Equestria's not so terrible Nightmare

This Chapter is now edited by: Dragon Angel Knight

Chapter 1: The dawn of a new Equestria

"NO! NOT AGAIN!!!" Nightmare Moon shrieked.

Panicked, she built up a Shield Spell, putting every last bit of her Magic into it as the Elements of Harmony brought their full force to bear on her.

"I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THE MOON! " bellowed the Dark Alicorn over the noise caused by the attack of The Magic of the Elements of Harmony trying to penetrate the shield.

She gritted her Teeth and desperately tried to hold her Shield up against the powerful magic assaulting her, but she could feel her spell get weaker every second, making the Mare in the Moon do something she had not done in the last 970 Year of her 1000 Years Banishment to the Moon. She was Crying. Desperate, she thought to do something, knowing it would hurt her even more.

"I´m Sorry, but I don´t wanna be alone for another 1000 Years!" Nightmare Moon's Horn flashed, bringing something directly before her shield. The whole Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was wrapped into a bright white light as the elements hit their target.

"Uuuh, my poor Head," Groaned Twilight Sparkle as she opened her eyes, "Girls? Girls, are you all okay?"

She heard her new friends moaning something, before she looked towards the End of the old Throne Room. A lot of Smoke was there, but they souldn't see much through it.

“Twi, did we beat her?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“I don´t know Rainbow.....I'll take a look,” Twilight responded.
“Not on your own, Sugarcube! We are comming with you, this time,” Applejack said, to the agreement of the others.

Twilight only nodded, before she and her Friends walked into the Smoke.

“I... I think....we beat....her...” Fluttershy said quietly.
Pinkie Pie gasped and hung in the air comically for a few seconds, then exlaimed, “You know what this calls for?! A PARTY!”

Twilight shook her head with a smile at Pinkie's antics and continued towards the throne. She stumbled over something small and furry on her way forward and fell to the floor, letting out a loud curse.

“What the Hay?!” She yelled, then gasped as she saw who was there laying on the ground in front of her.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight said happily as she wrapped her forelegs around the muzzle of her Mentor and broke down in tears, “Princess....Please wake up! It's me, Twilight!”

“Oh my Goodness! Twilight, look at her, something happened to her!” Gasped a shocked Rarity.

The Lavender Unicorn didn´t need to look, but she could feel something was wrong. She slowly looked down at her mentor's body to see what was happening. What she saw, made her jaw drop in shock. Celestia´s Mane and Tail losing their color, leaving only pink it its place. Then the Body of the Sun Princess began to shrink. The Process stopped as quickly as it started, leaving Celestia no taller than Twilight.

Everyone stared in shock before Applejack said, “Woah Nelly! What happened to her?!”

“Simple! The Elements have stripped dear Celestia's powers from her!” a voice said from the shadows.

Everypony jumped as they heard the voice and saw Nightmare Moon materialize in front of Twilight, sitting on the throne. Before they could react, Nightmare grabbed the necklaces and tiara that Twilight and her friends were wearing with her magic and tucked them safely away into her starry mane.

“The Elements!” gasped Twilight.

With this out off the Way, Nightmare stepped over to Celestia and lay herself on the ground beside her. The Six Pony´s thought that Nightmare Moon would enjoy the sight of Celestia like she was, but the look on the dark alicorn's face said otherwise.

“Celly....?” Nightmare Moon tried to put her Hoof over Celestia´s Cheek, but another hoof smacked it away. Surprised and angry, she looked at a sobbing Twilight, who was standing protectively over the now Powerless Sun Princess.

“Don´t you DARE touch my Mentor, you monster!” Twilight yelled.

“Ok, that's it, you FOAL!” Nightmare´s Horn ignited, getting ready to teach this upstart unicorn a lesson she would not soon forget.

A small groan came from below Twilight and both she and Nightmare Moon looked down in concern. Twilight moved to help her beloved mentor, but the dark alicorn shoved her away and moved closer to Celestia.

“Sister! Are you alright?” Nightmare Moon asked, her voice laced with concern, “Sister?”

Twilight's eyes widened in pure disbelief as she heard Nightmare speak. 'Sister,' she thought, 'What in the name of Faust's teats is going on here?!'

Celestia slowly opened her eyes and looked up into Nightmare Moon's face.

“Luna....is... is that you?” she asked slowly.

“You know, that is not my name anymore, sister...” Nightmare replied quietly, looking relieved that Celestia was alright.

Celestia´s eyes went wide as she recognized the voice. Quickly, she jumped to her hooves and faced Nightmare Moon. Nightmare only sat quietly on the ground opposite of Celestia, an unreadable expression on her face.

“Hello Big Sister. Long time no see, huh?” Nightmare said softly, looking Celestia in the eye.

