The Night's Stars

Chapters

Moonrise
Queen
Captive
Student
Order
Broken Bonds
New Blood
Reunions Part 1
Reunions Part 2
Friends
Concerns
Stress
Disorder Part 1
Disorder Part 3
Calm
Chaos
Discord Part 1
Discord Part 2
Discord Part 3
Aftershock
Deepening Bonds
Help
Respite
Ceremony
Griffins and Galleries
The Dream
Irrational
Stop Dragon That Around
Offer
Grand Galloping Gala Part 1
Grand Galloping Gala Part 2
Consideration Part 1
Consideration Part 2
Nightmare Night
Canterlot Bells a Ringing
A Royal Wedding
Queen Takes Queen
Open
A Delayed Hearth's Warming Part 2
The Walk
Bide
Adept
Dreamwalk
Cloudsdale Burns
Control Part 1
Control Part 2
One Last Peaceful Night
The Battle of Manehattan
One Last Sunset
Diplomacy
Disorder Part 2
Field Experience and Book Smarts
Casual
A Delayed Hearth's Warming Part 1

Moonrise

One thousand years does not pass in the blink of an eye, even for an immortal alicorn empress.

But one thousand years had passed, and she knew it. She could feel the stars aligning, the magic at work causing the bonds of harmony to dissolve, her own power coming back to her, as faithful and strong as ever. Her mind, as sharp as ever, had thought out ten thousand plans of vengeance on her sister for her sins and transgressions over those thousand years. Each plan held a special place in her heart for just how it would hurt her sister, for just how she could use it to get back at her.

But none of them held the same sort of poetic justice that felt so right as what she planned.

Lifting her slitted eyes to Equis, her heart beat faster. The stars drew close, the bonds of harmony would soon fail, and she would be freed from her lunar prison. The brilliant blue-green orb that was Equis shone brightly. Despite the state she had been left in, she looked at the orb with a longing fondness. The one good thing about the moon was the view- it simply couldn't be matched. It soothed her rage, but would never quell it. Nothing ever would. Nothing ever could.

She wouldn't even let Celestia have that view when she was through with her.

She bared her teeth, showing her sharp fangs, then slowly ran her tongue over them. They weren't sharp enough to cut her tongue, but nonetheless, it sent shivers of delight down her spine.

'First, dear sister, I will deal with you,' she thought with a low growl. 'And then, Equestria will be mine. Your precious little ponies will give me the respect she deserve, even if I have to force it out of them.'

Envigorated by the thought, she smiled and stamped her hoof down hard on the lunar surface, leaving an indent in the thick dust, and kicking up a cloud of the white material which slowly wafted through the air before settling.

Nightmare Moon fell to her knees and gasped. One moment, the ground beneath her hooves had been the white lunar rock, and then the next moment it was cracked stones, bathed in soft moonlight; her vision had been that of the beautiful jewel that was Equis, and now that of a ruined courtyard. For several seconds, she stared at the stone, her eyes taking in the blissful dull gray of the rock, welcoming it as a reprieve from the same overbearing white of the lunar surface that reminded her of the sister she so hated.

The bindings of harmony magic that had held her for so long disintegrated like dust that the wind had been blown on, showing their true weakness. Her sister never could truly defeat her on her own; she was superior to her sister in every way imaginable. Her nigh infinite pool of alicorn magic rushed back into her, filling every ounce of her being with her power- power that she would use to enact her vengeance on the sister that betrayed her.

Despite knowing it was coming, it was still so hard to believe: after a thousand years, she was finally free of her accursed prison! In a way, perhaps that was her sister's greatest transgression against her- imprisoning her on the moon. Her moon. Forcing her own moon to be her prison, making her hate being trapped on the crowning jewel of her night.

With that bitter thought, she shook in rage, bared her teeth, lifted her head up, and let loose a primal scream that pierced the night, speaking of untold anguish, and pain, and anger. She screamed until it hurt, she screamed until her lungs were empty, and then she filled her lungs to scream again. Her cry boomed out through the night, and every creature that heard her scream was paralyzed in primal fear. They knew the scream's owner, and they trembled.

Her heart beat faster, adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her entire body trembled in rage and ecstasy. Magic flared to life around her. Her misty blue mane rippled behind her like a wildfire, untamed and refusing to be tamed.

In the blink of an eye, she rose up with a power befitting the empress that she was. The sight she was greeted with was one which she had not expected. Rather than dozens, perhaps hundreds of unicorn soldiers to stand in her way, it was an empty courtyard. Destroyed, unkempt, and unattended.

Her old home; their shared castle.

The Castle of the Two Sisters. She scowled at the name and it took all of her willpower to neither scream again nor bite off her tongue in rage. Had her sister truly let her home fall into such disrepair? It was an unthinkable disrespect that filled her with a new violence. Sure, she had bad memories of Celestia from this place, but to leave it to crumble?

Her legs shook again with rage, so badly did she want to tear down all that remained of the castle and start anew, to erase every last trace of her sister and her magic- not only from her home but from all of Equestria. From all of history.

But no, her sister wouldn't even let her have that. She let her home fall into ruin. It wasn't even worth destroying. She couldn't reclaim the throne of her own power and take what was rightfully hers from Celestia; she had already destroyed it.

Seething with rage, she swept her gaze around the courtyard. The entire castle wasn't ruined or destroyed- walls and towers still stood, but in disrepair. It would take time and effort, but she could repair and rebuild. Perhaps, another delightful way to get back at her sister; undoing the treachery she had done to their home. Her home.

Her eyes narrowed. For the first time in a millennium, she lifted her gaze to the moon. Her gaze softened and some of her anger died; the pristine jewel of hers that was the moon was still there, high in the sky, crowning her Queen and Empress of the Night. She took a deep breath of the invigorating, cold night air, then slowly exhaled.

Her senses told her that it was nearly morning, but the moon lingered in place. It infuriated her- Celestia had stolen her moon for the past thousand years, and now that she had returned, she couldn't even reclaim it- Celestia relinquished control to her. She didn't even try to lower it, she just left it there in the sky, as if to taunt her, or to enrage her further by denying her such sweet revenge.

She clamped her jaw shut; were there anything inside, it would have been crushed by the force of her anger-driven bite.

She took another deep breath, then exhaled sharply. She swept her gaze from left to right, then gave a cursory glance down at her chest. For a thousand years, she had worn the cyan chestplate and helmet, and to her relief, they were still there where they belonged, secured in place, hugging her body and protecting her.

She lifted her gaze back up, then took a few steps forward. She shivered in delight at the sound of her metal boots striking the crumbling stone; it just wasn't the same on the moon.

She walked on and scanned the courtyard, at first, taking it in, then searching for her dear sister. She searched and searched, but she wasn't there, which only served to infuriate her further. She had returned, and Celestia didn't even face her. Her body trembled with rage once again, but her rage morphed to glee as she felt a burst of magic that she recognized. Her sister's magic.

In her excitement, she flared her wings, then rocketed into the sky, shooting up above the castle and tree canopy, then glaring head on towards the source of the disturbance.

All at once, a thousand memories flooded through her mind. Every single slight done to her by her sister, every disappointment, every letdown, every single lie, every betrayal. When they were foals, when they ruled Equestria together, it didn't matter. The pain and anger came back in full force.

Anger, bitterness, and resent consumed her, fueling her rage. Her mane and tail rippled so fiercely that the very air cracked from the intensity. And to make it all worse? Celestia looked calm. Peaceful, even. No fear, no worry. Simply acceptance and remorse.

Nightmare Moon couldn't hate it more if she tried. Her older sister was calm, enjoying her life, the very life she had stolen from her younger sister, unafraid to see her again, unworried. A thousand years had gone by for both of them. And Celestia? She hadn't suffered one bit.

She screamed at her and beat her wings harder to fly further above into the sky. Her scream caught her sister off guard, seeming to penetrate the mask of calmness she wore, but there was no fear, only surprise. She flew up until the moon was at her back and she cast her shadow on Celestia. She screamed until her throat was hoarse. She screamed until her throat nearly bled.

All the while, Celestia cautiously flew towards her. Even as Nightmare Moon lit her horn, Celestia did not.

"Luna-"

"I AM NIGHTMARE MOON!" she screamed back at the top of her lungs. Dragons would have cowered before her voice, but her sister did not. She breathed in deep, then forced the air out of her lungs and then sucked in more air to replace it. Her breath nearly steamed in the cold air from her burning hatred of the mare she once called sister.

"Nightmare Moon..." Celestia corrected, speaking in a soft, unassuming voice. She opened her mouth to continue, but Nightmare Moon had none of it.

In a flash of her blue magic, Nightmare Moon teleported beside Celestia. Her sister looked back just in time as Nightmare wrapped her mouth around her wing, then clamped her mouth shut. Celestia's chest heaved, her eyes watered, and she screamed as her wing was shattered in two places. With her wing broken and unable to keep herself aloft, she started to fall.

Nightmare let go. Her teeth were coated red from her sister's blood. A part of her was revolted, but another part of her found a primal delight in savoring having spilled her dear sister's blood. Celestia fell towards the tree canopy below. Nightmare watched with satisfaction as she fell. She never once blinked, watching the fall with an intense gaze, refusing to miss any of it, wanting this moment burned into her mind for all eternity. Celestia missed the tops of the trees, but the branches she hit cracked and broke, cutting her body as she fell through them before finally hitting the ground with a thud that even Nightmare heard, so far above. For a moment, she delighted herself in watching her sister laying on the ground, then she flew down and landed.

Celestia's eyes continued to water as she slowly picked herself up. Her right wing was folded, but her left hung limply from her side. Blood ran down her wing, coating her white feathers crimson before pooling on the ground. She trembled, but through her tears, she looked at Nightmare with defiance.

Nightmare smiled, then ran her tongue over her blood soaked teeth. One step forward, then another.

"I-I will not fight you, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare's smile fractured into a scowl. Gripping Celestia with her magic, she forced Celestia to her knees. Celestia stared up at her, and oh, how she relished their roles being reversed. No longer did she look up to her big sister, but her big sister looked up to her through her tear-filled eyes.

But Celestia's expression ruined it. She wasn't broken. She wasn't scared. She was in pain, but still defiant. "You still deny me my right!" she spat with a hiss. "Will you continue to deny me even my revenge!? The satisfaction of fighting you again and defeating you, bringing you to your knees, and making you beg for mercy!?" she demanded.

Nightmare trembled. Her lungs expanded and deflated so fast from anger that even she felt light-headed. It didn't stop her, nor did it slow her down.

"You won't win," Celestia stated succinctly, spoken with such an unshakable faith that made Nightmare Moon sick.

And yet, Nightmare Moon tossed her head to the sky and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. The hilarity of the whole thing was unbelievable! Her sister was here, on her knees before her, with her wing shattered and bleeding, refusing to fight her, and yet she honestly believed that she wouldn't win! Nightmare's laughter faded into a haunting rumble, then dispersed into the night. She smiled and lowered her head to meet her sister's gaze. "I've already won, dear sister," she hissed.

Reaching out with her armored forehoof, she hit Celestia across the muzzle with all of her strength. There was a solid thunk. Celestia grunted and closed her eyes. The force was enough to make Nightmare Moon's leg tingle, and Celestia slammed into the ground. She bled from a gash engraved in her cheek by Nightmare's boot, but the defiance was still there.

A thousand thoughts of what she could do to Celestia ran through her mind- a thousand deaths, ten thousand tortures, breaking her again, and again, and again. Breaking her until she was hopeless, making her think she had slipped up, making her think that she could be rescued, letting ponies get close to rescuing her, then putting an end to it. Crushing that last shred of hope with an iron hoof. Seeing her so utterly destitute.

She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. 'Calm. No killing her, that way we can draw out her death and torture her. It will be so much more pleasurable that way...' She let a smile grace her lips, once again showing off her sharp, blood-stained teeth. For a fraction of a second, Celestia's gaze faltered, dropping from her eyes to her teeth before returning to meet Nightmare Moon's gaze. "Do you know what I'm going to do, Celestia?" she asked with forced calmness.

Celestia slowly pulled her right forehoof closer to her, then pressed against the ground to push herself into a sitting position.

Nightmare Moon crossed the distance to her sister in a short stride, then stamped her hoof down on Celestia's ribs, slamming her back into the ground. Several cracks emanated from her sister's body, and her eyes widened, then swelled up with even more tears. She trembled. Nightmare pressed her hoof down farther. Celestia tensed up, her chest tightening as she fought back a scream, but Nightmare persisted, pressing down even harder.

Celestia screamed. She screamed until her lungs were empty, then let out a violent, choked cough. Splatters of blood dotted the ground in front of her mouth, and a trickle of red came from her lips. She barely managed to inhale through the pain.

Lifting her hoof from Celestia, Nightmare stamped it down hard in front of her muzzle. Celestia winced, the message was clear: You're at my mercy now.

"I'm going to do to you what you did to me," Nightmare continued. Her lips pulled up into a manic smile. "I do hope you enjoy white, Celestia, because that's all you'll be seeing on the moon. White and black. Your dreams? Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure they're pleasant. Every dream will be a nightmare. Every waking moment will be ten thousand times worse than what you've done to me, sister," she spat.

"And then in one thousand years, maybe I'll let you come back. Then you could see what I've done to Equestria?"

Celestia averted her gaze from Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare chuckled a slow, methodical laugh. "But after that... I'll send you back to the moon... again... and again... until you fight back... and then?" She leaned down close until she could touch her sister's ear. "Then I will crush you dear sister. Your life is mine now," she hissed.

Pulling her head back up, she smiled. Celestia refused to match her gaze, and she continued to cry. Sadly, her wounds were already healing, but no matter, that just meant she could inflict them again. "And you still refuse to fight me..." she growled. "Why?" she demanded. "Why must you deny my thirst for vengeance so?"

Celestia looked at her. For a moment, her expression was sorrowful and pitying, then it hardened. "My student will save you, Luna..." she whispered.

Nightmare Moon's lips and cheeks trembled from rage. "You still have the audacity to think your Luna exists?" Her nostrils flared from anger. "SHE'S GONE CELESTIA! I AM NIGHTMARE MOON NOW!" She took a moment to compose herself. "Nothing. Will change that. Dear sister."

With a scream of rage, she flared her wings out and poured her magic into her horn, enveloping her sister in her magic. Shackles and chains bound her hooves and muzzle, bindings that wouldn't be broken for easily a thousand years, then she forced her still broken left wing to her body and folded it, drawing a horrified, agonized scream from Celestia- it was music to her ears- before binding them along the bone and the feathers. To complete it, she sealed off her sister's magic.

And for the first time, Celestia showed fear. Fear at having her magic cut off, separated from her. Fear of losing her connection with the sun.

It wasn't enough, but it was a start.

"You still refuse to fight back? Even though you're leaving Equestria to me?"

"I-I can't fight you, L... Nightmare Moon..." was Celestia's whisper.

Nightmare Moon barred her teeth in rage. "Goodbye, dear sister."

Her magic exploded outward. A dark blue beam of magic lurched into the sky, launching her sister to the moon. In an instant, it touched down on the moon. Nightmare looked up and scowled as dark craters appeared over the surface of her moon.

Her anger returned in full force. The spell was the same one that banished her, only powered by her magic instead of the Elements of Harmony.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU DID TO MY MOON, CELESTIA? YOU DEFACED HER!? HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed. Enraged by the desecration of the extension of herself, the jewel of her pristine night sky, she turned her anger outwards. She threw her head about. Her ears rang from her continuous screaming as she let loose her magic.

Trees exploded as beam after beam, pulse after pulse of magic shot out into the forest. The tallest of trees with the sturdiest of trunks were like toothpicks before a dragon: absolutely nothing. They could put back no fight, they could not experience horror or fear, they could not beg for mercy, they could not withstand the onslaught of her magic.

It wasn't the most fulfilling way to vent her anger, but Celestia had denied that of her, but it helped. Just barely, but it helped take the edge off of her anger just enough for her to calm down.

By the time she stopped slinging spells at everything in sight, the forest had a new clearing in it. Smoke wafted through the air from the scorched wood left behind by the impacts of her violent magic. Her chest heaved with each breath. The scent of smoke filled her nostrils, and it delighted her. Not because of the destruction it meant, but because it was a scent she hadn't smelled in so long.

She continued to breathe heavily as her rage calmed. She slowly folded her wings, then listened to the forest. Absolute silence. Not even the leaves of the trees rustled from the wind. In the wake of her display and scream, not a single creature dared make a sound. The creatures of the night recognized her return, and they feared her. They would do well to remember that fear. She gradually looked over the results of her work, letting her gaze pass over the felled trees and mulch. Eventually, a growl escaped her mouth.

She had waited a thousand years for her revenge. Every day, every night, her thoughts had been consumed by her fantasies of the battle she would have had with her sister. The exhilarating thrill of the wind whipping between her feathers while their magic clashed, the fear written on her sister's face, and her sister's blood painting her white coat red.

And Celestia denied her that. She took a deep breath, then lit her horn and teleported herself back to her home's ruined courtyard. With Celestia out of the way, she could afford herself a few moments to think before her next actions.

Instead, her eyes narrowed. Celestia's soft voice echoed through her mind, 'My student will save you, Luna...'

The more primal part of her raged at hearing Celestia's voice in her mind- not only her voice, but that accursed name. But while an inferno raged in her heart, her more intellectual mind sharpened. Celestia hadn't fought her- she had said she couldn't fight her. She had chosen not to, despite her best attempts to force her into a fight. She had given up. She had just surrendered.

There was no way that Celestia could know her plans for Equestria, and without knowing that, Celestia would only know how she acted based on her anger, hatred, and rage: Celestia would have thought that Equestria would be destroyed. Ponykind would have suffered. And that was antithesis to Celestia. She wouldn't have just given up without a fight if she thought Equestria was at stake or ponies would suffer. After all, she had used the Elements of Harmony to banish her once before. Why had she not tried to do so again?

Something was very clearly wrong here. Her sister couldn't match her power, but she should have at least fought back. And the Elements of Harmony. She didn't have them with her, she didn't try to use them. Somepony else had them. Her sister had a plan, and surrendering to her had to have been a distraction.

Nightmare's chest tightened. Her eyes swept around the courtyard, scanning for any threats or traps she might have missed. Any sounds that could have indicated the hooves of would-be assassins. And yet, despite her higher scrutiny, not a sound stood out. Even searching with her magic revealed nothing- not even a trace of the Elements of Harmony, although the accursed Tree was still growing strong underneath the castle.

"Your student..." she breathed out.

It made sense. Celestia would have had a thousand years to prepare, time enough that she could have planned for her response a hundred years ago and found somepony this century who she could have trained and taught to stop her. Her student could have been anypony- a unicorn, a pegasus, perhaps even an earth pony. Maybe a stallion, or maybe a mare, young or old. They could have been trained as anything- an assassin, a spy, perhaps even worse, a scholar.

She needed to find Celestia's student, whoever they were, and deal with them, before they could deal with her.

Mind racing at the implications of Celestia's plan, her eyes darted back and forth across the stone. Her student could be anywhere in Equestria right now, planning, or already prepared for her return. Perhaps it would be an ambush, or perhaps her student was to wait until her guard was down, then strike while she wasn't being careful. Or maybe her student would strike before she could prepare to fight back.

She needed to find them, but it wouldn't be an easy task; even if she was an alicorn, she was but one pony, an empress without an empire. She had no soldiers, at least not yet. She needed to tread carefully- one mistake, and one thousand years of agony would be for naught.

Another growl escaped her lips. Equestria wasn't a small country- it dominated the larger part of a continent. Should she start by searching out Celestia's student? Or should she consolidate her power first? Did she gather an army to hunt her student down, or operate in the shadows to locate and eliminate this threat?

The one thing she was certain of, however, was that her sister wasn't about to let her enjoy her victory. She had already proved that by just surrendering to her.

But maybe she was looking at it the wrong way. Celestia would know that she would realize both of them had a thousand years to plan and scheme, meaning that maybe, just maybe, she was making it out to be a bigger threat than it actually was. Maybe Celestia planned for it to be something simple that she wouldn't have expected. Perhaps her student was closer at hoof than she had considered, too. After all, if all Celestia knew of her desires was her rage, then she would think that Equestria would be in grave danger, and letting Nightmare roam free for an extended period of time was a mistake.

Her student needed to be close enough to act.

Nightmare spread her wings but hesitated. A moment later, she lit her horn and teleported high above into the sky, then cast her gaze about. With her enhanced vision, she could see the forest stretch on for miles. Beyond that, there was a nearby village. In the distance, she could see a gleaming city on a mountain. The city spoke of power, and even from the distance, she could make out a castle.

Her eyes narrowed, finding her target. She beat her wings and shot off towards the village and city. The wind whipped through her feathers, a feeling she hadn't experienced for far too long. Truly, flying at night was an experience like nothing else, one which she had longed for every minute of every day she spent trapped on the moon.

But now? Now it was night everlasting, and as soon as she stopped Celestia's student, she could fly for as long as she wanted.

But the flight to the city on the mountain would take hours, and so she scowled to herself. Her student would have to be a pegasus if that were the case- the city was simply too far to walk in a timely manner, except, perhaps for an earth pony. But an earth pony would have been a poor choice- even with their stamina and endurance, one would be exhausted from running to greet her.

No, her student had to be closer than that. Perhaps Celestia had kept her close at hoof when she went to distract Nightmare. But then, why distract her? To make her put her guard down?

If that was the case, then Celestia had made a grave mistake with that whisper- a mistake that would cost her student's life. And oh, how she would relish taking it. But no, she wouldn't simply kill her student. That was too easy, and it was too quick. She would force Celestia to watch her for hours on end while she tortured the pony to the point of breaking, then she would let up on them, let them heal and recover, then she would do it all over again, and again, and again, until the pony was broken and Celestia begged for her to kill her student. And then? Then she would grant her wish, forcing Celestia to watch her end her student's life, knowing that it was entirely her fault.

The thought made her gleeful. It made knowing that there was somepony out there who had the capacity to stop her all the more bearable.

As she flew, she knew that ponies would have already noticed Celestia hadn't raised the sun on time. After all, it was the longest day of the year. That thought made her scowl. On one hoof, she was happy to steal this longest day from her sister- it was perfect, using the longest day to usher in the eternal night. And yet, what kind of Empress would she be if she wasn't there to welcome everypony into the night's reign?

With that thought in mind, she teleported the rest of the way to the town. Appearing high above the roofs, she looked around and beheld banners strung from the largest, central building. The banners read 'Summer Sun Celebration' and sang the praises of her sister.

But what made it worse was that it was the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. She had been imprisoned for a thousand years, and this exact day was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. Ponies were celebrating her defeat. But perhaps that was simply because she had risen against Celestia on this, her longest day, one thousand years ago. It still didn't give her sister the right to make such a holiday.

Or, perhaps her sister didn't have a hoof in creating it. Perhaps ponies created it as a way to celebrate her defeat at her sister's hooves. If that was the case, her sister was as guilty as they were for letting this happen.

She scowled and flew down towards the building. But she did not land. No, landing and walking in like a commoner wasn't befitting her. She needed to make a grand entrance and ensure that everypony knew she was Queen and Empress.

To that end, she circled around the Town Hall, searching out someplace proper and fitting for her to land. Before she completed her first pass, a balcony caught her eye. The doors were open, and two ponies- pegasi, by their white wings which stood out on the golden background of their armor- stood guard.

Her eyes narrowed on the two soldiers- and she immediately knew that was what they were. Their armor covered their entire bodies, save for where their wings were, and from her vantage point, she could see that the helmet had armor going down the back of their necks, but she didn't see any signs that more armor was connected below it to protect the underside of their necks. It left a weak spot that their enemies could exploit- not that she needed to exploit it. Their armor would be no match for her magic.

She arced up into the sky, then angled herself back down and tucked in her wings. Silently, she descended as a predator pouncing on her prey. Outstretching her right forehoof, she landed gracefully, right forehoof connecting first, followed by her left forehoof, followed by her hind hooves. Her metal boots made a series of rapid dull thuds as they met the wood.

With but a quick glance at both of them, she determined that they were both unarmed and unprepared for her appearance. Both guards tensed at her arrival, taken aback in fear at her striking visage, but nonetheless, they outstretched their wings and launched themselves into the air without a word. Whether they attacked out of fear, or they were ordered to do so, Nightmare did not know, nor did it matter. The result was the same.

It was the last mistake they ever made. As they leaped towards her, Nightmare scowled at them and lit her horn. Flaring out her wings, she met their lunge with her magic, darting forward and unleashing a lance of magic at the pegasus on the left and reaching out to engulf the other with her mane. The lance of magic shot straight through the first pegasus's neck, and his body limply tumbled to the floor, rolling before coming to a stop.

The other pegasus struggled as her mane enveloped him. He tried to call out in fear and panic, but Nightmare clamped his muzzle shut, then pulled him closer and held him in front of her, just below eye level. Under her gaze, the stallion wilted; his training was forgotten as a primal fear overtook him, the fear of prey in the presence of a predator. Nightmare Moon's serpentine eyes looked over him, sizing him up as if he were nothing more than an insect, but yet with a threatening, burning intensity.

Opening her mouth to speak, the stallion struggled once more against her magic as soon as he saw the jagged, sharp teeth inside of Nightmare's maw. "Answer my questions and I will consider sparing your life," she commanded. The stallion gulped, but as Nightmare relaxed her grip on his head, he nodded hastily. Nightmare's scowl softened into a devious smile. "I presume you are one of my sister's guards, accompanying her to this... celebration?"

"S-sister?" he stuttered.

Her scowl returned. "Does my sister hide even the knowledge of my existence?" she growled under her breath. "I am Nightmare Moon." To her surprise, the guard's eyes widened at the sound of her name. Recognition, fear, and surprise. He knew that name. "It seems Celestia did not completely erase all trace of me, then," she spat. The guard's muscles tensed up even more upon hearing just how much hatred Nightmare projected that name with.

"But I will not ask again. Are you one of my sister's guards who accompanied her to this?" The stallion swallowed, then nodded quickly. "I see," Nightmare growled. "It has been one thousand years since I have last set hoof in Equestria; where is the seat of my sister's power?"

"C-Can... C-Canterlot..." was the fear-filled response.

Nightmare pulled him closer and her eyes bore into him as if attempting to set him afire with nothing more than her slitted eyes. "Where?" she demanded.

The guard's foreleg struggled against Nightmare's magic, and for a moment, she let up. The guard hastily rose his shaking leg and pointed off in the distance. After one glance at his hoof, she looked off towards the city on the mountain. "I see," she stated.

Without giving him a chance to do anything else, she reaffirmed the grip of her magic on his forelegs and forced it back down. For a few more seconds, her gaze lingered on the city of Canterlot, then she looked back at the guard. He trembled with fear under her gaze.

Was this truly the stallion Celestia had chosen to accompany her on such an important trip? Was this the best she had to offer? Or was this another part of her distraction- bring ponies who had no idea what they were doing with her, so that when Nightmare showed up, her guard would fall, allowing her student to deal the executioner's blow?

She sincerely hoped that this wasn't the best that her sister had to offer. If her army was as pathetic as this stallion, then how would she be able to make it her own army, an army worthy of her as its commander? Or perhaps his fear came from other sources- perhaps, if the other soldiers were as cowardly as he, they would come around once they realized she was in charge, and they had better serve more competently than these fools.

"Swear fealty to me and I will grant you your life," she hissed.

"P-Princess C-Celestia-"

Nightmare Moon's lips trembled in rage at the mention of her sister's name from the guard's mouth, and it made him come to an immediate stop. She leaned in closer to him until her eyes were mere inches from his, and her eyes spoke of barely contained rage. "If you will not swear fealty to me then you will join your comrade!"

The guard tensed up, clenched his eyes shut, and struggled to look away from her. But before Nightmare could make good on her promise, the guard managed to speak again, "W-wait!" he shouted out. "S-she l-left standing orders that if s-somepony named N-Nightmare M-Moon showed up we were to f-follow her o-orders!"

Through his fear and rushed explanation, Nightmare could barely make out the individual words. He was terrified of her, even more so with her threat. It took her a few seconds to decipher the message, and once she did, she pulled her head back from him and let her gaze soften. "She left standing orders to obey my rule?" she demanded.

"Y-yes!" the guard frantically replied. "T-the Captain o-of the Guard h-has orders t-to s-stand d-down and f-follow y-your command!"

It was preposterous. The soldier had to be lying to save his life. But the recognition in his eyes when she said her name. 'What was your plan?' She scrutinized the pegasus she held in her magic. He was barely worthy to be considered one of her soldiers, but she had to start somewhere- and who knew, perhaps he had some potential use, even if it was just somepony to send to his death to buy time for other more competent soldiers.

Perhaps her sister's plan was simply to have the guards obey her so that she would spare them rather than exterminate them. She felt a sense of calm at that thought. 'Yes, that would be you, wouldn't it? Order them to not try to stop me so as to spare their lives. Well, dear sister, I will make use of this.'

She released the soldier from her magic. The stallion unceremoniously fell to the floor. He took a moment to pull himself together and right himself, but as he stood before Nightmare, he still trembled uncontrollably, shaking in his golden armor. He looked straight ahead at her chest, perhaps trying to avoid her gaze, but it did nothing for his fear. "You will fly to Canterlot. Inform this 'Captain of the Guard' of my return. Ensure that he will follow his standing orders. I will arrive in Canterlot shortly to establish my rule. Tell him that Equestria is mine. Your precious princess of the sun is now my prisoner, and you will swear fealty to me and revoke allegiance to my sister, under penalty of death. The night will last forever."

The stallion gulped but nodded. "Y-yes..." his brow creased unsurely as he struggled to find the proper title for the alicorn.

"Queen," Nightmare growled.

"Y-yes, m-my Queen!" the guard acknowledged, falling into a low bow, touching his muzzle to the wooden floor. Perhaps it was not a bow of love or respect, but it was one out of fear. It wasn't as gratifying as a bow from love or respect, but it was a bow she could accept. He arose from the bow and stepped aside, then spread his wings and took off towards the city on the mountain.

Nightmare watched him fly off for a few seconds. 'I guess we will see if he was sincere, won't we, dear sister? Perhaps he was just ordered to say that and the guard has different orders.' She took a deep breath and spared a passing glance at the corpse on the balcony.

With nothing else to impede her, she walked towards the open door. She stepped over the corpse without giving it a second thought- she would have somepony clean up after it, but it wasn't her problem. 'Perhaps,' she thought as she stepped into the Town Hall, 'establishing my rule will be easier than I expected. Sister didn't try to stop me... and perhaps all of her plans are centered around this student of hers...'

Casting her gaze right, then left, she looked over the room she found herself in. The room was square in shape, with a desk off to the left, facing the right side of the room from where she was. The whitish colored walls were adorned with pictures of various events, almost all with one mare at the center of them- the mare looked aged, judging by her gray mane and glasses, but there was a certain open friendliness to her in the pictures. Judging from the pictures, the mare seemed to be the mayor.

With disinterest, she walked through the room and crossed to the other side. With a gentle twist and pull from her magic, she opened the door. She walked out with an intent, practiced stride- one which conveyed calm authority, but authority one did not cross. Adding into her stride was a look of disinterest- nothing would stop her. Several doors lined the hallway she found herself in, but the door that drew most of her attention was open, large, and arched: it spoke of importance. She turned to the left and calmly strode towards the door. It was a slow stride, but each step conveyed power. Beyond the open door, she could hear the fearful murmurs and whispers, with the occasional shout mixed in, of dozens of ponies.

A smile crept onto her lips as she silently approached the balcony. Amongst the frantic murmuring, she could hear whispers of her sister's accursed name, fearfully asking where she was and why her precious sun hadn't taken the moon's place.

The dissent was outrageous. Spurred on by anger, she quickened her pace, only pausing once she reached the doorway. Turning, she flared out her wings in a display of power, then stepped out onto the interior balcony. With a dominating stride, she approached the railing.

As her visage appeared to the crowd of ponies below, the murmurings grew quiet until they all fell silent. A wave of fear seemed to roll through the crowd, and everypony took a step back to distance themselves from her. Her intense gaze swept over the crowd, searching for anypony who stood out. For the most part, the crowd was filled with ponies of varying coat colors, manes and tails, mostly brightly colored. Among them, one stood out even more brightly colored than the rest. Her eyes lingered on the rainbow-maned mare for a moment longer than the rest- she didn't display the same fear that the rest did. She could spot the pony she presumed to be the mayor, along with two more pegasi guards. There was even a young dragon riding on the back of one of the young unicorns- something that caught her by surprise, though it was only a slight curiosity.

Nightmare smiled. In one thousand years, it was nice to know that ponies were still struck by fear in her presence- or perhaps it was just shock that would wear off in time. But now? Now she had their attention, the attention that was her birthright. She let her teeth show in her smile, and a wave of gasps swept through the crowd. "My beloved subjects," she purred, "and yet none of you know who I am," she growled. "Does my crown mean nothing since I have been imprisoned for one thousand years? Am I not royal enough for you!?" she demanded.

She shook with anger, and everypony- even the guards and rainbow-maned mare all flinched back. She breathed in deep breaths and exhaled sharply, panting from rage. "My sister denies even my memory!" she shrieked. For a few seconds, her burning gaze swept over the crowd, searching out any recognition. Surely, somepony other than the guards had to know her!

But as her eyes swept the crowd, they beheld only confusion in addition to the fear. A low growl escaped her throat. So badly did she want to lash out at these naive ponies- to teach them to fear and respect her, but she held herself back. The last thing she needed was to encourage dissent even further. If she was too harsh, her rule would be too fragile and she would never get to enjoy herself. She took a moment to calm herself.

"Your precious princess is gone!" she proclaimed, "Imprisoned in the moon as she did to me!" She flapped her wings and launched herself into the air, then descended and landed on the floor below. Ponies gasped, squeaked, and trembled as she so suddenly appeared much closer. Leaning in and sweeping her slitted eyes over the crowd, she growled in a low voice, "Do any of you know my name!?" she demanded. She scanned the crowd in vain for recognition- other than the guards, if anypony recognized her, she either didn't see them or they hid it well. "Did you not see the signs of my return?"

One pony spoke up, and it was the voice of a filly- most definitely not a soldier- "Y-you-you're N-Nightmare M-Moon!"

To her surprise, it was the young purple unicorn who had a baby dragon on her back. The crowd parted around her, leaving her out in the open. Her eyes darted nervously about as ponies stepped away from her, leaving her unprotected from Nightmare's gaze. For a few seconds, Nightmare just stared at her. The unicorn had a lavender coat with a dark indigo blue mane, complete with a pink and purple highlight. She was well groomed, and now that she looked at her, she stood out in some way that she couldn't place. There was something about her that bothered her. Looking at her, she felt a strange sensation of curiosity, perhaps even amusement. Eventually, she realized she had been staring long enough that the unicorn looked confused, rather than scared. She shook the feeling off and smiled at her. "Then you know why I am here," she said in a sweet, mocking voice.

Her trance broken by the honeyed words of Nightmare Moon, the unicorn gulped. Without an immediate answer, Nightmare took a step forward. A step that was mimicked by the unicorn, who stepped back in response. "Y-you're here to b-bring e-eternal n-night..."

Another gasp echoed out through the crowd.

A slow, methodical chuckle escaped Nightmare's lips. It was oh so sweet, so delicious, that they feared her for bringing eternal night. A thousand years ago ponies had scorned her night, but now these ponies would inherit the wages of those ponies' sins, and they would have to accept eternal night. "You are correct," she purred. For a moment, she stopped to let it sink in. The unicorn backed up and wilted under her gaze. Nightmare snorted, then turned to glance over the crowd. "I am Nightmare Moon, and you will obey my rule or suffer my wrath!"

"S-she's taken the princess! Somepony stop her!" a mare cried out.

Instantly, her gaze shot over to the pony who spoke up. The mayor. Nightmare scowled, and instantly, the pony squeaked. A blue glow surrounded her, then she was heaved up into the air and shot over to Nightmare, bringing her to within inches of the alicorn. Both of them trembled- Nightmare in rage and the mayor in fear.

For several long seconds, Nightmare stared into her eyes. The mare was fearfully silent. With a flair of her nostrils, Nightmare's gaze returned to the crowd. Forcefully, she launched the mare into the crowd.

She squeaked and the ponies she crashed into grunted as they broke her fall. Everypony else jumped out of the way. "I will be merciful since this is just our introduction," she quipped, "but my mercy will not last forever." Her smile returned, once more showing off her predatory maw. "Unlike my night," she promised.

"You would do well to remember this day, little ponies, for it shall be your last! Challenge me at your own peril, even my dear sister knew better than to send her guards against me!" she spat.

"We're not afraid of you!" a raspy voice cried out. Nightmare's glare leveled on the rainbow-maned pegasus. She had shot into the air, but an orange-coated earth pony stood below her, holding onto her tail with her mouth. The earth pony gave a solid tug and pulled the pegasus to the floor with a squeak, but the pegasus still fumed.

Nightmare let out a low chuckle. "And you think you can stop me, pegasus?" she asked.

One step after the other, she walked towards the mare. Even at her methodical approach, the pegasus refused to back down, even when the earth pony beside her stepped back. Eventually, Nightmare stood before her, wings flared, looking down at her. She cast her shadow on the pegasus, but even that did nothing- she still had her chest puffed out arrogantly. "Even Celestia could not stop me!" she hissed. "And you? You're just a pegasus!"

It was an absurd thought. Not only was she just a pegasus, but she didn't even have any training. She wasn't a guard or a soldier, just some arrogant pegasus to be knocked down a few pegs. She couldn't stop herself from laughing at how outlandish the idea was! This mare! This lone pegasus standing up to her and stopping her when even her sister couldn't! As she laughed, everypony else wilted. It brought tears of joy to her eyes- truly she would relish breaking this pony, perhaps the whole of Equestria if this futile resistance persisted.

But perhaps once everypony realized their position, their resistance would fade and she could rule as she wanted.

"Oh yeah! Well, there's a lot more of us and only one of you!"

The pegasus's voice brought her laughter to an immediate halt. "You're kidding. You're kidding, right? You honestly think that these ponies could stop me!?" She cocked her head to the side and leaned down to eye level to match the pegasus's gaze. "My own sister couldn't stop me! And she's an alicorn like I am. And you have the audacity to think that these ponies could stop me!?"

To prove her point, she lifted her head back up and swept her gaze over the crowd. "Look at them!" she ordered. "And see their fear! The guards obey my command! You cannot stop me." For a few seconds, she let it sink in. Sure enough, the pegasus saw that she was the only pony standing up to her. Sweeping her gaze back over the crowd, Nightmare could see that there were ponies who glared at her, but when she cast her gaze on them, most of them wilted. The orange earth pony was one notable exception. She looked back at the pegasus. A little of her determination had wavered, but she was still rebellious. "I could kill you before you could even take flight," she growled.

'I'm wasting time with this! I need to find my sister's student... perhaps this is another planned distraction...' She scowled at the thought. She grabbed the pegasus's head in her magic and tilted her muzzle upward. She reached out with her mane and slid her magic over the pegasus's jaw. "Perhaps we will meet again, and rest assured if our paths cross, next time I won't be quite so merciful."

She held the pegasus firmly. "Let me go!" she demanded.

Just for that, she flicked the pegasus's nose with her mane, hard enough to make her wince and try to jerk back, only to be immobilized by Nightmare's magic. And only then, did she release her head. The mare continued her resistant glare, but her forehoof lifted to rub away the pain on her nose.

In a flash of midnight blue light, Nightmare teleported to just behind the wall of the inner balcony. She held her breath and listened silently. Surely, there had to be some hint or sign or something that she could use to identify and track down Celestia's student!

Every voice was hushed, but a few were harsher than others. It took a short while, but she heard somepony break out into a fear-driven gallop. She would have pushed it aside as somepony running simply out of fear, but it was the only pony who ran- surely, they would run in a herd if they were so scared. And then there was the fact that the pony ran outside of the building, out into her night. After her introduction, surely that would have taken courage.

With another, much softer flash of light from her horn, her body slowly faded in with the darkness until no prying eyes could see her. As soon as she was invisible, another brilliant flash of midnight magic emanated from her horn, briefly illuminating the hallway before her vision shifted.

The pony galloping away was the unicorn mare with the baby dragon. Had she paid attention to her surroundings, rather than her fear, she would have detected Nightmare's teleport, but she did not. Nightmare watched the mare run for a moment, then the sound of the doors to the Town Hall being thrown open again drew her gaze back towards the structure. Five more ponies galloped out, and her eyes narrowed as she watched them. Among their group were the unruly pegasus and stubborn earth pony.

'Six Elements of Harmony,' shot through her mind.

For a moment, she froze in fear. Had she been so blind? Those ponies could have been her sister's students! As she watched them pass by, she frantically looked them over for the Elements, but much to her relief, they were nowhere to be seen. And yet, she knew that they could be racing right towards the Elements to retrieve them.

She spread her wings and bolted into the sky. Following close above them, she watched their every move with intent scrutiny. The rainbow-maned pegasus was at the front, followed close behind by the earth pony, then a white unicorn, then a pink earth pony, and then a yellow pegasus.

The first two, she could understand. The ponies following them, though? The unicorn seemed to be more concerned about getting her hooves dirty from running and not being able to see. The pink earth pony seemed happily oblivious to everything. And the pegasus bringing up the rear of her group was actually terrified of her own shadow cast by the moon.

It was enough to make her squint at them in confusion. 'Is this truly the best you could find? This can't be another distraction!'

Even more bizarre was that they followed the first unicorn to a live oak tree that seemed to have been made into a house, all without killing the tree. Sure, she knew that deer were capable of doing that, but she did not know of ponies who had done that. A closer inspection of the oak tree revealed a sign with a book on it. Indeed, it was a library.

'How fitting,' she mused sarcastically. Of course, it made perfect sense. Her sister's students would be going to a library.

Candlelight glowed from inside the tree, streaming out into her night through windows and the open door. She glided down, then landed and looked inside one of the windows. The lavender-colored unicorn trotted down the stairs, her back free from the young dragon. As soon as she was on the ground level, she dashed over to the bookshelf and started pulling out book after book, searching the titles for something.

Nightmare narrowed her eyes as she observed the unicorn. She looked so utterly terrified, her legs shook, and she seemed on the verge of hyperventilating. But what stuck out more was the fact that she kept muttering "Elements! Elements! Elements!" to herself.

Nightmare felt anger rise in her. It was definitely one of her sister's students. But yet, the pony wasn't even an adult! She was just a filly. Did Celestia truly expect this filly to stop her where she couldn't?

The rest of the ponies arrived. The pegasus shot in through the door, and rather than stopping, she sped up, outstretched her forehooves, and tackled the lavender unicorn to the ground.

For some reason, Nightmare couldn't stop herself from smiling at the sight.

"Who are you and what do you know about Nightmare Moon!?" the pegasus demanded, pinning the unicorn to the floor. "Are you a spy?!"

"What!? NO!" the unicorn shot back frantically. "S-she's just... I-I read it in a book!" she defended.

"Rainbow Dash!" the orange earth pony called. The rainbow-maned pegasus- apparently named 'Rainbow Dash', looked back at the earth pony. "How could she be a spy?" she asked, "She's the princess' student for land sake, girl!"

'Just one student...' ran through Nightmare's mind.

The pegasus huffed and swatted her wings at the air. "Alright, fine... geez..." Rainbow slowly pulled back from the unicorn she had pinned. "I'm sorry," she offered.

The unicorn continued to stare at her with caution and uncertainty. Eventually, she started to pick herself up, wincing as she did so. As soon as she was standing once again, she shot a glare at the pegasus.

If she were visible, Nightmare's teeth would have shown in a display of amusement.

The four other ponies slowly gathered around the unicorn, and she looked between them nervously. "Twilight Sparkle, right?" the orange earth pony asked. The unicorn- Twilight Sparkle- nodded.

'Twilight Sparkle... my sister's student...' Nightmare mused. As she thought about it, she found that she liked that name. Twilight, evening- the time between day and night. While she had always preferred her night, the evenings when the sun was low in the sky was a time of her sister's day that she once enjoyed- the lighting was so calm and peaceful, even if it wasn't nearly as calm and serene as her night.

"How do you know about Nightmare Moon?" the earth pony asked.

"Does she really have Princess Celestia?" the white unicorn asked frantically.

"Is-is she really bringing in e-eternal night?" the yellow pegasus squeaked.

"Are you sure her name isn't Queen Meany? Or Black Snooty? I think those names would fit her better. What happened to her anyway? She said she was Princess Celestia's sister. Did Princess Celestia forget her birthday or something?" the pink pony asked.

Immediately, Nightmare decided that among this group, the pink pony was her least favorite, more than the rainbow-maned pegasus. Her voice was so sharp and high pitched, it gave her a headache just hearing it- and she wasn't even in the same room.

Twilight Sparkle looked at her hooves, almost guiltily. Nightmare frowned for the briefest of instants. "I... had found a book yesterday... Predictions and Prophecies. It... spoke of Nightmare Moon and her return... I... I guess that... Nightmare Moon is... Princess Celestia's sister..." she said hesitantly.

The unicorn seemed to struggle with saying that. Her features expressed vulnerability as if it wouldn't have taken anything to crack her like an egg. "I... I asked Princess Celestia about her, but... she..." she trailed off, lifted her head up, and looked at the others pleadingly. "She said that Nightmare Moon was just an old pony's tale! That she wasn't real. Sh-she lied to me!" Her ears folded back at the admission.

As Twilight's ears pulled back, Nightmare's brow creased. For a moment, she thought back to the lies that her sister had spouted to her- that she was overreacting, that ponies actually did love her and her night, but the proof was never there. The reminder stroked her ire, yet at the same time, she felt a connection to the unicorn. She looked so absolutely devastated by the revelation that Celestia had lied to her.

Nightmare both relished it and abhorred it, and the duality she felt conflicted her. The pony she watched was her sister's student- the pony her plan seemed to revolve around. She was defenseless, she wouldn't be able to protect herself. Killing her or capturing her would have been so simple, and then she could torture her and break her, all the while goading to Celestia about how her failure brought on Twilight's pain.

But perhaps, letting her go free for a little while longer would prove valuable. After all, she had not seen the Elements of Harmony in her possession. And so long as she didn't have the Elements under lock and key, they could pose a threat to her. So Nightmare bided her time- she could afford to wait and observe this group, at least for a while. If anypony could locate the Elements of Harmony, perhaps it would be Twilight Sparkle, her sister's student.

"Hey now, I'm sure Princess Celestia had a good reason..." the orange pony offered, but her expression betrayed her true thoughts- she did not like the idea of Princess Celestia lying about it. It didn't sit well with her, even if there was a good reason behind it.

Twilight nodded sullenly. "I-I mean.. s-she had to, right?" she asked, seeking out whatever reassurance could be offered to her.

The pink pony smiled, then bounced over to her and hugged her. "I'm sure she had a good reason!" she offered cheerfully.

Hesitantly, Twilight returned the hug and laid her head down on the pony's shoulder. Nightmare watched as her ears slowly lifted back, and it seemed like the hug renewed her. "Y-you're right... she... she probably just wanted to... protect me... Nightmare Moon said that Princess Celestia ordered the guards to... not try to stop her... probably to protect them too..." Twilight said. "But... I-I could have helped her!" Once again, her expression shattered. "H-how did this happen? Why didn't Princess Celestia s-stop her?"

Slowly, the pink pony pulled back from the hug. "It'll be okay," she said.

Over the next few seconds, Nightmare watched Twilight's expression intently. Uncertainty shifted to optimism, back to uncertainty and hopelessness, then determination. Twilight's eyes glanced over the other ponies.

"We're all with you! We've gotta stop Nightmare Moon somehow," Rainbow Dash said. The rest of the ponies nodded in affirmation.

Twilight nodded. "R-right... um... The book said that Princess Celestia used something called the Elements of Harmony to defeat her and banish her to the moon. Um... I briefly studied it, but I-I don't remember all that well a-and I-I can't find the book..." she trailed off.

The pink pony cocked her head to the side. "You mean that one book called 'The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide' that you brought with you and you left sitting on the desk upstairs?"

Everypony stared at the pink pony. Nightmare was about to brush it off as more of her obliviousness, but Twilights mouth opened in a slow, concerned manner. "How... do you know that... when I forgot about that..?"

The pink pony closed her eyes, smiling, and giggled. "Oh, I saw the guards carry it upstairs when I was getting your party ready and I didn't see you take it down with you when we left."

"Oh, okay," Twilight said. A moment later, and she walked over to the stairs, then vanished from Nightmare's sight. A short time later, she walked back down the stairs bringing with her the book in her magenta magic. She flipped through the book's pages as she walked, displaying a skill of being able to walk without falling while reading at the same time. "It says there are six Elements of Harmony: Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Honesty, and the sixth Element is unknown." She paused to skim further. "The sixth Element will be revealed by a spark?" she asked aloud.

'The Element of Magic,' Nightmare noted.

"It's better than nothing," the orange earth pony offered.

Twilight continued reading. Nightmare licked her lips. "It says that the last known location was the Castle of the Two Sisters in-" she lowered the book and looked up at the other ponies. Nightmare Moon heard her gulp from outside. "-in the Everfree Forest!"

A collective gasp escaped the lips of all the other ponies lips.

Nightmare scowled. 'I searched for the Elements at my castle! They weren't there! The book is wrong...'

"Th-The Everfree Forest? That place ain't natural!"

"That place is just dreadful! It's full of icky monsters and things! And no paved roads."

"U-um... maybe we should... t-tell Princess Cadance? M-maybe she can... um... h-help?" the timid pegasus offered.

Nightmare Moon's gaze came to rest on her, and the pony seemed to flinch as if she could tell she was being watched. 'Another princess? Surely, she's not an alicorn... Or did you truly try to replace me, sister?'

Twilight shook her head. "No... Canterlot is too far, and... Cadance isn't a fighter."

'You didn't use her title? Do you know this Cadance?' Nightmare wondered.

"No, we have to find the Elements... I have to find the Elements..." Twilight nodded grimly and looked at the floor. Nightmare strained to hear what she spoke, "None of you have to come with me..."

"Are you kidding me!?" Rainbow Dash cried out. "We can't just let you go in there alone!"

"She's right," the orange earth pony agreed. "A small thing like you'd never be able to make it on your own."

Nightmare smirked as Twilight scowled at the earth pony. Twilight collected herself and stood straighter, proudly. "I'll have you know I'm Princess Celestia's protege! Princess Celestia personally taught me about magic. I can handle myself!"

"No offense Twilight, but Applejack's right. You're just a filly! Besides, it seems like you need all the help you can get," Rainbow offered.

"I have to agree with her, even if... I really don't want to go into that dreadful place."

Twilight sighed and slumped down, scowling. "Fine," she huffed. She closed the book and put it on the table in the middle of the room, then trotted towards the door. Nightmare watched her, then stepped away from the window to watch as she trotted out of the library. The other five ponies followed behind her at the same pace, although Rainbow Dash flew up beside her.

As they made their way through the town, Nightmare took into the sky to fly overhead and watch on. The trip to the edge of the forest was a quiet, uneventful one. Nightmare found herself relaxing and smiling, despite knowing that the group of ponies below her were the focus of her sister's plans to stop her.

After all, if that was the best her sister had, there really wasn't anything for her to worry about. So instead of worrying, she decided to enjoy this little break. Perhaps it could be a fun game to mess with them and rile them up, or maybe she should just observe them as they trekked through the forest.

It would give her an opportunity to observe and ponder her sister's student. The filly had piqued her interest. Perhaps torturing her was a bit harsh- she was still a filly, even if she practically was an adult. And the thought of torturing a foal left a bitter taste in her mouth.

It was nearly the same reason why she could justify granting mercy to ponies- specifically, Rainbow Dash. They hadn't committed the same transgressions against her that the ponies from so long ago had. They had some innocence to them, so she would give these ponies the same chance she had given them before.

If they betrayed that chance and refused to respect her, then she would deal with them harshly. But then, of course, she knew that dealing with them harshly would give them more reason to resent her and less reason to love her. She would need to develop a balance.

But given that Rainbow Dash was taking a stance with Twilight Sparkle, her dear sister's student, who was meant to stop her, she questioned her decision to grant the rebellious pegasus a second chance.

As the group of mares headed into the forest, Nightmare wondered if rather than being her enemies, they could be of some use to her. Rainbow Dash had, after all, stood up to her- foolish as it was. Perhaps that in of itself was a redeeming quality- even the pegasi guards cowered before her. Perhaps she could offer her a chance to become one of her soldiers- although her loyalty would probably always be in question. It was at least an idea.

'And perhaps,' Nightmare thought as they made their way deeper into the forest, 'you, Twilight Sparkle, could become my student instead of my sister's?' she mused. Even knowing that Twilight Sparkle was currently on a quest to obtain the greatest threat to her- The Elements of Harmony- and use them to stop her, she found the idea entertaining.

After all, perhaps then, she would have some semblance of victory over her sister- stealing her student from her, making Twilight Sparkle her own student. 'But then, do you truly care for this Twilight Sparkle, or is she but a tool for you to use against me?' she wondered. Thinking back on how Celestia acted in their encounter, she came to the conclusion that, 'No, she is more than just a tool to you. You trust her, you have faith in her. You put your life and the lives of everypony in her hooves... You care about her.'

Nightmare smiled. She was thinking about Celestia, yes, and that normally would have made her want to scream and rage and level everything in sight, but instead, she was calm. Jubliant, even. For Celestia had delivered her student, somepony who she undoubtedly cherished, right into her hooves: A perfect way to get back at her for every agonizing moment and every slight against her.

And, of course, if Twilight refused, she could still stick with her original plan. Torturing and killing a filly didn't sit well with her, but for the joy she would extract from her sister's misery? Oh, it would be worth it. Plus, Twilight was barely a filly now. She was practically an adult, which meant it wouldn't bother her quite as much.

She smiled contently, cheerfully even, as the group of ponies finally reached the ravine that separated the castle from the rest of the forest. She glided down and landed on the side of the ravine with her castle. She idly cast her gaze about, imagining what the future would look like for her palace.

She beheld the rope bridge with disgust, and in its place, imagined a proper stone bridge spanning the chasm- one which would stand a thousand years and then ten thousand more.

Turning her attention back to the group of mares, she listened once again. "...get across!?"

Rainbow Dash flared her wings out, then fluffed them. She smiled arrogantly. "Duh," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah!"

Rainbow propelled herself into the air with her wings, then dived down into the ravine, grabbed the rope, then flew up to the other side.

'Perhaps you're not simply an arrogant pegasus,' Nightmare mused. She had to admit, Rainbow Dash had some skill when it came to her flying. And she was fast.

Rainbow tied the ropes to the posts, then one at a time, the other ponies- including the timid pegasus, to her surprise- walked across the chasm.

As they reached the side with the ruined castle, they looked around in awe- or, in the case of the white unicorn, a mixture of remorse, disgust, and horror.

Nightmare followed casually, but not before casting a spell so that her hoofsteps were silenced. As a group, they went into the castle to search, eventually coming to the throne room.

Nightmare had to pause as she looked over the destruction she and the past thousand years had caused. She felt a feeling of nostalgia to see the Throne Room in such a state. Celestia's throne lay broken, with the glass window behind the shattered thrones long since gone, destroyed at her birth. But, to her discomfort and disappointment, her own throne had not faired the past thousand years any better than her sister's throne- it lay broken and crumbling, covered in moss and forgotten.

She suppressed a sigh and then cast her gaze at the pedestal that had housed the Elements one thousand years ago. The stone was rough and worn, having not been maintained over her banishment.

Then, to her surprise, she saw five inert stones, one on each of the pedestal's outreached arms. 'How!?' shout out in her mind. She had searched the castle grounds with her magic for the Elements but hadn't found them, yet here they were! Reaching out with her magic again, she realized why she hadn't sensed them before: 'They're... inert?'

It took a moment for it to click, and when it clicked, it took all of her willpower to stop herself from breaking out into ecstatic laughter that would reveal her position. Her sister had lost her connection to the Elements, and away from the Tree, they became inert! No wonder her sister had not tried to fight her with the Elements. She couldn't! They needed to be awakened. The easiest way she knew to do that was to return the Elements to the Tree, but from what she could tell, Twilight Sparkle did not know about the Tree.

Overjoyed by the revelation, she strode into the room. The group split, but they all lingered close. Twilight walked over to the pedestal and levitated the stone orbs down. "These must be the Elements of Harmony... but they don't look anything like in the book!"

"What are we supposed to do now?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know... give me a minute..." Twilight replied. She laid down on the floor and laid the inert Elements around her body in a circle.

For a moment, it gave Nightmare pause. The five inert Elements surrounded Twilight in a way that was oh-so-familiar. It was how they were arrayed on the tree. She took a moment to admire it- whether on accident or chance, Twilight had become the centerpiece of the inert Elements- magic.

"Alright. Come on, everypony, let's give her some time to figure this out," Applejack said.

Nightmare watched as the other five mares slowly walked out of the room, leaving Twilight alone with the inert Elements, and of course, herself.

Knowing that she was safe, Nightmare approached Twilight, then came to a stop and looked over her body. As soon as her gaze fell on Twilight's cutie mark, she felt that odd sense of curiosity return. Her cutie mark was a six-pointed pink star-burst, surrounded by five six-pointed white stars. Emanating out of the six-pointed pink starburst were six white rays.

It left her dumbfounded.

Her cutie mark, along with the way she and the inert Elements were arrayed. It could not have been a coincidence. Startled, she cautiously looked around the room, carefully searching out anything else that she had missed. But there was nothing there except for Twilight and the inert Elements.

Her cutie mark was representational of magic, and she, undoubtedly, was representative of the Element of Magic and born to wield it. It was her destiny, and it was a great destiny.

This Twilight Sparkle, her sister's student, was perhaps the single greatest threat to her in existence- even more so than the Elements of Harmony themselves. It made her look at the filly in a different light, and yet, she could not escape the feeling that she couldn't have been a threat to her. She wasn't aggressive. Her build was light, and she wasn't athletic. She had none of the characteristics of a fighter or a spy, nor that of an assassin.

She was a scholar.

Nightmare shuddered.

But, while she was such a powerful threat, that also meant that if she played her cards right, she could become her most powerful tool, or perhaps, even an ally. And besides that, there was still something more to her.

Carefully, she lit her horn with just enough magic to perform a spell, while attempting to mask the glow of her magic from her horn. Fortunately, with the roof destroyed in her battle with Celestia, the moonlight was enough to hide her hornlight. She reached out with the barest amount of magic she could to pull it off and examined Twilight's magic.

She wasn't an ordinary unicorn- that much was obvious. Her pool of magic was large and powerful, and it was incomplete. Twilight herself felt incomplete, like she was still a work in progress, not what she was meant to be. She could feel just how much effort she had put into her magical studies, and in turn, she could feel just how much potential she had- it rivaled Starswirl the Bearded's potential. And she was a filly.

It made her shiver in fear. But Twilight wasn't a fighter, nor a soldier. She was a student. Her sister's student, but she was still a filly, still growing and developing. If Twilight had been an alicorn like herself, her potential would have rivaled Celestia, and her own potential, combined.

But for now? Now, Twilight was vulnerable. Killing her would be easy. A lance of magic through her heart, or her neck, or through her head. And that wasn't even being creative. She could easily list off a dozen ways to kill the filly before her. But she kept them all to herself and watched.

She couldn't shake the feeling that Twilight somehow knew she was nearby- perhaps she had felt the brush of her magic, but whatever the cause, she looked afraid. The glow of her horn sputtered, failing to reveal the Element of Magic, despite her best efforts.

But while Nightmare was content to watch for a while, her patience did wear out after watching her fail so many times to unlock the Elements. She was missing something. Twilight was, after all, incomplete. With a quick flash from her horn, Nightmare dispelled the magic cloaking her in the night.

Twilight's reaction was instant- she could feel the magic released and felt Nightmare's eyes on her. With a quick glance back to see her, she let out a scream, then jumped up and took step after trembling step back away from her. "N-no! N-no! No!" she shouted.

Nightmare raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that truly the best you can do?" she asked with disinterest. Twilight trembled and lit her horn, then angled it down at Nightmare. "Did my sister even teach you how to fight with your magic?" she asked curiously.

Twilight froze up at that. It was all the answer Nightmare needed, not that she needed any confirmation to know it was the case. If Twilight Sparkle knew how to fight with magic, then it was not combat spells, but using other spells for the purpose of defending herself.

Nightmare lifted a leg up, then stepped forward, avoiding the inert Elements as if they were nothing but rocks- which they were. As she approached Twilight, the unicorn backed up until her haunches pressed up against the cold stone wall. She squeaked and jumped, but Nightmare continued to approach her, smiling.

"S-stay back!" Twilight shouted.

"As I told your pegasus friend," Nightmare drawled, rolling her eyes dismissively, "Your mentor couldn't stop me. What makes you think that you can?"

Twilight wilted as Nightmare continued her march. She shied back and laid down before the alicorn as her shadow fell upon her. In her state of primal fear, her horn went dim; she lost her grasp on her magic, and that only served to intensify the fear she displayed.

"Come on, everypony! We need to hurry!" Applejack's voice shouted.

Nightmare scowled and turned back towards the doorway. "It seems your friends heard your scream," she noted casually.

"Th-they're n-not..." Twilight trailed off. Nightmare turned to look back at Twilight as the five mares entered the room. "M-my... friends?" she asked.

There was a sparkle in her eye.

'A spark,' she realized. In an instant, Nightmare recognized her peril. She was in danger and had but seconds to act. She was afraid. She was angry. She was ecstatic. Finally! A chance for her to actually have a challenge!

Nightmare's right hind leg stepped back with lightning fast speed. She turned, lighting her horn and flaring her wings. The five mares had taken a V-shaped formation facing her, with Applejack at the head. At the bottom of her vision, she could see the Elements awakening, and the pink six-pointed star that was Magic materialized out of the large orb atop the pedestal.

"F-friends..?" Twilight asked again, confused.

Nightmare reached out with her magic, teleporting the five mares across the room, then grabbing them in her magic and holding them down them down. She hastily bound them with her magic, but her focus was elsewhere. With another quick spell, she grabbed the awakened Elements of Harmony and teleported them into a quickly made pocket dimension so that they were out of reach.

"N-no!" Twilight cried out as the Elements flashed away in Nightmare's blue aura.

Had Celestia taught her better, Nightmare knew that Twilight could have interdicted her teleportation spells or the pocket dimension. Instead, she didn't. And Nightmare found herself disappointed. The Elements weren't a threat. Their bearers were subdued and-

And a pair of hooves connected with her chestplate. It was a kick. A powerful kick. Her head jerked forward as her chestplate was kicked. She actually skidded back a foot from the kick, then let out a cough from the rattling her insides received.

That hurt. A lot. And her chest was undoubtedly bruised from the blow, and her chestplate felt uncomfortable against her body.

A quick glance down at her chestplate surprised her- the kick had dented it in. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had broken free. She hadn't bound Twilight, so she was free and had found her magic again. Her efforts were on trying to use it to free the others.

Applejack lunged at her- she was definitely the kicker. 'I forgot just how strong earth ponies can be,' Nightmare mused. Nightmare stepped back and jumped to the side to avoid her lunge. Applejack had too much follow-through, and with nothing to connect with, she stumbled. As soon as Applejack was off balance, she capitalized on the opening and sideswiped her chest with her armored hoof. She put just enough force into it to disable her without breaking anything- Applejack still wheezed as Nightmare's kick knocked the air out of her lungs and toppled her over.

Stronger bindings of magic wrapped around Applejack, nearly crushing her while preventing her from inhaling all the way.

She hastily glanced at Twilight, then her gaze fell on Rainbow Dash. Twilight struggled against the magic bindings holding the rest of her 'friends', but it seemed that she hadn't completely recovered from her panic.

Rather than devote more energy to fighting Rainbow than she needed to, she decided to show her just how outmatched she was against an alicorn. She grabbed Rainbow in her magic by her tail.

"Hey!" was Rainbow's defiant shout. At the very least, she was amusing.

Still holding on Rainbow's tail, Nightmare flung the pegasus at the wall so quickly she squawked. Nightmare watched as best she could, but she had thrown Rainbow hard and fast. Rainbow struggled to try to stop herself, but it was futile- she slammed into the wall.

She hit the wall with her wing upright- it was a better outcome than it would have been if her wing was outstretched, but it wasn't nearly as good for her as if her wing had been folded. She cried out in pain, and as she hit the stone floor, she grabbed at her wing joint with her forehoof.

Nightmare was sure it wasn't broken- Rainbow had folded her wing. But nonetheless, she knew it must have been painful. With Rainbow not daring to strike out at her again, she quickly bound her with stronger bindings. Rainbow grimaced as the bindings glowed to life around her wings and held them tightly in place.

Once again, Nightmare found herself disappointed. Neither of the group's fighters put up much of a fight. She longed for battling a unicorn, but a dispassionate look at Twilight already told her that wasn't going to happen- Twilight was still struggling to free the white unicorn, her horn sputtering. Her cheeks were damp with tears, and so her fur was padded down.

Nightmare frowned at that, but not from disappointment. She couldn't place it.

It took a few seconds for Twilight to realize that something was wrong. She was so caught up in trying to free the white unicorn that she didn't notice how she looked or where her gaze was directed. But, eventually, she did notice, and so, she stopped trying to free her when she realized that both Rainbow and Applejack were injured and bound.

Slowly, Twilight took a step back from the unicorn, keeping her body low to the floor in her best effort not to invoke Nightmare's wrath.

"I already know you're not going to fight, so instead I'll ask if you're going to run," Nightmare said with disinterest.

Twilight bit her lip and looked around at the other bound ponies, then back at Nightmare.

Nightmare frowned a bit. "I'll take that as a no." She gripped Twilight Sparkle in her magic and held her firmly, then bound her with her magic. She layered bindings on her horn to seal off her potent magic, which seemed to scare Twilight even more, but she still didn't resist out of the same fear.

Surveying her work, she still found herself so incredibly disappointed at their resistance- or rather, lack thereof. 'Was this the best you could do?' It was so disheartening. Truly, it made her disdain for Celestia grow even more- Celestia had gotten her hopes up for a good battle, and then stole the wind beneath her wings by exactly who she had to stop- a group of young mares and a filly, none of them trained to fight her. And the filly was their leader.

Or, perhaps Celestia had simply messed up her own plans more than Nightmare realized. She shook her head, and cast her magic on them, alongside speaking one command: "Sleep."

Author's Note

Published this today because, in all honesty, I'd feel bad if I didn't publish something today, given how the first chapter ends...

Plus a dry spell would probably be bad right now, and I almost finished another chapter this week, and I still have several chapters finished, so why not?

Queen

Almost immediately, the six ponies had fallen asleep without any resistance. Whether they dreamed peacefully or had haunting nightmares mattered little. It was none of Nightmare's concern. Right now, she had more important matters to take care of since she had put an end to Celestia's plan to stop her.

Nightmare kept expecting something to happen. Surely, it couldn't have been this easy and simple to stop her sister's plan! Celestia had one thousand years to prepare. But yet nothing else happened. No assassins from the shadows, no grand army suddenly appearing to challenge her. She couldn't believe it. She won. It was her grand victory over Celestia! She had finally triumphed. Equestria was hers- she was Queen now, or would be soon, and her night would last forever.

But it still felt like a hollow victory. So much had Celestia denied her- the pleasure of fighting her and bringing her low, the pleasure of making her beg and of breaking her, and the pleasure of a meaningful challenge to taking Equestria. She kept expecting to feel like she had accomplished her victory, but it just never came.

Even banishing Celestia was a bittersweet victory- she inflicted the same punishment on her that she had endured, but in doing so, defiled the visage of her glorious moon, as it had been for the past thousand years.

'Must you continue to deny me everything!?' In rage, she stamped her hoof down on the stone floor, creating a spider web of cracks expanding outward from her hoof. She growled, wondering if perhaps, it was part of Celestia's plan to deny her the sweet taste of victory by simply making it feel so utterly worthless.

But still, now that Celestia's student, along with her 'friends,' was incapacitated, she didn't have to worry about them. And the Elements were stowed away in a pocket dimension. It was a short-term solution to the problem- holding the Elements in a pocket dimension took more magic than she wanted to devote to containing them. But, it gave her time to think and revise her plans as necessary. She could kill Twilight Sparkle and her friends, but instead, she knew they could be useful.

Nightmare had already decided on her course of action regarding Twilight Sparkle- attempt to persuade her to become her student. Twilight was a threat to her, but there was simply too much potential to ignore. The curious part of her simply wouldn't allow her to throw away that potential without at least trying to convince Twilight to become her student. And there was something about her she still couldn't place.

'But how do I best approach this problem?' she wondered. She barely knew anything about this Twilight Sparkle, other than she was a powerful unicorn filly, the student of her sister, bearer of the Element of Magic, and she had more than enough potential to be her downfall.

And even if Twilight did accept, who was to say it wasn't a ruse? She frowned at that thought. 'Then if you accept I will have to keep you on a leash, won't I?'

But she would have time to think and deal with them later. For now, Equestria called to her, seeking out her rightful Queen. She was needed in Canterlot- she needed to affirm her rule and crush any potential dissent, and investigate the Captain of the Guard and this other princess. Perhaps she would learn more about Twilight Sparkle in Canterlot. Since Twilight was her sister's student, she would likely find out more about her in her sister's chambers.

But first, she needed to do something with her captives. As she looked over the sleeping mares, she briefly considered just leaving them there. They wouldn't be able to escape, at least on their own. But there was the chance that somepony would come by to free them, and that would cause her undue stress. And then, of course, there was also the fact that they would be rather vulnerable and exposed. Even inside the castle's throne room, there was a chance that some animal or creature would come by and find them an easy target.

And that simply wouldn't do.

Scowling, she levitated the sleeping mares in her magic, then started the journey from the throne room to the castle's dungeons. After the first step, she paused and glanced down at her dented chestplate. Rather than take it off or examine it further, she simply bent it back into shape with her magic. Sadly, the armor no longer held the same gleam that it did- it had been battered by Applejack's kick- and even with her magic to bend it back into place, it wasn't perfect. It still showed the signs that it had been damaged. Her chestplate had been her constant companion for a thousand years. Seeing it damaged and so abused now that she wasn't in a battle was strangely disappointing.

But, nonetheless, Nightmare had a task at hoof. She pushed the concern from her mind and made her way out of the Throne Room, then into the castle's passages. Walking the castle's ruined corridors was peaceful, with the only sounds coming from her magic and the click of her boots on the stone floor. Nothing stirred- it was as if every animal had forgotten about the castle's existence, or purposefully avoided it.

Most likely, it was the latter. After all, they knew she was back, and that they would not be welcome in her home. As she walked past one collapsed doorway, she grimaced. 'I will have to find a temporary residence while repairs are done to the castle... Celestia's chambers will do.'

Eventually, she made her way down into the dungeon. The cold seemed to seep into her coat and sap the warmth from her core. It brought back fond memories right alongside memories she'd rather forget. Most of the cells were too small to house all six of them comfortably or were in a state of disrepair, but she managed to find one cell that would do. With an application of her magic to the gate, she forced it open with a loud groaning, then levitated the six mares inside and laid them down without awakening them. She briefly looked them over, then shut the gate and locked it with her magic.

Before moving on, she looked over them again and found her gaze drawn to Twilight Sparkle. Out of the entire group, she was easily the youngest, by at least two years, perhaps more. Judging from how Rainbow acted at the library, Nightmare suspected that Twilight Sparkle barely knew any of them and that the journey to her castle had been the extent of their time together. She also didn't seem to recognize them as friends until they came back for her.

As she pondered this, her gaze wandered over Twilight's body. She was small and weak. Vulnerable. Defenseless. It would have been so easy to just end her life right then and there. And oh, the temptation was there, even with her plan in mind. And yet, there was something else there too. The filly was a curiosity and held her interest. Her gaze settled on her flank and she took in her cutie mark once again. 'So much potential...' She licked her lips, then shook her head. She turned away, only to pause and look back at the filly. There was something else too, aside from the curiosity at her potential, but try as she did, she couldn't find an answer for what else it was that made the filly stand out so much.

For a moment, she hesitated, then she used her magic and laid Twilight down closer to the rest of her friends. She pondered the choice for a few seconds, unsure of why she wasted her time doing that, but she took some sense of enjoyment from it. Twilight Sparkle still looked scared in her sleep, but it seemed that being closer to the other ponies helped. 'Herd instinct?' she wondered.

She broke her gaze from Twilight, then examined the cell's gate. Like the rest of the castle, it was run down. Although it was usable, it wasn't in the best condition, and that didn't sit well with her. With the mares and Twilight so secured, they would be defenseless if something managed to break into the cell.

Based on that, she spent a few seconds reinforcing the gate with her magic so that no stray creatures would be able to easily break into the cell. Once she was satisfied that her captives were secure and protected, she turned and marched out of the dungeon without any further thought, leaving them to the cold darkness.

Like the trip to the dungeons, the trip back up was uneventful, leaving Nightmare to her own thoughts as she navigated the castle from memory. No longer distracted by the need to stop her sister's student and disable the Elements of Harmony, she found herself taking time to enjoy the moonlit stroll.

It had been so long since she had enjoyed her night and had been able to just relax. For a thousand years, she was locked away from her night and peace had been so far from her mind. The anger, bitterness, and resentment were still there as she walked on, but it was simmering in the back of her mind. For now, she could take a moment to relax.

There was work to be done, but the biggest threat was out of the way. As she walked out into the courtyard, she found her mind drifting back to how hollow her victory felt. It was wonderful to triumph over her sister, but it wasn't what she had hoped it would be. It was nothing like she had envisioned. But she still took pleasure in her victory and putting a stop to her sister's plans to stop her. And, of course, she could take pleasure in knowing Equestria would be hers in the next several dozen hours after word had spread and she had established her rule.

And perhaps she would have a student of her own.

Nightmare slowed and pursed her lips. 'Were it one thousand years ago, the idea of me taking a student would have made me laugh at the absurdity...' she mused. 'But now, I look forward to that prospect and I'm already used to the idea... interesting.' She spread her wings, then kicked off and launched herself into the air. With powerful beats of her wings, she ascended far above the castle's ruined towers and the tree canopy, flying towards Canterlot.

Feeling the chill of the night wind against her black coat brought a genuine smile to her lips. She closed her eyes and flew by instinct. She felt the subtle shifts in the air currents, she felt the air pressure, and she felt the faint humidity on the air. But more than that, she felt the night- her night. In the soft moonlight, she felt so alive and refreshed!

For a time, she flew freely towards Canterlot, ignoring the unextinguishable inferno of hatred for her sister, letting her mind wander freely. Even uncontrolled, her thoughts kept drifting back to her sister's student. Her thoughts weren't of ire, but of curiosity. Who was this Twilight Sparkle?

However, once she flew beyond the range of the Everfree Forest, she took control of her thoughts once more. Her anger and bitterness returned to the forefront of her mind. Canterlot stood on the side of the mountain in the distance like a jewel. But no, not just any jewel- it was the jewel of her sister's crown. The seat of her sister's power.

It was a shame that she needed someplace to stay and use as her capital while she had her home rebuilt, but how fortunate her sister left her a place that would suffice.

Now that her fury had returned, her flight no longer felt so relaxing nor calming. So rather than simply waste her time flying the rest of the way to the grand city in a futile attempt to gain some pleasure from it, she lit her horn and teleported high above the city.

As she appeared in a flash of dark blue light, she cast her gaze down and surveyed the city. In the moon's soft glow, the city was beautiful and far grander than she had expected. Truly, the city of Canterlot was one that proudly displayed wealth- it stood as a beacon on a mountain, befitting a princess or even a Queen like herself. The City was built upon stone platforms of some kind, in several large circles. She could feel magic and enchantments radiating off of the city's foundation- the city wasn't just built on a mountain for looks, it was built to last, survive, and thrive.

The countless buildings were all massive- perhaps nearly every structure could have been described as a mansion, although Nightmare was sure that the city's population meant that a good portion of the buildings were residencies for multiple families. Everything appeared to be constructed of marble and gold, which definitely rang of her sister's doing; she would have chosen silver over gold. The largest structures dominated the central, highest-up platform: the palace. Calling it a castle simply did not do it justice, it was extravagant. Going outward from the palace at the city's center, the structures gradually grew smaller and shorter, but they were still just as extravagant as everything else in the city.

Even with the city jutting out from the mountain, it was walled, and the walls were formidable- easily six ponies could stand shoulder to shoulder on tops of the walls, although they were only as tall as the roofs of the smaller one-story structures. And oh, there wasn't just one wall surrounding the outermost parts of the city's platforms. There was the outer wall surrounding the entire city, and then there was an inner wall protecting the central platform that housed the palace. Aided by how raised the central platform was above the other surrounding platforms, the wall reached to the tops of the multistory mansions nearby and then stood higher still, granting no vantage point to rain spells nor arrows down upon the defenders.

Truly, this city conveyed power, and Nightmare beheld in her eyes a great power. Building a city so grand would have been a monumental feat, and her sister had pulled it off in her absence. 'What else did you accomplish while I was gone, sister..?' the thought came without anger, but with a genuine curiosity.

While it wouldn't have taken long to rebuild her home, she knew that the effort she would need to make to turn her home into something so formidable and striking as this city would take much longer. And even then, she would only have her home, her castle- she wouldn't have a grand city like this.

And she was unsure how protected her home would be compared to Canterlot. The city was, after all, on the side of a mountain. Looking around, she found that she could see only one path that an army could have taken to attack the city- and it led to the main gate of the outer walls. The path twisted up a long path all the way up the mountain; any invading army would have to climb a great distance, giving the defenders another advantage.

In comparison, her home would have the short ravine and then the Everfree Forest. She did not discount the Everfree Forest- so many creatures called that forest their home. Creatures that could turn a pony to stone just by looking at them, creatures that could swallow a pony in one bite. It was a good defense, and anypony trying to send an army through the Everfree had to be insane, but it was still doable.

However, her home also had one advantage Canterlot didn't. Very few ponies knew about the existence of her home, apparently. Perhaps she could keep it that way- rather than making her old castle her capital, she could keep it as her home, her retreat, with only a few dozen guards and servants. Perhaps it could be a place of solitude for her, where she could relax, but also where she would be safe should the need arise. She could weave her magic into the castle, so much magic that nopony could have a hope of destroying the castle, nor stealing what she hid away there.

Keeping Canterlot as her capital, then, seemed to be the best course of action. Her sister truly would let her have no victories. Nightmare scowled.

Briefly, she wondered if her pegasus messenger had arrived yet. She cast her gaze towards the walls in turn, then examined the palace. There seemed to be activity, but even with the moonlight illuminating the city, she was simply too far above to make it out. She angled her wings, then slowly descended towards the central platform and the palace it held.

Silently, she glided through the night air. No sentries raised any cries of alarm, despite her expectations. No pegasi guards flew up to intercept her, as she had prepared for. But finally, as the moon cast her shadow over the courtyard, the guards reacted. Calls rang out, soldiers stopped and looked up to behold Nightmare's terrifying visage.

She landed gracefully, with her hind hooves clicking against the stone before her front hooves. The instant she touched down, she flared her wings out wider and swept her gaze around, letting her slit-pupils take in the forms of the guards gathering around her.

Everypony wore the same accursed golden armor that the rest of the guards she had encountered wore- it simply wouldn't do, one of the first things she would have to decree was a change in color- silver would be much more fitting a color for her guards under her reign. As an added benefit, the darker color would stand out less than gold. It would blend in better with her night.

After the armor, the next thing she noticed was that there seemed to be only a few coat and mane colors present in the gathered stallions- white coats and tan coats, and then bright blue manes. Upon closer inspection, she could fell a subtle magic at work coming from their armor. 'An illusion spell,' she realized, 'to keep them looking similar, so they appear as one imposing force. Clever.' There were far more white-coated stallions than tan coated stallions, leading her to ponder if it was some indicator or rank.

Next, she noticed that the guards gathered around her were disproportionately unicorns, then pegasi, with the minority by far being earth ponies. She pondered why this would be, but there were a dozen possible answers, and she didn't know which one was the real reason, or if it was some reason she hadn't considered.

But of course, even with their far greater numbers than her, her form struck fear into them. Their legs trembled, but they were more sure of themselves than the pegasi guards she had encountered before. Not that their numbers mattered- if they stood up to her, she could crush them in an instant.

Nightmare smiled at them and let her eyes continued to wonder over them, stopping to rest her gaze on each soldier for a brief moment before going onto the next one. Taking in their reaction to her sharp teeth was oh-so-priceless, and even with a herd of them present to protect one another, they still simply couldn't fight off that natural feeling of fear she invoked- after all, ponies were prey. And she? She was the predator.

"Since none of you have attacked me, I am going to presume you will not attack me. Good, you value your lives," Nightmare acknowledged harshly. The guards stood their ground, neither rising to challenge her, not backing down, but their fear lingered. "Then I will make this simple. I am Nightmare Moon; Princess Celestia ordered you to surrender to me and obey my command. She is my prisoner, and you will never see her precious sun again. Equestria is mine. Spread the word, but I must speak with the 'Captain of the Guard.' Challenge me at your own peril." Issuing her challenge, she matched the gaze of any and every pony who looked at her with the slightest hint of resistance.

But it seemed it was unnecessary. A sense of dread and hopeless acceptance rolled through the group, accompanied by grimaces, shock, or glares at her. It seemed the pagasus hadn't lied; they did have some form of order to stand down when faced by her.

"You... wished to speak with the Captain of the Guard?" one soldier reluctantly queried.

Nightmare's gaze fell on him. "Yes."

"Come with me-"

"That's no way to speak to your Queen," Nightmare hissed.

The guard winced and shifted his weight. "Y-yes, my... Queen..." he said hesitantly. Though Nightmare could see the disdain, perhaps even disgust, with which he said it, she didn't bring it up. "Please follow me, your majesty..." he said through clenched teeth.

But at that resistance, Nightmare couldn't help but smile in amusement. It was so forced that it was as obvious as the scarring on her moon that he held no love for her, nor any respect. He was an ignorant foal. Perhaps the horn on his head was getting to him.

"Perhaps," Nightmare started, making the guard come to a stop and look back at her, "you would be more useful as an example, since you refuse to respect me." She leaned her head forward threateningly, then took a step forward. The rest of the guards backed off. The target of her ire, however, swiveled around and lit his horn. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. I am not a patient Queen. Your princess is my captive- I defeated her." She looked around at each individual guard once again. Several of them, disproportionately the tan ones, were starting to sweat, and had gone rigid. Slowly, she leveled her gaze back on the impudent foal. The glow around his horn had vanished. "And none of you could stand a chance against me. You will serve me- standing orders or not, or things will not be pleasant."

And it wasn't an idle threat. Oh, no. It was a threat that once made, she had to follow through on if she wanted anypony to take her seriously. It was a threat she would follow up on. She would follow up on it gladly. These ponies? They were expendable. They were replaceable. Did they have families? Did they think that would make her stop? Perhaps it would give her a moment's pause if they were parents, but they had made their choices.

Nightmare jerked her head at an angle and smiled wildly. "DO I make myself clear?" she demanded.

The guard- along with the rest of the soldiers present- all hastily nodded in affirmation. "Y-yes, y-your m-majesty!"

"Good," Nightmare growled. She lifted her head back and took in a deep breath. "Now, take me to this Captain of the Guard. The rest of you? Spread the word and then return to your posts," she hissed.

The guards all galloped off without a bow or even a word- except for the lone guard with whom she had tasked to bring her to the captain of the guard. Now alone, without his comrades, he went rigid with terror.

Nightmare strode towards him. "Do not keep me waiting!" she ordered.

In an odd mixture of rigidity and trembling, the guard turned around in a mechanical motion, then took off towards the castle's massive doors at a brisk trot. He lost his composure the moment he started, barely managing to maintain any semblance of training and professionalism as he visibly forced himself not to break out running.

Nightmare sneered at the pathetic excuse for a soldier. She enjoyed striking fear into her enemies hearts, but with these ponies? She just couldn't enjoy it- she didn't have to put any effort into it. It agitated her. Regardless, she followed after him. Two unicorns stood guard at the castle's door, and at their approach, they watched her unsurely, cautiously. But they had certainly seen her display, and so they opened the door for her, pushing each side inward so that the door parted in the middle.

Like the exterior of the palace, the interior was extravagant- built of marble, a royal red carpet stretching out along the length of the room with two arms leading to two doors to other rooms. In a wasteful display of abundance, the carpeted walkway was lined with gold. Completing the long, open room, were massive marble pillars stretching up to the two-story high ceiling. The pillars alternated between a tapestry hanging from them and a magical light that weakly illuminated the room, maintaining the feeling of night, but enabling the guards see well enough to navigate without stumbling. The magical lights caused a multitude of shadows to extend outward from the pillars and gave the guards several shadows in diverging angles. 'And this,' Nightmare thought, 'is just the entrance.'

The guard trotted on inside. Nightmare followed behind him. As she walked inside, she cast her gaze at the marble columns and the tapestries that hung from them. There were tapestries depicting what she presumed to be the flag of Equestria, Celestia with a sky-blue backdrop, and, to her surprise, a depiction of Celestia and Luna, Sun and Moon, chasing one another in the day-night cycle that she knew had been the flag of Equestria.

She stared at that tapestry. She'd be damned if she didn't try to stop herself, but she just couldn't stop staring at it. The fact that such a tapestry existed, along with how so few ponies recognized or remembered her, and the fact that said tapestry was on full display, left her bewildered. She didn't know what to think of it. It made her angry. It made her sad. It made her feel betrayed. It made her feel numb.

Eventually, she walked passed the tapestry. She craned her head back to continue to stare at it, guards watching her be damned. She'd stare at that tapestry if she wanted to, if they wanted to judge her as strange for that, they could go to Tartarus.

Finally, after a few more steps and her neck started hurting, she looked back ahead, but her bewilderment persisted. 'Why do you have such a tapestry!?' her mind immediately demanded. 'Why does that still exist!? Do you continue to insult me even from your prison!?' It made her blood boil.

Her soured mood seeped out into her expression, she could feel the corners of her lips pulled back in rage and disgust. The guard she followed didn't notice since his back was to her, but the two unicorns guarding the next door were in duress at her approach. Trembling as they were, she was shocked she didn't hear the rattle of their armor.

Even despite their duress- or perhaps spurred on by it and wanting Nightmare to pass by them as quickly as possible and with a minimum scrutiny, they pushed open next door, which once again parted at the middle. The room beyond was square in shape, large and open, and judging from how grandiose the door to the next room was- inlaid with golden swirls and edges- it was meant to hold ponies while they waited for an audience with Princess Celestia.

Except soon, it would be Queen Nightmare Moon, rather than Princess Celestia.

Nightmare smiled threateningly in delight at the prospect.

Yet, the design of the castle also made her scowl. The entrance, then a waiting room, then, if her assumption was correct, the Throne Room. All in a straight line. No mazes, no alcoves for traps or soldiers, a simple straight line from the entrance right to the Throne Room.

It reeked of tactical stupidity. Her lips curled in disgust, baring her sharp teeth. Celestia truly was an idiot. In fact, her stupidity clearly knew no bounds. Her display when she returned, her whispering of her student, placing all of her plans on her student, and then having her castle designed so poorly? Truly, there was no doubt in Nightmare Moon's mind about this fact.

And it was a perfectly good palace, too, albeit far too extravagant and filled with too atrocious a color scheme, but it was all ruined simply by the ease at which intruders could reach the Throne Room. But that wasn't to say it couldn't be salvaged. Already, a few thoughts wandered through her mind as her hooves carried her over to the next set of doors.

As she neared the next set of doors, the two guards- once again unicorns- tensed up, rather than trembled. 'Perhaps they actually have a backbone,' Nightmare thought, 'unlike everypony else who has the audacity to call themselves a Royal Guard.' But despite their apparent bravery, one quick glance from Nightmare Moon's serpentine eyes was enough to make them shift their weight in a quick, nervous jump.

But that didn't stop them from doing their job. Either they knew what was expected of them- and not to ask questions- or they were too afraid of Nightmare Moon's form to put up any resistance. Nightmare wasn't sure which thought she preferred.

The door parted inward in the middle, revealing a large, vaulted room with a red carpet going right down the middle, leading to a set of stairs for a large, circular platform, which had two thrones. Nightmare stopped, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the thrones. One was larger and golden, the other was smaller and made of silver- more akin to suit Luna than herself.

Her teeth bared in anger at that. Had she been a dragon, her enraged snort would have engulfed the room in flames. 'You impudent foal! Luna is dead!' screamed out in her head. Every fiber of her being demanded she teleport straight to the moon and skew Celestia on her horn. Again, and again, and to throw lance after lance of magic through the length of her body. Her mane and tail rippled behind her in a furious storm, her magic begging for release on something- anything. Her legs trembled, but hard as it was, she held herself in check against her enraged desire.

Even though the thought did cross her mind, 'It would be good to set an example for these foals to know my wrath!'

But it would not do to destroy the palace, nor Canterlot. There was too much value there that she could use and twist against her sister. Oh, how wonderfully sweet she could imagine that honey being- twisting Celestia's precious capital to her own will and bidding, making it her own, and using Celestia's seat of power as her own, fully displaying her dear sister's failures and holding them over her to torture her with them.

However, while she held her magic in check, her rage showed through, and the temperature of the room suffered for it, almost feeling a few degrees cooler. And the guards? They all certainly noticed it- they trembled, regarding her with weary, watchful expressions- haunted expressions- all of them ready to bolt as fast as they could in a moment's notice.

Not that it would have helped them any.

Nightmare took a moment to let her rage permeate the room, filling everypony present with dread. While the moment lasted, she slowly swept her head around in a manner that conveyed power and supremacy, pausing a second every time her gaze fell on anypony- and during that second, she made it clear who was in charge- before her gaze finally settled on one stallion flanked by two unicorns holding spears.

Unlike the rest of the guards she had encountered, he displayed a sense of pride and confidence. Alongside this, his armor stood out- rather than the eye-sickening golden armor, it was colored purple with golden edges. What drew more of her interest, however, was the six-pointed pink star emblazoned on his chestplate. Oh, she would recognize that anywhere, and her thoughts immediately drifted back to one Twilight Sparkle, then followed by the Element of Magic.

"Nightmare Moon," he acknowledged, his voice almost grave in tone.

Nightmare smiled pleasantly and took a few steps forward. "You know who I am. Then I am to presume you are this 'Captain of the Guard'?"

"Yes..." he all but growled under his voice. "We have orders to-"

"To surrender to me and obey my command," Nightmare said succinctly. Her smile grew, but twisted- rather than pleasant, it became mocking, a smirk, as if twisting a heated knife inside his chest.

He didn't immediately answer. Slowly, his head drifted left, then right, his jaw muscles visibly straining under his coat. "Yes..." he finally admitted. "I don't know why or how or-"

"Be silent," Nightmare ordered swiftly. The Captain went silent, as ordered. Nightmare took a few long, drawn-out steps towards him, only stopping when she was but a few steps away from him. "You're going to ask about the night, and you're going to ask about your precious Princess of the Sun," she hissed. "Perhaps my messenger wasn't clear enough," she growled, "so allow me to explain: Celestia is my prisoner," she stated. One step forward. "Nopony will ever see the accursed sun rise again," she spat, "instead, my beloved night will envelop Equestria for all time!" Another step and she leaned her head down closer to his height. "Equestria is mine. You and the guard are mine. You will obey my commands and respect me, or I will kill you. Understood? I am Queen now!" One last step to punctuate her declaration, bringing herself nearly nose to nose with the guard.

He stood resolutely, but only just. For a few seconds, he managed to match her gaze, but eventually, the weight of the situation seemed to sink in. Either because of Princess Celestia's standing orders, or because of fear, he backed down, then slowly fell into a bow- it wasn't quite respectful, but it would do, for the time being. "Yes, my... Queen."

Nightmare felt bitter at that, the words were spoken with such sarcasm and absolutely no love nor respect. Any semblance of a smile left her expression, and she glared at this insolent unicorn as she lifted her head back up to her full height. "You are replaceable, you know," she growled.

He wasn't phased by her threat.

It was obvious that he wasn't happy with this change in authority, but he had no say in it, so it did not matter. Perhaps in time, he would grow to respect her. Or, perhaps he would be a constant thorn in her side, destined for replacement at best. Regardless, he still had his uses- at least for the moment. "I have questions," Nightmare stated, "and you will answer them."

Slowly, he rose from his forced bow. "Yes?"

It wasn't respectful, but he held back his disrespectful, mocking tone. He was arrogant, or perhaps just in distress from her presence and declaration. Perhaps a display of power would have been a good choice, after all, there wasn't anything any of them could do to stop her, or even offer much in terms of resistance. But there were other options available besides such a display, and while she would welcome being able to vent, killing the guards would be a complete waste of time and resources, to say nothing of how it would affect morale, possibly cause rebellions, and make it harder to create an army to serve her.

Perhaps, then, Celestia continued to make things difficult for her even still, despite the 'standing order' she left.

"It would do you well, Captain," Nightmare started, "to remember that your beloved princess is my prisoner," she stated emphatically. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled wickedly, enjoying the display of uncertainty offered by the stallion at her reminder. "And, of course, that means that I can make things easy for her," she offered in a honeyed voice. And just as quickly, her expression darkened with hatred and rage, "Or I can make every single second of her existence an unending nightmare," she growled. Quickly, she tilted her head to the other side. "Which will it be, Captain?"

The stallion shifted his weight on his hooves uncomfortably. Gradually, he looked away from Nightmare Moon. "Forgive me, your majesty," he relented, his tone much more neutral than before- resignation.

"Wise choice," Nightmare acknowledged.

Still avoiding looking back at Nightmare, the guard asked, "What questions do you ask of me, your majesty?"

Satisfied at his resignation, though not fully pleasured by it, some of Nightmare's anger cooled. "I have been mostly out of touch with Equestria and the world for a thousand years, and I would very much like to know what has happened in my absence."

He nodded hesitantly. "I'll have some history books brought to... your..." he trailed off unsurely.

"You will escort me to Celestia's chambers; I claim them as my own," Nightmare answered.

He winced at that, and for a few seconds, Nightmare watched a conflict play out over his features, then settle back down into resignation. "Of course," he answered.

"I will also need to know the state of Equestria- law, politics, military, and the like. Cities, populations... I need to know my Empire," Nightmare stated, drawing a terse nod from the Captain. "And I, of course, need my rule established, and you- and the Royal Guard- will help with that. I want everypony to know of my return, and that I am now Queen. You will obey my commands and enforce my laws." A hesitant nod from the Captain this time. "I will also need to know the state of the world and world affairs if I am to make Equestria my own and deal with potential threats."

Pausing, Nightmare licked her lips. "But I suppose that can wait. I am, however, much more interested in this third princess I've heard about. A Princess Cadance, I believe?"

The Captain went rigid the instant he heard that name spoken. His gaze focused straight ahead at Nightmare's chestplate, and the crescent moon emblazoned on it. A few seconds passed without answer. Nightmare scrutinized him, but it did not take long for her to feel his quickening pulse with her magic. Another few seconds passed in silence before he seemed to recover. "Ca-Cadan..." he trailed off, eyes widening. "P-Princess Cadance?" he quickly corrected, though the damage was done.

Tilting her head, Nightmare sized up the guard before her as a predator looking over her prey. "You know this 'Princess Cadance' personally," she acknowledged sweetly. Smiling, she showed off her sharp, intimidating teeth and fangs.

He squeaked. The stallion actually squeaked. He took a step back. The rest of the guards, for their part, ignored that. Nightmare, however, was left bewildered at his reaction. "C-Cadance... w-why do you want to know about Princess Cadance?" he asked quickly.

Nightmare's expression went flat. "I am Queen now, I will not tolerate any challenges to my rule," she growled. The guard shrank back further. Incredible! Threatening Celestia made him back down, but threatening Cadance? That scared him. "You love her," she ventured.

His eyes darted right, then left, quickly as they could, before settling back on Nightmare's chestplate. He did his best to avoid her gaze.

Nightmare casually scanned the room, eyeing the guards, searching for anypony who she may have missed before or who looked out of place. Sadly, it seemed the princess was nowhere to be found, although it looked like one of the guards had left while she wasn't watching. That knowledge made her cautious, but even with that, her eyes once more came to rest on the stallion before her.

"P-Princess Cadance isn't a threat to you," he said quickly.

"I will be the judge of that," Nightmare retorted. "Tell me about her," she demanded.

He hesitated, his head slowly gravitating to his right side until his gaze came to stop on the wall. A battle played out across his features. Would telling Nightmare help to protect Cadance? Would telling Nightmare about her betray Cadance? Was he willing to betray the mare he loved? Would not telling Nightmare about Cadance be disobeying Celestia's orders?

So many possibilities, Nightmare wasn't sure which ones were his thoughts, be she could see his conflict. But even that eventually collapsed with resignation, the way a general would recognize a complete, total defeat, with nothing to be salvaged from it, nothing to be gained from continuing to fight- not even delaying the inevitable. "She's... the Princess of Love..." he ventured.

Nightmare's lips pulled back to show her teeth. "Another alicorn?" she demanded.

The captain tensed and looked up at her to meet her gaze. "Y-yes, but-"

'Another alicorn!?' screamed out in Nightmare's mind. Her rage knew no bounds. Celestia hadn't just imprisoned her, thrown her away, made everypony forget about her. Oh, no. Apparently, Celestia even replaced her, or at the very least, that damned mare she had once been. 'Couldn't handle the weight of your sins, dear sister!? So you decided to make another alicorn to replace me!?'

Her anger demanded venting, consequences be damned. She lifted her head towards the ceiling and let out a primal scream of rage, her throat hurt, and she could feel the reverberation of the scream bouncing off of the marble walls and ceiling. She screamed until she was hoarse, then let her head back down, twisted to her left, flared out her wings, batting the Captain hard enough to throw him to the floor. Bloodlusted, she threw her horn towards the two thrones on the platform.

Her arteries in her neck throbbing from her pounding heart, she shot a massive pillar of magic out of her horn at Celestia's accursed golden throne, then at the smaller silver throne beside it. The two beams impacted the thrones, releasing an earth-shattering crack, shredding the stone, pulverizing the chunks of rock into a fine dust, and throwing pebbles and molten metal away from the epicenter of the blast.

Her legs trembled, she panted. Where the thrones had stood was now but the rim of a crater.

It still wasn't enough. She bared her teeth in rage, reared up into the air, then slammed her armored hooves down into the marble with enough force to cause another earth-shattering crack that split the marble across the width of the room.

It just barely helped, yet she still trembled and panted from hatred. For a few seconds, she continued to face the ruined thrones, not caring about any potential attacks. Anypony stupid enough to attack her now that she was enraged would simply serve as a way for her to both vent and teach these foals a lesson. It took her a while to get her breathing under control, but she managed. Slowly, methodically, she lifted her head back up and calmly folded her wings to her sides. She turned back to the right to face the Captain, who was trembling uncontrollably, along with the guards that she saw peeking out from behind cover as she turned. The moment her eyes came anywhere near looking at them, those guards all disappeared completely behind whatever cover they hid behind.

In hindsight, Nightmare regretted that display, if only because it would take time to fix that damage and because most likely, there was no way the Captain would be any help to her now regarding this new alicorn. Or really any help at all now, until both of them had recovered.

She snorted in disdain, then turned away from the disheveled captain. She walked towards the doors with a hastened stride. She glanced at the guard on the right. "Take me to Celestia's chambers," she ordered.

The guard scurried away from the door. "Y-yes, your m-majesty," was his quick answer. "T-this way," he instructed, heading towards a door off to the left and back about ten paces from the crater she created.

Nightmare followed behind the guard. Casting her glance around as she walked by the crater, she eyed the recovering guards slowly coming out from their hiding places. "You have your orders! See to them. And get this mess cleaned up," she hissed. All at once, the guards scurried to their hooves.

Without wasting more time to ensure that the guards took to their new duties, she turned ahead and walked on. The guard who led her, was unsurprisingly, another unicorn, and he opened the door with a quick flourish of his magic. Without pausing or looking back, he continued on into the hallway beyond.

As she walked into the hallway, Nightmare was reminded of the entrance. The only thing missing was the plush red carpet, lined with gold. Instead, the floor was solid marble, stretching the length of the hallway. Both sides of the hallway were lined with tall pillars that supported the ceiling. Rather than bother scowling at the Celestia-themed decorations, she ignored them and focused on the journey ahead. At the end of the hallway, which probably extended a hundred paces, it came to a T, with another hallway to the left and right.

As she expected, the path to the right met with another hallway, the one from the door on the other side of the room. What she didn't expect, however, was that the decor shifted from solar-themed, to mixed, and then to lunar-themed going away from where she stood.

There was no doubt in her mind: Celestia was continuing to mock her, even now, locked away in the moon. 'Truly, you had one thousand years to plan, sister, and rather than focus on trying to stop me, you simply focused on insulting me.' She bared her teeth in disgust at the mockery and turned away from it to continue to follow the guard leading her to Celestia's chambers.

The journey took far longer than she expected. Even knowing the size of the palace, basing the location of her sister's chambers on her rather abhorrent tactical or defensive knowledge proved to be a mistake: while the throne room was vulnerable, getting her sister's chambers- her chambers, proved much more difficult. So many hallways, turns, and stairs, but she finally made it there.

She welcomed the change of pace, even if looking at the entrance to Celestia's chambers left her feeling sick. Emblazoned on the center of the door was her sister's cutie mark- one that certainly wouldn't do. It would have to be replaced, but it could wait, at least for a time.

The guard that led her there shifted his weight unsurely. Nightmare's eyes darted to him. "Return to your post," she spat.

The guard didn't need to be told twice, leaving Nightmare with the other two tense stallions who stood guard over Celestia's chambers. She gave each of them a passing glance as she opened the door with her magic. The room beyond the door wasn't anything like she had expected.

Rather than opening the door to find the entire room composed of gold, or that everything was inlaid with gold, and emblems of the sun everywhere, the room was almost bland. The floor was pristine white marble, the walls were marble, but painted shades of browns that invited anypony- even herself- into the room. The ceiling had golden swirls inlaid into it, but it wasn't overdone- it was simple and elegant. Directly across from the entrance was an aged, brown desk. Mahogany, at first glance.

A few books, scrolls, and quills, along with accompanying inkwells, occupied the desk. Lining the right side of the room was a bookshelf that hid the wall, and to the left, embedded in the wall was a fireplace. The room actually gave off a comforting, cozy feeling to her.

Walking inside, the atmosphere felt even more comforting. She felt like she could let her guard down and relax, but simply because of that, she kept her guard up. It wasn't that hard to recognize the effects of enchantments, but upon scrutinizing them, she was shocked to find not a single one engineered to be her death. There were protective spells in place, but none of them were designed to stop her. In fact, they'd work for her, even without modifications to them.

She shook the confusion off and closed the door behind her. On the left, breaking the bookshelf into two sections was an unassuming door. She walked towards it, then opened it. Inside was Celestia's bedroom, as evidenced by the large bed fit for a queen taking up the middle of the room. The frame reached up above the bed and thin, translucent blue curtains provided some semblance of isolation, although they were pulled back and tied together for the moment. The bedsheets were a soft, bluish-brown in the moonlight, while the pillows were a dark blue.

Turning her head to the left, she found that there was a door that opened up to a balcony. The door was left open, and she could feel a cool, gentle breeze blowing into the room. Diagonally across from the door to the study was another open door that led into a large, extravagant bathroom. Even without approaching it, she could see that the bath was large enough for at least a half-dozen ponies to bathe comfortably. Turning her eyes back towards the balcony, she looked out at the scarred face of her moon. The sight once again brought a scowl to her face, although perhaps it did not invoke her wrath as much as it had the first time she saw it.

Nightmare looked away from the moon and calmly walked over to the balcony door, then stepped outside. Canterlot was laid out before her, but it wasn't the focus. No, the focus was on the Equestrian heartland, bathed in the soft, beautiful light of her moon. She could even see that small town where the Summer Sun Celebration was being held, and beyond that, the Everfree Forest. Truly, at least she could take comfort in knowing that Celestia's features scarring her moon didn't detract from the beauty of the light it gave Equestria. Looking out at Equestria from Celestia's balcony and seeing the Equestrian heartland basked in the soft moonlight helped to alleviate her anger and rage.

It was a beautiful, peaceful view. The world looked so serene and mystical under her moon's light. Truly, how could anypony have been so foalish as to ignore this wonder? How could those ponies from so long ago have shunned this beauty!? Hidden inside during the wonderful night, only to experience the world under the sun's harsh light.

But at the same time, the view once again displayed Celestia's stupidity. The balcony was unguarded. Anypony, or anything, really, that could fly could come right up here and attack her in the night. Guards, save for pegasi, wouldn't be able to help, excepting those who could get through the doors, or unicorns who could cast spells from the courtyard.

But, then again, the room did have enchantments to deal with that. Still, it didn't sit well with her, although from an aesthetic standpoint, she most certainly found it pleasing.

After a few more seconds, she walked back inside and silently closed the door with her dark blue magic. Though she did wonder why the door was left open, it didn't matter. Instead, her thoughts drifted elsewhere. 'Another alicorn...'

At the thought, she clenched her jaw. There were so many possibilities now facing her. Now that she thought about it, she knew she shouldn't have let her anger get the best of her- she made a mistake that could cost her if this 'Princess Cadance' could capitalize on it.

'Was this your plan? Distract me with your student while Princess Cadance mobilizes?' she asked. No clear answer came to her. She simply couldn't understand it. Celestia would have sacrificed the Elements of Harmony- the greatest threat to her- if that was the case. Unless, of course, Princess Cadance was a bigger threat to her than the Elements. She found it hard to believe that any alicorn could be stronger than the Elements, although, from the potential that Twilight Sparkle had, she knew it was a slight possibility that during Celestia's one thousand years of planning, she could have found somepony with as much, if not more potential than Twilight Sparkle. And she would have had centuries to train and groom her for this battle.

But even if Princess Cadance was able to outmatch her, perhaps she still had an advantage. After all, Nightmare had seven prisoners. Prisoners who, if Princess Cadance failed, would be at Nightmare's mercy. And that, of course, was assuming she didn't immediately withdraw and pay her prisoners a visit- or bring them to her and force Princess Cadance's surrender.

Alternatively, if they fought in Canterlot, she could switch tactics to maximize casualties. After all, if this Princess Cadance was trained by Celestia, focusing on causing casualties would at least be a strong distraction, one that might give her the upper hoof. She would also have plenty of potential hostages.

Pushing the plan to the back of her mind, Nightmare looked around Celestia's bedchambers once again, searching for any books or documents of value. But the room was clean. There were no books nor documents lying about, at least in the bedroom.

Her gaze drifted towards the bathroom door, and despite knowing that she needed to prepare for the confrontation with an alicorn who could be on par with herself, she couldn't help but feel a strong pull towards the bath. It had been a thousand years since her last, and that desire to feel the warmth of a hot bath soaking into her coat and wings was absolutely irresistible. Being pampered sounded even better, but that would have to wait for a few nights until things had settled down from her return.

In truth, she didn't need a bath. She had kept herself clean with her magic, at least as best she could, but magic did nothing to simulate the feeling of warm water, nor did it truly wash away what her sister had done to her.

Nightmare sauntered into the bathroom, then closed the door behind her. The room really had far too much gold for her liking. Even the darkness didn't alleviate it, her eyes were too sharp. She lit her horn, then used her magic to illuminate the bathroom from a few orbs which glowed with a light akin to the light of the moon. It was a soft, dim lighting, but with her enhanced vision, it was as if it was a normal pony walking during her sister's accursed day. It was the perfect lighting for relaxing and enjoying a bath.

She sauntered over to the golden bathtub, then examined it until she identified the faucets, and with a quick spell from her magic, she turned on the water and heated it up as it filled the tub. For several minutes, she stared at the tub as it slowly filled with water, the gently babbling and splashing of the water the only sounds disrupting the silence.

Eventually, the tub filled with a vast pool of water. She could almost see steam rising from the surface, but the water wasn't nearly that hot. She turned off the flow, then picked up a forehoof to dip it into the water, only to pause and look down. Her boot was still on her hoof, as it had been for the past ten centuries. It was an odd feeling, having expected to feel the hot water on her bare hoof, but instead, only feeling the resistance of the water and the warmth radiating through the metal protecting her hoof. A few seconds passed with her starring at the cyan metal. 'You have accompanied me for so long...' she mused.

Nightmare glanced around quickly, then used her magic to take the metal boots off of her hooves. She shivered each time her bare hoof connected to the cold stone floor. After so long, she could hardly remember what it felt like to have solid ground, rather than metal, directly underhoof. The texture of the smooth marble was so incredibly rich, smooth and coarse and polished, but also so incredibly pleasant, compared to the harsh metal of her boot. Yet the pleasant, unfamiliar sensation still left her longing for her boots. They offered her hooves protection, while the air did not.

But, for the moment, at least, she could relax. She levitated her boots aside and then levitated the cyan helmet off her head, lifting it up until it rose above her horn. The cool night air brushing against her fur felt alien, once again not having felt the sensation for centuries, but it was a welcome feeling. She brought the helmet down in front of her and looked it over for a moment, then carefully set it down with her boots.

Next, her eyes fell on the dented, imperfect chestplate she wore. Try as she did, she simply couldn't find it in her to remove the chestplate. It felt like she would be betraying her oldest and closest companion to take it off now, so soon after it had been injured.

And she was not ready to take it off, either. Not yet. Even if she was alone, even if she was relatively safe, for the moment, that third alicorn still lurked somewhere, just beyond her reach. It simply wouldn't do for this 'Princess Cadance' to not only catch her bathing or off-guard, but also without any armor on.

So Nightmare left the chestplate on. She lifted her right forehoof, then dipped it into the surface of the warm water. A shiver of pleasure raced through her body from the feeling. Her lips pulled into a smile. Oh, how much she had missed this feeling.

Slowly, she stepped into the bath, then sank down into it. She closed her eyes as the warm water rolled over her back, rushing in between her feathers, and warming her coat. Water flowed in between the chestplate and her body, making her black fur soft as silk, sending shivers of delight throughout her body. The warmth permeated her body, enveloping her. It felt refreshing, inviting, and welcoming. After a thousand years, this was something that she deserved. It was a small taste of the plunder that her victory would give her.

She took a deep breath, then sank her head into the water, going down and down until at last, the tip of her horn was submerged. The silence was deafening, the warmth all-enveloping. She could feel her heartbeats pulsing through the water, pressing against her ears. The water wasn't fully able to touch the magic of her mane or tail, causing them to leave areas almost void of the water, but the water embraced everywhere else.

The way the water flowed around her made her think of the air and flying, except the water was thicker and denser, and carried with it a pleasant warmth the air could just never match. Only a few things could have made the soak more enjoyable- Celestia cowering before her, begging for mercy, not having to worry about another alicorn attempting to kill her, servants tending to her needs. 'Perhaps even Twilight Sparkle, my student, my servant,' she mused. It had a nice ring to it. Or perhaps, Twilight bathing with her while servants tended to both of their needs.

The thought was enough to make her mind wander back to thoughts of that unicorn. 'So much potential...' she thought with a shiver, despite the warmth. 'What did you have planned for her after you had her imprison me again or kill me?' Perhaps Twilight Sparkle would have remained her sister's student, forever a scholar. She shivered again. 'I should have asked the Captain about you,' she mused, 'and how to convince you to become my student.'

There was an unshakable appeal to Nightmare for her to be able to call Twilight Sparkle her student. Twilight Sparkle was dangerous, she had so much potential, and that potential drew her like a moth to a flame. A part of Nightmare wanted to see what would happen to that flame with the right encouragement and grooming, a more sadistic part of her wanted to see what would happen to that potential by forcing it out, even at the risk of it coming back to haunt her.

Perhaps taking Twilight Sparkle to be her student, rather than Celestia's student, would end up sending her back to the moon. As much as she didn't want to ponder it, it was still a risk. But the benefits still outweighed the risk, and her curiosity simply wouldn't give her the choice to withhold that offer.

But her mind was drawn elsewhere, and her thoughts sharpened. She had soaked long enough for now. There was work to be done, she could relax later, using her enemies as a hoofstool. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle would end up among them, or perhaps she would stand beside her throne.

She slowly lifted herself up above the surface of the water, calmly exhaled, then inhaled. Her vision darkened for a moment before slowly lightening again. Her heart pulsed more intently as oxygen returned to her body. She bared her teeth in disgust. 'Next time I should not stay under so long without a spell,' she noted.

Pushing the concern aside, she stood up, letting the water roll off of her body and splash into the rest of the bath, then stepped out onto the marble floor. Water continued to roll off of her body and drip onto the floor, and in place of the warm embrace of the water, the air sapped the warmth from her body. Almost immediately, a longing set in for the warmth she had lost, but she crushed it with an iron hoof. She lifted a wing and spared a brief glance back at her wet, slicked-down coat. Her black coat almost reflected the soft white light from the orbs, and her damp feathers dripped water onto the floor.

Rather than waste time waiting for herself to dry naturally, she lit her horn and washed over her body with her magic. In just a second, the dripping of water stopped and her fur dried. She cleaned up the pool of water beneath her, then emptied the tub. One at a time, she put her boots back on her hooves, and then, finally, she donned her helmet.

Though there were still so many problems and distractions ahead of her to deal with, she took solace in her bath. She felt much, much better now, but her despise for her dear sister wouldn't be quenched so easily. Not after everything she had done.

Opening the door, she strode back out into the bedroom; after all, it was her bedroom now. Looking around with disinterest, she found it exactly the way she had left it. A small part of her was disappointed by that, but nonetheless, she continued into Celestia's study. Pausing once she stepped into the room, she looked over at the desk, wondering if, perhaps, anything on the desk held more information about this Princess Cadance, or Twilight Sparkle and her sister's relationship with her.

Curiously, she approached the desk, then examined the items. She picked a few up with her magic, but nothing caught her interest for more than a second until she found an unsealed scroll. Unrolling it, she first found that it was addressed to her sister, 'Dear Princess Celestia.' She scowled at that, and would have put it down, or perhaps incinerated it, but there was an elegance to the writing, and the 'Dear' seemed out of place. Swiftly, she skimmed the scroll, finding it to be a letter, then finding mention of herself, Nightmare Moon, the Summer Sun Festival, one thousand years, and lastly and oh-so-perfectly, signed 'Your Most Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.'

She did not immediately incinerate the letter. It held her attention. She wasn't sure what to make of this development, that her sister's student Twilight Sparkle was apparently her 'Most Faithful Student,' every word capitalized as if written with utmost importance. 'Perhaps,' she thought, 'Twilight Sparkle is displaying arrogance. But if that were the case, would Celestia keep her around?' Based on Twilight's potential, she couldn't decide. She would need to learn more, perhaps find a letter addressed to Twilight from Celestia, to determine more.

It weighed heavily on her mind. On one hoof, the idea of convincing Twilight to become her student, perhaps even her 'Most Faithful Student', took on even more appeal. Being able to twist the dagger of turning Celestia's student into her own student inside of Celestia's chest was a wonderful thought. On the other hoof, if Twilight Sparkle was Celestia's 'Most Faithful Student', how could she ever trust her? For all she knew, Twilight Sparkle could lie to her, time and time again, all just for power and getting close to her for the opportunity to betray her and free Celestia.

Perhaps she would need to put Twilight Sparkle on a literal leash.

She smirked at that thought, then cast her amusement aside to read the letter in its entirety. But before she could start, a knock on the door interrupted her. She growled and slammed the scroll down onto the desk, not that it made a sound or did anything to vent her frustration.

With one swift motion, she swiveled around, then marched towards the door. Without coming to a stop, she nearly tore the door open. "What is-"

A scrawny pink alicorn stood in the doorway. Nightmare stopped. The pink alicorn winced and tensed up as she looked at Nightmare's visage. She even took an instinctive step back from the door. Nightmare found herself staring blankly at her. There was no question, it was an alicorn. Her pink wings had purple feathers, and her pink horn extended from her forehead. Her mane was a mixture of colors- pink, purple, and a pale yellow. And yet, this 'alicorn' was so scrawny. She stood maybe a head taller than average ponies. At first glance, there was no doubt in her mind that she wasn't a fighter. She was anything but a fighter. Her build was so light and slender, reminding her of what the captain had said: 'The Princess of Love.'

Lighting her horn, her magic only further confirmed it: this alicorn was a weak, pathetic excuse for an alicorn. She couldn't have been much more than two decades old, hardly a newborn compared to her or her sister.

Despite her fear and dread about meeting this 'Princess Cadance' and possibly facing an alicorn that was a greater threat to her than the Elements of Harmony, she had been looking forward to it, if only for the challenge. This? Her disappointment was so great that her wings went from firmly held at her sides to slack as if she was tired, or defeated.

'Is this all just some joke?' Nightmare wondered desperately. It was all too easy- her victory left nothing for her to take pride in. Celestia had surrendered, Nightmare had captured the Elements of Harmony and their bearers- which included Celestia's student- taken over the Royal Guard without much challenge, and now this pathetic excuse for an alicorn, the third princess had just shown up at her door, clearly posing no threat to her.

'Maybe,' she thought, 'your plan is simply to make this so empty that I just give up... it won't work.' Nightmare pressed her wings back to her side and inhaled deeply. "You're Princess Cadance, I presume?" she asked coldly.

The scrawny pink alicorn before her seemed to develop second thoughts about being here, but she still nodded. "Y-yes..." she answered meekly. Her voice was soft and sweet, almost musical, and so foal-like. "N-Nightmare Moon?" she questioned.

"Yes," Nightmare answered. "I am assuming that you're going to just surrender instead of fighting me, since you're clearly no true threat to me."

She hesitated.

Nightmare narrowed her eyes. "Or, of course, we can do things the hard way."

Princess Cadance still hesitated, but it only took a few seconds for her head to droop. "Celestia... sh-she... yes... just please, don't hurt anypony..." She caved oh-so-easily.

"I will make no promises; I will do what is in my best interest," Nightmare retorted. Princess Cadance looked up at her, panic in her eyes, and took a step back. "But luckily for you, right now, I have no desire to waste my time hurting ponies, so long as they stay out of my way and serve me."

"I... can't fight you..." Princess Cadance drawled.

'Just like Celestia...' Nightmare thought bitterly. "You're still a threat to me," Nightmare spoke, "but provided you're good, I will grant you mercy."

The young alicorn winced, shying back from her.

Nightmare's magic wrapped around Princess Cadance, binding her hooves in shackles, chaining them together, and binding her wings. A ring appeared around her horn, sealing off her slightly not insignificant pool of magic. Cadance trembled in fear and wilted, staring down at the floor beneath her hooves. Nightmare glanced at the two guards standing at either side of the door. "Take her to the dungeons," she spat.

Neither guard liked the order, but they both had enough sense to obey. Begrudgingly, they coaxed the princess to turn around, then flanked her and led her off.

Nightmare stood in the doorway for a few seconds longer, then retreated into her chambers, shut and locked the door, then sat down on her haunches. 'Why is this so easy? Is there nopony to challenge me!?' It was ridiculous. It was too easy, something had to be wrong. 'How could Equestria be so soft!?' her mind demanded.

But a thousand years had passed, and she had no answer for that question. Were things truly as simple as they appeared? Did Celestia really just give up without a fight? Or did she make mistakes somewhere along the way? Did she ruin her entire plan to the point that Nightmare won by default?

Nightmare Moon couldn't wrap her head around it. Her intelligent mind raged, crying out that something was wrong, but everything she knew simply told her that her sister had made a mistake.

But if her sister had made such a mistake, what did that mean? Did she plant her insults just in case she did fail, or did she intend, rather than imprisoning her on the moon again, to strip her of her power, then flaunt all of the so meticulously placed insults against her? Or had she intended to mock her while she was trapped until her student freed her?

She wanted to scream. She couldn't understand, she couldn't grasp it. It made no sense! The victory felt so pointless. Did she actually best Celestia, or did Celestia simply let her win? Was that her goal, just to let her win, in the hopes that somehow it would change things? But then, what about her student? Had she purposefully betrayed her by whispering of her? Had it been a slip-up? Did she plan for her student to get defeated, then later for her student to somehow escape and defeat her?

Nightmare bared her teeth and growled. With these thoughts, she felt her victory was moot. Inhaling sharply, she rose to her hooves, then strode into her bedroom. Ignoring her bed, she marched straight to the balcony. As soon as she cleared the doorway, she spread her wings. Without slowing down, she approached the railing, lifted one hoof after another to climb up onto it, then leaped forward.

As soon as gravity tugged her downward, she swept her wings downward, pushing herself back into the air. With a few more beats of her wings, she flew far above the courtyard below. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For several seconds, she held that breath. Rather than focus on the rage burning inside of her, or the insanity of her sister, she focused on her surroundings, what her senses told her.

The air was cool, pleasantly so. The combination of the city's height on the mountain, along with the lack of a sun to boil the air left it feeling so serene- rather than sapping her strength, it invigorated her, caressing her body and wings, flowing between her feathers and in between each hair of her coat. The cool helped to calm her rage, and gave her some semblance of peace, along with the sweet ecstasy of victory- no longer was she bound on the moon, she could spread her wings and soar, free from her accursed sister's shadow.

And yet, she still felt her dear sister's presence. On her moon, scarring its visage. Mocking her.

She opened her eyes, growling lowly. With a powerful flap of her wing, she ascended further into the air. 'Perhaps a walk would serve me better than a flight,' she mused. Reluctantly, she reangled her wings, then slowly and gracefully descended towards the ground. Without a sound, she glided through the night, nearly invisible, for she was in her element. Looking around, she found what appeared to be a garden on the castle's grounds. Without breaking her elegance, she banked and continued her downward glide, a specific destination in mind.

Silently, she landed on well-kempt grass growing from rich soil- the castle's garden seemed to be mostly natural, as if it was meant to help one forget about the fact that Canterlot was an artificial city, built on stone platforms extending out from a mountain. The palace rose up at her side, with the mountain rising up even farther far behind it, yet, with the hedges, flowers, and grass, she could almost mistake it for something truly natural that had been lovingly tended to by ponies who put their hearts and love into bringing out the garden's beauty.

Disregarding whether it was natural or artificial, the garden was beautiful. Only enhanced by the soft, pale moonlight, the garden was such a peaceful sight to behold. The hedges rose up, almost as if to direct one's walk, but never to impede it, while the grass offered bare hooves a reprieve from the hard, unforgiving stonework. Flowers lined the hedges, a vast assortment of reds, purples, and blues, but no white or yellow flowers were present. Roses crawled up the hedges, meticulously tended to, appearing completely natural, but lovingly worked so that they weren't wild and chaotic- the vines looked as if each was placed precisely with a specific meaning in mind. And everything from the flowers to the grass to the hedges had a certain soft beauty drawn out by the moon's light- a beauty that the sun could never bring out. The details seemed to blend together so richly and effortlessly, hiding any and all imperfections that the garden could possibly contain. The sun would only have drawn them out for full display.

Nightmare had to stop to admire all of this and more. The sound of gently trickling water filled the atmosphere, coming from fountains deeper within the garden. Truly, the sound was akin to that of a babbling stream one would find out in a forest. Gentle and peaceful- never once threatening anypony, offering life and a chance to rest.

The garden only truly missed trees. To her surprise, Nightmare found herself letting out a soft sigh. It had been a thousand years since she had the opportunity to admire anything close to this. A thousand years and then some. She could enjoy this, but only so much. The thoughts of her damned sister still lingered at the back of her mind, simmering. Even if for a moment she could dampen those flames, they were still there.

But maybe, that was what her sister wanted. Never to let her have any peace. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. For a few seconds, she just stood there, listening to the sound of the running water, feeling the gentle midnight breeze, smelling the soft, caressing aroma of the flowers.

She forced the thoughts of her sister out of her mind. She would never enjoy any peace if she let her sister constantly steal her pleasure. Opening her eyes, she slowly strolled forward, walking deeper into the garden. As she walked on, she found herself alone- no guards passed her by or stood at attention as she approached. A part of her frowned at this lapse in security, and yet, she still welcomed the chance to be alone. Another part of her smiled at this, after all, they must have been busy tending to her orders, which gave her this garden all alone.

It didn't take her long to come across one of the fountains. It was made of a rough, yet smooth stone, richly textured and aged, yet clean and well taken care of. The circular base had a pool of clear water in it, in which she could see the reflection of her moon, and the scarring of its surface, though constantly rippling. Water cascaded down from the top of the fountain, where there was a small pool in what almost looked like a stone flower that constantly overflowed, letting a constant, gentle trickle of water fell down into the pool below. Looking away from the fountain, she took in another statue: the graceful form of a unicorn mare standing on one hoof, her left hind leg outstretched behind her, falling in something of a bow with her two forehooves outstretched. Her mane seemed to roll from her head, gracefully clinging to her neck, while her tail seemed swept down and out, as if on the downward motion of a flick.

Though the statue looked nothing like her, Nightmare's mind wandered back to Twilight Sparkle. In the place of the statue, she could almost see Twilight Sparkle there. She shook the directionless thought from her mind, then sauntered deeper still into the garden. Every statue seemed unique in some way, though none of them truly held her interest. Each fountain was an elegant display of artwork, but they could never match the beauty of her night.

And look as she did, she never once found a single white or yellow flower. The colors of her sister were nowhere to be seen. It perplexed her, but it left her feeling almost content.

That feeling, however, was not meant to last. Deep within the heart of the garden, she beheld one statue so different from the others it made her come to an immediate stop. Her intense gaze fell on it, and her slitted pupils took in its form. Her spine tingled with caution and unease. It brought back memories, which, for the briefest instant, didn't draw hatred, but concern. Fear, even.

'Discord...' her mind growled.

Nightmare found herself hesitant to approach any closer to the statue. If Luna had hated that abomination, then her hatred for him was immeasurable. Discord was more than an existential threat to Equestria- to order itself, as chaos was his nature, and disorder his name. Before her sister and Luna had stopped him, he had turned Equestria inside out, upside down, and destroyed more societies and civilizations than she could list. He did it for fun, but not in a way Nightmare could respect.

It made her feel so incredibly hot and cold at the same time. She felt pins pricking nearly every single part of her body as she stared on.

But he was imprisoned in stone, still, even despite her thousand-year absence. Knowing he was still safely locked away did wonders for her, but in the back of her mind, and though she'd never admit it, seeing Discord- even imprisoned in stone- scared her. Even with all of her power, even with being able to bring Celestia to her knees, if she had chosen to fight, Discord would simply have to snap his talons to kill her or destroy Equestria, and then she would have nothing to rule over but a checkerboard of chaos.

For over a thousand years, she had forgotten about him, so consumed with her rage had she been, but seeing him now was a reminder of how things had been. Even with Equestria as hers, there were still existential threats out there that could pose a serious threat to her or her rule. Perhaps they would know better than to challenge her, but if they did, she would have to teach them to fear the night yet again.

But not Discord. Damned that she was to admit it, there would be no way for her to stop Discord if the bindings of harmony containing him failed. Her sister and Luna had been powerless to stop him together, and it had taken the Elements of Harmony to stop him. But the bindings of harmony containing him simply couldn't fail, right?

Except for the simple fact that her escape proved they could. And Discord? He was far, far more powerful than she was. She couldn't even begin to describe his magic potential. There simply weren't words befitting his power.

She could feel him watching her from inside the stone. She could practically feel him smiling. She could almost hear his insane, careless laughter, as clear and maddening as it had been so long ago.

But he had been careless. He wasn't concerned with anything except his own entertainment. He wasn't a tactician. He wasn't a strategist. He was even more naive than her sister. And he was the antithesis to Harmony, even more so than herself. Harmony would do everything in its power to keep him contained. That was a fact.

But, that did not mean she could simply ignore his existence. She needed a contingency plan in case something, however unlikely, did happen.

Author's Note

Originally I was planning not to publish anything today (12/1/18) because I still haven't finished the chapter I started on over a week ago... Or was it two weeks ago? I have been gaming way too much and I regret it.

However, I still have a lot of progress on that chapter, and it's almost finished. Furthermore, I do have several more chapters already finished, so I decided, "why not."

Captive

Twilight groaned, or at least she tried to. Instead, a barely audible rumble emanated from the back of her throat. Quiet as it was, a part of her was certain that even if she had been in a room designed to pick up and transmit such quiet sounds, nopony would have detected it, but she wasn't conscious of that thought. For a few seconds, she laid there, a sense of numbness and fogginess clouding everything- her entire existence felt in question. Did she exist? Could she feel anything? Could she think?

It took a few seconds for her mind to start working, but even when it did, it was sluggish. The first thing she became aware of was that something was missing. Her body felt off, it was like it didn't exist. It was numb. A few more seconds and her mind awoke enough to process her senses better. She felt cold. Every single part of her felt cold. Her limbs, her head, her body. Her coat, her core. All felt cold, sapped of warmth. But she wasn't shivering.

The ambient temperature felt no different from that of her body. Slowly, she inhaled. The air smelled old and moldy, so very, very different and wrong. She knew the smell of libraries and books by heart, and this was neither of those nor the smell of paper, nor the smell of ink. It just smelled stagnant. It wasn't comforting like the smell of a library, telling her of the countless volumes of tomes and books it held, and whispering the bliss of all of that knowledge and studying she could do, but it was tolerable.

Her body felt sore, and her back felt stiff. After a few seconds, she discerned that the bed beneath her was both colder and harder than she was used to. The texture was not that of fabric, either, but it reminded her of the stone foundation of Canterlot, but rougher. It somehow felt less pristine. There were cracks in the stone, along with both smooth and sharp pebbles underneath her body, pressing up into her coat and poking her skin. She surmised that she wasn't in bed, but laying on a stone floor.

A heavy drowsiness consumed her entire body, and yet, to her confusion, at the same time, an unusual rested feeling emanated from her core. The fogginess slowly drifted away as her conscious mind became more aware. She could make out the sounds of other ponies breathing, mixed in with huffs and some high-pitched, shortlived whining sounds. She tried to place the sounds, but nothing came to mind. It didn't sound like her tower, it didn't sound like the Royal Archives, it didn't sound like Princess Celestia's bedchambers.

A few more moments passed. The sense of drowsiness faded entirely, but she found that it had been replaced by something far more dastardly: laziness. Oh, what a cruel mistress laziness was. Sapping her strength and will to continue, whispering bliss of unneeded rest and sleep, all the while her precious studies called out to her.

She sighed, this time actually making a sound. Slowly, she cracked open her eyes. Everything was dimly lit, and she couldn't make out anything at first. A soft white lighting came into the room from somewhere outside of the room. The lighting cast shadows that seemed to stretch on forever across the floor, then rise up the wall. She could barely make out the edge of the shadow, and from it, she could discern ears and the general shape of somepony's head.

A cursory glance along the rest of the shadow revealed that it was of a pegasus, judging by the way the shadow puffed out slightly from its body below the shoulders. She could also confirm her suspicion: she had been indeed been sleeping on the floor. And it also explained why the floor felt so different from Canterlot. Rather than pristine, whitewashed stone, the stone was dull gray, cracked, and unkempt. There was a general pattern that revealed the floor was constructed of a multitude of smaller stones, rather than one large slab, but she hadn't noticed it while sleeping.

The wall opposite of her came into focus. Like the floor, it was a cold, unforgiving gray stone composed of many smaller blocks. She stared at it, recognition passing her by without a single clue coming to mind. Gently, she pulled her head to her neck and looked towards the source of the shadows.

Five ponies stood near an opening. It took her a few seconds to remember how she recognized the five ponies, but a slight smile crossed her lips, then her eyes jolted open as everything hit in full force. Princess Celestia not showing up, and in her place, Nightmare Moon. The very pony Princess Celestia had told her was just an old pony's tale. Running to the library in fear after Nightmare Moon had singled her out for knowing who she was. Rainbow Dash tackling her to the floor- she scowled at that. The trip through the forest with the five mares she had met yesterday. The Castle of the Two Sisters.

Finding the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon revealing herself. Her friends coming to her rescue, only for Nightmare Moon to take the Elements away and disable all five of them, then turn on her. And what did she do? For her part, all she did was stand there in shock. She didn't try to fight back. She didn't try to run.

Somewhere along the line, she had stopped breathing. Her chest was tight, and every muscle in her body was tensed. So many thoughts ran through her head. It was all just too much. How could she process this?

Nightmare Moon had captured her. The thought slammed into her like a brick wall, deflating her lungs further, and her chest refused to expand to let air back into her lungs. Seconds passed. She trembled in fear. An attempt to access her magic, but it was sealed away by Nightmare Moon.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to break down and cry. She needed to run. She needed to back up into the corner and hide from Nightmare Moon.

While fear assaulted her from every direction, the logical part of her mind still fought tirelessly. She recognized that she was no longer bound by Nightmare's magic. She could move her body. Her legs were all free. Her lungs burned.

Driven on by need, her chest relaxed, then she gasped for air. Spurred on by the oxygen, her muscles relaxed. A wave of darkness washed over her eyes, darkening the entire room. Even the source of light- a small white orb of magic- went dark. Curtains seemed to wave in front of her eyes as the light slowly came back.

She exhaled, then inhaled again. Swallowing, her eyes darted around the room. With the knowledge in mind that Nightmare Moon had captured them, she identified where she was. It was the only possible answer- a dungeon cell somewhere. It wasn't in Canterlot, either. She had seen those cells- from the outside, of course- and these were too poorly maintained to be in Canterlot.

A new sense of dread washed over her. 'I'm... not in Canterlot... where... am I?' she questioned. At the next thought, her mouth went dry, 'I tried to stop Nightmare Moon... s-she... captured Princess Celestia!'

What was going to happen to Princess Celestia? What was going to happen to her? What was going to happen to her friends? The mayor hadn't done anything more than speak up and Nightmare Moon had thrown her into the crowd. Her heart raced as panic once again ceased her. A cold, burning sensation welled up from her chest, expanding outward. Nightmare Moon said she could have killed Rainbow Dash.

'We stood up to her...'

Her lips trembled. 'We're going to die...' whispered in her mind. 'I-I'm going to die... P-Princess Celestia i-isn't going to s-save me...'

But that thought was absurd! It was Princess Celestia! There was no way she would let her down. She had to have hope. If Princess Celestia saw her giving up hope so easily, what would she say? She would be disappointed in her. She couldn't disappoint her mentor.

'She... lied to me...' emotionlessly filled her mind. At that thought, some of her anxiety and hope burnt out like a candle extinguished.

'She... wouldn't do that without a reason, right? She's... She's just protecting me. Yes! She'll... escape and... stop Nightmare Moon and... save me... save us...'

Try as she did to believe it, her gut still twisted at the thought, reminding her of that sense of wrongness permeating yesterday everytime she thought about Nightmare Moon.

And that sense of wrongness? It had been right. Princess Celestia lied to her about Nightmare Moon. Spike was right. There was no possible way Princess Celestia didn't know about Nightmare Moon. They were sisters. Princess Celestia lied to her. Princess Celestia wasn't there to protect her like she had promised, all those years ago.

So many questions raced through her mind at that. Chief among them was 'Spike!?' Looking around in a panicked haste, she searched the cell but found no trace of her baby dragon. The knot in her gut twisted more sharply and her chest tightened again.

"Twilight?" a soft, sweet voice called.

The knot relaxed. She would recognize that voice anywhere. She could hear the reaction from everypony else in the form of hooves scraping against the stone as they turned. Slowly, she looked back to meet them.

"Are you alright?" Fluttershy asked, bending down close to her.

Was she alright? 'No! This can't be happening!' her frazzled mind wanted to shout. Instead, she immediately looked down at the stone floor. "I-I guess," she answered in a subdued tone. After a few more moments, the rest of the mares gathered around her. Hesitantly, she moved a foreleg, and finding it unhurt, she cautiously pushed herself into a sitting position.

And oh, how her back protested that movement. Her muscles were so stiff that she winced in agony. She barely managed to sit up, but she was grateful to be off of the cold stone floor. She swallowed and found her mouth dry. Looking around at the mares surrounding her, she found a mixture of worry, fear, annoyance in Rainbow's case, and concern for her well-being.

There were so many questions she needed answered, but which one to ask first? "How did Fluttershy wake up before me!?" came out without thought. She squinted at the pegasus unsurely.

Fluttershy squeaked and ducked back behind her mane, turning her head away from her. "I-I'm so-sorry, I don't know how. I just..."

Rainbow groaned at that.

"My guess would be because you're still a filly," was Applejack's answer.

Twilight swept her head around to look at her and opened her mouth, a retort already prepared, only to be wasted. Applejack looked at her solemnly. There was no malice, only a sort of remorse. She closed her mouth, although she still felt bitter about that. 'Fluttershy. Woke up before me. I can't believe this.' "What happened?" she asked next.

"Which part?" Rainbow asked sarcastically. "You mean where you just stood there instead of running?"

Twilight winced and looked away from them. "I... couldn't just leave you..." she whispered.

In response, Rainbow earned her a hoof to her chest from Applejack, making her grunt. Immediately, Rainbow glared at her. "What was that for!?" she demanded.

Applejack didn't answer. While Twilight stared at the floor, she could imagine the look Applejack was giving Rainbow Dash. "I'm sorry," Rainbow eventually relented.

At that, Twilight hesitantly lifted her head back up. Briefly looking over everypony else, she found all of them were also free of the bindings Nightmare Moon had secured them in following their lackluster defense. She swallowed and licked her lips. Her mouth was still dry, but it helped her feel better, at least. Peering back behind them, she looked over the entrance to their cell. It was barred, and the metal bars shimmered with blue light. She winced at that, immediately recognizing Nightmare Moon's magic. "Why... aren't we all... chained up?" she hesitantly ventured.

"Nightmare Moon came by a few hours ago," Applejack answered. "Fluttershy wasn't awake then, but Nightmare just kinda stood there-"

"It was really creepy, she just glanced over us and then stared at you," Rainbow offered.

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably. Nightmare Moon had yet again singled her out.

Applejack gave Rainbow a flat look, then shook her head. Trying with her was simply impossible. "Anyway, she just kinda looked at you for a while and then I guess she got rid of the... uh... whatever they were."

"Magical bindings. I'm... not sure whether I'm surprised she got rid of those or not, but I am surprised we're not... in chains..." Twilight replied.

"Right..." Applejack drawled unsurely. "Well, after she got rid of those magical bindings, she just left without saying anything."

"That's not very helpful..." Twilight muttered.

"I'm sorry, but there really ain't much more to say than that," Applejack replied.

Twilight nodded slowly, then looked over each of them in turn, scrutinizing them for any injuries. "Are-are you all okay?" she asked.

Several nods and affirmative 'mhms' answered her reply, although not all of them were as energetic as the rest. Fluttershy was scared, and Pinkie didn't seem very happy. For some reason, Twilight found herself not liking Pinkie being sad- it was like it was contagious- despite the fact that her bubbly happiness really was just too much for her.

Rainbow shifted her weight, then looked off to the side at the floor, avoiding her gaze as she rubbed the back of her head with her forehoof. "Hey, uh... I'm sorry for... snapping at you. I uh..." she trailed off, slowly lifting her gaze back to look at Twilight. "Thanks for... not just leaving us." She put her forehoof back on the floor. "Although I still think you probably should have run-" Applejack elbowed her side- "or fought!" she quickly added, looking at Applejack with a defensive look.

Twilight shifted her weight and looked down at the floor. "I... really couldn't..." she whispered.

"What do you mean? Come on, you're the princess's student!" Rainbow retorted.

Twilight winced. "Y-yes, but... I-I don't know... that kind of magic!" she defended. "Princess Celestia never taught me that- and I-I never thought I'd need to know it..." she trailed off, slowly lifting her head to see just how badly the others looked at her.

But to her surprise, rather than casting harsh judgment on her, they all just looked at her with a solemn acceptance. "Otherwise I would have studied it..." she added. She bit her lip. Even if she had known combat magic, there was no way she would be able to do anything against Nightmare Moon. If Princess Celestia couldn't defeat her, what hope did she have? 'The Elements...' whispered in her mind.

She cringed at the memory that accompanied that. Nightmare Moon had acted so fast- she had stolen the Elements right before she could claim them, then did something with them that she couldn't stop. 'And... the Elements are the only way we could stop her...'

And that way? Now Nightmare Moon had it. Safe and secure, hidden somewhere she'd never find. Somewhere they'd never find. If Princess Celestia truly was defeated by Nightmare Moon, and Nightmare Moon had captured and imprisoned her, then there was absolutely nothing any of them, or anypony could do. It was hopeless.

Though she was well-rested, she found herself slouching. Gradually, her head lowered until her muzzle pointed straight down at her forehooves. "I-I'm never go-going to see P-Princess C-Celestia a-again, am I-I?" she whimpered. 'A-and w-we're a-all going to d-die...' she silently added.

A pair of warm hooves slid around her neck, then a warm, soft body pressed against her. "It'll be okay, Twilight," Pinkie spoke softly.

'No, it-it won't!' her mind screamed. She clenched her eyes shut and grit her teeth. Princess Celestia was gone! Nightmare Moon had won.

Another pair of hooves wrapped around her, and one by one, the rest of them joined in. She leaned into their embrace. Hours ago, she never could have imagined being in this situation. She snorted and smiled. It was absolutely absurd! Her, of all ponies, being hugged by five 'friends' of hers. She didn't need friends, she just needed her studies, and Spike, and Princess Celestia.

Or did she need friends? Did she? Did she not? Princess Celestia had told her to meet some ponies. Maybe this was what she actually meant? To make some friends? But if that was the case, why didn't she say so? Because she would scoff at the idea?

Could she really call these ponies she had only known for a few hours her friends? Why would she need friends? She found that she enjoyed the hug, but she couldn't shake a growing numbness emanating out from her core. Accompanied by the numbness, a knot twisted in her gut. 'I-I should have run!' her mind hissed. 'Stupid! Why did I stay there! I could have escaped and... and figured out how to save Princess Celestia and stop Nightmare Moon!'

Why, oh why had she wasted everything on these five mares? She had only known them for a few hours. And she didn't even like any of them! And she had thrown away her only chance of stopping Nightmare Moon and saving Princess Celestia for them.

She wanted to cry.

She did cry, even though her eyes were clenched shut. She inhaled, and her body shook and shuddered. She couldn't stop it.

'Princess Celestia... I-I'm so sorry... I-I failed you...' rang out through her mind. And that was a gutwrenching thought. Her whole body seized up at that. 'I-I failed you...' How could this have happened? How could she have possibly failed her mentor, the very Princess of the Sun?

What was going to happen to her now? But maybe that wasn't important since her failure meant not that she would face punishment at Princess Celestia's decree but at the hooves of Nightmare Moon.

'Spike...' Oh, how she missed her number one assistant. She left him in the library alone, and now, who knew how long had passed? He was probably awake, terrified without her around. And she didn't even say goodbye to him.

The mares surrounding her seemed to sense her growing despair, and rather than push her away as she expected, they held her tighter, holding onto her to provide her with whatever sense of comfort they could. It reminded her of Princess Celestia, in a way, from so long ago, when she was a young filly. Even though it was just a memory, she wanted to blush at it- how she had fallen asleep laying beside the princess so many times, in the middle of her studies, but yet, every time, Princess Celestia wouldn't punish her- she'd just look at her with a kind, thoughtful smile. She was eternally grateful that she grew out of that phase.

Though the memories were embarrassing, she could smile at it, at least until another memory played through her mind. 'But it would be best if you put this silly Nightmare Moon nonsense behind you. You don't need to worry about that, Twilight. It's just an old pony's tale.'

And oh, how that thought hurt her to her core. Written in her mentor's delicate, sweet hornwriting, the lie was told the same way it would have been if she had been praising her accomplishment. She believed Princess Celestia had told her the truth. Maybe a part of her knew she hadn't, after all, she never could shake the feeling that something was wrong.

What was she supposed to feel at that? Princess Celestia, her mentor, the very ruler of Equestria, the Princess of the Sun, had lied to her? It bothered her so much. Had she done it to protect her, as Applejack said? She had to believe that was the case, and if that was the case, maybe she hadn't failed Princess Celestia. Maybe Princess Celestia had underestimated Nightmare Moon? That had to be it!

But she still found herself questioning if that was the case. After all, Princess Celestia had banished Nightmare Moon before using the Elements of Harmony. Why hadn't she used them again? Was she on her way to reclaim them when Nightmare Moon ambushed her? Had she intended to stop her and fail? Was she Princess Celestia's backup plan?

A part of her, most usually associated with considering what Spike told her, was now saying that she was overthinking things. Most of her agreed with that assessment. There was so much she didn't know, so many questions she had that weren't answered. She couldn't lose faith in Princess Celestia.

She just needed to figure out how to escape, find the Elements of Harmony, and use them against Nightmare Moon and then free Princess Celestia!

But another thought occurred to her: 'Six Elements of Harmony... and there's six of us?'

The thought concerned her. Princess Celestia had wielded the Elements of Harmony on her own- although the text was vague, she was relatively certain of this. Had Princess Celestia intended for her to wield all six Elements of Harmony, assuming she intended for her to use them at all? Or had she intended for her and her five friends to wield them?

Doubt gnawed at her mind, but before she could venture any further with her thoughts, the forelegs embracing her loosened their grip on her. Slowly, they broke from the group hug.

"Are you sure you're doing alright, dear?" was Rarity's question.

Hesitantly, Twilight looked up at her. She couldn't meet her gaze. "No..." she answered honestly. Applejack would appreciate that, even if the rest of them didn't.

A heavy silence filled the air after that. Several seconds passed. As the seconds drew on, Twilight nibbled on her lip. None of the mares knew what to say, or maybe they did know what to say, but they didn't want to say it. After all, it wouldn't take a Twilight Sparkle to instantly realize they were in a bad position.

Eventually, Rarity cleared her throat- it almost sounded like she was coughing or gagging, which wouldn't have surprised Twilight, considering the disdain she had shown for dirt. And now she was in a dungeon that was the opposite of clean. "Erm... yes, well... Pardon me for asking, but... does anypony have a plan?"

"What kind of a plan?" was Rainbow's groaned, drawn-out response.

"One that gets us out of here," was Rarity's answer, "and preferably somewhere cleaner," was added under her breath.

Somepony snorted. It sounded like Applejack.

"What!? Do you have a better idea?" Rarity scoffed.

"No offense, Rarity, but we've got bigger problems than to fuss with our manes," Applejack retorted. "As I'm sure you've noticed, we're not exactly in Ponyville anymore. Nightmare Moon captured us. So maybe we should focus on something more important, like bustin' out of here!"

"I already tried," Rainbow huffed. "That door isn't opening! And the stone is stronger than it looks..."

"Maybe... Applejack could try?" Fluttershy suggested. Rainbow turned to look at her. Fluttershy immediate ducked her head back behind her long mane. "N-not that you didn't try... a-and um... n-not that you're not strong or anything, Rainbow. You're the strongest pegasus I know of... B-but Applejack is an earth pony!"

Rainbow tilted her head back and let out a long, pained groan. "Fine. Just get us out of here!" she barked. "I can't fly in here..." she muttered.

"Alright, stand back," Applejack called as she stood up and turned to face the bars.

Twilight stood up, then took a few steps back. While it wasn't much, it felt good to move and stretch her legs. The rest of the mares joined her, while Applejack looked up and down the cell door. After a few seconds, she turned around, pushed herself up onto her forelegs, cocked her hind legs back, then kicked out at the bars.

The bars didn't even rattle as Applejack's legs connected with them, although there was a solid, metallic thud, followed by a pained groan from Applejack as a wince raced across her expression. She seemed to bite her lip in an effort to hold something back, but after a few seconds, her expression relaxed, although a grimace lingered.

"Yeah that's not happening," was her hasty comment.

Rainbow groaned in annoyance, Rarity sighed in displeasure, and Pinkie and Fluttershy didn't audibly react.

Rather than watch Applejack walk to the back of the cell, Twilight lowered her head and looked down at her hooves. She shifted her weight and slumped down. "I doubt Nightmare Moon would make it easy for us to get out of here..." Resignation filled her quiet voice. Once again, she thought back to Princess Celestia and what she would think if she had heard that tone coming from her.

She could even picture the way she would look at her, frowning in disappointment. She wanted to cry again, but she swallowed it back and took a deep breath.

"You're Princess Celestia's student right?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight's eyes darted up to look at her and morphed into a glare. "I'm Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student," she corrected.

Rainbow squinted at her, slowly turned her head to the left and lifting her head ever so subtly. "Right..." she drawled. A moment passed as her chest inflated, then she exhaled. "Well, can't you do something!? Princess Celestia taught you. Surely you can figure out how to get us out of here?"

Rainbow didn't quite ask in a pleading manner, but it was a hopeful one. She didn't like being trapped down here in the small space, and she had turned to her for help, leadership, and answers. One by one, the rest of the mares looked at Twilight for the same help and leadership.

Although she was sitting down on her haunches, Twilight sat up a little straighter, nibbled on her lip, and glanced at each one of them, back and forth. They wanted her to lead them. And that? Oh, that made her nervous. That made her panic. She wasn't a leader. She was a student for pony's sake! She wasn't even an adult! And the adults were looking to her for leadership!

Undoubtedly, she knew these ponies were crazy! What sane mare would look to a filly to tell them how to escape the clutches of somepony who had just overthrown the princess that moved the sun? No, crazy didn't do it justice. These ponies weren't crazy. They were insane. There really was no other way to put it.

But then again, maybe it wasn't that insane since she was that princess's Most Faithful Student. Surely she had to know what to do in this sort of situation?

A few seconds passed as she thought about it.

Nope. Nothing came to mind. She had nothing. She wasn't a leader. She had never been in a position of leadership unless caring for Spike counted. 'And I probably didn't do a very good job at that...' she thought with a wince. After all, Spike was on his own, and he was a baby. So what if he was a dragon? That was just an unnecessary detail. He was a baby! Left on his own to fend for himself, and she hadn't even told him goodbye.

'Gee, I'm really emotionally stable today... tonight... aren't I?' the more sarcastic part of her noted. At that, she scowled and snorted. This was simply absurd. Yesterday had been so nice, too! The day had been beautiful, and excluding the insanity of the ponies she had to meet, it was almost nice to visit a new town!

Almost. If it hadn't been for the gut-twisting anxiety regarding Nightmare Moon, and the fact that she could have been studying.

'Oh... I'll... never get to study again, will I...?' The thought came softly and emotionlessly. It just sort of clicked for her: She was Nightmare Moon's prisoner. She was probably going to die. And that meant she wouldn't be able to study anymore. And she'd never get to impress Princess Celestia anymore.

The scowl faded. Slowly, she sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Uh... Twilight?" Applejack drawled.

She exhaled and opened her eyes. Quickly, she swallowed, then turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Uh... I know you're probably tired of being asked this, but are you doing okay?"

Twilight smiled. No, she beamed brightly at the earth pony. It really was such a silly question to ask. "Of course!" she answered cheerfully. Giggling to herself, she lowered her head. "I mean, it's not like we tried to stop the pony who defeated Princess Celestia, who ruled Equestria on her own for centuries- moving the sun and moon during that entire time- lost, got captured, and then imprisoned by her, right?" she asked. Looking back up at Applejack, she found that the earth pony looked unnerved. "I mean, this is just crazy! Princess Celestia's going to show up any second now..." she trailed off. A few seconds passed in an uneasy silence. "Any second..." she repeated in a hiss.

It wasn't any of the seconds they waited. Twilight sighed, then groaned and let herself fall forward onto the stone floor. It wasn't that pleasant, but she simply didn't have the will to protect herself from that. "No. I'm not okay, Applejack. Why, pray tell, would I be okay?"

"You know she's only been awake for a few minutes and I'm starting to worry about her," Rarity commented thoughtfully.

Twilight's eyes shot over to her and met her with a glare, which went completely ignored, as Rarity was facing Pinkie Pie.

"Right..." Applejack finally replied. "So, uh... do you have any ideas or plans?" she asked.

Twilight blinked, then rolled her head over so she could look at Applejack. Applejack looked back at her, watching her patiently. 'Right. I never actually replied to that, did I?' "No, I don't. My magic is sealed right now, so I can't really do anything. I'm... not particularly physically inclined, like you or... Rainbow Dash," she stated. "All I can really do is magic... although I don't know combat magic."

"You know, for the Princess's Student, I would have thought you'd..." As Twilight- and Applejack- glared at her, Rainbow went silent, then smiled nervously and forced a laugh. "Hehe... sorry."

'That pegasus...' Twilight groaned internally with a shake of her head. But still, did she have the right to think poorly of her? 'Yes, yes I do,' she affirmed. Even if she had risked her life to protect her. She frowned.

Now she just felt bad. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack had risked their lives to protect her and buy her time. And she really hadn't done anything useful.

In the distance, she heard a click. Her eyes jumped toward the cell door as her body tensed up. Another click, followed by another. Distant, but approaching. The sound of metal boots on stone.

Her gut twisted, and her chest tightened. Step after step, the sound grew in volume as somepony approached. A shiver raced down her spine. There was no doubt in her mind who it was, and it left her feeling panic. Her friends all picked up on the sound too. She wasn't alone in her trembling- Fluttershy joined her in that, and even stood close beside her. She halfway appreciated that since she wasn't alone, but also mostly didn't like it. She hastily pushed herself up into a sitting position, then she stood up.

More steps, each one louder than the last, coming in a methodical, lazy approach of somepony who had obtained victory and wanted to gloat about it.

Twilight's legs trembled. She gulped and stepped back until she felt the cold, rough stone against her haunches. Rarity grimaced and stood up. Applejack stood up and turned around, her expression one of annoyance. Rainbow was the only pony who actually seemed eager to turn around and face Nightmare Moon when she arrived. Rainbow even flared her wings out threateningly.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait... wasn't your wing hurt?"

Rainbow folded her wings, then extended them again before looking back at her. "Uh... yeah? It's okay now, though. I didn't break anything, it just hurt a lot." After that, she turned back around.

More hoofsteps. It seemed that while Rainbow and Applejack tried to put on a brave face, neither of them had completely forgotten about how Nightmare had stopped them with next to no effort, and they took steps back in fear, and so the group stood there together. But they were still defenseless, even if they weren't bound with magic or chains.

Through her fear, Twilight still noticed one thing in particular. Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity had put themselves between her, along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, and the entrance to the cell. They had placed themselves between her and Nightmare Moon. She smiled at that, even as her lips trembled.

The seconds seemed to draw out as Nightmare approached. While the air was cold, Twilight found spikes of ice seeming to radiate throughout her body. Waves of icy coldness washed over her body, spurred on by her fear. Her breathing became shallow and rigid, as her body refused to inhale any deeper because of the sheer panic gripping her.

And she hated it. The waiting was the worst part. It was unnerving. She knew it would bring Nightmare Moon, but there were still so many other questions the wait caused. At least if Nightmare Moon had been there, she could keep an eye on her, she could brace herself for Nightmare's magic. But she still didn't want to face that nightmare alicorn.

With an elegant, graceful stride, Nightmare's leg appeared in front of the cell door, followed behind by her body. Nightmare had already turned her head to look inside the cell. Her expression was flat, lacking any sign of anger or amusement, but her gaze was still intense. In her eyes, Twilight could see a deadly intellect and a look of curiosity, but both were hidden behind her external appearance.

At first glance, Twilight's body went rigid. Nightmare came to a stop, but that did nothing to stop the power radiating from her form. With a regality fitting Princess Celestia, she turned her body to face the cell. Her eyes wandered over the group for but a few seconds before they fell on Twilight.

And Twilight? She felt Nightmare's gaze land on her. The feeling was unavoidable. Panic spiked through her chest. She was being sized up by a predator, there was simply no other way to explain it. The fear she felt was a primal, instinctive fear. Ponies, long before society had come into being, had been prey, and the instincts caused by being prey had never truly left them. It took all of her willpower not to scream in utter terror as waves of ice washed over her body.

The air was hot compared to how she felt now that Nightmare looked at her.

Their eyes met. If her body had not been rigid before, now she could have been mistaken for a statue. She didn't breathe. She couldn't breathe. Her legs didn't tremble. It was as if her body thought that not moving would save her, or protect her, from Nightmare Moon. The fear she evoked was insurmountable, so much so that there was absolutely no way for her to move. Her body simply refused to respond. Had her life depended on her moving, she would have died before her body responded to her will.

Nightmare's slitted irises bore into her, and Twilight felt like Nightmare knew everything about her, like she knew her better than she knew herself. She had been a fool to think that she could do anything about the alicorn standing before her. While Princess Celestia radiated hope, joy, and warmth, Nightmare's very presence demanded fear and respect.

Nightmare licked her lips, momentarily showing off her sharp teeth and long fangs. Even as Twilight saw them, she was still frozen. She couldn't look away from Nightmare's teal, slitted eyes.

And yet, despite her terrifying visage, Twilight could find a certain beauty present. She was so different from Princess Celestia, but there was an undeniable regality to her. Her form was elegant and graceful, even in the cyan armor that she wore. It was a terrifying beauty. It demanded attention. 'How could ponies just ignore you and the night?' It was unfathomable.

For several seconds, their gaze lingered on each other, unblinkingly. Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity did their best to draw Nightmare's attention away from Twilight by moving forward, and in Rainbow's case, crouching down to prepare to launch an attack, but it did nothing. Nightmare continued to focus solely on her. Eventually, Twilight felt as if Nightmare's gaze had somehow softened. The icy coldness she felt didn't quite seem as cold before, and her racing heart could almost slow down.

Nightmare's eyes darted away from her and fell onto Rainbow, then Applejack. She looked at them dismissively.

Twilight silently expelled the stale air from her lungs, then inhaled as quietly as she could, fearing Nightmare's focus falling back on her. Her lungs cried out their thanks to her for the fresh supply of oxygen, but once again, a wave of blackness rolled over her vision. As the darkness cleared, curtains seemed to shimmer. When she could see again, Nightmare was looking over her, but the earlier feeling of panic wasn't quite so strong.

Rather than being sized up by a predator, the new gaze directed at her was one of more curiosity, as if it was a scholar examining a new specimen, wishing to unlock and learn its secrets. Her eyes subtly shifted as they rolled over her form, scrutinizing her coat, mane, tail, flank, and every aspect of Twilight's body that she could see. She felt as if Nightmare was judging her, but rather than as an executioner, as somepony trying to decide the best use for something or the best way to go about something. It unnerved her, but not to the extent that she first had. She couldn't quite place the feeling, either.

But given the interest and intellect Nightmare Moon displayed, she felt that maybe, just maybe, she was overreacting. Maybe she wasn't about to die. Maybe her friends wouldn't be killed. Maybe Nightmare Moon wasn't intent on taking over and then destroying Equestria out of revenge.

The logical part of her mind realized that Nightmare Moon destroying Equestria out of a desire for revenge didn't seem to fit what she knew about Nightmare Moon. Unless she had misjudged her. Nightmare Moon wanted ponies to enjoy her night, although that could have changed in a thousand years. In a thousand years, perhaps she had decided that revenge on those ponies who shunned her was a better course of action than bringing eternal night.

She chewed on her lip, despite knowing that those ponies were long gone. It was a shame she didn't just come back and ask nicely.

Nightmare's eyes shot back to meet her gaze as soon as she started chewing on her lip. Once again, she tensed up and froze. For a moment, Nightmare almost looked like she squinted at her as if pondering her reaction. She seemed to have some kind of internal debate, and when it settled, her gaze hardened.

"Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare acknowledged. The words came out sharp and threatening, yet at the same time, she spoke them as if she were testing the waters, feeling out the name to see how it rolled off of her tongue.

It sent a spike of fear through her chest. Had she not already been backed against the wall, she would have stepped back. As it was, her body started to tremble in fear. Nightmare Moon had addressed her. A surge of panic shot through her being and her breathing hastened as her flight or fight responses kicked in. But there really was only one option when faced with Nightmare Moon's presence: Flight.

But there was nowhere for her to run. She couldn't even look away from Nightmare to search for any hiding spots, futile as it would be. She simply evoked too much terror.

And Nightmare considered her reaction. Her fear. Her distress. The panic. Nightmare visibly pondered it. Twilight could see the cold, lethal intellect working inside her mind through her eyes.

Nightmare took a more relaxed posture, although it was still as commanding as before.

"You leave her alone!" Rainbow shouted vigorously, beating her wings and soaring over to the bars. She slammed into them and grabbed them with her forehooves.

Though she couldn't see Rainbow's expression, Twilight was certain she was trying her best to threaten Nightmare with a glare. She knew it wouldn't work. Nightmare's eyes casually rolled down to meet Rainbow's gaze. Nightmare kept her calm, even as Rainbow grunted and tried to get through the bars.

And, of course, Twilight knew Rainbow wouldn't succeed. The only thing she might succeed at was inconveniencing Nightmare Moon. Maybe buying her a few more seconds, but it wasn't worth it for her to throw her life away like that.

Twilight was going to hyperventilate if this kept up. Already, waves of exhaustion pulsed through her body.

Slowly, Nightmare tilted her head to the side. "Stand aside, pegasus," she ordered. Rainbow did not back down. Nightmare glared down at her, snorting, and baring her fangs. It was a reminder that she was the predator, and now? Now Rainbow was her prey.

"You're not going to get Twilight without going through me!" Rainbow retaliated.

Applejack stepped forward. "Or me."

Rarity tossed her mane aside and stepped forward behind Applejack. "While I'd rather not get involved in this I must concur with them. You're not hurting the poor dear without going through us first," she said in a deceptively pleasant voice. "Have at thee!"

Nightmare smiled at that. Slowly, she shook her head and looked up towards the ceiling. A slow, pleasured laugh escaped her lips. The laugh lingered for a few seconds, causing Applejack and Rarity to back up, while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood closer to Twilight. Eventually, Nightmare looked back down at them.

She jerked her head violently, tilting it at an odd angle as she glared at the rebellious mares. "You will stand aside, and Twilight will come with me, or I will kill you," she promised.

The promise horrified Twilight. She wasn't sure how Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity reacted, but she was sure they didn't like it either. But despite that, they still didn't back down, even as Nightmare straightened herself back up. She wanted to cry even more now. 'T-they're just... throwing th-their lives away for me...' a part of her mind solemnly whispered.

The less socially adept part of her brain countered with, 'Why didn't I just run when I had the chance!?'

And still, another part noted, 'These mares are insane... standing up to Nightmare Moon like that.' Why, oh why did the first five ponies she could come remotely close to calling her friends have to be so idiotic? They were full grown mares, too! Foals were supposed to be the ones making thoughtless decisions, not adults! Was everypony in Ponyville that way? Ponies certainly weren't that ridiculous in Canterlot.

Yet, she felt a certain, undeniable fondness for them.

In her heart, she knew one thing for certain: 'You girls going to be the death of me.'

She clenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She had hoped it would calm her nerves, but in truth, it did nothing. She knew what she was going to do, what she had to do, and oh, how that made her stomach churn and her gut twist. She would swear she tasted a metallic feeling in her gut, strange as it was. "S-stop," she croaked.

She could almost hear everypony's attention falling on her, and without opening her eyes, she could feel Nightmare's attention fall on her. A lance of icy coldness exploded in her chest. Trembling, she opened her eyes. Everypony was looking at her, especially Nightmare Moon. "S-stop..." she said again. "I-I'll... c-come... j-just don't hurt them..."

Rainbow landed and turned around to face her, a look of disbelief smeared across her face. "Twilight!" she groaned chastisingly. "You can't' do that! You're Princess Celestia's student!"

Twilight cringed at that. Nightmare Moon already knew, but still, to be called such in front of her? That made her feel like she was in trouble. After all, she was Nightmare Moon's enemy's student.

She hated Rainbow Dash a little more for that.

Rainbow took a few steps towards her. Her look of disbelief faded to one of uncertaintly and doubt. It was pleading. Rainbow was pleading for her not to do this.

It made her feel bad, but there really was no other choice. "I-I have to," Twilight stuttered. "S-she'd just... k-kill you if I don't," somehow came out of her mouth.

"She'll kill you!" was Rainbow's exasperated plea.

Applejack and Rarity took a few steps towards the two of them. Twilight swallowed and lifted her head up a bit more, trying to put on some display of confidence. It was about as effective as using a scroll as a bucket for holding water. Applejack could see right through it, but she already knew that much. In truth, she knew it was more for herself than anything. Trying to trick herself into thinking she had more courage than she actually did.

The trembling of her legs gave it away.

"I-I can't let... th-that happen," she stated. She hoped it sounded brave and convincing, but knew it didn't. She wanted them to at least remember her for trying. Maybe then, someday, Princess Celestia would hear of her attempt at courage. Maybe Princess Celestia would somehow find it in her to forgive her for her failure. Maybe Princess Celestia wouldn't erase her from history or write history in such a way that she was remembered as her greatest failure.

Even though she knew that was silly. Princess Celestia wasn't that kind of pony. That fear still lingered.

She swallowed again, glancing between each of the three mares blocking her path. "P-Princess C-Celestia would... would w-want me to..." she trailed off. Only in hindsight did she think about the fact that she was actively admitting she was Princess Celestia's student in front of Nightmare Moon. Only in hindsight did she consider the name spoken in Nightmare Moon's presence. Her eyes glanced up at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare looked back at her intently. Impatiently. But, she still waited, not immediately smiting her for speaking that name.

Maybe Nightmare Moon actually was reasonable like she thought.

Her gaze darted to each of the mares blocking her path once more. A moment passed, then reluctantly, Applejack stepped aside. Rainbow's head whipped around to look at her. Disbelief. Betrayal. Rarity joined Applejack. For a few seconds, Rainbow looked on the verge of fighting back against this turn of events, but then she faced Twilight, and Twilight looked at her pleadingly.

Rainbow turned her head away from her as she stepped aside. She tried to hide the betrayal she felt, but it was unmistakable. Twilight wasn't sure if the betrayal was her own, Applejack and Rarity's, or if Rainbow felt that she had betrayed her by stepping aside.

Twilight swallowed, then looked back at Nightmare Moon. A few more seconds passed as she tried to collect herself to no avail. Finally, she forced herself to step forward. It was a rigid step, and her leg trembled uncontrollably while it was lifted from the stone floor. Another step, then another. Each one brought her further away from the safety of her friends and closer to the nightmare alicorn. Each step also brought some semblance of an arrogant, pleased smile to Nightmare's lips, but she refrained from showing her teeth.

"The rest of you, stay back against the wall," Nightmare instructed.

Twilight came to an immediate stop at the sound of her voice. Nervously, she looked back and saw that Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow all did as they were told. They really were just letting her do this. They had tried to stop her, but it really had been her own choice. And she had convinced them to let her do this.

'I'm such an idiot... Princess Celestia's going to banish me for this...'

Internally, she cringed.

Still, her hooves carried her forward, but barely. As she got closer, Nightmare lit her horn. Panic seized Twilight's body at the sight. Immediately, she collapsed to the cold stone floor in fear. Her forelegs clutched her head, covering her eyes as if that would somehow offer anything remotely close to protection, considering that Nightmare Moon defeated Princess Celestia.

Rather than feeling a bolt of magic slamming into her, she heard the sound of metal creaking and groaning as it rubbed together. She cringed at the sound. Reluctantly and fearfully, she lowered her legs and looked up. The cell door was open, and Nightmare Moon was standing there, looking down at her. She looked disappointed.

"Rise," was her command, spoken in a cool tone. It wasn't harsh, nor did it promise retaliation if she did not obey, but there was still a threat behind it.

In her fear, she obeyed, scrambling to her hooves, then standing there rigidly.

Nightmare's gaze left her and looked behind her. "Come with me," she instructed.

Twilight could already tell it was directed at her, rather than the mares Nightmare faced. Trembling, she walked forward until she was out of the cell. Then she came to a stop standing right beside Nightmare Moon.

She had never felt so vulnerable before in her life. This alicorn could have ended her life with but a thought. It wouldn't have taken any effort. How she managed to stop herself from breaking down, screaming, or running, she had no idea- although perhaps fear of what would happen if she did any of that played a role. The sound of metal grinding against metal once more filled the air, then the cell door locked.

She was truly separated from her friends now. She heard Nightmare's armored boots click and scratch against the stone floor, then Nightmare's form strode past her, gracefully blending in with the night. An icy chill flowed in her wake.

"Walk with me," Nightmare growled.

With no room for thinking nor second thoughts, Twilight rigidly walked beside Nightmare Moon. The hallway was lit only by the soft, fading glow of the white orb. As they walked further away from the source, their shadows faded until they merged completely with the surrounding darkness.

It was dark enough that she immediately knew they were underground. Had there been moonlight, she could have navigated better, but as it was with the darkness, she stumbled on debris and rocks which scuffed her hooves, hurting her and nearly tripping her. Afraid of drawing Nightmare's attention or ire, she did her best to keep her pace. Somehow, Nightmare managed to avoid all of the debris. Never once did her hooves strike a rock, nor did she stumble.

Twilight's hoof caught on a rock. Before she could correct herself, she fell forwards. Terror gripped her mind. What if Nightmare Moon thought this was an attempt to escape? What if Nightmare Moon thought she was attacking her? What if, what if?

She cried out in fear, then her jaw hit the cold stone floor. The impact hurt and she whimpered in pain. Nightmare stopped walking. Ice gripped every inch of Twilight's body. "I-I'm sorry!" she screamed out. The sound of her screamed echoed through the stone dungeons as she cried. "I-I tripped! I-I'm sorry!" she sobbed."I-I can't s-see! It-it's t-too dark!"

The glow of Nightmare's magic broke the darkness. Twilight felt her heart race and her stomach drop out from under her. Her gut tensed up in panic. It had been inevitable, she knew, that Nightmare wouldn't believe her. 'I-I n-never s-said goodbye!' whimpered in her mind. All she could do was clench her eyes shut and clutch her head with her forehooves, trying her hardest to block out the sight that would be her doom. Even holding her hooves to her head to cover her eyes as firmly as she did, her body trembled uncontrollably.

But no spell came- neither sound of the spell firing nor feeling the magic collide with her body. Nightmare's magic never struck out at her body to end her life. She still trembled, certain that her senses were wrong, certain they were lying to her, and it just hadn't registered yet. Another moment passed. Oh so reluctantly and fearfully of what she would see, she lowered her trembling forehooves from her eyes. She had expected to see Nightmare standing over her, glaring, wings flared, prepared to end her life. She had expected to see Nightmare inches away from her face, teeth bared.

Nightmare stood beside her, regarding her with a look of 'Disappointment..?'

No, that couldn't be right. She stared at Nightmare Moon, still trembling. Through her blurry, watery vision, she was fairly certain she looked disappointed. Even with more time to piece together her look, she still thought that Nightmare Moon looked disappointed.

She thought she could hear Nightmare Moon sigh, then she turned her head back forward. A pale white orb glowed to life at the tip of her horn, then gracefully levitated forward a few feet, guided by Nightmare Moon's magic. The white orb cast the same white glow that the orb in front of her cell had.

She could see again. Nightmare Moon turned back to face her. For a moment, Nightmare met her gaze and looked at her with disappointment, but almost immediately it faded. Her eyes trailed over her body, taking in her form. For a few seconds, her eyes stared at her cutie mark, then her eyes dropped towards her forehooves and the edges of her body.

A moment later, the glow of Nightmare's magic enveloped the offending piece of rubble. The rock levitated closer to Nightmare, and her gaze scrutinized it for a moment before it disappeared in a sharp crack, accompanied by a burst of light.

She stared at the empty space formerly occupied by the rock. Ultimately, it made her look at Nightmare Moon. The alicorn waited another moment, then her chest inflated. Twilight froze once again.

Nightmare opened her mouth, parting her lips and showing off her sharp teeth and vicious fangs. Once again, Twilight found her eyes tearing up at the sight.

For some reason, Nightmare's eyes came back to meet her eyes, and then Nightmare hesitated. She blinked, then shook her head and looked back ahead. "Get up," she growled.

Before she could even process it, her body had responded to Nightmare's predatory command; she stood rigidly on her four legs, each locked into place, and her head was held as high as she could. She stood there, paralyzed with fear.

Nightmare took a few steps forward, guiding the light forward with her, then she stopped and looked back at her. "Follow."

Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat, then rigidly stepped forward. Despite her best efforts, her legs trembled each time she lifted them up. Her gaze lingered on Nightmare with every step. Only once she stood beside Nightmare did the alicorn look back ahead.

Twilight felt a wave of relief wash over her, and her muscles relaxed, albeit only just.

Satisfied that she was following, Nightmare continued to stride forward. Twilight had to hurry to keep up with her impatient pace, but with the aid of Nightmare's light, she managed to avoid most of the rocks that would have otherwise tripped her up.

Twilight nibbled on her lips. The dungeon seemed to stretch on and on, but she knew it was just her nerves. Ahead, she could see a dim light source coming from a large doorway. As she approached it, she could determine that it was a spiral staircase, one that was wide enough for a couple of ponies to pass at the same time. But it would still force her into a tight space with Nightmare Moon.

Her breathing quickened at that realization, but despite her growing despair, Nightmare continued towards the spiral staircase, leading Twilight right to it. She wanted to stop. She didn't want to ascend those stairs and learn where she was. She didn't want to ascend those stairs and learn what fate awaited her at Nightmare Moon's hooves.

She didn't want to face Nightmare Moon's wraith for not ascending those stairs, either.

In the end, as Nightmare took the far side, she took the inner side and ascended the stairs alongside her. Her desire to live for a little bit longer outweighed her fear of whatever was at the top of the stairs.

In a silence only broken by the metallic click of Nightmare Moon's boots on the stone, they ascended up the spiral, going around it several times. With each pass, the illumination gradually grew brighter, albeit not much. It wasn't daylight. It wasn't sunshine.

It was moonlight.

Eventually, they reached the top of the spiral staircase and entered a long stone hallway. She didn't recognize the individual hallway, but she recognized the stonework- nearly identical, if not identical, to that of the Castle of the Two Sisters. She was in the Everfree Forest still. Knowing where she was helped ease some of her anxiety, but it didn't change the fact that she and her friends, along with her mentor, were Nightmare Moon's prisoners.

Nightmare strode into the hallway without saying anything, and Twilight followed right beside her. Glancing at the walls, she determined that there were no windows, so they had to be in an inner hallway. Looking up, she discovered the source of the moonlight flooding the hallway: large sections of the roof had collapsed, letting in the moon's soft light. She could see stars and the purple night sky overhead, along with the occasional distant dark cloud.

Scanning the hallway again, she noted the general lack of any debris from the holes in the ceiling. Aside from pebbles that seemed to have been swept aside and cracks in the stones, there were no signs of the stones having fallen from the ceiling like she would have expected. It had to have been cleaned up sometime, by something.

Nervously, she looked at Nightmare Moon. The alicorn walked with purpose. It was a powerful stride, one that she didn't want to be in front of, for it promised retribution. She swallowed and hesitantly looked at her folded wing. It was so similar to Princess Celestia's. Just as large and full, although the design was more swept back than extending out. And, of course, the biggest difference was that Princess Celestia's feathers were white, while Nightmare Moon's feathers were black.

She wondered if they felt the same, but didn't dare try to find out.

Her eyes moved to scrutinize Nightmare's cyan armor. While she had seen it before, she hadn't exactly looked at it. She had been terrified at the time. And she was fairly certain she was in shock then, too. But now, while she was still terrified, at least she didn't have to worry about Nightmare capturing her.

The armor seemed to hug her form, perhaps perfectly so- it looked like it was a fit designed solely for her, and she had no doubt in her mind that it had been designed that way. While Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon were the same sizes, she had no doubt that this armor was Nightmare Moon's and Nightmare Moon's alone. The cyan color stood out so much from the black of her coat. She tried to picture the armor on Princess Celestia, but couldn't. She tried to picture what Nightmare Moon looked like without her armor on, but couldn't.

Interestingly enough, her helmet didn't seem to have a slit in the back of the neck for her ethereal mane to come out of. The more curious and logical part of her mind focused intently on that, wondering what it could mean. How was that even possible that her mane could appear to flow right through the solid metal plate of armor? Could Princess Celestia's mane act the same way?

Darting from the armor protecting the back of her neck, Twilight's eyes focused on Nightmare's ethereal mane. It was such a sharp contrast to Princess Celestia's. While Princess Celestia's flowed in a graceful, riverlike manner, Nightmare Moon's mane seemed to ripple chaotically. Aggressively, even. If Princess Celestia's mane was a stream, then Nightmare Moon's mane was a raging waterfall. Another major difference between the two- and a recurring theme- was the color difference. Princess Celestia's mane was composed of three colors: a soft pink, a soft green, and a soft blue, each in a large band. Nightmare Moon's mane, in contrast, had two primary colors. A lighter violet-lavender blue surrounding the edge, and then a deeper, richer blue composing the bulk of it. Inside of the mass of blue were sparkling specks of white light, shimmering, almost like stars.

Now that she wasn't terrified of being captured, she found herself staring into Nightmare's mane and just watching it sparkle and shift. It was mesmerizing, and, she had to admit, she found it calming. It reminded her of the night sky.

Nonetheless, Nightmare eventually turned a corner, sending Twilight into a sudden panic and making her freeze up. As soon as she realized Nightmare wasn't about to smite her, she felt herself relax, but a wave of cold ice still pulsed through her body.

Nightmare Moon was going to be the death of her, one way or another.

The sudden adrenaline surge and rush of fear made her focus on walking once again, rather than on the nightmare alicorn. As their walk drew on, Twilight found her curiosity growing in equal amounts with her dread. The most pressing question on her mind was also the most fear-invoking. 'Where are we going!?'

But she refrained from shouting that out as her mind wanted. Even Pinkie Pie would realize that was a bad idea.

'Actually, probably not,' she thought flatly.

After another turn, she found herself involuntarily slowing. 'I recognize this hallway...' her mind whispered. Spurred on by the familiarity, everything played out through her mind's eye once again. Arriving with her friends to find the Throne Room, and then what transpired.

She bit her lip as her anxiety edged back. 'I-is she g-going to... e-execute me there!?'

She found her legs slowing down as they drew closer to the door. Nightmare Moon did not slow her stride, and it didn't take long before Twilight was no longer immediately at Nightmare's side.

Nightmare slowed to turn.

Twilight felt a wave of horror wash over her. 'S-she'll see that I'm not there!' her mind screeched out. And what would happen then? Would Nightmare think she was trying to delay? Would Nightmare think she was trying to escape?

Almost in slow motion, Nightmare seemed to turn.

Her gut twisted, and her hooves scraped against the stone floor in a panicked attempt to bolt back to Nightmare's side before she saw her missing.

Nightmare turned perpendicular to her, then her gaze jumped to her. She came to an immediate stop. Nightmare turned her head to face her. She was too late, by a lot.

Nightmare didn't immediately kill her. Nightmare didn't immediately slam her into the wall using magic. Nightmare didn't glare at her threateningly. She waited.

Twilight swallowed, then carefully approached Nightmare, taking calculated steps. She made sure that her approach wasn't too fast to be deemed a threat, but she also made certain she walked fast enough not to invoke Nightmare's wrath. Once she reached Nightmare's side, Nightmare turned her head forward, then proceeded into the Throne Room, once again without speaking.

Twilight hastily followed her inside.

Nightmare paused and surveyed the room, then looked to her left. After a moment, she started across the room.

Twilight made certain to follow beside her, never once falling a step behind. She had already tried her luck twice before. There was no guarantee that the third time wouldn't be her end.

They approached a doorway on the left. While the door had long since rotted, the bits of metal that had held it together lay strewn across the floor. Nightmare ignored them and walked on into the next hallway. Twilight followed.

While the Throne Room had been flooded with light from the moon, the hallway quickly grew dim, lit only by Nightmare's magic and the light she had conjured. The hallway felt cramped, even if there was enough room for perhaps another two ponies to pass, walking alongside them. She still felt her body being too close to Nightmare Moon's, and it sent warning bells ringing all throughout her being. She couldn't help but focus on the sensations coming from her side closest to Nightmare. It felt tingly.

Her stomach churned. Questions plagued her mind. 'Where is she taking me!?' A dozen, progressively worse answers instantly came to mind. Her stomach churned more, twisting in distress at the thoughts that made her face grow cold.

At the end of the hallway, there were two passages that led to the left and right, but directly ahead was a door. The wooden door shimmered faintly from magic, and the iron bandings holding it together showed no signs of rusting, just as the wood looked pristine. Centered on that door, a white, crescent moon, surrounded by an inky black splotch.

As they approached the door, she felt a sinking feeling return. Without coming to a stop, Nightmare opened the door.

Instantly, white lights glowed to life inside the room, bathing it in a light not dissimilar from that of the moon, and Nightmare let her magic go. The light she had carried flickered out of existence, but the soft white glow of the lights illuminating the room continued to give their light.

The room was circular in shape, with a domed ceiling painted like the night sky. Around the edges of the room, she could see bookshelves filled with dull colored books and glass flasks. There were even a few empty jars. A desk sat against the right side opposite of the bookshelves. Laying upon the desk were disarrayed quills, tipped over inkwells, and scrolls. Directly opposite from the door was another spiral staircase that led upwards.

She took all of this in as they walked inside. So taken in with the room was she, that she jumped when the door closed behind her.

Nightmare stopped and looked at her for a moment, then turned away and proceded towards the stairwell. Twilight swallowed and followed.

The next level had a wall separating the stairwell from the inside, and the door was once again shut. The stairwell continued up, and she wondered what else it led to, but Nightmare Moon stopped at the platform and opened the next door.

Like the room below, the ceiling was domed and painted like the night sky, illuminated by the same white orbs. Unlike the ceiling below, the moon dominated the room. But it wasn't accurate. There was no Mare on the Moon. It was so white and unscarred by the dark blotches. It took her a moment before it clicked. 'Nightmare Moon was the Mare on the Moon...'

Unlike the room below, this room had a much smaller bookshelf- more like what somepony would use in a study to house personal work. The desk was smaller and tidied. There were a large chest and a wardrobe beside it. Another door was opposite of the bookshelf, and directly across from the entrance was a fireplace that looked like it hadn't seen use in centuries.

Which, she supposed, was accurate.

A rich, deep blue rug covered the stone floor in front of the fireplace. It looked unimaginably pure and pristine- she wouldn't have been surprised to learn it was of superior quality to any rugs that could be found in modern Equestria. The deep blue rug was entrancing, it reminded her of the night sky, yet seemed so inviting.

Nightmare Moon crossed her vision. She gulped.

"Sit," Nightmare spoke.

Hesitantly, she looked around the room for a place to sit while Nightmare walked to the bookshelf and scanned it. Reluctantly, she stepped into the room. Nightmare closed the door behind her. She watched Nightmare for a few seconds. Either Nightmare was caught up surveying the books, or she really didn't care about Twilight's immediate compliance.

Still, she didn't want to push her luck. Her gaze went back to the rug. It was about the only place to lay that would have been comfortable, but the idea of actually laying there made her scared. For one, she had the sneaking suspicion that this room, this tower, belonged to Nightmare Moon. Secondly, she didn't know if she was welcome to lay on that particular rug. And lastly, letting her guard down by sitting somewhere comfortable was probably exactly what Nightmare Moon wanted.

Nightmare turned back towards her, and, finding her still standing, she glanced at the rug before looking at her again. "The rug is fine," she spoke.

Twilight smiled. And oh, how forced that smile was. She regretted smiling immediately. The smile wasn't fooling anypony. A newborn foal would have seen through it. Even Pinkie Pie would have seen through it. It felt so awkward to her lips.

Nightmare's brow furrowed.

That was all the encouragement she needed to scurry over to the rug, then sit down. In the corner of it, near the fireplace. As far away from Nightmare Moon as was possible.

She watched as Nightmare casually turned to face her, then approached her. Her gait was calm and collected, and then she sat down on the rug opposite of her in another corner. For several seconds, the two of them watched each other. Nightmare's expression seemed to settle on curiosity, rather than bloodlust. She felt Nightmare's eyes crawling over her as the alicorn's eyes glanced over her body yet again.

Eventually, they settled back on her eyes. Their gazes focused on each other. Twilight didn't immediately panic for once. Her gaze wasn't quite as threatening as before. Instead, curiosity and that deadly intellect were the most prominent aspects displayed.

Seconds passed between them in silence. Each one brought more discomfort to Twilight. Nightmare seemed content to wait for something. Twilight didn't dare look away from her gaze. Hesitantly, she swallowed, then licked her dry lips. "W-why did you t-take me h-here," she nervously ventured.

"So you are capable of speaking intellectually. Good," Nightmare stated dismissively. "I wanted to speak with you. After all, you are my dear sister's student."

Twilight shivered at how venomously Nightmare spoke of her sister. She shivered at how Nightmare spoke 'student,' too. She nibbled on her lip.

Did Nightmare want her to reply to that? How was she supposed to reply to that? What could she say, what couldn't she say? How was she supposed to deal with this? Princess Celestia taking an interest in her had been the happiest moment of her life. Nightmare Moon taking an interest in her?

Without a doubt, the most terrifying moment of her life.

"A-about?" Twilight stuttered.

Nightmare chuckled. "You tell me. You're my sister's pet. Prove your worth."

Twilight felt a lump in her throat. 'Nightmare is-is asking me t-to prove my worth!?' her mind screamed in disbelief. 'Oh no. Oh no. Oh, no, no, no,' she thought in a panic. If this was a test like Princess Celestia had given to her, it was doable. But this was Nightmare Moon. Certainly, this had to be a test she was engineered to fail! Nightmare truly was dastardly!

'H-how can I even begin to pr-prove my worth!?' she thought helplessly. 'S-she's just going to k-kill me!' She bit her lip hard for a moment, then exhaled and inhaled. 'O-okay, focus. I-I have to pass this test... F-finding out why she wants m-me to p-prove it c-can wait... U-unless sh-she's not certain an-and is trying to trick me into proving that I'm Princess Celestia's student so that she c-can k-kill me.. Ohhh no....'

Her gut twisted in fear.

"Prove your worth," Nightmare repeated, her voice once again threatening.

It was enough to spur her into action. 'O-okay! T-think. Think. Nightmare Moon wants me to prove my worth... she won't tell me what she wants to talk about; she wants me to solve that. Okay... okay... think...' Several seconds passed. 'The Elements? My friends? My standing up to her? Princess Celestia?'

There were simply too many options to narrow down in her panicked state. Her vision went blurry, and Nightmare Moon's visage became watery and distorted. "I-I don't k-know..." she whimpered. "I-I'm sorry. I-I don't k-know..."

Nightmare frowned, then opened her mouth.

At the slightest movement from Nightmare, she threw herself onto the carpet and gripped her head with her forelegs, covering her eyes to protect them from seeing any more of Nightmare Moon. "P-please don't kill me!" she screamed. "P-please! I-I'm sorry!" she frantically shouted. "I-I don't know!" she wailed.

She heard Nightmare inhale. It was a slow, methodical inhale. A calculated one. "I will not kill you, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare's voice came out as if speaking those words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Twilight's heart skipped a beat. Ever so reluctantly, she removed her forelegs from her head and wiped her tears away. She could see Nightmare, and once again, Nightmare looked disappointed. "Y-you're n-not g-going t-to k-kill me?"

"Not yet, at least," was Nightmare's disinterested reply.

Once again, Twilight felt a horrible feeling wash over her. She really was growing tired of it by now. Nightmare was emotionally exhausting to be around.

"I have a proposition for you, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare stated.

Her ears perked up at that, and her muzzle lifted from the carpet.

"Become my student, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare shot at her.

Twilight was certain she misheard what Nightmare had said. But even her mind agreed with what she thought she heard, 'Student!?' "W-what?"

Nightmare took a quick breath, one much less calculated, almost spontaneous. "Become my student," she said again. "That is my offer. You were my sister's student, and now I will give you the opportunity to become my student."

Apparently, she had not misheard what Nightmare said. A few thoughts immediately rushed to her head. 'No! I won't betray Princess Celestia like that! Why do you want me to be your student?' She swallowed and tried to find her voice.

Nightmare preempted her, "As you should know, I have not been in Equestria for one thousand years."

'That answers the why?' she wondered. 'Yes... I think so? You... you want... need... help?'

That served to reinforce her first thought. 'I won't betray Princess Celestia like that!'

As if sensing her thoughts, Nightmare frowned again. "Allow me to phrase it another way, Twilight Sparkle. I have not been in Equestria for a thousand years because I was trapped on the moon. I am not as well versed with modern Equestria as you or my sister. Become my student and assist me, or Equestria will suffer. My sister would want you to help me, then, would she not?"

Her voice was venomous. Twilight shrank back from her, but her logic seemed sound. And the fact that it actually made sense only twisted her gut more. It actually made her consider accepting that offer. Princess Celestia would be disappointed if she willingly let Equestria suffer. Would Princess Celestia be okay with this? Princess Celestia wouldn't want Equestria to suffer. Her gut twisted further. 'Princess Celestia would want me to do what I can to make sure Equestria doesn't suffer...'

She could feel her expression falling at that. Oh, that realization left her feeling numb. But, how could she say yes to this? Saying yes to becoming Nightmare Moon's student. Ponies would hate her. Her friends would probably hate her. She might be doing it to protect Equestria, but Equestria wouldn't necessarily know that.

She'd be a traitor.

'When... if... Princess Celestia returns, she can fix this! All of this...' she knew. If Princess Celestia returned, she could explain everything to her, and everything would be okay. Princess Celestia would see that she did it for Equestria, to protect Equestria. Princess Celestia could tell everypony that she wasn't a traitor.

It still twisted her gut.

'What if Princess Celestia doesn't see that I tried to protect Equestria? What if she still thinks I'm a traitor!?'

The thought of Princess Celestia thinking of her as a traitor? That was enough to make her cry, and her vision blurred again. her eyes fell to the now-blurry blue rug.

As much as she was loathed to admit it, she missed her friends. And it reminded her of another thing: her age. 'I-I'm too young f-for this...'

But that did not stop her from being in this position.

What kind of a mentor would Nightmare Moon be? She already knew that Nightmare would not be as forgiving as Celestia. Nightmare Moon would dispose of her the second she was no longer of use.

'Nightmare will just kill me when I'm no longer of use... She'll kill me if I say no...' The voice in her head was deathly silent.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was a filly! She wasn't supposed to be dying for Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia was supposed to protect her!

"I will teach you things that my sister didn't, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare purred.

It was a seductive voice and a seductive offer. Twilight licked her lips. It was knowledge, after all, even if it wasn't coming from Princess Celestia.

"Things that my sister wouldn't teach you..." Nightmare continued.

That didn't help her feel any better. Her chest twisted. There were things that Princess Celestia hadn't taught her for her own safety, after all.

"You can help protect Equestria."

Princess Celestia would want that. If ponies suffered because she said no, then, she knew, Princess Celestia would be upset with her. It really was a lose-lose situation for her.

"I'll... even spare your friends. Offer them positions under my rule..."

Twilight closed her eyes. Warmth ran down her cheeks. A part of her couldn't help but consider the insanity and sheer absurdity of it. Here she was, with a corrupted alicorn trying to convince her, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student, to become her student, by offering to spare her friends.

Never in all of eternity did she think that offer would hold as much sway as it did.

She mentally berated herself for letting it have so much sway on her. Truly, she had been right. Friendship made ponies do stupid, illogical things.

Like, considering becoming the student to the pony who wanted to cause eternal night.

"Eternal night will kill everything!" blurted out before she could stop herself.

She clasped her mouth shut with her forehooves and looked up at Nightmare, expecting to recieve a lethal bolt of magic to her face.

Nightmare looked at her with an amused expression, and her left eyebrow was raised. "Are you truly so naive as to think I want to rule over a dead world?" she asked.

Twilight looked back down at the carpet, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. She could feel her cheeks warming up, and oh, she hated it.

Nightmare chuckled for a few seconds. The way the laughter faded sent shivers down Twilight's spine. "Believe me, Twilight Sparkle," she said emphatically, "I have no desire to rule over a dead world. I had enough of that during my one thousand year banishment," she spat bitterly.

She shivered, but still looked back up at her. "H-how? How will anything survive without the sun!?"

"How? Twilight Sparkle, I am disappointed in you. Between my magic and earth pony magic, Equestria will have no problems," Nightmare answered.

Twilight opened her mouth.

"Really, from what I know, most races shouldn't fare too badly. Plants will be able to survive on my moonlight, even without earth pony magic. Zebra alchemy has certainly advanced in the past thousand years. The Deer's magic shouldn't have any problems at all with this. The Griffons are omnivores, and I'm sure that even if they can't provide enough food for themselves, we can trade with them. Dragons eat gems, and gems won't be affected by this. Really, the species most affected by this would be the Minotaurs, and their industrial capabilities have surely improved in my absence."

Twilight closed her mouth and silently pondered it. It gave her some sense of closure, but there were still so many problems facing her over this decision. And then, of course, there was knowing what Nightmare Moon would do to her if she said no. "What if I refuse?"

'Did... I really just... ask that?' Internally, she felt like everything came to a stop. She cringed at that.

Nightmare regarded her cautiously. "If... you were to refuse my proposition, Twilight Sparkle..." Her voice was calm and controlled, but sharp. "Then, I assure you, I would find some other use for you," she stated matter of factly. "My sister seems quite fond of you. And I'm not terribly fond of her."

Nightmare leaned forward. In an instant, any semblance of security was stripped away from Twilight. Her gaze was unquestionably dominant. No dragon would dare challenge her. It was a gaze that promised death. "Refuse and I will break you in front of her. I will use you to hurt her as much as I can."

The logical part of Twilight's mind barely processed it over the fear Nightmare commanded over her. The logical part of her mind knew that she really had no choice. If she said no, Nightmare would kill her- while hurting Princess Celestia at the same time. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let Equestria suffer- that too, would hurt Princess Celestia. And even if she accepted, then it was only a matter of when, rather than if, Nightmare killed her. Nightmare would kill her as soon as she was no longer useful, she had no doubt about it. And even then, Nightmare would use her against Princess Celestia.

It left her gut churning without release. She could just barely breathe, frozen in fear as she was under Nightmare's gaze.

Nightmare methodically pulled her head back from where she had leaned forward, and an amused expression replaced the lethal one.

She could breathe again, though she didn't know how long that would last before Nightmare paralyzed her with fear again. "H-how... w-would y-you t-trust me..?" she ventured in a stutter.

Nightmare smiled. "Very astute question, Twilight Sparkle. Surely, you realize that my proposition for you to become my student is rather odd. After all, your my sister's- my enemy's- student. And I'm offering you the opportunity to become mine. Of course, I can't simply trust you. I will say this only once, Twilight Sparkle. Betray me, and I will kill you," she promised.

Twilight shivered under Nightmare's intent scrutiny.

Nightmare inhaled. "I will keep you on a short leash until you prove your loyalty to me, but even then, we both know I simply cannot trust you. But then, I do hold a great deal of power over you, do I not?" she questioned. "After all, I have the power to make Celestia's life... much, much worse."

She felt her dread return at that. Nightmare was threatening Princess Celestia. Nightmare was giving her absolutely no choice but to accept. And that really wasn't much of a choice.

"And then there's the matter of your friends," Nightmare continued, her lips pulling up into a smirk. "While I do have a proposition in mind for Rainbow Dash, the rest of them are disposable-" a bolt of cold shot through Twilight's body "-and as such, even if you accept and I let them go, I assure you I have no qualms killing them if you don't comply. As it is, given the nature of them and their connection to the Elements of Harmony, I will be keeping an eye on them. However, I'm feeling generous, and as such, my offer stands: Become my student and I'll offer them positions under me. They can even refuse and I'll let them go. But you had better keep them in check."

Twilight looked down at the deep blue rug again. "W-what... what's in it for me?"

Nightmare snorted. "Have you not been listening?" she demanded.

Twilight winced and her ears pinned back. She could hear Nightmare take a deep breath, then exhale more calmly. "I-I'm sorry... I... I just... what... h-how is... t-this going to work? You... making me y-your... student?" she hesitantly looked up at Nightmare.

Nightmare looked at her with a smile. "Is that a yes?"

"You're not giving me much of a choice..." she muttered back.

Nightmare's lips twitched into a frown at that.

"Okay yes!" Twilight squeaked. "Y-yes... I-I'll be your s-student... j-just please... d-don't hurt my friends... O-or me!"

Nightmare's smile returned, then her mane stretched out like a tendril and approached her. She found herself staring at the magic with a mixture of fear and curiosity, but much more fear than curiosity. The mane eventually reached her, then stroked her jaw. She wanted to pull away from it but didn't. It didn't feel like she had expected- cold, harsh, dangerous. It didn't touch her like she had expected, either. It was a mockery of an attempt at comfort, it was a mockery of her, but it was surprisingly gentle.

"Good," was Nightmare's reply.

Twilight was surprised at just how genuine it sounded, but she still didn't- and couldn't, given how much panic Nightmare Moon had caused her since she left the dungeon cell- let her guard down.

Nightmare lit her horn, and there was a brief pop. Twilight felt a surge of warmth over her body, and she felt her magic come back to her in an instant rush. She closed her eyes and shivered in pleasure, a small smile flashing across her lips for a moment.

She felt Nightmare's mane withdrew from her jaw, then opened her eyes. Hesitantly, she channeled her magic into her horn. Her magenta aura glowed to life around her horn, and Nightmare Moon didn't immediately try to kill her.

A moment later, however, Nightmare hummed, and it was enough to make the glow of Twilight's horn wink out. Then, Nightmare's magic coalesced in the air and formed into a silver necklace, from which a silver crescent moon hung. Instantly, another flash came from her horn, and the necklace took a glossy, shimmering appearance- an enchantment. "Bow your head," Nightmare commanded.

Twilight complied, instantly bowing her head and staring down at the rug. A moment later, the necklace was lowered onto her, then came to rest on her neck. The crescent moon rested on her chest. There was a certain coldness emanating from the enchanted silver, and it made her shiver.

Cautiously, she swallowed, then looked up at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare seemed to approve, or at the very least didn't seem intent on smiting her. "W-what is this?" she asked.

"Your leash," Nightmare answered. "Do not take this off," she ordered. "It will tell me where you are at all times, and allow me to hear what is said around you."

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably. Nightmare Moon would hear everything she said, along with what anypony said around her. She really was on a leash with this necklace on. Nightmare would always be eavesdropping in her. Her privacy would be an illusion.

"What privileges did my sister give you?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight licked her lips and took a deep breath. "U-um... she... I... had my needs... taken care of," she answered hesitantly.

"I would have expected as much," Nightmare said flatly. "But what I mean is what sort of authority or access did she grant you?"

"I... could access the Royal Archives, and she would give me some books from her personal library, but they were ones she wanted me to read... um... I-I don't know what... authority... I-I know that the guards listened to me if... I needed them to..." she trailed off.

Nightmare nodded, seemingly to herself. Her eyes darted off from Twilight's body and she seemed to ponder something for a few seconds, then she nodded again and looked back down at Twilight. "Then you shall retain these privileges," she stated.

She wasn't sure whether she was surprised or not, but she felt some sense of relief at that for some reason. Nightmare Moon was being reasonable! Sort of.

"I suppose I have demanded a great deal of you, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare stated. Something in the tone of her voice caught Twilight's interest. "So allow me to make you a set of promises in return. As my student, I will teach you. I expect your loyalty, but in return, you will have my loyalty. Prove yourself, and you will have authority. You will have my ear, with whatever you wish to speak about; but do not mistake that for me wanting to discuss releasing my sister. If I say not to bring up a topic, then I expect you to respect that. If you wish to offer an opinion, or a suggestion, contrary to what I think- if you think it will be better than my own idea- speak it. I will not punish you for trying to help me. If somepony wrongs you, then I will right it. Disobey me, and there will be consequences. Betray me, and I will kill you." Each promise was spoken with power and authority.

Even with the more benevolent promises, there was no way Twilight trusted Nightmare Moon. There was no way she would let her guard down around her. It was Nightmare Moon, after all. And she had outright threatened to kill her and her friends and promised to kill her if she betrayed her.

And even then, Nightmare Moon would still get rid of her if she outlived her usefulness. That was a given.

'I... need to be careful...' She took a deep breath and nodded. "O-of course..." she stammered.

Nightmare Moon smiled at her. "Now... perhaps we should go have a chat with your friends?" she offered.

Author's Note

Twilight is neurotic.

I enjoyed rereading this for edits. Although it's also a good thing I've reread it... I think I need to make some minor adjustments to later chapters. Might be a couple of inconsistencies to address...

Student

Nightmare Moon had led her back to the cell that housed the mares she had met. But rather than throw her back in with them, she kept her on the outside, looking in. Twilight was forced to stand there beside her, wearing the silver crescent moon necklace, watching.

Her friends all looked at her with expressions ranging from shock and confusion to, in Rainbow Dash's case, anger and betrayal. It seemed that, maybe, Rainbow Dash wasn't as loyal as she had claimed to be. There wasn't really any cause for them to doubt her, aside from her standing beside Nightmare Moon. For all they knew, the necklace was something Nightmare Moon had forced her to wear- which she had- but Rainbow Dash still seemed to jump to the conclusion that she had betrayed them.

"Twilight!" Rainbow demanded. Her glare was unforgiving. If the metal bars hadn't been there, she knew that Rainbow Dash would have tackled her to the floor, even with Nightmare Moon standing beside her.

She couldn't stand to see Rainbow looking at her like that. She turned her head away in shame, her vision growing blurry once again. She hadn't had a choice in this. Couldn't they- couldn't she- see that? They had only just met, but she had thought they were more forgiving than that.

"Be silent," Nightmare Moon growled.

"No!" Rainbow defiantly shouted. "Twilight betrayed us!"

It hurt. Oh, it hurt. Rainbow Dash valued loyalty, and now she thought Twilight had betrayed her. She thought Twilight had betrayed all of them. All of Equestria, even. And it hurt. A part of her mind shouted out furiously at her for letting this get to her. 'Friends!?' They made her vulnerable. They were insane. And she, for her part in at least partially considering them her own friends, was clearly insane too. She a fool for thinking of them as friends. She was a fool for letting them hurt her like this. That still didn't change how much it hurt.

Twilight closed her eyes but kept silent.

She heard Nightmare take in a deep breath, then exhale. It was an aggressive breath, nearly a growl. "I gave her a proposition," she started, "and I intend to extend the same offer to all of you," she stated. "Serve me-"

"I'll never betray Equestria!" Rainbow retorted.

The rest of the girls let out affirmatives, agreeing with her. Fluttershy and Pinkie, just barely so.

Nightmare growled at that, then Twilight heard- and felt- her hoof connect with the floor. "Twilight did not betray you or Equestria!" she shouted. For a few seconds, the only sound was Nightmare's heavy breathing. "She joined me because I threatened Princess Celestia and reminded her that I have been out of touch with Equestria for one thousand years, and as such, Equestria was likely to suffer due to my lack of knowledge, which she could rectify. I didn't give her the choice. Had she not joined me, we would not be having this conversation. You would all be dead."

Twilight stayed silent, though she shivered. There was a heavy, almost palpable silence that grew in the vacuum following Nightmare's last spoken word. That word lingered in the air, adding more and more weight to the atmosphere and making it feel oppressive like it was beating down on her. 'You really didn't give me the choice... but... why are you defending me?' It wasn't something she could grasp. Nightmare Moon was actually arguing in her favor. It made no sense. Nightmare saying that would make them hate her less, and that was the opposite of what she thought Nightmare wanted. Nightmare would also benefit from their nascent friendship- if it could be called that- shattering. If their friendship shattered, she wasn't sure she could use the Elements of Harmony, which meant that Nightmare Moon would have nothing that could stop her.

She could hear two of Nightmare's promises drift through her mind. 'I expect your loyalty, but in return, you will have my loyalty... If somepony wrongs you, then I will right it.'

Nightmare had made those two promises in such an authoritative tone, but she didn't for a second believe she meant either of them. Nor did she believe that was what this was. Nightmare would just use her until she no longer offered any use, then she would dispose of her. No, there had to be something else here, some benefit Nightmare Moon would receive from this. 'But what?' With no answers coming to mind, she knew she was missing something.

She heard Rainbow Dash touch down on the stone floor.

"I'm willing to extend an offer to you," Nightmare continued. "Rainbow Dash, though you're nothing more than an insect to me, I have to admit that I admire your fire. You have talent. You can join my Guard. The rest of you? I have no specific purposes in mind, but the offer stands. You can serve me. Or, you can decide not to. I'll let you go if you decide not to, as per my agreement with Twilight Sparkle. But do not cross me. Do not cause problems."

Several seconds passed in silence. Twilight kept her eyes closed but listened.

"Guard..?" Rainbow ventured. Her anger- her fire- was still there, but it wasn't quite as violent as before. "What exactly do you mean?"

"You can join my Guard. The Equestrian Royal Guard is quite lackluster, and I have to admit, you put most of them to shame in that you're at least willing to stand up to me. I can respect that, foalish as it is," was Nightmare's reply.

A few more seconds passed in silence. "What's in it for me?" Rainbow asked skeptically.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack and Rarity shouted and growled, respectively.

Rainbow gave a huff.

"You will be compensated, of course," Nightmare said, "and you will get to be the first among my Guard. I am certain that, with work, you will be able to become quite a formidable guard..."

Rainbow snorted. "Yeah, sure. And you expect that to sway me? I'm not going to betray Equestria for that."

"Very well," Nightmare spat.

Twilight heard Nightmare's magic, and hesitantly, she looked back towards the cell. Rainbow Dash's anger that was directed at her was mostly mellowed out, but she still looked upset. Applejack seemed to regard the situation more solemnly. Rarity looked at her with what she thought was almost a heartbroken expression that spoke of how her age- the fact that she was still technically a filly- was at the forefront of her mind. Pinkie didn't smile. Fluttershy was back in a corner, trembling, hiding behind her mane.

Nightmare's magic enveloped the cell's gate. "Step back," she told Rainbow Dash, "and do not try anything."

Rainbow glared at her but took a few steps back. Her wings bristled in agitation.

Nightmare opened the door all the way but kept her horn lit and held on to the door with her magic. For a moment, Twilight nervously bit her lip, half afraid Rainbow Dash would do something stupid. No, more than half afraid. It was Rainbow Dash, after all.

They were doomed.

In a bold streak of intelligence that caught her off guard, Rainbow didn't actually attack Nightmare Moon as soon as the door was open.

"You are all free to leave," Nightmare stated, "But do not cause me any trouble."

Applejack looked at Nightmare with a stern expression. "We're not leaving without Twilight..." she said in a low tone. It wasn't quite a threat, but it was demanding.

Twilight actually smiled at that. A sharp pain raced through the edges of her eyes, then warmth gathered at the edges of her eyelids. After a moment, it faded. "It-it's fine... g-girls," she offered before Nightmare could say anything about it.

Applejack slowly looked at her, studying her expression, then looked back at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare cocked her head to the side. "You are free to visit her, as she is free to visit you, assuming I have no immediate need for her," she stated. "And assuming all of you-" Nightmare turned to face Twilight, and Twilight took a step back in fear- "you included-" she looked back at Applejack as Twilight felt her body freeze up, "stay out of trouble."

A few more seconds passed before Applejack slowly approached the gate. She lingered at the entrance for another few seconds, seeming to ponder something, before finally stepping out. Nightmare, of course, stepped back to keep her distance.

It took a few more seconds before the rest of the mares left the cell. Fluttershy was the last one out, and it took both Rainbow Dash and Rarity to get her to move any closer to Nightmare Moon. She whimpered in fear, crying, the whole time. Twilight could barely stand to watch, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare look away. She couldn't read her emotions, however.

Applejack approached her, wearing that same solemn look as before. "A-are you... sure about this, Twilight?"

Twilight bit her lip and glanced at Nightmare. Nightmare looked right at her. She immediately knew that Nightmare was watching her closely. Nightmare could kill her in an instant if she so needed, or so chose. Princess Celestia could have too, but at least she knew Princess Celestia wouldn't. With Nightmare Moon, it was a guarantee it would eventually happen. She swallowed. "N-no... b-but... um... I-I don't have much of a choice..." she whispered.

Of course, Nightmare heard it. But she didn't say or do anything.

Applejack nodded slowly. "Alright... just... take care of yourself, alright? Be careful... We'll... we'll try to visit soon."

Twilight smiled and nodded, even as a lump throbbed in her throat. "Y-yeah," she croaked.

She didn't want them to leave. Applejack didn't seem to want to leave, either. None of them did.

Rainbow hesitantly walked over to her. "I... sorry. I..." she trailed off and looked down at her left. "We're... still good, right?" Her eyes glanced up at Twilight.

She wanted to scream at Rainbow- there was so much she could scream at her for- but instead, as crazy as it was, she nodded. "Yeah..." And with that, she had yet another piece of evidence that proved she had, without a doubt, lost her sanity. She shook it off, though. Given what had happened, she supposed it was to be expected.

Rarity ventured closer. "Oh, dear... please stay safe. I-I don't know what I'd do... if... if that ruffian hurt you!"

Rarity didn't seem to care that Nightmare was there to overhear it, and likewise, at least for the moment, Nightmare was patient and didn't immediately smite Rarity. Twilight could still see that Rarity kept thinking back to her age. She appreciated her concern, and it irked her.

Pinkie Pie walked over to her, then without saying anything, wrapped her in a hug. She wheezed as the earth pony reminded her that she was an earth pony. "P... Pinkie..." That made her let up, but only slightly. It was enough for her to relax and return the hug, nuzzling Pinkie's neck.

Nuzzling Pinkie felt so incredibly odd. There were only a few ponies she had nuzzled before. Sure, it may have been a completely normal social interaction for ponies, but she was Twilight Sparkle. The list of ponies she had nuzzled included her parents, brother, her foalsitter, Spike, and Princess Celestia. And now Pinkie Pie was added to that exclusive list. She wanted to groan.

Pinkie eventually pulled back, and Applejack brought Fluttershy over. Fluttershy practically leaped at her and hugged her, burying her head in her neck while sobbing. "P-please b-be c-careful!" was her barely audible plea.

Despite the necklace being right there, Twilight wasn't sure if Nightmare heard her quiet voice or not. She returned Fluttershy's hug. Even if she was an annoyance like the rest of the mares she had met, she didn't like seeing her so sad. But, by the time she pulled away, her chest was soaked with tears.

And possibly snot.

'Gross.'

"So... uh... where are we?" Applejack ventured.

"The dungeons of the castle you found in the middle of the Everfree forest," was Nightmare's disinterested reply. "My old home," she elaborated.

Rarity made an unhappy whining sound. "Oh, this place really is in a dreadful state... it's such a shame too! I imagine it really was quite beautiful before..."

Nightmare ignored her. "Follow me," she commanded. Ignoring everypony else, she turned, then started down the same path Twilight had trod with her before. Just like before, she levitated a small, white orb in her magic to provide illumination. As soon as Nightmare took a step, Twilight dashed over to her side, smiling nervously. Nightmare ignored her, along with everypony else.

For a few seconds, Twilight felt her body tense up as she heard the distinct lack of the sounds of her friends' hooves clicking on the stone to follow them. And Nightmare ignored it, continuing to stride forward. Twilight walked quickly, and she kept herself looking forward out of fear for what Nightmare Moon would do if she didn't stand beside her or if she looked back to check on her friends.

Eventually, she felt a wave of relief wash over her body as she heard the reluctant, then quickening, hoofsteps of her friends. Eventually, their pace slowed and matched her own in order to keep up with Nightmare Moon.

Taking a risk, she turned her head and cast her gaze back to see who was following them. And to her relief, all five mares were, although some were more disgruntled than others, such as Rarity who was abhorred by the dust and debris, and Rainbow Dash, who radiated an air of annoyance and contempt. For a moment, she feared it was directed at her, but she realized that, more than likely, it was directed at the alicorn leading them along. It helped that Rainbow had apologized, too.

After that, she looked back ahead. She walked along silently, as did Nightmare Moon, and so did her friends. It seemed that none of them had anything to say, or maybe, if they did, they simply didn't want to say it. She knew that she fell in that latter category- there were several things she wanted to voice, but she kept them to herself.

Unlike last time when she had walked this path, she didn't trip on debris, and nopony else did, either. It brought her a sense of relief, but that relief was limited. With every step, her unease grew. Eventually, they walked up the stairs Nightmare Moon had led her through before, then they walked down the same hallway as before. Even as they approached the doors to the Throne Room, however, everypony stayed silent.

Unlike the last time, Nightmare turned left, and she scurried around to make sure she stayed at her side, rather than falling behind. In truth, she didn't know what Nightmare would do if she fell behind, but she didn't want to find out, either. After all, Nightmare could still think it was an attempt to escape or an attempt to stop her, or perhaps formulate a plan with her friends, despite the necklace being there.

Both all too soon, and not soon enough, they walked out of the castle and into the courtyard. She found herself slowing down as they walked out. Out in the open, free from the castle's confining stone corridors, rather than feeling more vulnerable, she felt safer. The night sky looked down at her, but she at least stood a chance of escaping Nightmare's wrath out here. She could remember how they had all arrived and headed inside, so brave and ready to stop Nightmare Moon. Things had changed, now.

'How long has it been since... since sunset?' she wondered. 'How long did I- we- sleep for?' She nibbled on her lip and hesitantly lifted her head towards the sky. The stars were as beautiful as ever, pristine and sparkling in the night sky. The unease that had been building up inside the castle now found a vent and gradually dissipated. She watched the stars as the seconds passed, devoting the lesser part of her mind to making sure she didn't want into anypony- especially not Nightmare- or trip and fall.

At this point, if she tripped and fell, she knew she'd break down. The night had simply been too much for her to deal with.

Her gaze was inevitably drawn to the familiar face of the moon. It was still so, so beautiful as ever, and yet, the moon had never felt so far away as it did now. Her mentor- Princess Celestia- was held prisoner on the moon, now. There was no way for her to get her back. Perhaps she could have done it with the Elements, but now Nightmare Moon had them.

Unless Princess Celestia could escape, she knew she would never see her again. How she managed to avoid crying at that thought, she had no idea. Perhaps it was because she clung to the logical part of her mind, which told her that there was still a chance. Even if Princess Celestia was trapped, imprisoned on the moon, she might be able to escape. After all, Nightmare Moon had. Even if Nightmare Moon had defeated Princess Celestia, Princess Celestia wasn't bound by the magic of the Elements of Harmony, so her imprisonment had to be weaker than Nightmare Moon's.

There had to be a chance, even if it was small. She had to hold onto that.

"You may leave now," Nightmare stated pointedly. "You should find your return is as easy as your journey here."

Rainbow Dash huffed at that. "Yeah. Sure. You call that journey easy... I don't even know how many times we almost died!" she grumbled.

Twilight swallowed and lowered her gaze from the night sky. She glanced around to remind herself of her surroundings, then glanced at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon faced Rainbow Dash with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

They lingered for a moment.

She took the time to look over each of them again.

"T-take care of Spike, please... a-and... let him know that... I-I'm okay..."

"Sure thing, sugarcube..." was Applejack's soft answer.

One after another, they approached her, then wrapped their forelegs around her neck and hugged her. The group hug lingered on and on, perhaps for a minute or longer, during which time she closed her eyes. Only for a few seconds did she feel Nightmare Moon's gaze on her, but it didn't feel predatory- it felt curious.

Finally, when they parted, she opened her eyes. Her friends were all disappointed and worried, and rightfully so. As soon as they left, she'd be left alone with Nightmare Moon. But there was nothing more they could do. They had tried and failed to stop her. If Nightmare Moon wanted them dead, it would be so.

She could see the pain in all of their eyes and their postures. The only pony with her head held high was Nightmare Moon- and her head was lifted towards the night sky, pointed away from the moon. She could see her teal irises surrounding her slit-pupil, and they seemed almost calm. Almost peaceful, even.

She watched Nightmare Moon for a few seconds. then turned her attention back to her friends. They said their goodbyes, wishing her well, demanding that she be safe and careful, and promising to visit soon. It felt like it all passed by in a blur. Could they really be leaving so soon? Another part of her was glad that they were leaving, though it filled her with dread that they were leaving her with Nightmare Moon.

Eventually, the group reluctantly headed away. Twilight thought for sure that they'd need more convincing, as much as she'd hate that. But, they didn't stop, even if their walk was downcast. Rainbow Dash didn't even fly. She walked with her friends a short distance before stopping at her new mentor's side and going no further. She found herself missing them as she watched them leave the courtyard. She found herself feeling vulnerable and so very alone as she stood beside Nightmare Moon. She felt put on the spot. She would have all of Nightmare's attention now.

She glanced aside at Nightmare as quickly as she could so that her visage filled her vision for no longer than was necessary. Nightmare retained the calm look, but her gaze was cast towards Twilight's friends. A few seconds passed in silence. Eventually, her friends reached the rope bridge, then started to cross the chasm below.

That chasm felt a hundred times wider now than it did when the bridge was out.

"Spike... he is your dragon?" Nightmare queried without looking at her- she still watched the five mares walk off. "The one on your back at the Town Hall."

Twilight nodded and swallowed. "Y-yes," she answered.

Nightmare nodded slowly. "If you would like, you can retrieve him."

'And subject him to you and all of this!?' shot out through her mind. She scowled at the very idea of forcing Spike into this- forcing him into Nightmare's presence, forcing him into the danger she was already in. She couldn't do that to him. Her scowl faded and she closed her eyes. It wouldn't be fair on him. It wouldn't be fair on him either way. Leaving him was wrong. Taking him was wrong. He'd be without his caretaker if she stayed away. He'd be in danger with her. "N-no," she whispered.

She could feel Nightmare's gaze on her, and she instantly opened her eyes. Nightmare's head was angled back towards her, and the alicorn watched her but said nothing. After a few more seconds, she looked ahead again.

"I have matters to attend to, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said. After a slight hesitation, she turned and looked at Twilight again. "And you will accompany me."

Twilight hastily nodded. It really was her only option at this point. "O-of course," she answered. She wanted to ask what they were going to do, but Nightmare looked back ahead before she could muster the courage to ask, so she kept silent. That, and she didn't want to risk Nightmare losing her patience.

She saw Nightmare's horn glow to life, then she felt Nightmare's magic envelop her. The tingling sensation felt paralyzing, then everything shifted. It was an indescribable feeling- she could feel one moment, then there was a feeling of nothing, followed by everything being different. The picture before her eyes changed so quickly, so immediately, that in that brief instant, she could see the ruined courtyard and the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle. Even with the double image, she could recognize it immediately- she had been there several times, though not exactly often.

The tingling from Nightmare's coldness faded instantly, and immediately following that, her head felt much lighter. The first image following the double image was that of the Throne Room she had seen before, but tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, as if the whole room had been shifted, and she felt like her heart skipped a beat. There was something wrong, but she couldn't place it. The lightheaded feeling took prominence- she could feel herself leaning left, then right, and she could feel her arteries going to her head pounding with slow but powerful throbs.

It took her a few seconds to recover, during which time she hadn't seen or heard anything from Nightmare. She swiftly glanced at the nightmare alicorn and found that she had her head turned to the left, slowly coming back towards the right. Her jaw looked held in place as if she hadn't spoken, but it wasn't tensed either. Twilight watched Nightmare continue her sweep of the room, and once her head was turned to the right, she saw Nightmare's eyes glance at her, then return elsewhere.

Putting aside Nightmare for the moment, she immediately deduced that there was only one thing it could have been: a teleportation spell. It excited her, and at the same time, it horrified her- it was a reminder that she couldn't teleport, even a short distance, at least not yet. She had tried so many times before, and she was close, but it was one of the few spells that eluded her. It also made the memory of Nightmare stealing the Elements flash through her mind. She felt her muscles tense up at that, and it made her breathing once again feel rigid rather than free.

Turning her attention back to Nightmare, she expected to watch her walk over to the throne, then sit down. But, oh no, that wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. Why? It was simple: where the thrones had been was now a crater. And oh, it wasn't just any crater. It was huge! She gawked at it. She couldn't stop the memories of seeing Princess Celestia sitting on the throne, smiling and looking so regal, from flowing through her mind. And now that throne was gone. She wanted to cry yet again.

'M-maybe eternal night i-isn't g-going to be okay...'

Princess Celestia wouldn't take that throne again. It was gone. Nightmare Moon wouldn't sit there, either. The throne of Equestria. Gone.

But instead of crying, she closed her mouth and let her gaze fall onto the floor. She studied the red carpet but didn't take any notes of its details. It wasn't like she was going to be tested on this, so it didn't really matter. Even if she was tested on it, it still didn't really matter. Even if she passed that test, Nightmare might just kill her because she felt like it, so it wasn't like it mattered.

"Where is the Captain of the Guard?" Nightmare asked. Her voice came out much sharper than Twilight had expected, and so she winced.

But then, there was the realization of who she was asking for. She felt her heart beat faster, and everything felt tight. 'M-my b-brother is the Captain of the Guard!' He was in danger! And she couldn't do anything about it. She looked up at Nightmare Moon and stared at her, but Nightmare was looking away from her. 'M-maybe I-I can t-talk to her!?' her mind frantically suggested.

"H-he's in the dungeons, v-visiting P-Princess Cadance," one of the guards whose voice she didn't recognize answered.

Her heart sank at that, and her ears folded back against her head. 'C-Cadance?' softly whispered through her mind. 'Y-you... c-captured C-Cadance?' She should have expected that. Cadance wouldn't have been able to put up a fight. Cadance couldn't hurt a fly- it wasn't in her nature. She was the Princess of Love. 'P-please b-be okay.'

Every fiber of her being wanted, no, needed, Cadance to be okay. Cadance had been her foalsitter! She was one of her closest and oldest friends because of that. And, Cadance had been one of her few foalhood friends- which was to say her only 'friend' outside of her family and Princess Celestia. The thought of Nightmare Moon hurting her left her wanting to run away, find an empty bedroom, then bury her head in the pillow and sob, regardless of how Nightmare Moon would act- or treat her- if she did that.

The emotional part of her was in pain. The logical part of her condemned her for being so weak and reminded her that Cadance wasn't a fighter. Cadance wouldn't have fought back. Nightmare Moon didn't have a reason to hurt her, excluding that Cadance was an alicorn. She clung to that logic as vigorously as she could in an effort to subdue her raging emotions- which had been in turmoil for far too long. She really needed a chance to get away and be alone after this.

"I see," was Nightmare's response to the guard. "Show me," she instructed.

"O-of course, y-your Majesty," the guard stuttered. "T-this way."

Twilight tensed up as the guard turned and opened the door leading out of the Throne Room and into the hallway behind the now-destroyed thrones. He waited, and Nightmare started walking towards him. Rigidly, she followed, looking straight ahead, simply focusing on putting one hoof in front of the other, desperately trying to avoid thinking about the potential ramifications of everything that had happened.

As Nightmare and her approached the opened door, the guard walked out of the Throne Room with a rigid, practiced military stride. Even Twilight could tell the guard was desperate to avoid drawing any more of Nightmare's scrutiny, and that was the reason for his stride. Sadly for him, it had the opposite effect, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare scowl. It was a faint scowl, just barely there, but she could see it- the way her lips twitched down in disgust, perhaps disappointment.

She avoided looking at Nightmare any further, wanting to avoid the risk of that scowl falling on her. Though she felt bad for the guard, it was much, much better for Nightmare's ire to be directed at him than her.

The guard led on, and Nightmare and her followed. They turned to the left at the T, and for the first time since she could remember, Twilight noticed the stark contrast to the right. Her head lingered on that other hallway, taking in the darker color palette and the banners of the moon.

How had she missed it for so many years? She had been through this very hallway many times, and while she remembered seeing that particular hallway, she had never given it any consideration. She had always passed it, viewing it as a curiosity, but, despite the sharp contrast and the emphasis on the moon and night, she had never asked about it nor investigated it.

As she turned so that the hallway was behind her, she finally turned her head back ahead. Though the sight was gone from her eyes, it lingered in her mind. She should have known there was something important about it. She should have asked about it. She should have realized that there was something she didn't know. But no, she had never asked Princess Celestia about it, despite how strange it was. And she had never traversed that section even though she had been given free reign, with some exceptions, to wander and explore the castle.

It had been a curiosity, nothing more. It hadn't been anything worth her valuable time. Why explore the lunar-themed section of the castle, when the solar-themed section had everything she needed? The section was alluring to her, but she never gave in to that desire, always brushing it aside. She had explored the solar-themed side, but ignored the night half, even with the allure of night.

She found herself regretting that. What secrets did that half of the castle hold? What knowledge had she missed out on by not exploring further? Would she have deduced that Princess Celestia had a sister?

She was broken from her musings by another turn to the left. Nightmare pulled a few inches away from her, and immediately, her focus sharpened back into a fine point as a lance of panic shot through her being. She nearly stumbled in her haste to right herself back at Nightmare's side. She breathed heavier and her heart pulsed faster.

She couldn't let her guard down, even to think.

And so she walked beside Nightmare, rigidly. Through the hallways, around the corners, and down the flights of stairs that led to the dungeons.

And the dungeons of Canterlot Castle were a sharp contrast to the dungeons of the Castle of the Two Sisters. The immediate difference was that Canterlot Castle's dungeons were actually maintained. The stairwell was illuminated by magical lights, bringing out the pristine condition of the marble. Even if it was a dungeon, it was still Canterlot Castle, and as such, it demanded dignity.

The stairs were perhaps twice as wide as the stairs at the Castle of the Two Sisters- there was room enough for a group of ponies to walk up and down at the same time, comfortable. The stairs weren't spiral like in the Castle of the Two Sisters, either. They walked down a flight of stairs- a level of the castle- then reached a platform, then there was another flight of stairs to the left, leading to another platform. This downward trend continued two more levels before they arrived at the dungeon proper.

Rather than immediately opening into a long hallway lined by cells, there was a large, square room. The left fourth of the room was sectioned off from the rest with a counter- a guard station- which had four unicorns standing guard. The counter was marble, but above the counter was open- a pegasus could fly through without any problems.

All of the guards went rigid as Nightmare turned her head to look at them. Nightmare took a few steps forward, then stopped and turned to face them. Their guide continued forward, his gait relaxing as Nightmare's gaze left him. He continued across the room, then stopped at the door opposite of the stairs. Twilight hesitated, standing where she was. Should she follow Nightmare and risk Nightmare turning back and stepping into her? She didn't take the risk- the consequences far outweighed what would happen if Nightmare's ire fell on her for not standing closer.

She just hoped Nightmare would give her a chance to explain before killing her.

Though she couldn't see where Nightmare was looking, she could see one of the guards, and he visibly tensed up under his armor every few seconds, then relaxed. She had the suspicion that each time he tensed up, Nightmare was looking at him, but she dared not attempt to confirm it, lest she suffer his fate.

Eventually, Nightmare turned her head to the right, glanced at the floor beside her, then glanced back at Twilight. Once more, she tensed up. Her gaze was calm, but that didn't mean she could be careless. Nightmare's gaze jumped back to their guide, who once again went rigid, then she turned to face him and resumed her authoritative stride.

Twilight quickly walked forward to catch up, then keep up with her. The guard opened the door, then hurried into the hallway beyond. It was a long, wide hallway that went left and right from the door. The hallway was wide enough, once again, for two groups of ponies to walk in opposite directions comfortably. Likewise, the hallways that branched off from the main hallway at right angels were also wide enough for two groups of ponies, but those hallways were lined with cells, she knew from memory.

Walking into the hallway, their guide turned to the right, then hurried along, and so they followed behind him.

While the Canterlot Castle's dungeons were more often than not empty, it was still a large complex. It was not the city's primary dungeon, either. This dungeon was only used in the most unusual of circumstances that involved ponies at the Castle. Mostly, ponies who did stupid things, or ponies who had been involved in stupid accidents that needed to get sorted out. Most of the time, it was nothing major, although the dungeons were far more than adequate to house ponies or other creatures who posed a serious risk to others. And most of the time, the stays of its occupants were very brief- perhaps no more than a few hours to an overnight stay on average.

And as they walked, they passed hallways that branched off to house the dungeon cells. She counted three on her side, which meant three to four on the other side. Each hallway was long enough for twelve cells on each side. And the cells were in much better condition than the ones in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Not only were they well maintained, but they had basic amenities and were, once again, constructed of marble.

They also smelt significantly better.

With each passing step, she felt her anxiety growing. 'How is he going to react to this?' became her primary worry, although it was still tied in place with her fear of Nightmare Moon hurting him, Nightmare Moon hurting Cadance, and, of course, Nightmare killing her. Honestly, she wasn't sure which fear was her biggest. All of them weighed heavily on her mind, and she really couldn't deal with it. Even if she had slept well, this was all too much for her to deal with.

They came to the end of the hallway, passing perhaps three more hallways on her right, then turned to the left. Her heart pounded in her chest as they turned. Standing in front of the very last cell, facing the right, was her brother. Shining Armor. Captain of the Guard. She trembled at his sight. He was sitting on his haunches, staring into the cell, silent.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to stand there, refusing to move forward, refusing to acknowledge what had happened. But her fear spurred her hooves on. She had no choice but to follow beside Nightmare Moon. Hard as it was, she fought back her emotions and forced them down. She had to, for her brother's sake. If he saw her in such a disheveled, panicked state, he would do something stupid, and that would be his end. Perhaps even her own end. Nightmare might even end Cadance, if that happened.

So she put on a brave face, as best she could. Her heart and gut still twisted deep inside her body. Anxiety, fear, panic, but she did everything she could to keep it in check.

Eventually, whether it was the sound of their hoofsteps, or him feeling Nightmare's gaze on him, Shining turned to face them. At first, she saw his gaze go to the guard, then it landed on Nightmare. In that brief instant, he had never looked so cold, so ready to hurt somepony before. Then, his gaze jumped to her, and it shifted entirely. Worry, fear, concern. She could practically see the thoughts racing through his mind, 'How did she get my sister? Why is my sister here? What are you doing with my sister?'

Eventually, they came to a stop a few of Nightmare's steps away from him. She dared not look inside of the cell for fear of what she would see. She dared not meet her brother's gaze. She wouldn't be able to hold herself together if she did. She wanted to run over to him and hug him. After all, he was okay, even if it was just for the moment. And she really needed a hug. She needed her big brother to be there for her, to protect her and let her know that everything would be okay. She needed Princess Celestia to be there, to protect her, to tell her it would be okay, to instruct her in what to do.

But Princess Celestia wasn't there.

Nightmare's gaze eventually dropped to their guide. "Return to your post," was her cold command.

The guard nodded, then made a hasty retreat, walking around Nightmare's left side and making sure to put as much space as he could between him and Nightmare- his armor nearly scraped the marble wall.

Shining Armor stood up and faced Nightmare Moon, though his gaze lingered on her. Hesitantly, Twilight glanced at Nightmare. Nightmare's eyes studied her brother with curiosity and intelligence. Nightmare seemed to ponder something, but she could not determine what.

"Captain," she acknowledged. Her voice was cold and sharp and sent shivers down Twilight's spine.

She tensed up. It was the sort of voice so filled with displeasure that promised nothing good if even the slightest mistake was made. Shining Armor was on just as tight a leash as she was, perhaps even more so. And that paralyzed her in fear.

"Yes, your majesty?" Shining inquired. His voice held no love for her, only disdain and hatred, and it was plain for all to hear.

Twilight couldn't believe that he willingly made that risk of defiance in front of her. Even more so than that, she couldn't believe that Nightmare didn't kill him where he stood. Instead, Nightmare merely snorted in disdain. Neither of them liked the other, that much was obvious. And it scared her. It was just simmering, all it would take was a single spark, and there would be lethal consequences. And those consequences wouldn't be for Nightmare Moon.

"My patience," Nightmare growled, "is quite finite.You would do well to remember that, Captain."

A moment passed. And oh, how horrifying that moment was for her. Not knowing if the next picture in her eyes would be the last of seeing her brother alive, not knowing what other consequences it would hold, and not knowing how Nightmare would react to learning that he was her brother.

"I am willing to let this pass for now, but I will not make a habit of it. You will respect me," Nightmare stated. "You can hate me all you want, but you will respect me. You will obey me. And you will not disrespect me in front of the guards."

She could nearly hear him grinding his teeth, and as it was, it looked like his jaw muscles were going to be ripped from his bones, showing as much as they were.

In a slow, calculated manner, Shining bowed his head. "Of course, Queen Nightmare." His voice was still angered, but not quite as disrespectful as before. After a few seconds of bowing, he lifted his head back up.

"I will replace you," Nightmare stated, "if this becomes a problem."

'Replace,' echoed through Twilight's mind. Her entire world spun around her. 'Replace,' came again. She felt lightheaded; there was only one thing Nightmare could possibly mean by that. If he kept this up, he would die. It was that simple. She would lose her brother, because unless she spoke up, he would keep being an idiot and then get himself killed.

The edges of her eyes grew warm while her face grew cold. She closed her eyes, but not before realizing Shining's demeanor had changed entirely, and his eyes were focused on her. Next, she felt Nightmare's gaze fall on her, and she squeaked. Instinctively, she took a step back in fear. The feeling of Nightmare's eyes on her was inescapable and so overwhelming. Terror gripped her being.

"P-please don't!" she cried out, unable to stop herself. Her distress was just too much, and so she cracked. A whimper escaped her throat, her ears folded back, and she felt warmth roll down her face. "H-he's my b-brother! P-please d-don't kill him!" she sobbed.

Her hind legs gave out, and she fell onto her haunches. She let out another terrified squeak as she hit the floor. Nightmare's gaze lingered on her. She tried to scramble to her hooves, but she tripped herself up and ended up falling forward. No sooner had her muzzle hit the floor than she covered her eyes with her forehooves to protect her from Nightmare's inevitable attack. How could she not attack? She was so weak and such a disappointment. She was already displaying just how worthless she was to Nightmare, which meant that she would be disposed of, and then her friends would be disposed of, and then her brother would be disposed of.

Instead, she felt armored legs wrap around her neck. "Twilight! It-it's okay, Twily..." Shining's voice whispered into her ear.

It was hope; a ray of sunlight in a hurricane. She released her head from her hooves, wrapped them around the back of his neck and pulled herself into him, shaking and whimpering the whole time. Nightmare's gaze left her, and at the same moment, she felt Shining grip her tighter. It was a comforting, reassuring grip, but instead, it only heightened her fear.

"You are brother and sister?" Nightmare asked. It was a curious voice. The prior malice was missing. There was no condemnation. There was no rebuttal. There was no disappointment. It was as if it was a curiosity, something she hadn't expected but had taken a sudden interest in. "I see."

She felt Shining's head turn to his right, likely to face Nightmare Moon. She couldn't see his expression, but his tone was clear: "If you hurt her..."

And that was that. Nightmare would kill him, and it was all her fault. She cried more and held onto him more tightly. It would be the last time she hugged him.

But, as the seconds passed, he continued to live. Nightmare's magic never reached out at either of them. Nightmare didn't kill him. Nightmare didn't kill her.

She heard Nightmare exhale. It was a heavy, tired exhale. She was stressed, perhaps annoyed. But it wasn't a huff. "I will refrain from killing your brother," Nightmare stated, "provided you uphold your end of our little deal. However, I will not guarantee that he will remain Captain of the Guard if he continues to disrespect me."

She cried more. She felt relief at that, but she still cried more. It was just too much for her to go through in such a short time span. Her whole world had been upended. Everything had changed. But, she could relax, if only slightly. She could relax, but not entirely. Nightmare would not be happy if she continued to show such weakness or such vulnerability, and if she kept it up, Nightmare would get rid of her for being of no use.

She kept her guard up. How could she not? Nightmare Moon had banished her own sister to the Moon. If Nightmare was willing to do that to family, what hope, what assurance, could she cling to that Nightmare wouldn't do worse to her? Nightmare's promise whispered through her mind, 'I expect your loyalty, but in return, you will have my loyalty.' But that promise came with a catch, one which far exceeded it and every other promise she had made, for it was the greatest, most absolute promise Nightmare had made to her: 'Disobey me, and there will be consequences. Betray me, and I will kill you.'

Nothing would ever make her forget about that promise. Her life was entirely at Nightmare's whims. She couldn't fight back and survive, let alone win. If Nightmare so decided, then it would be her death, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

"What deal?" Shining asked.

Nightmare remained silent for a moment. Twilight once again felt Nightmare watching her, and her heart skipped a beat. She tensed up, but Nightmare continued to watch her, patiently, waiting to give her the chance to explain.

Shining turned back to her. "Twily? What deal..?" he asked again, his tone lower, more filled with fear and concern than at first.

She swallowed and tried to find her voice. As if sensing her distress, Nightmare looked away from her. A moment later, she heard Nightmare's metal boots clicking against the marble floor as she walked away from them, towards the cell door. After a few steps, the sound stopped.

"S-she..." Twilight started. But how could she explain it? How could she convey it, even if she could speak without stuttering? "I-I..." she tried again, only to once more fail. She whimpered. It made her feel like a foal. She was so vulnerable and she felt so exposed. She was put on the spot, in the center of attention- it was like everypony was staring at her, waiting and watching for her to make a fool of herself. And how young that made her feel. She wanted to run home to her parents and hind behind their legs like she had when she was a little filly. "I-I'm.. h-her... s-st-stu-udent..." she croaked out.

"What?" was Shining's response. A simple one-word question, without any stutter, but the surprise and shock was still undeniably there. "No, you're Princess Celestia's student!" he retorted. "You can't be her student!"

For a moment, she felt Shining tense up, then she tensed up as Nightmare's eyes wandered over her body before leaving. She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a broken squeak, so she closed her mouth. Shining squeezed her tighter and ran his armored hoof down her mane, then up again, then he pulled her closer.

The sound of Nightmare's hoofsteps clicking against the marble came again. And after a few steps, they stopped. "I made her a deal," Nightmare stated. "She is now my student."

"Why!?" Shining demanded.

'Why? She was going to kill me if I didn't accept! She was going to kill my friends if I didn't accept! She would hurt Princess Celestia if I didn't accept! She would hurt Equestria if I didn't accept!' There were so many answers shouted out in anger inside her mind. But she didn't voice a single one, she couldn't. She wouldn't try Nightmare's patience by listing off the reasons, to say nothing of not being able to speak.

"Your sister tried to stop me," Nightmare replied. "So I gave her the choice: Become my student, or suffer the consequences of trying to stop me." Her voice was sharp, and it cut at Twilight like a dagger, stealing what little security she could take from her brother's embrace.

"You're hurting her," Shining growled.

She wanted to cry hysterically at that. But she couldn't. Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, then slowly and audibly exhaled. "Twilight Sparkle," she called.

Immediately, Twilight tensed up, her whole body becoming rigid in fear. Her eyes shot open and she looked ahead at Nightmare. Though her dark form was blurry, that same old look of disappointment was there, rather than the anger or disgust she had expected.

"I assume that you have somewhere to stay in the castle, correct?" Nightmare inquired, her voice taking on a formal tone.

She nodded quickly and looked down at her brother's back. She wanted to answer yes, but she couldn't even open her mouth.

Nightmare inhaled, then audibly exhaled again. "Captain, please escort your sister to..." she paused for a moment before continuing, "her room."

She wasn't sure, but she would have sworn there was a hint of amusement in Nightmare's voice at that.

Then, Nightmare's gaze fell upon her again. "Go sleep," was her command.

But at least the command wasn't harsh, nor was it something she dreaded. Sleeping would be good for her, she knew. And she was tired. It was a mental exhaustion, rather than a physical one. An exhaustion spurred on entirely by Nightmare Moon. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep. Maybe that's what she would do.

Shining, of course, hesitated. But, after a moment, he squeezed her, then slowly released her and stood up. She held onto him but let him slide out from her forelegs. She tried to push herself into a standing position, but failed and tried again. On her third attempt, she managed to stand.

"Come on, it's okay," Shining coaxed quietly.

She didn't believe him for one second, but nonetheless, she stayed closed to him and turned around. She heard Nightmare's hoofsteps receding from her. She bit her lip and looked back to see Nightmare standing facing the cell door. A moment passed, then Nightmare looked over at her and her brother. She froze up from fear yet again, then relaxed as her gaze jumped to Shining. "Please ensure that there are guards assigned for her protection," Nightmare stated.

In Twilight's mind, she recognized it for what it was: It was a pleasant way for her to say, "Please ensure your sister is kept under guard at all times."

Now, not only was Nightmare Moon listening in on her, but she would have eyes watching her. She had no privacy, nor any freedom to speak of. She may have been Nightmare's student, but in reality, she was a glorified prisoner. She looked away from Nightmare Moon and hung her head low as Shining led her away.

At this point, what did it matter if she looked weak to her teacher? She would die at Nightmare's hooves one way or another, it was only a matter of time.

Even as they turned the corner, walking further away from Nightmare Moon, she knew she was still well within her reach. And that? That would never change.

The walk back to her tower from the castle's dungeons had been completely exhausting, or maybe it was just the exhaustion caused by all of the stress Nightmare Moon had put her under catching up with her. Her tears had stopped, and her eyes had dried. Her fur, while dried, was still damp and cold- the cool night air made sure of that. But even if she was Nightmare's prisoner, strolling across the Castle's courtyard in the dead of night offered her some semblance of relaxation and freedom. It was quiet. It was peaceful. She could, for the duration of the walk, cast aside the constant fear of Nightmare Moon.

She had to force herself to not think about the fact that the night was eternal. The fact that she wouldn't see the sun again. The fact that she wouldn't see Princess Celestia again. Those thoughts would have torn her apart. But by not thinking of them, she could take in the night's unrivaled beauty. While the day was bright and cheerful, the lighting held none of the subtleties of the moon's light. The softer shades that evoked feelings of comfort, rest and peace, rather than the bustle of day.

She still had no idea how much time had passed, nor how long she had slept after Nightmare Moon captured her. She didn't ask her brother, although he would be able to answer one of her questions. She couldn't ask. She was too tired and too drained to ask. But looking at the night sky? That had helped. She took comfort in it, even if the sight of the Mare on the Moon had nearly brought her tears back.

Sluggishly, she walked up the stairs to her tower. Resolutely, Shining ascended beside her. She wouldn't have made the trip on her own, which meant that she would have, without a doubt, awoken to see Nightmare Moon. And if that happened? She knew she would scream in fear, and Nightmare would have stolen all of whatever remained of any sense of security she felt. Not that much of that remained in the first place. Not now.

She licked her lips. "H-how is... C-Cadance?" she asked. It was the first thing she had been able to speak since leaving the dungeon.

She felt a momentary pause in Shining's stride, which brought her to a stop, but he almost immediately overcame it, and so she resumed her pace alongside him, pretending as if nothing had happened. "She's..." he trailed off. He sounded unsure like he didn't know what to say. "She's shaken up," he answered. "But... she says she's... okay," although he didn't sound like he believed her.

A thought occurred to her. It was enough to twist her heart and make her close her eyes. Her legs even hiccuped, and she stopped. Her brother noticed, and he stopped too. "I can... try to... talk to Nightmare about her..." she whispered.

A few seconds passed in silence. She kept her eyes closed. "Twilight," he eventually drawled. "I..." he trailed off with a heavy sigh. That sigh spoke volumes of his conflict: the safety of Cadance, his marefriend, versus risking his sister's well-being. "Stay safe, okay?" was what he settled on.

She swallowed and nodded, then opened her eyes. Hesitantly, she looked at him, then met his gaze. In the end, there was nothing for her there. She looked down at her hooves and the marble steps below them. Then, she took a step without him. He lingered behind her for a moment before catching up.

"I'll try to protect you, Twilight," he said.

Twilight closed her eyes again. "I-I know," she replied. Her voice cracked, but she managed to avoid crying. She still couldn't shake the image of Nightmare killing him from her mind.

Silence descended upon them for the rest of their ascent. Once they reached the top, Shining took the lead and opened the door. Twilight hesitantly walked to the doorway, then stopped and looked back at him. It took less than a second for her to decide to turn around, then hug him again. He returned the hug, even more strongly than she hugged him. "I'll... try to make sure that the guards assigned to... guard you..." he trailed off. He sounded at a loss.

Twilight just nodded in response. All too soon, Shining's grip let up on her, and so she let up on him in return, then pulled back. She took one step back, then another, then she turned around and walked inside. Once she was clear of the door, she shut it behind her. The silence felt oppressive.

Her tower, her library, it wasn't as welcoming as before. It wasn't as warm. It didn't smell so familiar or comforting. It was dark- there were no candles glowing to give off light for her to see and read, although the large window opposite of the door let in more than enough light from the moon and the stars for her to navigate without tripping.

But Spike still wasn't there.

But she was too emotionally drained to deal with that right now. Barely holding her head up, she navigated her darkened library, then stumbled up the stairs. More than once, her hooves clipped the top of the next step, but she kept herself from falling down simply because of how sluggish her pace was. She had ample time to correct for each and every mistake she made.

And so, once she reached the top of the stairs, she shuffled across the room, ignoring everything else; her entire focus was on her bed. Thoughts of Nightmare Moon and Spike, thoughts of her brother and Cadance, they merely acted as weights shackled to her hooves, slowing her down. Halfway across the room, she closed her eyes and came to a stop. For a few seconds, she stood there silently as the pain returned to her eyes, then warmth dripped out of them.

She sucked in a breath, then lifted her right forehoof, which shook and shook and shook, then wiped the tears from her eyes. She set her forehoof back down, then opened her eyes, swallowed, and stepped forward. Step by step, she walked to her bed. As she put her forehoof down on the blanket, she shivered.

Her blanket- and bed, by extension- didn't feel as inviting as normal. The coldness of the fabric soaked into her hoof, and that coldness became what she focused on. Not the softness, nor the promise of sleep. Simple the coldness, the isolation, and the insecurity that now faced her.

She lifted her forehoof from her bed and set it back on the marble floor, then lit her horn. Her magenta aura illuminated the room, but it felt like it didn't illuminate the room anywhere near as much. The darkness was still constantly there, creeping in at the edge of the illumination.

She pulled the covers back, then climbed up into bed. She laid down on her side, facing the large window that looked out across Equestria. She could even see Ponyville. She smiled, but the very next instant, the smile was gone. She pulled the covers back over her body, then let her aura go. The room descended into darkness, with the window as the only source of light.

And looking out, she watched the stars in the sky above. A wave of exhaustion rolled over her body, but she fought it back, keeping her eyes from closing. She slid her right forehoof under her pillow and shivered as the chill of the blankets caught up with her. Even with her warmth gradually heating up the air, there were still a few seconds of cold.

'Is this my new life?' It was a quiet thought, one that drove her ears back to her head. She had gone from being Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student to the prisoner of Nightmare Moon, the very pony who imprisoned her mentor on the moon. And around Nightmare Moon, she felt like she was walking on eggshells.

Just because Nightmare Moon had yet to retaliate against her did not mean it wouldn't come. No, it would come, sooner or later. But perhaps, it wouldn't be fatal. At least, not yet. Maybe Nightmare would still find some use for her that justified keeping her around. But it would inevitably come to an end. Unless, perhaps, she proved herself to Nightmare Moon.

But that thought? It twisted her gut and left her with an unconquerable feeling of anxiety and dread. But she didn't have the strength to keep thinking about it. She needed to cry. She needed to sleep. She pressed her eyes closed.

And she cried until she fell asleep.

Tiredly, Twilight inhaled, and the scent of books brought a faint smile to her lips. As she exhaled, so too did the smile fade. She was distinctly aware of her lingering exhaustion, and the feeling of the fur of her cheeks being matted. Her mane felt unbrushed, but the embrace of her pillow kept that from bothering her. The air underneath her blankets was warm and comforting, in contrast with the air assaulting her face and uncovered neck, which was cool. She rolled over onto her right side and nuzzled her pillow, then tucked her head under the blankets. At her shifting, a cool current rushed under the blankets, coming from the edges of the bed and where the blankets weren't sealed around her body.

Through her closed eyelids, she could determine that it was either still dark, or that it was early morning. Or, the curtains were closed, but even then, she would have expected to be able to tell it was light out. So no, it was still dark.

An unease started to bubble up inside her chest, and she felt her stomach twist and tense up in anxiety. A feeling of foreboding took hold of the room's air, and it made the warmth under her blankets feel less warm. The bed's embrace also gradually grew less and less comforting. The soft, silken fabric still embraced and hugged her body, but it felt like it was receding from her, rather than reaching out to hug her.

The knot in her chest tightened and it spurred her into opening her eyes. She was facing the window, and looking out, she could still see the night sky, and the stars dominating it. It was a beautiful, calming sight. Her eyelids gradually pulled open all the way, and she looked out across the jeweled sky, feeling the anxiety budding up inside her wash away, then eventually fade entirely.

Her exhaustion still lingered, but she felt okay. Well rested, even. Calm. But, even feeling that way, there was an unease in the back of her mind. As soon as she had opened her eyes and saw the night sky, everything had rushed back to the forefront of her mind. Nightmare Moon. Eternal night. Princess Celestia's banishment. Her new role. Princess Cadance being captured. Shining Armor's peril.

And the unease lingered in the back of her mind, but the unease did not grow further, nor expand out to envelop the rest of her mind. Staring out into the night sky, she felt calm. Her exhaustion also helped, even if she felt awake. She was still drained. She licked her lips and glanced down at the floor. She kept expecting a wave of panic to suddenly wash over her- she kept expecting for it to click, just how much things had changed, just how much danger she was in, but the panic attack never came. Instead, a lazy calmness lingered over her.

But, of course, the insecurity was still there. Slowly, she brought her left forehoof up and touched the silver crescent moon laying on the bed in front of her chest. It still had its characteristic metallic coldness, but it didn't feel quite as omnipresent as before. She lifted her hoof up, then touched her chest.

Her heart was, of course, still beating. That was a good thing. It was a calm, rhythmic beat. Unpanicked, unstrained, relaxed. It was fitting, that she was just waking up, and the stress of the day- night- had yet to set in for her. But it was also disheartening. She knew that her peace wouldn't last. She would probably see Nightmare out of the corner of her eye and jump out of her skin in fear at her sudden appearance.

She half expected to see that happen right then or to hear Nightmare's cold voice. But it didn't happen. Nightmare, it seemed, was content to give her some faux sense of security.

She took a deep breath, then rolled over. She closed her eyes as the silken bedsheets caressed her body as she rolled over. The crescent moon was pulled up from the bed and came to rest against the side of her chest. It was off center, hanging there casually, not properly in place at her chest. Perhaps it would upset Nightmare, but for the moment at least, she didn't care: she had just woken up.

For a few minutes, she laid there lazily, but it was eventually broken as her stomach churned, then growled at her. Her lips instinctively pulled into a grimace at the realization: 'How long has it been since I've eaten?' Her grimace turned into a scowl. The last 'food' she had eaten was the 'food' Applejack- and her family- had force-fed her when she was checking on them for the festival. And of course, she had used her magic to speed up digesting that, so the filling hadn't lasted nearly as long. 'How long ago was that? How much time has passed?'

There was no way for her to know, exactly, without asking. But she knew that she had slept twice- first under Nightmare's influence, and then again from being mentally and emotionally exhausted. But how long had she slept for both times? There also couldn't have been that much time passing between when she woke up in the cell to going to bed again. But there was also the trip to the Castle of the Two Sisters. That might have taken a few hours. And there was the night before the festival. Add on one quarter to half a day from when she last ate, and she still couldn't reason it out without more information.

She sighed in defeat, then slowly pushed herself up onto her haunches. The crescent moon of the necklace swung forward, then swung back and bounced against her chest once, then swayed back and forth calmly, hanging from her neck. Undoubtedly, Nightmare knew she was awake now. Whether Nightmare was awake or not, she had no idea. She knew that Princess Celestia slept, so it stood to reason Nightmare Moon would sleep too.

She pushed the thought aside as she clambered out of bed. She winced as her hooves made contact with the cold marble floor. The floor immediately sapped the warmth from her hooves. It was one of the things she didn't like about Canterlot Castle- and Canterlot architecture in general- that the floors were predominantly stone, which meant that the floors were generally cold, which meant that walking made her hooves cold. Even if she was used to it, it was unpleasant upon first waking up.

And it felt a bit colder than normal, too. It might have been her nerves, or it might had been the eternal night. Hesitantly, she looked back over her shoulder out the window. Nightmare had been certain the moonlight- or her magic- would be enough for plants to survive. Perhaps it would be, but would it be enough to stop everything from freezing?

She tended to think yes. It stood to reason that the magic would work, plus, from what she had felt, it wasn't that much colder- perhaps a few degrees- and felt like it stabilized there. Perhaps it wouldn't even effect lower elevations as much as Canterlot.

She shook the thought aside and turned her head back to survey her library. It was still in the state she had left it in. There were no signs of anypony having sneaked inside to steal anything or watch her. That gave her a little bit of reassurance, although she knew there was the possibility that if somepony had sneaked inside, they might have been careful to hide their presence.

She wouldn't have worried about it if Princess Celestia was here, but she didn't trust Nightmare Moon not to sneak in and watch her sleep. It was creepy, and logically, she knew that Nightmare Moon had better things to do. Clearly, she was paranoid, but of course, that fit with the insanity she had discovered plaguing her as of late.

She took a hesitant step forward, and upon not hearing Nightmare's voice, she took another. Her gait grew more sure with each step, and by the time she reached the bathroom, it was a normal, casual walk. She lit her horn and closed the door behind her. A moment later, the room's magical lights glowed to life. Fortunately, with it being night, the lights were designed to be dimmer than if it was daytime, so she didn't have to shield her eyes to stop herself from being blinded.

For a moment, she stood there, then she looked down at the necklace. Nightmare Moon was, of course, listening in. Perhaps she was sleeping, but that didn't mean she wasn't listening or aware of it. For a moment, she debated taking the necklace off, but Nightmare's command had left no wiggle room. She shifted her weight apprehensively, then crept over to the shower and turned it on.

'Well, this is going to be one of the most awkward things I've ever done,' a part of her sarcastically noted. But of course, it was correct. But even that sarcasm didn't help with the nervousness that grew as she considered the prospect of Nightmare listening to her taking a shower.

She tried not to think about it too much.

It hadn't been as bad as she had expected, but it still made her uncomfortable to think that Nightmare Moon had been listening to her while she showered. But there wasn't anything she could do unless she actually asked Nightmare Moon for permission to take it off, which would probably get rejected emphatically.

Regardless, she tried to keep it out of her mind as best she could as she toweled herself off. Finishing with her tail, she levitated a brush over, then started hastily running the brush through her mane- which proved to be a mistake, as the brush snagged and tugged on her mane, which pulled her head up, made her squeak, and drop the brush. The brush fell from her magical grasp, then dropped down and yet again pulled on her mane, making her wince in pain once more as it tugged.

She puffed out her cheeks at that and huffed. Slowly, she gripped the brush with her magic again, then started running the brush through her mane in much slower, shorter strokes. She may not have had her mane elegant like Rarity, but her style was specific and precise. It was organized. And it took effort to keep it that way. Effort that, at times, frustrated her. But no, it was her own fault for not taking time to study spells that would help her with this.

After spending far, far too long struggling against the knots in her mane and tugging on her head, she was finally able to run the brush through the length of her mane without snagging anything. She smiled and let out a sigh of relief at that. She spent another few minutes working on her tail, and by the time she finished, her stomach was gurgling and reminding her of how empty it was.

As she worked on brushing her teeth, she found her gaze alternating between the reflection of the toothbrush and the foaming toothpaste coming from her mouth to her eyes. It seemed that, though she had slept and once again felt well rested, she looked haunted, even to her. Just by looking at her expression, just from seeing her eyes, she could tell that Nightmare Moon was having a lingering effect on her. Her eyes spoke volumes of how Nightmare Moon was on her mind, and how the fear and terror she evoked lingered.

And the more she saw that, the stronger it became. Even the air seemed to grow heavy and constricting around her. She would have sworn that the fur on her back started to stand on end, even though she knew Nightmare Moon wasn't nearby. She could feel Nightmare's presence when she was nearby, and her absence was just as notable. But that didn't stop her sense of security from shattering. Though she was alone, Nightmare was there with her. Listening in, from the enchanted necklace. Her magic was there, everpresent, keeping her leashed.

Still, she drew out brushing her teeth as long as she could, brushing them far, far more vigorously and thoroughly than she knew was necessary. Every second, every minute she could delay, meant that much more time free from Nightmare's oppressive presence. But of course, she knew it was just delaying the inevitability of being in her presence, once again. It did, however, give her time to try to prepare herself for Nightmare's presence and visage.

Not that it was much help.

At last, she spat out the rest of the toothpaste, then rinsed her toothbrush and mouth out. After putting the toothbrush away, she took a deep breath, then shuffled out of the bathroom. With each step, her dread grew. After stepping out of the doorway, she came to a stop and just listened to the silence, searching for any sounds to indicate the presence of anypony else, or worse, Nightmare Moon, but all was silent.

She breathed a sigh of relief, then took a deep breath and strolled to the stairs and descended them in quick order. As she walked to the door, her ears pinned back. Had Spike been there, he would have greeted her 'Good morning!' and she could even still hear him calling it out, cheerfully. But Spike was not there, and with him missing, and his missing greeting, she felt alone.

She walked to the front door and tried her hardest to shake off the feeling of isolation lingering in Spike's absence. She even managed to lift her ears back off of her head, but the pang was still there. She opened the door, then stepped outside. Like the inside of her tower, it was cool, but a part of her noted that it felt no cooler than it had been. Perhaps the temperatures would remain stable after all.

The beautiful night sky stared down at her, almost as if it was smiling at her, and her alone, despite the present company of two guards. She made herself ignore them, at least for a moment, regardless of whether it was rude or not, as their task was to keep an eye on her or to further serve to leash her. Looking at the sky, she felt some of her anxiety drift away. The feeling of loneliness was lost in the vast, beautiful expanse of the stars. Sadly, her gaze still fell upon the moon.

And the Mare on the Moon seemed to look down at her alone as if crying out for her. The remorseful look lingered in its features, despite looking so identical to the Mare on the Moon as it had been for the entirety of her life. She couldn't escape the knowledge that now, it was Princess Celestia's prison. Perhaps Princess Celestia was looking down at Canterlot, trying to see her, but she did not know.

Hesitantly, she looked down from the sky and out across the courtyard. For a moment, she just stared at the castle, then she swallowed and glanced aside at the two guards- first, the one on her left, then the one on her right. Neither of them said anything, and they stood their stoically. She didn't recognize either of them, but of course, that didn't mean much. There were only a few guards who she knew well enough to recognize. Although, she had heard from many sources all of the guards were familiar with her, which of course, made sense, considering that she was Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student.

Emphasis on was. Now, she was Nightmare Moon's student.

She swallowed, then exhaled. Slowly, she started down the stairs to the castle's courtyard. And as she had expected, both guards silently fell in step behind her. It made her nervous. There were times before when she had a Royal Guard escort, but the circumstances had been so different from now.

But still, she continued forward. After all, she hadn't a choice in the matter. Perhaps she had the authority to give guards orders, as Nightmare Moon said she would retain that authority, but she doubted that would overrule their orders to follow her.

The marble stairs and even the stone of the courtyard under her hooves was cold like that of her tower, although it wasn't nearly as much of a shock to her system as when she first set hoof on the floor. At least during the day, the stone had been warmed, even if it was still cool. But the moon just didn't have the same effect.

Every step brought her that much closer to the castle, and likewise, each step made the feeling of dread strengthen proportionally. By the time she walked through the castle's doors, the feeling of dread had become a palpable pulse inside her body. Slowly building up, then pulsing, radiating out in a wave of anxiety that made her body twist and tingle before settling down to build up again.

But the castle still had a lingering warmth reminiscent of Princess Celestia. The atmosphere felt warm, rather than oppressive, despite her replacement. Her tapestries had since been replaced, but it didn't stop her from associating this castle with her mentor's presence, and it brought some sense of comfort to her.

At her approach, the guards instinctively opened the doors for her, and so she was left with an unbroken path straight to the Throne Room. As the last door opened, she slowed to a stop, her eyes resting on the destroyed dais. While the destruction had been cleaned up, it was still ruined. It would take time to repair to Nightmare's specifications.

She took a deep breath, then let out a quiet sigh before heading into the room. Looking left and right, she searched for the unmistakable form of Nightmare Moon, but both to her elation and her disappointment, she was nowhere to be seen.

A part of her wondered why she was seeking out the nightmare alicorn, but her answer to that was simply, 'If I don't, then she will look for me.' And that wasn't exactly something she wanted to happen. Nightmare Moon would know where she was because of the necklace, and so she didn't want to risk her ire by trying to avoid her.

That, and the feeling of emptiness in her stomach. It was odd, yes, but given Nightmare Moon's takeover, she had no way of knowing what, if anything, had changed regarding food and the like in the castle, so she felt at a loss regarding how to get food from the castle. Were the cooks still there? Was there even food available? Had the procedures changed? They were concerns that a normal pony wouldn't have thought about, but for her, it was panic-inducing. There was the option to leave for food in Canetrlot, but she felt that Nightmare might think poorly of her leaving the castle grounds without permission, even if she did say what she was going to do.

With Nightmare nowhere to be seen in the Throne Room, she cautiously made her way over to the door that would lead to Princess Celestia's- Nightmare Moon's- chambers. The two guards followed behind her and said nothing as she headed into the hallway, nor did the guard standing beside the door say anything, which she took to mean it was okay that she was walking through there.

The first time she had walked to Princess Celestia's chambers had been so long ago when Princess Celestia had just taken her on as her pupil. Silly as it was, walking there on her own scared her. The guards were all friendly towards her- she was a young filly at the time, and Princess Celestia had made certain that they all knew she was her student, but it didn't make walking to her chambers any less intimidating. After all, Princess Celestia was the ruler of Equestria, she had been alive for thousands of years, and, of course, she moved the sun and moon.

The way she felt now put that to shame. She bit and nibbled on her lip uncontrollably. Part of her screamed out at the fact that she was damaging her body by doing that, but the unease churning inside her chest prevented her from stopping. Her muscles and entire body tensed and grew rigid with each passing step. Every time she came close to a hallway, her pace slowed, and her eyes jumped frantically from point to point, expecting Nightmare Moon to be hiding and expecting her to pounce out at her before she noticed her.

Even if it was silly, that was her fear. Nightmare Moon was Queen and Empress. She wielded the same power and authority that Princess Celestia had, but Princess Celestia was benevolent and predictable. Nightmare Moon was a literal night and day difference from Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia did her best to protect ponies and ensure they lived joyful, peaceful lives. While she had no experience with Nightmare Moon's ruling, she knew several things about her. One, she radiated an aura of terror. Two, that Nightmare Moon was the predator. And three, Nightmare Moon would use her power to get what she wanted.

Swallowing down her fear, her eyes came to rest on the doors to Princess Celestia's chambers. The radiant emblem of her cutie mark was still there, despite the room's new resident, although she knew in her heart it wouldn't be there much longer. She regarded the emblem with a solemn sobriety as she approached it.

Coming to a stop before the door, she stood there. The door was far more intimidating than it had been when she had first stood before it all those years ago. Cautiously, she lifted her forehoof up. Without her weight on her hoof, as it lifted towards the door, she felt it shaking and trembling uncontrollably. She swallowed, then moved her hoof closer to the door, intending to knock.

Her hoof moved closer, then refused to budge. Paralyzed in fear, she couldn't knock as she intended. 'Just knock. Knock on the door! She says she wants to be my teacher and wants me to be her student. Just knock!'

Nothing happened. So, there she stood, with her hoof lifted to knock, but frozen in fear. Meanwhile, the four guards there stood stoically, probably doing their best to ignore her making a fool of herself.

She took a deep breath, exhaled and closed her eyes. Finally, her hoof managed to connect with the door. Once, then twice, and finally a third time before she lowered it to the floor. And she winced and tensed up, clenching her eyes shut and looking away from the doorway.

A few seconds passed in silence. It felt like hours. And maybe, just maybe, Nightmare Moon wasn't there. Maybe she wouldn't open the door and stand there.

But no. It wasn't to be. Sure enough, she heard the door open in a whisk of magic, then the terror came. The feeling of Nightmare looking at her that set off a marathon for her heart, that made her chest tighten, rendering breathing a challenging task.

"Twilight Sparkle," she greeted. It was a casual greeting. Not surprise, nor annoyance, nor anger. Almost passive, but still cool.

"H-hello," she stuttered out. She could practically feel Nightmare lifting an eyebrow, and she cringed at that.

"Enter," Nightmare commanded. A moment later, a wave of relief washed over her as Nightmare's eyes left her. She managed to open her eyes and face her just in time to see Nightmare glance at the two guards. "Leave us," was her command to them.

She heard the guards bid a hasty retreat. At the same time, Nightmare stepped aside, offering her entrance to the room. Nightmare looked at her expectantly. She managed to take a step forward, but she couldn't stop her legs from trembling.

And Nightmare exhaled- it was a mixture of a sigh and a huff. It was enough to make her correct for her hesitation, and so she quickly fumbled with her hooves in order to get past the doorway. Once she was clear of the door, she stood rigidly. She was fairly certain that even the Royal Guards never stood as rigidly as she did. She felt Nightmare's eyes trace over her body, and she heard the door close.

Her breaths were shallow and controlled as Nightmare scrutinized her. Slowly, she heard the sound of Nightmare walking behind her, then circling around her left side before passing in front of her. Never once did Nightmare's gaze shift from her body. Finally, Nightmare came to a stop in front of her. She could see her gaze- a mixture of curiosity and disappointment. Perhaps something else she couldn't place. But, not once did she look up to meet that gaze. Instead, she stared at Nightmare's cyan chestplate and the crescent moon set in it.

"I believe we need to talk," Nightmare stated.

Twilight swallowed. There was nothing in Nightmare's voice to convey anger or any malicious intent, but her words were worrying.

She opened her mouth, only for Nightmare to preempt her: "If you are going to be my student, then we need to have an open dialog, do we not?"

She closed her mouth and nodded.

"Good," was Nightmare's comment. A few seconds passed. Nightmare's slitted eyes glided across her features. "I know that you are terrified of me," she stated cautiously. Twilight felt a pulse of fear spike through her body, and she thought she saw Nightmare's brow creased at that, but she did not look to be certain.

Nightmare Moon shook her head and let out a mixture of a sigh and a growl. "I am not your enemy, Twilight Sparkle. You are my student; I am your teacher." Her gaze settled back on Twilight, focusing on her eyes, as if trying to coax- or force- Twilight into meeting her gaze. Out of fear, Twilight obliged. Nightmare's eyes were still intimidating, but not quite so much as before. There wasn't the lethal, predatory gleam there, now. In its place, intelligence, curiosity, and interest. "I know you are not perfect," she stated. "I know you will make mistakes, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot expect you to be perfect. I will not expect you to be perfect."

A moment passed, and Twilight held her breath as Nightmare's eyes glanced side to side, studying her features. "I am not waiting for you to trip up so that I have reason to hurt you, Twilight Sparkle. I do not intend to hurt you unless you betray me. I recognize that right now you're scared. Too scared for this to work, in fact," she stated. "Recognize that I am not out to get you. I would not have offered you the position of being my student if I did not want to be your teacher. You may have been my sister's Most Faithful Student, but I, at least, would like for you to be mine. Whether you want to try to be my student or not, that is up to you."

Twilight swallowed and nodded quickly. She could almost feel sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Relax, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said.

She tried to obey that command. Even with all Nightmare had said, it didn't help. How could she let her guard down around Nightmare Moon? How could she trust her?

Nightmare frowned. "Do you wish to talk?"

Did she? There was a lot she would like to say. Sadly, most of that wasn't about to come out. Mostly, that was because of fear of what would happen if she did speak it. There was also the fear that kept her mouth clamped shut. She managed to make herself nod.

"Then speak," Nightmare replied.

"I-I don't feel safe," she found herself saying.

Nightmare's expression softened at that, then she looked away from Twilight. She stared at the wall, her gaze appearing to have hints of wounded pride to it. "That is entirely my fault, I know," she answered. "I did not realize you were so..." she trailed off and shook her head, then faced Twilight again. "You were not the threat I anticipated," was her succinct admission. Twilight swallowed. "And from what I have seen of you, I have been perhaps too harsh."

Twilight stayed silent.

Nightmare seemed unsure. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite grasp the right way to say it. Eventually, she settled on shaking her head. "I do not know you very well, Twilight Sparkle. Tell me of yourself. What is your age? How long had you been my sister's student?"

Twilight licked her lips. "I-I'm sixteen," she answered. "And... I've... I was... Princess... your sister's student for the past eight years."

Nightmare nodded. "You are young," she noted.

Were it anypony else- with the exception of Princess Celestia- she would have retorted them. But Nightmare didn't state it in any sort of chastising manner. It almost came across as a sad realization. Then, to her embarrassment, her stomach rumbled and churned, then audibly gargled, shouting out her hungered state.

Nightmare Moon slowly blinked, then raised an eyebrow. For her part, she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I-I'm s-sorry," she stuttered hastily.

Nightmare let out a groaned sigh. "Do not apologize. When was the last time you ate?"

Twilight shifted her weight and looked away from her. "Um... Lunch... before... your return."

Risking a glance up at Nightmare, she found Nightmare squinting at her with a mixture of concern and disbelief. The latter emotion caught her off-guard. "Then you will join me for a meal, and we shall speak more," Nightmare stated.

She had to admit, that sounded partially okay. "O-okay..."

Nightmare waited a moment, then walked around her to the door. Twilight watched her and turned her head, then turned around as Nightmare opened the door. Nightmare looked back at her and waited. Slowly, she shuffled over closer to her and took a spot at her right side.

Nightmare took the lead and walked out first, and she followed beside her.

As they left the room, she heard Nightmare close the door behind them. She didn't hear either of the room's guards move to follow them, and so it left the two of them to walk the hallways alone. For a while, they walked in silence. Eventually, however, she felt Nightmare look at her, and in return, she glanced at Nightmare. The alicorn's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, then returned ahead. Likewise, she looked ahead too.

"Tell me of Princess Cadance," Nightmare said.

For a brief moment, Twilight paused, breaking stride. She managed to recover from the question, though not before Nightmare glanced back at her. "I... what... do you want to know?"

"How do you know her?" Nightmare queried.

It was a specific question that made her tense. Nightmare wasn't asking if she knew Cadance. Nightmare wasn't asking if she knew of Cadance, or how much she knew about her. No, the question was under the correct assumption that she knew Cadance personally. She grimaced. "She... was my foalsitter. When I was younger," she answered.

Her answer made Nightmare stop, which caught her off-guard. Nightmare turned to look at her. "Your foalsitter? Your foalsitter was an alicorn."

Twilight stopped and nodded. "Um... yes? Cadance became my foalsitter after Princess... after your sister took me as her student."

Nightmare studied her, then turned back ahead and resumed walking. "I see."

Twilight followed, though lagged behind. With a growing twist in her throat and chest, her gaze fell to the floor. "Please don't hurt her," she whispered.

She heard Nightmare's hoofsteps stop, so she stopped also. Nightmare looked at her. Reluctantly, she looked up at her. "She... was my only friend- outside of my family and... your sister- when I was a foal..."

Nightmare studied her. But as she had said, she was not out to get her. She regarded Twilight for a few seconds. "I do not intend to hurt her unless she becomes a problem," was her answer. "Nor do I care that she is apparently involved with the Captain of the Guard. So long as it does not cause problems."

She felt a bit relieved at that. "Thank you..." she said. Nightmare stayed silent, turned ahead and resumed walking. She followed. Perhaps Nightmare wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe she could afford to relax slightly around her.

"Cadance is the Princess of Love, correct?" Nightmare inquired.

"Yes," Twilight replied.

"I see. How old is she? What sort of political power did she have? What about her authority?"

"Um... she's twenty-two. As far as I know, she didn't really do anything like Pr... your sister. Well... I mean, she didn't hold court sessions or anything. She... mostly did more social events," she answered.

"And how did she become an alicorn?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight took a deep breath. Now that had been a great bedtime story! "Well... she defeated an evil unicorn who tried to steal the love of everypony in her town. She was an orphan pegasus when she did that... and she got her cutie mark. And as she tells it, Princess Celestia found her somewhere. She wasn't sure where she was. She said that there were these white orbs everywhere and that the entire sky was blue but seemed to stretch on for infinity. The ground was just light, too."

As she explained, she saw Nightmare's stride slow. "I... see," she said. Her voice sounded much more pondering than before.

Twilight wasn't sure what to make of that, but it stood out to her.

Nightmare glanced back at her. "And what of you? How did you get your cutie mark?"

She shifted her weight. It was a memory she treasured, even if it was slightly embarrassing. But now it was tainted by Nightmare Moon's question. She sighed softly, drawing another glance from Nightmare. "It was... the entrance exam to Pr... your sister's school for gifted unicorns," she ventured hesitantly. "The exam required me to hatch a dragon's egg-"

Nightmare paused and looked at her. "And you were eight at the time? Surely that..." she trailed off, a wave of bewilderment crossing her features.

She nodded and shifted her weight. "Well, yes. It was actually just a test to see how foals handled failure. We weren't expected to hatch the egg."

Nightmare seemed relieved at that.

"And... well, I did," she said.

Nightmare's bewilderment returned for a split second, then it morphed to intrigue. "Your baby dragon?"

Twilight nodded slowly. "Spike... yes. I hatched him. There was... something. A rainbow explosion in the sky and it scared me. I hadn't been doing well with my magic before that. I was scared and... under pressure, so..." she trailed off and paused for a moment. "But then that rainbow explosion happened and... I don't remember what happened, but... Apparently, Princess..." she trailed off and let out a quiet, disappointed sigh. "Your sister found me, hovering in the air suspended by my own magic. I had turned the judges and my parents into potted plants, and hatched Spike, in addition to growing him to... probably close to one hundred times his size," she explained.

"Interesting..." escaped Nightmare's lips. She wasn't sure whether that was intentional on Nightmare' part or not but suspected it wasn't. A few more seconds passed, then Nightmare turned around and resumed walking, almost as if nothing had happened.

She had expected more questions following that, but instead, a silence had descended between them. It was a silence that, as time went on, made her feel nervous. However, the occasional glance from Nightmare gave a hint of her emotions. Once again, showing a curiosity directed at her.

Perhaps it was their talking, or perhaps it was the fact that Nightmare wasn't threatening her now, but she felt a little more sure as she walked beside Nightmare. Beyond the terrifying visage, there was a pony there, one who could hold a conversation. A small sense of security had returned, and her nerves were more under control. It reminded her of how at first she had been so terrified of being Princess Celestia's student, but then grew used to her, then attached to her.

She blushed faintly as a few happy memories ran through her mind: Princess Celestia hugging her, feeling Princess Celestia's soft feathers, how soft her coat was and how warm her body was. She cherished each and every hug and nuzzle, but even more than that, she cherished how, when she was younger, she had gotten to cuddle with Princess Celestia. But then, as she grew up, she realized just how improper that had been, and so it had horrified her to no end. After that, they still shared hugs and nuzzles, but nothing more.

And as she thought about it, she sighed, even as a thought nagged at her. Princess Celestia really did cherish her, but she had also lied to her. Perhaps it had been to protect her, but Princess Celestia still lied to her. And then, more concerning, was that if Princess Celestia truly cared for her like she thought, then Nightmare Moon would be correct. She would be the perfect way for Nightmare to hurt Princess Celestia.

Another casual, curious glance from Nightmare Moon and those memories whisked away. The more concerning thoughts of what would happen if she betrayed Nightmare dominated her mind, and she found her anxiety growing once again.

Nightmare didn't say anything about it.

Eventually, they arrived at Princess Celestia's private dining room. The two unicorn guards pulled the doors open at Nightmare's approach, and she strode in, bringing with her an authority and dominance, as if to say, "I own this room."

The room was grand- the walls and floor were marble, inlaid with sweeping golden swirls and elegant curves. Chiseled marble pillars rose up from the sides of the room, supporting long blocks of marble than spanned the length of the room, that supported an arched ceiling. From the ceiling hung alternating gold and silver chandeliers, evenly spaced so as to light the table perfectly.

Under normal circumstances, the magical lights would have illuminated the room as if it was outside during the day, but these were far from normal circumstances, and as such, the glow was the same as the rest of the castle's lighting. Soft and subdued, like the light of the moon.

The table was long enough to seat twelve ponies comfortably, along with wide enough to provide ample room for extravagant banquets, even if only a few ponies would be present at a time. The table was covered by a fine silk tablecloth, meticulously woven in with golden swirls and flowers of varying kinds and colors that stood out from the background white. Each chair was large enough to seat Princess Celestia or Nightmare Moon and constructed of wood, with comfort as a key aspect of its design, as plush purple cushions set on the seat and in the backrest.

Nightmare strode towards the chair at the end of the table without missing a stride. Twilight followed, but slowed down and surveyed the table. It was a perfect opportunity to put- and keep- some space between her and Nightmare Moon. All she had to do was sit away from her. But, if she sat too far away, Nightmare would undoubtedly see through it for what it was, an attempt to avoid her.

And that, of course, was assuming Nightmare didn't have her own plans. She could simply be assigned a seat and expect to take it without any argument. She picked the seat to the immediate right of where she would normally sit: the seat was one space away from where Princess Celestia sat, on her right side.

But now, Nightmare Moon sat where Princess Celestia sat. "Where do you normally sit?" was her question, and with it, Twilight's plan was shattered.

She couldn't simply lie, as much as she dreaded telling the truth. "I... normally sit to Pr... your sister's immediate right..." she admitted.

Nightmare lit her horn, then pulled the specified chair to her immediate right out for Twilight.

She hesitated, then walked over to the chair and sat down. Normally, she liked this chair. It was a great chair! A familiar one. And the company was normally great! Now the chair was almost her worst enemy, as it put her that much closer to Nightmare Moon. Still, she did her best to hide her discomfort, even if it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been before their talk.

But, of course, it also meant that with her being so much closer to Nightmare Moon- and with them being the only two in the room- she immediately gained the alicorn's attention. "I addressed the ponies of Canterlot while you were sleeping," she said.

Nightmare paused and looked over Twilight's features. "Communication is important, after all."

"Of course," she offered in agreement.

Nightmare took a deep breath. "I reassured them that they will retain their current rights under the law while I review it. I do not expect to make many changes. In the future, I do expect you to be at my side," she stated.

And that was one thing Twilight immediately dreaded. Equestria would view her as a traitor if that happened.

"But I did not speak of you being my student yet," Nightmare continued.

Twilight felt relieved at that, but at the same time, it horrified her. It meant that, yes, while Equestria wouldn't view her as a traitor, it also wouldn't be suspect for Nightmare to dispose of her as Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student.

"I would rather you be at my side when I do," Nightmare added. Twilight just nodded. For a few seconds, Nightmare was quiet, studying her. "You know my goals, correct?"

Twilight shifted her weight. "Um... you want eternal night and... you want to be... respected."

Nightmare inclined her head once in affirmation. "That is correct. So tell me, Twilight Sparkle, how do I best see to it that I am respected?"

Twilight wasn't sure how to proceed with that. Many thoughts ran through her mind- some legitimate answers, and some were pointing out certain issues that could make it somewhat difficult for her to succeed at that. And of course, how could she give an actual, honest opinion on that?

Before she could answer, Nightmare continued, "I recognize that fear and intimidation will only get me so far. I will not have my rule overshadowed by my sister. Do not think that this means I will not crush any dissent; I merely recognize that acting too aggressively will destabilize my rule. And if that happens, it will create problems and headaches for me. And I will not enjoy this. To say nothing of the fact that I do not want to rule over a dead world, and if ponies refuse to submit, then that could be what happens."

Twilight shivered at the thought. Beyond a doubt, Nightmare could back up that threat. "Right..." she trailed off and looked down at the table. "Well... fear obviously works... to an extent. You... have the power to back up your... threats," she said hesitantly. Slowly, she looked up at Nightmare, who waited patiently. And honestly, that surprised her. Nightmare actually wanted her input. Nightmare said she had wanted that input in her promise, but she hadn't believed it. She took a deep breath. "I... you want ponies to respect you, and... fear can get you that, but it can also cause problems-"

"This I recognize," Nightmare stated.

She fell silent for a moment. When she opened her mouth to continue, the door opened. Nightmare glanced away from her, and she too turned to see what the interruption was. One of the castle's servers walked in. Rigidly and nervously, he approached. Using his magic, he pulled at the bowtie around his neck, like it was too tight or constricting. And he looked uncomfortable in the black tuxedo, but nonetheless, he managed to maintain at least some form of professionalism.

"What would you like to eat, y-your Majesty?" was his question.

She turned to look at Nightmare. For a brief moment, the alicorn smirked. "Surprise me," was her response.

A quick glance at the server revealed an absolutely horrified expression, but he nodded in response and turned to face her. "And you?"

After a moment's thought, she glanced back at Nightmare, then returned to face him. "I'll... have what she has," she answered.

The server nodded, then turned around and made a hasty retreat- one that was at least twice, perhaps three times as quick as his approach.

After he was gone, she felt Nightmare look at her again. She looked back at her. "I... guess it depends on what you want to do..." she ventured. She gulped as she considered her next question, before finally mustering the courage to ask it: "Do you... want ponies to live in fear..?"

Nightmare Moon looked aside for a moment, pondering it. "A thousand years ago, I would have answered yes, as those ungrateful foals denied me my privilege. I am, however, willing to give ponies a chance today. But no, I do not necessarily want them living in constant fear. If it earns me respect, then it has value; however, if it causes problems or makes my reign worse, then I am willing to consider alternatives."

She closed her eyes and tensed up. "Do you want ponies to respect you or... love you like your sister?" she rushed out. A few seconds passed without an answer, so she took the risk of opening her eyes.

Nightmare once again pondered her question. "That would be ideal, yes. However, I already know they will not love me as they do my sister. Things have always been that way..."

There was a bitterness in Nightmare's voice, but to her surprise, it didn't scare her. It only made her frown and feel guilty. After all, there had been an entire section of Canterlot Castle that was, supposedly, night themed, and she had never taken the time to properly explore it. And Nightmare Moon was the Queen of the Night.

She sighed. Her stomach growled. Nightmare looked back at her.

One thing was certain: 'It's going to take forever for our food to get here.'

Author's Note

Three things are important to an empire: Communication, Control, and Commerce. Love is more powerful than fear.

When rereading this chapter for edits, I came to one simple conclusion, "This chapter is about 25% too long." And there are two chapters that are longer than this.

To be completely honest, with having written ahead another ~100,000 words, I have to admit that a fear plagues me right now that I've accidentally, inadvertently drawn out Twilight's fears too much. It wasn't my intent or plan, but that's how the story has kind of turned into. It lingers a lot more on Twilight's fears and doubts than I intended, but then again, around 120k words I intended for something major to happen, and it's not happened yet. So I'll probably be adding the drama tag alongside one of the next few chapters I publish.

And I also have to admit that I'm a bit concerned that I might be writing plot holes and not realizing it, because this story is pretty long so far, and It's sort of funny because a lot of stuff that happened towards the mid to end of this chapter I remember happening, but I remember it happening in later chapters, so I've got some investigating to do.

Namely, with having reread this, I find it so incredibly odd for Nightmare Moon to have admitted that she feels that she has been a bit too harsh with Twilight. It makes me feel a bit leery about it. It's probably because of its proximity (chapter wise) to her taking Twilight as her student, although on the other hand, it is about 17k words after that happens, and Nightmare has seen Twilight as being quite vulnerable and not exactly the hero Equestria needs. And there's also that Nightmare had time to ponder it while Twilight slept again. So I'm not completely sure regarding this.

I also didn't intend to publish a chapter today, being so close to the 25th. But, ah, I couldn't in my right mind ignore yesterday being Princess Luna day.

Order

Twilight nibbled on her lower lip and paced back and forth. Her hooves and legs bristled with a jittery, nervous energy that constantly bubbled up inside of her, occasionally exploding outwards from her core to wash over her body like a tidal wave, and yet, in the aftermath of the wave of anxiety, she felt a little calmer. Still, it was not enough to stop her from pacing back and forth inside her room.

After all, she had every reason to be nervous. Nightmare was about to make a public address. And it involved her. Specifically, Nightmare would be announcing her position as her student, rather than Princess Celestia's. And she was expected to be there. She didn't have to say anything, of course, but Nightmare certainly left no wiggle room: She had to be there, to stand beside Nightmare Moon, while Nightmare gave the address to Canterlot.

Sure, it was impossible for all of Canterlot to be there, but there would be a crowd of ponies. Hundreds? Assuredly. Thousands? It was a definite possibility. Would her parents be there? She hadn't had a chance to speak with them since this whole thing had started. At that thought, her pacing slowed. The thought served as a weight that prevented her jittery nerves from carrying her away. The anxiety twisted and morphed inside of her, rather than providing her with an energy she needed to expend, it became a sense of dread that sapped her energy.

Her heart still raced from her unconquerable anxiety, however.

She remembered how Nightmare had gone over it with her. She knew, at least roughly, what to expect. Nightmare would greet the ponies, acknowledge her sister's defeat and imprisonment again, then acknowledge her new student. Nightmare, she had discovered, had a very specific plan for how she would present this. Rather than treating it as a boastful display of her superiority- not only defeating Princess Celestia and taking over Equestria, but also claiming her student- she would treat it as an opportunity, such as an example of mercy. Nightmare was planning to use it to her own advantage.

But that didn't change the fact that she would be presented to Equestria as Nightmare Moon's student. Not as Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student, but as the student of the very pony who defeated and then imprisoned Equestria's beloved ruler on the moon. Perhaps ponies would see that she had no choice.

But most likely, Equestria would look at her differently. Everypony would see her in a different light. Rather than seeing Princess Celestia's protege, she would be seen as a traitor. How much would everypony hate her? Or would they pity her? Would Princess Celestia forgive her, if she escaped or was freed? Would Princess Celestia be able to right these wrongs? Would Princess Celestia be able to clear her name?

She had plenty of reasons to be worried, and they twisted in her gut, in the back of her mind, and all throughout her body. Would she be able to see the faces of the ponies gathered for the announcement? What emotions would their faces hold? Would she be able to watch and see as their faces twisted from curiosity and fear to anger, disgust, and hatred?

And how would she be able to handle that? Equestria turning on her. Would ponies spite her and treat her poorly? Would Nightmare Moon truly do as she had promised and protect her, if that was the case, or would she leave her to fend for herself? Or, was this all an attempt by Nightmare Moon to isolate her even farther, to deny her any sway that she could have used to try to start dissent to overthrow her reign and free Princess Celestia?

And then, of course, there was the fact that ponies might be able to see the necklace Nightmare Moon forced her to wear. Even if standing beside Nightmare didn't send the wrong message, surely that would. Perhaps ponies might see through it and reason it away as being forced on her. But would ponies give her the chance to explain, if Nightmare was overthrown? Or would they treat her the same way they treated of Nightmare Moon, and disposed of her before Princess Celestia could fix everything?

And what about the rumors? She could already hear them and see the newspaper headlines, 'Twilight Sparkle: Nightmare Moon's Apprentice?' What other rumors would spread? Would ponies think that she was involved with Princess Celestia's defeat? Would they think she helped Nightmare Moon?

She exhaled sharply and whimpered. Every single muscle in her body wanted to tense up, and every fiber of her being screamed out, demanding that she curl up in a ball and cry in a panic attack while she hyperventilated. As it was, she shivered and trembled. The logical part of her mind tried to confront these problems, reminding her that she was giving too much energy to 'what if' scenarios, reminding her that it would be what it would be and that she had no choice in the matter. She just needed to survive. The logical part of her mind chastised her for worrying so much, if only because it left her more vulnerable.

But it didn't help any.

Turning around, for the first time since she had started pacing, she lifted her head up and looked throughout the room. Two Royal Guards stood guard at the door- most assuredly to keep her from leaving until Nightmare Moon came for her. Other than that, the room was a fairly spartan guest room inside the castle. There was a dresser with a mirror on it, but it was otherwise barren. The bed was large enough for two larger ponies to sleep together comfortably, and it was extravagant, with rich red bedsheets and brownish-purple pillowcases. The room even had a bathroom attached to it, but it sadly lacked a balcony.

Nightmare had her wait here since it was close at hoof compared to her tower. And it was close to the balcony from where Nightmare would address the ponies.

She nibbled on her lip once more and looked back at the two guards. They did their best to stand there stoically and ignore her. They weren't trying to be unfriendly, simply they were doing their best to hide their presence there, as if in a vain attempt of granting her some semblance of privacy.

It did nothing to make her feel any less like a prisoner, however.

The door clicked, then started swinging open. A spike of ice shot through her body, her chest tensed up, and she couldn't breathe. Her body went rigid in fear, and likewise, both Royal Guards froze up at the sound.

Sure enough, the door opened entirely and revealed the visage of Nightmare Moon. The alicorn ignored the two guards and looked straight at her. Her eyes held a cunning, lethal intellect once more, but for a moment, curiosity flashed through them. In an instant, the lethal sharpness returned. "Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare acknowledged.

There was no venom in her voice, but it did come off formally. Try as she did to control herself, she found herself squeaking, her ears folding back, and her legs trembling.

And that was enough for Nightmare's expression to soften, and the intellect in her eyes morphed into disappointment. Her straight, regal posture slipped as she took in a deep breath. She still held herself proudly, but her stance held less authority and power as she stood there. "Relax," was her command.

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded quickly. The best she could do, now that waves of icy terror and burning anxiety crashed through her body, was hold her ears back up and stand up rigidly.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Nightmare close her eyes, then shake her head side to side twice. She heard Nightmare exhale, then Nightmare turned and stepped outside. The door was left open behind her. Nightmare paused, then looked back at her. "Come."

Swallowing, she picked her hooves up one at a time and strode towards Nightmare Moon; the alicorn would accept no hesitation in this matter. She needed to be far more careful than normal, the slightest slipup could spell disaster for her. She slowed as she approached Nightmare's side. Nightmare watched her, and she watched Nightmare. For a moment, Nightmare's eyes darted away from her own. It made her feel calmer, even though she still felt and saw Nightmare's eyes rolling over her body, taking in her form.

Another moment past, and Nightmare's gaze settled back on her own. Anxiety once again ballooned up inside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare's wing fluff. Immediately, her gaze fell onto the wing. Slowly, as if to try to avoid invoking her flight response, Nightmare's wing extended. Twilight found herself paralyzed, yet trembling as she watched it unfold. Then, she felt Nightmare's longest, farthest out feather touch her back. Her body froze, and she went rigid in fear. What was this? What could this be? What did it mean? Was it an attempt to force her to lower her guard?

Almost painfully slowly, Nightmare's feather traced forward across her back, from just behind her ribcage, to her shoulder, before finally lifting away from her body and folding back against Nightmare's side. She shivered, but not in fear. Nightmare's feather was just as rich and soft as Princess Celestia's had been. It was nothing like she had expected. It wasn't coarse, it wasn't painful. It wasn't demanding, nor was it fear-inducing.

She could still feel the feather tracing over her back, how it had parted her fur, how it had forced her body to relax. It was a calming stroke, a comforting one. Swallowing, she blinked once, then met Nightmare's gaze. The alicorn regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and approval, although she could still see the intensity of her gaze. But it wasn't a gaze that promised death for any slipups, but rather one that somehow seemed to promise to pick her up if she fell.

She blinked a few times and shifted her weight. To her surprise, her muscles obeyed her. The feeling of dread and anxiety were still there, but far subdued. And that shocked her. She knew it had to have been some kind of magical spell that induced that effect in her, but it was an impossibility for that spell to have been cast. There was no spell cast. She had been right there, alert the whole time. Nightmare's horn hadn't glowed, and she hadn't felt Nightmare use her magic.

It set the curious part of her mind off, pondering this development. Even as seconds passed, she found that she could still feel Nightmare's lingering touch. And Nightmare still remained there, beside her, unmoving. It was like Nightmare had somehow developed patience and was waiting on her. But that left so many questions unanswered. She closed her eyes, and if she pretended that the feeling of Nightmare watching her wasn't there- which was impossible- she could convince herself to muster her courage to ask one question, "W-what was that for?" she stuttered.

"You needed to relax," was Nightmare's casual answer. "I do not want you collapsing from fear," she added. "You're not going to be speaking; you are simply going to be there at my side. You do not need to worry about this so much."

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and found Nightmare's expression was still unfirm. She swallowed, then nodded her head hastily. "T-thanks..." she said as quickly as possible.

Nightmare nodded once, then looked away from her and took a step forward. She took a step forward to match her. To her surprise, she found it easy. It wasn't intimidating, it didn't force her body to lock up rigidly out of fear, lest she slip up and invoke Nightmare's wrath.

"You do not need to be so rigid around me, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare reminded as they walked on.

She didn't reply, but she continued to walk beside her. As they walked, she thought. Her mind wandered, though her thoughts centered on the nightmare alicorn- her teacher. There was a duality to her feelings towards Nightmare Moon. On one hoof, her teacher terrified her. Always lingering in the back of her mind was the fact that Nightmare could easily kill her, and would kill her if she betrayed her.

Princess Celestia had just as much power, at least regarding the ability to end her life. But Princess Celestia wouldn't do that. And she was starting to recognize, and more importantly, accept, that Nightmare Moon wasn't going to kill her without a very good reason.

So she could relax around Nightmare, but only to an extent. But in truth, most of her fear wasn't a result of Nightmare Moon. No, it was where they were going and why.

She felt a sinking feeling as the large arched doorway came into view. Sure, she couldn't hear anything from the outside, despite the doors being wide opened, but she knew that there were hundreds, if not thousands of ponies assembled for this announcement. And without a doubt, those ponies would spread word and rumor. With or without the help of the Royal Guard, all of Equestria would know of her status.

The doors approached far, far too quickly, even if Nightmare's pace was casual. She found her legs moving more slowly, which meant that Nightmare managed to slip ahead of her. It scared her, and she whimpered despite her attempts to stop herself.

Nightmare stopped and looked back at her, meeting her gaze.

"I-I don't want to do this," she stuttered out. Heat gathered in the edges of her eyes, then her vision grew blurry, blurring Nightmare's features until she couldn't see her expression.

She was still able to see Nightmare turn around and step so that she was directly in front of her. Nightmare's chest expanded over the course of several seconds as she inhaled. "Twilight Sparkle."

She took a step back in fear. There was a certain annoyance in her voice. And that same disappointment that made her think of Princess Celestia. Her ears folded back and she stared down at the floor. She heard Nightmare exhale sharply.

A few seconds passed, and with each one, her legs' trembling grew more pronounced.

"Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said again. "You have nothing to fear from this."

Oh, how wrong she knew Nightmare was. She ducked back and bowed her head down low, directing her gaze at the floor directly below her."I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked out. "J-just g-give me a m-minute p-please!" She swallowed hard, but it did nothing to stop her trembling.

"You are forgiven," was Nightmare's dismissal.

A moment passed. She tried to pick herself up from her bow, but her legs refused to cooperate. She heard Nightmare inhale. "We do not have all night, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare reminded her.

"I-I'm trying!"

A moment passed in silence, then she heard Nightmare's hoofsteps. The feeling of fear ballooned up inside her- but this time, rather than the announcement being the source, Nightmare Moon was the source. Instinctively, she fell down onto her stomach and held herself rigidly, not letting herself move, nor letting herself breath out of fear.

Nightmare stopped. A few seconds passed, yet she still held herself still.

"You disappoint me," Nightmare said.

Oh, how she hated those words. They came from Nightmare Moon, but that didn't stop it from striking to her core. It was always her fear that Princess Celestia would say something along those lines. That she would fail her. And now? Now she was failing Princess Celestia's sister. Even more, she was failing Princess Celestia. "I-I'm sorry..." just barely whispered out of her lips.

"If you are my student, I expect you to be better than this, Twilight Sparkle," came Nightmare's disappointed voice again.

Before even a second passed, she saw Nightmare's black feather, then felt it slide along her cheek. It was a gentle touch. She closed her eyes. Her tears gathered where her eyelids met. Nightmare's feather left her cheek, then brushed across her eyes. In that instant, she felt terrified, but when the feather was gone and she opened her eyes, she found, much to her relief, she could see.

She slowly looked up at Nightmare. For a few seconds, her gaze lingered on Nightmare's cyan chestplate. 'You've already won... why do you still wear that?' she wondered. The thought was lost as she looked up at Nightmare and met her gaze. She swallowed, then blinked and looked back down.

As with before, she found that the touch of Nightmare's feather was somehow comforting, and as such, she managed to pick herself up. Her body still felt tight, but there was no overwhelming sense of dread and unease. "H-how do... y-you do that?"

For a brief moment, Nightmare smirked at her. "Come now, Twilight Sparkle. In time, I will teach you," she purred.

Before she realized it, she was nodding. She blinked a few times, then shifted her weight. "I-I um... I-I don't know if... I'll be able t-to be out there w-without..." she trailed off, avoiding Nightmare's gaze. She could practically feel Nightmare frown at her.

"I think you will find that you are worrying about this far more than is necessary, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said.

She glanced up at her. There was the barest hint of amusement on her features.

"Now come," Nightmare said as she turned around. "The sooner we finish here, the sooner we can begin your lessons."

Embarrassing as it was, her ears perked right up at the mention of 'lessons.' Lessons were always good and exciting, and they meant she could learn more. But then, it reminded her of her last lesson, which she still didn't understand. 'What was I supposed to learn from overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration?'

But of course, Princess Celestia wasn't there to tell her. Princess Celestia wasn't there to teach her whatever lesson Nightmare Moon was going to, either.

She sighed softly and her ears drooped from their perked up position. She felt Nightmare glance back at her, and as such, she looked up to meet her.

Once again, Nightmare studied her, looking her over. Nightmare's eyes seemed to linger on her cutie mark for a second longer than anywhere else, then she looked away.

Slowly, she looked out of the open door at the night sky. The balcony was clearly lit, albeit softly since it was from the light of the moon. 'Will anypony even be able to see us?' she wondered. Putting the thought aside, she took a deep breath, then slowly walked to her place at Nightmare Moon's right side.

Once she was there, Nightmare strode forward calmly and regally, and so she followed. She walked as close to Nightmare as she dared as they approached the balcony, though she made certain to keep at least one step between them. Each step reminded her of her anxiety, making her chest twist and tighten, but she somehow managed to keep her legs from trembling.

As they passed the arched doorway, she felt her anxiety once again balloon. Inside the confines of the castle's hallways, the solid walls had acted to keep her anxiety confined, but now without those barriers, now exposed to the night sky, she felt like a source of stability had been taken from her. She was so exposed, open, and vulnerable.

She bit her lip, but kept herself walking forward beside Nightmare Moon. She kept her head facing forward, but she looked around, scanning the sky as quickly as she could, searching for whatever it would be that would jump out of the sky to get her. She didn't see anything, but it didn't reassure her any. It could have been above her, or behind her, and she couldn't turn to check.

Gradually, she saw over the edge of the railing, and as the courtyard came into view, her anxiety spiked. Her body tensed up, and she felt her stomach start to drop out from under her. Hundreds of ponies came into sight, then by the time she had stopped beside Nightmare Moon, there was a vast ocean of ponies- undoubtedly thousands- below. Nowhere near the whole of Canterlot, but assuredly enough that everypony would soon know.

Her heart raced, and she stood rigidly. She used her tense muscles to her advantage, as they held her in check. She couldn't run away from this, her fear made that certain. After all, if she backed out of this now, she would make a fool out of Nightmare Moon, wouldn't she? And then, well, that would be that. Nightmare Moon wanted her as a student, but if she made her teacher a fool, Nightmare would find a much less pleasant use for her.

So, she held her head in place. She stared off in the distance, gazing off into space, focusing on nothing in particular. After all, that was all she had to do. Just be there. She most assuredly avoided looking down at the ocean of ponies below, because she knew if she did, she would step back in fear. Even with looking off into space, she could see them plainly. The moon's light, while soft and subdued compared to the sun, was more than ample to ensure that she could make out the ponies below. Maybe not their features, but she knew it would be enough to make out the nearest individual ponies.

She saw Nightmare's chest rise beside her, then Nightmare's blue aura enveloped her horn. She felt a tingle of magic emanate out from Nightmare, and she managed to avoid shivering in fear only because of her greater fear: The crowd below. Even with her staring off into space, she could see the ripple in the crowd below. Their fear, as they felt Nightmare's magic wash over them. But they did not run off in terror. They remained.

"My beloved subjects," Nightmare practically purred. Her voice was regal, firm, and authoritative.

There was no doubt in Twilight's mind, that even though she did not shout, her voice was heard by everypony present as if she were standing right before them. A wave of cold washed over her body, chilling her far more than the cool mountain air could. The voice sounded so familiar, bringing back memories from Nightmare's appearance in Ponyville, bringing back memories of the everpresent dread upon seeing the Mare in the Moon disappear.

"I bring you great news!" Nightmare called out, almost joyfully. "My dear sister's Most Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle, shall no longer be my sister's student, but mine!"

She couldn't stop a shiver from racing down her spine. There was still an unmistakable venom in her voice directed at Princess Celestia. And while she absolutely adored hearing Princess Celestia's voice speak of her as her Most Faithful Student, hearing that name coming from Nightmare Moon was just wrong on so many levels. It sent another wave of icy coldness through her body. Nightmare Moon wouldn't kill her for no reason, but the fact remained, Nightmare Moon hated her sister to no end, and she had been that sister's Most Faithful Student.

She absolutely had to stay on Nightmare Moon's good side, or at least her less malicious side, otherwise, she would be a tool that Nightmare Moon would use against Princess Celestia.

And then there was the pulse of fear that throbbed out from one skipped heartbeat as Nightmare made the pronouncement: 'Twilight Sparkle is my student!' The fear swelled up, then subsided, gradually deflating as if a balloon had been filled too much, then burst without exploding. It was a slow leak, but a leak of the right size so that pressure inside and out felt the same. And somehow, her calm returned.

She could hear a hushed wave roll throughout the crowd at Nightmare's declaration. It was now official. Not just for her, nor Nightmare Moon, but for all of Equestria. For the entire world. She wasn't Princess Celestria's Most Faithful Student, not anymore. Now, she was Nightmare Moon's student.

It was most assuredly a demotion that came with greatly increased health risks and absolutely no hazard pay. But compared to the alternative, it was a great move!

She couldn't make out any of the individual voices, they all mixed together. She couldn't hear any of the words spoken, they were too faint and too many. She dared not look down from where she stared off into the distance. How could she look down at those ponies gathered before them? How could she let them see her face, to see her fear and uncertainty, and to see her paralyzed in fear? How could she not? After all, showing them that she was afraid would show that she had no choice. Perhaps then, Equestria would not view her as a traitor, but as the victim that she was.

But showing them her face meant risking seeing their faces. It meant risking making all of the 'what ifs' real. She could look down and show them her fear, but find that nopony cared. She could find that all of them hated her without remorse, that nothing would change that.

But why did she care? They were other ponies. She didn't know any of them. None of them mattered to her. They weren't her friends. They were absolute strangers. Part of her chastised her for feeling such fear from the judgments of others. It was the same part of her chastising her for somehow managing to make friends with the five most insane ponies alive.

She was such a fool, and she most assuredly was acting like the foal that she was, but that didn't change the fact that Equestria's judgment scared her. Perhaps it was because she could associate Equestria's judgment with Princess Celestia's judgment.

"I expect you all to give her the same respect you give me," Nightmare ended.

There was a threat in Nightmare's command, and yet, she found a certain irony present in it. It was an irony that she dreaded. Ponies weren't fond of her- she had overthrown Equestria's beloved monarch to assume the throne herself, and she had brought about eternal night. If ponies respected her, it was out of fear. They didn't love her. They disliked her at the very least, or did not care. And Nightmare was asking them to treat her with the same respect.

It was exactly the opposite of what she should have said. As Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student, she had respect- Rarity was a prime example of that. Now? Now, the only respect she would have was ponies not trying to kill her because Nightmare would smite them for it.

Then again, she might not even have that.

But then, the tone of Nightmare's voice commanded respect and authority, in addition to offering a promise: 'Respect my student, or there will be consequences.'

For the first time since stepping out onto the balcony, her eyes reacted. Her gaze glanced from staring off into space to looking at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare held herself with an authority and regality befitting Princess Celestia, but it was a darker, more threatening, and intimidating authority and regality. Ponies would not cross Princess Celestia because of love and respect. Ponies would not cross Nightmare Moon because they would suffer her wrath.

And her face was firm. She could see that Nightmare entirely meant what was said. 'Why does Nightmare Moon want ponies to respect me!?' part of her mind screamed out for understanding. She was Princess Celestia's student. She had respect then. And that was why she drew Nightmare Moon's interest. But now she was Nightmare's student, and Nightmare Moon wanted her to be respected.

She couldn't understand why. It didn't make sense, and yet, it was.

Nightmare, whether she saw her looking or not, glanced back at her. For a moment, she watched Nightmare, and Nightmare watched her. Then, Nightmare cast her gaze back out across the crowd, as if daring them to defy her command. Slowly, she returned to looking off into space.

In a slow, graceful motion, Nightmare turned to the right, then walked around in an arc in front of her. She turned in sync with Nightmare as her body was hidden from the crowd, then followed her back inside. As she stepped back through the arched doorway, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. A tiredness came alongside it, hitting her like a wall. Her eyelids drooped, her ears fell, and her head sagged. She let out a sigh of relief as all of the stress faded away. Nightmare had kept it short and intimidating.

Without breaking stride, Nightmare commented, "You worry too much."

She took a deep breath and stood up straighter. "There could have been problems."

Nightmare glanced back at her dismissively, but raised an eyebrow, almost mockingly. "Such as?"

She frowned at Nightmare and puffed out her cheeks. "There could have been any number of problems!" she retorted. "There could have been-! A-an attack! Or-or something else!"

An amused look crossed Nightmare's features, and casually, she looked back forward. "I would have taken care of such a problem," was her playful answer. "Unless, of course, you doubt me?"

Fear exploded in her heart and soared into her mind. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately stopped walking. A moment later, Nightmare stopped and turned back to face her, wearing a concerned frown and her brow creased. "I-I-"

Disappointment. That was the way Nightmare regarded her. Inescapable disappointment. Princess Celestia's sister was disappointed with her. And by extension, that meant most likely, Princess Celestia would be disappointed in her. She looked away from her and felt her ears fold back in shame. Feeling shame at Nightmare's disappointment surprised her, but it wasn't the first time either.

Still, Nightmare continued to silently watch her for a few seconds longer. "I see we need to work on your confidence," was her succinct acknowledgment.

She cringed at that. Reluctantly, she turned back to face Nightmare. Hesitantly, she met Nightmare's gaze.

"And, of course, your magic," Nightmare added. It almost sounded like a peace offer.

It intrigued her, and it took only a brief second to pass before Nightmare's disappointment and her fear had been forgotten and replaced by intellectual appetite. What spells did Nightmare Moon know? What spells would Nightmare Moon teach her? Should she learn some of those spells, even if Princess Celestia possibly wouldn't approve? Could she use any of those spells to defeat Nightmare Moon?

The last thought stabbed her heart, inflicting a sudden pain of fear. She looked right at Nightmare Moon, and Nightmare Moon was looking right back at her when she had thought that. Would Nightmare Moon be able to sense her thoughts, know of that rouge, cursed thought that would be her demise? If she did, how badly would Nightmare react? Or would Nightmare spare her?

Nightmare knew something was wrong, that much was clear. But whether it was her thoughts betraying her, or just the fear caused by that traitorous thought, she could not tell. Nightmare kept silent on the matter.

"I-I'd like that," she stuttered out, her voice pitched far higher than normal.

Nightmare frowned. "You are not my sister," was all she said before turning around and resuming her walk. Nightmare didn't even wait for Twilight to follow.

She felt that Nightmare meant that as a way to comfort her, as if to say, 'My anger is not directed at you, Twilight Sparkle, but your former mentor.' She licked her lips, then swallowed the knot in her throat. "Y-your sister was my m-mentor." Why had she said that?

"Yes, and a rather inept one at that," Nightmare quipped.

She winced back. Her first thought was to retort her for insulting Princess Celestia, but before she could, another thought occurred to her: "W-was that an insult?"

Nightmare stopped and took a deep breath, then swiveled around to face her. "My sister did not even teach you how to defend yourself. That will not do, Twilight Sparkle. As my student, I expect you to be able to defend yourself."

She bit her lip for a second. "Y-you... said that you would... protect me," she whispered.

Nightmare waited for a second, then nodded her head. "Yes... and I will. But I still want you to be able to protect yourself should I-" Suddenly, she stopped, as if catching herself before she said something that ought not to be said. "Should I be otherwise occupied."

Slowly, she nodded. "Right... But... why do you... want me to be able to protect myself...? I'm- I was... your sister's student. And... I tried to..." Nightmare Moon slowly tilted her head to the side, as if she was asking a stupid question.

"If it is not yet obvious, Twilight Sparkle, I expect you to be able to protect yourself in case you need to. I would be a foal not to teach you how to defend yourself. I expect to make many enemies, Twilight Sparkle, and as my student, you will likely make many enemies as well. And as such, being able to protect yourself will prove necessary to your continued usefulness to me. To say nothing of the fact that being unable to protect yourself would be a liability to me."

Of course, Nightmare Moon was intelligent. Of course, Nightmare Moon made a good point. Of course, Nightmare Moon made her feel like a foal. She looked away and nodded. "R-right, I'm... sorry..."

"Asking questions is good, Twilight Sparkle. It will help you learn. I would encourage you to ask questions of me. I will answer them. But I would also encourage you to think, Twilight Sparkle."

She looked back at Nightmare. Nightmare looked at her with annoyance, but it wasn't harsh or chastising.

"Now come," Nightmare commanded. "I did not get a good show of your magic in our earlier encounters, and I need to know what I am working with." Despite the mention of Twilight trying to stop her, she wasn't fuming with anger.

Twilight nodded quickly, then approached Nightmare, watching her the whole time. Nightmare watched her back. She was actually used to feeling Nightmare's gaze on her, and so it didn't feel so predatory and unnerving anymore. Or maybe it was that almost everytime Nightmare watched her, there was a curiosity there that was never present with anypony else. And that unnerved her, though not nearly to the same level as Nightmare's predatory gaze did.

Nightmare started to turn around, but there was a flash of magic in front of her. Twilight stopped as a scroll appeared, bound in a red wax stamp. The stamp was still Princess Celestia's cutie mark, the Royal Seal. And she stared at that mark, knowing it was only a matter of time before that mark was completely erased. But she would never forget it.

Nightmare broke the seal. She held her composure, but her magic slipped up. She tore the wax seal off, then melted it. Twilight watched the now-molten wax fall to the floor like water, then spread out like water, before slowing and solidifying. She stared at the glob of wax as she heard Nightmare unroll the scroll.

After a few seconds, she looked back up. Nightmare's eyes went from side to side, rolling across the scroll, taking in what was written upon it. Finally, her eyes came to a stop, perhaps at the last word. A second passed, then another. Nightmare's eyes jumped to the top, then stayed there for several more seconds. Finally, she rolled up the scroll and looked back down at her.

"W-what is it?" she hesitantly ventured.

Nightmare inhaled and teleported the scroll away. "You are familiar with Manehattan, correct?"

She nodded.

"The Royal Guard are reporting general unrest and unease in the city. So far, nothing more has come from it than vandalism and assorted, isolated acts of civil unrest," Nightmare explained. "It is a concerning development that I am keeping a close eye on."

"I... guess that should be expected, given everything that's happened..." she hesitantly ventured.

Nightmare nodded once. "Yes. I was hoping that ponies would not act out in fear and cause problems such as this, but I had anticipated this. I do not anticipate this to be the last of this, either. Given the eternal night and... my defeat of my sister, I would anticipate growing civil unrest."

She closed her eyes and nibbled on her lip. "What are-"

"For now, nothing," Nightmare preempted. "But if this becomes a greater problem, I will intervene. I have already ordered detachments of Royal Guard to every major city in Equestria, but they are spread thin... and Equestria has no military to speak of."

She grimaced and opened her eyes. "We've... not needed one."

Nightmare shook her head as if that left a bad taste in her mouth. "I am but one pony, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot be everywhere at once," she said. "Which is what makes civil unrest such a great danger. Groups and organizations have specified purposes. Individual ponies acting on fear? Anarchy and the breakdown of civil rule? That is a threat to my rule and Equestria as a whole. Anarchy is unacceptable. The Royal Guard has orders to keep this from growing, but I do not know if they will succeed. Perhaps you have suggestions as to how to deal with growing civil unrest?"

She shifted her weight. "W-well... um..." she trailed off. "If-if it's individual ponies, rather than groups of ponies... it's a problem, since... that can spread-"

"Herd mentality, yes. I am aware of this, Twilight Sparkle. The threat of this disorder spreading and causing a breakdown of Equestrian society and government is not something I am willing to allow occur."

She sighed. "Right. Well. As I was saying, it's a problem." Nightmare looked at her flatly. "Which we've already established," she acknowledged. "Martial law... could be effective at stopping the spread of... unrest, but that creates other problems. Most likely... ponies are acting out of fear and uncertainty. They don't know what the future holds."

Nightmare frowned and nodded. "I suspect that there will also be economic impacts resulting from this instability and uncertainty."

"Which could be a problem," Twilight added. "If things get bad, then that instability will increase, which could compound on itself."

"A recession is undesirable," Nightmare stated succinctly. "As it would result in countless problems."

"Right... um... so, assuming this... is caused by fear, I think... options that could work would be... reassuring ponies that there aren't going to be more drastic changes..." she trailed off. "Ponies are scared, and they might be acting out of that. They want stability and security."

"Which I will provide," Nightmare stated.

"But they might not realize that," she replied.

Nightmare hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Perhaps then, I need to make it clear that anarchy is unacceptable, and that stability and security will remain under my rule."

"R-right," she replied. She nibbled on her lip. "There's... a lot you need to address, isn't there..?"

Nightmare nodded in affirmation. "Yes, there is, Twilight Sparkle. The guards are already deployed to the major cities, ensuring that there is a line of communication to them, and ensuring that order is maintained. Or should be maintained. But I really should visit each city, shouldn't I? After all, It would be improper of me not to address my subjects, would it not?"

Nightmare smiled at her, showing her sharp teeth. She tried to avoid looking at Nightmare's teeth, but of course, she failed in that regard. It was a playful, malicious smile. A predatory smile. One that spoke of a predator playing with her prey. A cat pinning a mouse's tail down and then playfully batting at its body with its paw until it died from fear. The look wasn't directed at her, but it still made her nervous. Nightmare wouldn't kill her for no reason, but it was a reminder of who Nightmare was and what she was capable of. "R-right," she stuttered.

Nightmare's smile calmed. Her lips closed but remained pulled up in amusement. With Nightmare's teeth hidden, Twilight felt her muscles relax once again. "So much to do, Twilight Sparkle..." Nightmare said almost wistfully. "I need to ensure ponies loyalties... especially among those in government positions. They could undermine my rule quite effectively. I suspect fear would be the best method to use against them, don't you think? After all, they're not everyday ponies. They won't fall victim to fear the say way ordinary ponies would. They won't run around like the world is on fire, they will do their jobs well."

She wasn't sure she agreed with that, but she found herself nodding. It was a tense, rigid nod. There was a glint of eagerness in Nightmare's eyes that kept her on edge. It looked almost like Nightmare was yearning for the prospect of breaking them. She swallowed. "O-of course," she agreed quietly.

Nightmare smiled more, but then her lips fell. Her smile lingered, but it wasn't quite as amused as before. "And then there is the matter of outside threats. Other nations," she stated. "I have not had the time to catch myself up on current world affairs. Perhaps you can enlighten me?"

She quickly nodded before she realized what she was doing. But, of course, she could most certainly help Nightmare Moon in that aspect. And, of course, that was most likely one of the reason Nightmare Moon wanted her as a student. "Yes, well, um... Pr- your sister... I mean... Since I was Pr- your sister's student, um... I did have some experience with... that. So yes, I can-"

"Then please, enlighten me, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare coaxed.

She swallowed and stood straighter. "O-of course," she answered. "T-to my knowledge, borders haven't changed drastically in the past millennium, s-so you probably know roughly what modern borders look like."

"I have seen maps, yes, but that does not inform me of the current political, economic, and military situation," was Nightmare's disinterested response.

She suppressed a sigh and nodded. "Right... well... Um, I'd have to read up on it... um... what exactly do you want to know?"

"What of the Griffin Empire? Are they still a military threat? What of the Zebras? Are they still loosely organized and tribalistic? And what of the Deer Kingdom? The Minotaur Empire?" Nightmare listed.

She looked down from Nightmare and at the floor. She thought back over the history books she had read. They didn't come back to her nearly as easily as the books she had read on magic, but it was, mostly, still there. She took a few seconds to compose her answer, then looked back up at Nightmare and took a deep breath. "The Griffin Empire collapsed several hundred years ago, and they haven't been able to recover since. As far as I know, the zebras are still relatively tribal- although Equestria doesn't have much contact with them since they mostly keep to themselves. It's the same way with the Griffin Empire, too. Equestria has had an alliance with the Deer Kingdom for centuries, although like the Zebras, we don't have much contact with them. It's more or less an agreement that Princess-" Nightmare's lips twitched down. She winced and shifted her weight. "I mean... your sister... made with them to protect them since the Whitetail Woods are surrounded by Equestria."

"I see," was Nightmare's cool response. "So I suppose I should arrange a visit to the Deer Kingdom, then."

"They're not a threat. They're peace-loving..." she quickly whispered.

Nightmare inclined her head. "I remember that, back when I fought alongside them against the Griffin Empire... I recall that the deer always were formidable warriors willing to fight to protect their land. And Equestria, by extension. We have always had relatively good relations with the deer... But yes, they generally do prefer peace. That is likely why we have had good relations with them. Ponies are peaceful creatures, just like the deer."

Her ears perked up at that, and a dozen questions flooded her mind, but only one of them managed to come out of her mouth: "You fought alongside deer against the griffins?"

Nightmare looked away from her. The predatory glint in her eyes faded and dulled, and her eyes seemed to gloss over as she stared at the wall, as if she was thinking back on her memories. "Indeed I had, Twilight Sparkle. Back before my sister betrayed me."

Nightmare's eyes went back to her. "But I would assume such records are long since gone," she stated.

Reluctantly, she nodded. "Yes... I... there's..." she trailed off. After all, what would happen if she were to inform Nightmare Moon that none of the history books spoke of Princess Celestia having a sister? What would happen if she were to inform Nightmare Moon that she had been erased from history, that her contributions to Equestria had been forgotten, and likely attributed to her sister?

She couldn't stop herself from feeling guilty for some reason at that. Princess Celestia had to have had a good reason to do that, right? But at the same time, how could somepony just erase all evidence of their sister from the history books? She considered the idea of her brother erasing all record of her existence, and she just couldn't fathom it. Her brother loved her, and he would never do such a thing. It was unrealistic for it to happen, either. But Princess Celestia? She could do that. After all, she was an immortal alicorn. She had all of the time in the world- the thousand years of her sister's absence- to erase all trace of her. But why would she do that?

She nibbled on her lip. The question 'Why would you erase all evidence of your sister?' plagued her mind. Following close behind it, 'Why did you lie to me about your sister?'

It didn't sit well with her. Surely, there had to be a good reason behind it! Perhaps Princess Celestia had done it to protect Nightmare Moon? But that idea didn't make any sense, at least from what she knew. She licked her lips. 'Then again, modern Equestria is so peaceful... maybe knowing what Nightmare Moon was like would... be a problem? But... ugh!'

She held back a huff, if only because Nightmare was watching her.

"Perhaps, in time, I will tell you of it," Nightmare said.

She had mixed feelings about that. On one hoof, it would be historical information from the very pony who had experienced it, historical information that had been lost or hidden. But, on the other hoof, Princess Celestia had to have hidden it for a reason, assuming it hadn't just been lost. And another part of her, while interested in the knowledge, felt anxiety just thinking about it. Nightmare Moon had been there, and who was to say that she should not hear such tales? Princess Celestia, most likely, wouldn't approve of it. She nibbled on her lip, then winced from pain. Her lip was sore from so much use.

Sure, there were records of Equestria and the Deer Kingdom fighting against the Griffins, but they were vague and came from after Nightmare Moon's banishment.

She shook the thought from her mind as Nightmare continued to look at her. "And, um, the Minotaur Empire... we have a lot of trade with them. Sea routes, of course-"

"Of course," Nightmare replied flatly. "And Manehattan is a major hub of this trade."

She fidgeted on her hooves and took a deep breath. "That's... about the extent of my knowledge. Of course there are a lot of other nations, but I don't know quite as much about them..." she trailed off.

Nightmare nodded. "I assumed as much. That you know so much and are still a foal speaks volumes of your expertise, Twilight Sparkle." She smiled again, but kept her teeth hidden.

She wanted to swoon in the praise. It might not have been Princess Celestia's praise, but it was her sister's praise! And another part of that wanted to huff because of the reminder of her age. But, of course, she did not huff, and another part of her mind screamed out at even the idea of doing that. It would be disrespectful, and Nightmare certainly wouldn't tolerate that.

"But I believe we have delayed long enough. Come, you shall show me what you are capable of, Twilight Sparkle," was Nightmare's command.

