Nightmare Moon's Stars

"And they believe that all life other than their own should be exterminated?"

"UGH, yes." Answered Cadance for the seventeenth time that hour.

"My apologies, but even at my... most ill tempered, I never imagined such thoughts would be executed at such a scale." Replied Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon and Cadance sat in a private room over cold tea and under a heavy tension.

"But you imagined it on a smaller scale?" Needled Cadance. She was on thin ice asking such a question, but her patience had been similarly worn down.

"Not imagined it. Executed it." Noting Cadance's shocked expression, Nightmare Moon continued. "The extermination was not taken lightly, nor was it ever fully successful. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were forced to return the Elements of Harmony because my failure."

Cadance sat thoughtfully, "...the Plunderseeds? But those were created by Discord."

"Were they?" Asked Nightmare Moon. After taking a sip of her cold tea, "It is true Discord was much more malevolent in the past, but a plant that interferes with magic?"

"Then... he did not create the Plunderseeds because they would interfere with his own magic..." Mused Cadance.

"And so?" Nudged Nightmare Moon.

"And so he used the Plunderseeds as a means weakening the Elements of Harmony, thus ensuring his release under the guise of mocking Celestia and Luna!" Concluded Cadance.

Nightmare Moon smiled. "Correct. We took him to task on the matter long ago but after his time with Fluttershy, Celestia felt it best to focus on the source of the problem."

"The Plunderseeds and your failure to exterminate them." Frowned Cadance.

"Yes." Frowned Nightmare Moon. "Equestrian life was completely and utterly dependent on magic back then. The Plunderseeds were the ultimate predator of Equestrians, thus Equestrians all over had the duty of exterminating them wherever and whenever possible. Obviously we failed as Discord was able to obtain its seeds."

"Discord did not create them with his magic?" Asked Cadance.

"Of course not. Discord is no fool. Discord is not so foolish as to create life and then have it bloom a thousand years late due to an oversight." Pointed Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon sighed before continuing. "Not that it really mattered in the end. When the seeds sprouted, the damage was done. Equestria was forced to return the Elements on Harmony to the Tree of Harmony where they remain."

"Then the deed is done." Pointed Cadance.

"Is it?" Asked Nightmare Moon. "Celestia and Luna believed that and it nearly ruined Equestria."

"Then what do you suggest?" Pushed Cadance.

"Vigilance and less dependence on magic!" Pushed back Nightmare Moon.

"Equestrians cannot live without magic!" Shouted Cadance. "Twilight and her scientists have been researching this ceaselessly and we are still forced to rotate our people back to Equestria or risk magical anemia. Even with magical battery stores on-board our ships, we require constant resupply."

"Then Twilight and her scientists will simply have to keep on researching this subject." Growled Nightmare Moon.

"For how long? Those fanatics will not wait forever. They say everything short of formally declaring war whenever we try to speak." Barged forward Cadance. Her temper and frustration at the worthless negotiations had overcome her fear of Nightmare Moon.

"For as long as it takes." Coldly stared Nightmare Moon.

Cadance stared back at Nightmare Moon before finally replying. "Is that so."

"Indeed."

Cadance held her head in her hooves.

The changeling ambassador working for her took that as a sign to continue, "Our neighbors sense our weakness; in terms of raw numbers we are outmatched in every way possible. Military power, military potential, economic income, technological advancement, population size and colonized planets. Nightmare Moon will not permit us to make military boasts, although that would be an act of desperation at this point."

Cadance continued to hold her head in her hooves and groaned.

The ESR was in a very small boat surrounded by very large continents. The alien races that did not see them as targets to be eliminated at their leisure were either indifferent or callous towards their situation.

Traditional, and unconventional, methods of diplomacy were simply unavailable or impossible. Visiting foreign dignitaries did not hold much weight when an empire spanned solar systems. Elegantly worded praises and gestures fell on unfamiliar or uncaring ears. Even the act of gift giving proved difficult as the sentimental value of a birthday gift fell on deaf ears to those that claimed to be immortal.

Cadance slowly lifted her head and peered out from behind her hooves to stare at the changeling ambassador.

Perhaps a change of view then, "So what do think we should do?"

To his credit, the changeling ambassador only twitched one wing. "As in, what the ESR should do?"

Cadance lowered her hooves and nodded. "When the changelings started reaching out diplomatically, they were forced to do so from a position of weakness. The ESR is trying to reach out from a position of weakness as well, so what would a changeling think we should do?"

Rubbing a hoof against his chin, "Well, ignoring King Thorax's dealings with ponies, one of the ways the Changeling Kingdom started building positive relationships with other nations by making self... aligned promises."

"And they believed you?"

"Not immediately of course, but reminding someone that you promised to act in their favor is best when you never have to act in their favor."

Cadance thought about it. It was risky but completely doable. Twilight would have questions, Celestia would doubt it and Nightmare Moon would definitely hate it, but it would slowly open a pathway towards diplomatic relations with other alien races.

"Contact Nightmare Moon. Find out who our strongest neighbors are and see if we can guarantee their independence."

Cadance was caught by Celestia's magic before being bucked through the bulkhead by Nightmare Moon.

"Sister, please! Hear her out!"

Nightmare Moon sneered but made no move to buck her again.

Cadance sat up and held her ribs. Nothing broken, she held back.

"Nightmare Moon, our neighbors are too strong for us to fight and they see us as a target for expansion. All we can do is give them a reason to want us to be independent."

Nightmare Moon growled in frustration, "By risking our own independence for their independence? You would send our ponies to fight and die for someone else."

"If our neighbors are as strong as our information suggests, our ponies will never have to fight. We won't be fighting all of their wars either, only their defensive wars."

"Its a low risk political maneuver and it will be embarrassing to maintain, but Cadance is a patient diplomat, I know she can pull it off." Celestia added.

"And what of Equestria's citizens? This sort of one-sided treaty will anger many and they won't be courteous enough to buck you head on."

"Let Cadance and I handle them. I know you want to hold complete authority over the ESR, but we can make this work. Trust your niece and sister." Cooed Celestia.

After a moment of silence, Nightmare Moon spoke. "Do it, but I am still ordering a military build up and the fortification of our borders." Nightmare Moon gruffly stated before leaving the room, head bent as though she was preparing to charge an unseen enemy.

Alone in the room with Celestia, Cadance started to slowly rub her chest.

"Do you need a healer? I know she held back but theres no need hide the pain." Asked Celestia.

"No, its not that painful." Softly answered Cadance. "But, how do you know she was holding back?"

Celestia chuckled at her before answering, "Really now Cadance, you must spend more time training in the marital arts. Even if you do not know how strong Luna is, you should have noticed that she did not buck you in the face."

She really did hold back.