“Princess Celestia!” Celestia turned around at the sound of her name and saw her Protege, Twilight with five other ponies.

“Twilight Sparkle, you have to...! ...Wait... something isn't right...” Celestia trailed off, a confused look on her face.

“Uh, I can explain, Celly,” Nightmare Moon said quietly, her expression still as unreadable as before.

Celestia looked back at her sister, an expression between anger and curiosity on her face as she said, “Do tell... How did the Elements not banish you again?!”

Nightmare let out a sigh and stood up, looking at her sister and the element bearers. “I knew I was going to be defeated, even with that shield I threw up. So I did the only thing I could. I used you as a living shield. I'm sorry, but the elements took most of your magic.”

Celestia´s jaw dropped and she fell on her Plot in shock and disbelief. “Am I still... Am I going to...?” Celestia asked, unable to finish the sentence.

“No, you're still immortal, but you only have about enough magic as your little student, and you no longer have the magical prowess to challenge me,” Nightmare Moon said.

“So... you used your own SISTER as a shield?! I wouldn't even do that with YOU!” Twilight exclaimed loudly, “you MONSTER!!”

“Alright, you uppity little plot kisser! I have had just about ENOUGH from you!” Nightmare said angrily, turning to face Twilight, “I was NOT going back to the moon for another Millenium!”

Nightmare Moon moved to buck Twilight in the face with her armored hooves, but was blocked by Celestia, who had moved between her sister and her student.

“Luna, please! Don´t hurt Twilight!” Celestia said, flaring her wings out protectively in front of Twilight.

“Why? Why are you Protecting her?!” Nightmare Moon let out a derisive snort, before turning away, “Buck it, I don´t care. Do what you want. I have to rule a Kingdom. A Kingdom under my beautiful, Eternal Night!”

“Luna, you still want to bring Eternal Night all over Equestria?! You will doom everypony, plant and animal to a slow and horrible Death!” Celestia yelled.

“Do you really think I am THAT foalish, Celly?” Nightmare Moon asked, silencing her sister, “What do you think I was doing for almost one-thousand years, hmm? Hopping around with a folded up map on my head, counting craters, and having make believe adventures with bat-ponies?”

“OOH!!!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly, jumping up and down, “That sounds like FUN!!!”

Everypony turned and stared at Pinkie Pie and she said a bit sheepishly, “Well it does...”

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and began to summon her magic, concentrating it all into her horn, snorting a bit as she focused. She turned her head towards her moon and grunted as she let her spell loose into her night. As Nightmare finished casting her spell, the moon slowly became brighter and brighter until it was almost as bright as the midday sun, but the stars were still visible in the sky.

Everypony looked around curiously until Celestia spoke up in surprise, “It's... warm!”

“Oh good, it seems to have worked,” Nightmare said, opening her eyes again, looking pleased with her work.

“H... How is this possible?!” Twilight exclaimed, “It's the middle of the night, but, it's as bright and warm as it was earlier this afternoon!”

The Moon Goddess chuckled a bit at the bookish unicorn and the look of incredulity
on her face.

“When the elements took Celestia's magic and I took them from you, I tapped into the Element of Magic and took it back. I control all of the power of the Sun and Moon, now,” Nightmare Moon said, with a smug little smile.

“Luna!” Celestia started, but she was cut off harshly by Nightmare Moon, who said angrily, “My Name is Nightmare Moon, Celly! Stop calling me Luna!”

Nightmare Moon composed herself and looked over at Twilight and her friends. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “If I remember correctly, the punishment for Assault Upon the Crown and Treason was either Death by hanging or Banishment, right, Celly?”

Celestia looked at Twilight and her friends, then back at Nightmare Moon, then slowly, nodded and said, “It was... before you were banished...” She paused, then quickly said, “But things have changed...!”

Nightmare interrupted Celestia with a hoof. Twilight and her friends looked at each other desperately, tears threatening to overwhelm all of them, even the usually brash and overconfident Rainbow Dash. Twilight knew that without the Elements of Harmony, they had no chance against Nightmare Moon.

“Oh for the love of the night! Quit crying already! I may have been a bit, shall we say, vengeful, a millennium ago, but I've had a long time to calm down and think things through,” Nightmare said loudly.

She moved to each of the ponies and said, “Look into my eyes...” Twilight's friends quietly did as they were told, feeling as if Nightmare's draconian eyes were staring straight into their souls. It seemed to calm everypony down. But Twilight was the last on to feel this glare. She was a bit nervous as Nightmare approached, but it all seemed to melt away as Twilight looked into her eyes. She stared into Nightmare's teal colored eyes, unable to look away. When Nightmare Moon finally did walk away, after what felt like an eternity, Twilight was left feeling at ease and slightly warm around the face.

