Alone in the Moonlight

by DragonShadow

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity
Length: 5668

Nightmare Moon spent a thousand years alone. After returning and overthrowing her sister, she finds a possible companion in one of the ponies who sought to defeat her. Now Rarity must fight alone to retain her sanity.

In another timeline, created by the meddling of Starlight Glimmer, Nightmare Moon's plot to return and overthrow Princess Celestia has succeeded. Now Rarity is at her mercy, and finds that the lonely banished princess has taken a liking to her beauty and fighting spirit. Rarity must fight with every ounce of her mental prowess to retain her independence and her sanity.

Rated T for torture and suggestive dialogue

Published 2016-07-31 16:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-07-31 16:30:01 UTC

Alone in the Moonlight

Alone in the Moonlight

The return of Nightmare Moon had been swift and without warning. All of Ponyville had been gathered for the Summer Sun Celebration, only to be greeted with this monster instead of their benevolent, beloved princess. She came to reclaim her crown from a world that had nearly forgotten her existence. Her coming had been so swift and without mercy that few ponies had even had a chance to try fighting back. Though there were those who did try... and ultimately failed.

It happened on that day that Celestia had sent her prized student, Moon Dancer, to Ponyville to oversee the preparations. After Nightmare Moon's return, Moon Dancer had sought to save her beloved princess. Some of the local Ponyville residents, who refused to let the land they loved be taken, followed after her. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. They followed Moon Dancer through the most dangerous part of Equestria, the Everfree Forest, and they even found the castle where Celestia had once hidden the Elements of Harmony.

But something went wrong. It had looked like they did everything right, but in those final moments, they couldn't find the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon found the ponies before they could locate the elements. They had been so close, and yet there was nothing they could do in the end. Nightmare Moon's full power was restored, her night guards closed in, and those six ponies who had the courage to fight back fell before them.

Mother, father, Sweetie Belle... I'm sorry.

Rarity stood in Canterlot palace with her five companions, with shackles chaining their legs together so they could not run. Thick obsidian covers were locked over the unicorns' horns so they could not use their magic to escape, and the pegasii's wings were tied tightly against their sides with thick lengths of rope. The night guard had brought them back to Canterlot, where they held them in the entrance hall just outside of the throne room.

"I don't know what went wrong." Moon Dancer shook her head. "I thought I did everything the book said. I don't understand what I missed."

"You did your best, Sugarcube." Applejack took a deep, steadying breath. The shackles around her hooves jangled as she shifted a bit into a more comfortable stance. "And it wasn't just you. We all tried together... and we all failed together." The others all nodded and mumbled their agreement.

"I should have known better than to think I could help..." Fluttershy squeaked meekly. "I should have stayed home. Maybe if I had, you would have been able to save Equestria..."

"Nonsense, darling," Rarity assured her in a firm tone that would not be questioned. "You contributed just as much as the rest of us. As Applejack said, if we failed, it was because we all failed, not just one of us."

"I think I failed a little less..." Rainbow Dash mumbled under her breath, but Rarity decided not to call attention to it.

Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but it closed again when two of the night guardsponies approached with their leathery wings spread out to their sides. "Her Highness is ready to see you, now."

"Is she? Lucky us." Rarity rolled her eyes. One of the guards nudged her roughly towards the massive double-doors, which were just being opened by the guards standing at attention on either side of it.

The moonlight shining through the high windows was the only illumination in the Canterlot throne room, giving it an eerie paleness that made Rarity think of gravestones rather than royal comforts. Nightmare Moon was, naturally, seated on the throne that had been occupied by Celestia barely more than twenty-four hours ago. She was lounging limply in the cushy seat with her hind legs draped over the arm of her throne. The sparkling stars of her mane were the brightest spots in the room, as if her head was framed by the night sky.

"Welcome to my throne room, would-be saviors of Equestria." Nightmare Moon cackled under her breath as she slid smoothly from her seat. "It's only temporary, of course. I don't have much taste for this place... so grand and bright. But until my real castle is rebuilt, this will have to do."

Nightmare Moon's approach was accompanied by powerful hoofbeats that echoed in the otherwise deathly silent chamber. Well, silent except for the beating of Rarity's heart, at least. "Have you all forgotten your manners?" Her eyes pulsed with magical light, and her voice rose to a furious roar. "Bow before your princess."