She felt a cold tingle race down her spine at the sound of Nightmare's honeyed words. She swallowed as Nightmare lit her horn, then there was a flash of light, and a wave of Nightmare's magic washed over her.

Unlike before, the feeling of Nightmare's magic enveloping her didn't immediately send her into a panic attack. She didn't feel the uncontrollable urge to scream and run away, to find somewhere to hide, then cry uncontrollably. It still wasn't comfortable- it was unnerving- but she could at least tolerate it without breaking down into a panic.

Like before, there was a double image as they teleported. The majestic hallway of the castle, and a darker area where she could not make anything out. As the image of the hallway faded and the new image came into focus, she found it much darker and much less detailed than the hallway. As her senses recovered, she noticed that the air felt pleasantly warmer.

The soft moonlight seemed to fail to reach where they were, and she felt growing anxiety welling up inside of her. A knot twisted in her gut and in her throat. Her legs grew tense. She heard what sounded like sticks and leaves crunching under hoofsteps, slowly circling her, and she could feel Nightmare's gaze on her, coming from the same area as the sound.

Finally, Nightmare stopped at her left side. The blue light of Nightmare's horn flashed into existence, illuminating her surroundings. Woody tree trunks, shrubs, and bushes surrounded her. The ground was covered in assorted forest debris- twigs, sticks, leaves, acorns, and the like. Looking up the trunk of the tree in front of her, she determined that it was a tall, sturdy oak tree. It reminded her of the Library that she had stayed at in Ponyville, though nowhere near as grand as it. The rough bark rippled up the tree in a calm manner, and the groves were hidden in shadows cast by the raised bark.

The ground felt soft beneath the layer of fallen leaves, sticks, and nuts. Hesitantly, she looked over at Nightmare. "Where... are we?"

"A forest," was Nightmare's exceptionally detailed, flat answer.

Her lips fell into a flat line at that. "Oh, really? I couldn't tell." Her eyes widened, but it was far too late. It had already slipped out of her mouth.

To her surprise, Nightmare merely raised an eyebrow and smirked in amusement.

She quickly looked away from her. Acting fast to change the subject before Nightmare could retort her, she said, "S-so um, what are y-you wanting?"

"A demonstration of your magic. I already know that you are incapable of defending yourself, and I know that you do not know combat magic since my sister would not have taught you that... given that you are a scholar."

She heard a certain bitterness in Nightmare's voice. She frowned and turned to look at Nightmare, who was scowling. "Why does it bother you that she didn't teach me... how to protect myself?"

Nightmare glanced at her. "I was expecting and hoping for her student to be a challenge, Twilight Sparkle. But instead, I find you. Granted, even if you knew every single combat spell there was, you could not hope to stop me, but it would have at least been entertaining."

Her ears folded back and she turned to look away from Nightmare.

"Come now, Twilight Sparkle. Surely you recognize that there was nothing you could have done to stop me?" Nightmare asked in a sweet, mocking tone that made her feel bitter.

She didn't answer Nightmare's taunt. "My brother is the Captain of the Guard," she answered in a calm, quiet voice. "And his special talent is making shields. I'm not completely defenseless..."

"And yet, not once have I seen you cast a shield spell, even when you tried to stop me, Twilight Sparkle," came Nightmare's cold response.

She clenched her eyes shut. "I-I was scared, o-okay!?" Nightmare was silent, but she felt the alicorn studying her. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and looked at her teacher. To her surprise, Nightmare didn't look displeased.

"We will have to work on that, in addition to your confidence, Twilight Sparkle," was Nightmare's response. "If you are under threat, you must be able to protect yourself. You will be scared if you are threatened, but you must not let that paralyze you and prevent you from acting."

She looked back at the tree in front of her and nodded in defeat.

"Now, your special talent is magic, is it not?" Nightmare asked.

"Yes!" she retorted. "Princess C-" she winced as she felt Nightmare's gaze harden. "I-I mean, your sister took me on as her student because of my magic..."

"Then prove it, Twilight Sparkle. Show me why you were her Most Faithful Student."

She clenched her eyes shut. Oh, how she hated hearing Nightmare Moon say that name. It was so wrong. She had no right to speak that name! But she kept silent because speaking out about it would have brought nothing good. She exhaled, doing her best to use that as a means to force the distress out of her body. Opening her eyes, she glanced at Nightmare, who watched her expectantly, then looked at the tree.

'Show you why I'm Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student? Sure! Now, what exactly do you want me to do!?' She wanted to scream at that. Sure! She could easily prove why she was Princess Celestia's protege! But why, oh why, did Nightmare Moon have to be so vague? Why couldn't she have been specific! Specify a spell! That way she could properly complete the test!

It wasn't fair. Just like asking her to prove her worth hadn't been fair. And it paralyzed he in fear then. The knot in her chest and gut twisted and twisted with the passing seconds.

"Are you afraid of failing?" Nightmare asked. "Is that why you delay?"

She nearly bit her lip but stopped herself. She clenched her jaw and glanced at Nightmare, then nodded timidly.

Nightmare groaned. "I have a lot of work to do with you, don't I, Twilight Sparkle? Do I need to remind you that I do not expect you to be perfect? Show me what you can do! Show me what spells you know!" she implored.

She looked back at the tree and bobbed her head. 'Might as well start with the basics, then...' She groaned quietly, then lit her horn and started levitating all of the acorns up from the ground. Dozens, then hundreds of the nuts lifted off of the ground with hardly any effort.

Nightmare hummed. "You can manipulate several small objects in your magic at once? Good. Now, to what extent?"

Nightmare put heavy emphasis on the fact that the nuts were easily manipulated items. It irked her, but of course, there weren't many small stones around that she could have used for an example. She took a deep breath, then wove the nuts together into a ball, then levitated them out in a line, then looped it down and back towards itself, making a horizontal figure eight.

"Decent. Perhaps lacking in complexity," Nightmare commented. "Now impress me."

She let all of the acorns fall to the ground, then use her magic to sweep a bunch of dried leaves and twigs into a pile while pushing the rest of the surrounding debris away. The glow of her magic grew inside the pile, then sparked. For a moment, there was an orange flow. Her aura faded, and the orange glow simmered, then grew into an orange flame. A small trail of smoke gradually rose into the air from the pile, growing thicker as the flame grew to consume the entire pile, then burn out, leaving behind only ashes.

"A rather basic fire spell," Nightmare commented. "Good for lighting candles, but not much else," she scoffed.

She frowned, then closed her eyes. She channeled her magic into her horn. Through her closed eyes, she could see the glow at the tip of her horn grow brighter and brighter until it was like daylight. Then, with a pop, she released her magic. Opening her eyes, she watched the orb lazily float forward, slowing, then stopping over where the fire had been.

The trees and surroundings were lit as if it was daytime, but it faded quickly beyond their immediate surroundings, and the trees cast long shadows that merged into the forest's surrounding darkness.

She smiled and looked at Nightmare. "Not necessarily impressive, but useful. Especially if your goal is to blind your enemies," was her comment.

A moment later, Nightmare's aura gripped the yellow-pink orb and snuffed it out, once again darkening the clearing so that only the light from her spell provided light. And with that, her smile cracked. The ease at which Nightmare had snuffed out her light was not lost on her. She couldn't help but feel as it snuffing that light out had been symbolic. Perhaps Nightmare Moon had defeated Princess Celestia just as easily, snuffing out her light- the light of her sun- and replacing it with the light of the moon, with next to no effort.

"Your special talent, Twilight Sparkle, is magic. Surely, my sister taught you more than these basic spells? Where are the advanced spells that I know you are capable of?" Nightmare demanded.

She hesitated, then looked down at the ground. She picked up the closest acorn she could, then focused her magic on it. Nightmare Moon wanted to be impressed, so then she would impress her! It wasn't a spell that Princess Celestia had taught her- she had read it in a book. A book she wasn't supposed to have read, but still, read. Surely, this would impress her! In a moment, it took on a shimmering appearance as the enchantment took hold.

For a moment nothing happened, then Nightmare jumped forward and grabbed the acorn in her magic. She squeaked and took a step back at Nightmare's sudden movement. Nightmare shattered the acorn with a sharp crack, making it lose its shimmer, but her chest rose and fell more quickly than before, as if she was out of breath. Nightmare stared at the broken acorn for a few seconds, then turned to look at her.

She took a step back.

Nightmare smiled and let out an amused chuckle. "Now that, Twilight Sparkle, is impressive," she complimented.

Her heart skipped a beat, then her heart beat faster. Nightmare turned to face her and looked all over her. There was an eager glint in her eyes that somehow put her on edge. She took another step back, and the glint in Nightmare's eyes vanished.

"That is a very interesting spell, Twilight Sparkle. I was not expecting something like that," Nightmare continued. Her eyes narrowed. Twilight swallowed nervously and took another brief step back. "But my sister did not teach you this. She would not teach you such a spell."

"I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked. Before she could see Nightmare's reaction, she clenched her eyes shut and tensed up, trying to protect herself from whatever pain was to come. "I-I- you said you wanted me t-to impress you and- and please don't hurt me!"

Leaves and sticks crunched under Nightmare's hooves, then stopped. She felt the tip of Nightmare's wing touch her cheek, and for a moment, her anxiety ballooned up. As Nightmare's feather slid across her cheek, it felt like her anxiety was swept away and cast aside. She let herself relax, though her breathing remained shallow and rapid. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes as Nightmare's feather lifted from her head.

Nightmare folded her wing back to her side, and Twilight saw Nightmare's eyes kept jumping from left to right across her body. "I am not upset, Twilight Sparkle. I am impressed. I was merely caught off guard. But I am curious. Where did you learn such a spell?"

She shifted her weight and looked down at Nightmare's chestplate to avoid meeting her gaze. "I-I was um..." She turned her head to the right so that nothing of Nightmare was visible. "I-I managed to... s-sneak into the Forbidden section of the um... A-archives, and... well, I-I found that... I... when I showed Pr- your sister, s-she wasn't happy, but s-she w-wasn't mad either. S-she made me promise n-never to c-cast that spell!"

Only now in hindsight did she realize that she had broken her promise to Princess Celestia. She felt like her heart and stomach dropped out from her body at that. There was a hollow numbness in her core now. She felt her ears press fold back.

"I see," Nightmare said. "And do not be sad Twilight Sparkle," she said.

She swallowed, then looked back at her teacher.

"Mind-altering magic can be a powerful tool in your arsenal," Nightmare said. Her expression fell into a cold scowl. "But if you ever use that against me..."

Nightmare let the threat hang in the air. Twilight immediately knew Nightmare did not trust her with that spell. She swallowed and nodded as fast as she could.

Nightmare smiled pleasantly. "Good. So you are capable of learning spells on your own in books?"

She nodded. "Y-yes. A lot of what I've learned I learned from studying books... like how to mark a book with my magic so that I can find it later."

"I see. What spells did my sister personally teach you?" Nightmare asked.

"W-well, when I was younger, she helped me learn a lot more about telekinesis and other spells, like the fire spell I showed you-"

Nightmare tilted her head. "You may still be a foal, Twilight Sparkle, but my sister was not blind to your potential. What advanced spells did she teach you?"

"I can cast a spell to walk on clouds," she answered. After a moment, she quickly added, "B-but I would have to refresh myself on that spell before using it!" Nightmare nodded silently. "I-I know a lot about magic theory and I am... rather adept at using and making alterations to spells because I understand what goes into making them work... so I can use the fire spell to warm up tea, for example... although I wouldn't want to risk using it on something alive."

"I see," was Nightmare's sharp acknowledgment.

"I can... alter the weight of objects and manipulate gravity..." she trailed off.

"Oh? That I would be quite interested in... show me," was Nightmare's command.

She swallowed and nodded, then found another acorn. She levitated it up into the air, then channeled her magic into it. After a few seconds, the acorn gradually lowered, then slammed into the soft ground, embedding itself in the muddy ground.

Nightmare's magic overpowered hers, then the acorn levitated up out of its hole in Nightmare's aura as if it was a feather. Nightmare scrutinized the acorn for a moment, then there was a brief, faint flash from her horn, and she dropped it.

She watched the acorn fall and then land on the ground. It didn't penetrate the soft ground any, so Nightmare must have disrupted her weight spell.

Focusing on the same acorn, she inverted gravity. And just like that, the acorn freefell towards the sky. Nightmare's head jerked up in what must have been a futile attempt to track the acorn. There was no way she could have tracked it, however, as it quickly past the tree canopy.

A moment later, however, and the acorn teleported back to the ground in a flash of blue light. Nightmare looked down at it, and after a moment, released it. It didn't immediately fall into the sky.

"I can see how that could be useful, Twilight Sparkle," was Nightmare's comment. "I would say that you can protect yourself, Twilight Sparkle, perhaps just not directly with combat magic. Yet." Her last spoken word sounded like a promise. Nightmare smiled, and it was a smile that made her shiver. "And so I shall teach you how to protect yourself. In time, I will have you show me more of the spells you can do. But for now, this is enough for me to work with. In time, I will teach you combat magic."

Learning combat magic interested her, but she also felt the need to keep her distance from that. Princess Celestia wouldn't want her to learn that kind of magic. Perhaps it would be useful, but it had the wrong intentions. Although Nightmare Moon was probably right. She needed to know how to protect herself. "Why... not teach me combat magic now..?" she ventured.

"Quite simple, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare answered, "while even if you did know combat magic, you would not be a threat to me, I simply do not trust you enough to teach you combat magic yet. You could still be a nuisance. Consider it a reward should you prove yourself." She paused, then inhaled. "I suppose if you wanted to take initiative, you could ask around the Royal Guard. I would not stop you, but you still would not be learning it from me."

She exhaled and looked down at the ground. "Right..." she muttered.

"Now, Twilight Sparkle, I-" Nightmare was cut off by a quick flash of light and the appearance of a scroll, bound in Princess Celestia's seal, in front of her. Before the scroll could fall, she grabbed it in her magic, tore the seal off, then unrolled it.

Once again, Twilight's eyes focused on the seal and watched as it liquified, then poured down onto the ground. Her gaze lingered on the pool for a few seconds before she looked back up at Nightmare Moon. Her face was hidden by the scroll, and her body language was hidden by the chestplate.

She swallowed and waited patiently. Seconds passed on, and a growing sense of dread welled up inside of her. When Nightmare finally lowered the scroll, she jumped back. The alicorn wore a hint of a scowl on her expression, mixed in with annoyance or distaste.

Just as quickly as she unrolled the scroll, she rolled it back up, then it disappeared in a flash of magic.

"What was it?" Twilight asked.

"Another report from Manehattan," was Nightmare's answer.

Her heart skipped a beat. "It-it's not that bad, right? It's not been that long..."

"No," Nightmare answered, "but it is still concerning. Perhaps it would be better to intervene now before it can spiral out of control." Nightmare paused for several seconds and looked contemplative. Eventually, she blinked, then looked back down at Twilight. "I shall pay Manehattan a visit and you will accompany me. It would be well for me to see this city since it is rather important."

She nodded in agreement, though mostly out of fear. "What are you going to do?"

Nightmare raised an eyebrow and regarded her as if she had asked a foolish question. "For now? Assess the situation and determine the most effective course of action for correcting this."

Without Nightmare saying anything more or giving any warning, she felt Nightmare's magic wash over her and grab a hold of her. It sent a chill down her spine and made her go rigid. It felt ever so slightly colder than before, and once again, it reaffirmed in her mind the power that Nightmare Moon held over her. Truly, if Nightmare wanted to do something to her, there was nothing she could do about it.

She heard the sharp crack of magic and felt the sensationless feeling of nothingness, then saw the double image that made it hard to concentrate. As soon as the image of the forest faded, the image of the city of Manehattan came into focus. Like the forest, the city of Manehattan was dark, although in comparison, it was lit significantly better. Streetlamps illuminated the sidewalks in cones of dim orangish-yellow light.

A paved road stretched out before her, but the street was deserted from all carts which would have been present had it been daytime. She briefly wondered what effects the eternal night was having on transportation of goods throughout the city, but the growing light-headedness caused by the long-distance teleport cut it off. The light-headed feeling grew until her head felt cold, then even the quiet of the night sounded like it had been muffled. A ringing took hold of her ears, the sound of her own pounding heart. She felt her arteries throbbing in her neck like they were about to burst.

Slowly, everything subsided, from the ringing to the muffled silence, to the throbbing of her heart. She saw Nightmare's dark coat step forward from her right. Glancing at her, she determined that Nightmare had teleported them so that they would arrive in a proper fashion, which was to say with her to Nightmare's immediate right.

Nightmare looked to the left, then to the right. As she looked right, Twilight could see her eyes slowly scanning across the street and sidewalks, her eyes going up and down the tall concrete skyscrapers.

Surely, it had to be the first time Nightmare Moon had seen such architecture. And it left a visible impact on her features. Bewilderment was present. A thousand years ago, the tallest structures would have been stone watchtowers, but here, the concrete, steel, and glass structures reached into the heavens to a height that put the watchtowers to shame.

Although she wasn't actually sure that they were really all that much taller. The difference was mostly functional and aesthetical.

Nightmare's bewilderment morphed into a scowl, and her lips pulled back to show her sharp teeth. It sent a shiver down her spine, but she knew it wasn't directed at her. No, it was directed at the architecture. 'Why does that bother you?' she wondered. Perhaps being one thousand years out of touch was the reason, or perhaps it was surprising to her that places like Ponyville could exist, while other cities like Manehattan were so vastly different from them. But, she wouldn't find out just by thinking about it. After all, how could she hope to ever comprehend Nightmare's thoughts?

Swallowing, she steeled herself, then asked, "What's wrong?"

Immediately, Nightmare's eyes shot over to her, and her gaze was sharp like a dagger. The instant those slitted pupils fell on her, she found a wave of coldness wash over her, and her muscles tensed up. She felt an undeniable fear, and a need to take a step back, but somehow, she managed to hold her ground.

And in an instant, the fear-inducing sharpness was gone, replaced with the same curiosity that contrasted so sharply with how Nightmare looked at anypony who wasn't her. With the sharpness's disappearance, so to did her fear vanish.

Nightmare turned her head to face Twilight alone. "This city is a strategic nightmare," was her growled response.

Twilight squinted at that. 'A strategic nightmare!?' "What does that even mean!?"

Nightmare grunted, then turned her head back to face the ten-story tower she had been staring at before. "Look at this!" she commanded.

Twilight obliged and examined the tower. Try as she did, she couldn't determine its purpose. Perhaps it held offices, or perhaps it was an apartment complex. But, regardless of its function, she still couldn't grasp Nightmare's problem with it, so she looked back at Nightmare, who in turn, looked back at her.

"This city is too important," Nightmare added. She looked down at the street and shook her head. "It is not defendable, it is so open and just...! Canterlot is defensible, but this city, this port city, this economic hub, is defenseless! This is too much concentrated in one place! Did Celestia not see how foolish this is!?"

Twilight took a step back. Nightmare's chest heaved with her rapid breathing. She thought she could spot a tremble in Nightmare's legs, but she wasn't certain. Above the anger in her voice, one thing stood out to her. Nightmare had, for the first time she could remember, spoken Princess Celestia's name.

"T-this is just how M-Manehattan developed," was her response before she realized what she was saying.

Nightmare's eyes fell on her again, but the anger wasn't there. Her chest continued to heave with her breathing, but it grew more controlled as the seconds passed in silence between them. Eventually, her breathing returned to normal, and she shook her head. "Surely you see the problem with this?"

"N-no, I-I don't. I don't understand..." was her reserved answer.

Nightmare frowned and looked away from her. "This is a very, very important city, Twilight Sparkle. There is so much value concentrated here, in one place. I can only begin to imagine this city's population, and it's economic importance, Twilight Sparkle. And from what I have gathered, it is a vital port city. This is a city Equestria can not afford to lose... it would be devastating..." She shook her head again. "And it is undefended."

That, she could understand. But Nightmare's premise was wrong. Equestria had no enemies- except the two of them, now- and Princess Celestia's rule had mostly been peaceful. Her gut twisted in dread at that. 'How do I even put this!?' She felt her lips twist into a grimace.

Nightmare caught sight of it. "You have something to say. Speak."

She winced at that, then shifted her weight. She hesitated, of course. But, of course, she would hesitate. What was on her mind was that Nightmare Moon was wrong. And how exactly could she tell her that without getting in trouble? She stood up straighter and clenched her jaw. Her body went rigid as she opened her mouth.

She thought she saw Nightmare's lips twitch down. She thought she saw Nightmare's wing relax just a smidge and twitch down. But surely, she had been mistaken. Or perhaps she had actually seen it but was misinterpreting it as disappointment. But, regardless, she was obligated to answer Nightmare's command. She let out a sigh and looked down at Nightmare's chestplate. "Equestria... has no enemies. We've not had any enemies for... centuries. Manehattan doesn't need to be defensible... Besides, there are no threats to the North. The Griffin Empire doesn't exist. To the South, there's the rest of Equestria! There's nothing to threaten Manehattan."

Nightmare's eyes narrowed at her, but the alicorn remained silent for several seconds. Each one of those seconds made Twilight feel more and more anxious. She held her breath as she felt her anxiety grow and send waves of unease pulsing out from her chest. 'Was that a mistake?' she wondered.

Sure, she had been blunt about it. Nightmare's concern for Manehattan's perceived vulnerability was misplaced, though! It was crazy to think Manehattan was in danger from outside threats. There was nothing to threaten Manehattan! Then again, it was Nightmare Moon, so yes, crazy would make sense. But while Nightmare's perceived vulnerability of Manehattan was misplaced, she could understand where Nightmare was coming from. Manehattan was a lot of eggs in one basket.

Nightmare exhaled and slowly shook her head. After a second, she stood more calmly, then turned around. "Perhaps you are correct, but I do not like this," was her begrudging response.

She wasn't sure why, but she added, "Manehattan is valuable, though." It drew a glance from Nightmare, but nothing more. She licked her sore lips and winced from the pain, but pushed it down, then turned her head about and took in the city surrounding them. With the combination of the soft moonlight and the cones of dim light from streetlamps, she could discern enough to realize that the streets were mostly deserted, with the exception of some ponies who wore armor and calmly strolled the streets- most likely Royal Guard- in addition to a few other ponies who walked quickly. They didn't run, but from looking at them, she felt that they practically radiated nervous energy, as if they wanted to remain outside in the night for as short of a duration as possible.

She could understand that, but she also knew they would have to adapt, and knowing that left an empty, numb spot in her chest.

She turned her gaze back to Nightmare Moon and watched her. She stood there calmly, still scrutinizing the city and the streets. "S-so, um... what's your plan?"

Nightmare glanced aside at her, then inhaled. "Speak with the officer managing the situation here, then have a word with the mayor. Things are not so bad as of right now, which is why I am intervening before things escalate out of control. After I finish speaking with the mayor, I believe I shall prepare an address for the ponies of Manehattan. It would do well to remind them that I am in control of this situation."

"O-of course," she agreed. Even doing her best, she couldn't block out the threat in Nightmare's voice that sent chills down her spine. Manehattan was important. There was no doubt in her mind that Nightmare recognized this, and there was no longer any doubt that if push came to shove, Nightmare would be the pony doing all of the shoving.

She just hoped that Nightmare knew when to stop shoving, otherwise, she doubted Equestria would survive.

Nightmare took a step toward the sidewalk. Her movement immediately drew Twilight's attention, and in response, she hastily walked towards Nightmare, who continued to walk to the sidewalk. She stared at her teacher and she walked around behind her, then caught up and took her rightful place to walk beside her. She looked at the two guards on patrol. Neither of them could have missed Nightmare's approach, let alone her presence, and so both of them slowed their pace.

As they approached them, the two guards came to a stop, and she could see their bodies tense up. They held their heads up higher, standing taller and straighter. After all, like her, to relax around Nightmare Moon would be to put their guard down, which would leave them vulnerable.

They both rigidly turned to face Nightmare and herself, then they fell into a practiced, formal, and entirely uneasy bow. Only once Nightmare stopped approaching them did they hesitantly stand back up. "Y-yes, your Majesty?" the closest guard asked.

Even in the soft light of the moon, with them being outside of any of the cones of light from streetlights, she could see him nibbling on his lip.

"Who is your commanding officer and where may I find him?" was Nightmare's demand.

Twilight winced. Before she realized it, she had shuffled a step to the right away from Nightmare Moon, putting barely another step's distance between them. Of course, that didn't help her unease any. Once again, Nightmare's presence radiated fear and demanded obedience and respect. She felt the all-too-familiar feeling of a predator nearby, but she already knew that predator was Nightmare Moon. Even if Nightmare's sharp gaze wasn't directed at her, the close proximity to her made her pulse quicken, and she felt her chest bubbling with nervous energy.

She was afraid Nightmare would look at her because she had shuffled to the right, but Nightmare did not look at her, nor even glance at her. Somehow, perhaps, she had managed to evade Nightmare's detection. Or perhaps Nightmare didn't care, as her attention was on the two Royal Guards. Both of the guards looked like they were ready to scream like foals and bolt if so much as a pen fell behind them. But at least they didn't tremble in their armor from what she could see.

"C-Captain Light S-Shield, y-your M-Majesty," the same guard answered.

She didn't recognize the name, but she hadn't expected to.

"H-he's at the C-City Hall," he finished.

Nightmare ever so slightly inclined her head in acknowledgment then turned towards Twilight, who took a step back so that she wasn't in her way. "Return to your duties," was Nightmare's unthankful hiss.

Nightmare walked past her vision, and Twilight saw both guards standing there, rigidly, saluting. Their raised forelegs trembled, but they made no sounds. Her ears folded back and she winced. Both guards looked at her, and in their eyes, she could see their fear and panic.

Her ears started to fold back, but then she felt Nightmare Moon looking at her, and at that moment, she glanced to her right and glimpsed Nightmare's turned head facing her. Of course, Nightmare looked at her expectantly, but not quite demanding, nor was it predatory. Her gaze held none of the sharpness that it did with anypony else. And that special treatment Nightmare Moon gave her unnerved her. Nightmare Moon would treat her Royal Guards as if they were worthless insects, but then Nightmare looked at her so completely differently. It was a look that showed nothing but interest and curiosity. A look that seemed to promise 'I have plans for you, Twilight Sparkle...' in the vaguest manner possible. What did it mean?

She wasn't sure what to make of that interest, but it did concern her. Princess Celestia had never looked at her that way. She swallowed, then cautiously turned and walked up to Nightmare's side. She heard the two Royal Guards' raised hooves touch the ground, then the sound of their armored boots clicking against the concrete sidewalk. The sound came much faster than it had when Nightmare and her had approached them.

Nightmare Moon's gaze followed her until she came to a stop at that familiar spot beside her, then Nightmare looked away from her. She heard the sound of Nightmare's aura and saw the light of her horn, then she felt Nightmare's cold magic envelop her.

There was the telltale crack of air, then the sudden, jarring double image. The darkened street of Manehattan mixed in with a frontal view of some other structure. The structure's architecture stood out from the rest of the buildings in Manehattan. Grandiose, wide marble stairs let up to a large porch that supported six massive marble pillars which reached up to support a wide triangular slab of chiseled marble, inlaid with Princess Celestia's cutie mark at the center, surrounded with various other graceful, sweeping lines, symbols, and images. The triangular section stretched out from the building behind it perhaps ten feet to shelter the portico. Behind the portico, centered atop the structure, was a large dome. At the very top of the dome was a flagpole that stretched into the sky, from which two flags gently waved in an unfelt wind.

As the image of the structure came into focus, she saw more of the detail of the structure behind the portico- a grand, arched double door serving as the primary entrance, with a dozen windows with the blinds pulled back, allowing for a look into what looked like one large room- the lobby. The golden glow of magical lights streamed out into the street from the room, and it gave off a rich, comforting feeling that reminded her of the warmth of the sun. And oh, how she missed that feeling: the sun warming her back, the warmth of the air- even if it was overbearing- and knowing that everything would be okay. Knowing that Princess Celestia was there for her and all of Equestria.

She felt Nightmare scowl. Without looking at her, it was an unmistakable feeling, the way her aura seemed to twist in anger and bitterness for a moment, then fade but linger. It sent a chill down her spine, and her body instinctively tensed up. A quick glance, and she found Nightmare's vision directed towards the triangular roof of the porch, or more specifically, that one symbol she so hated, the one so prominently displayed in the center: Princess Celestia's cutie mark.

Her ears folded back and she held her breath. Nightmare's scowl lingered for a second, then faded to not quite neutral disinterest. Her disgust remained, however. She let out the breath she had held in, now mostly assured that Nightmare wouldn't suddenly and without warning unleash her magic on the image of Princess Celestia's cutie mark, but her body remained tense. She could still feel Nightmare's anger.

And she knew that anger was just from the sight of her sister's cutie mark. It left her cautious while her gut twisted. 'M-maybe it was a good thing Princess Celestia lied to me and didn't let me help her...' she thought. After all, if this anger was directed at an unpainted cutie mark, what would her anger have looked like seeing Princess Celestia in person?

A cold chill raced down her spine. She never wanted to find out.

She felt Nightmare Moon's gaze fall on her, and instantly, her focus sharpened. She was surprised to feel her body tense up since that meant she had somehow relaxed while she wasn't paying attention. Nervously, she glanced at Nightmare, who simply stared at her with that same look of intelligence and curiosity as always. How was she able to escape her wrath?

But more concerning was that Nightmare was already on the first step, looking back at her. Waiting for her. Despite how sore her lip was, she bit it. She regretted it immediately; the pain was sharp and made her wince. Hesitantly, she stepped forward while she gently sucked on her lip in a vain attempt to nurse the pain away.

Only when she arrived beside Nightmare Moon did the alicorn turn away from her and continue up the stairs. She followed beside her in silence.

While she walked, quickly ascended each step, Nightmare strode up the stairs in a gait that commanded authority and power, with no hesitation nor second-guessing. It was a confident stride, one befitting the Queen of the Night. A stride that demanded respect.

They did not stop once they reached the top of the stairs, and Nightmare continued toward the open doorway. Beside the doors stood two Royal Guards, one on each side of the doorway. Each one held a spear in their right hoof, and she caught the slightest movement of the spear and their hooves as they clutched it tighter to their bodies. They both clung to their spears as if they somehow thought their weapons would offer any protection from Nightmare Moon.

As they walked through the doorway and passed by those guards, one thought occurred to Twilight, 'Your spears won't help you...' Her head turned and her eyes lingered on the sharp metallic points. But then, what was a spear to somepony who commanded as much magic as Nightmare Moon?

She looked ahead as she felt the warmth of the room wash over her. For a moment, her eyelids drooped and her lips pulled up into a smile. It was a welcoming, inviting warmth. One that contrasted with the cool, bitter feeling of the eternal night air. For a moment, the warmth washed over her as she entered the Lobby, briefly vanquishing thoughts of the dark, bitter predatory aura that Nightmare gave off.

But the while the feeling of warmth lasted, it was unable to hold Nightmare Moon's predatory presence at bay.

Looking around the Lobby, she found that the floor appeared to be marble, and it reminded her of Canterlot Castle. The major difference was the lack of marble pillars stretching to the ceiling. The walls were sparsely decorated with picture frames holding various depictions of ponies, weather and ships, and Princess Celestia and the sun.

A few tapestries decorated the walls, along with the flag of Equestria. And it felt like it had been an eternity since she had seen that flag: the beautiful sky blue backdrop, centered around the sun, which hovered over a crescent moon that was open to the left. In the four corners, an array of stars surrounding the center. To the right, a depiction of Princess Celestia with a pink mane and tail, leaping into the air in the arc of a circle. To the left, another alicorn, with a dark, deep blue coat and light blue mane and tail, diving in an arc to complete the circle. They appeared to chase one another as they guided the day-night cycle.

It had been so long since she had seen that flag. And the entire time, for the past thousand years and then some, the flag of Equestria had remained unchanged. She had never questioned it before, the depiction of two alicorns chasing after each other. How had she not seen it before? It was so obvious in hindsight, Princess Celestia had a sister. One who had been banished and forgotten.

Her new mentor: Nightmare Moon.

She felt her legs trembling as she stared at that flag. It was like it was a completely different flag now. What meaning had it held this entire time that had since been forgotten?

She glanced at Nightmare. The alicorn stared at that flag, and she radiated coldness. The alicorn's chest rose in what looked like a practiced, controlled, perhaps even methodical manner, then Nightmare exhaled sharply.

"This entire time, the flag has been unchanged," was Nightmare's bitter statement. "And yet nopony remembers me."

She shivered from Nightmare's icy tone. She knew better than to say anything now.

Nightmare growled, then turned her head to the left. She couldn't see where Nightmare was looking, nor was she interested enough to try to find out. "Where are Captain Light Shield and the Mayor?"

There was a very feminine squeak at Nightmare's demand. "Th-they're-" the mare stuttered.

Nightmare turned to the left and took a step forward. Now that her body was turned to the side, she could see a reception desk, behind which stood a young earth pony mare, perhaps less than half a decade older than her, who shook in fear, as if the very floor was shaking from an earthquake, and her ears were flat against her head.

"Take me to them," Nightmare spat.

The mare nodded and galloped out from behind the reception desk towards the door opposite of the entrance. "R-right this w-way, y-your M-Majesty!"

As the mare turned towards the door, for a fleeting moment, she looked at Twilight, pleading for help.

Twilight felt her gut twist at that look. Nightmare casually turned to face the mare and the door, then she strode forward. She followed close beside Nightmare. The mare grasped at the door handle several times as Nightmare approached, but each time, her leg, trembling in fear, slipped. And each successive attempt was only worse than the previous one. She whimpered in fear as Nightmare stopped.

Twilight clenched her jaw and used her magic to open the door. The young mare looked her in the eye thankfully, but her eyes were shimmering from tears. Nightmare was silent on the issue, even as the mare bolted into the hallway at a speed that would have caught Rainbow Dash by surprise.

The mare rigidly stopped just beyond the door, waiting for them.

Calmly, Nightmare strode forward. She followed. Without anything being said, they navigated through the hallway, turned to the left, then took a flight of stairs to the next level. From there, they made their way towards the front of the building, then the mare finally stopped in front of a closed oak door. She stood rigidly, but that didn't stop her legs from trembling.

"You may return now," said Nightmare.

The mare ran back the way she came. Twilight turned her head to watch her, and as she watched the earth pony run away, she felt her ears press back. "You didn't need to treat her that way you know..."

She felt Nightmare look at her, so she turned back to look at her. "Perhaps not," was her reply, "but it yielded quicker results, did it not?"

There was no anger in Nightmare's voice, but she couldn't help but feel like it wouldn't have taken much for her to be in a very fragile situation. Keeping this in mind, she replied, "You saw how terrified she was! You didn't need to be so... cruel."

"Fear is a weapon and a tool, Twilight Sparkle. She now knows not to cross me, and so in the long run, she is better off for it," Nightmare retorted.

She scowled and took a deep breath. "It was unnecessary force!" she retorted. "If you want to be successful, you can't go around just doing that!" she implored. "You might keep ponies in line like this but it won't work in the long run! Ponies might do stupid things when they're scared! And then there's the whole uncertainty thing you're so concerned about."

Nightmare regarded her. There was a bit of bitterness in it, but there was also amusement. "Then tell me, Twilight Sparkle, how am I to balance this?"

Twilight blinked. "What?"

"As we agreed, fear has its uses. And as I've said, I know that I cannot rely solely on fear and force. They are useful, but I know they are destructive and will backfire if I misapply them," Nightmare elaborated in a sweet tone. "Fear and force create uncertainty and uncertainty causes problems. However, if I am too lax, then my rule will be fragile. Ponies will not respect me-"

She steeled herself for interrupting Nightmare Moon. It probably didn't help, but it was an opportunity! "They might respect you but they will hate you!"

Nightmare's lips twitched down. Whether it was her interruption or what she said, she didn't know, but it sent a wave of cold through her body.

"I-I'm sorry, pl-!"

"Stop," Nightmare groaned.

She blinked as Nightmare lifted a forehoof to her head, then pressed her metal boot against her helmet.

Nightmare took a deep breath, then slowly shook her head and lowered her forehoof back to the floor. "As much as I desire my subjects love, Twilight Sparkle, I am not foolish enough to think I'd ever obtain that. That much was clear one thousand years ago," she said bitterly. "Their respect, however, I can claim."

"You know that eternal night will make them hate the night more, right?" she asked quietly.

"It has occurred to me that this is a possible outcome. Ungrateful foals..." Nightmare growled. Twilight recoiled. Nightmare frowned. "At the very least, ponies will see the beauty of my night, even if they do despise it."

"M-maybe y-you can... g-get ponies t-to appreciate y-you?" she ventured.

Nightmare tilted her head. "Oh?" she purred. "Do tell, Twilight Sparkle," she mocked.

She looked down at the floor to avoid seeing Nightmare Moon. "P-ponies love your sister..."

"You don't say?" Nightmare growled.

She looked up at her. "H-hear me out, please!" she pleaded.

Nightmare didn't kill her at least, so that was a good thing. "I am listening, Twilight Sparkle."

She swallowed. "Y-you could t-try to a-act like her-"

Nightmare's gaze hardened, and her lips pulled back to bare her teeth. "I am not my sister, Twilight Sparkle."

She clenched her eyes shut. "P-please s-stop..." It took a few seconds, but she felt Nightmare's anger fade. She cracked open an eye. Nightmare watched her. She couldn't read her expression. There wasn't anger, but there were hints of bitterness and slight coldness. Her eyes were as sharp as ever, yet it wasn't an attempt to intimidate her. She felt a wave of relief at that, just knowing Nightmare wasn't going to immediately smite her. Yet, there was embarrassment there. Once again, she showed Nightmare Moon her weakness and vulnerability.

It would be so easy for Nightmare to take advantage of that.

"I... I just mean... don't... try to force everypony's hoof. Y-you can... try doing things to get ponies to l-love you. S-show them that you're not just... o-out to get them..." she explained.

Nightmare hesitated for a moment, then slowly inclined her head. "I see," she answered. "Perhaps I will. Do you have any suggestions?"

She swallowed as panic bolted through her. 'Suggestions!?' Her heart raced. 'W-what!? What could she do to convince ponies she isn't out to get them when she is!?' screamed out in her mind. But, was that true? Was Nightmare out to get ponies? Not necessarily. She wanted their respect, she wanted their obedience. She wanted ponies to love her, even if she said it couldn't happen. Twilight licked her lips. "W-well," she squeaked, "I... t-there's the Grand Galloping Gala..." she offered. It was a weak suggestion, she knew, but it was all that came to mind.

"What is this?" was Nightmare's inquiry.

"It-it's a celebration that... your sister has hosted every year for... several centuries now," she answered. "It's... traditional... I've attended it every year since... I was her student."

Nightmare nodded slowly. "Then I shall look into it, however, we have matters to attend to for now, and I believe we have delayed long enough."

Without waiting for a response, Nightmare turned and opened the door. Twilight just nodded. As the door opened, there were two soft thunks. As the door swung inwards, the room's two occupants dragged along with it.

She blinked. Nightmare's right eyebrow lifted up. The two ponies scrambled to their hooves.

"Listening in, were you?" Nightmare demanded.

The guard- a unicorn who was presumably Captain Light Shield- fell into a swift bow, while the other pony- a pegasus who was presumably the mayor- distanced himself from the guard. "F-forgive us, your M-Majesty," was his stuttered apology and admission of guilt.

Nightmare snorted. "Do not let this happen again," was her command.

"O-of course, your Majesty," he replied. Slowly, he rose from his bow.

The pegasus stayed silent but stared at Nightmare Moon with wide eyes.

"Captain Light Shield, I presume?" Nightmare questioned.

The guard nodded quickly. "Y-yes-"

"Inform me of the situation," Nightmare snapped.

"Th-there have been several in-incidents of vandalism and theft, your Majesty," he answered.

"Rioting? Protests? Arson?" Nightmare interrogated.

Captain Light Shield shook his head quickly. "N-no, your M-Majesty, just-"

"How widespread?" Nightmare demanded.

The captain shrunk back ever so slightly. "T-they have been i-isolated incidents, a-as per what was said in the r-reports I s-sent."

"Unrelated? More than normal?"

The pegasus shifted his weight. "U-um, yes. M-more..." he trailed off as Nightmare looked at him. "M-more than normal, yes," he answered. Twilight saw him swallow and heard him gulp. He put on a smile, but it was so increibly forced that it only served to openly admit his nervousness. "B-but I'm sure it w-will calm down s-soon!" he offered.

Nightmare scowled. "See to it that it does, or I will have you replaced," was her cold response.

He nodded quickly. "O-of course, N-Nightmare Moon..."

"Anything else to report?"

"N-no..." Captain Light Shield answered.

A low growl escaped Nightmare's throat. "Very well," she replied. With bitterness and finality, she swiveled around, then marched back the way they had come. Twilight shivered. Nightmare slowed as she approached Twilight, and she looked down at her. She came to a stop, then extended her wing and brushed a feather over Twilight's side.

She felt a feeling of relief emanate from that touch, and Nightmare didn't seem so threatening anymore. "So... um... what now?" she asked.

"It seems like this trip of ours was wasted. I'm not exactly pleased by this," Nightmare answered. "We will return to Canterlot after my address. You will accompany me when I give it. Practice your magic. I expect more demonstrations from you. I have other matters to attend to."

Author's Note

Upon rereading this chapter, I don't like it all that much. But that's probably just because of the development that has happened since I wrote this chapter.

Broken Bonds

Staring out into the pitch blackness of the moonless night, Nightmare Moon found her gaze directed off towards the horizon, focused on the nearly black splotch that was the Everfree Forest. Above the forest, the sky was speckled with dots and pinpricks of constant light, light which neither sparkled nor shimmered, as the cool mountain air was dry. Even with her nearly unmatched nocturnal eyesight, she could barely make out the features of Equestria's heartland. Ponyville, in the distance, was only visible from the faint glows of lights emanating out into the night from the insides of houses, lit by fires and candles and magical means.

Canterlot stood in contrast to Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. Where because of their distance and relatively small size, Ponyville and the Everfree were dark, nearly imperceptible to her, Canterlot shined out into the night before her, unmistakably a beacon that was visible for dozens if not hundreds of miles around. The light from the capital's numerous mansions and towers fought back the dark blanket of the night which she had tucked Equestria in. But yet, that resistance seemed all so futile from where she stood upon the balcony.

After all, that light only shined out so far, and the city was not constructed of mirrors, nor reflective surfaces, nor glistening gems. Canterlot was not, then, lit up in its entirety. Each window through which light shined was like a golden lance, shooting out into the night, yet even as that lance spread out into the darkness, the streets of Canterlot were still cast in darkness, akin to that of the moonlit night. But even with that, what served to emphasize just how fragile those lights' resistances were, was the sharp contrast of the windows through which no light shined. Darkened bedrooms where ponies slept, unoccupied or unused rooms where lighting them up would be wasteful, even by the nobles' standards.

Her grip of darkness over Equestria, Canterlot, even, was secure, and no ponies could break that no matter how much light they shined out into the night. They would never banish the moonless darkness, nor could they ever outshine the soft glow of moonlight.

Inhaling of the cold night air, she cast her gaze upwards, into the speckled sky. As she stared up at the beauty of the stars which adorned her domain, she felt that something was missing. She longed for something which she did not have, nor could truly have. Victory over her sister was her first thought of that she longed for, but that did not fit with what she felt. True, her sister had denied her the ecstasy of total victory, the ecstasy of breaking her and rubbing it in, and as such, her victory felt hollow, but what stood out more was that she stood there all alone.

Nopony else was there to gaze up and see the beauty of the darkened night sky with her. Without her moon, each star seemed to take on new meaning, to hold some far greater importance, a subtle importance, that was lost whenever her scarred moon dominated the sky. Nopony was there to see and behold the subtle masterpiece that was her night sky, nopony was there to admire the grand work, nor to see the raw emotion which it evoked.

With a growing bitterness at the thought, she looked back down and glared at the city of Canterlot. Beyond the gleaming towers of nobles' mansions, in the distance, she could see the darkened apartments and homes that melded in with the blackness of night, unlit and completely submissive to her power over them.

And yet, it struck her: 'Ponies will never truly love my night, they will never spend time seeing the beauty that I see!' How many ponies were outside on this dark night? How many were out of their own free will? How many of those ponies, whether outside of their own accord or without option, willingly chose to look at the beautiful night sky? How many of those ponies gave the stars more than a passing glance? How many of those ponies looked into the sky and saw its beauty and majesty, that which the sun hid from view?

Would her student enjoy such a thing? Did her student even enjoy the moonlit night which had since replaced the day? Try as she did to find that answer which she so desperately wanted, it eluded her. She simply did not know, nor had Twilight told her. In their time together outside, she had never caught sight of Twilight pausing to admire the beauty of her night. And ever since her display at the recognition the deer held for her, she had seen Twilight even less. Her student was actively avoiding her, she knew.

That made her bitterness increase several times over. Her own student, willingly and intentionally doing all that she could to avoid her. But that bitterness was only partially directed at her student. No, to direct all of that bitterness, all of that anger and disappointment, at Twilight would have been wrong. Twilight wasn't at fault for it; her student was merely reacting to what she had done. It was her own display that had pushed Twilight away, and now, any progress she had made at nudging Twilight out of her shell, at coaxing her into more confidence, had been undone.

No, her bitterness was focused and directed nearly entirely at herself. She had only herself to blame for how she acted, and now she knew she was reaping the consequences of those actions. Undoing what she had done in one minute would take longer than she could determine. She hated it. She hated it because she damaged her relationship with her student, which would take time to repair. Time that she didn't necessarily have. From a purely logical standpoint, she hated it because of that time that it cost her. She gained nothing from that display.

And besides the logical reason, she hated it because deep down, she felt as if she had somehow betrayed her student by her reaction. It was an absurd thought, perhaps even an obscene one. She was Queen and Empress, the ruler of Equestria, Twilight's teacher. Who was Twilight to judge her? Twilight was a unicorn filly, and she was an immortal alicorn. Yet she still felt that she had betrayed her promises to Twilight; her promises to protect her and keep her safe. Twilight did not trust her, and her reaction gave Twilight no reason to trust her.

When they had returned from their trip, as she had watched Twilight while they walked back to her chambers, she found that the oddest urge had overcome her. Rather than wanting to snap at Twilight and demand her to calm down, she had found the urge to comfort her student. It was an absurdity! She was a Queen! And there she had been, desiring to comfort a foal! Such a thing was beneath her, yet the urge was still there. She was split on it, of course. Twilight was her student and she felt the urge to comfort her, yet she also knew that, while Twilight was still just a foal, she needed to grow up. To coddle her would be to lie to her. To protect her from the realities of the world would be to betray her.

Yet, in the end, she had still comforted her student. She had stroked Twilight's back with her feathers occasionally, but even that, though it comforted and calmed her, did not banish or undo what she had done. Why she had comforted her student was simple: she had promised to protect Twilight. She could not always be able to be there for her student, but that did not mean she would not try. Protecting her and comforting her would serve to help bring out that unmatched potential that her student harbored.

She turned around, then walked back inside her bedchambers. Almost silently, her armored hooves fell on the marble floor. As she crossed the doorway, then cleared the door, she closed it behind her with hardly a sound. After closing the door, she stopped and looked at her bed.

She had not slept well since her return. She could not delight herself in her victory, and her fantasies of crushing Celestia remained just that. And, of course, the bed still held her sister's scent. That wretched smell of her sister permeated every inch of the bed. The blankets, the mattress, the pillows. Even the curtains smelt of her dear sister. Yet the scent of her sister had an odd effect on her. Rather than provoke her to anger and demand that she incinerate every last trace of her sister, she found that it left her feeling almost empty inside.

The scent reminded her of the good times, back when she had been able to say her sister's name in a familiar manner, back when they had hugged, and the scent of her sister filled her nostrils from their proximity. It brought back the reminders of how things had been. It tormented her, yet she hadn't changed the bedsheets or anything. She took it as a small victory over her sister, taking her sister's bed and making it her own.

The scent plagued her mind, yet while it brought back good memories and haunted her, she still, in the back of her mind, hated it. That scent was one that she wished she could erase from her mind. She had been so blind, all those centuries ago, foolishly thinking that her dear sister loved her. That love had been nothing more than a lie.

She bared her teeth and growled. Fuming, she stomped across the length of the bedroom, then walked into the study. With but a flick of her mane, she slammed the door shut behind her, sealing the room and locking that accursed scent away from her.

She would sleep later. For the moment, sleep still would not come to her, and as such, she used the time to the best of her abilities. She turned her attention to the study's desk, then crossed the short distance to it, pulled back the chair, and sat down. With a flash of her magic, the map of Equestria and surrounding lands appeared on the desk, unrolled, before her.

And she studied that map intently, just as she had every night for the past few weeks. Each and every detail was so important, and so many little things held her attention. Looking at the map, she could see in her mind's eye the way Equis looked from the moon. The way that the continent curved in such a way that a flat map just couldn't replicate.

She pushed the thought aside as her gaze fell on Hollow Shades. It made her heart beat faster. The back of her mind screamed out at her, demanding action. It was a pressing matter, but one that had to wait, at least for a time. There were many pressing matters occupying her mind as it was.

Looking to the right, along with the coast of Equestria, her gaze settled on Manehattan. That city of power and of trade, the massive, strategically important, woefully undefended port city upon which so much of Equestria's power rested. Canterlot was the capital of Equestria, but if anything happened to Canterlot, Manehattan was the obvious backup, and de facto, capital of Equestria.

Anything happening to Manehattan would be a near deathblow to her empire. Even just looking at the map, staring at that minuscule, impersonal black dot that represented the massive city that was home to millions of ponies, she could practically picture the city on fire. Burning, in literal flames of rebellion and anarchy. Thick black smoke that put a dragon's smoke to shame, billowing up into the air, blackening the moonlit sky. Smoke thicker than the ash that a volcano spewed.

It was imperative to keep Manehattan under control. And that imperative put strain on her and her limited military resources. Even with the Royal Guard patrolling the streets of Manehattan, the reports were clear: the city was restless even as they refused her night, and they wanted their Princess back. Subterfuge happened in the shadows cast by the moon, crime happened in the black of night. For now, it was, as the Guard said, "under control." But she knew it would not take much for that to change. In the back of her mind, she could almost picture a clock, the second hand steadily ticking toward midnight. But while she could see the clock and knew it was ticking, the numbers were missing, and she had no idea how the clock was rotated.

It was a matter of time, and she had no idea how much time remained.

She took a deep breath, then sharply cast the air out of her lungs. Looking down and to the left, her gaze settled on Cloudsdale, the pegasus metropolis. The city where nearly the entirety of Equestria's weather was made. It was so centralized. It was efficient, but it also meant that Cloudsdale was another imperative city to hold. To lose Cloudsdale, or to lose control of Cloudsdale, would mean losing control of the largest pegasi population center in the world. On top of that, losing control of Equestria's weather. The ramifications of that could spell a sudden end, not only to her reign but also to Equestria as a whole.

Fortunately, Cloudsdale, despite the pegasus warrior heritage or perhaps because of it, wasn't suffering the same dissent as Manehattan.

For a moment, her eyes meandered further to the left. Ponyville was the sort of village on the map that unless you specifically knew where it was and were looking for it, you'd miss. It was such an oddity compared to the rest of what she had seen of Equestria. But it was still an important town to keep an eye on. After all, five of the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony called it home. That in of itself was enough reason to watch it closely, to say nothing of investigating the cause behind this.

So far, there was no word of the bearers causing any trouble. It helped soothe her nerves, but only just. They could have been, after all, hiding it well. 'I need to check up on them,' she noted. Spurred on by that thought, she grimaced as her mind drifted to the statue of Discord. 'I must ensure the bearer's loyalty,' she affirmed.

She could hold the bearers on a tight leash, but restricting their freedom as she had done, by holding Twilight hostage, was not the best course of action. For one, they could call her bluff, or perhaps Twilight would call her bluff. But then, perhaps the best course of action was to use Twilight to ensure their loyalty. Not as a hostage, but to convince them to help her, should the need arise, or simply keep them from rebelling.

She looked up from the map for a minute as her thoughts drifted to her student. She, along with Cadance, both slept soundly at this hour. Cadance slept in her room in the castle, and likewise, Twilight slept in her own personal tower on the castle's grounds.

The only real difference was that Twilight was alone, and Cadance was not. It was not the first time she knew that Captain Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard, and her student's brother, was spending the night with her- although fortunately it never amounting to anything more than sleeping- but it was not all that common, either. Disposing of Captain Shining Armor would not be easy if he continued to resist her. Fortunately, his resistance was mostly lip service. Still, if she needed to, she could, although she knew she would alienate her two pseudo allies by doing so.

But Cadance and Shining Armor's relationship did give her an idea, and at the thought, she somehow managed to smile, 'Were you two to be married, Equestria would celebrate... and that is something that would be very useful...' Yet the thought still seemed so odd to her. And of course, she had yet to hear them talk about such a thing. Perhaps, however, in time, it would come up. Her smile grew into a smirk; she could picture Cadance's reaction to asking, then hearing her response that she would allow their marriage.

She forced her thoughts back to Twilight, and with that, found herself once more considering just how much of a curiosity the filly was, and how much that drew her interest. 'So much potential... and you are so blind to all of it...' whispered in her mind. 'I must bring your potential out,' she affirmed with a nod.

Idly, a portion of her mind wondered how her student slept. With the barest application of magic, she reached out to check on her student. Twilight slept soundly, peacefully, even. She took comfort in that knowledge, knowing that Twilight slept soundly, unafraid, unblemished by what she had done. And yet, at the same time, knowing Twilight slept peacefully ate at her. Her student was at peace while she slept- her student was at peace, now that she was not near to intimidate her.

It left a bitterness in her mind that she had grown to hate. 'Why can't you just relax around me!?' was asked with exasperation. She had said to Twilight, time and time again, to relax. She had promised Twilight, time and time again, she would protect her. She had even made progress, at least before she had shattered that progress.

Bringing Twilight out of her shell, growing her into her full potential, would take a very long time.

But she was patient. After all, she had waited a thousand years for her revenge on her sister.

She shook the thoughts aside, then directed her attention to the Whitetail Woods. For a moment, she pondered the deer and King Aspen. So long as they did not try to undermine her rule, they were not a threat. She looked to the north, and her eyes lingered on the frozen wastes where the Crystal Empire had been. A thousand years had passed, and the Empire had not returned. 'Perhaps,' she thought, 'it will never return.'

However, she would not take the risk of leaving Equestria undefended. And in her time since she returned, she had discerned that her sister had even set up an outpost in the frozen north, along with having constructed train tracks that would allow rapid mobilization in the case that the Empire did return. Knowing that, she knew that at the very least, her sister knew better than to risk having no advanced warning.

Looking southeast of the frozen wastes, she took in the shattered Griffin Empire. Supposedly, no longer a threat. According to the pegasus scout she had sent, no longer a threat. In fact, what he had reported left her feeling off-put and odd. The Griffin Empire had, undoubtedly, collapsed. Their once grand cities were run down, mere husks of their former glory. Rather than proud legions standing at the ready, petty griffin theives stood in their place. No grand armies, fitted with polished steel armor. No great vaults of gold and jewels. Their cities barely stood on flimsy supports. And from what she had found out, a great many griffins had integrated into Equestria, in a manner similar to the deer, although they tended to move into cities, while the deer tended to keep to the forests.

A part of her rejoiced at this knowledge, for it meant one less threat to her reign and to Equestria. It also meant that the Griffin Empire was no more and that it had finally received what it had deserved for all of those years of bloody conflict they had caused. And yet, another part of her felt disappointed. The Griffin Empire had been, aside from her sister, her greatest rival.

She pressed the concern from her mind and let her eyes drift south. For a moment, they hovered on the Everfree Forest, which did not show her old castle. This pleased her, yet also disappointed her. It was beneficial that her castle remained unknown at large, yet it also further reinforced how her castle was but a shell of its former glory.

Looking further south still, her gaze lingered on the Badlands. As with every time she had looked at the vast rugged desert, a part of her mind screamed out that something was wrong, that something was missing, but she could not place what it was that was wrong or missing. The scouts she had sent reported nothing of interest, but the Badlands were vast, and she was stretched for guards as it was.

After a few more seconds, her eyes darted back to Hollow Shades. She slowly dipped her tongue out from her lips, then ran her tongue to the left before bringing it back to the right, stroking her sharp teeth. Feeling the ridge of each tooth sent a slight shiver of delight down her spine, and only one word came to mind, 'Soon.'

It was quickly becoming the most pressing need, but now was not the time. It was the dead of night, so she would wait until she raised the moon, so that her student would be awake, so that she did not have to wake her. Besides, her student needed rest. After all, she had great potential. Potential that would not thrive if she was denied her rest.

Likewise, she too needed to rest. Though she was an immortal alicorn, sleep was something she still needed and desired, even if her need for sleep was less than that of normal ponies. So rather than sustain herself with her magic, she stood up from the chair, then approached the door to her bedroom with a calm, steady gait.

Without slowing, she opened the door with her magic, then walked on inside the room. She closed the door behind her and approached the bed and pulled the covers back. Without taking her armor off, she clambered onto the bed and laid down on her back. The softness of the bed contrasted so sharply with the rough rigidity of her armor- she sank down into the mattress, and the mattress, in turn, enveloped her, embracing her.

But she was used to sleeping in her armor, and so wearing it did not impede her sleep. She pulled the blankets back over her body, and with it, a wave of air rushed forward, chilling her exposed muzzle, and bringing it with her dear sister's scent. That scent that she so hated, yet at the same time, brought her to reminiscence.

She scowled as she closed her eyes.

Nightmare Moon awoke several hours later, almost perfectly in sync with the rising of her moon breaking the horizon. That same scent that had been there when she had laid down was still there to torment her as she awoke. She took a deep breath, and while she struggled not to gag from her sister's scent, she took comfort in the strength the cool air gave her. She knew that in time, the scent of her sister would fade, and she welcomed that knowledge. It had been three weeks already and the scent still lingered, though it was not as strong as it had been.

At the very least, surely it would not be long before the staff changed the bedsheets. If they did not, then she would make it a point to bring it up and ensure that it was all changed. Then, she knew, her sister's scent would no longer plague her.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling above her. In the pitch blackness, she could still see some of the golden swirls above, yet she could not truly see the features. It was more of a vague feeling of knowing that the swirls were there. She continued to stare up at the ceiling for several seconds, and with each passing one, she could see the subtle, almost imperceptible shift as the soft, unassuming light of her moon gradually drifted into her bedroom from the window. The soft glow barely did anything, as she knew only the faintest sliver of her moon had broken past the horizon.

The darkness of the night filling her room without the light of the moon was all consuming and all-enveloping. Equestria, she knew, had never known anything like it since long before her ascent to taking the mantle of the moon. Even before she claimed the moon as her birthright, unicorns had moved the sun and moon in the day-night cycle. Only before then was the night ever so black as it now was. Moonless, unlit, save for the stars, which did nothing more than mark the sky.

Ponies had never seen anything so dark as the moonless nights were now. They, she knew, had always known her sister to guide the moon into the night sky after the sun set. The thought of her sister's magic touching her moon made her lips pull back, showing her teeth in disgust. Her sister had no right to the moon, even less right after betraying and banishing her.

As she thought about the darkness that enveloped Equestria, a part of her felt concerned by it. While it was true it was a necessity to give the ponies some semblance of a day-night cycle for them to follow and to keep order, as without the movement of the moon, they had no way to mark how much time had passed, she still felt a concern in the back of her mind regarding it. The moonless night, she knew, evoked terror in everypony. And perhaps it was not without due reason. They could not see, and predators that lurked in dark forests could have crept out to strike at them.

So yes, she had reason to be concerned as she thought about it. There was the chance that the moon cycle could backfire, and rather than ensuring stability, would result in greatly increased instability. How long would it be until those imaginary predators actually did leave the confines of their forests and strike at her ponies? Those predators would be fools to do so, but perhaps they would be emboldened by the black, moonless night to attack. That was one threat, and of course, the other was that ponies would act out of fear.

She shook her head, then rolled over onto her side. Facing away from the windows and door to the balcony, she stared ahead at the wall. No trinkets adorned it, nor did any gifts. It was so barren and empty, as she had nothing to decorate the wall with. It would have been vain, of course, to waste bits on decorating the wall for her own personal enjoyment. Those resources would better serve her being spent on other necessities. Yet the emptiness bothered her. She had her victory over Celestia, yet she had so little to show for it.

What she did have gave her pleasure, however. With that in mind, her thoughts drifted to her student. And at that, a memory stirred to life in her mind, gradually seeping into the forefront of her mind to play out in her vision. The memory was one that gave her pause and left her pondering.

She had dreamed of Twilight Sparkle as she slept. It was not the first time she had dreamed of her student, either. The dreams with her student were always so sharply different from the rest of her dreams that she could remember. Where her normal dreams usually involved her victory over Celestia, or the occasional nightmare spurred on by the horrors she had seen so long ago, the dreams involving Twilight Sparkle felt almost peaceful.

In her dream, it had been a moonless night. They had been in a forest, and she was watching Twilight perform her magic. Twilight held herself in a relaxed, fear-free posture- she was not scared nor terrified of Nightmare, and Nightmare was pleased by this. There was no atmosphere of fear or hostility between them. Twilight was not paralyzed by fear, but instead, she radiated confidence. When Twilight looked at her, there was no ill intent nor did she freeze up in fear; Twilight looked at her with respect, but more than that, with the sort of gaze that spoke of friendship. Not as teacher and student, nor as servant and Queen, but a bond that two normal ponies would share. The bond where one would comfort the other in times of need, and where they could talk pointlessly of a day's happenings.

It felt so incredibly odd to consider this dream. It was absurd to think about. For one, Twilight had no confidence in her own abilities, and after what she had seen, she was no longer able to relax anymore. Another reason this dream felt so off was just how casual it had felt. There was a bond between them in the dream, one which she could not imagine herself ever having with anypony- a certain closeness and casualness, void of any formality. She was an immortal alicorn, and as such, any bond like that was absurd.

She realized that, as she thought about the dream, a certain essence of the dream returned to her mind. That calmness which she had felt, the relaxed, casual atmosphere now filled her. She could breathe in her sister's scent, yet it did not infuriate her. She could think of the countless problems that plagued her nascent rule, and it did not draw her ire.

She felt calm.

She pursed her lips, then lit her horn, flooding the bedroom with the soft blue light of her magic. With a quick tug from her magic, she pulled the bedsheets back, then pushed herself up into a sitting position with her forelegs. For a moment, she lingered on the bed, then she leaned forward and climbed off the bed. Her forehooves connected with the floor first, providing two quick clicks to break the silence as her boots met the marble. Her hind hooves hit the floor, but there was a more distant delay between them.

She took a deep breath, then stepped away from the bed. She turned to the right and started arcing around the end of the bed, walking towards the balcony while she used her magic to tidy the bed up once more. As she walked around the bed, she gave it a passing glance to assure herself that the bed was in pristine condition, then she turned her attention to the balcony door and opened it with her magic.

Walking outside, a cold breeze blew over her coat. Despite the chill to the air, she didn't react, and her march out onto the balcony continued without any hindrance. She slowed, then stopped at the railing. Looking out across Equestria, she took in the subtle, unassuming interplay of the moon's soft glow as it slowly embraced Equestria. The moon was slow to rise, and there was still the barest sliver of the moon visible, but with each passing second, she could see how the darkness lightened. Looking out across Canterlot, she watched as the darkness begrudgingly gave way to the fuzzy outlines of shadows.

After a moment, her head turned to the right, and her gaze settled on a lone tower. The tower was nowhere near as tall as the castle's highest spires, but it stood out with importance in its own right. It was tiny compared to the castle, yet it looked so secluded. Sleeping inside that tower, she knew, was her student. Her gaze turned into a stare as she watched that tower, almost as if she was trying to see past the solid marble to gaze upon her student.

In an instant, the memory of seeing Twilight's disappointment when she realized that Celestia lied played through her mind. Her lips twitched down and she glanced down at the railing. 'We are perhaps not so different, Twilight Sparkle...' she mused. After all, they shared that much in common, that Celestia lied and betrayed both of them. Not only did Celestia leave Twilight unprepared and lied to her, but Celestia also told Nightmare of her student's existence.

Had Celestia not spoken those last few words, perhaps Twilight would not have been under so much stress.

Nightmare clenched her jaw. 'If there was one thing that I could change, Twilight Sparkle, I would not have been so harsh with you upon my return,' she affirmed. At that thought, she looked away from Twilight's tower. Her gaze eventually settled on the railing, which she examined, though did not bother to consider any of its details. Instead, her mind was preoccupied with that thought and thoughts of her student.

The thought had come without doubt, and a part of her was surprised by that. She was Queen and Empress and ruler of Equestria. Her power was nearly absolute. Yet, for all of that power, she knew that how she treated Twilight had been a mistake, and she had been consistently dealing with the consequences of that treatment for the better part of a month now.

'How different would things be if I had not scarred you so?' she wondered. 'Would you be confident? Would you not be so terrified of me?' She sucked her lip in between her teeth, then pressed her teeth into her lip to hold it in place. She could feel the barest hints of pain, accompanied by a faint tingling sensation as she held her lip in place.

She took a deep breath, then let her chest deflate. In the same manner, she released her lip and let it roll back into place.

And the entire ordeal felt so odd! She could scarcely understand, let alone comprehend it all. Had this been a thousand years ago, she simply would have killed Twilight Sparkle, as that filly was the greatest threat to her reign she knew of. Even more a threat than Discord and King Sombra. And in a way, it amazed her that she not only did not kill Twilight Sparkle but made Twilight Sparkle her student. It was simply impossible for her to ignore Twilight's potential now. And a small part of her was entirely certain that her fascination with Twilight Sparkle would be the death of her. And while she knew it, it did not phase her, which was another thing she could not wrap her mind around.

She felt compelled to grow Twilight Sparkle into what she was meant to be. Not to force Twilight to her potential, but to guide and coax her along. It was entirely absurd! She was Nightmare Moon! A thousand years ago she would have laughed at herself now for taking a student. Something had changed.

She inhaled again, then looked up. Her head drifted back to the right, and she stared at Twilight's tower yet again. A part of her felt at a loss of what to do regarding Twilight. She felt like she had no good options available to her. She needed Twilight Sparkle and her friends. The threat posed by Discord meant that it was imperative to keep Twilight alive and on her good side. The potential Twilight possessed meant it was imperative to keep Twilight alive and to grow her.

She clenched her jaw. 'If you call my bluff, I cannot do anything about it...' she knew. Her status as Twilight's teacher was fragile at best. If Twilight betrayed her, no matter how bad it was, killing her was not an option. If Twilight betrayed her, punishing her was barely an option. If she punished Twilight, that fragile status as her teacher would be shattered, to say nothing of the fact that she would shatter Twilight Sparkle, and then she would never reach her full potential.

And of course, she knew threats were not an option either. No, the only thing she could do was guide and coax Twilight along. Anything else would break the filly beyond repair. Knowing that fouled her mood. She glared down at the balcony beneath her hooves, and a spark of anger lanced through her body. She wanted to stamp her forehoof down on the balcony, to break and shatter that marble as a way to vent her anger and frustration. She wanted to pulverize that marble beneath her hooves.

She didn't let herself though. Instead, she lifted her head up and closed her eyes. For a few minutes, she just held herself there with her eyes closed, feeling the gradual, meek ascent of her moon. Finally, she opened her eyes, and to her surprise, she found that the first thing she saw, rather than the Equestrian heartland, was Twilight's tower. Her anger felt like it wilted like a flower in a desert in the burning light of day.

Her eyes glanced down to the base of the tower, then almost immediately lifted back up. She stretched her wings out, then jumped over the edge of the railing and beat her wings. Rather than propel herself into the sky on her black wings, she glided. At first, straight, then, she banked to the right and silently glided towards Twilight's tower. As she glided, she cherished the carass of the wind, sliding between her feathers as she descended towards the tower.

The only sound that signaled her arrival was the four, quick clicks of her metal boots on the marble platform atop the stairs. The two Royal Guards protecting Twilight from harm went rigid at her arrival. She gave each of them a quick glance, then folded her wings as she stepped toward the door. They both stared straight ahead, standing rigidly as she approached them. She opened the door with her magic, then without saying anything, slipped inside the tower.

She swept her gaze around, taking in all of the massive, towering bookshelves that filled the room she entered. In the center of the room, near the ceiling, was a white magelight that provided enough light that she did not fear tripping in the unfamiliar setting. She took a few steps forward, then silently closed the door behind her. Searching the room again, she found a set of stairs, and after reaffirming where Twilight was, she quietly walked to the stairs, then ascended them.

With each step, a nagging seed of doubt pulsed and grew in her mind. By the time she reached the top of the stairs, that seed had grown, and now she felt an uncertainty deep in the back of her mind. It was enough uncertainty that her forehoof hesitated to touch down on the last step that would bring her onto the second level where Twilight slept. She was not used to feeling such uncertainty, and for it to bother her so, it only made the pull to leave and pretend she never entered feel that much stronger.

Certainly, she could leave now and tell the guards never to say a thing of it, and it would be like it never happened. Yet even knowing that, she still knew she would remember, and to come so far, just to give up in defeat was not in her nature. She fought back the uncertainty and set her hoof down on the last step, then pulled herself up. She walked forward, and as she approached the door to Twilight's bedroom, she found that each click of her metal boot on the marble floor seemed to grow even louder than the last. Logically, she knew that it was not the case, yet it still sounded that way.

She found the door to Twilight's bedroom open, and at that discovery, she paused and hesitated. From where she stood, she could see into the room, but it was a shallow angle, so Twilight's sleeping form was just out of sight. She took a step forward, and only then did she realize how fast her heart beat in her chest. Only with that step did she realize that her legs trembled.

At that realization, she felt a wave of shock wash over her body. She looked down at her lifted forehoof and saw it shaking. For a few seconds, she did not act. Then she took a deep breath and crushed her body's dissent, forcing the trembling away. She put her hoof down, then slowly closed the distance to the doorway.

With each step, more of Twilight's bedroom came into view. Finally, the bed itself, and then the sleeping filly, came into view. She stopped and stared at her student, tucked under the covers, with her muzzle dipped under the blankets. Twilight's horn pointed nearly directly at her. She watched in silence as the covers rose and fell with each breath her student took.

As the seconds passed while she watched on, she felt a sense of dread inside her body. A part of her wanted to run away and cower like a little foal, afraid of being caught. Another part of her wanted to walk into the room and wake Twilight to speak with her.

'Why am I even here?' a part of her wondered. Immediately, the answer was clear: 'I want to see her.' Yet, 'But why?' plagued her mind. Continuing to watch Twilight, she found her brow creasing. It occurred to her just how vulnerable Twilight looked while she slept, and that brought back memories from their first encounters where she knew who Twilight was.

A part of her hated that, just how vulnerable Twilight was. And her mind screamed out against it. Here her student was, so unprotected, so weak, so vulnerable. Defenseless. It would have been remarkably easy for something to happen to her while she slept, and she would have been unable to protect herself. Nightmare wasn't sure she would have been able to intervene either. And of course, Twilight was completely unaware of her presence, leaving her that much more vulnerable.

Nightmare could have done anything to Twilight now, and Twilight would not have been able to do a thing about it. Even less than when she was awake. While Twilight was awake, at the very least, she could have reacted. But now? She could not even react if Nightmare did something to her.

Nightmare felt at a loss from the thought. She looked away from her student and gazed over at one of the massive bookshelves. 'I will not hurt you...' growled out in her mind. And she knew that growl was directed at herself. To hurt a filly in her sleep, even if she was nearly an adult, did not sit right with her. Even if it wasn't her student, even if it had been somepony she had never met before, it left a sense of complete wrongness deep inside her.

To hurt a foal in their sleep, that was not her. That wasn't Nightmare Moon. That would have been the work of a monster. That would have been the work of a griffin. For a split second, in her mind, she heard the terrible cry, that terrible scream, one which a foal or fawn would let out right before-

She clenched her eyes shut and clamped her jaw down tight, deliberately forcing that thought away. She inhaled, then exhaled sharply. She felt her legs trembling, though this time, not out of uncertainty.

She had some vague idea of a minute passing before she opened her eyes again. Once she did, she looked back at her student. 'Perhaps Equestria and you think I am a monster, but you do not know what a true monster is...' echoed through her mind, as if it had been a whisper spoken in a deep, empty cave.

Twilight shifted under the blankets, and her muzzle slid out from under the covers. Nightmare continued to watch her, then Twilight went still again.

In an instant, Twilight's eyelids drifted up in one smooth, almost unconscious motion. Twilight stared at her. She watched her back and felt a knot twist in her stomach. Twilight laid perfectly still, and she could see, even in the darkness, her eyes widening. She could feel Twilight's fear, the way her heartbeat suddenly shifted like the earth from an earthquake- peaceful one moment, then suddenly and without warning shuddering and racing uncontrollably, shaking as if an attempt to level mountains. She could even see that the blankets no longer rose and fell with her student's breathing, as she had stopped breathing.

But, in Twilight's defense, she did not scream, nor cry out in fear. No tears flooded her eyes, either. Her expression was afraid, terrified even, but there was a certain grim acceptance to it, knowing there was nothing she could do about it.

She couldn't keep looking at that expression, and her eyes dropped to the floor. After a few seconds, she turned her head to the right to look away from her student. What was she to do? The filly truly acted like one, yet she was Nightmare Moon's student. The filly was practically an embarrassment or source of shame for her. If ponies knew just how fragile her student was, what would they say of her? Would they mock her and her student? Would they say, "Behold! The powerful and terrifying Nightmare Moon! Now look and see her student! The way she can't do anything! See how pathetic and worthless the foal is! Nightmare Moon's folly knows no bounds!"

The thought angered her, but she refused to let it show. To let her anger show now would be far too destructive for her student. Instead, she exhaled, casting that anger out. "Twilight Sparkle," she acknowledged.

"Y-yes?" her student squeaked out.

She felt her ears twitch back at that but caught them before anything came of it. "If you are not too tired, would you like to join me to watch the moonrise?" she asked.

"O-of course," her student answered obediently. It wasn't an answer that came off sounding like she had made a willing choice to do so, but rather, the answer one gives when there was no choice or only one option.

As much as she wanted to scowl at that, she didn't let herself scowl. "You do not have to if you do not want to, Twilight Sparkle," she preempted.

"Y-you want me to so-"

She turned back to face Twilight. "Yes, I would like for you to, but I do not want you to simply do this because I am telling you to. I want you to..." she trailed off as she realized what she was going to say. She looked down at the floor and continued, "I want you to choose to do this. I want you to want to do this. I am not telling you to do this, Twilight Sparkle. You have the choice. If you would prefer it, I will leave you be until later. I will not be upset if you so choose to avoid me, as you have been."

It wasn't entirely accurate, of course. She would be upset if Twilight said no, but she would not retaliate against her, nor anything like that. To do so, she might as well had simply not given her the choice. And that would only further foul their relationship. It would take small steps in order to undo the damage she had done. Those steps would have to compound on each other, and the slightest misstep would undo all of her work.

It took a few seconds, but eventually, she heard the sounds of the covers sliding back and Twilight's coat sliding against the sheets. Likewise, she felt Twilight's movement. She turned her gaze back to Twilight, which made her hesitate for a brief moment, then continue. Ever so slowly, Twilight rose from her bed, then tentatively, oh so vulnerably, stood on the floor.

She lifted her head back up and turned to face Twilight. With hesitant, nervous steps, her student approached her. She wasn't sure whether it was truly willing or not, and because of that, it did not give her the joy that she sought. Nonetheless, she took what she could get.

Twilight's steps were slow shuffles, but she eventually stopped in front of Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare looked her over, and as she did, she found her gaze drawn to and lingering on Twilight's mane and tail. Truly, sleeping did not do either any favors, as strands of her mane and tail stuck out. A large section of her mane was lifted up as if a cow had licked her head. Likewise, it left her looking disheveled, unorganized, and vulnerable. Her pink and purple highlights, rather than being so distinct in her mane and tail, were now mixed in with the rest of the indigo strands.

And it seemed that she wasn't the only one to notice, as Twilight stared up at her and just sort of shifted her weight in a timid, small way as if she wanted to hide, not out of fear, but out of embarrassment.

Nightmare extended her wing, then slid her feathers across the top of Twilight's mane, gently pressing down in an attempt to flatten the rebellious tuff of her student's mane. It didn't really work, and while she did press Twilight's mane down, as soon as her feathers slid off, it bounced back up.

Glancing back down, she found Twilight's eyes closed. She took a deep breath. "Come," she coaxed. Without saying any more, she lit her horn, then teleported the two of them back to her balcony. In an instant, the double image faded and she beheld the barest sliver of her moon rising above the horizon. Twilight appeared beside her, and with a quick glance at her, she caught the foal stepping to her right to put more distance between them.

It hurt, but she did not chastise her for it. She could not blame Twilight for that action, as she had given her reason not to trust her. She sighed softly, then used her magic to create a brush for Twilight's mane. It had been a very, very long time since she had seen one, let alone use a mane brush. After all, when one had an ethereal mane, one tended never to have to worry about brushing it.

With the brush complete, she turned to face Twilight, who stared straight ahead at the rising moon. For a moment, she stopped to simply watch her and take in her form. In the soft glow of her magic, she could easily make out her distinct features- her mane and tail were a dark blue, sprinkled with pink and purple strands, just like her tail, and her coat was just a few shades lighter and so much softer. Looking down at her flank, she could make out her cutie mark, that pink starburst, surrounded by rays of white light and white stars. Twilight glanced at her, then at the brush before looking back at the rising moon. Looking at Twilight's neck, her eyes glided over the metal necklace, which reflected the light of her horn, causing it to stand out so much from the rest of her body. Her eyes fell on the crescent moon on her chest, and she admired the way it glowed and shimmered from its enchantment.

Turning her attention back to Twilight's mane, she levitated the brush over to her, then hesitated as the absurdity of what she was going to do hit her. Here she was, the Queen of all Equestria, taking time to brush her student's mane! It was so trivial and frivolous that it was ridiculous! It made no sense, it did not fit who she was. Yet, while she shook her head, she still lowered the brush into Twilight's mane, then started slowly gliding the brush down the length of her neck.

Twilight, for her part, looked back at Nightmare in utter bewilderment. She still stayed silent, however. Eventually, she looked back at the moon again.

Nightmare tilted her head a bit, watching the back of Twilight's neck as she ran the brush down the length of Twilight's mane. It was almost mesmerizing, seeing the way which the brush parted and realigned the indigo, pink, and purple of her mane. Eventually, she could not see any of the strands separated from the streaks, so she stroked the brush through the length of Twilight's mane one last time, then lifted it up and brushed the top of her mane.

And the top of her student's mane? Oh, that was a challenge. She ran the brush forward and down, on the left side of Twilight's horn, where her mane stuck up. It wasn't just a challenge, but rather, it was an entire war. Using the brush, she fought back against the rebellion that was Twilight's mane. She glared intently, as with every pass of the brush, her mane refused to submit and stuck back up. Her progress was slow, but eventually, she could notice that it did not stick up as much as before.

It was around this time that she also noticed that, with each stroke, she pulled on Twilight's head and pulled her head forward and downward. Twilight, of course, said nothing about it, though Nightmare could see her blushing faintly. She only glanced at that blush before returning to achieve victory over the rebellion in Twilight's mane. Eventually, she succeeded, although the success was partial. No more victory would be claimed, however, unless Twilight took a bath or showered.

Having finished with Twilight's mane, she looked ahead and regarded the rising on her moon, which was by now, about a quarter of the way past the horizon.

"Um... thank you?" Twilight squeaked.

She glanced aside at Twilight, who had her head turned towards her. She could see Twilight's lips pulled back awkwardly, and she couldn't tell if Twilight was trying to smile or grimace. Twilight's head was leaned away from her to keep her distance. She studied Twilight's expression for a few seconds, then returned her attention to the moon. She glanced at the brush, then casually laid it down and let go of the magic in her horn.

Nightmare let a few more seconds pass between them in silence before asking, "Are you enjoying this, Twilight Sparkle? Watching the moonrise?"

With that question asked, she could feel Twilight tense up even more and become far more guarded than she wanted. It disappointed her and was all the answer she needed. No, her student did not enjoy sharing such a moment with her. No, her student did not enjoy the night as she had hoped. No, her student would have rather sat with her sister and watch the sunrise. She felt bitter.

To her surprise, however, after a second, some of Twilight's guard lowered, and her body relaxed, even though it was faint. "It's... um, nice," was her timid answer.

She glanced at Twilight, who continued to star at the moon. She could see her biting her lip, and she felt like there was more to be said. She turned her head to face Twilight. "Speak," she coaxed.

Twilight glanced at her, then swallowed and straightened her back. "I-I, um... I've never... um, taken the time to watch... this before," she said.

Nightmare was not surprised. She turned her head back towards the moonrise and nodded. "I am not surprised," she stated.

"It-it's just not the same as, um, when the sun is setting t-too," Twilight elaborated.

"Which you would prefer," Nightmare acknowledged.

"N-no! I, just, um... it... It's not really fair to compare them that way! They're all... unique and special."

"Perhaps," Nightmare stated. She watched the moon for a moment longer, then scanned Canterlot, letting her eyes dart back and forth across the city. Finally, she licked her lips, then turned her head towards her student. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, do you hate me?"

She could see Twilight's body tense up, and she had grown to hate seeing that. Twilight nervously glanced at her but refused to meet her gaze, then her eyes returned to focus on the moon.

"After all, I imprisoned your former teacher and took over Equestria," Nightmare added.

For a few seconds longer, she could see Twilight's tension, then as if a wave washed over her, the tension faded. Twilight's head drifted lower, almost limply. She heard Twilight sigh, then saw her slowly shake her head. "No... I... don't hate you..." she answered in a somber, quiet voice.

Nightmare regarded Twilight and went over the way she spoke that sentence in excruciating, intricate detail. Yet, no matter what she tried, she couldn't find any spitefulness, nor deceit in what her student said. Deep inside of her, she felt relieved at that. Yes, there was pain and sadness in what her student had said, but Twilight did not hate her.

"Do you hate anything?" she questioned.

Twilight looked up at her. "No..." she trailed off and her eyes fell onto Nightmare's chestplate. After a moment, her brow scrunched up. "Well, uh, those ponies that..." she trailed off, swallowing and shifting her weight. "Um..."

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "Your five friends?" she inquired.

Twilight nodded in a perplexed manner. "Yes... them."

Nightmare frowned. There was a certain bitterness in Twilight's voice that was unmistakable, and it surprised her. "Truly? Why do you hate them?"

Twilight scowled at that and looked up at her. "Are you kidding me!? They're crazy! They're insane!" she nearly pleaded. "Rainbow Dash tried to kill me when we met, then again after you showed up! Applejack tried to kill me by forcing me to eat enough for a whole army! Pinkie Pie is just... ugh! And Fluttershy!? Oh, Fluttershy? You think she's all sweet and shy, but then bam! When you least expect it, she knocks me into the ground to talk with Spike! Spike!"

Nightmare raised an eyebrow at her outburst. Twilight's chest heaved and she trembled. After a few seconds, she seemed to regain her senses and realize what she had done, and who she had done it in front of. Immediately, she paled, then crouched down, throwing her forehooves over her head and covering her eyes. "Please don't kill me! I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to get worked up like that!" she whimpered.

Nightmare felt her ears fold back. She turned away from her student and faced the moon. "I'm not going to hurt you, Twilight Sparkle," she muttered.

"B-but I-"

Nightmare sighed, then stretched out a wing and touched Twilight's back with her feathers. She could feel Twilight's trembling through her feathers and wing, and deep down, it hurt. Slowly, carefully, she brushed her wing back along Twilight's back, letting her feathers carass Twilight's coat. Though she would never admit it to anypony, she found herself somewhat fond of doing this. With the stroke, Twilight's trembling subsided. And with another stroke, she felt Twilight's tense muscles relax under her coat. Eventually, she felt and heard Twilight move her forehooves off of her head. Spurred on by that, and despite knowing what she would see, she turned to look her student in the eye.

Tears flooded the edge of her student's eyes, and her lips quivered. Her ears were pinned back against her mane. Looking at her in such a state, a part of her screamed out about how pathetic she was, how unworthy Twilight Sparkle was to be called her student, let alone actually be her student. Yet that part was small, as she knew Twilight's potential. Even with as hard as that potential was to see, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was there.

And another part of her hated seeing Twilight so distraught. Slowly, she lifted her wing from Twilight's back, then brought it around, close to her face. Twilight closed her eyes, and after that, she brought her feathers close, then gently, carefully wiped the tears away from her eyes.

When she removed her wing, Twilight opened her eyes, and for a minute, looked up at her, almost pleadingly. Then, Twilight's head turned and pointed down at the balcony.

She folded her wing back to her side. She felt unsure of what to say to her student now. She wanted to tell Twilight not to hate her friends. She wanted to tell Twilight that she wasn't going to hurt her. She wanted to remind Twilight that she had no problem talking to her about her problems since she was her teacher. She asked, "Why do you hate them?" in a calm, quiet voice.

Twilight swallowed, then ducked her tongue out and swiped it over her lips. She inhaled and her chest shuddered, then she exhaled. Reluctantly, she lifted her head up, and while she turned to face Nightmare, she stared at her chestplate. "I... maybe... hate isn't the right word... I-I mean, I... love them, I guess, but... It-it's just so ridiculous! I only just met them! They're insane, and..." She trailed off and slumped down slightly. "And they made me do stupid things..." she said quietly. "I... didn't run away from you, because of them... When I should have!"

Though she knew it would have been futile for Twilight to run, as she would have hunted her down, she did not voice that knowledge since it would not help her any. "I am surprised that you have not asked to visit them," she said.

Twilight's head shot up to look at her with an expression of confusion. "What!?" she demanded.

Nightmare tilted her head to the right. "I had expected either them to come visit you or for you to ask to visit them by now," she elaborated.

Twilight's muzzle scrunched up at that. "Why would I want to..." she trailed off and winced. Slowly, her head drifted back down until she stared at Nightmare's chestplate. "Right," she muttered.

"I will see about having you go visit them soon, if you'd like," Nightmare said.

Twilight's eyes darted up to meet hers. "Um... I... I think I'd like that?"

Nightmare nodded. "Then I will arrange it. However, there are a few things I would like to do first," she said. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, what do you know of Hollow Shades?"

"It's... east of Canterlot. It's a forested region..." Twilight trailed off and looked up at her. "Um, what exactly do you want me to... tell you?" she cautiously questioned.

"I have not been able to learn much about the region and city, but I do consider it quite important. Tell me, do you know of the inhabitants?" she asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. It's the home of the largest population of batponis in Equestria?"

Nightmare nodded but frowned. "It should be," she stated, "although I was under the impression that it was the only location they inhabited."

Twilight hesitantly shook her head. "Uh, no... Not from what I know, anyway. The batponies tend to keep to themselves, but there are a few cities they've built. Uh, I've never seen one before."

"They still exist?" Nightmare queried.

Twilight nodded. "Yes..? Why wouldn't they?"

Nightmare looked away from Twilight and glared at the moon, or rather, the Mare on the Moon. "Sister," she growled.

"W-what? What would Princess Cel- Uh, I mean, what would... she have to do with them not existing!?"

Nightmare sighed, then looked back at Twilight. "The batponies were my creation. But I suppose such knowledge no longer exists now, does it?"

Twilight was silent and stared at her.

"I thought not," she muttered as she turned back to face the moon. "I had created them centuries before... my banishment. During the wars with the Griffin Empire. During such times, the batponies were... respected. After all, they were some of Equestria's finest soldiers. However, whenever there was peace, sister and her ponies hated the batponies. I am glad to hear that they were not wiped out following my banishment."

"Th-that's awful! Why would... why would anypony want to wipe out an entire species-!?"

"Because they are mine," Nightmare answered. "Ponies have always preferred my sister, so when I dared to create ponies for myself, the same hate they had for me naturally fell on them. And the batponies are- or at least were- loyal to me first, then to Equestria second. Sister might have seen them as a threat, and of course, they may have caused trouble because of my banishment."

"I-I've never read any history books th-that said anything about them causing problems or Pri- your sister trying to wipe them out!" Twilight retorted.

Nightmare faced her and casually lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, and pray tell, Twilight Sparkle, how many history books have you read which spoke of my existence?"

Her student was silent, simply staring at her. She watched on, seeing as Twilight's expression all but twisted as the realization of what that could mean set in. In that twisting, she could see her student's horror and disgust at the idea. And yet, at the same time, Twilight's expression was so empty, so blank, as she pondered the implications. She was vaguely aware of several seconds passing before Twilight visibly, consciously, reacted, blinking, and her head turning away from her. Her head lowered, and her muzzle pointed towards where the floor and railing of the balcony met. For a moment, she could feel Twilight's guard slipping.

But her guard wasn't slipping out of understanding or respect for her, nor any bond they shared. No, the crack in her defenses was simply spurred on by knowledge. Realization. Knowing the truth in what Nightmare had told her. The implications and connections, that her sister had erased essentially every trace of her existence. So then, why could she not have done the same to any attempts to wipe out an entire pony subspecies? The knowledge haunted her, and the implications, that broke her guard. Her guard was not lowered, but rather, it was broken with solemn acceptance. A failing of her will.

"H-how did... you make them? I-I mean, Pr- your sister isn't..."

"I did not create them out of dust if that is what you think," Nightmare answered. Before continuing, she turned back to face the moon. It was so much the same as it had been all of those centuries ago. She just had to ignore the scarring of her accursed sister, and then it was exactly the same. "My sister and I may be able to do much with our magic, but rest assured, we are not goddesses. There were some ponies who accepted my offer, and I transformed them into the first batponies... At first, their population was quite small, limited to the few dozens that I had transformed. Eventually, of course, there were more as more ponies accepted my offer and I transformed them. They had long lifespans too, and they were quite adept at fighting, so their numbers grew. And, of course, they did take mates and had foals." Without looking at Twilight, she could feel the filly's blush. "I do not know what state the batponies are in now, but I do wish to find out. Equestria's military is in a pitiful state, and they would be very helpful."

"W-we, um, at least to my knowledge, don't really know a lot about them... They do keep to themselves. B-but I know that ponies don't hate them like... they used to!" Twilight offered. "A-and they still exist!"

Nightmare pursed her lips. "Perhaps you are correct," she said, "though I doubt ponies love them anymore now than before. I suppose we will soon find out, however." She turned to regard her student again, hoping beyond reason that when she saw Twilight's features, her guard would be lowered, like it had been after she had first established a connection with her. She hoped beyond reason that talking and sharing this moonrise would be enough to break the wall between them, and coax Twilight to lower her defenses around her. But it was unreasonable, and her hope was misplaced. The chasm between them was still there. Twilight looked at her with a cautious timidity, holding her body tensed. Twilight appeared to try to make herself look as small as possible as if reasoning that doing so would make her seem like less of a threat than she actually was, and that by doing that, Nightmare would cease taking interest in her.

Nightmare Moon knew that she was Twilight's teacher, and likewise, Twilight knew that she was Nightmare's student. Yet, it was undeniable, that Twilight seeing her outburst- that her slipping up in such a way- only caused her student to rebuild the wall that she had worn down. Once again, in Twilight's eyes, she saw fear. A fear that, were it anypony else, she wouldn't have hated. Yet, seeing that fear in her student's eyes left her feeling so disappointed. Disgusted, even. But those feelings weren't directed at her student, but rather, herself. She could only blame Twilight so much for being so weak and vulnerable, so unconfident and fearful- her student was, after all, still a filly, even if she was nearly an adult. No, she had herself to blame for Twilight's current state.

Twilight quickly looked away from her, and she could see her student's ears twitch back, as if in shame. Nightmare pondered why her student would act in such a way, but nothing truly seemed to fit. Not even it being unintentional intimidation.

Feeling a bitterness growing in her throat, she turned away from Twilight to look at the moon. She wanted to reassure Twilight, to tell her student that there was nothing for her to fear from herself. Yet, a part of her was all too happy to remind her it was untrue. She could not simply tell her student that she would not punish her if she rebelled, as that would invite rebellion. At least for the moment, her hooves were tied. And so telling Twilight that she would not hurt her, she knew, Twilight would view as nothing more than a lie. To Twilight, the truth was simple: if she did something wrong, then she would experience first hoof Nightmare Moon's outburst, directed at her, and she would not survive.

Oh, how she regretted being so harsh with her student when first dealing with her. Yet, her promises were made, and Twilight, once again, ignored all of them with the exception of her last. The promise which, at the time, she had meant wholeheartedly. Now, however, she doubted she could fulfill that promise. Knowing that gave her a strange feeling of bewilderment, as it was such an odd duality: Twilight was her student, and as such, she needed Twilight to act the part- to not fulfill said promise was to set a bad example. And at the same time, Twilight was her student, and as such, to do such a thing to her felt wrong. The idea of killing her student for treason did not sit with her. Perhaps it was because she was yet a filly and that killing a foal did not sit well with her. Perhaps in a few years, such an idea would not bother her as much as it now did, yet at the same time, she recognized that in a few years, she would have a closer relationship with her student, which, she knew, might make her even more unwilling to fulfill that promise.

Thinking about the problem of that promise ate at her mind and body, making her chest feel tight and uneasy. Her chestplate nearly felt constrictive, rather than protective.

She glanced aside at Twilight, who once again starred ahead at the rising moon, sitting with an uncomfortable, tensed rigidity that spoke of complete formality and the physical impossibility of relaxing or letting her guard down. 'A thousand years ago, I would have never taken on a student. A thousand years ago, I would have killed my sister's student, given the chance. And yet, here we are, Twilight Sparkle...' she mused.

Almost like she knew what Nightmare was thinking, Twilight's eyes flicked over to look at her. For a moment, their gazes met. That instant passed so quickly that, as soon as it was gone, Nightmare wasn't sure if it had actually happened or not. Had their eyes met for that brief second or had it been her imagination? Once again, Twilight stared at the moon, though now, she could see her student's jaw muscles clenched tightly beneath her coat.

Slowly, she let her eyes glide over Twilight's outline, studying her body. Eventually, her gaze drifted onto her cutie mark. 'You are too fascinating to kill...' whispered in her mind. Looking back at Twilight's face, she once again saw her student for who she was: A filly. A filly who was incomplete. A filly who had unparalleled potential. A filly who had once been her sister's student. But that had changed. She had seen the pictures of Twilight at her sister's side, yet she could not view Twilight as her sister's student. Twilight was her student. She did not wish for her death, nor did she wish for Twilight to join her sister's side on the moon. She wished for Twilight to stand at her side with confidence in herself, she wished for Twilight to fully grasp her potential, and she wished for Twilight to fully embrace being her student. She didn't want to hurt Twilight; she wanted to protect her.

Looking away from Twilight did nothing to help with the conflict and inner turmoil she felt regarding her. In a way, it only made her hatred for her sister that much stronger: Who was her sister to have taken Twilight as her student, then to lie to Twilight and leave her defenseless and unprepared to face Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the Night? Twilight should have been a formidable opponent, but instead, her dear sister practically sacrificed Twilight's life for nothing. All of that potential could have been so easily destroyed, so easily wasted on nothing had she simply killed Twilight.

The thought made her blood boil, and she became aware that her legs were trembling from anger. She took a deep breath and held it in for several seconds. Only once her legs stopped shaking did she relax and let the breath go. A quick glance aside at her student brought her even more relief: Twilight hadn't noticed, or if she did, she did not show it.

She knew sacrificing Twilight could not have been her sister's intent; her sister cared for Twilight too much to simply waste her life so pointlessly. But it still enraged her.

But she kept herself calm. She didn't let the anger seep out as it had before. To do so would be to risk further crippling her relationship with her student. Perhaps even permanently. Assuming she could somehow fix their relationship, she knew there was so much she could do with Twilight. Twilight just had so much potential.

Even the idea of Twilight recognizing her potential and then using it against her, which would surely spell her end, was but a fleeting thought by now. It was the sort of thought she only considered in passing, as an off-hoof comment that held no importance. A minor detail, like the exact spot one raindrop fell amidst an entire flood.

She wanted to teleport far away into a forest and scream and march around venting her frustration. She wanted to unleash her magic and create another clearing, as she had done before. There was just too much conflict inside her regarding her student.

She exhaled heavily, then shook her head. Continuing to focus on it would do nothing for her now. Perhaps in the future, she would have answers and solutions, but she would not find them without some kind of action in the present to repair and rebuild her bond with her student. And repairing that bond was imperative.

An idea came to her, and a moment later, she felt like a wave washed over her body. She couldn't place the wave- was it shock? Was it cold? What was that feeling, which seemed to cause her very vision to suddenly shift, like that which happened during a teleportation spell? The idea was so opposed to who she was, so absurd for her to act on! She was an immortal alicorn, the Queen of the Night and Empress of Equestria.

Yet she was also intelligent, and such an idea wasn't entirely beyond her. To outright reject such an idea, to bend to her pride and refuse to acknowledge it as a potential option, she knew, would be foalish. To cling to ideas, when faced by knowing that those ideas were failing and would ultimately result in destruction when she could adapt, was blatantly insane.

In truth, while the idea came as a shock, she did not regard it as an impossibility. Only when dealing with her sister would it have been an impossibility. And as Twilight was not her sister, it was a course of action which did not make her irate.

She took a breath, then slowly turned her head around to face Twilight. Perhaps it was an insane idea, to think that such a thing would have any effect on their relationship, yet, perhaps it would do so much more. After all, talking to Twilight had helped her student lower her guard and let her in. Talking to her in an equine way had shown her that she was equine, just like her. So perhaps, even if it did not fix everything, it would help. "I..." she trailed off, suddenly finding herself feeling silly.

It truly was absurd! What she was going to say! Was she not within her right to react so blatantly when faced by the realization that the deer remembered her while her sister had expunged evidence of her existence from her own subjects!? She wanted to laugh. Twilight's eyes were focused on her. There was a reluctant, reserved curiosity in them. She saw Twilight's vulnerability. She didn't laugh. She felt a bitter disappointment directed at herself. She almost felt ashamed.

How could she even word such a thing? Yet, as she struggled with it, a part of her came to the realization that she was simply procrastinating. She groaned and shook her head. "I am sorry that I... snapped," she apologized. On the inside, she cringed. There was an unmistakable bitterness in her voice- she had not wanted to admit such a thing, as it was admitting that she was in the wrong. Yet, it was undeniable, and she knew it: she had been in the wrong. She would admit it, and she had. That did not make it enjoyable. She had not meant for that bitterness to seep out.

Whether it was the bitterness in her voice or the reminder of how she had snapped, she wasn't sure, but she watched as a wave of panic seemed to cascade over Twilight's whole body. She could almost feel Twilight's heart skipping a beat, she could almost feel Twilight's blood temperature plummeting. Twilight held herself with even more tension and rigidity as if even a feather landing on her would be enough to snap her and release all of that built up panic in a fit of panicked, primal fear-fueled screams and sobs as she begged for her life.

She hated it and looked away from the sight. But, the image had already been burnt into her mind's eye. 'Will I ever stop hurting you so?' growled out in her mind.

Perhaps it was her lack of reaction, but eventually, after several long seconds, she felt Twilight's tension subside. But it almost felt like nothing happened. Hesitantly, she glanced back at Twilight. Twilight stared at her chestplate, and she found that nothing looked different from how she held herself before. She felt a sudden urge to give up in defeat, and that urge manifested itself in a sigh.

For a thousand years, she had fantasized of what her victory over her sister would look like. For a thousand years, she had fantasized about how she could enjoy that victory.

This had not been what she pictured. Not once had such an idea crossed her mind, even as she considered how to best shape Equestria to overshadow her sister.

"You may leave and return to your tower if you so desire," she said. A few seconds passed with no reaction. Turning to look at her student again, she saw her paralyzed with fear. How could she not take pity on her student? She reached out with her wing and slowly brushed a single black feather across Twilight's lavender coat. As her feather slid down, she felt Twilight's muscles relaxing underneath her touch. Twilight blinked several times, then finally exhaled before inhaling. "I do not wish for you to fear me so, Twilight Sparkle," she said. Yet, that fear which she induced was everpresent, lingering over their relationship as student and teacher.

Twilight finally looked up to meet her gaze, and in her eyes, she saw fear, nervousness, and anxiety. Whether those emotions had just returned, or had never left, she couldn't tell. She did, however, feel tension return to Twilight's back. Slowly, she reversed the course of her feather and slit it back up along Twilight's spine. She dragged her feather upward, over Twilight's shoulder, then lifted it from her coat and folded her wing. The lingering sensation of Twilight's fur stayed on her feather: a slightly pleasant tingle.

"I am not out to hurt you, Twilight Sparkle. You are my student. I do not expect perfection. Please, remember this," she continued.

Twilight broke eye contact, once again looking down at her chestplate. Timidly and quickly, Twilight nodded as she swallowed.

"Go rest, or study," Nightmare said. "I will call you sometime in the next few days, and we shall go to Hollow Shades together."

Silently, Twilight nodded. Unsurely, slowly, and with caution befitting somepony in the presence of a predator that could kill them faster than they could blink, Twilight stood up. It was a slow enough stand that gave Nightmare ample opportunity to tell her to sit back down. It was a submissive stand, entirely lacking confidence.

On the inside, Nightmare sighed. Outwardly, she nodded. "And after we see what has become of Hollow Shades, I will see to it that you can return to Ponyville for a few days to visit your friends. After this, we can begin your training in earnest."

Author's Note

When proofreading takes so long because you're distracted, but more importantly, end up really, really getting sucked in to what you've written: 37 minutes late edition.

New Blood

Twilight jerked as she woke up, and her first instinct was to inhale deeply. She started to inhale but then froze as a wave of fear and icy cold terror crashed over her body, spurred on by the influx of memories she could never forget. Memories that she could only suppress for a time. She tensed up and held herself rigidly and still, not letting herself move in the slightest. A part of her knew it was futile and foolish- because she reacted so, it was a dead giveaway that she was awake, which meant that if Nightmare Moon was there, she had already given it away.

And she dreaded that prospect. The thought of waking up to see Nightmare Moon watching her again? That made her panic, and how she avoided hyperventilating, well, it was only because of her fear of Nightmare being there and realizing she was awake that she didn't. After all, she had awoken to such a sight before. Nightmare had been watching her, and for how long, she did not know. And that, well, that thought left her horrified. How could she ever have any form of safety or security if Nightmare could slip in and watch her sleep as she had? The guards, they were to keep an eye on her, and they would not protect her from Nightmare Moon. Nor could they if it truly came down to it.

Nightmare could have done anything to her while she had slept, and there wasn't a thing she could have done about it. Even though she knew Nightmare could do anything to her while she was awake, since she couldn't ever hope to stop Nightmare or fight her off, at least, when she was conscious, she could have some semblance of warning to prepare herself. Even if it wouldn't help.

But no, Nightmare just had to watch her sleeping. Nightmare already eavesdropped on her while she was sleeping through the necklace, but apparently, it wasn't enough. The blankets and her bed offered no protection, and she felt entirely exposed and vulnerable despite the sheets covering her body as her lungs started to beg and plead, demanding that she inhale. She felt the arteries in her neck throbbing in sync with her heart, and her forehead felt warm as it grew fuzzy. The silence sounded like it somehow grew further and further away as if her ears were receeding into her body, and a vacuum or an entire ocean was in between her ears and the silence.

But finally, as even her body and the bed seemed to grow distant, she exhaled, then inhaled in a controlled manner. Air flooded her lungs and a wave of tiredness slammed into her body. She felt her head throb in sync with her slow, powerful heartbeats. Her inhale had been too controlled, she knew, and it was another dead giveaway that she was awake. She wanted to curl up into a ball and sob. She wanted to let out a scream, then run away as far as she could, to throw off the necklace and hide from Nightmare Moon for all time. Any escape would have been welcomed, yet it would also be her death sentence to try to escape.

How she managed to sleep at night eluded her. When she laid down to go to bed, there was that constant fear in her mind, that during the night, Nightmare Moon would show up. Either to watch her or to simply end her life. A part of her knew that she was overreacting. A part of her knew it was a silly notion, that Nightmare would take the time to kill her in her sleep. Yet, her irrational fear won out over any semblance of logic. It was simply too much for her, and she could not fight off that terror, no matter what logic she used.

Nightmare Moon was, after all, the physical embodiment of terror. Her presence was unmistakable, and her presence was without a doubt that of the apex predator, one which would hunt dragons that could destroy entire towns, and slay them with hardly a fight. Even logically knowing that Nightmare wanted her alive, at least for the time being, did not alleviate her fears.

How could it? Nightmare Moon was, without a doubt, a psychopath. The evidence was too much to ignore. Nightmare Moon banishing her sister and taking over Equestria, Nightmare Moon's uncaring nature towards everypony, simply looking at them as resources, and, of course, how she had lost it when the deer reminded her that Equestria had forgotten about her. What would Nightmare do the next time she snapped?

And then there was also watching the moonrise with her. The entire ordeal left her feeling violated. First, waking up to see Nightmare watching her, which had since been an ever-present fear. She laid awake at night, holding the covers close, holding her body in as small a form as possible, dreading the prospect that Nightmare would show up. And then, oh, to add the icing on top of the cake, Nightmare Moon, when they had watched the moonrise, had brushed her mane. How could she possibly not view her teacher as a psychopath given that? Nightmare Moon would kill her if she stepped out of line, yet at the same time, Nightmare tried to lower her guard by brushing her mane. It was so incredibly unnerving.

She exhaled, then inhaled again. She missed Spike, but more than him, she missed her princess.

The rational part of her mind shouted at her, chastising her for acting as she did. She was nearly a mare, yet here she was, acting like a young, little filly who didn't have her cutie mark. She wasn't acting her age, so how could she take any pride in anything? The rational part of her mind chastised her, telling her that Nightmare Moon wasn't there. After all, she did not fell nor sense Nightmare's presence. She didn't feel Nightmare's predatory gaze focusing on her, sizing her up as prey. She didn't feel the terror that her presence provoked.

But still, there she was, cowering simply at the thought that Nightmare could be there, watching her, when all of her senses told her it was not the case. But surely, Nightmare Moon had better things to do than to watch her sleep? Then again, Nightmare Moon was a psychopath. And as such, there was no assurance it was not the case.

Hesitantly, she cracked open her eye, the barest sliver. In an effort to either abate or confirm her fears, she looked through that crack in her eyelids and scanned her surroundings as quickly as she could. Since she faced the door, even with the darkness, she knew Nightmare Moon wasn't there. No shadow was cast, nor did any silhouette stand there to block the light from her magelight drifting into her bedroom.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes all the way. Timidly, fearing that Nightmare was closer at hoof than before, she twisted her head around and looked to her right, towards the window, then exploring the rest of her room.

A wave of relief washed over her, and she felt like every muscle in her body relaxed at once. It felt almost blissful for that fear and tension to be washed away. She let her eyes closed and let out another breath, then inhaled without fear that she was being watched. She opened her eyes, and while she felt no safer, upon reaffirming that Nightmare wasn't there, she felt like she could drop her guard, if only the barest amount.

She shifted her weight and rolled over onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling as her mind wandered. A frown pulled her lips downward. She was not well-rested, but then, how could she be? The past few nights she had barely slept. But how could she sleep, given the constant fear Nightmare induced? How could anypony in Equestria sleep peacefully now? Princess Celestia was gone.

She felt a pang of sadness and of loneliness at that. Her mentor, her true mentor, was gone. Banished to the moon. She would never see her again. Not once, not for the slightest second. Eternally separated. Nightmare Moon would make sure of that. The edges of her eyes grew warm, then everything she saw grew blurry. Her throat grew tense, and the tightness pulsed, throbbed, and ached at the back of her mouth.

Nightmare Moon was her mentor now. At least the ponies she had seen- although most of them were Royal Guards or librarians and archivists- did not look at her with spite. When she passed them as she walked the castle's hallways, in their eyes as they regarded her, she saw the look that told they felt pity for her. They did not condemn her, as she had expected. It was, in a way, a mercy. But she had no idea if anypony outside of them felt the same way, or would look at her the same way.

She hadn't even had a chance to see her parents. And as she thought about that, the warmth at the edges of her eyes and the blurriness both grew. A warm pain took over her eyes, then beads of warmth trickled down her cheeks. As the tears passed, the trails of moisture they left of her fur cooled in the chilly night air, leaving almost numb trails behind on her face.

At the very least, she had her brother and Cadance. She took some comfort in that, but it didn't feel like it was enough. Nothing would ever be enough. When Nightmare decided to kill her, that would simply be it. Neither her brother nor Cadance, nor her parents, nor Princess Celestia, would be able to do a single thing about it. It would simply be done. Set in stone. Written in history. A history that, perhaps, would be studied by ponies in the future. A cautionary tale telling why it was imperative they obey Nightmare Moon.

Another part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. In the span of just a month, she had gone from Princess Celestia's protege, somepony who would, in their future, outshine Starswirl the Bearded, to a filly who had a death sentence hanging over her head, just waiting for the word to be given.

And yet, at the same time, another part of her didn't feel the fear that the rest of her part. It didn't want to laugh at how ridiculous it all was. Instead, it was a soft voice, one that whispered to her, reminding her that Nightmare Moon was intelligent, telling her that Nightmare Moon had made promises to her, reminding her that Nightmare Moon had yet to actually harm her, aside from their first encounters. That same voice whispered to her, telling her that she was overreacting, trying to calm her down. It tried to reassure her that her death at Nightmare Moon's hooves wasn't set in stone.

The voice deep inside her reminded her that, despite everything Nightmare Moon had done, that despite banishing Princess Celestia and taking over Equestria, that despite bringing eternal night, Nightmare Moon wasn't indiscriminately killing ponies. Nightmare Moon wasn't committing genocide, she wasn't burning down Equestria, she didn't kill her 'friends' nor herself, even though they had tried to stop her. Nightmare Moon did not hurt her for trying to use the Elements of Harmony. And Nightmare Moon, this part of her told her, seemed to genuinely want to teach her, and seemed to genuinely want her to be her student.

This part of her gave her a sense of calm. After all, it was a part of her that saw and knew that Nightmare Moon could not simply be a psychopath. Nightmare Moon had her problems, that much was impossible to miss, but Nightmare Moon wasn't going to kill her just because she felt like it. Nightmare Moon wasn't going to kill her for fun. Nightmare Moon wasn't going to act harshly unless provoked, because, at the very least, it wasn't in her best interest to do so. Nightmare Moon had plans and goals, and to destroy Equestria, perhaps even to kill her, would not help further those goals.

Knowing this, she could feel a little safer, but only just.

Another part of her, she found, actually felt disappointment. Disappointment that Nightmare Moon- Princess Celestia's sister- looked at her in passing like she was a disappointment, like she wasn't worth the time to teach. Disappointment that she had never truly taken the time to enjoy the beauty of night, instead, simply relegating it to sleeping or studying, rather than taking more time to enjoy the beauty present, aside from the rarity that was stargazing or watching a meteor shower. Disappointment that, even now, she had yet to truly explore the half of Canterlot Castle decorated with the darker colors of night. Disappointment that Nightmare Moon had been banished to the moon, locked away in isolation with nopony else to talk to and nothing to do, for a full one thousand years.

She did not hate Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon terrified her, and despite the fact that she had banished Princess Celestia, she did not hate her. She felt sorry for her.

The legend of Nightmare Moon spoke of how she tried to bring about eternal night, about how she had grown jealous of her sister and the love ponies had for her sister, which they did not share with her. And from what Nightmare Moon had said to her, ponies hated her and the night, only being thankful to her when she protected them during wars, but then when those wars ended, the same ponies who thanked her for protection turned on her, metaphorically spitting on her face. Nightmare Moon didn't deserve that kind of treatment, did she? She just wanted what anypony else wanted. Acceptance and love. After all, even if it was easy to forget, she had seen that so very equine side of Nightmare Moon. And she had seen that same side to Princess Celestia. They were, despite being immortal alicorns, still equine, just like her.

While what Nightmare Moon did was wrong, she simply could not hate her for it. Nightmare Moon didn't deserve that hatred, and it wasn't in her to hate in such a way. 'How was it justified to banish her for a thousand years!?' a part of her wondered, shouting out how ridiculous and wrong of a sentence that was. Yet, Princess Celestia had passed such a sentence on her own sister.

But who was she to judge Princess Celestia? Princess Celestia had to have a good reason- and she did. Nightmare Moon would have brought eternal night those thousand years ago. And what would she have done to Equestria back then? It occurred to her, that perhaps, if Princess Celestia had not passed such judgment, Equestria might not exist. In fact, most ponies alive today might not exist, herself included. Nightmare Moon, perhaps, would have murdered their ancestors, preventing so many lives from ever being born. Perhaps she would have committed genocide those thousand years ago.

But the question still ate at her mind, 'Why didn't you stop her before it got this far? Why didn't you see that she felt this way!?'

She had no answers for it. There was no good explanation for it. How could Princess Celestia have not seen that her sister was in such a bad place? How could Princess Celestia have not taken time to help her sister? How could Princess Celestia have not seen it and then not acted on it? Had she truly ignored her sister? Her own sister? How could anypony do such a thing? How could anypony sacrifice their own family for power? How, how, how?

And why had Princess Celestia taken such great lengths to erase Nightmare Moon's existence from recorded history?

It didn't add up. And she didn't have enough information to put it all together. After all, the only pony who could answer these questions was Princess Celestia. And, well, she was indisposed.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, then she slid out of bed. Standing on her hooves, she stretched, bending her back down and letting out a soft moan. When she stood back up, it hit her how poorly she had been sleeping. Her eyelids drooped, and she felt sluggish. She felt disappointed at the tiredness, but she had not expected anything less.

Begrudgingly, she dragged herself out of her bedroom, then made her way down the stairs to her library. Maybe she had slept better than the night immediately after Nightmare had woken her up, but it still wasn't refreshing. A vacation- going to Ponyville- would be a refreshing break. A much needed break.

Even if she had to put up with ponies who were, in all likelihood, more insane than Nightmare Moon.

She wanted to say that, at the very least, those ponies she sort of called friends wouldn't kill her, but she also wanted to laugh at the thought. After all, nearly every one of them had already made an attempt on her life. But, she did take comfort in knowing their attempts were nothing compared to what Nightmare Moon could do. After all, for Nightmare, it wouldn't be an attempt.

She sighed and meandered over to her usual spot at her table. When she sat down, once again, it struck her how empty her tower felt, even with all of the books, and how alone she felt. Spike wasn't there and Princess Celestia was banished. She slumped down in her chair and rested her head on the table.

'What is the point of it all?' she wondered. Why did she even bother anymore? Princess Celestia was gone and Nightmare Moon would kill her if she tried anything, and even if she didn't try anything, she wasn't assured, no matter what logic and other parts of her mind told her, that Nightmare still wouldn't kill her. But maybe she could beg and plead with Nightmare enough to convince her teacher not to kill her, but then she would assuredly have to do things she didn't want to do in order to stay on Nightmare's good side.

She slid her muzzle back, then rested her forehead against the table, carefully setting the tip of her horn on the wood. She pressed her head into the table and let out a tired groan. Maybe she should just embrace the idea of being Nightmare Moon's student. She wasn't Princess Celestia, but she was Princess Celestia's sister. Sure, she couldn't trust Nightmare Moon the same way, and it was a distinct possibility that Nightmare Moon would kill her, so she couldn't let her guard down even though it wouldn't help, but it was probably the closest thing to how things were that she could get.

Of course, for that to work, she would have to stop avoiding Nightmare Moon whenever she could. That wasn't something she particularly wanted to do, yet at the same time, the fact that she avoided Nightmare also bothered her. It was probably a bad idea to continue to avoid Nightmare. After all, if she continued, who was to say Nightmare wouldn't get angry and then take it out on her or somepony else? It was then, perhaps, in her best interest to stop avoiding Nightmare. Perhaps it was even in her best interest to get closer to Nightmare Moon if only to attempt to make Nightmare less likely to kill her. Although, given Nightmare Moon's nature, she still could not be assured that if she was close to her, Nightmare would not kill her for some reason. After all, Nightmare Moon had banished her own sister.

The thought of getting close to Nightmare Moon left her unnerved. And yet, another part of her was intrigued by the prospect. After all, there were benefits to it.

Of course, the drawbacks were just as, if not more numerous than the benefits. Ponies might hate her even more if she were to embrace being Nightmare Moon's student, and in truth, she really couldn't get behind the idea because it was a betrayal of Princess Celestia, and of course, she'd have to be around Nightmare Moon more often. Maybe there was a happy medium that she could find- embrace being Nightmare Moon's student, stop avoiding her as much, but still maintain her guard and distance.

For a moment, she mulled over the idea of just dropping her guard, as she had before Nightmare's outburst. It would, of course, leave her vulnerable and so exposed. But perhaps it was the best course of action. Maybe Nightmare Moon would show her mercy if she did such a thing. In the past few days, Nightmare Moon was either trying to unnerve her further, or trying to undo what her outburst had done. She wasn't sure which. She couldn't tell, and she was certain that her own prejudice played a role in clouding her judgment on the matter. However, she did know that her guard always slipped, even if it was just ever so slightly, when Nightmare stroked her coat with those silken feathers.

Remembering that, a dozen memories immediately came to mind, each time that Nightmare's silken feathers slid through her coat, parting each hair and gently gliding over her body. A tingle grew in her spine, then raced outward through her whole body. She shivered at the memories; the feeling of Nightmare's feathers wasn't unpleasant. It still surprised her just how much the contact felt pleasant and comforting. Yet at the same time, it unnerved her to no end. Not only that Nightmare touched her, but also the effect that Nightmare's feathers had on her.

Nightmare had comforted her many times before with strokes from her feathers. Nightmare had spoken words of reassurance to her many times before, telling her to relax, reminding her that she wasn't out to get her. Nightmare had yet to attack her for making a mistake, even at her outburst over her 'friends.'

She felt so conflicted, torn even, between what to do. She had seen Nightmare Moon snap, and while she had stopped herself then, would she always be able to stop herself from snapping and doing far worse if she were further enraged? There was nothing to assure her it wouldn't be the case. There were simply no good options for her. It felt like a choice between the lesser of several evils, like choosing the best worst option available to her.

How much more could she test Nightmare Moon's patience by avoiding her? And if she continued, would not the consequences be her undoing? Wouldn't Nightmare see her unwillingness to be her student as rebellion, or at the very least, proof that she wasn't worth keeping around?

She bit her lip. She bit her lip hard, and bit on it harder until her lip tingled between her teeth. After a few seconds, she let go of her lip, which still held the indents from her teeth biting it. Slowly, she ran her tongue over her lip, feeling the marks left by her teeth, almost tasting the damage she had done, even if she had not drawn blood.

Her stomach churned, but while it ached for food, she did not want to fulfill its request. Reluctantly, she lifted her head up from the table. For a moment, she did nothing, then she let her muzzle drift downward. She dropped her gaze to her chest, then focused on that silver, crescent moon necklace Nightmare Moon had given her. She saw the shimmer of its enchantment and knew that Nightmare Moon was, regardless of distance, always so close at hoof. Eavesdropping on her. Keeping an eye on her. Listening to her, knowing where she was.

It was inescapable and overbearing, adding so much weight to the air surrounding her. Yet, at the same time, perhaps it was a reassurance. While she was still trying Nightmare's patience, Nightmare hadn't exactly broken any of her promises. So perhaps, in a way, the necklace offered some form of twisted security. If somepony tried to attack or hurt her, perhaps then, Nightmare would fulfill the promise to protect her. If somepony tried to attack or hurt her, would Nightmare act on that promise?

She felt conflicted- on one hoof, she saw it as a ray of hope. She was perhaps still sheltered by an alicorn to protect her, even though it wasn't Princess Celestia, and although that same alicorn could, in a heartbeat, decide to end her life and do so. On another hoof, it was, of course, a constant reminder that Nightmare Moon was there. She was always within reach of her predator.

Her stomach churned again, then gurgled. She sighed in defeat and laid her head back down on the table. She couldn't continue to avoid Nightmare Moon, but she had to retain her guard. She was still Nightmare Moon's student. And it was an opportunity, one that she really couldn't ignore. And not just because she had no choice. Therefore, her only course of action was to continue. She would stop avoiding Nightmare, but she would never let her guard slip. It was the only safety she could cling to, even if that security was just an illusion. Without that, how could she have any sort of life? It would be better for her to be locked in a dungeon, all alone if it was stripped away from her. She would feel safer there.

With the thought in mind that her only course of action was to continue, she could easily overlook the attempts on her life made by her so-called friends. Going to Ponyville would be good for her. She would have time to recover and recuperate and reevaluate everything. Perhaps she could even reach some consensus on what really was the best course of action. Perhaps space away from Nightmare would help her to regain some of her security. Perhaps it would help her to not feel so terrified of her teacher.

But she still had to get through however long it would be before she could go to Ponyville.

And today was probably going to be a long day. 'Night...' a part of her corrected with a growl.

She scowled.

Her stomach churned again, and a dull ache accompanied it, leaving her belly with a sense of emptiness she didn't like. She knew that she needed to eat, and so she would. Hesitantly, she lifted her head off the table, then slid out of the chair. She would eat, and she would join Nightmare Moon for that meal. Even affirming it, however, she felt an instantaneous wave of anxiety wash over her. She felt, silly as it was, as if suddenly, Nightmare Moon was aware of her intent and was watching and waiting on her, even though she knew it wasn't the case.

But, for the moment, she could suppress that anxiety, if only to shower and clean herself up so she was presentable. But more importantly, so that Nightmare Moon didn't try to brush her mane again. However, even suppressing the anxiety wouldn't make it go away. She could only pretend.

She had grown accustomed to walking beside Nightmare Moon whenever they went somewhere together. And while being beside her made her uneasy and anxious following Nightmare's outburst, at the very least, the walking part was an outlet for some of that anxiety. The walking helped ease her tension.

But even with that, she still bit on her lip, holding it between her lip, as she watched Nightmare Moon walking along in the corner of her eye. With every step, she heard the metallic click of her boots striking the marble floor, with every step, she could see Nightmare's muscles beneath her coat, and although those muscles looked minuscule compared to some ponies, she was vaguely aware of just how much strength were in those muscles, strength that would put an earth pony with muscles twice as large to shame. Yet because of their small size, there was a certain unmistakable grace to her muscles. Perhaps a terrifying grace, one so different, yet so similar, to Princess Celestia.

The thought briefly crossed her mind to picture Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon with muscles that they should have had for the strength they possessed, and it just looked so incredibly wrong. With muscles that displayed their strength as she pictured them, both Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon lost that graceful beauty they possessed with their more slender forms. And, the thought actually disturbed her quite a bit. After all, picturing Princess Celestia or Nightmare Moon with such thick muscles was just weird. It was just so antithesis to them.

She shook the thought from her mind, and for a moment, her gaze slipped up and darted over to focus on Nightmare Moon. She stared at the side of the chestplate closest to her, and for a moment, she tried to picture Nightmare Moon without it on. Was her coat just as jet black beneath it? Was her coat as graceful and elegant in all its terrifying beauty? Or did the chestplate hide something else, something different, from sight? She could not, no matter how hard she tried, picture Nightmare Moon without her armor on, and she had never seen her take that armor off. Not once. It was almost like it was a part of her.

Nightmare's head turned back towards her, and she saw those predatory eyes refocus on her body. And with that sight, her heart skipped a beat, and her throat ached from a fast-growing knot. Her legs trembled, but she managed to keep herself walking alongside her mentor. In those slitted eyes, she saw Nightmare's intellect, so cold and calculated. She saw the gaze of a predator.

And yet, despite all of that, she would have sworn Nightmare's ears flick back. She would have sworn that she saw Nightmare's lips twitch downward for the briefest moment. She would have sworn, that despite that intelligent and calculated gaze, that despite her predatory nature, that behind all of it, there was pain, as if she was hurt by what she saw. She would have sworn, that despite everything, there was disappointment in her gaze. She would have sworn that disappointment wasn't that Nightmare saw somepony worthless, but that Nightmare saw her trembling. She would have sworn Nightmare was disappointed that she was so terrified of her.

And yet, in an instant, the disappointment was gone, and in its wake, her expression looked so somber. Perhaps the disappointment wasn't truly gone. Nightmare's legs hesitated to take another step, if only for a brief moment.

Nightmare looked away from her. A wave of relief washed over her, and she closed her eyes. After a second, she opened her eyes. Avoiding looking at Nightmare directly, she stared straight ahead, down the hallway they walked. But that still wasn't enough to block the sight of the black alicorn from her vision.

In such a casual, almost graceful manner, like an afterthought, Nightmare extended her right wing. She hesitated and watched Nightmare's wing reach out to her. She tensed up at the movement, even knowing that it was not a motion meant to hurt her or distress her. Nightmare turned back to face her and regarded her with so much curiosity. The cold hardness of her expression seemed like it had, perhaps, never been there in the first place. Nightmare continued to walk along, and so did she, even while Nightmare's eyes slowly jumped from spot to spot, looking her over, taking in her form.

And she felt uncomfortable and nervous because of it. What was Nightmare Moon thinking behind those curious eyes? Was she planning something? Was it just another attempt to get her to lower her guard? What did Nightmare Moon want from her?

Nightmare looked at her back, and her feather finally connected with her body. With that gentle, barest touch, she felt her body relax. It was such an unassuming touch, and her body reacted as if it was an instinct hard-wired into it, as if she was biologically programmed to react in such a way. Slowly, Nightmare's wing swept forward in such a graceful manner, and her feather unassumingly brushed over her back.

Such a feeling of calm and comfort radiated from that brush, and it gave her a sense of peace. And yet, while it calmed her, it unmistakable unnerved her. She welcomed that stroke, yet the effect it had, while pleasant and comforting and welcomed, the fact that it had such an effect was disconcerting. Nightmare lifted her wing up, bringing her feather off of her coat, then went back and laid her feather on her back once again to repeat the process.

It sent little tingles of pleasure radiating into her body from the contact. 'What would it feel like for you to do that with your whole wing?' a part of her mind wondered. She was intrigued by the question, both because she was curious what it would be like, and also curious to find out more about the effect. And yet, the question also made another part of her scream out in her mind, yelling at her that she was dropping her guard, that Nightmare Moon was a psychopath.

Nightmare stroked her back with her feather a third time, then folded her wing. She still felt the lingering sensation on her back. She clenched her jaw halfheartedly, then looked at Nightmare. On accident, she met Nightmare's gaze. Panic and anxiety shot through her body, and immediately, she looked straight ahead again.

She thought she saw Nightmare's body slump. But surely, she had not. Risking a quick glance, she looked at Nightmare's body. She could not tell any difference when she looked; perhaps she had imagined it. Likewise, she thought she heard Nightmare Moon sigh as if defeated. But that couldn't have been! It was absurd. Plus, it had been so quiet that she surely had to have imagined it.

'I'm going crazy!' shouted out in her mind. After a moment, 'Well, I guess that should be expected, now shouldn't it?' was shot back.

The rest of the trip to the dining room was uneventful, although Nightmare turned her head back towards her and glanced at her far, far too many times for her liking. The guards went rigid at their approach, but still did their duty and opened the door. Nightmare sat down at her spot, and likewise, she sat down to her right.

She did her best to stare at the wall opposite of where she sat so as to avoid drawing Nightmare's attention, yet with nothing else to do, Nightmare's attention, of course, fell onto her. "So tell me, Twilight Sparkle, how are you this night?" she asked.

She swallowed and reluctantly turned to face Nightmare. Even knowing that she wouldn't find an aggressive glare didn't make it any easier. She looked up at Nightmare's face, but did not meet her gaze. She focused a few inches below Nightmare's eyes. "W-well, I-I'm f-fine," she answered. She watched Nightmare, and Nightmare watched her back.

Nightmare, of course, studied her, constantly shifting her eyes to look her all over. Finally, Nightmare's gaze settled back to meet hers. "You seem tired," she acknowledged.

Twilight looked down at Nightmare's chestplate. She gently nibbled on her lip, then, after several seconds, timidly nodded.

She could almost feel Nightmare frown at her admission. After a few seconds of silence, she took a risk to look back up, then she took an even bigger risk to meet Nightmare's gaze. She looked and saw that Nightmare seemed troubled. She saw Nightmare looked at her in a conflicted manner like she wasn't sure what to say or ask.

"Why are you tired?" Nightmare inquired.

Once again, she looked down at Nightmare's chestplate. "I-I've not been... sleeping well," she answered cautiously. Perhaps it was a mistake to tell her, but then to ignore her and refuse to answer would have been even more of a mistake.

Nightmare Moon was silent for a long while. She wasn't sure for how long, but the whole time, she stared at Nightmare's chestplate while Nightmare watched her. She didn't feel like Nightmare's gaze was predatory, but more pondering and curious. "I know a few spells that can help you sleep," Nightmare finally stated, "and I can teach you them."

She clenched her jaw. She couldn't refuse, and she did want to learn those spells, although she also knew she assuredly wouldn't be using them. The idea of practicing those spells while Nightmare Moon was around also unnerved her to no end, to say nothing of the memories of trying to obtain the Elements of Harmony, and her failure to stop Nightmare Moon, that it provoked. So, instead of speaking an answer, she just timidly nodded.

Silence descended between them, and for some reason, that silence felt oppressive. As the silence lingered, she found that she grew to hate that silence. She knew that she had the opportunity to try to get back on Nightmare's good side, but she also knew that she couldn't trust Nightmare. She knew that she was being foalish by refusing to speak and she wondered if avoiding Nightmare was being foalish. It came back to her that she was straining her relationship with her mentor, but more than that, that she was most likely in the wrong to do so.

But still, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She couldn't come up with anything to say, either, or perhaps, what she did think of simply felt wrong. Venturing a glance up at Nightmare, she found Nightmare was still watching her, and the disappointment in her features was still there. But she also saw a certain bitterness, along with a bit of her coldness.

She quickly averted her gaze and looked at the wall opposite of where she sat.

Fortunately, that was when the door opened. She turned to look, then watch, as two servers came inside, carrying platters with silver lids in their magic. Both of them walked inside quickly, then deposited the platters in front of them before swiftly bowing to Nightmare and nearly running back out of the room.

She sat up a bit straighter and stared at the closed door for a few seconds while she listened to Nightmare use her magic to lift the lid off her plate. She turned back and glanced at Nightmare's plate of pancakes, then took the lid off her own platter. The pancakes, she knew from experience many, many times, were good. However, it still felt so incredibly odd to see Nightmare Moon eat pancakes.

It just didn't feel like it fit, watching her slid the fork into the fluffy pancakes, cut a section out, then bring it to her maw to devour it. Her sharp teeth didn't seem to fit with her eating pancakes, or perhaps they weren't as sharp as she thought. As Nightmare chewed up the pancake, she closed her eyes and smiled, ignoring Twilight's gaze. After she swallowed, Twilight looked back down at her plate of pancakes and started eating.

"After we finish eating, we shall go to Hollow Shades when you are ready," Nightmare said. "As with the deer, I will teleport us to the general area where the road is, then we shall make our way into the city proper."

She looked up at her and nodded slowly. "Is... there a particular reason you don't just teleport is right there?" she asked.

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "As with the deer, this gives them time to discover that we are coming," she stated. After a moment, she looked away from her and pursed her lips. "In truth, I must say I am... somewhat perplexed. I had expected to hear from the batponies before now, rather than having to seek them out..." Twilight frowned. "Seeing as though they are mine, I would have expected them to know of my return and flock to me, as it were. But instead, they remain secluded, despite my bringing eternal night."

"Well..." Twilight trailed off and licked her lips, enjoying the sweetness of the syrup still there. "They... should know about your return?"

Nightmare looked at her flatly. "The eternal night should be a dead give away," she stated flatly.

Twilight shifted her weight. "Right..." she muttered. "Any idea why-"

"I do not know," Nightmare preempted. "Perhaps they are just waiting on me to come for them. Assuming, of course, they still exist-"

"They do!" Twilight defended. Nightmare silently regarded her. She shifted her weight, then looked back at her pancakes and took another bite.

"It will take time to properly integrate the batponies into the guard and outfit them, but I am hoping they will be able to help the process along," Nightmare stated. "And I will be able to use them to help reconstruct my castle. Additionally, I will assign one of them to guard you," she stated.

Twilight tensed up a bit and looked back at her. "Of-of course," she answered timidly, though internally screaming. No, it wasn't enough that Royal Guards were assigned to guard her. Of course it wasn't! Even if the Royal Guard was loyal to Nightmare, Royal Guards knew her from before this whole mess. Batponies wouldn't. Batponies would be loyal purely to Nightmare. Batponies wouldn't hesitate to obey Nightmare's commands regarding her.

Nightmare frowned a bit, then took another bite. "Perhaps you could assist me in overseeing the reconstruction of my castle," she mused.

Twilight hesitated. 'Was that an offer or a demand?' She couldn't tell and she couldn't place it. On one hoof, perhaps it was a way to show Nightmare some form of loyalty, perhaps even get on her good side again. And on the other hoof, well, there really wasn't another hoof. Except maybe the fear that she could mess up and provoke Nightmare's wrath. That would definitely be a risk. She swallowed as nervousness welled up inside her.

Nightmare looked her over, then looked her in the eye. "Since you will be in Ponyville, you will be closer than I, and although that is not truly a problem, it would make things easier on me since I would not have to go back and forth and it will require less of my time."

"O-of course," Twilight answered.

Nightmare tilted her head a bit, and for a second, she thought Nightmare would make a comment about her response. Instead, Nightmare let it go. "Then I will see to it that you will have the resources to oversee this," she stated.

She held her breath for several seconds as Nightmare continued to watch her. She waited, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Nightmare made some comment along the lines of, 'Don't disappoint me, Twilight Sparkle.' After all, to screw up this project would probably be bad, since it was Nightmare Moon's old home. However, to her surprise, Nightmare looked away and went back to eating without so much as a word about it.

She licked her lips and swallowed. "Y-you trust me w-with this?" she hesitantly asked.

Nightmare glanced at her and continued to chew the pancake before swallowing it. She licked her lips, and for a brief moment, Twilight saw the sliver of her sharp teeth, which made her stare at them, then her lips, as her mouth closed once more. "If my sister was willing to trust you with overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration-" Twilight flinched at the bitterness in Nightmare's voice, and in response, Nightmare paused to recompose herself, "then I am willing to give you the opportunity to prove yourself in overseeing this. However, rest assured that I will keep an eye on things and ensure you do not mess up. I know that you will not mess up on purpose, Twilight Sparkle, so yes, I trust you to oversee this," she stated.

Twilight nodded timidly.

Nightmare looked away from her. "It is not like I am teaching you spells that can be used against me," she commented. After a moment of thought, she pursed her lips. "Although now that I consider it, I should check on the castle's library... I shall have to pay a visit to my old home again..." she mused. She turned back to face Twilight. "However, if while rebuilding the castle, you come across any books, see to it that you inform me, rather than read them yourself. I will determine whether I trust you with those books' content or not."

Twilight nodded quickly as anxiety welled up inside her.

Nightmare studied her expression, then turned back to finish eating.

As the double image from Nightmare Moon's teleport faded, Twilight felt a throb of pain in her head. Even knowing that the teleport was coming didn't really prepare her for it, and it left her feeling so out of control. She felt the lingering sensation of Nightmare's magic holding onto her, though she felt it slipping as Nightmare withdrew her magic. As the forest before her came into focus, the pain in her head subsided.

She glanced aside at Nightmare and saw the alicorn's gaze focused on the forest and the dirt path before them. She watched as the alicorn's eyes jerked around, jumping from spot to spot as she scrutinized what was before them. In that gaze, she could see curiosity and pondering. But, while the teleport was another reminder of just how little security and control she had, she could take comfort in knowing Nightmare's attention wasn't focused on her.

She turned her gaze back to the forest and studied it. Although the moonlight did not reveal the same details of the forest that the sun did, she could still make out enough with the gentle light, and the gentle light also brought out softer details that would have been taken for granted, missed, or completely absent during the day. She saw a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees filling the forest, but a large dirt road was cut through the middle. The road was wide and well maintained, but it did not look well used. While the edges of the road were darkened by shadows, the wide middle had a perfect view of the jeweled night sky- the canopy of tree branches did not cover it, nor shelter it.

She could vaguely see the branches and leaves of the trees rustling and fluttering in the breeze. She could easily hear the sounds of the leaves all scraping together, making their sweet, comforting music. The sound of the rustle of the leaves almost reminded her of water, except that it sounded dryer and did not seem to echo like water did. She felt the gentle, unassuming breeze on her coat, and felt it run through her mane and tail. It was a calm breeze, one that was fitting of a summer day, bringing with it a not unwelcome coolness.

The breeze comforted her. Even if Nightmare Moon had returned and ascended to power, even if Princess Celestia had been banished, despite the eternal night, there was still that comforting summer breeze that would be just the same as before as it was now. She took comfort in it, yet at the same time, she felt a dull numbness. Some things had changed with Nightmare Moon's return, yet some things were exactly the same, almost like nothing had happened. While the air was a few degrees cooler without the sun, and the wind was thus cooler, it was still pleasant.

She turned her head to the right and looked behind her, avoiding looking in Nightmare's direction. They stood just at the start of the dirt road which led to Hollow Shades, and behind her, the road came to a T. Not far away from the road was a set of train tracks that stretched on parallel to the road in both directions as far as she could see.

It stood out oh so much in her mind, that those train tracks completely avoided Hollow Shades. Nor was there any train station around. Hollow Shades was so far out of the way, despite being so close at hoof and the Canterlot-Manehatton rail line running by it. Why was the city avoided when connecting it, or even just building a station nearby, would have been so simple? Was this something Princess Celestia had a hoof in? Was this something the batponies desired? Did the railway simply want to avoid building a station here because of the batponies, or did the batponies intend not to use the railway and thus it would have been a waste of resources?

She settled on the thought that the batponies kept to themselves, and as such, it would have served no point to build a train station here. Even if, she knew, it would have served a purpose.

Her eyes dropped to the road, then lifted back up as she turned back to face the forest. She glanced aside at Nightmare Moon and found her still staring ahead at the forest.

She turned her gaze back at the forest to try to find what held so much of Nightmare's attention, but as she scanned the forest, nothing stood out. The thought did occur to her, however, that during the night, especially during winter, that the whole area would look intimidating. No lighting, save for the stars and the moon, and the deciduous trees would have lost their leaves. There would have also been an unnerving silence.

Would something have been watching them from the darkness? Simply waiting to pounce?

Was something watching them now? Was that why Nightmare delayed? She bit her lip and looked at Nightmare again. She studied her form but found her to be standing with a relaxed posture. She did not hold herself with her muscles tensed, ready for action. It was almost casual, yet there was still that unmistakable regality in her posture that would never fade.

She looked back at the forest, then turned her head to the left. She looked over the mountain range, then her gaze settled on Canetrlot. The city looked so small, but it was still visible, even in the moonlight. She could not determine, from how small Canterlot looked, whether they were further away from Canterlot here or in Ponyville. She also hadn't studied the map that well, so she didn't know for certain, either. And that made her wince as she looked back at the path before them.

Nightmare's gaze refocused, then, in an instant, she looked at Twilight, and Twilight felt it. "Let us proceed," Nightmare stated as she stepped forward.

Twilight nodded quickly, swallowed, and bolted forward to stay in sync with Nightmare. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare frown, but she did not look at Nightmare, instead, continuing to look straight ahead. Nightmare strode forward as she looked back ahead, and Twilight carried herself quickly to stay at her side, never falling behind, nor taking the lead, simply staying at her designated, rightful place.

However, she did not walk as close to Nightmare as she had. She hoped it wasn't noticeable. She wasn't out of reach of Nightmare's wings, nor was she ever truly out of Nightmare's reach, but the distance between them gave her some sense of security. Who cared if she was that much closer to the dark sides of the road, that much closer to the forest, a forest that she had no idea what roamed about in it? Who cared what sort of creatures lived in that forest? Even a manticore, hydra, or dragon was preferable to Nightmare Moon. After all, those apex predators were simply helpless prey to the alicorn.

And with that thought constantly plaguing her mind, she walked on, filled with dread and unease. It felt like both feelings had two sources: One deep inside her chest, and another radiating out into the air surrounding her, emanating from Nightmare Moon. It was like a field, perhaps not too different from a spell designed to repel something. Yet it filled the air with so much more weight, it was not too dissimilar from humid air, making the air so much thicker, making it harder to breathe.

And it didn't help that her tension left her breathing shallowly, and her muscles were all tensed. She could not relax. Nothing would change that. Even trying to consider the prospect of meeting batponies- something that, she was certain, only some ponies had ever done- did not help her feel any more at ease.

And that may have been because it occurred to her that yes, while they were ponies, they were created by Nightmare Moon to be soldiers. With that thought in mind, a newfound sense of dread washed over her, like a slow-motion tsunami. It was slow but unstoppable. A force which, she knew, could have overpowered Nightmare Moon. It was so slow that it would have taken centuries, maybe, but there was absolutely nothing that could stop that feeling from slowly crushing every single cell in her body.

The batponies were soldiers created by Nightmare Moon. And Nightmare Moon was leading her to them. It was simple, her mind knew, to figure out what was happening. Nightmare Moon had finally had enough of her, and as such, she was being led to her death.

A part of her screamed out against this fear. It was absurd, she was overreacting! Yet, that fear still hung over her body, held in place by the dread and anxiety she felt, kept there by the presence of her teacher. The logical part of her mind fought back against the fear, saying that Nightmare still had no reason to kill her, but her fear resisted logic, shouting back, 'I've been avoiding her!'

Her mind shouted back that she was jumping to conclusions, that she didn't have enough information to know for sure something bad was happening. Her mind reminded her that Nightmare Moon had shown no hostility outside of what was normal. But her irrational fear had none of that, her irrational fear would not be sated.

The edges of her eyes burned, and her legs trembled. She breathed in calm, controlled breaths, but only just. Perhaps it was that same fear that scared her to death that kept her breathing in control, as if somehow reasoning that breathing calmly would help.

She felt Nightmare Moon's gaze land on her, and a spike of panic exploded in her core and body. She stopped dead in her tracks as the warmth in her eyes ballooned out of control, then burst forth, rushing down her cheeks. The beads of heat were gone so quickly, and in their place, she felt the cold of the air against her wet coat.

Nightmare turned to face her, and as she saw the start of a frown on Nightmare's lips, she clenched her eyes shut. She felt Nightmare step closer to her, but even after that happened, silence lingered, with nothing happening. "What is wrong, Twilight Sparkle?" Nightmare finally inquired, her voice sounding so incredibly odd: a mixture of emotions she couldn't place. Annoyance? Disappointment. Concern? Curiosity? Unease. It was like Nightmare wasn't sure of how to proceed, and she was absolutely certain that was the case.

And that shocked her. It caught her off guard, even with her guard up. How could Nightmare Moon, who had been alive for nearly as long as Princess Celestia, who had so much experience, even being trapped on the moon for a thousand years, not know how to proceed?

She jerked back as she felt something touch her cheek, but her reaction immediately failed her, and Nightmare's feather gently slid down her cheek, tracing over the wetness left in the wake of her tears, nearly whisking all the lingering wetness away. In the same moment, that touch felt so comforting. It was a reassurance she couldn't understand, yet it also acted like a knife: cutting the anxiety and fear out of her, preventing it from swelling up to untold levels.

She felt her body relax, and her shaking ceased. Yet somehow, she found it made her want to cry more. She felt embarrassment like she was put on the spot in a large crowd. So what if Princess Celestia was there beside her? Everypony, including her princess, was looking at her, and she was just a little filly. She wanted to run away and hide because of that embarrassment.

Nightmare ran another feather over her other cheek, once again wiping the moisture away and bringing with it a little tingle and a certain calmness. "What is wrong, Twilight Sparkle?" she asked again.

Where she expected a certain hardness or harshness from her teacher, where she expected to find herself being chastised for being weak, instead, she found Nightmare attempting to comfort her. It was absurd. How could it be that Nightmare Moon, somepony who fought and banished her own sister to the moon, somepony who took over an entire country in one swift action, somepony who inspired primal terror and fear in all those who were around her, could be comforting her? Her mind screamed out in response, not understanding, not comprehending.

Yet, another part of her mind took a hold of that and analyzed it mercilessly. The gears in her mind turned, taking it in and scrutinizing it, fitting it together like pieces in a puzzle. Nightmare Moon knew her, perhaps too well, and then that could explain the comforting. Nightmare Moon perhaps did not keep her because she wanted to, but because she needed to. Nightmare Moon had her as a student for a purpose. Once that purpose was fulfilled, then Nightmare would kill her, or if it became apparent that it would not work.

"You have nothing to fear from the batponies, Twilight Sparkle. I thought this much was clear," Nightmare said. "They will not harm you. I shall not allow such a thing to come to pass. If they obey me, then be assured they will not hurt you, as you are my student. If they do not obey me, then I will protect you," she said calmly.

She took a deep breath, then tilted her muzzle downward and opened her eyes. She nudged her head up and down to nod, but even as she stared at the dirt between Nightmare's forehooves, she still felt Nightmare's gaze on her. Perhaps it felt like Nightmare was disappointed, but there was still that unmistakable hint of a predator watching her, yet it did not drive her into a panic. No, more than that, she felt Nightmare's curiosity and intellect directed at her.

How was it that Nightmare had such a strong interest in her? She was Princess Celestia's student, but even then, it felt like Nightmare's interest in her was disproportionate to that. Was there something more to it? Was there something she didn't know? Had Princess Celestia lied to her another time? Had Princess Celestia not told her something important? Her mind raced with questions, but they were questions she could not ask, nor were they questions that would ever be answered.

"If you are afraid that we will be attacked by something as we journey to Hollow Shades, rest assured that will not happen," Nightmare added.

She gave another timid nod in response, but she tightened her jaw. For several seconds, they lingered like that. She didn't look up, and not once did Nightmare look away from her. But she could still feel it, a subtle growing impatience in Nightmare. Eventually, Nightmare shifted her weight. "If you are feeling better, we should continue."

She nodded. Nightmare waited a few seconds, then turned around. Yet that gaze still lingered on her. She swallowed and lifted her head up. She looked at Nightmare. She hadn't wanted to, but she still did it. Nightmare waited and watched. She took those few steps forward and to the right, shuffling back into place at her teacher's side. Even if she was still keeping her distance, it looked like it appeased her teacher.

Nightmare looked ahead, then walked on. She followed, continuing to watch her teacher for a time. Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, she managed to pull her gaze away.

For a while longer, they walked on in silence. She looked at the moon and felt a pang strike her chest as she took in that dark scar that was her mentor. Perhaps Princess Celestia was looking down at her, watching her. Maybe Princess Celestia was trying to escape, and maybe she'd succeed. But then, would she be able to save her from Nightmare Moon? Princess Celestia had lost when Nightmare returned. She looked away from the moon, unable to bear the thought of her mentor being banished, unable to bear the reminder in the form of the black scars dotting the moon.

She swallowed and glanced aside at the forest at both edges of the road. As she swept her gaze over the right, she found that nothing seemed to look back at her. Perhaps Nightmare Moon was right. Maybe the forest was safe, if not naturally, then because of her presence. After all, nothing was stupid enough to try to challenge Nightmare Moon. Except herself and her friends.

However, because she walked at Nightmare's right side, she couldn't see the other side of the road, nor the forest beyond it since Nightmare Moon was there, and she didn't want to risk looking in her direction. But maybe that was for the best. After all, if there was something lurking in the shadows on the other side, then Nightmare Moon was, quite literally, standing between her and whatever it was.

Hesitantly, she glanced at Nightmare's head and took in her features. With nothing else occupying her, with Nightmare not focused or distracted by her, Nightmare's expression had once again hardened into its usual predatory, intelligent coldness. That expression that she wore when dealing with the guards and anypony else, one that was so uncaring, one that made her nervous, even if it was rarely directed at her for more than a few seconds at a time. "S-so, um... wh-what are the batponies like?" she asked.

Nightmare's cold, hard expression faded at the sound of her voice, and in its place, a more equine, casual look took hold, then Nightmare turned her head and looked back at her. Her expression retained its casualness, yet it took on something of a lecturing look, perhaps even a reminiscent look as she spoke, "Their personalities can differ widely, but in general, I am certain they are not what you would expect." Nightmare raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, do the books you have read regarding batponies say anything of their personalities?"

She bit her lip and rubbed her teeth over it for a second, then shook her head. "Well, um, no... W-we really don't know much about them..." she answered.

Nightmare inclined her head as if to nod, then her lips pulled up into a smile. "Then you shall be in for a treat, Twilight Sparkle..." she said, her voice taking on a playful tone that unnerved Twilight. "And I shall not spoil it," she finished.

Still smiling, Nightmare looked back ahead, and even as Twilight continued to watch her, Nightmare's smile did not fade.

Eventually, she looked away from Nightmare and scowled. 'Why can't you just tell me!?' screamed out in her mind. But oh, no, Nightmare just had to be vague. Nightmare just had to leave her without the knowledge that she so craved. Nightmare just had to leave her unprepared for whatever the batponies were like. Were they battle-hardened soldiers, as she expected? Judging from what Nightmare said, assuming that Nightmare thought she though the batponies were battle-hardened soldiers, then they weren't. But Nightmare did not know her thoughts, so she could not be sure.

Despite her uncertainty, they walked on. She looked back behind them and found that she could not see the road where they had entered. The path they took must have curved somewhere along the way, and it must have been a gentle, imperceptible curve. Either that, or she had not noticed, which could have been the case.

Yet looking back ahead, she could see the road came to another T. The way on the left seemed to lead to the mountain range, while the path to the right then most likely led to Hollow Shades. But as she thought about it, nothing immediately came to mind as to what the path on the left would lead to. 'Maybe it leads to another batpony city?' she wondered.

But, however, she did know she wouldn't find out, at least not for a while. They continued along the road, and once they reached the path, they went to the right. Reluctantly, she looked at Nightmare. "Um... do you have any idea how long it will take us to get there..?" she ventured.

Nightmare glanced back at her. "Less than an hour. I am uncertain of an exact time beyond that, however," was her answer.

Twilight nodded, then exhaled.

"Are you still afraid?" Nightmare queried.

And of course, that question had the effect of making her tense up. It wasn't how Nightmare posed the question; she hadn't asked it in such a way to provoke fear. No, it was simply that she hadn't expected the question, and even with her guard up, it scared her. She glanced at Nightmare, who was, of course, looking back at her out of the corner of her eye. She clenched her jaw shut, and seeing Nightmare looking at her only helped reaffirm the feeling that Nightmare was watching her, the feeling of being watched by a predator.

She timidly nudged her head up and down. Nightmare's eyes jumped away from her to focus straight ahead. The feeling of being watched faded, and she felt a wave of relief. With that wave, she could relax, but she did not let her guard down, even if her guard made her no safer, nor gave her the illusion of feeling any safer.

She heard Nightmare take in a deep breath, then exhale sharply. It sent a jolt of panic down her spine, and for a moment, she stumbled. Had she fallen behind? Had she walked too quickly? Was she too far to the right that it was obvious? She swept her gaze around as quickly as she could, frantically searching for whatever it was she had down to provoke Nightmare's ire. But whatever the source, she couldn't find it. Her heart beat faster, then her blood nearly froze as Nightmare looked back at her.

She bit her lip and, with great reluctance, looked at Nightmare Moon.

"So tell me," Nightmare started, "we have not had a great deal of time to talk lately since you've been avoiding me, nor have I had time to teach you much. How are your studies progressing, and what, might I ask, are you studying?"

She felt a bolt of anxiety at that. She had been awake before, but now, she was wide awake. Spurred on by the bolt of anxiety, she felt as if she had consumed several cups of coffee, and that energy bubbled inside her, churning, twisting her heart, stomach, and gut. "W-well, um... I-I've been... r-refreshing myself on... h-history and... s-spells I already know," she stuttered.

"I see," was Nightmare's reply. Nightmare's gaze flicked away from her own and slithered over her back and sides, then Nightmare swept her eyes across the forest before looking back ahead. "Is there anything you wish to speak about, Twilight Sparkle?" she asked. "I do not mind walking in silence, but it will be some time before we arrive, and it would be a better use of my time to speak if you so desire."

Oh, that was easy. Of course there were questions she wanted to ask. She was, after all, Twilight Sparkle. However, they were questions that Nightmare Moon couldn't answer. They were questions that she needed to ask Princess Celestia. And, of course, there was no way she was going to ask about Princess Celestia, or really speak of her at all, unless coerced into doing so, when Nightmare was around. And Nightmare was always around because of that crescent moon necklace. So no, there wasn't really anything she could talk to Nightmare Moon about.

And there was also her reluctance to even begin a conversation with the psychotic alicorn. After all, if being reminded that everypony forgot about her was enough to make her snap, who was to say she wouldn't accidentally say something without realizing it and cause her to snap. And what if Nightmare didn't believe it had been an accident, but thought it had been done on purpose to provoke her?

She had no desire to see Nightmare's wrath, let alone have it directed on herself. So based on that, she clenched her jaw shut and slowly shook her head. She didn't shake her head eagerly, however. It was a slow, controlled, and forced shake. One which she hopped didn't convey her fear, even if she knew Nightmare could tell at a glance it was forced.

And just to confirm that knowledge, for a split second, she saw Nightmare's expression slip into a scowl. It sent a wave of panic through her, but Nightmare didn't follow up with anything, nor did she act on that scowl.

'I'm... maybe keeping my distance is a bigger mistake than being closer to her...' whispered in her mind.

But, at least for the time, she was relatively safe from Nightmare's wrath. She knew that it wouldn't last if she kept it up, however.

Hollow Shades certainly what she was expecting, although, in hindsight, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. The architecture of the city was predominantly stonework, yet the city also expanded into the forest and almost melded in with the forest. In a way, it reminded her of the deer, yet the dominance of the stone buildings was such a sharp contrast to how the deer lived in hollowed-out trees. The stonework was so sharp and unnatural in comparison to how natural and organic the deer's homes were. Everywhere she looked she saw batponies staring at them, or more specifically, at Nightmare Moon. Their gazes were sharp and reverential, yet there was no way for her to miss the hesitance that accompanied the respect, as if they were uncertain it was who they thought it was.

They were also so incredibly hesitant to approach. Perhaps it was out of respect, not wanting to presume on Nightmare Moon, yet she felt certain that wasn't the case. She glanced at Nightmare Moon, who continued to slowly scan the crowd. And no, the batponies weren't limited to standing around. Many of them hung from tree branches by their tails- something she was positively sure shouldn't work, as the tree branches really should have snapped, but yet, as if to mock her understanding of physics, and to reaffirm that it was their magic at work, the branches didn't snap.

She, of course, also wondered how they were able to use their tails in such a way.

But that was only one of the mysteries that now plagued her, eating at her mind for answers. They had nearly stumbled into the outskirts of the city without noticing, thanks mostly to the fact that the stone architecture was well hidden by the trees- that and it blended in really well. Although there weren't many bushes, the tree canopy served to protect the buildings from sight- both from the road, and certainly from above. And it also occurred to her that they arrived much sooner than Nightmare Moon had anticipated. They weren't in Hollow Shades proper, but the outskirts were still quite populated.

The city was likely larger than she expected. But if Nightmare Moon was surprised, she didn't show it.

Turning her attention back to the inhabitants, she looked over their features, which she found quite curious. Where she expected to see fearsome-looking ponies, ponies who looked the part of soldiers, instead, she found ponies who really didn't look that different from other ponies. She found it odd that she expected them to look like soldiers. After all, she had seen them depicted in books, and the books, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, were fairly accurate.

Their ears looked slightly larger than those of normal ponies, but what stood out most was that they were so much fluffier than other pony subspecies. The tuffs of fur stuck out in several places towards the tip and at the base. Their eyes made her shiver, as they had that same entirely predatory slit pupils, almost identical to Nightmare Moon, dragons, and felines, yet as she looked in their eyes, there wasn't even the slightest glint of the predatory nature of dragons, let alone Nightmare Moon. Instead, she found that the mares tended to look playful and curious, while the stallions seemed to fit what she expected better- their eyes seemed to be foreboding and far deeper than normal pony eyes.

Their irises were also different from other pony subspecies. There was a vast multitude of colors that normal ponies' eyes could be, but yet for the batponies present, she could only see a few colors, mostly ambers and teal-blues.

Looking down to their muzzles, she found another trait that they differed from normal ponies in, and it was a trait that, to an extent, they shared with Nightmare Moon. Sticking out from their upper jaw were two small fangs. Some of their fangs were broader, and some thinner, but none of their fangs actually looked threatening. They didn't look like the fangs of a predator; their fangs almost looked cute. It was unnerving to her that their fangs seemed cute; it was as if their fangs were designed to convince whoever saw them that they weren't a threat, despite their appearance, like it was meant to lure their prey into a false sense of security.

Like the pegasus subspecies, they had wings on their sides, but those too differed from normal pegasi. Their wings were not covered in feathers, but instead, were leathery. Their wings were like bat wings, or perhaps even dragon wings. Looking back at their bodies, she found that most of them seemed to have thicker coats and tufts of fur on their chests.

Their coat colors were also much duller than other pony subspecies. Instead of a bright assortment ranging from pinks and greens to blues and purples, she found that the batponies' coat colors seemed to have the wide range of colors that was somewhere between light grey and dark grey. Likewise, their manes and tails weren't colorful either. They were hard to see in the darkness, but the colors seemed to be predominantly shades of greyish purples. It stood out in her mind, and it occurred to her that their darker color palette meant they were harder to see in the night.

And of course, they weren't surrounded only by adults. No, there were foals too. Fillies and colts, watching them curiously. Hanging from tree branches, standing around. It was almost unnerving. And of course, how quiet everything was didn't help with how unnerving the encounter was. It was completely silent, save for the rustle of leaves in the wind, yet even that sounded subdued. There were no birds singing, nor owls hooting, nor insects chirping.

Although she had to admit, she didn't really feel in danger. The batponies certainly didn't look like the soldiers Nightmare Moon had made them out to be.

Then again, Princess Celestia didn't look like somepony who had the raw magical power to level cities, but she did.

She pursed her lips, and with that thought in mind, watched the batponies cautiously. However, even under more scrutiny, she knew for certain in her heart that batponies were still equine, just like her, even if they looked unfamiliar.

She heard Nightmare Moon inhale deeply and glanced aside at her. She half expected to see Nightmare look disappointed, yet she found that Nightmare Moon had a subdued look of glee. It was odd because the look didn't really show through into her expression. Her lips were lifted upward, but it was her eyes that gave it away. Excitement, anticipation, glee. She felt like Nightmare Moon found this to be better than she had expected.

A blur shot across the sky, silhouetted by the moon. For a brief second, she felt a surge of panic, then it faded. The silhouette's wings stood out so much with their almost sharp sweep forward and jagged back end. And the blur's descent was nearly silent, so hard to make out with the wind-blown leaves. Far quieter than a pegasus, the batpony was stealthy. As the blur grew closer, she could make out its features- a mare with sharp teal irises, yet her eyes seemed to hold the same ominous foreboding depth that the stallions did.

The mare landed in front of Nightmare Moon in one graceful, nearly silent motion. The batpony stared at Nightmare Moon. "Queen Lu-"

In an instant, the very air seemed to ripple and distort, like air rising from a fire. She felt as if a wave of ice and fire exploded out from Nightmare Moon at the same time. "Nightmare Moon," her mentor growled out so quickly to preempt the mare from continuing. She felt a surge of fear and adrenaline spurred on by the hiss of Nightmare's voice, and her body went rigid. She stared straight ahead. Nightmare didn't notice, her attention was too directed at the batpony.

The mare shut her jaw for a moment, then nodded and fell into a bow, lowering her head and bending her forelegs in respect. "My apologies, Queen Nightmare Moon," she said.

For several seconds, she remained in the bow, unmoving, until at last, Nightmare ordered, "Rise."

The batpony obeyed and stood back up. For a moment, she watched her look over Nightmare Moon, then the batpony looked back up at Nightmare's face. "You... do not look like the stories say you do," she commented.

She didn't see Nightmare's reaction, but heard a snort. "Do I have your loyalty?" was her demand.

The mare went rigid, standing at attention the same way a well-trained Royal Guard would. "Of course, my Queen!" was the batpony's fervent reply. Falling into another deep bow, the mare said, "Word of your return has already spread; we were awaiting your visit."

Yet Nightmare didn't seem impressed. She could almost feel Nightmare's scowl. "Why did you not seek me out upon my ascent?"

"It was decided it would be best to wait for you, my Queen," was the mare's response. "So that we would not interrupt anything important."

Nightmare snorted in disdain. "And force me to have to use my time to come out here!?" she hissed.

Twilight's muscles tensed up even more as that hiss cut into her ears, sending a boiling wave of anxiety lancing through her chest. She could almost feel her body bubbling with anxiety, and her legs trembled.

"My apologies, my Queen," the mare swiftly replied. But the mare did not show fear. "We- I- have no excuse."

Nightmare merely snorted. "It has been a long while since I have seen the state you are in; Tell me, are you prepared to serve your Queen?"

"Of course!" the mare shot back, sounding insulted by the notion that she, and perhaps the batponies as a whole, weren't.

For several seconds, silence lingered. Twilight could feel each throb of her heart, not only in her chest, but also in her neck. She could feel the pulses in her forehead, she could feel the pulses in her trembling legs.

"Good," Nightmare purred in an almost seductive tone. "Please escort us-" she felt Nightmare's gaze fall on her, and in that instant, a blizzard of ice flooded her whole being, "to..." Nightmare trailed off.

She swallowed. Silence drew on, seconds upon seconds ticked away, one at a time, painfully slowly. She could feel Nightmare's expression churning. Disgust, anger, bitterness, disappointment, disgust again. Finally, she felt Nightmare's expression settle into a scowl, then Nightmare looked away from her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt Nightmare's feather touch her side. She bit down on her lip and clenched her eyes shut to force back a scream. She didn't scream. She didn't squeal. She didn't cry. Her lip hurt. Her lip throbbed. She tasted blood. She released her bleeding lip and clenched her jaw shut. She felt the pressure of her bite in her teeth. She worried that her teeth would shatter, but compared to her fear of Nightmare Moon, it wasn't a worry that was even worth noting, not even in a passing thought.

She felt anxiety sweep over her body as Nightmare's feather ran up along her back, followed closely by calmness. Yet that calmness, that comfort, it only did so much. Maybe she was growing resistant to Nightmare's ability to comfort her. Maybe it was just too much for her to handle again. Everything went quiet. She couldn't hear the rustle of the leaves. She couldn't hear her own heartbeat.

Nightmare said something. She wasn't sure what she said, but she thought it was directed at the mare. She couldn't hear it, let alone focus on it. The mare rose from her bow, looking at Nightmare Moon, but when she stood up fully, her eyes glanced aside to see her. For a split second, the batpony's brow creased and her lips twitched down, then she turned back to face Nightmare Moon. As the mare turned, she saw her mouth moving. Once again, she wasn't sure what was said.

In an instant, the silence was gone. Everything came rushing back. Her lungs burned. She exhaled, then inhaled. She felt relief, then a feeling of lightness cascaded over her entire body. She felt lightheaded. She felt as light as a feather. Her head hurt. She felt tired. She felt her heart throbbing and pounding in her veins. She felt her heart pulsing in her eyes. Everything faded, gradually darkening in from the outside, until finally, it was all black. No light from the moon, no stars. No aura from Nightmare Moon's horn. Just blackness. The silence returned.

Then, it let up. Light gradually filled her eyes once again, and sound returned. She saw the batpony looking back at her, then felt Nightmare's feathers stroking her back. She exhaled forcefully, then sucked in more air.

She swallowed and blinked a few times. Reluctantly, she glanced aside at Nightmare Moon, who looked at her contemplatively. Yet there was a frown on her lips. More than that, though, she saw uncertainty in her eyes. Disappointment was there too, as if she thought, 'This runt is who I decided to call my student? She is not even worthy of the blood in her veins, let alone the title of my student!'

She looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed. Here she was, terrified, scared to death, of her own teacher. The pony who so graciously offered to teach her in the place of Princess Celestia. The very sister of Princess Celestia. Nightmare Moon had offered to teach her more than Princess Celestia would. And this was how she repaid her.

Yet it still dominated her thoughts, as she saw Nightmare's frown and disappointment in her mind's eyes, that her teacher was still so very capable of ending her life in an instant if she stepped out of line. It still rang out in her mind and in her core, that even the fact that she was Nightmare Moon's student was only because Nightmare needed her for something. And as soon as she wasn't needed, her teacher would dispose of her.

This time, however, the same fear as normal didn't come. Maybe it was Nightmare's comforting strokes of her feathers. Maybe it was exhaustion. She didn't know, but she knew that she didn't feel quite as terrified, just drained and disappointed. Ashamed.

"Please escort us to Hollow Shades. I require someplace for my student to rest- and see to it she is guarded- while you show me your readiness," Nightmare ordered.

She didn't hear anything in Nightmare's voice that spoke of imminently killing her, but at hearing that she would be guarded, she felt as if a weight pressed down upon her whole body. Her ears drifted back.

"Of course, my Queen," the mare answered. She heard the mare's hooves brush against the ground, presumably as she turned around, then she heard the telltale scraping of her hooves on the dirt road.

The mare took a few steps ahead, then stopped. She didn't hear Nightmare move, but felt Nightmare's feather stroke her back once more. And once more, that stroke brought with it a tingle of pleasure, like feeling silk running against her coat. That stroke brought with it more comfort than the strokes before it. Maybe her resistance to Nightmare's attempts to comfort her wasn't as strong as she thought.

She let out a silent sigh as she exhaled. She closed her eyes, and, for a moment, thought she would cry. But she never made it past the edge, it just didn't happen. When she opened her eyes, she reluctantly looked at the batpony mare, who was still standing there, looking back, eyes glancing between her and her teacher. And of course, she looked and saw that all of the batponies around were still staring at Nightmare Moon. Still staring at them. Still staring at her.

And she was on full display for them, all of her vulnerabilities. She claimed to have been Princess Celestia's student. She was supposed to be able to handle crowds and being the center of attention, even if she didn't like it. Yet she still felt so put on the spot by it all. Surely, the batponies were looking at their Queen, rather than her? Yet she could not put off the feeling, the anxiety, that instead, they were staring at her, seeing her for the weak, defenseless filly that she was.

Perhaps they judged her and thought she was just some servant or attendant to Nightmare Moon. Perhaps they knew she was Nightmare's student. If they knew she was Nightmare's student, did that affect how they viewed Nightmare Moon? Did they see how she acted, and think Nightmare Moon was weak because of it? After all, she was Nightmare Moon's student, and she was being a poor example.

Yet Nightmare didn't shout at her. Nightmare didn't berate her, nor attack her with magic, nor kill her. Instead, she felt Nightmare's feather brush along her back again.

She swallowed, then reluctantly turned her head to the left, then she looked up at her mentor. Nightmare Moon regarded her with her intense gaze, yet it wasn't predatory, it didn't promise her death. Instead, it was as if Nightmare Moon was pondering something, trying to figure her out. Nightmare Moon looked at her with intelligence and curiosity, or perhaps, she was the curiosity that Nightmare's intelligence was directed at. There was no scowl on her lips, nor did her expression seem as harsh as normal. But it was not exactly soft, either.

She looked away from her teacher and stared down at the ground. Eventually, her eyes settled on the dirt right in front of her hooves. Nightmare took a deep breath. She braced herself for the chastisement that would follow. Her body tensed, yet Nightmare's feather wouldn't let her stay tense. And she felt so vulnerable because of that. If Nightmare wanted to, she could abuse that oh so easily. She knew she'd never be able to recover from that.

"Come," Nightmare said. "Once we arrive in Hollow Shades proper, you shall rest," she stated.

It wasn't quite as demanding as she had expected. Perhaps, at least to an extent, Nightmare did care about her well-being. It made sense that she would. Even if her status as Nightmare's student was tenuous at best, Nightmare still had some reason to keep her around. And if that was the case, then it was in Nightmare's best interest to tend to her well-being.

Nightmare had also seemed disappointed that she was incapable of protecting herself.

But there were still certain expectations she needed to keep. If not because she was Nightmare Moon's student, then because she had been Princess Celestia's student. And she felt like she was failing most of those standards and expectations.

'Pull yourself together!' shouted out in her mind. 'How would Princess Celestia look at you if she saw you like this!' She winced.

Nightmare took a step forward, and she immediately glanced at her from the anxiety that step provoked. But she found that she could move forward alongside her without feeling like she would explode. Nightmare's feather stroked her one last time, then Nightmare folded her wing to her side.

And she wondered, 'How much longer will she do that? If ponies start thinking she's weak because of that, she won't be happy with me...'

"It would do you well, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare's sharp voice cut through her thoughts. She bit her lip but instantly recoiled from pain. She glanced aside at Nightmare, who simply stared ahead, not looking at her. Nightmare carried herself with all the regality that befitted her, not held back by any form of weakness. "To relax," she continued. "It would not be beneficial for you to make yourself sick."

Her ears folded back at that, and she instantly knew Nightmare Moon was right. From personal experience, she knew she could worry herself sick over something. Looking back, it had been silly: she worried herself to the point of sickness over one of her tests when she was a young filly, and because of that sickness, she couldn't take the test.

But now was so, so different. How could she not be worried sick? How could she not be worried to death? There was a death sentence constantly hovering over her, no matter what Nightmare said. It was simply fact, and Nightmare had promised as such. The crescent moon necklace was practically a warrant hanging around her neck, just waiting for the right time to give the order.

She glanced back at Nightmare. Nightmare was contemplative. What was Nightmare Moon thinking? Was she weighing her options on how to best deal with her? Was she weighing the best course of action concerning her? She looked away from her mentor. 'I-I need to think about this logically,' she told herself. 'And logically, I know Nightmare Moon needs me for something- or she has some reason to keep me around. Granted, she'll kill me when I'm no longer useful or if it becomes apparent that I'm not useful...'

She caught herself before she bit her lip.

'Okay... um... She's... She treats me differently from other ponies. Why? I'm her student; she needs me for something. But... why? What does she need me for? The Elements of Harmony?' She blinked at the thought, and after a second, she scowled. 'That's absurd, she wouldn't...' She pursed her lips. 'Would she? It could explain why she didn't get rid of me and my friends? Either that or she thinks of us as trophies...'

That could have been a part of it, but she didn't feel satisfied with it. She knew that Nightmare Moon treated her differently from other ponies. Perhaps Nightmare Moon even treated her with some form of respect, despite how she was acting. Though she hadn't really tested it, Nightmare Moon had said she retained some privileges and authority.

Nightmare didn't treat her all that harshly. Especially after her outburst. Perhaps something had changed? Nightmare Moon was intelligent, and maybe Nightmare was studying her. Maybe Nightmare had reached the conclusion that she wouldn't get very far with her through the use of fear and intimidation.

A thought slammed into her, and she nearly staggered from it: 'Nightmare Moon said that she knows she can't rule solely through fear. What if she's trying to use the same principle with me? What if she's trying to adapt how she interacts with me for some reason?'

Her eyes wandered over to her teacher and she looked over her slender, powerful form. 'But why!? Why would she change how she interacts with me? Because fear wouldn't get her very far. But what does she want? She has to get something out of this!'

What did it mean? She had no answers. She couldn't hope to comprehend the thoughts of Nightmare Moon. She let out a silent sigh of defeat and looked down at the earth beneath her hooves as they walked along towards Hollow Shades.

The walk into the city was much like their arrival, which was to say that it was quiet, and everywhere they passed, batponies all paused to look at Nightmare reverentially. Word had clearly spread quickly of her arrival, far quicker than their walk. The trees and brush hiding the stone structures gradually gave way into something that looked more like an actual town, revealing more of the stonework.

The stone construction was as different from Canterlot as Ponyville was. Where Canterlot was constructed from marble, the stone the batponies used was light gray in color, and the surfaces weren't polished, nor as smooth, as Canterlot's structures. Where the moonlight struck, the light was scattered, showing off the roughness of the exterior stone. It wasn't that it was unfinished, but she knew that if she were to brush against it, it wouldn't feel silky or glossy like the marble of Canterlot, but it would be rough, like sandpaper.

Very few structures rose above a single floor, and those that did seemed to be constructed in such a way as to avoid drawing attention- it was as if the entire city was meant to remain hidden, to remain a mystery, despite what the light of day could reveal.

She shivered as a chill raced down her spine. Casting her gaze about, for the first time, she noticed that some of the batponies wore armor. And that armor, oh, it was so different from the armor of the Royal Guard. Where the Royal Guards' armor was steel painted bright gold, reminescent of the day and the light of Celestia, the batponies' armor was a cold, dull gray. There was no finish, nor paint, nor anything else adorning their armor. It was entirely function over fashion. Their armor was sharp-edged, yet sloping gracefully over their bodies. The shoulder pieces overlapped in such a way to promote flexibility without sacrificing too much protection, and the armor covering their sides and back seemed to be one plate, while their chestplate was strapped onto it.

Just looking at that armor, she felt a sense of dread. Where the Royal Guards emanated an aura of peace, stability, and protection, looking at the batponies wearing armor, she saw soldiers, rather than ponies. Gone were the almost playful looks on the mares' faces, as they had been claimed by an intense, serious, and perhaps even foreboding look. Their fangs, in contrast, still did not look predatory.

Attached to the boots of their forehooves were crescent moon-shaped blades that curved back towards the hoof, with a small section of the tip sweeping forward past the boot, forcing them to stand almost awkwardly on their forehooves. The sharp blades caught the light of the moon and reflected it in such a way that the sharp white glint seemed to imbue the metal with energy.

The foreboding looks given to her and Nightmare by the batponies consumed the very air, forcing it to press down even more than it already was. The air felt thick, and she felt that it was a struggle to continue to walk forward. Likewise, breathing in, she felt like the air was almost a soup.

"You should relax," Nightmare chastized. To her, it almost sounded like there was a hidden laugh in her voice, as if she was amused by the fear she displayed. She glanced at Nightmare, and though Nightmare didn't look at her, there was a smirk on her lips. "They are only showing off," her teacher elaborated.

She swallowed, then turned her head to the right and looked back behind her. The batponies wearing armor still looked so serious, but perhaps the ones furthest back had relaxed. But they were too far, and the lighting too dim, for her to be certain. So instead, she looked back ahead.

One of the buildings started to grow into the sky, dominating the surrounding city. From the distance she couldn't make out too many details, but it instantly reminded her of the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was clearly different and smaller, but in the back of her mind, the similarities were impossible to ignore or miss.

As they walked on, the chaotic ranks of batponies that had assembled to watch them grew more organized. Eventually, it was a virtual wall of armor-clad mares and stallions on both sides of the road they walked down, which lead directly to that central pseudo castle in the middle of the city. Looking straight ahead, the wall of shining gray seemed impervious to anything. It reminded her of the Royal Guard, and the times when she had seen them assembled in such a way. The seriousness on their faces was identical to the Royal Guards, except perhaps even more serious. It was like each of them had only one purpose in life: to serve Nightmare Moon.

And how many batponies were assembled in that wall? It grew from a single file, to two, then three ponies thick, but it did not stop at that. Where streets branched off from the road they trod, the rows of batponies stretched on further than she could see- although the closer ponies blocked her view, stopping her from seeing the true depth of the assembled batponies.

How had they assembled so quickly? Were they truly that prepared? How did they look so ready, despite how quickly they approached the center of the city? They seemed better organized than the Royal Guard. And on top of that, she was certain they outnumbered the Royal Guard, perhaps by several times over. They were also better equipped, as evidenced by their weapons.

And yet, it still stood out in her mind that all of them were batponies. Not a single one of them was a unicorn, not a single one of them could cast spells like a unicorn could. Nor did they have the same strength and resistance of an earth pony. Overwhelmingly, they could dominate the skies, yet they were not as balanced as the Royal Guard.

But it also occured to her, that from what Nightmare had said regarding them, that it made perfect sense. She had created them when faced by griffins. As such, control of the skies would have been a necessity. And as she thought about that, she shuddered. She shuddered because it occurred to her that griffins had claws, claws that, perhaps, it necessary, could be far more fatal to a pegasus than she had ever considered. After all, using those claws, perhaps they could have shredded a pegasus' wing, and that could have been a death sentence.

She had never considered that before, and the thought startled her. But she had no prior reason to consider it. She did her best to push the thought from her mind.

The pseudo castle was nowhere near as grand as a true castle was, and even with the state of disrepair the Castle of the Two Sisters was in, it still paled in comparison to it. It did not have the height that normal castles did, but it fit with the rest of the city's low profile as if it was meant to avoid attention.

"I hope this is pleasing to you, my Queen," their guide said. "We were rushed to prepare this display, but there is far more ready than this!"

"Good," was Nightmare's response. "I look forward to seeing it. I was concerned that it would be difficult to integrate you into the Guard. Outfitting so many with armor and weapons would be a challenge, but it seems you have already taken care of that."

"It wouldn't do to not be prepared, my Queen!" was the mare's response.

"However, as I said before, I am disappointed you did not come to me. I am willing to overlook this, at least for the time being," Nightmare stated.

The mare said nothing, and they continued to walk. Eventually, a group of three batponies, all wearing armor, all with those sharp, crescent moon-shaped blades on their forehooves, approached to greet them. Two stallions and a mare, with them coming in a v-shaped formation, with the mare on the left of the lead guard. "They will escort your student to where she can rest while we continue," the mare announced.

Twilight felt a slight twinge of panic race down her spine at that. After all, the three of them looked so intimidating. And they were soldiers loyal to Nightmare Moon. All her teacher had to do was give the order, and they would kill her. She swallowed. The three guards stopped, then fell into reverential bows.

"See to it that you treat my student with the same respect that you would treat me with," Nightmare hissed.

"Of course, my Queen," the lead batpony said, his voice soft and almost silky. He lifted his head up, then rose. A moment later, the other two stood up.

Nightmare turned to face her, and she once again barely avoided nibbling on her lip. For a moment, her teacher silently studied her expression. "I do not know how long I will be," she finally said. "You may rest, if you so choose. I will get you- or send a guard for you- when I have need of you."

She nodded in response, as it was the only way she could realistically respond.

Nightmare's expression slipped and softened. She almost thought she heard Nightmare let out a sigh, but that was just silly. "Try to relax. You may explore the city if you would prefer that- you are not a prisoner, after all, Twilight Sparkle. You are my student."

She felt like Nightmare put too much emphasis on the fact that she was her student. It was like Nightmare was pointing that fact out to her, and everypony else, that there were expectations associated with that. She had to represent her teacher well, and to fail to do so would bring consequences. Yet, it felt like Nightmare said it in such a way that was meant to reassure her, as if it was meant to emphasize certain benefits. She nodded, this time, much more timidly.

In an instant, Nightmare looked away from her. She stood still while Nightmare walked away, then followed the first batpony, who lead her off to the right. She lingered there for several seconds, just watching her teacher depart. Nightmare walked away with a calm, authorative, royal grace. Her mane and tail flowed calmly, like a gentle babble of a forest stream, betraying no signs of stress. Nightmare appeared to soak up the attention and reverence the batponies had for her, and as a result, she could see her radiating something because of it. It wasn't joy, but she couldn't come up with the right word for it.

Then, it occured to her that Nightmare Moon was gone. She was alone, standing there, guarded by three ponies she knew nothing about. Three soldiers, loyal to Nightmare Moon, but whose motives she did not know. While Nightmare Moon was a psychopath, and she felt terrified of the alicorn, at the very least, she was familiar with her teacher. They were not close, but she knew Nightmare Moon. These three batponies, she did not know.

Looking back at them, she felt her muscles all tense up. The same cold expression was there as before. All seriousness, no friendliness. They were soldiers first and foremost, and ponies, perhaps that wasn't even in second place. She felt dread. Perhaps they were more different from other ponies than she thought.

"If you are ready, we shall escort you to your temporary residence," came the leader's honeyed voice. Yet that voice came without a smile, nor was there any warmth in his expression.

She found herself nodding, timidly, but quickly. The three ponies gradually turned around, and then she found that they entered into a formation around her, with her at the center. The leader was still at the head but off to her right, not much further ahead of her, and the mare and other stallion flanked her. The leader looked back at her, and she gave a nod, then he looked ahead and walked on.

Likewise, she followed, as did her other two guards.

She had expected to go into the castle, but instead, she found herself being led off to the left, opposite of where Nightmare had gone. As they walked on, she saw that the organized, assembled ranks of batponies faded and dispersed. In its wake, she found herself shocked. The soldiers had appeared so serious that it made her question if they were all that way, but with those soldiers gone, she saw other ponies. Normal ponies, acting like anypony else from anywhere else. The only difference was their appearances.

Stallions and mares walked about casually, displaying the same friendliness to one another that other ponies did. Colts and fillies ran about, chasing one another. Some even flew through the sky, almost as carefree as pegasi. Ponies wore saddlebags and drifted between buildings, presumably shops, trading and or buying and selling.

The contrast was so sharp that she felt bewilderment in addition to a sense of whiplash. When she turned her attention back to her escorts, she was shocked to see that the formality was entirely erased, like it had never been there in the first place. Though she couldn't see the leader's expression, she figured it was likely the same as the other two. Almost playful.

As if to reinforce that thought, the mare to her left asked, "So, you're Queen L..." she paused to cough, and Twilight turned to face her, just in time to see unsureness whisked away, then she continued, "Queen Nightmare Moon's student. There was a rumor flying around that she took on a student, but I didn't believe it." The mare turned to face her, and she wore a playful, almost teasing smile. "Especially considering who you are, or rather were."

It occurred to her that it was the second time one of the batponies had almost said something else. She wondered how she knew not too. Surely there hadn't been enough time for word of that to spread? It left her pensive. And what was it that they were going to say, that they were so quick to stop themselves? Another name. But what name?

The batpony giggled. "Oh, relax. We're not really so brooding and serious all the time. We're still ponies."

"I know that," Twilight muttered sharply.

"So, Twilight Sparkle. I'm Midnight Edge," the mare replied.

"Um... hello," Twilight replied.

Midnight tilted her head. "You're not very social are you."

She shook her head. "No, not really. No," she answered thoughtfully.

Midnight smiled and looked back ahead with a giggle.

"Here we are," the leader announced. "Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, let us know."

Looking at the structure before her, she found that it looked like any other structure she had thus far encountered in Hollow Shades. Built of stone, neither inviting nor uninviting, nor betraying anything of what purpose it served. The leader walked to the door, then pushed it open with his forehoof.

Inside, the walls were wooden, though the floor was still stone. Mounted to the walls were torches. She scowled at the fire hazard, especially compared to candles or magelights, though knew they might not have access to better options. "What is this place?" she asked.

"An unoccupied home, owned by the city," the leader explained. He tilted his head and looked at her curiously. "Is it not to your liking?"

She shook her head. "No, it's fine, I was just curious." After she finished, the leader righted his head again and gave her something between a smile and a smirk. She shifted her weight, then walked into the house. She stepped into the doorway and looked back to see the other stallion walk around to the right side of the door, while the leader stayed on the left. Midnight waited there and watched her. For a few seconds, she watched Midnight, then walked on inside. Midnight followed behind her, then closed the door.

Without waiting for her to say anything, Midnight turned, then walked on past her. "The bedroom is this way," she said in passing.

Twilight hesitated, then followed. Midnight ducked into a doorway on the right. She lingered behind, then turned down the same hallway as Midnight, who had stopped at the end of the hallway and stood to the left of an open door. She watched Midnight for a moment, then walked down the hallway and looked inside the mentioned room.

While he home was supposidly unoccupied, she found that it was furnished. The room had a double bed, though it wasn't quite as luxorious as the one she was used to, it was still close, along with a dressor against the far stone wall. There were two windows, one above the dresser, and the other one on the wall across from the bed. The curtains to both windows were drawn shut, leaving the only light to come from the flicker of torches. Once again, she scowled.

Putting away her distaste for the torches, she walked into the bedroom and looked around. Another doorway led to a small bathroom complete with a shower- and that surprised her. Both rooms were barely decorated, and the only decoration of note was a picture on the wall across from the dresser. She looked, then stared at that picture. An alicorn stood on a rock outcropping, wings flared wide, and silhouetted by the moon. No scars nor craters adorned the moon, and it brought back those moments of terror that she had seen the moon with no Mare on the Moon scaring its features. So white, so untouched.

On the ground below the alicorn a battle was waged- ponies of all kinds, including batponies, along with deer, fought against griffins, and they were winning.

But all of this was told in such a small painting, one that she could have clutched to her chest. What details did she miss because of the poor lighting? What secrets would proper lighting reveal?

How long had she stared at that painting? She pushed her thoughts aside, and her eyes drifted down to the wooden wall below the painting. She licked her lips, then turned around and walked to the dresser. She lit her horn, then used her magic to open the curtains.

She looked out into the moonlit night, looking out across one of the city's nameless streets. Not many ponies were out, but the majority of them were foals, all running of flying along, chasing one another.

"So, is there anything you need?" came Midnight's question.

She turned her head back, and for a moment, just watched the batpony standing in the doorway. She hadn't heard her move, but then, as she thought about it, she hadn't heard much movement from the batponies. She glanced down to Midnight's armored boots and found that, despite what she first thought, Midnight lacked those blades that the rest of the soldiers had, then she looked back up at her and took a deep breath. "I don't know," she replied. She pursed her lip, then bobbed her head to the right. "I... have a lot of questions I'd like to ask."

Midnight smiled. "Well! No, we're not vampires; we eat the same things that normal ponies do-"

Twilight scowled at her. "I knew that!" she hissed. "I wasn't going to ask that." Midnight just giggled playfully. She huffed. She didn't know Midnight that well, but found that the thought occurred to her that she would probably get along with Pinkie Pie. And that thought felt so foreign to her, the idea of anypony being able to get along with that pink blur.

"So, what are you going to ask?" Midnight questioned, slowly meandering into the room in a playful manner, like she was stalking her prey for fun.

Twilight turned around to face her. "Oh, where to start..." she muttered, slowly shaking her head. "How many of you are there? Why do you keep to yourselves so much? Why did you all act so serious around Nightmare Moon? How do so many of you have armor and weapons? How well trained are all of you compared to the Royal Guard? Why are you using torches!?" she listed off.

Midnight stared at her for a moment, then blinked. "Wow," was her only comment.

She squinted at her.

Midnight inhaled then spoke, "Uh, let's see. We keep to ourselves... Uh, it's just sort of what we do. I think it tends to relate to how we're Nightmare Moon's. We've waited for her return for a thousand years, you know. So we had plenty of time to prepare for her return." She tilted her head, "Does that explain why we have the resources we have?"

She hesitated to reply. "I... suppose," she admitted. 'A thousand years to prepare... Princess Celestia would have had that same time... then... how did this happen!? How did she not stop Nightmare?' She felt anxiety at the thought. How had it all gone so wrong? Was it all her own fault?

"We're not really as serious as you saw around Nightmare Moon. Just, professionalism," Midnight continued. "Only the best for our Queen. We are trained from foalhood to be soldiers," was added as an afterthought.

And that afterthought made her gawk at Midnight. Her brow folded down in disbelief. "You can't be serious! Trained from foalhood to be soldiers!?"

Midnight frowned at her. "Yes. We are. Did Nightmare Moon not tell you of our origins?"

Twilight's frown let up. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Yes..." she answered. Perhaps Nightmare Moon had been somewhat vague, but it was still enough for her to understand. She let out a sigh, and with that sigh leaving, she felt something else leave her as well. Perhaps it was energy, or strength, or maybe her will. The thought that ponies were raised from foalhood to be soldiers ate at her mind. She looked down at the floor as her ears folded back.

"Hey, not all of us are soldiers, okay? Besides, it's a great honor, and something we choose to do! Foals may be trained, but it's not like they're forced into it. They have free will, you know," Midnight offered thoughtfully.

Twilight looked back up at her.

"Besides," Midnight said as her playful smile returned, "I know who you are. Formerly Princess Celestia's-" She felt a wave of ice wash over her, and the crescent moon necklace on her chest suddenly seemed to be infinitely cold and searingly hot at the same time. She tensed up, almost feeling Nightmare's untold, insatiable wrath, yet there was no teleport, nor were either of them killed, and Midnight continued, barely noticing how she froze up, "-prized student. She trained you from when you were a foal."

She opened her mouth to refute her, after all, being trained in magic by Princess Celestia was far different from being trained to be a soldier, but as if sensing her thoughts and to preempt her, Midnight added in a sweet, singsong voice, "That's not really that different from us, you know."

She closed her mouth, then huffed. "It is different!" she retorted. How could Midnight not see just how different it was!? She was trained in magic, but not to be a soldier! While they trained their foals to be soldiers! "I wasn't trained to kill!" she defended.

Midnight blanked, then stared at her with an almost empty expression. After a second, Midnight's ears drifted back, and her lips twitched down. "We don't train them to kill," was her soft response.

Twilight felt her anger melt at that. This batpony seemed almost as manipulative as Nightmare Moon was with her feathers. "Then what do you train them to do?"

Midnight brightened back up at that, though her smile did not entirely recover. "They learn how to fly well so that they can evade danger and chase targets. Basically stuff like that, so that they can escape danger or catch their enemies. Really, it's not that different from pegasi using air tag. And it's not that different from pegasi foals playing together."

She wasn't convinced, but then, she also knew that it might have been pointless to argue with Midnight about this. So, she did the logical, sensible thing, and just let it go. 'Maybe I'm not completely insane yet!' was her hope.

"We're probably trained as well if not better than the Royal Guard. We also live longer than the other pony subspecies, so there's that too," Midnight continued. "And the torches?" she asked. Twilight saw Midnight's expression blank. After a few seconds, Midnight inhaled and tilted her head. "You know, I'm not actually sure about that..."

Twilight squinted at her. "Oh, really?" was her retort.

Midnight pulled her head back and frowned. "Hey! No need to be rude."

Twilight huffed and turned away. "Sorry, I'm just... stressed."

"That probably comes with the territory," Midnight commented. "L- Mm, Nightmare Moon never had a student before, you know. Nor did she really teach anypony. At least not from what I remember learning. So you're lucky!"

She felt a spark of anger in her chest at that, and in response, her head whipped around to face her. "Lucky!?" she shrieked. "Do you have any idea how stressful this is!?"

Midnight shied back from her, stepping back with her left hind hoof, and her ears folded back.

She wanted to charge at Midnight and scream at her. She wanted to run away and cry. Her legs trembled, and she sucked in her breaths, and likewise, forced the air from her lungs in response to her will and need. And then, she felt bad. She felt bitter still, and she still felt anger, but it was subdued. Here she was, acting like a foal throwing a tantrum, taking it out on somepony she just met, somepony who did nothing to deserve it.

She felt ashamed and looked away from her. She studied the wall to avoid looking at Midnight. She knew in her heart and mind that she needed to apologize. She knew that Princess Celestia would be disappointed in her if she didn't apologize. But what did that matter? Princess Celestia would already be disappointed if she found out about her reaction. Princess Celestia was probably disappointed with her already.

But what did that even matter, either? Princess Celestia was gone. And all she had now was Queen Nightmare Moon. The edges of her eyes burned, so she closed them. Warmth rolled down her cheeks, despite trying to force it back.

"Are you okay?" Midnight asked.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, as Midnight's voice sounded so close. Her eyes shot open and turned left, and she found that Midnight was just a step away from her. She felt a lance of fear from Midnight's silent approach, but that lance was more like a toothpick, if even that, compared to what her teacher evoked. Her first thought was to lie to her, but doing that still felt so wrong. Maybe she had only just met Midnight, but there was no reason to lie to her, was there? Besides, lying was morally wrong.

And Applejack would chastise her for that, she knew. She felt silly when that thought occurred to her. She wasn't friends with Applejack, and yet she was friends with Applejack. Applejack was just some insane farm pony she met, yet Applejacks' opinion somehow mattered to her.

Her lips lifted up into a smile. "No," was her bleary, croaked answer. "No..." her voice cracked as she tried to say 'I'm', and so it was silent, "not."

And for whatever reason, Midnight took it upon herself to step forward, then pull her into a hug. She didn't resist it, even if it wasn't something she wanted. Or rather, she didn't want it from Midnight. She wanted it from Princess Celestia, or even Spike, or her brother, or Cadance. But none of them were there. She leaned into Midnight's hug, even if it wasn't comfortable. The cold steel of Midnight's armor separated her from the closness that a hug was meant to have, and that coldness seeped into her coat, then into her skin and body. That steel, though only so thick, felt like an infinite chasm that could not be crossed, leaving her to feel so, so isolated.

Midnight squeezed her, and the cold pressed that much closer to her body. She didn't continue to cry, even with as much as she needed to. It just didn't come. Midnight wasn't the pony for her to cry on her shoulder.

All too soon, and yet not soon enough, Midnight let up on the hug. She hesitated for a few seconds, then pulled away.

"Why?" was Midnight's concerned question.

She just shook her head. How could she do anything but shake her head? There was no way for Midnight to understand what she had been through. There was no way for her to cry her heart out to Midnight. She did not know Midnight, and Midnight did not know her. And as the icing on top of the cake, Nightmare Moon was still right there with her, so close, listening to her every word, no matter how far away she was.

And Nightmare had heard her outburst about how stressful it was to be her student. It was the truth, but she felt fear and anxiety at realizing Nightmare would know how she thought about it. But she also felt shame, as if saying that somehow made her a disappointment to Princess Celestia.

There was nothing that she could say to Midnight. Everything had been thrown upside down.

"If you want to talk, I'll listen," was Midnight's soft offer.

She shook her head again, then turned her head and pointed her muzzle down at the necklace, jerking her head slightly. Midnight looked down at the necklace and regarded it with curiosity, looking at it as if it was a work of art worthy to be praised, rather than the chains and shackles of bondage that it was. And yet, when Midnight looked back up, she thought she could see some glimpse of understanding there.

And a part of her was afraid that she saw that. After all, Midnight was still a soldier loyal to Nightmare Moon above all else. And perhaps by conveying what she had, Midnight would think she wasn't loyal to Nightmare Moon. And then, word could reach Nightmare Moon, and that would be the end of it. She felt fear and anxiety, but Midnight didn't attack her, nor shout at her. Nor did she show the kind of understanding she hoped for.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Midnight offered. She shook her head. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

She had no answer for that. A part of her wanted to be alone, but another part of her was terrified of being alone. She shook her head curtly.

Maybe she had simply reached her limits again, and maybe Nightmare was right. Maybe she did need to rest. She clenched her jaw and stared at the bed.

Midnight must have seen her looking at the bed, because she turned to stand beside her and said, "Here," in a soft voice to try to coax her into bed.

She resisted at first, but after a moment, she was surprised to feel Midnight's wing over her back. She turned to look at Midnight, not sure of what she would find, but not really caring what she would see one way or another. She felt numb. Midnight looked back at her with a soft, compassionate smile, one that tried to comfort her, yet seemed to just reflect off of her coat, unable to penetrate to where it needed to go.

She glanced back at Mightnight's leathery wing. It felt different. She wasn't sure how to describe it. The extent of her knowledge with how wings felt was from Cadance, Princess Celestia, and Nightmare Moon- all three of whom were alicorns, and had feathered wings like pegasi. Midnight in contrast had no feathers, just skin. Her wings weren't even protected by fur, like the leading edge of pegasi and alicorn wings. Her wing was a dark, deep blackish-purple.

Her skin felt stiff and strong, yet also pliable, like it would be hard to cut or otherwise damage. For some reason, she had the idea that Midnight's wing skin felt like what a dragon's scales would feel like if they were skin, or maybe even it felt like a dragon's wing skin. Her skin was thick, yet it wasn't so thick that she couldn't feel Midnight's pulse as her heart beat. Unlike alicorn wings- and presumable pegasi wings- without fur or feathers to prevent direct skin contact, she could feel just how warm Midnight was, even despite the chill to the air. It took only a few seconds for that warmth to seep into her coat.

"I think you should lay down and try to relax," Midnight said. "I can leave if you want-"

"Please don't leave," she replied. She looked back at the bed, studying the plain bedsheets and pillows. She swallowed and licked her lips, then glanced back at Midnight to say, "Just... I don't want to be alone right now."

Midnight gave her a silent nod, then unassumingly coaxed her forward. She didn't fight it, and made her way over to the bed. She lit her horn and pulled the covers back, then climbed into bed. Even as she laid down on the cool fabric, she could feel the lingering warmth from Midnight's wing, yet it wasn't enough to melt through her fears. She pulled the blankets back over herself and watched Midnight silently walk around the end of the bed, then stand just inside the doorway. "I'll stand outside," she said as she passed through the open doorway, leaving the door open.

Twilight swallowed, then glanced at the torch. With a slight application of magic, she whisked the flame out of existence, dropping the room into darkness. She could see a flickering light drifting into the room from the hallway, but on the floor, she could see the barest outline of Midnight's shadow.

She ignored it and rolled her head back over and stared at the curtains of the window across from the bed. She let herself relax, and as the tension that felt permanently imprinted on her muscles faded, she felt exhausted. Her eyes felt dry and heavy, and the numbness crept outward, like it was planning to consume her entire body.

But she didn't sleep. Nightmare Moon would inevitably show up. It was only a matter of time. The fear that she would hear the crack of Nightmare's magic the second she closed her eyes prevented her from closing her eyes.

But it was all too much for her, and she couldn't keep herself from drifting off to sleep in the silence, despite her fear.

Author's Note

I am fairly certain this is one of the 3-4 longest chapters I have ever written...

Also batponies! Batponies are great.

I reread this and did edits yesterday evening; tell me if I missed anything! Also, I did consider splitting this chapter into two parts because of how long it is. In the future, do you think it would be better to split chapters this long into two parts?

Reunions Part 1

Opening her eyes, everything before her was blurry, unfocused. She could barely make out the outlines. Everything seemed to merge together. There were no distinct ends between what she saw, only a blurry spectrum as one object twisted into another. The room was dark but she had the feeling that it was unfamiliar.

She felt the feeling of Nightmare's eyes on her, but when she tried to turn her head to the left to look towards the source, she found that the only thing she could do was move her eyes in the general direction. She could see the blurry outline of two ponies standing beside one another, with one towering over the other. Both were silhouetted. She felt her heart pounding, racing, and her mind screamed. It felt like a nightmare. She was awake, but wasn't at the same time. Her body refused to obey her. She couldn't breathe, despite her efforts. Her body did not feel like her own, rather, it felt paralyzed.

She felt fear, indescribable fear. She was completely exposed, but she couldn't figure out what that fear was coming from. Everything was a blur, she was only vaguely away and aware of her surroundings. Her fear didn't give her any energy, nor did her fear contribute to any state of awareness nor did it try to spur her to action. Instead, her fear haunted her, like something was chasing her, right behind her. She couldn't look back, both out of fear, and because as soon as she did, she knew whatever was chasing her would get her.

Her body felt like ice, yet everything enveloping her felt warm. Her lungs ached, then burned, desperate for air that she could not inhale. And yet, she still breathed somehow. Although she couldn't inhale, she felt the air coming in through her nostrils to just barely relieve that burning ache in her lungs. Her chest barely rose in her paralysis, but she felt some sense of relief, yet it did nothing to stop the feeling that she was being stalked.

She heard voices. The voices were distant, hushed, whispered, heard as if she were submerged in water, sinking, so far away from the source. The voice came from the taller silhouette. She couldn't make out what was said, it was a blur, all mixed together. The words were wrong, twisted, backward, maybe even upside down. It was a language she couldn't recognize or comprehend, but it was one that she felt like she should understand, but that she was simply in no state to recognize it.

The smaller form shifted in the corner of her eye, and something was said back. Whatever it was, it took what felt like an eternity for the words to stop. The feeling of being sized up by a predator shifted and churned, gradually subsiding, along with the feeling that she was being chased. She felt relieved at that, but it was only some distant sense of relief. Only the feeling of relief, like how everything she saw, felt and heard were only distant feelings, so far divided from her being, like she wasn't actually there to experience it. It was like a dream, like a nightmare, one that, in the blink of an eye, she could forget.

Yet the fogginess seemed to fade. Her sight grew sharper, and no more did one object twist into the next through a blurred spectrum, rather, the outlines sharpened, and she could gradually make out the contrast of light and dark, the flickering orange light coming into the room, the intermittent shadow dancing on the floor. She managed to nudge her head to the side and get a better view of those two silhouettes, but neither came with recognition.

She inhaled deeply, and air rushed into her lungs. She felt the gentle, unassuming weight of blankets covering her body, then felt the soft embrace of the mattress beneath her back.

"I did not realize..."

She felt the feeling that she heard something. She felt like she could place it as words she should understand, but it was so fleeting, so brief, that she might as well have never heard it in the first place. As the seconds grew on, consciousness gradually took a hold of her, and she felt more control and strength return.

But her mind was still so foggy, so clouded: it was a dream, there was no other explanation for it, but her mind could not even process that idea.

A teal-blue glow burned to life, extending up along a long, sharp, black horn. The glow lit the features of a pony that seemed so familiar, somepony who she felt that she should know, somepony she felt that she should be happy to see, somepony who she felt left her quivering beneath the blankets. She could see the reflection of the glow on the cyan armor, and that shimmer was mesmerizing. Yet, the next thing she heard, she was certain of the command, yet the meaning was lost as blackness overtook her. "Sleep."

Twilight jerked awake. Her lungs screamed out for breath, and in response, she sucked in as deep as she could. Fleetingly, in the back of her mind, she felt some sense that something had happened, that she should remember something, yet it was so brief that in a glance down at the bedsheets, the memory was already gone, leaving only a feeling of a memory.

She looked over her bedsheets for a few seconds as the feeling lingered, then she blinked and licked her lips. In an instant, she felt so aware of her surroundings, or rather, that something wasn't there. Her eyes bolted up at the realization, and a moment later, her eyes bolted to the left.

The doorway to her library was empty. Nothing stood there, silhouetted against the backdrop of her magelight. She slowly turned her head to the right and swept her eyes around, scanning her surroundings, confirming what she already felt: Nightmare Moon wasn't there.

But she already knew Nightmare wasn't there. She had felt it the instant she was awake, that she was alone. And somehow, she had managed to recognize that feeling above the primal panic with which she had awoken prior. She found only the faintest hint of fear: it was numbed to the point that, while it was still there, it was almost absent. In contrast with that seed of fear and despite knowing Nightmare wasn't watching her, her anxiety twisted and gripped her chest, making her core feel so very tense.

She swallowed and took a deep breath, then exhaled at length, trying to force that anxiety away like the air in her lungs. She only succeeded to an extent, but that extent left her feeling relieved. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, though nearly jumped as something brushed across her chest.

She froze in a panic and looked down. Immediately, that anxiety melted away. It was only that necklace, which now swayed back and forth, brushing against the fur of her chest. She closed her eyes and let out another breath, then inhaled and opened her eyes. She found herself still staring at the necklace, watching the shimmering light of its enchantments slowly drift across its silvered surface.

It was almost like it was saying something to her in the way the light washed over its surface, but she wasn't sure what.

She cast the concern aside, then pushed her blankets back. An instinctive frown pulled on her lips as the warmth faded entirely, replaced by the chill of Nightmare's night. The cold wasn't that strong, but the air just didn't hold the same warmth that Princess Celestia's day did, nor did it hold the same warmth that even Princess Celestia's night did. The cold air felt so detached and distant, so uncaring, so callous.

She felt that all too familiar numbness creep out from her core, followed by the inescapable feeling of loneliness. Here in her tower, surrounded by enchanted marble walls and numerous books, she was so entirely alone, so secluded and separated from everything else. Nightmare called her 'Student,' and yet 'Prisoner' would have been just as accurate.

She turned her head around and stared out the window. In an instant, without intending to, her gaze fell on the moon, on the scarring of her mentor etched into its surface. How had the spell felt? Did it hurt? Was she in pain now? What did Princess Celestia feel? Did she feel just as alone and isolated as her, or did was she being ridiculous to even consider for a passing second that she could hope to understand the isolation that Princess Celestia felt on the moon?

The edges of her eyes grew warm, then the beads drifted down her cheeks. She paid it no mind, even as her fur was chilled by the lingering moisture. The drops gathered on her chin and tickled her before she finally felt their weight drip off from her to fall onto the bedsheets.

It felt like Princess Celestia was staring at her from the moon. So what if all of Equestria was visible? So what if she would have been so impossibly small? What did it matter that her magic was assuredly sealed away? She felt ashamed. It was as if Princess Celestia was crying out to her, begging for her to help her, and there was nothing she could do. Worse yet, she was helping the pony that did this to her. The shame was crippling. She could almost hear Princess Celestia's voice saying, 'Twilight, why did you fail?' in such a broken, pleading voice.

She had seen Princess Celestia cry. It was rare, but she had seen it. She could only recall a few times. One of them came to mind, accompanying that haunting voice that sounded so much like her, yet nothing like her at the same time. She had looked so heartbroken, so desperate, so pleading. But that had lasted for only a split second before Princess Celestia realized she was there, and then, it was gone. But it was burnt into her mind, and now, that vision came back in full force, yet so twisted and so much worse. And that picture is what she imagined in her mind when she heard that broken, pleading voice begging for her help. How had Nightmare treated her? And was it really all her own fault, had she failed so badly that now all of Equestria, and her mentor, had to pay for her failure?

More warmth rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't look at the moon. Her ears folded back in the same instant her eyes fell to the bed. The sheets were blurry. She didn't care.

How could she be Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student? She had failed, failed, failed. Failed so badly, and now her mentor, Equestria's Princess, was suffering. It felt like Princess Celestia was paying the debt for her crime, completely undeserved. She was so, so ashamed. She had betrayed Equestria's Princess.

Yet, Princess Celestia wasn't as perfect as she had once believed. The numbness creeped out into her legs.

She felt a knot in her throat. She didn't know how she had missed it, but the tightness was all there, already fully formed. It twisted her throat closed to the point that swallowing was impossible.

The bedsheets slowly came back into focus. Her head drifted back around and fell. She ended up staring down at the floor, facing the doorway.

She had been Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student. She didn't deserve that title, did she? She was now the student of the very pony who banished Princess Celestia. How badly had Nightmare Moon treated Princess Celestia? How had that question never occurred to her before?

'I'm going to die...' whispered in her mind. It evoked no emotion, but the numbness finally took over her hooves.

She knew that one day she would die. It was the sort of thing everypony comes to terms with during their life, that life is finite. Perhaps even Princess Celestia's life was finite too. But it was different for herself. Her own death wouldn't be peaceful, her death wouldn't be in decades. Perhaps it would be in years, or perhaps it wouldn't even be months. Perhaps it wouldn't even be at Nightmare Moon's hooves. No, she was a traitor to Equestria.

What was the point of anything? She had betrayed Princess Celestia. Even if by some impossible miracle, Princess Celestia escaped or was freed, even if she somehow had some hoof in helping that come to pass, well, her life was still forfeit.

She closed her eyes and inhaled. It was a calm, solemn inhale. Her thoughts were not panicked, her heart did not race. Her heartbeat was steady, a constant, gentle beat, one that wouldn't have been out of place if she was sleeping peacefully.

She exhaled. For several seconds, she did nothing else, only listening to the silence as nothingness went through her mind. She inhaled again, then exhaled. Finally, she opened her eyes, then swallowed. The knot was gone.

She slid forward, climbing down onto the floor in one motion. She walked towards the door, only vaguely aware of the cold of the floor against her hooves.

She wasn't sure what had happened, but she found herself staring down at the floor, distinctly aware that she was surrounded by her library's bookshelves. Looking up from her hooves, she found that she was in the main room of her library. She didn't remember the trip from her bedroom down the stairs.

She swallowed, then turned her head around. Despite all of the books, all she saw was an empty, unoccupied room. So completely lacking in life, so completely lacking in warmth. It was void of any comfort, it simply existed. Everything seemed to recede from her as if recoiling because of her betrayal.

She was staring ahead at the table. How had she crossed the distance from the stairs to the kitchen? Why couldn't she remember it? had it all passed in such a mind-numbing blur that she wasn't even aware of it happening?

She felt the chair under her haunches and found her hooves outstretched across the table.

The moon drifted further into the sky, but it was still there, dominating the large window of her library, almost taunting her.

A question flashed through her mind, and with that, everything came back into focus. The numbness was disintegrated, and all of the fog clouding her mind was gone. 'How did I get back to Canterlot?'

It was such a simple question, yet it was so important. She felt bewildered: she couldn't answer her own question. She distinctly remembered going to Hollow Shades. She distinctly remembered the assembled legions of batponies, all outfitted in their silvered armor, all prepared to fight and die for Nightmare Moon, to enforce her rule without relent. She distinctly remembered laying down in bed. But it wasn't her bed.

And then? Then there was nothing. She didn't remember waking up to leave. She didn't remember being teleported back, nor did she remember walking back. She didn't remember walking back to her tower, climbing up the stairs, nor laying down in her bed. She remembered none of it, only going to sleep in another bed and waking up in her own.

She had the feeling of a memory, but it was so distant and out of reach. It was the feeling of feeling that she forgot something. It was like knowing one had a dream, but despite how hard you tried to focus on it, it remained only a feeling of a dream. No details came back.

She felt a tightness seize her chest, then it twisted. It twisted more and more, turning around until it twisted back in on itself. It was anxiety. It was a feeling of powerlessness. There was really only one answer for what happened, she knew, and that answer made her want to curl up in a ball and sob hysterically, it made her want to curl up in a ball and lay there silently. She really had no power. It was all just an illusion. Security? She had about as much security as a newborn lost in a blizzard, surrounded on all sides by monsters.

Her life really was so fragile, just a little string. No, not even a string. It was just a hair from a mane. Even that didn't do it justice.

More warmth on her cheeks, but that too was so fleeting. The cold in its wake felt permanent. She watched it soak into the table.

There was a knock on the door. She didn't scream, she didn't cry out in fear, and she didn't whimper.

She hit her hoof on the chair as she jumped into a standing position. The pain was lost on her as she stared at the door, legs trembling. She winced as the chair thudded against the floor, nearly jumping at the sound. The knock came again, just the same as before. Who was knocking? Was it Nightmare Moon? The door was so, so flimsy. Even the strongest enchantments were but paper to her teacher.

Again, that knock came, making her wince and crushing her chest beneath a tidal wave of anxiety and tension. Somehow, she managed to piece that veil of terror, somehow she managed to realize that the knocks weren't that of her teacher. Or, at the very least, the knocks weren't demanding, they weren't threatening.

Knock, knock, knock-knock.

It was a testing knock, perhaps even a bored or playful knock.

Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock.

She swallowed, then lifted a forehoof. Her leg shook, but she managed to take that first step. It was an outlet for the anxiety she felt, and so the tightness plaguing her chest faded ever so slightly. Another step, more fading tension. Another, this one coming quicker, and she felt surer of herself. She swallowed, then crept towards the door. After making it halfway there, she had successfully managed to almost come to a walk.

As she stood in front of the door, her anxiety was just a whisper in the back of her mind, but her fear was ready to jump out at her, screaming. She lit her horn. Her horn sputtered and sparked, refusing to produce a constant glow. Her ears pressed back against her mane.

She tried again, and this time, she managed to produce a steady stream of magic, albeit one that flickered, threatening to fail at the drop of a quill. She managed to grasp the door with her magic enough to unlock the door, then pull it in just enough that it could be pushed open. Her magic failed before she could do anything else.

"Uh, Twilight? You gonna open the door for me ooorrrrr..?"

The panic faded and she felt relief. She recognized that playful voice, and she found herself feeling at ease. She lit her horn, this time unfailingly, and pulled open the door. Midnight stood just on the other side, her head was tilted slightly to the right and her tongue was sticking out from her lips, in between her fangs.

It was such an unassuming, foalish look. It was so playful. It was like Midnight was just a young foal wanting to play with her parents.

It was enough to force her fear to the back of her mind.

She blinked then squinted at the display. "What are you doing?"

Midnight's tongue pulled back into her mouth in a snake-like motion, and she righted her head. "Nightmare Moon wanted me to come and get you since you're awake," was her simple, unassuming response.

And like that, her relief faded. A chill raced down her spine. Midnight's playful friendliness faded, and she saw her brow fold slightly. Midnight could see her fear and unease. "R-right," she preempted. Her unease seeped out into her voice, but it still wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She felt rigid, but not paralyzed.

Midnight frowned. It was only for a second, then Midnight's gaze jumped up to her mane. The frown disappeared as her lips pulled up into a smile, and she was sure that she saw Midnight's eyes lit up in excitement, followed by a carefree giggle.

Spurred on by that, she preemptively scowled. Looking up at her mane, her scowl deepened. 'Of course,' hissed out in her mind. "I'm going to shower and then I'll be on my way."

"Okay, I'll wait for you then," Midnight replied.

Twilight squinted at her, slowly turning her head to the left.

"I'm supposed to escort you to her chambers," Midnight explained. As soon as she finished, the tip of her tongue shot back out between her fangs.

She looked down at Midnight's tongue, which looked entirely equine, and said, "Right..." After a second, she glanced away from Midnight's tongue, then turned away and shut the door with her magic.

Walking through the castle's hallways as she was escorted by Midnight really wasn't all that different from being escorted by a Royal Guard. Walking by other guards drew only the barest reaction, but for the most part, they were stoic. They weren't as friendly as usual, but then that was probably because of Nightmare Moon's takeover.

Midnight carried herself with a casual seriousness that could be mistaken for being completely off-guard and unaware of her surroundings. Yet, as they approached a corner and a Royal Guard stepped into sight, Midnight's eyes sharpened into focus and darted onto his form.

But the Royal Guard didn't stiffen as he walked passed. No, he displayed a formal seriousness in his posture, but not one of tension or fear, as if he was scared or worried about Midnight. What he displayed was more akin to annoyance, like they were in his way. 'Do they feel like they're being replaced?' she wondered as she craned her head back around to watch the passing Royal Guard.

He continued walking down the hallway, ignoring their passing. Turning back ahead, she noticed a pair of Royal Guards standing beside one door that led off to the right. For a moment, she spotted one of the guards looking at Midnight, then he returned to his stoic, almost statuesque stance.

What did the Royal Guard think of Midnight? Did they know about the rest of the batponies, and how they would soon be joining their ranks? Did they feel as if they were being replaced or short-hoofed? Or did they view it as just a curiosity? Did they take it as a relief, that they wouldn't be so overworked? Or did they view it as a threat, as if the batponies were a hostile force that, along with Nightmare Moon, had usurped Equestria?

She glanced to her left at Midnight and watched her walk along for a few seconds, then looked back ahead. Midnight certainly didn't carry herself in a threatening manner, so perhaps the Royal Guard did not view her- and the batponies- as such. Did the Royal Guard consider the batponies as ponies, or did they think of them as monsters?

She found a scowl tugging on her lips as that thought crossed her mind. 'They're ponies just like anypony else! Surely they realize that...' And if they didn't, surely it wouldn't take that long for the Royal Guard to realize it.

Well, assuming the batponies didn't keep to themselves and tried to interact. She pursed her lips, knowing it was a distinct possibility that they wouldn't integrate very well, if only because the batponies seemed to keep to themselves.

But still, if the Royal Guards thought the batponies were monsters, it wouldn't take long for them to realize that the batponies were still ponies. They probably didn't think that in the first place.

She shook the thought aside and turned her attention back to Midnight. She swallowed and mustered whatever courage she had left, then asked, "So, um... Do you know what she wants?"

"Mhm," was Midnight's response.

She waited a few seconds, then leaned her head forward, trying to coax Midnight to continue. But Midnight neither glanced back at her nor elaborated. "Soo..?" she ventured.

Midnight glanced at her and flashed her a smile, then silently strode ahead of her. "You'll just have to find out," was her teasing reply.

Twilight scowled at her and huffed. "Fine."

Midnight just giggled in response.

Ignoring that, she sped up to catch up with Midnight, who glanced back at her. "You don't need to be worried about anything," was her comment.

That comment made her suddenly aware of the tension in her body. She hadn't felt it growing inside her, slithering out and creeping over her whole body. But with Midnight's comment, she felt so very aware of that tension. She felt the twisting and churning in her chest that was her anxiety. She hadn't noticed it, or maybe it was that she was so used to feeling anxious and nervous by now that it went unnoticed as anything out of the ordinary for her.

She looked back ahead to avoid looking at Midnight, especially to avoid meeting her gaze. Maybe she could trust Midnight. After all, Midnight didn't seem to be some zealous, fanatical soldier of Nightmare Moon, ready to burn her alive for treachery. She felt a shiver race down her spine, then swallowed. Her throat was, once again, tight.

"You know she doesn't like seeing you so, uh, nervous, right?" Midnight spoke in a voice that might as well have said, 'Well, gee! You don't realize that Nightmare Moon doesn't want you to be terrified of her to the point that you're paralyzed!?'

She shot a glare at Midnight. "No offense, but I don't-" She clamped her jaw shut just in time to prevent herself from slipping up and saying something she would regret. Yet just how close she came, that left her feeling even more anxious and jittery than before. Her anxiety bubbled in her chest, like a pot of water on a stove, slowly, slowly warming up and churning as it approaching a rolling boil. Yet it was so much thicker than water, thicker than soup, even.

She looked back ahead as Midnight tilted her head and looked at her curiously. "You don't what?" was her curious question.

Rigidly, she shook her head, left and right, back and forth: they were words that she should not speak, at least not to Midnight, even if she could trust her. The only one to whom those words should reach would be Nightmare Moon. But could she openly admit it to her that she did not trust her? Perhaps Nightmare Moon would be understanding.

Nightmare probably already knew, anyway.

Nightmare probably knew she didn't feel safe around her, either.

And Nightmare hadn't taken advantage of that if she did know.

She inhaled as deep as she could, then let it out. The numbness returned. 'Maybe I'm overthinking this?' a part of her mind offered, 'Maybe she isn't as much of a psychopath as I think. Maybe she genuinely wants me to relax and trust her.'

Another part of her broke out in laughter as a response to that thought. It was absurd! 'As if I could ever trust her! She banished her own sister and took over Equestria!'

All at once, the urge to break out laughing shattered. A scold stillness crept over her, almost freezing her body solid. She didn't stop walking, but she felt her expression blank immediately. 'Princess Celestia banished her sister to the moon for a thousand years,' whispered in her mind.

The thought haunted her.

'How different are they?' she wondered. They were sisters. So completely opposite, yet she could undeniably see them as sisters. Princess Celestia, ruler of the day, Nightmare Moon, ruler of the night. Opposites, yet so important for one another.

But maybe they weren't completely different.

Her eyes drifted down to the floor as she walked on. She didn't pay attention to where she was walking, but that was okay. Midnight- and everypony else- paid attention, letting her focus entirely on her thoughts, on her problems, on her predicaments.

She had not known until Nightmare Moon returned that Princess Celestia had banished her own sister to the moon. She hadn't even known Princess Celestia had a sister! Would knowing that have changed anything? She wasn't sure, and that uncertainty haunted her. 'It's Princess Celestia!' her mind cried out, knowing that not trusting her was so treacherous.

Yet it was still undeniable, that she knew after reading the prophecy that Nightmare Moon would return. She had trusted Princess Celestia completely. Princess Celestia had told her it was just an old pony's tale. Princess Celestia had lied to her. Maybe her trust had been abused. Maybe she didn't trust Princess Celestia as much as she thought she did. She knew she didn't trust her as much now as she did before Nightmare Moon returned. It was hard to keep faith in her mentor, given that her mentor had lied to her.

She clenched her jaw.

She had come to a stop. She blinked, then looked up. To her bewilderment, right in front of her was that door which she was so familiar with. Coldness grabbed her body with all the crushing force of tons upon tons of rock. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. She just stared at the door, looking straight ahead. Just above where her eyes focused, there was a silvery emblem of a crescent moon.

Princess Celestia's cutie mark was gone.

'It really is Nightmare Moon's chambers now...'

When had it changed? She didn't know. It had to have been recent. It had to have been she was so thoroughly doing her best to avoid Nightmare Moon. She felt a pang of remorse in her chest, but there was nothing to be done about it.

She swallowed, then felt her heart leap into her throat as the door glowed with Nightmare's aura, then opened. Standing before her, Nightmare looked down at her with all the power, grace, and terrifying beauty that befitted her. The door opened all the way, and she found herself staring ahead at that crescent moon on Nightmare Moon's chestplate.

"Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare greeted, her voice almost fond. But there was still something else there in the greeting that she couldn't place. "Come," was her command.

She swallowed, then stepped forward as Nightmare stepped to the right, giving her an unobstructed path into the room. She walked in through that doorway, and the air felt so much heavier, perhaps even stagnant, weighing down on her, crushing her even more than seeing her teacher had. She had entered the lair of a monster that could kill her in a heartbeat, and the very atmosphere acknowledged that fact.

Her ears folded back, and numbly, she came to a stop in the center of the room, staring straight ahead at the desk across from the entrance. How many times had she seen the beloved white coat of her beloved mentor there? How many times had she seen the graceful, beautiful ethereal mane of her beloved mentor there? And now it was empty. She heard the door click as it closed, and knew that the door had been locked, trapping her in the room with nowhere to go, just her and Nightmare Moon. Her hooves and legs shook. Nightmare looked at her back, she felt it, and her body went still.

Nightmare walked around behind her. Each hoofstep sounded so distinct and individual, as if announcing Nightmare's movements, telling her where Nightmare was. It was an intent stride, and each step was calculated meticulously, never an inch more or less than it had to be. Nightmare walked up beside her, then crossed in front of her before turning to face her.

She didn't look up at her, but she could see and feel Nightmare's eyes shifting, darting over her body, never lingering on one spot for more than a second. Nightmare was looking for something. She didn't find it, and she felt Nightmare's disappointment as much as she heard and saw it. Nightmare's posture slumped, her wings twitched down, and she sighed.

"It is very important that we communicate openly, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said. Her voice was calm, yet there was a bitterness and a disappointment in her chastising voice.

She braced herself for whatever would follow, but it seemed that Nightmare saw that and took it as something she had not desired. For a second, Nightmare scowled, but then it was gone.

Nightmare opened her mouth, then after a moment closed it again. "Speak, Twilight Sparkle," was her command.

Nothing came. She kept her mouth sealed shut and just stood there. Too much raced through her mind, too much anxiety gripped her.

She could just barely tell Nightmare frowned. "I do not expect you to be perfect, Twilight Sparkle. If you think I do, you are incorrect," she spoke cautiously. "Do I have to continue to remind you of this? Must I continue to remind you that I am not your enemy, that I am not just lying in wait for you to slip up? Do you not comprehend that I value you as my student and that I do not want you to feel so hostile towards me?"

The bitterness was there, but it wasn't in full force. And to her shock, she thought she heard pain in that voice. She heard and saw Nightmare inhale, then exhale. The air felt too warm, but not like an inferno. The air felt too cold, but not like a blizzard. Nightmare's eyes glanced back and forth across her face, once again searching for something.

"Please, Twilight Sparkle, do not think that I intend to hurt you," Nightmare said. Her teacher met her eyes, then reasoned, "You are my student. I cannot teach you if you continue to avoid me. You cannot perform at your best if you are so afraid of me that you cannot focus on your studies."

Nightmare scrutinized her. She stood still. It was a perfectly reasonable argument. But it came from Nightmare Moon.

"What must I do to fix this?" Nightmare asked.

'Return Princess Celestia!' shot out in her mind, and she made absolutely certain not to voice that.

Seeing nothing from her, Nightmare asked, "What must I do to gain your trust, Twilight Sparkle?" It was a genuine question, and that in itself caught her off-guard.

And because of it, Twilight knew she was being unreasonable. She was acting just like a foal. She looked away from Nightmare and stared down at the marble floor between Nightmare's hooves. 'She is trying to fix this...' came to her mind in a grave tone. "I-I don't feel safe around you," she stammered.

"This much I can tell," Nightmare retorted.

She winced and stepped back, clenching her eyes shut and lowering her head.

Nightmare reacted somehow too. She wasn't sure how, but she knew Nightmare reacted to it. She didn't see it, but she heard it. The next thing she heard was a sigh from Nightmare, followed by, "Forgive me. I am trying to be patient, Twilight Sparkle, but you make this difficult, and considering all of the other problems I have to address, I would rather have our relationship not be one of these problems." There was a pause while Nightmare waited for it to sink in, then her teacher continued, "I am not experienced with having a student either. I have never had one, and in the past, I have considered the very idea insane, so I do not know what to do in this situation, Twilight Sparkle."

"I-I'm sorry that I've b-been avoiding you," she croaked out. For some reason, saying it out loud, admitting it to her teacher, she felt pain from it. Her ears pressed back against her head and she shuddered as she inhaled. Why did she feel this way!? It was absurd! Nightmare Moon was a psychopath! She knew she shouldn't feel bad, she knew that she shouldn't have felt on the verge of tears, because of apologizing for avoiding her! Avoiding her was perfectly reasonable! Any sane pony would have avoided her!

Or maybe it was everything she was dealing with that made it hurt. Maybe it was losing Princess Celestia, losing Spike. Maybe even losing those insane ponies that she somehow considered 'friends.' Everything hanging over her head now. Maybe it was that her trust in Princess Celestia wasn't the same as it was, or that she wasn't sure she could trust Princess Celestia like she once could. Maybe it was how vulnerable she felt. Maybe it was the fear Nightmare provoked.

Maybe it was that Nightmare Moon was Princess Celestia's sister, and avoiding her felt like a betrayal to Princess Celestia, a betrayal to being who she was. Avoiding her mentor? It was antithesis to her, or at least she thought so, and yet, here she was, doing just that. Avoiding her teacher, avoiding the lessons her teacher could give her, turning her back on her own studious nature.

"You are forgiven, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said calmly. "But please do not make a habit of avoiding me. I do not appreciate it."

She nodded quickly, though at the same moment felt even worse. Nightmare's voice repeated in her mind, 'I do not appreciate it,' and as it did, the full weight of the implications of that crushed down on her. Here she was, perhaps the pony closest to Nightmare Moon, avoiding her. How badly did that hurt her mentor? And what did that mean, given that Nightmare had banished her own sister, after her sister had banished her for a thousand years? Nightmare Moon didn't have anypony else, did she?

She heard Nightmare take a step forward, then she felt Nightmare's feather brush over her cheek. That so gentle stroke brought with it a feeling of relief, perhaps even acceptance. It was comforting, reassuring. And while she felt Nightmare's feather brush over her fur, she felt that maybe it would be okay.

Nightmare's feather continued along her cheek, then brushed upward. For the briefest moment, Nightmare's feather glided through her mane, then it was gone. It didn't bring the same panic and bewilderment that overcame her when Nightmare had brushed her mane. She opened her eyes and hesitantly looked up at Nightmare. Nightmare watched her, looking at her with an expression that was perhaps almost compassionate.

"I am not a monster, Twilight Sparkle. No matter what you think, I am no monster," was her assurance. "I may hate my dear sister-" the words were spoken so venomously, saying that she spat it out like a curse did not do it justice, "but I do not want to destroy Equestria. You may have been my sister's student, you and your friends may have tried to stop me, but I do not want to kill you or them, Twilight Sparkle. You are valuable. Do not think that you are not, or that I will simply throw your life away on a whim."

She looked back down at Nightmare's chestplate and nodded. She swallowed and reluctantly muttered, "But, if I betray you..." Even more reluctantly, she glanced up to see Nightmare's reaction.

Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled. It almost sounded like a contemplative, perhaps even defeated sigh. "Do not betray me," she paused for a moment as if searching for the right thing to say, then more hesitantly said, "and we will not have to cross that bridge."

She nodded timidly as she stared into Nightmare's eyes. Her eyes dropped back to focus on Nightmare's chestplate.

"Twilight Sparkle?" Nightmare called. She looked back up at the sound of her name. Nightmare studied her. "I will not hurt you unless you give me reason to," she stated. "I have nothing to gain from hurting you for no reason."

Her mind refused to believe that, shouting back, 'You would enjoy it!' Even if, logically, she knew Nightmare was probably telling the truth. Assuming, of course, Nightmare was thinking about it logically. She had no reason- other than the belief that Nightmare Moon was a psychopath- to believe her mentor did not think about it logically. But there was still the possibility that she was somehow a threat to Nightmare Moon, and that stole whatever assurance she could take from what her teacher told her. And, of course, Nightmare Moon might enjoy it. She swallowed her fear back and reluctantly ventured, "What... about other ponies..?"

For a moment, Nightmare did not answer her. Nightmare looked as if she pondered the question, thinking through her response, then rolling it around with her tongue. Finally, she answered, "You are my student, other ponies are not. I may not trust you because you were my sister's student, but I am willing to give you the opportunity to change this, as I am willing to give you the benefit of a doubt because of your youth and from what I have seen of you since my return. I am more forgiving of you than the guards because you are my student, but like you, I will not hurt them without reason. It is not beneficial to do so, and it would be quite detrimental to my efforts."

"It's not in your best interests," was her hesitant summary.

Nightmare's lips pulled up into a smile, and there was a glint of glee in her eyes. "Yes," was her response. "Fear is an effective tool, but as I have said before, I know that I cannot rely solely upon it. Such is the case with you."

She shifted her weight, squirming as Nightmare watched her so thoroughly, while her mind said, 'She knows how scared I am of her!' It didn't make her tremble, but it left her feeling as if something- perhaps even Nightmare Moon- would jump out at her without warning to attack her.

"Think of this logically, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare commented. "If I kill you for no reason, ponies will see that and nothing beneficial will come of it. If you force me to kill you, then I have no choice, because if I do not, it weakens my rule: ponies would question my authority. You are still important to Equestria, individual guards less so. But that is not to say that I will kill them without reason. As with you, that would not be beneficial to me. If I kill ponies without a reason, Twilight Sparkle, that only undermines my rule. If I kill them for a reason, such as them betraying me, that reinforces my rule: it serves as a warning. However, I am not so naive to believe that I can simply kill whoever I wish, or at least, not if I want to maintain my Empire. As I have said before, I have no desire to rule over a wasteland. Ruling entirely through fear and force cannot last."

She nodded timidly. Hearing Nightmare's reasoning, a part of her found more assurance in it. Nightmare was calculated rather than whimsical. Assuming, of course, that her mentor wasn't lying to her. And more importantly, it was assuming that Nightmare Moon could control her anger. And given how she saw the alicorn snap before, she wasn't convinced Nightmare Moon could control that anger. She still couldn't trust that her mentor wasn't lying to her, but she couldn't exactly say that, either.

But rather than continue that rather unnerving conversation, Nightmare instead asked, "Is there anything you wish to discuss with me? It is beneficial that we do so if you would like to."

Seizing at the opportunity for a change of topic, she asked the first thing that came to mind that wouldn't provoke Nightmare's ire, "How... did I get back to Canterlot..?"

"I brought you back, of course," was Nightmare's dismissive reply. For a second, nothing happened, then she could practically see hindsight kick Nightmare Moon in the gut. Her lips curled in a wince, and she saw the realization of making a mistake cross her teacher's features. "You..." Nightmare trailed off and pursed her lips unsurely. She could almost hear a low, disgusted groan come from Nightmare's throat. "Does this concern you?"

She hesitated, then gave a slow nod.

Nightmare's wings twitched downward again, but it was over so fast. "I am not going to attack you in your sleep, Twilight Sparkle," she said. "Perhaps I would my enemies," her teacher paused to lean in closer to her, then emphatically continued, "but you are my student... You are a foal."

Her eyes darted up to meet Nightmare's. "Does that really matter to you?"

Nightmare's eyes narrowed and her head pulled returned to its prior position. "Yes," was her succinct reply. "I am not a monster. I am not going to murder foals, least of all in their sleep. I thought I made that clear. Why would it be in my best interest to hurt or kill foals?"

She held her gaze on Nightmare for a few more seconds, then looked off at the wall to her right. She studied it silently, then found her gaze pulled to the shut door leading to Princess- Nightmare Moon's bedchambers. Her ears flicked.

Maybe she had some safety, then. Nightmare Moon wasn't insane. Nightmare Moon was logical, perhaps even, in her own twisted way, reasonable. Assuming Nightmare Moon could control herself, which she wasn't sure of. She still felt nagging doubt eating at her. Who was to say Nightmare wasn't simply lying to her? There was no way for her to actually prove what Nightmare said, at least not without risking her own life.

"I will say it again, Twilight Sparkle: I do not want to kill you. Do not give me a reason to and I will not," Nightmare said.

But it was a lie, of course. Even if Nightmare meant that, wouldn't it be reason enough when she was no longer useful? And what if she was a threat to Nightmare Moon? What if Nightmare Moon snapped in anger again? She looked down at the floor and felt her whole body drooping towards the floor.

"You are my student, Twilight Sparkle. I will protect you, and I will teach you to protect yourself so that you do not become a burden on me," Nightmare continued.

She looked back at Nightmare. She searched Nightmare's expression. It was reserved, perhaps even cautious, as if she was making certain that she was speaking carefully. "Why?" she asked innocently. Only after she said it did she realize she had spoken.

Nightmare didn't snap at her. For a moment, Nightmare was silent, watching her as she tensed up. She watched Nightmare inhaled and extend her wing in one graceful manner, then she closed her eyes as Nightmare's feather reached towards her. Another gentle brush, along her cheek, then gliding up over her mane, before withdrawing. She opened her eyes as a calm peace pushed back the anxiety.

"It is in my best interest," Nightmare answered. "I will teach you to protect yourself so that if something transpires that draws us into a battle, you will not be a greater risk to me than you must be."

She clenched her jaw for a moment, only relaxing to mutter, "Not that..." But even with that said, her mind lingered on the prospect of fighting a battle beside Nightmare Moon. Oh, that was a downright silly idea! Absurd even. Princess Celestia hadn't even let her help with Nightmare Moon. Although, in hindsight, that probably was Princess Celestia trying to protect her. She hoped that was why because the alternative made Princess Celestia lying to her all the worse. Nightmare probably would have killed her first, since it would have made her battle easier. 'But I suppose there's the possibility that we would have no choice...' a part of her mused.

Still, the thought of actually fighting alongside Nightmare Moon was preposterous. Surely there was no way that could ever happen! Unless somepony was trying to kill her. Then maybe.

For a moment, Nightmare's eyes darted off of her body, staring out into space, then they returned. "You are my student," was her answer.

She frowned. "Then why am I your student? Why are you so intent on keeping me when...!" She exhaled sharply and felt her anxiety skyrocket inside her chest.

Nightmare didn't rebuke her display, despite her fears. Instead, Nightmare regarded her for a moment, then reached out with her wing. Her eyes darted to the wing as it approached her, then as a feather touched her cheek, she felt that anxiety deflating. The feather slid over her cheek in a single comforting stroke, as if whisking away that anxiety, then Nightmare folded her wing. She swallowed and looked back at her teacher. "Did I not tell you before, that I need you?" was her teacher's question.

She clenched her jaw and muttered, "Yes..."

Nightmare's lips pulled up into a smile.

"I don't understand!" she retorted. After a moment, she swallowed and carefully said in a quiet voice, "You have no reason to trust me... You have no reason to make me your student because I was your sister's student..."

Nightmare's smirk faded as her lips fell into a neutral line. She thought there was the barest hint of pain washing over Nightmare's features. Nightmare turned her head to the side, followed by what might have been another sigh, then looked at her again. Her teacher calmly inclined her head as if in acceptance, then said, "You were my sister's student, yes. However, as I have said, having you become my student is useful. You can help me."

Once again, Nightmare's eyes glided over her body, taking in her form. She felt that gaze crawl over her back, linger on her side, jump to her other side, then back, and crawl the rest of the way, back to her flank, then it stopped there, going over the outline of her cutie mark, taking in each ray, then each star surrounding the starburst. Then, Nightmare's eyes jumped back to meet her own. She swallowed. Nightmare watched her for a second more, then looked off somewhere at the wall to her right before turning her head, and then her body, towards the wall.

Nightmare walked forward a few steps and lit her horn, meanwhile, Twilight turned her head to watch. Nightmare opened the door to her bedchambers, then calmly ordered, "Follow."

Timidly, Twilight turned, then walked into place beside Nightmare, who casually walked into the bedroom.

"Relax," was Nightmare's next order, accompanied a moment later by the feeling of a feather on her coat. Twilight barely suppressed a shiver as that feather stroked along her back, then brushed over her mane.

She relaxed, but her guard still did not fall. She relaxed and held herself less rigidly, less formally, but was still entirely aware of her precarious position: she was useful, but perhaps she would not always be useful.

Once inside the bedroom, Nightmare turned towards the left, and as Twilight took a few long steps to keep pace with her mentor, she determined their destination: the balcony, signaled by Nightmare's magic enveloping the door, then opening it.

Looking out through the open door, she beheld the dark night sky. Stars twinkled above Canterlot, and the moon was just out of sight. Her legs slowed, hesitating to take her any further, knowing what she would see on the moon when it came into sight. Nightmare paused to look back at her, but Nightmare's expression did not harden. No, Nightmare was patient, if only with her, and if only to an extent. Nightmare had to know patience, given what she had endured.

She swallowed, then blinked. Without thinking about it, she glanced at her mentor, then turned her attention back to the sky. Overriding her legs desire not to carry herself forward, she walked on towards the balcony. Despite unease at knowing what she would see, she did not carry herself rigidly: there was no reason for her to be anxious or scared, surely, nothing was going to hurt her. Nightmare Moon would be right there beside her, surely able to protect her, even more than Princess Celestia could have, or had.

'Princess Celestia didn't really protect me from you...' a part of her mind whispered treacherously. She cast the thought aside and turned her head to look up at Nightmare as she took her place at her mentor's side, though the thought still gnawed at her.

Nightmare smiled, then gracefully strode out onto the balcony, still holding onto that smile. She walked beside her, swallowing as she passed through the doorway. She hadn't meant to, but no sooner had she stepped out onto the balcony than her gaze had shot up to the moon. She hadn't meant to, but she looked, and then stared, at the scarring that marked Princess Celestia's banishment.

The numbness in her core returned. Her eyes drifted down, then jumped down from the moon. She focused on one star in particular. She neither knew the star's name nor cared. She didn't really even consider the star, despite it being the sole focus of her gaze. It was just a simple scapegoat, something to distract her from the moon and the features dotting its surface. Eventually, her eyes leveled on the railing.

She was vaguely aware that she had stopped in the middle of the balcony, but so had Nightmare. Had she spurred on Nightmare stopping, or had it been the other way around? She didn't know. She glanced at Nightmare, but her gaze lingered longer than she intended. Her gaze was drawn up along Nightmare's neck, then she looked at her head and found that Nightmare's head was tilted back, lifted up into the air as she stared at the moon.

Yet Nightmare didn't look comforted. She didn't look like somepony basking in the glory of her victory, but rather, like somepony contemplating imperfections. She glanced down at Nightmare's lips. There was no scowl, nor smile, only a tense, rigid line as her lips pressed together. Yet looking along Nightmare's side, she found that her teacher didn't hold herself so formally. Her teacher's body was relaxed, or at least casual, not standing as if she were in anguish.

Turning her gaze back to Nightmare's eyes, she watched them shift, jumping from place to place as if she was scrutinizing the features scarred into her moon. As if she saw those black scorches and took them in disgust, as they were something that was never meant to be there.

And she remembered, that for that short when Nightmare Moon had been free and before Princess Celestia had been banished in her place, that the moon wasn't scarred by those dark craters. Instead, it was so pure, pristine, and unblemished. The picture on the wall, of the alicorn silhouetted by the moon, also had that same purity. That was how the moon was supposed to look. Free from the corruption of a banished alicorn. And now, the moon was scarred by another banished alicorn. It wasn't meant to look that way, even if that was all she and countless other ponies had ever known. The moon was stained, blemished by the evidence of her Princess' banishment.

What was that like for Nightmare Moon when she realized that? A shiver went down her spine as she pictured Nightmare's reaction: it was oh so different from how she regarded the moon now. Instead of disgust and disappointment, she could picture Nightmare so irate, as angry if not angrier than she had ever seen her teacher.

As if sensing her thoughts, the hard line on her teacher's lips softened, though an indifferent line remained, and her teacher glanced back at her, meeting her gaze. How much pain had those sharp eyes seen? How much pain had she gone through, that brought her to hate her sister so much? Even Princess Celestia's eyes lacked the infinite depth that seemed to draw her in, despite the fear that those eyes provoked. Her eyes were perfect for a predator, so fear-inducing, yet so deep that even if the fear did not paralyze her prey, the depth would.

Nightmare inhaled and leveled her head, then turned her head back towards her. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, do you enjoy this?" was her calm question.

She looked back at the sky, taking in the infinite vastness that blanketed Equestria. There was so much wonder in the sky above as the stars shimmered, casting their pinpoints of light down on the world beneath them. How could she say no to the beauty of the night sky? The day sky paled in comparison. And then there was also the fact that to say no would be to draw Nightmare's ire. "The sky?" she asked. On the edge of her vision, she saw Nightmare nod. "Yes... It's beautiful," she answered.

Nightmare smiled and looked back up at the sky. "Indeed it is..." she whispered under her breath. "If you enjoy this, then I think we should try to do this more often." Nightmare looked back at her again and for a moment, her teacher's eyes rolled over her features. Then finally, Nightmare's eyes met her own and her teacher asked, "Would you be willing to?"

She hesitated. 'It's an opportunity to get closer to her,' a part of her reasoned. And perhaps that would give her more safety, or perhaps she could somehow use that to her advantage. 'If I do this with her, then maybe she would have some use for me...' the thought trailed off.

But maybe that was thinking about it the wrong way. Instead of looking at it for her own benefit, maybe she should have tried to look at it as a way to help Nightmare, if only because Nightmare didn't have anypony else. She felt a pang of guilt at that.

Maybe it was something they could both enjoy.

She inhaled then nodded.

Nightmare turned away from her to watch the sky once more. "I would enjoy doing this more with you," was her comment. "Although perhaps sending you to Ponyville would make that more difficult," was the disappointed musing that followed.

She wasn't entirely sure what to think about that, nor was she sure what she felt. A part of her rejoiced at the prospect of having that kind of distance between them, and this part also dreaded the idea that Nightmare would change her mind about letting her visit her friends. Another part of her found that she was disappointed at knowing it would be more difficult: being there with Nightmare Moon and enjoying the night was comforting; it helped ease her nerves. She still couldn't help but see that disappointment as so incredibly odd, even though she surmised that it was because Nightmare was her teacher. It would have been the same with Princess Celestia, she knew. But the distance really shouldn't have been a problem. She was never out of Nightmare's grasp. "You can teleport..." was her hesitant response.

Nightmare glanced back at her. Nightmare inclined her head and acknowledged, "Yes, you are correct. But as I have said before: I cannot be everywhere at once, even with my magic. Constantly teleporting to Ponyville and back to Canterlot would be... tedious."

She squinted at her teacher. "Is teleporting really that tedious?"

Nightmare turned to face her. "Do not misunderstand, Twilight Sparkle. I can teleport back and forth between Canterlot and Ponyville. It is not difficult given the extent of my magic, it is simply that I do not want to do it constantly. If I have time, then if you would like, I can visit and we can do this, or perhaps I will have enough time to finally start your lessons."

She nodded slowly. "I'd like to learn the teleportation spell..." she hinted.

Nightmare apparently found it amusing, as she smiled. "And I shall teach you this spell," was her reply. "Although I will warn you not to try to teleport between Canterlot and Ponyville. You are not ready for such a thing."

She nodded more eagerly. Somewhere in her mind, it stood out that Nightmare said she wasn't ready instead of capable. Nightmare watched her for a few seconds longer, then calmly turned her head back to face the sky. Her teacher inhaled audibly, then silently, her chest deflated.

"I find myself perplexed by you, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said. "In truth, so much has me perplexed since my return." Nightmare's head drifted downward, and she saw Nightmare's eyes glance side to side, sweeping over the railing as her head fell, "So much of this makes no sense..." Then, her teacher shook her head before turning to look at her. "But this is a conversation for another time. You wish to return to Ponyville to see your friends, correct?"

She hesitated, then nodded quickly.

Nightmare turned around to face her. "I have already made arrangements for this," she explained, "And so you shall by batpony chariot. You will be accompanied by a guard, and I believe you should be acquainted with her: Midnight Edge. She is assigned to protect you," Nightmare stated.

She nodded hesitantly, but her mind screamed out against the idea. Was it not enough that she had agreed to stargaze with her teacher more? Was it not enough that she was wearing that crescent moon necklace through which Nightmare kept her on a leash? No! It simply wasn't! No, she had to have a guard, right there beside her, of course! Yet, at least she could take some comfort in knowing that the guard was somepony who she was vaguely familiar with.

Even if the guard was one of Nightmare Moon's soldiers.

Or, maybe she was overreacting, and maybe Nightmare Moon meant what she said, that Midnight was supposed to protect her.

"Right..." she muttered.

Nightmare regarded her cautiously for a moment before continuing, "While you are in Ponyville, you may do whatever you wish. Spend time with your friends. Explore. You are not my prisoner. But you will be overseeing the reconstruction of my castle, and I expect you to continue studying magic as you have. And though I am sure you are aware of this, I will remind you: Do not remove the necklace." For a moment, Nightmare paused in hesitation, then added, "And do not betray me."

She nodded timidly. "I-I won't," she affirmed.

Nightmare nodded slowly as if she wasn't sure. She felt like her teacher's uncertainty came not from whether or not she was going to betray her- which she wasn't- but rather out of the fact that her teacher was giving her such an opportunity.

Then at least they had that much in common, that neither of them trusted the other.

Nightmare stared at her intently. "Although I will ask that you keep your friends in line. I do not want to have to deal with them causing problems. They are your responsibility."

And that was unfair, and a part of her found that command crazy. How could she keep those five in line!? She was still just a filly, all of them were older than her. And there was no reason for her to actually think they'd still consider her a friend. She still wasn't sure why she considered them friends, either. Why would they listen to her? Then again, maybe it was fine. They had turned to her for leadership when they had been captured.

And Nightmare could always just essentially threaten her life to keep her friends in line.

That probably wouldn't be necessary. She still swallowed and nodded.

Nightmare inhaled. "Do not be so tense," she chastised, "it is not good for you."

Twilight winced and slowly averted her gaze from her teacher, the thought, 'You don't make it easy, you know!' shooting through her mind.

"Now, Midnight will escort you to the chariot when the time comes, but you still have a few hours before you have to leave," Nightmare started, "And it has come to my attention that you have either been avoiding your parents as you have been avoiding me, or you have felt like you cannot visit them."

She winced and closed her eyes as anxiety swelled up inside her. Oh, when was the last time she had seen her parents? She really didn't know. It had been a while. Well before the Summer Sun Celebration. She had been busy, of course. And visiting her parents really wasn't high on her to-do list, of course. Especially now. Now would be worse. Now, she wasn't Princess Celestia's student. She was Nightmare Moon's student. She didn't want to have to face them now. Not with everything that was hanging over her head, not with knowing that it very well could be the last time she saw them. Not with knowing that Nightmare could still take her life at any moment. And perhaps worse, Nightmare might use her parents as leverage, or they might say something before she could stop them. Or Nightmare doing something to them because of her.

Her chest and stomach churned and twisted in anxiety as her eyes grew warm.

And then what? What about her brother, what about Cadance? What would-

She felt a feather touch her cheek. It was like a dagger, stabbing the ball of anxiety and forcing it to deflate. The anxiety bled out even faster as that dagger slid through it, mimicking the path the feather took along her cheek, lengthening the cut until her anxiety bled out. Then, Nightmare lifted that feather away. She opened her eyes and looked at Nightmare, then looked down at Nightmare's wing as it extended to her cheek once again.

She watched the feather touch her, then slide along her cheek. She saw how her fur parted around that soft feather, and she saw how the black barbs of the vane mixed in with her lavender coat so thoroughly, almost forming a mesh of softness. She swallowed, and Nightmare's feather slid out of view, then brushed through her mane.

She looked up at Nightmare, who just watched her. Calmly, patiently. Maybe Nightmare really meant what she said, that she didn't want to hurt her. But then, if it came to the point where hurting her was in her teacher's best interest, it wouldn't matter.

Nightmare folded her wing. "Go see your parents," was all she said.

She nodded without voicing any resistance.

Nightmare turned back around. "You may leave now. Midnight will escort you to your parents' house and ensure nopony tries to hurt you. She will not disturb you until it is time for your trip to Ponyville, unless you require anything of her."

She waited. She didn't know how long, but she waited, just standing there, watching Nightmare. Eventually, her hooves carried her back, then she turned around. Each step brought with it anxiety, after all, her back was turned to Nightmare, and Nightmare was out of her sight. But she walked back inside, then walked through the bedroom, and into the study, all without incident.

She reached the door to the hallway and came to a stop, staring at it. For a few seconds, she just let the anxiety churn inside of her, then she finally mustered her courage and lit her horn. Nothing happened. She wasn't attacked, nothing tried to stop her.

Despite knowing that the door was locked and that she had been sealed in the room with Nightmare Moon, she reached out and tried to open the door. It was a futile effort, she knew, but she made it anyway.

The door opened; it wasn't locked.

She stood there as her magic pulled the door all the way open. Somehow, even with seeing the door opening right in front of her, it still didn't click that it had never been locked in the first place. It didn't click that she hadn't been sealed in the room with Nightmare Moon.

The anxiety continued to churn in her chest, even as she walked past the doorway into the hall. Even leaving behind the atmosphere of her mentor's chambers didn't quell that anxiety.

She heard Midnight's playful, cheerful voice ask, "Soo, how'd things go?" and turned to look at her. Her eyes didn't quite focus on Midnight, instead wanting to remain unfocused, or focused on the end of the hallway, despite Midnight's gray coat blocking that spot from her view. Eventually, Midnight tilted her head, waved an armored hoof and blinked. "Uh, Twilight, you doing okay?"

She wasn't sure if it was Midnight's movement or the question, but her eyes refocused on Midnight. She blinked, then swallowed before licking her lips. She hesitated to answer, instead, taking in Midnight's concerned expression, the way she could see that her brow was folded, despite her helmet, the tension in her lips, the way her cheeks pulled up close to her eyes from the squint. "Um, yes. Sorry," she finally answered. "I just-"

"You don't need to be so nervous, you know," Midnight preempted.

She wanted to emphatically reply, 'Yes, yes I do!' She wanted to glare at Midnight. She wanted to sit down and explain to Midnight every single detail of every reason she had to be nervous, specifically starting and ending with Nightmare Moon. She didn't actually have the will or the desire to actually do any of it, despite how much a part of her wanted to. Plus, Nightmare would overhear it all.

So instead, she compromised and just huffed. So what if it was unreasonable!? She could be unreasonable if she wanted to! She was still a filly after all!

Although it wasn't a good example of her, nor was it anything Princess Celestia would have approved of. That made her wince. She was also aware that it represented Nightmare Moon poorly, and that Nightmare probably wouldn't approve of that either.

Still, she didn't apologize for it. Princess Celestia would have chastised her for that too, but Princess Celestia was gone.

"So, are you ready to head to your parents' house?" Midnight asked before she could wince again.

She timidly nodded, already once again dreading the prospect of seeing her parents. The dread only grew as question upon question assaulted her mind and she pictured the worst-case scenarios. Would they accept her? Would they still love her, despite her betraying Princess Celestia and all of Equestria by becoming Nightmare Moon's student? Would they think she was weak for doing it to save her own life? Would they be ashamed of her for falling so far behind on her studies? Would they be mad at her for leaving Spike behind to protect him? What would they do?

"So, um. I don't actually know where your parents live," Midnight admitted, her voice cutting through her questions and fears. "Sooo... you're gonna have to lead."

She looked at Midnight, then just stared at her. One second followed by another past by. She blinked, holding her eyes shut for another second, then opened them to stare at Midnight for even longer.

Midnight pulled her head back and puffed out her chest. "What? It's not like I have any idea where anything is here! I've never been to Canterlot before!" the batpony defended. The defensive posture faded as she continued, "Besides, they're your parents. And I'm fairly certain our Queen doesn't even know where they live, so..."

She just inhaled, then exhaled.

Midnight frowned at her and pointed out, "Hey, it's not like you'd know your way around Hollow Shades."

"Right," she acknowledged succinctly. "Well, we should get going then. How long until we have to leave for Ponyville?"

Midnight brightened right back up, her posture relaxing and her eyes almost lighting up. "Oh! About two hours. That should be plenty of time, right?"

'No,' was what she wanted to say. Sure, it would be enough time for her to actually see her parents, but it wasn't a whole lot. There'd be the walk to get there and then the walk back, and she knew that they should leave early just in case something happened to delay them. Maybe being late for the chariot would be okay, but she still didn't like it. But, at the same time, two hours was far too long, given that she was dreading the prospect of seeing her parents again just as much, if not more than, she looked forward to it. With all this in mind, she suppressed a grimace and answered, "Yes."

Midnight either chose to ignore her grimace or didn't notice it. Midnight just closed her eyes, smiling, and replied with an eager, "All right then! Let's go." Then, she opened her eyes and more casually added, "And you need to lead. I don't know where we're going."

"You said that before," she noted.

"Mhm," Midnight acknowledged with a nod. "Just waiting on you."

She didn't reply, but she did acknowledge Midnight by walking forward and taking the lead. As she walked by Midnight, she turned her head to stare at her. Midnight turned as she walked by to keep facing her, then Midnight finally started walking along beside her. For a few more seconds, she watched Midnight, then she turned her head forward so she didn't stare.

Author's Note

Haha... this took longer to do last minute edits than I expected, and I didn't get started soon enough...

Originally, this chapter was about twice as long, however I broke it up into a Part 1 and Part 2 because of how long it was. Part 2 will be released next Saturday (Feb. 23rd).

Reunions Part 2

It was the first time since Nightmare Moon had taken over that she had walked the streets of Canterlot beyond the palace grounds. It was such a sharp contrast with walking the streets during the light of day back before Princess Celestia had been banished. With little experience roaming the streets of Canterlot during the night, it was such a daunting task, one made all the more anxiety provoking by what had happened and where she was going.

In the soft light of the moon, the city was eerily quiet compared to how she remembered roaming the streets during the day. No matter where she looked, there were so few ponies out. While during the day, the streets would be bustling with ponies going about their business, now, Canterlot seemed almost like a ghost town. The streets felt haunted, dominated by an oppressive weight, overshadowed by the palace and the scarred face of the moon.

Instead of the usual chatter, ponies spoke in hushed voices that she couldn't make out. Those voices held edges of fear, as if they were afraid of what they whispered would be overheard and would bring attention they wanted to avoid, like they were whispering dissenting ideas. Yet even when she made out what was said, and it was innocent enough, there was still that edge of unmistakable, all too familiar fear in their voices. The fear of the unknown. The fear of change. And their fear added to her own.

The few ponies that roamed the streets walked in a hurry, their hooves clicking rapidly against the streets. Ponies that had roamed Canterlot's streets during the day hurried, but the pace of the ponies who trotted along now were different. Their strides were almost panicked. She could look at any of them, and it looked like without them even looking back at her, they sped up. They seemed to speed up without looking at her as if subconsciously knowing somepony spotted them out in this darkness. She could almost see the hairs of their coats standing up, like they felt how everything had changed, like they knew her dread, even without knowing what she was going through.

She ventured a glance at the moon and wondered, 'Do they know..?' as she saw the black marks scarring its surface. Her heart throbbed. Her eyes darted back to the street, just in front of her hooves, as she continued walking along.

Had word spread? Did everypony now know the fate of her beloved mentor? And if they did, what did they think of her? Did they see her now that she was Nightmare's student as a traitor? Did they think that she had forgotten about her beloved teacher? What did they think? Or did they even realize that the scars dotting the face of the moon was now from Princess Celestia? Did they know that those scars were unnatural? They grew up knowing no different. For all they knew, Princess Celestia had just vanished.

It weighed on her mind, pressing back on her just like the thick air. She swallowed and lifted her eyes back up to search the streets. Maybe it was because Midnight, clad in her silvery-gray armor, walked beside her, but anypony who so much as looked in her direction immediately looked away, as if it was an instinctive reaction. Worse yet, they sped up more than when she glanced at them in passing.

Did they know who she was in that brief glimpse? Was it enough for them to recognize her and know they were watching the student of the Queen? Or was their reaction based entirely on seeing Midnight? Did Midnight scare them because she was a batpony, or because she was one of Nightmare Moon's soldiers?

Was this how the rest of Canterlot was? Was this how everypony in Canterlot acted? What about the rest of Equestria, was it was tense as Canterlot was? Did ponies fear to roam the streets in the night, even with the light of the moon? Did they still shun Nightmare Moon? It had been a month; had they not adjusted? How could they really adjust to something like this?

And if they shunned the night when the moon was out, what did that say of the moonless nighttime? She knew that ponies would avoid it at all costs. Nopony would dare venture outside when the moon had set.

Haunted by the questions, she turned her gaze onto the marble mansions she walked by. Under the light of the sun, they all tried to scream out for attention, boasting of their exuberance, demanding awe and respect. The mansions had been perhaps a blight on Canterlot, the result of the mostly self-proclaimed nobility. But now, under the softer light of the moon, they did not scream out for attention as they had during the day. Instead, they spoke out in hushed whispers: they did not boast of their exuberance but reached out with a gentle, soft-spoken beauty.

Light shined out onto the street from the windows of lit rooms. The warm yellow glows descended on the street, yet they barely fought back the darkness of the night. The lighting was just so that it brought her to think back on her limited experience roaming the streets of Canterlot at night with her parents. The memories were few and short, yet as she thought back on them, she felt a sense of calmness wash over her. The yellow glows of lights descending into the streets then had been so wonderful, almost having mystical feels to them that had delighted her in her youth. Now, that feeling had been stolen. The light that drifted into the street felt timid instead of free.

She glanced aside at Midnight for a moment. The mare had her eyes lifted up to the sky as she walked along, so carefree. But she was in her element: the night. For Midnight, the night that Nightmare Moon had brought was probably comforting beyond anything she could imagine. Maybe it wasn't so different from the comfort she had when she knew Princess Celestia was right there with her. She pondered the thought and watched Midnight for a few seconds longer, then averted her gaze.

She walked on, her mind wondering as her hooves carried her onward. Finding her parents home was simple enough, it just took time to get there. Minutes past and the mansions gradually grew less and less grandiose. And yet, only a few ponies still roamed the streets. She passed by Royal Guards on patrol. Rather than their usual cheery or at least friendly expressions, their lips were hard lines, showing dread. They didn't give her any attention, even when she watched them. They focused on their tasks, so emotionless.

Eventually, she slowed as they neared the familiar neighborhood where her parents lived. She came to a stop in front of the path to their house. She took one look at the door and the light streaming out from the windows and felt her anxiety balloon up inside her, growing, growing, and growing. She bit down on her sore lip as the anxiety squeezed her chest, tighter and tighter. She looked at the grass on either side of the path, trying to distract herself. It didn't help. She focused on the rows of flowers lining the walkway, hoping to find some sense of comfort. It didn't comfort her.

To her shock, she found that she wished Nightmare had been there with her, rather than Midnight. Maybe Nightmare would have comforted her, or maybe she wouldn't have. But if Nightmare had been there, she knew she would have felt some sense of certainty. She didn't know how or why, but it would have helped her. Maybe if only because Nightmare would surely spur her to action, either with or without threats.

But Nightmare wasn't there. It was only Midnight and herself, standing at the start of the path to her parents' house. Had anypony been outside to see them, surely they would have looked out of place, unless they knew her.

"Soo... this their place?" Midnight queried.

She turned her head to look at Midnight. Midnight's eyes glanced over the house before them. It would be considered a mansion in Ponyville, she knew, but here in Canterlot it was barely worth noting, despite it belonging to her parents. The parents of Twilight Sparkle. But in Canterlot, did that really mean much of anything? And what about now that Princess Celestia was gone? At the very least, she took comfort in knowing that the house was taken care of, and it didn't appear that anything bad had befallen her parents.

She opened her mouth to answer Midnight, but a knot in her throat caused her to croak. Midnight's curiosity vanished in that instant as she turned to face her. She closed her mouth and just nodded.

Midnight watched her for a few more seconds before asking, "Aren't you looking forward to seeing them?"

She shook her head. Midnight's ears folded back and the corners of her lips pulled downward. She looked away from Midnight, then turned her head away from her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" was Midnight's soft question.

She just shook her head again. How could Midnight even start to understand everything she was going through? Midnight, and the rest of the batponies, practically worshipped Nightmare Moon. Realizing that, she felt numb. Did the batponies, in their reverence for Nightmare Moon, mirror herself and Princess Celestia? But surely not: the batponies were raised to be soldiers. She had not been raised to be a soldier, nor a fighter. She had studied magic under Princess Celestia's guidance, not war.

But then, what if she had been misled or misunderstood? The anxiety in her chest twisted and churned. What if Princess Celestia had plans for her that she didn't know about? Princess Celestia had lied to her at least once. Who was to say Princess Celestia had not lied before and that this was the only time she discovered it had been a lie?

What had been Princess Celestia's intentions for her?

"I'm sure you'll feel better when you see your parents," Midnight offered in a soft, comforting voice that helped soothe the anxiety, fears, and doubts she felt. It didn't completely banish them, but it helped stifle her fears from growing further.

She swallowed and looked back at Midnight. Maybe Midnight was right. Maybe she was overreacting. She licked her lips and took a deep breath, then muttered, "Get me when..."

Midnight nodded seriously. "I'll just stand around out here, then get you when we need to go," was her response.

She nodded timidly, then turned her gaze back to the door. She lifted a forehoof. And oh, that forehoof trembled as she held it in the air! What would she find? How would her parents treat her? But there was only one way to find out. She set her hoof down to step forward, then took another step.

"Twilight?" Midnight called.

She paused and gradually managed to crane her neck back to face Midnight, who said, "Just try to relax, okay?"

'Easier said than done,' she knew. She nibbled on her lip, rolling it in between her teeth even as it hurt. She was familiar with self-doubt, fears, and anxiety. Even before Nightmare Moon's return. Princess Celestia had been her teacher, and how could she not have felt fear and anxiety? She couldn't disappoint the Princess of Equestria.

She swallowed. The anxiety churned in her chest. She gave a timid nod, then turned back to face the door. The door seemed to stare back at her, judging her, bringing her fears back to her mind even as she heard Nightmare's voice whispering in her mind, 'Relax.'

Painfully slowly, she crept towards the door. The path felt like it was miles long, yet at the same time, it felt like she crossed the distance to the door in the blink of an eye. Each step made her panic. She closed the distance too quickly, hadn't given herself enough time to prepare for seeing her parents again, and felt worried sick.

A part of her knew she was overreacting and worrying too much, but it was drowned out by all of her fears, and nopony was there to tell her it would be okay.

She turned her head to look back at Midnight. Midnight faced away from her, head pointed up toward the stars. She nibbled on her sore lip and turned, then lifted a forehoof and timidly knocked on the door. Once, twice, and then three times, each knock slow and hesitant. She hoped nopony was home. She hoped nopony heard her knocking. She'd have an excuse to avoid them even longer.

The door opened. She trembled as that anxiety felt like it dropped somewhere in her body, dragging the rest of her down with it. It was like she had been flying, then fell. She barely registered her dad standing there before she felt forelegs wrap around the back of her neck, and her father's familiar coat pressed against her neck. "Twilight!" he nearly shouted. The hug was crushing. The hug was comforting.

She felt the anxiety gradually fade; her father caught her and so she did not fall. The next few seconds passed by in a blur: still embraced by her father, she was whisked away inside and the door closed behind her from her father's aura. She heard the frantic hoofsteps of her mom, then saw her round the corner. Shock, worry, and then unbridled joy washed over her mother's expression. Her mom galloped the length of the hallway and nearly ran over both her father and herself to join the hug. It was even more loving than her father's embrace. Combined, her parents hugged her and locked her head in between theirs. She couldn't see their faces, but she still knew they cried. She felt them cry. She cried too. They hugged her so tightly, holding her so close.

Somehow, they still loved her. And she felt it. She knew it. It was a fact, and it gave her something to hold onto: the love of her parents.

She closed her eyes and hugged them back. Midnight was right, she needed this. She needed this hug from her parents, she needed this sense of stability. Her parents hadn't changed. Princess Celestia had been banished, her status as Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student had been stripped away from her, and Nightmare Moon had forced her into becoming the student to the psychotic alicorn who banished her beloved mentor, but her parents hadn't changed. They still loved her, no matter what. It made her cry all the more, and as she cried, she felt better.

With her father's forelegs wrapped around her neck, she actually felt safe. But, how could she not? It was her father, there with her mother. Both of them loved her still, despite her fears that they would hate her. Both of them were so happy to see her, so glad that she was safe. They were crying out of joy, just from seeing her again and knowing she was safe.

But wasn't it a lie? She wasn't actually safe, not by a long shot. Even the security she felt from her father's embrace, that security that any foal would feel, that security that would drive foals to their parents for protection, as it had her, was so fragile, just like her life. The sense of security was just a lie, a mask, one she tried to cling to, but she could not hold onto it, because she saw it for what it was. Even if her parents tried to protect her, it didn't matter. It couldn't matter. They couldn't protect her from Nightmare Moon. Nothing they could do would save her from her new mentor.

That was her fear. The fear that nearly overwhelmed all of the security and protection they offered. The fear that Nightmare Moon was lying to her and that Nightmare Moon would kill her, and that it was just a matter of time.

Nightmare Moon said that her death wasn't beneficial. Nightmare Moon wanted her as a student. Nightmare Moon wanted to stargaze with her. Nightmare Moon seemed to try to comfort her. Maybe Nightmare Moon wanted somepony, perhaps to replace Princess Celestia, since she had nopony else. A part of her wondered how Nightmare Moon couldn't want somepony, if only because of those one-thousand years of isolation. She couldn't imagine what that would have been like.

Yet, of course, she couldn't believe her teacher, or maybe she just refused to believe her teacher. How could she trust such a pony who would turn on her own sister? A pony who banished her sister?

Princess Celestia had banished her sister for one thousand years.

She had trusted Princess Celestia.

That meant she could trust somepony who had done something like that. And knowing that, even despite the warm, loving embrace of her parents, left her feeling cold.

Maybe Nightmare Moon wouldn't dispose of her if she was useless. Maybe Nightmare Moon would keep her around. Maybe trying to reach out to Nightmare Moon would help. But yet, what if Nightmare Moon snapped? How could she trust somepony who could snap at the realization that her own sister had erased her from her subjects, yet others remembered her?

She knew the uncertainty she felt was probably the exact same kind of uncertainty Nightmare Moon hated. Assuming Nightmare Moon was being truthful, it wasn't beneficial.

It wasn't in her best interests.

But her parents still loved her. Her parents still embraced her. And she hugged them back, relishing in the comfort she could take from her parents embrace, just like any foal would.

"It'll be okay..." her dad whispered into her ear.

And at least a part of her believed him. How could she not? He was her father. It made her feel better, but she still felt the weight of everything pressing down on her.

She was overreacting. A part of her, the more logical part of her mind, knew she was overreacting. Overreacting was something she was good at, and her father was there to tell her that she was overreacting.

She sat down on her haunches, still crying. Her parents sat down right there with her, still holding her, refusing to let go. They cooed and murmured in her ears, and each word spoken soothed her mind, even as it weighed her heart down.

Eventually, her crying faded to sniffles. Her parents squeezed her.

"We love you, Twilight. Never forget that," her mom said. "Please... be safe, okay? We couldn't handle it if..."

Even with her mom not finishing the sentence, it still smacked into her like a brick wall. Even that didn't do it justice. Applejack had kicked her in the gut, Rainbow Dash had shot out of the sky at full speed to hit her. Rarity was trying to suffocate her with a dress again. All wrapped up in what went unsaid. She clenched her eyes shut, inhaling and trembling as the back of her throat closed. She just nodded. Her parents hugged her more.

She couldn't disappoint them. She couldn't screw up her position as Nightmare Moon's student. But she was still already a disappointment: the way she acted like a little filly, the way she overreacted to everything, the way she failed to stop Nightmare Moon. She was a disappointment. She knew it. Nothing would change it.

But then her father said, "We're proud of you, Twilight."

And she heard his honesty, and it made her want to cry more, but not out of fear. How could they have been proud of her? But yet she heard the truth, that they were proud of her. Perhaps it wasn't spoken from Princess Celestia, but it was still her father, and so she treasured it. She believed it: that she wasn't a disappointment. She mattered to them.

"I know that we weren't there for you as much after Princess Celestia-" she instinctively tensed up in fear at the sound of her Princess' name, knowing that just like her, her new teacher would have heard it, knowing that her new teacher's blood would be boiling at that name. She expected for her teacher to show up, to do something that would steal away whatever semblance of that lie of security her father offered her away. Her mother continued, not noticing her mistake, though holding her tighter and closer, "- took you as her student, but... if you ever need anything, don't forget that we're here for you. We love you."

She nodded. Her mom kissed her temple, then nuzzled her. It was instinctive, she knew, but she returned the nuzzle, and in the process, nuzzled her father. Her father joined in, nuzzling her back. She missed this, feeling the comfort and giddy joy the affection of her parents brought her, how it reminded her of her youth. Back when she thought that Princess Celestia could never fail, back when she was convinced her father and brother were the best ponies in the world, beside the Princess. Yet now, even with the giddy feeling swelling up in her core, it was almost overshadowed by her mentor, like Nightmare was standing right behind her, blocking the light of the moon and leaving her in a dark shadow.

But that knowledge didn't completely stifle the happiness she felt. Her teacher hadn't shown up to punish her or her parents for misspeaking, her teacher hadn't truly hurt her. Maybe it would be okay, and maybe she was worrying too much about things. Perhaps that false sense of security she felt from her father's embrace wasn't actually false.

Nightmare Moon said she wasn't a monster. The way Nightmare spoke as she said she would not kill a foal, she could believe it. Nightmare kept telling her to relax.

And she knew she needed to. She worried far too much. She knew she did, but it was hard. It was ingrained in who she was, and fixing it wouldn't be easy. Maybe she could open up to her teacher, and maybe her teacher wouldn't take advantage of it.

"Why don't we go to the living room?" her father suggested in a calm, comforting voice.

She found herself thinking about it. She wanted to, but she didn't want to leave her parents' embrace. She didn't want to feel their forelegs pull back, and she didn't want to feel their bodies pull away. She still managed to nod, albeit barely. And as she nodded, she felt dread, because each second was one second closer to her parents letting go of her.

"Would you like some water?" her mother offered.

She managed to say, "Yes, please."

Her parents both nuzzled her again, then she felt her mother's forelegs slip off her. Her body felt tight and oh-so-small when that happened. Then her mother stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Without her mom at her right side, she felt exposed and vulnerable. She watched her mom walk the length of the hallway, then disappear.

But her father was still there, holding her and protecting her. It wasn't the same as both of them embracing her, but it helped, and so the tightness eventually drifted away as she relaxed in his embrace. And silly as it was, she wanted to go to sleep with them watching over her. She would have felt safer, but it was still silly.

Her father hugged her tighter, then nuzzled her. The squeeze ended, and his forelegs slid down, then eventually left her back. She chewed on her sore lip as her father pulled out of the hug then stood up, but she still found it in herself to stand up as he did.

He turned to his right and walked into the living room. She followed her father just like she had when she was a young filly. She looked around the familiar living room and felt a sense of comfort. It was stable, in that it had not changed even as so much else had.

Like always, the couch was against the interior wall on the right as she walked into the room. It faced the exterior wall to her left. Her eyes wandered over that plain, familiar blue couch, then drifted over to the wall on her left. She looked out the window and saw the darkness covering Canterlot. Her jaw tightened, and she felt the pressure in her gums.

A few more steps inside, and still looking out the window, she saw Midnight still standing guard, watching the sky and street. If her father saw Midnight, he said nothing. She looked away and walked over to the couch, then climbed up onto it, turned around, and sat down. And with that done, her father sat down beside her on her left. On instinct, she leaned against him and nestled her head against his shoulder, seeking out the protection and comfort he offered.

Her mother walked into the room, smiling a strained smile, and carrying a glass of water in her magic. She swallowed and leaned away from her father as her mother approached, then as the glass was offered to her, she took it in her magic, brought it to her lips and tilted the glass up.

She felt the water run over her lip and flow into her mouth. It was cold and refreshing. She swallowed and felt the cool water going down her throat, then she tilted the glass further up and took another drink before lowering the glass. "Thanks," she managed to murmur. Her mother simply nodded.

Reluctantly, she glanced at her father and found him looking at her. She saw her mother climb up onto the couch on her right side, and just like her father, her mother looked at her.

"Are you doing okay?" they asked in unison.

It was a question that made her feel guilty. She felt guilty because she worried them. She felt guilty because, here with them, she knew she was overreacting about everything. She felt guilty because she didn't spend as much time with them as other foals spent with their parents. She felt guilty because they worried about her. Because of the guilt, she couldn't give the honest answer, 'No. I'm not okay,' and lying to them would be just another reason to feel guilty.

'Why did you have to ask that question!?' a part of her whimpered. But she already knew the answer, 'You're my parents... you love me,' and the answer made her feel even more guilt. She tested her voice, "I," and paused to swallow the tightness at the back of her throat. "I..." she repeated only to stop because she didn't know what to say.

She couldn't lie to them. It was wrong, and she'd feel bad about it, especially since they loved her. She couldn't tell the truth to them. It would hurt them, and Nightmare Moon was listening.

She inhaled, closed her eyes, then let out the breath in her lungs. "It's hard," is what she managed to answer. But she knew they already knew that. Opening her eyes, she looked first at her mother, then at her dad. They couldn't hide the worry that haunted their expressions, but she still couldn't miss their love and concern for her. It made her want to cry even more, but she stopped herself from crying again.

Neither of her parents said anything for a time; both of them were patiently waiting for her to say something more, if she was going to say anything more. But that time past, and she hadn't found any words she could say, so her father asked, "She's not hurting you, is she?"

And it was a question that made her feel as if her body and mind both existed as two separate fragments that couldn't reconcile for the briefest moment. Nightmare Moon scared her to death, and Nightmare Moon had hurt her, but her teacher was trying to not hurt her. And saying Nightmare Moon was hurting her would only make things worse for everypony, and a part of her knew saying that was just a lie.

Nightmare Moon wasn't intentionally hurting her. Her teacher was trying to make an effort to have some form of relationship with her that wasn't overshadowed by her fear and those promises. She swallowed and barely managed to mumble a drawn out, "No..."

She felt her father's foreleg around her back, then felt him pull her to his chest. She didn't fight back. She closed her eyes as her father squeezed her. She didn't open her eyes again until her father let go and gave her a nuzzle.

"Shining's... worried about you," her mother voiced.

She felt a chill crawl down her spine at that. For a moment, she stayed against her father while the chill crept downward, then she turned to face her mother.

"Cadance is too..." her mother added.

She managed to nudge her head up and down to nod. "Are-" her voice cracked slightly "-are they doing okay?"

Her mother nodded calmly. "They... seem to be, but... Twilight, we're all worried about you. I... we know this is hard for you because..." and her mother trailed off, refusing to finish her sentence.

And knowing that sentence wouldn't be finished brought so much relief to her. She felt like she could melt into a puddle right there, surrounded by them. But she didn't know what to say to that. What could she even say to that? What could have been said? Surely they knew the position she was in. Surely they knew what Nightmare Moon could do. Surely they knew what Nightmare Moon had done. They were worried about her, and rightfully so. But there really wasn't anything any of them could do.

And once again, a part of her said, 'I'm overreacting.' Nightmare Moon held so much power over her, but maybe she really was just too worried about that.

But it didn't stop her from worrying about it.

There was a knock on the door and her body tensed. The knock was followed by several more, in a playful manner. She knew it was Midnight, but that knowledge twisted in her gut, almost sickening her. She didn't want to leave her parents' side, she didn't want to leave their embrace. She didn't want their nuzzles and comforting words to just turn into memories.

And yet, another part of her was relieved. "I need to go..." she voiced. "I'm... supposed to go back to..." she hesitated to say the next word, "Ponyville." And maybe she should have told them about finding friends, but she didn't. Her parents probably would have rejoiced at that news, and their rejoicing would have left her bewildered. Instead, she said, "Spike is still there," and let it at that.

Her parents turned to face her, then embraced her, sandwiching her between them. It was her parents, her family, and they loved her. They put that love into the hug. She closed her eyes and felt her lips pull up into a smile.

Her parents didn't let go. She didn't have the strength to leave their embrace, either.

But it didn't last. The knocks came again, not quite as playful, yet still casual. The knocks were bored. Her father begrudgingly let up on hugging her, and his forelegs slowly drifted down her sides before finally releasing her. Her mother held on for several more seconds, then let up as her father had. She stood up and reluctantly looked at her parents. They stood up and said, "We love you, Twilight."

She felt warmth at the edges of her eyes again, and her throat tightened. "I love you too..." she whispered back. They turned to face her and hugged her again, then all shared a nuzzle that was interrupted by bored knocking again. "I... I'll... be careful," she voiced. Her parents nodded, but she saw them both swallow.

For a few seconds longer, she watched them, then she turned and walked to the door. She heard her parents hoofsteps follow close behind her. She reached out to open the door with her magic and saw Midnight. She only caught a glimpse of curiosity on Midnight's expression as it faded into something more subdued, not unlike her own expression, although not quite as heavy.

She glanced back at her parents, who were standing close enough that their coats were pressed together. Without saying anything, she walked outside. "Goodbye, Twilight... be careful," her parents called. She stopped, looked back, saw their tears, then looked away and nodded. Midnight stood still as she walked by her, then Midnight turned and followed her. She made it to the end of the path, then Midnight took the lead.

She never heard the door close.

She remembered watching Canterlot grow distant when she had departed by chariot to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Even though she knew Nightmare Moon was returning, despite what Princess Celestia had said, she had tried to believe her Princess. She felt there was an odd parallel now as she watched Canterlot grow distant from a batpony-pulled chariot. The differences were, ironically, as plain as day: unlike before, it was night. Unlike before, Princess Celestia was imprisoned and Nightmare Moon was her teacher. Unlike before, the chariot was pulled by two batpony stallions. Unlike before, Midnight accompanied her instead of Spike. Unlike before, her teacher had seen her off.

She hadn't expected that, but Nightmare had been there to watch her depart. Nothing was said between them. Nightmare didn't address her. She had watched Nightmare, and Nightmare had likewise watched her. Her teacher's expression hadn't been cold or hard, it hadn't been uncaring. No, Nightmare Moon almost looked disappointed to see her depart. She felt certain she was wrong, yet she knew that's what she had seen.

Her brother and Cadance, like before, had been absent. It left her feeling odd. Not nervous, not afraid, just odd. It was something she felt like she needed to study in order to understand it.

But there were still similarities that she couldn't escape. Both then and now, she felt something weighing her down. Both then and now, she had a daunting task to take care of. The difference was that before she had been looking forward to that task to an extent, and now she was not. Before, she had been dreading seeing other ponies, and now she was not.

She nibbled on her lip, even as it sent jolts of pain through her body. The thought crossed her mind, 'Will my lip even heal at this rate!?' With that, she scowled. She turned away from the darkened city of Canterlot and looked out towards the vast ocean of darkness before her. In the distance, under the light of the moon, she could just barely make out Ponyville, then the dark blot that was the Everfree Forest, where there was no light. In the moonlight, Ponyville looked peaceful. Still, calm, and relaxed. From the distance, she couldn't make out any fear, any panic, or anything else that ruined the serene beauty of the night.

She glanced aside at Midnight, who sat on her haunches staring up at the sky. Her eyes were filled with wonder, almost gleaming as she took in the pinpoints of light that were the stars. And she couldn't understand why Midnight was so infatuated with the sky. The beauty was there, yes, but Midnight was a batpony. Midnight could fly; there was no reason for being this high up to draw her in so much.

Unless it was because it was Nightmare's eternal night.

Even as her glance turned into a stare, Midnight didn't look at her: she was too mesmerized with the night sky. Eventually, she looked away from Midnight and turned her head back. One last look at Canterlot. Even in the darkness, it was still a jewel. It still shined like a beacon, even in the unending night. Perhaps its warm glow was subdued, but it still glowed from the side of the mountain.

She inhaled, then forced the air out of her lungs as she looked back towards Ponyville. But she found her interest drawn more to the silent wingbeats of the batponies pulling the chariot. It was so quiet, far, far too quiet. She felt like they should have made a sound, even if it was quiet. But they seemed nearly silent. Was it their magic? Was it their wings?

It didn't hold her attention long, as her gaze was eventually drawn back to Ponyville. What were those five mares she somehow called friends doing? Were they doing okay? How were they coping with everything? It had been over a month; did they remember her? Did they miss her? Why hadn't they visited her?

How was Spike doing?

The thought pierced through everything else in her mind. It was such a simple question, yet that question struck her to her core. It had been over a month. She hadn't seen Spike in over a month. She hadn't truly said goodbye to him. Her eyes grew warm. She closed them, then inhaled. She trembled.

A dozen thoughts assaulted her from all sides. Was Spike okay? Were those mares taking care of him as she had asked? Where was Spike staying? Was Spike being taken care of properly? Did Spike miss her? Did Spike hate her for abandoning him? How would Spike react to seeing her again? Would Spike forgive her? Could Spike forgive her? Was what she had done right? Was seeing him again and putting him in danger right? Was this a mistake?

She felt the doubt consuming her, and there was no escaping it: Nightmare Moon had turned her world upside down. Nightmare Moon had turned Equestria upside down.

The wind chilled the streaks of warmth dotting her face, then dried the trails left behind. 'There's no turning back now...' she knew.

The flight passed by in a blur after that. It all felt foggy and hazy, but then, her thoughts demanded all of her attention. Her worries demanded even more. And her anxiety was right there with her, reminding her of how little it would take for everything to come crumbling down on her, even worse than Princess Celestia's banishment.

She missed her parents. She missed having somepony there with her to tell her she was overreacting, or to tell her to relax.

Once the chariot had touched down and stopped moving, she turned around and stepped off without much thought. Midnight stepped down beside her. She glanced at Midnight, who looked around casually, then glanced around to take in her surroundings.

They had landed nearly the exact spot where she had landed once before. She felt a shiver race down her spine. Oh, how she had not expected what landing there would have led to! She clenched her jaw, then turned around and watched the batponies fly off with the chariot, leaving her trapped in that insane town. For a few seconds, she tracked their ascent, then looked back down at the street. Hesitantly, she looked around.

Only a few ponies were out and about. All of them were staring at her and Midnight. Midnight was either oblivious to it or didn't care. Unlike Midnight, she cared. She felt their stares, and it unnerved it. It gave her something else to worry about. All of the ponies watching her surely knew that she had been Princess Celestia's student. They all surely knew she had overseen the Summer Sun Celebration. All of the ponies watching her knew that she was now Nightmare Moon's student.

And all of them probably put all of their blame for everything that had happened squarely on her shoulders. The thought made her wilt. Her ears folded back, and instinctively, she lowered her head, making herself smaller, trying to shy back from their haunted stares.

She felt so much like how Fluttershy acted. A part of her shouted at her for how ridiculous she was acting. She was Princess Celestia's Student, for pony's sake! Except she wasn't Princess Celestia's student: she was Nightmare Moon's student.

She swallowed and nearly choked from it since her throat had tightened. She forced the knot back, then tried to stand normally. She needed to mask the shame, but couldn't. A few of the ponies staring at her were gazing at her chest, and the crescent moon necklace hanging from her neck.

And another thought raced through her mind, 'I have no idea where to go...' It almost felt like everything came to a stop at that, even if she knew that wasn't the case. She still felt her world spinning, her heart racing, worries and anxieties assaulting her from all sides.

Where was she supposed to go from here? Nightmare Moon had not told her what to do. No, Nightmare Moon had told her what to do. But she had been so vague. Her chest tightened. She had no direction, there were no plans written for her to follow, there was nothing for her to go on! What was she supposed to do first? It wasn't written down for her to follow! What if she did something wrong and angered Nightmare Moon!? She breathed in and out too quickly; she was hyperventillating.

She was going to be sick at this rate.

But then, maybe it didn't need to be planned to the last detail for her to follow. Nightmare Moon didn't try to take complete control of everything, after all. She didn't demand that every single decision from every single town be sent to her for approval. No, Nightmare Moon knew that was an impossible task, even with magic. So maybe she could apply the same thinking here. She wasn't expected to be perfect. Maybe she could make a couple of mistakes and Nightmare would forgive her.

She had made mistakes, and Nightmare had already forgiven her for them. Thinking back on that, she felt a sense of relief, and she managed to get her breathing under control. Nightmare wasn't holding every little mistake she had made over her head. The weight pressing down on her body and mind lifted, even if her fear didn't completely fade away.

'Okay, okay, okay... what do I do first, then?' she asked herself. She glanced back at Midnight, who was still taking in the scenery. And the ponies. Midnight was studying them now, too. So Midnight wasn't going to offer her any help. She could ask, but she decided against that, at least for the moment.

She knew where her 'friends' lived. Well, aside from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. It probably would have been futile to search for them anyway, since they were pegasi. There was Rarity; her Boutique was close. Then there was Applejack, who lived on a farm outside of Ponyville. Going to see Applejack sounded like a horrible idea, however, given that it was so far away, and it was, obviously, nighttime, so it seemed unsafe.

She could have been wrong, of course. She doubted that, though.

Then there was also Pinkie Pie. She ruled that out immediately: she neither knew where Pinkie Pie lived, nor wanted to know where that was.

'Where am I supposed to stay?' she wondered with new dread. Surely, Nightmare Moon had made some kind of preparations for her!? But she hadn't been told. So no, here she was, without any direction. Did her teacher intend for her to fend for herself!? That would have been too harsh of a lesson for her! Although Midnight was there, so she wasn't completely on her own. And of course, there was the necklace.

"Um..." she trailed off, shuffling her hooves on the dirt road as she turned to face Midnight. "Where... am I supposed to go now..?"

Midnight blinked. "Oh! Right, sorry. New place. Uh, Nightmare said that she arranged for you to stay where you were staying when you first came here," was her response.

It was vague, but perhaps Midnight could give a more descriptive answer, so she tentatively asked, "The library..?"

Midnight just gave a carefree shrug that told her the batpony didn't realize just how big of a deal this situation was- at least to her- and tilted her head before saying, "I don't know. You tell me?"

"Are you serious!?" was her exasperated response. Surely, this was insane! Midnight had to know! Midnight had to! Surely Nightmare Moon wasn't going to just tell Midnight, 'Twilight knows where to go.' But then again, Nightmare Moon was a psychopath.

She gritted her teeth as Midnight frowned and pulled back defensively. But Midnight didn't say anything. And really, taking it out on Midnight was mean. She closed her eyes, inhaled as deep as she could, then exhaled. Her exhale turned into a mixture of a huff and a groan. But then, she really didn't care. "Fine," she growled. "The library. I'll just assume that's where I'm supposed to stay, then."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to stay with you, too!" was Midnight's eager response that completely ignored her frustration.

She did the only thing she could: inhale again, then exhale. 'Idiots...' She shook her head, then turned. 'Maybe one of my friends would let me stay with them if I needed...' she mused.

It still didn't alleviate her soured mood.

Ignoring that, she focused on trotting towards the library. If ponies wanted to stare at her, that was fine! She didn't care. They could stare all they wanted! Midnight trotted along beside her. Navigating the way to the library from where they landed was made slightly difficult by being unfamiliar with the layout of the town, both since it was night and because she hadn't been in Ponyville that long anyway, but she managed to pull it off.

As she approached the library, her legs slowed down, drawing out her approach. Each step felt like it took longer than the last as she stared at that tree. Through the windows, she saw the flickering orange glow of candles. The glow raced out into the street, fading quickly, but still dancing on the ground as the flame flickered. That warm glow was so familiar, so welcome. It was an old friend of hers, one she had known so well from studying her books. She felt a sense of calm, accompanied by a throb of guilt and loneliness.

But she pressed on. She came to a stop at the door, then knocked. From behind the door, she heard something fall, then there was the sound of something scraping on wood. She couldn't tell if it was hooves or claws. The ground grew in volume, then she heard the sound of the lock being undone, which was followed by the door opening. She hadn't seen an aura envelop the door, but despite that, she was still expecting to see somepony there.

But nopony was there. Instead, she was greeted with Spike's shout of "Twilight!?" and Spike leaping at her, arms outstretched. She felt shock rush over her body, and in an instant, everything was blurred and her eyes burned. The light was so distorted by the tears in her eyes, yet Spike's form was so undeniable. She fell onto her haunches and caught him, enveloping him with her forelegs. He wrapped his claws around her neck and hugged her as tight as he could. His claws dug into her neck, but any discomfort it caused was nothing compared to the joy that she felt from seeing and hugging him again.

She closed her eyes and held him to her chest as tightly as she could. "S-Spike," she croaked.

"Twilight, I-I missed you so much!" Spike called back. "T-they told me th-that Nightmare Moon h-had captured you all and-and that s-she took you! I-I was s-so scared!" was his wail.

She just hugged him tighter as her cheeks warmed and subsequently cooled as the warmth trickled down to her jaw. She couldn't stop herself from nuzzling his scaly cheek, not that she would have stopped herself even if Nightmare Moon was there watching, not even if Nightmare Moon would have released her mentor. She knew it was silly, but she needed this, so, so badly. It was comforting and reassuring to feel his scaly body pressed up against hers, to hold him, and for him to hold her right back.

"It-it's okay, Spike," she stuttered back. A part of her believed it. Another part of her felt that it was a blatant lie. But Spike hugged her tighter, and that's what mattered.

Eventually, it would be okay.

"I-I'm s-so sorry that I-I left you, Sp... ke," she croaked. But there had been perfectly reasonable reasons why she had left him! It was for his own protection. "I-I..." she stopped. Her response died, knowing that, even if she had her reasons, it still hadn't been right.

But he didn't rebuke her. He just hugged her tighter, digging his claws into the back of her neck even more, refusing to let go. "It-it's okay, Twi..." was all he said, in such a small, kind voice.

It broke her heart all the more. She had no will to do anything else. Anything else was pointless. So she just held him and cried. And he just held her and cried.

She didn't know, nor care how long they stayed like that until their tears stopped. Her chest was soaked from Spike's tears, but she didn't care. Midnight had been there the whole time, too, but she didn't care. She lifted a foreleg from Spike's back, then rubbed her eyes. Reluctantly, she lifted her head up and looked down at him. She smiled, even as her sight blurred again. She still couldn't mistake his smile as he looked up at her and let go and slid down her chest. "C... on, Spike... let's go inside..."

He nodded timidly and looked at Midnight. His eyes darted over her, studying her.

She glanced aside at Midnight, who casually said, "Hi."

For a few seconds, she watched the batpony, who smiled at Spike and ignored her. "This is Midnight Edge..." she reluctantly drawled. Slowly, she turned her head back to face Spike. "She's... a batpony, and..." she trailed off as her voice died. How could she just tell Spike everything? How could she just tell Spike that Midnight was a soldier guarding her for Nightmare Moon? How was she supposed to explain to Spike that she was Nightmare Moon's student, now? How would he react?

"Nightmare Moon wants me to protect her," Midnight said casually.

Her vision was still blurry, but it didn't stop her from trying to kill the batpony with a glare. Midnight didn't bother looking at her for it to kill her, though, so her effort ended up being pointless. And that frustrated her.

"T-Twilight?" was Spike's timid call.

Her glare died and her body slumped. She simply didn't have the energy to do anything else except look at Spike now. "It's... it's okay," she offered. She swallowed and licked her lips. "I'm... Nightmare Moon's..." Oh, how she dreaded saying the next part. She couldn't watch his expression, she couldn't bear to see how he would look. She closed her eyes and said, "Student... now..."

Even to her, her voice sounded so hollow, so quiet, spoken as a hushed whisper. Nopony else would have heard it, even with spells designed to pick up on hearing such things. Even with the necklace being right there on her chest, she wasn't sure that her teacher would have heard it, and she hoped Nightmare had not heard it, or at least, her voice when she had said it.

"B-but you're-!?" he sputtered.

She barely managed to cut him off with a hug and, "N-not anymore."

A part of her died when she said that. She had made it real. If it hadn't been real before, it was real now. She couldn't call herself Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student. She wilted, but Spike didn't say her mentor's name. Spike didn't draw Nightmare's ire, so it was worth it.

She felt Spike's arms wrap around her again. She felt weak. She leaned down and held him again. She wanted to cry. She would have felt better, she knew, but the tears didn't come. There was just a hollow emptiness inside her, and her core was numbed by her admission. She had no idea how long the hug lasted, but Spike was the one who pulled back first. "Let's go inside," was her whisper.

He just nodded timidly, then turned around. His walk back inside looked haunted. It wasn't fair for her to put this on him. She had no choice, but it wasn't fair. She stood up. Her legs trembled, but she managed to head inside, followed by Midnight, who closed the door once inside.

Looking around, the library looked so much better than how she remembered it, but that was because it wasn't filled with ponies who thought libraries were good places for parties. From what she could tell, none of the books had been damaged. Perhaps it was silly, but that made her feel relieved.

But they weren't alone there, either. Even with her eyes falling on the other pony, it took her a second before her mind caught up with what she saw. "Oh..." was all that came out once it finally clicked that somepony else was there.

"Ah, yes... uh, terribly sorry, Twilight..." Rarity drawled, visibly wincing. "I... didn't mean to eavesdrop, but, well..." Her friend forced an apologetic smile.

She grimaced and looked down at the floor. All she could do was nod slowly. She felt like she should have held it against her friend, but at least right now, she just couldn't find it in her to hold that against her.

She heard Midnight walk around casually as if trying to ignore them. She heard Rarity approach her. "Twilight, dear?" she asked.

She nibbled on her raw lip, and the wince was enough to make her look up. Rarity had no malice in her expression, just sympathy. "Are you alright?" was her question.

She shook her head but didn't voice it. No, Nightmare Moon would have heard it, and so she couldn't voice it. Maybe Nightmare Moon wasn't out to get her, but she still didn't trust her.

Rarity hugged her, pulled her close. Even though her chest was damp from Spike's tears, it didn't stop Rarity from hugging her. She lifted her right foreleg and draped it around her friend's neck to return the hug. It wasn't the same as her parents' hug, but it was still a hug from a friend.

"Do you want me to go get the others?" was her friend's soft offer.

She shook her head. "N-no... um... if... you don't mind, you can tell them that... that I'm... here, but... C-can you just... g-give me tod- ...tonight, please? We... we can... talk tomorrow."

Rarity nodded and said, "If you're sure, dear..."

She swallowed and reluctantly pulled out of the hug. Rarity let go and then pulled back. She tried, but she couldn't meet Rarity's gaze. "I've had a long d... night," she said.

"I'll leave you to it, then... unless you want me to stay?" Rarity offered.

She nudged her head side to side.

There was silence for several seconds, then she heard Rarity walk away. She heard Rarity's magic, then the door opened and Rarity walked out, then the door closed.

She was glad Rarity was gone. She already missed her friend.

Being alone probably wasn't good for her right now. But she wasn't alone; Spike was there.

She licked her lips again, then inhaled and lifted her head up. It felt like it took all of her strength to do it, but she did it. She looked around until she found Spike, then asked, "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Y-yeah... what about..." he trailed off. "Uh, do you want anything? I-I can get you something to ea-"

She smiled but shook her head. "No, thank you," she answered.

He hesitated and watched her. After a few seconds, he ventured, "Um... h-how are... Cadance and Shining?"

"They're okay." But okay was about the extent of what she knew. As with her parents, as with Nightmare Moon, she had taken to avoiding them. And now, just like with Nightmare Moon, just like with her parents, she was that much further away from them. 'Please stay safe...' echoed in her mind.

He nodded timidly.

It had been a long night and it left her drained, or maybe she hadn't slept that well. She wanted to go upstairs, crawl into bed and curl up into a ball under the covers. She felt like she hadn't done much, but she had been awake for a while. And then, this night had lasted for over a month. It had been a long night.

Tomorrow would be better. She could have a night to herself, free from being so close at hoof to Nightmare Moon, even if she was still well within her mentor's grasp. She closed her eyes and told herself, 'She's not going to hurt me,' but she wasn't entirely convinced. Tomorrow, she could see all of her 'friends' again. Tomorrow, she could, perhaps, let her guard down. Maybe tomorrow, she could recover. Maybe tomorrow, the terror, anxiety, fear, and nervousness that plagued her would be distant, just like Nightmare Moon. Maybe tomorrow, she would be able to think without her fears assaulting her from all sides. Tomorrow, distance from Nightmare Moon would be good for her.

And maybe she would sleep peacefully tonight.

'Tomorrow will be better, won't it?' She stopped herself from biting her lip, then swallowed. She mustered her courage, even as in the back of her mind, her thoughts twisted to torment her. It wasn't fair for either of them, especially Spike. She had just come back to see him after a month. "I-I'm just," she hesitated to continue out of fear, but eventually managed to add, "going to go to bed, Spike."

But Spike didn't look hurt by it, despite her fears. She took solace in that and felt relieved. "You'll be here tomorrow, right?" was his worried question.

She smiled at him and nodded. "Of course, Spike," she answered. She could see relief wash over Spike's features. Had he been scared by what she said and she had not noticed it?

She leaned over to him and tenderly brushed her cheek against his head, then stroked the green spines atop his head with a hoof. After a few seconds, she stood back up, still smiling down at him, but the smile was cracking. She hesitated, then looked over at Midnight. Her smile faded as she stared at the batpony. Midnight just walked around the curve of the library, pretty much ignoring everything else as she appeared to study the titles of the books.

She looked back at Spike. "Can you see if we have someplace for her to stay?"

Spike just nodded quickly and replied, "Yeah, there's a guest room I can show her."

"Thank you, Spike," she replied. She watched Spike. She wanted to say something more, but nothing came to her. So she just watched him, drawing the moment out. She looked forward to going to bed, yet at the same time, she dreaded leaving Spike.

With nothing else to say, she looked away from him, then timidly walked to the stairs. Each step felt like she was dismissing him, and it stung at her heart and mind, but what was she to do? And she knew she was being silly. She knew that going to bed so soon after seeing him again wasn't the end of the world.

She stopped at the base of the stairs, closed her eyes, then inhaled as deeply as she could. She held that breath in for a few seconds, then let her chest deflate. She tried to cast those fears and worries out as she exhaled. To an extent, it worked.

She ascended the stairs, and it passed by in a blur. She stared at her bed and studied it. For some reason, it stood out so much in her mind: the covers were a deep blue, speckled with stars and crescent moons. It sent a shiver down her spine. Cautiously, she approached that bed. Timidly, she used her magic to pull the covers back. Tiredly, she crawled into bed.

She curled up into a ball and pulled the covers back over her. She tucked the blanket in around her neck and held herself as small as she could. She laid on her side, staring out of the window. At the very least, eternal night meant that whenever she slept, it was always dark out.

Sometimes, it was just darker than normal.

She felt cold. The blankets and bed didn't help with that, at least not yet. The warmth from her body had been stolen by the cold blankets, and the coldness enveloped her. As time trickled on, the cold faded as her body heat gradually warmed everything, but that warmth seemed distant. It wasn't the same comforting warmth that her parents gave it, nor was it the same comfort as Spike or Rarity's hug.

Staring out the window, she watched the shadows cast by the moonlight elongate. Time past by, but even with her emotional exhaustion, she couldn't sleep. She wasn't certain why, but the isolation she felt was probably the cause. Princess Celestia wasn't there to tell her and make everything okay.

But Nightmare Moon was just a whisper away.

'Would you come, if I asked you to?' drifted through her mind. At the very least, the thought served to distract her from the isolation and cold she felt. At the very least, it gave her something to consider that did not immediately make her overreact.

'Would you come?' she wondered again. She wasn't certain. Thinking back on what Nightmare had said, she knew it would be a tedious waste of her teacher's time. For Nightmare to come to visit her right now would have only served to impose on her. Looking at it that way, there was no way Nightmare would do so. It was unreasonable; her teacher stood to gain nothing from it for herself.

Yet, thinking back on Nightmare's actions left her feeling uncertainty. Nightmare comforted her or at least tried to calm her down so many times. Nightmare did not snap at her. If she were to ask, it made her reason that her teacher may come, and perhaps Nightmare would not chastise her for being so scared, for feeling so isolated from everypony else.

After all, they probably both shared in that feeling of isolation, although the reasons differed.

But maybe Nightmare did have something to gain from it: her trust, or a better relationship with her. But would that be worth the teleport and time spent with her? And then, there were the promises Nightmare made to her.

Considering everything, thinking about it logically, the answer seemed to be 'Yes, you would come if I asked you to.'

And it gave her a sense of bewilderment, to think that Nightmare Moon might be willing to do something like that. But she didn't ask. She kept silent.

She heard the scraping of claws on stairs. She rolled her head back and stared at the doorway. After a few seconds, Spike came into view, anxiously tapping his claws together. "Spike?" she called.

"Um..." was his hesitant acknowledgment. For a few seconds, his head meandered left and right unsurely, then he looked up at her and slowly walked towards the bed. "I-I know that I'm too old for it, but... could I maybe... sleep with you tonight?"

She swallowed and rolled over onto her left side, nodding. Given everything that had happened, it would be welcome. Maybe she would even feel safer. At the very least, she wouldn't feel so alone: Spike would be there with her. It brought a smile to her lips. "Of course, Spike," she whispered. Using her magic, she pulled the covers back. Spike crawled up into bed and scooted back against her chest. She nuzzled him and laid her right foreleg over him, pulling him close.

"Th-thanks, Twilight... um... goodnight," Spike said.

Feeling his warmth against her chest felt wonderful. She felt almost complete. The loneliness had been vanquished, the fear and anxiety retreated. There was a ray of light, piercing through the tempest raging in her mind. "Goodnight, Spike," she whispered back before closing her eyes before drifting off to an almost peaceful slumber.

The last thought in her mind before she drifted into sleep was, 'Tomorrow will be better... I'll see my friends.' She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

Author's Note

This chapter (originally a part of Reunions) has been substantially edited.

I halfway think it's better; I halfway think I butchered it.

The changes basically include: Twilight not being in a frenzied panic; Twilight thinking more rationally.

Never once were Twilight's parents' names said. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.

I actually managed to publish it on time!

2/22/21

Fixed a typo.

One of these days I will do a full edit sweep of these earlier chapters to fix more typos and so on...

Friends

Twilight inhaled as she woke up. Her eyes rolled across the room, drifting over the blurred outlines of her surroundings. What she saw barely registered in her mind, and as her eyes passed over anything, it was immediately forgotten. There was nothing there that caught her attention, there was nothing there that demanded a surge of energy, and with nothing to spur her into action, she lingered on the edge of consciousness.

The soft light of the moon drizzling into the room cast everything in a subdued glow which gave her surroundings a dreamlike quality. The light softened the hard wood and faded into the darkness. As her eyes drifted through the darkness, the light of the moon gave it an almost comforting feeling, one that embraced her with an unassuming hug, whispering to her that it would be okay.

She felt a warm spot nestled against her back at her withers. That warmth felt so close, yet her heart longed for feeling it against her chest, cradled in between her forelegs. But the rest of her body felt a calm numbness, a laziness. Her limbs felt distant, yet so close, so ready to obey her commands, yet none came to mind.

She blinked, then exhaled. Her vision sharpened, and the comforting look of the room withdrew, pulling back, further and further away. The walls all seemed to retreat, and she felt as if she was exposed, out in the open. So what if she was lying in bed? So what if the bed was against the wall? She felt like she was in the middle of the room, as if she was in an open prairie, with nothing else around, except dozens of ponies, if not more, all staring at her.

But it didn't put her on edge. It didn't scare her, it didn't provoke any terror. She didn't feel anxious, just unnerved. She just felt so aware of how big and open the loft was, even if it was nowhere near as big as her library. More cautiously, she looked back to the left, retracing where her eyes had already drifted, searching for anything that could have been the source of her discomfort. But there was nothing there. The room was smaller than her library, the room was more homely than her library, but she still felt exposed. From what she could see, there was nothing watching her, but she still felt unnerved.

She rolled her head to the left, sticking her muzzle into the air and turning her gaze to the doorway, which was shut. For a few seconds, she watched the door, no thoughts coming to mind, nor any feelings washing over her. Her eyes jumped to the bed, then they jumped onto Spike. Her lips pulled up into a smile as she watched him sleep so soundly, so peacefully. He laid on his side facing away from her, so blissful, so unaware of whatever it was that was plaguing her.

Carefully, she scooted away from him. Each jerk made her want to wince as she felt the mattress shift under her weight, but she managed to reach the edge of the bed without waking Spike. She took comfort in that small victory, then slid out of bed. She edged onto her hooves and stood facing the window for a few seconds. She stared out into the night, into the cloudless purple tapestry that was the sky.

Only a sliver of the moon was visible. That small crescent line looked so innocent, so childlike as it peeked over the horizon. She watched it, and as she watched it, she felt so very aware of that crescent moon necklace on her chest. She was accustomed to the weight on her neck by now, not that it was heavy. No, it was like any other necklace anypony else would wear, the weight unnoticeable, perhaps until it was missing. The silvered necklace resting on her chest felt neither cold nor warm. It was just there, like always, although perhaps it did not strike the same fear into her as usual.

Canterlot was miles away. Nightmare Moon was miles away. They were so far apart. Yet she knew just how close at hoof Nightmare was. It wouldn't have taken much for her teacher to teleport to her. She was always within her grasp.

Her forehoof lifted from the floor, then touched the necklace, pressing it into her chest.

Holding it close.

She blinked, then looked down. For a few seconds, she studied her hoof, then she looked at how the chain of the necklace disappeared beneath it, seeing and knowing that her hoof was over the necklace, but not fully grasping or realizing that it was. She lifted her hoof from her chest and uncovered the crescent moon. Her hoof drifted away, dropping back to the floor before stopping. The necklace shimmered, the light from its enchantment slowly dancing across its surface, like a flame, but in such slow, drawn out motions.

Her eyes jumped back to that tiny sliver of the moon that had risen above the horizon. 'All I'd have to do is ask...' occurred to her, 'And you'd be right here...'

She felt her skin shifting as a tingle grew in between her withers, then, like an icicle, it raced down her spine. She shivered.

She kept silent as she turned to her left. She gave Spike a passing glance and shuffled around the bed to make her way to the door. She lit her horn, and the shimmer of her magic filled the room. She grasped the door with her magic and glanced back at Spike, biting her lip, knowing that he was facing her. His eyes were still closed, and he didn't move. She opened the door, then quickly stepped out.

As soon as she cleared the doorway, she pulled the door shut. She tried her best to shut it silently, but it wasn't enough; it made a soft creaking noise. Logically, she knew that it wouldn't wake Spike unless he was close to waking up anyway. It still didn't stop her from wincing and hearing that creak as a window violently shattering. But the door was closed. She listened for a few seconds and heard no scraping of claws on wood.

She closed her eyes, then bowed her head until the tip of her horn rested against the door. She sucked in a deep breath, waited for a second, then let it go. She opened her eyes and pulled her head back, then turned around. Idly, she glanced over the stairs, then over the library below her.

She could barely make out anything. The books that she knew were in the bookshelves all blurred together. Not a single book ended. Not a single book started. It was all just a wall of inky blackness. Without the light of the moon, her vision betrayed her. Only the faintest hint of light peeked into the room from the library's windows. The lighting was dimmer than in the bedroom.

And for all she knew, there was something else there beside her. There could have been something lurking in the darkness. Just lying in wait for her. There could have been something ascending the stairs. It could have been going so slowly that she didn't notice it as it crept ever closer until it was too close for her to react.

It set her on edge. She didn't feel Nightmare Moon's presence. She didn't feel like she was being watched. She felt that she was alone, but not isolated. But she didn't feel safe, either.

And so, out of fear, she stood there, at the top of the stairs looking down into the library below. She knew it was silly. She knew she was acting like a little filly afraid of the dark. Surely, there were no monsters in the library! How would one have made it inside? Logically, she knew that, aside from Nightmare Moon, she was safe.

But it didn't feel that way. And so she stood unmoving, breathing shallowly, doing her best to blend in, trying to will herself into non-existence to avoid drawing any attention to herself.

'I'm up too early,' she knew. A part of her wanted to groan at that, but it was the truth. A month ago, it would have been fine. But now, it wasn't fine. The moon had not yet risen in full, and the darkness of the moonless night still embraced Equestria in a crushing grip.

She could have used her magic. She could have lit candles. She had no desire to delve into the unnatural darkness to do either.

'Maybe the moon cycle was a mistake...' whispered in her mind. She clenched her jaw. A part of her knew it couldn't have been a mistake. Another part of her growled back, 'It's unnatural!' Most of her mind was also in agreement that the part of her that said it couldn't have been a mistake was insane.

She had Nightmare Moon as her teacher, yet the moonless nights terrified her. There was a beauty to the night sky, but it just felt so wrong without the moon. How did other ponies who did not have Nightmare Moon as their teacher feel about the moonless nights? And then there was the fact that the darkness without the moon was so thick, almost impossible to see in. Ponies couldn't be outside in that darkness. Under Princess Celestia's nights, or the moonlit nights of Nightmare Moon, ponies could be outside. Ponies could see in that darkness.

But not when the moon was gone.

As she thought about it, anxiety twisted in her chest, fear gnawed at her mind.

She stood there, letting her anxiety and fear conspire against her.

But she took comfort in watching as the darkness slowly faded back, retreating with the ascent of the moon. She watched how the darkness crept back as the minutes passed. The bookshelves finally separated from the books they held. The books had an end and a beginning, then she could make out the creases between each spine. The room lightened as the moon crept further into the sky.

'I could have watched this with her...' occurred to her, whispered in a grave tone by some distant part of her. 'And then I wouldn't feel this way...'

Her ears flicked back. It had been an opportunity. And now it was a missed opportunity. She had no desire to be that close to Nightmare Moon, though. But then, if that was true, why did that thought occur to her? She had the distance that she wanted, even if it was an illusion. She nibbled on her lip.

'Would you have even come..?' she wondered. She dreaded the answer she already knew, 'Yes, you would have...' Or the other answer, that could have been. Being a filly so scared of the dark, surely that would be an insult to her teacher: the Queen of the Night. It was absurd. She actually smiled at the thought. 'I'm pathetic...' But it brought nothing with it. No emotion, no pain.

Nightmare wasn't proud of her. Realizing that, she felt a coldness start to envelop her, starting with her muzzle, washing over her cheeks, then slithering over the rest of her body. Her mentor wasn't proud of her. She was nothing but an embarrassment.

Her head tilted down. She stared at the floor, breathing in calm, slow breathes. Her thoughts all vanished. Nothing came to mind. The meaning of time, the passing seconds, it was all lost on her. When she looked up, the fear-inducing darkness had receded. The library was lit, she could see. But it was still dim, far dimmer than sunrise, and even far dimmer than during the middle of Princess Celestia's nights. She walked forward and descended the stairs.

'I shouldn't feel this way!' shouted out in her mind. 'She's not Princess Celestia!' But that still didn't separate it from, 'She's still my teacher...'

Oh, why did this have to be so hard? Why did this have to tear her apart like it did? Why couldn't it have been simpler, easier!

But it would be okay. She had to believe that. She had to hold onto that.

Her head drifted left, sweeping across the library, then it flowed back to the right. The tree was comforting. It had a homely feel, even if it was a library. Libraries were always comforting places for her. But it didn't alleviate her doubts. It didn't alleviate her fears, nor her anxieties.

Her head came to a stop when she faced a doorway with no door. On the wall to the right was another doorway, except this one was barred by a door. She glanced over that door, curious about its purpose, then turned her attention back to the room without a door.

She had seen the doorway before, but she hadn't given the room any passing thought. Why should she have? It was so unimportant, especially since she wasn't going to be here for that long, and when she had been here before, she had the task of overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration for her Princess.

Peering into the dimly lit room, she saw counters, a stove, and a refrigerator. All of it combined in her mind, and she realized it was a kitchen. A month ago, that might have surprised her. It was, after all, a library. But it did have a bedroom and a balcony. There was also another room she hadn't explored, and then Midnight was also hiding somewhere.

But any semblance of surprise was suppressed by just how distant she felt from everything. The numbness wouldn't let her feel any surprise.

She inhaled and her hooves carried her into the kitchen. She turned her head to the left, taking in the full extent of the room. Her gaze fell on a table, complete with four chairs. The table was just barely oval in shape to the point that it was more of a circle that bulged at both ends. It might have been able to seat six ponies, but it would have been a bit crowded for a meal. The four chairs were arranged in an x-shape around the table, with the bulging ends free from chairs.

Her hooves carried her to the refrigerator. She lit her horn, then pulled the door open. As soon as the door opened, a magelight inside the refrigerator glowed to life. It put the light from the glow of her horn to shame. It put the soft moonlight to shame. But it didn't hurt her eyes to look at, even if it was so much brighter than the darkness filling the rest of the library.

She swept her eyes over the refrigerator's contents, then shivered as the chill from inside washed over her. The contents barely registered in her mind. She didn't know what she was looking for. She didn't find it. She closed the door, then turned around. Her hooves carried her back to the doorway, then she stopped and stood there.

The library before her was just the same as before. Well, aside from one minor difference: Midnight descended the stairs. She watched the batpony, now free of her armor, as she walked down. Without the armor, Midnight looked so much more like a normal pony, even though it wasn't that she hadn't looked like a pony with her armor on. Perhaps it was because she was used to seeing Midnight wearing armor, as this was the first time she had seen Midnight without her armor on, but the batpony looked so slender and vulnerable. Yet she could still see the strength hidden beneath that thick gray coat.

Midnight bent her body with each step she took, and her descent was silent, as if she was a predator creeping up on her prey, making not a single sound. But her expression had no hint of any predatory nature. Her slit-pupils were wide open and had taken on their characteristic playful glint, while her tongue was dipped out of her mouth, in between her fangs. Midnight, she knew, was a soldier. Midnight was a batpony. But that didn't stop her from having trouble believing it at times.

Midnight looked at her, then watched her. "Good morning!" was her cheerful greeting.

She squinted at Midnight and muttered, "...it's the middle of the night."

Midnight just giggled. "It's always night now, but the moon is rising," was her casual response. Midnight's wings fluttered at her sides as she landed on the last step. "Although I am surprised that you're awake. I expected to wake up first."

'Why did I wake up so early?' No answer came to her mind. She wanted to say that it was because she went to bed early. She wanted to say it was because she slept well. But she wasn't certain. Perhaps it was because she had slept with Spike that she woke up earlier. Maybe his presence beside her was enough to ease her fears that Nightmare would show up to watch her sleep.

Maybe the distance between Canterlot and Ponyville would keep her teacher from doing that? She doubted it. If Nightmare wanted to, there was nothing stopping her.

"Twilight? Hellooo?" Midnight called. "Do you make it a habit to stare off into space?"

She blinked and swallowed as her eyes jumped back to Midnight. The mare's playful expression was more subdued, less expressed, now replaced with a more serious expression that she recognized as concern. "Y-yes?" she squeaked.

Midnight's lips pulled down, and her brow creased. "Are you alright?" was all she asked.

They had already been over that before! Why did she have to ask that question again!? But, to retort her guard, Nightmare Moon's soldier, in such a way? No, all she could do was try to smile, which only resulted in a grimace, and groaned, "I'm fine."

It was about as convincing as she expected it to be. Midnight's brow folded down even more, and she knew the batpony saw right through it. But Midnight didn't chastize her or call her out, instead asking, "Are you sure?" in a gentle, comforting voice.

She turned away from Midnight and nodded. "I'm as fine as I can be," she answered. 'Which isn't that fine,' was added in her mind.

She didn't hear Midnight say anything or do anything. Reluctantly, she turned her head back to face her guard. Midnight just stood there, watching her. A few seconds passed. She swallowed. Midnight gave a hesitant nod and said, "If you're sure... But if you ever want to talk, you can talk to me, okay?"

She wasn't sure she believed that, but there was no malice in the offer. There was nothing there that made her reluctant to accept the offer, and so she gave a timid nod.

Midnight lingered for a moment longer, then turned and walked into the kitchen. Twilight turned her head to keep watching the batpony as she walked on past her. Midnight went to the refrigerator and opened it.

She turned back around, inhaled, then exhaled. She strolled over to the middle of the library, then turned around in a circle, letting her eyes wander over the spines and titles of the books filling the room. She saw them but did not pay attention to them. She saw them, but didn't keep track of anything. She came to a stop facing a section of the wall that had no shelves cut into it.

Her hooves carried her over to it, then she turned around and sat down on her haunches. She was content to just sit there in silence, waiting until Spike woke up, or until her friends showed up. She didn't know how long it would be, but she was fine with sitting there, doing nothing else. Just wasting time. Not even reading or studying magic that she so loved.

Instead, Midnight skipped over to her, spun around, and plopped down at her right before biting into a fresh apple. She heard the crunch of Midnight's teeth sinking into it, and found her stomach felt empty.

Hesitantly, she glanced at Midnight. Midnight smiled thoughtfully and lifted her left wing, causing another apple to fall from her side. The batpony caught it with a hoof in a single sweeping motion that took her by surprise, then extended it to her. She eyed the red apple for a moment, then lit her horn and picked it up. "Thanks..."

"Mhm!" was Midnight's cheerful response.

She felt better after eating. She felt more alert, she felt interested in actually doing something. But she wasn't entirely sure what to do, even if the answer was obvious: she was in a library, and there were plenty of books for her to read. Sadly, none of them sparked much interest in her. How could they, given that as soon as she was pulled into one of the stories, her guard would slip in full, leaving her so vulnerable to her mentor?

'She's not here right now! She's in Canterlot!' her mind hissed. 'But she could show up without any warning!' another part of her shot back.

It felt like ever since Nightmare had returned, her mind had been haunted by her. Even when Nightmare wasn't nearby, her thoughts always lingered on her teacher. She needed a break from it. She needed to recover and unwind. Being in Ponyville was supposed to help with that.

She knew she was worrying too much. Nightmare Moon was right. If she kept worrying about her, she'd never be able to focus on her studies.

She nibbled on her lip and looked out the window. Even with the moon having risen, the streets were sparsely occupied. But maybe that was normal, at least for nights. Her only experience to compare Ponyville with during the night had been the night before the Summer Sun Festival, and that wasn't a fair comparison. It wasn't fair to compare it to the day she had arrived, either.

Notably absent, any of those five mares she would recognize in an instant. It was another thing that distracted her, the thought of her 'friends.' She felt anxious, with a bubbly energy in her chest. Would they show up like she hoped? When would they show up?

Spike shifted at her side. She looked down at him and smiled. She was grateful for his presence. After he woke up and ate, he hadn't left her side for anything. And now, it was just the two of them. Midnight was upstairs, having left to don her armor.

She didn't know how long it would take Midnight to put that armor on, but for however long it was, it was just her and Spike. And that crescent moon necklace.

'I should read something. It would help take my mind off of everything...' She licked her lips, then turned her gaze onto the bookshelves. She looked over the titles and mentally kicked herself: When she went to Ponyville before, she had taken something with her, but this time, she had not. Her saddlebags were also missing, although she assumed one of her friends was keeping an eye on them.

She skimmed the titles and found the usual selection that a small town library would have. Nothing too complicated, nothing too in depth. The books were common books, ones that thousands upon thousands of copies existed. There were no rare, valuable books that she would drive her crazy not being able to read. There were no books on magic that she could study, either. At least not books for somepony of her level: most of the books were aimed towards the average unicorn.

Although, she knew it could be useful to brush up on spells, if only as a refresher, or maybe because it would distract her.

She stopped as it occurred to her, 'Predictions and Prophecies is still here...'

She stared at the book's spine. She stared at its title. She felt a shiver shoot down her spine, and her breathing grew shallow and tensed. That book, just looking at it brought her a sense of dread. She bit her lip and chewed, even with how sore it was, she didn't stop.

Did Nightmare Moon know that book was still here? Was it a test of some kind, to see if she would read it or ignore it? Would Nightmare hurt her if she tried to read any more from it and found out that she did? Did Nightmare even care about that book? Would Midnight tell Nightmare if she saw her reading it?

Her eyes shot back towards the staircase. She held her breath, listening intently. She didn't see Midnight, nor did she hear her. The door to her room was closed. Would she have any advanced warning if that door opened? Would she have advanced warning if Midnight tried to sneak up on her? Midnight was stealthy, but maybe her armor would give her away.

Her eyes shot back to the book. In an instant, her horn glowed to life and she grabbed the book from the shelf in her telekinesis. If it was any other time, she would have fumed at treating a book, especially such a valuable one, in such a manner. But now, her heart hammered in her chest as fear welled up inside her. She brought the book close, laid it down on the floor, then opened it.

It immediately opened on the prophecy of Nightmare Moon's return. She hadn't even tried to do it, but it happened. She stared at the depiction of the Mare on the Moon.

Her blood felt like ice.

Her gut twisted, and her legs started trembling. She swallowed and looked over the text. She didn't read it, as the text was burned into her mind. She turned the page, putting the depiction of the Mare on the Moon face down, hiding it from her sight. Relief washed over her, but it didn't stop her from feeling dread. If Midnight saw her reading this, it could be bad. If Nightmare saw her reading this, well, that would be worse.

