediately began sobbing. Rarity’s comforting whispers could be heard a split-second later.

“It’s okay, Twi’,” Applejack smiled weakly but genuinely, and brushed a hoof over Twilight’s face. Twilight noticed that the hoof came away wet and wondered when she had started crying. “We’ll get outta here, you’ll think of somethin’.”

Twilight said nothing and snuggled in closer for a hug. “I don’t know… I’ve always had the princesses to look to for guidance and… I don’t know if I can…”

“None of that now,” Applejack said firmly. “If anypony can get us out of here, it’s you.”

“This is an outrage! I am Prince Blueblood and I demand to be let into Canterlot Castle this instant!”

Though the majority of the crowd behind Blueblood didn’t much care for the stallion in general, he spoke their feelings and so they were willing to put aside their animosity and stand with him.

The dozens of stallions and mares shouted, jeered, and spat their woes at the mare and stallion barring access to the palace by standing in front of the ruined gate.

“Look, dude, for the past few hours I have been fighting non-stop,” Fade said to the infuriated prince. “I’ve literally faced down an army, a god, and the most powerful thing Equestria has at its disposal. You? Not so scary, yeah?”

“The nerve!” Blueblood gasped theatrically. “You… you common ruffians! You think that just because you bear some resemblance to that villain you call your master you automatically have the right to think you can address me in such a manner? I’ll have you thrown in prison!”

“The prison that now belongs to us?” Veil murmured with a small smirk. “Yeah, go ahead; I’m sure that’ll turn out great for you.”

“We’re the only security in Canterlot now, Blueballs,” Fade stared evenly at the prince. “So unless we all get stupidity aneurysms at the same time and throw ourselves in prison, we’re not going anywhere, yeah?”

The mocking insult stirred Blueblood’s fire and he spluttered for a few seconds before turning to address the crowd.

“Are you going to stand by and let these commoners take our beloved princesses’ home? Come – let’s teach these ponies a thing or two about why we’re the elite of Canterlot!”

The crowd looked at each other uneasily.

“A fight?”

“I’ve never thrown a punch in my life.”

“Hitting between the hind legs is a no-no, correct?”

“Maybe we should pay somepony to do it for us.”

“My butler will fight!”

“Blow it out your arse, sir.”

“Cowards!” Blueblood puffed out his chest. “The blood of a hundred magisters runs through my veins and yours! Do you think these two pegasi brutes can hope to match their strength against our magic? I say neigh! Fight for your city! Fight for your home! Fight for you-aahhhh!”

Fade wrapped his forelegs around the prince’s waist and shot into the air at ludicrous speeds, the noble unicorn’s scream fading as they rapidly shrank to the size of a dot before disappearing into a large grey cloud.

The crowd stared upwards with jaws scraping the ground and eyes taking up the entirety of their faces. Slowly, they craned their necks down to see Veil tossing a black canister up and down in one hoof while wearing a mischievous grin.

“Catch.”

The crowd scattered like cockroaches; more than a few bumped into each other and tripped over their own feet as the canister bounced along the cobblestone path. Somehow, they managed to vacate the area in time for the object to roll and come to a stop.

The receptacle was empty.

The mare allowed herself a rare chuckle as a high-pitched shriek gaining in strength signalled the prince’s rapid descent. Blueblood flailed wildly in the air as the unforgiving concrete rushed up to greet him.

Seconds before he would have made a stain, Fade zipped back down to catch him and curved upwards to slow their momentum. He then righted himself and slowly landed with a terrified stallion on his back.

“Thank you for flying Fade Express Airline,” Fade announced with a large grin, paying no heed as his reluctant passenger slid off his back with all the grace of an elephant practising ballet. “We hope you enjoyed your flight. Remember: pissing yourself gets you a discount off peanuts.”

Blueblood’s eyes were wide and his pupils reduced to mere pinpricks as he trembled violently and weakly inched his way back home, muttering unintelligibly all the while.

Fade returned to his position by the gate, scooping up the canister and tossing it back to Veil with one wing as he did. “Classic, classic…”

“I hope we get a break soon,” Veil stifled a yawn as she placed the canister back in her bags. “Strangely enough, a sprained wing and bruised ribs isn’t doing much to keep me awake.”

“Fun stuff’s over now, yeah?” Fade said with a sigh. “Now we gotta deal with politics; Nightmare Moon’s welcome to as much of that cake as she wants. Never had much of a chance of being elected for class president when I was still in school…”

“You probably didn’t lie enough about what you would do.” Veil replied.

