In a middle-class home in an upscale neighborhood in Canterlot, two unicorns looked up at the sky, frowning. "That's peculiar," Twilight Velvet said. "The Mare in the Moon..."
"I've...I've never heard of anything like this," Night Light commented, staring at the smooth, blank, silver-white moon, its face marked only by a few craters. The mare-shaped shadow that had covered half the moon's surface since time immemorable had, moments earlier, simply vanished. "What do you think it means?"
"I don't know," Velvet said, biting her lip. "Maybe Shining Armor will know, he's at the Palace with Cadance, right? We should ask him when he comes home..."
"Mommy? Daddy?" A small voice piped up. The unicorn couple turned away from their bedroom balcony as the door opened and a small purple filly trotted in. "What's wrong with the moon?"
"Twilight, sweetie, you should be in bed," Velvet chided.
"I know, Mommy, but I hadda pee, and when I looked out the window I saw the moon and it's not right. Why's the moon wrong?"
"We don't know, sweetie," Night Light said. "Your brother's at the castle right now, we were going to ask him if he knows when he comes home later."
Twilight Sparkle frowned. "Can I sit up until Shiny comes home?" she asked. "I don't think I can sleep until I know what happened to the moon."
"That's not a good i—" Velvet broke off and sighed. "How's this?" she tried. "You can stay in here with Mommy and Daddy, and if you're still awake when Shiny comes back, we can all go ask him then. If not, we can ask him tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay Mommy," Twilight said, yawning. She crawled up onto the bed; her parents smiled at each other and rolled their eyes, then got into bed on either side of her.
Within minutes, the little family was sound asleep as the moonlight streamed peacefully through the window.
* * * * *
The various ponies gathered in the throne room—courtesans, guards, scholars, and the like—looked up as Shining Armor cantered through the doors. "By order of Princess Cadance, clear the throne room!" he barked. "Only Kibitz and two guards from each company are to remain. You bunch, the unicorn scholars, Cadance wants you to get that mirror out of here. Take it someplace secure and tell no one except the guards where it is."
The guards immediately snapped to attention and began herding ponies. Kibitz stood fully at attention, his ears perked, his mustache twitching.
The other ponies were slower to move.
"Now see here, young colt!" a gruff unicorn stallion said. "Who do you think you are, barging in here barking orders—"
"The situation just changed," Shining Armor said over him. "We're not going to be able to cover up the fact that Princess Celestia is gone anymore!" He braced himself, then continued: "When Cadance raised the moon, something...went wrong."
Kibitz's eyes widened.
"For right now, we need as few ponies as possible underhoof while we deal with this...situation," Shining Armor said. "Please, I ask that you do as I say and don't argue! This is for the good of all Equestria!"
Glancing uncertainly at one another, the milling crowd of scholars and courtesans began to thin. Several guards seized the mirror and carted it off. The remaining guards stood crisply at attention, flanking the throne.
Once the room was mostly clear, Kibitz trotted over to Shining Armor, his eyes clouded with worry. "Should I take this to mean, erm..." He cleared his throat. "An unexpected guest will be—"
"Nightmare Moon has returned," Shining Armor said bluntly. "Nightmare Moon is back, and Cadance made a deal with her." His muzzle twisted into a sour grimace. "She'll be ruling Equestria until we can get Her Majesty back."
"My word," Kibitz breathed hoarsely.
"It...it's the only choice Cadance had," Shining Armor said miserably. "I mean, this is Nightmare Moon we're talking about. Without Princess Celestia..." He shook his head.
"Yes...yes, of course," Kibitz said absently. His eyes widened and he let out an alarmed whinny as the throne room doors suddenly burst open with a sharp bang, and a stream of blue-black smoke whirled into the room, settling above the throne before coalescing into a pitch-black alicorn mare wearing a midnight blue helm, peytral, and hoofguards. Seconds later, Princess Cadance and Zecora trotted into the throne room, closing the doors behind them.