Shackles clattered as, one by one, the ponies all knelt with their chins to the floor at the tyrant's hooves. All except for Rarity, who only lifted her chin and took a deep, shuddering breath. She refused to let herself react when Nightmare Moon's glowing eyes settled on her. The alicorn approached, standing tall before her and staring down into her eyes. "Do you believe your defiance serves a purpose? I told you to bow."

"You told me to bow before my princess..." Rarity could feel her hooves shaking, but she did her best to hide it. "My princess isn't here."

The silence was smothering. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her companions shooting her sharp, stunned glances, though their chins remained firmly on the floor. The look of absolute terror in Fluttershy's face only bolstered Rarity's resolve. She would not be beaten down by this tyrant, no matter how little hope there was.

"You opposed me. You defied my word because you wanted to cling to the daylight and your precious beloved princess." Nightmare Moon's lip curled into a scowl. "The only reason you six still live is because I respect those who are willing to stand up for themselves and what they desire. But my patience has its limits." Nightmare Moon took one step closer, and now it wasn't just her eyes that were glowing, but her horn had begun to glow as well. "Bow to me."

Rarity stood on her hooves silently, keeping her eyes unfocused and staring just past Nightmare Moon at the vacant throne behind her. The alicorn's eyes grew brighter for several moments before a strange look came over her face, and she instead regarded the unicorn with a semblance of curiosity.

The staredown lasted almost a full minute before Nightmare Moon looked towards the chamber door. "Guards. Take these five away. I shall deal with them shortly."

"Your Highness, wait, she don't mean nothin' by it." Applejack jumped to her feet quickly, but the guards had already reached her. "She's just proud, is all! Please don't hurt her!"

The complaints of the others faded away as the guards ushered them through the throne room doors and closed them with an ominous crash. Rarity was now alone with Nightmare Moon, her hooves shackled and her horn covered. She could do nothing, and they both knew it, and yet for several minutes Nightmare Moon said nothing. Rarity allowed the silence to linger. She didn't care, she had nowhere to be. But her pride wouldn't allow her to bow.

"What is your name?" Nightmare Moon asked in her strong, commanding voice.

"Rarity."

"Rarity." Nightmare Moon's gaze swept up and down Rarity's form curiously, her slit pupils taking in her form with specific interest. "I confess you've caught me off-guard. A rare feat, I assure you. It has only happened once, and the pony who did it will suffer the rest of her life confined to the moon." She cocked her head curiously. "You surely know you can't touch me, Rarity. Why would you continue to defy me? Is it stupidity that drives you? Or is it pride?"

"I would never take commands from a tyrant." Rarity puffed out her chest with a deep, steadying breath. "I don't care what you do to me, I will continue to defy you until the day I die."

"I see." Nightmare Moon's horseshoes clicked across the tile floor as she began to circle the smaller mare, taking her in with a focused gaze that sent a soft chill up Rarity's spine. "Beauty, pride, willfulness... I never expected to meet a pony quite like you in this world. I had thought that a thousand years under Celestia's rule would make you all soft and malleable."

"Celestia was stronger than you."

"Then why has she lost?"

Rarity opened her mouth, but found she had no answer for that. Nightmare Moon filled the silence with a chuckle. "Intelligence, too. My, my... I think I may be smitten." She finished her circle around Rarity to meet her gaze once again. The glow in her eyes and horn were gone, replaced by a look that made Rarity's heart sink. "You will be my bride."

"No, thank you."

"You've never dreamt of being a princess?" The alicorn swept her hoof around the throne room. "Of sitting at the head of an empire basking in the reverence of other ponies?"

"Not like this." Rarity's eyes narrowed. "Never like this."

Nightmare Moon's lips curled into a snarl and she reached out to grab Rarity's horn. Rarity's shackles rattled and her hooves skidded painfully across the tile floor as she was pulled forward. "I could simply make you marry me, and take you all I want." Nightmare Moon's eyes flashed once more with magic light.

"You can..." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "You can take my hoof, and you can take my body, but I will never feel anything but contempt for you."

Nightmare Moon released her horn with a strangely serene smile on her lips. "I will take that bet, my dear Rarity." Her hoof instead moved to her cheek, cupping it gently in the bottom of her forehoof. "I will not be alone much longer... and you will be my princess." When Rarity didn't respond Nightmare Moon called towards the doors. "Guards, take Rarity to the dungeon. Time will bring her around."