“Nah…” Fade scratched his chin. “Kept stealing all of the jocks’ girlfriends. I mean, how’s it my fault they want a stallion who actually knows what he’s doing in bed, yeah?”

“What a pleasant conversation we’re having; I hope we never change topic.”

“Gonna have to ruin your dreams then,” Fade looked up at the evening sky. “Hey, you ever wondered what would happen if Celestia was knocked out or something? Or… slept in? You ever thought the sun would just… not rise?”

Veil raised an eyebrow at his sudden interest in the celestial bodies, but decided she’d rather talk about that than his sexual escapades.
To be honest, the entire act was rather… gross, in her opinion. She took pride in still being a virgin and had no intention of changing that.

“Yeah, I did,” She nodded. “When I was little, I sort of thought Celestia was the sun and moon, and that if she died, then they would just wink out of existence. And then we’d die.”

“You must have been a blast at your friends’ birthday parties, yeah?”

“What friends?”

Fade winced. “Oh…”

“Don’t say ‘you’re sorry’,” Veil rolled her eyes. “It’s annoying when ponies say that. Anyway, that’s what I thought until I read about the times before the princesses, when the sun and moon were raised by unicorns. Even so, I really didn’t give much thought to somepony else taking over Celestia’s job. The sun and moon must weigh more than a few pounds…”

“Well, Nightmare Moon’s already proven to be stronger than Celestia,” Fade said. “I guess it’s not that surprising she can…”

He trailed at the sound of hooves against cobblestone.

Veil turned to look down the street and saw two mares galloping towards them. Her enhanced vision allowed her to recognize them almost instantly.

“Vinyl and Octavia?” She murmured with narrowed eyes. Her good wing shifted to pull out a grenade.

The two mares slowed to a trot as they approached them. Vinyl was panting heavily while Octavia looked no worse for wear aside from the lines of worry and apprehension etched into her face.

“Outta the way!” Vinyl demanded, glaring at them from behind her ever-present shades. “I gotta see if my friend’s okay!”

Fade and Veil exchanged a look, knowing full well of their Empress’ friendship – or companionship, as she insisted – with the famed DJ. To be more precise, it was Star Secret that Vinyl had a relationship with, but seeing as she and Nightmare Moon were the same…

“Sorry, but even celebrities don’t get a free pass,” Fade said with a shake of his head. “The new Empress is sorting things out, so until-”

“Fuck that!” Vinyl emphasized her shout with a furious stomp. “My friend’s in there and I need to see her! You can either let me in or I’ll force my way through!”

As Octavia attempted to soothe Vinyl and prevent her from doing anything rash, Fade sent his thoughts towards his partner.

“Should we tell Nightmare Moon? She is her friend.”

“She said to not let anyone through,” Veil replied, though her thoughts hummed with uncertainty. “I guess it can’t hurt to check, but…”

Fade paused and furrowed his brow. “Hey, boss, Vinyl’s here and she’s getting all steamed up. Should we let her in or…?”

“What is that mare doing here?” Both the pegasi could feel the annoyance in the signal. “Send her… No, let her through and tell her to wait where the Galloping Gala is hosted. I’ll meet her shortly.”

“Alright then.”

“Okay, you can go,” Fade stepped aside, cutting the two mares’ argument short, and inclined his head towards the castle. “Star Secret’s waiting for you in the Galloping Gala’s great hall. Mind the timber wolf; he might try to hump your leg and you do not want that.”

“Petal Shine?”

“Striker!”

As a bright blue earth pony with a dark red mane enveloped him in a crushing hug, Striker felt the majority of the tension in his body leave him. He breathed a sigh of relief and held her close, burying his muzzle into her hair and inhaling her scent.

“Oh, sweet Celestia…” Petal Shine whispered shakily. “When I heard that the castle had been attacked, I thought you were…”

“I’m fine, my amaryllis,” Striker assured his wife. “A bit banged up, but nothing too serious.”

They held that position, revelling in the sense of safety and warmth of one another’s touch, for a few minutes before Petal Shine loosened her grip and guided him to the living room.

“Here – sit down and I’ll get you something to drink.”

Striker sat down on the old couch and exhaled in relief as his aching muscles were given a break. He made himself comfortable as Petal Shine quickly trotted into the kitchen.

He was still in shock. The image of Celestia being thrown down the stairs replayed in his mind no matter how hard he tried to supress it. It didn’t even spark anger in him; just… sadness and a sense of failure. He was the guard and he failed to protect Equestria’s ruler.

He didn’t deserve to wear that armor.

“I heard it was Nightmare Moon…”

Striker looked up at the melodic voice and gratefully took the offered glass of water in his magic. He would have preferred hard cider – and a lot of it – but anything to quench his parched throat was more than welcome.

