A Devious Plot

Nightmare Moon shivered from the harsh, bitter cold. Not only was Sombra's dark aura so close, but the Windigos were still in a flurry of anger. No pun intended. They had been shoved even farther north because of the power of the Crystal Heart. Nightmare Moon really didn't care for the Empire, as long as Sombra or whoever would be ruling it abided by her terms. Chrysalis most likely would not betray the only pony who ever helped her in her time of need, actually helping her, and the term was in fact; the enemy of my enemy, is my friend. The other 'villains' as the biased ponies called them were the enemy, the ponies were Nightmare Moon's enemy, and the former was her friend. Or ally. Whichever. She remembered Luna's visits to the Empire to see Sombra. It wasn't love per say, but Luna did find a fascination in the dark magic just as Sombra did. He was gifted with an affinity for dark magic just as Luna was born into it. He was devoured by his own shadow, which led to the fall of the Empire, and again he was defeated by the Crystal Heart, but he had still yet to be destroyed.

The Elements of Harmony were known to reform and rehabilitate, an example was when they cast Nightmare Moon from Luna, and the Crystal Heart was the prime example of love itself. Beautiful and powerful, but it also could destroy. Sombra's physical form had been destroyed, but his shadow had not.

Bitter winds slapped her face as she wrapped her wings around herself for warmth. In reality, she was technically still in the dream realm while Chrysalis was sleeping. She was already the personal guest of Princess Cadence and surprisingly Cadence found her to be quite trustworthy. Enough to let her watch Flurry Heart and yet she and Shining Armor still didn't do couple things together. Nightmare Moon grinned at the thought. Nightmare Cadence had done well. You'd think that Cadence would want to do more couple things with Shining Armor because of the nightmare, but if she seemed to clingy then well... mares were easy to fool. Painfully so.

Chrysalis sleeping allowed for Nightmare Moon to travel outside the dream realm, though this was when she was at her most vulnerable. She could easily be cast back or even destroyed in this form. "Who are you?" a cold, no pun intended, and harsh voice demanded. She looked up and saw three Windigos circling above her head. She didn't let her fear show when her hooves became chilled as they were enveloped in blocks of ice that were slowly traveling up her legs.

"It is I, Nightmare Moon!" she called.

"The dark side of the Alicorn Princess?" one of the Windigos whispered, their voices like the dead breeze in a frozen winter. Quiet and bitter.

"I am searching for King Sombra of the Crystal Empire," she knew she was treading thin ice, though the ice around her legs was thicker than a dragon's hide now. They hissed in anger and the temperature dropped lower. The only reason she hadn't frozen already was because she was in the dream realm.

"What do you search for the Shadow for?" the second whispered directly in her ear, its horselike face filled with suspicion.

"I seek assistance and offer my allegiance, in the hopes of retaking the Crystal Empire," they stood to their full height and the wind stopped briefly.

"You search for retaking the Empire?" the third inquired.

"The northern parts of Equestria are the birthright of all Windigos, the children of Aurora Borealis and the North Wind. It was the creation of the Crystal Heart that took it away," they hissed.

"Much to warm," one of them whispered.

"I offer an alliance to whoever listens. The Shadow, yourselves, and anypony else who desires for things to be the way they were before the reign of Celestia," she said.

"Luna was her sister, and you are Luna," one of the Windigos pointed out.

"I am the dark side of Luna and I do not serve Celestia," she growled before collecting herself. "The allegiance requires the outmost loyalty and honesty without the chance of backstabbing. In exchange, we stay away from the Crystal Empire and the northern territories as long as you stay away from ours unless we negotiate further," she said.

"And why should we trust you?" the Windigo questioned.

"You should trust me because I won't turn on you like Celestia and like you, the Crystal Heart would easily destroy my existence," she said. "My only intention is retaking Equestria. The Crystal Empire will be yours and Sombra's. I know of your allegiance with him as well," a dark chuckle made her smile as a ebony colored shadow formed in the arctic clouds.

Although it was purely shadow, she could see that it had a curved and pointed horn, sharp teeth and fangs, and purple swirled around its eyes. "Nightmare Moon," Sombra's voice greeted.

"Shadow of Sombra," she bowed the best she could, though she did not extend her wings out of self-preservation.

"Release her, my friends," the Shadow said and the Windigos pouted and did so. She stretched her hooves, grateful for the return of the feeling in them. "Reall though, an allegiance? We only ever dreamt of such things millenia ago," the Shadow said.

"The irony truly is amusing," she said as she rolled her eyes. "And now, it is quite possible. You are allied to the Windigos and the Northern territories are both rightfully yours and theirs. You had no trouble sharing it, then and now," she said and he grinned.

"We are friends," the Windigos nodded, though they were still skeptical of her.

"I have allied myself to the Changeling Queen and she knows of this plan. Already we have created distrust among the Six and the Pillars are exploring their homes of Equestria. If we can obtain the power of the Tree of Harmony, there will be no problem. The Elements as well," she said.

The shadow nodded. "What of the Chaotic one?" he asked.

"Discord will not be a problem, not if Fluttershy's dark self comes out as well," she wanted both sides of Fluttershy to come out rather than the weakling Pegasus she really was. Flutterbat and Nightmare Fluttershy, both.

"I understand," the Shadow said. "However, I cannot do to much without my form," he said.

"It will not be a problem. I suppose... Shining Armor would do nicely, wouldn't he?" Nightmare Moon said with a grin. "You remember the couple who were responsible for your demise? Oh, they're in for quite the surpise," she cackled with delight as her mane began spiraling in circles, forming a dark cloud over her head. Soon enough, the Shadow joined in as the Windigos danced around them. "The Shadow King returns," she said, pure joy written on her face as the shadow enveloped them all. His kingdom had been taken away from him once, but now it was his time to reclaim it.