She glanced back at the stairs. The door was still shut. She glanced at Spike. Spike stared at the book, oddly silent. But perhaps it was because it reminded him of one simple truth, 'Princess Celestia lied to me...'

She turned her attention back to the book and took in the depiction of the Elements of Harmony. Five gems arranged around one central pink gem, set against a golden background that was intricately detailed with the four cardinal directions, and swirls that seemed to lack any coherent meaning.

Nightmare Moon had the Elements of Harmony, now. The only way she could have possibly saved Princess Celestia. The only way she could have possibly stopped Nightmare Moon. There was no way to get them back. She had no idea where those Elements were, and trying to find them now would have been beyond pointless. Nightmare would kill her in a heartbeat if she tried anything with them.

Or maybe Nightmare wouldn't. Maybe Nightmare would do something else, but any semblance of trust Nightmare had in her would be gone. And, she knew, Nightmare Moon would be disappointed.

But it wasn't lost on her that there were six Elements of Harmony. It wasn't lost on her that there were five mares she somehow managed to call 'friends.' And it only made her dread worse.

'Are the Elements why you're keeping me around?' she wondered. The question left her uneasy. Part of her reasoned, 'That doesn't make sense! If I'm... one of their bearers, along with the rest of my friends, then she should have killed us! It would be in her best interest...' But another part of her reasoned, 'We could be useful to keep around... in case she needed us for something. She said she needs me...'

She was probably thinking about things she shouldn't have been. Nightmare probably wouldn't be happy if she found out.

But, she was already in so much trouble anyway, so why not go all the way? It was reasonable! Sort of. She turned her attention back to the book. Maybe it held some key that she could use, some hint of how, or rather if, Nightmare Moon would be defeated again.

Try as she did, she found nothing. The entire time she searched, a voice in the back of her head shouted at her, condemning her for searching for some means to defeat her teacher. She would be in so much trouble if, or perhaps when, Nightmare found out. And trying to find a way to defeat Nightmare Moon also made her feel uncertain. She missed her Princess, but she felt that fighting Nightmare Moon, even if what she had done was wrong, was in of itself, wrong.

Nightmare Moon was still just a pony, like her. 'You're hurting...' occurred to her, and she knew it was true. Maybe her teacher masked it, but it was the truth. Everything fit so perfectly with that context: ponies hated Nightmare Moon and drove her to try to bring eternal night once before, for which Princess Celestia banished her for a thousand years.

She didn't hate her teacher. Even if Nightmare had banished Princess Celestia to the moon, even if Nightmare had turned her world upside down. She didn't hate her.

And she was searching for a way to only prolong Nightmare Moon's banishment, or defeat her so that she could bring Princess Celestia back. It was reasonable, of course. But there had to be another alternative. She shouldn't have even been looking in this book.

She felt guilty.

She sighed, then used her magic to close the book. Reluctantly, she lifted the book up, then levitated it back over to its place.

She looked back toward the stairs. The door was still closed. She looked at Spike. He stayed silent.

Nightmare would never find out she had looked in that book again. Spike wouldn't tell, Midnight didn't know. The only way she could was if she told her.

She tried to push the thought aside. She knew Nightmare Moon wasn't all-knowing, but it still ate at her mind. Princess Celestia wasn't all-knowing either, but she put her on such a pedestal where she knew that Princess Celestia knew what was best. Nightmare Moon had been very adamant in reminding her that, 'I am but one pony, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot be everywhere at once.'

Hearing Nightmare's voice in her mind made her shiver.

The door opened. She turned back and watched Midnight, now clad in her armor, casually walk out of her room, then descend the stairs. Unlike earlier, now she could hear Midnight's steps. The weight of the armor prevented her from being so stealthy.

Midnight paused halfway down the stairs, looked at her and asked, "Are you still just sitting there?"

She gave Midnight a wry smile.

Midnight squinted at her, then cautiously descended the rest of the stairs. "Aren't you supposed to be like, I dunno, really studious or something? And we're in a library."

She knew Midnight didn't mean anything by it, but it still stood out in her mind: she hadn't been studying like she should have ever since Nightmare Moon returned. But of course, she didn't have somepony directing her studies as much now. Although granted, Princess Celestia hadn't told her exactly what to study all the time. No, she had her own choices on what to study about magic. But now she wasn't studying like she should have been.

Maybe she was waiting for Nightmare Moon to tell her what to study, or for her teacher to teach her.

She grimaced and slowly nodded. "There's... not really anything here for me to study," she answered. She turned back towards the bookshelf before her and motioned a forehoof at it and said, "To me, this is all really basic magic. And there aren't any books on more complicated spells or spell theory for me to study."

Midnight didn't say anything. She turned and looked back at Midnight. The batpony just sort of stared at the books and bookshelf, her eyes wandering over it, back and forth. For a second, her eyes came to a stop, and for that second, she held her breath, scared that Midnight's eyes had landed on the book she should not have read. Then, Midnight's eyes resumed their travel across the rest of the books. "Oh, okay," was all Midnight said. Midnight looked at her and offered, "You could probably have our Queen bring you some when she comes to visit."

And it made her gut twist all the more. "S-she's coming to visit!?" came out frantically. And oh, how she instantly regretted that. She screwed her eyes shut as her lips pulled back, showing her teeth. Oh, that had been a mistake. How had that managed to come out!? Shock, that was how. And now, certainly, Nightmare Moon had overheard that. And now, certainly, Nightmare was going to be upset with her.

Or, at the very least, disappointed and hurt.

And it felt like the disappointment might have been worse.

"Well, you are supposed to oversee the rebuilding of her castle, right? I'd think she'd show up sometime to talk with you about it," was Midnight's innocent explanation.

She let out a breath in relief as she felt the knot in her gut untwist. She opened her eyes and looked at Midnight as her lips returned to normal. "Right..." she muttered, slowly turning her head back towards the bookshelf. 'Idiot!' her mind screamed at her. Her supposed intelligence really didn't amount to anything anymore.

"You really should relax," Midnight commented softly. "Maybe just try reading something for fun?"

'That probably would help take my mind off of things, but I don't really want to...' was what came to mind. Internally, the thought made her wince. It was antithetical to her. She loved books! But she didn't want to read now.

This month had been bad.

And it occurred to her, that wasn't going to change. Nightmare Moon was still Queen. That wouldn't change. 'I... just have to get used to it...' And that? That made her wince. Getting used to how everything changed? She had no choice. But it wasn't going to happen overnight. No, because if she would have adjusted to it overnight, it would have already happened.

Then again, this night was unending, so it could have been accurate, at least in saying that she would never adjust to the changes since the night wouldn't end.

She clenched her jaw and thought, 'Don't think of it that way... it won't help any.' She had to hope that things would get better. But hoping for things to get better felt pointless. It felt, ironically, hopeless, to hope for things to get better. Princess Celestia probably wasn't going to escape. She probably wasn't going to see her Princess again. She wouldn't be able to rescue Princess Celestia. Nopony was going to save her and nopony was going to save her Princess. She was stuck being Nightmare Moon's student.

Things wouldn't go back to normal. All she could do was adapt. She had no choice. Her muzzle drifted lower until it pointed at the floor just in front of her hooves, then she let out a quiet sigh.

'Okay, so, adapt!' came to mind. In response, another part of her screamed back, 'How!?' She needed to figure that out, but she also begrudgingly knew that she was giving too much weight to that question. She had, after all, adapted to being Princess Celestia's student. Surely she could figure out how to adapt to being Nightmare Moon's student? Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon were sisters.

But so much more had changed. It wasn't just her life being changed, all of Equestria had changed because of Nightmare Moon's return. And it wasn't necessarily a good change like when Princess Celestia took her on as a personal student.

She felt so closed in, but yet she still recognized it as an opportunity. A door had opened for her, in a way, although it was a door she was leery to take. The thought kept coming back to her, 'Embrace being Nightmare Moon's student.' She didn't know how, though. Other than when she returned to Canterlot, no longer avoiding her teacher, which was something she was already planning to do, the only thing that came to mind was trying to ignore or overcome her discomfort and return to some sense of normalcy: read, study, practice magic, spend time with her mentor learning magic from her.

Nightmare Moon had extended an olive branch of sorts to her, or at least it seemed like her teacher was trying to do that. It would have been rude to not at least try to do the same thing, even if it made her cautious. Maybe giving it a chance was crazy, but, ah, she was so entirely aware that there wasn't much of a choice. Rather, it was how painful she was making this for herself.

She clenched her jaw.

A part of her said, 'I'm worrying too much,' but it was still countered by, 'She could still kill me!' And that thought scared her.

Even if Nightmare Moon seemed to care about her.

There was a knock on the door. She looked up from the floor and her eyes jumped to the door, followed by her head turning to face it.

"I'll get it," Midnight preempted.

She glanced at Midnight, who casually strolled to the door, then went back to staring at the door. 'Who is it?' she wondered. Immediately, she felt a spark of hope when she wondered, 'Is it my friends?' That spark of hope ignited a fire of anxiety inside of her. Her chest felt light, yet filled with bubbling, boiling energy that made her fidget in place. She looked forward to Midnight opening the door and seeing her friends! And yet, she dreaded the prospect of seeing those five mares again. What would they say? And she also felt the fear that she was getting her hopes up and that it would amount to nothing, that her hope, that the fire it ignited, would just be snuffed out when the door opened to reveal somepony she didn't know, or somepony other than her friends.

She didn't want to feel that disappointment.

The anxiety twisted and churned inside her chest.

Midnight reached the door, and as Midnight reached for the handle, a thought occurred to her. It was a bad thought, a 'what if' scenario. And it was a simple scenario, one that made her pale:

Midnight opened the door, and immediately, with no warning, a rainbow blur tackled her to the floor. The rainbow blur cleared, and she could make it out as Rainbow Dash, the pony most likely to get herself killed or kill others out of not thinking, which she boldly displayed by tackling the batpony. "What have you done with Twilight!?" was her infuriated shout.

And of course, Nightmare Moon heard that shout through the crescent moon necklace.

Midnight, however, was well trained. And in one swift motion, she swept Rainbow's hooves out from under her, making the pegasus fall on top of her. In another equally swift motion, Midnight rolled over, switching their positions and pinning Rainbow beneath her. Midnight, for her part, just smiled playfully as she held her hoof to Rainbow's throat. Sure, there was no blade, but it'd still be effective.

Rainbow let out a feminine squeak.

Next, Applejack bolted into the room, ramming into Midnight and throwing her into the floor. The armor scratched up the wood as Midnight rolled back, but recovered with barely any effort and jumped back to her hooves. Applejack snorted and prepared to charge, while Rainbow rolled back over and jumped back onto her hooves.

Then, there was the crack of a teleportation spell, and Rainbow and Applejack froze as she felt the air thicken from her mentor's presence. Paralyzed in fear, both of her friends were easy targets for Midnight and Nightmare Moon. But of course, Nightmare took the initiative and grabbed both her friends with that lethal, cold magic of hers, levitating them up in the air and immobilizing them.

Then Nightmare turned to face her with a sharp, piercing glare that turned her blood to liquid nitrogen. And then, all she had to say was a single sentence that came out in a sharp growl, "I told you to keep them in check." She gulped as Nightmare's magic enveloped her, then the rest of her friends, and she trembled.

And the scenario made her feel a growing sense of dread and horror. After all, if it was her friends, Rainbow Dash probably would do something that stupid. "N-no! It's okay, I can get the-" but her alarmed offer was too late; Midnight pulled the door open. She felt her stomach drop out from under her as she finished, "door..."

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow Dash was the first one who flew inside. She felt like screaming at that. But to her utter shock, Rainbow ignored Midnight, flying to the center of the room and whipping her head right, then left, before looking right at her. She was also absolutely shocked by just how much Rainbow's eyes seemed to light up as she called out, "Twilight!"

And of course, the rest of the girls eagerly raced on inside, turning towards her. And of course, Rainbow Dash had one speed setting. And of course, that speed left the pegasus shooting towards her. And of course, because they were inside, she had no time to brace herself. And of course, Rainbow didn't slow down. If anything, she might have actually accelerated.

She felt the impact and coughed as Rainbow knocked the air out of her lungs. Then, of course, she felt the wooden floor hit her back and then head. She grunted, then wheezed as the pegasus wrapped her forelegs around her and hugged her.

'Oh, so, what is that? The fourth time she's tried to kill me?' a part of her all but hissed. And yet another part, clearly a part of her that had gone insane, felt, despite her rough treatment by Rainbow Dash, so grateful for the show of affection. It was, somehow, a reassurance to her. She felt her eyes growing warm, and it wasn't from the pain of being tackled by a speeding pegasus, it wasn't from the pain of hitting her head on the wood floor. No, the tears were because those five ponies, or at least Rainbow Dash, actually cared about her. They were, somehow, and she had no idea how, her friends. And for some reason she didn't understand, that meant something to her.

Her voice cracked as she whispered, "G-girls."

"Hey, Twilight," was Applejack's warm greeting.

Rainbow continued hugging her, early squeezing her hard enough to force the air our of her lungs again. She was surprised by how affectionate the pegasus was. Rainbow Dash didn't seem to be that kind of pony. She watched the rest of the girls all walk into a circle around her, then Rainbow picked her up and helped her to her hooves. "Heh, sorry... I uh, got a bit carried away, I guess," was her apology.

She nodded and smiled, despite a part of her screaming out in her mind, 'You don't say!?' She looked around at the mares surrounding her and felt a warmth burning in her chest. She felt home, she felt happy. She felt okay. And another part of her felt bewildered that it had such an effect on her. But nonetheless, their forms grew blurry and distorted as her eyes felt warmer. She felt the warmth roll down her cheeks.

She would be okay. It would be hard, but she would be okay.

Rainbow hugged her again, followed by Pinkie Pie, then Fluttershy, Applejack, and finally Rarity. She sat down on her haunches and did her best to return the hug, but there really were too many of them. But it didn't stop her from treasuring this group hug. If nothing else, she had the memory and the feeling. That would never leave her.

Almost instinctively, she ended up nuzzling them. Nuzzling whoever she could reach with her muzzle. She brushed her cheek back and forth against two of her friends, and apparently, in response, every single one of them started nuzzling her back. It made her feel giddy and bubbly inside. So what if Nightmare Moon had overthrown Princess Celestia? So what if this night would last forever? She had five friends, she knew, who still loved her.

Somehow. She didn't know how, and her reasonable, logical part couldn't comprehend it. Yet it couldn't reject the evidence that was right before her. The reasonable and logical part of her kept silent, simply too stunned to say anything.

So she kept nuzzling them, adding, of all ponies, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to her list of ponies she'd nuzzled. Yet no part of her screamed about these additions. She made an effort to nuzzle Rarity and Applejack, adding them to that less exclusive list of ponies she'd nuzzled. No part of her screamed out about it. She felt comforted, she felt at peace. She felt calm and happy. And she cried out of that happiness and joy that left her feeling giddy, like she could face down the world and it would be okay.

She didn't know how long they shared in that moment. When it ended, everypony pulled back, but they all lingered so near. She missed the warmth of the hug, feeling their supportive embrace, feeling the closeness of that bond she couldn't comprehend. Their forms were still blurred by her tears, but their smiles were impossible to miss. "S-so, w-we're fr-friends?" she stuttered.

"Heck yeah! Of course we are!" was Rainbow's retort. "You're not getting rid of us that easily!"

She snickered a bit. And Rainbow's response was followed by nodding from everypony surrounding her, accompanied by eager, affirmative, "Mhms!"

"Sorry we took so long to get here," Applejack sighed. She hesitated before adding, "But, well, it ain't safe to travel when the moon's gone..."

She bit her lip at that. Oh, she had her suspicions of what that meant. Ponyville was so close to the Everfree Forest, after all. And she'd been in that forest before. She had no desire to be in that forest again, unless Nightmare Moon or Princess Celestia was there. But of course, she was making assumptions, so she asked, "Um... what... do you mean?"

Applejack winced, and she turned to look at Fluttershy, who in turn looked at Rainbow, who in turn looked at Pinkie, who was oblivious to the whole situation. "Well, uh, those things from the Everfree really aren't staying in the Everfree anymore. It's been tough, especially for me and Fluttershy since we live so far away from town."

She winced, and reluctantly ventured, "So... things are coming out of the Everfree Forest..? And... attacking ponies?"

"Well, yeah... Not a whole lot of attacks, but that's because ponies stay inside when the moon's gone. But... it ain't safe, at least not as safe as it had been," was Applejack's grave response. "And it's not just Ponyville, either. A couple of stallions came through town the other day. Er, night. They said that lots of towns near the Everfree, or other forests for that matter, have been having problems when the moon's gone."

"Granted those towns don't have to deal with the animals in the Everfree Forest," was Rarity's dismissive comment. Applejack squinted at her, and Rarity shifted her weight. "But it's still a problem," she revised.

So, there she had it: It was problematic to have the moon cycle. And it had been her idea. And now ponies were probably getting hurt because of her idea. And if ponies found out, it probably wouldn't be good for her.

She must have been deathly silent, because Fluttershy whispered, "Um, Twilight... are you okay?"

She blinked and swallowed, then licked her lips. She tried to nod. It didn't happen. There really was no way to say it, and maybe she didn't actually need to tell them, but she felt compelled to. "U-um, well... you see," she drawled, "that um... might have..." she paused and then her voice lowered as she finished, "been my idea..."

They didn't attack her, so that was a good sign.

"Uh," was Applejack's response.

"Wait, wait, wait, so let me get this straight," was Rainbow's comment, and that made her wince. "You, Princess Celestia's-"

She winced and corrected, "Nightmare Moon's," in a low tone, not trying to draw attention to the correction.

Rainbow mostly ignored it and continued, "student-"

She had to fight the urge to correct her again, but her correction would have been incorrect now.

"-suggested to Nightmare Moon, who brought eternal night, that she take the moon away half the time!?"

Slowly, she turned her head away from Rainbow. "Um... when you put it that way..." was her hesitant acknowledgment. Then, she whipped her head back around to face Rainbow to defend, "But there was a good reason for it!"

Rainbow groaned and hit her forehead with her forehoof. Then, Rainbow inhaled and sighed. "Do you have any idea how rough that's been on all of us?"

Instinctively in shame, her eyes darted down to the floor, her ears folded back, and her muzzle turned down. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

For those few seconds when she stared at the floor, she had no idea what happened or what passed among her friends. But in the end, Rainbow sighed in defeat. "Alright, I just don't know why you would have suggested something like that."

Rarity cleared her throat, then clarified, "We're not mad at you, dear."

She hesitated to look up, not wanting to find the condemnation that was surely present in their expressions. She barely propped her muzzle up an inch, then risked a glance up at Rainbow Dash. Her glance turned into a stare when she found no anger or condemnation. It wasn't quite as friendly or eager as when they first showed up, but it was better than what she feared. She managed to lift her muzzle back up, and her ears gradually drifted back into place. "I-I can try talking to Nightmare Moon about it..." she offered.

Her friends exchanged a glance. It looked nervous, but she wasn't sure. Nopony really responded to her offer. She wasn't completely sure why, but she did have her suspicions.

"Ah... on the topic of... erm, Nightmare Moon..." Rarity drawled.

She turned to look at the unicorn, and Rarity hesitated to continue. Rarity's gaze was centered on her chest. Looking down, she found that Rarity's gaze was centered on that necklace. She looked back up at Rarity.

Had she told them of the necklace's purpose? She couldn't remember, and that made dread well up inside of her. If she hadn't and they didn't know, it was a powder keg just waiting to go off. She needed to tell them that Nightmare Moon was listening, but despite her concern for them, the prospect scared her. Nightmare Moon hadn't told her not to tell them, but the fear was still there. She also feared how they would react, and how they would treat her if she admitted Nightmare Moon was listening in and keeping track of her location.

Nightmare's voice came to her mind, saying, 'I am not just lying in wait for you to slip up.' It took the edge off of the fear that Nightmare Moon wouldn't be happy she told her friends about it.

Rarity at least seemed to have some comprehension. She didn't look like she fully grasped the situation, but she could see the recognition in her eyes that the unicorn knew the necklace was enchanted. She doubted the rest of them, especially Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, could tell or figure it out.

But her concern for them, her desire to protect them, was stronger than the fear. "S-she's listening," she spouted out.

"Huh?" was Rainbow's confused response.

She closed her eyes and answered, "Nightmare Moon." She winced. Nopony said anything. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, still holding the wince on her expression. Rarity and Applejack grimaced. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy frowned. Rainbow Dash was still, unsurprisingly, confused. "She- Nightmare Moon- is... listening. The necklace," she explained. "And she... knows where I am because of it."

Another moment past in silence, then they all nodded. They were hesitant nods, but they understood. And they seemed to grasp the situation a bit better. Of course, once again, Rarity looked at her with an expression of pity, one directed at her youth and the fact that she was in her current situation.

She didn't particularly like that, but then, she also realized that she really had been acting like a foal as of late.

"So, uh..." Rainbow trailed off. The pegasus drew a blank on what to say, so she just sat down.

And her friends shared looks again. Worried looks, ones that made her worried as well. She felt like they all came to some realization and shared it, but were afraid to voice it.

"She's not... hurting you, is she..?" was Fluttershy's barely audible whisper.

She turned around and stared at Fluttershy. She stared and stared. She stared for seconds. The pegasus looked so small, so timid, as if a feather dropping on her would send her into tears. Her eyes already looked like she was crying, so massive, so infinitely deep, drawing her in.

'Yes... but not on purpose...' was her mind's answer. "No..." was her absent response. Fluttershy didn't recover, at least not immediately. Her head drifted back and she looked at Rainbow. Out of the edge of her eye, she saw relief wash over Fluttershy's expression.

"So, uh... is... is Nightmare Moon just... listening and waiting for... uh, one of us to say something we shouldn't?" was Rainbow's question.

And in all honesty, she answered, "I doubt that..."

Rainbow nodded slowly.

"Sooo... gonna introduce me?" was Midnight's casual question.

She blinked. Everypony else turned to face Midnight.

A calm, laid back, "Hi," was all Midnight said.

"Hi!" was Pinkie's cheerful greeting. In the blink of an eye, Pinkie was standing in front of Midnight. "My name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours?"

"I'm Midnight Edge!" was the batpony's cheery response.

"Oooh, edgy!" was Pinkie's infatuated response.

Midnight let out a cheerful, carefree giggle. Pinkie joined in.

Twilight, for her part, wasn't sure what to make of the two of them.

Rainbow got up, then slowly approached, only now giving the batpony her scrutiny. She watched Rainbow look up and down Midnight's armor. Applejack and Rarity stood up and cautiously approached the mare. "So uh, what are you, exactly..?" was Rainbow question.

"I'm Twilight's guard." Midnight tilted her head to the left and asked, "Wasn't it obvious?"

"Uh, no, I mean what kind of pony are you? You look like... I dunno, a pegasus but..." Rainbow trailed off, pointedly staring at Midnight's wings.

"Oh!" Midnight exclaimed, "I'm a batpony."

"Batpony?" Rainbow asked. It took a second, but then she shrieked, "So wait, you're like a vampony!?"

Twilight wanted to facehoof. Instead, she just inhaled, then slowly exhaled. There really wasn't anything else she could do. She stood up and walked towards the group, intending to correct Rainbow.

Instead, Midnight just giggled. "We don't drink blood. We eat normal pony food especially fruits..." As Midnight trailed off, she thought she saw a slight trickle of drool near her fangs, but then it was gone. "We just look different." Midnight paused as a more thoughtful look crossed her expression, then she added, "Well, I suppose we're special because of Nightmare Moon, but we're still ponies."

Rainbow squinted and went back to studying her.

Something brushed up against her right side. She looked back and Fluttershy ducked back behind her mane, saying, "O-oh, sorry..."

"It's okay," she replied. She watched Fluttershy, and after a few seconds, the mare finally lifted her head back up, but kept it down in a non-threatening manner as she walked up beside her. Looking back on how Fluttershy had first acted, there was no noticeable difference. Then considering how Fluttershy acted when she saw Spike, well, it gave her a sense of whiplash.

She pushed it aside and looked back at everypony else. Their fascination with Midnight was reserved. But, it certainly went better than she had expected. Much, much better. And then a thought came to mind and made her shift her weight out of discomfort. "Uh... it's been over a month, and um, not that I'm mad or anything, but uh... why didn't you... come visit..?" she asked.

Her friends all looked back at her. Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity all looked at the floor, avoiding her. Even Pinkie Pie drooped. "Well, uh..." Applejack started. A brief silence followed, during which time Applejack realized nopony else was going to speak, so she continued, "It's... been kinda hard around here when the moon's gone. I've been busy on the farm and I've not really had time..."

"And the weather's kinda been a mess..." Rainbow added.

"I've had the time but I didn't want to go without everypony else," Pinkie offered with a sigh.

"Same here..." was Rarity's demured agreement.

"I um, I couldn't just... leave all my animal friends... th-they could get hurt if I-I left them," was Fluttershy's apologetic answer.

She nodded timidly. All in all, she found herself not holding a grudge against any one of them. Except maybe Rainbow Dash. She looked at said pegasus and asked, "What about the weather?"

Rainbow turned around to face her, lifting her head into the air and rolling it to the left as she drawled, "Weeeeelllllllll...." Finally, it came to a stop, and her head rested facing her. "The weather's kiiiiiinda been hard to set up since, you know, it's so dark. Plus without the sun, it's a bit harder to turn the water into clouds."

'Oh,' was all that came to mind. "Right," she stated succinctly.

"And I can't get up so early to work on the farm since it's so dark, so I'm kinda pressed for time," Applejack offered.

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Um, I could... maybe probably help with that?" she offered. Sure, she only had a vague idea of what all was involved in farming. She had studied it, but not recently, and not as in depth as magic. Sure, she wasn't an earth pony and didn't have earth pony magic- so she couldn't use earth pony magic to help crops grow- but she was a unicorn and was fairly decent with magic.

Although it might interfere with her studies. Then again, she wasn't exactly studying like she should have been. But it might have interfered with Nightmare's plans for her. 'I'll just... have to see how it goes,' was the best course of action.

Applejack nodded slowly. "I might take you up on that offer, but uh... are you sure you'd wanna help? No offense, but you're kinda... well, small."

And that was completely accurate. She was, most assuredly, not physically inclined. Especially considering that Fluttershy had overpowered her. "Ah... well, uh, I can use my magic?" she offered. "I mean, I... uh, I'm not strong. Or physically active." She paused, grinned and leaned in, then said, "But I am good with magic!" Hopefully, it was convincing. 'Why am I trying to convince her?' No answer came to her.

Still, Applejack nodded. "I reckon you are, given that you're... uh... were... Princess Celestia's student and all that."

"Mhm!" Midnight agreed. "She's good with magic."

She turned her attention to Midnight, squinted at her, and asked, "Okay, so, how exactly do you know that?"

Midnight gave a casual shrug. "You were Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student."

"Yes," she agreed, "but you're a batpony. Why exactly would you know that? You tend to keep to yourself."

"You're kinda well known, ya know," was Midnight's response.

She looked at Midnight flatly. "Yes, but not a lot of ponies would recognize me when I'm out and about and-"

"You did show up with Nightmare Moon," Midnight commented.

She inhaled, then exhaled. "But-"

"And you do look pretty unique," Midnight added.

She scowled at Midnight and demanded, "But how did you know about me when we first met!?"

Midnight just gave a casual shrug. "You're an important pony. You were Princess Celestia's pupil. It'd be useful to keep track of you, since, you know, we're batponies."

'And we're loyal to Nightmare Moon,' went unsaid. She stayed silent.

"Although no, you're not all that well known among us," Midnight comforted.

"Then why-!?"

Midnight smiled and sweetly asked, "You can't expect me to give up all my secrets now, can you?"

She huffed. "Fine. Don't answer my question then."

"Mhm, I won't," was Midnight's playful reply. She finished by sticking the tip of her tongue out in between her fangs. Midnight's tongue wasn't really stuck out at her, but it was still stuck out.

She squinted at her for a second, then inhaled and turned to her friends. "So!" she called, drawing their attention back to her. "Do you um, have plans for today?"

"I kind of need to get back to the farm," Applejack responded.

"Nope!" Pinkie beamed.

"I'm free," Rainbow offered.

"I've not been very busy since this whole eternal night business started... ponies just haven't been interested in proper fashion," Rarity said. To punctuate the end, she gave an indignant huff.

"I can stay for a while," was Fluttershy's comment.

She looked at Applejack. So did everypony else. 'So, you're the oddball today, huh?' Applejack looked around at everypony and shifted her hooves on the floor. "Ah, shoot. Alright, alright. But I'll have to take you up on that offer for help, Twilight."

She nodded and smiled.

Then everypony looked at her, and it occurred to her, "I uh, I have no idea what to do."

"Well, um, it might be nice to just... relax and chat? You, um, no offense, but... you look like you could use that..." Fluttershy whispered.

And Fluttershy was absolutely correct that relaxing and chatting with them would help. That was part of why she was here anyway. And she could get to know them better.

"So is this sort of a slumber party, then?" was Pinkie's question. "Because it's sort of a party and it's night out? You could definitely use a party!"

Twilight pursed her lips as she thought about it. 'Does the library have any books on slumber parties?' was her first concern.

Author's Note

Writing about Twilight and books and reading... It feels meta.

I've not done the extensive prereading and editing I normally do in the time just before publishing. If you spot typos, please let me know!

Concerns

Staring out across the moonlit Equestrian heartland from her balcony, Nightmare Moon's gaze lingered on the Everfree Forest. Even as she pondered her course of action, her gaze kept slipping down to Ponyville, and her thoughts kept drifting back to her student. Part of the fault was simply that her student was why she was aware of this problem, and that irked her.

It wasn't that she was upset at her student, no. It was that somehow the mayors of the towns surrounding the Everfree Forest thought it was a good idea to avoid telling her about the problems the forest's inhabitants were causing. So, now how did she find out about these problems? Simple! She overheard one Applejack relate it to her student. And it infuriated her that the mayors not only did not ask for help but also did not tell her about this problem.

It was utterly stupid of them not to bring it up. It was utterly stupid that they risked ponies' lives and significant damage just to avoid drawing her interest. It was foalish. Perhaps not all of them did it to avoid her attention. Perhaps some of them thought that dealing with that sort of problem was what she meant when she left their autonomies in place.

She closed her eyes, inhaled, then growled. Opening her eyes, she found that she wasn't staring at the Everfree Forest. No, her gaze had yet again slipped back to Ponyville. She couldn't make out that accursed library from Canterlot, but she felt like she was staring right at it. She felt like, even though there were so many miles between her and her student, that she was looking right at her.

And she absently wondered, 'Do you feel this?'

She kept silent and listened, but she heard nothing. Cadance said nothing. Twilight said nothing. It was a quiet night, a peaceful night. But she was, once again, alone, left with those thoughts that ate at her mind, left with those thoughts that plagued her, continuously haunting her, leaving her uncertain of her decisions.

She kept watching Ponyville.

It was just a teleport away, so well within her reach.

Her horn stayed dim. She inhaled, then turned around. Her eyes and head lingered facing Ponyville until she had no choice but to look away. She walked back inside and closed the door behind her. She walked towards the door to her study, but paused in front of her bed. Turning to face it, she inhaled.

Nothing. The scent of her sister no longer assaulted her nose, and in its place, there was nothing to be smelled. Not even her own scent had sunk into those bedsheets yet. Or perhaps, she was so used to her own scent that she couldn't detect it. The scent that plagued her was finally gone, yet each time she looked at the bed, she had expected for that scent to assault her nose yet again. Even if it hadn't for a week.

She rejoiced in the triumph of that small victory, yet at the same time, she found herself missing that scent. A thousand years without smelling anything, and even the accursed scent of her damned sister that drove her to madness was a welcome break.

Her head drifted back to the right, then she resumed her stroll into her study. She had relaxed, although she had yet to truly enjoy her reign as much as she wanted to, but now it was time to act. With each moment she delayed, she risked that much more damage to her empire by those monsters that struck out in the moonless night. She took charge of the situation. Nopony was around to see it, but she strode to her desk with purpose. It was a stride that would have made anything standing in her way do anything to get out of her way.

Before she even arrived, she had swept up a quill and scroll in her magic. She dipped the quill into the inkwell, then went to work. There were orders to be written, and batponies to be deployed to contain those monsters that dared assail her empire's borders. There were mayor's to chastise for their stupidity, and there were plans to be made.

But even as she scribbled out those orders and assignments, the thought weighed on her mind, 'The batponies aren't integrated with the Guard yet.' She scowled from the thought, even if it was to be expected. The batponies were numberous, so numerous in fact, that they outnumbered the Royal Guard by more than twenty to one. And she knew that there were yet more batponies that hadn't yet been accounted for. And even then, that was only batponies that were being integrated into the guard, and surely the whole batpony population had to number in the hundreds of thousands, if not more. And each and every single one of those batponies was dedicated to her.

Practically the whole of Equestria's military was now batponies. And that, though a good thing, was also distracting. It was distracting because she was quite aware of how that would look. On the outside, and inside, of Equestria. Other empires would gawk at the supposed sudden militarization of Equestria, even if in truth, the batponies had always been there, ready to act to protect Equestria, even if it had been in service to her sister. Ponies would gawk in terror as the Royal Guard was effectively replaced by batponies.

And those batponies were so unfamiliar to them, and they knew that the batponies were hers.

The whole situation was begging for problems to arise. But she had no choice. The Royal Guard was simply too small. She could not effectively administrate her empire relying solely on the Royal Guard, let alone could she protect her empire without the aid of her batponies.

How could she? Equestria was large. Could she justify taking Royal Guards away from Manehattan, such a strategically important city that was imperative to hold, in order to protect ponies in towns neighboring dangerous forests where creatures struck at her empire? How could she not deploy guards to protect said towns? To not react would be to invite whispers questioning her rule, as ponies would see her as weak for failing to protect them. And the monsters, they would see her as weak and view Equestria as vulnerable. And that would invite even more trouble.

Once again, she found herself backed into something of a corner. She had no good choices. So she had to choose the best option available to her. Use the Royal Guard for their intended purpose, but also use them to maintain order in important cities. Then, she could use the batponies to maintain order and protect other cities.

But perhaps this was also an opportunity: ponies would see the batponies protecting them, and perhaps that would work in her favor. Indeed, ponies would also see, she hoped, that she was making an effort to protect them.

She didn't hold out hope for this to be the case, however. It left her bitter to think that ponies would ignore what she was trying to do and just see it as oppression. But then, that was nothing new. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to.

Orders written, she put the quill back in its inkwell, then read over them for a moment. Her eyes lingered on the last words for several seconds, then she rolled the scrolls up and used her magic to bind them with her seal: a crescent moon set against a purple backdrop.

A flash of magic later, and the orders had been sent to their destinations.

Another scroll levitated into place on the desk to replace those she had teleported. She unrolled it, then lifted the quill from its inkwell again. The last orders, the ones ensuring that her empire wouldn't fall from within, was important. Arguably, it was more important than this order, yet in her mind, this order was far more important. It was far more personal and held far more meaning.

She delicately maneuvered the quill across the scroll's surface, drawing out each letter of each word with precision; there was no way anything she wrote here could be misunderstood without intentionally doing so. And at last, she finished writing the order. She reread it and smiled. It sent a shiver of delight through her back. She rolled it up and bound it with her seal, then sent it off.

And with that, her student would have all she needed to rebuild her castle. And she looked forward to what the future held. 'Perhaps,' she thought, 'you will be surprised when the workforce of batponies shows up.' Perhaps she would be shocked into paralysis, so surprised that she would be given such authority, such power, such resources.

A part of her wanted to be there to see that. Another part of her hated the idea that Twilight would be paralyzed by that power, as it was just another example of how badly her dear sister had crippled her student.

And with the thought of her sister assaulting her mind, she scowled. 'Why do you continue to haunt me so?' growled in her mind, 'Was it not enough to mock me!?'

She exhaled sharply, then set the quill back in the inkwell. For a few seconds, she stood there, the inferno in her mind growing and churning, boiling any semblance of comfort and victory she had claimed away.

Then her thoughts drifted back to her student, and the inferno calmed. In its place, her chest tightened and twisted: anxiety. She was giving Twilight too much authority, she felt. She was perhaps not ready for it, yet that wasn't what truly bothered her. She was giving her student so much opportunity to betray her. True, batponies would be who were under her student's command, yet that did not mean her student couldn't figure out a way to pull something off.

'Don't betray me...' was her hope.

And there was still the possibility that her student had already somehow betrayed her. She was not there every second to keep an eye on her student. She listened, yes, but that didn't mean Twilight didn't find a way around that. She could not see what Twilight saw, so in her time with her friends, she could have found a way to plot against her without giving it away.

But then, Midnight was there. Midnight would ensure that did not happen.

And a part of her felt that she was overthinking the entire situation. The part of her shouted out in her mind, 'She will not betray me, she is not that kind of pony.'

It ate at her mind and left her so divided, the duality she faced. Her student left her feeling so unsure, the more she thought about her. Her student's potential, she had to grow her and bring it out. But doing so was such a risk, as that potential could so easily be her undoing.

She was obsessed with that unicorn. She knew it was so. She kept it to herself. She couldn't admit that to anypony, least of all her student. She couldn't risk Twilight taking advantage of it, she couldn't risk Twilight betraying her. And she knew that telling her student that would only put more pressure on her. Already, she knew Twilight was under too much pressure. It was stagnating her growth and making things more difficult on both of them.

She growled and shook the thoughts of her student from her mind. Or at least she tried. It was impossible for thoughts of her student to completely disappear. They always lingered in the back of her mind, ready to jump to the forefront without hesitation.

It was obvious because of her dreams, and how many times she had watched Twilight sleep.

When she watched that filly sleep, her student's vulnerability was screamed out in her mind. It stood out above everything else, it was practically the only thing that occurred to her. And that vulnerability was maddening. The fact that her sister had left Twilight so weak and undefended made her somehow hate her sister all the more.

She felt that it was imperative to teach Twilight to protect herself. She felt that it was imperative to create something that would ensure Twilight would be safe when she wasn't there. Even knowing Midnight was there to protect her student barely took the edge off of those needs.

Her dreams of Twilight took one of two forms: Either her dreams were peaceful, so calm, with such a casual friendship between them that soothed her soul, or those dreams were so twisted, with her student so terrified of her that at the drop of a feather she would shatter, like a mirror struck by a hammer.

And those dreams of the latter category, they were also so disappointing, so tiring. They were nightmares. But when she dreamed of her and her student not having that mistrust and distance between them, she awoke so refreshed. She wanted that bond with her student so that Twilight wasn't terrified of her. And maybe that was foalish because it might not have been in her best interest. If Twilight wasn't afraid of her, then there would be less stopping her student from trying to betray her.

Maybe it was an unreasonable fear, because she knew, 'There are ways other than fear to keep her from betraying me.'

And what came to mind was that if she had that bond with her student, her student would not betray her.

She wanted it, but it was insane to think it could ever happen. Twilight was her student; she was Queen and Empress. She was an immortal alicorn, and Twilight was a mortal unicorn filly.

But her student had potential.

She licked her lips.

She realized that once again her mind was consumed by thinking of her student. She exhaled, and it came out as a groan. She shut her eyes and inhaled, then exhaled again. 'You're going to be the death of me...' growled out in her mind. She felt nearly certain it was a fact. Perhaps they would be fighting alongside one another, and then her student would distract her. Or perhaps, she would have to fight her student, and she would be unable to do what needed to be done.

Or perhaps she would find herself compelled to do something stupid, something that wasn't in her best interest. There was even the chance that she would have convinced herself it was in her best interest.

She jerked her hoof into the air, then rammed it back into the floor, grinding her teeth together and growling. 'I'm too fond of you,' she knew. When she returned, she could have tortured Twilight to break her dear sister. Now, she couldn't have done that, even if it was the only use her student had left. She couldn't imagine how she could have managed to bring herself to do that to her student.

And it occurred to her again, that her student was distracting her.

It was maddening. If she let it, it would make her scream in rage.

She closed her eyes, inhaled, then let her chest deflate. As the air rushed back out, she tried to push her stress out alongside it. It helped. She opened her eyes, then turned around and walked to the door. She opened the door with her magic and strolled out into the hallway, ignoring the two Royal Guards at her door.

She walked on, keeping her mind sharp and forcing the thoughts of her student away. Whenever the slightest hint showed up, she stamped it out with an iron hoof. She walked on, walking the hallways, letting her hooves carry her where she needed to go. Then, she came to a stop. The door before her was emblazoned by a crystal heart: Cadance's cutie mark.

She knocked on the door, then waited. She sensed Cadance's movement as soon as she knocked, and then the door opened in her magic. For a moment, Cadance froze at the sight of her, then she recovered and looked up oh so meekly. "Dear Cadance," she greeted.

"Nightmare..." was Cadance's drawled acknowledgment.

But her hesitance was expected, and so she ignored it. Slowly, Cadance stepped to the left. Calmly, she strolled on inside. She let her eyes drift over Cadance's study. It wasn't that different from her own, or how it had been. But she ignored most of the details. Cadance closed the door.

Cadance walked around her left, then turned in front of her to face her. It was a slow, timid turn. "What... do you want?"

"I have yet to have time to discuss this with you, but I feel the need to bring it up now. That, and I have time for the moment. The Gala? Twilight Sparkle brought this up some time ago, and she suggested you would be of assistance with this," she stated.

Slowly, Cadance nudged her head up and down, then asked, "The Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Is that what it is called?" was her question.

"Yes," was Cadance's simple answer.

"Tell me of it," she stated.

Cadance rolled her head to the left and looked at the floor. After a second, Cadance's eyes shot back onto her. "It's a yearly event that's become a tradition. The main event is held in Canterlot Castle, but the whole city participates, and it's something of a tourist attraction..." was her explanation.

"And what, dear Cadanza, is this main event?" she asked.

"Well..." Cadance drawled, "It's... essentially... a party of sorts. An upper class one. An event which generally... your sister and I would have attended. Nobles would get to openly meet and talk with us."

She nodded, but a scowl slipped out. Already, she hated where this was going. Already, she felt a bitterness deep inside her chest. Of course, it was a social event. She knew that much already, but the purpose of the event? Now that struck at her. Holding the Gala would have been a good idea, as it would bring some sense of normalcy to Equestria. It was something Equestria needed. But with this? That history where her dear sister would interact with nobles? That was mocking, as now, nopony would attend the event if she were to fill that same role. The nobles would avoid her, she knew. They hated her. And so it was a mockery of her. It was practically spitting in her face, as the ponies had done so long ago.

She had half the mind to abolish the event; Dear sister continued to mock and insult her, dear sister continued to rub it in her face how everypony gave her their love, and she received only their hate, spite, and blame.

Though it was a mockery to her, she could still somehow twist this to her favor and use it against her sister. It would be good for Equestria, as much as she hated the idea. So she asked, "Are you capable of overseeing this? I do not know what it involves, and I do not care for dealing with this myself."

Cadance gave her a timid nod in response, though she said nothing.

"Then you will oversee this. I will not be attending. You, however, will be," she stated.

Again, Cadance nodded timidly.

For a few seconds, she watched the lesser alicorn. Then, she turned around and opened the door with her magic. She walked towards the door, then Cadance called, "Why do you want this?"

So she stopped. She stopped and looked back at Cadance. Cadance just barely had the courage to add, "It's... not something I would expect from you."

Then she answered, "It is in my best interest," and left with nothing more.

For several seconds, Cadance stood unmoving. Then, she heard Cadance's magic, followed by the door clicking closed.

She put the meeting out of mind. The Gala would be taken care of. Cadance would make sure of it. And that would hopefully add some stability to her rule. But she pushed any further thought of the event out of her mind, as it only served to draw her ire.

The walk back to her chambers took just as long as the walk to Cadance's chambers had taken. The whole while, her only company was her own thoughts and the click of her boots on the marble floor. It left her thinking, and her thoughts were once again of her student. 'I'm too fond of you,' repeated in her mind.

But perhaps that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Her student, though terrified of her and attempting to avoid her, had said she did not hate her. And she took that with some sense of relief. A pony who didn't hate her. A pony who wasn't a batpony who didn't hate her. It meant something to her, she had to admit. And then there was what they could share together, magic, studies, the night sky.

Her dear sister lying to both of them, using them both for her own purposes, and then betraying them.

As she neared her chambers, she saw one of her least favorite ponies. His sight brought a scowl to her lips, and she slowed. She drew out her stride as much as she could, ensuring he had to wait on her, or come to her. And of course, said Captain of the Guard noticed her approach, and he stood at attention. There was a mask of respect in his stance, but she could see right through it, and there was no love behind it.

If this Captain had not been so important, he would have been replaced weeks ago. But she endured the pain he caused. He did his job well enough, and there was a possible future benefit to keeping him around, even if she had not heard him and Cadance speak of such things yet. Keeping him around was also likely beneficial for her student.

"Captain," she acknowledged dissinterestedly as she came to a stop.

"Queen Nightmare Moon," was his similar acknowledgment.

"Speak," was her command.

At that, the captain straightened and stood rigidly. He looked straight ahead at her chestplate and said, "Delegations have arrived from the Zebras and Minotaurs. They've requested an audience with you."

And she stood up straighter at that. 'So you finally decide to show up...' growled in her mind. Over a month. That was how long it took representatives from those two nations to finally arrive. That was how long it took them to finally try to communicate with her. The sun had been gone for over a whole month, and only now did they seek out the root of the problems. They had to know it was her. They had to know her dear sister was now locked away. That information had to have spread well beyond Equestria's borders by now.

And they waited so long to give her the respect and acknowledgment she deserved.

And one thought came to mind concerning them, and that thought was spat out in her mind with disgust, 'Cowards!' She inclined her head and answered, "Then I will speak to them immediately."

"Of course," was the captain's response. "This way," he said, turning to his right. "Please follow me."

He led and she followed. She scrutinized him as he walked, and every time her eyes fell on his form, she saw his gait tense. It reminded her all too much of his sister, of her student. She had the same effect on everypony else she had yet encountered, save for her batponies, but with the captain, it felt wrong. With the whole Royal Guard, it concerned her: the way her predatory gaze struck fear into them. It was useful, but it was a liability. It could spur them to action, but it could paralyze them into inaction.

Still, when she looked at Captain Shining Armor, she struggled to grasp that familiar bond he shared with her student. Could this captain have truly been her student's brother? They were so different, they acted so different, they looked so different. Yet despite their differences, she had seen how Shining Armor comforted her student. She remembered that, and it was one of the reasons she kept him around.

It reminded her of her dear sister and how she lied to her. Yet where her dear sister lied and betrayed her, in her student's relationship with the captain, she saw none of those lies. And a part of her was jealous for what her student had: family that loved her. It could make her so bitter if she let it or if she focused on thinking about it because it inevitably would draw back her memories of her dear sister.

But there were more important things to think on. If delegations had finally arrived, then that meant other nations, aside from the Deer Kingdom, were finally taking an interest in what had transpired. How could they not? In their cowardice, they waited so long. Too long, even with the distance they had to travel. It was absurd. It annoyed her. It made her joyous. There was absolutely no reason any of them could have missed what had happened, for what was more obvious than the sun's disappearance and her eternal night?

And she wondered, 'Do they know who I am? Do they remember me, from all those centuries ago? Or did dear sister erase even their records of me!?' Would it be another insult that she would find, like the Deer remembering her while her own beloved subjects did not? Or would she find that, like her own kin, they did not remember her, or they had no record of her.

It fascinated her.

"Tell me of the representatives," she commanded.

There was a pause in the captain's stride; a misstep. He didn't stumble, but it slowed him. "...the Minotaur representative says his name is Steel Bar, and the Zebra representative says her name is..." he trailed off. For several seconds, there was silence aside from the click of their boots on the marble, then he admitted, "I can't pronounce it."

"And did they come alone?" she queried.

He shook his head. "Steel Bar came with two others, the zebra came alone."

'Not surprising.' "Pray tell, what should I expect of this?"

The captain's head twitched to the left and for the briefest moment, he glanced back at her. Then he looked straight ahead again and answered, "They didn't seem happy."

She scowled and clenched her teeth. "I see," was all there was to be said. It was yet another reason to hate the pending meeting. It would result, she knew, in more problems, more headaches, all haunting her rule. But she held the cards here, and they were in her domain. She had the advantage, and she would use that.

But she did not want things to escalate out of hoof. There was a difference between forcing them to respect her and give her what she deserved and intentionally starting a war. No, a war was unwanted. If she was forced into a war, then she would win. She would break them, and she would claim victory over them.

But a war wasn't in her best interests. War was destructive, she knew, from first-hoof experience. She knew the horrors of war, things that shouldn't have been, yet were. Equestria was, even with the batponies being integrated, unprepared for war. Equestria was too soft. Her dear sister had left Equestria so vulnerable. And yet, it still occurred to her, that Equestria had overcome so much strife, and it ate at her mind to know her sister had succeeded so.

She seethed even more when she considered that Equestria was so undefended. It could have ended so badly for Equestria. She had to be missing something. Unless sister knew that the batponies would intervene. Sister probably knew, and that calmed her anger, even if her sister's actions were still foalish.

Even if she would win any war she was forced into, a war wasn't in her best interests. Equestria wasn't prepared. A war would bring hardship, and given what hardship Equestria was already dealing with, it wasn't in her best interests to pile that much more on top of it. A war would require mobilizing resources that would harm the economy. Harming the economy would cause more uncertainty, and she could already see the end result. Protests, dissent, strife. Rebellion.

No, a war was unwanted. If they gave her a war, then she would win it. If they left her no choice, she would take it and win it. If she had no choice, then it would be so. But as long as they did not cause problems, a war wasn't something that would have been beneficial. She would not start one when there were alternatives.

She inhaled, then exhaled as her thoughts drifted back to her student and it occurred to her, 'You are not here to help me.' Perhaps her student wouldn't have been much help in this situation, or perhaps she did not give her student enough credit. At the very least, her student would be more knowledgeable than her as how to best proceed.

Maybe. But then, there was a distinct possibility that her student would be unable to help her and would not know any better than she did. Equestria had been, after all, oh so isolated. Even with her attempts to catch up on history, well, it had been a one thousand year absence. It was no easy task. And then, Equestria had been isolated from other countries for most of that time, so there was very little information about the outside world.

And it weighed on her mind. 'Why?' Why did her dear sister nearly entirely cut off outside contact from Equestria? True, ponies had herd instincts, were naturally prey, and distrustful of new things, but this seemed so much more than just a culmination of that.

So much, it seemed to her, was not the way things should have been. The Griffin Empire? Gone. The Crystal Empire? Still gone. Equestria's military? Gone, aside from her batponies and a miniscule number of Royal Guards. Contact and relations with outside nations? Nonexistant, aside from trade. The Deer Kingdom? Underpopulated, and unmerged with Equestria. Her sister fighting to stop her? Her sister essentially just surrendered. An actual threat to her establishing her reign? Nonexistent, aside from those threats which she prayed did not come to pass.

It left her wanting to scream at how little sense it all made.

But she kept herself from screaming. It would not have done to vent, especially not around ponies who did not know her thoughts, ponies who would see it as happening without cause. That would create uncertainty, they would ask, 'Is our Queen even sane?' and fear her all the more. And that fear was not a productive fear.

Reluctantly, a thought came to her mind, 'Maybe I am overthinking this...'

There was that chance. It felt like a small chance, but it was there. It was still an insane thought. She couldn't let her guard slip.

The captain slowed, then turned to face a double door. She slowed and looked over the doors. She squinted. It was a room she was unfamiliar with. However, she expected it to be a meeting room of some kind. It made the most sense, given that the Throne Room had yet to be repaired.

She had taken a liking to the crater.

She looked at the captain, who nodded and said, "They're waiting inside."

"Both delegations?" she queried. He inclined his head in a rigid nod. She turned away from him and studied the doors for a moment longer, then lit her horn.

But she didn't open the doors. No, not yet. She calmly walk forward, then turned, centering herself where the doors met. Then, she used her magic and pressed the doors inward. They parted, then crept into the room as they opened.

Her expectation had been correct, as it was a meeting room with four occupants: three minotaurs and a zebra. All heads turned to face her, and then the minotaurs that, from even the distance towered over her, froze in fear as her sharp gaze jumped over each one of them.

She glanced at the zebra, but there was no discernable reaction from her.

She lifted her right forehoof, then stepped into the room. She calculated that step, along with each following step. The steps announced her arrival. The steps announced her power. Those steps meticulously told each representative who she was. And once she was clear of the doors, she shut them without looking away from the group.

She looked at the zebra again. But there wasn't much for her to see: The zebra wore a loose brown cloak that covered her body. The edges of the cloak were gilded, and where the cloak covered her flanks there was a spiral that ran inward in a clockwise direction. Moving towards her rib cage, a belt was strapped around her body. From the belt, several flasks hung, each filled with a colored fluid: green or purple or blue. Around her neck a clasp held the garment on her. Set in the clasp was, on the right, a rising sun that made her blood boil, and on the left, a familiar descending crescent moon that made her blood freeze. The sun and moon displayed almost danced together, almost identical to those banners that mocked her so, almost identical to the unchanged flag of Equestria.

'How dare you!' snarled out in her mind. But outwardly, all she let slip out was a flick of her lip and a glimpse of her teeth. Yet, the more logical part of her mind was fascinated with that medallion, 'How do you have such a medallion, and why?' It held so much meaning related to Equestria. Why would a zebra have it?

Perhaps the zebra was more familiar with Eqeuestria than she thought; perhaps Equestria had more dealings with zebras than she had determined.

She turned her attention back to the minotaurs. In the middle, at the forefront of the group, was who she assumed to be their leader: he was larger than both of his companions and looked at least a decade older than them. His horns grew out almost horizontally to reach his shoulders, then curved up, back in, and finally straight up. With nothing on, she could see his muscles, and they put an earth pony's to shame. And she knew that he could likely defeat her in a contest of strength, but she had other advantages that he did not. He was much taller than her: he stood at her own height, and then perhaps another half of her height. Both minotaurs accompanying him stood a head shorter than him, though both looked almost equally as strong as he did.

But their height advantage over her gave none of them any comfort or confidence. Their turn to face her was slow and drawn out, and the leader was unwilling to step forward to face her. In contrast, that short zebra was unphased and approached her with a casual gait that spoke of one unafraid of consequences.

"You are the Queen, who calls herself Nightmare Moon?" was the zebra's question.

She turned back to face the Zebra and inclined her head. "I am," she answered.

The zebra lowered her head, then looked over her body from her boots to her chestplate and wings, then to her head, helmet, and horn. Then the zebra raised her head back up and met her gaze.

Though she already knew the answer, she asked anyway, "For what purpose are you here?"

The zebra inclined her head, inhaled, and then spoke, "I have come to speak with Princess Celestia-"

That accursed name was unacceptable! It drew her anger, and her lips pulled back in hatred. But she didn't lose herself to that inferno. She spoke firmly, but in a calculated manner. To lose control would be to show weakness at best, and at worst, losing control would invite disaster. There was no reason for her to go out of her way and attack this zebra when that would invite a war she did not need. So she held herself in check, but gave her warning: "Do not," she growled, "speak that name around me." She stared at that zebra intently, willing her predatory gaze to pierce the zebra's will and skew her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the three minotaurs take the slightest step back, and it was such a step that none of them realized they had taken it. But her growl and glare only gave the zebra a momentary pause before she nodded.

"My apologies, Queen Nightmare Moon," was the zebra's calm response. "I had intended to speak with your sister-"

Nightmare's eyes narrowed. She scrutinized every inch of the zebra's features. There had to be something more to her, something more that she was missing. But yet, she found nothing out of place. But then, she had no prior knowledge of this zebra, nor did she even know her name. 'The zebras know who I am...' And that thought nearly brought her to seeth. Did everyone except her beloved subjects remember her? Did everyone except her beloved subjects know who she was and what her dear sister had done!?

"-about the sun and moon, but..." the zebra trailed off. She saw the zebra's hesitation to continue. Nothing needed to be said, as it was obvious what went unsaid: 'I have found you in her place, so that answers our questions.' However, the zebra still chose to continue and said, "It is clear what has transpired here."

"Yes," Nightmare said succinctly.

For a few seconds, nothing more was said between them. She stared at the zebra, refusing to back down. The zebra watched her with a cautious, yet mostly disinterested, or perhaps casual, gaze. And it ate at her mind. Did this zebra not recognize who she was? Did this zebra not know what she could do? But yet, this zebra did know who she was, this zebra had to know her power. But this zebra wasn't intimidated. The zebra did not respect her, the zebra did not fear her.

"Are we going to have problems?" Nightmare asked.

"We would much prefer the return of your sister and her sun, as your broken cycle must be undone. But it is true that we cannot stop you," the zebra admitted. "We are not fools. We will not provoke you, but you are not welcome among my kind."

She snorted. "So long as you stay out of my way," she hissed, "I couldn't care less what your kind does. Do not cause me problems, and I will not cause you problems."

"Your reign is already causing us problems," the zebra related. "During the night where the moon hides, dangers grow restless, and all are falling prey to those who you would shelter in this blackness."

"I am aware of this," Nightmare answered. "I will take your worries into consideration, but do not think I am under obligation to do so."

The zebra inclined her head. For a moment longer, she watched her, then she turned her gaze to the minotaurs. "Steel Bar, I presume?" The minotaur at the head of the group reluctantly nodded. "Speak," was her command.

The group's leader hesitated, then finally managed to gather whatever courage he had and said, "The Emporer sent us to speak with... her." His voice was rough, almost like he had been gargling nails and his throat had been shredded. There was an aged quality to his voice, alongside respect, qualities that she suspected his two guards lacked.

"And she is my prisoner," Nightmare answered. "So you will be talking to me."

The two minotaurs accompanying Steel Bar glanced at him, and both held themselves rigidly, unwilling to relax. Both were prepared to act on something, if something came up. She could see their tensed muscles, but their strength was only meant for intimidation: behind that displayed strength was an utter lack of courage. Whatever courage they normally possessed was nothing more than dread now. They may have been physically stronger than her, but they all knew who held all of the power in this room. They felt it.

"Given... Equestria's change of leadership..." he ventured carefully, "the Emporer would be..." he paused and waited a few moments, appearing to search for the right word, "reassured," he finally said, "if you have no plans to alter our current relations and deals."

"I presume you are referring to our trade deals?" she asked. The minotaur nodded. "I have no desire to alter them at this point in time," was her answer.

"I... have to ask about the sun," Steel drawled.

She scowled. "I am not bringing the sun back." To punctuate her statement, she lifted her right forehoof, then stamped it down. All three minotaurs winced, but the zebra did not. "Do not ask again," she warned.

"The Emporer won't be happy about that," Steel cautioned.

Nightmare jerked her head to the side. "I do not care whether your Emporer is happy or not. That is not my concern," she hissed.

"Don't threaten us," was Steel's calm retort.

She smiled. "You would be wise to remember who I am," was all she said. It was all she needed to say. The three minotaurs went silent, and their silence was a haunted silence. She let that silence last for several seconds before inhaling and adding, "I have no desire for conflict with the minotaurs or the zebras. So long as you stay out of my way, I do not care what you do. If there is anything else we need to discuss, then let us continue. But if you insist on discussing the sun, my moon, and my dear sister," she spat, "then this meeting is over."

She waited. Neither Steel nor the unnamed zebra spoke up. They didn't speak up about the sun, her eternal night, or her dear sister. They didn't ask for anything, they didn't offer anything. Perhaps Equestria's relations with the minotaurs and zebras would be harmed by this, but it wasn't unexpected, and it wasn't as if Equestria had much in the way of relations with either of them. Her ascent to the throne had brought with it so many more problems, and this, assuming nothing more than such disputes occurred, was not her biggest concern. Losing trade with the minotaurs would be a problematic loss, one that would not be beneficial, but it would not break her empire.

If a war occurred, she would not be the instigator. She would not let the world see her as the aggressor, rather, she would be the defender, the Queen protecting the vulnerable Equestrian ponies from outside threats. Ponies would see her in such a way, and it would be as it was so long ago, when they respected her for protecting them. Outside threats were always good for unifying ponies.

But even if good could come from war, it wasn't in her best interests. A war would cause more problems, more headaches, consume more of her time.

If they wanted a war, she would win it, but she would not start one. Not when there were better options. Not when the cost of a war was so great.

But with any luck, there would be no war. They didn't threaten such, and though she knew they did not have the final say, their word mattered.

Perhaps she had been too aggressive. But it was in her best interest to show strength and authority. They had shown their cowardice in waiting so long to approach her. This gave her the opportunity to strengthen her position. But slipping up and being too aggressive was dangerous. If she miscalculated, it could be disasterous.

"The Emporer wants to know what your goals are," Steel finally stated.

Which roughly translated into, 'The Emporer wants to know whether you're going to be a threat.' "Equestria is mine," she answered. "That is my goal. To rule Equestria and outshine my dear sister."

"The darkness does not shine like the light," was the zebra's comment.

She forced herself not to scowl at the insult, even as that insult made her blood boil. She tried to hide just how much it infuriated her. The minotaurs still stepped back. The zebra still didn't react. 'I will outshine you dear sister,' she affirmed in her mind, the thought coming in a vicious growl.

If she couldn't, she'd be damned. If she couldn't, then she'd tear the world apart until that unquenchable, primal lust for vengeance was sated. If she couldn't, she'd spend eternity tearing her sister apart and breaking her piece by piece. Consequences be damned.

She growled, "I am done here," then teleported away.

That double image from her teleport burned into her mind: the uninterested casual look of that zebra. She hated that zebra. The door to her chambers came into focus. She used her magic and rammed the door open. The guards jumped, then jumped again as that door hit the wall inside her chamber.

She ignored their distress and marched inside, then closed the door behind her with her magic. She sucked air into her lungs, then forced it back out with the force of a dragon.

It kept playing again and again in her mind, how unafraid of her that zebra was. How that zebra didn't care just how much power she had, how it didn't matter that she was Queen and Empress, how it didn't matter that she had brought eternal night. It kept playing again and again in her mind, how everypony spited her and hated her. Centuries ago, and with her return. The inferno in her mind left her trembling. Her legs shook, her lips wobbled. She felt the pressure of her jaw clamped down in her teeth, in her gums. It brought back the memory of breaking her dear sister's wing. The memory gave her an ecstatic glee that soothed her soul, but then it twisted.

Her dear sister had denied her of so much. Her dear sister mocked her and plagued her mind even now. She had no peace, not while her dear sister and everypony else refused to love and respect her. They all hated her, every last one of them, except her batponies. And she had the audacity to be merciful to them. She had the audacity to give those ponies who so hated her a chance! How dare she! Before her banishment, she would have crushed them for refusing to respect her so. Before her banishment, she had the right idea!

'But you do not hate me...' whispered in her mind.

It was all it took for every thought in her mind to change in an instant: the boiling anger cooled, and contemplation overtook her bitterness. A part of her felt a sense of whiplash, one not unlike the double image she saw when teleporting. But unlike the double image which barely phased her, the sense of whiplash disorientated her. Anger, then the anger being gone, replaced with her reason, her intellect.

And even worse, she felt unease filling her chest and flooding her mind.

She inhaled, then exhaled. She glanced down at her chestplate; it was still imperfect, despite her attempts. It was scarred. She glanced down at the black coat of her leg, then at the cyan boot she wore. She looked back at the crescent moon set in the center of her chestplate.

'There is no reason to consider this a lost cause yet,' she reasoned. Ponies hated her, ponies didn't respect her. They didn't love her, just like so long ago. They wouldn't love her, like so long ago. They feared her. But it wasn't a lost cause. It wasn't a reason to snap and erase it all. No, such would be contrary to her plans. It wasn't in her best interest. She wouldn't consider it a lost cause. She wouldn't just snap and become a monster.

She wouldn't let herself. She would stop herself if it was necessary.

She growled, then looked back up. She turned, then strode into her bedroom, turned again, and strode out onto her balcony.

Then, she stopped at the railing. She stopped and starred up at her moon, blemished though it was. 'This is all your fault,' hissed in her mind. After that, silence.

She felt the gentle night breeze washing over her coat. She felt the air, calm though it was, flowing between her feathers, caressing each with a delicate, tender touch. It was a sharp contrast with the hatred she felt. The air did not condemn her while everypony, everything, else did. The air soothed her anger. She let her gaze drop from the moon. She looked across Canterlot. Those beams of light shooting out into the city from windows marred her beautiful night. It made a mockery of the beauty she brought. Ponies still hated her, despite what she had gifted them with.

She inhaled, then exhaled. She had so much power. Acting on her whims and anger to vent would have been foal's play. But it wasn't in her best interests, as much as she wanted to. But perhaps she could act on those frustrations and angers. After all, what was her victory if she did not take time to enjoy it?

Her eyes shot back to the moon. She stared at those craters, then lit her horn.

But the spell fizzled out. She clenched her jaw. The only thing stopping her from visiting her dear sister was how much magic she needed to keep the Elements of Harmony contained.

And so it gave her something to look forward to: when she could safely lock the Elements away without fear of them being used against her. And with that thought in mind, her head turned, and her gaze fell on the Everfree Forest. The distance was too great, but she still looked for her home.

She didn't find it, and so her eyes drifted back to Ponyville, drifted back to where she thought that tree was. 'Do not disappoint me...' whispered in her mind.

And she smiled. There was an irony there that she couldn't miss: dear sister had intended for Twilight to stop her, but instead, Twilight would only further her own plans. Twilight would oversee the rebuilding of her castle, then she could safely hide the Elements away. Then, she could play with her dear sister again, and how that thought made her shiver in delight!

And she still had yet another opportunity there: her sister treasured Twilight. Perhaps she did not need to follow up on anything she said, perhaps she could break her sister simply from saying that she had tortured her sister's student.

'My student...' a whisper in her mind corrected. Her mind lingered on the words. Her gut twisted in on itself and she grimaced. It would be no better than what her dear sister had done to her if she so used her own student in such a way, to use Twilight against her sister. To just use Twilight the way her sister had? She felt doubt; she felt disgust.

Her thoughts drifted back to lying to her sister about torturing Twilight, about torturing her student. Her sister would believe she had, if she lied about it. There was no doubt in her mind about that. And she could detail it oh so well. She could ram that dagger into her sister's heart, then twist it so deep inside of her that her sister would scream in anguish and beg her to stop. But then, thinking of detailing torturing her own student, a foal, the one pony who wasn't a batpony and didn't hate her, left her feeling a weight and twist in her chest. It felt like to do so would be to betray her student. To betray her student like her dear sister had betrayed her. She could detail it so well that she could picture it. And she hated it. It left a familiar bitter taste in her mouth. And the thought of lying so to her sister, even with as much as she had done, ate at her mind.

To do so would make her no better than her dear sister who had lied to both her student and herself. To follow up on it? To play with her dear sister as she desired? That would make her a monster.

'Do not betray me, Twilight Sparkle...' whispered in her mind. She hoped her student wouldn't.

Even thinking of torturing her student, Twilight Sparkle, if the filly betrayed her, tormented her. She didn't want to torture the filly. Even if it was years into the future when that filly was a mare, she felt a desire to avoid hurting her. 'I'm too fond of you,' came to her mind again. But this time, it didn't draw her ire. No, it made her feel a twist in her chest and stomach. It made her feel anxious.

And it was still under the assumption that Twilight would betray her that she would torture her, and that seemed unlikely and far-fetched. Twilight was not a pony to betray her, perhaps only out of fear. The thought that Twilight wouldn't betray her only out of fear made her concerned: she didn't want Twilight to fear her, she wanted her student to be able to relax around her. She didn't like how tense her student was around her. She didn't like how much she scared Twilight. She wanted that bond with her student that she dreamed about. It wasn't in her best interest for Twilight to fear her, yet it still was in her best interest for Twilight to fear her so that her student did not betray her. Even with that in mind, she felt convinced Twilight would not betray her for more reasons than just fear. 'You will only betray me,' she thought, 'if you can free my sister, defeat me, or my sister has returned.'

She was convinced of that, and those circumstances were so limited. Perhaps she did not need to be so distrustful of her student given that, but there was no reason to do something so foalish as to ignore and deny the possibility that Twilight could backstab her and betray her. She wanted to trust her student. She wanted to be able to trust her student, not because fear kept Twilight from doing anything, but because her student would choose not to betray her.

She didn't want to imagine her student betraying her. The thought ate at her, just like the memories of her sister's betrayal.

She would not betray Twilight and torture her. The more she thought about it, the more she hated the idea. She could picture herself tormenting the filly, and it made her want to look away. She could picture Twilight so terrified of her, and she hated it. She could hear Twilight's cries and whimpering in her mind, and it brought her to seeth. Hearing it made her tremble, she hated it so much. She hated it almost as much as she hated her dear sister.

Or maybe as much.

'I will not torture you,' she affirmed in her mind, 'even if you betray me.'

To do so would have crossed a line. It was a line she couldn't cross. It was a line she would not cross. It would have made her a monster.

She still knew, 'One thousand years ago, I would have,' and it left her more aware of the chill the night air held.

A thousand years in banishment had given her time to think.

She listened again, but heard nothing from Cadance and Twilight. She lit her horn, then teleported to her student's library. There was a duality to the double image she saw, and for some reason, it unnerved her: the image of the night sky and Ponyville before her, all shrouded in her beautiful night, and then the warm, golden glow of candelight flooding Twilight's library over it, reminding her of her dear sister's day.

The crack of magic signaled her arrival. She didn't even get a chance to look at her student before the unicorn squeaked. When her gaze fell on the filly, her body was already tensed and rigid. Her student was laying on the floor, her forehooves tucked in under her chest. A book was opened before her, though she couldn't determine what book. She vaguely recognized the spell matricies it depicted, however, as healing spells. Twilight stared up at her.

She silently sighed, then turned to face her. As she turned, she looked away and let her gaze drift over the library's interior. It looked nearly identical to what she remembered from watching her student find that accursed book that detailed the Elements of Harmony. All that was missing were those five mares. Midnight stood at attention as her gaze drew close. She nodded, and the batpony leaned back against the wall. She turned back to Twilight, then looked at the book again. "Do you not know healing magic?" she questioned.

Her voice was enough to calm her student down. She saw the tensed muscles in Twilight's back relax, and her student blinked and swallowed. "Um, well, yes, but... it-it's good to refresh on it, and, um... I'm not that familiar with healing magic."

She inclined her head to nod. "Healing magic is useful, although unless one has a lot of magic available, the spells are not so powerful," was her comment.

"Regeneration spells are better?" Twilight asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. They are significantly more efficient, although starving yourself, or whoever you are trying to heal, by using one is not generally a wise idea."

Twilight pursed her lips. She could almost see her student thinking it over, then Twilight nodded. "Um... w-what are you..." Her student slowed, and she saw her stop with a wince. Then, Twilight continued, "Um... doing... here?"

She heard the nervousness in Twilight's voice, and that nervousness all but said, 'I don't want you to be here!' And hearing that hurt her, just like seeing her student afraid hurt her. "I wished to visit you," she answered.

Her student looked confused for a moment, but then it faded. "O-oh, um, okay..." was her timid acknowledgement.

'You are still uncomfortable in my presence... but you seem to be trying...' Was it some kind of offer? Was her student truely trying to make amends? She felt a spark of hope ignite in her body, and it made her feel excited. She tried not to let it show. She didn't see any recognition in her student's eyes. She swallowed then asked, "Walk with me?"

Twilight hesitated, then looked to left at Midnight.

"I can watch Spike," Midnight offered.

Twilight turned back to look at her. "Um... okay..." was her response. She hesitated for a second, then gradually pushed herself up into a standing position. Twilight drew it out and stood up in such a timid, unsure manner, as if trying to make certain she didn't think it was an attack. But she already knew Twilight would not attack her.

"Relax, Twilight Sparkle," she comforted.

Her student hesitated, then closed her eyes. For that moment, she could see a conflict rage across her face, 'Should I trust her? Can I trust her? Is this wise?' Finally, Twilight inhaled. The conflict subsided, then her student opened her eyes and nodded. It was still a timid nod, but she stood more relaxed. Yet in that relaxed posture, she found her student still looked so vulnerable and unsure.

She felt like it was her student trying to reach out to her. Perhaps her student actually did want to be her student. Twilight was trying to make amends, just as she had tried. It was a good sign, and one she welcomed. Or maybe she was lying to herself.

"Where... are we going?" was her student's question.

And at first, she had no answer for her student's question. She wanted to spend time with Twilight, she wanted to do something with her student that would help put her at ease, comfort her, and help to grow that nascent bond they shared. Finally, an idea occurred to her, so she asked, "I would presume that you have seen the Castle's garden before, correct?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes."

"Then we can enjoy this together, can we not?" was her next question. Again, Twilight nodded. "Good." With that, she lit her horn and teleported the two of them back to Canterlot, right at the entrance to the castle's gardens.

And as the image of the garden replaced the image of Twilight's library, she found herself enjoying just looking at it and taking it in. It filled her with a sense of calm: she could enjoy this, and she would have somepony who she could enjoy it with. Somepony who would actually enjoy it with her, rather than it being an order.

She glanced at Twilight, and as usual, Twilight's body tensed. But after a moment, the tension faded. It was still there, but she was not so rigid. Her student glanced at her, then looked back at the hedges. She looked where Twilight looked, then just enjoyed the beauty of the garden. In the soft moonlight, it was so calming. She inhaled of the pleasant scent of flowers, then exhaled.

"I've... never been here in the night before," Twilight whispered, "it's... beautiful."

She smiled. Her student sounded so genuine. She turned to look at Twilight. This time, Twilight didn't tense up, but her student still had that lingering tension from before. "Indeed it is," she calmly agreed.

Her student turned and faced her, lifting her head up to look her in the eye. And as soon as Twilight realized that, she looked away. Nightmare watched, expecting Twilight to turn away, yet finding that instead, her student's eyes wandered over her chestplate, then her legs, body, and wing. Finally, her student looked away.

She looked back and studied the flowers. Perhaps she was just imagining it, or perhaps her memory of the flowers from the last time she had been here was twisted, but the flowers seemed so much more vibrant before, as if the light of her moon was envigorating them. She stared at the petals of the blue flowers, slowly letting her eyes drift over them, taking in the so pristine and untained color. 'Perhaps the night has been good for them,' she thought.

But then there were implications behind that which made no sense. If the flowers were thriving even more now, why? It would mean they were thriving so much more without the harsh light of the sun, but then why? Why would her sister have done such a thing? Or had she not known? Was she ignorant of that?

She shook the thoughts aside becuase they did not help her relax, inhaled, then stepped forward. In a calm gait, she walked beyond the entrance. Twilight fell into step beside her, and it was an almost relaxed stride. Twilight walked at her left, rather than her right side, and it left her feeling exposed for some reason. Her student was not in her proper place and, try as she did to ignore it, it stood out like an injured hoof in her mind.

But she didn't let that hamper her enjoyment of the peace they shared. As they walked towards the west, the moon hung low in the sky. If it hadn't been for the scarring of her sister, the night would have been perfect. She avoided looking at the moon as she walked on, trying to will herself to forget about it. So she focused on the flowers. The vibrant colors, reds and blues and purples, so brought out by the pale, gentle light of the moon. The sound of water trickling from fountains, and the twinkle of starlight shimmering in the water, reflecting the jeweled heavens above.

It was calm. It was peaceful. It was beautiful. And she could share it with her student.

The statue of the unicorn swept into a bow, she paused to admire it, as did her student. Whether her student stopped of her own accord, or because she had stopped, she suspected it was the latter, but did not know. Asking would have ruined the peace of the moment.

After several seconds of peaceful silence, she turned away from the statue and walked on, passing it by, going deeper into the center of the gardens. Her student lingered behind, then she sensed her walking around. And finally, Twilight came to walk at her right side. Her student was in her proper place, and it righted the wrongness she had felt before.

"I've... been here during the evening, but... it's so different at night," her student commented. "It's... nice," she offered.

And she nodded in her head in agreement. It was nice. It was a nice break from the hastle of dealing with other ponies, it was a nice break from dealing with the stupidity of other ponies. It was a nice break from the eye sores of the white and gold palace she had claimed, from the golden armor of the royal guards. It was just the two of them, and she welcomed it.

But as much as she just wanted to enjoy the peace and comfort it offered, she knew it would be wise to talk to her student, and so she said, "I spoke with delegations from the Minotaur Empire and the zebras earlier."

Twilight stopped walking for a moment, then continued; she continued without pausing. "Um... how did that go?" her student asked.

She inhaled, then hesitantly nodded. 'Not well,' was the immediate answer in her mind. "It went as well as can be expected," she answered at length. "I do not expect trouble to arise, although I am certain they will be tense. But this was not unexpected. In truth, I had anticipated more trouble, and I had anticipated more nations to send delegations sooner."

Glancing aside at her student, she found Twilight nodding timidly. She glanced back up at the moon. "Do you think the moon cycle was a mistake?" she asked.

For several seconds, they walked in silence. "I... don't know..." was her student's reluctant reply. "It-it seemed like a good idea at the time!" she defended.

She suppressed a sigh and nodded. "I concur, although in hindsight, I should have anticipated more problems," she admitted. "It may be wise to revert the moon cycle and simply leave it overhead at all times. Though I am unsure how this will impact things, and I am reluctant to do so, so soon after starting." She looked at the flowers lining the hedge to her left. The reds and blues almost seemed to blend together into a rich purple blanket, one that didn't look like a bed of flowers. It almost looked like an artist had just painted it, with one color drifting into the next. "Simply changing it on a whim is not wise."

"Uncertainty?" her student asked.

"Yes," was her answer. "It would not be good to do such a thing on a whim, because then ponies will not know what I will do, and that will cause uncertainty," she explained. "And it would be unwise to be indecisive."

A gentle breeze washed over her coat. She closed her eyes for a moment as the wind tickled her feathers and fur, slipping between her feathers. 'Perhaps I should send delegations to the zebras, minotaurs, and deer,' she mused, 'and the griffins.' She opened her eyes and pursed her lips. 'What reason do I have to not do so?' she asked.

'Expense,' was the first reason that came to mind. It was a poor excuse, and that cost would be well worth it, would it not? Better relations with those nations would be beneficial, and it would make war less likely to happen. There could also be other benefits to it that did not immediately occur to her like trade did. And that could forestall dissent and rebellion.

But then to send delegates out so soon after her return, alongside the 'rapid' militerization of Equestria, would perhaps be suspect.

But it still had its purposes. "Perhaps it is time that Equestria's isolation ends," she mused aloud. Then, she cast her gaze onto Twilight. Her student regarded her cautiously, pondering the idea. 'Why did you take such a stance to start with?' she wondered.

"It..." Twilight trailed off, winced, and offered, "Maybe..?"

'That was very helpful, Twilight, thank you.' She gave her student a flat look, then looked ahead once more. 'I will have to consider this,' she noted.

"You're um, not planning to... invade other-"

She stopped and emphatically stated, "No." Still standing there, unmoving, she turned to face her student. "I do not want war, Twilight Sparkle. Not when there are alternatives," she stated. "Not when war isn't in my best interest."

Twilight nibbled on her lip, her ears folded halfway back. Her student studied her, then her brow creased and she asked in a quiet, "What if... it's in your best interest?"

She took a moment to compose her reply, then answered, "If it is in my best interest, it is different circumstances from these. A war of conquest could be in my best interest, but I am not so naive as to rush into a war without preparations and planning. Starting a war on a whim would be stupid, Twilight Sparkle. The costs and benefits must be weighed. If, for example, it proved beneficial to annex what remained of the griffins, then I would consider it against the problems that would come from such an act. Foreign problems, internal dissent from instigating a war, and the possible griffin rebellion following their subjugation. If another nation threatens Equestria or my rule, then a preemptive strike could prove necessary," she explained. "But I have no desire to start a war on a whim. War is not something to be taken lightly. War is not something to be rushed into, but it does have its place."

Twilight's eyes unfocused for a few seconds, then she blinked. Her frown grew, and she asked, "Uh... how... would a war even work?" And it was her turn to frown in bewilderment and confusion. But before she could ask anything, Twilight said, "You're... um... You."

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "An alicorn, I presume, is what you mean?"

Twilight timidly nodded. "Yes..."

She inhaled. "I cannot be everywhere at once," was her answer. "That is why war is as such. I am but one pony. True, I can shatter armies with my magic, but it would take time and I cannot be everywhere at once."

"But... I don't understand. If you can defeat armies, why does Equestria need an army? Would it really be a war?" was her student's question. There was a pause, then she winced and turned her head back to the right before muttering in a progressively quieter voice with each spoken word, "Uh... I mean... You could... destroy empires on your own... so..."

"Ah," was her first response. "That is different, and I believe you overestimate my power," was her answer. "It would take time for me to do so, and such is the case as why I cannot be a replacement for an army. I could simply teleport to the Minotaur Empire and kill the Emporer to preempt a war, but the results would likely be unpleasant. I could simply use my magic to destroy armies, but it would be difficult, and then there is the risk that the enemy would adapt and use tactics which I could not counter. Tactics that would be far worse for average ponies. Tactics that would undermine my reign. Tactics which are not in my best interest. I am but one pony; I cannot be everywhere at once. Unless I am willing to sacrifice Equestria, which I am not, I am not a substitute for an army."

"Um... okay... C-can we... talk about something else?" was her student's question.

And she grimaced. 'Perhaps I should not have discussed this with her,' a part of her chastized. Yet, her student had asked, and she would not lie to her. Though she wanted to protect her student, she would not coddle her, either. "What would you like to discuss?" After that, she stepped forward again.

Twilight walked with her, but her gait was nervous again. She wanted to sigh, but held it back. It still didn't stop her from feeling disappointed, both in herself and in her student.

Her student had no answer for her question and stayed silent, so she offered, "I talked to Cadance about the Gala."

"Oh, um... how did that go?" Twilight asked.

"She will be overseeing it," she answered, "and I will not be attending."

She expected her student to make some comment about how attending would be beneficial to her, but instead, her student muttered, "Right..."

'And you're nervous and uncomfortable once more,' she noted. 'You're probably still thinking about that...' Glancing at her student, she was certain that it was running through her mind nonstop: she had reminded her student of her power, and inadvertantly, she knew she had reminded her student of her precarious position. Or at least, that, she knew, was what her student thought. And so it made her student nervous. The feeling of disappointment grew, almost enough to make her want to despair over her student. Twilight's ears flicked back. "Pray tell, how are your friends?" she asked.

And it occured to her that it was a stupid question. But it only occured to her after she had asked it. She already knew how her student's friends were doing; she had been listening, not intently, not to everything that was said, but she had been listening.

Twilight slowly looked up at her, then stared at her. She was certain that she had looked at Twilight the exact same way before.

She said nothing. Her student kept silent too. So she did her best to forget that ever happened. "How are your studies progressing?" she asked.

Twilight's eyes darted down to the grass, then jumped back up to her. "Um... slow," was her admission. Almost silently, her student added, "I, uh, I've... been... distracted, and... I've... struggled to... keep up..."

She didn't need to ask to know what was distracting her. "Do not worry so much about me, Twilight Sparkle. It is not good for you."

Her student stopped walking and stood there. She stopped. For a few seconds, they just stood there. Twilight's jaw drifted back and forth, then her head drifted left, then right, and her muzzle gradually drooped towards the ground, almost as if she felt guilty.

She turned around to face her student. "I am not going to hurt you," she offered preemptively. But that only made her student tense up, it made her student nervous. It didn't help her student any, despite her intentions. But why hadn't it? Was it the same as before, simply that it reminded her student of how dangerous she could be? Was there some other cause to it now?

She extended her wing, then reached out to Twilight. With a gentle touch, she brushed her feather over Twilight's cheek. Her student closed her eyes, unable to do anything else. Her student didn't stop her, nor resist her, nor anything else. She stroked that feather up along her student's cheek, then brought it up through the edge of her mane. As her feather glided over Twilight's fur, the tension in her student's body melted. Once her feather left, Twilight opened her eyes and looked back up at her. She pulled her wing back, then folded it to her side. She let the silence linger for a few seconds and simply watched her student, studying the filly. Twilight, likewise, watched her, and she felt that her student was searching for something. She could see the reflection of the white moonlight in her student's eyes, but behind that, she thought she saw guilt.

She also saw her student's vulnerability. Her eyes drifted back over Twilight's body, then she looked at her student's cutie mark. Seeing that vulnerability that was so unique to her, and knowing just how much potential she had, ate at her mind. It burned and simmered, and if she let it, it would drive her into madness.

But she was calm. She would not let madness and anger dictate her actions, at least not unless it involved her dear sister.

Eventually, Twilight's eyes drifted down to her chestplate. Her eyes jumped back onto Twilight's, but her student didn't meet her gaze. She saw her student's ears pull back. Had she not found what she wanted, or was it for some other reason?

"Come," she coaxed, then turned back around. And Twilight walked back into place at her side. Once Twilight was there, she resumed her gait, walking forward. She did her best to put distance between them and where her student's nervousnes had started. She tried to leave it behind so her student wouldn't have to be reminded of it.

But maybe there was something else she could do to get her student's mind off of the anxiety-provoking knowledge of what she was capable of. Something that was high on her list of priorities to tend to, even if so long ago she would have seen the thought as complete madness. "I believe I will be able to start teaching you properly soon," she offered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight perk right up at that. She could see a faint twinkle in her student's eyes, which all but pounced back onto her form with an eager hunger for knowledge. Her student's head nearly whipped around to face her, and she saw her student's mane fly around to the other side of her neck. "Really?" was her excited question.

She smiled, careful not to show her teeth, and inclined her head. "I would very much like to start soon," she offered.

Twilight's excitement lingered, but then, for some reason, her smile faded, and the joy burning in her eyes dulled, then dimmed. "And... I'll have to come back to... Canterlot?" was her whisper.

She looked at Twilight and saw perplexion drifting across her features. Her student was conflicted by the prospect. 'You will miss your friends...' she knew. She pursed her lips as she considered the thought, 'I could teleport to you, or teleport us back to Canterlot... then you could stay in Ponyville... your friends are good for you, and it is imperative that you maintain your friendship with them...' So she said, "You may stay in Ponyville. I can teleport when needed." Even if teleporting that much was not truly desirable, it was better than the alternatives.

There was a slight delay before the joy in her student's eyes returned, but then it did return. Her lips pulled up into a smile, then it came to a sudden stop and she blinked a few times. The joy dimmed, and then her student looked down to the ground. "Um, thank you," her student whispered.

It was genuine.

She nodded and studied the filly. 'It is in my best interest,' was what whispered in her mind. But she kept silent.

And Twilight's thanks kept replaying over and over again in her mind. 'It will be worth it,' she knew. 'We will grow closer through this.'

She walked on and let her eyes drift over more of the flowers. She looked over the blues and reds and purples, but felt like something was missing. The garden was incomplete, somehow. It was beautiful, but something was missing, leaving the experience not quite what it should have been.

'Lavender,' came to mind. It sparked a memory. Lavender, that's what was missing. The pleasant, aromatic scent. The long, budding stem with dozens of the beautiful purple buds and petals. It had been centuries since she had last smelled that scent. Did she actually remember what that scent was, or was she mistaking it as something else? No, surely she recalled lavender correctly. How could one forget such a calming, relaxing scent?

Lavender would have enriched the garden so much, but it was missing. It was clearly an oversight on part of the caretakers, or perhaps her dear sister purposefully excluded it, just to get at her that much more.

But then, maybe the garden didn't need lavender. No, there were better places for lavender. Perhaps the flowers could be planted in pots in the castle. Maybe that is what her bedchambers were missing, the scent of lavender. Perhaps then, she could truly cherish her victory over her sister. Perhaps then, her dreams would not be so haunted by her student being terrified of her.

'Your coat is lavender,' occurred to her. There was a stutter in her walk, but she recovered before it could show. Turning her head to the right to look at her student, she found that Twilight was looking away and didn't seem to have noticed her misstep. She scrutinized Twilight's coat. 'Perhaps not the same rich shade, but similar,' she noted.

Twilight wasn't paralyzed by her gaze.

Her walk slowed, and she continued watching her student. She walked along almost calmly, or perhaps she was calm, and she could not tell. Was what had been said earlier still there, running through her mind? But then if it was, how could she be so calm?

An idea occurred to her, and so she put it to the test: she dropped her gaze from Twilight's body for a moment, then immediately looked back. She barely noticed any reaction.

Twilight's head turned forward, then her student's eyes glanced aside at her and noticed her gaze. "Um, yes?"

She inhaled deeply, then turned her head back forward. Twilight turned her head to look at her but said nothing. After a few seconds, Twilight went back to looking ahead.

Her student was relaxed. She wasn't so tense, or so scared now. She almost feared what would happen if she said it, but she said it anyway, "Thank you for relaxing, Twilight Sparkle."

Her fears were realized; Twilight stumbled. She didn't fall, but her stride failed her. She slowed, then stopped and looked back at her student. Had her student not noticed that she had relaxed? And had her thanks caught her off-guard? She could see her student's timid nervousness at being called out, but she could still take comfort in it: her student did not tremble, her student did not hold herself so tense. Her student was doing better than before. And then Twilight inhaled, gave a quick, timid nod, and walked back to her side.

'I need to work on your confidence... We need to work on your magic...' she mused. But what else was there that her student needed to work on? Her confidence was lacking, and that was perhaps her largest hurdle. But, at the very least, her student was not arrogant. She took comfort in that. Her ability to defend herself was in question, and that was a problem. But, at the very least, her student knew spells that could be used to protect herself, inefficient as it was. Perhaps it was a starting place. 'You need to relax around me...'

'And perhaps I need to hold myself in check more... I keep hurting you, even thought I try not to...'

They reached the other edge of the garden. The hedges subsided, and she found herself standing there, pondering how quickly it seemed to have past while she stared at her moon. The scarring was still there, a constant blemish, a constant reminder. She felt disappointed.

Her moon, the crowning jewel of her night sky? It was blemished. It had been blemished for a thousand years because of her banishment. It would always be blemished. Her sister's banishment made sure of that. Nopony knew the true wonder that her moon was supposed to display, that it had displayed up until her banishment.

She inhaled and tried to shake it off, but it was a silly notion, being able to shake something like that off. No, it wouldn't be shaken off, just like that inferno of hatred towards her sister couldn't be quenched. It could only be forced to the back of her mind, where it simmered and gnawed on her.

She turned to look at her student, who was looking at the grassy ground under her hooves.

'Perhaps,' she thought, 'we share something more in common.'

The moon was a reminder to both of them. It was a shared disappointment. The only difference was how it was a disappointment. But even that difference wasn't all that great. After all, the source could be traced back to her sister.

"I... don't... suppose..." her student drawled, gradually lifting her head back up, "you ever plan on holding court?" Twilight looked at her. Her ears were still folded back halfway, and the pain was there. Perhaps the question was meant to distract her.

She frowned. "I do not," she answered. "I will not do such a thing and be made a mockery of," was her explanation. "Nothing good would come of that."

"Um... have you finished... reviewing laws?" was her student's next question.

She hesitated a second, then nodded. "I have. And yes, there are laws I will be revoking," she stated. Her student grimaced and turned away from her. "Laws that would get in my way as Queen," she specified.

"Laws which you're already ignoring..." was her student's drawled mutter.

"Not necessarily," she rebuked. Twilight faced her and squinted, expecting an explanation. "I do not, for the most part, Twilight Sparkle, want to tear down the laws that were created in the past thousand years. I am not so stupid as to tear down the government of Equestria to try to rebuild it from the ground up. Such a thing would be foalish. No, I will adjust things as I see fit. And I am not so foolish as to throw out laws that are beneficial just because my sister had a hoof in their creation. Equestria may have been my sister's for the past thousand years, but that does not mean it is in my best interest to destroy Equestria. We shared Equestria before my banishment, and I did not fight to protect her just so I could come back and destroy her."

Her student shivered. She doubted it was because it was cold; the air wasn't that bad. She extended her wing, hesitated, then brushed a feather along her student's back. It comforted her student, who swallowed and licked her lips before looking back up at her and asking, "Um... what now?"

"If you so wish, we could watch the moonset together, or we could walk through Canterlot. I could teleport you back to your library, or perhaps you would wish to visit Cadance and your brother," she offered.

It might have been too many options because it conflicted Twilight so much. Her student didn't know what to choose. She could see it written on her face, the way her lips relaxed into an empty line, then tensed up, almost in a grimace. The way her student's muscles tensed under her coat in anxiety.

'Why did you do this to her? Why did you cripple her like this?' shot out in her mind in response. She clenched her jaw. Why had her dear sister left Twilight in such a state? So indecisive, so naive, so weak? Twilight had so much potential, and seeing it waste away in such a manner made her want to scream. It also made her want to groan, to just give up in defeat.

Maybe that was her sister's entire plan.

But she wouldn't just give up. Maybe her indecision also presented an opportunity. 'Let her choose, so that you will be more sure of herself,' occurred to her. She studied Twilight's expression, then her gaze glided over her student's body. Looking over her back, then drifting to her cutie mark.

The bearer of the Element of Magic, born to such a great destiny, so much potential, yet so distraught, so crippled, by being presented with but a hoofful of options. Her student still felt so incomplete. Incomplete when she saw that indecision, incomplete when she reached out with her magic.

Something was still missing, but what?

"Um..." Twilight whispered. She looked back to see Twilight looking at her. "I... wouldn't mind walking through Canterlot, if you want," was her drawled offer.

It had to have been some kind of attempt to patch their relationship. Surely, it had to be. There was nothing else it could be. Her student, finally chosing to spend time with her. And it wasn't for her student's studies, but something to enjoy. Something for them to share together, like this walk through the garden. Maybe her patience was paying off. It gave her a sense of ecstatic glee, it made her heart beat faster. She smiled.

She didn't catch herself before her lips parted, and Twilight's gaze jumped to her teeth. Her student tensed up, but then blinked, shifted her weight, and looked back up to meet her eyes. She closed her lips, but the damage was done. And she regretted it. But her student didn't seem to linger on it too much, and so the expected disappointment didn't weigh her down.

Still, she extended her wing and brushed a feather along Twilight's back. "Do not worry so much, Twilight Sparkle. You need to be more confident," she offered.

Twilight nodded reluctantly and said, "Sorry."

"We will work on it," she replied. After all, it would not do for her student to be perceived as weak. No, she would not have her student perceived as weak. Twilight Sparkle was, after all her student.

Twilight gave a hesitant nod.

'Perhaps being obsessed with you is not such a bad thing...'

Author's Note

Writing diplomacy? Not... exactly... my strong suit... I do understand politics (at least to a degree, I really enjoyed the courses on politics that I've taken) but ah, I probably didn't think through this part enough. I've focused mostly on Nightmare and Twilight, and significantly less on the motives and such driving factors of other nations.

Especially the zebras. But then, they're fairly isolated, so perhaps it makes sense.

There are parts of this chapter I'm not entirely happy with.

Alternate chapter title: Obsession.

Stress

Nightmare Moon paused and let her eyes wander over the door before her. She hadn't seen this door from the outside, or at the very least, when she had left this room before, she had given it so little thought that it hadn't been put to mind. The door was so plain and bland, too. It was like the door was meant to force the viewer's attention away from it, to direct the viewer's attention to the white-plastered walls. It didn't quite work since the walls were about as exciting to look at as the door, but perhaps other ponies would pass the door by without realizing what it was.

It was probably meant to be that way, but then the plaque with the words 'Mayor's Office' written on it probably foiled the entire plan.

'At least you do not have her cutie mark,' hissed in her mind.

She inhaled, then lit her horn and opened the door. Without pausing, she stepped into the room. She looked to her right, at the desk, then at the lone pony sitting behind the desk. For a moment, the mayor glanced up at her, but recognition escaped her.

"Can you wa-" was all the mayor said before coming to a complete stop. Her head jerked back up, and "O-oh," escaped her lips. She jumped out of her chair to stand, and her hind leg must have clipped the chair because it fell over. Next, she joined the chair on the floor. "Q-Queen N-Nightmare," was her dazed stutter.

"Yes," she acknowledged.

And that was all it took for the mayor- Mayor Mare- to scramble to her hooves, limp out from behind the desk, and throw herself onto the floor in a bow. "I-I uh, ah, I wasn't e-expecting... to see you..." 'Again' went unsaid.

She glanced over the mare's trembling body, studying her. Looking at her cowering so, she felt irked and annoyed. The show of respect was good, the obedience was good, but the paralysis by fear was not. She had expected better of the bureaucrat. She had expected her presence to force the mayor into action, rather than paralyze her in inaction. But then, as with her past experience with bureaucrats since her return, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

For the most part, fear was an effective tool when dealing with them. Or at least it used to be that way. The problem was that they were now, as with this mayor, paralyzed by fear. They didn't want to act out of the fear that they would make a mistake and draw her wrath, so instead, they were content to let problems remain unfixed, content to let problems grow into bigger problems.

Like not informing her that monsters were attacking ponies, out of fear that she would do something worse. Or not informing her that the towns where this was happening were effectively entirely unprotected, out of the fear that the protection would be something worse.

And it occurred to her, not for the first time, that militarizing the bureaucracy would streamline her administration so efficiently. Replacing all of them with soldiers, Royal Guards, or her batponies, it would make her rule so much easier. Or at least, it would, up until all of the problems came crashing down, the problems that such changes would cause. Her subjects would grow even more fearful if such a thing happened. But perhaps enforcing her will was worth the risk. And if she balanced it right, then perhaps the problems it would cause could be minimized.

Perhaps it was still worth it. 'I should integrate my batponies into my administration,' she thought. Even with the risks, it would be beneficial. Not filling every position with batponies, but having some roles filled by them; putting her batponies in supportive roles, such that they would carry out tasks and see to it that problems were fixed, but perhaps not on local levels such as this.

But for now, there were more pressing matters at hoof. "Dear Mayor, pray tell, why did you not inform me of problems with the creatures of the Everfree?" was her growl.

And as with each mayor she had previously asked a question similar to that, she could see the hairs of the mayor's coat stiffening, almost standing straight up, in fear. The mayor blabbered something incoherent and indecisive until she finally made out, "I didn't w-want to di-disturb you," said in an appeasing voice.

"And so instead," she accused, "you decided it was better to let such problems grow and fester, risking even greater problems?"

The mayor kept silent and trembled.

She inhaled, then exhaled. She barely avoided growling in frustration. If every mayor, if every bureaucrat, was as bad as her, then she needed to either take drastic actions and replace them, or find a way to somehow get them to function instead of being paralyzed by fear.

And then, it occurred to her, 'Some of you may be intentionally doing this to resist my rule.' She bared her teeth in disgust. Perhaps that explained more than she thought. Perhaps all of them were faking it if only to make things more difficult for her.

'No, that cannot be. They cannot all be faking this,' she knew. But then that brought one more thought to mind, 'Why did you cripple Equestria so!?'

She growled. It wasn't directed at the mayor, but it might as well have been. The mayor, despite her appearance, let out a squeak, not unlike that of a filly of her student's age. "When you have such problems," she stated, "I do expect to be informed of them." Though the mayor wasn't looking at her, she tilted her head to the side. "It is in my best interest," she hissed, "to ensure these problems do not become worse."

"O-of course," was the mayor's weak acknowledgment.

She studied the mayor again. For a few seconds, she said nothing and took the time to think and recompose herself. "I do not want to deal with every problem you face," she stated. "I am one pony, and even with my magic, even with being able to write out orders and send scrolls to every city in Equestria, I cannot deal with every single local issue. There are too many. This is why I have left such autonomies in place. I do not know how best to deal with perhaps most issues local governments face. However, when it comes to bigger problems such as this," she paused to let it sink in before adding, "I do expect to be made aware of it."

"Of c-course," the mayor stuttered out.

"I mean it," she growled.

There was a silence as it sunk in, then the mayor nodded.

With nothing more to say, she turned and left. Once she was out of the room, she closed the door behind her and let out a growl.

Tonight had not been a fun night. No, of course it hadn't! Would anypony in their right mind enjoy spending the night chastizing bureaucrats? She had sent out orders before, of course. But it seemed that those scrolls had somehow been misinterpreted by the recipients. Not all of the recipients misinterpreted them; some of the mayors she chastized actually seemed to comprehend what she meant.

And then there were the others who immediately sent her scroll upon scroll. For each local issue they faced. Land rights. Local tax codes. Zoning codes. And even more frivolous matters than just that.

'How,' she wondered in anger, 'are they so inept?' They had their autonomy under her sister. She had no desire to take that autonomy away from them, save from dealing with particular issues such as seeing to it that her rule was assured. Were they truly so stupid as to think she wanted to decide each and every banal, frivolous issue they faced? She was the Queen of the Night! The Empress!

She had better things to do than decide local zoning codes for a town she knew nothing about. It was so foalish. And she was only one pony. She couldn't do everything all the time. The local governments were necessary. A minute for her was the same as a minute for anypony else. The only difference was where other ponies were mortal, she was not.

She suppressed a growl as she strode through the town hall and made her way back to the ground level.

Walking out into the lobby, she glanced left and right, and unsurprisingly, found it empty. The town's residents probably knew she was there and wanted to avoid her. At the very least, Ponyville was a small town, and so there were probably few issues that they needed to discuss with the Mayor anyway.

She cast the thought aside and strode out of the lobby. As soon as that accursed glow of light was gone and she stepped into the darkness of her night, she felt a sense of calm. Gone was the anger caused by idiotic bureaucrats, gone was the annoyance at their ineptness. She slowed, then stopped in the middle of the street.

For a moment, just a moment, she looked up at the sky. She looked straight up and beheld the twinkling of the stars. The moon was just at the edge of her vision, and so she was not mocked by the scarring of her sister. She lowered her head, then glanced around the street.

And it stood out like a sore hoof that, even now, the street was deserted. The moon was out, so there was light by which ponies could navigate with. There was light that kept the monsters away, and yet, the ponies still stayed indoors. She bared her teeth in disgust. Over a month, and they still didn't accept her gift. Over a month, and they still spited her. Over a month, and they still missed this beauty.

It was just the same as so long ago, but now it was even worse. There was no day, yet even faced with that prospect, they ignored the beauty of her night. Ponies were not so stupid as to spit on her face, but they might as well have been doing such.

'Perhaps time,' she thought, 'will fix this.' But she wasn't hopeful of that. No, time had taught her that this would not change. Ponies would never love her. It was a simple fact of her life. The only respect she would get from them was for protecting them, and out of fear.

And it worried her. Not their lack of love, but that they stayed inside as much as was possible. Perhaps here in a town so close to the Everfree, it could be expected, if only for safety. But in other cities that did not have to worry about such things, Manehattan for example, it should not have been so. But yet, ponies in those cities still feared the night and dreaded to roam it. They stayed inside out of fear.

And that fear, them staying inside, was crippling to Equestria. It would stagnate Equestria if it did not reverse. If it didn't change, then Equestria could very well fall to chaos. If only for the simple fact that ponies were only out when they had to be, then they were not spending bits, and if they were not spending bits, then ponies were not making bits. Perhaps to anypony else, such a thing would seem frivolous. But not to her, no.

If the Equestrian economy ground to a halt, her reign would be off to an even worse start. She expected a recession, but that did not mean she wanted one. It would do Equestria no good. And she had been around long enough to understand that a recession could bring revolution.

And that, most assuredly, was not in her best interests.

She inhaled, then growled as she exhaled. She shook her head, then turned and strode down the street. The moon hung in the sky a few hours from setting, and it was right there as she walked ahead, mocking her. She did her best to not look at it as she walked on.

She managed to ignore it, for the most part, but it was still there, always present in her mind.

If she had any victory over her sister, then it was a pyrrhic victory. Her only true victory, she felt, was that her sister's student was now her own.

She slowed as that tree came into sight. Through the windows, she could see the flickering glow of candlelight dancing out into the street.

Aside from Midnight and Spike, her student was alone in the library. She heard the chime of her student's magic and could hear the occasional turning of a page. But she didn't know what book her student was reading. She could only guess at it.

She approached the door, then stopped. She hesitated, unsure whether to knock or not. And it was a silly reason to hesitate. She was Queen. It was, theoretically, a public library. Although from what she had determined, essentially, it didn't matter, because nopony truly visited said library.

Aside from her student's friends. But those mares came for her student, not for books. At least most of the time. Rarity and Fluttershy occasionally looked for books, but the rest did not. Rainbow Dash also seemed to have a severe aversion to reading of any kind, from what she had picked up.

She lit her horn, then opened the door. There was hardly a sound from the door opening, but perhaps it was the sound of her magic that caused her student to look up at her. For a moment, Twilight tensed up. She saw her student's jaw part briefly, then it closed once more.

She walked inside, turned her head back to study the door, then shut it and looked back at her student, who was laying on the floor on her stomach with a book opened in front of her.

"Um... hello," was her student's greeting.

She turned back to face her student, then inclined her head in acknowledgment. She walked into the room and looked around for Midnight. Unsurprisingly, she found the batpony laying on her back with her hooves all stretched straight up into the air.

When she looked at Midnight, Midnight rolled over and jumped up, then fell into a reverential bow. "My Queen," she said.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment, then turned her attention back to her student. Calmly, she walked over to her. As she approached, she let her eyes drop down onto the book her student had opened before her. As with before, it was a spell book, and she recognized the spell matrix. "Surely you know this spell by now?" she inquired.

Slowly, her student sat up. "Well..." she drawled, rolling her head to the right. "There's, uh, not... really any advanced books here."

She pursed her lips. 'This is a small town, and from what I have seen, it is predominantly earth ponies.' Yes, it should have occurred to her before now that this library wouldn't have content that would be on her student's level. She nodded and said, "I will see to it that you have proper material to study."

Her student shifted her weight, then stood up. "Thanks..." There was a pause, then she asked, "Would... you like some tea?"

"I will not be staying long," she replied. "I have been speaking with several mayors regarding their ineptness for not reporting problems..." she trailed off. Even thinking about it left her feeling worse, leaving her wanting to groan. She inhaled, then sighed. "Tea would be nice," she relented.

Twilight nodded, and said, "It should be about ready," then timidly walked around into the kitchen.

She watched Twilight leave and once again studied her cutie mark. It was almost mesmerizing, despite how many times she had seen it. Twilight didn't tense up any further, nor did her timid shuffle fade. She shook her head, then walked over to Midnight. She glanced at the batpony, then stared into the kitchen, watching Twilight. "Anything to report?" was her quiet question.

"Not really," Midnight answered in an equally quiet whisper. "She's still pretty shaken up, but I've not had problems with her. I think she's starting to do better, but, ah..."

She nodded. "And she has not been planning anything with her friends?"

"No," Midnight answered, frowning a bit. "And nopony has given her any trouble." There was a pause and then Midnight started nodding, and in an afterthought, said, "Although it's only been a few nights, soo..."

"Yes," she acknowledged. She inhaled as Twilight turned around.

Her student watched her as she slowly walked back from the kitchen, levitating a teapot and two cups in her magic.

She could see steam wafting into the air from the cups. Twilight levitated one cup out to her and she took it. For a moment, as her magic wrapped around the teacup and took it, she saw something pass over Twilight's features. But it was gone so soon, she couldn't tell if it was fear, which was her first guess. After all, she had so easily overwhelmed the filly's magic.

But, even with that, she still knew, 'You have so much untapped potential...'

And Twilight resumed her timid walk back to where she had been laying. She watched Twilight walk back, then turned to face her student as she laid down once more. She walked over to her, then took a sip of her tea. She couldn't place the taste, but it was sweet, though not too sweet, and it had a rich nutty taste to it. She swallowed it and felt the warmth roll down her throat. "Pleasant," she commented.

Twilight glanced at her, then took a sip of her own tea.

"I presume you used your magic to heat it up?" she wondered aloud.

Twilight gave a nod and said, "Yes."

"Have you ever used it to fix food?" she asked.

Twilight blushed. "Um, yes." A momentary pause, followed by a very final-sounding, "And I don't anymore."

"I see," was her response. "So this is why Spike cooks for you?" she asked.

"Well..." Twilight drawled in a high-pitched voice. "That and that I tend to forget to eat. At times."

She nodded slowly. "Studying?"

"Yes," Twilight answered.

"I see." She glanced down at her cup of tea, then took another drink of it. She mulled over the flavor and let the warmth soak into her mouth before swallowing.

"Uh... is it... alright if I help Applejack tomorrow?" her student asked.

She looked down at her. Nothing came to mind that it would be interfering with, so she answered, "You may if you so desire. If I have need of you I will retrieve you. You are not my prisoner, and as I said, you are free to do whatever you wish." After saying that, a part of her felt the need to add on 'within reason' or remind her student not to betray her. But she knew she didn't need to add that on, and she knew it wouldn't be beneficial for Twilight to hear it yet again.

"Well she could use the help with her, uh, apple trees," Twilight elaborated.

"Yes, I am aware," she said.

Twilight winced. "Right..." was muttered.

'Perhaps in time I will let you go without that necklace,' she thought. But she wasn't sure. No, she couldn't, at least not yet. She couldn't trust Twilight with that sort of freedom. As much as she wanted to be able to trust Twilight without it, she couldn't. And the thought weighed on her mind that without the necklace, Twilight would be out of her reach. Without it, she wouldn't be able to protect Twilight if something happened. Midnight could only do so much.

Twilight bit her lip, and for several seconds, watched her, though her eyes drifted down to her chestplate, and then finally, her student looked down at the necklace on her chest. She watched Twilight's eyes dance back and forth as she looked at the necklace.

"I will tell you that a group of batponies should be arriving within a few nights to begin repairs on my castle," she stated.

Twilight inhaled, then nodded. "Uh, okay... So um... How... exactly... am I supposed to... oversee this?"

She smiled and said, "I will leave that up to you, as I am certain you are capable of this. They will be bringing with them, I believe the term is 'blueprints,' for rebuilding."

Twilight nodded. "Right. And... you know this isn't exactly going to be easy, right? Getting them out there and getting stone out there for rebuilding? That's not exactly going to go unnoticed. And where are the batponies supposed to stay?"

"They should be able to stay at the castle while they work on it," she answered.

"Right," was her student's flat response. "And getting the materials out there?"

"The castle was built with stone from a nearby quarry. It should still have resources for the reconstruction process," she retorted. "I have given this thought, Twilight Sparkle. Do not think that I have not."

Her student shifted her weight uncomfortably, and she felt a tinge of regret. "Okay..." Twilight squeaked.

She took a deep breath, then silently let it out. It was hard to hold herself in check around her student. She wanted to so that she would avoid straining their relationship, she wanted to so that she wouldn't hurt her student on accident, and she wanted to so that Twilight would relax around her, but it was still hard. It seemed she didn't react well when stressed, and that made it all the harder to keep herself in check. And of course holding herself in check was still a nuisance; it took more time, and a direct approach felt better. "You have more questions. Speak," she said.

Twilight winced and turned away from her. "You know that I have no experience with this, right?" Hesitantly, Twilight turned back to face her, a look of panic growing on her features. "I don't know what I'm doing here! I'm not an architect!"

It was enough to make her lips twitch, but she caught it before anything else could come of it. "I am aware," she acknowledged. "And you are not expected to know every detail. You will be overseeing it, making sure it progresses smoothly. The batponies are capable of overseeing the reconstruction on their own, but I believe this is a good experience for you. If they experience problems, you should be able to assist."

"Right..." Twilight muttered. She heard her student take in a deep breath, then let out a groan. Her student looked back at her. "And what about enchantments?"

"I will see to those myself once it is finished," was her immediate answer. "I would have it no other way," she added.

Twilight nodded. There was a pause, then her student looked down at the book, picked it up and closed it, and then her head drifted back to face her. "I uh... don't... suppose you'd be willing to teach me enchanting..?"

She smiled and said, "I will should you so desire. I believe it would be beneficial for you to learn this skill-"

"Well, I uh, already know a bit about it-"

"Theory, I presume?" she asked.

Twilight nodded. "But I've never actually tried it." There was a hesitation, then her student licked her lips and added, "She... didn't want me to try. She said I wasn't ready."

"Enchanting is not easy," she related with a nod. Twilight levitated the book aside and set it down, then stood back up. As her student stood up, she looked her over, then met her gaze once again, only for Twilight to shy back and stare at her chestplate. More cautiously she added, "But you should have the talent, magic, and skill for it."

Her student tried to hide it, she could tell, but it was obvious that her praise excited the filly. Her student held herself in a more-ready posture, and she could just see the subtle energy filling her student's features, causing her to stand up a bit straighter. Her student's ears twitched slightly, and she could see the eagerness in her student's eyes, even if she did not meet her gaze. She smiled calmly, letting her lips relax and pull up, but careful not to let them part. She would not ruin this by showing her teeth.

She lifted her teacup to her lips and took another quick sip. She looked away from her student as she pondered the flavor, then she swallowed and finished her tea before looking back at her student and saying, "If nothing else, then I have other matters to attend to."

Her student started to nod, then stopped. "Um..." she trailed off and leaned her head to the right sheepishly while her ears folded back halfway. "I... know that this is probably a stupid question, but... do you have any way that I could... send you letters?" With that said, her student looked back up at her. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, but there was a hopeful, pleading look in her eyes.

A part of her wanted to say, 'You're right, that is a stupid question,' but she kept it to herself as nothing more than a thought. She felt some strange sense of disappointment, but she couldn't immediately place it. Was it because of her thought? Was it because she knew exactly why her student wanted to write such letters to her? 'You desire this because of Sister, don't you?' was a question she didn't need to ask to know the answer, 'Yes.' But her student was used to that. Her student was used to writing letters to her teacher. So perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. Perhaps it would make her more comfortable.

And it would probably be less awkward for the both of them than Twilight essentially talking to herself for her to overhear, and that didn't even factor in that she wasn't always listening in, or that she could be otherwise occupied.

'What would be the best way to address this?' she wondered. Looking down at her student, seeing that pleading expression, and given what her request was, she felt perhaps almost compelled to agree. Perhaps it wouldn't be the most efficient way, but sacrificing so little efficiency for something that would help her student be more comfortable was likely worth it. Although, it also occurred to her that it was more formal than talking, and that pained her.

The easiest way would likely be to modify the spell on her dragon, that way letters sent by his dragonfire would go to her, instead of nowhere, given that her sister was out of reach for the spell. "Where is Spike?" she asked.

It looked like her student hadn't expected her question because, for a brief moment, her expression drew a blank. The pleading look disappeared and her ears lifted back up. She blinked, then said, "Uh, he's helping Rarity." But then her student looked at her questioningly and asked, "Shouldn't you know that?"

She gave her student a flat look and said, "Just because I am listening does not mean that I put everything I hear to memory," she admitted. "I am mostly listening to make sure that you're not..." she trailed off as Twilight looked away from her, clenched her jaw, and gave a timid nod. She stared at Twilight for a moment, then inhaled and extended her left wing. Twilight's eyes darted onto her wing as she reached out, then she lightly touched her feathers to the right side of her student's muzzle and coaxed her head back into facing her.

Twilight avoided her gaze and continued to look at her chestplate.

She waited for a moment, then folded her wing back to her side. "Since I do not know where Rarity lives, perhaps you would be willing to take me there?"

Her student gave a short, quick nod, then shuffled forward, passing her and heading to the door. She stood in place and turned her head to watch Twilight walk on, then when Twilight stopped and looked back at her, she turned around and strolled over to her.

Her student was kind enough to open the door for her, but her student also stood and waited on her. She inclined her head and replied, "You lead. I do not know where I am going."

She watched her student's musclea tense up, then Twilight nodded mechanically and crept outside before stopping to wait for her. She held back a sigh, then walked on out and stood beside her.

"Sooo... I guess I'll just stay here?" Midnight offered.

Ignoring Midnight, she looked down at her student. "You do not need to be so timid around me, Twilight Sparkle," she chastised.

Her student closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then audibly sighed. "You don't make it easy, you know..." was whispered.

"Yes, and you don't make it any easier to be your teacher, either," she retorted.

Immediately, she regretted snapping: Twilight's brow twitched down, then her student opened her eyes and stared up at her. For a moment, she thought Twilight was going to ask a question or retort her back. Instead, she saw Twilight's eyes drop down onto the side of her chestplate, along with her ears pinning back. "I'm... sorry..." she offered.

And she sighed, then shook her head. "You are forgiven," she stated.

Twilight glanced up at her and said, "This isn't what I expected..."

She frowned. "As I have said, Twilight Sparkle, I have never had a student before, and in truth, I do not know what I am doing. I may be... easily agitated, and for that I am sorry. I do not... desire to harm you. I am not a monster."

Twilight turned away from her and shifted her weight away from her. For a few seconds, she watched her student fight a battle over saying something more. It ended when she bit her lip, then reluctantly lowered her head a few inches and turned back to her. And in a voice she barely heard, her student whispered, "You acted like one when you returned..."

And it was spoken with so much reluctance, and she knew better than to retort it. She knew better than to snarl in anger. She felt bitter at the accusation, but she knew better than to let it show. She clenched her jaw, and Twilight, in turn, looked at her clenched jaw.

No, her student knew exactly what she was saying. Her student knew how risky it was. But it was said. It needed to be said, because it was true. She knew it was true. She did not want to hear it, but it was still true. And they needed to talk about it, openly and honestly. So she had to address it carefully. Every word had to be meticulously planned. "Yes..." she reluctantly admitted.

There was so much more she could say. So many ways she could take it from here. 'Have you considered that I had just returned from a one-thousand-year banishment!?' was one. 'Have you considered that I had just fought and banished my sister!?' was another. And the one she dared not voice was, 'Have you considered that I defeated my sister, and she told me about her student, and I did not know what to expect. I expected a threat, a challenge. And I reacted as such.'

But why was she even considering this conversation? She was Queen and Empress! She had no reason to explain herself to this foal, even if she was her student. She did not have to justify her actions to her. But she still knew it was in her best interest. There were so many reasons why it was in her best interest.

"I recall saying this before," she stated. She turned her head to face her student. "I do regret how aggressively I reacted to you and your friends. However, I had to act, otherwise, you would have used the Elements of Harmony against me." It was an answer that made her student flinch and turn away from her. She took a moment to take a breath, then she exhaled and, for whatever reason, added, "Perhaps I was not thinking quite as rationally as I should have been. I had just returned from one-thousand years of isolation on the moon. And I had just fought off my dear sister."

Twilight kept looking away from her.

"I do not wish to scare you," she stated. At that, her student oh so reluctantly glanced back at her. The glance turned into a stare out of the corner of her eyes. "A thousand years ago, perhaps... perhaps I would have been a monster." And she didn't even need to think about it to know the answer was 'yes,' because she had already thought about that. A thousand years ago, had she succeeded, she would have brought a reign of terror, one so different from the plan she had since devised and put into action. A thousand years ago, she wanted vengeance against all of Equestria and her dear sister. "A thousand years ago, I would not have been so forgiving. I would have killed you and your friends a thousand years ago."

She hated saying that. It wouldn't help her student any, but she wouldn't lie about it. And even more, she hated that it was the truth.

After her ascent to Nightmare Moon, yes, she would have done things that would make ponies unabashedly call her a monster had dear sister not stopped her. Eventually, her rage would have subsided enough for her to think rationally, but the damage would have already been done. But she would not have cared that they called her monster, and she would have killed them for saying such things.

Although even once her rage had subsided, she still would have been so different from how she was now.

Perhaps there was some slight reason, insane as it was, for her to thank her sister for stopping her so long ago.

The thought enraged her, leaving her blood boiling, making her feel on the verge of trembling. She felt a scream building up in her throat. She would still rather have defeated her sister all those centuries ago.

But she didn't act on that anger.

She had changed sometime in the past thousand years. She still hated her sister, but she did not desire to destroy Equestria as she once did. The knowledge gave her pause to contemplate it. 'A thousand years of banishment was a long time to think...' she mused.

She turned her gaze away from her student and looked around the street. WIth nopony else, and no sounds aside from the rustle of leaves in the night breeze, everything felt so still. It all sounded so silent in the wake of what was said. It was a heavy, almost haunted silence.

She did not like thinking about this. She didn't like thinking about what she would have done had dear sister not stopped her. She didn't like thinking about how much it seemed she had changed. She didn't like remembering how everypony treated her before she was Nightmare Moon. Perhaps they were justified to treat Nightmare Moon such a way, but not who she had been. They would have been reaping what they planted. She didn't like thinking about that one-thousand-year banishment, the torture that it was.

She was not a monster, and that's what mattered.

But she could have been one.

What would she do if she was faced with some decision where it was in her best interest to do something, but doing that would make her slip into truly being a monster? A monster like the griffins of old, or worse?

A part of her didn't want to be a monster. She wanted nothing to do with what the griffins had done. Another part of her simply didn't care. If it was in her best interest, then it would be stupid not to act on it. Assuming, of course, that it would not cause further problems down the road by acting on it.

Cautiously, she said, "I do not wish to speak about this..." and looked back at her student. Looking at her again, the thought once more whispered in her mind, 'I'm too fond of you...'

Maybe it was a problem, or maybe it wasn't. It could cause problems, but yet Twilight was something special.

"I'm... sorry," Twilight whispered. Her student swallowed and slowly turned her head back to face her. "About what... happened to you."

She felt some sort of calmness drift over her body at that. The earlier anger, though still there, felt colder. It wasn't quite as enraging. "You are not at fault for this," she stated. "My anger is not directed at you, but my sister and Equestria so long ago..."

There was a silence for several seconds. She looked back at her student, and then in a quiet, timid voice, her student asked, "Am... I a disappointment..?"

Her jaw tightened as soon as she heard the question. Out of curiosity, she asked, "Do you truly care what I think of you?" Her student hesitated, then gave a timid nod. The nod gave her pause to consider it. 'You care what I think of you...' A part of her was surprised at that. A part of her felt like she already knew it and her student's nod was just confirming it. For some reason, she liked the admission. It made her feel as if they were, maybe, closer than what she thought. But she worried that she was just lying to herself about that.

She would not lie and coddle her student, telling her that there were no times she was not disappointed in her. She would not crush her student by telling her the truth. She wasn't sure how to answer, so instead, she replied, "You have a great deal of potential, Twilight Sparkle, and you are trying. You are not perfect, but I do not expect you to be perfect."

Twilight once again looked away from her, nodding. She extended her right wing and brushed her feathers along her student's coat. Twilight closed her eyes. "Do not think that I hate you. I do not. You do matter to me," she said. She lifted her wing from Twilight's back as her feathers danced across her shoulder, then she folded her wing to her side.

This time, Twilight's nod wasn't so timid, but more confident.

She smiled, even if her student's unease and fear still lingered. "Now come. I wish to modify the spell on Spike so that you may send your letters to me through him." For a brief moment, she saw what she knew translated into her student realizing that after that modification, Spike wouldn't be able to send letters to her sister, but it mellowed out. Her student didn't descend into a panic, and it was a relief. She turned her head back, then closed the door behind them. After that, she glanced at Twilight and said, "Lead on."

With nothing else to say, Twilight walked forward. She waited a moment for her student to take the lead, then followed behind her. Matching her student's stride, she felt like she was walking so slowly. She did her best to ignore it and she let her thoughts wander. She scanned her surroundings, searching the streets for anypony else out, and as with before, it was so deserted.

With a glance back at the moon, the thought, 'Perhaps it is the time...' occurred to her.

And yes, that was assuredly true. It was the time that kept them all inside.

After all, it was night.

Her eyes drifted back to Twilight, and though her student glanced back at her when her gaze fell on her back, nothing was said and her student did not immediately tense up. 'What will your full potential look like?' she wondered. Just thinking about it, she felt excitement, a bubbling energy in her core. Yet the thought also came with a cautious fear.

And she knew, 'A thousand years ago I would have killed you, even if you weren't my sister's student, solely because of that potential...' It made her tighten her jaw. But no, maybe she wouldn't have. Maybe she would have seen Twilight's potential and viewed it as a tool instead of a threat. But would she have tolerated the threat Twilight posed were she a thousand years younger?

She couldn't be sure.

'Perhaps I am more foalish than I think, keeping you around...' It could so easily be her undoing, yet she still tolerated the potential threat that was her student. And it fascinated her. Maybe it was stupid of her to not kill Twilight.

But she still wouldn't. To do so would have been betraying Twilight as her sister had betrayed her. To do so would have been such a waste. And she was too fond of the unicorn.

Unease welled up inside her, churning in her chest. "Do you," she asked, "think I am a monster?"

Twilight slowed and looked back at her. There was a hesitance in the way she looked at her. Her first instinct was to take that hesitance as all the answer she needed, but she also realized that there could be more that her student wanted to say.

"It is important that we talk openly," she reminded.

She heard Twilight inhale, then exhale. "Okay... I... have... mixed feelings," she stated. "On... one hoof, I don't hate you. I think... from what you've said, and assuming you're not lying to me-"

"I assure you," she stated, "I am not."

There was a pause before Twilight gave a reluctant nod. "Assuming you're not lying to me," she restated, "then I..." Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then said, "I think what your sister did was wrong. But I also know that I can't trust what you've told me. I have no way to know whether you're lying to me or not. And neither of us trust the other." Only with that said did she open her eyes.

She nodded cautiously. "You are correct. You do not trust me and I likewise do not trust you. However, mutual trust would be in both of our interests. I would... like to be able to trust you, and I wish you would trust me. It would make things easier on both of us." She paused to tilt her head to the side before speaking again, "I have something of an aversion to lying, Twilight Sparkle. Given the lies my sister spat at me..." she trailed off as her lips pulled back to show her teeth. "I do not wish to lie to you. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth," she stated. For a moment, she paused, then admitted, "But I will not necessarily tell you everything..."

There was a hesitation before her student nodded. "But I also know," she continued, "that Predictions and Prophecies said you were jealous of your sister. And I think that... bringing eternal night out of jealousy is..." Twilight clamped her eyes shut and whispered, "foalish."

She snorted. "Perhaps you are correct," she stated, "and I am jealous of my sister. But you do not know anything of what I have gone through, Twilight Sparkle."

She expected her student to raise her voice and retort her, but instead, her student's ears folded back again and she nodded. "I... know..." was whispered. "And... I... feel bad... knowing that... you seem to have been mistreated." There was a pause where both of them just watched each other, and Twilight's ears lifted up while her brow creased. "But I do think that the way you treat ponies is wrong. You don't need to be so aggressive or threatening."

"It gets results, does it not?" she asked.

"But it doesn't make them hate you any less. It doesn't make them like you any more. It doesn't give them any reason to love you," was her student's cautioning advice. "And what about in the long term?"

She smiled and snorted, then shook her head. It was absurd. Her student was just a foal. Hardly a newborn compared to her. Absolutely nothing compared to her. What were sixteen years of life when she had lived centuries? But Twilight still had so much potential. She wouldn't ignore Twilight's advice, but she knew better than to hope ponies would ever love her. "I will never have their love, Twilight Sparkle. Time has taught me this lesson."

"Why does that bother you so much?" was her student's genuine question. "You have the batponies... they... love you, don't they? Then why does it bother you that other ponies don't?"

"It is different," she answered. She turned her head to the left, then looked up at the stars shimmering in the sky. It was a peaceful night. A night not unlike so many others that she had experienced. The stars were the same as they had been one thousand years ago. Perhaps not exactly the same, perhaps they had drifted ever so slightly, but it was still so similar.

Just looking up at the sky, she could let herself forget about the present. She could let herself go back in time inside her memories. And it was deceptive, just how similar the sky was. It was deceptive that now, Equestria knew so much peace, yet it had been the same sky so many centuries ago, back when she had to protect Equestria. Back when dear sister told such lies to her. Back when she had been naive enough to believe her.

Her mind drifted back to the present. She looked down at the building to her left, then turned back to her student. "The batponies are mine," she said. "While they do have a choice, they are predisposed towards loving me. They will serve me. They will die for me should I ask it. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies are not so predisposed, and they choose to hate me. They choose to hate my night. They choose to spite me, despite all I have done for them."

"How would you feel," she asked, taking a step towards her student, "if you were one of the two rulers of a nation, and your sister received all the praise, and your subjects scorned you?" Another step and her student turned to face her, then stepped back. "How would you feel, if you had experienced the absolute worst of life, heard the screams of the dying, seen those you called 'friend' killed for protecting you and the same ponies that, as soon as the war ended, turned around and spat on your face or demanded your death, completely ignore your sacrifices to protect them?"

She stopped stepping towards her student but leaned down so that she was just as tall as her. Her student took another step back. "And then how would you feel if your sister, the only pony you had who you would not outlive, lied to you every single day." One last step. "Turned a blind eye to how everypony looked at me while she basked in her own glory. Used you, and then betrayed you."

The bitterness was there. It would never fade, she knew. Killing her sister wouldn't help it, it would only frustrate her beyond her own comprehension. She trembled from that bitterness and hatred.

But she didn't act on that bitterness and hatred. Not now. The subject of her wrath was just out of reach, and she would not take it out on her student.

'You have reason to fear me,' she knew, 'and I should not add on to that.'

She lifted her head back up and continued to watch Twilight. Had this conversation happened a month ago, or perhaps even a week ago, Twilight would have been on her stomach cowering in fear. As it was, her student faced her with just the barest hint of confidence, just the barest hint of courage. Barely able to stay there and not run away. Behind those hints, she could see her student's fear. The way that, if she continued, she would simply snap her student's fragile sense of safety.

It wasn't in her best interest.

And she felt regret. Regret that she had slipped up in such a way, so drawn in by those memories. Regret that she had let herself slip in anger in front of her student. At her student. Regret that she had probably further hurt her student, despite not wanting to. She almost felt ashamed, and a part of her recoiled at that knowledge.

She was Queen and Empress. She had no reason to feel the clutching grip of shame, yet the feeling came and took a hold of her.

But, Twilight was still standing. She had not laid down, despite backing up out of fear. She hadn't run off to cower in a corner.

She inhaled the cool night air, held it for a few seconds, then let it out. It didn't satisfy her, but she felt calmness. It made the feeling of shame and regret all the worse. Answering in such a way as she did would not help her student grow any; it was nearly attacking her. It wasn't in her best interest, yet she had still slipped up,

She turned her head away from Twilight and once more swept her gaze over the street to find that, once more, it was deserted. Without looking back at her student, she held her wing up and extended it towards her. 'Will you recognize this gesture?' she wondered. Her student was a unicorn, not a pegasus, although her student had been her sister's student.

Out of curiosity, she turned her gaze back to her student. Twilight stood still, lingering in the same spot she had been, but she stared at her extended wing. As her student studied the offer, she saw hints of recognition mixed in with confusion and disbelief.

Then, she saw her student nibble on her lip, which marked the start of her mind's battle over what to do.

"Come," she called softly.

And with that, the battle came to an abrupt end. For a moment, it was as if both sides stopped fighting for the sole purpose of staring at the newest entrant: her. After that moment past, Twilight crept towards her, taking each step with a reluctant timidness so as to not be presumptuous, even if she had given the offer.

She watched Twilight approach, but eventually, the filly stood beside her and faced the same direction as her. She saw her student tensing up, going rigid. The hairs of her student's coat nearly stood straight up as she locked herself in place. Slowly, she lowered her wing over Twilight's back, then carefully, she pulled her student to her side.

Enveloping Twilight with her wing. She could see her student's recognition of what it was: a hug. Her sister had surely done this before, as had Cadance. She felt Twilight's tensed muscles relaxing, yet her eyes danced back and forth, racing left and right and left again. Twilight didn't move her head, but Nightmare was certain that if she somehow had not been there, her student would have been frantically jerking her head around, making sure that nopony saw this. All out of fear.

'You do not want other ponies to see this...' came to mind, followed by, 'Why?' Why was her student afraid of being seen like this? Or was it that her student thought it would reflect poorly on her?

Against her wing, she felt Twilight's coat and warmth. Somewhat pleasant. More than pleasant, in fact. She had not been so close to another pony over one thousand years. It stirred a certain fondness in her mind and brought with it so many memories. Most memories that came to mind were bittersweet. And the rest were bitter in hindsight, knowing of her sister's lies. As the feeling of Twilight's warm body against her side lingered, the thoughts of why her student was worried faded back deeper into her mind.

Against her body, she felt Twilight's coat and warmth. She felt where Twilight's shoulder pressed against her chestplate, making it press into her body. But she still felt Twilight's coat against her own. She found a certain fondness for the feeling, if only because it was something she had not experienced in so long. Something that she had forgotten what it was like. She had forgotten how nice it was, banal as it was. She had forgotten how comforting it could be, now that it wasn't marred by the pain of loss or sickening betrayal. It was nice, pleasant, and enjoyable.

It reminded her of the dreams of her student where they shared a bond, where Twilight did not cower before her. It reminded her of how enjoyable it was to share a walk in the castle's garden with her student. It reminded her of what it was like to watch the moonrise or moonset with her student, or with anypony else who had tolerated it in the past, aside from her sister.

But she still felt like something was missing there. She still felt that her student was incomplete. And that feeling agitated her, fighting against how pleasant the hug was.

She stroked her feathers through her student's coat and in turn, felt Twilight shiver against her touch. But she didn't try to pull away. No, she stood there. She wasn't sure if her student remained out of choice, or out of fear or paralysis. It helped even more that her student wasn't tense, even if Twilight had not truly completely relaxed in her embrace. Her student stood there without trying to escape, and she took some comfort from that.

A pony not predisposed towards her, who did not hate her.

She treasured it.

As she held her student to her side, she found her head tilting back, and her gaze being lost in the vastness of the sky. She found that a part of her wished she wasn't wearing her armor, that it was not in between her student and herself like an uncrossable chasm. She yearned to feel that feeling which was so far away, that of a true hug, one returned by her student. The feeling of her student's coat against her chest.

But it would have been a betrayal to her closest companion. She would not remove her chestplate for this. It was insanity to do so. It was antithesis to her. And it would cause uncertainty.

She inhaled, then blinked away the stirrings of memories. She lowered her head and looked down at her student, who was intent on staring at the street beneath her hooves. "I am sorry," she reluctantly muttered. "I am sorry that I snapped at you like that," she repeated. "Do not think," she whispered, stroking her feathers over her student's side once more, and once more drawing a shiver from the unicorn, "that I hate you. I do not."

At that, Twilight managed to look up from the street and meet her gaze, though she still said nothing.

"Do not think that I desire to harm you. You are my student," she said with finality, "and that matters to me."

With that said, Twilight looked down at her chestplate and gave a nod. Not a reluctant nod, not a timid nod. An accepting nod.

"I am not angry at you for asking that question, and I apologize... for my actions," she said said again.

Her student mumbled, "Uh... I was... a bit... worried that..." before trailing off.

And a sense of guilt added to the regret and shame. She finished the statement her student was afraid to say, "That I would attack you?"

For the briefest instant, she felt panic shoot through her student's body. She felt her student's heart skip a beat. She felt her student's body tense, but then her body relaxed. Twilight inhaled, then sighed as she gave a defeated nod.

Of course, she knew her student was right. She really should have held herself in check better. But given that it brought up the memories that it did, it was not easy. "I will admit that I reacted poorly to your question," she mumbled. "Or rather to the memories it brought back..." she clarified. She closed her eyes for a moment and, as hard as it was, swallowed her pride to ask, "Forgive me?"

She managed to open her eyes and look at her student. Twilight stared at her, almost with a look of bewilderment or shock. It took several seconds before her student looked down at her chestplate and slowly nodded. Seeing that nod made her feel relieved.

For a few more seconds, she held her student to her side, then lifted her wing up, giving Twilight her chance to escape should she so choose. She felt Twilight's warmth linger on the underside of her wing. Twilight didn't immediately retreat from her, but after a few seconds, she shuffled to the right and gave a brief look back at her. By the time Twilight stopped, she could no longer feel Twilight's warmth lingering in her wing.

She folded her wing back to her side, but it just didn't feel the same. Her own body's warmth just wasn't quite the same as Twilight's warmth. It wasn't as comforting. It somehow didn't feel as accepting.

She shook the thoughts aside then said, "Shall we continue?"

"Right..." Twilight mumbled, then took a step forward. After the first step, she hesitated and looked aside at her.

"Yes, I still do not know the way to Rarity's Boutique," she affirmed calmly.

The brief hesitation lingered for perhaps a second longer, then Twilight turned ahead, inhaled, and walked on.

And she smiled, seeing Twilight walk with less timidity than before. Perhaps the hug had been good for both of them. Perhaps it would do what she had intended, and reassure her student. Perhaps it would help reaffirm that vulnerable relationship they shared. She followed her student, and as she walked, she found herself feeling better. Her thoughts didn't linger on her sister, her thoughts didn't linger on the ineptness of bureaucrats, her thoughts didn't linger on bitter memories.

Her thoughts lingered on her student.

And maybe it was silly. Maybe it was stupid or foalish, and maybe it wasn't in her best interest, but they did. And it didn't make her want to scream. It was pleasant, so long as the memories did not twist with her student's fear of her.

Twilight's head tilted to the left, then her student's eyes glanced back at her. "Uh... when... was," there was wince that caused a pause before she continued, "if you don't mind me asking... The last time you did... that?"

"I have not hugged anypony in over a thousand years," was her answer.

"So... I guess... I should..." her student put on some kind of forced, awkward smile before saying, "feel special, then?"

'Amusing,' was her thought. She let herself smile and felt the right side of her lips pull up into a smirk. "You are the only student I have ever had, so you should already feel special."

Twilight's smile faded, and her brow creased. "Why not? Uh, Why haven't you had any students... before?"

She lifted her head up and tilted her head to the left. "I have never seen the point of it," she answered. She looked back down at Twilight. "It is not in my nature. That, and few ponies would have considered such an apprenticeship. To most, it would have been a curse or punishment."

And at that, Twilight's ears drifted back. "Oh... Sorry."

"It is fine," she replied.

Twilight's eyes drifted down to the ground in front of her, then after a few seconds, she looked back and asked, "What about the batponies?"

"I did not take any of them as personal students like yourself," was her answer. "For one, none of them are unicorns. I did not train them one on one in the art of combat either. Most of the ponies I converted were already well trained, and they learned further from surviving, so it was unnecessary."

"But there were ponies who volunteered to let you... do that to them. They didn't hate you did they?" was her student's question.

She held back a scowl, but took a deep breath and huffed. "Every single batpony who I originally converted volunteered, yes, but the circumstances were... Different. I never converted anypony outside of war. They would not have volunteered otherwise."

"Uh, what ponies did you... convert? Earth ponies? Pegasi? What about unicorns?"

"Only pegasi," she answered. "Unicorns and earth ponies would never submit to such a change..."

Twilight watched her. She watched her student. After a few seconds, her student broke eye contact and looked forward once more. "I... have more questions I'd love to ask, but..." She stopped and turned to the left, then raised a forehoof and pointed ahead. "We're here."

She stopped and turned her head to the left. The building was far from grand by her experience, yet it stood out from the rest of the town. Compared to the rest of Ponyville, Rarity's Boutique was elegant, although perhaps not quite extravagant. It still managed to, for the most part, fit in. She mulled it over for a few seconds, then nodded and commented, "Quaint."

Twilight walked ahead and approached the door, then knocked. She followed behind, then came to a stop a few steps behind her student.

In just a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a white-coated unicorn with a purple mane. "Twilight, darling-" and perhaps Rarity would have said something more, but instead, she stopped as soon as she caught a glimpse of her black coat. "O-oh," she stumbled out much less delicately, then fell into a quick, rigid bow, her ears folding back. "Ah... I didn't realize..." she mumbled.

It was more respectful than most greetings and reactions directed at her, given that most ponies either forgot that she was Queen out of fear, or did not bow out of paralysis caused by fear, or did not bow out of spite. But it was still a bow spurred on by respect out of fear, rather than love. But it wasn't as sarcastic of a bow as the Captain of the Guard, no, so it was already better than most of what she received. "Rise," she said after several seconds.

Rarity gradually stood back up, then shifted her weight and carefully asked, "Ah... what brings... you here?"

Twilight glanced aside at her, so she answered, "We're here for Spike."

Rarity nibbled on her lip and turned her head to the right, looking somewhere behind her. "Spike?" she called.

She couldn't hear any delay between Rarity calling his name and the tapping of claws scrambling to find out what that call was for. And then Spike was standing there, right beside Rarity. For a fleeting moment, Spike's gaze was on Twilight, then it passed onto her, and he took a step back as his lips pulled up into a forced smile while letting out a low half-laugh.

She scrutinized him, letting her eyes drift up and down his body. Purple scales covered his back and head while yellowish, off-white scales covered his underbelly. Green, inverted u-shaped spines stood up on his head and trailed down his back, all the way to his tail, with each spine smaller than the last. 'And you hatched him eight years ago...' she mused.

'I may need to ensure your kind does not cause my rule any problems,' came to mind next, but this hatchling, Twilight's dragon, Spike, would not be one of them. Or at the very least, he would not cause problems like other dragons could. No, he was too young, and most likely, having been raised by her student and her sister would have tempered his dragon nature. In comparison, other dragons wouldn't have that tempering.

'Perhaps,' she thought, 'your kind will attempt to seize on perceived Equestrian vulnerability...' But it wouldn't be a war. The dragons were too uncoordinated for something of that nature. If individual dragons caused problems, well, that was something she would address.

Personally.

Fondly, the thought came to mind: 'I wonder if your kindred remember me...' Without realizing it, she smiled, and her lips drew back to show her teeth. The dragons had a very special name for her, even before her ascent to Nightmare Moon. 'They would do well to remember it. But would they recognize me?'

Spike took another step back, which broke her thoughts. She felt her smile, then forced it back. She glanced at Rarity, then at her student, then looked back at Spike. "Your-" and she paused as it occurred to her, 'I do not know what relationship they have. What does he consider her? What does she consider him?' She closed her mouth as she thought about it. Finally, she said, "The spell which allows you to send scrolls to my sister. I am going to alter it so that it will instead send scrolls to myself."

"Um," he paused and lifted his arms to tap his claws together. His eyes shot over to her student. "Twilight?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her student nod. But her student didn't say anything.

With that, Spike looked back at her and gave a short, slow nod. He managed to take a step forward, followed by another.

"This will not take long, nor should you feel anything," she stated. The spell wasn't that complicated. It wasn't a teleportation spell, although it was vaguely similar. All she had to do was alter the part that would send scrolls to her sister so that, instead, it would send those scrolls to her. And with a few seconds of work, it was done. A secure way for him to send scrolls to her, from her student.

But after she finished, she found herself on edge. The spell wouldn't have let anypony else modify it. Only four ponies would have been able to modify the spell without fighting through the protective measures: her student, her sister, and Cadance, which did not surprise her, and then the fourth pony, which was what concerned her. Herself.

'This isn't an oversight...' she knew. But it made no sense! It left her feeling exasperated. 'Why would you do this!?' her mind demanded. But there were no answers for her to find.

She inhaled and, after fighting off the urge to scream out of frustration, nodded. "It is done," she stated.

Spike looked back at Twilight. "I don't feel any different."

"You shouldn't," Twilight replied.

"If nothing else," she said, causing both unicorns and the dragon to look at her. She looked down at her student and continued, "I will walk you back home and then take my leave."

Twilight's eyes drifted back to her chestplate and she nodded.

She turned and looked at Rarity and Spike, then turned and walked back into the street. For a few seconds, her student lingered behind, then she heard her student's hoofsteps and felt her approach. The door closed with the chime of magic, either her student's or Rarity's, though she suspected the later.

She turned her head to the right as Twilight took her place. Twilight glanced at her, then faced her. "So... uh, what are you going to do after this..?"

"I will return to Canterlot," she answered. For a few seconds, she hesitated to continue. "And I intend to visit my sister's school again."

She saw Twilight's leg twitch in midair. It paused long enough for her student to fall out of sync with her.

Before Twilight could react any worse, she stopped and added, "I do not intend to close it, if that is what you are concerned about. To do so would be foalish. It is in my best interest to keep it running." Twilight gradually set her hoof back down on the ground and nodded in long, drawn out motions. "The name, however, is something I am not particularly fond of."

Twilight's ears flicked back, and her gaze dropped onto the ground. "Right..." was her sigh.

She inhaled, then extended her wing. With a gentle touch of one feather, she coaxed Twilight into lifting her muzzle back up. Then, she folded her wing. "And perhaps I should have done this some time ago, but I should check the curriculum to ensure that my sister hasn't been lying to them all."

Twilight cringed and turned away from her. She barely heard her student mutter, "Are you going to... erase her like she erased you?"

"Perhaps," she said carefully. She waited for Twilight to look back at her before she continued, "I am uncertain if it would be in my best interest to do so or not. To erase her would, after enough time, benefit the stability of my rule. Ponies would eventually forget about her, which would be beneficial because I would then be all they know. They would know no difference. That would perhaps be in my best interest, as it could make dissent less likely. However, to erase her would also not make it known what she had done to me." She paused, then turned her head back to face the moon. She scowled at that scarring.

There was more she could say on the matter, but she had no desire to elaborate further. The will just wasn't there.

With no desire to say anything else, she walked forward again. For a few seconds, her student lingered behind, but eventually, her student trotted back into her place at her right side.

As she walked, she swept her gaze around the streets. This time, however, there were a few ponies out, yet whenever her gaze glanced over them in the slightest, even if it was a glance that didn't even stop on them, they either froze or sped up while their coats stood on end.

But a few ponies roamed the streets. It was progress.

She turned her gaze back onto her student. "Do you have any suggestions on how to address ponies staying inside rather than going out?"

Twilight's brow folded down and her pace slowed. For a few seconds, she stayed silent, then she looked at her. "It would depend on why they're staying inside..." was her careful answer.

She gradually nodded. "Fear."

"And you don't want that," her student surmised.

"To an extent," she answered, "fear is useful, Twilight Sparkle." She paused for a second, then quickly added, "But this is not."

Twilight's gaze drifted away from her. They walked on in silence for a while before her student turned back to face her. "I can think of a few things... More speeches. Maybe have Cadance talk to ponies... try to get some kind of celebration going? Maybe get the Gala to happen sooner than normal? Maybe..." her student winced and continued, "try to be a little less intimidating..?"

She looked at her student flatly. "Ignoring the last statement," she affirmed. Twilight didn't look away, nor try to apologize. "I would rather not force the Gala to happen before it normally does. I do not believe that is in my best interest. I do not believe speeches would benefit me any further, either. Perhaps from Cadance, but not myself. However, a new celebration? I can see that being useful. But I would not be surprised to find that it would not be celebrated and would be a mockery of me. Pray tell, Twilight Sparkle, do you have any suggestions?"

"I don't know..." Twilight answered, and with that said, looked away from Nightmare.

She watched her student for a few more seconds. 'Disappointing, but not surprising.'

"I think... you should talk to Cadance about this," her student finally answered.

She nodded as Twilight turned back to look at her. And for a moment, Twilight met her gaze. 'You are so fragile and vulnerable... You are still uncomfortable around me... but you are trying... and we are improving... Perhaps I can trust you more than what I think.' Twilight stared up at her, and she found herself likewise staring down at her. She inhaled and the movement made Twilight blink, then look down at her chestplate before bringing her muzzle back to the right and looking ahead. "We should return to your library, then I shall take my leave," she said.

Twilight glanced at her and nodded, then looked forward once more.

She let her gaze linger on her student for another second, then looked away from her and resumed her walk to the library.

Disorder Part 1

Sweet Apple Acres was certainly that: looking around, even with the softer lighting of the moon, it was impossible to mistake it for anything except an apple orchard. The trees, while not anywhere near as tall as other species, were still tall enough that the leaves and branches blocked most of the moonlight from hitting the ground. The shadows cast by the leaves and branches hid the apples growing on their branches, so Twilight had a hard time making out their details, but she could just barely see them. She knew the apples were there from the dark masses where the texture looked smoother than the mass of leaves and twigs, but unless the apples had the white shine of reflected moonlight striking them and almost making the curve glow, she couldn't make out the details.

Even if she couldn't see the apples and didn't know what kind of trees they were, there was another detail that would make it impossible to not realize what kind of trees they were: the smell of apples. It filled the air; it was impossible to miss. That crisp smell that dared not scream out and demand attention; it was a comforting, soft smell. One that whispered on the breeze, conjuring memories of spring and of summer and of autumn in her mind.

She felt a gentle breeze blow against her coat, carrying with it the scent of more apples. If she closed her eyes, if she ignored the darkness enveloping the orchard, she could almost convince herself that it was just a normal summer, that Princess Celestia hadn't been banished to the moon, that she wasn't Nightmare Moon's student. She could almost convince herself that everything was normal if she closed her eyes and ignored the darkness. But the breeze carried with it a certain ominous chill, one so different from normal summer breezes. It completely broke the illusion, and just like that, the memories of normal summers, the memories of the warmth of the sun against her back, and the memories of bright, sunny days disappeared. She saw the darkness through her closed eyelids, and she knew.

Twilight opened her eyes and turned her gaze back to Applejack, then took a moment to watch her prop herself up on her forelegs, pull her hind legs back, then buck straight backward with those powerful hind legs. Both of her hooves connected with the tree, and in a display of mastery of earth pony magic, the tree didn't even shake, yet dozens of dark blurs that she knew were apples fell from the branches. In the darkness, the apples were dark streaks shooting towards the ground. She reached out with her magic to catch as many of them as she could, but with the darkness, it wasn't easy, and she missed most of them.

But that was okay. Applejack had said so, telling her that normally they don't try to catch the apples as they fell; they simply let them fall and hit the ground. The apples didn't bruise because of their earth pony magic.

Looking back at the tree, she stared at where Applejack's hooves impacted. True, there was no imprint from the buck, but the thought, 'I am glad that's not me,' came to mind. She had never been on the receiving end of earth pony strength. She had no intention of changing that. No, getting kicked by an earth pony like Applejack applebucking? That wouldn't be fun. Sure, she wasn't much smaller than Applejack, but nor was she by any means that large. And she wasn't strong, she was neither fit nor active. No, she was a scholar, a student. She studied. And so if she was ever on the receiving end of such a kick, it would, at the absolute least, send her flying. It wouldn't help that she was a unicorn unless she managed to get a spell off before the kick landed.

As Applejack walked over the next tree, she turned her attention to going over the grass with her magic and levitating the apples that landed into the air. They were about as hard to see as the apples in unbucked trees, although the grassy ground was smooth and short enough that the apples easier to distinguish from the grass as spherical lumps. Once she was certain she had every fallen apple in her magic, she levitated them over and gently placed them in buckets.

It was about the extent of help Applejack would accept. She offered to do more, of course, but the mare wouldn't have any of it. No, she wasn't allowed to use her magic to pluck the apples from the trees. And she was certain she could do it quicker than Applejack after a bit of practice, but Applejack was content to just have her pick the apples from the ground and then put the buckets in the cart. And of course she didn't have earth pony magic, nor did she have the same kind of strength Applejack did, so bucking trees was out of the question. 'If I tried bucking a tree like Applejack I would just end up hurting myself,' she knew.

Still, she didn't complain about how little she was doing. Even if it wasn't that much, at the very least, she was helping.

She looked over the ground again, searching for any apples she missed. Either she didn't miss any, or the shadows of the trees hid what them. She glanced at Applejack, but Applejack didn't say anything, so it was probably safe to say she found them all.

"So... you do this every day?" she ventured.

Applejack barely paused to glance at her, then nodded. "Not every day. The apples don't grow that fast..." she trailed off and frowned, then lifted her forehoof to rub her chin. "There's a few weeks in between harvests for the apples to regrow, but it keeps us pretty busy. There's a lot of apple trees here, you know. And we're still busy during those weeks when we're not harvesting apples, too."

She nodded. She was somewhat aware of just how large the orchard was from her pegasus chariot ride to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration, but still, she knew Applejack had a much better idea than her.

Applejack turned to face her as she lined up with a tree. "Say," she paused as she kicked back. Her hind hooves connected with the tree, sending a solid whunk into the night. This time, she heard the rustle of leaves and then saw the falling apples.

She reached out with her magic and caught as many of them as she could before they hit the ground. She heard several thuds from apples she missed. After the thudding stopped, she went over the grass with her magic and levitated the fallen apples into the air.

"Have you studied earth pony magic?" Applejack finally finished.

She winced. "Ah, no. Sorry. Or at least not that much." She let out a laugh, but even to her, it sounded awkward, forced, and nervous. "I don't really have a reason to since I'm a unicorn." Applejack nodded. "Although it is quite interesting just how quickly you can grow plants."

Applejack gave a hearty nod. "Eyup! I don't know what Equestria would do without us."

She felt inclined to agree with that, though just nodded instead of voicing it. She glanced over the few dozen apples she levitated in her magic, then directed them into the buckets set about the tree.

"Thanks again for your help, Twilight. This'd take a mite longer without your help," Applejack commented.

"Oh, it's no problem, really. I'm glad to help," she answered. And a part of her still wanted to scream. 'Exactly why am I glad to help? Why am I even here!?' It really made no sense to her. She could have been studying! Granted, there was nothing on her level, but she could have refreshed herself on what the library had to offer. Or even practiced her magic! 'But she's my friend,' was the answer.

A part of her was still so perplexed by that. Her. Twilight Sparkle. With friends!? Before Nightmare Moon's return, she would have laughed off the notion and thought anypony who suggested that was crazy. But here she was. So maybe she was crazy.

And she had no idea how being friends was supposed to work. There weren't any books on it she could study, or at the very least, she hadn't found any in the library she was staying in. 'I am doing the right thing, right?'

Looking at Applejack, she watched her line up with another tree. There was no malice or anything that conveyed, 'You're doing it wrong,' so she took that as a good sign that she was somehow succeeding at being a friend. 'And why do I want to be their friend!?'

Instead of helping here, there was so much more she could do! But she would have felt guilty. Applejack and the rest of her friends had spent time with her. And for some reason, apparently, she treasured that time. She was glad when they came over. It was somehow nice. She somehow enjoyed it. And they had stuck with her, even though they hadn't needed to.

'Is this what I've been missing this whole time?' she wondered. The thought made her clench her jaw. Applejack bucked the tree. She caught the apples as they fell using her magic, only missing those that fell on the other side of the tree, then scooped up those with her magic and guided them into buckets. As Applejack walked to the next tree, she lifted all of the buckets up with her magic, then levitated them over to the cart.

'Did you want me to make friends because of what I was missing out on?' she wondered. As she thought about it, she found herself nodding. Yes, that was something that Princess Celestia would want for her. And thinking about Princess Celestia again made her feel homesick. She longed for her princess, but it wasn't to be. She sighed under her breath. Applejack wouldn't have heard it. Nightmare Moon would have.

She found her head turning towards the rising moon, but the leaves and branches of apple trees blocked it from sight.

'But... my studies were important, right? They are important! I wouldn't be here if I hadn't studied so hard... It was worth it, right?'

And no answer came to her; she felt torn. But even with that feeling drawing her to her friends and to her studies, she wouldn't have stopped her studies. No, studying was important. She had dedicated her life to studying magic. She would just have to make revisions as necessary. Revisions for dealing with everything that had happened, like her old teacher lying to her and then getting banished, and Nightmare Moon taking her as a student. And friends. She hadn't planned for friends, either. But no, she wouldn't give up on her studies for friends. That would have been a stupid idea. She was sure she could do both.

Another solid whack. She turned her head towards the source and caught the apples as they fell. Only a few slipped through her grasp to thud against the ground.

"You doing okay, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, um, yes. I'm just thinking..." she replied.

Applejack squinted at her. It was the sort of squint that said, 'Now I know there's something more that you're not telling me,' but all the mare said was, "You sure do that a lot."

She gave a hesitant nod, then turned to face Applejack. She took a few steps towards her. "I do..." she agreed.

"Anything in particular?" Applejack ventured.

"Uh, not really. A lot of things..." she answered.

Applejack gave a slow nod, then walked over to the next tree. "How many more buckets you think we can get on the cart?"

She glanced back at the cart and bobbed her head. "Another tree," she turned to face Applejack and winced, "maybe?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow for a moment before turning her attention to the buckets on the ground. As Applejack surveyed them, she glanced over them, then finally filled them with the apples. Once the buckets were filled, she lifted them up and brought them over to the cart. The buckets were filled well beyond capacity, with apples piled up over the rim to the point that they were visible above the sides of the cart. With the way the cart leaned towards the front, she was partially concerned that apples would just start rolling all over the place and spilling onto the ground. She turned to face Applejack. The mare glanced over the load, then looked at her. "I don't think we can get any more on there now," she offered.

Applejack walked over to her and scrutinized the cart. She nodded and said, "Alright, I guess we can take this back and then get the next batch ready," then walked around the side to the front.

She pursed her lips as a thought occurred to her, 'I could take it back while you keep working?' She dreaded that idea. She wasn't that strong. Pulling that cart? No. "Uh, one of us could take the cart back while the other works?" she voiced.

Applejack stopped and looked back at her with a strained grimace. "It ain't safe," was all she said. "I appreciate the offer, but it ain't safe."

She frowned, then shifted her weight as Applejack donned the harness. "It isn't safe?" she asked.

"Nope," was Applejack's frank answer. "Not since the whole eternal night thing."

She squinted at Applejack, then turned her head left and then right, scanning the shadows. Nothing stood out, no dark figured, no glowing eyes. It only just comforted her, so she turned back to Applejack and asked, "I thought the orchard was safe?"

"Most of the time, it is," Applejack answered. She inhaled, then took a step forward. The cart lurched right behind her. "But not all of the time," was added. After another step, Applejack stopped, then turned her head and looked back at her. "I don't want to take the risk with you, Twilight. After we faced Nightmare Moon and all that... I wouldn't feel right to have you all alone out here," she said softly.

She stared at Applejack for a few seconds. 'I... could protect myself... right?' she wondered. 'She doesn't think I can... Nightmare doesn't think I can...' whispered back. It made her uneasy. Against something small and not that dangerous, she probably could protect herself. She shifted her weight on her hooves, then dashed to Applejack's side. "You remember that Midnight's here, right?" she squeaked.

Applejack paused to shrug, then continued. "She's flying somewhere up there. I can't see or hear her-"

A dark figure silently landed in front of Applejack. She flinched and jumped back a few inches before she recognized the batpony, but Applejack didn't react. "Hi," was Midnight's quiet, cheerful greeting.

Twilight nodded to herself and looked at Applejack again. "She has very good hearing."

Midnight smiled and nodded eagerly. "Mhm!"

"Eyup," Applejack agreed.

"And yeah it's safe," Midnight affirmed. Her smile faded and she frowned. "I didn't see or hear any, uh, timberwolves, I think is what you called them? How exactly do those things even work?" Midnight's cheeks pulled up close to her eyes. "Made out of wood..?"

Twilight lifted her muzzle a few inches into the air and answered, "Magic."

Midnight glanced at her. "Oh, okay. I kinda figured that. But still. It doesn't make sense."

Applejack shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is that's what they are."

"I think they're native to the Everfree Forest?" Twilight offered. "I don't think they exist anywhere else. So it's probably just the Everfree Forest."

Midnight looked at her, nodding casually. "Huh."

"You live in a forested area, don't you?" Applejack asked.

Midnight turned to her and nodded. "Mhm."

"Well, what sort of things do you have to deal with?" was Applejack's next question.

"Normal flesh and blood wolves. Sometimes bears," Midnight answered casually. "Of course it's not really that big of a deal for us. They keep away from the cities."

Twilight perked up. "Cities? Plural?"

Midnight nodded at her. "Mhm. You didn't think Hollow Shades was the only batpony city, right?"

"I thought there was only one city in the Hollow Shades," she specified.

Midnight giggled, then reached out with her hoof and touched her muzzle. "That'd be about as silly as calling a single city a whole empire!"

Her muzzle scrunched up and she jerked her head back. The metal boot was cold, and even without the boot touching her, she still felt the cold lingering on her nose.

"But yeah," Midnight continued. "Hollow Shades isn't just one city. There's a lot more than just it. Well, Hollow Shades technically is a city and a region, but there are other cities."

"Where?" she asked.

Midnight shrugged. "I dunno. All over the place, really. In mountains and forests, mostly out of sight. We keep to ourselves. I've never really been anywhere else. And not just the Hollow Shades region, either. All over Equestria."

She inhaled, then let out a sigh. "Right..."

"So, can you move so I can get this back to the barn?" Applejack asked. "Then we can walk and talk."

Midnight looked at her. "Oh! Right. Sure!" She stepped to the left, out of Applejack's way.

"Thank you," Applejack said as she walked on.

Twilight waited a moment, then walked alongside Applejack, followed by Midnight, who strolled along at her left side.

"So, see anything interesting in your flight?" Applejack asked.

Midnight shrugged. "Other than Rainbow Dash sleeping in one of your trees?" was her cheerful question. Midnight barely paused as if contemplating something, then just smiled and shook her head. "No, not really... no..."

There was an audible pause in Applejack's stride, mostly because it stopped, and with that, the cart stopped. "Where is she?"

"I can show you," Midnight answered. "Why?"

An annoyed, flat voice answered, "I'm gonna knock some sense into her."

She frowned at Applejack and Midnight squinted. "Why?" was all she felt compelled to ask.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Rainbow knows she's not supposed to do that." A pause, then a firm, "I don't appreciate it. My family doesn't appreciate it."

She slowly turned her head away from Applejack. "...why?" she asked again, this time more slowly.

"If she's gonna be here, she could at least help instead of being lazy," was Applejack's answer. As soon as she finished, she started pulling the cart again. "After I get this to the barn, I'm gonna give Rainbow a piece of my mind."

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Twilight offered. Applejack didn't even look at her and continued pulling the cart along. She waited for a few seconds to see if Applejack would say something, but then walked back to her when it was clear that she wasn't. Midnight followed at her side, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the batpony's tongue hanging out of her mouth in between her fangs.

"You know, you could help out too," Applejack commented.

She glanced aside at Applejack to see who that was directed at and found her looking at Midnight.

"Batponies don't do applebucking," Midnight stated in a warm, friendly tone. It almost sounded like teasing.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You keep saying how strong you are; prove it."

She turned her head to look at Midnight.

"Don't need to," was Midnight's cheerful response, followed up with a bright smile. "Besides, I'm here to keep Twilight safe. I'm not free labor like she is."

She frowned and glared at her 'guard.' "Hey!"

Midnight turned to face her, then just closed her eyes and smiled oh so happily.

"She's not free labor..." was Applejack's defensive retort.

She turned and squinted at Applejack. The earth pony shifted her weight uncomfortably and looked back at her, then looked at Midnight again. "She volunteered to help," she explained. "As a friend," was added far too quickly.

"Free labor!" Midnight sung out, followed with a carefree giggle.

With that, she inhaled, then all but threw her head down so it was level with her back. "Well gee, thank you so much for thinking of me like that," she muttered.

"Sorry, Twilight. I, well, and my family, really do need the help though. We've been having trouble with the whole eternal night thing. It ain't easy!" Her eyes shot towards Applejack. She wanted to give her a glare, but found that she couldn't: Applejack looked at her with a solemn grimace. "I really do appreciate the help. We all do," Applejack added.

She let out a sigh, then closed her eyes and nodded. "It's," she lifted her head back up, "okay." Opening her eyes, she looked around again, searching the shadows. Surely, it wasn't necessary since Midnight was there, but she still felt safer for having done so, especially since she didn't see anything stalking them.

Looking down at the dirt path beneath her hooves, she immediately knew one fact: 'Rarity will never set hoof out here.'

A few seconds passed while she pondered the thought. 'Then again, I guess you did venture into the Everfree Forest with us... Although the fate of Equestria was at stake there.'

So maybe it wasn't a fact. Still, she couldn't see Rarity ever coming here of her own free will. She couldn't picture it. She didn't think it was likely. At least as long as Rarity had a choice. And it wasn't like the fate of Equestria would ever rest in their hooves again, right?

'Really, that's an insane thought,' she knew. There really was no reason why a filly and five mares would ever be the only ponies who could save Equestria from utter destruction. It really was an absurd thought. A crazy thought! Why would the defense of Equestria fall onto the shoulders of a filly and five young mares? She took comfort in knowing just how silly the thought was!

But as she thought about it, she found a feeling of dread welling up inside her chest: 'We stood up to Nightmare Moon...'

They were all three walking at a casual pace, but for her, she felt like she was shuffling along beside them. She knew her hooves weren't dragging in the dirt, but it still felt like they were. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. 'You forgave me for standing up to you... you forgave us for standing up to you...' She felt better, at least until the next thought constricted her body, 'Right?' She let the breath out.

She glanced at Midnight. If she asked the batpony, then she would probably tell her she was overreacting and worrying too much; Midnight would probably say that Nightmare Moon wasn't holding that little stunt over her head like an executioner's ax, just waiting for the right moment to let it drop. But thinking of that didn't help; the thought made her stomach twist into a knot. But even as her stomach twisted against her, she knew, 'You wouldn't do that.' No, Nightmare Moon wouldn't act in such a way. She hadn't asked Nightmare Moon about that stunt, but the way her teacher acted somehow reassured her that it would be okay, somehow.

Nightmare wasn't just waiting for her to slip up. She closed her eyes again, then sucked in another deep breath. She held it in, and as the seconds passed, her stomach untwisted. Once she felt fine, she let the breath go.

'It's fine to relax around her,' she told herself. Yesterday had been proof of that. She had opened up to Nightmare, and Nightmare had opened up to her. Nightmare hadn't attacked her for what she said and asked. She had been certain it would happen, but it didn't.

She felt safer for it. But she still wouldn't push her luck.

With nothing else to do as she walked on, as both Midnight and Applejack had fallen silent, her thoughts lingered on Nightmare's unscheduled visit. But that also seemed to be how Nightmare liked her visits: unscheduled. She had some general idea of when Nightmare was coming, but there was never any advanced warning. There'd be the crack of the teleport spell, and then her teacher would be there. She would either come or would not come.

But she was, somehow, getting used to it. Maybe.

'How did ponies treat you back before...?' whispered in her mind. She felt her ears fold back, then pin down on her mane. She felt her heart beat slower, and her stomach felt bigger. Assuming Nightmare Moon didn't lie about it, then she didn't know how to feel. How could she have known what to feel? Nightmare Moon had banished Princess Celestia! Nightmare Moon had conquered Equestria!

But Nightmare Moon had, assuming she wasn't being lied to, protected Equestria so long before her fall. Nightmare Moon had, assuming it wasn't a lie, been mistreated. She had seen the unfiltered bitterness as Nightmare told her of her treatment, of her experiences. The words were vague, but the feeling? The feeling was there in full force. How could Nightmare Moon have been lying, with that bitterness and rage that smashed through those words she spoke? It had scared her. She did her best not to let it show, but it terrified her. It wouldn't have taken much for her to run off.

But she didn't, because Nightmare deserved better than that. Nightmare deserved a better student. Nightmare needed somepony as, and the thought made her grimace, a friend. It made her heart twist uncomfortably. The idea of being Nightmare Moon's friend. It made no sense, it was absolutely insane, and it was in no way proper or safe, yet she felt the need to somehow take that role.

It made no sense. A part of her felt exasperated by it. But it would be good for Nightmare Moon. It would be good for her, or at least her survival.

She frowned and stared down at the ground. 'You have the batponies, but why isn't that enough?' It was a thought that weighed on her, a thought that left her feeling concerned: the batponies were Nightmare Moon's, and surely there were more than enough that her teacher would feel the batponies' quite obvious adoration and respect of her, but it wasn't enough. 'Why isn't it enough?' repeated in her mind.

It worried her because it meant that it was possible nothing would ever be enough for her teacher. It meant that it was possible that Nightmare Moon's jealousy and hatred of Princess Celestia was beyond anything she could imagine, beyond anything she could reason away.

It worried her because it could mean she was the student of a psychotic alicorn. It worried her because it could mean she was contemplating trying to be the friend of a psychotic alicorn.

There had to be tens of thousands of batponies, if not more, and if Nightmare Moon felt that their adoration and love wasn't enough? 'Will anything ever be enough for you?' was whispered in her mind, and fear wanted to reply, 'No...'

Even with the creaking of the cart, the silence felt oppressive. She looked up and straight ahead. Neither Applejack nor Midnight paid any attention to her. They were both there, but she felt alone. Neither of them understood her position.

It took a while, but eventually, the dirt path gave way to a dirt yard. The trees gave way to an open view of the night sky, and with that, she felt a bit more comfortable and confident. She didn't feel the same constriction as earlier, and as she stepped into the yard, she felt like a weight was lifted off her back.

Looking around, she recalled how everything looked the first time she had been to Sweet Apple Acres. Ponies had been everywhere, at least after they had been summoned by Applejack. Now, in the dark of night, it looked almost like a graveyard, and the thought made her shiver as the night felt that much colder.

Sitting on the porch of their farmhouse in a rocking chair, Granny Smith rocked back and forth. She couldn't tell from the distance, but it looked like she was sleeping. She assumed Apple Bloom was in school, though she wasn't certain. As for Big Mac, Applejack had said he was in the market, or what was left of it.

The market really hadn't been the same since eternal night had fallen. She hadn't seen it before Nightmare Moon took over, but she had briefly visited it since her return. It was a very open, deserted plaza with ponies and stalls few and far between.

'How are ponies coping with eternal night? How are ponies surviving this?' she wondered. After all, ponies hadto go out sometime: they had to to get food and other goods, but she never saw it.

Then again, she was in the library most of her time, so she wouldn't know. Maybe Nightmare Moon thinking that ponies hated the night was just a case of bad timing?

But she knew it wasn't that.

They walked on into the barn and Twilight used her magic to unload the buckets, carefully piling placing the apples in an ever-growing pile so they didn't bruise. Without anything being said, Applejack took the lead and headed back out into the yard, heading for the same path they came from, still pulling the cart behind her.

As the trees once again flanked them, Midnight asked, "Soo... do you really want me to show you where Rainbow Dash is?"

"Eyup," was Applejack's firm, unwavering response.

"Okay," Midnight said with innocent joy.

She felt a rush of air against her side and turned to watch Midnight lift off the ground, hover in the air almost silently, then fly forward with the same near-silence as hovering. Flapping her leathery wings was so much quieter than the feathers of a pegasus. Midnight casually took the lead, flying ahead about a pony's length at the same speed they walked.

About half of the way back to where they had been working, Midnight veered to the left, following another branch of the dirt path. She slowed to let Applejack and the cart go first, then she followed. From there, it was just another minute of walking before Midnight landed, turned around to face them, and pointed a hoof at the top of a tree.

She looked where Midnight pointed, but even squinting at the tree, she couldn't see any hints of the pegasus. No sky-blue coat, no rainbow mane or tail, and no rustling branches and leaves that would give away her friend's presence.

Applejack didn't even bother checking; she just unharnessed herself, then walked over to the tree wearing an amused expression. The earth pony turned around, kicked her hind legs up, then bucked back into the tree.

Unlike most of the times before, this time the tree shook, almost violently. The leaves rustled as they shook back and forth, then she heard the sound of a pegasus falling out of a tree: fur scraping against wood and leaves, a cry of alarm, some shouts of "woah" and an assuredly pegasus squawk, all wrapped up with a thud and grunt as the mare landed on her haunches, her wings stretched out in alarm.

She lifted her hoof and pressed it against her mouth to stifle a laugh. Several twigs were stuck in Rainbow's mane and tail, and she took great delight in the sight. It felt like justice for how she met the pegasus, or rather how the pegasus crashed into her.

A blanket and pillow fell down on top of Rainbow. The blanket draped over her left wing, and the pillow landed bounced off her head before landing on the grass beside her.

Midnight giggled in delight. Applejack smirked. "Hey there, sugarcube!" she called.

"What was that for!? Applejack!?" Rainbow demanded. In a dark blur of color, she jumped into the air and shook the blanket off her wing, then shot over and hovered in front of Applejack's face, glaring at her.

Applejack matched the glare. "You know you ain't supposed to be doing that, Rainbow Dash!" she admonished.

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, but an all-too-familiar sharp crack stopped her. She recognized that crack. There was no way to mistake it as anything else: a teleportation spell. The air felt a few degrees cooler, and her body felt several degrees colder. The silence was almost palpable. She felt Nightmare Moon's gaze land on her back. Applejack and Rainbow's glares faded as they stared off behind her body, back where she knew Nightmare Moon was, back where she couldn't see.

Midnight bowed, "My Queen," she greeted.

Nightmare's gaze left her back for a split second, then returned. Another moment passed, then that feeling of being watched by a predator disappeared. She exhaled, then inhaled and licked her lips. Rainbow Dash's wingbeats slowed, then she landed and turned to face her, or Nightmare Moon. Likewise, Applejack turned to face her, or Nightmare Moon.

Her teacher's predatory gaze landed on her back again. "There is something we must attend to," was all that was said.

She barely registered what was said before she felt Nightmare's magic wash over her. Then, there was a blinding flash of light, the sharp crack of the teleport spell, and the disorientating double image: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Midnight, apple trees, and then Nightmare's study over top of it.

The double image faded. She stared at Nightmare's desk. There were three scrolls scattered about over its surface. Two were opened, and one was rolled up.

She heard the click of Nightmare's boots against the floor, jerked to the right and turned to watch as Nightmare rushed past her over to the desk. She followed Nightmare with her eyes, and Nightmare looked back at her without turning her head. "What's-"

She didn't get to finish before Nightmare cut her off, "Civil unrest in Manehattan." Then Nightmare unrolled the scroll and lifted the lone quill from the inkwell on the desk. "The Royal Guard is attempting to reestablish control but I am not assured by their efforts. We will be going."

She swallowed and shifted her weight. "Um, how bad is it?"

Without looking away from the scroll she wrote on, Nightmare answered, "Disorganized, but widespread, and spreading. But I am unsure of the entire extent." There was a pause a Nightmare turned back to face her. "And they have decided that it is a good idea to burn buildings," was delivered in the most sarcastic tone she had ever heard.

"They- what?" she stuttered. "But ponies-"

"Wouldn't normally do this, yes, I am aware," Nightmare stated. "I thought that was obvious."

She winced and turned away from her teacher. She whispered, "Sorry-"

But Nightmare cut her off, "We do not have time for apologies. We are only still here because I retrieved you before sending out orders so I could inform you of the situation."

She shifted her weight. Her teacher ignored it and turned her attention back to the scroll. She sucked her lip in between her teeth, then bit down lightly, just enough to pin it in place. She rolled her teeth back and forth as that all-too-familiar dread took hold of the air surrounding her body. 'Why do you need me? What do you expect me to do!?' screamed out in her mind. Why was she needed for this? 'Is this just an excuse to-' she stamped the thought out before it could finish. No, it wasn't Nightmare Moon trying to find an excuse to dispose of her. Her teacher wouldn't do that. She swallowed and licked her lips.

Her teacher held that quill so firmly in her magic, and even though the sweeps and strokes against the paper were rushed out, there was still an undeniable precision that she could see from the distance. She couldn't see her teacher's eyes, but she knew just from the writing that Nightmare was intent on writing as quickly as possible, but meticulously enough that it couldn't be misunderstood. Her teacher was busy. She had questions. She didn't want to interrupt. But Nightmare didn't preemptively answer, either.

She leaned left and gradually brought her right foreleg up into the air. For a second, she watched the quill scratch at the scroll, then she grimaced, stepped forward and leaned to the right, and carefully shuffled closer to her teacher. "Why," she drew out the word as long as she could before continuing once she was certain Nightmare wasn't going to chastise her for asking, "do you need me for this?"

The quill paused after one last sweep. Her mentor's muzzle turned back a few inches, and then those eyes fell on her. "You are my student," was her answer.

She took another slow step closer to her mentor and leaned her head to the left, bringing it even closer. "Yes I'm your student but-" she stopped as her cheeks and lips lifted up. She paused to suck in a breath, then she continued, "Your sister wouldn't have... brought me along."

The quill lifted from the scroll, suspended in the air by Nightmare's dark blue aura. Her teacher turned her head in full to face her, then nodded once and answered, "You are correct. She would not have."

She heard a certain finality in her teacher's voice, but also thought she heard annoyance like Princess Celestia was doing something wrong by not bringing her along, and Nightmare didn't approve.

The pause lasted for a second: no more, no less. Then, Nightmare broke eye contact. Her teacher's eyes drifted along her mane, then down her back before settling on her cutie mark. She felt the way Nightmare's gaze glided over her body. Not predatory, but curious. The anger she would have expected in her gaze from unrest in Manehattan wasn't there, or perhaps it wasn't directed at her. Maybe Nightmare didn't let it out, maybe her teacher kept it in for her.

She knew it wouldn't have been the first time her teacher had acted so carefully with her.

Or maybe Nightmare was acting rationally and logically, knowing what was happening. Nightmare would know that she had to respond to this unrest just right, otherwise the results could be disastrous. If she responded too harshly, things would fall apart. If she failed to respond firmly enough, things would fall apart. It was a balancing act, and surely, Nightmare Moon knew how to balance that. The question then, was if she could balance that without snapping.

The second passed, and as Nightmare's eyes glided over her back, she said, "But you are my student, and I expect you to be there with me. Appearances, and it will be a good experience for you." Her teacher's eyes jumped back to meet her own before she said, "And your help and advice would be appreciated."

With that said, Nightmare turned her head back to face the scroll. The quill pressed back down into the scroll, and the hasty strokes and sweeps resumed.

She stared at where Nightmare's eyes had been. A few seconds passed. Her gaze drifted further to the left, into Nightmare's ethereal mane. It didn't whip in anger, it didn't billow like a tempest. It was controlled and calm. Calculated.

She managed to pull her gaze away from Nightmare's mane. She looked down at her hooves, then the floor. She lifted her head up, glanced over the side of Nightmare's chestplate, then her wing, and finally, her gaze returned to Nightmare's face. "My advice?"

No pause in the quill's strokes this time as Nightmare answered, "Yes. Your advice on how to best deal with this would be welcome. I would not expect you to have dealt with such before, but I assume you are competent enough to offer suggestions on how best to proceed."

Cadance was more qualified to help with this problem than her. Cadance was better around ponies, and surely ponies would see her and it would calm them down. For a moment, she considered voicing such, but she knew better: it would waste time. Surely, Nightmare Moon already knew Cadance would be more help than her, and surely Nightmare Moon already had Cadance doing something important to help with this problem. Perhaps Cadance was already in Manehattan working to calm ponies down. She wondered why it was then, that Nightmare hadn't mentioned Cadance to her, and despite Nightmare telling her why she was going, she still wondered what help she could possibly be. But perhaps Nightmare didn't mention it because it would have been wasting time.

She nodded timidly. "Is... um, there anything else you can tell me?"

There was the briefest moment where she thought the quill broke stride, where she thought it had slipped or stalled, but it was over so quickly she was certain it was her imagination. "We will be going into a situation I have little information on. A situation which could prove dangerous. I will protect you but do stay close. If we somehow get separated-"

"Wouldn't you just know where I was?" she blurted out.

There was a pause before her teacher answered, "Yes, but you could have lost the necklace. In which case I would not." She shifted her weight as Nightmare's gaze jumped back onto her for a split second before returning to the scroll. "If we are separated, either remain where you are or find a Royal Guard. Avoid crowds."

She lowered her gaze onto the floor and muttered, "Right..." Crowds would be bad. If ponies recognized her, then that had the chance to go very badly.

It was very easy for her to imagine just how badly that could go.

The quill came to a stop. A moment passed, then she looked up and caught a glimpse of her teacher's eyes rolling over each line she had written. When Nightmare's eyes finally came to a stop on the last word, she held her gaze there as if thinking, then looked up and swept the scroll up in her magic in one motion. Her teacher rolled the scroll up, bound it with her crescent moon seal, then sent it off in a flash of light.

With that done, Nightmare's magic pressed another scroll into place on the desk, and her magic dipped the quill into the inkwell before returning it to the new scroll.

She blinked as a thought occurred to her, and then voiced it, "Why are you even writing orders? Can't we just teleport there and you can give them?"

There was another pause of Nightmare's quill, which was accompanied by a glance back at her. "These orders are not destined for the Manehattan garrison," was all she answered. Nightmare's gaze shot back to the scroll, and her writing resumed. A moment passed; nothing more was said.

Reluctantly, she took another step forward to stand right beside her teacher's wing. Quietly, she hesitantly asked, "So you don't really know what's going on, then?"

"Correct," was the succinct answer.

She leaned her head away from Nightmare and tried to look at her eyes. It was a futile attempt: Nightmare's attention was focused on the scroll, and although she could see her teacher's eye, it wasn't what she had wanted to find. "So," she began, pausing to lick her lips and let out a slow mixture of a huff and a sigh, "how do you know that this isn't like before?"

"Fires," her teacher answered.

She frowned. "And how do you know it isn't just a-"

Nightmare scowled and let out an exasperated breath. "It is not just a fire, Twilight Sparkle. The captain indicated that there was rioting, and yes, before you ask, I did briefly visit the city before retrieving you to be certain this was not uncalled for," Nightmare snapped.

On instinct, she flinched back, pushing her body back and lifting her right forehoof. She almost took a step back before she caught herself.

Nightmare saw it, of course. She saw Nightmare look back at her, but only after she flinched. She didn't know how Nightmare had seen her flinch. Or maybe she hadn't. Maybe she had simply chosen to look back at her, and it had simply been a coincidence that she had looked back at her after flinching. She doubted it. Regardless, Nightmare saw it. Nightmare saw her, Nightmare saw how she flinched back.

She thought she saw Nightmare clench her jaw. Gradually, she pushed herself back to where she had been. Nightmare's gaze lingered on her.

Nightmare's eyes jumped off of her and looked somewhere to her right, then she opened her mouth and inhaled. "I know that you have issues trusting me," she stated.

With that said, once again, she felt as if she was the center of attention. Ponies were staring at her from all directions, even if the only other pony there with her wasn't looking at her. She was exposed. Nightmare looked back at her. She felt it, and a twinge of panic raced down her back. In the wake of that panic, she felt a coldness gripping her.

Nightmare's feather brutes along her side. She glanced back and watched that feather. She stared at it as Nightmare so delicately stroked that feather along her side and back, brushing it from just below her shoulder down to the end of her rib cage.

"It would be beneficial to both of us for you to trust me during this. I will not take action that will intentionally result in injury to you," her teacher said in a calm voice. She turned away from the feather to meet Nightmare's gaze. She couldn't see any deception in those eyes. There wasn't any glint of a predator. There wasn't anything that whispered of deception, there wasn't anything that called out, 'You should not trust me!'

She slowly lowered her muzzle a few inches, then brought it back up, then repeated the action more quickly a few times to nod.

Nightmare's right foreleg lifted up, then in a slow, drawn-out motion, her teacher turned to face her. And she would have sworn that turn was unsure and uncertain. It made her cautious. Nightmare looked her over, and her lips parted. After a few seconds, Nightmare gave a shake of her head, then met her gaze once again. "We do not have time for you to apologize. Mistakes will likely be made tonight."

She felt her chest tighten at that. 'Mistakes? But...' She hated the idea. Mistakes were bad, mistakes meant failures.

Mistakes meant disappointment.

Nightmare inhaled, breaking her thoughts. "And we do not have time for you to second guess yourself," was stated. "Do not be paralyzed into inaction," was her teacher's warning.

And for a few more seconds, a few more seconds that things in Manehattan could have been getting worse, Nightmare continued to face her. Then, Nightmare blinked and returned to writing the scroll.

She just stared at Nightmare. The scratching and chime of magic continued, only interrupted by a few pauses followed by the sound of scrolls being rolled up. Her mind went to Manehattan, and a dozen progressively worse scenarios played out. The best case scenario was like the time she had been in Manehattan with Nightmare Moon before: it turned out to be nothing, or perhaps the fires were just accidents that happened, and maybe the 'rioting' was unrelated. Her imagination twisted from there. Just how bad would Manehattan be? How would Nightmare Moon react? How would her teacher address it? Would Cadance be able to help at all?

The thoughts that plagued her borrowed from her memories: instead of her teacher acting rationally, perhaps she would overreact. Ponies would be hurt, at the very least. Would she have to stand there while Nightmare did things that shouldn't have been done? Would she have to stand there, unable to do anything except watch on as her teacher snapped? Would ponies escape, then tell the tale of how she had been there, right beside her teacher? How she was just as guilty as Nightmare Moon?

Her stomach and gut twisted and tightened at the thought, and it wasn't even the worst of the thoughts assaulting her. No, there were worse thoughts: having to stand beside Nightmare, unable to voice any objections as her teacher slaughtered ponies. She hadn't seen Nightmare kill anypony, but she knew Nightmare could. She had heard what had happened to one Royal Guard. Her teacher could kill oh-so-easily. And then Equestria would know that she had been there. Equestria would know she hadn't stopped it. Equestria would know she was the student of a monster. And then she wouldn't have any choice or any hope. If Nightmare was somehow defeated, Equestria would turn on her.

Princess Celestia would turn on her for letting something like that happen.

Unless there was nopony left to tell those tales.

And then there was the blood-freezing fear that Nightmare would react to the rioting poorly and that ponies would only struggle harder. There was the fear that ponies would say something without knowing what she knew, the fear that ponies would throw insults that would spell disaster. The fear that Nightmare Moon would revise her plans: instead of ruling Equestria, leveling it.

Her teacher could follow up on something like that.

The fear twisted in her mind. She couldn't breathe. She pictured Equestria as nothing more than a barren wasteland: dirt and ashes covering the ground, dust and ashes blanketing the sky, blocking out even the moon and stars. And she pictured being there to see it, she pictured herself standing there right beside Nightmare Moon in that desolate, lifeless wasteland. And then she saw Nightmare Moon turning to face her, wearing that same intent, predatory gaze as before.

'She wouldn't do that,' shot out in her mind. The voice cut through the desolation she imagined. In its place, she saw the black of Nightmare's coat and the cyan of her chestplate. She exhaled, then sucked in a breath, only to exhale again and finally inhale one last time.

Panicking wasn't good for her. Panicking and overreacting was exactly what ponies were doing in Manehattan. Panicking would only make matters worse.

A wave of calmness washed over her body. She swallowed and let her eyes drift over Nightmare's body, then she took a risk and glanced towards Nightmare's face. Her teacher was intent on writing out those orders. 'She wouldn't do that, would she?' a part of her asked. And it was asked in a timid, quiet voice. It was a question she wouldn't voice. It was a question she didn't need to voice.

She already knew the answer, 'No, she wouldn't.' She was letting her fear get the best of her. Her teacher was rational! Most of the time. And if something went wrong, maybe her teacher would still remember the promises made to her, and then maybe she could prevent everything from going worse.

'Stop worrying about it. It doesn't help any, it won't change anything. She hasn't hurt me...' she reasoned and told herself. Another part of her was quick to counter, 'Yet, and if I betray her, she will.'

She couldn't argue with that knowledge.

The sound of magic stopped and it broke her thoughts. She refocused on Nightmare's coat, then looked towards her head once more. At the same time, her teacher looked back at her, and their eyes met. Nightmare's lips were parted, then they closed. A second passed as they watched each other, then Nightmare said, "If you are ready."

She swallowed and blinked, then hastily nodded.

But Nightmare didn't immediately light her horn and wrap her magic around her. There was a pause, one long enough for her teacher to reach out with her wing and brush a feather along her back again. She closed her eyes from the feeling. The dread and anxiety washed away with that so gentle stroke. It was reassurance and comfort.

She felt Nightmare's magic wrap around her: it wasn't as it had been so soon after they met, it didn't threaten to crush her, it wasn't the sort of grip that made sure to remind her of how fragile her existence was, of how tenuous their relationship was. It was a gentle grip, it didn't press down on her; it enveloped her.

She could almost convince herself that it felt protective.

Author's Note

Alright! This was originally a single chapter that was around 31-32 thousand words long, and, well, given that's longer than a lot of, if not most of, the stories on the site... Well, let's face it: A chapter that long needs to be split into parts. I'm not that insane.

So! This is part 1 of 3 of what was originally a chapter so large I had to split it into parts in order to keep writing because my computer kept freezing every time I started writing. 'Twas incredibly annoying to write out a sentence, then sit there for a few seconds before the words appeared on the screen. And then I had to reread it to check for errors. The moral of the story is don't write chapters longer than 22,000 words long unless you're sadistic, masochistic, or crazy and want to miss out on the opportunity to have more exposure by publishing it in multiple chapters. Plus it lets you create cliffhangers! Cliffhangers are great from an author's standpoint, but then I've also been on the receiving end of a cliffhanger...

Disorder Part 3

Twilight's attention snapped to the distant rumble of ponies screaming and shouting before the double image faded. Fortunately, there was some distance between them and the crowd. It gave them time to prepare, though she wasn't sure she would have enough time to brace herself. When the double image faded, she swept her gaze around the pavement. Something had happened, but it had since passed, leaving behind debris strewn across the pavement. Looking back at Nightmare, her teacher held herself with regality as she slowly turned her head left and right, trying to decide on the best course of action while maintaining an appearance of control.

"Cadance is making more progress than us," Nightmare commented. With a glance aside at Twilight, she added, "The ponies seem to respect her," and both of them knew 'love her' went unsaid. Twilight gave a brief nod, then Nightmare looked ahead and inhaled. "Follow. Stay close. I do not want you to be injured." And with that, Nightmare strode forward once more, walking at a quick, intent stride. Just like before, it was a stride that said, 'Stay out of my way! I am in control.'

Never once did her teacher stumble as she strode forward. Nightmare neither looked down nor even glanced to check for debris, yet her hooves avoided the debris so skillfully that she felt certain Nightmare Moon was somehow staring at the pavement and memorizing the locations of the even the slightest cracks.

As Nightmare continued forward, she trotted alongside her teacher. She didn't have to gallop this time; Nightmare had slowed just enough that she could keep up with a brisk trot. She stayed close to her teacher's side and kept her head turned to the right, facing away from Nightmare, sweeping her eyes left and right so that nothing would jump them. Nightmare guarded her left side, but her right side was exposed.

Every so often as she searched, she glanced down at the pavement to make sure she wouldn't stumble on the various debris that scraped at her hooves. When she stumbled, she felt the faintest sense that Nightmare glanced at her: not the glance of predator pouncing because of her prey moving, but out of concern to make certain she was unharmed.

Twilight stayed alert but never saw any threats on her right. There were no ponies lurking in the shadows of alleyways, waiting to strike out at her or her teacher, nor any monsters waiting to jump out at them. There were no ponies there to cause trouble, but that was because they had already moved on. The buildings were shorter than the ones deeper inside the city, leaving her to believe they were near the edge. More importantly, she found her ears folding back from seeing the shattered windows and shards of glass strewn across the street. Shops and homes alike had their windows broken in and out, and the various goods that the shops had for sale were tossed out onto the street like garbage. Perhaps the shops had even been looted entirely, leaving nothing but an empty husk of their former glory.

And Twilight stared on, taking in the disaster and feeling disbelief. She couldn't have been seeing this! Her eyes had to have been lying to her! This was Equestria, the home of ponykind! Ponies were friendly, ponies were peace-loving! Ponies weren't supposed to act this way! Before the Summer Sun Celebration, she couldn't have pictured what now plagued her eyes. Princess Celestia wouldn't have let it happen. Ponies wouldn't have been driven to such actions by fear. They would have been confident and felt secure.

Now they didn't feel that confidence. Now they didn't feel that security.

Twilight knew how they felt all too well. She still wanted to scream, 'Why!? Why are ponies doing this?' Yet as much as she wanted to reject it, to pass it off as her eyes betraying her, she knew better. She couldn't refute what she saw, and so she was silent. It had happened. It was happening. It would continue to happen.

It felt like Equestria, her home, was falling apart under Nightmare Moon's rule. But then, it had, hadn't it? 'Princess Celestia is gone... she'll never be back,' whispered in her mind. Maybe Princess Celestia would see Equestria fall apart from the moon. Maybe she would have to see her own home fall apart under her teacher's rule. It certainly felt like that was what was happening. Her eyes dropped to the pavement and she swallowed.

Maybe the unrest was isolated, maybe it wouldn't spread to the point where every city was dealing with problems as widespread as this, but Equestria had already fallen apart. Ponies were terrified of their Queen. Ponies were terrified of that eternal night their Queen had brought. Ponies were terrified to go outside. Ponies were terrified to do even the most basic tasks now that it was always nighttime.

Ponyville was that way. She barely comprehended the difference because of how little she knew of Ponyville before Nightmare Moon's return, but she knew it was different. She felt it. When she was outside, there were barely any other ponies out and about. Her five friends also related the same to her: ponies avoided going outside as much as they could, out of fear. Maybe they were justified because monsters could attack, yet it was so irrational. But at the same time, she felt that same irrational fear everypony did.

She didn't know if Rarity would be able to stay in business: ponies weren't willing to buy dresses like they were before. Applejack was mostly okay, aside from it being more dangerous for her to do her job and it being more difficult because she was afraid something would happen to Applebloom if the filly helped with the orchard. Fluttershy lived near the Everfree forest, and although the timid pegasus was terrified of it all, she was doing okay. Fluttershy had her animal friends to keep her company and protect her. Maybe monsters wouldn't even bother Fluttershy, because she had a way with animals. Pinkie Pie was in a state not all that different from Rarity, although ponies still liked the sugary treats Sugarcube Corner sold. Even with the fear unfolding all over Equestria, Pinkie still somehow managed to cheer up everypony that visited.

And then there was Rainbow Dash. Working on weather in the dark was dangerous, which was why most storms occurred during the day. The pegasus said that the weather wasn't cooperating with them as well given the lack of sunlight and that everypony was scarred to the point that they made 'rookie' mistakes. Rainbow hadn't gone into great detail but did say that the problems shouldn't effect Ponyville too badly, although she wasn't sure how things were in Cloudsdale. However, knowing what she did, problems in Cloudsdale would inevitably affect all of Equestria.

Princess Celestia would have fixed it all in a heartbeat, but she couldn't. Not while she was imprisoned.

Knowing that Princess Celestia was gone and wouldn't return didn't hurt like normal. Princess Celestia wouldn't be back; she would never see her mentor again, but she couldn't let it weigh her down now. Now, she had to remain focused and alert. Nightmare Moon was counting on it. 'If I lose focus and make a mistake, I could get hurt.'

The screams of ponies rioting gradually grew louder. The scent of smoke still choked the streets, even with no pillars of flame stabbing the sky. She swiveled her ears around, listening to the yells and cries of ponies shouting into the night. She couldn't make out any individual words, but she didn't need to. In those screams and cries, she heard their fear, and that was enough to tell her just how bad things were. She couldn't tell how large the crowd was, but she didn't need to know. It was a given that the crowd would outnumber whatever Royal Guards and police were.

And either because of that or some other reason, she found her hooves slowing down. Her trot turned into a shuffle, and her hooves scraped against the pavement. Debris cut against her hoof as she hesitated to keep going. Her teacher strode on past her just long enough to be a few steps ahead, then Nightmare slowed to a crawl. She felt Nightmare's gaze slither over her, and in turn, looked up at her teacher.

"Is something wrong?" her teacher asked, coming to a stop.

Twilight looked away from her teacher and thought about how to answer it. Everything felt wrong, but she couldn't say that. She couldn't admit it, even if Nightmare was smart enough to piece it together, then take it as, 'You find me at fault for all of this.' She managed to shuffle along until she was at Nightmare's side, then her hooves refused to carry her any further ahead. "Ponies acting like this," she quietly answered, then turned to face her teacher.

And Nightmare Moon slowly nodded her head. "I will not lie to you, Twilight Sparkle," her teacher stated emphatically. "I have seen far worse than this." Nightmare turned away from her, then turned her head left and right, taking in the pointless destruction inflicted by the mobs before turning back to face her. "This? It is tame compared to what I have seen, but I do not like it either. I have seen what ponies are capable of, and I am thankful this is no worse than what it is."

Twilight felt her ears fold back against her mane. She looked down at the pavement and slowly nodded.

"This is hard on you," her teacher said. It was a statement of fact.

Twilight nodded again.

"Sister sheltered you, did she not?" Nightmare inquired.

Twilight didn't want to agree, but to shake her head or say no was a lie, and both of them knew that. She held her head a little lower.

She heard Nightmare turn to face her, then reluctantly looked up at her teacher without lifting her head back up. Nightmare studied her. "I will not coddle you and lie to you about this like my sister has," was stated. Then Nightmare hesitated. Her teacher's mouth parted, drifting open, but Nightmare was reluctant to add more. Finally, Nightmare overcame that hesitation and added, "But I will not force you into positions that you are not ready for. I do not wish for you to be harmed."

Twilight dropped her gaze down onto that cyan chestplate Nightmare always wore. She nodded without thinking about it.

"Sister left you unprepared for the realities of the world," Nightmare continued, then she could feel her teacher's agitation as she said, "and I do not like this."

When Nightmare went silent, something inside her told her that there was more that her teacher could say. Whatever part of her it was, it told her that something went unsaid. And what went unsaid was important, but she could only guess at what she knew went unspoken. Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze up once again and met her teacher's eyes. Neither malice nor ill intent. Nothing that spoke of wanting to harm or betray her. Nightmare Moon didn't lie to her. Her teacher just didn't tell her everything. Or maybe Nightmare Moon was lying to her, and she couldn't tell.

Which meant that she had to trust Nightmare Moon. She had to trust that Nightmare Moon was telling her the truth. She had to trust that Nightmare Moon would uphold her promises. She looked back down at that cyan chestplate.

She took a deep breath. 'Okay... can I trust you?' she wondered. 'I don't really have a choice...' muttered back, making her grimace.

Nightmare had asked for her trust.

A part of her asked, 'What's the point of this anyway? I don't have a choice.' Another part mused over knowing, 'Princess Celestia lied to me. I know she lied to me. Maybe it was to keep me safe, but she lied! I don't know if Nightmare Moon lied to me about anything.'

Her true mentor had lied to her, and yet she felt like Nightmare Moon was being honest with her. Maybe Nightmare wouldn't tell her everything, but Nightmare wouldn't lie to her.

She felt a familiar, deep-seated unease in her core.

Nightmare was waiting on her. Her gaze jumped back up meet her teacher's gaze. Nightmare stood there before her, willing to wait on her. Nightmare Moon wasn't agitated, wasn't pacing back and forth, wasn't fretting over the unrest that grew while they delayed. Instead, her teacher stood there, risking more damage to Manehattan, while Twilight wrestled with her conflicting thoughts.

Twilight felt her grimace grow more pronounced on her lips. She slid her tongue over her dry lips and recoiled as she tasted smoke. "W-we should... go," she offered.

Nightmare gave a hesitant nod and turned away from her, though her head still faced Twilight. Twilight felt like Nightmare had something to say, she felt like Nightmare was wrestling with whether to say something or not. And feeling that left her even more unsure. Surely, her teacher, Nightmare Moon, the Queen, was more decisive than that!

Nightmare's head turned away from her, then she saw her teacher's right wing stretch out. With the gentlest touch, she felt her teacher's feather brush along her back. It felt like, instead of saying it aloud, her teacher used that stroke to say, 'Try to relax. Do not worry so much. I will not abandon you.' It was meant for her alone.

Twilight sucked her lip in between her teeth, then gently pinned her lip in place with her teeth. She rolled her head to the right and looked down at the street. Her gaze was drawn to the debris: broken bricks, bits of wood, and shards of glass. Nightmare's feather brushed below her ribcage, almost tickling her, then lifted away before reaching her flank. But even with that silken feather gone, she still felt the lingering pleasure on her side. She felt the full length of that trail as if Nightmare's feather was still there, stroking along her side. She let go of her lip, then glanced aside at her teacher.

"Let us proceed," Nightmare said.

Twilight nodded, and her teacher turned away from her and then walked on ahead. Her teacher's pace was even slower than before. Not quite as intent; almost casual and relaxed, yet still conveying authority and control. She walked alongside her teacher, not needing to gallop or trot to match the alicorn's pace.

The shouting and yelling grew in volume until they reached another intersection. Whether it was Nightmare's plan or not, like before, the crowd was on their right and a line of Royal Guards separated them and the crowd.

The building immediately to the right of the crowd was burning. She could hear the ripples of the flames licking the walls, she could see the menacing glow that flickered into the night. She saw the smoke starting to rise as the fire continued to spread. The building wasn't consumed yet, but the first floor was mostly engulfed.

And Twilight felt a pang of guilt. Her lips tugged back. If they had been quicker, if she hadn't delayed, then maybe the fire never would have started. Maybe the fire had burned longer than she delayed, but there was a chance the Royal Guards could have done more if they had scattered the crowd. She stood still as she stared at the flames. 'Is that a store, or somepony's home?' she wondered.

Nightmare's black coat shot past her gaze, blocking the fire from view. Twilight blinked and saw Nightmare charging towards the line of Royal Guards and the crowd.

She couldn't see much of the crowd for the guards like before, but it wasn't as thick. Once again, she watched Nightmare jump over the line of Royal Guards and land on the other side. The crowd's reaction wasn't quite the same as the first's. Perhaps it was because the crowd was thinner, but the hysteria wasn't the same.

She turned to the right, then glanced over what she could see. A part of her told her, 'This is a bad idea,' but Nightmare Moon had not told her to stay put this time. She carefully walked closer, approaching the back of the line of the Royal Guards.

Nightmare silently swept her gaze over the crowd. That much she could see, but the Royal Guards still blocked her view. Between the gaps, she could see most of the crowd nervously disperse without a word being said. The line of Royal Guard broke once the crowd mostly dissolved. Unicorns rushed towards the burning building, only keeping enough distance to stay out of danger, and the earth ponies did their best to help her the rest of the crowd away.

A few of the earth ponies had started to approach her, then backed off. She hadn't paid any attention to them, but she suspected that they recognized her.

The screams had gone silent, but now there was the dissociated murmur of Royal Guards coordinating over the sound of the crackling fire. Nightmare glanced back at her, then turned around and walked towards her.

"We should continue-" was all her teacher got out before somepony scream. A loud scream that shook Twilight to her core, sending a wave of panic through her core.

It was a mare's scream. High pitched, desperate. A frantic wail. Nightmare's head whipped around, and likewise, she looked at the source.

"Please!" the mare scream. The glow of the fire reflected in we trails descending from her eyes. She was a unicorn, and she struggled against two earth pony Royal Guards. She wasn't making headway at resisting them, but they were struggling to keep her controlled. Their hooves stumbled back and forth as the mare fought back. "Please I-I have to-!"

She could barely hear one of the earth ponies say, "Ma'am, you need to-" before being cut off by another scream.

"M-my daughter's i-in there!" the mare wailed.

And Twilight felt a wave of ice cascade over her body. Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, just a moment, she could convince herself that she hadn't heard it. For just a moment, she could convince herself that she had imagined it. The moment passed, and it repeated in her mind. She felt frigid.

"Please!" the mare screamed. And it clicked, it wasn't just some frantic pony acting out of some irrational fear of the eternal night or Nightmare Moon. No, it was a much, much worse fear. A much more rational fear: that of a mother fearing for the life of her foal.

She tried to listen, but she heard nothing else. No sounds of life from inside the fire, no cries of pain, no screams of fear besides those of the mother. The very edges of her vision blurred, and the edges of her eyes felt hot, so, so hot in comparison to the gripping ice consuming the rest of her body.

Her legs and hooves trembled. Surely, surely, she was just imagining this? Surely, surely this was just a nightmare? But no, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, she knew that it was happening. No matter how many times her mind declared, 'No!' it was still happening. The mother continued to struggle against the two earth ponies so, so desperately. Wailing, sobbing, whimpering, and screaming. If they hadn't stopped her, she knew the mare would have just rushed into those flames.

She couldn't speak and she couldn't move. She stood there watching and felt like everything was crumbling around her. There wasn't anything she could do. The Royal Guards, maybe they could do something, but it felt like a lost cause. They didn't have any pegasi with them to manage the fire. There wasn't much the unicorns could do.

And that was assuming the foal was still alive.

Her eyes flicked to the crowd that had gathered around. She searched the crowd, but nopony did anything to intervene. All they did was watch from a distance, curious and mortified, about what was happening. Nopony acted. Perhaps the pony who started the fire was in the crowd and had left. Maybe whoever had started it was still there, watching the scene unfold.

Doing nothing to help, like everypony else. Leaving a foal to die.

"Please!" screamed again.

Without thinking or realizing it, her gaze fell on Nightmare's chestplate. She knew that Nightmare Moon was the only pony who could do anything. She knew Nightmare could just teleport into that burning building, find the foal, and then come back out. She knew that Nightmare probably could have found the foal and teleported her out without even going inside. Nightmare could have just extinguished that fire with her magic. There were so many options available that her teacher could have acted on to intervene. It would have been so easy for Nightmare Moon to save that filly's life.

But she knew it wouldn't happen. It was soul-crushing to know that. It wasn't in Nightmare Moon's best interest. What was the life of one filly when all of Manehattan was in such a state? It would only have taken seconds, but those were seconds that worse things could have happened. She knew Nightmare wouldn't act. She knew that filly, if she wasn't already, would die.

And there wasn't a single thing she could do about it. Only Nightmare Moon could intervene now. Not even Princess Celestia could make this alright. She looked up at her teacher, met her gaze. She wanted to plead and beg for Nightmare to intervene, to do something, anythign, to save that filly's life! But she had no words. Her voice betrayed her. She couldn't speak. Her mouth wouldn't open, her throat was clamped shut. She was utterly powerless. And the world blurred and shattered around the edges of her vision, and all she could see that was clear was Nightmare Moon's expression, and it didn't register.

And then even that was gone; Nightmare Moon turned around, as if slapping her in the face to say, 'I will not intervene.'

Twilight stared into the sky for a moment, then her eyes leveled with the street. Then she closed her eyes and felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Remain here," Nightmare growled.

She barely managed to open her eyes. Everything was blurred and distorted by her tears, but she could still see Nightmare's dark coat blotting out the flames. She could still hear the rushed, intent click of Nightmare's boots hitting the pavement.

And she felt something deep inside her chest. Hope. And it made her legs tremble more and more. She couldn't stop it, she couldn't slow it. She shook as if an earthquake was battering the city. She shook as if she would collapse if even the slightest breeze blew past her. 'Maybe,' she hoped, 'Nightmare Moon will save her.'

She saw the glow of Nightmare's horn, then the door to the building exploded inward in a spray of fiery splinters. The flames gushed higher and hotter. Her teacher disappeared inside behind the wall of flames. Her heart surged up into her throat, her trembling stopped. She was frozen in place.

Her mind raced. 'Why is she going in there!? Why is she walking in there!? Why isn't she teleporting inside!? Why isn't she teleporting back outside!? Why didn't she just teleport the foal out!? Why if she doing this!?' screamed in her mind again and again. She couldn't comprehend it, she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

It made no sense. It wasn't in Nightmare Moon's best interest. Even if in the slightest moment it was in her best interest to save that foal, why didn't her teacher just teleport inside or teleport the foal out!? It would have been easier! It would have been quicker! It was safer!

And then there was another fear, the fear that she wouldn't see Nightmare Moon again. Maybe Cadance would be able to protect her. She still wouldn't see Princess Celestia again. Equestria would turn on her.

There was a flash of blue light and a crack of the air from the teleportation spell. Her head whipped to the right, and standing just a step away from the mother, Nightmare Moon stood, holding a filly in her magic. The filly's coat, mane, and tail were all singed, and soot dirtied her fur. She felt hope, then she felt her hope die. The filly wasn't moving. But the mother bolted, overpowering the earth ponies and grabbing her filly.

The filly moved, then she saw the filly crack open her eyes before clinging to her mother's chest. The mother sat down on her haunches and hugged her foal so close, so tight, that she felt certain they would never part.

Then the mother looked up at Nightmare Moon. She couldn't hear it, but she could tell what was said: "Thank you."

Nightmare Moon gave a quick incline of her head, then turned and strode back to her. The two Royal Guards stepped back over to the mother, though just stood there.

She stared at them, then at Nightmare Moon. She could see the crowd staring at Nightmare Moon, too. Without saying anything, Nightmare walked past her. She turned her head to keep staring at her teacher. Her fur wasn't singed in the slightest, and it was like the fire hadn't touched her.

"Come," her teacher called.

And she moved without processing it, and she walked around to Nightmare's right side, still staring at her. "Why?" she voiced without comprehending it. Nightmare stopped and turned her head to look at her. "You didn't have to do that, you didn't gain anything from that. Why?"

Nightmare almost looked at her like that question had been a kick. "Surely you do not think," came her teacher's disbelieving voice, "that I would have left a foal to burn alive?"

And she couldn't miss that one quality in her teacher's voice that was so pronounced, it was a quality that spoke of having seen that happen before. A quality of horror at something so innately wrong and twisted, that to not act would have been even worse.

Nightmare Moon's voice was haunted.

Then Nightmare turned to face her, and her expression hardened. Her teacher looked at her with an intense gaze that she hadn't seen directed at her for such a long time now. And her teacher said in a quiet, firm voice, "I want you to promise me, Twilight Sparkle. Unless you are in a situation where there is no other choice, and I mean absolutely no choice," there was a pause and she was certain Nightmare Moon swallowed, "I want you to promise me that you will never, unless there is no alternative to save your life, use fire as a weapon to kill."

She nodded before she could process that she was nodding. And when she realized she was nodding, she also realized what she was agreeing to. Maybe the full implications didn't hit her, but she thought she realized why Nightmare asked that of her. And she could agree, whole-heartedly, with no hesitation. It would have been crossing a line. A line that, judging by how intently that demand had been spoken, her teacher had seen crossedbefore.

And at her nodding, Nightmare visibly relaxed. She could see the wave of calm and comfort wash over her teacher's features, and the intense, burning ferocity that demanded agreement to that promise was forgotten.

She stopped nodding. "You didn't gain anything from that," she whispered.

And like that, Nightmare's intellect returned to the forefront of her expression. "To leave her to die would have been the work of a monster, Twilight Sparkle," her teacher chastized. "I am not a monster."

Her gaze dropped down onto her teacher's chestplate and she nodded.

"And you are incorrect," Nightmare stated factually. Her gaze jumped back up to meet her teacher's eyes. "I did gain from doing that. Ponies saw me save the life of that filly, they saw me go into a fire to save her. They will know that I have done that, and word will spread."

There was a moment where nothing was said, and she knew what would be said next. Finally, it was said, "It is in my best interest."

"Why did you walk in there!? You could have teleported in or-or teleported her out!" she shot back.

Nightmare raised an eyebrow, and she thought she saw a smirk that told of amusement. "Surely you do not think a fire would best me, do you, Twilight Sparkle? Do not be so naive. I could have teleported in there, or just teleported her out, but what I did had far more impact. A fire such as that was no match for me. To walk in and retrieve her, the benefits are immense. Ponies saw that. Ponies saw that I walked in where nopony else would to save the life of a filly."

But then Nightmare turned away from her as disappointment and anger crossed her expression. Bitterly, Nightmare growled, "And it won't matter to any of them..." Nightmare shook her head and let out a growled exhale, then turned back to face her.

"Their house..." she mumbled as her gaze fell back onto that cyan chestplate.

A pause, then Nightmare said, "I will see to it that they have somewhere to stay. And I will ensure that they will be repaid for damages."

Nightmare moved and walked off somewhere behind her. Twilight didn't bother turning back to look. Without looking, she could guess that her teacher was either talking to the mare of the Royal Guards, perhaps both. She didn't bother listening either.

She felt tired.

She heard the sound of Nightmare walking back to her, then she felt Nightmare's feather touch her back, at the start of her backbone. She closed her eyes and smiled, listening and shivering as Nightmare walked forward alongside her, brushing that wonderful, silky feather along the length of her back, up to her neck.

"I do not wish to delay longer, and given what has transpired here, I am not inclined to waste time," Nightmare said quickly. She opened her eyes and nodded in agreement. "We will do what we can, although from what I can tell, Cadance is far more effectively dealing with the unrest than us; she has had ponies go out and find other mobs and, whether it has worked or not I do not know, but they are supposed to calm them down and tell them that she is here."

"That... sounds like something Cadance would do..." Twilight quietly agreed.

There was the slightest pause, then Nightmare added, "We will do what we can and then return to Canterlot."

Twilight nodded even more slowly than before.

The sharp crack of the air as Nightmare's teleportation spell finished barely registered. The double image was disorienting, and for a moment, she was afraid she was going to fall down on the floor. Her legs wobbled and she stumbled forward, though caught herself.

Her hooves and legs ached. She was neither an active nor fit pony. No, she didn't normally exercise anywhere near as much as the trouble in Manehattan had forced her too. Sure, she was a pony, and ponies naturally had decent endurance compared to a lot of other species, but when somepony was used to studying and reading books all the time? Not so much.

She suppressed a groan. She suppressed the urge to yawn. What little jolt of energy Nightmare's teleport had given her wore off nearly immediately. She was ready to find the nearest bed, provided it wasn't Nightmare Moon's bed, and pass out on it.

Assuming her aching legs would carry her there and then stop aching once she laid down so she could sleep. Alternatively, the floor would suffice.

She was exhausted. Not just physically, either. The hours had piled up, the chaos had taken its toll on her mind. The crowds and their frantic insanity ground down her defenses. There really was only so much she could take before nearly shutting down, and she was so close to being at that point. So close to just stopping. She wanted to curl up and cry. She wanted to scream in exasperation. She wanted to lay down in her bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to pretend half of it hadn't happened.

But it was over, or at least things in Manehattan had calmed down enough that they could leave. It hadn't been easy. It had taken hours. She couldn't even remember how many crowds they, mostly her teacher, had faced down and managed to disperse. And yet, Cadance had done so much more for Manehattan than they had. Cadance managed to talk ponies down and calm them down so much quicker than Nightmare Moon could. Cadance was able to reassure them, and the Royal Guards were able to tell ponies that Cadance was there, and that helped.

The night had still dragged on. But of course, that was also part of why things had calmed down. In a way, it surprised her. When the moon started to disappear, the crowds became more panicked, yet at the same time, they started to disperse so much quicker because of the fear that the unnatural darkness brought.

That darkness hid the columns of smoke, it only made their sources all the more visible. Infernos had raged across Manehattan. Seeing that from above while riding on Nightmare's back again had left her haunted. Haunted right up until she felt a numb exhaustion seal off those emotions. And then she didn't care anymore.

Thinking back on everything only brought back more exhaustion. She felt numb and tired. But when the thought came back to her mind of that mother, of how that filly could have died, she felt a renewed waved of energy pulse through her body, brought on by a cold sensation of dread and anxiety buried inside her.

It was enough to push her limit back a little further.

She inhaled. They weren't in Manehattan, but that stench of thick, heavy smoke still hovered in the air. The stench of smoke was in their coats. She hated that smell, even if she had grown used to it. She refocused her eyes as much as she could and took in her surroundings: bookshelves, a fireplace, and looking behind her, a desk. Just in front of Nightmare's chest and to her left, a wall and a door.

Nightmare Moon's chambers. Where they had left from. Her eyes unfocused again as she stared ahead.

She wasn't sure what to think of that. Nightmare looked at her. She felt it, but it didn't drive her into a panic. She was used to that gaze and too tired to care. She turned and looked up at her teacher. Nightmare studied her with a contemplative look, her eyes slowly drifting across her body, then settling on her cutie mark for a moment before jumping back to meet Twilight's eyes.

"I know this was a lot to put you through," was her teacher's calm, reluctant acknowledgment. There was a brief pause, and Nightmare's lips slowly parted as her jaw drifted open, then her teacher asked, "Are you alright?"

Twilight's eyes fell down onto Nightmare's cyan chestplate, fell onto that crescent moon set in the center. She thought about the question. The night and everything that had happened weighed on her mind, weighed her down. Her body hurt. The scent of smoke was stuck in her coat. She was emotionally drained, and she was exhausted. She was ready to go to sleep, and no magic could change that.

Considering everything, she felt okay. Or at the very least, being so close to her limits left her feeling a subdued sense that it was okay. She wasn't about to start freaking out and panicking over everything that had happened, but only because she didn't have the energy left to deal with any of it. She didn't expect to wake up and suddenly panic over everything, either. She looked back up and met Nightmare's gaze, gave a nod, and quietly said, "I think so..." For a moment, she hesitated and pulled her lip in between her teeth. She didn't bite down, she just held her skin there, then let it go and mumbled, "At least... right now."

Nightmare nodded in acknowledgment. "I..." her teacher trailed off, rolled her head to the left and looked ahead at the door to the hallway before finishing, "am sorry that this took so long." She saw Nightmare swallow, then her teacher looked back at her, studied her for a moment, then testingly said, "And I am sorry that you had to see all of that."

Her eyes dropped to that crescent moon once more and she gave a brief, timid nod.

A few seconds passed with nothing more being said as the two of them stood there. Nightmare turned to face her, giving her a full view of the crescent moon set in the center of her chestplate, along with the chestplate itself. Twilight lifted her head up and met her teacher's gaze. Nightmare Moon's mouth was parted, but once again her teacher hesitated to speak. And that hesitation was so different from Nightmare taking action when it was demanded of her. The hesitation reminded her of something, but she wasn't sure what. "I do not..." Nightmare said, then pausing to think for a moment, "wish to coddle you and lie to you," she finished quickly. Her teacher licked her lips, then continued, "I will not lie to you about the world. It can be a dangerous place. But I do not wish..." and once more, Nightmare trailed off.

Then, she saw it: a spark in Nightmare's eyes as she found the answer to what she needed to say. Nightmare inhaled. "I do not wish to lie to you about the world, but I recognize that there are things you are not ready to deal with. Things that you are not prepared for."

Twilight shifted her hooves closer together and swallowed. "O-oh?" she managed to voice.

Nightmare hesitantly nodded. "Sister sheltered you. Sister left you unprepared," was her almost dismissive answer.

Twilight didn't hear any bitterness in Nightmare's voice; it was a simple acknowledgment of fact. But she also knew something else went unsaid. She could tell Nightmare didn't voice something else, something that her teacher considered important. Nightmare was keeping something from her.

But Nightmare wasn't lying to her.

She shifted her weight. 'Princess Celestia lied to me...' replayed in her mind yet again.

Or maybe there was bitterness in her teacher's voice and she was just too tired to pick up on it. Maybe Nightmare knew not to let the bitterness slip out. A part of her, when thinking that her teacher would hold herself back, found herself grasping for an answer as to why that would be. Her teacher had no reason to hold back. No reason except the one she knew, that Nightmare was adapting to her, that Nightmare was acting differently with her because Nightmare knew her.

"You did well tonight, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare complemented.

Twilight's eyes darted up to meet her teacher's in an instant. It wasn't Princess Celestia's praise, but it was still the praise of her teacher, and it still made her feel a giddiness in her chest. That giddiness fought back against the exhaustion sieging her body, and she felt more energy come back to her. "Thanks..." she replied.

Nightmare waited a moment, then inclined her head once in acknowledgment. A few more seconds of silence passed between them. She didn't know what to say, and she saw Nightmare struggling to find what to say. Eventually, Nightmare settled on asking, "Are you certain that you are alright?" And with that, Nightmare's hesitation started to fade, and her teacher's gaze dropped down to her hooves, studying them, looking them over, as if she was searching for any signs of injury. And as if to confirm her thoughts, Nightmare asked, "You are uninjured?"

Twilight nodded, then, one at a time, lifted her hooves from the floor before setting them back down. There wasn't any pain aside from the dull ache of too much use.

Nightmare nodded, almost as if it was to herself, then looked back up to meet her gaze. "If there is anything you wish to talk about, please do so," was her offer. "Tonight was-" her teacher's gaze darted from her eyes and landed on her cutie mark, "-hard on you."

Twilight didn't need to ask to know what Nightmare Moon was referring to. For the briefest instant, she wondered, 'What would have happened if you weren't there with me?'

Not many of the ponies had seen her. Things could have been different if they had and if she had been alone. She was afraid of what would have happened if she had been there alone, and she was glad that Nightmare Moon had been there with her.

And then her mind went to the biggest part that Nightmare Moon was referring to: the foal. But she didn't let herself linger on it. She closed her eyes, then hung her head. After a moment, she opened her eyes and stared at the floor. "Thank you for... saving her," she said. Before Nightmare could say anything, she lifted her head up and met Nightmare's eyes to say, "Even if it was in your best interest."

"I would not wish harm on foals, Twilight Sparkle," was Nightmare's calm yet intent answer: to suggest that she did would have been to draw her ire.

Her eyes dropped to Nightmare's chestplate and she nodded.

"Nor do I wish harm on you," Nightmare added.

For just a second, her eyes glanced up at Nightmare's eyes, then they fell back to her chestplate.

Nightmare inhaled, then her wing extended. Twilight looked at that majestic wing as it reached out for her. It paused with a feather just inches away from her muzzle, then after a moment passed, the feather brushed against her. She closed her eyes as she felt that rich, soft feather against her cheek. She felt the feather stroke along her cheek, then down her neck. She felt the trail it left, how gentle the stroke was, and felt it brush the strands of her mane aside.

Twilight shivered, and a smile pulled at her lips. The strangest feeling occurred to her, that of wanting to cry for some reason, wanting to cry solely because of that stroke. Was Nightmare Moon that good at slipping past her guard now? Had it just been too much? Was that need to cry based on everything that had happened tonight, or everything since Nightmare returned?

The feather stroked down to her shoulder, then left. The urge to cry stayed and her throat felt tight, but she held back the urge to cry. She slowly took in a deep breath, then let it out just as slowly. She opened her eyes, and her first sight was yet again Nightmare Moon. Not a predator, not a psychopath, not a monster.

Her teacher.

The need to cry slowly faded away as she inhaled again, and the tightness relaxed as she exhaled.

Nightmare's mouth parted again, and the hesitance came back. Eventually, her teacher overcame it and asked, "Join me for a bath?"

Twilight wasn't sure what she had expected to hear, but it hadn't been that. It wasn't a demand, either; it was an offer. It was an opportunity. It was something friends did together. She hadn't had friends to bathe with before, which meant it would be a new experience for her.

And surely, that was insane. They weren't that close. Not by a long shot. A part of her mind once again had the treacherous thought, 'She's a psychopath!' for her teacher having made that offer. It was insane!

But it wouldn't be a bath shared by friends. It would be something else: a bath shared between teacher and student. Not friends. She had never shared a bath with Princess Celestia, and so it was still a new experience. Twilight's mind kept going over how Nightmare Moon offered the experience, rather than Princess Celestia. Nightmare Moon had never had a student before, either.

She was hesitant to accept. Fear assaulted her, attacking her with questions like, 'What if I do something wrong? What if she takes this differently? What if this is just a trick-'

And the last thought drew a near-immediate, 'No.'

"You do not have to," her teacher voiced almost casually, "but I thought you may want to. It would give us time to relax and talk if you so wished, and it would help with the smoke still in our coats."

Had Princess Celestia offered that to her before Nightmare Moon returned, she would have been too afraid and nervous to accept. She would have been so anxious that she would have messed up and then Princess Celestia, even if it wasn't in her nature, would have decided not to be her teacher anymore.

And she knew it was a silly fear.

She took a deep breath. It didn't help with her anxiety, but it did remind her even more of that stench. She managed to nod. "Okay," she agreed. Nightmare turned to her left and stepped towards the door. She swallowed then added, "Um... I've never... done anything like this before."

Nightmare paused and looked back at her. For a moment, Nightmare was silent, then she said, "You have not had friends to bathe with. And my sister has not?"

Twilight nodded. She wasn't certain, but she thought she saw surprise cross Nightmare's expression.

"I see," Nightmare said with a nod, then slightly lifted her right wing from her body and motioned Twilight over.

Twilight didn't hesitate before walking over to her teacher's side. Nightmare's gaze lingered on her as she approached, then once she was at her teacher's side, Nightmare walked forward and led her through the bedchambers, then into the bathroom. Twilight's eyes darted around as soon as she stepped inside the bathroom. It was similar to the rest of the guest rooms' bathrooms, though certainly larger. The golden swirls in the room didn't fit Nightmare Moon, but for whatever reason, they were still there.

Nightmare approached the gigantic bathtub, which was more fitting of a hot tub than a bathtub, and used her magic to turn on the water. The sounds of gushing water crashing into the tub filled the air as Twilight stood by and watched. Her teacher turned so that her side was to the bathtub, then lifted her hooves up one at a time and slipped those cyan boots off.

For some reason, Twilight found herself transfixed by that simple act; she had never seen Nightmare Moon without her boots on, without her chestplate on, or without her helmet on. Nightmare Moon did not take her armor off. Yet here she was, watching her teacher take off that armor. The only time she had seen Nightmare Moon taking off her armor or without her armor on. The boots were levitated aside, leaving her hooves bare. And just like Princess Celestia, her hooves were nearly the same color as her coat to the point where it was hard to see in the dim light where Nightmare's fur stopped and her hoof started.

Nightmare's eyes glanced at her, and her teacher said, "You do not have to remain standing there. Come."

Reluctantly, Twilight picked her hoof up, then stepped forward. Once she was clear of the door, she heard it click shut from Nightmare's magic. For a brief moment, she glanced back at the door, then her gaze returned to her teacher.

Nightmare lifted her helmet up off her head, then set it down beside her boots. And she found herself transfixed, staring at Nightmare Moon's bare head. Without the helmet on, Nightmare Moon looked so different, yet it was undeniably the same pony. Striking and sharp, still authoritative and regal, yet as she studied Nightmare Moon's bare head and found herself thinking the alicorn looked vulnerable without her armor on, as if the pony beneath was laid bare for her and her alone to see.

Twilight held her breath.

Her eyes flicked back and settled on the base of Nightmare's ethereal mane, and it was such a different sight from what she had expected. But then, she wasn't sure what she had expected either. With Princess Celestia, she could never see the base of her mane because of the colors and height difference. But with Nightmare Moon? her mane was partially transparent around the outermost edge, and at the very back of her neck where her mane started, she saw that same black coat, where the mane just flowed out from it, as if she had no mane and it was simply an extension of her magic.

She wondered if it was.

Nightmare looked at her again. She looked over Nightmare's body so she wasn't' staring, then her eyes settled on Nightmare's chestplate. She knew Nightmare wasn't going to take it off, and a part of her felt disappointed by that. Another part of her wondered if her teacher was trying to hide something with that chestplate. She tried to imagine what Nightmare Moon looked like without the chestplate on. She could almost make it work; she had seen Nightmare Moon without the boots and helmet. But she still couldn't picture Nightmare's bare chest.

She just couldn't picture it in her mind.

And because her teacher kept that chestplate on, she wasn't completely vulnerable. For a moment, Twilight wondered if Nightmare Moon kept it on because she would feel vulnerable if she wasn't wearing it. But surely that wasn't the case. Nightmare Moon was an alicorn, and with just the two of them there, there was nothing to threaten her.

Nightmare turned the water off, then turned away from her and climbed into the tub to sit down on her haunches. She watched her teacher climb into the bath, then sink into the water. It was such an equine action that she had trouble comprehending that Nightmare Moon did it. Twilight closed her eyes, then carefully crept over to the bath. She hesitated at the edge and opened her eyes to stare at Nightmare Moon.

'A week ago I wouldn't have done this,' occurred to her. A week ago the thought would have horrified her! As it was, she felt uncomfortable and nervous and wanted to run around in circles, but she forced back those feelings: it was an opportunity, and that was how she had to look at it. Running around in circles fretting over it really wouldn't benefit her. She still had to tell herself, 'She's not psychotic,' before she could lift a forehoof and set it on the rim of the tub.

But she still didn't know what to do! What was the etiquette she was supposed to follow? She wasn't about to climb in and make a fool of herself or embarrass herself by making a silly mistake that practically anypony else wouldn't have! As the anxiety coiled in her chest, she sucked in her lip and looked at her teacher, who was still just sitting there with her eyes closed. She released her lip and whispered, "Um..."

Nightmare's eyelids drifted open, and her teacher's gaze fell on her. "Speak."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." Twilitght replied as the anxiety coiled tighter.

"You get in the water," was Nightmare's flat response. "If this is not obvious-"

Twilight winced and muttered, "I know that!"

"Yet you have not," her teacher pointed out.

Twilight turned away from her and stared at the wall. "Because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do! What if I-"

"Try to relax, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare chastized. "That is half of the reason behind this."

Reluctantly, Twilight turned back to face her teacher. For a few seconds, Twilight just watched the alicorn, but her teacher said nothing more as she closed her eyes. "It is not something worth worrying about," her teacher offered.

Twilight took a deep breath, then gradually pushed herself up onto the rim of the bath. She reached out with her right forehoof to test the water. It was almost too warm. The warmth left her hoof tingling as the water pressed against her; It was enveloping, offering her a comforting embrace that she only had to climb in to accept. It felt nice.

She slowly stepped into the tub and found the aching of her hooves relieved by the warm embrace. Slowly and carefully, she turned to face Nightmare Moon, then sat down, bringing the water up to envelop her chest. As she sank into the water and felt it embrace her, she closed her eyes as the warm water washed the chaos from her mind.

Seconds, perhaps even minutes passed while she sat there in blissful silence, just enjoying the warm weight of the water pressing against her from all sides. Eventually, she felt Nightmare open her eyes to look at her, and she opened her eyes to look back at her teacher. Nightmare studied her contemplatively. The alicorn took the madness of the night in stride and kept going like nothing more than an annoyance had happened.

'What would this be like if it was Princess Celestia instead of you?' a part of her mind wondered. And thinking about it made her nervous because she knew that she would have been scared of making a mistake just like now. It didn't even comfort her to know Princess Celestia would have been able to say a few words to calm her down.

She felt calmer bathing with Nightmare Moon than she thought she would be if it had been Princess Celestia, but only because she was too exhausted to worry more.

Her gaze dropped from Nightmare's eyes to her teacher's chestplate. It wasn't waterproof, and so she knew that water would have been between the armor and her teacher's coat. Wearing the armor was pointless; all it did was weigh her teacher down. "Why are you still wearing your chestplate?" she asked, then met Nightmare's gaze.

"It would leave me more exposed than I am comfortable with," was her teacher's answer. "It would not do to be caught off-guard if something were to happen, or if somepony were to attack me."

With a frown, Twilight said, "But we're the only two ponies here?"

Nightmare was silent for a moment, then mumbled, "Perhaps. But it still would be unwise."

Twilight felt like Nightmare's logic was flawed, but kept it to herself. Her frown grew deeper. She felt certain that there was another reason for it, but that Nightmare just didn't want to admit it. "Why do you wear armor anyway?" She winced and clarified, "I mean... I know why, but... You're an alicorn."

"I will not die from old age or disease, but that does not mean I cannot be killed," Nightmare retorted. "I assure you, it would not be easy, but there is no reason for me to make it any easier for my enemies to do so. And it would not do for me to be caught off-guard."

Twilight nodded reluctantly. She felt like she should have taken comfort in knowing Nightmare Moon could be killed, but instead, she only found it making her uneasy. If Nightmare Moon could be killed, that meant Cadance and Princess Celestia could be killed. She shivered from the unease, despite the warm water enveloping her. If Nightmare Moon was killed, she would have to fend for herself unless Princess Celestia somehow escaped.

Her gaze drifted lower until she found herself staring down into the water, watching the reflection of the magelight that hovered in the middle of the room. The surface of the water shimmered and the rippling of the water broke the reflection like a shattered mirror.

Uncontrolled, her thoughts drifted back to the mother and foal, then wandered back to Nightmare's answer, and how after a moment, it twisted in bitterness. Her brow creased and she lifted her head back up to face her teacher. "I'm... surprised that you didn't just... take over the media and tell them to... print propaganda," she voiced in a hushed tone.

Propaganda had been a poor word choice. She winced.

Nightmare's expression hardened, then her teacher inhaled deeply before letting it out. "I have an aversion to lying. So long as they do not slander me I do not care what they print. Not that it matters; ponies will never believe anything positive written about me. They would see it as lies and, as you said, propaganda."

Twilight leaned forward and asked, "How do you know, though?" She shook her head and added, "You were banished for a thousand years! Things had to change!"

"You are correct; things did change, but this is a fact: that they will never love me as they do my sister," her teacher retorted in a dismissive, almost annoyed tone.

Twilight had to bite back the question, 'Why do you even care about that!?' Asking wouldn't have helped anything.

She inhaled and smelled the scent of smoke. Her lips jerked back in disgust. She sucked in a deep breath through her mouth and held it, then closed her eyes and plunged her head under the water. Maybe it wasn't exactly proper etiquette, but surely Nightmare wouldn't care. It was supposed to be a bath.

She heard the silent, rain-like ringing of her heartbeat echoing in the water. She felt the warm pressure enveloping her, leaving her body tingling from the pleasant warmth. Under the water, there was nothing there to threaten her. The worries, anxieties, and fears couldn't drive her insane. She was free, and she wanted to stay under the water for as long as she could. The water washed the smoke out of her coat, washed the rest of the night away, and refreshed her body and mind.

She felt the water swirl around her and knew Nightmare Moon had joined her under the water, but it only lasted for a few seconds before she felt the water rush again. She assumed Nightmare lifted her head back out. She stayed under until her lungs started to grow uncomfortable, then she pushed her head back above the water. She exhaled and blew droplets of water off of her lips as streams rolled down her face, and finally inhaled.

She felt the water rolling off of her body, rolling down her mane and muzzle, and heard the water dripping off into the water. Droplets rolled over her lips and she blew more air out of her mouth to get rid of them. She opened her eyes and looked at her teacher. Seeing the alicorn in a similar state with water rolling down her head, her fur wet and clinging to her body, left her feeling almost perplexed. It served to reinforce in her mind that Nightmare Moon was, despite what it felt like, still a pony like her.

And she wasn't quite sure what to think of that.

She tentatively sniffed the air. The smell of smoke was still there, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been.

"I would request that you remain here in Canterlot for the time being, given what has transpired," Nightmare stated, "but you will be able to return to Ponyville sometime tomorrow or the following night. Assuming nothing worse transpires."

Twilight reluctantly nodded. Spike would be taken care of. He'd be worried, but he'd be fine. 'I can probably write him a letter and have Nightmare send it to him,' she thought. "Could you..." she ventured, leaning her head to the right, "send Spike a letter telling him that I'll be here for... a while?"

"I can, yes," Nightmare answered. There was barely any delay before her teacher lit her horn and teleported a scroll and quill into the air over the water, then wrote out a scroll before rolling it up and teleporting it away. It wasn't the same spell Princess Celestia used to send scrolls to her through Spike.

She turned her head back and said, "Thanks."

Nightmare inclined her head once.

Without anything else said, she felt her teacher's magic envelop her for a moment, then it faded. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "What was that?"

"Taking care of the smoke. It is perhaps not as relaxing or thorough as properly bathing, but I presume you would be uncomfortable with that," Nightmare replied dismissively.

Twilight hesitated before she nodded. For a moment, she thought she saw Nightmare frown, but her eyes must have been playing tricks on her.

She started to feel the chill of the air against her wet coat.

"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Nightmare questioned.

Twilight felt a grimace pull at her lips. "Well..." There was quite a bit she could think of, even if she was tired. Most of it, however, wasn't something she wanted to bring up. As her mind sifted through her thoughts and memories, she felt a stab of pain as a memory slipped to the forefront of her mind. She winced and her head drifted to the right until it pointed away from her teacher. She stared at the wall, looking over the dimly lit marble and the reflective golden swirls. There was probably some pattern in it that she could find, but she knew she was just trying to distract herself.

"What is it?" Nightmare inquired. "You may not believe this but I do desire for you to be comfortable talking to me, Twilight Sparkle."

The pattern of the swirls would have to wait. Twilight's chest tightened as unease slithered through her body. She slowly clenched her jaw and gradually nudged her head back to face Nightmare. The alicorn looked at her contemplatively but stayed silent, waiting on her to proceed.

It left her feeling more anxious. "Earlier..." she ventured reluctantly.

Her teacher's contemplative look faded. "You're going to have to be more specific than that, Twilight Sparkle," was said flatly. Twilight shifted her weight in the water. Nightmare tilted her head and the contemplative look returned. "Unless you're referring to making ponies disappear."

The warm water didn't feel quite as warm, and a shiver raced down Twilight's spine. She managed to nudge her head up and down to nod as she swallowed a knot in her throat.

Nightmare relaxed but sat up straighter. "You are wondering why I did not simply make them disappear?" her teacher guessed.

Again, Twilight gave a timid nod.

Nightmare's head lifted up, and her gaze landed on the ceiling. Twilight watched her teacher's eyes slowly slide over the marble, then out of curiosity, looked up. Her teacher might have been looking over one of the golden swirls, but she couldn't be sure. She looked back down at Nightmare, who continued to study the ceiling.

Nightmare inhaled, then looked down at Twilight. "It is not necessarily in my best interest to make ponies simply disappear," was her answer. "Perhaps it could be in the short term, yet in the long term, this could cause uncertainty. If we assume that I could get away with it, then it is not a problem and thus would not cause problems, however, I find such methods... distasteful."

"Distasteful?" she mumbled.

Nightmare gave a succinct nod. "Sister," was all she said.

Twilight felt another chill and her brow twisted down. "Sh-she would never do something like that!" she blabbered out.

"I would not trust her not to," Nightmare spat. Twilight went silent. Nightmare shook her head then stated, "I do not wish to discuss this."

It was probably a good idea.

But Twilight's mind still ran over the implications. She stared down at the water and watched the reflection of the magelight. 'Princess Celestia would never just make anypony disappear!' shouted out in her mind, but it didn't quell the uncertainty. At one time, she knew Princess Celestia would never lie to her. She couldn't convince herself Princess Celestia wouldn't make somepony disappear.

She couldn't picture it, but it still weighed her down.

The bath wasn't as nice as it had been.

"Twilight Sparkle?" Nightmare called.

Twilight looked up at her teacher and asked, "Um, yes?"

Nightmare's eyes jumped side to side over her body, then returned to meet her gaze. "On the topic of trust," she started carefully. Her teacher paused as if to mull the words over on her tongue, then continued, "Thank you for trusting me tonight."

Twilight gave a reserved nod.

Nightmare went back to studying her. There was something more her teacher wanted to say. Twilight could see it, how it was just on the tip of her tongue.

Nightmare groaned quietly, then gave in and added, "I want to be able to trust you, and I would like for you to trust me. It would be beneficial for both of us. And I do not want you to be so afraid of me. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me."

'How am I supposed to respond to that?' Twilight wondered.

Nightmare bobbed her head and looked away from her. "You are my student and I suppose I would prefer you be comfortable around me." Her teacher looked at her again, let out the faintest hint of a sigh and added, "And you do not."

Twilight licked her already wet lips and mumbled, "You don't make it easy..."

For a second, Nightmare's cheeks pulled up and her eyelids drifted down as her teacher squinted at her, then it faded. "Yes... you are correct," Nightmare admitted. "I do not know what I am doing with a student, Twilight Sparkle. And I am not the most sociable pony there is. I never have been."

'Well, that sounds familiar!' Twilight's mind snapped, making her wince. She turned her head to the right. "Well... I'm not either."

Nightmare nodded slowly. "So I have heard..." The squint returned. "And you wanted a book for help with a... slumber party," was mumbled in a barely audible voice.

Twilight was sure she wasn't meant to hear it. She bushed and squeaked. "W-well, h-how am I supposed to know if I'm doing everything right!?" she stuttered out.

Nightmare looked at her with a peculiar squint that made her shift her weight. Her teacher opened her mouth. It stayed open for a few seconds, then drifted closed. Nightmare exhaled and shook her head. "Would you be interested in watching the moonrise with me tomorrow?"

Twilight slowly nodded. "Sure."

For a moment, Nightmare smiled. "I would appreciate that," her teacher said. The smile faded into contemplation. "And then we can share a meal? Provided nothing demands my immediate attention."

Twilight nodded again. "It's not like I have anywhere else to eat..." she muttered.

Nightmare frowned. "You are not required to remain on the castle's grounds while you are here in Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle. I do not desire to manage every aspect of your life. You are my student but you are your own pony."

Twilight cringed and looked down and to the left. She stared at the floor just beyond the bath. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It is alright," Nightmare replied, "but perhaps there are more things we need to discuss in time..."

Twilight glanced back at her teacher. "Like what?"

"Many things," was Nightmare's vague answer. "But now is perhaps not the time. If you so desire, you may retire for the night. You are tired and I will not keep you longer than you wish."

Twilight turned back to face her and nodded slowly. "And-" she licked her lips, "-what about you?"

"I will see to it that ponies are not trying to burn down any other cities, and then assuming they are not, I will retire myself," Nightmare answered.

"I still find it odd that you have to sleep," Twilight replied.

"I can sustain myself with my magic for a time, as can anypony, but it is not the same as sleep, Twilight Sparkle," her teacher stated. "And it would not do for me to be poorly rested."

Twilight nodded slowly, then yawned. Her jaw muscles ached as her mouth opened, and her eyes watered a bit. She closed her mouth as the yawn ended.

"Go sleep," Nightmare told her. "If you desire, I can use my magic to help."

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think that's necessary," she said cautiously.

Nightmare translated that into, "You do not trust me."

Twilight groaned and slumped forward. "No, I don't. I trust you a bit more than I did, but I still don't trust you. You scare me. But that's not why. I just don't think it's necessary. I am tired."

"I am sorry that I upset you," Nightmare said.

Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. "It's fine. I'm tired."

Nightmare nodded slowly, then said, "Goodnight, Twilight Sparkle. I wish you well."

Twilight stared at Nightmare for a few seconds. It was odd and it made her uncomfortable. She pushed the discomfort aside, nodded, and then stood up. As soon as her body was above the water, she felt the chill of the air and missed the warmth. She stood there for several seconds as water rushed down her body and crashed into the bath. Once the flow subsided to a trickle, she turned and climbed out of the bath.

She felt Nightmare watching her and turned back to watch her teacher. Nightmare's gaze slowly slithered over her side, then turned back to the bath. Finally, Nightmare closed her eyes.

Twilight looked away from Nightmare, then searched the room for a towel or anything to dry herself off with. She grimaced and turned back to her teacher. "Um, can I have a towel?"

Her teacher's horn glowed, and she felt that aura envelop her, then a pleasant warmth washed over her coat, drying her body.

"If you do not know that spell I will be disappointed," Nightmare said dismissively.

Twilight grimaced. "I didn't think about it..."

Nightmare frowned, then turned to face her and opened her eyes. "I see..." was all that she said.

For a few seconds, Nightmare watched her again.

"Thank you?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare inclined her head, turned her head back and closed her eyes.

Twilight lingered for a moment, then slowly walked to the door.

Author's Note

And so ends what was the longest single chapter I've written, broken into three parts. Actual action finally happened!

After rereading and editing this chapter, I'm not entirely pleased by it. One reason is I'm now questioning which is better: the style of "showing" a character feeling things (In example: "Twilight felt a grimace pull at her lips" versus "Twilight grimaced?"). The first might be more immersive? The second is more direct.

Calm

A beam of magic surged forth from her student's horn. Nightmare Moon followed it with her eyes and watched as it struck the rough, woody trunk of an oak tree. She felt a sense of fascination overtake her as she watched the magic soaked into the wood, saturated it to the point that a spiderweb of magenta lines raced through the length of the trunk, burning into the wood, then shattered the trunk with a sharp crack! Chunks of wood, bark, and splinters flew every which way. Some pelted her chestplate. Some slammed into the damp ground. Looking aside at her student, some of the debris had landed on her mane and coat.

Twilight quizzically stared at what used to be the tree. For a moment, Nightmare just looked over her student. A shiver of delight race down her spine. Her power, her potential, oh how it thrilled her to see it unlocked! And the way her student stood there so confidently! Free from that oppressive fear and anxiety that ate at her and plagued their relationship!

Watching her student stand there with the humble pride of self-confidence made her feel almost giddy. It even left her feeling free! It was like she was flying during the middle of the night, soaring through the sky with nothing to haunt or mock her. She felt freedom; freedom from the oppressive worry that her student had radiated, and freedom from the weight of the burdens of ruling. She was free to teach her student; free to enjoy her reign; free from her anger and hatred and mockery of her sister!

It was bliss, and she felt her chest bubbling from sheer excitement.

She swiped her tongue over her lips, then looked back at what had been the tree. Leaves fluttered in the night air, like a gentle shower drifting towards the ground. Branches and the remnants of larger limbs dropped from above and smashed into the ground. Some branches stabbed the ground and stuck out at odd angles.

She looked back at her student and felt a sense of fondness for the filly. Her student; her friend. Twilight glanced aside at her and smiled. It was a calm, confident smile; one that wasn't haunted by fear or indecision. It didn't seek out her approval, and it didn't worry that she would snap. It was a peaceful smile, and a familiar smile that her student had grown into.

Nightmare reached out with a wing and brushed some of the refuse off Twilight's mane and body. "Thanks," was her student's friendly reply, her voice free from formality. They were friends and here alone, formality was not needed. They shared a bond.

Nightmare inclined her head to nod, then slowly brushed her feather along Twilight's cheek. Her student closed her eyes and leaned into that stroke as her lips twitched into an even warmer smile. Nightmare swept the feather under her student's ear, and then once she broke contact she folded her wing to her side. Twilight opened her eyes, and for a moment, they watched each other, then Twilight turned to face away from her.

Then that glorious raspberry aura enveloped the whole area, and all of the little splinters and chunks of wood flew back towards what had been the tree's trunk. The branches floated up into the air, and the leaves zipped back to the branches. The trunk reassembled itself splinter by splinter, bit by bit, and those magenta lines grew back in reverse, then coalesced at the point where the beam had struck before finally fading away.

And it was a marvelous sight, that the damage had been undone.

Nightmare looked back at her student. The filly had so much power, so much potential! And she was seeing it! How her student surpassed Starswirl the Bearded; how there would never be another unicorn that could rival her.

It was her destiny.

But the feeling in her chest twisted. The comfort and ecstatic glee drifted further away, becoming more subdued. She felt the smile on her lips fading as her lips drifted down into a neutral line. Twilight continued to look away from her, unaware of her change in demeanor.

Something was wrong. Something was still missing. She felt it in her core, that something just wasn't right. She lit her horn and brushed her magic against her student's magic.

Her student was still incomplete. There was more there that could be done. She felt it. She knew it. It ate at her mind, stealing the joy and peace away from her. It troubled her because she did not know what was missing. She did not know why her student was incomplete, but she was. And it brought her a sense of wrongness. It wasn't how it was supposed to be, and it made her want to squirm.

Even in her dreams, Twilight's potential wasn't fully realized.

Her eyes drifted over her student's body. It barely registered that her student wasn't wearing the silvered crescent moon necklace; it wasn't necessary that she wore it anymore. She saw that golden tiara atop her head, which held the Element of Magic set in its center, but it didn't register to her.

Her eyes swept down the length of her student's bare back, then drifted to her flank. She tilted her head as her eyes traced over the outline of the pink starburst. The feeling that something was wrong grew worse, plaguing her mind. Her smile was gone as she stared at the familiar starburst.

She felt the urge to turn to face her student, so she turned her body to face her student. Twilight's head drifted left towards her, and when her student saw her expression, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

Twilight's voice echoed in her mind, 'What's wrong?'

But she couldn't answer it. Something was wrong. Something was off. Her student was, somehow, still incomplete. Something was missing. It wasn't her full potential; her student wasn't all she could be. But she didn't know what was missing.

Nightmare felt like the words were on the tip of her tongue, that if she spoke, the words that needed to be said would come. She felt like the knowledge was at the forefront of her mind, yet when she tried to reach for it, it was just beyond her grasp. Out of reach, like something she had forgotten. She felt like the memory was right there in the back of her mind, that even the most frivolous, pointless action would bring it back.

But it was out of reach. Her student, despite her potential being there on full display, was incomplete. But then, it was just a dream; of course Twilight was still incomplete.

It churned in her mind, and she felt the need to scream.

She held the scream back and met her student's gaze. "I do not know," she answered.

Her vision twisted and spun. Her voice was wrong. It sounded off. It was too soft. It shocked her. It made her feel cold. The voice was alien to her. It was a voice that she hadn't heard in centuries. A voice belonging to a pony who was dead.

"Luna?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare felt ice creeping through her veins as even more shock caught her unprepared. Her whole body grew cold as that name became the entire focus on her thoughts.

Twilight frowned and turned to face her. More quietly, more concerned, her student asked, "Luna, what's wrong?"

Then Nightmare Moon realized it wasn't night. It was day. The sun was overhead and the light filtered through the leaves, leaving a flickering, shimmering display of light and shadow on the ground as the leaves rustled in the summer's breeze. She felt the warmth in the air, that of sister's sun, yet it wasn't oppressive. The warmth didn't try to take advantage of her, it didn't try to mock or betray her. The warmth was simply there in all its uncaring glory.

Nightmare turned left until she was facing away from Twilight. She swept her head around and surveyed the forest, lit in the light of her sister's day. The branches swayed in the wind, and the leaves all rustled together, producing gentle music that felt so out of place, yet so right at the same time. Soothing and welcome, yet unwelcome because of how soothing and calm it was. How could it have been soothing with the return of her damned sister's day!? How dare it!

Nightmare felt a sense of dread well up inside her chest, and it twisted in on itself. She turned left again until she faced Twilight once more. Her chest felt tight. She couldn't breathe; her chest was too tight, too constricted. The air was being forced out of her lungs.

Twilight stood there before her, still frowning with concern. Still incomplete. "Luna?" her student's voice called again.

The dread grew worse. But no anger came. She felt disconnected from her surroundings; disconnected from who she was. 'Luna is dead,' was stated in her mind, yet it did not provoke anger and she did not speak to correct the filly.

'How do you know that name?' she wondered.

Twilight stepped towards her, then her student pressed herself against her chestplate. The filly lifted her right leg and did her best to wrap it around her neck while laying her head on the left side of her neck.

Nightmare found herself leaning down to return the hug. She couldn't stop it. But it didn't feel like a hug.

It just felt wrong.

Nightmare Moon felt disappointed.

It was time to raise the moon.

Nightmare's eyelids opened and she stared up at the ceiling. The dream was still there, lingering in her mind. Every last bit of it; every detail. The disappointment haunted her mind, making her so very aware of how silent her chambers were. The feeling of wrongness was still there, plaguing her, unnerving her, making her eyes dance along the walls, searching to make certain she was alone. It was a dream, but the effects lingered. The uncertainty she felt lingered. It made her uneasy.

She laid there in silence. She said nothing and kept her breathing quiet. There were no sounds in her chambers; nopony else was there. It was empty and quiet to the point that she could hear her own steady heartbeat. She was alone. She was too aware of the oppressive silence.

She inhaled deeply and broke that accursed silence. Her lips twitched into a smile as the light scent of lavender eased the discomfort plaguing her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment-

-and she saw how Twilight had stood there in her dream.

The disappointment came back, forcing her ears to pin back against her mane. She opened her eyes; the image of Twilight disappeared.

'I'm too fond of you,' came to mind again. But she didn't have the will to change that. Why would she want to? Twilight Sparkle was her student. Her student had so much potential, not only magical but also in that she could have a friend!

The thought caught her off-guard. The feeling of wrongness churned inside her chest until her chest felt tight.

Unease.

She missed the feeling of freedom she had in her dream. It was so wonderful compared to when she was awake! She didn't have time to enjoy herself like she wanted to when she was awake; Equestria demanded so much of her. Or maybe she was simply giving Equestria too much of her time. She was Queen, after all.

But Equestria needed her. Without her, without Sister, Equestria would hardly last. That was unacceptable.

She rolled her head to the right and stared at the door to her balcony. As she idly watched the door, the dream replayed in her mind. And she yearned to go back to sleep and to have that dream again. At least up until where it all went wrong.

She wished Twilight was that confident outside of her dreams.

She turned her gaze to the window and looked out into the starry night sky. 'It is nearly time to raise the moon,' occurred to her again, and with that, she felt the desire to actually leave her bed. And the whisper of, 'Twilight will join me to watch it,' made her feel eager.

She pushed herself out of bed and walked towards the balcony. As she approached the door, she used her magic to remake her bed, then open the door. She walked out into the cool night air and smiled. The darkness was peaceful. The darkness accepted her for who she was. The darkness, unlike ponies, loved her.

She walked to the railing and came to a stop. She looked out across Canterlot as she breathed in the cool air. Since she hadn't raised the moon, very few lights were on as most ponies still slept, and so the city was almost entirely enveloped in darkness. It looked peaceful.

But looks could be deceiving.

Ponies were still sleeping, and even if they weren't, they assuredly wouldn't be outside. They wouldn't be enjoying her moonless night. They wouldn't even enjoy the moonlit night. They would simply curse both and rage against it, ruining it.

And as her thoughts lingered on that wretched knowledge, she felt more disappointed and angered. She kept the anger locked away and turned her gaze to the right until she looked at Twilight's tower.

The filly was still sleeping peacefully. After everything that they had seen, that her student had seen and had to deal with, yesterday, her student needed that rest. And it was a rest she had earned.

She was comforted to know that her student had not had nightmares during the night, or at the very least, that she had not been awoken by her student screaming in fear. She was glad such a thing had not happened; she had no desire for such a thing to happen.

Perhaps she would wish or bring nightmares on her enemies, but not her student. Not Twilight.

And the thought came to mind, 'I have not used dream magic in centuries...' Sister had sealed even that away during her banishment. She hadn't used such magic in over a thousand years, and she hadn't used it since her return.

Once upon a time, that thought would have horrified her. Dream magic was a part of her domain! Yet now the thought only left her feeling cautious and leery: could she still use such magic? She remembered how, but she had not attempted it in so long. Such magic was her right!

Yet she was not using it.

She felt a temptation to try to see if she could still use such magic. 'What are you dreaming of?' she wondered. Her eyes glossed over as she stared at the tower, almost trying to look through the marble walls to see her student. In her mind she imagined what her student was dreaming of: Sister, Sister's sunny days, her studies, perhaps even her friends, but not her. No, her student wouldn't dream of her because those dreams would be nightmares.

Her vision refocused. The temptation to delve into her student's dreams disintegrated. Perhaps it was her right because dream magic was a part of her; perhaps it was her right because she was Queen. But she would not do that to her student. No, it would have violated her student's trust. It would have crippled her student even further.

If she did so, she might as well have been right there with Twilight and told her, 'You will never be safe from me!'

She felt bitterness bubbling up inside her chest. She looked away from the tower. 'Perhaps in time I will tell you,' she thought.

But so long as she had a choice, so long as there was an alternative, she would not surprise her student in such a way. If her student had nightmares, then she would intervene in secret, but she would not use her magic to hurt her student. It would be detrimental to her efforts; it wouldn't be in her best interest. And Twilight was young.

But surely her student had been having nightmares! And she had not thought to check; she had not thought to intervene. 'What have I lost because I have not tried to help you?' she thought. Her lips pulled into a grimace.

She felt guilt. She had the magic to help her student; she could have eased her student's troubled mind, or at least help her to sleep peacefully, yet she had not. And each time was a missed opportunity, one that could have helped her student and helped herself.

She inhaled and filled her lungs with the cold night air. She closed her eyes and held that breath in for several seconds, then opened her eyes and let the air out. She turned her head back to face her student's tower.

'You held up better than I expected...' she mused with a nod. And that was progress.

Her thoughts drifted over the night and everything that had transpired. As she thought about it, worry edged into the back of her mind. It was unrest; it was disorder. It was dissent; it was rebellion.

It was chaos.

Reluctantly, she turned her head to face the castle's gardens. Her eyes jumped from spot to spot, then she stared at the center of the garden. Nothing looked out of place. Nothing immediately felt out of place. The world wasn't inverting; reality wasn't fracturing. She was hesitant to check with her magic, but she had to. To not check would have been foalish, so she lit her horn and reached out with her magic.

And relief washed over her immediately. Her lips even drew up into a confident smile. 'You're still sealed away.'

She turned her gaze back to her student's tower. Her smile faded as the memory of seeing Twilight look at her so desperately played through her mind. It agitated her to think about. It agitated her to see Twilight looking like that. The agitation made her shift her weight. The sound of her metal boots scraping on the smooth marble broke the stillness.

She tried not to think about it, but how could she stop herself? It was a haunting thought, what had brought on that desperate look. She did her damnedest not to think about what caused it, but that only made her think about it more, and it enraged her further.

She pictured the filly. She trembled and bared her teeth. She found her before the flames had reached her, but it wouldn't have taken long.

She threw her hoof into the air and slammed it down into the marble to crush the thought from her mind. The marble balcony cracked beneath her. She felt the impact in her hoof and in her leg. Her leg ached and throbbed through the whole length of her muscle.

Her hoof tingled.

She let out a growl and leaned to the left, then lifted her right foreleg into the air. Begrudgingly, she looked down at the marble. She scowled at the crack and lit her horn, only to hesitate as she watched the marble shimmer and slowly heal.

The crack disappeared after a few seconds. The ache in her leg did not.

Carefully, she set her hoof back down. The damage wasn't permanent; it would heal. Until then, she would endure the tingle in her leg and hoof.

She looked to the east and reached out to the moon with her magic.

She hesitated. She held the moon in her magic but hesitated. She could feel her sister's disgusting presence tarnishing her moon. It made her bitter, and she bared her teeth.

She didn't want to have to see that damned corruption. She had half the mind to leave the moon where it was, just so she didn't have to see her sister mocking her. But to leave it there was the worst thing she could do for Equestria and the whole world. She had to raise the moon, or there would be no Equestria for her to rule.

She still hesitated.

She wanted Twilight to be there with her, but Twilight needed her sleep. Her grip on the moon faded, and her head drifted to the right until she stared at Twilight's tower again. She realized, 'I am delaying for you,' and felt a sense of bewilderment.

Delaying too long would cause uncertainty. Uncertainty wasn't in her best interest.

But she was still willing to wait. A few minutes would not cause too much uncertainty, and Twilight could better recover.

She inhaled, then exhaled. Her gaze dropped down to the railing. 'You're going to be the death of me, aren't you?'

She inhaled again, then forced the air back out of her lungs. She swallowed, then licked her lips. Her gaze lifted back up to her student's tower, then she spread her wings. She beat them downward and arose into the air. She flew over the railing, banked, then glided towards her student's tower.

The two guards jumped as she arrived, and their armor clattered against the marble when they landed. She scowled and sent both a glare that was missed in the darkness as she strode towards the door. In the back of her mind, 'I need to replace them with batponies so they can actually see,' occurred to her.

It wouldn't do for her student to be so unprotected.

She opened the door with her magic, then walked inside. Once she was past the door, she shut it silently, then walked further into the room, only to find her stride slowing. Her head drifted right and her eyes scanned over all of the books her student's library was filled with.

'How much more does she know than I do? How much more do I know than her?' she wondered. There had to be so much learned during her thousand-year banishment. Catching up on it all would take time. A month was not enough. Perhaps it was enough if she skimmed everything, but she wouldn't truly know and understand.

She inhaled, then exhaled. Her head drifted to the left and once again she looked over the spines of the books. She ignored the title and just took in how many books there were. 'Have you read all of them?' she wondered. If that was the case, then she found herself partly impressed. Even if Twilight was a scholar.

'What do you know that I do not know?' she wondered. There had to be hundreds of books in Twilight's tower. And who was to say those were the only books her student had read? No, that thought was silly. There had to be books that her student had read which were not here.

Surely her sister had given Twilight other books to read. Books that would have been kept restricted. 'You had access to the Archives, did you not?' She found herself nodding, and she found herself worried. 'Perhaps there is more that you know that I do not realize...'

And perhaps there were spells that she didn't know Twilight knew; spells that she didn't even know existed. Twilight already knew mind magic.

"So much potential..." she whispered in fascination.

She turned to the left, then walked to the stairs that lead to the second level. She set her hoof on the bottom step and paused. Last time she had ascended those stairs, she had felt uneasy and had ended up scaring her student. And that knowledge left her hesitant.

She bit her lip. 'We will talk and you will not be afraid of me,' she told herself.

With a nod to herself, she released her lip then crept up the stairs. Unlike before, she did not feel fear or the desire to leave. Instead, she found herself feeling comfortable. She walked to the doorway to Twilight's bedroom, and as she approached it, she slowed.

The anxiety returned.

She came to a stop at the doorway and lingered, reluctant to enter her student's bedroom. She looked right at her student and watched her sleep. It was peaceful, and the blankets over her body rose and fell no different from any other time she had watched her sleep.

But she still looked so vulnerable! The thought left her feeling exasperated. 'You shouldn't be so vulnerable!' hissed in her mind. 'You're the bearer of the Element of Magic! You're my student!' It was unthinkable that somepony so valuable could be so unprotected.

'Perhaps I should make you armor,' she mused. At that thought, she looked at the ceiling and tilted her head. She tried to picture her student wearing armor, but she couldn't. She couldn't picture Twilight wearing armor like the Royal Guard or batponies. She couldn't picture Twilight wearing armor like herself. Nothing seemed to fit her. Twilight wasn't a soldier. Her student was a scholar.

In the end, all she was able to picture was Twilight wearing some kind of dress. Even that was hard to picture, and it was so frivolous that it was pointless.

She shook the thought from her mind and turned her gaze back to her student, who still slept peacefully. It made her reluctant to wake her student. 'You need the rest...' repeated in her mind, making her chest churn. 'But I do want to watch the moonrise with you...'

'What am I to do, Twilight Sparkle? You agreed to watch the moonrise with me and it is time to raise the moon, yet you still sleep...'

Reluctantly, she lifted her aching right foreleg, then stepped into her student's room. The step was followed by another, then another, and with each step, her unease grew more prominent. Eventually, she stopped at the side of Twilight's bed. Her student was still unaware of her presence. She felt relief, yet it also agitated her.

Anypony could have sneaked up on her student when she was sleeping, but it also meant that her student wasn't so terrified of her presence.

'What are you dreaming of?' she wondered again. The thought brought on an immediate sense of discomfort as, 'You're probably dreaming of Sister,' came to mind. She looked away from her student and looked out the window.

Wasn't that a mockery of her? For her own student to be dreaming of her damned sister! Yet her student was most likely comforted by those dreams; they likely left her feeling at peace. A peace that her student would never have with her outside of her own dreams.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but she stayed. Her gaze inevitably drifted back to her student. The filly's dark blue mane was a mess, with strands of it sticking out as if a something had licked the left side of her face. It brought a smile to her lips, but it was short-lived.

She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then quietly exhaled. "Twilight Sparkle?" she called. She opened her eyes to look at her student.

Her student groaned, pressed her eyelids closed tighter, then gradually opened her eyes. For a few seconds, there was a lack of recognition in those purple irises, then her student's eyelids shot open. "O-oh," Twilight squeaked. "Um, good... morning?"

'You are still scared of me,' came with a silent sigh. Nightmare gave a slow nod of acknowledgment. "It is time for me to raise the moon," she said. She hesitated to say the next part, and the hesitation felt odd. Why did she hesitate? She hoped her student would still want to. She didn't want her student to reject her. Her hesitation was audible as she ventured, "And you said you would watch the moonrise with me?"

But Twilight didn't notice the hesitation in her voice. Her student only blinked, then nodded. "Oh, right..." she mumbled. Her student sucked in a deep breath and yawned, rolled onto her left side, then slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. Twilight slowly shook her head and lifted a forehoof to rub her eyes.

Nightmare watched the filly curiously. "How... did you sleep?" she asked.

Twilight's forehoof paused at her right eye for a few seconds, then her student lowered the hoof to the bed, looked at her and nodded. "I slept fine," was the awkward answer.

Nightmare nodded to herself and looked away from her. "That is," she paused to mull over the next word, "good."

For a few seconds, nothing was said between them. She saw Twilight yawn again out of the corner of her eye, then when the yawn ended, her student asked, "What about you?"

The question felt odd. Why would her student ask such a thing? Why would she care? It was utterly pointless!

Then again, she had asked the same question.

Nightmare turned back to her student, who was still looking up at her. Waiting for an answer. "I slept well," she answered with an incline of her head.

"That's good," Twilight likewise answered.

The silence felt awkward. She stood there, watching her student. Her student sat on the bed, trying to avoid looking at her, or perhaps trying to avoid staring at her. 'Neither of us really know how to act around the other, do we?' she wondered. It was silly. She didn't even need to wonder about it or think about it. She already knew the answer was, 'Yes.'

Eventually, Twilight's head rolled back to face her, then her student nudged herself forward and slid off the bed. Nightmare watched Twilight take a few steps forward, and likewise, Twilight kept her head turned to face her. But it didn't look like it was out of fear, no. Twilight didn't hold herself with the same timid, fearful caution that seemed to be an innate part of who she was. There was still a timidness in how she held herself, but it wasn't one where her student was ready to try to escape if something happened.

It wasn't necessary.

Her student didn't tremble before her, and she found herself smiling. Seeing that her student wasn't quite so afraid of her helped soothe her mind. Perhaps something actually was going right! She would still have to raise the moon and see her damned sister's corruption, but at least she could hold it over her sister that Twilight was hers!

And somepony would be there with her when she did it. Her student would share that moment with her. She felt more eager than before. The concern about the chaos in Manehattan was cast aside. The dread at the prospect of Discord escaping flew away.

The freedom wasn't quite what she felt in her dream, but it was still a taste of it. A taste that left her yearning for more.

She inhaled as she turned back around to face the doorway. She turned her head back to her student and reached out with her left wing to stroke a feather along Twilight's back. She found herself watching her feather as it slid through Twilight's coat. She could see a lingering line left in Twilight's coat where her feather passed through. It didn't stand out too much, but it was there. She could see it. Maybe nopony else would see it, but she did.

She slowly folded her wing back to her side, then faced Twilight. Her student was looking back at the same crease she had been; her student had been watching as she had been. Twilight blinked, then turned her head back to face her. She felt some distant sense of doubt start nibbling on the back of her mind as she watched her student. Twilight was calm, but she didn't look excited. She felt disappointed.

For the barest moment, she thought she saw Twilight's brow twitch down; she thought she saw Twilight's ears flick back. But she wasn't sure.

She lifted her right forehoof, then took a hesitant step forward and leaned her head to the right. "You do still wish to watch me raise the moon, do you not?" she asked. She turned back to face her student, then spoke, "If you would prefer not to-"

"No, it's fine," Twilight cut her off, taking a step forward. "I just... it's early-"

"Very astute," she commented dryly.

Twilight visibly winced, then shied back. She winced on the inside and felt a bit of guilt.

"I'm sorry-"

"I apologize-"

Nightmare wasn't sure who had started speaking first. They both went silent at that. She inhaled, then turned her head back to face the doorway. She looked out into the library and watched the magelight illuminating the tower. "You do not need to apologize," she preempted before anything else could be said.

"I'd still... like to watch the moonrise, if that's okay?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare inclined her head as the disappointment grew worse. She suppressed a sigh as the thought, 'So much for your confidence...' came to mind. "I am looking forward to your company, yes," she answered.

Twilight reacted to that. She saw the reaction, but she couldn't quite place it. She knew it wasn't surprise. It wasn't fear, nor anxiety. It wasn't hope, nor eagerness. It almost seemed like it was some kind of confirmation. It made her feel a twinge of worry.

But before she could dwell on it too much longer, her student spoke up, "Um, may I use the bathroom first?"

"Of course," Nightmare answered, her eyes immediately jumping to the mess of a mane atop her student's head.

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably, then scurried around in front of her and hurried to the bathroom. She idly watched her student right up until the door closed. She stood there for a moment, then turned her attention back to that magelight.

It was her student's work. The light was pleasant.

She turned her attention to the books that spanned the bookshelves and walked out of the bedroom. She came to a stop at the railing and looked over the library.

There were so many books, and she was sure her student had read so many more than what were here. Her student was but a filly of sixteen. And it was impressive that she had read and studied so much. 'It is a wonder that you could make friends at all,' came to mind.

She suspected that if she had seen her student before that bond had formed between the six of them, she wouldn't have been capable of picturing the filly with friends.

And her friends loved her. All five of them. They shared a special bond. Not just the Elements of Harmony, either. Friendship. Her sister and herself had, once upon a time, wielded the six Elements of Harmony. Three each. A similar bond. Not the same, but close.

She hated the memories. Sure, she took a sense of satisfaction in defeating Discord, but it didn't change how her sister had lied to her. How her sister had used her and betrayed her. Their friendship, their familial bond?

It was just a lie her sister had spun to use her.

She felt bitter.

Twilight's friends didn't use her for their own gain.

She felt jealous of her student.

When she realized that, the bitterness and jealousness faded, just a little bit. It was still there, but her mind calmed down. She would not snap at her student. It wasn't in her best interest, and harming her student in such a way was wrong. 'I will not hold Sister's crimes against you,' her mind wholeheartedly agreed.

But once upon a time, it would have been different.

She shook the thought from her mind before it could do any damage. She stuck her tongue out of her mouth, then ran it across her lips.

She waited on her student. She focused on the necklace and felt Twilight's position, her movement. She listened to her almost disgruntled breathing and wondered, 'You are brushing your mane, are you not?'

She turned her attention to Cadance. The alicorn was still sleeping soundly, not that she had expected different. Shining Armor was there as well; she could hear two sets of breathing. In her mind, she could picture them cuddled up, and the image made her scowl. 'You two will be useful,' she knew, 'as long as I can tolerate you,' came more bitterly.

Yes, the end result would be useful. If they were to be married, she could replace Captain Shining Armor with essentially no problems. That and a royal wedding would assuredly help Equestria feel more normal and stable for the average pony. A celebration would be good. Assuming that the two of them didn't end up stabbing her in the back after being married. That could happen, although she wasn't entirely sure how. 'The benefits still outweigh the risks,' she knew.

But she still couldn't force it to happen, no. That was up to them. She had yet to hear them talk about it, but surely it would eventually come up. If it didn't, she would be surprised. All she could do was wait.

She was good at waiting.

At times.

She heard the door to the bathroom open. She turned her head to the right and looked back to watch her student walk out from the bedroom and approach her. She studied the filly's now-brushed mane, then glanced over the length of her groomed tail before meeting her gaze and inclining her head. "I presume you are ready now?" she asked.

Twilight nodded and slowed until she came to a stop at her side. "Yes," her student answered.

"Good," Nightmare replied. She lit her horn, enveloped Twilight in her magic, then teleported the two of them to her balcony. She stood facing the east, looking out over Canterlot towards the horizon. Twilight stood at her right side. With Twilight standing in her proper place, she felt more at ease, more unified. It reminded her of wearing her armor, and then when Twilight wasn't there, it was almost like she wasn't wearing her boots or her helmet.

She put the strange thought aside and turned her attention to the moon. It hid somewhere just below the horizon to the east, almost slumbering as it waited for her magic to coax it into ascending into the sky. She reached out and wrapped the moon in her magic.

And as soon as she did, she felt that sickening disgust of her sister's presence. Sure, her sister was locked away, banished, bound and held captive with her magic locked away, but her sister was still there, sickening her moon like a disease. A part of her, and she wasn't sure how much of a part of her it was, wanted to teleport to the moon and fix the issue. She wanted to crush her sister's bones under her hooves, she wanted to see the white-gray moonscape painted crimson with her sister's blood, she wanted to hear those agonized, pained screams of her sister's pleading for her to stop that fell on her ears like the sweetest of musics.

And another part of her, thinking on that part that wanted to torture her sister so, felt cold and distant. The desire was there, and to vent would have been welcome. Her sister would recover from just about anything she could do to her, so she could vent and vent and vent, all without fear of accidentally killing her sister. Death was simply too good for that damned sibling of hers! Celestia deserved to suffer. And she could choose when to end it.

But she felt hesitant to act on such impulses. The impulse left an uncomfortable twist in her chest, it brought a grimace to her lips. She couldn't teleport the distance to the moon, not now. Not while she was actively suppressing the Elements of Harmony. Even if she could teleport the distance, she still felt hesitant to do so. She had no desire to see that damned white coat again. She had no desire to see that damned pony violating her moon. No desire to see that damned, lifeless moonscape again.

And it would still be torturing her sister.

She felt it was entirely in her right to do so, given what her dear sister had done to her. Yet the thought, 'I am better than you,' growling in her mind was enough to steel her resolve not to act on it.

Torturing Sister would have been the work of a monster.

"Um... are you alright?" Twilight's voice called.

The thoughts of her sister snapped away even though Nightmare could still feel that accursed presence on the moon. She turned her head to her student and gave a quick incline of her head. "I am merely thinking," she responded, then turned her head back to face the horizon.

It came quickly, and she wasn't prepared for it. She couldn't stop herself fast enough, and "Did you watch this with her?" slipped out.

More quietly, Twilight answered, "Um... I did watch her raise the sun... we... well... a few times we were here..."

Nightmare inhaled. Twilight didn't continue. 'You are afraid to discuss this with me,' she knew. It made her want to grimace, but she held it back. She slowly turned her head to face Twilight, then asked, "And what of her raising the moon?"

It came out more coldly than she had intended. The grimace slipped out.

Twilight nibbled on her lip. She had half the mind to chastise her for that, but she bit her tongue to stop herself. It wouldn't have helped her student's confidence any. "A few times," was her student's shy, high-pitched answer. It wasn't quite a squeak, but the nervousness was there.

"You do not wish to speak of this, do you not?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight nodded emphatically.

Nightmare reached out with her right wing, then slowly brushed a feather up along her student's side from about halfway down her back to her withers. She glided her feather all the way off Twilight's coat, then folded her wing to her side.

"Uh... we... I've not..." her student trailed off as she struggled to figure out what to say. For a moment, Twilight closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, then her student opened her eyes and let the breath out. "I only saw her do it in private a few times when I was younger." Twilight shifted her weight, then added, "Um, raise the sun and moon. I still saw her do it in public when..."

Twilight trailed off, and the silence following the last word felt pronounced. 'The Summer Sun Celebration,' growled in Nightmare's mind. Her lip twitched up, but not enough to show her teeth. "I see," she replied.

Twilight looked away from her and starred off towards the horizon.

"I am surprised she did not do this more with you," Nightmare commented.

Twilight blinked, then turned to face her. There was a lack of recognition in her student's face; the statement had caught her off guard.

'Why didn't you?' Nightmare wondered. 'Or was it because she is not comfortable with it?'

'I am procrastinating,' came to mind. She suppressed a sigh, then channeled more magic into her horn and cast the spell. She coaxed the moon up and watched. Seconds passed, and then she saw the barest sliver of the moon testingly peak over the horizon. She let her horn go dim and watched.

It wasn't quite as enjoyable as she had hoped. Her student's presence was nice, but it didn't feel as peaceful as she imagined. It was disappointing. She glanced aside at her student, who stared at that small sliver of the moon as she sat there.

She slowly sat down beside her and watched the moonrise. It was so slow and drawn out, and watching it, it was easy to forget that it was moving at all. The small sliver grew so slowly. It didn't care that it was tarnished. It didn't care that ponies despised it. It didn't care about whatever stress was plaguing her.

It just was; it simply ascended into the sky in a slow march that would have, once upon a time, danced in sync with the sun's descent. As she watched, she felt like she could drift off into her memories. Tens of thousands of moonrises, all watched alone. Tens of thousands of moonrises spent with somepony who lied to her and mocked her. Thousands of moonrises with ponies who weren't there by sunrise.

Hundreds of thousands of moonrises missed in her banishment.

"Wait... you don't have to constantly use your magic to move the moon?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare blinked as the reminiscence faded away and turned her attention to her student. The filly looked at her with wide-eyes that made her frown. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Surely you did not think that I have to constantly do so?" For Twilight to think she had to constantly use her magic to move the moon was utter stupidity.

Twilight blushed and tripped over her words, stammering and stuttering out incoherent nonsense she couldn't make out. The filly pointed her muzzle towards the balcony floor and turned her head away from her. Eventually, she managed to make out a very defensive, "W-well..."

"This is something I would have expected you to realize from being my sister's student," Nightmare stated dryly. "Neither of us had to constantly move the sun or moon in order to keep it in its path. Such a thing would be insanity," she stated. And as she thought about that, she found herself shaking her head and grimacing.

The thought of having to constantly use her magic to move the moon around? That was insane! The drain on her magic would be far too great. The time consumed would be too much. It would have been too much of a distraction to constantly adjust the moon's course.

She wouldn't do it. Consequences be damned. It would leave her too vulnerable; it would be too taxing on her concentration.

And then the fact that Twilight didn't realize that simple truth left her feeling exasperated. 'How could you not realize this!?' her mind demanded. She couldn't fathom it! It made absolutely no sense! If Twilight had been her sister's student, then the filly should have known and saw that Sister didn't have to use her magic constantly to move the sun and moon.

Or maybe Twilight had, and the question only now came to mind for her student to ask. It was still a stupid question.

Or perhaps Sister had lied to Twilight more than she knew.

The thought left her seething.

"I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to constantly move the moon with my magic," Nightmare admitted, "and in truth, if such was the case I likely would not," she said with finality.

"Wait, what?" Twilight asked, head whipping up to face Nightmare. Glancing aside at her student, she saw the lingering remnants of embarrassment, though it went ignored as Twilight asked, "Why?"

"The drain on my magic, the time it would take, and the concentration it would require. I would..." she trailed off and shut her mouth. It didn't stop a quick jolt from racing through her body. 'I should not tell her that,' snapped in her mind. But she wouldn't lie about it either. The fact that she had nearly admitted such a thing being beyond her capabilities? It made her uneasy.

Or maybe admitting that wouldn't be as bad as she expected. Twilight already knew she had limits. She had admitted as much.

She kept it to herself. "It is not something I would do," she stated.

Twilight saw through it. It wasn't a lie, but her student knew she was keeping something from her. The filly just slowly nodded. "Right... well. Sorry, I should have realized that... you don't have to constantly move it. I mean, I know that, I just..." the filly trailed off and let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know what I was thinking. That was stupid."

'Yes,' Nightmare's mind agreed. Instead, she comforted, "It is fine."

"I guess... I just hadn't thought about it before?" Twilight offered with a wince.

"Perhaps," Nightmare replied.

"How does it work?" was her student's next question.

Nightmare smiled. The mysteries of the heavens. If there was any unicorn aside from Starswirl the Bearded who could comprehend and understand how it worked; if there was any unicorn who could grasp it and deserved to know besides Starswirl the Bearded, it was Twilight. But the smile faded. Twilight was just a unicorn filly.

But her student would be able to understand and figure it out. It was something that she knew they could talk about. It was something that she knew Twilight would love to learn. 'Sister never told you.' It was another way to make Twilight her own student.

"I do not believe you are ready yet," Nightmare stated. Twilight's ears folded back at hearing that, and her head drooped. And she hated seeing that for some reason. "Perhaps in time, I will teach you," she offered.

Twilight perked right up. A smile nearly split her lips, and her eyes almost sparkled in the faint moonlight, as if stars shined from within her eyes. Joy.

She saw that look, but it passed her by. Instead, her mind lingered on what she said, 'I will teach you.'

Not tell; not explain. Teach.

If anypony other than Starswirl, her sister, and herself could grasp it, it would be Twilight. Perhaps not even Cadance could.

She felt a shiver race down her spine.

But before she could linger on the idea any longer, before everything could fall into place, her student said, "Um, thank you."

Nightmare nodded and looked over her student. It was a genuine thanks. Twilight timidly sat there, but It wasn't discomfort; it wasn't fear. Timidness might not have been the proper description of how her student sat there. Twilight was grateful.

It felt nice to have somepony thank her. It felt nice for the thanks to be so genuine and truly meant! It wasn't just a quick 'thanks' that was said in passing or without thought, but one that actually had meaning to it.

"Join me for a meal?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight slowly leaned her head to the right, then back to the left. "I am hungry," her student finally admitted.

"I imagine Cadance will join us," Nightmare commented.

Twilight frowned and looked down at her chestplate for a moment before looking back up at her. "How is... Cadance doing?" was her more cautious question.

"I have not spoken with her since last night," was Nightmare's answer. "So I would know no better than you."

Twilight grimaced. "Right."

"How," Nightmare ventured, "are you doing?"

"Um, I'm... alright?" Twilight replied.

"After last night," Nightmare amended.

Twilight winced, and her head drifted back to the right until her gaze fell on the moon. "I..." she drawled, "think I'm... okay." Nightmare saw her student swallow, then watched her lick her lips. "I... think I'll be fine," was added.

"You have not experienced anything like that before, correct?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight's eyes darted over to her for a brief second, then returned to the moon. Her student gave a quick, timid nod. "Yeah... I've never... well, I've never heard of anything like that happening in Equestria... recently. I don't think it's been like that in centuries."

Nightmare slowly inclined her head, then lifted it back up. "That was not putting too much on you, was it?" she asked. "I do not want to... push you too far, but I do want you to have experience with... matters that you are lacking experience in. It would be good for you."

Twilight grimaced but said nothing.

Nightmare turned her gaze back to Canterlot. The city was still mostly dark, but she knew it wouldn't last. Eventually, ponies would wake and turn on lights that would ruin the city's serenity. And then they would stay inside for the rest of the moonlit night and refuse to step out into the darkness, mocking her. "I am slightly concerned that we may have to deal with such dissent again soon," she admitted. "Likely in Manehattan, but I do not know."

Her student reluctantly turned to look at her and quietly, almost desperately asked, "It's... not going to be in Canterlot, right?"

Nightmare couldn't be sure. "I do not know," she admitted. "We will deal with it if it does transpire."

"Right..." Twilight muttered. "You know I'm just a filly, right?"

"Yes, I am aware of that," Nightmare stated. "I recognize that you are young and I do not intend to put you into situations you are not ready for, nor do I intend to put you in situations where you could be hurt, so long as there is a better alternative, but I do want you to have such experience. Sister would shelter you from it, but it is good for you to have this experience."

"Why?" was her student's innocent question.

Nightmare turned her head to regard her student's curious expression. "To prepare you, should something ever arise where there is no choice but for you to confront it," she replied. "And because this experience will likely help you learn to protect yourself."

Twilight frowned and slowly looked away from her.

Nightmare watched the filly for a few more seconds, then turned her gaze back to the rising moon. She wasn't enjoying it as much as she had hoped, but the same could be said for their shared bath. There was still some wall between them. 'We are missing something, are we not?' she wondered. There was something missing. She was sure of it. Perhaps it was Twilight still being unable to fully relax around her.

And she couldn't blame Twilight for that if that was the case. So she had to keep trying.

She tilted her head to glance at Twilight. 'You are still incomplete,' she knew. It weighed on her mind, and her thoughts drifted back to her dreams.

Twilight was hesitant to use her magic. She had power, she had knowledge, but she seemed hesitant to use her magic. She wasn't confident, despite her capabilities, or perhaps because of her capabilities. 'Is that why you are incomplete?' she wondered. But no, that couldn't be it. In her dreams, she had seen Twilight use her magic, but the wrongness was still there.

But it had been in a dream, and it had not been real, so she couldn't be sure. Yet she felt inclined to believe that even if it had been real, her student would still feel somehow incomplete.

Or maybe she was obsessing over something that wasn't the case.

Still staring at Twilight, her mind cried out, 'What are you missing!?'

Perhaps in time, she would figure out what was wrong. She just had to wait, and she was good at waiting.

But this wasn't one of those times.

She inhaled deeply then asked, "Shall we go have a meal? Or would you rather remain here and watch the moonrise for a time?"

"I am hungry, but... I don't mind staying here and watching it. It's... kind of nice, I just..." her student trailed off and turned to face her. "I keep thinking about... everything that..."

No more needed to be said. Nightmare gave a slow nod. She wanted to say, 'I have seen worse,' but didn't. Twilight perhaps didn't need to know that, and she doubted it would be any comfort for her student. Her student was not ready to hear of such things. Nightmare was not ready to speak of such things. "If you desire to talk about it, you may," she offered.

Twilight grimaced and said, "I'm not sure I want to... I... I don't know."

"If not me, then perhaps speak with Cadance or your friends about the matter," Nightmare suggested.

"Okay..." was Twilight's unsure reply.

Nightmare wanted to say something, but she hesitated. It was silly that she wanted to say it, and it was silly that she hesitated. She was Queen and Empress! She was the ruler of Equestria! Yet she was also Twilight's teacher, and wanted to grow that fragile bond they shared. "If you do desire to talk to me about it, I will not turn you away," she offered.

Twilight's eyes jumped up to meet hers. One second passed, then her student's eyes jumped back down to her chestplate. Twilight nodded slowly.

"I think it would be good for us to talk more," Nightmare added.

"I suppose..." Twilight mumbled as she turned to face the moon. "It... does help me... um..."

"Feel more comfortable around me," Nightmare acknowledged. Twilight gave a timid nod. "Yes, I can tell," she added. Twilight stopped nodding and winced. "You need to be more confident in yourself," she stated.

Twilight sat there and slowly turned her head to face her. "Can we just... watch the moonrise and not talk for a little bit?"

Nightmare's lips pulled into a thin line. "Very well, Twilight Sparkle. But if you do desire to talk, you may," she said.

"Thanks..." her student mumbled as she looked back at the moon. "I just... don't really want to talk right now. It's still early and... well, I have a lot on my mind."

"It is alright," Nightmare replied. "I think that perhaps it would be best to simply sit here and watch the moonrise together. Talking is... not quite helpful for relaxing, given what we have been talking about."

Twilight moved her head up and down in a slow, absent manner, but her student's gaze didn't break from that growing sliver of moon.

After a few more seconds of watching the filly, she turned her head back to face the moon. Not enough of it had risen above the horizon to mock her with her sister's banishment, but with each passing second, she knew it drew nearer. She tried to push it from her mind. She tried not to think about how even now, with her sister banished, Sister still mocked her; Sister still denied her the proper enjoyment of her victory.

She tried not to think about it, but watching the moon made it impossible.

Her thoughts drifted back to those one thousand years, each one blurring into the next and the last. Sister would experience that now. The thought should have comforted her, yet it didn't. Sister scarred her moon; ponies didn't see the moon unblemished. It was always there; it would always be there.

'And you grew up knowing no different,' came to mind, and with it, her thoughts shifted to her student. She knew, didn't she? But did her student truly understand? Surely she could not truly grasp it; surely her student, as bright as she seemed to be, did not fully comprehend it. Twilight knew that those black blemishes upon the surface of the moon had been evidence of her banishment; Twilight knew that those black blemishes upon the surface of the moon were evidence of her sister's banishment.

Her eyes flicked aside to Twilight for the barest moment before returning to the moon. The image lingered in her mind. Twilight's head drifted left towards her, and for a moment, Twilight looked at her. She said nothing. Twilight said nothing. Her student's head drifted back to the right before centering on the moon once more.

Twilight knew the scaring on the moon was the result of Sister's banishment. And that scarring made her student uncomfortable because she knew what it meant.

Then that was something that they shared: neither of them liked those blemishes dotting the surface of the moon.

She knew she didn't want to stay there long enough to see those craters come into sight. She was certain her student felt the same way. Until then, if she could force herself not to think about it, she could enjoy the peace and quiet. She could enjoy the company: somepony, her student, choosing to be there with her and watch the moonrise. Sharing in the beauty of the night, the beauty of the night sky and the stars. Sharing the tranquil peace that the moment offered.

But it felt like a lie, and that lie weighed on her mind.

The weight refused to let up, and the seconds dragged on with the thought, 'This is just an illusion, just a lie,' hissing in her mind. She was lying to herself, she knew, just like Sister had. She was lying to herself to enjoy the moonrise: she did her best to ignore what would come; she did her best to ignore knowing that eventually, those black spots would come into view above the horizon.

She felt bitter. Sister stole even the enjoyment that she should have had from watching the moonrise.

But a part of her hissed in her mind, 'It is your own fault! You were the one who cast that damned spell!' and it made the bitterness that much more pronounced. It twisted in her chest. The fire raged in the back of her mind. She sat there, staring at the moon and seething.

But if she forced herself not to think about it, if she forced herself to forget, then it still remained that she had company with her that she could enjoy. The bitterness and anger cooled, yet still lingered, denying her the enjoyment she should have had.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare glanced at the filly, and in response, her student fidgeted. Twilight might have even tried to scoot away.

That made her feel the scowl on her lips. She corrected it, forcing her lips to relax, but all she could muster was a flat line. She enjoyed her student's company, but it was still overshadowed by her sister. The urge to scowl was still there, pulling at the corners of her lips, pulling at her brow. But it wasn't fair to take it out on Twilight, just like what Sister had done to her wasn't fair. "I am..." she trailed off. What was she to say? How would her student react if she were to admit that she wasn't enjoying this because of her sister? Would her student even care that she wasn't enjoying it? Would Twilight be surprised that she wanted to enjoy it?

She wasn't sure. She felt uncertain. She finally settled on, "I am merely thinking," and it came out more coldly than she had wanted. The bitterness was there. She knew it. Twilight knew it. Her student kept silent.

She turned her gaze back to the moon. Her lips flicked down before she could stop them, and so she had to force them back up. "Sister," she growled.

She leaned her head back and stared straight up into the jeweled, pitch black night sky. Each star was but a tiny pinprick of light. None of the stars offered any help. None of them gave enough light to help anypony. But they were there, their beauty on full display, filling the heavens above. They appeared unmoving, neither twinkling nor shimmering. The air was too dry, cold, and thin for either. The stars, though beautiful, didn't give a damn about her problems. They didn't care about her, they didn't care about Equestria. They didn't care about how her sister had betrayed her.

In a way, the stars then showed that same damned pride that her sister had.

But the stars were still beautiful. They were still peaceful, and they comforted her. The stars didn't boast of their beauty.

The bitterness and anger mellowed out. She didn't have to face the moon and know that it was just a matter of time before that wound was visible.

"I think I would prefer to simply stargaze instead of watch the moonrise anymore," Nightmare admitted.

Too many had been tainted by what her sister had done. Too many had been lost because of her dear sister.

No. She wanted to enjoy the moonrise but couldn't. Not now, not anymore. Luna would have been delighted to watch the moonrise with somepony, even her damned sister. But Luna was dead, and that would have been so long ago that Luna would have enjoyed watching the moonrise. There was a time before Luna realized what Sister was doing.

Stargazing was better. It wasn't tainted by memories of her dear sister. Sister never truly stargazed with her, so the memory wasn't tainted by those damned, lying hugs and manipulative nuzzles her sister had given her when she raised the moon. There were no memories of standing on the balcony watching the stars while her sister was there lying to her as there were with the moon.

Sister simply ruined everything she touched.

Even her student.

Her head lowered and her gaze fell on that filly. Twilight's timidness was back, and seeing it left her feeling disappointed like normal. The foal had so much potential, yet she was blind to it. Perhaps that was good, yet it still made her want to scream. Twilight should not have been so crippled, yet that was exactly what her dear sister had done. Her student was incomplete, and it had to be Sister's fault!

And now she was just ruining the moment for her student, just like Sister had ruined the moonrise for her.

She turned her head to the left and looked out across Canterlot to avoid looking at her student.

It didn't stop her thoughts from lingering on Twilight.

She inhaled, then exhaled and stood up. She looked back down at Twilight and said, "Come. Let us go eat. After that, you may return to your tower if you so desire. If nothing comes up, you may return to Ponyville tomorrow."

Twilight nodded slowly and stood up. "When are you actually going to... teach me?" was her hesitant question.

Nightmare grimaced. "As soon as I can," she answered. "I... apologize for having neglected teaching you-"

Twilight winced, looked away from her, and drawled, "Well, it's not entirely your fault..."

Nightmare waited for Twilight to look back at her before saying, "Perhaps, but I still have been negligent. I will see to it that you have proper material to study when you return, and then shortly thereafter I will begin teaching you in earnest."

Twilight perked right back up at that: her head jumped back up and she stood up straight and eagerly. "Okay."

Nightmare inclined her head, then turned right until she faced the balcony. She strode towards the doorway, and she felt Twilight turn and walk around behind her. She drifted to the left, and Twilight came into place at her right side once again. With her back to the moon, it felt better.

As she walked into the bedroom, the thought, 'I do not know how to teach you,' nearly made her break stride. Once Twilight was clear of the door, she shut it with her magic, but her mind lingered on the problem, 'How will I teach you?'

What would be the best approach for teaching Twilight? Where would she start? The obvious answer was magic, but where exactly should she start? 'I have never done this before... what am I doing?' a part of her mind mumbled.

But she would figure it out. Twilight had the potential. There were so many areas to tackle! She just needed to know where to start.

Author's Note

I used to write Author's Notes when I first drafted/wrote these chapters, but I seem to have stopped because now when I reread and edit these chapters I find a lot of them lack Author's notes and I don't know why.

Overall, I am pleased with this chapter.

Symbolism. Foreshadowing.

Also, I am listening to Halo music while editing this chapter. Halo music makes everything better. Even the most simple, banal task becomes a quest to save the entire galaxy if you're listening to Halo music.

Chaos

Nightmare Moon walked in silence through the castle's courtyard. At her immediate right, Twilight walked alongside her. The moon hung low in the sky, still hours away from reaching its apex, still casting Twilight in her shadow. She tried to ignore the moon, but couldn't. It was there in the edge of her vision, almost smiling a damned smile at her. She didn't turn to look at it; she kept walking straight forward. She refused to turn to look upon the moon.

But she still saw it. She still saw those scars. Even without turning to face the moon, she could see those dark blemishes. It was almost screaming at her, and she felt so much pull towards the moon because of that scarring. It weighed on her mind so much more than it should have; It weighed on her mind too much. She felt like half of her mind kept being drawn to the moon. Even with all the problems and potential problems she faced, her attention was divided and unfocused.

Though perhaps for a short while, she could allow her mind to roam: Last night had gone without issue; the rioting in Manehattan hadn't resumed, and so the city was starting to recover.

Even though that recovery was limited to forgetting about what had happened and returning to the normalcy of, 'Stay inside at all times, because it is night at all times,' excepting the ponies whose job it was to sort through and clear the debris.

To her relief, the rioting hadn't spread outside of Manehattan, though it did not quell the unease the dissent gave her. All it would take was a spark, and then surely, surely, Equestria would be consumed with rebellion. And when that happened, she would be forced to take drastic action. If she didn't take drastic action, she would lose control.

And when she did take drastic action, she would lose control.

It was a lose-lose scenario. She should have devoted more thought to the matter, but her treacherous mind wouldn't cooperate.

The half of her mind not so drawn to the moon was instead drawn to the right, focused on her student and how soon, Twilight would depart once more. The batpony-pulled chariot was already prepared and waiting. As they approached, she could see the two batponies already harnessed to the chariot, standing at attention, just waiting for her student to climb aboard and for her to give the order.

She could have simply sent her student off without seeing her depart. She could have, but she would not. To send Twilight back to Ponyville without seeing her off was improper since nothing demanded her immediate attention. She would not betray Twilight so. Twilight was, after all, her student.

She could have simply teleported Twilight back to Ponyville. It would have been quicker and more efficient, but it didn't have the same symbolism.

She let her eyes drift away from the chariot, then caught herself before her eyes drifted too close to the moon. Her lips flicked open for a moment, then she forced them closed again, pressing them into a tight line so they couldn't betray her. Her eyes wandered back to the chariot, then jumped onto Cadance's form. She squinted at Cadance and wondered, 'Why are you here? Last time you were not.'

Cadance's head turned in a graceful motion, and for just a moment, Cadance looked at her. The lesser alicorn was thinking about something, Nightmare Moon could see it in her eyes, but she didn't know what. Then, Cadance looked back at Twilight, the thoughtful, almost reminiscent look still in place. Cadance's right wing twitched, and Nightmare's eyes snapped onto the movement. For a moment, she saw the feathers of Cadance's left wing dance above her back as the lesser alicorn fluffed her wings. But not Cadance's right wing. Rather, Cadance held it firmly against her side. 'You are holding something.' She scrutinized Cadance's wing, but there was nothing to give away that she was holding anything, let alone any signs to help her determine what it was. 'You are hiding something.'

But what? It wasn't a weapon; Cadance wasn't an assassin, let alone a fighter or a threat as anything more than a symbol and a leader. It had to be something small, because there wasn't a noticeable bulge beneath her wing, nor was her wing stuck out from her body any more than usual. 'You are here to see Twilight off...' occurred to her, and her head drifted to the right, then her eyes settled on Twilight's back for a moment before settling back onto Cadance's form.

Most likely, then, it was some kind of surprise gift for her student. She felt a draw of curiosity to know what it was, but it wouldn't be anything so important that she had to know. Sentimental, perhaps, but not important. Cadance wouldn't intentionally harm Twilight either. Whatever it was, it wasn't a threat to either of them.

She still felt curious.

She pushed it from her mind and looked back at her student. "When you return to Ponyville, you should find a crate of books that I have prepared for you to study," she said.

Twilight's ears perked right up. Nightmare couldn't miss that smile, nor the joy that flooded Twilight's eyes as they lit up. Twilight's desire to learn and study was something she could use to strengthen their nascent bond; but of course, she had been failing to strengthen that bond of teacher and student. The opportunity had always been there, but she had been neglecting it. It was another failure on her part.

A month and a half since her return, and she hadn't started teaching her student. Could she truly call herself 'teacher' at this point? It weighed on her mind, almost as badly as the scarred moon did. The thought, 'I am betraying you because I have not taught you,' came to mind, making the feeling all the worse.

Betraying her student. Breaking that promise to teach her student. The promise that was supposed to be the foundation of their nascent relationship. Twilight wasn't her student. Not yet. She hadn't had the time, or perhaps she simply hadn't made the time. And so she was betraying Twilight and lying to her.

The knowledge agitated her. It made her chest feel tight, it made her chest feel like it was moving and squirming around inside her body, and her chestplate was no help either. She wanted it to stop. She wanted to teach her student. And the only way that would happen was if she made it happen.

It was unacceptable that she called Twilight Sparkle her student, yet had not started teaching and training her. It was unacceptable that she wasn't teaching Twilight, even more so than those nations waiting over a month before acknowledging her! It ought not be that she didn't teach her student!

And so she wouldn't keep waiting. She had to act when she could. A part of her reasoned, 'I have been busy establishing my rule,' which was true, yet it still felt like nothing more than an excuse.

It was simple, really. She hadn't taught Twilight like she was supposed to, and so she was betraying the filly. And that reminded her of her sister betraying her.

It was unacceptable.

Her jaw tightened for a moment, then slacked. Dwelling on her failure to teach her student wouldn't fix the problem; it only wasted time. "I will visit tomorrow and I will begin teaching you," she affirmed aloud.

Twilight's excitement changed. It wasn't the same carefree joy that it was before. Worry seeped into it. Concern and fear pulled on her mind, breaking her focus, ruining the joy. "O-oh, um, okay," her student stuttered out. "W-what should I study, or-or-"

Nightmare wanted to sigh as Twilight tripped over herself. 'You do not wish to disappoint me because you were Sister's student...' Her jaw tightened. She hated that relic, and she hadn't truly begun to teach her student. She knew she would grow to hate it even more. She looked back ahead at the chariot and inhaled. "We will discuss it tomorrow," she said. "When you return to Ponyville, I would presume you would want to see and talk to your friends-"

"It-it's fine, they can wait until I've studied-" her student tried to counter, yet a certain disappointment had slipped into her voice.

Nightmare shook her head. "Do not concern yourself with it," she stated. "Speak to them. Spend time with them." She let a moment pass in silence, punctuated by one of her boots clicking against the ground. Glancing aside at Twilight, she continued, "Then study, if you so desire. I still do not know the full extent of your magic and knowledge, so I do not yet know where to start."

Twilight watched her. Nightmare turned her head to face Twilight. When her gaze fell on the filly, her student's stride slowed until she fell a step behind. Nightmare stopped. Twilight stopped. "As I have said," Nightmare started, turning to face her student, "I have never done this before. You will have to bear with me-" she licked her lips and bobbed her head to the right, "-because I do not know what I am doing."

It took a few seconds before Twilight gave a hesitant, reluctant nod accompanied with a quiet, "Okay..."

"Good," Nightmare said, smiling ever so slightly. She turned back to the chariot and inhaled. "And do not worry so much about disappointing me. I do not expect you to be perfect. You are not perfect." The thought, 'And you will never be perfect,' came to mind, yet voicing it was unwise, so she kept it to herself.

She glanced back at Twilight, who was, of course, biting her lip. 'That is because I told you that you are not perfect, isn't it?' her mind groaned. She sucked in a deep breath, then chastised, "And stop trying to make yourself bleed."

Twilight released her lip and swallowed. "Sorry."

"Do not apologize," Nightmare retorted. "Come."

Twilight hesitated, leaned to the right, then timidly walked forward once more. Once her student was back beside her, she resumed her calm stride towards the chariot. "And in truth, you may have already studied these books," Nightmare admitted. A scowl slipped onto her expression as she grumbled, "Sister did not leave anything behind so that I know where to begin."

"W-we can figure it out," Twilight stuttered.

"Yes," Nightmare acknowledged. She stopped a few steps away from the chariot, turned to face Cadance, and nodded. Cadance's contemplative look was now more hesitant, with the lesser alicorn nibbling on her lip. "Cadance."

"Nightmare Moon..." was Cadance's drawled acknowledgment.

For a moment, Nightmare looked at that insignificant tiara atop Cadance's head. It felt out of place; It felt wrong. Why was it so that she let Cadance keep her title and tiara, yet she did not wear her own tiara!? It made a mockery of her, yet it was still in her best interest. To keep Cadance and Princess Cadance was beneficial. How the lesser alicorn had helped with Manehattan was evidence of that.

Cadance wasn't a fighter, but she was a symbol. A symbol of hope for everypony to look at- and perhaps, a threat because she was a symbol.

Cadance begrudgingly had Nightmare's respect, even though she still hated the young alicorn. It wasn't nearly as bad as Sister, but she was still jealous. Ponies loved Cadance.

Cadance looked at Twilight. Some of the hesitation lifted, and a thin, rigid smile wormed its way onto her lips. As if asking for permission, Cadance looked at Nightmare. She inclined her head, and then Cadance walked around to her student. Twilight walked out from her side, and the two of them met and hugged in front of her.

The jealousy grew worse: both of her student and of Cadance. They shared a special bond, one that she didn't have with anypony.

As the hug lingered and the seconds wore on, a feeling of disappointment bubbled up inside Nightmare's body.

Both Twilight and Cadance almost melted into the hug, flexing their muscles to hold each other close, closing their eyes. They even went so far as to share a nuzzle, and watching that nuzzle left Nightmare feeling somehow cold. The coldness lingered beyond the two of them finally parting. Twilight stepped back, then faced her. Nightmare swallowed, then slowly licked her lips before turning her head to face her student. "As I said, you should find a crate of books when you return. Open the crate and see what books there are. I do not know which, if any of them, you have read and studied."

She paused. Twilight nodded. She took a moment to think, then looked Twilight in the eye. "Spend time with your friends. Talk to them. I will visit tomorrow and we will go over which books you do and do not know."

Twilight seemed genuinely confused by her command, but nonetheless, gave a slow nod. "Okay... why?"

"It is good for you," Nightmare answered. 'And it is in my best interest.' Her student would do well to learn how to interact with other ponies. It would help her confidence.

Cadance's eyes jumped onto Nightmare, and the lesser alicorn blinked in surprise.

Twilight frowned, yet her head still drifted down, then back up in a slow, cautious nod. Yet behind that reluctant acknowledgment, behind the confusion, Nightmare could see something more: Twilight wanted to be with her friends. 'But is it in my best interest?' she wondered. Twilight's gaze unfocused, and her eyes settled on Nightmare's chestplate.

'They wield the Elements of Harmony. Keeping them in check is imperative. They are threats, yet they are also potential allies...' she thought, bringing a grimace to her lips. She could not trust them with the Elements of Harmony. That was simply insane! To trust those mares with the Elements would be stupid. They would use the Elements against her in a heartbeat.

'Or... perhaps you would not,' a part of her mind cautiously reasoned. And she wasn't sure if it was reason or simply a hope. 'Would you use them to kill me if you had the chance?' she wondered with growing dread.

Her eyes drifted all over her student's body. Mane, head, back, sides, tail, flank. Cutie mark. She stared at the pink starburst for several seconds before her eyes jumped back to meet Twilight's. She couldn't be sure. She just couldn't. She couldn't trust that her student wouldn't do it just to get Sister back. She couldn't trust that her student wouldn't do it. Twilight didn't know it would kill her. She couldn't trust that her student wouldn't, given the chance, betray her in such a way. She couldn't trust that her student's friends wouldn't convince her to do it.

Nightmare Moon wanted to be able to trust her student, but couldn't. Not with the Elements. The idea of Twilight betraying her played through her mind, how she would have her back turned, then suddenly, without provocation, Twilight and the rest of her friends turn on her. Betrayed her. The thought left her squirming where she stood. 'Surely you would not,' was her hope. But, perhaps, that hope was insane and foalish. Their bond wasn't that strong. Twilight had a stronger bond with her dear sister.

She wanted to trust her student. But she couldn't.

Not yet.

Nightmare Moon inhaled, then calmly exhaled, casting the agitation the maddening thoughts aside. She inclined her head and told her student, "Go. Return to Ponyville. See your friends."

"Okay..." Twilight mumbled. Nightmare watched her student turn around, then walk around behind the chariot. The filly put one hoof on the chariot, then hesitated. Twilight's lips pulled into a grimace and her head drifted back to face Nightmare Moon. "Um... what time will you show up?" was her question.

"In the morning," Nightmare answered. "If you do not mind, I will come and we can talk as I raise the moon."

For a moment, Nightmare watched as Twilight thought it over, then her student nodded. "Okay."

Nightmare smiled, then turned to face the batponies. Both of them had their heads turned back to face her; they looked at her with pride. "Do take care of her," she commanded. They both gave quick, serious nods of acknowledgment: a single incline of the head, and wasting no more time than that. She turned back to face her student. Twilight sat down on the chariot in the center with her forelegs draped over the front rail. Her student could have looked anywhere she wanted; her student could have looked away from her.

But that didn't stop either of them from watching the other as the batponies took off and ascended into the sky. She watched her student's climb and followed the chariot with her gaze for over a minute, well passed when Twilight should have been able to see her.

Then she felt Twilight look away.

Nightmare gradually brought her head back down. Something felt wrong. Watching Twilight depart yet again gave her some insane sense of longing! She missed her student's company. A part of her wanted to laugh at how absurd it was. Another part of her wanted to sit down and brood over it.

She was used to isolation; she was used to being alone. One thousand years of banishment, and the isolation she suffered before that were more than enough for her to be used to being alone. Yet she still missed her student. 'I am too fond of you...' came to mind. And she was certain she was. Undoubtedly, she was too fond of that filly. It was insane, and surely it wasn't in her best interest! And that itself was insane!

She knew it was likely clouding her judgment. Yet she still tolerated it; she still welcomed Twilight's company.

She still had the audacity to hope that their bond would grow and solidify.

"Are you okay?" came Cadance's soft, almost musical voice.

Nightmare blinked away the thoughts and her eyes jumped onto the younger alicorn, forming into an immediate, distrustful squint. As she looked at Cadance, she felt the scowl on her expression and crushed it out. "I am simply thinking," she retorted.

Cadance's brow folded down. "You miss her," wasn't a question.

Nightmare felt a hesitation that was becoming too familiar. She lifted her right forehoof and calmly turned to face Cadance. "You are correct," she stated.

Surely she had to have misread Cadance's expression because she felt certain the younger alicorn looked at her almost sympathetically. Surely, surely, surely that wasn't the case! Yet that sympathetic expression lingered, making no sense, just like everything else since her return. Her own squint faded away and mellowed out.

"I can't imagine what it was like for you..." was Cadance's hesitant comment. Her eyes and muzzle even drifted away while Nightmare continued to stare at her. The memories sparked in the back of her mind. Cadance refused to look at her as she added, "Being alone for a thousand years. Not having anypony to talk to but yourself."

"I dealt with it," Nightmare snapped.

Cadance, muzzle still pointed away from her, looked at her, the crease in her brow growing even more pronounced. "I think ponies would like you more if you weren't so bitter."

Nightmare laughed. Her lips pulled up, she threw her head back, and she laughed. It was a laugh at the sheer absurdity of the suggestion. She stared up at the stars, laughing, laughing, and laughing. Cadance actually thought that would help! To think that there was anything she could do by which ponies would somehow love her! Oh, how incredibly amusing!

How incredibly naive.

The bitterness came back to the front of her mind. The laugh suffocated. Her muzzle drifted back down, and she leveled a seething glare on Cadance. "Do not," she growled, "pretend to know me, Cadenza." Her nostrils flares as she exhaled.

Cadance mostly held her ground, only lifting her right forehoof and limply holding it a few inches off the ground while her body leaned away from Nightmare. And she took a sense of accomplishment in how frail Cadance's backbone was, as it meant the young alicorn knew her place and was not a threat to her.

But Cadance was still a symbol, and that was still a threat to her. Ponies saw Cadance as hope, and that meant that as long as Cadance was around, they could despise her while they gave Cadance the love they had given her sister.

And that wouldn't change.

"It doesn't matter what I do, ponies will always hate me," Nightmare spat. "I could save the world from certain doom, and they would find cause to hate me, that is if they did not believe I was not the pony who caused it! I could free dear sister and they would still hate me and love her while she uses everypony without them realizing it!" she snapped.

Her legs trembled in rage. Cadance still stood there, not quite ready to flee out of fear, but not quite ready to hold her ground: if she attacked, Cadance would run.

But not escape.

Cadance's wings twitched at her sides. Carefully, the lesser alicorn bowed her head, though her eyes stayed locked in place on Nightmare Moon. The sight brought a victorious, ecstatic smile to Nightmare's lips. It was a victory that she so deserved! One that sister had previously stolen from her! Then Cadance nodded, and a bit of that smile faded away. The lesser alicorn lifted her head up, met Nightmare's gaze for a moment, then turned her head back to look at her right wing. Cadance unfolded her wing. Something white-gray fell an inch before Cadance's light-blue aura caught it.

Nightmare's gaze immediately fell on the object. A newspaper. A simple newspaper. 'That is what you were hiding?' her mind scoffed, then mocked 'So it was not a gift for my student, or did you forget?'

Cadance levitated the paper over to her, unfolded it, and then faced Nightmare.

And Nightmare stared, feeling her blood run cold as she saw the headline and picture. That victorious, ecstatic smile crumbled. She felt her lips falling down, but she couldn't stop it; there was nothing she could do about it, and then there was just a numb line on her lips.

"You're wrong," was all Cadance said as she turned to her right, then walked away. Cadance's horn went dim and her aura winked out.

On instinct, Nightmare caught the paper in her own magic.

The headline read, 'Queen Nightmare Moon Saves Foal From Fiery Fate!'

Nightmare stared. She heard Cadance walking away so casually, so dismissively, yet the sound of each step was lost on her as she stared at the headline and picture. Her blood grew colder and colder until her entire body felt like it was void of warmth. Her skin felt numb. She didn't feel the night air holding her body. The edges of her vision were almost black, leaving a small circle where all she could see was that picture and headline and flickering light in the darkened edges of her vision. And it all burned into her mind.

It was a newspaper from Manehattan. The front page headline was about herself. They could have put anything there. They could have written about the chaos of the rioting. They could have glorified Cadance for putting a stop to it. They could have written of the two young adults she had stopped. They could have mocked her, or blamed her for instigating the crisis. They could have brought up the arrival of batponies to keep peace, yet spun it as if it was occupation. They could have raged against the eternal night she brought, demanded the return of Sister.

But they didn't. Instead, the front page story was about her saving the life of a foal.

She didn't understand it. She didn't comprehend it. Her legs trembled. She wasn't sure why they trembled, but they did, and she couldn't stop it. She just stared at the headline and picture, her eyes jumping back and forth between the two.

Her mind demanded, 'Why!?' because it made no sense. She felt a compulsion to incinerate the newspaper. She felt compelled to teleport to a forest and make a city-sized clearing. She felt compelled to scream.

But she didn't do any of that. She was almost paralyzed by how little sense it made. Why would they have written such an article!? Why would they have shed her in a positive light!? How did Cadance acquire such a paper!? Was it true, or was it fake!? Why did Cadance give it to her!? Why!?

But it didn't matter. Anypony who saw it would simply know it was propaganda. They wouldn't care. They wouldn't believe it. They would still hate her just the same as before. Or perhaps they would believe it, but even then it wouldn't matter: they would find a new reason to hate her, even if the new reason was a lie in of itself.

'How did they get this picture?' her mind asked. She blinked away the darkness at the edges of her vision, and her eyes shot over the picture, taking in every detail. It had to have been somepony in that crowd, but she still didn't understand how. She was facing the mother after having returned the foal, so the mother was hugging the foal.

And the mother's look. Relief and gratitude! It was almost paralyzing, it shocked her so much. She remembered the way the mother had looked at her. It had stirred memories from so long ago, and looking at it now, once again, it stirred memories from centuries upon centuries ago. And that look was stuck in her mind. At the time, it hadn't done anything for her. It wasn't important, and it did not matter; there were more important things to deal with.

But now, the look almost haunted her.

It made her have the audacity to hope, 'Perhaps you are correct, Cadance.'

She stamped the thought out, lowered the paper, then looked across the courtyard. Staring straight ahead, nothing moved. For a few seconds, she continued to stare ahead as her mind churned. She blinked, then turned her head left, then right.

She stood there alone. There were no Royal Guards nor Batponies to be seen anywhere. Cadance was back inside the castle. Twilight was on her way to Ponyville.

She felt too aware of the silence permeating the courtyard. That silence was oppressive and felt overbearing. It felt like it was pressing down on her from all sides.

'Perhaps I will read the article later, out of curiosity,' she mused. She folded the newspaper, then teleported it to her chambers.

But it would be out of curiosity, nothing more. She crushed that futile, doomed hope that Cadance was right out with the first step she took towards the castle. Nopony would believe the article was anything more than lies, perhaps except for those ponies who had been there.

It would not matter or make a difference.

But perhaps it would help, despite what she knew. After all, she was not always right. And it wasn't as if the article would bring her any harm. It was, somehow, in her best interest.

She put it out of mind.

She tried to put it out of mind. The walk back to the castle had been too quiet. The moon didn't distract her, and her student didn't distract her. Instead, her mind kept drifting back to the headline and picture. It stayed with her, despite her desires to forget about it. It stayed with her, almost mocking her, as she trotted through the marble hallways to her chambers.

And when she closed the doors behind her, shutting herself in her bedchambers, the thought was still there with her. It made her want to scream. It had to be fake. It had to be fake!

She stopped, closed her eyes, then sucked in a deep breath. 'Why does this bother me so?' her mind wondered.

Before she could find the answer, she heard a crack.

Then she felt the crack, and where it came from. A flood of disorientation overwhelmed her, nearly knocking the air out of her lungs, nearly bringing her to her knees.

Her eyes snapped open and she froze as ice cascaded over her body.

She felt reality shift, get forced aside and warped, then cut in two and stitched back together in some disorganized, impossible way, like mashing the pieces of a puzzle together so that they overlapped.

Two serpentine eyes bore into her from every direction at once; nowhere was safe. Her eyes darted back and forth across the features of her room as tingles raced down her spine, as her black coat stood straight up.

One of the golden swirls shifted. Her eyes landed on it. She stared as the golden swirl unwound itself. Her breath caught in her throat. Her chest tightened. She couldn't breathe. The air grew thick with raw power, turning into a soup, then into something almost like a paste that locked her body in place.

A primal sense of wrongness overtook her. An unnatural sensation of primordial fear smashed down on her mind.

That golden line twisted, bulged out, then morphed from gold to brown. A pair of mismatched horns grew from the top, then an angular head winked into place. Two yellow eyes glowed into existence, surrounding crimson red pupils. A tail unwound from the body, and white spines grew out of it as the color broke from brown to green. Mismatched legs and arms popped into existence on the body.

A fang and a beard grew from the head, then a pair of lips fluttered into life, already smiling with raw amusement.

Maddening laughter filled her chambers, gradually growing in volume and glee with each second. The laughter echoed off the walls. The laughter echoed in her mind. She wanted to tear her ears off as that sound penetrated her entire being. The laughter came from everywhere at once, even inside her own body and mind.

The two-dimensional thing on the ceiling peeled away from the marble and became a three-dimensional beast.

"Hello, Luna..."

The beast fell away from the ceiling, spun around, then hovered in the air in front of her. She found herself unable to move as the world moved her closer to him. He tilted his head and gave a look that was somehow meant to be sad, with his lips drooping halfway down the length of his body. "Did you miss me?" he asked. The sadness melted into a viscous liquid that dripped onto the floor, which then sizzled and boiled when it hit the floor. Steam rose up from the liquid. "I missed you," was the cold growl. His slit pupils flashed crimson.

Her body once again became her own. Her gaze sharpened, her horn surged to life. "Discord," she seethed.

And with that, the world pushed her back to where she had been. Discord's eyes lit up in recognition, and he threw his body straight up and exploded his arms outward in ecstatic glee. "You remember me!" he bellowed in utter joy.

The joy faded and he leveled a glare on her. "Trapping beings of chaos in stone isn't very nice, you know. That really wreaked havoc on my schedule, and not the good kind!"

Nightmare's head twisted to the side in anger and she snapped, "Were it not for Sister I would have killed you myself!"

Discord's expression drooped in faux hurt and he mocked in a voice that one would speak to a young foal, "Aww, you know better than to say that Luna!"

Nightmare Moon's cheeks trembled from uncontained rage. She lifted her right forehoof, bolted forward one step, leveled her horn on him, then declared, "LUNA IS DEAD!" at the top of her lungs. Her magic surged out of her horn with enough force that she felt her body pushed back from the recoil. She felt a shockwave crash around the room and slam back into her, but she held her ground.

The column of dark blue light lanced towards Discord.

If it had been anything else, it wouldn't have survived. But it was Discord. The beam touched his brown fur, and in response, he laughed in jubilant joy! His body shook and shivered as he coiled up as if to protect himself. "O-oh stop! Th-that tickles!" he cackled.

Nightmare's horn burned hot from the magic she channeled. She felt the drain on her strength. Her legs trembled. Discord spun around one more time, and then finally she stopped. It was wasting magic.

Discord kept spinning in the air, laughing and squirming in response.

And there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Discord could shrug off anything she did to him. And no amount of anger, hatred, and rage would change that.

Her body felt icy as Discord finally righted himself and grinned at her. "Speaking of your oh-so-lovely dear sister," came his deceptively pleasant voice before it twisted to the sound of metal scraping against metal, "where is she?"

Nightmare kept silent and glared at him. Her mind raced, and dread welled up inside her chest. 'I cannot stop him!' her mind hissed. And then what that meant settled in, 'I need the Elements of Harmony.'

The thought left her feeling sick. She barely held back an agonized grimace. But she couldn't act just yet. No, Discord would find out if she did. She couldn't take that risk. She needed to take advantage of his overconfidence and playfulness. She needed to distract him long enough for him to grow bored and decide to leave.

'And leaving will mean causing chaos elsewhere...' she realized.

Discord brought his claw to bear, then snapped his talons. She felt her stomach drop out of her body when nothing changed. He could have done anything and she didn't know what it was! She couldn't put up any resistance to that thing! Her rule was in jeopardy!

And cleaning up after Discord, assuming he could be stopped, would be a challenge.

"That's odd," Discord muttered absently to himself. He turned around, left and right, right and left, searching for something. He lifted the bed up with a single talon, and his eyes elongated to roll over the floor. "I don't see her anywhere," he muttered again.

His eyes pulled back to his head, he set the bed down and then faced her.

Nightmare's mind raced. 'You cannot break the banishment spell? Why? How?' It made no sense! The only thing that could stop Discord was the Elements of Harmony. Was he just toying with her, mocking her and waiting for the right moment? Or was it somehow beyond his abilities? The banishment spell was the same one Sister had used on her, but it wasn't powered by the Elements. She didn't understand, and had no answers. 'You must not know where she is in case you can retrieve her...' she knew. She swallowed and matched his gaze. "She is gone," Nightmare growled.

Discord brought his claw to his chest. His ears fell back and he pulled his head back as he left out a defeated, disappointed sigh. "Oh, that's too bad."

Then as if nothing had happened, he perked right back up. "Well, it was good to see you again Luna!" he declared.

Nightmare opened her mouth, only to feel a cold pressure force her mouth closed. She stared down at her mouth to find a muzzle keeping her mouth closed.

And oh, how her body trembled in rage.

"But I have chaos to cause," came Discord's threatening voice. "Ta-ta, Luna."

She heard him snap his talons. There was a flash of light, and then he was gone. Her horn exploded to life. Her magic erupted around the muzzle. She ripped it off and threw it to the floor.

The overbearing feeling of primordial wrongness fled the room. The air no longer felt like a paste. She no longer felt as cold as ice. The feeling of being looked at from every direction disappeared.

Her legs still trembled as her mind cried out, making one single, simple demand that could never be, 'No!'

She charged towards the balcony door, threw it open with an uncontrolled burst of magic and jumped outside.

Gone was the beautiful purple and black tapestry of her night, dotted with those jeweled stars. Now, it was a mishmash of every color she could see. Oranges, reds, purples, browns, blues, greens, indigos, violets, whites, and every color in between. The colors boiled and shifted, twisting in on themselves, flowing and inverting in ways that made her head hurt.

Reality itself couldn't decide which color to settle on, at least not until the moon suddenly fell back under the horizon as if a ball had been dropped. The ice in her heart returned as the sun shot up into the sky, burning away the chaos and her beautiful night with its scorching brightness.