“Alright, were you all to have lived a thousand years ago, you would have hung on the Gallows...” Moon started, “But you are lucky. I've never been somepony who clung to the laws too much. I will let you all go, under one Condition!”

Twilight swallowed hard and asked, “Which.....is?”

Nightmare Moons horn glowed and Celestia let out a small 'eep!', as her Dark Sister grabbed her with magic and levitated her over to the 6 Friends.

“You all will take care of my Sister! And you....” Nightmare Moon pointed her Hoof at Twilight as she said this. “You will report to me how everything goes with Celly! If you need anything, I'll set up some way of getting it to you, just send a letter. So, if there are no further interruptions or questions, I have a throne to take.”

Nightmare Moon smirked in farewell, her draconian eyes lingering on Twilight as she turned into a purple mist and went out the window.

Everyone sat quietly for a while before Applejack spoke up, “So, what now?”

“I'm not sure, my little ponies... I'm not sure,” Celestia answered, her voice barely a whisper.

Twilight started sniffling as she said dejectedly, “I'm so sorry, Princess, I failed you...”

“No, my faithful student, you did all you could with what little information you had...” Celestia said, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, “But, I suggest that we head to Ponyville for now. It has been a while, and I'm sure we all need our rest.”

Celestia closed her eyes and tried to cast a teleportation spell, but was met only with a sputter of golden sparks.

“Well... That is a bit of a problem,” Applejack said slowly.

“What did Cele... I mean, the Princess just try to do?” Rarity asked.

“Please, everypony. Just call me Celestia,” Celestia said, “And I was trying to cast a teleportation spell, but it seems as if we will be walking to Ponyville.”

A little while later, with Applejack leading the group, they made their way out of Everfree Castle and towards Ponyville. Everypony was quiet, including Pinkie Pie, who was usually bubbly and talkative, no matter what the situation. At the moment, however, the pink party pony was as silent as the grave and her usually poofy mane and tail were straight.

“It's strange...,” Celestia said suddenly, “About two-thousand years ago, my mane was like this... Now it just seems...”
“Weird?” offered Fluttershy. She looked surprised at what she said and as everyone turned and looked at her she said shyly, “Um... nevermind...”

“It's alright, Fluttershy,” Celestia said kindly, “And yes, it is a bit weird...”

“Prin... Er, I mean, Celestia,” Twilight said, forcing herself to call Celestia by her name and not her title, “What's going to happen to Equestria now?”

Celestia sighed and said, “I don't know, Twilight... Before I banished her, Nightmare Moon's heart was full of anger and jealousy... And pain...” Celestia paused and took in a breath, letting it out as another sigh, “But I didn't see that in her eyes tonight...”

“What do you mean, Princess?” Rainbow Dash asked, hovering next to Celestia.

“I'm not sure, but I did see a flicker of something...” Celestia trailed off softly as Ponyville came into view. “This is Ponyville, right? A lovely looking village.”

Twilight said nothing, absorbed in her own thoughts again, a crestfallen look on her face. She was startled out of her depressing thoughts by Applejack saying, “Hey, Twi, You alright, sugarcube?”

Twilight hung her head and said, “No, I'm not alright... I dragged you all into this... and I...” she couldn't speak anymore, just let the tears fall as her friends and mentor surrounded her.

“Please, don't cry,” Fluttershy said in her quiet voice, “It wasn't your fault.”

“Hay yeah, what kind of ponies would we be if we didn't stick with you, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yes, dear, I agree with Rainbow on this one,” Rarity said, “We all knew what we were getting into when we followed you into that forest tonight.”

Twilight looked at each of her friends and saw that not a single one of the felt any regret for what had happened. She felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to overwhelm her as she pulled everypony in for a group hug. Celestia joined in as well, comforting the Purple Unicorn. The group hug ended and the ponies were on their way back to Ponyville again.

As they neared the town, ponies started staring at the now pink-maned alicorn with Twilight and her friends. Most of Ponyville did not recognize Celestia at first glance, but when they checked the cutie mark, they did a double take. By the time they reached Twilight's library home, they had gathered a large crowd, all demanding an explanation of what had happened to their beloved Princess. Twilight and the others explained, to the best of their ability what had happened. When they were finished with their story, ponies started shouting and blaming Twilight and her friends for everything that had happened. The yelling and shouting made Twilight cringe, but she had expected this kind of reaction and was somewhat prepared for it. The others, especially Fluttershy, were not and the timid pegasus hid behind her mane and started crying quietly.

“ENOUGH!!!” Celesta bellowed out suddenly. The crowd immediately went silent as they were given the full force of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “THESE PONIES RISKED LIFE AND LIMB TO SAVE EQUESTRIA! THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS THANK THEM AND BE ON YOUR WAY!”