Rarity looked back towards the door as two of the guards from before approached. She said not a word as she was pushed out of the throne room, and ushered down a flight of stairs to a less well-used portion of the castle. A torch from the wall showed the way across the clean, but battered stone floors. Each cell they passed had a window visible at the top of the far wall, but the only light that shone through them was the soft pale light of the moon.

When they reached the end of the row of cells the guards ushered Rarity into one of them. As they removed the shackles from her hooves Rarity couldn't help a smirk. "Are you two proud of this?" She demanded. There was no response.

The guards instead took her shackles with them as they closed the door and locked it with a golden key, which they carried with them back towards the dungeons entrance. Rarity approached the cell bars to watch the flickering torch makes it way to the end of the cell block, then disappear around the corner. She was alone now in the absolute darkness.

She tried to use her magic, but she could feel it plugged at the tip of her horn. She clawed at the horn shackle with both hooves, and even tried to slam her horn into the cell bars, but she only succeeded in giving herself a headache. Soon she sighed and plopped down on the floor, trying to clear her head and think. It's not like there was much else to do, after all.

It hadn't been long ago that Carousel Boutique was looking so promising for her. She wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed since then, the pale moonlight had been blanketing the land ever since Nightmare Moon's return. It only just now hit her that she would never see the sun through that window. She had known it, of course, but staring up at the sliver of moonlight in the darkness it began to creep into her mind as an unassailable truth of this new world. The day would never come again.

Time passed.

Rarity tried once more to knock the restraint from her horn. She was no sorceress, but being able to try would be better than be shackled like this. And even if she couldn't open the cell door, she could at least generate some light to see by. Her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness, but it was feeling increasingly oppressive as time went on. Yet no matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she slapped the shackle against the strong iron gate, all she got in return was the obnoxious thunk of rock on metal and another headache.

After thirty-six whacks she lost the ability to count and was forced to stop. She stumbled in a pained daze back to the only piece of furniture in the cell, a small but cushy bed underneath the window. She collapsed onto it with her hooves on her head, trying to hold her certainly-cracking skull together. She would rest for a while, then resume her attempts to break the shackle. It wasn't as if she had more important things to do here.

Time passed.

Rarity's head lifted from the bed as the oppressive silence was broken by hoofsteps. She climbed from the bed and approached the cell door to be greeted by the sight of one of Nightmare Moon's night guards. He carried no torch this time, being a pony of the darkness himself, but instead carried a tall mug of water in one hoof. He set the mug on the stone floor and carefully slid it between the bars with one hoof.

"By order of Nightmare Moon, this is your provision," the guard informed her in a cold, detached voice.

"Water? Surely it's dinner time by now," Rarity noted.

The guard's eyes met hers. "By order of Nightmare Moon." With that he turned to march away from her cell.

Rarity watched him go until even the sound of his hoofsteps faded into the distance. She carefully plucked the mug from the floor and began to sip it as she made her way back to sit on the edge of the bed, where the only sliver of direct moonlight could reach.

So that was part of her game? Nightmare Moon meant to starve her? She may be used to a certain level of comfort, but it would take far more than a few missed meals to make Rarity cave in. She drank her fill and set the mug on the floor beside the cot to lie down. She wasn't really feeling sleepy yet, but she had might as well save her strength.

Time passed.

Rarity was starting to feel restless. Sick of mentally planning what sorts of outfits she might make once she got out of this mess, she decided to climb to her hooves and trot around her cell for a bit. It was nice to get her muscles working for a little while, though she did begin to work up a sweat after a couple of laps. She wondered after a moment if Nightmare Moon would be kind enough to let her get a bath at some point.

Surely not, she thought with a wry smirk. She would just have to deal with the grime and smell, those wouldn't be enough to break her. She could outlast Nightmare Moon.

The exercise did begin to make her feel sleepy, though. The adrenaline of everything that happened had kept her going for a while, but now she felt like she could really go for a nap. She brushed off as much of the grime and sweat as she could with her hooves and made her way to the bed. her tired muscles only made the relatively soft mattress feel better as she sighed and settled into the sheets. At least Nightmare Moon couldn't reach her here. There was always solace in sleep.

Or at least, there would be, if she could sleep. She laid there for a seemingly interminable amount of time, waiting for the release of sleep to carry her from this cell, but it refused to come. She rolled back and forth across the sheets, keeping her eyes jammed closed and trying to relax her body. It was possible she was simply still too worked up from the events of the day to relax. Failing to save Equestria, being hit on by an evil tyrant, and being tossed in a prison cell would make anypony too anxious for sleep.