She felt the heat of the sun against her coat. The light burned her eyes. Everything turned far, far too bright. Canterlot was barely visible. She squinted, pressing her eyes nearly all the way closed, leaving just a small sliver through which she could see the sun-soaked, whitewashed marble of Canterlot.

"Princess Celestia?" her student whispered, nearly frantically.

Instead of feeling anger, she felt a subdued, distant sense of disappointment.

Then the light died down, the warmth faded, and darkness returned. The moon bounced back into the sky as if rebounding like a ball hitting the floor.

Internally, she screamed. Her mind screamed in rage and anguish. Her work had been violated yet again by a being she couldn't stop. She felt powerless. She was powerless. She knew she was powerless.

And she hated it. She hated it more than she hated anything, her sister included. Her legs trembled, her lips pulled back into tight, vicious lines and revealed her sharp teeth. She clenched her jaw as that fire and anger boiled and raged inside her mind and heart. She felt the pressure of the bite in her gums.

She flared her wings out and screamed at the top of her lungs, "DISCORD!" But the world didn't care. He didn't care. He laughed.

The scream ended with a choked cough. She felt something tear, then warmth trickled down her throat. She let out a gurgled growl and lowered her head. She coughed again, and specks of crimson dotted the otherwise pristine white marble.

A small portion of the rage subsided, just enough for her to think logically, even as the world fell apart around her.

Clouds swirled together in the sky, yet they weren't proper clouds. Instead of being true clouds made by pegasi, the clouds were a disgusting, bright pink color. Instead of raining water, some foul brown liquid fell down onto the world. The clouds grew in size until the whole of Canterlot was covered in the pink-colored clouds. The brown fluid rained down on her body, and she felt it stick to her coat and mat her fur.

It was almost like it was raining on that fire, but the anger and rage didn't subside. She had to force it back; she needed to think. She needed to be in control. She seethed as she glared straight ahead.

She licked her lips. Mixed in with her own blood, she tasted chocolate milk.

Had it not been Discord's doing, perhaps it wouldn't have infuriated her so much.

'My student is out there,' whispered in her mind.

Her chest tightened and her lungs deflated. Her head whipped left, then right. She nearly launched herself to the railing, then looked out across the castle's courtyard. Some Royal Guards and the occasional batpony remained at their posts, others raced across the courtyard, or flew in the case of the batponies and pegasi, for shelter.

She heard a frantic knock on Cadance's door, then the lesser alicorn answered it. She put the conversation out of mind because it would waste time and distract her. Instead, she planned and prioritized: 'I must ensure my student and her friends are safe so that they may use the Elements of Harmony against Discord.'

Then the anguish of, 'Can I trust them to do this? Will they be able to do this?' set in and twisted in her chest. They had to succeed, and she could not help them. They had to succeed because she couldn't stop Discord. Only her student and her friends, wielding the Elements of Harmony, could overpower Discord. She had to rely on her student and her student's friends.

And she wasn't sure she could trust them with the Elements of Harmony to stop Discord and not turn on her. The twist in her heart grew to encompass her whole chest as the thought, 'I have no choice,' came to mind. 'If I do not give them the Elements to use, Discord will win and destroy Equestria.'

But knowing that didn't make it any easier.

Yet another part of her, absurd as it was, thought, 'I am giving my student an opportunity to show her loyalty and prove that I can trust her,' and she wanted to laugh. It truly was absurd! She might as well be considering giving Twilight some weapon to kill her with and telling her, "If you use this on me, my sister will return," and expecting her not to follow through on it! It was begging for things to go wrong. The whole idea was foalish.

And she felt uncertain. But that didn't matter, and she was letting it paralyze her. Twilight would either succeed or fail; Equestria would either be saved or Discord would destroy it again; Twilight would either use the Elements of Harmony on her or would not.

But she could still maximize her chances of success. After all, the six of them would be, for a short time after using the Elements, incapacitated. If they succeeded, if they stopped Discord, then there was enough time for her to act. And surely they would prioritize Discord, the bigger threat, over her?

It would be stupid not too, and her student was smart.

So then it was in her and their best interest to deal with Discord first! It was in their combined best interest to be allies. It helped ease her anxiety, yet the world still fell apart around her.

'You are still out there,' came to mind again.

She pressed her jaw tight and scanned the sky for her student. Discord wouldn't know. At least not at first. He might figure it out. But unlike her, Discord wasn't a killer, and that was one of the few comforts she could take. He wouldn't kill her student to stop her.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't stop her student somehow.

Or worse, turn her student against her.

She fluffed her wings, then dashed back inside and headed to the door. She threw it open, and Captain Shining Armor jumped back. "Queen Nightmare M- what's going on!?"

And that question made Nightmare feel some sense of defeat that made her hate Sister all the more. 'You did not tell them!?' her mind screamed. "I do not have time to explain," she stated. "Gather the Guard and do what you can to slow him down. You will not be able to stop him, but I require you to distract him as long as possible while I deal with him."

The captain gave a reluctant nod, one which all but said, 'This isn't going to end well for us.'

She twitched her head to the side and growled, "He will not kill you, nor should that matter! You have your task, tend to it!"

His metal boots scraped on the marble floor as he bolted to perform his orders.

Nightmare ignored it and lit her horn and charged a teleportation spell. The world warped around her, then Cadance came into sight in front of her, skidding to a stop in the hallway. "N-Nightmare," was the lesser alicorn's stutter.

"Cadenza," Nightmare Moon greeted hastily. She flicked her eyes over the two guards accompanying Cadance, then met the alicorn's gaze and asked, "Pray tell, did sister tell you of him?"

A quick, nervous nod was the answer she needed. Anything else would have taken too long. 'Good. You did something right.' Cadance bit her lip and fidgeted on her hooves, alternating between holding her weight on her right legs and left legs. Her wings bristled at her sides, continually spasming.

And she recalled, 'You are not a fighter.' A grimace pulled at her lips. Cadance would perhaps not be much assistance in stopping Discord. Perhaps in restoring order if Discord was defeated, but not in defeating him. And for some reason, a part of her found some sense of irony in having an alicorn at her disposal, yet it was one who couldn't help because she was weak.

She inhaled deeply, then exhaled to cast it aside; it was distracting her. "Good."

"What are we going to do? Shouldn't you be trying to stop him!?" Cadance asked.

"I-" Nightmare drawled, her eyes jumping on to the two guards before meeting Cadance's once again, "will speak to you of it in private." It would take slightly longer, but there were things she could not say in front of other ponies. To admit in front of the guards that she could not stop Discord? It would be foalish and insane! It would show weakness and invite more dissent, this time from the Royal Guard! She didn't give Cadance an opportunity to say anything before she teleported the two of them back into Cadance's chambers.

It took Cadance a second to recover from her sudden teleport, and her mind screamed out, 'I am wasting time with her! I need to tend to my student and her friends!' But Cadance could still have some use in this situation, and so talking to her had its use, even if it delayed her. Rushing head first into the situation without a plan would get her nowhere. "I cannot stop him," she admitted.

There was one single second during which time Cadance just looked at her, recognition escaping her as if what Nightmare said had gone unheard. Then, Nightmare watched and saw it click in Cadance's mind. Any semblance of a smile, any hint of confidence or reassurance that it would be okay? It all disintegrated. The alicorn's lip wobbled, she took a step back, recoiling in fear. "W-what?" was Cadance's quiet stutter.

"He is more powerful than I," Nightmare related, "and I cannot harm him."

And oh, how she hated admitting that. The bitterness seethed in her mind.

"B-but you-" Cadance started.

And Nightmare knew where that was going, and wasn't about to let it continue, so she jerked her head to the side and snapped, "Yes, my sister and I defeated him once before!" She leveled her head once again, inhaled, then scanned the room, looking everywhere except Cadance as she said, "But I cannot do that now."

"But if you-"

Her eyes snapped onto Cadance and narrowed. "No," was all she said. Any more than that would have only further infuriated her.

"Then-"

"I will deal with it!" Nightmare preemptively snapped. She strode past Cadance and walked towards the alicorn's bedchambers. Cadance turned to face her as she walked by, then followed. She headed into the chambers, ignoring the unkempt bed, then proceeded out onto the balcony. The chocolate milk rain fell down on her black coat, making her uncomfortably sticky. But she ignored it. She scanned the sky, searching for Discord, searching for any signs of her student, hoping that he would not find her.

She could almost hear ponies screaming out in Canterlot. Buildings lifted off the platform and hovered in the air, some spinning or rotating, and others just slowly bobbing up and down as if in some liquid, only to bob back up again and stay in the air. A part of her felt a sense of hopelessness.

There wasn't anything she could directly do. She had power; she had authority, but neither served her in this situation. Neither held any capability of slowing Discord, let alone stopping him.

But she could still intervene. She could assist her student somehow. She could still make sure that Discord didn't find out about Twilight, make sure that Discord didn't hurt her student or her student's friends.

And most assuredly, she wouldn't make that stupid mistake that her sister had. 'You will not find out about her until it is too late!' came a bitter hiss in her mind.

Then, she smiled. She would be there, just close enough to watch, but far enough away that she wasn't in danger when her student won.

And the gears of her mind turned, 'Perhaps I can use your victory to my advantage,' came to mind. After all, once her student won, her student would have vanquished a great evil; a threat to all of Equestria and the entire world. She could use that, somehow.

Perhaps celebrating it. It would give ponies some reassurance, maybe it would even help smooth things out. And of course, her student would deserve such recognition. And her student would have gained more of her trust.

Perhaps it would help her student's confidence.

But that was all in the future. Before any of those plans could come to fruition, Discord had to be stopped. 'I am getting ahead of myself,' was her disappointed reminder. She glanced back at Cadance, who lingered in the doorway. "Do what you can to distract him. I will work on defeating him," she ordered.

Cadance gave a reluctant, timid nod.

Nightmare studied the alicorn's frightened expression and exhaled. "You will be helping protect other ponies," she explained.

Cadance's expression twisted, then softened. "I- I guess you're right."

"I am," Nightmare replied.

Cadance winced, then nodded. Her horn glowed, then flashed, and she was gone.

Nightmare Moon looked back out across Canterlot. 'You need to learn how to teleport, Twilight Sparkle,' occurred to her.

Once she finally got around to teaching her student, that would be the first thing they went over.

She channeled magic into her horn to teleport but hesitated. She could teleport to her student right then, retrieve her, then retrieve her student's friends. She could do that. It would only take so long, perhaps fifteen minutes. And then they could deal with Discord.

But that was assuming Discord didn't figure out what she was doing. That was assuming that Discord didn't find out and intervene.

Directly acting, then, was perhaps putting her student in danger. Directly gathering them was perhaps a mistake. It could alert Discord of her plans, and to do so was a mistake. It gave him the opportunity to react. Yet at the same time, giving Discord more time to sow chaos was also a mistake. The Elements would protect her student and her friends from Discord, yet the fact remained, they could be interdicted before they could act.

Her lips pulled into a grimace and she tasted the chocolate milk rain on the tip of her tongue.

She teleported back to her chambers. She walked to her desk, picked up a quill and levitated a scroll over. Personally gathering them would alert Discord, but sending a letter? He may detect it, but a letter was boring. Discord wouldn't care to investigate that.

She wrote the letter out, rolled it up and bound it with her seal, then sent it off.

The chariot landed much harder than it had before. Twilight's whole body lurched a few inches into the air from her sitting position, and she grunted as she landed. The most likely answer that came to mind was, 'Batponies don't have much experience pulling chariots, do they?' And that made sense, given that the batponies kept to themselves, and that she hadn't seen any batponies pulling such chariots before!

So the Royal Guard had at least one way in which they were better.

But that might also have been ignoring the biggest point: how the ride back to Ponyville had been a terrifying experience.

Of course, that was just distracting herself so she could try, and fail, to ignore the sky and the weather. She nibbled on her sore lip as her eyes jumped back and forth, and a feeling of dread left her with no desire to climb down from the chariot.

The sky was certainly acting up. At first, when she had seen the sunrise, her heart had swooned with joy and burned with hope! Surely it had to have meant Princess Celestia had somehow escaped!

And then the sun fell again, much quicker than it should have. Of course, it had been foolish to hope Princess Celestia had escaped. It crushed that wellspring of hope inside her, and as the flight went on and the sun and moon kept rising and falling unnaturally fast, it only made her more uncertain.

Princess Celestia wasn't free. She was certain of that. Instead, something seemed to be fundamentally wrong. And really, that was easy to figure out. Clouds weren't supposed to be pink. It wasn't supposed to rain chocolate milk. Grass wasn't supposed to look like a blue checkerboard.

A part of her wanted to blame Rainbow Dash for this, but seeing as though Rainbow Dash was a single pegasus and in no way an alicorn, she knew better than to put the blame on her friend, as much as she wanted to.

So no, something was wrong with her teacher. That had to be the reason why. Nothing else remotely made sense. She couldn't think of anything else that had the magic required to act on such a large scale. She didn't know what and she hadn't heard anything, but something had to have happened to Nightmare Moon. And it left her squirming where she sat, despite the paralysis preventing her from climbing off the chariot.

Though the batponies didn't seem to mind her staying there. A quick glance at them found that they were both squinting at Canterlot with the sort of look one has when somepony does something absolutely stupid, yet whatever it was actually somehow worked.

Twilight shook her head. Her chocolate-milk soaked mane flung around to the other side of her neck, then slapped her. Her body jerked and she winced. Her lips spread into a grimace. The reminder made her feel that much more aware of how she felt.

Drenched in chocolate milk. Her coat felt sticky and grimy. It was in no way refreshing. There was absolutely no way she would see Rarity out in this mess. Begrudgingly, she lowered her head and let her eyes roll over her coat.

"I need a bath..." she muttered. 'Or several.'

It was really going to suck if it dried before she bathed.

Resentfully, she pushed herself up into a standing position. She looked down and saw a puddle of chocolate milk where she had been sitting, and her grimace grew even more disgusted. At least she hadn't felt it. She flicked her eyes to the two batponies and looked over their leathery wings. They had an advantage over pegasi in this situation, and even if their sensitivity to the sudden change between night and day had made the trip unpleasant, she had made it safely.

And she wished she was still in Canterlot.

"Thank you for the ride," she said to the two batponies. Their squints disappeared as they both turned their heads back towards her and gave succinct nods. Without wasting any time, they went back to squinting at Canterlot.

She ignored it, turned around, then hopped out of the chariot.

Into chocolate milk mud. The ground felt soft under her hooves, and oh, how she hated it! Feeling the mud press up around the edges of her hooves and squish in against her frogs. Slimy, slick, and absolutely disgusting. Worse than the Everfree, even. 'Why can't these streets be more like Canterlot!' groaned out in her mind. But of course it was a small town, so they weren't.

She took a deep breath in through her mouth, sighed and lowered her head to where it was even with her body. The two batponies hastily took off back into the sky, heading towards Canterlot. She watched them for a moment and her gut twisted into a knot. 'I should be going back with them...'

But now it was too late. 'Nightmare Moon will fix this. I hope.'

She walked the thankfully short distance to her library, but each step was still a nuisance; her hooves pressed down into the soft ground and squished more mud up around the edges. Lifting her hooves proved challenging as well since the mud wanted to keep her hooves held in place.

She didn't even bother to knock. Maybe it was rude, but then she was staying at the library and almost nopony was ever there! She threw the door open with her magic, lifted a forehoof to march inside, then paused and blinked as seven pairs of eyes fell on her.

"Twilight!" was the group's happy cry.

All five of her friends rushed over towards her, among which Rainbow was the fastest, and it gave her flashbacks. Her eyes widened in fear. Not only would the pegasus undoubtedly knock her down again, but the pegasus was going to knock her down in chocolate milk mud! Chocolate. Milk. Mud!

She winced, braced herself as best she could in the soft mud, and closed her eyes.

The impact never came.

Reluctantly, she cracked open her eyes. The five of them were at the door. Refusing to come outside. She couldn't blame them and was grateful for it.

"Darling! You simply must come inside out of that- that! Whatever it is!" Rarity chided. Unsurprisingly, Rarity's expression was one of pure horror. Her eyes never stayed in one spot and constantly slithered over her body, and no matter where Rarity looked, Twilight's body was a mess that made her horror grow worse.

"Well, if you'd get out of my way I'd be happy to oblige," Twilight snapped back.

"Oh, er, right," Rarity backtracked and stepped aside, offering a sheepish, apologetic smile.

Twilight quickly strode inside. She inhaled through her nose, hoping to take comfort in the scent of books, paper, and ink, only for her muzzle to scrunch up from the smell of chocolate milk. She walked inside to the middle of the room and heard her friends follow her. Reluctantly, she looked back at them. They were, including Rarity, soaked with chocolate milk, and their hooves had mud all over them.

And they were inside her library now. Muddy tracks led up to where she stood, and muddy tracks were left all over the library from the rest of her friends.

'Great. Just great!' her mind commented. A scowl slipped out.

But still, it was better than kicking them outside and forcing them to go home and risk that 'rain' striking again. She couldn't and wouldn't do that to them. Besides, she had company. Good company.

Although she still wished she was in Canterlot. Or maybe she was overreacting again.

None of them asked her how everything had gone, and the five of them gathered around her in a semicircle. Midnight and Spike walked over in front of her. 'Something's wrong,' came to mind, followed closely by a sarcastic, 'Gee, I wonder what?' as she looked out the window. The very top of Canterlot mountain was obscured by pink clouds, and the city was tinted brown from 'rain'. She pushed the thought aside and turned looked back at her friends.

Spike carried a scroll bound with Nightmare Moon's seal, and a bad feeling welled up inside her chest.

"How bad is it..?" was her drawled question.

Midnight shrugged casually as if nothing was going wrong or out of the ordinary. It was enough to make her squint. "Nightmare didn't say. All she said is that I'm to escort you and your friends back to Canterlot by train."

"I was just there," Twilight groaned. Out of instinct, she lifted her forehoof to press it against her head. Fortunately, she stopped herself before she made an even worse mess of her mane. She inhaled deeply and put her forehoof back down. She looked at Midnight and asked, "Why does she need-" but her mind answered her own question before she could finish, 'The Elements of Harmony.'

The dread in her chest grew worse. She stood there, facing and watching Midnight, who just shrugged and smiled. "She has a reason, but I don't know it," was Midnight's casual response.

"Right," Twilight growled. She sucked in a deep breath, swiveled around and looked over her friends. She forced a smile and raised her eyebrows up, then called out, "Well!" before dropping the forced expression and adding a flat, "Let's go."

"Uh, okay," Rainbow muttered.

"Are you alright dear? You seem a bit..." Rarity fidgeted on her hooves as her gaze shot over to her. Twilight squinted Rarity. "Well, stressed," her friend finally finished.

"Like I said. I was just in Canterlot," Twilight answered. "And the other night was..." she trailed off and looked away from them. "We can talk about it on the train I guess..." she mumbled as she trudged to the door.

"Um, what about me?" Spike asked.

Twilight paused and winced. She stopped, then gradually turned back to face him as her friends all walked towards the door. Midnight even followed. Spike came into view, standing there at a loss, not knowing what to do and just tapping his claws together as he watched her. His uncertainty stabbed at her heart.

'I shouldn't leave him here alone,' came to mind. But could she really take Spike with her? She had her suspicions of what Nightmare wanted her for, although the reason behind that she could barely guess at. 'Why is the weather so messed up?! What's going on!?' her mind demanded. Of course, standing there doing nothing didn't answer either of those questions.

It was still probably better to take him with her. "Come on, Spike. We need to figure out what's happening," she called.

The uncertainty faded and Spike quickly ran over to her, then stood beside her.

She turned around, then walked out into the muddy streets. Spike followed immediately behind her, then Midnight, and finally her friends. Fortunately, it wasn't raining, but that still didn't make it any less unpleasant. She glanced back at her friends. They all looked to her for guidance.

Somehow, she was still apparently the de facto leader of the group, even now. They all looked at her when she looked at them and they gave her reassuring smiles. Rarity's smile was a bit more forced than the rest and was more of a grimace than a smile. Twilight was certain the mud was responsible.

But still, it made her feel better and reassured. Sure, she had no idea what was going on, but at least she knew she had five friends who would stick by her no matter what!

Just like that chocolate milk mud.

Author's Note

Some things to note: Originally there was a short ~800 word scene from Midnight's PoV, but I realized, "It doesn't really add anything important, so cut it." Secondly, unless I'm misremembering, this is the first chapter where the PoV switches between Nightmare Moon and Twilight- this is intentional and somewhat important.

Thirdly, chaos.

I'm slightly concerned with how I've wound up writing the 'action' chapters as it were in short arcs, which is to say that the Manehattan dissent arc ended not so long ago and now this is starting so close to that. Although it reasonably makes sense given that said dissent/chaos is supposed to have been the trigger for Discord's escape. Still. It also concerns me that it's such a change from how the story had been going to it beforehand, but I suppose it may be a welcome change of pace.

Originally, Discord's ordeal was supposed to happen around 120k words into the story and was supposed to be a major turning point in Nightmare Moon and Twilight's relationship. Well, it's a bit late, but it's still a very important plot point.

Lastly, while I have edited this chapter a few times and have had prereaders go over it, I did not reread it one last time before publishing like I normally do because I've not slept in a few days.

Discord Part 1

Canterlot's train station was a mess.

No, that was an understatement. Twilight stood on the platform after disembarking the train, staring ahead at what was supposed to be the train station.

The sun was a disco ball, spinning around and casting beams of light down all over the place. The sky was no color, and yet every color at the same time. She could see reality being fractured, like a kaleidoscope, or like a mirror, shattered into a thousand pieces, each offering its own twisted reflection.

Ponies danced around like ballerinas, yet their heads were the heads of rabbits, with their ears almost as long as her tail. A line of massive, pony-sized ants marched in sync away from the train, as if it was an invading army. Their pincers were large enough that one of then managed to snap a marble pillar in half as it walked by.

The ant didn't even seem to notice or care.

And the top of the pillar summarily fell towards the sky, only to fall into the, as Rainbow Dash had informed her, cotton candy clouds. The pillar almost made it through the clouds, only for the clouds to catch the pillar and launch it back down at the train station. And then the pillar came to a stop and rebounded again, shooting back up into the blanket of pink clouds as the clouds enveloping it were a rubber band. In the end, no matter how long she stared at it, the pillar kept jerking back and forth with no signs of slowing.

At length, Twilight closed her eyes, then sucked in a deep breath. Her brain simply couldn't process all she was seeing, and so it did the only thing that it was remotely capable of doing: trying to ignore it.

Unfortunately, that didn't really work because of how insane everything was.

Twilight opened her eyes.

Sure, there might have been a few things that actually made sense somewhere around there! But if there were, she couldn't see it for everything else- too much was happening at once, and almost all of it was something she couldn't process.

She turned her head to the left, looked back behind her, then to the right and once again checked behind her.

Her five friends and batpony guard all wore squints as they surveyed the madness. Spike hugged her leg, and for a moment, she wished Spike wasn't a baby dragon. She wished Spike was an adult dragon so that their roles could be switched: Spike could carry and take care of her, instead of her having to take care of him.

Her expression fell into a scowl. "I don't even..." she hissed at the insanity. As if insulted by it, the madness somehow physically struck her. Her head jerked to the left as she winced, and a short lance of pain went through her head. She sucked in a breath as she recoiled. She groaned and pressed her eyes closed as her head throbbed, marking the start of a headache.

"So... uh... this is happening," Applejack noted.

Twilight shot a glare at Applejack before closing her eyes and inhaling. 'Nope.' She opened her eyes and turned her head to the right.

Midnight stood right beside her, casually nodding her head as it drifted left and right. Midnight's eyes looked unfocused as she stared at the batpony. Then Midnight blinked, turned to face her, and oh-so-innocently asked, "Is it just me or does Canterlot look different from normal?"

Twilight stared at Midnight. Without looking away from Midnight, she was certain all of her friends did too. Except for Pinkie Pie. She saw Rarity and Fluttershy past Midnight, both of whom turned their heads to keep staring at the batpony. 'No, really?' came to mind. She clenched her eyes shut, turned her head back to face the marching line of ants, then opened her eyes.

One of them carried a flag that had the head of an ant wearing a golden crown. In the center of the crown was the map of Equestria, rather than a jewel. She squinted at that for a moment, then put it aside as best she could. Thinking about it made her head hurt, and really, even trying to think about it was a mistake. "I have no idea what is going on. I assume we're supposed to get to the castle?" she asked flatly.

No answer. Twilight turned her head right and looked at Midnight. The batpony shrugged dismissively. "Probably."

Twilight forced a bold smile and inhaled before calling out, "Well then!" She paused and let the forced smile vanish. More quietly, she ordered, "Let's go." She was the first pony of her little group to walk ahead, and the insanity of that wasn't lost on her! Excluding Spike, she was the youngest! Unless Midnight was younger than her, which she doubted. And she was somehow their leader!

But at least it made slightly more sense- or maybe she had lost her mind. 'Yes, that makes more sense than all of this combined!' Clearly, she was imagining all of this. Clearly, she was either dreaming, in a coma, or had lost her mind. Maybe Nightmare Moon wasn't even real!

Nothing changed.

She managed to take one step forward before her right forehoof slid out from under her. Her eyes widened as she felt that sinking feeling where one realizes they're falling. She shut her eyes and clenched her jaw, bracing herself for the inevitable backstab of gravity. She felt her chest smack against the ground, making her grunt as the impact forced air out of her lungs. "Ugghh..."

"Twilight!" her friends called out in near-unison.

Twilight let the groan continue for a few seconds. She barely opened her eyes before squinting. The marble looked glossy and oily bubbles slowly and spontaneously inflated and then hovered away from the platform. Where her chest hit the platform, there was suddy foam. 'Soap. Of course.'

Because that certainly made perfect sense.

She managed to lift her head up and look back just in time to see Fluttershy go sliding across the platform while spinning around in circles. The poor pegasus looked equal parts bewildered and confused, just staring ahead not knowing what was happening. Fluttershy didn't even try to use her wings to stop herself, rather, Twilight could see just how tight Fluttershy had them pressed against her sides. She let out a sigh.

Rainbow Dash landed beside her. Twilight barely had time to register that before the pegasus had fallen on her face, groaning, "Whaa..?"

Rarity yelped in alarm as she joined Twilight on the platform. "My mane!" she shrieked. "Do you know how hard it will be to fix this mess!?" was her infuriated demand.

To Twilight, it didn't look that bad. In all honesty, the chocolate milk rain had made a bigger mess, though working together, her and Rarity had managed to clean everypony up fairly well with their magic.

Applejack apparently had the most common sense and stayed back. Twilight looked back towards Fluttershy just in time to see her hit the wall. She winced and felt her ears press against her mane as Fluttershy let out a soft, sharp whimper. Her friend stumbled back from the wall, wobbling and somehow not slipping on the soapy floor.

Although the floor wasn't shining or glossy now.

Twilight looked down. The soap was gone, and the suds in her fur weren't even there. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "Come on..." she groaned. Not even five minutes- or perhaps it had been longer and she didn't realize it- and already this was a disaster.

Today had started off so well! And now it just sucked.

Manehattan had been better than this! Sure, in Manehattan she had been scared, but at least it made sense! At least she could wrap her mind around the 'why' and 'how,' but here? How in Tartarus could anypony explain this!? Wild magic? Sure! But no! Why!? How!?

She stood up wanting to scream. The very act of standing up made her head hurt worse. As hard as it was, she forced the scream back. Screaming would neither fix nor help anything. Maybe she would feel better, but it would probably wouldn't reassure her friends any, and they were, for whatever reason, counting on her to lead them.

In a way, it was nice. They respected her and thought so highly of her. They trusted her and had faith in her abilities, even when she didn't.

She stood there for a moment as her friends picked themselves back up and gathered around her again. Rainbow stood beside Fluttershy, hugging her. To her relief, she heard Fluttershy say, "I'm okay." Rarity fussed with her mane, using her brush to try to fix whatever had suddenly made her normally flowing mane a mess of tangles and sudden, jarring zigzags. She tried not to stare.

Spike clambered up onto Twilight's back and settled down on her withers. Midnight giggled, but Twilight ignored both the giggle and the batpony's teasing comment of, "Free pony rides!"

Twilight took a breath and steeled her nerves then galloped towards the street and called, "Come on, girls!"

In hindsight, galloping ahead to lead the charge was probably a bad idea. Fortunately, she didn't fall down again. She heard the galloping hoofsteps of the rest of the girls as she charged ahead and, unsurprisingly, Applejack fell in sync with her and galloped beside her effortlessly. Rainbow flew at her right, and then Midnight galloped at Rainbow's immediate right. The rest of the girls closed in as well, yet she somehow kept the lead. Her friends probably wanted her to stay at the front.

Even though galloping absolutely sucked. She was a student, not an athlete!

They managed to race down the stairs to the street without tripping over themselves. The marching line of ants turned to look at them, which made her fur stand on end, but nothing came of it. Eventually, they passed the ant leading the pseudo-charge towards the castle.

But even then, the street wasn't deserted. Ponies ran back and forth as pink clouds of cotton candy chased them. The chocolate milk rain shot towards the ponies, even against the wind, as if directed by some higher power. Some ponies even ran in place, staring back at the clouds, not realizing they weren't making any progress.

And that was just what made the most sense. There were ponies who danced in the chocolate milk rain, spinning around and around so fast they blurred. There were pegasi whose wings were on their ears, and unicorns whose horns were forks, spoons, and sporks. Fish swam through the air, their mouths opening and closing and bubbles aimlessly wondering out to drift up into the sky. Buildings hovered in the air, not caring that it should have been impossible for anypony, save for the most powerful unicorns and alicorns, to have done so.

The grass they passed either ended up looking like a blue checkerboard, or, if she made the mistake of staring too long, a window into some deep, dark, infinite void that seemed to hunger for something more. Leaves acted like they tried to fly away from their branches- sometimes even taking the whole tree with them.

It made her headache worse. And then she simply didn't care about what was going on. So what if it didn't make any sense!? She didn't care! It was too much for a filly like her to deal with.

Nightmare Moon would take care of it, she was certain.

But there were no spells she could think of that could do this on such a large scale. 'What kind of magic is this anyway!?' her mind cried out.

The certainty twisted into uncertainty in her chest, and she felt like she left her stomach behind in Ponyville. The doubt, 'She called us...' whispered in her mind, and then her mind raced with thoughts of, 'She doesn't need us, right? I mean, are we even connected to the Elements of Harmony? I don't even know how to use them! I'm overthinking this.' She tried to reassure herself, 'She'll fix this. She just wants to talk to us is all!'

But if that was the case, why was the world still insane?

She managed to believe her reasoning for all of five seconds until the sun fell below the horizon. The moon ascended into the sky, and her hooves skidded on the thankfully-soap-free street. Her friends followed suit, all coming to a silent stop just like her.

As the moon ascended in the west she stared at it. The mare on the moon seemed to be literally crying. The same sort of dark craters somehow jumped off the moon from where the eye was and arced down into space, where they sparkled like stars, before fading.

The night felt cold and uncaring, callous and distant. There was nopony there to comfort Princess Celestia, if she was crying.

And she wanted to cry too.

"Hey," Midnight called.

Twilight managed to look away from the moon. As her gaze fell on Midnight, she found the edges of her vision blurred. The batpony gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "It'll be alright," was all Midnight said.

Twilight wasn't sure she could believe it.

"Heck yeah, it'll be alright!" Rainbow called out, beating her wings harder to launch herself another foot into the air as she pumped her right forehoof up. She smiled boldly and swooped back down to her prior position and said, "We'll figure this out and fix things in no time!"

A smile pulled at Twilight's lips, even as her mind screamed out, 'How!?' What were they supposed to do if Nightmare Moon couldn't stop this!?

What were five mares and a filly supposed to do if two alicorns and the Royal Guard couldn't stop something!?

She took a deep breath and gave a timid nod. "Okay..." she managed to mumble. Midnight and Rainbow both gave her reassuring smiles.

"Come on, we got this!" Rainbow encouraged.

"Yeah, if anypony can figure out what's going on I'm sure it's you or Nightmare Moon, Twilight," Applejack voiced.

"I don't know, I think this is great!" called Pinkie Pie.

Twilight turned to look at Pinkie, then squinted. Pinkie sat under one of those pink clouds, her mouth wide open, letting the chocolate milk rain pour into her mouth, either oblivious to the rain staining her coat or not caring about the mess.

It was Pinkie Pie. But surely, she wasn't the only pony who thought it was weird, right? A quick glance around at her friends found all of them staring too, so no, she wasn't the only pony who thought it was weird.

"Pinkie!" Rarity chastised.

Pinkie lowered her head and frowned at Rarity as she whined in a high-pitched, "Whaaaat?"

Applejack gave a tired sigh. "Come on, Pinkie. We don't have time for this! We need to get to the castle to see what Nightmare Moon has to say."

"Aww!" Pinkie whined, her mane deflating slightly.

Twilight shook her head and turned back to look towards the castle. The moon silhouetted it. She tried not to look up at the moon, but she still saw those tears flying off. 'Is that my fault?' she wondered.

She felt a forehoof touch her shoulder. Her head flicked to the right and her eyes landed on a light blue hoof. For a second, she stared at it, then met Rainbow's determined, supportive gaze. "Right," Twilight mumbled. She turned her head back around and faced the silhouetted castle.

She could worry about the moon and Princess Celestia later.

"Let's go," she called. She took the lead again and her friends followed, right beside her.

"Twilight, dear, do you have any idea what is going on?" Rarity asked. "None of this makes any sense and I, while granted, am not as familiar with magic as I'm sure you are, haven't heard of any kind of magic that could... do this."

Twilight winced. She glanced aside at Rarity and found everypony looking at her for answers. "I... don't know. I've never seen or heard of anything like this! I... would presume it's something Nightmare Moon or... her sister... can do but..."

"Nightmare Moon wouldn't do this," Midnight stated.

"Are you sure about that?" Applejack asked wearily. "She did banish her sister and bring eternal night..."

The urge to cry came back. She nibbled on her lip. Midnight shook her head and frowned as she repeated, "Nightmare Moon wouldn't do this."

"Then who!? Or what!?" Rainbow demanded.

Twilight looked away from them and mumbled, "I wish I knew..."

The castle wasn't guarded like it should have been. That was painfully clear, as neither Royal Guards nor batponies guarded the gate or the doors to the castle. But at the very least, the castle wasn't floating in the air like half of the buildings in Canterlot, so it wasn't a complete loss.

The Royal Guards and batponies were, of course, otherwise occupied. They had passed by many Royal Guards and batponies alike who were doing their best to keep ponies calm and rescue them from the clouds. Somehow, the eight of them had gone by without notice or scrutiny. The guards were just too busy trying to maintain order, which was an impossible task.

Twilight still felt hesitant to just open the door to the castle and walk inside. There was no way for her to know what was on the other side. And Nightmare Moon hadn't greeted her, nor had any guards acknowledged her. So she just stood there until Midnight casually opened the door and looked back at her with one of those oblivious smiles.

Which reminded her that Midnight was a batpony guard. "Right," she muttered.

Midnight giggled as if the chaos didn't phase her.

Twilight took the lead once again and headed inside. Her friends followed her. As she looked around the room, she took comfort in seeing that the chaos hadn't assaulted the interior. It was much the same as it had been, with banners of the moon and purple tapestries hanging from the walls and columns. It wasn't as comforting as it would have been to see the tapestries she had grown up with, but at the very least it made sense.

There was a sharp crack that made her stop. She barely managed to face her teacher before Nightmare said, "Good, you are here."

Then before she could react, she felt Nightmare's magic embrace her. She knew what would follow, but didn't have time to close her eyes. There was another sharp crack and a double image as Nightmare teleported them to her chambers. The double image of the background behind her teacher made the headache worse, but at least her teacher had been a constant from one place to the next.

Twilight heard her friends all groan in discomfort, and glancing left and right, she saw all of them there with her.

"I do not know how long we will have before he returns so I will make this quick," Nightmare declared.

Twilight turned back to face her teacher and asked, "What's going on?"

And Nightmare's mouth paused and hung open for a second before it closed. Annoyance ran across her teacher's expression, and she thought she heard a faint groan. "And she did not tell you of him, did she?" was her teacher's muttered growl. Twilight barely made out, "Of course not," as Nightmare exhaled. Nightmare inhaled, then hissed, "Discord."

Well, discord certainly described what was happening. Although she still would have preferred to use the term, 'Utter insanity!' "Right, but how do we stop this? Why do you need us!?"

Nightmare's eyes narrowed on her. "You do not recognize that name?"

"Name?" Twilight asked. Nightmare hadn't said any names, or if Nightmare did, she missed it. "Discord?" she ventured.

"Yes," was Nightmare's quick response. "The Spirit of Chaos and Disorder. Discord," she said. Her teacher glanced left, then right, then faced her once again. "I am hesitant to continue speaking his name, lest he return quicker than he should."

"What's going on anyway?" Applejack asked.

Twilight looked left at Applejack and nibbled on her lip.

Nightmare faced Applejack, tilted her head and said, "He has escaped his imprisonment."

"And what do you need us for, exactly?" was Applejack's next question.

Nightmare didn't immediately respond. Twilight turned back to face her teacher, who stood up straighter. She would have sworn that Nightmare looked uncomfortable. Her teacher's wings twitched. Nightmare glanced at her, then looked above her and behind her. Nightmare's chest rose, then fell. "I cannot stop him," was her admission.

Her heart skipped a beat. "What!?"

Nightmare looked down at her with a glare and snapped, "He is more powerful than I. I cannot stop him."

Twilight took the slightest step back. Nightmare's brow twitched back up, then she inhaled and exhaled. The glare faded. She glanced at Rainbow, then Applejack. Both looked at her teacher with a defiant look that made her even more nervous. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Nightmare didn't apologize, but she continued, "I cannot stop him. Sister and I imprisoned him a great many centuries before my imprisonment-"

Rainbow cut in with, "Well can't you just-"

Nightmare's eyes snapped onto Rainbow with a glare. "No," was her statement. A few seconds passed, then Nightmare faced her once again and added. "And it would not matter."

"Why not?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare shook her head. Her teacher gritted her teeth, then she watched Nightmare swallow back pride and disgust before she spat, "Sister and I are no longer linked to the Elements of Harmony, which are the only things that can stop him."

And then it occurred to Twilight, 'And we are...' She felt a hollow pit form in her stomach, and it grew into a vast emptiness inside her whole body.

Nightmare looked at her intently and with purpose, and it seemed that her teacher knew exactly what she thought. "Yes," was her teacher's succinct acknowledgment.

Twilight's mouth felt dry. "W-what?"

"Do you not understand?" Nightmare chastized, her head snapping at an angle. "You and your friends are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony." Her teacher waited for a few seconds for her words to sink in, then she looked to the right at her desk and muttered in a low growl, "As much as I detest the idea I have no choice." Nightmare turned back to face her, then looked over her five friends. Once her teacher looked back at her, she stated, "You must stop him, for I cannot."

"And why should we help you!?" Rainbow demanded. "We already said that-"

Nightmare's eyes snapped onto Rainbow. "Defiant as ever, I see," she quipped. Then she inhaled. The anger subsided as her teacher recollected herself. "It is in our best interest. If you do not stop him, Discord would destroy Equestria. He is an existential threat to both my reign and Equestria. The entire world, even. If I did not need you to stop him I would do it myself, but as it is, I require you six to tend to him."

"So... Equestria needs us?" was Rainbow's much quieter question.

"Yes," was all Nightmare replied.

Twilight wanted to go scream and curl up in a ball. Why did her friends and herself have to deal with this!? Why did they have to bear the Elements of Harmony!? Why couldn't it have been somepony else's job!?

She would have settled for hitting her head against the wall. Maybe then the chaos would stop hurting as much.

Nightmare looked back at her, then her teacher's eyes wandered over her body in that familiar manner. The anger in her teacher's expression faded even more as the seconds passed while Nightmare looked over her. Then Nightmare met her eyes and said, "You are capable of handling this."

It was supposed to be encouraging. She was certain that was what it was meant to be. It didn't stop her from taking it as a lie.

"You're just going to send us against something that's a threat to you and Equestria without anything else?" Rarity chastized. "You do realize we're just five mares and a filly, right? Surely-"

Nightmare looked at Rarity and said, "I do recall the six of you facing me."

Rarity squirmed. "Yes, well... we all remember how that ended."

"If he's a threat to you what chance do we have!?" Applejack demanded. "Especially considering last time we tried something like that!"

'Why do we have to bring this up!?' An agonized wince rolled over Twilight's expression. 'Nightmare Moon is already mad enough, why do you have to remind her about that!'

For a moment, Nightmare looked back at her with an expression that seemed to say, 'We are wasting time, and there's not a thing I can do about it, is there?' Her teacher held back a sigh or a groan, or maybe both.

Nightmare looked at Applejack and said, "He is confident in his victory. He will not be expecting anypony to be able to stop him. He is arrogant. He will not harm you, aside from his," she looked away and mocked, "harmless fun," then looked back at her. "I will accompany you and support you to the best of my abilities- but I cannot wield the Elements of Harmony. You must."

Twilight nodded timidly.

Nightmare slowly licked her lips, then added, "Deal with Discord. Do not use the Elements of Harmony against me."

'I am trusting you to deal with Discord and not harm me,' went unsaid. It made her heart skip another beat. She felt queasy. 'If we turned on you... you'd stop us.'

Of course, turning on Nightmare Moon would be stupid.

"You said you don't have a choice. What's to stop us from using them against you after we stop Discord?" was Pinkie's genuinely innocent question.

Twilight glared at Pinkie Pie. 'Why? Just why?'

Nightmare didn't answer. She felt Nightmare staring at her. Nightmare putting it all on her. Her friends were her responsibility. Her chest tightened and twisted. It shook the glare from her face. "Girls..." she mumbled softly.

They all looked at her instead of Nightmare.

"We all saw what Discord's doing," Twilight voiced carefully. Of course, that was assuming Nightmare wasn't lying about it. But then, why would Nightmare lie about something like this? Why would Nightmare lie about Discord and then give her and her friends the Elements of Harmony? If her friends and herself really were the only ponies who could stop Discord and save Equestria from his madness, then they really didn't have a choice.

But it also meant she might somehow have the opportunity to rescue Princess Celestia.

Nightmare continued staring at her and the unease grew worse. 'She doesn't know what I'm thinking,' she told herself. 'She's trusting me not to...' whispered in her mind.

Breaking that trust would be bad, but even beyond that, she didn't want to break that trust. Maybe that was insane. She would have the chance to rescue her true mentor! But it would be betraying Nightmare Moon.

She clenched her jaws and swallowed. "We need to stop Discord," she affirmed. Her voice wavered. She slowly turned her head back to face Nightmare, then asked, "What's the plan?"

"I will leave that to you," Nightmare immediately countered.

'Even she's making me the leader! Why!?' she wanted to scream. As it was she grimaced.

"However, I will teleport us to the castle's courtyard. It would be better to meet him outside than inside, I think," Nightmare voiced to her relief.

Before she could say anything or close her eyes, there was another crack and double image, and the white walls were replaced with a pink sky.

Nightmare glared at the sky, then turned around and swept her head left and right.

Maybe Twilight could trust Nightmare, then. Nightmare was willing to trust her. 'You don't have a choice though... and I don't either.' She took a deep breath, then looked at her friends. Spike climbed down from her back and timidly walked over to Midnight. Midnight looked at her seriously. "Keep him safe, please," she asked. She glanced at Nightmare, but Nightmare didn't look back at her or say anything.

Midnight nodded without her normal, casual playfulness. Without saying anything, she extended a leathery wing for Spike to climb up onto her back.

"Take him to my tower," Twilight suggested.

Midnight nodded again, then took off at a brisk trot.

Spike looked back at her, his eyes filled with worry while he tapped his claws together. She watched him leave and felt an emptiness in her chest.

"I do not know where he is," Nightmare stated. "I would presume he is close by but I do not know. The Guard and Cadance are supposed to be distracting him."

"Uh, how will we know it's him?" Applejack asked warily.

There was a short pause, then Nightmare answered, "You will not be able to mistake him for anything else. He is a draconequus."

Which made perfect sense.

Twilight licked her lips, then asked, "Are you going to give us the Elements-"

"Not until he shows up," Nightmare preemptively answered.

Which she took to mean, 'Not while you have an opportunity to use them against me instead of him.'

'I won't...' she told herself.

"So... we just wait here for him to show up?" Rainbow asked, boredom seeping into her voice.

"This isn't much of a plan," Applejack flatly agreed.

"He could be anywhere, so it is in our best interest to remain here. He will show up, if only for me," Nightmare answered. "Likely, he will take an interest as to why the six of you are here with me."

The sky grew dim as the sun fell back below the horizon. Lightning crackled in the air, making Twilight take a step back. Rainbow landed, then she felt Rainbow and Applejack at her sides. Without thinking of it, she glanced at her friends and found the six of them huddled together, staring at the rapidly darkening sky.

The clouds started to swirl together and more lightning cracked.

Then she saw something like a twisted face in the clouds looking down at them, and she felt pins and needles race through her body, stabbing her from everywhere, inside and out. Serpentine eyes seemed to slither over her, looking at her from everywhere at once.

The feeling was worse than Nightmare Moon watching her.

Fluttershy squeaked and ducked back under her mane.

Laughter filled the air, filled her mind, echoing and thumping around inside her skull.

"Discord!" Nightmare growled out.

Twilight glanced at her teacher, who reared up, then slammed her forehooves into the ground. Her wings flared out and a burst of magic radiated out from her horn. A blue barrier flashed to life around her teacher and enveloped the six of them.

Rain, for once actual water, poured down in literal sheets, making the shield bend inward, yet it held back the downpour.

"Tch, tch, tch," came a chastizing click.

There was a flash of white, then directly outside of that blue shield, in front of her teacher, a being appeared sitting in a gray and black throne that hovered in the air. His eyes were yellow with crimson red slit pupils. A jagged antler and lumpy horn grew from the top of his head, and a black mane descended down the back of his long neck. His body was long and thin, almost snakelike, right at home on the red cushions. Looking at him sent shivers down her spine. His neck was covered in gray fur, while his body was covered in reddish-brown fur. His limbs were mismatched, each one coming from a different species.

Twilight had a moment of clarity when looking at him, and she deduced that yes, Nightmare was right. You couldn't mistake him for anything else. He was clearly a draconequus, but a twisted one. She had never seen a real draconequus, let alone one like that thing.

"You started a party without me!?" was the draconequus' complaint. His eyes widened as he leaned forward, then slithered out of his throne like a snake. He curled in the air and then unwrapped himself. He grinned at Nightmare Moon, then at her and her friends. He brought his claw and paw together a scheming manner that made her feel a sudden sense of panic surge through her body. It was only because her friends were right there with her that she didn't bolt.

She heard Nightmare growl and saw her teacher lower her head so that her horn was pointed right at him.

"I guess that makes me the game master, doesn't it now?" came Discord's calm tease.

"I think not," Nightmare hissed. Another flash of magic emanated from her horn.

Nothing happened, other than Discord's smile twisting further up. "Awww, Luna," he moaned.

'Luna,' repeated in her mind. Luna? Glancing at her teacher, the name seemed to only further infuriate her. Nightmare's legs trembled and her lips were pulled back, baring her teeth at the draconequus. Luna. Nightmare Moon knew that name. Discord called her Luna. The first references to Nightmare Moon only happened after her banishment. She couldn't recall reading the name Luna anywhere, but nor could she recall reading the name Nightmare Moon anywhere but Predictions and Prophecies.

And surely, Nightmare Moon hadn't been her name before her banishment? What sort of name would that have been? It didn't sit right with her.

She felt a vague sense of recognition, then it slammed into her, 'That's... what the batponies were going to call you... Princess Luna...'

Princess Luna. That had been her name before she became Nightmare Moon.

"Luna," Nightmare growled in a calm yet irate voice, "is dead."

Discord only laughed. "Aww, little Woona's throwing a temper tantrum, is she?" he mocked. The barrier shattered and a column of blue light exploded out from Nightmare's horn.

The beam lurched at Discord, then went right through his neck, leaving a completely clean hole the size of her hoof through his neck. The color in the inside was, rather than a bloody mess, simply the same color as his neck, albeit darker. It simply looked like she had cut through butter.

And Discord entirely ignored it, even as Nightmare trembled in rage. He threw his arms out and bellowed, "Well, I know what'll cheer you right up!"

He snapped a talon, and her heart sank as soon as the white light faded. "Looking for these?" he mocked, waving those six Elements of Harmony around without a care in the world.

Twilight blinked, and Nightmare's glare was gone. Her teacher didn't even tremble; Nightmare Moon was frozen stiff.

Fear.

Nightmare Moon was scared.

Discord idly looked over each of the Elements of Harmony in turn, as if scrutinizing a piece of art. They hovered in the air oblivious. He reached out and touched the Element of Magic, only to quickly pull his talon back and let out a wild, "Yeeouch!" He shook his hand, and smoke wafted into the air from his burnt claw. Finally, he stuck it in his mouth to suck on it before pulling it back out like nothing had happened. "That thing's dangerous," he stated bluntly, balling his talon up into a fist and pointing at it with his thumb.

The Elements flew aside, then disappeared in a flash of white light.

Discord looked at her. She looked at Nightmare. Her teacher was still. Discord slithered towards her, then pressed his nose against hers.

Twilight's blood ran cold as he stared directly into her eyes. "Ah, well, what have we here!?" he bellowed with a chuckle. His head snapped back. He lifted his head up into the air and brought a claw to stroke his goatee. "You seem familiar somehow..." he muttered.

A lightbulb glowed over his head and his eyes likewise lit up. "Ah! You're Celestia's student!" he called out, once again uncoiling his body with glee. The glee faded as quickly as it came and he mumbled, "Shame she's not here right now." Then the glee was back.

"Leave her alone," was Nightmare's infinitely cold threat.

Discord paused as if surprised, then spun around to face her teacher.

The ice filling her veins seemed to recede, but she still felt her legs trembling, even with her friends pressed up against her.

"Bah, what would you care?" Discord dismissed.

Then, the world shifted around her. She was in the air, and rather than feeling her friends against her side, she felt some serpentine body against her left, and an arm wrapped under her right foreleg to hold her there. A feeling of absolute horror and violation surged through her as she looked down at her teacher and felt Discord's body rumble as he chuckled.

"Now you," he said as his face leaned down to look directly at her, "are an interesting one!"

There was another flash of light, blue this time, and the feeling of touching that thing faded. She could still feel his presence lingering on her coat, like grime and smoke, but he wasn't touching her.

Nightmare stood in front of her and off to her right, with her black wing reached out, blocking Discord's view of her. She still felt like he was staring right at her through that sheltering wing. "You'll not do that again," Nightmare snapped.

Discord's gaze crawled off of her, and he burst into a fit of laughter that made Nightmare's wing flinch. The laughter echoed in her mind.

Somepony hugged her. She squeaked in fear and her head whipped around, only to immediately feel relieved: Fluttershy was hugging her, and the hug was surprisingly strong.

Rainbow jumped into the air and then flew over into Discord's face. She glared and shouted, "Hey! You leave her alone!"

Discord hovered higher into the air to where Nightmare's wing didn't block him, then flicked Rainbow in the nose with a talon, making Rainbow squeak and then shoot back at a speed that was too fast for her to recover.

She bit her lip as she watched her friend flail towards a wall, only for Rainbow to right herself and fly right back at Discord.

And then punch him in the face with her forehoof.

His body bent back in recoil and his paw and talon grasped at his face. He looked at Rainbow with a befuddled expression.

And Twilight just blinked. 'Of course. Leave it to Rainbow to get us killed.' And she didn't even care at this point.

Discord rubbed his nose, then gave an indignant, "That was rude!"

"Give us the Elements of Harmony back!" Applejack demanded.

He closed his eyes and turned his head away, folding his arms over his chest. "Now why would I do that? I'm the game master now and you haven't completed your quest yet!" Discord scoffed. "I can't just give you the best loot when you're only level one! You have to grind for it or pay an exorbitant fee for a chance to get them."

"Uh, quest?" Twilight voiced.

Discord opened his eyes and looked at her. "Oh, right!" he backtracked. "First, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Discord!" he bellowed. Lightning cracked in the sky above him. "Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony!"

"We know, Nightmare Moon told us," Rainbow groaned.

Discord sent her a quick glare and dismissively said, "Hush." He turned to face her teacher, then said. "And Luna, that was rather rude," he stated matter of factly. "You introduced them to me but not me to them!" he whined.

Nightmare sucked in a breath, then said, "Discord, your doom. Your doom, Discord."

Discord chuckled. "Ah, not quite what I was expecting! You're getting better Luna!"

"Luna?" Rainbow grumbled.

Nightmare shot daggers at Rainbow Dash, enough to make her squeak and fly a little closer to the ground. "You'll not repeat that name."

And that was it. Twilight was certain that was Nightmare Moon's name. Luna. Princess Luna. She wanted to ask about it, but she couldn't. Not now, not until after Discord was dealt with. To ask now would have been stupid. Although she wasn't sure that Nightmare would be much more willing to talk about it later.

Luna was a nice name.

"I think somepony woke up on the wrong side of bed," was Discord's comment. "Or maybe the left side."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Pinkie asked curiously. "Because it really wasn't," she said in a dull monotone.

Everypony collectively ignored her. Discord did too.

"Now, where was I?" Discord asked. "Oh, yes, yes, of course. The game-"

"I thought it was supposed to be a quest," Rainbow muttered.

Discord squinted at her and replied, "I thought I told you to hush? Oh, bah, no matter." He reached over and a zipper appeared on Rainbow's lips. Then he pulled it closed, much to Rainbow's alarm. Her wings shot out and she fell to the ground, then tried to pull the zipper open with her hooves, to no success.

Rainbow mumbled something frantically, but it was impossible to tell what for the zipper. "Much better!" Discord called out jubilantly. "Now. The riddle. Solve it and you can have your silly little gems back. Fail, and I keep them. Sounds fair, right!?"

"No!" Applejack shouted back.

"Too bad! I'm Discord!" was his retort.

"Fine, we will play your game," Nightmare hissed.

Discord hovered over to her teacher and then curled his body around her neck like a snake. "Now, now, Luna, it's for the adults. And Twilight. Not you. You don't get to help them." He unwound himself from her teacher, then hovered over to her.

Twilight stepped back instinctively, pulling Fluttershy back with her. Fluttershy whimpered and held onto her even tighter. Discord ignored her distress and slithered around her neck, and the feeling of his serpentine body wrapping around her paralyzed her in fear. Pins raced through her body, pricking her all over.

Nightmare growled. She overcame the fear that stopped her from looking away from Discord for a slight instant and glanced at her teacher. Nightmare glared at Discord wrapped around her neck, jaw clenched. But Nightmare didn't do anything. Her teacher couldn't do anything. 'You want to stop him...'

Discord glanced aside at Nightmare, snapped a talon, and a muzzle appeared and clamped Nightmare's mouth shut. Nightmare's magic ripped the muzzle off to reveal an infuriated scowl. Her eyes were nearly on fire.

Discord ignored it and looked back at her. "Now listen closely," he said, "Because I'm only going to say this once. You'll find your precious Elements back where the end began and the beginning ended; the place where night became day and day became night."

Twilight wasn't sure whether it was his voice or his close proximity, but something made her shiver. Discord uncoiled from her neck, and feeling his body gliding over her fur made her shiver even more. Once his tail was gone from her neck, it brushed against her jaw, making her flinch.

Discord slithered up into the air, then seated himself on his throne once more. He brought his paw and talon together, then leaned forward. Out of all of the ponies present, Nightmare Moon included, he looked at her, as if she was somehow the most interesting pony in the bunch. Not the alicorn, not any of the adults. Her.

Once again, Nightmare's wing extended out to block Discord from her sight. She still felt his eyes crawling over her skin, even with that wing in the way.

She saw a flash of light from around the edges of Nightmare's wings and heard the crack of his magic. For a few seconds, Nightmare's wing lingered in place, then it lowered and her teacher folded it back to her side.

Discord was gone, but she still felt violated.

She looked to her teacher for help, comfort, anything. Nightmare didn't immediately look back at her. Instead, she watched her teacher's eyes jump back and forth, studying the sky. Thunder cracked again and the dark clouds swirled together, then the rain returned- chocolate milk this time.

A blue barrier snapped to life around them, blocking out the rain. Everypony except Pinkie was grateful. Pinkie let out a high-pitched, "Aww!"

"Well, now what?" Rainbow asked.

"I guess we solve his riddle?" Applejack suggested.

"If it's solvable," Rarity groaned.

Twilight looked away from Nightmare and turned to her friends. They slowly meandered over towards her. Fluttershy finally let up on hugging her and took a step back towards the others.

They all looked at her. She looked at her teacher. Nightmare looked back at her and said, "I cannot help you. He would not allow it, or I would." Then her teacher paused, turned to face her and bit her lips. That look of uncertainty crossed her teacher's expression for a moment as Nightmare seemed to struggle to find what to say. Eventually, her expression hardened and she voiced, "Do not trust him."

Twilight's mouth felt dry. She gave a quick nod.

Nightmare's eyes jumped off of her. "And be careful," was added.

Twilight nodded slowly and turned her head to her friends. "Well... any ideas?"

Sighs, groans, and shrugs were her friends' responses.

Twilight grimaced and held back a groan. "Right..." she muttered. She looked down at the ground and winced.

Why did it seem like everything was being put on her?

Discord's voice whispered in her mind, 'Why not? As fun as ruling the world is, it's far more fun to play with you little ponies! Your reactions are always so priceless! And you? You are by far the most interesting pony I've seen in, well, a long, long time, Twilight Sparkle.' Pins ran through her whole body.

Her eyes jumped off the ground and landed on Nightmare's side. 'Discord!?'

'Of course!' Discord's voice called back.

'Either I'm imagining things or-'

'I assure you Twilight Sparkle, you're not imagining this,' Discord's voice dismissed.

'How?'

'Spirit of Chaos. Discord. Nice to meet you.'

Twilight looked around. Nopony stared at her. 'What do you want?'

'That's a good question, Twilight Sparkle. But it's a boring question, now isn't it?' Discord's voice asked. Twilight heard his chuckle echo in her mind. The chuckle came from everywhere inside of her mind, making her want to run away. She fought the urge off and held her ground. As much as she wanted to, she knew running away wouldn't help. 'Tch, tch, tch,' came Discord's mocking tone as if he was treating her as a young foal. 'You sure agreed to be Nightmare Moon's student awfully fast, now didn't you?' he asked innocently. 'Makes me wonder if you actually care about Celestia... I wonder what other ponies think of that?'

A jolt of panic squeezed through her mind. 'You're wrong! I do care about Princess Celestia! She's my mentor!'

'Is or was? And Nightmare Moon is your mentor now, but you don't seem to value that very much, now do you?'

An edge of doubt crept into her mind. 'I do...'

'Hmm, really? Could have fooled me, with all your freaking out about her and freaking out about freaking out. You don't trust her, and you know she doesn't trust you. Makes me wonder why you'd agree, other than to save your own skin.'

'There's a lot she can teach me-'

Twilight felt Discord smile. 'There's a lot I can teach you, Twilight Sparkle. So what do you say, why not become my student instead? Just think of all the fun we could have! Reality could be our own little plaything! No rules... no order!'

'No,' was all she had to say in response to that.

'Hmm. Fine. But don't think this is over! I really think we'd make a great team together! Why, just picture it! The two of us, flying around and sowing chaos everywhere!' Discord laughed. 'It would be so much more fun than being Luna's student. Eugh. You know there's reasons why she never took students. Though I suppose it is in her best interests to keep you around as her student... wielding the Elements of Harmony and all that.'

'Oh, and I suppose those mares have some reason to keep you around. Free labor, right?' he whispered. 'Plus they get to say they're friends with Twilight Sparkle! It really is in their best interests too. Do they really care about you?'

Her jaw tightened. 'They do!' her mind shot back. 'They stuck by me when we tried to stop Nightmare Moon!'

'And where were they after you lost, hmm? Where were they when you were stuck in Canterlot with Nightmare Moon?'

How did Discord even know that? Nightmare said he had been imprisoned, so how could he know!?

'I know many things, Twilight Sparkle,' came his calm voice.

Her hooves all scooted closer together and she bit down on her lip harder.

'We'll be in touch...' he promised.

A few seconds passed in silence. She let up on biting her lip.

She couldn't trust Discord. It was in Discord's best interest to stop her from defeating him, assuming she could. If Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia could teach her so much, then how much more could Discord teach her? But what would that knowledge matter if the rules of reality were rewritten on a whim!

She swallowed and stepped to the left. Nightmare didn't notice it, or if she did, she said nothing.

What had been Discord's riddle? "We'll find the Elements of Harmony back where the end began and the beginning ended, where night became day and day became night..." she mumbled. A grimace pulled at her lips. What ended? What began? Where did the night become day?

"Canterlot?" Rainbow suggested. "Uh, where was he imprisoned?"

"He was kept here in Canterlot," Nightmare answered. "Imprisoned in stone by the Elements of Harmony."

"So Canterlot then?" Rainbow asked again.

'Does that make sense?' she asked herself. "Wait... Discord's the, um, Spirit of Chaos, right? Why would he want it to make sense?"

"I dunno," Rainbow admitted. "I'm not good with riddles."

'Yes, I'm not surprised,' came to mind. She looked back at her friends.

"Well, I for one think Canterlot is worth a check... but, erm, where exactly in Canterlot?" Rarity asked. Her friend's gaze was locked on the sky, or rather that thin barrier of magic blocking the chocolate milk from ruining their coats and mane and tails.

"I do not know the extent to which I can assist you, however, given that it is Discord we are dealing with, I would say that anything is possible. Since it would not make sense for him to make sense, then perhaps it could be in Canterlot, although I suspect it is not," Nightmare stated. Her teacher inhaled deeply, then looked her in the eye. "Stop him. I will do what I can to distract him so he does not cause you further problems."

She nodded. 'She's my teacher. She wants to teach me, right? Or is it just for convenience?' whispered in her mind. Her teacher teleported away. The barrier disappeared, and the cold chocolate milk rain crashed down onto them.

Rarity let out a devastated groan of, "Why!?"

"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" Pinkie cheered.

She glanced at Pinkie, and of course, her friend was laying on her back with her mouth open as wide as possible, trying to catch as much of the chocolate milk as she could.

"I beg to differ!" Rarity hissed. "Do you have any idea how bad this is for my mane!?" she shrieked.

"Oh, relax!" Rainbow huffed. "I hate this as much as you-"

"I beg to differ!" Rarity yelled.

"-but you did manage to clean us all up with Twilight's help on the way here!"

Rarity huffed indignantly. "Well that doesn't mean I have to like it, Rainbow Dash."

Well, her friends were there with her, but they really weren't much help. And her teacher couldn't help. So now it seemed like it was entirely up to her! Equestria and Nightmare Moon were counting on her not to fail!

And the self-doubt struck at her core, weighing her down more than her soaked fur could. After all, she had failed before. Why would this time be any different? Nightmare's trust in her was misplaced.

Her head lowered and her ears folded back. 'This is pointless...' whispered in her mind. And it wouldn't matter, would it? They wouldn't be able to stop Discord if he was as powerful as Nightmare suggested. What were five mares and one filly supposed to do that an alicorn couldn't!?

"The Elements of Harmony," she muttered under her breath. She inhaled, then exhaled. She had seen them for the briefest flicker outside of the pages of that book. They were real. They could stop Discord.

"We need to find the Elements," she called out. 'Again.'

She lifted her head back up and looked left, then right. Canterlot was large. Equestria was bigger. There was no way they could find the Elements without solving that riddle. And even then, that was assuming he hadn't lied about it.

"We'll find the Elements of Harmony back where the end began and the beginning ended, where night became day and day became night," she repeated. She looked back at Rainbow Dash, who kept flapping her wings in a futile attempt to shake the chocolate milk from them. All her friend managed to do was splash Applejack with more chocolate milk and earn a glare from the earth pony. "Why do you think it's here in Canterlot?" she asked.

"The sun and moon keep, you know, and if he was imprisoned here, I figured that's what he meant," Rainbow answered.

She pursed her lips and tasted the chocolate milk. "And I suppose Princess..." she trailed off. "Um, she... ruled from here, so... that makes sense, I guess, since she moved the sun and moon."

But something felt wrong about that. The day wasn't becoming night, nor was the night becoming day. It was just the cycle. "What ended? What began?" she asked.

"Canterlot wasn't here one thousand years ago," she mumbled. So if Canterlot had began, what had ended? Canterlot's non-existence? 'That doesn't feel right...'

"Well, a great many things could have started and ended," Rarity commented warily. "Perhaps we should focus on the second part more?"

"Uh, when exactly did night become day and day become night?" Applejack asked. "Unless he's talking about Nightmare Moon's return, and even then, that doesn't make a lick of sense. The night may have become day, but the day didn't exactly become night."

"Did they switch places?" was Fluttershy's barely audible mumble.

She looked over at Fluttershy. She watched her duck back behind her soaked mane and let out a sigh.

"What if he's talking about Nightmare Moon's banishment?" Pinkie voiced. "You said that she tried to bring eternal night, which would mean the night would become day, right?"

Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie. "Sort of? Maybe?" she begrudgingly offered. "I mean, it's a stretch, but... maybe."

"Well, if that's the case, what does the beginning ending and the ending beginning mean?" Rainbow asked. "How can both be the case!?" she bellowed, then huffed and hovered in the air, folding her forelegs over her chest. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

'The end of Princess Luna and the beginning of Nightmare Moon?' slithered through her mind. 'That would make Princess Luna the beginning... and Nightmare Moon the ending? Does that make sense?'

That was assuming that she was right that Nightmare Moon had been Princess Luna once, which she couldn't be entirely sure of.

She was sure there were other things that could mean, but if it was what she thought, then she had an answer, and the answer made her wince. "It's not in Canterlot..." she muttered. And oh, admitting that was agonizing. When this was all over, she wanted a bath, and then she wanted to lay down in bed for a whole week, locking herself in her library!

"What do you mean, darling?" Rarity asked.

"The Castle of the Two Sisters," she mumbled reluctantly. "I think that's where we'll find the Elements of Harmony."

Even the rain seemed silent for a few seconds.

"You mean we have to go back to Ponyville, then into the Everfree Forest again to find that castle, then find the Elements, which might not even be there, then come back to Canterlot. Again!?" Rainbow groaned.

"Are you sure about that, Twilight?" Applejack asked. She gradually turned to face her friend, who looked at her somberly. "It's not exactly going to be easy to do that, and it won't be quick if we're wrong either!"

Twilight gave a weak, unsure nod. "I know, but... it's the best I can think of," she admitted.

"Alright, well, I guess we better get going then," Applejack declared. "And hope the train still works," was mumbled.

"At least we'll be out of the dreadful rain!" Rarity stated. "Although I don't particularly want to go through the Everfree Forest again," she muttered, then took a deep breath and gave an eloquent, "but if we have to, then I guess we have no choice."

For some reason, they trusted her to be right, even though if she was wrong, Equestria would suffer even longer. And that was assuming they ever found the Elements of Harmony. Why would Discord just let them have the Elements if they actually found them? Or what if he lied and sent them on some quest that was ultimately futile and for his own enjoyment!?

She wanted to go home. She wanted to lay down in bed, curl up in a ball, and sleep. Or just wake up from this nightmare. She didn't want to do this; she didn't want to deal with this. She wanted to have that comforting knowledge that Princess Celestia would make everything alright back like it was before. But apparently, for some reason, it fell to her.

And her friends. They would be there to help her.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as best she could, then swallowed and said, "We should get Midnight and Spike first. Having them with us might be helpful." 'Spike will be safer with us,' she hoped, but she wasn't entirely convinced.

It was maddening. She was Queen and Empress, yet to Discord, it didn't matter. She was Queen of the Night! And to Discord, it didn't matter. The sun and moon were simply his playthings; he would raise one and lower the other on his own whims, whenever it suited his purposes.

It would wreak havoc on Equestria. It had already done such. Cleaning up after Discord, assuming her student succeeded, was going to give her the biggest headache yet. But she knew, 'You will succeed.' She was certain her student would find the Elements of Harmony and put an end to Discord's insanity.

The sun dropped out of the sky and the moon took its place. She felt his magic pulling at the strings of her domain, and she hated it. It was a violation of her sovereignty, like what her sister had done in her absence. Yet it was made all the worse by the fact that she couldn't defeat Discord. She couldn't rend him limb from limb. She couldn't draw his blood the way she could draw her sister's blood.

Her strongest spells would do nothing except make him laugh at her futile efforts. And that mocking, maddening laughter was more than enough to ensure she didn't wind up wasting her magic in an attempt to vent her rage. No, it would simply draw more of Discord's mocking.

She would not be mocked.

Her student would not fail.

Discord would fall.

But that didn't stop him from ruining everything he touched in the meantime. He sat in his hovering throne, ignoring her in favor of looking over the broken reality shattering Canterlot. He drank the glass of chocolate milk he held, and the chocolate milk retained its form as he sucked the solid glass down his throat like it was water. He alternated between eating his bowl of popcorn and eating the kernels while tossing the popped seeds aside.

Most of those popped seeds bounced off her helmet and fell to the ground at her hooves. The magic that made up her tail violently twitched, ready to strike out at anything that gave her a way to vent that would actually work.

She heard the screams and cries of ponies from her city; she heard explosions and the roar of things she had not seen in her existence outside of when Discord was present. She watched as he tortured her subjects with madness and insanity, yet he did not cross that line so as to physically injure them. At least not on purpose.

He was cruel, but not so cruel as the griffins. He was callous and sought only his own enjoyment from playing with her subjects. Yet in a way, that was in her best interest. After all, he could not have fun if he simply killed everypony. There was no chaos in death, only in life.

Yet she was still powerless to stop him. And it was maddening. Maddening like how her sister denied her revenge so.

The moon dropped out of the sky and the sun bounced back overhead, only to be blocked out by those accursed pink clouds suddenly rushing into place. But this time, no rain fell. At least, not yet.

She glared at him.

She overheard Rarity ask, "Are you doing alright, dear?"

"It's just... a lot to deal with," her student whispered back.

"Well we've got your back!" Rainbow called out.

She clenched her jaw. 'You are ready for this... but I should have prepared you better. Why did this have to happen now?!'

Manehattan. That had to be why. Her lips pulled back in disgust and she snarled. 'Foals! Look at what you've done!' hissed in her mind. But that wouldn't stop what was happening. No, only that filly and her five friends could.

The snarl died down and her lips fell back into a neutral line. 'What does this say of me, that my fate and that of Equestria rests in the hooves of a filly?' The thought made a part of her ignore the chaos and hatred she felt for that draconequus. It made her think and contemplate. The idea was utter insanity. Utterly obscene! How could such a thing be the case!?

It mocked her, that she could not stop Discord, but that her student and her student's friends could. It would make her look weak if everypony knew about it, that she could not stop Discord and that a filly did. Her jaw tightened. 'You are no ordinary filly,' she knew, but they would not know that.

But the thought didn't draw her ire or rage.

Perhaps that a filly had defeated Discord would reflect well on her for having taught Twilight.

'Sister taught you, and I have not,' came to mind, 'and they will know that Sister has taught you longer than I...'

Cadance flew towards her, her lips pulled back in disgust as liquid chocolate dripped from her body and flicked off of her wings with each beat. "What are we supposed to do!?" Cadance cried out.

Discord laughed that maddening, mocking laugh. The laugh where he felt his victory secured, that same laugh right before her sister and herself had turned him into stone once before.

She hated that laugh.

Cadance landed beside her, still grimacing, chocolate still dripping off her body. The lesser alicorn lifted her left forehoof, and in a frivolous action that certainly suited her, batted her hoof at the air to fling more of the chocolate off her golden shoe.

Discord coiled around Nightmare's neck and ran one of his talons along the length of her horn, then pressed downward. She felt her horn warp and bend like a tree branch from his touch, then his talon flicked off her horn, and her horn bounced back into place. The feeling was innately wrong; horns were not supposed to bend at all! Her lips pulled back and she growled.

"Oh come now, Luna! Lighten up a little!" was his joyful shout as he threw his arms out. Then, slightly more seriously, he folded his arms and said, "This temper tantrum of yours is a real buzzkill!"

But she would not fall to his goading. No, that was exactly what he wanted. To goad her into making a fool of herself; to goad her into entertaining him.

"Humpf, fine! Be that way!" he huffed. "You never were as much fun as Tia was, although your expressions always were so much better. So much more intense!" He broke out into laughter again and uncoiled from her neck, then swam back to his throne, where he flopped over the armrests, clutching his chest, still laughing and cackling.

The laughter slowly died down and he used his talon to wipe away a tear. The tear sprouted a pair of white pegasus wings, then fluttered into the sky. He righted himself in his throne and hunched over, leaning closer to her. "You know, I'm a bit surprised that you took on a student, Luna."

Her heart stuttered, skipping a beat. She felt like her vision shifted at an angle, then returned to normal. Her head felt lighter, then the lightness faded.

It caught her off guard. She clenched her jaw. 'I will not fall to your goading!' hissed in her mind.

He smiled. "You never really seemed like the type," he added calmly. He casually snapped his talons and a plush, stuffed Twilight Sparkle appeared in his lion arm. He hugged it close to his side and stuck out his lower lip, then mocked, "Although it's a bit of a shame that you've not really had an opportunity to teach her, aww... Such a shame." He sighed and stroked the plush's mane with his talons before smiling. "You can't really call yourself her teacher now, can you?" He pulled it to his chest and his lips parted as he gave her a threatening smile. "Since you've not actually taught her anything."

He paused, then shrugged indifferently and casually added, "Well, aside from fearing you, that is."

A grimace almost slipped onto her lips; she barely caught it in time. "I assure you," she stated, "once you're imprisoned again-" she jerked her head at an angle, "-I will be rectifying this."

"Mmm, mhm, yes, sure, whatever you say, Luna," he dismissed.

And she fell for the goading again as she shouted, "She will defeat you!"

He smiled, tossed the plush aside and cackled. "Ah! Oh so serious! You should see the way your lips tremble!" With a snap of his talon, a mirror appeared directly in front of her face, giving her no choice but to look back at her expression. "Your eyes are positively burning!" he declared.

And flames seemed to come from her eyes, yet it did not burn; there was no heat. But it was still enough to make her recoil from the proximity to flame. She shattered the mirror with a burst of her magic, but all that did was leave half a dozen splintered shards, each one with a separate, entirely distinct reflection of her expression. One of them was Luna.

Discord cackled and squirmed, rolling over and over in his throne as if it was the best thing in the world. "Your expressions are always so much better than Celestia's! So much more intense and serious!"

The cackling and squirming came to a sudden stop. He stared off into space, then righted himself in his throne. Almost idly, his talon reached up to his goatee and he lifted an eyebrow. "You know, I wonder... Just think what kind of chaos your student could cause..." he mused, then turned to face her and smiled. "I daresay she could cause even more chaos than you!" was his declaration. "I suppose we'll eventually find out, won't we?"

She growled. It was unbecoming of her to let him get to her, but then the only pony there to witness it was Cadance. Perhaps it would do Cadance good to see her wrath to ensure her loyalty! As it was, she barely held herself in check, only because letting him get to her was letting him win.

'Letting Cadance see me lose control is not wise,' raced through her mind.

To do so would be to show weakness, and she did not think Cadance was beyond using that against her.

Discord looked off to his right and looked over her palace. "Oh! Hmm, I wonder if perhaps I should claim your student as my own," he idly mused.

"I think not," she hissed.

He stopped and looked back at her. "Oh, come now Luna, it's not like you have much of a claim to her anyway!" The plush of her student levitated back into the air, and he looked over it contemplatively. A plush of herself appeared in front of her student. It was not a flattering one, as her eyes and fangs were disproportionate, while her pupils had an intensity befitting a cow. Its wings flared and it let out a roar akin to a baby kitten calling for its mother. "Well, at least not any legitimate claim anyway."

And then the plush of her student ran away in fear.

She had nothing to say to that display. She had nothing she wanted to do about it, not that she could have done anything. That dagger of Discord's had sunk so far under her skin it didn't matter. Bitterness.

Bitterness.

Bitterness.

"If I could kill you," she said in a quiet, controlled voice. She paused and smiled. "I would."

"Oh, you could try," Discord casually commented, "but really, it'd just tickle," was his mocking.

Her tail flicked violently side to side.

He snapped his talon, and a red ball appeared in the air. Her eyes jumped onto it, then her heart grew cold as she read what as on the ball. 'Property of Cerberus.' And a slow ache coiled in her heart. 'You wouldn't,' was that foalish hope of hers, because she already knew, 'You would...'

"Put that back where it came from or so help me!" she hissed.

Discord barely acknowledged her demand. The ball levitated over into his lion paw, then he threw it. The plush of her took off after it, then the plush of her student levitated back into his lap. The plush almost seemed to stare at her.

"Yes, I think claiming your student," he paused and then backtracked to clarify, "well, your sister's student-" Nightmare snarled and he just smiled, "-would make for some great chaos! Oooh! And maybe her friends could join in... I can think of a few uses for them..."

He slithered down from his throne and wrapped his body around Cadance's neck, making the younger alicorn squeak in fear, then his body coiled around Nightmare's neck like a snake. "Oh! Just imagine what it would be like to see her causing chaos! With that kind of power... Well..." he trailed off with a chuckle, then released them. He sat back down on his throne, snapped his claw, and a jeweled, golden crown appeared atop his head, along with a golden scepter clutched in his paw.

"You neither have claim to her nor Equestria!" she hissed. "They're mine!"

"Oh come now, Luna," he mocked. "Your claim on Equestria is even more illegitimate than your sister's," he casually added. "Besides, we both know Equestria belongs to," he paused to smile, then touched the scepter to his chest, "meeee!" he teased.

The only semblance of comfort she could take from being in his damned presence was the knowledge that he wasn't anywhere else. She was distracting him, which meant her student was that much more likely to succeed.

He waved the scepter away and spun it around in the air. "And as for your student?" he asked. "Well... we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

He snapped his claws and disappeared in a flash of light, his voice declaring, "To be continued!"

Author's Note

This chapter is slightly amusing, but I also feel like it suffers from having too much going on at once. It's a significant change and or deviation from the rest of the story's pace. This arc is like that. Maybe this is a good thing.

Woops... I forgot to publish this earlier! :twilightoops:

Discord Part 2

Arguably, the train ride to Canterlot hadn't been half as bad as the train ride from Canterlot. Arguably, the flight from Canterlot, even with the batponies' sensitivity to the sudden change in light from Discord's unnatural sunrises, was better than the train ride back from Canterlot.

And Twilight felt like she should have expected it. As it was, she was so eager to get off that screaming metal death trap that she leaped onto the platform from the stairs. The sooner she was off the train, the sooner they could find the Elements, then defeat Discord. After that, things could make sense again and she could forget all about the past few hours.

Of course, that was assuming they found the Elements and could defeat Discord with them.

It also required that Discord didn't succeed at stopping them like Nightmare Moon did. While in midair, Twilight saw the platform gloss over. White foam spontaneously bubbled over the entire platform, and large, oily bubbles casually floated into the air.

She cringed. She couldn't teleport. No spells flashed through her mind. There simply wasn't enough time for her to process and react to the change; the change horrified and paralyzed her.

As soon as her hooves touched the platform, they slid out from under her at odd angles, sending jolts of pain through her joints. Her body hit the soapy platform and she grunted as her weight pressed the air out of her lungs. The pain still wasn't half as bad as her legs slipping out, nor was it anywhere near as bad as the train ride. She let out a groan and clenched her eyes shut for a moment, then blinked them open.

Pinkie bounced across the soapy platform without a care in the world, slipping and sliding, but never falling or losing control. And of course, Pinkie being Pinkie, smiled that jubilant, carefree smile that she almost always wore. Accompanying that ecstatic smile, Pinkie squealed in delight, "Wee!"

Twilight glared Pinkie for mocking her so thoroughly! 'How are you not falling!?' her mind demanded, but all she voiced was a pained, frustrated groan. 'Why? Just why.' She had quickly discovered that there was only so much of Pinkie Pie she could take and, as it was, factoring in Discord, she was quickly approaching that limit.

"Solid ground at last!" Rarity called out, then summarily face planted as her hooves gave out. Rarity groaned and then Twilight saw Rarity slide passed her, only to hit the station's wall and grunt. "Not again."

Twilight cringed again.

Midnight was smart and stayed in the air.

Twilight looked back towards the doors to the train with a scowl. Rainbow flew out, then landed beside her. Or tried to, anyway. Rainbow's landing was about as successful as her landing the first time they met: Rainbow's hooves, like her own, gave out as soon as they came into contact with the soapy platform. Her friend somehow flipped over and landed on her back with her legs all straight up in the air. "What!?" Rainbow squawked.

Twilight could almost hear Discord laughing in delight, even if she knew it was just her imagination.

"Oh, goodness..." Fluttershy mumbled. Twilight looked over at the timid pegasus. It seemed that her cautious nature gave her the advantage; her steps were slow and careful that she didn't slip.

Twilight felt a slight tinge of jealousy, but then remembered watching Fluttershy hit the wall from sliding before. Guilt replaced the jealousy. She looked down at the wooden platform, then slowly pushed herself up. She refused to put her full weight on any of her hooves until she tested to make sure it wouldn't slip out from under her again. Midnight offered her a hoof, but knowing that if she took Midnight's hoof she'd have less traction, she didn't accept it.

Once she was standing, the suds disappeared. She glared. "You couldn't have done that before we all fell over!?" she snapped. 'Talking to inanimate objects. Yes, I am insane.'

Pinkie skidded to a stop, then tumbled over. "Aww..."

She didn't glare at Pinkie. As much as she wanted to, she had better things to do. She groaned and shook her head, then looked around at her friends. "Well. That sucked," she summized.

"Agreed," was Rarity's succinct statement. Her expression turned deathly serious, then she said in a threatening tone, "Let us never speak of that trip again."

"I thought it was great!" Pinkie called out. "I didn't realize trains could turn into roller coasters!"

"Never. Speaking of it. Again!" Rarity emphasized in a near-growl.

"I agree with Rarity!" Spike called out from Applejack's back. "That was awful!"

'And we're wasting time!' cried out in her mind. "Well, now that we're here, let's go," she groaned.

Almost everypony winced. "Ah... well, I hope the Everfree is... shall we say, more welcoming than last time," Rarity grumbled, her voice still somehow retaining its refined quality.

Twilight hoped so too, but she was in no way expecting that to be the case. After all, last time they didn't have to deal with Discord.

There was a sharp crack and a flash of light, making her heart skip a beat. "Ladies!" Discord called out.

Twilight winced and slowly looked to the left. Sure enough, that twisted draconequus sat on his throne, hovering in the air, wearing a smile that made her shiver. Everypony went silent as they stared at him. 'No!' screamed out in her mind.

"I do hope you enjoyed your trip," he said in a faux-kind voice. He slithered off his throne and then stood on the platform. One moment, Discord wore nothing, and the next he was dressed as a train conductor. There was no flash of light, nor did she see him put it on. Her head hurt. "It's not often we get passengers on the Discord express, but we aim to please," he said with a bow.

When he rose from the bow, he looked towards the sky and stroked his chin with his paw. "That might be because I was trapped in stone for a while and back in my day we didn't have trains," he absently mused.

Then he looked at her and his smile returned. She instinctively stepped back. Applejack stepped forward at her left, and Rainbow hovered at her right. She glanced at both of them, and they glared at Discord. And she was certain both of them really wanted to attack Discord right there.

Regardless of if she told them not to.

But they stayed there at her side, making her feel very slightly safer. She wasn't there alone; she wasn't facing Discord by herself. As with Nightmare Moon's return, somehow, she had ponies there with her.

Her friends.

A claw tapped her hind left leg. She nearly jumped, and as it was her leg jerked away from the touch, nearly kicking herself into the air. Her head whipped back to see Spike. A strained smile pulled at her lips. She set her leg back down and turned back to face Discord. Spike climbed onto her back and then settled down on her withers.

"Anywho! Now that you're here, welcome to Discordville!" he called out, throwing his arms out wide.

"But we're in Ponyville," Pinkie said flatly.

Discord squinted at Pinkie, then huffed and turned his head away from her. "Well, it was Ponyville," he dismissed. Then he slithered back into his throne and sat back down. His annoyance melted, and his carefree, ecstatic glee returned. "But that was boring, so now it's Discordville!"

He snapped his talons. There was a flash of light and Twilight felt dread fill her whole being.

The train station disappeared. On instinct, she looked where it had been and immediately regretted it. Ponyville was a mess. And then some. Flowers marched down the street, chasing three mares who screamed at the top of their lungs. Gigantic, fluffy rabbits bigger than Nightmare Moon nibbled on the corners of buildings while their bright crimson eyes snaked around as if searching for their next meal. Some ponies hovered in the air inside soap bubbles; others hovered in the air screaming as their legs tried in vain to run away, while they twisted and rotated around and around in circles.

Some buildings sprouted legs while their doors became mouths and their windows became eyes. A few buildings decided to start fighting, sprouted arms, and immediately started slapping each other. They screeched like chickens and a few buildings sprouted pegasi wings and flew into the air. Fish swam through the air as if in water, and the sky took on the appearance of both night and day at the same time, with exactly one half of the sky a rich purple and the other half a familiar, missed shade of blue. Grass grew in reverse, and mowers uncut the grass, making the cut blades pop out of the ground and reattach to where the blades swept by.

Her ears pinned back. 'How are we supposed to get the Elements of Harmony and stop him!?' her mind demanded. She wanted to scream in frustration and then cry.

No, that was an understatement. She wanted to go find whatever remained of that library she was staying in, go to the loft, bury herself in the bed and then sob hysterically while the world fell apart around her.

'But you're not supposed to,' Discord's voice whispered in her mind. 'Isn't it obvious?' he mocked. 'Well, I suppose you might succeed and get the Elements of Harmony for whatever that's worth.'

It was paralyzing.

'Hmm. Do you think she actually wants you to succeed?' he asked casually. 'Ah! You do!' His maddening laugh bounced around inside her head.

'Of course she does! Leaving you to reign over Equestria and do this is insane!' her mind shot back.

The laughter came to an abrupt end. 'And she's sane?' came Discord's startlingly calm voice.

It unnerved her more than she thought it would. 'Is she sane?' she wondered. Nightmare Moon's hatred for her sister was irrational but other than that, she seemed to do whatever she thought was best. 'Yes.'

'Hmm. Depends on how you look at it, I suppose. She certainly has herself fooled though. Oh well!' A moment passed and Discord chuckled in her mind. 'Well, maybe I should let you win... Now that would be unexpected! A filly and five mares stopping the Spirit of Chaos! Ah, just imagine how priceless everypony's reactions would be! And- oh, just imagine how Nightmare Moon would react to that!'

'You expect me to believe you're going to make this easy?' Twilight wondered.

She heard Discord huff. Flatly, 'Of course I don't and neither am I just going to make it easy. Being trapped in stone sucks, although it could be worth it. I suppose Luna and Celestia would have a slight idea of what it compares to, but, ah, being trapped on the moon isn't the same, you know. Well, no, you wouldn't know. Would you like to know? I'm sure Luna would be more than happy to banish you right alongside Celestia! Well, I guess you might not survive the process, but you could!'

'Why would she do that!?' Twilight demanded.

She could almost feel Discord shrug. 'How can you call both Celestia and Luna your mentors?'

'What does that have to do with anything?'

'They're mutually exclusive, aren't they?' Discord asked, smiling.

'What does that have to do with-' If she was still Princess Celestia's student, she wouldn't be Nightmare Moon's student. Discord's smile grew, almost splitting her mind in two. 'She's not going to banish me. I'm her student!'

Discord made an unconvinced humming sound. 'But does she actually care about you, or is she just using you? You have a lot of questions that you don't have answers to... and there are only two ponies who can answer them. Well, aside from me, but you wouldn't listen to any of my answers anyway.'

Rainbow said something. Twilight didn't hear whatever it was, but her friends' mouth moved and her wings bristled in agitation. Her eyes darted back to Discord. His mouth moved and he casually flicked his paw in a dismissive manner to wave away whatever had been said, but she heard nothing.

'Maybe Nightmare Moon wants you to succeed, and maybe she doesn't. But why didn't she tell you about me? Why didn't Celestia tell you about Luna? You'd think if you really were that important, she'd tell you.'

Twilight felt a throb of doubt creep into the back of her mind. She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes. 'No!' she shouted back. 'That would imply she knew you would escape!'

She wouldn't let Discord get to her so easily! If it really did fall on her friends and herself to save Equestria from him, she had to fight back!

'Then where is she right now?' he asked. 'If she really wanted you to succeed, surely she'd be here right beside you?' he asked.

'You told her she couldn't help!' Twilight's shot back.

'Details!' his voice dismissively exclaimed.

She was winning. If that was all he had to fight back with, she would win and overcome it.

'Oh don't get ahead of yourself, silly little filly,' he chastised. 'I'm still the physical embodiment of chaos. And you didn't answer my other question. Why didn't Celestia tell you about Luna?'

The doubt crept back. 'I don't know,' she admitted. 'She must have wanted to protect me-'

'Bah!' Discord dismissed. 'She still lied to you.'

'And you haven't?' her mind hissed.

'Touche.'

'Are we done yet? I need to focus on retrieving the Elements of Harmony so we can stop you.'

Discord huffed. 'No, we're not. You really should consider becoming my student. We'd make a great team. And unlike Luna and Celestia, I won't betray you and throw you away when I'm done with you.'

Twilight's ears folded back. 'She's not going to throw me away-'

'Isn't she?' Discord asked. 'It's plain to everypony that she's just using you. And once she has no use for you? She'll just throw you away...' he sighed wistfully.

'I'm her student...' she whispered back.

'Oh, really?' he dismissed in what was almost a growl. 'What has he actually taught you?'

A moment passed in silence. She could feel his lips splitting into a smile inside her mind.

'Fear,' he stated.

She wilted at that, and her gaze dropped down to the platform. She felt her ears press her mane down. Her chest tightened, almost feeling like a cold rope was coiling around it.

'You know, I've never had a student, but I imagine I'd make a pretty great teacher if I do say so myself,' he said with amusement.

Twilight clenched her jaw tighter. She would not picture that. 'No,' seethed in her mind.

'Really, you'd turn away such an offer? But just think of all you could learn!' his voice boomed.

'You're trying to distract me!' she hissed back.

'Details!' he dismissed again. 'I could teach you so much more than Luna could. Or Celestia. Or the both of them combined!'

A smile slipped onto her lips. 'The fact you're trying this tells me that you're worried.'

'Oh, really now?' he asked. 'Me? Worried over a filly and five mares who claim to be her friends? Hmm, we'll talk later. I need to take care of something.'

She shook his voice away and blinked. The oppressive silence faded and a cacophony of chaos and screams assaulted her ears, making her wince.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted right into her pinned ear.

"Ahh!" Twilight cried out, jumping. She winced as she landed and Spike's weight landed on her back.

Rainbow flew around in front of her, then hovered there, her eyes darting all over her, scrutinizing her. "You okay?"

Twilight swallowed, then asked, "Yes, why?"

"You were just standing there for the past ten minutes!" Rainbow retorted. She flew up higher and reached out with her forelegs to emphasize, "We tried to get you to move or say something or anything but you were totally out of it!"

Twilight squeaked and a strained smile pulled at her lips. Her brow creased and her chest tightened. "T-ten minutes?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Rainbow exclaimed.

But that was impossible! How could it have possibly been that she was conversing with Discord that long!? And how hadn't she noticed anything during that time!? "It couldn't have been that long!" she defended.

Then again, she was dealing with Discord.

Her lips pulled back. With that in mind, she amended, "Probably."

"No offense Twilight, but you do have a habit of losing track of time," Spike stated flatly.

Twilight looked back at him with a glare. "Hey! That's not happened for a while!"

"Well yeah, because you haven't really been studying anything lately," was Spike's casual retort.

Twilight huffed, then felt like everypony was looking at her. Her eyes darted around at each of her friends and Midnight. Discord was gone and so she was the focus of their concern.

'Well, physically,' his voice said. 'But I don't have to obey the rules of reality!' he teased.

"What happened?" Twilight asked, ignoring his voice.

"Uh, not a whole lot," Rainbow answered. "Mostly him monologuing about how great-' Rainbow rolled her eyes, '-things would be if we were to team up with him. As if that would happen."

"He took your necklace," Midnight said.

Twilight looked down and felt cold. The crescent moon that normally rested against her chest was gone. 'Nightmare Moon has no idea where I am. Nightmare Moon can't hear anything said around me. Nightmare Moon can't save us if something happens.'

"Twilight, snap outta it!" Spike called.

Her eyes snapped onto him. "But-!"

"It'll be fine," Midnight said.

She looked at Midnight. "But-!"

Midnight rested her forehoof on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight puffed out her cheeks, nibbled on her lips, and looked left and right. 'No no no! Why did you do that Discord!?'

'So she can't cheat!' was his answer.

She whimpered and tossed her head to the left, then back to the right. Without the necklace she wasn't safe! Midnight was there, sure, and her friends would stay there with her, but what if something happened!? Nightmare Moon wouldn't know and Equestria would be doomed.

Her lip bled.

"Twilight!" Rainbow called, landing in front of her. The pegasus pushed her face up against Twilight's face. "Snap out of it already!" A moment passed, then Rainbow took a step back and smiled encouragingly. "We'll be fine."

"Mhm," Midnight agreed. "You got this."

'Why do they all trust me with this!? Why is it all on us!?' her mind demanded. She clenched her eyes shut, sucked in a deep breath, then lowered her head and sighed. Of course that didn't matter. Of course losing the necklace didn't matter. They still had to stop Discord. They would figure everything else out after they stopped him. If they stopped him.

Twilight turned to the right and muttered, "Let's get going..." She walked towards the stairs. Everypony lingered in their places and watched her. She took the lead, and then after a few seconds, they started following her.

Midnight flew over to her, then landed at her right side. "Are you sure you're okay?" was her guard's question. Then, in a more idle and curious voice, she added, "Ponies normally don't space out for ten minutes at a time while six ponies and a dragon try to get their attention..." Midnight nodded, then calmly said, "Especially the dragon..."

"Spike's still a baby dragon," Twilight said flatly.

"Hey!" Spike called out.

She glanced back at him and gave a weak smile, despite his scowl. "But you're my baby dragon," she said. A bit of his scowl faded, but he still turned away from her and grumbled something under his breath.

She felt a little bit better.

As she turned her head back to look forward, Rainbow flew around in front of her, then held up her hooves and said, "Seriously though, are you sure you're alright? Especially with the necklace thing. I'd think you'd be glad it was gone! I can't imagine what that would be like!"

She looked down at the ground just in front of Midnight's hooves and grumbled, "Just... Discord." 'I felt safer with the necklace,' went unsaid.

Rainbow landed. "He didn't hurt you did he!?" she shrieked. "If he did, I'm going to buck him into next week!" was her declaration.

And yes, that sounded like something Rainbow Dash would do. Especially given how stupid it was, considering that Discord could probably just get rid of her with a snap of his talons.

Any hint of a smile that slipped onto her lips from Rainbow's loyalty melted away at that.

"Well, I don't really think we can do that without the Elements, Rainbow," Applejack commented.

"Right..." Twilight muttered, nodding and then lifting her head back up. She looked straight at Rainbow, then swallowed and looked left at Midnight. Both still watched her. Looking back behind her, she found that they were all still looking at her. 'Why do they expect me to lead them?' a part of her wondered as dread welled up inside her. Yet the answer, 'I was Princess Celestia's student, and now I'm Nightmare Moon's student,' came to mind.

But she was still, begrudgingly, just a filly. Discord probably loved how little sense it made.

She inhaled, then exhaled. "We should get going," she voiced.

She walked down the stairs, pausing at the last step to look over the ground. It looked solid and soap free, but she was still leery. Rainbow stepped to the left so she could take the lead. Tentatively, she set her hoof down on the ground. She didn't immediately fall, so she stepped down and looked back up.

She made the mistake of looking at the chaos that was Ponyville. She wasn't that familiar with Ponyville, but for some reason, she didn't like seeing it so wrong. Ponies were being hurt for his enjoyment. Their lives were being uprooted just for fun and amusement.

'It doesn't matter if he's right... we have to stop him,' whispered in her mind. Besides, Nightmare Moon wouldn't just throw her away, right? Nightmare Moon cared about her.

Even if Nightmare Moon was using her and her friends to stop Discord. Not using them to stop Discord would be silly if they really were linked to the Elements of Harmony.

The doubt came back, sliding its tendrils all the way to the forefront of her mind. Her friends stopped beside her. She forced a smile for them, but it was a weak one. She swallowed, breathed in shallowly, then exhaled. "Let's go..." she mumbled. "We'll avoid Ponyville and head for the Everfree Forest and... head to the castle. I think we'll find the Elements where I found them before..."

She walked forward. Her friends followed.

So did her doubt and fears.

They walked in silence. Every so often, she looked back at her friends for support. When her gaze landed on them, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, they wore brooding frowns that changed into reassuring smiles when she looked at them. From what she could tell, Pinkie never stopped smiling as she bounced along, just like the last time they were trying to find the Elements of Harmony.

Eventually, they passed Fluttershy's cottage. Much to the relief of everypony, especially Fluttershy, it hadn't been touched by Discord, though her animal friends were all hiding. Likewise, the Everfree Forest looked the same as before: untouched by his madness, yet still already dark and twisted.

And just like last time, they all stopped before entering it. A foreboding sense of dread enveloped Twilight, and she was certain the same sense of dread was filling her friends. It wasn't quite as bad as the air Nightmare Moon gave off at times, but it was a dread that made her want to either stay there or turn around and give up.

Even the sky being split into half day and half night didn't alleviate any of her fears; it just reminded her how little control she had.

And the Everfree Forest was dangerous at the best of times! The only time they had been here, they had almost died! Several times.

If her friends hadn't been there, she wouldn't have been there either. She would have turned around and run. Without the necklace, she could escape. Nightmare Moon would never find her, or perhaps she was wrong and Nightmare Moon would track her down. Hunt her down. And then she'd face the same problem as before, except worse.

She nibbled on her lip, gently biting down and rolling her skin around over her teeth. 'I'm procrastinating,' she knew.

But she also knew why she was procrastinating. It fell on her and her friends, who decided she would lead them, to save Equestria! Who knew what they would find? It was still just an assumption that the Elements would be where she thought they were. If they weren't there, she would have been wrong. She would have failed. Failed her teacher, failed Equestria, and failed Princess Celestia. And they would have wasted time. Discord would continue to roam free, sowing chaos as he saw fit, turning ponies' lives upside down.

Literally.

And if they didn't find the Elements where she thought they were, it likely meant they would never find the Elements of Harmony, which meant Discord would never be defeated, all because of her failure. After all, it would be in his best interest to make sure they never found the Elements of Harmony. Why would he want them to find them and retrieve them!?

"Why does the fate of Equestria have to fall onto us!?" she groaned.

"Now, Twilight," Rarity started, only to pause, then drawl, "I..." Another pause, then a quick, "Nevermind. You have a point, dear."

"Well, we can't exactly stop Discord if we just keep standing here," Applejack pointed out.

Twilight saw everypony nod and heard them all murmur in agreement. Nopony moved.

"So I guess we should get going," Applejack commented.

More nodding and murmurs of agreement. More inaction.

Twlight looked left, then right, looking over those somehow-familiar faces of her friends. None of them wanted to be there. She could see it written on their faces. But somehow, for some reason that she couldn't understand, they chose to be there with her. They chose to follow her and support her.

She wanted to cry, but for a different reason. She smiled and swallowed. 'If this doesn't work, at least we're together.' "Let's go," she called softly, then took the lead.

Stepping into the Everfree for the second time, the sense of dread immediately grew worse. The latent, unnatural magic permeating the land nearly made her coat stand on end like she was being watched by Nightmare Moon. But her friends followed her, lingering only a step behind. After only a few steps into the forest, she felt like she was being watched from every direction at once. The trees, the bushes, the grass, it was like they all had eyes and were just staring at her for no reason other than to unnerve her.

Or perhaps, waiting for her to inevitably slip up.

Her friends stepped closer to her. Rainbow and Applejack nearly touched their coats against her body they were so close to her.

She glanced over at Midnight and squinted. Somehow, Midnight looked entirely unaffected by or oblivious to the dread the forest gave off. She just casually trotted along, bobbing her head left and right as she walked.

'Is that normal for batponies?' she wondered. At the very least, the thought was a welcome distraction.

And yet, as she watched Midnight, she noticed little twitches in her ears, constantly flicking, as if to listen to sounds she didn't hear. The batpony's eyes lingered on the underbrush, sweeping back and forth.

'Midnight will keep us safe,' came to mind. A little of the dread fluttered away at that. Midnight was her guard; Midnight would do what she could to keep her and her friends safe. And her friends would also do what they could to protect her.

Even if it was doing something absolutely stupid, in the case of Rainbow Dash.

She knew that from experience.

They would keep each other safe.

But she also knew that there were things in the Everfree that were more than a match for six mares, a baby dragon, and a filly. There were monsters that could eat them whole; monsters that could turn them to stone with just a look. And who knew what else?

And Nightmare Moon couldn't come to save her if she needed her to. No, without the necklace, Nightmare Moon was out of reach. And Princess Celestia wouldn't save her either.

'Are you so sure that she'd come save you?' Discord's voice drawled. 'Hmm... Celestia didn't save you from Luna. If anything, she's the reason why Luna got you! Just think... how much of this is Tia's fault?'

Twilight's body tingled and her fur stood on end. Her forehoof shook in the air for a moment, but she managed to swallow and force herself onward. Her heart slowed down, half expecting him or something to jump out at her.

'But now you'd expect that, wouldn't you?' he asked. 'Although your reactions would still be hilarious!' he called out.

She gritted her teeth. 'Why can't you just leave me alone!?' her mind demanded.

'Well, now, let's see. You're a very interesting filly, for one,' he answered. 'And for three, Luna's reactions are positively priceless whenever I bring you up.' He chuckled, then his voice added, 'I daresay I've not seen Luna so infuriated in centuries!'

A momentary silence was followed by an absent, 'Then again I wasn't around to see her for centuries, so... Hmm...'

She would have sworn she heard and felt him shrug.

'Why do you call her Luna?' came to mind.

'Ah, yes. Luna. Lulu, Lully, Moony. Luna. Princess. Luna,' Discord's voice repeated. 'That's her name, you know,' he commented. There was a pause, then matter of factly emphasized, 'Well, now you know.'

'But I suppose you already figured that out,' he admitted with a wistful sigh.

Twilight could feel him smile. 'She's Nightmare Moon,' she shot back.

'Tsk, tsk, tsk,' clicked in her mind. 'She is, and will always be, Luna. Maybe she'll spout some nonsense about,' he paused, then, in a perfect replica of Nightmare Moon's voice that made her blood run cold, shouted, 'Luna is dead!' before his normal voice returned to say, 'but that doesn't change the fact that she was, is, and will always be Luna.'

'She may call herself Nightmare Moon, but, well,' he paused to chuckle, then continued, 'I could call myself Princess Celestia, but I'd still be me.'

'Funny thing, that,' he mused. 'I am positively shocked I can't actually break that banishment spell. Fickle thing!'

'Wait, you tried to free her!?' Twilight's mind blabbered before she could stop the stray thought.

He chuckled mirthfully, then voiced, 'Of course I did. Why, just imagine the delightful chaos that would cause! The two of them fighting while I sit and watch while eating popcorn! It'd be wonderful, simply wonderful!'

He went quiet. She looked left and right, scanning the forest.

'Nothing's going to get you. Well, aside from Nightmare Moon, but that much should be obvious,' he voiced.

Twilight nearly tripped over herself. 'What? No. I'm her student, she wouldn't-'

"Are you alright?" Applejack asked.

'Hmm, I wonder. Why don't you free your precious Princess once you get the Elements instead of trying to stop me? It'd be much more interesting, you know. Besides, just think about it! You'd have rescued Princess Celestia, and I'd get to enjoy watching her and Luna fight! Oh, and I suppose you could help one of them, too. Although probably not Luna.'

'I could do that..?' whispered in her mind. Her heart beat harder and slower, and her chest slowly twisted in on itself. 'I could use the Elements to free Princess Celestia..?' "I... yeah," she answered.

What was she thinking that!? It was bad, Nightmare Moon would-

'Well of course! You should already know that,' Discord answered. 'Actually you probably already know that and you just don't want to admit it. There's a lot you could do with them. I daresay you could do more than I could with those things!' She could feel him smile, then he sang, 'But it's an idea!'

'I can't betray her like that!' hissed in her mind.

'Why not? She'll just use you and then throw you away, you know. She'll betray you the second it benefits her.'

Twilight's pace slowed. Slowly, she looked left and then right. Her friends looked at her, but didn't notice her slowing pace; they slowed down alongside her but didn't seem to notice that either.

'And you expect me to believe you won't?' her mind growled.

'Bah, of course I wouldn't! You would be absolutely entertaining. Even more entertaining than watching your reactions to Luna's return! I would never throw away somepony so interesting as you! It'd be a complete waste of a perfectly good student.'

'I don't believe you,' her mind stated.

'Fine! Be that way,' Discord's voice pouted.

Seconds passed in silence. Twilight inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She hated how the forest smelled. It wasn't pleasant or refreshing like other forests. No, it reminded her more of a swamp. It stunk. To make things worse, the air was thick and humid.

But at the very least it hadn't rained, so there wasn't mud clinging to her hooves. And this time they could halfway see since it was half day.

She heard Applejack mumble something that sounded like, "No... Princess Celestia wouldn't..."

At that, everypony stopped and looked at her. Twilight swallowed and licked her lips. "Applejack?"

Applejack looked at her, shifted her weight, and bit her lip. The earth pony's eyes looked left and right, avoiding Twilight's gaze.

It was wrong. Maybe she hadn't known Applejack for a while, but it wasn't like her to be avoidant. Twilight frowned. "Princess Celestia wouldn't what?"

Applejack shook her head. "Nothing, it's... it's nothing," was her hesitant answer. "Just..."

"Discord?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack looked at Rainbow. "He's messing with you too, huh?"

Twilight looked at Rainbow. The pegasus squirmed where she stood. "Well... yeah," was her admission. "But he's not gonna make me leave all of you!"

"That was oddly specific, dear," Rarity commented.

Rainbow squinted at Rarity. "And what about you, huh?"

Rarity gave a dismissive huff, tossed her head to the side, and lifted her head up. "Well, as much as I like the idea of it raining diamonds every day, I must say that would make diamonds lose some of their elegance."

"Diamonds..?" Rainbow grumbled. "Seriously..?"

Matter of factly, Rarity declared, "You just have no sense of fashion."

"Well duh," Rainbow retorted.

"Hmpf!" Rarity huffed.

"Girls?" Twilight asked. They all looked back at her. "Can we... focus on getting there? We can talk about this later, after we've... stopped him."

"Yeah," Midnight agreed. "It's not safe to stay here."

Rainbow lit up at that and faced Midnight. "Are there any monsters around!?"

Midnight squinted at Rainbow. "No... but that doesn't mean it's safe."

Rainbow groaned and hung her head.

"Really now, Rainbow? Isn't Discord enough excitement for you?" Applejack muttered.

Twilight inhaled, then turned to face Fluttershy. "Fluttershy!" The pegasus let out a quiet 'eep' and hid behind her mane. Twilight forced a smile. 'Great, I scared her.' "What do you think?"

Fluttershy slowly ducked her head out from under her mane and answered, "O-oh, I um... I think we should keep going. Midnight is right... staying here isn't safe."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie cheerfully bounced ahead.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow chastised. Of course, Pinkie didn't stop, but kept bouncing along.

"I think we're close to the river!" Pinkie called back.

'Well... progress.' Shaking her head, Twilight walked forward. Pinkie stopped and waited for them, and sure enough, she could make out the sound of running water. A few more minutes of walking brought them to the river's bank, where they came to a stop.

"Cross like last time?" Applejack suggested.

"On it," Rainbow called out, flying ahead, then stopping and looking back at Twilight, then everypony else. "So uh, who wants to go first this time?"

"Last time you dropped me," Rarity growled.

"It's not my fault!" Rainbow shouted back. "You kept squirming-"

"Your hooves were absolutely filthy!" Rarity shrieked. "All of that dirt and muck on my beautiful coat!? No!"

"So I'll carry Rarity, then," Midnight casually mused.

Twilight looked at Midnight and watched her guard casually nod, then she looked at Rarity.

Rarity flicked her head up in the air, making her mane flip to the other side of her neck. "I suppose this is acceptable," was her calm statement.

Midnight beat her wings, flew up into the air, casually glided over to Rarity, then landed on her back and wrapped her forelegs under Rarity's body. The batpony lifted her up as if it was nothing. Twilight watched Midnight fly across the river, then set Rarity down on the other side. Rarity fidgeted a bit and looked herself over, but didn't seem displeased.

As Midnight flew back, Rainbow glared at her guard, as if she had taken it as a challenge.

Midnight remained oblivious to Rainbow's glare and landed beside Twilight. "So, I can carry Spike on my back and carry you over?" she offered.

Twilight nodded and looked back at Spike, who climbed down her back before climbing up onto Midnight's back. She looked ahead and watched Rainbow fly over and pick up Pinkie. Midnight landed on her back, wrapped her forelegs under her body, then lifted her up.

It wasn't very comfortable. The metal armor pressed into her body. She held on tight and grimaced as Midnight flew her to the other side of the river. Having her legs dangling below her body wasn't really the best experience, either. It left a lot to desire, and it simply didn't compare to riding on Cadance or Nightmare Moon's back.

Her hind hooves touched down first, followed by her forehooves. She shifted her weight and watched Midnight fly up, then land right beside her.

Spike climbed down Midnight, then onto Twilight's back. Midnight flew back over, and together with Rainbow, they carried the rest of her friends across.

Which included Rainbow carrying Fluttershy across.

Twilight suppressed a sigh as Fluttershy's hooves touched the ground again, then she turned around. "Let's go!" she called. She resumed walking on, and her friends followed.

"Next time why don't we ride on your backs instead?" Rarity asked.

"Uh, because that takes longer," Rainbow retorted. "Duh."

"But it would be so much better for us," Rarity commented. "Safer, too."

"Yeah, sure. I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but we're kinda pressed for time! The longer we waste with things like that the more chaos Discord can cause!" Rainbow retorted.

"Rainbow has a point," Applejack commented.

"I've always wanted to ride on a pegasus!" Pinkie called. "Yippie!"

"Gah!? Pinkie!?" Rainbow groaned. "How did you even- no, I don't want to know."

Twilight glanced back and saw Pinkie sitting on Rainbow's back with her hind legs wrapped around Rainbow's body. Her forelegs were straight up in the air, her eyes were closed, and she smiled in utter delight.

Rainbow looked straight ahead, wearing a mixture of a glare and a scowl.

Pinkie giggled, then leaned forward and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow before nuzzling her affectionately. Rainbow groaned and dropped her head to her chest. "Fine..."

"Yay!" Pinkie cheered, then nuzzled into Rainbow's mane. A bit of the glare faded, but the pegasus still let out another groan.

Twilight had seen that Rainbow could be affectionate. Rainbow could be excitable, and so she had a tendency to tackle ponies for hugs. Not always, but at times. Rainbow also tended to crash into ponies, as she said, 'On accident.' She could almost believe that since her friend had a tendency not to slow down.

She found herself smiling for some insane reason. The very pony that knocked her down and ruined her mane when they first met? Somehow, she considered said pony one of her closest friends.

The forest's aura of dread felt weaker as she thought about her friends. She looked around and saw the gnarled trees and ominous sky, but she still felt her friends' presence and company. They were right there with her. They wouldn't leave her, they would not abandon her.

She was certain of it.

Their reassurance was enough for her to walk on, pressing deeper into the unnatural forest. 'Why is the Everfree Forest the way it is?' she wondered. The thought lingered in her mind as she walked on, and her brow creased more with each step. 'The Castle of The Two Sisters... it used to be Equestria's capital...'

Surely nopony would have been insane enough to build the capitol in the middle of such a forest! Which meant that the Everfree Forest hadn't always been so unnatural. 'Maybe I should ask Nightmare when I get the chance,' she mused, but the pony who would know the best was probably still Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia would have been there to watch the Everfree Forest grow into what it turned into.

Applejack's voice broke her thoughts, "So you said you think that the Elements are going to be in that one room again, then?"

Twilight blinked and glanced at her friend, giving a nod. "Yes. I think it makes the most sense. The old Throne Room."

Applejack nodded warily. "I hope you're right," was her response. "Otherwise this trip's probably been wasted."

Twilight grimaced.

"I for one would be absolutely furious if this trip was wasted," was Rarity's disgruntled comment. More eloquently, "Not that I think you're wrong, dear."

"You guys really think he's just going to let us get the Elements and use them against him?" Rainbow asked, then muttered, "Nightmare Moon didn't exactly... you know..."

"I have no idea," Twilight mumbled. 'And it doesn't matter, because we have to try.' She took in a deep breath, grimaced from the smell, then said, "But we don't exactly have much of a choice."

"I... suppose you're right," Rarity said at length, choosing her words carefully. "But... has anypony given any thought to what happens after this?"

"Don't things go back to normal? Well, the new normal with Nightmare Moon being queen and eternal night and no days and not as many parties because everypony is all scared all the time?" Pinkie asked.

"I mean..." Rarity paused, and with more hesitance spoke, "to us."

But what did that have to do with anything? They would have stopped Discord and saved Equestria! Assuming it worked. Her friends, one by one, stopped and looked back at Rarity. She finally stopped and turned around.

"If we do manage to stop Discord," Rarity said pointedly, inclining her head slightly, "and Nightmare Moon says she can't stop Discord... What happens to us?"

'I don't like where this is going...' slithered through Twilight's mind, and a tightness tickled her chest. "What... what do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm just pointing out that we would have defeated something more powerful than Nightmare Moon," Rarity succinctly answered. "And... the implications of that are... concerning. Rather, what would Nightmare Moon do with us as a result?"

For a few seconds, there was silence. Rarity abruptly shifted her weight. "She did kill a Royal Guard for no reason! We already tried to stop her once, who's to say once we deal with Discord she won't do the same to us!"

Twilight's chest tightened and her lungs deflated. 'She wouldn't...' her mind weakly argued. She tried to voice it, but her mouth wouldn't obey her.

"She... has a point," Rainbow reluctantly agreed, her voice cracking more than normal.

'Hmm. Wouldn't she though?' came Discord's idle voice. 'Like I said, she just wants to use you and then throw you away when you're no longer of any use. But you already know that, and by ignoring it you're just deluding yourself, Twilight Sparkle. I thought you were the smart one, but Rarity at least knows what's obvious for everypony to see.'

"She did lock us up..." Applejack grumbled. "And she doesn't exactly trust Twilight, either." Applejack nodded at her. "If it weren't for Discord taking the necklace..."

"She wouldn't kill you for stopping Discord," Midnight said quietly.

Twilight turned to look at her guard. The batpony wore a small, disapproving frown. No anger, and not quite shock. 'You're convinced she wouldn't,' Twilight knew. Was Midnight right? Was Rarity right? Was Discord-

-no. Discord was lying.

'Am I? Why would I lie to you? You dying really isn't very entertaining,' Discord said. 'You're much more fun when you're alive.'

'You'd lie to us because you don't want to be turned back into a statue,' Twilight dismissed. She heard Discord huff and then felt him roll his eyes.

"Midnight, dear," Rarity said politely, "no offense, but you're biased. You can't know that she won't! And it's not like Nightmare Moon cares about anypony else! She banished her own sister!"

'It would be in her best interests, wouldn't it? Killing you. Killing your friends. Then nothing can stop her from ruling Equestria,' Discord's voice slithered through her mind. 'Besides, wouldn't that be such a great way for her to get revenge on her sister? Oh, just think of how Celestia will break down when Nightmare Moon tells her of how she killed you!'

She felt him smile, and the tightness in her chest grew worse. 'You're wrong,' she fought back.

'You're lying to yourself,' was all Discord replied.

"So what then, we blast her when we get the Elements?" Rainbow offered.

Twilight's eyes snapped onto Rainbow. A wave of panic lanced through her body. She nearly jumped. Her skin was too tight. 'Nightmare Moon isn't listening,' she remembered, but the anxiety didn't fade.

Midnight's frown deepened, more disappointed than anything.

'Midnight will tell her,' Twilight knew, and then the anxiety coiled even worse inside of her. Twisting into a knot and choking her. And then that would be it. It wouldn't matter if they defeated Discord or not. It wouldn't matter if Nightmare Moon wasn't going to get rid of them for defeating Discord or not. Midnight would tell Nightmare that Rainbow wanted to use the Elements on her, and then because her friends were her responsibility, it would be her fault.

And her punishment.

'Nightmare Moon is going to kill me.'

And then everything would fall apart, wouldn't it? Her brother would be furious and refuse to work with Nightmare Moon, and then Nightmare Moon would just kill him. Cadance would be next, or maybe Spike, and then Equestria might follow. Maybe it would be better than letting Discord roam free, or maybe there was a chance that letting Discord rule would be better for everypony. Maybe she would have the opportunity to beg Nightmare Moon not to kill her friends or her brother or Cadance or Spike. Maybe there was a chance that all six of them were necessary to weild the Elements of Harmony, which meant that only one of them had to die. Maybe Nightmare Moon would spare her friends.

She felt sick. Her stomach was tight and queasy. Her legs trembled, and the edges of her eyes burned. She couldn't breathe.

Princess Celestia would never forgive her if she didn't try to stop Discord. What Rainbow said had been said; there was no taking it back. If they refused to stop Discord, Nightmare would just kill them anyway, and if they did manage to stop Discord, then maybe there was some small chance that Equestria wouldn't follow their deaths. 'I'm going to die... we're going to die... my brother... Cadance...' She clenched her eyes shut and swallowed. She nearly choked on her saliva. "We... have to stop Discord," she whispered. She opened her eyes, and though her lips trembled, she managed to look each of her friends in the eye. "We... we can't just turn on Nightmare Moon... Discord is the bigger threat."

She hoped she was right. Maybe she was lying to herself.

None of them were convinced. She met each of her friends' gazes again. Eventually settling on Midnight, who still frowned.

"Alright... I guess we should deal with Discord first, since... yeah," Applejack mumbled.

"Fair point," Rarity mumbled discontentedly. "I still don't like this, but... I suppose if Equestria is at stake..."

"We won't just go down without a fight!" Rainbow cried.

Maybe Rainbow was correct, but they also all remembered how easily Nightmare Moon stopped them before. And they all knew. None of them said anything. But maybe they actually had a chance since they would have the Elements of Harmony this time. They would have already collected them.

And then what? What if they did stop Discord and then stopped Nightmare Moon? Would they be able to rescue Princess Celestia somehow? And if not, would Equestria turn on her anyway for having been Nightmare Moon's student?

Would Princess Celestia turn on her?

"She won't turn on you for beating Discord," Midnight said quietly. "You'll be more important if you succeed, and she'll have more reason to keep you around."

"Midnight, dear, you do realize it would be more beneficial for her to get rid of us since we're threats to her, correct?" Rarity asked.

Midnight looked back at Rarity with that same disappointed frown, but stayed silent.

"She killed a guard for trying to stop her," Rarity repeated, shifting her weight. "And, well, let's face it. If the Elements of Harmony can stop Discord, they can probably stop Nightmare Moon. A single guard, as well trained as I'm sure they are, isn't a threat to an alicorn like Nightmare Moon."

Rarity paused to look at everypony, then summarized, "And we are."

Twilight didn't want to believe her. She wanted to reject it, but it was pointless. If they stopped Discord, Rarity was right.

And they all looked at her for guidance. She bit down hard on her lip. She tasted blood. It didn't distract her like she hoped. "We-" her voice cracked, so she stopped to swallow and lick her lips before starting again, "We still have to stop Discord."

"Let's go..." Twilight turned around and took the lead. It was for the best, really. Her friends couldn't see her face this way.

She kept her distance from Midnight for the rest of the trip. She managed to halfway calm herself down, though the dread and fear lingered.

Twilight warily stared at the rope bridge that connected the forest to the castle. It was still there, still repaired, just waiting to be used.

But she didn't trust it.

It looked normal. It looked like Discord hadn't touched it. It looked safe. But, like before, it was the simple fact that there was a rope bridge there in the first place.

'When was it built!? Why was it built!? How does it still exist!?' her mind demanded in exasperation. It confused her and left her feeling cautious. At least the first time, the bridge hadn't been connected, but this time it was. And it left her feeling uncomfortable. After all, the bridge was in the middle of the Everfree Forest. 'Who put this here, anyway?'

She took a timid step forward, bringing her hoof to the edge of the solid ground, but just far enough back not to touch the wooden planks.

She looked up at Rainbow, who hovered a few feet away from her, over the chasm. "If I fall, you'll catch me, right?" she squeaked.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned, "Of course I'll catch you!" Then, Rainbow looked back at her and folded her forelegs over her chest. "There's no way I'd just let you fall. Especially from this height!" Rainbow glanced down, then looked back at her and unfolded her hooves. "You'll be fine!" her friend said with an encouraging smile.

Twilight did not trust that smile. Rainbow would catch her, but, well, she'd still fall before Rainbow caught her.

Timidly, she nodded. Reluctantly, she edged her forehoof off the solid ground and onto the wooden plank. She felt the rope bridge wobble slightly as her weight pressed down on it, yet somehow, the wood held her weight without cracking. With the same reluctance as before, she lifted her left forehoof, then reached out to the plank.

And the fact that she had one forehoof on the wood, and the other in the air, terrified her. If the plank broke from her weight, she'd fall into that chasm! Even with Rainbow catching her, she'd still probably hurt herself toppling over the edge, and, of course, she'd be terrified from falling, even for a split second.

She set her forehoof down on the wooden plank. The bridge wobbled again, but still held her weight.

"Come on, Twilight, last time it held just fine!" Rainbow encouraged.

Twilight shot a glare at the pegasus and hissed, "Last time we weren't dealing with Discord!"

"Yeah, we were dealing with Nightmare Moon," was Rainbow's flat response. Rainbow sighed and pressed a forehoof to her forehead. "Look, you know I'll catch you. Heck! Midnight would catch you! You don't have anything to worry about!" she reassured.

'Except Nightmare Moon...' whispered in Twilight's mind. "Right, right," she muttered. She slowly turned her head to face the other end of the bridge, but kept her glare on Rainbow for a few seconds longer. She took in a deep breath, then stepped forward again, and again.

The rope bridge held but wobbled under her weight. She did her best not to look down and she tried to ignore the chasm below her. She tentatively stepped forward, walking towards the center of the bridge. The bridge wobbled and shivered under her shifting weight with each step, and each time the bridge moved, she felt a moment of panic shoot through her at the fear that she would lose her balance and fall, or that the ropes holding the bridge together would snap and send her crashing towards the ground.

Oh, she hated that movement.

She had half a mind to try and run across the bridge as fast as she could, just to reach solid ground quicker. Another part of her wanted to laugh at the sheer stupidy of that thought! Running across the bridge would only guarantee that something went wrong!

She crept to the middle of the bridge. Arguably, the most dangerous part of the bridge.

She passed it as quickly as she could.

"You're doing great!" Rainbow comforted from her side. For just a moment, she glanced aside at Rainbow and those wings of hers.

For another moment, Twilight felt a slight tinge of jealousy. At least until she remembered that if she was a pegasus, she wouldn't have her horn and her unicorn magic. No use to Nightmare Moon as a student. To her, the trade wasn't worth it. 'Is that why no unicorns wanted to become batponies?' she wondered. She wouldn't give up her horn for pegasi wings, so why would any unicorn give up their horn for a pair of batpony wings?

She looked back at the other side of the chasm. 'I really wish I could teleport,' came to mind. She grimaced. 'I guess there's no point dwelling on that now...' But of course, that desire stuck there with her as she walked the last steps. The thought even lingered beyond the relief of jumping off the bridge to land on solid ground.

And it was wonderful! The ground didn't shake under her hooves when she landed and she didn't have to worry about falling! Still, she was too close to the edge, so she scrambled a few steps forward to distance herself from that chasm, then stopped and turned around.

One by one, the rest of her friends walked across the bridge. With the notable exception of Rainbow and Midnight, who flew. They had both offered to carry her, but as much as she didn't trust the bridge, walking across meant neither of them would drop her, and if the bridge did give out, there were two ponies to catch her. It was probably safer.

The only pony who struggled to cross the bridge as much as her was, unsurprisingly, Fluttershy. Each time she stepped forward, the bridge wobbled beneath her hooves, and Fluttershy's wings extended another inch and wobbled up and down to try to steady herself. Fluttershy still crossed the bridge far easier than she had, even if her wings were fully extended horizontally when she made it across.

They walked to Twilight's side, then she turned around and surveyed the battered castle and its courtyard. 'It would have been nice to see what it looked like when it was the capital,' whispered in her mind. Her lips tightened into a grimace. 'Nightmare wants me to oversee the reconstruction of it,' came to her mind. The grimace faded, and she turned her head left and right, scrutinizing the castle and searching for any batponies who could have been there.

Of course, she wouldn't get the chance to see that now. Her ears drifted lower.

She didn't see any batponies lurking in the pseudo-dawn of the half-day half-night, but that didn't mean anything. They could have been hiding inside the castle. 'But they're not here to stop us,' she knew. 'If we stop Discord, I wonder how long it'll be until I'm busy working on this...' she mused.

"It seems like we were here not that long ago," Pinkie idly commented.

She could almost hear the rest of her friends turn to look at Pinkie. Even she turned to look at her.

"I wasn't here last time," Spike said.

Twilight knew it wasn't directed at her, but she still winced as a pang of guilt slapped her. Her eyes darted back to Spike as he stood beside her. She hadn't been about to carry Spike across. Even if there were a pegasus and a batpony to catch them both, she wasn't going to risk Spike falling.

And for most of the trip, Spike had been silent. It was a haunted silence. When he realized she was looking at him, he averted his gaze and tapped his claws together. 'Spike, I'm so sorry...'

She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. 'We need to stop Discord. We can deal with what happens after that later.' She did her best to ignore everything else so she could focus on the task of defeating Discord. They had to stop him. She couldn't let anything else distract her.

She turned her attention back to Pinkie for a moment, then lost interest in watching her friend tap her chin with her forehoof. She looked over the ruined castle once again.

"Anypony else think this was too easy?" Rainbow asked.

'Maybe?' she wondered. Concern and unease twisted together in her stomach. It wasn't in Discord's best interest for them to get the Elements of Harmony. Unless, of course, the Elements wouldn't work anyway. "We don't have the Elements yet," she mumbled. She did her best to suppress that doubt whispering in the back of her mind as she walked forward.

The doubt only grew louder.

Her friends fell in step behind her, and the click of their hooves on the stone helped distract her from that unease. She ascended the stairs, then walked inside the castle. She looked left, then right, her eyes wandering over the massive stone walls, taking in how much damage had been done to them by the centuries. But surely, not all of that damage had been from time. No, Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia had to have fought here, which meant that at least some of the damage was from their battle.

The unease grew worse.

'How are batponies supposed to repair all of this damage!?' her mind demanded. There were half-broken stones suspended above them that would need magic to replace! But maybe Nightmare Moon would see to that like she would the enchanting, or perhaps she underestimated the batponies' capabilities.

She almost tripped on herself as she remembered, 'Oh, right. Scaffolding.' But would scaffolding be able to hold up stones necessary for the roof? It was a good distraction, so she focused on that thought.

"Last time we were here, things did not exactly end well," Rarity muttered.

Twilight remembered. 'Betray me, and I will kill you,' Nightmare's voice hissed in her mind. She swallowed and nearly choked on the knot in her throat. Looking over at Rarity, her lips twisted into a pained grimace. 'Why did you have to bring that up?'

Rarity winced. Twilight turned away and walked forward rigidly, making her way to what had been the Throne Room. A chill swept over her body, then raced down her spine as she approached the doors. She half expected to see Nightmare Moon jump out at her, like what happened the last time she had been here.

Except this time, to kill her or her friends.

She stopped at the doors. 'I don't want to go in there!' croaked in her mind.

'There's nothing to be afraid of!' she tried to convince herself. But it didn't really help.

She wanted to laugh at how insane it was. She wanted to run away. She wanted to cry.

No, the only thing that helped was a forehoof on her shoulder. She turned to her left and found Applejack's solemn, yet comforting smile. She could nearly hear that smile saying, 'We're right here with you, sugarcube.'

She didn't want to die. None of them did, either. And yet, all of them were there with her. She took comfort and strength from knowing that.

She nodded, took a deep breath, then turned her head back to the doors. 'We have to face this... together,' her mind affirmed.

She channeled her magic into her horn, then pushed the doors open. As they parted inward, she braced herself for whatever horrors waited for her friends and herself.

The room beyond was pretty much identical to how it had been before. The only real difference was the pseudo-dawn cascading into the room from the broken ceiling.

The first place her eyes jumped to was that hallway that led to Nightmare Moon's tower. The second place was that pedestal where the Elements of Harmony had been.

Where the Elements of Harmony were.

"Well, this is rather anticlimactic if I do say so myself," Rarity muttered.

"Alright, so we grab the Elements, then head back to Canterlot and deal with Discord?" Rainbow voiced.

"I certainly want to get this ordeal over as quickly as possible," Rarity agreed. "Although... I suppose that might not be the best idea, given..."

"We can always blast Nightmare Moon afterward," Rainbow offered.

"Fair point," Rarity mumbled.

She glanced back at them and gradually stepped into the room. She halfway expected something bad to happen. She halfway expected Discord to show up. Nothing happened. She looked over the pedestal with the Elements but found her head drifting to the right.

To where they had their battle with Nightmare Moon. 'If I had fought back... would she have just killed me like the guard?'

She swallowed and forced her head back to the Elements. "We should hurry," she said, then strode forward. But it was too easy, and it made her anxious. It didn't help that her friends lingered behind. "We have to stop Discord."

She heard a crack of magic as her hind legs passed the doorway, and she froze as a pair of serpentine eyes slithered over her body. Her fur stood on end. She heard the rumble of Discord's chuckle vibrating the entire castle, then she heard her friends call out, "Twilight!" before the doors slammed shut.

She jumped into the air and spun around. The door was further away from her than she had walked into the room. She watched Discord seal the door shut with scissors. His lion paw was extended and rested against the air, and he leaned against it as if supporting himself with a wall. His gaze was directed down at his talon, almost dismissively. A file ran back and forth across his talon, but instead of cutting it shorter, it only made it grow longer.

And sharper.

She stared at the talon as it shined in the dawn light. There was no doubt in her mind that a single swipe of that talon could kill her if he wanted to.

And she was silent. All he had to do was kill her, and then maybe the Elements wouldn't work.

"You know," Discord mused, tossing the file away and looking up at her. The file clicked against the stone, then exploded into confetti with the sound of a coughing chicken. "I find myself wondering," he admitted, making her dread grow worse.

She stepped backward, or at least she tried to. The world warped around her, keeping her standing in place where she had been.

He pushed himself off from the wall of air and turned his talon over and scrutinized it. Then he looked at her. "Why are you trying to get the Elements of Harmony to stop me, anyway?"

"You're insane!" she hissed.

He chuckled and smiled. "Oh, what's the fun in being sane anyway?" he asked, then added, "besides, it's not like your teacher is that much saner than me, is it? You too, you know."

"She's not-"

"Oh please," he dismissed, batting his paw at her. "We both know you don't believe that." He smiled and she clenched her jaw. "She can't hear us right now, so you don't have to keep up the facade. Although I don't know what sort of difference it'd make since she's still going to kill you anyway," he commented. He looked off to the side and hummed. "I wonder if it'll be quick..." he trailed off and looked back at Twilight with a growing smile, "or slow."

"She won't..." Twilight argued.

"Yes, yes," he groaned dismissively, "and my name is Princess Celestia. Keep lying to yourself. Though you can't lie to me." His body coiled up into the air, then he swam over to her. Twilight tried to back up, but found her body unable to move. He wrapped his body around her neck just tight enough that their fur intermingled. Her skin crawled like thousands of insects were moving around in her fur. He pressed his nose against her nose, and his crimson slit-pupils stared into her own eyes. She couldn't look away, she couldn't close her eyes, and she couldn't breathe. She felt Discord's body tighten so subtly around her neck.

All it would take was just a little more, she knew, and he could crush her. He wouldn't even have to try.

His muscles let up, though his body stayed coiled around her neck, keeping her within his grasp. "Why do you think she sent you and your silly little friends to get the Elements and stop me?" he asked.

She barely managed to swallow, and somehow, she managed to stutter out, "B-because she can't stop you."

He grinned. "Well, isn't that a lie then?" he asked. "She did stop me before. With that silly little sister of hers-"

"Using the Elements of Harmony," Twilight quietly pointed out.

He pulled his head back a few inches, turned to the left, stuck his tongue out and blew spit everywhere. "Details!" he eagerly dismissed, then turned back to face her and once again pressed close. She felt his muscles riple under his fur, pressing a little tighter around her neck. Her leg muscles hurt from how tight she held herself. He reached out with his talon, then pinched her cheek.

And it left her cheek tingling with a sense of primal wrongness worse that Nightmare Moon's predatory gaze had been.

She felt something warm and wet roll down from her cheek, then Discord pulled his talon back. The very tip of his talon was painted crimson.

'You could kill me without even trying.'

"Of course I could!" he answered, his body letting up on her neck. "I'm Discord!" he bellowed.

Twilight glared at him and then snapped, "You really like saying that, don't you?"

He chuckled. "Yes, yes, I suppose I do. But it's such a fun name, isn't it? Discord. Discord... Discord. Discord. Discord." His talon reached back, then stroked the length of her mane down her neck, leaving her legs trembling. Even with his talon was gone, she still felt the same sense of violation that she had when the talon was there, and she felt the warmth of her blood on her fur. "And I suppose that's what Miss Moony wants, isn't it? You dead. And me dead, too, but, ah, she can't have that. Well, I suppose she wants me to kill you,-" Twilight's vision twisted from a surge of panic and fear, "-but bah! What's the fun in that? There really isn't any fun in death."

She felt cold. "She said you wouldn't..." she whispered.

"And she's right about that!" he declared. His amusement faded into complete seriousness and he said, "Killing isn't fun or funny. Which, I suppose, is why I feel I simply must continue to warn you about her! Now life! Life is full of wonderful, wonderful chaos! You really should lighten up."

"Why would you care!? It's in your best interest to stop us!" Twilight shrieked.

She must have surprised him, because his head shot back from her shout. "Why, little miss magic, would you think I'd actually care what my best interests are!? I'm Discord! Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony! Just because it's in my best interest doesn't mean it's actually fun or funny or in any way enjoyable for me! Besides! Something being in my best interests is too predictable!"

'You really do like your name, don't you?'

"Yes, I do. It's a great name," he said calmly.

"Besides, Luna may be oh-so-serious like her sister, well, probably more serious than Tia... But that's just what makes her so much fun to play with!" he bellowed. He chuckled, and as he chuckled, his body tightened around her neck.

She squeaked.

His chuckle came to an immediate stop and his body loosened. "Mmm, yes, I see what she means about Tia holding you back... Hmm..." he mused.

'What!?' her mind demanded. "Princess Celestia didn't hold me back!"

He reached up to his goatee with his paw and stroked it. "Mm, yes, well, I think it's simply a matter of perspective." His paw dropped from his goatee, then he said, "And well, let's face it, your opinion is biased and boring."

She squinted at him. "What do you want?"

He finally uncoiled from her neck and slithered back away. The feeling of insects crawling through her fur went away, but she could still feel the constrictive hold. "That's a great question! I'm so glad you asked!" he declared energetically. Then the eagerness faded and he slouched over. "Who cares. That's boring. What's important is that you're simply too interesting to let die, although if you go about using the Elements of Harmony on me again, well, that's your own funeral. Uncertainty is so much better! Who knows what would happen!?"

'Why would you care!?' her mind demanded. Why was she interesting!? She was just a filly! Although she was Princess Celestia's student, and now she was Nightmare Moon's student.

"You're far more interesting than you give yourself credit for, Twilight Sparkle," he sighed. "But, I suppose if you must take the Elements of Harmony, may I suggest at least doing something interesting with them instead of using them on me?"

'And why is he giving up?!' hissed in her mind.

"Oh please, I'm not giving up. Even if you do use the Elements on me, I'll be back. It's just a matter of time, you know. I'll still get to see the results, it just won't be quite as entertaining. Or actually, maybe it'll be even more entertaining... True, only Luna will get to see it, but, oh! Just imagine the look on her face! There'll be enough uncertainty left, still..." That twisted smile grew on his lips again, then he lifted his talon into the air. "Besides, who said I was just going to let you have them so easily?" he asked, then he snapped his talons.

Her stomach felt empty, almost like she had left it somewhere else. She didn't see anything change, nor did she hear anything change, but that didn't matter. The fear that he had done something terrible weighed down on her, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

"I frankly just think it'd be a shame if she killed you," Discord commented. He landed and stood on his legs. "And also I wouldn't be able to rial her up as much from mentioning you if she did kill you," he added casually.

"You're lying," she declared.

His smile nearly split his lips, then he said, "Yes, but about what? The simple answer is that you don't know." His smile faded and he looked up above her. She glanced up to see the sky through the broken roof, then she looked back at him. "Besides, isn't truth overrated? Isn't it relative? To you, it's true that buildings aren't alive, yet to me-" his gaze dropped back onto her, and his smile returned, "-it's not."

"She doesn't want to kill me..." Twilight whispered.

"Well," Discord drawled, throwing his body over to the left, then coiling himself up into a circle, "that doesn't mean she won't-" he spun himself straight, then swam back over to her and hovered in front of her, "-now does it?"

He landed and stood on his legs once again. "I won't stop you from taking the Elements, because quite frankly, while being imprisoned in stone positively sucks, the chaos you can cause with them will be delightful, even if I'm not there to see it. I'll still feel it. Just knowing what was happening in Manehattan was wonderful!"

He jumped into the air and curled his tail back, then past his head. "Why, the chaos Luna's return has caused has been so much more enjoyable than anything else that's happened in the past thousand years!" His expression grew distant and longing, then he sighed, "I really do wish I could have been there in Manehattan..." His smile returned. "It would have been so much more fun than that silly rioting. But being surprised by not being able to do anything was, in its own way, entertaining. Besides, seeing Luna go off the deep end after killing you will be funny."

She swallowed, licked her lips, and then said, "So, you're not going to stop me from taking the Elements?"

Discord shrugged. "I don't particularly care. It'll be a shame when Luna kills you, but, ah, well, at least I'll get to enjoy watching Equestria fall apart." He chuckled mirthfully. "Besides, at this rate, it won't be anywhere near as long as last time before I'm free again. Like I said. I'll be back."

His smile widened into a grin. "And the next time?" he asked calmly. "Well, you won't be around to stop me. So in the end, it really doesn't matter to me," he said matter-of-factly. She clenched her jaw. He snapped his talons again, and in a blinding white flash, he disappeared. "I am inevitable. Besides, being predictable and making sense isn't fun. It might be fun to see what happens if you succeed. Perhaps Luna will be creative when killing you six. Or perhaps seven..."

Twilight stood still for several seconds and listened, a cold feeling crawling up her body, but after Discord's voice was gone, it was entirely silent. She didn't hear her friends trying to reach her; she didn't hear any hoofsteps clicking on the stone; she heard neither birds nor breeze.

Her head drifted right and her gaze swept over the walls of the throne room, then to the left, and finally back to the right. She looked behind her at the pedestal with the Elements, then at the two shattered thrones.

She was alone, but she still felt like she was being watched. Pinpricks slowly crept through her body, and her fur nearly stood on end.

Maybe she wasn't alone. And that was a bad thing.

She turned around to face the pedestal, lifted a forehoof, but found herself unwilling to proceed. The memory of how Nightmare Moon had so easily snuck up on her the last time played through her mind. The memory of waking to see Nightmare Moon watching her played through her mind. The memory of Nightmare's promises and of her snapping played through her mind.

There was no way she could trust that insane alicorn.

Her ears pinned back and she bit down on her lip. She looked back to the door and found it still closed. 'Why aren't they coming for me?' her mind pleaded. Her heart swelled up with worry, and her raised forehoof trembled. Maybe Discord did something to them. Maybe Nightmare Moon did something to them.

The edges of her vision grew blurry, distorting the room around her. The urge to run away and hide nearly overpowered her. She needed to scream and sob, but fear kept her silent. She was alone without her friends. There was nopony there to support her, and nopony there to protect her.

'She could kill me and I couldn't stop her...' she knew. 'She could kill them and there's nothing any of us could do...'

A part of her fought back against the thought. The part of her that knew Discord was lying; the part of her that knew Nightmare Moon wouldn't kill her. That same part of her was overpowered. SIlenced. Defeated. That part was just lying. In the back of her mind, she felt Discord's lips curling up into a smile, but it didn't fully register.

Her head whipped to the right, then back to the left. The room felt deathly silent, and how could it not? The very same room had surely witnessed a battle between two alicorns before, if the damage was any indication.

Her head whipped back to that pedestal which held the Elements. She chewed on her lip and tasted blood, but the pain didn't stop her from chewing on her lip. The isolation crashed down on her, and gradually, she felt as if a predator was stalking her, that the predator was in the throne room with her, creeping along just out of sight, never looking away.

Waiting for an opportunity to strike.

She wasn't alone.

She bolted to the pedestal; the movement made panic surge through her body, and it drove her on faster. She nearly ran into the pedestal, and as soon as she reached it, she spun around and pressed her haunches flat to the pedestal. With something against her, she felt the barest hint of safety; it was one less direction that something could attack from.

Maybe.

Her body trembled as her eyes darted left and right. She saw nothing but the ruined walls and columns, but it didn't stop the fear from constricting her.

She managed to turn around, forced her eyes to glance over the Elements, then grabbed them in her magic.

The fear grew worse; she jerked back around. Still nothing. Nightmare Moon didn't show up. Discord didn't show up.

'This room is wrong,' whispered in her mind. 'I need to get out of here,' her mind whimpered. 'I'm not fast enough,' croaked out.

As soon as she moved, she knew whatever it was would get her.

'They're just beyond the door...' she tried to reason. 'If I can get to them, I'll be safe...'

Unless of course, it killed them too. Maybe it would be before it killed her, or maybe it would be after. Or maybe they were already dead, and she was deluding herself.

Her legs wouldn't move; they were locked in place. Her gut churned and twisted in on itself, over and over. "G-girls?" she called out in a whisper too quiet to be heard. Her body drifted a few inches closer to the stone floor. "G-girls?" she squeaked out again.

Nopony came for her. Not her friends. Not Princess Celestia. Not Cadance, nor her brother. Not Nightmare Moon.

"Girls?!" she cried out. Her voice broke with a whimper.

She needed them. They weren't there.

She bit down harder on her lip. It hurt. Her head flinched left, then right, then finally settled back on that door.

She had one chance.

She bolted for it. The room past by her in a blur. Panic drove her on past her legs hurting. Each step sent a cascade of panic over her body. She tripped on a loose pebble and hit her chin on the floor. The impact rattled her, but there was no time. She threw herself back onto her hooves and ran. Ran as fast as she could, faster than she could. Not fast enough. Too fast. She smacked into the door and threw herself around, pressing her haunches firmly against the door. She saw nothing coming for her, but that didn't ease her fears. She just couldn't see whatever was going to kill her. She turned back against and beat her hooves against the door. "Girls!?" she shrieked. She pounded her hooves into the door until they hurt. The door didn't budge. She slammed her hooves and body into the door as hard as she could. Her body hurt. The door didn't even move.

Her horn sparked and sputtered before something resembling a stable aura glowed to life. She barely managed to step back, then pulled on the doors as hard as she could. They practically exploded inward, swept around, and slammed into the wall.

Her friends all toppled over into a pile just inside the doorway. "Twilight!?" they cried out.

She still trembled, even as their sight brought a weak smile to her lips. She managed to stop chewing on her lip. "G-girls?!" she stammered. She felt that same spark as before when they had come to her aid when Nightmare Moon revealed herself.

A few of them grunted as they scrambled to their hooves, and before she could process it, Rainbow had tackled her to the ground and stood over her, looking down at her with pinned ears and wide eyes. The Elements fell from her magic and clattered on the stone floor, but her friends' combined focus was on her. "Are you okay!?" Rainbow nearly shrieked. "We tried everything but we couldn't get in! The door was sealed shut!"

The rest of them gathered close around her, entirely ignoring the Elements, ears all pinned back and wide-eyed. The one exception was Midnight, who frowned slightly as she looked off towards the hole in the ceiling. Midnight winced almost in slow motion, her lips curling back, then finally she turned to face her.

Spike leaped at her. She braced herself and tensed up, then his weight landed on her chest. Even with having prepared herself, it was still enough to make her grunt, but it didn't erase her smile.

'They're here for me,' was her mind's reassurance. The bad feelings grew more distant as Spike hugged her. She looked up at Rainbow, then around at her friends. Not one of them looked dismissive of her. They all cared. They all loved her. She felt relief flood over her body, washing the primordial terror away. She closed her eyes and inhaled. "Y-yes," she managed to croak out.

But that was a lie. She clenched her jaw, then hugged Spike back with her right foreleg. "A-at least now," she amended hastily. She held Spike for a few seconds, then slid her foreleg off of him. He lingered, then gradually pulled back and slid off her body. She glanced around, then rolled onto her side. Rainbow backed up for her to sit up, and then once she was on her haunches, they all wrapped their forelegs around her and hugged her.

Feeling their warmth and reassurance made her want to cry. She closed her eyes and her lips trembled. Midnight didn't join in, but that was fine. She heard Midnight step away, but it was forgotten over the embrace and nuzzles of her friends. They held her tight, tighter than she could ever remember her parents of brother holding her, and she lost herself in the embrace. Their love banished her fear. Their love comforted her soul.

Her eyes warmed and her face cooled; her lips eventually stopped trembling and held a smile. Through her closed eyes, she eventually noticed the light growing dim.

Twilight opened her eyes and found it was dark once again. Her head jerked right and her gaze locked onto the sky.

The moon looked down at her. She stared as she felt her friends gradually pull back. It took her a few seconds before she could look back at her friends' faces.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Rarity murmured. Twilight turned to face Rarity, whose gaze was focused on her left cheek.

Reluctantly, Twilight lifted her right forehoof, and when she pulled it away, there was a small smear of red. She grimaced at her hoof, then set it back down and looked at Rarity. "It's not that bad..." she muttered.

Especially in comparison to what he could do, and what Nightmare Moon would do.

The unease came back. 'She won't...' she tried to convince herself.

It didn't work.

She glanced over them again, then stood up. They stepped back just enough for her to stand. She saw the Elements and picked them up with her magic, and at that, everypony turned to face them.

"So those are the Elements?" Rainbow scoffed. "A bunch of necklaces with gems in them and a crown? Lame."

Ignoring Rainbow, Rarity asked, "I think they look wonderful, don't you, dear?"

"I think they're lovely," Fluttershy mumbled.

She looked over each Element in turn, yet found her gaze drawn most to that crown. 'Magic,' she immediately knew. It was enough to make her brow and lips twitch down. 'Why is it a tiara while the rest are necklaces?' was her first question, but no answer came to mind. Maybe it was always that way?

She felt some sort of draw from it, like it was trying to coax her into taking it. The unease grew worse and her head drifted to the right until her eyes finally pulled away from the tiara. She glanced over her friends. Each of them looked at one of the necklaces in particular, and, going by what little she knew, the necklace they looked at was supposed to be their own.

She levitated the necklaces closer to her friends, then her magic cut out, overpowered by another form of magic. Her aura winked out, yet that tiara didn't fall. The necklaces hovered over to her friends' necks, then the clasps clicked into place while the tiara hovered over to her, then landed on her head.

She found herself staring up at it as best she could, which resulted mostly in her staring at her horn. The unfamiliar weight was less than she expected, yet that barely registered compared to the feeling of comfort it radiated. Seated on her head, the Element of Magic gave her a feeling of calm reassurance, not unlike how Princess Celestia's wings being wrapped around her reassured her. It almost whispered in her mind, 'It will be okay, my little pony,' in the same gentle, almost motherly tone as Princess Celestia.

But it felt like there was something else there in that same whisper, as if it was smiling because it knew something she didn't and was looking forward to something greater.

It was like a friend, ready to pick her up if she fell, ready to carry her when she couldn't carry herself. It almost washed away every single doubt and fear in her mind, yet that cold feeling that Discord was right still gnawed and simmered in her mind as the one thing that wouldn't fade.

And the power the Element held! She could feel it, and it left her feeling almost as if she could walk on clouds or command the very stone beneath her hooves if she so asked! Its magic was so pure, somehow feeling more natural than her own, yet at the same time, feeling as if it was her own, not even an extension, just like it was somehow a part of her. It was as if it was meant to be this way, like the Element of Magic was meant for her alone. As if it was a part of her she had been born with, yet had been separated from.

The feeling drew a calm silence across her mind, one that she couldn't think over. As seconds passed in blissful peace, she found herself able to think again, even though that same feeling lingered.

The first thought that came to mind was, 'Okay... what do we do now?' and with it, the feeling nearly entirely faded. She looked left, then right. "Uh, so..." she started.

Her friends gradually looked at her. Their general consensus was, as voiced by Rainbow Dash, "So how exactly do we use these things?"

A grimace pulled at her lips. "I uh, don't know," she admitted.

"Dear, please tell me you have a plan," Rarity said in a flat voice.

Twilight winced and tilted her head away from Rarity as she squeaked, "Uh, we head back to Canterlot?"

"How very reassuring," was all Rarity had to say to that.

"I feel like... we'll know what to do when the time comes," Applejack offered.

Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie all voiced affirmative, "Mhms!" and nodded in agreement.

Rarity sighed, then said, "Well, at least we'll be out of here. This place is simply dreadful!"

"Why Canterlot?" Midnight asked. She looked over at her guard to see her head tilted at an angle. "Can't you just use them anywhere if he shows up?"

"Probably?" Twilight answered. "I would assume so, but I imagine he'd be in Canterlot..." she mumbled. A wince pulled at her lips and she looked away from Midnight, then quietly said, "And... I... would like to talk to... Nightmare first..."

She reluctantly looked back at Midnight and found the batpony frowning slightly, but Midnight stayed silent and gave an unconvinced nod. Twilight inhaled, then glanced over her friends. "Well!" she called out before mumbling, "Let's go..."

"Again."

Discord Part 3

Nightmare Moon strode back and forth in her study, the agonizing feeling of having no control twisting inside her body and sickening her. She held her jaw clamped shut, and each step came as a jerk. 'Where are you!? What has he done!?' her mind demanded, and her jaw clenched tighter. Her eyes trailed over the floor, but she paid no attention to it: her mind was consumed with the agony of Discord's return. And even worse, nothing could erode the churning unease that ate at her mind: Discord had broken or suppressed the enchantment on Twilight's necklace.

Or worse.

She had no idea where her student was. She had no idea what Discord was doing. She didn't know if her student was safe or in danger. She had no idea and no control; she could not intervene, she couldn't do anything. She couldn't even distract Discord. He had lost interest in her, though perhaps only for a time.

Her legs trembled as she marched back and forth, seething. The anger was still secondary compared to her concern. 'He will not kill you,' she told herself.

She still knew there were worse things he could do. If he truly wanted to, he could do things to her student that she couldn't even imagine. Things far worse than what the griffins of old had done. Things far beyond simply breaking her student. Unspeakable things, and things that had no name.

And she couldn't stop it.

The worry, 'I have made a mistake,' plagued her mind as she marched back and forth. 'I have left you defenseless against him. I have not taught you as I should have,' twisted her gut into a tight knot. 'And he knows your importance.'

It wasn't lost on her how much it plagued her mind. Her student was in danger; her only means of stopping Discord! Almost as bad as that was knowing that she had failed her student and broken that promise to protect her. And now her rule was falling apart.

'This is worse than the first time,' simmered in her mind. For a moment, her stride slowed and her eyes jerked up to the wall.

Ages ago, it had been hopeless. When Discord showed up, Luna had confronted him, only to find her magic useless against him. She still remembered their confrontation and how he laughed off everything Luna threw at him. Luna had called on her sister for help, and even then, their combined magic did little more than tickle him. And he tore their world apart, bit by bit, piece by piece, shred of sanity by shred of sanity, until nearly every last trace of order had been rewritten. And that was exactly what was happening now. Discord was remaking the world for his own amusement.

There had been no way to stop Discord until they discovered the Elements. They weren't even sure they would work, but they did. And now, though she knew that the Elements would work, it felt worse. The feeling of powerlessness was worse than before; there was nopony there to tell her it would be okay. Her empire, her world, was being torn apart. She couldn't wield the Elements to stop Discord once again, and should she find herself on the receiving end of those same Elements she once called ally, it would be her end.

Assuming Discord didn't stop them. Even more agony welled up in her chest, constricting her heart with an icy grip she hadn't felt in centuries. It was the same feeling of powerless as whenever she watched one who she called 'friend' killed in battle; the same feeling of powerless when she had gazed upon a 'friend' and saw a mortal wound that even her magic could not undo. The feeling of powerlessness when she saw such a wound, and the pony looked into her eyes: both of them knew, and nothing was said between them. And then she watched, sometimes longer than it took for the pony to die, leading another pony to come break her stupor.

It was torture. It made her doubt and feel uncertain. It made her hesitate and it made her question her own decisions. Already, she had wasted hours, but there was nothing that she could do. She could not reassure ponies with her presence nor words like Cadance did: they would not believe her, and her attempted reassurance could have been lies; her trying to reassure ponies would have only made things worse.

'If Sister and I could stop you, retrieving her would be worth it,' growled in her mind. Discord was an existential threat to her empire and to the world! She had not sacrificed so much for Equestria so long ago and born so much hatred to see her prize ripped away from her by another! If she had to make some agreement with her dear sister in order to defeat Discord, then even fighting alongside her would be worth it. 'Stopping Discord would be worth it.' And after Discord was dealt with, she could deal with Sister again.

It was almost tempting. It was the one option where she had some semblance of control; she could retrieve her sister, but then after that, that semblance of control would be gone. 'We would agree to stop Discord,' came with a snort.

'The one thing we can agree on,' she thought. A smile pulled at her lips and she shook her head. The price of having to suffer through her sister's presence to stop Discord was heavy, but to stop Discord and to ensure she could regain control of her empire, it would be worth it. But even together, she knew they wouldn't be able to defeat him. Not now. Now, only her student and her student's friends could defeat Discord by wielding the Elements of Harmony. She had no control because she had to rely on somepony else to do what she could not. It left her powerless.

'We would agree to protect Twilight.'

For the first time in over an hour, she stopped pacing and lifted her head up. Her smile vanished as she stared ahead at the bookshelf in front of her. Seconds passed as the thought lingered in her mind, churning and repeating. 'We would agree on two things, then,' she mused. She inhaled, then looked left and right. She was alone, but that did not mean Discord wasn't there in secret or paying attention to her- but if Discord was there, he wasn't interested in her to an extent that she could distract him.

She scowled, then turned around and strode out onto her balcony. She passed through the doorway, then cast her gaze to the sky. Her gaze fell on the moon and her sister's scarring. She despised it. Her scowl deepened.

She averted her gaze, then strode back inside. She couldn't stop herself from glancing over the city as she turned, and as she stepped back through the doorway, the image lingered in her mind, bringing the thought, 'It would not matter what I build, you would tear it down and remake it...'

The palace was, for whatever reason, the only thing remotely untouched. Perhaps Discord left it alone simply to mock her: he tore apart her empire, but left Sister's palace untouched.

She walked back into her study, then stopped. 'What can I do!?' her mind demanded. 'Pacing back and forth does nothing! I cannot stop him and I cannot assist my student!' All she could do was wait.

She could be patient.

She had been patient.

Time wasn't on her side.

Being patient while Discord roamed free was impossible.

Unease twisted in her chest once again. Her head drifted low, then to the left before gradually pulling to the right. She stared at her desk. 'Her dragon is likely with her.'

She bolted to the desk, swept up the quill and a scroll in her magic, then nearly slammed the scroll to the desk. She forced the quill over to the paper to write. True, Discord would know, but she doubted he would consider it 'helping' Twilight to make sure that her student was unharmed.

A quick knock on the door interrupted her. The quill dropped from her magic, and ink splattered over the scroll. She scowled and threw the scroll and quill aside with her magic as she spun around. 'This had better be useful,' snapped in her mind.

She marched to the door, then practically ripped the door from its hinges as she opened it. The guards had better be about to inform her that Discord had either been defeated or her student was there! "What is-" she snapped, only to go silent.

Twilight flinched back and bit down on her lip.

Nightmare's gaze lingered on the tiara atop her student's head, and that familiar pink starburst gem set within. The unease in her chest sank lower and lower as she stared at it. The urge to run flooded through her mind, and she felt her legs start to shake.

She averted her gaze and quickly looked behind her student. 'Your friends are not here; I do not need to worry,' cautiously came to mind. 'But where are they!?' They should not be wasting time!

Her shaking stopped. Reluctantly, she looked back down at her student. Twilight refused to meet her gaze; her jaw was clenched and her student's eyes were locked onto her chestplate. The necklace was gone.

"C-can... I talk to you?" was Twilight's quiet stutter.

Nightmare felt her ears twitch back. The silence in the wake of that one, simple question was unbreakable. The tone her student had taken was enough to force the thought, 'You are scared,' to her mind.

Standing there was wasting time. Discord was free and destroying Equestria, if not the world, while her student acted like a foal.

But her student was scared. 'I am sending you against Discord, how could you not be scared?' came to mind, and her lips fell into a strained line. Addressing that fear was not wasting time; it was necessary. To send her student against him without addressing it would have been a mistake. She inhaled, then inclined her head and asked, "What is wrong?"

Twilight released her lip, looked left, then right, then scampered into the room, her legs trembling even when standing still. Nightmare saw a red cast to Twilight's lips, and her eyes snapped onto it: blood. A part of her wanted to scoff at her student for injuring herself so, yet the reason for the injury kept her in check. 'You are not okay,' she knew.

She frowned and took a step forward, only for her student to recoil. She barely heard Twilight stutter a weak, "D-don't..."

So Nightmare stopped. 'Something is wrong,' she knew, and the knowledge set her on edge. She listened closely, but Twilight stayed silent. "Twilight Sparkle?" she asked cautiously. Carefully, she lifted her gaze from her student, then gradually pushed the door closed with her magic. It clicked when it shut, and her student flinched again. It was the kind of fear somepony had when they were trapped with a predator. And with that fear coming from her student, it stung. "What is wrong?" she asked slowly.

'Her friends are not here...' repeated in her mind, and a sinking feeling ballooned in her stomach.

Twilight's lips wobbled into something of a twisted, sarcastic smile.

'No!' Nightmare's mind demanded. Discord wouldn't kill them! Surely he had not! Then what had happened to them!? Her head turned to the right, but her gaze lingered on that sarcastic smile. It was a wrong smile that unnerved her. She hated that smile. She forced her eyes back to her student's, then, masking her fear, asked, "Where are they?"

Twilight blinked. For a few seconds, her student didn't seem to comprehend the question. "T-they're... waiting," she answered.

The ballooning feeling popped with relief. 'They are fine. He did not hurt them.' Nightmare's eyes darted down to her student's bare chest. Her lips twitched down, then lifted back up. 'I will have to fix this another time.' She looked into her student's eyes again. Fear.

'You're terrified.'

'What am I to do?'

"You are safe here," she spoke slowly, "I will not let him hurt you." And she wouldn't. Discord wouldn't lay a claw on Twilight so long as she had any say in the matter. Not that she could stop him, but she would certainly try. She carefully lifted her right forehoof, then took a slow step towards her student.

Twilight backed up and snapped, "I-I said don't..."

Nightmare stopped and studied her student's expression. 'Discord did this...' her mind finally voiced. Anger sparked to life and she had to force back a growl, knowing that she could not snap now. She couldn't let Discord have that victory over her, and if she snapped, Twilight would break. She could see it in the filly's eyes. She licked her lips, then inclined her head as she carefully said, "You need to gather your friends and stop him."

Her student's sarcastic smile grew worse and Twilight shook her head, then met her gaze. "It-it doesn't matter," was her broken declaration.

Nightmare's heart sank and her wings dipped lower. The anger bled out and her mind went silent.

"Y-you're just going to kill us all anyway," was the next thing her student said. And then Twilight's tears came. Her student sniffled and whimpered, backing up until her haunches were against the door.

And when Twilight's haunches touched the door, she knew exactly what her student was thinking, 'I am trapped in here with you.'

Nightmare's jaw clamped shut. 'Discord...' seethed in her mind. 'What have you done to her!?' screamed out.

And yet, she felt cold. Why would Twilight possibly think that!? To kill a foal!? To kill her own student!? To betray her like Sister had betrayed Luna!?

In response, she could almost hear Discord's maddening laugher, she could feel his twisted, victorious smile.

'No!' she declared. Every part of her being demanded she go and end his existence. Her blood boiled and her legs trembled.

But anger would get her nowhere; Discord had proven that time and time again. If she acted in anger as she had wanted to so long ago, she would undermine her own plans and make things worse. If she acted in anger now, it would just make a mockery of her. Discord would just laugh and laugh in amusement, watching her react so. No matter how much she hated Discord, that hate wouldn't help her stop him. Snapping as she wanted would only hurt her student. Snapping as she wanted was exactly what Discord wanted.

Twilight was terrified, whimpering and sniffling, pressing against the door. And she just stood there. She didn't try to help. She didn't try to make things right, nor comfort her student. She betrayed Twilight with her inaction. Nightmare swallowed back the bitter bile brought on by the mixing of her pride and anger. 'You need me.'

"Twilight Sparkle," she called. Her student flinched back and her body wilted, sinking towards the floor. For a moment, seeing Twilight's reaction confused her. Then it clicked, and then it hurt. She went silent, and seconds passed with even more inaction. 'You are convinced that I am going to kill you. You think I am a monster.'

She took a slow step forward; her boot clicked on the floor, and Twilight whimpered in fear. Cowering before her, even worse than before. She was supposed to be Twilight's teacher! And it didn't look that way. Anypony who looked at this would condemn her, immediately jumping to the conclusion that she did this to the filly. 'What am I supposed to do!?' Her head bobbed side to side as she took another step forward that was punctuated with another high-pitched whimper from her student. She felt her ears twitch at the sound. She stopped and called, "Twilight."

Her student didn't flinch back this time. For whatever reason, the informality of not using her last name seemed to penetrate through that fear and worry. It sparked some form of hope in her mind; she felt her heart beat faster. She sat down on her haunches, perhaps too quickly. "Twilight," she emphasized, leaning forward.

And then her student just shook her head. Nightmare watched whatever recognition there had been in her student's eyes die. Twilight closed her eyes and shot back, "Y-you're just going to kill me! Discord said so!"

'You did this to her...' her mind accused, but she didn't know if it was directed at Discord or herself. She wanted to snort. It was insane! Her student was better than this! To listen to Discord!? But that didn't change the fact that Twilight needed her, and that it was still her own fault. She didn't even need to fight the urge to snort dismissively at Twilight's fear; she couldn't have forced herself to in the first place. Twilight needed her.

"Discord is a liar..." she said carefully, just barely managing to stop herself from hissing it out, then waited a few seconds for it to sink in before adding, "I am not going to-"

Twilight's tear-filled eyes snapped open. Her student stared at her with almost a glare, and it was enough to send her into silence. How many glares had she seen in her lifetime? And not one of them came close to Twilight's glare. Broken, betrayed, angry, scarred. "You said you would!" Twilight screamed.

For a moment, silence lingered in Nightmare's mind. Not a single thought. Twilight's chest heaved as the teary glare matched her gaze. 'I did promise that...' came to mind. She stared at her student's broken expression. The memory of watching her student lying in bed in Hollow Shades came to mind, followed by the words she had heard her student say in private to Midnight. Then the memories of every time her student had shied back from her. Everything she had put her through.

The glare was accusing. Even her mind turned on her to side with that glare.

Twilight was just a foal. Twilight had no right to accuse her of anything! She was queen!

But that didn't matter, especially not to the guilt that gradually slithered through her body, leaving her disgusted as the thought, 'I have hurt a foal,' growled in her mind. 'I have hurt my own student.' And how was that not a betrayal like her sister had betrayed her?

She couldn't keep looking at that glare; she blinked and turned away. 'I did this to you... I let him do this...'

'It is my fault.' Nopony else was to blame.

She looked over the wall as that all-too-familiar bitterness claimed her. Her heart thumped in her chest and her jaw hurt. That bitterness made her want to lash out. She needed to teleport to some distant forest and make a new clearing like before. But to do that would show Discord just how much he was getting to her, and he would just laugh and laugh and laugh at her. And it would be abandoning Twilight, just like her sister abandoned her. "You," she started, only to stop herself. Her mouth was dry and her throat tightened.

Twilight needed her.

For whatever reason, she felt a sudden urge to laugh. It was absurd. As it was, she smiled and snorted. 'This is my doing...' growled in her mind again.

The smile disintegrated. She turned back to take in her student's terrified expression. 'And we were doing so much better... I am deluding myself, aren't I? We will never have that bond of teacher and student that you shared with my sister...'

She felt disappointed.

Nightmare inhaled, then calmly exhaled. Failure felt worse than defeat. Sister made sure she was intimate with both feelings.

The thought, 'I should have told you this before...' chastised her, constricting her throat even tighter with that damned bitterness.

Maybe she would end up regretting this. It gave Twilight too much wiggle room. Maybe it would encourage her student to disobey her. But it didn't matter, did it? Truly, the only thing of importance was that Discord had to be stopped. Consequences be damned.

And Twilight was hurting, because of her doing. She had made the mistake.

The latter held more sway. "I will not kill you," she said quietly.

Twilight's head whipped back and forth. "I-I don't believe you! You're lying!" was her near-scream.

Nightmare leaned closer to her student and, without looking away from her eyes emphasized, "I give you my word, Twilight, that I will not kill you. Or your friends."

"You said you would kill me if I betrayed you! You promised! Wouldn't that," her student paused as that sarcastic smile split her lips, "be in your best interests!?"

Nightmare's jaw tightened. 'Have I truly hurt you this much? This is not working...' And there wasn't a thing she could do. Defeat wasn't nearly as bitter as failure.

Nightmare lifted her head back up and she extended her right wing a few inches from her side. "Come here," she called.

Twilight wasn't convinced; she stood there trembling, just staring at her as if she was insane.

And maybe she was.

"Come here," she called again, unfolding her wing further. "Please... I will not hurt you."

And Twilight just kept staring at her unfolded wing, the same confusion, bewilderment and disbelief as before flooding her face. She could see the recognition in Twilight's eyes, yet she also saw a refusal to accept the offer, as if her student thought it was some sort of trap. She opened her mouth to call again, but before she did, Twilight whimpered, clenched her eyes shut, lowered her head and nearly ran over to her.

Out of fear.

Nightmare hated it. She extended her wings all the way, then carefully reached for her student. At first, Twilight squeaked when Nightmare's feathers touched her coat. "I will not hurt you," Nightmare said again as she slowly reached her wings around her student's body. Her feathers glided over Twilight's sides and slid through her student's soft coat, then she wrapped her wings over Twilight's back and coaxed her closer with a gentle pull.

Twilight didn't resist, but her hooves stumbled when Nightmare pulled. She coaxed Twilight to her chestplate, then her student sat down on her haunches in front of her, crying and whimpering. She held Twilight tight in her wings and glared at the door. 'You will pay for this Discord.'

He would not win. He would not hurt Twilight again.

And she wouldn't either.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it, even more so because the fault was more her own for leaving her student vulnerable to him. Twilight needed her to be there for her; her student needed reassurance and comfort. She brushed her left wing up her student's back, feeling Twilight's fur part around her feathers, then wrapped her wing around the back of Twilight's head to coax her closer.

Perhaps she was a thousand years out of touch; perhaps ponies would look at her with hatred and distrust, but she still remembered how to comfort; she could still comfort her student if only because of that fragile, nearly non-existent bond they shared. And sometimes, all it took was a little kindness: a hug could do so much more than a thousand words to comfort somepony.

She remembered that, before it was a lie.

Reluctantly, Twilight let Nightmare coax her head closer, then, as if on instinct, Twilight turned her head to the left and laid her head on the armor of her right shoulder, with her muzzle pointing away from Nightmare. For a moment, Nightmare's body tensed as she felt the Element of Magic press against the back of her neck, but nothing happened. Its presence felt almost familiar, and its magic reminded her of Twilight's magic. The Element of Magic didn't try to strike out at her, so Nightmare relaxed, yet her heart beat faster and harder while her legs threatened to tremble.

The Element of Magic touching her was forgotten as she felt Twilight's trembling body through her wings. She could even feel it shaking her chestplate, making it rub uncomfortably against her chest. Each shake was a painful reminder that she had betrayed Twilight, almost like her sister had betrayed her. Each shake was a painful condemnation; that she hadn't protected her student as she had promised. And so she felt guilt.

She embraced her student tight, holding her close, trying to put an end to that trembling. She forced herself to listen to the filly's whimpering and croaking. All the while, forcing herself to know it was her own doing. Discord had simply used her against her student.

And she hated that Discord had used her against Twilight. It almost brought a scowl to her lips, but she forced it down, if only for Twilight.

A part of her wanted to say, 'We are wasting time,' but each shake, each sob, each whimper, silenced it better than she could have herself. 'We must talk,' she knew, 'and I must apologize to you.' But the weight of guilt and disappointment kept her silent. So she gave Twilight her shoulder to cry on, somethat that the filly needed.

Minutes passed before her student's whimpers and shaking grew distant, and as they did, she started to stroke her left wing up and down her back while still embracing Twilight with her right wing. With each passing stroke, she felt Twilight's trembling ebb away, replaced with a quick shiver. Only once those whimpers had been silent for several minutes did she stop and say again, "I do care about you... and I will not hurt you. I do not want to and... I will not."

Twilight sniffled and shuddered as she inhaled, and she felt that shaking against her chest, almost like an accusation, then Twilight croaked out, "Y-you promise?"

She hesitated as the thought, 'I cannot go back on this,' came to mind. As it was, to say yes would be to go back on other promises she had made.

Unnecessary promises that only hurt her student. For a moment, her lip twitched in disgust. 'Why did I do that!' her mind snapped. She still knew the reason. She wanted to curse herself, but it would wait for another time.

"I promise that I will not hurt you," Nightmare said. Then she licked her lips before voicing the hardest part, "Even if you betray me." To punctuate it, she squeezed Twilight with her wings for several seconds, then relaxed her grip. As insane as it was, she felt relief. Her chest felt lighter for some reason, and she welcomed it. "I do not desire to hurt you," she mumbled. She inhaled deeply and mulled over how to continue, but everything she thought of felt somehow wrong. She felt Twilight breathe in deep against her chest, then drawled, "I am..." only to stop. 'Too fond of you,' her mind finished.

Voicing the rest would have been a mistake, so she settled on, "Despite what you may think, I do care about you."

Twilight didn't try to pull back, but she said nothing either, so she just sat there, wings wrapped around her student to protect and reassure her. 'Rushing this would get me nowhere... and this is not intolerable.' No, it was actually pleasant, at least as long as she forced herself to ignore why she was holding her student close. Had she been holding her student, had they been free from the oppressive curse of what Discord had done, then it would have been almost like her dreams: peaceful and refreshing. Had it not been for Discord, perhaps she could have held her student without Twilight haunted by fear.

The longer they lingered like that in silence, the more uncomfortable her chestplate felt. It wasn't that Twilight's weight was uncomfortable against it, it was simply that the uncaring metal was between them. Yet to have taken it off would have been insane. Discord could show up, and to simply tell her student, 'I am taking my armor off to give you a proper hug,' was out of the question, as was pushing her away to do so. And simply teleporting her chestplate off would have ruined the moment by unnecessarily startling Twilight.

But she still longed to feel her student's coat against her bare chest. 'Another time, perhaps...' fleetingly whispered through her mind. If Twilight would accept such an offer.

Memories flittered through her mind. 'How many times did Sister hold me like this when it was a lie?' The thought nearly ruined the moment, already tainting the memory she was making with those she had made. A scowl threatened to twist her lips down, but she held it back. She wasn't lying to Twilight as her sister had lied to her. It was more like those rare 'friends' she had. 'Friends...' whispered in her mind, and her eyes fell down onto the filly she held beneath her wings. Her eyes glanced along her student's back and over her wings; most of Twilight's body was hidden, but she could still feel her student beneath her wings: a pleasant warmth that she wished to feel against her chest. 'Perhaps.... eventually,' she mused.

But then, that was probably just a lie she told herself to make herself feel better.

'I'm too fond of you...' whispered in her mind once again, then followed by, 'But it is not a bad thing.'

"I-I'm sorry," came her student's weak voice that broke her from her thoughts.

"Do not apologize," Nightmare immediately countered.

Reluctantly, she felt Twilight lift her head from her shoulder and pull back. She looked down at Twilight, but Twilight looked at her desk to avoid her gaze.

Even with that, her eyes ran over the damp fur on her cheeks. She pulled her right wing back, then brought it close to her student's face. Twilight closed her eyes, then Nightmare carefully brushed her feather over them to wipe the remnants of the tears away. Once she finished, Twilight opened her eyes and looked up at her for a moment, then her eyes snapped back onto her chestplate.

"I..." she drawled, drawing Twilight's gaze back to her own. "It is fine," she said. "There is nothing to forgive."

Twilight's brow twitched down and her ears pinned back. "I-I screamed at-"

"Stop," Nightmare sighed, closing her eyes as Twilight looked down and went silent. "The fault is my own. I am sorry I put this on you. Do not let Discord get to you." She opened her eyes once more and looked down at Twilight, who was looking back up at her. She met Twilight's eyes. For whatever reason, it made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was how they glistened, reminding her of the tears Twilight had shed. Nightmare shifted her weight and struggled against the urge to look away. Perhaps it was guilt or regret or shame, or perhaps it was all three.

But it didn't matter. She inhaled, then exhaled, forcing herself to remain calm. "I cannot stop him. Only you and your friends can," she reminded. "Do not let him win."

And Twilight looked back down at her chestplate and gave a weak nod.

Her student was still hurting. She still could not send Twilight against Discord like this. 'I will not sacrifice you to him...' She leaned her head to the right and looked over the filly's features. "Are you," she ventured, "alright?"

"I-I don't know..." Twilight whispered back.

Nightmare wrapped her wing back around her student and pulled her to her chest again. "If you so need, we can talk. To send you against him in such a state..." she trailed off and shook her head. Doing that would be stupid. "I will not."

Twilight gave a timid nod but kept silent. Eventually, Twilight laid her head back down on her shoulder. Once again, she hated the feeling of Twilight's weight on her armor; she would have rather felt it on her body. 'It would be more comfortable for both of us...'

But the weight of Twilight's head resting on her shoulder was almost peaceful now that the filly wasn't crying. The world may have been falling apart at Discord's command, but it wasn't consuming her, rather, the thoughts of her student were. Her student's fur against her wings, the warmth of her body, just how fragile she felt, spurring some need to protect what was hers in her mind and body. Twilight's potential and how incomplete she was.

She would like to share such an embrace with her student more often. It would be something special that they could share as teacher and student.

Or perhaps as friends.

Images from her dreams flittered through her mind; she inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled. 'Would you be willing to call me friend?' she wondered. There was an undeniable appeal there, to be able to call somepony friend outside of comrades in arms. To be able to call her student, Twilight Sparkle, Twilight, her friend. A taste of what she should have had from her subjects for so long.

There was a pleasant ring to it. And then, if they were friends, perhaps Twilight would not fear her so! Perhaps that weak bond they shared could grow further and deeper! It would be pleasant.

'It would be good for both of us,' came to mind mixed with a sense of calm. Yet, to call Twilight her friend would have been insane, banal, and frivolous. But none of that stopped her from feeling that desire to call Twilight 'friend.' That sense of calm washed away as the thought, 'But now is not the time,' came to mind.

Reluctantly, she let her wings slip down her student's back, and at that, Twilight lifted her head from her shoulder. Looking down at her student, Nightmare saw her swallow, then head her mumble, "I... should... go get my friends and we should... stop Discord." Then, her student shifted her weight and looked up at her as her ears fell to her head before pleading, "We can stop him, right?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Using the Elements of Harmony, yes," she answered.

Twilight nodded timidly and looked back at her chestplate. For a few seconds, her eyes jumped left and right across the metal. "You'll... help if we need it, right?"

"If it is so necessary, I will... try," Nightmare answered slowly.

Twilight gave another timid nod, then slowly stood up.

Nightmare lifted her head up, then carefully said, "You need to be more confident in yourself." Her student glanced at her but said nothing, then took a step back and turned around.

Nightmare stood up and tilted her head into the air. "If you are ready," she said, "I wish you luck, not that I am inclined to believe you will need it."

Twilight looked back at her with an unsure half-smile. Nightmare nodded, then opened the door with her magic and called, "Go to your friends."

Twilight waited for a few more seconds, then lifted her right foreleg only to hesitate several more seconds. "I... don't suppose you'd be willing to," she drawled, gradually turning her head back to look at Nightmare, "walk me there?"

Nightmare hesitated. It could have been a trap; Twilight leading her to the rest of them so that they could use the Elements against her. But surely that wasn't the case! Surely her student would not stab her in the back in such a way, and surely her student knew it would be better to stop Discord first in any case. She knew Twilight wasn't faking being so terrified. She still had to tell herself, 'You are not trying to use the Elements against me,' before she could nod. 'You are simply scared.' She wouldn't betray Twilight and abandon her to her fears. "If you desire it," she agreed.

Twilight shifted her weight, then took a quick step forward out into the hallway, mumbling a quiet and embarrassed, "Thank you."

For the briefest of moments, Nightmare smiled; Twilight's thanks was once again genuine, and that meant something to her. She strode out into the hallway and came to a stop at her student's side. "It is fine," she answered.

Twilight nodded timidly, then turned and reluctantly stepped to the left. The filly's eyes glanced back at her, and once again, she saw her bite her lip, then flinch from pain.

Nightmare's lips pulled down. "You should stop doing that," she chastized.

Twilight stopped and cringed, then her head drifted to the right to face away from her. "It's... hard," was her mumbled admission.

Nightmare reached out with her right wing and calmly stroked her feather down the length of Twilight's back. Her eyes followed the path her feather took, even as Twilight turned back to look at her. Just below her rib cage, she lifted her feather from Twilight's back, met Twilight's gaze, then folded her wing back to her side. "You should not worry as much as you do. It is not good for you," she advised.

Twilight's head fell several inches, almost like her neck had gone limp, then her tail flicked and her ears pinned back.

It made Nightmare frown, and in response, she stroked her feather down the length of Twilight's back again. "I believe," she paused to lick her lips and turned her head to face down the hallway, then her eyes darted back and forth over the walls, the floor, and the ceiling as she said, "we should talk. We need to... be open with one another." With that said, she inhaled quickly and looked back at her student. "But perhaps... not now." She paused to wait for Twilight to meet her gaze, but it didn't happen, and it left her feeling disappointed. She relented and said, "After you stop Discord."

Twilight gave another timid nod, then lifted her head back up. She saw the barest hint of the tip of Twilight's tongue run over the edge of her lips, and it drew a pained wince.

'You ought not have to deal with that,' her mind groaned. On instinct, she channeled her magic into her horn, then channeled her magic into a healing spell. For a moment, Twilight's face scrunched up at the feeling. It wasn't fear, but rather, as if it was a new feeling for her. Once she had healed her student's lip, she let her aura disperse.

Twilight ran her tongue over her lip again, then faced her and asked, "A healing spell?"

Nightmare inclined her head and answered, "Yes."

"Um, thank you," was her student's mumbled reply.

"I do not mind," Nightmare said, "but would prefer that it does not become a habit."

For a moment Twilight was silent, then she looked to her right, then back to the left. "They're uh, waiting in the Throne Room..."

Nightmare nodded and waited, only for Twilight to remain standing still, unwilling to proceed. "I presume you would prefer I lead?"

Twilight nodded quickly.

"Very well. Follow," Nightmare said as she stepped forward. Almost immediately, Twilight was at her side. Close enough that her feathers brushed against her student's side as she walked, and it made her eyes dart to Twilight's body. 'You are still scared of him.'

It was something she could not blame Twilight for, and it was something else that they shared in common.

Without looking away from her student, she lifted her wing up, then brushed it over Twilight's back before sliding it down over her student's right side, sheltering Twilight with her wing. Perhaps to Discord it was a meaningless gesture, but it was still one more thing that she could do that would help comfort and reassure Twilight.

She walked on, but her gaze lingered on where her wing met Twilight's body. It drew too much of her attention, and for some reason, it fascinated her. The feeling of closeness to another pony and knowing it was genuine, rather than a lie. Eventually, she managed to break her gaze from Twilight's back. As she looked forward, she saw Twilight staring at her. Her student's stare lingered as they walked on, then, after a few seconds, Twilight's gaze drifted off her body as she looked ahead.

Twilight reluctantly stepped closer to her body as if seeking out more of that protection she offered. For some reason, she smiled as Twilight's coat touched her own. 'You are not so afraid of me now... perhaps this will continue,' she hoped.

But still, that embrace wasn't enough to make things right between them. She couldn't have alleviated all of Twilight's fears so easily. But it was a start, and it was enough for now.

"Um... why are we walking?" Twilight asked. "You could... teleport us, couldn't you?"

"Walking is far less interesting and is thus less likely to draw Discord's attention," Nightmare answered, "and it gives us time to talk if you need. It also gives you time to..." she trailed off. What was the best way to put it that wouldn't stab her in the back and hurt her confidence? She pursed her lips because there was no good answer. "It gives you time to... relax," she finally mumbled.

"Relax?" her student asked.

Nightmare glanced at Twilight and saw her frowning. "Yes," she answered, then looked back down the hallway. She looked right, then turned, pressing her body against Twilight's and coaxing her along through the turn and into the next hallway. "You worry too much," she elaborated.

"It's Discord," Twilight grumbled.

"And I know him far better than you," Nightmare replied. "Though I do understand your... hesitation and fear of him." She glanced aside at a guard standing in front of a door, and the guard went rigid, staring straight at the wall and ignoring her approach. She kept her eyes locked on him as they passed, then she looked ahead once more.

"He kept saying you were just going to use me and then get rid of me because I'd be a threat to you if I stopped him," Twilight spoke in a quiet, timid voice.

Nightmare scowled. "Discord," she barely stopped herself from growling, "is a liar. Never forget that."

"I know..." Twilight whispered back.

The scowl faded and Nightmare's eyes jumped onto her student. Twilight held her head low, with her ears folded back and her eyes focused on the floor. Her student looked as if she was ashamed to have believed him, and for a second, she just stared. Her student shouldn't have been ashamed, but then her student also should have known better than to trust Discord. But she wouldn't hold it against her. She inhaled, then exhaled; Twilight needed further reassuring, and she wouldn't back down from the challenge. "There is something to be said for allies, Twilight Sp-" she cut herself off as Twilight looked at her. She looked away from her student and asked, "Would you prefer I called you by only your first name?"

For a few seconds, the only sounds she could hear were their combined hoofsteps, then Twilight timidly answered, "I think I would prefer that... Using my full name is..."

Nightmare waited a few seconds, but her student said nothing more, so she inclined her head. "Very well, Twilight, I shall... attempt to break that habit."

"Thank you..." Twilight mumbled.

"I did not realize it bothered you," Nightmare commented. Twilight didn't reply, even when she glanced back at her. For a few seconds, she studied her student's features and found herself clenching her jaw. 'You are still worried.' She slowed to a stop and slowly stroked her wing down Twilight's side. Twilight closed her eyes and smiled almost calmly; that nervousness and anxiety temporarily banished by her feathers. She gradually lifted her wing up into the air and watched her student's smile fade while her eyes opened.

She wrapped her wing back around Twilight's side, and Twilight turned her head to face her. "As I was saying," she ventured, "there is something to be said for allies."

"And... what's that?" was her student's question.

Nightmare met her student's gaze, then answered, "One should never betray their allies." It was a fact, and she made certain it sunk in with how she said it; it would not do for her student to doubt that.

Twilight's eyes broke contact and fell onto the side of her chestplate, then rolled back and forth. Gradually, Twilight's head turned away from her, and she saw her student's brow creased. "Is that what-"

"You are my student," Nightmare preempted, "but yes. I count you among the few allies I have."

Twilight looked back at her, genuinely curious or surprised.

"I would not betray you for defeating Discord, nor will I," Nightmare affirmed. "It would be stupid," she spat, "to do so. To go back on my promises to you, to betray an ally," she elaborated with a shake of her head, "all that will do is signal potential future allies and even enemies that you cannot be trusted to hold to your word. One should not backstab their allies. It is not beneficial."

For a few seconds, Twilight didn't react, then eventually, her student started nodding and turned her head away from her.

"I would very much prefer to keep you as an ally than needlessly turn you into an enemy," she added. "And the same can be said for why one should not betray allies. Do not turn those who you call 'ally' into your enemies." She looked back down the hallway before adding, "And as I have said: I do care about you."

She waited a few seconds before glancing at her student and saying, "If you are ready, let us proceed. The longer we delay the more headaches Discord will cause all of us."

Twilight nodded timidly, so she walked forward again, making certain to keep Twilight close at her side. Perhaps to Discord, the shelter she offered her student meant nothing, but to her, it was right. She kept Twilight close as the walked along the rest of the journey to the Throne Room; it wouldn't do to let Discord touch the filly, and she knew Twilight welcomed the protection she offered.

As they walked the length of the hallway immediately before the last to the Throne Room, she scowled at the mockery that assaulted her eyes: just beyond where her Dear Sister's themed hallway ended was that damned hallway adorned with her own wonders, yet done by her sister.

She hated it. She would never set hoof in that accursed section of the castle, and if it wasn't a waste of resources to do so, she would have torn it all out and had it replaced. As it was, the thought twisted in her mind, still tempting her. How dare her sister mock her by reminding her of her own domain that she had stolen!

Her jaw was clenched and she wanted to look away, but was left with no choice. She held herself in check for her student's sake, so as much as it pained her, she kept a scowl from slipping onto her lips. When they finally turned down the last hallway, she was relieved, even when still faced with some remnants of her sister's decor.

Twilight's head lingered behind, staring at the hallway, then at Nightmare's body, as they turned. It was enough to make her look at Twilight and know her student was thinking about something. But what that something was eluded her, and now was not the time to bring it up.

Eventually, Twilight glanced up at her face, met her gaze for a fleeting second, then looked away.

Her gaze lingered on the filly as, 'You would know more about that than I,' slithered through her mind. For a moment longer, she watched her student, then she leveled her gaze on the door at the end of the hallway.

She opened it with her magic as they approached, and almost immediately, dread cascaded over her body. Not enough to paralyze her, but enough to slow her pace and force the thought, 'I cannot go in there!' to hiss in her mind.

Those five mares, along with Spike and Midnight all stood in the center of the Throne Room. Their heads all whipped around to face her and her student, and for a moment, their gazes darted between the two of them, then seemed to linger on how she held the filly beneath her wing. And they seemed surprised. She held back a snort as the thought, 'Do they not think I wish to protect you? Do they not think I care about you?' growled in her mind.

Yet most of her mind felt nearly paralyzed with fear. She stopped at the doorway. A part of her, deep inside her, wanted to shake and tremble, and another part of her wanted to lash out in rage: those five mares wore golden necklaces, almost like regalia, around there necks within which sat those five Elements of Harmony.

And her student wore a tiara.

For a moment, her eyes jumped between those five regalias, then landed on her student's tiara. 'Interesting...' came to mind, just barely above the fear their presence induced. 'Your destiny...' wandered through her mind, only to fade as Twilight turned her head to face her.

Waiting on her.

Without turning her head, she glanced at her student's five friends. She was in peril in their presence, if only because they wielded the Elements of Harmony. 'If you turned on me... I would not be able to stop you...' crawled through her mind. It was more than enough to keep her from entering the Throne Room. It would not do to stupidly get close enough that they could turn on her! It would be stupid for her to leave herself so vulnerable!

As it was, she may already have been too close. But Twilight made no effort to turn on her, nor did she see anything in her student's eyes that made her fear the filly would turn on her. 'You will not,' mumbled in her mind.

But still, to be so close to those damned Elements!? They locked her away for a thousand years!

Yet they had been her allies, once upon a time. The thought was almost calming, yet left her feeling almost dissociated from her body. She could feel the Elements; she could feel their magic.

Twilight and her friends would stop Discord. They would not turn on her.

Everypony continued to stare at her. Had it been a crowd of ponies she was addressing, it wouldn't have bothered her, but for some reason, those eight stares agitated her. She shifted her weight on her hooves, sucked in a deep breath, then strode forward.

Twilight finally looked away from her and turned her head towards her friends. She felt a jitter run through her student's body: a wave of excitement. A bit of a smile pulled at her lips, even as she felt Twilight's desire to leave the protection her wing offered.

Her student wanted to go to her friends.

Twilight sucked her lip in between her teeth, making her frown, then Twilight turned to face her and opened her mouth. She preempted it with an incline of her head. "Go."

Twilight didn't need any more encouragement and simply bolted out from under her wing and raced the distance to her friends, and in response, those five mares and Spike ran to her, then they all gathered around her student and shared an embrace.

Midnight calmly walked over to the group as she approached, but didn't join. The batpony nodded at Nightmare, and she returned it. Nightmare stopped a few steps away from the group hug, and she let her gaze wander over the six of them.

Her gaze kept being drawn back to the tiara atop her student's head, then jumping down to her student's cutie mark.

Eventually, her student's friends pulled back, and with that, Nightmare managed to break her gaze from the Element of Magic. They all meandered back and turned to face her, and likewise, Twilight stepped a pace closer to her before turning to face her.

A tinge of panic twisted and pulsed in her chest as Twilight faced her, but it was relieved when her student asked, "Um... what do... we do? How are we supposed to... um, use them?"

"It should," Nightmare voiced, pausing to swipe her tongue over her lips and swallow, "feel natural. An..." she trailed off and glanced at those five regalias, the memory of wielding three of the six Elements as gems with her sister so long ago flowing through her mind. "Extension of your own magic, as it were."

Her answer only made her student give a bewildered frown. "What? That's not helpful! I-I don't-"

Nightmare tilted her head and leveled her gaze on her student before saying, "When the time comes you will know what to do."

Twilight's lips pulled into a wince as she took a step back away from her. Then, to her surprise, the filly scowled and huffed. "That's not helpful," was her groaned mutter. "You'd think there would be more information to work with! Of course not!"

"To my knowledge," Nightmare retorted, "Sister and I are the only ones to have ever wielded the Elements prior."

Twilight winced, but the scowl faded. "Sorry, I just-"

"It is fine," Nightmare dismissed.

Rainbow Dash beat her wings, hovered in the air and folded her forelegs over her chest, then looked at her with a flat expression that made her eyes snap to the pegasus. "And uh, you don't have anything else you can tell us about these things? No offense, but, like, you want us to face Discord without telling us what to do?"

"She has a point, dear," Rarity noted.

'Why do you six have to wield the Elements? Why cannot it simply be my student!?' Nightmare's exasperated mind demanded. It would be so much better if it was solely Twilight! Yet having five friends to help her was perhaps a good thing. She stepped forward and admitted, "I can only tell you what I have experienced." She sent Rainbow Dash a glare. And of course, Rainbow Dash was as defiant as ever and refused to back down. Nightmare's tail flicked behind her in agitation. 'They are allies,' she had to remind herself, but even then it was still maddening.

Still, Rainbow Dash had her begrudging respect: the pegasus bore Loyalty. "And from what I can tell you it is like an extension of your own magic and you will know what to do when the time comes."

Twilight's head turned to face her friends, then she mumbled, "We'll figure it out," though the filly didn't sound convinced of it. "Which is more or less what we decided would happen..."

'Would you know how to use them against me?' she wondered. 'Or do you already know how to use them against me and are hiding it?' Did Twilight already have an idea of how to use the Elements but not want to admit it? But if that was true, then Twilight wasn't betraying her, even when presented with the opportunity.

'It will be fine.' With that, she gave a tentative nod. "We will go to the Courtyard and attempt to draw Discord close," she declared.

The six friends gave uncertain nods. 'It would not do to leave them vulnerable to Discord's manipulation,' growled in her mind. "I assure you, the six of you will be able to stop him."

It didn't help. Predictably, the six of them didn't believe her. Or at least five of them didn't, and one was reluctant to. She took a step forward, then extended her wing and stroked a feather over Twilight's back, against her coat and brushing it up her neck, then over her cheek. It was easily more than enough to make her student face her and meet her gaze.

"You can do this," she told her, then folded her wing back to her side.

Timidly, Twilight looked back at her chestplate, but her student nodded.

She looked at the other five. "I will teleport us there. It may draw Discord's attention or it may not," she said. She looked at Spike, then at Midnight. Neither of them could help. If anything, they were liabilities. "Remain here with Spike," she ordered.

Midnight gave a quick, serious nod, then walked behind the other five mares towards Spike, who then climbed up her hind leg and sat down on her back. 'I never would have imagined a dragon hatchling riding on one of my batponies so long ago...' drifted through her mind. The thought was simply insane back then: the dragons would have fed themselves with her soldiers. It would have costed them dearly, and it had until she ensured they ate gems instead.

And they still ate gems, even with her having been gone for a thousand years. 'It would seem that I left a lasting memory on your kind,' brought a smile to her lips. Or perhaps Sister had something to do with it, unlikely as it was.

But there was time for reminiscence later. She channeled her magic into her horn, wrapped it around her student and those five mares, then teleported to the courtyard. She shivered, feeling her magic brushing up against that unspeakably powerful magic of the Elements.

The six of them varied in how disorientated they were from the teleport. She gave them a passing glance as they recovered and drew close to huddle together, then she turned around and cast her glare on that damned mid-day sky. The sun was blocked out by a thick layer of dark gray clouds, but it wasn't enough for her to miss its presence.

It made her seethe. Even worse, Discord was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he!?" Twilight called out.

"I do not know," Nightmare answered.

She heard that damned, maddening laughter, then saw the clouds swirl together before they formed into something akin to his damned head had he been made out of clouds. And those clouds grinned and laughed, mocking her, sliding through her coat and skin as if it was nothing, drawing her nigh-infinite rage to bear.

"Oh, Luna, Luna, Luna," the clouds sighed. "Do you really think I'd just come here and sit around waiting for them to turn me into a statue again?" was his mocking. "I can be anywhere I want right now, really," he said dismissively, going so far as to roll his cloud eyes.

And of course, that was true and drew her ire.

The clouds peeled away from the main body and formed a smoky form of his body that descended towards the ground. He lifted his claw to his chin and stroked his cloud goatee as he cast his gaze towards the sky. "Although I have to admit I'm rather surprised that she's not still whimpering and cowering in fear of you," he said. "It was positively de-lightful to watch that."

Nightmare let out a growl and her tail twitched. She ground her boots into the stone.

In a gust of wind, the clouds shot over towards her. Past her. She jumped back and swiveled around as the clouds slithered and coiled around her student.

Something that ought not have been.

Her horn flared and the clouds exploded into a mist of water. Twilight squeaked and her friends all jumped back.

Discord's voice huffed. "That was rather rude," he grumbled.

Nightmare growled as she turned around. "I do believe I recall telling you not to touch her," she spat.

"Oh, Luna, silly filly, the adults are talking now. Go throw your temper tantrum somewhere else."

Nightmare tasted blood before she felt the pressure in her gums. It was all she could do not to explode at him, just because she knew that's what he wanted. How could it not have been? Her exploding would simply demoralize and terrify her student all the more! He wanted her to lose control and then he would be able to whisper honeyed lies into her student's ears, convincing her not to stop him, or convincing her to turn on her teacher.

And he would simply enjoy watching her reaction.

She would not let him win. She would not let him use her against her student. She would not betray her student in such a way, and her student would not betray her in such a way.

But he was still so far under her skin that she'd be damned if she didn't want to shatter his statue to dust with her bare hooves! Her muscles ached from how rigid she held herself.

"Twilight," she barely managed to say in a quiet, forced-calm voice, "use. The Elements."

"I-I don't know how!" she heard Twilight cry out.

Nightmare's head snapped back to face the filly. Discord just laughed. "Oh! As if she could do anything against me!" he declared. "She couldn't even stop you! Why would she possibly think she could stand a chance against the Lord of Chaos!"

And her student shied back and wilted at that. Likewise, her friends grimaced and pressed their bodies against Twilight. Twilight clenched her eyes shut and her lips wobbled.

"You have it in you to stop him!" Nightmare declared.

Twilight's eyes snapped open, met her gaze, then jumped to that darkened sky as she trembled. "B-but he's not even here! I-I don't know-"

Discord laughed, then cackled out, "Of course you don't! Oh, just how wonderful it is! Think, a filly stopping the Lord of Chaos!?" His laughter came back even worse than before.

And that drew her ire. Twilight was her student. Perhaps her student was just a foal, but Twilight was her student. And her potential? If Discord was blind to that, then she would have the last laugh.

She would prove him wrong. Consequences be damned.

"Twilight, you and your friends can stop him!" Nightmare said as she turned to face them. "Twilight," she implored, drawing the filly's eyes back to her own. "Your friends will not abandon you. I will not betray you. Stop him."

She stared into her student's eyes, and with each passing second, with each chorus of Discord's laughter, coldness crept further through her body: it wasn't working. Her student didn't believe her, and there was nothing more she could do.

Perhaps giving up would be better. Sister had already denied her so much. Sister had crippled Twilight so much. Perhaps then, Sister had purposefully left Equestria in such a state. Just to spite her, just to ensure she couldn't rule Equestria. 'She would not do that. Not Discord. Not to her ponies.'

Perhaps she was wrong and Twilight couldn't handle it. Her throat felt tight. Twilight was her student! Twilight was capable of so much more, but she didn't believe it! The filly lacked the confidence that she needed and deserved.

Perhaps it was her own fault. She hadn't done what she should have. Bitterness settled over her mind, replacing that coldness.

Twilight broke eye contact, then blinked several times. Her student swallowed and clenched her eyes shut. Her friends pressed closer.

She felt it before she saw it. She flinched and nearly jumped as that mounting power rose up, freezing her heart in terror, paralyzing her like the last time she had felt it. There was nothing she could do. It sent her heart racing, crushed her chest and deflated her lungs in fear, stopped her from breathing in. Made her gut twist and churn. Nearly knocked her to her knees.

Defenseless.

Powerless.

It wasn't focused on her.

Twilight opened her eyes, but Nightmare didn't see her student's pupils. Instead, they were pure white, glowing with that unfathomable power of the Elements of Harmony. A brilliant, pure white glow enveloped her student and her five friends, sending a shiver down her spine as her body took another step back.

Staring at her student, she saw a calmness permeating the filly's body that she couldn't comprehend, one so different from the terror that had seized her minutes before. And it was nothing like when her sister and she had wielded the Elements; nothing like when her sister had betrayed her. All she could do was stare as they lifted off the ground; all she could do was watch as Discord snapped into existence, lounging on his back, suspended in the air in front of those six ponies.

And he was defenseless.

And he was powerless.

And it was focused on him.

She grinned as Discord pushed himself up into a sitting position, seeing the genuine confusion flooding his expression. No more laughter, no more amusement.

And there was nothing he could do, either. Powerless, just like her. That all-too-familiar multicolored rainbow beam launched into the air and cascaded down on a gasping Discord. He tried to stop it by reaching out with his paw and talon. He tried to snap himself away.

He failed.

And it was wonderful to watch. Seeing that fear and shock in his eyes, watching his body petrify once more as he was powerless to stop it. She wanted to step forward and grin so that he was forced to see her smiling victoriously in the face of his defeat.

She was still too paralyzed to act on it.

Finally, Discord's whole body was sealed away in stone. The rainbow beam faded, and there was a blinding flash of white light. She let out a sharp gasp; she couldn't close her eyes fast enough, then she felt the magic of the Elements rush outward. It washed over her body, and the second she felt it, she felt the same unconquerable fear she had felt the first time she had felt it.

But it didn't betray her like before. It washed over her body, leaving her coat tingling, rather than the searing pain of the banishment spell.

She still collapsed to her knees and let out a sharp exhale. And as quickly as it came, it was gone. The light faded as it raced outwards, and as her vision returned, she saw the wave erase the traces left by Discord's return. Her gaze was drawn towards the sky and the now-visible sun, and in an instant, her magic wrapped around her horn, surged forth, caught the sun and shoved it back below the horizon where it belonged while she lifted her moon back into place overhead.

The near-silent darkness brought with it a feeling of infinite relief.

She heard stone clatter to the ground and her eyes snapped onto Discord's state. Unbroken, cast down on the ground, and laid low. His shock etched permanently into the stone, an eternal testament to her student's success.

'Victory tastes sweet, but you wouldn't know that, now would you?' came forth in her mind as her lips twisted up into a smile.

She turned to face the statue and lifted her right forehoof to step towards him, only for the glow enveloping her student and her friends to flicker. Her eyes snapped onto the group, and almost immediately, the glow vanished. And they fell.

She forgot about Discord and caught each of them with her magic before they could hit the ground, then carefully laid them down. Their bodies were limp. Running her magic over them, she found to her relief that they were unharmed, only unconscious. A grimace replaced the prior smile. 'That took a lot out of you.'

But that was what she expected.

She looked at Discord's petrified statue for several long seconds and thought, 'You will remain like this for some time. I will deal with you later.' She nodded to herself, glanced at the sky and her moon, then turned to face the victorious mares and filly.

They wouldn't be able to use the Elements on her. She had time to take the Elements again.

'They're vulnerable now...' mumbled in her mind. Her grimace grew more pronounced, pulling her lips back. She took a reluctant step towards them, then closed the distance. She came to a stop and looked them over, reassuring herself that they truly were unharmed. She saved Twilight for last, then let herself stare at that defenseless, unconscious filly.

It ate at her mind, but she did nothing but stare, taking in her student's limp form until the sound of metal boots striking the courtyard broke the silence of her night. She blinked, inhaled deeply, then looked back and watched one Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor, accompanied by a trio of Royal Guards, trot towards her.

"Is-!" was the captain's frantic declaration.

"I assure you: your sister is fine," Nightmare answered calmly, "and Discord is defeated."

Both Cadance and the Captain were relieved. The group all slowed as they approached, then stopped. "Is it- is it over?" Cadance asked.

"Yes," Nightmare said with an incline of her head. She flicked her gaze to the trio of guards and said, "See to it that he is returned to his proper place."

They gave nods and then rushed past her to the statue, leaving her facing Cadance and the Captain. Cadance stared at the unconscious friends past her body, then met her gaze and asked, "They're... unconscious?"

"You are correct," Nightmare answered.

Cadance nodded slowly, then looked back at them. "What... happens now?"

Nightmare turned her head back and regarded those six ponies. 'How long will you remain unconscious?' she wondered. While they remained so, they were vulnerable. Vulnerable to anything that wanted to hamper her ability to defend Equestria and vulnerable to her enemies. 'That will not do,' hissed in her mind. But they still needed their rest to recover; to interrupt their rest was unnecessary and would only harm them. "See to it that Twilight's five friends are given rooms in the castle to recover. Have them guarded; I do not want harm coming to them," she declared, then turned her head back to face the Princess and Captain. "I will... tend to my student." She focused her gaze on Cadance. "I will likely send you to the cities to reassure ponies in the following weeks. Given..." her lips pulled into a scowl, "everything that has transpired, you would be of most use ensuring nothing worse happens."

Cadance's wings shifted at her sides, but the lesser alicorn gave an obedient, almost understanding nod, then looked aside at the Captain. The two of them shared some strained look as she watched, then their gaze went back to her.

"There is... much to be done," Nightmare drawled, then turned around to face the unconscious pony pile. She glanced at the three guards who had managed to get Discord's statue upright. 'Your shock is fitting,' her mind snapped.

But mocking Discord would have to wait. Too much had happened in such a short while, and there were far too many things to attend to: ensuring nothing escaped Tartarus as a result of Discord stealing Cerberus's ball, calming her subjects and ensuring nothing worse happened, making certain all traces of Discord's chaos magic were dealt with and erased, and then making certain Discord's interference did not result in foreign problems. It was almost overwhelming, but she needed to start somewhere, so she lifted her student from the group with her magic, then teleported the two of them back to her chambers.

The silence following the crack of her magic was welcome: no maddening laughter, none of that damned, twisted voice to mock her. Just peaceful silence; a blissful reprieve from what had been, and what she knew would come.

She took only a moment to enjoy it, closing her eyes and letting the inferno of anger directed at that twisted draconequus subside. Her thoughts drifted to the unconscious filly she held, then she opened her eyes and turned her gaze to her student's limp form.

'Will this success help your confidence?' she wondered. The answer of 'yes,' would be more than welcome, yet in the back of her mind, she dreaded that the answer would end up being a simple 'no.' Would Twilight take pride in her accomplishment? Would ponies give her student the respect she deserved for this victory?

And would they, in turn, give her their respect, for once again having protected them, or would it fall on her sister?

Or would they think she had let Discord roam free in the first place?

A hint of bitterness ate at her mind, but she managed to push it back: 'They will give you the respect you so deserve as my student, Twilight, and they will respect me in turn.'

But before she could give Twilight the celebration she so deserved, her student needed to rest and recover, and other more pressing matters had to be dealt with. She could not take her student with her, and leaving her unprotected when she was so defenseless was unacceptable.

She pulled her gaze away from the limp filly and looked into her bedroom, then calmly strode through the doorway and approached her bed. 'No one will think to find you here,' she knew, and because of that, 'You will be safe here while I am away.' She pulled the blankets back with her magic, then carefully laid her unconscious student down on her back on the bed, then covered her body up with the blankets. Perhaps it was unnecessary to go to such lengths; she could have simply laid Twilight on the bed, but surely she would feel more comfortable covered up. It would aid her recovery.

Twilight needed it. Twilight deserved it.

And she stood there in the silence, staring at her sheltered student. 'Will you dream?' she wondered, but then the thought twisted into something worse: 'Will you have nightmares?' For a moment, her mind was silent. Twilight would have nightmares. She was certain of it, and the knowledge brought back some of the earlier dread of not knowing where Twilight was. Her student had faced down Discord, and everything that had been thrust on the filly over the past week was too much.

'Then I will intervene,' she affirmed. 'It will not do for you to have nightmares,' she thought as she nodded. She was the Queen of the Night; the realm of dreams was among her birthrights. To leave her student so defenseless in her nightmares, letting her fears get to her?

'I will not. Not again,' growled in her mind. 'I will not betray you so.'

But she would have to be careful. There was no way for her to know how badly Twilight would react to learning she could enter her dreams or the dreams of other ponies. To slip up and let her student find out would only unnerve her, and to add onto all of the stress her student already carried was not an option.

And neither was leaving her defenseless. Her eyes flicked onto Twilight's bare chest, and a moment later, she replaced the lost necklace. She watched the silvered crescent moon for a moment to make sure the enchantment took, and made certain her connection with it was strong, then nodded to herself.

And feeling it brought relief.

Nopony would know Twilight was there. Nopony would find her student. Nopony would enter undetected. Nopony would harm her.

She would make certain of that.

She inhaled, then stepped closer as she studied Twilight's face. Almost peaceful, almost worry-free, yet she was still troubled and unconscious. It wasn't truly restful as it should have been. A simple spell fixed that, and her student's expression relaxed. Her eyes darted to that tiara and she stared at it for several seconds. 'Your destiny...' her mind mused.

But now was not the time to consider what that tiara meant. It wasn't the time to linger on how the Element of Magic had touched Twilight's magic, nor how her student felt somehow more complete for having stopped Discord. There was plenty of time for that later. She closed her eyes, let out a sigh, then teleported the tiara away. Likewise, she teleported the rest of the Elements away, back to the safety of a new pocket dimension only she could access, and with that, the strain of containing their power returned, weighing down on her magic.

She opened her eyes and strode out onto her balcony, then cast her gaze out across Equestria. Her empire. It looked like the madness Discord had inflicted had all been erased as far as she could see.

By five mares and a filly. Surely, Equestria was more important to look at, yet her head still turned back to search for a glimpse of her student. That the filly had done so much, that the filly had so much potential, and that the filly had so much magic already. She pictured the future, of seeing what would become of her student, and she smiled.

'You will be concerned when you wake up here,' was a thought that made her smile grow. It was simply insane! After everything that had happened, her student would undoubtedly be concerned when she woke up in her bed.

How entertaining.

Yet it wouldn't be good to scare her student. Twilight needed to wake up to something familiar, something to reassure and comfort her. 'I will be back before you awaken.'

She cast her gaze back out on Equestria.

Author's Note

Alright!

When I first wrote this chapter, aside from being nervous over how drastic a change it is from the rest of the story's pace, I was pleased with it. ~~I'm not quite as pleased with it after rereading and editing it~~ After my second reread and edit, I'm quite pleased with it. One of the most important scenes I'd envisioned for this story is in this chapter: Nightmare Moon comforting Twilight.

This is probably why I'm wasn't entirely pleased with this chapter until further edits. ~~The scene will never live up to my expectations, but that's okay. I'm not entirely pleased with it but I'm still pleased with it, and it's still a~~ very ~~important scene.~~ It's ~~pretty much~~ the climax of Twilight being scared to death of Nightmare Moon.

Originally, for context, this was supposed to happen around 120-130k words into the story.

Originally, I had envisioned this scene happening in the Castle of the Two Sisters, but the castle hasn't been reconstructed yet, so that was scratched out of the question. This chapter also took a few attempts to get right; as I have ~~two~~ three scrapped versions of this chapter.

Going back to reread and edit this one last time when I'm going to publish it (10/3/19), I worry that my edits may be out of place given how much I have written ahead and how much change occurs between now and then.

Aftershock

Nightmare Moon needed a plan.

Now that Discord was gone, order was restored- but perhaps only to an extent. Ponies would not so run in terror as the world itself turned on itself and them while reality fractured, but the damage was already done. Even if her student wiped away all traces of his chaos magic from Equestria, there was still the world beyond. How far had Discord gone? What had he left untouched? And had her student managed to wield the Elements to dispell whatever chaos magic Discord had brought upon not just all of Equestria but also the lands outside her own empire?

Other nations were a concern and priority. Her head twitched to the right and swept over the plains, forests, and rivers blanketed in her moonlit night. 'I must reassure the Deer.' It would not do to lose an ally over this matter. Her head turned to the left, gazing towards Manehattan. The city was too far for her to see; it lay just below the horizon, and so her eyes jumped to the forests of Hollow Shades. The city itself was undetectable. 'I must ensure the Minotaurs do not take this as an act of war.' The thought made her clench her jaw. Perhaps they would recognize it was something beyond her control, or perhaps they would not. Perhaps it wouldn't even matter, and perhaps they would see Equestria as weak, either because of Discord's escape or because his chaos had passed. Or perhaps they wouldn't even know of Discord's escape because he had not taken an interest in them.

The Zebras wouldn't be a problem. They were cautious enough and, judging by what she had determined, informed enough to recognize it was not her own doing. They wouldn't attack her for something out of her control. They would not attack unless she provoked them.

But those were just the nations. There were yet still more creatures that had formed pseudo-states that weren't quite worthy of the qualification of a nation, or other states that had collapsed. The griffons needed to be informed, lest the aftermath of Discord's chaos bring more chaos that ignited problems for the griffons that spilled over into Equestria. The dragons needed to be informed and, perhaps, put back in their place if they forgot who she was and thought Equestria was weakened.

Her head drifted back towards the Everfree forest and that quaint little village on its outskirts. There was no way to know what affect Discord had on them; there was no way for her to be sure the monsters would not strike out more boldly. They were a threat she needed to deal with, or perhaps the batponies stationed in Ponyville and the surrounding towns could contain those beasts.

Her own subjects needed tending to as well. Discord was gone, but his not-brief enough reign would have only worsened the state of Equestria. His chaos magic was gone and sealed away, but the scars and wounds would still be there, compounding on top of her already strained subjects.

And then there was the most immediate problem. The problem that made her clench her jaw; the problem that left her anxious. 'You took Cerberus's ball,' growled in her mind. Discord knew exactly what he did, and she had an idea as to why. Cerberus would have undoubtedly fled Tartarus in search of his beloved ball, which would leave Tartarus unguarded. An unguarded Tartarus meant its prisoners might have been able to escape.

And that would not do.

'I will not have my work undone by the likes of you!' growled in her mind. She stamped her hoof down on the balcony then flared her horn and teleported back to the castle's courtyard. Cadance and Captain Shining Armor stood together in nearly the same spot where she had left them. That lesser alicorn let out a squeak and jumped before spinning around to face her, while her future mate whipped around to protect her, only to straighten at her sight. "Cadance," she greeted. The pink alicorn fluffed her wings, then swallowed. She ignored it and snapped, "There are important matters I must tend to. As such, I will be rather inconvenienced if scrolls suddenly appear in my face while I am dealing with them."

Gradually, Cadance turned her head to the right towards the captain but kept her eyes locked on Nightmare Moon.

"I would assume," Nightmare continued, tilting her head to the right, "that sister ensured you were capable of handling certain matters."

Cadance shied back from her, taking a small shuffle of a step back. It was enough that the captain noticed, but not enough for the alicorn herself to notice. "W-what sort of matters?"

"Handle incoming reports. Under normal circumstances, I would simply redirect and reallocate them to staff, but given the situation, I feel it requires..." Nightmare trailed off as her lips curled up to show her teeth. Cadance was subordinate to her and an ally, but simply the thought left her uncomfortable: "Certain authority." She leveled her head back, then took a step forward and, as much as it pained her, emphasized, "Princess Cadenza."

Cadance was hardly worthy of that title, but the alicorn was useful and letting her retain that title was beneficial, even with the risks it brought.

For the briefest moment, Cadance's eyes flicked up to her tiara, as if scared by the reminder. "Okay..." was her following mumble.

Nightmare inhaled and held her head high. "I do not know what to expect, which is why I desire you to manage any problems that arise in my absence. I do not expect you to entirely quell any such problems, but it would be best for one of us to be aware." 'Even if you're a weak alicorn, you still have your uses, and ponies love you,' her mind finished. She jerked her head at an angle and added, "Do try to maintain order, dear Cadance." She paused for a moment to let it sink in, then turned to the right and looked aside at Discord's statue being unceremoniously pulled back towards the castle's garden. "So long as you do not do anything stupid I am sure it will be fine. When I return, inform me of the most pressing matters. After that, I will send you to handle whatever dissent has arisen if you have not already dealt with it." She turned back to meet the lesser alicorn's gaze and said, "Since you can handle that much better than I."

"You could handle it yourself if you tried and didn't lash out..." Cadance muttered.

Nightmare's nostrils flared and her tail flicked, cracking the air like a whip. She set a glare against Cadance, but Cadance had enough backbone to stand firm. "We will discuss this later," she stated. Her eyes snapped onto Captain Shining Armor. "The same goes for you: Maintain order in my absence. I do not know how long this will take."

Looking back at Cadance, she gave one last warning: "Do not abuse this," then lit her horn and cast a spell to redirect scrolls to her so that they would instead go to Cadance.

"What about Twilight?" Shining Armor asked.

Nightmare's eyes fell back on him and she answered, "She is resting safely. Do not worry over her," which only made his jaw tighten enough for her to see his muscles through his white coat. She could see his unease and concern over his sister, and for a moment, it gave her pause. It subdued the agitation coiling inside her body and mind as she took it in. 'The love of the elder sibling for the younger,' bitterly assaulted her mind.

Something else Twilight had that she did not.

She forced the bitterness aside, looked away from them and cast a passing glance at the jeweled sky above, then channeled her magic into another teleportation spell.

The flash of light from her arrival lit up the canyon and nearly blinded her, but it wasn't enough. The crack of magic accompanying the flash bounced off the rocky walls and echoed. When the echo faded, she was left with a sense of unease welling up inside her. The silence was something she was used to from her time on the moon; it was something she was used to because of the fear her presence inspired. Something even Luna had been used to.

Yet the silence here was different. It was almost intimidating. The world knew what this place was and wanted nothing to do with it. Looking left and right, she took in the barren, rocky ground and battered canyon walls. The reddish-brown and orange-tinted rocks lining the walls would never support any kind of life, and the gravely, rocky ground beneath her boots only allowed sparse, spinely cacti and low bushes to spring forth, and only because they had some magical properties. No birds chirped, no owls hooted. Nothing called out its dominance, and nothing sought to claim this wretched land. The whole area was permeated with an aura of dread that made the air thick.

Casting her gaze to the sky, even her stars were dulled by the prison's presence. No clouds spoiled the bone-dry air that already sucked the life out of her lips and burned her eyes, but the stars appeared as dim, hazy halos of light so far above: distorted and twisted by the magic at work. The craters of the moon were blurred with the rest of the moon's surface, rendering the moon with a smoky gray surface that still made her scowl.

She begrudgingly lowered her gaze back to the canyon before her. Her eyes darted back and forth across the expanse, and her ears twitched as she listened. Nothing moved and no sounds broke the utter silence blanketing the land and permeating the very rocks.

She took a step deeper into the canyon. The map of Equestria came back to mind, and a slight scowl pulled at her lips. Tartarus was technically in the unclaimed badlands, but Tartarus and the surrounding region was undeniably used by Equestria. At least, it had been in the past. The creatures she had locked away there, she would have killed if Sister had not intervened. The thought deepened the scowl on her lips. 'You left Equestria at risk, Sister,' her mind accosted. Letting those things live had been a mistake.

But the blame wasn't solely Sister's. Luna had made the mistake of listening to her. Luna had made the mistake of being naive when she should have made certain those things never again would have posed a risk to her subjects.

'Not again,' her mind declared as her hoof hit the ground with her next step.

Unsurprisingly, from what she could tell, Information about Tartarus was limited amongst her subjects. Most may have very well been entirely oblivious to its existence. Only a hoofful of ponies outside of her sister, Starswirl, and herself had seen the prison to her knowledge, and that number was likely just as limited during her banishment. The magic enchanted into the surrounding lands made certain of that. Beyond that, from her encounters with the School for Gifted Unicorns, she had determined that Tartarus was relegated to myth or legend which only told of its existence and purpose. Sister had erased all mention of her work to keep Equestria safe, and as she walked on, it left her feeling that familiar sense of betrayal.

Ahead, the canyon twisted to the right. She refocused her thoughts as she approached the turn, then as she stepped beyond the wall and beheld the doors to Tartarus, her jaw clamped down while her lips twisted apart in disgust to show her teeth. The door was open, and she could see inside that infernal prison.

Anger and rage filled her mind. The cavern beyond the massive arched doors was lit by a dim orange glow from deep within the cave. She channeled magic into her horn and strode toward the door; anything from Tartarus that stood in her way or tried to escape would be put down. Peering into the dark cavern, she could see empty cages lining the walls that made her lips twitch down: the doors weren't open, but the cages were neither occupied by anything living or dead. The cages simply had no occupants. No bones remained.

But then, it had been centuries since anything had been locked away in Tartarus. Centuries before her banishment. Centuries with no new prisoners, unless sister had used it in her absence, but she found that unlikely. She doubted Luna had missed anything, or that anything worthy of Tartarus had arisen in her absence. Sister wouldn't have been able to handle it on her own. Sister was too incompetent.

Sister hadn't sent her there, either.

As she approached the wide-open doors, the deep rumble of the cavern made itself known: that quiet, distant roar of echoes that constantly rolled through underground chambers and caves. A certain warmth drifted out through the doorway, bringing with it the stagnant stench of stale air.

In the distance, isolated from the many cages lining the walls near the door, three pillars of rock that stretched up from the cavern's floor. Only one pillar had a cage, and it was empty. The air drifting out of Tartarus was warm. The dry desert air enveloping the region around Tartarus was slightly cooler, but still warm: akin to a warm spring day but without a breeze.

But the warm air didn't stop her from feeling a wave of cold race out from her heart to envelop her whole body. Her cheeks felt frigid and her legs locked up. Her stomach churned and her heart tensed as her eyes bored into the open cell door.

She'd be damned if she let that bastard centaur roam free.

'Lord Tirek!' snapped in her mind. Before she knew what she was doing, her right forehoof launched into the air, then whipped back down, slamming into the gravel. The air and ground cracked from the force of her impact, pebbles struck her underbody and bounced her chestplate and the sides of the ravine. She winced as a rush of pain surged up through her leg, leaving her feeling the tingling sensation of pins from her forehoof to her knee.

She let out a low growl and leaned left, shifting her weight off her right forehoof. A grimace pulled at her lips as her leg throbbed. She glanced at her injured leg, then used her magic to heal herself. When the tingling faded away, she lifted her gaze back to that empty cage and leaned her weight back onto her right foreleg.

'I am wasting time!' hissed in her mind, making her lips pull up. She glanced over the cave, searching for any signs of the centaur. Every passing second without any signs of him made her gut coil and twist. The only comfort she found was in that Cerberus's ball was lying idly near one of the unoccupied cages. Her gaze lingered on the ball far too long, and the thought, 'You even managed to return Cerberus's ball?' distracted her.

And that thought led to another thought, 'Your control is impressive. Do you remember what you did?' She wondered, 'Do you know of Tartarus?' but yet still knew, 'Sister would not have told you, even if you're aware of the myths and legends.'

The anger subsided as her thoughts lingered on Twilight. The filly managed to direct the Elements of Harmony to summon Discord, imprison him, and wash away his chaos infecting Equestria. It was impressive; it was worthy of praise and celebration. It demanded contemplation. But she was still wasting time by just standing there. Every second she wasted was more chance that Lord Tirek would escape her grasp and come back to cause problems. Every second she delayed increased the chance that there would be another nightmare to deal with.

Her thoughts still lingering on Twilight, she calmly turned around and surveyed the canyon. Reaching out with her magic, she scoured the canyon for any traces of Lord Tirek's magic or of Cerberus, but there was none to be found. Oddly enough, Tartarus likewise was devoid of captives beyond what she could see. Glancing back into the cave, she reassured herself that none of the other cages were opened: the captives had not escaped alive. Her head drifted back into place and a scowl worked its way onto her lips as the thought, 'This will not be pleasant,' slithered through her mind.

But she would find him. She would find him and kill him before he could cause problems. She would stop him before her student awoke. Twilight would not wake up to find herself alone as she had the last time the Elements were used.

She filled her lungs with the dry air and found her mouth likewise dry, but she paid it no mind. She cast her gaze left and right and hastily surveyed the cliffs to make certain there were no routes Tirek could have taken that she missed, and once she was satisfied, she strode back towards where she started.

Each step served to focus her thoughts on her goal of locating Lord Tirek before he could cause problems. 'You will be weakened, and I will not have problems dealing with you so long as I find you.' Killing him would be a simple matter since his time in Tartarus would leave him weakened.

The problem was finding him.

She unfurled her wings, then launched herself into the air. As she ascended above the rim of the canyon, she cast her gaze over the surrounding, desolate wastes, searching out any signs of movement that would give Lord Tirek's location away. The time that had passed since Discord stole Cerberus's ball gave Tirek ample time to escape, but he couldn't have managed to walk too far. He would have been too weakened. Cerberus, on the other hoof, could have managed to wander to Equestria by now. The difference was that Cerberus would come back, and perhaps would not be needed when he returned, because Tirek wouldn't return.

The desolate landscape was a blight on her eyes, one that reminded her all too much of her torment when she was locked away on the moon. The colors, less monotonous, were more welcome than that disgusting, all-encompassing dull white coating the surface of the moon, but it did not alleviate the agitation the lands caused. There was a reason ponies weren't well informed about Tartarus besides her Sister's doing, and there was a reason why Tartarus was where it was. It was for the same reason the Badlands were unclaimed.

As far out as she looked, she saw nothing but the same barren, rugged wasteland: flat plateaus and mesas, shallow canyons and ravines, broken by spinely cacti and dead shrubbery. There were no grasslands, let alone forests, for hundreds of miles to the north and west, and the distance to the south and east were far greater than that. Immediately to the west, however, mountains and even more inhospitable terrain made attempting to go towards the coast nigh impossible by hoof, which meant Tirek would head north.

To Equestria.

'If you remember the way there,' grumbled in her mind. It had been centuries since Tirek had been free. For centuries, like herself, he had been imprisoned. But they were nothing alike. Tirek was a monster who would devour all Equestrian magic, including her own. Stopping him was imperative. If she did not, it was only a matter of time before he came to steal away her subject's magic, then her own. And that would not do.

But it didn't agitate her as it had so long ago, and as it had earlier. Now, she regarded the thought almost curiously as she flew over the rugged ground. She was focused on searching for Tirek, yet her thoughts continually drifted back to her student, which stopped any more anger and agitation from simmering in her mind.

For some reason, it gave her confidence and reassurance: 'I will not let you steal our magic. You will not steal her magic, nor my own.' She would not fail to stop Tirek. She would not let him steal Twilight's magic. To fail her student, to let Tirek steal her student's magic, was unacceptable. Twilight's magic and destiny were intertwined, of that she was sure. If anything wanted to try to stop that, she would be glad to put it in its place.

Tirek would not take that away from her student.

She silently glided on, silently beating her wings only when necessary to maintain her altitude. The height gave her an advantage: her dark form against the night sky made her hard to detect, and even then it was unlikely Tirek would have been actively searching the sky for her. Beyond that, the height let her peer down into the ravines' gulleys, making it harder for Tirek to evade her.

Passing over another gulley, her eyes snapped onto a shadow: a familiar, dark outline that made her heart skip a beat. Her head whipped back as the shadow moved. Wasting no time, she banked left and angled her wings back, silently diving into the crevice. As she passed the rim of the gorge, she flared her wings out to slow down. The shadow froze, then recoiled as Tirek turned to face her.

As soon as her boots clanked against the ground, she lit her horn and stepped forward, a glare already bearing down on the bastard demon. "Tirek," she spat.

The centaur pulled his head back and squinted at Nightmare Moon. His glowing yellow eyes ran over her body, tracing over her form before finally meeting her gaze. He turned to face her and took a step back before lifting his still-bound claws and asking, "Who... are you?" Breaking eye contact, his gaze jumped between her spread wings and her glowing horn, but recognition escaped him.

Nightmare grinned as she took another step forward and delivered the answer, "Your executioner." Immediately, an orb of orange-red magic burst to life in between his horns, but the whirling mass of magic flickered. Almost as soon as it formed, Tirek let out a grunt and his arms trembled from strain, making his chains rattle. Her lips pulled back in a scowl to show her teeth. She let out a dismissive snort at his pathetic attempt at resistance, but refused to look away: she would not let him catch her off-guard. He was weakened, but she would not take foalish risks.

"I do not know you, pony," Tirek stated, then cautiously asked, "What do you want?"

Ignoring his question, she jerked her head down, aiming her horn at his chest, then fired off a spell. Tirek threw himself to the left as her horn flared and a pulse of magic shot towards him. He grunted as his body collided with the ground, and the orange-red mass of magic between his horns flickered out. Before the spell even passed through his prior location, she had already aimed again. The magic from her first spell hit the rock wall and let out a sharp crack! that sent small pebbles pelting her chestplate, stinging her face, neck, and legs. A wave of dust exploded out into the air, but it wasn't enough to stop her.

He tried to push himself up, but all he managed to do was turn to face her right before her next spell collided with his side, shoving him a few inches away from her and drawing an enraged groan from the centaur. His lips twitched up in pain as the pulse of magic dug into his side, leaving broken bones and a gash that left a growing trail of blood on the gravel. His claw jerked to clutch his side, bringing with it his other arm, dragging a short trail in the gravel.

Nightmare was content to watch him as the realization that she had drawn his blood sunk in. Seeing the way his eyes widened in shock gave her a sense of victory that her sister had ripped away from her. When he looked away from his wound and met her gaze, his eyes narrowed. "You'll pay for that, pony..." he grunted.

Still glaring at him, she smiled and retorted it with a simple, "I think not."

And if he thought she would, then he was delusional.

His claws pressed against the ground to push him up, only for Nightmare to send another pulse of magic into his back. Tirek grunted as the force of the spell threw his body back against the ground. He screamed from pain and cried out in rage and anger. The screaming faded, leaving his body shaking and trembling on the ground from pain. He managed to face her with a glare and croak out, "You would kill a defenseless-"

"You are far from defenseless!" she snapped. She took a step closer and cracked her forehoof down on his back, pinning him in place while he screamed a song of agony. "Letting you live was a mistake in the first place!" she screamed. "When Scorpan told you of us, we should have killed you!"

Recognition replaced the pain filling his eyes, and for a moment, they widened in shock before narrowing again. "Luna?"

The name didn't draw her to rage more, for some reason. For some reason, it gave her pause. 'I am overreacting,' occurred to her. Her eyes jumped to the cliff and a grimace pulled at her lips. Her head leaned to the right as the thought, 'It is good you are not here,' went through her mind.

For more than one reason.

And with that, yet again, her thoughts went back to Twilight. The anger drifted away. She leveled her gaze back on Tirek's bleeding form. 'You would not be able to kill to defend yourself,' occurred to her. Twilight simply didn't have it in her. Sister had left her incapable of that, and Twilight was young.

She would not scar the filly by forcing her to kill. She would never force that onto her. Her mind drifted back to her memories: the reasons why she fought to protect Equestria so long ago from the griffons. To protect ponies from monsters, to protect them from having to face the horrors of war, the horrors of killing. A sacrifice to protect her ponies.

A sacrifice they ignored. A sacrifice they spat on.

But there was still a chance something would face her student and give her no choice. The thought was almost demoralizing. Twilight needed to be able to protect herself, even if it was simply incapacitating her opponent.

She wouldn't make Twilight have to kill; she would do what she could to ensure such a thing never happened.

Whatever scowl or smile had been on her lips was gone. In its place, a neutral, expressionless line: her lips just were. She had almost been enjoying killing Tirek: he deserved it. It brought her a sense of accomplishment. 'It is not good to enjoy such a thing,' her mind grumbled, making her lips pull into a scowl.

To enjoy killing, to draw it out, that was the work of a monster.

She was not a monster. She would not be a monster.

She inhaled then licked her dry lips. Meeting Tirek's gaze once again, she declared, "I am Nightmare Moon. Not Luna. Luna is dead."

He squinted. "You... would not kill me," he ventured.

Nightmare snorted dismissively. "Sister is not here to save you, Tirek," she answered, "and you're too much of a threat to let live." She didn't give him a chance to try to summon his magic this time. She didn't give him a chance to throw her off of him, not that he could have. She simply ended his life: a quick surge of magic to his neck, followed by a lance through his heart. Blood splattered her boot on his back, and some of the red speckled her black fur, making her scowl in disgust at the taint it brought. It wasn't enjoyable like spilling Sister's blood; she didn't delight herself in it. He let out a gurgled groan before falling silent. The yellow glow of his pupils faded, and his eyes glossed over, drained of life.

Silence reigned.

She watched his body for several minutes, making certain he didn't move. But even then, she would not take any risks. She wrapped her magic around his broken form, levitated him up, then teleported herself and his corpse back to the gates of Tartarus. She glanced left and right, making sure she wasn't about to be ambushed, then strode into the cavern. The distant rumbling grew louder, and the uncomfortable heat soaked into her fur. The rhythmic clicking of her boots on the stone floor accompanied her walk back to Tirek's isolated cage.

Once she was there, she simply threw his limp body inside. His corpse rolled and flopped over until it thudded against the far side of the cage, leaving a smeared trail of blood on the floor. Using her magic, Nightmare Moon forced the door closed, then heated the lock until the metal melted together into a single mass: the door would never be opened again. Satisfied that he would never escape even if he was alive, she nodded to herself, turned around, then walked the distance back out of Tartarus.

The rumble grew distant as she stepped outside. The cool night air, dry as it was, washing over her coat as she left that wretched prison was welcomed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the silent chill of night. A low growl made her open her eyes.

Cerberus, the black, three-headed guard dog stood watching her from the bend. The massive dog easily dwarfed her in size, so much so that he would put the buildings in Ponyville to shame. From each of his mouths, two massive fangs protruded from his upper jaw: fangs that would have gored her body had he so chosen. He was physically imposing and meant to guard Tartarus, yet at the same time, he was more friendly than he looked. And now, he stood there, staring at her, watching her. Regarding her as a curiosity, wondering if he was meant to keep her from escaping Tartarus.

"Cerberus," Nightmare greeted. Watching his posture, the dog stood tense, ready to strike if it proved necessary. But she wasn't worried; Cerberus knew Luna. She turned her head to the left and looked back inside the prison, then picked up Cerberus's ball with her magic. She levitated it over and held it up beside her head. Immediately, Cerberus's posture relaxed. His three tongues dropped out of his mouths and his tail wagged eagerly behind him. "I believe," she declared, "this is yours."

Cerberus gave a hearty "Woof!" and then jumped in place before rushing over to her.

Nightmare winced as he came to stop over her. She flared her magic into a quick barrier to block his slobbers. He playfully barked a few times, and in response, she teleported the ball outside of the barrier, then tossed it back inside Tartarus.

Cerberus took off running after the ball, completely ignoring her. She watched him run inside and pounce on the ball, then Cerberus grabbed the ball in his middle mouth and turned around to look at her.

Recognition. Respect. Thanks.

Nightmare slowly inclined her head, then looked at the doors and pushed them shut with her magic, once again sealing Cerberus and Lord Tirek's body inside.

Discord's laugh echoed through her mind. Fear seized her body as that maddening laugh made the very air fall in temperature. He slithered through the air, snapping his talons, wreaking chaos.

Twilight couldn't stop him. All she could do was stand and watch, whimpering and crying.

Snap. A tree spouted eyes and a mouth. Its roots ripped out of the ground, and it marched towards Sweet Apple Acres, roaring like a manticore. It hammered buildings with its branches as it shambled along.

Snap. Buildings inverted and imploded under their own weight.

Snap. Molten chocolate gushed out of her library, stabbing her heart and ruining her books.

Snap.

The world fell apart and she couldn't stop it. She wasn't enough. Her friends weren't enough.

Princess Celestia couldn't save her.

Nightmare Moon rose into the air, horn blazing with magic. Discord snapped his talons, and Nightmare Moon ceased to exist. Her heart froze over in terror.

Nightmare Moon couldn't save her.

Rainbow zoomed through the air beside her, shouting something as she furiously glared at the draconequus. He laughed it off. Rainbow shot at him, spun around, and kicked him square in the chest. Discord snapped his talons, and Rainbow ceased to exist.

Nopony could save her.

Her friends screamed. She screamed. But their screams didn't drown out Discord's carefree laughter.

She trembled and fell to the checkerboard ground, sobbing as, one by one, each scream was cut short by a snap. She clenched her eyes and buried her head in her hooves, trying to block out the insanity, trying to block out the agony and shattered hope. The screaming all ended, and all she could hear were her own whimpers and Discord's laugh slowly dying. She could feel Discord's eyes slithering over her body.

"Enough!" Nightmare's voice bellowed from somewhere behind her. The feeling of Discord's gaze vanished.

A spark of hope surged to her mind. 'Maybe,' she thought, 'it will be okay.'

Everything fell silent. Discord and his maddening laughter were gone. The world was still. She managed to crack open her eyes. Gone was the broken, twisted world that broke her mind. A grassy hill with one tree off to the left and a star-filled sky laid out before her, greeting her with a comforting welcome. The moon rose just over the horizon, free from that dark blemish of Princess Celestia's banishment: it looked pure and pristine compared to how she had known it, and the moon left her mesmerized. It was how the moon was meant to look. How she had seen it for that one moment before Princess Celestia was etched into its surface. How it had been before Nightmare Moon's banishment.

A gentle breeze blew by, tickling her mane, comforting her coat, carrying with it the calming scent of a distant shower that she couldn't see. Soothing peace and quiet suffocated that anxiety. She relaxed, though her brow folded down. She cast her gaze back towards her surroundings. A short distance away racing up the hill towards her, she saw her five friends, all smiling and grinning. She smiled as joy welled up inside her. She cried again, but not out of fear.

"G-girls..." she croaked out. 'Everything will be okay,' she knew. She felt a warmth in her chest.

Nightmare Moon was there too. She could feel her mentor's presence, not through radiated fear or a predatory gaze, but rather comfort: like somepony was looking out for her, protecting her. There was something else there too, whispering in a soft voice she couldn't quite make out; whatever it was, it felt like a familiar friend giving her a hug.

She turned her head back, searching out the source of her mentor's voice.

For the briefest moment, she caught the outline of Nightmare Moon watching her, standing against the fuzzy backdrop of a forest. The alicorn's lips pulled down in a frown and her eyebrows scrunched up in concern. Then surprise and bewilderment flashed across Nightmare's expression as if she caught her mentor unprepared, and Nightmare Moon recoiled, stepping back before her horn flared. And with that flash of magic, the image of her mentor faded away, like a reflection in a puddle of water that had been disturbed.

Yet even as her friends all tackled and embraced her, she was distracted by the memory of the fear woven across Nightmare's expression, directed at her.

Twilight inhaled and opened her eyes as she awoke. The calming scent of lavender greeted her, making her smile. Her eyes drifted closed and a soft, content sigh escaped her lips as she exhaled. The bed was warmer and more comfortable than she remembered, and with her eyes closed, it felt perfect. The bed and the relaxing scent nearly lulled her back to sleep. It was peaceful, but the fur around her eyes felt cold and wet. The feeling distracted her from the lulling comfort of the bed's embrace. She opened her eyes again and found everything blurred and distorted.

She pulled her right foreleg out from under the blankets and rubbed her eyes with the back of her forehoof. Her face was wet and cold. She looked at her forehoof and frowned. The thought, 'I was crying?' left her confused.

As she thought about it, she realized, 'I was dreaming.' Her eyes jumped up to the ceiling: white marble and golden swirls. Familiar, yet unfamiliar: she recognized it, but it wasn't right.

The barest flicker of a memory drifted through her mind: it had been a nightmare, and the memory of what Discord did left her feeling cold. But then something else had happened, and the chill faded. She had dreamed about Nightmare Moon. Not for the first time, but it felt so completely different. Nightmare Moon hadn't been the source of her nightmare, rather, Nightmare Moon had saved her.

For some reason, 'Luna,' whispered in her mind, and then the thought burst to the forefront of her mind, 'Your name is Luna.' The frown faded. She wanted to ask about it, but at the same time, Nightmare Moon was emphatic that her name was Nightmare Moon. But she had never found mention of Nightmare Moon before her banishment! 'I don't recall reading about a Princess Luna either, though.' Discord said Nightmare Moon's name was Luna, that Nightmare Moon was still Luna.

Discord was a liar, but that was still Nightmare Moon's name.

There really was only one pony she could ask about it.

She sucked her lip in between her teeth and nibbled on it.

'Discord!' slammed into her mind. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she wanted to jump out of bed. The name was enough to banish all thoughts of drifting back to sleep, even after remembering wielding the Elements of Harmony to defeat him. The tension the thought caused faded as her thoughts drifted away from him and onto the feeling of the Elements' magic. Her eyes drifted closed and her lips pulled up into a smile: the feeling was indescribable. Warmth, comfort, and reassurance wrapped in with feeling the bond she shared with her friends, and so much more.

They loved her, and she loved them. She had felt a part of each of her friends when she used the Elements, but she wasn't sure she really used the Elements. She knew she used the Element of Magic, she felt it and its magic weaving in with her own, somehow almost feeling like it was becoming her own magic, like a loving, guiding force that wanted nothing more than to encourage her like a friend or a parent, but with the other Elements syncing with her Element, it felt more like they were lifting her up or giving her a helping hoof. Like they yielded to her, rather than her using them. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the feeling, like how she still couldn't quite understand why she cared so much about the idea of friends or wanted friends at all.

She smiled and laid there peacefully. Nothing could take away that solace the Element of Magic left her with. Discord had been tearing the world apart, but the Element of Magic, the Elements of Harmony, and her friends were more than enough to banish the fear he induced.

While it lasted. While they held the Elements. She felt the distinct lack of the Element of Magic and its tiara on her head, and even though the weight was unfamiliar, it felt like a part of her was missing. Without needing to think about it, she knew the answer was simple, 'You took them again.'

Her smile faded with the passing seconds. The feeling was most of what she remembered. Her friends' love for her and the comfort. It felt somehow right, almost perfect as if nothing could surpass it. 'I love you all,' whispered in her mind, bringing that smile back to full force.

She closed her eyes. Falling back asleep once again sounded good. Nightmare Moon had been right: they had managed to stop Discord. Somehow. She couldn't remember what she had done; she couldn't remember how she had done it, but she knew that she had. They had, together. But maybe it didn't matter that she couldn't remember how, because Discord was defeated. She knew it would be okay.

Even if she didn't remember how to use the Elements, it would be okay. After all, it wasn't like there was going to be a next time when they needed the Elements, right? Surely not!

A tinge of anxiety tickled her mind as she thought about it.

But maybe she'd know what to do when- if- the time came again.

She opened her eyes again and stared up at the ceiling. Something about the golden swirls made her frown. Her eyes drifted left, then right, and as she looked, around, she realized she wasn't in her own room. More anxiety bubbled in her heart, and it only grew worse with each passing second as she took in the room before she realized, 'I'm in Nightmare Moon's bed.'

It really was a nice bed.

She laid still, looked around the room, and listened. Searching for any sounds she could hear, she finally managed to just barely hear a chime of magic coming from the study, and if she had to guess, it was Nightmare Moon's magic. Who else could it have been? 'Okay! She knows I'm here, right? Well, she should since,' the thought trailed off as her eyes jumped down to her covered chest. She used her own magic to lift the blanket up so she could look at her chest. The necklace was back, and the crescent moon shimmered. The weight of it resting on her chest was comforting. 'You know I'm here,' she told herself.

The sound of Nightmare's magic stopped. She heard the click of her mentor's boots and dropped the blankets back onto her chest. The thought, 'I'm not in trouble, right..?' made her wince. She had no memory of coming here, let alone lying down in bed! Surely she hadn't done that!

Nightmare Moon had to have brought her here! It was the only thing that remotely made any sense. 'It wouldn't be the first time you moved me when I was sleeping,' she knew. The thought mellowed out the concern of Nightmare walking in and seeing her. Besides, Nightmare already knew she was there because of the necklace, and Nightmare hadn't moved her out of the bed or woke her up. 'You promised you wouldn't hurt me,' whispered in her mind.

Logically, she reasoned Nightmare Moon wasn't going to hurt her. If she was in Nightmare Moon's bed, rather than a dungeon cell, that was enough proof.

She took in a deep breath, then let it out and waited. Nightmare's steps grew louder, then she saw her teacher walk into the room through the open doorway. Nightmare stopped a few steps inside and watched her: no anger, no contempt, just curiosity. Seconds drifted by before Nightmare finally blinked, then leaned to her right and gradually meandered over to the bed. She followed Nightmare's approach with her eyes. Nightmare stopped at the bed and then opened her mouth. There was a moment of hesitation, then her teacher's mouth twitched shut before Nightmare finally asked, "Are you alright?"

Twilight broke eye contact and studied Nightmare's chestplate. 'Everything considered? Yes.' She nodded and answered with a drawn-out, "I think so... at least... right now."

Nightmare inclined her head and said, "Good."

She looked back up to meet Nightmare's gaze. They weren't as hard as they normally seemed; Nightmare regarded her with concern, her eyes continually darting over her exposed fur as if checking for any imperfections. Nightmare actually cared about her. A small part of her felt surprised by it, even when she already knew Nightmare did. It was just more confirmation. She licked her lips and finally asked, "We... did it?"

Nightmare's eyes met her own, and her teacher immediately answered, "Yes. You and your friends defeated Discord."

'We defeated Discord,' echoed in Twilight's mind. Knowing they had was one thing, but something about the confirmation felt surreal. She felt relieved, then her fear twisted in her mind, making her lips pull back in a wince. Her eyes glided over the bedsheets before returning to meet her teacher's. Logic was forgotten; She needed to know for sure. "And... you're not going to-"

Nightmare's eyes hardened, though a flash of disappointment crossed her face making her ears edge back closer to her mane. Nightmare snorted dismissively, though her eyes traced up to Twilight's ears. "Of course not," was her mentor's retort. Her mentor's gaze jumped back to meet her own. "I will not turn on you for this. It would be foalish."

Twilight's eyes drifted back to the bedsheets, and her head turned to face her covered body as her lips relaxed and her ears lifted back up.

"I meant what I said," Nightmare emphasized. "I gave you my word that I will not hurt you nor your friends, and I will not." A moment passed. "I do care about you, Twilight."

Twilight's gaze flicked back to Nightmare's, then returned to the bedsheets. Nightmare didn't say anything about what would happen if she betrayed her mentor, but nothing needed to be said. She was convinced, 'You'll keep that promise.' She could see it in Nightmare's eyes. For a few seconds, her mind lingered on that new promise. It felt surreal, like defeating Discord did. A shiver raced down her spine. She looked back at her mentor and asked, "Um, why am I... here?"

"It is safer for you," Nightmare answered dismissively. "Nopony would think to find you here, and surely nopony would try to hurt you since you are here." There was a slight pause, then Nightmare added, "It would not do to leave you so defenseless while you were incapacitated."

Twilight mumbled a timid, "Um, thank you?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Your friends are likewise residing in the castle for the moment. And before you ask, they are fine."

"Oh, okay..." Twilight replied. She closed her eyes and let out a relieved sigh. The thought, 'If you all weren't okay, I don't know what I'd do,' brought a grimace to her lips and made her open her eyes. 'Friends...' It was such an insane thought, but here she was. It wasn't the most insane thing that had happened as of late, either.

Hopefully, that wasn't the new normal.

"How did you sleep?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight pursed her lips and rolled her head to the right. Her eyes trailed over the wall as she thought about the question. "Fine, I think?" She rolled her head back to the left and looked up at her teacher. "I feel well-rested, although I had weird dreams and a nightmare." Her lips pulled into a wince. "Discord..." she murmured.

"It... is to be expected," Nightmare replied cautiously. Her teacher looked away from her. "Do you..." Nightmare stopped and faced her again. "Other than that, you slept well?"

Twilight nodded.

"Good," Nightmare said. "And-" her teacher hesitated noticeably for a moment, "-the nightmare? What of it?"

Twilight turned away from Nightmare and looked down at the bedsheets. "I... would rather not talk about it."

There was a brief silence before Nightmare answered, "I see. Very well. If you... would like to talk about it, I will listen. I... shall we say, have experience with... such matters."

Twilight turned back to Nightmare. Nightmare Moon having nightmares? A part of her thought that it made sense. After all, with what Nightmare had told her she had seen, it made sense, even if she felt more convinced that Nightmare Moon couldn't have nightmares. 'Maybe Luna did...' But something about it felt off. Nightmare's hesitation, how calculated the answer was, it felt wrong. 'You're not telling me something...' flickered through her mind. 'But what?' What more was there to her mentor that she didn't know? And how much was there that she could really claim to know, given that Nightmare Moon was Princess Celestia's sister and centuries older than her?

She pushed the thought aside. 'Maybe talking about the nightmare would help?' she wondered. Thinking back on the nightmare, it had been horrible, but now, she looked back on it knowing it was just a nightmare. It didn't provoke the same fear as it had. It didn't weigh down on her mind, rather, it left her wondering. Even more than the nightmare, the dream immediately following the nightmare left her perplexed. Perhaps the dream wasn't even following the nightmare, but a continuation of what had been a nightmare. The memory of hearing Nightmare shout, 'Enough!' replayed in her mind.

Something about that seemed off. It was such a jarring, sudden change compared to how the nightmare was.

'Maybe I'm imagining things,' she relented. "How long was I asleep?"

"About eighteen hours," Nightmare answered.

Twilight's heart skipped a beat and she felt something balloon up inside her chest. "What!?" she shrieked. Nightmare winced. "But I-"

"The Elements," Nightmare preempted. Twilight squirmed under the blankets, but Nightmare continued, "Using them to defeat Discord took a lot out of you and your friends. However, interestingly enough, you are the last to awaken."

She frowned, then scowled in disbelief and agitation. 'Again. Of course.' No, not only did Fluttershy recover faster from a sleep spell but nooo, Fluttershy just had to recover faster from using the Elements of Harmony, too. 'Fluttershy!' She closed her eyes and groaned as she pressed her head back into the pillow.

"It is not a problem that you were asleep so long," Nightmare commented.

Twilight opened her eyes and rolled her head over to face her teacher. "What about you? Where did you sleep?"

Nightmare pursed her lips and, to her surprise, the alicorn's wings fluffed at her sides. "I... have not," was her reluctant answer.

Twilight squinted at the alicorn. "Why not?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "I have been busy," was her defensive answer. "Dealing with the aftermath of Discord's defeat." The answer only made Twilight's squint deepen. Hastily, Nightmare added, "I am fine. It is no problem that you are here."

"You still need to sleep, too," Twilight pointed out.

Nightmare leveled her head, looked at her with disinterest, then flatly answered, "You are correct. But I will be fine for the time being. I have experienced worse."

Twilight's squint faded into a frown.

Nightmare lingered for a few more seconds, then pulled away from the bed and walked back towards the door to the study. About halfway there, Nightmare looked back at her and said, "I need to finish something and then we may bathe together and continue talking if you so desire. Following that, your friends will join us for a meal."

Twilight just gave a nod and kept watching Nightmare walk to the doorway. A question burned in the back of her mind, demanding she ask it. She bit her tongue to hold it in, but each step that took Nightmare further away made it more unbearable than the last. As soon as Nightmare's forehoof passed through the doorway, she couldn't take it anymore, so she mumbled, "He called you Luna."

Nightmare froze: her foreleg stopped midstep, and she would have sworn the masses that were her ethereal mane stopped shimmering for a split second. In the wake of what she voiced, she felt so very aware of just how quiet the room was. She could just barely see the edge of Nightmare's face, but from what she could see, it looked as if memories were flooding through her eyes. She thought she even heard Nightmare inhale.

Gradually, Nightmare's forehoof lowered to the floor. Then, almost timidly, Nightmare turned, step by step, to face her. Her mentor exhaled then inhaled quickly, took a step back towards her, and hesitantly answered, "He... did." With that said, Nightmare's head turned to the right, and her eyes swept over the wall.

Interest piqued, Twilight pushed herself towards the pillows, then pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed. The bedsheets slid across her body making her shiver, but it didn't distract her. "That's what the batponies were going to call you," she stated. "Before you stopped them."

Only then did Nightmare's head drift back to face her. "You..." Nightmare mumbled, shuffling another step closer to her as her eyes drifted to the floor. After another step, Nightmare's eyes snapped onto her own. With less hesitation, Nightmare declared, "Are correct."

Still looking Nightmare in the eye, Twilight said, "That's... that was your name. Luna. Princess Luna."

She saw an uneasy hesitation in how Nightmare took another step towards the bed. Uncertainty and discomfort, as if her mentor was somehow torn by the revelation. Finally, Nightmare admitted, "Yes," and slowly walked back to the bed. Agitated and uncomfortable, but not angry. "That... was my name."

Nightmare turned to face the door to the balcony. Her expression hardened, then she declared, "But I am not Luna." With no hesitation, Nightmare turned to face her and then said, "Luna is dead."

'That's not what Discord said.' Twilight frowned and felt her ears against her mane. 'You grew jealous of Princess Celestia... or you were betrayed,' drifted through her mind. 'Princess Celestia killed Princess Luna... or a part of her.'

Before there was time for the thought to sink in, Nightmare voiced, "I would rather this stay between us."

Twilight nodded slowly, but voiced, "The girls heard him say that."

"As did Cadance," Nightmare replied, "but I do not-" Nightmare's head drifted back to face the balcony door, "-wish to talk about such things. With them." Nightmare faced her again, then said, "Perhaps... I would not be opposed to talking of it with you. But... another time." Nightmare turned back around and walked to the study, saying, "I will finish this and then join you for a bath. It should not take long; you may get one started if you so desire, or simply wait. It does not matter to me." Then Nightmare passed through the doorway and disappeared.

For a few seconds, Twilight sat there in the bed, staring at the doorway, then she inhaled and climbed off the bed. She bent her back down and nearly touched her chest to the floor, letting out a content sigh as she stretched. Once she stood back up, she turned her head to the right and peered into the study. Her teacher was out of sight, but she could once again hear the chime of Nightmare's magic.

There was a lot they could talk about, a lot she wanted to talk about, and a lot they would talk about. She was certain of it; after all, Nightmare Moon was her teacher, and there was so much she could learn from Princess Celestia's sister. Nightmare Moon cared about her. Nightmare Moon wasn't going to just throw her away or kill her.

The hug came back to mind and her hooves fidgeted beneath her. 'You hugged me... again.' And just like before, it was somehow comforting, just like Princess Celestia's hugs. But unlike last time when the hug felt forced and awkward, it felt more genuine and more meaningful: that hug was a part of Nightmare's new promise to her, perhaps meant to seal that promise.

She had felt safe, or at the very least, safer. She had felt that Nightmare would have been there to protect her had Discord come for her, and she remembered Nightmare standing between her and Discord.

It would be okay.

They still needed to talk.

She turned to the right, then walked into the study. As she walked through the doorway, she turned to face Nightmare who stood at her desk, then stopped and watched her. In her magic, Nightmare held a quill, and with it, she hastily wrote something out on a scroll. She looked to see what it was, but couldn't make it out. Without breaking stride, Nightmare glanced back at her but said nothing before returning her focus to the scroll.

She took a few steps towards her teacher and asked, "Shouldn't you have ponies to help you with things like that?"

"Yes," Nightmare answered, "and I do. However, given what has transpired, I am less inclined to delegate this task." There was a pause in her writing, and Nightmare looked back at her to say, "I should assign batponies to assist me. I... do not..." Nightmare trailed off and looked back down at the scroll. "I do not like your brother, and I do not trust him."

Twilight frowned, then leaned to the right as she walked to Nightmare's side. Nightmare looked at her. "He's my brother."

"Yes," Nightmare stated succinctly. "He is-" her eyes jumped to the wall, then returned to meet Twilight's gaze a moment later, "-useful to keep around. But I do not trust him not to sabotage my efforts."

"He won't," Twilight stated. "He took his job very seriously under your sister, and I'm sure he takes it very seriously now!"

For a moment, Nightmare was silent, then she replied. "Perhaps. But I still do not like him. Though I suppose the feeling is shared."

"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Twilight asked.

The quill stopped and Nightmare turned her head back to face Twilight. "Of course not," was her dismissive answer. "As I said, he is useful." There was a pause, and Nightmare shifted her weight as Twilight sucked in her lip and nibbled on it. "And... as you say," Nightmare mumbled, "he is your brother."

Twilight released her lip and gave a slow nod, still watching Nightmare.

"What about Cadance?" Twilight asked.

"Cadance handled things while I was... otherwise occupied." Nightmare looked back at the scroll and went back to writing. "She has been... quite useful. Ponies love her, and she has managed to smooth things out far better than I had thought possible." She went silent and stood there watching Nightmare finish the scroll. Once the message was written, Nightmare rolled the scroll up, bound it in her seal, then teleported it off before turning to face her. "As I have said, betraying one's allies is foalish, and I have no intention of doing so." Nightmare Moon turned around, then walked on past her. She craned her neck to watch Nightmare, then turned and walked over to Nightmare's right side, passing behind her. "There are a few things, in particular, I would like to discuss," Nightmare commented as they walked back into the bedroom.

"Like what?" Twilight followed Nightmare into the bathroom, then stopped while Nightmare walked over to the tub, turned on the water and shut the door.

As the water crashed into the tub, Nightmare looked back at her and admitted, "I am... unsure of where to start." For a few seconds, Nightmare studied her expression, then her mentor blinked and lifted her hooves, one at a time, to take her boots off.

Twilight's eyes darted over each hoof as Nightmare took her boots off, then her eyes drifted up to Nightmare's head as she took the helmet off. The armor clinked as touched the floor, and for a moment, Nightmare's muzzle drifted down and she looked at her chestplate contemplatively. 'Are you going to take that off?' she wondered, once again trying to picture Nightmare without the chestplate on, but unlike before, she could picture it this time: the same black coat as the rest of her body, unscared and unblemished. But it still seemed so foreign and alien compared to how Nightmare Moon normally looked.

Nightmare glanced over her chestplate, then looked at Twilight. "There are still things I must tend to now that Discord has been defeated, but I am going to make time to actually teach you." Nightmare turned away from her as she muttered, "I... should have made more of an effort to make time for this beforehoof. I... did not teach you as I should have."

Twilight winced and looked down at the floor. 'I call you my teacher but you've not really taught me anything yet...' Other than as Discord said, fear. "It's... alright," she replied as she looked back up at Nightmare. "I know you're busy-"

"Yes, but I have-" Nightmare turned back to face her, "-not done as I have promised. I must fix this."

Twilight smiled and shuffled over to the alicorn. "Well... I'm not going to say no to that..."

A faint hint of a smile crossed Nightmare's lips. "Good. I would like to start with teleportation. It would have been-" Nightmare winced, "-quite useful for you to have been able to teleport." Nightmare sighed and shook her head. "We will discuss this later. For now, there are other matters to discuss, and since you have been sleeping, I presume you would like to bathe." Nightmare climbed into the bath, then sat down on her haunches, then beckoned her over with a wing. "Come."

Twilight once again approached the bath, then climbed into it, closing her eyes and smiling as she sat down in the water. It felt almost too warm, but at the same time, it was so incredibly relaxing. The warmth seeped into her coat, then into her body, drawing a content sigh from her. She relaxed and let the weight of the water push against her body to enjoy its embrace. She felt safe, and with how relaxing the warmth was combined with the soothing scent of lavender, she yawned, then opened her eyes.

"You are still tired?" Nightmare asked with a slight crease in her brow. "The nightmares-"

Twilight shook her head preemptively. "No. I'm not tired, it's just nice. Well, okay, maybe a little bit tired, but it's relaxing. I did just wake up..."

"Ah," Nightmare said with an incline of her head, "I see."

"I slept well," Twilight said again.

Nightmare nodded slowly as she studied Twilight. "I was... shall we say, concerned, that you would not sleep well, given that..." Nightmare trailed off, her lips pulling back as she looked at the wall. She finally looked back at Twilight after a few seconds and half-growled, "Discord. And everything else as of late." A brief pause later, and the wince faded. "But I am glad that you are otherwise fine."

"Well, I'm just glad... we stopped him," Twilight said. Her gaze drifted down onto Nightmare's chestplate as she whispered, "I was... scared." She swallowed and licked her lips as the memories of Discord's voice haunted her mind. Her eyes jumped back up to meet Nightmare's eyes, and then after a moment, Nightmare fidgeted before slowly unfolding her wing.

Nightmare's gaze unfocused as if she pondered some idea that perplexed her, then her eyes refocused on her and she extended her right wing to beckon her. "Come here," she coaxed.

For a moment, Twilight nibbled on her lip, looking over the extended wing. For a moment, there was a flicker of uncertainty, a reminder of just how insane the entire situation was, but then that was crushed out by the thought, 'She cares. She doesn't want to hurt me. She promised.' She inhaled, then stood up. The air felt cold against her wet fur, and it made her shiver for a moment as the water's warmth abandoned her; Nightmare's wing remained extended for her. She nudged herself across the distance to her mentor awkwardly in an attempt to avoid splashing any of the water, then she sat down in front of Nightmare on her haunches. Her body sunk into the water, then Nightmare's wing brushed up against her back and dipped under the water to pull her close. She lifted her forehooves and rested them on Nightmare's chestplate to avoid falling over, and reluctantly, as Nightmare slid her closer, she let her forehooves slide around the metal plate.

Twilight turned her head to the left, then reluctantly laid her head on Nightmare's shoulder. The wet metal cooled her cheek and was far too uncaring, yet it was subdued by feeling Nightmare's feathers nearly flowing against her back: the water made it feel as if Nightmare's feathers had intertwined with her fur in such a way that made her almost feel giddy at the touch. She felt safe, but that had to be a part of whatever it was that Nightmare did with her feathers to comfort her.

She felt Nightmare's other wing wrap around her and complete the hug, then Nightmare gradually lowered her head and lifted her right foreleg to drape it around her withers. Her mentor's chestplate still separated them, but they still shared a hug. A hug and a promise.

"Are you," Nightmare mumbled, "alright?"

"I think so..." Twilight whispered. "It was hard and... I was... well, terrified-"

"I do not blame you for that," Nightmare said. "Discord is..." There was a noticeable pause. "As I said, I cannot stop him."

Twilight felt like her vision twisted as her heart skipped a beat. "You're afraid of him?"

"Not him, but what he can do," was all Nightmare replied. After a few seconds, Nightmare squeezed her, then let up on the hug, lifting her head back up and sliding her wings down Twilight's body before lifting them back out of the water and folding them to her sides.

Twilight shivered from feeling Nightmare's feathers brush against her coat, then she lifted her head up and opened her eyes. Looking back up at Nightmare, she met her mentor's gaze and said, "I think I know what you meant by saying it's hard to describe the Elements."

"I imagine you would," Nightmare replied.

Twilight smiled sheepishly, then glanced around before slowly scooting back to where she had been, Nightmare watching her curiously the whole time. "I don't really remember what I did... or how I did it." Her eyes fell down to stare at the shimmering reflection of the magelight on the surface of the water. "But it felt-" she looked up at Nightmare, "-indescribable."

Nightmare nodded.

"Almost like a part of me?" Twilight asked.

For a moment, Nightmare's eyes twitched down, then her mentor answered with a cautious, calculated, "Perhaps."

That made Twilight frown, but only for a moment. Something went unsaid, or Nightmare Moon thought of something. 'Maybe I'm overthinking it...' She shook the thought off and changed the subject. "Uh, what did you want to talk about again?"

"I will need to speak with representatives from the Minotaurs and Zebras soon, as well as the Deer if they come. If the Deer do not come, I will need to visit them," Nightmare answered. "I am not looking forward to it, but I thought you might be willing to assist me in such matters?"

Immediately, Twilight pictured herself standing, or perhaps sitting, beside Nightmare Moon while the two of them faced a minotaur or a zebra. She didn't like the idea: whoever they dealt with would probably prefer to speak with Nightmare Moon alone. "I don't think I'd be any help with that-"

"Perhaps not," Nightmare agreed, "But I think it would do well for appearances." Her mentor tilted her head. "Would it not? You are my student, and if I am intending to give you authority, then you should be seen at my side in a position of authority," her mentor reasoned.

Twilight hesitated. The logic seemed sound, but it spurred on the memory of looking out across the sea of ponies that had gathered to hear Nightmare's proclamation about her. She sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. 'It will be okay...' she told herself, only to some success. She licked her lips, then said, "Why not Cadance?"

Nightmare wasn't phased by the question and immediately countered, "You are my student. Cadance is not."

Twilight leaned forward and retorted, "But she's a princess! She's an alicorn! She's-" and she bit her lip when it occurred to her: 'You don't know Cadance is your niece, do you?' The thought made her freeze up. The thought made her want to laugh. How could she take it seriously!? A month and a half and Nightmare probably still had no idea Cadance was her niece! Oh, it was downright crazy! Although, most things were crazy anymore.

And the thought was horrifying. Nightmare Moon had no idea Cadance was her niece. Nopony had told her mentor, to her knowledge. And well, maybe it was understandable, but still. She felt her lips dropping down as the thought left her horrified.

This was bad.

And she didn't catch herself before Nightmare caught on that something was wrong. Carefully, Nightmare acknowledged, "You have more to say," then commanded, "Speak."

'Well! This sucks,' shot out in Twilight's mind. Nightmare wanted to know what she was going to say, but Nightmare also had no idea what she knew! That meant she didn't have to tell Nightmare that little detail. 'Although I probably should.' She grimaced. Not telling her would be lying. Nightmare did need to know. Probably.

Telling Nightmare, surely, wouldn't cause problems. Surely, Nightmare wouldn't react badly to learning that Cadance was her niece, right? And surely, it would be okay since it was only through adoption. Besides, it would be better for Nightmare to find out sooner rather than later. And surely with it coming from her instead of somepony else, the chances were greater that it wouldn't end badly, right?

Cadance would be fine.

She hoped.

She inhaled, forced a smile, then turned her head to the left, still meeting Nightmare's gaze and asked, "Has anypony told you that Cadance is your niece?"

The completely blank expression on Nightmare's face was a clear answer.

Gathered around the dining table sat Twilight, her five friends and dragon, Cadance, and then Nightmare Moon at the end farthest from the door. To Nightmare Moon's immediate right sat Twilight, then spike, followed by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Across from them sat Cadance at Nightmare's immediate left, followed by Rarity, then Applejack and finally Pinkie Pie.

Twilight's friends talked amongst themselves, mostly about everything they had gone through to defeat Discord and while it was interesting, Nightmare Moon was far too preoccupied to pay more attention to it: she stared at Cadance. 'Cadance is your niece,' she could hear Twilight saying again, even picturing that incredibly forced smile that said, 'I'm going to regret this, aren't I?'

Cadance's eyes darted between her plate of food and Nightmare Moon, just barely avoiding eye contact. Twilight, for her part, stared at Nightmare Moon, only occasionally looking down at her food, across at Cadance, or over at the rest of her friends.

'How,' Nightmare Moon could not comprehend, 'is this possible!?'

'A month and a half and I am just now finding this out! How?' The insane thought left her stunned. As it was, hearing Twilight tell her that had been one of the least expected things she'd ever heard, even more so given Twilight's prior explanation of Cadance's origins. It caught her so far off-guard as to side-swipe her; had she been in combat she would have lost as her mind ground to a halt.

Without looking away from Cadance, she levitated her spoon up to her mouth and drank down the soup before lowering the spoon back into the bowl.

But even with how much it caught her off-guard, even with how much it agitated her, it made sense, if only that it was kept from her. 'To protect you, I am sure...' Twilight's explanation and blabbering after that accursed question was proof of that and then some.

What she had said next raced back into her mind, bringing with it a shudder as the last thought she ever wanted to consider was forced back into her mind: 'Sister took a mate in my absence!?' And of course she just had to picture that at the time before she could stop herself, and of course, that thought absolutely horrified her.

It was the last thing she wanted to think about.

Twilight put that agitation to rest, but not before the thought did its damage, lingering in her mind far, far too long. 'She adopted Cadance!' She could still picture Twilight's horrified blush as well, and if she had to guess, Twilight might have pictured nearly the same thing she had. Twilight wasn't that young.

Or perhaps it was simply the idea. Twilight had put Sister on a pedestal, after all.

And that revelation came with sweet, blissful relief. 'She is not my flesh and blood niece.' How could she have been, for even a moment, connected to Cadance, such a weak, naive foal of an alicorn, by blood! But it was not the case, and it was a comfort.

But it still needed to be addressed, and that made the discomfort return. 'You did nothing to warrant Sister's sins falling onto you,' she knew, and so she would not regard Cadance in the same light as her sister. To do so would have been foalish. Besides, it changed nothing: she had already been, by adoption, Cadance's aunt. The only difference was now she knew. Cadance was still useful, still an ally.

Still a symbol and a potential threat, but still an ally. Turning on a useful ally for something so pointless was foalish.

She still struggled to believe it and comprehend it, and so she stared at Cadance silently. Everypony noticed, of course, but the focus of her attention, while nervous, wasn't on the verge of trying to escape. Her gaze wasn't focused enough for that, she didn't put the same intimidating pierce into the look that she normally regarded others with.

She inhaled, broke eye contact, looked down at her soup, then drank another spoonful of it. 'Were I a thousand years younger, I would have killed you to hurt Dear Sister,' was an unhappy truth she couldn't suppress, and an unhappy truth that brought her to bite back a grimace. 'Though you did nothing to deserve it.'

Knowing that left her without much of an appetite, but she needed to eat. Besides, brooding all day over the unwelcome revelation was a waste of her time. It didn't stop her from letting out a low growl that drew all eyes onto her as she exhaled. Her gaze flicked away from the soup and met each of their eyes for a moment before passing to the next set of eyes. Everypony squirmed, of which Cadance was, unsurprisingly, the most agitated. 'She has done nothing to warrant my anger,' she reminded herself. 'She has been a useful ally. Holding sister's sins against her is wrong; she has done nothing wrong.'

'This certainly isn't how I expected this meal to go.' She sat up straighter, levitated her napkin to her mouth to wipe away the remnants of the soup still clinging to her lips, then glanced over each of them again, this time forcing back the agitation. 'It would not do to lose their trust.'

And it occurred to her, 'They are the only allies I truly have, if I can even consider them that.'

Turning on her few allies was unacceptable. It was beyond unacceptable, it was outright stupid.

And they were her only ones. The only ponies she could call 'ally'. The closest thing she had to what she wanted. She felt disappointed.

Nightmare tested her voice, "You all," and satisfied that she wasn't about to snap, she continued, "have done a great deed by imprisoning Discord once more, and for that, you have my thanks," she declared, pausing for a moment to meet each of the six bearer's eyes. "This deed is worthy of recognition." With that said, she turned to Cadance and continued, "And as such, I would like to celebrate your success."

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow bellowed. Nightmare's eyes jumped onto the pegasus and found her just barely in her seat with her left foreleg shot up into the air, her head lifted victoriously and a brash grin on her lips.

Amusingly, from what she could see of Twilight's expression, her student was mortified by Rainbow's response. Then, Twilight glanced back at her before sinking back into her seat and turning her attention back to her plate of food.

"You'll have to forgive Rainbow's enthusiasm, Queen Nightmare..." Rarity hastily commented.

Nightmare heard Rainbow huff, then the pegasus followed up with, "Oh come on! You saw how awesome we were!"

"You have a point, dear," Rarity admitted before turning to face Nightmare, and adding in a much lighter, more calculated tone, "but... perhaps tone it down a bit given the... present company?"

"It is fine," Nightmare cut in. She nudged her muzzle up higher and added, "It is something to be proud of, and something worthy of celebration, as I have said." She looked back at Cadance, then said, "As such, I would like for an event to be put together to-" her head drifted back to the right, and her eyes locked with her student's. She couldn't look away, and didn't look away as she spoke, "-celebrate the success of my student and her friends."

For a moment longer, Twilight stared into her eyes, then lowered her head in embarrassment, shifting her weight uncomfortably and glancing aside at her friends, yet Nightmare Moon continued to watch her. 'You shy away from such praise..? Is this because you are not confident in your abilities? It is a remnant from Sister, isn't it?'

It was something she would fix. Twilight needed confidence in her own abilities, and that confidence would go together with her student's authority.

Nightmare reached out with her wing, then tenderly brushed her feather across Twilight's cheek. The filly relaxed as her feather brushed across her fur, and her eyes jumped to her student's back as she saw her muscles relax. A slight frown pulled at her lips. 'I did not realize you were so tense...' Her eyes flicked to Cadance, who flicked her gaze between the two of them anxiously, 'And I presume this would be why.'

Twilight closed her eyes, and then too soon for Nightmare's liking, the stroke ended. She folded her wing back to her side, Twilight opened her eyes and looked at her without turning to face her. She then turned her attention to the other mares at the table, taking a moment to meet each of their gazes.

Frowns and concern and horror looked back at her. Rarity turned her head away as a scowl crossed her lips and she muttered something to Applejack that made the earth pony cringe and look at Rarity. Rainbow squinted at them, then squinted at her, as if silently judging her worth or intent for having touched Twilight. And worse yet, Rainbow's wings bristled at her sides, prepared to snap open to launch the pegasus into the air to attack her.

In order to protect Twilight.

Her lips twitched in discomfort. 'Do you truly think I desire to harm my student? Foals!' But she kept the thought to herself. Bringing it up wouldn't change their pointless opinion, and it was a sign of the bond they shared with her student: that they cared for her.

And that was important.

'It is hard to believe the Elements chose you six as their bearers...' Yet the Elements had, and those five mares and filly were. There was no doubt in Nightmare mind that if they turned on her, they could succeed if she wasn't fast enough. Her eyes flicked to Twilight and the thought, 'You will not let that happen,' came to mind.

And she wouldn't turn on them. They were who she could call allies, and keeping them that way was imperative, even if calling them allies was being generous.

Turning her attention back to Cadance, she continued, "I presume you can handle this?"

With a nod, Cadance answered with a reserved, "Of course..."

'Perhaps... I should not bring up what you hid from me...' Nightmare mused. 'Bringing it up now would only cause further problems,' she reasoned.

"Why?" Cadance asked curiously. "I'm..." Cadance mumbled, bobbing her head and looking down at her plate, "surprised you'd want to celebrate that."

Nightmare scowled at her Cadance. Quickly refuting her niece, she answered, "It is something worth recognizing. My student and her friends are worthy of such praise for having defeated Discord, and celebrating it would give my subjects something that they could take comfort in." Pausing, she forced the scowl away and recomposed herself. "And on that note, I think it would be beneficial to encourage ponies to celebrate some new holiday. It would be beneficial to encourage them to not remain inside at all times."

As if to pop the tension, Twilight half-jokingly put in, "Hug a Batpony Night?"

As Nightmare turned to face her student, she caught Cadance looking at Twilight as well. 'That could be very useful... assuming ponies do not immediately reject it...' A bitter scowl threatened to split her lips, but she kept it to herself.

Twilight gave another forced, awkward smile similar to the one earlier.

Nightmare turned back to Cadance and said, "It is an idea."

Author's Note

Originally, I planned for Nightmare to instead be blindsided by Lord Tirek in the future... I'd go into more details but, even with that change of plans, spoilers.

I'll admit I'm rather displeased with the confrontation with Lord Tirek. Calling it a fight or a battle is an exaggeration; it's essentially just an execution. It's not that interesting, or at least I don't think it is. Although one of my prereaders pointed out how it shows Nightmare Moon is a hypocrite: condemning Tirek to death when she recognizes that had Celestia not stopped her, she would have been as bad as Tirek for Equestria, but not applying the same reasoning to herself.

I've pictured the scenes with Nightmare Moon and Twilight bathing together, and they've been scenes I've wanted to write for a long time, and I'm glad to have written them!

I was talking to my prereader a long time ago when I was first writing this chapter. From what I remember, and I may be misremembering, around the end of the bathing scene, I remembered Nightmare had no idea Cadance was her niece. I had to look back to check to make certain I wasn't forgetting (If this was said and I don't remember please point this out so I can rectify this). I can't remember if I planned that or not, though I can remember something vaguely related to it of "Have Cadance call out Nightmare Moon's hypocrisy."

Deepening Bonds

Casting her gaze to the sky, Nightmare Moon could see the twinkling stars through the tree canopy as she walked on. The forest was quiet in her presence, but it wasn't an oppressed silence. No. It was a calm, peaceful silence. The silence was not brought on by fear, but rather, out of respect. As a branch blocked the stars from her gaze, she looked down and to her right. She smiled.

Twilight walked alongside her, wearing a care-free smile, unoppressed and unafraid. Her student was calm and unblemished by fear or doubt. The filly carried herself with confidence as they walked along, sharing in the peace and silence of the night.

Nightmare Moon's gaze drifted over Twilight's form, lingering on the tiara atop her head, then drifting down her back before landing on that starburst cutie mark that was so familiar. Seconds passed on as she watched, then her gaze drifted back up along her student's back until her eyes settled on the tiara again.

'It suits you,' came to mind, and she inclined her head in agreement with the thought, as the Element of Magic was bound to her student, and her student was bound to the Element of Magic: destiny intertwined and woven together.

Once again, her gaze drifted down Twilight's back, only to stop in the middle of her side. Her lips pulled into a slight frown, and her brow folded down. Staring at her student, like always, something felt off and wrong. Incomplete, even, despite the near-perfection that she sensed with her magic.

Despite that tiara, despite the bond with the Element of Magic, Twilight was still incomplete. She felt it and it weighed on her mind. The thought, 'You are still missing something,' left her agitated, and her wings fidgeted at her sides, rubbing up against her coat as she struggled to grasp at whatever it was that left her student incomplete.

Nightmare unfolded her right wing, then slowly brushed her feathers across Twilight's coat. The filly's lips pulled up into a warm, happy smile, and her eyes closed. Gradually, she stroked her feathers down from Twilight's withers, down her back, and along her sides before finally folding her wing back to her side.

Twilight opened her eyes, still smiling, and turned her head to face Nightmare. Nothing was said, but as they watched each other, Nightmare felt the bond they shared: teacher and student, trust, and friendship. The bond felt wonderful, and it made the walk all the more enjoyable to know that she trusted the filly, and that Twilight trusted her. The bond had to be stronger than whatever bond Twilight had shared with her sister, and the bond felt entirely right: not unlike the bond she had felt with her sister when they wielded the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord.

Yet the bond was untainted and more meaningful; Twilight was not her sister.

A breeze blew by, rustling the leaves and bringing a gentle warmth along with the scent of lilacs and lavender. She looked away from Twilight and let out a content sigh.

The peace was soothing and welcomed. It left her feeling free. Free from the anger that plagued her mind, free from the worry and dread that something worse would happen, free from the binding weight of her armor, and free from the hatred and spite and mockery of her ponies. Free to feel the breeze against her chest, free to feel the wind against her bare cheeks, free to relax and let her guard down, knowing that nothing was going to betray her.

Free to enjoy the peace she had fought so hard to bring.

Free to enjoy the praise, friendship, and love of her subjects. Of Twilight.

The tree canopy faded away as they walked out into a meadow filled with lavender, morning glory, purple violets, and poppies. She smiled at the flowers, and the smile grew warmer as Twilight let out a giggle and rushed out into the meadow. Though the filly left her side, she took solace in knowing that Twilight was safe and free.

She cast her gaze towards the sky, and the sky felt right: the stars twinkled down at her, and the unblemished, pure surface of the moon almost smiled at her and her student. For a moment, she stopped and wondered as she looked at the moon. Wherever Sister was, it did not matter; Sister no longer mocked her. Her head drifted lower and her eyes fell on Twilight. The filly pranced through the field of flowers as a young, carefree foal would, despite her age.

She could only smile at it before calling, "Twilight?"

Twilight stopped and looked at her, answering with, "Yes, Luna?"

"I wish to try something," Nightmare called back, gradually walking towards her friend.

"Okay!" Twilight eagerly agreed, turning to face her and then prancing back over to her, then walking as she neared.

When Twilight returned, the filly instinctively nuzzled her chest, and Nightmare smiled as she leaned down to return it. The feeling was pleasant yet so alien to her; it felt genuine and was untainted by deceit. When their shared nuzzle broke, she turned to face the moon, then sat down on her haunches. Without saying anything, Twilight sat down at her left, her coat brushing up against her own.

Nightmare turned to face Twilight, bowed her head, and likewise, Twilight bowed her head, and their horns crossed. Without saying anything, they wove their magic together, and the moon gradually ascended further into the sky. With each passing second, she left more and more of the task to her student, until the filly finally bore it all on her own.

Once the moon was at its apex, they uncrossed their horns and looked up at the moon. Glancing back down, the wonder and awe in her student's eyes filled her with a sense of pride and accomplishment: her student raised the moon of her own magic, with no help from any other unicorns.

Her student surpassed Starswirl the Bearded.

A mark of Twilight's destiny, perhaps fulfilled. Yet just a dream. Had it been real, perhaps she wouldn't have felt sorrow building up inside her.

Twilight giggled giddily, jumped for joy, and pranced through the meadow. For several seconds, she watched the filly, then she gazed back up at her pristine moon.

Their pristine moon.

Then Twilight screamed, and the peace was shattered. Her chest seized up and her head whipped to where her student's scream came from. She bolted to her hooves and lit her horn, but it was too late: an orange burst of magic slammed into Twilight's chest, throwing her into the air and tossing the tiara from her head. She barely noticed the Element of Magic shatter down the middle. Splinters of crystal broke off and shot towards the ground. The Element spun in the air before sinking below the sea of poppies. Her eyes locked on her student. She froze in place. Twilight flailed around in the air, screaming in agony. She watched on, paralyzed into inaction. Twilight slammed into the ground. Everything went silent around them.

And the very air felt like ice clinging to her coat, sliding into her skin, then dousing her bones in the same cold. A sharp, high pitched whimper, followed by a choked groan from her student made her ears pin back. She felt a stab of betrayal strike her core. She had not intervened to save her student as she had promised. She hadn't acted. She let Twilight get hurt. A knot swelled up in her throat. She went to call out for her student. The knot stole her voice.

In a blur, she was standing beside Twilight. Her student's body lay in a bed of lavender and morning glories. She felt her own body shift, as if splitting right down the middle, and the world responded in kind, shifting around her.

The freedom from moments before was stolen from both of them: in Twilight's eyes, Nightmare saw fear, anguish, and tears. Wet trails ran down Twilight's cheeks. Blood leaked from the gash left in Twilight's chest, pooling in the flowers. Staining them crimson with her student's blood. And she hated those flowers so stained with her student's blood. For how could she tolerate such a thing!

Yet all she could do was watch as the flowers drowned in that dark crimson tide, watch as the lavender blossomed into poppies and the morning glories wilted and died.

"P-please h...p me, L...na," Twilight croaked out, making Nightmare's body feel even colder.

Nightmare focused her magic on her student's wound. Nothing happened. Twilight whimpered and squirmed before her. She tried harder, pouring more magic into the spell. Twilight bit her lip. Her horn glowed bright as she put all she could into healing her friend.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't heal it. The wound refused to heal. Trying only made the wound worse. Her magic tore her student's body even further. Twilight's face scrunched up as she let out an agonized scream that cut off Nightmare's magic.

Blood stained her hooves.

A bolt of orange raced past her, and everything snapped back into place. She swiveled around and crouched down low, covering her student with her own body. Armor be damned, she wasn't going to simply leave Twilight to her death! Her wings lifted from her side, further sheltering Twilight's body as she channeled magic back into her horn.

Lord Tirek shambled closer, an orange mass churning between his twisted horns while Discord swam in the air around him like a snake, grinning. Never looking away from her.

Nightmare's lungs deflated.

"You didn't think you were rid of us so easily, did you?" Discord mocked.

"Or that you would keep us from Equestria," Tirek followed up.

"And without her," Discord bellowed before clutching his stomach, spinning around and cackling madly.

"You can't stop us!" Tirek stated.

Nightmare bared her teeth and held her ground as they approached. Discord alone was enough of a threat that retreat was her only option, and with Lord Tirek, retreat was necessary.

She tried to pick up Twilight with her magic. Her aura just slid across Twilight's body, unable to find purchase. The only thing to come of her attempt was more pained whimpering from Twilight that disorientated her worse than Discord's maddening laughter.

And just like that, retreat wasn't an option. Fear pulsed through her body and her legs trembled, but she held her ground. "You'll not," she growled, "get away with this!"

Discord laughed, and with a snap of his talons, Twilight's tiara appeared on top of his head. The crack in the pink crystal had turned black, and the Element itself was darker for it. "But we already have!" he declared.

And she snapped. Enraged by the way the dream twisted into a nightmare, enraged by the sight of Discord stealing the Element of Magic from her student, and enraged by the betrayal, she snapped. "ENOUGH!" her voice boomed, ripping the dream to shreds, like a pane of glass shattering and falling to the floor and shattering again. And then she was standing, surrounded by wisps of teal light and dozens of orbs that were windows to ponies' dreams.

Her body trembled, her lungs heaved, and her jaw clenched down, barely holding back a scream.

She stamped her hoof down and the dreamscape faded to black.

And even with the dream fading, Nightmare awoke unnerved and angered. For a few seconds, she glared up at the golden swirls, then cast the blankets off of her body and jumped out of bed. The air hit her body like a brick wall, so cold it felt that it made her shiver. Her lips twisted into a grimace as the air chilled her wet body.

The grimace lingered as she looked back at her damp bed. She let out a growl and went over the bed with her magic, cleaning the sweat from the sheets and mattress, then from her own coat.

And when that was done, the grimace faded, but the dream returned to her mind. The image of Twilight's broken body returned to her mind. Even with her body warming back up now that it was dry, she could still feel the lingering chill from seeing Twilight in such shape.

And with that, a tinge of anxiety twisted in her chest, drowning out the anger.

She sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and told herself, 'It was just a dream. Tirek is dead. Discord is imprisoned.'

But more importantly, 'You are safe.'

'Why did I let that dream linger so long!?' her mind demanded, and to her unease, the answer came, 'Because it caught me off-guard... I reacted poorly.' Her wings twitched at her sides as the thought lingered in her mind, coiling around her like a snake. 'Fool!' her mind chastised. 'I am too fond of you. Even knowing it was a dream... I reacted poorly. This...' But she couldn't complete the thought. She was unwilling to.

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at the door to her balcony. In silence, she listened to the sound of her niece and her student's breathing: calm and unlabored, which eased her mind. But the nightmare still unnerved her. 'Perhaps I need to reestablish my connection with dream magic further,' came to her mind.

But that was a simple lie, and she knew it. The truth was just as simple and left her heart twisting in concern: even knowing it was a dream, she had been unwilling to abandon her student. To abandon her was to betray her.

And she would not do such a thing. 'Loyalty...' whispered in her mind, bringing back the memory of wielding the Element of Loyalty.

Something now born by Rainbow Dash.

She shook her head. To think that they both were familiar with Loyalty? The thought was hard to comprehend, and yet, she could not deny it nor would she deny it. The pegasus was brash and rebellious, yet she could see that spark of Loyalty in her, and because of it, she respected the pegasus. Even if Rainbow Dash was a nuisance. 'Rainbow Dash will not betray my student.'

Her thoughts meandered back to Twilight, and a part of her mind whispered, 'Perhaps I should check on you...'

But she knew Twilight was okay. She heard her student's calm breathing, and she felt that her student was sleeping peacefully. There was no reason for her to take the time to go check on Twilight, and perhaps it was even a waste of time that she could have been sleeping or tending to other important matters. It was silly and it was pointless. Frivolous and banal. Twilight was safe, and her student was dreaming happily.

Yet the urge remained. She let out a growl and tossed her head to the side. 'It will not take long,' she reasoned. Besides, she was Queen, and it was within her right. With that, she strode to the balcony door, opened it, spread her wings, and flew off into the night. Gliding across the courtyard towards her student's tower, she took comfort in the silence and the breeze washing over her wings and body. It wasn't enough to wash away the remnants of the dream, but it helped. Breaking her gaze from her destination, she looked into the moonless sky and watched the stars. 'Perhaps,' she thought, 'you would watch the stars with me sometime when the moon will not ruin it...'

The idea had more appeal to it than watching the stars with Twilight while the moon was out. It brought the dream back to the front of her mind. Her head drifted back down to face her destination as she glided towards it. 'We moved the moon. You moved the moon,' she remembered. 'We shared that.'

Nightmare banked to the left and glided down to land, pondering the thought. And the idea of Twilight moving the moon, her moon, left her feeling that all-too-familiar discomfort and unease. The moon was hers, yet if anypony aside from her sister and herself could move it alone, it would be Twilight. And surely, if Twilight managed to move the moon on her own, her student would grow far more confident in her abilities, would she not?

But a part of her still dreaded the thought, even if it had value. The thought of letting Twilight touch her moon made her uncomfortable. The moon was hers. Her birthright, and the crown jewel of her night sky. Sister had stolen it from her, and to yield the moon to her student so easily? Things could go wrong, and perhaps, there was the risk that it would be her undoing. There was the chance that Twilight figure out how to free her sister, and the worry tore through the idea, making her wince. 'You will not betray me,' her mind growled back, stamping out the spiderweb of concern.

But of course Twilight couldn't move the moon. With her help, perhaps, but not on her own. The same was true of Cadance.

She landed, and four quick clicks from her boots broke the line of thought. She opened the door with her magic, then walked inside and closed it. Looking around the library, the thought, 'This room is becoming familiar,' came to mind.

Nightmare walked off to the left, then calmly ascended the stairs to the upper level as she had many times before. Approaching the door to Twilight's room, like a ritual, she slowed down and held her breath. Slowly creeping forward, she gradually peered into the bedroom and then saw the form her student resting in bed, her body covered and her head uncovered.

She felt her body relax, and she let out her breath. For a moment, she closed her eyes and stood there, letting the relief banish the lingering fears of seeing Twilight so hurt, then she opened her eyes and quietly walked into the room, keeping to the wall once inside. She was close enough to see that Twilight was safe: her bedsheets were not reddened with blood, she was not squirming in pain or discomfort, she was not whimpering in fear or agony. Twilight's expression was, truly, peaceful.

Twilight laid on her right side, facing the window as she slept and dreamed. Nightmare was content to sit down and watch her, to sit down and watch over her. 'You would be able to move the moon,' she felt assured as she watched her student, 'in time.' Seconds passed on in blissful silence as the thought wafted through her mind. She could even picture the moment, not unlike her dream: shared together on the balcony, mixing her magic with Twilight's magic, showing the filly how, and then letting Twilight bear up the moon with her magic as she pushed it into the sky.

And it would be wonderful to see.

Her eyes flicked down to the floor, then after a moment, she looked out the window, searching the jeweled night sky for that which wasn't there. Her gaze drifted back across the wall, then settled on her student, and more of that all too familiar, defeat-inducing disappointment made her wings slump from her sides: for now, Twilight wasn't ready. Her magic wasn't strong enough to move the moon on her own. Not yet. But if she tried, she could teach and grow Twilight, and then Twilight would be capable of doing it. After all, Twilight Sparkle was her student, and her student bore the Element of Magic. If anypony else could move the moon on their own, it would be Twilight. With effort on both their parts, it would be in Twilight's reach.

And maybe, just maybe, as insane as the idea was, it was something to try. It would be another accomplishment for Twilight, something that would help grow her confidence. Something they could share together. It was something that could perhaps, in time, prove useful for her student to be able to do.

If something happened to her.

She squirmed at the thought, 'If something happens to me...' And oh, how that thought left her grimacing with agitation and scoffing in anger! Her mane and tail roiled with anguish at the mere thought! She was the Queen and Empress! Equestria was hers! There was no way she could be defeated in such a way that her sister hadn't been involved! And she was not about to give up Equestria to that damned sister of hers or anything else without a fight!

Equestria was hers.

But if something did happen to her, even if it only temporarily incapacitated her, somepony needed to be able to make sure Equestria didn't fall apart if sister wasn't there. 'Leaving Equestria defenseless... is unacceptable. I did not sacrifice so much to protect her just to see her fall apart...' It would not do to let a temporary absence on her part steal Equestria away from her, either.

Besides, if it was not Sister who reclaimed Equestria, then she needed somepony to make sure she would be able to reclaim the Throne. There needed to be somepony to make sure Equestria survived and that her sacrifices hadn't been in vain. 'It would be better, if something happened to me, that Equestria would be protected. If Equestria dies then nopony will remember or care of me...'

Her lips pulled back in disgust as she squinted at the sleeping filly. A part of her wanted to laugh. It was insane! Absolutely insane! 'Perhaps... you would make a good regent...' her mind wondered. And yet, the thought was logical, perhaps even more so than it was insane, and so she didn't laugh. She contemplated the thought. To be unprepared was unwise, and if there was anypony she could trust, it would be her student. Especially over her niece.

But surely that would never have to come to pass. She would make sure it never did. But in the chance that something did happen, it wouldn't do to be unprepared.

And Twilight was unprepared.

'For now,' her mind declared.

A thousand years ago, at the height of her anger, the idea was unthinkable. If she couldn't have Equestria, then nopony would.

Such a foolish notion.

Nightmare took a deep breath, then slowly stood back up. Her gaze never drifted from Twilight's sleeping form as she slowly crept closer to her, then as she stopped at the bed, she reached out with her left wing and slowly brushed her feathers through the filly's mane. She welcomed the contact.

Twilight smiled in her sleep. Nightmare tilted her head to regard the smile, and it was one that reminded her so much of her own dreams, but she knew she was not dreaming: it was real, and just like in her dreams, that smile soothed her soul. It was a calm, peaceful smile. A smile that she welcomed seeing. The smile was one that whisked away the agitation at the thought of something happening to herself. It was a smile that helped soothe the anger Sister left her with. 'You have the potential and capability,' she knew.

Nightmare traced her feathers down along the outline of her student under the bedsheets and watched her feather as it went along Twilight's back. She yearned for feeling Twilight's coat against her feather rather than the blanket, but it would not do to break her student's slumber. She would not betray her student so, nor would she scare her so. Suppressing a sigh of disappointment, folded her wing back to her side and turned to the door. As she made her way out of the bedroom, her mind lingered on what needed to be done.

'I will teach you... and I will make certain you become what you are meant to be,' her mind declared, and her head nodded in agreement.

Consequences be damned.

Nightmare Moon kept her distance as she watched and listened to Twilight and her friends. The steam whistling out of the train was a new sound for her to hear in person. It wasn't the most pleasant sound she had heard, either. 'Useful, yet agitating,' her mind affirmed. Tilting her head, she pondered the thought, 'Had we this one thousand years ago...'

How much simpler things would have been.

Although the train itself was an eyesore that she was certain her sister had some say in. Looking at the brightly colored engine and cars left her squinting in disdain. She wouldn't argue against trains being effective and efficient, but she would argue against how it was painted. The military applications of it were not lost on her. They weren't lost on Sister, either: the tracks to the Crystal Empire were proof enough of that.

She shook the thought aside and looked on the far-more pleasing sight of Twilight's coat. Though she couldn't see Twilight's face, she knew her student was smiling at her friends by the smiles her friends wore back at her.

They all shared a laugh together, one that both served to reaffirm that her student would keep those five mares in line, and that those five mares were good for her student. Twilight's friends would lift her up and help her grow into what she was meant to be. Nightmare Moon was certain of it.

She could call them allies, and perhaps eventually, she could call all of them friends. Though the idea of being friends with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash left something to be desired, they all had her respect. And soon, they would have the respect of her subjects, as well.

Rainbow flew over to Twilight and wrapped her in a hug. She heard her student wheeze from the force, and it brought a smirk to her lips. Nonetheless, Twilight returned the hug, causing Rainbow to nuzzle the filly, and in turn, Twilight nuzzled Rainbow Dash back.

The rest of Twilight's friends stepped over to her, and they all joined together in a group hug that made her inhale deeply. In the back of her mind, she felt a tinge of jealousy towards them all. It was mostly directed at Twilight. 'Your friends love you,' she knew.

And she was pleased because Twilight was loved.

And she was jealous because Twilight was loved.

And she was agitated because she was not.

The group of friends shared a nuzzle, followed by another cheerful laugh, then they gradually broke from the hug.

"Are you sure you can't come back to Ponyville with us?" Applejack asked, her voice free from both malice and sadness.

"Sorry, but I need to stay in Canterlot for a little bit longer," Twilight answered in a soft mumble that wasn't quite happy, but wasn't unhappy either. Nightmare felt her ears twitch back ever so slightly. "But I'll be back soon," Twilight added, her voice more cheerful.

"Do take care of yourself, Twilight," Rarity addressed in a chipper tone. "We'll all look forward to you returning to Ponyville, dear. And when you do, we need to go to the spa together."

"Thanks, Rarity," her student replied, "but-"

"No buts!" Rarity shrieked. Nightmare and the rest of the ponies winced. "We're going to the spa after everything that's happened and that's final!" To emphasize the point, Rarity lifted her forehoof and then clicked it against the platform, raising her head in the air, defiant to any further protests.

Rainbow covered her eyes with her forehooves and let out a disgruntled groan. "The spa!?" the pegasus retorted, then grumbled, "Seriously..?"

"Oh, I think it sounds lovely, Rarity," Fluttershy whispered.

"I reckon I can probably find some time for that, although I imagine Big Mac and Granny Smith might not be quite so happy about it," Applejack commented with a shrug.

"Absolutely-dootly!" Pinkie declared in agreement.

"Oh, I can probably, uh, help out with the farm if you need?" Twilight offered.

"Sure," Applejack replied.

"Then it's settled," Rarity stated with a warm smile that ignored any and all protest. Beaming, the mare declared, "As soon as you get back to Ponyville, we're going to the spa!"

Rainbow groaned again, which went ignored by everypony else. "Alright, fine," she relented, "but I'm not doing any of that frou-frou stuff!"

"Yes, yes, of course, Darling," Rarity dismissed.

The train whistled hoarsely, drawing her attention back to the unsightly behemoth. 'There is room for improvement, I am sure.' Even if that improvement was simply expanding the rail system and infrastructure to further connect Equestria, rather than making the train look more pleasant. 'That... is a good idea that warrants consideration,' she thought with a nod to herself. 'Goods and ponies would be able to travel more freely, and that would be beneficial to the economy... and it would allow for quicker guard deployments.'

Another thing to tend to.

"Ah, well..." Rarity drawled, drawing Nightmare's attention back to the group. "I suppose we should get going, darling."

"I don't think we ought to keep the train waiting on us any longer. We'll see you back in Ponyville, Twilight!" Applejack said with a smile that then faded before she flatly added, "Or back here in Canterlot if you stay here until the ceremony."

Twilight glanced back at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare inhaled and then stepped closer to the group before saying, "I will send her back to Ponyville before the ceremony." She met each of her student's friend's eyes and made certain they knew it before adding, "I give you my word."

They nodded uncomfortably, and she was unsurprised. She could see the apprehension in the mares' eyes. 'You still do not trust me, but... hopefully you recognize that I keep my word.' It was the start of trust, and it was something she could work with.

Gradually, Twilight looked back at her friends, though Nightmare felt that Twilight was more somber than before, and it carried into her voice. "I'll be fine," Twilight offered.

Rarity quickly shifted her weight and tossed her head to the side. "Er, no offense, dear, but..." she trailed off, meeting Nightmare's gaze.

Nightmare ignored it, and as Twilight turned back to look at her, she looked down at her student. Twilight's eyes darted back and forth across her features, then her student turned back to Rarity. "I'll be fine," Twilight repeated more firmly.

Rainbow jumped into the air, flew past Twilight, making her student cringe, and then hovered in front of Nightmare Moon. "You better not hurt her," the pegasus nearly growled.

Nightmare Moon snorted and jerked her head at an angle. Matching Rainbow's gaze, she quipped, "I assure you, I have no intentions of hurting my student." To even suggest it was an insult. She could forgive it, if only because of the reason for Rainbow's concern.

Rainbow hovered there for a few more seconds as her eyes drew into a squint, then finally, Rainbow nodded tersely and flew back to the others before landing.

"Would you stop doing that!?" Twilight hissed, throwing an accusatory hoof at Rainbow.

Rainbow threw her head back, flapped her wings to hover in the air, threw her forelegs out wide and countered, "Hey, I'm just looking out for you, okay!?"

Twilight shifted her weight in agitation.

Nightmare tilted her muzzle upward and voiced, "It is fine." Twilight turned back to face her, so she met her student's gaze and continued, "Rainbow Dash bears Loyalty." She met Rainbow's gaze, then inclined her head once.

Rainbow landed and eyed Nightmare cautiously.

"I recognize your concern for my student and I appreciate it," Nightmare specified.

Rainbow mumbled an unconvinced, "Right..."

"Well!" Twilight cut in, forcing a broad, pleading smile, "Enjoy your trip back to Ponyville!"

And with that, the group gathered together again for another hug. Rainbow still glared at Nightmare Moon from within the hug- at least until somepony hit her, making her grunt, then Rainbow turned her full attention back to Twilight.

The whistle blew again, and the group broke apart. Twilight's five friends mumbled their goodbyes, then boarded the train and took seats near the windows. They watched Twilight as they left, and Twilight and Nightmare watched them in turn. The train steamed away, and then Twilight let out a sigh as her head drooped.

Nightmare walked up to Twilight's left side and looked over the filly's crestfallen form. "You miss them," she calmly noted.

Twilight sucked in a breath, lifted up her head and turned to face Nightmare before nodded. "Yeah..." she admitted, her head lowering once again. "I do." The filly's lips pulled into a grimace and her head bobbed back. "I don't know why," she muttered, then more resentfully, "but I do."

"They are your friends," Nightmare commented. "You love them. It is natural."

Twilight's head jerked up and the filly squinted at Nightmare. "Yes," she agreed, then groaned, "but I'm me."

Raising an eyebrow, Nightmare asked, "Pray tell?"

Twilight groaned and rolled her head to the right to look away from her. "I don't understand it." Twilight looked back up at her with a scowl. "Do you know how I was before...-" the filly bit her lip and puffed out her cheeks while her head fumbled every which way as she struggled to find the right way to phrase it. "This?" she finally finished.

"I have read some of the letters shared between you and my sister, yes," Nightmare answered. "Come," she coaxed, draping her wing onto Twilight's back and turning away from the tracks. "Let us-" she declared, stepping forward, "-walk and talk." Twilight sighed but nonetheless walked alongside Nightmare Moon. Nightmare stroked her wing over Twilight's side, then folded her wing back to her body, and as a result, she caught a slight frown tug at her student's lips.

She kept her gaze on Twilight's expression as they walked out of the mostly empty train station and headed down the stairs to the street. By the time they reached the street, Twilight's lips had settled into a scowl while her lips folded back not quite halfway. "I don't understand why," Twilight complained, then lifted her head up to look at Nightmare.

Nightmare Moon slowly nodded her head and gazed ahead. To her surprise, like the trip to the train station, there were actually ponies out on the streets of Canterlot. Not as many as she expected would have been out had it been day, but there were ponies out. It was a sharp contrast to both what she expected following Discord's defeat and what she had experienced prior to Discord's escape. They were nervous, of course, but they were there. As they passed by, some of them stared at her and her student in bewilderment or fear, but they didn't run away. Instead, they stood there, craning their heads to watch the two of them walk past before resuming their own walk, only slightly more unnerved than before. Turning away from the pony she was watching, she mumbled, "There are things I do not understand myself, Twilight."

"What!?" Twilight nearly hissed. "But you're..." She heard Twilight grunt, then the filly continued, "You."

Nightmare casually turned her head to regard her student with a raised eyebrow. "I am certain I have related to you before that I am not all-knowing, Twilight Sp-" she cut herself off, drawing a squint from the filly. "Twilight," she emphasized.

"You have," Twilight begrudgingly admitted, then huffed.

Nightmare licked her lips. "You were..." she trailed off. 'Very focused on your studies, yet you did not manage to make it further than what you have. This blame rests on sister, yet perhaps not entirely so. You are still young, Twilight Sparkle...' She pursed her lips, then scowled as it came to her, "A scholar."

A few seconds passed in silence before Twilight succintly said, "Yes. I suppose that's an apt way to describe the way I was before... you returned."

"I would argue it still describes you," Nightmare commented, casting her gaze back on Twilight.

The filly's scowl leveled out into a neutral line. "Maybe, but not as much as I used to be."

"Perhaps," Nightmare mused. "Although, I would argue the fault is..." And for whatever reason, thinking about it made her muzzle slip a few inches lower. 'I have not taught you as I should have,' she knew, and so she finally voiced, "My own."

Twilight inhaled, turned right and looked over the ponies they passed. "It's fine, you've been busy," her student replied. "Besides, it's not like... your sister was always there managing my own studies." After a few seconds, Twilight looked back up at her almost pleadingly. "I don't understand why I... love them. The girls. My friends."

Nightmare inclined her head and voiced, "They are your friends."

Twilight blinked slowly and then looked at her flatly. "That's not helpful."

"But it is the reason," Nightmare countered. "You may be studious and a scholar, but you are still a pony, Twilight. Do not forget that. It is natural. Herd instinct, and more." She regarded the street ahead of them for a moment as her mind ruminated on the thought, 'Though perhaps this is a part of your destiny...' She grimaced. 'But perhaps that is not a bad thing...' Her student would, after all, keep her friends in check.

Assuming Twilight didn't betray her.

Nightmare mentally kicked herself. 'You're not going to betray me. You've proven that much...' She looked up at the sky and watched her stars, ignoring the crescent of the moon she could see at the edge of her vision that was still enough to pull her lips into a disinterested line. 'We will have to stargaze when the moon is not here,' she affirmed.

And it would be perfect.

"You share a bond with your friends," Nightmare continued, gradually lowering her head and turning back to look at Twilight. The filly's head slowly drifted away, and her ears drooped. Nightmare found her gaze drawn to her student's folding ears: they left her with a feeling she didn't particularly enjoy. Unfolding her wing again, she reached out and brushed her feathers along Twilight's side, and at her touch, Twilight's ears lifted back up while the filly turned back to face her. She met Twilight's gaze and simply said, "Do not forget that."

Twilight broke eye contact, her eyes dropping down onto Nightmare's chestplate. She gave a slow nod and her head drifted away again. "Yeah..." she mumbled. They walked on in silence again for a time, and Nightmare once more found herself looking up at the stars until Twilight said, "Your sister..." Nightmare looked back down at Twilight and found the filly already facing her. "She wanted me to make friends. I think. When she... sent me to Ponyville. She told me to meet some ponies..."

Nightmare inhaled and grimaced before grumbling, "Loathe as I am to admit it, she... has a point."

Twilight squinted at her.

"I am not so foalish as to say that allies are not useful, Twilight," Nightmare chastized. "Do remember that I led Equestria's armies to victory against the Griffins many times before. I know the value of teamwork because I have seen it first hoof." She slowed and carefully said, "Friendship," then nodded as she continued, "is a powerful thing, Twilight. Do not underestimate it."

Twilight's squint faded into a sober, almost pained look of regret. For a moment, Twilight's eyes jumped down onto the street, then her student whispered, "You don't have any friends..." Nightmare stopped walking as the comment jarred her stride. A moment later, Twilight stopped and looked back at her, meeting her gaze. "Do you?"

Hesitantly, Nightmare stepped back into place so that Twilight was at her side, and even more reluctantly, she answered, "I... do not." Looking back at the stars, her mind wandered back into her memories, and the stars nearly faded away. "It... was not always the case. A very long time ago, I had... friends," she admitted.

Nightmare looked back down at Twilight, and Twilight simply stood there, watching her silently and patiently. "You are..." she trailed off. But the thought still came to mind, 'You are very lucky to have such friends.' Shaking her head, she steeled her resolve. "I did not have friends as you do, however. The ponies I called 'friend' were comrades in arms."

Twilight frowned at that.

"There was always a certain distance between myself and them, if not because our companionship was based on our struggles, then because of my status," Nightmare continued.

"Being an alicorn princess," Twilight surmised.

'Luna...' Twilight's voice whispered in her mind. 'Princess Luna.' To think back on that left her unnerved, and yet, that was more often than not what Twilight addressed her as in her dreams. 'I am... too fond of you,' came to her mind again, but fie to the though! Twilight was hers, so it mattered little. "Yes," she mumbled.

"What about your sister?"

A spark of ire burst inside her mind to replace the unease. She scowled as those damned smiles and laughs came back to her mind, and her magic rippled in anguish in her mane and tail. "I do not," she declared, "wish to speak on that matter."

"I'm sorry..." Twilight muttered, her eyes once again resting on Nightmare Moon's chestplate.

Grimacing, Nightmare stroked her wing along Twilight's backbone, brushing her feather through the filly's soft coat. As she stroked her feather along, she followed the indent it left in her student's coat with her eyes. "It is..." she trailed off and snapped her eyes back onto Twilight's eyes. "You are forgiven," she stated. She slid her wing over Twilight's back and pulled her student to her side. Twilight leaned into the hug, resting against her, then after a few seconds, leaned away. She slid her wing over Twilight's back again, then folded it against her body. Twilight took a small step back to where she had stood before and glanced over at the ponies who watched. "Ignore them," Nightmare commented. "I would not allow them to harm you."

Twilight glanced back at her without facing her. After a few seconds, Twilight's head drifted back until her muzzle pointed straight ahead. Carefully and quietly, Twilight drawled, "I know..."

A few seconds passed in shared silence, then Nightmare looked away and walked forward again. Twilight lingered behind for a moment, then strode forward and fell in step with her, walking at her right side. Walking on in silence, Nightmare found her gaze drawn to the ponies along the sides of the streets, rather than the stars above. More ponies walked about than she recalled seeing out before.

They were out in her night, they were free to see the same beauty she saw, but yet their heads were not lifted up unto the stars and the moon, but rather focused on her student and herself, or other ponies, or the path they walked.

The sight left her conflicted. Ponies were out in her night, but yet they did not look at the stars and see the same wonder she did. They did not love her. 'And they will never love me...' came to her mind. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and for the briefest moment, her head twitched down. Her eyes fell on the street.

She was Queen and Empress! Looking down was beneath her, yet she did not feel the need to lift her gaze. She felt her ears starting to pull back and corrected the problem. Steeling her resolve, she inhaled and lifted her head back up. She would not let them make a mockery of her. She lifted her gaze once more to the stars overhead.

And oh, how she wished that damned mockery of a moon wasn't there to ruin it all!

How she wished to simply gaze at the stars with her student at her side, free from the moon's blight overshadowing her.

"Um," Twilight mumbled delicately, "are you okay?"

Nightmare's eyes snapped back down on the filly, who looked at her with an expression that she nearly shared: ears held halfway back. The sight caught her off-guard, and her response was pushed back by hesitance. Her lips pulled into a thin line. The hesitance lingered seconds too long. She blinked, then turned away from her student, casting her eyes left and right to look over the minuscule crowd of ponies walking around, then she turned back to Twilight. "I am... merely thinking," she answered quietly.

Twilight's brow creased, though the filly's ears lifted back up. For a moment, Twilight looked away from her and studied the streets as if searching for something she had missed, then Twilight looked back at her and asked, "There are ponies out now?"

Nightmare nodded and turned away from her. "Yes," she acknowledged. "There are."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Twilight questioned.

And Nightmare Moon grimaced at that. "It is," she answered, "and yet it is not." With that said, she went silent and listened to the quiet clicking of their hooves and the hooves of other ponies, and nothing else broke the silence.

For a long while, Twilight said nothing. They walked on through the moonlit streets of Canterlot, making their way back to the palace. Ponies meandered about in the subdued light rather than locking themselves away, but it did not fill her with the joy she sought. It didn't give her peace as her dreams did. It didn't leave her feeling free.

She found her gaze torn between the sky, Twilight, and the ponies and buildings she passed. Houses and shops and restaurants were all well kept, with some of them having light flooding out into the street, causing ponies standing in the light or passing by to cast long shadows that nearly stretched to her or her student. But not all of them were. More were darkened than lit, and the ones that were lit weren't lit bright, rather dimly by magelights. While none of the buildings were in disrepair, possibly because to let such a thing happen would be a blight on the entire city, many of the stores and restaurants had signs reading 'Closed' or 'For Sale.' Some darkened windows were even boarded up.

And it brought her to feel a discomfort in her chest: seeing the effects of her return, of her permanent night, of ponies' stupidity and fear. That they did not go out and live in her night, that they refused to spend their bits. It was bad for the economy, and because of ponies' foalish fear, more ponies suffered, and because more ponies suffered, even more ponies suffered.

It was a cycle that fed on itself. A cycle that made her scowl in disgust. A cycle that was not her fault, and a cycle that would hurt Equestria and make it that much harder for her to outshine her sister. If it continued, she would have to take action of some kind.

Yet as they walked on in silence and drew closer to the castle, the buildings grew more extravagant and the rundown businesses grew less frequent. Mansions cast luminous glows into the night that outshined the stores and restaurants and homes, making her squint as she walked by. Ponies started to wear dresses and suits and kept their heads held high, as if to spite or mock her with their indifference, until she passed them by and they realized it was her, and then she saw the looks of fear that shattered their foalish self-righteousness.

And then as they drew even closer to the castle, the number of ponies dwindled as they feared to venture into the streets so close to her castle. Ponies walked along ridigly and tense, even before they spotted her, and when they did spot her, they changed direction to avoid crossing paths with her, sometimes going so far as to turn around and walk back where they came from.

She sucked in a deep breath as annoyance ate at her mind. But there wasn't a single damned thing she could do about it. Nothing would change how they looked at her. So she turned to look at Twilight, who wore a discomforted, perhaps almost sad frown as she slowly looked around and took in her home city and the ponies who lived there.

And the silence between them felt heavy, as few ponies talked to each other, and those that did, talked in quiet whispers to try to avoid being overheard.

Only once they climbed the stairs to the palace and walked through the gates did Twilight finally say, "I know this is probably silly..."

With the silence finally broken, Nightmare turned to face her student. "As I have said, if there is something you desire to talk about, I will listen."

Twilight nodded rigidly, wearing an anxious half-smile, half-grimace. "I... know we've not exactly been on the, uh, best of terms-"

"It is fine," Nightmare dismissed, turning her head back towards the castle. "I will not hold it against you; you are forgiven. As I have said, the blame does not rest solely on you."

"Right," Twilight mumbled. A few more steps passed in silence. Twilight inhaled, then reluctantly offered, "But... would... you maybe... want... to be friends?" Her student squeaked at the end.

Nightmare stopped. 'Would you want to be friends?' echoed in her mind, and her mind was torn asunder by the question. Undeniably, she wanted to grab onto that. To have somepony she could call friend, and it was her own student! Oh, how the thought brought her to reminisce on the peace those dreams where she could call Twilight 'friend' gave her! Undeniably, she wanted to just laugh at the sheer absurdity of the thought! To call a filly her friend! Somepony who would always be so young compared to her! Somepony who had been Sister's student! Somepony who could be her undoing!

Somepony who she was obsessed with. Perhaps the only pony she shared any form of a bond with. A pony who was capable of so much more than she knew; a pony destined to do great things.

A pony she was too fond of, but that didn't matter. She was Queen, and she could be as fond of somepony as she wanted.

Nightmare still squirmed where she stood. 'This... is sudden,' came to mind. They had been growing closer, but yet Twilight still surely felt some form of fear towards her. 'You're just going to kill me,' she remembered Twilight saying, and it stung at her core. For her student to not only think that but also know that not so long ago, and simply turn around and ask for friendship?

It had to be some kind of lie! There had to be something hidden in it!

But it was Twilight, and such was not in her nature.

Nightmare licked her lips and gradually turned her head to the right until her gaze fell on Twilight. "I would..." she voiced, mulling over the words she would say. "I would not be opposed to your companionship," she answered, "though..." she trailed off and looked back at the castle, her brow creasing. "Though I am, shall we say, hesitant, given..." She didn't know how to word it. That damned unease left her not knowing how to continue that Twilight so often gave her. She turned her body to face the filly and studied her expression: hopeful, but nervous, perhaps even worried. Twilight chewed on her lip and kept shifting back and forth on her hooves while waiting for her answer.

'This is wasting time,' her mind groaned out, and a grumbled growl escaped her throat. "Given that you were convinced I was going to kill you," she voiced.

Twilight cringed and looked away from her. "Ah... well, uh..." she stuttered. A few seconds passed as Twilight's ears pinned back, pressing down on her mane. "I'm sorry. I wasn't quite thinking right and-"

"It is fine," Nightmare countered. Looking back around, even if there were few guards around, she still felt exposed. "Perhaps we should speak in private?"

Twilight waited a few seconds, then nodded.

Nightmare lit her horn, then in a flash of magic, teleported the two of them to her chambers. Twilight jerked slightly, then blinked a few times before turning to face her. Before her student could say anything, she said, "You were convinced that I was going to kill you and your friends." She inhaled and extended her wing to brush a feather down Twilight's mane. "And this is not Discord's fault."

Twilight's ears drooped, and almost immediately, Twilight slumped and sat down on her haunches. Nightmare felt her own ears twitch back ever so slightly. Looking down at the floor and refusing to look at Nightmare, Twilight nodded and mumbled, "Yeah. I was..."

Nightmare sat down on her haunches and slid her wing around Twilight's back, then pulled on the filly's body. For a moment, Twilight resisted, then with a sigh, she relented, and Nightmare pulled her close. Almost instinctively, Twilight turned her head to the left and rested her head on Nightmare's shoulder.

"I was... scared," Twilight admitted. "And, well, Discord... kept saying exactly what I was afraid of and- and..." She sucked in a breath.

Nightmare felt Twilight swallow. "I will not hurt you," she reaffirmed, pressing Twilight more firmly against her chestplate and once again wishing it wasn't there. "And I would welcome your friendship."

"I've... thought about it a lot," Twilight mumbled. "Being, uh, friends. With you."

'Truly?' Nightmare wondered, though kept it to herself. She felt Twilight breathe in, then exhale.

"I just... I was afraid. I didn't trust you," Twilight admitted.

Reluctantly, Nightmare nodded in agreement. 'That much was obvious.' "What changed?"

"You... promised not to. And... well, using the Elements, I guess," Twilight answered. "I don't feel... as... scared now? I feel more comfortable around you."

"I see," Nightmare replied. "And do you trust me?"

Twilight shifted against Nightmare's chestplate, and Nightmare let up on the hug, but rather than pull back, Twilight remained in place. Cautiously, Twilight answered, "I think so..." Her student paused for a moment, then clarified, "I... know you're not going to hurt me, and I know you'd... keep me safe..."

Nightmare smiled. "Of course," she put in, then with her smile growing more, she added, "I care about you, as you are my student, and..." As insane and frivolous and banal as it was, it was welcome: "My friend."

Calling Twilight 'friend' was certainly pleasant. There was something calming about the thought that helped cast away the disappointment that everypony hated her because there was at least one pony who did not.

Twilight lifted her forelegs, wrapped them around Nightmare Moon and returned the hug. Nightmare felt assured that Twilight was smiling, even if she couldn't see her face.

Author's Note

I believe this is one of my favorite chapters to have written.

There is some symbolism in this chapter. One paragraph in particular. Can you find it?

Help

Queen Nightmare Moon Saves Foal From Fiery Fate!

Holding that damned newspaper in front of her with her magic left Nightmare Moon feeling the same detachment that it had before. 'How? Why?' her mind demanded, unable to comprehend any form of sense in the article.

How could it have made any sense!? Ponies hated and despised her! Ponies refused to love and respect her! They would seek out whatever they could and use it as reason to hate her, regardless of whatever she did! Centuries had taught her that bitter lesson! Centuries had pressed that lesson in, rubbed it into her wounds, ground it into her bones, and infused it into her soul.

'Ponies will never love me,' she knew. 'They will find any reason, or if need be, make up their own reasons to hate me!' And Sister would help them if they needed the help.

But the newspaper left her feeling a cold twist in her chest, a churning, bubbling sensation in her gut. 'Why does this article exist!?' her mind begged, but there was no answer for her. Like so much else since her return, it made no sense.

Not a thing in the article was presented to put her in a negative light. No loaded words or phrasing, nothing subversive, nothing to put the blame of it all on her shoulders. Oh, she had tried to find that minuscule thread of disrespect that had to be there. She had read it again and again, digested each and every word until she couldn't stand to keep looking through the article.

It felt wrong. It felt wrong to the point that it reminded her of Sister. Of how Sister had just given up, rather than fighting her. Of how Sister had denied her revenge. It felt empty, and she felt hollow for it.

And she wasn't sure how to feel.

The article was positive: she saved the life of a filly. The journalist had even interviewed the mother, and the mother had nothing but praise and gratitude for her. No spite, no condemnation, and it seemed that somehow, the journalist felt the same way. The mother, the filly, and the journalist didn't hate her. At least not entirely, but she was certain it would pass.

She found her head shaking as the newspaper drifted lower and lower, then folded up. She swallowed and levitated the paper back onto her desk, setting it down with the picture in view. For a few seconds, she stared down at the front-page and her mind was silent. She held her breath, then flicked her gaze onto the wall.

'I am wasting time,' cut through the madness. She sucked in a breath, then turned around. She walked to the door, only to find her hooves carrying her into her bedchambers. At that, she grimaced, though the grimace faded as she turned and headed to the balcony.

She slowed to a stop as she approached the open door. Staring out into the moonless night, she found peace: no moon there to haunt her with the reminder of all her sister had taken from her. No moon out there to mock her with its imperfection. No cacophony of screams or laughter.

Just silence.

In the sky, the stars were still: pinpricks of light that neither blinked nor shimmered nor twinkled. They were a constant for her.

Always there, and yet so very distant.

'And you want to... no, you said that we are friends,' drifted through her mind.

The silence was peaceful and calm. It was a welcome comfort. The peaceful, moonless night was so different from those hundreds of thousands of days and nights she had spent trapped on the moon. Yet something was still missing: companionship. Her student was not there with her. Her friend was not at her side.

Her hooves once again carried her forward, and as she slipped out onto the balcony, the slight chill carried by the wind washed over her coat. She stopped at the railing, and her head drifted to the right until it settled on Twilight's tower. Once again, she stared at it, trying to peer through the marble to gaze upon her student's sleeping form, but it wasn't to be.

Her head drifted back, and her eyes flowed onto her side, then rested on her wing. For a few seconds, she just watched herself, then she lifted her wing, letting the air flow over and in between her feathers, letting the night's chill embrace her. And as her head drifted back towards Twilight's tower, the thought, 'It does not have the same appeal to it as it once did,' mumbled in her mind.

It simply couldn't compare to Twilight's warmth, and even attempting to compare the two was insane.

She snorted and shook her head. 'I am far too fond of you...' she knew. But how could she not have been obsessed with the filly? Her only student! Her only friend. Already, they shared something more than she had shared with any of those comrades in arms she had called 'friend.'