The guards tensed, watching Nightmare Moon with alarm, ready to spring into action. "Stand down!" Cadance called to them.
"Yes, stand down, you weak foals," Nightmare Moon said, cold menace dripping from her voice. "I am far too elated at the moment to ruin my good mood with a demonstration of discipline." The guards backed off, whickering nervously and pawing the floor, their eyes never leaving Nightmare Moon.
"Your Majesty," Cadance said softly, "could you please not use the Royal Canterlot Voice? Nopony here doubts your power, but it'll help put ponies more at ease with your presence if you, well..." She gestured vaguely with a hoof.
Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Oh, very well," she said scornfully in a much more sedate tone. She settled herself onto the throne and looked around. "Such a bright, opulent palace my sister has crafted in my absence," she observed. "This is not the Castle of Two Sisters, I know that much from the view outside. Where are we, child?"
"Canterlot, Your Majesty," Cadance said. "It's a city Princess Celestia and the unicorns built after...well," she trailed off.
Kibitz coughed. "Princess Celestia could not bring herself to remain in the old castle," he said. "Too many painful memories."
"Uh-huh," Nightmare Moon said in an unimpressed tone. She looked up and down the long room, taking in the various stained glass windows. "A stained glass record of the lone rule of the Sun Princess," she observed. "How arrogant you have become, sister." Her gaze snapped to Kibitz. "See to it I receive due immortalization in stained glass at once," she ordered.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty," Kibitz stammered.
"Hmm...I will need a great many more tributes," Nightmare Moon mused. "I shall prepare a list..." She waved a hoof vaguely. "Soon. In the meantime, I believe I should introduce myself to my subjects..."
"Not yet," Cadance said. At Nightmare Moon's sharp look, she flinched, but she held her ground. "Look..." She took a deep breath. "I can't stop you from doing whatever you want, but please listen. When ponies find out Princess Celestia is gone, it's going to cause a panic. Then they'll find out you're the new ruler of Equestria, and..." Her ears folded back. "It's going to cause fear, chaos, and widespread panic. That's pretty much unavoidable under the circumstances. Even if we handle this as carefully as possible, once word gets out, the entire kingdom will go crazy. If you just suddenly show up and start proclaiming things left and right, well..."
"You're going to terrorize a lot of innocent, peaceful ponies," Shining Armor said. "Is that what you want? A kingdom ruled by fear, terror, and chaos? Ponies all across Equestria scared to leave their homes, living in fear and misery, afraid you're going to hunt them down and do terrible things to them?"
Nightmare Moon gazed imperiously at him, her pupils thin and sharp. "If they will not worship me with the same love and adulation they gave so freely to Celestia, then I will revel in their screams of terror," she said.
"That's not right!" Cadance said. "You can rule Equestria without spreading fear and chaos and terror! Look, just..." She sighed. "Please don't go out of your way to make the ponies of Equestria fearful and downtrodden? What good is that to anyone? Wouldn't you rather prove you can be just as loved, just as adored, just as admired as Celestia?"
Nightmare Moon snorted. "Is this to be your pathetic attempt at corraling me into doing as you wish? To compare my every action and whim to my sister? Because I warn you, child, that will wear extremely thin in short order."
"I'm just trying to make a point," Cadance said. "You don't need to be an evil queen of darkness and fear! You can be a benevolent, peaceful ruler and allow Equestria to continue as it always has, with ponies happy, healthy, and productive!"
Nightmare Moon drew herself up. "And my appearance, my presence, is so guaranteed to strike terror into these precious ponies' hearts?" she challenged.
"Have you looked in a mirror?" Shining Armor muttered.
Nightmare Moon turned her gaze to him, baring fangs. "And just what is THAT supposed to mean?!" she bellowed.
