Nightmare Moon's Stars

Nightmare Moon stared out the enormous window into the darkness of space watching as lights in the distance danced around one another.

Celestia stood by Nightmare Moon's side, her eyes occasionally squinting and quivering as she sought to keep track of the lights.

Twilight stood by Nightmare Moon's other side using the window's many magnification, tracking and data readouts to keep track of the lights.

"Terrible. They are all terrible." Finally spoke Nightmare Moon. Looking down at Twilight, "Do you know why?"

Twilight sat down and contemplated the question.

Celestia instead spoke up, "Perhaps you could elaborate? The Wonderbolts have been working with Equestrian fliers from across the planet ever since the first battle. These are the best maneuvers Equestria have to offer."

"Then Equestria needs to be better." Sneered Nightmare Moon. "You may have become lax in time, but I will not allow Twilight Sparkle to follow your naive footsteps. Now answer my question."

Twilight looked up at the window again and slowly opened her mouth, "They are elegant and smooth... but they should not be."

"And why is that?" Pushed Nightmare Moon.

"...Because they do not need to be?" Asked Twilight.

Nightmare Moon stared at Twilight before slowly smiling. "Correct." Turning back towards the window, Nightmare Moon spoke to both of them.

"They pilot their ships like they are flying, when there is no need to do so. There are no wind currents, no crowds to please and rarely will there be anything to collide with. Space warfare will require an entirely new way of thinking. Attacks from above and below will be normal. Being able to withstand blows will be more important than avoiding hits. Ramming your opponent and in flying circles to orientate them will less important than dealing finishing blows."

"And that does not preclude an opponent from deploying overwhelming numbers. Try as you might; superior skills, weaponry and armor cannot triumph against overwhelming forces. The combined magic of four alicorns was bent before the combined magic of all the pony magic in Equestria."

"And Discord's magic." Interjected Twilight.

"Mmm, yes." Nightmare Moon begrudgingly conceded. "But that does not fare well for us. Equestria was lucky Tirek was arrogant enough to steal only the magic of ponies for that fight. Even I cannot imagine the level of magic Tirek would have held had he stolen the magical power of the dragons or utilized the alchemical skills of the zebras."

"Cloudsdale will protest, but I will have the Wonderbolts begin shifting their battle doctrines." Sighed Celestia.

"...No." Said Nightmare Moon after a moment. "The ESR should avoid becoming dependent on any one organization. We should share this information with the military of all nations. It would also help make your ponies look less militant."

"Our ponies." Corrected Celestia with a glare. "I assume the same will be applied to the army."

"It will, but hopefully that won't be necessary." Nightmare Moon glared back at Celestia equally but no more so, "The threats the ESR will face will be beyond what any one nation of Equestria will be prepared to face. Those who fight for Equestria must be willing to fight for all of Equestria."

Celestia held her glare, "They will not trust you."

"That is fine. I am Nightmare Moon after all."

The two continued to silently glare one another as Twilight frowning as she watched the two of them, the training exercise long forgotten.

The reaction was just as expected.

Fear. Anger. Hatred. Indignation... actually that last one was a surprise. Celestia had expected more of the former.

Celestia sat attending court once again, flat-out ignoring the outrage against Nightmare Moon's ESR military schools. All other matters had been discarded at the news. It was more predictable than Twilight throwing a fit over a damaged book.

Everyone demanded everything and anything out of the ESR on the issue. Pegasus admirals only. Griffin generals only. Dragon troops would have first right to sacking. Zebra style paintings for the ships. Breezie fashion for the troops. Changeling troop integration. Unicorn officers only.

That last one earned a buck to the back of the head.

But for all their complaints there was little Celestia or the politicians could do. When the ESR had been established, the signatory nations had agreed to give Nightmare Moon control over its military affairs. They could slow things down and protest to the princesses, but the moment there was little they could do once the ships were commissioned and the dotted lines were signed.

And so the politicians screamed at one another just so Celestia could hear and hopefully annoy her.

So Celestia did what she usually did. She sighed to herself, promised to give the Royal Guards a pay raise, a vacation and a stiff drink, in that order, and heard without listening.

Cadance fared moderately better.

Although some politicians of the Crystal Empire were depressed at the prospect of Nightmare Moon following in the hoof prints of King Sombra, most politicians took the changes in stride. After a thousand years of isolation, followed by the reintegration into the modern world under the guidance of Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor; many crystal ponies had simply accustomed themselves to lives of constant, and extreme, changes.

That is not to say Cadance did not wish for a stiff drink.

As the leader of the ESR's diplomatic corps, many Crystal Empire ponies were deeply concerned about Cadance's ability to establish and build new relationships with alien races. First contact with the Mycon was a disaster, the Vasudans were at war with an unknown race and relations with other aliens races were symbolic at best.

Did the Princess of Love only have love for Equestrians?

The question was never asked, but Cadance could sense it from the room.

Utter nonsense, thought Cadance. When I tried to shake hooves with a Mycon, the sulfuric acid burned through my suit.

Still, the concerns were largely symbolic. Although Cadance was the ESR's diplomatic leader, the crystal ponies understood that the ESR was largely a military organization.

Nightmare Moon ultimately decided everything.

Twilight was surrounded by squealing students and teachers eager to hear Twilight's latest stories from outer space.

Ever since Twilight's first vacation from the ESR, she had been inundated with people filled with curiosity and wonder about outer space. Although the non-military technologies of the ESR were shared with the public, the cost associated with space flight was still too much for many.

And so, when Twilight returned back to Ponyville, the public was ready and waiting to welcome her home. And her stories.

Stories of planets teeming or devoid of life, comets flying faster than a sonic rainboom and abandoned alien structures bigger than the planet of Equestria filled their minds with fascination. And Twilight was more than happy to share them.

And so with every story she told Twilight reminded herself to one day bring her friends to space.