She nodded to herself. "I," she declared unto the night, "am going insane." Looking down at the courtyard below, she mumbled, "Though this is hardly the first time."

But it wasn't worth contemplating. Not now. Instead, her thoughts drifted back to the coming moonrise, and the night that it would bring. In response, she grimaced.

Oh, there were things to look forward to! Just not everything. She could look forward to teaching Twilight, and even thinking about that idea, of finally imparting her knowledge on the filly, of finally helping her strive for her true potential, left her anxious! For she could hardly wait to see what all her student could do and would be able to do in time. And a part of her mind continued to wonder, churning over her student's potential and destiny, knowing that she was yet incomplete.

But mostly, she was dreading the matter of discussing what had happened with other nations. Namely, the minotaurs.

Her grimace deepened into a scowl. "This will be most unpleasant."

Twilight inhaled deeply. Eyes still closed, she knew she wasn't alone. She was being watched, but it didn't provoke the normal fear. No, she wasn't being watched or stalked by a predator, nor were dozens if not hundreds of eyes staring at her, but rather, it was something more peculiar. She couldn't quite place it, and it left her uncomfortable, but not afraid.

Of course, it wasn't enough to make her want to wake up yet, either. Nope. Not at all. She let out a sigh and tried to block out the feeling, trying instead to focus on the warmth and softness of her bed, trying to let it lull her back to a peaceful, rejuvenating sleep. It almost worked, too. The feeling of being watched lingered, though what finally broke the lulling spell of her bed was feeling Nightmare Moon's magic.

She didn't jerk, but for a brief instant, it startled her. She blinked open her eyes and stared out the window into the night sky. She could see the edge of the moon creeping above the horizon, and after a few seconds, it finally clicked in her tired mind: 'You're raising the moon.'

"You are awake?" Nightmare asked. The non-threatening, familiar casual tone of her mentor's voice made her smile; the voice made no demand of her. The tone Nightmare used only with her, one of patience and understanding that was void with anypony else. Something Twilight couldn't fully understand.

"Now, yes," Twilight mumbled. She closed her eyes, sighed in defeat, then rolled over onto her back. 'I guess there's no use in trying to go back to sleep now.' She opened her eyes and lifted her head up to look at her mentor. "Oh."

Midnight waved her forehoof at her, wearing a bright smile. A very, very bright smile. One that made her uncomfortable. And Nightmare Moon was looking out the window, rather than at her. The two of them stood close together, though Midnight was still farther from Nightmare's side than she normally stood; that spot between the two of them was reserved for her.

"Good morning, Twilight!" Midnight greeted in her usual carefree voice.

It was far, far too early for that tone. How could anypony have been so happy this early!? Except for Pinkie Pie, who was always happy.

'Well, I suppose that explains why it didn't feel like Nightmare was watching me,' her mind commented. She pursed her lips, then frowned at the thought. For a few seconds, she contemplated how it would feel to wake up with Nightmare Moon watching her. 'It wouldn't be the same. She doesn't make me as uncomfortable as she used to,' she knew. Granted, the thought still made her uncomfortable, though it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been. It was, while unnerving, tolerable.

'I might prefer Nightmare Moon watching me to Midnight...'

Midnight continued to smile oh-so cheerfully at her. She continued to stare back at the batpony.

It was just a bit creepy, was all. And it was too early.

Midnight didn't seem to mind, of course. She wasn't the one waking up to being watched.

"Uh..." Twilight mumbled out. 'What am I supposed to ask, exactly?' She wasn't sure. It was just too early. Her head drifted back to the right before settling on Nightmare Moon, then she asked, "Is there a reason you're both here?"

Nightmare turned to face her. "I simply desired to speak with Midnight, so I had her accompany me here," was her teacher's dismissive explanation. Then, with a hint of a pleasant smile gracing Nightmare's lips, her mentor requested, "Join me for a meal?"

"Sure," Twilight answered. She yawned and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Can I, uh, shower first?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Of course. I..." her teacher trailed off as a grimace crossed her lips, and her head drifted to the left until she looked out the window. "I must speak with delegations from the minotaurs, zebra, and deer today. I am-" Nightmare looked back at her, "-not looking forward to it. I would... appreciate your company."

Twilight winced. Keeping her teacher company wouldn't be that bad, but really, she had no business being there for any form of official diplomatic meetings! She was a filly! And Nightmare Moon was, of course, the Queen. Then again, she was Nightmare Moon's student. That didn't stop her from answering, "Ah... I'm not sure I should be there."

Curiously, Nightmare tilted her head to the side and asked, "Pray tell?"

Twilight fidgeted and use her magic to pull the bedsheets off. "I'm... me. I'm a filly. I'm... well, I'm not..." she trailed off as she slid off the bed and stood on the floor. "I'm not qualified for this," she summarized.

Nightmare leveled her head. "Perhaps this is the case, yet you accompanied me to speak with King Aspen."

Twilight sucked her lip into her mouth and gently bit down on it as the psychotic laugh echoed in her mind. Nightmare saw that, and she thought she saw Nightmare squint at her for the briefest of moments. She was almost convinced that Nightmare's ears flicked as well, but surely they hadn't.

Then again, they were supposed to be friends, and so the thought, 'You remember how uncomfortable you made me, don't you?' whispered through her mind. So then there was a chance Nightmare remembered as well, and perhaps Nightmare even regretted it. She released her lip. 'Maybe we still need to talk about that?' But she wasn't sure. Maybe there was a book she could read that would help her figure out what exactly she needed to do, or if they needed to talk. "Uh, well, yes," she admitted. She took a step forward, smiled, and declared, "But! I'm a filly. I'm not qualified to negotiate with-"

"You are my student," Nightmare countered, methodically tilting her head in such a way that emphasized how obvious said point was. Nightmare turned to the right to face her and continued, "And you will not be negotiating. Just... there."

Raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the left, Twilight mumbled, "To keep you company?"

"Ah... that is one reason, yes," Nightmare admitted. "Though it will be good for you to be there as well. I believe the experience would be beneficial for you, and as you are the one who defeated Discord-"

"My friends helped!" Twilight put in, folding her ears and scowling. "I didn't do it on my own." 'And I couldn't do it on my own...'

"I am aware of that, but you are my student, and you bear Magic," Nightmare dismissed. "The experience would be good for you," Nightmare repeated with a nod, "and I believe it would be wise for you to be there since-" Nightmare squinted at her, "-you are one of the six who defeated Discord."

Twilight smiled at Nightmare, and Nightmare's squint faded.

Slowly shaking her head, Nightmare continued, "Your company would make it much more pleasant. Or at the very least, tolerable." Twilight frowned as Nightmare bit her lip, tossed her head to the side and took a step towards her. "And... I did not handle meeting with them well last time..." Her teacher's eyes snapped onto her own. "I am... shall we say, hoping you can... keep me in check, as it were."

Twilight frowned. "I don't mind keeping you company, and... maybe it would be a good experience for me, but, uh, I'm pretty sure I couldn't stop you from-"

"You underestimate yourself," Nightmare cut in. The next second dragged on as the two of them stared at each other in silence. "I would welcome your advice, as usual." Breaking eye contact, Nightmare turned her head away from Twilight and gazed out the window. "I... tend to hold myself in check better when you are present," was mumbled.

'You do, don't you?' Twilight watched her teacher as her mind drifted back to Manehattan. Maybe, just maybe, her being there was why things didn't end badly. 'Why?' she wondered, though kept the question to herself. The most likely answer that her mind settled on was, 'We're friends. You want ponies to like you. I'm your student...' She nodded. "Okay." She looked at Midnight, then looked back at Nightmare. "Well, I'm going to go shower and then I'll be ready, I guess. You can wait here if you want. It shouldn't take long."

Nightmare inclined her head. "I shall await your return, then," her teacher replied, turning back towards the door, then walking out of the room, accompanied by Midnight. "May I look through your library?"

"Sure?" Twilight replied.

"Thank you," Nightmare called back as she turned to the right and disappeared behind the wall.

Twilight stood there for a few seconds after her teacher left her field of view. Shaking her head, she walked to the bathroom, closed the door with her magic, and started a shower. She stepped under the stream of hot water and let the warmth roll down her body. She closed her eyes and relaxed under the lulling warmth, but her mind kept thinking back on Nightmare Moon.

'We're friends. I'm friends with Nightmare Moon.'

Just stopping to think about that, it was entirely insane. She had assuredly gone crazy, but she already knew that. Given everything that had happened since Nightmare Moon returned? Well, it was pretty much a given that retaining her sanity was out of the question.

And yet, she felt better for it. Not for losing her sanity, of course, but the thought, 'I'm friends with Nightmare Moon,' gave her a little flicker of joy, confidence, and assurance deep inside her core. She felt more in control because of it. It helped banish those clouds of doubt and anxiety: Nightmare Moon had a friend now. Something Nightmare Moon might not have truly had before. Oh, it was exciting! Maybe even more exciting than having five other friends!

And it was her. Twilight Sparkle. Assuredly, she had lost her sanity at some point along the way. 'Friends...' whispered in her mind, but that part of her that wanted to scream and rage against the idea before was now silent. In its place, she felt a deep-seated calmness that brought her to remember the feeling of sharing the Elements with them all.

She felt happy.

Besides, being friends with Nightmare Moon was something special. She could call Princess Celestia's sister her friend; she could call her teacher friend. It was special, and she knew it meant something to Nightmare. 'How much does it mean to you?' she wondered. A moment later, she heard Nightmare's voice in her mind, repeating, 'I would appreciate your company.'

She levitated a bottled of shampoo over, then stepped out of the stream of water and poured soap out over her body and worked into her mane, coat, and tail before stepping back into the spray to wash the suds off.

She felt reassured, and yet, some small part of her was still uncomfortable and worried. She mostly silenced the dissent, but yet it still whispered in her mind, 'She banished her own sister. How much can a friend mean to her if she was willing to do that to family?'

She still knew, 'Princess Celestia banished her first for a thousand years,' and it fought back that dissent. Neither of them were perfect; they were both, somehow, still ponies, just like her.

She sighed and blew little droplets of water off her lips. 'You need to forgive your sister. You're not happy...' occurred to her, and she grimaced. "Almost every time you look at the moon," she whispered, "you're unhappy." A frown wormed its way onto her lips, and her ears pressed back against her soaked mane.

And before Nightmare Moon's banishment, the moon had been so pure. Pristine white, unblemished. That was how the moon was supposed to look. That had been Luna's moon.

Nightmare Moon's moon was but a shadow of its former glory.

She sat down on her haunches and turned off the water. Her eyes drifted down the wall, then to the floor, then finally drifted onto the crescent moon that hung from her neck, resting so peacefully on her chest. In all honesty, she felt that the necklace was nice. It was comforting. Not a leash, but a link between the two of them: Nightmare was just a whisper away, ready to come to her aid. She had just looked at it the wrong way before.

She stood back up, inhaled, and stepped out of the shower. Using her magic, she warmed her coat and dried the water from her fur, mane, and tail, then set walked in front of the mirror. Her eyes lingered on the reflection of her necklace as it swayed back and forth, brushing against her coat, then her gaze jumped to her mane and she scowled.

She levitated a brush over and started working it through her mane while she brushed her teeth. When she finished with her mane, she hastily brushed her tail, then finished up and walked back into her bedroom.

Her eyes twitched to the moon. She could see the barest hint of the Mare on the Moon, and it made her stand still and stare. 'I'm friends with the pony that banished you.'

Guilt welled up inside her, leaving her squirming as her eyes fell to the floor. Her lips wrinkled in a cringe as she felt like Princess Celestia was staring at her from her prison, begging and pleading for help that she couldn't give. 'I wish you two could get along,' she thought, and her wrinkled lips pulled into a whisper of a smile.

It was a thought that, though it would never happen, sounded almost perfect. For both of her mentors to be free so that she could learn from them both, for Nightmare Moon to be free from that disappointment and bitterness, for the feeling of the sun warming her back to return. For them to get along and for Equestria to be better off.

She longed for it, but it wasn't to be.

Her eyes drifted back to the moon. 'Maybe,' she thought, 'there's a way to...' The Elements could do it. They could bring back Princess Celestia. She was sure of it. But as she pondered the thought, her ears folded back against her mane. To bring back Princess Celestia was to betray Nightmare Moon. All it would do was trade one for the other. And it was wrong. Even if she was given the opportunity to, it was wrong. Even if Nightmare Moon wouldn't turn on her, it was wrong; she would have been betraying Nightmare trust. Hurting somepony who had already been hurt.

Nightmare Moon banishing Princess Celestia was wrong, but so was betraying Nightmare Moon to bring back Princess Celestia.

'My friends would say I'm insane for thinking that,' came to mind, and she shook her head as a smile wormed its way onto her lips.

It really was silly.

'You think Princess Celestia betrayed you. I don't want to betray you like you think she did. I don't want to lose your friendship.'

But maybe there was still some thread of hope. Maybe there was still some way it could happen. Bringing them back together, reuniting the two sisters, healing that shattered bond between them.

Perhaps that's what Princess Celestia had intended for her to do.

Perhaps that's what would still happen.

Twilight stood back up and shook her head, casting the silly thoughts aside. She turned away from the moon and walked out of her bedroom. She stopped at the railing and looked down into her library. Nightmare stood facing a bookshelf with her back turned to her student, an opened book hovering in front of her. She watched her mentor for a few seconds as Nightmare turned a page and skimmed it, then put the book back in its proper place.

That gave her a smile, if only becasue it meant Nightmare had better library manners than some ponies she knew. Namely Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Twilight looked to the right and found Midnight casually standing at the far side of the door, wearing her usual less-than-serious expression where her tongue dipped out of her lips. 'Batponies would know more about Luna... I should ask Midnight about Luna,' she thought. Since she hadn't found mention of Luna in any history books, there was the chance that Princess Celestia had, as Nightmare was convinced, entirely erased evidence of her existence. 'But the batponies would know,' she knew, for the batponies remembered. 'Maybe they even have books about her!' she hoped.

But yet that was still a far cry from the best source to learn about Luna. She looked back at Nightmare Moon. At Luna.

"If you are ready," Nightmare called as she looked back at Twilight. "We should not linger. I do not wish to keep them waiting, and I would prefer adequate time to enjoy breakfast."

Twilight forced a smile as she turned to the right, then started down the stairs. "Right," she mumbled. 'Still going to have to be there for that...'

As she walked to the door, Nightmare walked over to her and offered, "I am certain it will be fine."

Diplomacy, Twilight had thought, was the skillful art of negotiating between two or more parties, where the desired outcomes of at least two parties were mutually exclusive, to the stated goal of coming up with a compromise where all parties were happy.

Oh, how naive she had been.

Maybe it was having been sheltered from it by Princess Celestia- and really, she had no experience with diplomacy; she was just a foal, just a student, so of course she had not been present during Princess Celestia negotiating anything- and maybe it was how books she had read tended to gloss over specific parts, but this had not been what she expected.

No. Diplomacy, Twilight had discovered, was the art of at least one party making a list of demands, where the desired outcomes of at least two parties were fundamentally opposed, to the point that none of the parties would reconcile and all parties would leave frustrated and unhappy.

"Your list of demands is absurd!" Nightmare snapped. And simply from the tone of Nightmare's voice, she knew her teacher thought the Minotaur was insane. It was the sort of tone of disbelief that would herald in laughter when somepony couldn't take something seriously.

The laughter, of course, didn't come.

She risked a glance at Nightmare, found her leaning her head forward, eyes wide with a glint of insanity. Insanity that, if she was being honest, could understand.

"Equestria will not capitulate to extortion!" Nightmare declared.

The minotaur 'diplomat-' Steel Bar- slammed his fists into the table with a solid thud! that cracked the wooden table. "Your return is directly responsible for the situation we're in!" he shouted.

Her ears folded back and she bit her lip. Watching the minotaur, who stood taller than Nightmare Moon, who was already in her own right intimidating, was even more intimidating. The minotaur looked as if he could rip a pony in half, and if he couldn't do it on his own, then his two guards helping him would surely succeed.

"Raising our voices will only-" the zebra tried to speak up, but, of course, her mentor cut in.

"You cannot lay blame for this at my hooves! I am not responsible for these-"

Raising his voice above even that of Nightmare Moon's, Steel Bar shouted, "Your eternal night is directly responsible for this! Dragons, rocs, bandits, and other monsters raid our settlements! Equestrian weather may be fine, but do you have any idea how the lack of day is affecting our weather!? Do you have ANY idea how this is affecting our crops!?" He snorted, then mocked, "You make the excuse that we can trade with Equestria for crops or the zebras for potions to overcome this, but that doesn't change the fact that Equestria profits from our destruction! And you call our demands extortion!"

She tried to block out the anger in both of their voices, tried to block out how she should not have been there. Tried to block out how badly she knew this was going to end. It was just escalation after escalation. This was not diplomacy. This was two parties doing their best to make the other snap.

The worst part was that both parties were skilled at that art.

Steel Bar leaned over the table, glaring at Nightmare Moon with the same hated intent that burned in Nightmare Moon's eyes.

While she glanced at her teacher, she purposefully avoided looking at Nightmare's eyes. Yet the result was the same, Nightmare's chest rose and fell as if she was hyperventilating from anger. And she had to wonder if that was Steel Bar's goal: Make Nightmare Moon make a fool of herself by losing control, because it was close.

She had half the mind to do nothing. Paralysis, fear that Nightmare would lash out at her if she did something. Twilight swallowed back the fear.

"Do not pretend to-!"

She brushed her forehoof against Nightmare's foreleg. Nightmare stopped, then glanced at her. She took a risk and met her teacher's gaze for a moment, gradually inclining her head ever so slightly. 'Please stop...' she silently pleaded.

And for a moment, she watched something pass through Nightmare's eyes. The alicorn growled in frustration, then turned back to Steel Bar. "What you ask is unacceptable."

And it came without the rising anger from before. Calmer and more collected. More rational.

Steel Bar gradually pushed himself away from the table and stood up at his full height. "So you say, but that doesn't change any of the facts about your return, nor does it ease any of our problems."

"Those facts are not my problem," Nightmare stated. "You will not extort Equestria. Your bandits are not my concern, so long as they ignore Equestria. The blame is not mine. If you wish to blame anypony, then blame my dear sister for her transgressions."

"She's not here, though, is she?" Steel Bar mocked.

Twilight watched Nightmare's lips twitch apart, baring her teeth, but her teacher didn't lash out. The minotaur, she decided, was not very bright.

"Perhaps we should tone things down," the zebra offered in a calm voice. "We are not gathered here to levy blame, rather to discuss the aftermath of Discord's reign."

Steel Bar snorted, then folded his arms over his chest as he turned to face the zebra. "Which again, I will remind you, is directly because of Nightmare Moon."

"You cannot lay his actions-!"

Steel Bar turned to face Nightmare and defiantly declared, "Not his actions. His return. Would he have broken free if rioting had not happened in Manehattan? Rioting that was a result of your return."

Nightmare clenched her jaw shut. Twilight saw the alicorn's wings twitching at her sides. A few seconds passed. Nightmare contemplated her answer, then declared, "We dealt with him."

Steel Bar looked away in disgust.

"Do not underestimate magic. Pony or deer," King Aspen stated.

"Yes," Steel Bar said, rolled his head to turn back to face Nightmare Moon. "A filly and five mares, wielding powerful magic to stop the Lord of Chaos."

"Do not," Nightmare warned, "insult my student."

The zebra looked at her and nodded. "Her magic is potent and her potential immense."

And she watched the zebra watching her, saw the glint of something passing through her eyes, wondering, 'What do you know that I don't?'

Steel Bar let out a series of grunts and huffs. "Then give me something to work with. Your return is causing more problems than we've faced since the Minotaur Republic broke away. The Emperor is pissed. He's questioning whether we should even continue exporting coal and steel to Equestria at this rate! And our navy is already stretched thin, so if our trade ships were raided, we wouldn't be able to protect all of them!"

Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled. "If dragons raid your trade ships, then I will deal with them. If the dragons become too much of a problem raiding your settlements, then I will deal with them."

In Steel Bar's eyes, Twilight saw some form of reluctant acceptance: he neither liked it nor was he happy, but it was better than nothing.

"And what about our weather? What about bandits and other monsters? What about our crops?" Steel Bar asked.

"I can do nothing for that," Nightmare Moon stated, lifting her muzzle a little higher.

'No, you can, but you won't,' Twilight knew. Because it would have been simple for Nightmare Moon to fix it: just bring back Princess Celestia. But that wouldn't happen. 'If the minotaurs threatened war, would you try to appease them?' she wondered. Nightmare had said war wasn't good, and of course, nopony would disagree with that. But to what extent would Nightmare cave to stop a war?

Steel Bar had something to say, but he didn't say it. If she had to guess, he considered bringing up that Nightmare Moon could bring back Princess Celestia.

And oh, how she wished she was anywhere else.

Crack! The blinding flash of light faded and Twilight opened her eyes.

The next sound she heard was Nightmare letting out a groan. "I," Nightmare declared with an emphasized nod, "have forgotten how pointless diplomacy can be."

Twilight frowned at her teacher as the alicorn walked over to her desk. "How can you call it pointless?"

Nightmare paused and looked back at her with a flat expression. "Diplomacy was always Sister's realm. Not. Mine," was the mumbled answer. Nightmare closed her eyes, inhaled as she turned back to face the desk, then sighed. More happily, if it could be called that, Nightmare quickly added, "Though I do appreciate your company. That was... far more tolerable than last time."

Walking over to her teacher's side, Twilight asked, "Was last time that bad?"

Facing her with a completely serious look, Nightmare flatly answered, "Last time I wanted to kill that zebra by the time it ended."

Twilight stopped. "Oh."

Nightmare shook her head and turned to face Twilight. "Obviously I did not," she muttered before tilting her head. "Though the urge was there," her teacher added thoughtfully.

"Uh, I'm glad you didn't?" Twilight asked, wincing.

Nightmare's head drifted lower, and her eyes fell onto the floor. "It was worse than that but..." was the barely audible mumble. Then looking back up at her, Nightmare continued, "But enough of this. The meeting is over, so we can put that behind us."

Twilight leaned to the right, then walked the rest of the distance to her mentor. Reluctantly, she lifted her right forehoof, then paused. She studied Nightmare where she stood and wondered, 'How is the best way to do this?' Her hesitation, however, resulted in Nightmare sitting down on her haunches and giving a strained smile.

Twilight wrapped her foreleg around Nightmare's back, then pulled herself close so that her chest was pushed up against Nightmare's armor. The cold, hard metal was unpleasant against her body, but Nightmare needed it. Her teacher returned the hug and from it, Nightmare let out a sigh. Her heart fluttered as she felt Nightmare's feathers run down her back in that oh-so-pleasant stroke, then Nightmare's wings wrapped around her body. She smiled; the feeling was pleasant. Pleasant was an understatement: she felt safe in that embrace, like nothing could possibly hurt her. Nightmare Moon wouldn't allow it.

Gradually, Nightmare leaned down, then rested her head on Twilight's shoulder. "I appreciate this," Nightmare mumbled. "It is..."

Seconds passed by in silence. Twilight laid her head down on Nightmare's shoulder and looked at the wall, waiting for her teacher to finish speaking.

"It is... nice to have a friend," Nightmare finally spoke.

Twilight smiled. "Yeah..." 'Is this what I've been missing out on because of my studies?' she wondered, and with that thought, her smile dimmed. 'My studies are important, but... this is nice.' She let out a sigh. Slowly, the metal armor started to warm from her own heat, and the chill no longer bit into her body, but it still kept them apart.

"I am," Nightmare gradually admitted, "thankful... that we can do this."

A slight frown pulled on Twilight's lips as she lifted her head from Nightmare's shoulder. Nightmare lingered on her shoulder for a few seconds, then lifted her head up. The wings and forelegs stayed in place, holding Twilight close. "Hug?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare bobbed her head and looked at the wall behind Twilight. "Yes, and just... that you are-" Nightmare looked down to meet Twilight's gaze, "-more comfortable around me."

Twilight smiled up at her. "Well, it's nice to not constantly feel like..." she trailed off as Nightmare winced and turned away from her, squirming in agitation. "Sorry, I didn't-"

Nightmare quickly shook her head and hastily voiced, "It is fine. The fault is my own. I cannot hold that against you." Reluctantly, Nightmare met Twilight's gaze again, then her eyes jumped to Twilight's sheltered back, and her eyes almost glossed over as she stared.

'What are you thinking about?' Twilight wondered as she looked into Nightmare's unfocused eyes. After a few seconds, she laid her head back on Nightmare's shoulder, and then in a few more seconds, Nightmare did the same. "This is nice," she admitted.

"Yes," Nightmare agreed. "Hugs are... pleasant. I... had forgotten just how pleasant they can be."

Twilight snickered a bit. "Yeah... I... didn't think I was missing out on that much by not having friends, but...-" at one point in time, she would have hated to admit this, but now, she could admit it with a happy smile, "-I was wrong."

Nightmare stayed silent.

Twilight's eyes wandered over the wall, then eventually drifted onto the desk. A folded-up newspaper sat in the center. She couldn't make out what it said, but her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw the picture. Frowning, she lifted her head off Nightmare's shoulder and asked, "What's that?"

Nightmare lifted her head up, then looked back. As soon as Nightmare saw the paper, she winced. "It's..." Without finishing, her teacher levitated the paper over and unwrapped herself from Twilight.

Twilight missed the warmth against her back, but the newspaper made her heart race and twist. "They... made an article about that?"

Sitting down at Twilight's left side, Nightmare answered, "They did."

Twilight glanced aside at Nightmare, then lit her horn and wrapped her magic around the newspaper. For a moment, her magic intertwined with Nightmare's, and the feeling left her uneasy. 'So much magic...' Nightmare could have overpowered her own with hardly any effort, and she halfway expected that to happen.

But it didn't. Nightmare's magic withdrew, relinquishing the paper to Twilight's magic. She brought the paper closer and read through the article. Once, then twice. Nightmare stayed silent. Finally turning to face Nightmare, she smiled and declared, "This is great!" She jumped to her hooves.

Nightmare simply turned away from her.

A bit of the smile faded. "Ponies don't hate you! They can read this and-"

Nightmare shook her head. "It will not matter," Nightmare quietly mumbled. Twilight watched Nightmare turn her head to face her, and that look of disappointment and bitterness made her ears wilt. "It does not matter what is said. They will hate me."

Quietly, Twilight offered, "No, they won't... If you'd just try to-"

Nightmare groaned and stood up, once again shaking her head. Her mane and tail coiled in agitation. "You saw how ponies acted in my presence. You have seen their hatred of me!" Nightmare looked back at her. "They hate me. They always have, and they always will."

"I don't hate you. The batponies don't hate you," Twilight offered softly.

Nightmare's lips twisted to a grimace and her head leaned to the left until her face was hidden. Gradually, her teacher's head lowered until she faced the floor. Quietly Nightmare replied, "You are correct."

"I think you can get them to love you like... they love your sister. Or Cadance."

Nightmare snorted and lifted her head back up. When she turned back to Twilight, there was a twisted, bitter smile on her lips. A smile that spoke of betrayal and anger, of loss and something missing. "I do not see how."

"You want that, don't you?" Twilight asked.

"Foalish as it is, yes," Nightmare grumbled. But before Twilight could say anything, she snapped, "But it will not happen. To hope for it is even more insane."

Twilight frowned as her ears pressed against her mane. 'You're hurting.'

Nightmare's anger faded away, and she turned away as a look of disgust wormed its way onto her features. "Let us... not speak of this," she said, her voice still infected with bitterness.

Twilight stepped over to Nightmare and hugged her teacher again. Gradually, Nightmare turned back to face her, then lifted her right wing and laid it over Twilight's back.

"I am sorry," Nightmare apologized. "I... should not snap at you. I know you mean well..."

"It's fine," Twilight whispered. "I know it's a sore spot, but I think-"

A knock on the door cut her off. She shot a scowl at the door, not that it cared. Nightmare's wing disappeared, and she missed the comfort and warmth it gave her. She stepped back, suppressed a sigh, and watched Nightmare turn to face the door. For a moment, Nightmare looked back at her, almost regretfully, then march over to the door before pulling it open. The two Royal Guards facing her went rigid. "What is it?" Nightmare demanded.

The Royal Guard on the right fidgeted. "Ah, there is a... representative of the, well, griffins, here to speak with you, your majesty."

Twilight saw Nightmare's expression blank. A sudden, "What?" was all Nightmare could voice.

The two guards shared an uncertain look before facing Nightmare again. "A griffin has arrived claiming to represent the, uh, Griffin Cities... wishing to speak with you."

A moment passed. "I see..." Nightmare forced out.

Twilight shivered at the tone. The room felt colder.

"And this representative is waiting now?" Nightmare inquired.

"Yes, your Majesty," the guard answered.

Nightmare glanced back at Twilight and bade, "Come," then looked back at the two guards as Twilight walked over to Nightmare's side. "Take us there."

The guard gave a quick nod and then both of them scrambled back while Nightmare and Twilight stepped out into the hallway. As soon as they were out of the room, the guards took the lead, and Twilight walked close beside Nightmare.

Looking aside at Twilight, Nightmare said, "We will deal with this and then get to your lessons."

Twilight grimaced as Nightmare looked away from her and scowled, like the only thing that kept her teacher from scowling was herself. "You don't seem happy about this," Twilight noted.

Nightmare's eyes darted over to her just long enough for her to say, "I am not."

Twilight's grimace fell into a frown. 'You're not disappointed, your upset.' With that thought in mind, she asked, "Is it because it's the griffins?"

"Yes," Nightmare said succinctly.

"You don't like the griffins," Twilight summarized.

Flatly, Nightmare answered, "You are correct."

Twilight winced. "They haven't caused Equestria any problems in centuries!"

"Perhaps so," Nightmare dismissed.

"You can't just hold what the Griffin Empire did so long ago against the griffins now! That was centuries ago!" Twilight retorted. Nightmare tilted her head to look at Twilight. Her teacher's gaze was agitated, yet she could still see that part that was willing to listen to what she had to say. She swallowed and licked her lips, then inhaled before continuing, "Look, I know you dislike the Griffin Empire and... everything that happened because of them-" Nightmare's gaze slipped into a bitter scowl, "-but that's in the past!"

"You are correct," Nightmare stated flatly, once more turning away from Twilight.

Twilight groaned. "Look, we don't even know what they want-"

"Presumably," Nightmare countered, "it is in response to Discord."

Twilight glared at Nightmare and muttered, "Gee, you don't say?"

Without looking at her, Nightmare commented, "I do."

Twilight huffed, and she saw the edge of Nightmare's lips twitch up into a smile. "You did that on purpose."

"I did," Nightmare admitted, her smile still in place. "It is..." Trailing off, Nightmare tilted her head to the side and looked at the ceiling. A few seconds passed in silence as Twilight's frown grew into a scowl. Then Nightmare looked at her and said, "Pleasant to see you react such a way, rather than-" the smile faded, regret took its place, and Nightmare bobbed her head unsurely, "-afraid." A few steps passed in silence as the regret washed away. "It tells me that you are comfortable around me and that we can be more open with one another. I welcome this."

The scowl faded from Twilight's lips and she looked away from her teacher, letting her eyes drift over the passing walls and marble columns. More seconds passed on with only the clicking of their hooves between them, and as those seconds passed, she felt her ears falling back. She would have sworn she felt Nightmare's ears falling back too.

"I did not intend to upset you," Nightmare apologized.

Twilight blinked and turned her head back, only stopping and opening her eyes once she faced her teacher. Nightmare's ears were folded back ever so slightly. Her chest didn't like the position Nightmare's ears were in. She inhaled, then let out a drawn-out sigh. "It's fine," she forced out.

Nightmare's head drifted away from her, though Nightmare's gaze remained locked in place. Reluctance crossed Nightmare's features as she opened her mouth, only to wait a few more seconds before voicing, "It does not sound that way."

"I'm just frustrated," Twilight replied as she turned away from her teacher.

"I can tell," Nightmare mumbled.

"Just give them a chance? You wanted my advice, right? That's my advice. Give them a chance," Twilight remarked. "Going into this meeting already deciding not to help isn't going to help anything. Give it a chance and maybe something good can come of it!"

A few more seconds passed in silence. Twilight's gaze drifted over to her teacher, and she watched the internal argument play out on Nightmare's features. Eventually, Nightmare shook her head and relented, "Fine."

Twilight turned her head to Nightmare and put on a smile. "Thank you!"

Nightmare sent her a glare. Not quite the same cold, predatory glare that went to everypony else and made her shiver, but a glare nonetheless. Twilight's smile wilted under the glare. Nightmare's gaze dropped onto her lips, and then the glare faded. Bitterly, Nightmare looked away from her. "I do not like this," Nightmare stated. "Though," Nightmare forced out as if it was something bitter lodged in her throat, "you make a fair point that I should not hold the sins of the Empire against them now."

"And... I suppose I should not be upset at you for giving your advice," Nightmare added, then swallowed. "Forgive me?"

"Everypony makes mistakes..." Twilight replied as she offered Nightmare a small smile.

Nightmare looked over the smile, then met her gaze. "Thank you." Once more looking away from Twilight, Nightmare drawled, "I do appreciate... that we are friends."

Twilight giggled, and Nightmare stared at her for it. "I can tell," Twilight replied.

Slowly, Nightmare turned away from her again.

As the doors parted down the middle to open, Nightmare found herself staring at the lone griffin. The griffin's amber eyes snapped from her right claw to Nightmare's body. They met each other's gaze and the griffin squirmed where she sat while her large brown wings shifted against her sides.

And for her part, Nightmare Moon was surprised. 'You cannot be much older than my student's friends!' her mind cried out in disbelief as she squinted at the young griffin. 'Perhaps about Cadance's age...'

Nightmare had expected an older griffin, one akin to the griffins she was familiar with: clad in the cold, unpainted steel armor, or at the very least, wearing some form of uniform to mark her prominence. Instead, none of that. The griffin wore nothing, save for her brown coat, white fur on her breast and neck, and white feathers atop her head. Nothing extravagant, no gold nor jewels. A simple young griffin.

Who was supposed to represent the 'Griffin Cities.'

It was disappointing. 'Why? How am I supposed to take this seriously! Is this the best they can send?' Suppressing a growl, she walked into the room with Twilight close at her side. As she approached the table, the griffin stood from her chair at the opposite end. No bowing took place as the griffin approached, though likely because the griffin had no idea what how to act in her presence. As the griffin paced towards her, her cat-like tail flicked back and forth in agitation.

"You are the griffin representative, yes?" Nightmare asked. The griffin stopped in her tracks. Her sharp beak betrayed no emotion, but her eyes told another story as they flicked between her student and everywhere else in the room. Everywhere except her. Nightmare's tail flicked in agitation, cracking like a whip. The griffin looked at her and Twilight winced. 'You are here alone. And you are young. Why?' Yet another thing she could barely understand.

"You said you'd give them a chance," Twilight whispered.

And that was entirely correct. Nightmare would give them a chance, not that she wanted to. But Twilight was right: to hold the Empire's actions against the griffins now was wrong; they did nothing to warrant the Empire's sins falling on them. The same could be said of Cadance and her ponies. Besides, Twilight made another valid point: good could come from it. To ignore that in favor of holding the sins of the Empire against the griffins now was foolish.

But it didn't make it easier. Even if it was a young female griffin, seeing her still brought back memories. She could picture the griffin standing there with a blood-stained beak and blood dripping from her claws. And the room faded away as the memories came back in full force: rushing through forests alongside her soldiers, only for the battlecries of screeching griffins to catch them off-guard. Battles in open fields, where pegasi, batponies, and griffins fell from the sky to their deaths.

The screams of the dying, the clash of metal on metal. The horrors of war; the horrors the griffins inflicted.

Nightmare Moon's forelegs shook and her heart hammered as the memories raced through her mind. She swiped her tongue across her lips. 'This is not then,' she told herself. To react poorly now would not benefit her any. 'The griffins are not a threat, they are disorganized,' she knew. 'But they could be!' still snapped back.

Nightmare refocused herself, took a deep breath, then commanded, "Speak."

The griffin's head jerked back. "Uh, right. Sorry... You're Nightmare Moon, right?" was the griffin's question. Her voice was rough and sharp, yet distinctly feminine in a way that somehow reminded her of Rainbow Dash.

But any reminiscence was pushed aside. "Queen Nightmare Moon, yes," she snapped.

The skin where the griffin's beak met her face flicked back in a wince. "My apologies, Queen Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare dipped her head lower. "And pray tell, you are?"

"Gilda," the griffin answered.

Nightmare tilted her head. "Title?"

A blank look was her answer. "Uh, just Gilda."

Nightmare blinked. "I see. And why are you here?"

Gilda relaxed, then tossed her head back as she related, "Oh, I ended up with the short straw. I went to flight school in Equestria for one summer, so I was one of the candidates for coming here to speak with, uh, you."

'So you are not a diplomat. You are not trained for this,' Nightmare's mind summarized. Her lips pulled into a flat line.

"You went to flight school in Equestria?" Twilight questioned.

Nightmare glanced aside at her student, and Twilight looked genuinely curious and interested. Looking back at Gilda, the griffin ignored her to answer her student, "Yeah. In Cloudsdale several years ago."

"Huh. I knew that some griffins go to Equestrian flight schools but I've never met any before." Sheepishly, Twilight added, "Or, well, any griffins at all." Then as if nothing had changed, Twilight asked, "What was it like?"

Gilda shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Different from Griffin flight schools. Not as focused," was her disinterested answer.

"I suppose that makes sense given the differences between pegasi and griffin magic..." Twilight mused.

Gilda fluffed her wings. "I suppose Equestria is a bit more effective. At least they don't push you off of clouds and shout-" Gilda reared up, made air quotes with her claws as she rolled her eyes, "-'FLY!' with no warning."

"What!?" Twilight shrieked as Gilda went back to all fours. "Griffins do that!?"

Gilda shrugged. "Eh, most of us get used to it, but yeah. They don't particularly care enough, so we're mostly on our own."

Twilight gawked at her. "That's horrible!"

Gilda shrugged in response. "Like I said. You get used to it."

'That is a far cry from what I recall.' How disappointing. 'Another reminder of how long Sister imprisoned me for.' At least before her banishment, things made sense. But surely Gilda was exaggerating. Surely the griffins did not do that to their young! Shaking her head, she asked, "So why have you come to speak with me?"

The skin around Gilda's beak twisted in that odd way that griffins scowled, and the griffin's head leaned to the right. "Help," was her strained, begrudging answer. "After that-" Gilda squinted, "-thing showed up, we pretty much held a vote on what to do." The squint faded, and Gilda turned her head fully to the right to avoid Nightmare's gaze. "In the past, Equestria has helped us under Princess Celestia." Nightmare suppressed a growl. "We were hoping you would be willing to help too."

"I see." Nightmare breathed in, then exhaled sharply. 'So long ago I would have loved to wipe your kind out...' flickered through her mind. 'And helping you? Fie! All those years ago I would not have considered it...' She turned her head to the right and looked at Twilight. The filly stood there calmly, though looking at her with a hopeful, encouraging smile. Not quite a full smile, but a soft, disarming one that left her agitated. 'I am too fond of you...'

Her gaze was drawn into Twilight's eyes, and there really was so much there to look at. Almost mesmerizing, akin to a mind control spell, yet entirely natural. The calming sensation soothed the anguish she felt, and she welcomed it. But there were more important matters to tend to; there was time for her student later. She fought off the draw and turned back to find Gilda's tail impatiently flicking back and forth. "Pray tell, what help is it you seek?"

Gilda sucked in a breath and puffed out her chest, then answer, "To put it bluntly, Griffinstone is a pile of trash. Most griffin cities are for that matter. That thing-"

"Discord," Twilight corrected, drawing a squint from the griffin.

"Discord," Gilda grumbled, "made things worse."

"Yes, I figured as much," Nightmare commented. 'This is a waste of time! I could be teaching Twilight!' her mind snapped. Her tail coiled and flicked; her wings bristled in anticipation. And the griffin just stood there, holding her wings close like a chick. Jerking her head at an angle, she snapped, "Are you going to elaborate further or continue to waste time?"

The griffin's skin around her beak pulled down and her brow creased. "A lot of homes were destroyed, so there are a lot of griffins who are homeless. As it was, our crops aren't fairing well because of the whole-" Gilda rolled her eyes as the phrase slipped out, "-permanent night thing. Although I suppose it's not that much worse than what it was before..."

"I see," Nightmare commented. "So, from what I am to gather, your kind desire assistance rebuilding and trade for food."

Gilda shrugged and answered with a dismissive, "I guess."

'Well... at the very least this presents opportunities... and I did say we could trade with the Griffins if such problems arose...' Nightmare looked at the wall behind the griffin, just over her head. 'Perhaps... I should not dismiss them so quickly. The Empire was Equestria's enemy... but the griffins are just a shell of an empire now. Trade has its place... and helping them could undermine any attempts to cause problems in the future.'

After all, business was better than war. Why would one rush into a war that sought only destruction when trade would benefit both parties? War only destroyed. Nopony was better off when their loved ones were in danger. Her tail flicked again in agitation, and she looked back down to meet the griffin's gaze. "I believe we can work something out," she offered.

The griffin perked up, her ears twitching ever so slightly. But of course, even with that, all Nightmare received was a dismissive, agitated, "Great."

For a moment, Nightmare continued to watch Gilda, then her eyes slid to the right and her head dipped lower. Twilight wore a small, calm smile. As she looked at her student, Twilight turned to face her, and that smile grew wider. Reassuring. Approving.

Nightmare looked back at Gilda and let her mind wander. 'Knowing the state of the griffins, they will not have much of value to trade... however the griffins did possess great quantities of natural resources so long ago... perhaps they still do, and perhaps they are untapped.' A bit of a smile pulled at her lips. 'That would be beneficial... and perhaps there could be even more benefits in the future.' "Are you authorized to negotiate for these terms?"

Gilda shrugged dismissively and looked at her flatly. "Yeah. I'm sure they'll all be pissed no matter what, but yeah."

Twilight flinched. 'You are... sensitive. Sister sheltered you...' flickered through her mind, pulling the smile from her lips. She tried her best to put it aside, but she still nudged her wing out and touched Twilight's side with her feathers. Twilight's eyes snapped onto her, then jumped back to Gilda, and Gilda cocked her head at an angle like a bird, staring at her wing. Ignoring the attention, she slowly brushed her feathers along Twilight's side, up to her withers, then back down. She folded her wing back to her side.

It really was pleasant, feeling Twilight's coat against her feathers. She smiled. Gilda's head leveled again, and once more, the griffin met her gaze. 'I hold all of the cards here,' she knew, and her smile grew further. The griffins were at a disadvantage: they had no empire and limited infrastructure. Gilda was at a disadvantage: she was young and inexperienced.

It would be so, so simple to take advantage of that. It would be so simple to twist and play the cards she held to obtain the most favorable terms of the deal for herself. It would be so simple to exploit the griffins.

Just like Sister had exploited her.

The smile faded.

"There are details I am going to need to know before we get into further discussions, but I have a few ideas in mind," she declared with a nod. "Population... how many cities, their names, and locations... resources..."

"I don't know," Gilda admitted.

"I am unsurprised," Nightmare acknowledged. "If it is acceptable, I would like to send a contingent of batponies to..." She tilted her head as she thought of the best way to describe it. She settled on, "Assess the situation. And provide assistance."

Gilda squinted at her for a few seconds, then just shrugged. "Fine."

Nightmare smiled. "Good. In the meantime, you are... welcome to stay in the castle as my guest... I will have chambers prepared for your stay."

"Thanks," Gilda replied with the same dismissive tone as normal. "Although I did intend to pay a visit to Ponyville-" Twilight's ears perked up, "-since I have a friend down there."

"Oh, really? Who?" Twilight asked.

"Her name's Rainbow Dash. We were in Flight School together. She was, ah, my only friend. Made it easier to adjust," Gilda answered.

Twilight smiled. "Oh, Rainbow Dash? Huh. She's one of my friends."

Gilda squinted at Twilight. "Right..." was muttered. "You don't seem like the type of pony Rainbow Dash would hang out with." A second passed and Gilda blinked. "Then again," she groaned, reaching back to rub her head with a claw, "she's friends with Fluttershy..."

"You know Fluttershy too?"

"Yeah, she went to Flight School at the same time as Rainbow and me."

'Interesting,' was all that came to Nightmare's mind. That her student's friends knew the 'griffin ambassador' was a curious development. 'Perhaps it is simple coincidence...' After all, it was unlikely Sister could have planned something like this. She shook her head. "We will have to meet again soon, but as for now, my student and I have other matters to attend to. I will have the guards show you to your chambers."

The flash and crack from Nightmare's teleportation spell faded, but in its wake, the world went eerily silent. The wind continued to drift through the trees, rustling the leaves, but the chirping of insects and hooting of owls ceased. The trees surrounding them stretched into the sky, blocking out the stars and the moon, casting the ground in darkness, aside from the light of her horn.

"So... what's the plan?" Twilight asked.

"I do not have a lesson plan worked out, if that is what you are asking," Nightmare answered. She turned her head to the right and looked at her student. The filly's eyes shimmered with eagerness, though her smile was strained. "There are several things I have in mind, however, most important of these is teaching you to teleport."

The eagerness faded as Twilight winced, then scowled. "Right," came out almost bitterly. "Teleporting."

Nightmare frowned and tilted her head. "What is wrong?"

Twilight forced a smile. "I should be able to teleport! I-"

"Yes," Nightmare agreed with a nod. "Yet you can not. You have the magic and skill, this I know."

The forced smile dwindled as Twilight turned her body to face Nightmare. "I do exactly what the books say!"

Nightmare glanced to the left, used her magic, and teleported a book from Twilight's library. She glanced over the title, then looked back at Twilight. "This one, I presume?"

Twilight stared. "Yes. How did you-"

"I located it while you were showering," Nightmare answered.

Twilight blinked, then looked left and right before meeting Nightmare's gaze again. "Oh."

Nightmare inhaled, brought the book close, then opened it. A few turned pages later, and the teleportation spell was laid out for her to read. "You form both matrices, correct?"

"Of course!" Twilight bellowed. "But nothing happens!"

Lowering the book, Nightmare looked at Twilight. "And you are certain you're-"

Twilight scowled. "Of course I'm doing it right!"

Nightmare squinted at her. "I see," she mumbled, then levitated the book back into place. She read through the spell and studied the matrices, but there was nothing wrong. The spell was correct. Her lips parted as it occurred to her, 'It is slightly more efficient than my own...' Not much, but slightly.

Yet still, nothing stood out to her as a reason Twilight wouldn't be able to teleport. If anything, Twilight should have mastered this spell months if not years ago! 'Why can't you teleport?' her mind demanded. She sighed and lowered the book again, shaking her head. "The spell is correct."

"I know that," Twilight grumbled.

Raising an eyebrow, Nightmare pointed out, "Yet you still cannot teleport." That scowl returned to her student's expression and it brought a smirk to her lips. 'That you are relaxed enough to scowl...' In a way, it was wonderful. Yet it was still a sign of her student's distress that she could not ignore. "I am certain we will work this out," she offered.

The scowl remained and Twilight huffed.

"Perhaps attempt the spell so that I may see what you are doing?" Nightmare suggested.

Twilight's scowl slipped away as she sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

Nightmare watched as her student's horn flared to life with her brilliant aura, one bright enough to put her own to shame. For a few seconds, she stared, simply watching the magic as it danced around her student's horn. It almost felt like it called to her. Shaking the thought aside, she reached out with her own magic and brushed it against Twilight's. For a moment, Twilight's aura flickered and sparked, then stabilized. "Do not worry," she mumbled.

'So much potential!' her mind shouted, and her heart raced in her chest, leaving her legs and wings trembling. Oh, how potent the filly's magic was! How much she could accomplish now, and how much more she could accomplish when she reached her potential! She could even feel a link between Twilight's magic and the Element of Magic!

It was wonderful. And it was terrifying. 'You have so much magic, and you do not even realize it...' It was nearly on par with Starswirl at his strongest! Or perhaps her memory was twisted, and she already had more magic than her mentor. Her eyes snapped to Twilight's side.

'You could become so much more...' fleetingly drifted through her mind.

She shivered at the thought. Fear, excitement, and anticipation. She swiped her tongue across her lips, then met Twilight's gaze.

"It just surprised me," Twilight replied, entirely oblivious.

A bit of disappointment crept in and strangled the excitement Nightmare felt. Her body stopped trembling. She suppressed a sigh and inclined her head to nod. "Attempt the spell," she directed.

And so Twilight tried, forming both of the matrices. Forming them both so perfectly, as if it was her own instinct: sharp and pristine, without any waste, like something snapping into place. More potent than her own matrices, more complicated in subtle ways, yet almost geometric and inorganic. Instinct and yet rigid and forced, perfectly controlled. She could understand Twilight's matrices, but they were out of her own grasp. But from there, Twilight stopped. She went no further with the spell, simply holding the matrices as if she had no idea what to do. 'Link them!' her mind screamed, but it wasn't to be. And both matrices lingered, just waiting to be activated to complete the spell. Just out of reach.

Twilight stood there awkwardly, so close to completing the spell, yet so oblivious to the mistake. Nightmare felt exasperation welling up inside of her, she felt her mouth parting as her cheeks and brow twisted into a squint. The way her student stood there like a foal so out of place, one missing their mother, left her wanting to scream. It was her student, and her student could teleport!

Yet Twilight didn't.

The spell flickered out, and Twilight scowled yet again. The glow of her horn faded away. "Nothing happens."

Nightmare let out an exasperated groan. "You," she scoffed, "can not be serious." Throwing her head back, she let out an agonized groan. "Please," she pleaded, lowering her head, closing her eyes, and shaking her head in refusal, "tell me you are not serious!"

Nightmare opened her eyes and her fears were realized: Twilight just looked at her with confused bewilderment. 'Why?' her mind asked. 'Why did you not tell her!? And why do you not realize your mistake!?' Her wings fell from her sides, and she didn't care.

Twilight shifted her weight. "Um... am I doing something wrong?" was her quiet question.

Nightmare closed her eyes again, lifted her head up and inhaled. "Yes," she answered simply. She opened her eyes and nodded emphatically. "You are."

Twilight stared at her blankly. A few seconds passed, and Twilight's head drifted to the right. "And... that is..?"

"You're not linking the matrices," Nightmare answered flatly.

Twilight blinked. "What?"

Again, Nightmare answered, "You are not linking the matrices."

Twilight's muzzle scrunched up. "The book doesn't say anything about linking them!" she argued.

'You ignored natural instinct that would have let you teleport in favor of doing exactly what the book said.' It was infuriating. 'To think! This entire time, I could have corrected this problem in but five minutes!' She wanted to scream in anger, but of course, she held it back. Instead, she let out a low growl. "You," she admitted in a low mumble, "are correct."

She hated admitting that. Her eyes snapped onto the book. She had half the mind to incinerate it out of anger, but knowing it was Twilight's book was its only salvation. Instead, she teleported the book back to where it belonged and leveled her gaze on her student. She sucked in a breath and folded her wings back to her sides. "Do you not feel the instinct to link the two matrices?"

Twilight fidgeted on her hooves and tilted her head. "No..?" she drawled curiously.

Nightmare blinked. She must have misheard. "You do not feel the matrices pulling at each other and your magic?"

Twilight just looked at her as if she was crazy and then shook her head.

'You do not feel it? Why would you not feel it? It should be natural! Even more so to you!' Her wings twitched, drooping ever so slightly from her sides. She studied Twilight's features, hoping, foalish as it was, that it was just some kind of joke. But it wasn't to be. 'Although your matrices are much better than the ones in the book and more precise. Perhaps your problem is that they are too precise and controlled?' But she couldn't be sure, because she had no experience with anything like that before. Nightmare flatly said, "You are supposed to link them."

A moment passed while Twilight continued to stare at her, and then Twilight blushed. It caught Nightmare off guard, and a bit of the anger melted away as her eyes jumped down to the reddish coloring. A few seconds passed. "The book doesn't-!"

"It is instinct. It is implied," Nightmare countered, flicking her gaze back to meet Twilight's eyes.

A few more seconds passed in silence. Twilight squirmed back and forth, her eyes jumping everywhere else to avoid Nightmare's gaze. Eventually, with nowhere else to look, Twilight lowered her head and met Nightmare's gaze. "So... I should... link them, then?"

"Yes," was all Nightmare needed to say.

Another second passed. They stared at each other. Twilight's magic wrapped back around her horn, then Nightmare winced as the blinding flash of a teleportation spell erupted from her student's horn. The crack hit next, followed by another flash and crack a few feet to the right of where her student had been.

Twilight stared at her for a second, then smiled. Smiled and beamed and squeaked in delight as she pranced back and forth in circles around Nightmare. And Nightmare felt uncertain as she stared at her student, watching her celebrate in such an innocent, joyful, foal-like manner. "I teleported!" Twilight cried out, jumping into the air and grinning like she had accomplished some insurmountable task.

And it was worth celebrating.

A smile tugged at Nightmare's lips. Even with how frustrated it left her, there was something there for her to take comfort in. Something she could share with Twilight, and so that joy of Twilight's pulled her lips into a smile. 'This,' her mind whispered, 'is almost like my dreams...' She licked her lips and felt that same fondness for Twilight that she did in her dreams when her student was so free from everything that held her down. The success was good for her student; it uplifted her student. And she welcomed it.

Watching Twilight prance around so carefree was pleasing and amusing as well.

Completing another circle, Twilight came to a stop in front of Nightmare, still smiling. They watched each other for a moment, then Twilight closed the distance and wrapped her forelegs around Nightmare's body before laying her head against her neck. "Thank you." And her student meant it, and that meant something to her.

Nightmare held back a content sigh, wrapped her forelegs around Twilight to return the hug, and sheltered her student with her wings. She sat down on her haunches and held her friend close. Twilight nuzzled her. For a moment, the feeling shocked her, making her chest twist in surprise, then she relaxed.

Feeling Twilight's fur rub against her fur felt wonderful. The proximity and joy it brought her weren't rivaled by anything else. It far outdid the joy of defeating her sister, and nothing else came close. 'You,' she knew, 'are my friend.'

Banal, frivolous, and insane as it was, she was still a pony, just like Twilight, and so the nuzzle was wonderful. Having a friend was wonderful; it soothed her soul as it did in her dreams.

Her stomach and chest twisted as the nuzzle drew on. 'Return it,' her mind snapped, making the dread and anxiety grow that much worse. 'Twilight is my friend. She has accomplished something wonderful.' The dread only grew worse. until the thought, 'You are my friend. I can share this with you,' pierced the madness.

Nightmare returned the nuzzle and held Twilight closer. Twilight let out a calm sigh, and she felt herself relax as the fear drifted away. 'Yes... you are my friend. I can trust you... You will not betray me...' She swallowed and brushed her wings down Twilight's back.

Author's Note

It could be the coffee, but I want to squeal for having finished rereading and editing this chapter. The ending makes me smile.

With edits: My second prereader reminded me about Twilight being able to teleport since the series premiere! I entirely forgot that. So now you know why Twilight couldn't teleport before! Also I probably just didn't think about it.

I ended up rewriting the diplomatic meeting because... Well, as my prereader pointed out, it was underperforming. A lot. By which I mean it might as well have not been included.

I don't remember when I finished writing this chapter, but it was probably at least 4 months ago.

Respite

Nightmare stood with a smirk as she watched her student from halfway across the meadow; Twilight looked back at her with a strained grimace and a scowl. Despite the night's chill, sweat trickled down Twilight's forehead, glistening in the moonlight and the glow of her aura. Nightmare's mane billowed gracefully, free from the pull of gravity while Twilight's damp mane hugged her neck and brow. Where Nightmare stood at her full height, Twilight slouched with her head held low, and where Nightmare's magic coalesced into a bright blue wrapped around her horn in an unbroken corona, Twilight's magic sparked and flickered chaotically around her horn.

Narrowing her eyes, Nightmare wondered, 'Are you struggling, or are you faking this?' They had been at it for hours, and it seemed like after every encounter, sometimes before those encounters ended, Twilight asked for a break. Needed to rest. And it was adding up. Twilight wasn't used to this level of activity; how could she be faking the exhaustion? 'Yes, you are tired.'

She broke eye contact and let her eyes wander down to Twilight's chest: the filly's breathing came in deep pants that puffed her sides out with each inhale. Looking down Twilight's legs, she could just barely make out the faintest hints of trembling.

Twilight wasn't faking it. 'Considering how long we have been at this I am not surprised, though I am disappointed.'

There was room for improvement.

Breaking eye contact had been a mistake. A flash of light signaled Twilight teleporting, and the burst made her squint from the blinding flash that lit up the night. She bit back a growl and whipped her head to the right as a second flash and crack signaled Twilight's arrival, only to have a lingering dark spot blot out her student's form. 'You have some strength left, good.'

Nightmare aimed her horn, only for a third flash and crack to make her squint and wince. Her tail flicked. She heard the zap! of magic and saw a luminous bolt rocketing towards her from behind her. She spun around and jumped to the right. Twilight's spell raced passed her and burned itself out. She fired off a quick burst of magic in retaliation.

Futile as it was.

Twilight teleported again, almost before her spell left her horn.

'You are far too fond of that spell,' her mind groaned. And yet, that was almost a good thing. Maybe Twilight couldn't put up much of a fight, but she could evade well.

Crack! from her right. Nightmare turned in time to see Twilight firing off another teleportation spell. She squinted and managed to block most of the light, and when she opened her eyes, the dark spot from before was nearly gone.

Crack! from behind. Nightmare spun around and threw herself to the grass and rolled. A brilliant bolt of magenta flew well out of reach from where she had been. A sloppy, poorly aimed miss.

She jumped back to her hooves, leveled her horn on Twilight, and fired off a spell.

Twilight's horn sputtered with sparks of magic shooting off in every direction; the next teleport spell flickered out. Twilight either jumped or fell out of the path of the spell and grunted as she hit the grass. Nightmare tracked her, stepped closer, and fired another spell.

Twilight's horn sputtered and sparked more, but a flimsy magenta barrier enveloped her body- only to flicker out before the spell reached it. Twilight scrambled out of the path of the spell, tripping on herself as she tried to stand back up.

Nightmare waited and watched, giving Twilight a chance to pick herself up off the ground. Her student's legs trembled, and her sides heaved. Dazed eyes watched her back.

Her student pressed her eyes closed as she winced, then the filly let out a groan and begrudgingly opened her eyes. "C-can we stop yet...?" Twilight panted out.

"In a real battle, you would not have such a reprieve," Nightmare cautioned. "But yes. We have been at this for some time and it has taken its toll on you." Her eyes drifted over Twilight's chest and legs, then back to her horn before flicking to her student's ears as they folded back.

"You," Nightmare declared, "can teleport far quicker than anypony else I have seen." Smiling, she added, "Myself included."

Twilight lifted her head and gave her a sheepish, tired smile that faded as quickly as it came, then her head fell back down. "Thanks..." was Twilight's mumbled, breathless reply.

"Though your endurance..." Nightmare muttered, her eyes pressing into a squint, "leaves much to be desired."

Twilight winced, then shifted her weight. Sweat trickled down her forehead and rolled down her neck, leaving damp trails that glistened in the glow of Nightmare's magic. The filly tossed her head to the right, sending her mane flying in clumps to the other side of her neck. Twilight winced again, followed by a scowl as her mane whipped her neck. Defensively, Twilight grumbled, "I'm not exactly an athlete or anything..."

Nightmare nodded once and calmly strode over to where her student stood. "You are correct. You are a scholar. However, you need to work on your endurance. You tire yourself out too quickly from such rapid teleportation, and you burn through your magic far too quickly." Nodding at the sweat rolling down her student's body, she added, "Your body is not accustomed to this."

Twilight scowled at that, then closed her eyes and let her head hang. Letting out a disgruntled, tired sigh, she sat down on her haunches and nearly collapsed onto her stomach.

Nightmare's smile faded. Softly, she voiced, "You are tired."

Twilight barely looked at her. "When you said," her student paused to take a deep breath, which turned into a yawn, "you were going to... teach me... this wasn't what I imagined."

Nightmare smirked and smiled. "Come now, Twilight, theory can only bring one so far. What good is it to know a spell if you cannot put it into practice?" She sat down in front of Twilight and reached out with her right wing, then slowly traced her feathers up and down along Twilight's side. The sweat on Twilight's coat soaked into her feather, leaving it damp, and in turn, the impression her feather left stayed behind.

"I can cast the spells I learn," Twilight grumbled, twitching her head around in agitation.

Tilting her head, Nightmare simply asked, "But for how long until your magic fails you?"

Twilight had no response as she continued to pant.

Nightmare inhaled and slid her wing around Twilight's back. Her student's back was nearly soaked with sweat: still hot but cooling quickly in the night air. She grimaced and wrapped her wing around Twilight's body, then with the barest effort, pulled Twilight against her chest.

The filly practically fell against her and let out a groan as her forehead rested against Nightmare's cold chestplate. She felt her student shiver, then squirm against the cold metal. 'It would be more comforting for you if I was not wearing my armor...'

Nightmare's heart skipped a beat as she felt the tip of Twilight's rounded horn press against her neck. 'Ah... were this anypony else...' A grimace pulled at her lips: Twilight had the upper hoof in this position. If Twilight wanted to hurt her, then her student could. It wouldn't have taken much, either, and she wouldn't have been able to react, nor defend herself. There simply wasn't time.

It left her vulnerable. Something she wasn't used to. Not by a long shot. Nightmare Moon was the Queen of the Night, and for a filly to have made her feel vulnerable!? It was unthinkable! It was insane! It ought not have been!

A part of her wanted to laugh at how absurd it was, and yet another part of her was perplexed by it, left mulling over the feeling.

Nothing happened of course. They were friends. Twilight didn't attack her nor betray her. 'Knowing you,' Nightmare thought as she cautiously lowered her head to look down at the filly, 'you do not even realize.'

Twilight fidgeted, and Nightmare felt the filly's horn glide over her fur until her student's head rested on her shoulder, horn pointed away from her. The anxiety, misplaced as it was, subsided. "Please don't make me have to do that again," Twilight pleaded.

"Not tonight," Nightmare answered as she wrapped her left wing around Twilight's body. A smile grew on her lips, and she licked her lips. "But you will be sparring with me again once you have had time to recover." And it would be exhilarating! Perhaps Twilight would be able to go longer without needing to rest.

Sparring with Twilight was enjoyable and surprisingly challenging. The filly's knack for teleportation made landing any spells difficult. It kept her on her hooves; if she let her guard down Twilight would capitalize on it with a well-placed teleport. Or several.

Of course, Twilight struggled to land any spells too. Her attacks were sloppy and imprecise, and even when a spell landed, it wasn't a challenge to block it with her magic.

"Sparring," Twilight grumbled. "This is fairly one-sided," her student noted dryly, then huffed. Twilight's head shot up off her shoulder, then whipped around to look her in the eye with a scowl. Twilight's horn nearly ran against Nightmare's cheek. "How can you expect me to actually spar with you!? You're an alicorn! I'm a filly!"

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "You are my student-"

"I'm sixteen," Twilight flatly retorted. "I'm a unicorn. It's not exactly fair."

Nightmare sighed and tilted her head. "If you are ever in a situation where you have to defend yourself, it will likely not be fair. Besides, sparring with me is good for you. It will grow your magic and-" she hesitated, then broke eye contact, "-and help prepare you."

Risking a glance back, Nightmare watched Twilight's scowl fade as curiosity took its place. "Prepare me for what, exactly? To defend myself?"

"Yes," Nightmare replied, "and-" she bobbed her head as she mulled over what to say next, "-more. You have potential and I do not wish to see it wasted. I believe sparring will help you reach this potential."

Twilight rolled her eyes, groaned, and dropped her head back onto Nightmare's shoulder. "Right. I'm still a filly."

"Do not doubt yourself," Nightmare chastised. "You are young, but you have so much more potential than you realize." She paused for a moment, then commanded, "Be confident in yourself."

Twilight groaned. "It's hard to be confident when sparring with you given that I know I'll never win."

Nightmare snorted and threw her head back. "It is not a matter of winning, Twilight. Sparring is something we can do together. Sparring will help you grow your magic. Sparring will prepare you. It gives you a challenge-"

"That I can never overcome," Twilight pointed out.

Nightmare could hear her student's scowl. She shifted her weight and slowly stroked her wings down Twilight's back. As her wing drifted lower, she found Twilight's fur drier and colder; the heat from sparring lost. Reluctantly, she kept her wing lower to let the night air cool and dry her student's body. Slowly, she opened her mouth, then ran her tongue over her lips. Her eyes darted back and forth, jumping between the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing. "Perhaps... for now," she mumbled.

A few seconds passed before Twilight inhaled and lifted her head off of Nightmare's shoulder. Nightmare could feel Twilight looking at her, and it made her body squirm in discomfort. "You... think I could actually, uh, win?" Twilight squeaked out.

Without looking back at Twilight, Nightmare answered, "In time..." A few seconds passed as her head drooped and her eyes fell onto the grass. "Perhaps. I am not perfect; I could make a mistake that you could take advantage of." And of course, such a mistake would prove costly were it an actual battle.

Nightmare risked a glance at her student. No smile nor scowl, but her student's brow was arched in surprise. Anxiety tickled her stomach. She lifted her wings from Twilight and folded them back to her side. "But this-" she gradually stood back up and stepped back, "-is a conversation for another time."

Twilight watched her closely, and though her student said nothing, Nightmare knew Twilight was thinking. Her wings shifted at her sides under her student's scrutiny, and a little whisper of doubt flickered through her mind. Her lips twitched. To hide it, she turned her gaze to the sky. "I will be lowering the moon soon. Would you watch the stars with me for a while?"

"I think that sounds like a nice way to end tonight," Twilight answered.

Nightmare's lips twitched into a smile, and a flicker of something burst in her chest: joy, anticipation, and anxiety. She looked back down at Twilight. They both smiled. The warmth in her student's eyes was so genuine! With no fear nor duress, Twilight looked free!

Like in her dreams.

Her eyes drifted down to the crescent moon necklace upon Twilight's chest. Her smile vanished. 'It looks good on you,' her mind argued, 'and yet it is... not needed.' Twilight was her friend and she could trust her student, so listening in on her was unnecessary, but the necklace still served the purpose of knowing where Twilight was at all times. It was comforting, yet it still leashed her student. 'Perhaps... it hurts your confidence,' her mind wondered.

She really didn't want to take it back. To leave Twilight vulnerable, neither knowing where her student was nor giving Twilight the means to ask for help? Her gut twisted in agitation at the thought! She would be doing the exact same thing Sister had done, leaving the filly defenseless, yet it would be worse because now that Twilight was her student, Twilight would have enemies.

But at the same time, perhaps taking it would help Twilight? She could prove herself to both of them.

She met Twilight's gaze. Or tried to; Twilight's head was bowed as she looked down at the necklace. Neither of them smiled. Eventually, Twilight's eyes jumped up to her own. Nightmare swallowed before speaking, "I... suppose you do not need to wear that now, if... you do not wish to."

Twilight sucked her lip into her mouth, then released it. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind," was her quiet response.

Nightmare gave a slow, drawn-out nod as she looked back towards the sky. 'You fear taking it off?' she wondered. After a moment, she glanced around the clearing. "I suppose this is as good a place as any," she said. Looking to the left, she summoned a simple, light-blue blanket and spread it across the grass, then walked over and laid down on her back.

The ground was far from the most comfortable thing she had laid on, and her armor didn't help any, but it wasn't the worst. She shifted around until she found some remotely comfortable position: her hind legs stretched straight out from her body while her forehooves rested on her chestplate. Looking over at Twilight, she felt exposed in such a position. Twilight stared at her for several seconds before blinking twice, then walking over. Nightmare scooted left, and Twilight laid down at her right.

For a while, neither of them said anything as they laid there. 'Time to lower the moon...' drifted through her mind, and her eyes settled on Twilight. The filly laid in almost the same manner as herself: Twilight's forehooves were folded over her chest, and her legs were straight out. Unlike her, Twilight stared up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought and unaware of being watched. A few seconds passed, and Nightmare's gaze drifted down Twilight's petite body.

As a result of their sparring, Twilight's coat was matted from a mixture of sweat and debris, though her natural color was still dominant. No scars, no scratches. Neither cuts nor blood. She had been careful to make sure not to hurt Twilight while still giving her a challenge. None of her spells did anything more than sting and make her yelp. Twilight's body was relaxed, and as her eyes drifted down to her student's abdomen, it screamed out in her mind how vulnerable her student looked, but at the same time, a part of her felt more comfortable for it: there wasn't anything standing between them. No hostility. No fear. No jealousy. Both of them were vulnerable.

Her eyes drifted back to her own body and centered on her chestplate. The one thing between them: her armor. A grimace pulled at her lips, so she cast her gaze back onto Twilight, and the grimace faded.

Using her magic, she reached out to the moon and coaxed it lower. As darkness settled in over the world, her student's body tensed. Twilight's eyes flicked from the sky to scan her surroundings, and out of concern, her student scooted closer to her, pressing up against her side. She felt Twilight's body trembling against her.

"We will be fine," Nightmare voiced, drawing Twilight's eyes to her own. For a moment, they watched each other, then Twilight blinked, licked her lips, looked to the left, then looked back up at the sky. Gradually, Twilight relaxed, though her student stayed against her side.

Smiling, Nightmare rolled her head back and stared up at her domain. Minutes passed in silence. The chill of the moonless night settled in, but it didn't register over the warmth pressed up against her right side. The wind blew and leaves rustled, but Twilight didn't cry out in fear; the relaxing music drew a yawn from the filly. Gradually, the chirping of crickets pierced the silence, and following it, the calming buzz of distant insects.

'How long has it been since I have heard those sounds?' Nightmare wondered.

"I've never really taken time to stargaze like this before," Twilight whispered.

"It is... quite pleasant," Nightmare replied. For a moment, the world held its breath: the chirping of crickets went silent. Seconds passed as if the world expected something terrible to happen, then the chirping returned. She looked from star to star, tracing out the constellations. Her subjects, yet not her subjects. Her friends, yet not her friends. For some reason, she added, "It is... far more beautiful than when the moon is out."

Twilight turned her head to look at her. "Is it... a bit odd that you say that, given that, well, you're Nightmare Moon?"

For a few seconds, Nightmare thought about it. 'If Sister did not scar the moon, then perhaps I would not mind so much. But without the moon, there is something wonderful about the night sky.' No more answers came to her. "Perhaps," she quietly admitted.

Twilight rolled her head back into place. "It's beautiful," she mumbled.

Nightmare smiled. "Yes... it is," she agreed.

"I guess... maybe it's not actually all that dark out," Twilight mused. "At least not as dark as everypony thinks..."

A scowl replaced Nightmare's smile. "Ponies have always despised the night and darkness," came out bitterly. The crickets and insects went silent again, and Twilight looked at her. Nightmare's lips twitched as she glanced at Twilight. She tilted her head to face her and regarded the frown for a moment before rolling her head back.

"You think that's why they don't like you?" Twilight asked meekly.

Nightmare's eyes dropped to the tops of the trees. Gradually, she inhaled, then let the breath back out. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I do not know." She faced Twilight. "Can you see the trees?" was her question.

Twilight blinked and her mouth opened for a moment, then rolled her head to the right. For several seconds, Nightmare watched Twilight squint to try to pierce that veil of darkness hiding the world, and with each passing second, Twilight's lips pulled further back. "Not really..." Twilight mumbled, then winced and faced Nightmare. Nervously, she squeaked out, "Sort of? Maybe?"

They watched each other. Nightmare felt Twilight's breath warm her fur. Several seconds passed as she studied her student's expression, then she looked back at her stars.

"Can you?" Twilight eventually asked.

"Yes," was Nightmare's immediate answer.

"The batponies can see well in the dark," Twilight commented.

"Indeed," Nightmare acknowledged. "They share the association with the night that I do, and as they are soldiers, it is useful for them to see in the dark."

Twilight let out another yawn and nuzzled against Nightmare's shoulder. "I don't think ponies dislike batponies as much as you think they do," she mumbled.

Nightmare glanced at Twilight for a moment, then let her mind wander. "Perhaps... I have not heard of any problems between the Royal Guard and the batponies."

A few streaks of light danced across the sky before fading, leaving behind smoky trails that almost seemed to sparkle. Something else she had missed when trapped on the moon.

'A thousand years ago, would I have enjoyed this?' drifted through her mind. 'Having somepony here to watch the stars with... would I have been as joyous?' Luna would have adored it, but that was so much longer ago. To her dissatisfaction, she settled on the conclusion, 'No... I would not have trusted anypony for this.'

If anypony would have watched the stars with her, that was. 'Nopony would have.'

The batponies would have but it wasn't the same.

Minutes passed on in shared silence, and eventually, Twilight's muzzle came to rest against her shoulder. The almost unnoticeable weight broke her thoughts.

Nightmare glanced at Twilight to find the filly's eyes closed while her chest gently rose and fell. And then she felt her student dreaming. Dreaming of her friends and sunny days, dreaming of studying magic and reading, and dreaming of learning from her.

She barely blinked as the minutes passed on while she watched Twilight sleep, hardly feeling as if she was there or that it was actually happening. How could it have been real? That her student had fallen asleep at her side, surely that couldn't be. Twilight couldn't be that comfortable around her in such a short time!

But she knew she wasn't dreaming; it was happening. There her student was, sleeping right beside her just as peacefully as if she had been in her own bed. 'You feel safe enough for this?' whispered through her mind.

The novelty of it gradually wore off, and as the shock faded, her brow settled into a crease. 'Or are you that tired?' a part of her questioned, wanting to dismiss the insane thought that somehow her student trusted her so.

'Yes, you are tired from our sparring,' she was certain. 'Perhaps I pushed you too much... or perhaps teleporting so much took more out of you than I realized.'

A hint of anxiety plagued her mind. She looked away from Twilight and swept her eyes around the surrounding trees. Though there was nothing there to threaten them, she felt uneasy.

Twilight looked and felt vulnerable. She clenched her jaw as her eyes jumped back onto her student's form. 'Perhaps you do trust me?' she wondered. And maybe it wasn't that bad.

'You do,' she settled on. They had sparred. Her student hadn't tried to run away out of fear when Nightmare used her magic, though Twilight certainly avoided her spells. That Twilight hadn't cowered in fear when sparring was a good sign. Perhaps a sign of trust or of confidence; a sign that Twilight was growing more accustomed to her.

'But you are tired, and that is why you sleep.' It was a pleasant night, too. No clouds to block the stars, nor to threaten of rain. Nopony else was around, nor anything that could threaten them.

And it was peaceful.

Nightmare unfolded her left wing and carefully brought a feather down to touch Twilight's neck. She held her breath and watched the path her feather took through Twilight's exposed fur. With her sharp eyesight and the glow of her magic, she could see each hair parting as her feather so gently brushed it aside, then as her feather passed, the hair lifted back into place. A small smile pulled on Twilight's lips.

Nightmare folded her wing back to her side and rolled her head back to watch the stars. 'I do not wish to wake you,' she thought. 'I will return you to your tower in a few more minutes. Even if you are sleeping, it is pleasant to watch the stars with you at my side.' Perhaps even peaceful, almost like her dreams.

Twilight shifted in her sleep, pressing closer to Nightmare and drawing Nightmare's gaze back onto her. The filly's body shivered and squirmed even more. As a frown crossed her lips, Nightmare laid her wing over Twilight's stomach and stroked a feather down Twilight's right side. Her student's fur had a slight chill to it. 'You are cold.' She looked at the sky, inhaled, and used her magic to summon another blanket, then laid it over the both of them.

For a few minutes longer, she stared up at the sky, listening to the sounds of the crickets, the sounds of the distant insects humming, and the sounds of the owls hooting. Sounds she hadn't heard in centuries.

Nothing imposed on her. Nothing demanded of her. Nothing mocked her.

'Yes... it is nice to have a friend.' Nightmare folded her wing back to her side once Twilight stopped shivering.

"Twilight, wake up."

Twilight clenched her eyes shut and let out a soft groan. Through her closed eyelids, she could see hints of dim light. Her left ear twitched from hearing the chime of magic wrapping around somepony's horn. For a moment, the light through her eyelids grew brighter, then dimmed. She recognized the way the magic felt as it washed over her body; she recognized the feeling of being watched.

"Nightmare Moon..." she mumbled.

"Yes," Nightmare's voice acknowledged. A hint of annoyance seeped into it, but the voice still didn't demand anything of her. It wasn't a verbal attack, it didn't condemn her. It wasn't cold and sharp.

It was a patient voice.

Twilight inhaled deeply and nuzzled her pillow. After a few strokes, her head went still. The feeling of being watched, the feeling of Nightmare Moon's magic, and her teacher's presence started fading away.

"Twilight," Nightmare's voice called again.

Twilight inhaled deeply again, then let it out as another soft groan. The scent of lilacs and lavender drifted through the air, making her lips lift into a small smile. She breathed in again, then let the breath back out as a sigh.

The weight of the covers was reassuring and comforting. Not enough to constrict her, but enough weight that she could feel them there, embracing and protecting her. The bed hugged her body.

She felt well-rested but didn't want to leave the warmth and of the bed's embrace. The night was cold and uncaring, and it lacked the same warm reassurance that Princess Celestia's days brought. Her ears drifted back to pin against her mane. 'I miss the sun...'

The night was beautiful, but without both, it wasn't as great as it could be. She remembered the feeling of the warm sun on her back. There were days when she hated the feeling because it was too hot, but now, she missed it. Even if Nightmare Moon was her teacher, even if she was embracing the eternal night as much as she could, she still missed the day.

She missed Princess Celestia, too.

Her eyes drifted open, and as her vision focused, she found herself staring out of her bedroom's window. The Mare on the Moon stared back at her. For several seconds, she watched its ascent in silence. 'Are you watching?' she wondered. 'Can you see this all? Do you know what's happened? Why did it all happen?'

The feeling of peace gradually faded. Her eyes jerked down to the blankets. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightmare Moon standing near the doorway, watching her. She longed for Princess Celestia's warmth and her smile and her voice and her day.

Her eyes drifted up to look upon Nightmare Moon's form, and as they trailed over her teacher's body the thought, 'You need to forgive her...' flickered through her mind.

But it wouldn't happen. Nightmare Moon hated Princess Celestia too much. There was too great a rift between them. She could see that rift, but even knowing it was there, she didn't know everything about it. Nightmare Moon hated her sister. But did Princess Celestia hate Nightmare Moon?

As she thought about it, her brow folded down. 'No... you wouldn't...' Princess Celestia didn't have it in her to hate. She was sure of that. 'Why did you erase Luna from history? Why did you hide Nightmare Moon? Why did you lie to me?'

Twilight closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then opened her eyes and exhaled. She nudged her head back and turned to face Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon watched her. In her teacher's eyes, she saw contemplation. In an instant, Nightmare blinked and her eyes refocused, but she still said nothing.

"What's going on?" Twilight mumbled, rolling over onto her back. Her body protested the movement. She winced as aches of pain emanated from her legs and chest and back, making her inhale, then let out a groan.

Nightmare's brow twitched down, then her teacher walked towards the bed. "You are... injured?"

Forcing herself to roll over onto her right side, Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm just... sore. I don't..." she trailed off as she force herself to sit upright. The blankets fell off of her as Nightmare came to a stop at the bed. "I don't normally-" she scowled as the memories came back, "spar. I'm not used to it so I'm sore."

"Ah, yes..." Nightmare muttered, gradually nodding her head. Her teacher's blue aura wrapped around her horn, and then Twilight felt a wave of warmth wash over her body.

Twilight smiled and slumped as the aches and pains faded away. When the warmth and light faded, she let out a soft, content sigh. "Mm... thank you."

Nightmare nodded succinctly. "You will..." Nightmare hesitated and squinted at Twilight, "get used to it."

Twilight winced and shifted her weight on the mattress. "Right... still... wanting me to keep sparing with you," she muttered.

"Of course," Nightmare answered. A hint of a smile, not quite predatory, but definitely amused, crossed her teacher's lips. After a moment, it faded. Nightmare shifted her weight and looked away from her. "I do not want you to hate sparring with me."

Twilight grimaced and rolled her head to the right. She let her eyes roll over the wall. "I don't hate it," she grumbled, then rolled her head back to meet Nightmare's gaze. "I just dislike it." She paused, then emphasized, "A lot." Nightmare frowned. "It's not something I'm used to doing," she elaborated with a shake of her head. "It's painful."

"Perhaps I will try not to push you so hard next time," Nightmare offered. "Though I do want to challenge you-"

Twilight's scowl returned, and her ears folded back. "It's already a challenge since I can't win because it's not a fair fight," she grumbled.

Nightmare waited a moment, then inclined her head. "I do not wish to discourage you but to teach and train you. Sparring is an effective way to do that, and-" Nightmare paused to lick her lips, "-it is something we can do together."

"As teacher and student," Twilight muttered.

A bit of a smile played at Nightmare's lips. "It is also something we can do as friends."

Twilight squinted at her.

"I am not going to purposefully hurt you," Nightmare countered. "And I did, and will, hold myself back so I do not hurt you."

"Running around to avoid your spells is still a pain. Tripping and falling is still a pain. Magical exertion is still a pain," Twilight listed flatly.

Nightmare bobbed her head to the right. "You will improve and get better. As I said, I do not expect you to best me yet, but I expect you to put your best effort forth. It is not about beating me but improving your skills."

"And sparring is the best way to do that?" Twilight asked.

"I would argue it is," Nightmare replied. "Besides, should you injure yourself then I will heal you."

Twilight groaned and threw herself back onto her bed. Her body bounced a couple of times. She let out a sigh as she laid there, and very quickly felt an ache growing in her lower back from the position. She rolled over onto her side. "I guess arguing about this is pointless," she muttered.

Nightmare frowned, then reached out with her right wing. "Do not be discouraged," was her teacher's response. "You will improve."

The feather touched Twilight's cheek, and Twilight closed her eyes as she felt it slowly brush across her face, just under her ear, then through the length of her mane and onto her back. She shivered, then opened her eyes as the feather lifted from her body. Nightmare's wing lingered out. Her teacher turned to look at her wing, and then after a few seconds, turned back to look at her and folded her wing. Twilight met Nightmare's gaze and rolled her head to the right. "It's hard to think I will since I'm sparring with you."

"Be more confident in yourself," Nightmare replied. "Your magic is very capable. Perhaps you are physically lacking, but your magic is strong and potent. You defeated Discord-"

"I couldn't have done it without my friends."

Nightmare winced. "Yes... but the point still stands." Her teacher shook her head, then stepped back. "I intend to teleport you back to Ponyville so that you may spend time with your friends, as promised." Twilight perked up. "I believe that... you have agreed to spend time with them at the spa. Relax and enjoy it. I will forewarn you, however, that the batponies have arrived to begin reconstruction of my castle. Spend time with your friends-" Nightmare inclined her head once, "-then tend to that."

Twilight nodded. "Okay. Uh, is there anything I need to know?"

"They should be able to tell you if there is," Nightmare answered. "Other than that, continue to study and practice your magic. I will send for you and your friends so that you will spend the night in Canterlot prior to the ceremony."

"Alright. Uh, when are we planning on sparring again?" Twilight asked.

"After the ceremony. You may spend the night with your friends in celebration. I will not disturb you," Nightmare replied. "Do you wish to shower here or in Ponyville?"

Twilight blinked. "Uh, here. I guess."

Nightmare inclined her head. "Then I will wait for you to finish and then teleport you back to Ponyville." Her teacher turned around and walked towards the door.

"No breakfast?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare stopped and looked back at her. "I... presumed you would have preferred to eat with your friends."

Twilight shifted her weight and sat up, then climbed off the bed. "Well, uh, I figure we'll probably eat lunch together, but not breakfast, so..."

Nightmare inclined her head and smiled. "I would welcome your company, yes."

Twilight smiled.

The light from her teacher's teleportation spell faded. Twilight looked left, then right. Midnight stood at her right, carrying Spike, but Nightmare Moon wasn't there. Her ears twitched back for a moment, then lifted again. 'It makes more sense that she just teleported us and stayed behind instead of coming. It's simpler for her.'

She still wished Nightmare Moon had come, if only to stay for a few seconds.

Of course, that it was just for a few seconds made it pointless.

Twilight shook her head and looked around again. The walls of bookshelves filled with books looked organized. They looked like Discord hadn't touched them, but she couldn't be sure. She squinted as she ran her eyes over the spines, reading the titles of books. Nothing looked out of place, but it wasn't as thorough as she wanted.

Turning to her right, she saw Midnight nodding to herself. "Spike? Can you go through the books and make sure none of them are out of place?"

Spike smiled at her and slid down Midnight's side. "Sure!"

Twilight smiled back at him. "Thanks, Spike!" She watched Spike walk over to the nearest bookshelf as her smile faded. 'He should be staying with me instead of Midnight... I'm supposed to be taking care of him... But maybe it's better this way?'

Midnight turned to face her. "So, what's the plan?"

Twilight glanced at Midnight, then looked back at Spike. 'You're doing okay... maybe I'm worrying too much...' She licked her lips and faced Midnight. "I should tell the girls that I'm back, and... well-" she bobbed her head to the side, "-we'll probably go to the spa after that."

Midnight smiled cheerfully. "Oh, okay," was her simple response, and without missing a beat, "Do you want me to come with you or stay with Spike?"

"It'd probably be easier if you stay here with Spike. I'll tell the girls I'm back and then come and get you when we go to the spa," Twilight answered.

Midnight nodded and dipped her tongue out between her fangs. Twilight squinted at it, but Midnight turned and, ignoring the squint, walked over to Spike. Twilight watched Midnight, turning her head to follow the batpony as she turned to face the door. 'I should ask you about Luna,' occurred to her again.

She took a step towards the door, then glanced at it before looking back at Midnight. 'But... another time. Maybe when we're alone, and-' her eyes flicked down to the necklace resting against her chest, '-when I'm not wearing this.'

In theory, she could take it off any time she wanted. Nightmare Moon had said as much, but the necklace was still comforting, and if she was going out without Midnight, it was probably best to keep it on. Her gaze dropped back down to the necklace, and her eyes followed the magic as it glistened over its silvery surface. 'I'll take it off when I'm at the spa with the girls,' she thought with a quick nod.

It could be a good thing, too! Or it could be a mistake. It would show her friends that Nightmare Moon trusted her! It would give them an opportunity to do something stupid. She closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself. 'It'll be fine,' she told herself. As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at the necklace.

Besides, the privacy with her friends might be nice.

She looked back at the door, then walked towards it as the thought, 'How would Nightmare Moon react to me asking her about Luna?' Nightmare Moon insisted Luna was dead. Maybe it would be okay? It would probably be okay to ask. Probably. Nightmare Moon didn't attack her for mentioning that Discord said that name, so perhaps it was safe to ask. But she wasn't certain.

She opened the door with her magic and looked around. The street wasn't quite empty. A few ponies meandered about, not quite calmly, but certainly not frantically. They carried themselves in a cautious hurry, as if they thought they were tempting fate by walking outside at night, yet it wasn't the same insane terror that she had seen ponies consumed with before.

She squinted as she watched a few ponies walk along without the same caution, almost as if some semblance of normalcy had returned, or they had settled into some kind of routine. A few foals were out, though they were always close by a stallion or mare; the distance varied seemingly by age, with the smallest and youngest foals staying the closest, and the older foals keeping a bit more distance. The common theme among the foals, however, was that they still jerked their heads back and forth, as if they were afraid something, like Nightmare Moon or a monster, was going to jump out and gobble them up.

Of course, none of the foals looked about her age; they were all younger than her by several years. Maybe some of the stallions and mares were actually younger than she thought, but she couldn't tell.

A few of the ponies passing by were vaguely familiar. Some of them she recognized from brief encounters when they had been outside, though others she only had the sense that she had seen them before. None of them were her friends.

Twilight sucked in a deep breath then glanced back at Spike and Midnight. Both of them stood near the bookshelves, with Spike tapping his claws against the spines of the books as he scrutinized them, while Midnight casually stood beside him, nodding to herself and staring at the books with a warm smile. 'I wonder what books the batponies have that we don't have,' drifted through her mind.

But that was a question for another time, possibly to be included alongside asking about Luna. She pushed it aside and turned back to gaze into the night. 'There's no reason to be afraid of it,' she told herself.

She still stood in place.

'I'm in Ponyville. It's a small village, but it's still filled with ponies! There aren't any monsters here!' she told herself.

She still stood in place.

'My friends and I went into the Everfree Forest twice! That place is more dangerous than Ponyville! And we had no problems!' her mind cried out.

Her lips set into a line. She huffed.

'Nightmare Moon would come if anything happened. She won't let anything hurt me. Besides, she's the Queen of the Night...' slithered through her mind.

The line broke into a grimace. She fidgeted where she stood. 'You're being ridiculous. That's what Applejack would say. Or would she? Avoiding the night is perfectly reasonable-'

She was procrastinating. She knew she was procrastinating. 'The longer I stand here the longer until I see my friends.'

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" Midnight asked in a curious, oh-so-sweet voice that mocked her.

She sent a glare at Midnight, and of course, Midnight completely ignored it, innocently smiling back at her.

Smiling at her encouragingly.

The glare faded.

Twilight inhaled again, closed her eyes and lifted her head, then let her head fall with a sigh. "Right," she muttered.

"If you need me to come with you-"

Opening her eyes, Twilight turned and looked back at Midnight and shook her head. "No, it's fine. Stay here with Spike. I'm just... procrastinating."

"Mhm," Midnight agreed and nod. "You're being silly just like everypony else, you know that?"

'Yes. I do know that, thank you for reminding me,' her mind snapped. Her lips pressed back into a grimace. Midnight was just trying to help. Well, help in her own way. The batpony was friendly, and for a moment, an idea teased at her mind. 'Maybe...' she wondered, turning to face Midnight. "Are we friends?"

Midnight tilted her head to the right and the smile faded as if Twilight had asked a question she didn't understand. "Aren't we?" was her curious question.

Twilight blinked and shifted her weight on her hooves. "Er, well..." she trailed off an winced. "I guess?" she offered.

Midnight leveled her head and smiled brightly. "I thought we were. Just because I'm protecting you doesn't mean I can't be your friend too." The smile twisted into a playful smirk and Twilight saw a glint of something in her eyes. "Besides... how many ponies can get to call the one and only Twilight Sparkle their friend?" was her tease.

Twilight shifted her weight again. "Right. Well. Not that many," she mumbled in response, her gaze dropping to the floor. She grimaced as she looked back at Midnight. "I'll-" she turned to face the door, "be back."

"Mmkay," Midnight voiced.

Twilight took a deep breath, then walked outside. Lighting her horn, she looked back inside her library, then closed the door. The warm glow lighting where she stood went dark, and the night crept in around her.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and nodded once. 'It will be fine,' she told herself. She opened her eyes, looked left, then looked right. Nothing was there to attack her. Exactly as expected! 'See!? It's fine!'

Really, overreacting about the permanent night was a waste of energy. It was just like any other night! Except it never ended and day never came. Any reasonable pony would conclude that it wasn't all that different from Princess Celestia's nights!

Most ponies didn't reach that conclusion or simply hadn't reached it yet.

'Has it really been almost two months?' wandered through her mind, and for a moment, her ears drifted down. Her ears lifted back up as she shook the thought from her mind. She turned to the left, then started trotting along the unpaved dirt road. She glanced down. 'At least it's solid now.'

But it still wasn't Canterlot. Granted, the earthy feel of the dirt road underneath her hooves was more pleasant than the stone and pavement of Canterlot. It just wasn't nearly as clean.

As she trotted past, a few ponies turned to watch her. Some of the ponies even stopped and stared at her. She sucked her lip in between her teeth and pinned it in place as her eyes flicked between the ponies watching her. It wasn't that many ponies, but it made her feel uneasy. 'Why are they watching me?' she wondered.

They recognized her. She was certain of it. None of them looked at her with malicious intent; none of them looked as if they blamed her for some unknowable mistake or something she did wrong. Almost curious, even.

And nervous.

'They know I'm Nightmare Moon's student.' But that was fine. She was still her! Well, mostly. Granted, she had friends and didn't study like she should have, so she probably wasn't quite the same.

A shadow passed over her. She froze in place and her eyes flicked to the sky. A pony flew overhead, silhouetted by the moon, then gone. Silent and stealthy, the pony made no noise. Distinct leather wings were all she could make out before the figure blended in with the dark sky, only occasionally blocking out a star.

A batpony. She watched it fly along for a few seconds. 'He's patrolling,' she realized. That was good! And it might have been bad. A grimace pulled at her lips. She looked around the street again. Ponies still walked along like before, though she couldn't tell if it was as many before or not. 'Did they see?' she wondered, 'And do they know they're here to protect us? Or are they afraid of them..?'

Well, if ponies were afraid of the batponies, that was something she could probably help with. 'My friends could help too...' Her lips lifted into a smile.

'Hopefully it's not necessary. There's no reason for ponies to be afraid of batponies! They're just like us. Mostly,' she reasoned. But of course, the batponies had that association with the night and Nightmare Moon.

But also Princess Luna, though it may have been a moot point. 'Why?' she still questioned, 'Why did you erase her?' There had to be a reasonable explanation!

Standing there in the middle of the road was getting her nowhere. She inhaled, then exhaled and went back to walking the path to Rarity's boutique.

The short trip went by without incident. No more batponies flew overhead. Ponies still watched her, but they gradually lost interest and turned their attention back to the night or their friends or their tasks. And of course, no monsters attacked. Whether that was because of the batponies or not, she wasn't sure. 'At the very least they'd help if something from the Everfree Forest attacked,' she knew. There was a reason they were here, after all, and it wasn't just rebuilding The Castle of the Two Sisters.

Coming to a stop at the door to Carousel Boutique, Twilight sucked in a deep breath, then lifted her right forehoof and knocked on the door. As soon as her hoof made contact, as soon as that knock echoed out through the night, she felt a sense of unease and anxiety bubble in her core.

'There's so much that can go wrong!' lanced through her mind. Her cheeks tightened as she winced, but it was too late to stop now. She knocked a second time, then a third. Each knock made the anxiety worse than the last.

But there was something there to fight off the anxiety this time. Undeniably, she knew, 'They're my friends. They love me! They care about me. They won't abandon me.' She felt it in her very being! The calming feeling of the Elements' magic washed over her mind, soothing the bubbling anxiety. 'It'll be okay,' she somehow knew.

"Come in!" Rarity called.

Twilight smiled and stood up straighter. She lit her horn and opened the door, then walked inside. As with every time before that she had been in the Boutique, which, granted, wasn't that many times, the room was cleaned to perfection, made pristine to display the fine dresses Rarity had made. 'No cobwebs... that's a good sign.' Several ponnequins stood near the walls, some adorned with vivid dresses embroidered with little jewels, complete with the occasional matching hat and necklace that often looked overdone to her. A couple of the dresses were less extravagant than the others, but rather than looking worse for it, they had a certain simplistic beauty that seemed to fit in better with Ponyville. A few of the dresses even seemed to use colors made to match the night. Some of the ponnequins were undressed, but none of them had unfinished works on them. The only things missing were the warm colors of day; whether Rarity had already sold all of them and hadn't made new ones or had put them away, Twilight didn't know.

Rarity looked at her in passing, then returned to scrutinizing a dress before her head whipped back around. "Twilight! Darling!"

"Hi, Rarity!" Twilight greeted with a smile.

Without wasting any time, Rarity nearly pranced over to Twilight and wrapped her forelegs around the filly's neck. "I was worried you wouldn't be back in time!"

Twilight lifted a foreleg and wrapped it around Rarity's neck, returning the hug. 'Nightmare Moon keeps her promises,' she knew but kept it to herself. Besides, why think about that when she could enjoy her friend's embrace? She closed her eyes and nuzzled Rarity, and whether because of instinct or choice, Rarity returned it. The feeling made her feel almost giddy, but it highlighted what was missing. The rest of her friends weren't there. They didn't share a group hug, nor a group nuzzle. A bit of her smile faded, and the nuzzle ended. As they broke apart, she asked, "How are you and the rest of the girls doing?"

"Oh, we're doing well enough," Rarity answered. "Business is..." Rarity bobbed her head and squinted, then tactfully drawled, "still slow, but I'm making due. Things have improved a little. But enough about me! I take it you just got back?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Midnight and Spike are back at the library. I figured it'd be easier if I came here myself."

Rarity nodded and turned away from her. "I see. Well, I've already eaten, but if you'd like we can go out for breakfast-"

Twilight shook her head. "I already ate in Canterlot," she paused and smiled as Rarity looked back at her, "but I figured we could all go out for lunch together?"

Rarity smiled back. "That sounds like a lovely idea! I'm sure everypony will love that. Oh! Have you been to see anypony else yet?"

Twilight shook her head again. "No, I came here first since it was the closest."

Rarity hummed and turned back to face Twilight. "Well, I'm not too busy-" a grimace pulled at her lips and she broke eye contact, "-so if you'd like, we can go get everypony else."

"I'd like that," Twilight answered.

Rarity turned towards her, then walked over to her. As she passed by Twilight, she said, "Oh, I'm not sure what will work best! Going to the spa before or after lunch." Twilight turned and followed Rarity outside, closing the door behind them. Rarity stopped and rubbed her chin with her forehoof. "I suppose it would probably be best to do the spa after we eat, that way we have more time." She turned to face Twilight and smiled warmly. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Probably, but what are we going to do until then?" Twilight replied.

Rarity frowned. "Well, I don't know how long it'll take to find everypony... Rainbow Dash and Applejack in particular. Finding Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie should be easy enough."

"We can always have Midnight help find them if we need," Twilight offered.

"Ah, yes... that's a good point..." Rarity nodded to herself. "I, well, is she allowed to do that?"

Twilight tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Rarity drawled in a high pitch, trailing off as she turned away from Twilight. "Midnight's a batpony, and she's supposed to, well, guard you. From what Midnight's told us. Having her help doesn't quite sound, well, like guarding you."

"It's fine," Twilight retorted. "Midnight's supposed to guard me, yes, but she can help out too. Besides, I'm sure she won't mind."

"If you say so..." Rarity mumbled.

Twilight frowned. "Uh, I can probably..." she trailed off. 'Saying order her to doesn't sound right. Nightmare Moon says that I have authority... but...' In the end, she grimaced. It felt wrong like it was taking advantage of Midnight. But Midnight probably wouldn't mind, right? They were friends and maybe Midnight considered the rest of the girls her friends too? She finally settled on, "Have her do that anyway if we need."

"Alright. Do you think we should ask Midnight to go ahead and find Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked.

Finding everypony except Rainbow Dash took a little over half an hour. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were easiest, with Fluttershy being their last stop since she was close to the Everfree Forest. Applejack was after Pinkie Pie, and the trip there and back took almost as long as finding her in the orchard. To their surprise, a few batponies were hanging around, literally by their tails, making certain she was safe. Whether it was a specific order from Nightmare Moon or because the orchard warranted it's own protection, Twilight wasn't certain. Of course, because Rainbow Dash was a weather pegasus, they had to end up getting Midnight to find her, and that ended up taking the longest. When Midnight returned with Rainbow Dash, the batpony grinned while Rainbow was a bit flustered. Nonetheless, they managed to get their little group gathered up in about an hour.

By far, their group was the largest single group of ponies walking through Ponyville as they made their way back to the library.

"I must admit, it's nice to see ponies finally walking about at night. Perhaps now things can go back to some sense of normalcy," Rarity commented. Her expression slipped into a scowl as she muttered, "It's not been good for business."

"You can say that again!" Pinkie cheered. "Everypony staying inside all the time instead of going out was a real bummer! You can't throw parties all the time if ponies never show up to them because they're scared of going outside! Being afraid of living isn't a life!"

Twilight glanced aside at Pinkie, who bounced along at the edge of their group, the last one on her left. The earth pony wore a carefree smile, undaunted by the night. And the smile was almost infectious; a small smile pulled at her own lips. 'She has a point...' she knew. And she had a reason to smile.

Her friends.

She took in a deep breath and her smile grew a little wider.

Rainbow groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, uh, Pinkie, it is kinda hard to see when it's always so dark-"

"Well, for you, maybe," Midnight teased.

Twilight glanced between Midnight and Rainbow. The former had her characteristic playful smile, and Rainbow in turn squinted at Midnight. Midnight giggled sweetly.

"Yeah, well, we're not all batponies," Rainbow grumbled. Twilight thought she heard Rainbow huff. "I'd like to see you try to deal with weather at night!"

"Batponies don't do weather," Midnight retorted flatly.

"Oh, really? Why not?" Rainbow challenged.

"Not our magic," Midnight answered. "We're batponies, not pegasi."

Rainbow huffed again and folded her forehooves across her chest. She said something under her breath that Twilight didn't catch. Midnight giggled and smiled, drawing a glare from Rainbow.

"Well, at least some ponies can see well at night. The batponies have been really useful for, uh, keeping everypony safe around here," Applejack added. "I've not had any trouble with any timberwolves or anything since the batponies showed up."

"Well of course not!" Midnight put in. "It's what we do."

Twilight's lips twisted into a grimace. She tossed her head to the side and muttered, "You do seem to be... more effective than the Royal Guard."

"Mhm," Midnight casually agreed. "Bats are special. There's a reason why I'm your guard and not a Royal Guard."

'Other than being loyal to Nightmare Moon?' Twilight wondered. But that was a given; Nightmare Moon wouldn't have trusted her safety to anypony except a batpony. Although Midnight's loyalty to Nightmare Moon might have been part of the reason at first. She sighed and shook her head. 'That doesn't matter now.'

"Right so, we're going to hang out at the library for a bit?" Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded. Rainbow squirmed in the air and muttered, "And then... go to the spa..."

"Yes, dear," Rarity affirmed. "You should try to relax and enjoy it. I think you'll-"

"I said I'd go but that doesn't mean I want to," Rainbow groaned.

Rarity smiled happily. "Though, I do believe our plans are to have lunch before the spa."

"Right," Twilight affirmed. "I'll uh-" she looked down at the necklace and watched its surface shimmer for a moment, then licked her lips, "-leave the necklace... so that we can, um, have some... privacy."

Not everypony stared at her, but they all glanced at her, except for Midnight.

"Ah... yes, well..." Rarity said delicately but said no more.

The rest of the trip to the library was quiet. To Twilight's worry, when the library came into sight, two batpony stallions stood guard by the door, both wearing armor. She bit down on her lip as both of them looked at her. 'If Nightmare Moon didn't want me to take it off, she wouldn't have told me I could!' she reasoned. 'If Nightmare Moon was worried that we'd do something, she would have come herself instead of sending them!' she reasoned.

She still felt her heart thumping in her chest as they approached the batponies. Her legs trembled with each step, and the anxiety churned inside her core. Glancing at her friends, while they were cautious, none of them were concerned or worried like her. And of course Midnight was Midnight, so she was completely at ease. 'You're being ridiculous!' her mind snapped at her. 'Nightmare Moon said we're friends... she wouldn't just send ponies after me for that.'

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 'They must be the batponies sent to rebuild the castle.' Opening her eyes, she frowned. 'Only two? Or are they just here to tell me or something?' She'd find out soon enough. As they approached, the two batponies walked towards them, then stopped in front of them. Twilight and her group likewise stopped. The two batponies looked at her, then gave brief bows: quick yet respectful, though not the same kind they gave to Nightmare Moon. 'See!? Nothing to worry about!'

Of course, they still bowed to her and that in of itself was enough to make her nervous. The attention drew glances from her friends, and looking around, a few other ponies watched on.

The two batponies rose, and the one on the left took a step closer. "Twilight Sparkle," he acknowledged.

"Um, yes?" Twilight asked.

"Colonel Wing, reporting as ordered," he said. He nodded at the batpony beside him and offered, "Lieutenant Colonel Fang."

Twilight nodded slowly. "Um, nice to meet you?"

The colonel looked back at her and smiled. It wasn't as playful as Midnight's smiles were since it was more formal and respectful. It was friendly, but there was something there as if he viewed Twilight as his superior, which, it occurred to Twilight, she was. At least temporarily. He glanced over her friends, then looked back at Twilight. "The pleasure is mine, Ma'am. These are your friends?"

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Yes."

The colonel nodded at each of them in turn. Her friends greeted him and Midnight returned his nod. "May we speak in private?"

"Oh, right. Um, one moment, please," Twilight replied. She looked at her friends and smiled sheepishly. "I'll uh, be right back. I'm... it's supposed to be a secret and-" she winced, then muttered, "Yeah..."

"Oh, of course, dear," Rarity replied.

Twilight looked back at the captain, then lit her horn. 'I've not teleported anypony else other than myself before... but I suppose since I won't be teleporting that far I might as well try,' she reasoned. She wrapped her magic around the colonel and his lieutenant, then around Midnight, and teleported the four of them to her bedroom. There was a sharp crack and a flash of light signaling their departure and then their arrival.

She, of course, had been prepared for it. The others were not. 'They're sensitive to light,' hit her in the head. She winced. The three batponies all squinted. "Sorry!" she offered, forcing a smile.

A moment passed. The colonel's leathery wings twitched at his sides. "It's... alright, Ma'am."

"Just Twilight is fine," Twilight offered.

The colonel nodded hesitantly, then inclined his head. "Twilight."

Twilight nodded and smiled approvingly.

Colonel Wing inhaled. "My company has already started on the castle's repairs in your absence, Twilight."

"Um, okay," Twilight replied. She shifted her weight on her hooves. "I uh, really don't know anything about this sort of thing, so you'll have to bear with me."

He nodded. "Of course. We're aware of your status and-" he squinted at Twilight, "-lack of familiarity with this." The squint faded and a smile returned. "As per my orders, Queen Nightmare Moon put you in charge, and as such, I answer to you."

"Er, right," Twilight muttered. "I still don't know what to do."

Midnight giggled.

The colonel inclined his head. "We'll be handling things, though we're to report to you." He lifted his head back up, then tilted it. "Would you like to see what we've done so far?"

"Uh, yes, but maybe later? My friends are waiting on me and we... already have plans," Twilight said.

He nodded. "Of course."

Twilight shifted her weight again. "Uh, is there anything I need to... do or know?"

"If anything comes up, I'll let you know," the colonel replied. "However, so you're aware, my brigade consists of twelve-hundred batponies divided into three battalions."

For a moment, Twilight found herself at a loss of words. Twelve-hundred batponies!? Who, at least in theory, answered directly or indirectly to her? How were they going to be able to conceal something like that!? Could they even stay safe with that many ponies in the Everfree!? It would attract attention from monsters!

Although, with as many ponies as there were, well, strength in numbers. Maybe there were enough ponies to make monsters think twice. And then how were they supposed to keep that many ponies supplied without drawing attention!?

Surely, they had something worked out. She blinked and shook her head, trying not to dwell on it too much longer. Ignoring the obvious, she summarized the other obvious point, "So no magic."

He smiled knowingly. "No unicorn magic," he specified. "But we shouldn't need any. Queen Nightmare will do the enchanting when the time comes. Until then, we just need to clean the place up and repair the damage. Shouldn't be too difficult."

Twilight frowned. "You know it's in the Everfree Forest, right?"

The colonel nodded. "We're prepared for it, at least as prepared as we can be," he answered.

"Right..." Twilight mumbled. "There are all sorts of-"

He nodded. "We're aware, Ma'am. We're not defenseless."

"And what about getting supplies-"

"We brought carts with us-"

Twilight inclined her head and raised an eyebrow. "And you're going to pull them through-"

He stood up straighter and his wings fidgeted at his sides to draw attention to them. "Fly them over the forest," he specified. "The train to Ponyville gives us a decent supply line, though flying over the Everfree forest, and how much attention the train and supply line will draw isn't something I'm fond of... The quarry's still usable and there are plenty of trees for lumber, so materials won't be a problem, it just takes work."

"Er, right..." The idea of using the Everfree Forests trees for lumber didn't sit right with her. 'That sounds dangerous.' But maybe she was worried over nothing. After all, Nightmare Moon had to know what she was doing, and the batponies seemed competent enough. "Alright... uh, anything else?"

"We'll let you know if anything comes up. Queen Nightmare specified not to bother you too much, though she did put you in charge and requests that you do visit often."

"Okay..." Twilight replied. "I'm not sure when the girls and I will finish up today, but I can go check on things when we're finished?"

He nodded. "I'll send an escort to come and pick you up in a few hours."

Twilight turned her head towards Midnight but kept her eyes on the colonel. "Can I get a specific number?"

He thought for a moment. "About five hours?"

Twilight nodded. 'Five hours... so about three hours of spa time... assuming we stay there that long.' "That's probably fine." Besides, she could spend more time with her friends after that.

Maybe. Assuming they weren't busy. And of course, she'd be able to spend a whole night with them in a few nights!

Although that night was probably going to suck. Already, she could picture just how much it would suck: Standing in front of a huge crowd, Nightmare Moon giving a speech to compliment her friends and herself. Ponies staring at them, possibly breaking out into a fear-induced panic. Ponies staring at her, knowing she was Nightmare Moon's student. Staring at her friends, knowing they were associated with her and Nightmare Moon.

'No, it'll be fine... It'll be fine,' she told herself.

She halfway believed it. 'We won't be the center of attention the entire day... I hope.' Nightmare Moon wanted them to be recognized, honored, and celebrated, but Nightmare Moon would let them have time to themselves. "Uh, if there's nothing else..?"

The colonel shook his head.

"I'll teleport us back outside, then," Twilight said. The batponies braced themselves as she wrapped her magic around everypony, then teleported them back outside.

The flash of light that signaled their return was accompanied by several groans. She bit her lip as she looked at her friends, who mostly pressed their eyes closed in a now-futile attempt to shield themselves from the light. 'I should have thought of that before.' "Sorry!" she hastily apologized.

"It's alright, dear," Rarity replied. Her voice wasn't quite flat. It turned chipper again as she commented, "I thought you said you couldn't teleport?"

"Uh, I couldn't. Nightmare Moon taught me how," she explained. She let out a nervous laugh and forced a smile. "It turns out I was doing the spell right but not finishing it properly."

"Is there a way you can make it less blindy?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight winced and faced the pegasus. "Maybe?" she offered.

Midnight hummed. "You know, I think making it less flashy would be a good idea. Since it's always night now, it's really easy to notice when you teleport."

Twilight frowned. "That's... a good point." Or, at the very least, it was a good idea for sparring with Nightmare Moon. Teleporting wasn't stealthy.

"Ma'am," the colonel called.

"Oh, right!" Twilight turned to face him.

"Permission to leave?"

Twilight nodded. The colonel hesitated a moment, then inclined his head. Not quite a bow, but still respectful. He and his lieutenant spread their wings, then silently ascended into the sky. They disappeared in the night.

"How are you guys so stealthy?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight turned to see Midnight smiling playfully. "It's a secret," was her tease.

Rainbow huffed.

"Well... why don't we head inside?" Twilight suggested, opening the door to the library with her magic. Warm candlelight washed over them, and she welcomed it.

Lunch had been simple, but good. It wasn't as good as the restaurants Twilight was used to in Canterlot, and nothing could compare to the Castle's kitchen staff, but the company alone more than made up for it. The eight of them- Spike and Midnight had joined because leaving them behind felt wrong- stood out as both the largest and the liveliest group at the restaurant. The restaurant had outside tables, but unsurprisingly, they were all empty. They ate inside.

The Ponyville Spa was something else entirely, and Twilight wasn't sure what to make of it. It was a new experience for her; she had never been to a spa before. It wasn't something that really had any appeal to it: why waste time at a spa when she could be studying magic? And of course, there hadn't been anyone to go with her, not that she would have agreed to go with anypony else- save for Princess Celestia and possibly Cadance- because she was antisocial.

So while a bit nervous, she managed to relax because of her friends' reassurance. Excepting, of course, Rainbow Dash, who continued to grumble discontentedly, even when she did subject herself to the spa's treatments. To her surprise, however, Pinkie Pie actually relaxed with everypony else. Seeing Pinkie Pie relax left her bewildered, right up until one of the spa ponies started massaging her back.

And oh, it was wonderful. Twilight closed her eyes, a pleasured smile pulling at her lips as she relaxed under the pony's hooves, constantly working up and down her withers, kneading her muscles and working out kinks she didn't even know she had, though suspected were a result of sparring with Nightmare Moon. Nightmare's magic might have healed the pain, but there was still plenty left for the spa pony to work on.

"This is nice..." Twilight mumbled. A murmur of agreement from six ponies and a dragon came in reply.

"Yeah, sure. It's fine, maybe," was Rainbow's disgruntled response.

"Oh relax, dear, it's not like we do this every day. It's a treat," Rarity practically sang.

"It is kinda nice," Applejack offered. "A good break from working on Sweet Apple Acres." A moment passed in silence, aside from murmurs of pleasure. "Though," Applejack drawled, "it's not really making the best use of my time..."

Twilight opened her eyes and looked across the room at Applejack. It was odd to see her without her stetson on, but she also found it somehow comforting. "I can help you again sometime if you'd like," she offered.

Her mind didn't question why, nor betray her; why would it? She smiled as she remembered the feeling of wielding the Elements with them.

Applejack opened her eyes, smiling as she looked at Twilight. "I think I'll take you up on that offer... though it'll probably have to be after the, uh," Applejack's expression nearly blanked, then her face scrunched up in distaste, "celebration." Returning to normal, Applejack continued, "With how busy you're probably gonna be between now and then, what with the batponies doing... whatever it is they're doing, and all that."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, but Nightmare Moon doesn't really want anypony else to know."

"It's fine," Applejack replied. "I'm just glad we're still alive."

Twilight's smile faded. 'Are you talking about Discord, or Nightmare Moon?' she wondered but kept it to herself.

"Nightmare Moon knows what she's doing," Midnight said in a casual, cheery voice.

Twilight looked at Midnight. The batpony lay sprawled out on her stomach, with her leathery wings draped off the sides of the table she laid on. To her surprise, Midnight didn't have her tongue stuck out between her fangs. The batpony smiled and looked relaxed. 'I'm kind of surprised you agreed to this.' After all, Midnight had taken off her armor. Wasn't Midnight still supposed to be on duty protecting her? How did that work, then?

The pony massaging Midnight's back pressed her hooves up against Midnight's withers, and Twilight saw Midnight's lips part slightly. The faintest, "Eee..." murmured out of her mouth.

Then again, maybe Midnight was doing it because she wasn't going to be the one paying for it.

Twilight pushed the thought aside, and as the pony massaging her back pressed against another knot, she let out a moan and her eyes drifted closed.

"I'm surprised at how much you're enjoying this, Twilight," Rarity commented.

Without opening her eyes, Twilight mumbled, "I sparred with Nightmare Moon last night, so this feels pretty good."

For a moment, the pony massaging her back stopped. The murmurs of pleasure went silent. In confusion, she opened her eyes and found everypony except Midnight staring at her.

"I'm sorry, dear. Can you repeat that? Did you say you were sparring with Nightmare Moon?" Rarity asked.

"Er," Twilight shifted her weight on the table, "yes?" she squeaked.

Blank stares. After a few seconds, the pony returned to massaging her back. She kept her eyes open. One by one, the rest of the spa ponies went back to massaging her friends' backs. Her friends kept staring at her. Especially Spike, who looked like he wanted to jump from the table and scramble over to her.

"You sparred with Nightmare Moon," Rarity repeated.

Before Twilight could reply, Rainbow demanded, "Wait, what exactly do you mean by sparred?"

Twilight looked at Rainbow and shifted on the table again. "Um... we... sparred."

Rainbow looked ready to jump off of the table for one reason or another; her wings bristled at her sides, and her eyes had a worrying glint to them. "Sparred how?"

"Well-" Twilight started, the thought, 'This isn't going to end well,' running through her mind, "-she taught me how to teleport and, um, then we... sparred. Used our magic against each other to-"

"What!? Did she hurt you!?" Rainbow squawked, jumping off the table, startling the spa pony who had been massaging her in the process. In a blur, Rainbow came to a stop in front of Twilight.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity hissed.

"I'm fine!" Twilight retorted. She bit back a wince. "Mostly. She didn't hurt me on purpose, we were sparring. She was careful, and before you ask, no, I never landed a spell on her." She tried to force back a scowl, though it didn't seem like she was completely successful. "It's not like I could land a spell on her," she grumbled.

She was glad she left the necklace behind.

"You're sure you're fine?" Rainbow demanded. "She didn't-"

"Yes, I'm sure," Twilight groaned.

Rainbow shifted her weight. "Okay." A moment later, Rainbow's head turned left, then right, and after another moment, Rainbow fluffed her wings, then reluctantly trotted back to the table. The spa pony tending to her said nothing as Rainbow laid back down on the table.

"Would you care to, well, elaborate more, dear?" Rarity asked.

Twilight groaned and closed her eyes. "Sure." She opened her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "We sparred. She says it's a way she can teach me and help me to improve my magic... I don't necessarily like it because, well, it sucks and I can't win, but maybe she's right and it will help me improve my magic. It's... more involved than what I'm used to."

"Mm, sounds like her," Midnight commented.

Twilight frowned and looked at Midnight. "I thought she hasn't had a student before?"

Midnight looked at Twilight. "She hasn't. I just mean the more direct approach sounds like her. Don't get me wrong, she can be subtle, but... she never really was the diplomatic type."

"Right..." Twilight muttered. She knew that from experience.

"Sparring with Nightmare Moon sounds scary..." Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight grimaced. "Yeah..." she sighed. 'Most ponies would probably be terrified of that.' Shifting her weight again, she said, "It wasn't that bad. At least... I mean, I wasn't... scared. We were sparring. She wasn't trying to kill me or anything. She wouldn't do that."

They didn't all look convinced of that. Rainbow Dash was the least convinced of that. They didn't bring up anything.

"She's not... evil," Twilight grumbled, turning her gaze to the floor.

Rarity cleared her throat. "Dear, I know you mean well and I know you're... her student-" and Twilight knew Rarity didn't like that, "-and Midnight, please take no offense by this-"

"I won't," Midnight dismissed.

"-but Nightmare Moon did banish Princess Celestia and take over Equestria. She did bring about an eternal night that... isn't all that pleasant. She did kill a Royal Guard when she returned. Dear, we just worry about you."

Twilight bit her lip and looked over at Rarity briefly before staring at Midnight. The batpony was still on the table, still relaxing. Midnight hadn't scrambled to her hooves or anything. But that didn't mean Midnight wouldn't tell Nightmare Moon. Midnight was loyal to Nightmare Moon. She faced Rarity. "She's not evil," Twilight hastily defended. "She's just... it's complicated. Princess Celestia did banish her-"

"For trying to bring eternal night before, I might add," Rarity put in.

"But..." the argument died on Twilight's lips and her head drifted away. 'Neither of them are perfect. Neither of them did the right thing...' Nightmare Moon shouldn't have had to have been banished in the first place. Princess Celestia shouldn't be banished.

They should be ruling together.

Her ears folded back. "She won't hurt me." It came out quietly, but firmly. She looked back at Rarity.

"And what about us?" Rarity asked.

"She's not going to hurt any of you," Midnight put in. All eyes turned to Midnight. "She doesn't want to, and I don't think she would unless you were trying to... yeah."

Everypony knew what she meant.

Twilight felt cold. 'Maybe. But maybe I could convince her not to if it came down to it?' she wondered. Her attention was still divided. 'You're always unhappy because of your sister.' It was an undeniable fact that she had seen written on Nightmare Moon's features so often. And as insane as it was, 'You need to forgive her. Maybe I can convince Nightmare Moon to free Princess Celestia and forgive her.'

It was utterly absurd. There was no way it could work. Nightmare Moon hated her sister too much. But Nightmare Moon was logical and reasonable. Most of the time.

She needed to talk with her friends when Midnight wasn't there, and she needed to talk with Midnight when her friends weren't there.

Author's Note

Sets goal to write shorter chapters.
Still ends up writing a 13k word long chapter.

I wrote this chapter probably 6 months ago or so. Maybe longer. I don't think it has aged well, but I didn't get around to rereading it until less than an hour before I said I'd publish it. Also a lot of the story hasn't aged well... I attempt to keep this in mind.

It's a few minutes late because I was still reading through and editing. If I missed anything, please let me know.

Ceremony

Each passing second made more anxiety well up inside Twilight's chest. It was silly, really, but it was true. She had faced down Discord with her friends, but this made her almost as anxious. 'We beat the Spirit of Chaos, and this makes me nervous...' The thought brought a twisted, forced smile to her face.

The mirror more than told her just how horrified that smile looked.

She swallowed and forced the smile away, and then her expression looked haunted.

'This is silly,' she knew. 'The girls are doing just fine. They'd probably tell me I'm worrying too much!' And of course, she was certain that was true. Or at the very least, she could picture Rarity dismissing her worries as nothing.

Still, she looked nice. If she ignored how horrified her expression was.

"Is this really necessary?" she squeaked.

"Yes," was Nightmare's immediate answer.

Twilight looked to the left, careful not to turn her head. Nightmare watched her, looking at her contemplatively as if searching for any imperfections. The only imperfection she knew of was her expression, though she was certain she wasn't as talented as Rarity or the pony tending to her.

Nightmare's eyes snapped onto her own, and her teacher gave a slow nod of her head to emphasize, "Relax."

"Sorry," she muttered. "I just..." She fidgeted. Which was bad. She glanced to the left. The pony tending to her shot her a glare. She winced and forced a smile. The glare lingered as the pony ran the brush through the length of her mane again, then the glare went away as the mare's gaze refocused on her mane. She swallowed and looked back at Nightmare. "I'm not used to this."

"In truth, this surprises me," Nightmare admitted. A moment passed, and then Nightmare walked over to her, stopping just out of reach. The alicorn's eyes drifted back and forth across her face, and she noticed a slight lift of Nightmare's right wing, only for the movement to stop, and, after a moment, Nightmare's wing returned to her side. "Given that you were my sister's student, I had expected you to be more acquainted with such events."

"No," Twilight answered. "Or, well, I'm not used to being the center of attention." Her hooves felt cold. Had they always felt that cold? Why hadn't she noticed? Was she shaking where she stood?

Nightmare gave a hesitant nod. "I... suppose this is true. But still," her teacher mused, "I would have expected you to be used to the attention given that you were her student. I suppose given your nature, it is to be expected."

Her nature, of course, being an anti-social bookworm. Which wasn't as accurate of a description of her anymore since she had friends.

"Still," Nightmare nodded. "You should not shy away from this as you do."

Twilight stayed silent and let her eyes drift over her coat. It nearly shined from all the work the mare had put into it, and she was certain that was the only reason why Nightmare didn't brush a feather over her back. It felt nice, too, softer and slicker than normal. Perhaps warmer than normal, too, despite her cold hooves. The attention was nice, yet she still knew why she was getting that attention.

And that made her anxious.

She cringed and turned her head to face Nightmare Moon. "Are you sure all of this is really necessary?"

She could feel the mare glaring at her. Her eyes jumped to the right. Sure enough, there was a glare. She swallowed a lump in her throat and carefully brought her head back to face the mirror. She looked at Nightmare, careful not to move her head.

Nightmare inclined her head. "Yes," was her answer. "Try to relax. Your friends will be there with you."

"Right..." Twilight muttered. Her eyes dropped to the marble floor. She sucked in a deep breath, then let it out. For a moment, the mare stopped her work. She looked at her, but there was no glare. The moment passed and the mare went back to work. "I'm still nervous."

"You do not have to do anything other than be there," Nightmare reminded her.

"I know that," Twilight muttered. "But still!"

Nightmare tilted her head to the right. "Do you not think saving Equestria is worthy of celebration and praise?"

Twilight didn't reply. 'Of course it is...' she could reason, and yet, the whole thing was just insane! 'Five mares and a filly... saving the world. From something that Nightmare Moon, who defeated and banished Princess Celestia, couldn't stop.'

Who would believe such a story!? If somepony had told her that, she would have called them crazy!

But that's what had happened. She knew. She remembered. She had been there.

It was still insane.

She closed her eyes and took in another deep breath.

"You have nothing to be worried about," Nightmare's voice comforted.

And really, Nightmare Moon was right. What was there to worry about? She would be there with her friends. It wouldn't take that long, hopefully, and then she could enjoy the night with her friends. Assuming ponies gave them space to spend time together which wasn't very likely and- 'Oh, this is going to suck.'

'I'm worrying too much,' occurred to her again. Applejack would say so. Rarity would say so. Nightmare Moon said so. Even she said so. "I can't wait for tonight to be over with..." she grumbled.

"I believe I understand what you mean. Such events are... not my favorite, yet..." Nightmare Moon trailed off. Twilight opened her eyes and looked at her. Nightmare Moon stared at the floor, bobbing her head. A moment passed, then Nightmare stopped and looked up, meeting her gaze. "It is nice to be recognized."

Before she could stop herself, she asked, "Were you ever recognized or celebrated like this?"

A moment passed in silence. The mare stopped. Nightmare Moon watched her as if she didn't understand the question, then she blinked. Gradually, Nightmare inclined her head. "It was... different," was her quiet admission. Then Nightmare shook her head.

"But you did?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare shifted her weight and looked over Twilight's head to stare at the wall. "Not like this."

Twilight's ears drifted back. 'Did ponies celebrate you or not?' her mind questioned. Nightmare Moon said that ponies despised her, but if she was celebrated at times, what did that mean? Was it the batponies who celebrated her? Was it during times of war, when she had protected ponies? And then did the ponies forget and turn on her afterward?

Her ears drifted lower.

"It is a conversation for another time," Nightmare stated.

"Right..." she whispered. She licked her lips. "So, uh... can we go over how this is supposed to go again?"

Nightmare closed her eyes for a second, then opened them. "We have been over this several times already."

Twilight smiled awkwardly. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared!"

Nightmare squinted at her. "I believe the modern term is 'paralysis by analysis,' which applies to you in this situation."

The smile turned into a cringe. "Right..." she muttered.

"Relax. Do not worry," Nightmare comforted again. "You and your friends will be fine."

Not that it helped much. So much could go wrong! She could make a fool of herself, and in turn make Nightmare Moon look bad! One of her friends- probably Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie- could do something stupid! And ponies would know. They'd know that she was Nightmare Moon's student, even more now than before.

Would they look at her as a hero or a villain?

Surely they wouldn't see her as a villain! She and her friends had stopped Discord! They had saved Equestria and the world! But they hadn't stopped Nightmare Moon. They hadn't saved Princess Celestia.

She bit her lip.

"Twilight."

She released her lip and glanced at Nightmare too quickly to see her teacher's expression. "Sorry."

A few seconds passed in silence. The brush passed over her coat for the umpteenth time. It was still pleasant, though not as pleasant as the first time. It was very thorough, and certainly not entirely necessary. She already looked nice, how could more work make it any better? Though Rarity would probably argue that, 'One cannot rush perfection, dear.'

The brush stopped and the mare stepped back. She turned her eyes to watch the mare, then followed her as best she could. The mare watched her with a squint and slowly circled around her, almost like a predator, yet so distinct from one. "She is... presentable," the mare declared.

"Good," Nightmare said in a voice that was almost warm.

The mare bowed, then made her way out of the room. Nightmare turned her head to watch, then looked back at her. Until the door shut behind the mare, Nightmare's eyes continued to trail back and forth over her coat. "You look..." Nightmare hesitated, tossing her head side to side, "nice."

A compliment from Nightmare Moon! She smiled slightly. "Thank you."

The slightest smile pulled at Nightmare's lips, and the alicorn inclined her head once, then inhaled deeply. "I... trust you will not... ruin anything if I leave you to your friends' hooves?"

"Rarity would kill me if I did," Twilight answered.

"I... see," Nightmare drawled. The alicorn looked at her chest, and her gaze lingered on the necklace.

Nightmare's horn glowed to life, and in a flash of magic, Twilight felt the necklace's weight disappear. She looked down to find her chest bare. "You won't need that tonight," Nightmare said.

Twilight swallowed and met her gaze. After a moment, she carefully picked her right forehoof up- worried the mare would barge back in and shriek at her- and then turned to face Nightmare.

"As I have said," Nightmare said carefully, "I will... leave you to your friends tonight, after the ceremony. Celebrate. Enjoy spending time them."

Which, Twilight knew, translated into, 'As soon as I finish speaking, I am leaving, because I am unwelcome and will only be a blight on everything.' She frowned. "You can stay, you know." More softly, "You're my friend too."

Nightmare hesitated and Twilight saw the uncertainty in her eyes. Nightmare was conflicted; she wanted to agree, yet something held her back. Something else replaced the uncertain look. Disappointment? Nightmare nodded reluctantly. "Cadance is better suited for this," was her dismissal.

'But staying could be good for you!' her mind reasoned. Staying would give her opportunities that she needed! Nightmare Moon could mingle and, as hard as that was to picture, it would be good for her.

Assuming it didn't end badly and that ponies didn't keep their distance. And they would.

She sighed and her head fell.

Nightmare's feather brushed against her cheek. She looked back up at her teacher. "Do you want me to teleport you to your friends, or walk you there? We have time."

Twilight bobbed her head, though her mind still lingered on how Nightmare Moon separated her from her friends when getting dressed up- which really only translated into having her coat, mane, and tail pampered. It had been just Nightmare Moon, her, and the servants. It was almost nice, but she still missed her friends. "Teleport," she answered.

Nightmare inclined her head. Twilight felt the magic wrap around her and closed her eyes. They teleported. When she opened her eyes, she found them standing in a darker hallway; the room she had been in was brightly lit to allow for the best possible work, while the hallway had the same nighttime lighting as normal.

The chime of Nightmare's magic lingered, and the door opened. The room beyond was much larger than the room she had been in, but just as brightly lit. Beyond the doorway, she could see her five friends all being tended to. Rarity had an unfiltered smile on her face, while Rainbow's expression was much more muted, though still slightly pleased. Rarity enjoyed the pampering; Rainbow looked forward to being praised for how 'awesome' she was.

Still, Twilight smiled.

Nightmare pulled away from her without saying anything else. She turned to watch Nightmare walk off. 'I wish you could get along with the rest of my friends...'

Oh, how wonderful that would be! And it would be good for Nightmare Moon.

But maybe, there was still a chance.

She swallowed and licked her lips, then walked inside the room and closed the doors. "Girls," she greeted, and all eyes fell on her.

"Ah, there you are Twilight!" Rarity called out. "My, you look quite stunning, dear!"

Twilight blushed slightly. She looked nice, but stunning? Surely not! And yet Rarity seemed to approve. "Um, thank you," she quickly murmured. "You're all still not ready?"

"Blame Rarity!" Rainbow eagerly retorted.

"Dear, one does not rush perfection!" Rarity declared matter-of-factly. "You should be quite happy that we get an opportunity to be pampered like this!"

Of course, Rainbow glared at Rarity for that comment, and of course, Rarity didn't see it. "Yeah. Right," Rainbow groaned.

"Well, I'm glad you're all doing okay!" Twilight voiced.

All of her friends looked at her. "You're still nervous aren't you?" Applejack summarized.

Twilight's smile faded. "Yes."

Rarity sighed and looked at the mare tending to her. "Yes, yes, that's good enough," was her dismissal. The mare hesitated, and Rarity took the opportunity to turn and walk over to Twilight. "Dear, you really do worry too much. You don't need to worry about something like this!"

Coming from the pony who thought Nightmare Moon would kill them. Still, Twilight winced and turned away from her. 'Everypony says I worry too much.' When she looked back at Rarity, the unicorn held her hoof out a few inches from touching her shoulder, and with as well as she knew Rarity, the reason was simply not to dirty her coat. Rarity smiled sheepishly as she lowered her hoof. Twilight smiled back.

"You know all this work is just gonna fade away anyway, right? Probably won't last half the day," Applejack commented dryly.

Rarity threw her head back into the air, letting out an indignant, "Hmpf! Let a mare enjoy being pampered if she wants!"

Rainbow groaned.

Somehow, Rarity's mane was unharmed by her having tossed her head back.

"Nightmare Moon does want you all to look your best," Midnight said.

And Twilight jumped. "What!? Where did you come from?" She turned around and found the door open. Midnight tilted her head to the side casually, and Spike waved from her back. "Why didn't I hear the door open!?"

Midnight leveled her head again and smiled. "Secrets!"

And then stuck her tongue out between her fangs.

'Right.'

Midnight walked on in and quietly closed the door behind her.

Twilight glanced around the room again, then looked back at Midnight. "Are you-"

"Nightmare Moon doesn't want me with you all night unless you want me to," Midnight preempted. "Otherwise I'll be with Spike."

"Ah," Twilight said with a nod of her head. "Uh, thanks for looking after him so much."

"No problem!" Midnight eagerly replied.

Perhaps too eagerly.

She glanced at Spike. His smile might have been mischievous, but she wasn't completely sure. It was still enough to make her squint. Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. "Well... I suppose now we wait for Nightmare's summon..."

"Nightmare Moon's summon..." Rarity repeated, her voice more cautious than before. "It's... odd to think that's what it is..." Everypony looked at Her. Rarity shifted her weight. "Oh, you know what I mean! We're being recognized for a once in a lifetime accomplishment by Nightmare Moon!" Rarity paused to look at each pony, then whined, "I cannot be the only pony here who thinks that's, well..."

"A bit off?" Applejack offered.

Rarity threw her head back. "Well, perhaps 'off' isn't the word I would use, but yes."

"Because it's Nightmare Moon," Midnight stated calmly. Rarity cringed and turned to face Midnight. Twilight shifted her weight as her gaze landed on her guard. The batpony frowned, but nothing more.

"It isssss kinda weird that she'd want to celebrate us defeating Discord since we did try to stop her when she came back," Rainbow drawled in a raspy voice. "I mean, I know we're awesome for stopping Discord, but that doesn't seem like something Nightmare Moon would do."

'It is in my best interest,' Twilight could hear Nightmare Moon say. 'Because such a celebration would give the ponies of Equestria hope,' she could reason. But there was more to it than that, she was sure of it. But at the same time, her friends made a point. "She's not evil," she pointed out, and all eyes fell on her, barring the ponies tending to her friends. "She just..." she trailed off and bobbed her head to the side, then looked up to find her friends still staring at her. "She just has her own way of thinking about things."

Her own way that wasn't necessarily the friendliest way of looking at other ponies.

Midnight gave a hesitant nod.

More ponies were there than Nightmare Moon had expected. From where she stood, she had the perfect view to look out across the room and see just how many ponies stood on either side of the plush red carpet dividing the room. And both sides that were roped off were nearly packed with ponies. Stallions and mares, colts and fillies. Some talked to each other, others took in the crowd, and yet many more stared at her with a look of dread. A few watched her curiously, more closely than the rest of the crowd, and most of them were closest to her.

It surprised her. She didn't let it show. That so many ponies would come without being forced; that they would come by invitation, of their own choice, it reminded her of everything else that made no sense in the wake of her return.

It surprised her, but it pleased her. They were here to bear witness to her student's success! To see her so honored for such a deed! And she hoped they would not turn on Twilight as the ponies of so long ago had turned on Luna. Surely, they wouldn't, and yet back then, she had thought the same, and yet they had.

The bitterness seeped back into her mind, and the novelty of the crowd dried up. She sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled. She turned her eyes from the crowd to the guards: a mixture of Royal Guards and batponies. The batponies drew the occasional stare from ponies in the crowd but stayed alert, ignoring the stares. All in all, twenty-four guards were present in the room. 'Perhaps not enough,' a part of her reasoned, and yet, 'I am here.'

Nopony would think to attack while she was present. Nopony was that stupid.

'This will go off without a problem,' she reasoned, 'and Twilight will be appreciated.'

She took in another deep breath and looked behind her, out the window. Since it was the middle of the night, and because the window faced the west, the moon was, to her relief, hidden out of sight. She still felt it pestering her in her mind, but she didn't see it. Nopony there saw it.

"You seem... tense," Cadance murmured.

Nightmare's eyes pressed into a squint as she turned to face Cadance. Cadance's eyes slowly went between her chestplate, her left side, and her face. She looked at Cadance's tiara, then exhaled and turned back to face the crowd. "I would not say I am... tense," she answered.

"Uncomfortable, then?" Cadance offered.

'Yes,' her mind agreed. "Perhaps," she voiced. With a subtle shake of her head, she voiced, "I am surprised ponies came."

"You don't give them enough credit." Nightmare's eyes snapped onto Cadance's form. Her niece looked at her innocently. "Twilight and her friends stopped Discord, and you're honoring them for that. Of course, ponies will want to see the ponies who saved them from him."

And bitterly she knew, 'How much more they would want to honor Twilight and her friends if they had stopped me, or if they do stop me.' Her gaze hardened into a scowl, and she turned back to the crowd. As she turned, she caught Cadance's expression falling into a frown.

And as her gaze swept over the crowd, the ponies who whispered to one another went quiet, and all eyes fell on her. They feared her. Some of the ponies closer to her did not have the same look of fear that the others did, though they too were hesitant to move. She bit back a growl of anger and exhaled sharply. 'This is the thanks they give me. This is how they mock me!' her mind screamed.

Nothing would change that.

Nothing would change the anger she felt, not free her from that damned bitterness and mockery and the insufferable torment her sister had put her through. Nothing would strip away from her how ponies had treated her and would continue to treat her.

Her subjects hated her. What more was there to think or know?

And she forced it all back, swallowing that wretched bile that made her sick to her stomach if only to endure for Twilight's sake. 'I will not ruin this for you as Sister ruined it for me,' simmered in her mind. And so she held herself rigid, lifting her eyes over the crowd and staring at the door.

And a part of her wanted to laugh. Laugh at how insane it was. Laugh at how it made no sense. Laugh at herself for being a damned foal. Laugh at how the ponies cowered before her.

And then scream in rage.

She was Queen! And they hated her. She protected them! And they spat on her. She guarded their dreams! And they ignored her. She poured out her soul into them! And they mocked her. She took what was rightfully hers! And they wanted her blood.

And in that moment, she knew, 'I will never have what I truly want.' It wouldn't matter whatever happened. She could have all the power and authority in the world, she could torment her sister for thousands upon thousands of years, but she would still be bitter. Perhaps it would be a moment's pleasure, but nothing more. That moment would pass, and she would be left just as unhappy as before.

She inhaled deeply, held the breath for a few seconds, then let it out. It did nothing for her anger. 'It would not do for ponies to see me react violently; I cannot do so because it would hurt Twilight and they would not honor her as she deserves.'

With the thought, 'Twilight is my friend,' a bit of the anger and bitterness cooled. The celebration was to honor Twilight and her friends. It wasn't about her. To come in and steal that from Twilight would be to mimic what Sister had done to her. And wholeheartedly, 'We deserve so much more than this. You deserve so much more than this.'

For that was Twilight's destiny, was it not?

Her heart pulsed a little faster and a bit more energy went into her body. She swiped her tongue over her lips. For a moment, the thought, 'I ought to have a tiara,' drew her gaze to Cadance's tiara. That her niece had one and she did not was a mockery of her. But yet, it was also inefficient. 'I would not wear one over my helmet.'

And she could not take her armor off, and to exchange her helmet for a crown she would not.

The doors parted in the middle, and with that, all eyes went to the group of mares standing in the doorway. Their coats almost shimmered and shined in the soft light, and their manes and tails flowed gracefully from their bodies. The ponies in the crowd turned to face them, and the six ponies gradually started walking down the center aisle. Two guards flanked them on each side; it was both simple ceremony, and for their protection. It would not do to leave them defenseless in such a vulnerable position.

And Nightmare Moon looked at Twilight Sparkle alone. Met her gaze. Watched each nervous, timid step. Caught the tremble in her legs, the way her chest seemed to seize up every other second from fear.

And she was glad nopony was watching her, because her ears flicked back before she could catch it. 'Embrace this!' her mind screamed out, but it wasn't to be. And so she felt the bitterness and anger strangled out by disappointment.

But even so, Twilight stayed at the head of the group, timidly approaching the stairs at the other end of the room. A step behind her and to the left and right were Rainbow Dash and Applejack, respectively, followed by Fluttershy and Rarity, and then Pinkie Pie.

Who, rather than walking, bounced along in a carefree manner. 'Yes, you bear laughter.' And for a moment, it hurt to think about.

Twilight broke eye contact and looked at Cadance, then inhaled deeply. Ponies turned their heads and bodies to keep watching the group as they walked passed, and then everypony looked towards her as the group ascended the stairs. They came to a stop before her, and the honor guard broke and walked off to the side, leaving the five mares and filly to stand alone before her.

And then it was time to begin. She cast her gaze back out over the crowd. They all looked back at her or at Cadance or the mares and filly, some fidgeted on their hooves anxiously, some watching with dread, and some of the closer ones carefully watching her moves. For a moment, her gaze slipped onto the group of closer ponies. Something about them warranted scrutiny.

She cast it aside and let her gaze roll over the crowd. She opened her mouth and spoke, "My-" only to hesitate for a moment. There were so many ways she could address them. 'Subjects' was the most accurate. 'Ponies' would be to rub salt in her sister's wounds. She had taken them from her, after all. And perhaps calling them 'subjects' was unwarranted.

But they weren't really her ponies, were they? Her mouth closed and a moment passed. She mentally kicked herself. "Tonight is a wonderful night," she declared, and to emphasize the point, nodded. Before continuing, she took a few seconds to let her gaze wander over the crowd, trying to meet as many eyes as she could. "For my student and her friends have vanquished a great evil from Equestria!"

There was a nearly inaudible murmur of agreement and approval, though it was constricted by her presence. 'If I were not here, they would cry out in joy.'

And she felt bitter.

But she had a task, so she forced it back. "Discord! The Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony!" And a wave of cold seemed to wash over the room at the sound of his name. Even she fought off the urge to shiver. She could almost feel him leaning closer to listen in, all the while grinning ear to ear.

"Were it not for my student's doing, he would have torn the world apart!" she declared. Ponies huddled closer together, and she felt a stab of pain in her chest. For a moment, she was silent, taking in a breath and glancing aside at Cadance. 'I should have left this solely to you, Cadance.'

But there was no time for that now.

She looked back out at the crowd. "Together, the six of them-" and she left out how they did it and what they used, because nopony else needed to know that, "-wielded powerful magic to return Discord to his stone prison!"

'I could emphasize that only my sister and I had done so before in the past,' meandered through her mind. The thought was in poor taste. Perhaps it would add on to the praise they would receive, but it wasn't necessary. It might create problems. Ponies might not even know nor care.

And it wasn't about her.

She swallowed and licked her lips, pausing again to meet as many ponies' eyes as she could before continuing, "For this act of courage and heroism, we gather here to honor them on this night!"

A few ponies, to her surprise, actually smiled. Everypony kept quiet.

She turned her eyes onto the six ponies before her. Starting with Twilight, and working her way out to each of her friends, she met each one's gaze and nodded once. "And to give them our thanks." And she meant that.

She looked at Twilight again and nodded. The filly tried to smile, but it was forced and strained. "Relax," she whispered, inclining her head once. "We are almost finished." She lifted her head back up and turned to the left, then nodded.

Two royal honor guards, both unicorns, walked over with confident, rehearsed strides. In their magic, they carried two pillows, upon each laid three meticulously placed medallions. The medallions were black onyx circles, within which set a single silver crescent moon. The guards came to a stop, faced the five mares and filly, then bowed to them and held the pillows out.

Nightmare inclined her head, and the five mares and filly all fell into rehearsed bows. After they were lowered, Nightmare turned to the pillows and took the first medallion in her magic, levitated it up, then turned back to face her student.

"Twilight Sparkle, my student..." A sudden twinge of anxiety pricked her chest, nearly making her squirm. "And... friend," she amended, then swallowed. Twilight's eyes snapped up to meet her own.

Saying that in front everypony else was probably a mistake.

She forced the concern aside and inhaled. "For leading your friends in the face of Discord's chaos," she paused to incline her head, then carefully lowered the medallion onto her student's neck. Once in place, Twilight timidly stood back up, then turned to face the crowd.

Moving onto Rainbow Dash, she took the next medallion in her magic and, as much as she wanted to wring the pegasus with her magic, "Rainbow Dash. For standing by my student and your friend in the face of Discord's treachery." She inclined her head. Rainbow grinned at her. She put the medallion on the mare's neck, and Rainbow nearly jumped back up and turned around to face the crowd, smiling brashly and puffing out her chest.

"Applejack. For unwavering conviction against Discord's lies." She inclined her head and put the medallion on Applejack's neck, a task made slightly more difficult by her stetson. Applejack stood back up, nodded at her, then turned around and adjusted her stetson back into place.

"Fluttershy. For refusing to return anger with anger." She nodded and placed the medallion on Fluttershy's neck. The pegasus barely managed to stand up on shaky legs and face the crowd. Almost immediately, Fluttershy hid behind her mane.

"Rarity. For giving all you could in defense of Equestria." The mare gracefully rose and turned around to face the crowd, smiling a well-rehearsed smile.

"Pinkie Pie. For holding onto hope in the face of hopelessness." Once the medallion was on Pinkie's neck, she jumped up and turned around, smiling happily.

Nightmare Moon inhaled and nodded. In a graceful motion, she spread her wings wide. "The saviors of Equestria!" she declared.

Subdued murmurs of agreement. No jubilant cries.

It stung.

For a few seconds longer, she held her wings out, somehow trying to hope and will for celebration. Pleading for, just once, something to go her way. If not for her, then for Twilight.

It never came.

'Foalish idiot!' her mind snapped. 'You know better than this!' was violently hissed. Her wings wobbled and drifted a few inches lower as her resolve shattered. 'I should have had Cadance tend to this. You idiot!' She folded her wings and ran her eyes over the crowd again. They did not celebrate, they did not cheer.

Bitterness. Anger.

And then disappointment.

She didn't let it show. "As you should know, a banquet has been prepared." She nodded once. "Eat. Drink. Celebrate," she said, then turned to the right and walked away.

She didn't look back. She still knew Twilight turned to watch her leave.

Once she was out of sight, she teleported back to her chambers.

Hoping they would celebrate.

Knowing they wouldn't.

For the most part, Twilight just forced a smile and nodded at everypony who walked over to talk to her. There had to be hundreds of ponies at the banquet! And all of them vied for her attention, some more than others.

"I must say, that you had those... five common mares help you defeat Discord is... most surprising," Blueblood monotoned, nodding his head to himself.

And all she could do was try to force a smile, even as the smile cracked and shattered. Blueblood. Formerly 'Prince' Blueblood. Not a fun pony. She could not think of anypony else who thought so highly of himself.

"Though I suppose using the common peasantry to distract Discord while you defeated him is acceptable. They fulfilled their purpose." He paused and regarded her absently. "Why are they still here, again?"

"We defeated Discord together-"

He laughed 'happily.' "Oh, Twilight Sparkle, I never knew you had a sense of humor."

She squinted at him. "I'm being serious."

He laughed again and slowly shook his head. "Yes, yes... I suppose you did. But sharing the honor with them when you were the one to defeat Discord? Surely you cannot mean to say that they deserve any of the thanks. They're just-"

"They're. My. Friends," Twilight forced out.

He squinted at her. "But they're-"

She cut his protest short, repeating, "They're my friends. I couldn't have stopped Discord without them!"

"But your magic-!"

"Wasn't enough! I needed them-!"

He recoiled. "For more than distracting Discord!? You can't seriously tell me they actually contributed?!"

She huffed. "They did!"

"I never!" he huffed, jerking his head up, then storming off indignantly.

And she was grateful he was gone. She inhaled as she lifted her head to the sky victoriously, then threw her head down as she exhaled. "Oh thank Celestia..." she whispered under her breath.

She cringed and quickly made sure nopony heard her say that. Of course, a lot of the ponies near her were watching her, but none of them seemed to have heard her. She lifted her head back up and looked at the starry night sky. The moon hung overhead, gradually descending.

'I'm sorry.'

But it didn't matter.

She lowered her gaze back to the pony-filled courtyard and searched for any signs of her friends. 'Breaking up to go our separate ways was a mistake.' She just knew it.

Her stomach rumbled, and she shifted her weight uncomfortable. 'As soon as I find all of you we can go get something to eat,' she affirmed with a nod. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a unicorn stallion smiling and walking towards her, carrying a tray that had a vegetable kebab on it.

As quickly as she could without making a scene or looking like she was trying to get away, she made her way into the rest of the crowd. It took a few minutes to lose him, but he eventually gave up. 'Why do we have to be the center of attention?' her mind groaned.

'The sooner I can find you the sooner we can slip out unnoticed,' was the thought that kept her going. She weaved between ponies and listened, though over the classical music and murmur of ponies, she couldn't hear any of her friends' voices.

Most of the ponies were unicorns too, so she couldn't make out Rarity's aura. Looking to the sky, however, she smiled. A small group of pegasi was clustered together. She only recognized one, but the mare was the only one she needed to recognize. 'Rainbow Dash!'

Twilight quickly glanced left and right to make sure she wouldn't run into anypony, then made her way towards the flock of pegasi. As she got closer, she could make out the rest of the pegasi wearing uniforms that she vaguely recognized. 'Wonderbolts?'

Coming to a stop and looking up at them, 'Yes, Wonderbolts.'

Leave it to Rainbow Dash to hang out with them.

"I mean, it was awesome, but not nearly as awesome as you guys!" Rainbow gushed, pressing her forehooves against her muzzle.

"Rainbow?" she called.

"It felt really awesome though, like, flying without using pegasus magic and having to beat your wings! Though it wasn't really as cool as flying... But still, and oh, oh did I mention-!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called.

"Huh?" Rainbow looked down.

"Seems like your friend wants you," one of the Wonderbolts said. Twilight looked at her. The voice was oddly raspy like Rainbow's. Her mane was orange and her coat was yellow. Twilight didn't recognize her.

"Uh, right," Rainbow quickly muttered. "I'll catch you guys, later Spitfire!"

'Is that Spitfire?' Twilight wondered. The Wonderbolt nodded, then flew off, followed by the other three.

Rainbow dived down and hovered in front of Twilight. "Hey, Twilight, what's up!? This party is awesome! I got to meet the Wonderbolts and-!"

Nodding, Twilight said, "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Rainbow."

Rainbow did a loop in the air and let out an excited squeal. "I met Spitfire and Soarin and Fleetfoot! Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!"

Twilight smiled. Rainbow came to a stop facing her again, and the mare's eyes were absolutely lit up in excitement. "Have you seen the rest of the girls?"

Rainbow landed. "Uh, no," was her much-subdued answer. "I was with Fluttershy before I spotted them. I still can't believe that I got to talk to them!" Rainbow let out another squeal and pranced in place.

Twilight smiled a little more. "Well, uh, sorry to cut it short but..." she leaned to the right. "I don't know about you but I'm kind of hungry and would like to go eat."

Rainbow hesitated for a moment. "Eh, sure. I'm kinda hungry and this place doesn't really have any actual food."

"I take issue with that," Rarity declared indignantly. Twilight looked at Rarity, who carried a hors d'oeuvre in her magic. The unicorn tilted her head to the air and declared, "You should try them, Rainbow."

"Blegh," Rainbow groaned. "Already did," was grumbled. Rainbow flew over in front of Rarity and stopped. "How can you call that-" Rainbow pointed her forehooves at the hors d'oeuvre, "-food!?"

"Hmpf," Rarity huffed.

"Hey, Rarity, have you seen the others?" Twilight asked.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Applejack was with Fluttershy, keeping her company," Rarity answered. A sad smile crossed her lips, her ears twitched back slightly, and her gaze fell to the ground. "Poor dear is so out of place here," she sighed.

Twilight grimaced. "Yeah..." 'The sooner we leave, the better.' "What about Pinkie Pie?"

A look of horror flashed across Rarity's features. Quietly, Rarity mumbled, "I am fairly certain ponies are doing their best to keep their distance from her."

Rainbow looked away from them, then flew a few feet higher into the air. "Yeah, I see her. And Applejack and Fluttershy."

"Well, let's get the rest of the girls and go?" Twilight asked.

"Sounds good to me," Rainbow replied.

"I suppose some peace and quiet would be nice," Rarity sighed. "As much as I enjoy socializing... I suppose there is such a thing as too much of a good thing."

"Uh, why don't you two gather the rest of the girls and wait by the gate?" Twilight suggested.

Both Rainbow and Rarity looked at her. "Something you wanna do first?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Kind of, yes," she admitted. "I shouldn't be long!"

"Alright. We'll wait on you, dear," Rarity replied.

"Thanks, Rarity!" Twilight smiled warmer, then channeled her magic into her horn and prepared a teleportation spell. 'I've not teleported this far before, but it's just me so I should be able to do it! And besides, I know where I'm going to end up,' she reasoned.

Of course, the blinding flash of light in the middle of the night wasn't discrete, but she only remembered that after casting the spell. She winced as soon as she arrived.

"Who-!? Oh. Good evening, Twilight."

Twilight turned. Both of the guards relaxed and shifted their weight. Her eyes jumped onto the crescent moon set in the center of the door, then went back to the closest guard. "Uh, is Nightmare Moon here?"

The guard nodded. "Yes. You may enter."

Twilight shifted her weight. "Uh, do I need to knock or-"

The guard held his head a little higher. "Nightmare Moon has said you may come and go as you please."

And for several seconds, Twilight stared at him in bewilderment. She had to have misheard that! She forced a smile and asked, "Did you say Nightmare Moon said that-"

The guard nodded preemptively. "You may come and go from her chambers as you want."

Twilight blinked as her smile faded. 'Okay, so I didn't mishear that.' And that raised several questions! 'Why!?' It didn't make any sense! Surely Nightmare Moon had to want privacy, and if that was so, which she presumed to be true, why did Nightmare Moon say such a thing!? And if it was true, for how long!? It had to be recent.

And of course, it occurred to her, 'This is something only for me.' She was certain nopony else, not even Cadance, had such a priviledge. She felt coldness creep down her back and shivered. "Um, thank you," she mumbled, then stepped towards the door.

She stopped and hesitated. Both guards stood stoically again; he wouldn't have lied about that and it couldn't be a prank. She could just open the door and go inside. If Nightmare Moon didn't want her to, well, Nightmare Moon had to know spells that would keep her from doing that.

Just barging in felt wrong, though! How insane was it to think that a filly could just waltz right into Nightmare Moon's chambers without any prior word of her arrival!? She cringed and lifted her forehoof to knock on the door. A few seconds passed while she held her hoof in the air, and then she lowered it back to the floor.

"She is here, right?" Twilight asked.

The guard on the left looked at her and gave a succinct nod. "As far as we know, yes," he answered, then looked at the other wall again.

"Right..." Twilight mumbled. She took a deep breath and lifted her forehoof to knock again. The door opened and Nightmare Moon looked down at her. She lowered her hoof as Nightmare's eyes wandered over her, then Nightmare gave a nod and stepped aside. Twilight licked her lips, glanced at both of the guards, then scurried inside.

A moment later, the door clicked closed. "You are not with your friends," Nightmare surmised.

Twilight stood there for a moment, listening as Nightmare's hooves clicked against the floor from her walking. She turned to the right and nodded. "I wanted to talk to you," she said.

Nightmare slowed to a stop, inhaled, then inclined her head. "Very well."

Twilight turned to face her. "We're going to go out into Canterlot for dinner."

Nightmare hesitated a moment, then gave a single slow nod. "You do not need to tell me this."

Twilight leaned left, then right. "I want you to come with us."

Nightmare looked bewildered. Twilight stayed silent, and after several seconds, the bewilderment faded away. Nightmare broke eye contact and scrutinized her features. "I do not believe that would be wise."

Twilight frowned. "Why not?"

Nightmare tilted her head to the right. "You saw how the ceremony went."

Her frown deepened. "That's-"

Nightmare shook her head. "Your friends do not like me either. My presence would only prevent you from enjoying their company," she stated. An eyebrow lifted. "Can you truly say to me that you would feel comfortable with all seven of us gathered together? When your friends joined us for a meal, you were far from comfortable. You likewise seem uncomfortable when all of us are around."

Twilight's lips pulled back into a wince and she turned to the left. A scroll was unrolled on Nightmare's desk, but the quill was in the inkwell. "It makes me nervous, yes," she mumbled. She breathed in and held the breath as she turned back to meet Nightmare's gaze. "But I think it would be good for you to meet other ponies!"

And the irony of it wasn't lost on either of them. 'Me. Twilight Sparkle. Telling Nightmare Moon that she should meet other ponies.' An amused smile crossed Nightmare's lips, but only for a moment, then it faded and disappointment replaced it.

Her teacher shook her head. "Tonight is for you and your friends," Nightmare stated with a nod. Her teacher took a step closer and leaned down so their heads were level. "Go spend time with them." A nod. "Celebrate with them." Another nod. Nightmare lifted her head back up.

"Come with us," Twilight said simply. "You're my friend too."

Nightmare stayed silent for a few seconds, a conflict passing through her eyes, then turned to the right and walked to the doorway to her bedchambers. "Another time..." was her calm dismissal. Nightmare's head bowed slightly towards the floor, "Perhaps."

Twilight puffed out her cheeks and threw her head left, then right before facing Nightmare again. "Oh come on! If you're worried about how they'll react to you being there-" Nightmare turned to face her, "-then can't you use your magic to disguise yourself?"

Nightmare frowned but nodded. "I can, but that does not mean I should." Her teacher turned to face her. "I could disguise myself but I would still be me and I would still be there. All it would be doing would be lying to your friends about who I am." Nightmare shook her head. "How would you explain who I was, without lying? And what of when they figure it out? Because I assure you, they would. And then you would be in trouble with them, and things would end poorly."

She didn't want to accept it, but she knew, 'You have a point.' Her eyes dropped to the floor. She heard Nightmare step closer to her, then saw Nightmare's boots and legs come into view. She looked up just in time for Nightmare's feather to glide across her cheek.

"I will not lie to them in such a way. I will not force you to lie to them in such a way," Nightmare stated.

"Okay..." Twilight mumbled before she knew what she was saying. She sighed and nodded in defeat. 'It would be good for you,' her mind still argued. Lifting her head back up, she met Nightmare's gaze and asked, "But... sometime?"

And that familiar, foreign hesitation washed over Nightmare's features; Twilight could see how Nightmare Moon didn't want to answer or didn't know how to answer. Nightmare's lips parted, but nothing came out. Her head lifted back up, then bobbed side to side. "Perhaps," was her teacher's answer.

Twilight smiled. "I would like that."

Nightmare's hesitation lingered as she nodded. "I... would perhaps not be averse to going out to see what food restaurants in Canterlot have to offer..." Nightmare grimaced. "Though... I am hesitant to do so," she admitted. "Me being there would likely end poorly, and ponies might try to poison the food."

Twilight laughed. "Poison the food, really?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "Yes."

Twilight frowned. "I don't think that would happen."

"Perhaps not," Nightmare admitted, "but it is a risk."

Twilight's brow creased. "Aren't you immune to poisons anyway?"

Nightmare bobbed her head. "Most, yes."

"But not all."

"But not all," Nightmare echoed with a nod of her head. "Granted it would still take a lot, but... it is perhaps doable. Besides, they might poison you."

Twilight shifted her weight. It was, albeit unlikely, a distinct possibility- even if it was an accident like switching up whose food got poisoned. "Right..." Twilight muttered. "I don't think anypony wants to poison me."

"I hope not," Nightmare stated. "I would be..." Nightmare turned away from her, and an almost pained look twisted her face, "displeased if that happened."

Twilight frowned again and shifted her weight, knowing, 'I'm your only friend, aren't I?' It wouldn't be fair on her. It wasn't fair on her. "You need more friends."

Nightmare faced her again. "This coming from the pony who formerly had no friends."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "And now I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Nightmare nodded slowly as if knowing something Twilight didn't. Before she could ask, Nightmare said, "The guards told you that you may come and go as you please, correct?"

"Uh, yes," Twilight answered. "I wasn't sure but... yes."

Nightmare nodded. "You may."

"And... you don't mind?" Twilight ventured, turning her head to the left but keeping eye contact.

Nightmare waited a moment, then inclined her head once. "I do not mind." Her teacher smiled slightly and added, "I do appreciate your company. I am-" Nightmare broke eye contact, "-fond of it."

Twilight smiled, and, without waiting, walked over to Nightmare. She pressed herself against Nightmare's chestplate and reached her right foreleg around Nightmare's neck. Nightmare hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and returned the hug.

"I... hope you enjoyed tonight," Nightmare mumbled. Twilight winced and shifted her weight. "I shall take that as a no."

"It's not that!" Twilight defended. "It's just... not what I'm used to. I really don't think it was necessary-"

"I do," Nightmare countered. "And it is good for Equestria."

'I can understand that, yes.' She pulled back from the hug. Nightmare held her a moment longer, then let go.

Absently, Nightmare commented, "You should be able to teleport inside this room. The enchantments... Sister left room for you."

Twilight flinched. "What!?"

Nightmare nodded reluctantly. "There are four ponies who the enchantments take exception to block from teleporting into this room. You are among them."

Twilight stared at Nightmare Moon. 'Why!? And I couldn't even teleport before!' "Why would she-"

"I am unsure," Nightmare answered. "I... have a suspicion-" Nightmare's wings flicked at her sides, "-but I am not sure."

Twilight nodded slowly. "Okay..?"

Nightmare looked at her and shook her head. "It is a topic for another time, perhaps. Enjoy your night, Twilight."

Even with the unease still in her mind, Twilight managed to smile. "Okay." Nightmare inclined her head once, and Twilight teleported back to the gate.

What did Nightmare Moon know that she did not? What went unsaid?

Twilight teleported out of the room, leaving Nightmare Moon to her thoughts. For several seconds, she stared where her student had been standing. That feeling of longing for her student's company returned, but she forced it aside as she walked into her bedchambers. 'And you likewise enjoy my company.' She wasn't sure what to make of that knowledge.

It was pleasant, yet she still found it odd. Concerning, even, when she considered how Twilight had been. But perhaps she was thinking about it too much. Perhaps Twilight wasn't the only one who worried too much.

She strode past her bed and walked out onto her balcony, stopped at the railing, and let her forehooves dangle over the edge. She rested her chest against the railing and let her eyes sweep over the courtyard, then Twilight's tower and then the garden.

Cadance was out there. Her niece.

Her lips twisted into a grimace. 'I still need to discuss this with you, though I do not know if this is the best time for that or not.' But she still knew procrastination would get her nowhere. It wasn't as if telling Cadance she knew that would change anything, anyway. They had been 'family' before, only now, Cadance would know that she knew.

It wouldn't change anything.

Cadance was still useful. Cadance was still on her side, even if it was tentative.

'When my castle is rebuilt... perhaps I will visit Sister.' Before she could dwell on the thought any, she spread her wings wide and jumped into the air. She banked right and glided the distance to the garden, and silently landed outside the entrance. With a bit of magic and exploration, she found Cadance a few minutes later and stopped to watch her.

The lesser alicorn- her niece- stood alone near one of the fountains. Flowers bloomed forth from the edge of the circular, water-filled stone basin. Yet she found her gaze drawn away from Cadance and the flowers to stare at the statue of a pair of alicorns dancing together. On their hind hooves, their backs arched out, with their heads bowed together, horn against horn, wings flared wide. The mane and tail, carved of stone, looked light as air, while the statues' bodies looked heavy and muscles, yet regal and graceful.

Neither alicorn had a cutie mark. Nothing distinguished one from the other; they were mirrored.

"Niece," she called, and Cadance went stiff. For a few seconds, she watched Cadance to see if she would move, but nothing happened, so she took a few quiet steps forward. Cadance managed to glance back at her. "Relax."

Cadance remained still for another second; Nightmare came to a stop when Cadance turned her head back. "How did you find out?"

Nightmare looked back at the statue and watched water roll down their bodies from their horns. "Twilight told me."

Cadance winced. "I suppose... you're angry..." was her mumble.

Nightmare looked back at Cadance, waited a moment, then shook her head. "No."

Cadance frowned and turned to face her. "You're... not angry? That I didn't tell you that..." she trailed off and bit her lip.

"As much as I am shocked by this revelation," Nightmare grumbled, turning away from Cadance to regard a patch of the night sky that was well away from the moon. "I understand why it was kept from me."

"I'm sorry," Cadance apologized.

Nightmare looked back at her. "You're not. Do not apologize, Niece," she dismissed.

Cadance's frown deepened, and her ears drooped. "I wanted to tell you, but... I didn't know how you would react."

"I will not hold Sister's sins against you. You have done nothing to warrant my anger yet, Cadance," Nightmare retorted.

Cadance lifted her muzzle into the air. "Yet."

Nightmare narrowed her eyes at Cadance. "Do not betray me and we will not have problems."

Cadance's ears pinned back against her mane. "You're family," was her defense. Her mouth hung open, ready to continue, and yet as Nightmare tilted her head, she watched the realization pass through Cadance's eyes as her niece recognized how weak of an argument it was.

Because of the simple fact, "So was Sister."

Cadance closed her mouth, her brow folding down. A few seconds passed while Cadance just stared at her, then her niece inhaled and turned back to watch the fountain. "She missed you," came out in a soft, almost musical, almost pleading tone.

Nightmare's nostrils flared. "I doubt that," she growled. "Or no, perhaps not. She did miss me, as she missed taking advantage of Luna," she mocked. And yes, that had to be the truth. If Sister missed her, there was no doubt that Sister missed using Luna. Well, it wouldn't be that way again.

Cadance turned around to face her in a calm, graceful motion. So much more controlled than her response had been. And Cadance looked at her with an expression of pain and torment, so swayed by sister's deception that she was convinced, "She loves you." And Cadance shook her head, unable to understand beyond what sister had lied to her. "Why can't you see that?"

Nightmare waited a few seconds before answering. Snapping back, as satisfying as it would be, wouldn't benefit her any. And the fault was not Cadance's, but Sister's. "Sister lied to you as well, then," she stated.

Cadance shook her head more firmly, defiant and firm in her beliefs. And just as quick, just as firm, and just as defiant, "You're wrong. You're wrong, Nightmare Moon. She loves you and you just don't see it. You can't see it."

Oh, how naive.

"How was it loving of her to betray me?" she asked. For a moment, she paused. The calm before the storm, and then her thoughts twisted with those bitter memories. "To abandon me?" The anger welled up inside her as the storm struck. "To banish me for... ONE!" She took a step forward. "THOUSAND!" Another step. Cadance stepped back. "YEARS!" The stone cracked beneath her hoof. Her lips pulled back, laying her teeth bare for Niece to see.

Because it was not loving.

And Cadance was a foal.

Perhaps Cadance had done nothing to warrant her anger, but her patience had limits. Cadance was stained by Sister's lies.

Her heart raced in her chest. Her eyes bore into Cadance. "Tell me, Cadenza, how that is loving," she ordered, twitching her head side to side. "Tell me, Niece, how much she loved me when she abandoned me."

And then Cadance looked at her with that same, damned familial defiance that her sister had when she returned.

"She made mistakes," Cadance defended, the admission coming out calmly as pain passed through her eyes. "She's not perfect."

Cadance broke eye contact.

"Tell me, Cadenze," she challenged, swiping her tongue over her lips before continuing, "how it is loving to erase all trace of your sister from history. To erase every good deed she had done, to erase everything she had sacrificed to protect the country you stole from her. To erase the way everypony looked at her with spite and hatred that she had not earned."

And she felt victorious, for there was nothing Cadance could ever do that would change her mind, because it was simply fact.

And Cadance looked at her, somehow maintaining that damned calm serenity just like Sister had every time Sister lied to her face. "So that when you came home, you would have a fresh start. So that ponies wouldn't look at you with the same spite and hatred. So that when you came home, you would be loved. So that those ponies who hated you wouldn't haunt you. So that you could be happy."

And she had nothing to say. There was nothing that she could say. She stared at Cadance, not knowing what to even think about that suggestion, yet still knowing, 'Sister lied to you so thoroughly, and you believe all of her lies.' Perhaps then, Cadance was a lost cause. And there was nothing there for her. An ally, but one who would turn on her the second Sister returned.

Cadance continued, "You don't know how much it tore her apart after your banishment."

"And you do?" Nightmare asked. "You were not there, Cadance. Face it. She lied to you as she lied to me as she lied to Twilight as she lied to everypony."

Cadance nodded in defeat. Nightmare Moon felt a surge of joy at victory, only to have Cadance rip it away from her when that damned, defiant gaze returned to match her own. "You have no idea, Nightmare Moon. Celestia-" that damned name nearly made Nightmare scream! As it was, she clenched her jaw tight. "-loves you so, so much more than you can understand."

Cadance stepped towards her. That damned, defiant gaze twisted into something wretched: pity! "And you? You don't see it. You can't see it, can you? She was blinded by the praise ponies gave her. And you?" Cadance shook her head sadly. "You're blinded by your hatred for her."

"Do not compare me to Sister, Niece," Nightmare ordered.

Cadance nodded sarcastically. "You claim Celestia used you, right?"

"She did!" Nightmare hissed.

Cadance met her with a level gaze. Calmly, her niece had the audacity to ask, "And what does that say about you, using Twilight?"

"I AM NOT-!"

"This whole celebration? Celebrating Twilight's accomplishment? It's because you want Equestria to do better. Am I wrong? That Twilight and her friends are celebrated is secondary. How is that different from Celestia using you?" Cadance asked.

Twilight. If Twilight was there, her student would take Cadance's side, wouldn't she?

And what then would Twilight think? Misplaced as it was, Twilight would believe Cadance, wouldn't she? Because Twilight had been lied to by Sister, just like Cadance. Despite the truth that she was not using Twilight, the filly would take Cadance's side.

And Twilight would think she was just using her.

And she felt anger.

'I am overreacting.' And she was damned because it was true. And she was damned because she couldn't vent! Oh, it made her need to scream. Oh, it made her need to tear the lesser alicorn apart. But Cadance was family, and as much as she hated what Cadance said, as much as she hated the pathetic excuse for an alicorn, Cadance was still useful.

And she would not turn on Cadance as Sister had turned on her.

Cadance had mocked her and tormented her like Sister. 'Perhaps I should have disposed of you!' snapped in her mind. But it was irrational. Getting rid of Cadance, as much as it would please her, would only hurt her in the long run. Ponies loved Cadance, and to get rid of her would bring disaster.

Besides, Cadance had been deceived and manipulated by Sister.

Just like Twilight. Just like Equestria.

Just like Luna.

How Cadance hadn't turned away and tried to escape left her amazed. How Cadance stood there, so defiantly, left her awed.

And perhaps Cadance had a point.

Nightmare Moon inhaled, then exhaled. "Twilight's success deserves recognition and celebration." Shaking her head, she continued, "I will not throw her away as Sister did. I will not betray her as Sister betrayed me."

Cadance frowned. "Celestia didn't throw her away."

"You would not know," Nightmare retorted. "When I fought her at my return? I had no idea she had a student!" She paused to let it sink in, but recognition escaped Cadance's eyes, so she continued, "Until she said so. Sister is the reason I found out about Twilight. Sister is the reason Twilight and her friends failed to stop me. Sister is the reason I nearly...!" She didn't finish that part aloud; when she realized what she was saying, she cut herself off. She wouldn't say it.

But Cadance knew.

A moment passed between them. "Why didn't you?" Cadance asked quietly.

Nightmare felt disgust smother out her anger. She turned her head away from Cadance. "You are not blind to her potential, are you?" Turning back to face her niece, "Can you not see?"

Cadance hesitated, then slowly nodded. "I know... what you mean. Her magic..."

Nightmare nodded in agreement. Perhaps the only thing they could agree on. "I will not see it wasted." She shook her head, groaned, and turned away from Cadance. 'This night has been one disaster after the other!'

"What would you consider 'wasted?'" Cadance asked.

She glanced back at Cadance with a bitter glare. "Sister wasted Twilight when she threw her life away."

Cadance frowned. "She wouldn't do that, and I think you know that."

And she didn't understand. "But then what?" Nightmare asked. "Why? Why did she say that she had a student? Why did she take the risk that I would...?"

"She made a mistake," Cadance said softly, taking a step towards her and lowering her head. "She loves you."

Nightmare just shook her head and snorted. "You fell for her deceit just as Luna did." And that was the truth.

But Cadance replied, "I'm the Princess of Love, Nightmare Moon." Once more, Cadance paused to shake her head in such a pitying manner that made her feel sick. "I may not have been there one thousand years ago, and I wish I had been, because I know how much it tore her apart. I wasn't there to see it, but I've seen how much it hurt her. I've seen how much it hurts you. I've seen how much she regrets it.

"And I know how much she loves you," Cadance finished.

Several thoughts went through Nightmare's mind. 'You would not lie to me about this. It is neither in your nature, nor something you would do because you know how this would end if you were lying,' she reasoned. 'But you have to be lying! No, you do not have to be lying. Sister lied to her and you believe her. You foal!'

Because a lie could become the truth to the pony who believed the lie.

And yet, 'Why? Why doesn't any of this make sense!?' her mind demanded. 'Why did Sister just surrender!?'

And why was she listening to Cadance!? The damned alicorn was as bad as Sister! But she couldn't get rid of Cadance as easily. She shook her head vigorously.

To her utter shock, she heard Cadance apologize, "I'm sorry." So Nightmare turned around to face her. Cadance didn't meet her gaze, instead staring at the ground just in front of her hooves. "You're... bitter about her. And... you're lonely. I'm the Princess of Love and..." Cadance looked up. "I'm sorry."

'You're sorry!?' her mind accosted. Her lips trembled for a moment. She wanted to throw that apology away. It was worthless and meaningless and banal! Nothing to be gained from it! And yet, perhaps she could forgive it. Harboring hatred for Cadance wouldn't benefit her any. Having Cadance unwilling to work with her would only hurt her in the long run. Besides, the fault wasn't entirely Cadance's. Her sister had deceived both of them, and Cadance believed Sister because she did not know Sister as she did.

It didn't help that she snapped at Cadance.

She swallowed her pride- it tasted bitter- and took a deep breath in before forcing out, "You... are forgiven."

Cadance approached her, then hugged her. And the contact made Nightmare Moon freeze. It had to be an attack! She was ready to defend herself! Horn already lit, a dozen spells flashing through her mind!

And yet nothing happened. No spell came, and no dagger plunged into her neck. Cadance wrapped her forelegs around her neck and hugged her. And it made no sense. She couldn't understand it, didn't comprehend it. Cadance had been lied to by Sister! "What... what are you doing?"

"You're my aunt," Cadance replied. "And... I think you need a hug."

"A hug," Nightmare echoed.

"Yes," Cadance agreed.

"Fine," Nightmare groaned. She forced herself to return the hug, though she couldn't force down the scowl. It didn't really feel like her niece. The hug was familiar, yet unfamiliar. It brought her to reminisce on Sister; it brought her to reminisce on Twilight.

"If you ever need to talk about anything," Cadance offered, "I'd be... happy to help."

There was something in Cadance's voice that she couldn't place. Playfulness, perhaps? Surely that wasn't what she heard in Cadance's voice. It had just been too long; she wasn't sure. Cadance squeezed her tighter, then let go and pulled back. Nightmare was glad.

Cadance smiled at her, though it faded; Nightmare retained her scowl. "Are we... okay?"

Nightmare bobbed her head. "Perhaps." Cadance frowned sadly.

But it didn't matter. In time, perhaps Cadance would come to realize that Sister had used her and manipulated her, just as Sister had Luna and Equestria.

Author's Note

Written in: 2 days of writing, where I wrote 2,471 words in one and day 7,626 the other day.

And then there are the edits...

Griffins and Galleries

Nightmare Moon found herself hesitating, her mind half there and half elsewhere. Twilight's six friends sat in the back of a chariot, all watching her, while Twilight herself stood just a step from climbing into the chariot. Midnight was already seated beside Spike, and everypony just waited on her to finish speaking with her student.

'That I am doing this...' Perhaps it was a waste of resources, having a batpony-drawn chariot take Twilight and her friends to Hollow Shades for that trip her student wanted to take. Yet because her student wanted it, she granted it. Otherwise, the trip would be more difficult for them unless she teleported them: there was no train station for them to disembark at; they would be getting off in the middle of nowhere. It was something that her student ought not have to experience, and it created unnecessary delays.

'That must be fixed,' she knew. And it would be, in time. Expanding the rail system would include such construction projects as adding more train stations around Equestria. Trade would prosper, ponies could move about more freely, and guards could deploy more quickly and effectively.

But it wasn't as if the batponies pulling the chariot would be missed anywhere else. There were enough batponies available, even with batponies deployed alongside Royal Guards to protect ponies and maintain order.

Still, the chariot looked overcapacity. Four batponies were hitched to pull it, which would be enough, but the chariot itself looked cramped. They had not been designed to transport so many ponies at once; rather, from what she could determine, they had primarily been designed to transport her sister, and perhaps a servant or two. But at least Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy could fly, the former assuredly and the latter in theory.

They would be fine. Cramped, yes, but fine.

"Though I do wish you were coming with me rather than going to Hollow Shades," Nightmare ventured with a cautious nod, "do enjoy your trip."

Twilight smiled. "We will!"

She liked Twilight's smiles. They were perhaps endearing: it was proof that her student could relax around her, something she had longed for. It was proof of their friendship and the bond they shared. She smiled back, though not as warmly as Twilight. "I must admit I am... curious as to why you desire to visit Hollow Shades again." She paused and inclined her head, then looked at Twilight's friends. They watched her with cautious gazes, not quite trusting her, but maybe willing to give her a chance. 'But I believe I can understand why you want them to accompany you.'

Something else they shared, a desire for companionship.

Twilight smiled sheepishly, though Nightmare could see the discomfort and nervousness mixed in with it. "Well, it is a batpony city..." was her answer.

She frowned. Twilight wasn't lying to her, but Twilight wasn't telling her everything, either. But that was fine. She could trust Twilight. Even if not knowing did bother her. But yet she had done the same to Twilight, in not telling her everything. To chastise Twilight for holding something back when she did the same was unfair.

So she let it go.

And she was left standing there, not knowing what else to say and yet feeling the urge to say something more. She nodded one more time at Twilight, then turned her gaze to the six mares accompanying her: "Take care of her," she told them. Midnight nodded seriously. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash squinted cautiously at her. Fluttershy hid behind her mane but nodded.

Pinkie Pie nodded eagerly. "Don't you worry, Nightmare Moon! We'll take good care of Twilight!"

For a moment, her eyes met Rainbow Dash's eyes: 'I know you will,' she knew, and her gaze went back to Twilight. "If nothing else, I shall take my leave," she said.

"Uh, right," Twilight muttered, her smile splitting into a grimace. "Uh, enjoy your... trip."

Nightmare Moon winced. "Yes..." she drawled. "I am certain I will not," she admitted.

Twilight would get to enjoy her trip. After all, Twilight would be visiting Hollow Shades for whatever it is she wanted to do, and her friends were going with her. Nightmare Moon would not enjoy her trip. It was business and there were no friends she could take for company.

Twilight squirmed and rolled her head left, then right. "Give them a chance," Twilight told her.

Nightmare nodded. "I have said I would do as much." Inhaling, she broke eye contact and turned her gaze to a patch of the sky free from the stained moon. "And... as has been pointed out to me... holding grudges against them for the sins of the Empire is..."

She didn't complete the sentence, instead turning back to Twilight. She wouldn't complete it. At least not in front of Twilight's friends. Yet, even without finishing it, she suspected Twilight at least had some idea of what went unsaid.

Without any prompting, Twilight walked over and hugged her. Leaned against Nightmare's chestplate, turned her head to the side and laid it on Nightmare's shoulder. Wrapped her right foreleg around Nightmare's neck.

Nightmare returned it, leaning down and resting her head on Twilight's shoulder. Five of the six mares silently judged her. Five of the six mares silently judged them. But even if they didn't like it, even if they didn't trust her, they would stick by Twilight's side no matter what.

And she felt jealous.

So she turned her focus back to her student; she wouldn't let them take this away from her and ruin it! She nudged her muzzle to the right, holding Twilight's neck in place against her while she enveloped Twilight's back with her right wing. Twilight's mane smelled faintly of lilacs and lavender, books and ink, with hints of cupcakes and apples and flowers and the scent after the rain. The jealousy faded back as her mind drifted back to her dreams.

Twilight was safe. Twilight was free. But she was not all she could be.

The hug lingered for several seconds, and Nightmare Moon felt her usual equine longing to feel Twilight's fur against her chest, to feel Twilight's head resting against her bare shoulder. But she could not feel Twilights fur against her own without first abandoning her longest companion.

Something that, perhaps, she did not need to cling to.

Twilight pulled back. As much as she didn't want to, she let her friend go. Twilight took a few steps back, and for a moment, they met each other's gazes. The moment passed as soon as it happened, and Twilight turned around, then climbed into the back of the chariot.

The four batponies looked back at her. Waited on her. What more could she say to her student? She was worrying pointlessly; they would be safer in Hollow Shades than in Ponyville. Her batponies would make certain of it. The knowledge didn't banish the discomfort in her chest. She nodded, and they were off. She watched, and they flew away from Canterlot. She longed, and they disappeared in the night, flying east.

Nightmare put the loneliness away: it would only distract her. 'The quicker this is over with, the better.'

Yes, the sooner she visited the griffins to see first-hoof what had become of the empire, the better. She had read the reports, seen the pictures, listened to the griffin 'ambassador,' but none of that would compare to going herself and see just what had happened. Even with as much as she disliked the idea, visiting was necessary.

Their lands had resources to offer that would benefit Equestria, and in turn, Equestria had the ability to, as vile as the thought was, shelter and protect the griffins. They could both benefit, and perhaps, as Gilda had hinted in passing, it could be more than just trading. Perhaps she would be able to end the griffin threat once and for all. Not through war, but through peace. Lifting them out of their desolation and bringing them into Equestria. Making them her own subjects, out of the griffins' own choice.

If she could control herself. If she could survive the agony the thought caused her. Much could go wrong, but as she had seen so much of, the world had changed. The griffins had a much more agreeable diet now. So perhaps they could earn her trust, perhaps they could roam Equestria freely without causing problems for her ponies. The griffins weren't militaristic now. So perhaps there was nothing to fear from them.

She glanced at the batponies and pegasi flanking her: two of them on each side, with the pegasi in front and the batponies behind, all majors. The batponies were mares, and the Royal Guard pegasi were stallions. It was as much show and ceremony as it was practical: it befit her status to have such an escort, and if it was a trap, they would aid her, buying her time to react and correct such a mistake.

If it was a trap, she wouldn't be taken off-guard nor caught unprepared. The only trap it could be was small: they would have to hide it from her scouts. It would be easy for her to deal with; the guards weren't necessary. If by somehow it was an army, then the guards would not help, but she would have the advantage. They would all be in one place, within her reach.

And then they would scatter and die.

She wouldn't have to worry about the problems such an action would cause in other circumstances, either. She would be on their home ground. They would scatter, but they would not slip through into Equestria to sow chaos and kill ponies. If they did, her batponies would hunt them down.

If they had an army.

'They do not have an army,' she told herself. 'They cannot have one! The scouts would have found it.' Unless their army was hiding in the forests under tree cover, but then they would be too far away to cause her problems. She still gave thought to the idea: It would not do to be caught unprepared.

She channeled magic into her horn, then wrapped it around each of her guards. The pegasi straightened when she wove her magic around them, while the batponies almost leaned into her magic's embrace. She spread her wings wide, and they followed. She cast the teleportation spell, and they teleported.

For a moment, there was a feeling of weightlessness. Teleporting into the air high above the ground made certain they couldn't teleport directly into an ambush. How could anything plan such an ambush in the sky! There was no cloud cover to protect the griffins, and her and her batponies' sight was better than theirs at night.

The weightlessness passed and the wind came. She turned her head every which way; no griffins dove towards them, nor rose from the ground to skewer them. The five of them were alone in the night sky. She caught herself on the wind with her spread wings and glided to the left. The batponies followed with well-honed precision. The pegasi took a moment longer to reorganize after the teleportation.

But it had been expected.

Ignoring it, she cast her gaze down on the rugged, rocky terrain below. She could spot sparse fields stretching out across hills and valleys. In the distance, towards Equestria, forests. Further north, more forests dotting the sides of mountains. To the east, below the horizon and out of sight, a barren coastline. No armies, nor encampments. Neither grand cities nor fortresses.

And she felt that unshakable feeling of disappointment.

The city her eyes came to focus on was as much a let down as sister's resistance had been. Even from so high up, she could tell that nearly every structure had fallen into disrepair. It was as if their entire society had broken down. No train tracks, no grand towers like Manehattan, nor any exuberant yet wasteful displays like Canterlot. No evidence of electricity, nor of heavy industry that made such grand works possible. She could not even discern magical works like those in Equestria.

Yet they appeared to be in a better state than the deer.

And it seemed that, as she looked on and glided towards the ground, Equestria had marched on and left the world behind. All under the care of her sister. Without her.

Her ears drifted back. It must have been the wind. She righted the problem and refocused herself; letting distractions cut her attention was unacceptable. Even if there was no ambush nor threats, letting herself be distracted wouldn't benefit her.

They dropped lower and lower over the minutes, and as they neared the ground, the air grew warmer, though still had the all-encompassing night's chill. She looked and found what must have passed for the main road and glided towards it. The griffins called the unprotected city 'Griffinheim.' It was not their capital, but it was closer to Equestria, and so it had been agreed upon for their meeting.

Like the rest of the 'city,' the main road was in a state of disrepair: simply dirt. Not even rocks to ease the damage inflicted by uncontrolled weather. Wagons and carts had dug ruts into the dirt, almost like the griffins pulling the carts purposefully chose to damage the road as much as possible to spite everyone else, and the occasional hole reminded her of the scarring on the moon. A few griffins pulled carts along, but for the most part, the griffins she saw flew in and out and around the village, almost aimlessly. Their bodies were all free from metal armor, and she could not see any weapons on any of them, aside from the occasional tool.

Her shadow fell upon a griffin flying below her. He looked up, and she could see a wash of fear cascade over him, as if he instinctively knew who she was and remembered what she was responsible for. But he could not remember and he did not know. He quickly banked out of her shadow and landed well out of her way, and then he walked on, almost forgetting ever seeing her.

The two batponies landed before her, and the two Royal Guards after her. She stood tall and calmly turned to look left and then right. A few griffins pulled carts nearby; they lacked the magic required to enchant them to fly. Several griffins flew overhead, though giving her and her guards ample room to take off.

And all of the griffins' eyes were on her even though none of them stopped. She met each gaze in turn for a second. They did not look at her respectfully nor dismissively, but rather fearfully and curiously. There was no hatred in their eyes that had been taught to them from birth. There was no bloodlust, nor rage, nor ravenous hunger like it had been so long ago. They did not screech and charge. 'A thousand years ago,' flickered through her mind.

But that was in the past.

And then they didn't care. They all went back to their business- a little more cautious, but otherwise mostly ignoring her. The guards didn't notice, or if they did they kept silent. And perhaps it didn't matter. Perhaps the griffins had also forgotten who she was. Perhaps to them, she was just a curiosity: a mare with both wings and a horn, wearing armor and guarded by four more ponies.

Important, but not important enough to forget their tasks.

And perhaps that was a good thing.

Her eyes lifted up. She saw her horn and the cyan of her helmet and the magic of her mane, but what she didn't have was even more obvious. A tiara. Her eyes went to her chest. Simple metal armor, set with a crescent moon in the center. No regalia.

There was nothing that distinguished her as Queen, other than her horn and wings. But they were griffins, and Equestria was isolated. Yet they knew of her sister and of her return, but there was no respect there for her. 'Why!?' her mind questioned, yet answers eluded her, like water slipping through her feathers. Why did they react so indifferently!? Why did it bother her so!? They were griffins!

She deserved their respect, and they didn't give it to her. But they did not so mock her by staying inside at night as her subjects did. And so she was torn: angered by the lack of recognition and respect, yet soothed that they did not hide away from her night.

And she was conflicted because the griffins had been Equestria's enemy.

The feeling of being conflicted was becoming too familiar.

She inhaled and shook herself out of idleness. There were no griffins to welcome her, but she had a rough idea of her destination. With that in mind, she nodded to herself and took the lead, heading straight for the 'city.' Her four guards stayed a few steps away, with a Royal Guard and Batpony each on her left and right, with the Royal Guards in front and the batponies behind them.

Griffins slowed to watch her as she passed them by. She gave them cursory glances, but she found most of her attention drawn to their structures. Homes, businesses, public facilities, it didn't matter what the structure was, they were all in the same state of disrepair. She had to wonder, 'Is this Discord's doing? Did Twilight not fix this?' And yet, that the damage was still there meant it couldn't have been Discord's doing. Even if Twilight had failed, surely they would have cleaned up after him.

Aside from the disrepair, this particular griffin city reminded her of Ponyville: wooden and mud walls, straw roofs and thatched roofs. Most of the buildings on the small side, with only one level. Their buildings didn't have glass windows, instead, they had open holes that wooden shutters covered. A few buildings' roofs had collapsed, and yet as she peered inside, she caught sight of griffins still inside, still living as if nothing was amiss aside from bitter scowls pulling at their beaks and brows.

As she walked further into the city and saw all of the decay, she found a slight grimace pulling on her lips and a discomfort set in her chest. They were griffins! But they were living in such poor conditions. There were griffins in between houses wrapped in tattered blankets, who gazed upon her with hollow eyes as she passed. And not a single griffin who walked passed those in the alleys paused nor looked over at them nor gave them any thought.

Even their chicks were not sparred: some chased after other griffins, perhaps their parents, and yet their parents paid them no mind, nearly leaving the chicks to fend for themselves. Others weaved between buildings and stalls, swiping pieces of fruit and bread and nuts as they passed, drawing angered shouts from the griffins tending to the stalls. Chicks who didn't pay attention and ran into older griffins earned their wrath: shouts and screeches and flared wings that sent the chicks racing away.

Their chicks.

When had she stopped moving? Why was she staring on, watching a pair of chicks follow along after a single gray and brown griffin? The chicks couldn't have been more than three, and their parent ignored their pained chirps and flustered, high-pitched squawking when they passed by food. Their ears picked up when they saw, and then when they passed with nothing more than glances, their ears fell flat.

A griffin flew overhead. She looked a few years younger than Twilight. Nightmare Moon could see her ribs through her coat; the chick looked as light as a feather.

And for some damned reason, in her mind, she thought back to so long ago. In the place of their hungry chicks, she remembered seeing hungry foals. And there was nothing for them, and nothing Luna could do about it. And how it had torn at Luna's mind! Seeing such things that shouldn't have been: foals and fawns hungry because of a harsh winter, because griffins preyed on the weather pegasi, because griffins preyed on the earth pony farmers. Foals whose parents had been stolen away from them, left destitute.

Foals and fawns. Those who were so innocent. Just like Twilight.

Luna wanted to scream and hammer away at the ground with her bare hooves until those who were responsible for it were dead. But Luna didn't, and Luna couldn't. All Luna could do was what she could to make certain no more were lost, to make certain that no more foals and fawns had to experience losing their parents.

And Luna couldn't even do that, because Luna had been weak and naive. Because Luna let Sister temper her.

And Sister had not been there to see what Luna had seen. Sister had not seen, first hoof, the things Luna had seen.

And yet they were griffins! A thousand years ago she would not have paid it any mind! Because a thousand years ago, it wouldn't have been this way.

But how could she condemn them to hunger? The Griffin Empire was condemned for how they sated it; there had been another way and they did not choose it. And these were hungry, and they did not choose to sate it as the Empire had.

She turned her gaze to her guards. The two Royal Guards were visibly uncomfortable, shifting their weight, unable to stay stoic, they grimaced. The two batponies' eyes wandered and frowns pressed their brows down.

Three months was not enough time for this to have set in! Three months since her return, yet her return had not caused this! Sister had let this happen, and Sister had not fixed it.

And a part of her almost wanted to laugh! Sister in all her glory had done nothing to help the griffins out of this state! Sister in all her glory kept Equestria to itself! And she found herself actually caring! The sheer insanity of it made her want to laugh to the sky! Clearly, she had lost her sanity at some point for her to consider helping the griffins!

There was nothing funny about it. Even with as much anger as she felt towards the griffins, Twilight and Cadance were correct: her anger was at the griffins of old, not these. It would be the same as destroying Equestria for the sins of those ponies who mocked and spat on her. Doing so was foalish. Doing so was against her best interest. They were griffins, not ponies, but they were in need and left to conditions she would have only wished upon the Empire. Their chicks shouldn't go hungry.

It would be so easy to take advantage of the griffins. She held every card. They needed Equestria and they needed her. They would be so easy to exploit; she could ensure that the Griffin Empire never returned, that the griffins never hurt Equestria again!

She would not take advantage of them like Sister had taken advantage of her.

She was not a monster.

'Why did Sister do nothing?' she wondered in silence.

And she couldn't understand how Sister would have let it happen. Sister, she thought, would have been there to help them, even with what the Empire had done.

But the 'ambassador' said Sister had helped. Perhaps Discord had done more damage to the griffins than she realized. Perhaps they hadn't cleaned up after him because they couldn't or wouldn't.

'Foals!' she wanted to accost, and yet she did not. Perhaps the griffins were their own reason they were in such a state; it was their own fault. But to rub it in and mock them? It would be the same as Sister did to her.

Perhaps there was something more she was missing, something else she did not understand of why the griffins were in such a state. She had thought Gilda had been exaggerating over how the griffins taught their chicks to fly, but now she doubted that.

She walked on, and her guards followed. She summoned a scroll, wrote out an order, and sent it back to Canterlot. Perhaps ponies would learn of what she wrote. Perhaps they would think a little more of her. Perhaps it would help them come to respect her. Perhaps the griffins would look at her with a little more respect.

Of course, all of that was foalish and naive: it would not change how any of them looked at her. It wouldn't matter. It didn't matter.

It was still the best course of action. They would not bite the hoof that fed them. They were smarter than that.

And it was still right.

She made her way to the center of the village. Their 'town hall' looked nothing like Ponyville's town hall. Theirs was long and thin, almost sickly looking. Along the front was a porch with a decaying thatched roof; piles of old straw marked holes in the cover. There was no door in the doorway, rather a pile of wood. Shutters hung from their hinges at angles. The orange glow of candles washed out into the night from each open window, every little crack, and the door.

She climbed onto the porch, and the floorboards creaked under her weight. Her eyes dropped onto the floor and her nose wrinkled in disgust.

The place held absolutely none of the 'glory' of the Empire. None of the 'respect.'

Perhaps it was a good thing Twilight did not come with her. Twilight would not have liked what she saw. Sister had sheltered her.

And now, she couldn't help but feel, she was doing the same exact thing. Sheltering Twilight. But she would not make the mistake of leaving Twilight unprepared.

Twilight had to agree with Rarity. "Yeah, this is a bit cramped." Her friends nodded and murmured in agreement. 'Chariots were not designed for this.' No, they really weren't. They weren't designed to carry so many ponies at once. They were designed primarily for Princess Celestia's personal use!

Even with Midnight and Rainbow Dash flying outside of the chariot, with the latter flying circles around the chariot and doing little loops and spins, either for her own amusement or to show off, there wasn't much room for the rest of them.

"I, for one, look forward to landing," Rarity voiced.

"At least we're close..." Fluttershy murmured.

She looked aside at Fluttershy. The pegasus held herself towards the floor of the chariot, barely peeking over the front to watch the forested ground below. 'You can fly too, Fluttershy.' But of course, she didn't. Fluttershy wasn't the strongest flyer, as per her own admission and Rainbow's begrudging agreement. Such a 'long' trip from Canterlot to Hollow Shades under her own wing power was out of the question.

Rainbow had offered to carry Fluttershy on her back if only so that Fluttershy wouldn't be in the chariot with everypony else. Fluttershy said no.

She held back a sigh. 'It's fine. We're almost there.' She was still getting stir crazy. She watched Rainbow fly in another circle around them as if swimming through the air on her back. Rainbow Dash was, inarguably, in her element in the air. And she looked happy to be flying, rather than cramped in the chariot with the rest of them.

She rested her head on the railing and let her eyes glide over the ground before. One look was enough to make her shift her weight. 'If I fall, somepony will catch me right?' But of course, the concern was silly. She wouldn't fall. If she did, Rainbow or Midnight would catch her. But she wouldn't fall, so she didn't need to worry.

She still worried ever so slightly. Chariots weren't designed to carry so many ponies at once.

"It's kind of a nice view, though," Applejack commented. "As much as I don't like being up here in this thing, it sure is pretty."

And everypony murmured in agreement. Twilight turned to look at all of them, and to her shock, all of them looked up at the stars. 'You girls actually like this?'

She smiled and leaned her head back, letting her gaze go to the star-speckled sky. No clouds ruined the view, and while the moon was there and they flew towards it, she could put it out of mind.

And the peacefulness of the moment made her sigh happily. Surrounded by friends, flying through the night with them: something she never expected to experience, and something she wouldn't trade for the world. She felt the silly urge to jump in place for joy, and of course, she made certain not to do that. She turned back to face them, smiling, and declared, "I love you all!"

They looked at her with smiles of their own, and after a moment, they managed to form a group hug. Rainbow even managed to fly over behind her and join in without landing. They shared a nuzzle, and she felt a giddiness well up inside her. Oh, it was so exciting! Not only were her friends there with her, but she would get to see portraits and paintings of Princess Luna with them! And who knew what else they would find!

Their embrace broke as they pulled away, but she was left with a contentedness permeating her being. So what if the chariot was cramped? That only meant they were that much closer together!

She sighed happily and rested her head on the railing once more. "Thank you all for coming with me," she voiced.

"Think nothing of it, dear, I had time," Rarity answered.

"You have been a pretty big help around the farm," Applejack offered.

She glanced at Applejack and smiled sheepishly. "I've not been that big of a help-"

"Don't sell yourself short, Twilight. I've not seen any unicorn with half as much talent and magic as you!" Applejack retorted.

Twilight turned away, blushing as her ears folded back. Magic was her special talent, and both Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon had said as much that she had much potential. But still, it was silly. "I'm not that talented-"

Rainbow swooped over in front of her. The batponies pulling the chariot looked back nervously, but none of them faltered. "Sure you are!" Rainbow declared, beaming and throwing her hooves out wide. "I mean, obviously you are since you were Princess Celestia's student!" The bright smile faded. "And, you know, Nightmare Moon took you to be her student," was added with much less eagerness. Then her friend's smile brightened as she added, "And we beat Discord together!"

"Indeed," Rarity agreed.

"Yeah, Twilight!" Spike agreed. "Princess Celestia did say you could surpass Starswirl the Bearded!"

"Who?" Applejack muttered.

Twilight's head whipped around before she realized it. "Starswirl the Bearded!" she declared frantically. Surely Applejack had to know who that was!

Applejack looked at her blankly. Applejack did not know who that was.

All of them looked at her blankly. None of them knew who that was.

"The legendary unicorn?" she asked.

"I'm sorry dear, but that name doesn't sound familiar," Rarity replied.

"Nope!" Pinkie agreed.

"He's a legendary unicorn from a very long time ago," Midnight put in casually. "No unicorn before or since rivaled him in magic. Some of the legends around him say that he even rivaled Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, if not in raw magic, then in skill with his magic. Before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took over the sun and moon, Starswirl the Bearded led a group of powerful unicorns who moved the sun and moon."

Everypony, herself included, looked at Midnight. "How do you know all of this? Why didn't you tell me you knew all that?" Twilight asked.

Midnight shrugged casually. "You never asked."

Twilight groaned and closed her eyes.

"Anyway," Midnight continued, "nopony really knows what happened to him. He just disappeared one day, along with his five, uh, companions. They worked together to protect Equestria a long time ago." Midnight paused and spaced out, then nodded. "Kind of like all of you, actually..." she mused.

The comparison was flattering, if inaccurate. "And how do you know all of that?" Twilight had to ask.

Midnight smiled at her. "Batpony, duh! We know these kinds of things."

"Right," Twilight grumbled.

"So wait," Rainbow put in, flying around to hover in front of Midnight. "Are you saying Twilight could..." Rainbow trailed off, squinting at Midnight. "You know..." she said conspiratorily.

Midnight just blinked and tilted her head at an angle. "Know what?"

Rainbow's face scrunched up. "Oh come on! You know what I mean!"

Midnight just watched Rainbow innocently.

Rainbow's expression fell and she groaned. A moment later, the pegasus flew over to Spike and pointed at him with her forehooves. "Spike said Princess Celestia said Twilight could surpass Starswirl the Bearded, right?"

Twilight fidgeted as Spike declared, "Yeah!"

"Mhm," Midnight agreed. "We're also aware of that."

Twilight squinted at Midnight, and while she suspected she knew the answer, she had to ask, "We?"

Midnight looked over at her. "Batponies. We're supposed to know this sort of thing. I told you that before."

"Right..." she mumbled, turning her gaze back to Rainbow and clenching her jaw. 'Is there anyone who actually realizes I'm not capable of everything they think I can do!?' She felt frustrated.

Rainbow flew back over to Midnight, her body twitching in excitement. "So! If Princess Celestia thinks Twilight could surpass the bearded guy-"

Twilight frowned. "Hey!"

"-does that mean she could, you know, bring back the sun!?" Ignoring the deafening silence, Rainbow continued, "'Cause that'd be great!"

Twilight just stared at her and Midnight. She didn't even need to turn to see the four batponies' pulling the chariot staring back at Rainbow, but she couldn't read their expressions. They didn't look as if they were about to try to kill Rainbow Dash, which might have been a good thing. Her five friends in the chariot likewise stared at Rainbow and Midnight.

Like nothing had happened, Midnight just shrugged and rolled her shoulder. To Twilight's shock, Midnight said, "Maybe, maybe not."

And Twilight felt like something hit her on the head. Her vision broke and twisted, shifting at a wide angle that made her wobbly. Her heart skipped a beat and anxiety tore through her gut and stomach and body.

"I uh, wouldn't say that around Nightmare Moon though," Midnight cautioned.

Rainbow snorted, rolled her eyes, and folded her forelegs across her chest. "I'm just saying that would be pretty awesome! Also, it'd make my job a lot easier."

Rarity pointed out, "You never did apologize for that storm."

Rainbow swooped over in front of the unicorn and threw her forelegs out wide. "That wasn't my fault! I told you it's hard to control the weather when its always night!"

She turned away from them and looked off to the right. Nopony else was in that direction, so she could pretend she was alone! She didn't have to deal with anything! Except it was still crowded, and Rainbow and Rarity continued to argue until Applejack put in, "Okay, we get it! You two bicker more than chickens when a fox is in the hen house!"

At that, Rarity huffed indignantly and Rainbow swooped back around into Twilight's field of vision. "You should totally try that," was her encouragement.

"Are you CRAZY!?" Twilight accosted. "She'd never let me do something like that!" Nightmare Moon wouldn't hurt her, but her teacher wouldn't be happy. "Besides, it took Starswirl and a dozen talented unicorns to do it! There's no way I could do anything like that on my own!"

"You two are fairly close," Rarity commented.

And just like that, Twilight felt everypony looking at her. She winced. Reluctantly, she turned her head back around, and yes, everypony was indeed watching her. "Yes," she mumbled, "we are."

"If anypony can talk some sense into her, it'd be you, Twilight," Applejack said.

And again, it all fell on her, apparently. Her jaw tightened. She turned away from them. Somepony put a hoof on her shoulder. She didn't look to see who it was. Rainbow frowned a bit. She shook her head and scowled. "You do realize bringing this up now is stupid, right?" To emphasize her point, she nodded towards the four batponies pulling the chariot.

For a moment, Rainbow didn't react other than looking at them. Then, Rainbow cringed. "Uh... oops?"

She scowled at Rainbow. 'You are trying to get us all killed, aren't you?' But no, Rainbow wouldn't do that. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, then let out a groan as her head fell to rest on the railing.

"We won't mention anything," Midnight offered.

Twilight turned to look over at Midnight, who flew on looking straight ahead. "Why?" she asked.

Midnight bobbed her head once. "Nightmare likes you. She'd rather hear something like that from you."

Twilight winced. "So... I have to tell her or you will?"

Midnight looked at her with a frown. "No. I'm saying we're not going to say anything because that's something that should stay between you and Nightmare Moon. If you decide to tell her."

Twilight frowned. 'What exactly is that supposed to mean!?' her mind demanded. "That doesn't make sense..." she mumbled. Unless it was supposed to mean that Midnight didn't want to get involved in that, which made no sense to her. Or maybe it was supposed to mean Midnight didn't want Rainbow, or the rest of her friends, to get in trouble, and so Midnight figured that if she told Nightmare Moon instead of her, she would be able to keep Nightmare Moon from doing something rash?

Midnight went back to looking ahead without saying anything more.

"Why are you giving us so much leeway?" Twilight asked. She bit her lip and glanced around. Bringing it up was utterly stupid! "You're loyal to Nightmare Moon. And..." She didn't finish saying everything she wanted to. To do that would be turning on her friends, or possibly betraying Nightmare Moon.

Midnight didn't answer her at first, but Twilight saw a bit of a frown pull at her brow. Midnight's eyes even dropped to the forests below for a split second before returning to the sky. Without looking at her, Midnight said, "We're loyal to our Princess."

And before she could give it any thought, one of the batponies pulling the chariot put in, "You and your friends are important," and nothing more was said from the batponies.

Twilight barely made out Fluttershy asking, "Maybe it's because of the Elements of Harmony?"

"I guess that makes as much sense as anything," Applejack replied.

"Yes, well, given how Nightmare Moon took to us the first time," Rarity muttered.

She looked aside at Rarity. "We were trying to stop her." She sighed, feeling like she had to choose between loyalty to her five closest friends and loyalty to Nightmare Moon. The whole thing was a mess, and she was right in the middle, torn in two. "Look, I know none of you like her-"

"With good reason, dear," Rarity put in.

Twilight scowled. "-but she's not that bad."

"I think we have different definitions of 'bad' Twilight," Applejack cautioned. "She banished her sister and took over Equestria out of jealousy! That's pretty bad in my book."

"And she killed somepony," Rarity was quick to add.

"She's killed a lot more before," Midnight added idly.

Twilight shot her guard a glare. "Not. Helping."

"To defend Equestria," Midnight amended, not that it really helped.

"Doesn't seem like she's 'defending Equestria' now," Rainbow muttered, casually rolling over onto her back. "More like using it."

Twilight puffed out her cheeks. They didn't know Nightmare Moon like she did! Granted, Nightmare Moon terrified her for months, but they were friends now! And now she knew Nightmare Moon so much better! "You don't know her like I do!" she declared. Lifting her muzzle up a bit higher, she stated, "You're not as close to her as I am." And she was a bit proud of that.

Rarity tilted her head and a slight frown pulled at her lips. "That's what we worry about, dear." The rest of her friends murmured in agreement.

Twilight's pride wilted. "I'll be fine. She's not evil, just... it's complicated. Princess Celestia did banish her before-"

"Princess Celestia had good reason to," Rainbow muttered.

Twilight whipped around to face Rainbow. "And whose fault was that!? If Princess Celestia had seen what was happening, none of this would have happened!"

And it hit her what she was saying, casting the blame on Princess Celestia instead of Nightmare Moon. Her friends all looked at her with concerned frowned and tight jaws, and maybe their concern was right. She let out a soft sigh and dropped her gaze to her hooves. "Look... I'm not saying Nightmare Moon is perfect. She's not. Princess Celestia isn't either. They've both made mistakes." Lifting her gaze back up, she frowned as she looked at her friends. "It's not supposed to be this way. I'm sure they're supposed to rule together! Just... just give Nightmare Moon a chance. Just give me a chance, okay? Please..."

They all shared looks of worry then faced her. Spike hugged her left foreleg. She smiled down at him and stroked his crests with her right forehoof.

"We trust you, Twilight," Applejack finally said, "but we still worry about you. You may be Nightmare Moon's friend, but you're our friend too."

Twilight looked up at Applejack and gave her a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

Applejack nodded curtly.

"Ma'am?" one of the batponies pulling the chariot called. She turned to face him: he was in the front right. "We're going to be landing in a few minutes."

She nodded in acknowledgment. "Okay, thank you." He nodded back.

With that, silence returned. She kept expecting somepony to say something, but gradually, everypony went back to watching the sky or watching the forest below. Sure enough, she could see a bit of Hollow Shades: though the city was well-hidden in the forest, she could still spot some stone structures, most notably the castle. Rather than landing outside near the train tracks like she had expected, they flew towards the city and the castle, gradually descending.

She really hoped they would be able to land without dumping everypony when they inevitably hit a tree.

And yet, to her surprise, the batponies managed to land; there had been enough of a clearing from the streets that there was room to avoid the trees and buildings. Midnight and Rainbow both touched down beside the chariot at nearly the same time. She mostly ignored them as she looked around the city.

It was different from last time. No extravagant entourage to greet them; no ponies clad in armor lined the streets. There were batponies wearing armor patrolling, but it wasn't as serious as before. And like before when Nightmare Moon hadn't been with her, there were unarmored batponies walking and flying about: mares and stallions, fillies and colts. Some smiled and some had their tongues out, others laughed and played or talked, and some wore saddlebags loaded with goods.

It was like any normal Equestrian city, except they could actually function in the darkness of the night. They were free from the irrational fear other ponies had, even when set in a forest and surrounded by trees.

But there weren't as many batponies as before. Even ignoring the entourage from before, it seemed like only half as many batponies roamed the streets. And she had to wonder, 'How many batponies have left to follow your orders?'

"This is awesome!" Rainbow squealed.

Several of the batponies looked at her with squints and or cringes; many others regarded her curiously. Not a one of them had any malicious intent in their gazes, though a few of them looked at Rainbow more playfully than the rest.

She let everypony else climb off the chariot first.

Rarity shifted her weight as she looked around cautiously. "It's, uh, quaint," was her careful comment.

"Reminds me of the Castle of the Two Sisters," Applejack commented casually.

Pinkie Pie was already gone, having run over to the nearest batpony to ask, "Hi! My name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours!?" with a bright smile.

And she found herself staring at the two of them with a squint and a tilted head: the batpony did a little prance in place, her leathery wings bristling at her sides as she let out a high-pitched "Eeee!"

Pinkie giggled happily and pranced in place like the batpony.

Twilight felt her squint morph into a smile. She turned away from them, rolling her eyes, yet still smiling. Pinkie Pie would be Pinkie Pie.

She heard the doors to the castle open and turned to look: Two batponies both wearing armor descended the stairs, approaching them. "Twilight Sparkle and friends, welcome to Hollow Shades." It was the batpony stallion who had escorted her before.

She walked over and smiled, and her friends, save Pinkie Pie, gathered at her side. "Hello," she greeted.

"We have chambers prepared for you and your friends for you to stay for the duration of your visit," he said.

She nodded. "Thank you!"

He bowed his head respectfully to her and said, "Of course." Rising from the bow, "Only the best for the Queen's Student and her friends."

She shifted her weight a bit. There was a glint of something in his eyes, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe she was imagining it, or maybe it was how the moonlight hit his eyes.

"Please, this way," he coaxed, turning around and climbing back up the stairs.

Twilight took the lead and followed, and her friends followed after her.

"Pinkie!" Applejack called.

"Aww!" Pinkie whined while bouncing over.

"There'll be time for that later," Applejack reminded.

"Yay!" Pinkie cheered.

Twilight shook her head, smiling again.

The door to the castle opened as they approached, two batponies stood inside, one on each side to hold the doors open for them. Both of them bowed respectfully as she stepped through the door, then rose as her friends walked inside.

And she cast her gaze around, taking in the entrance: a long, tall hallway with stone columns lining both sides of the wall. A midnight blue carpet stretched out across the length of the hallway down the center, adorned with cyan crescent moons and white stars along the edges. The orange glow of torches burning from the pillars and walls gave it a cozy feel, though not as cozy as her library.

Almost immediately, she watched Rainbow fly all the way to the ceiling, then dive back down and loop back up again. "This is cool!"

And nopony tried to stop her. But maybe she should have expected that; she was Nightmare Moon's student and friend, and Rainbow was one of her friends. Perhaps the batponies respected all of them, though it seemed most of that respect fell on herself.

"If you need anything," the batpony stallion called. She turned to see him looking back at her. "Don't hesitate to ask," he finished.

She nodded. "Thank you."

As they reached the end of the hallway, the next door was again opened by two armored batponies. Rainbow swooped down and flew through the open door into the next hallway, and as Twilight passed, the guards bowed to her. Once again, rising before her friends passed. It reminded her of the respect they gave Nightmare Moon, and for some reason, she felt like they knew something that she didn't.

"This castle reminds me of the Castle of the Two Sisters... In much better shape, of course," Rarity said.

Before she could answer, the stallion nodded and said, "Yes. It was built after the Castle of the Two Sisters, in a similar design, though smaller."

Rarity hummed in acknowledgment.

They turned to the left and walked on. "Does this place have a throne room?" Twilight asked.

The stallion hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, it does. It's not used but we keep it in shape."

"For Nightmare Moon?" she asked.

The stallion hesitated again, then nodded even slower. Twilight almost asked why, but then he continued, "In addition to that, the castle, as you may have guessed, functions as the government center for Hollow Shades. The Town Hall."

Twilight nodded in acknowledgment. "I figured as much."

They passed by a pair of doors that, if her guess was correct, lead to the Throne Room. Two batponies guarded it, and both bowed to her as she passed. After a few steps, she asked, "Can we see the Throne Room?"

"Of course," the stallion answered. "You may go wherever you desire."

It would be nice to see what the Throne Room looked like. A window to what the Castle of the Two Sisters looked like, and yet, she knew, 'It will only have one throne.' To have a second throne would be to insult Nightmare Moon.

They continued on for a while, to a section of the castle that she was unfamiliar with; she hadn't fully explored the Castle of the Two Sisters. One by one, he showed her friends to their rooms, which were all extravagant in their own rights, reminding her of Nightmare Moon's chambers in Canterlot, and yet more: the door opened to a large circular gathering room, from which there were doors that led to a study, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The beds were all fit for royalty, with enough room for Nightmare Moon to sleep on and velvety, rich blue covers and blankets, along with curtains for privacy. The only things missing were windows and magical lighting.

Spike and Rarity absolutely adored their rooms, with both of them nearly swooning and giggling madly. Rainbow and Applejack were a bit off-put by the extravagance.

While their rooms were along the sides of the hallway, the stallion led her to the doors at the end of the hallway: a double door emblazed with a white crescent moon in the middle set against a black backdrop. She found herself staring at the cutie mark, mostly ignoring the two guards. None of the other rooms had any marking like that, and they certainly didn't have guards, which was made up for by the castle itself being well-guarded in addition to the castle being in a batpony city.

He opened the door, and the room beyond put the rest of the rooms to shame. Rich blue carpeting, the ceiling painted like the night sky with the pristine, unblemished white moon at the apex of the domed ceiling. While the interior doors of her friends' rooms were single doors, each door in her chambers were double doors.

"The Queen's personal chambers," he explained. "You will be staying here for the duration of your visit, as per her request. If you need anything, let us know and we will take care of it."

And with that, he left. The doors closed behind her. She looked back, not remembering walking into the room, then turned back and looked around. The room was quiet and, unlike the rest of the castle, she could feel the enchantments in place: more powerful than the rest of the enchantments, woven together to protect the room and the room's occupants. Had Nightmare Moon enchanted this room? No. Perhaps other ponies had been hired to enchant the room, but it hadn't been Nightmare Moon's doing.

How old was Hollow Shades? How old was the castle? If this was Nightmare Moon's chambers, had it also been Princess Luna's chambers? What history did it hold!?

The barren gray stone walls looked out of place compared to the floor and ceiling, yet fit in with the rest of the castle. She walked across the room and set her forehoof against the stone. She held her hoof there until she felt the chill seep into her forehoof, then pulled her forehoof away and turned left.

She opened the door to the bedroom with her magic. Somehow, the bed managed to look even larger than the rest of the beds. Somehow, the curtains looked even finer than the rest of the curtains. Rather than red or light blue, the curtains were pitch black, speckled with little white dots that seemed to glow. Somehow, the curtains almost looked like they were made of magic, rather than fabric: they appeared to flow and shift and shimmer, like Nightmare Moon's mane.

Enchanted with magic.

The curtains were drawn back, yet they were not wrinkled. The bedsheets were a rich, purple-blue color, while the pillows were midnight blue. The domed ceiling was akin to the ceiling in the first room, yet seemed alive as magic danced across its surface. Rather than torches to light the room, a single magelight took the role of the moon, flooding the room with a soft white light from the apex of the dome. She hadn't seen any unicorns in Hollow Shades, but there had to be some.

The walls were a painted panoramic that stretched around the room: it was like a scene from a dream, or from Equestria at night. Rolling grasslands and meadows stretched out 'below' as if she was standing on a hill. The meadows were crossed by rivers and fields, and she could even make out a few small towns by the lights and smoke wafting into the sky. Further away, the grassland gave way to forests and then mountains rising up towards the purple-blue sky. Misty clouds rolled in from the edges, almost like phantoms in the soft magelight.

And she felt out of place, like she didn't belong, like she was intruding on something that wasn't meant for her to see.

She tried to ignore the thought as she turned around, then walked back out. She went to the study next. The walls were lined with empty bookshelves, though as she walked by and ran her forehoof over the wood, she found not a single hint of dust. A desk sat at the other end of the room, opposite the door. A desk that, from the way it looked, had never been used. No stains of ink, no scratches in its surface. Just pristine. Magic shimmered across its rich brown surface. Again, no windows. The wall above the desk was barren like the hallways, save for two metal fixtures that held candles which had never been lit. Neither fixture had wax on them.

She walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Warmth and the scent of lavender rolled out to greet her. The bathroom was almost like a miniature spa: there were slabs of stone large enough that Nightmare Moon could have laid on stretched out, there were large stone basins off to the room's sides filled with water that reflected the soft white light from a magelight at the ceiling, and deep pools of water that looked perfect for bathing in. Alcoves lined the walls, filled with fresh lavender.

She took it all in, then walked inside. She couldn't help but think, 'This doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy.' It wasn't direct. Rather, it seemed like a waste of resources. Something frivolous and pointless. But maybe there was a time when Nightmare Moon, or perhaps Princess Luna, had enjoyed it? Or perhaps it had simply been the batponies' doing, wanting to please Princess Luna or Nightmare Moon in case more was wanted.

She shook the thought away and touched one of the stone slabs. It felt warm, but not hot. She dipped her forehoof into the shallow pool of water. It was warm. The deeper pool of water was even warmer, and the warmth seeped into her hoof.

There was a knock on the door. 'Probably my friends.' She turned around and hurried back out, closing the door behind her once she left the 'bathroom' and then opening the door to the hallway. Sure enough, her friends stood there. They looked at her for a moment, then looked behind her and took in the room.

"Nice," Rainbow said.

"Nightmare Moon's chambers, apparently," Twilight preempted.

"Well, it's rather generous of her to let you stay here," Rarity commented.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I don't think she's ever been here before. Or at least... not recently."

"Well, shall we proceed to lunch and then the art gallery?" Rarity suggested.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, let's go." They stepped back for her to walk on out, and as she passed through the doorway, she looked back into the room one last time before shutting the doors with her magic.

Nightmare Moon stood at one end of a table that looked like a wooden plate would make it collapse while Gilda stood at the opposite end. The warm orange glow of candles burning on the table made Gilda's shadow dance across the floor and wall. Beside Gilda stood two more griffins: one who looked like he would keel over and die of old age at any second, and one who looked like he had more important things to attend to.

The elderly griffin coughed, then threw his head back so his beak pointed at the ceiling, then let out a ragged screech before leveling his beak on her.

And not a single griffin stood to guard them. They had nothing deserving of respect or fear; the three griffins opposite of her were nothing like the griffins of old. She couldn't help but think, 'A single batpony could subdue all three of you,' in passing.

And the thought brought her to shake her head. Even if it wasn't true, there was no glory to be had from fighting them, let alone conquering them. But she was wasting time sizing them up, so she began, "You three represent this... 'council,' correct?"

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't!" the elderly griffin growled, then coughed. His wings shot out and a few gray feathers fluttered to the floor.

She frowned as Gilda rolled her eyes. The griffin on Gilda's left lifted his left claw up and scrutinized his talons.

She forced herself to ignore the disrespect. "And thus you are authorized to negotiate, I presume?"

"More or less," Gilda grumbled. "Like I said, they're going to be pissed no matter what."

"So I remember you saying," Nightmare acknowledged succinctly. "According to reports from the guards I sent before, every griffin city is in a similar state of disrepair. Is this a correct assessment?"

"Pretty much," Gilda answered carelessly.

"How did this happen?" Nightmare muttered.

"You get used to it," Gilda dismissed.

"It's been this way for centuries!" the elderly griffin squawked. The elderly griffin jumped into the air and did a backflip before flying over the lit candle to face her. "Ever since the first and second Empire fell, we griffins haven't had any lasting prosperity for more than a few years at a time!"

Gilda cringed. "Not again..." was muttered as her head fell to the table. There was a thud, and to Nightmare's surprise, the table didn't break.

'First and Second Empire?' she had to wonder, but kept it to herself. There was time for that later. "I see," she cut in.

The tuff of long fur on the elderly griffin's tail passed through the flame. The scent of burnt hair drifted through the room. Nightmare's chest tightened at the scent, but the elderly griffin didn't care. He flew back over and landed, his singed tail clipping Gilda's beak.

Gilda glared at him and rubbed her beak. "Anyway, what you see is basically what you get. We get by."

"Your kind is not much for collaboration now, are you?" Nightmare questioned.

The griffin on Gilda's left let out a "Bah!" as he turned his attention to her. "What are we even doing here!? We're wasting time-"

Gilda whacked the back of his head with her wing. "If you want Equestria's help-"

He leveled Gilda with a glare. "We don't need Equestria's help! We're doing just fine without it!"

"Just fine," Nightmare echoed, anger sparking in her mind. Undeniably, 'You are a fool.' "Your cities are in ruin," she stated. The griffins all turned to face her. She took a moment to look each one on the eye. Of the three, Gilda squirmed, and the other two didn't care. "Your chicks starve. And what, pray tell, do you have to show for it? Equestria prospers, and your kind suffer."

The griffin squinted at her. "And what do you get in return?"

"Like I said," Gilda offered, "we decided to ask for help and they'll be pissed no matter what."

'So it seems,' she had to agree. "I am willing to be generous and extend Equestria's aid," Nightmare said with a nod, "but I do require something in exchange for this. In addition to providing food and assistance rebuilding your cities, I will offer assistance with the construction of infrastructure: roads and trains, both between your cities and Equestria. In exchange, I require access to your natural resources. Metals, crystals, and the likes. These resources will be used for both Equestria's benefit and your own. I believe we can fairly use the going rates of said resources and goods in Equestria as a basis of exchange."

Because it would be good for Equestria, and good for them. If the Minotaur Empire severed trade ties, then they still had the potential to trade for resources with the griffins.

"Yeah, I don't know if you've noticed or not but we don't exactly have the ability to mine anything on the scale I think you're suggesting," Gilda dismissed.

"I will send Equestrian ponies to develop and extract the resources until such time that your kind prove capable of managing it," Nightmare said, inclining her head once.

"What stops you from taking our resources without giving us what we want?" the griffin on Gilda's left mocked.

Nightmare's eyes snapped on him, and her head twisted at an angle. "My word."

He scoffed. Gilda smacked his head again, making him wince and glare at the younger griffin.

Before he could say anything, Gilda offered, "We'll need to talk it over and come up with exact details-" Gilda rolled her eyes and muttered, "-and I'm sure they'll be pissed anyway-" Gilda shook her head and looked at her again, "but it's a good starting point to work something out."

"There better be bits and gold in it for us!" the elderly griffin squawked. Both Gilda and the third griffin looked at him and rolled their eyes.

"It would be a good way to motivate everygriff to make this work," Gilda grumbled.

Nightmare tilted her head. "Moreso than food?" she questioned.

Gilda flicked her eyebrows up, rolled her eyes, and turned her head to the right. "Yeah. You might be surprised how much greed motivates a lot of griffins."

And she felt lost for hearing that answer. 'Is your kind truly so uncaring about your chicks starving?' Or perhaps they did care, and perhaps she just did not see it. She found herself shaking her head. "Regardless, there will be."

"Had we the Idol of Borealis we'd be much better off!" the elderly griffin screeched.

"Whatever," Gilda snapped.

What was this 'idol' that he spoke of? She had not heard of such a thing. "The Idol of-"

Gilda's eyes widened in panic and flicked to her. "Don't!"

But it was too late. The elderly griffin jumped onto the table and raised a claw to the air, lifting his beak towards the ceiling. "The Idol of Borealis was our most treasured possession! Out of the ruins of the First Empire, the Second Empire was born from it!" his grating voice explained.

The griffin on Gilda's left groaned and hit his head on the table. "Why? Just why?"

Ignoring her, the elder continued, "After the collapse of the First Empire, we were lost, but the Idol gave us purpose! Reason to be! And so the Second Empire was born to its protection, and we prospered as the First Empire had never prospered! There was peace and gold and food and knowledge and gold! Our soldiers were the finest in the world..." he trailed off as his voice cracked, and his posture slumped, with his claw limply falling to the table, and his beak lowering straight down. "And then we lost it. We had it all, and we lost it. We failed to protect it, and it was stolen from us."

'Unsurprising,' Nightmare's mind snapped. She kept her self in check, stopping herself from rolling her eyes. Griffins had the advantage of strength and weight, but her batponies almost always had the advantage of better training and agility.

Though there was only so much that better training could do at times.

"Yeah, right," Gilda grumbled. "Just an old legend."

The elder whipped around and went beak to beak with Gilda. Spittle flew from his beak as he shouted, "It was more than just a legend!"

Gilda pushed his head back. "Well, how would you know!? You may be old but you're not that old! You've never seen it!"

He inhaled deeply and pulled back in relent. "It is true," was his admission. He lifted his claw to his chest, covering his heart, "But I know it to be true in my heart!"

Gilda just rolled her eyes dismissively. "Sure. Whatever."

She contemplated telling them that she had already ordered aid to be sent. It might make them more inclined to negotiate, it might alleviate some of their hesitation to accept. But then it might also show weakness, make them think that they could extort her or take advantage of her.

Regardless, they would find out sooner or later, so it was better to tell them now. "I am willing to extend some Equestrian aid- food- without anything in return, save for cooperation, and as such, I have already sent orders to have supplies prepared."

Gilda squinted and nodded cautiously. "Nothing in return except cooperation?"

Nightmare inclined her head once. "Yes." After pausing a moment, she questioned, "What did my Sister provide for your kind?"

"Food and supplies to rebuild," Gilda answered.

"And yet," Nightmare acknowledged, "you have not rebuilt."

Gilda halfway grimaced. "It's hard to get anygriff to pitch in, and construction isn't easy."

"I see." And perhaps that was another opportunity. "We will come to an agreement for having ponies assist with rebuilding." With a nod, she continued, "And assuming you allow it and cooperate, I am willing to work out details for sending ponies to assist with reconstruction alongside constructing infrastructure and conducting mineral surveys."

Gilda thought about it for a few seconds before answering, "They might not be pissed to hear that."

The slightest hint of a smile pulled at Nightmare's lips. "Good."

After lunch, which consisted of salads that were almost half leafy greens and half berries and an apple for each of them which wasn't quite as good as Applejack's apples in their collective opinion, Twilight and her friends broke into groups. She had insisted on visiting the art gallery, which was essentially the entire reason for her visiting. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike came with her, while Midnight served as their guide. Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie went their own ways, wanting to explore the town since an art gallery didn't appeal to them.

"Stay out of trouble," Twilight had told them.

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry!" Rainbow replied dismissively before zooming off without giving Twilight a chance to say anything more.

Which only made her more concerned.

"We'll be fine," Applejack insisted.

She could actually believe Applejack. Besides, in all honesty, Pinkie and Rainbow should probably never visit an art gallery. Especially one as important as their destination! Who knew if any other art galleries had portraits of Princess Luna! Ignoring the obvious answer of probably every other art gallery in batpony cities, of course.

Still, she was glad they accompanied her to Hollow Shades in the first place. It was almost like going on vacation with friends! Something that, after the past few months, was welcomed. And a new experience! Even if they weren't all going to the art gallery, their short trip to Hollow Shades would be a fun bonding experience. Like the slumber party with Applejack and Rarity, except with less lightning, less wind, less rain, and less screaming.

And much, much more exciting. How many ponies who weren't batponies could say that had seen the art they were going to see!?

She did not prance behind Midnight as her guard led them to the art gallery, no matter what Spike and Midnight believed.

The art gallery was smaller than she expected. Being used to Canterlot, she had expected something grand and extravagant, decorated with fine statues and fountains and the usual Canterlot 'Look at me!' flair. Instead, at first glance, she dismissed the building as a slightly larger than normal house: two stories, raised off the ground a few steps by more stone, and of course, built of the same rough, dull gray stone as the rest of the city. A simple wooden double door marked the arched entrance, and a lantern hung from a hook on the side of the door opposite of them.

She almost walked right by it, and she would have if Midnight hadn't stopped, turned to face it, look at her and declare, "Here we are!"

So Twilight paused to look back at the art gallery, and no matter how long she looked at it, she couldn't see any signs or anything that said it was an art gallery. No signs, no paintings, no statues. "Are you sure?"

Midnight closed her eyes and jumped once. "Mhm!"

Twilight turned to face Midnight. "Uh, how can you tell?"

Opening her eyes, Midnight answered, "Comes from living here."

Twilight looked back at the building. "It's not marked."

"Nope," Midnight agreed happily.

Twilight glanced at Rarity and Fluttershy, who in turn glanced at each other, then she turned back to Midnight. "Why isn't it marked?"

Midnight shrugged. "We don't normally have visitors."

"Right," was all she had to say to that. "It should still be marked."

Again, Midnight shrugged. "Talk to the curator."

Twilight sighed, then felt somepony put a hoof on her shoulder. Turning to the left and looking back, she saw Fluttershy smiling softly. "I'm sure the curator has a good reason for not making it," Fluttershy softly offered.

'Maybe, maybe not,' her mind retorted.

"Are we all ready?" Midnight asked.

"I suppose," Rarity offered.

"Yep!" Spike called out.

Fluttershy murmured something that was probably an agreement.

"Yeah," Twilight voiced. With that, Midnight climbed the three steps to the top, then pulled the right side of the door open. Twilight proceeded up the steps, then stepped inside. Immediately inside the door was a short hallway with a vaulted ceiling. There were two doorways immediately inside, one on the left, and one on the right. Along the left wall, after the doorway, there was a staircase that led to the second level. Along the right wall, picture frames. She perked up as she saw them, but to her disappointment, they weren't what she was expecting: rather than artistic portraits of Princess Luna, they were paintings which had, she hoped, clearly been made by young foals.

Before she could look down either hallway, a mare called, "Oh, hello!"

She turned towards the voice: a batpony mare standing behind a desk at the right of the staircase. Her coat was an ashen gray, and her leathery wings were a dull maroon. Sharp amber eyes with slitted pupils and fluffy ears like every other batpony she had seen. Her mane and tail were both deep blue, perhaps midnight blue, but it was hard to tell from the dim orange lighting. Somepony nudged her flank; she glanced back. Rarity looked at her pointedly. She smiled sheepishly and stepped to the right so everypony else could come inside. Turning back to the batpony, she said, "Uh, hi."

The mare smiled. "Twilight Sparkle," was her acknowledgment.

Twilight shifted her weight. 'How did they-' Midnight walked by and winked at her. 'Oh right. That.' She probably wasn't the only pony who thought it was creepy the batponies kept tabs on her before Nightmare Moon's return, "Er, yes. And um, you are?"

The batpony smiled. "You can call me Vis. I'm, as you may have guessed, the curator."

She nodded slowly. "Vis?"

Vis giggled. "Mhm." The mare looked towards the paintings lining the wall on the right. "Do you like them?"

Twilight turned her gaze back to the foals' paintings. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike walked over to scrutinize them. They weren't the best paintings she had seen, but that wasn't a fair assessment: the artists were foals, and she had grown up around royalty. "They're... nice," she finally said.

Rarity squinted at one of the pictures: broad strokes of green and blue, speckled with white dots in the blue, and a crescent moon. Lifting her hoof to her chin, Rarity commented, "Imaginative. It reminds me of something Sweetie Belle would make..."

"I think they're lovely," was Fluttershy's soft praise.

"Hey, some of these are pretty good!" Spike eagerly complimented. In particular, he was admiring what might have been a diamond, or perhaps a star.

"It's always nice to showcase foals' art," Vis said. "It encourages them, and sometimes they're pretty good. Lots of ponies enjoy seeing what foals can think up and make, too. I know I do."

'So, you actually have free time to play?' she wanted to ask, but kept it to herself; they would probably take it as an insult if prior conversations with Midnight were any indication.

Midnight brushed up beside her; the cold chill of her armor almost made her recoil. "See! We do things other than just train to be soldiers," her guard eagerly declared. More calmly, Midnight stated, "Not that different from pegasi, like I said."

Twilight frowned but nodded.

"But I'm guessing the famed Twilight Sparkle isn't here to look at foals' paintings," the curator said.

She turned to face the batpony and found her smiling slyly. "Well, not really..."

Midnight perked up as she turned to face Vis. "She's here to see the portraits of Princess Luna."

Vis let out a happy, high-pitched "Eee!" and danced in place. Both Rarity and Fluttershy turned to look at her, and in response, Vis blushed and coughed after she stopped dancing. "Sorry. Not appropriate for an art gallery..." Stepping out from behind the desk, she walked towards them. "Down the hall on your right."

Twilight turned and looked down the hallway for the first time. Every few feet there were tables upon which sat three candles. The largest candle was in the center, and the two other candles were close by. The combined flickering orange glow gave her a calm, comforted feeling. But almost immediately, her eyes fell onto the portrait at the opposite end of the hallway, facing her.

She turned to stare at it, ignoring the click of ponies' hooves as they drew closer to her. The painting was small, looking only about as big as Nightmare Moon's chest was broad. The frame was silver and onyx, shimmering with a soft glow of magic. The flickering candlelight made silver crescent moons almost dance around the edges of the frame. But the frame wasn't what she was looking at.

The pony painted in the portrait looked nothing like Nightmare Moon. It had to be Princess Luna. Her fur was midnight blue, and the painter's skill made her fur appear, even from the distance, soft and rich, like it hadn't been painted. Her lips were set in a small, graceful smile- just barely lifted up, and yet it was enough that it was disarming. The smile reminded her of Fluttershy's smiles; she simply couldn't deny that Fluttershy's smiles could disarm anypony, and Princess Luna seemed to have the same trait. Princess Luna's eyes were a soft cyan, and she could see the artist's skill at work again: there was a sparkle in her eyes that complimented the graceful smile perfectly, making the Princess of the Night look beautiful, kind, and happy. Her regality was without question; she could spot not a single imperfection.

Atop her head, a tiara made of onyx, reminiscent of Princess Celestia's golden tiara: three graceful, rounded points, with the one at the forefront of the tiara most prominent. Unlike Princess Celestia, the tiara was less prominent on Princess Luna's head: the headband rested behind her ears and looked smaller than her sister's. It lacked both gems and intricate details, and around the edges, it had a silver glow, as if the moon's light was shining down on Princess Luna just right, even though the moon was nowhere to be seen in the painting.

The Princess's muzzle was tilted down, almost hiding her neck, giving her a vulnerable appearance that Nightmare Moon couldn't have. Why Princess Luna was depicted in such a way eluded her, yet the pose seemed to heighten the ruler's beauty and amplify her soft eyes and disarming smile. She couldn't help but smile and think, 'You look cute.' Then she wondered, 'Why did you agree to be painted in that pose?' What was the history behind it? Nightmare Moon was direct, and Midnight said Princess Luna was also direct. But then what was this side of Princess Luna, captured in paint? Or was it simply meant to highlight Princess Luna's beauty and grace?

Her horn, longer than any unicorn's, yet still shorter than Princess Celestia's, extended from her forehead, partially obscured by her mane.

And her mane. It was breathtaking to look at. Nightmare Moon's mane had nothing on Princess Luna's mane. Where Nightmare Moon's mane was a maelstrom of raw magic and power, Princess Luna's mane was controlled, calm, serene, and regal. It was almost like it had been taken right out of the night sky and brought to life with Princess Luna's magic. Even if the painting didn't move, she could picture the way it would softly billow in a nonexistent breeze: gracefully wafting through the air, free from the bonds of gravity, free from anger and hatred and bitterness. It was such a beautiful, rich blue color, highlighted with an enveloping, vivid lavender aura that was transparent. Within the mass of her rich blue mane, there were specs of white that looked like sparkling stars, like Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon's mane.

To Twilight, words just couldn't do it justice. "She's beautiful," she whispered, and Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike murmured in agreement. She couldn't look away from the portrait; her eyes were locked in place, taking in the details, staring into those life-filled eyes, scrutinizing the Princess's soft smile.

But nopony said anything more, and the moment lingered.

Princess Luna was beautiful. Princess Luna was regal and graceful, perhaps even more so than Princess Celestia. She couldn't understand how anypony could have disagreed. She couldn't understand how anypony could have hated Princess Luna. But she couldn't find it in herself to be frustrated with what she couldn't understand. The portrait left her feeling too calm. Anything less than perfect calm would have ruined it.

She found her gaze drawn back to Princess Luna's eyes. There was no malice, nothing to speak of a predator, nothing to speak of the pain Nightmare Moon had endured. Vibrant, youthful beauty. Innocent. Untainted. Unscarred. Happy. Free.

Princess Luna looked free, and in comparison, Nightmare Moon looked shackled. Shackled and bound by hatred and anger and bitterness. Princess Luna looked like she could soar through the sky without a care. Nightmare Moon looked like she would only fly when it was beneficial, and even then she would be weighed down to where flying was a burden.

Maybe Nightmare Moon was free from her banishment on the moon, but she was still imprisoned.

And this? That portrait was just a painting. No matter how skilled the painter was, it was just paint on a canvas.

How beautiful was Princess Luna in person?

Author's Note

I really didn't have a plan for this chapter, and yet, having written it I am pleased with it. It gave me a chance to flex my descriptive writing muscles.

And by flex I mean exercise them a lot. Or at least in my opinion, I think I did. I could be wrong.

Original title With no Plan I have no Idea what to Name this Chapter but I'll Figure it out Eventually I guess

Reviewed 2/19/20.

2/20/20

Look forward to the next chapter. I don't think I've ever enjoyed writing a chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The Dream

The portrait of Princess Luna that caught her attention was far from the Princess's only depiction. That whole side of the art gallery was dedicated to the Princess of the Night. There were five more portraits depicting Princess Luna, each by a different artist, each with a slightly different take or a slightly different pose for the Princess. And yet, they all shared the night theme, her regal appearance, and her undeniable beauty.

And then there were the statues and full-body paintings of her. To her surprise, not all of the statues were solely of Princess Luna. Princess Celestia was there with her, and seeing those statues had left her in a state of shock. There was no way Nightmare Moon knew. If Nightmare Moon knew, the statues wouldn't be there at best, and at worst, Nightmare Moon would have them destroyed. Even Midnight and Vis seemed to recognize such, as they stared forlornly at the three statues.

Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, standing side by side, wings flared wide in graceful arcs, and though the stone was off-white, there was no mistaking who was who: the tiaras were different, and the regalias were giveaways. And Princess Luna was shorter than Princess Celestia. Her body, though carved from stone, was far more graceful than Princess Celestia's. Slender and sleek, yet undeniably strong. Depicted without armor, Princess Luna did not look like a warrior.

And then depicted with armor, Princess Luna's expression was fierce. A warrior. A leader. A guardian. Her expression made a simple fact known: that she would not give up.

A statue depicting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, not quite hugging, but sharing a moment of intimate connection: their heads were bowed against one another, their horns crossing. Both were at peace; Princess Luna was neither burdened by anger nor bitterness nor hatred nor jealousy. Princess Celestia's serene expression, though carved in stone, was one she missed.

Maybe the most surprising statue she found was one where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna where they were both the same size. Their manes and tails were heavier than the manes and tails in the other statues: they did not look airy and light, rather heavy, covering their necks and dropping towards the ground. Both were smaller than her. Younger than her. Even in the stone, she couldn't miss the joy in both of their eyes. Princess Luna seemed to be captured in flight, with her wings spread and her forelegs and hind legs extended, while Princess Celestia looked up at her with a loving, encouraging smile. The kind of smile the older sibling had towards their younger sibling, whom they loved.

And it was bittersweet. Whoever decided on the statue placement knew what they were doing. The statue immediately after Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as foals was of Nightmare Moon reared up, wings outstretched, and teeth bared. Her expression was unadulterated hatred and anger, permanently etched into the stone. Even knowing it was a statue, she felt uncomfortable. Behind the statue was a painting on the wall. The moon was rising up to blot out the sun.

The full-body paintings of Princess Luna always made her slow down, almost stopping as she took them in. Some of the paintings were no larger than her chest, while others took up the length of her body, and just as tall. Her form was always graceful, yet always with power. Her form was always proud, always undefeated, even in the paintings where she sheltered soldiers beneath her wings: some injured, some uninjured, and some perhaps dead. Princess Luna's armor was black, and it covered more of her body than Nightmare Moon's armor: going back along the length of her sides, with slits that let out her wings.

And perhaps some painters intended a sense of irony, because in more than one painting, Princess Luna was depicted fighting off griffins to protect ponies who glared at her, entirely oblivious to the bloodied claws of the griffins cutting at Princess Luna's unarmored body.

And she had to wonder, 'Did something like that happen?' even though it was surely it was an exaggeration.

Princess Luna was painted in even larger paintings, where she clashed with griffins, some in the middle of battle, and some victorious after a battle. The griffins features were always muted so they didn't distract from Princess Luna. And then there were paintings of the night, with Princess Luna amidst a field of flowers under the soft light of the moon: her features appeared even softer than most of the paintings, painting her with an innocent, unscathed beauty, as if entirely separate from the Guardian Princess of the Night.

Never once was there a painting of Princess Luna defeated.

Until the paintings were of Nightmare Moon.

One of the paintings haunted her. She felt as if she had no right to look at it. Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, horns crossed and locked. It wasn't an intimate embrace, nor did they share any connection. Princess Celestia had tears streaming down her face, her teeth showing in a horrified, shocked grimace. Nightmare Moon's glare bore down, meeting Princess Celestia's gaze, almost like her eyes were a weapon of their own, meant to break Princess Celestia. And it worked. Nightmare Moon's teeth were bared, and she looked as if she was caught in the middle of a primal scream of hatred all directed at her sister.

And then there were more twisted paintings, depicting almost the same scene, except Princess Celestia had a mad glint in her eyes, sometimes even smiling. And she knew they were wrong because it wasn't Princess Celestia.

And then there were the paintings of Princess Celestia's victory. Nightmare Moon's defeat. Her friend's banishment. Some had Princess Celestia standing victoriously over the fallen Queen of the Night, who stared up at her battered but defiantly, still seething with rage. Some had Princess Celestia soaring above the fallen Queen. A few had both of them flying, and a column of familiar rainbow-light burning away Nightmare Moon's magic. In some of them, Princess Celestia cried, and in others, she did not.

And the painting that felt most out of place was the one that depicted Princess Celestia alone on a balcony, staring up at the Mare on the Moon. Crying. Entirely broken. Horrified. Crushed. The castle crumbled around her, probably the Castle of the Two Sisters, but her eyes were locked solely on the moon. The raw emotion of somepony being slapped in the face, having everything tore out in front of them when faced with the soul-crushing realization, 'I did this.'

And then everything after that was blurry because she was crying. Fluttershy and Spike both hugged her. Midnight and Vis stared on at the last painting. They walked back outside together and stood in the street. Everything was still a blur, no matter how much she wiped her eyes clean.

She had so many questions. She had so much she wanted to say. Why had those paintings depicted everything in all of those different ways? The batponies were unquestionably loyal to Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon, yet she knew Nightmare Moon would hate most of those depictions! It didn't make sense, and she couldn't wrap her head around it.

And she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, 'Princess Celestia still loves you.' And Nightmare Moon didn't see it.

She looked up at the scarred moon and cried.

"Twilight? You doing okay?"

Hearing Rainbow's voice, Twilight blinked. She found herself staring down at the blue carpet, not knowing how long she had been. Gradually, she lifted her head back up and ran her eyes over each of her friends. Every one of them was staring at her from where they sat on plush red pillows. She shifted her weight on her own pillow, then licked her lips. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"You're still thinking about the art gallery, aren't you?" Rainbow mumbled.

Twilight looked at Rainbow with a sheepish smile. "It was-"

Rainbow threw her forelegs to the air and leaned back. "I knew it!" was her declaration, and without anything else, let herself topple back and fall onto the carpet. Rainbow really didn't care. As soon as she hit the floor, she let out a groan and let her legs all go limp and splay out.

Rarity lifted a forehoof to her mouth and coughed pointedly. "Yes, well... it certainly was something."

Rainbow just groaned. "It's an art gallery."

"I uh, think you would have liked it-" Twilight hesitated a moment as Rainbow looked at her flatly, "-there were paintings of Princess Luna fighting griffins."

Rainbow perked up and sat back up on her pillow. "Oh yeah?" was her intrigued question.

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Yeah." Of course, said paintings also tended to include Princess Luna killing griffins, and violence. She wasn't the biggest fan of it, but from the standpoint of it representing history, and the artistic value, she could appreciate it. She wasn't sure how Rainbow would take to the 'killing griffins' part, though.

Rainbow squinted at her and folded her forelegs over her chest. "Ehhh... maybe it might be okay. Granted, it still doesn't sound very cool, but... maybe worth a peek."

Twilight giggled.

"Some of the paintings were scary..." Fluttershy murmured softly. Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, and when Twilight looked at Fluttershy, she found the pegasus with her head held low. "Princess Luna was... was killing griffins!" A soft whimper followed.

Twilight felt her ears pull back. A little of the wonder at seeing Princess Luna died at that. "Yeah..." she mumbled in agreement. "It was... another time," she reasoned. Her friends looked at her. "She was protecting Equestria." She shook her head dismissively. "Besides, that was well over a thousand years ago."

"Yes, well..." Rarity drawled.

Silence came and lasted for a few seconds. Twilight shifted her weight, then looked at Pinkie Pie. "So... how was, um, Hollow Shades?"

Pinkie bounced on her cushion. "It was great! There are all sorts of fun ponies here to meet and I got to hang out with a bunch of them! Although there weren't as many batponies as I was expecting to meet, but there were still so many new ponies to make friends with! Some of them are kind of weird but it's a fun kind of weird! The food's pretty good too!" Pinkie tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling. "They kind of lack the sugary sweets I'm used to, but they have lots of fruits and nuts and berries! Oh, and you should have seen how many apples and mangos they had!"

"Ehh... I gotta admit, the batponies are pretty cool," Rainbow commented with a casual, almost dismissive nod. "I mean, not as cool as me," she emphasized, "but still pretty cool."

Twilight rolled her eyes, though she still smiled.

"I wonder whether Rainbow or Midnight would win in a race," Applejack mused.

"Pfft! Of course, I would!" Rainbow declared, puffing out her chest. "No way I'm going to lose to her!"

Happily, Midnight chirped, "Okay, just keep telling yourself that."

Rainbow looked at Midnight. Midnight smiled innocently, eyes closed. Rainbow jumped off her pillow and demanded, "Is that a challenge?"

Midnight opened her eyes and giggled sweetly. "Nah. Just saying that you can't beat me."

"Oh, really?" Rainbow demanded, an eager glint coming to her eyes.

"Mhm," Midnight agreed.

"You wanna prove it!?"

"Nah," Midnight dismissed.

Rainbow deflated and her wings drooped from her sides. "What!? Why not!?" she nearly shrieked.

"Don't need to!" Midnight declared all too happily. Casually, "Besides, it's not my job."

Rainbow let out a huff, dropped her head even with her back, and let her wings fall to the floor. "You owe me a race."

Midnight smiled innocently.

Applejack inhaled, then commented, "Well, it's getting kind of late. I don't know about y'all, but I thought today was pretty good. A nice break from Ponyville and the farm."

Everypony murmured in agreement.

A moment passed in silence. "And everything else that's been going on lately," Applejack added.

"Quite," Rarity agreed succinctly. "I'm just glad things have settled down and ponies are more..." the mare trailed off, tilted her head, and tapped her chin with her forehoof. "What's the word I'm looking for?" she asked herself. Her forehoof paused and she righted her head. "Ponies aren't as, well, terrified. It's still not the best for business but at least it's going slightly. Better."

"Yep!" Pinkie all-too-happily agreed. "It's so much better now that ponies are willing to walk around and come to the bakery so I can cheer them up!"

"Still permanent night!" Rainbow bellowed, throwing her forelegs to the air and pushing herself back so that she fell to the floor. Flailing her forelegs in the air, she added, "Still hard to take care of the weather!"

"Oh, I think you're doing fine," Fluttershy murmured. "Although... with it always being night, it's um... scary, and my animal friends are scared and... and... oh my..." The timid pegasus ducked under her mane and whimpered softly.

Applejack sighed and put a forehoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "It's alright, Fluttershy. I'm sure they're all doing fine."

She barely heard Fluttershy whisper, "Oh, I hope so..."

Applejack looked over at Rainbow. "Say, aren't you up to the challenge of handling the weather at night?"

Rainbow shot back up, then hovered over the pillow, beating her wings casually and facing Applejack with a brash smile. "Of course I am!" was her declaration, followed by her smile wavering as she landed. "But..." she drawled, rolling her head to the left. "The ponies that are supposed to help me kinda aren't helping a whole lot," her voice cracked a few times.

Flatly, Rarity grumbled, "We know, darling."

A few seconds passed in silence.

"Well, see you all for breakfast?" Twilight asked. Her friends murmured in agreement. She looked over each of them and smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning." She started to stand up, and likewise, everypony else rose from the pillows. "Thanks for coming with me again." She eyed Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. "Even if you didn't come to the art gallery, I'm glad you came to Hollow Shades with me!"

They each had their own reasons for coming, but they also had a reason in common: they were friends. "Goodnight, girls!"

"Goodnight, Twilight!" as they turned to leave. She walked with them and opened the door for them, then watched them walk to their own rooms.

Spike lingered behind. "Uh, I know I have my own room, but can I-"

Twilight smiled as she scooped Spike up and pulled him to her chest. She nuzzled his face as she said, "Of course you can stay with me!"

Spike smiled and returned her embrace. "Thanks, Twilight!"

After a few seconds, they parted.

Midnight nodded. "Well, I guess I'll leave you under these fine colts' care," the batpony said as she walked out. Both stallions stood up straighter. Pausing, Midnight looked back at her with a smile. "Night, Twilight! Night Spike!" Then the batpony giggled happily.

"Goodnight, Midnight," Twilight said with a nod.

"Goodnight, Midnight!" Spike called.

As she closed the door, she caught Midnight almost skipping along the hallway. A smirk broke out on her face. 'I'm not the only pony who prances!' her mind happily declared. She stopped herself from jumping in place.

Once the door shut, she turned around, sat down on her haunches, and leaned back against it. She let out a sigh, then felt Spike hug her. She smiled sheepishly and wrapped a foreleg around his back to return the hug. "What do you think of Hollow Shades?"

Spike shrugged. "Eh, it's okay. Kinda cool, actually. The castle's different from Canterlot Castle, but I kind of think it's cooler, you know?"

Twilight nodded. 'I think I have some idea, at least.'

She walked towards the bedroom door, but stopped as Spike asked, "Do you think that's really what Princess Luna looked like?"

Twilight turned back. Spike walked towards her slowly. "Yeah," she answered. "Well-" she tossed her head to the side, "-other than that I'm sure there are some artistic liberties taken, yeah."

Spike half-smiled and came to a stop at her side. "Heh..."

She lifted her forehoof and stroked the crests on his head, bringing his half-smile to a full smile.

After she put her forehoof back on the floor, Spike frowned. "You're actually going to sleep right? Not going to sneak out of bed to go back there in the middle of the night? Not going to stay up trying to find out more about Princess Luna?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly but shook her head. "Nooo..." she drawled.

Spike raised an eyebrow.

Twilight bit her lip and looked away. "Okay! The thought crossed my mind." She turned back to face Spike. "But I won't!"

"Right..." Spike muttered, unconvinced.

She winced. "Besides... I was... wondering if maybe Nightmare Moon would show up."

For a moment, Spike blanked, then his frown returned, deeper than before. "Wait, you mean like actually show up here or, like, in your dreams?"

"In my dreams," Twilight specified. "The batponies said Princess Luna could, so I don't know why Nightmare Moon wouldn't be able to."

"That sounds scary," Spike mumbled.

Twilight huffed. "I'm not even sure if she will!" A moment passed and she frowned. "Although I've not had any nightmares since after Discord showed up."

"You think Nightmare Moon is responsible for that?" Spike asked.

Twilight pursed her lips. 'All things considered? Yes.' She answered, "Probably. Maybe." She walked on into the bedroom and Spike followed. As she approached the bed, she said, "I remember... I was having a nightmare about Discord after we beat him."

"Back when you were out of it because of using the Elements?"

"Yeah," Twilight answered. "I remember having that nightmare, but it stopped suddenly and everything changed. One moment it was a nightmare and the next it was-" she smiled as she thought back on it, "-a really good dream. My friends were there and we were outside at night, stargazing together... Nightmare Moon was there, but when I looked back at her, she looked... surprised. Afraid, even. And then she wasn't there."

"So you think that was her?"

Twilight ran her forehoof over the silky bedsheets. It almost made her shiver. "I..." she paused and faced Spike. "It felt different at the time. Like something was just off. I thought that I might have been imagining it, but if Nightmare Moon can enter ponies' dreams, then... I think she was there."

Spike frowned uncomfortably. "And that doesn't bother you?" he muttered. "That Nightmare Moon could be visiting your dreams and know everything you dream about?"

'When you put it like that, it doesn't sound as nice.' Twilight fought back a wince, but still squirmed where she stood. How many dreams had she had since then? And how many of those dreams involved her friends?

How many involved Princess Celestia and the day? How many of those dreams were insults to Nightmare Moon?

But if Nightmare Moon knew, never once had she brought it up. If Nightmare Moon knew, she kept it a secret and did not act on it. If Nightmare Moon knew, they were still friends.

Did Nightmare Moon know?

Maybe she would find out in her dreams. "I'm not sure if she would do that or not..." she mumbled. "But... uh, even if she does..." she winced and faced Spike, "We're still friends?"

"I don't know how you can be friends with her," he mumbled as he shook his head. "You haven't forgotten about Princess Celestia, have you?"

Twilight's ears folded back. "Of course not, Spike..." she whispered. Turning away, she admitted, "I just... I don't know what to do..."

Spike sighed softly, and a moment later, Twilight felt his body press up against her foreleg. She looked back at him and smiled. "You are being careful, right? I don't want to lose you, Twilight..."

Twilight swallowed and nodded. "She won't hurt me."

But he wasn't convinced of that. None of them were. She took in a deep breath, then looked at the bed again. 'Nightmare Moon's bed,' she knew. And yet, was it Nightmare Moon's bed? To her knowledge, Nightmare Moon had never slept here. And it wasn't the one in Canterlot. Regardless, Nightmare Moon gave it to her to sleep in. It was thoughtful.

'It's huge.' It really was. She wouldn't fill it. All of her friends and herself could probably fit on it with room to spare, and at that thought she had to smile and shake her head, nearly giggling at the picture: her and her friends all cuddled up together. Thinking about that made her feel a bit giddy, if nervous and embarrassed.

Hopefully, they didn't snore or kick.

'Who knows, maybe something like that could happen!' she thought with a smile. It might be nice.

And then there was the idea of Nightmare Moon joining in, and her smile faded to a bewildered cringe at that picture. Nightmare Moon was entirely out of place in such a setting! And her friends would probably lie awake, staring at the ceiling, careful not to move at all. And she couldn't help but picture Nightmare Moon staring at her friends the whole time, rather than sleeping. And of course, her friends would know Nightmare Moon was awake, staring at them.

The thought left her uncomfortable. That would never happen, and she was glad it wouldn't.

She shook the thought from her head, pulled the blankets back with her magic, and climbed onto the bed. 'I've slept in her bed before...' drifted through her mind, followed by, 'I think I fell asleep beside her once.' She certainly didn't remember falling asleep in her bed when that happened, let alone going back to Canterlot.

Who knew, maybe something like that might happen again. The thought wasn't even that uncomfortable, rather, she felt curious about it. She flopped down on her back, and the cold of the bed sapped the heat from her back. She closed her eyes and let out a content moan: the bed was so soft and comforting, supporting her body just right. It cooled her fur, and the pleasant chill made her shiver. She sighed and rolled her head to the left, then opened her eyes as Spike climbed onto the bed.

He wasted no time in laying down against her chest, with his head on the pillow. She smiled happily and wrapped a foreleg around him to keep him held in place, then she tucked his head under hers, and used her muzzle to pull his head against her neck. "Goodnight Spike," she murmured as she pulled the blankets over them.

Spike squirmed to get comfortable against her before eventually relaxing. "Goodnight Twilight... and thanks."

She smiled as she closed her eyes and nuzzled Spike. "Of course, Spike... I love you."

"I love you too, Twilight..."

A gentle summer breeze rolled by, sending her mane and tail billowing with the little currents of air. She blinked and looked right, then left. Stretched out before her was a grassy meadow dotted with wildflowers. The blades of grass and flowers reached up to her knees. The air smelled fresh and crisp, yet with a hint of a spring shower and lavender undertones. She tilted her head back and stared up at the vibrant, light blue sky.

Directly overhead, the sun shined down, warming her back and face. She closed her eyes and smiled, and another gently current of air blew by, making her mane and tail tickle her neck and legs. Inhaling, she took in those relaxing scents and let them soothe her.

Opening her eyes, she watched a few clouds drift overhead on the wind. She frowned a bit and searched for the pegasi who had been responsible for them, but no matter what direction she looked, she didn't see any.

From behind her, she heard the laughter of two fillies. Curious, she turned around and saw two young fillies prancing through the grass. Neither of them saw her; they both looked at each other, almost neck and neck as they bounded through the grass that was up to their bellies. They both smiled and squealed and laughed as they danced together. They were lively and joyful and happy, and their manes and tails rippled behind them in the air. Their wings fluttered at their sides, beating against the air playfully with each bound, perhaps just to get a feel for the wind underneath or against their sides.

She smiled, yet felt confused. For some reason, the two foals seemed familiar, and yet, recognition escaped her.

She watched them prance and dance on through the grass and flowers. A monarch butterfly flittered into the air as the smaller one disturbed its perch on a flower. The younger foal stopped and turned to look at it. For a moment, her face almost blanked in surprise, then lit up in excitement as she turned around to face the other foal. "A butterfly!" the younger filly declared, squealing and jumping in place.

The second filly pranced over and stopped beside her, and together, the two of them watched the butterfly dance through the air, catching the sun's rays just right to appear to sparkle in the midday sun.

A few moments passed while they watched the butterfly, then it flew higher up. The younger one stuck her tongue out and licked her lips, then beat her wings and flew up into the sky to follow it. A moment later, the older one followed.

The feeling of familiarity lingered, eating at her mind. She couldn't help but think, 'I know them.' But why? She didn't recognize either of the foals. She squinted at them to take in their features, yet found their bodies blurry. The smaller filly had a soft, midnight blue coat and a rich blue mane. The older, a white coat that reminded her of her brother and a frilly, beautiful pink mane that reminded her of Fluttershy's mane, but darker.

And she watched on as they played through the sky. Hours passed by as they played together, so carefree and happy, sharing in a special bond of friendship and sisterhood. The sun's descent slowed to a stop, and likewise, the two of them gathered together, cuddled up in a patch of grass. The younger filly laid with her body propped up on top of the older filly's back.

"It's time, to lower the sun," the white filly softly sung.

And the blue filly giggled softly, then sang, "It's time, to raise the moon."

They bowed their heads together and crossed their horns, which glowed in a golden and blue light. And the sun lowered in the west and the world transition to darkness as the moon rose up in the east.

As night fell, the meadow became blurry, and then faded away.

She frowned and turned around, trying to make out anything. And then she was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a valley just a short drop away. A dozen batponies hovered in the air over a line of earth ponies, and a line of unicorns stood behind them. All of them wore armor with a polished gleam, reflecting the soft moonlight. Set against them were dozens of griffins, features all blurred incomprehensibly.

'What is this?' she wondered. She turned to the left, then circled around to the right. A pony stood beside her, standing proud and determined, her head held high and her horn blazing with a dark blue aura. Her wings were pressed firmly against her black armor, and her sharp cyan eyes bore down on the griffin army.

It took her a few seconds to realize, 'Princess Luna.'

And as soon as the realization hit her, chaos. Steel met steel. Ponies screamed and griffins screeched. Startled, she jumped and spun around. The valley below washed crimson, and corpses of ponies and griffins lay mingled together: some cut apart by blade and claw, others by magic. Bloodied ponies ran away from the griffins who chased after them, hunting them.

Princess Luna jumped into the air and dived down. Her horn burned bright and put the light of the moon to shame: her magic enveloped the griffins and they fell to the earth unmoving. She glided down and landed, and batponies raced to her side, covering the retreat of earth ponies and unicorns and pegasi.

The Guardian Princess reared up and jumped forward, charging ahead, and her batponies followed behind her.

She blinked, and once more found herself in a meadow, this time cast in the soft light of the moon. Turning around, she watched the Princess of the Night stroll through the flowers: lavender and violets. Her wings were extended from her sides, leaving her body exposed and vulnerable as her wingtips traced over the flowers' petals, as if to comfort them.

Or perhaps, to comfort herself. The princess walked alone, and the night was silent. The shadows seemed to follow her, yet kept their distance, as if out of respect, or not knowing what to do.

She galloped forward, then slowed to match the princess' stride as she reached her side. The princess's eyes seemed almost empty. Hollow.

There was no joy in them, only remorse and regret and loss and pain. The princess walked on, unaware of her presence. She stayed close by. "Princess Luna?" she called, but it went unheard. Princess Luna didn't react in any way, like she hadn't heard her.

"Luna?" she repeated, and again, nothing.

The princess came to a stop, cast her destitute gaze left and then right before inhaling and lifting her head to the sky.

She watched the alicorn for a moment, she saw how her lips set in a firm line, how her eyes glistened, then her cheeks glistened, catching the faint moonlight. Her mane barely flickered.

She turned her gaze to the sky. The moon hung low, gradually descending, as if it was marching towards some inevitable fate that had been set in stone a thousand years ago.

And Luna cried. Her head fell, her eyes closed, and Luna cried.

She stepped closer to the princess and touched her forehoof to the mare's shoulder. The princess wasn't as tall as Princess Celestia or Nightmare Moon, yet still taller than Cadance.

Her touch went unnoticed. Luna collapsed onto her haunches.

And then the Princess of the Night cried out and wept.

Her ears pinned back against her mane, and she felt something tear inside her chest. She blinked, and the world changed.

Before her were uncaring, gray stone walls. Large stone pillars stretched up to the vaulted ceiling from which banners depicting the sun and moon, Celestia and Luna, dancing together hung. The warm light of the sun-filled the room. She turned left and right, then looked out a stained glass window. She tried to tell what it depicted, but it was a blur: white and blue and pink and purple, yet clear enough to see the sun outside.

And there was a raised platform, and two thrones set before the window. The throne on the right was smaller than the throne on the left. The thrones were adorned with a cyan crescent moon and a golden sun, respectively. To her left, there was an arched doorway.

She watched the door open, and the Princess of the Night walked out. Her head was held low, and her teeth showed. She could see Princess Luna's muscled pulled tight in her face, and her features were twisted into a vengeful glare.

She took a step back on instinct. The alicorn's body was bare, save for her regalia and tiara and shoes, and so she could watch and see how quickly the mare breathed in and out: almost hyperventilating. She could see her legs trembling with each step. And she could see the princess' fur, matted from tears.

Princess Luna strode towards the platform, climbed up, then turned to face her. The gaze of boiling rage was unlike anything she had seen: there was nothing except for anger, vengeance, betrayal, and hate. There was nothing she could begin to compare the hatred to, so far gone was it. Not even Nightmare Moon had ever held such a gaze.

And the gaze froze her in place, locked her legs, kept her from moving and even breathing. Her body was stiff with fear, and she felt something coiling inside her body faster and faster, tightening until her lungs were empty and burned. The edges of her vision darkened and flickered, and panic exploded over her mind.

'Run. Run. Run, run run! RUN!' was all she could think.

A dozen predators sized her up from all sides as if Discord was watching her and smiling, and yet, it was without the primal wrongness.

Quick as lightning, the Princess of the Night reared up. Luna screamed, and the screech tore through her mind and soul and body. Ice, unlike anything she had ever felt before, gripped her.

And Luna slammed her forehooves down, cracking the platform, shattering the window.

And it happened. The moon rose up to blot out the sun, and the Princess of the Night's form darkened, consumed with rage and magic.

"Luna!" Celestia cried.

And the mass of magic enveloping Luna bore down into her body, and Nightmare Moon stood, staring just over her head with a gaze sharp enough to boil metal.

And insanity unlike anything she had seen: the Queen of the Night had one purpose, and one purpose alone. She saw the psychotic, consumed glint of insanity in how wide the queen's eyes were, and there was nothing she could compare it to.

Nightmare Moon's body trembled with uncontrolled breathing. "LUNA. IS. DEAD!"

Nightmare Moon spread her wings, let out a scream, and dived.

She dropped to the floor and found herself watching the queen fly over her, horn boiling with magic, teeth bared, towards Celestia.

Princess Celestia's horn glowed with a golden aura. Her cheeks shined from tears.

The room fell to darkness as the moon overtook the sun, and the only light came from their magic. Their horns crossed, and Nightmare Moon's magic exploded outward. The queen let out a hate-fueled, rage-consumed scream. Princess Celestia was thrown to the floor and-

"ENOUGH!" Nightmare Moon's voice demanded.

The dream had no choice but to obey, and so the world exploded away.

A grassy meadow came into focus before her. Where it had been an eclipse, now the sun shined down on the short grasses and wildflowers that swayed back and forth in a gentle breeze. She half expected to see the two foals again, but instead, she saw her friends racing down a hill towards her. A river separated them, but the stream was shallow, and they all splashed through the water carelessly. Droplets of water flew into the sky, caught the sunlight, and sparkled like diamonds or stars.

She smiled but knowing something wasn't right pulled at the back of her mind. Nightmare Moon was there. Behind her. She turned around to face her teacher.

And caught Nightmare Moon unprepared. Her teacher's gaze was unfocused, staring behind her at the hill, contemplative, mulling over what she had seen. And then Nightmare's eyes snapped onto her, and the same look of fear and surprise crossed her expression as last time.

And she was sure Nightmare Moon had stopped her nightmare, and that Nightmare Moon had been there.

Nightmare stepped back and her blue aura wrapped around her horn.

Before Nightmare could leave, she shouted, "Wait!"

And Nightmare Moon froze, her aura winking out.

A moment passed in silence. She took a step towards Nightmare Moon, and her teacher blinked. The surprise gradually faded into a frown. She barely heard Nightmare mumble, "You know," in disbelief.

"That you're actually here? That you can enter ponies dreams?" Twilight asked. Nightmare cringed and turned her head to the left, avoiding eye contact. "Yes."

Nightmare's wings tightened against her side, and after a moment, the mare scowled. Her head drooped a few inches lower, then bobbed left and right before finally reluctantly turning back to face her, her scowl replaced by uncertainty. "And you are not... afraid?" her teacher mumbled.

She frowned and shook her head. "Why would I be?"

Nightmare straightened and turned away from her again. "Before."

And Twilight remembered Midnight saying, 'Ponies thought she caused their nightmares.' She didn't know what to say, so said nothing as she watched Nightmare until the Guardian of Dreams turned back to face her. "You stopped the nightmare. Before. When Discord was-"

"Yes," Nightmare said succinctly. Her lips lingered open, and Nightmare cast her gaze off to the right, then back to the left, as if checking to make sure they were alone for some reason. Then Nightmare met her gaze and summarized, "I did."

Twilight smiled at her. "Thank you."

Nightmare's brow folded down, but she gave a slow, cautious nod. "I... should have stopped your previous nightmares."

Twilight's smile faded. "It's fine."

Nightmare shook her head and turned to the left. "It was a dereliction of my duty and my promise to you." Turning back to meet her gaze, Nightmare's eyes were wide open as she asked, "How much better off would you be if I had intervened before? How much anguish would I have spared you?"

Twilight did the only sensible thing. She stepped forward and pressed her chest against Nightmare's chestplate, then laid her head upon Nightmare's shoulder. "It's okay," she said softly.

And for a moment, Nightmare just stood there rigidly. She could almost feel the alicorn's inner turmoil: little twitches and spasms in her body, tiny jerks of her head and neck. Finally, Nightmare leaned down and laid her head on her withers and wrapped her right foreleg around her neck. "I am sorry," Nightmare mumbled.

They stayed like that for seconds or perhaps minutes. Time passing in the dream was impossible to distinguish; the hug lasted long enough and yet was over far too soon. Nightmare pulled back, and so she let her teacher go. And Nightmare stood there, looking down at her with that concern she had only for her. "You have not had such a nightmare before," Nightmare said.

Twilight felt her lips curl into a wince. She turned away from Nightmare Moon. What was she to say, because she knew what would be said next.

"Why did you have such a nightmare?" Nightmare asked, exactly as she knew her teacher would.

But it wasn't hard or demanding. Instead, it was cautious and curious. Worried over her.

Anxiety tickled her mind, and Nightmare frowned. Almost immediately, the anxiety faded away, as did Nightmare's frown. She had the suspicion, 'You did that,' but kept it to herself. "The reason I wanted to go to Hollow Shades, other than it being a batpony city, was because of an art gallery."

Nightmare Moon stiffened. "Art gallery?" she echoed, forcing the words out. In slow motion, Twilight watched Nightmare's lips and brow twist into a mixture of a grimace and a scowl. "An art gallery," came out more coldly.

And she watched it flicker through Nightmare's eyes, the realization set in that she knew something her teacher didn't want to be known. "What did you see?"

Twilight frowned. "Portraits, paintings, and statues."

Nightmare's lips twitched down. "Luna."

"And you, and your sister," Twilight put in.

Nightmare clenched her jaw and looked to the left. A moment passed in tortured silence, then Nightmare looked back at her. Not quite angry, but upset. Almost defeated, and with unmistakable disappointment. "Why?"

Twilight stepped closer to Nightmare, her ears folding back. "Because I want to know!" she pleaded. "What was it like, before you were Nightmare Moon? What was Luna like? The paintings can't do it justice, and you were so beautiful!"

She searched Nightmare's eyes and found shock. Her teacher was caught off guard, and for a moment, the alicorn stiffened again.

But she didn't let it stop her. "Midnight told me about Luna, but... it wasn't a lot. And I can't find any books and I was going to look through the libraries in Hollow Shades, but... you're Luna."

Nightmare Moon lifted her eyes up and looked right over her head. "Luna is dead."

"But you still remember what she was like!" Twilight pleaded. Softly, she asked, "Tell me."

Nightmare looked back down at her. Her teacher shook her head, slowly at first, with building vigor, and then Nightmare turned around. "You are a scholar..." was mumbled. "Of course you'd want to know..."

"Of course I do!" Twilight agreed. "It's history that was lost-"

Nightmare's head snapped to the right. "Erased," was her teacher's correction.

Twilight closed her mouth, looked at the grass, and nodded. "Erased."

Nightmare turned back away from her and inhaled deeply. "When I first discovered that you were so studious... a scholar... I was displeased." Twilight looked back up and watched Nightmare turn around to face her. "A scholar. You want knowledge. And that puts us at an impasse. There are things I do not want known, as it is information which I want kept secret. And you want information to be free."

"Tell me," Twilight repeated. "Please."

Nightmare met her gaze. Looked into her eyes, and she could see Nightmare's determination waver. Her teacher broke eye contact and inhaled. "Perhaps. But not here. Not now."

Frowning, Twilight asked, "Why not?"

Nightmare snorted. "I need to ensure this art gallery's destruction."

"Don't," Twilight demanded.

Nightmare met her gaze again. "I-"

Twilight shook her head preemptively. "You want ponies to love you, right? You want their respect. You want them to know what you've done for them." Nightmare said nothing. "How does destroying an art gallery... How does erasing your past like Princess Celestia did... How does that help you?"

Nightmare blinked and turned to the left. She heard her teacher let out a soft breath, and her teacher's eyes dropped to the grass. Trace over the blades of grass. Meet her gaze again. "Fine," her teacher relented.

Twilight smiled. "Thank you."

Nightmare groaned and turned back around. And then Nightmare straightened again. "You know what..." Nightmare slowly turned back to face her again. "What I looked like, don't you?"

"The paintings," Twilight said.

Nightmare grunted in disgust.

"Show me," Twilight whispered.

Nightmare squinted at her. "There is no point in it."

All she asked was, "Please?"

And Nightmare broke eye contact again.

The dream shifted around them. Night fell. The moon rose. Flowers blossomed from the meadow. Nightmare broke eye contact and lifted her head to point behind her.

She turned around. A mare stood before her, looking at her. Almost like the portraits and paintings, yet even with all their artistic talent, the paintings were just paint on canvas. They did nothing to capture her beauty. Her mane, so graceful, calm and free, such a rich blue highlighted with lilac. Soft, deep cyan eyes. Onyx tiara and regalia, catching the moon's light just perfectly to glow as if enchanted with magic.

Princess Luna was full of life. She watched the Guardian of Dreams, saw how her body moved with each breath she breathed in, saw how her soft eyes danced back and forth, studying her. She did not hold herself rigidly or stiff, or in a posture that a predator would. She was relaxed; her wings were loosely held to her sides.

The Princess of the Night stood as tall as she thought: not quite as tall as Celestia and Nightmare Moon, but still taller than Cadance and every other pony. Her fur was midnight blue, deeper and darker than the paintings, yet richer and softer than painted canvas could ever portray. She did not look like a warrior nor a guardian, but innocent and pure and vulnerable, with no chestplate or armor of any kind. She looked like a pony just like her, so entirely different from Nightmare Moon.

And she spoke in a voice far softer and more musical than Nightmare Moon's voice could ever be, "This is how I looked when I was Luna."

She turned back to face Nightmare, only to find her teacher missing. She turned back to face Luna. She met her teacher's eyes, then let her gaze trace along her slender neck and sleek body. Her grace and beauty put Princess Celestia to shame, and to think that ponies hated her? She cried.

And Luna frowned, almost ruining her serene, innocent beauty. "What is wrong?"

She looked up and met her gaze. "How could ponies hate you? You're so beautiful..."

And Luna's mouth parted, but nothing came out. Inevitably, Luna closed her mouth and turned to the right, looking away from her. And then bitterness swept across her expression, and Nightmare Moon stood where Luna had been, shaking her head. "Sister," was all she had to say.

So Twilight threw herself at her teacher and hugged her again, and as before, she caught Nightmare off-guard. She wrapped her forelegs around Nightmare's neck, laid her head on her right foreleg, and squeezed her teacher. After several seconds, she rubbed her cheek up and down against Nightmare and held onto her tighter.

Nightmare sat down and returned the hug, enveloping Twilight with her warm wings and strong forelegs, holding her close. Sheltering her. She felt Nightmare dip her muzzle into her mane, and she thought she heard her teacher say something, but she couldn't make it out. She felt calmed and peaceful, even though she cried.

Eventually, she felt Nightmare's bare forehoof trace down the back of her mane, down her neck, then coming to a stop where it had been.

"Thank you for showing me..." she whispered.

After a moment, Nightmare murmured, "Thank you for being my friend."

The dream ended.

When Twilight awoke, her vision was blurred and her face was cold and wet. She blinked away the remnants of tears and looked left, down at Spike who she clutched against her chest. She closed her eyes and nuzzled him, then unwrapped her forelegs from his body and rolled to the right.

As quietly as she could, she climbed off the bed. She let her eyes trace over the panoramic painting on the wall, then they settled on the door. She looked back at Spike, then walked over to the door, opened it, and then closed it behind her. Without thinking, she turned right and walked to the door to the hallway, opened it, and stepped outside. Both guards looked at her.

"I'm... going for a walk," she murmured and closed the door behind her. She started forward.

"Do you require an escort?" one of them asked.

She shook her head without looking back and continued down the hallway. They said nothing more as she walked on. Unlike earlier, only half of the torches were lit, casting the hallways in an even softer orange glow. The dim light weighed on her, making her eyelids droop even as she forced herself on. She walked passed the Throne Room and headed to the entrance, ignoring the respectful bows of batponies as she walked by.

She pushed the doors open with her magic, then walked outside. Cold washed over her and banished the exhaustion. Numbly, she descended the steps. She looked left and right, but the world was dark. Almost pitch black, almost impossible to see. She could make out the shapes of buildings and trees and batponies walking along. She looked up and took in the stars. She stared at the little specks of light as she listened to the chirping of crickets and cicadas and the hooting of owls.

She inhaled, then sat down on her haunches.

The ground was cold. The air was cold. She missed her teacher. And she felt lonely and disappointed and fractured as she stared at the sky. Her mind wandered back to the art gallery, and then her mind wandered back to the dream.

Luna was beautiful! How was it possible that ponies hated her!? How did Princess Celestia not see what was happening!? How!?

And she had no answers. She closed her eyes as the tears came back again, and she let her head hang limply, with her muzzle touching her chest.

There were only two ways she would find the answers she needed: having Nightmare Moon or Princess Celestia tell her, or find a book that she needed to read.

She lifted her head back up and inhaled. Looking around at the dark outlines of structures and trees, she couldn't help but think, 'Maybe it's not that dark.'

She could even see the occasional glow of lamps illuminating the night.

Standing back up, she looked back at the castle. Spike was sound asleep, and if he did wake up, the guards would tell him she went on a walk. He would be fine. She would be fine. She turned back around and set off, making her way through the dark streets. Batponies moved out of the way at her approach, giving her ample room to avoid running into anything.

She wasn't sure how long it took her, but she eventually managed to find the art gallery again. The lamp was still lit, so she climbed up the stairs and pulled on the door with her magic. It wasn't locked, so it opened freely. She walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"Twilight," Nightmare said.

She turned to the right and faced her teacher. Nightmare Moon's body was turned at an angle, but her head was facing her, surprised. "You said you wouldn't," she whispered.

"And I keep my promises," Nightmare dismissed. With that, Nightmare turned back to face the portrait, then silently walked the length of the hallway to stop in front of it.

A moment later, Twilight came to a stop at her side, her eyes flicking between the portrait and Nightmare Moon. She couldn't read her teacher's expression. "Why are you here then?"

Nightmare inhaled and stood straighter. "Pointless reminiscence," was her answer.

"They love you," she pointed out. Nightmare turned her head to face her. "The batponies. They're the artists who made all of this, right? They love you."

Nightmare turned back to face the portrait. "They do," was her dismissal.

She frowned. "Ponies love you."

"No," Nightmare stated firmly. "The batponies do, but all other ponies hate me."

"I don't hate you," she murmured.

Nightmare looked at her, and for a moment, she thought the alicorn looked pained. "You... don't," her teacher mumbled. After a moment, Nightmare faced her again. "And for that, you have my thanks."

She smiled, but it was cut short by a yawn. She shook her head to try to banish the exhaustion, but it didn't work.

"You are tired," Nightmare acknowledged with a nod. "You should be sleeping."

Twilight half-smiled. "So should you."

"I will be fine," Nightmare countered. "But you should rest. And I suppose-" Nightmare turned away from her and leaned to the right, "-I should take my leave as well. I should not disturb you and your friends' trip."

"You're my friend too. You can stay," Twilight offered.

Nightmare shook her head. "Your friends are not so welcoming."

"They don't have to know?" she asked.

Nightmare glanced at her, then looked back at the portrait, scrutinizing it. "Why do you want me to stay?"

Twilight tilted her head and asked, "Because you're my friend?"

"It is late and you should be sleeping," Nightmare immediately countered. "There is no reason for me to stay when I can simply return after I have raised the moon." Looking at her, Nightmare continued, "Though if you desire me to use my magic to help you sleep, I am not opposed to helping you."

Twilight frowned.

Nightmare's lips twitched slightly as she faced the portrait.

Twilight shifted her weight. "Uh, how did the... negotiations with the griffins go?"

Nightmare reluctantly nodded, then said, "Well enough. In truth... I am surprised." Nightmare's eyes flicked to meet her own. "By many things about the griffins. They are... different." Her teacher shook her head. "They are not unified, but I think they will accept my offer. We will both prosper from it."

"Well, that's good!" Twilight voiced.

Nightmare nodded once. "Yes. Although we have yet to work out all of the details." A moment passed in silence, then her teacher sighed. "I am concerned they will be too stubborn to accept my offer."

Twilight yawned again. "I'm sure you can figure something out."

"Perhaps," Nightmare replied. "But we can discuss this another time," her teacher said as she turned to face her, "because you are tired and should rest."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm not that tired..." she trailed off and a smile pulled at her lips. "I have stayed up all night studying before!"

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "That is not good for you."

The smile faded and she turned away from Nightmare. "Right..." She sucked in a deep breath and met Nightmare's gaze, smiling again, "But I do learn a lot when I do that!"

She thought she saw a slight smile pull at Nightmare's lips, but Nightmare turned to face the portrait before she could be certain. "Then if you are so inclined-" Nightmare looked back at her, "-join me?"

"Sure!" Twilight agreed. Nightmare smiled. And then Twilight asked, "For what?"

Nightmare nodded and turned around, then started walking towards the exit. "Come," her teacher beckoned, and she followed.

They walked out of the art gallery together, and Nightmare hurried down the stairs, then stopped. Twilight stepped down the first step, then paused as Nightmare sat down on her haunches and looked back at her. "I want to show you something," Nightmare said.

Twilight didn't move for a few seconds, instead, just staring at her teacher. Seeing Nightmare Moon's back surprised her, and it reminded her of Manehattan, when she had ridden on Nightmare's back, flying over the city with her. "Uh, what?"

"We will fly," Nightmare answered.

After another second to process it, Twilight slowly descended the steps, then climbed onto Nightmare's back and wrapped her forelegs around her teacher's neck, and tucked her hind legs under Nightmare's body. A tinge of anxiety tickled her mind, and she looked left and right. Nightmare was calm, so perhaps it was fine, and yet the fear, 'Is anypony going to see this!?' still haunted her.

But maybe it was fine. Maybe she was worrying too much. If they were seen, then it would be by batponies.

Nightmare stood up, extended her wings, and then jumped into the air. She held on tight as they climbed above the trees, then ascended higher and higher into the pitch black, moonless sky. She made the mistake of looking down and felt as if her stomach dropped out of her body. Her gut clenched, and her legs clenched that much tighter.

"I will not drop you," Nightmare said.

"I'm the one holding on!" Twilight pointed out.

Nightmare turned her head back. "If you fall," Nightmare paused and her blue aura wrapped around her horn, "I will catch you."

Twilight tried to smile. It came out as a grimace. Nightmare looked back ahead, mumbling, "Trust me."

She looked down again. The wold was almost entirely black. She couldn't make out anything except the outline of the castle, mountains, forests, what might have been a river, and grasslands in the distance. She inhaled deeply, then let the breath out. "Okay."

Nightmare leveled out, and her wingbeats ceased as she held her wings straight out and glided. Since there was less risk of falling off, Twilight let up on her grip and looked around the sky. The stars were about the same as from the ground, but the atmosphere was different. There was an unobstructed view of the sky, and it felt as if she was almost a part of the sky itself, surrounded on all sides by empty air as she was.

The contrast of the cold night air against her coat and the warmth of Nightmare's body made her shiver. "What do you think?" her teacher asked.

And then the world felt almost silent as they glided on. No insects chirping. No beating of wings. Nothing except the wind flowing through her mane and tail. It was calm. And it was so much better than flying in Manehattan, because there was nothing to weigh her down. No fear nor anxiety nor chaos happening below, just peace.

Just a moment they shared together, not brought on by necessity, but friendship.

She smiled and said, "It's nice."

And Nightmare smiled back, nodding. "I... have not been able to enjoy this as much as I wanted. Flying at night. It is... pleasant, yet... I find it lacking anymore."

Twilight frowned a bit but said nothing. Nightmare beat her wings once, then went back to gliding. She laid her head down on the right side of Nightmare's neck, and Nightmare glanced back at her for a moment.

"You did not experience this with my sister," Nightmare mumbled.

Twilight's ears pinned back. "No... I didn't."

Nightmare didn't say anything. For a few more minutes, they glided along. She thought she spotted some fluffy mass, and almost as soon as she spotted it, Nightmare turned and glided down towards it. "What's that?"

"A cloud," Nightmare answered.

Flatly, "I can't walk on clouds. I'm a unicorn."

"Did you not brush up on the cloud walking spell?" Nightmare asked curiously.

"I had other things on my mind," Twilight muttered.

"I see," Nightmare said. There was a flash of light from Nightmare's horn. "There."

"Thank you," Twilight said.

Nightmare nodded. A few more seconds passed before Nightmare's hooves touched down on the cloud. Rather than sitting down like she expected, Nightmare laid down on her stomach. Twilight unwrapped herself from Nightmare's body and testingly poked the cloud, and the cloud dipped down under her weight but held.

She slid off and laid down at Nightmare's right side. She folded her forehooves and then laid her head upon them. The cloud felt slightly warmer than the air, softer and fluffy like it wasn't really there, and a bit humid. Nightmare shifted her weight, and she felt the cloud shift under her almost like a bed when somepony climbed into it. All in all, a cloud was something she could get used to. Provided, of course, she ignored just how far off the ground they were and that she was a unicorn and not a pegasus. "So, this is why Rainbow Dash likes clouds so much for napping on," she murmured as she closed her eyes.

"Perhaps," Nightmare said.

After a few more seconds, Twilight opened her eyes and looked at Nightmare, who stared straight ahead into the sky. She looked where Nightmare looked, but only saw stars. She didn't even know which direction it was. "What was it you wanted to show me?"

"Watch," Nightmare said.

She went back to watching the sky. Seconds drew onto minutes, and her eyes grew heavier. The cold against her right side made her shift her weight and press herself closer to her teacher. Nightmare tilted her head towards her and looked at her, and then returned to the sky.

She felt her teacher lean away, then Nightmare's wing lifted out from between their sides and laid over her back like a blanket. She closed her eyes and smiled from the warmth it brought. "Thank you." Nightmare was quiet. She opened her eyes.

A small speck of light flashed through the sky in a short arc, burning bright, then fading to nothingness. She thought she could see smoke left in its wake. "A meteor?"

"Yes," Nightmare said.

"Can you-"

Nightmare shook her head. "It is not my doing, but it is beautiful..."

Twilight found herself nodding. "Yeah..." she agreed.

Nightmare inhaled and tilted her head. Her mouth parted, then stopped and stayed open. After a second, Nightmare finally said, "I know the Gala is yet a month away, but I intend to invite you and your friends."

Twilight frowned at her. "But you won't be there."

Nightmare gave one pronounced nod. "I will not, but Cadance will."

"You should try it," Twilight whispered.

Nightmare shook her head. "It would make a mockery of me."

Twilight pushed her head up off her forehooves to face Nightmare. "If you gave it a chance-"

Nightmare faced her and met her gaze. Her eyes were almost soft as they danced back and forth, then broke contact to look at Twilight's body sheltered beneath her wing. "You sound like Cadance," her teacher observed.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "She was my foalsitter."

Nightmare looked her in the eye for a passing moment, then turned back to the sky. "So my niece was your foalsitter," was her mumble. "And my sister your teacher."

She turned back to the sky and rested her head on her forehooves. With Nightmare's warmth at her side and wing blanketing her, she relaxed, and as minutes passed, her eyelids drifted lower. The wind made her mane and tail tickle her body, and the chill on her face and legs felt pleasant in contrast with her teacher's warmth. A few more meteors sparked across the sky in silence. After a few more minutes, she fell asleep.

Author's Note

I experimented with the transition to this chapter, using a format I don't think I've used before. I'm fairly pleased with it, but what do you think?

I don't have much to say about the slice of lifey parts.

With the dream, I feel like I'm almost turning into a poet...

I love rereading this chapter.

Reviewed on 2/25/20.

I wish I had dated when I finished drafting/writing this chapter.

Halfway reviewed on 3/5/20.

Irrational

Twilight stuck her tongue out between her lips as she studied the apple tree behind her. She was absolutely certain, 'This isn't going to work.' After all, she was a unicorn, not an earth pony. She didn't have the magic for this, and even though she sparred with Nightmare Moon, she still didn't have the raw strength. Just looking at the tree, she knew it wouldn't work. The trunk was thick and rigid; there was no way she could make the tree move. If anything, bucking it would only hurt her. And since she didn't have the same magic that Applejack had, the force wouldn't go up the tree and into the apples to dislodge them.

She bit her lip. 'Oh, why did I agree to try this,' ran through her mind. Helping Applejack on the farm was fine. Using her magic, at least. But she had agreed to at least try bucking the tree. She knew it wouldn't work. She was certain Applejack knew it wouldn't work.

"Come on, Twilight! You can do it!" Rainbow cheered.

Her eyes snapped onto the pegasus. Rainbow hovered in the air like normal, smiling encouragingly. On the ground at Rainbow's left stood Midnight and then Applejack. Midnight wore a mixture of a smile and a smirk, with her tongue out between her fangs, and a playful glint in her eyes. Applejack wore an encouraging smile that wasn't half as brash as Rainbow's smile.

"I don't see you trying to do this!" she grumbled.

Rainbow swooped down and landed in front of her. "Oh, you don't think I can, huh?"

Twilight straightened herself, then clarified, "I didn't say that. I'm simply pointing out that you're more physically inclined than I am and I've not seen you try to buck apple trees."

Rainbow scoffed. "Alright, then. I guess I'll just have to show you how it's done!"

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes, only to suddenly stop and then smirk. "Yeah, I guess you'll have to, Rainbow..."

Twilight found herself smiling as well. 'I guess that's one way to get Rainbow to help.'

And Rainbow was entirely oblivious to it. The pegasus zipped over to another tree and landed, then kicked her hind legs out into the tree's trunk with a solid whack! followed by a tensed groan from the pegasus as her expression split with pain. "Oww..."

The tree's leaves rustled as the trunk shook, and she saw about three apples fall to the ground.

Rainbow smirked and strutted back beside Applejack. "I bet you can't beat that!"

"Of course I can't beat that," Twilight grumbled. She huffed, then turned back to the tree. 'Alright, how is the best way to do this? Just kick it, right?' Oh, who was she kidding? It really didn't matter what she did, she wasn't going to get anything out of the tree. She did her best imitation of Applejack, kicking her rear into the air and cocking her hind legs forward, then bucking against the tree.

The tree didn't move, and she felt the impact in her hooves and legs, making her cringe as the impact sent tingles up her legs. She dropped back to the ground and groaned. "I told you I couldn't do this..." she mumbled.

Applejack walked over to her. "That's alright, Twilight. I just wanted to see if you could."

She smiled sheepishly. "Now, I can do it with my magic, of course..." she offered.

"Eyup, nopony's doubting that," Applejack agreed. Twilight had more than proved such. Applejack nodded as she continued, "You've been a real big help, and I want to thank you again, Twilight."

"Oh, it's nothing," she dismissed. Smiling brightly, she offered, "What are friends for, right?"

To which Midnight giggled and teased, "Free labor, apparently!"

Twilight squinted at Midnight, then smiled boldly. "Oh, hey, Midnight! Why don't you try!"

"Nah," Midnight drawled, still smiling. "I'm good."

Applejack looked back at Midnight and asked, "How do batponies farm anyway?"

Midnight face Applejack and shrugged. "For the most part, we don't," was the guard's simple answer.

Applejack turned around. "Well, how do you keep yourselves fed, then? I thought you all kept to yourselves."

Midnight nodded. "We do." The batpony paused and leaned her head to the side as she emphasized, "For the most part." Twilight watched Midnight straighten her head again, and then the mare continued, "We can farm, but mostly its harvesting fruits, nuts, and berries. We're not good at the growing magic like earth ponies, so we'll harvest what we can find in the forests surrounding our cities, in addition to offering our help to earth ponies so that we harvest instead of them, so they can focus on growing. In exchange, we get some of their harvests. We also tend to export minerals and import food."

"Huh," Applejack muttered.

"I guess you would have to be good at a lot of things if you keep to yourselves. You'd need to be self-sufficient," Twilight commented thoughtfully.

Midnight nodded. "Yeah. We're not all explicitly soldiers. You've seen that. Though we all can be soldiers. There's more to being an army than just fighting and training, of course. Armies require lots of logistical support. Food, weapons, armor. Housing. You know. It's kind of like how not all earth ponies are farmers, but all earth ponies can be farmers," the batpony chirped.

"You normally use pegasi as your point of comparison," Twilight noted.

Midnight smiled innocently. "Mhm. Most of the time they're the best example, considering that we pretty much are descendants of pegasi. Well, you know, pegasi that Princess Luna converted into batponies."

"Ehh, no offense, but I don't see why anypony would want to trade pegasi wings for batpony wings," Rainbow said.

"It was a long time ago," Midnight said casually. Matter of factly, Midnight declared, "Besides, it's all we know. I'd never trade my wings for your wings." Midnight's face scrunched up and Twilight saw her shiver. "Feathers? Eugh! I can't imagine how horrible preening is! Or having your wings get wet, or having to feel feathers against your side constantly!"

Rainbow spun around to face Midnight, her face filled with indignation and shock. "Hey! It's not that bad! Preening is actually pretty nice," Rainbow rolled her head to the side, then quickly added, "and well, yeah, waterlogged wings aren't fun, but having feathers is awesome!"

Midnight rolled her eyes and turned her head to the left. "Mhm. Sure. Keep telling yourself that!"

"You still owe me that race!" Rainbow declared. "What do you say!? Feathers versus-" Rainbow blanked for a moment, "- uh, leather?"

Midnight laughed. "Feathers versus leather? It's skin, silly!"

Rainbow grumbled something Twilight couldn't hear as she watched the pegasus fluff her wings. "Well, what do you say? Race?"

"Hmm..." Midnight drawled. "I dunno. I don't think I need to..." Midnight teased, trailing off and turning to look at Twilight.

"Go on," Twilight replied, rolling her eyes and trying in vain to stop herself from smiling. "You two have your race and I'll keep helping Applejack." 'Neither of you are helping anyway.'

"Aw yeah!" Rainbow bellowed happily. In an instant, the pegasus closed the distance and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's neck. Twilight wheezed, unsure whether it was supposed to be a hug or attempted murder since the force of the hug almost knocked her over and stopped her from inhaling. "Thanks, Twilight!"

And Rainbow let go, making Twilight wobble as her head drooped to suck in a deep breath so that the burn in her lungs would go away.

Rainbow raced up into the sky and Midnight casually flapped her wings to join the pegasus.

"Come back here when you two finish!" Applejack called. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight answered. A part of her wanted to scowl, and yet she found herself smiling. "Half the time when she's hugging me I think she's trying to kill me, though," she muttered.

Applejack laughed softly and shook her head. "Yep. That's Rainbow for ya."

Twilight nodded and turned to the apple tree Rainbow had bucked. After a quick run over with her magic, she levitated the three apples up and set them down in one of the buckets on the cart. "I'm glad we can hang out when we do this," she commented happily.

"Yeah," Applejack agreed. "Though I feel like I'm taking advantage of you, some times..." her friend drawled.

Twilight turned to Applejack and smiled softly. "It's fine, really. It's the least I can do to help you out since you've been so good to me. And, you know-" her smile turned sheepish, "-since you went to Hollow Shades with me."

"Still," Applejack replied thoughtfully.

Twilight turned her body around and watched Applejack buck the tree. The leaves shook, and a dozen apples fell from the tree. With a flourish of her magic, she caught each one and levitated them over to the buckets in the cart. She licked her lips and then drawled, "Out of curiosity..." Applejack turned to look at her. "Is this any harder for you now that, well, it's always night? Aside from being more dangerous."

Applejack grimaced and nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, a little. It's taking more effort to keep the trees producing now than when Celestia was around. And it's harder to see, too, but I'd think that was kind of obvious..." Her voice had a hint of regret and discomfort in it that made the air feel heavier around Twilight.

Maybe she didn't know much about earth pony magic and keeping the trees producing fruit, but it was harder to see for everypony. Except maybe the batponies. "Yeah..." Twilight agreed. A few seconds passed in silence, leaving her to think in peace, though the weight of Applejack's words hung in her mind. "I wonder if it's the same for everypony. Nightmare Moon said that her magic... or perhaps the moon, I'm not really sure what she meant now, would be able to suffice in place of the sun, but... it's colder than it should be."

Applejack nodded slowly. "Yeah... I miss the sun. I miss the warmth and I miss being able to enjoy seeing the trees... The red and green apples mixed in with the dark green leaves... I miss it, Twilight..." A few seconds passed and Twilight found herself watching Applejack's head droop lower.

'I miss the sun too, and I miss Princess Celestia.' But she couldn't let herself dwell on it.

Eventually, Applejack lifted her head back up to face her. "I guess Fall's coming, but still. Seems a mite colder than it ought to be."

Twilight nodded with a grimace. "It is. I hope it doesn't get any worse."

Applejack's grimace returned, more pronounced than before. "I reckon that'd be pretty bad..." Her voice was slightly higher pitched than normal, and Twilight frowned. A moment passed, then Applejack asked, "Do you think Nightmare Moon would bring the sun back if things got bad enough?"

Twilight broke eye contact and looked at the ground. 'She doesn't want to kill everypony. If it came down to it and she had to, she would.' She looked back at Applejack and nodded. "Yes. I don't think it'll come to that point, and I don't think she thinks it will come to that point, but if it did, I think she would."

Applejack frowned. "And if she doesn't?"

Twilight shifted her weight. It felt like all of the weight of the implication fell squarely on her withers. It felt like some duty had been thrust onto her back, almost like back when the rioting was happening in Manehattan. Maybe almost like Discord. And she knew why it felt that way. She could see the plea in Applejack's eyes and knew what it meant. She licked her lips, then carefully said, "Then... I'd talk to her." 'And you would listen to me. I know you would.' She knew Nightmare Moon well enough to know that she would be able to reason with her teacher. She would be able to convince her to bring back the sun if it was necessary because she had sway with the alicorn. And Nightmare Moon would bring it back because it would be in her best interests. Nightmare Moon wouldn't like it, but she would do it.

If it was necessary.

"You really think she'd listen to you, don't you?" Applejack mumbled, halfway surprised and almost disbelieving.

Twilight frowned and nodded. "Yes, I do."

Applejack shook her head. "Sometimes I don't understand you, Twilight," the mare sighed.

Twilight grimaced. "She's my friend," she emphasized.

Applejack stopped shaking her head to meet Twilight's eyes. "I know that, Twilight. We all know that. But you need to remember that Nightmare Moon killed somepony in cold blood. What's to stop her from doing that again?"

Twilight had no answer for Applejack. For a few more seconds, Applejack watched her. "I think you need to consider that maybe you're lying to yourself about something, Twilight. I don't know what, but... we're all worried."

There was a certain weight in Applejack's voice that made her ears fold back and press against her mane. It lacked the normal warmth and reassurance that she could take comfort in, and because of it, a seed of doubt sprouted in her mind, making her chest twist with worry. "You... trust me, though, right?" she whispered.

Applejack turned around and slowly walked over to her, then stopped in front of her. "Of course we do, Twilight." Applejack smiled solemnly, then pressed her chest against Twilight's and wrapped her right foreleg around Twilight's neck. Twilight leaned into the hug and returned it. Applejack squeezed her, and the warmth helped push the fear away. Applejack nuzzled her, and she returned it, and for several seconds, they stayed like that. Eventually, Applejack pulled back and they parted. Her friend's smile grew warmer, and Applejack tilted her head slightly, looking at her knowingly. "But I do think you need to make it a point to spend time with the rest of the girls, rather than just helping me in your free time."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I could take Pinkie up on her offer for baking lessons..."

"And Fluttershy," Applejack stated.

Twilight shifted her weight on her hooves. 'Fluttershy is soft-spoken. I probably should take some time to get to know her better, one on one. She'd probably be more comfortable that way, and then maybe she'd be more comfortable around me with everypony else.' "I could enjoy lunch with her sometime. Her tea is nice..."

"And Rarity," Applejack said.

What was she supposed to do with Rarity, exactly? Help with dresses? She wasn't good at fashion. If anything, she'd probably give Rarity a heart attack if she tried helping with fashion. She winced. 'It's not fair to say that's all Rarity does.' "I guess I should see if I can help her or maybe just spend some time with her sometime. I... imagine she'd like to know more about Canterlot... and probably Princess Celestia..."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that," Applejack said with a nod. "And don't forget about Rainbow."

Twilight cringed. 'Right. Rainbow Dash. Do we even have anything in common?' She thought about it for a few seconds and took the time to think of a list of things they had in common. About the only thing she could come up was, 'We're friends and we share the same friends.' How were they friends, exactly? She certainly didn't understand why, but she still, even with as much as the pegasus tried to kill her, felt a bond with the brash, reckless pegasus. Emphasis on brash and reckless. Completely opposite of her.

A moment passed. She jerked her head left and right, then met Applejack with a pleading gaze as she begged, "What am I supposed to do with her!? We're complete opposites! Half the time I think she's trying to kill me!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

Okay, maybe saying Rainbow was trying to kill her was unfair. Entirely unfair. Rainbow was just very affectionate. Too affectionate at times. And protective. That she could take comfort in. Twilight ducked her head and coughed into her hoof. "I mean, I'm sure I can find something to do with her!" she forced out awkwardly. Her smile felt just as forced. 'Although I'm not sure what. Oh no, she's going to want to run me ragged worse than Nightmare Moon, isn't she?' She felt her smile slipping back into a horrified cringe, and she couldn't stop it.

"I'm sure you two can figure something out," Applejack offered. "And you know she's not trying to kill you," her friend chastized. A moment passed and Applejack shifted her weight. "She just... gets excited. And carried away." A moment passed. "She can be affectionate."

Twilight turned her head to the right. "Yes..." she mumbled in agreement as quickly as she could.

"Maybe take a break from studying and practicing magic to hang out with them?" Applejack suggested.

Twilight whipped her head back to face the earth pony. "I do take breaks!" she defended. "Just... not often."

"Exactly. You still need to lighten up a bit, Twilight," Applejack said. "Live a little. I know Nightmare Moon is teaching you magic and all that, but you shouldn't live your life with your nose in books all the time."

"It's not... that bad..." she muttered. Her cheeks felt surprisingly warm.

Flatly, Applejack pointedly asked, "So if I was to go ask Spike what you do all night in the library, you're telling me he wouldn't answer 'read books' or 'study magic?'"

Twilight coughed into her hoof again. "Okay, but I swear it's not as bad as it used to be!"

Applejack quirked an eyebrow.

"I am sparring with Nightmare Moon, you know," she pointed out. "That does take a lot out of me."

"So does studying all the time help with your sparring?" Applejack asked.

Though her friend's voice was free from malice, she still took it like it had an edge to it, since it was a reminder that she would never be able to beat Nightmare Moon. But Applejack hadn't meant it that way. She carefully breathed in, then forced herself to say, "No... not really." Which wasn't really true, but it was effectively true. She was getting better.

In theory.

And then Applejack grimaced again. "Doesn't it feel off to you that you're sparring with her?"

Twilight could hear the worry in Applejack's voice, misplaced though it was. It still made her cautious, and her brow folded down. "What do you mean?"

"We tried to stop her," Applejack reminded her, "and now you're sparring with her. It seems suspicious to me."

Twilight grimaced. "What, do you think she's looking for an opportunity to kill me or something?" Her voice sounded defensive, even to her. She winced.

Applejack frowned and shook her head. "That's not what I said, Twilight! I just... I don't know! It seems suspicious. Rainbow and Rarity agree. It seems awfully odd to us."

Applejack's eyes darted back and forth across her face. Maybe looking for something, but Twilight couldn't tell. She felt distracted and unfocused and distant. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

Applejack sighed. "I'm sorry. It feels like this is all that we talk about whenever she comes up. Honestly, Twilight, it worries me that you speak highly of Nightmare Moon and that you defend her."

"I don't-"

"You do," Applejack stated solemnly. "And look, maybe you're right, but just because she was wronged doesn't make what she's doing now right."

Twilight waited a few seconds and then nodded. "I know," she softly whispered.

"And maybe you're right, and Nightmare Moon won't hurt you," Applejack continued. "But what about everypony else? We're not her friends like you are."

Applejack's words lingered in her mind. What was she to say? Applejack had a point. An irrefutable point. Perhaps her friends would be, by extension, safe because she was friends with Nightmare Moon, but what about everypony else? She eventually forced herself to nod. "Okay..." she relented quietly.

And then an awkward silence hung between them. Twilight didn't know what to say, and from what she could tell, Applejack felt the same way. "Maybe you should go ahead and head back into town," Applejack offered. "Drop by Rarity's or the bakery and say hi to Pinkie."

Twilight smiled weakly. "I guess I feel a bit hungry, and I wouldn't mind checking to see how Rarity's doing. Maybe she's made some progress on our dresses."

Applejack's warm smile returned. "Alright then, Twilight. Go on. I'll send Midnight your way when she gets back."

"Thank you," Twilight replied. For the opportunity, for making sure she didn't lose track of Midnight, and for the warmth having returned to her voice.

She turned around and glanced through the trees for a moment, then started trotting back to Ponyville.

Alone. At night.

She bit her lip once Applejack was out of sight. She could still hear the thunk of Applejack's bucks against the trees, but she missed the companionship. And the safety. Her eyes flicked left and right constantly, searching the dark shadows of the apple trees for any sign of movement.

But it seemed safe. She didn't see anything. She didn't hear anything. She sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out. It helped a little. After several minutes of trotting, she made it out of the orchard, and once the clear, moonlit night sky was overhead, she felt safer.

Out in the open, where nothing could hide in the shadows.

She still stayed alert and stared at every tree she walked by. Nightmare Moon wouldn't be there to keep her safe if something happened. Midnight wasn't there to intervene. Nopony would know if she was attacked.

'I'm being silly,' her mind reasoned. 'There's nothing out here to get me!'

She managed to smile for a few seconds. Pessimism kicked back in. 'Other than timberwolves, cockatrices, cragadiles, and who knows what else lives in the Everfree Forest.'

She sped up until she was back inside Ponyville. She embraced the first warm glows reaching into the street through windows, and let the light put her fears to rest: surely no monsters would come into town! And then even if they did, the batponies would take care of them.

She could be confident of that. Entirely confident in it. There was absolutely no reason to be afraid!

Though as she looked around, the thought, 'Why is everypony running inside?' came to mind.

Odd.

She turned her head left and then right, then checked back behind her, but there wasn't anything there. When she faced forward again, everypony was off the streets. She heard and watched window shutters slam closed, followed by the lights going dark as the candles were snuffed out.

She turned her ears about and listened, but other than shutters slamming closed, heard nothing. With caution, she lifted her right foreleg into the air and let her hoof limply bend at her chest. 'I'm being silly. Or they are.' One way or another, it would be fine.

And really, it probably was nothing to worry about given how skittish ponies were in Ponyville. 'They're skittish for a reason,' teased her mind. Her lips curled into a wince, then she nodded her head once, sucked in a deep breath, and then forced the air back out.

She stepped forward and continued along the dirt road through Ponyville. 'Surely if it was something bad somepony would tell me to take shelter.'

Of course, they might have been too panicked to notice her, too.

Her head leaned to the side as she carried herself forward. The thought, 'You know, I spar with Nightmare Moon. I can probably handle a timberwolf. Although Nightmare Moon is a pony, and a timberwolf isn't as intelligent. I may be able to predict Nightmare's actions but I'm not sure I could predict what a timberwolf would do.'

She could probably scare off a timberwolf with her magic if it came down to it, though. After a moment of thought, she channeled her magic into her horn and let the raspberry glow illuminate her surroundings. The good things were that she was more prepared and could see a little better. The bad things were that it'd play havoc with her night vision, made all of the shadows move, which in turn caused her eyes to flick back and forth to double-check to make sure she was just seeing things, and, of course, it made her very visible.

She caught somepony peeking out through a window, and when she turned to look, the curtains instantly snapped into place, hiding the pony from sight. She had to scowl. Irrational fear. Completely irrational. They were probably just afraid because it was dark.

Although they seemed to be getting better about that fear.

She let the thought, 'Maybe there is something wrong,' wander through her mind as she walked along. But what? She didn't hear anything, didn't see anything, and didn't feel anything off, other than the unease spurred on by everypony taking cover. 'Or are they just hiding because I'm back?'

She winced and stopped in her tracks. 'Oh come on! Surely they're not hiding because of me!?' She audibly groaned as her head rolled to the side. 'At one time, that would have been a perk. Everypony avoids you because you're Nightmare Moon's student. Oh, it would have been wonderful to have that perk when I was studying under Princess Celestia.'

She couldn't even begin to imagine how much further along her studies would be!

Then again, it might not have had much impact either.

The scowl on her lips lingered. She held her head low and sent glares left and right as she continued making sure nothing was about to get her. The bakery was closer, so she decided to head there first. Unsurprisingly, the trip to the bakery was uneventful. Surprisingly, she found the bakery in the same state of lockdown as everypony else's home. So she ended up staring at the door, blinking.

"Psst! Twilight!" Pinkie called out.

Her head jumped back up and her ears swiveled around. After a moment, she spotted a shadow at the window, and then it rushed to the door and threw it open. Pinkie stood on her hind legs somehow and motioned her over. "Hurry!"

'What are you doing?' her mind groaned. But no. 'Don't think about it,' she told herself.

Rarity ducked her head out above Pinkie's head. "Yes, Twilight, come! Quickly! Before it sees you!"

What? She turned to the left and looked around, but there was nothing to see.

"And don't let it see your magic!" Pinkie whispered hoarsely.

She looked back at them and saw Fluttershy's head sticking out of the door, ducked low. She let her magic go, then turned and trotted over to the bakery. Fluttershy and Rarity disappeared inside, and Pinkie grabbed her.

The next thing she knew, she was sitting on her haunches against the wall, listening to the door slam shut.

"Phew, I thought you were a goner!" Pinkie squealed.

Twilight closed her eyes. "What?" She opened her eyes and found Pinkie standing over her. She glanced left and found Rarity and Fluttershy, who trembled in fear, looking out the window. "What's going on?"

"It's coming!" Fluttershy whimpered and dropped below the window seal, covering her face with her forehooves. Even Rarity lowered herself to where her eyes and the top of her head were all that was above the window seal.

Twilight bit her lip. Was something happening? Had she just missed something!? Was Ponyville being attacked by something!? Her heart beat harder in her chest, and she found her legs starting to shake. She swiveled around and pressed up against Rarity to look outside.

Something was out there in the night, wearing a cloak of some kind that hid the its entire body and cast the muzzle in shadow. She couldn't make out anything for the lack of light and because of the cloak, but she did see the pony's hooves pad at the ground. But the hooves looked off. Not quite like pony hooves: just above where the pony's hooves started was a lighter colored coat, and the hooves were darker, almost black. Most ponies' hooves were the same color as their coat. She frowned.

The pony turned its head left and then right, and as its gaze swept over the window, Rarity squeaked and dropped to the floor. "Hide!" Pinkie whispered and tugged her down to the floor.

Twilight's chin clipped the window seal and she grunted. "Pinkie!"

"Don't let it see you!" Pinkie croaked.

"Why not? Who is it?" Twilight asked.

"Nopony knows," Rarity drawled, shivering. "This isn't the first time we've seen it, either. Fortunately, nopony has been hurt yet."

Twilight squinted. "What? I don't-"

"I-I've seen it come fr-from the E-Everfree Forest," Fluttershy whimpered. "M-My animals a-are afraid of it, e-even Hank the bear!"

Well, if a bear was afraid of it, then there had to be a good reason for it, and that made her nervous. Sure, bears didn't have magic like ponies did, but bears were still a force not to underestimate, stronger than all but the strongest earth ponies, and of course, better armed with teeth and claws.

But still, Discord was infinitely more dangerous than a bear. Nightmare Moon was, surely, infinitely more dangerous than a bear.

What then, she had to wonder, was the cloaked creature, and why was it so threatening? It didn't look like some monster, rather, it looked like a pony!

From where she sat, there were only three solutions. One, they had seen her do something- and if that were the case, why was she only learning that now? And why would they be worried!? Surely it was impossible that whoever it was could be more of a threat than Nightmare Moon or Discord! Two, they were afraid of what they didn't know, and those fears spiraled out of control, feeding on itself and growing bigger and bigger. Which was something she had personal, first-hoof experience with. And three, something she couldn't understand.

All things considered? She had to get them to calm down and think about it rationally. Panicking, she had found out, didn't really help anything, even if it was hard to avoid at times.

"Has anypony ever tried to talk to it?" she asked.

"What!? Of course not! It's some horrible monster from the Everfree!" Rarity hissed.

Trying to avoid letting her annoyance show, Twilight asked, "How do you know that for sure? It looks like a pony to me!"

"If it's a pony why is it coming from the Everfree Forest! The forest is far too dangerous for anypony!" Rarity countered, frowning pointedly.

"We've gone in there twice without too many problems!" Twilight argued.

Rarity winced. "Yes, well, I suppose that's a fair point but there were six of us! And there's only one of them!"

"Look, I don't think it's a monster," she groaned. "It looks like somepony whose lost to me." A moment passed with more cowering from her friends. 'And they're the adults!'

Did the world really just have it out for her or something!?

She stood up as she said, "I'm going out there to talk to it."

All three heads snapped to face her. "What!? No! You can't do that!" was their general agreement.

"We can all wait in here or I can go out there and talk to her. It might be scared since everypony is hiding and with the eternal night!" Twilight countered. "Besides! We faced Nightmare Moon together-" she winced and added, "albeit we lost," under her breath, then perked up and continued, "-went into the Everfree Forest twice together, and we defeated Discord!"

She started to turn, only for Fluttershy to lunge at her and grab onto her hind leg. The pegasus trembled as she held onto Twilight's leg, looking up at her pleadingly, crying and whimpering. Twilight felt her ears fold back. Even if it was entirely misplaced, she didn't like seeing Fluttershy so sad and scared. "P-please don't go, Twilight!"

Twilight slowly lifted her hoof up, and eventually, Fluttershy let go. "I'll be fine," she murmured. "If anything bad happens, I can teleport away."

She could also probably fight it off, too, if she had to, not that she wanted to.

"She's gone!" Pinkie gasped.

Twilight turned back and looked out the window. Sure enough, it was missing. She scowled. "Great..." she muttered. 'This is utterly ridiculous.'

"Wait, she's back!" Pinkie cried, ducking back down and pulling Twilight to the floor too.

Twilight took the opportunity to jump in front of the window and look outside. The pony walked out from behind a building, looking left and right, then lifted a forehoof up and pulled the cowl back- 'That's not a pony, that's a zebra!'

Maybe that explained everything. She looked at her three cowering friends and grimaced. "It's not a pony, she's a zebra."

"A what?" Pinkie asked.

"Zebra. They live far to the south. They're like ponies, but, well, different," Twilight replied.

Pinkie tilted her head and blinked obliviously. "Different how? Like cursing different?"

Twilight gave Pinkie a flat look. "No, not curses. Curses aren't real. Just..." she trailed off and looked back out the window to watch the zebra. Unlike the zebra she had seen before, the one outside was less formally adorned, but like the other zebra, she didn't look afraid. "Right. Well, they're good at potions and enchanting, and they have their own magic that's sort of like earth ponies and unicorns. They're a lot like us, but they look slightly different. They're somewhat less developed than Equestria. More tribal. We don't have much contact with them outside of trade, and most of that is by sea since the alternative is crossing the badlands. They keep to themselves a lot, kind of like we do."

"I guess that might explain why I've never heard of them," Rarity muttered.

"Maybe," Twilight replied, doing her best to avoid snapping in frustration. "Now can I go out there and talk to her?"

The three of her friends looked at her cautiously. "I'll take that as a yes," Twilight said. She walked over to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. "Hello!" she called out.

The zebra turned to face her and smiled warmly. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is this a pony I see?"

Twilight took a few steps away from the door. "Yes," she answered. The zebra took a few steps towards her, then looked behind her. Twilight turned back to see her three friends all halfway hiding in the doorway, with only their heads exposed. She turned back to the zebra and rolled her eyes.

"I have come before, but every time I am here, ponies hide in fear," the zebra said.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. We're all just, uh, a little shaken up I guess." 'And you'd think after defeating Discord together, seeing batponies often, having gone to the Everfree Forest, and facing Nightmare Moon that we wouldn't be afraid of somepony wearing a cloak.'

But no, of course not.

The zebra nodded understandingly. "Nightmare Moon's return, I presume?"

Twilight forced back a wince. "Yes," she answered.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the zebra said, "my name is Zecora."

"Zecora?" Twilight asked. The zebra- Zecora- nodded. "My name is Twilight Sparkle," she replied.

And for a moment, she saw a glint of something, perhaps recognition, in Zecora's eyes. "Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight nodded. Zecora looked back behind her again. "And who are these?"

Twilight turned back and nodded at each of her still-halfway-hiding friends as she named, "Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." She turned back to face Zecora and specified, "Some of my friends."

"I hope you will come to see there is nothing to fear from me," Zecora said to them, smiling warmly.

Twilight heard some indistinct mumbling from behind her, punctuated with Rarity coughing into her hoof. "Yes, well, er, forgive us for... that." One set of tentative hoofsteps drew near, and then Rarity was at her left side. "It's just that, well, you came out of the Everfree Forest, and most things in the Everfree Forest aren't exactly friendly."

Zecora nodded once in understanding.

Somepony pressed up against her right side, and with a quick glance, she saw Fluttershy. The pegasus was still timid and leery, but she seemed to relax slightly with the contact.

Twilight smiled at Fluttershy, who looked at her and returned a much softer smile, then she turned back to Zecora. Out of everypony, she could forgive Fluttershy's worry and hesitation.

Pinkie crept up beside Rarity, humming suspiciously. "Hmmm..." The earth pony stopped and squinted at Zecora, scrutinizing her suspiciously. And then the suspicion dropped in an instant, and her friend lit up with her usual happy smile. "So why are you here in Ponyville?"

"I have come to barter for supplies. I reside in the Everfree, so Ponyville is close to home for me," Zecora answered.

Twilight cringed at the idea of living in the Everfree Forest. Sure, maybe the castle or another castle could be safe, but outside of that, it was simply too dangerous for anypony! Unless the danger wasn't as bad as everypony seemed to think. That might have been the case, to an extent. She had traveled the Everfree Forest twice before with her friends and they had lived to tell the tale.

Although, it might have just been the situation in which they were in the Everfree Forest. Had Nightmare Moon's return scared everything off? Had Discord kept their path clear?

She did her best not to think about either topic.

Twilight opened her eyes and checked on her friends. Sure enough, they looked about how she expected. She turned back to Zecora. "You've not lived in the Everfree Forest long, have you?" she asked. Because if Zecora had, well, then the entire time the town was avoiding her, which would make her groan.

Surely, Zecora was a new resident.

Zecora shook her head. "I have not resided here long, but for one month."

Twilight closed her eyes in relief and let out a soft sigh. It wasn't that long, so she felt slightly relieved. 'I've still not seen you before.' Maybe it shouldn't have surprised her. She looked at Zecora again. "Er, right." She pursed her lips. "You know that the Everfree Forest is dangerous, right?"

Zecora nodded. "Ah, indeed it is, but it is not so different from my homeland, so I can handle it."

Twilight blinked. The Everfree Forest was similar to Zecora's homeland!? The thought both fascinated and horrified her. Was the Zebra homeland that dangerous!? "I guess you wouldn't have ponies down there to take care of everything, would you?"

Zecora shook her head. "Though there are some ponies in my homeland, it is not many, and as such, our lands are wild and unfriendly. Equestria is very different, yet the Everfree reminds me of home. Parts of home, at least. Though the forest, I must admit, is far wilder."

"Huh..." Twilight mumbled. She studied Zecora's cloak for a moment. It didn't look tattered, but it wasn't new either. She could make out lumps on her sides underneath the cloak, and if she had to guess, they were saddlebags. "You said you came here to barter?"

Zecora nodded. "Indeed I have. There are many things I need which I can find in the Everfree, but not all of them, so I have journeyed to-"

"Twiligh!" Rainbow cried out, "look out!"

Twilight felt her face go tight as her head whipped to the left. Rainbow's eyes were wide open, darting between her and Zecora. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity all jumped away from her. And of course, Rainbow Dash was diving towards her at what she assumed was top speed, forelegs outstretched and-

-and Twilight yelped as Rainbow smacked into her. The impact threw her to the ground and then Rainbow dropped her body on top of Twilight's. Though dazed, Twilight could make out Rainbow facing the Zecora with a determined, protective expression. If it wasn't entirely misplaced and if her body and head didn't hurt, she would have been thankful.