“Thanks…” He took a long sip before nodding. “Yeah… it was Nightmare Moon. Her and some… some other ponies… followers, I think.”

Petal Shine’s expression was one of horror. “But… how? Luna…”

“No, Luna was there; her and Discord,” He shook his head. “But they didn’t win. I don’t know how, but they didn’t win. The Element bearers were captured as well.”

“Then…” Petal Shine sat beside him, her eyes full of questions and fear. “What’s going to happen now?”

Striker noticed her inner turmoil and frowned, troubled. He wished he could take it all away, but didn’t know how. He wasn’t feeling very hopeful, to be honest.

“I don’t know…” He admitted, reaching out to drape a foreleg over her neck. She snuggled in close and laid her head on his shoulder. “We still have the Crystal Empire and Equestria’s allies, but… I don’t know.”

Petal Shine was quiet for a moment. “I’m… This is probably an awful thing to say, but… I’m sort of glad we’ve been having trouble… you know. I just don’t know if…”

Striker shook his head and gave her a gentle squeeze. “I understand. Still…” He smiled at her. “I’d like to keep trying when things are a little more… stable.”

She grinned and chuckled. “I bet you do…”

Striker sat with his lover in silence, thinking about what the future might have held in store for them.

Whatever it was, Striker knew they would face it together.

Nightmare Moon paused just outside the heavy set of doors and took a moment to articulate her thoughts.

There would obviously be conflict; she had lied to Vinyl for almost five years about her true identity and she would no doubt feel challenged and confused when this apparent stranger, this new monarch of Equestria, waltzed right in and claimed she was that same mare.

Briefly, she wondered, as she reached out and opened the doors with magic, if it would come to blows.

She couldn’t spend too much time waiting for the DJ to tire herself out.

Upon entering the expansive interior of the Galloping Gala’s great hall, two mares sitting at a table near the stage perked up and looked over. They were instantly on edge and Vinyl leapt out of her seat and moved in front of her wife, protectively.

“The hell’s going on here?” Vinyl’s horn was alit in a blue light and her head was lowered, her body tensed in preparation of an attack. “Where’s Wolf?”

Nightmare Moon trotted in and closed the doors behind her. “Standing right before you,” She smiled disarmingly – or at least tried to – as she approached her associate. “It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?”

Vinyl’s brow furrowed and the suspicion in her face evident even behind those glasses. “What…? You’re Nightmare Moon, not…”

The alicorn stopped a few yards from her and wreathed herself in magic. “Perhaps this is the face you remember?”

Within seconds, she was Star Secret once more, and both Vinyl and Octavia gaped in shock and awe, the latter rubbing at her eyes with a hoof as if to make sure they were working properly.

“Wolf?” Vinyl’s glow dissipated and she took a step forward, her tone soft and questioning. “You’re… you’re…”

“I am Nightmare Moon,” She dispelled the disguise and returned to her full glory, nodding once. “I always have been.”

As she awaited the mares’ responses, a strange sense of weightlessness filled her and she felt lighter than usual. Finally being able to cast aside her identity as a whole had been an uplifting experience – no longer did she have to hide away like some vagrant stealing a loaf of bread – but that paled in comparison to how good she felt at that present moment, telling Vinyl the truth.

Had she been harbouring some guilt for lying all this time and not noticed?

She ignored the strange feeling and focused on Vinyl and Octavia, who finally appeared to be regaining some sense of lucidity.

“So…” The DJ’s horn shone briefly and her shades lifted to rest on her brow. “When you first came into my club…”

“That was me, yes.”

“And when you joined the Royal Court?”

“Me.”

“The wedding?”

“Star Secret was a persona I created to gain the princesses’ favour so that I could infiltrate their defences and take them down. It was me all that time.”

Octavia’s mouth opened and closed and even if she wasn’t a mute, Nightmare Moon had a feeling she would still be speechless.

Vinyl, however, was not.

“What the actual fuck?!” The unicorn shouted with a stomp of her hoof and a harsh glare.

Nightmare Moon sighed, expecting this. She knew the DJ well. “You have a right to feel betrayed, but-”

“Fuck yeah I feel betrayed!”

Vinyl closed the distance between them to glare up into the alicorn’s eyes.

“Four years! We’ve known each other for four fucking years and you drop this bombshell on me! ‘Oh, hey, Vinyl – guess what? I’m actually the equinomorphic personification of the lunar princess’ angst and jealousy’. We shared the same toothbrush for a while! We got into all those fights!”