So she finally sat up again with a deep yawn and finished off the last of the water the guard had brought her. It was back to planning out her Fall line...

Time passed.

She lifted her head from the pillow curiously. She had been lying on her back staring at the moon through the window, but something in the air was suddenly feeling odd. It was so stale in here that even the slightest change was easy for her equine nose to pick up despite her lack of sleep. Something was coming...

Or something was already there.

She slid off of her bed and moved to approach the cell doors, but she stopped and gasped when she saw the glowing serpentine eyes of Nightmare Moon watching her through the bars. Rarity had to suppress a shudder at the sight. How long had the alicorn tyrant been watching her? Perhaps not long, if Rarity had noticed it so suddenly.

"How are you feeling, dear Rarity?" Nightmare Moon asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"I'm perfectly fine." Rarity stamped her hoof and turned her face away from her captor. "And don't call me dear."

"I take it you haven't reconsidered my offer."

"I won't consider it in a thousand years. If anything, depriving me of food and freedom is going to make me less inclined to ever see you as anything but a monster."

Nightmare Moon's wry smile didn't change. "Ah, that passion and courage is exactly what I like most about you, dear Rarity." She turned away from the bars with a flourish. "I look forward to our wedding night."

Nightmare Moon seemed to melt into the shadows, but Rarity was sure she was really gone. The air had returned to normal, which meant she was once again alone in her cell. It had almost been nice to hear another voice for a while, but she wasn't exactly sad to see the tyrant go. She decided to take her presence as a good sign. The alicorn was already getting impatient, which meant Rarity wouldn't have to last long in here to drive her crazy.

Now that she was alone and awake, however, she took advantage of the moment to try scraping the obsidian horn cover against the bars. She rubbed them together as hard as she could, but as far as she could tell not a single flake fell from the magical restraint. All she got for her troubles was another headache, as the rough surface of the restraint made her entire skull vibrate.

So she retreated back to her bed and plopped down to try to sleep again.

Time passed, far more slowly than she would have liked. The longer she lay there the more tired she felt, and yet sleep felt like the sands of a desert constantly slipping between her hooves. However hard she tried, no matter how tired she grew, no matter how she made herself relax, she simply couldn't hold onto it. The few times she felt herself beginning to slip into its sweet embrace, her eyes suddenly fluttered open and she found herself staring at the empty stone ceiling.

It was all she could do to climb out of bed again and begin rapping her horn against the bars of the cell again, more gently this time. She soon found a rhythm that didn't give her a headache, and settled in for the long haul. The taps echoed through the mostly empty dungeons as if playing a beat to some imaginary music.

What was the last song she had heard, before this all started? Oh right, Get Your Pony On by Sapphire Shores. She had always been a big fan...

Another of the night guard dropped her a glass of water, which she accepted in silence. She stopped her tapping on the bars just long enough for him to leave, then resumed her work after drinking her fill.

Her mind idly wondered what had become of Carousel Boutique. Would it be occupied by somepony else, or would it be left empty? Would they carry on her work? What if it was turned into some kind of dungeon of debauchery? Nah, the mayor would never allow that. If the mayor was still in town.

Oh goodness, what had become of Ponyville? And what of her family?

With a grunt she pulled away from the cell door and rubbed the back of her neck. She didn't have a headache, but her neck was beginning to stiffen like never before. So she laid back down on the bed to let her body rest, though once again, the rest her mind so desperately needed continued to elude her. Was this some kind of magical influence keeping her awake? All she wanted was to leave her body behind for a while, to escape the boredom and the growing pangs in her growling stomach.

But sleep didn't come, so she rolled towards the cell door again, and was greeted by the sight of Nightmare Moon's serpentine eyes peering at her from out of the shadows.

"You don't look so good, my dear." Nightmare Moon clicked her tongue as if in deep concern. "Please allow me to save you from this dreadful place."

"I don't need anything from you..." Rarity rolled towards the wall pointedly... and that was that. When she turned again Nightmare Moon was gone, consumed by the perpetual shadows that seemed so harsh and still.

She couldn't help but wonder, was this what the end of the world would feel like? Just a perpetual stillness, as if time itself has ceased to function properly. She didn't have a clue how long she had been in this cell. It could be a few hours, it could be a few weeks... well, no, it couldn't be a few weeks. Without food she would probably be too weak to move by then, if not passed away entirely.