But as it was? She had half the mind to try to teleport Rainbow Dash over the river. Which, she realized, would have been rude and misplaced.

"You're gonna have to get through me first!" Rainbow boldly declared, still keeping her body low and wings outstretched to shield Twilight.

Twilight groaned, lifted her head, then let it go limp. Repeatedly. "Rainbow," she grunted. The pegasus glanced at her but refused to look away from Zecora. The glance ended and Rainbow went back to watching Zecora like a hawk. Ignoring the frustration, ignoring the pain, and ignoring the desire to hit her head against the wall, Twilight forced herself to say, "This is Zecora. Zecora, Rainbow Dash."

Her annoyance and ire were plain for all to see.

Rainbow looked back down at Twilight and shifted her weight. "Uh, hi?"

Zecora chuckled disarmingly. "I presume you are another of Twilight's friends by how protective of her you are? You have nothing to fear from me."

"Yeah!" Rainbow declared. A few seconds passed with Rainbow glancing between Twilight and Zecora, then Rainbow jumped back off of Twilight and folded her wings.

Twilight cut the pegasus off with a pointed groan. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the ground. 'Why? Just why?' her mind demanded. 'Maybe I do need to spend more time with Rainbow...' Getting to know the pegasus better, or getting Rainbow to know her better would probably be a good idea. Maybe then Rainbow would stop being so overly protective.

Or at least less overly protective when it wasn't necessary. She did appreciate the protection when it was necessary. At least a little bit.

She still cringed at the idea. When she opened her eyes, Zecora stood over her. She glanced down and saw the zebra's outreached hoof, then took it with her own forehoof and pulled herself back up. She could still feel dirt and maybe even some pebbles stuck in her mane and coat, so she shook herself and managed to keep herself from glaring at Rainbow Dash.

Midnight casually strolled by and came to a stop beside Rainbow, smiling and panting. Rainbow looked away from Midnight and huffed, fluffing her wings.

"So..." Twilight ventured as she turned back to face Zecora, "what exactly are you here to get?"

"There are some flowers and herbs that I need to make potions with that I cannot find in the Everfree, and more bottles for my potions would not hurt. I can make the bottles myself, but it is a difficult and time-consuming task," Zecora answered.

Twilight's lips pulled into a smile. "Oh, you make potions?"

Zecora nodded and shared her smile. "That I do. I may be bragging-" Zecora leaned her head to the side and her smile grew, "-but I can make quite the brew."

Pinkie giggled.

Zecora stood straight again and sighed. "But as with before when I have ventured here, it seems everypony has locked themselves away. I suppose I shall have to come again some other-" in a moment of hesitation, Twilight saw Zecora's lips twitch, "-night."

Twilight turned back to look at her friends, then faced Zecora again. 'Considering that everypony seems to be hiding from you, I don't think that would work.' She licked her lips, then offered, "Well, maybe we can help you? I'm sure we can convince everypony to, well, yeah..."

Because everypony was being irrational. Maybe they would eventually get over their fears. At the very least, she hoped they would.

Zecora smiled softly and bowed her head. "If you would do this for me, you would have my gratitude."

Was she still the de facto leader? Her friends looked at her, so she took that as a yes. "Then it's settled," Twilight said with a nod. "We'll help you!"

"Then come," Zecora called, "travel with me. We will visit the market and then, if you are willing, you shall accompany me back to my abode in the Everfree."

Her friends were a little more leery about that, but she nodded. They looked to her for leadership, and so they agreed. Reluctantly. As they turned to make their way to the market, Twilight looked aside at Rainbow and Midnight. "So, who won the race?"

Rainbow scowled and her ears folded back. "She cheated," the pegasus grumbled.

Midnight stopped and spun around to face Rainbow, a look of shock and indignation having overtaken her normal carefree look. "Did not!" the batpony whined. And immediately following that, Midnight smiled smugly, tilting her head up with pride. "You're just jealous."

Rainbow stopped and faced Midnight, squinting at her while her cheeks were held tight. "I won and you-!"

Midnight cried out, "Bats!"

Flabberghasted, Rainbow shouted, "You-!"

"BATS!" Midnight called out louder.

Risking a glance aside, Twilight found everypony, including Zecora, had stopped and was now looking back at the pegasus and batpony.

Rainbow puffed out her chest. "I can't see-"

"BATS!" Midnight emphasized, then giggled.

Rainbow huffed and flared her wings out, then let them drop as she grumbled, "Would you-!?"

"Eeee!" Midnight squealed happily.

Rainbow winced and turned away from Midnight, then beat her wings and flew ahead, purposefully putting distance between her and Midnight. Twilight watched Rainbow fly by and thought the pegasus was grumbling something, but she couldn't make out what. When she looked back at Midnight, the batpony was prancing in place, eyes closed, still letting out an excited, "Eeee!"

Twilight rolled her head to the side and started walking again. After a few seconds, Midnight went silent and then came up beside her, giggling jubilantly. "So I take it you won?" Twilight asked.

"Mhm!" Midnight happily agreed.

"No she didn't! She cheated!" Rainbow declared from her spot at the head of the group.

"It's not cheating if you never specified it was against the rules!" Midnight eagerly declared.

Twilight heard Rainbow huff and watched the pegasus fold her forehooves over her chest before turning back around.

Although it took a bit of work, of which Pinkie Pie did most of it, they managed to find, and convince, the ponies they needed to in order to get Zecora the flowers and herbs she needed, along with potion bottles. In exchange, Zecora offered them her services. Overall, while it took an hour, Twilight had to agree that it went well enough.

She even managed to halfway enjoy it, most likely because her friends were there. "Fluttershy, would you mind if I stopped by for tea sometime?" she had asked.

"Oh, um, okay," Fluttershy had softly and meekly agreed.

Although Twilight wasn't really sure if Fluttershy was agreeing so much as afraid to disagree. Which was exactly why she needed to spend more time with Fluttershy.

Of course, working up the courage to ask Rainbow Dash if they could hang out sometime took more effort than finding everypony they needed to find. She only managed to ask, "Hey Rainbow? Would you mind if we... uh, did something together sometime?" when they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest.

"Sure!" Rainbow readily agreed. And then all that readiness dropped like a rock in a pond. "Like what?"

"I have no idea," Twilight admitted. Did they even share anything that they could bond over!? Well, maybe she could get Rainbow to teach her more about pegasus magic and the weather! But then what did she have to offer Rainbow?

"Well, I'll be practicing my flying routine tomorrow, so I can come and get you and you can watch that! How's that sound?" Rainbow offered.

It was, possibly, better than nothing. "Sure," she agreed.

And it was probably better than bringing up the idea of Rainbow trying to help her beat Nightmare Moon in a sparring match by making her run or something.

She still didn't like the Everfree Forest, of course. But it felt tolerable as they walked onto the path past Fluttershy's cottage. In honesty, it surprised her that the same path that they took before was the one Zecora took. Though the forest pressed down on her from all sides, she felt safer with her friends there. Midnight helped too, of course. Her having traveled to the Castle of the Two Sisters several times before probably helped too.

"Oh! Twilight, while I'm thinking about it, would you come by next week so I can make certain your gala dress is perfect?" Rarity asked.

Twilight nodded, though found herself wondering, 'Why are you thinking about that now, when we're in the Everfree Forest?'

"Can I see Nightmare Moon's dress?" she asked.

The whole party hesitated at that. Zecora even turned to look back at her for a moment, then looked back ahead and continued leading them on.

"I'd rather not have that seen just yet, dear. I'm still working on it," Rarity said curtly.

"Oh, okay," Twilight relented. A feeling a disappointment settled in, but she mostly managed to ignore it. Maybe she wouldn't see the dress yet, but she would eventually get to see it.

She hoped she would eventually get to see it. And she had to wonder what it looked like, and what it would look like if Nightmare Moon was wearing it. She tried to picture Nightmare Moon in a dress but couldn't. She couldn't picture her friend with the dress on over her armor, nor under the armor. She didn't even bother trying to picture Nightmare Moon without her armor on and the dress in its place.

Yet the thought of Princess Luna wearing a dress slipped through into her mind, and before she knew it, she found herself walking along with her head tilted to the right as she pondered it. What sort of dress would Luna have worn? What would it have looked like? Would Luna have worn dresses, or, like Nightmare Moon, would Luna have considered it pointless?

Why did Nightmare Moon want a dress? Her teacher wasn't planning on attending the gala.

She almost missed it when Zecora led them off the main path. To her surprise, there was still a path for them to follow, but it was hard to make out in the darkness. It was also much less traveled and smaller, but still tended to and maintained, possibly by the zebra herself. They had to walk in a single file line, and more than once, what she hoped were branches from underbrush scraped against her coat.

Both Rarity and her used the glow of their horns to help light the 'path' they walked.

"This doesn't seem safe," Rarity acknowledged, her voice annoyed and flat.

"We will be fine," Zecora offered. "Monsters do not venture near my abode, as I know how to deal with them. The path is likewise protected."

"Enchantments?" Twilight asked. She leaned her head to the right and felt more branches scrape against her muzzle as she walked on, but she managed to see Zecora shake her head.

"Not enchantments, but potions I have mixed," Zecora answered. "It is safe to travel to and from my abode, and if you desire, you may come and visit in the future. Most of the more dangerous creatures reside deeper in the Everfree."

Without any problems, they eventually reached a dark clearing. Yet somehow, the clearing had an almost homely feel to it. Cozy, even, despite how dark it was. At the back of the clearing was a large oak tree that reminded her of her library, except distinctly less pony-styled. From the few windows set in the tree's massive trunk, she could see the flickering light of fire dancing across the ground. A few tribal masks hung above the doorway, and ropes ran between the large, hollow tree at the end of the clearing and other nearby trees. Corked bottles hung from the ropes, with some glowing with the same concoction that the deer had used for light, while others were filled with liquids of other colors. A few bottles were empty.

They all walked to the tree and Zecora opened the door. The inside was like the Golden Oaks Library, except more cluttered. Rather than bookshelves, there were shelves and alcoves filled with potions, empty bottles, ingredients of varying kinds, and masks. The room was centered around a cauldron sitting over a fire put, and there were several doorways that led to other rooms, but none of them had doors. She didn't see any stairs that led to a second level, but it may have been hidden.

"Well, this is... quaint," Rarity said.

She looked at Rarity, who didn't quite halfway cringe as she took in the decor.

"They are from my homeland. A little piece to take with me," Zecora commented. "Please, come in, make yourselves at home. I will fix us some tea."

Gradually, they all filed into the room and sat down together. Rainbow and Fluttershy sat on her left, with Rarity, Pinkie, and Midnight on her right. Rainbow leaned forward to squint at Midnight, though when she looked at Midnight, the batpony was ignoring Rainbow in favor of looking around the room.

Author's Note

I had some back and forth between Twilight and Pinkie that was funny, but then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that, as funny as it was, it didn't exactly make it feel like they were friends.

On that note, it occurs to me that, for the most part, it doesn't really feel like Twilight is friends with the rest of the mane six half the time. I ought to work on fixing that...

I don't rhyme.

Hey, I finally managed to get the part with Midnight and Rainbow in that I've wanted to get in for over half a year! Bats!

The original edition of this chapter was a lot more Irrational, because Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy were freaking out about Zecora. This changed because, as my prereader pointed out and I came to agree, it didn't quite make sense given everything that had happened.

4/2/20

I have been having internet problems. I almost put off publishing this chapter, but I had already said I would publish it today, so I will have gone ahead and published it, obviously, by the time you're reading this.

As such, I've not gone over this chapter for last-minute edits. If you spot typos, etc, please leave a comment and let me know.

In relation to the internet troubles I've had, I've not worked much on the story lately which is a disappointment to me. I may delay the next few chapters because of this. Primarily because of the chapter after the one which follows this chapter, as I need to go over it again with my prereader(s) for possibly substantial edits. Likewise, I'm catching up to what chapters I have edited-and because of the internet issues, I'm starting to eat into what I have written ahead (It's a good thing I have a lot written ahead!) and I dislike this.

If you have read this far into the story, don't forget to drop a like if you like the story and, if you want, leave a comment. I may not reply to all comments, but for the most part, I enjoy reading them.

Stop Dragon That Around

The crack of Nightmare's teleportation spell rolled through the forest, and the light made shadows from trees and bushes dance in the corners of her eyes.

From her side, Twilight asked, "So... what are we doing this time? And you never did tell me why my brother is here."

Nightmare smiled as she turned to regard her student. "Tonight will be simple," she said with a nod.

Twilight perked up ever so slightly. "Simple? No hunting me down and driving me to the point of exhaustion while you criticize my athletic and survival skills? No evasion, just sparring?" Her student's voice wasn't quite disgruntled, but there was the barest hint of an edge in Twilight's voice-perhaps worry, concern, or caution, but not mistrust.

She held back a smirk as she tilted her head to the left and glanced at the tree canopy. "Not quite," she voiced. When she looked back at Twilight, the filly almost glared at her. Truly, Twilight's reactions were amusing. "The only thing you need to do is shield yourself," she said.

And the scowl faded as Twilight blinked. A moment passed and Twilight looked at her unsurely, her brow folding down. "Just shield myself?" was her uncertain question. And then Twilight frowned suspiciously because her student was smart.

Nightmare nodded, then turned her gaze to the pony she would rather ignore beside Twilight. "Such is why your brother is with us."

The Captain shifted his weight uncomfortably and avoided her gaze. But, he was talented with shields. Such was his cutie mark. If anypony would be able to help Twilight perfect shielding herself, surely there was no better pony for the task than her brother?

Twilight looked aside at him with a mixture of a smile, grimace, and scowl, then turned back to her.

With a nod, Nightmare said, "You have to hold off my magic."

And Twilight was horrified, wincing and squirming where she stood. "I-I can't do that!" her student sputtered. "I'm just a unicorn filly and-"

"Stop," Nightmare preempted, closing her eyes. Twilight went silent. For a moment, Nightmare let herself enjoy the absolute silence in the wake of their arrival. The silence was far better, far more preferred, than listening to Twilight voicing her own insecurities and crippling self-doubt. Opening her eyes, she met Twilight's gaze. "Twilight," she sighed, "must I remind you every time we begin that your goal is not to best me, but to improve? You will not improve so drastically over the course of one session, but it is a gradual improvement over time. Do not discount yourself, because you are improving. You are not perfect, and neither am I. You are inexperienced but you are learning."

Twilight pointedly looked off to the right, avoiding her gaze. The filly might have blushed, but Nightmare couldn't tell. Shining Armor turned and walked up beside Twilight and gave her an encouraging smile. "New recruits are never able to hold their own against veteran Royal Guards, but every veteran started out as a new recruit at one time," Shining put in.

While the captain's summarization may not have been inaccurate, she felt slightly irked by it. Still, if it helped Twilight, it was worthwhile.

Nevertheless, she eventually heard Twilight mutter, "Sorry."

"It is..." Nightmare drawled, stopping as the thought, 'No, it is not fine,' smacked into her. And it wasn't. It was a problem that needed to be addressed, and a problem she had determined to address. Not addressing it was a mistake, even if addressing it was painful. Disappointment tickled her mind and she held back a sigh. "We need to speak," she said.

Twilight turned back to face her and looked up at her. "Uh, we do?"

"Yes," Nightmare acknowledged. She slowly stepped to the left and turned so that she stood facing Twilight, and Twilight mirrored her. "Your continued insistence that you are just a unicorn filly and that our sparring is not fair must stop, Twilight," she voiced.

Twilight looked away from her gaze. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Nightmare turned her head slightly and bowed her head. Twilight was upset or at least unhappy, and she didn't like seeing it. But she could not just drop it, she could not just ignore it. "I know you are, and I am not angry," she specified, "but Twilight..." she trailed off, then reached out with her wing to brush a feather along the filly's cheek. Her student's brother frowned with distrust and unease as he stared at her. She glanced aside at him for a moment, then turned her gaze back to her student. Twilight kept her head low but met her gaze. "You need to realize that as much as I want to and intend to-" she tilted her head, "-I cannot always be there to protect you." She folded her wing back to her side. She took a moment to breathe in and then softly spoke, "You cannot continue to fall back on the excuse that you are not an adult or that you are a unicorn." She paused and studied Twilight's eyes to see if it sank in, but she couldn't tell. 'I should not let this bother me so! I am too fond of you.' That Twilight's discomfort made her hesitant to continue was problematic; she was Nightmare Moon! She should not hesitate.

"Neither matter," she stated as she inclined her head. "If you are in a situation where your life or the life of your friends is on the line, you cannot rely on the excuse that you are a foal. You must be capable of protecting yourself and others. If you are in a battle and your life is on the line, your enemy will not care that you are a filly. Your enemy will not care that you're a unicorn and not an alicorn. Starswirl was only a unicorn, but that did not stop him, nor his enemies."

Twilight turned her head to the side. "Okay..." she murmured.

She extended her left wing and coaxed Twilight back into facing her; Twilight offered no resistance. "I mean it," she emphasized. "I cannot shelter you by telling you that you can fall back on that excuse because I would be crippling you, and I will not. I must push you to help you. Please take this to heart." She waited for a moment, then nodded and emphasized, "Rise to the challenge, Twilight. I know you can."

A few seconds passed, and then Twilight gradually nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

A touch of a smile pulled at Nightmare's lips. "Thank you." Twilight smiled awkwardly and shifted her weight. "You are capable of more than you know, Twilight. I wish you would see it," she said.

Twilight flexed her eyebrows up and turned away again as she muttered, "It doesn't feel that way."

"You can teleport quicker than I can," Nightmare countered. Twilight turned back to look at her. "Perhaps you are less physically inclined than I am, but your magic is potent."

"Still not a match for yours," Twilight pointed out.

"Perhaps..." Nightmare mumbled. 'And yet, will that always be the case?' she wondered. And thinking about it left her awed and anxious, afraid and ecstatic because she could see it in her dreams.

Twilight frowned. She shook the thoughts from her mind. "But that is beyond the point. The longer you manage to hold me off, the better. It shows improvement, even if I am holding myself back. Besides, you are already better at magic than nearly every unicorn I have known. You are just... less experienced. And perhaps less disciplined." Twilight scowled, making her stop for a moment. 'You are not a soldier; you are a scholar.' The moment passed; it was wasting time. "I desire to see how strong your shield is in an outright battle without anything else to distract you or drain your magic. Or perhaps I should say I desire to see how well you can shield yourself, rather than an actual battle. I do not want you counter-attacking. Focus all of your magic on your shield."

Twilight grimaced. "So, you're just going to... keep attacking my shield until it fails," she muttered.

Nightmare nodded. "You are correct. I..." she pursed her lips and looked at the treetops. "I do not believe I have been able to fairly judge your shields given that in prior sparring you have a tendency to..." She squinted and her eyes fell back on Twilight. "Teleport far more than is necessary." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "And teleporting so quickly in addition to physical exertion drains you. Though I will admit-" Nightmare nodded, "-you are improving on it."

Twilight grimaced.

Continuing, Nightmare said, "Your shields are quite strong initially, but as time wears on I notice that your shields tend to get much weaker as you use your magic..." she trailed off and nodded. "You are not used to shielding yourself for an extended time, nor are you used to shielding yourself in battle, even with our sparring."

Twilight grimaced and rolled her head to the right to look at her brother. "Well... I'm not a Royal Guard..."

"Yes," Nightmare agreed. "I would... like for you to practice shielding yourself for extended periods of time when you can and I am not present. Maintaining the shield should help you get a firmer grasp on the spell in addition to helping you unlock your potential. Likewise, sparring should also help given that you will be..." What was the best way to phrase it? After a moment's thought, she settled on, "Putting your shield to use. Practicing."

"I think it has helped," Twilight muttered. "Although we both know that if you wanted to, there's no way I could make a shield that could stop you."

Nightmare pursed her lips and inclined her head. "Give it time. You are still relatively inexperienced, yet your shields are already better than most Royal Guards who can shield themselves from what I am aware."

Twilight nodded and half-smiled. "Excluding my brother."

Shining Armor smiled back at Twilight. It was a smile than Nightmare wasn't quite sure how to regard: a mixture of pride, that of an elder sibling looking out for the younger, embarrassment, and a grimace.

"Excluding your brother," Nightmare echoed in agreement. The Captain's smile disappeared as he looked at her again. "As I said, give it time. I expect you will surpass him with enough study and practice. He will be helping you tonight, and-" she nodded once, "-in the future as the two of you have time. Perhaps you are correct that it is unfair in sparring with me, and though I would argue that you should, I think you should spar with your brother as well."

Twilight turned back to her. Nightmare smiled at how Twilight's muzzle scrunched up.

She turned to the Captain and nodded once. At that, Twilight's brother cleared his throat, drawing Twilight's attention. "Knowing you, I don't need to explain theory or give you any examples of a good shield," he said with an awkward half-smile.

"Of course not!" Twilight defended. "I have been shielding myself..."

Nightmare nodded once, and put in the important point of, "And failing to hold the shield against my magic."

Twilight looked at her with a slight scowl, but before anything could come of it, the Captain said, "Don't let worries get the best of you, okay? That's a great way for a shield to fail. Fear and being afraid. It weakens shield spells. If you don't think you can do it, then you're not going to be able to do it."

Twilight nearly whipped her head around to face him, nearly snapping, "But I can't do it!"

Shining Armor inhaled and straightened. "And with that attitude, you're right."

Twilight opened her mouth, then stopped for a moment before closing her mouth and puffing her cheeks out. Her student inhaled, closed her eyes, then bowed her head and sighed. "Okay." Twilight lifted her head back up. "So, try not to worry. What else?"

"Don't freak out," he specified. Twilight blinked at length. Shining Armor turned his muzzle to the side. "Hey, I know you Twilight."

Twilight grumbled something under her breath that she didn't catch.

The captain looked at her, and for a moment, met her gaze. "And don't focus on what your opponent can do." Then he looked back at Twilight.

Twilight frowned. "If I don't focus on her then what am I supposed to focus on?"

He chuckled. "Let me guess, you studied most of the theory books?"

Twilight squirmed. "Yes..." was said in a high-pitched voice.

He rolled his eyes. "And you're missing something important, then. None of the books actually prepare you for what it's like to use the spell to protect yourself. That's something you can only get from practice."

"And I have been," Twilight mumbled.

"I know," Shining Armor said with a nod. "But there's something else you're missing. Do you remember?"

Twilight frowned. "Remember what?"

For a moment, the Captain was disappointed, then he nodded. "Don't focus on what your opponent can do when you're using the shield spell. It's okay to think about them, it's okay to think about what they might be able to do, but don't focus on them. Focus on yourself, or better yet, focus on others. On protecting them. It gives you a reason to succeed. It pushes you to do better. My special talent might be shield spells, Twilight, but I'm sure you remember how I got my cutie mark."

Twilight looked away, shifting her weight. "Yes..."

Twilight's brother smiled. "You'll do fine, Twilight..." And with that said, The Captain looked at her. She did not like Captain Shining Armor. He was disrespectful, he was a relic of Sister. Yet in that firm gaze directed back at her, Nightmare found something she could respect: concern for his sister.

Even if it agitated her.

She inclined her head once; it was a mutual understanding, even if he didn't recognize it. 'I will not hurt Twilight.' She turned her attention back to her friend. "Fear can break your focus, and so fear leaves you vulnerable. But all fear is not bad. Fear can keep you alert. Fear can keep you quick." She paused and shook her head without looking away from Twilight. "But do not let fear break your focus and leave you paralyzed."

Because she had seen what fear could do to ponies and soldiers, and she had seen how it could end.

Twilight looked at her with a strained uplift in the corners of her lips. "Right..." was her mumble.

And perhaps fear was something Twilight needed to face, so that she could overcome it, so that she could grow. "Do not lose focus. Do not lose faith in yourself. Your magic is potent. Far more potent than your brother's. His special talent may be shield spells, but yours is magic." She paused to consider what else to say, what else might help Twilight grasp her own potential. Twilight needed to recognize it, Twilight needed to stop doubting herself. "You have magic surges when you are exhausted, yet I believe you should be able to continue longer given how much magic you should have."

And she had to wonder, 'Did sister not push you enough so that you would grasp the full extent of you magic?' The thought left her feeling disappointed. Why would her sister have crippled Twilight like that? Or did Sister think Twilight wasn't ready for it?

Or was she missing something?

Twilight frowned. "You've never actually told me how much magic you think I have."

"You should already have as much magic as Starswirl the Bearded," Nightmare answered. Then she grimaced and bobbed her head. "Though I will admit it has been some time since I felt his magic. You may have more or you may not have quite as much, but I am certain that will increase significantly with work. You more than have the potential, and that potential is far greater than Starswirl's."

Twilight stared at her. Several seconds passed before Twilight blinked. "Um, really?"

Nightmare nodded. "Yes."

"You think I have as much magic as Starswirl..?" was Twilight's careful, quiet question.

Nightmare nodded more hesitantly as uncertainty crept into her mind. Her wings pressed against her sides. "Yes?" she questioned.

For several seconds, Twilight just quietly stared at her. Eventually, Twilight glanced away and lowered her head. She watched the filly's eyes dance back and forth over the forest floor, and a frown crept onto her face. Looking up at her, Twilight's brow was folded down, and her ears angled back ever so slightly. "It doesn't... feel that way."

Nightmare hesitantly nodded. "Your special talent is magic, like his, but I am certain your potential is greater than his. You bear the Element of Magic. You also have advantages he does not."

Twilight shifted her weight like she felt uncomfortable and turned away again. Quietly, Twilight mumbled, "Your sister said that I could surpass him."

Nightmare nodded more slowly. "I am aware," she acknowledged. Gradually, Twilight looked back up at her, but her student still squirmed where she stood. "And I am certain that you will if you work at it," she said.

And she would make certain that Twilight did surpass Starswirl because anything less than that was unacceptable.

And Twilight just stared at her, as if for some reason unable or unwilling to comprehend it. Why was it so? Was it Sister's doing? Was it her own doing? Was there something else that she did not understand? The letter Sister had sent Twilight prior to her return told Twilight that her sister thought the filly would surpass Starswirl the Bearded. Why did Twilight now shy away from it when she should have embraced it? Why did she refuse to believe it?

The disappointment and lack of comprehension distracted her. Slowly, she shook her head. "If you are ready," she voiced as she wrapped her magic around her horn, "I would like to begin."

Twilight blinked a few times, glanced left and right, just barely turning her head both ways, then looked at her and nodded. "Right," was her disgruntled mutter. Before she could say anything, Twilight sucked in a deep breath, turned her head right and paced back.

Shining coughed once, then quickly hurried off to the sidelines to observe. 'Perhaps,' Nightmare considered, 'he should join you. If not to help you stop my magic, then to give you a reason to try harder.'

She calmly mirrored her student, backing away until they were both a good ten steps away from where they had been. The forest was thin enough that she could see Twilight with nothing between them, and likewise, with the glow of her magic and the moonlight, there should be enough light for Twilight to see her.

She studied her student for a moment as the filly came to a stop. Twilight's muscles all tightened and the filly held herself rigid. Not quite afraid, but nervous and anxious. Twilight doubted herself for some reason. 'Why has your confidence fallen?' she wondered. Her eyes danced back and forth across Twilight's face and body, but there was nothing there to tell her why Twilight's confidence was once again faltering. 'You were better after defeating Discord. What has happened?'

Twilight's shield snapped to life around her, tinting her body with a familiar, welcome raspberry-pink light. She watched Twilight's chest deflate with a drawn-out exhale, one perhaps meant to calm her nerves. 'Perhaps I am simply overthinking it?' she wondered. 'We will continue to work on your confidence as well,' she decided.

"If you are ready?" Nightmare repeated.

Twilight nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Nightmare slowly tilted her head down and aimed her horn right at Twilight's shield, centering it to where if the shield failed, it would strike Twilight in the chest. The briefest moment of thought drew a twist of anxiety, so she aimed her horn higher that way the spell would pass harmlessly over Twilight's head if the shield failed.

Her mind chastised her for it because it was stupid. It did not push Twilight as she needed to. But she was too fond of the filly, and it would give her student time to prepare.

And then she fired. A simple stun spell, like the ones she normally used when sparring with Twilight so she wouldn't risk injuring her friend. The blue bolt lanced across the distance and struck Twilight's shield, resulting in a sharp crack! and a flash as the shield took the impact slightly off-center.

One spell off-center, and Twilight's shield held. She scrutinized her student's expression for signs of stress or exertion but found none. 'Perhaps it is the physical exhaustion which weakens your shields,' she wondered. But it wasn't a true test of strength; the spell didn't hit head-on. She fired again, and like before, the bolt struck off-center, snapping against the shield with a flash of blue light. She frowned when she caught the barest hint of a flinch in Twilight's lips as the spell struck the shield. 'You should be able to sustain your shield for some time against this.'

Momentarily, she winced as she remembered, 'You are a scholar, not a soldier.' But that was all the more reason to work at this. If the reason Twilight failed was because of fear, it had to be addressed. She fired again and then again, continually pounding away at Twilight's shield with a stream of stun spells that struck the shield off-center each time with a sharp crack!

A second passed. Crack!

Another second marked by a crack!

And another, crack!

Each time the spell struck Twilight's shield, the shield shrugged it off. With each spell, she saw Twilight's lip gradually flinch less as she grew used to the bombardment until Twilight stared at her with a sharp, unbroken focus.

Nightmare kept the spells coming at a steady, predictable pace. It was no substitute for proper sparring, let alone combat, but it gave Twilight the opportunity to get a feel for what it was like more than the prior times they had sparred. It gave Twilight time to analyze the situation, time to feel out how the shield reacted to taking the spells. And perhaps that was all Twilight needed. Experience and time to reflect.

Something she would not have in true combat.

Crack!

Without Twilight teleporting almost constantly, without her student running herself to the point of exhaustion, and without her friend counter-attacking, the filly's shield held strong. She lowered her horn and sent her spells dead-center towards Twilight's chest. The head-on impacts flashed brighter and cracked even sharper, and Twilight's flinches returned as her breathing quickened.

'Perhaps your problem is a combination of fear and lack of experience?' Nightmare wondered. And yes, that was likely the answer. Twilight needed to be pushed.

Crack!

She needed to push Twilight harder. "Be confident in yourself!" she chastised.

Crack!

Twilight winced but her shield held. She needed to push Twilight to her limits. Past her limits.

Crack!

And Twilight's shield could take more. "If you were in battle this would be much worse and far more important!" Nightmare declared as she fired again, charging the spell more than before.

Crack! Twilight's legs shook from the impact.

"I know that!" Twilight hissed back.

"And yet you let your fear of failure bring you to fail!" Nightmare retorted.

Crack! Twilight grunted.

Yes, she needed to push Twilight. Because Twilight would never get proper experience unless it was a life or death situation, and she would not put Twilight into such a situation until she was certain Twilight would come out alive. And even then, she would try to keep Twilight out of such a situation.

"If I was not holding back, your shield would not save you!" she declared.

Crack! Twilight flinched, her horn sparking once. She caught a tremble in Twilight's legs, and that tremble made her feel a spark of anger.

She took a step forward. "Your friends' lives could depend on this, Twilight!" she bellowed. "Are you going to fail them!?"

Crack! The shield split, but held. Through the raspberry-pink glow of Twilight's shield, Nightmare saw fear.

"Do not fail them!" she demanded. Another step forward.

Crack! The shield shattered with the spell's impact and Twilight squeaked, flinching in fear or surprise.

And it was the perfect opportunity to push her student harder. Something that she needed to do because otherwise, she was betraying Twilight. If this was an actual battle, Twilight would get no reprieve. She needed to push Twilight, and Twilight needed to push herself. Twilight needed to understand. And waiting until an opponent actually wanted to kill her student was unacceptable! She swiped her tongue over her lips and lurched forward. "Defend yourself!" she demanded.

She fired a spell. The whole distance between them lit up from how bright the bolt was. Twilight threw herself to the ground and her student's horn darkened. The bolt of magic raced over her student's head, making the air churn in its wake, and then it exploded against a tree, sending a spray of splinters over Twilight's back. The tree cracked and groaned, then started to topple over as the trunk gave out.

"Twilight!" her brother shouted.

Twilight looked back and saw the tree, scrambled to her hooves and jumped out of the way. The tree crashed down but its branches caught on other trees, so the trunk never landed. But Nightmare didn't let up. She fired another spell, and the air boiled around it, bending the images of the trees as she looked through the spell's wake. Twilight's eyes widened and she dove to the ground. Again the spell missed, then fizzled out while Twilight's side rubbed against the forest floor as she slid over the rough ground.

Shining Armor swiveled around to face her, crouching low, his horn ablaze and his pink shield snapping to life around them. For a moment, she contemplated her options. The defiance in his eyes was welcome! The way Twilight looked up at him as if he was her savior was welcome! It was the opportunity she needed!

She let out a battlecry, charged forward and launched another spell powered just as much as before. The air boiled as the forest grew bright as day. CRACK! The spell hit dead-center.

His shield shrugged it off like it had been a pebble striking a mountain. She clamped her jaw shut, stared into his eyes and saw that damned love he had for his sister.

The love of an elder sibling for the younger, wanting nothing more than to keep her safe, wanting nothing less than the best for her.

And she felt anger burning and seething in her mind and body because of that damned love.

Twilight was loved and she was not.

She was glad for it.

She was bitter.

She felt rage.

She screamed and couldn't remember screaming like that since she had last fought Sister. She charged forward again and put everything she could into that spell. All the anger, all the hatred, all the rage. Everything she could muster, and fired a spell to drain his shield and shatter it.

The air cracked and split, ripping apart as her spell shot towards the captain's shield. And yet in that minuscule time between the spell leaving her horn and it colliding with his barrier, she looked into his eyes and saw defiance and love. And it made her seethe.

Because Shining Armor loved his sister.

Because Twilight was loved.

Because Sister did not love her.

Because she was not loved.

The spell struck. Night became day for the briefest moment, blinding her and deafening her with a BAM! that rattled her whole body. She wasn't sure if Sister could have stopped the spell.

When she could hear again, the forest was entirely silent, having born witness to the rage of an alicorn.

When she could see again, Twilight's brother stood defiant, steadfast against her. His shield having splintered and cracked, halfway fading, yet still holding in place. Though his horn sparked and flickered, though his chest heaves and his legs trembled, the shield started to recover. And she felt overwhelmed at the sight before her, that Twilight's brother loved her enough that his shield held.

And she felt lost.

For several long seconds, she stared at the Captain who glared back at her. A sense of calm gradually settled in, her anger having been spent on that wasted spell. She considered the two of them before her, considered how Twilight looked at her and her brother with shock. Considered how there wasn't even a crater around them. Contemplated how she had lost control, and how Twilight's brother had withstood it.

Perhaps he was more useful than she had given him credit for.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then swallowed. "Stand down, Captain," she ordered.

And he did not. "No."

"This battle is between me and-"

"After that?" he asked. "You expect me to just stand down after you did that? I don't care if you're the Queen, I don't care if you beat Princess Celestia, you're not hurting Twilight."

"And I won't," she snapped.

He did not stand down.

She fired again. CRACK! His shield splintered.

Again. CRACK! He grunted, his horn sparking and sputtering.

And one last time. CRACK! His shield disintegrated, he gasped and fell beside Twilight, groaning and panting.

Only a few steps between them. Twilight stared at her brother, then looked at her.

And then Twilight stared at her fearfully. She felt a stab of pain in her heart and mind. She stood still. 'This is too much,' whispered in her mind. She was taking things too far, scaring her student. She wanted to stop and comfort Twilight.

Of course she was taking it too far! She had snapped again because of Twilight's damned brother! And so she had forced Twilight to see her anger again, and she felt sickened and bitter over it.

But maybe this was what Twilight needed. To be pushed like this. Perhaps it was too much or perhaps it was necessary. Maybe it was both. But her goal wasn't to injure Twilight, and Twilight needed to know that. She let a moment pass without any followup spells, giving the filly a chance to reorientate herself. Then she looked at the panting Captain who glared up at her. His forehoof dragged over the ground as he tried in vain to push himself back up. She had half the mind to teleport him back to Canterlot, but held off for the moment. She met Twilight's gaze and inclined her head. A calm, "Defend yourself," was all the warning she gave. As much as it pained her, she crushed the worry out, stepped forward and fired again. The forest lit up as the spell raced towards Twilight.

It wouldn't kill her student.

Twilight's horn sparked back to life and then a shield burned brightly around her. Still, the filly's fear was on full display as her body went rigid and she curled into a ball in a vain attempt to protect herself if her shield failed.

Crack! The shield held. A rippling wave washed over the shield's surface, making it flicker and wobble, but it neither cracked nor popped.

And a moment passed, and Twilight testingly opened her eyes to stare at her with that same damned fear as before. And for a moment, there was a flicker of joy and relief, and for a second she thought Twilight was going to jump to her hooves and celebrate: her student knew she was alive and that she had succeeded!

Nightmare smiled. A wonderful, calm sensation of satisfaction and accomplishment washed through her body. But there was still more to be done. "Again," Nightmare calmly called.

"This isn't-!" Twilight called.

She preempted it with another spell. Again the forest lit up and she felt the air churn as the bolt of magic rocketed towards the filly's shield. Crack!

"Are you-!?"

Twilight's snap was cut short by another crack! loud enough to drown out the rest of what was said.

"Again!" Nightmare demanded.

Twilight's lips pressed tight; Nightmare saw Twilight's muscles through her coat. Nightmare fired another spell. Crack!

Twilight's lips flicked apart, showing her teeth.

Again she fired her spell, and again it exploded against Twilight's shield with a thunderous crack! that send a spiderweb of fractures through the shield.

"Stop!" Twilight called out.

But Twilight would get no reprieve. Not yet.

With the next crack! Twilight flinched and dropped her muzzle to the ground, tensing up as her horn sparked and flickered. And then Twilight's aura blinked out and the shield collapsed.

And Nightmare felt disappointment.

Twilight trembled as she lifted her head up and glared at her. "This isn't-"

'You are not finished yet. I am not finished with you yet.' Because there was another thing she could do. Perhaps it was crossing a line, but it was necessary.

The spell would not kill her brother.

Letting out a growl, Nightmare aimed at the Captain as he struggled to push himself up, only to fall back to the ground with a grunt, though kept her eyes locked on Twilight's.

And for a moment, she hesitated, doubting her decision because of the fear and shock in Twilight's eyes. "Defend him," she ordered, then charged her spell.

The Captain's horn sputtered. Twilight's horn sparked to life.

But no shield came.

She fired her spell.

Even a flimsy shield would have at least detonated the spell, but neither Twilight nor her brother cast the spell.

And so her spell raced towards Captain Shining Armor.

And Twilight fired back.

The spells collided and destroyed each other in a bright flash of blue-raspberry-white light that made Nightmare recoil from the brightness. Holding back a growl, she stepped back and fired again, sending a disapproving glare at her student. "Shield him!"

Twilight pushed herself into a sitting position and shot down her spell again, then stood up on shaking legs, head low, horn charged, and glaring at her.

She aimed at Twilight and fired.

Twilight's horn burned even brighter and then a flash of light blinded her. She swiveled to the sound of the second crack and fired a spell. The spell from before Twilight teleported hit a tree and the tree exploded. Twilight dropped under the next spell and fired a spell back at Nightmare. The bolt of magic was dim compared to her own bolts, but it would still disrupt her own spells.

The spells did not hit.

On instinct, Nightmare wrapped her magic into a shield, and the shield barely flared from the spell's impact. She dropped the shield to fire back, only for Twilight to anticipate her response, firing another spell and teleporting behind her. Their spells collided and destroyed each other. Nightmare held in a growl. 'This isn't what I had in mind.' She turned around to face Twilight-

-she barely powered her shield in time to catch another spell. 'You are dangerous with your teleportation,' left her cautious, and 'You have not passed out yet,' left her smiling.

And again Twilight teleported. She kept her shield up and spun around to face her. A slight tinge of a headache and nausea pulled at her focus. Yes, Twilight's rapid-fire teleportation was a nuisance. It was disorientating. Something she had never faced in battle before. Starswirl would teleport, but Twilight's extensive use of teleportation put it to shame.

Twilight stopped firing spells since Nightmare kept her shield up, so she let the shield drop to fire a spell. Futile as it was. Twilight teleported again, this time behind her. She spun around and lowered her head-

-Twilight's horn pressed against her neck.

And for a moment, her heart froze with fear, skipping a beat, sending ice through her veins, making her cheeks and lips tighten. Her eyes snapped down onto Twilight, who glared up at her. The filly's whole body trembled, perhaps a mixture of fear and adrenaline and anger, and both her mane and tail clung to her damp body. Her student's horn glowed bright, and she could feel the magic against her exposed neck. "Checkmate?" Twilight growled.

Her fear passed. 'How naive.'

Nightmare didn't give her student a chance to do anything else before throwing herself against Twilight. The filly grunted in surprise as her horn was knocked out of position. And then Twilight lost. Nightmare pushed on, diving down and then jumping up to lift Twilight into the air and then throw her student onto the ground with her chest exposed. Twilight didn't have time to do anything other than look surprised as she landed on her back, and then Nightmare fell on top of Twilight to pin her, making the foal grunt and wheeze from the weight.

She looked down at the pinned filly, who leaned her head back to avoid her gaze. A disgruntled scowl crossed Twilight's lips. She couldn't decide whether to smile or not. She felt both amused and disappointed, with a tinge of anger. Perhaps even excited and ecstatic. That her student had held so well against her magic! That Twilight had not done as she had asked. That Twilight had slipped up and not taken advantage of the opportunity! Truly, Twilight discounted herself too much. She had the capability if she forced herself.

Twilight could win. Twilight almost won.

But Twilight hesitated.

And perhaps that was the answer, that she simply wasn't pushing Twilight hard enough. She was coddling her student, as Sister undoubtedly did.

Nightmare took a deep breath and studied Twilight's exposed neck for a moment. She found the sight calming and pleasant to look at, yet the filly left herself in a position where she could not possibly protect herself, and so that familiar disappointment crept back in, choking the joy from her student's success. She wasn't sure if Twilight was even aware of how vulnerable she left herself in. 'Or is this an attempt to appease me?' she wondered. "I think not," she stated. "You hesitated."

"This..." Twilight grumbled, refusing to meet her gaze. "Isn't what I had in mind."

"Nor I," Nightmare murmured. "Though I will admit, you caught me off-guard. I will applaud that, though I must chastise you for not following through."

Twilight's eyes flicked to look at her, still annoyed. "Following through?" Twilight echoed. The annoyance dropped into anger. "Following through. You could have killed us!"

Nightmare winced and turned away. "I was being careful," she defended.

"Sure, and what would have happened if a tree fell on my brother? Or me?" Twilight growled.

Nightmare's wings shifted at her sides. "I would have stopped-"

"If," Twilight snapped, "it landed on us."

Nightmare looked back down at Twilight. "I would have used my magic to heal you."

"Healing spells are inefficient," Twilight countered, anger still in her eyes.

Nightmare tilted her head up. "I have the magic to do so," she retorted.

"It could still kill us," Twilight growled through clenched teeth. "And if that happened there isn't anything you can do."

"You..." Nightmare drawled as she turned her head away from Twilight so she didn't have to see the filly's angered gaze. Before Twilight could say anything, she hastily voiced, "You are worrying too much. I would not have let that happen. Neither of you were in danger." She turned back to Twilight. "You should know this."

"Worrying too much?" Twilight snapped. "Oh, I don't know, it just so happens that you nearly killed us with that spell. You did lose control, you know."

Yes, from the tone of Twilight's voice, Nightmare knew beyond any doubt, "I should not have done that." Because it had been a mistake. Yes, she had been carried away by anger. She swallowed. Nearly choked on pride and fear. Had his shield collapsed, the spell might not have been disrupted. The spell might have continued. They might not have been killed since the spell wasn't designed to kill, but assuredly it would have hurt both of them.

A lot.

Twilight leaned her head back and inhaled; she could feel her student struggle to breathe under her weight.

Nightmare bobbed her head as she looked to the right and pressed her forehooves against the ground. Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, taking her weight off Twilight and drawing a grunt from her friend. She hoped Twilight was still her friend. And the guilt came even worse than before, and she nearly choked on it. Vile as it was. She felt her ears fold back. "I... apologize. Please forgive me," she murmured.

For a moment, the only thing she heard was Twilight's gradually calming breathing. Then even that changed: Twilight took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Neither a huff, nor a growl, but still annoyed. And she felt her chest tense with the worry that it had been too much, that the spell had been the last straw, and that she would lose her only friend.

Twilight wiggled the rest of the way out from under her, then stood back up. Though she was afraid of what she would see, she managed to slowly force her head back to look at her student.

The filly's muzzle was scrunched up. Twilight's chest rose and fell quickly, and her legs continued to shake. Twilight licked her lips and swallowed, then turned away from her, blinking several times.

"Please do not be angry," Nightmare mumbled. Twilight looked back at her. "I... apologize for pushing you, but... it is something I need to do."

"Don't do that again," Twilight stated.

Nightmare's jaw tightened. She turned her head to the left. 'Coward,' her mind accosted. Her lips twitched just enough that she felt the cool air against her teeth. She forced her head back around to face Twilight. She forced herself to meet Twilight's gaze. "I... will try not to..." she mumbled out.

Twilight breathed in deep, then exhaled sharply. "Okay," her student said.

"You are angry at me," Nightmare stated.

Twilight looked back at her. For a moment, the anger was there. Then it dimmed into something she didn't recognize. "I am, yes, but... now that we're done with that, and I can reflect, I recognize that you reason it's better to push me like this now than to risk something like Discord happening again where I can't do anything." Twilight lifted her head up slightly and specified, "When it's more dangerous."

Nightmare nodded reluctantly. "You... are correct," she admitted.

"I'm still not happy." Twilight closed her eyes and breathed in deep. Several seconds passed before Twilight opened her eyes and let the breath out. "You could have killed us."

"The spell would not have-"

"Nightmare," Twilight stated.

She went silent.

Twilight judged her. She knew it. Twilight knew it. She nearly choked on saying, "You have more to say." Because she did not want to say that.

For a while, Twilight was silent. Her student's expression remained hardened, though seemed to slowly soften. Finally, Twilight inhaled and shook her head. "You already know you shouldn't have done that."

Nightmare grimaced and turned away from Twilight, nodding her head. And oh, how it tore at her! That a filly was chastising her, that a filly made her feel guilty, that a filly made her feel regret and shame!

Nightmare looked back at her student. "It was not my intention to scare..." she trailed off, her lips twisting into a grimace.

"It was though, wasn't it?" Twilight acknowledged.

'How am I supposed to answer this!?' her mind cried out. It was, but it wasn't! She wanted to scare Twilight only to push her, but she did not want her friend to be afraid! And oh, it made her chest twist with discomfort! "Only to the extent that you would have to overcome your fears to succeed," she said as quickly as she could. "I do not wish you to be afraid of me or of failing, nor do I desire this to have any negative impact on our friendship."

A few seconds passed. Twilight closed her eyes, then shook her head before replying with a forced, "It won't."

And she took some comfort in that, and her chest no longer felt unpleasant, though she still felt like squirming. 'You do not want to remain friends with me, do you?' her mind asked, but she could not bring herself to ask Twilight.

"Well..." Twilight drawled as she stood up and rolled her head. Her student's head came to a stop, looking up at her. "How did I do?"

Yes, ignoring what just transpired in favor of discussing how Twilight performed was a much better idea.

Nightmare licked her lips and nodded. "Quite well. Your shielding tonight has been more on par with what I expected you to be able to do before. And as I said, you caught me off-guard with your teleportation." Twilight almost smiled, and Nightmare found herself hesitating as she saw it. "Though..." she trailed off and squirmed. The thought, 'You almost beat me. You had the opportunity to, and you did not take it,' consumed most of her attention.

It was wonderful! That her student had come so close!

And it left her feeling an edge of fear and of doubt because Twilight was yet a unicorn.

Nightmare inclined her head and continued, "You did not use your advantage. You hesitated and did not follow through."

Twilight frowned. "I didn't think you'd want me to follow through."

Nightmare tossed her head to the side. "We are sparring. I expect you to follow through next time. Do not hesitate. If it was a real battle, that hesitation could have killed you. Besides, I have experienced worse." Leveling her head, she looked at Twilight with a slight smile. "Consider that you do not think you could beat me, and then realize that your horn was against my neck."

Twilight just grimaced and rolled her eyes. "Sure..." was mumbled.

Her smile faded. "Twilight, you had the opportunity to. I may be an alicorn, but I am still a pony. Even if the stun spell did not disable me, you would have slowed me, which makes it that much more likely I would slip up again, which gives you more opportunity to win."

Twilight stared at her. "And you're fine with that?"

Nightmare felt her lips part. 'If you were anypony else? Perhaps not,' she thought. If it was Cadance or any of the Royal Guards, she could not trust them with such knowledge, she could not let them see her in such a state. It would only invite dissent and stir trouble. She glanced aside at the Captain who had propped himself up against a tree, panting as he watched from a distance, still glaring at her. For a moment, she felt a touch of something she couldn't place. She turned back to Twilight. "You... are special," she stated with a nod. "We are sparring, and I trust you. I know that it would be because we are sparring and nothing else," she said. Twilight nodded reluctantly. She opened her mouth to say more, but caught herself before she did: bringing up that she would not hurt Twilight was probably not a good idea. She closed her mouth and looked away from Twilight.

Twilight's eyes drifted away from her to look at the ground, then unfocused.

She winced. 'I should have asked this sooner.' "Are you alright?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight's eyes refocused on Nightmare and she nodded. "Yeah. I'm... I feel fine now. Mostly."

"Good..." Nightmare replied. "Do you feel winded?"

Twilight's eyes darted to the right, then landed back on her. "Yes... I uh, I'm still... could I actually have... landed a spell?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "If you did not hesitate. You could have landed at least one spell, perhaps more."

And Twilight just stared at her again, lost in thought. Eventually, Twilight's eyes dropped to her chestplate, and the filly shifted her weight on her hooves. "And... you're still going easy on me."

"I am holding back with my magic," Nightmare acknowledged, "but as I said, you caught me off guard with that teleport," she countered. She bobbed her head and grimaced, then mumbled, "I am not used to fighting an opponent who teleports so much. Sister... I don't remember if she ever teleported when we battled. Starswirl... he would teleport, but nowhere near as much as you do. He would use teleportation spells to position himself for strategic advantages, while you use it for tactical advantages." She paused for a moment, then inclined her head. "It occurs to me that I have rarely faced opponents who wield magic. The griffins do not have magic to teleport, and... the unicorns I have battled generally do not have the ability to teleport, and those that do are not capable of teleporting like you."

"I guess that makes me special?" Twilight half-joked.

And all Nightmare could think was, 'More than you realize.' She nodded in absolute agreement. "You are."

For a moment, Twilight's brow pulled down with a look of reminiscence and confusion and thought. When it passed, Twilight looked back up at her and asked, "So, now what?"

And Nightmare felt disappointed because Twilight still did not recognize it, still did not take it to heart. But her student had still succeeded in holding off her magic, and Twilight felt a little more complete for having done so well. "If you are up to it, I would like to continue to push you further." Twilight frowned, so she added, "If... if you are willing."

"By which you mean, continue casting spells at my shield until it breaks," Twilight summarized.

"Yes..." Nightmare acknowledged.

Twilight groaned softly. "I miss back when I could just... study spells and... not have to run myself ragged practicing them." Then Twilight winced. "No offense..."

"It is... fine," Nightmare said.

Twilight sighed, then swiveled around and paced ten steps away from her. Once in position, Twilight turned back to face her.

Nightmare hesitated as Twilight braced herself and relit her horn. "You... do still wish to be my student, correct? Even with this being how I am teaching you?" She bit her tongue, stopping herself from asking the other question that haunted her.

Twilight's brow twitched down, but she nodded. "Yes. It may be different from what I'm used to, but I am learning, and I know you can teach me a lot."

"Very well," Nightmare said, then turned and walked ten steps back before turning back to face Twilight. "If you are ready?"

Twilight nodded, then her shield wrapped into a bubble around her.

Nightmare brought her head down to take aim, then charged up her spell before releasing it. The brilliant blue bolt lurched from her horn, lighting up the forest, and then struck Twilight's shield dead center with a sharp crack!

"Can you at least aim so that it won't hit me if my shield fails?" Twilight asked.

'Even after that, you are still afraid?' How disappointing. Nightmare held in a sigh and tilted her head up a bit higher. "Very well..." She fired again, and again Twilight's shield held. 'I look forward to the next time we spar when you attempt to evade me. Or perhaps we will do battle?' Seeing how Twilight fared in either of those situations now that her student seemed to have a better grasp of shielding herself was something to look forward to. 'Perhaps you will even provide a challenge as you have tonight,' she hoped.

And perhaps Twilight would win.

"I am going to make each spell more powerful than the last until your shield collapses," Nightmare called.

Twilight grimaced. "Okay..."

"Do put forth your best effort," Nightmare said. Before Twilight could say anything, she fired again, once more lighting up the forest.

Crack!

"This is going to give me a headache... ooooh, I'm going to feel this tomorrow," Twilight groaned dishearteningly.

"Do not focus on that, Twilight," Nightmare chastized, then fired another spell. It hit with a sharp crack! and split the barrier about halfway from the top to the bottom. Twilight flinched back. Nightmare fired again. Twilight winced and clenched her eyes shut, then her horn glowed brighter and sparked. The split in the barrier disappeared as a wave of magic washed over it. The spell hit and both Twilight and the shield shuddered.

A thin spiderweb of jagged fractures raced out from the point where the spell hit. Nightmare fired again, and as the bolt flew towards the shield, another wave of magic rinsed the damage away in an attempt to reinforce the shield.

The spell hit. The shield exploded into hundreds of tiny shards of uncontrolled magic that immediately disintegrated and evaporated. Twilight yelped, and her horn sparked from strain as her legs wobbled.

Nightmare raised her head back up and let her aura disperse. "Very good," she complimented.

Twilight's face scrunched up in pain as she looked at Nightmare, and Nightmare thought she heard Twilight mutter, "Easy for you to say..." The filly groaned and lifted her forehoof to her head, then massaged her temple and worked her hoof to the left to rub the base of her horn.

"Are you alright?" Nightmare asked.

"I think so?" Twilight said unsurely. A moment later, and the filly's aura flickered back to life around her horn. A few embers of magic sparked off, and Twilight grunted as she strained. A few seconds later and the aura stabilized into a constant glow. Twilight looked up at her horn and watched it glow. Nightmare studied the way the light of Twilight's magic made her student's eyes shine, and then after a few more seconds, Twilight looked back at her. "Yes."

"Then we will go again," Nightmare stated.

Twilight jerked her head side to side and Nightmare saw her student's lips twitching erratically, but heard nothing. 'You are unhappy,' she knew. Nevertheless, the filly's magic coalesced into a shield again.

"I desire to see how quickly you can shield yourself again as soon as I break this one," Nightmare said.

Twilight grimaced and groaned. "Alright..."

Nightmare aimed and purposefully fired a spell strong enough to break the shield.

And when it hit, Twilight gasped as her shield exploded around her, making her horn go dark.

Nightmare fired again, refusing to give Twilight any time to recover. With a wince, Twilight's horn sputtered back to life and another bubble wrapped around her, only to shatter as soon as the spell struck it. Twilight whimpered and fell to her knees, her body shaking.

Nightmare felt her ears fold back and took a step forward before she realized it. "Twilight?" she called. The filly looked up at her. She hesitated for barely a second, then found herself sitting on her haunches in front of Twilight.

"That... hurt," Twilight groaned.

Nightmare reached out with her right foreleg and coaxed Twilight into leaning against her chest. Twilight didn't fight back, and feeling Twilight's body trembling against her reminded her of when Twilight had been so afraid of her. "You will get used to it," she said, but her heart wasn't in it.

"That's not comforting," Twilight grumbled.

"I... apologize," Nightmare said.

Twilight shifted her weight and laid her head down on Nightmare's shoulder, groaning the whole time. "I need," her student wheezed, "a break."

'We have not been at this very long,' Nightmare wanted to counter. But she knew she was pushing Twilight. The strain had to be taking its toll. There was a balance to be had: pushing too much would hurt Twilight, while not pushing enough would not drive Twilight towards success. After how much she had pushed Twilight, the filly deserved a break, and she may have already pushed Twilight too much. "Very well," she voiced.

Twilight just groaned and pulled herself closer.

Nightmare let her eyes wander. For the first few seconds, she studied the forest and turned her head left and right as she did so, but inevitably, her gaze was drawn back to Twilight. The filly still shook against her, though not as much as she had. She unfolded her right wing and wrapped it around Twilight's back, holding her close.

"Why is it that your wing feels... so... the way it does?" Twilight mumbled.

What did that even mean? She squinted down at the filly's back. "Pray tell?"

Twilight inhaled, and her chest pushed against Nightmare's chestplate before she lifted her head up, then looked to the left at Nightmare's wing over her back. "It's... comforting," Twilight voiced as she looked back at Nightmare.

Nightmare nodded slowly. She could remember the times when Sister held her in a similar way, and thinking back on it left her disappointed. Not angry, just disappointed. Almost defeated. "Yes," she agreed.

"Why?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare bobbed her head. "It is... comforting, perhaps because of the feathers or perhaps because of my magic, and likely because of our instincts and desire for companionship."

Twilight frowned. After a few seconds, the filly rested her head on Nightmare's shoulder again, then let her head roll to the right to lay against Nightmare's neck. She turned her head to the right and looked at Twilight's mane. 'Did you do that on purpose?' she wondered.

Perhaps it was foalish and naive to think Twilight did that on purpose. Yet even if it was thoughtless, she still welcomed the contact. She was still a pony.

Slowly, she stroked her wing down Twilight's back. The filly shivered under her feathers until Nightmare lifted her wing from Twilight's back and folded it to her side. She laid her right foreleg around the back of Twilight's neck and gently squeezed her for a few seconds before letting up and putting her forehoof back on the ground, but Twilight continued to lean against her, resting her head against Nightmare's neck.

For several long minutes, Nightmare's mind wandered, contemplating Twilight's weight and warmth, her student's magic and incompleteness, and her friend's potential. Twilight finally lifted her head up, and Nightmare blinked as it shook her mind back into focus. She turned her head and watched Twilight stand up and take a step back. In the back of her mind, something gnawed at her. A word she couldn't remember, a word that she would use to describe Twilight. The word felt like it fit her friend perfectly.

And then it came, 'You are innocent.'

Twilight watched her for a few seconds, then turned to the right and looked around the forest, leaving her side exposed to Nightmare's sight. 'Of course, you are innocent,' mumbled in Nightmare's mind. It shouldn't have been that hard to remember the word! The filly bore the Element of Magic. The filly had so much potential, but her friend was young, with all the youth, naivety, vulnerability, and petiteness it brought.

'And you will always be so young compared to me.' The thought brought her to look away from Twilight, brought her ears to press back as discomfort bubbled in her chest. 'It does not matter what I do, I cannot protect you from everything.'

And if she was wrong about Twilight's destiny? If she was wrong about Twilight's potential? If she failed to grow and guide Twilight as she needed? Then teaching Twilight would have been for nothing, because time would inevitably march on and steal the filly away from her. It wouldn't matter what Twilight accomplished, it wouldn't matter how much she had taught her friend if she was wrong or if she failed.

Eighty years, if that, and then Twilight would pass on. Eighty years of companionship. Not even a tenth of how long she had been banished to the moon for.

And then she would be alone.

And the thought brought her to worry, brought her to feel an uncomfortable twist in her chest while sorrow and anxiety plagued her mind. 'I cannot fail you. You must succeed, you must fulfill your destiny.'

Time was forever her enemy.

But maybe it would be okay, even if she was wrong. Maybe it would be okay, even if she failed. Twilight would pass on, she would lose her only and closest friend, but she would still have had eighty years. If that. She would still have her memories.

But damn the though! She would not let Twilight go so easily. She would not be alone again.

'You will ascend. It is part of your destiny. I will make sure of this.' And the thought brought her to feel a sense of ecstasy.

And then it would be like her dreams.

If she succeeded.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

She turned back to look at Twilight. For several seconds, she was silent. A retort wormed its way onto her tongue, that she was, and yet, 'No,' haunted her mind. She would not lie to Twilight, and Twilight already knew the answer because of her hesitation. "I am considering the future," she answered.

And Twilight knew there was more to it than that. She could see it in Twilight's expression, the way her eyebrows twitched down, her lips with the barest hint of a frown. And then it passed. Twilight grimaced and bobbed her head. "I worry about the future a lot too," was her quiet admission.

And Nightmare couldn't help but smile. "I suppose it is... to an extent foolish, is it not?" Twilight looked at her with a frown. She licked her lips, then explained, "There is nothing wrong with planning for the future, but I suppose worrying about it is pointless. You can plan and prepare, but... too much analysis can prevent one from taking action. I am... not used to suffering from this affliction."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and looked away from her. "I uh, well, I'm familiar with that. Spike would say I'm too familiar with it."

"Then let us return to the present," Nightmare voiced, drawing Twilight's gaze back to her. "Are you recovered?"

Twilight nodded. "More or less, I guess."

"Good," Nightmare said with an incline of her head. "Then we shall-"

Twilight let out a groan and fell to the ground. "Please not again..."

Though they hadn't been at it very long, she was inclined to give in to Twilight's request. She had, after all, made a mistake and pushed Twilight harder than she intended. A grimace twisted her lips. "Very well... we shall-"

A crack and flash of light interrupted her. On instinct, she caught the scroll that flashed into existence, and her eyes narrowed as they snapped onto it.

Before she had a chance to unroll it, Twilight stood back up and asked, "What's that?"

"I do not know as I have not yet opened it," Nightmare answered.

Twilight blushed and coughed. "Right, sorry."

"It is fine," Nightmare replied. She broke the seal and unrolled the scroll to read its message.

Nightmare scowled and levitated the scroll lower after finishing. She had half the mind to incinerate the scroll. "One of the dragons inhabiting Equestria has..." she trailed off as her gaze fell down on Twilight. She felt a split in her core. 'I desire to protect you but in doing so I am sheltering you and hurting you.' And she was hesitating. She crushed the dissent and continued, "Made a meal of one of my batponies."

Twilight looked horrified. "W-what!?"

Nightmare nodded slowly and rolled the scroll back up, then teleported it away. "I was concerned that this would happen-"

Twilight's brow folded down and her lips twisted as her mouth opened. "Why would a dragon eat anypony!? They eat gems!"

Nightmare nodded. "It was not always the case, but yes, they are supposed to eat gems."

"What do you-" and then she saw the realization crash over Twilight, and the filly's horror only grew. "Dragons used to eat ponies!?" It could probably be heard for a mile around.

Nightmare winced. "They did, along with deer, griffins, and minotaurs. Anything that was alive and wasn't a plant, really. Luna put an end to it."

Twilight cringed and squirmed where she stood, turning away from her, her face scrunched up in disgust. And then fear and worry, not for herself, but for somepony close to her. Twilight's head snapped back to face her, and Twilight's eyes met Nightmare's. "Spike-"

"Will be fine," Nightmare countered. "Given that you and Sister raised him, I would not expect him to ever cause any trouble."

She sincerely hoped he did not.

Twilight closed her eyes. Nightmare saw a single tear roll down Twilight's cheek, and then Twilight bowed her head. "O-okay."

She reached out with her wing and wiped the tear away. Twilight looked back up at her. "I will deal with this dragon myself. Leaving it to roam free after this has transpired is not an option. If I must remind the dragons why this is unacceptable, then I shall," she affirmed.

A moment passed. She grimaced. "Would you accompany me?"

Twilight's horror returned. "Accompany you!?" was the filly's shriek.

Nightmare nodded. "I would... appreciate your company."

"Is that even safe!?" Twilight croaked.

Nightmare held in a sigh. "As I have said, Twilight, your opponent will not care that you are young. However, I will not allow any harm to befall you should you accompany me, but this also gives you an opportunity to acquire experience. You are more magically competent than the Royal Guard-" she glanced aside at the Captain, who had his horn lit as he glared at her, then turned back to Twilight, "-so I would prefer you accompany me than they, as you are less likely to be injured."

"B-but it's a dragon!" Twilight retorted.

"Yes," Nightmare acknowledged, holding in a sigh, "and I have fought many dragons before on my own. We will both be fine."

Twilight grimaced and turned away from her.

"If you do not desire to accompany me, I will not force you. I will return you to Ponyville and then... we will be done for tonight," she offered.

A few seconds passed, and Twilight jerked back to face her. "You promise I'll be safe?"

Nightmare nodded. "You have my word." She paused for a moment and then specified, "Provided you are not purposefully trying to get yourself killed."

Twilight blinked, then her muzzle scrunched up. "I very much want to live."

Nightmare nodded again. "Good. Just be certain to stay alert. If the dragon goes after you, do remember to act instead of freezing. Whether that is teleporting out of the way or shielding yourself, I do not care. But if you get yourself hurt I will be very displeased."

Twilight smiled nervously and gulped. "I'll um, do my best."

"I expect nothing less," Nightmare said. "Do not be afraid, but remain alert. I will teleport us to the closest village and then we will fly the rest of the way to its lair."

Twilight frowned. "Why not teleport right there?"

Nightmare cocked her head at an angle and looked down at Twilight intently. "I am unfamiliar with his lair, and likewise, teleporting into a situation I know nothing about is unsafe. This is why I teleported into the air when visiting the griffins rather than onto the land: so that there was less chance of an ambush."

Twilight's lips pressed into a line. "Right..." Her student breathed in before asking, "And is long-range teleportation dangerous in general?"

"Provided you know where you are going, and assuming you're not risking coming out of the teleport into an ambush, no more dangerous than short teleports," Nightmare answered. She turned to the Captain and nodded. "I will teleport you back to Canterlot. Return to your duties if you feel well enough." He gave a forced, annoyed salute, then she teleported him away. Looking back at Twilight, she summoned her magic and wrapped it around both of them. Twilight clenched her eyes shut in preparation for the flash, and then she cast the spell.

As soon as the flash of light vanished, Nightmare looked around her surroundings. Ponies and deer were all frozen on the dirt streets, staring at her with mixtures of fear and surprise and shock. In particular, she found herself scrutinizing the deer.

The scroll hadn't said anything about the village being inhabited by either deer or ponies, and as she looked around, at least from what she could see, it seemed that the village was three-fourths deer, with the remaining one fourth being ponies, judging from who she saw now staring at her. 'Interesting... perhaps the integration is further along than I thought,' drifted through her mind.

But if that was so, why was she only finding out now? And how many more villages and cities like this one existed, isolated in forests? She shook her head; it was a thought to consider another time. Besides, she could see a dirt path through the trees that must have led out of the forest or onto a main road of some kind. It was not entirely cut off from the rest of pony civilization.

The path could do with improvements, so surely improving the road would help Equestria as a whole. 'I shall have to investigate this.'

The buildings surrounding them reminded her of a mixture of Ponyville, Hollow Shades, and Antlerfall: dirt roads, many large trees, both deciduous and evergreen mixed together, some stone buildings reminiscent of the ones in Hollow Shades, with smoke billowing into the night through chimneys. She heard water rushing nearby, but couldn't see the river. None of the trees were large enough to be buildings, but there were houses built of wood and straw, like in Ponyville.

"I thought this was an Equestrian City," Twilight whispered.

Nightmare turned her gaze away from the town to look at Twilight, who gradually broke eye contact with one of the bucks to look at her. "It is," she answered, "and likewise I did not realize deer lived here."

Twilight's muzzle scrunched up. "Shouldn't you know that!?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "Equestria is a large nation, Twilight. I am Queen but I cannot keep track of every single village in my domain. Likewise, I do not desire absolute control. It is a foolish notion."

"Yet there's a detachment of batponies here to keep ponies safe," Twilight muttered.

"You are correct," Nightmare said. "This village is in a forest and one of the few dozen dragons living in Equestria resides nearby."

"Right..." Twilight grumbled. "But I'm guessing you've never been here before."

Nightmare pursed her lips. "You are correct," she admitted. She shook her head and looked back at the deer, some of whom backed up when she looked at them. It made her scowl for a moment before she cast the agitation aside.

Twilight grumbled something she couldn't make out. She ignored it and watched the deer stare at her. Was it truly all they could do? They were her subjects, like the ponies who lived beside them, and they all looked at her so strangely, so fearfully. Ponies and deer hadn't looked at Luna with the same paralyzing fear. They respected her when she defended them, then turned on her when they were safe. It hurt. But then she knew, to them, she was the apex predator, and they were the prey.

They did not view her as their protector. They viewed her as a monster.

She blinked and looked back at Twilight, who continued watching the deer. 'Perhaps I am-' the thought drifted away yet lingered. She couldn't think of the right word. The deer and ponies all feared her, even when they were her subjects. Luna had been their protector; they hadn't feared Luna the same. The deer had respected Luna, but the deer had not been Luna's subjects. And the ponies who were Luna's subjects hated her.

And now they both feared her. They didn't look at her as if she was there to protect them, but rather they were alert as if she was there to get them.

And she felt angry, but turning on them would only prove their fears well-placed. Regardless, there was something more important to tend to. "I will fly us up the mountain to his lair," she said as she sat down.

And the deer and ponies watched her, silently judging her as Twilight climbed onto her back. She stood up and stretched out her wings, then left the village behind. As the buildings grew distant, she put it all out of mind.

Being distracted in a battle was a good way to get oneself or another killed. She would not get Twilight killed.

'One day, we will fly together, and you will carry yourself on your own wings,' Nightmare knew. She turned her head back to glance at Twilight's face and body for a moment. And it would be wonderful. She would miss Twilight's warmth atop her back and the feeling of Twilight holding onto her, but Twilight would be so much freer!

So much more complete, and so perfect for it.

And then she would never be alone.

She looked back at the mountain and studied it. The forest below climbed up the mountain's slopes about halfway up, and the rest of the mountain was bare and visible. Rocky and rugged, reminding her of the badlands laying far beyond the mountain. The mountain wasn't tall enough for its top to be capped with glacial ice, or perhaps it was simply the dragon's doing, that he didn't want any ice on his mountain, like how he may have been responsible for the sudden stop in the forest's ascent.

After all, what pegasi would have flown so close to deliver clouds with rain or snow for the trees or ice to grow? Ponies were prey, and dragons were predators.

She found herself grimacing. As she flew upward continually, she felt the air grow colder and thinner until it was like in Canterlot. Or perhaps it was colder than Canterlot, because she thought she felt Twilight's body shivering from the night's chill. Perhaps it was simply that fall had set in, or that there weren't pegasi to tend to the weather here.

She reached out with her magic and searched for the dragon's lair. Once she found it, she glided the distance to it and scrutinized the area: a large cave in the side of the mountain, but with a large flattened plateau dotted with boulders and smaller rocks that offered ample room for her to land, along with cover should such prove necessary.

She glided down lower and landed with four clicks of her hooves. She peered into the cave as she sat down on her haunches while Twilight climbed down, unwilling to risk glancing back so to give the dragon an opportunity to strike when she was distracted. She stood back up and strode forward, and Twilight stayed close at her side.

The air stunk of smoke and dragon as they drew nearer to the cave. She held herself proudly, for she would not let a mere dragon get the best of her nor intimidate her. Twilight, however, tried to make herself look as small as she could at Nightmare's side, even falling a few steps back to where she could duck behind her teacher for protection.

Though it irked her, she let it slide: Twilight was young and afraid; a dragon could swallow the filly whole, and against dragonscales on her own, Twilight could only shield herself or teleport, unless she figured out dragons' weaknesses.

She stopped several steps from the cave. "Show thyself!" she shouted.

And with that, she felt the air rush around her as it was sucked into the cave. The dragon inhaled, and then exhaled, sending a plume of smoke their way. "Who disturbs me!?" was the dragon's demand.

"You have killed one of my subjects!" Nightmare spat. "I will not allow this to stand! Leave now!"

Another plume of smoke, followed by the ground shaking as the dragon lumbered closer to the cave's entrance. And then she saw it: the massive beast on all fours towered over her and even dwarfed Twilight's library in Ponyville. His scales were crimson, and his slit pupils bore down on her. He blinked, and she watched layers of thick, half-transparent skin close horizontally and vertically before parting again.

His claws were big enough that a single talon could have cleaved her in half or gored her body, and his sharp, angular snout had teeth protruding from the top and bottom of his jaw, each one capable of killing her if he managed to get her in his mouth. His leathery wings were half outstretched, with the tips against the floor of the cave and the scaled front high with the leathery skin spun between bones.

He looked at her with disdain and regarded her student as insignificant, having neither spotted her wings nor recognizing her. "Princess Celestia let me take this lair! Who are you to take it away!?" he demanded.

She sparked her horn to life and extended her wings. "The one who taught your kind to eat gems!" she hissed.

She saw the light of her horn glisten in his eyes, which hardly moved as he took in her wings. Another sharp gust of wind blew by as he inhaled and lurched up, rearing up on his hind legs. "DEMON!" his voice boomed, rattling Nightmare's insides.

He hissed and his scaly face twisted in anger. And she just took a step forward, and he fell back to the floor on all fours and lurched back. "Good. You remember me," she forced out.

He growled, and it was like thunder. More plumes of smoke filled the air, coming out of his nostrils, both of which were easily large enough for her and Twilight to fit inside. Twilight coughed from the smoke, and he looked at her with annoyance before looking back at Nightmare. "Equestria is weak! I merely took what was rightfully mine!"

"You will not," Nightmare growled, "take the lives of my ponies. Leave. Now! And I will let you live to serve as a warning to the rest of your kind. Attack Equestria again and perish."

The dragon opened his maw wide, and Nightmare saw a flicker in the back of his throat. A flicker she recognized.

Reacting on instinct, she pushed her forehoof into Twilight's shoulder and threw her student to the ground. The flicker burst into flame. Eyes widening, Nightmare growled and dived to the right, throwing herself on top of Twilight, spreading her wings, and channeling more magic into her horn. And even before she landed on Twilight, her magic formed into a shield to protect both of them the dragon's attack.

The flame exploded towards them and blocked the dragon from view. The hot jet enveloped the shield and hugged it close, draining her magic, but it was no match for her shield. The heat never touched them. The brilliant orange glow burned at her eyes, so she squinted and dropped her gaze to the only place the flame didn't surround them.

Twilight stared up at her, wide-eyed. Staring into her eyes to avoid the flame's bright light. Scared and shocked. She stared back down at Twilight, who had either landed on her back or had rolled onto her back, and was now pinned under her weight. Twilight's shallow, panicked breath tickled the hairs of her nose, and every time she inhaled, she caught the filly's scent of lavender and lilacs, books and ink, and a faint hint of her friends mixed in with a forest and earth and sweat. And the pungent stench of dragon smoke that nearly smothered both of them, nearly overpowered Twilight's calming scent. She felt Twilight's rapid breathing push her chestplate and body, up and down, and felt the shake in the filly's legs. She broke eye contact and glanced along Twilight's sides. To her surprise, she had her wings unfolded and held low, sheltering Twilight. She looked back into Twilight's eyes.

"If your shield-"

"It will hold," Nightmare preempted. Without breaking eye contact, "I will not let it fail. I forced them to eat gems or face extinction. No dragon can match me."

And the dragons foolish enough to test that had not lived long.

Twilight gave a quick, timid nod, and Nightmare could still see the fear in her eyes. Fear not born from her nor lack of trust in her magic, rather at 'knowing how close they came to being cooked' even though she would not have let such a thing happen. "We-" Twilight paused to lick her dry lips, and Nightmare could feel a bit of her fur move as Twilight's tongue brushed against it from how close they were. Twilight didn't seem to notice. "-might be stuck here if he can inhale and do that again because the heat won't immediately dissipate."

"We can still teleport out," Nightmare chastized, still staring down into Twilight's purple eyes. She broke eye contact only to glance at her student's unlit horn. Her lips twitched down as she looked Twilight in the eye again. "If it was just me I would drop the shield a few seconds after he stops so that the heat would have dissipated and he would think he has defeated me, then teleport while he is attempting to incinerate me, but since you are here..."

"It would burn me. Even with... you on top of me."

"Perhaps," Nightmare mumbled. Studying the filly below her, she found Twilight looking dazed, perhaps confused, and unfocused. It brought her to frown. 'You are distracted and we are in battle, this is not acceptable.'

Twilight's brow flicked. "Wouldn't it burn you too?"

"Not if the heat has dissipated," Nightmare stated. "it would be unpleasant, but it would not kill me. I have been through worse."

Twilight shifted her weight, which wasn't much, given Nightmare held her in place. That seemed to help refocus the filly. "He sure can breathe..."

Nightmare's lips twitched. "That he can," she muttered. "They all can once they are of that size."

The orange glow started to dim, and the whoosh of flame started to quiet. Nightmare broke eye contact to check the wall of dragonfire, but it still burned hot around her shield. She looked back at Twilight. "Do you have a plan?" Twilight asked quietly.

"You will teleport us out of the way once he breathes on us again," Nightmare answered.

"Why don't you?" Twilight croaked.

A tinge of annoyance stabbed at Nightmare's mind. She just barely stopped herself from snapping, "Because I am holding the shield and you are far better at teleporting than I am. Furthermore, it will give you experience in teleporting in such a situation like this." She inhaled deeply and took in Twilight's scent, letting it tickle her nose and calm her mind, then lifted her head up a little further so that when she exhaled, her breath fell on Twilight's mane.

"Can't you teleport us both out of the way?" Twilight asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes," Nightmare answered flatly. "But as I said, I want you to. Now please stop arguing because arguing in the middle of a battle is a great way to get yourself and others killed."

Twilight went silent. She might have been a bit too harsh, but a mistake could prove costly. She could repair the damage she had done, but the same was not so if it was the dragon's doing.

Her shield did its job, blocking out the heat of the dragonfire and protecting them until the orange glow and roar of flame faded. The dragon's burning gaze lingered on her shield as he lumbered forth out of his cave. She made eye contact with him and scowled as the air warped and churned from the lingering heat. She heard him suck in a deep breath and saw dust fly through the air, and then as he opened his maw, another flicker in the back of his throat. He lunged closer and reared up above them.

The jet of flame raced towards her shield and beat against her magic, boiling the air around them. She looked back down at Twilight, acutely aware that, though her shield would not fail, if it did, the flame would hit her first. Twilight might have some semblance of safety below her. "You're going to have to trust me."

"I do," Twilight stated quietly, a frown pulling at her lips.

Nightmare jerked her head a bit. "Of course," she muttered. "Teleport us above him, and then teleport yourself to the ground."

Horror washed over Twilight's face. "What!?" she shrieked. "But I can't! That'll-"

"You can," Nightmare stated. "You can teleport fast enough to get me into position, and likewise teleport yourself back to the ground before the impact would stun or injure you."

Twilight whispered, "We'll be separated."

Nightmare tilted her head. "You are correct. Keep yourself shielded and teleport if he tries to attack you. I will engage him and he will focus on me."

Twilight nodded. The fear was still present in her eyes, plain for her to see, but there was something else there. Even if Twilight's body trembled below her, there was some hint of courage and bravery. Perhaps spurred on by thinking on her friends, or perhaps spurred on by the Element of Magic. "S-so... now?" Twilight stuttered.

"Now," Nightmare agreed.

Twilight clenched her eyes shut, then her raspberry magic wrapped around her horn. And there was a flash of light and a crack, and the enveloping orange glow disappeared, replaced by darkness and light from below. She felt the moment of weightlessness pass immediately and dropped her shield.

Twilight teleported out from under her, and she spread her wings wide. The dragon heard the cracks, and his flame went dark as his head twitched at an angle. A single eye looked up at her.

And she dived, horn first. He spread his wings wide and lifted them up.

She was faster.

A beam of magic descended from her horn and struck the base of his neck. He roared in anger, and she felt the very air shake from his rage. His armored scales cracked under her magical assault, but they still took the brunt of her magic, protecting his more vulnerable flesh. He lowered his head, then pushed against the ground and launched himself into the air.

She dove left and spun around to face him as he shot past where she had been. The wake of his ascent battered her, nearly knocking her out of the air. His maw opened and a jet of flame shot towards her. She clenched her jaw and folded her right wing while beating her left and shielding herself.

The flame grazed her shield and bounced off of it at an angle, but he tracked her, and so the jet of flame kept following her, scorching the rock below. 'You had better stay safe!' her mind snapped.

If that dragon killed Twilight, well, there wouldn't be a dragon left.

And then she would be alone.

And the thought twisted in her mind, splitting her focus with fears and worries that she wouldn't be able to keep Twilight safe. And it was stupid and foalish that she let it split her attention. It left her vulnerable, even with the shield. 'Focus! She will be fine!'

She unfolded her right wing and beat hard and fast, trying to rise above the flame, but it kept following her until it burnt out. His chest heaved as he sucked in another breath, and she felt the air pulled out from around her.

He opened his maw, and she aimed her horn. Before the flicker could even form, her beam of magic shot from her horn and struck the back of his throat, sending a spray of blood out of his mouth and down to the rock below. He coughed and his body shook violently, making the air tremble.

His claw went up to grasp his throat and he shut his maw. He snorted and plumes of smoke exploded from his nostrils. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, DEMON!" his voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the air and rock.

"I think not!" she spat back.

He roared and shot towards her, reaching out with his left claw while his right still held his neck.

She teleported behind him. He tracked the crack of her magic and rolled onto his back. His claw struck her shield. The impact made everything spin for a split second as she shot towards the ground. Rock cracked against her shield as she landed. Her shield flared, cracked, and popped out of existence. She hissed through clenched teeth and leveled a seething glare on the dragon as he circled around the plateau, ignoring the pain stabbing her head at the base of her horn.

Nothing was broken. Nightmare stood back up and bowed her head, tracking him with her horn aimed right at him, magic burning bright. "Leave," she demanded in a cold voice, "Now." She stepped forward and spread her wings, holding them out at a low angle. "You have one. Last. Chance."

"YOU ARE WEAK!" his voice shook the air. "ONCE I EAT YOU, I WILL RULE EQUESTRIA AND FEED AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!"

"So be it!" Nightmare hissed.

The dragon rolled and then dived towards her. She flared her horn bright and fired spell after spell at him. Each spell struck a scale with a sharp crack! that split or shattered the scale, sending fragments to pelt the barren plateau, yet the scales still blocked her magic from reaching his flesh.

And in seconds, he was too close. She teleported above him. He smashed into the ground and his body hit the rock from his momentum, then he lifted himself back up and turned his head back to face her.

She fired another barrage of spells. His size left him too slow to evade them, and so the magic crashed over his back, shattering dozens of his scales. He roared in anger, then crouched down and jumped at her.

She rolled and refocused her magic into another shield. His claw grazed her shield with a horrible screeching sound that hurt her ears and left a visible crack. He flew on and banked. She spun around and lowered her head to aim, dropping her shield.

And then she unleashed her magic. A brilliant blue beam of her magic lurched from her horn and crashed into the dragon's chest. Dozens of scales split, shattered, and exploded, sending little shards of dragonscales shooting down to pepper the rocky ground below. The dragon shuddered and roared in anger and agony as her magic cut through his scales and tore through his body. Burrowing all the way through his insides and then shooting out his back, blowing off more of his scales.

He banked to the left, and her beam continued its devastation, exploding his scales and cutting through his body until it only grazed his side, shattering scales along the length of his body and continuing on into empty air.

Her horn burned, and the dragon's blood rained down on the ground below. He looked at her with an almost empty glare for a split second, then crashed into the ground. His body tumbled and rolled lifelessly until it went over the edge of the plateau.

She flew over and watched him tumble down the cliff, eventually seeing his body level a dozen trees before finally slowing to a stop.

In the silence, the wind blew calmly, entirely unaware and uncaring of what she had done. The silence was wonderful. She turned her gaze back to the plateau and found Twilight staring up at her. She quickly glanced around to make sure she hadn't missed anything, then glided down and landed a few steps away from the filly.

The filly who looked at her with a clenched jaw and wide eyes, legs trembling. It made her stand where she was for several seconds. 'You are afraid,' she knew. But it wasn't fear of the dead dragon. She inhaled, then exhaled. Quietly, she asked, "You are uninjured?"

And Twilight blinked a few times, then bowed her head and looked at her forehooves and the rock below her. Since Twilight didn't immediately answer, Nightmare scrutinized her friend's body as best she could. Twilight looked back up at her and licked her lips as she nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Nightmare said. "I believe I have dealt with the dragon."

"You killed him," Twilight said quietly.

"You are correct," Nightmare answered.

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"He was a threat," Nightmare said. "I gave him the chance to leave and he did not take it."

Twilight looked back down at her hooves. "You killed him."

Nightmare tilted her head and stepped closer to Twilight. The filly looked up at her but didn't move away. "I killed him to protect us along with everypony in Equestria."

"You didn't have to kill him," Twilight quietly insisted.

"I gave him opportunities to leave," Nightmare countered. Twilight looked up at her. "He attacked us. He killed one of my batponies. He was a threat to Equestria. I can not tolerate that," she added.

"You attacked us. You killed a Royal Guard. You were a threat to Equestria," Twilight said in a quiet, innocent voice. "You didn't have to kill the dragon like he killed the batpony."

Twilight compared her to the dragon. Twilight compared her to a monster. Yet she felt no anger. The silence surrounding them was all-encompassing, even inside her mind and body. The filly looked up at her, expression almost blank, almost not there, and so pure and innocent.

Why did this make her so uncomfortable?

Twilight was judging her. That had to be why it made her insides squirm. 'You do not approve,' she knew. Of course Twilight wouldn't approve! Twilight had been taught by her sister for so long. Sister left Twilight weak, but that was only an extension of Sister's own weakness, that she didn't do what was necessary to protect Equestria.

'I was a threat to Equestria. I would have destroyed Equestria if Sister had not stopped me,' stabbed her mind. Her chest coiled with anxiety, and she turned away from Twilight.

'If our roles had been switched, Celestia, I would have killed you,' she thought. 'Or would I have?' And she wasn't sure, and the uncertainty tore at her mind.

'Would I have?' she considered. And at first, she knew, 'Of course I would! You would have deserved nothing less!' But as seconds drew on, the uncertainty only grew worse. But she would not consider it further.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Sister didn't do what she thought was necessary.

She was conflicted and angry and bitter and lost.

But it didn't matter. Their roles were not reversed.

"It was necessary," she answered, then turned back to face Twilight.

"It wasn't," Twilight stated. The filly looked straight ahead at her chestplate, refusing to meet her gaze. "You could have given him another chance."

"Who is to say he would have taken it?" Nightmare asked. "Who is to say that, even if he had taken it, he would not have returned and killed another batpony? Who is to say that he would not have taken it only to use it as a weapon against us in an attempt to catch us off-guard?"

"We'll never know now because you killed him," Twilight said.

"He will not harm anypony else, and it sent a message," Nightmare countered.

"Stay in line, or else," Twilight said.

Nightmare found herself frowning as she watched Twilight mull over what she had spoken.

"The same message you sent to everypony. Stay in line or else." Twilight met her gaze. "You want ponies to love you? You sent the wrong message," was all Twilight had to say.

Nightmare turned away from Twilight again. "No matter what you and Cadance insist, ponies will never love me. They will always hate me, always spite me." She turned back to Twilight, who looked at her unflinchingly, and without the same judgment everypony else did. "Time has taught me this lesson, Twilight. And Sister made certain of it."

"I don't hate you," Twilight said in a simple, innocent voice. "Cadance doesn't hate you."

"You two are exceptions to the rule," Nightmare retorted. "Everypony else-"

"You gave us a chance. You didn't give anypony else a chance," Twilight replied. "You just told them to stay in line or else."

She stamped her hoof down on the ground. It sent a jolt of pain up her foreleg, but she didn't care. "I gave ponies a chance for centuries! And EVERY time!" Twilight stood there unflinchingly. She took a moment to recompose herself, breathing in and then exhaling. "And every time," she repeated, "they turned on me. It did not matter to them what I did. It did not matter how much I hoped, Twilight. My loyalty to them?" she asked, snorting as her lips flicked up. "They spat on it. My honesty? They lied to me. Sister lied to me." Shaking her head, she turned away from the filly. "My laughter, my joy? They stole that away from me. Strangled it out over centuries, Twilight."

"I am not perfect," Nightmare said. "I make mistakes." And with finality, "But so did they." She looked back at the foal.

"And how is it right to take it out on us?" Twilight asked. A moment passed and then Twilight looked away from her. Not out of disgust or fear or horror. Twilight simply looked off to her right in contemplation, perhaps even realization. "You never gave anypony else except Cadance and me a chance. And you really only gave Cadance a chance because I asked. How different were you one thousand years ago? And yet you don't give anypony else a chance because you think it's all the same. A thousand years is a long time, Nightmare Moon. You know that."

And she had nothing to say to that. Nightmare tilted her head and reached out with her wing. But before she touched Twilight's fur with her feathers, she thought better of it and folded her wing back to her side. It was getting them nowhere. Twilight looked down at her chestplate. "You are angry at me."

Twilight didn't reply.

Nightmare sighed. "I will return you to Ponyville."

Twilight didn't say anything, but watched her. After a few seconds, Twilight looked at the ground.

Nightmare reluctantly nodded. "Very well..." 'I have made a mistake,' she knew. "I... am sorry that I brought you. I should not have. You were not ready for-"

Twilight looked up at her and shook her head. "I just... I need some time to think."

Nightmare nodded even more slowly. "I... see. Very well... I will..." she trailed off and turned her head to the side. 'This was a mistake.' She licked her lips, looked back at Twilight, and worried. "Enjoy your night, Twilight." The filly looked at her, and she could see something in Twilight's eyes that she didn't want to see. She teleported Twilight back to Ponyville.

And then she was alone.

Author's Note

The irony is that I wrote the middle part of the dragon scene first, and then the sparring spiraled out of control and ended up far longer than I expected.

After I come back to reread and edit this chapter on 10/8/19, I find I'm not quite pleased with its original state. So I worked a bit more and now Nightmare's more pony and less narcissistic in it.

After I come back to reread and edit this chapter on 10/15/19, I'm more pleased with the edits.

Edited again on 11/2/19; Shining Armor is more prominent than before.

Edited on 11/4/19; Minor touchups to Shining Armor recovering from getting winded, "improvements" to the argument at the end.

2/28/20 I come back to reread this and I'm less pleased with it. Perhaps my standards have risen.

4/8/20 Rereading and extremely minor edits.

4/16/20 I have not re-re-reviewed this chapter as much as I'd like. I've not been able to focus or motivate myself to work on this story over the past few weeks. If you spot any problems, please point them out. There is a nonzero chance I may edit this chapter at a later date, but maybe not too likely. The next chapter may to probably will be delayed.

Offer

Before her stretched out a field of grass cut short like in Canterlot's parks. As far as she could see, there was nothing but grass and sky. Above her, the unblemished moon hung in place, marching towards its inevitable descent. The stars twinkled in a cloudless sky, blinking whenever she looked at one of them. No pegasi flew through the air, nor batponies, nor griffins, nor dragons. She stood alone.

She turned around and found herself standing before a forest of pine trees. A chill gripped the night air but the sky remained clear. The whole forest seemed to gracefully sway in the same subtle breeze that wrapped around her body, calling to her. She spread her wings and the chill flowed between her feathers.

And then the breeze turned on her. The breeze did not embrace her, nor did it call to her. The breeze shunned her, and then the breeze was gone, fleeing from her as a foal would run from a predator. Yet the chill of the night still stole the warmth from her coat and seeped into her skin. The forest fell silent without the breeze: neither birds nor insects made noise. The world was still, and she was alone.

She turned around, and at her side stood her friend. She smiled as she turned to face Twilight, and yet something felt wrong. Not the same sense of incompletion that normally gripped her friend, but something that ate at her mind. Twilight's expression was not warm and inviting, rather, it was distant. Twilight neither looked at her nor smiled; she simply stared into the distance.

"Twilight?" Her call went unheard.

She unfolded her wing and brushed her feathers along Twilight's spine, but her friend did not close her eyes and smile. She felt alone; her friend did not lean into her touch, nor return the gesture with any familiar recognition. She watched the filly for a while, even as that subtle, chilly breeze returned to steal away their warmth. She traced her feathers along Twilight's shoulders, brushed her wing through the filly's mane. No response. Out of disappointment, she folded her wing. Out of resignation, she closed her eyes.

And when she opened them, she was alone.

She cast her head back and gazed up at the sky, and then even the stars turned away from her as if to shun her, each one winking out as soon as she looked at it. "What did I ever do to you?" she asked. And the stars only ignored her. They were not her friends; they did not care. She bared her teeth and reared up before slamming her forehooves into the ground.

And the ground became stone which split with a sharp crack! as her boots struck. She looked down from the sky and found herself standing in the throne room of her castle, on the dais.

Glancing back, those two familiar, damned thrones.

She snarled as anger welled up inside her. Swiveling around, she destroyed both thrones with a blast of magic. The window shattered, and through the hole left in the wall, she saw the unblemished moon, glowing with a halo of light from the sun it blocked.

Her anger subsided as she contemplated the unscarred perfection, crowned by her Sister's birthright.

"Luna?" Twilight called.

For a few seconds longer, she studied the moon, so beautiful and pure. A sight she felt pained to look at, knowing how scarred and corrupted her Sister had left it. When she turned around, she saw Twilight standing before the dais. Tiara atop her head, set with the Element of Magic. Those five friends of hers at her side, with her standing in front of them; Twilight led them and they followed. All of Twilight's friends wore their respective Elements. And each element glowed with a pure, soft inner light.

Fear seized her; her heart skipped a beat. She stepped back on instinct, her eyes snapping between each of Twilight's friends' faces: they all looked at her with defiant determination, resolute resolve. They were not her allies. And then, even knowing what she would find, she met Twilight's gaze.

Her mouth felt dry and her throat tight. The same empty, contemplative look as before met her gaze. So disinterested. So hollow. So disappointed. And there was nothing there for her. No compassion, no happiness. Neither a confidant nor a companion. She stood alone. "Twilight?" she called out, and her voice was not her own, but that, weak, trembling voice of Luna's.

Twilight smiled at her; she felt a flicker of relief and joy, only for both to be stolen away as Twilight bowed her head. That precious, warming smile of her student's faded and her student shook her head. And for it, she knew she was alone. Twilight's chest rose as she breathed in, then the young alicorn lifted her head up to meet her gaze.

And Twilight said nothing, looking at her with a solemn disappointment as the Elements started to glow brighter.

Such was her fate.

She tried to call out, but her throat and voice conspired against her to betray her. She tried to move, but couldn't find it in her to move; there was no point, no escape. Her fate was again sealed, as it had been, as it was, and as it would be.

Forever alone; forever damned.

Sister and Cadance walked into the room from the hallway. Her sister smiled at her, unable to look away, and her niece refused to look at her, like she was some vile thing that needed to be disposed of.

"It's in Equestria's best interests," her Sister said.

She glared at her Sister, her cheeks shaking from anger.

"You're nothing but a monster," her Niece said.

She stared at Cadance, her lips twitching from confusion.

"We were never friends," her Friend said.

She looked at Twilight, her heart breaking from betrayal.

And Twilight cast her judgment.

Nightmare breathed in and opened her eyes. For a moment, her body was tense. Pins pricked her hooves and legs, cascading towards her body in cold waves. Gradually, it faded. She let out her breath and breathed in again.

And for several seconds, she stared at the ceiling, wondering, 'Why it can I not see clearly?' When she blinked her eyes, she knew. She closed her eyes and snorted, her lips twisting into something like a smile but more vengeanceful. With a quick flash of magic, her eyes were once again dry and when she opened her eyes, the world appeared as it should.

Keeping her horn lit, she pulled the blankets off her body, exposing her hot body to the cold night air. And oh, how she longed for the warmth of the blankets! But the disappointment in her chest propelled her on. She climbed out of her bed and remade it with her magic. Strode to the balcony door, opened it, and stepped out into the moonless night.

When she stopped at the railing, she draped her forehooves over the edge and rested her chestplate against the cold, uncaring stone. She first looked over the courtyard, then to Twilight's tower, and finally to Ponyville. And her look turned into a stare as the seconds passed away.

'It was a nightmare, nothing more.'

'I am too fond of her.'

'I should have stopped it.'

'Cadance offered to talk.'

'Sister will inevitably return.'

'She will ascend.'

'Are you going to side with her or me?'

'It has to be her destiny.'

'We were never friends.'

She bowed her head and looked at the courtyard. 'What was it you asked me, dear Niece? If I could not have everything I wanted, what would I choose?' Yes, that had been what Cadance asked her. She was certain of it.

And she was conflicted. She had defeated her sister, and it was empty. She ruled Equestria, and it was unfulfilling. She wanted to be loved, and everypony looked at her with fear and hate worse than they had Luna. She wanted revenge on Sister, but it felt pointless. What did it accomplish? It could not change what had already happened and would hardly change her fate.

Perhaps time would, for once, be on her side. Perhaps time would, for once, make her feel better. Perhaps all she needed was to be patient.

She could be patient. She had been patient.

But time was not her friend. Time was not on her side.

No, time had wrapped her in a deceitful embrace, ran its cheek up against her neck, making her lean into the nuzzle, only for time to laugh and whisper into her ear, 'You will never have what you want, Luna! You are forever damned! Look and see how Equestria turns on you! Look and see how your birthright is twisted against you to mock you!'

She pushed the feeling of defeat aside and looked back at Ponyville.

A thousand years ago, she had yearned for this night. That she would triumph over Sister! That she would take what was rightfully hers! That Equestria would bow to her as Queen! That ponies would be out in her night, bearing witness to the beauty she had seen!

And for what?

What purpose did it serve her?

What joy did it bring her?

What love did it earn her?

What respect? What adoration?

What did she benefit from any of it?

They didn't love her or respect her: they feared her. Her victory over Sister was empty: it only mocked her. She was free from the chains of Sister, yet for it, she had no joy: the scarred moon was nothing but a reminder of pain and failure. Sister could not beat her without the Elements, yet she felt powerless: she could not have what she wanted.

Equestria was hers, with nopony else stopping her from doing what she wished and desired. If she ordered it, monuments would be constructed to celebrate her. If she ordered it, her batponies could descend upon the griffins and slay them. If she ordered it, it would be done. And what good did that do in the end? What did she gain from it? There was no joy nor satisfaction to be had; it never lasted.

And even if it had, it would have been built upon lies. Feigned respect, meant only to keep her from knowing the truth that they could not hide: that they did not love her and that they would never love her. For the batponies were bound to her and did not count, and everypony else despised her as they always had. And even if hundreds of years passed under her sole rule, they would never love her. They would hate her, and if they did not, then it would only be because they did not know of Sister to choose her instead.

She was Queen, but the moment Sister was back, everypony would turn on her and her fate would once again be sealed.

'It's in Equestria's best interests.'

'You're nothing but a monster.'

'We were never friends.'

She felt defeated and disappointed: everything she wanted, and yet unfulfilled.

And so she felt empty.

And how she found herself yearning for the days of old, when she had been so naive to that truth.

As naive as Twilight was.

Disappointment weighed on her mind and settled in her core. She gazed at Ponyville, trying to spot Twilight's library.

She tried to force the nightmare aside, tried to strive for her fond memories of the times they shared together. Yet, 'We were never friends,' would not leave her mind.

And for it, her memories twisted against her: rather than the times they shared together as friends, her thoughts went to how Twilight cowered before her when she pressured the filly into becoming her student. The way Twilight sobbed, terrified of her, always on edge around her, never relaxing, never letting her guard down.

Twilight, expecting her to kill her.

And at one time? She would have.

She turned her head to the left, looking away from Ponyville.

'You didn't have to kill him.'

Twilight had been in shock. Overwhelmed. For how could the filly have not been? She had overreacted, lost control when sparring. And surely Twilight had never seen anypony, let alone a dragon, die before! Sister would have shielded her from it. And she could scarce forget, now that she was not in battle, that Twilight considered Spike, a baby dragon, her little brother.

And for that remembrance, she felt cold. 'You would have imagined me killing him, if you have not imagined it before.' For a few seconds, she stood there in silence. Breathed in, held the breath, released it.

'Once I eat you, I will rule Equestria as it was meant to be!'

Perhaps Twilight was correct. Perhaps she didn't have to kill the dragon. Perhaps she could have simply taught him a lesson, left him battered, having reminded him of his place, and used him as an example to every other dragon so that they would know not to cross her.

But it was a foolish fantasy, nothing more. Leaving him alive would only endanger her friend, her kingdom, and herself. And what better way to keep the dragons in line than to bring his corpse before them and throw him at their claws! 'Stay in line, or else.' And to have spared him? 'Would you be willing to risk the lives of those ponies and deer in the village by sparring him?'

She would not.

And yet, Twilight compared her to that monster. No matter how much she told herself, 'You do not think I am a monster. You said that,' she couldn't put to rest the unease that started pricking her chest, bringing her to squirm where she stood.

Perhaps she was wrong.

Perhaps Twilight's opinion on her had since soured. And the thought made her worry, for she was too fond of Twilight and the idea that Twilight would turn on her or end their friendship was agonizing.

Because Twilight was at the core of what she wanted. A friend, a confidant, and, perhaps, more.

'We were never friends.'

It was nothing but a dream. A nightmare. It still hurt to consider, still hurt to hear Twilight's voice saying that. Her head drooped and she found herself looking down at the courtyard. "I'm too fond of you."

Too fond.

And for it, she felt defeated.

Cadance knew how fond of Twilight she was as well as she did.

'If you'd give ponies a chance-'

'Stay in line or else. You sent the wrong message.'

The exact same message she had sent to Twilight when she had first met her, wasn't it? 'P-please don't kill me! P-please! I-I'm sorry!'

Her ears folded back.

'I am not as well versed with modern Equestria as you or my sister. Become my student and assist me, or Equestria will suffer.'

Her jaw tightened.

'I will say this only once, Twilight Sparkle. Betray me, and I will kill you.'

She felt regret.

'We were never friends.'

And Twilight still, somehow, gave her a chance. Twilight somehow found it in herself to be friends with her.

How? How was it possible? How could the filly possibly find it in herself to be friends with her, when she had threatened-nay, promised-to kill her should she betray her? She couldn't understand how it was possible that Twilight could have moved on from that, overcome her fear, and grow close enough to call her 'friend.'

Or did she?

The night was so cold and uncaring. Stripping away what little warmth her body still had, leaving her a cold husk. Perhaps cruel, even-just like she had been to Twilight when breaking her into becoming her student.

'I am deceiving myself.'

How could they have been friends? Twilight had more reason to hate her than anypony else! How was it possible that Twilight did not hate her? How was it possible that even if Twilight did not hate her, they were friends?

'I threatened you. You were terrified of me. I banished your mentor and took the throne of Equestria. You had no choice but to become my student because I gave you none. I threatened you into becoming my student.'

And what made it worse? 'I threatened a foal.'

She made the mistake of dwelling on the thought. Felt whatever resolve she had left after her thoughts betrayed her crumble.

Luna would have been sickened. And Nightmare Moon was.

'Our friendship is built on a threat.'

'I give you my word, Twilight, that I will not kill you. Or your friends.' But she had still first promised to kill her.

'We were never friends.'

And for it, she felt defeated and disappointed and lost. The one pony she could call 'Confidant' and 'Friend' and their relationship only existed because of a cruel threat towards a foal whose only crimes were being Sister's apprentice and trying to stop the pony who wanted to tear down all she knew.

How similar Twilight was to Luna.

Nightmare closed her eyes, lifted her head up and took in a deep breath. "One thousand years ago, none of this would have happened.

"One thousand years ago, I would have killed an innocent filly because she had the potential to be a threat.

"One thousand years ago, I was a monster. I would have destroyed Equestria out of anger if Sister hadn't stopped me.

"One thousand years ago..."

Yes, one thousand years ago she had been a monster. At the height of her anger, she would have done so many horrible things out of a thirst for vengeance. One thousand years ago she would have been even worse of a monster if Sister had not stopped her! And just a few months ago she had made so, so many mistakes.

And she wondered, 'Had I fulfilled my vengeance one thousand years ago, what would have happened?' Would she have been satisfied with killing Sister? She doubted it; she would be in much the same position as now: ponies would hate her and would undoubtedly try to kill her for her 'crime.' And then she would have torn Equestria apart, forgetting how much Luna put herself towards protecting Equestria.

Would she have ever realized what she was doing?

If she did, what would have happened?

Regardless, if Sister hadn't stopped her, she would not know Twilight, either because they would never come to the same situation, or because Twilight would not exist.

The thought was haunting.

Cadance had said, 'You're blinded by your hatred for her.' And she knew Cadance was right. She had not been thinking rationally after defeating her sister: killing a guard who was no threat to her and considering using Canterlot as a tool against Cadance was enough proof of that.

Twilight had seen her snap. Twilight knew what she was capable of. And she was deluding herself. Twilight did not truly have a choice in the matter of their friendship.

A grimace split her lips. She turned her head left, casting her gaze away from Twilight's tower, away from Ponyville. 'If I had not threatened you, you would not have become my student. You would not have become my friend.'

'Are we friends?' If their relationship was built on threats, it would not last and was hollow.

She was a fool. She was taking advantage of Twilight as her Sister took advantage of her.

She clenched her eyes shut, little that it did to stop the torment agonizing her heart and her mind.

'I should not have threatened you.' But that was in the past. There was no way to change it. She could make amends, but it would always be.

A heavy weight set in her heart, like a knot in her throat that choked her. A twist in her gut that left her squirming. She felt like a foal under the reproachful gaze of her mentor.

'I need to apologize for threatening you.'

She felt troubled and conflicted.

Because it lingered in her mind, 'We were never friends.'

Twilight awoke the next morning and found herself lazily staring up at the ceiling as the moonlight trickled into her room. For a while, she laid there in silence. And like the night before, her thoughts raced back to the dragon. Her brow folded down and her lips set in a frown.

'You have your reasons. You have your own way of looking at things,' she knew.

She had seen how Nightmare Moon looked at things, she knew how Nightmare Moon thought-at least some of the time. The true inner workings of Nightmare Moon's mind were likely beyond her comprehension, but the alicorn was rational and logical.

Unless you were on her bad side. Unless you made her angry.

'How different are you from Luna?' she wondered. 'And how similar are you to Luna?' She knew Nightmare Moon had changed: Nightmare Moon was not the monster she had fought when the alicorn returned. Her outward appearance was fierce, yet beneath it, she had seen the pony-and Nightmare Moon had changed in the past six months. She knew it. For all Nightmare's reason, for all her cold, calculated judgments, Nightmare Moon was still a pony. Just like her.

And Nightmare Moon wasn't perfect. Nightmare Moon made mistakes. A lot of mistakes. 'You don't ignore your mistakes. or at least you try not to. Maybe you don't see all of them, but you're smart. You know better than to let mistakes become bigger problems.' That Nightmare Moon had been swayed by her reason in Manehattan was evidence of that.

Twilight breathed in and sighed. She did not see Nightmare Moon the way everypony else did, and so she knew she was biased. She just needed to convince Nightmare Moon to give more ponies a chance, or maybe convince more ponies that Nightmare Moon wasn't a monster.

Probably both.

'Once I eat you, I will rule Equestria as it was meant to be!'

She pursed her lips. Considering that the dragon had said that, maybe it was a good thing Nightmare Moon killed him. But there still had to be an alternative where Nightmare Moon didn't have to kill the dragon and the dragon wouldn't cause more problems.

Inhaling deeply, she lit her horn and pushed the covers aside as she rolled over onto her side, then climbed out of bed. She stretched out on the floor and let out a content sight before standing back up. Momentarily glancing over at Spike's basket, she found her little brother still sound asleep.

She trotted down the stairs and stopped at the bottom step when she heard a door open from above. Looking back, she saw Midnight peeking her head out.

"Morning, Twilight!"

"Morning, Midnight," she said back to the batpony with a smile. Midnight smiled back happily. "I'm going to fix some breakfast-"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Midnight cut her off, ears folding down and brow creasing with suspicion.

Twilight puffed out her cheeks and jumped down the last step. "Cereal? Fruit?" she offered.

"Apples!" Midnight called, then arched her body before jumping out the door. Turning just as quick, Midnight jumped and glided down the stairs to land.

Twilight had to step aside to avoid being pounced on. "Playful this morning?"

Once she landed, Midnight smiled innocently and shrugged.

Twilight rolled her eyes in an exaggerated motion as she turned to step into the kitchen. With a quick glance around, she found the basket of apples and levitated two over, then turned around and went back to the library. She levitated an apple over to Midnight and took a bite from her own. Her guard eagerly took the apple and bit down on it, sinking her fangs into it and smiling in absolute delight.

Well, eating while standing around wasn't very productive, and knowing that, she walked towards the basement door and opened it with her magic.

"Last time you went down there you were late for dinner with the girls," Midnight cautioned.

Her face feeling warmer than it should, Twilight turned back to Midnight and defended, "I was just going to refresh myself on the topics I went over!"

Midnight's casually commented, "Mhm. Sure. Just refreshing yourself by rereading the entire book. Cover to cover."

"I don't have anything-"

"Meeting with Rarity about the Gala. Lunch picnic thing with Fluttershy. Watching Rainbow Dash practice," Midnight listed. "Although I suppose you could maybe study while watching her-" Midnight started nodding and turning her head to the side, "-but that kinda defeats the purpose of watching her..."

Twilight winced. "Okay. So I do have things to do tonight..." she trailed off. Midnight leaned against the doorway, looking down at her while munching on the apple. "I won't take that long," she offered, smiling.

Midnight nodded in agreement. And then said, "That's what you said last time."

"It was one-"

Rolling her head to the side, Midnight added, "Aaaand the time before that."

"Okay, so maybe-"

With a nod, Midnight added, "And the time before that."

Twilight huffed, not that Midnight cared. "Okay, I get it. I won't start rereading what Nightmare Moon wants me to study," she grumbled. Turning back to face the desk, she scowled. "I mean, it's not like it's important or anything."

Well. There would be time for studying later, of course. Besides, she had agreed to spend more time with her friends.

'Have I been too focused on my studies this whole time?' she wondered. If Nightmare Moon was willing to give her slack, then it stood to reason Princess Celestia would have done the same. If not more. An edge of doubt wormed through her mind, making her grimace. Still, if she hadn't studied as hard as she had, she wouldn't be where she was tonight.

Her studies were important. So were her friends.

She hadn't had friends before. 'My own fault.'

Twilight inhaled and nodded. "Right, study later," she told herself, then closed the door to the basement.

She turned to the stairs leading to the loft, then paused. "Do you-" she started, turning back to look at Midnight, "-know why Nightmare Moon doesn't..." she trailed off. "Why does Nightmare Moon think that..." she trailed off and grimaced. What was the best way to put it? "Why does she want me to spar with her? We were sparing last night and, well, I almost beat her."

Midnight perked right up, eyes widening and wings bristling at her sides. "You almost won?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly as the batpony nearly pranced over to her side. "I... caught her off-guard, I guess. I teleported a lot so I decided I'd try to teleport behind her to catch her off-guard. I did. She turned around and I had my horn against her neck."

Midnight gawked at her. "What happened?"

Twilight winced and turned away. "I, well, in her words, hesitated. So she ended up throwing me on the ground on my back, and then jumping on top of me. And that pretty much ended our sparring."

Midnight giggled.

Shaking her head, Twilight continued, "She thinks I can beat her. I know she's convinced that I can, and I don't understand it. She's an alicorn, and I'm..." she trailed off and bit her lip, remembering, 'You cannot fall back on the excuse that you are a foal.' She sighed and shook her head. "The rest of the girls think it's..." she paused and grimaced again, leaning her head to the side. "Suspicious that she wants to spar with me. Considering that we tried to stop her." She shook her head. "And Nightmare seemed to be disappointed that I didn't follow through and try to stun her. Or something."

"She trusts you completely," Midnight said.

Twilight smiled a little. "Yeah... I know, but it's still... It's odd."

"She likes you," Midnight said.

And what was she supposed to say to that? Of course she knew Nightmare Moon liked her! They were friends.

Midnight's smile drifted away, and the batpony looked off to her right. "I don't think she's been as close to anypony as she's been with you since her sister."

Twilight felt her own smile slip away. She breathed in, then exhaled. 'I might be the only friend Nightmare Moon has ever had, other than Princess Celestia.'

She knew how that other friendship ended.

"Were batponies ever friends with Princess Luna?" she asked.

Midnight looked back at her. "It's... complicated," was the drawn-out answer. "Yes and no. There were some who were closer to Princess Luna than others, but none of us have ever been as close to her as you. We're her soldiers. You're not, and that means a lot to her." Midnight bowed her head once. "Like I said, she likes you and trusts you completely. You're a confidant to her, and she's not had one of those since well before her falling out with her sister."

Twilight grimaced and nodded, looking down at the floor.

"You're good for her," Midnight added thoughtfully.

Twilight looked up at Midnight and half-smiled. "You still didn't really answer my question."

Midnight smiled. "Mhm."

Twilight leaned her head to the right. "So, why does she want me to be able to beat her?"

Midnight shrugged. "I dunno. Ask her."

Twilight closed her eyes and groaned. 'Yes, that would be the simplest thing to do.' Opening her eyes and inhaling, she nodded. 'You know, don't you? Or at the very least you have some idea.' It looked like there might have been some mischiveous hint in Midnight's eyes, but she suspected it would be better to just talk to Nightmare Moon. "Okay. I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay," Midnight said dismissively. "And Twilight? You're special to her."

Licking her lips, she turned her head away from Midnight, lowering her head. 'You care about me. I mean a lot to you.' "Yeah..." she quietly agreed. After a few seconds of procrastination, she lifted her head back up and turned to face the stairs. She walked over to the first step, then stopped. She breathed in deep and turned back to hace Midnight. "I saw her kill a dragon last night."

Midnight's carefree expression dimmed. "Is that why you were... distracted after you got back last night?"

Twilight nodded and lowered her head, lowering her eyes to the floor. "Sorry, I shouldn't have ignored you and Spike like that but-"

"It's okay," Midnight said softly.

After a few seconds, Twilight lifted her head back up and looked at Midnight. She didn't even know what to say now.

"Are you okay?" Midnight asked first.

Twilight turned her head to the right and studied the grooves in the floor for a few seconds, considering everything, then turned back to Midnight. "I guess. I just... she didn't have to kill him."

"What happened?" Midnight asked.

Twilight opened her mouth but hesitated for a few seconds. Her lips closed, then she finally managed to say, "We were sparring and she got a scroll that said a dragon had ate-" she winced and bit her lip, "-a batpony."

Midnight's ears flicked, and her brow twitched, while her lips pulled down. "Oh..."

Shaking her head, Twilight said, "I don't know who, but..." She swallowed and licked her lips. "We went to confront the dragon. Maybe I should have had her teleport me back to Ponyville instead. I halfway think that would have been better, and she even offered, but I decided it was a good idea to go for whatever reason. She did want me to come with her, I think." Midnight didn't say anything, so she nodded and continued, "She gave the dragon a chance to leave. He didn't, and he did say he was going to eat her and then rule Equestria, but still... she didn't have to kill him."

Midnight shifted her weight, then trotted over to her and hugged her. She leaned into the hug but didn't return it.

Ignoring the unease that had settled in her core, ignoring the anxiety prickling her mind, she lifted her forehoof to knock on her niece's door, only to find herself hesitating. 'It's Cadance who you are about to speak with,' haunted her mind. She knew Niece could help her, and yet it still plagued her mind, that she would discuss such a thing with somepony disloyal to her.

But fie the hesitation! Fie the uncertainty! She needed to speak of it, and as agonizing as it was to admit, Cadance could likely help. And for Twilight, it was worth it. She swallowed her pride and knocked on the door; it would not do for the guards to see her hesitating.

A moment later, it opened with Cadance's magic. "Nightmare Moon?" was her niece's surprised question.

She nodded once, then moved to step inside, only to stop herself. "May I... talk to you in private?"

Cadance nodded and quickly stepped aside. Nightmare took the invitation and walked inside. For a moment, she glanced around, avoiding Cadance's gaze until Niece walked around in front of her. "What's on your mind?" Cadance asked.

And Nightmare felt the dread grow all the worse. 'Perhaps this is a mistake,' she absently considered. She did not need to discuss such a thing, she could ignore how it haunted her and how she regretted it. Or perhaps the better idea was to skip visiting Cadance and instead go straight to Twilight. "I..." she trailed off. Oh, how insane this was! She held back a growl and ended up sighing in defeat. "It regards Twilight."

And just like that, Cadance was all ears, perked right up with a bright smile and glint of something in her eyes. It dimmed a moment later as Cadance seemed to realize something was wrong. But if Cadance did realize, she patiently waited on her.

Maybe Cadance was the wrong pony to talk to. She wasn't sure she could trust her niece. But then, if not Cadance, who? As hard as it was to admit, Cadance was the best pony to talk to, and perhaps the only pony she could talk to. There was nopony else who, despite Cadance's disloyalty, she could trust, let alone anypony who could give her advice on such a matter.

"I would ask that this stay between us," Nightmare mumbled.

Cadance nodded. "Of course."

A few seconds passed where Nightmare couldn't get herself to speak. Finally, she forced herself to inhale deeply, then she let out a sigh. "I should not have threatened Twilight into becoming my student." She turned her head to the left, avoiding Cadance's curious gaze. "I have mistreated her for having threatened her." She turned back to meet Cadance's gaze but found neither judgment nor condemnation, only patience. "I promised I would not kill her even if she betrayed me, nor would I kill her friends, but I still promised to kill her if she betrayed me."

And again she turned away from Cadance as a grimace wormed its way onto her lips. "I never apologized to her for that." A certain dread set in her chest, making her throat tighten as she considered what she said next, "I care about her and I regret threatening her." For a few seconds, she waited, expecting to hear Cadance reply with some damned condemnation, but instead, Cadance stayed silent, so she turned back to her Niece.

She found herself shaking her head as the feeling of defeat and disappointment washed over her. "Since I awoke this morning I have not been able to escape the thought that we are only friends because I threatened her, Cadance." She paused to search her niece's eyes, for there had to be condemnation in them! How could Cadance not condemn her for having threatened a foal?

And yet she could not comprehend how there was no condemnation nor anger in her niece's eyes, only a soft compassion that she couldn't understand.

"I thought she was a threat to me and I treated her as such. I forced her into being my student. I did not give her a choice," she said. "She did not choose to become my student. I was cruel to her. How can we then be friends? How can it be anything more than meaningless? It is built on nothing more than threats."

Cadance frowned. "Twilight's a good pony."

Nightmare found her gaze flicking to the floor. 'Would you maybe want to be friends?' 'We were never friends.' "She is..." she whispered.

It was pointless sentimentalism; why did she dwell on it? Twilight meant so much to her; it was the same reason why she wanted Twilight as her friend and confidant.

"She cares about you. You are friends. It's not built on threats, Nightmare. You threatened her but she's forgiven you," Cadance murmured.

She looked back up at Cadance and found a soft smile across her Niece's lips. "Why?" she asked, then shook her head. "Out of everypony, she should hate me the most. She should not have forgiven me for what I have done."

"Why do you think that?" Cadance asked softly.

And that question pained her. She turned her head to the right, looking away from her niece. "I threatened a foal, Cadance. I should not have done that. That is not right." She reluctantly looked back at Cadance, shaking her head. "I imprisoned her mentor and forced her to be my student. I have lost control around her and... for the longest time, terrified her. She did not choose to be my student, and if that is the reason why we are friends how can it mean anything?" Cadance's frown returned, but her Niece said nothing. "If we are only friends because I have threatened her then we are not friends and our relationship is as pointless as the feigned respect the Royal Guards show me."

Cadance frowned. After a few seconds, the frown faded, and her Niece posed, "Why are you talking to me, instead of her?"

For a few seconds, she had no answer. Her head drifted to the right again. "I should talk to her. I just... I do not know."

"You should," Cadance agreed. "But you're afraid to." She turned back to face Cadance. Her Niece's soft expression held no hints of any deception, only genuine care that she couldn't understand. "You're worrying too much."

'We were never friends.'

'I'm too fond of you.'

She sighed and nodded. "Perhaps I am."

"You care about her," Cadance pointed out. "It's only natural that we worry about the ponies closest to us."

'Yes, you are correct.' Did she dare admit to Cadance what ate at her mind? She swallowed and licked her lips, then admitted, "I am afraid that our friendship is only a lie, that I'm lying to myself about it, and that... that she will not want to be my friend, or that she is not my friend." But she dared not admit, 'I had a nightmare where she said we were never friends.'

Cadance tilted her head and smiled softly. "It's not, Nightmare." Cadance approached her, stopped in front of her, and set her right forehoof on her shoulder.

Nightmare turned her head to regard Cadance's hoof on her shoulder. She recognized it as one soldiers had given to each other, one meant to comfort or reassure. She turned back to face Cadance.

Cadance looked at her softly. Her niece finally bowed her head and murmured, "Go talk to her."

"We..." she trailed off, not knowing the best way to put it. "Last night we had a... disagreement." Cadance pulled her hoof back, set it down, and watched her. She looked off to the side. "A dragon had-"

"Just go talk to her," Cadance murmured. She turned back to meet Cadance's soft gaze. "You're close. Talk to her. Be open with her. She's a good pony and yes, she cares about you. You may have had a fight, but you can still apologize to her. Or each other."

'An apology can not fix everything Cadance.' She opened her mouth, only to find that there was nothing for her to say. Her mouth gradually closed as she bowed her head. "I suppose you are right, Cadance. It would be better to address this than to procrastinate on it and leave it to distract me." She lifted her head and reluctantly nodded. "Very well. Thank you."

Cadance offered a warmer smile. "You're welcome."

She only grimaced more as dread welled up inside her and pressed down on her mind. 'If we are not friends, I will be alone again.' But this time, it would be Twilight's choice. And perhaps that was the choice Twilight would make. Perhaps that was her own destiny, then. Eternal isolation and loneliness, betrayed by her sister, shunned by her ponies, abandoned by those she would call friend.

Forever damned.

She had to hope that she wasn't lying to herself, that Twilight had forgiven her and that they were somehow friends. Because if they weren't friends, then she was deluding herself and their bond was nothing more than a lie. She inhaled deeply, then forced the air back out of her lungs. If Twilight did not want it, then trying to force her to remain was a mistake. If Twilight did not want it, then trying to force it to work was wrong. Forcing that relationship would only make Twilight hate her and turn their relationship into nothing more than a bitter, treacherous poison.

And it would be meaningless, just like everything else since her return.

Because she would be alone.

And Twilight wouldn't ascend.

And she would have no victory over her sister.

And she would have no joy.

No freedom, nor peace of mind.

Her dreams would never come to fruition.

And again, she would have been betrayed by the pony closest to her-or perhaps the betrayal was her own.

Perhaps taking their friendship for granted was taking advantage of Twilight. Like Sister had taken advantage of her.

And she knew how much that hurt.

But there would be no threats.

When Twilight stepped back out of the bathroom, the feeling of the cool night air stealing away the lingering warmth of her hot shower brought her to frown in discomfort. Glancing around the room, she found Spike's basket empty and his bed made. She held back a sigh. 'I miss the sun's warmth.'

Without day, the night just wasn't as special. She wondered if that said something about Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna.

Shaking her head, she turned to leave and stepped out of her room. Down in the library below, rather than Spike and Midnight, she instead found her teacher patiently waiting. "Twilight," Nightmare greeted with a subtle bow of her head.

'Are you here because of last night?' "Nightmare Moon," she greeted in return as she made her way down the stairs.

Nightmare shifted her weight on her hooves and looked at the books on the shelves rather than her. "May we speak?"

She frowned. 'So it is, then.' "Yes."

Nightmare grimaced and finally looked back at her, then breathed in deep and audibly exhaled. "I... do not know where to begin," Nightmare mumbled, turning her head away from her again.

She frowned, noticing a tightness in Nightmare's cheeks. 'Well this is going to suck,' she decided. She breathed in to brace herself for the coming conversation, then let it out. "Alright, look-" Nightmare gradually turned back to face her, "-I still disagree with killing the dragon but... I guess I shouldn't have compared you to him. I'm sorry. He did say he wanted to eat you and then rule Equestria, and I guess given the context that can be taken to mean he wants to eat more ponies too."

Nightmare opened her mouth, only for her to hesitate before closing it and reluctantly bowing her head again. "I would expect as much," her teacher finally said, "though I suppose it is just as likely that he would have terrorized ponies and deer for fun." The alicorn shook her head vigorously. "He did not accept my offer for him to leave, and I am unwilling to let him live because I am unwilling to risk the lives of those hundreds of ponies and deer in the village."

She grimaced and gradually turned her head away. "Yeah... I guess... I guess that's true. I still don't know if killing him was the right thing to do but I at least understand why."

Nightmare nodded, only to stop and grimace, then wince and bow her head. "I... suppose I should apologize as well. I should... not have snapped at you. I... I should not have brought you with me." Nightmare grimaced worse, turning her head to the left to avoid her gaze, as if afraid of what she might see.

"It's okay. I was the one who thought it was a good idea to go with you," she replied.

Nightmare lifted her head and turned to face her, opening her mouth to speak. Instead, Nightmare's tongue came to rest against her teeth, then after a few seconds, Nightmare bowed her head. "I do... still think you are naive, Twilight, but..." Nightmare trailed off and lifted her head again. "I do not wish to argue with you. You are young and Sister taught you." Her teacher turned her head to the right, still meeting her gaze. "I will not hold it against you."

She smiled awkwardly and shifted her weight. "Thank you."

Nightmare breathed in, then exhaled as she straightened her head. "There is something else I wish to discuss with you. Which... is the main reason I am here."

Shw frowned and turned back to face her teacher. "Which is..?"

Nightmare lifted her head up and bobbed it. After a few seconds, Nightmare lowered her head and looked right, then left, a disgruntled, strained line on her lips. Eventually, Nightmare settled on looking at her, but she saw the alicorn's wings twitching. Nightmare breathed in and opened her mouth, only to stop and press her tongue against her teeth again. A few seconds passed; she saw some unknowable conflict pass through her teacher's eyes, and then her teacher's wings drooped. "Are we friends?" was Nightmare's question.

She frowned and squinted at the alicorn. "Of course we're friends... why do you think we're not?"

Nightmare breathed in and turned her head to the left, her lips setting in a firm line. "I threatened you."

"You did... I forgave you for that a long time ago," Twilight replied.

Nightmare turned back to meet her gaze. She caught a flicker of uncertainty and pain in Nightmare's eyes. "I never apologized. Why did you forgive me?"

She sighed. "Holding a grudge against you doesn't do anything for me. And I know you're not perfect, but you're trying, and you care about me a lot. I know I mean a lot to you."

And for just a single second, Twilight thought she saw Nightmare flinch as if pained, and then she thought she saw guilt or regret, and then it was gone. "Why?" Nightmare asked. "How can you just forgive me? Out of everypony, no one should hate me more than you. I banished your mentor. I threatened you, nay, I promised to kill you if you betrayed me. I promised to kill a foal. And if I had not threatened you, you would not be my student. If I had not threatened you, we would not be friends. Our friendship is based on nothing more than my having threatened you. Why would you forgive me?"

'You're hurting.' Was it really hurting her that much? So long ago she never could have imagined Nightmare Moon standing before her looking so troubled. "Because ponies make mistakes. Nopony's perfect. We're friends and-"

Nightmare shook her head vigorously "Why are we friends? How can we be friends? Nopony has ever wanted to be my friend. You have no reason to be my friend." Nightmare swallowed. "I do not understand. I am afraid that we are not friends."

"Why?" Nightmare asked again.

What was she supposed to answer to this? How was she supposed to answer? Turning back to face the alicorn, she asked, "Why?"

Nightmare lifted her head higher. "Why?" Nightmare echoed, but her teacher didn't understand it.

"Why do you think we're not friends?" Twilight specified.

Whatever resolve Nightmare had waivered. For a split second, she knew Nightmare Moon felt guilt. She saw it in the alicorn's eyes. Nightmare gradually inhaled, then her chest deflated as she exhaled. "I threatened a foal, Twilight." And the alicorn's muzzle scrunched up in disgust as her resolve returned, shattering that guilt to replace it with anger. Nightmare jerked her head to the left, agitatedly looking everywhere else but at her. "I wanted to torture my Sister when I returned. I considered destroying Canterlot in order to defeat Cadance if she was a threat like I thought she was. I almost..." and the alicorn's anger wilted as she caught herself. For a moment, Nightmare only breathed in and exhaled. "I almost killed you, Twilight. I almost killed a foal. I promised that I would if you betrayed me, and if you had, I would have killed you. I was cruel to you." And Nightmare smiled a twisted, sarcastic smile filled with anger and hatred. Twilight did not step back, nor frown. "And a thousand years ago I would have done things a thousand times worse." And then that smile shattered. Nightmare turned back to face her.

Regret and pain plagued the Queen's features.

"You are a good pony, Twilight. Luna was a good pony, Twilight."

And it went unsaid that Nightmare Moon was not.

Nightmare Moon shook her head and turned away from her again. "I know I should not have done that. I was not thinking straight but that is no excuse. I am sorry that I promised to kill you. I am sorry that I did not apologize before now."

Nightmare turned back to face her. "Please forgive me."

'You're hurting...'

Nightmare looked away from her again. "I do not want to think that you hold that against me, and I fear that even if you do not, we are only friends because I threatened you." Nightmare swallowed again, then licked her lips. "Do you... truly wish to be my friend and student?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course I do! Yes, you threatened me but that's in the past. I forgive you. It's okay."

It only seemed to agitate her teacher, who turned her head away from her again. "You have five very special friends and that we are friends causes strife in your friendship with them. I do not want to hurt you by forcing you to choose me over them. And I do not want you to feel that you have no choice." Nightmare faced her again. "Sister taught you for half of your life. That you are not so poisoned as to spit in my face and turn from me..." the alicorn trailed off, shaking her head. "I do not understand. Why would you desire my friendship?"

For a time, silence passed between them. She wasn't sure how long it lasted, but Nightmare stood there patiently. And Twilight stood there, watching her. Watching Nightmare search her features, almost pleadingly.

Twilight inhaled, then calmly exhaled. "What would you do if I said we weren't friends, or that I didn't want to be your friend or student?"

Fear. Just like she had seen Nightmare Moon look at her after the nightmare with Discord. Nightmare Moon was afraid. And pained. Her teacher's jaw clenched shut, and she saw the alicorns' chest deflate. And then Nightmare steeled herself against it, as if putting up a wall between them so that she would not be hurt again. "I would have no choice but to accept your decision." The alicorn slowly shook her head. "I cannot force this. I cannot control your decisions or your life in such a way. It is not right and I would only be hurting you and poisoning whatever remained between us-or whatever there had been between us. Forcing it would ruin whatever meaning it could have."

And Twilight knew Nightmare Moon had more to say: she caught the alicorn biting her lip to stop herself from continuing.

She shook her head. "But you're not forcing me to be your friend. I want to be your friend. I want to learn from you."

And Nightmare's expression again twisted: relief and guilt and uncertainty and pain. "Why?" Nightmare pleaded. "You compared me to the dragon after I killed him, who I would consider a monster. You disagree with many of my actions. Do you consider me a monster?" Nightmare asked.

She shook her head, breathed in, then exhaled. "No. You're not a monster." She hesitated a moment before nodding. "But you're not a good pony either." Nightmare's lips twitched, but nothing more. "Good ponies can do bad things, and bad ponies can do good things." Nightmare turned away from her. "You're right that we were only friends now because you threatened me into becoming your student. If you hadn't, then I'd probably be busy trying to figure out how to rescue Princess Celestia."

Nightmare scowled, then grimaced, and finally winced, but kept silent.

'Or locked in a dungeon somewhere. If I was still alive.'

For a time, Twilight was quiet, considering what to say. "But you did threaten me, and I forgive you for it." Nightmare turned back to look at her. And in Nightmare's expression, she saw a lack of understanding and comprehension. For all Nightmare's knowledge and experience, somehow, that was something the alicorn didn't understand. Nodding, Twilight continued, "Friends aren't perfect. We're all ponies, Nightmare Moon. You've done really bad things. Princess Celestia has done things I don't understand.

"So no, you're not a good pony, but you're not a monster either. You have your own way of looking at things and your own way of thinking. But you're smart, and while it might be hard for you, you can recognize when you've made a mistake, and you have tried to fix some of those mistakes. Not all of them, but some of them. If you were a monster, you wouldn't admit to making mistakes. If you were a monster, you wouldn't regret your actions. If you were a monster, you wouldn't apologize for anything, let alone for promising to kill me if I betrayed you. If you were a monster, you wouldn't care what I think of you; a monster wouldn't care what anypony thought. You'd just do whatever you wanted, not caring about the consequences."

She paused for a moment, then nodded again. "But you do. You're not indiscriminately killing ponies for rioting or for vandalism. Maybe that's only because you don't want Equestria to fall apart, maybe it's only because you don't want to have to deal with the problems that would cause, and maybe it's only because it's not in your best interests, but you're not doing it. You care about me, and that we're friends. You worry that we're not friends."

"A monster wouldn't."

Twilight paused, licked her lips, and studied Nightmare's expression. There was definitely something there in Nightmare's eyes; the alicorn looked at her intently. No threats, no malice, and yet intent and focused: holding onto what she said. Listening to it and taking it in-even if it was hard.

But there was still a refusal to accept it.

Bowing her head, she continued, "For a while, I considered being your friend so that I could feel safer. I figured it would give you less reason to hurt me. And that's the wrong reason, although considering what you did to your Sister, it probably wouldn't help." She looked back up and met Nightmare's gaze. "But no. I'm not your friend because I feel safer for it. I'm your friend because I want to be your friend. I care about you too, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare's brow folded down, and Twilight saw the alicorn's inability to grasp it, summarized in a single question, "Why?"

She had to force back a groan, but her jaw still clenched for a moment. 'Why don't you understand?' "Because, in your own way, you're trying," Twilight answered. "Because you're hurting and just abandoning you-" she shook her head vigorously at the thought, "-just giving up on you, isn't the right thing to do. You don't have any other friends."

And Nightmare's brow only creased more. Then Nightmare turned away from her, a scowl seizing her lips. "So you would be my friend out of pity," came out bitterly.

'You're trying to push me away, aren't you? You're trying to push me away to protect yourself.' Twilight clenched her jaw, a little anger sparking in her mind. How was it that sompony as old as Nightmare Moon couldn't see that they were friends? Not having had friends was no excuse, and now Nightmare Moon only insulted and hurt her more. "No," Twilight forced out.

Nightmare turned back to face her.

"We can talk openly, right?" she asked.

Nightmare watched her for a few seconds before reluctantly nodded.

"Don't push me away just because you selfishly want to feel better about threatening me."

For a long time, Nightmare just stared at her. Her teacher's stare was eventually broken by an inhale and a blink, then Nightmare gradually bowed her head, backing down.

"I want to be your friend. I care about you," she stated, then bowed her head and looked up at Nightmare, emphasizing, "Let me be your friend." She paused as her stare turned into a glare. "And don't push me away, because that hurts," she emphasized. "I'm your friend because I enjoy your company, despite what you might think. I enjoy when we watch the stars together, and I enjoy talking to you. I enjoyed when we flew together and then laid together on that cloud, watching the stars. If you really regret threatening me, if you actually care, then don't push me away. Let me be your friend. And accept that we are friends."

Nightmare turned her head to the left, avoiding her gaze. Several seconds passed, and Nightmare's head gradually drifted lower. She saw her teacher swallow, saw a bit of a tremble in her chest that she couldn't place: it wasn't anger. And to her surprise, she watched Nightmare Moon's ears drift back. Not all the way, but enough that it was visible. "Not of pity... not because I promised to kill you if you betrayed me..." Nightmare lifted her head back and faced her. "But because you care? Because you enjoy my company?"

Twilight nodded.

Nightmare closed her eyes and bowed her head, and for a moment, Twilight though the alicorn almost looked free. "Very well... I... I apologize for... for doubting you. And..." Nightmare's lips flicked for a moment. "And... I am sorry."

"I forgive you," Twilight said softly. "Everypony makes mistakes."

Nightmare closed her eyes and audibly exhaled in relief. Her teacher's ears gradually lifted back up, and when Nightmare opened her eyes, the alicorn looked so much lighter, so much freer. Almost happy, almost innocent.

A little more like Luna.

"I... thank you. I am-" Nightmare turned her head to the right, "-I am grateful for your friendship." The alicorn faced her again. "It means... a great deal to me. I... will endeavor not to... betray you or your trust, or... doubt our friendship."

And without saying anything else, Nightmare stepped over to her, leaned down, and hugged her. Sat down and pulled Twilight close to her body and held her there, almost forcefully, and a little tighter than her brother did. Twilight closed her eyes and lifted her right forehoof and wrapped it around Nightmare's neck, mirroring Nightmare's actions. But of course, she couldn't mirror how Nightmare enveloped her body with those majestic wings of hers, couldn't mirror how they made her feel safe and happy, bringing her to smile as she rested her head against Nightmare's neck. Nightmare nuzzled her neck, and she returned it. For several seconds, Nightmare continued nuzzling her, even after she stopped returning it. 'I mean a lot to you.' And when Nightmare finally stopped, the alicorn rested her head at an angle, just barely nosing into her mane.

And though she wished Nightmare's chestplate wasn't there to separate the two of them, it didn't feel so callous as before, warmed by their shared body heat. Nightmare's feathers traced down her sides, making her shiver and squirm, and in response, Nightmare's wings folded around her back again and held her close.

And for a time, they just sat there. Neither of them spoke, nor did either of them let go of the other. They embraced and shared the moment. Twilight listened to Nightmare's heart, felt it pulsing in her neck against her cheek and ear, felt the rise and fall of Nightmare's body as she breathed. Each time she inhaled, she caught Nightmare's scent: faintly of lavender, faintly of paper, and faintly of sweat, and other things she couldn't place. It almost reminded her of Princess Celestia, but it wasn't anywhere near as familiar, nor did it soothe and relax her as the Princess's scent did.

And as the hug lingered, she knew there was the chance that somepony would come by and see. Perhaps Spike would return, having forgotten something, or perhaps one of her friends or somepony else, but it didn't matter. If they saw, though they would be intruding upon the moment they shared, they wouldn't see Nightmare Moon as a monster, but a pony.

Just like her.

It felt too soon when Nightmare's grip tightened, then finally loosened, lifting her wings from Twilight's back. Twilight frowned and lifted her head back when Nightmare pulled back. The alicorn stood up and took a step back, looking down at her. She watched the way Nightmare's eyes nearly danced as they jumped from spot to spot. Then Nightmare glanced at her back before looking back at her wing. Extending her right wing, Nightmare looked back at her and stroked a single feather along her jaw before folding her wing again. It was enough to replace her frown with a smile. "If I," Nightmare started, a slight hesitation seeping into her voice, culminating in Nightmare closing her mouth and sighing. "If I hurt you again, tell me."

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. "See? You're not a monster. If you were, you wouldn't care what I think."

"I did not say that I think of myself as a monster, Twilight, I merely asked if you thought I were one," Nightmare countered. "I would argue that monsters do not view themselves as monsters either."

Twilight looked off to the wall at her left, considering the idea. "That's... probably right, I suppose," she admitted, then faced Nightmare Moon again. "Are you still planning to avoid the Gala?"

Nightmare inclined her head once. "I am, yes."

"It might be good for your public image if you showed up," Twilight offered.

Nightmare's lips parted, then closed. "I... suppose that is your advice, is it not?"

Twilight nodded.

Nightmare shook her head. "It would neither matter nor make a difference, Twilight. If I thought it would, then I would try. I will avoid the Gala, though I will be in Canterlot and I will keep an eye on things. You will visit me, will you not?"

"Of course!" Twilight chirped.

Nightmare's smile returned. "I look forward to it."

"I don't suppose I could convince you to stay for a while?"

Nightmare smiled. "You do not need to convince me to spend time with you," was the alicorn's murmur.

She didn't even try to stop herself from smiling. She still raised an eyebrow and asked, "Even though there are about a hundred other things you could be doing?"

Nightmare winced and shifted her weight, nodding in agreement as she inhaled. "Let us say... I enjoy spending time with you. Your company is far preferable to... dealing with other such matters."

Twilight giggled softly.

Nightmare grimaced. "And... I suppose I should tell you that I am recalling Midnight to Hollow Shades." She frowned and opened her mouth but Nightmare continued, "I do not want you to feel that she is intruding on your life or that she is keeping an eye on you. I trust you, and... perhaps you do not need a guard to keep you safe here in Ponyville."

She closed her mouth and settled on thinking about it for a while. "She's my friend, you know. My friends' friend."

Nightmare gradually nodded. "You will all see her again. And she has not left yet. You will be able to say goodbye."

She nodded slowly. They stood in silence for a few seconds before she asked, "What brought this on? Thinking that we weren't friends. Was it... was it really... what I said?"

Nightmare grimaced and turned away from her. "No..." her teacher mumbled. "I... had a nightmare," the alicorn eventually admitted, then faced her again. "You said that-"

'-we were never friends.'

Author's Note

(Edited comments from the original iteration of the Author's notes, undated when I originally wrote these Author's notes.)

Nine attempts. Nine long, hard attempts. That's how long it took ~~us to get Harvest back~~ to write this chapter. ~~I know it's an exaggeration to say, but it feels just as hard as taking Harvest back. ...and in the end it feels just as pointless as taking Harvest back.~~

Augh. This chapter was a pain in the butt to write. It was originally taking place after the next two chapters. Which is the first part of the problem, in that I wrote if after the next two chapters and later moved it back here.

Which, you guessed it, caused continuity problems.

And then it always ended up being a terrible chapter anyway. And I didn't want to reread or work on it because months back after writing it and editing it so much I really started to dislike this chapter in general.

The general idea behind this chapter was, "Nightmare needs to drop the threat with Twilight formally/officially, so that their friendship can be more natural and they can be entirely open with each other" in part because I really dislike the idea of there even being a semblance for reasons you may be able to guess.

When I wrote this chapter I tried to include a reference to Lullaby for a Princess. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite make it work.

Re-rewrite attempt #1 finished 4/22/20 (There have been so many attempts at this chapter it hurts and frustrates me.)

Finished an editing sweep on 4/27/20

Reviewed on 5/2/20.

With what I know from writing beyond this chapter, I sort of think this chapter is unnecessary. I'm also not entirely pleased with it but I also feel like going ahead and publishing it anyway.

Reviewed/edited/rewritten on 5/16/20.

I have coffee. I love the story once more! Huzzah!

So I suppose I'll drop a teeny tiny bit of my plans here. So one of the things I've considered for months as to how to develop Nightmare Moon and Twilight's relationship (among other things) is I've wanted to have both of them have vulnerable moments with each other. Twilight's Discord freak out being the first, this being the second (though it wasn't originally planned; originally Nightmare was going to have her flanked handed to her on a silver platter in a battle with--mmm, spoilers--and then, having been knocked down several pegs, just sort of have a quiet moment for both of them where Nightmare Moon is injured pretty badly, and Twilight elects to stay with her instead of go off with her friends.)

So yes, I am now once again somewhat happy with this chapter/story. Coffee is the secret ingredient apparently; coffee keeps me going apparently.

5/18/20

Fixed a glitch where Cadance hugged Nightmare Moon--wait this is a story not a game. My bad.
At one point, I had something in the ~~patch notes~~ Author's Notes, and rereading it, I can't find it in this iteration, so it must be in another iteration! And I forgot to copy it over.

But! I remember what it was:
You heard it here first, folks!

As hard as it was to admit, Cadance was the best pony

Related to this, one of my friends has in the recent past, brought up several points about Cadance. She gets the short end of the stick, as it were. She's underrated. She's not a pushover like some people might/seem to think. As an example, Cadance and Shining Armor beat an army together where Celestia got oofed, Cadance powered the shield over the Crystal Empire that kept King Sombrero out, Cadance has some interest in magic, as per "Three's a Crowd" (I hope I have the ~~chap~~ episode title right), and Twilight asked her if the spell looked right in whichever episode it was where her daughter broke the Crystal Heart. Also, who shielded them when Tempest attacked? Spoiler alert, it wasn't Tia or Luna--it was Cadance. While the other two just kinda stood there. Doing nothing.

Like normal.

Also, Cadance has a foal. An alicorn foal. And her mane was only slightly ruffled from it. Dunno about you, but I tend to think it's problematic to give birth to a unicorn/alicorn because of the horn. Ah, this reminds me of a long time ago I had an idea for a story that was going to include, as a plot point, Rainbow Dash giving birth to an alicorn* and the horn caused nearly-fatal problems. Though it's possibly unlikely I'll ever write this (see alicorn*) I may yet write it in the future at some unspecified point.

Giving birth to an alicorn--how am I supposed to write this? I ask since I have the whole issue of, "Alright, I'm gonna write this scene! ...and the story's rated T... how do I write this scene in such a way that I don't have to bump the rating up to M while still including it since it's important?" I, of course, had planned to ask mods for some things to keep in mind while writing it, when/if I got around to it.

Right, rant over I guess. Time to work on writing Twilight teaching Nightmare Moon the magic of having a secretary, something else I forgot, and plotting for the story's inevitable ~~demise~~ conclusion.

Coffee's great. Did I mention I like coffee? I like coffee. I've had coffee today. Can you tell?

5/28/20

Finally published! Huzzah! The Hiatus has been slain! ...for now. I have successfully written a new chapter as well, along with starting another chapter--yesterday. Today I have been distracted.

Please comment below, and remember to like and ~~subscribe~~ track for more!

Grand Galloping Gala Part 1

Deep inside her chest, Twilight felt a jittery, bubbling energy: anxiety, mixed with nervousness and anticipation. Her dress did little to contain the energy as she paced back and forth. 'Tonight's the night! The Grand Galloping Gala!' It wouldn't be the first one she had attended, of course. Given that she had been Princess Celestia's personal student, protege, really, she had attended several. None of them made her half as excited as this one, and the reason was simple.

Before, she didn't have friends, and now she did. A simple reason that simply drove her mad with giddiness. She smiled and her pacing quickened. She had friends to accompany her! She wouldn't have to deal with 'nobles' trying to use her for their own gain! Cadance would be there! And her friends would be there!

She bounced a little with her pacing, and with that, Spike coughed. She stopped and looked back at him. "Twilight, you're prancing," he said.

She felt her cheeks heat up as she turned to face him. "N-no... I'm not..." she defended, her voice coming out higher-pitched than normal. 'Okay maybe I'm excited, but I'm not prancing!' Prancing would be silly. Although yes, she had plenty of reason to prance about it. She had friends to come with her! Why were all of her friends and everypony walking past them staring at her?

"Uh, Twilight?" Rainbow's voice cracked unsurely. She looked at the pegasus and found Rainbow squinting at her unsurely. "You're definitely prancing," was flatly added.

"I'm not prancing!" Twilight retorted. She sucked in a deep breath and stood up straight and rigid. Matter of factly, she stated, "I'm just excited."

Yes, it was exciting. She was going to the Gala and she was going to be with her friends and she was going to do something that she was probably going to regret!

'This is going to be interesting,' slithered through her mind, making her wince and squirm. Suddenly her dress felt tight. She bit the edge of her lip and pinned it between her teeth, then looked back along her dress. Rarity had done well with it. It wasn't what she had first envisioned, of course, but, to summarize: Rarity was the designer. Rarity knew what to do, and in comparison, she certainly did not.

It took a bit of work to sort out that problem. She wasn't sure Rainbow was over the embarrassment yet.

Putting that out of mind, she smiled as she looked along her coat, then to the dress. It was reminiscent of a wizard robe, albeit neither archaic nor out of place for the gala. A sash of blue fabric draped around her back so that it came down to just above her hind hooves and covered her tail, accented with a teal patch in the middle of her back that hid the straps that kept the dress in place. The dress ran forward to her neck and then flared up and back slightly. It was held in place with a six-pointed silver star clasp in the front of her neck, just above her chest. It was rather simple, at her request, so that it wouldn't attract unwanted attention.

She was certain she could describe it better if she knew anything about fashion.

Completing the dress, she wore silver shoes on her hooves. A gift from Nightmare Moon, rather than from Rarity. She let her gaze drift down to the shoes and wander over the elegantly shaped silver. Her front hooves matched and her hind hooves matched, with the shoes on her forehooves thicker than the ones on her hind hooves. A silver moon adorned each boot, centered in the front, and they all shined with polished perfection.

'You really are grateful that we're friends.' She smiled fondly at the thought.

Spike wore a tuxedo that Rarity had skillfully weaved for him. Creating the suit for a baby dragon had been, according to Rarity, a fun challenge. Spike had been quite happy to assist Rarity with the matter. Rainbow wore a dress just as colorful as her, and to Twilight's infinite surprise, the dress was far more elegant and frilly than she had expected. Where she expected Rainbow's dress to be streamlined and aerodynamic, Rainbow's dress instead made the mare look much more feminine than normal: a large, rainbow-colored sash from the middle of her back, down to cover her hind legs and tail. She wasn't sure how to describe the leading edge of the dress, other than it reminded her of clouds. A golden laurel was draped over the mare's head that reminded her of broad fern leaves, and Rainbow wore golden shoes with matching golden straps that wound up her leg in an elegant dance. A pearl necklace hung from her neck, assembled to cover her chest in a way that reminded her of a cluster of grapes.

Applejack looked out of place with what she supposed was meant to be a dress. It had to have been a challenge, given Applejack's lack of appreciation for dresses, but Rarity had managed to come up with a compromise. Rather than a sash of cloth, Applejack's dress was more of a suit. Green pants on her hind legs that came up to meet a short sash of mahogany-colored cloth that served to hide the straps. Applejack's boots were more fitting for a rodeo, and, of course, the mare wore her stetson.

She turned her gaze onto Pinkie Pie, who bounced in place. There was simply no way for her to begin to describe Pinkie's dress, other than it looked sugary. It was simple like Applejack's, but more colorful in a way that reminded her of a decorated cupcake-like Sugarcube Corner.

She was very glad that dress wasn't the same one Pinkie had originally wanted.

Fluttershy's dress was simple, elegant, and beautiful. It looked natural and graceful, light and free. A softer shade of green than Applejack's dress, and it really made Fluttershy look beautiful. She felt calmer just for looking at the timid pegasus. Fluttershy still shied back, blushing ever so slightly under her gaze. She smiled and walked over to nuzzle Fluttershy on her exposed neck. After a few seconds, Fluttershy gradually stood back up, though her head was still drooped lower than normal. "You look nice," Twilight complimented with genuine warmth.

Fluttershy lowered her head more. "Um, thank you. You look nice too," Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight felt her smile widen. "Thank you." Fluttershy smiled back at her softly. "I hope we all enjoy tonight."

As to whether they would or not, she wasn't sure. Her friends' original expectations of the Gala had been more grandiose that her past experiences, so it fell to her to give them a reality check. Out of all of them, Rarity appreciated it the least.

'I need to talk to Nightmare Moon tonight. I need to stop procrastinating on telling her about the letter.' And at the thought, she felt her smile start to slip away.

How would Nightmare Moon react to her telling her about the letter, and how would Nightmare Moon react when she found out how long it had taken her to talk to her about it? 'This is really last minute. I should have told you sooner.'

There just hadn't been a good time. It was still her fault.

Nightmare Moon would understand, because she remembered, 'I apologize for doubting you. I am grateful for your friendship.'

"Y'all think Rarity's gonna be out anytime soon?" Applejack asked flatly.

"I hope so!" Rainbow groaned in her raspy voice. "She's been in there for-ever!"

Twilight could practically hear Rarity saying, 'You can't rush perfection!' She nibbled on her lip and looked up at the sky. The moon was halfway to its apex, still climbing. Given that it was always night, it had been decided the Gala should start earlier than normal.

That way they wouldn't have to deal with the moonless night.

Twilight just barely heard Fluttershy murmur, "You seem really tense."

She turned to face Fluttershy and nodded slowly. "Do I? I feel-" and Looking at Fluttershy, she felt the urge to dismiss her worry ajd lie fade away, "-okay yes, I feel a little nervous."

"You can always come with me when I'm in the Castle's gardens... if, um, you want to..." Fluttershy trailed off, bowing her head low as she shied back.

Twilight smiled softly and tilted her head. "Thank you, Fluttershy," she said softly. "I... might take you up on that offer."

There was a little twinkle in Fluttershy's eyes, and a small smile pulled at the mare's lips. Yes, Fluttershy's company was nice and would be nice tonight. Twilight smiled a little more as she turned back to watch the sky.

'Can I convince you to join my friends or myself tonight?' she wondered. Her teacher had softened since apologizing, yet Nightmare Moon was still resolute about not attending the Gala. 'I'll visit you regardless. You'll be glad to see me.'

'And we need to talk-'

The thought was cut off when the door to Rarity's boutique opened. She turned to the doorway and saw Rarity standing there, almost as regal as Princess Celestia had been. Her dress put the rest of her friends' dresses to shame, although she was certain that was because none of them besides Rarity had such high demands.

Rarity strode out, and with how the light from inside wrapped around her, it almost made her glow with a halo of light. She closed the door behind herself, then descended onto the dirt road with practiced steps, head held high and smiling. The sash of mauve colored fabric hung loosely around her back, descending down the length of her tail to hide it, but not far enough to drag on the ground. Bands of golden fabric and small gems accented the dress along the tail section, and a single band of golden fabric ran around her neck. Along with the dress, Rarity wore crystal shoes, amethyst earrings, and a golden headband set with an amethyst in front of her horn.

The headband reminded her far too much of Princess Celestia's tiara.

Rarity hummed in her usual, chipper manner as she opened her eyes to scrutinize all of them.

"Are you done yet?" Rainbow grumbled.

Rarity let out an indignant, "Hmpf!" and jerked her head to the side. "One cannot rush perfection, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow groaned.

Rarity smiled again. "But yes, I suppose I'm presentable now."

"Good, because I think I see the chariots," Rainbow muttered.

Twilight glanced at Rainbow and then looked towards the spot in the sky the pegasus looked at. She saw the two batpony-drawn chariots gradually descending towards the road. She still wasn't sure how she felt about their means of getting to Canterlot on time.

Specifically, last time that they had traveled by batpony chariot, they had been cramped. 'And we're wearing dresses now!' her mind cried out in concern. The difference was that now there were two chariots, so perhaps they would have enough room for all of them.

Although Rainbow wouldn't be flying to Canterlot in that dress. Rarity would not allow that to happen. The trip was just too long.

She watched the two chariots descend to the street, and as she glanced around, found that everypony else around, of course, stared as well. 'They don't often see this, do they?' Of course, they didn't. Ponyville was a small town.

She shook the thought aside as her friends meandered towards the chariots and climbed in under the watch of the batponies. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike joined her, while Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie Pie took the other chariot. Once everypony was settled down, the batponies looked at her.

'They're waiting for me to tell them to go,' occurred to her. Had Princess Celestia given her that kind of authority before? She wasn't certain. She hadn't been in situations like this before. A little more anxiety tickled her mind.

She nodded, and they were off.

Pairs of ponies and individual ponies walked through the gate to the castle grounds, watched on by a multitude of visible Royal Guards and batponies hiding in the shadows. All of the ponies quietly walked in with trepidation, yet their heads were still held high with arrogant pride. Every single one of them wore a suit or a dress that spoke of wealth of some kind or another and status.

Many broke away to linger in the castle's courtyards, while others left to walk through the gardens or to wander the castle's halls. Most went to the Ballroom. As per Cadance's request, the guard detail was relatively light. Though granted, it was not without reason. 'The fewer guards they see, the more likely they will be comfortable,' Nightmare Moon reasoned.

And likewise, such was the reason that her batponies kept watch from the shadows: so that ponies did not see them and grow fearful. Yet the batponies were still there, ready to act.

If it was necessary.

Nightmare let her eyes dance across the suits and dresses of the ponies walking onto the castle's grounds. From where she stood on her balcony, she would only be visible if ponies were looking for her and knew where to look. They didn't know she was watching them. They didn't feel it, or if they did, it didn't show.

And the night was quiet and still, even with all of the ponies gathering here. All of them paid her no mind nor respect, nor even curiosity. For they hated and despised her. They did not even know she watched on. Perhaps they thought she was not here, and perhaps that was the reason they gathered.

She would not partake in the event. Cadance would tend to it, and that would be that.

She lifted her right forehoof and draped it over the balcony's railing as she sat down on her haunches. She continued to observe ponies walk in through the gate. Dozens at first, and gradually, hundreds made their way into the castle grounds over the course of several minutes. 'How does this turnout compare to past Galas?' she wondered. Yet the answer had to be, 'It is far fewer than years past.'

A crowd of ponies gradually assembled around the tables placed in the courtyard, and under the moonlight, she watched as the ponies gradually relaxed and mingled, taking drinks and appetizers, talking and laughing together. At one time, Luna would have been joyous to see such a sight. Yet she wanted more. They had ponies to talk with, and on her balcony, she had none. She was alone with her night and her thoughts, and she knew a simple truth, that Luna's joy would have been naive, for the ponies gathered below would hate Luna just as they hated her. She longed for company.

Perhaps Cadance would stop by for a passing moment to talk with her, but then Cadance would leave.

Perhaps Captain Shining Armor would stop by for a passing moment to report to her, but then the captain would leave.

Neither of them would be welcome.

Her subjects would not come.

And she would be alone.

She inhaled and then let her chest relax, letting the air turn away from her, just like her Sister, just like her subjects.

A slight breeze tickled her feathers and fur, and the chill in the air left something to be desired. It did not embrace her like it once did. Had the air turned against her? Was it the night? Or was it something else?

Perhaps it was her. 'How much have I changed since my return? How much have I changed since I was banished? How much have I changed since before my banishment?' drifted through her mind, bringing her to frown. The simple answer was, 'A great deal.' She put it out of mind and it was replaced by the thought, 'I will never have what I truly want, but I can have the next best thing.'

Yet even that felt like it wasn't enough. There was no joy to be had in it. She would raise up Equestria into something more than Sister had, and yet even then, wouldn't it simply be vain? Ponies despised her.

'Don't push me away because you selfishly want to feel better about threatening me.'

She hadn't escaped the thought since.

A few seconds passed by as she watched the ponies in the courtyard, then she turned her gaze back to the line of ponies walking through the gate. So far, none of them had caused any trouble. No assassins. No threats. Nothing to disrupt the event. It was welcome.

'I am letting pointless sentimentalism sway me,' her mind snapped. That was a mistake. It made her hesitate and second guess her decisions. Hesitation was pointless! There was time for consideration, but hesitation would prevent action. Sister hesitated far too much, and Sister was weaker for it.

Twilight was weaker for her hesitation! Twilight ought to have been decisive!

And yet, Twilight had been decisive. Decisive and bold, 'Don't push me away because you selfishly want to feel better about threatening me.'

She pulled her forehoof away from the railing, stood up, and walked back into her bedchambers. Once she passed the doorway, she closed the door and shut herself away from the gala. She approached the end of her bed and walked around to the other side, then made her way into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. With a few more steps, she brought herself to stand in front of the vanity and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

The face that looked back at her was so familiar yet so unfamiliar at the same time. So different, so distinct from Luna's face when she had looked into mirrors before her banishment. Yet she had crafted this appearance, one to inspire fear into ponies and her sister. Perhaps now, it was pointless and wasted. Inspiring fear in them was foalish.

But she was not Luna.

And it wouldn't matter anyway. Had her features not been so crafted to inspire fear, the result would have been the same: that the ponies of Equestria would not love her. Nothing would change that.

Her gaze fell on the reflection of her armor and she scrutinized it. It served no purpose now. At times it was protection, but now? In the heart of her own domain? There were no assassins. Even if there were, they would have to catch her off-guard. Even if they caught her off-guard, they would have to kill her before she could react. And the armor left so much of her body exposed as it was.

The armor? It was not her friend. It may have been her companion, it may have protected her, and she was familiar with it, but the armor did not care. It served its purpose with no drive nor will. The armor suited her, but clinging to it always was unnecessary. The armor had no choice but to protect her when she wore it, and so its companionship was hollow. It paled to Twilight's companionship.

She levitated the helmet off, then lifted each hoof, one at a time, to take her boots off. With care, she set her armor aside. Set the boots all together in a neat group. Put the helmet down on the sink. Looked at her dented chestplate's reflection.

A chestplate she had taken off only once before in the time since she put it on.

She took the chestplate in her magic and levitated it up off her body, then set it down beside her boots. She looked over the set-aside armor for a moment; without the pony it belonged to underneath, the armor was incomplete. And for it, she felt incomplete and vulnerable. The chilly night air pressed up against her coat, and she missed the chestplate's weight, yet found some form of relief in having taken it off.

'Do not hesitate,' she chastised herself. 'Do not hide behind your armor like a foal!'

She breathed in deep and felt how light her chest was without the armor. Such a new feeling, one that drove her to turn back to the mirror and gaze upon the reflection of her unarmored chest. She could still see the lingering indent from having worn the armor. With trepidation, she lifted her right forehoof, looked down at it, then touched her bare hoof to her bare chest. Felt her fur, felt the give of her skin.

Felt the warmth of her body, the pulse of her heart, and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

Just like anypony else.

'Am I hiding behind my armor?' she wondered. Her head and eyes lifted back up to look at her reflection. The thought was simply foolish! She was not hiding behind her armor! Her armor was there to protect her, to serve as another layer of defense in case she was caught off guard, attacked, or drawn into battle.

Not wearing armor was foalish. It left one open to being attacked and unprepared! Anything would wear armor in battle if it could!

But she was in the heart of her domain. Her palace, the one reclaimed from her Sister. There was nothing there to threaten her. Wearing armor at all times set her apart from everypony else, but not in the way it should have.

'This is foalish,' her mind scoffed. She tossed her head back and strode back out to her bedchambers. Yet it lingered in her mind, taunting her. She made her way to her study, then paused and turned her head toward the door to the hallway. 'Cadance is coming.'

She would neither back down nor retreat to reclaim her armor. Cadance would see her without it on. She turned and walked to the door, then stopped. Waited and listened and felt Cadance's approach. She let the lesser alicorn, her niece, come to a stop and knock on the door, then waited another few seconds before opening the door with her magic.

And Cadance was already looking up to meet her gaze, but eye contact broke immediately as her niece looked along the sides of her head and then down to her unarmored chest. "You're... not wearing your armor?" Cadance murmured softly.

"You are correct," Nightmare dismissed.

Cadance blinked and met her gaze again. "I'm surprised."

Nightmare tilted her head slightly, then voiced, "I can tell."

Cadance squirmed slightly and broke eye contact. "Right, sorry. I've just never seen you like... that... before."

"Rarity is the only other pony who has," Nightmare said. And now Cadance had. And yet, she found herself rather looking forward to Twilight seeing her without her armor on. What would Twilight say, what would she think? Or was she being foalish and naive? "But enough of this. Why are you here?"

Cadance looked back up at her with a small smile. "Everything's going well. Ponies are still arriving but it looks like we're going to meet expectations for how many ponies show up."

'Which expectations, dear Niece?' her mind mocked. 'Remnants from Sister's Galas, or revised since my return?' She kept it to herself. It wasn't something she wanted to know. It was pointless. "Have Twilight and her friends arrived yet?"

Cadance shook her head.

She felt disappointed. "I see," was all she had to say. "Very well."

Cadance nodded, then hesitated. "Do you want me to tell you when they get here?"

Nightmare bobbed her head. "Send Twilight to me when she arrives. I shall be..." she trailed off and turned to look into her bedchambers. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded and concluded, "I shall be waiting in my chambers."

When she looked back at Cadance, her niece smiled. "Okay."

She nodded once. Cadance started to turn away, and something tugged at her mind. 'It's pointless. It does not matter. It changes nothing,' she fought against the urge. Yet it still ate at her. She suppressed a growl as she relented. "And Cadance?"

Cadance stopped, halfway turned away from her, and looked back at her. "Yes?"

Nightmare slowly inclined her head, then kept her head lowered as she looked into her niece's eyes to emphasize, "Do enjoy the Gala."

Cadance's smile grew warmer and her niece calmly turned to face her and nodded once. "Thank you," was her soft, warm response.

Nightmare lifted her head back up. For a few seconds Cadance stayed there, then gradually turned and walked off. She continued to watch for a short while, then closed the door and bowed her head against it. "That was pointless," she muttered to herself.

She sighed as she lifted her head and backed away. As she walked to her bedchambers, she thought, 'Perhaps it was not pointless. Cadance is an ally. Perhaps pleasantries are meaningless but-' She winced. 'No, pleasantries are not meaningless.' Twilight's friendship taught her that. 'Perhaps it would be nice to have Cadance's friendship as well.'

She shook her head as she crossed into her bedchambers. 'This was much easier when I was imprisoned on the moon. This was much easier one thousand years ago.'

Now? Now she wanted to groan. 'My fondness of Twilight makes this difficult.' If she had no connections or ties, how easy it would be to dismiss Cadance and everypony else! Damn that filly, Twilight could twist her too easily!

But then, if she did not have Twilight, she would be alone.

And how easy it would be to slip into being what she did not want to be.

So no, it was good that she was friends with Twilight. And how she welcomed it! It was good that Twilight kept her in check.

'Don't push me away.'

The thought left her feeling an uncomfortable twist in her chest, something coiling in her stomach, and a coldness in her hooves. She tried not to think about it. Turned her thoughts back to Twilight so that she could escape the knowledge that haunted her.

'I do hope you arrive soon.' Because when Twilight did, she wasn't wearing her armor! She could embrace the filly as she so desired, feel Twilight's fur against her own!

She felt acutely aware, 'If this was one thousand years ago I would have killed myself over this.' If not that bad, then she would certainly be screaming at how stupid and naive and foalish she was being. More like Luna, than who she was.

That, of course, did not stop her from wanting to squirm at the thought of holding Twilight to her bare chest and feeling the filly's fur against her own.

An actual connection with somepony, her friend. Without any lies to poison the relationship and leave her seething.

She came to a stop at the balcony's railing and blinked, not remembering having crossed the distance. She sat down on her haunches and breathed in, then draped her unarmored forehooves over the railing. The cold bit into her fur more than she expected, but she tolerated it. She leaned against the railing and shivered as the cold touched her exposed fur.

Yes, the night's chill no longer embraced her as it once did. The night's chill couldn't compare to Twilight's warmth.

She felt a grimace pull at her lips as she looked up at the stars. 'You will be here soon enough,' she thought.

It did not feel that way.

Canterlot glistened like a jewel in the night. Maybe it was the atmosphere surrounding the gala. To Twilight, the atmosphere felt a lot more energetic than she anticipated, most likely because her friends would be with her. She felt eager and excited, but there was still that tinge of anxiety and worry plaguing her. She did her best to ignore it by instead focusing on looking down at Canterlot.

And again, it was probably the atmosphere surrounding the gala or how she felt, but Canterlot seemed so much bigger and more alive than it had before. From above, she could see so many mansions and houses and shops with their lights racing out onto the streets through their windows. Still too far up to see individual ponies, but the city felt more alive than it had in so long.

She found herself smiling despite the anxiety as they descended towards one of the open plazas near the castle. The courtyard wasn't available for landing in safely with as many ponies as they expected to be there. Several batponies and Royal Guard pegasi flew in around them to escort them along their descent. They touched down with a little bump: harder than Royal Guards would have landed, but not enough to cause discomfort.

A few seconds later, and they came to a stop. Twilight stood up and turned around to jump out of the chariot. A moment later, Spike climbed down, then Rarity and the rest of her friends.

"Enjoy your stay in Canterlot," one of the batponies pulling the chariots said.

Twilight turned to see who, but couldn't decide which one it was; all of the batponies looked back at her. She glanced over them and nodded. "Thank you."

With that, they nodded back and gradually took back off, leaving her friends and herself there. She smiled as she watched them fly away.

"Hmmmm...." Pinkie hummed suspiciously at length.

"Well, I guess we make our way to the castle and then split up from there?" Applejack asked.

Twilight looked over at her and nodded. "Yes. We'll try to meet back up sometime in a few hours, then go out to eat?" Her friends collectively nodded and murmured in agreement. Twilight beamed in delight. "Great!" Without wasting any more time, she turned and started trotting along towards the main road that led to the courtyard's gate. Her friends fell in step with her and they walked on almost shoulder to shoulder.

'I guess I should see Cadance first, and then maybe visit Nightmare Moon. Or maybe I'll run into my brother first?' They approached the gate, and the two Royal Guards gave brief bows to her. She eyed both of them, but neither of them said anything.

Rarity and Fluttershy both glanced at her, but said nothing since Rainbow flew ahead of them with a jubilant cry of, "I think I see Soarin!"

And without any hesitation or regard for proper etiquette, Rainbow Dash was gone. A faint rainbow trailed lingered in Rainbow's wake as a result of her magic, but that was the only evidence that the pegasus had been there.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"So we're not going to even get into the castle before we split up, then, apparently," Applejack flatly observed. Twilight looked at the earth pony and offered an apologetic smile that drew a sigh from her friend. "Figures."

The rest of her group came to a stop as soon as they passed through the gate. Looking around, she found that the courtyard wasn't quite packed, but it was filled probably half as much as the ceremony had been. There were probably a lot more ponies in the Ballroom, of course. There were tables laid out with refreshments and expensive breakable decorations. Unicorn servants carried trays in their magic, weaving between ponies, while pegasi servants flew just above the crowd, carrying trays with empty plates and empty glasses.

"Eyup, well, I guess I'll be on my way. Y'all know where to find me if you need me!" Applejack said before departing.

"Well, I think I shall get a drink and then socialize," Rarity declared before making her way towards the tables set up in the courtyard.

"I'm here to paaaaaar-ty!" Pinkie declared, then bounced off towards the castle's entrance.

Twilight cringed as Pinkie hopped right along into the castle. The two Royal Guards standing at the doorway startled at her energetic approach but relaxed as nothing came from it. "Pinkie!" she called, but the mare was gone. 'So much for making sure they knew it wasn't-' she groaned and shook her head. 'Whatever. It'll be fine.'

"Th-that's a lot of p-ponies," Fluttershy whimpered.

Twilight felt a stab of pain, and on instinct, her lips curled back and her ears folded down. She turned to the left and walked over to Fluttershy, then rubbed her cheek against the trembling pegasus' neck. While she soothed a little of the trembling, the timid pegasus was still scared. "It'll be okay, Fluttershy," she whispered. "It's just like before. The ceremony, remember? It'll be fine!" Twilight coaxed.

Fluttershy looked at her. "I-I guess... m-maybe you're right."

Twilight nodded encouragingly. "You came here for the garden, remember?"

Fluttershy nodded timidly. "Yes... I remember. I do want to see the garden again, but, oh, there are so many ponies!"

Twilight leaned in again, closed her eyes, and nuzzled Fluttershy's neck. After a few careful, slow strokes along the length of Fluttershy's exposed neck, the pegasus returned it. "How about I send Spike with you to keep you company?" she offered.

"Oh, would you?" Fluttershy murmured hopefully. A moment passed and Fluttershy looked behind her, then ducked back to hide in her pink mane. "I mean, if it's no trouble..."

Twilight nodded, then looked back at Spike. Spike shrugged casually and said, "I don't mind."

Twilight smiled at them and turned back to Fluttershy. "Try to relax and enjoy the gardens. If you need anything, have Spike come find one of us, okay?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Okay..."

Twilight waited a few seconds for Spike to walk around her to Fluttershy's side, and after a bit of coaxing from Spike, they managed to meander along and make their way towards the gardens. She watched them for a few seconds, then turned away to scan the top of the crowd in search of the three ponies who might stand out at such an event: her brother, Cadance, or Nightmare Moon.

Nopony tall enough stood out above the sea of heads. She frowned a bit, but it was what she expected. 'Cadance is probably in the Ballroom, so I guess I'll start there,' she decided. With that in mind, she headed toward the Ballroom a short walk away. As she approached the door, both guards gave her quick nods. If it wasn't for how much the batponies bowed to her, she doubted she would have noticed it, but it made her stop for a moment.

She looked at the one on the left, then on the right, returned the nod, and then headed inside. The Ballroom was well lit like normal, and the warm lighting reminded her of the days she so missed. For a moment, it dampened her mood as she thought back on her missing mentor and the lost days.

Her mood brightened again as she perked right up from seeing Cadance. Her former foalsitter was standing at the top of the first flight of stairs opposite the entrance, smiling a calm, serene smile in attempted mimicry of Princess Celestia. The smile wasn't quite the same: she could see that Cadance was trying, but Cadance just didn't have the same demeanor that Princess Celestia had.

For a moment, she put Cadance out of mind to look around the Ballroom. More tables covered with white tablecloths held assorted refreshments, ponies were grouped together and chatting while others meandered between groups. Servants walked throughout, carrying platters with more refreshments in their magic. Not a single pony was underdressed; they all wore beautiful dresses and fine suits that made her feel out of place in her relatively simple gown.

None of them paid her any immediate attention, so she turned her focus towards the platform before the windows off to the room's left. Several musicians were on the stage playing a classical tune that was familiar from past Galas: a wonderful, soft melodious blend of piano and strings that left the atmosphere feeling relaxed and peaceful. Nopony sang because singing would have ruined the musical ambiance.

Twilight found herself smiling and her nerves eased as she watched a gray-coated, dark maned earth pony play the cello. Her cutie mark was a purple musical note of some kind. She recognized the mare from the last Gala, which had been her first performance. She didn't know the mare's name, but thought she looked about Cadance's age, which was surprisingly young for such a talented musician, even more so since she was playing at the Gala. She wasn't sure, but she thought she had seen the mare in Ponyville once before.

She gave the room's marble pillars and transparent statues cursory glances as she surveyed the rest of the room, then she made her way over to the stairs. She watched Cadance greet a white-coated stallion with a light blue mane and tail wearing a tux. His cutie mark wasn't covered by his suit, and she made it out to be the constellation of Orion. Both he and Cadance seemed to enjoy the greeting, though she could tell it wasn't the same motherly familiarity Princess Celestia would have had.

The stallion nodded with a smile and walked up the flight of the stairs at Cadance's left. Cadance smiled as he left, then looked back and saw her. And Twilight saw the wondrous joy filling Cadance's eyes, making them light up as she cried out, "Twilight!" in a way that only Cadance could. It brought her to smile even more and she raced up the stairs passed the very few ponies who lingered in something resembling a line.

"Hey, Cadance!" she eagerly greeted.

Cadance leaned down to nuzzle her and Twilight happily returned it. "It's good to see you again," Cadance murmured softly as she continued rubbing her cheek against Twilight's. After a few more seconds, Cadance pulled back and looked down at her with a smile. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to get here!"

Twilight blushed and coughed into her hoof. "What? Nooo..." she defended.

Cadance laughed softly, leaned down, and poked Twilight's nose with a forehoof. Twilight felt her muzzle scrunch up and she went crosseyed looking at the golden shoe Cadance wore. "Your parents and Shiny are around here somewhere." Cadance lowered her hoof back to the floor.

"Really?" Twilight asked. "I didn't, uh, expect them to be here."

Cadance nodded, and Twilight thought she saw a bit of the warmth in her former foalsitter's smile fade. Cadance inhaled and tilted her head to the side, her smile recovering as she offered, "Well, technically your brother's on guard duty. This is an important event."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Well, yes. I know that much. I'm just surprised my parents are here."

Cadance leveled her head and frowned. "They've not missed the Gala before, at least not since you were..." Cadance tailed off and bowed her head, then coughed into the back of her forehoof before lifting her head back up.

Twilight knew what her former foalsitter meant, and her smile faded. "Yeah," she mumbled soberly. "I just... I guess I didn't expect them to come since..." she trailed off and started nodding. "Yes."

"Well, they're around here somewhere," Cadance repeated. "And Nightmare Moon was wanting you to stop by and visit her."

Twilight nodded. "I was planning to visit her."

Cadance smiled or grimaced; Twilight wasn't sure which it was. "We'll all have to catch up later... you should find your brother and parents and see if you can convince them to join us after the Gala's over. You're going to be staying the night, right?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Nightmare Moon has chambers prepared for my friends, and I have my tower, so yeah."

Cadance's smile warmed as her lips lifted back up. "I'm glad to hear that."

Twilight glanced back behind her. About half a dozen ponies were waiting in line. A line she had cut in front of. None of them looked visibly distressed, aside from forced, strained smiled. She forced a smile back at them. 'It will be good to see my parents again!'

She hoped.

She turned back to Cadance as she inhaled. "Well, I suppose I should leave you to it!" Without giving Cadance an opportunity to reply, she turned left and hurried back down the stairs. Once again she surveyed the room, this time looking for her parents and brother, but like before, she didn't see anypony who stood out.

Aside from Rainbow Dash, who was hovering in the air near one of the refreshment tables. Accompany the pegasus were two more pegasi: Spitfire and Soarin, both wearing formal Wonderbolt dress uniforms. For a brief moment, Twilight grimaced. 'I wonder if you know that they answer to Nightmare Moon now? If you did, would you still want to join them?'

Maybe she should tell Rainbow Dash that. Or maybe it didn't matter. It was still odd to think about.

She shook her head and let out a breath as she headed back outside. She hadn't noticed it before, but when she went back outside the chill in the night air made itself known, making her frown as her body shivered once. It was, unsurprisingly, warmer inside. Likely, everypony would eventually gather in the Ballroom.

Out of curiosity, she walked over to the crowd of ponies in the courtyard, then walked through them. She kept her ears perked up and listened into the conversations to overhear what they were talking about. Ponies talked about their wealth and recent achievements and acquisitions, boasted of their own exuberance, shared the latest gossip about other ponies they knew, including more well-known ponies who were just barely out of earshot.

A few of them even talked about her and her friends, making her bite her lip and hurry along so that she didn't have to hear the good and bad things they had to say. Yet it still lingered in her mind, that they doubted her and Nightmare Moon. Not hate, but uncertainty. They wondered if she was sane given her being Nightmare Moon's student. They wondered if Nightmare Moon had cast some spell on her to make her side with the Queen. There were the rumors that Nightmare Moon had killed Princess Celestia instead of banishing her, and done terrible things to ponies who had done nothing. She couldn't escape the rumors quickly enough.

A few ponies discussed magic and a few more discussed the permanent night: they did not take it as the end of the world, but as a major inconvenience. "I can't see a bloody thing half the time!" one of them complained. Another had to say, "I can't tell the difference between shades of purple anymore! The horror! I can't tell if that matches your coat or accents it!"

'At least they're not all scared senseless,' she had to admit. It was a good thing, and something of a return to normalcy that everypony craved. For some reason, her hooves slowed and her head lifted back. She found herself looking at the moon, her brow creasing as it pulled down. Some subdued feeling arose in her chest, making her heart beat slower.

Was this all a mistake?

Did everything that had happened since Nightmare Moon's return happen because of a mistake so long ago? They were meant to rule together. She knew it in her heart. Yet there was a divide between those two eternal sisters. Day and Night were split and separated so thoroughly! Could anything bridge that gap? Would there be a dawn for them to share together again when the world was half-lit by the light of day and half-lit by the glow of the moon? Was there any way for them to be reunited, to right that wrong from so long ago, still staining the world?

There had to be. There had to be because it was wrong for the world to be this way. There had to be because Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon were sisters. There had to be because Nightmare Moon wasn't happy, and she was certain Princess Celestia wasn't happy either. "You need to forgive her," she whispered as her head fell back down.

But how could something like that happen? Perhaps it was something that she could convince Nightmare Moon to do.

That task felt insurmountable, but maybe not entirely out of reach.

Because Nightmare Moon was smart. Nightmare Moon could recognize her mistakes. Nightmare Moon could see reason.

And, perhaps, she could convince Nightmare Moon to forgive Princess Celestia.

But it wouldn't be easy.

She shifted her weight, rolling her shoulders as she breathed in and then exhaled. 'Okay. Focus,' she told herself. She turned left and right as she thought, 'My parents and brother are around here somewhere. I can find them later after I've talked with Nightmare Moon.'

But was that really the best course of action? She could delay talking with Nightmare Moon until after she caught up with her parents and brother. But of course it would be a matter of time until whoever it was contacted her, and she needed to speak with Nightmare before that.

'One problem at a time,' she told herself.

With a wince, she turned around and looked towards where she thought Nightmare Moon's balcony was, then channeled her magic into her horn. 'Nightmare Moon said that I can teleport into the room, and she said I can go there whenever.

She breathed in deep, then slowly exhaled. She formed her magic into the two matrices, linked them, and teleported in a flash of light. A flash of light that undoubtedly drew a lot of attention to itself and probably disrupted the gathered crowd.

Possibly even scaring them.

She reappeared in another flash of light inside Nightmare's study. It almost halfway surprised her that she managed to teleport inside. She blinked once, then looked left and right, then turned around in a circle. Nightmare Moon wasn't in her study, or if the alicorn was, she couldn't see her. She walked the few short steps to the door that led to Nightmare's bedchambers, and as she turned to enter, she stopped.

Nightmare Moon looked at her from beside the bed. Twilight didn't pay any attention to Nightmare's expression, rather, her gaze instantly dropped to Nightmare's bare chest. 'You're not wearing armor.' No chestplate. No armor of any kind on her body. Not even boots; her hooves were bare. No tiara. No regalia. Just a pony, like her or anypony else, except for her wings and her horn.

And Nightmare's body was sleek yet powerful without the armor on. Graceful and strong. She looked a lot like Princess Celestia, except stronger. More slender. Her bare chest was unscared and unmarked; her black fur looked rich, soft, and inviting. Without the armor on, Nightmare Moon looked so much lighter than when she wore the armor. Her presence did not feel like it weighed down on the atmosphere. She didn't look like a predator or a warrior, even with her slit eyes.

The alicorn looked free, like the armor had been chains that were holding her back. The alicorn looked free, like she had cast off something that only held her down. The alicorn looked free, like she could soar through the night sky without worry or care.

And Nightmare Moon looked vulnerable. Not like the monster everypony thought she was.

And looking and Nightmare Moon, now free from her armor, she found her thoughts drifting back to the art gallery, the paintings of Princess Luna wearing no armor. She found her mind drifting back to her dream, and seeing Nightmare Moon as Princess Luna. No armor. Nothing but her fur and flesh to protect her.

Nightmare Moon left herself vulnerable.

The only time she had ever seen Nightmare Moon without her armor. 'Is this the only time you've not worn your armor?'

She managed to force herself to look back at Nightmare's face and found the alicorn still watching her. For whatever reason, the first thing she said was a quiet, "You're not wearing your armor."

Nightmare merely bowed her head in acknowledgment. "I'm not."

Twilight felt her ears fold back as Nightmare's voice broke a little bit of the illusion the lack of armor caused. But Nightmare Moon was still beautiful for her lack of armor. Maybe not as beautiful as Princess Luna, but beautiful nonetheless. An almost terrifying or intimidating, striking beauty. "Right, sorry, I just, uh..."

Nightmare nodded. "You have not seen me without my chestplate on before... You are only the third pony to have seen me like this."

Twilight blinked, then frowned. 'Why wasn't I the first?' How was it that Nightmare Moon had let others see her like this before her? "Who were the first two?"

Nightmare tossed her head to the right, making her mane billow almost gracefully rather than violently. Then Nightmare took a step forward as she leveled her head once more, and the step looked so graceful and airy. Without the armor on, Twilight felt mesmerized to watch Nightmare's bare chest. "Rarity," Nightmare mumbled. Another step. Twilight looked up to meet Nightmare's gaze. "And then Cadance, not long ago."

Twilight licked her lips. "Huh... I guess... Rarity had you take it off so she could get measurements for your dress?"

Nightmare nodded and continued walking towards her. "Yes. I was... not happy to do so, but, ah..." her mentor trailed off and shook her head. "I have not felt the air against my bare chest in so long that I have forgotten what it feels like," the alicorn mumbled. In a thoughtful voice, Nightmare summarized, "It is... perhaps refreshing."

Twilight smiled and giggled softly. "I can't imagine wearing armor without taking it off for so long."

Nightmare nodded and grimaced. "Yes. It is..." but her mentor didn't finish the sentence. Instead, Nightmare tilted her head and scrutinized Twilight's body and dress. "You look pleasant," was her compliment.

Twilight smiled a little more. "Thanks. The original dress was, um, more accurate-" she forced a laugh and looked away from Nightmare so she didn't have to see how her mentor reacted to that, "-but this looks better."

Much better.

"In truth," Nightmare mumbled, "I could not have pictured you wearing a dress before now." Twilight turned back to face Nightmare. "It almost reminds me of Starswirls' robes."

Twilight lit up and jumped in place. "You can tell!? That's what I was aiming for!"

Nightmare smiled, and for a few seconds, Twilight thought she saw something in the alicorn's eyes, but it faded along with the smile. "Though he was quite fond of them, his robes were certainly... not formal attire."

Twilight snorted. "Well, yes, and that's part of why we ended up changing this."

"Indeed," Nightmare calmly dismissed.

A moment passed in silence. Nightmare shifted her weight, then turned and walked towards the balcony. With a passing glance back towards her, Nightmare lifted up her wing in an offer and coaxed, "Come."

Twilight trotted along and then walked beside Nightmare. Twilight smiled more as she felt Nightmare's wing wrap around her back. There was a little bit of force in it; it wasn't that Nightmare was letting gravity keep her wing there, no, Nightmare was putting an effort into it.

It meant something.

They walked out to the balcony, and when the cold night air hit, she felt more assured by Nightmare's warm body and wing. "I..." Nightmare drawled, hesitating more than normal. "I am glad that you are here. I enjoy your company." They came to a stop near the railing and then sat down on their haunches. "Thank you."

In silence, Twilight turned her gaze away from Nightmare to look out over the courtyard. To her surprise, there were still ponies out who hadn't run in terror from her teleporting. A wince pulled at her lips, but she managed to force it down. She leaned against Nightmare and saw the alicorn's muzzle turn down towards her. With a glance up, she found Nightmare looking down at her and studying her. Twilight offered a reassuring smile, then looked back out at the ponies below.

She heard Nightmare absently muse, "I find myself missing your company when you are not here."

Twilight leaned away from Nightmare's side and looked up at her to find her mentor still looking at her. "Really?" Nightmare inclined her head, then turned to look at the courtyard. "That... surprises me, I think. I thought that, um, you would be used to being alone-"

"I am," Nightmare said with a nod, a hint of pain flashing through her eyes. A moment passed as Nightmare grimaced and bobbed her head. "And yet I find myself missing you when you are not here." Nightmare faced her again, but the alicorn's eyes drifted over the railing. "It is... not something I am used to."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I... well, no, I can't relate but I think I can sort of understand that?"

Nightmare's eyes jumped onto her. "Pray tell?"

"My friends," Twilight answered.

A second passed. Nightmare's eyes went back to the railing as she nodded. "I see." Nightmare lifted her head up, and whether purposefully or not, looked at the moon.

And Nightmare Moon grimaced again, immediately turning her head to the right.

'You hate seeing that,' Twilight knew. She even felt her own ears folding back; neither of them liked it. And she had to wonder, 'Do you let that show with anypony other than me or the batponies?' Or did Nightmare Moon even show it to the batponies?

Eventually, Nightmare turned her head back straight and silently stared ahead into the sky.

Twilight waited a few seconds, then leaned against Nightmare again. For a moment, she felt Nightmare's wing tighten around her body, then relax, yet Nightmare still held it in place around her.

"I find myself wondering if it is not silly that I am so fond of you as my friend," Nightmare mumbled.

Twilight frowned. "Why?"

Nightmare turned her head and met her gaze. "Do you not see how absurd it is?" was her subdued question. Nightmare broke eye contact and looked at the wall, shaking her head as she muttered, "Who I am. Who you are. The situation that brought us here. That I am an alicorn, that you are a unicorn. Your history, and my history. That you are not yet an adult and that I am millennia old." Nightmare paused and met her gaze. "How is it not absurd?" was her plea.

Twilight had no answer. She broke eye contact. After a few seconds, she saw Nightmare turn away from her again.

"I am not used to worrying as I do now," Nightmare said. "I am not used to hesitating and second-guessing myself. I do not like it."

"Well, you did say that you're not perfect," Twilight offered.

Nightmare looked back at her. "Yes... but... still..." Twilight could see Nightmare struggling, then Nightmare groaned. "I feel as if I am acting like a foal."

Twilight frowned. "Why?"

Nightmare shook her head dismissively. "Uncertainty. I have not doubted myself so much in such a long time."

She remembered Nightmare's plea, 'Forgive me?'

What was she supposed to say to that?

"It's okay to want to have friends," she said.

Nightmare turned to look at her, then opened her mouth, only to hesitate. For a few seconds, she held her teacher's gaze, then Nightmare closed her mouth and turned back to face the courtyard. "I... suppose you are correct, and I am grateful that we are friends."

She smiled, then shifted her weight, remembering, 'I need to talk to you.'

Nightmare Moon looked back at her. "You are... uncomfortable?" was her question. "Are you cold?"

Twilight shifted her weight and leaned away from Nightmare. "Well, it's a little cold out here but you're warm so no, I'm fine," she replied. "I just..." She winced as she met Nightmare's gaze. "You trust me, right?" was her quiet question.

Nightmare nodded calmly. "Of course I trust you." Nightmare inclined her head, met her gaze, and emphasized, "There is nopony I trust more." A moment passed and Nightmare frowned. "Why do you ask?"

Twilight cringed and shifted her weight. "I... may have been in contact with... well..." How was she supposed to say this? How was she supposed to explain this? Specifically, how would she say this without making Nightmare Moon angry? 'No, you won't be angry.' She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she let the breath out and opened her eyes. "I got a letter a few weeks ago from somepony who claimed to be a member of a resistance group who wanted to meet with me here tonight."

She couldn't read Nightmare Moon's expression, but there was no anger nor malice in her eyes. "There is more you have to say," was her teacher's quiet acknowledgment.

Her lips pulled into a grimace and she looked away from Nightmare Moon. "Well, yes. I agreed to it." She turned back to face her teacher as quickly as she could and met her mentor's gaze. "Hear me out," she asked before Nightmare could say anything.

"I am listening," Nightmare said.

Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. "I agreed to meet with them. They want me to help them stop you and... bring back your sister. I want to convince them not to do anything..." she trailed off and scowled. "Stupid."

"A simpler method would be to infiltrate this group, identify the members, and inform me so that I can have the guard take care of them," Nightmare muttered.

Twilight fidgeted, and as a result, Nightmare's wing tightened around her again, pulling her against Nightmare's side. "Well, yes, but! You can't be sure that you've caught all of them, and they've not actually done anything illegal. Yet."

Nightmare scowled and turned away from her, muttering, "Conspiracy to commit treason notwithstanding."

"Listen," Twilight pleaded.

"I am," Nightmare repeated, more of an edge in her voice than before.

For a few seconds, she stayed silent. "Cracking down on them isn't going to make ponies feel safer or like you anymore," she argued.

Nightmare's lips pulled up to show her teeth. "Leaving them to fester gives them an opportunity to undermine my rule. It sows dissent and weakness," was her counter. "Leaving them to grow stronger will only cause more problems at a later date. Stopping them while they are weak would put an end to any problems-"

"And you might make them into martyrs," she countered, making Nightmare fall silent. "And then what if more ponies rise up?" Twilight asked. Nightmare's lips closed as she looked at her again. "Are you really just going to keep locking ponies up?" And more bluntly, "What if everypony rises up? What then?"

Nightmare met her gaze for a few seconds, then slowly turned back to the sky. "There is a delicate balancing act I must perform, Twilight. You have surely caught onto this by now."

"I know," Twilight replied. "Which is why I think you should let me meet with them and convince them to not do anything stupid." She bowed her head and looked into Nightmare's eyes. "Please. Trust me."

Nightmare bowed her head for a few seconds and Twilight watched her mentor's eyes dance across the railing. Finally, Nightmare lifted her head up and turned to face her. Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled, and after a moment, asked, "How do you plan on doing such?"

"I'm supposed to meet somepony here who is supposed to take me somewhere to talk to them," she stated. A moment passed and she specified, "If you let me."

Nightmare inclined her head. "And if they do not listen?"

Twilight flexed her eyebrows up and turned her head to the left. "I'll... figure something out."

Studying Twilight's features, Nightmare asked, "Why did they contact you? You are my student. Surely they-"

Twilight turned back to face Nightmare. "I was your sister's student. I am a talented unicorn."

Nightmare stiffened for a moment. "I see. So they do not want you to try to stab me in the back."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Well, I don't think they want me to do that but they might ask."

"I see," was all Nightmare had to say.

A few seconds passed in silence. "So," Twilight ventured, "will you let me?"

Nightmare looked at the floor. "If I let you do this-" Nightmare met her gaze again, "-I would be concerned for your safety."

Twilight shook her head. "They don't want-"

"They could kill you to hurt me," Nightmare countered.

Twilight went silent. 'You don't want to be hurt.'

Nightmare tilted her head. "Or perhaps hold you hostage in an attempt to leverage you against me." A wave of exhaustion washed across her teacher's features. "Or they could hurt you. If they find out that you are loyal to me and..."

Twilight looked away from Nightmare. "So that's a no, then..." she mumbled.

"I am not saying no, rather, I am saying that I have several concerns." Twilight looked back at Nightmare. The alicorn slowly brushed her wing down Twilight's side, and Twilight closed her eyes. "I trust you and I am willing to give you this opportunity, but..." Nightmare lifted her wing from Twilight's back, making Twilight open her eyes. "As I have said, it could be used against me, and likewise, I would be worried for your safety." Nightmare wrapped her wing back around Twilight's back again.

Her mentor looked away from her. "Perhaps it is foolish," Nightmare groaned, "but I am willing to give you the opportunity to try. I trust you." Nightmare nodded. "But be careful."

Twilight waited there for a few seconds. "I will..." she mumbled.

Nightmare inhaled, lifted her wing from Twilight's back, and then stood up. Twilight stood up, and they turned to face each other. Nightmare inclined her head. "See me when you return so that I will know you are safe and so that we may... discuss this."

Twilight nodded. "I will." She licked her lips, and maybe asking was stupid, but the question burned in her mind: "You're not mad at me for not telling you about this sooner?"

Nightmare shook her head. "As I have said, I trust you. I will not hold this against you." Nightmare nodded. "You did tell me. Though I would rather have been told sooner, I presume the reason you did not is that there was no good time for you to bring it up."

Twilight winced and turned away. "Kind of..."

Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled. "Be confident in yourself, Twilight. You are my student and friend."

Twilight looked up at Nightmare apologetically. "Sorry."

Nightmare tilted her head. "You do not need to apologize."

Twilight shifted her weight but nodded. She saw a flicker of something in Nightmare's eyes, but maybe it was just the reflection of the moonlight. And then Nightmare's lips twisted and the mare squirmed on her hooves. "This... this is completely... pointless, and completely foalish," Nightmare drawled. "But... would you... possibly... give me a hug?"

"Um, sure?" Twilight questioned. "Why is it... uh... why are you asking?" Because the way Nightmare sounded made it seem like her mentor thought the world was ending, and that left her confused. Or was it-

Nightmare bowed her head and mumbled, "I am not wearing my armor," under her breath. Lifting her head up, Twilight saw discomfort in Nightmare's eyes that was unusual. "And so I would... feel your fur against my chest."

"Oh!" Twilight giggled softly and smiled brightly. "Sure! I, uh, I've wondered what that was like too."

Nightmare tilted her head and murmured, "Truly?" under her breath. Then Nightmare blinked and shook her head. A moment passed where Nightmare glanced left and right, then her mentor stepped forward.

And she stepped forward as well, pressing her chest against Nightmare's bare chest. She felt Nightmare's heart beating unusually fast for a pony, or maybe she was imagining it. She felt Nightmare's warm body against her own. And she felt Nightmare's soft fur mingle with her own, the feeling almost made her giddy like nuzzling her friends could. She felt the urge to rub up against Nightmare's chest but fought it down. It wouldn't be proper. She still couldn't stop herself from letting out a soft coo that made her blush.

Nightmare sat down and wrapped her right foreleg around Twilight's back, and Twilight sat down and leaned into the hug, resting her head on Nightmare's shoulder and leaning against her neck. Nightmare leaned down and rested her head on Twilight's shoulder and reluctantly brushed her cheek back and forth against Twilight's neck. Twilight smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned into the nuzzle, and after a little thought, she returned it.

And she felt Nightmare squirm like her body was almost trembling with excitement. The alicorn's heart seemed to misfire a few times, but she probably imagined it. She felt Nightmare wrap both wings around her back, and the warmth banished the night's chill. After a few seconds, she felt contently warm. And safe. "This is nice," she murmured.

"That... it is. I have not... hugged anypony like this since... I do not remember," Nightmare mumbled.

"Well, you've not taken your chestplate off to hug anypony like this for a thousand years, so..." Twilight voiced.

Nightmare almost laughed. As it was, that snicker sounded so free and so different from how Nightmare normally sounded. "You are correct," her mentor agreed. "Which makes you quite special," was added in a fond, thoughtful voice.

"Um, thank you," Twilight mumbled sheepishly. She continued nuzzling Nightmare for a few more seconds, then stopped. She held her ear to Nightmare's neck, felt Nightmare's warmth, almost heard Nightmare's heartbeat. Nightmare's nuzzling gradually slowed, then stopped, and then Nightmare nudged her nose to the right, dipping it into her mane. Twilight giggled softly as it tickled her neck.

She felt content with the hug, the scent of lavender, and the way Nightmare's breath tickled her mane. It was undeniably nice. Something they could share and remember. She didn't need to be afraid of Nightmare Moon.

That chasm between them? It was gone, and she was glad.

"I know that you're not used to having friends, or anypony, really, but it's okay to want to have friends, and it's okay to want a hug. It's not pointless. We're friends."

"Perhaps... perhaps you are correct," Nightmare Moon relented, hugging her tighter.

Author's Note

I had a sudden urge to write Twishy when describing Fluttershy's dress.

Also, I've said this before: I'm not fashion inclined.

5 Minutes before publishing.

I did not do last minute reviews on this chapter. I forgot and have been otherwise occupied. I've also been struggling with the chapter I'm stuck on. I also managed to screw up my ears, so I can only hear out of my right ear, my left ear hurts when I burn/yawn. Yay.........

As per usual, comment below. If you haven't, smash that like button and subscribe! If you find any typos or the wrong word, please point it out. For example, I mix up confident and confidant.

This chapter has been written for months, @AdmiralQPonyform.

Grand Galloping Gala Part 2

Their shared hug had lasted for several minutes, and even now as Twilight looked through the crowd out in the courtyard, the hug distracted her. Even with the chill of the night against her fur, she remembered Nightmare's warmth. She could almost feel it lingering on her coat as something that the night couldn't steal away. And so she looked over the crowd almost aimlessly, only partially paying attention to the faces of ponies who drifted through her vision.

She felt reassured and content, and knew Nightmare felt the same.

Rainbow Dash flew passed her. Twilight almost missed it, but her friend's telltale rainbow-wake gave it away. She blinked and turned her head left to watch the pegasus race across the courtyard, stop at a table and grab something she couldn't make out, then race back into the Ballroom. Tracking Rainbow's movements almost gave her whiplash.

'Right, focus,' she told herself. Although focusing probably wouldn't help anything. Whoever she was supposed to meet would find her, not the other way around. That much had been clear. She didn't know anything about whoever she was supposed to meet. Nopony she saw looked like they were acting suspiciously, although she wasn't certain she'd be able to tell anyway. There were still Royal Guards around, and while there wasn't that many of them, it might have still been enough to make the pony who was supposed to meet her more cautious.

Then again, whoever it was that was supposed to contact her should have known that.

'I cannot protect you from them if you follow through with this,' Nightmare's warming repeated in her mind.

She had said she would be fine.

'There is no way for me to know where you are; they would likely detect any enchantments, and there is the distinct possibility that, given you are my student, they will disable your magic.' And there was no way for her to miss the unease in Nightmare's voice when she said as much. Unnatural unease from the alicorn: concern and worry. Something that months ago she couldn't have pictured. The unease left Nightmare almost squirming where she had stood. Uncomfortable. Wanting her not to go, out of fear for her safety.

And it weighed on Twilight's mind. She felt convinced that it would be okay. 'They wouldn't want to hurt me,' she had argued. Besides, she had been Princess Celestia's most faithful student. The 'resistance' probably viewed her as their best chance to get Princess Celestia back.

And regardless of how they thought she could, she was.

She could almost hear Discord's voice in her mind, saying, 'With the Elements of Harmony, you could bring her back.' She could almost feel his lips twist into an unnatural, almost predatory smile crossed with a smirk.

She doubted Discord had been lying about it. After all, simply thinking about it she could reason that, if the Elements of Harmony had banished Nightmare Moon once before, and if they had summoned Discord and then trapped him in stone, then they had to be capable of bringing Princess Celestia back. But how? Would she just know how to use them to free Princess Celestia? When she had used them against Discord, she just somehow knew what to do, but there was nothing there involving Princess Celestia. How would it work?

She looked at the moon. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Was Princess Celestia okay? What was it like, being trapped up there? Did Princess Celestia even know where she was?

The comfort, reassurance, and contentedness of the hug faded as she took in the darkened craters of the moon. The darkened craters that marked Princess Celestia's banishment.

And a single thought tore through her mind: 'Why?'

Why had all of this happened? Why had Luna and Princess Celestia fallen away from each other? What caused Princess Celestia to push Luna away, push her into such a state of hatred that drove her to do what she did? Why didn't they talk? Why didn't they make amends? Why didn't Princess Celestia see? Why didn't Luna ask for help?

Or had Luna asked for help, and Princess Celestia had turned her away?

They were sisters.

She couldn't imagine anything like that happening between her and Shining Armor. The barest consideration of something like that separating them hurt. She swallowed. Her throat was tight.

And how much worse had it been for Luna? And how hard was it for Nightmare Moon to endure that thousand-year banishment? But there was a difference between Nightmare Moon and Celestia's banishment: Nightmare Moon had been consumed by anger, and Princess Celestia was not.

She blinked and found the edges around her eyes chilled more. Lowered her head, went back to looking through the crowd, searching for any familiar faces but not quite paying enough attention to recognize anypony.

'You need to forgive her. You two need to make amends.'

Maybe all Nightmare Moon needed was a friend to show her the way.

She nodded to herself and knew, 'I'm procrastinating.'

Well, standing around awkwardly while she waited for somepony to come talk to her wasn't accomplishing anything. Although social events still weren't something she was used to, even with Pinkie's insistence on a party of some kind almost on a daily basis. Still! She didn't know any of the ponies she saw, and she didn't want to either!

Somepony cleared their throat behind her. She blinked, then turned her head back to see who it was.

"Hey, Twilight," a warm, familiar voice greeted her.

Twilight grinned and spun around. "Shining!" Her brother smiled and pulled her into a hug that she readily returned. His armor wasn't as comfortable to hug as he was, but she tolerated it for a few seconds before pulling away. "I was beginning to think I wasn't going to see you tonight!"

Shining squinted at her. "Didn't you and your friends just get here not even half an hour ago?" His voice was cautious and almost suspicious.

She blushed. "Um, well, yes," she admitted. "So... I guess I shouldn't um, be surprised."

He laughed softly and shook his head. "Though I'll admit I'm kind of surprised it took so long to find you. I thought for sure you'd be with Cadance..." he trailed off and his smile faded.

'I don't like where this is going.' Her smile likewise faded. He didn't voice it, but she knew he wanted an explanation. "I uh..." she trailed off and looked at the ground. "I was visiting Nightmare Moon."

"Cadance said you were going to," Shining acknowledged. His voice had lost its familiar warmth, and in its place, there was worry and concern that made her chest feel tight.

She looked up at him. "I'll be alright," she murmured.

His jaw clenched, then relaxed. He opened his mouth but stopped himself, closed his mouth, and then sighed as he bowed his head. "Yeah," he mumbled neither fully convinced nor fully doubting. "I don't trust her, Twilight. You shouldn't either. I have orders from Princess Celestia to obey her command, but..." Shining shook his head. More firmly than she expected, Shining stated, "She's not Princess Celestia."

Twilight felt her brow fold down. "I know that. But she is Princess Celestia's sister."

Shining winced and leaned his head to the right. "Cadance told me about... about that." He almost sounded disgusted. He shook his head almost angrily. "I can only do so much to protect both of you, Twilight. Nightmare Moon doesn't like me, and I don't like her."

"She likes me, though!" Twilight retorted.

Shining grumbled something under his breath before finally saying, "Mom and Dad are worried about you too."

Twilight winced and turned her head to the left. She looked over the crowd of ponies. Rarity was on the edge of the crowd, talking to some stallions she didn't recognize. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. "I know that..." She turned back to look at her brother. "All of you are."

Shining sighed heavily, then nodded. "And knowing you, you're set on being her student because you want to learn..." he said at length, his voice coming out with a mixture of annoyance, concern, and strained familiar friendliness that felt hollow and forced.

She smiled sheepishly. "Yes. But really, don't worry about me, okay? You saw her when-" and it occurred to her how bad of an example it was, so she winced, "-we were sparring..."

And yes, that had been a terrible example to use. Surely there could have been no worse example, bar when Nightmare Moon first returned.

He looked at her with a pointedly flat expression. "Yes. I did."

"Okay, yes, that was a bad example," she admitted. "But still!"

"I have every reason to be worried about you, and, as your brother-" he closed his eyes and lifted his head up just as pointedly; Twilight rolled her eyes, "-I have every right to be worried about you."

Twilight smiled at him. "She's not that bad once-" and more accurately, if, "-you get to know her." And, of course, if Nightmare Moon gave the opportunity to get to know her, and opened herself up.

Shining turned away from her, his eyebrows jerking up and then falling back as he mumbled, "And she doesn't give anypony else a chance..." His eyes were heavy with worry, and for several seconds, she just watched him. All worried for her, without reason. Or perhaps it was reasonable for him to worry about her. And what else did he have to worry about that she didn't know? He worried about Cadance, he had to worry about the ponies under his command. His friends. His comrades.

But his worry was misplaced. She was sure of it. "You're worrying too much," she said.

And he looked at her in feigned shock. "Twilight? That coming from you? Are you okay? Did she cast a spell on you?"

In Shining Armor's defense, Twilight did recognize, 'Given how terrified I was of Nightmare Moon before, I can see why you would think that.' She smiled sheepishly. But, of course, the thought was silly. Nightmare Moon hadn't cast such a spell on her, and from what she knew of the alicorn, she suspected Nightmare Moon would never do something like that. But it was still a big change. As she thought back on it, she wondered, 'It changed after we defeated Discord, didn't it?' Yes, that seemed correct. Perhaps the Elements of Harmony had something to do with it, but she wasn't sure.

"Of course she didn't," she finally answered.

And, of course, that didn't appease him. "That's exactly what somepony who was under a spell would say."

Twilight, for her part, did the only thing reasonable: she stared at him flatly. "I'm not under a spell. I know she's not Princess Celestia. I know she's not a good pony." Shining Armor's eyebrows twitched down. "But I'm giving her a chance."

Her brother hesitated at that. After a few seconds, he shook his head. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"

Smiling again, Twilight nodded. "I promise." And she would be careful, and he wouldn't have to worry about her. "Have you seen Mom and Dad around?" she asked.

He nodded. "They're around here somewhere. I saw them talking to Cadance earlier."

"I'll keep an eye out for them," Twilight replied.

Shining shifted his weight, then hugged her again. The hug was much stronger than before, meant to be protecting. She laid her head on the armor on his shoulder and let him hug her while she returned it just as eagerly, though not as forcefully. "I know we're both busy, but try to stay in touch, alright? I'd feel a lot better if you did," her brother said.

Twilight nodded, rubbing against his armor in the process. As far as she was concerned, it didn't quite count as a nuzzle. "Okay," she replied.

He squeezed her tighter, then let go and pulled away. "If you need anything, let me know." She nodded. He forced a smile. "I'll uh, see you around I guess."

"Alright." She watched him turn and take a step away. "Oh!" He paused and looked back at her. "My friends and I are going to meet up later and head out to get something to eat. Do you want to join us?"

He smiled apologetically. "I'd love to, but I don't know if I'll be able to. Guard duty and all that."

She took a step towards him, smiling, "Well, you are the Captain of the Guard. I think that you should have some leeway there..."

He rolled his eyes with a warmer, less apologetic smile. "Yeah, I am the Captain of the Guard, and that's why I have to be here. In case anything happens."

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully, then smiled playfully. She raised an eyebrow as she playfully suggested, "Maybe Cadance will come and ask you to guard her?"

He blushed faintly and lifted an armored forehoof to cough into. "Maybe," he rushed out.

She giggled happily as her lips pulled all the way up. "I'll be sure to invite Cadance and our parents, then."

"I'll see what I can do," Shining replied with a nod, then turned and walked back off, returning to his patrol.

She watched him for a few seconds, then turned back around. 'Maybe I should go check on my friends,' she wondered. After all, that would be more enjoyable than awkwardly standing around or awkwardly attempting to mingle. Then again, she didn't want to draw her friends into her meeting with whoever it was, assuming it was avoidable.

She looked around again and saw Rarity chatting with those stallions from before, and after a few more seconds, spotted Rainbow hanging out with Soarin and Spitfire. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike were nowhere to be seen, but she had some idea where the latter three were.

She briefly wondered why more ponies weren't attempting to talk with her, given that she was one of the ponies responsible for stopping Discord, but she was glad they weren't.

Then again, there were several nobles looking at her with disdain and annoyance. 'Well, I did teleport, so that probably didn't earn me any friends.' She grimaced but put it out of mind, ignoring them as she looked over the crowd again.

If it wasn't for it being night, then she could have easily mistaken it for any other Grand Galloping Gala. Granted, she hadn't paid that much attention, but it seemed like as many ponies were there as before. That said, ponies were unmistakably more cautious and on edge: they huddled closer together than she remembered in the past, and fewer ponies meandered around the castle grounds and garden.

She shook her head and decided to visit Cadance and then Applejack. 'Inviting Cadance to join us after the Gala shouldn't take too long.' Which was good, because the line of ponies gathered to greet her former foalsitter was twice as long as before. She found herself frowning at that, but nonetheless walked over to the end of the line this time instead of cutting in this time.

She watched Cadance talking with a mare at the top of the stairs, nodding her head and smiling, but the smile wasn't as warm as it should have been. It was forced and slightly strained, not joyful like she remembered from her foalhood when they played together.

Or when Cadance teased her brother.

Thinking back on the times they shared together made her smile, and as she thought about it, she found herself missing it. Simpler times. Back when Princess Celestia was her mentor and she studied magic and didn't have to worry about anything but still worried about everything.

She might have blushed; her cheeks felt warm but there was no mirror for her to check.

The line moved at a snail's pace, with each pony in front of her eager to spend as much time chatting with the Princess as they could. It took a solid half-hour, and she was watching the clock on the wall to be certain, before she finally arrived at the top of the stairs. Cadance smiled with relief to see her, and she smiled back. "I promise I won't take as long as everypony else."

Cadance rolled her eyes. "No, please, I insist. Take as long as you need, Twilight."

Twilight stifled a giggle. "I just wanted to invite you to join the girls and me after the Gala for dinner."

Cadance tilted her head a little and looked at her fondly. "I'd love to!" was her happy agreement.

"I invited Shining, but he said he was stuck on guard duty."

A playful glint entered Cadance's eyes, making them sparkle. "Leave him to me," the alicorn nearly sang. Cadance hummed thoughtfully. "Are your parents coming?"

"I plan to invite them but I've not seen them yet," Twilight answered.

"Well if I see them again I'll let them know," Cadance replied.

"Thanks!" Twilight smiled brightly and gave Cadance a hug that was eagerly returned. They parted after a few seconds and she left again. With a glance back, she watched the next pony, this time a mare, step into place, and Cadance's smile immediately grew strained once again.

But Cadance would be fine, so she put it out of mind and trotted back outside. After about a minute, she made her way through the crowd and approached Applejack's stall. The mare smiled at her, but it looked slightly off. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

"I suppose," Applejack replied. "Just not a lot of business is all."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and looked around. The stall was probably not set up in the best spot to attract attention for one; it was in the courtyard quite some distance away from the rest of the tables with refreshments and even further away from the Ballroom. Only a few ponies walked by, leaving it relatively isolated and unnoticed. It also probably didn't help that there were 'fancier' foods available, for free, closer to the gathered ponies. Applejack really probably should have set up somewhere out in Canterlot instead of the courtyard. "Any way I can help?"

Applejack shook her head. "Don't you worry none, Twilight. Although if you want to keep me company, I'd not mind that."

Twilight smiled and trotted around to the other side of the stall.

A few seconds passed with both of them watching the crowd. "This is uh, not quite what I expected," Applejack flatly drawled. "Guess you were right about that."

Twilight turned to face Applejack, who watched the crowd with a look of distress. "Have you ever been to a Gala like this before?"

Applejack's lips pulled up into a grimace and she shook her head. "I can't say that I have. Closest thing's probably been family reunions, which aren't anything like this."

Twilight tossed her head to the right. "Well, it's something of an acquired taste."

"Hmm. I suppose so. Seems right up Rarity's alley, though," Applejack commented.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. She seems to be enjoying herself from what I've seen. Rainbow Dash too."

"Heh, kinda surprised by that," Applejack said.

Twilight looked at her sheepishly. "Well, she is with the Wonderbolts. Well, two of them anyway."

Applejack squinted at her. "Which two is that again?"

Twilight nudged her head a little higher. "Soarin and Spitfire."

"Ah." Applejack turned back to the crowd. "The two she gushed about for days after the first time she met them..." Applejack drawled. Twilight smiled. Applejack nodded, then sucked in a deep breath and more politely asked, "So how many Galas have you been to before?"

Twilight winced. "Well... I uh, was eight when I attended my first Gala. Being Princess Celestia's student and all that." It was not her best memory, but it wasn't the worst memory either. "It... was not fun. I didn't exactly want to go, since, well, I would rather have been studying..."

She smiled sheepishly as Applejack let out a good-natured chuckle. "Eyup. Sounds like you."

Twilight tossed her head to the side. "Since I was so young I went with my parents, of course. And Princess Celestia." She shifted her weight. "And Cadance. But, well, there were still ponies who wanted to..." 'Take advantage of me to try to get closer to Princess Celestia.' But bringing that up was pointless. "Anyway..." She paused for a moment. "Oh, er, I've technically been to eight Galas now, though some of them I was here for longer than others. I tried to avoid them. I mostly went since Princess Celestia invited me and my parents."

Applejack nodded. "So, I guess you came to this one since Nightmare Moon invited you?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yes. Although I'm halfway enjoying it because you're all here. It's not the same as it used to be, but still. Having friends makes it more enjoyable."

"I take it you talked to Nightmare Moon already?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I, uh, was with her for a while already."

Applejack nodded again and looked back at the crowd.

'I wish you'd give more ponies a chance.' She frowned.

"Something bothering you?" Applejack asked.

She looked over at Applejack and smiled sheepishly. "A little, I guess."

"If you need to talk about anything, I'm all ears."

Twilight smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Applejack. I think I'll be alright, though."

Applejack nodded once, smiling back at her. "Alright."

Twilight thought about it for a few seconds as she watched Applejack turn back to look at the crowd. 'I might take you up on that offer sometime, but for something else.' After all, Applejack had a little sister. Maybe Applejack could help her figure out how to get Nightmare Moon to forgive Princess Celestia!

'Sweetie Belle is Rarity's sister, so maybe Rarity could help too,' she wondered.

And, well, Rainbow Dash didn't have a sister but Rainbow could probably help. Did Princess Luna really once bear the Element of Loyalty? If that was true, and she didn't think Nightmare Moon had a reason to lie about that, then what did that say about her mentor? She had the suspicion that some of that loyalty was still in Nightmare Moon, somewhere, and with how she had seen Nightmare Moon act, she thought she could see it.

Pinkie Pie could make anypony smile.

And Fluttershy? The softspoken pegasus seemed to be always happy to listen. 'Maybe I should talk to Fluttershy about Nightmare Moon, too.' Yes, that sounded nice. Spending more time with Fluttershy, perhaps a picnic with tea and sandwiches. Just the two of them. And maybe Fluttershy and Nightmare Moon could become friends?

It surprised her how much she enjoyed Fluttershy's company. The pegasus was, of course, an introvert like her. Granted, much more so than she was, and much more nervous, but Fluttershy was good company. A kind and caring pony.

If there were any groups of ponies that could somehow get Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia to reconcile, it wouldn't be petitioners pleading or rebels fighting. As insane as it was-and it was insane enough that she had to hold in a laugh which made her feel very uncomfortable-she was certain it would be her friends.

'Why,' she couldn't stop herself from wondering, 'does it seem like we're all so important?'

Before she could give it much thought, a mare she vaguely recognized as somepony from Ponyville approached Applejack's stall at a leisurely trot.

"Huh. Well, howdy, Bon Bon! I wasn't expecting to see you here," Applejack called out warmly.

The mare-Bon Bon-had a two-tone mane: pink and blue, while her coat was cream-colored. Her mane was parted in two so that if she had been a unicorn, her horn would have been set right between the two bobs, splitting the pink half of her mane on her right and the blue on the left. Her tail was curled slightly at the end, with two shorter blue sections and a longer pink section.

The earth pony's shoes were a light bluish-silver in color, and her dress loosely hung from her body, swaths of cyan and teal, with a ribbon hanging from her neck, wrapped around the right side of her neck to drape across her back.

"Hello Applejack. Twilight Sparkle," Bon Bon acknowledged in a sweet voice once she stopped in front of the stall. Bon Bon smiled warmly at Applejack, then, for a moment, met Twilight's gaze before looking back at Applejack.

"So, you here with Lyra, then?" Applejack asked.

"Actually no," Bonbon answered, he smile fading slightly, "just me."

"Huh." Applejack nodded once. "So how'd you get a ticket, then? I thought you and Lyra were inseparable."

Bonbon's smile returned. "Oh, I've wanted to come for years, but I never had the opportunity until now!"

Twilight frowned. 'Haven't I seen you here before?' She thought she had, but wasn't sure. 'Maybe I'm misremembering,' she decided.

Bonbon's ears fell flat against her mane and her head bowed low. "I wasn't able to get two tickets for both of us, though..." Bonbon lifted her head back up and winced. "I wasn't going to come, but... Lyra insisted."

"Heh." Applejack smiled. "Well, it's good to see a familiar face 'round here. What can I do for you?"

Bonbon's ears perked back up. "I'd like an apple fritter, please," Bonbon replied. A moment later, the mare turned her head to the right, leaned back and pulled out two bits from somewhere Twilight couldn't see and dropped them on the table.

Applejack pulled out an apple fritter, and Bonbon happily took it and munched on it, chewing it up then swallowing it and licking her lips. "Mmm... this is good!"

Applejack puffed out her chest. "I reckon my family's the best when it comes to making apple fritters and apple pies!" Applejack blinked, then turned her head. "And apple jam..." she added thoughtfully. "Uh, well, probably anything apple-related, really."

Bonbon giggled, then looked at Twilight. "Hey, you grew up in Canterlot, right?"

Twilight nodded as she shifted her weight. "Yes."

"Do you think you could show me around?" Bonbon asked.

"Uh..." Twilight turned to face Applejack, who shrugged casually. She looked back at Bonbon. "I don't know if I should. I uh, should probably stay around the castle and Canterlot is a pretty big city-"

"Oh, we don't have to go far! It'd be silly to expect you to show me the whole city!" Bonbon giggled sweetly. "Just show me around the castle? Or the courtyard?"

Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. 'It's probably fine. I may not know Bonbon but I guess this is an opportunity to get to know her, and that wouldn't hurt. Maybe I can learn more about Ponyville, and maybe this will help ponies in Ponyville get used to me.' Bonbon seemed nice enough. "Sure," she agreed, then turned to face Applejack. "If that's alright with you?"

Applejack nodded. "Go on," was her warm encouragement.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "We're still on for after the Gala, right?"

Applejack tipped her out-of-place stetson and nodded. "'Course."

Twilight turned and walked out from behind the stall to stand next to Bonbon. "So, where do you want to see first?"

"Oh, I heard there's a lovely garden..." Bonbon answered, sighing wistfully as she looked off at the sky.

'Fluttershy should be there. Maybe we'll run into them.' "Alright."

From her balcony, Nightmare Moon watched, considering the ponies as they mingled and chatted. They looked almost relaxed-at least almost relaxed as nobles could be. Elsewhere in Canterlot, there would be more ponies gathered who had not received invitations to the castle for the Gala. Ponies less noble and more genuine than the ones below who flaunted their supposed wealth, power, and connections.

They didn't care about her, and she didn't care about them. She watched on from her balcony, following Twilight and her friends' movements. More often than not, she couldn't see Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy was elsewhere in the garden. Twilight walked toward the garden with another mare. She studied her student's awkward gait and wondered, 'Do you know her or do you not?' She suspected it was the latter.

Rarity, despite being from Ponyville, fit right in, mingling with a select few ponies who she vaguely recognized.

Applejack was mostly alone at her stall, with very few ponies approaching her. Watching the lone earth pony made her grimace. 'You have taken time to come here for this and you are not fulfilling your intent.' Twilight had been helping Applejack a lot. Perhaps then, Applejack had problems with her orchard that the batponies were not helping with. 'Tending to your trees, undoubtedly.'

Perhaps it was something to keep an eye on. Even if their magic was keeping the trees alive and producing, it took more effort to do so and to harvest them. Prices, then, would likely rise. And so she felt her lips strain further. 'Perhaps more action is necessary.'

Rainbow zipped over the crowd and landed at Applejack's stall. Just a few seconds passed, and then Rainbow flew away carrying an apple pie, leaving Applejack to scoop up the bits on the counter.

'There are things I could be doing, yet I am here watching.' She held in a growl and forced herself to turn around. Walking back into her bedchambers, she felt an edge of worry return to mind: 'I cannot protect you if they attack you.'

For several seconds, she stood still and contemplated returning to the balcony so that she could keep watch. 'I'll be fine,' Twilight was convinced. She inhaled and lowered her head, muttering, "I hope you are correct," to herself.

The thought of them hurting Twilight? It made her chest tighten and made her squirm where she stood. She tossed her head back and then strode into her study in an attempt to escape the thought.

It didn't work.

She wasn't perfect. She wasn't all-powerful. Even though she was an alicorn, she was still just a pony.

She drew in a deep breath, held it for five seconds, then slowly let it back out. The anxiety faded, but what lingered reminded her of a phantom of the dread she had felt when Discord was free.

Dread spurred on by knowing there wasn't anything she could do.

She had made a promise.

And now she had to wait and hope that they didn't hurt Twilight.

She trusted Twilight. She did not trust who the filly was going to meet.

But it wouldn't do to be unprepared, and so her mind churned over the possibilities. Surely it was unlikely they would kill Twilight! If they wanted her sister back, then surely they would not kill Twilight to attempt to attain such a goal! If they wanted to use Twilight as leverage, then perhaps they would threaten to kill Twilight, but it would be a hollow bluff!

She hoped.

No, they wouldn't threaten Twilight. They wouldn't try to use her as leverage. They would not know how much the filly meant to her, only that Twilight had been Sister's student. They had no reason to hurt Twilight or threaten her.

If they did make such a threat, then she would do everything in her power to prevent such a thing from happening.

With two exceptions.

Her gut tightened and her stomach churned. She clenched her eyes shut, lifted her head up, and quickly stamped her right forehoof down on the floor. "Enough!" she hissed. "Worrying over this is pointless!" She opened her eyes. 'Worrying over this will get me nowhere. It is a distraction.'

Yes, whatever would happen would happen, and worrying about it would not change anything. A team of batponies would be ready by now should something go wrong. And of course, if something went wrong, she would intervene. Momentarily, she glanced down at her bare chest and her lips fell into a flat line.

'I will be more prepared if I am wearing my armor,' she knew, and with only a moment's hesitation, she spun around and made her way into her bathroom. In a flourish of magic, she donned her armor, then turned to the mirror to look at her familiar form.

And she found it wanting. The familiar weight almost felt constrictive, rather than protective. She pushed the discomfort aside and strode back out to her bedchambers, then walked out onto her balcony. She stopped at the railing and went back to watching the crowd-

-somepony screamed. A wave of gasps erupted out of the crowd. Ponies jumped to turn towards the Ballroom, and the gasps turned into shrieks. Drinks and plates were dropped, shattering on the ground. Ponies froze.

Her mind raced, her wings flared from her sides as she readied herself to jump off the balcony. She readied her magic and-

BOOM!

The castle shook and her lunge rattled. Everypony screamed.

"We're not exactly hard to spot, you know," Twilight grumbled under her breath. She held her lip in place between her teeth, careful not to press down too much, lest her rapid pace make her bite too much. A few steps ahead of her, Bonbon led her away from the castle.

Bonbon glanced back at her with a flat, dismissive look. "What? Did you expect us to wear cloaks or something? Or did you expect us to ponynap you? Throw you in a bag or something? That's a lot more noticeable and draws a lot more attention than two ponies walking-"

"More like galloping," Twilight mumbled.

"-through the streets, during a celebration." Bonbon turned her head back around to see where she was going. She heard the mare mutter something under her breath, but couldn't make out what. "So no, we're not wearing cloaks since that would be suspicious. Yes, ponies might recognize you and see you going somewhere, but are they really going to suspect anything?"

Twilight huffed. "This would be easier if you'd tell me where we're going and I teleported-"

"Which," Bonbon pointed out, "would draw a lot more attention since only a few unicorns can teleport."

She had half the mind to argue that, no, it would not draw more attention, because she could teleport them somewhere out of sight. Probably.

Fortunately, as she looked around, most ponies ignored them in favor of focusing on their friends. The looks cast their way were passing at best. Fortunately, there just weren't that many ponies out on the streets anyway. Whether that was because of Nightmare Moon and the night or some other reason, she wasn't sure. And as much as she wanted to groan about it, Bonbon was correct: they didn't draw that much attention to them.

Yet the earth pony still continued to sweep her head around in short twitches that she recognized from Midnight as her attempt to make sure they weren't being followed or ambushed, or anything else like that. 'Which is entirely unnecessary.' She wanted to sigh, but instead, just groaned. She half wanted to voice that it wasn't necessary to make sure they weren't being followed, but she could picture how that conversation went and kept it to herself.

It probably wasn't a good idea to admit that she told Nightmare Moon she had agreed to this.

"When you said you wanted me to show you Canterlot, this isn't what I had in mind," Twilight stated flatly. "When you said you wanted to meet with me, this isn't what I had in mind."

Looking back at Twilight over her shoulder, Bonbon dismissed, "Can't be too close to the castle."

"Nightmare Moon can teleport. Distance isn't really-"

"Guards. We'd draw more attention and be more visible. Not really the best idea," Bonbon retorted.

Twilight held in a sigh. 'It's for a good reason,' she told herself. "Then why are we doing this in Canterlot? Why didn't you approach me in Ponyville?"

Bonbon looked back at her. "We're going to be meeting somepony who doesn't have a good reason to visit Ponyville, so it would be suspicious."

She grimaced and looked away from Bonbon. 'You're too paranoid. Then again, maybe you're not. If you're trying to overthrow Nightmare Moon, maybe you can't be too paranoid.' She tried to ignore it.

Besides, it was almost slightly exciting! But not really. Compared to venturing into the Everfree Forest to fight Nightmare Moon, compared to stopping Discord, and compared to sparring with Nightmare Moon? It was rather tame, and yet the anticipation and curiosity brought her to feel excited.

How long had they been trotting for? Fifteen minutes, probably. Without any stops or breaks. Compared to sparring with Nightmare Moon this was a vacation, but still. It was starting to frustrate her, even more so since she was certain Bonbon had led her in circles more than once. Add in the fact that the dress she wore wasn't meant for galloping in, and well, it wasn't fun.

They trotted passed a plaza, then passed a park that reminded her of one of the parks in Ponyville. Tall trees, short grass, and vibrant flowers, all so soft in the light of the moon. Dozens of ponies gathered in the park, both young and old, some wearing dresses and suits while most wore nothing. Tables were set, covered in tablecloths, food, and drinks. Foals ran and played, laughing together while their parents talked together, keeping an ever-present watchful eye over their young.

Had it been day, she was certain the foals would have roamed further from their parents. Had it been day, she was certain the parents wouldn't have kept such close watch of their foals.

She grimaced as a building blocked her sight. She looked back at Bonbon. "So, do you want to tell me-"

"When we get there," Bonbon stated. "I don't want to risk being overheard."

Twilight turned left and right. Nopony paid attention to the two of them. Nopony was close enough to overhear their whispers. She looked back at Bonbon. 'Right.' "Are we at least close?"

Bonbon stopped and swiveled to the right. With a sideways glance at Twilight, Bonbon said, "Yes." With that, Bonbon looked at the building she stopped in front of and walked up the short path to the door.

Twilight shifted her weight, then followed behind Bonbon, studying the mansion. Like the rest of Canterlot, the building was built primarily of marble. There was a single step up to the porch, and on both sides of the elegant, arched double door, there were hooks from which lanterns burned. At the right end of the building was a roughly square area walled in by a marble wall a head taller than most ponies. Evenly spaced, tall arched windows broke the exterior, each one with curtains drawn to block the view inside, and the mansion was encircled by colorful flowerbeds.

Bonbon climbed onto the porch and stopped at the door, then knocked: three times in quick succession, a short pause, then twice more, followed by another pause, and then a final three quick taps. Twilight was almost convinced she heard several locks unclick while latches slid back, and then it stopped. A moment passed as she climbed onto the porch, and then the left half of the door cracked open. No light came from inside, but the lanterns outside the door gave enough light that she saw somepony's eye in the gap.

She shifted her weight as the eye blinked, looked at her, then back at Bonbon, then pulled away. The door swung open more. Bonbon jerked her head left and right, then calmly walked inside. "Quickly!" somepony's hushed voice called from inside. It sounded like a mare.

Twilight couldn't help but think, 'This is ridiculous.' Nonetheless, she obliged and followed Bonbon inside. Once her dress was all the way inside, the door slammed shut and several locks and latches clicked. And so she stood there in the darkness, looking around and trying to make out her surroundings. But like the moonless night, there wasn't enough light to see. Perhaps a hallway, but she couldn't be certain if she was seeing the outlines of the walls or imagining it.

"Were you followed?" the same voice from before asked.

"No," Bonbon answered dismissively.

"Good!" the hushed voice called out. "Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight perked up and turned to the source of the sound. Through the darkness, she thought she could make out the outline of a horn: the pony stood much taller than her, albeit not as tall as Cadance. "Yes?"

"It's nice to finally meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances, but I suppose it can't be helped." Unhushed, the voice was definitely that of a mare. There was a hint of an accent she couldn't place, and the voice had a refined elegance like Rarity's, but more prominent, and almost musical.

"Uh, I didn't catch your name," Twilight replied.

"Fleur," the mare answered.

Twilight didn't recognize the name. "Okay."

A moment later, the unicorn's horn glowed to life with a pale yellow aura that gave off just enough light for Twilight to make out her surroundings. The hallway she was in had two side rooms, and along the walls were pictures that she couldn't quite make out, aside from the decorative, golden-trimmed frames.

Turning her attention back to the unicorn, she found Fleur's coat was white while her bangs were long and graceful, dull pink in color with two soft white stripes matching her coat, while her mane draped over the back of her neck was mostly white, with dull pink stripes along the outside edge. Her purple eyes were softer than most nobles she had seen, and likewise, the mare was taller than almost everypony, with a few notable exceptions. Her build was slender and sleek, graceful as if she should have taken the front page of magazines.

"So, um," Twilight ventured, shifting her weight on her hooves, "are we just going to stay here, or-"

Fleur shook her head. "Come," was her coax, and with that, Fleur turned back and walked to the end of the hallway, then turned right and opened a door. Twilight and Bonbon went inside the room, and Fleur closed the door behind them.

Twilight looked around the dimly lit room. There was a single window blocked by curtains, and a long wooden table was centered in the room, its glossy surface shining under the glow of Fleur's magic. The surface was inlaid with lighter colored wood, pressed into elegant swirls that served as stems to flowers and leaves. In the center of the table was a tray with a teapot and three cups.

"It's just going to be the three of us tonight," Fleur said as she pulled out a chair on the other side of the table to sit down in.

Bonbon likewise walked around and sat down beside Fleur, so Twilight gradually walked to the table and pulled out the chair across from Fleur while the unicorn poured three cups of tea and distributed them. Twilight sat down. "So..."

Fleur took a sip of her tea, then set the cup back down. To Twilight's surprise, Bonbon cleared her throat, then spoke, "We need your help."

Twilight inclined her head as she looked at Bonbon. That was how they wanted to start? By stating the obvious!? She held back a sigh. "Your letter said that much," she flatly acknowledged.

Bonbon shifted her weight. "Er, right. Regardless, thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

So far, she was not impressed.

She glanced at her teacup, lifted it up in her magic and brought it under her nose to smell it. She didn't recognize it, so she lifted her head back up and took a small sip to sample it. A bit on the sweet side for her liking, and a little heavy, but palatable. "Other than the obvious," Twilight acknowledged as she set the cup of tea back down on the table, leaving her horn lit, "what exactly do you want me to do?"

Fleur and Bonbon shared a glance and their lips pulled into strained lines. "It's no secret that you stopped Discord."

Twilight nodded and voiced, "My friends helped." More firmly, "I couldn't have done it without them."

Fleur sat back and levitated her teacup up to her lips and took a small sip. For a few seconds, the mare held the teacup just under her lips, then she set it back down on the table. "Nightmare Moon honored your friends and yourself for defeating Discord."

Twilight shifted her weight as both mares look at her with contemplative and expressions that almost looked suspicious. "Yes, she did..." she admitted.

"She called you her friend," Bonbon said.

And for a few seconds, Twilight sat in silence, feeling anxiety bubble up in her chest, feeling her hooves grow cold, feeling her muscles tighten. They didn't look at her accusatory, but that didn't stop her from being nervous. She swallowed, looked down at her teacup, then slowly levitated it up, took a small sip, and set it back down. 'What can I say to that?' How did she respond to that? Would they turn against her if she told them that they were? Admitting that was stupid. She took a deep breath, inclined her head, and said, "She trusts me."

Because Nightmare Moon did trust her, and so it was the truth.

"Besides, you already knew that when you contacted me," she said.

Fleur and Bonbon shared a look, and Fleur closed her eyes and nodded sympathetically.

"This could work in our favor," Bonbon commented.

Fleur opened her eyes and turned to face Bonbon. "If she agrees to help us," was pointed out. "It's still risky."

Bonbon groaned. "No matter what, it's going to be risky."

Fleur waited a moment, nodded, then breathed in and turned back to face Twilight. "We need your help to dethrone Nightmare Moon."

Twilight grimaced and looked off to the side. 'Well, that was another given.' She turned back to look at Fleur, then glanced at Bonbon before facing Fleur again. "Look. I don't know if I can help you," she said. Her grimace grew more pronounced and she sat up straighter. "I don't even know anything about you. How do I know that this isn't some kind of trick?"

Other than the obvious, 'Nightmare Moon isn't testing my loyalty.'

Bonbon's head twitched to the side. "Right. I guess you wouldn't have a reason to trust us. I'm guessing you wouldn't want to jeopardize being Nightmare Moon's student, considering she defeated Princess Celestia-" Twilight winced, "-and did... something with her."

'Something?' Twilight wondered. 'You don't think she banished her?'

The two mares shared a grimace. "What do you think?" Fleur asked.

"She is Princess Celestia's protege," Bonbon replied. The mare turned back to face Twilight. "I work for Princess Celestia," Bonbon said. "I've worked for her for several years. Indirectly."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. Maybe Bonbon could have worked for Princess Celestia, but she didn't exactly trust that claim. Sure, Bonbon looked about Cadance's age, but still. 'Wait, was that why I recognized you?' "Doing what, exactly?"

Bonbon tossed her head to the side. "Dealing with monsters. Cockatrices, manticores-" Bonbon grimaced, "-bugbears..." the grimaced faded as Bonbon shook her head and looked back at her. "Those sorts of things, among others that I can't say."

Inclining her head, Twilight asked, "On your own?"

Bonbon shook her head. "No, I had help."

"Who?" Twilight asked.

Bonbon winced for a moment. "I can't say." Then Bonbon nodded once. "And with that said, it's better not to tell you the full extent of what we have. Right now, anyway. We're not ready to act."

Twilight grimaced. "Compartmentalization..?" she ventured. Bonbon nodded. "In case somepony gets caught, they won't be able to out everypony..." 'That's smart, and that could be a problem.'

"Exactly," Bonbon said. "Once we're in a better position, we might have to drop it in order to coordinate."

Coordinate stuck out in her mind. "To do what, exactly?"

"Overthrow Nightmare Moon," Bonbon answered. "Which should be obvious."

Twilight jerked her head slightly, "Other than that," she specified. "What exactly are you planning?"

"If we destabilize her rule enough, she should be vulnerable. Of course, there's the risk of causing more damage to Equestria if we do that. We're still working out the details, and we're still trying to figure out what exactly to do," Bonbon said. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she continued, "This would be a lot easier if Princess Celestia left instructions. Or if she actually told us this was going to happen."

"So your goal is to dethrone Nightmare Moon and bring Princess Celestia back," Twilight summarized.

Bonbon bobbed her head. "Yes. Alternatively, if we can't rescue Princess Celestia, overthrow Nightmare Moon and replace her with Princess Cadance. Hopefully she can handle the sun and moon, but if she can't, we'll have to figure something else out."

'Would Cadance be able to do that?' She wanted to say yes, but at the same time, she had no idea. That wasn't something that was ever brought up. 'Do you even know how to move the sun and moon?'

She shook her head; there were more questions to be asked. "How?" Twilight pressed. "How do you plan on defeating Nightmare Moon if Nightmare Moon defeated Princess Celestia? And then how do you plan on bringing Princess Celestia back? Or are you planning to free Princess Celestia first?"

Bonbon looked away from her, grimacing. "We're still working on that." Reluctantly turning back to face her, Bonbon looked her in the eyes. "We have access to the Royal Archives, so we're trying to find spells or artifacts that can help. We're also looking for any information about how unicorns used to move the sun and moon before Princess Celestia took over." She frowned slightly at that; it wasn't common knowledge. "But, like you said, defeating Nightmare Moon isn't going to be easy. It'd be a lot easier if we had somepony with your magic potential on our side."

Fleur nodded once and emphasized, "And somepony she trusts."

Twilight felt her lips press together into a line. Rather than feeling cold, angry, or annoyed, she felt disappointed. And oddly enough, at ease. 'You have access to the Royal Archives?' In theory, that wouldn't be too difficult for them. There were more ponies who had access to the Royal Archives than she could name, but the list was still manageable. But more worryingly, "What about the Forbidden Section?"

Bonbon's brow twitched, then she glanced at Fleur before looking back at Twilight. "It's better if we don't say."

'You do, don't you?' That list was much shorter. There was a reason it was forbidden: the knowledge was dangerous. Spells and artifacts, and even her knowledge of what all was in the Forbidden Section was limited to that. Princess Celestia had not discussed it further, only saying that she wasn't ready for it, probably because of her age. 'Would Nightmare Moon let me have access to the Forbidden Section?' she wondered. But it was something to think about later. "Do you have any more concrete plans?"

"We're not at liberty to say right now," Fleur answered.

She grimaced.

"It will probably be a few months before we're ready to do anything," Bonbon commented.

Twilight grimaced. 'Well, at least we have time to figure something out.' Because it seemed like the 'resistance' was going to be a problem.

Maybe.

Whose side was she even on? She wanted Princess Celestia freed! But not at the cost of Nightmare Moon. They were meant to rule together. She looked down at the table as she thought about it. 'We should be on the same side, but I'm also not just going to betray Nightmare Moon.'

Because it would be wrong.

"Will you help us?" Fleur asked, her voice a soft murmur, a soft plea.

Twilight lifted her eyes up and looked at the mare. Without agreeing, she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Bonbon spoke, "You said she trusts you." Twilight looked at her. "You're her student, so you're close to her, right?" Twilight nodded. "Then you can be a lot of help to us."

And that idea left her uncomfortable. "Doing what, exactly?"

"If she trusts you, then maybe you can use that trust to gather information that could help us out a lot," Fleur said.

Twilight's lips twisted into a grimace. It wasn't actually a problem, but it was a flaw she felt like pointing out. "She could find out it was me."

"We can make sure she can't hurt you if she finds out," Bonbon offered. "Your parents and your friends, too."

She seriously doubted that. "And what about Cadance? What about my brother?"

"Princess Cadance would be a lot of help if she would help us, but we can't approach her without problems. You can. The same with your brother," Fleur continued.

"Cadance is being watched by Nightmare Moon," she said.

Bonbon and Fleur shared a look. "That's what we were afraid of. That complicates things," Fleur murmured.

"We were hoping you could talk to Cadance and coordinate with her. Act as a go-between for us since we can't talk to her directly," Bonbon said. "But if Nightmare Moon is watching her, we're going to have to figure out something else."

"What about your brother? Is Nightmare Moon watching him?" Fleur asked.

She tilted her head to the side. "Not... exactly. They're not on the best of terms, which is probably obvious... Nightmare Moon doesn't trust him but keeps him around."

"Do you think you can talk to him for us?" Fleur asked. "If the Royal Guard can help us, that's all the better. It'll make dethroning Nightmare Moon much easier. The batponies outnumber the Royal Guard, but the Royal Guard have unicorns. At the very least, they could make all the difference when the time comes. Getting the Royal Guard involved is a big risk..."

Bonbon nodded in agreement. "If you can talk to your brother, maybe find out from him how the Royal Guard feels about Nightmare Moon and... discretely ask if they would help us if something were to happen, that would help us out a lot."

"Knowing where the Royal Guard stands will make it easier for us to overthrow Nightmare Moon, aside from the batponies," Fleur murmured.

Twilight inhaled, then licked her lips. "So, you're wanting me to gather information, basically?"

Bonbon nodded, but specified, "Yes. When we're closer to being ready to act having somepony who was Princess Celestia's protege on our side would help a lot. Especially if it's somepony Nightmare Moon trusts. So would having another alicorn, and of course, the Royal Guard."

Twilight grimaced and turned to face the wall. "And what about when you're ready to act? What do you want me to do then?" She turned back to face the two of them. Fleur lifted her teacup to take a small drink.

"That depends on what we figure out, and what you're willing and able to do," Bonbon answered.

Twilight thought about it for a while before licking her lips and saying, "You know this is risky, right?"

Bonbon snorted. "Of course it's risky, but what's the alternative? Wait for Nightmare Moon to destroy Equestria? Wait until nopony remembers Princess Celestia? We can't wait that long."

Twilight turned back to face Bonbon. "Ponies will get hurt."

"We know," Fleur said, "but ponies are already being hurt."

Twilight frowned. "How?"

The two mares shared a grimace, then Bonbon straightened and breathed in deep. "Manehattan, for example. Ponies were rounded up and imprisoned."

She shook her head. "I was there, it wasn't that bad-"

"Monsters are attacking ponies in villages near forests. Killing them," Bonbon added. "I've seen it and its not pretty. The batponies can't be everywhere. It's only a matter of time before the lack of sunlight causes food shortages. Earth ponies are having to expend a lot more effort, and maybe it's fine for now, but for how long?"

She pursed her lips and gradually turned her head to the right at a slight angle. "Nightmare Moon said that her magic would be enough to sustain-"

Bonbon raised an eyebrow. "And you believed her?"

'Yes,' but she didn't say anything.

Bonbon frowned. "You're smarter than that, Twilight."

She grimaced and turned her head the rest of the way to the right to look at the wall.

"Do I need to bring up the weather? Cloudsdale?" Bonbon asked. She looked back at her but said nothing. And realizing she wasn't going to say anything, Bonbon said, "It's just a matter of time before things get worse."

Twilight sighed.

"I don't think I need to bring up the dragons," Bonbon said.

Twilight winced. 'No, you really don't.'

"Have you been out in Canterlot recently?" Fleur asked softly.

Twilight looked at her and weakly nodded.

"Then you've seen the way ponies act. You've seen the businesses suffering. Fancy Pants told me how bad things are looking. Nopony really wants to admit it, but it's bad. Businesses are closing. Ponies are losing their jobs. He expects things to get worse."

She grimaced. 'The economic problems you've mentioned.' How bad would it really get? Was Nightmare Moon blind to it?

"If that happens, then ponies are going to lose more hope than they already have. And when that happens, things are going to get a lot worse," Bonbon said. "The griffins are proof enough of that."

"There's also the disappearances," Bonbon added.

Twilight frowned. "What disappearances?"

Bonbon tossed her head to the side. "A pony goes missing here, and there, sometimes it's not noticed for a while..." Bonbon leveled her head at her again. "And no, they're not on vacation and for the most part, nopony has seen them since."

'You're not behind that, are you?' Would Nightmare Moon have told her about that? Maybe not, but she thought that Nightmare Moon would have asked her advice on it. She remembered Nightmare Moon considering making ponies disappear back in Manehattan, but the alicorn had quickly backed down. "I don't... I don't think she's behind that."

Bonbon frowned. "Who else?"

"I don't know, but that... that's not really something she'd do," she answered.

Bonbon and Fleur looked at each other, then back at her. "She may trust you, Twilight, but I doubt she tells you everything."

She grimaced. 'You're right about that, but I don't think she's behind the disappearances.'

"Did you know Nightmare Moon was going to return?" Fleur asked.

"Kind of..." she admitted.

"Princess Celestia told you?" Bonbon hastily asked. "But-"

"No. I uh, read it in a book." Both Bonbon and Fleur blinked, though the latter frowned.

"What book?" Fleur asked.

"Predictions and Prophecies?" she offered.

Neither mare recognized the name. "And Princess Celestia didn't tell you anything?" Fleur asked.

She tossed her head to the side. "Well, the last letter I got from her told me to go to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration and make some friends, but otherwise no, not really."

"And Ponyville was the first place where Nightmare Moon was seen," Bonbon commented.

She hesitated, then nodded in agreement.

"And you and your friends defeated Discord," Bonbon added.

She wasn't sure she liked where Bonbon was going.

"That was another thing we wanted to ask," Fleur said. "You said that you and your friends defeated Discord, and Nightmare Moon honored you for that. How is it that you and your friends were able to stop Discord where Nightmare Moon and Princess Cadance couldn't? We know that both of them tried and failed to stop Discord when he was free."

She was going to regret this. Still, she didn't have much of a choice, so she sucked in a deep breath, then asked, "Do you know about the Elements of Harmony?" They both looked confused. She shifted her weight. 'I shouldn't tell them this.' But since she brought it up, she didn't have a choice now. "It's what we used to defeat Discord."

"If they stopped Discord, they can stop Nightmare Moon?"

She wasn't sure if Bonbon was asking or saying that. She nodded, remembering, 'It's how Princess Celestia stopped you before.' "They can. The problem is that Nightmare Moon has them."

Bonbon grimaced and Fleur frowned. "It seems unlikely they will be easy to get, then," Bonbon mused.

She nodded tersely. "Yes."

"What about Princess Cadance? Did Princess Celestia tell her anything?" Fleur asked.

She slowly shook her head. "No. Cadance knew about Nightmare Moon, but that's it."

Fleur grimaced and Bonbon grunted.

"We know we're asking a lot of you, Twilight," Fleur murmured, "but you and your friends defeated Discord. With you on our side, we should be able to dethrone Nightmare Moon and rescue Princess Celestia." And Fleur looked at her almost pleadingly, her eyes glistening from the glow of their horns. "And then everything will get better."

"We need you," Fleur murmured.

"Equestria needs you," Bonbon said. "Princess Celestia needs you."

'I know she does.' Twilight felt her ears pin back, pressing her mane down. "I need some time to think," she said in a quiet voice. Of course, she still knew it was just procrastinating, but it wasn’t technically lying, was it? She did need to think. She also needed to talk to Nightmare Moon about it. She just did not specify that particular part. And yet she still suspected, 'You're going to want me to agree, aren't you?'

Because then Nightmare Moon would have somepony she trusted inside of this 'resistance.' And really, 'joining' them was probably a good idea. She might be able to convince them not to do anything stupid! She hoped. 'Oh, this is going to come back and bite me in the flank, isn't it?'

But that was a problem for another time.

"Of course," Fleur said. "We will contact you eventually for another meeting once we have more worked out. For right now, you don't need to do anything, unless you want to go ahead and ask your brother where the Royal Guard would stand."

"It's probably best that we don't see each other too much," Bonbon added, then shook her head. The mare stood from her chair. "Thank you again for meeting with us. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I do too," Twilight said.

Bonbon nodded. "We've been gone a while. I might not be missed, but I'd imagine you would. You should probably head back to the castle before Nightmare Moon realizes you're gone."

She gradually rose from her chair. "What about you two?"

"We need to talk," Bonbon said.

As soon as had Twilight reached the gates to the castle courtyard, she stopped and gawked.

Everywhere she looked, tables were overturned, glass was shattered, and drinks and food were strewn about. Servants-mostly unicorns-were attempting to sweep up the debris, while Royal Guards ran about chasing down rabbits and birds. Aside from the Royal Guards and servants, she didn't see anypony else. None of the nobles from earlier, and none of her friends.

"What exactly happened here!?" Twilight demanded in exasperation. Of course, nopony was there to answer her question. The gate was unguarded, as the Royal Guards seemed to be preoccupied.

And for a brief moment, she considered that, perhaps, the resistance had tried something in her absence. The lack of blood on the ground, however, appeased that worry. So no, probably not an attack then. The general chaos reminded her of Manehattan. She didn't quite worry that Discord had escaped and done something, but only because if Discord had escaped again the chaos he would have caused would have been far worse.

She shifted her weight and looked towards Nightmare Moon's balcony; it was empty, but everypony else was busy. Granted, Nightmare Moon stood a good chance of being busy too, if this had happened, but she still needed to talk with Nightmare Moon. And find her friends.

She channeled her magic into her horn and cast her teleportation spell, and a moment later, the double image snapped away to reveal Nightmare Moon's bedchambers. Seemingly empty, though she heard a chime of magic from the study, which went silent not a moment later. She turned around and listened to hoofsteps approach, then saw the alicorn walk through the doorway. And she felt disappointed enough that her ears might have folded back, because Nightmare Moon once again wore her armor. Nightmare's ears twitched slightly.

And then she was worried. "What-what happened?" she asked as she took a step closer.

And Nightmare rolled her eyes, tossing her head to the right with a mix of annoyance, exasperation, and an almost careless lack of concern. "Let us just say the Gala went as expected, though ended..." Nightmare trailed off, leveling her head and then bobbing it side to side before settling on, "how it was expected, but not from what I expected."

"What?" was all she had to ask.

Shaking her head, Nightmare walked over to her. "We are still trying to figure out entirely what happened, but it goes something along the lines of..." Nightmare Moon trailed off and squinted, then lifted her head as she breathed in. "Actually, I imagine you do not want to know. The short version is that your friends happened."

Unease welled up inside her, twisting into a knot in her chest and gut. "A-are they okay? Is everypony okay? Did anypony get hurt? Where are they!?" she blabbered out as quickly as she could, then finished with biting her lip.

Nightmare grimaced. "To my knowledge, there were only minor injuries. I believe Rarity would argue against that," Nightmare dropped her head low, turning to the left, "since she is willing to consider the ruined dresses casualties." Twilight shifted her weight and Nightmare looked back at her again. "They are all fine. To my knowledge, they left to go eat and, perhaps with luck, draw less attention to themselves."

"Um, are you angry? At them?" Twilight asked, her voice high-pitched and sharp with worry.

Nightmare frowned. "In truth? No," was the surprisingly calm answer. "I expected tonight to be a disaster of some sort. Granted," Nightmare nodded once, "I did not anticipate this being the reason why."

Twilight looked away from Nightmare and stood there, feeling awkward from not knowing what to say.

"How did... your meeting go?" Nightmare cautiously ventured.

Twilight winced as she turned back to face the alicorn. "Right. That," she muttered, making Nightmare tilt her head. She forced a smile and looked up at Nightmare, taking in a deep breath before saying, "Uh, well enough..." Her voice sounded high-pitched. Nightmare tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow. Twilight sighed and rolled her head side to side. "They wanted me to help them." And pausing for a moment, she realized Nightmare Moon probably knew as might. "Right, they asked me to join them."

"And did you agree?" came Nightmare's calm question.

"I told them I needed time to think about it," Twilight admitted. She smiled sheepishly at the alicorn. "And I wanted to talk with you about it, but, obviously, I didn't mention that last part."

"Of course," Nightmare agreed.

A few seconds passed in silence. Twilight shifted her weight. "Right, um... do you want me to?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "While I see the benefits of this, I will not force you to because it has risks."

Twilight grimaced and turned away from her. "Yes... risks."

Nightmare stepped closer and reached out with her wing, then brushed her feather along Twilight's cheek. Twilight turned back to look up at her mentor.

"I think I should do it," Twilight said.

"But you do not want to," Nightmare summarized.

Twilight grimaced. "It's not that, it's just... complicated."

"I see," Nightmare replied. "If you need time to think about it then I will not press you for a decision."

Twilight frowned. "And you're okay with this?"

Nightmare tilted her head and folded her wing back to her side. "Of course." Straightening her head, "Why would I not be?"

Twilight blinked once. "Because I'm telling you that a resistance group that wants to dethrone you and rescue your sister wants me to join them so that I can help them achieve their goals," she explained in a flat monotone.

Nightmare's lip twitched up for a moment. "As I have said, I trust you, and you infiltrating this group would be beneficial."

Twilight looked down at the crescent moon in the alicorn's chestplate. "Right," she muttered.

Nightmare breathed in. "So, what did they have to say?"

"Well-" Twilight looked up to meet Nightmare's calm gaze, "-they're compartmentalized and have access to the Royal Archives. They're looking for any spells or artifacts that they can use against you, and they're looking for anything that could help with bringing the sun back." Nightmare's brow twitched down. "I asked about the Forbidden Section but they didn't give an answer. I think they do but I could be wrong." Nightmare frowned but said nothing. "They wanted me to talk to Cadance but I told them you're watching her, and they wanted me to ask my brother if the Royal Guard would help them if they tried something. I don't think they have any immediate plans, other than-" she winced and broke eye contact, "-gathering support and trying to find a way to rescue Princess-" she caught herself and her head jerked. Nervously, she looked up at Nightmare.

"You... may speak her name," Nightmare said at length.

Twilight shifted her weight. "Um, your sister," she finished. Nightmare didn't react. "They're trying to figure out how to dethrone you, but they seem to want to try to weaken you before they act."

"I see," Nightmare said. After a moment, Nightmare walked towards the balcony. Twilight hesitated a moment, then followed behind her. Nightmare stopped at the railing, and Twilight sat down beside the alicorn at her right. The alicorn looked aside at her, opened her mouth halfway but didn't say anything. After a moment of hesitation, Nightmare closed her mouth and sat down beside Twilight. And then Nightmare went back to looking out over the courtyard.

"They also seem to think that your magic won't be enough to sustain crops, that you're rounding up ponies and imprisoning them, and making ponies disappear."

Nightmare Moon didn't say anything, rather the alicorn silently contemplated something.

"And, um... unfortunately, they kind of know about the Elements of Harmony because I told them." Twilight waited several seconds, expecting Nightmare to say or something, but it didn't happen. "Are you doing okay? I was expecting you to ask more questions."

Nightmare nodded. "I am... distracted, but otherwise fine." Twilight watched her mentor turn her head to look down at her; Nightmare's lips were parted halfway, showing that familiar hesitation that didn't fit the alicorn. "I am glad that you are unharmed."

Twilight smiled a little. "I told you I'd be fine."

Nightmare turned away from her and nodded once. "So you did," was her admission.

Twilight's smile faded away. "You don't seem like you're fine."

Nightmare Moon bowed her head. "I do not wish to discuss it." Twilight waited a few seconds, then looked out over the courtyard. Several ponies worked on cleaning up the mess. She made the mistake of looking for Applejack's stand and found it ruined. She felt guilty about it, even knowing there probably wasn't anything she could have done.

She heard the chime of Nightmare's magic and saw the glow. When she turned to face her mentor, she watched the alicorn levitate her helmet off, then teleport it away. A moment later, Nightmare bowed her head lower, looked at her chestplate, then simply teleported the rest of her armor away and let the glow of her horn fade. And then Nightmare lifted her head back, holding it higher than before as she gazed out at the stars.

And for a while, Twilight watched her. Nightmare Moon was not bound in chains by her armor, but neither was she free. A certain weight lingered in her features as she looked at the stars. Disappointment. Her mane billowed behind her head, yet it was not graceful like Princess Luna's had been in her dream, rather, it looked somehow tainted. Roiling with power and agitated. Neither graceful nor serene.

She eventually looked away from her mentor and let her gaze wander around the courtyard below. She glanced over Ponyville, so far away, just barely visible from lights. She looked over at her tower, reminiscing on days and nights past. Looked at the garden, contemplating Discord.

Nightmare's voice eventually broke the stillness, saying, "This is peaceful."

She looked back at Nightmare and found the alicorn looking at her, studying her. She nodded in agreement. "It is."

Nightmare met her gaze for a moment, then looked at her mane. "I would... enjoy doing this more often."

Twilight smiled. "We can," she offered.

The corners of Nightmare's lips twitched up, but then it was gone. "I would like that." And then Nightmare turned away from her, lowering her head once again. The alicorn's eyes jumped back and forth. She saw Nightmare's chest deflate and almost thought she heard her sigh. "But you made other plans," Nightmare said, turning back to face her again. "I believe your friends are waiting for you."

Twilight felt her brow and lips pull down. "Come with me," she said.

Nightmare immediately looked away and shook her head. "They would not welcome me."

And it was a fact that both of them knew.

Nightmare turned back to face her and inclined her head once. "Go. Be with your friends."

She hesitated as she looked into Nightmare's eyes, but gradually nodded before breaking eye contact. She slowly stood back up and channeled her magic into her horn, forming the two matrices for a teleportation spell.

And Nightmare's parting words before she teleported were, "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Twilight."

Author's Note

When I originally wrote this chapter, I went into it not having a plan for the resistance. This, as you may guess, was a mistake. By which I mean the original meeting will never see the light of day because oh Celestia is it pointless and weak. And now it's less so!

Edited again on 3/5/20

Reviewed again on 3/23/20

I like it less than I did before, but this may be because I had to force myself to go over it.

Reviewed and edited/rewritten on 3/25/20

The Resistance grows less gimmicky!

Reviewed and edited on 5/4/20

6/25/20

The chapters after this have not been gone over for editing/prereading by my prereaders who will go unnamed. This is widely considered treason then, by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

How this will affect the schedule is most likely negative. It also does not help that the rate at which I draft chapters has plummeted to one chapter every 4-5 weeks or longer. A new chapter every month? Maybe. Probably...

As I write this I an contemplating how to rewrite a section of the chapter I'm drafting (read as stuck on) so that there's not a "Wait, what?" moment which ruins the chapter's flow, because as of current it creates flow problems with what I have and what I want.

To be fair I actually have it figured out, but I'm procrastinating on it. Gotta duplicate the chapter, commit delete on a large section, then continue more casually before-well, spoilers.

Following this, which the draft may be finished in a few weeks, I have very limited plans for the next chapter, as it's a recently conceived change/addition. There may also be another chapter following it (as a follow up, or lead in to the next chapter) before I get back to the well-pre-planned portion of the story, where it's leading up to and including--wait I can't give away those kinds of spoilers!

Then again, it should surprise no one that once every year, Twilight Sparkle gets one year older. This is widely regarded as an important moment and quite an opportunity for specific things which are quite guessable.

And then following that, to quote Anakin and Ahsoka, "This is where the fun begins." Who has the high ground? You'll just have to wait and see, but there won't be any lava. Not yet. I wonder if anyone will notice the Halo reference I have planned...

Rambling is fun. I don't have many more comments to say here. Hope you've enjoyed, hope you continue to enjoy. Remember to smash that like button and leave a comment below. As per usual, if you spot typos, point them out.

9/26/20

Spotted a couple of typos while rereading and fixed them.

Consideration Part 1

As soon as the double image from teleportating faded, Twilight’s eyes refocused on Pony Joe’s Donut Shop. She smiled at seeing the cafe’s warm, inviting lights reaching out through the windows to paint the street, but Nightmare Moon’s absence weighed on her mind, making the corners of her lips dip lower.

She hastily glanced left and then right to make sure she wouldn’t run into anypony, and satisfied she wouldn’t, she hastily crossed the street, opened the door with her magic, and walked inside. The little chime of the door’s bell as it opened announced her presence, bringing to mind a few fond memories. Pony Joe himself stood behind the counter, turning to face her with the same warm, welcoming smile as always.

She returned it for a moment, then did a quick look around to find that everypony was there, sitting on the left side of the cafe at two adjacent tables. A few half-empty drinks and plates of crumbs and half-eaten food were set out on the tables, but it was her friends and family she was drawn to.

She had to do a double-take when she saw them. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash’s dresses were all torn up to varying degrees, and Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Rarity’s manes were ruined. Rarity, while usually calm and collected, had her head laid on the table with her ears pinned back, her cheeks matted from tears and grayed from her mascara. Her headband was uneven.

They all looked at her with varying degrees of eagerness and reluctance. She glanced back and closed the door behind her, then hurried over to them to take a seat beside Fluttershy, who ducked her head lower as she sat down. “What-what happened?”

“Oh...” Fluttershy’s wings bristled at her sides as the shy pegasus lowered her head and hid behind her mane. “Um... it... was... nothing, really...”

Rainbow Dash smiled a forced smile as she sat up in her seat and chuckled awkwardly. “Uh... yeah! Nothing...”

Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash from where she sat because of the blatant lie before shifting her weight uncomfortably.

“Oh, I can’t believe this happened!” Rarity pouted, finally lifting her head up to look over at Pinkie Pie and stare daggers at her. “Why would you think that was a good idea!” her friend fumed.

Pinkie slumped forward over the table. “Whaaat! I thought it would make everypony happy!”

“Uh... you can’t really put all the blame on Pinkie...” Rainbow muttered, drawing Rarity’s ire. “I kinda screwed that up too.”

“What exactly happened?” Twilight asked.

Her friends and family all shared a look. Her parents seemed innocent enough, but her friends were visibly reluctant to speak. “We’ll tell you another time,” Applejack finally said.

She grimaced but nodded. “Right... I guess... I guess you wouldn’t want to talk about that...” She licked her lips and looked over her friends’ disheveled forms again. “Are you all alright?”

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Rainbow said. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Applejack all nodded. Rarity huffed in disagreement.

“What about you?” Applejack asked, turning to face her. “We didn’t see you when... yeah.”

All eyes fell on her, putting her on the spot. “O-oh, um. I’m okay... I was... I was out in Canterlot.”

Applejack nodded in understanding. “What about Bonbon?”

“She was... there too,” she admitted. “We eventually went our separate ways. I came back and... yeah.”

“Maybe a good thing you weren’t there,” Applejack mused.

She shifted her weight and turned to look over at her parents, her brother, Cadance, and Spike. “So, um, you’ve all met my friends now...” Which, in all honesty, may have been the worst introduction possible.

Still, her mother and father smiled as they nodded. “It only took ten years for you to have friends,” her father said with a chuckle.

She shifted her weight as her friends looked at her and smiled a bit. “W-well, um, yes,” she admitted. “But I had a good reason before! I was-”

Cadance bobbed her head to the side, answering for her, “Studying... all the time... unless I was there to keep you from it.”

She looked at Cadance and puffed out her cheeks. “I-”

Rainbow snorted. “Heh, yeah, that’s Twilight alright. I swear, every time I stop by the library to visit her, she has her muzzle in some book or another!”

“Eyup,” Applejack agreed.

“I’m not as bad as I used to be!” she defended.

Cadance smiled warmly. “Oh, you should have seen how bad she was back when I foalsat her.” Her former foal-sitter now had all her friends' attention, much to her own dismay. “I remember walking in several times and she never noticed I was there until I took her book from her.”

“Th-that’s not... fair! I was... they were really good books!” She sank back into her seat while her friends shared smiles and grins in Rainbow’s case.

“She would look so adorable from how shocked she was that her book was being taken, and then she would light up with excitement when she saw that it was me,” Cadance continued.

Shining chuckled. “Yeah, you were pretty bad back then.”

“No, I wasn’t! I was just...” she took a moment to breath in and recompose herself, then sat up straighter as she specified, “focused!”

Her brother flexed his eyebrows up and gradually turned to look at Cadance. “You could say that again...”

“Hey, at least it didn’t take me years to work up the courage to ask Cadance to date me, unlike somepony.”

Her brother stumbled for words and blushed, hastily looking between her, Cadance, and their parents.

Cadance just smiled fondly while their parents laughed softly. “Oh, I remember how you tried to woo me, Shiny...”

“Oh, do tell!” Rarity chimed in.

Shining Armor looked at Twilight with a sense of betrayal. “Wait, we were supposed to be talking about Twilight.”

“Well, yes dear, but it’s not every night that you get to enjoy the company of a Princess and her coltfriend,” Rarity happily interjected. Rarity turned around and pressed herself into the back of her seat to look at her brother with dreamy eyes. “Is it true what they say? Are you really going to propose to her?”

Shining blanched and sank back into his seat, looking between Rarity and Cadance fearfully. Cadance even seemed caught off-guard by Rarity’s comment.

His training might have kicked it, because he overcame his fear, and then with practiced care, despite his shaking legs, he stood from his seat and turned back to face Cadance.

‘Wait, are you-’

He was.

Everypony fell silent. Everypony held their breath.

He bowed and levitated a small box out from under the table, then held it towards Cadance. She saw Cadance’s eyes widen and her chest rise as everypony fell silent. “Princess Cadance, will you marry me?” He opened the box to reveal a golden ring set with a large diamond.

For a moment, there was silence. Cadance’s horn burst to life as she smiled and squealed in delight. The alicorn teleported herself from her seat and hugged Shining Armor from behind, so hard that her brother’s horn flickered and he wheezed. “Yes!” Cadance happily declared.

Shining Armor smiled. The two of them closed their eyes and stood there for a few seconds.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered, making both of them open their eyes and blush.

She had no words. She looked over to see her friends smiling and surprised, though Rarity practically swooned with delight.

“Well, congratulations you two!” Applejack wholeheartedly chimed in.

The future couple broke their hug and sat back down, with Cadance cuddling up against her brother’s side. They smiled happily, and she still had no words. She noticed her parents bowing their heads together as they shared a happy smile. Her mom’s eyes glistened slightly.

Her stomach rumbling finally forced her to remember why she was here. She blinked and shook her head, then climbed down from her seat and walked over to the counter, still processing what had happened. Pony Joe smiled knowingly. “You two planned this, didn’t you?”

“Always willing to help out a friend,” he answered.

She smiled and shook her head.

“The usual?”

Donuts for supper was probably not the best idea, but it was a special treat for a very special occasion. “Yeah,” she said.

He nodded and turned to pull out a plate and set a freshly baked, frosted donut with sprinkles for her. She took it in her magic and smiled in thanks. “I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”

“Oh, no, your father’s paying for everypony tonight,” he dismissed.

“Oh. Huh. Okay. Thank you.” She turned and walked back to her seat to eat while her friends and family all conversed. The conversation focused mostly on her brother and Cadance, but several times it dipped back to her and her foalhood, much to her embarrassment. She eventually finished eating and sat in a happy, comfortable silence.

Maybe Nightmare Moon was right that her friends and family wouldn’t welcome her, but Nightmare Moon was still missing out.

“Anything else I can get you?” Pony Joe asked.

“No, thanks,” they all answered.

“Hey, Twilight?” Her brother called. She looked over at him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

She frowned but nodded. “Sure.”

He stood up and made his way across the room while she followed. They came to stop at one of the tables on the opposite side of the room, far away from their friends and family. She noticed that her brother’s warmth and delight had subsided, and a certain reluctance and discomfort had taken its place. “What’s wrong?”

He grimaced and looked over at Cadance, who talked with Rarity. A few seconds passed before he looked back at her. “I’m going to ask Nightmare Moon’s permission to marry Cadance.”

She blanked at that, neither sure why nor sure what to think of it. “Why?”

He shifted his weight uncomfortably and looked over at Cadance for a moment, clenching his jaw, and then leaning closer to her. “She’s an alicorn Princess!”

“And... you know, Nightmare Moon’s niece.”

“Oh... Um, yes...”

“I don’t know how she’ll react to that!”

“You’re, um, afraid to ask?”

He hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. I’m going to, but... still. I’m worried.”

“It can’t be as bad as proposing to Cadance was, right?”

He squinted at her.

“I-I just mean that-” she bit her lip and sighed, shaking her head. “Nevermind.”

His squint faded. “I’m going to ask her, Twilight. I have to. It... it wouldn’t be right for me not to. I was going to ask Princess Celestia for permission, but...” he trailed off, grimacing. “I just... I hope she doesn’t say no.”

She wasn’t sure, but she doubted Nightmare Moon would really care that much. “I don’t think-”

“Can you do me a favor?” he asked, cutting her off.

She closed her mouth and nodded. “You want me to talk to Nightmare Moon before you ask her.”

He nodded. “Just... if you’re right about her liking you, then... I think she’d be more open to me asking her for permission if you talked to her about it first. But I’m still going to ask her.”

She nodded and smiled reassuringly. “Of course I can talk to her about it. I’ll visit her tonight after we finish here.” She stepped over to hug him. Without his armor, it was so much better, just like with Nightmare Moon. He returned the hug, squeezing her tight in appreciation.

“Thanks, Twily. You’re the best,” he said warmly.

“No problem, BBBFF!”

He laughed softly.

They parted and walked back to their seats. As they approached, their friends turned to acknowledge them.

“Twilight, darling! Princess Cadance asked me to help plan her wedding!” She was halfway surprised Rarity hadn’t fainted, but as it was, Rarity squealed with giddiness and delight. “Oh, I have so many ideas!”

“Wow, Rarity! That’s great!” She smiled, knowing that it had to be a dream come true for Rarity. The mare practically beamed from delight. She looked at Cadance, still smiling, wondering if Cadance knew just how much that meant to Rarity. The little glint in her eye was enough of an answer.

Cadance really was the best foalsitter she could have asked for.

The best future sister-in-law she could ask for.

“I shall not let her down!” Rarity declared.

Cadance smiled happily and nodded in agreement. Their smiles and happiness really were contagious.

When she teleported back to Nightmare Moon’s chambers after having seen her friends off to their rooms, she found Nightmare Moon sitting at her desk. Nightmare Moon sat her quill down and turned back to face Twilight as she stood up.

Like earlier, Nightmare Moon wasn’t wearing her armor. She spent a few seconds contemplating the alicorn’s bare chest before meeting her gaze.

“How was your evening?” Nightmare Moon asked.

She smiled and nodded. “It was good,” she said fondly.

Nightmare Moon nodded. “I am... glad that you enjoyed it.”

A little of her smile faded. “I wish you would have been there.”

Nightmare Moon looked off to the side before looking at her again. “Another time.”

She hoped Nightmare Moon meant that and would one night join her and her friends. ‘One night,’ she told herself.

Nightmare breathed in and walked towards her. “I was not expecting to see you again tonight. Pray tell?”

She smiled sheepishly, the faintest tinge of worry crossing her mind. “Can we talk?”

“Of course,” Nightmare said, bowing her head once. “What is on your mind?” Nightmare Moon stopped in front of her.

She breathed in deeply, mostly just buying time to think of what exactly to say. She looked over at the bookshelves, then at the opposite wall, and hen at Nightmare Moon. “My brother proposed to Cadance.”

Nightmare’s reaction was unreadable beyond being unsurprised. Her mentor nodded once. “I heard.”

She frowned. “You were expecting this, weren’t you?”

Nightmare Moon nodded once again. “I was.”

“He wants to ask for your permission.”

Nightmare tossed her head to the side. “They do not need my permission. It is their choice.”

“So... you’re going to let them marry?” she asked.

“Of course,” Nightmare Moon answered.

She nodded in thought, relieved of what little worry she felt. ‘I knew you wouldn’t say no.’

“They... do love each other. I have seen as much,” Nightmare commented. “I may not like them very well or think highly of them, but I will not stand in their way.”

“Even though she’s an alicorn princess?”

Nightmare hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes.” Her mentor lifted her head up and turned to the side to walk towards her bedchambers. Twilight eventually followed. “He will be... marrying into royalty. He will... become my nephew-in-law, I suppose.”

“He will be a unicorn Prince,” Nightmare stated simply. She followed her mentor out onto the balcony. “One far preferable to the self-titled former Prince Blueblood.”

She smiled sheepishly. “He really didn’t like it when you stripped that title from him.”

“Quite,” Nightmare agreed. “He is unworthy of such a title. I do not know why my Sister let him keep it.”

In truth, she didn’t either, but she wasn’t a politician.

“So... what happens now?” she asked.

Nightmare looked over at her casually. “They plan their wedding, I suppose. I... suspect-” Nightmare turned back to look over Equestria, “-they will have me officiate their wedding.”

She frowned as she tried to picture that. “Have you done that before?”

Nightmare inclined her head. “I have. Though not often. Luna officiated weddings, mostly between batponies, I must admit.”

“Huh...”

Nightmare faced her. “You are surprised?”

She smiled apologetically. “Sorry, it’s just... it’s hard to picture it.”

Nightmare tentatively nodded in agreement. “It was... never my strong suit.”

A few seconds passed in silence while she tried to picture Luna officiating a wedding. She could, but it was harder to picture a batpony wedding. She wasn’t sure if it would be the most formal affair she could imagine or something where Pinkie Pie would fit right in. The latter thought made her smile.

They settled into a comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, Nightmare looked aside at her. “There are already ongoing investigations into the missing ponies,” her mentor commented. “Though they have not yet returned anything. They were not considered important enough for me to be made aware of.”

She nodded. “Oh. Thanks for checking on that.”

Nightmare nodded. “Of course.”

“I uh, I guess... I’ll go ahead and head to bed, then. I’ll see you for breakfast with everypony in the morning?”

Nightmare smiled as she nodded. “Yes.”

She smiled back, hoping breakfast would end up being as welcoming as dinner had been. “Goodnight.”

Nightmare bowed her head to her. “Goodnight, Twilight.”

Where dinner with her friends and family started off awkward and gradually warmed as they got into their conversations-her brother’s proposal definitely helped with that-breakfast between her friends and Nightmare Moon continued to be a formal, rather distant affair.

She suspected that Nightmare Moon knew it was her own presence that left everypony eating in relative silence. She looked up from her cereal to glance around at her friends, Cadance, and her brother, and then Nightmare Moon. As per usual, Nightmare Moon’s expression was distant, and to her disappointment, she wore her armor. Twilight watched her mentor eat, noticing that the alicorn seemed to be thinking about something else.

Cadance and her brother sat right beside each other and laid against each other, of course, and while they both wore happy smiles, they were more subdued than last night. Her brother was visibly tense and nervous, always glancing over at Nightmare Moon and her, and then her friends, before taking another bite.

Nightmare Moon mostly ignored his looks.

She had expected that Shining would be more comfortable after talking with Nightmare Moon and asking her permission, but apparently, that didn’t help. She wondered if Nightmare Moon had said something that made him uncomfortable, but decided not to ask since they weren’t alone.

Cadance was much calmer than her brother, unsurprisingly more settled in and at ease around Nightmare Moon.

Her friends were rather timid, too. Not to the same extent as her brother, but it seemed whatever they caused last night was still fresh on their minds. They occasionally glanced at Nightmare Moon whenever the alicorn moved, along with glancing at Nightmare Moon before taking bites of their breakfast.

Even though Nightmare Moon didn’t seem to care, Twilight’s friends were all still uncomfortable around her.

Of all of them, Pinkie Pie seemed the most relaxed, smiling happily as she dug into her extra-syrupy pancakes. Rarity sat near Cadance and her brother with a pad of paper and a pencil, furiously sketching and writing out ideas between bites. Rainbow Dash was uncharacteristically on edge. Fluttershy seemed intimidated by the silence, partially bowing her head so that her mane hid her face from Nightmare’s sight. Applejack seemed to partially share Fluttershy’s reaction in that she didn’t like the silence.

And in truth, she felt the same way. The silence led to more silence where none of them were willing to actually say anything. She knew Nightmare Moon was aware of it. She hoped Nightmare Moon would say something and try to make an effort to get to know her friends, but her mentor stayed distant from them instead.

Maybe it shouldn’t have disappointed her like it did. It was expected, really. And she contributed to the silence like the rest of them, not knowing what to say.

She held in a disappointed sigh. How was she supposed to convince Nightmare Moon to forgive Princess Celestia if she couldn’t convince Nightmare Moon to get to know her friends?

“Well-” Applejack broke the silence, drawing everypony’s attention, “-I think I should go get started packing up.”

She frowned slightly but said nothing.

“Oh, um-” Fluttershy perked up, lifting her head out from under her mane, “-would you mind if I helped you?”

Applejack smiled at Fluttershy. “Of course not, sugarcube.”

Fluttershy smiled softly.

The two of them stood from their chairs and looked around. Applejack nodded at her. She tentatively nodded back and then watched them leave.

“We should probably get going too. We have a lot of plans to make,” Cadance said apologetically.

“Oh, yes! Of course,” Rarity murmured in agreement.

Nightmare Moon looked over at them and nodded. “Very well.”

She sunk back into her chair while Cadance, her brother, and Rarity made their way out of the room. ‘So much for trying to get everypony more comfortable with each other...’ She was surprised that Spike stayed sitting at her side instead of asking to go with Rarity. Spike choosing to stay helped alleviate some of her disappointment that some of her friends had already left.

She looked over at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, expecting them to come up with excuses to leave. Both of them had long since finished their breakfast and now sat there, watching her and Nightmare Moon.

She glanced over at Nightmare Moon and caught the alicorn watching Rainbow Dash. After a moment, she shifted her weight and finished off her cereal as the former Bearer of the Element of Loyalty and the current Bearer of the Element of Loyalty stared each other down.

She had no real excuse to stay now. Other than the obvious, ‘I’m Nightmare Moon’s student and we’re friends.’ She held in a grimace as she hopped down from her chair. Her remaining friends all followed her lead, leaving Nightmare Moon to breathe in and turn to face her before standing up as well. She tentatively turned to face her mentor.

Nightmare Moon bowed her head once. “Enjoy your night. I will leave you alone for the next few nights so that you may enjoy time with your friends and further your studies in peace. The chariots shall be ready to take you back to Ponyville by the time you are all ready to return home.”

Nightmare Moon seemed disappointed to say that, and that made her frown. “Alright...” She stepped over to hug Nightmare Moon. The alicorn returned it and laid her head on her shoulder, but she felt something off about the hug besides Nightmare Moon wearing her armor. It wasn’t as warm as last night, wasn’t as open.

Maybe because they weren’t alone. She tilted her head to the left and looked back to see Rainbow Dash watching them closely. Not quite suspiciously. She suspected Nightmare Moon was still staring back at Rainbow Dash too. Pinkie Pie smiled innocently, seemingly oblivious to Rainbow’s stare and, maybe, happy to see Nightmare Moon hugging somepony.

Nightmare Moon broke the hug and stepped back before sitting back down to continue eating.

She lingered where she stood for a few seconds, wanting to say something, wanting to somehow encourage Nightmare Moon, but not knowing what to say. She held in a sigh as turned to walk over to her friends’ sides and leave.

Three nights without hearing anything from Nightmare Moon. For no longer than it had been, she found herself missing her mentor’s company. Without her visits or the rare letter, her studies became far more monotonous than she excepted and remembered. Sure, her friends had come by to visit her a couple of times, but they never stayed long. For the most part, Rainbow dropped by to complain about the oncoming Winter, and Fluttershy likewise shared her worries. She hadn’t spoken to Applejack, but suspected Applejack also dreaded winter.

Winter never really bothered her too much before, since, for the most part, she stayed inside and studied. It was nice to cozy up by the fire and read or study, and late nights studying by the fire with hot chocolate was always a pleasant evening. Now, though, without the sun, she noticed that ponies were dreading it a lot more. From what she had seen, there were foals who were old enough to realize that it wasn’t going to be a fun winter, too. It would be cold and uncomfortable without the sun to warm their backs when the clouds weren’t blocking it out. Parents probably wouldn’t let their foals roam and play in the snow, either, for fear of what monsters might lurk in the dark.

She grimaced at the thought. Even if batponies were keeping an ever-present watchful eye, they couldn’t be everywhere all the time.

It was inevitable that something bad would happen.

Twilight startled when the crack of a teleportation spell interrupted her reminiscences. She shoved her book aside more readily than she intended, but couldn’t be bothered to make sure she didn’t damage it: Nightmare Moon was the only pony who would teleport to visit her. She nearly fell as she scrambled off her bed and hurried over to the doorway to peer down into her library.

Nightmare Moon stood in the center without her armor, gradually turned her head about in a wide circle, taking in her surroundings and likely looking for her.

“I’m up here.”

At the sound of her voice, Nightmare turned to look and then turned to face her. “Ah.” She watched her mentor walk to the stairs and then climb them. As Nightmare Moon approached the top, she stepped to the side for her to come inside. Nightmare briefly looked around the room before looking at her. “I... hope I am not intruding.”

She smiled. “You’re not. I was just studying.” She turned and walked back over to her bed and levitated the book up to show it to Nightmare Moon.

Fortunately, she hadn’t damaged the book.

“I see,” Nightmare acknowledged.

She set the book back down and turned back to face her mentor.

Nightmare leaned to the left. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?”

She watched Nightmare look back at her right wing and then levitate an envelope out from under it. Nightmare pointedly watched the envelope as she levitated it over to Twilight.

Twilight smiled and took it in her magic and turned it over. Adorned with Cadance’s seal, she smiled further, realizing what it had to be. She broke the seal and levitated out the letter to read it over.

Their wedding invitation.

She still couldn’t quite fully come to terms with knowing her brother and Princess Cadance were marrying.

Unsurprisingly, Cadance and Shining Armor wanted her friends and her to help with the wedding. She did a little prance in place before blushing and remembering that Nightmare Moon was there. To her surprise and further embarrassment, Nightmare smiled at her display.

She coughed into her hoof and finished reading the invitation. “Hearth’s Warming?” she asked, surprised that they would pick that date. She looked at Nightmare Moon for confirmation.

Her mentor nodded once. “I was surprised as well.”

“Huh.” She put the invitation back in the letter and then set the letter on her nightstand. ‘Spike’s going to love this.’ She smiled and held in a snicker as she pictured Spike’s reaction to it. Not only would it be Hearth’s Warming, but Cadance and Shining Armor were going to be married!

It seemed perfect. She felt happy, excited, and relaxed at the idea.

She turned back to face Nightmare Moon.

“Spike is not here?” her mentor asked.

“He’s out helping Rarity with something,” she answered. “So it’s just the two of us.”

“I see,” Nightmare answered. She thought her mentor liked that from the tone of her voice, but it was hard to tell.

“Would you like some tea?” she offered.

Nightmare nodded once. “If it is not too much trouble.”

“Alright.” She walked over past Nightmare Moon and headed down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she turned to the kitchen to start tea. She heard Nightmare Moon follow her down the stairs and into the kitchen. She started boiling the water and looked back at her. “Anything in particular?”

“It does not matter to me,” Nightmare answered.

She nodded and levitated out a couple of raspberry teabags to set them on the counter before looking back at Nightmare Moon as her mentor stood in the doorway.

She contemplated the way Nightmare looked without any armor and liked it. She looked almost free again. “You’re not wearing your tiara or regalia?” she realized.

Nightmare shook her head and finally walked into the kitchen proper to look around. “I... must admit I do not like wearing it. I... it does not suit me as armor does.”

She frowned and nodded reluctantly. “Well, um, I’m glad you’re here without your armor on.”

The barest hint of a smile on Nightmare’s lips. “It... it is a nice change,” Nightmare admitted fondly.

Maybe that was an opening she could use to convince Nightmare Moon to try to be friends with her friends. “You should come by sometime when my friends are here.”

Nightmare shifted her weight uncomfortably. “Perhaps sometime. But... I much prefer your company to theirs.”

She was disappointed by the answer, but it wasn’t a complete rejection. “Alright. How has the investigation into the disappearances gone?”

Nightmare grimaced. “Slowly. There have been no new developments, other than a few more disappearances reported. I am... I have my concerns about this, but as of right now there is little evidence supporting these concerns.”

She frowned and turned to face Nightmare Moon. “What is it?”

Nightmare shook her head. “I am sure I am simply worrying too much.”

She nodded unsurely. “You worry a lot now, don’t you?”

“I do,” Nightmare admitted. “Much more than I should. I should not have been worried about sending you to the resistance. There is no way for them to... know that I care about you.”

Her mentor bowed her head and turned to her left. She thought she heard Nightmare mumble something, but she couldn’t be sure.

She smiled softly. “I told you I would be fine.”

Nightmare straightened and watched her for a few seconds, studying her. She couldn’t read her mentor’s expression. Eventually, the alicorn sighed and nodded. “So you did.”

The teapot started whistling, so she turned off the heat and placed raspberry teabags in it for it to brew. She levitated the pitcher up along with two cups. “Do you want to go sit on the balcony?”

Nightmare nodded. “I would like that, yes.”

She smiled and lead on, heading back upstairs and to the balcony. Nightmare followed behind her. She opened the door to the balcony, but Nightmare waited until she stepped out onto it before joining her. She laid down on her stomach and set the teapot and teacups down in front of them as Nightmare sat down and then laid down at her side.

She looked up at the sky, smiling. The beautiful mix of purples and blues speckled with stars and broken by wispy clouds was a wonderful sight to look at. It was peaceful, with hardly a sound to break the silence, as Ponyville was a quiet town most of the time.

She felt Nightmare lean away from her, and then felt Nightmare’s feathers brush up her side. She looked over at her mentor as her mentor leaned back against her side and then laid her wing on her back. She smiled. Nightmare smiled too, though it was more reserved than her own. “Thank you.”

Nightmare nodded.

Once the tea was ready, she teleported the teabags out and served them two cups of tea. Nightmare took hers and took a sip of it to ponder the taste before swallowing and nodding in approval.

She took a small sip of her tea. It was still a bit too hot for her liking but had a pleasant tang to it.

“I am glad that Cadance and your brother are to be married,” Nightmare spoke, breaking their silence.

She looked over at her mentor to find the alicorn looking out down at the roof of the house across from the balcony, wearing a contemplative expression. “A royal wedding will be good for Equestria. It gives ponies something to celebrate.”

‘It gives them hope.’ She nodded in agreement, yet the way Nightmare said it made her uncomfortable. “Is that the only reason? Because it helps Equestria?”

For a few seconds, Nightmare silently contemplated her question. Nightmare looked at her and shook her head. “I suppose not. Since your brother is marrying into Royalty, he will become a Prince. Because of this, I will have a reason to replace him as Captain of the Guard.”

She frowned. “But what about them?”

Nightmare sighed. “Twilight, I do not know them that well. I know that they love each other, so I suppose I am happy for them, but...” Nightmare trailed off and shook her head. “I do not know how I feel about it.”

She waited for a few seconds, hoping Nightmare would be able to collect her thoughts, but her mentor wasn’t able to. “Well I’m happy for them,” she said.

Nightmare nodded tentatively and looked up at the sky. “I have known they would marry for some time. I was expecting them to marry, but I was not expecting your brother to ask my permission to do so.” A moment passed and Nightmare bowed her head before looking over at her. “Tell me, is it still tradition for the pony proposing to ask the parents’ or guardians’ permission to wed them?”

“Oh, um...” She shifted her weight. “Somewhat, but most ponies don't do that. It fell out of favor during the past two hundred years. I think. I’m a bit rusty on that subject.”

“I see,” Nightmare said. Her mentor turned back to the sky. “Back in my youth, it was tradition and practically required. Though I believe it started falling out of favor before my banishment. Of course, I am not well-versed in that either. I did not pay great attention to it, so I may be wrong. I have never courted and nopony ever asked to court me.”

How old was Nightmare Moon? And never once? It was hard to imagine. Or at the very least, it was hard to imagine it hadn’t happened during her first hundred years of life. After that, it was easier to imagine. Who would have had the courage to ask to court an immortal alicorn Princess?

Well, besides her brother.

Then again, Cadance wasn’t a ruler like Princess Celestia or Princess Luna was.

“Does their wedding mean anything for us?” she asked.

Nightmare looked at her. “I... do not believe so?” was her unsure answer.

“You said it would make him a Prince, and that he will be your nephew-in-law. Cadance is... your niece, and she’ll be my sister-in-law,” she explained.

“Ah.” Nightmare shifted uncomfortably. “I... do not believe this will affect us any.”

She nodded unsurely.

“Do you...” Nightmare trailed off, turning to look at Twilight and breathing in. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

“Not really, why?” she asked.

“I would like to visit you again. There is... something, well, a few things I would like to do with you tomorrow. It would be better to do it tomorrow than tonight as we will have more time.”

“Sure,” she said.

They laid there in silence for a long while, enjoying the peace and quiet along with their tea. The peace brought her to yawn a few times, and every time, Nightmare Moon looked at her like she wanted to say something, but she never did.

“Twilight?” Spike’s voice called from behind them.

She turned her head back to look at him. “Oh, hi Spike.”

He watched the two of them warily. She saw Nightmare’s wing on her back and glanced down at it, then over at Nightmare. Her mentor tentatively lifted her wing up and folded it back to her side.

She stood up and turned around. “How was Rarity?”

“She was good,” he answered, still looking at Nightmare Moon.

She looked over at her mentor, then walked back inside. Nightmare Moon stayed laying on the balcony.

“Do you need me to do anything for you Twilight?” Spike asked.

She smiled and shook her head. “No. Thank you, Spike.”

He nodded unsurely. “Alright... In that case, I think I’m going to go to bed.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Already?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Heh... it is kinda late Twilight, I uh, I was worried you were going to be upset.”

She walked over to him and sat down before scooping him up for a hug. “It’s alright.” He hugged her back and she nuzzled him. After they parted, he scurried over to his basket, climbed inside and curled up into a ball. She smiled as she watched him and covered him up with his blankets.

“Thanks, Twilight.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight, Spike.”

“G’night, Twilight.”

She waited a few seconds before heading back out to the balcony and quietly closing the door behind her. “Sorry about that.”

Nightmare looked back at her. “It is fine. Do not apologize. He is... your family.”

She smiled a little and walked back to sit beside Nightmare. She intended to lay down, but instead, Nightmare Moon sat up and then stood up. She wasn’t sure why, but then Nightmare Moon lit her horn and she knew why.

She sat there and watched Nightmare Moon lower the moon. The moonlight dimmed and faded until the moon slipped entirely below the horizon, unseen by either of them for her library.

It felt special to watch Nightmare Moon move the moon, even if she didn’t actually see the moon, just like watching Princess Celestia moving the sun felt special. ‘How special would it be to sit between them while they moved the sun and moon together?’ The thought made her sigh in disappointment.

Nightmare heard her sigh and unfurled her wing to hug her to her side. She smiled weakly. “What is wrong?”

For as much as Nightmare Moon cared about her, she still couldn’t tell her the truth. It was disappointing. “Nothing,” she softly dismissed.

Nightmare Moon knew it wasn’t true. Several seconds elapsed before the alicorn relented. “Very well...”

She gradually laid back down on her stomach, and Nightmare Moon followed her lead to do the same, keeping her wing in place. A meteor streaked by overheard before burning itself out, leaving a little cloudy trail in its wake.

She remembered when she was a little filly her father had told her to make a wish on shooting stars. Now, she knew it was silly, although it was still special. Just not magical. She still made a wish.

‘I wish that I could reunite Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon.’

She looked over at Nightmare Moon to see her mentor studying the dark night sky, seemingly troubled as she thought about something.

Nightmare Moon found it strange that when she walked the hallways of her castle without her armor, the Royal Guards looked at her differently. She knew the reason why; she could understand why they looked at her suspiciously, and yet, it did not stop her from finding it strange. They knew Nightmare Moon as having worn armor, and so seeing her walk the hallways without it on must have caught them by surprise.

She gave thought to the idea, 'Or perhaps it is that I still wear no tiara or peytral.' For a moment, she glanced up to her horn and scowled. Looked down at her bare chest and scowled.

And yet, it was oddly pleasant, being free from the armor she had worn. While it left her vulnerable to go without it, and while it might encourage dissent, inviting assassination attempts, perhaps even from the Guard, she felt better for it, even though reaccustoming herself to wearing nothing more than her coat was taking time to get used to. But that much had been expected; she had worn armor for a thousand years, how could a few nights' time be enough to grow accustomed to wearing nothing?

Her scowl softened as her muscles relaxed, and so she carried herself onward, contemplating the weightlessness of her chest, the feeling of the air against her bare coat, how Royal Guards turned to look at her for a split second before returning to their attempted stoic postures. She walked on, making her way to Cadance's chambers, considering the future, the best course of action, and Twilight.

And of course, at the thoughts of her friend, she misstepped at the feeling that haunted her body. If ponies had paid attention, they might have noticed it, though they would not know how she longed for the filly's company. And so she stiffened, holding herself rigidly as she forced herself onward, tightly controlling her thoughts so that they did not wander back to Twilight.

Futile as it was.

She passed by a trio of Royal Guards, who stiffened as she passed by, and so her scowl returned. Their continued fear of her, their continued disgust at her, even without her armor on, served only to reinforce one point: 'I will never have their love. Giving them a chance as I have given Twilight is pointless.'

And it was simply fact, and so she felt bitter. That bitterness replaced the thoughts of Twilight in her mind, paining her and making her long for companionship even more. And then she felt disappointment.

But she did not feel anger. Neither towards the Guards nor towards the ponies who behaved as foals.

Or perhaps their disgust and fear weren't at who she was, but what she had done. Her lips twitched at the thought, parting for a slight moment to show her teeth.

She walked faster, crossing the rest of the distance to Cadance's chambers, then stopping and knocking on the door. She heard the chime of Cadance's magic, and a moment later, the door opened.

"Niece," she greeted.

Cadance's mouth opened for a split second, then closed. Her lips pulled up into a smile-surely the lingering giddiness of planning her wedding-while her eyes almost sparkled. "Aunt."

And for a moment, she had no idea how to reply to that, so caught off-guard had she been. She wanted to believe that Cadance was mocking her, wanted to convince herself that Cadance was trying to mock her just like Sister, and yet she knew better. She heard the playfulness in Cadance's voice that had become too familiar, the same playfulness that said, "I know something you wish I didn't," and teased her with that knowledge. And so her chest twisted with unease and she fidgeted where she stood, for she did not wear her armor and was unprotected.

Not that armor would have helped with this.

And it was the first time she had been called 'Aunt.' The title was so strange, so unfamiliar. She rolled the title over on her tongue, contemplated the pronunciation, considered the implications-but not all implications, as there were ones she would not consider-and then reluctantly nodded. "You are happy."

Cadance's smile only grew, and accompanying the smile, Cadance closed her eyes and laughed happily. And she found that she could not be angry at that laugh. It was so pure, so innocent! Filled with joy and life, that of a pony happy and with love.

And she felt bitter and jealous because Cadance was loved and she was not.

She swallowed back the bitterness and licked her lips. As Cadance opened her eyes, Nightmare looked at the necklace her niece wore, inclined her head, and then met Cadance's gaze. "I will take the necklace back," she stated.

Cadance hesitated, having been caught off-guard. "Why?" was her foalish question.

Irked, Nightmare turned her head to the right, nodding a forced nod. "Though your wedding is still weeks away," she said, bowing her head pointedly before turning back to face her niece, "I do not want to overhear what happens after that."

Cadance blushed. "Oh, um, yes. Of course."

'You are embarrassed,' and Nightmare was surprised. Without saying more, she lit her horn and retrieved the necklace from Cadance's neck, then teleported it away. "And I am willing to extend to you such freedom. Do not abuse it."

Cadance shifted her weight, nodding and frowning. A few seconds passed while she studied her niece's gradually relaxing posture. "How was Twilight?" Cadance asked.

And Nightmare fought back a cringe. That question, its implications, how it made the discomfort in her stomach all the worse! For a moment, she considered her answer, then said, "She is well."

Cadance smiled warmly. "If you want to talk... I may be planning my wedding, but I have time."

Nightmare grimaced. Looking away from her, she turned to look at the two guards at Cadance's door. And oh! How she hated the idea of anypony else knowing! It was entirely unacceptable for them to hear such things! And yet Cadance was worse.

Yes, hitting her head against a wall sounded like a good idea.

Avoiding Cadance's gaze, she muttered, "Another time, Niece."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the young alicorn's eyes twinkle even more as her niece's lips turned up. The thought, 'I have made a mistake,' flashed through her mind.

"So you admit it?" Cadance teased, her teasing, predatory smile growing.

She couldn't stop herself from scowling; her muzzle scrunched up. Fie the thought! Cadance knew too much. And what was worse, Cadance knew that she knew too much. Still, she knew better than to answer immediately. Too quick of a retort was an admission that it was true. She took her time, considering her options.

There really weren't that many options. Lying was not an option: Cadance would see through it instantly, and she would not lie as Sister had.

Why did Cadance have to be the Princess of Love? Oh, how she hated it.

"I do not wish to discuss this," she finally said.

"That's not a denial," Cadance noted, her smile growing.

"Niece..." Nightmare groaned, closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply, then opened her eyes and said, "You are correct."

And a little of the warmth in Cadance's smile faded at that. "I care about her too, Nightmare. She's like family, and before long, she'll be family."

Nightmare grimaced. "Yes," she voiced. Bitterly, "You do not approve and so you tease and mock me."

She felt Cadance's magic grab her and pull her into the room. Before she could react, before she could defend herself, Cadance threw the door shut and hugged her. "I didn't say that." Cadance’s voice was soft but firm.

Lifting her head well above Cadance's, Nightmare asked, "Am I wrong?"

"Yes," Cadance answered gently, slowly nuzzling her neck.

Reluctantly, Nightmare tilted her head just enough to look down at the top of Cadance's mane.

"You care about her," Cadance continued, her voice soft with care and compassion that she could barely understand; it served to soothe her bitterness.

But then, Cadance was the Princess of Love.

"I do," Nightmare agreed. Turning away from Cadance only made the alicorn hug her tighter. Her lips twisted with a grimace, and she reluctantly lifted her right foreleg and laid it around Cadance's withers.

The hug was nowhere near as close nor genuine as the ones she had shared with Twilight, even though the way Cadance held her seemed to convey the same care that Twilight’s hugs did.

"I can see that. I may be teasing you, but I'm not mocking you," Cadance murmured. After a few seconds, Cadance said, "It's nice to see you happy."

"Happy?" Nightmare echoed. The word was unfamiliar to her. There had been times when Luna had been happy, but it always ended. The only time she could recall herself being happy was escaping her banishment, spilling Sister's blood, and banishing her. If that could be considered happy.

And then, perhaps, when she was with Twilight.

"You're... happier around her," Cadance said.

Nightmare grimaced, recognizing that it was true. "I am." Yes, she neither could nor would deny that, for denying it would be nothing more than a lie. Perhaps not happy, but content. She longed for Twilight's companionship and missed her when she was not there, but when Twilight was, it felt right.

After a few seconds of silence, Cadance pulled back from the hug. Took a few steps back, stopped, and looked Nightmare Moon in her eyes. Nightmare made the mistake of meeting Cadance's gaze.

"It's nice to see you happy," Cadance repeated, her voice almost coming out fondly.

Nightmare frowned. She wanted to say, 'For your own safety, I am sure,' but she knew that was not the reason why. So she was forced to try and swallow the fact that Cadance liked seeing her happy, because it was genuine. And she could scarce understand it; Cadance was family, but only family through adoption, and even then, how much could that count? Cadance had been twisted by Sister's lies. And for Cadance, so twisted by Sister's deception, to be glad that she was happy?

She felt disappointed. She felt unsure and uneasy. Uncertain and cautious. Confused and lost. She could neither understand nor comprehend it.

And in the end, all Nightmare could do was shake her head. 'No, it is simply that you are happy over Shining Armor's proposal to you and that you are planning your wedding.' Yes, surely that was the reason why. And yet it still remained, "I do not understand you at times."

At that, Cadance smiled sadly. “Celestia hurt you so badly that you can’t understand how I can care about you, didn’t she? And you can’t accept that she loves you.”

And so Nightmare scowled. That damned topic again that always undercut any joy and any contentedness she felt, stirring her anger and stealing whatever peace she may have felt. "Explain to me why, dear Niece," she challenged. "Explain to me how you are right and I am wrong, when I have known Sister for hundreds of years." She paused a moment to breathe in, then said, "And you have known her for no more than a decade and a half!"

Cadance waited several seconds before nodding sadly. “You were gone for a thousand years. You’ve known her for a very long time. A lot longer than me, it’s true. But the only Celestia I’ve ever known is the one who was forced to banish her sister to the moon for a thousand years. She had to wait that entire time to see you again, and as soon as she did, you were so consumed by hatred and anger that you couldn’t see her love for you.”

She stared at Cadance, holding back a growl as her body tensed. ‘Perhaps I should not have retrieved the necklace.’

Cadance frowned at her. “You were both foals once. Did she hate you then?” Cadance asked. “And have you never seen her do anything good?”

Nightmare's mouth lingered parted for a few seconds before she finally closed her mouth. Of course that question was so precisely aimed that it made her feel bitter, and then even more disappointed. Her pride made her want to lash out, but it was foolish.

She took a moment to collect herself.

"I am not," she said. "Sister has done good things, I will not deny that, but-" she tossed her head up and vigorously jerked her head side to side, "-I cannot and will not forgive her for what she did to me. There were times when Luna needed Sister and Sister was there for her, but we grew up. When Luna needed Sister most? Sister was not there. When Luna was to be celebrated..? Sister stole that from her. It is only fitting that I take what I am owed from her."

"Revenge won't change anything," Cadance murmured.

Nightmare's head lowered until she stared at Cadance. "Revenge," she echoed, turning her gaze to the wall behind Cadance. The thought, 'Twilight would hate that,' brought her to grimace. Yes, Twilight would disapprove entirely. Perhaps even going to far as to chastize her for wanting revenge.

She looked back at Cadance. "It is more than simple revenge, Cadance. Were revenge all I wanted, I would tear down everything Sister had built and make her watch. Were revenge all I wanted, I would torture her. Were simple revenge all I wanted, I would force Sister to watch me torture and kill the ponies she cares about."

And though it went unsaid, they both knew who that list included.

And thinking about that one pony being on that list left her discomforted and dissatisfied. Disgusted, even, knowing that, not that long ago, she would have so callously thrown away Twilight’s life. No, not thrown away.

Stolen.

Both of them knew. She could see it in Cadance’s eyes, and she gradually turned her head to the right to avoid Cadance’s gaze.

‘If you had not banished me, I would have been nothing more than a monster. I would have torn Equestria apart. Everything Luna had fought to protect.’

‘I would never have met Twilight.’

She felt disappointed again. She breathed in, then out, shaking her head before turning back to Cadance and admitting, "I want revenge on her, yes, but it is more than just revenge.”

Cadance frowned. She expected her niece to say something, but her niece stayed silent.

She licked her lips and swallowed before beginning, “Revenge is satisfying-"

"Is it?" Cadance asked softly. Her niece looked to the right, then let her head drift to the left as she stepped closer to her. "Are you happy with revenge?" Cadance asked. Her Niece looked at her with that damned pitying look. "Are you happy to have her banished the same way she banished you?" Cadance asked.

And finally, "Is it satisfying?"

Cadance already knew the answer to that. Her Niece just wanted to hear her say it. She thought about refusing to back down, she considered not saying it, but then that would be akin to lying as Sister had.

And so she felt defeated. Outplayed by her Niece.

Her lips pulled into a scowl and she looked over the top of Cadance's head to look at the wall. "It is not."

And she was damned to admit it, and felt bitter for having said so. Yet she felt something else alongside that bitterness. Not defeat, but disappointment, and she didn’t know why. Looking back at Cadance. "For a moment, it satisfies me. But it is fleeting. It does not last."

Cadance nodded sadly and then met her gaze to say, "And yet Twilight makes you happy."

Nightmare grimaced and turned away from Cadance. "And I am a fool for it," she declared.

She just barely saw Cadance shaking her head. "No, you're not."

Nightmare turned back to face Cadance, a retorted readied on her tongue, only for her niece to preempt her with a gentle, "Would you rather her not make you happy? Would you rather be alone forever like when you were banished? Would you rather not know Twilight?"

And so Nightmare pressed her jaw closed tight. For a few seconds, she was silent as Cadance's questions lingered in the air. She breathed in, then exhaled and relented. "No."

Nodding and meeting her gaze, Cadance emphasized, "It's okay," in her soft, compassionate voice. She felt that Cadance’s tone was one she probably had used to comfort foals in the past, probably even Twilight. The tone and compassion made it hard to stay angry or bitter at her Niece. “Ponies aren’t meant to be alone, Nightmare Moon. And I think you know that.”

In the end, Nightmare simply shook her head. "I treasure her, Cadance. More than I should." The admission, to Cadance of all ponies, did not leave her squirming in agitation. Rather, she contemplated her thoughts and feelings and desires, contemplated the feeling of disappointment set so firmly in her core. She nodded to herself as she said, "I am a fool for it. It is not in my best interests. It is foalish to feel this way."

"It's what you want," Cadance gently pressed. "You aren't happy with defeating Celestia and banishing her to the moon. You're not happy ruling Equestria. I can see that." Cadance inclined her head lower, murmuring, "But you're happy with Twilight."

For several seconds, Nightmare watched Cadance. 'You offered to talk if I needed it,' she remembered. And as insane as it was, as utterly stupid as the idea was to talk about such things with Cadance of all ponies, somepony who, she knew, the second Sister was free, would turn on her, she considered it. Contemplated the idea, giving Cadance a chance like she had given Twilight, because who else could she talk to other than Cadance if Twilight was not an option?

Yet still, the idea of making Cadance her confidant alongside Twilight left her uneasy, unable to comprehend the madness of the idea. That she trusted Twilight, that she considered trusting Cadance, the two ponies who were undoubtedly most loyal to Sister beyond anypony else, including her, was maddening. Foalish. Stupid and insane. And she was a fool for it.

And yet for some insane reason, she considered it. For some insane reason, Twilight already was her confidant. For some insane reason, she trusted Twilight beyond anypony else.

And Twilight was her best friend and only friend.

Yes, she had gone insane at some point, she was certain of it.

Nightmare shook her head. "I do not..." she trailed off and groaned. She inhaled deeply and steeled her resolve. "Another time, Cadance," she said.

Cadance frowned, but nonetheless promised, "I'll be waiting when you're ready to talk."

Nightmare grimaced as she turned back to the door.

Eyes still locked on the book before her, Twilight channeled her magic into her horn and lifted her teacup from the table. Just barely lifting her head up and pulling back, she brought the teacup to her lips and tilted it up, careful not to block the text from her eyes. The tea met her lips-

-and Twilight blinked, focus broken as her eyes jumped down to the teacup. The tea was cold. A slight frown pulled at her brow and she lowered the teacup, then turned to the left and glanced at a clock. 'Okay. So I have been studying longer than I intended, but that's okay,' she told herself with a nod.

Still, Nightmare Moon wasn’t here yet so she could keep studying.

She glanced back at the book, then at her teacup. After a moment of thought, she used her magic to warm the tea back up, then leaned over it and let the warm air tickle her fur.

She lifted the teacup back to her lips and closed her eyes as the warmth rolled into her mouth. Satisfied, she smiled as she swallowed and felt the warmth in her throat, then stomach. She set the teacup back down and opened her eyes, then went back to reading her book, finding the spot she left off almost immediately.

And she would have kept reading, too, if it hadn't been for the crack of magic that she recognized as accompanying a teleportation spell. Her ears perked up and she turned around, looking up the stairway into the library's main room. For a few seconds, she waited, halfway expecting Nightmare to walk by and look down at her. Instead, however, she heard hoofsteps walk to the stairs, then ascend.

As quietly as she could, she pushed herself away from the desk and climbed down before heading over to the stairs. Pausing for a moment, she risked using her magic to cast a spell to silence her hoofsteps. At the little pop of her own magic, she winced. Nightmare's hoofsteps stopped.

She waited for a few seconds until the hoofsteps resumed, then she rushed up the stairs and paused at the last step, waiting until she heard the other hoofsteps stop, and once they did, she ducked her head out and looked up at the loft.

And yes, Nightmare Moon stood there, looking into her bedroom. "Down here," she called.

Nightmare looked back at her. "I see." As the alicorn turned, she said, "Perhaps I should have anticipated this, though last night you were upstairs." Then Nightmare shook her head and leaped off the stairs, extending her wings and gliding the short distance down to the floor.

Twilight watched her, contemplating the alicorn's movement as she glided and landed, then folded her wings to her sides and turned to face her. "You're not supposed to fly in a library," she acknowledged.

Nightmare nodded once, then said, "And yet that does not stop Rainbow Dash."

Twilight winced at the reminder. "Yes, well... You're not supposed to fly in a library." Shaking her head, she walked into the library. "How are you doing?"

For a moment, Nightmare seemed uncertain, or maybe the question had caught her off-guard. For a second longer, Nightmare considered her answer, then nodded once. "All things considered, well enough." Then Nightmare rolled her head to the right, then the left, gradually shuffling over towards her. "I... retrieved Cadance's necklace," was her gradual admission.

Twilight wasn't sure how to respond to that, so simply said, "Oh?"

Nightmare looked at her and nodded. "Yes. I know there is... quite some time before they are to be married, but..." Nightmare grimaced, then shook her head. "Regardless, I thought you would be pleased with this."

"So does this mean you trust her?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare's grimace twisted into a strained line. "I do not know." The alicorn looked away from her to study the bookshelves, though her eyes didn't focus on the titles, merely passing over them. "I am willing to give her the opportunity-as foolish as it is-and I grow weary of hearing her and Shining Armor when they are planning their wedding."

Twilight couldn't stop herself from giggling, which caused Nightmare to turn back to face her. "It's their wedding. Can you really blame them for being happy?"

Nightmare grimaced again, lowered her head, then turned her head to the left. "Perhaps not."

Twilight frowned. "Are you okay?" Nightmare lifted her head again and looked back at her. She added, "You seem distracted... or maybe distant," before Nightmare had a chance to reply.

Nightmare parted her lips, and Twilight thought she saw Nightmare's tongue press against the top of her mouth. She heard Nightmare inhale as she opened her mouth, but then Nightmare closed her mouth. Nightmare groaned and snorted. "I am not used to feeling this way," was her teacher's declaration.

Twilight turned her head the left. "So you are..?" she ventured.

Nightmare grimaced and inclined her head. "You are correct."

Twilight hesitated a moment, then walked towards her. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

Nightmare hesitated, and at that moment, Twilight saw something flicker through her friend's eyes: uncertainty and worry. "You remember when I told you that there are things I do not understand since my return?"

Twilight nodded as she came to a stop in front of Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare's eyes jumped back and forth over her face, studying her. "You and Cadance are among them."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare lifted her head up, though not before Twilight caught her grimacing. "I do not understand... we talked before but I still..." Nightmare trailed off and shook her head vigorously, casting away a ghost of pain, then looked back down at her. "And Cadance?" At that, Nightmare's eyes seemed to widen as she tossed her head side to side. After a few seconds, Nightmare stopped shaking her head and looked at the floor as her expression softened. "I... cannot comprehend her."

Twilight frowned. "Why not?"

Nightmare's lips lingered open for a few seconds before the alicorn said, "She has been lied to by Sister for even longer than you-" Twilight's frown deepened, and for a moment, Nightmare faltered, hesitating before continuing, "-and yet she does not hate me. I do not understand it. I know that she is not hiding it and I don't understand it."

"I can't remember Cadance ever saying there was something she hated," Twilight said.

Nightmare's brow folded down. "Perhaps so, but she was still deceived by Sister."

"What if she wasn't?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare watched her for a few seconds, then slowly shook her head. "I know my Sister, Twilight. As much as Cadance insists she has changed, I know my Sister."

"I didn't know her for as long as you did..." she said, making Nightmare stare at her. With a grimace, she added, "And yes, she lied to me about your existence and return..." She waited for a few seconds, watching Nightmare's expression twist with discomfort. "But you were banished for one thousand years."

A few seconds passed where Nightmare just stood there silently, watching her. "I am aware," Nightmare stated.

"Have you considered that maybe she's changed?" Twilight asked.

For some time, Nightmare Moon watched her in silence. "She has not changed."

"How do you know?" Twilight pressed. "You know that you changed."

She saw Nightmare's jaw tighten. "I recognize that I have, but Sister?" Nightmare snorted. "Her changing would be far too little far too late. A thousand years and then some too late."

Twilight felt her ears drift back, and as soon as she felt it, she saw Nightmare's eyes jump to them. "You were consumed by hatred for her for a thousand years, weren't you?" she asked absently.

"Over one thousand years," Nightmare clarified. “I did not decide in one night to reclaim what was owed to me.”

Twilight looked down at Nightmare's bare chest. "I guess... a few months wouldn't change any of that-" she met Nightmare's gaze, "-would it?"

"No," Nightmare stated.

Twilight's gaze dropped back to Nightmare's chest. 'You can't forgive Princess Celestia, can you?' Asking that question was silly, so she kept it to herself. Though she couldn't stop the creeping feeling of disappointment springing up inside her. 'Maybe you'll never forgive your sister. Maybe the two of you will never rule again together. Maybe I will never see Princess Celestia again.'

Nightmare didn't know her thoughts, but Nightmare was able to tell something was wrong: she felt one of Nightmare's feathers brush over her cheek. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Did you always hate her?"

Nightmare's lips flicked as she turned away and folded her wing back to her side. "Of course not. She was my sister."

'Was,' stood out in Twilight's mind. "When?" she asked.

Nightmare looked back at her. "We were young once upon a time, Twilight. I can not speak for whether she had love for me then or if she was just using me..." Nightmare trailed off, turning away from her again as a grimace crossed her lips. Nightmare’s wings twitched lower for a moment. "Though I am inclined to believe she had love for me then because she was a foal... or perhaps I am simply a naive fool to think that. But no, Luna loved her and did not hate her for a very long time. It did not change, as they say, overnight. We were... sisters for centuries. She... was there for Luna when we were young, and a very long time thereafter..."

Nightmare faced her again. "I do not wish to discuss this further."

"Okay..." Twilight said softly. “I’m sorry I asked.”

Nightmare frowned and shook her head. “Do not apologize.”

She frowned and tentatively nodded.

Nightmare shifted her weight. "I would like to discuss the resistance. Are we alone?"

Twilight grimaced but nodded. "Yes. Spike is with Rarity right now."

"I see," Nightmare said. "Good. Have you made a decision?"

Twilight swallowed and nodded. "If you'll let me, I think it would be best if I tried."

Nightmare inclined her head once. "Very well." Her teacher hesitated for a moment, then broke eye contact to say, "Be careful."

"I will," Twilight replied.

Nightmare looked back down at her. "Did you... perchance catch the names of those you met?"

Twilight frowned while her chest tightened. "Yes..." she forced out. And of course, with that admission, she knew what would follow: Nightmare asking for the names of those she met.

And yet, a few seconds passed in silence, and so she watched Nightmare contemplate what to say next. "I see," was all Nightmare had to say.

"You're not going to ask who?" she asked.

"You do not desire to tell me," Nightmare said with a single nod. Her mentor kept her head bowed as she added, "I trust you."

For several seconds, Twilight kept expecting Nightmare to add something onto that or to ask regardless, and yet, Nightmare never did. "Right. Um... is there anything else that I need to tell you?"

"I would not know if there was, given that I do not know what you know," Nightmare replied.

Twilight closed her eyes and breathed in deep. "Right." She opened her eyes and turned to the right. "I can't think of anything else."

Nightmare studied her for a moment. "I see. Very well. If nothing more on this subject-" Nightmare inclined her head, "- would you perhaps accompany me to my old castle? I wish to see what progress they have made."

“That’s what you mentioned wanting to do tonight last night?” Twilight asked.

Nightmare nodded once. “You are correct.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Nightmare's lips lifted up ever so slightly, almost gracefully. "Thank you." Her teacher's smile drifted away. "I do hope that they finish soon, though perhaps it is naive to hope for that. Containing the Elements for so long is... irksome. It wears on my patience."

Twilight frowned as she asked, "Irksome?"

Nightmare's lips pulled tight and she gave a single nod of her head. "Yes."

"Is it... hard to, uh, contain them?" she asked.

Nightmare bowed her head down and parted her lips, then waited for a moment. "It is... more difficult than it would be to store a mundane object in a pocket dimension, or less powerful magical artifacts."

Twilight nodded slowly. "How hard is that spell? The pocket dimension."

"Somewhat taxing. It is beyond most unicorns’ capabilities," Nightmare answered, leveling her head once more. "I will teach it to you in time."

Twilight smiled. 'Why do you want the castle repaired first?' She blinked, then shifted her weight as she glanced left and then right before looking back at her teacher. "This is probably a silly question, but-" she bit her lip and turned her head to the right, still looking up at Nightmare, "-is there a specific reason you want to keep the Elements at the Castle of the Two Sisters instead of, well, in Hollow Shades? There's already a castle there, and it's kind of well-protected since it's a batpony city."

Nightmare grimaced and opened her mouth, only to deflate. Nightmare licked her lips and studied her expression, then turned around to face away from her and lifted her right wing up. Twilight walked over to Nightmare's side, and the alicorn looked at her contemplatively as she draped her wing over Twilight's back, then slid her silken feathers along Twilight's side. "There are... multiple reasons," her teacher mumbled. "Hollow Shades is not well known, but the old castle is even less known. Furthermore, beyond the contingent of batponies at the castle, anypony attempting to get to the Elements would have to deal with the forest."

"So it's more obscure and you think it's better protected," Twilight summarized.

Nightmare nodded, though her mouth lingered open. The alicorn turned away from her and faced the door. "And it is-" Nightmare's voice sounded far less certain than she was used to, "-near the... “ Nightmare trailed off before regaining her composure. “It is near the Elements' source. Where Sister and I found them to defeat Discord." Nightmare glanced back at her and inclined her head before saying, "To my knowledge, outside of Sister and I, you are the only pony alive to know this."

Twilight wasn't sure what to reply with. Predictions and Prophecies didn't say anything about the Elements' origins. And that the Elements' origins were in the Everfree Forest? The thought was surprising. How then, she had to wonder, did the Everfree Forest come to be as it was?

Nightmare's head drifted away again. "I would prefer it remain this way. I am trusting you not to tell others."

'She trusts you,' she remembered Midnight saying. A frown pulled at her lips, but she put it aside and lifted her head higher. "I won't."

"Thank you," Nightmare murmured. "If you are ready, I shall teleport us to the courtyard."

Twilight bowed her head and closed her eyes as Nightmare's magic wrapped around her body. Through her closed eyelids, she saw the flash of light and she heard the crack of magic that accompanied the teleport. Though the feeling of Nightmare's magic was something she was used to, the sudden change from being inside a library in Ponyville to being out in the open in the Everfree forest was noticeable.

She opened her eyes and look around, taking in the batponies as they turned their attention from dutifully tending to their tasks to regard their queen, then bow reverentially to her before returning back to their work. She looked aside at Nightmare and found the alicorn sweeping her eyes over the courtyard, scrutinizing the tents and batponies, examining the stonework of the walls and pavement. Her teacher turned her head back to the left to scrutinize the castle proper and nodded. "They are making progress."

When Nightmare turned back to face her, Twilight nodded in agreement. "They are, but it is going slow. Working with stone isn't all that easy, from what I've seen."

Nightmare inclined her head once, then turned back to regard the castle. "Indeed. Were it easy, it perhaps would not be worthwhile doing."

She looked back where Nightmare was looking. Most of the damage to the castle was still there, though most of the holes looked more uniform; the jagged, random broken stones that stuck out had been cast down, leaving the holes larger, but it was a necessary step. She walked around to Nightmare's side again, and after a passing glance from her teacher, walked beside her to the castle's entrance.

Passing through the doors, she found that the scaffolding had moved deeper into the entrance, with the holes in the ceiling and walls closer to the entrance having been repaired. Nightmare continued on, so she followed close beside her. They passed under scaffolding that held up massive stone blocks that didn't fully span the distance of the arched roof; Nightmare eyed the stones warily, as if not fully trusting the scaffolding to hold up the stones' weight. Aside from tools and little bits of unused scaffolding along the walls, the hallway was cleared from debris, so she didn't worry about tripping.

Few batponies stood in the hallways, as most of them flew, some carrying supplies and some carrying equipment. Passing under another scaffold, she looked up at the hole in the ceiling and watched two teams of batponies lower another massive stone block onto the scaffolding. When the weight finally rested on the scaffold, Twilight cringed. If it had taken thirty-six batponies to move it, well, she didn't want that to fall on her.

Her worries were banished when she saw Nightmare look at her. She looked back at the alicorn, then her friend looked at her back, and finally, she felt Nightmare's wing brush over her back, along her spine and down her right side. She smiled and turned her attention away from Nightmare Moon to instead take in the rest of the work being done, knowing that, 'She wouldn't let it crush us.'