Strangely, one part of the rant stuck out to Nightmare Moon. “Equinomorphic personification? Good to see you’ve been taking my grammar lessons to heart.”

In the midst of her rage, Vinyl took the time to smirk with pride. “Been working them in and impressing Octavia. Ain’t that right, babe?”

Octavia gave her a flat look.

Vinyl faltered and shook her head, dredging her anger back up. “N-no! Don’t try to weasel out of this! I…” Her eyes suddenly widened and she looked ill. “Holy fuck… I helped you do this… I helped you do all this, didn’t I?”

Nightmare Moon was silent for a moment, briefly wondering if she should downplay the DJ’s part in her plan and spare her feelings.

“Vinyl, I’ve always told you the truth, haven’t I? Barring my true identity,” The DJ nodded. “I probably could have found another way to get where I am without ever meeting you, but… yes, you did help me.”

Vinyl gaped in shock and shakily sat back on her haunches. “Shit, I… I never even…”

“And your assistance will not be forgotten,” Nightmare Moon quickly said with a genuinely grateful smile. “I’ve grown… fond of you – Octavia, Fancypants, and Fleur as well – over these years and you will be rewarded for it.”

“Rewarded?” Vinyl echoed with an air of disbelief, her head darting up to show a surprised expression, though it rapidly turned to fury. “Rewarded?! Why the hell would I want a reward for… this?!”

It was hard for Nightmare Moon to express affection for others.

Vinyl knew this, even when she was Star Secret, so hearing the DJ throw Nightmare Moon’s gratitude back in her face made her angry enough to ignore the part of her urging her to try and understand Vinyl’s perspective, and responded with what felt natural.

“You’ve helped me get to where I should be,” Nightmare Moon explained with a furrow of her brow. “Equestria will change for the better under my rule and will become a powerful force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh, I’m sorry; I had no idea you could see into the future! What, you lied about that, too?”

“What are you implying?”

“I saw ponies scared out of their friggin’ minds runnin’ here!” Vinyl gestured towards the set of doors Nightmare Moon walked through. “The castle’s a wreck, there’s a giant timber wolf pissing everywhere, and I have no friggin’ clue what you’re going to do about these tears in space and time everywhere! I’m not sure how things will change for the better, but it doesn’t look good from where I’m standing!”

“Canterlot wasn’t built in a day!” Nightmare Moon snarled; having her abilities called into question was not a good move. “The changes are not instantaneous, but they will happen faster than you’d expect providing the rest of Equestria cooperates.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll make them cooperate.”

Vinyl laughed humourlessly. “More fighting? Good friggin’ plan…”

“And you’re so opposed to that? You enjoy a good fight as much as I do.”

“Well, yeah, but… I’m not starting a war just to get my rocks off!”

“I started this to rule Equestria, not on some passing whim! I’ve desired the throne ever since I could remember and I’ve planned accordingly, so don’t you dare imply that I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Vinyl shook her head, heaving with heavy breaths. “Planned accordingly, eh? What about us? Were you just pretending all this time? Do I actually mean anything to you? Does Octavia? Fancypants? Fleur?”

Nightmare Moon bared her teeth, unable to believe that the DJ was practically forcing her to reaffirm something she had trouble expressing. Vinyl knew how she felt, knew her, damn it! Even if she didn’t express it openly, Vinyl knew that she was Nightmare Moon’s closest fr- associate.

“Of course you mean something to me! I... enjoy your company. I endure some of your more infuriating aspects and the things you drag me into because I want to keep you content. Does that not prove anything? Are you too blinded by emotion to see that?”

“At least I have emotions!” The DJ pointed accusingly at her. “You’re like a friggin’ robot, always have been! Is it really so hard to say, ‘Vinyl, you’re cool’ or ‘Vinyl, you’re my wingmare’?”

“Why must I say it? You know me; you know that I do not make a habit of expressing myself as openly as you and others! It’s just not in my nature!”

“Yeah, because you’re some freaky spirit thing that came from Luna’s head! Barely anything natural about you!”

Nightmare Moon growled threateningly and flared out her wings, her muscles twitching to inflict pain upon this mare who she thought was her friend. It was just as she predicted; now that she revealed who she truly was, Vinyl wanted nothing to do with her.

“I can’t believe I thought you could see reason! I can’t believe I thought you would continue to be my fr…” She paused, shocked at the near-slip of her tongue. Angered by her own slipping composure, Nightmare Moon allowed magic to light up her horn and roared, “Get out of here! Get out before I lose my temper! I see now that I have made a mistake in talking to you!”

“Same here, Wolf! Same here!”