Suddenly a cold terror gripped her chest even as her stomach began to growl louder. Oh sweet Celestia, would Nightmare Moon really let her starve to death down here before she let her walk away without marrying her? Part of her wanted to believe it was a bluff, that even Nightmare Moon wouldn't be so cruel... but another part of her was just too frightened to want to call that bluff. But what could Rarity do?

She climbed out of bed, and stumbled slightly on her hooves. How long ago had she laid down? Her legs were quivering just slightly with weakness as she moved back to the bars of her cell and resumed her slow, ponderous chipping at the restraint covering her horn. She still couldn't tell if she was making any sort of progress on breaking through this thing, but what else did she have to do? She could lie in bed, but at least with this she felt somewhat productive.

She stopped her banging when she heard hoofsteps in the distance once again. It wasn't long before a pair of guards approached the cell through the shadows, though as she watched they seemed to melt into one pony, then split apart into two again. The guards balked at the sight of her stare, then reached down to deposit two mugs of water on the floor and slide them through the bars. Rarity looked back up at the guards, who gave her a curious glance before turning to march back down the dungeon in such perfect unison she swore there was only one of them.

Rarity reached for one of the mugs, but her hoof bumped it with enough force to make it clatter back and forth dangerously across the cold stone. A squeak echoed through the dungeon as she dove for it, wrapping both hooves around it before her precious life giving water could spill. She waited a few moments once she had it to make sure it had stopped moving, then let out a soft sigh.

Her eyes blinked and she shook her head rapidly, and suddenly the two mugs of water had merged into one before her very eyes. She didn't even bother to think about this before she lifted the strangely heavy mug from the floor for a long, soothing sip that comforted a throat that had begun to go dry. The mug was shuddering as she lowered it back to the ground and lifted a hoof to wipe her moist lips.

Her thirst slaked, but her stomach stinging from hunger, she made her way back to the bed to plop down on it. She felt herself beginning to slip into the dark abyss of sleep, but before the world could fade away she found her eyes snapping open again, staring at the same slivers of pale moonlight that had been invading her cell since she got here.

Time passed, and she didn't move.

Occasionally she lifted a hoof to rub her head, which had begun to ache despite her no longer pounding on the bars of her cell with it, but she didn't do it often. Her hoof was beginning to shake whenever she tried to move it, so she tried to remain as still as possible. It's not like she needed to go anywhere anyway. So she lay in the darkness, waiting for she knew not what. Was she waiting for death? She couldn't even work up the energy to freak out about the idea...

"You look tired, Rarity." A soft, flutelike voice noted.

"I feel tired." Rarity's head flopped to the side to peer into the darkness. She swore she could almost see a white horn in the shadows just outside of her cell.

"You should take better care of yourself."

"I know..." A soft smile spread across Rarity's tired lips. "It's so nice to hear your voice again, Sweetie Belle. I have missed you so. I'm so... so sorry I failed." Rarity sniffled softly. "I really thought we had a chance... a chance to save Ponyville. A chance to save you. Sweetie Belle, I'm so, so sorry..."

"Sweetie Belle is fine, you know." A different voice responded. Rarity grunted and narrowed her eyes, trying to pierce the darkness with her vision until she saw the sea of stars framing the pair of glowing, serpentine eyes. "You can see her as soon as you allow me to take you out of here." Nightmare Moon drew closer, her body shimmering in the shadows until she was approaching the bed inside of the cell. "Don't drag this out any further, please."

"I refuse..." Rarity squinted. "I'll never..."

"You're only harming yourself." Nightmare Moon lifted a hoof to her cheek, using it to lift her head from the pillow. "Leave this cell with me. Become my bride, and you can have everything you desire. You can see Sweetie Belle again. You can bathe in the most luxurious baths, have the most expensive meals a pony could wish for... you can have everything your heart desires in an instant."

For a moment, just the briefest of moments, Rarity wavered. With but a single word she could leave this cell behind. Her stomach howled its agreement with the plan, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

With all of her willpower she opened her mouth to respond, "I would rather die..."

"I know that's not true, Rarity." Nightmare Moon's hoof stroked her cheek softly for a moment before letting her head fall against the pillow again. "You will return my love soon... I know it's inside of you, just waiting to get out. I'll wait as long as it takes."