Any decorations that had been present before had been stripped away, leaving the barren, uncaring stone walls so that they could be repaired. Whether the decaying decorations would be repaired or tossed, she didn't know because she hadn't thought to ask before.

They came to the end of the entrance and Nightmare led her down the hallway on the left, her wing still resting on Twilight's back. As they approached the open doors to the throne room, Nightmare slowed. They stopped in front of the doorway and looked into the throne room.

It looked empty compared to how she had seen it before. The holes in the roof and walls were larger, broken stones having been cleared out or cut into a different shape to make repairing the castle easier. The destroyed thrones on the dais had been cleared away, and the pedestal where the Elements had been was also missing.

For a brief moment, she looked at Nightmare Moon and watched the alicorn study the room before her. In her teacher's eyes, she saw reminiscence and perhaps longing. For some reason, she thought she might have seen regret.

Then Nightmare inhaled and steeled her resolve, and the reminiscence and longing disappeared as her gaze sharpened and refocused.

Without saying anything, Nightmare walked into the room and cast her gaze to the ceiling, taking in the holes leftover from her battle with Princess Celestia as Twilight walked along beside her. As they approached the dais, Nightmare's head lowered so that Twilight could look out the hole in the wall behind where the thrones had been.

Something passed over Nightmare's expression that she couldn't make out, then a scowl settled on the alicorn's lips. Nightmare turned her head to the right and led Twilight to the passage that went to her former chambers.

Twilight found herself hesitating as they approached the door, though Nightmare's wing coaxed her forward. Her past memories of the room beyond weren't her favorite. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in deep, then let it all out in a single, drawn-out exhale.

Even though they walked, the distance passed by quicker than she thought it should have, and when they approached the door, Nightmare strode forward, lifting her wing from Twilight's back as she passed through the doorway into her old chambers.

The domed ceiling painted like the night sky didn't compare to how Nightmare's chambers were painted in Hollow Shades. The empty flasks and jars that had been on the bookshelves before had been removed and the formerly-dusty books had been cleaned, but it still lingered in her mind that there were no trinkets here.

Once she passed through the doorway, Nightmare glanced back at her and shut the door with her magic. Then Nightmare looked at her for a moment before turning away. With a shake of her head, Nightmare ascended the stairs to the next level, and after waiting a few seconds, Twilight cautiously followed after the alicorn. She climbed the stairs, craning her head to look into the next level as she drew nearer.

She didn't see Nightmare Moon, but the door opposite the bookshelf was open. Though she felt like she was intruding, She tentatively walked across the room and came to a stop at the doorway. Looking in, she found what must have been Nightmare Moon's bedchambers.

Princess Luna's bedchambers.

Nightmare Moon stood at the end of the bed, facing the wall on the left. Twilight briefly glanced over the bed: it was nowhere near as extravagant as the one in Hollow Shades. The tattered blankets were a rich deep blue that brought her to remember Luna's mane, while the pillows looked as if a painter had painted the night sky on them. Like in Hollow Shades, the walls were painted in a panoramic, but this time, it seemed to be the night sky, where the floor was painted as if the ground were far below.

"Um... may I come in?" she asked.

Nightmare glanced aside at her and bowed her head once. "You may; you do not need to ask permission."

Twilight lifted her forehoof up, held it in the air for a moment, then reluctantly stepped into the room. She looked back at the deep-blue rug when she did, and she cringed at the memory that came back to mind.

"I am sorry for how I treated you," Nightmare murmured.

Twilight stopped in the doorway and turned back to face Nightmare Moon. The alicorn's head was turned to face her. The agitated look of pain in Nightmare's eyes didn't surprise her, but what did surprise her was the way her mentor's ears were tilted back at a slight angle.

"It still bothers you?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare's lips gradually pulled up into a wince, and Nightmare turned away from her. "It does," was her teacher's mumbled admission. "Perhaps it is foalish, but it does." Nightmare turned back to meet her gaze. "I value your friendship and company. I do not want to hurt you and I do not want you to be unhappy. I am sorry that I hurt you by... pushing you away."

And what was she supposed to reply to that? She smiled, albeit awkwardly. 'Reassure her,' a part of her said, but she still had no idea what to say. Simply saying, 'it's fine' or 'it's okay' felt like it wouldn't do what she wanted it to.

Why was it that she, a unicorn filly of all ponies, was supposed to reassure Nightmare Moon? It was so incomprehensible to her. And yet, there was an inkling of realization that, 'I'm your friend.'

And with that thought in mind, she settled on her action: she walked over to Nightmare Moon. Nightmare gradually turned to face her, watching her with a curious, contemplative look in her eyes. Once she reached the alicorn, she simply hugged her. For a moment, Nightmare hesitated, possibly caught off-guard.

Of course, that hesitation didn't last. Nightmare returned the hug, lifting her right foreleg up and draping it over Twilight's withers, mirroring Twilight's hug. Unlike Twilight, however, Nightmare Moon leaned down and pressed her head against Twilight's neck, angling her muzzle just enough to nose into Twilight's mane.

Gradually, Nightmare Moon sat down on her haunches, then wrapped her wings around Twilight's back. With a little coaxing from the alicorn's embrace, Twilight sat down and rested her head on Nightmare's bare shoulder. The alicorn pulled her a little closer, bringing their chests together. She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the shared hug, enjoying the warmth and contact. Enjoying feeling the way Nightmare's feathers ever so slightly meshed with her fur. Enjoying the faint, soothing scent of lavender.

Eventually, Nightmare broke the silence, murmuring, "I will-" the alicorn stumbled for a moment before saying, "-If you desire, I will show you the source of the Elements."

Twilight would have been lying if she said she wasn't excited by the idea. How many ponies knew about the Elements of Harmony, let alone where they came from? And of those ponies, how many had seen where the Elements had come from? She smiled giddily and squirmed with delight at the prospect. "I'd love to!"

She couldn't see it to find out, but she wondered if Nightmare Moon smiled.

"Then I will show you. However I do ask that you keep it a secret," Nightmare mumbled.

She nodded, nuzzling the alicorn in the process. Nightmare nuzzled her in return, rubbing her neck and cheek against Twilight's neck. Twilight giggled softly. After a few seconds, Nightmare pulled back, sliding her leg off from Twilight's withers and folding her wings back to her side. Twilight likewise pulled out of the embrace, then stood up as Nightmare did.

She felt Nightmare's magic envelope her and once again closed her eyes. After the spell was cast, she felt cooler, damp air wash over her coat. She shivered as she opened her eyes.

There were only two light sources: the glow from Nightmare's horn, and a large crystal growth at the end of the room. She couldn't even take her eyes off of the crystal to find out where she was, so mesmerized by it was she. The crystal's soft glow was pleasant on her eyes, and as she looked at it, she felt a sense of calm and reassurance filling her whole being, soothing her mind, body, and soul. It reminded her of the way the Elements' felt.

There was a faint, rumbling echo that made her realize they were underground in a cave of some kind. Accompanying that rumble, she heard the chime of Nightmare's magic and a low, pleasant hum coming from the crystal. The crystal had grown nearly to the ceiling, branching out at sharp angles that were so unnatural for a crystal. It almost looked alive.

And as she scrutinized the five largest growths from the main body of the crystal, she realized, 'It looks like a tree.' And the realization left her dumbstruck. Had it been carved that way? If it hadn't been carved that way, how had it grown so oddly as to end up appearing like a tree?

The glow from Nightmare's horn flickered, and she managed to look away from the crystal to see Nightmare bowing her head. "The Tree of Harmony, as we called it," was her teacher's elaboration.

"It's-"

"Alive, yes," Nightmare answered.

The alicorn stared at the tree, regarding it contemplatively, yet she saw something else in the way her teacher's eyes caught the crystal's soft glow: concern. Perhaps even discomfort. 'Why are you uncomfortable? It feels wonderful!' A slight frown pulled at her lips. She turned back to stare at the tree. "I don't understand."

"We did not either," Nightmare mumbled. "We were not even sure it existed, nor that it would be enough to stop Discord if it did exist."

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare did not answer.

Twilight studied the tree further, tracing over the crystal branches, following them out to even larger clusters of crystals that seemed like hives of some kind. She noticed that something seemed to be missing from each cluster, but there were only five of them. She frowned and followed the branches back to the main trunk of the tree.

She saw a familiar starburst in the center of where the five branches met. Below that, she would have sworn she saw Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon's cutie marks. She blinked and found the same sight before. She closed her eyes and lifted her right forehoof to rub them, then opened her eyes again.

"Your eyes do not deceive you," Nightmare said.

"Our... cutie marks?" slipped out before she could stop herself.

"Yes," Nightmare answered.

She searched the rest of the tree. She could barely make out that the crystal clusters on the five branches seemed to have marks similar to her friends' cutie marks. She didn't see Cadance's cutie mark on the tree. "I don't... I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense," she said, then turned to face Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare looked back at her. Contemplatively. Intently. The alicorn knew something and was certain of what she knew. Then Nightmare's eyes jumped back to the tree.

Or maybe she was seeing things. Maybe she was wrong, maybe Nightmare didn't know something about what she saw, and maybe it was a coincidence. Perhaps it was a trick of the lighting, or perhaps it was an illusion. Or, perhaps, if it was a tree, the cutie marks could change? Turning back to the tree, she asked, "Where are we?"

"This cave is... beneath the castle. The chasm you have crossed to reach the castle before houses the entrance, though I have blocked the entrance off. It would... perhaps be a bad thing for it to be easy to find," Nightmare answered.

She felt Nightmare's magic wrap around her. She couldn't make herself close her eyes before the alicorn cast the teleportation spell. The spell didn't blind her as much as it used to.

Author's Note

6/26/20

Changed "I gave them my blessing," to "I gave them my permission." Added in the needed portion about disappearances, thanks to DivinePanzer!

Apparently I had no Author's Notes for this chapter beforehand. This surprises me. I have no idea, nor memory, of what I was thinking. :twilightsmile:

9/21/20

Copied chapter over to a new chapter to keep the original while I begin on edits.

9/26/20

Edits/rewrites started.

Tired yawning and screaming I didn’t sleep well last night BUT I forced myself to rewrite the entire. First. Scene thingy. I completely forgot what I was going to say there. That’s how tired I am. It took the whole day to rewrite this scene/series of scenes/ideas into proper scenes. I don’t know if they’re proper scenes, truth be told.

I have my concerns that my portrayal of Nightmare Moon will be off because of the chapters I was writing before I got around to editing this.

But! It’s done! Ahahahaha! The chapter that made me spiral into so much doubt, demotivation, and discouragement! Finally halfway corrected! Ahahaha!

The original length was 10,193 and as of finishing rewriting the opening, it’s at 13,797.

9/28/20

Further edits to the edited opening scenes. Mostly adding comas and reviewing to make sure it makes sense. Boy, one transition, in particular, is abrupt...

Touched up Nightmare Moon and Cadance’s conversation. Maybe it would be better to have it be less... blunt. However, this conversation and the way it goes is a bit important, in my expert opinion, for how the story is shaped after this point.

Woohoo, I actually did it and read through the rest of the chapter today! I’m actually surprised by that.

Happy author dancing except it’s a gif of a batpony with a mango.

9/29/20

Minor edits/touch-ups.

10/14/20

Finally have feedback from my prereader. Reviewing chapter for further touch-ups and edits.

Nuked one scene which was decent, but 200% out of place. It contributed to worldbuilding and establishing the passing of time but was otherwise pointless. It had a purpose when I wrote it, but the changes that have happened since I originally wrote that scene (rewriting chapters/edits) made it not fit.

Oh goodness I think I actually fixed a problem scene. I did some edits and rewording of it and I think I actually fixed the problems with it! I am surprised and delighted with this!

For reference, it was the scene with Cadance and Nightmare Moon talking. It came off too blunt before. Way too blunt.

Boom, finished going through the chapter in one day! 14,312.

Wait, the scene I nuked served as the transition between the opening scenes and return to Ponyville... oooh boy that’s a big oversight and an awkward, abrupt transition. Well, there is no transition. Hey, that’s what Prereaders/rereading is for! Thanks for catching that!

14,603.

10/22/20

I hope you enjoyed this chapter finally breaking the hiatus. I know it’s much better than the first draft, and I’m feeling optimistic about the story’s future. I am behind on rereading, but in my defense I got sidetracked reading a story that had nukes, and also Stellaris.

Also, only a small percentage of people comment or leave a like on the story. If everyone who read the chapter commented, I wouldn’t be able to read it all. So if you like the story/chapter, remember to like, comment, and track or follow. It really helps out, it’s free, and you can always unsubscribe later.

Consideration Part 2

Nightmare Moon gazed at the Tree of Harmony, feeling little pins prick her back, moving up towards her head as she watched it. She could feel it harmonizing with the Elements, even despite the pocket dimension she held them in. She could feel that everpresent link between Twilight and the Element of Magic, stronger now than it had been when she had first touched it.

She regarded the tree, and the tree regarded her in kind. She could feel it watching her, she could feel its magic, tickling at her own, bringing with it a reminiscence of when she had wielded the Elements with Sister to defeat Discord, bringing with it the agonizing memory of the Element's judgment cast upon her, bringing with it the reminder of how Twilight and her friends had used the Elements to stop Discord, as she and Sister once had.

Yet as she regarded the tree and as it regarded her, she did not feel so betrayed by the tree as she once had. The Elements had cast their judgment on her once before, under Sister's guidance. Their betrayal had stung, for the Elements had been twisted against her by her Sister. And yet for Sister having used the Elements against her to seal her away, she knew Sister could not bear the Elements against her next time.

It would have to be Twilight’s doing.

As she regarded the tree, she found herself contemplating, 'Had Sister not stopped me, Twilight never would have existed, nor would Equestria now exist.' Oh, how young and foalish she had been!

Perhaps, then, it was for the better that Sister had stopped her.

As she regarded the tree, she found herself feeling perplexed. The pinpricks stopped at her neck, then faded away as if the tree no longer considered her, but the tree surely still watched her. Perhaps it knew it was in no danger, as she would not carelessly destroy the Tree. Perhaps it was the bond she shared with Twilight, who in turn was bound to the Element of Magic.

As she regarded the Tree, she found herself longing for something. She wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps it was the days of old, when she had been young and naive, blind to the truth of Sister's lies and naive enough to hope for improvement. Perhaps it was longing for the joy that had been stripped from her, or perhaps the loyalty that she had lost. Perhaps it was longing for Twilight’s ascension, or perhaps the fulfillment she found herself lacking.

And the Tree, now that she gave time to consider it, felt so very different from before. It felt weaker somehow, like its magic didn't have the same sway that it once did. Perhaps she was imagining it, or perhaps she had simply misjudged how powerful the tree was before. Or perhaps her memory was at fault. Yet even still, she knew that against the Elements, she had no defense.

She breathed in and silently exhaled, keeping herself from sighing. Turning right, she watched Twilight. Took in the lack of understanding and comprehension in her eyes, how the filly couldn't grasp what was before her. The filly blinked and rubbed her eyes. Nightmare turned back to the tree.

Twilight saw what she saw, and yet Twilight was blind to it. Blind and naive.

Perhaps for the better.

"Your eyes do not deceive you," she said.

"Our... cutie marks?" Twilight asked, her voice still lacking the understanding that she should have had.

An edge of disappointment crept into her chest. 'You do not see it. You do not understand. Or perhaps I am seeing that which is not there.' But no, she knew what had to be Twilight's destiny.

And Twilight did not.

"Yes," she answered.

And yet, she studied the tree, considering the cutie marks etched into the trunk, the cutie marks etched into the clusters at the ends of the five limbs. Cadance's cutie mark was not among them. What did that mean? She could not understand it. And Twilight's friends' cutie marks were there, and yet she did not sense the same inkling of destiny for each of them.

How had this tree come to be? 'If only you had told us.' She held back a snort, stopped herself from shaking her head. Starswirl enjoyed being cryptic at times.

"I don't... I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense," Twilight said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight turn to face her.

And there was no recognition in her student's expression, and it pained her that Twilight did not see what she saw. But perhaps it was a good thing that Twilight did not know. She turned her head to consider the filly. She let her eyes run over her friend's features, how the soft glow of the tree and her magic cast the filly's fur in such a beautiful light, let her eyes trace back to where the unicorn's wings would be, pictured them in her mind and felt a surge of ecstasy and of fear sweep over her chest.

Excitement and anticipation, for what would be.

Nightmare looked back at the tree and considered, 'You know her destiny, do you not?' Of course, the tree would. If she knew, then surely the tree knew.

Did that mean Sister knew? And if Sister knew, why had Sister thrown Twilight away? Sister wouldn't have done so. Not Twilight. Not her student. Not her little pony.

Or did Sister view Twilight like she had viewed Luna? Was Twilight a threat to Celestia?

"Where are we?" Twilight asked.

Did she dare tell Twilight the answer to that? She would not lie to the filly, but she did not have to answer. Twilight did not need to know, and yet it would be good for somepony else to know. Leaving Twilight without such knowledge would be to leave her unprepared in case something happened that she could not think of. Yes, if anypony needed to know where the Tree of Harmony was, it would be Twilight. Her student. The bearer of the Element of Magic.

She licked her lips and then answered, "This cave is... beneath the castle. The chasm you have crossed to reach the castle before houses the entrance, though I have blocked the entrance off. It would... perhaps be a bad thing for it to be easy to find."

For a few seconds, she let her words hang in the air. Twilight said nothing, nor did the tree attempt to lash out at her. A feeling of disappointment and discontentedness settled in her core. She wrapped Twilight in her magic's embrace and teleported the two of them to the top of her tower.

A cold breeze attacked her coat as she stood there. Twilight stepped closer to her. On instinct, she glanced at the filly. Twilight shiver from the chilly wind. Perhaps the air was too cold. It was fall, after all, and without the sun, the weather wasn't as easy to control.

Her magic was not perfect.

She found herself grimacing. 'She does not deserve this.' And so she lifted her wing and draped it over Twilight's back, sheltering her. With Twilight protected from the cold wind's assault, she stepped forward, coaxing Twilight along with her, not that she needed to. Twilight almost perfectly mimicked her stride.

She stopped at the battlements, standing behind the lowest part of the wall, and looked out across the Everfree Forest. In the distance, she could see Canterlot glistening like a jewel in the night, more extravagant than the twinkling stars above. Clouds and the scarred moon marred the otherwise perfect night sky, and she found herself wanting.

But if she ignored the bustle of the camp, the bite in the night air, and the clouds and moon, she could almost convince herself it was perfect. She closed her eyes and let the world fade away, focusing instead on the warmth against her side, sheltered beneath her wing, and the stillness of the night. Nothing there demanded her attention, nothing saught to tear her down nor destroy her.

Instead, there was peace.

Using her magic, she summoned a blanket and set it down beneath her, stretching it out enough so that they could both sit without concern for the stone, then she sat down on her haunches and Twilight did too.

And for a time, she felt content.

Twilight gradually leaned against her, either enjoying the time they spent together or for more warmth, though the latter seemed more likely. Regardless of the reason, she welcomed the contact and likewise held Twilight in place against her side with her wing, protecting Twilight from the wind and enjoying Twilight’s warmth against her side and on the underside of her wing.

She eventually felt Twilight's weight lift from her shoulder. She tilted her head back to look at Twilight and found the filly looking back at her, mouth parted ever so slightly. Twilight's gaze dropped to her shoulder and chest, then Twilight looked back up at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

A bit of a smile pulled at Nightmare's lips. She bowed her head. "Of course," was her answer.

And yet, for a moment longer, Twilight hesitated. Eventually, Twilight overcame that hesitation. "I... have a lot of questions, actually," was the filly's sheepish admission. A pleasant, awkward smile crossed Twilight's lips.

Truly, Twilight was endearing. She nodded to coax Twilight to continue. The filly swallowed, then licked her lips. "The Tree of Harmony? That's what you called it right?"

A bit of her smile wilted. She turned her gaze back to the Everfree and nodded. "Yes."

"What is it?" was Twilight's question.

"It..." she trailed off, her gaze dropping to the courtyard below. "It is... complicated. In truth, neither Sister nor I ever truly understood it, nor how it came to be."

"How did you find it?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare lifted her head up to the sky, a grimace pulling at her lips. "One of Starswirl's notes." She lowered her head and turned to face Twilight, "He was... quite vague. I do not remember exactly what the note said, though it is possible the note may yet exist somewhere."

Twilight's eyes caught the moonlight perfectly. She couldn't look away, because there was simply so much to look at. She felt torn by the sight, she felt like a filly or perhaps a puppy pinning after the unicorn. And oh, how it twisted in her gut, leaving her uncomfortable, making her chest feel jittery, making her hesitant and uncertain.

And Cadance knew.

Twilight blinked and frowned, her gaze dropping back to her shoulder. She managed to take advantage of it to look back at Canterlot.

Twilight was oblivious to it.

"He was your mentor, right?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare grimaced and nodded. "He was, yes. Both of our mentors."

"What was he like?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare snorted as she thought back on Starswirl’s personality. "Arrogant," was her first answer. "Though," she had to admit, "he could back it up. For the longest time, he would show up both Sister and I when we were practicing our magic. Sister and I have both lost far more duels with him than we have won, both on our own and even combined. He could be condescending at times as well. As a teacher, he was vague and strict, though quite thorough when it came to chastising us. Most of the time he forced us to figure out what we were attempting to learn, only giving hints as to where we had made mistakes. As a friend... he was... quite distant and detached-if you could consider him a friend... Very formal, and very focused on his work. He was good at planning, but not so good at organizing. He... was quite the scholar, but also an apt warrior in his own right. He and his companions fought to protect Equestria many, many times, but he was always more interested in experimenting and so on." She pondered the thought; it brought her to consider the parallel between Twilight and Starswirl and their companions. “And then one day, he and his companions disappeared. He left nothing behind to tell us where he had gone, only his unfinished works. We never found out what happened. I never found any of their dreams or nightmares again.”

When she finished, she expected to hear Twilight ask something else about Starswirl, or maybe the tree, or perhaps the Elements, but the filly didn't. Instead, Twilight leaned back against her. She glanced back at Twilight and found her looking off towards Canterlot.

"You... said you've had nightmares before, right?" Twilight asked.

And with that question, she felt a prick of anxiety dart from her gut, to her chest, and then to her mind. The first nightmares to come to mind, out of all of them, were of Twilight. "I... have," she managed to mumble out.

"I... find that... I don't know, hard to believe I guess?" Twilight voiced.

"I have fears as everypony else does, Twilight," Nightmare admitted.

Twilight leaned away from her and asked, "What are you afraid of? Other than Discord."

Nightmare breathed in deep and turned to regard Twilight. Did she dare admit the truth? Some feeling she couldn't quite place settled in her chest. She turned back to watch Canterlot and nodded once. "I am afraid of failing. I am afraid of what will happen to Equestria. I am afraid that... ponies will rise up and that chaos will consume Equestria. I am afraid that war will befall Equestria. I am afraid of betraying you, or of you betraying me, even though I know that I should not be. I am afraid that I am lying to myself and I do not realize it. I am afraid that I will somehow be banished again." She paused for a moment to inhale again and turned to face Twilight. "I am afraid that..."

'I am afraid that I will lose you,' but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

She still saw in Twilight's eyes that the filly knew.

She turned back to Canterlot. "I have many fears."

For several seconds, it seemed like the only sound was that of the wind as if even the batponies had stopped their work out of respect for her.

"How do you have nightmares if you can, uh, control dreams?" Twilight asked.

"It is... different for me," Nightmare said. "I am not fully in control of my own dreams, whereas I can tell when I am in another pony's dream or nightmare because I am using my magic. I have wondered why myself, but I do not have an answer."

"Sorry. I guess... I shouldn't be asking about this, should I? It's personal and not-"

Nightmare shook her head. "It is fine. I do not mind talking about this with you. It is... perhaps... somewhat pleasant to be able to talk about this with somepony. It..." she trailed off and nodded. "I am glad to be able to talk about this with you. Being alone for one thousand years is... difficult."

Difficult did not begin to convey the experience. The pain and suffering, her all-consuming anger and bitterness and resentment. Her body tensed at the memory, at the hundreds of thousands of times she gazed upon Equestria as Equis ascended into view. How every time she was powerless but to watch and suffer and brood and hate.

A long time passed in silence. Eventually, her body managed to relax. She tilted her head to look at Twilight, who looked out at the Everfree Forest so, so quietly, not knowing what to say. But then, what could Twilight say?

Eventually, a grimace settled on Twilight’s lips. Twilight looked at her lethargically. "How are negotiations with the griffins coming along?"

Nightmare groaned and sagged slightly. "Tedious and slow. Progress is being made, yes, but..." She shook her head vigorously. "The minotaurs are trying to undercut Equestrian negotiations by making their own offers, and one of the griffins suggested that a bribe could work in my favor."

Twilight frowned. "Did you accept-"

Nightmare scowled. "Of course not. I will not partake in bribery, Twilight. Perhaps yes, it could help, but it is a sign of weakness to resort to such methods." Shaking her head, she reaffirmed, "I will not."

Twilight looked away from her. "Do you think the griffins will accept your offer or the minotaurs' offer?"

"I would presume they would accept my offer," Nightmare mumbled, "though I could be wrong. If it comes down to it I will see to it that my offer is better than the minotaurs' offer. I am... shall we say, concerned about their intentions." Twilight turned to face her, frowning. "Likewise, I do not like the idea of letting the minotaurs have access to the griffin lands."

"What are the minotaurs offering the griffins?" Twilight asked in a cautious tone. Nightmare grimaced; Twilight was concerned.

"The minotaurs are, in addition to offering aid in rebuilding and infrastructure, offering the griffins weapons," Nightmare stated.

For a few seconds, Twilight silently stared at her shoulder. She heard the filly mutter, "I don't..." Twilight lifted her head back up. "Do the griffins want the weapons?"

Nightmare pursed her lips and looked at the sky above Canterlot. "They do not seem interested in weapons, however, the minotaurs have a more competitive offer regarding resource exploitation, though it is lacking in terms of infrastructure."

"Okay," Twilight said, "I must be missing something because I know there's a reason why you're concerned about this, but I don't see it."

Nightmare reluctantly bowed her head, then nodded once. "I am concerned about the minotaurs' intent." She turned to face Twilight and found the filly looking at her with a creased brow and a frown. "Let us... leave it at that."

"Okay..." Twilight muttered at length.

A few seconds passed between them in silence, which culminated in Twilight resting her head against Nightmare's shoulder. In response, Nightmare tightened her wing around Twilight's body.

"Do you..." Nightmare trailed off and closed her mouth. She hesitated, then turned to face Twilight. "Would you..." she trailed off again. 'Perhaps it is too cold for us to fly together. There are spells that will rectify this.'

That damned uncertainty left her hesitating and unsure. Why did her chest betray her so, making her feel as if something was coiling in her heart!? She shook her head and held in a sigh as she looked back at Canterlot.

"What is it?" Twilight pressed.

"Something for another time," she answered. "You are warm enough, yes? If you so desire, we can return to the castle proper, or I can teleport us back to your library in Ponyville."

"I'm-" Nightmare caught a slight hesitation in Twilight's answer, "-okay."

"Very well," Nightmare mumbled. "Let me know when you desire to return, and I shall teleport us back."

Twilight lifted her head from Nightmare's shoulder, and Nightmare found herself missing the weight and warmth. "Didn't you want to, uh, go through the rest of the castle and see how the batponies are doing?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "I did, but I have seen enough to be assured of their progress. And if I am being honest, I moreso desired your company tonight."

Twilight hummed softly at that. Nightmare looked back at her and found a soft, warm smile spreading across Twilight's lips. And from that smile, she felt relieved and reassured, so she cast her gaze back upon Canterlot.

"You know, my offer to hang out with me and the rest of my friends some time still stands," Twilight offered.

And with that, the relief and reassurance wilted. She shook her head dismissively. "We both know how it would end, Twilight. They neither like me nor trust me."

"And you can change that," Twilight said. "Give them a chance. Get to know them, and let them get to know you. It won't change unless you try."

Perhaps it was having visited the Tree of Harmony, or perhaps it was Twilight’s warmth against her side, nestled beneath her wing, but for whatever reason, she considered the idea.

Perhaps Twilight was right. Perhaps she should give Twilight’s friends a proper chance. They would never be as close as her and Twilight, but perhaps it was worth the attempt. And yet she knew it would end badly. It would not matter what she did. She knew her presence would only choke out whatever joy and companionship the six of them would share were she not there. She didn't want to be around Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Perhaps Rarity and Fluttershy would be tolerable. Twilight's company, however, might make it bearable.

She considered it and found herself divided. A part of her wanted to laugh at the idea, for how foalish and naive it was. For how little it mattered. And yet that part found itself silenced, as Twilight's friends bore the Elements of Harmony, and as Twilight's friends were allies. And, they were Twilight’s friends. Something that they shared in common.

"Perhaps... in time," she relented, and in response, she felt Twilight fidget at her side, rubbing up against her coat and wing as the filly bristled with excitement. Excitement that she couldn't help but feel guilt over because that excitement would only be choked out if such a thing came to pass.

And even without saying anything, she felt that excitement die as Twilight settled down. "Um... I have another question, if it's okay to ask."

Nightmare breathed in deep and gradually turned her head around to face Twilight. The filly looked up into her eyes. "You do not have to ask for permission to ask me a question, Twilight."

"It's-" Twilight broke eye contact, "-kind of a personal question, though. I think." Twilight met her gaze again.

Nightmare slowly bowed her head. "You may ask it."

Twilight's ears twitched back. "Why do you look the way you do? I saw how... you looked like when you were Princess Luna. Why do you look different now? Is it... an illusion? Or... something else? I don't understand."

For a few seconds, Nightmare silently considered how to answer. "You have ridden on my back, we have hugged, and you now lean against my body. Does it feel like an illusion?" she asked.

"Well, no, but there are complicated spells that can mimic textile feel and I'd expect you to know them," Twilight answered.

"If I were not as tall as I am, I am inclined to believe you of all ponies would be able to tell," Nightmare voiced, then inclined her head once before asking, "Do you think it is an illusion?"

For a few seconds, Twilight broke eye contact, the filly's eyes sweeping back and forth across her shoulder. When Twilight met Nightmare's gaze again, her answer was, "No."

Nightmare nodded. "You are correct. This is who I am; I created a spell that did this. I crafted this appearance."

And surely, a dozen questions ran through her student's mind at that. The filly was a scholar, wanting to know more. And out of every possible question Twilight could have asked, the first was, "You're taller?"

Nightmare Moon hadn't expected that. She had expected 'Why?' and perhaps even 'Did it hurt?' but not what Twilight asked. It took her a moment to recollect her thoughts, and once she had, she nodded. "It is a part of the spell and this appearance. I am taller than Luna. It would not do for Sister to be taller than I."

For a few seconds, she watched Twilight think until the filly finally asked, "If it's just a transformation spell, can it be undone?"

Nightmare reluctantly inclined her head. "I would not admit it to anypony else, but yes. Though not easily."

Twilight glanced down at her shoulder for a passing moment, then met Nightmare's gaze again. "You've looked this way for about a thousand years, right? Do you miss how you used to look?"

Nightmare turned away from Twilight, her lips settling into a flat line. "I do not know," she answered. "I am not Luna; Luna is dead. This is all I have known, though I will admit it took time to get used to this body."

"You were Luna once," Twilight replied softly.

Nightmare breathed in and inclined her head. "So I was," she agreed. She turned to the right and looked at Twilight. She met Twilight's gaze, then studied her soft features before flicking her gaze to the little tilt in Twilight's ears. Steeling her resolve, she met Twilight's gaze again. "But that was a very long time ago." The filly considered what she had said and thought about it for several seconds, then looked out at the Everfree Forest. Nightmare continued to watch Twilight as she turned, and then finally turned back to the forest.

"A thousand years ago," Twilight whispered to the wind. "Would you be willing to show me sometime? Outside of a dream."

Nightmare's eyes flicked to Twilight, and upon finding the filly looking at her, she turned again to face her. That look of pleading and wanting to know in Twilight's eyes made her nip the edge of her lip. 'Of course you would want that. You are quite insistent about that. You want to know more about who I was, don't you?' She released her lip and breathed in to collect her thoughts.

It might make Twilight happy, and undoubtedly, it could be a way for them to grow closer.

But wasn't it a lie? It wasn't who she was. She had been Luna, but Luna was dead.

And showing that again? She wouldn't have given it any thought so long ago.

She felt conflicted. Would showing Twilight how Luna looked mean Luna wasn’t dead? No, Luna was still dead regardless of her appearance. Sister made sure of that.

"Perhaps," she answered. "But not now."

Twilight's eyes dropped to her shoulder, then her student turned back to the forest. "Okay. I'd like to see how Luna looked in person."

"I will... keep that in mind," Nightmare mumbled.

Perhaps it could be, like so much else she desired, something special the two of them could share.

Shaking her head, Twilight turned back to her, wincing. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that, should I?"

"It is fine," Nightmare countered. "Though it is personal and I am not... comfortable... with the idea, I will not fault you for desiring to see who I was." And as she said it, she couldn't evade the thought, 'At one time, I would have.'

And that would have only been a few months ago.

Before the disappointment could settle into her core, Twilight's head came to rest against her shoulder again. And it banished that disappointment, so she straightened herself, lifting her head up to gaze at the sky while she held the filly close. The chill of Twilight's cheek resting against her shoulder served to reinforce just how callous the night truly could be.

For what did the night care of anypony, even of her? Luna had seen ponies suffer on cold winter nights so long ago, some going without food, and some without shelter. And thinking back on it made her tighten her jaw as a spark of anger flickered in her mind, agitating her heart to consider it.

It wasn't her fault and yet they all blamed her for it. Despite what she did for them.

Twilight shifted at her side and then lifted her head from Nightmare's shoulder, and in response, Nightmare looked down at her again. "Sorry, but I, um, just thought about something else."

"You are rather talkative tonight," Nightmare noted.

Twilight winced. "Sorry."

Nightmare shook her head. "Do not apologize. You need not do so. I enjoy your company, and likewise, I enjoy talking to you." After all, nearly anything was better than being imprisoned on the moon. Of course, she knew better than to say that, and Twilight's company was, in of itself, something she treasured.

That made Twilight smile, which in turn made her feel a little better. And yet all too soon, that smile twisted into a grimace. She heard Twilight breathe in and felt her friend's chest expand with it, then Twilight's wince returned. "You... know about, uh, the... upcoming holiday right."

Nightmare felt her jaw tighten. "This-" she swallowed, then forced herself to continue, "I will presume you're referring to Nightmare Night..."

Twilight cringed. "Yes. That."

Nightmare turned back to face Canterlot, jaw still tight. She strained herself to say, "I am... aware."

She wanted to ignore its existence. It was nothing but a sick, twisted mockery of her! Of course, leave it to Sister to create a holiday to celebrate banishing her and, to add even more mockery to it, a holiday to reinforce their damned belief that she was a monster!

Because yes, erasing all evidence of the good she had done, every good deed Luna had done, and in its place, Nightmare Night. Perhaps the only trace of her existence, one that she wished did not exist!

And oh, ponies tried to hide it from her. She knew that much. She had seen their futile attempts to hide their contempt and mockery, but the batponies had told her.

And yet, she hadn't erased that holiday.

And yet, she chose to ignore its existence. To pretend it didn't exist.

How naive, how foalish!

Perhaps they should have discussed this long ago.

She growled and turned her head to the left. Twilight ought not see the anger on her face.

And what now? What would Twilight say to follow up acknowledging that holiday's existence? What would Twilight say now that her anger and disgust were visible?

And yet, Twilight said nothing. Perhaps the filly didn't even know what to say. Or perhaps Twilight was afraid of her again.

She let out a sigh as disappointment overtook the anger.

She forced herself to turn back to look at Twilight. She forced herself to meet the filly's gaze. She forced herself to ask, "Do you not see how Sister mocks me? The only evidence anypony was left with of my existence, a single night, a single holiday. A holiday existing as a threat, that if foals are not good, I would kill them."

And it pained her to know that. It pained her to think that ponies thought that of her. And before when she had found out, it angered her that Sister had done such a thing to her!

But now, all she felt was disappointment and pain, even if she was not surprised.

Twilight looked at her with bewilderment, then her student's expression hardened as she firmly and vigorously shook her head. "No. That's not-that's not Nightmare Night. It's not a threat."

Nightmare snorted and tilted her head at an angle. "Then what is it, Twilight? How can it be anything more than a mockery of me?"

Twilight's eyebrows lifted up as the filly retorted, "Foals enjoy Nightmare Night. It was my second-" Twilight paused to shift her weight, "-okay, third favorite holiday when I was younger!" Then Twilight simply added, "It's fun," in a fond, thoughtful voice that made Nightmare squint at her.

"Fun," Nightmare echoed bitterly, casting her head back so that her gaze settled on Canterlot. "Fun. Mocking me. Thinking that I would murder foals."

"Not mocking you. None of us even knew you were real until you returned," her friend said in a soft tone that tickled Nightmare's ears, almost bringing her to sigh or groan.

As it was, her eyes dropped to the courtyard below. "How is that an excuse?"

"I'm not saying that it's an excuse. I'm saying that you're looking at it wrong," Twilight murmured.

Nightmare turned back to Twilight. She had expected to see some semblance of defiance, more befitting her brother or perhaps even Cadance. Instead, all she found was something akin to pity and disappointment.

"Ponies like Nightmare Night," Twilight continued. “Foals enjoy the candy, and getting to go out and have fun.” Twilight scowled and bobbed her head to the right, "And no, it's not going to be the same now that you're here-" Twilight leveled her head again and leaned towards her while bowing her head, "-but I think some ponies are still going to like the holiday."

And then came the most important part, "If you'll let them enjoy it."

Nightmare scowled as she looked away. "Though I will admit it did cross my mind to end this holiday... I will not. Foolish as it is."

"Come to Ponyville," Twilight countered.

Nightmare squinted at Twilight. "What?"

"On Nightmare Night," Twilight specified with a nod. "Come to Ponyville."

"Why?" Nightmare insisted.

Twilight bit her lip and puffed out her cheeks, then exhaled. "To spend time with me?"

Nightmare had to fight off a cringe; oh, how that request plunged a dagger into her chest and twisted it! She shifted her weight, rubbing her body against Twilight's side, and in turn, shivered.

Twilight must have missed it or thought nothing of it, as she continued, "You might enjoy it."

"You do not know that," Nightmare hastily countered.

Twilight sighed and nodded. "You're right, I don't." A moment passed as Twilight lifted her head back up again. "But you also don't know that you won't enjoy it. Try it," her student coaxed. "You might enjoy it. Give it a chance," her friend pressed.

"I... do not know," Nightmare mumbled. "I will not be partaking in the festivities-"

"I'm not asking you to, I'm just asking you to come to Ponyville on Nightmare Night and spend time with me while I’m out," Twilight murmured. “You don’t have to dress up or anything, but you can keep me company.”

Nightmare found herself shaking her head, but not in disagreement. "Why Ponyville? Why not Canterlot?"

"Because I'll be in Ponyville? Because my friends are in Ponyville? Because I think Ponyville will be a better place to be than Canterlot since it's smaller?" Twilight offered.

"Please?" Twilight coaxed.

'I'm too fond of you.' And Twilight didn't know, which was a good thing because if she did, the filly could take advantage of it. And yet thinking that Twilight would take advantage of her made her feel uncomfortable, twisted, and disheartened. She knew, 'You would not take advantage of it.'

For being Queen, for being the ruler of Equestria, for haven beaten her sister, Twilight somehow made her feel so powerless.

With a sigh, she relented, "I will consider it. If I am not otherwise occupied, I may come... but only for your company."

Twilight smiled warmly. "That's all I ask."

Nightmare studied Twilight's friendly smile as she gradually inclined her head. That smile made her feel content, and so soothed by it, she turned back to Canterlot. "Do you truly enjoy my company?" she asked.

"Of course I do!" Twilight answered, a hint of annoyance dotting her voice.

And Nightmare winced because that annoyance brought her to remember how she had hurt Twilight by questioning their friendship. "I... apologize," she mumbled. "I know you enjoy my company, and... I suppose I should not have asked that." She swallowed, then licked her lips. "Forgive me?"

How much she had asked that question since her return.

In response, Twilight nuzzled her shoulder. "Yeah..."

And so Nightmare found the corner of her lips pulling up as relief banished the worry and disappointment she felt. The way Twilight's fur rubbed against her own, almost tickling her, made her sigh. She fought against the urge to lean down and return the nuzzle, for as much as she wanted to, she felt that doing so, even if Twilight was her friend, would have been a mistake. 'That you are upset I would think you do not enjoy my company,' flickered through her mind.

Yes, she welcomed Twilight's company beyond anything else. She could trust her friend, she could relax and let her guard down around the filly unlike anypony else, knowing that Twilight did not seek to take advantage of her as Sister had.

She did not deserve Twilight's friendship, nor her forgiveness. And for both, she found herself grateful to the unicorn.

"I always enjoy your company," she found herself admitting with a fond nod. "It is..." she trailed off, thinking, 'It is one of the few things I find myself enjoying since my return, but I should perhaps not admit that.' So she nodded and said, "It is pleasant."

'I would not trade it for anything.' For what else could have comparable value to having a friend like Twilight? Not even all of Equestria looking at her with adoration would have been worth losing Twilight. For even then, she could not confide in Equestria as she could Twilight.

Twilight smiled and hummed.

Lowering her head, she mumbled, "Though... I must admit I am not used to this... I do not... I do not have experience with this, as I have said before. It is... difficult for me."

She made the mistake of looking at Twilight, for the filly didn't smile. Twilight nodded and looked back out at the forest. "I... it's not rude of me to say I can tell, right?"

"If it is, I would not hold it against you," Nightmare murmured.

Twilight looked back at her. "I guess... we're a bit alike, aren't we? I didn't have friends before, and neither did you."

Nightmare felt a bit of a smile pulling at her lips, and so she inclined her head once. "Indeed. I have... thought such before. I... do see some of myself in you, and... perhaps some of Sister."

For a few seconds, Twilight silently watched her, then she caught a slight twitch in the filly's ears. "I know this is probably a sore spot," her friend ventured, "but... you mentioned this earlier... If you don't mind my asking, how long was it..." Twilight trailed off, her gaze dropping down to Nightmare's shoulder as her brow creased.

Though suspecting she wouldn't like the question Twilight posed, Nightmare waited for the unicorn to continue. Twilight let out a sigh and then met her gaze. "You and Princess Celestia ruled Equestria together for centuries. You didn't hate her the whole time, did you?"

Nightmare grimaced and shook her head. "Of course not... as I said, she was my sister," she answered. "I loved her for centuries, Twilight. And I thought she did too. And perhaps she did... but it came to an end."

And perhaps that was what would happen between her and Twilight. Was it inevitable? If Twilight ascended, would it eventually come to pass that she would grow to hate the filly? She hated the thought, and the thought left her pained: that she could yet lose Twilight, and that she could grow to hate the filly tormented her. Yet perhaps there was still some comfort she could take there, in that they would have been close for so long before they fell apart. But then it would hurt so much, as Sister hurt her. Perhaps it wasn’t worth it.

She heard Twilight whisper, "It's the ponies closest to us that hurt us the most..."

And oh! How right Twilight was, and how it twisted in her chest like a dagger of betrayal!

She remembered her youth, the days and nights spent at her big sister’s side and how much Sister had meant to her. She remembered how much she thought she meant to Sister. Perhaps at one time, she they truly had meant the world to each other. But then Sister change and she was betrayed and condemned to her fate.

Forever damned.

And even with Twilight right there beside her, wrapped in her wing and held close, she felt alone.

"Do you miss it?" Twilight asked in a soft voice that took away any anger the question could have brought.

For a while, she silently pondered the question. A thousand years ago, she would have laughed at how naive Twilight's question was, and perhaps she would have just a few months ago. But now, she considered the question and looked back on how she would have reacted to it with disdain; Twilight did not deserve her ire.

And yet it was such a foolish, naive question. Sister had tormented her too much. Shaking her head, she answered, "I do not. Sister used me, and when I dared to stand against her, she threw me aside and banished me. Being imprisoned on the moon for more than half of my life is not something I will forget, nor will the agony of that torture. Neither will I forgive her for banishing me nor taking advantage of Luna."

But she remembered that, for a time, she had. "Luna did. Luna had hoped things would change and improve. Luna learned it would not. Time taught her that lesson."

She was not Luna. Celestia had killed Luna.

"She didn't erase all evidence of you," Twilight murmured. "And, I know you probably don't want to hear it and don't want to talk about it... The Flag of Equestria still has two alicorns on it. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She didn't erase that. There's still the section of the castle that's... pretty much dedicated to you-or Luna. There's Nightmare Night. There's the admittedly limited mythos surrounding you."

"And yet where is Luna amidst all of this?" Nightmare Moon asked, turning to look at Twilight. "Nopony knows who Luna is."

"The batponies do," Twilight countered. "Maybe Luna isn't widely remembered, but it's been over a thousand years..."

She snorted. "If Sister truly cared, she could have put more effort into ensuring ponies remembered Luna. Instead, Equestria knows nothing of what Luna sacrificed to protect her."

Twilight looked back out at the Everfree Forest, her ears drifting back slightly.

Even the thought of taking her leave from Twilight left her longing for the next time she would see the filly, but nonetheless, she left after teleporting the two of them back to Twilight's library. Spike hadn't returned yet, so they shared another hug: one that she felt certain lasted far longer than it should have, and that was entirely her own fault.

And yet to her reassurance, Twilight didn't pull away, leaving the duration of their embrace solely in her hooves. And how she had adored every moment of it! How it brought her to smile as she rested her head against Twilight's neck, felt the beat of the filly's heart, felt the rise and fall of Twilight's chest against her own bare chest!

How much a friend meant to her.

Foalish as it was.

But it was what she wanted, was it not? A friend, a companion, a confidant. And so while it left her vulnerable, while it left her open to being hurt, she found it worth it, something she treasured far more than defeating Sister.

Because Twilight was her friend, and Twilight cared.

Returning to her duties as Queen, the next several nights passed by painfully slowly as Nightmare Night drew closer. As Queen, many decisions fell on her shoulders to make, even with power as decentralized as it was. She did have the final say; it was on her word that ponies carried out their tasks.

As Queen, she had to stay informed of Mayors' decisions regarding their towns. They knew best how to manage their regions, but being ignorant to their decisions was unwise. As Queen, she had to stay informed on how Equestria was fairing. The kingdom was large and keeping track of everything was beyond her ability, but she had to be vigilant for any issues that could arise-either purposefully or unintentional. As Queen, she had to know what the deer, zebra, griffins, dragons, and minotaurs were doing. She did not know their intentions and desires: was the Minotaur Empire's attempt at undermining her offer to the griffins more than face value?

And other tasks fell on her as well: listening to ponies report on happenings in their specific field of expertise so that she could plan and decide the best course of action. She was not all-knowing, nor was she infallible. Thus the advice of other ponies who knew more than her was something she neither could nor would ignore. To ignore their advice was foalish, even if she found them reluctant to push back when she presented her own idea, leading her to believe that they were inclined to not tell her if she was making a mistake. And so she found herself wanting for Twilight's company and advice, as Twilight had the confidence to push back against her ideas whereas the Royal Guard, advisers, batponies, and secretaries did not unless she pressed them to, and even then they were reluctant to because of fear.

She had visited the School of Magic in passing, watched the foals from afar as they carried books and attended their studies. How much promise so many of them held! Each in their own way, their skill and talent were present. Each in their own way, they studied and had learned, and it stood as a testament to her sister that each foal had the opportunity to, for Equestria knew peace and prosperity. And yet it all paled in comparison to Twilight. Truly, the filly was Sister's prized pupil. And one day, she knew Twilight would stand among her and Sister and Cadance.

When she had tried to walk among the students, they were all tensed, so acutely aware of her being there: it mattered not their age, from the youngest to the oldest, they were nervous around her. They did not trust her, nor did they regard her with joyful smiles that she knew they had given her sister. Instead of being joyous or excited to see their ruler, they were fearful, dreading her presence unlike how they would have delighted in her Sister’s visit. And so her presence weighed down on them, not as a source of safety and protection, but like a viper, ready to strike should they slip up.

Even the teachers, powerful unicorns in their own rights, even if they did not match Twilight, regarded her warily.

And so she felt anger and bitterness.

But she would not take it out on them. They did not deserve it, nor would it help her any. It would only prove for all to see that they were right.

During the moonless nights as she slept, her dreams came either free or troubled: one dream would be troubled, and it would be followed by one where she felt free. In one, she was bound by the Elements' magic, trapped on the moon again, forced to watch Twilight look at her with solemn regret that tore her heart in twine, only to turn away from her in shame that brought her to wake from her slumber. In another, she flew through the night sky as Twilight flew beside her, carried on by her own majestic lavender wings. They danced together across the sky, Twilight smiling such a carefree, wonderful smile that warmed her heart and left her feeling free before they ended up landing on a cloud together, where she blanketed Twilight beneath her wing as Twilight cuddled up against her side.

How she obsessed over the unicorn.

It brought her to sigh when she considered it.

They were friends, but it was not all that she wanted, nor could it be, and so she found herself longing and bitter, disappointed at knowing it was out of reach.

Several times, she had remembered Twilight saying, 'It's the ponies closest to us that hurt us the most,' which nearly always brought her to remember, 'We were never friends.' It forced her to reminisce on the days and nights of her youth, when she was Luna and when she and Celestia had ruled together as sisters, protecting and guiding Equestria. For so long they had been happy! For so long they had been close.

And then Celestia turned on her and betrayed her.

Used her up and threw her aside.

Once, the thoughts had plagued her mind as she stood on her balcony, watching Ponyville. "I hurt you by not believing we were truly friends. I hurt you because I pushed you away," she had spoken to the night. And the night, her night, simply did not care.

And it was not fair to either of them, that she had betrayed Twilight by pushing her away. Twilight deserved better than that. How could she claim to be Twilight's friend while also so callously doing the same thing Sister had done to her?

'Don't push me away just because you selfishly want to feel better about threatening me.'

And it had been selfish, hadn't it? She had not considered that Twilight would be hurt by what she did. She had done it more for herself, that she would feel better, rather than to comfort Twilight. And so she felt guilty, even as she heard Twilight saying, 'I forgive you.'

And it echoed in her mind, 'I forgive you.'

She found her gaze focused on the courtyard below her as she considered Twilight's patience, forgiveness, kindness, and loyalty. For out of everypony, Twilight had the most reason to hate her, and yet Twilight did not.

She did not understand how, but she trusted that it was so, because she knew Twilight did not lie to her; she knew Twilight cared, and she would not betray Twilight by dismissing it again. For Twilight’s loyalty to her, Twilight in turn was owed her loyalty, and so Twilight had her loyalty.

And yet it did not pass her by that opening herself up to Twilight left her vulnerable. Twilight could hurt her as Sister had hurt her. But what was the alternative? Putting up a wall between them, that she would never be close to Twilight? Fie the thought! Twilight was her friend and she would be damned to ignore that and betray Twilight yet again!

She wouldn't do it.

She would not be alone again.

Determination filled her as she lifted her gaze back to Ponyville. She did not let the uncertainty and anxiety pull her down, rather, she smothered it with her resolve so that it would not hold her back as it had.

She had hoped for a letter, but in truth, Twilight rarely wrote to her. And she knew that Twilight had written to her sister often because of how many letters her sister had hidden away for safekeeping.

But that would not stop her, neither would it hold her down. She was patient.

Besides, perhaps the reason Twilight did not write to her was that they were closer than Twilight and Sister had been.

When they next sparred, she again found herself on the winning side, despite Twilight's constant teleportation. She could still outlast the filly, yet Twilight was holding her own for longer, provided she did not push Twilight to her limits too quickly. Twilight was still learning, but there was improvement: though Twilight could not yet hope to break her shield, the filly was growing more adept at evading her and keeping her on her hooves. Twilight was still fond of teleportation, and the filly used that to her advantage. Nightmare simply couldn't keep up with the filly's teleporting; it was beyond her grasp. And so Twilight had an advantage over her that nothing else had.

She looked forward to the night when Twilight would eventually be victorious: it was inevitable that she would slip up and Twilight would capitalize on it. And if not, then it would be inevitable that Twilight would overpower her after ascending, even if it took centuries. Such was Twilight’s potential.

Once they had finished sparring, Twilight had collapsed on the grass, panting and groaning from exertion. She had simply laid beside Twilight and draped her wing over the filly until Twilight had recovered. Twilight's coat had been slick with sweat, but she did not mind. Twilight's hot body against her side had been pleasant compared to the night, even though the filly eventually cooled too much and shivered. Neither of them had said anything, and they ended up watching the stars together for quite some time before she teleported Twilight back to Ponyville and took her leave.

And it came to pass, that as she awoke on Nightmare Night and raised the moon, she felt anxiety tickling her chest and unease crashing inside her gut. 'What,' she could not stop herself from wondering, 'will tonight bring?'

Only time would tell, and time was not her friend.

She bathed and longed to spend the peaceful moment before the night truly began with Twilight, rather than alone. She stood on her balcony and searched the stars before turning her gaze onto the waking city before her. She turned her gaze to Ponyville and felt dread arise in her core.

Twilight's offers still stood. An offer than she had never been given before.

Perhaps it would be a mistake as she felt it would be, but it was an opportunity.

And Twilight was worth the risk.

Author's Note

9/29/20

Chapter copied over for edits/rewrites. Apparently, there are no author's notes on the original chapter.

Reread the whole chapter and touched up a few parts that I can’t remember.

11/3/20

Rereading and edits; I felt like I forgot something or had made a mistake, which is why I
reviewed it.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Nightmare Night

Steeling her resolve against the rising dread in her chest, Nightmare Moon prepared her teleportation spell. 'This is a mistake. It will not end well,' plagued her mind. And yet against her better judgment, against knowing that she ought not cast the spell, she cast it anyway. She did not cast it for herself, as she knew little good would come of it for her: ponies and foals would simply flee from her, running in terror at her presence. It was a mistake, but then what of the alternate? Staying in her chambers the whole night, locking herself away and letting the knowledge of what was happening torment and distract her?

She cast the spell, knowing that the only good which would come of it would be spending time with Twilight. She cast the spell knowing it was a mistake, knowing it would end poorly, but also knowing it was what Twilight wanted.

And even though she had steeled herself against the dread in her chest, as soon as the crack! and flash of light from her spell faded, she felt as if she forgot her stomach in Canterlot. Despite arriving inside the library, she felt cold. Anxiety plagued her mind.

Why? Why did it bother her? Why did it bother her so much, that coming to spend time with Twilight made her anxious? She held her wings tight to her side so that they did not fidget out of her control, so that they did not betray her anxiety and worry.

She slowly turned her head left and then right, surveying the warmly-lit library. Fake cobwebs made of wool were draped over some of the bookshelves, and a few lines of autumn leaves were strung across the room.

She heard the click of a door and turned to gaze at the top of the stairs to watch Twilight step out from her loft.

The filly wore robes not too dissimilar from those that her mentor had worn, and so for a moment, she was reminded of Starswirl the Bearded. And yet even with the gray-white beard hanging from her chin and the blue cap with the little bell at the end, there was no mistaking the filly underneath it. The cape was adorned with stars, and had she known the original, had she not been able to tell the material was wrong, she might have been convinced it had been Starswirls' robe.

And dressed up in the costume as she was, Twilight looked adorable. It was endearing, the way the filly dressed herself up in mimicry of Starswirl the Bearded. It was endearing how the filly smiled at her so warmly, her eyes reflecting the flickering light of candles and catching the soft glow of the magelight in such a way that made them shine. And as the moment drew on, a little of her anxiety surrendered to the reassurance that seeing Twilight smiling at her brought.

That Twilight dressed herself up as her idol was endearing, even if she felt strained. She wanted to say, 'You will surpass him,' but did not. She had already told Twilight such. Yet, she felt compelled to say something. "You look pleasant," she complimented.

Twilight's lips pulled up a little more, then relaxed back to their prior state. "Thank you." Twilight trotted down the stairs, never looking away from her. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

She only looked away from Twilight to glance at Spike as he followed Twilight down the stairs. The young dragon wore what seemed to be a dragon costume with a second head. She was not quite sure what to make of it, so she turned back to Twilight and inhaled before saying, "I... decided that the offer of your company was more appealing than simply locking myself away in my chambers and brooding over this night."

Twilight's lips twitched up again and a soft, musical giggle escaped her lips. "Well, I'm glad to hear that!" the filly eagerly called.

She smiled, and as Twilight approached her, she turned to face the filly. She welcomed her friend with an embrace, draping her right foreleg over Twilight's withers and pulling her chest close to her own. Twilight leaned in against her neck and nuzzled her, and so she returned it, leaning down and rubbing her cheek up and down Twilight's neck. A little shiver raced through her body as she felt her fur meshing with Twilight's and felt the soft, almost tickling sensation of Twilight's fur against her cheek. And as she nuzzled Twilight, she nudged her muzzle a little closer to Twilight's mane and breathed in her familiar scent of lavender and books, though she found that she couldn't smell Twilight's friends' scents.

When they broke, she missed the warmth against her cheek and chest. She missed the rhythmic beat of Twilight's heart, how the pulse left her calm and reassured. She missed the way Twilight's chest pressed into hers with each breath her friend drew, even if the clasp of the robe was dug into her body. And she longed for more, perhaps to simply lie with Twilight, but she could not have more, and so she felt disappointed.

She ended up nodding, but she didn't know why.

And now what? What was there for her to say?

"What of your friends?" she questioned.

"I haven't seen them since they finished helping me decorate, but I'm sure we'll run into them," Twilight answered, unaware of her inner turmoil.

She nodded slowly and turned to look out the window. She watched as a pair of mares walk by, both wearing their own costumes, neither of which she could place. A pair of foals pranced down the street, passing the two mares. If they laughed, she did not hear it.

The few buildings she saw were decorated with more lines of autumn leaves and wool cobwebs. Square hay bales were stacked neatly in front of one of the alleys, where several pumpkins and gourds were neatly piled, aside from a large basket which seemed to have fallen on its side, spilling more gourds and pumpkins in front of it.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

She turned back to regard the filly. "I am... uncomfortable. I do not know what to do, nor what is expected of me."

"Try to relax?" Twilight suggested, bowing her head and raising her eyebrows for emphasis. "It's supposed to be fun. Or just, try to enjoy my company?"

Nightmare grimaced and turned back to look out the window. "Though I do welcome your company, my presence here will do nothing but ruin this holiday for anypony who does enjoy it."

She felt Twilight's hoof brush against her own. She turned her head back to Twilight, glanced down at their hooves, then met her gaze. "You don't know that," came Twilight firm yet soft retort.

She held back a groan and peered out the window again. 'I should not have come. This is a mistake.' Twilight's hoof pulled back, and she glanced down at her own bare hoof for a moment before looking away.

She heard Twilight sigh. "Okay, look. You're worried that ponies seeing you will be scared, right? You're worried that being here will make ponies unhappy. You don't want to ruin it for them. You don't want them to be scared of you. You can show them that they don't have to fear you. Just... try. You don't need to scare anypony, you don't need to be the Queen tonight. If you don't want them to fear you, give them a chance to see you as somepony they don't need to be afraid of. Show them that you're not a monster. Give them a chance. Show them that you're a pony, just like me, just like them. Let your guard down. Nopony is going to try to attack you."

How she doubted that, and how it left her bitter. She shook her head. "They will never love me."

"Maybe you're right," Twilight stated, "But you won't know unless you try. Besides. How do you think they're going to feel if you're walking around grimacing or scowling? They won't feel safe. They'll be worried and afraid. Do you want them to be afraid?"

Her lips twitched apart. "Of course not," she dismissed.

"Then try," Twilight pressed. "You know illusion magic. Use that. Disguise yourself as somepony else."

'And lie to them?' she wanted to accost. Presenting herself as somepony she was not: perhaps ponies would not so fear her, but it would not be directed at her, for if they knew it was her, then they would fear her just the same. It left her feeling defeated. "I do not desire to lie to them by presenting myself as I am not."

"Then go as Luna," Twilight coaxed.

Nightmare turned her head back to face Twilight. A moment passed as she stared into Twilight's eyes. No malice, nor ill will. No betrayal. "I am not-"

Twilight nudged her head a little higher. "You were at one time."

"So I was," Nightmare dismissed, "and yet I am not Luna, and surely they would know, if not by look, then that I am an alicorn."

Twilight shook her head vigorously. "Then hide your wings or your horn. Try to look at them the way you look at me. Give it a chance."

A grimace spread across Nightmare's lips as she turned back to gaze out the window. Going as Luna was such an absurd idea, ponies would surely hate her as much in disguise as not. But perhaps Twilight was right. After all, Luna had been erased. If she hid her wings, it would be harder for ponies to tell who she was. But still, she was not Luna. She was Nightmare Moon.

“Please,” Twilight said softly.

Her ears twitched slightly at the sound of Twilight’s voice. She made the mistake of looking over at Twilight. Seeing her friend’s gentle, pleading expression, mixed with that little inkling of hope that she would finally see how Luna looked in person, left her feeling defeated. ‘You want to see me as Luna. You truly believe that it is not a mistake...’

Twilight would not simply lie to her as Sister had. Twilight, naive as she was, wanted to help her.

What was the alternative? Disguising herself as somepony else? For as much as Luna was dead, she had been Luna once. If she did not disguise herself, ponies would only run in terror from her, and neither of them would enjoy tonight.

‘I am going to regret this.’

But, perhaps for Twilight’s sake, it was worth it.

For a few seconds, she watched to see if anypony would come to look inside and see her, and seeing that it didn't happen, let out a groan and channeled her magic into her horn.

"Fine..." Perhaps it would not be deceitful; perhaps all it would take was a little effort on her part. Maybe they would see her differently if they knew, or perhaps it would change nothing. Yet it was Twilight's advice, and something Twilight desired.

Still, the thought of going as Luna settled in her gut as a heavy weight of dread. She considered her options. ‘Not... not as I looked before I was banished. No.’ Yes, perhaps that was the solution. It wasn’t quite what Twilight wanted, but the idea of transforming so that she looked as she had during her youth didn’t carry the same dread as Luna before Sister had killed her.

She took a deep breath to steel her nerves as she settled on her action, then she prepared her spell, bowed her head, and cast it.

Her body shifted under her magic's command, and though it was an uncomfortable feeling, it did not bring pain. Her legs and neck grew shorter, almost making her choke at the change. Her wings and horn shrank, and the tingling sensation of her mane and tail faded away, gradually replaced with the unfamiliar pull of gravity, then the feeling of her mane and tail against her neck and hind legs.

And once the spell was finished, she fluffed her wings and then used her magic to hide them. She bowed her head low and regarded her coat: how it was so alien to her, a cyan blue, rather than black or rich midnight blue. How short her legs were and the weight of her mane and tail. She turned her head to the right and looked back at herself, glancing at her mane and contemplating the ancient light-blue strands that she had not seen in so long before pondering how her back looked, so baren, just as Twilight’s back was.

She turned left and looked straight ahead at Twilight. Seeing the filly standing at her own height was so different, such a unique experience. It was as she desired and not as she desired: that Twilight was her height, yet it was only so because her body was younger and smaller. She contemplated it as she studied the filly, taking in her bewildered expression and the slight part of her lips. The way Twilight's eyes widened in wonder, the way Twilight studied her curiously, trying to answer an unasked question.

She glanced back at her hidden wing, then faced Twilight and nodded. "This-" the sound of her voice, so young and unfamiliar, so pure and untainted by pain and agony, made her fall silent as Twilight startled, recognizing it from her dreams. And she watched as Twilight grasped for it and reached the answer to that single unasked question.

"This is how Luna looked when I was about your age," she finally confirmed.

Her voice and body were so alien to her, having spent but a few decades that small in comparison to how long she had other forms.

And for some reason, Twilight just grinned. Her eyes practically twinkled with excitement and eagerness, and both only served to torment her, reviving her anxiety and making her hooves colder. Eventually, the grin faded as Twilight's brow creased. "Wait, were you a unicorn?"

Nightmare Moon reluctantly nodded. "Yes. Sister and I were both born as unicorns. Though by this time we had both ascended."

"How?" Twilight asked, eyes sparkling with wonder.

Nightmare turned away from her, slowly drawing in a deep breath before letting it out. "We moved the sun and the moon," she stated. "Where it had taken many unicorns and Starswirl to do so before, we each were able to move them on our own at a young age. Regarding the specific circumstances of our ascension, I do not recall, though it was some time after we had first moved the sun and moon.” She hesitated, uncertain about sharing more. “I was young, Twilight.” Another short pause; a grimace worked its way onto her lips. “Sister... Celestia would remember, I think."

"Oh..." Twilight murmured softly.

Nightmare shook her head. "We ascended at the same time. But... perhaps let us discuss this another time."

Twilight nuzzled her neck. The feeling was odd compared to what she was used to: she felt the filly's muzzle against the back of her neck and the base of her mane. She leaned into it, though she didn't return it. She missed the feeling when it ended.

"Well... let's go, I guess?" Twilight offered.

"Uh, maybe she should have a costume?" Spike asked.

Nightmare turned to look at the dragon. It must have been her appearance because he no longer looked at her with the same fear as normal.

Or perhaps it was seeing her with Twilight.

"I do not desire to partake in the festivities... I am here for Twilight's company," she stated.

"Uh, right."

Twilight stepped forward, crossing in front of her, only to pause midstride and face her again. "Uh, if I have to introduce you..."

She couldn't contain her grimace, but it didn't come out as a scowl. She held in a groan. "I suppose it would not be lying to introduce me as Luna," she mumbled.

Twilight swiveled around to face her head-on, nodding. "Okay, Luna."

She would have sworn Cadance had replaced Twilight because of that teasing smile. She turned her head to the right and looked out the window, up into the night sky. "I do not like this," she stated.

"Try to relax. I know you don't want to, but please, give it a chance. I'm not lying to you when I say that I think giving it a chance will be worth it," Twilight murmured.

Reluctantly, Nightmare turned back to face Twilight. Where the filly's teasing smile had been, in its place she found nothing on Twilight's lips, but a certain pain in Twilight's eyes. And though she hated seeing that pain, she said, "This is not who I am, Twilight. I am unaccustomed to this."

"I know," Twilight repeated. "Trust me, please?"

And how that twisted a dagger in her heart, forcing her to turn away as a grimace spread across her lips. 'To not trust you is to betray you.' She knew that Twilight meant well. She inclined her head lower, then lifted it again. "Very well."

When she turned back to Twilight, a soft smile was once again on the filly's lips, though she watched it morph into a grimace as Twilight winced. "Ah... my friends are going to figure out who you are, aren't they? Between your name and the cutie mark... well, uh-"

"It is likely, yes," Nightmare agreed. "Though perhaps it does not matter."

Twilight flashed her an awkward, forced smile. "Well! Let's go." And with that, Twilight turned from her and trotted to the door, then opened it with her magic and turned back to face her.

Nightmare inclined her head and gradually walked the distance to the door. More than once, she almost stumbled over her hooves, not being used to her short stature. Twilight watched her stumble but said nothing. She paused at the door for a moment and surveyed the street beyond, taking in the decor, and then with trepidation, she stepped out into the night.

Several foals pranced through the street, unaware of who she was. They laughed and smiled as they chased after one another, and their laughs and smiles were daggers that cut into her heart, bringing with it anger and bitterness and disappointment over the simple fact, 'Sister did this to me,' and all it entailed.

Another foal wearing a costume jumped out from an alleyway in front of the prancing foals, eliciting a sharp yelp from them as they jumped back with surprise that was immediately replaced with happy laughter.

The door clicked shut and Twilight stepped over to stand at her right, as was proper, though she felt the filly's robe brush up against her side and hidden wing. She turned away from watching the foals to instead gaze upon Twilight. Acting on a fleeting thought, she lifted her wing out from between them and draped it over Twilight's back. Twilight looked at her and smiled fondly, then turned away from her to survey the street.

And since it was night and her wing was hidden, only the two of them knew. It was something they could share. She could hold Twilight close and shelter her, and in exchange, she would feel the pleasant warmth of Twilight's body against her. The robes Twilight wore left her longing for their destruction or removal so that she would feel Twilight's fur against her own body and wing.

But despite the robe, for a time, she felt content. Laying her wing around Twilight and feeling her body through the robe was comforting, not quite enough to fully banish her dread and worry, but enough to reassure her that, despite how poorly the night would end, for a time, it would be okay.

And how she welcomed that reassurance.

"Where to first?" Spike asked.

Twilight turned away from her and looked down, presumably at Spike. "Well, I was thinking we would head to the market since Applejack is likely to be there, and we might run into Pinkie and Rarity as well." Twilight turned back to face her, wearing a sheepish smile. "If that's okay?"

Nightmare inclined her head and voiced, "I will go where you go. Lead the way."

The corners of Twilight's lips drifted lower, then lifted again. It seemed that Twilight looked at her for longer than she should have, or longer than was necessary. "Okay."

So Twilight turned and took the lead, and Nightmare followed, staying right at Twilight's side so that her wing stayed in place. They walked through the streets, passing foals who played and laughed, passing mares and stallions who chuckled and talked as they walked along. Few ponies paid attention to them, and the looks came only in passing: there was no recognition of who she was, but Twilight was recognized, and that alone brought scrutiny onto her. Who was the pony walking alongside Twilight?

And perhaps, she worried: Why was she walking so close?

Though the fabric of Twilight's robes separated them, it was not lost on her how close they walked, for she could feel the little movements of Twilight's muscles through her robe and fur and the rise and fall of her chest as Twilight breathed. She welcomed the little movements for what they meant, that she was not alone and that she had somepony to call friend.

Perhaps she should take a chance and ask Twilight if she would consider something more, but no: she neither could nor would. Asking such a thing gave too much away, asking such a thing was unfair on Twilight. And to ask such a thing, she could not, for the thought of rejection haunted her.

And what then? Things between them would be different, both as friends and as teacher and student. And even if by some miracle Twilight did not reject the idea, things would yet be different, and perhaps it would be a bad thing.

And yet she could remember Cadance saying, 'It's what you want, isn't it?'

And how it weighed down on her.

'I will wait. You are yet young,' she decided. There was plenty of time to wait, and in the future, perhaps the aftermath of her return would have settled and perhaps it would be okay. It was something to look forward to. She just had to be patient. She could be patient.

Crack!

She tensed at the unexpected lightning while the flash stunned her. Spike yelped. Twilight yelped and jerked towards her, pressing close to her side. Her mind and body reeled from the attack; she prepared her magic, but because she was smaller than she was used to, Twilight’s added weight pushed her off balance. She fell to the ground on her side, and not a moment later, she felt Twilight’s weight fall on top of her. Enough to break her focus.

“What-”

She hastily relit her horn and scrambled to get out from under Twilight’s body, but she wasn’t quite as strong as she was used to, and Twilight was still reeling. She was trapped and caught off-guard. The first attack missed, but the next attack likely wouldn't. She doubted there was enough time for her to get out from under Twilight before they attacked again. She wrapped her wing around as much of Twilight’s body as she could cover to protect her friend and braced herself.

She made out barely-restrained laughter. She recognized the voice.

Rainbow Dash.

Not an attack?

She looked up to see the pegasus’ tell-tale rainbow-mane and tail sticking out from behind a small black cloud.

The mare’s head popped up, revealing that she too was in costume, one that she recognized as being a Wonderbolt uniform, complete with flight goggles. The brash pegasus grinned and laughed, batting her hoof at the air for a moment as she fell back onto the cloud.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight growled.

She held in her own growl but relaxed, letting Twilight pick herself up off of her, and then she stood back up at Twilight’s side.

“Ah! I got you good, Twilight!” Rainbow barked.

She blinked at length, closing her eyes and shaking her head. ‘Of course.’

The laughter eventually came to a stop, followed by a satisfied sigh. A moment passed in blissful peace.

“Wait. Is that-”

“Yes,” Twilight hissed.

Another moment passed in silence, followed by Rainbow laughing nervously. “Uh... Sorry about that. I uh, didn’t realize it was you.”

She opened her eyes and looked up at Rainbow flatly. The pegasus smiled awkwardly.

Perhaps the apology was genuine.

She sighed and looked at Twilight to find her friend glaring up at Rainbow Dash. “That was a completely uncalled for prank,” Twilight chastised.

Rainbow scoffed, tossing her head back. “Oh come on! That was great! Relax a little, Twilight! It’s Nightmare Night.” A few seconds passed where Twilight continued glaring at Rainbow. “Ugh, of course, you wouldn’t appreciate a good prank,” the pegasus grumbled.

She heard Rainbow mumble something else, then watched the pegasus push off the cloud, loop back behind it, and hastily push it off somewhere else.

“I uh... sorry about that,” Twilight apologized. Nightmare turned back to see Twilight grimacing and fidgeting. “I um... She...”

“It is fine,” she preempted, doing her best to mask her annoyance. Still, it was preferred that it was simply nothing more than Rainbow Dash, rather than an attack. She turned her head back and looked over Twilight’s robe. It was a little dustier at the edges, but otherwise mostly fine. “You are unharmed, yes?”

Twilight nodded timidly.

She gradually unfurled her wing and laid it over Twilight’s back again. She wasn’t sure if it comforted Twilight or herself more. Twilight leaned against her and gently nuzzled her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into Twilight’s nuzzle, relaxing and enjoying the peaceful reprieve.

They both startled as a more distant crack! of lightning came, followed by a chorus of screams and yelps.

Twilight grimaced and groaned. “Yep...” her friend muttered. “At least Rainbow Dash is enjoying tonight.”

She chose not to say anything.

The market, she discovered as they filed into the large open plaza, wasn't quite packed with ponies, but was far from empty. A few dozen ponies, ages ranging from young foals to the middle-aged adults, meandered about, where the foals pranced and danced between stalls and hay bales, chasing other foals and laughing so carefree.

And she found herself slowing even as Twilight slid out from under her wing as she took it all in, because it hurt. She regarded it all and longed for it to have been as such so long ago, that they knew peace and prosperity, rather than war and destitution.

And it all happened because of Sister. For what had she contributed to it, other than her banishment?

She clenched her jaw and sucked in a deep breath. Turning her attention back to Twilight, she found the filly stopped a few paces ahead of her, head turned back to look at her, wearing a curious and slightly concerned look.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked.

"I will be fine," she answered. Forcing herself to ignore the creeping disappointment, doubt, and agitation that snuck into the back of her mind, she strode forward and again laid her wing over Twilight's back.

Twilight stayed where she was for a few seconds, and when she watched the filly, she saw her contemplative look, saw how she considered what was bothering her, and then saw when Twilight figured it out. She watched Twilight lower her head and look down at the ground, then turn away from her.

Perhaps Twilight didn't fully grasp it, but at the very least, Twilight had some idea of what troubled her.

Twilight finally lifted her head up, then silently led on. They made their way through the crowd. She cast her gaze about to survey her subjects' smiling faces and her ears twitched when she heard the carefree, warm giggles and laughs of foals who enjoyed this night beyond any other. And how it set in her chest as a heavy weight that sought to bring her down and strangle her. How it only served to emphasize her own failures and shortcomings, how it served to set her Sister on an even higher pedestal than the one she sat upon those thousand years ago.

And how it brought her to feel mocked, rather than loved or adored.

She did not feel free, nor happy, nor relaxed. Rather, she felt as if she had been defeated and was now led through the streets of some city to be made a mockery of, to be shown off as a 'prize' to the pony that had defeated her and captured her. The only things missing were unbreakable bindings, and her humiliation would have been complete. That bitterness settled in her stomach like a poison, sickening her.

And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.

She cast her gaze back on Twilight, who was looking off to the right, perhaps examining one of the produce stalls they passed. Twilight did not know her plight; the filly was unaware, ignorant to it. 'And letting it show would only ruin this night for you,' a part of her mind growled.

They walked towards Applejack's stall, and nopony recognized her. They did not consider her with fear, neither did they consider her with adoration, for she was unknown to them.

'Do they seek to mock me?' she asked herself. 'They have lived their lives without knowing who I am, they did not know who I was nor that I existed.'

Perhaps Twilight was right, and perhaps they didn't seek to go out of their way to mock her. What benefit was it to them? And yet she still struggled with the idea.

Applejack finally noticed them, and the mare's eyes jumped back and forth between them. Confusion faded to concern and worry and recognition. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I am, yes," Nightmare answered.

Applejack looked at her bewildered. "Uh..."

She tilted her head as the mare just stared at her. Eventually, Applejack shook her head. "Right, sorry. I'm just surprised is all."

"Understandable," Nightmare acknowledged.

Applejack shifted her weight and turned her attention to Twilight. Though it went unsaid, Applejack's expression asked, 'What's going on and why is she here like that?'

She turned her head to look at Twilight, only to find herself facing Twilight's ear. For a moment she considered it, contemplating that they were the same height, then she turned back to face Applejack.

"I invited her to come," Twilight explained. The filly's voice had taken a defensive edge, and in response, she noticed Applejack squint. "And I suggested... this," Twilight added. "How did you know?"

Applejack tossed her head to her right, then nodded towards Nightmare Moon. "Her cutie mark. And I can't think of anypony else you'd be that close to unless you forgot to mention something."

At that, Nightmare breathed in and leaned away from Twilight. The filly coughed, and Nightmare took a single step away from her friend. And though she didn't want to, she lifted her wing and tucked it back against her side.

"So... why do you look like that, then?" Applejack asked.

"Ponies will not immediately recognize me. Such means that perhaps my presence will not ruin tonight for them," Nightmare answered.

Applejack briefly frowned, then a slight grimace pulled at her lips. "I suppose that makes sense..." Just like her, Applejack wasn’t completely convinced.

"Applejack!" somepony called.

Nightmare turned to the source and watched a small yellow earth pony filly race towards the stall. Her mane was red, and a pink bow set atop her head. With a quick glance at Applejack, she saw the mare smiling. Quickly turning her head back towards Twilight, she mumbled, "Applebloom, I presume?"

"Yes," Twilight quietly answered.

"I see." Nightmare turned back to watch Applebloom practically jump at Applejack's chest.

The older mare let out a chuckle and hugged her. "Where's Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?"

"We were all wondering if we could go and visit Fluttershy since nopony's seen her out here tonight!" Applebloom answered.

Applejack grimaced and drawled a reluctant, concerned, "Well, that's awfully close to the Everfree Forest..."

"Please!" Applebloom pleaded.

Applejack grimaced, then sighed. "Alright. Just stay out of the forest and stay out of trouble."

"Yay!" Applebloom squealed. The filly turned and noticed them. "Oh, hi Twilight! Hi Spike."

“Hey, Applebloom,” Spike greeted casually.

"Hello, Applebloom," Twilight greeted fondly, though not quite as fondly as she would have her other friends.

Then Applebloom looked at her. "Whose that?"

And at that, both Twilight and Applejack looked at her. "You may call me Luna," she answered.

"Luna?" Applebloom asked, her brow folding down in though.

Nightmare reluctantly inclined her head. "Yes."

Applebloom smiled. "That's a really pretty name, Luna!"

'That's a really pretty name,' echoed in her mind. She blinked and found the filly still looking at her, still smiling. Had her ears deceived her? Surely not. But how? Why? Was the foal lying? Surely not! For what reason did she have to lie? Applebloom did not know who she was; she was a stranger to her. "Thank you," she murmured.

"So you're another one of Twilight's friends?" Applebloom asked.

Nightmare nodded. "I am."

Applebloom's brow folded down. "Huh. I don't remember seeing you around here before."

"I..." Nightmare trailed off, considering her answer. She would not lie, but what would she say? "I reside in Canterlot," she finally said.

"Oh! I guess that explains that then. Well, it was nice meeting you, but Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are waiting for me! Bye!"

And just as oblivious as before, the filly pranced off in search of her friends. She turned to watch her leave. Bewilderment slipped onto her expression, leaving her lips frozen in a straight line and her brow slightly creased. She turned back to face Applejack and saw both of them still looking at her: Applejack not quite indifferently and Twilight with a smile.

She half expected Twilight to say something, but instead, Twilight turned back to Applejack. "So, I guess nopony's seen Fluttershy then?"

Applejack shrugged. "As far as I know, she always stays home on Nightmare Night. Locks herself in and all that."

Twilight frowned. "Huh. I guess that explains why I never heard about her plans for tonight."

"Eyup," Applejack agreed with a hearty nod.

"What about the rest of the girls?" Twilight asked.

"Well, from what I've seen, Rarity's also staying home. Planning for the Royal Wedding and all that. Rainbow's flying around somewhere... taking a cloud with her. She's dressed up as a Wonderbolt too..."

“Yes. Yes she is...” Twilight mumbled.

“Did she prank you too?” Applejack asked.

“Yes,” Twilight answered flatly.

Applejack rolled her eyes and sighed. “That’s Rainbow Dash for you... I'm pretty sure Pinkie Pie's running around in a chicken costume."

Nightmare frowned as she pictured that; the image left her bewildered.

Twilight pursed her lips. "So she shouldn't be too hard to miss, then."

"Eyup," Applejack heartily agreed.

"Hmm. Well, I guess we'll... see you around," Twilight said. The filly glanced at her, then started to turn.

"Have a good night, Twilight... Luna," Applejack said.

Nightmare warily nodded at Applejack, then turned alongside Twilight. Twilight walked in front of her and headed off to the right, so Nightmare followed. They made their way out of the market, following the same general path Applebloom had taken. "You intend to visit Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Yes," Twilight answered.

They walked on in silence for a few seconds while Nightmare scrutinized the ponies walking in the opposite direction as them. Not all of them wore costumes, but most did, and as with before, she scarcely recognized any of them. Things had certainly changed during her absence. And that ponies were now safe and free to roam the night dressed up as monsters and laughing at the idea? Rather than the joy and satisfaction she expected to feel, she felt disappointed, dissociated, and distant. She held back a sigh and lifted her head up to the sky. Overhead, the stars shined brightly, for the sky was clear with hardly a cloud to break the pristine view. And her gaze eventually drifted to the moon and its scarring, bringing her to remember the centuries of banishment and torture she had endured.

Cadance had asked if revenge was worth it. Twilight would be appalled if the topic was brought up. It wasn't satisfying as she had hoped.

But she gave it no further thought, instead casting her gaze across the rest of the sky, searching out any batponies that flew on patrol, yet she found none and grimaced. 'Perhaps they are being discrete,' she decided.

As their journey continued, as they neared the edge of Ponyville, fewer and fewer ponies were out, leading her to decide that most of them were gathered towards the center of the village, perhaps the market, or were staying inside. As the edge of the village was near the Everfree Forest, it made more sense for ponies to keep their distance as it was safer. Once they left the last buildings behind, their walk fell silent as they had left behind the giggles of prancing foals and the chatter of adults.

The claps of thunder, however sporadically, continued.

Leaving behind Ponyville, she felt peace soothe her tormented soul: no longer was she forcibly reminded of her shortcomings and her Sister's accomplishments. No longer were there ponies who looked at her curiously, who would have instead scorned her had she appeared as she should have.

She let her mind wander and found herself considering her dreams. She thought back on them, how she and Twilight could soar through the peaceful night sky, each carried on their own wings, before landing on a cloud together and laying there until they set or raised the moon together. And so she looked at Twilight, longing for the time that it would be so, yet knowing it was so far out of reach: for Twilight was not yet ready to help her, not yet ready to ascend.

Soon, but never soon enough.

And how she longed for their walk to simply be the two of them, without Spike. How she longed to be her true form, rather than such a young, weak body that brought her to stumble every few steps!

And how she longed to drape her wing over Twilight’s body once more, sheltering her as they walked together.

She turned her head to the right to watch Twilight walk beside her, then cast her gaze out across the open meadows that stretched across the land between Ponyville and the Everfree forest. She considered the grasses and flowers, so softly lit under the light of her moon, and thought back on her dreams where Twilight and her had walked such meadows together. She considered the gentle trickle of the stream that split the land, how it reminded her of the trickling fountains in the castle's gardens and brought her to reminisce on walking through them with Twilight.

She breathed in deep and caught Twilight's soothing scent of lavender and books, though mixed in with the crispness of the Autumn air and the scent of dry grass. She let her eyes trace along Twilight's spine, then let her eyes settle between Twilight's withers, then contemplated the way the filly's body moved with each step she took. She let her gaze slither back to the middle of Twilight's body and pictured lavender wings where her robe hid her bare body.

And it seemed that even then, the world was against her: she stumbled again, tripping over some stone on the road, and winced. Twilight turned to face her as she recovered. For a moment, she met Twilight's gaze, then cast her gaze back ahead so that she did not trip up again.

And the peacefulness gradually faded away as they neared Fluttershy's cottage. The pegasus owner was nowhere to be seen, but three fillies were gathered at the door: she recognized one as Applebloom and thus presumed the unicorn to be Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle, and the pegasus to be Scootaloo. The foals didn't notice their approach until Twilight called out, "Hi, girls!"

The three young foals turned back to look at them. "Oh, hi Twilight!" Applebloom greeted. "You here for Fluttershy too?"

"Yes," Twilight answered.

By the time they had crossed the bridge over the small stream that separated Fluttershy's cottage from the main path, Fluttershy had timidly opened the door and, upon realizing that it was only three young foals rather than some monster coming to get her, opened it wider. Only once the door was all the way open did Fluttershy notice Twilight, Spike, and her. "Oh, um, hello everypony..." was her soft, mumbled greeting that she just barely heard.

Twilight's smile brightened at the sight of Fluttershy, and she mostly ignored Nightmare Moon as she trotted over to stand near the foals at the entrance. "Hello, Fluttershy."

Nightmare lingered back, unwilling to approach the group and intrude on them.

"Hi Twilight," Fluttershy greeted. Nightmare watched Twilight and Fluttershy share a gentle nuzzle, and she felt a tinge of jealousy prick her mind- not enough to make her dislike either of them, but enough that made her cast her gaze towards the Everfree Forest.

She scanned the treeline, though perceived no danger. She had to wonder, 'Out of all of your friends, Twilight, why is it Fluttershy who lives closest to this forest?' And yet, from what little she knew of Fluttershy, the pegasus chose to live so close to the forest because of her fondness for animals.

Yet even that seemed odd. For her to be fond of animals and yet live so close to such a dangerous forest? She found herself shaking her head.

She heard, "Who's that?" and it stood out to her, so she turned back to see the white unicorn filly looking at her. And at the filly's question, everypony turned back to look at her.

Before she could answer, Applebloom said, "That's Luna!" She caught a flick of Fluttershy's ears at the name, and Fluttershy stared at her as Applebloom continued, "One of Twilight's friends from Canterlot."

"Oh, okay!" the unicorn filly chirped in a carefree, musical tone.

And how she longed for that tone to come from a foal when she was not unknown to them. It stung. She felt disappointed but didn't let it show, instead, bowing her head in acknowledgment.

Fluttershy ducked her head low and moved to step away, only for Twilight to nuzzle her again, which at least halted her retreat, even if it didn't bring her back out. Her student whispered something into Fluttershy's ear, and the pegasus let out a quiet "Eep!" but then hastily, albeit timidly, nodded.

'And again another of your friends knows it is me.' And because of that, Fluttershy cowered, even with Twilight's gentle coaxing in an attempt to comfort her. She held back a sigh. Fluttershy did not deserve her ire. Though Fluttershy had stood with Twilight against her, she did not hold it against the pegasus. 'You are far less confident than even Twilight... that you bear an Element of Harmony, and yet you do so bear Kindness.'

Why was it that Twilight's friends bore the Elements of Harmony? Why couldn't it have simply been Twilight? Things would have been so much simpler, so much better, had it been solely her student. That destiny had chosen the six of them, she could not understand.

Spike hugged Fluttershy's foreleg and whispered something into her ear, and Fluttershy again nodded quickly.

But before she could dwell on it, and before Fluttershy could do anything else, the orange pegasus filly with a purple mane asked her, "So if you're friends with Twilight, does that mean you're friends with Rainbow Dash?"

A bit of a grimace played across her lips: the filly looked at her wide-eyed, wings buzzing in excitement and anticipation of her answer. She shook her head and answered, "I am not very familiar with Twilight's Ponyville friends. I have met Rainbow Dash but I do not know her well." She did her best to hide her annoyance from their last meeting, and fortunately, it seemed the young pegasus didn’t pick up on it.

The young filly still ducked her head low, looking at the ground as her wings fell from her sides. "Oh."

She frowned as the sight tormented her, reminding her of things far worse that had happened in the past, how she had seen foals told things, then watched the realization set in. But that realization did not come, and so she took some comfort in that knowledge, though it did not erase all the torment.

"I'm sorry girls, but, um, I don't have any candy if that's what you're here for," Fluttershy murmured barely above a whisper that Nightmare strained to hear. The three fillies turned back around to face her. "I um, can fix some tea, if you'd like?" was the pegasus's meek offer.

"Naw, that's okay," Applebloom replied. "But thanks anyway! We were kind of hoping we could convince you to let us borrow Hank..." the filly trailed off.

Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she barely heard a slightly more energetic whisper of, "Oh, um, I don't... I don't think that's such a good idea..."

"Aww, come one! It's Nightmare Night! It'll be fun!" Applebloom protested.

'Hank? What kind of name is that?' she wondered. True, there were species that had very odd names, but Hank? What kind of a name was that!? She squinted at Fluttershy, then looked to Twilight. "Who is... Hank?"

Twilight stepped back over to her. "Hank is... Fluttershy's bear."

"Bear?"

"Yes," Twilight answered.

'Fluttershy has a pet bear? Or would friend be a more apt term?' Perhaps so. And yet, 'Fluttershy is friends with a bear?' She had questions: How was it that Fluttershy was friends with a bear? She had no confidence and was scared of almost everything, from what she had gathered. 'Perhaps it is because she bears kindness?'

Yes, surely that was the reason why.

It still made no sense to her.

She tried to shake the bewilderment off and failing that, she decided to push the thought from her mind.

Fluttershy shook her head and frowned. "I'm sorry girls, but no. Hank's staying here with me tonight."

"Aww!" all three young fillies pouted in unison.

Fluttering her small wings, Scootaloo looked back and forth between her companions. "Hey, why don't we go find Rainbow Dash? Maybe she can help us?"

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom shared a look and rolled their eyes while Scootaloo jumped in the air and squealed. Her small wings buzzed at her sides but did not give her flight, bringing Nightmare to frown slightly.

"Come on, let's go!" Scootaloo called, then took off. Both other foals followed.

Nightmare watched them leave, then continued to watch them as they galloped back to Ponyville. Once they were well along their way, Nightmare turned back to face Fluttershy and Twilight. "Fluttershy," she acknowledged.

And even with her true form hidden, even with her voice far softer than she could remember, Fluttershy squeaked and fell onto her stomach, hiding behind her mane and forehooves.

Nightmare scowled and turned to face the forest.

"Fluttershy, it's okay. She won't hurt you," Twilight murmured.

She thought she heard Fluttershy whisper something, but couldn't tell what.

"She's here because I asked her to come," came Twilight's soft response. Nightmare thought she heard a bit of disappointment slip into what Twilight said next, "I thought... I thought you two might be able to get to know one another better..."

She held back a sigh and turned to face Fluttershy again. Twilight leaned down and gently rubbed her nose against Fluttershy's neck, and again she felt jealous that it was Fluttershy being nuzzled rather than her.

Fluttershy said something.

"I know... but... try, please? She's not that... bad once you get to know her," came Twilight's soft murmur. The filly lifted her head back up and turned to face her. "Talk to her."

Nightmare shifted her weight and begrudgingly stepped closer. "You..." she trailed off. 'She is like Twilight. She is fragile.' Was it worth it, giving Fluttershy a chance as she had Twilight? Twilight would say so, she was certain. And perhaps Twilight was correct: Fluttershy was one of her student's friends, one of her allies, and bore Kindness. That, and Fluttershy neither deserved her anger nor ire: Fluttershy had surely done far less against her than Twilight had. "I will not harm you. I give you my word," she said.

It took a few seconds, but Fluttershy gradually came out from behind her mane and looked at her. And though there was fear in her eyes, though her body was tense, there was perhaps something more: a willingness to give her a chance.

Give her a chance. And oh! How the idea left her bitter. Did she not deserve Fluttershy's respect? What had she done so long ago that caused ponies to turn on her, shun her, betray her, and hate her?

And yet she was neither naive enough nor foolish enough to forget, 'I have done nothing to deserve her friendship since my return.' She had not made any effort with anypony outside of Twilight and perhaps Cadance.

'Give them a chance,' Twilight had told her.

So she did. She took in a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. She was patient. She waited until Fluttershy finally picked herself back up and stood facing her at eye level. "May we come inside?"

Fluttershy timidly nodded, then backed up and stepped aside. Twilight looked back at her. She looked at Twilight and inclined her head, so Twilight then took the lead, heading inside, followed by Spike. She followed after the two of them and watched Fluttershy watch her as she passed by.

Once she was passed the door, she turned her gaze from Fluttershy and took in the room. Spacious and open, yet cramped from birdhouses dangling from the ceiling. A few pictures dotted the walls, and off to the side two couches and tables. She trailed after Twilight and Spike and sat down on the couch beside her, though for sitting with Twilight at her left instead of right side, she felt uncomfortable.

Fluttershy finally closed the door, then made her way over. "I um... I'll fix some tea if you'd like."

"If it is no trouble," Nightmare answered.

Fluttershy nodded quickly and retreated to the kitchen even quicker. A few seconds after Fluttershy left, a small white rabbit hopped out from the same room and stared at her. Somehow, it felt disapproving.

Ignoring the rabbit, she slid her wing out from her side and wrapped it around Twilight, then with a gentle pull, brought Twilight to lean against her side. Spike glanced at them from the other side of Twilight, but she ignored it. In her smaller body, she was not used to the feeling: that Twilight was the same size as her and quite possibly weighed more than her, yet the warmth and weight were comforting and reassuring.

"I do not know what to say to her," Nightmare admitted.

"Just talk to her," Twilight offered. "Like you talk to me."

'There are times when you are not at all helpful,' Nightmare noted. "I still do not know what to say to her. She is neither my student nor my friend."

"And you can change that," Twilight pressed.

"We have little if anything in common," Nightmare countered. She faced Twilight. "What would you have me say to her?"

Twilight looked at her and opened her mouth, only to hesitate. A few seconds passed, and her student's mouth gradually closed. Once her lips were sealed, Twilight turned away from her to face the wall. "I don't know," Twilight admitted, then turned back to her. "There has to be something. You've lived a long time and you've seen a lot of things. Can't you think of something?"

Nightmare frowned and tilted her head. "I have seen many things, yes, but a great many of them are things that I will not speak on. And do keep in mind that I am not versed in the concept of being friends with anypony, as you are the only friend I have truly had." Twilight's jaw tightened. "I do not believe the circumstances of our friendship can be replicated with Fluttershy, nor do I desire to replicate such circumstances."

Twilight turned back to the wall, and her muzzle drooped lower. She watched Twilight's eyes dart back and forth across the floor, then she turned her gaze back towards the doorway and waited.

"She's a good pony. She's shy and timid, yes, but she's nice, and kind," Twilight finally said.

Nightmare glanced back at Twilight, and Twilight lifted her head up to face her. "I would not disagree with that, but I do not see how that brings us any closer to... being friends. That is your goal, is it not? For Fluttershy and I to become friends."

Twilight timidly nodded. "Please give her a chance."

She sighed and cast her gaze back at the doorway. "I will give her a chance, yes, but I do not see how it is possible."

"Hey, I'm friends with Rainbow Dash. I have no idea how that's possible but I am," Twilight stated.

Nightmare glanced back at Twilight's smirk and then rolled her eyes. "So you are."

"If I can become friends with Rainbow Dash, then I think you can become friends with Fluttershy," Twilight offered. "or at the very least, if not friends, comfortable with her?"

"I am not uncomfortable around her," Nightmare countered, "rather, she is uncomfortable around me."

Twilight exhaled sharply. "And we'll fix that. If you try."

All Nightmare had to say was, "Perhaps."

Fluttershy carefully flew through the doorway, holding a platter with four teacups and a teapot in her hooves. Nightmare sat up straighter at the pegasus' timid approach. Once Fluttershy was in front of her, she levitated one of the teacups from the platter and brought it under her muzzle. She watched Twilight take two, then looked down at the amber-tinted tea. She breathed in the steam and asked, "Chamomile?"

"Oh, yes. I um, hope you don't mind..." Fluttershy murmured.

Nightmare glanced at the pegasus. "I do not. Chamomile is quite pleasant."

Fluttershy gave the barest hint of a smile for a moment, then set the platter down on a table and took her own teacup before sitting down on the couch across from them.

She breathed in deep again, taking in the subtle aroma of the chamomile, then lifted it to her lips and took a small sip. Earthy with a floral undertone, neither truly sweet nor bitter. It was not so hot to make her lips tingle, but the warmth was welcome compared to the chill in the Autumn air. She savored the tea for a moment, then swallowed.

Fluttershy took an even smaller drink, though didn't look away from Nightmare Moon, and Twilight sat her teacup down on the table while Spike held his in his claws.

"You enjoy animals, do you not?" Nightmare questioned.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled sweetly. "Oh, yes. I love animals. They're just so cute and lovable and sweet," the pegasus murmured. At the very least, Nightmare found that the sound of Fluttershy's voice was soothing: it mixed well with the chamomile and Twilight's company.

She gave a nod. "I suppose they can be, though I must admit my experience with animals has been..." she trailed off, lifting her head up and setting it at an angle. 'Perhaps this is not the best subject to discuss. She is even more naive and soft-hearted than Twilight. She would not like to hear of my experiences.' A grimace spread onto her lips. She leveled her head and gave a drawn-out shake. "Not the best."

Fluttershy frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry..."

She found herself saying, "Do not apologize," before she could consider it.

"S-sorry," Fluttershy meekly murmured.

She caught herself before telling Fluttershy not to apologize again. "It is fine," she replied. A few seconds passed in silence, so she brought her teacup back to her lips and took another small drink. 'Fluttershy lives near the Everfree Forest.' She pursed her lips in thought. "Pray tell, have you been having problems with anything since you live so close to the Everfree?"

Fluttershy reluctantly nodded, then turned to the left, almost hiding her face with her mane. "Some... it's worse now than it was..." the pegasus trailed off and then met her gaze for a second before shying away. "It's worse than it was before you came back..."

'You are reluctant for fear of my retaliation. Or you are reluctant because that is who you are. You do not desire to offend me.' She found herself grimacing as she inclined her head. "I see. Have the batponies been helping?"

Fluttershy turned back to her and nodded quickly. "Yes, they have been. I don't know what I would do if they weren't here... I probably would have lost more animals, and I might even have to move."

'Lost more animals,' stood out in her mind, and it made her grimace grow worse. She felt pity for the pegasus: she was naive, yes, and yet Fluttershy had innocence as Twilight did. Indeed, she had seen things she would not wish anypony else to see: things far worse than Fluttershy had possibly seen, and yet she still pitied the pegasus.

Was it because of how soft Fluttershy was? Perhaps it was; she would not wish harm on Fluttershy in a similar manner to how she would not wish harm on Twilight.

"Have you seen..." she trailed off. 'I should not ask that.' She breathed in quickly, then said, "If you require further protection, I can assign more batponies to assist in protecting Ponyville."

Was it a waste of resources? Perhaps. But Fluttershy was important, not only as Twilight's friend but also as the Bearer of Kindness. If Fluttershy was in danger, then it was not a waste of resources. It would not do for some animal or another to kill Fluttershy and render Equestria defenseless to Discord. She nodded to herself.

"O-oh, it's um, no problem, really... The batponies have been doing a really good job. Though... I've seen them get hurt and..." Fluttershy trailed off quietly and looked at the floor.

She inclined her head unsurely, recognizing the look. "I... would not wish for ponies to be hurt unnecessarily," she said testingly. Was it true? She thought so, or perhaps she was lying to herself. Unnecessarily inflicting pain and suffering was not good. They did not benefit her any, nor did it make anything better. And to purposefully inflict pain and suffering on another as Sister did to her without reason was wrong. 'And yet at one time I would have,' condemned her.

Well, as Twilight would say, she could change that.

And, at least to an extent, she had.

'Equestria suffers because of me,' teased at her mind. She shifted her weight and pushed the thought aside. 'They have themselves to blame. They should not fear me as they do.'

'I have given them reason to fear me, have I not? I crafted this appearance to inspire fear, did I not?'

Perhaps there was something she needed to do or address. But she was not Luna; she was Nightmare Moon.

She took another drink of her chamomile tea, then set the teacup down on the table. 'How long will we linger here?' she wondered.

That white rabbit from earlier hopped over to Fluttershy and then sat down beside her.

Fluttershy looked at him with a smile, then turned back to face her. "You care about Twilight a lot, don't you?"

She nodded once. "I do,” she admitted. All present could surely tell by the tone of her voice how genuine it was. Fluttershy smiled a little more, and Twilight smiled too. “She is my only friend." Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy all looked at her for a moment. She waited until Twilight and Spike looked away before asking, "Why is it that you stay home on Nightmare Night?"

Fluttershy ducked back so that her mane fell to cover her face. "Oh, I'm sorry-"

She shook her head. "It is fine. I am not particularly fond of this holiday-" the pegasus reluctantly lifted her head back and frowned, "-I simply desire to know why it is that you stay home, rather than leave. Other ponies..." she trailed off and had to stop herself from grimacing. "Other ponies seem to... enjoy it, to an extent."

"Oh," Fluttershy murmured, lowering her head. "It's just that I'm afraid. I know that it's just other ponies dressing up, but it's still scary. And all of the ponies out... and what if one of them isn't actually wearing a disguise, but actually is a monster?" The pegasus let out a quiet, fearful squeak.

Nightmare frowned. "Monster... I will not tell you that they do not exist, as they do and I have seen them first hoof. I have dealt with monsters many times before, and they learned to fear my name." She tentatively nodded once. 'You are soft and weak. This is Sister's fault. And yet you are innocent and naive to the horrors the world can hold. Such reflects well of Sister, that she protected you all from that.'

She felt conflicted. Sister had accomplished one of Luna’s goals, and yet through her accomplishing one of Luna’s goals, Sister had left them weaker for it. How should she feel? Was not one of her goals to likewise ensure Equestria was safe? And if she was successful as Sister had been, would that bring the same end, that ponies were weaker for it? And if that was so, could she hold it against Sister? Or was it foalish and hypocritical?

She did not know and shook her head. "Equestria as you know it is a much better place than I knew it," she said.

Fluttershy frowned. "Oh, surely it couldn't have been all that bad?"

But she didn't answer. Neither Fluttershy nor Twilight needed to know, and while of the two of them, Twilight might have some idea, Fluttershy did not. Twilight squirmed at her side and glanced at her. She glanced at Twilight and met her gaze. 'You know more than most ponies, though perhaps there are yet scholars who know more than you do. A thousand years is a long time, but the batponies know.'

Realizing that she wasn't going to answer, Fluttershy shifted her weight and looked at her rabbit for a moment, then turned back to her. "You said you didn't like Nightmare Night?"

"I do not," Nightmare answered.

"Why?" Fluttershy asked, then ducked back behind her mane. "If, um, you don't mind my asking..."

She inhaled deeply, then inclined her head once. "I do not mind. I have spoken on this subject with Twilight in passing. It is... it mocks me. It emphasizes how Sister erased me, and that one of the few reminders that I ever existed is a holiday where foals are told that I would hurt them? I do not like it."

Fluttershy watched her for a few seconds, then averted her gaze and timidly nodded. "I... I can understand that." Fluttershy met her gaze. "You don't want ponies to think of you that way, do you?"

Her brow folded down. "Of course not. It is foolish." She kept, 'And hurtful,' to herself. "I would not wish harm upon foals-" she grimaced and tilted her head back to the left, "-though I suppose I did with Twilight-" Twilight fidgeted under her wing. She gradually leaned her head back and looked at her friend for a few seconds before nodding at Fluttershy. "-and I suppose at one time I would have done so callously as well." She bowed her head once. "A long time ago."

"But not now," Fluttershy murmured.

She gradually nodded once. "Not now," she repeated.

She finished her tea and set the cup back down. Turning to Twilight, she asked, "Perhaps we should take our leave?"

Twilight frowned and hesitated to answer. Instead, Twilight looked at Fluttershy, then back at her. She caught Twilight's ears tipping back. "Yeah... I guess." Twilight turned back to Fluttershy and finished her tea, then set the cup down and said. "I'll try to stop by tomorrow if that's okay?"

Fluttershy smiled softly and nodded. "I'd like that."

Twilight smiled back, then it faded as the filly slid off the couch to stand. "I... hope that you're okay with me having brought Nightmare Moon here."

Fluttershy nodded a little more timidly. "It's okay," was her soft comfort.

She stood from the couch and folded her wing as Twilight walked over to hug and nuzzle Fluttershy, and again at the sight of them nuzzling, she turned away from it as jealousy bubbled in her chest. 'They are friends as we are. I cannot force her to choose between me and the rest of her friends. It is not fair to her and will only hurt us both.'

Spike stood from the couch and set his teacup down on the table, then walked over to hug Fluttershy after Twilight.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy."

"Goodbye, Twilight. Goodbye, Spike."

"Bye, Fluttershy!"

Twilight walked back to her side, trailed by Spike. She gave the filly a smile and laid her wing back on Twilight's back, draping it over her side and pulling her close, then turned to leave.

"Um... goodbye... Nightmare Moon," Fluttershy murmured.

She paused and looked back at Fluttershy. For a moment, she hesitated, then nodded once. "Goodbye, Fluttershy. Enjoy your night."

"Oh, um, thank you," was Fluttershy's soft murmur.

'Do you mean that, or are you merely saying it as a pleasantry?' she wondered. With a glance back at Fluttershy's timid, meek expression, she decided, 'Perhaps you do mean it. You bear Kindness.' Though in truth, it mattered little.

But perhaps it wasn’t completely meaningless. It was pleasant.

She inclined her head once, then turned back and lead the way to the door. Fluttershy trailed behind them. She opened the door and stepped out into the night. She cast her gaze around, making sure it was safe, then lead on. After a few seconds, she heard the door close.

"We could have stayed longer," Twilight said.

Nightmare stopped and turned to regard Twilight. The filly looked at her with a creased brow. "Do you wish we had?" she asked.

Twilight turned away from her, but said nothing. Twilight strode forward, sliding out from under her wing.

She frowned and reluctantly lowered her wing to her side, then followed. They crossed the bridge again and turned back to head to Ponyville. "You are upset," she ventured.

Twilight stopped and turned back to face her. "You're not going to make friends with ponies if you don't put any effort into it. You're not going to make friends with ponies if you avoid them. I know you're not a normal pony, but you still have to try."

She gradually nodded once. "I know."

Twilight's ears fell back. "Then why did you want to leave?"

She grimaced and turned her head to the right. "As I said, I do not know what to say to her."

Twilight sighed. "Look, I know Fluttershy isn't that talkative, but you could just stay there and enjoy her company. She enjoys the peace and quiet, and I enjoy it too. I'd say we should all go on a picnic together, but it's probably too cold for that so it would have to wait."

Nightmare grimaced and turned back to Twilight. "I... perhaps would not be opposed to the idea, though I am inclined to agree it would have to wait."

Twilight watched her for a few seconds, then exhaled and shook her head. "You don't even want to be friends with them, do you?"

"I do not know," Nightmare answered.

Twilight groaned and turned back around, shaking her head vigorously. "You want ponies to love you but you also don't want to put any effort into it."

Nightmare frowned. "That is not what I said."

Twilight lifted her head up and looked back at her. "No, but it's what you think."

"Luna put forth a great deal of effort, Twilight, and ponies hated her despite it," Nightmare stated. "Hoping for that to have changed is foalish. Time taught me it would not."

Twilight shook her head. "It's been a thousand years. What harm is there in trying again? Equestria isn't the same as it was when you were Luna."

"Perhaps," Nightmare said, "but I still do not know..." she trailed off.

Twilight turned to face her and crossed the distance between them, stopping in front of her and meeting her gaze. For a moment, Twilight said nothing, simply watching her. "Please. Give it a chance."

"I have-"

Twilight's brow shot up. "Barely." The filly's brow fell, then creased. "Look. I'm new to the whole-" Twilight tossed her head to the right and flexed her eyebrows, "-friendship thing-" Twilight leveled her head again and met her gaze, "-but I have friends. I'm your friend, and you're mine. That should prove that you can have friends, but you have to put effort into it. Isn't that more appealing than being looked at with fear or hate?"

And how the idea held so much sway over her. Nightmare gradually bowed her head. "It is."

Twilight searched her expression. "Isn't it worth trying?"

"Perhaps," she mumbled as she turned her head away from Twilight. "Though I am inclined to think hoping for such is foolish."

Twilight leaned towards her. She looked at Twilight and felt the filly's nose touch her neck, then Twilight gradually nuzzled her. And how it made her chest and stomach coil with anxiety! How it made her legs feel cold! How it tickled her neck, feeling Twilight's soft fur rubbing against her own, making her long for more contact. She contemplated whether it was okay or not to return it, but damn the consequences! She was still equine, and Twilight was her friend, so she leaned into the nuzzle and returned it, closing her eyes and rubbing her cheek against Twilight's cheek.

And how she welcomed the warm softness of Twilight's fur against her own! How it brought her to reminisce on her youth! How it brought her to contemplate Twilight's youth and intelligence, her potential and her destiny.

And all too soon, Twilight pulled back, and as soon as the filly did, she was left longing for Twilight's nuzzle and embrace. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and leveled her head so that she could look straight ahead at Twilight. She bowed her head once. "I will attempt to-" and the idea was so strange and foreign to her that she squinted as she spoke it, "-make friends with your friends, though as I have said, I do not have experience with this, nor do I know what to do."

"It helps if ponies don't think you're out to get them," Twilight said.

Her lip twitched back and she turned away from Twilight. "I have tried that and yet it does not matter. They still fear me."

"I know," Twilight said softly, and it pulled at her heart, bringing her to feel guilt.

She turned back to face Twilight. There was no malice in Twilight's expression. How could she think that? She inhaled deeply and then bowed her head. "I should not have snapped like that."

Twilight leaned over and briefly brushed her nose against Nightmare's coat. "Don't just give up on it. Please..." Twilight pleaded. The filly pulled back and looked into her eyes.

'For you, perhaps,' she decided. "I... will need help, then."

Twilight smiled softly. "Well, I'll be glad to help. That's part of why I'm your student, isn't it?"

A bit of a smile pulled at her lips. She nodded in agreement. "Indeed, though in this case, I suppose I would be your student."

Twilight's wonderful smile grew warmer, though the filly rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't say that. I'm just... giving you advice."

"Perhaps, though I suppose we shall see," Nightmare said. "Shall we return to Ponyville?"

Twilight's smile dimmed a little while she nodded. "I guess we should unless you want to head back to Fluttershy's?"

"Another time," Nightmare said.

"Right..." Twilight mumbled as she turned around.

She walked up to Twilight's side and laid her wing over the filly's back. Twilight looked back at her, then turned back and started walking along. She breathed in deep and turned her head to the right to watch the sky above.

And yet there was no companionship to be had there, only condemnation in the form of the scarred moon. She held back a scowl as she cast her gaze upon the grasses and flowers of the field.

Author's Note

[Date unknown]

While writing this, I found myself wondering, "Does this count as the first date?" Halfway blindsided by that. And then you realize this is happening around 500,000 words into the story...

[section removed]

And probably not the best first date, if that's what it is, given everything that happens...

11/3/20

Rereading and edits.

11/5/20

Rereading and edits.

11/11/20

Rereading and touch-ups.

11/16/20

Touch-ups. The scene where Rainbow Dash drops in. I can’t quite word one paragraph properly, so it doesn’t feel exactly how I want it to.

12/3/20

I need to stop procrastinating so much. I only have 8 chapters I need to reread and then I can get back to work drafting... or editing. I’m going to have so much fun with the upcoming chapters I’ll be drafting, when I get to them, and my plans are finally going to begin to come to fruition... along with one side plot I’m planning on that may be too out of the blue, but a lot of fun to include.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Also, only a small portion of my readers actually rate the story and follow me. So if you like the story, maybe leave a like and consider following me. It’s free, I’d really appreciate it, and you can always unlike or unfollow later.

6/8/21

Fixed a capitalization error pointed out by iAmSiNnEr.

Canterlot Bells a Ringing

It was hardly the first time she had stared at herself in a mirror since Nightmare Night, contemplating her appearance: one she had intentionally designed out of anger to invoke fear in her sister, her enemies, and even her subjects. Yet she did not wear a scowl, and so her appearance was less threatening for it. Not that it helped ponies look at her any differently. No. They regarded her the same as they did at her return: fearfully and with anger. They did not love her.

She channeled her magic into her horn and cast the transformation spell that turned her back to the form she had when she was Twilight's age.

She closed her eyes as the spell worked, leaving her to feel out the spell and the changes to her body. And then the spell finished, and her body was not her own, and it felt foreign. So small and weak compared to the strength she was used to having, and her legs, far shorter, would betray her should she try to move, bringing her to stumble for lack of familiarity. She opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror.

It was hardly the first time she had stared at herself in the mirror in her younger form since Nightmare Night, contemplating her appearance: one that was somehow so much more innocent, yet stained and scarred, branded by what she had seen during and well after her youth had ended. How was it so, that her eyes held such innocence yet while being stained? How did she see such a duality in them? She could not understand it, despite her contemplation.

She cast a transformation spell again, and her body was once more her own.

She stared at her expression in the mirror, considering how Twilight was, aside from Sister, the only pony alive to have seen all three forms.

Luna was dead but she remembered Luna’s face. She could almost see Luna staring back at her in the mirror, yet like herself, Luna’s eyes held no innocence. Only hidden pain, anger, resentment, and bitterness.

She breathed in and turned away from the mirror, then strode back into her bedroom, leaving behind the vain, pointless reminiscence. Her bare hooves hardly made a noise against the floor as she walked, and the cool of the air against her chest brought her to long for Twilight as it always did.

Nightmare Night had not been kind to her.

She thought back on the night as she turned towards her balcony, but did not scowl.

She considered the inherent mockery as she passed through the door: that ponies were so ignorant to who she had been, how she had looked, and that if they knew it was her who had walked among them, they would have turned from her as ponies had so long ago.

They did not see the beauty of her night.

They did not know how she had protected Equestria so long ago.

Sister had erased her.

They did not see her glory.

They did not know what she had born witness to in their defense.

Sister made them fear her.

They hated her.

They mocked her.

They hurt her.

And they did not care.

They did not care that she had protected them.

They did not care that she had suffered for them.

They did not care that she had suffered during those one-thousand years of banishment.

She knew nothing would change that. She felt bitter.

And yet, her thoughts again drifted back to Twilight: how the filly smiled and laughed once they returned to Ponyville, how Rainbow Dash and Applejack somehow brought her to smile, albeit just barely. Pinkie Pie's antics which left her bewildered, though drawing Twilight's sweet, musical laugh that soothed her.

Twilight was naive as they were.

Twilight was ignorant as they were.

Her jaw tightened as she stopped at the railing, some of her bitterness forgotten. She looked towards Ponyville and draped her forehooves over the railing.

Twilight was not yet more than a filly.

An ache in her chest smothered out the anger. She yearned for Twilight's company. One thousand years of isolation and hatred would not be so easily forgotten, but Twilight’s company helped comfort her.

And because of it, she questioned herself. Since her return, she had changed so much. She was not the mare she had been when she first battled her sister, consumed by anger and hatred, but neither was she blind and naive and foalish as Luna.

She breathed in deeply, then let the breath out and cast her gaze to the courtyard below. Only a few guards walked about on patrol under her moonlit night. Were they calm, or were they anxious? Did they walk along enjoying the peace and serenity of her night, or did they expect something to jump out at them and claim their lives?

She suspected the latter.

A cold chill blew through the courtyard; one of the unicorns standing guard shivered.

Winter was never kind. It was something else that hadn't changed. Even if pegasi controlled the weather, Winter was still not kind. It always rebelled, always resisted. Nopony liked the cold it brought, let alone at night. The air was clear and so she could gaze upon the unblemished beauty of her jeweled sky, and yet other ponies would only see their breath misting in the cold as they exhaled. And so with Winter, whatever progress had been made since her return was cast aside, for the ponies would stay in their homes rather than leave so that they would stay warm and safe.

Cloudsdale was fairing poorly because of the constant night. Between the cooler temperatures and problems seeing to work, the pegasi were struggling to manage the weather. A few sporadic, uncontrolled storms had brought heavy snowfall to a few isolated villages that didn’t have the pegasi to properly deal with it, further straining Cloudsdale’s resources. It reminded her of her youth, when Equestria was not yet what it was, when the pegasi struggled to control the weather.

And the griffins? They were so much worse off than her subjects. Her subjects had their homes for warmth and protection, or at least most of them did. The griffins did not. She hoped that the shipments of winterwear and goods would alleviate some of the griffins’ suffering. Perhaps the pegasi could help further with their efforts to wrangle winter in over the griffin lands. Whether or not it would be enough to help was another question.

Of course, one comfort was that the minotaurs’ offer had been rejected by the griffins. There would be no minotaur proxy in the griffin lands, no matter how infuriated the minotaurs seemed to be. Merchants were complaining about import tariffs, but there was little she could do to address it. The minotaurs were being unreasonable, refusing to give. It was a thorn in her side. Still, unlike the griffins, the costlier imports wouldn’t prove so destructive to Equestria.

She pondered the thought for a few seconds and found herself reminiscing on Griffinheim’s desolate streets. Even with the good news of her intervention spreading, none of the griffins looked at her happily; they still scowled bitterly, as if they were broken. Was it Sister’s fault or was it somehow her own doing?

Their cities were so run down that it would take time to repair, like her castle in the Everfree. Progress had slowed to a crawl because of the Winter, like the construction of roads and railways throughout Equestria. Spring could hardly come fast enough as far as she was concerned, but once it was here, work would resume in full and the griffin lands would be developed properly.

Perhaps the Deer needed similar intervention. King Aspen had come to her asking for help. Food and medicine for his kind, as both were in short supply. Had they not properly prepared? She had asked, but he had not truly answered. Perhaps she needed to speak with King Aspen about integrating the Deer Kingdom into Equestria. They had much to gain, though Equestria had less so.

But would they truly gain safety? Even if they had her protection, she could not be everywhere at once, nor could her batponies. Winter had already proven that. Monsters had attacked her subjects, and for as many as were hunted down, there were those which escaped justice, despite her subjects pleas for help. There was only so much she could do, and because of it, her subjects feared her night and despised her all the more.

Perhaps it was fitting then that the Royal Guards and Batponies weren’t developing a strong comradery, but rather a rivalry. Or perhaps it was her own fault for considering replacing Shining Armor with a batpony before he talked her out of it. Perhaps it was even Shining Armor’s own fault for being so distracted with his upcoming wedding and preparing his replacement that the rivalry developed.

Winter was truly the worst season of the year. Equestria had started to recover from her return, only for Winter to toss all of that progress aside. Equestria would recover come Spring, she hoped, otherwise Equestria would be choked into nothing more than a desolate husk that mocked her. A shadow of its glory under her sister.

Crack! She caught the scroll in her magic, broke the seal, then read it. Her lips pulled back, baring her teeth as she read on.

Was the Royal Guard truly so incompetent? She had already given them their instructions for the wedding’s Honor Guard, and yet the Colonel requested the same orders again. She crumpled the scroll in her magic and summoned a fresh scroll and a quill to send the order once more.

She considered the recently-repaired Throne. Perhaps she needed to remind them that she was Queen. Perhaps it wasn’t incompetence, but rather, was an active effort against her. Was the resistance involved? Twilight had not talked to her about them any further, nor had any more riots occurred like in Manehattan. Perhaps it wasn’t the resistance, but simply the Guard resisting in their own way.

Perhaps the teachers at the School for Magic were aiding the resistance as well. They tried to hide it, but she could still hear the whispers spoken behind her back.

She stifled a growl and breathed in deeply, then looked across the plains before Canterlot. She cast her gaze to the sky, letting her eyes run from left to right. They came to rest on the moon. She stared but didn't scowl as she watched it imperceptibly sink lower.

And for the briefest moment, the thought came to her, 'What if Cadance is right? What if Twilight is right?'

'What if I am wrong?'

She looked down at the courtyard and shook the thought from her mind. Perhaps asking the question served a purpose, or perhaps it was pointless, but dwelling on a question she could not find an answer for served only to distract her and make her uncertain. Neither of which would serve her any; neither of which were in her best interest.

And even if they were right, it would neither change the past nor erase what Sister had done.

She steeled herself against the uncertainty, steeled herself against the frustration the past weeks had forced upon her shoulders. It would not help her feel better, but she would not hesitate like Sister!

A knock on the door broke her contemplation. She glanced back behind her and breathed in, then pushed herself away from the railing and strode back inside, closing the door behind her. She walked to her study, then approached the door and opened it.

Two Royal Guards stood before her, and for a moment, her lips twitched back just enough that she felt the air against her teeth. They must not have noticed, which surprised her, as neither reacted to her agitation. 'What will it be this time?' her mind groaned. "This had better be important," she snapped.

Both guards flinched slightly. The one on the left shifted his weight and nudged his muzzle up a little higher. "Your student and her friends have arrived, your Majesty."

For a moment, she considered him and his message. 'Not something pointless, then,' she decided and was thankful for it. She nodded her head once. "I see," and as pointless as it was, "Thank you." She paused for a moment and listened, wondering if the mares and filly were standing just out of sight, but heard nothing. "Are they not with you?"

He shook his head. "No, your Majesty. They elected to-" he shifted his weight uncertainly, and his muzzle scrunched up ever so slightly, "-take a scenic route through Canterlot, but they should arrive at the castle shortly."

"I see," she said. "Very well. When they arrive show them to their chambers, though send Twilight to me."

He bowed his head. "Of course, your Majesty."

She inclined her head once and then turned from the door as she closed it with her magic. For their arrival, she felt not glad but perhaps satisfied and assured. Though the reason for their arrival, she was unsure of how she felt: in only a few nights, Cadance and Shining Armor would be wed.

Perhaps it would be a good thing, something that Equestria needed. A reason to celebrate. A symbol of hope.

And yet, she felt unsure. Something of it did not quite feel right, and she was not sure what. 'Cadance was Twilight's foalsitter. Is this why it so bothers me? Shining Armor will be Prince after he is wed to her. They are happy, and they will be happy.'

Was it their happiness that bothered her? Was it how they mocked her because it was something that she could not have?

She frowned and shifted her weight before turning and gradually walking back to her bedroom. Her gaze lingered on the floor, and her lips settled into a scowl.

Yes, perhaps that was why it bothered her. Not that Shining Armor would be titled Prince, not that Cadance had been Twilight's foalsitter, but that they were happy and had something she did not.

But why did she still feel uncertain?

She lifted her head and set it at an angle as she channeled her magic into her horn, and a moment later, she cast a teleportation spell. Appearing in front of Cadance's door, she looked at one of the guards and asked, "Is Cadance here?"

He nodded rigidly. "Yes, your Majesty."

Barely acknowledging his answer, she turned back to the door and knocked. A few moments passed before the door opened, revealing the lesser alicorn. She thought she saw her niece flinch, or maybe it was a squint, but it happened too fast for her to be certain. "Niece," she acknowledged with a simple incline of her head.

"Nightmare Moon," Cadance acknowledged.

There was a hint of agitation in Cadance's voice that brought her brow to crease. 'You are stressing over your wedding again,' she decided, and so grimaced. "Is this a bad time?"

Cadance turned her head to the left and looked back inside her chambers for a few seconds, then turned back to face her. "Kind of. Can you make it quick?"

Nightmare shifted uncomfortably but nodded. "Very well.”

"Thank you. What did you need?" Cadance asked with a smile.

She frowned slightly; something seemed off but she couldn’t quite place it. “I desired to speak with you about Twilight.”

Cadance perked up immediately, her earlier stress vanishing as renewed energy filled her. She even heard Cadance inhale, and she saw a faint glint of something cross her niece’s eyes, but it seemed different than her niece’s usual playfulness and teasing. A knowing smile pulled at the corner of Cadance’s lips. “What about her?”

She opened her mouth, only for that damned hesitation to strike. Why was it that out of everything, this was the topic that made her most uneasy and brought her to hesitate and second-guess herself? Indecision did not benefit her! And yet of the uncertainty, it meant that she was not forced to face knowing Twilight's rejection, she was not forced to be alone again. She brought her tongue to the top of her mouth and gradually bowed her head before closing her mouth.

'Coward.'

She shook her head and stood up straight. "She and her friends have arrived in Canterlot. They should be at the castle soon."

Cadance's brow twitched. "You didn’t come all this way to simply tell me that."

"No," she forced out. "Though now that I have, I am inclined to take my leave."

"What about Twilight did you want to talk about?" Cadance pressed.

She glanced aside at the two guards in turn, then faced Cadance again. "May we speak in private?"

Cadance stepped aside. She walked inside, and Cadance closed the door behind her. She cast her gaze about Cadance's chambers: it wasn't quite as disorganized as she expected, though there were papers strewn about her desk, with a few on the floor. She turned back to Cadance and asked, "I am being a fool, aren't I? I should just talk to her."

"Yes," Cadance agreed.

Nightmare breathed in deeply and straightened herself, staring straight ahead. ‘You are not normally so blunt.’ "And yet I feel that I cannot." She waited for Cadance to ask why, but it never came, so she looked at Cadance and continued. "I feel that admitting it to her would be a mistake. I am teaching her. She is my friend. Other ponies would grow to hate her or would perhaps hurt her in order to hurt me."

And it went unsaid that she could be hurt worse.

Cadance's expression was harder than normal. A few seconds passed in silence. Cadance nodded her head slightly. "You're either going to tell her or not tell her, so just decide which you're going to do and do it."

It was neither the advice she wanted nor expected. How was it that Cadance was so bold? Perhaps it was because Cadance was the Princess of Love. But did she love Twilight? Did Cadance think she did? Is that why Cadance pressed her to decide? She was procrastinating, and Cadance was right. Worrying about it without making a decision was only distracting her. She turned away from Cadance and aimlessly studied the wall. "I suppose you make a valid point," she mumbled.

Was it worth it?

Maybe she needed to, if only for the sake of being honest with Twilight.

'It's the ponies closest to us that hurt us the most,' Twilight's voice repeated in her mind.

She grimaced and breathed in. "Very well. I shall take my leave, then." And with nothing else to say, she simply teleported herself back to her chambers to wait.

She considered her options and decided to step out onto her balcony to watch the night sky while she waited. So she sat down on her haunches on the balcony, propping herself up against the railing, and lifting her head to the sky to watch the stars. There was peace, and yet in that peace, she found herself agitated and wanting, and anxiety pricking the back of her mind as she continually contemplated how such a conversation with Twilight would go. What good did it serve her? What did it benefit her? All it did was bring her to worry over the future, bring her to hesitate, cripple her.

And yet she found that she could not conquer it.

Perhaps by chance, or perhaps by some reason she did not know, when she looked back down at the courtyard and turned her gaze towards the gate, Twilight and her friends passed through the entrance. The guards subtly bowed at Twilight, and she caught the filly noticing the hints of bows, and yet Twilight neither knew nor realized its importance.

At seeing Twilight and her friends, she found her hooves and body feeling cold. Her body twitched, or perhaps it was a shiver from the night's chill. The anxiety that tormented her grew worse, even as she took a deep breath and steeled her resolve.

'I will tell her,' she decided, 'after the wedding.'

For better or for worse, she had made her choice.

She licked her lips and, for a moment, glanced at the sky. She thought back on her dreams and considered her nightmares. So much potential! It could be what she dreamed of, or the conversation could turn into a nightmare that she would never awake from. 'Do not doubt her!' she chastised herself. 'Twilight is my friend. Even if it complicates things, surely we can work through this. I am willing, and surely you are.'

She hoped.

Time had taught her it was a mistake, but she hoped.

She looked back down at the gate. Twilight looked at her balcony. She wasn't sure if Twilight could see her or not, but it felt like she could.

As per her request, Twilight had visited her shortly after arriving at the castle, though did not stay long. Where Cadance seemed to be agitated, she couldn't miss the excitement that permeated Twilight's actions and expressions: the filly talked faster than usual about her progress with developing her magic and studying.

One thing that stood out the most, however, was when they sat on the balcony together. She had been enjoying the mutual silence and Twilight's company, but then Twilight had simply said, "The Flag of Equestria."

At first, she wasn't sure why, so she had looked at Twilight for her to elaborate. Twilight's brow was creased in thought as she looked down at the courtyard, but then Twilight had turned to face her. "There are two alicorns on it."

She had nodded, then turned away. "There are."

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," Twilight acknowledged.

She didn't say anything. She had to stop a scowl from slipping onto her expression.

"She didn't erase everything," Twilight said bluntly.

At that, she had turned back to face Twilight. There was no malice in her expression, and it seemed to her that there never was. She turned away from Twilight and looked out over Canterlot. "Perhaps not," she relented, then turned back to face Twilight to ask one simple question, "And yet, can you say that anypony realizes?"

Twilight's eyes dropped to her shoulder. "No." Then Twilight's frown deepened. "And... I hadn't thought about it before."

Reluctantly, Nightmare bowed her head, nodding once. "Sister did not erase everything. She left just enough to tease at the memory of my life, and yet erased enough that it is nothing more than mocking to me. The Flag of Equestria, Nightmare Night, the tale of Nightmare Moon, and so on."

"We should have realized. I should have realized," Twilight had stated.

"You had no way to know," Nightmare countered. "For you knew nothing else."

"But I was Princess Celestia's student," Twilight argued.

"And you are yet young," Nightmare emphasized. Twilight looked at her with an almost bitter scowl, one that she hated seeing on the filly's expression as it reminded her too much of her own scowls; she did not wish such torment upon the filly.

And after that, they had settled again into a mutual silence that gradually grew more comfortable as they merely watched the sky together.

In the end, they shared a hug, and then Twilight left to retire, and as such, Nightmare retired to her own bed.

Strangely, she did not find herself remembering her dreams that night, only certain feelings from them: in one, joy, warmth, comfort and satisfying companionship, and in another cold, damp, and isolation. She pondered what the second dream could have been as she laid in bed the next morning, for it could not have been her banishment, as the moon was dry. No answers came to her.

Sitting at the end of the table, Nightmare Moon had a good view at everypony present. On the left, from closest to farthest, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, and on the right, again from closest to farthest, Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and then Fluttershy. She pondered Cadance and Shining Armor's empty seats. 'Do they not desire to join us this morning because they would rather eat alone together, or are they yet sleeping?'

Very briefly, she considered that they might yet be sleeping, though she quickly swept any thoughts of the reason why that might be aside.

It still bothered her. She did not miss their company, but it felt odd.

She shook her head and looked back down at the bowl of cereal before her. It was quite simple: honeyed oats and milk, and surprisingly more enjoyable than she had originally expected. The slight sweetness of the honey, mixed with the cool, slightly too-thin milk was a pleasant combination.

It wasn't very expensive, either, which was something she was fond of. She levitated a spoonful of milk and honeyed oats to her mouth to chew it up, then swallowed and set the spoon back in the bowl. She lifted her head again and looked at the door, wondering if Cadance and Shining Armor would show up this morning at all.

After a few seconds, she looked back at her bowl, though her gaze swept over Twilight and she saw the filly's pensive expression. She turned to face Twilight and took it in full: her friend's brow was creased in thought and perplexion. She tilted her head. 'What troubles you?' she wondered, but she kept it to herself; it was perhaps something she should ask in private.

Although Twilight trusted her friends, she was certain, with her life. 'Do you trust me with your life?' she briefly contemplated.

Twilight must have noticed her, because Twilight glanced at her, then nudged her head up and then down, then tilted it at an angle and faced her. "Has Cadance been acting-" Twilight's muzzle scrunched up, "-odd lately?"

Rarity glanced over at them, but at least for the time, said nothing.

She inclined her head. "She seems distracted and stressed, yes," she agreed.

Twilight's frown deepened. After a moment, the filly turned back to stare down at her plate of waffles.

"Oh, I'm sure it's just wedding stress, dear," Rarity offered in a chipper tone.

She saw Twilight's eyelids twitch, then Twilight looked at Rarity. "Maybe," was her reluctant admission.

Rarity tilted her head. "Wouldn't you be stressing out over your wedding, darling? Even more so if your wedding was on Hearth's Warming? And you were a Princess having a Royal Wedding?"

Twilight grimaced and sat up straighter. "Yeah, I guess I would..."

Nightmare frowned. 'You do not sound convinced of that. Something else is bothering you?' "Cadance does seem to have too much emphasis on wanting her wedding to be perfect. Such may be the source of her distress, despite my counsel on the matter," she stated.

Rarity frowned at her. "Can you really blame her? It's her wedding day!" Rarity tilted her head and made some kind of sound that Nightmare couldn't quite place; it sounded either pitiful or fawning. "Why, every mare wants her wedding to be perfect!"

"Maybe you, Rarity, but not all of us want to get married," Rainbow Dash commented. The pegasus puffed out her chest and beamed with pride. "I don't need anypony weighing down on my awesomeness!"

Twilight rolled her eyes.

Rarity looked across at the pegasus and let out an indignant "Humpf!" then she jerked her head to the side in rebuke.

Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes in response, then went back to eating her broccoli.

"I reckon she just needs to relax a little. She'll be fine after the wedding, I'd imagine," Applejack commented.

"Most likely, yes," Nightmare had to agree. "Though I must admit her attitude is... somewhat frustrating. I do not like it.”

Her comment drew a few leery glances from some of Twilight's friends, including the filly herself, but nothing more came from it. She breathed in deep and took another bite of her honeyed oats.

Twilight gradually turned her attention back to her waffles and cut off a large piece and nearly shoved it in her mouth. Nightmare had half the mind to chastise her but thought better of it. So in silence, they returned to eating, and as such, she cast her gaze upon the door, again considering the future, which inevitably led her thoughts to drift onto Twilight.

'Why her?' a part of her mind demanded, and because of it, her gaze fell onto the filly. 'Why now?' And she felt that she had no answers, and so her lips pulled into a line as disappointment settled into her chest.

Rarity levitated her napkin to her lips and gently dabbed them clean, then set her napkin back down on the table. For having been used, the mare had still set her napkin back down neatly. Looking over at Twilight, Rarity said, "I hope you don't mind that I'm going to go shopping tonight since we're already in Canterlot."

"Go ahead," Twilight replied after swallowing her last bite of waffles. "Spike and I were planning on visiting my parents... and maybe doing some Hearth's Warming shopping too."

'Perhaps I should get Twilight a gift,' teased Nightmare's mind. She considered it and found herself asking, 'But what?' What was something she could gift Twilight that the filly would appreciate, and that was not inappropriate? A book? Twilight would surely like that, and yet it felt inconsequential: she had already given Twilight many books, and Twilight likewise already had many books.

How could a book do it justice?

A spell? But she would teach Twilight magic regardless.

Rarity hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we could go shopping together if you wanted, dear."

Twilight smiled. "I'd like that, Rarity."

"I already did my Hearth's Warming shopping in Ponyville," Rainbow said perhaps too quickly, drawing a few looks from the rest of the mares.

"I did as well, but Canterlot has a larger and finer selection," Rarity replied.

She considered a multitude of options and, perhaps it was because of her desires, each felt insignificant and meaningless. No gift ideas felt satisfactory. Some ideas she barely gave thought to for knowing Twilight would not appreciate them and the ones she did think Twilight would appreciate did not feel meaningful enough.

And so it was that she found herself staring at the door, watching her student's five friends depart. The door clicked when it closed at last, leaving her alone with Twilight and Spike. She blinked, then gradually turned to face the filly, who she found looking at her.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked.

"I am merely thinking," she answered.

Twilight's brow twitched slightly, but then it faded and Twilight breathed in while nodding. "Can I ask what?"

She inclined her head once. "You may," she said.

A moment passed. Twilight shifted her weight. Perhaps awkwardly? Perhaps expectantly? "About?" Twilight finally asked.

"Hearth's Warming," she answered. She gradually turned her head to the left, letting her eyes trace over the marble wall. Should she elaborate? Perhaps not, but honesty would benefit her far more than dismissing it, and she would not lie to Twilight. "I did not get you anything," she said, then turned back to face her friend, "I did not... consider it until now."

"That's okay," Twilight said. "I wasn't expecting anything." And yet, despite Twilight's reassurance, she found herself frowning. "Did ponies even exchange gifts back before your banishment?"

She cast her gaze onto the door. "I believe they did, though..." she trailed off. Disappointment started to creep up from somewhere inside her. She couldn't pinpoint where it started, but it crawled over her heart. She steeled herself against the feeling and said, "I remember seeing such happen, though I never partook, excepting my Sister on occasion."

And only then did she let her gaze return to Twilight. For a few seconds, Twilight watched her, then Twilight's gaze dropped to her chest. "You didn't have any..." Twilight trailed off and met her gaze. "Well, you didn't have anything on the shelves in your room in the Castle of the Two Sisters."

She nodded once. A few more seconds passed in silence, and with Twilight continuing to look her in the eye, she found herself growing uncomfortable. She shifted her weight and tightened her wings at her sides, then inhaled and looked back down at her bowl of honeyed oats. Taking the spoon once more in her aura, she scooped up a bite before saying, "But I suppose you shall want to join your friends in Canterlot and visit with your family. I shall not keep you." She brought the spoon to her mouth and ate.

"I don't mind staying," Twilight countered.

She swallowed, then nodded once. "Very well." She returned to eating for a while until she finished. Cadance never showed up. 'Perhaps they went out to Canterlot to eat,' she pondered. She cleaned her lips with her napkin, then again faced Twilight. "You are yet planning to spend Hearths Warming Eve with your family and friends, yes? And the night of the wedding?"

Twilight nodded and breathed in. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how it's going to work out because of the wedding, but... well-" Twilight grimaced, "-as I'm learning, things don't always go as planned."

Spike chuckled softly.

Nightmare found herself snorting and felt a smirk pull at her lips. "Indeed," she had to agree, "things rarely go as expected and planned. The best-conceived plans are often ruined and as such, being able to plan as one is going can be quite useful. Do not be paralyzed into inaction when something unexpected occurs."

Twilight retained her grimace and turned to stare at the wall across from her. "Right... Easier said than done..." the filly breathed out.

"And how are your friends handling being asked to help with the wedding?" she asked.

Twilight's eyes widened as her brow arched up. "Oh, Rarity loves it." The filly turned to look at her. "Believe me."

She nodded once. "I do." At that, Twilight just blinked. She glanced off at the wall, contemplating what to say next before looking at Twilight again. "I believe the exposure will be good for her business."

"Probably," Twilight agreed, "though, for her, I think just being asked to help with a royal wedding is a dream come true."

And from what she knew of Rarity, she had to agree. "Perhaps." She waited for a moment, then rose from her chair. "I shall see you this evening?" she ventured.

Twilight smiled and stood from her chair as well. "Yes. Stargazing again?"

She smiled and nodded once. "Indeed."

"Sure," Twilight said.

"I look forward to it," Nightmare declared. Twilight, still smiling, walked around to meet her for a hug. She leaned down and laid her head against Twilight's neck while the filly's head rested against her own neck. She inhaled, just enough to catch the scent of lavender and lilacs, trying to avoid drawing attention to it, then squeezed Twilight with her foreleg. Spike watched her, or perhaps them, from where he sat. After a few seconds, he looked away and climbed down from his chair. She closed her eyes and gently rubbed her cheek up and down Twilight's neck once, and then they parted. "Enjoy your time in Canterlot."

"Thanks. I will," Twilight said.

The door opened, and when she glanced at it, she found a Royal Guard unicorn cautiously ducking his head in. "Your Majesty?"

She glanced at Twilight when the filly turned back to look, then she looked at the guard again. "What is it?"

The guard opened the door all the way. "One of the Royal Gardeners accidentally decapitated one of the hedges," was his response.

She waited several seconds, but when it became apparent that was the full extent of his message, she took in a deep breath. "So tonight is going to be one of these nights," she breathed out. Twilight looked back at her, half concerned, half perplexed. "Does this truly demand my attention?" she asked the guard.

The guard shifted his weight. "The groundskeeper-"

"It does not," she immediately countered.

"But-" he started, only to fall silent when Nightmare glared at him. "O-of course, your Majesty. I will, um, inform them to deal with it themselves."

"See to it that they do," she commanded.

The unicorn disappeared and the door clicked closed.

"Was that necessary?" Twilight asked, her voice edged with sarcasm that made her squint.

"The Royal Guards seem to think I must be informed of every banal mishap that takes place," she stated. "Such matters are hardly worth my time, nor do I know how best to address them."

"I meant... snapping," Twilight mumbled.

She looked down at Twilight-the filly didn't quite frown, but she wasn't happy either. "Were you in my position, you would be as annoyed."

That made Twilight's brow fold down. "Is that any reason to take it out on him?" came out defensively.

Rather than directly answering, she chose to say, "Perhaps Cadance is not the only pony who is stressed from the coming wedding."

Twilight shifted her weight, perhaps not knowing what to respond with. "Has it really been that bad?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "As of late, yes. It seems that they either take my orders too literal or they do not understand them enough. At this point, I do not know whether to think they are incompetent or working against me."

Twilight's frown returned and deepened.

"Tell me, did the Royal Guard beforehoof tell Sister when a hedge had been damaged?" she asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, only to hesitate before giving a drawn-out nod. "They did, but... it was only telling her that it had happened. And generally not like... that."

"And incidents in the school?" she asked.

Twilight nodded vigorously. "She cared a lot about her school and the students there, so yes."

"I see," Nightmare said. "So perhaps then I should not be frustrated by hearing of that matter..."

Twilight set her head at an angle. "I think... I think you need to relax."

Nightmare considered it. "Perhaps I do. There is much weighing on my mind as of late, I will admit."

"Maybe join me and the rest of the girls later tonight? We were going to go out for dinner," Twilight offered, a hopeful smile pulling at her lips.

Nightmare found herself staring at Twilight's lips. A part of her, perhaps small, wanted to say 'yes,' but she knew better. It would be a mistake, so she shook her head and said, "Another time."

So Twilight's smile faded and her expression hardened. "You always say that," was her counter.

Nightmare gradually nodded once. "I suppose I do. I do not desire to intrude upon your friendship with the others, and I know that they do not welcome my presence."

"The only way that's going to change is if you spend time with them so that you'll all be more comfortable around each other," Twilight predictably said, her flatter than normal tone betraying a hint of impatience.

So she said, "We will see."

The door opened again, and she looked up to watch as another guard came into view. "Your Majesty?" he called.

Twilight squinted at her.

"Yes?" she forced herself to acknowledge, still looking down at Twilight.

"The colonel wants to go over the details of the wedding's Honor Guard," the guard answered. There was a noticeable pause before he added, "Again."

She held in a sigh and bowed her head. "Very well. I shall be there shortly." The guard left and the door closed. She looked down at Twilight.

"So the wedding has been keeping everypony busy, then," Twilight surmised.

"Indeed," Nightmare muttered. "I shall see you this evening," she promised with a bow of her head, "but for now I must address such pointless matters as this, and others that will undoubtedly arise." She turned and started towards the door.

"You know, for as much as I'm supposed to be advising you, it seems like I'm not," Twilight said. "I'm... fairly skilled at organizing. I could probably help."

Nightmare paused and looked back at her, then nodded. "I suppose... I have neglected to include you as my advisor as of late, haven't I?"

Twilight awkwardly shuffled on her hooves.

Nightmare nodded once. "Then we shall address this after the wedding."

Twilight turned her head to the right to glance over the window-side display of the shop she walked by. Though granted, her experience with shopping in Canterlot in the past was limited since she mostly didn't shop around in the upper-class jewelry and goods stories, everything somehow seemed less glamorous than she had expected. Where she had expected to see glistening jewel-speckled golden and silver necklaces on display, instead she found that the jewelry looked dull and lackluster. Maybe it was just her, but she still found herself frowning.

The lighting probably didn't help. If it had been six months ago, she suspected that the displays would have been lit up with bright magical lights that cast their warm glows out into the street, making the gold and jewels shine, but instead, the lighting was soft and subdued, more akin to the light of the moon that filled the streets. Nothing displayed in the window caught her eye, and so she passed on and turned her head back to look down the street.

Even with Rarity and Spike walking along beside her, the street was mostly empty. A few well-dressed stallions and mares walked along. Some of them must have recognized her or Rarity since when they saw them, their steps staggered and then the ponies ended up either staring or glancing at them every few seconds. Six months ago, she wouldn't have drawn as much attention.

Rarity came to a stop and turned to look into the next window-side display, so she stopped and turned to face the store as well. The base of the display looked black, and each item on display was set on a pillow or a stand to show it off. A few amethyst necklaces and earrings were displayed, along with an amethyst pendant, a sapphire pendant, and a golden necklace that reminded her of the Element of Generosity, where instead of the Element itself being centered in front of the thick gold necklace, there was a sapphire. Beside it was a similar necklace, though set with an amethyst that caught the low light in such a way that it seemed to be multiple shades of purple at the same time. A golden laurel was displayed, alongside a few golden headbands.

Rarity lifted her forehoof up to tap her chin a few times. She glanced at her friend and found her frowning as her eyes meticulously scrutinized each necklace and headband. For some reason, Rarity's blue eyes looked piercing, even her friend's gaze wasn't directed at her. "I do wish the lighting was better," she heard Rarity grumble, then Rarity sighed and shook her head. "But I suppose if it's too bright, ponies would be blind."

She nodded in agreement, though cringed when she checked the price tags. "This might be a stupid question," she said as she turned to face Rarity.

Rarity turned to face her. "Hmm?"

Still cringing, she leaned to the left and asked, "But is all of this-" she glanced at the window and nodded as she swept her hoof around to motion towards the items inside, "-normally this expensive?"

Rarity smiled sheepishly. "Well, dear, you remember that I've not been to Canterlot before the whole eternal night thing, although I will say that when I ordered gems before they weren't nearly as expensive as this."

"So it's all more expensive, then?" she ventured.

Rarity nodded and sighed as she turned back to the window. "It's a shame, really," her friend murmured in a longing tone.

'It sounds more like a problem than a shame,' she thought. True, ponies could live without jewelry and clothes, but the effect was glaringly obvious. 'Do you know how bad it is?' she wondered. 'Maybe it's a seasonal change?'

She wanted to believe that, but a part of her simply knew it wasn't the case.

Her lips set in a firm line.

Rarity turned away from the store and started walking again. Spike followed almost immediately, and she followed behind them a few seconds later. As they passed by the next building, she glanced inside and saw dozens of outfits filling the softly-lit room. None of them really appealed to her, but then she wasn't fashioned inclined.

She turned back to look at Rarity and ventured, "Do you think Nightmare Moon would appreciate me getting her a gift?"

She wasn't sure if Rarity could have stopped moving any quicker than she did. Rarity looked back at her, a hint of a crease in her brow. "I'm... not sure," was mumbled. Rarity turned around to face her. "She doesn't quite seem the type to..." Rarity trailed off and squinted, pursing her lips. A few seconds passed in silence before Rarity continued, "She seems to be a very practical mare, from what I can tell."

And thinking about that, she had to agree and then some. "Yeah..." 'Would giving you a gift be pointless? Would you think it's pointless?' But as she considered it, she felt inclined to think, 'No, you'd appreciate it because it's coming from me.'

"Did you have anything in mind?" Rarity asked.

Twilight frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Well, what are some things she likes?" Rarity asked thoughtfully.

Twilight flexed her brow up and bobbed her head, listing, "The night. Stars." She paused for a moment, then added. "Me."

"Twilight," Rarity chided, "You're her friend. Surely you can think of something?"

Twilight sighed and felt her ears pin back against her mane. "I don't know. I feel like... I feel like there's not a whole lot to her at times. She's..." she trailed off. "Detached..."

Was that the right word?

"Distant?" Spike offered.

She frowned. She wasn't sure that was the right word either.

Rarity's brow lifted up and then fell again. "Well, you can say that again..."

"She was alone for one thousand years," she said.

Rarity winced. "I simply can't imagine what that would be like."

"I can't either," Twilight agreed with a nod. "Even if she was consumed with anger and resent, that had to be hard on her."

"I think that would be hard on anypony," Rarity agreed. "That had to leave a scar."

'It did,' she was certain. "Maybe we're thinking about it wrong?"

Rarity frowned. "What do you mean? You want to get her a gift, right? Something nice?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, but..." she trailed off, her lips curling up as she leaned away from Rarity. "I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't be getting Nightmare Moon a gift, but I should get Luna a gift."

"That's an interesting idea," Rarity complimented. "Does that help any?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted.

"Twilight, I think she'd appreciate anything coming from you, if nothing else, then for thinking of her," Spike said.

Twilight looked at him and smiled, then reached out with her forehoof to stroke his crests. "Thanks, Spike. But I still want to get her something she'd appreciate."

"I suppose now the question is, 'What do you give as a gift to the Queen of Equestria?'" Rarity said.

Twilight grimaced. "When you put it like that, it sounds hopeless."

"It is a challenge, dear," Rarity emphasized. “But you are her friend, and Spike is probably right.”

Twilight thought for a few seconds. "I'm kind of surprised you're not recoiling in shock at the idea of... well, either helping me pick out a gift for her, or me giving a gift to her."

Rarity frowned. "Ah, well... She's..." Rarity trailed off, lifting her right forehoof from the ground and limply holding it against her left leg. "Well, not nearly as bad as I expected, I suppose." Rarity set her forehoof back down and tilted her head to the right. "And I know you two are close. She means a lot to you, and you mean a lot to her."

Twilight smiled weakly. "I guess I'll just... keep it in mind and see if anything catches my eye?"

Spike shrugged. Rarity inhaled and nodded. "I suppose that's as good a plan as any. If I think of something, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Rarity," she said.

Rarity smiled back, then turned and started walking again.

They walked to the next store and she followed Rarity and Spike inside. To her surprise, it was an arts and crafts store. She hadn't thought Rarity would want to investigate something so simple, and yet, sure enough, Rarity cast her gaze around, scrutinizing the walls and shelves. She watched Rarity walk over to a shelf with spools of thread, then went back to looking around the shop.

Though there was a large variety of goods for sale, none of it seemed like a good idea as a gift for Nightmare Moon: the alicorn was surely old enough that most everything in the store would have been nothing more than a momentary curiosity if that.

Although, she found herself looking at a small telescope on one of the shelves. It was a cheap one intended for a young foal, so that if it broke it wasn't a huge loss. 'A telescope?' she wondered.

Would Nightmare Moon appreciate that?

'You enjoy stargazing,' she remembered. She smiled. It sounded like a good idea to her, but of course not that one. It was too cheap and, of course, intended for foals. No, if she was going to get Nightmare Moon a telescope, it needed to be better than that. After all, Nightmare Moon was the Queen. She could get a very good telescope if she wanted.

And then there were the significantly less practical telescopes in observatories. If Nightmare Moon wanted to, she would have access to those. But that was far more impersonal. Just bringing up that idea to Nightmare Moon didn't carry the same meaning as giving her a telescope as a gift. For a moment, she wondered if Nightmare Moon had seen or used a telescope since her return, but she wasn't sure.

'But where would I find a good enough telescope that's not too expensive?' Her smile morphed into a grimace. She would have to do some looking for that. Of course, Canterlot was likely the best city to look for a quality telescope.

Rarity walked back over to her, carrying a sack that had a string around the top tying it closed and a spool of red ribbon. The string had a tag with a sapphire on it. "Couldn't you get that somewhere else?" she asked.

"I promised Sweetie Belle I'd pick up something for her in Canterlot, and I know she enjoys art," Rarity answered.

"Oh." She turned and followed Rarity over to the counter, where Rarity levitated out several bits to pay for both items before placing both back inside her saddlebags. Having finished, she followed Rarity and Spike back outside.

A pair of Royal Guards walked by on the other side of the street, though neither paid attention to her friends or herself, the few ponies that walked on that side of the street hastily moved out of the way. She thought she saw the closer guard grimace, but she wasn't sure.

"I think..." she trailed off in thought.

Rarity looked over at her. "Yes, dear?"

She nodded to herself. "I think I have an idea of what to get her."

Rarity turned to face her. "Oh?"

"A telescope," she answered with a nod. "I know she enjoys stargazing-or at least she enjoys stargazing with me. I think she'd appreciate it."

Rarity smiled. "Yes, I think that’s thoughtful..." her friend mused.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I'll have to do some looking around to find a good one. I'm not sure how long it'll take, and since you're still shopping, uh, I guess I'll see you this evening?"

Rarity smiled sadly and nodded. "Alright, dear. Do be careful."

For a moment, her smile wavered, but then she reaffirmed it. "I will be," she said. She stepped over and hugged Rarity, then nuzzled her neck. After a few seconds, they parted ways. "Spike?" she asked as she turned to face him. "You're coming with me, right?"

"I was kind of hoping to go with Rarity," he said.

She thought about it for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright then. I'll see you two this evening back at the castle."

"Good luck, Twilight," Rarity said.

"Thanks, Rarity," she replied. Spike walked over to Rarity's side, and the two of them walked off to the next store. Twilight breathed in deep and turned around. 'Well, where to start?' she wondered. After a few seconds of thought, she started walking off to find a proper shop for telescopes.

'Some of the teachers at the School for Gifted Unicorns enjoy astronomy. Maybe they could help.'

Following breakfast, Nightmare Moon's night had been busy. Between nigh-constant interruptions from Royal Guards informing her of the slightest mishaps occurring around the castle, going over preparations for Cadance's wedding, and meetings with advisors and bureaucrats, she hardly had any time to think about anything else. So it was that she ate a quick lunch alone, and though she longed for Twilight's company in the silence, she found herself thinking that perhaps it was a good thing Twilight wasn't there: 'We would not have enough time to enjoy this.'

After lunch, she had roamed the halls of her castle going to and fro, trying to track down a few administrators and high-ranking Royal Guards and Batponies who were either incompetent, shirking their duties, or purposefully creating chaos.

She was the Queen. She did not have time to handle the details of everything. And it seemed that there was nopony she could truly trust with delegating tasks to. The Royal Guard? Their competence was lacking, to say nothing of their inexperience in running a kingdom! The batponies? For the most part, their skills did not lie with administration and logistics, even if they managed their own towns and were loyal to her.

And it felt like the ponies who held positions of authority before her reign and had kept those positions were scheming behind her back! Though it came as no surprise: 'They want their princess back.'

Her own inexperience did not help. She was learning, but she was still only one pony, and it was simply too much for one pony. Perhaps she should have pressed to take a more active role in administering Equestria before her banishment. Of course, her Sister probably would not have let her.

It took far longer to sort out than it should have, and by the time she had worked through the problems, it was nearly time for dinner. So rather than wait for a problem to find her, she took an early meal and again found herself alone, as Twilight was likely out with her friends or family, or perhaps both.

And as badly as it would have gone, she considered, 'Perhaps I should have joined them.'

Surely it would be better than simply sitting on her own in silence, frustrated over the bureaucratic inefficiency, longing for her friend?

She found herself sitting in her chair, simply staring across at the doors to the room, and when she realized it, she simply looked around the room in silence. Time to think, time to consider, but not time to relax. It was inevitable that something else would go wrong and somepony would say, 'Get the Queen so that she can deal with it,' when the task should have fallen to another.

Did they do it on purpose? Was it incompetence? Or was it simply that they were yet afraid of her to the point that they didn't want to risk her wrath if they made a decision she did not like?

She sighed and finished her meal, then left and returned to her chambers. Perhaps as futile as it was, she told the guards at the door, "I do not wish to be disturbed unless it is important or Twilight." They both bowed their heads as she passed by, but it didn't escape her that it seemed almost everypony had no idea what important meant.

She ignored her study, ignored the papers on her desk that filtered through for her to review, and strode into her bedchambers. For a passing moment, she considered her options as to how best relax, and found them all wanting. She walked to the balcony and propped herself up against the railing and then cast her gaze down to the courtyard. A few Royal Guards patrolled along the walls, and several ponies she recognized from their varying positions as administrators and advisors walked about, some carrying documents in their magic, tucked under their wings, or in their saddlebags as they made their way to the gates to return to the city proper.

She turned her head to consider Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, so far away. Under the Winter moon, everything looked cold and dull. For how clear the sky above was, she found the banks of clouds in the distance offputting. She contemplated the snow-covered plains between Canterlot and Ponyville, considering how the white snow almost glowed under the light of the moon, making the world seem almost like some dreams ponies had. There was an almost mystical look to the world, one that she had not seen in so long because of her banishment.

And how that snow brought her to think back on ages past, considering how snow used to torment ponies, considering how snow used to bring hunger. And how much better off Equestria was now!

She turned her gaze to Twilight's tower. 'We will raise the moon together,' she decided. 'That will be my gift to you.'

Was Twilight ready for that? She did not know, but regardless, she would have Twilight help her. Something that she felt was long overdue. Perhaps Twilight wasn't ready, but if that was so, then she would do most of the work and Twilight would still get to help her and feel it. Regardless, it would be her gift to Twilight; it would be something for them to share, and it would help Twilight grow her magic, even if she wasn't ready. They would raise the moon together! Her wings bristled at her sides, bringing her to remember the chill in the night's air.

And so steeling her resolve, she inhaled deeply and lifted her head to the sky. The question she was left to ponder was, 'When will be the best time for us to raise the moon together?'

The morning of the wedding, Hearth's Warming, perhaps? But it would perhaps be a bad thing for Twilight to tire herself out helping her raise the moon. With such in mind, she decided, 'After Hearth's Warming.'

And she felt confident and reassured.

She turned back and walked to her study, then sat down at her desk to review the reports waiting for her. And the next few hours passed by at a crawl: while reviewing was necessary, for the most part, it was not enjoyable. A few reports gave her momentary pleasure to read and consider the implications, but many more left her feeling dread and weighed down as if her Sister had sunk a hook into her heart and wrapped Equestria on the other end.

And as such, when she heard a knock on the door to her chambers, she welcomed it and dreaded it in equal measure! She hoped for it to be Twilight, come to spend the rest of the evening with her so that they could talk and stargaze. She feared that it was a guard, simply come to inform her of either bad news or unimportant news.

She rose from her chair and crossed the distance to the door, then opened it with her magic. Rather than Twilight, rather than a guard, Rarity stood there, shifting her weight uncomfortably and looking behind her. She blinked and glanced behind the unicorn, but found her alone.

"Is Twilight with you?" was Rarity’s question.

And so she frowned. "I have not seen her since breakfast," she answered.

Rarity's brow folded down, and her gaze jumped off to the side. "That's odd. I thought she would have been here." Rarity looked back at her again. "She was supposed to meet us for dinner but she never showed up, so I thought she might have been here."

"I see," Nightmare replied. Overreacting as it likely was, she felt worry plague her, making her chest tighten as her heart throbbed. 'Perhaps she is talking with the resistance?' she considered. If so, it would have been on the resistance's terms. Was Twilight in danger? She licked her lips before asking, "When did you last see her?"

Rarity rolled her head to the side as she answered, "Hours ago. We were shopping." Rarity leveled her head and smiled sadly. "We parted ways after that. She said she was going to look for a present for somepony. She was going to visit her family, too, so I guess she could be with them."

Nightmare straightened her body. "I see," she said.

"Applejack and Pinkie Pie are supposed to be checking with Twilight’s parents," Rarity volunteered.

She bowed her head once. "Very well. If she comes to visit me, I shall have the guards inform you," she said.

Rarity smiled. "Thank you." The mare turned to leave, only to hesitate and look back at her. "Enjoy your evening, your Majesty."

Once Rarity had turned away from her, she frowned. Your Majesty didn't sound mocking, but it didn't quite sound right coming from the unicorn. Regardless, most of her attention was directed on the matter of her missing student.

No, her missing friend.

She felt herself grimacing as she watched Rarity leave. 'It is likely nothing,' she told herself, but that didn't appease her worries. After all, Twilight was her student and friend. Perhaps it was simply the resistance, but it could have been something worse. Somepony might have gone after Twilight because they were close in order to hurt her.

Or perhaps she was overthinking it, perhaps she was worrying over nothing and worrying too much.

She tried to steel her resolve, but it didn't work. She turned to the guard on the left and said, "Have the Guard-" the guard turned back to acknowledge her, "-keep an eye out for Twilight and inform me as soon as she is found."

He bowed, then rose. "Of course, Your Majesty. Is there anything else you need?"

She considered it for a moment, then shook her head. Saying nothing else, she closed the door with her magic. "You will turn up by tomorrow," she told herself.

Because it was likely she was overreacting. Because Twilight wouldn't miss her brother's wedding.

The rest of the evening passed by tediously slow for Nightmare Moon, plagued by both worries of her friend and reading a combination of logistics reports, reviews from teachers and administrators at the School for Gifted Unicorns, and economic reports and projections. So it came with welcome relief when she set aside the business of administration to step out onto her balcony and lower the moon.

And how she missed Twilight's company. Even if Twilight said nothing, simply having her there, having the filly at her side while she did her task would have made her feel content, rather than disappointed, worried, and alone.

For some time after lowering the moon, she kept watch from her balcony. Looked out over the snow-blanketed plains between Canterlot and Ponyville. Considered the enveloping darkness of the night without the moon. Listened to the wind, listened to the occasional sounds of the guards below: a cough here, a faint chuckle, the clicking of metal boots on stone, the flap of pegasi wings.

She waited, but Twilight never came, and so settling on her fate to not see Twilight that night, retired to bed.

When she awoke the next morning, she found herself thinking back on her troubled dreams: that Twilight was lost, hurt, or worse. That somepony, or something, had captured Twilight and come to her, threatening Twilight's life should she not submit to them or return Celestia.

She forced the concern from her mind as she walked out onto the balcony and raised the moon. But her worries were not so easily conquered as the moon was raised; foolish as it was, and as much as the worry crippled her, she couldn't conquer the fear that something was wrong.

She hoped that she was wrong. She hoped that she was overreacting. She hoped that Twilight was alright.

Because she had made a promise, and she worried that she had failed Twilight.

In silence, she bathed, and after having finished, she stood before the vanity and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. With trepidation, she levitated the onyx tiara she had only worn before in passing and brought it to eye-level. It was familiar, something she had made herself from her memories of Luna's assuredly-destroyed tiara from so long ago.

Her tiara, and not her tiara.

Stifling a sigh, she bowed her head and levitated the tiara into place, setting it atop her head behind her horn. It fit perfectly, but when she lifted her head and looked at herself in the mirror she did not like it: the tiara was Luna's, not her own. The tiara suited Luna more than Nightmare Moon. But she was Queen and had avoided it long enough; she had nopony to blame but herself.

Tiara in place, she levitated her onyx regalia to her neck, and against her black fur, the regalia was barely visible, save for the crescent moon-shaped white opal set in the center. And even then, she did not like it. It did not suit her. It did not look right. It did not look appealing. At least her tiara contrasted with her ethereal mane.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, the thought, 'Perhaps this is pointless. Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself,' occurred to her. Because she still had no idea where Twilight was, or if Twilight was safe; the guards had not awoken her in the night.

Then again, when she considered their incompetence, perhaps there was less reason to worry about not having been informed. And with such in mind, she walked to her study, then opened the door to ask the guards, "Has Twilight been found yet?"

The one on the left looked back at her and shook his head. "No, your Majesty."

"I see."

He shifted his weight. "I'm sure she will show up soon," he offered.

'Yes, unless something has happened to her.' But all she said was, "I hope as much." She stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her, then set off to the dining room, carrying herself at a rigid stride. Both guards stayed at their post, and both Royal Guards and Batponies alike patrolled the halls as she made her way to the dining room. The two guards at the doors to the dining room straightened when they saw her, then opened the door for her at her approach.

Inside were Twilight's five friends, along with Spike. Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor were noticeably absent. Everypony turned to look at her while she stood in the doorway, considering whether to join them or set off for a different dining room.

She decided against leaving; Twilight had made a point, and so she walked inside and made her way to her chair at the end of the table. As she passed by, Applejack asked, "So, I guess Twilight's not with you this morning, then?"

She shook her head as she sat down. "She is not."

"Ain't like her to be late," Applejack said.

She nodded once in agreement. "Indeed."

"I wonder where she is," Fluttershy murmured. As everypony turned to look at her, even despite them being her friends, Fluttershy ducked back so that her mane hid her face.

"I presume she was not with her family then?" she asked.

Applejack and Rarity shook their heads. "Nope!" Pinkie declared.

"She had been there earlier, but left a while before we showed up," Applejack said.

"I see," Nightmare said. "I am..." she trailed off as everypony looked back at her. After a few seconds of thought, she decided, 'They are Twilight's friends too,' and so tilted her head at an angle and said, "I am concerned."

For a few seconds, silence hung in the air as Twilight's friends looked amongst themselves, then gradually turned to face her. "I'm sure she's fine, dear," Rarity offered.

"Her parents did say that she was gonna pay Princess Cadance and her brother a visit," Applejack said. "Maybe they got caught up and lost track of the time?"

She considered the idea and reluctantly inclined her head. "I shall have to inquire about this, then."

"You sound disappointed about that," Rarity ventured.

She looked at Rarity and frowned. "Do I?" Rarity nodded; it almost seemed sympathetic. "I see. I was looking forward to seeing her last night and she did not visit me." Rarity hummed and turned to face Fluttershy. She heard the door and cast her gaze towards it. As it parted, she saw the familiar shade of Twilight's coat, and sure enough, her student stood in the doorway.

Twilight was safe.

She relaxed.

With everypony looking at her, Twilight put on an adorable, awkward smile that pleaded, 'Please help me,' while her eyes jumped between everypony present before finally settling on her.

Did she see fear or hesitation in Twilight's eyes? Did Twilight's body tense? Surely she was mistaken.

"Twilight, dear, where have you been!?" Rarity called. Though the mare didn't shout, her question was enough to make Twilight cringe.

"Uh, hi," Twilight said. "Sorry, I uh... yeah." She watched Twilight glance back at the two guards, then trot inside. The guards closed the door behind her. Everypony's gaze tracked her as she walked around to sit at her proper place beside Nightmare Moon, though her friends on the same side of the table as her were most obvious, craning their heads and then turning to the other side to track her.

Once seated, Twilight nibbled on her lips while her eyes flicked between each of her friends and Nightmare Moon, though Twilight never met her gaze.

"Well, dear?" Rarity coaxed in a polite tone.

Twilight's eyes snapped onto Rarity, and a grimace settled onto her lips. Nightmare thought she saw worry or anxiety pass through the filly's eyes. "Sorry, it's um, a secret."

Twilight glanced aside at her, then looked back at Rarity. Rainbow squinted at Twilight, and Applejack raised an eyebrow.

'So the resistance, then,' she decided with both equal relief and dread.

Pinkie bounced in her chair, and for a moment, she thought the mare was going to jump onto the table. "A secret? Ooh! So is it about Princess Cadance and your brother?"

Rarity shot Pinkie Pie a flat look. "Pinkie, dear."

Ignoring the two of them, she inclined her head towards Twilight, then reached out with her wings to trace her feathers along the filly's neck. Though Twilight didn't shy away from her touch, her friend didn't lean into it either, and disappointment trickled back into her core. Twilight looked at her almost distantly. 'You seem troubled.' "We shall talk after breakfast," she promised.

Twilight gave a visibly forced nod, then shifted her weight in her chair.

Author's Note

Patch notes are n... Did I really just call this section patch notes?

Author’s notes are nonexistent prior to 1/11/21. How fun.

I don’t remember how long ago I wrote this chapter, huzzah! Originally I was struggling with this chapter because I didn’t actually have a plan for it. I contemplated scrapping it but I needed this chapter. After coming back to it, I realized that I could make it work.

1/11/21

Chapter copied and renamed.

EDIT PASS FINISHED AHAHAHA! IT ONLY TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO GET AROUND TO THIS BUT I FINALLY DID IT!

12,053.

1/12/21

Edit pass addressing points my prereader made. Was not thorough.

11,965.

1/21/21

Because today's date is 12121 it irrationally irritates me. I’m going through this chapter later than normal because I’m currently working on drafting a chapter and other things.

Yippie, a new chapter! I have every intention of finishing this story this year. Now, whether everything gets published or not is another question, because I’m not going to finish it and then just dump it all at once.

But anyway, here’s a new chapter. There’s a bit of a major time skip between the last chapter and this one. Nightmare Night to basically Hearth’s Warming. How unfortunate that my schedule fell through and this doesn’t line up with Christmas... even more so since there are more Hearth’s Warming chapters to come.

So yeah, stuff happening... But don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll all be okay this time. Rumors of Twilight Sparkle's disappearance have been greatly exaggerated. No sense in worrying about it when she’s back now, you know. It’s slightly amusing that my prereader got slightly paranoid about the disappearance and thought that Nightmare Moon should be more paranoid about it as well. But like I said, she’s back now, so everything is wonderful.

At the time I am pressing “publish” I just finished reading this chapter. So if you spot any typos, mistakes, etc, please point them out to me so that I can fix them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter! With this, the story passes the half-mil mark. I didn’t expect it to be this long, and at the time of writing this, I have about a quarter mil drafted. Yippie... I’m tentatively planning on hosting a question and answer blogpost session sometime to ‘celebrate’ passing this milestone. Probably Saturday.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

A Royal Wedding

'A Royal Wedding on Hearth's Warming. Was this well thought out? Cadance certainly wanted it; it is certain tonight will be memorable.' Nightmare Moon looked over the crowd, considering the faces of ponies she recognized sitting in the first few rows: Twilight, her family, her friends, and varying other friends of both Cadance and Shining Armor. And then filling the remaining rows were varying ponies who had, through one way or another, received an invitation. Most of them she did not recognize, although there were a fair few ponies who held positions of power in government, including a few notable nobles such as Fancy Pants and Fleur D'lis. Ponies from Cadance’s hometown had also been invited and had, of course, showed up.

Some of the ponies wore suits and dresses, while some wore nothing more than necklaces or varying other jewelry. There was a noticeable distinction between ponies from Canterlot and ponies from Cadance’s hometown, where the ponies from Canterlot were generally dressed more extravagantly, which wasn’t a surprise to her. Many of Shining Armor’s friends were from the guard and easily stood out from the rest because of the dress uniforms they wore.

She breathed out and turned her gaze to scrutinize the twenty-four Royal Guards posted around the room which served as the Honor Guard. No batponies were present; Cadance had requested solely Royal Guards, saying that it was better for appearances and fit better. And as reluctant as she was to allow it for security reasons, it did make sense. It was good for appearances, although including batponies would have likely been beneficial in showing her subjects that her batponies were there to protect them. Between that, the concern that if anything went wrong the Honor Guard wouldn’t be enough, and feeling uncertain, she regretted agreeing to Cadance’s request.

But then, most likely, nothing would happen. Nothing had happened with Twilight's ceremony and the filly hadn't said that the resistance was planning anything. So even though she had set aside her armor for royal vestments–a tiara she had made, a replica of the one Luna had worn so long ago, and a replica of Luna's regalia–she was likely not in danger, and the same could easily be said for Cadance and Shining Armor. After all, why would anypony cause trouble on Princess Cadance's wedding, and Hearth's Warming? Surely they loved their Princess too much for that.

And yet, despite the assurance that it would be fine, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. That feeling permeated the room, permeated her body and mind, and had refused to let up over the past week since she first felt it. Perhaps it was, as Cadance and Twilight suggested, simply wedding stress getting even to her. It made sense that the Royal Guards were all on edge, too: even if it was unlikely anything would happen, the Royal Wedding was an event that demanded security so that nothing did happen.

The ponies before her didn't look nervous or worried. A few of them fidgeted where they sat, and a few of them were tense. Anxiety, perhaps? Or most likely, anticipation.

The only Royal Wedding in Equestrian history.

Not Sister. Not her. Cadance.

She wondered if it would be the only one there would ever be. She couldn't stop herself from looking at Twilight and contemplating her appearance: the filly's coat and mane almost shined in the soft magelight, and her vibrant eyes caught the light just perfectly so that they nearly sparkled. And yet, she found that same sense of dread weighing her down while she watched Twilight. The filly looked tensed, sitting upright and watching her intently. Carefully, even. Did Twilight distrust her?

Fie the thought! Of course Twilight trusted her. She had to be mistaken. Yes, perhaps what felt off was simply how out of place she was officiating a wedding. That had to be the reason.

It didn't ease her concern.

She shifted her weight and fluffed her wings at her sides. The few pegasi in the room might notice it as a sign of discomfort and impatience, but it mattered little. 'Most likely, it will be Equestria's only Royal Wedding unless Cadance remarries.'

‘Unless–’ Her lips pulled into a thin line. It was nothing more than an insane fantasy.

She held back a sigh and turned her attention back to the first few rows of seats, where a few spots were noticeably empty: seats for Cadance's unknown, perhaps deceased, parents, the seat for Shining Armor's mother, and the seat for Cadance's friend who would be walking her down the aisle.

And then there was the seat which was either for her or for Sister. Symbolic, and a blight. And so she ignored it as best she could. Yet even when she turned away from that seat, she could almost feel like the empty chair glared at her.

The two guards at the doors visibly tensed, then the double door parted down the center and opened. Shining Armor, wearing a red dress uniform adorned with various medals and his rank insignia, stood beside his mother, who simply wore her mane in a bun. His mother smiled brightly, though it flickered slightly when she looked at her. But what more caught her attention was the Captain's expression: he seemed overwhelmed by the wedding.

And together, the two of them walked down the aisle and approached the stairs, where Twilight Velvet stepped off to the right and sat down beside her husband, smiling but also teary-eyed. The Captain climbed the stairs, regarding her warily, then took his spot off to her left. He breathed in, then audibly exhaled, though it wouldn't have carried to the guests. She turned her head to him and nodded once in acknowledgment, which drew a faint grimace from him. Night Light gave his wife a hug and smiled reassuringly.

The door closed, and they again waited.

She was patient.

The Captain was not. He fidgeted where he stood, constantly shifting his weight side to side as if uncomfortable, even going so far as to stretch his head to the side as if the collar of his dress uniform was too tight. "You are nervous," she surmised.

He looked at her with a pronounced grimace. "It's my wedding day. I'm marrying a princess. It's surreal."

"Rest assured that you are not dreaming." She breathed in and turned to face the doors again.

"That's why I'm nervous," he muttered under his breath.

Yes, nervous because he was marrying well above his level, it seemed. Though she could not deny that Cadance adored him, and he was loyal to her. And they had something that she didn't, and she felt a tinge of jealousy that was only held in check by the desire to not make a fool of herself. She could respect them for their commitment to each other. For whatever reason, she commented, "She seems happy to be with you."

He glanced at her but said nothing.

A few more minutes passed while they stood there in relative silence, then the doors parted again. Her niece stood wearing a white gown while her mane was in a bun, and beside her instead of her father, since she was an orphan, one of her friends stood: a white unicorn mare with a brown mane. Raven, one of Sister's secretaries and confidants. The unicorn was halfway competent, but she did not trust her because of how close Raven was to Sister.

Shining Armor tensed, snapping to a rigid posture, while everypony else stood up and turned to look back at Cadance. After a few seconds, Cadance and Raven walked down the aisle and approached the stairs to the platform she stood on. The doors closed as Raven pulled away and sat down off to Cadance's left. Cadance climbed the stairs and stood at her right, then turned to face her soon-to-be husband.

In passing, her niece squinted at her, and for a moment, Nightmare Moon’s brow pulled down in response. Was it distrust? Perhaps she was mistaken; she could ask about it later. She breathed in deep and nodded once, and at her nod, everypony gathered sat back down.

She glanced at the couple. Shining's eyes were locked on Cadance while he wore a ridiculous smile, and Cadance looked back at him with a mischievous smirk. She swept her gaze around the room, reaffirming that the Royal Guard was in place and that everypony was seated.

And so assured that it was time, she began, "Mares and stallions, we are gathered here tonight to witness the wedding of Princess Cadance to Captain Shining Armor." Cadance straightened her back and held her wings tight against her dress, and if anything, Shining Armor sagged as if tired, likely overwhelmed by the idea. Most ponies' gazes were focused on the couple, though she noticed several seemed to be staring at her, Twilight included. Or perhaps she only thought they were looking at her.

But the wedding would be over soon enough, and she could put the ridiculous display behind her. She bowed her head as she continued, "I would extend my thanks to all of you for attending, as I am sure both Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor do as well." She paused for a moment and leaned her head to the side. "Though I suppose most of you would not miss the only Royal Wedding in Equestria's history."

Most ponies smiled, and a few laughed quietly and awkwardly. Several ponies shifted in their seats uncomfortably, perhaps because they were not there for the couple, but for the prestige of having been at the Royal Wedding.

"Though I have known them for no more than six months, I have seen their dedication to each other." She lifted her head back up. "As I am sure many of you have."

Everypony remained silent.

"And though I am not the Princess of Love–" she nodded once at Cadance, "–I can attest that marriage is not something that should be taken lightly." She paused for a moment to let it sink in, and so swept her gaze over the crowd. "It is a promise that is meant to never be broken. It is a vow to be loyal and faithful. A vow to be generous and kind. A promise not to take advantage of the other for one's own benefit. It is a commitment. Marriage is–"

The doors glowed with a light blue aura, then practically exploded out of the frame, dangling from the hinges. She did a double-take: a frazzled Cadance and equally disheveled Twilight Sparkle galloped through the open door while the two guards moved to try and stop them, only to discover who it was and have absolutely no idea what to do. "Stop!" the second Cadance called.

'What?! What is this?' She opened her mouth–

"That's not the real Cadance!" the second Twilight shouted. "She's an imposter!"

And all too late, she cast her gaze on the first Cadance.

The alicorn's horn burned to life with a sickly green glow while in a single swift motion, she swiveled around and aimed at her.

Nightmare Moon was fast, but the first Cadance was faster. A bolt of green magic lurched from the first Cadance's horn–she lit her own horn to defend herself–and the bolt struck her neck.

Searing pain. The bolt of magic burned her fur, burned her skin, sent the magic racing through her body in an attempt to kill her. Her vision flickered at the edges, darkening for a fleeting moment. Her body tingled, and her heart shuddered. She stumbled back and gasped, grunting in surprise as she lowered her head to aim at her attacker, ignoring the pain in her neck.

Ponies screamed.

She smelled the scent of her burned fur and skin. Her body tensed.

The second Twilight shouted, "Nightmare Moon!" and ran towards her, horn burning to life. Cadance followed, though lagged behind.

The ponies who had been staring at her burst into green flames and their bodies were replaced with sleek black carapace, transparent insectoid wings, large blue eyes that had no pupils, and jagged horns that had a spine jutting out from the base. They had neither manes nor tails, but their bodies were still roughly equine-shaped. Their legs had holes in them that looked as if portions of them had simply been melted away.

She charged a spell.

The first Cadance matched it.

She cast the spell.

The fake Cadance side-stepped and burst into green flames: her pink coat burned away to reveal more black carapace, and in her place stood an insectoid thing as tall as her with a twisted, jagged horn longer than her own. The thing bared its fangs and hissed while it ripped the wedding gown off its body and cast it aside. Unlike the others, it had a mane and tail that was a sickle cyan blue. Unlike the others, its eyes had pupils–a dim, sickly green in color–that stared at her with hunger. A bulbous, black tiara sat atop its head.

Her spell shot towards the crowd, and for a moment, her chest tensed in fear. 'Dammit!' her mind snapped. How had she made such a rash, foalish decision!?

Ponies scrambled out of the way. The spell hit and detonated, throwing chairs and chunks of stone everywhere.

Ponies screamed and stampeded towards the open door.

'Do not risk that again!' she chastised herself.

The fake Cadance cast her spell. She growled and barred her teeth, wrapping her magic into a shield to protect herself. The spell struck her shield, and her shield rang from the impact, flickering with a wave of magic cascading out from the impact point.

The guards scrambled to act, mostly unsure of what was happening, just like her.

One of the Royal Guards moved to try to help her, only for his companion to flash green. The first guard turned just in time for the insect to cast a spell. The bolt struck his armor, and the stallion staggered from surprise. A second spell struck his exposed neck and sent him to the ground.

'Focus!' she chastised herself.

The fake Cadance stood up straighter, her wings buzzing at her sides, and a smile splitting her lips.

'Changelings,' she remembered, and with that, she winced. 'How far have they spread!?' Did that explain the problems that had occurred as of late? Did that explain why everything felt wrong? The Royal Guard was already compromised, and it was likely that the batponies were as well.

The fake Twilight burst into green flames and tackled her student to the floor, hissing. Cadance slid to a stop while Twilight yelped in surprise and her friends cried out, "Twilight!" The five mares rushed to Twilight's side while the filly fought off the changeling with her magic–a quick burst threw the changeling off of her.

More guards flashed green and jumped in the way to stop ponies from rushing out the doorway, making the crowd herd together and back peddle, only to be surrounded.

"You've lost," the fake Cadance sneered.

And more ponies in the crowd flashed with green flame, bringing more screams as ponies recoiled from them. The changelings buzzed as they flew over the crowd, forcing them to herd together like farm animals.

And oh, how it brought her to seethe. How had she failed so?

"Canterlot. Will soon be under my control," the changeling queen declared. "And my subjects will feed!" And with that said, the changeling queen tossed her head back and laughed.

Nightmare lunged forward, dropped the shield, and fired a bolt of magic. The Queen didn't react quickly enough. The bolt of magic hit her neck, cracking her carapace with a loud snap! that sent a splatter of blood to the floor. The Queen's head snapped back down as she stepped back and dropped into a fighting stance, letting out a vicious hiss of pain. And the Queen's eyes burned with a twisted anger and hatred.

Many changelings broke away from the crowd and gathered into a swarm, their horns glowing with that same sickly green glow. They amassed in the air and focused on her.

And then they cast their spells.

She grunted and stepped to the side, reforming her magic into a barrier to protect herself. Dozens of spells rained down: some hitting the platform and detonating in sharp cracks! that made pieces of stone fly through the air while others scorched the platform or smashed into her shield. Her shield rang with each impact, glowing as her magic took each impact in stride.

"Your Majesty!" a guard called out.

There was no time to look at him. "Rouse the guard!" she ordered. "Canterlot is under attack!" She dropped her shield–shards of rock pelted her legs and body from the spells striking the platform–and lunged at the Queen horn-first. The changeling jumped back and took flight. She followed up with a spell, and the changeling dove out of the way, firing back at her.

She dodged it, only for another bolt of magic to strike her side, just below her ribs, burning her fur and skin, sending a rush of pain and magic through her body while the heat lingered and burned. She turned towards the source. The changeling swarm that had taken to the air.

She was outnumbered and caught off-guard.

That simply wouldn't do.

She turned back to face the Queen and fired off another bolt of magic, then cast a teleportation spell; Twilight yelped when she appeared beside her. "What's going on!?" the filly frantically demanded.

She enveloped them with a shield spell before the swarm could refocus on them. The changeling queen landed and caressed the Captain's cheek with her forehoof, then turned to face her, wings twitching with agitation.

"Changelings," she spat. "There is little time to explain." She turned to look at Twilight, then glanced over each of her five friends. A sinking feeling settled into her core. 'That I am seriously considering this,' she wanted to groan. But there was no time.

She swallowed her pride. "I require assistance."

Twilight cringed. Rainbow jumped into the air. "You can count on us!" And so Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash with disbelief and horror, then finally discontented acceptance.

The swarm's barrage of magic started. Her shield lit up from the dozens of impacts. Twilight and most of her friends flinched, pressing closer to her for safety. She locked her eyes on the Queen, burning her visage into her memory.

She would need it later.

"Cadance, keep Spike safe. I do not know what has happened to your mate, but try to revive him. Likewise, organize the guard to repel the changelings. As soon as you do that, get ponies inside to safety and keep them off the streets."

Her niece nodded hastily, swallowed, and bit her lip.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, you proved that you are somewhat competent at fighting when we battled. Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie..." she trailed off; there was simply nothing the three of them could do that wouldn't get in the way. And as it was, having any of them help could have been a mistake: if the changelings killed one of them, Equestria would have no defense against Discord.

She was certain, 'This is a terrible idea.' But there was no time for a better plan. The Royal Guard had evidently been infiltrated; forming an organized defense would be challenging.

"...stay out of danger," she finished.

Something slammed into her barrier. She grunted and growled. Looking up, one of the changeling drones hissed at her from the top. It reared up and slammed its forehooves into her barrier. The impact sent a wave of magic radiating out over the surface of her shield. And then a massive green blob of magic slammed into her barrier, making her magic shudder from the force. The magic burned away to reveal a second changeling. "I am teleporting us away from here."

"What about everypony else!?" Twilight hissed.

"I cannot–"

"You can't just leave them!" Twilight argued.

"We do not have time to discuss this! They will be fine! The changelings will cocoon them and–"

"They're our friends and family!" Twilight pressed. "Please."

She made the mistake of looking Twilight in the eyes. Fear. Pleading. And every second she lingered was a second wasted and that much closer to defeat. She jerked her head aside and let out a growl. A third, then a fourth changeling slammed into her barrier. And more changelings glowed with that same sickly green magic, swooping down towards her.

She dropped her shield, reached out with her magic and grabbed everypony she could sense as quickly as she could, but it still cost precious seconds. It was more than enough time for a changeling to strike her back. She grunted as the magic burned her back and the force of the impact threw her to the ground. She grabbed the drone in her magic before it could recover and snapped its neck. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight all screamed. She launched the body at another changeling diving at her, intercepting it.

The world warped around them, and when the flash of light faded, she hastily stood up and quickly surveyed her surroundings: the castle's ballroom. Perhaps not the safest room, perhaps not the most defensible room, but one that would work for the time being. Her quick survey found the room empty, save for two Royal Guards at the doors. There was no way for her to yet tell if they were ponies or changelings, but if they were changelings, it was only two of them.

Both guards reacted to their arrival with bewilderment–perhaps giving away that they were not changelings. "Your Majesty!?" one called.

She faced them as quickly as possible. They definitely saw the burn on her neck, but before they could act on it, she ordered, "Remain at your posts. Canterlot is under attack." And so they tensed where they stood. She looked at the crowd she had teleported with her and found that there were no changelings visible among them and so nodded to herself. The captain likewise was present. Cadance rushed over to him and hugged him, though he did not react.

She turned to face the crowd and said, "Remain here while this threat is dealt with," thus drawing their attention to her. They huddled together and cowered. She scowled and turned back to Twilight and her friends.

The six of them stared at her, wide-eyed, excepting Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She licked her lips and looked back over her right shoulder at her back. She scowled at the sight and used her magic to numb the pain. She needed her magic, so she didn’t heal the injury. She looked at her wing and tentatively unfurled both to their full extent, making sure nothing else was wrong. Her wings trembled and her sides had dull crimson streaks marring her coat; she held in a growl and folded them back to her sides.

She turned back to face Twilight. “I will be fine.”

Twilight frowned and took half a step back before grimacing and clenching her eyes shut. The filly breathed in deep, then swallowed. "Do you have a plan?" Twilight demanded.

She nodded once, then turned and walked towards the door. "I do." She heard a few ponies turn and follow her. For a passing moment, she bowed her head and glanced back to see who it was: Twilight, walking up to her right side, eyes fixed on the burn on her neck, though occasionally glancing at her back or her side, trailed by Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie huddled together. 'Pinkie Pie bears laughter, and Fluttershy bears kindness.' She lifted her head and turned back to face them. "Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy?" Both mares looked at her. She nodded once. "Keep them calm and help Cadance."

Fluttershy shifted her weight and nodded. "Um, o-okay..."

"Absolutely!" Pinkie eagerly agreed.

She turned back to face the door as she strode towards it.

"Are you going to fill us in on that plan of yours?" Applejack asked.

"Win," she answered.

"Uh, as much as I like the sound of that plan, it's not very detailed," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

She nodded once and admitted, "I am still thinking." She approached the doors and inhaled deeply, then wrapped the doors in her magic.

"Maybe we should come up with a plan before we leave?" Twilight suggested. "What are we even dealing with?"

She hesitated, then looked back at Twilight, who alternated between meeting her gaze and looking at the burn on her neck. "Changelings. Insectoid parasites with several equine traits. If memory serves correctly, Starswirl beares some responsibility for their origin." Twilight gawked at her, surely because she had just knocked Starswirl from the pedestal the filly had put him on. "They feed on love and lifeforce. Before my banishment, I battled them several times. They were always a thorn in our side. As you have seen, they are capable of shapeshifting, which makes them quite dangerous and adept at infiltration."

"So, how do we stop them?" Applejack asked.

She opened her mouth to speak, only for Twilight to suggest, "The Elements."

She cringed at the thought and shook her head. "Not yet. I do not know what the result would be. The Elements are, from my understanding, not intended for use against an army. Though granted, you did so erase Discord's chaos magic over a vast area, but I do not believe the Elements are the best course of action for dealing with this invasion. Perhaps against the Queen, but we would still have to deal with the drones. I am unwilling to take such a chance yet, as you will all be incapacitated for some time after using the Elements, which leaves you all vulnerable."

She turned back to the door and opened it with her magic, then strode out into the night. She cast her gaze left and right. No battles had yet started, though she regarded the guards and batponies warily. Any number of them, or perhaps all of them, could have been changelings. "Killing the Queen should leave the drones in disarray, and then dealing with the remainder of their force should be... less difficult."

She cast her gaze towards the sky in passing, checking to see if any changelings buzzed about, but saw none. Yet. "Cadance and the rest of your friends will tend to keeping ponies off the streets and ready the guard." She looked back at her three companions. "Preferably, the Royal Guard will focus on keeping ponies off the streets and keeping the changelings at bay."

"We," she declared with an incline of her head, "are going on the offensive."

Twilight wasn't happy about that. Rainbow Dash rubbed her forehooves together. Applejack steeled her resolve.

She turned back around and, using her magic, teleported her tiara and regalia back to her bedchambers and in their place, retrieved her helmet and armor. The cool weight of the metal felt welcome. And so prepared herself, she teleported three sets of Royal Guard armor and held them in their magic: one set for a pegasus, one for an earth pony, and one for a unicorn. "I know you are not trained for this, but this should help."

With some reluctance, Applejack donned her armor, but neither Rainbow Dash nor Twilight took theirs. "That'll just slow me down," Rainbow declined.

"I don't think I'd be able to move if I wore that. Even if we have been sparring, I'm not that fit. And it's too big for me," was Twilight's protest.

She met Twilight's gaze. 'You will be at risk.' Perhaps, then, it would be better to have Twilight stay with Cadance and the rest of her friends. But no, surely Twilight would be of help, even if she was at risk. The filly was competent with her magic. If she kept the three of them close enough, then there was likely less danger, although there was still the risk that the changelings would focus on them to distract her. 'Yes, if they focus on you I will be at a disadvantage.' And it was likely that the Queen knew that. She grimaced and held in a sigh. "Very well." She teleported the two unused sets of armor away.

'If the changelings are not already seeking me out, they will be doing so soon, and as such, Canterlot will soon be in battle.' Killing the queen was her priority, followed by dealing with the drones. And yet, one question prickled her mind. She turned back to face Twilight. "You and Cadance were replaced."

Twilight shifted her weight while both Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at her. "I'll explain as we go?"

She nodded and turned ahead. "Then follow," she said, and so strode forward, walking out into the courtyard and closing the doors to the ballroom behind her with her magic. Her three companions followed, though she ignored them in favor of scrutinizing each guard and batpony she saw.

"I uh, realized something was off about Cadance. More than just wedding stress. So I confronted her about it..." Twilight trailed off.

"Okay, so how did it go from confronting Cadance, or well, that changeling queen, to crashing a wedding?" Rainbow Dash asked.

She heard Twilight suck in a deep breath. "Long story short, we ended up in a fight."

Nightmare almost stopped walking at that.

"I lost," Twilight said matter-of-factly.

Nightmare squinted and scowled. "...I see. You are unharmed though, yes?"

Twilight was quiet for a few steps. "Mostly," was said too quietly for her to believe it was true. She looked back at Twilight for a moment. The filly didn't look at her. She did not see any injuries, but there were other ways to injure ponies. She turned back ahead. "Anyway... Cadance was down there–we were in the crystal caves, did you even know they were there?"

"I was aware they existed. I am under the impression they have not been mined in some time," Nightmare answered.

A group of guards turned to watch her stride by, confused as to why she was there in her armor, rather than at the wedding. She met their gazes, but couldn't tell if they were ponies or changelings. She sent out her magic to check but was still unsure. They took in the burn on her neck; one of them opened his mouth to speak. She preempted it with, "Canterlot is under attack. Spread the word; Cadance is in command. I am taking to the field." And with that, the guards scrambled away.

A few seconds passed with only the sound of hooves clicking on the ground, then Twilight continued, "So we broke out–obviously–and decided to crash the wedding to warn everypony."

Horns blared. The guards all stopped for a moment.

"What's that?" Applejack asked.

"That," Nightmare said with a nod, "would be the alarm."

Where some guards turned to head to different posts or retrieve weapons, others instead turned towards their compansions and flashed with green flame. And no sooner had their forms changed did their horns glowed with that sickly green aura of their magic did they unleash their magic, taking both Royal Guards and batponies by surprise. 'Dammit!'

A bolt of magic struck the side of her chestplate from the right. It felt hot against her fur. She snarled and threw herself around to bring her horn to bear. She ignored her three companions' yelps and fired off a bolt of magic. The changeling jumped into the air and dove to the right, avoiding her spell. She lunged forward and fired off three spells in quick succession, aiming one dead center, and one on either side of the changeling.

The second spell struck and burrowed through the changeling's neck, punching through its carapace and sending a spray of blood from the wound while its whole body lurched back from the impact. The changeling hit the ground clutching its neck. The wound was fatal; the changeling was disabled. She jerked her head to the left. A few earth ponies had engaged some changelings in hoof-to-hoof combat, where their superior strength was brought to bear with effective results. They kept the changelings from directly engaging unicorns on the ground, who used their ranged magic to their advantage, firing off spells that, for the most part, missed their marks. The changelings quickly retaliated in kind.

Pegasi and batponies alike shot towards flying changelings, weaving between spells while closing the distance to deliver swift kicks or full-body impacts. Several changelings fell from the sky while pegasi or batponies had wrapped themselves around them to keep them from escaping.

And yet, chaos reigned. Royal Guards and batponies alike were caught off-guard and stumbled to act, and so several fell from the changelings' spells.

"Maaaaaybe sounding the alarm was a mistake," Rainbow Dash voiced.

"We have more idea now of what we are dealing with than we had," Nightmare countered. 'It has been a very long time since I have fought a battle such as this.' Was she out of practice? Since her return, she had sparred with Twilight, battled Sister, fought Lord Tirek, distracted Discord, but for the most part, actual war was something that only Luna had experienced. And for the most part, her experience was not battling armies that had magic at their disposal in such large quantities as this; every changeling had magic, though not as many spells as unicorns could cast. Neither was she experienced in fighting in an environment such as Canterlot.

But there was no time to reminisce, no time to dwell. Barely time to consider the best course of action.

Hesitation would get her or her companions killed.

A group of four batponies, all mares, dived towards her. She tensed, but held her magic in check: she would not risk killing her own. Not again. They landed and one stepped towards her while the other three swiveled around so their backs were to her and her companions. "My Queen!"

She hastily nodded and surveyed them and checked them with her magic. If they were changelings, she would deal with them swiftly. It had been a while since she had used a spell to detect changelings, but assuming she remembered it and cast it properly, they were batponies. "Rally the guard. Princess Cadance is in command, she knows what to do."

For a moment, the batpony hesitated, then gave a serious nod. "Yes, my Queen!" And with that, the four batponies beat their wings and took to the air.

She wasted no time watching them and instead swept her gaze across the courtyard, briefly surveying the combat. She clenched her jaw. 'Assisting the guard in securing the castle would make organizing a defense much easier.' If there was an entire changeling army in Canterlot, then having an army of her own was necessary. But with the changelings' ability to shapeshift, it was risky.

There was little choice: secure the castle and rally the guard or seek out the changeling queen. The Queen would likely come for her anyway. "We will assist the guard in securing the castle first," she decided.

"Right," Rainbow said.

She turned back to look the pegasus in the eye–determination burned in them, making her respect Rainbow Dash a little more–and said, "Do be careful."

Rainbow dismissed it with a huff. "What are we waiting for!?" And then the pegasus was gone, shooting off towards the nearest group of pegasi and batponies engaging changelings that had taken flight, a faint rainbow trail in her wake.

"Well, I guess that's that, then," Applejack said. With a sigh, the earth pony charged off towards a group of changelings bearing down on a few unicorn guards.

"I will retrieve you once we have won here." She turned back to look at Twilight. And what was there for her to say? Nothing more than would distract both of them and get them killed. And it pained her heart to consider it, and every second she wasted was that much closer to defeat, that much riskier that one of them would be hurt. She bowed her head once. "Stay safe."

Twilight nodded, though her lips pulled into a grimace, and her horn burned brighter. Then there was a flash of light and a crack, and Twilight was gone.

She breathed in, then exhaled. She spread her wings wide and jumped into the air: with her body against the sky, she would be harder to spot. She would also have the advantage of a better view of everything that was happening below.

Of course, she was also the changelings' primary target, it seemed, as five of the drones broke away from engaging the Royal Guard to follow her. She bared her teeth and growled as their sickly green bolts of magic flew towards her. They neared, and she threw herself to the left and rolled, then looped around and dove at them horn-first.

The changelings slowed and stopped, unwilling to fly into her because of her larger size. And so distracted by momentary fear, she capitalized on it, unleashing several spells on the swarm.

The spells weren't fast enough, and the changelings weren't paralyzed the same way other ponies would be. They were trained for war. They easily avoided her barrage. The spells burned themselves out before reaching the ground; collateral damage would not benefit her any.

The swarm scattered; she flared her wings and stopped in the middle of where they had been, set her eyes on the nearest one above her, and lashed out with her magic: her beam of magic lurched from her horn. The changeling flew higher, but she was faster, and her beam shredded its carapace and tore open its side. It let out a hiss of pain and fell.

Three bolts of magic struck her: one under her wing, burning her fur and skin, making her growl, one on the left side of her chestplate, making her armor hot against her fur, and one grazing her leg, singing her fur. A fourth bolt of magic barely missed her wing.

She spun around and fired off her beam of magic, sweeping her head left to right. She hit one changeling's chest and cut it open, and cut off another changeling's wing. Both fell.

The two remaining changelings burned with green flame and dove at her. She grit her teeth and formed her magic into a shield around her. Both changelings hit, and while her shield took the impact, it knocked her down. She dropped the shield and lurched towards the closest changeling. She blasted its horn with her magic, and it couldn't move out of the way in time.

The last surviving changeling summarily decided it valued its life, hastily diving towards the ground.

'No.' Letting it escape alive would only cause more problems. She dove after it, casting a barrage of spells. Although it weaved between most of the spells, all it took was one hitting between its wings to stagger and stun it, thus sealing its fate.

She tucked her wings in. It hit the ground hard. She flared her wings out to slow down and then landed. It tried to move out from under her, but she grasped its head with her telekinetic grip, overwhelming its own innate resistance.

Pop! It's head twisted at an unnatural angle. She cast it aside and inhaled as she turned. A few of the Royal Guards had finally acquired spears: pegasi flew up and then lobbed them at drones below, catching some unaware.

A batpony was locked in battle with a changeling: he kept trying to cut into its neck with a hoof-blade, but the changeling knocked his leg to the side each time. Another changeling dived at the pair from above; the batpony didn't notice.

She swiveled to face the battle and took aim, only for a flash of light to distract her. A bolt of magic flew from her student's horn, hitting the diving changeling right in the face. Its body shuddered and went limp before hitting the ground and rolling, twitching. Twilight teleported again.

She felt jealous.

The batpony finally overpowered the changeling, then jumped back into the air.

A pair of earth pony guards were struck by several bolts of green magic, and a new swarm of changelings flew in over the wall near the gate. They spotted her.

"Twilight, on your left!" she heard Rainbow call out.

She whipped her head to the left. A changeling dove at her, horn aglow with a menacing green aura. The eyes seemed empty, despite the faint teal-white glow that seemed to come from inside. A part of her was fascinated. A part of her was terrified.

She cast the first spell that came to mind. The bolt of magic lurched from her horn. The changeling was too close. The spell struck it, and its forked tongue lolled out as its body spasmed once, convulsing under the effects of her stun spell.

Of course, the changeling was too close. She braced herself and jumped out of the way. The changeling's limp body crashed into her flank, knocking her to the ground. She groaned and scrambled back to her hooves.

Rainbow landed in front of her. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," she answered.

Rainbow jumped back into the air and zoomed off. She watched her friend rocket towards a changeling and slam into its abdomen, then grab ahold of it and dive to the ground. The changeling wheezed from breaking Rainbow's fall and twitched on the ground.

And she could hear Nightmare chastising her, 'Focus.'

She winced and shook herself back into shape. But still, focus on what? The courtyard was in chaos!

She bit her lip and glanced around. A swarm of changelings rose up from behind the wall. She groaned internally. 'Of course there's more of them!' Too many, really.

Half of them changed their course. She turned to the right to find out where they were going.

Nightmare Moon.

She saw the alicorn bow her head, swipe her tongue over her lips, then charge forward. Spell after spell fired off from Nightmare's horn, lurching towards the swarm.

The swarm retaliated in kind. Nightmare's magic wrapped into a shield that shrugged off each spell, and Nightmare continued charging forward. The changelings wrapped themselves in their magic and dove right at Nightmare's barrier.

She heard the impacts.

Nightmare's shield held until it disappeared. And then a beam of magic cut through the changelings too close to avoid it, sending five of them to the ground.

The changelings swarmed behind her. Nightmare dropped to the ground and spun around.

She shook herself away from the battle: Nightmare Moon could handle it. Other ponies needed help.

Something landed a few steps away from her. She looked and the changeling hissed as it lurched for her. She yelped and jumped back, casting a teleportation spell. She teleported a few paces off to the side and watched the changeling land where she had been, but it already turned to face her.

She cast another stun spell; it caught the changeling in the side, sending it to the ground convulsing.

Nightmare Moon might not have problems killing, but she wasn't going to if there was an alternative.

A pair of royal guards–both unicorns–rushed over to her. "Are you alright!?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm–" They flashed green.

She dove to the ground, barely avoiding two bolts of green magic. 'Shapeshifters–' From the ground she aimed at the first one and cast a stun spell. It jumped out of the way. '–right.' The second one landed on her back, and her skin crawled as she felt the cold, hard carapace press up against her back. Her body went tense and rigid with fear–the changeling's head slid up beside hers, and its insectoid eye peered into her own. It hissed.

She teleported, her heart racing, and the second changeling fell to the ground. Both turned to face her and she met them with two stun spells. Both changelings spasmed and collapsed.

She startled when she heard Nightmare Moon scream; her head whipped to the right and she found the alicorn reared up, horn burning almost violently. Nightmare Moon slammed her forehooves down into the ground and a burst of magic exploded out of her horn, knocking back the changelings surrounding her.

And for a moment, Nightmare Moon stood, mostly still as if listening, then she turned her head about, looking at each changeling. The alicorn straightened and then looked to the left. Nightmare saw her, and for a moment, her teacher's gaze lingered, then it left as she continued surveying the battle.

It looked like there were a few new burns on Nightmare's body. It had to hurt, but Nightmare Moon seemed to ignore it. Her eyes once again held a cold, predatory intellect and cunning. The Queen was calculated. 'Maybe she has a high pain tolerance. Maybe she's focused on everything else.'

She finally turned away from Nightmare Moon. The Royal Guards and batponies who had been brought down by the changelings weren't dead: she could see them breathing and there were no burns on their bodies.

'The changelings will cocoon them,' Nightmare had said. Which meant, 'They want ponies alive.'

But that also meant they were trying to kill Nightmare Moon.

She bit her lip again and teleported behind a changeling that had cornered an earth pony. The changeling froze up at the sound of her teleport and its head jerked back to look at her. She cast a stun spell before it could move out of the way.

She teleported again. It strained her more than the first few teleports, and she was sure that she would regret teleporting so much later, but it was an advantage she had put to good use sparring with Nightmare Moon. And so far, she hadn't seen any changelings use shields or teleport. 'Maybe they can't.'

She saw Applejack surrounded: five changelings. Applejack regarded them warily, and before she could teleport, the first one jumped at her friend. Applejack swiveled around and kicked out with her hind legs, delivering a solid buck to the changeling's chest. She winced at the sound of Applejack’s kick cracking the changeling’s carapace. The rest of the changelings capitalized, jumping on Applejack and piling on top of her.

She teleported a few steps away from Applejack and cast an anti-gravity spell. Maybe not the best idea in the middle of a battle, but it worked: gravity was reversed and the now-confused changelings found themselves falling into the sky, along with Applejack.

She teleported Applejack beside her, waited for the changelings to 'reorientate' themselves to the localized gravity field, and then cut the spell.

And the changelings fell back to the ground in a pile, though they weren't disabled. They worked themselves away from each other and lunged at Applejack and her, but only from the front. Applejack bucked one, she cast a stun spell, and then
she teleported them away before the changelings could reach them.

She groaned faintly and shook her head.

She felt a cold boot touch her left shoulder and jerked. "You doing okay, Twilight?"

She looked at Applejack and gave a wary smile. "Yes. More or less." She paused; her smile faded. "No, not really. We shouldn't be here. I'm not a soldier! I'm not even an adult. I'm a student!"

Of course, it was a good thing Nightmare Moon wasn't there to hear her say that. 'Your enemies will not care,' Nightmare had said, and of course, Nightmare Moon was correct: the changelings did not care.

"Well, you saved my hide back there. Thanks."

She turned back to face the courtyard. Nightmare Moon flew overhead, and a swarm of changelings rose up to intercept her. A shield wrapped around Nightmare's body and shrugged off the changelings' spells.

"Nightmare Moon seems to be handling herself pretty well too," Applejack commented.

She nodded. "You'd think that the changelings would realize they're not going to break her shield..." 'Of course if they do, then what are they supposed to do? Ignore her and attack everypony else?' She hoped they didn't realize their mistake.

"Well, they have landed spells on her from what I've seen," Applejack countered.

She grimaced. 'And those spells left burns.' "She made me promise never to use fire as a weapon."

Applejack looked at her. A moment passed, and Applejack faced the rest of the courtyard again. "Can't say I'd approve of that either..."

Rainbow Dash swooped down in front of them, though staying out of reach. "Uh, guys!? Less talking and more kicking the bad guys' flanks! Dunno if you can tell or not, but we're kind of outnumbered here!"

"Right," was all she had to say about that. 'Outnumbered, but we have Nightmare Moon on our side.' She looked at Applejack, and Applejack looked at her. They shared a nod. Applejack took off and Rainbow soared back into the air.

'How would Princess Celestia handle this?' she wondered. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Would Princess Celestia have let it happen?

She shook the thoughts from her mind. 'Focus.'

Surveying the courtyard, she spotted a new swarm of five changelings diving towards a group of unicorns that had their backs turned to them. All five changelings' horns glowed brightly in the dark of night. 'Oh, I'm going to regret this.' She teleported herself behind the two unicorns, both of whom audibly startled from her arrival, and cast a gravity reversing spell.

The swarm of changelings found themselves ascending when they should have been diving, and the confusion made their horns wink out. She fired off as many stun spells towards them as she could, aiming ahead of the changelings so that they fell towards the spells. Most of her spells missed. One hit, and the changeling convulsed.

The rest started to reorientate themselves against her spell. She cut the spell. The changelings fell towards the ground faster than before. She fired off another barrage of stun spells. Another changeling convulsed. The three remaining changelings' bodies were wrapped in their green aura and shot towards her.

She stifled a yelp and reforged her magic into a shield. Thud! Thud! Crack! All three changelings slammed into her barrier; she felt the impact and her legs wobbled. The changelings hissed as their magic burned out. They reared up and smashed their forehooves down. It wasn't as stressful as their initial impacts. The two stunned changelings hit the ground. She heard carapace split and winced.

She dropped the shield. The three changelings fell and instinctively flared their wings to take flight. Before they could attack her, she teleported behind them. All three turned to face her. She caught the one in the middle with a stun spell. The other two dived at her.

Twin bolts from the two unicorns she had protected made the remaining changelings convulse and flop to the ground. She looked at the two unicorns, and they acknowledged her with a quick nod before rushing off.

She saw a rainbow blur hit the ground and heard a groan. 'No!' She looked and saw the pegasus crumpled, clutching her wing. She teleported to Rainbow's side and reached out. "Rainbow! Are you–"

The pegasus flashed green, and then the changeling jumped at her. She yelped as the changeling hit her and threw her to the ground. It hissed. She couldn't stop herself from looking at its four fangs: much, much longer and sharper than Nightmare Moon's fangs. Its tongue was forked.

She looked into its eyes and lit her horn, but the changeling's forehoof slapped her horn. She stifled a cry of pain and her aura winked out. She tried to move her forelegs but found the changeling pinning her in place. 'No!' She needed to escape! Her friends and Nightmare Moon needed her!

She grunted and tugged on her forelegs, only for the changeling to hiss and throw more weight down on her. She grunted and tried to kick its abdomen with her hind legs, but a second changeling piled on them. 'No!' She bit her lip.

Apparently, she had made herself a target.

She made the mistake of looking at its mouth again: there was some thick green goo bubbling up from under its tongue. It closed its mouth, drew its head up–and a bolt of magic cut through its side. The force of the spell threw it off of her. She jerked in response. The second changeling hissed and jerked to look; another bolt of magic flew through its body, throwing it off of her. Before she could move, another black figure, one far larger than the rest of the changelings, stood over her. If she couldn’t fight off two drones, there was no way she could fight it off.

"Are you alright?"

She recognized the voice: Nightmare Moon. It took her a moment to realize that she saw fur and cyan armor, rather than the hard black carapace of a changeling. The alicorn's eyes appeared to twitch side to side, studying her.

'No.' She just swallowed and nodded; now wasn't the time to break down and have a panic attack.

She did not look at the two changelings again.

Nightmare turned away from her and dropped down low. A blue shield enveloped both of them while she climbed back to her hooves, despite her legs' new protest. She thought she would fall, but somehow didn't. She swallowed and looked at Nightmare Moon, watched her head gradually sweep left and then right. "I have not yet seen the Queen, and in truth, this surprises me," Nightmare said.

Twilight stepped over to Nightmare's side and eyed her body: the burn marks bled, though none as much as the burn on her neck and back. She noticed that Nightmare's body trembled. Nightmare's burns had to hurt more than the bruising she probably had. "Are you okay?"

Nightmare jerked her head to face her, then nodded once. "I am." The alicorn turned back away from her. "I believe the Royal Guard and batponies can finish up here. We must locate the Queen."

She took a moment to look around the courtyard again: there were more changelings on the ground than standing or flying, and they were outnumbered and being pushed back by the Royal Guard and batponies. Some Royal Guards and batponies were already tending to their fallen comrades.

Her gaze must have lingered too long, as Nightmare said, "They are merely stunned. They will be fine."

She turned back to watch the courtyard. The rest of the changelings seemed to realize they were losing, and they were generally retreating: some would carry their stunned comrades while others screened against pegasi, batponies, and unicorns for them to retreat. Many changelings were left behind in the retreat.

A lot more changelings than she wanted to count had fallen at Nightmare's hooves.

She heard Nightmare growl. "I should hunt them down. Leaving them alive means there is that much more work for us after the queen is dealt with. Leaving them alive risks ponies being hurt."

'You would hunt them down and kill them all without giving them a chance, wouldn't you?' She kept it to herself. Was killing them necessary? She didn't think so, but maybe she was wrong. She had only seen from one perspective: that the changelings had ponynapped Cadance and herself–which was mostly the Queen's doing–and attacked Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon was protecting ponies. The changelings had attacked them.

And killing them was a quick and efficient means of dealing with them.

Nightmare Moon made no attempt to pursue the retreating changelings, rather, she seemed intent on trying to kill them with her glare. Her body was tensed, ready to act if it was necessary, but not before. Nightmare seemed intent on staying at her side for the time being.

The buzzing of insectoid wings gradually faded, replaced with Royal Guards' and batponies' voices. Nightmare didn't relax, though the shield surrounding them faded away.

And she almost thought the alicorn would have used her horn to impale any changelings that tried to attack them.

"Your Majesty–" her brother's voice. She smiled and turned to face him. He still wore his dress uniform, but his horn was aglow with magic: he was prepared to defend himself. Cadance walked along beside him, warily eyeing the courtyard like her brother. He looked at her, then looked back at her teacher.

"Captain," Nightmare Moon acknowledged. "Cadance."

Cadance looked at her teacher and nodded. "Everypony is still in the Ballroom. They're fine, for now, but I think they'd feel safer with a few more guards."

"What are your orders?" her brother asked.

"You do not need me to tell you what to do in this circumstance," Nightmare chastised. "I will deal with the Queen. Ensure that ponies are safe and deal with the drones."

Cadance looked at Nightmare warily, and her brother grimaced. "Right. Cadance?" Cadance looked at her brother. "Stay with them in the Ballroom. If her Majesty is going after the changeling queen, the Royal Guard should be able to deal with the rest of them."

Cadance reluctantly nodded. "Stay safe," she murmured, then nuzzled her brother.

Cadance turned and headed back to the Ballroom; her brother watched Cadance for a few seconds, then turned to her. "Are you okay?"

'No.' "I'm fine." He didn't seem to buy it. She turned to face him. "Really." He tilted his head down. "I'm... we'll talk about it later." He eyed her, then looked at Nightmare Moon.

"She will be fine," Nightmare said. "I give you my word. If I did not think her able to, then rest assured she would be with Cadance or barricaded in my chambers."

Her brother shook his head. "She shouldn't be out here. It's not safe. She's not a Royal Guard. She's not trained for this–"

She heard Nightmare turn to face him. She expected Nightmare to impatiently lash out at him and braced herself. "Though I am inclined to agree and admit I would rather her stay somewhere safe, we have sparred. She is not defenseless: I have taught her. I trust in her abilities." Nightmare opened her mouth to say something more, only to stop, then turn to face her. She turned to look up at her and watched Nightmare study her. A few seconds passed before her teacher finally said, "I will not force you to assist me. It is dangerous, and though I am certain you are capable of it, I will not force you into harm's way."

Because she remembered Nightmare's promise, 'I will protect you,' and saw that in the alicorn's eyes. She inhaled deeply and nodded. "I can help." She learned her head to the side and specified, "I may not want to fight them, but–" she dropped her gaze to Nightmare's neck, eyeing the burn and the thick crimson streak that disappeared under her chestplate, "–they are trying to kill you."

She watched Nightmare shift her weight as her wings twitched at her sides. "'Tis hardly the first time."

And, it occurred to her, "This isn't exactly the first time my friends and I have been in this position, either."

Her brother fidgeted uncomfortably.

Nightmare's brow twitched. "This is... true," was her reluctant acknowledgment. "Though this is... different from Discord."

'Why exactly is all of this happening?' she wanted to know. Of course, there was nopony she could ask that and get a proper answer from. 'This is going to end badly, isn't it?' Granted, she had sparred with Nightmare Moon, but Nightmare Moon hadn't been trying to kill her. The changelings weren't either, but they were certainly trying to win. Yes, it was a mistake to try to help. She was out of her element, out of her league, and in unfamiliar territory, despite what Nightmare Moon claimed to believe.

But she could help. And as much as her body and magic disagreed, she needed to. 'I can't let everypony down.' Her friends were counting on her.

Her brother shook her head and groaned. "You had better keep her safe."

Nightmare looked at him and frowned as if insulted. "Do not doubt her competence nor my commitment to her."

Neither one of them backed down, despite the fact that both of them agreed that they wanted to keep her safe.

'Well! This is awkward.' She tried to ignore it, but for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from focusing on Nightmare's retort. Months ago it would have been crazy. She found herself shaking her head. 'No, don't think about it. Just focus on–' She licked her lips and said, "We should get going. The changelings could be back anytime."

Nightmare stood down. Looked at her and nodded once, then turned away from her. "Yes. Let us retrieve Applejack and Rainbow Dash and then we shall be off."

"Twilight?" Shining Armor called. She turned to face him. "Stay safe, alright?"

She nodded. "I will." She turned and stepped over to Nightmare's side again. Applejack trudged towards them while Rainbow flew along beside her. Applejack favored her left hind leg and the ribbon that held her mane together was missing, but she looked mostly okay. Rainbow Dash didn't look any worse for wear, though maybe tired and a little less bold than before.

They came to a stop in front of them and Rainbow landed and puffed out her chest. "So, whose flank do we kick next!?" Rainbow asked.

Author's Note

[Date unknown; 2/12/20?]

I had a lot of fun writing this, and there's a bit of a story to my writing this chapter. You see, I had procrastinated for weeks on the original takes of prior chapter, along with really disliking it in general. It was all over the place and incoherent and I was really groaning to myself about the whole thing. Then it occurred to me, "You outlined the chapter after the lead up to the wedding, not the chapter leading up to the wedding."

And so, having fumbled around for 11.5k words, getting a few things that worked but mostly deciding, "This needs rewritten," I jumped ahead and wrote this. I am quite glad I did! I enjoyed it!

First edit sweep on 2/12/20.

1/25/21

Duplicated chapter for rereading and edits.

10,284. I enjoyed rereading and editing this chapter.

1/28/21

Woohoo edits at 5 A.M. because crippling anxiety isn’t letting me sleep...

1/29/21

Further edits.

I have discovered em-dashes–they’re useful–and I’ve added them in. I’m not entirely sure I’ve used them correctly, and some hyphens may need to be exchanged for em-dashes. If you notice anything, please point it out for me. Thank you.

I’m a bit disappointed that it was so obvious what was going to happen.

2/4/21

So I’ve had this chapter written for about a year now, I guess. Take from that what you will...

I have some slight concerns that some parts of the story get too dark, but I think it might be okay. I’ve done my hardest to write the darker parts in a way that’s not... gratuitously violent to the point that it’d warrant an M-rating. There are dark parts–and the story has had this tag for a while–and my prereader commented sometime last year about, ‘earning that dark tag’ I think. I also have my concerns that it is out of place considering what I wanted this story to be, but all things considered, this story is sort of multiple stories happening at one time.

The next chapters will be fun, ultimately leading up to one of the very important moments... I’d imagine some, if not most of you could guess correctly.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish up these Author’s Notes and get back to drafting the last chapter in a 3-part chapter where Twilight gets to enjoy some existential crises and character growth. Honestly, I’m enjoying most chapters that I’m drafting anymore, so it’s nice...

Sometime I need to go through the older chapters and touch them up with edits. I’m considering submitting the story to Equestriadaily. The only thing really stopping me is taking the time to touch the story up, taking the time to actually look into what I need to do, and taking the time to submit it. Don’t really have anything to lose by trying even if I doubt it’d be accepted.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Queen Takes Queen

Nightmare Moon ignored the pain from her burns just as she ignored the bodies of the fallen or stunned ponies and changelings while she strode towards the courtyard’s gates. She saw a discarded spear lying on the ground as she approached the gate and quickly retrieved it with her magic, then brought it close for inspection. While not the most efficient weapon she could think up, it would avoid unwanted collateral damage.

She kept the spear close as she made her way down the ramp, quickly checking to see if any of the parasites were lying in wait for her–or more accurately, for their own demise. She didn’t see any. ‘Are they regrouping or have they realized they will not win this battle?’

Regardless of whether they were regrouping in a vain attempt to take her city or retreating, they would take prisoners to feed on.

The streets were deserted beyond her and her companions. Royal Guards and batponies would follow shortly after they had reorganized and secured the castle properly, but for the time being, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were backing her up.

She quickly glanced over her shoulder at her companions. Bringing them with her was a risk. They weren’t soldiers. But they seemed more competent than the Royal Guard, and Twilight was her student.

She charged forward, sweeping her gaze left and right to check the side streets for any changelings that thought it was a good idea to try to ambush them. So far, there weren’t any, but she knew the lull in battle would not last.

'It would be easier to fly, or perhaps render us invisible.' But which was the better option? Only her and Rainbow Dash could fly. Perhaps they could carry Twilight and Applejack, but it would leave all of them more vulnerable for it, and leaving her two earth-bound companions below was likewise risky. 'Perhaps they could be bait,' but she cast the thought aside immediately: the idea of using Twilight or her friends to try to draw out the changelings made her uncomfortable.

However, invisibility would be useful. They would be hidden from sight, and most likely the changelings would be unable to detect them, giving them the element of surprise. Locating the Queen might be easier too. She licked her lips. "I am going to use my magic to render us invisible. Do stay close, and do not draw attention to us. We will still be able to see each other. Our voices can still be heard as well, though I will silence our steps."

"You can do that!?" Rainbow Dash asked.

She barely glanced back at the pegasus before returning to checking the side streets. "I can. I did track your progress from the Town Hall to the library and then to the castle upon my return without any of you detecting my presence."

'Perhaps admitting that was a mistake, or perhaps they will grow to trust me more,' she considered in passing, but there were more important matters to handle. She powered up both spells, then cast them. All of their steps became silent, and looking back, she assured herself that she could still see them, and likewise, they could see each other, though all of their coats had taken on a faint shimmer of her magic.

"Other than not hearing us moving, this doesn't seem any different," Rainbow voiced.

She didn't bother responding; the pegasus must not have noticed it.

"Look at our coats," Twilight pointed out.

A few seconds passed. Rainbow groaned. "Lame."

They approached a circular plaza with a fountain in the middle. A few of the parasites were standing guard while several others cocooned unconscious ponies. They used their magic to shape and harden their secretions into a kind of hard resin that would be difficult for ponies to break free from.

"Okay, that's disgusting," Rainbow said.

'You have hardly seen the half of it.'

A few of the closer changelings' wings flicked and their heads twitched.

She came to a stop and spread her right wing out to make her companions stop. She cast her head back and whispered, "Remain here," then strode ahead. As she approached the nearest changeling and left her companions behind, she counted two dozen of the parasites in the plaza.

A few pairs of changelings flew in and carried away cocooned ponies. She clenched her jaw.

She finally stopped just out of reach from the changeling. Before it had a chance to recognize the danger and fight back, she overwhelmed its natural magic with her own. Firmly gripping its head, she jerked until there was a dull crack! of its neck snapping. She lifted the changeling’s corpse and threw it towards a pair of changelings. It wasn’t lethal, but there was something to be said for breaking their resolve.

The pair of parasites were caught off-guard as their late comrade crashed into them, knocking them to the ground. The rest of them knew something was there, but not who. She smiled to herself–perhaps fighting in a city against the changelings wouldn’t be as hard as she had anticipated.

She was the Queen of the Night, after all.

She charged forward. Two changelings flew towards the spot their former comrade had stood. She grabbed them in her magic and smashed their heads together, dazing them enough to–crack! Their corpses tumbled into piles.

Some of the changelings needed to survive to spread that fear among the rest of their ranks.

Some of them.

She reared up and summoned her magic, breaking the invisibility spell and unleashing a wave of magic that threw all of the changelings back with a thunderous crack! She stamped her forehooves into the ground and flared her wings. Some changelings smashed into walls and others tumbled on the street, but none of them were left standing.

They scrambled to their hooves and fired their spells at her but not fast enough.

She wove between their spells, retaliating in kind and rushing them as they tried to regroup. One of their spells struck her neck, exploding against her with burning pain. She growled and launched her spear at the changeling with enough force that the spear nearly disappeared inside its body. The changelings startled and jumped aside as its body hit the ground. She tugged the spear back out and swung it in a wide arc, catching another changeling in the head and sending him to the ground.

A burst of magic shot past her from left to right, just barely missing her. She aimed and fired off a trio of spells–even if they didn’t land it bought time. She turned her attention back to the changelings across from her and fired a beam to cut through their ranks. Some of them dropped to the ground and some of them flew, but they altogether scattered as they had no defense against her.

Three less insects.

The buzzing of their wings and the woosh of their magic enveloping their bodies. She stopped and swiveled, then fired off another beam at the brightly-glowing changelings diving at her. When her beam connected with one of the changelings, their spell immediately erupted, detonating and killing them. They dropped to the ground, but she ignored it in favor of cutting through another group of changelings that thought getting close was a good idea.

A barrage of spellfire from the left. She swiveled to face them and shielded herself. Several small groups of changelings stood against her, spaced out so that she couldn’t hit them all as easily. Her shield groaned in protest as a changeling slammed into it. She glared at the parasite responsible and grabbed it before throwing it to the ground in front of her and snapping its neck while it was dazed.

A dozen bolts of magic flashed off from the changelings' horns, flying towards her and her head. She suppressed a growl and teleported behind three of the closer changelings. She thrust her spear through the middle changeling’s neck and blasted the one of the left with her magic. The one on the right jumped around to face her and fired off a bolt of magic that struck her chestplate, leaving it warm against her chest.

And then another dozen bolts of magic flew towards her.

She tackled the changeling and threw her weight into its stomach. She heard it wheeze and felt it struggle. Carapace cracked. She wrapped her magic around its neck–crack!

Her flank burned as a spell struck her. She bit back a growl and threw herself to the right. Two bolts flew past her.

She teleported before they could fire upon her new location, but the spells followed. The spells struck her shield to little effect, and, realizing that they wouldn't break it, the parasites stopped and looked between themselves.

They tried to hide their panic and anxiety, but she had fought them before.

She capitalized on their mistake. Dropped her shield. Lunged forward. Channeled her magic into a beam and cut through half of the changelings' chests. They scattered to avoid her beam. She tracked them. She was faster.

Bang!

Her vision flickered black at the edges and she felt a sharp, burning pain in her back. Her stomach churned, and she felt the ground hit her chest. Her aura flickered out and her spear clattered to the ground.

A weight settled on her back–she looked back to see a changeling, maw wide open. It spat a glob of green goop that struck her horn, wrapped around it, and oozed down to the base, even going so far as to slip through the horn-slot of her helmet and get into her fur.

Her senses felt fuzzy and dulled. She suppressed a growl but scowled. She went to wrap her magic around the changeling, but couldn't cast the spell. 'Dammit.' She had forgotten about that specific trait: their spit could block magic if it covered the horn. But it wasn't perfect.

She bared her teeth and breathed in. Before she could make an example of the changeling for daring to tackle her, a bolt of raspberry magic slammed into the changeling's side. It seized up, convulsed, and collapsed, limply falling off her body. She stood up–despite how much her back protested moving. The changeling hit where she had already been struck before.

Twilight was at her side. "Are you okay?" was her hasty question.

She only gave the filly a cursory look, just long enough to see her eyes frantically jumping all over her body. "I will be fine." The parasites, however, did not like that and now had two targets to attack. "Shield us!"

Either because Twilight had helped her or because she had stood back up, several bolts of magic flashed towards them. Twilight winced, clenched her eyes, and scrunched her muzzle up. A raspberry-colored shield flared to life around them. The changelings' spells struck the shield, and though Twilight winced from each impact, it held. The shield rang almost musically from each blow it took in stride. The filly opened her eyes, saw that she was alright, and grinned awkwardly.

She felt a tinge of pride. She nodded once, then closed her eyes and focused on her magic. It would take some doing, but she could break the goop down.

"Your horn–"

"I know," she retorted. The goop started to feel warm, then started to harden. She heard the crack of carapace over the ringing of Twilight's shield, followed by far fewer bolts of magic being cast. "Your friends are finally helping, I see," she muttered.

"You did tell us to stay put," Twilight grumbled.

“Fair point.” The resin on her horn started to crack as more of her magic worked on breaking it down. 'If you had not been here, this would be more difficult,' flickered through her mind in passing. She opened her eyes and grimaced. "Thank you for helping."

Twilight glanced at her, then went back to eyeing the changelings, watching them try and entirely fail to counter the still-invisible Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Still, it left her wanting, as the changelings twitched on the ground, still alive.

Her magical senses grew keener, and she saw the light of her aura starting to flicker back into existence. A few sparks shot off her horn, burning away flakes of resin.

The resin shattered and shot off of her horn and burned away. Twilight flinched, but her shield held.

"The queen's not here," Twilight said under her breath.

"Indeed," she agreed, "but the drones should still be dealt with." Twilight eyed her. 'You do not wish to kill them, nor do you wish for me to kill them,' she surmised. “Otherwise they will cause more problems.”

Twilight grimaced and looked away from her.

Nightmare turned her head to the right and looked at her back. Testingly extended her wings. She breathed in from the pain and quickly cast a spell to numb it, then shook herself back to shape. She inhaled deeply and went back to ignoring the pain, although the feeling of her wet sides was more noticeable. 'Perhaps I overestimated my armor,' she considered.

Then again, she wasn't used to battling opponents who had magic and could fly, especially not in such great numbers. Nor was she used to being caught off-guard and outnumbered. 'This would be far easier were we not in Canterlot and I could use the full extent of my magic.'

Rainbow Dash tackled the last changeling to the ground. It struggled under her and managed to throw the pegasus off.

Applejack summarily bucked it in the face. It whipped back and hit the ground.

Nightmare distinctly remembered Applejack’s buck denting her chestplate. She picked up her spear with her magic and swung it away from her body to clean the blood from it.

Rainbow hit the ground, groaned, then picked herself off the ground and stumbled back over to Applejack. "Thanks," was muttered, and Applejack nodded. The two of them turned to face Twilight and her.

Twilight dropped the shield, then bolted over to them. "Are you okay?" her student demanded.

"Yeah. It'll take more than that to slow me down!" Rainbow boasted, going so far as to jump in the air and pump her hoof out.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm alright." She turned away from Twilight, looked at Nightmare, and nodded.

Nightmare took that as her cue to walk over to them while surveying the plaza. She counted twenty-eight changelings. More must have arrived during the fight. Most of them were only temporarily disabled. She stopped beside Twilight.

"What about you? You look a little roughed up," Applejack said.

Nightmare turned back to Applejack and inclined her head. "I will be fine. I have experienced worse." 'Although perhaps I am out of practice,' she considered. Or, more worryingly, 'Perhaps I have been arrogant.'

But it would not matter: the parasites would not kill her so easily. Luna had battled King Sombra, Starswirl, unicorns who had fallen to dark magic, monsters and griffins alike! She had fought Sister twice and killed Lord Tirek! She would not be felled by insects!

She used her magic to render herself and Twilight invisible again, then teleported a scroll and wrote out a quick message before sealing it and sending it back to the Captain. Once it was teleported, she nodded and said, "Royal Guards or batponies will arrive to sort this out."

"What now?" Twilight asked. "Blindly searching through Canterlot for the queen isn't going to be easy, you know."

Nightmare grimaced and looked towards the sky. "It is a rather large city." She lowered her head and licked her lips. "Perhaps it would be better to draw more attention to ourselves. They were already cocooning ponies and taking them away. If we repel the changelings there is yet the chance that some will remain here in disguise to capture more ponies than they already have. It is likely that if they have not yet done so, they will soon begin extracting cocooned ponies to their hive."

None of them liked hearing that; they looked between themselves and shared worried looks. She nodded her head once. "We will find them." She kept, 'And we will kill their captors,' to herself.

Twilight looked at her, then turned her head to the side. "What about the queen?"

"She caught me off-guard. As such, she may be overconfident and thus may engage me once more. She may be searching for me as I am searching for her." 'Perhaps rendering us visible would then be the best course of action.' It would draw attention to them, which could be a good thing, but it was also risky since there were only four of them. 'It is worth the risk.' She nodded and said, "I am making us visible again," then cut the spell. The shimmer covering their coats faded away. "So do be careful." She glanced at Rainbow Dash specifically, then turned to the right.

She surveyed the plaza again, reassuring herself that the changelings–even the ones that her companions had only disabled–were incapacitated, then set off towards the street opposite of their arrival. She didn't hear her hoofsteps, and so dispelled the muffling spell. Her companions followed her, with Twilight walking up beside her.

She noticed that although Twilight looked at the stunned and disabled changelings, the filly avoided looking at the ones she had felled. ‘Perhaps I should do this on my own, but I know you are capable of this. I have trained you. I promised that I would protect you.’

They bore the Elements of Harmony. She could count on them to protect Equestria alongside her–at least unless Sister returned.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a changeling step out from a building, see her, and recoil back inside. She growled and ran to the entrance–her companions were left behind to their confusion–and the changeling shut the door on her. She went to rip the door from its hinges but thought better of it. 'Collateral damage will benefit neither me nor Equestria.'

She teleported behind the door–the changeling jerked to face her–and she threw the changeling against the wall before it could defend itself. She drove her spear into its body, then tugged it back out and let the dying parasite fall to the floor unceremoniously. She swiveled around and scanned the room. Aside from ponnequins adorned with pointless frilly dresses, it was deserted. Reaching out with her magic, she found neither changelings nor ponies present.

She exhaled sharply, grabbed the corpse in her magic, then went back outside and dropped the body against the exterior wall. It would be better to leave it out in the open where it was more visible.

Her three companions eyed her warily, unnerved by her action. She ignored it and resumed her stride down the street. ‘If Luna had succeeded in protecting ponies, you would still be concerned by my actions, would you not?’

Twilight walked up beside her. The filly quietly, albeit pointedly, said, "You don't have to kill them."

Nightmare glanced back at Twilight and counters, "It disables them."

Twilight's brow arched up. "You could just stun them."

Nightmare scowled. "And they can recover from being stunned. Leaving them alive is a risk I am not willing to take."

"The Royal Guard or batponies can capture them when they're stunned! They're not a threat anymore!" Twilight argued.

Nightmare tilted her head. "And what if they recover before they are captured? And what of the Royal Guards who are tending to taking them prisoner when they could be elsewhere dealing with changelings who are yet attacking ponies? Ponies who then may be taken from their homes to be fed upon."

Twilight's mouth opened, but the filly was silent. For a few seconds, she watched Twilight try to come up with a counter-argument.

Nightmare averted her gaze before Twilight closed her mouth, and a few seconds passed with only the sound of their hoofsteps and Rainbow's wingbeats.

"That doesn't make it right," Twilight said.

And Nightmare replied, "Perhaps not, but you cannot argue with its efficiency," and nothing more was to be said. They came to an intersection and she stopped to look down both streets to make sure there were no changelings lying in wait for them before proceeding.

"Is it just me," Rainbow asked, "or is the silence kinda, I dunno, unnerving?"

"You'd think everypony would be panicking since the city's under attack," Applejack said.

“They are locked away in their homes because it is night, and perhaps because it is Hearth’s Warming. And perhaps they know what is happening and as such are hiding,” Nightmare stated. She eyed the windows of a few buildings they passed. At least one curtain moved, and after a cursory check with her magic, she was sure it was a pony, rather than a changeling. “This makes our task easier.”

A flash of magic broke Nightmare’s stride–she readied her magic to defend herself–and a scroll appeared. She caught the scroll in her magic and studied it. The scroll was sealed with Cadance's cutie mark which vaguely reminded her of the Crystal Empire. She broke the seal to open it.

"What's that?" Rainbow immediately asked.

Nightmare looked up from the scroll for a split second out of annoyance. "I have yet to read it."

"Uh, right. Sorry," Rainbow apologized.

Ignoring the distraction, Nightmare cast her gaze back on the scroll and read it. 'Reading it in the open is foolish,' pricked her mind, but they weren't attacked and she was certain there were no nearby changelings. When she finished, she had the idea of burning the scroll but instead teleported it to her chambers. "The changelings have taken to invading the School for Gifted Unicorns for some reason," she declared, then turned to face Twilight. "The queen–she calls herself Chrysalis–is there as well." Her three companions tensed. "I am teleporting us there." She nodded and wrapped her magic around them, then teleported them close to the school grounds, but not close enough that they were likely to be ambushed.

Of course, the flash of light gave off their arrival regardless. She forged her magic into a shield around them–just to be certain–and scrutinized their surroundings. No changelings. A half dozen Royal Guard unicorns stood at the sides of the gate to the school grounds, and about a dozen batponies stood at their sides. In case any changelings tried rushing the unicorns, they would keep the changelings from getting too close.

"My Queen!" one of the batponies called.

She dropped the shield, then strode over to him. He started to approach her, but she intervened, saying, "Stay thy post," and so he stopped and straightened. "Report."

"A dozen changelings outside from what we've seen. Likely more inside."

"Assuredly," she stated. "What of the students and teachers?"

The batpony shook his head. "It’s Hearth's Warming. There shouldn't be any ponies inside."

Some of her unease faded at that. The changelings wouldn’t be stealing foals from the School. "Good. And the Queen?"

He winced and shifted his weight. "Outside as well. That's why we're waiting."

Nightmare scowled. "I see."

"What is your command?" he asked.

Nightmare inhaled and nodded, then turned back to her companions, surveying them, then turning to the guards at her disposal. "This is likely a trap," she decided.

"There should be more Royal Guards on the way," the batpony said.

Nightmare nodded. "Good. But we should not wait." She turned back to the batpony. "Remain here. Do prevent any changelings from escaping."

He straightened, then bowed. "Yes, your Majesty!"

With that out of the way, she pulled to the side and faced her companions. "I am engaging the Queen. Assist the guards–"

"If this is a trap–!"

Nightmare cut off Twilight's protest with a shake of her head. "I am unwilling to waste time waiting for assistance. More ponies are at risk the longer we wait. We do not yet know her plan, so I would rather put an end to it before it can come to fruition." She turned before Twilight could protest, then strode to the gate and walked into the courtyard.

The changelings–she counted twenty of them, aside from the queen–were scattered about and all tensed as she appeared. Their horns remained unlit, unlike hers. The queen looked at her and grinned.

She had half the mind to outright blast the insect with her magic. It was the smartest move, as giving it any time to react or prepare was foolish.

Then again, perhaps patience would work to her advantage.

"Here to surrender?" the parasite asked, then chuckled again. "I'll be sure to make your death quick." But the queen did not yet attack.

’How arrogant.’ Nightmare scowled at the parasite but kept her anger in check. 'What is your plan?' She gradually paced a few steps further into the courtyard and reached out with her magic to see if anything was amiss. There were dozens of changelings hiding in the school, but no traps nor enchantments that she could sense, aside from the ones cast by unicorns and Sister. She heard a few changelings' wings buzz.

The queen laughed again. "Infiltrating Canterlot was so easy..."

'So you will gloat? So be it.' She had overestimated the Queen’s intelligence if that was the case, but regardless she would not be so naive as to let her guard down.

She had time. The parasite continued monologing. She paid only cursory attention to it–listening to see any hints as to her plans–while focusing on locating each changeling in the courtyard and burning their locations into her mind and locking it in with the spell matrix she prepared.

"...Cadance hardly put up a fight. Such a pathetic excuse for royalty!" the queen spat, making some sound of disgust. "Though I must say, your student..." the queen trailed off and smirked. "She was quite something... so fun to play with! And her reaction when she found out!"

And oh, how that struck a nerve. Nightmare held back a growl and flicked her tail in agitation.

The queen tossed her head back to laugh.

Nightmare lunged forward, aimed her horn to the sky, and cast her spell. A bolt of magic shot straight up. Ten feet. Twenty feet. Thirty feet. Chrysalis and her changelings hissed. Nightmare strode forward, preparing her next spell. The first spell exploded in a flash of light; a dozen smaller orbs shot towards the changelings. The changelings outside stumbled, and the lances of magic tore through their carapace.

One after another the changelings hit the ground–except for the queen, who startled when her drones fell, and eight of the drones. She cast a bolt of magic as the queen roared and jumped at her, its horn burning to life. The queen fired back. Their spells met and detonated.

Nightmare charged onward, rushing through the heated air in the wake of the explosion and cast the spell again. The queen dove. From the ground, the parasite cast another spell. Nightmare fired back. Her first spell flew over the parasite and burned out before it hit anything. Her second spell hit the parasite's spell and detonated. She felt it in her lungs.

The first bolt of magic from the surviving drones arced over her back–Nightmare felt the latent heat and churning of the air in its wake–and struck the wall. Crack! She ignored it and fired again at the queen, who jumped back and reared up on her hind legs. Her spell burned out. The Queen lurched forward and spat at her. Nightmare threw herself to the right. The glob missed her.

The Queen spat again. Nightmare fired a spell at the glob and vaporized it.

Glass shattered as the swarm inside the school finally came to their Queen's aid. More than she could count. Nightmare didn't have time to check with her magic. The Queen blasted her with magic and Nightmare shielded herself. A dozen bolts of magic from the drones followed. She dropped the shield and teleported behind the Queen to cast a spell–Chrysalis jerked her head at an odd angle and launched another glob of spit at Nightmare–which tore through the Queen's abdomen, throwing her to the ground. It let out an inequine screech of pain and she lunged to follow up, but the glob of spit struck her left forehoof making her stumble. Her head hit the ground and for a moment, her vision flickered as her aura winked out. She tasted blood.

A dozen changelings closed in. Nightmare threw herself back onto her hooves and charged up a spell. The Queen stood back up and looked at her with a violent glare. Nightmare sneered back at the pest and cast her spell. A shockwave exploded out from her horn–it passed harmlessly over her body–and threw the changelings back. None of them were close enough for it to kill, but they were momentarily stunned. The Queen hissed and spat again.

Nightmare jerked her head to the side and the spit hit her neck. She channeled her magic again and charged a spell. A changeling slammed into her side and hissed. In response, Nightmare grabbed it with her magic–crack!–and launched it at another changeling, knocking the second parasite to the ground.

With that done, the changelings backed up and bombarded her with spells. Stifling a growl, Nightmare forged her magic into a shield. Momentarily protected, she tugged on her forehoof until her hoof came free from her boot, then burnt the resin until it crumbled. She stood back up, causing the drones' spells to stop, and put her boot back on, then met the Queen's gaze. She licked her lips, ignoring the taste of her own blood.

"Kill her! And her student too!" it screeched.

'No.' Nightmare held back a growl of rage.

The Queen's horn burned with magic, then a large flare shot up into the sky, well above the cityscape. 'A signal.' Half of the parasites dispersed. The other half braced themselves and doubled down on hammering away at her shield. Some of the first half took flight.

Nightmare would not let those damned parasites win. She dropped her shield and teleported behind the Queen–Chrysalis dove to the ground in a sweeping motion as it spun to face her

Nightmare fired off a beam of magic to cut through the drones that had assaulted her. Many of them fell, but there were too many and they scattered, taking to the air. Some fired back. She cut the beam to protect herself with a shield. 'If only I could teleport as you do.'

The Queen fired a bolt of magic–Nightmare felt it explode against her shield. A second bolt exploded. A dozen smaller bolts pelted it. She strained under the bombardment. She dropped the shield to teleport to the Queen’s right, letting one of the drones' spells strike her right side between her ribcage and flank; it burned but she had no choice but to ignore it. Before the Queen could react, Nightmare threw herself into the insect, throwing them both to the ground. She pinned the parasite underneath her body. The drones wouldn't risk firing on her so close to their Queen.

The Queen hissed and struggled, working her way out from under Nightmare Moon, but Nightmare was larger and heavier. She rammed her foreleg into the Queen's shoulder in an effort to hold it down. Drones darted towards them. The Queen's head snapped to her shoulder and clamped down on her. Nightmare held back a wince and charged a spell. The Queen stared into her eyes soullessly while her blood dribbled from its mouth. Nightmare cast the spell.

The Queen was thrown away but caught herself and took flight. Nightmare risked a glance at her shoulder. One of the Queen's fangs was still there, making her frown as she plucked the fang from her shoulder before throwing it to the ground. She then turned back to face her foe.

A drone landed in front of Nightmare. She glared at it and wrapped her magic around it, only for it to flash green and take Twilight's form.

Nightmare knew it wasn't Twilight.

Nightmare still hesitated, seeing those eyes look up at her.

'Dammit.'

The drone impersonating Twilight got a spell off. It struck Nightmare’s neck. She stifled a cough and stumbled back. Swept her horn down. Fired. The changeling flashed back to green as it hit the ground.

But she would still have nightmares about that.

Feeling the side of her chestplate heating up refocused her attention. A changeling spat at her hoof, only for a bolt of raspberry-colored magic to destroy it. 'Dammit!' A variety of other colored bolts followed suit, some striking changelings, making them convulse, some making the changelings stagger, and some missing altogether. Some of the drones who had engaged her decided to instead break off and engage her soldiers.

The Queen took flight and aimed her horn at her. Nightmare growled and spread her wings wide to take flight. A beam of magic lurched from the parasite's horn towards her. Nightmare met the Queen's beam with her own beam and the courtyard lit up almost like day from where their magic hit. Her magic overwhelmed the Queen's. The Queen's magic overwhelmed hers. The beams were matched.

For a time.

Nightmare lurched forward and forced more of her magic through the beam. Its girth and brightness grew as she channeled her might. The parasite bared its teeth as it started losing ground. It stared at her. She stared at it.

A drone wrapped in its burning green aura dove at Nightmare. She didn't have time to react. A bolt of raspberry-colored magic struck it, disrupting the spell and making it convulse as it dropped to the ground and twitched.

The Queen cut her beam and dropped to the ground. Nightmare cut her beam but it rocketed into the sky before burning itself out. The parasite's wings buzzed at its sides as it bared its teeth. Nightmare saw blood from its missing fang as she charged at it.

Chrysalis’ head drew back, then snapped forward, launching a glob of spit at Nightmare. Nightmare destroyed it with her magic. Another glob, and another spell dealt with it. Nightmare braced herself for the impact, but the changeling Queen jumped into the air to avoid her. Nightmare aimed her horn and cast a spell.

The Queen rolled out of the way and fired a bolt of magic. She went to counter it. The bolt wasn't aimed at her. She didn't have time to check; a drone lurched at her, she split its carapace with a spell. A drone crashed into her back. She wrapped her magic around its head–crack!–and jumped back to her hooves.

Twilight yelped.

Nightmare startled and jerked her head to see Twilight landing just behind a small crater. The filly was distracted by it, staring at it almost blankly. 'Dammit! Focus!' A changeling flew towards the filly, and Twilight didn't see it. Nightmare bit back a growl, turned to face Twilight, and fired off a spell. It passed over Twilight–the filly jerked in surprise–and struck the drone. Twilight jerked again, then winced.

Nightmare forged her magic into a shield and took a moment to survey the chaos: the Royal Guard and batponies were simply too outnumbered. A bolt of green landed in front of her, burned out, and revealed a changeling drone. A half dozen more landed close behind it, and they wasted no time in igniting their horns to fire on her. She growled and jumped back, but the spells still struck her shield.

And more landed. On her right. On her left. Twilight shielded herself, panicking as drones surrounded her. And she looked and saw dozens of green glows in the sky. The Queen's army, assuredly, having arrived from the signal.

In a rage, she slammed her right forehoof down into the ground. The stone split. Her leg felt numb.

Bolts of magic flashed from their horns, raining down like a hailstorm. There were just too many, and she was stuck on the defensive. 'Were we not in Canterlot, this would be simple!'

Nightmare’s shield cracked, banishing the thought from her mind. With a growl, she focused more magic into her shield and split her focus to charge up another spell. Her shield strained further, up until she reared up on her hind legs, dropped the shield, slammed down and cast the spell. A shockwave erupted from her horn and slammed into the changelings surrounding her, throwing them back. Some wouldn't rise again, others were stunned or injured.

Before any drones could capitalize on her vulnerability, Nightmare teleported behind the drones surrounding Twilight. The drones lost focus on her student in favor of targeting her. Nightmare aimed and fired. The first drones fell but the rest fired back. She strode right and kept firing. They compensated. She shielded herself.

Twilight's shield fell. Bolts of pink magic finally joined in, striking several of the changelings and splitting their focus. They aimed at Twilight, and the filly teleported away. 'Good.'

Rainbow Dash tackled a drone, then launched herself back into the air with her hind legs, kicking off from the changeling's abdomen. It wheezed. In response, several drones chased after the pegasus. Nightmare aimed ahead of them and fired, and two changelings dropped from the sky.

'Where is the Queen!?' But she didn't have time to search.

Yes, battling in a city such as Canterlot was detrimental when defending. Manehattan would be even worse, she was sure.

The drones turned back to Nightmare. They fired. Her shield shrugged it off, but protecting herself wouldn't end the assault. She dropped the shield and channeled a beam of magic, sweeping her head from left to right. The beam cut through several changelings and destroyed several of their spells. A few spells flew past her. One hit her chestplate and it felt warm against her fur. The parasites scattered to avoid her beam.

Nightmare cut the beam and charged another spell, then aimed at the sky and fired. She teleported above the spell and watched it detonate. A dozen smaller lances of magic rained down on the courtyard. About half struck their targets while the rest shattered the ground where they struck.

The changeling swarm that had been above had dispersed, leaving the sky mostly unoccupied. Nightmare saw the green glows of their horns shining all throughout the city as far as she could see. Ponies screamed.

She was the Queen of the Night. An alicorn! And yet there was only so much she could do, for she was only one pony.

Nightmare caught sight of Twilight shielding herself and saw bolt after bolt of green magic flash against it. The glow of the drones’ aura left them visible; they closed in on the filly. She caught sight of a faint rainbow trail and saw three drones chasing after it. She ignored it and charged up a teleportation spell until a bolt of green flashed against the source of the trail, sending it crashing towards the ground.

Nightmare bit back a growl and refocused her teleportation spell, then cast it. The pegasus rolled to a stop, groaning, a few steps away from her. A bolt of magic shot towards the mare. She jumped into place and stood over Rainbow Dash, forging her magic into a shield that shrugged off the spell. "Where is Applejack?"

"I–ugh–saw her get stunned," the mare grumbled.

The three drones landed and eyed Nightmare warily. 'Dammit.' She would have to find Applejack later.

"I am teleporting you back to the castle. See to it that Cadance and the Captain are aware of this situation." She dropped her shield–the changelings capitalized and fired spells–and teleported the pegasus back to the castle. She sidestepped the spells and fired back. One of the parasites hit the ground and the other two scattered.

"Enough!" The Queen's voice.

Nightmare swiveled around and dropped her head low to preemptively aim.

The Queen had her aura wrapped around Twilight's neck, holding the filly up on her hind hooves, forehooves behind her back. The parasite had positioned itself that its body was hidden by Twilight's body, with her head right beside Twilight's head, carapace pressed up against the filly's fur. Twilight's legs shook and her horn glistened from the changelings' slime.

And so Nightmare locked herself in check: her spell wouldn't land before the Queen moved Twilight in its path. Her legs felt cold. Her wings twitched at her sides and she barely kept herself from growling as a cold, bitter anger filled her body. The drones gradually filed around, moving stunned ponies to the sides where they would be cocooned–Applejack was among them–and surrounding her.

"Fight back and I'll snap her neck," the parasitic Queen growled.

Nightmare kept her horn powered and leveled at the Queen. "There is nothing stopping you from killing her if I do not fight back."

It sneered at her. "I might just kill her out of spite," it said, then that sneer twisted into a malicious smile. "But, if you do fight back, I will kill her."

A spell wouldn't land quick enough.

Twilight was disabled and couldn't teleport.

Nightmare wasn't sure she could teleport Twilight before the Queen could snap her neck.

What was she to do?

She looked at Twilight. The filly's lips trembled, and how it tore at her heart! Made her jaw tighten until her muscles hurt, made anger and rage boil in her core!

And she felt angry and bitter and lost.

She could kill the Queen. But not at the cost of Twilight.

"Surrender!" it pressed, its smile twisting back into a venomous glare.

If she did not, Twilight would die.

And if she did, they would both die.

‘Your death will be agonizing,’ Nightmare decided, glaring at the parasitic Queen. And if she failed, then the Queen would live out the rest of its life wishing it hadn’t killed Twilight. ‘I need to catch her by surprise... I can teleport away and render myself invisible, but... I am risking Twilight’s life. It is the only choice...’ Dread settled into her core at the realization. Was it betraying Twilight? She was risking Twilight’s life to save her own, but she was trying to save Twilight too. She gradually stepped back and lifted her head back up. The Queen smirked damnably. A few drones hesitantly stepped closer to her.

"Horn too."

'Perhaps I should not have taken you with me. I promised that I would protect you... if I fail now...' And oh! How she raged for having been made a fool of!

And how she raged for the Queen having threatened Twilight.

The Queen would pay with her blood.

Nightmare teleported outside the school grounds, hoping the second crack! of magic would go unnoticed. Hastily checking to make sure there were no changelings to see her, she cast the invisibility spell and silencing spell on herself then dashed over to the gate.

Nightmare risked looking back inside. Twilight was on the ground a few steps away from the parasite. Her heart skipped a beat and her body felt cold from fear. Twilight moved. Still alive. She felt relieved, but there was no time to waste: the Queen growled and strode towards her friend. Twilight's forehooves were bound behind her back by the changelings' resin, leaving her defenseless.

Nightmare inhaled then exhaled and rushed through the gate. Her steps were silent. The drones didn't see her. The Queen didn't see her.

The parasite wrapped its magic around Twilight and lifted her student up once more, turning the filly to face her–the right side of her face was scratched up from having been thrown to the ground–and brought her close.

Nightmare charged up her magic and prepared a spell. The Queen brought Twilight face to face with her. The look in Twilight’s eyes–Nightmare bowed her head and aimed at the Queen.

"I'm going to enjoy this! For how much you almost ruined–"

Nightmare cast her spell. The bolt of magic flew towards the Queen. The parasite turned to see it coming, but it was already upon her. The spell crashed into the insect’s side just under her wing. Its inequine screech made Nightmare smile. Chrysalis dropped Twilight as it fell to the ground. Nightmare caught Twilight in her magic and set her down gently. The drones turned on Nightmare. She dropped the invisibility in favor of a shield. The Queen rolled on the ground and clutched her side.

The drones attacked.

Nightmare burned through the resin restraining Twilight. "Twilight!" But the filly just stared at her with empty eyes, trembling where she laid.

Nightmare had seen it before, ponies too terrified or shocked to act.

She'd be damned if that parasite got away with it.

She'd be damned if any of them got away with it.

Nightmare let out a growl, counted how many changelings surrounded her, then dropped the shield and let loose. Spells flew towards her but she matched them with her own and her spells flew into the changelings. They tried to dodge and they tried to escape but she tracked them and hunted them down and brought them low.

For what chance did insects, parasites have against the Queen of the Night?

She would not tolerate a single one of them living for what they had done. And once she had finished, she breathed in deep and turned to their fallen Queen. Met her gaze and strode over to the parasite who struggled to stand back up. Though defeated, the damned parasite looked at her venomously, promising retaliation if she didn't do what was necessary.

Nightmare stopped in front of the parasite and forced it back to the ground with a swift kick from her forehoof–it grunted and hissed at her, bringing another smile to her lips. She pinned it down and felt carapace crack under her hoof, then leaned down so that her mouth was next to its ear, that way it could not miss what she said.

"Do not cross me," would be the last thing it heard.

She lifted her head back up, then aimed–

"Wait!" Twilight's voice.

It had to be a changeling that she missed. She kept her forehoof on the Queen and turned but only saw one Twilight stumbling towards her. Checking with her magic, she was certain it was her Twilight. How could any changeling hope to impersonate her student? 'Yet the Queen impersonated Cadance and I did not know.' There was no other Twilight around.

The filly shook her head exasperatedly. "You disabled her. She's defeated. You won," the filly hastily pressed, her voice quiet yet intent. "You don't need to kill her."

Nightmare turned around to face Twilight, then jerked her head back towards the fallen Queen. "If I let her live then Equestria will be at war! She and her swarm attacked us! She will only come back to attack us again and I cannot tolerate that!"

And more importantly, 'I cannot tolerate her for threatening your life!'

"And Equestria is already at war regardless of whether she lives or not!" Twilight argued. "If you let her live then maybe you can stop a war by–"

"It will not matter!" Nightmare declared. Twilight flinched back. 'Dammit.' She was losing control, but Twilight was being naive, foolish, and unreasonable! How did she not see that leaving the parasite alive was a mistake!? How could Twilight possibly want that thing alive after threatening to kill her!? She tightened her jaw for a moment to stop herself from lashing out further.

Nightmare met Twilight's gaze and, for a few seconds, just watched the filly. The fear and shock were still there, but masked by some insane kind of determination for something she couldn't understand. "She hurt you," she said.

"That doesn't mean you should kill her," Twilight countered. And there was no waiver, no stutter; the filly spoke intently.

Nightmare held her tongue for a moment; snapping at Twilight would not benefit her, would hurt Twilight, and would break her promises. 'I would argue it does,' she considered. She inhaled deeply, then cast that breath back out. "Letting her live is a mistake. Killing her sends–"

Crack!

Nightmare growled in pain and fell to the ground as a spell exploded against her leg. She summoned her magic and looked back to see–

Another spell. Her wing crumpled under the blow.

“Nightmare!” Twilight screamed.

Nightmare threw herself back to her hooves and lunged at the damned parasite, but it somehow jumped back and spat a glob onto her horn. She braced herself and lunged horn-first at the Queen, but it managed to jump back again and catch her hoof in another glob before swiveling around and bucking her chestplate with her hind hooves. She grunted from the impact as she fell to the ground. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus on burning away the goop on her horn.

More spells. She opened her eyes. The Queen flew off into the sky and Twilight stood over her. Bolts of raspberry-colored magic flew into the sky after the parasite but none of them hit.

She burned away the goop on her horn, then her forehoof, but the parasite was gone.

Twilight stepped away from her and looked at Nightmare. “A-are you okay?”

‘No.’ Nightmare slowly stood back up, then turned her head to the side to look back at her leg and wing.

It escaped.

Her back was turned and it escaped.

She had it in her grasp. She could have killed it.

And it escaped.

Nightmare screamed in anger and stamped her forehoof into the ground hard enough that the stone split. Twilight jumped back.

‘Dammit!’

Nightmare exhaled sharply. She eyed Twilight for several seconds, then swiveled around and strode towards the gates. Twilight reluctantly followed behind her, looking away from her as if expecting some chastisement of 'I told you so.' Nightmare said nothing and strode past the gate. Stopped and looked back. Teleported Applejack back to the Castle. Looked straight ahead. Waited until Twilight was at her side. Walked out of the schoolyard.

She surveyed the street. It was deserted aside from bodies of changelings and a few stunned ponies, but none of them was the Queen.

She held in a growl and continued on to the castle.

It wasted time, but she needed it.

And so the two of them walked along, the only sounds coming from their steps and the distant screams of ponies.

As they approached the western gate to the courtyard, Twilight finally broke the silence with a quiet, "I'm sorry."

She considered her response: she had the mind to chastise the filly, but then Twilight was just a filly. Naive. Sheltered. She shouldn't have been there in the first place. The fault was her own for making the stupid decision, and it nearly cost both of them. 'Yes, I am arrogant,' she decided. And Twilight had been through a lot. Though she was livid that the Queen had escaped, taking it out on Twilight would change nothing. She took a deep breath, then let it out.

They passed through the gate. The courtyard was well-guarded. Some changelings had been bound with chains and magic suppression rings–she was half surprised they fit on their horns–and were being led to the dungeon. She didn't spot Cadance or Shining Armor. "Your Majesty!" one of the Royal Guards called as he rushed over.

She stopped and faced him. Once he was close enough, he bowed. "Where are Princess Cadance and the Captain?"

He arose from the bow, then answered, "They're in the Ballroom. We moved the ponies into the castle proper."

"I see," she said. The guard winced; some of her bitterness slipped out. "Have the School for Gifted Unicorns secured."

"O-of course, your Majesty, it will be done as soon as possible," he said and then dashed off.

Nightmare turned and walked to the ballroom, ignoring the rest of the chaos. Peering inside, she found a half-dozen Royal Guards and batponies–all high ranking–along with the Captain and her niece. Whatever they had been discussing–if anything–stopped when she stepped inside. "Captain. Niece. Colonels," she acknowledged in turn. They all faced her and bowed. She ignored it and walked over to them. Cadance eyed her burns. The Captain watched his sister.

The Captain began, "Your Majesty–"

Out of the window, she saw another large bolt of magic fly into the sky, then hover in the air. She nudged her head up higher to draw attention to it, and the staff turned to regard it.

"Another flare," one of the Royal Guards grumbled.

"Captain." Nightmare distinctly remembered him being good at shield magic, evidenced both by personal experience and his cutie mark. He turned to face her. "Shield the city." He shifted his weight. The Royal Guards and batponies looked at him. Then he nodded. She turned to Cadance. "Assist him. I do not want any more changelings getting into Canterlot."

She waited a moment to emphasize, "Nor do I want them escaping."

There was a noticeable moment of hesitation that flickered through the room.

The two mates gradually walked over to each other and bowed their heads together, crossing their horns. Both lit up with their magic and it wove together. Cadance donated her magic to help him cast the spell. She turned her full attention to the window and watched as the sky took on a tint not dissimilar from Twilight's magic as the Captain shielded the entire city.

'Impressive. I wonder if Starswirl could have done such a thing.' If he had an alicorn–even one as weak as Cadance–helping him, perhaps.

They uncrossed their horns. His stayed lit. Hers didn't. "I don't know how well it'll hold," he said.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment. "I presume Applejack and Rainbow Dash are with the rest of Twilight's friends?" Cadance nodded. She ordered, "Take Twilight to them, Cadance, and then stay with them."

"Of course," Cadance murmured. Her niece looked at Twilight's brother, then looked back at her as she walked to Twilight. "And what about you?"

She summoned her magic and began healing the injuries the Queen inflicted.

"I have a battle to win."

Author's Note

First draft finished 2/1/20.

Ahh, this was kind of fun to write, though I'll admit it started to feel repetitive. It's been a while since I've written anything like this, and I'm pretty sure I wrote this with a different technique in mind than what I normally use(d) to write this sort of thing. I was aiming for chaotic and fast-paced. Overall, I'm pleased.

First edits on 2/12/20.

2/8/21

Edits started.

2/9/21

Edits ~~continued~~ finished.

Alternate title: “Her and Her”

2/10/21

Further edits.

2/12/21

Minor touch-ups.

2/18/21

I’m trying to avoid an M-rating on this fic. There was another line or two I considered adding while Moon and Twi were walking back to the castle, but I decided against it.

The next chapter is planned to be released on March 4th. Two weeks. Unless something comes up. That’s how much longer you guys have to wait for... well... I probably don’t need to say it.

After two years, what’re another two weeks?

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Open

Twilight thought she would have been happy to see her friends, and she was, but it wasn't as happy of a reunion as she had hoped for. Cadance had teleported the two of them to the castle, then led her through a maze of corridors before stopping at some guest room. She wasn't sure where she was because she hadn't been able to pay attention. There were two Royal Guards outside, both unicorns. She looked at both of them and they stiffened for some reason as they opened the door.

Inside were, of course, her five friends. She smiled. They—excepting Applejack, who was out cold and no longer wearing armor—rushed over and wrapped her in a tight hug. She felt like crying. She didn't let herself cry. She wasn't sure how long they stayed in the group hug while they—mostly Rarity—asked her questions about what had happened. She answered as best she could, though left out a few specific points.

She didn't want to talk about that.

And too soon, they pulled away. leaving her standing there. Close to her friends, yet feeling alone. Exposed.

Vulnerable.

She walked inside, walked over to one of the walls, and sat down. Cadance closed the door with her magic, then walked over and sat down at her left. Spike walked over and sat down at her right, and Fluttershy sat down on the other side of him and nuzzled Twilight comfortingly. She managed to return it, but her heart wasn’t in it. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stayed by Applejack.

She felt tired. She wanted to just sleep. Sleep the night away. Sleep until morning came. Sleep until dawn broke. Sleep until she woke up to hear Princess Celestia's soft, musical chuckle, before hearing her say how silly her dream—her nightmare—had been.

She leaned against Cadance. Sure, Cadance was a Princess and it wasn't proper, but Cadance had been her foalsitter. Cadance was also her friend and future sister-in-law. And Cadance didn't push her away. She laid her head against Cadance's shoulder and looked across the room, staring at the wall. Spike scooted closer to her. She looked over at him and offered a weak smile, then turned back to the wall. She felt Cadance lean away just enough to slip her wing out from between the two of them, then she felt Cadance's wing wrap around her back.

She felt a little better. A little safer.

Cadance hugged her.

She breathed in deep, then exhaled.

'We shouldn't have been out there.'

'She needed help. We—I—couldn't just sit by and do nothing! And she asked! She said she was sure I could.'

'She's out there on her own now!'

'She can take care of herself!'

'She was hurt. They tried to kill her.'

'Queen Chrysalis escaped because of me. I shouldn't have said anything. What if she kills Nightmare Moon?'

'What if other ponies are hurt? What if Nightmare Moon is right and Queen Chrysalis comes back to attack again, and what if next time we can't stop them? What if Nightmare Moon loses and the changelings take over Canterlot? They would take over Equestria and—!'

"Twilight," came Cadance's soft voice.

Twilight stiffened as she realized, 'I'm hyperventilating.' She forced out a breath, closed her eyes, waited a few seconds, then inhaled and opened her eyes. She swallowed, glanced around to find everypony looking at her, then looked at Cadance shook her head. "Sorry, I just... I'm thinking."

Cadance bit her lip and, after a few seconds, nodded. "I can tell," her foalsitter murmured. She felt Cadance's wing pull her closer, then go slack. It reminded her of when she was younger; it reminded her of Nightmare Moon. "But it's okay," Cadance added softly.

She closed her eyes and leaned away from Cadance to sit up straighter. 'It will be fine. Nightmare Moon can take care of herself. They hurt her but it barely slowed her down,' she told herself.

She opened her eyes. 'But what if she can't? What if they realize it's a better idea to try to stun her? What if they realize they can catch her off-guard? What if—' she mentally kicked herself, then shifted her weight.

She wanted to say, 'We shouldn't have been out there,' and yet she couldn't open her mouth to voice it. If they hadn't helped, what would have happened? Would Nightmare Moon have been defeated? Surely not! But there was that chance. She audibly groaned and leaned into Cadance's wing, drawing everypony's attention back to her. She exhaled sharply and shook her head. "We should be out there helping," she grumbled.

And that she said that.

Yes, apparently the weight of Equestria did fall on their withers for some reason.

"I think..." Rainbow trailed off when Twilight looked at her. "...Nightmare Moon can handle it."

Twilight leaned her head back against the wall. "I hope so."

She thought back to the feeling of Queen Chrysalis's magic wrapped around her neck. She shivered and squirmed closer to Cadance. 'Coward.'

'We could have died. I could have died.'

No. Not again. No, she wasn't going to fall into that mindset again. She braced herself as best she could against the fear and anxiety haunting her. But she was tired.

And now they waited. Waited, and waited, and waited. She imagined that there was a clock on the wall, and in her mind, she pictured its second hand lazily drifting along, each movement marked with a pronounced tick as the seconds dragged on.

Minutes passed by. She leveled her head. Applejack started to stir and finally woke up. Fluttershy left her side to sit with Applejack, who seemed like she might fall over if she didn't lean back against the wall. According to Rainbow Dash, "They had to stun you a lot. Like, a lot, a lot." Applejack just snorted in response.

Having finally had a chance to rest and think, she looked around the room. It wasn't any room she recognized. There were no windows, though there was a door on the other side of Cadance in addition to the one they walked in through. It was likely an interior room since it would be safer for all of them. "We should have just used the Elements," she grumbled. "This would have been so much simpler."

But no, Nightmare Moon decided that, apparently, it was too risky. So, what did the alicorn do instead? Why, send a filly and two mares to battle an army!

She was going to have a word or two with that lunatic later.

Provided, of course, that Nightmare Moon survived. She remembered Nightmare Moon saying, 'No dragon can match me,' and while she was inclined to believe it, she also knew, 'You're fighting an entire army.' And as Nightmare Moon had often pointed out, she was just one pony.

'Just relax,' she told herself. 'The Royal Guards and batponies are out there helping her.' Worrying about it wouldn't change anything, as hard as it was not to worry about.

"It's kinda hard being stuck in here doing nothing while everypony else is out there," Rainbow grumbled.

"We helped," she pointed out.

"Well, yeah..." Rainbow agreed. Twilight thought her friend would say more, but Rainbow didn't.

Exhaustion set in more heavily, and when she breathed, she noticed that her body hurt. 'Adrenaline wearing off,' she realized with a grimaced. Yes, as time went by, her body grew to ache more and more. She felt sapped and drained—body, mind, and magic. She felt sluggish.

Despite knowing how much it would hurt, she knew from experience sparring with Nightmare Moon it would be better than sitting still, so she stood up—her muscles protested the movement, reminding her that she was not a soldier—and walked to the center of the room.

Everypony looked at her questioningly. She looked back at them, then breathed in and stretched before pacing to the doorway, turning and pacing back.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked.

"I'm sore and it'll hurt less if I'm moving," she informed her friend, drawing a squint from the pegasus. She went back to pacing.

"Yeah, well, uh, if you were more active—" Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash to silence her. After that, she was able to pace without being questioned.

After several minutes of pacing, she looked back at her body. Her left side was a mess from having been thrown on the ground by the Queen, and she felt a few scratches that she couldn't see. Her mane and tail were a mess—both from the night and from having been previously captured—and she felt cold, hot, and sticky at the same time. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to sleep or take a bath first.

She knew the bath wouldn't wash the memories away, neither would it wash away the feeling of the changelings' carapace against her body, nor the feeling of that goop, nor Queen Chrysalis's magic wrapped around her neck.

She shook the thought from her mind. 'Ponies are still fighting to protect us. To protect everypony.' She grimaced and walked back to sit down beside Cadance. Cadance's wing laid around her back again. She turned to look at her future sister-in-law, and now that she stopped to scrutinize her appearance, she realized that sometime along the way, Cadance had taken time to straighten her mane out, though there were still little cuts on her cheek. Cadance noticed and looked at her. "How are you doing?" Twilight asked.

She felt and heard Cadance inhale. Cadance answered, "I'm... shaken up, but I'll be okay."

She nodded and turned back to face the wall.

"I think we all are," Rarity said.

And she had to agree.

Waiting and worrying while knowing that ponies were out fighting while she was doing nothing, Twilight had discovered as Rainbow had said, was hard. She tried to keep her worries at bay, but it didn't stop her from progressively fearing that the door would open to reveal not Nightmare Moon, but changelings.

Or Queen Chrysalis.

They were safe, but knowing that other ponies—most ponies in Canterlot—were in danger made it hard. Her stomach fluttered with anxiety, and she felt a little sick. Hungry, too, and she wasn't the only one. After Pinkie Pie had spoken up about it, her friends somewhat reluctantly chimed in with agreements.

So, as odd as she found it, as out of place and wrong as it felt, Cadance had some food brought. Nothing special; mostly fruits and some pastries. She ate, but it didn't quite sit right with her. 'We're eating while other ponies are in danger.' She suspected Rainbow or Applejack agreed, though both of them ate.

She wasn't sure how long they had waited in the room at first. How could she know? There was no clock. Cadance couldn't—to the best of her knowledge—tell the time with her magic. And the worst part was that she knew it would take hours before they heard anything unless it was bad news.

And so when the door finally opened, she was the first one to jump to her hooves. Her body, however, really hated her for the sudden movement. She did not sharply inhale, no matter what Cadance and Spike claimed. Where she stood up, everypony else simply turned to face the doorway.

A very disheveled Nightmare Moon stood in the doorway. The alicorn looked at her for a moment, meeting her gaze, then surveyed the room before she finally turned her head back to the hallway and stepped inside. Twilight stared. Her stomach felt empty and filled with feathers at the same time.

The alicorn had at least a dozen mostly-white bandages covering her body, held in place with transparent tape that caught the room's magelight just enough to slightly shine. Both forelegs, two places on her neck, her right side. Her cutie mark. Her hind leg. Her back was bandaged most of all, with several strips of tape holding the reddish bandage in place.

And the first thing Nightmare Moon did was levitate her helmet off, walk to the wall across from her, then sit down. Twilight wasn't sure whether it was from frustration or exhaustion, but Nightmare Moon was visibly tired: she wouldn't have said Nightmare Moon slumped, but her wings sagged from her sides and her eyelids looked heavy. The alicorn's muzzle scrunched up as she closed her eyes and shook her head. When Nightmare Moon opened her eyes, she said, "Most of the changelings have been dealt with."

Whether that was permanently or not went unspecified.

For the next part, she knew Nightmare Moon purposefully avoided looking at her: "The Queen escaped. We are looking for her but I do not know if we will find her."

Twilight swallowed and gradually sat back down. At the very least, Nightmare Moon was hiding any lingering anger.

Nightmare Moon lifted her right forehoof, levitated her boot off, then repeated the process with her left forehoof before pulling both boots off her hind hooves. Then Nightmare Moon levitated her chestplate off—Twilight noticed scorch marks on it—and set it aside with the rest of her armor. "We are searching out the remaining changelings, along with the ponies they captured during the invasion and the impersonated Royal Guards and Batponies."

Twilight bit her lip; Nightmare Moon noticed and met her gaze. "We will find them," was said as Nightmare inclined her head.

Nightmare's eyes betrayed no hints of anger. She let go of her lip, feeling slightly relieved.

"What happens now?" Applejack asked.

Nightmare Moon turned her head to look at Applejack, waited for a moment, then answer, "I have already set the moon for the night—" Twilight winced; they had been waiting a very long time, "—but batponies and Royal Guards will continue to hunt down the changelings that remain in Canterlot. The Captain will likewise keep the city shielded for the time being. I am satisfied that it is safe enough that you may return to your rooms in the castle to rest, though I have increased security."

Silence descended. Nopony asked anything, and her friends mostly looked between themselves.

"Are you okay?" Twilight finally asked.

Nightmare Moon looked at her and hesitated. Twilight wasn't sure if anypony else noticed it. Her teacher finally nodded once and inhaled. "I will be fine. What of yourself?"

Twilight shifted her weight as everypony looked at her again. 'Why did you have to ask that?' "I'm... fine," she lied. Nightmare Moon knew better. She met Nightmare Moon's gaze, hoping it conveyed the right meaning.

The alicorn begrudgingly inclined her head, understanding what she meant, then turned back to look at Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Your assistance was... appreciated. You have my thanks."

Twilight wondered how much Nightmare Moon hated saying that to Rainbow Dash; the pegasus grinned brashly. Applejack nodded once.

"Though perhaps—" Nightmare turned to look at Twilight, "—I should have not asked you to help."

"It's fine." That time, not a lie.

Nightmare’s gaze lingered for a few seconds, then she leaned forward and stood back up, enveloping her armor in her magic and teleporting it away. The alicorn inhaled and a little more energy envigorated her body. "I shall take my leave. If you need anything—within reason—" Nightmare specifically looked at Rarity, "—your guards shall attend to it." Her teacher turned and walked to the door, then opened it.

Twilight stood up as Nightmare Moon walked out into the hallway and turned right.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired and sore. I'm going to bed," Applejack said flatly.

Twilight started to follow after Nightmare, leaving the rest of her friends behind. She turned to the right—Nightmare paused and looked back at her—and she walked over to her. Before she could say anything, her teacher said, "You should rest."

Twilight frowned and opened her mouth, but hesitated. She found herself looking at Nightmare's eyes. She saw worry and concern, and maybe something else, too, but she wasn't sure what. No anger though—it wasn't hidden, it just wasn't there.

Nightmare bowed her head. "We will speak in the morning."

So Twilight closed her mouth. Nightmare looked away from her and walked on, leaving her behind. She watched Nightmare walk on, and realizing that Nightmare had made a good point, sighed and turned around. 'Sleep will be good for all of us, I think,' she decided.

She wondered if any of them would be able to sleep.

Applejack walked out of the room, followed by Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. Spike came out and then Cadance walked out last. "I'll uh, see you all in the morning, I guess," Twilight said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Twilight," they chorused.

Spike walked over to her and hugged her foreleg. Twilight smiled and leaned down to nuzzle him. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Then let's go." She turned around and, while not entirely sure where she was, decided to follow the path Nightmare Moon had taken. She considered teleporting but didn't like the idea with as much as she had teleported earlier. 'We'll figure it out eventually... I can always ask somepony for help if it comes down to it.'

Eventually, she figured out where they were and so made her way to one of the closest exits to her tower.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Spike asked. “You’re being really quiet.”

Twilight thought about it for a while. "I don't know," she admitted.

She found herself slowing as they neared the door. 'Nightmare Moon said it's safe,' and yet her teacher could have been wrong. She forced herself to ignore the anxiety and passed on outside. Both guards bowed to her as she passed. It didn't help her feel any better.

And so once outside and once the doors had shut, she stopped and looked around. Unlike earlier, there was some semblance of calm and order. It was quiet, and almost peaceful, as if the night simply did not care what had happened before. She heard metal boots clicking against the stone as guards patrolled. She heard a few voices and a few occasional coughs.

The air felt cold against her coat. She shivered, then turned and walked on towards her tower. In passing, she looked up at the sky. Seeing the tint of her brother's magic encompassing the entire sky was something else. Magic was her special talent, but she doubted she'd ever be able to shield an entire city like he was.

Eventually, they approached the door to her tower. The two guards straightened at her approach. She slowed. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but she felt nervous. Her worries were, of course, misplaced, as both of them made it inside without any problems.

She sealed the door with her magic once they were inside, then powered up the magelight. And for a few seconds, she just stood there.

Her tower didn't feel warm. It didn't feel inviting. It didn't even feel welcoming. No, it felt callous and uncaring. And she found herself eyeing all of the shadows. Just to make sure that they didn't hide changelings waiting to pounce on her, either as she passed by or in her sleep. None of them did. She still double-checked.

"Twilight?" Spike finally said.

She blinked and looked at him. "Right, sorry," she apologized, then forced herself to ignore how exposed she felt as she crossed the distance to the stairs. She stepped on the first one and stopped and winced. "I should have asked earlier..." she trailed off and turned back to look at Spike. "Are you okay?"

He hesitated, then nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm okay Twilight," he said. And she was sure he meant it, even if it wasn't as warm or eager as she had hoped. She felt a little better and managed to smile back.

She led the way to her bedroom and charged up the magelight before walking in—again making sure that there were no changeling lying in wait for them—and then closed the door. She considered taking a bath, but decided against it. So she said, "Goodnight," to Spike and walked over to her bed.

"Night, Twilight," he said.

She collapsed into bed with a silent groan. The cold bedsheets sapped whatever warmth was left in her body. It was unpleasant, and as she laid there, she felt her muscles aching. Throbbing with the pulse of her heart. She clenched her eyes shut, then rolled over onto her back and used her magic to pull the covers back and tuck herself in. Everything hurt.

She watched Spike crawl into his basket and curl up, then cover himself up and close his eyes. She rolled her head to the right—her cheek was still sore—and looked out the window at the tinted night sky.

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and sighed as soon as the door clicked shut behind her, leaving her alone in the blissful silence of her chambers. It was a welcome reprieve from the rest of the night. She opened her eyes and idly looked about her room, knowing that she was alone, though entertaining the thought that perhaps, somehow, a changeling was lying in wait for her.

Of course, there wasn't.

She was glad to be done fighting the changelings, though it still set in her core, 'There will be more to deal with in the morning. There are prisoners, and there are yet changelings roaming free. Ponies and Royal Guards are missing, and finding them may prove a challenge.'

She sagged, only momentarily, but her exhaustion showed, and only because she was alone. 'If the guards saw me like this, it would not be good.' The results would either be demoralizing to them or inviting assassination attempts, though most likely the former rather than the latter—at least while there was an outside threat to deal with.

She turned and stumbled through the door to her bedchambers. Her legs and back ached, and her head hurt, but the pain from the changelings' spells had since subsided. She forced herself to ignore the discomfort. She was Queen. She had experienced worse. She would not let it stop her.

She found her head drawn to the bed as she walked past it. She felt the musical call of sleep, offering even more escape from her pain, frustrations, and worries. But sleep would only hasten the torment that the morrow would bring. 'Perhaps guards will come get me during the night for something if I sleep, so perhaps it would be better to remain vigilant, lest the changelings catch us unaware again.'

She grimaced and forced herself to look away from her bed. Passing into the bathroom, the task was made easier by closing the door with her magic. She idly surveyed the room in passing, then walked over in front of the mirror. Looked at herself. Grimaced more.

How many times had she slipped up when fighting the changelings? Every spell they landed on her! She looked at the reflection of the white bandages covering her body—each one a testament to her slipping up, each one a reminder that she was imperfect, each one a reminder that she was still just a pony. And looking at the reflection of the bandages, she remembered the burning feeling, even if it was now replaced by an uncomfortable numb tingle from her body healing.

And each burn made it that much more likely that ponies would question her power and rule. Each burn invited dissent. Ponies would not see her as having protected them, but as having been weak.

Anger kindled alongside her exhaustion, but it burned itself out almost immediately. 'This took more out of me than it should. I must find a more permanent solution to containing the Elements.'

Yes, perhaps it was not that she was slow or weak, arrogant or out of practice, but that so much of her power was tied up controlling the Elements of Harmony and with the moon.

But it was a thought to consider another time.

She turned her gaze away from the mirror and looked down at the bandage on her foreleg. Wrapped her magic around the tape and peeled it away. It pulled on her fur, but not enough to hurt. She set the bandage down on the sink and ran her eyes over the pinkish skin that had regrown. A combination of the healing salves the medics had used, her own natural healing, and applying her magic had sped her regeneration. Towards the center, her skin was still raw, not fully healed. Her fur had barely started to regrow around the edges.

'Would it be better for ponies to see me wearing bandages or to see me with such imperfections?' she wondered. Of course, the thought was moot. She would simply use magic to hide her skin with the illusion of fur. Some ponies might be able to tell there was an illusion in place, however, though it mattered little.

She shook her head and peeled off the rest of the bandages, setting each one down on the sink. Her bare skin, so exposed to the chill of the air, felt discomforting and unnatural. She craned her head to look at her back—probably the worst injury she had received—where two changelings had slammed into her and burned her.

A large strip of her fur was missing, leaving her pink, regrowing skin exposed. Her fur would grow back eventually, and until then, she could tolerate the discomfort. Using magic to regrow her fur was a frivolous waste of her power.

Yet still tempting.

She shook the thought off and strode back to her study, then sat down at her desk. A few sealed scrolls laid in a pile on the right side—each one a report detailing the night's events and such that she needed to be aware of. Her lips set into a scowl as she levitated the first one up. 'I could simply sleep. This could wait until morning.' But such would be a dereliction of her duty; it would not do to be caught off-guard again. Once already showed bad enough on her. 'I need to be aware of what is happening.'

She broke the seal to read the first report, only to startle at the crack of a teleportation spell. There were only a few ponies it could be, and it was certainly not a changeling. They couldn't teleport. 'Twilight,' she figured, and with that thought in mind, set the scroll aside. She heard hoofsteps: light and timid. Not Cadance. She stood up, then turned around and waited.

Her patience was rewarded with the filly gradually sticking her head past the doorway and looking at her. She tilted her head, and for a few seconds, Twilight just watched her. She saw her student's eyes flick back and forth between the splotches of her visible skin, studying her as if she were some kind of forbidden specimen. Then it seemed to click in her student's mind, as Twilight winced, shifted her weight, and looked away, gradually straightening her head and finally timidly walking into the room as if unsure if she had permission to.

"Twilight." Nightmare straightened her head.

Twilight turned back to face her, biting her lip. "I uh..." the filly trailed off as she timidly approached her. Twilight came to a stop in front of her and looked her over. She finally said, "I can't sleep," and met her gaze.

For a moment, Nightmare found herself considering, 'Fitting that you would come to me.' And of course, she could not blame Twilight for it. She waited for a few seconds; Twilight shifted her weight. 'You have more to say,' she knew. 'We should wait until you have rested to talk.' But fie, Twilight was already here, and had already gone through the trouble of teleporting there. She nodded once. "You desire to speak?" she asked.

Twilight cringed and turned away from her. "I'm... scared."

Nightmare’s brow folded down. 'You are afraid?'

Twilight faced her. "I'm just... I'm worried." The filly let out some sound that sounded like a mix of a whimper, a squeal, and a cry of pain. Nightmare’s ears pulled back at the sound. "What if there are changelings still around and what if they break in and... I don't know, replace me or Spike or one of my friends while we're sleeping like Queen Chrysalis did to Cadance!? Or what if Queen Chrysalis tries to..." Twilight bit her lip and tossed her head left and right.

'Of course,' set heavily in Nightmare’s mind. She breathed in deep, then sat down on her haunches. 'You are afraid again, like when Discord escaped.' And she felt sorrow. She held in a sigh.

How could Twilight not be afraid? The parasitic Queen had threatened to kill her at least once.

Nightmare felt the overpowering feeling of defeat creep up inside her chest. "I promise you that you and your friends will be safe." Twilight looked at her, and Nightmare was reminded of the empty look in Twilight's eyes earlier. "I am..." She hesitated, then relented and shook her head. "I should not have asked you and your friends to help. I am sorry." 'Perhaps I forget how young you truly are at times.' And there was nopony to blame but herself.

Twilight's brow twitched lower. "I could have—we could have..."

And though it went unsaid, they both knew what it was. And that was solely on her.

Nightmare unfolded her wings and reached out. Traced her feathers along Twilight's sides, and the filly gradually gave in, stepped closer, and pressed up against her chest before sitting down on her haunches. And with Twilight close, she wrapped her wings around Twilight's back to embrace her. The filly leaned against her, though her body was tense. She set her head down on top of Twilight's—Twilight's horn rested against the right side of her neck, just below one of her burns—and looked down to see the way her black feathers hid Twilight's body from sight, leaving nearly the only evidence of her presence as her tail.

And for a while, Nightmare simply sat there in silence, content to hold the filly close: her fur wasn't soft and smooth as she remembered, but coarse and matted from the night's conflict. Her body felt chilly, rather than warm, and her weight set heavier against her chest than normal. But the filly didn't cry into her coat. She felt no tears. Just the rise and fall of her chest. Heard no sniffles. Only Twilight’s heavy, labored breaths.

"Do you desire to talk?" Nightmare murmured.

Several seconds passed before Twilight answered, "I don't know. Not really. I just... I'm scared. I don't feel safe."

Nightmare squeezed Twilight with her wings. "You are safe," she promised.

"I don't feel safe in my tower right now," Twilight mumbled. "If Queen Chrysalis could get to Cadance in the castle..."

Nightmare closed her eyes. 'I would not force you away.' Twilight's worries were misplaced, but as with Discord, Twilight needed comfort and reassurance. To turn Twilight away and simply rebuke her was cruel. Nightmare opened her eyes and offered, "Then if you so desire, you may rest in my chambers for the night."

She felt Twilight pull away at that—Twilight's horn grazed her skin—and so reluctantly let go of the filly and lifted her head back. Twilight slowly shook her head. It did not seem to be a refusal, but neither did Twilight seem inclined to accept. "And what about you?"

With a grimace, she tossed her head to the right. Looked back at the scrolls on her desk. Felt tired simply considering the task before her. "There is work that I must attend to, and in truth, I should remain vigilant—"

"You need to sleep too," Twilight said firmly.

Nightmare felt a hoof jab her chest and tensed up at the feeling. Jerked her head around to look back at Twilight, who halfway scowled. For a moment, she was not sure how to respond. "I will be fine," she countered.

"You'll need it for tomorrow," Twilight pressed. After a few seconds, the filly's glare subsided. Twilight sighed and shook her head.

'Ah, this is true. Tomorrow will be most unpleasant.' Yes, regardless of how well-rested she was, tomorrow would be unpleasant. And if she was not well-rested, even using magic to help her function, it would be less pleasant. She winced, and Twilight saw. "I suppose this is correct," she grumbled.

Twilight opened her mouth, only to stop and shake her head again. "I should..." The filly stood up and turned. "I should just go. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—"

"You may stay," Nightmare preempted. Twilight stopped and looked back at her. She slowly stood up. "You do not feel safe in your tower. I will not force you to leave."

'I can offer to have you stay here and spend the night with you,' teased her mind, and with that, she felt a burst of energy spurred on by anxiety fill her. Her wings twitched at her sides. 'Yes, we could sleep together and you would be comforted and safe.' Surely her presence alone would help! If Twilight did not feel safe alone in her tower with Spike, then assuredly she would feel safe with her!

'At one time that would have terrified you. No, it would have petrified you.' And she felt condemned considering how terrified Twilight would have been months ago.

But yet she thought back on a few of her dreams and found the desire to offer outweighing the condemnation of knowing how she had hurt Twilight before. It would help, and if Twilight had nightmares, she would do her duty to banish them. Twilight would be safe, and she would be content with sharing her bed with Twilight.

'I would be taking advantage of you,' a part of her mind rebelled, and a certain coldness crept up in her chest, making her shift her weight and squirm where she sat. Twilight noticed and frowned. Nightmare parted her lips to speak but hesitated. 'You are afraid and have been through much tonight. You will say yes because you do not want to be alone, and because you will feel safe. And even if you decline, if I press, you will accept.'

And Nightmare felt split and tormented. 'I wish to help you. We will both be happier for it.' Or perhaps she was lying to herself. Perhaps she was simply wanting it for herself, simply wanting to take advantage of Twilight and her naivety as Sister had taken advantage of her. But no! She stamped the dissent out. Hesitating to offer was a mistake! Twilight needed her and she would be remiss if she did not comfort her student and friend.

So she gradually nodded, feeling the anxiety rising up worse than before, making her doubt herself even more. "If you truly feel uncomfortable taking my bed, then I have a counterproposal." She finished by inclining her head.

A moment passed before Twilight turned back to face her. "And that would be?"

The anxiety tickling her stomach grew worse; it was an unfamiliar feeling that Nightmare did not like. "Stay here with me tonight." She nodded once. "The bed is surely big enough for both of us."

And again Twilight hesitated, shifting her weight. "I can't ask you to—"

Nightmare bowed her head low and said, "I am offering."

Twilight eventually closed her mouth. Her jaw twitched as if she was going to speak but then shut again.

"I do not mind," Nightmare added, then lifted her head back up. "We are friends and you are the only pony who I would make such an offer to. You will be safe."

"If... if you're sure," Twilight mumbled.

Nightmare nodded once, then turned back to her desk. "You may go ahead. I will—" it occurred to her how odd it was to say and it made her uncomfortable, "—join you shortly." She levitated the report again, but didn't hear Twilight move.

She heard Twilight inhale. "You're not just trying to trick me into sleeping while you stay awake all night, right?"

Nightmare frowned and turned around to face Twilight. "I would not—!" she caught herself and jerked her head back, though a frown still settled on her lips. She inhaled, held the breath in for a moment, then let it out. Once she was sure she wasn't going to snap, she said, "I would not do that to you." She bowed her head and closed her eyes, then set the report back down and let go of her magic. "Very well. Come," she bade, then opened her eyes and walked past Twilight. She heard the filly follow her.

As she passed into her bedchambers, she saw Spike's basket—and the accompanying dragon—set against the wall. She paused and waited for Twilight to walk around beside her, then faced her.

"Sorry, I just... I didn't want to leave him back in my tower by himself," her student said.

Nightmare nodded once and said, "I see," to preempt Twilight's worry, but the filly still clenched her jaw. "I do not mind; it is better than he stays since you do not feel safe," she said. With that settled, she pulled away and walked over to the left side of the bed.

Nightmare looked back at Twilight, who was yet uncomfortable. The filly turned from Spike to look at her, then gradually meandered over to stand on the side of the bed opposite of her. Nightmare went ahead and pulled the covers back for both of them, then climbed into bed and laid down on her side facing Twilight, mindful of her back.

Twilight stood there for a few seconds, then shook her head and looked back at Spike while climbing into the bed. Reluctantly, Twilight laid down. Nightmare pulled the covers back over them and watched the filly roll onto her right side to face away from her. She studied Twilight's mane and silently contemplated how the filly squirmed as if trying to get comfortable while keeping her distance. "Is something wrong?"

Twilight stopped moving, lifted her head up, and looked over at her. "No, It's just... not what I'm used to."

'Of course. You have not had friends until recently.' Yes, perhaps Twilight was intimidated at the idea of sleeping with her friend. Or maybe Twilight was intimidated at the idea of sleeping with her. If she had been standing, she would have nodded, but since she was in bed, she settled on saying, "Relax."

Twilight either tried to smile or grimaced before laying her head back down on the pillow.

Yes, sleep would be good. For both of them. And now laying down, she remembered how tired she was. She could put away the stress of the changeling attack—for now. Tomorrow, after she—they—had rested, she would deal with whatever needed to be dealt with.

And yet Twilight still squirmed. Nightmare frowned. "You are comfortable, yes?"

Again Twilight stopped. "Yes."

'Something is troubling you.' And Nightmare had an idea of what. 'You were captured by the changelings twice.' Was there any wonder why she was afraid? Yet the filly had been brave and steadfast. She was confident in Twilight's abilities, but Twilight was yet young. "You are still afraid," she ventured.

She saw Twilight tense, and it took Twilight far longer than it should have to finally admit, "Yes..."

"You are safe here," she murmured comfortingly. "I will not let them harm you."

And yet Twilight didn't relax, didn’t look back at her. "You teleported away."

And Nightmare felt that all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment slither up into her chest. It smothered her anxiety out and left her feeling defeated and exhausted.

"I did."

"I was scared," Twilight whispered.

And Nightmare thought back on it and remembered the fear in the filly's eyes, the look in them before she stopped Chrysalis. She inhaled deeply, then silently exhaled. "I am sorry... I had little choice." But that was hardly an excuse.

"I know," Twilight whispered, voice cracking slightly.

That soft voice pierced Nightmare’s ears, making them fold back, and for a time, she wondered if Twilight felt alone, so far away across the bed from her. Isolated, like Luna had been. Cast aside as she had been. Abandoned to her fate.

Just like her.

And it didn't sit right with her. "Come here," she softly called. Twilight's head tilted to look back at her, but the filly hesitated in her confusion. So Nightmare took initiative, scooted closer, then laid her foreleg over Twilight's side—the filly's muscles felt tense—and pulled her close. She slid her wing out and brushed it over Twilight's side, yearning to feel a wing where there was none, and pulled the filly close against her body, holding her tight.

And Twilight felt so small and fragile. Her body lacked the warmth Nightmare had grown to treasure; it was so cold, like a void against her, drawing out her own warmth and making her shiver. Her coat was rugged and coarse, and the normally pleasant scent was missing, replaced with sweat and grime. But such was what it was; Nightmare would not simply cast Twilight aside. She wrapped her foreleg around Twilight's chest. Held her close. Felt Twilight's fur against her bare skin where a changeling had burned her. The unfamiliar sensation tickled.

She felt Twilight finally relax and so asked, "Is this better?"

"Yes," Twilight answered, then she squirmed. "Is this—is this okay though? It's... um, well—"

"I do not mind," Nightmare said again.

"But you're the Queen and I'm—"

"My friend," Nightmare emphasized. "We are friends. Do not forget that."

But she couldn't escape the thought, 'I am taking advantage of you.'

A few seconds passed. "I'm sorry," Twilight whispered.

"It is fine," Nightmare murmured. "Try to rest. I shall protect you. I give you my word." And to seal it, she hugged Twilight closer, wrapping her wing around Twilight more firmly and tentatively laying her hind leg over Twilight’s flank. With a quick spell, she depowered the magelight, casting the room in darkness. She felt Twilight yawn and rub her back into her chest. The sensation was pleasant, reassuring, even. "Goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight..."

For a while, Nightmare looked across the room, just staring at the wall. Feeling the rise and fall of Twilight's chest as she breathed. Feeling the pulse of her heart. Feeling Twilight’s body gradually relax and warm as she slipped into a peaceful sleep and then carefree dreams.

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes, feeling content.

When Nightmare Moon awoke, she found herself feeling warm, calm, and at peace. Settled in the crook of her neck was Twilight's head, and against her chest and abdomen, she felt Twilight's warm body. She felt the rise and fall of Twilight's chest as the filly breathed, and so her foreleg rose and fell as it was draped over Twilight's chest, with her forehoof set near her friend's heart. The scent of lavender had finally settled into Twilight's mane, though the undertones of sweat and fear and dirt were still present.

'This is pleasant,' she decided, and so kept her eyes closed and simply enjoyed the moment. Though the moon pricked at her magic, warning her that it was nearly time to recast the spell, she had time and as such would not leave. The calm, relaxing sensation of simply lazily laying in bed was too pleasant to cast aside. No knocks on the door. No hisses of changelings. Nothing imposing on her.

Simple freedom.

She breathed in deep, catching the mixed scent of Twilight, then exhaled into Twilight's mane. She felt the filly's ear twitch, flicking her cheek, but otherwise, there was no reaction from her sleeping friend. She blinked open her eyes and glanced around the room without moving, ensuring that they were, of course, alone.

It wouldn't do for anypony to see them like that. It would put Twilight at greater risk.

The filly's horn was centered right between her eyes when she looked at the wall, and for a moment, she considered it and the power the filly could wield. 'We will raise the moon together,' she thought, and anticipation flooded through her body, banishing the calm ease from simply relaxing there.

She lifted her head—she felt a few strands of Twilight's mane cling to her chin—and turned her head about, once more reaffirming that they were alone. And so assured their time together was private, laid her head back down on the pillow and craned her head forward until the back of Twilight's head was against her neck.

She gave the filly a gentle squeeze, trying to avoid disturbing her. 'You did not have nightmares,' she was assured, and it so comforted her. She closed her eyes again, a slight smile pulling at her lips.

She felt content. That they could sleep together peacefully and that she could relax, let down her guard, and simply lay with Twilight was wonderful. She did not have to worry about being betrayed or used or taken advantage of.

And yet, 'I took advantage of you,' stabbed her mind, cutting through the peace she felt. She opened her eyes as she felt the contentedness melt away, replaced with dread. 'You were vulnerable and I took advantage of you.'

And then came the guilt. It didn't taste bitter, but she did feel condemned.

Maybe it wasn't that bad but it was still bad enough. A betrayal, taking advantage of Twilight for her own gain, just like Sister had Luna. 'I wanted to comfort you. I did comfort you,' but she had still wanted it.

If Twilight had not been so vulnerable, would she have accepted? Assuredly not!

And so she bit her lip and slid her head away from the filly. 'We must speak.' But not yet. Twilight was still resting and she would not wake her; the filly needed it. So she peeled herself away from Twilight—she immediately longed for feeling her friend's warmth close to her heart again—and silently slid out of the bed, mindful of her injured back. She left the magelight off; she did not need it and it would only risk disrupting Twilight's sleep.

'You are yet young. I said I would wait.' Yes, Twilight was still far too young, far too impressionable. She needed to wait; to do otherwise was to take advantage of her and would only sour things between them. And yet, 'But I must at least be honest with you,' because not admitting it, as hard as it would be, would perhaps be just as bad.

And with the dread settling into her core from the thought of the conversation to come, she shuffled away from the bed to go to her study. She saw a basket come into view and looked to see Spike curled up in a blanket. 'Ah, yes.' She remembered that now; they had not been alone, but he was still asleep.

She welcomed the momentary distraction, though it only lasted until she walked into her study. She sat down at her desk and opened the first scroll again. Several more had arrived during the night for her to review, but none of them were sealed with urgent markings, so she set them aside for the time being.

She trudged through the first three of the scrolls. The varying reports listed within did little to improve her mood: several hundred ponies, including Royal Guards and batponies, were unaccounted for. Including ponies of varying importance in her administration, which brought her to grimace at the implications. And there were still changelings that hadn't been dealt with—including the Queen. But to her relief, it was time to raise the moon. She set the reports aside and strode back to her bedchambers. She stopped in the doorway to simply gaze upon the still-sleeping filly. 'We should raise the moon together,' she reaffirmed.

But Twilight still slept, and after last night, the filly needed it. Nightmare sighed and bowed her head as she turned away from her and walked out onto her balcony. The thought, 'Another time,' left her feeling disappointed.

And so she came to the railing and stopped. Looked out across the dark courtyard to see the few guards and batponies patrolling. Felt the cold steal what little warmth lingered in her body. Cast her gaze to the sky and took in the stars. Disappointed weighed her down as she channeled her magic. She cast her spells. Wrapped her magic around the moon, recharged the mechanisms, and raised the moon. It peeked above the eastern horizon, and she turned to regard that tiny white sliver.

Just enough to see, not enough to have ruined by Sister.

She stayed there and silently watched it until it was.

And then she left. She walked back inside and shut the door. Saw Twilight and Spike still sleeping and headed to the bathroom. Closed the door, and then stood in front of the mirror to look at herself. Her wounds were healing quickly, and more of her fur was regrowing, but it would still take time. She glanced at the bandages and teleported them away, then walked back out to her bedchambers. She stopped halfway to her study and turned back to regard her student.

Twilight was finally stirring. Shifting, but not yet awake. Nightmare turned around to face Twilight and lifted her forehoof, only to hesitate. Did she approach, or did she remain where she was? Did she greet Twilight as she awoke, or simply watch from a distance? Or did she leave to tend to reports until Twilight finally stumbled out of bed?

They needed to talk, and it was urgent. But perhaps it would be best not to immediately overwhelm Twilight with such a conversation as soon as she awoke. Yes, letting Twilight wake up so that she could think properly would be the best course of action.

'I am hesitating. I am wasting time. I should not hesitate and I should not waste time.’ A grimace slipped onto her lips. ‘I should not be paralyzed into inaction,’ she chastised herself. She held in a groan and turned from her student, then walked back to her desk.

She managed to get through several of the scrolls by the time her ears finally perked up from hearing the faint click of hooves touching the floor. 'You are awake.'

She stood up and turned around, then walked to the doorway and peered inside. The filly was turned to face the balcony, though saw Nightmare and turned to face her a moment later.

Nightmare wasn't sure what to say, and neither did Twilight say anything. 'We will talk soon,' she decided, pushing it off so that Twilight could awake further. "Good morning." She stepped into her bedchambers. "How are you?"

She heard Twilight inhale. "Fine. I think," was her student's answer. Twilight looked over at Spike.

Nightmare shifted her weight and touched the tip of her tongue to the top of her mouth. 'Stop hesitating.' "How did you sleep?" she ventured.

Twilight looked back at her. "I... slept okay."

'You seem uncomfortable,' Nightmare thought. She kept it herself; she would include it in their later conversation.

"How long have you been up?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare tossed her head to the side. "Long enough to have raised the moon and attend to reviewing most of the reports I received."

Twilight fidgeted. "Ah."

'Perhaps we should bathe,' she considered. Yes, washing away the prior nights' grime would be pleasant; showing up for breakfast without a bath did not appeal. She opened her mouth to offer, but caught herself. 'If you knew what I must tell you, would you accept or decline?' Surely Twilight would decline. And with that so, bathing together and then speaking on the subject would make Twilight uncomfortable. She closed her mouth. "If you so desire, you may take a bath here," she said.

The barest hint of a smile graced Twilight's lips. "Thanks. Uh, what about you?"

Nightmare nodded—mostly to herself—and said, "I will bathe after you. I shall... attend to other matters first. We will speak after you are finished."

Twilight winced and her head turned towards the floor. "I'm sorry that Queen Chrysalis escaped. I didn't think that—"

Nightmare shook her head and looked at the wall rather than the filly. "Not that," she said. Her voice nearly came out as a growl, and she winced. 'I claim to care about you and yet I snap at you...' A scowl settled onto her lips; Twilight, still wincing, lifted her head up to look at her. "I apologize for... that. It was not my intent." She bobbed her head and fluffed her wings. "I should... work on controlling myself better."

Because she too easily lost control, still. She thought back and considered how impatient she could be at times, then shook it from her mind for another time.

"You... should..." Twilight delicately agreed.

Nightmare’s eyelids twitched. With a shake of her head, she said, "Regardless. Not that. While I will admit that I am angry she escaped, I am not angry at you." At least not now. "I... do not hold it against you," she said carefully.

Twilight gradually nodded. "I'll uh... see you in a bit, then."

Nightmare inclined her head; Twilight walked around and went into the bathroom. The magelight inside glowed to life before the door shut.

And Nightmare just stood there, staring at the door.

Eventually, she forced herself to turn back and return to the last scrolls. It was a better use of her time than waiting however long it would take for Twilight to finish.

By the time Nightmare heard the door open, she had long since finished with the reports and organized her thoughts for the coming conversation. Yet it was still with trepidation that she meandered to the doorway to peer at Twilight as the filly walked back into her bedchambers.

Twilight stopped and looked at her.

Nightmare scrutinized Twilight's now-cleaned and groomed body. 'You look pleasant,' but she kept it to herself. She breathed in deep to steel herself, then said, "We must talk." She flicked her eyes to Spike—he was still asleep for the moment—and then met Twilight's gaze. "Alone." And with that said, Nightmare pulled back from the doorway and beckoned Twilight over with her wing. Nightmare walked to the middle of her study, then turned back to face Twilight as she entered. Nightmare closed the door with her magic, then sealed the room to ensure nothing said would be heard by anypony else.

Twilight walked over to her, tossing her head side to side hastily. "Look, I really am sorry about Queen Chrysalis escaping—"

Nightmare inclined her head. "I know. And that is not what we must discuss."

Twilight stopped a few paces away from her. "If you want to convince me that the only option is killing the changelings, you won't."

Nightmare nodded to herself and set her head at an angle. "Nor is that."

"The resistance?" Twilight asked, her muzzle scrunching up.

Nightmare tilted her head. "May I speak?"

Twilight winced. "Sorry."

Nightmare nodded, opened her mouth, and found all of her preparations for naught.

That damned unease and uncertainty snuck in and stole away all of her confidence and plans. That damned unease mocked her, running away with her preparations while laughing. Her stomach jittered worse than she could remember, and her hooves, nay, her entire body felt cold.

'Dammit.'

What was she to say!? She had to tell the truth, but that only made it harder. She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes. "This is difficult for me."

"I can tell..." Twilight said at length. "What's wrong?"

Nightmare opened her eyes and saw Twilight frowning. "It is not so much that something is wrong as it is that this is..." she trailed off. For all her preparations, she found that there was no right way to say it. "This conversation will be difficult for me. It is not something I have experience with."

And Twilight waited patiently while she wasted time.

So Nightmare decided to just get it over with. She breathed in deep to try to steady herself, then exhaled. "I took advantage of you."

Twilight didn't say anything for a while. The filly didn't gasp in shock or react in surprise. Rather, Twilight's head turned slightly to the right. "If this is about you forcing me to help you yesterday, you didn't. As much as I don't like it, I recognize that it was... necessary. I still chose—"

Nightmare shook her head. "No. Perhaps I should not have asked you to assist me, but that is not what this is about." She breathed in and, as much as she knew she would regret it, said, "Rather—" she bowed her head, "—this is about my offer for us to sleep together." And that only made Twilight confused. But of course, it did. Twilight was young and inexperienced—just like her. "I took advantage of you," she repeated. "You were vulnerable. You were scared, and I—"

Twilight shook her head while her muzzle scrunched up, betraying only more confusion. "I don't... yes, I was afraid, but I don't quite see how you took advantage of that."

And so the worst part came, and Nightmare's whole body tingled. Did she dare admit it? Could she say it? "Because I like you," she specified. And it made her squirm and tighten her wings. "More than I should."

She had said it.

Twilight was silent. The filly stared at Nightmare. Opened her mouth, only to tilt her head as if confused, then close her mouth. Blinked. Opened her mouth again, then her mouth drifted closed.

And because Twilight didn't seem to understand, she bluntly hammered the last nail into her coffin: "I have a—I believe the term Cadance would use is—crush on you."

Twilight startled at that; Nightmare saw the way the filly's whole body tensed with surprise. "W-what?" was croaked, as if the filly was choking on her own spit—and maybe Twilight did.

And now what was there to be said? Nightmare did not know and so looked at the wall.

"I-I don't... what?"

Nightmare looked at Twilight; her student's entire muzzle was scrunched up. Perhaps confusion, perhaps shock, perhaps disgust. She felt a tinge of anger and bitterness, but a cascade of disappointment smothered both out.

Why had she hoped for anything else?

The scrunch gradually faded to nothing more than bewilderment and wide-eyes. "...how long?"

That made Nightmare squirm. She avoided Twilight's gaze and answered, "Quite some time. In truth, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps as long ago as your defeating Discord..."

Twilight squinted at her. "Why?"

'I have asked myself that,' Nightmare remembered, and a grimace spread across her lips. "I do not... I am not sure I know why myself." She dropped her gaze back onto Twilight. "I have made you uncomfortable," she guessed.

Twilight opened her mouth wide as she inhaled, then paused. A moment passed; Twilight blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just... overwhelmed."

For a moment, she said nothing. 'I am Celestia's sister. You put her on a pedestal. And I know you. Yes, I see why you would be.'

"You have a crush on me?" Twilight asked, her muzzle scrunching up again.

Nightmare nodded once. "I believe so."

A few seconds passed in mutual silence. Twilight fidgeted. "Do you, uh..." Twilight screwed her eyes shut. "Love me?"

"I do not know," Nightmare admitted.

Twilight opened her eyes.

"You are my friend and I do care about you," Nightmare stated. No reaction from Twilight. Nightmare gradually nodded. "I... apologize for not telling you sooner. I was... am... afraid that you would..." She bit her tongue. 'Coward.' "I am afraid that you would desire to no longer be friends with me nor learn from me."

Twilight's brow folded down and she opened her mouth. "I still want to learn from you and be your friend but... I just... Okay, look, this is a lot to take in for me, okay? You're... you. Princess Celestia's sister."

Nightmare nodded in agreement. 'So I was correct.' "If you desire to leave I will not keep you, nor will I force you to join me for breakfast." Twilight opened her mouth, but Nightmare continued, "Though I would ask that you refrain from telling..." 'No, perhaps you should be able to speak to your friends about this.' Yes, it was unfair to ask her to keep it a secret from them, although not everypony should know. 'I will not see you hurt.' "You may tell your friends but I would rather this not become common knowledge."

"Um, right," Twilight agreed.

"If you desire me to leave you alone, just say so," Nightmare added. Twilight frowned. She wanted to reach out with her wing but knew better, so she kept it at her side.

"Is... there a reason why you're telling me?" Twilight asked, her voice betraying her anxiety and unease, leaving Nightmare feeling defeated.

Nightmare nodded. "You deserve to know." She paused for a moment and grimaced. "I would... perhaps offer to court you, but..." she trailed off and bit her tongue again.

Twilight nearly gawked at her; she saw the filly's chest deflate. "C-court as in, um... date?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "Is that the modern term?" Twilight nodded. "I see. Then... yes. But..." She cast her head to the right and gazed at the bookshelf. "You are yet... young. It is unfair of me to offer or ask to." She looked back at Twilight. "So I will not. Though... perhaps in the future, If you are not opposed..." she trailed off. 'No, this is a mistake.' She sighed. 'I have made a fool of myself.'

Twilight's mouth parted, then gradually closed. "Can I... maybe... think about this? It's um... a lot to think about."

Nightmare nodded in defeat, disappointment smothering out any other feelings she might have felt. "Of course." Because anything else would be cruel.

"I-I uh, I'll... I'll be back," Twilight said. Her horn glowed and the filly disappeared in the flash of her teleportation spell.

Nightmare was used to being alone.

It still hurt.

Author's Note

Draft finished on 2/3/20.

Finally. It only took way too long to get to this point. I had envisioned a lot of different ways this scene could go. Nightmare Moon just outright kissing Twilight was among them. Nightmare Moon groaning and hitting her head against the wall... This having taken place under different circumstances...

First edit pass on 2/12/20.

10/24/20

Reread the chapter.

[Additional information expunged]

2/9/21

I don’t remember what the alternate circumstances I envisioned for the admission taking place in. That is extremely unfortunate... perhaps I will eventually remember.

2/10/21

Edits/review.

2/13/21

Tentatively chosen the final lines for the chapter.

3/2/21

Skimmed review checking for typos. For a while I thought about rewriting some of this. Not extensively, but reviewing the wording and pacing/spacing of the paragraphs. I remember reading it last year and thinking I needed to work on improving the previously mentioned aspects so that it was more impactful, however, I suppose I’ve decided against that for whatever reason.

3/4/21

Yippie, I just realized I was using en-dashes instead of em-dashes, so now I need to go through this chapter and the last one to fix that, and go through all the prior chapters to make sure that hyphens get replaced with em-dashes...

Based on how many I found, and given the chapters I’ve recently drafted, I suspect I have developed an obsession with em-dashes. Long live—the em-dash!

Does this ending count as a cliffhanger? It brings back memories of my favorite cliffhanger to have written, which was some years ago... There is a nonzero chance some of you may know which cliffhanger that is.

Originally, the chapter ended with Twilight teleporting away, but that was a weak ending.

There’s a bit of an easter egg/reference in this chapter; I’m curious if anyone can find it.

And so, the Romance... It begins... properly. Sort of.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

A Delayed Hearth's Warming Part 2

Nightmare Moon closed the door behind her. It clicked shut. She cast her gaze around her study, carefully checking to see if any changelings or assassins were lying in wait. There were none. She reached out with her magic, searching her study, bedchambers, and bathroom.

She was alone.

She locked the door and slumped.

Between searching out remnant groups of changelings, battling them, searching and failing to find the Queen, and remembering her admission to Twilight, she felt drained. Exhausted. Battle was always draining, and with the memory of what she had told Twilight everpresent in the back of her mind, it was even worse.

And so for all her victories, for her triumph over Sister, she felt defeated. She sat down on her haunches against the door and leaned her head back. She closed her eyes.

And rather than remembering the changelings, she saw Twilight's frantic expression, heard the filly's confusion and disbelief, 'What?'

She doubted herself. 'I should have waited until after the changelings had been dealt with. And perhaps longer still, so that you would have recovered from—' she remembered seeing Twilight and Cadance run into the room to stop the wedding. She remembered the changelings that had pinned Twilight to the ground. She remembered having to slay the changeling that had taken Twilight's form. She remembered seeing Twilight on the ground as the Queen approached her.

She opened her eyes tiredly, stood back up, and then walked through her bedchambers and stepped out onto her balcony. The night sky was marred by the magic of the Captain's shield, though since the color was not dissimilar from Twilight's aura, it did not truly ruin the sky. Still, it served as a reminder of her own failures to prevent it from being necessary in the first place. She stopped at the railing and teleported her armor into the bathroom, then sat down and draped her legs over the railing.

She turned her gaze from the sky and looked to the garden. Discord was still imprisoned, fortunately, though the garden itself was less vibrant for the season. She turned her gaze to Ponyville in the distance. Considered the village for a moment, then turned her head towards Twilight's tower. 'Are you there, or are you elsewhere?' she wondered.

But regardless of wherever Twilight was, she was assured, 'You are safe,' because neither the guards nor Twilight's friends had not rushed to tell her something had happened.

'We shall talk again soon. You will want to.' And she was not looking forward to that conversation. She had laid herself bare before Twilight; what was the filly to say? Disappointment settled into her core. Regardless of Cadance's words of advice, regardless of her own desires, she was certain it wouldn't be. Twilight did not share her feelings, and Twilight was still young. Ultimately, Twilight had known her Sister longer than her; why then could she possibly hope that Twilight would even consider courting her?

It was a ridiculous fantasy, one she should not have had. It hurt.

She arose and walked back inside, closing the door to the balcony behind her and locking it. The short journey to the bathroom was quiet, save for the click of her hooves on the floor, and for it, she found herself burdened down with disappointment and the feeling of defeat.

She closed the door to the bathroom and idly looked around while she started a bath for herself. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at the few fresh burns dotting her body. They still tingled from the medicine the medics had used. She drew in a deep breath and met her reflection's gaze.

She did not look like a queen.

She did not feel like a queen.

She did not look like a victor.

She did not feel like a victor.

She looked tired and disappointed. She felt both. There was no spark of anything in her eyes, neither did they catch the glow of the magelight. They were dull and lackluster; they did not pierce.

The mare in the mirror was simply unhappy and lost.

Just like always.

And she felt bitter for it.

'I defeated Sister and banished her as she banished me. I took Equestria as my own. And for what? They still hate me and would conspire against me given the chance. And nothing will ever change that!' Energy seeped into her eyes and she scowled.

'And I cannot have Twilight.' The scowl faded away. Her eyes grew dull and unfocused.

She turned away from the mirror and regarded the wall, though ignored it in favor of contemplation.

'We are friends.'

'You gave me a chance to be your friend.'

'Even if nothing more comes than that, I am grateful that you gave me that chance.'

'Regardless, I will teach you.'

'You will become what you are meant to be. You will fulfill your destiny.'

'We will raise the moon together; I will ascend you.'

She turned off the water and turned to face the bathtub.

'Perhaps you will still be the death of me.'

She walked over to the bathtub, then climbed in. Her still-healing, raw skin burned when the hot water touched it; her muscles tense for a moment as she sank into the water so that it was over her withers. The pain faded and subsided. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the warmth soak into her coat and body to wash away the chill of the night, to wash away the night's conflict, and to wash away her disappointment and worry.

She found the water's warm, enveloping weight comforting, though it offered none of the companionship that Twilight did: the water did not care, as the night did not care, unlike Twilight, who made the choice to be her friend. And that choice mattered. She opened her eyes and bowed her head, sighing.

'This was not what I envisioned six months ago.'

'This was not what I envisioned a thousand years ago.'

But how could she have? So enraged by what her sister had done, how could she have imagined that ruling Equestria would be so unfulfilling? How could she have imagined that she would ever have a friend? That she would want more than a friend when she had never considered that before?

She was free of Sister's lies and deceit and manipulation but ponies still hated her and her night.

'Was this your plan all along, Tia?' she wondered. 'Mock me and make me hate ruling so much that I come crawling back to you, begging for forgiveness and mercy?'

She scowled and seethed.

'It will not work!'

Yet she still could not understand, 'Twilight and Cadance do not hate me and they should hate me the most of anypony for having banished you.'

The world, it seemed, made so little sense. Was it determined to undermind her? To mock her and laugh at how she couldn't understand any of it? It seemed so.

Discord would love it.

She hated it.

She cast aside her thoughts, closed her eyes, and shoved her head under the water. Let the warmth wash over her and seep into her skin, then pulled her head back above the water. She opened her eyes a few seconds later and set about washing the grime of battle from her coat. She closed her eyes again and exhaled as the scent of lavender grew stronger.

When she had finished cleaning herself, she climbed out of the bath and stood facing the mirror. The water's warmth was whisked away by the chilly air, even as she used her magic to dry and warm her body. Despite the bath, the mare in the mirror was still unhappy, her eyes, still weary and disappointed. Once dried, she walked back out into her bedchambers and turned towards the balcony, only to stop at the end of the bed.

She turned to face the bed and considered the night before, and it left her longing for Twilight's company again.

She forced herself to look away. Her hooves carried her to the balcony door. She opened it with her magic and walked back to the railing to sit again.

Alone.

As she had, it seemed, always been.

And again, she found herself watching Twilight's tower, but this time, there was activity. The door was opened and Twilight's friends passed by the guards to walk inside, and then the door closed. For some time, she simply sat there, pondering whether all seven of them were there or not. And then came Cadance and the Captain, followed by Twilight's parents who were accompanied by an escort of two guards, and she felt anxiety strangle her heart.

'Tis the night after Hearth's Warming,' she remembered with a grimace. 'You are all gathered there.' Yes, that was likely the case. For what other reason could they have been gathered than to celebrate and enjoy each other's companionship?

She turned her gaze away from Twilight's tower; she would not intrude on their time together.

But she still remembered Twilight's invitations to join her and her friends—always a hopeful invitation. And her answer had always been, 'Another time, perhaps.'

Well, it was another time.

'This—' she gradually stood up, stifling a groan in the process, '—is a mistake.'

She reluctantly spread her wings out, though kept them low. 'You should have time alone with your friends and family after what I told you. I do not want you to feel pressured... I do not want to pressure you.'

With even more anxiety, she lifted her wings higher. 'I should not go. It is a mistake. Nopony will be happy. This will end poorly.'

She gave a half-hearted flap of her wings that took her nowhere and bowed her head. 'Perhaps you would not mind my company.' But she still doubted it. 'It would only impose. Perhaps you would not send me away, but is that of your own choice or simply because you would be uncomfortable sending me away?'

She lifted her head back up and recomposed herself, then teleported to the door. The four guards startled; she glanced at them, but nopony said a word. She turned her attention back to the door—beyond it, she thought she heard the laugh of Pinkie Pie—and lifted her hoof to knock.

And surely they were expecting nopony else, least of all her.

And so it was several seconds before the door glowed with Twilight's aura and opened; the filly stood in the doorway. She looked down at Twilight, and for a moment, Twilight's smile flickered. Everypony else—they were all sitting in a circle about the middle of the library—were already looking towards the door out of curiosity, and seeing her, they stared at her. She looked at them, each one in passing, meeting their bewildered gazes, and then returning to look at Twilight. The filly gradually turned her head back to look at everypony, then stepped off to the left—an unspoken invitation to come inside.

Yet was it truly an invitation Twilight wanted to give her? She shifted her weight on her hooves and her wings twitched at her sides. "I... hope I am not intruding."

"It's fine. You're um, welcome to join us," Twilight replied softly.

'No, I am not. I should not be here.' But what else was she to do? Where else was she to go? Simply wait in her chambers for the night to end, brooding in isolation as she had for so long?