As Vinyl stormed off, Octavia – the mare had been watching the ordeal with frightened eyes – took one last look – was that betrayal in her eyes? – at Nightmare Moon before quickly following her partner, making wordless noises of comfort.

Nightmare Moon waited until the doors slammed shut, signalling their departure, before releasing her magic in a telekinetic burst that sent the nearby furniture flying into the walls and immediately breaking apart on impact.

“Pathetic foal!” Nightmare Moon yelled, her powerful voice echoing throughout the massive interior of the hall. “I can’t believe I wasted my time thinking that you would be… hoping that you would…”

Despite her desire to cling onto the familiar warmth of rage, it seeped out of her body and was replaced by a yawning emptiness, a sensation that leeched her strength.

She looked down at the marble floor, her expression slipping into one of melancholy.

“Curse you…”

Octavia had to trot briskly to keep up with Vinyl, the sweat running down her neck becoming cold in the night air.

She was reeling from what had just happened and still found it hard to believe that that… tyrant was… had been somepony who, if a bit abrasive, was a pony she could depend upon.

Anger, horror, disbelief – every emotion she could be feeling was fighting for dominance, but it was concern that won out and she reached out to place a hoof on her wife’s shoulder.

‘We were friends, but Vinyl was especially close to her.’

“Not now, Octy…” Vinyl said curtly, shrugging to brush off her hoof without even looking at her.

Flinching at the harsh tone, Octavia persisted with a firmer touch. She knew how Vinyl got when she was so emotionally-charged; it was truly a miracle the DJ hadn’t outright socked Nightmare Moon in the face.

Even Octavia had been tempted.

‘Sweetie, don’t ignore me like this…’

The firm touch caused Vinyl to halt, but she still didn’t face her. Underneath the moonlight, Octavia could see the tremble of her wife’s muscles; she was a bomb ready to go off and she would if Octavia didn’t defuse her.

So the cellist trotted close and hugged her tenderly.

“I shouldn’t have…” A tremor in the tone. “I shouldn’t have… said that…”

Octavia looked at her in confusion, but was saddened to see tears streaking down her lover’s cheeks. Vinyl was really a softy at heart, but often strived to not be seen crying.

It was a testament to how hurt she was.

“I know how she is…” Vinyl sniffed, her face twisted in a grimace as she fought a full sobbing fit. “I kn-know she cares about m-me… She just… has trouble…”

‘No, don’t you make excuses for that witch. You deserve better than that.’

“But…” The DJ shook her head and clenched her eyes shut, a few tears squeezing out from the sides. “I’m so… fuckin’ angry…”

Octavia cooed soothingly as Vinyl silently cried into her shoulder, her body shaking with every sob.

“Erm… Prince Shining Armor?”

“Flash, we’re both friends, right? No need to be so formal.”

“Uh… right. Sh-Shining Armor?”

“Hm?”

“We’ve received a letter from Canterlot…”

“Probably Princess Celestia asking about that crate of bananas. You know, I told Cadence not to send that considering the whole ‘Banana Fiasco’ in-”

“Actually, s-sir, it’s from Empress Nightmare Moon…”

“…”

“She’s writing to inform you that she’ll need about two tonnes of crystals by the end of the month, preferably ones large enough to hold Tier 4 spells.”

“…”

“Oh, and she also says that you shouldn’t bother attempting to launch any sort of retaliation.”

“…”

“…”

“Flash.”

“Yeah?”

“I really want to retaliate.”

Author's Note

Note 1: The Terror Flash spell was created by Princess Luna in 33 AD during her forays in the thaumaturgical studies. It has very little practical use in combat due to its lengthy casting time, the need to make direct eye contact, and because it can only work on one pony at a time. It's more applicable for interrogative purposes and/or as a display of intimidation.

Was the development of this spell purely by accident or did Luna aim to create such a frightening incantation?

Perhaps the question to ask is, what was she researching?

Note 2: Obsidian rings are reserved for only the most dangerous of unicorn criminals... or simply 'unicorns', depending on the pony using such insidious tools.

The origin of these rings is something of an enigma; the unicorns of old were too proud of their magic to even think of cutting it off, pegasi believed it was dishonourable to cull their oppositions' fighting capabilities by using such an underhanded tactic, and earth ponies...

Well, as said best by a unicorn general who has long since passed, 'Earth ponies are too savage, too dull-witted, and too ignorant to create these heretical devices! It must be the pegasi brutes...'

On an unrelated note, the same general would discover the earth pony race's rock farms, and that their research on the types of rocks and their properties were decades ahead of the unicorn race's.