Rarity barely even noticed Nightmare Moon leaving. Had time passed? Did she sleep? No, the headache and fatigue that turned her into a heaving, breathing mass of flesh and fur hadn't eased at all. It was with some effort that she managed to lift her head from the bed and sit upright.

There were two mugs of water sitting on the dirt path in front of Carousel Boutique now. Her stomach began to howl in hunger as she leaned forward and put her forehooves on the cold stone floor, but her knees buckled almost immediately and she went tumbling to her side on the grass. She pulled herself towards the mugs with her hooves until she was within reach of them, but she was interrupted by a voice in the distance.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle's voice cut through the silence of the cold dungeon as she came bounding forward across the dirt road outside of Rarity's shop. "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Sweetie Belle...!" Rarity tried to yell, but she found it hard to catch her breath. She opened her hooves to the young filly, but she had stopped just on the other side of the cell doors. "What's wrong? Come give your big sister a hug. I've missed you!"

"We've all missed you too." Rarity blinked slowly and turned back towards her cell bed to see her parents sitting on top of it with warm smiles on their lips. "You've been through so much, Rarity, we wanted nothing more than to see you again."

"I know, I'm sorry..." Rarity lowered her head in shame. She tried to climb to her hooves, but she fell to the grass again on muscles that refused to lift her. "I simply don't know what to do. I tried my best... I always try my best... I can't possibly give up..."

"What do you have to give up now, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked worriedly.

Rarity opened her mouth, then let it close again. What would she be giving up if she gave in? She had already lost the struggle against Nightmare Moon, what could she gain by continuing this charade? Was she simply fighting for her pride? Nightmare Moon could save her, take her away from this torment... and Rarity would have lost nothing. Of course, there was also another option.

She looked down at the mugs of water in front of her. Her throat was growing parched now... and refusing to drink would kill her far faster than waiting to starve to death. She didn't have to sit here in the cell waiting for the end, she could leave this world of her own choice. And yet even as she thought it her trembling hooves moved forward to very carefully pluck one of the mugs off the floor. Something inside of her wouldn't let her go like that... she would hold on as long as she could.

With a grunt she pushed herself upright again and lifted the mug to her lips. She managed to get several long, soothing sips out of it before it slipped from her trembling hooves and clattered to the cold stone in front of Carousel Boutique. It rotated a couple of times before settling against the front of her door and falling into silence once more.

Sweetie Belle was just staring down at the water on the floor. "Rarity, are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I... don't believe so, Sweetie Belle..." Rarity couldn't even force a smile as she felt herself lean to her right and collapse to the floor with a soft whump. She thought for a moment that she would pass out, but even that possibility was taken from her as her eyes snapped open. Her body twitched and she reached her trembling hoof towards the door as her family moved to gather around her.

"Come... dear family." Rarity panted softly and tried to pull herself forward. "Let us... retire to my parlor... I have the most wonderful idea for a... new dress..."

"I would love to see it." A voice replied that didn't come from any of her family members. Rarity only watched as the front door of Carousel Boutique opened and the midnight sky floated before her. As it emerged from the building she saw that it was Nightmare Moon, peering down at her with an expression of concern. "I want to see your dress, Rarity." She knelt down before the weak unicorn and opened one hoof to her. "Don't do this to yourself anymore. Allow me to save you."

"You... want to... save me?" Rarity grunted in surprise.

"I don't want to see you like this." Nightmare Moon's eyes were glowing like jewels in the darkness. "Come to me, Rarity."

"I..." Rarity gritted her teeth as her empty stomach twisted into a painful knot.

"Please, Rarity," Sweetie Belle insisted. "She can help you."

"Don't leave us, Rarity," Her parents pleaded with her. "Not like this."

"Come to me," Nightmare Moon repeated.

Rarity looked at her family standing in front of Carousel Boutique, in the beautiful pale moonlight that blanketed Ponyville, then turned her eyes towards the deep shadows where Nightmare Moon waited. Slowly, Rarity pulled herself up on her forehooves, and began to drag herself forward. Towards her captor, towards her savior, towards Nightmare Moon, she dragged herself forward, inch by painstaking inch.

At last she felt Nightmare Moon's leg close around her and pull her up against a body that was surprisingly light, soft, and warm. Her touch was so gentle that Rarity almost melted into it, letting her cheek rest against her chest just under her neck.

"Thank you, my love." Nightmare Moon told her. "You'll get everything you ever imagined... and we'll spend the rest of the eternal night together."