“But they failed!” said a young filly with a tiara.

“Shut up, Diamond Tiara!!” three voices shouted out in unison, earning a small smile from Celestia.

“I know you are all upset, but this is how things are going to be from now on,” Celestia said, “So please, stop blaming these ponies... They are all great ponies and I am proud to call them my friends.”

Twilight looked up at her mentor a bit dazed and thought, 'Even after everything, she would still call us friends?'

“But Princess...what should we do now?” asked a red mare with smily-faced flowers for a cutie mark.

“Whats your Name?” Celestia asked.

“Cheerilee,” she responded.

Celestia smiled at Cheerilee and said to the crowd, “For now, we shal just ago about our lives as normal. But, you need to quit blaming Twilight and her friends for this. It is not their fault that things are the way they are. I also would like it if you all quit calling me Princess... Just Celestia will be fine.”

Everypony was quiet for a few moments. Then, one by one, they all left. Only three little fillies were left at the library, surprising Celestia. She walked over to the fillies and asked them their names.

The white one said, “I'm Sweetie Belle! Rarity is my sister!”

The yellow one with the Strawberry colored mane said, “Ah'm Applebloom! Ah'm Applejack's sister!”

The orange one said, “I'm Scootaloo! These two are my best friends!”

Celestia smiled and said, “It's nice to meet you three.” She looked around and said, “it seems like the company here will be good at least.”

Everypony chuckled at Celestia's little joke. But it was already way past bed time for the fillies, so they went back to their homes after saying goodbye. The older ponies soon followed suit, wishing their friends a good night.

–

Nightmare Moon sat in Celestia's room in the palace, watching her sister through a small basin of water she had enchanted to keep an eye on her now little sister.

Nightmare Moon sighed heavily and said, “Oh, Celly, even without the sun and your powers, ponies still flock to you like a moth to a flame...”

The queen of the night was able to take over Canterlot much easier than she had expected. True, some of the more... fanatical of the royal guard had been thrown into the dungeon, but for the most part, the transition of power was seamless and non-violent, which made the Dark Alicorn sigh in relief. It would have been much harder to keep control if her little take over had been bloody. The thing that surprised her the most, however, was the fact that the young captain of the royal guard was wiling to accept the change of power. Nightmare tried to remember the colts name, Shining Armor or something similar. She was also surprised to see yet another Alicorn, other than Celestia wandering the halls. Cadence, if she recalled correctly.

Nightmare snorted and said, “Bah! I'll deal with it tomorrow, for now... After a thousand years... a real BED!!!” She busied herself with taking off her armor, first her shoes, then her breastplate, then her helmet. To anyone looking in, she would have looked like a different pony, and certainly far less intimidating than she did at first glance. She took a quick glance in the mirror and made a mental note to get something a bit more royal looking made for herself. She hopped onto the bed and lay down, attempting to get comfortable. After a few minuets of this she found that she couldn't get to sleep on the soft bed. She got up in irritation and grabbed a few blankets and set up a space on the floor.

-

“Honey, what do you think about this?” Asked Princess Cadence as they walked towards the new Queens room.

“Honestly, I have no clue what to think about this... and here I thought that Celestia and you were the only two Alicorns in Equestria,” said Shining Armor in frustration, “At the very least, we can be thankful that nopony was seriously during the coup...”

Cadence nodded, still not sure what to think of her new aunt. “Well, I don't think she's a bad pony, even with this whole eternal night business.”

Shining Armor just snorted as they rounded another corner, “Really? She overthrew Celestia and only the stars above actually know where she is right now and you seriously think that she isn't a bad pony?”

“Yes,” Cadence replied, “But you'd better get your armor straightened out, because we're here.”

Shining looked at the door that they were now standing in front of and did as his fiancee suggested. Cadence knocked on the door and sat back on her haunches, waiting patiently for an answer. After a few moments, she looked at shining and said, “We're on time...” She knocked on the door again, calling, “Auntie Moon?”

They looked at each other when they didn't hear an answer, so Shining pushed open the door with his magic and said, “Your Highness? Are you here?”

He sighed inwardly at himself for saying 'Your Highness', but was quickly silenced by Cadence, who waved a hoof at him to come closer.

“She must not be used to a bed, or something,” Cadence whispered and pointed with a hoof at a shape on the floor or the Royal Chambers.

Shining looked at the shape and couldn't help but smile at the sight of their new monarch curled up under a blanket with an abacus clutched to her chest.

Authors note: Well, i hope this Story will be better than my First. What do you all think?

Editor's note: Well, after 3 days of work, it's been edited so you guys can read it clearly. Also, it's a bit longer than the original, so I hope you had fun reading it!