Cadance winced, but interposed herself between Nightmare Moon and her boyfriend. "It means, Your Majesty, that, well..." She levitated a mirror out of her saddlebag and floated it up to the throne. "Your appearance is...somewhat intimidating."
Nightmare Moon blinked at her reflection. She took the mirror in her own magic and expanded it to full-length, studying herself from various angles. "That's what I look like? Seriously?"
"You...you didn't know?" Shining Armor asked.
Nightmare Moon returned the mirror to its original size and floated it back to Cadance. "I had this form for less than an hour before being banished and there aren't exactly any mirrors up there," she said dismissively. "Forgive me if I was a bit busy trying to kill my sister and usurp her throne to worry about this little makeover."
"Pardon me, but I have a suggestion," Zecora interrupted, stepping forward, "that may settle the pace of this succession." All eyes turned to her. She gazed at Nightmare Moon without a hint of fear or trepidation. "The issue at hand is both simple and grand. That which you seek, the worship and glory, will not come easy given your current backstory. If you wish to reign without terror and fear, begin with the ponies living right here. Learn of the way ponies live today, listen to what these ponies have to say. Ease into your rule one day at a time—"
"Enough with your pedantic rhyme!" Nightmare Moon snapped.
"She's right, though," Shining Armor said. "It might be better for you to learn how Equestria works before you upset the apple cart."
"That's right," Cadance said. "Right now, you're the most powerful being in all Equestria. There's no dispute of that. But if you go out those doors tomorrow morning and declare yourself the new ruler of Equestria, all you're going to do is cause a panic. You should take it slow, get to know how things work, get the ponies here in the castle used to you first, then we can sort of start letting the rest of Equestria know what's...what's going on here."
Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow. "You are trying to keep me at bay, to stall for time, hoping you can somehow free my sister without all of Equestria learning of her disappearance."
"Not at all!" Cadance said hastily. "It's just..." She sighed. "Princess Celestia is a constant in everypony's lives. Except for you, there isn't a single pony alive who hasn't grown up revering and worshipping her. Surely you can understand...finding out she's gone is going to shake them to the core, and if they find out on top of that that Nightmare Moon is the new ruler of Equestria, it's..." She shook her head. "It's not something we can just dump on the whole kingdom overnight. It'd turn Equestria upside down."
Nightmare Moon frowned in contemplation. "I...suppose there is some truth to that," she said. "I would prefer a worshipful and reverent flock beneath my hoof than ponies who are too frightened to even think straight." She closed her eyes. "Besides, I will be stuck walking through their nightmares whether I want to or not, and frightened ponies have far worse nightmares than ponies at peace." She fluffed her wings and sat back in the throne, arching her neck imperiously. "Very well," she said. "Beginning first thing in the morning, we will proceed with your plan to...ease into my reign."
Cadance bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty."
"I'd...better get home," Shining Armor said. "Will you be okay?"
"I'll be just fine," Cadance said. "Be careful what you tell your family, okay?"
"I'll...yeah," Shining Armor said, worrying at his lip. He glanced at the throne, frowned, then turned and left.
"I should start working on tomorrow's schedule," Kibitz said hurriedly, bustling away. "Good evening, Your Majesties."
"I believe I will retire now too," Zecora said. "I bid good evening and good luck to you."
With Zecora gone, only the guards, Cadance, and Nightmare Moon remained. Nightmare Moon tilted her head. "And you?" she asked. "Surely it is past your bedtime, little one?"
"Are you kidding?" Cadance asked, all the politeness and civility gone from her voice. "I may have basically handed Equestria over to you without a fight, but if I don't at least keep a close eye on you at all times, I'll never be able to look Princess Celestia in the eye again." She scraped at the floor firmly with one dainty hoof. "I'm going to keep you in check, Nightmare Moon. Equestria will not be your plaything."
Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "So dramatic," she said. Chuckling, she stretched out on the throne, eyes half-lidded. "Do as you wish. Just remember your place."
"Oh, I know my place," Cadance said softly as she conjured a large, plush cushion and folded her legs under her.
Author's Note
It took a while, but here it is: the sidestory to Cheer Princess so many of you have been waiting for!
Princess Cadance roused from a light, fitful, restless sleep, eyes crusty and bleary. "What...time is it?" she groaned.
"Time has no meaning when the night is eternal," Nightmare Moon said dismissively, before cracking a huge yawn and shifting her hooves around to lay her head upon.
Cadance blinked, then shook her head. "Eternal ni—no!" she said. "The sun must rise every day!" She stood, a brief flood of adrenaline restoring her to wakefulness. "We had a deal!"
Nightmare Moon cracked a sleepy eye. "Yes, and?"
Cadance blew on her frizzy mane in irritation. "Ponies need the sun, Luna. I don't know if you ever noticed? But literally everything we eat needs sunlight to grow. No sunlight, no crops. No crops, no harvest. No harvest, no food. No food, no ponies, and that includes you."
Nightmare Moon blinked. "Ah. Yes. You make an excellent point." She frowned. "Funny how that little detail slipped my mind." She shook her head. "Very well. See to the sun."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Cadance said through her teeth before heading off to Celestia's tower.
Once the sun had risen, Cadance set the kitchen staff about preparing a lavish breakfast spread and a copious amount of strong coffee. Once breakfast was laid out, Nightmare Moon, Cadance, and Kibitz settled in to eat, with only the same guards posted at the exits to the dining room.
Nightmare Moon's eyes drifted over the very long scroll Kibitz had presented her upon arriving for the meal. She glared at him, narrowing her eyes to slits. "This is a joke, right?"
"No, this is Princess Celestia's schedule," Kibitz said. "Well, a reduced draft. We wish to limit the number of ponies who enter your presence, after all. For now, at least."
Nightmare Moon frowned.
"Of course, I do not expect you to deal with any of this today!" Kibitz added hastily. "This is simply to help prepare you! To understand what it means to rule Equestria!"
Nightmare Moon pursed her lips, scrutinizing the list again. "These are all the activities my sister performs in a week?"
"No, Your Majesty," Kibitz said. "This is a single day's schedule."
Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped. "One day?! But...how can she possibly..." She shook her head. "But when does she bask in the adulation of her subjects? When does she reap the rewards of being ruler of all she surveys?"
"She...she doesn't," Kibitz said softly. "Princess Celestia works very hard, then she sleeps. The few moments she finds to relax, she usually indulges in a simple baking exercise, perhaps samples an extra slice of cake, and reads a newspaper or a novel. Or..." His mustache twitched. "Or she plans some elaborate prank to play on somepony. It is one of her more irritating quirks."
Nightmare Moon snorted. "Celestia always was a prankster." She shook her head. "This will not do at all, seneschal! I command you to find somepony else to undertake these menial tasks!"
"Nothing would make me happier," Kibitz said drolly. "Perhaps for the time being, the dischargement of Princess Celestia's duties could be left to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza? It would be quite taxing on the young mare, but she does have a similar, ah, deportment to Princess Celestia."
"Yes, yes, very well," Nightmare Moon said offhandedly, waving her hoof in a shooing motion. "Now fetch the artisans, I require suitable tributes to my grandeur."
Cadance facehoofed. "That's your whole plan, isn't it?" she asked. "Sit on your throne doing nothing, commanding everypony to worship you, while the rest of us deal with doing all the hard work?"
"It is a good plan!" Nightmare Moon insisted imperiously, tilting her neck back and arching her wings.
"It isn't what a real leader does," Cadance said. "It absolutely isn't what a good ruler does. If you really want ponies to respect and adore you, you have to do more than bark orders and demands. And I don't mean making threats and showing off your power. I mean real, hard work."
Nightmare Moon frowned. "If you're implying I'm lazy—"
"I'm not implying anything," Cadance said. "I'm telling you what Princess Celestia does, has done every day for a thousand years."
Nightmare Moon pulled a face. "If that list is anything to go by, her days are full of boring and tiresome meetings," she said. "I would rather lead fearless armies into glorious combat! Lay our enemies low and bring their treasures home as trophies! Fell great monstrous beasts—"
"Nobody does that stuff anymore!" Cadance cried in exasperation, her wings flaring. "There aren't any wars! We don't have any enemies! The closest thing Equestria has to an enemy right now is what's left of the Griffon Kingdom, and they're basically a bunch of lazy, grouchy grumps that don't even like each other!"
Nightmare Moon frowned in confusion. "Truly? No enemies? No great campaigns? What about marauding beasts?"
"Only if you count parasprites in Salt Lick City as marauding beasts, and Princess Celestia got rid of them with the help of a mariachi band," Cadance said. She sighed. "Equestria...just isn't dangerous, Luna," she said. "I mean, real, serious trouble? Just...it just doesn't happen. The biggest trouble you're likely to find around here is pegasi scheduling too much rain or two nobles trying to book all the VIP seats for an opera."
Nightmare Moon sat in contemplative silence for a long moment, rump planted on the floor, lips pursed and brow furrowed. "Really?" she asked in an almost-whine.
"Welllll...we did just lose our beloved ruler to a magical portal to another world and accidentally woke up a sleeping ancient evil," Cadance said wryly. "But something tells me you wouldn't be too interested in helping fix that."
Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes in irritation. "I hate you, Candy."
"Cadance."
"I shall call you Candy. You look like candy. Sickeningly sweet candy. A veritable walking toothache."
Cadance smiled thinly and mocked a bow. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
* * * * *
Shining Armor watched the anxious faces of his family at breakfast and prayed he wasn't lathering through his coat.
"What's going on, Shiny?" Twilight Velvet asked. "Something's going on, right?"
"You were at the Palace an awfully long time last night," Night Light said. "I don't think you were just making extra time with your marefriend."
"The sky's been all weird lately and now the moon's gone all weird," Twilight Sparkle wheedled plaintively, rocking an orange back and forth in her little hooves. "I had bad dreams last night, even sleeping with Mommy and Daddy."
Shining Armor sighed and took a deep breath. "I...I can't tell you what's going on," he said. "It's not my place, and...and ponies outside the castle shouldn't know about it."
"Is it about Princess Celestia being sick?" Velvet asked fretfully, ears pinned back. "Is—is she—?"
"Nothing like that," Shining Armor said hastily, holding up a placating hoof. "It's..." Brow furrowed, he paused for a long moment. At last, he sighed and said, "Before...before all this weird stuff started, Princess Celestia had a falling-out with her personal student. You know, Sunset Shimmer? I think you both met her once."
"The name rings a bell," Velvet said.
"Well, it was a bad fight," Shining Armor said. "Princess Celestia banished Sunset Shimmer from the castle. She...didn't take it well." He shrugged, peeling an orange with his magic. "The whole thing just sort of disrupted things up at the Palace. That's all."
"Oh...that poor dear," Velvet said. "So the sickness, it was really a heartsickness? From...from kicking her student out?"
"Something like that," Shining Armor said.
"But what's that got to do with the Mare in the Moon disappearing?" Velvet wondered. "I mean, I can see the sky being a little off balance if Her Majesty was too upset to move the sun and moon, but something like that wouldn't just change the moon, would it?"
"Ah..." Shining Armor sweated heavily. "I...wish I knew what to tell you about that, but I really don't." He swallowed half an orange in one gulp, then stood up. "And now I gotta run, Cadance is waiting for me, love you bye!"
As he bolted for the door, Velvet and Night Light shared a significant look. Unnoticed, Twilight Sparkle trotted out of the room, a studious and serious expression on her little face.
"Mare in the Moon?" she asked herself. "Where have I heard that before...?"