It was selfish: she carefully stepped inside and looked around. A few presents were piled together, and against the wall on her right were Twilight's friends' saddlebags. A table was set out against the wall, far away from any books, upon which food and drink were set out. The door closed behind her, and Twilight walked back over to sit down beside Fluttershy. Twilight's friends' gazes lingered, though gradually broke away from her to return to each other; Cadance did not mind, but the Captain stared at her with bewilderment and exhaustion, as if he thought he was hallucinating. Twilight's parents were both tensed, watching her with unease as if she might smite them or their colt or filly. She breathed in and gradually walked over towards the group.

When she was close enough, Cadance looked at her with a fond smile and said, "Happy Hearth's Warming."

'It does not feel that way.' It was frivolous and pointless; she nodded once and said, "To you as well." 'I should not be here.' After looking over the group, she managed to settle on sitting in the gap between Cadance and Twilight—not too close to either one of them,and neither of them seemed to mind. So when she sat down, she watched Twilight; the filly was mostly oblivious to it, instead conversing with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who in turn spoke with Applejack and Rarity and so on.

And after the initial tension faded, they grew lively again, almost as if she weren't there—and perhaps to them, she was not, as she sat in silence, hardly paying attention to what was said. She was simply there. An outsider, but there with them, as Twilight had offered. 'You are calm. You are not panicking that I am here. You have recovered from what I have told you?'

Yes, that seemed to be the case—or if Twilight was nervous, she did not see it. Or perhaps she was lying to herself and did not want to see it. She looked away from Twilight and turned to study Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Neither bore any scars from their battle with the changelings.

Unlike her.

She tilted her head and looked down at her chest, taking in the patches of missing fur. She grimaced and lifted her head back up. 'That I am here like this. That they can see me like this,' she considered but did not know what to think of it.

They would not turn on her, thinking that it was a sign of weakness. That much she knew.

Pinkie Pie laughed, breaking her thoughts. She saw Rarity roll her eyes but had not paid attention to know what had been said.

And from the companionship they shared as she watched them, she felt it strike at her heart as if it were a dagger. 'You are all so comfortable around each other.' Whatever jealousy she might have felt was simply smothered out. Longing? Guilt? Why did she feel such a thing!? And yet she knew the answer. She breathed in and turned away from Twilight. 'I should not have come.'

But she did, and so she stayed. Though for having been there, she felt as if she might as well have not been. She had nothing to say and nopony spoke to her, while the rest of them talked amongst themselves. Eventually, the time came where they exchanged gifts amongst themselves. She found herself surprised that they partook in it—they were mares but they almost acted as fillies, so filled with joy and warmth and happiness.

The gifts they exchanged seemed so frivolous to her: books and clothes and jars of food and little trinkets, and yet each item was given with meaning, an expression of love and gratitude and friendship.

They smiled and laughed and hugged and nuzzled one another as they gave and received gifts, and simply watching them left her feeling out of place: even Cadance and Twilight's parents had brought gifts for Twilight and each other, but she had brought nothing. And so she decided, 'Tomorrow morning, we will raise the moon together.'

And yet even knowing how special it would be, it somehow felt inadequate.

And after exchanging gifts, they settled back into the circle to enjoy each other's company for the rest of the evening. The wrapping paper and ribbons were cast aside. Snacks and punch—it was quite an odd term for a drink, at least to her—were had. They smiled and laughed and shared memories, talking about the days of their youth and times they had spent together. A few times, she had felt something of a smile pull at her lips.

And it brought her to reminisce on ages long since past, how she had once been young and naive, how she had once shared such a close bond with Sister, before it became tainted and corrupted and twisted into a weapon to use against her.

And so it came as no surprise that she inevitably found herself unhappy, longing for something more that seemed out of reach. Whatever it was, she did not know, but surely there had to be something more that could satisfy her.

The Captain eventually arose, smiling tiredly and saying, "It's late." They all knew what he was responsible for. Cadance quickly rose to be at his side, smiling apologetically and nuzzling him tenderly. They bade their goodbyes to Twilight and her friends and Twilight's parents. The Captain made his way to the door, but Cadance came to stand in front of her.

She regarded her niece curiously. For what purpose did the younger alicorn stand there before her? Her smile was soft, warm and perhaps meant to be reassuring. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, Aunt," Cadance murmured.

And then Cadance hugged her.

She sat there for a moment, considering, 'Aunt,' before returning the hug. Twilight's parents watched them carefully, though the filly did not as she had seen such before.

"Remember that we're family," Cadance said as she pulled away. Her warm smile was still in place. "If you ever need to talk about anything."

She nodded once.

Cadance turned and walked over to her mate's side, and then the two of them left together.

She watched the door long after Cadance and her mate had left. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe joining them was not a mistake. Maybe she was not as much of an outsider as she thought she was.

A short while after Cadance had left, she stood up. Everypony save Twilight glanced at her. She ignored it in favor of walking around to the table with food and drink. She poured herself a cup of the 'punch' and took a drink of it. It was cold and sweet and smooth, and altogether pleasant. She found herself contemplating the strawberry flavor while watching Twilight smiling as she laughed and talked with her friends.

Twilight's father gradually made his way over to the table. It was hard to miss the way he cautiously eyed her as he approached, but once he reached the table, he turned his attention to the drinks. She momentarily glanced at him as he poured a cup of punch. His body betrayed tension, and worse, he glanced aside at her, saw her watching him, and then lifted his head up to face her after finishing filling his cup.

‘You are going to say something, aren’t you?’ Of course he would. He was Twilight’s father. As she watched him, she considered his features. She saw little of Twilight in him, for his coat was blue and his mane a darker blue. His eyes were a soft amber, unassuming. And interestingly enough, his cutie mark-she had not had a good look at it before—appeared to be two crescent moons open towards each other, the larger one enveloping the smaller one.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him swallow and lick his lips. “Being Twilight’s father,” he spoke cautiously, slowly turning to face her, “I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you. A lot of ponies are... very eager to share what they’ve heard.”

She tensed and her wings tightened. She turned to face him. He watched her carefully. “I am unsurprised,” she replied evenly. ‘I certainly did little to dissuade rumors...’ “How bad are they?”

For a moment, a flicker of worry passed over his features, and she thought she saw his muscles tense.

She inclined her head to him. "You should not be concerned with telling me what ponies say." He gradually turned his head to the left and looked over at Twilight. And so she likewise turned to look at Twilight. The filly glanced at them. Twilight’s gaze lingered and she thought she saw her smile fading slightly, replaced by worry. Twilight’s gaze finally went back to her friends. "Your daughter is quite remarkable. Her talent, her magic... it is..." she trailed off, feeling that words couldn't convey it.

“She was Princess Celestia’s student,” Night Light said testingly.

Nightmare grimaced and tentatively nodded. Even if hearing her Sister's name didn't enrage her, even if she didn't attack her student's father for it, the conversation seemed destined to end poorly. She breathed in, then let out, "So she was," under her breath. She swallowed and nodded again. "Her potential is remarkable."

For a time, he said nothing. He refilled his punch and took a drink. Finally, Night Light drew in a deep breath and looked to her. "The rumors say that you're impatient and impulsive," he finally said. She just barely tilted her head towards him to watch him as he continued, "That you murdered your sister in cold blood, and only claim to have banished her—" she frowned, but he wasn't looking at her, "—to avoid the consequences. There are rumors that you're responsible for the monsters attacking ponies, instead of just the night. There are rumors that you're using your magic to give ponies nightmares and forced Twilight to become your student."

She jerked to face him and opened her mouth, only to catch herself before snapping at him. To his credit, his resolve did not falter. Nightmare turned back to look at Twilight. 'So nothing new, then.' She gradually closed her mouth while disappointment again settled into her core. "I see," she stated.

“Of course... I don’t know how much stock to put into those rumors,” he continued. He grimaced and his eyes danced across the floor before finally settling on Twilight. “I remember seeing her again, the first time after you returned. She was... distraught and terrified.”

Nightmare grimaced and begrudgingly nodded, remembering the way she had treated Twilight. She held in a sigh at the memories and the regret that churned in her chest. “I will admit that... I handled it poorly,” she stated with a slight nod.

“I’m just glad that she’s okay now,” Night Light voiced.

Nightmare tilted her head to look over at him.

“I don’t know you very well,” he admitted, “but Twilight and Cadance do. Shining doesn’t like you—” Nightmare grimaced and leveled her head, “—but both Twilight and Cadance do. They’ve said that the rumors aren’t true. I’m more inclined to believe them than ponies who don’t know you.”

‘Perhaps I was wrong about you,’ Nightmare considered. She looked back at him. “I respect both Twilight and Cadance. Shining Armor as well, though not to the same extent as Twilight. I would be—” she turned away from him to look at Twilight, “—lying if I said that my sister did not make a good choice in taking Twilight as her student.”

He breathed in deep, then exhaled, almost sighing. “And now look at all she’s been through... Discord... the changelings...” He shook his head disbelievingly.

Nightmare grimaced and turned back to face him. He seemed far more tired than he had moments before, his body slouched slightly, betraying his age, even if he wasn’t all that old. It had to be the years from being a father, the concern for his foals. She turned away from him to once more look at Twilight. Maybe she shouldn’t have said it, but he was probably thinking it. “Myself as well. In hindsight, I can respect Twilight for standing against me, despite everything being weighted against her and her ultimately... failing.”

She waited several seconds before turning to meet his gaze.

He eventually looked away from her. “Years ago I never could have imagined Twilight facing all of that. She’s... she’s not that kind of pony.”

“But she is,” Nightmare calmly countered. He looked at her skeptically, surprised. “The night I returned, Twilight was ultimately the one who tried to stop me. Not the Royal Guard.” He frowned and gradually turned to look at Twilight again. “Has she told you about the Elements of Harmony?”

He glanced at her and gave a tentative nod.

“She bears the Element of Magic. It is her destiny.” She bowed her head. “She will accomplish great things, this I know.” Night Light looked at her again, his expression unreadable. “I want to see her accomplish all that she can. She is special, and she can do things which I cannot.”

“Stopping Discord,” he muttered.

She nodded once and turned away from him.

“I don’t want my filly to get hurt...” he said tiredly.

“I don’t want her to get hurt either,” she stated. “I won’t always be able to keep her safe, but I will try. It is one of the reasons I am teaching her how to defend herself. Celestia should have...” she trailed off and shook her head.

“Princess Celestia never mentioned intending to teach Twilight how to fight. I... thought that was for the best, but I have to admit that I wonder about that now. Maybe Shining should have taught her.”

“Your daughter is competent,” Nightmare said amicably, “one of the most powerful and talented unicorns I have had the pleasure of knowing. Your son is likewise impressive, but—” she smiled slightly and leaned her head to the right, “—ah, he is not Twilight.”

Night Light snorted and a bit of a smile pulled at his lips. “Still, he managed to get Princess Cadance’s attention.”

Nightmare shifted slightly. ‘And Twilight mine,’ she dared not say, even if it likely wouldn’t be taken as anything more than being her student. “Indeed,” she agreed.

A few more seconds passed. He breathed in, then looked at her. “Well... Happy hearth’s Warming.”

She nodded to him. “And you as well.” He turned and made his way back over to sit beside his wife.

She breathed in deep and gave a short, respectful bow to them before crossing opposite of them to sit down in her prior spot beside Twilight. Twilight glanced aside at her and smiled hopefully.

In her mind, it took far longer for Twilight's friends to leave than they should have. And after Twilight pulled away from their shared hug and watched her friends depart, the filly turned back to look at Nightmare and shut the door. And though anxiety tickled her chest, she was grateful that Twilight's parents had already left. They would not approve, and perhaps would never approve, of what they needed to speak about.

But they were yet not alone, as Spike stood beside Twilight. And for a time, she simply looked at Twilight while Twilight looked back at her. The moment drew on. Should she back down and leave? Eventually, she heard Twilight breathe in and saw her look down at Spike. "It's kind of late. Why don't you go ahead and go to bed?" Spike frowned, but before he could say anything, Twilight smiled and added, "I need to talk with Nightmare Moon about something. I'll be there soon, okay?"

He sighed and begrudgingly nodded. "Alright. Sure, stay up late why don't you," he grumbled as he turned and marched off towards the stairs.

Nightmare watched him climb up the stairs. Once he was at the top, she looked back at Twilight, who still watched him. Eventually, she lost track of the sound of his claws against the floor, and then Twilight looked back at her. The filly leaned right, then gradually approached her, and for her part, she tensed her body and held herself rigid. She found herself intimidated at Twilight's sluggish approach; the filly seemed to want to draw out how long it took to start the conversation, hesitating just like her. And at one time, she would have chastised herself for being so intimidated and for hesitating as she did.

And so suddenly, Twilight came to a stop in front of her. It seemed to happen faster than it should have, and with it having happened, her throat felt uncomfortably tight. She parted her lips to speak but found words eluding her. Twilight, however, waited patiently. Watching without the same surprise as earlier. Though she saw hints of anxiety in the corners of Twilight's eyes, the filly was mostly relaxed.

"I should not have—" she caught herself and broke eye contact. "I should have waited, rather than... telling you this morning.” She swallowed and licked her lips. “It was unfair of me to have put this on you so soon after everything that has happened last night."

For a few painful seconds, Twilight was silent. The filly's gaze dropped to her chest, then Twilight bowed her head to look at the floor. "It's fine."

She looked back down at Twilight; Twilight lifted her head back up to look at her. "I shouldn't have—" Twilight tossed her head to the side as if trying to shake a bitter memory from her mind, "—teleported away like that."

And so she slowly shook her head, dismissing the apology. "I can hardly blame you. I know you well enough to realize that..." she trailed off.

It was perhaps best left unsaid.

Twilight met her gaze for a moment, then immediately looked at her chest, focusing on one of the older burns. "Yeah..." the filly mumbled.

Several seconds passed in mutual silence.

"I do not know what to say," she admitted.

Twilight looked back up at her and breathed in, nodding. "Yeah. I don't either. I don't... I have no experience with... with this."

She inclined her head and looked at the staircase. "Nor do I." 'You are—I have made you uncomfortable, have I not?' She licked her lips and looked back at her friend. "We are—" she bit her lip, then released it, "—still—" 'She will be unhappy if I question our friendship.' "—good, yes?"

Twilight nodded, a little more relaxed than before. "Yeah."

And for having heard that, she felt relief. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking comfort in the blissful release of once more having freedom from anxiety. She opened her eyes.

Twilight held her tongue between her lips as if contemplating what to say. The filly's eyes darted off to the side, and her mouth finally opened. "I—" Twilight met her gaze, "—wouldn't say I'm—" and she saw familiar anxiety taking hold of her student again, "—um, opposed to..."

And so quietly was it spoken that she almost thought it hadn't been spoken, "Courting you."

"You would not—"

And Twilight's anxiety got the best of her; the filly squirmed, tossing her head left and right. "I-I just, I mean... I-I don't know. I'm not opposed and I don't know if it would work out or anything but I don't think that... I don't..." Twilight cringed. "I'm, um, willing to... at least... give it a try."

She nodded timidly. "I see."

Why did she feel so disappointed now? Twilight wasn't against the idea! But she only felt tired and defeated, wanting nothing more than to take her leave, though it wouldn't be fair on Twilight. "I... will not yet ask, Twilight." And the reason was simple. "You... you are still young."

Twilight cringed and nodded, shifting her weight uncomfortably. "Yes... that..." The filly met her gaze. "I talked with Cadance."

"I have as well," she commented.

Twilight leaned her head to the right. "Cadance said that."

She glanced off at the staircase. "Yes, I suppose she would have." She looked back at her friend.

Twilight fidgeted. "I'm going to be seventeen in a few months."

'Is that an offer?' she wondered. Her heart beat faster. She licked her lips but only said, "I see. I shall keep this in mind."

Twilight smiled awkwardly. "How, um, was your night?"

She grimaced and looked off at the bookshelf against the left wall. She breathed in deep, then sighed in disappointment. "I have failed to track down the Queen." 'I should not have opened with that,' she realized after the fact, wincing. And sure enough, a quick glance at Twilight found the filly wincing as well. "We managed to locate several of the missing ponies and deal with a few groups of changelings, though I am unsure if we will ever manage to fully secure Canterlot."

"I suppose Cadance and Shining Armor will have to reschedule their wedding," she mused. "Perhaps next time it will not end so poorly." She faced Twilight again. "Have you heard from the resistance as of late?" Twilight shook her head. "I see."

"I'll tell you when I do," Twilight said.

She nodded once. "And you are... still interested in helping me sort out the administration?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I may not have a whole lot of experience dealing with that but I've been told I'm good at organizing."

"Thank you." 'Yes, this will be good for you. You will get experience and perhaps you will be better at this than I.' And it would help prepare Twilight in case she ever had to become Regent.

Or at the very least, for when she was inevitably Princess.

Twilight breathed in and looked off to her left, breaking her thoughts. "I uh, got you something for Hearth's Warming." There was a flash of light and a crack, and a large rectangular box appeared in the air, enveloped in Twilight's aura. The unmarked blue box was wrapped in a red ribbon. She studied the box and watched as Twilight levitated it over to her. "I thought you might like it."

She gradually took the box in her own magic—it was heavier than she expected—and slid the ribbon off before removing the lid and bringing it closer to inspect.

She ran her eyes over the contraption inside, recognizing it rather quickly. "A telescope?" She looked at Twilight.

Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I thought you'd like it. I figured since we've stargazed before and, well—" Twilight leaned her head to the right, smiling sheepishly, "—since you obviously like the night—" she felt a smile pull at her lips, "—I thought you'd appreciate it."

She nodded once, still smiling. "I do. We shall have to put it to use sometime." Twilight’s smile brightened. She carefully put the lid back on the box and teleported it to her bedchambers for later examination. "I... likewise have a gift for you," she said, then nodded. Twilight perked up even further. "Though... it will have to wait for morning."

Twilight blinked in confusion. "Oh. Um. Okay?"

She nudged her muzzle a little higher. "'Tis a surprise."

Twilight hummed as her smile returned. "I look forward to it, then."

'We both do.' "I suppose I shall take my leave, then." She crossed the remaining distance between the two of them and then stopped. Should she hug Twilight? She felt as if it would be imposing too much. In the end, it was Twilight who hugged her. Reared up on her hind legs, wrapped both forelegs around her neck and back and supported herself against her chest. So she leaned down and set her head against Twilight's neck and felt Twilight's head likewise rest against her shoulder and neck. She nosed into Twilight's mane ever so slightly and caught her scent of lavender and lilacs and books and of her friends.

The feeling of Twilight's fur against the bare skin of her burns still tickled, though wasn't as unfamiliar as before.

She carefully wrapped her legs around Twilight’s withers to return the hug. "Goodnight, Twilight," she murmured.

Twilight hugged her a little tighter. "Goodnight."

She laid on her back in the grass, staring up at her jeweled night sky. Trees' leaves rustled musically as a gentle summer's breeze blew by, reminding her of peaceful moments from ages past. The moon hung low in the west, dipping below the horizon, nearing time for her to coax it the rest of the way under the world, but yet it did not pull on her magic, nudging her like a foal would her mother for attention or milk.

Instead, she found herself feeling peace and ease. Above the flittering of leaves, she heard the quiet music of insects chirping and the distant hoots of owls. The world, she truly felt, was at peace.

Nothing imposed on her, nothing demanded of her.

The night was not cold and callous, rather, it felt like a warm, inviting summer's night. No clouds marred the sky, threatening rain and blocking her birthright from her sight. No chill bit into her coat, and the soft grassy ground was still as if a comforting bed compared to her prison.

Settled against her right side, she felt the comforting warmth of another body. When she finally moved her head to look, she felt her chin come to rest against Twilight's head.

The young mare looked at her, but laid where she was still so relaxed and at peace. Content, neither weighed down by anxiety nor fear nor nervousness. She looked free, and for it, she felt free herself. She smiled and gently rubbed her chin against Twilight's mane, bringing a small, graceful smile across her mate's lips.

"It's a beautiful night tonight," came Twilight's so musical voice.

And from hearing it, she laid her head back in the grass, closing her eyes, and smiled. "Truly it is..." she murmured. But her voice was not her own, but that of Luna's, and yet she did not consider it but for a moment.

Twilight shifted against her side, and she felt the young mare's chest come to rest against her shoulder.

When she opened her eyes, Twilight looked down at her, and surrounding the mare's innocent face she saw a halo of stars, almost like a crown, set up in the night sky surrounding her.

Twilight smiled.

She smiled.

"It's almost time for morning," Twilight said.

And with that, she felt something pull at her body. Regret? Indeed, regret, for the night was passing and would soon end, and with the night having passed, they would not be able to lay there together as they had for so many precious hours. "'Tis too beautiful to end so soon," she mumbled.

Twilight's smile grew more playful, and her eyes caught the glint of the moonlight, giving her a mischievous appearance. "There's always tomorrow night," Twilight murmured.

And so she sighed and closed her eyes again. Extending her left wing, she ran her feathers through Twilight's ethereal mane, touching the young mare's magic, feeling the slick, tickling embrace of the strands of her mane, and feeling Twilight's head lean into her touch, welcoming her as her own. And when she stopped and held her wing in place, she opened her eyes to look at Twilight and see her lean into her wing's embrace, and hardly a moment passed before Twilight's wing enveloped her own, holding it in place to her mates head.

Twilight ran her feathers against her own, weaving their feathers together like a mesh for a basket, but far more valuable and warm than any basket could ever be.

For what could she possibly trade for that would ever come close to a fraction of the value of what she had with Twilight?

She felt the moon start to pull at her magic, saw Twilight look away from her to look towards the moon. Saw how the young mare felt the same pull as she did. Bowed her head, lifting her head up from the grass to touch her chin to her neck. Felt Twilight's horn cross with hers, joining in an intimate moment where they wove their magic together, saying nothing, and lowered the moon below the horizon. Even for seeing Twilight's aura through her closed eyelids, she saw the world descend into darkness, felt the chill of the night start to press in.

She let go of her magic and opened her eyes to look into Twilight's eyes while her mate looked back into her own. Twilight's eyes sparkled as her aura danced around her horn.

And for whatever reason, looking into the mare's eyes made her feel inadequate and intimidated. She averted her gaze, then set her head back against the ground. For a few more seconds, she felt Twilight simply watching her. And she closed her eyes.

Then she felt Twilight reach out with her magic, wrap it around the sun and empower the mechanisms in place.

And she felt it as Twilight raised the sun, bringing with it dawn. The rays of soft, warm sunlight rushed passed the horizon to burn away the night's chill, lighting the world for all to see. And through her closed eyes she saw the lighting of the world from the rising sun, and for it, she felt fear.

She opened her eyes to look at Twilight and opened her mouth to speak, only for the crack of a teleportation spell to steal her words. Twilight turned to the left-where the sound had come from-and so she looked off to the left again, only to see her sister standing there.

When she opened her eyes, darkness greeted her, followed by the tug of the moon on her magic. But both were cast aside, even the ceiling was forgotten, as the dream lingered in her mind.

'You raised the sun.'

'Sister was there.'

'It was just a dream.'

'Did you free her?'

'You have the potential. We will raise the moon together.'

'Would you betray me like that? Would you trade me for Sister?'

Silence surrounded her. She was alone, as always. Alone and isolated. Just like so long ago. Just like her banishment. Except now, when she lifted her gaze, what greeted her was the gold-inlaid, marble ceiling, rather than the piercing black of space and the blue-green jewel that was Equis. And even if what she saw had changed, she wondered how much hadn't.

Because she did not feel happy.

She did not feel joy as Luna had before it was stolen from her.

She felt neither victory nor glory. Ponies yet despised her.

They mocked her and lied, spreading rumors that sought to undermine her, sought to hurt her.

And for how much Equestria had changed, for how much the world had moved on without her, under the guiding light of her sister?

Things had changed, and things had not changed.

Because time had taught her that lesson.

Unease pricked at her mind—Twilight would not simply throw her away, would she? Maybe that wasn’t what had happened in her dream, but she could not be sure. Still, it was just a dream. Nothing more.

She shook the dream from her mind, but the unease lingered. Regardless of how unnerving the dream had been, Twilight would enjoy her gift. Raising the moon with her would be special for Twilight.

She lit her horn and threw the bedsheets aside, then arose. Perhaps one night, she would not be the pony bringing the moonrise. She paused to watch the wall as she considered the thought. Twilight wouldn’t be able to yet, but if she was right about Twilight, then there would come a time when she could.

If she was right.

If she succeeded.

If she kept her promises.

She tentatively nodded to herself with the thought in mind. Twilight being able to do that would be good in case something happened to her. And surely, when the time came that Twilight could do it on her own, she would be more confident and sure of herself. She made her way to the balcony and came to a stop at the railing to watch the sky. Though marred by the captain’s shield, she could still see the stars so far above, shining brightly.

Yet perhaps having Twilight help her raise the moon this morning was a mistake. If Twilight wore herself out too much, then she would be vulnerable. She frowned at the thought but quickly cast it aside; she would stay close to Twilight if that was the case.

She turned her head to Ponyville. The sleepy village so far away was at peace; they had not been targets of the Changeling’s invasion. Perhaps there would come a time when they would raise the moon together from Twilight’s library.

She hoped they would.

She worried they wouldn’t.

Would it still be special, then? She hoped it would, but perhaps like for herself, it would lose its meaning. It was a worry for another time, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.

She relaxed and nodded to herself, then turned to look at Twilight’s tower. Perhaps if she did share it with Twilight more, it would no longer be as special—but for now, it would be special. She readied her magic, then teleported into the library so that she didn’t startle the guards this time.

Briefly looking around, she thought back on last night’s festivities, on Twilight’s father, and on what Twilight had told her. ‘Perhaps... I am rushing into this. But no, we will share this.’ She made her way up the stairs, walked to the door to Twilight’s bedroom, and then paused in the doorway to peer inside. Twilight laid in her bed, fast asleep. Safe. Unworried.

'You are innocent.'

'You are a good pony.'

'You are at peace.'

She exhaled, and it came out as a sigh. Turned her head to the left, then set her temple against the door frame. Looked at the floor.

‘Ah... I am wasting time and procrastinating.’

She pulled her head back from the door frame and quietly approached Twilight’s bed. She stopped to peer into Spike’s basket to find him sleeping soundly like his sister. 'I should not wake him.' With the thought in mind, she carefully crept alongside Twilight, then leaned down to whisper, "Twilight?"

The filly shifted under her covers, breathing in and opening her eyes before blinking twice. Her brow folded down, then relaxed. "Nightmare..?" Twilight mumbled.

She nodded once. "Yes."

Twilight frowned and glanced around, then rolled onto her back and turned her head to look out the window. "You've not even raised the moon yet?" Twilight turned back to face her, her brow folding down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," she answered. "It is... Come, I will give you your gift."

Twilight watched her for a few seconds. "Oh. Um... okay, it's a little early for that, isn't it?"

She didn't answer. What could she answer that would not ruin the surprise?

Twilight looked around. "I don't... what is it?"

She tilted her head slightly. "It is a surprise."

Twilight finally shifted her weight, then scooted towards the edge of the bed. She stepped back, and Twilight gradually climbed out of bed, stifling a yawn and ruffling her messy mane.

She nodded to herself and turned, though kept her head to where she looked back at Twilight. She lifted her wing in offer, and Twilight looked at it. Only then did she wince and turn away from Twilight, lowering her wing until it was back against her side. "I... apologize."

She heard Twilight walk up beside her, then stop. She turned to look and found Twilight meeting her gaze. "No, it's fine."

So she looked back at her wing, gradually raised it, then met Twilight's gaze. She saw nothing in the filly's eyes that spoke of condemnation or disapproval, so while she felt a tinge of worry in her core, she fought it off to drape her wing over Twilight's back. And then Twilight simply leaned into her embrace, resting her side against her own and smiling. The smile served to disarm her worry.

Twilight looked over at Spike for a few seconds, then turned back to face her. "So... what's this, um, surprise?"

She held Twilight to her side with her wing and bowed her head once. "You will see," she answered. 'I hope... this will be as special for you as it was for Luna when she first raised the moon. I hope this will be as special for you as it is for me to share it with you.' She turned away from Twilight and walked forward, saying, "Come. I will teleport us once we will not wake Spike."

And so Twilight followed right beside her, both curious and sleepy. She walked down the stairs, guiding Twilight along, careful to make sure that neither of them tripped—though it proved unnecessary.

She led Twilight to the door, then stopped and looked at her. 'It would be best to teleport now, so that the guards will not see us like this,' she decided. She wrapped her magic around both of them and cast the spell, teleporting both of them to her balcony.

And as soon as the flash of light faded, she turned her head to look at Twilight, watching the filly look around in search of her gift before finally looking at her curiously. 'You do not realize.'

But Twilight would soon enough.

She gradually turned herself so that she stood facing Twilight. Searched the filly’s eyes for the recognition that wasn't there. 'Should I tell you, or will you figure it out?' But regardless, Twilight didn't say anything. "Face me," she instructed, and after a short, curious pause, Twilight turned to face her.

She bowed her head low, bringing her horn down low enough that Twilight could reach it, though kept her eyes locked on Twilight's. And to her disappointment, Twilight still didn't recognize her offer—or perhaps seeing her head bowed in such a way simply confused the filly. Maybe it was both and more, since Twilight was still waking up.

"You will help me raise the moon. This is my gift to you," she finally said.

Twilight's eyes widened and her lips parted. The filly's body stiffened until it was as rigid as stone. "I-I can't do that!" the filly argued. "I'm just—"

Nightmare bowed her head low. "You can," she said to cut off Twilight's argument, "And you will."

So Twilight closed her mouth, though still staring at her. The filly's hooves fidgeted, then Twilight tossed her head left and right, looking everywhere but her.

She frowned and lifted her head back, "Why are you nervous?"

Twilight faced her, then broke eye contact before turning her head to the right. "I-I don't want to screw up. I-I can't do this." Twilight's head whipped around and the filly met her gaze. "I have no idea what to do!"

She inhaled and inclined her head once more. "You will not fail. I will show you," she murmured.

Twilight bit her lip, then tossed her head left and right while her hooves twisted against the floor.

She tilted her head and emphasized, "I will not let you fail. Trust me." Twilight looked at her again. "I have wanted to do this for some time but I was not sure you would be able to." She gradually looked to the left, studying the sky. "And I will admit that I am still unsure—" she turned back to meet Twilight's gaze, "—we will do this together. I will teach you."

"It is my gift to you," she said softly. "Something for us to share."

Twilight's panic slowly faded away as her eyes softened, and her tensed muscles slowly relaxed. "If... um, you're sure."

"I am," she wholeheartedly declared.

And though Twilight still hesitated a few seconds, she heard the filly breath in and saw her chest expand, then Twilight exhaled and bowed her head. Their horns crossed. Twilight closed her eyes. She closed her eyes. She channeled her magic into her horn and felt Twilight's aura intertwine with hers in an intimate dance. And as her magic wove together with Twilight's, anxiety ballooned in her core, making her tremble.

'You have so much potential.'

Yes, Twilight would help her raise the moon, sharing something with her that she had only shared with Sister before.

She reached out with her magic, coaxing Twilight's magic along with hers, bringing them both together to touch the spells that controlled the mechanisms of the heavens. Above the chime of their combined magic, she heard Twilight inhale or gasp. And she guided their magic along its course, felt Twilight prod around to explore. Gently guided Twilight to where she needed to be. Yet even while most of Twilight’s attention focused on where it needed to be, she still felt the filly curiously prodding around and exploring.

The moon rose above the horizon. A sliver at first, gradually more of it peeking over the edge of the world as if a foal investigating something new—Twilight's magic, perhaps.

And as the moon slowly rose, she set aside more of her magic, letting Twilight bear up the moon as much as she could with her own magic. And though she heard Twilight's labored breathing, the filly managed to bear up the moon almost entirely on her own.

A smile pulled at her lips: Twilight, guided by her magic, was accomplishing so much! A quiet grunt broke her focus, and almost instantly, she felt Twilight’s magic give out. The suddenness of it caught her by surprise, but no damage was done. Her smile dropped into a frown and her brow folded down—Twilight’s magic wasn’t nearly exhausted! What had—’You felt her, didn’t you?’ She opened her eyes and finished the spell.

Twilight stared at her, jaw slightly tight, ears halfway folded back. Avoiding eye contact as she breathed heavily.

And for a few seconds, she simply kept her horn crossed with Twilight's horn as the realization set in, both on herself, and on Twilight. Twilight knew she knew. Her jaw tightened as she watched Twilight’s gaze drop to her chest. What should have been perfect was, as always, ruined by her Sister.

Twilight broke horn contact first, turning her head away from her and looking a little lower, down at the balcony.

What could she say, what could she do? Her gift was now forever ruined. In the end, she could only silently lift her head up. There was nothing she could do to truly comfort Twilight.

Twilight glanced aside at her chest, then her eyes flicked back and forth seemingly at random, and as she watched, Twilight's head gradually turned away from her even more. The filly's ears folded pinned back against her mane. Her own ears folded back.

‘Dammit.’

The stirring anger, regret, and disappointment stirring within her quickly settled into disappointment.

And for that, she looked off to the left, casting her gaze out to the sky. Regarding the way the moon's light struck the snow-covered plains between Canterlot and Ponyville, then turning her body so that she stood facing Ponyville. She turned her head to face the moon and watch it ascend, slowly bringing that scarring back into view. The scarring that now scarred what should have been a perfect moment for them to share—what should have been a perfect, special gift to Twilight.

She heard Twilight turn, and when she looked over at her, she watched Twilight sit down facing the railing. The filly's head was bowed, with her gaze cast down to the courtyard below. And for her part, she was too aware of the silence. 'Perhaps I should not have shared this with you.' The way it weighted Twilight down hurt. Celestia deserved her banishment but Twilight did not deserve the pain it brought.

A grimace pulled at her lips. She sat down on her haunches and wrapped her wing around Twilight's back. The filly didn't pull away, but neither did Twilight look at her.

She looked back at Ponyville. For a long time, she simply watched the village. Twilight didn’t speak. Eventually, she drew in a deep breath, then spoke, "I was... half your age when I first raised the moon."

But Twilight said nothing.

"We—" she licked her lips, "—raised the sun and moon together, the first time, since neither of us truly knew what we were doing."

Twilight turned to face her. She turned to face Twilight. The filly didn't quite meet her gaze, and her ears were still folded back like her own.

"Of course... Starswirl was there," she added quietly. "He did not think we would be able to move the sun and moon. We were both fillies at the time. We hadn't ascended yet. We did not even have our cutie marks. Sister was... younger than you as well. Though not by much" She turned away from Twilight and faced Ponyville again. "He was... rather surprised when we moved the sun and moon. Even more so when he realized that Tia could move the sun on her own, and I the moon on my own."

She smiled a little as she thought back on that day. "He was... frustrated, too, as we may have... had some fun—" she nodded to herself, "—at his expense." Of course, his reaction to that was likewise predictable. She arched her brow up and tossed her head to the side. “He yelled at us for it, but... ah, we were fillies at the time, doing something that nopony else had done before... or could.”

A few seconds passed in silence.

"A while back—back when we were all visiting Hollow Shades—Rainbow Dash suggested I try raising the sun," Twilight said quietly.

'It's almost time for morning.'

'Tis too beautiful to end so soon.'

She felt cold as she turned to look at Twilight. At the very least, her ears weren’t folded back now. 'I dreamed that you did.' And for having thought that, for having remembered the dream, despite the memory of the warm rays of sunlight, she felt cold and paralyzed. "You could, with help," she admitted. 'And likely on your own, in time.'

Twilight's brow twitched down briefly. After a moment, Twilight looked at her chest, then turned back to face Ponyville.

For a while, they sat there in silence. She watched Twilight, watched the way her unbrushed mane fluttered as a chilly breeze blew past. Watched the way Twilight simply stared off at Ponyville, lost in thought, yet somehow at peace. She turned back to Ponyville.

And for longer still, neither of them said anything. The moon ascended higher into the sky, revealing most of the black craters. Pegasi and Batponies flew about on patrol, giving neither of them a look nor thought. Ponies started to wake; she could barely make out candles and other lights starting to glow to life in the far-distant village.

And Twilight finally said, "We raised the moon together."

"We did," Nightmare said with a single nod of her head. And it was not at all as she imagined, for it was ruined by disappointment and Sister. Had Sister not so mocked her, they would have both felt so free! Free from the burden of what Sister had done, what Sister had forced her to do. They would have raised the moon together in blissful peace. They would have raised it together and shared such a special moment together, something intimate, with meaning to both of them.

But they did not.

And for it, she felt lost and confused and defeated.

Author's Note

7/7/21

No Author’s notes exist for this chapter prior to this date. Suboptimal.

Duplicated chapter to begin edits after rereading it.

Original: 8,946.

Rewrote the scene where Night Light and Nightmare Moon interact. Hostility reduced significantly to smooth things out further down the line.

9,679.

7/8/21

Further edits/rewrites.

9,925. Why do I keep making this longer with edits...

7/13/21

Rewrote the section with Night Light for the... manyth time. I think it feels somewhat better. Not passive aggressive. Huzzah!

Finally shorter! 9,958.

7/14/21

Changed some words, stripped one paragraph out. I wonder how much this changes the feel of the scene.

9,932.

7/20/21

Removed a small section.

9,872.

7/29/21

Over the past several days I have felt terrible and have fallen into a state of demotivation and disillusionment. Hooray for not wanting to do anything: neither reading (1 chapter every 3 days, I’ve already procrastinated on reading chapter 3 for another 3 days!), nor writing (7/20/21 was the last time I remember writing or editing), nor anything else. Trying to work up my motivation again but it’s going poorly.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now because none of you are here for that.

I did not get around to last-minute edits/proofreading (which in all honesty is essentially triple to quadruple checking for typos, etc) so if you notice any issues, please point them out so that I can fix them.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

The Walk

"Twilight? You doing alright?" Applejack asked.

Startled, Twilight looked up from the spot on the table she had been staring at to look at Applejack, only to find that all of her friends, Cadance, her brother, and Nightmare Moon, were looking at her. She blinked once and shifted her weight under their gazes, sitting up straighter in her chair. She took a moment to recompose herself, inhaled, then nodded and answered, "Yeah..."

'We raised the moon together.'

Her eyes darted to the left, and for several seconds, her gaze lingered on her teacher. Neither of them said anything, but then nothing needed to be said. Nightmare Moon knew what was on her mind—she could see it in her eyes. She looked back at Applejack. "Just... thinking," she elaborated.

Applejacks' eyes squinted ever so slightly as the mare nodded. "Alright... like I've said, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."

She smiled back at Applejack in appreciation for the offer. "Thanks. I just have a lot on my mind."

'I felt Princess Celestia on the moon. You know I felt her.'

Rarity grimaced and leaned to the left. "I think we all do, dear," came as a quiet, lethargic mumble. Her friends all grimaced, and Nightmare Moon gradually nodded in agreement. Voicing what she was sure all of them felt, Rarity fretted, "This... this attack was horrible!"

"Everypony was scared!" Pinkie cried, throwing her forelegs into the air and nearly jumping out of her chair. "And not the fun kind!"

"I was scared too," Fluttershy whispered, ducking behind her mane.

"Eyup," Applejack grunted.

"Well, at least the worst of it is over now," Cadance, sighed in relief. She looked over at Cadance and watched her brother lean over and rest his cheek against her shoulder, and in response, Cadance leaned down and smiled. The two of them nuzzled and she smiled along with them.

'I have a—I believe the term Cadance would use is—crush on you.'

Cadance and her brother kept nuzzling, but instead of watching, she looked at Nightmare Moon, who idly watched them. 'Is that why you enjoy spending time with me so much? Is that why you like hugging me so much? Is that why you like nuzzling me?' she wondered. Nightmare noticed her looking, and turned her head to look back at her. 'Even if it's not, I mean a lot to you as your friend.'

Her eyes fell down to the burn on Nightmare's neck: the entire area glistened softly from the medicine on the patch of exposed skin, but it was healing. Looking at the middle of it still left her uncomfortable, though the rest of it was fine. And then there were the other furless patches dotting Nightmare's body and legs. And with those pinkish blotches marring her mentor's otherwise black coat, the alicorn looked odd when she considered it. 'You're letting your guard down, aren't you? Letting us all see you like this.'

She shook her head and looked down at her plate, then levitated a bite of pancakes up to her mouth. She chewed slowly and thoroughly, enjoying the syrupy goodness mixed with the subtle hint of blueberries as she drew out the bite since there were only a few bites left before she would be finished.

Her friends had all already finished since she had been distracted, but they were still there for whatever reason. She suspected they stayed because of her. She appreciated their company.

"So..." Applejack ventured, "we didn't really get a chance to talk about this yet, but uh... How much longer are we going to be staying in Canterlot?”

At that, everypony, including herself, looked at Nightmare Moon, who grimaced and looked at the door opposite her to avoid looking at any of them. "I do not know. I suppose it is safe enough for you to all return home by now, though there are still risks." Nightmare bowed her head and looked at the table, then shook her head. "And with the changelings having made a move, I am sure we will see more of them in the future."

Nightmare looked at her, then swept her gaze around to look at everypony else. "With luck, they will not know your importance and so you should be safe."

Nightmare looked at her again. 'Except me.'

Did Queen Chrysalis know how Nightmare felt about her? 'She does, doesn't she?' If the changelings fed on love, it stood to reason Queen Chrysalis knew about Nightmare’s crush on her, and given their limited interaction, Chrysalis seemed to be the type who would want to exploit that out of spite. She frowned: it probably put a target on her back.

The alicorn hesitantly bowed her head. "I... will have the batponies keep a closer eye on you, though you have proved yourself able to defend yourself—" Nightmare's tongue pressed against her lip as she hesitated. She watched her mentor's chest rise, then quickly fall, "—at least against the drones." She wasn’t sure if anypony else noticed it, but she notices a slight change in the tone in Nightmare’s voice: disappointment and worry.

'Will Queen Chrysalis come after me?' She bit her lip as she thought about it and thought back on her fear that a changeling or Queen Chrysalis would come for her while she was sleeping—a fear that she now knew Nightmare shared.

Nightmare nodded. "We will continue your training," her mentor decided. "I will see to it that the changelings are... dealt with." She frowned; everypony knew what Nightmare meant by that. Nightmare's brow twitched down slightly, then the alicorn looked away from her and grimaced again. "I suppose this will complicate things. I have... perhaps been complacent. The Guard, for all their worth, is small and is more of a ceremonial police force, rather than an army." Shaking her head, Nightmare continued, "And the Batponies do not have the same ranged magic that unicorns have, so they are less diversified."

Her mentor turned to her brother. "I will... need to work on expanding the guard or perhaps creating a new force. A proper army."

Her brother and Cadance both frowned at that. "That's not going to be easy, you know," her brother cautioned.

She heard Nightmare sigh; the alicorn closed her eyes and nodded. "I know. Ponies will not be eager to join an armed force—specifically one which serves me—which will complicate things significantly. Likewise, from what I have observed, Royal Guard unicorns are neither trained nor utilized to their best." Nightmare paused for a moment. "We will have to work out how to fix this, along with determining a proper doctrine."

Shining gradually looked away from Nightmare and slowly nodded.

"Equestria has more magical potential than any other kingdom. It is a shame we do not put it to use," Nightmare stated.

She had to wonder, 'To use for what?' They already did rely on magic for so many things-and Nightmare Moon hadn't shown interest in conquering the Griffins or the Zebras.

Nightmare looked at her. "You are intelligent. Pray tell, do you have any suggestions?"

She grimaced from once more being the center of attention. 'Other than the obvious answer of using magic more?' she wondered. "I'm not the best pony to ask—"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Perhaps not. You are not a soldier, but you were my Sister's protege, and are my student. You have likewise shown that you are capable of applying magic in—" Nightmare squinted at her, "—unique ways that I would not consider." Nightmare paused and lifted her head back up. "And do not get me started on your use of teleportation."

She licked her lips and waited a few seconds, then breathed in before answering, "I'd have to think about it."

Nightmare inclined her head. "Very well. I shall..." Nightmare paused and looked at her contemplatively. "Perhaps you should diversify your arsenal of spells."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Diversify them? I know a lot of spells—"

"So you say, but you rely on a select few when sparring with me," Nightmare countered.

She puffed out her cheeks and shifted her weight. "Okay, so I do. But a lot of the spells I know aren't exactly useful for sparring."

Nightmare nodded once. "Precisely. I do not have time to go through the Archives properly, but I am certain there have been new spells developed in my absence, or at least improved upon. I would like for you to go through the Archives—" she perked up at that thought, "—and learn more spells, and I suppose I shall have to teach you spells that you will not learn anywhere else."

She frowned a bit and reluctantly nodded.

"Hey, I thought Twilight was supposed to be really good with magic! Like, really, really good at it," Rainbow challenged.

Nightmare breathed in and inclined her head. "She is, Rainbow Dash, but do consider that she is not yet an adult. For as much as... as my Sister taught her, and as much as Twilight knows, they focused on fundamentals rather than actual spells. She has not put everything she knows to use."

Rainbow grumbled something she couldn't make out, and Nightmare turned back to looked at her. 'And you want to change that, don't you?' The answer was fairly obvious. She glanced back at her pancakes and cut off another bite, then swiped it around her plate to soak up as much of the syrup as she could before eating it.

"Have you decided when you're going to reschedule your wedding?" Rarity inquired.

Cadance smiled softly but shook her head. "We don't have a date yet, but soon." Her brother smiled, then the two of them leaned their heads together to share a tender nuzzle. And again, she saw Nightmare watch them before looking at her. Her mentor shifted her weight and sat up straighter.

"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't end up like this," Rarity grumbled.

"I will make certain it does not," Nightmare put in.

Cadance smiled at Nightmare. "Thank you."

Nightmare hesitated a few seconds, then nodded once. Another moment passed before her mentor looked back at her. "I suppose if you are finished—" she glanced at her plate and scooped up the last of her pancake to eat, "—I would like to take a walk with you through Canterlot." Nightmare shifted again, uncertainty slipping into her expression. "If... you are not opposed."

She finished chewing, then swallowed. 'We might run into changelings, but you probably took care of most of that last night.' And regardless, if they did, she was certain they'd be fine. She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine, I guess."

"Uh, are you sure that's safe?" Applejack asked. "Not that I doubt you or anything, but you know, there could still be changelings in Canterlot."

Nightmare looked at Applejack and inclined her head once. "There could be, but I do not believe we will run into any problems." There was an almost unnoticeable pause before Nightmare bowed her head and declared, "And if we do, I shall keep her safe."

"You could take some Royal Guards with you," her brother coaxed.

Nightmare shook her head, then looked at him. "It will not be necessary and will only detract from what they are already doing."

He didn't like that and looked at her, but nodded.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine."

His jaw tightened, then he sighed.

Cadance nuzzled him again. "They'll be okay," she comforted.

And with that, Nightmare Moon stood from her chair and walked around the table to stand beside her. She hopped down and turned, giving her friends smiles. "Stay safe," she told them.

They nodded back at her and gradually hopped down from their chairs. "Yeah, you too," they generally agreed.

Nightmare started to the door and she followed, taking her place at Nightmare's right side. Nightmare glanced over her shoulder to look at her friends, then said, "Enjoy your night."

"Your friends seem to have warmed up to me," Nightmare commented.

Twilight looked over at her mentor. The alicorn's expression looked mostly neutral, with a touch of contemplation. As she watched her teacher walk, she noticed that despite her apparent relaxed stance, Nightmare stayed vigilant, her eyes darting about to keep aware of their surroundings. "Yes," she eventually agreed, then looked back ahead.

The aftermath of the invasion left Canterlot disarrayed. Nopony was out on the street aside from them and the occasional patrol of Royal Guards and Batponies, all armed with spears. They hadn't come across a patrol in a while, but she remembered the last one they crossed: alert like Nightmare, yet unlike her teacher, they were on edge. There had been two batponies, two pegasi, two earth ponies, and two unicorns—the same composition as other patrols they had passed. The unicorns had been in the middle, with the earth ponies in front and back. The pegasi flew over the unicorns, and the unicorns were flanked by the two batponies.

All in all, the way the patrols were organized was designed to keep the changelings from getting too close to the unicorns.

"There's not a lot of damage to the city," she commented, looking around at the walls and streets. The Royal Guard unicorns had used strictly stun spells, as had the changelings—aside from attacking Nightmare and the spells where they wrapped their magic around their bodies and dived. Those spells left holes in the street and walls, which were thankfully mostly grouped together, and only where larger battles had taken place.

"Collateral damage would not be good," Nightmare stated. "The changelings wanted ponies alive. Using lethal spells would not benefit them."

She winced and shifted her weight. "Aside from you."

For a while, Nightmare was silent. Without looking at her mentor, she knew Nightmare Moon was thinking. They eventually came to an intersection. Nightmare stopped and looked in both directions while she stopped beside her. Eventually deciding to continue forward, Nightmare led on and she followed. They crossed the intersection in silence, but once they were on the other side, Nightmare spoke again. "I should not have cast that spell at the Queen when she had the crowd behind her. I did not consider that she would evade it."

She looked at her mentor and found her slightly concerned. 'If ponies hadn't jumped out of the way, you could have killed them on accident.' And Nightmare thought just the same. She turned back ahead and looked at the street. "Yeah..."

Nightmare eventually shook her head. "I must likewise admit I am not used to combat in cities such as this. When I was Luna, most battles were fought in open fields or forests." She looked at her teacher again; Nightmare's head was slightly bowed. "And—" Nightmare turned to look at her, "—perhaps I have been... arrogant." She frowned; Nightmare watched her face, then breathed in and faced ahead. "I am not used to fighting opponents who have magic at their disposal as the changelings do. I have fought Griffins, monsters, and varying magic users, but never an army that could both fly and use magic."

"You said you had fought them before, right?" she asked.

Nightmare nodded. "I have, several times. But again, it is not the same. They were... not this organized, nor numerous. They did not invade as they did here. They relied more on stealth and deception rather than brute force." Nightmare lifted her head up and looked at the sky. She looked up and studied the shield between them and the stars. "This Queen—Chrysalis—is different from the Queens of past. She is far more direct and aggressive. Less subtle... She seemed to want to conquer Equestria, rather than infiltrate and hide in the shadows."

Though she didn't want to ask it, she licked her lips and then asked it anyway, "Do you think she will be back?"

Nightmare didn't answer for a few seconds. "I believe she will." And then Nightmare looked right at her. "And..." Nightmare trailed off and her lips twisted into a strained line.

"You think she'll come after me," Twilight finished.

Nightmare's wings sagged from her side, and without saying anything, Nightmare turned away from her and nodded. "She is more vengeful than I remember Queens being. The Queens of old would not have threatened to kill you to spite me. You would be more valuable to them alive."

She looked away from Nightmare Moon. They silently walked past a few stores; their windows were thankfully intact. With luck, ponies wouldn't be too shaken up. 'Maybe this will make it a little easier for you to build an army. It's an outside threat. You said that's one way to unite ponies.'

"I should not have teleported away," Nightmare blurted out. "I should not have just left you."

She frowned and reluctantly looked over at her mentor, who looked at her with her ears slightly angled back. Thinking logically, the answer was obvious—ultimately, Nightmare would have been a fool to try anything else. That logic did nothing to soothe the regret in her mentor’s eyes. She thought back to the night they had slept together. Maybe Nightmare had offered, in part, out of guilt. "You said it yourself. You didn't have a choice."

Nightmare cringed and tilted her head up and turned away from her. "It does not make me feel any better about it, Twilight. I abandoned you. I broke my promise to you."

She stopped. Nightmare continued on for two steps before realizing that Twilight had, and when she did, Nightmare stopped and looked back at her. "It's okay, alright?"

Nightmare just watched her for a few seconds before reluctantly bowing her head. "Very well."

She walked the few steps back to Nightmare's side; Nightmare watched her the whole time. "I guess it's probably a good thing they didn't try to stun you..." she trailed off and frowned. "Okay, this may be a stupid question but why didn't they try to stun you?"

Nightmare leaned away from her, then started forward again. "Because in truth, it would perhaps be harder for them to kill me that way." Nightmare looked at her again. "You are aware of how pegasi are... quite resistant to lightning, yes?" She nodded. "They are also resistant to stun spells."

She inclined her head. "So, because you're an alicorn you're more resistant to stun spells?"

Nightmare nodded curtly. "Quite."

She frowned and lifted her head again. "But you said that I could slow you down by stunning you."

Nightmare nodded again. "Your magic is more potent than theirs. You can but it would be hard. It would slow me down, but I do not know to what extent."

She turned away from her mentor. 'So, next time we're sparring, don't hold back is what you're saying?' Well, if Nightmare Moon had battled Princess Celestia—which she had at least twice—then her mentor could probably take whatever she threw at her. "And what about them trying to kill you?" she asked.

"As I said, this Queen is far more aggressive—"

"I mean how hard would it be for them? I don't quite understand that. We've talked about it before but..." she trailed off and grimaced.

Nightmare tilted her head up. "Ah." The alicorn's wings bristled at her sides. "It is... not easy. I have been through a great deal and I am still here. As you have seen, I heal quickly, and as I have told you, I have an innate resistance to magic—" Nightmare bowed her head, "—as all ponies do, though as I am an alicorn, that resistance is stronger."

"Of course," she said.

Nightmare lifted her head again and sighed; Twilight nearly stopped but kept walking. "I suppose in truth I do not know. There are things that I suspect I cannot heal from. I doubt I could survive a dagger to the heart or my head being cut off for example," her mentor confided.

She frowned and distinctly did not picture either of those images. "How do you know you can't heal from that?"

Nightmare looked at her and opened her mouth, only to hesitate and set her tongue against her lips. A few seconds passed before her mentor looked away again. "Perhaps intuition, perhaps logic." Nightmare continued a few steps in silence. "I doubt I could heal if I am already dead."

She didn't know what to reply, so she said nothing.

They came to a plaza with a fountain in it. The water caught the light of the moon: not a perfect reflection, as the surface was too rippled, scattering the light, but the soft white glow and the gentle trickling of water were pleasant. Nightmare came to a stop a few paces from the fountain.

"Perhaps I have been a fool," Nightmare mused, then turned to look at her. "Complacent. Arrogant. Cruel—" Nightmare's lips twitched back, revealing her teeth, "—A fool."

She frowned and opened her mouth, but Nightmare turned away from her. "I should not have been so caught off-guard by the Changelings. I forgot they existed."

"It's been a long time. I don't think anyone would fault you for forgetting," she softly comforted.

Nightmare shook her head. "Perhaps not, but I have still been complacent." Her mentor turned to face her. "And a fool."

She shook her head. "You're not a fool."

"Am I not?" Nightmare challenged, gradually turning her body to face her. "I was cruel to you when I returned. I have made countless mistakes. Discord escaped—" Nightmare started shaking her head, "—and the changelings caught me off-guard, which could have been avoided had I not taken Cadance's necklace.” Nightmare’s jaw tightened, she almost missed it, but it was there. ”And I have a crush on you."

Nightmare turned to the left, turning away from her. "It is not in my best interest."

"Are you doing okay?" she coaxed.

Nightmare looked back at her. "I... do not know. I doubt myself. I am... unhappy. I feel as if having you help me raise the moon was a mistake."

Her ears pinned back. "Why do you think that?"

Nightmare sighed and sat down on her haunches, shaking her head. "We did not enjoy it as I thought we would. As I had hoped we would. You felt Sister and the moon is ruined by her presence.” Nightmare lowered her head. “It is not something we can share together that is as special for you as it was for Luna the first time she had moved it. Luna was ecstatic and for us?” Nightmare lifted her head to watch the sky, a bitter smile crossing her lips for the briefest moment before fading. “It was... nothing more than a disappointment. A reminder of what we do not have."

She sat down beside Nightmare Moon. 'I don't know what to say.' So she sat beside her mentor in silence, pondering what to say until she realized she would never have the perfect response. "It was special for me," she declared. Nightmare looked at her. "We moved the moon together," she emphasized, bowing her head and arching her brow. "That's not the sort of thing that happens all the time."

"So it is not," Nightmare idly dismissed.

"Maybe it wasn't perfect but—but I still... we moved the moon together," she repeated. "That's something that we have that I'll never have with... your Sister."

Nightmare shook her head dismissively while her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "And yet she is still there to ruin it and mock me."

She leaned over and closed her eyes. Set her head against Nightmare's shoulder and nuzzled her. At first, Nightmare's muscles were tense, though she almost immediately felt her mentor relax. She heard Nightmare sigh and felt the alicorn shift until those majestic feathers of hers brushed over her back, then felt the warmth of Nightmare's side and wing against her body. "You would do this even though you know how I feel about you?"

"Yes," Twilight answered, still nuzzling Nightmare's shoulder. "You're my friend, and I can tell you're hurting. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I just left you to hurt, would I?"

Nightmare sighed again. She felt Nightmare's chin against her cheek and the alicorn gradually returned her nuzzle. "I treasure you and your friendship," Nightmare confessed in a soft murmur. After a few quiet seconds, Nightmare pulled back. She gradually leaned her head away from Nightmare's shoulder, opened her eyes, and looked up to see Nightmare gazing at the sky. "I suppose we should not be doing this here," Nightmare cringed, turning to look at her. "I do not want other ponies seeing this as it could put you in danger."

She frowned a little as Nightmare stood back up, missing the warmth of Nightmare's side and wing. Eventually, she made herself stand up beside her mentor, who watched her.

"Sometimes, I forget how young you truly are," Nightmare sighed.

Her mentor turned to the left and walked on. After a few seconds, she turned and followed, hastily catching up so she was at her side.

"And yet I would sooner trust you in battle than the Royal Guard."

"I hope I can live up to that trust," Twilight stated genuinely.

Nightmare's stride faltered for the briefest of moments; her mentor's ears twitching back before righting themselves, and her wings sagging as her head drifted ever so slightly lower.

And for a time, they walked in in silence. Passed stores and mansions, passed parks and plazas, passed by two more patrols. The night was peaceful compared to the chaos surrounding the changelings' attack, and though Nightmare remained vigilant, watching the corners and checking the shadows for anything that might lay in weight to ambush them, her mentor walked on just as relaxed as she was.

At another plaza, they turned left and started back towards, she assumed, the castle.

As they walked on, Twilight’s mind wandered: thoughts of the Changeling invasion, thoughts of what Nightmare had told her, and thoughts about Hearth’s Warming and raising the moon with Nightmare played through her mind before eventually, she remembered seeing her father and Nightmare talking. Unease churned in her chest as she remembered it, only calmed by remembering that each time she had looked at them, they seemed to get along.

She licked her lips and looked to Nightmare, who, while still visibly conflicted, continued her vigilance. “Hey...” she said testingly, drawing Nightmare’s gaze to her, followed by Nightmare turning her head to face her, “So I saw you talking with my dad...” she ventured, pausing briefly to swallow before finally asking, “How did it go?”

Nightmare breathed in deep and leaned away from her, her conflict replaced with a neutral expression. “Well enough, all things considered,” Nightmare answered. A few seconds passed as she exhaled and straightened herself. “He worries about you,” she added.

Twilight nodded reluctantly, knowing just how true that was, but not knowing what, if anything, to say. A few more moments passed on in mutual silence as she thought about it more.

“Interesting,” Nightmare muttered.

Twilight blinked and glanced at Nightmare as her thoughts were broken. The alicorn glanced aside at her, then nodded towards some point further down the street. She turned to look and saw a unicorn stallion peering out from a side street. She frowned as she watched him look the opposite way of them, likely to see if it was safe. “That’s the first pony we’ve actually seen out, isn’t it?”

Nightmare nodded once. “Indeed. I am rather surprised anypony would be out at all.”

The stallion finished looking away from them and turned towards them. Upon seeing her—and more likely, Nightmare Moon—he jerked in surprise and stumbled as he scurried away.

Twilight frowned as he disappeared from sight, then grimaced and shook her head. “Well...” she muttered to herself before sighing. ‘Of course, even with the Changelings attacking, ponies are still afraid of you. Maybe an outside threat won’t help you as much as you think it will.’

The chime of Nightmare’s magic broke Twilight’s musing. “I wonder...” Nightmare muttered.

She turned her head to see Nightmare’s horn aglow with magic while her brow fell into a frown, then a scowl.

“It is a changeling,” Nightmare growled.

“Wha—” Twilight didn’t even get a chance to finish before her teacher leaped into action, rushing past her in the direction the stallion—the disguised changeling—had gone. She grunted before rushing off after her. “Nightmare!”

Unsurprisingly, but frustratingly, her teacher ignored her. Groaning in frustration, she slowed to a stop and summoned her magic before teleporting to Nightmare’s side. Nightmare rushed past her, not pausing even as she turned her head to look at her. The stallion turned right, running away in a panic with Nightmare rapidly closing on him.

She teleported again, and a moment later the stallion yelped as Nightmare’s magic enveloped it and threw it to the street. The crack of Nightmare summoning a spear made her tense. She bit her lip and hastily teleported to Nightmare’s side—Nightmare thrust the spear at the defenseless stallion. Without any time to think, she broke Nightmare’s grip on him and deflected the spear just enough that the tip dug into the pavement rather than his chest. Her unexpected actions drew Nightmare’s bewildered gaze to her while the stallion scrambled back to his hooves.

Nightmare growled and forced him back to the ground with her magic, then pinned him in place with a forehoof. “Twilight—”

“Stop,” Twilight emphasized, arching her brow up.

Nightmare scoffed and tossed her head back. “It is a changeling—”

Twilight looked at the stallion pinned under one of Nightmare’s hooves. He shook uncontrollably, eyes locked on Nightmare’s face. Her lips twisted into a grimace—a long time ago, she knew she would have reacted the same way. “If you’re wrong about this—”

A quick burst of magic from Nightmare’s horn, and the stallion grunted. His voice morphing in the process, becoming slightly higher pitched. A familiar green glow enveloped his body, and then what was left was the cold, black carapace of a changeling. Now revealed, his ears were still pinned against his head and he still trembled.

Twilight looked back at Nightmare, who tilted her head condescendingly and said, “I am not.”

She silently watched her mentor for a few seconds until Nightmare turned her attention back to the changeling. Nightmare lifted her forehoof from the changeling and levitated it into the air by its neck. It kicked wildly, struggling against Nightmare’s grip.

Twilight clenched her jaw and used her magic to break it free from Nightmare’s grasp. It fell back to the street; Nightmare tried to grab it again but Twilight used her own magic to stop her—at least until the changeling scrambled to his hooves and tried to bolt, to which Nightmare responded by grabbing one of its legs and pulling it back before pinning it once more, this time with her hoof on the back of its neck. With a quick spell, she teleported the changeling out from under Nightmare’s hoof and behind her so that she was between them. Nightmare’s lips twitched for a moment, then her jaw tightened as she turned to face Twilight. “I’m not going to let you kill it,” Twilight stated.

Nightmare looked at her with a scowl. “It is—”

"Yes," she grunted, bowing her head, "it's a changeling. I know." Nightmare tilted her head slightly, glaring at her disapprovingly before setting that same glare on the changeling behind her. "It's just one,” she forced out. “You don't have to kill it. It's defenseless."

"It is a threat!"

She pointedly stared at Nightmare for a few seconds, then just as pointedly turned her head back to look at the changeling. Still shaking in the spot she had teleported it to, it unblinkingly stared at Nightmare Moon from the ground. Paralyzed in fear—of the pony she called her friend.

The thought hurt. Even if it was a changeling, was that right? Her ears drifted back. Maybe it was just some ploy, but she wasn’t willing to take the risk that it wasn’t.

She turned back to face her mentor, her expression softening from sympathy. "It's not a threat. Look at it. It’s afraid."

Nightmare's lips flicked for a moment and Nightmare looked back down at her. If anything, Nightmare's jaw only tightened further.

And yet, her mentor's eyes seemed to soften just from looking at her. "If I spare it," Nightmare challenged, bowing her head, "I am condemning it to a slow death by starvation, like the others.”

“I don’t see you trying to execute the rest of the captured changelings,” she countered.

Nightmare’s glare returned as she tilted her head once more.

She straightened herself. "There has to be another way."

Nightmare seethed, tossing her head left and right. Nightmare met her gaze once more. "We cannot satisfy their dietary requirements. There is no other way."

She breathed in deep and stepped right in front of Nightmare, craning her head back to look up at her. "Then let me try to find one." She exhaled and shook her head. “Look, it has to be better than leaving all of them to starve to death, right? And if I can find a way to make it so that they don’t have to feed on ponies, then maybe Queen Chrysalis won’t have a reason to come back and attack Equestria again.”

Nightmare stared at her for several seconds, then looked at the changeling. She drew in a deep breath, then exhaled at length. She closed her eyes and shook her head, then opened her eyes and looked at Twilight. "If I agree to this, it is your responsibility," the alicorn stated. She glared at the changeling behind Twilight. "And so help me," Nightmare promised in a cold, cruel voice, "If you hurt her..."

She shifted her weight. "Nightmare Moon."

Her teacher looked back at her. Matched her gaze for several seconds.

Backed down.

Turned away from her and walked to the right before stopping and looking at the wall.

She watched the alicorn for a few seconds, then gradually turned around to face the changeling whose life she had saved. She hoped she had saved it.

She did not want to be the pony sentencing it to starvation.

It stared at her with a seemingly empty gaze, its teal eyes boring into her own, reminding her of the changelings who had pinned her to the ground. A shiver ran through her body as she remembered the feeling of the cold carapace pressed against her body.

Could it even speak?

Nightmare had called them drones. Did it have a sex or was it sexless?

"Hello?" she asked.

It gradually—and extremely slowly—shifted as it started to stand up. She glanced over at Nightmare Moon, who eyed the changeling like she expected it to try to kill her.

"H-hello," it softly droned.

'So you can talk.' That was a great first step! It broke eye contact to look at her mentor, then looked at her again. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. Do you have a name?"

It swallowed hard, its wings jittering nervously at its sides. "Th-Thorax."

As soon as they walked through the gate to the castle courtyard, guards look at them. Or, more specifically, the changeling that stood on her right. Thorax had specifically kept Twilight between Nightmare Moon and himself, and, for the most part, barely looked away from Nightmare Moon the entire trek back to the castle. Nightmare Moon ignored his gaze in favor of surveying the courtyard; he eventually looked away from Nightmare to look around too.

The guards looked on in confusion, unsure if they were supposed to do anything or not. Two of them—Nightmare Moon had sent a scroll on the way back—strode over to them and gave quick bows before standing on the opposite side of Thorax from her. His insectoid wings jittered at his sides as he watched them while one of them slipped a magic inhibitor ring onto his horn. He shifted nervously and stepped slightly closer to her. ‘Of course you’re nervous...’

Eventually, Nightmare Moon walked forward, and so she followed. Thorax followed closely behind her, and with good reason.

"Your Majesty?" one of the guards questioned as they approached the door to the castle.

Nightmare inclined her head once, but said nothing and continued inside.

Thorax looked over at her, his head held low, his ears pinned back, and what served as his lips slightly downturn. She glanced at him but didn't know what to say. She glanced at Nightmare; it was hard to miss how tense her mentor was. Neither of them had directly spoken to each other, and for that matter, not much had been said on the way back. She missed the relaxed peace they had shared.

They walked into the Throne Room; Thorax looked around and eyed the throne. She glanced at it in passing.

Nightmare led them back to the hallway, then they turned left and continued on. The guards they passed all paused to watch, though didn't ask any questions, possibly because of Nightmare's scowl, or possibly because of the escort.

When they reached Nightmare's chambers, the alicorn finally looked at Thorax and nodded once. "Remain here." Her mentor opened the door and nodded at her. She gradually walked inside, to the middle of the room, then stopped and turned around. Nightmare silently walked in after her, then closed the door. Thorax's wings twitched before she lost sight of him.

"I do not trust it," Nightmare stated.

"I can tell," she flatly acknowledged. 'You may have a crush on me but you're still angry so often.'

Maybe Discord was right. Maybe it really was a mistake.

Nightmare lifted her head and breathed in deep, then cast her breath out and walked around her side. She turned to watch, and Nightmare walked on past her to the desk. "Stay safe. Keep an eye on it. If you require assistance, do not hesitate to ask."

"I'll be fine," she declared.

Nightmare gradually turned her head back to look at her, then just as slowly looked back at her desk. “I... apologize for... losing my temper with you.”

“Apology accepted.” Twilight smiled softly.

Nightmare gradually looked back at her over her shoulder, a slight grimace across her lips. Eventually, she breathed in, then exhaled as she turned her attention back to her desk. "You said—or at least we had agreed—that you would assist me, yes?"

Though Nightmare wasn't looking at her, she nodded, then walked over to her mentor's side. "Yes." She looked at Nightmare's desk; strewn across it were a few piles of scrolls. 'This can't be everything.' "Right, so," she ventured, turning her gaze back to her mentor.

"I do not know where to begin," Nightmare admitted. "Administration was... always Sister's stronger suit, along with diplomacy."

Twilight squinted. "Then what did you do?"

Nightmare jerked slightly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

Nightmare fidgeted, then tossed her head left and right before looking at her again. "I was the Warrior. The Guardian. I led Equestria's armies and backed her diplomacy, as it were. I likewise hunted monsters to ensure Equestria's safety, along with guarding ponies' dreams so they would not have nightmares."

And Nightmare turned away from her, fuming, "Little good that it did."

"You did help rule Equestria though, right?" she asked.

Nightmare turned back to her and nodded. "Yes, though not to the extent of Sister, and she often overruled my decisions regardless. At least—” Nightmare trailed off and turned back to her desk, “—further into our reign."

'Right. Sore subject.' "Okay." She closed her eyes, turned her head back to Nightmare's desk, then opened her eyes. "I'm going to go ahead and admit that I don't really know what to do, but I'm at least halfway decent at organizing." She turned back to meet her mentor's gaze. "But I do know Princess Celestia didn't—" 'I said her name.' She stumbled, pausing as the realization set in. But Nightmare didn't chastise her for it. No, her mentor didn't seem to react at all. She shifted her weight and licked her lips.

Nightmare bowed her head. "As I have said, you may speak her name."

"Sorry," she instinctively apologized.

Nightmare tilted her head.

'Right, don't apologize.' She breathed in, then sharply exhaled. "As I was saying, she didn't do everything herself. She had ponies to help her, and yes, I know you do too, but you're obviously doing something wrong." She paused and thought. "Or... or maybe you're not and you only think you are. She was very busy."

Nightmare shook her head. "There must be some way to streamline this. It is irksome having to deal with Mayors and Governors and varying officials so often."

She raised her head a little. "You don't have a secretary, do you?"

Nightmare shifted her weight. A few seconds passed before her mentor answered, "I do not."

"Right." She frowned. "Because you don't trust anypony for that role."

"They would try to sabotage—"

She groaned and closed her eyes. "No. No, they wouldn't. Find somepony you can trust, make them your secretary. It will help." She opened her eyes. "It won't fix everything, but it will help. Find a batpony if you have to, or maybe talk to Raven."

Nightmare fidgeted again. "She was Sister's—"

"Yes," she preempted with a nod, "she was. Which means she has experience—"

"She is loyal to Sister—"

"Do you really think Raven would sabotage you?" she challenged. "Stop and think about it. How does that help your sister any? How does that help Equestria any? It won't bring your sister back, and it won't make anypony's life any easier."

Nightmare groaned and looked away from her. "And what of the Mayors, Governors, and other officials?"

"I don't know. Either have your secretary manage that better, or find somepony to handle that for you. Like, I don't know, maybe Cadance? Like I suggested before."

Nightmare's face hardened. "I forgot about that."

"Then talk to Cadance about it," she pressed.

Nightmare finally looked back at her. "Cadance is busy. She must plan her wedding... again... and likewise will—" Nightmare squinted, "—likely be busy following her wedding. Likewise, she is helping to keep ponies calm."

"You're either going to have to do it yourself then, or find somepony to handle it for you."

Nightmare grimaced.

"I'm going to go ahead and suggest you invite Raven to join us," she added. Nightmare's grimace turned into a frown. "We can talk to her together," she diplomatically finished.

"Fine," Nightmare sighed. The alicorn's horn flashed and a scroll appeared before her. Her mentor hastily wrote out a message, then teleported the scroll away in another flash of light.

"Tea?" she suggested.

Nightmare's lips pressed into a line. "I suppose tea would make this less unpleasant." After a moment, Nightmare tilted her head to the side. "Yes, I suppose tea would be pleasant. I shall return. Make yourself comfortable." And with that, Nightmare teleported away.

She shifted where she stood. 'Princess Celestia always seemed to have tea prepared.' She looked left and right, studying the walls and bookshelves, then gradually turned to the left and walked over to the bookshelf. She ran her eyes over the titles, so many of them familiar and so many more unfamiliar.

'Have you gone through all of these books? Do you like reading?' she wondered.

In the end, she ended up grimacing: 'You probably don't.'

She turned around and looked at the other wall, only to find herself looking around again. Eventually, she meandered over to the doorway to Nightmare's bedchambers and looked into the room. The bed, though pristine as usual, made her think back on when they had slept together.

A long time ago, that was unthinkable.

Knowing that, she frowned in thought. Nightmare Moon had changed, so, so much since her return. From cold and cruel to caring and patient.

'You are safe here. I will not let her harm you.'

'Come here.'

'Is this better?'

'I do not mind. We are friends. Do not forget that.'

'I treasure you.'

She smiled a little. Yes, Nightmare Moon cared about her. Maybe it was just her, but it was a start. Nightmare Moon wasn’t as cold as she once was—but she was still distant. Still, she had slept quite well; it was relaxing, and she felt much safer with Nightmare Moon against her back.

Holding her.

Her smile faded and she shifted her weight. 'This is always going to be awkward, isn't it?' Yes, most likely. 'How old are you?' The simplest answer was, 'Very.'

But maybe she didn't need to worry about any of that. At least not yet: Nightmare had said, 'I will wait.' But eventually, maybe.

Regardless, she shook her head and walked back towards the bookshelf. 'She wants me to look through the Archives,' drifted through her mind. Her heart beat a little faster and she put a small jump in her steps at the prospect. She knew the fundamentals and, if she did go through the Archives, she was certain she'd wind up knowing so many, many more spells than what she already knew.

And she had to wonder, 'What did you mean by spells that I can't learn anywhere else?' Spells Nightmare Moon—or Luna—had made, maybe? Spells that were too dangerous to be in books? Spells that only Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia knew?

Oh, there were so many possibilities!

But they were probably dangerous spells.

Before she could give it any more thought, there was the crack! of Nightmare's teleportation spell. She turned right and looked at her mentor, who looked around trying to find her, until finally finding her. Beside Nightmare Moon, a pot of tea—she could see steam rising from the spout—and three teacups levitated in her aura. Her mentor inclined her head slightly and turned to face her.

She walked over and sat down, and at that, Nightmare gradually sat down as well, pouring two cups of tea. She took the one Nightmare offered her and levitated it under her nose to smell. The earthy scent of chamomile—just like Princess Celestia liked.

She shifted her weight. "You said you were unhappy earlier."

Nightmare's lips slowly pulled into a line. "I did."

"You... always seem to be unhappy," she ventured.

Nightmare breathed in and looked at the door. "Perhaps I am," Nightmare admitted. "Not always, but often." Her mentor bowed her head and looked at the floor. "I find no joy in ruling Equestria. It is not as I imagined it would be." Nightmare looked at her. "I have told you this before, have I not?"

She reluctantly nodded.

Nightmare shook her head and idly looked at the door. "Perhaps I am simply an old fool. Perhaps it is simply my fate." Nightmare looked at her. "Perhaps I should blame you for this. Six months ago I was so sure of myself,” Nightmare glanced at the floor before breathing in and exhaling, “and now I am not."

She frowned. 'You need to forgive her.' "Do you think you're better off now or before?"

Nightmare frowned and looked back at her. "I do not know." Turned away from her to look at the bookshelf. "I do not want to be a monster. I... do not want to be as I was six months ago. But I do not want to doubt myself—" Nightmare turned back to her, "—or feel so uncertain as I do."

There was nothing she could think of to say that would make her mentor feel any better. "Maybe just—" she licked her lips to buy more time to think, futile as it was. "—try not to worry about it?"

Nightmare only shook her head, albeit slowly.

"Maybe try letting your guard down more?" she suggested. "Give more ponies a chance."

Nightmare snorted and tossed her head back. "All that would do was give them more opportunities to betray me."

'Of course, you would see it that way.' She closed her eyes and breathed in deep, held it for a few seconds, then breathed out. Lifted her head up and opened her eyes. "Which is better? Locking yourself away, never being close to anypony so that you're never hurt, or opening yourself up to ponies, risking getting hurt, and finding friends?"

Nightmare tilted her head. "You say that it is a choice between two extremes, Twilight; to be open and have friends or to be closed off and have none," her mentor posed, then inclined her head, "Yet we are friends and I am still closed off from other ponies. It is not either-or, Twilight."

“If you never opened up to me, would we be friends?” she asked softly.

Nightmare looked down at her teacup for several longs seconds, then took a drink from it without answering. Both of them already knew the answer. She looked down at her own tea, and satisfied she wouldn't burn herself, took a drink of it too. She let the warmth comfort her, let the taste relax her. Closed her eyes to enjoy it, swallowed, and opened her eyes again. "Why do you want me to beat you in sparring?"

Nightmare watched her for a few seconds. "Can you not figure it out yourself?"

She frowned. "My friends thought it was suspicious. Maybe they still do, I don't know. Midnight said to ask you—" Nightmare frowned, and she smiled sheepishly. "—which I, maybe obviously, procrastinated on."

"Yes," Nightmare agreed.

A few seconds passed. "Well?"

Nightmare turned her head to the right. A few seconds passed. Nightmare faced her again and inclined her head. "Consider it, Twilight." Nightmare breathed in and slowly flared her wings out, then bowed her head towards her right wing before turning back to her. "I am an alicorn. Surely, if you are able to defeat me, I can be assured that you will be able to defend yourself from nearly any threat."

She thought about Nightmare's answer for a while and eventually nodded.

Finally, somepony knocked on the door. Nightmare looked over her to look at the door. "I suspect Raven is here," Nightmare said as she stood up.

Twilight stood up and turned, watching Nightmare walk to the door. The door glowed with Nightmare's aura, then opened. Raven stood there. "You wanted to see me, your Majesty?"

Nightmare looked back at her, then turned back to Raven and nodded. "Come." Her mentor stepped to the side and Raven walked in. Once she was through, Nightmare closed the door.

She tried giving Raven a smile; both Raven and her mentor walked back over. She sat down while Nightmare walked to her prior place. "Moreso, it was Twilight who wanted us to speak," Nightmare admitted. The third teacup levitated over to the unicorn. "Tea?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Raven said as she took the tea in her own magic before sampling it. A few seconds passed. "The former Princess was quite fond of chamomile tea."

"So I have been told," Nightmare admitted as she sat down.

And for a few seconds, they got to enjoy awkward silence. "Right, well, Raven, thank you for coming."

Raven looked at her. "Of course."

She shifted her weight. 'You're too formal.' She turned to look at Nightmare Moon. Her mentor looked at her questioningly, so she lifted her brow up to try to encourage her to say something.

It did not have the desired effect; Nightmare Moon tilted her head. "Talk to her," she finally pressed.

"Ah." Nightmare turned to Raven. "You were... Sister's secretary."

Raven nodded. "I was Her Highness's secretary and confidant, yes, though I have had less to do as of late with the reorganization of your administration."

Nightmare shifted uncomfortably. "My student has suggested that I have you return to your prior duties, and perhaps take on new ones, as it has been established that I am ineffective at managing—" Nightmare scowled, "—what I have been managing."

Raven breathed in and nodded again. "If Her Majesty wishes it, I can resume my prior duties and work out a few alternate plans for Her Majesty's review. And if I may, I would suggest Her Majesty delegate reviewing matters to other secretaries so that Her Majesty is not bothered by information Her Majesty does not need to know, that way Her Majesty can focus on the important matters."

Nightmare squinted at Raven. "I do not trust you."

"So Her Majesty has already made clear," Raven acknowledged.

Nightmare's expression hardened. "And pray tell—" the alicorn tilted her head, "—how am I to know that you are not working against me?"

"Her Highness would prefer Equestria to avoid unnecessary suffering; if working for Her Majesty is a means to attain this then Her Highness would support this course of action."

"So you admit you are still loyal to Sister."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, where my loyalty lies is irrelevant. While I would prefer Her Highness's return, there is no way I could contribute to such a goal; any attempt at undermining Her Majesty would only cause problems for Equestria, which would ultimately be to Her Highness' disapproval."

And she could tell Nightmare Moon didn't know how to respond to that; the alicorn just stared blankly at Raven. Several seconds passed before her mentor shook her head. "Fine. Return to your previous tasks, but I will be watching you."

"As Her Majesty wishes," Raven said as she stood up. "Shall I inform Princess Cadance?"

"Do so," Nightmare said half-heartedly.

Raven bowed, then turned to leave. When the door clicked closed after her departure, Nightmare groaned. "I do not like her."

She stood up. "And if it makes things easier for you?"

Nightmare looked at her, bobbing her head with short, quick jerks. "Then I suppose it is worthwhile, though I still do not trust her." Her mentor lifted her head up to look at the ceiling, shook her head, then stood up before looking at her. "I suppose this is enough for now. Go tend to your pet."

'What?' Her muzzle scrunched up. 'Thorax?' Yes. What else could Nightmare Moon have met? "Pet?"

Nightmare pointedly tilted her head. "Your changeling." Twilight frowned. "Be careful." Nightmare's expression gradually softened, then her mentor reached out with her wing and brushed her feathers through her mane. She wanted to lean into it, but decided against it. And all too soon, Nightmare finished, turned her head to the floor, and then looked away from her.

"I'll be fine. You worry about me too much."

Nightmare looked back at her to meet her gaze. "I have my reasons to worry about you, Twilight. You are my friend, you are my student. I promised I would protect you."

'And you have a crush on me.' She looked back at her teacup, brought it to her mouth, and downed it in one go. It was almost too much; it almost hurt swallowing it. She levitated the teacup over and set it on Nightmare's desk, then stepped over and hugged her mentor, careful to avoid her more injured side. She laid her head on Nightmare's shoulder, and Nightmare leaned down to return it, going so far as to drape a foreleg over her back.

"You may go through the Archives as you desire; I suppose there is no point in denying you access," Nightmare mumbled into her mane.

She frowned. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."

"I did not mean it that way, only that you will learn many of those spells eventually. Perhaps it is better this way."

She hummed and gradually pulled away from her mentor. "Well... I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Nightmare reluctantly nodded. "Very well. Enjoy the rest of your night."

She smiled at her mentor as she turned to walk to the door. "You too." Opening the door, she saw Thorax fidgeting where he stood; all of the guards were watching him, their bodies tense. She stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her. "Um. Right. Sorry about the wait."

"It's... okay," he droned, his wings jittering. "Better than the alternative at least."

She shifted her weight. 'Which alternative?' But she knew better than to ask it. "Right... uh... I'm going to just teleport us to my tower." She wrapped her magic around Thorax and then teleported both of them to her tower.

The two guards at her tower both startled at their arrival, then tensed from seeing Thorax. "Ma'am?"

"He's—" she turned back to Thorax, who watched them, "—with me."

Both guards shifted where they stood, but nodded. With that settled, she opened the door with her magic, then walked on through. She stopped about the center of the library and turned around, realizing she hadn't heard Thorax enter. "Are you coming?"

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, gradually walking inside, head held low as he looked left and right, taking in the bookshelves.

The two guards went to follow, but she preempted them with, "Wait outside."

Neither of them seemed sure about that but nonetheless nodded. "Of course, Lady Sparkle."

Lady Sparkle? 'That's a first.' She closed the door with her magic once Thorax was inside. The changeling gradually lifted his head up. "What do you think?"

He looked at her. "It's... nice," he mumbled. "You like books, don't you?"

She beamed and nodded. "Yes. What about you?"

His wings jittered. "Changelings don't really read."

Her smile wilted. "You can read though, right?"

He nodded. "We can. We kind of have to be able to read to infiltrate places and fit in, but we normally don't read books. There aren't really any books in the Hive."

"Oh." She shifted her weight. 'How do you learn magic then? Do you have other changelings teach you? You'd have to for some spells-assuming you have spells like that. Or is do you all have an innate understanding of your magic? Or—or is it through practice or trial and error?' There were so many questions to ask, so much to learn! But it would have to wait. "Well, uh, if you want you can read any of my books. Just try not to damage them or... misplace them."

"Okay," he droned in a neutral tone.

'I should find Spike. Is he even here?'

She turned and headed to the stairs, making it as far as the first step before she heard, "Why did you stand up for me?"

She stopped and looked back at him. "Nightmare Moon would have killed you if I didn't."

His wings bristled. "But why? I'm a changeling and you're a pony."

She squinted at him for a moment before her expression softened. "Because it's the right thing to do," she stated. A few seconds passed where he silently watched her. ‘I hope...’ Eventually deciding he wasn't going to say anything further, she turned and climbed the stairs.

She checked their bedroom, but it was empty, so she went back to the stairs and descended back into her library. "I'll be back. I need to find somepony."

"Oh, okay," he monotoned.

She paused for a minute, then walked past him. "Uh, stay here, I guess."

"I don't really have anywhere else to go," he pointed out. "And it's not like those guards would let me leave."

Her jaw tightened. 'Right...' She didn't answer, instead choosing to head back outside.

"Ma'am?" one of the guards questioned.

"I'll be back," she said, lighting her horn and preparing her teleportation spell. The world warped around her like normal, but as usual, she was used to it. The door to her friends' shared chambers came into focus, along with the four Royal Guards-two on each side-who straightened at her arrival. She glanced at them as she lifted her forehoof to knock on the door.

A moment later, the door parted and swung inward, revealing Applejack. "Well—" Applejack smiled at her and stepped aside, "—howdy, Twilight!"

She smiled back and walked inside and looked around; her friends stood up and turned to face her. "Hey, girls."

"What brings you by?" Applejack asked, closing the door behind her.

'Right. Where should I start?' She hesitated, considering the best way to begin. Would they react well or poorly to intervening on Thorax's behalf? Thinking about it made her frown. "Right, well, uh, I just... needed to tell you that, uh—" 'There's no good way to say this,' she realized, "—Nightmare Moon and I were out walking and came across a changeling."

What was the best way to continue from that? They all looked at her expectantly. She shifted her weight, tossed her head left and then right before finally settling on, "Nightmare Moon was going to kill him, so I convinced her not to."

A moment passed while her friends took it in.

"No offense darling—that's very noble of you, yes, and don't take this the wrong way, dear—but you didn't come stop by just to tell us that," Rarity said.

She cringed. "Yes. Well. Uh. I'm supposed to keep an eye on him because of that. So..." she trailed off, fidgeting, taking in her friends uncertain expressions. She took in a deep breath, then mumbled, "He'll... be with me when we all head back to Ponyville..."

Applejack breathed in, then exhaled and shook her head. "You sure that's a good idea?"

She turned to look at Applejack; the mare's ears might have been back slightly, but it was hard to tell. Applejack's brow was folded down slightly, but there was no outright rejection, and for that, she felt relieved. She turned to face her friend. "I couldn't just let her kill him. He was defenseless and wasn't fighting back."

"I meant taking him back to Ponyville with us," Applejack restated.

She nudged her head higher. "His magic should be suppressed, and I'll keep an eye on him," she stated.

"And I don't doubt that, girl, but..." Applejack trailed off, shut her mouth and shook her head. "Alright. Just be careful. They did attack Canterlot and capture you and Princess Cadance."

She winced and turned to the left. The rest of her friends looked at her with folded brows. And then there was Rainbow Dash, who hovered in the air with her forelegs crossed. "I know that. Don't remind me," she muttered. "Look—" she turned back to Applejack, "—if I did nothing she would have killed somepony—or changeling—who was defenseless. You can't approve of that."

"And I don't," Applejack affirmed.

"And the reason why he's my responsibility is that I managed to... well, I made Nightmare Moon mad."

"So it's a punishment, then," Applejack said flatly.

She winced and looked at the wall behind Applejack. "Partially." Applejack sighed and she looked back at her. "But! It's also an opportunity.” She smiled. “Just think of what we could learn about changelings if we can befriend them!”

“Oh... that could be nice... maybe we wouldn’t have to fight them again then... assuming that we would have to fight them again...” Fluttershy mumbled.

She looked at Fluttershy and nodded sympathetically. “Hopefully I can figure out a better solution for them needing to feed on love and life force.”

“I hope so!” Pinkie agreed as she bounced over to Twilight. “The changelings having to attack us for food really isn’t nice!” She sat down on her haunches, frowning in thought. “Maybe they should have just asked? Maybe that would have worked better! I’d happily share my cupcakes with any of you!”

Twilight smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that easy, Pinkie.”

“Aww...” Pinkie pouted. “Still...” Her encouraging smile returned. “If anypony can figure out this doozy of a problem, it’d be you, Twilight!”

She managed to smile at Pinkie as Rarity nodded in agreement. "Quite so. And while I find this whole ordeal simply dreadful—" which everypony knew by now, "—and I don’t like the thought of one of those things being so close to Sweetie Belle, I can't say that I like the thought that Nightmare Moon would just kill them...”

Twilight grimaced slightly and nodded. “Like I said, I’ll keep an eye on him. I wouldn’t let him hurt Sweetie Belle or Applebloom.” She looked at Applejack with a reassuring smile, which met Applejack’s approval. She looked over at Rainbow. “Or Scootaloo.”

“Psh, as if I’d need you to keep Scootaloo safe from a changeling,” Rainbow dismissed with a grin. "But if he gives you any problems, just let me know," said Rainbow.

She rolled her eyes at Rainbow's comment, though still smiled.

"It's safe though, right?" Spike asked as he walked over to her side.

She nodded and leaned down to hug and nuzzle him. "Of course, Spike. I wouldn't do this unless I thought it was safe and could work." 'Even though Nightmare Moon, who is unfathomably older than me, thinks it’s a bad idea.'

But Nightmare Moon was wrong about a lot of things.

Her friends walked over to her, gathered around her, and embraced her. She smiled, closed her eyes, and sat down on her haunches. "Thank you all for supporting me... I was... I was worried that you wouldn't."

"I think I speak for us all when I saw that we have our reservations, dear, but we also know you," Rarity chimed.

"You've asked us to trust you, and we do," Applejack put in.

"And you'll give him a chance?" she asked.

They nodded and nuzzled her. She nuzzled him back. "Sure," Rainbow cautiously answered. "But if he does anything—!"

"We know, Rainbow," Rarity groaned.

She giggled softly. "I wouldn't trade you girls for the world." 'Or Princess Celestia.'

Author's Note

5/17/20

Draft progress: 4,721 words. I'm pleased with what I've written. Wrote for like four hours.

5/18/20

Draft progress: 8,794 words. Starting today was hard since I stopped at a scene break. I had no idea how to start the next scene and it was a bit hard to write. I also only slept 3 ish hours last night. Coffee is so useful.

5/20/20

Today's edits consist of backspace. As I'm sitting here I'm realizing I'm dreading writing the combination of Twilight's friends' reactions to Thorax, Thorax in general, and Twilight's friends getting used to Thorax. But it's important for the plot.

5/27/20

Today's writing consists of "I may have finished the draft. I could probably add more to it, but I like where it stops. Now I just need my prereader to actually get back to me..."

About 1,000 words written. I refreshed the page before I noted the prior count.

11/29/20

Finished rereading the chapter. A few minor touch ups. Made some notes of possible problems.

7/30/21

Begun, the edits have.

I did not make a note of words, but in all honesty, making notes of words may be unproductive.

7/31/21

Edit pass 1 finished, let’s see how it holds up.

10,701.

8/6/21

Edit pass 2. Pass 1 held up well; further edits to touch things up.

10,983

8/9/21

Extremely minor edits. I don’t know what happened to make the word count lower.

10,940.

8/11/21

Removed one paragraph. And removed in-text author’s notes.

10,931.

10/14/21

I did not get a chance to go over this chapter again as I had intended. Hopefully, there aren’t any embarrassing mistakes leftover. If you notice any mistakes, please point them out.

Still haven’t heard from my prereader. If you ever read this, I hope you’re doing well.

I will attempt to publish the following chapter in 2 weeks, but I need to double-check because now that I say this, I’m not sure if I ever did edits to it. I’ll need to look it over again regardless, but if I’ve not made edits to it, well, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

10/25/21

Post-publishing edit sweep.

Bide

Bonbon led Twilight through one of the industrial sections of Canterlot—which wasn't so much an industrial sector like Manehattan as it was an amalgamation of warehouses for storing goods and supplies, along with a few factories where unicorns worked on producing or enchanting magical goods. Canterlot, being built on a mountain, didn’t have the same accessibility that more productive cities such as Manehattan and Fillydelphia had, leaving it to take advantage of its more magically talented workforce. Looking left and right, it was hard to miss the rundown buildings, some with boarded, broken windows, and others with broken chunks of stone dotting the ground around their walls.

A year ago, the warehouses wouldn't have been so run down. It weighed on her mind; her ears folded back as she stumbled over a few chunks of wood. The crunch of Bonbon stepping on a shard of glass drew her attention back to Bonbon, who walked on indifferently to the state of Canterlot.

"I didn't realize it was this bad," Twilight said under her breath. "I don't think Nightmare Moon realizes it's this bad either."

“It’s not all this bad, but it’s worse off than when Princess Celestia ruled.” Bonbon looked back at her with a suspicious squint. "But I don't think Nightmare Moon cares, so long as it's still usable."

Twilight frowned at Bonbon. 'You want to outshine Princess Celestia. How can you do that if Equestria is in shambles?' She decided not to say anything, and Bonbon turned away from her, going back to leading her along. "Are we almost there, at least?"

"Yes," Bonbon answered. "It’s the next building."

Even with that answer, Twilight still grimaced, annoyed from how cryptic the letter had been. To make matters worse, meeting up with Bonbon has proven equally as vague. For a moment, she looked at the sky—at the very least, she took relief in seeing the untinted, unblinking white specs that were the stars. The worst of the fallout from the changeling attack seemed to be over.

When Twilight lowered her head, they were approaching the warehouse Bonbon had indicated. If Bonbon hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have thought any differently of it: there was nothing that set it apart from the other warehouses. Like the others, some windows were broken and boarded up, and there were tracks that led into the warehouses' loading docks from the rail system leading up to Canterlot. Bonbon walked up a short flight of stairs to a nondescript metal door, then tapped on it. She listened closely. It sounded like it was a wooden door nestled between thin metal plates, and it was the same pattern Bonbon had used before. She frowned slightly.

The door groaned slightly when it opened, and somepony stood in the doorway. He was a unicorn with a tan coat. His unkempt mane was an oily black, shining slightly from the moonlight. "Welcome back," he casually greeted, then turned to look at her. "Twilight Sparkle," he said with a nod, then stepped aside.

Bonbon nodded in return, then walked inside past him. A couple of doors lines the hallway on both sides. To their immediate left, an opened door revealed a small office with two unicorn stallions sitting at a table. A pair of enchanted spears shimmered as they leaned against the wall. The door groaned as it closed behind her, and Bonbon continued forward, walking at a quicker, more intent stride now that they were away from any potential onlookers.

They passed by more doors, some closed and some open. A few of them opened into the large storeroom—it was on their left—while others opened into offices on their right. When she passed by the doors to the storeroom, she saw at least five ponies. Two of them were moving crates with their magic, while the other three were standing around seemingly doing nothing.

At the end of the hallway, they turned right, into a stairwell that led to the second level, and another hallway. Some of the doors on the right opened to the catwalk for the second level, but Bonbon continued on to the last office on the left. Two unicorns stood guard at the door. They wouldn't pass for Royal Guards—both of them looked at Bonbon and her as they approached—but they were there nonetheless. They had spears propped up against their shoulders, enchanted like the ones she had seen before.

"Bonbon," the farthest one acknowledged. Bonbon nodded back at him and opened the door.

Twilight followed Bonbon inside. It was a large conference room with an oval-shaped conference table with twelve chairs around it. Fleur sat in the middle of the right side of the table, facing them. On her left sat Fancy Pants, complete with his usual suit and monocle, and to his left sat a unicorn mare she vaguely recognized as one of the teachers at the School of Magic.

On the far side of the room, several ponies sorted through filing cabinets, mostly ignoring them. The room’s entire right wall was dominated by a map of Equestria that made her grimace when she glanced at it.

"Bonbon, Twilight," Fleur greeted.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle," Fancy Pants greeted with a kind smile, "it's good to see you again."

She smiled, albeit awkwardly, at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He chuckled good-naturedly and nodded. "That is has been. Terrible business, Nightmare Moon's... return..." he mused, then smiled sadly.

Bonbon walked around to the other side of the table. Twilight walked over to the table, pulled out the chair across from Fleur, and sat down while Bonbon sat down. She shifted in her chair to get comfortable while the four of them watched her. "Well, you're um, better off now than before, it looks like."

"Yes, the warehouse has been quite useful. A much better meeting place, wouldn't you agree? More out of the way," Fancy Pants commented.

"More freedom to work with," Bonbon put in.

Fleur glanced at Bonbon in passing, then looked back at her. "Of course the... changeling attack... caused us some problems." Her lips pressed into a strained smile while Fancy Pants glanced aside at the teacher, who rubbed her forehoof uncomfortably.

Twilight winced slightly and looked to her left. The ponies at the far side of the room were still sorting through the filing cabinets for some reason. "Yeah," she muttered in agreement.

"Tighter security made things more difficult, but at least it's winding down now," Bonbon commented. “At least we were able to arrange this meeting without drawing any suspicion.”

She turned back to look at Bonbon. “Well, it’s not like they have any reason to check letters...”

Bonbon bobbed her head to the right. “Yet.”

Twilight grimaced for a few seconds before breathing in and changing the topic. "I guess Nightmare Moon wasn't responsible for ponies disappearing, then?"

Bonbon shifted her weight and breathed in. "Maybe, maybe not." Fleur and Fancy Pants both glanced aside at Bonbon, who ignored them and refocused her gaze on Twilight. "Though—" Bonbon leaned over the table, "—I do have a few questions for you now."

Twilight frowned and licked her lips. "Questions?"

Bonbon breathed in and pointedly turned to face Fleur, whose gaze darted to Bonbon's for a moment. Fleur frowned, then turned back to her. "At the wedding," Fleur began softly, "when you returned with Princess Cadance—"

"When the Changeling attacked Nightmare Moon—" Bonbon interjected, her gaze hardening on Twilight, "—you screamed her name, like you were genuinely worried about her."

Fleur glared at Bonbon, but the earth pony ignored it. Twilight shifted where she sat and licked her lips under Bonbon’s scrutiny.

How was she supposed to answer that question!? Or, more specifically, answer it without lying. If she told them the truth, how would they react? They hadn't blindfolded her or anything; she knew where the warehouse was now, and they had weapons.

Realizing, 'Then again, if this ends badly, I can just teleport away,' calmed her nerves. Twilight took a moment to recompose herself, then testingly admitted, "I was worried." Bonbon squinted at her suspiciously, but Twilight continued before Bonbon could interrupt her, "We would be a lot worse off if Nightmare Moon had lost that fight. You can't argue against that."

Bonbon's jaw tightened, and the mare gradually sat back in her chair. "Maybe, but that doesn't explain why you were so worried about her."

Twilight breathed in and turned to the left again. "She's Princess Celestia's sister—"

"She's not Princess Luna," Bonbon retorted.

Twilight turned back to Bonbon and stared at her. "How do you—"

Bonbon tossed her head to the side. "That's not important right now."

Twilight closed her mouth, frowning. "You don't trust me."

"I have mixed feelings," Bonbon stated bluntly.

Fleur bowed her head and turned to her right. "Bonbon."

Bonbon faced Fleur. "If we can't trust her—"

"We can trust her," Fancy Pants put in, drawing both mares' attention to him. "If I remember correctly," Fancy Pants asked her, bowing his head slightly, "you told Fleur and Bonbon that you're close to Nightmare Moon."

Twilight shifted her weight slightly and looked where the wall behind them met the ceiling. "I am..." she admitted.

"And even though she banished Princess Celestia," Fancy continued, "you don't want her dead."

Twilight frowned and looked at him. She didn't know Fancy Pants that well but remembered that he was normally a kind pony. And his expression was just the same, kind, soft, caring. Not hardened by anger or whatever Bonbon felt. "I don't..."

Fancy Pants nodded calmly in agreement. "Nor do I."

Bonbon exhaled at length and looked at the far wall. "Mark my words, it's the only way to be sure."

"Come now, Bonbon, you can't be sure of that," Fancy countered, then turned to look at the earth pony. "Killing her isn't going to be easy, and if there's an easier, and better way, then we should at least try that. As Twilight said, if what Nightmare Moon has said is true, then she is Princess Celestia’s sister. A sister none of us ever knew she had. Princess Celestia banished her, yes, but I would like to make the point that Princess Celestia did not kill her."

Bonbon looked at him. "She's a murderer. She's a monster."

Fancy's expression hardened, and after a moment, he nodded. "She is, but there's a saying. Perhaps you're familiar with it, given your previous work experience. He who fights monsters should be careful that he himself does not become one." A moment passed in silence. "We'd best be careful that we don't become monsters when we're trying to stop one. I for one don’t want Princess Celestia to return to find Equestria in ruins and her sister dead because we acted rashly."

Bonbon looked at him flatly, but backed down, turning away from him and muttering something under her breath.

Fancy Pants turned and set his gaze on her. "So, Twilight Sparkle, will you help us?"

Twilight waited a moment to steady her nerves, though she had already determined her answer a long time ago, and then nodded. "I will. But like I said, I won't help you kill her."

Fancy Pants nodded acceptingly. "I wouldn't ask you to."

"Thank you."

He smiled genuinely.

"So..." Twilight trailed off and sat back, trying to relax as best she could, though it wasn't easy. She still felt nervous, and Bonbon’s skepticism didn’t help any. "Where do we begin?"

"We were discussing the Wedding," Fleur commented with a nod, "and while Bonbon has asked one question, I still have a few more questions." Fleur glanced at Bonbon pointedly. "None as demanding as hers, of course." Fleur looked back at Twilight with a smile that helped ease her worries. Fleur’s smile faded as she returned to business, "Cadance had been replaced by the Changeling Queen. How?"

"Well, Cadance said that Chrysalis caught her off-guard—"

Fleur shook her head. "Not that. We want to know how Nightmare Moon didn't find out."

"Oh." Twilight paused for a moment. "Well, Nightmare Moon wasn't watching Cadance—"

"So we can contact Cadance now?" Bonbon cut in.

Twilight looked at Bonbon and nodded tentatively. "Yes. Cadance and Shining Armor both."

Bonbon nodded to herself in thought. "I understand that you're returning to Ponyville tonight. Do you know when you'll be in Canterlot next?" Twilight shook her head. Bonbon grimaced but nodded. "Alright. Talk to them for us when you get a chance then. I wouldn't expect them to rat you out to Nightmare Moon since you’re family, but..." Bonbon trailed off, rolling her head as she considered the concept. “I’ve seen it happen before.”

'This is going to blow up in my face isn't it?' Twilight worried. And with that worry in mind, she timidly nodded. "Okay." ‘Still, at least you know I’m doing this.’ That was at least one thing which wouldn’t blow up in her face.

"A few ponies have said that you and two of your friends—Rainbow Dash and Applejack—fought alongside Nightmare Moon during the invasion?" Fleur asked.

Twilight hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "We did."

"You have my thanks for that," Fancy put in.

Twilight glanced at him and smiled awkwardly, then looked back at Fleur.

"And you helped her at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?" Fleur asked.

Twilight nodded again, less hesitantly than before.

"All of the guards were disabled. You and Nightmare Moon weren't," Bonbon said. "No offense—I know you were Princess Celestia's protege—but from what I know, Princess Celestia didn’t teach you that. How were you able to outlast the Royal Guard?"

"Uh... I'm good with magic," Twilight testingly answered, "and... I am... or, uh... Well, I have been sparring with Nightmare Moon. It's one of—if not the main—way she's teaching me."

"Interesting," Bonbon muttered as she leaned back in her chair.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably from the way Bonbon looked at her. "Though for the record, I did lose that battle... they didn't stun me but..." she trailed off and gently bit her lip, not wanting to continue.

Fleur nodded. "And you lost to the Changeling Queen too, correct? That's how you found and rescued Cadance?"

Twilight nodded.

"So," Bonbon ventured, "that means you have experience fighting Nightmare Moon—" Twilight didn't like where that was going; her jaw tightened, "—which means you could help teach us how she fights, and how to beat her."

"In theory," Twilight quickly answered.

Fleur looked over at Bonbon. "I suppose that's something to keep in mind for a later date," Fleur said.

Bonbon gradually nodded. "Right. And what about Nightmare Moon moving to create an army?"

Twilight frowned. "How do you know about that already?"

Bonbon tossed her head to the right. "We have our ways."

"Of course," Twilight muttered.

"The point remains that she wants an army," Fleur said.

"Can you really blame her considering Equestria was just attacked?" Twilight asked flatly. “The Royal Guard could use the help.”

Fleur frowned and shook her head.

"It could be good," Bonbon offered, leaning her head to the right, then leaning her head to the left as she said, "or it could be bad."

"It could help us if we could convince them to help us instead of her, of course," Fancy Pants said.

"Of course," Bonbon agreed.

Fancy Pants cleared his throat, drawing everypony’s attention to him. “Assuming, of course, that we are forced to pursue that route. Attempting a coup against Nightmare Moon would be very risky, and not something to consider lightly.“

Bonbon grimaced, nodding slowly in agreement. Twilight wondered by the way Bonbon nodded if she had prior experience with something comparable.

"You said that Nightmare Moon trusts you, right?" Fleur asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you think you can help us get information from the Royal Archives, then? We're having trouble getting anything out, or even copying anything. If she trusts you, and if she's teaching you, it stands to reason you would have less scrutiny."

Twilight hesitantly nodded. "I could probably figure something out."

"Good," Fleur said.

"But I would need to be in Canterlot, and I'm going back to Ponyville soon."

"That complicates matters, but we can figure something out. Would she suspect anything if you asked for access to the Royal Archives?" Fleur asked.

Twilight remembered what Nightmare had told her, but she didn’t feel the need to bring that up, so she shook her head.

"What about the Forbidden Section?" Bonbon questioned.

Twilight hesitated as she thought about it. "I'm... not sure.” She had the feeling that Nightmare Moon would let her access the Forbidden Section—and in all likelihood, it probably was only a matter of time until Nightmare Moon gave her that access. “I imagine that if I asked, she'd let me—though probably with a warning."

Bonbon smiled. "Good."

"So," the mare farthest to the right, who up until now, hadn't spoken, started. Twilight—and everypony else—looked at her. The mare's coat was a soft teal, and her mane was a vivid blue. "Maybe these are stupid questions, but why did Nightmare Moon make you her student, why does she trust you, and why is she sparring with you?"

Twilight waited a few seconds before answering, "Nightmare Moon made me her student to help her. She was banished for one thousand years and wanted my help since she's... out of touch. So I advise her at times, or try to... and I... well—" 'Surely, if you are able to defeat me, I can be assured that you will be able to defend yourself from nearly any threat,' she remembered Nightmare Moon saying.

It was probably a bad idea to share that.

"—she wants me to be able to defend myself. That's why we spar," Twilight finished matter-of-factly.

Bonbon frowned suspiciously. "Why would she want that?"

'I care about you more than I should.' Yes, there was no way Twilight was going to tell them that. She shifted her weight and looked left and right, unsure the best way to answer. She settled on, "Because I'm her student?" She arched her brow. “Because I’m helping her? I did... help stop Discord. And Nightmare Moon said that she couldn’t do that on her own, so she has a reason for me to be able to defend myself.”

"And why does she trust you?" the same mare from before asked.

Twilight had no good answer for her. She looked down at the table, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. "I guess partially because I'm her student—"

"But you were Princess Celestia's student," the mare pointed out. “I would think that would make her more suspicious of you, rather than trust you.”

Twilight looked up at her. Watched the mare study her with genuine curiosity. Not accusingly. While she didn’t recognize the mare beyond being a teacher at the School of Magic, the teacher undoubtedly knew her because she had been Princess Celestia’s student.

"Maybe because she's insane?" Bonbon asked, breaking the momentary silence. "Think about it. She was banished, alone, on the moon, for what? One thousand years? Yeah, no, I really doubt Nightmare Moon is sane. And really, it's surprising she's sane enough to rule anything."

Twilight frowned at that. 'Maybe you're obsessed with me because I'm giving you a chance, then. Maybe that's why you have a crush on me.'

"Most of her actions don’t suggest she’s insane,” Fleur reasoned. She looked at Twilight and posed, “You’re closer to her than any of us. Do you think Nightmare Moon is sane?"

Which was a very good question. "For the most part—" Twilight bowed her head, "—yes." She paused for a moment and lifted her head back up. "It's..." she trailed off and tilted her head at an angle. "She has her own way of looking at things. She's very rational and intelligent, but she's..." 'Angry. Loses control when you make her mad.' "She has flaws. If you get on her bad side she tends to react emotionally, rather than actually thinking about it and considering her actions. She still does think about it, but not as much. And I have been able to reason with her when she's angry. So I wouldn't say she's insane."

Other than, perhaps, her holding a grudge against Princess Celestia, although, with how she knew Nightmare Moon and what she had been told, she understood why.

"And how hard do you think it would be to convince her to bring back Princess Celestia and the sun?" Fancy Pants asked. “Will we have to fight her or can she be reasoned with?”

Twilight frowned as she thought about it. 'Would you keep fighting even if it meant you would die?' she wondered. Nightmare Moon was defiant, yes, but also intelligent and calculated. Which meant more to Nightmare Moon, her life, or her rule and eternal night? Or how would Nightmare Moon look at a choice like that? 'Is keeping Princess Celestia banished, keeping eternal night, worth dying over?'

But from Nightmare Moon's perspective, Princess Celestia returning might result in her banishment again, or something just as bad, if not worse.

What did Nightmare Moon have to lose? 'Her life. Any chance that things could improve,' though knowing Nightmare Moon, the alicorn was convinced things wouldn't. 'Me.'

Nightmare Moon wouldn't just throw her away, but would Nightmare Moon throw her own life away when she was her friend?

For some reason, even the filing of papers sounded quiet and subdued.

"I... don't know. I know that it wouldn't be easy, but... I'm not sure," Twilight answered honestly.

"Would she even surrender? And if she does, could we really trust her not to use that to her advantage?" Bonbon asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Twilight admitted.

"Then we still might have to kill her before the night does too much damage," Bonbon stated.

Twilight frowned. "And how long will that be?"

Bonbon shook her head. "I don't know. Months? Years? Not decades. It's only a matter of time."

“Sooner rather than later,” Fancy Pants commented with a grimace.

Twilight steeled her resolve and sat up straighter, licking her lips. "And what if I can convince her to bring the sun back?"

Fancy Pants and the mare on his left frowned; Bonbon and Fleur shared an uncertain look. "Do you really think you can?" Fleur asked.

"I don't know," Twilight admitted, shaking her head, "but I can try." She stopped shaking her head and breathed in, then nodded. "I need to try. It just... might take a while to convince her."

"Well, that would be great and all, but we still need Princess Celestia back," Bonbon said, "and I doubt you'd be able to talk Nightmare Moon into bringing Princess Celestia back."

Twilight grimaced. "Right..." she trailed off. "And what about in the meantime? What are you going to do?"

"We'll do what we do best," Bonbon said with a smile. "We'll be in touch."

The harsh whistling of steam coming from the train was a sound Twilight still wasn't used to, and from the way Nightmare Moon eyed the train, she suspected her mentor wasn't used to it either. She shifted her weight and looked left, studying and considering the train. And as she thought about it, she turned back to Nightmare Moon, realizing, 'Or maybe you just don't like the way it looks.'

Yes, that was a distinct possibility.

Nightmare Moon gradually turned her head to the left, stopping when her gaze fell on her. And for a moment, they just watched each other, Nightmare's eyes twitching back and forth as the alicorn looked over her face. Then her mentor breathed in and glanced at Thorax, who stood at her immediate right. Nightmare Moon bowed her head once, then met her gaze again. "Stay safe," was her comment.

Twilight licked her lips and nodded. "Don't worry—" Nightmare's eyes and ears twitched slightly, "—I will." 'But you're still worried about me.' She would be fine, and so she put on a reassuring smile for her mentor's comfort. Nightmare's gaze darted to her lips, lingered for a moment, then jumped back to her eyes.

The alicorn nodded. "I do hope so."

'I know you do.' Twilight smiled more warmly, but her mentor couldn't. "I'll send a letter once we're back in Ponyville, that way you know we made it safely."

Nightmare hesitated a moment, then nodded. "I would appreciate that. Thank you." The alicorn looked away from her and scrutinized her friends, finishing by setting her gaze on Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who stood to the immediate right of Thorax. Her mentor nodded at them. "Again, you have my thanks for helping during the invasion."

"You're welcome," Applejack said.

"Anytime!" Rainbow offered.

Nightmare Moon nodded in acknowledgment, free from her previous animosity towards the pegasus. "I shall keep that in mind, though I do not intend to put you at unnecessary risk. As the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, risking you unnecessarily is... unwise."

Twilight frowned. "Do you really think you're going to need the Elements of Harmony again in the future?"

Nightmare shifted her weight, leaning her head to the left and looking over her, off behind her. "I do not know, but I will not take the risk." Her mentor leveled her head, looked at her, and breathed in deep, then nodded at her. Met her gaze.

Longed for something.

Twilight stepped away from her friends, walked over to her mentor, and hugged her. Pressed her chest into her mentor's chest, laid her head against Nightmare's neck. Lifted her right foreleg and wrapped it around Nightmare's neck. Her mentor leaned down and mirrored her action, though setting her chin against the back of her neck, holding her closer than she could.

Twilight caught Nightmare's scent of lavender, akin to her own. Felt Nightmare's steady heartbeat, the rise and fall of her chest. And after only a few seconds, Nightmare's head lifted from her neck as the alicorn pulled back. Twilight pulled away and stepped back to her friends.

"Stay safe," Nightmare repeated.

"I will," Twilight stated with a smile.

The train's whistle blew its shrill sound, drawing both their gazes to the train.

"I suppose you should be off now," Nightmare said with a nod.

"Yeah..." Twilight somberly agreed. She swallowed, then turned to face the train. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were already embarking; one of their batpony escorts stoically stood at the opposite end of the wall, watching on. Her turn came, and she climbed the stairs into the train car, then turned left and followed after her friends. Thorax and Spike followed closely behind her, then Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and finally the other batpony.

Twilight made her way back and sat down on one of the benches, by the window, giving herself a view of the train station. She looked out at her mentor, flanked by her own two batpony guards. Spike sat down at her left and Thorax opposite of her.

The door clicked shut, and after a short while, the train lurched as it started away from the station. Nightmare watched her until they couldn't see each other anymore.

Twilight breathed in deep, blinked, and turned to face Thorax, whose head turned about idly, taking in the inside of the train car. She took a moment to glance around; aside from her friends and herself, there weren't many ponies in the train car with them. The two batponies sat across from her, in opposite benches, facing each other, while her friends sat at the sections in front and behind where she sat.

Turning back to Thorax, Twilight found him looking out the window, watching the moonlit, blurred trees pass them by as they made their way back to Ponyville. "So," she ventured, shifting her weight and drawing Thorax's attention back to her, "what do you think?"

"Changelings don't have trains," he said idly. "We only have the one hive so we don't need them." He paused for a moment. "It's nice I guess," he added in a neutral tone. “It’s warmer than flying over the Badlands.”

"Only the one hive?" Twilight asked.

Thorax nodded. "Yeah. Just the one in the Badlands." He looked back out the window. "Equestria is a lot lusher than the Badlands," he commented.

"Uh, yes," Twilight agreed, "yes it is."

He didn't say anything.

She didn't know what to say.

She didn't like the silence that followed.

"So, uh, what do you think of Queen Chrysalis?" Twilight ventured in an effort to keep some conversation going.

Thorax looked at her with a frown, his ears folding back. "She's mean."

Twilight waited, expecting him to say more, but nothing else came. Her jaw gradually tightened. "Right... she did capture me and threaten to kill me to spite Nightmare Moon."

"Yeah that sounds like her," Thorax agreed neutrally. "She treats us like that too."

Twilight's brow folded down as she processed what he had said. "So she's not a very good Queen then?" she asked.

Thorax shook her head. "She's not, but we don't have much of a choice. Without her, we'd probably all die."

Twilight’s ears folded back. "That's terrible."

"That's the life of a changeling, though." His eyes did something that she couldn't quite understand. "Always hungry, always starving. Never enough to satisfy it, even after feeding."

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably. The glows in his eyes that seemed to serve as his pupils twitched away from her and focused out the window, followed by him turning his head. "And... there's no other way, other than feeding on ponies' life force and love?" she asked.

"Not just ponies," Thorax answered, turning back to her. "Anything, really. Except for plants. Plants don't really have any emotions so changelings can't really feed on them. Plants are strange."

"So—" Twilight tilted her head to the left, "—ponies, griffins, zebras, minotaurs, dragons, deer?"

Thorax nodded. "Yeah. Except maybe not dragons. There are a few other species too, but I don’t know what names ponies have for them."

Twilight frowned. "What about other changelings?"

He looked back at her. "We can't feed on other changelings. There's nothing to feed on, it's just kind of a void."

Twilight’s brow folded down more.

"Is that why you have to feed on other creatures?" Spike asked quietly.

"I don't know," Thorax admitted.

"How long can you go without feeding?" Twilight asked.

Thorax hesitated, tilting his head ever so slightly and looking at the ceiling for a moment, then he looked back at her. "It depends. In hibernation, we can go for years or longer without feeding if we were well fed before. Generally, we need to feed every few months when we're active, though we can go longer, but it's not pleasant." A moment passed. "If we could, we would feed nonstop. Equestria has a lot more love than the other places we've fed."

"Is that why you attacked Canterlot?" Twilight asked.

"Queen Chrysalis said that after we conquered Canterlot, we would easily conquer Equestria and be able to feed freely," Thorax answered.

That sounded very unpleasant for ponies. What would become of them? Would they simply become farm animals, herded for the changelings to feed upon? 'It's probably a good thing we helped Nightmare Moon.' Twilight didn't like thinking about the alternative. "Did she have a plan for after conquering Equestria?"

A few seconds passed in silence. "I don't know," Thorax mumbled.

"Well, do you know what she planned to do to Nightmare Moon and Cadance if she won?"

"She'd probably keep them for herself. Either to feed on or as trophies, or both," Thorax answered unsurely. "Cadance is the Princess of Love, so she'd definitely want her."

"What about Nightmare Moon?"

"I don't know. Probably a trophy. We were planning the invasion for a while. Before Nightmare Moon showed up. Nightmare Moon's arrival changed things because we didn't know how she'd factor into the attack, but on the other hoof, Princess Celestia was out of the picture," he said. “It was more of a net negative since we knew what to expect from Princess Celestia.”

"What about the eternal night?"

"I don't know," Thorax answered.

Twilight looked out the window, looking up at the night sky, letting her frown fade away. 'They were planning the invasion for a while, so it would have happened regardless of whether Nightmare Moon returned or not.' She turned back to Thorax. "What was she planning to do to Princess Celestia?"

"I don't know, probably the same thing as with Cadance since everypony seemed to love her."

"You don't know a lot, do you?" Twilight questioned.

"Sorry," Thorax apologized in a neutral murmur. "Queen Chrysalis only tells us as much as we need to know."

'Compartmentalization, like the resistance?' Twilight wondered. 'Does she not trust the rest of the changelings?' "I guess that makes sense," she admitted.

"You and your friends are a lot nicer than changelings," Thorax randomly put in. "Changelings don't really do friendship."

Twilight frowned at that. 'That sounds like how I used to be,' made her grimace. "You work together though? I saw changelings carrying other changelings away when they had been stunned."

"Leaving them there would waste resources," Thorax said neutrally. "Queen Chrysalis would rather not waste resources."

"Is that what she thinks of all of you?"

He didn't immediately respond.

"We're replaceable."

'That almost sounds like Nightmare Moon.' Or worse, 'That's how Nightmare Moon thinks of the batponies, isn't it?'

Or was it?

Twilight wasn't sure. 'You wouldn't throw their lives away, but would that only be because it's wasteful or because they're ponies?' She pondered the thought, suspecting it could go either way. 'If you don't think about it too much, then you wouldn't because it's a waste of resources, but I don't think you like the idea of just sending ponies to die.'

Nightmare Moon had restraint, but maybe Twilight was lying to herself.

'You saved a foal from burning alive.'

Twilight had no answer. 'Maybe I'll ask you. Maybe I should ask you, then you'd have to think about it and answer.'

And maybe that was a good thing because she needed to know how Nightmare Moon looked at it. Would Nightmare Moon consider them as resources or ponies? Discord's warning echoed in her mind, and for it, she shifted her weight and pulled her legs closer to her body.

The rest of the trip back to Ponyville was, thankfully, uneventful. Twilight quickly found that, for all of the questions she had for Thorax, there were only so many she could ask before she needed to take notes—and unfortunately, she didn't have a notebook and quill with her.

The few ponies other than her friends disembarked first, followed by one of the batpony guards and then her friends. Thorax was up before her and Spike, and so he led while Spike walked at her side. The last batpony followed behind her.

Once standing on the platform, Twilight idly looked left and right, briefly glancing over the ponies making their way into town. 'There aren't more batponies here?' She had expected batponies to be waiting for them, but apparently, their escort was all they got. She frowned a bit.

The first batpony walked back over to her, stopped, then straightened his body as he would before Nightmare Moon—or her authority. "Ma'am."

"Thank you," Twilight said. "We'll be fine from here."

He nodded, then they both bowed to her—Twilight bit her lip and glanced around; her friends noticed as much as she did—and then they stood back up and she watched them climb back into the train. When she turned back to the station, she found her friends still looking at her. "What?"

Rarity shifted her weight and turned to face her. "Well, it's rather odd that they do that, don't you think? It seems that every time you're around all of the guards are bowing to you."

'Yes, that's a rather accurate summation,' but Twilight kept it to herself and forced a smile. And the smile felt forced. "Yes. Well. I'm sure Nightmare Moon is responsible for that."

Rarity hummed in thought and turned back away from Twilight. "Well, I for one must say it's wonderful being home again." Her friend tossed her head back and set the front of her foreleg against her forehead. "Alas, for all of Canterlot's glory, the changeling invasion was simply dreadful."

A moment passed; Rarity straightened herself, then looked at Thorax. "Er, no offense, Thorax."

"It's fine," Thorax droned. "It wasn't much fun for me either."

"I reckon it wasn't fun for any of us," Applejack drawled.

Rainbow took that opportunity to fly a few feet off the ground, zip over to Applejack, and then hover there, folding her forelegs over her chest. "Oh come on, we were totally awesome!" The mare energetically threw her forelegs out for emphasis. "The way you and me and Twilight were kicking those changelings' flanks! We really gave them something to think about, huh?"

Applejack rolled her eyes and head to the side.

Rainbow snorted, then zipped over to her quick enough that she jerked back. "You were awesome with that really quick teleportation!"

Twilight’s jaw tightened. "Thanks," she forced out.

Rainbow landed and leaned her head back in an exaggerated motion. "I guess—" her friend drawled, then leveled her head on her again, "—maybe Nightmare Moon teaching you is kind of awesome, if that's what you're learning."

Her jaw relaxed, and her smile returned more naturally. "Thank you," she murmured.

Rainbow beamed, then jumped into the air and zipped back over to land at Fluttershy's side.

"Well, if she is teaching you how to defend yourself, perhaps it's not such a bad thing," Rarity mused. "Though I still question why, I begrudgingly admit that she cares about you."

Twilight’s friends offered grumbled mutters of agreement with Rarity, then after a few seconds, they looked at each other and gradually grouped up, facing her. "We're sorry we doubted you and Nightmare Moon," Applejack said.

Twilight’s smile wilted. "It's okay. I know she's not perfect—" she nodded her head as her lips pulled into a grimace spurred on by several memories, "—but she's trying. And yes—" she smiled, "—I'm being careful."

They smiled at her, though not the same warm, fond smile she treasured. She walked over to them, and they gathered around her and hugged her. She hugged them back and relished their warm embrace compared to the cold night. "I think... I think as long as we're together, it'll be okay," she murmured.

"The Elements of Harmony?" Rarity asked.

A soft giggle escaped Twilight’s lips. "That too."

"It's a lot nicer seeing you able to laugh, Twilight. A lot better than how you used to be, so terrified all the time," Applejack said.

'Nightmare Moon was terrifying. She's changed, but I also know her better now.' Maybe Equestria needed to know her better, then. "It's... nice being able to laugh," Twilight admitted.

"Yepperoni!" Pinkie cheered. "Being able to laugh and smile is what makes life worth living! Well, that and frosting."

Twilight couldn't tell if Pinkie was joking or not, but regardless, she laughed. "Thank you all."

They gradually parted, with her friends still staying in one group, aside from Spike, who was at her side. "Well, I don't know about all of you—" she turned to look at Spike, smiled, and then looked at Thorax, "—but I have studying and research to do."

Thorax's eyes twitched and his wings jittered. "Why do her eyes do that thing when she says research?"

'What?'

"You get used to it," Spike offered nonchalantly.

Twilight looked at Spike with a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Spike looked back at her with a clearly forced smile. "Haha, it's uh, nothing, really. Just how you get really focused and intense at times..."

Twilight puffed out her cheeks, then huffed. "Fine. So I do go overboard on some things," she grumbled. She turned away from them and started off towards the street. Her friends parted down the middle for her to pass by them.

Applejack's hoof came to rest on her shoulder. She stopped and looked at her. "Twilight? You might not want to hear this, but you need to." Applejack paused, then bowed her head lower and flexed her eyebrows up, "And don't take this the wrong way," came out more forced and firmly.

"You say that you know Nightmare Moon's not perfect," Applejack stated. "She's done good things and she's done some downright awful things." Twilight frowned but let Applejack continue. "Don't excuse or defend the bad things. If she cares about you, and if she listens to you, then you need to call her out for what she's done wrong."

Twilight turned to face Applejack. "I try to," she said softly. "I'm supposed to advise her, so I try to give her good advice. For the most part, she listens to my point of view."

Applejack pointed nodded towards the sky. "And what about the permanent night, Twilight?"

Twilight was silent.

Applejack eventually nodded. "You need to talk to her about it, then. It ain't good for anypony. You know how badly it's affected everypony. I know you haven’t seen the farm before the whole eternal night thing, but things aren’t the same."

Twilight turned her head ever so slightly to the left. "You know she's not going to like that."

Applejack sighed and closed her eyes as she nodded. "I know, Twilight. I know." Applejack lifted her head back up and breathed in. "But you can't just excuse her for doing that, or defend it. It ain't right, and you know that. Don't forget about us or everypony else just to be her friend, alright? If you're really her friend, then you'll tell her when she's making terrible mistakes like that."

Twilight waited a few seconds, then gradually turned her head right and looked at the rest of her friends, taking in their mixed, concerned, and worried expressions before finally turning back to Applejack. She breathed in, then exhaled and nodded. "Okay. I'll—" she turned her head to the left again, "—talk to her about it when I get the chance."

"Thank you," Applejack said genuinely. Without any hesitation, Applejack pressed her chest into Twilight’s and hugged her. Twilight laid her head against Applejack's neck and returned the hug, and barely a minute later, the rest of her friends gathered around her again for another group hug, though it was more subdued than before.

They eventually parted, and after a few seconds of standing in silence, she turned from them and started off once more. A few steps later and both Spike and Thorax were at her side. And for a long while, the trip back to her library was quiet.

"You don't defend what Nightmare Moon has done with the eternal night, right?" Spike asked.

Twilight looked over at him, studied his frown for a few seconds, then sighed as she looked ahead. "It isn't right, but I just... I don't know how to talk to her about it. It's not going to be easy. I know that I need to talk to her about it, though..." she trailed off and bowed her head to look at the dirt road. 'Everypony needs me to talk to her about it. The Resistance, my friends, everypony else.'

'Princess Celestia.'

'I need to get you to forgive her too. But how am I supposed to do that? Where do I even begin?'

Or maybe Nightmare Moon had already given her a hint without either of them knowing it? 'You're not happy. You said that. You said you doubt yourself.' But even with knowing that, Twilight wasn't sure she could figure out how to make it work. 'Maybe Cadance can help.'

Yes, Cadance could likely help. Cadance was good with ponies. Calm and understanding, and from what she could tell, it went a long way. Nightmare Moon seemed to agree, as Cadance had been her tool to calm ponies down.

Twilight finally found herself opening the door to her library with her magic. 'One step at a time,' she decided as she led them inside. Thorax walked in and took his time looking around while Spike headed towards the kitchen. She closed the door, then looked at her little brother. "Spike? Can you send a letter to Nightmare Moon, telling her that we're back safely?"

Spike looked back at her and nodded. "Yeah."

Twilight offered him a small smile. "Thank you." She turned back to Thorax. "So," she ventured, drawing his gaze to her, "what do you think?"

Thorax looked away from her to study the bookshelves. "It's nice," he said neutrally. His head turned away from her again to study the room further. "Changeling hives aren't this nice. They're hot and humid, and we don't really do decorations."

'That sounds about right I guess.'

"And the Badlands are kind of bare, too. So the vegetation is nice, other than it being winter. I'm surprised there's still vegetation with the constant night."

Twilight frowned. "The moonlight, and magic," she pointed out. "Both Nightmare Moon's and earth ponies' magic."

Thorax looked back at her. "I guess. How long do you think that can last, though?" he asked neutrally.

Twilight had no answer, and eventually breathed in, then fidgeted under his curious gaze. "I don't know. I know that Rainbow Dash and some of the other weather pegasi in Ponyville complain about it almost on a nightly basis, but other than the cold, it doesn't seem like it's that bad to me."

His insectoid wings jittered. He turned away from her. A few seconds passed before Thorax looked back at her. "And what about the other races? A lot of them don't have magic like us."

Twilight grimaced. 'The minotaurs and griffins don't have magic like we do.' "I don't know," she eventually admitted.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Spike walk into the room. She turned to look at him; he was holding a scroll, which he held out for her once he was close enough. She took the scroll—bound with Nightmare Moon's seal—in her magic, broke the seal, and read.

Twilight,

I am glad that you have returned safely. I have decided that I will visit you tonight. As much help as you have been with organizing things, it is still tedious and irksome. I will spare you the details in this letter.

Your friend.

Twilight smiled and rolled the letter back up; Thorax's wings jittered again and he looked at her in an odd way she couldn't quite place. She looked back at Spike and teleported the scroll to her nightstand. "Thank you."

Spike smiled. "No problem, Twilight."

"Right, well—" Twilight turned back to Thorax, who turned to face her, "—why don't I show you your room?"

"Okay," he droned.

Twilight waited a moment, then turned around and trotted up the stairs. Instead of walking, Thorax's wings buzzed as he flew to the top and landed. She opened the door to the guest room, and he walked inside and looked around, turning his head every which way to sweep his gaze about, taking in the bookshelves, dresser, bed, and nightstand. "I know it's a bit small but uh, it's what we have."

"That's fine," Thorax said. He walked over to the bed, then set his hoof on it. "This is a bed right?" He looked back at her.

Twilight nodded. "Er, yes."

Thorax looked back at the bed. "Changelings don't have beds. We just sleep on the floor. Or in pods."

Twilight gradually nodded. "Huh. I imagine it's not very comfortable?"

Thorax looked at her. "It's what we're used to."

A few seconds passed. Thorax stepped back and investigated the nightstand, then the drawers.

“I’ll make a plan for us to visit Zecora sometime soon,” Twilight said. Thorax paused and turned back to look at her curiously. “She’s a zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest,” she elaborated. “I... want to try to help solve your uh...” she smiled awkwardly. So far, Thorax had not shown many aggressive tendencies, but she still felt nervous as she continued, “Issue with needing to, um... feed on ponies lifeforce. Love...” she trailed off.

Thorax turned around to face her, his wings buzzing slightly. “Do you really think you can do that?”

Twilight breathed in, then exhaled. She slowly looked to the left, then the right, but the walls and books here wouldn’t help her any. “I don’t know,” she answered as she met Thorax’s gaze, “but I have to try.”

Thorax nodded slowly. “Queen Chrysalis said it was impossibly... That the only way is to feed on other creatures’ lifeforces and love... But maybe you can find a way.”

Twilight smiled hopefully. Thorax turned his attention back to the drawers. "Well—" Twilight turned and started back down the stairs, "—if you need me, I'll be studying."

"Okay."

Thorax didn't say anything else, so once back in the library, she headed to the basement door, opened it, and descended down to her study. Rather than crates of books, this time there were only stacks of books on her desk, and even those weren't that big.

Two piles sat on the left: the farther one with four books, and the closer one with three. And on the right side of the desk was a single book—just as she had left it.

Sadly, the covers had collected just enough dust to make her grimace. With a quick flourish of her magic, she cleaned the books' covers and sat down, levitated the topmost book from the pile of three to the center, and opened it to her bookmark.

She smiled happily, finally getting a chance to get back to the normalcy of reading and studying. It really was a welcome break from dealing with the changeling invasion. The silence, aside from the chime of her magic and the turning of pages, was welcome. Even the smell of the books was pleasant and relaxing.

But it could only last so long before she grew distracted. 'You're not happy. You need to forgive Princess Celestia. You need to bring the sun back.' And with those thoughts in mind, the enjoyment of reading faded away. The book lost its magical properties to her; she lifted her head and looked at the wall, more focused on her thoughts than her studies.

'We raised the moon together, and you were unhappy. But, you are opening yourself up more. I can help you, can't I?' Yes, she was sure of it as she considered it, and because of it, she felt hopeful.

And maybe Nightmare Moon could be free and happy like Luna had been.

A timid knock on the door. Nightmare Moon looked up from the scroll she was reading, then turned her head back. "Enter," she called.

The door parted, revealing a single Royal Guard unicorn. He did his best to maintain a stoic expression, but his muscles betrayed him. 'You are nervous.' Nightmare Moon held back a scowl. "What is it?"

"Your Majesty, I regret to inform you that Steel Bar has been recalled to the Minotaur Empire."

Nightmare Moon frowned and stood, then turned around to face him. "Recalled?"

The guard shifted his weight, looked left and right, then at her, and nodded hastily. "Yes, your Majesty. He gave no further details."

Maybe it was simply paranoia, but Nightmare Moon felt an inkling of concern and dread, not that she let it show. "I see. Very well." He shifted uncomfortably. "Thank you."

"Of course, your Majesty." He bowed, then turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Nightmare Moon watched the closed door for a few seconds longer, then turned back to her scroll. 'Perhaps it is nothing. Perhaps it is out of concern over the Changeling Invasion.'

But she wasn't going to take chances. She teleported a clean scroll, levitated her quill up, and wrote out a message. Dried the ink with her magic, rolled the scroll up and bound it with her seal, then teleported the scroll to its destination.

'And now back to more irksome matters.' Or at the very least, matters more concerning for the immediate future.

Like Cloudsdale. The lone weather factory could only do so much, and that was being strained with the weather being, according to the pegasi, harder to control and manage—and it did not help that the pegasi themselves were disillusioned and discontent.

More weather factories would solve the issue, but it would take time to construct the new factories and train the pegasi how to properly use the factories.

'Perhaps I shall send Cadance to talk with them.' Yes, that would help, even if it only held back dissent for a little while. 'Once Winter ends, things will get better.'

'Perhaps I should send Twilight with you.' She pondered the passing thought and found herself nodding, fond of the idea. It would give Twilight an opportunity to learn from Cadance how to deal with ponies better than she could, it would give Twilight experience with some tasks the filly might find herself dealing with in the future.

Yes, the experience would be good for Twilight.

She settled on her course of action and set about finishing reading the reports, though none of them were quite as concerning as the ones of Cloudsdale and the Weather Factory; there were no reports of anything that would indicate new changeling infiltration of other cities, nor of changeling activity on the border with the badlands, nor of any new, more crippling economic worries.

And having finished going over the reports, she stood up, walked through her bedchambers, and stepped out onto her balcony to behold the night sky, Canterlot, and Ponyville so far away. The Moon was low in the west, so she did not look that direction lest the visage of the scarring sour her mood further. And yet, for looking out over the valley before Canterlot, the plains stretching to Ponyville, and the village itself, she found herself unhappy.

She did not feel peace, nor joy. Neither freedom, nor relaxation. Her thoughts betrayed her: rather than her mind being free, she found herself worrying and contemplating the Minotaurs, contemplating the weather and the Winter and her night, contemplating the resistance, the dissent, and the changelings.

Considering how she did not feel like she had won.

And so she turned to the right and set her gaze on the scarred moon. Watched it in silence. Considered and wondered what Sister was doing.

Was Sister looking at Equis, crying?

Was Sister screaming in anger as she had for so long?

Was Sister plotting her revenge upon her return, how subtle it would be if Sister was able to defeat or evade her?

Or was she wrong?

Was Sister simply sitting on the moon, looking up at Equis, wondering where it had all gone wrong? Wondering how she had failed, wondering if it was her fate as she once had?

'What if I am wrong? What if Cadance and Twilight are right?' she wondered in the silence. 'You hurt me so much and now I am hurting you. Were you truly blind and simply naive, rather than purposefully hurting me? And I am purposefully hurting you for what you did to me.'

And she knew Cadance and Twilight would both say she was wrong, that Celestia wasn't as she knew her and remembered. 'She was blinded by ponies' praise, and you're blinded by your hatred for her,' Cadance had said.

She turned away from the Moon, looked back at Ponyville. Breathed in deep of the cold night air. Exhaled.

Cadance and Twilight were wrong, not her.

Because time had taught her that lesson.

Sister had one thousand years to make amends. And Sister had not. Nay, Sister had only erased her works that ponies would forget who she was and what she had done for them.

She steeled herself against the doubt, though it did little to fortify herself against her other worries, concerns, and dreads.

She bowed her head; a sighed escaped her lips. In the courtyard below, Royal Guards and batponies silently patrolled.

'There are only so many of them. If the Minotaurs attack, Equestria is unprepared. If the changelings attack again, I will have to take to the field. If they ally against Equestria, it will not end well for us.'

'An army will take time to build and train. I have been a fool, I should have started this months ago. I have been complacent.'

'Ponies will not even want to join an army that I command.' Which would be the reason why she would keep a good distance away from trying to convince ponies to join. 'The only reason they would join is if Equestria is under threat, and by that time it will be too late.' She thought back to the experiences of her youth, the mistakes she had made and the lessons learned the hard way.

Perhaps the economic woes would work in her favor, allowing her to recruit ponies who have otherwise lost their jobs, but that could only go so far. It was likewise unsustainable; how could her kingdom outshine Sister's if it was constantly plagued by such problems? Nay, it would only become a mockery of her, boldly displaying her failures as a ruler—which would sow more dissent, creating a cycle that only smothered out Equestria.

And for it, she had the inkling of the dreaded thought, 'The only way this will end is with my death.'

How could it not? Ponies hated her; they would choose Sister over her in a heartbeat, and when Sister returned, they would surely flock to Sister and take up arms against her. Or perhaps it would be at Sister's hooves when Sister returned, or perhaps Sister would only banish her again.

Her muscles tensed and her jaw clenched at the thought. 'I will not be banished again!'

Even if it killed her.

And perhaps it would yet be Twilight's doing. Perhaps it would be a dagger in her back as she slept with her, or perhaps a spell to her heart that she could not defend against. She contemplated the idea, mulled it over; compared to the thought of dying at Sister's hooves, it did not draw as much of her ire.

Though picturing Twilight hating her left her wanting for Twilight's company, just to see Twilight smile, just to know that Twilight didn't hate her, just to know Twilight was comfortable around her.

She shook the thoughts from her mind. 'Enough of this. It is pointless to consider.' Yes, it only distracted her, and distractions would only hurt her further. She powered up her horn and teleported just outside Cadance's chambers, then hastily knocked.

A few seconds later, and the smaller, younger alicorn opened the door, looked up at her, and smiled a soft, genuine smile, then stepped to the side without her asking.

Nightmare Moon shifted her weight, then gradually walked inside and looked around the well-kempt room. The door clicked closed, and she gradually found herself looking at the floor, listening to the click of Cadance's hooves on the floor. She shook herself from her thoughts and turned to face Cadance, then bowed her head. "I will likely be sending you to Cloudsdale in the future to deal with—" she tilted her head to the right, not sure the best way to describe it, so she settled on, "—unrest."

Cadance frowned; she straightened her head once more. "I've heard that there have been problems with the Weather Factory, but I don't know the details."

Nightmare Moon grimaced and turned her head to the right. "Yes. There have been. I will spare you the details for now; I am sure you can learn them in the meantime." She turned back to Cadance. "I intend to send Twilight with you." Cadance's frown deepened for a moment. She slowly turned her head left, then back right. "Twilight would benefit from the experience, I think." She shifted on her hooves. "It would do her good to see how you talk to ponies."

"She has seen me talk to ponies. I was her foalsitter," Cadance pointed out.

Nightmare Moon grimaced. "Yes, I know. I simply mean that..." she trailed off and pressed her teeth down to hold tongue. After a few seconds, she let go, then nodded. "I think it would be good for her to see how you talk to ponies who are causing problems."

Cadance seemed to disapprove of that word choice, but chose not to say anything about that. "And you don't think her having friends helps her get that kind of experience?"

Nightmare Moon hesitated and pursed her lips, taking several seconds to prepare an answer. Once she was ready, she slowly tilted her head down. "It is... not the same. You’re dealing with ponies who are disillusioned, unhappy, and on the verge of causing problems for other ponies is more... I do not know what term to use. She would be seeing you act as a ruler."

Cadance raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like you're wanting her to learn how to lead as a princess."

Nightmare Moon nodded. "Yes. It would be good for her."

"Why do you think that?" Cadance asked.

Nightmare Moon shook her head. "I cannot teach her that."

"I'm asking why you think it would be good for her to learn that," Cadance stated.

Nightmare Moon shifted her weight. "Do you think it is not?"

"I didn't say that," Cadance said calmly. "But you have a reason for wanting her to learn this, other than it just being good for her."

Nightmare Moon hesitated and drew in a deep breath, then gradually let it out. "So I do." She gradually turned her head to the right and grimaced. 'I do not want to discuss this with Cadance.'

And if she really didn't want to, then she simply didn't have to.

But, at least to an extent, she trusted Cadance—and Cadance could help her. As it was, Cadance waited patiently, seeming to expert her to elaborate.

Nightmare Moon forced herself to face Cadance again, though found her eyes darting off to the sides to avoid meeting her gaze. "I... would intend for Twilight to become Regent if I am incapacitated."

Cadance jerked in bewilderment, her mouth parting and her eyebrows pressing down. "Regent?"

Nightmare Moon fluffed her wings and hastily tossed her head left and right. "She is the only pony who I would trust—"

"You know—” Cadance’s brow arched, “—she's not ready for that. You'd send her into a panic attack," Cadance pointed out.

Nightmare’s grimace returned and she met Cadance's gaze. "I know, which is why I would like to attempt to prepare her for it. I am not saying I expect her to ever have to fill the role, though I would like to have the comfort that she could if it was necessary."

Cadance frowned and closed her mouth. After a few seconds, the frown faded and Cadance turned her head slightly to the left. "There's another reason, isn't there?"

Nightmare Moon stared at Cadance, the internal struggle of, 'Do I tell her?' paralyzing her into inaction. Her wings gradually slumped from her sides, she caught it, but Cadance had already seen it. She slowly turned her head to the right as she breathed in. "You know her potential." She turned back to see Cadance nodding calmly. She shook her head, knowing that was the extent of what her Niece saw. "You see her potential, but you do not know her destiny, do you?"

Cadance frowned.

"She will ascend, Cadance," Nightmare Moon stated wholeheartedly. Nothing would change her conviction of that, and it was wholly on display to Cadance. "I am certain of it. If it does not happen naturally then I will make it happen."

"You're going to make her an alicorn," Cadance echoed.

Nightmare Moon nodded. "I may not know how, but I will find out Cadance. I will ascend her..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Anything less than that is unacceptable," she stated.

And Cadance looked at her, having no words. Neither disbelief, nor condemnation, nor acceptance. And her Niece asked a single question, "Why?"

"It must be her destiny. I have felt her magic, Cadance. Her potential is incredible... greater than mine and Sister's. I want to see her reach that potential." Nightmare Moon turned her head to the right, idly let her eyes drift over the wall. "I have dreamed of the night, Cadance, when we fly together. With her carried on her own wings. Where we sit on clouds together without spells. I have dreamed of her moving the sun and moon with magic, without any help. Where she is complete, where she is confident in herself."

And yes, those dreams were beautiful. Beautiful and peaceful, finally letting her have some taste of the joy and freedom that were so stolen from her.

Nightmare Moon turned back to Cadance. "I have dreamed of it so much Cadance," she admitted, then shook her head. "Twilight will not be complete until she ascends. I have felt that much. She is yet incomplete... Perhaps I am a fool for it, perhaps it will be the death of me, but I do not care: Twilight will ascend—" she bowed her head for emphasis, "—and I will make it happen if it does not happen naturally."

For a long while, Cadance watched her. Eventually, her Niece nodded, perhaps to herself. "You really mean that, don't you?"

Nightmare Moon lifted her head higher. "I do," she stated.

Cadance's eyes drifted to the left, and a moment later, her head followed. She watched her Niece's eyes dance back and forth, watched as Cadance pondered what she had said. And eventually, Cadance turned back to face her. "I'll help you, if you want."

Nightmare Moon hesitated, then nodded. "I... would appreciate that, Cadance." She shifted her weight and again looked at the wall on her right. "Though... I know it will be a while before anything comes of this." She turned back to Cadance. "She is not ready."

Cadance gradually nodded in agreement. "And you want her to be."

"I do," Nightmare Moon admitted. "And it may still occur naturally. It... seems most likely that it will occur naturally."

Cadance nodded more slowly, thinking about it.

"I would..." Nightmare Moon paused as Cadance looked back at her. "I would ask that you do not tell her."

Her niece frowned but nodded. "I think she'd rather you tell her." A moment passed. "You are going to tell her, right?"

"Not yet. I will, but not yet."

Cadance nodded again.

Nightmare Moon breathed in deep, then exhaled. "I... suppose I shall take my leave now, Cadance. I... will visit Twilight."

Cadance smiled warmly. "Tell her I said hi."

Nightmare nodded. "I will." She started channeling her magic into the spell—

"And Nightmare?" She hesitated, waiting on Cadance. "Enjoy your evening with Twilight."

For a few more seconds, Nightmare hesitated as she contemplated how genuine and friendly Cadance sounded, then she nodded. "I... hope to." Cadance's smile flashed warmer. She cast the teleportation spell.

The crack and flash of magic that announced her arrival were met with a yelp off to her left that she recognized as belonging to Spike. She turned to find the startled dragon with his claws carrying a platter with a teapot and teacup, both of which wobbled but remained upright.

"You scared me."

Nightmare Moon turned to face him. "That was not my intention."

He shifted his weight. "Right. Uh, Twilight's in the basement. Studying."

"Ah. I presume you were bringing her tea?"

"Yeah. Do you want a cup too?"

Nightmare Moon nodded. "That would be nice, yes."

Spike turned and headed back into the kitchen; Nightmare Moon turned to the basement door and walked over to it. Peering down into the basement, she found her student sitting on a chair, hunched over her desk. Reading, as if nothing had happened. 'Did you truly not notice my arrival?' Her muzzle scrunched up at the thought; she put the thought aside and started down the stairs. After the first few clicks of her shoes on the stairs, Twilight's head lifted up and her ears perked up.

A moment later, Twilight turned back to see her and immediately smiled. Nightmare smiled back as Twilight hopped out of her chair and turned around to face her.

"I hope your studies are going well," Nightmare greeted.

Twilight winced and slowly turned back to look at the desk and the books. "Right... uh—" Twilight turned back to face her; she reached the bottom of the stairs, "—not really. I uh, I've been distracted," the filly mumbled sheepishly.

Nightmare frowned a bit and decided to walk over to her. "Distracted?"

"Yeah," Twilight said, gradually leaning her head to the right, "Just... a lot on my mind." A moment passed, Twilight tilted her head to the left and leaned forward. "Which I suppose is actually... rather common, anymore."

"I see. If there is anything you desire to talk about, I will listen," Nightmare offered. For a moment, she caught Twilight's lips flinching as her friend straightened her head. And then Twilight thought it was a good idea to avoid looking at her. She breathed in and nodded. "So there is," she ventured.

And Twilight winced and looked at the floor. "Yeah, it's just..." A few seconds passed in silence, then Twilight shifted her head and looked back up at her. "We really need to talk."

Nightmare frowned. "You sound... uncertain. Hesitant." Neither of which bode well. "What is wrong?"

Twilight opened her mouth, only to stop at the sound of Spike's claws on the stairs. Eventually, the young dragon walked over beside her. Nightmare looked aside at him, and he alternated looking between her and Twilight, but mostly Twilight. "Tea's ready."

Twilight took the pitcher and both cups in her magic. "Thanks, Spike."

"You're welcome, Twilight. If you need anything else, let me know," Spike said, then turned to make a hasty retreat.

Nightmare looked back at Twilight and found a teacup offered to her. She took it in her magic and brought it under her muzzle while she watched Twilight take a drink from her cup and set the pitcher down on the desk. The scent was chamomile, but sweeter, and a taste confirmed it. It was almost too warm, yet it was soothing.

Nightmare lowered the cup and watched Twilight, waiting for her to decide what to say. As she watched it, she could see the way Twilight struggled to make a decision: Twilight's eyes became unfocused, looked off to Nightmare’s left, and the filly's head gradually tilted straight at her chest. And then there was the subtle fall back at Twilight's ears that brought her to frown.

And then, Twilight's eyes jumped up to meet hers, and the filly lifted her head back up as she breathed in deep. "Maybe... not tonight. Another time?"

"If it is important—"

Twilight winced and shifted her weight about on her hooves. "It is—" Twilight turned her head to her right, "—but it's not a conversation either of us are going to enjoy."

A few seconds passed, then Twilight gradually looked at her, grimacing. "I see," Nightmare Moon acknowledged. "So... you would rather not discuss it tonight."

"Yes. I uh... I need to think about how to... talk about it more."

Nightmare gradually bowed her head. "Very well. Whenever you are ready, we will speak of it..." 'Is it about my feelings for you?'

The thought twisted her heart and she squirmed where she stood, her wings pressing tight against her sides. She opened her mouth, only to catch her tongue with her teeth to stop herself from just blurting something out.

Twilight squinted at her. "Are you okay?"

Nightmare gradually let go of her tongue and breathed out, then inhaled. "I am... concerned it regards... how I..." She found that she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence; her mouth closed and her jaw tightened. She slowly turned her head to the left. 'Coward.'

But Twilight seemed to recognize what went unsaid. "Oh. Uh, no. It's not that. It's just... it's something else."

But Nightmare took no comfort in it, even as she turned back to Twilight. Her lips pulled into a thin line.

Twilight offered a soft, reassuring smile. "Really, it's not," the filly murmured.

A little of her unease, a little of the tightness in her chest and jaw faded, but it was still there. She turned her head back to the left, looked at the wall.

And a moment later, Twilight was against her chest. Nightmare’s eyes darted back to Twilight just in time to watch her head come to rest against her neck. She managed to relax, feeling Twilight's warmth against her. She turned back and leaned down, setting her neck against Twilight's and setting her chin in Twilight's mane while the filly's right foreleg wrapped around her neck. "Very well..." she relented.

Eventually, Nightmare found herself sitting on her haunches, and Twilight sat down too.

And as the hug lingered, her mind drifted to her dreams. She imagined what it would be like for the filly, perhaps a grown mare, to wrap her majestic wings around her body, and to likewise embrace Twilight with her wings.

And as if to insult her, though knowing it wasn't, Twilight pulled out of the hug. And for it, she felt disappointed; a sigh escaped her lips as she bowed her head.

For a while longer, they sat there in silence.

Twilight eventually asked, "So uh, I'm guessing not a lot has happened since we left Canterlot, but how are things going?"

Nightmare grimaced and finally lifted her head up. "I..." she trailed off. 'Should I simply admit my worries to her, or should I shield her?' she wondered.

In the end, she knew it was better to be honest about it; to not tell Twilight would be to leave her unprepared. "Steel Bar was recalled to the Minotaur Empire."

Twilight frowned and shifted uncomfortably.

Nightmare gradually bowed her head. "I am... concerned that this is a prelude to conflict."

"Conflict..." Twilight sounded out, then frowned even more, her cheeks tightening. "You mean war."

"Yes," Nightmare admitted. "And Equestria is woefully unprepared. The changeling attack was evidence enough of that."

A certain weight settled into the air, ruining the time they shared together. So she shook her head. "I do not want to discuss this now. I would rather enjoy our time together this evening."

Twilight breathed in and stood up. "Yeah..." The filly turned back to her desk and put a bookmark in the opened book, then set it off to the side.

Nightmare stood up as Twilight turned back to her. "Did you have anything in mind?"

Nightmare bowed her head. "I suppose... I would like to put your telescope to use. If you are not opposed."

Twilight smiled. "I'd like that."

Nightmare Moon smiled back. "We can stay here, or we could return to Canterlot. There are a few places on the mountain where I believe it would be more suited for using a telescope, though I suppose it may be less comfortable."

Twilight glanced aside, then looked back at her. "How about you bring some blankets?"

Nightmare looked to the left and pondered the thought. "I suppose that would work," she agreed as she faced Twilight again. "And we already have tea."

"Yep," Twilight agreed. "I'll go tell Spike we're leaving." She started walking around Nightmare.

Nightmare turned and followed. "I suppose there's no reason for me not to accompany you."

They walked up the stairs, one at a time, with Twilight leading. Spike was sat in the corner, reading a magazine of some kind. "Spike?" The young dragon looked up at Twilight. "I'm going to be going to Nightmare Moon for the while. I'll be back..." Twilight paused and glanced back at her, then looked at Spike again. "Sometime."

"Alright," Spike replied.

Twilight turned her head to look at her. "If you are ready?" Nightmare asked. Twilight nodded. Nightmare Moon lit her horn and wrapped her magic around the both of them, then cast her teleportation spell, taking them both to one of the many secluded clearings on the mountain.

The air was much brisker than in the Library, but it was more peaceful: the chirping of distant insects accompanied by the dark, starry night sky. Nightmare lifted her head to the sky, for a moment just losing herself in its wonder, then she lowered her head and looked at Twilight.

Rather than looking at the sky, Twilight looked over the treeline.

Nightmare glanced over it, but there was no danger there. She set about summoning a blanket, which she spread out over the grass, then teleported the telescope and set it on the blanket. Twilight walked over to the blanket and sat down on it. The soft cyan of the blanket went well with Twilight's coat as far as she was concerned. She walked over and sat down beside Twilight, then levitated the top off the telescope case, and carefully levitated out the telescope.

Nightmare studied the telescope for a few seconds.

"If you need any help figuring it out, I can help," Twilight offered.

Nightmare glanced at Twilight. "I am sure I can figure it out. I have simply not used one for... a very long time."

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. But if you need help, just ask."

Nightmare nodded once. "I will." She turned her attention back to the telescope; it only needed a bare minimum of assembly. She set the tripod up in the grass, and with the barest, albeit careful, effort, finished the telescope's assembly, setting the aperture on the tripod and securing it in place.

Although there was still a piece leftover she was unfamiliar with. Twilight noticed, and Nightmare felt the pull of Twilight's magic on the piece. She looked at Twilight and let her take it, then watched her levitate the piece over and, with a bit of assembly, attached it on the top.

"I see... The ones I remember did not have this."

"It makes it easier to find what you're wanting to look at," Twilight offered.

"Ah." Nightmare shifted her weight as she looked over the completed telescope. 'Perhaps...' She turned her head to Twilight. "Would you like to start?"

"It's your telescope," Twilight replied. "And you're... you. You know, Queen of the Night and all of that." Twilight smiled sheepishly.

For a moment, Nightmare's lips twitched down. 'Queen of the Night perhaps does not sound so appealing as Princess of the Night, 'least coming from you.' She mulled over the thought and breathed in, then set her gaze back on the telescope. "Very well."

"It has been a... long time since I have used a telescope," Nightmare admitted.

"Me too," Twilight said, "But uh... have you used one since you've come back? If you haven't, then uh, I've... probably used one more recent than you."

Nightmare shook her head. "I have not."

"I'm surprised by that," Twilight admitted.

Nightmare winced. "I... have simply not taken the time... among... other things," she mumbled, turning her head to the right to look at the forest rather than Twilight.

Her friend didn't say anything. Eventually, Nightmare turned back to the Telescope and then maneuvered it around with her magic, though pausing to look at the sky and find something for them to look at together. One of the constellations, yes. Perhaps Tauras? She leaned over to the scope on top and set about maneuvering the telescope to one of the stars. 'This is pointless,' part of her mind rebelled, 'What good does this do for either of us? How is this anything meaningful that we can enjoy? It is barely worth doing; I would rather lay with you and look at the sky.'

Having settled on a star, she lifted her head from the scope. 'What is something that would make this worthwhile?'

"Tauras?" Twilight asked.

"Yes."

"Any particular reason why?" her friend ventured curiously.

Nightmare grimaced and lifted her head to the sky. "Most likely because the minotaurs are on my mind."

"Oh," came Twilight's innocent dejection. Her own ears flicked at that sound, and her head turned to face Twilight of its own volition. "I thought maybe you had something interesting to say about it."

Nightmare sighed and looked at the telescope. "Perhaps at one time," she mused. "I believe Luna would have, but..." she trailed off and turned back to Twilight. "If I am being honest, while I appreciate the gesture of the telescope, I think I would rather just lay with you and watch the stars that way, and use the telescope another time."

"Oh. We can do that if you want," Twilight offered.

Nightmare hesitated, turning back to the telescope. "To not use it would be wasting your gift—" she turned back to the filly, "—would it not?"

"It's okay," Twilight said softly, her smile matching her voice.

And both conspired to make her feel guilty for some reason.

"I know that you're not much for uh..." Twilight trailed off and frowned. "I don't really know how to put it, other than you prefer things to be more straightforward and practical."

Nightmare hesitated a moment, then turned back to the telescope. "So I do..." she mused.

"I think you need to relax, though," Twilight said. She looked back at her friend. "You're... Okay, even when you're relaxed, it's like... I don't know. Do you even know how to relax?"

"I do not know if I can relax," Nightmare admitted. "There are... times, I suppose. Mostly around you."

Twilight bobbed her head to the left, flexing her eyebrows for a moment. "I can tell that..."

Nightmare frowned, and Twilight winced. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just..." Twilight trailed off and bit her lip, gradually rolling her head to the right and looking at the blanket. "You don't let our guard down often." The filly looked back up at her. "You let it down now, but... I'm not sure you let it all the way down. You're still... cautious."

A few seconds passed in silence. 'I am afraid to lose you. I am afraid that I will push you away.' "So I am. I... struggle with... many things, Twilight. You know this."

Twilight nodded a genuine, graceful, understanding nod. "I do. But you can't always keep your guard up, can you? If you do, how are you supposed to be happy?"

'I am unhappy.' "Happy?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight nodded. "You're not happy. Or, most of the time you aren't. You're... happy, or at least happier, when it's just the two of us, but... it never really lasts, does it?"

And more bluntly, but still with her foal-like innocence, "You're unhappy, aren't you?"

Nightmare breathed in and turned back to the sky. "So I am," she lamented. Her eyes fell to the telescope again. "You and Cadance both recognize that." She looked back at the sky, and for a while, both Twilight and her were silent. The moon drifted lower, gradually sinking to the horizon. She pondered the thought of lowering the moon with Twilight, but decided against it.

Eventually, the moon disappeared under the horizon, blanketing the world in darkness. Once that happened, Nightmare turned to Twilight, looked her over and found her looking up at the stars, ignoring the darkness covering the world. She turned her head further to the left and looked back at her body and wing, then set her eyes back on Twilight and reached out with her wing. She set her feathers on Twilight's back—the filly blinked and looked at her—and stroked them down her friend's body, stopping where her ribcage ended.

Nightmare folded her wing back to her side, then stood up and walked around to Twilight's left side before laying down on her back beside Twilight. Twilight didn't even hesitate to join her. The blanket helped stop the ground's cold, but it could still only do so much—she still felt the chill of the ground on her back and, despite Twilight's warmth, felt the chill of the night on her fur.

Though the idea gave her dread, she used her magic and summoned another blanket that she laid over the top of them. It helped.

Nightmare breathed in deep, then exhaled. "Thank you for doing this with me."

Twilight looked at her. Nightmare wondered what her friend would say, but after a while, Twilight's eyes went to the blanket over her chest, and then the filly looked back at the sky. "I know it means a lot to you."

"It does," Nightmare Moon agreed. “Your company is pleasant. It is... nice to not be alone.”

Twilight looked over at her and smiled warmly.

Author's Note

5/27/20

Chapter started. Word count: 3,119.

5/28/20

Rereading the first part of this chapter (read as all I had written on 5/27/20) was fun!

Wrote 16 words (3,135).

5/29/20

Just realized I had the dates wrong in this chapter. Had 2/xx/20. :rainbowlaugh:

Ah yes, last night I had a conversation with one of my friends (the one who I talk with a lot) and he pointed out that in the Season 5 finale, Rainbow Dash referred to Nightmare Moon as "Princess" in passing. Which... throws a lot of fanfics for a loop. Princess Nightmare Moon. I like it. I was going to do a sweep to edit that in, but then I realized I'd have chapter title conflicts (Queen).

Something to keep in mind, the next time I write a fic with Nightmare Moon.

Wrote to 4,964 words.

6/4/2020

Started writing at 10:52 P.M.

Stopped writing at 11:25 P.M. I'm tired zzz. Wrote to 5,806 words. It's good to get back into the swing of things or at least get this scene started.

6/6/2020

So it occurred to me over the past two days, that Twilight's friends still need their reservations about Nightmare Moon, so I added that in since I couldn't figure out how to edit their prior "We're sorry for doubting you and Nightmare Moon" to make that work. So thus, I added in a 'Call out the bad and reinforce the good' methodology from Applejack. It makes sense coming from Applejack, right? Applejack's level headed, and generally portrayed as the fallback leader of the group when Twilight's not available.

Also that's a rather important plot point, though it's happening sooner than I thought it would. Woohoo, more rearranging of the plan...

Wrote to 6,607 words.

6/9/20

Deleted a bit that I didn't like. Wrote to 7,177.

6/13/20

Following the dreaded unexpected hardware issue, and server move. Reee.

Ended a scene with Twilight studying/thinking. It occurs to me that I've not given enough thought to magic/spells for this story (or any of my stories really). There is only so much I can actually think of, and I'm not sure using college textbooks as a reference works well when contemplating what spellbooks would be like...

"Recalled?"

Nothing to see here, folks. These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along.

Wrote to 7,897. I've slowed down too much and I am unhappy.

6/15/20

Well, today was much better for writing than I expected. After basically having my friend give me a, "I think it would be better to x" I went with that and it solved some of my problems. Except for the fact that I derailed and just went with the flow of how I'd think Nightmare would think, so, you get Nightmare Moon on her balcony, and then a conversation with Cadance that I wasn't planning on having this soon.

Wrote to 10,145

6/16/20

Mostly enjoying what I've written today, so far. It's sort of like a date. I get to write cute, semi-awkward bonding between them.

And now, after showing a small section to a friend, I regretfully thought of an accidental innuendo in what Nightmare Moon said. :facehoof:

Word count: 13,180. Boom, I think I have the first draft finished! ~~At this point they're not even going to need to date!~~

11/30/20

Finished a re-read through and made some notes.

8/14/21

I haven’t touched this chapter in a long time. I sure rambled in these notes, didn’t I?

Various edits.

13,221.

8/17/21

Minor edits.

13,225.

10/29/21

Touch-ups and edits, in addition to some rewrites. Perhaps I was nitpicky, but the wording has been improved, I think.

Okay more changes than I had expected in all honesty. I suppose the advantage of having somewhere between 200,000-300,000 words drafted ahead is, knowing where I’m going, knowing where I want to go, I can go back and improve some things.

14,150.

1/11/22

Fixed a run-on word “Twilightwaited”. 112 asterisks to remove reee...

I hope you’re all still enjoying this.

1/13/22

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

Adept

Nightmare Moon turned to look at Twilight while she let the crack and flash from her teleportation spell fade. Twilight, though already knowing their destination was the Castle of the Two Sisters, looked around the courtyard curiously. Nightmare Moon momentarily looked away from Twilight to scrutinize the courtyard.

As per her orders, a large section of the Castle's courtyard had been cleared, so there was enough open space to work with. Twilight shifted at Nightmare’s side, then turned her head to the right and continued looking around.

Nightmare heard the click of metal boots on the stone come from her left, so she turned to face the approaching batponies. The three of them stopped and bowed to her. "Your Majesty," they acknowledged.

Nightmare nodded in response. In turn, they arose while she turned back to Twilight, who likewise noticed the trio of batponies. "We will be starting shortly," Nightmare said, drawing Twilight's eyes to her and making her student's lips pull into a line.

With that, Nightmare turned and walked back to the edge of the cleared arena, giving the four of them plenty of space so that she wouldn't intrude on their battle.

The three batponies bowed respectfully to Twilight, making her fidget uncomfortably and glance aside at Nightmare, then the batponies stood back up.

Nightmare turned to the left again. The present contingent of batponies were not working on the castle as much due to the Winter, but they were still encamped at the castle. They were, for the most part, keeping themselves occupied, although some had gathered at the left edge of the arena to watch as she had.

Pushing the passing interest aside, Nightmare turned back to look over Twilight and her student's opponents. Where Twilight was unarmored, the three batponies each had their usual steel armor, enchanted for resilience, to resist magic, and alter their appearance, and while Twilight's only weapon was her magic, the batponies had spears and hoof blades that shimmered with magic: enchanted so that they would do little more than shock and stun whoever they hit.

Even standing a good thirty feet away, Nightmare could spot Twilight's nervousness. The way Twilight squirmed where she stood, and though it was harder to tell, her muscles seemed tensed.

'How will you fare against them?' Nightmare wondered. There were three of them, but Twilight had magic that they did not. 'You should win easily.' Yes, it was hardly a fair fight for her batponies. It should be simple for Twilight to best the three of them.

'How many batponies would it take for you to lose?' Nightmare pondered, gradually running her tongue over her lips. 'Perhaps you would fare better against them than I since you can teleport quicker than I can.'

Twilight looked over at Nightmare, but the three batponies kept their gazes on Twilight. 'Of course, you would make that mistake.' Twilight would learn soon enough. She gave the word, "Begin."

Twilight's head whipped back towards her opponents who had already broken formation: one dashed left, one right, and one jumped into the air, all three arcing towards her. Twilight looked side to side, tracking them and considering her course of action while her horn glowed.

Nightmare observed as a flash of light radiated from where Twilight stood, signaling her student teleporting. An accompanying crack! and a second flash put Twilight a few steps behind the batpony who had gone to the right. His head whipped back to see Twilight behind him, her horn already aimed. He made to stop and swung his spear, only for a quick discharge of magic from Twilight’s horn to strike his unprotected wing.

The batpony let out a sharp eek!, his wings flaring wildly as the shock shot through his body, ultimately making him convulse and fall to the ground, twitching.

The two other batponies shared a look during the brief moment before another pair of flashes and crack! signaled Twilight teleporting once more.

More on instinct than reacting, both batponies dove out of the way which saved the grounded batpony from a blast of magic to his back. The bolt of magic sailed through the air before burning itself out.

Wasting no time, the batpony jumped back to his hooves and lurched at Twilight, who grunted as she jumped back.

Another pair of flashes and a crack!, this time putting Twilight far beyond the reach of either of the batponies. Having put both batponies on the defensive and throwing them off their hooves from her opening teleport, Twilight pressed her range advantage. The two batponies had no choice but to rush towards Twilight, attempting to weave between her spells. Even disorganized, they coordinated well enough that Twilight had to alternate between firing at each of them while backing up. Most of Twilight’s spells missed at first, but as they grew closer, Twilight’s accuracy improved as the batponies had less time to react.

Bolts of magic struck their armor, rippling over the enchantments and making the batponies’ dark appearances flicker to betray their true colors as the magic nearly burnt out the enchantments.

Her batponies never truly stood a chance. Before they even got close to her, Twilight had teleported again, once again putting adequate distance between herself and the batponies. A lucky bolt of magic struck on of them in the wing, making him jump and stagger. It wasn’t enough to knock him to the ground, but as he attempted to charge at Twilight, he fell over his hooves. A few more spells struck his armor, eventually culminating in a sharp crack! as the enchantments broke.

He yelped and spasmed before letting out a staggered grunt and falling unconscious.

Nightmare could see that the last batpony realized it was a lost cause, yet as was his nature, he still held to his duty. Rather than blindly charging at Twilight, he shot into the sky. Bolts of raspberry magic raced towards him, but he nimbly dodged them. Twilight fired more sporadically as the batpony nearly disappeared in the night sky.

Nightmare held back a smirk and set her gaze on Twilight. Her student bit her lip, nervously scanning the sky and timidly pacing around in a short circle. Twilight knew he would be back, but couldn’t see him now.

Nightmare looked back to the sky. It took her a few seconds to spot the batpony silently gliding down at a lower angle than Twilight was watching, and coming for Twilight’s side. By the time Twilight noticed the dark shape streaking towards her and turned, she only managed to get off a single spell that completely missed.

Twilight grunted as the batpony slammed into her, throwing her to the ground and pinning her. While Twilight struggled to free herself, the batpony made sure to strike her horn. Twilight yelped and winced. The strike was followed by a second strike to her side, which made her jerk and squeak before groaning.

Twilight’s horn went dim. For a few seconds, the batpony laid on her, unsure if she had well and truly given up or not.

Nightmare breathed in and frowned before nodding. 'How disappointing.' She walked towards them. The batpony noticed and quickly climbed off Twilight, then stood at attention while Twilight just groaned from the ground. She stopped in front of Twilight and leaned down.

"Why do I have to do this exactly?" the filly groaned.

"Because you need to know how to deal with multiple opponents at once," Nightmare answered. She watched Twilight's chest expand, then deflate. She heard Twilight's sharp exhale.

"I think it was easier to deal with the changelings," her student grumbled.

"You had help," Nightmare pointed out. "Though with that said, I would not expect you to consider this harder. The changelings were more numerous and had magic, though I suppose they were unarmored.”

Nightmare paused for a moment, then bowed her head. "And you lost track of him."

Twilight scowled.

Nightmare breathed in and washed her magic over Twilight's body, dispersing the stunning effect and accelerating her recovery. Twilight's eyes fluttered closed, then stayed closed for several seconds. She watched her student's chest expanded, then Twilight opened her eyes and reluctantly stood back up.

"You're going to make me keep doing this until I win, aren't you?"

Nightmare smiled. It was the only answer Twilight needed, and it was enough to make her student sigh. "Perhaps you would rather spar against me?" she suggested.

A moment passed. Twilight's expression refocused. "As a matter of fact, yes, I would rather spar against you than them."

"Very well," Nightmare said, then bowed her head, "but you will still be sparring with them after this."

Twilight jerked her head about; she turned and walked a good distance away, then turned back to face Twilight. She stood at her full height, breathed in deep, then calmly exhale. Twilight grimaced as she shook herself back into focus.

'You will open with teleporting. Likely... to one of my sides, or behind me.' Yes, Twilight was predictable—at least to that point. 'And then you will cast a stun spell and teleport again...' "Whenever you are ready," she bowed her head, "you may make the first move."

Twilight lit her horn and Nightmare mirrored her.

Twilight teleported. 'Left.' The chime of Twilight's stun spell. Nightmare forged her magic into a shield. The second teleport. 'Behind.' The next stun spell. The first struck her shield. Nightmare dropped her shield and they both teleported nearly in sync.

Twilight startled as Nightmare threw herself into her much smaller opponent. Twilight grunted and found herself on her back. After a moment of confusion, her student's horn glowed to life-until her hoof connected with it.

Twilight winced and grunted as Nightmare pressed her horn to the stone. She looked at Nightmare with some kind of disgusted, confused grimace.

Nightmare tilted her head. "Predictable." And Twilight scowled.

"Normally that works."

"Yes," Nightmare agreed. "Shall you try again?"

"I have the feeling you're going to make me try again anyway," her student muttered.

"You are correct," Nightmare stated, then lifted her hoof from Twilight's horn and stood up. Twilight rolled onto her stomach, then stood back up and walked back to her original position, then faced Nightmare while she walked back to her starting position. "How about we... make this more interesting?"

Twilight frowned. "More... interesting?"

"Yes," Nightmare said. "Don't hold back. Use whatever spells you have at your disposal. Aside from the obvious, 'Let us try not to kill each other,' no rules?"

"I really don't like the sound of this," Twilight muttered.

"Ah, come now, Twilight. 'Twill be a fun challenge," Nightmare offered. A smile pulled at her lips as she thought about it.

Twilight squinted at her. Nightmare barely heard, "Fun," muttered, but couldn't miss the way Twilight's eyebrows flexed up and her head jittered about. "You do realize I'm not holding back when we're sparring, right?"

"You are," Nightmare countered. "You stick to a very limited, rather predictable set of spells and strategies. You are quick, but... we have sparred enough that I was able to defeat you as I did."

"You win every time," Twilight pointed out. "It doesn't really matter what I do. It only determines how long it takes for you to win."

"Eventually—" Nightmare bowed her head, "—you will win."

Twilight's expression shifted. Nightmare couldn't make out what it meant, although she thought the filly's body relaxed. Eventually, Twilight shook her head. "Fine. So, use whatever spells I can think of?"

"Yes," Nightmare said.

"Alright. And what about you?"

"You will see," Nightmare answered.

"Yep." Twilight nodded at length for several seconds. "I really don't like the sound of this."

Choosing to ignore Twilight’s comment, Nightmare bowed her head and said, "Whenever you are ready," then lifted her head back up.

Twilight breathed in and flexed her eyebrows up, then gradually lowered her head and crouched down, aiming at Nightmare, but not casting yet.

'What are you planning?' Was her student going to open with casting rather than teleporting?

'I can fly. Perhaps this is how I can force you to face a variety of opponents at once.' Yes, Twilight hadn't really fought her when she was flying, and if the batpony was anything to go by, Twilight needed more practice there. Nightmare broke eye contact to glance around the arena. 'Although there is perhaps not enough room... when we battle next in a forest, or perhaps a field, I shall fly,' she decided.

Nightmare looked back at Twilight, who hadn't moved. 'Unsurprising, but you should capitalize on it.'

"In an actual battle—" Nightmare bowed her head and aimed at Twilight, charging her magic, "—you would not have such time to think and plan."

"This isn't meant to be an actual battle," Twilight retorted. "You giving me the first move is proof enough of that."

'Perhaps...' Nightmare pondered a few thoughts and settled on one of them. "Then I shall make the first move." She saw Twilight's body tense just before she cast her first spell, and though no bolt of magic lurched towards Twilight, her student's magic formed into a shield. 'Good, you didn't flinch.' Still, the fact that Twilight did not try to teleport out of the way came as a surprise.

Nightmare cast her second spell, cloaking herself from sight. Twilight visibly cringed. Nightmare breathed in deep, then calmly walked off to her left, never looking away from Twilight, who listened intently—not that her hoofsteps were audible, courtesy of the first spell—and gradually swept her head left and right.

Twilight timidly backed up, realizing she was at a disadvantage.

'Surely you are better than this!' Twilight, even if she didn't know how to cast her spell, should have been able to figure out how to counter it. Even just casting spells randomly stood a chance of working! But no, Twilight did not even bother trying. She held in a groan. 'What are you doing?'

Twilight breathed in deep. Nightmare crept towards her student.

A slight twitch in Twilight's eyes. Another step. Twilight's horn jerked towards her.

Nightmare dove to the side as the bolt of magic raced through the air and dispersed at the edge of the arena. A second bolt followed it towards her. She rolled out of the way and the bolt of magic struck the stone.

Twilight teleported.

Nightmare jumped to her hooves, swiveled around, and dropped low before casting her own spell. Their spells hit in midair and detonated—she barely heard the double crack! of Twilight's next teleport, but Twilight had not timed it perfectly. 'So you can detect me now. Good.'

Nightmare turned—

—disorientation. The world flipped around her in an incomprehensible way. Up became down and down up, as gravity reversed.

Nightmare grunted and flipped onto her back, then dove back towards the ground, only for gravity to right itself and send her tumbling in disorientation. She teleported to the ground—the sound gave away her position—and the impact made her grunt.

Nightmare rolled and jumped to her hooves, then leaped back and matched Twilight's bolt of magic with her own.

'If you wish to fight like that...' Nightmare teleported to Twilight's side and threw herself into her student again. The filly yelped and turned to face her. Nightmare dispelled her cloak and lunged her right forehoof at Twilight's horn. Twilight teleported before she could make contact.

Behind her. Nightmare swiveled and several bolts of magic flew past her side. She fired back. Twilight dropped to the ground and matched her spells. She strode forward. Twilight teleported to her left.

Nightmare grabbed Twilight with her magic—the filly yelped in surprise—and threw her student towards her while she swiveled around to face her rapidly-approaching student. Twilight winced and teleported past her, fell to the ground and rolled. Nightmare turned to face Twilight and watched her student pick herself back up off the ground.

Twilight coughed a few times, then licked her lips, still staring at the ground.

"You should not simply stand there," Nightmare chastised.

Twilight looked back at her with a scowl. "I didn't expect you to just grab me like that."

Nightmare pointedly tilted her head. "As I said—"

"No rules, yes," Twilight hissed, immediately casting several bolts of magic towards her.

Nightmare turned her body towards Twilight and forged her magic into a shield that took each spell in stride.

Twilight grumbled something and turned to face Nightmare, who noticed her labored breathing.

A beam of magic lurched from Twilight's horn. Nightmare braced herself. The beam struck her shield head-on. She squinted from the brightness and exhaled sharply as her body tensed.

It reminded her too much of her fight with Sister.

Twilight wasn't that strong. Not yet.

Nightmare’s shield shrugged it off—for the first few seconds. Against the blinding raspberry-white light, she saw cracks forming in her shield. She bared her teeth and forged more magic into her shield, reinforcing it against Twilight's magic.

And a second later, the beam stopped. Twilight's legs wobbled as she heaved for breath.

'You are not spent yet.'

Nightmare dropped her shield and charged forward. Twilight's body jerked; her student straightened and teleported.

Nightmare spun around and fired off a blast of magic. Twilight fired a spell in return. Nightmare charged at Twilight—the spells hit and detonated—and raced through the spells' wake.

Twilight teleported again. Nightmare stopped and turned, casting a stun spell as soon as she could. Twilight's magic formed into a shield. Crack! as the shield took her magic and shrugged it off.

Twilight shuddered and winced.

Crack! Crack! The next two spells struck the shield.

Nightmare fired again and Twilight's shield popped. Twilight let out a hiss and grunted. Her horn sparked a few times before the crack! and flash of another teleportation spell.

Nightmare turned and fired.

Twilight fired.

Their spells detonated and they both followed up with more.

Where Twilight stood her ground, Nightmare strode through the spellfire to close the distance. Twilight stopped firing to teleport. When Twilight reappeared, Nightmare grabbed the filly in her magic—only for it to slip off as Twilight fought it off.

Nightmare turned and ducked under Twilight's spell, and from her crouched position, lunged forward and focused her magic into a beam.

And Twilight made the mistake of shielding against it.

Nightmare’s beam struck Twilight's shield, and after barely a second, shredded it.

A surge of dread, anxiety, and panic crashed over her body. Nightmare cut the spell but the magic still slammed into Twilight's body, sending Twilight flying through the air for a moment before crashing into the ground and rolling side over side before stopping.

No magic. Twilight either chose not to move or was incapable of it. Three batponies rushed over to her student's side and the ones who watched on tensed as if they were ready to strike at some unknown enemy.

Nightmare darted over and stopped at her student's side. "Twilight?"

Twilight groaned and her face scrunched up.

Nightmare closed her eyes as a wave of relief washed over her body. She opened her eyes and washed her magic over Twilight's body, numbing her pain and healing the cuts, scrapes, and bruises she had caused. After a moment, her friend cracked open her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked at her.

A protracted silence lingered between them while Twilight watched her. Eventually, Twilight's eyes jumped to the sky. "Note to self..." Twilight breathed out at length. "Don't try to do that again," her student muttered.

Nightmare clenched her jaw. "I expected you to teleport."

"I was going to." Twilight rolled her head to face her. "But I decided I'd try to shield against it." A long pause. Nightmare frowned. "And try to reverse gravity around you while shielding against it," her student finally said.

Nightmare’s jaw relaxed, but her lips pulled into a grimace. "Ah."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"This explains why your shield failed so quickly. I did not expect that to happen," Nightmare admitted. "Normally you can deal with that... far longer than what you did."

Twilight grimaced and breathed in, then glanced at the three batponies, who took that as a sign to back off.

Nightmare glanced at them and watched them retreat back to the crowd, then surveyed the batponies, who watched them intently.

Nightmare frowned. 'Something does not seem right.' But what? She reached out with her magic and checked, but none of them were changelings. Perhaps it was her imagination, or perhaps it was simply their concern for Twilight. She set her gaze back on Twilight. "Perhaps we should not spar here, but rather, in the forest."

"Yeah, I think I like that idea better."

Nightmare frowned. "Even though the same lack of rules would apply?"

Twilight rolled her head over the ground, flexing her brow up. "You normally play with me as it is anyway."

Nightmare shifted her weight uncomfortably. "So I do," she admitted.

Twilight looked at her.

"As I have said—" Nightmare bowed her head, "—I am trying to help you improve. If I held myself back none, you would hardly improve." She paused, then nodded. "You are getting better. It is more challenging for me to battle you."

"Even though you could wipe the floor with me if you really wanted to," Twilight muttered.

Nightmare hesitated and turned her head to the right. "'Tis... not that simple," she replied. Twilight squinted at her; she turned back to meet Twilight's gaze. "I am not used to battling an opponent who applies magic as you do. I can overpower you rather easily, but you..." she hesitated; why was it so hard to admit? "You are capable of... perhaps not outsmarting me, but..."

"I do not know what I am trying to say," Nightmare finally admitted after a few moments’ thought.

Twilight breathed in, then gradually pushed herself up into a sitting position. "I think I know what you mean."

Nightmare watched Twilight stand up, then likewise stood up. "I—" Twilight looked at her, "—you seem to fare better under... normal circumstances. More... proacted battles, perhaps?"

"Having cover helps," Twilight muttered.

"I see," Nightmare mused. "And I suppose a field would be better as there is grass... Though there is something to be said for at least being exposed to this so that you will have some experience in case you have to battle in such an environment." Twilight grimaced. 'Though I suppose you have fought in Canterlot against the changelings.' "Very well. Shall I teleport us to a forest, then?" Twilight nodded. Nightmare wrapped her magic around both of them and teleported.

Nightmare gradually turned her head left and right upon arriving, double-checking to make sure it was the right area and to make certain there were no animals to attack them. 'Good.' She turned to Twilight and watched her student take in her surroundings for a few seconds.

Eventually, Twilight faced her. "So... still the 'no rules' thing?"

Nightmare bobbed her head and looked at a tree. "More or less." She looked back down at Twilight. "Do not hold back, though I will again ask you not to use fire or mind magic."

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "You already told me not to use that before."

Nightmare lifted her head towards the tree canopy. "Yes—but, I was not certain you would refrain from using such magic given I said not to hold back."

"I won't," Twilight said.

Nightmare waited a few seconds, then breathed in and lowered her head before nodding. "Very well. Thank you."

Twilight gradually walked away from her a good ten feet, then turned back to face her, lighting her horn.

Nightmare likewise lit her horn, then bowed her head before lifting her head back up so her horn wasn't pointed at Twilight.

"So, what am I trying to do, exactly?" Twilight asked. "Sparring and trying to beat you or am I trying to evade you and beat you?"

"Whichever you think is necessary to defeat me," Nightmare answered. "I have not decided how much I will hold back. I will not go down easily, of course."

Twilight's lips pressed into a line, but her student stayed silent.

"You may begin whenever you are ready," Nightmare said.

Twilight's horn grew brighter as it charged with a spell and, rather than opening with a teleport, a bolt of magic shot from her student's horn towards her.

Nightmare forged her magic into a shield. Twilight teleported away, but as Nightmare listened, she did not hear the second crack. Her shield took the blast of magic in stride, shrugging it off.

Nightmare still felt the impact, still saw the faintest hint of a crack where the blast struck.

'You are improving.'

Nightmare gradually turned her head left and right, swiveled her ears around to listen while she looked. Wherever Twilight had teleported to was far enough away that she saw no signs of her, and it was either far enough away for the sound of her hooves not to carry, or Twilight had muffled her hoofsteps.

'You cannot have teleported too far, as you would be teleporting blindly and uncomfortable with that in a forest.' Nightmare licked her lips and sent her magic out, searching for any traces of Twilight's potent, easily recognizable magic.

'There you are.' Twilight's magic stood out like a beacon in a void, much like she imagined Niece, Sister, and herself would.

Nightmare tracked Twilight for a few seconds, anticipated where she would go, then cast her own teleport spell.

Twilight yelped in surprise.

Nightmare lunged into Twilight's side, throwing her student to the ground. Twilight looked up at her with startled, wide eyes and her forehoof connected with her chest. Nightmare couldn't tell if it was an intentional attempt to stop her or if it just happened.

Twilight teleported before hitting the ground. Nightmare landed without Twilight beneath her. Crack! behind her.

Zap! Zap! Two spells.

Nightmare rolled to the right—several twigs stuck into her coat and leaves clung to her body—and jumped and turned around to face Twilight, keeping herself low to the ground.

Zap! Zap! Zap!

Nightmare lunged forward and shielded herself. Twilight backed up to keep distance between them.

Zap! Zap! Zap!.

Twilight kept casting.

Four feet.

Two feet.

Twilight teleported.

Nightmare dropped her shield and spun around, casting a spell to muffle her steps and another spell to cloak herself from sight.

Zap!

Nightmare sidestepped the spell and dashed towards Twilight.

The filly glanced around quickly before aiming at her and casting. Zap!

A quick shield blocked the blast but gave away Nightmare’s position.

Twilight swiveled to face her and ducked low. Zap! Zap! Zap!

Nightmare dropped her shield, then teleported.

Before Nightmare had a chance to capitalize on her new position, she was thrown into the air as gravity reversed. Leaves rustled and branches scratched her coat as she fell through the treetops. With a grunt, she teleported again and cast a counterspell. Shaking her wings free from a few twigs and leaves, she went ahead and dispelled her cloak while she lowered her horn to fire a beam.

Twilight dropped to the ground. Nightmare easily tracked her student. The filly rolled before realizing that Nightmare could just as easily track that.

The crack! of a teleport.

Zap!

Crack! Another teleport.

Nightmare shielded herself against the spells and swiveled around and crouched down. Aimed-zap! zap! and fired another stun beam.

Crack! Twilight teleported; she rolled out of the way from her student's spells.

Crack! Twilight stood over her, lowering her head to aim.

Too slow. Nightmare grabbed Twilight in her magic and threw the filly into the air.

Twilight yelped.

Nightmare jumped back to her hooves. Her student's horn sparked several times, then another crack! marked another teleport.

Twilight reappeared in front of Nightmare, the flash momentarily blinding her.

Nightmare felt Twilight's horn against her neck, felt the imminent surge of magic, and threw herself into Twilight's body, knocking the filly's horn out of position.

Twilight grunted. Zap! The spell flew into the tree canopy.

Nightmare Crouched down and lurched up, throwing Twilight off her forelegs. Twilight lost her balance. Nightmare capitalized and threw herself on top of Twilight to hold her down.

Crack!

Nightmare grunted as Twilight disappeared from beneath her. She looked back over her shoulder to see Twilight a few feet away from her.

"You're not usually this physical!"

Nightmare stood back up and swiveled to face Twilight. She fired three spells at Twilight in quick succession. "You do not usually teleport this close."

Twilight shielded herself; each spell detonated harmlessly against her student's shield.

Twilight panted and licked her lips. Her shield faded and a crack! marked another teleport.

Nightmare sent her magic out in search of her student, then shortly followed with a teleport of her own.

Twilight was running away from her, though startled at her teleport, and looked back with a yelp. In her panic at Nightmare’s rapid reappearance, Twilight tripped on some exposed tree root or brush and hit the ground with a dull thud and grunt, followed by a groan.

Nightmare dashed towards Twilight, who scrambled back to her hooves and bolted away from her.

In her haste to catch Twilight, Nightmare failed to notice the rock Twilight launched at her. The rock nailed her shoulder hard enough that she hissed in pain and stumbled, buying Twilight a few seconds while Nightmare processed what had happened.

'Clever.' After making sure nothing more than a welt would come from it, Nightmare resumed her chase, firing a few spells in retaliation.

Twilight wove between trees, using them to block Nightmare from having a clear shot at her.

Truly, Twilight had learned from months of practice how to use the forest to her advantage, or at least fight Nightmare in it. Aside from her student's continuous struggle with brush—thorn bushes, Nightmare realized when she herself bounded through them and felt them cut into her legs—and the rare trip up on roots or branches, Twilight navigated the forest well and used the trees to her advantage.

And, of course, Twilight had another advantage: size. Even just being almost imperceptibly smaller than an adult unicorn mare, that gave her student a significant advantage over her in the forest, making Twilight more nimble.

Still, Nightmare was faster, stronger, and had much more magic and mass to bring to bear if Twilight gave her the opportunity to, which meant combat was still mostly one-sided. Mostly.

Nightmare teleported ahead of Twilight, facing the filly, who stumbled to a stop. She aimed and cast her spells.

Twilight dove under Nightmare.

Nightmare quickly sidestepped, expecting Twilight to attack from under her, but rather, Twilight raced on past her, unobstructed. She cast her spells and Twilight ducked behind a tree; her spells continued on, burning themselves out or striking trees or shrubbery that went unaffected by the stun spells.

Nightmare stopped and listened to Twilight's panting. It was an obvious giveaway that her student was still hiding behind a tree, and quite possibly, nearing her limit. 'Catching your breath and planning. But you are still not as athletic as you should be.'

Nightmare decided to let her student catch her breath and use the time to plan her own actions. From what she could remember, there should be a river nearby, though it was unlikely to factor into their battle. Twilight would simply teleport, and she would either teleport or fly.

Hoofsteps still muffled, Nightmare crept towards Twilight's tree, staring at the trunk, carefully watching for any signs of Twilight's movement. Listening in to the gradual calming of Twilight's panting, growing quieter and quieter.

Four feet.

Two feet.

At the tree.

Nightmare jumped around the left side of the tree-zap!

The brilliant raspberry bolt struck her neck before she could react; her body momentarily tensed, her neck tingled, and then a faint numbness washed out from where the bolt struck. “Gah!” she grunted as she stumbled back.

Zap!

Nightmare dove under the spell.

Twilight stumbled back. "Oh come on! That's not even slowing you down!" Twilight hissed.

"As I said,” Nightmare stood back up to face Twilight, ”my body is resistant to magic, and stun spells in particular. You will have to try harder than that."

Twilight puffed her cheeks out.

Nightmare used Twilight's lapse in focus to her advantage: She lunged at Twilight. The filly yelped as their chests hit. Nightmare Moon, weighing more, easily knocked Twilight off her hooves.

Twilight, being better at teleporting, easily teleported behind Nightmare, leaving her to land on a tree root.

"I am never going to be able to beat you, am I? The best I can do is just... draw it out." Twilight muttered.

Nightmare breathed in deep and frowned as she stood back up. "In terms of raw magic, not yet.” She turned around to face Twilight. “In terms of skill, not yet. You have landed spells—"

"And they've done nothing," Twilight groaned.

Nightmare pointedly tilted her head. "Then put more magic into it. You have the potential and the magic to spare. And regardless, you are fairing far better against me than the changelings did."

Twilight scowled at Nightmare. “You were trying to kill them.”

“And if I were trying to kill you now, if this is the best you can do, you would already be broken before me,” Nightmare stated. She bared her teeth and accosted, "You are better than this!"

Twilight recoiled and frowned. "What do you expect me to do!?" Twilight retorted. "There's only so much I can actually do."

Nightmare straightened herself. "You are being inflexible. You are only using stun spells, teleportation spells, and gravity reversing spells. Even without fire, there are more spells you can apply to this situation!"

Twilight flexed her brow up and tossed her head left. "Detection."

Nightmare closed her eyes for a moment, then pointedly opened them to look at Twilight. "Which you have used well," she stated flatly. "But you are holding yourself back." Twilight grimaced and pointedly turned her head to the right. "Why?"

Twilight looked back at Nightmare. For a few seconds, Twilight was silent. For a few seconds, Nightmare studied the way Twilight's face caught the reflection of her magic, shining slightly: sweat. Her mane even clung to her forehead and neck, and from what little she could see, Twilight's tail seemed to hug her legs more than usual.

Red lines dotted her sides and legs from where thorns had cut into her body, and though none bled enough to worry her, they were enough to make her grimace from simply knowing it had to, at least for Twilight, hurt. Looking down at her own legs, she noted that the thorns were not kind to her either, but at least it did not bother her.

"I think you overestimate what I can do," Twilight finally answered.

Nightmare looked back at Twilight and shook her head. "I do not think so. You fight well enough, but you should be better than this. You should be—"

"I'm not a soldier," Twilight put in. "I'm a student."

Nightmare gradually closed her mouth and breathed out, letting a few seconds pass in silence. "So you are." She slowly shook her head. "You should still be better at this. I know that you have more spells you can use for this, even if they are indirect such as reversing gravity. Why do you not use them?"

Twilight turned her head to the left. "I don't want to."

Nightmare frowned, letting a few seconds pass, giving herself enough time to ensure she wouldn't lash out at Twilight. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to accidentally hurt you." A few seconds passed; Twilight gradually looked back at Nightmare.

'You do not wish to hurt me?' Why would Twilight be worried of that if she always insisted that she was being overestimated? "I did not..." Nightmare trailed off. "Why are you worried about hurting me? I assure you I will be fine."

"I still don't want to," Twilight repeated.

Nightmare grimaced. "I promise that I will be fine. Do not worry about hurting me. I assure you I have been through worse than whatever you can do to me."

Twilight grimaced and turned away from her, muttering something under her breath that Nightmare couldn't make out. Twilight's lips gradually relaxed, as if she were thinking of something she didn't like, and Twilight looked back at Nightmare, almost haunted.

Nightmare frowned more; Twilight blinked a few times, then looked at the ground before meeting her gaze again. "I do not understand why you are worried about hurting me if you think I am overestimating what you can do," she admitted.

Twilight's body tensed and the filly straightened. "An overcharged stun spell can still kill." And having said that, Twilight turned away from her. Nightmare watched her friend's ears fall back. "I don't want to do that," came quietly.

'There are times when there is no alternative to killing.' But that wasn't the right thing to say, not now. No, Twilight needed reassurance. "Twilight—" Nightmare bowed her head and waited for her friend to turn back to her, "—do not worry about hurting or killing me. You would have to want to kill me in order to actually succeed at that, and you do not want to." Twilight's lips pulled into a line and the filly's jaw tightened. "And regardless, I have the utmost faith that if you did stop my heart, you would be able to revive me."

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "I don't."

Nightmare breathed in deep and stepped over to Twilight. "Have confidence in yourself, Twilight." She bowed her head to emphasize, "As I do." Then she lifted her head back up. "And do not hold back. It only hampers your improvement."

"And you're, um, sure?" Twilight stuttered.

Nightmare nodded. "Put everything into our sparring that you can. Do not go easy on me or hold back."

Twilight's brow flexed up and her student's head turned left. "And you're still going to hold back and I'm still going to lose..." was muttered.

"You will eventually win," Nightmare reminded, drawing Twilight's head back to hers. "I expect no less."

Twilight offered some odd, perhaps horrified, and definitely forced smile.

Nightmare nodded again, then paced back several steps until there was a good distance between them. "Whenever you are ready," she offered and aimed her horn at Twilight.

Twilight breathed in, then threw herself to the left and cast two spells.

Nightmare stepped to the right, avoiding both spells. Aimed where Twilight would be. Cast.

Twilight yelped and scrambled back onto her hooves.

Nightmare’s spell impacted the ground and washed over it with a shimmer.

She cast. Twilight cast. The spells detonated against each other. Crack! A teleport.

'Left—' Zap! Nightmare swiveled her body to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the brilliant raspberry bolt of magic struck a tree.

She aimed and cast. Twilight strode towards her. Zap!

Boom!

Zap! Zap!

She countered with her own spells.

Boom! Crack! Boom!

Another teleport, at her right. Twilight's horn aimed and charged—Nightmare threw herself right—Zap! Her body jerked from the discharge—Zap!—another jerk; Twilight grunted as she was knocked out of position—Zap!—the spell missed.

Nightmare landed with her shoulder on Twilight's chest; Twilight laid under her for a few seconds, breathing heavily, though strained from her weight. Eventually, Twilight picked her head up from the ground and looked at her.

Nightmare tilted her head and aimed at Twilight—Crack!—her student teleported.

Zap! Zap! Zap!

Nightmare scrambled back to her hooves. Her body spasmed slightly from the first spell but the next two spells harmlessly washed over the ground.

'How many spells have you landed?' Nightmare had lost count.

Enough that parts of her body still tingled. It was far preferable to burns.

Nightmare swiped her tongue over her lips and stared down her student, who likewise stared her down but with much less focus.

Twilight cast and strode left. Nightmare cast and charged at her student. Boom! Another set of spells, another boom!

Crack! as Twilight teleported—

—on top of her? 'Wha-' Zap! The spell struck the back of her head; making her whole body tense and shudder. Zap! She threw her head to the side and the spell missed.

Nightmare grabbed Twilight with her magic and threw her into the air. While Twilight was momentarily disabled, Nightmare fired off a few quick spells to capitalize on Twilight’s disorientation.

One of the bolts struck Twilight's chest. "Ahh!" her student yelped. Crack! Thud. "Ugh." Twilight groaned from the ground a few steps away from Nightmare.

Nightmare waited a moment, then approached her student and set her right forehoof on Twilight's back. She tilted her head and pointedly pressed her hoof down just enough to make a point, and certainly not enough to hurt—

—Twilight lifted her head and aimed her horn at Nightmare’s neck, then immediately fired.

Nightmare grunted as she jumped back. The brilliant bolt flashed just in front of her face, leaving a white streak in its wake. Had it been one of the changelings’ spells, she was sure she would have felt its heat.

Crack! Twilight teleported and took off running.

Nightmare grunted and bounded after her.

The river was fast approaching. Nightmare could see the large clearing up ahead along with Twilight looking back at her. Nightmare cast more spells. Twilight winced and turned ahead, only now noticing the river, and skidded to turn right to follow the riverbank.

Nightmare broke out of the forest seconds behind Twilight, skidded to a stop, and took aim at Twilight. Zap! First spell, straight. Zap! Second spell, to Twilight's right. Zap! Third spell, to Twilight's left. Zap! Aimed at Twilight's hooves. Zap! Aimed above her student.

Twilight stumbled and shielded herself—Crack! The first spell detonated against Twilight's shield. She charged towards Twilight. Crack! Crack! Boom! Pop! The shield shattered. Twilight yelped and stumbled back, then scrambled back as Nightmare quickly closed the distance.

Zap! Twilight jerked and yelped as the spell struck her chest. The filly fell back and her hooves crossed every which way before she slipped and fell.

Towards the river.

Nightmare stopped—Splash! followed by a spray of water as Twilight hit the water.

A moment later, Twilight surfaced, and jumped to her hooves, eyes wide, coat, mane, and tail absolutely drenched, horn unlit, and entirely tensed.

'Dry yourself. Warm yourself!' Nightmare clenched her jaw, watching as the tension in Twilight's body morphed into uncontrollably shaking and a slow, drawn-out wince and whimper.

The filly dragged herself to the shore and collapsed, then curled up in a wet, shaking ball. Nightmare galloped down the bank to Twilight's side. "Twilight—" she powered up another spell and used her magic to dry Twilight's coat. She set her forehoof on Twilight's body. It was cold to the touch.

Nightmare glanced at the river. 'Winter. Damnit...' She tightened her jaw and turned back to her friend. Levitated her up in her aura and set her against her side. She nearly recoiled from how cold Twilight’s body was, but it was her own fault so she forced herself to take it unflinchingly. She blanketed her friend with her wing and pulled Twilight close, still using her magic to warm Twilight's body back up. Twilight pressed herself into her coat almost desperately, and in response, she tightened her wing around Twilight's body.

And even once Twilight's body felt warm like normal, the filly continue to tremble. Every once in a while, even stronger trembling set on, rocking Nightmare’s body along with Twilight's. 'Why did you not warm yourself? Why did you stand there so long?'

Twilight closed her eyes.

"Twilight?"

No response, other than another strong burst of trembling.

Nightmare brushed her wing down Twilight's side, then back up. More shivering, though weaker.

Eventually, Twilight's shivering subsided.

"Are you alright?" Nightmare asked.

Twilight blinked open her eyes and looked up at her for a moment, though it quickly passed as the filly's eyes darted back to the river. Her friend squirmed. "No."

"I am—" Nightmare hesitated; her head ventured left until she couldn't see Twilight, "—sorry."

Several seconds passed; the only sound came from the rushing water. 'Perhaps I should have... let you run back into the forest. If you had fallen into a deeper part of the river, or the water had carried you away...' Her body tensed at the idea.

'This could have ended much worse for you.'

Especially if her stun spell had been much stronger.

'And it would have been my fault.'

Nightmare turned her head back to Twilight. Opened her mouth, and hesitated. Closed her mouth. Let several seconds pass. "We are done sparring for tonight," she decided.

Twilight looked at her, then looked back at the river, saying nothing.

Nightmare wrapped her magic around both of them and teleported them to her chambers in her castle. Twilight leaned her head away from her and looked around, then looked at her questioningly. "I... presumed you would be more comfortable here, than out in the open."

She looked away from Twilight again. "I... presumed you would feel safer here." Nightmare felt her ears dip back. "Perhaps... perhaps I should simply return you to Ponyville and..." She turned back to face Twilight, who looked up at her with a soft, unreadable expression. "And... leave you be, for—"

Twilight frowned. "I don't want you to just leave."

Nightmare caught herself, closed her mouth, then breathed in and nodded. "Very well..."

Twilight straightened her head and looked at the fireplace. "I'm just..."

Nightmare watched Twilight, took in the way her friend's eyes gradually drifted back and forth across the fireplace and wall, waited for her to continue. The filly breathed in and turned back to face her. "You try falling into an ice-cold river in the dead of Winter."

Nightmare shifted and looked at the wall. "I have. It is... not pleasant."

When she looked back at Twilight from the corner of her eyes, she saw Twilight frowning with concern. She reluctantly tilted her head over. "Why did you not... why did you not warm and dry yourself?"

Twilight grimaced and turned away from you. "You try thinking of that when you just fell in an ice-cold river. In Winter."

"Ah, yes..." Nightmare mumbled, turning her head to the left. "Though... that it is not instinctual for you is a bad sign."

"You're not throwing me in another river to try to teach me to react that way," Twilight stated.

Nightmare shifted her weight and rolled her wings at her sides. "I would not throw you in a river, least of all in the middle of Winter. As you continuously remind me, and perhaps as I continuously forget... you are not a soldier."

'Perhaps training you and teaching you can only go so far. Perhaps it only needs to go so far...' Nightmare considered. Her lips pulled into a grimace; she sighed and turned back to face Twilight.

"And... I suppose I would not want you to be a soldier," she mused. 'Yes, you would lose too much if you were a soldier...' She sighed and shook her head. "I suppose I continuously prove that I am a fool, do I not?"

Twilight hesitated.

'So you do think so.'

Twilight gradually turned her head left, then right, before finally sighing and looking back at her. "Can we talk?"

She bowed her head. "Of course."

Twilight grimaced. "It's that one thing I mentioned a few weeks ago."

"The conversation you said we would not enjoy?" she ventured.

"Yes. That," Twilight answered rigidly.

"Ah."

Several seconds passed; Twilight breathed in deep. "Okay look. Like I said, neither of us are going to enjoy this conversation. But it's important. And I'm supposed to advise you and help you, and if we don't talk about this I'm not doing that very well, nor am I being a very good friend."

'You are procrastinating on starting,' Nightmare realized.

Twilight shifted and seemed to steel herself for what would follow. "You’re not a fool, but you need to bring back the sun," her friend declared firmly, matching her gaze with intent and dedication.

Nightmare’s jaw tightened; she did not speak.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but you need to. How many problems from your return exist only because of the permanent night?"

Twilight searched Nightmare’s eyes, looking for something. And then Twilight's lips twisted in a scowl as she shook her head. "The weather is harder for the pegasi to control. Earth ponies can only do so much with farming. Ponies are still scared, even if they are getting better. It's caused problems for the Minotaurs and the Zebras. The Deer and the Griffins. I think if you brought back the sun, ponies would like you a lot more, and you wouldn't have so many problems to deal with."

And Twilight pointedly finished, "You know all of this."

'You are firm in your beliefs. You show confidence. Yet you are naive.' But Nightmare would not so easily lash out at her friend. She pointedly tilted her head left, kept her eyes locked on her friend's. "I will not bring back the sun, Twilight."

"Why not?" Twilight asked softly.

'You are my friend. You... do not wish to hurt me.' The ire Nightmare felt towards the thought softened. 'You mean well, but you are naive.' "It is a part of who I am, Twilight. I spent one-thousand years banished on the Moon. Even including Luna's lifetime, that is well over half of my life."

Nightmare shook her head slowly. "I did not suffer that banishment, nor endure Celestia for centuries, to just give up this night. Giving up this night now would only mock and insult me. It would be telling everypony that I am nothing more than a fleeting shadow of Celestia—just like they always thought I was. It would be telling everypony, neigh, everyone that I am weak."

"And what do you really gain from the permanent night?" Twilight asked. "Ponies hate you for it. They want the day back—"

"And they want Sister back as well, and they want my head on a pike," Nightmare snapped.

Twilight's jaw tensed, and her brow folded down. "You're being irrational. The permanent night is hurting ponies. You've seen that—"

Nightmare tossed her head back. "It is hardly my fault they act as foals!" She leveled her head on Twilight again. "It is hardly my fault that monsters attack them!"

"And what causes both of that?" Twilight posed, then answered, "Your eternal night."

And more directly, "You're hurting them."

Nightmare held back a growl, felt the pressure of her bite in her jaw. "I will not bring back the sun, Twilight."

Twilight's brow shot up. "And what if you have no choice? What if you're killing everypony with your precious night. What then?"

"It will hardly kill—"

"Think about it, Nightmare Moon," Twilight hissed, followed by a punctuated silence.

Nightmare let out a growl and jumped to her hooves, folding her wing back to her side as she paced towards the wall. A few steps from the wall, she turned around and faced the filly.

"What about the temperature?" Twilight pressed. "Or the weather?"

"What about the monster attacks?" Twilight pressed. "Or the unrest?"

"What about the constant fear you force upon everypony?" Twilight pressed. "Stay in line or else."

Nightmare turned her head to the left. "Do not mock me, Twilight."

Twilight breathed in, then slowly stood back up. "I'm not."

Nightmare turned her head back to Twilight.

"You wanted my advice. You wanted my help. You want me to be open with you, and you want me to be your friend. If I don't tell you when you're making mistakes, then I'm not doing what I need to do as your friend. The eternal night you so badly want is a mistake. It always has been."

Twilight slowly shook her head. "And you need to forgive Princess Celestia."

"I will not!" Nightmare snapped, leaving her teeth bared. And for Twilight's part, the filly just stood before her, looking at her.

With disappointment.

And doubt.

Like she was a lost cause.

Like she was not her friend.

'She was blinded by the praise ponies gave her, and you're blinded by your hatred for her.' Nightmare let her lips close. "I will not bring back the sun, Twilight," she said more calmly. "If I do that, then I have nothing. I will have no purpose."

"What about me?" came softly, yet it might as well have been a dagger thrust into her heart, then twisted.

Nightmare turned away from Twilight, unable to bear looking at her. ‘Dammit. Using that against me like Sister would!’

"You're hurting," Twilight said softly.

Nightmare lowered her head.

The click of a hoofstep. "You've said it yourself that you're unhappy." Another click of a hoofstep. Click. Click. "Hating Princess Celestia for what she did to you—and Luna—won't change anything." Click. "What happened, happened." Click. "But don't take it out on everypony else. That's not right." Click. Click.

"What if ponies hated the batponies and took out their anger for you on them?"

Why did she feel so empty, so hollow, so meaningless? She turned back to face Twilight, who was just a step away from her, head tilted back to look up at her, expression so soft and genuinely caring that it hurt.

"Bring back the sun. Don't take your hatred for your sister out on everypony else. We didn't do anything to you."

Nightmare’s head started to shake left and right, growing stronger with the passing seconds, but still calm. "I will not," she said. "I cannot."

Twilight's ears drifted back, her eyes dropped to her chest, then lifted back to her face. "You and Princess Celestia are meant to rule together. It's not supposed to be this way."

"I am not Luna, Twilight." What else was she supposed to say? “Perhaps we were meant to rule together, but she made her decisions.”

"If I brought the sun back, ponies would immediately think Celestia had returned and would turn on me. If I brought Celestia back, she would turn on me. I will not be banished again, Twilight."

"Even if I sided with you?" Twilight asked softly.

And for it, Nightmare felt the stab of guilt striking her heart; her ears folded back. "Ponies would turn on you as they would me, and Celestia would turn on you as well for helping me. I will not let them—or her—hurt you or take you away from me."

Nightmare turned her head to the left. "If I were banished again, I would be gone for another one-thousand years at the least. I would be even more displaced than I am. I would be alone." She turned back to meet Twilight's gaze. "I would not have you. And I would not return to find you."

"You're afraid to lose me," Twilight said.

"Yes," Nightmare admitted.

Twilight hugged her. Nightmare laid her head on Twilight's withers, set her neck against Twilight's neck, and sat down. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her neck and sat down with her. "I should not have snapped at you as I did."

"It's okay. I knew it wasn't going to be a conversation we would enjoy, and... I got frustrated too. I'm sorry," Twilight murmured.

"I still should not have snapped at you like that," Nightmare reaffirmed. "You mean well, and I know that you mean well."

"It's okay," Twilight repeated softly.

Nightmare sighed. 'Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is not. I should not take it out on you; you are only trying to help me.' Yet another failure. Yet another flaw. Something bitter to swallow.

"You know that..." Twilight paused, but their hug continued. She listened to Twilight breathe in, felt the way Twilight's head shifted to turn to face her, only to be impeded by her neck. "You know that I want to help you, right?"

Nightmare reluctantly lifted her head from Twilight's neck and turned back to face Twilight, then nodded.

"And you know that I... want you to be happy too, right? As much as you've done wrong—and yes, I would consider the eternal night wrong—I still... want you to be happy," Twilight continued.

A frown pulled her brow down. "Why?"

"Because you're almost always unhappy. You're hurting."

'Yes.' Nightmare turned away from Twilight. But it still remained, "I do not want your pity."

"I still want to see you happy," Twilight murmured. "You... keep doing the same things, don't you? And you're still unhappy? Then why don't you try something else?"

"Because I have tried and it did not matter," Nightmare answered, careful to keep the bitterness out of her voice. She turned back to Twilight. "Luna did so much. For a time, they appreciated her. Then they grew to hate and despise her."

"And you still carry that pain," Twilight said.

Nightmare didn't respond.

"It's been a long time. You say that things haven't change, but... you still barely give anypony a chance. Because you're worried. Because you're afraid."

"So I am," she acknowledged quietly. "But I have reason to be. They would turn on me—"

"You don't know that, and you won't unless you give them a chance. Yes, yes it can end up hurting you. But we're friends. And there's still that risk that I could end up hurting you, isn't there?"

Nightmare turned back to the wall.

"You've said being friends with me is worth it."

"It is." And saying it hardly did it justice.

"And you do want to fix your mistakes," Twilight continued. A pause. "Let me help you."

"I won't bring back the sun."

"Not that," Twilight put in.

Nightmare turned to look at Twilight. "Then what?"

"A lot of things," her friend said softly. "The way you treat ponies. How you expect ponies to respect and love you without doing anything to earn it." Nightmare clenched her jaw, but said nothing. "How quickly you lose your temper." Disappointment made her jaw relax.

"I think you could be a good ruler," Twilight finally finished.

"But I am not," Nightmare surmised.

Twilight hesitated, then drew in a deep breath and nodded. "You're not," she agreed. "You're... effective. Focused. But you don't have the same touch Princess Celestia had."

"I never have," Nightmare admitted. "Celestia was... always better at statehood than I. Far more patient at it. Though I was the Princess of the Night, she could be far more... subtle... than I as well."

"I also think your appearance is..." Twilight trailed off and looked at her shoulder, though didn't really focus on it. A few seconds passed and Twilight looked back up at her. "I don't really know how to put it, but you said it yourself: you designed it to inspire fear."

Nightmare grimaced. "You do not approve."

"I think it's misplaced. I don't think it helps you any, now," Twilight countered. "You frighten ponies, and maybe they shouldn't be, but you are intimidating. Your eyes and, well, fangs."

Nightmare gradually turned her head to the left. "So you think I should change them."

"I think it would help," her friend offered.

"But it is—" Nightmare bit her tongue and turned her head to Twilight. Paused to search the filly's soft eyes.

Found herself wanting: just to sigh, just to bow her head and cross her horn with Twilight. But she couldn't share that moment with her friend. Not now.

"This is who I am. I am not Luna. I cannot be Luna; Luna is dead."

"I'm not saying you have to be Luna. As much as I would love—"

'Love?' Nightmare squirmed at the thought. 'You throw it around so carelessly.' Yes, her friend hardly gave it any thought, she was certain.

"—to see Luna in person, I still..." the filly trailed off, seemingly unsure how to continue, judging from her perplexed look and pursed lip. Twilight bowed her head. "This is how I'm used to seeing you. I think Luna was beautiful, and I think you're beautiful too. But I think you would look better, and that ponies wouldn't be as afraid and intimidated by you—maybe even like you more—if your eyes and teeth were normal."

"I shall... consider it," Nightmare mumbled. She shifted her weight; Twilight gradually pulled out of the hug. "If—" she bit her lip and looked at the fireplace for a split second. 'Coward.' Hard as it was, she forced herself to meet Twilight's gaze to say, "If you would like, I would... perhaps not be opposed to... showing you how I looked when I was Luna."

"You mean now?"

Though she dreaded the act, Nightmare gave a single timid nod.

"I would like to," Twilight softly answered.

Nightmare sighed and bowed her head. "Very well." She breathed in, little that it did to help comfort her from the thought as she prepared her magic. 'Twilight will like this. I know she will appreciate it. But... why? It is not who I am...' She cast the spell and sighed; her magic wrapped around her body, infused her body, and she felt her legs and neck shrink and shift as her body morphed into one so much younger and weaker. And then the light of her spell died, and Twilight stood before her so much taller than normal.

Nightmare turned her head left and looked back at her body, taking in the unfamiliar midnight blue of her coat, the brilliant blue and vivid lilac outline of her mane and tail, the black splotch surrounding her white crescent moon cutie mark, contemplating the foreign feeling of her body, mixed in with the memories of centuries.

She turned back to Twilight; the filly's soft eyes darted back and forth over her body, taking in her chest and sides, her coat, her legs, her mane, her neck, and her face. Twilight's head gradually tilted to the right—just a touch—and her friend looked up at her.

"Don't you think ponies would react better to you this way than the way you normally look?" Twilight asked with such a genuine, foal-like innocence that Nightmare could hardly feel angry at the question.

"I am not Luna," but her voice was Luna's.

A few seconds passed. Twilight started to shake her head. "You are now. Your body, your appearance? Luna's. You always have Luna's memories. But you also have your memories as Nightmare Moon. Maybe Princess Celestia killed the idea of Luna, but you are still Luna, just like you are still Nightmare Moon."

A moment passed; Twilight frowned. "How do you define yourself as Luna, or as Nightmare Moon? What makes you, you?"

What indeed. For a while, Nightmare had no answer, and it showed.

"Anger? Resentment? Bitterness?" Twilight asked softly, shaking her head sadly. "If you keep carrying that around, I don't think you'll ever be happy."

Nightmare turned her head to the left. "I do not know," she admitted. She swallowed and turned back to Twilight. "I... would..." she sighed and shook her head. 'I feel defeated, even now. Why is it that I cannot have what I want? Why is it that I am damned to my fate?'

For all her freedom, for all her victories and successes, for her triumph over Sister, what did she have?

Nothing.

A hollowness. An emptiness. A want for more that she couldn't satisfy. Not with revenge. Not with praise. It could be masked, but it was still there.

"May we..." Nightmare trailed off, searching Twilight's soft features. 'Perhaps we should not. Perhaps not yet. You are still young. I would be taking advantage of you.' She grimaced and turned away from her friend. 'Yes, we should not sleep together again. I should not.' So she turned back to Twilight, and instead of asking what she wanted, asked, "May we stargaze?"

Twilight nodded a slow, genuine, caring nod. "Of course."

Nightmare wrapped her magic around both of them and teleported them to the top of her tower, set out a blanket with her magic, and laid down on her back. A moment later, Twilight laid down at her side, and after that, Nightmare summoned a blanket on top of them to help hold off the night's chill.

Nightmare searched the sky, saw neither batponies watching nor clouds brooding. Saw stars twinkling, but somehow they felt as if they shunned her.

"You said that you were the Guardian of Dreams, right?" Twilight asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Do you still do that?" her friend asked softly.

"No. Only for... only for a few ponies." Nightmare turned her head to look at Twilight, found her cheek resting against Twilight's muzzle. Hesitated from the feeling of warmth, hesitated seeing how Twilight didn't think anything of it. Looked down at the blanket covering Twilight's chest. Turned her head back to look at the sky. "Mostly you. Sometimes your friends, sometimes Cadance, though most of the time I do not intervene, and beyond that, they rarely have nightmares."

"Why not more ponies?"

'Because there are so many. Because I would only be shunned more. Because they would turn on me.' "They would not welcome it," Nightmare answered.

"Try," Twilight coaxed. "Try it. Give it a chance. Show them that you're not out to get them. Let them see you helping them, let them see you as a pony, like you've let me see you."

Nightmare held in a sigh and shook her head. "They would not—"

"Try it," Twilight repeated. "Please?"

"Very..." Nightmare swallowed and licked her lips. "Very well."

Author's Note

6/18/20

Chapter started. Wrote to 2,150 words, had a friend read over what I had written.

6/19/20

Wrote to 3,791 words. I'm growing less and less pleased with this chapter as the days go by. I had a plan and I still do but I don't like the execution of it. I'm expecting this chapter to end up shorter.

6/22/20

Wrote to 6,909. I have mixed feelings about it. The combat is different from what I'm used to writing. The way that scene ended is... well, the conversation is something happening perhaps sooner than I planned.

6/26/20

Duplicated the chapter, creating a new edition of it where I deleted a section to rewrite it so it doesn't ruin the flow. Deleted somewhere around 700-800 words.

...as I write this I am having a conversation with someone who is absolutely hammered, drunk beyond belief. I can't tell if he's insulting me or praising me... The answer is probably yes.

And now after sharing an excerpt with some friends, I once again feel like this is nothing more than a mistake.

[redacted]

10:33 my time. I feel better. I took a long break. I am also tipsy now. I have not written since I stopped at 10,128 words. I wrote more than I expected. I am pleased.

I am also displeased because this draft isn't finished yet. I am literally stopping on the word "She" but hey I can at least finish a sentence tomorrow!

6/27/20

Frustrated. Agitated. Unrelated to the story.

I did, however, finish that sentence. 10,135.

6/28/20

Draft finished, I guess? 10,923.

1/18/22

Duplicated chapter for edit/rewrite pass.

Not even halfway through this. I’m bored, tired, and operating on autopilot looking for “She” to replace with Char_name(). I do think I improved the first sparring scene by rewriting it. I dropped the second part of it though because it felt unnecessary.

Ugh, how long is this? Time for bulk deletion! Maybe.

I’m starting to hate this chapter.

I want to scream.

10,981. I hate this chapter. On the other hand, it’s good for me to reread this and be reminded of some things. I still hate this chapter. The sparring drags on too long and it's exhausting to edit.

1/21/22

In hindsight, considering I left in brackets with the original text, the word count was inflated a bit. Wish I hadn’t done that because it’s annoying to delete. Oooh... and that also returns italics and bolds... that was a bad decision on my part.

Welp, might’ve deleted internal dialog without realizing it.

Anyway, fixed a couple of issues prereader noticed. Why did this take all of like 5 minutes when I thought this would take a lot longer.

10,916.

3/22/22

Why are there 114 asterisks I need to delete... I really hate this. Today sucks. 15 asterisks deleted and I’m having a panic or anxiety attack.

Oh, look, some spelling mistakes. Twilight did not even both trying.

Yellow on black is awful to look at.

Barely skimming some of this and cringing. Ugh. I hate this chapter. I don’t care enough to force myself to reread it.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

Dreamwalk

The Dreamscape stretched out before her, teal and white and stars swirling together, reminiscent of the Plain of Ascension. Hundreds of tiny white orbs lazily floated by as if bubbles in an endless sea, each one a window into the dreams of some pony or another, and beyond them, the entire dreamscape glowed from the countless thousands, countless millions of ponies dreaming.

A dream drifted by, and another took its place, and in turn, that one drifted by for another, and another, to take its place, and so on it went as long as ponies slept in her moonless night. Each passing orb, a quick glance into whether their dreams were peaceful or troubled, or whether they dreamed at all.

Some came of fields and day, flowers and meadows and forests, blanketed with the radiant warmth of her Sister's sun, sheltered beneath a feeling of security, of hope, that the future would be better. Some came of better days and nights, long since past, long since forgotten, longed for, for when she was not and Sister was. Some came of starry nights, filled with the wonders of the aurora and nebulas and stars and watching distant storms sweep over the Equestrian heartland. Some came of flying, feeling the wind beneath their wings as they soared, crowned by the sun or moon, warmed by the sun and cooled by the breeze.

Some came dreaming of other ponies. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and lovers. Some came dreaming of wonders that made no sense to the waking mind, that she herself recognized but could hardly explain. Some came as nothing more than feelings of warmth and love and happiness that they radiated back out to others when they awoke. Some came as random series of events that had neither rhyme nor reason, yet to the sleeping mind, somehow made perfect sense-because they did not question it.

Some dreamed lucidly, shifting their dreams to the best of their abilities so that they could enjoy them more, though they were rare and always seemed to pop! and wink out of existence whenever they drew too near to her.

She called on her memories of how Luna had in the past, and by instinct, wove through the dreams, paying only cursory attention to them as she sought out the ones that felt wrong, and by instinct and with her magic, she turned to face the ones which were not dreams, but nightmares.

They came as shadowy orbs, some tinged red, though most weren't, radiating darkness yet always confined to their own little bubbles, unable to spread to even the nearest dreams no matter how hard they might try. They shot towards her, each one offering a window up to a sleeping pony's nightmares and fears. Few at first, then overwhelming in number. Hundreds. Thousands. More. And the dreamscape blackened as if tendrils of hardness had stabbed at the light to steal it away, to invoke an unnatural, primal fear upon all who had dreamed.

And she herself felt unease.

Yet none of those nightmares and fears were unfamiliar to her; she had seen each countless times before. She was intimately familiar with them; such was a part of her domain.

She bore the title, 'Guardian of Dreams.' And there was not one nightmare that could stand against her.

It did not matter what the nightmare was, nor who was having it. With the countless nightmares she had seen over the centuries, with her own intimate knowledge of waking nightmares and horrors she would not wish anypony to see, she could deal with whatever fears ponies dreamed up. Dragon attacks, darkness, being 'gotten' by something, loss, falling, drowning, and burning, she was familiar with so many nightmares. She had seen the nightmares of both foals and adults, of every pony who dreamed. Some pegasi had nightmares of their wings being clipped or ripped off. Some unicorns had nightmares of their magic failing them, or of their horns being shattered. Some earth ponies had nightmares of being too frail and weak to do anything, or their legs being cut off.

The first nightmares came the worst, those of young foals who were barely old enough to understand the world, and they came solely as being alone or having their parents stripped away from them. They cried out in terror, they cried out in crushing isolation, faced with that with which they were unfamiliar.

And it angered her.

Were they not innocent?

Were they not too young to face the realities of the world?

She would not let it stand!

She wrapped her magic around the nightmares and cast them aside, banishing them from the foals' minds! The nightmares tried to fight back, the foals too young to truly interact with her beyond seeing a glimpse of her in their minds, but she made them submit.

And the young foals' nightmares dispersed; the shadowy darkness clinging to the orbs which were their dreams exploded and brilliant, pure white light radiated from the orbs. Stars, yet more brilliant. Their terrors calmed, their fears eased, and they dreamed of their parents and their toys and their siblings and their friends, of meadows and flying and their homes and the day.

And to them, she was nothing more than a fleeting image like the afterglow of a teleportation spell.

Then came the nightmares of foals old enough to recognize her as the one who stole away their day and their princess, stole away their safety. They dreamed of her, of the night and of monsters, of being hunted and running from darkness and nothingness, of their parents not being there for them, and more. She wrapped her magic around their dreams and forced them to submit, and the nightmares had no choice but to obey and fade away, leaving the foals' dreams peaceful.

And to them, they felt her presence, saw her standing there for a fleeting second, and they remembered.

Then came the nightmares of foals about Applebloom's age. As the others, they came of her, and of loss, and of failure. Their family being torn away, being chased and hunted and cornered and trapped, and of her coming to get them. And she felt bitter and turned away from the nightmares.

'It does not matter what I do.'

'They will never feel anything else for me.'

'They will never think anything else of me.'

'To them, I am a monster.'

'And that will never change.'

She lashed out, taking her vengeance upon those foals' nightmares and destroying them just as quick as they came to her. They had no chance of resisting, no hope of continuing to haunt foals' minds, and submitted. In their place, the foals dreamed peacefully, fields and meadows, flying, using magic, their friends and family, days and the sun against their backs.

And they were old enough for her to interact with, old enough to remember and recognize when she was there, so she did not linger or step into their dreams, only root out their fears and terrors.

And on she continued. Every nightmare submitted with the same ease that she lifted a quill in her magic.

And on she continued, replacing each terror and fear with a peaceful dream that the sleeping ponies' minds thought up.

Then came the adults.

The poor had their nightmares of losing the little they had left and being left destitute in a cold, uncaring world. The wealthy, their nightmares of losing something frivolous. Parents had their nightmares of losing their foals-as foals had their nightmares of losing their parents. Some ponies had nightmares of disappointing others, and others, their nightmares of being caught doing wrong. Some had their nightmares of Discord, and most their nightmares of herself.

And she wrent each nightmare from the sleeping ponies' minds so that they would sleep peacefully!

Some had their nightmares of losing their friends, some of losing their livelihood, some of losing their pets and some of being abandoned. Some had their nightmares of failing those who counted on them, whether it be friend, patient, special somepony, or foal. Some had nightmares that were silly and misplaced, and some had nightmares that she did not wish on them. Some would wake up in tears, some would wake up screaming, and some wake up disturbed.

She crushed those nightmares so that they would not wake before their time!

And it was instinct to her, to hunt the nightmares as she had hunt monsters that preyed upon her subjects.

It did not matter what the nightmare was, it submitted.

And she had seen them all. She had been there in those nightmares to comfort them, to protect them when she was young. To banish those nightmares and give them peace so that they could rest. And yet the one constant in those nightmares, the one constant they recognized, was that she had been there.

And for it, ponies grew to despise and hate Luna.

But she was not Luna.

Another orb came to her, different from the others. Not quite a nightmare, not quite a dream, yet troubled. A feeling of despair and defeat that she herself recognized from the nigh-constant feeling she felt when she was awake. She peered into the dream; a foal sitting alone on the shore of a lake.

She wove her magic into the dream and stepped in, found herself standing behind the pegasus. She turned her head left and right, taking in the blurred trees and blurred cabin from which a haze of smoke wafted into the overcast sky.

With trepidation, she stepped towards the filly. With hesitance from fear born out of knowing how the foal would react, she set her forehoof on her shoulder.

The filly breathed in, and lifted her head, yet for a time, the filly did not look back at her. And then the filly turned to look back at her. Neither a smile nor a frown, neither fear nor joy. An empty expression.

The filly turned back away from her and looked at the lake.

She set her forehoof back on the ground. What was there for her to say? Nothing. Nothing more than a hollow promise that she could make things better, but they both would know it was a lie.

For what could she truly do when she was but one pony, and the world was set against her? For what could she do when an orphan faced the prospect that they would grow up never having been adopted?

And she hated it. She hated it as Luna had, hated it as Luna had hated the Griffins for making such orphans. Hated it for how wrong and vile it was. Hated the world for being so callous and cruel to the innocent.

And there was so little she could do.

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not," the filly reprimanded.

She took her leave. Banished the despair from the filly's dream. Watched over her for a time, making certain that her thoughts returned to better times.

Still knowing, it was bittersweet for her at best.

A lie, nothing more.

And she turned away; the filly would awake crying.

And then the onslaught of nightmares continued. Dreams like the foals, so numerous and overwhelming that she dared not venture into them lest they break her.

She banished their fears and worries. She comforted them. But she could not be there for them when they awoke. She could not force ponies to love them as she could not force ponies to love her.

And she longed that the Crystal Empire would return, that the Crystal Heart would set things right. If not for her, then for some of the innocent, that they would know peace and love.

And another nightmare came to her as if seeking her out specifically. One of a middle-aged mare, filled with anger and hatred that she felt directed entirely at her, strong enough that she hesitated to venture into the nightmare.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," came a Royal Guard's somber voice as she peered into the shadowy darkness.

And the mare just screamed and cried.

"He was a good friend of mine."

And then came the casket: a pegasus stallion-her colt-laid in it, almost peacefully. So still that it seemed as if time were frozen. His body was adorned with the dress uniform of a Royal Guard Officer, decorated with medals including one denoting him as having served as one of her Sister's personal guards.

Another Royal Guard gave some speech, but neither her nor the mother knew what was said.

She stepped into the dream. Stood behind the mother. Slowly cast her gaze around. Recognized the funeral, to an extent. No father comforted the mother; she sat alone. Her friends kept their distance, and many more Royal Guards sat in the chairs as they attended the service.

And then the burial. The mother was presented with some case and a medal, and looked at it as if it were some betrayal of her entire being; the mother seethed with anger, then croaked a single sob and took it with her trembling wings. Again, a Royal Guard Officer spoke, and again, what was said went unheard.

They buried the officer she had killed with ceremonial rights and honor, and even as the Guard departed, the mother remained. Sobbing. Crying. Screaming. Trembling.

Uncomforted.

Everything she had.

Everything lost.

"I'm sorry." Her own voice.

The mother's head whipped around and the mare let out a snarl. "You!" And in an instant the pegasus slammed into her and kicked and hit and battered her chest with all her might, screaming and crying loud enough to hurt her ears. "You took him from me! You did this! This is all your fault!"

She stood and took it.

And then the mother collapsed at her hooves, sobbing and spent. "Why?"

And she had no answer for her, only guilt. Every part of her mind and body wanted to turn away from the mother, to leave the dream behind. She forced herself to stay, forced herself to watch the mother.

"He was all I had. Why?"

Were it another time, she could so easily see it as having come from a mother who had lost her foal who had fought alongside her against the Griffins.

Except now she was the monster, and the Griffins were not.

Nothing she said would matter to the mother. It would never be a good enough answer.

Nothing she said could bring her son back. It would never comfort her.

Nothing she said could change what she had done. It would never change.

More than a simple failure, more than a simple mistake: an innocent life she had stolen in her anger and hatred and bitterness. With hardly a thought, she had stolen away something she could never replace, something not akin to what Sister had done to Luna.

"I am sorry."

"That won't bring him back."

And nothing ever would because she was an arrogant, blind fool who had lashed out with no thought-just like how she had treated Twilight, but worse.

"I know."

She turned away from the mother, turned away from the nightmare, and banished it. In its place, the mother's mind gradually dreamed of a better time, when her husband and their colt were together.

And the nightmares continued.

Author's Note

6/28/20

Draft started. 439 words.

6/29/20

Wrote to 2,556 words. I'm not necessarily planning to continue writing a larger chapter here (aside from edits), since a nice short chapter would be... a good break.

Plus there's only so much I can do before it gets too repetitive... And it doesn't fit in with anything else.

3/30/22

I still like this chapter.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

Cloudsdale Burns

The chariot rocked and lurched as the batponies pulling it took off, and a moment later, two flights of four batponies each fell into a formation at the left and right sides of the chariot. Twilight looked passed Cadance to watch the batponies flying on their left as they departed Canterlot, then turned her head to the right. As they rose higher above the city, she turned her gaze down to look at Equestria below.

The snow-covered plains and icy rivers that crossed the Equestrian Heartland looked so cold, so far below. The world almost seemed to glow from the moon's light reflecting off of the perfect, pure white snow. Of course, if she fell, it didn't matter how soft the ground looked. Maybe the snow would help cushion the fall, but it was still a long ways down. Even though the thought crossed her mind, it was barely worth considering: there were eight batponies to catch her.

And then there was her sister-in-law. Twilight turned her head back to look at Cadance, to watch her mane wave from the brisk wind that chilled their fur. Cadance's head was tilted back slightly, turned to the left, her gaze set on the scarred moon. For a while, Cadance simply stared at it, her thoughts unknowable—although Twilight had some idea of what they could be.

Her sister-in-law blinked, then faced Twilight with a serene smile, one reminiscent of the ones Princess Celestia gave. And maybe, one a little warmer, a little fonder, than the ones the Princess gave.

"It's a nice view, isn't it?" Cadance asked.

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, gradually turning to look off at the horizon.

The city of Cloudsdale, still so far away, stood out as a large, blurry mass of clouds. Silver-white tops, and darker gray bottoms, mixed with the hazy, faint glow of a few rainbows that reminded her of her friend's mane.

"So, now that we have time to talk," Cadance ventured, her voice rising with specific inflations that Twilight recognized as playful, "how is my favorite sister-in-law doing?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly and turned back to Cadance. "I'm your only sister-in-law," she pointed out.

Cadance's smile warmed even more, and her former foalsitter laughed a soft, happy laugh. "That doesn't mean you can't be my favorite," the alicorn pointed out.

They shared a silent smile for a few seconds. "I'm doing okay," Twilight finally said. Her smile faded and she turned back to stare at the far-distant pegasus city. "Nervous. A little worried too." She faced Cadance. "But okay."

Cadance's smile had had on a softer, sadder expression, and her sister-in-law nodded solemnly. "I wish we could do this under better circumstances, but I guess we hardly have the choice anymore," Cadance sighed.

"Yeah..." Twilight whispered. She wasn't sure what else to say, so she turned back to Cloudsdale. 'I should talk to you about the Resistance and... my infiltrating it.'

Twilight pursed her lips; the thought that she had infiltrated the Resistance just seemed so odd.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Twilight turned back to Cadance and charged a spell, then cast it; nothing they said would leave the confines of the chariot. Cadance noticed and looked at her questioningly. "So we can talk privately," Twilight said.

Cadance smiled playfully once more. "Oh?"

Twilight shifted where she sat. "Yes. Um..." she tailed off. 'How do I approach this the best?' "Right, uh, has Nightmare Moon mentioned the Resistance to you?"

A little of Cadance's playfulness died, wilting like a plant in the desert would; the alicorn nodded. "She has."

"And that I uh... infiltrated a group? Or the group. It's the only one we know of—including the Resistance itself. Though I suppose there are probably other groups that are less organized still resisting Nightmare Moon's rule to some extent..." Twilight trailed off with a grimace.

Cadance frowned.

"Anyway," Twilight breathed out hastily. "I uh, I haven't really had the chance to talk to you. But basically, they wanted me to talk to you—which..." she trailed off and paused. "I'm... not sure why I am, other than so that... you're... aware that I'm..." her muzzle scrunched up, not sure of what to say. "Infiltrating it?" she settled on.

A moment passed. 'Yes I could word that better.' "They wanted me to ask you if you'd help—"

"And you've infiltrated them for Nightmare Moon," Cadance added.

"Er, yes..." Twilight mumbled. "You know, when you put it like that, I'm not sure why I'm asking. Other than... maybe it's important to... talk to you? About it? So that you don't stumble into some kind of trap and the whole thing explodes in our faces.” Cadance grimaced. “They also wanted me to talk to my brother to see where the Royal Guard stood on the matter, and if the Royal Guard would help them when the time came."

Cadance's lips pulled back into a grimace. "This isn't going to end well, Twilight," her sister-in-law cautioned.

"Yeah..." Twilight muttered, turning back away from Cadance. "I figure this is probably going to blow up in my face, but..." she turned back to Cadance. "I have to try, right? If I can influence them so that fewer ponies are hurt—I have to try, right?"

Cadance didn't immediately answer, rather, she turned away from her to look at the moon again. "Is that what you want to accomplish?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I don't want ponies to be hurt."

"Do they want to hurt ponies?" Cadance asked.

Twilight opened her mouth, only to hesitate. A few seconds passed. She closed her lips and looked at the railing. "I don't think they want to hurt ponies... but if they have to in order to achieve their goals, some of them are... less concerned about it than others. Some of them also think that the only way to fix things is by killing Nightmare Moon." It probably didn't need to be said that, "I don't agree with that."

Cadance turned back to her. "Are you actually going to help them?"

Twilight hesitated again. 'They might be able to help get Princess Celestia back, but I can't just give up on Nightmare Moon.' She felt her lips pull into a strained grimace. "Maybe. It depends. I'm not going to betray Nightmare Moon, but..." she trailed off and looked over at the batponies flying escort at the right. "I want Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia to make amends. Nightmare Moon needs to forgive her, and Nightmare Moon needs to bring back the sun. If I can keep ponies safer by helping the Resistance, and if I can convince Nightmare Moon to bring back the sun and forgive Princess Celestia, then..." she trailed off.

A few seconds later, Twilight felt the tips of Cadance's feathers against her back and turned to look at her sister. "I'll help you however I can," Cadance murmured, then her expression stiffened with rebuke. "But I would be upset if my favorite sister-in-law got herself hurt."

Twilight smiled again. "I'm being careful."

Cadance's wing pulled her close, and Twilight leaned into her sister's side, accepting the hug. A moment later, her sister leaned down to nuzzle her neck and then hold her there. 'This is nice...' Yes, Cadance's hug felt warm and loving. Like Nightmare Moon's hugs, but different. Warmer? More loving? Closer? She wasn't sure.

Maybe it was that Cadance didn't carry around everything Nightmare Moon did. Maybe it was that Twilight had known Cadance since she was a foal.

Cadance's head lifted away from her, but her sister's wing stayed in place to keep her held to her side. "So what do you need me to do?"

Twilight breathed in deep, then exhaled. "I don't know yet. Uh... just... keep talking to Nightmare Moon like you already do."

Cadance looked at her and smirked; her sister's eyes caught the moonlight just right so that her eyes had a predatory glint, but one so different from what Nightmare Moon used to have. "All right," her sister happily agreed.

Twilight licked her lips, which only made the wind dry them out almost immediately. "And um..." she looked at Cadance's shoulder. 'How should I approach this?'

"Mhm?" Cadance softly hummed.

Twilight looked back up and met Cadance's gaze. "My birthday is coming up."

Cadance smiled fondly and nodded. "That it is. Is there something you were wanting?"

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "Um. Maybe. But... you make it sound..." she trailed off, thinking, 'You make it sound like I'm still a little filly.' "Um. Right. I was thinking about it, and... I'm wondering what Nightmare Moon is planning—" she winced, “—if anything—" she shifted her weight, "—for my birthday."

"Not that I um, think she has to do anything. Really, I-I'd be fine with nothing," Twilight hastily amended.

"But there's something you want," Cadance stated. And knowing her sister, Twilight suspected Cadance already knew what that was.

'My face feels warmer than it should. I'm blushing, aren't I?' Twilight fidgeted again; Cadance's wing tightened to hold her still. Likely not to prevent her from falling out of the chariot. "I was, um, just... wondering about... if Nightmare Moon would..."

Twilight fidgeted again.

"...ask..." she mumbled, her voice falling even quieter.

Twilight couldn't finish the sentence she had in mind. Not that she needed to. She felt Cadance breathe in, felt her sister's wing gently brush down her back to comfort her, then stroke back up and hold her once more. "Do you want her to?"

Twilight hesitated, then swallowed, and finally nodded. "I um, I've thought about it and... yes. I want her to, um, well, at least... ask."

Cadance hummed softly and thoughtfully. "But you don't know if she will."

Twilight grimaced and nodded, then forced herself to look at Cadance. "She's..." 'Reserved. Worried. Afraid. Scared.' Her eyes jumped to Cadance's shoulder. "Yeah..." she relented.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Cadance offered.

"If—um, you can do it... subtly," Twilight answered.

Cadance grinned. "Mhm. I will try to convince her to convince herself to ask you." Her sister casually turned her head back to Cloudsdale. "I'm sure she'll ask for my advice. Probably... talk to me about it."

A few seconds passed in silence. Twilight breathed in deep, then exhaled and felt relieved, either from the breath or having told Cadance.

"A lot," her sister added.

Twilight glanced at Cadance; her sister faced Cloudsdale but looked at her with that playful glint in her eyes. "Thank you."

Cadance turned to face her and nodded. "Of course, Twilight. We're sisters now. If you ever need anything—and really the same applied before—just ask, okay?"

Twilight breathed in and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Cadance."

Her sister hummed fondly. They both turned to look towards Cloudsdale and they fell into a peaceful, shared silence.

Approaching Cloudsdale by Chariot gave Twilight a great opportunity to look over the city from above. The view was breathtaking; the pegasus city caught the moonlight just right to softly shine as if the surfaces of the clouds had the faintest touch of silver to them, and despite her expectations, the structures weren't solely composed of cloud—or if they were, the pegasi had methods that somehow made their clouds able to resemble similar materials that other ponies would use, meaning the city was not a monotonous white-gray-blue.

Despite the pegasi's ability to fly, giving them far-reaching vertical access, the city was not stacked on top of itself but spread out to take up an area that looked comparable to Manehattan. The pegasi that flew about between the city's different districts and varying buildings kept their distance, either recognizing them, or because of the escort accompanying them. Yet despite the pegasi's dedication to flying, there were still 'roads' and plazas adorning the city's surface that pegasi still used, some pulling carts carrying various supplies Twilight couldn't make out from receiving areas deeper into the city, some seemingly just enjoying walking on the surface of the clouds.

Twilight even spotted a few unicorns below, wearing bright orange vests and carefully being supervised by nearby pegasi wearing what looked like blue vests, but it was hard to tell.

Even on the most practical of the structures—the ones which weren't residential homes, at least—she could make out below was the telltale pegasus aesthetic. Other than being made from clouds, they wove columns together to support porticos, though whatever passed for 'engravings' in the clouds was impossible for her to make out given the limited light and distance. The tops of the buildings were almost exclusively puffy clouds that almost seemed more like a fog than anything more substantial.

The chariot started descending as they neared the city's center, towards a mostly-deserted street, though she still saw a few Royal Guard pegasi lining the edges of the street.

The landing was a little smoother than the take-off; the reinforced structural cloud that made up the 'street' that they landed on was still far more absorbant to shock than stone was, even if it had similar properties to stone, namely, that anypony could walk on it. A few more steps from the batponies, and they were stopped. Half of their escort landed almost perfectly in sync, all of them turning so their backs were to them, while the other half stayed in the air.

It seemed silly to Twilight, as the street—and sky—was deserted. She didn't even hear any ponies, not even distantly, aside from the batponies surrounding them and Royal Guards. Cadance looked at her and lit her horn, and a moment later, she felt the tingle of a spell—a cloudwalking spell, just in case—take hold of her. Her sister stood and turned, and she followed. Cadance stepped off the chariot first, and she followed.

The reinforced cloud had some give to it compared to solid ground, but nowhere near as much as normal cloud would if she were only using magic.

Cadance and Twilight walked around to the front of the chariot. She glanced over the four batponies hitched to the chariot as they walked by. For the most part, they remained stoic, aside from bowing their heads as Cadance and her passed.

A trio of Royal Guard pegasi came to a stop and bowed. "Princess Cadance. Lady Twilight Sparkle."

'Still not used to that title.'

The three guards stood back up. "How is it?" Cadance asked.

The Royal Guard at the head of the group stoically answered, "There’s a crowd at the Capitol Building, but they haven't caused any trouble."

"That's a relief," Cadance sighed.

"This way, your Highness," the Royal Guard said. They walked forward while the Royal Guard escort turned to lead. Their batpony escort followed closely, equally distributed between flying, their sides, and following behind them.

"I've never been to Cloudsdale before," Twilight commented.

Cadance looked at her and hummed. "I suppose you wouldn't have been here before. It's a lovely city, most of the time."

"Most of the time," Twilight echoed.

Cadance breathed in and looked straight ahead. "Before Nightmare Moon's return. And it's still nice most of the time, but it's not the same as during the day."

"Nothing is," Twilight agreed.

The pegasus in front of her glanced back at her uncomfortably before looking ahead again. 'Right. You're probably nervous now, with my having said that since there are batponies around.' She held in a sigh. "How far is it to the Capitol Building?"

"About ten minutes," the Royal Guard leading answered.

"It seems... quiet," Twilight commented. "Quieter than I'd expect for this time of night."

"Cloudsdale isn't as busy anymore, and we also cleared out this area for your arrival."

"Oh." They walked on in silence and Twilight pondered the answer while she let herself take in the city. In a way, the architecture reminded her of Canterlot. Even though the walls were made out of cloud, she could tell it was reinforced cloud, meaning that the structures had comparable permanence to Canterlot. And that pegasi couldn’t just fly through the walls On accident or on purpose.

"So, how is Thorax getting along?" Cadance asked.

Twilight turned back to her sister and answered, "Well enough. Most ponies are warming up to him besides just my friends."

"That's good," Cadance hummed sweetly.

"Yeah. I was worried that ponies wouldn’t like him but it's not so bad. Especially once they get to know him."

They walked on.

"And once they get over some of his... quirks."

Cadance tilted her head towards her. "Oh?"

Twilight looked aside at Cadance. "It's..." she trailed off. "It's hard to explain. Just how he acts, I guess. Which there's nothing wrong with it, it's just... unusual."

Cadance hummed in thought. "He is a changeling." Her voice had hesitation in it that she recognized as Cadance’s concern. Given what had happened, she could hardly blame Cadance. If it wasn’t for being around Thorax as much as she was, Twilight would probably feel the same way, if not worse.

Twilight breathed in and nodded. "It still shows. Granted, he's not trying to suck the love from anypony, which is nice. It was actually almost funny, one time Cranky Doodle and Matilda were eating outside and we were walking by and—uh, well, I didn't think anything about it, and the next thing I know he's sitting at the table with them while they're trying to kiss."

Twilight hesitated. “You... kind of had to be there, I guess.”

“Ah... well, I hope that nothing bad happened.”

Twilight shook her head. “No. It was fine. Awkward, yes, but we sorted it out.”

"Did you ever figure out a solution to his... diet?" Cadance asked carefully.

Twilight grimaced and shook her head. "No. But he's... said it's not been a problem yet." She hesitated and looked aside at Cadance. "I'm worried it's just a matter of time, and I haven't exactly found anything that can... suffice. He can eat pony food, but it doesn't do what feeding on love does."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Cadance said softly.

Twilight turned away from Cadance and breathed out. 'I hope so.' “Some of the changelings imprisoned in Canterlot aren’t doing as well. It’s... I...” she trailed off, her body slumping and her eyelids closing. “I don’t think I’m going to find a solution before...” she trailed off and bit her lip.

And a moment later, Twilight felt Cadance’s wing resting on her back. She swallowed and turned her head, then reluctantly opened her eyes. Cadance looked at her with a soft, reassuring expression. “As hard as it is to admit, Twilight... sometimes there’s nothing anypony can do,” her sister murmured softly.

And it was almost enough to make Twilight stop in her tracks. She forced herself on and breathed in, then shook her head. “I don’t... I don’t understand it. I’ve tried magic and I’ve tried potions. I even had Zecora help, but... but nothing’s worked.” An idea occurred to her; she lifted her head back up. “Or-or maybe it has and we just didn’t realize it, since... since he’s not been having any problems...” ‘But... what would it have been?’

She needed to review her notes, which were back in Ponyville.

She sighed, her mood decidedly worse off than before.

"What about Shining? How's his replacement coming along?"

Cadance rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I think he's trying to sabotage him on purpose so that he can stay Captain of the Guard, but he's doing well enough."

"Sounds like a demotion to me, going back to Captain of the Guard from Prince."

Cadance hummed. "As he puts it, they're his family too."

Twilight grimaced again. 'Yeah...' "What about the army?"

Cadance raised an eyebrow at her. "I'd think you would know more about that than me," her sister said. "Nightmare hasn't discussed it very much with me."

"Right..." Twilight breathed out. "Uh. It could be worse."

"But it could also be better," Cadance caught on.

Twilight grimaced. "It's not a surprise, really. Even with the changeling attack on Canterlot," she muttered.

Cadance hummed. "I still don't like being used as propaganda for recruiting."

"Well, you know, if Nightmare Moon was in it, everypony would join some organization or another to oppose her."

"Fair point, but still," Cadance sighed.

"I think I know what you mean," Twilight agreed. "I don't like the militarization. It could definitely be worse, but I don't like it."

"At least she's not planning to take over the world with it," Cadance mumbled. A moment passed in silence and Cadance warily tilted her head toward Twilight. "She isn't planning to take over the world with it, is she?"

Twilight frowned pointedly. "Of course not," she flatly retorted.

"Just making sure..." Cadance muttered.

Twilighyt pointedly lifted her head to the sky. "Besides, I wouldn't let her," she said matter of factly; then smiled.

Cadance rolled her eyes and smiled. "And how's your, I think the term Nightmare Moon prefers to use is training, going?"

"Well enough, I guess. I keep having to remind her that I'm not a soldier when she's pushing me, but she keeps pushing me anyway. Which doesn't surprise me. I’ve been landing more spells on her, but she has started to favor getting... close, instead of keeping her distance.” Twilight groaned and shook her head. “And I’m struggling to deal with that. I know she has plans for me, and I know she wants to see me..." she trailed off. "She wants to see me reach my potential."

Whatever that was.

Twilight shook her head again. "It’s frustrating though. Nothing I do seems to actually work or it just barely slows her down. And I think she's not telling me something. I don't know what. I know she's not lying to me, but I don't think she's telling me everything. Which is strange since she's normally... extremely open with me." 'Maybe too open,' she mused. But if Nightmare was too open with her, it was a good thing, for so, so many reasons. And she was grateful for it. "She always seems to stop herself from saying something. I think she's afraid to say it."

Maybe she was overthinking it, or maybe it was something that Nightmare Moon had already told her.

Cadance frowned but said nothing on that matter. "How are the rest of your friends doing, anyway?"

Twilight smiled; it was a much better topic to discuss. "They're doing pretty good for the most part. Rainbow Dash is still frustrated at the permanent night—along with the rest of the weather pegasi—but she's holding on. Applejack is... well, I've not seen her as much as I would like. Always busy with her farm and all that... the snow hasn’t really helped anypony, either." she trailed off, unable to stop her mood from souring again. "Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are doing mostly okay, and Rarity's business has been doing better lately since it's almost Spring."

Cadance hummed. “Hopefully things will get better with Spring. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

“I hope so too.” Twilight could see a plaza ahead, or more accurately, a roadway encircling a large, prominent structure—the capitol building, she presumed. It was still quiet, and she didn't see anypony else, either, aside from a few Royal Guards. They seemed to be approaching from the side, rather than the front.

"Any idea what to expect?" Twilight asked.

"I’m not sure. Pegasi striking and protesting, maybe some more prominent pegasi wanting to speak with us, and maybe they'll try to get concessions other than bringing back the sun and Princess Celestia," Cadance listed off. "For the most part, just listening to what they have to say and helping with those problems is usually enough to keep things civil."

"If only Nightmare Moon was better at that," Twilight muttered.

Cadance hummed in agreement. "Maybe you should tell her that?"

Twilight flexed her eyebrows up and leaned her head to the right. "I have," she admitted. "But..." she trailed off and shook her head as she inhaled. "It's easier said than done. Especially when she's... rather entrenched in her beliefs about certain things."

Cadance sighed softly and nodded. "She is. But I think you could get through to her.” A few seconds passed; Cadance bobbed her head to the right. “Although, I could be entirely wrong about what to expect since everypony knows we’re visiting tonight. They may just want to hear what I have to say."

‘And they’d listen to you because they love you, while with Nightmare Moon they would listen because they’re afraid.’

“Of course, there are some issues with working conditions to be addressed as well,” Cadance commented.

They crossed the street; Twilight looked right and saw a crowd of pegasi gathered in front of the building. Some held signs reading, "Free our Princess!" and "Bring back the day!" Most others simply stood in the crowd. All of them were silent, and none of them flew. A thin line of pegasi and batponies blocked off their street from the crowd, but there were gaps between them large enough for one or two pegasi to fit through.

"Well, at least they're peaceful compared to Manehattan," Twilight commented as they climbed up the stairs to the building's side entrance.

Cadance hummed in agreement. "It's always better when ponies are reasonable and peaceful. Hurting other ponies doesn't help anypony and just makes things worse."

"Princess. Lady Twilight Sparkle," greeted one of the two Royal Guards at the doors; they both bowed before them. "The Mayor is waiting for you." The two of them opened the doors; the three Royal Guards who had led them stopped and took the place of the two Royal Guards who now walked inside to lead them. Twilight followed Cadance, and their batpony escort followed after her.

The hallway was warmly lit from lighting fixtures attached to the walls, and the floor reminded her of wood, though it was only reinforced cloud with a red rug laid laid out for them to walk on. She suspected that the rug was usually there, and that it wasn’t set out for the occasion of their—mostly Cadance’s—visit. While the roofs of the buildings seemed like a fog, the walls and ceilings inside looked solid; were it not for the color and knowing it was cloud, she might have been convinced it was wood paneling or stone.

The Royal Guards led them to a stairwell, then up to the second level, and to another hallway deeper into the building. A few secretaries noticed their approach and hastily ducked into side rooms as they passed; a few of them even bowed at their passing from the doorways. Cadance made sure to smile at each and every one of them. Eventually, they arrived at a double doorway with one pegasus Royal Guard standing on each side. The Guard leading them knocked on the door, and then went ahead and pushed it open. "Princess Cadance and Lady Twilight Sparkle are here," the Guard announced.

The room beyond was easily distinguishable as the Mayor's Office, given first and foremost the desk centered towards the back of the room and a large rug in the middle of the room bearing the seal of Cloudsdale. The Mayor, an older pegasus stallion with a light blue coat and grayed, slicked-back mane, wore a tan-brown suit as he sat in his chair, facing the window behind the desk. He perked up at the announcement of their arrival, and he swiveled around in his chair to face them. His wings, folded to his sides in a relaxed manner, were well-preened. "Ah, Princess Cadance." He climbed down from his chair, smiling. "Please, come in," he beckoned as he walked around the desk.

Cadance walked inside. "Mayor Air," was her sister's calm, kind greeting. Twilight followed Cadance; the door closed behind her, leaving the three of them alone.

The Mayor fell into a short yet respectful bow. "A pity that we have to meet like this again. One of these nights, it would be far preferable to be able to simply sit down and have a meal together without having to discuss politics."

Cadance smiled sadly and nodded. "At least it's peaceful from what we saw coming here."

The Mayor nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes. Very good indeed. Your last visit certainly left a lasting impression," he offered. His eyes gradually slipped to the right and he tilted his head to the left. "Though..." he trailed off, seeming to ponder his next words carefully. "It leaves—" he looked at Cadance again, "—something to be desired."

With that said, the Mayor breathed in and set his gaze on Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle. Lady. Twilight Sparkle," he said, then approached her with a seemingly calculated, yet frail stride. "When Queen Nightmare Moon informed me that you would be accompanying Princess Cadance on this visit, I was pleasantly surprised."

Twilight smiled uncomfortably. "Well, she thought I needed experience in seeing Cadance addresses this sort of thing."

The Mayor hummed gruffly and nodded. "I think it'll do you good. One of these days your generation will be taking over, you know," he said thoughtfully. "I suspect Princess Celestia, were she here, would agree that ponies could learn a lot from sitting down and listening to what other ponies had to say. She did it often, you know."

Twilight nodded.

"Listening does wonders," he added absently, then turned and walked back around his desk before sitting down facing them again. "You, of course, have my full support, Princess. And that of my staff. If there's anything you need, just let me know and I will make it happen."

Cadance nodded. "Thank you—" her sister turned to look at Twilight, "—though I don't think we're going to be staying all that long."

"Of course," the Mayor acknowledged, drawing Cadance's attention back to him. "Everything should be ready for your address, if you're ready, Princess."

"Thank you, but I wouldn't exactly call it an address," Cadance said.

The Mayor offered a casual shrug. "With respect, Cadance, I've been in politics long enough to know that you can frame things however you want with wording. You're still talking to them to convince them to support the Weather Factory and Nightmare Moon's rule, which they're not happy with, even if they're not protesting like before. Yes—" he bowed his head, "—you're going to listen to what they have to say—" then he lifted his head back, "—but again, with respect, you're here for a purpose, Princess."

Cadance's lips drew into a strained line as the Mayor spoke, and when he finished, Cadance reluctantly nodded. "Will you be accompanying us?"

The Mayor breathed in quickly and shook his head. "No. I'm afraid not, Princess. I have a few meetings to attend to while you're speaking with everypony." He shook his head tiredly and cast his gaze to his desk. "You would not believe how many nightmares this is causing here in Cloudsdale." He gave a half-grunt, half-huff. “And the rest of Equestria, for that matter. The weather does not order itself.”

Cadance grimaced in sympathy. "We'll leave you to it, then. It was nice seeing you again, Hot Air."

He looked up from his desk and smiled genuinely. "You too, Cadance. Stay safe."

Cadance nodded and turned, and a moment later, Twilight followed Cadance back out into the hallway. The cloud doors closed behind them with hardly a sound, and their batpony escort followed closely. "I take it you know him personally?"

Cadance bobbed her head to the left. "Somewhat." Her sister breathed in deep, then sighed, "Believe me when I say it helps to have good relations with the ponies running things. Nightmare Moon is the Queen, be she can't run Equestria without ponies willing to support her."

"She doesn't have a very good relationship with anypony," Twilight muttered.

Cadance hummed. "She has a good relationship with a few ponies. Us."

"And nopony else," Twilight acknowledged.

"She has warmed up to Raven."

A few steps in silence.

"Somewhat," Cadance clarified.

Twilight shook her head and sighed. "Yeah. She doesn't open up easily. At all. Though she is open with me..."

Cadance hummed again. “I think that’s an understatement.”

Which, Twilight agreed, likely was.

The rest of the trip through the capitol, this time heading for the grandiose lobby where they would exit from the proper front entrance to greet the crowd, was silent. Like the architecture of the Canterlot Castle, the lobby had pillars, though the castle was nowhere near as spacious and open. Two of the batponies hurried ahead of them, then two Royal Guards opened the double doors.

Cadance led outside, and after a few steps, stopped on the porch to look over the crowd: a few hundred pegasi, stretching from one side of the street to the other. The line of Royal Guards and batponies that held separated from the capitol looked even sparser than before, meaning that there was very little actually stopping the crowd from coming closer if they wanted.

And knowing that made Twilight nervous, even if nopony looked like they were about to attack them. She fidgeted on her hooves; Cadance noticed and looked at her with a calming smile that she tried to take to heart, but it didn't help. 'It seems like every time I've been on this side of a crowd lately, it's ended badly.'

Fortunately, that was only a few times. Namely, when Nightmare Moon declared to the entire world that she was her student, and Manehattan.

Both of which were terrible experiences.

'I'm being paranoid. Like Nightmare Moon.' Twilight wondered if that was ironic; was Nightmare Moon inadvertently teaching her to be paranoid? 'The ceremony honoring us went okay. But everything else more or less hasn't.'

Twilight put it aside and lingered back as Cadance continued forward; Cadance was, after all, the Princess, and she was only there to watch and learn. Their batpony escort fidgeted uncomfortably, looking amongst themselves as Cadance pushed forward and she stayed behind. In the end, they split into two even groups, with four of them accompanying Cadance and the other four staying beside her.

'It's almost like when I've been with Nightmare Moon and she's addressed crowds.' Aside from the whole, nopony cowered in fear or backed up at Cadance's approach. Really, it was a nice, welcome change of pace. And Rather than Nightmare Moon, who would approach the crowd cautiously, Cadance walked towards them with genuine openness that she wasn't sure Nightmare Moon was even capable of.

Cadance paused and looked back at her. Expectantly. Twilight shifted uncomfortably as her jaw tensed, but relented and walked back to Cadance's side, closely followed by her escort. "You do need the experience Twilight," came Cadance's musical, yet somehow playfully pointed voice.

"Yes, well, I didn't want to be in the way," Twilight defended.

Cadance hummed fondly. "You're never in the way. Now come on."

They descended the stairs and walked out into the street, approaching the line of guards. Cadance paused and looked at the batponies, nodding once to one of them. "Wait here. We'll be fine."

The batpony that Cadance addressed shifted uncomfortably and offered a terse bow. "As you wish, Princess."

Cadance smiled reassuringly, then they crossed the distance to the line of guards. "Princess," the closest guard cautioned, "I don't think—"

"We'll be fine. None of them want to hurt us," Cadance repeated as surely as before while they walked passed the line of guards. The pegasi in the crowd started bowing to Cadance, slowly at first, but gradually sweeping through the ranks. Not all the way to the ground, and some with more resistance than others, but they respected and loved Cadance in a way that Nightmare Moon didn't have.

A way Twilight wasn't sure Nightmare Moon could have.

And for it, Twilight looked at Cadance, feeling a touch of disappointment. 'There has to be a way to make this right,' she reaffirmed.

"There's no need to bow. Rise," Cadance said. Her voice came soft and musically, neither condemning nor ordering, filled with compassion. It carried over the light breeze to touch the ears of everypony in the crowd, who rose back to their hooves as one. "Thank you," Cadance said genuinely.

One of the pegasi in the front shifted, squirming where he stood before taking a step forward. "Princess—"

A little pegasus filly ran out between his legs, staring up at Cadance with wide eyes. "Princess?"

"Hello," Cadance greeted the filly, leaning down closer to her face, smiling even more warmly. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to meet you,” the filly answered innocently. From the crowd, she saw a few heads moving about hastily, then saw them gradually pushing their way to the front. “My parents said this might be the only time I ever get to see you.”

Cadance’s smile flickered for a moment before settling. “I don’t know about that,” Cadance replied.

The filly puffed her cheeks out. “You’re a busy pony!”

Cadance nodded solemnly. “It’s true,” came as if it were an admission of guilt. “I have to take care of a lot of ponies in Equestria right now.”

The crowd separated at the front and two ponies—a stallion and a mare—pushed their way out, wincing and wings bristling with agitation and possibly anxiety as they made their way to the filly. “F-forgive us, Princess.” The filly looked back at her parents.

“That’s alright,” Cadance murmured softly. “Why don’t you run along with your parents, now?” Cadance suggested sweetly.

The filly sighed. “They’re just going to make me go home and then I won’t get to hear what you have to say!”

Cadance laughed sweetly. “That’s okay. I tell you the same thing that I’m going to tell everypony else, just... put a little differently. How does that sound?”

The filly’s eyes widened and her wings buzzed eagerly. “Really?”

“Mhm,” Cadance said with a graceful nod. “It’s very important, too,” her sister said with just a hint of sternness in her voice. The filly stiffened, focused on what Cadance had to say. “Treat other ponies the way you want to be treated. Remember to be kind, be honest, stick up for your friends. Always smile. Find good wherever you can, and help others to see it too,” her sister spoke softly.

Cadance breathed in and solemnly shook her head. “And never hate. No matter how much you may want to, hate doesn’t help anypony. It only hurts others, and it can hurt yourself too. I know a pony who is filled with hate...”

The filly’s face scrunched up for a moment, then her mouth parted with realization. “Nightmare Moon?”

Cadance nodded gracefully. “Yes... and she’s unhappy all of the time because she has so much hatred and bitterness. She resents her sister for hurting her and now a lot of ponies are angry at her... Because she was hurt, she’s hurting other ponies.”

The filly looked at the cloud beneath Cadance’s hooves for a few seconds, then looked up at Cadance’s face and nodded. “She shouldn’t be doing that.”

Cadance nodded gently in agreement. “She shouldn’t be. But she is, because she’s still angry.”

“Because she was hurt..?” the filly ventured. Cadance nodded. The filly looked at the cloud again. “I wouldn’t hurt anypony...”

Cadance hummed softly. “I’d hope not. I would be sad to see you hurt anypony.” Her sister’s eyes lifted to the crowd. “Or anypony hurt another pony.”

The filly nodded.

“Come along, dear,” the filly’s mother beckoned, and after some coaxing, the filly walked over to her mother’s side. As the trio walked to the crowd, ponies parted, cleaning a straight line for them to make their way to the other end. The aisle it created lingered, and the filly looked back at Cadance, smiling happily before bounding off with her parents.

‘That was... a nice way to say that.’ Yes, and for it, Twilight smiled. ‘You’re good with foals.’ Which was a given, considering Cadance had been her foalsitter. And Cadance herself seemed a little happier for having the chance to talk to the filly.

Another pony, a stallion with a hard set expression, forced his way to the front of the crowd. Looked Cadance right in the eye. “How can you defend and excuse Nightmare Moon like that? After all she’s done.” Quiet and forceful, intent, not unlike how Nightmare Moon could threaten.

“I don’t defend her, and I don’t excuse her actions either,” Cadance answered in a soft, calm voice.

“And yet you’re here,” the stallion retorted. “To make us fall in line for her. The fact that Nightmare Moon isn’t here herself just shows how weak and how much of a coward she is!”

Twilight glanced back; the batponies and royal guards were visibly uncomfortably, almost all of them focused on the stallion rather than the crowd. And turning back to the crowd, most of them likewise looked at the stallion with mixed expressions—but not agreement.

“And you defend her,” the stallion stated. “She took the sun, took the day, and forced this night on all of us! She killed her own sister!” he shouted, then quieter, “Your aunt. Your family.” His words dripped with anger and disgust.

For a while, Cadance stayed silent. Twilight wasn’t sure if Cadance was trying to figure out what to say, or if Cadance was giving the stallion an opportunity to say more or calm down. “What Nightmare Moon has done is wrong,” her sister agreed, then nodded her head. The stallion scowled bitterly. “I don’t defend what she’s done. I don’t excuse her actions. But I understand why she does what she does.” A moment passed; her sister shook her head. “That doesn’t make it right. That doesn’t mean I defend her.”

“You’re still here to make us fall in line. To make sure we don't cause problems or speak up,” he spat. “You still support her. You could stand up to her but you don’t. You’re just as guilty as she is.” A lot of ponies in the crowd visibly frowned at him; he looked at Twilight. “Both of you are.”

Twilight frowned but said nothing, knowing Cadance could handle it better than she could.

“Do you want to me do nothing?” Cadance asked genuinely. “Do you want me to make her come here herself to talk to you? You say that I support her, yet I don’t condone what she’s done. It’s wrong. Why do you think I support her?”

He said nothing, only standing there, muscles tensed as he seethed.

“If I didn’t support her as you call it, do you think you would be better off?” her sister asked genuinely.

“You could stand up to her! You’re an alicorn princess!” he argued. “And the fact that you don’t just shows that you’re a coward who doesn’t care about anypony except herself!” he yelled at her sister.

Twilight heard metal shifting behind her, saw two, then four batponies step forward. Slowly and cautiously. And then watched her sister pointedly and slowly turned her head back to look at them. And at her look, the batponies stopped where they stood. After a few seconds, Cadance turned back to the stallion.

“If you had a spine, if you deserved to be our princess, you would stand up to her and bring back the sun!” The stallion’s head whipped around and he glared at her; she stepped back. “And you! You were Princess Celestia’s student! How can you just betray Princess Celestia by being Nightmare Moon’s student!? Did she mean nothing to you? Do you just take her for granted? Or do you care more about your own studies, that you sit idly by doing nothing? Or worse yet, support her!”

It hurt, but Twilight didn’t have the words to answer him.

He didn’t give her the chance either. “Traitors,” he spat. “Both of you!” he yelled. Stepped closer and yelled again, “Traitors!”

The batponies moved. Somepony in the crowd whispered, “Treason,” but she couldn’t tell if it was in agreement or dissent with the stallion.

Cadance turned back to the approaching batponies. “Stop,” was her command, and they obeyed.

“And them!” the stallion growled, drawing Cadance’s gaze back to him. “They’re just as guilty as all of you!”

Cadance shook her head. “You can’t just blatantly condemn them all—”

“They support her! If it wasn’t for them enforcing her rule we could have our Princess back!”

‘You think they’re all evil or something?’ And he did, Twilight could see it, hear it in his voice.

Would he think Midnight was evil, simply because Midnight was a batpony? Or what of their foals? Just as evil, just as guilty, for something they had no choice in?

How could he think he was right!? “What did they do to you?” Twilight demanded.

He faced her. “So you admit that you’re on Nightmare Moon’s side,” he retorted. “Traitor. Damned traitor!”

Twilight clenched her jaw. “How can you stand there and blatantly condemn ponies you know nothing about?”

“Twilight,” Cadance cautioned.

“How can you stand there and defend the pony who killed Princess Celestia?” the stallion asked, his voice quiet and intent.

“She didn't kill Princess Celestia. Do you really think that if she did, I’d still be around?” Twilight demanded. “She took me as a prize.”

“Twilight.” Her sister again, more firmly.

“Maybe you shouldn’t still be around then!” he argued. “Instead of helping your new teacher, you could have stood up against her—”

“Do you really think I had any choice? I did stand up to her, along with my friends! I’m a unicorn! I’m not even an adult! We lost! She would have killed me if I said no!”

“Then she should have!”

“That’s enough.” One of the batponies; one of them strode over to her side.

“Is it?” he hissed. “Will it ever be enough? Go tell your bitch of a Queen—”

“Enough!” Cadance’s voice boomed, making her, the stallion, and the batpony flinch. The wince on her lips gradually faded, and with no small amount of reluctance, she faced her sister. “Return to your post,” her sister commanded the batpony.

Cadance glanced at him, and he only straightened. “With all due respect, Princess, I will not abandon my liege.”

Cadance shook her head. “Nightmare Moon isn’t here, Sergeant. And I can take care of myself. He isn’t a threat.”

Without looking at Cadance, the batpony answered. “I was not referring to you or the Queen.”

‘What?’ A moment later. ‘Me?’ Twilight shifted uncomfortably; ponies looked at her, and it reminded her of what she had been presented to Equestria as Nightmare Moon’s student. Another batpony walked over and stood at the right side of the first.

What did that even mean!?

“Traitors,” the stallion spat again, tossing his head to his right and scowling. “The only way this is going to end is when we’re all dead, or she is.” He faced her and Cadance again. “You know that. You both know that. And you’re either complacent or supporting her.”

Strikingly calmly, “Some of us are just going to die before everypony else so that maybe they have a future.”

A blinding flash of white; the feeling of her fur standing on end. CRACK-BOOM!

The air tore around Twilight and knocked the breath out of her; something hard slammed her right side. Screaming. Ringing. She felt nauseous; a grunt from beneath her and a pained groan a few feet away from her.

Twilight sucked in a deep breath, and the feeling of air returning to her lungs made her cough several times. Something under her shifted. She blinked, but everything was a bright white blur.

And just as quickly as it happened, the ringing was gone and Twilight’s vision returned. The crowd was running and flying away, scattering in fear. There was a batpony under her—and he hastily slid out and stood up, shaking his head as if disorientating. The other batpony was standing on her left side, crouched down as if prepared to strike at anything that got too close to her. She looked—the stallion was laying on his back, unmoving, his chest smoking and coat charred. Cadance was on her back, a few feet away from where she had been standing. Her mane was frayed as if—’Lightning!?’

Three batponies shot through the sky. A pegasus had a cloud—

CRACK-BOOM! The bolt of lightning struck the closest batpony. His body seized up and he dropped like a rock. The other two batponies fumbled in flight, shaking their heads and gliding back towards the cloudtop.

Royal Guards took flight; two landed at Cadance’s side, two went after the pegasus—

CRACK-BOOM! Another lightnight strike; the pegasus guard yelped and his mane smoked but he kept going.

“Princess! Get her...”

Two batponies landed beside her. “My Lady!? Get her to...”

CRACK-BOOM!

Twilight reached out with her magic and caught the batpony before he hit the reinforced cloud, then stood back up; her body still tingled but nothing hurt. She levitated him over; one of the batponies around her darted over to look at him, only to stop about halfway there.

“Traitors!” the pegasus shouted, struggling against the two Royal Guards that slammed into him. “You won’t get away with this! She’ll kill us all like she killed Princess Celestia!” The three of them hit the cloud, pinning the stallion down with their strength and weight.

One of the batponies set a forehoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “We need to get you—!”

“I’m fine,” Twilight preempted, then turned back to watch the Royal Guards force him to stand. She pressed forward, ignoring the grunts of the batponies surrounding her—they hastily followed her like they expected somepony else to try to attack her—and strode over to the pegasus. He kicked the two Royal Guards with his hind legs and struggled; the Guard’s strength and armor gave them an advantage, but he still fought back.

Twilight lowered her head and charged up her horn.

“Lady Twili—”

Twilight ignored the batpony’s protest and grabbed the pegasus in her magic. He grunted and his body shuddered as he tried—and failed—to fight against her grip. And realizing that she had him, he looked at her. The two Royal Guards still held him close, but let up slightly. She came to a stop a foot from him.

“What was that?” Twilight hissed.

He sneered. “You made your allegiance clear, traitor! Supporting her when she’s going to kill us all because of the eternal night!”

Twilight clenched her jaw and bit back a shout. “So you decide to try to kill my sister-in-law, the one pony who could possibly bring back the sun, other than Nightmare Moon? Somepony who did nothing wrong?” she growled.

‘Is this how you feel all the time? Is this the way ponies make you feel?’

Twilight wanted to lash out. Would it be justice?

“You’re the one who said Nightmare Moon didn’t kill Princess Celestia. I don’t see you or Princess Cadance trying to rescue her, if that’s the case! She’s just as guilty as Nightmare Moon for doing nothing! You both are!”

It took all of her willpower not to scream at him, not to throw him into a wall. “You could have killed her,” Twilight said quietly. “You could have killed me.” And worse yet, “You killed ponies when trying to kill us.”

“Hardly worse than what she’s done!” he hissed.

Twilight lifted her head up and breathed in, then exhaled. “You’re right. And now you’re just as bad as her for having hurt, no, killed innocent ponies because you hate her so much.”

“It’s only a matter of time. If nopony stands up to her and stops her, she’ll kill us all. I hope you’re happy with where your allegiance lies, traitor. What would Princess Celestia do if she saw you now? And what fate would Princess Celestia sentence you, her own student to, if she returns? Or would she even call you her student?”

‘Sometimes, there is no choice,’ Nightmare Moon had said.

Maybe her mentor was right.

Twilight sent a surge of magic through the pegasus’s body. He spasmed once before falling unconscious as her spell took hold. Glaring at his now-limp form. she released him from her magic, then turned and strode towards the capitol, flanked by her batpony escort. Two Royal Guards flew over to her and landed, then bowed. “Lady Twilight—”

‘You’re wasting time!’ she wanted to snap. “Where’s Cadance? Is she okay?”

Both Royal Guards hastily rose from their bows. “She’s unconscious. We took her inside and have medics treating her.”

Twilight bit her lip. “And what about Nightmare Moon?”

“We dispatched a messenger—”

Twilight tossed her head back and turned to the right, grumbling, “And that’s going to take a while...”

“Yes, Lady Sparkle. We need to get you inside. It could still be dangerous out here. There could be more of assassins.”

Twilight looked back at him. “Fine.”

They hastily turned and then took to the air, leading the way to the capitol. She followed, still surrounded by the batponies. She looked at them; none of them looked at her, they all had their heads turned, mostly still turning, keeping watch. Four more batponies had joined in, bringing her escort up to ten ponies.

Twilight clenched her jaw and strode up the stairs, then headed inside the lobby. She looked back and watched two batponies stopped at the doorway and stand guard, joining the two Royal Guards and two batponies already there.

Twilight looked around but didn’t see Cadance anywhere. Secretaries, Guards, and batponies darted about, with the secretaries staying well out of the way.

“Lady Twilight Sparkle!” The mayor’s voice. The older pegasus strode into the room surprisingly quickly, given how he had walked before. Alongside him walked a Royal Guard Captain and a batpony who bore the rank insignia of Colonel. She didn’t recognize either of them. He came to a stop a few feet from her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m—I’m fine,” Twilight answered as she stopped.

The Colonel continued a few more steps, then bowed, stretching his left foreleg out and bending his right, going so far as to touch his chin to the floor. “My Lady—” he didn’t even look up at her; for some reason, it made her anxiety worse, “—Princess Cadance is being tended to by our medics, but is incapacitated. As per Nightmare Moon’s orders, with Princess Cadance incapacitated, command of this detachment falls to you.”

Twilight felt like Nightmare Moon had kicked her in the chest; her lungs deflated. “W-what?” she croaked, her eyes jumping between the Colonel and the Mayor.

The Colonel finally rose from his bow. “Until we receive word from Nightmare Moon, or Princess Cadance recovers, you are in command. What are your orders?”

‘What? Why me!?’ Well, thinking around it reasonably—which was hard to do given the situation—Nightmare Moon trusted her. ‘How much do you trust me? How much faith do you have in me?’

‘No, focus. It’s probably only going to be half an hour or so for somepony to contact Nightmare Moon. And Cadance could wake up before then! It’s not that bad. It’s not that bad,’ Twilight told herself. “Right, um...” she licked her lips. “Secure the pony responsible for this... “ ‘Right, you would do that anyway.’ She winced and shifted her weight before nibbling on her lip. “Secure the area... Um... C-can you take me to Cadance?”

He nodded. “Of course. If you will follow me.” He turned to his left, but looked at the Royal Guard Captain. “Take care of the prisoner and makes sure there are no more assassins in the area.”

“Right away,” the Captain answered.

The Colonel started off, and the Royal Guard Captain nodded at her in acknowledgment. “Lady Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight offered him a smile, though it felt like it was a grimace instead, and followed after the Colonel. It didn’t take long to find Cadance; her sister was in one of the rooms just off from the Lobby. Four batponies stood guard, and two Royal Guard medics and a batpony medic were inside.

It felt like Nightmare Moon had kicked her in the stomach. Cadance’s chest was burned, and there was a burn down the inside of her left foreleg. Beyond that, a large spiderweb of signed fur crisscrossed her body and neck. Her sister’s golden shoes and tiara were set aside for the time being while the medics put ointment on the burns.

Her mouth felt dry.

“How bad is it?”

“There was a lot more charge in the lightning strike than they normally have,” one of the Royal Guard medics answered, still focusing on rubbing a pad covered with ointment over Cadance’s leg. “Otherwise it wouldn’t have done this much.”

Twilight bit her lip.

For a moment, he looked back at her. “She’ll be okay.” Then he turned back to Cadance.

She nodded quickly. “Good.” She fidgeted uncomfortably. “Um, thank you.”

“Just doing my duty, Ma’am.”

‘How many of you would do the same for Nightmare Moon, though?’ she wondered. She stepped back into the hallway, then looked at the Colonel. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We should be in contact with Nightmare Moon within an hour. So far, this has been the only attack.” He bowed his head. “And with luck, it will stay that way.”

“I hope so.”

He lifted his head again. “If nothing else happens, then you shouldn’t have to do anything.”

Twilight nodded calmly.

“You should probably have a medic check you. You were pretty close to the Princess when she was struck, and the stallion wasn’t as lucky.”

Twilight grimaced. “I—” ‘I feel fine. Rattled. Nervous...’ And now that she thought about it, her legs had a tremble to them. She took in a deep breath, then let it out. She looked at Cadance and watched the medics tend to her for a few seconds. There wasn’t much she could do there. She sighed. “Okay... That’s reasonable enough.”

The Colonel looked at her batpony escort and nodded once, then turned back to her. “If anything comes up, I’ll find you.”

Twilight licked her lips. “Tell me when Cadance recovers or Nightmare Moon shows up.”

He bowed his head. “Of course, Lady Sparkle.”

‘Still not used to that...’ Twilight held in a groan and looked at the batponies surrounding her, specifically, for whichever one of them had some semblance of command.

It ended up being the first batpony who had walked over to her side. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, he preempted with a nod and turned. “If you will follow me.”

Twilight turned and let him take the lead. “So um...” she trailed off as he tilted his head back to glance at her. ‘Do I even want to know the answer?’ A few seconds passed as she pondered the question; the Captain turned his head away from her once more. She looked at the other seven batponies surrounding her. Even inside, they retained their alert, ready-to-act postures as if they trusted nopony else.

Their unease seemed contagious, as it made her nervous. She swallowed and looked back at the Captain. “You said... you weren’t referring to Princess Cadance or Nightmare Moon.”

He tilted his head back to look at her, then nodded once. “I was referring to you.”

Twilight frowned. “Why?”

He turned his head about, looking around, specifically at the other batponies, then at other ponies in the lobby as they passed through it, heading to the hallway opposite the one they walked out of.

And the way he watched the other ponies, specifically the secretaries and Royal Guards, anypony who wasn’t a batpony, made her realize, ‘You don’t trust them.’

They crossed the lobby and entered the hallway, then he stepped into another side room. It seemed to be a lounge, not unlike the room where Cadance was being tended to. Notably, there was nopony else in the room aside from her escort and her. He walked in, looking around. Twilight followed, and once she was well inside the room, he turned back to face her. “Echo, go find a medic.”

“Yes, sir,” one of the batponies behind her said. Twilight turned and watched him leave, along with two other batponies who stopped and stood on each side of the doorway, then turned back to the Captain.

“Is it the same reason I’m supposed to be in charge or whatever now?” Twilight ventured.

He tilted his head up. “Yes and no.”

“So...” Twilight gradually turned her head to the left, hoping he would catch on and elaborate without her needing to ask. “It’s part of the reason but not the whole reason?” she ventured.

He nodded succinctly. “You’re the Queen’s student. You’re very important to her, and she has made this clear. We are to protect you with our lives. We willingly do so. It is how we can best serve our Princess. That you’re in command is Nightmare Moon’s order; given the situation, you have more authority than the Mayor, and as Nightmare Moon’s student, the Colonel answeres to you and is in command with your consent as Princess Cadance is incapacitated and Nightmare Moon is not here.”

Twilight shifted her weight on her hooves as she listened to what he said. It made her lips pull into a strained line. “So she meant it when she said she was going to give me a lot of authority...”

The Captain nodded once in affirmation.

“Sir?” It sounded like Echo’s voice.

Twilight turned back and looked at the doorway; the batpony she thought was Echo stood there as a batpony mare walked in. Below the mare’s wings were two white saddlebags, one on each side, bearing a medic’s patch.

“If you’d come sit over here,” the mare instructed. Twilight walked around and sat down on one of the couches while the batpony unstrapped her saddlebags and set them on the floor. The mare pulled out a few instruments and took her vital signs, then looked her over thoroughly. “How do you feel?”

“Shaken. Angry,” Twilight answered.

“Headache?”

“No.”

“Confusion?”

“Uh... I don’t think so. It happened fast but...” she trailed off.

“All right.”

The mare flashed a light in her eyes; Twilight had to stop herself from wincing. She patiently waited for the medic to complete her examination.

“I think you’re fine,” the mare finally said, beginning the process of packing back up. “You might want to check with a doctor back in Canterlot though.”

“Right.” Twilight grimaced. “Nightmare Moon is probably going to send me back to Canterlot after this, isn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t know,” the mare answered casually.

Twilight puffed out her cheeks as the mare turned and left. Once the mare was gone, she sighed and stood from the couch, then turned around and looked over the batponies. “I guess now I just wait for Nightmare Moon to show up.”

“I suppose so,” the Captain answered. “If you need anything, just ask.”

“Thanks,” she said.

Aside from the whispers of secretaries, Guards, and batponies as they walked by the room, mostly about what had happened, which left Twilight’s stomach churning progressively worse each time, her wait was in silence. The batponies stayed to watch over her. Neither Guards nor batponies came to tell her that Cadance had recovered or worsened, nor did any come to tell her that anything worse had happened while she waited.

So time passed her by slowly, leaving her anxious and worried, dreading each passing moment, fearing that it would bring some Guard or another to warn her that something terrible had happened. After all, somepony had tried to kill a princess.

Princess Cadance.

Her sister-in-law.

Twilight had expected chaos. She had expected Guards to hurriedly warn her that riots or panic had struck Cloudsdale in the wake of attempted regicide, and ask her what to do about it. She had expected some disaster to strike the Weather Factory, perhaps coordinated by some other group affiliated with the pegasus who tried to murder Cadance.

None of it ever came.

And so she was left to her own fears and worries and thoughts. ‘Was the stallion he killed working with him?’ she wondered, remembering his last words. ‘Or was he taking advantage of a distraction? Do either of them have families? What’s going to happen to them now? What’s going to happen to Cloudsdale now...’

What would Nightmare Moon do when she arrived, other than take control of the situation? How would Nightmare Moon react to the attempt on Cadance’s life, whom Nightmare Moon had known ponies loved.

Twilight could picture Nightmare Moon saying, ‘That they would do this to Cadance,’ and what implications it brought, which would only harden her mentor’s stance that ponies would kill her if they had the chance. ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe ponies would kill you as soon as they had the chance. But not everypony. You can’t just... you can’t just blame everypony for the actions of one pony. It’s not right.’

Twilight steeled her resolve, vowing to make certain Nightmare Moon understood that.

For so, so many reasons.

‘The only way this is going to end is when we’re all dead, or she is.’ And how the memory brought her to tense, afraid that he was right. Twilight hoped and believed he was wrong; there had to be another way. She knew there had to be another way.

‘But what?’ her mind grasped for any ideas, but they came incoherently and half-formed. Could she convince Nightmare Moon to bring back the sun? Could the Elements of Harmony somehow make everything right? Why had the Elements banished Nightmare Moon in the first place, if they could fix everything!? Was it Princess Celestia’s wish to banish her own sister!?

‘Why?’

The sharp, distinct crack! of a teleportation spell snapped her thoughts into focus. ‘She’s here.’ And just like that, Twilight jumped off the couch and strode to the doorway. She wasn’t even sure the batponies realized that she had moved with how they lagged behind her.

And just as soon, she was out in the hallway, turned towards the lobby, trotting with purpose. She heard the batponies all following her, and the Captain hastily caught up and walked beside her.

“Where is my student and Princess Cadance?” came Nightmare’s distinct, intent demand.

‘You asked where I am first, even though it was an attempt on Cadance’s life.’

“Your student is guarded by several batponies, in one of the lounges, and Princess Cadance is...”

Twilight came to a stop in the doorway of the lobby; Nightmare Moon’s head turned to face her, completely ignoring the Royal Guard in favor of meeting her gaze.

Intent and focused, predatory, almost sparking with anger and vengeance. Such was the look she saw in her mentor’s eyes, framed by her helmet and familiar armor. Her mane and tailed seemed to coil in agitation, swirling behind her as if barely held in check, wanting to lash out of its own accord.

And yet, seeing her, her mentor’s expression cooled, softened by relief from seeing her unharmed. Her mane and tail calmed, as if in the wake of some storm that has passed. Nightmare broke eye contact, her eyes jumping about to search her body to prove that she was indeed unharmed.

Accompanying her mentor was her brother, clad in his armor, along with his future replacement, Captain Bulwark, and half a dozen Royal Guard unicorns.

“Your Majesty—”

Nightmare didn’t even look at Twilight’s brother before preempting him with, “Go.” And her brother darted off, accompanied by two of the unicorns, heading for Cadance.

And Nightmare Moon turned her body to face her, though tilted her head to Captain Bulwark, who took that as his cue to begin, and set off with half of the remaining Royal Guard unicorns.

Her mentor strode over towards her, flanked by the two remaining Royal Guards. Stopped in front of her, studied her more intently as if worried her eyes had deceived her.

“I’m fine,” Twilight preempted, then swallowed and licked her lips before breathing in. “I’m shaken up, but I’m fine.”

Nightmare reluctantly nodded. “I did not...” her mentor trailed off and glanced over her batpony escort, then turned her head to the left and gazed at the main entrance. “This was not supposed to happen.”

“I know,” Twilight comforted.

Even with her armor on, even as focused as she was, she watched her friend’s ears twitch back. Just for a moment, before righting themselves; the Queen didn’t want it to show. “I am teleporting you back to Canterlot. Wait for my return.”

“Wait—” but it was too late; Nightmare’s magic wove around her and the world flashed as her mentor cast the teleportation spell.

Author's Note

6/29/20

Chapter started. Wrote to 2,109.

6/30/20

Perhaps I should take a break from writing to read... or perhaps I should figure out how to stop procrastinating so I can read and write, since I've not read any stories in... well, months, really. How I miss the days of old...

Haha... I looked through my Read It ~~Never~~ Later library... I have so many stories, of which 90% are canceled or haven't been touched in years... Have I mentioned Fimfiction is my first encounter with fanfiction? I also have so many tracking stories that are incomplete and haven't been touched... and chapters to read... and a fic or two to finish... and a lot of them I need to reread... and I made the mistake of adding a fic to the list, then refreshed the page and the fic had been nuked so now I am stained with like 44 ish unread chapters that I can't access......... yay...

I think I focus on word counts too much anymore. Though to be fair I probably always have, if I do.

The good news is that I read! A short one-shot. And then I started on its "sequel" and read the first scene and immediately lost interest because I am now extremely tired, and just generally demotivated.

And then I picked it up again and then the story went to lore that makes me groan and so now I have cast it aside. Perhaps another time, but unlikely. Still, perhaps the reading will help me formulate more interesting ways to say the same thing one hundred times again and again, and again again.

Wrote to 3,706 words.

7/1/20

Late start because of compiling statistics and publishing a blog post.

Wrote to 4,808 words.

7/2/20

10:20 P.M. before I get started writing. Why? I was distracted with other things. I'm in a decent mood though!

And now I am tired and have no idea where to go.

Wrote to 5,295.

7/3/20

Duplicated the chapter to work on a new iteration on some parts.

As I go through the chapter and do edits, I realize, "So, are you just gonna ignore the Changelings imprisoned in Canterlot and never discuss them again, or..?" Uh... well, this is one reason a prereader helps. [Sentence redacted]

Yes, I am very glad this occurred to me.

Hey, I did it! I figured out how to fix the problem I was facing that made me duplicate the chapter to create a new attempt at the scene! And my prereader didn't even get back to me on it, huzza-wait...

I have Obsessive Save Chapter Disorder. I have a habit that, whenever I open a tab with a chapter which I have been working, my first instinct is to hit save. Even if I clicked save not even 5 seconds ago.

Wrote to 6,504.

7/4/20

Yes, it’s the 4th of July. Yes, I’m gonna try to write anyway.

I enjoyed writing this scene. “It’s treason, then.” Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with Star Wars as of late. I did rewatch it all in the past month or two.

Wrote to 9,660.

7/5/20

Distracted again. Huzzah! Pretty good day though aside from a few things. Finally watched Endgame... most of it, anyway.

Wrote to 9,696.

7/6/20

Finished drafting the chapter, I guess. Wrote to 11,257 words.

3/29/22

Minor edits/corrections; replaced - with — as needed.

3/30/22

I do wonder if I need to redact more from these Author’s Notes... a lot of it is not helpful or interesting, yet, on the other hand, could be interesting to leave this record of incoherent thoughts and feelings behind.

4/20/22

Wait how is it that everything conspired to be that I’m working on a chapter called Cloudsdale Burns on 4/20? Lol. I’m only realizing this as I wrote the date. Interesting.

Ahahahaha I noticed I had a typo. “I was worried that ponies would like him but it’s not so bad.” Glad I caught that silly mistake.

11,451.

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Control Part 1

Attempted Regicide Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured.

Twilight stared up at the newspaper she levitated in her magic just over her head. No matter how many times she read the headline, it never changed. Frontpage news. By now, almost everypony in Equestria would know it happened. And the picture that went with it. They didn’t have any photos of Cadance or what happened immediately following the attack, but they did have a picture of Nightmare Moon flanked by Royal Guards. Her expression crisp and focused.

She sighed and closed her eyes, then levitated the newspaper over to her nightstand.

She rolled onto her side and stared out the window into the night sky.

‘That’s exactly what you’re afraid of happening. Great. Just. Great.’ She groaned and scowled.

Maybe the little silver lining was that it was just the two of them acting alone, as far as the Royal Guard had determined. But then it only took one of them to kill.

And now she was stuck in Canterlot.

‘I’ll be fine in Ponyville. He wasn’t after me.’

‘Yet your escort said that he viewed you as a traitor. He is surely not the only one.’

‘It’s safe in Ponyville.’

‘I am not willing to take that chance, Twilight. They tried to kill Cadance. If they had the chance they would kill her and they would kill you.’

She groaned again and rolled onto her back as she remembered the conversation. Sighing in frustration, she sat up in her bed. “Two ponies are responsible for that.”

‘And all it would take is one,’ Twilight could hear Nightmare arguing.

A knock on the door. Twilight frowned for a moment. It wouldn’t be Nightmare, and, unfortunately, despite what happened, her friends had been unable to visit her in Canterlot. If she was in Ponyville, she knew they would have been there to check on her. Maybe it was her brother or parents, then.

She sighed as the knocking came again. She took a deep breath and summoned her magic. Crack! as she teleported to the door. She took the door in her magic and opened it. “Oh. Thorax.”

“Hi, Twilight,” Thorax softly droned. His wings buzzed at his sides. “Are you... are you doing okay?”

Twilight blinked and took a step back from the door. “I’m... I think so.” She nodded testingly. “Uh, please come in.”

Thorax gave a quick look to one of her guards, then walked inside. Twilight closed the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked.

“They wanted me to come visit you since they couldn’t make it,” Thorax answered evenly.

Twilight smiled and looked at the floor for a second before looking at him. “Oh... Well, thank you, Thorax.”

He smiled weakly.

“Does... Nightmare know you’re here?” Twilight asked.

He nodded. “I had Spike send her a letter that I was coming and she said that was fine.”

Twilight frowned and nodded. “Huh... I’m kind of surprised by that because of what happened.”

“How’s Princess Cadance?” he asked, his smile falling.

Twilight frowned and looked over at the stairs. “She’s... okay. She recovered well enough but now my brother is... well, protective.” She looked back at Thorax with a sheepish smile. “I’m sure you can imagine why.”

“He loves her,” Thorax said.

Twilight nodded. “Yep...”

Thorax’s wings buzzed. “Like she loves you.”

Twilight hesitated a moment, her mouth slowly opening before closing. “Yeah... yeah I guess,” she whispered. “It’s, um, probably not the same though.” She shook her head dismissively. “Shining Armor did marry her after all.”

Thorax nodded slowly, uncertainly.

“So... uh, how is everypony doing back in Ponyville?” Twilight asked as she shifted her weight.

He nodded quicker. “They’re all right, but they wish that you were back home with them. Pinkie Pie is really sad that she can’t come visit you.”

Twilight smiled sadly. “I miss them all... Hopefully, I won’t be stuck here too much longer. I was going to talk to her about it again today. Maybe we’ll be able to head back together?”

Thorax smiled, his wings jittering. “I’d like that. I’ve missed you too.”

Twilight laughed softly and stepped over to give him a hug. It was always so strange feeling his cool carapace against his fur, but it was almost like hugging a larger Spike. Thorax’s wings bristled energetically and he almost pranced in place. She giggled and gave him a short nuzzle before pulling back.

“Hey, um...” Thorax’s energy faded as he timidly looked away from her. “I wanted to ask...” he trailed off and looked back at Twilight. “Has... has there been any change with the rest of them?”

“Oh...” Twilight blinked and shifted her weight. “They’re uh... most of them are sleeping now. At least I think they are.”

Thorax frowned and nodded. “Hibernating. To conserve their strength.”

Twilight frowned and nodded. “And um, what about you? How are you doing?”

“I feel fine. Good, even,” Thorax answered. “It’s nice. Ponyville is a lot nicer than the Badlands. There’s so much grass.”

Twilight could only smile as she shook her head. “And... you’re not, uh, starving?”

He shook his head. “No. I feel... fine. It’s nice being around all of you. You’re all a lot nicer than most changelings. Especially Queen Chrysalis.” He frowned. “She’s mean.”

Twilight nodded in understanding. “Yeah...” She all-too-easily remembered that night. “How is... how is Spike doing?”

“He’s doing okay, but he misses you.”

Twilight smiled sadly and nodded. “Letters can only go so far, huh?”

“Yeah... I guess,” he droned.

Twilight sighed and turned around to walk to the window. Thorax quietly followed behind her. “They targeted Cadance, not me, and yet I’m still stuck here while Cadance—who was hurt—is out... doing whatever it is she’s doing.”

“You’re... angry?” Thorax questioned.

Twilight looked back at him and smiled sadly. “Maybe a little. She’s acting irrationally.”

“She does care about you...” Thorax said quietly.

Twilight sighed and looked back out of the large window. Thin, wispy clouds blurred the stars but did little to hide the moon. “I know that but... it’s frustrating.” She turned back around to face Thorax. “Would you like to come for a walk with me?”

“Okay,” he said neutrally.

Twilight smiled. “All right. I think a walk might help, and I’d appreciate your company.”

He smiled a little, then followed Twilight to the door.

Twilight stepped outside and then headed for the garden. A little chilly breeze made her shiver, but only for a moment. She would be fine, it just didn’t feel like Spring was on the way.

She made her way to the gardens, taking her time to enjoy the night. Even if it was cold, she had company this time. The stars twinkled overhead. The sounds of Royal Guards walking in the distance were somehow comforting.

Only a few flowers were in bloom; she hoped that Spring would bring life back to the garden, but despite that hope, the cold sapped it away.

It only took her a few minutes to navigate her way back to the center of the garden to find Discord’s statue, and as she approached it, she felt Discord’s gaze fall on her as he smiled in her mind. ‘Oh, hello there, little miss Sparkle!’ was his nearly giddy greeting. ‘Come to visit your condemned prisoner? Or did you want more of my wonderful, marvelous advice?’

Thorax’s wings bristled at his sides. “What... is that?”

“Discord,” Twilight answered. “Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.”

‘Oooh, a changeling! How fascinating!’

“He’s... that thing you turned to stone, right? The thing that was causing problems all over Equestria a few months back?”

Twilight nodded.

Discord huffed indignantly. ‘That thing has a name you know. Now, what brings you out here, little miss magic?’

“I don’t know,” Twilight sighed.

Twilight could almost feel his eyebrows flexing up as if surprised. ‘You don’t know? Why, Twilight, I’m shocked!’

“No, you’re not shocked, you’re stoned,” Twilight countered.

Thorax blinked and looked at Twilight owlishly.

He grinned. ‘Now that, miss Sparkle, I approve of,’ and it showed in his voice.

Twilight forced a smile; he chuckled. Eventually, it settled down. ‘I heard what happened to Cadance. A shame, that.’

Twilight’s smile faded into a frown. “And why would you care?”

‘Oh, dear Twilight, I thought we had established by now that I don’t like killing. Or did you forget? I suppose you would forget, wouldn’t you? With as much on your mind as you have...’

Twilight gradually rolled her head to the right and muttered, “Yeah...”

‘You know, I could fix all of this. With... nothing more than a snap of my talons...’ he mused wistfully.

Twilight turned back to face his statue.

‘Well, not all of it, obviously. That silly little spell of Luna’s keeping Tia trapped on the moon, that I can’t fix. The sun and moon, well, I could fix that in an instant. Luna throwing her little hissy fit I can’t fix either. That’s on you to fix.’

Twilight opened her mouth—

‘Oh don’t be so surprised. You’re smart. At least smarter than the average pony. Now, I’m not saying that actually means anything, but good for you.’

Twilight closed her mouth and sighed.

‘So, did you decide on a name yet?’

“Discord—”

‘A wonderful choice! I must say my opinion of you has increased ten-fold, my dear!’

“Would you—”

‘Although that’s more of a colt’s name, isn’t it? What if you had a daughter? Oooh, did you decide who was going to carry it yet? My bet is you-ou!’

Thorax stared at Twilight. “What does he mean by carry it?”

Twilight clenched her jaw and breathed in, then exhaled sharply. “You purposefully get on my nerves, don’t you?”

‘Oh little miss Magic, I assure you, I do no such thing!’ he defended. ‘But that doesn’t matter, because you won’t believe a thing I say anyway. And I know that you won’t believe anything I tell you, and you know that I know that.’

“Which—” Twilight nodded once, clenching her jaw, “—is irrelevant.”

‘Oh, and while we’re on this subject, give Cadance my condolences for me, would you?’

Twilight frowned. “Again, why do you care?”

‘I have my reasons, Twilight Sparkle. Or maybe I don’t? You remember what I said, don’t you? If I always do what you don’t expect, you expect that—’

“I get it,” Twilight preempted flatly. “Note to self, stop talking to Discord.”

‘Oh, woe is me,’ he sighed. ‘The condemned prisoner sentenced to forever be trapped in stone. Tell me, dear Twilight Sparkle... You know Luna was banished to the moon for one-thousand years. And then me, I’ve been imprisoned in stone far, far longer than she was banished for... Why is it that you take pity on her, but not me?’

A familiar feeling of disappointment bubbled up and washed over Twilight’s body. She held in a sigh. “Because even with as bad as she is, she’s not all that bad. She’s not the worst. She’s not pure evil or anything like that.”

‘And you think I am?’ he asked. ‘I have never ended anything’s life. Luna has, and without remorse too, for that matter.’

Twilight’s head drifted to the left, her eyes slithered over the stone. “No,” she admitted, then faced his statue again. “You’re not the worst. You’re just...”

How did she even begin to describe Discord?

Twilight scowled. “Chaos incarnate.” He smiled approvingly. “Luna said...” she shifted and licked her lips. “Nightmare Moon said that Luna never had any friends. Or if she did it was few and far between. And ponies hated her and—”

‘Yes, yes, and you think I’m any different, dear? Ask yourself, did daddy Discord ever have friends? I think you can determine the answer to that without even thinking about it. Now ask yourself if ponies ever loved me? Again, the answer is painfully obvious. Now tell me why you’re willing to give a murderer a chance, but not poor old me? And now answer why you’re willing to deflect from what Luna’s done while in the same breath condemning me? She has killed and I haven’t. You let her roam free and defend her and I’m imprisoned here.’

“You really hate being sealed in stone, don’t you?” Twilight asked. “You almost sound like you’re begging for me to free you.”

He scoffed. ‘Hardly! I will be free from this prison again, little miss Magic. It is inevitable. And do keep in mind that the date for this is quite soon. Happy birthday, by the way. I know it’s early, but I won’t be there, and I suspect I won’t see you again before your birthday. I’d get you something, but I’m a bit petrified at the moment.’

Twilight’s ears pinned back. “Why do you have to be the way you are? Why do you have to sow chaos and disorder everywhere?”

‘When you become a mad demigoddess after being alive for several thousand years, you’ll know why.’

Twilight huffed. “Did you even try to have friends?”

No response.

“Why didn’t you try?”

‘When you have the power to break reality at your will, friendship is beneath you.’

“So you use your power for your own entertainment. You like chaos right? And being surprised?” Twilight challenged.

‘Of course!’ he boasted.

“Then why didn’t you try to have friends?”

‘Do you honestly think anypony would want to be my friend, past, present, or future?’ he asked incredulously.

“I don’t know. What do you have to lose by trying? A year ago, I would have said that friends were a waste of time too. Now look at me.”

‘Yes, yes, what are you, the future Princess of Friendship? Willing to give a murderer a second chance but not me. Playing favorites? That’s not very just or kind of you.’

Twilight shook her head. “A year ago I would have locked myself in my tower to study, ignoring anypony other than Princess Celestia and my family. Now, if I’m being honest, it’s hard to focus on studying.” She slowly shook her head. “I had no idea what I was missing out on, Discord. You don’t know what you’re missing out on.”

He huffed. ‘A good deal of chaos is what I’m missing out on. But I suppose good things come to those who wait.’

Twilight waited a few seconds, then bowed her head. “Friendship can be chaotic,” she admitted. “It’s worth every second of it. No matter the cost.”

‘I can’t exactly have friends when I’m trapped in stone, you know.’

Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. “I think you can. But whoever it is would have to put the effort into it.”

A few seconds passed. ‘You?’

Twilight breathed in and reluctantly nodded. “You made the point that I’m willing to give Nightmare Moon a chance. I’ve not regretted it so far.”

He laughed. ‘You really do have a savior complex, you know that?’ Twilight frowned. ‘You want to make everything right. You want to fix Luna, reunite her and Tia, and make the world a better place.’

“I do. Is that a bad thing?”

‘It’s a tall order,’ he said. ‘But you’re determined. You embody the Element of Magic.’

“I do,” she stated.

She heard him hum. ‘I suppose we’ll see how this works out, then.’

“Just don’t try to manipulate me,” Twilight said.

He huffed. ‘Try,’ he gagged.

Twilight grimaced. “I need to be able to trust you, Discord. If we’re going to be friends.”

‘Yes, yes. I can’t exactly do anything right now. And I don't exactly have anything better to do.’

“When you’re free,” Twilight specified.

‘We’ll see, little miss Magic.’

Twilight looked at the ground. ‘Maybe this is a mistake.’ Discord didn’t respond. She looked back up at his statue. “I guess I’m going to go convince Nightmare Moon to let me go visit my parents and check in with the Resistance. And then convince her to let me go home.”

‘Have fun with that.’ A moment later, ‘Good luck, I suppose. Not that you need luck. You know, if you wanted, you could play her like a fiddle. And she knows it.’

Twilight frowned as she thought about it. It was another case where he was probably right. “Goodbye, Discord.”

After a few steps, she's heard his voice saying, ‘Goodbye, Twilight. I look forward to your next visit.’

Twilight sighed as she made her way back out of the garden.

“Hey... Twilight?”

Twilight breathed in and looked over at Thorax. “Yes?”

“What did he mean by carry it? What are you going to carry?”

Twilight groaned and closed her eyes. “He was asking which one of us would, uh, carry a foal. If we had one.”

“Oh.” Thorax blinked. “Yes, I remember that now. Mares have to carry their young in their body for several months before passing them out.”

Twilight frowned. “Well... I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes.”

“You’re both mares though?” Thorax questioned.

“Er—” Twilight shifted her weight and tossed her head to the side. “—y-yes, we are.”

“Don’t you need a male for that?” he asked.

“Well, yes...” Twilight muttered.

“How does that work then since neither of you are male?”

Twilight sighed. “I... don’t know.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds. “Am I bothering you?” Thorax asked.

Twilight looked back at him with a weary smile. “Sort of. I um, would rather not talk about this.”

“Oh.” His wings jittered and he lowered his head a little. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight comforted. “You didn’t know.”

He nodded weakly.

After a short while, they left the garden and Twilight stopped to look at the balcony. The tall, dark figure of Nightmare Moon stood on the balcony, head turned to look out across Equestria, at Ponyville and the Everfree Forest.

“All right.” Twilight nodded, then looked back at Thorax. “I’m, um, going to go talk to her. I might be a while, depending on how it goes. If she lets me, I’m going to visit my parents and the Resistance after we talk, so I probably won’t be back for a bit. You can stay in my tower until I’m back if you want.”

“Okay...” he murmured. “And good luck, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks.” She channeled her magic into her horn and teleported to the balcony, a step away from her mentor, facing her.

Despite Twilight’s expectations, Nightmare didn’t immediately greet her or turn to face her. Several seconds passed before the alicorn blinked and turned her head to face her. “I never told you, did I? I spoke with the mother of the Royal Guard I killed, in her nightmares.”

Nightmare turned her head back towards Ponyville, but her head lowered as her eyes fell on the stone, rather than the snow-covered plains. “Her husband has long since passed. Her son was all she had left.”

Guilt. Twilight heard it. She saw it. She watched Nightmare’s chest rise as her mentor breathed in. Watched Nightmare’s chest deflate as she exhaled. And watched Nightmare straighten her head and shake it vigorously. “Years ago I would not have cared. Years ago I would have given it no thought. As I did when I took his life.”

Nightmare turned her head to face her. “And now I regret it. I cannot change it. And she, as everypony else, will never forgive me or give me a chance as you have.”

“You sound like you want to change,” she murmured.

A twitch in her mentor’s ears, one she was familiar with. “I have changed,” Nightmare stated. “Hesitating as I do, regretting it as I do. That I...” her mentor tensed for the briefest of moments, then her mentor’s body slumped. She watched Nightmare shake her head. “That I have a crush on you. It is all evidence that I have changed.”

“Is that good or bad?”

Nightmare’s slit pupils jerked down. Jumped side to side. “I do not know.” Her mentor faced her. “I think it is both.”

She crossed the distance between them and hugged her friend. Set her head against Nightmare’s shoulder, wrapped her forelegs around her mentor’s neck.

After a moment of hesitation, Nightmare lifted her wing and draped it over her back, then set her cheek against her neck. “I forgot how much I hate other ponies’ nightmares.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Twilight offered.

Her mentor slumped. “I do not. They are not mine to speak of. It is... it is hard to...” Nightmare fell silent for a few seconds, then breathed in. “Luna faced so many nightmares that ponies dreamed up. ‘Twas her duty.” And then quieter, “One of them, at least.”

“Aren’t you used to them though?”

“I am, but that does not make it easier. I suspect, were I a year younger, I would not care as much as I now do. I do not wish nightmares on ponies, yet... in so many of them, I am their nightmare. Perhaps at one time, I wanted this, but... not now. They see me as nothing more than a monster, and that will never change. It is my fate and my destiny.”

Twilight frowned and pulled back from the hug, seemingly catching her mentor off-guard as the alicorn didn’t move her head any. “You don’t know that,” she softly retorted.

Nightmare turned away from her, folded her wing, and breathed in. “You did not come here to listen to the ramblings of an old fool.” Her friend looked at her again. “What do you require?”

For a long while, Twilight just stood there, watching her mentor. ‘Why do you always call yourself an old fool?’ she wanted to ask. ‘You’re not happy. You’re not happy with yourself. This isn’t what you want. You wanted to be loved and respected and instead, you’re only despised and feared.’ “I want to go visit my parents, and I’d like to check in with the resistance.”

Her mentor turned away, grimacing. “I see.”

“I know you want to protect me, but I’ll be fine. Nopony is going to try to hurt me,” Twilight said firmly.

Nightmare looked back at her. “And yet they tried to kill Cadance.”

“One pony,” she stated. “One pony tried to kill Cadance. You already said he had a history.”

But Nightmare was not convinced. “And all it takes is one.”

“That’s why you’re training me, isn’t it? So I can defend myself? You said it before, you can’t always be there to protect me, no matter how much you want to.” Nightmare Moon’s jaw tightened. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“You are my only friend,” Nightmare mumbled. “I would not trade you for Equestria.” A few seconds passed in silence that contrasted with the inner conflict visible on her mentor’s face. A conflict that was finally crippled with, “Very well. Stay safe...”

Twilight smiled reassuringly. “I will.”

Nightmare bowed her head. “When you return, perhaps it would be good for us to spar again. It would... be a welcome distraction, for me. And perhaps a chance for you to show off to the Guards and soldiers.”

Twilight forced herself to keep smiling. “Uh... sure, I guess.” Now what? “I... guess I’ll be back soon.”

“I hope so,” Nightmare said.

She lingered for a few seconds, then teleported.

The crack! of magic signaling Twilight’s return pierced the night, making equal parts dread and anticipation tug at her mind. Nightmare stood from her desk and walked into her bedchambers to find Twilight having just walked in from the balcony.

“I told you I wouldn’t be gone that long,” Twilight said cheerfully.

‘And you are unharmed?’ Nightmare decided against asking it; surely Twilight would have told her if she had been hurt or attacked. But it didn’t appease her fears; she studied Twilight closely, and only then was she assured that her friend was unharmed. She bowed her head and met Twilight’s gaze. “So you did...” she breathed out.

Twilight’s cheer ebbed as they stood there, culminating in her asking, “Are you okay?”

‘You know me too well.’ “I will be fine. I am...” she trailed off, catching her tongue between her teeth, then breathing in. “I will be fine,” she repeated. She saw Twilight started to open her mouth and preempted her, “You said we would spar, did you not?” she asked.

“Well, actually, you suggested that we spar,” Twilight pointed out.

Nightmare nodded. “You did agree to it, did you not?”

Twilight stood still for a moment, then breathed in and tossed her head left before tossing her head to the right. “Well yes,” the filly admitted begrudgingly. Twilight faced her again and once more met her gaze, and for it she felt intimidated, even with all of Twilight’s innocence, even knowing Twilight did not intend it. “But I thought you might like to hear what the resistance had to say first.”

Her lips pulled into a line. “Ah...” Nightmare tilted her head right and lowered her muzzle. “I suppose... I should be informed of this.” She licked her lips and forced herself to face Twilight again. “Very well.”

“The short version is they’re glad I’m alright, so we can rule out it as their doing. They also explicitly said they didn’t do this when I asked about it, though I guess just taking their word for it is uh... not really... wise.” Twilight’s brow folded down as she thought about it. Eventually, the filly shook it off. “They want me to talk to Cadance now. Oh, and they want me to try to get copies of books from the Archives since I’m in Canterlot for the time being.” Twilight hesitated. “Specifically, they want me to look for anything about... moving the sun and moon.”

Nightmare’s body straightened of its own accord. “I see. I... presume that you did not... tell them that...” she trailed off, once more catching her tongue between her teeth.

“I haven’t told anypony that we moved the moon together,” Twilight said softly.

Nightmare frowned. “I... expected you to tell Cadance or your friends. Or perhaps your family.”

Twilight’s brow arched up. “I thought about it but... yeah, uh, I don’t exactly want to go around bragging that we did that together. Even if it is just to my friends.”

“I see...” Nightmare muttered. “Perhaps... perhaps it is a good thing I have not told Cadance this, then. It is... not my secret to share.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said genuinely.

Nightmare bowed her head respectfully to her friend. “Of course.”

“Right, uh... so, yes. Since somepony tried to kill Cadance, they uh... Kind of want to try to figure out how to move the sun and moon. And get Cadance to learn how to, so that they can stage their revolution.”

Nightmare grimaced. “Do they have a plan for that yet?”

“Yes and no,” Twilight grumbled. “They’re trying to figure out some way to draw you out into the open where they expect you’d be vulnerable so that they can...”

Twilight looked at her chest, falling quiet.

“I see...” ‘Unsurprising.’ “So they intend to kill me, then.”

Twilight squirmed and looked up into her eyes, though her friend’s head drifted to the left. “If they have to. They’re... pretty split on it. Some of them think it’s the only way, some of them don’t want to if there’s any chance that they don’t have to kill you.”

‘What?’ She frowned. “Why?”

“In their words, they don’t want to become the monster that they think you are.”

“I see,” Nightmare stated.

Twilight tossed her head to the right. “And they’re worried that they won’t be able to figure out how to move the sun and moon, or free Princess Celestia if you’re... gone.”

‘You do not want to think of my death, do you?’ Perhaps it was the same way she could not bear considering the same fate befalling Twilight. Her mouth felt dry, so she worked her tongue around until it wasn’t. “So they will take the path which is easiest then,” she surmised.

Twilight grimaced and nodded. “They don’t have a lot of uh... well, they don’t have a lot of strong unicorns, but they have a lot of smart unicorns. And they know that. So failing to find out how to move the sun and moon from the Archives, they’re planning to try to figure it out on their own, but most of their effort as of now is dedicated to trying to figure out how to... disable you. They’re... rather accurately assuming that you’re going to be hard to defeat in an outright battle.”

“Assuredly,” Nightmare commented dryly. “Though I do wonder... they are trying to figure out how to control the sun and moon now, without Cadance’s help?”

“In case Cadance can’t help, or just so they can teach Cadance how to do it herself after you’re... out of the way.”

“I see,” she stated.

“The Archives don’t actually have anything on moving the sun and moon, do they?”

“To my knowledge, they do not,” she answered. “There may be information in the Forbidden Section, but I am unsure. I do know that there is a book on the subject matter in my old library, though I have since moved it for safekeeping.”

Twilight slowly frowned. “You... don’t sound worried about them trying?”

Nightmare shook her head, then walked over to Twilight. “I am not,” she said, extending her wing to trace her feathers over her friend’s back. She stood there for a moment, watching the way Twilight closed her eyes and welcomed her touch, then she walked on towards the balcony, tracing her feathers along the rest of Twilight’s back. “As you have said, they do not have strong unicorns.” She listened to the sound of Twilight’s hooves as the filly turned, then walked along after her.

“Taking control of the sun and moon is not an easy feat.” Nightmare paused in the doorway and turned her head back to face Twilight as she waited for her friend to come stand at her side. “As you felt.” Twilight smiled awkwardly. “And that was with my blessing and help.” She turned her head to look out at the night sky, then bowed her head. “Should they try, it would not be with my blessing, and I would be not let them move the sun or moon. They would not overpower me.”

Nightmare draped her wing over Twilight’s back, then walked out onto her balcony. “I likewise should not need to bring up the... more permanent side-effects it would have on them.”

Twilight breathed in quickly. “Okay, maybe this is a stupid question, but why aren’t you worried about that with me?”

Nightmare turned to face Twilight. “I would not let it,” she answered first, bowing her head again in promise. “You had my help. Your magic is strong enough; I can feel it. You have only done it once, rather than on a twice nightly basis as the unicorns of old had.”

She turned back to regard the night sky, though found it wanting for the clouds that obscured the stars and moon, darkening the world almost unnaturally. “If... I am being wholly honest with you, I believe you could raise the moon on your own, without my help. And without ill consequences.”

She dared to turn and look back at Twilight, she dared to take in the filly’s disbelief, her friend’s refusal to understand and believe what she said. And yet, that disbelief was twisted, battled against by knowing she would not lie to her. And in the end, Twilight’s head lowered and she shook her head. “I don’t... I don’t know why you think that.”

“Because it is true,” Nightmare answered.

Twilight lifted her head and stared at her. “Is that because of your training me?”

Nightmare opened her mouth, only to hesitate. “Not entirely. You have the innate talent. I... if I am being honest, I believe that had Celestia tutored you more thoroughly and pushed you harder, or had you continued studying under her, the same would come to pass in time. She... I suspect that she was not blind to your potential. You have surpassed Starswirl, and you are yet young.”

Twilight shook her head. “Starswirl moved the sun and moon with a bunch of unicorns. Not you. Uh, no offense.”

Nightmare nodded once.

“Also I distinctly remember you saying that Starswirl had actually beat you in sparring. And Princess Celestia at the same time. Multiple times.”

She nodded again. “I wholeheartedly believe that if you truly wanted to, you could win a sparring match with me. You simply... you do not wish to use your magic in that manner. You still hold yourself back.”

Twilight shook her head vigorously. “I... no. No, you... No. I can’t. You’re an alicorn. I’m not. If you’re actually right then you’re saying that me, a unicorn filly—”

“You are almost a mare,” Nightmare pointed out, though Twilight only huffed before continuing.

“—could somehow beat not only you, but also Princess Celestia, in a sparring match,” Twilight finished, frustration seeping into her words.

“I see... Yes, when you put it that way...” she trailed off. ‘Perhaps I overestimate you...’

“You have to be wrong,” Twilight pleaded.

“It is... more complicated than how you say it,” Nightmare replied. “And... I suppose... perhaps it is worth considering that when Sister and I sparred with Starswirl, he was far more experienced than both of us combined; he was our mentor. We learned from him. And... with that in mind, I suppose it is... perhaps not right to compare you to him in such a way. You do not have the experience as my Sister and I do. Our roles are now... reversed, as it were. However, you do have the magic,” she explained. “If you applied it correctly. You are intelligent and capable.”

“Honestly I think I’m afraid to actually win a sparring match with you. If I do then, uh, you know, I would have won against the pony who... defeated and banished Princess Celestia.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably under her gaze before turning her head to the right. “It’s um, not... something I want to think about.”

“Defeating me once is not to say that you would defeat me every time,” Nightmare countered, “only that I slipped up and you capitalized on it, which I think would be a good thing.”

“Still,” Twilight grumbled.

“Come now, Twilight. You should be proud of yourself! Consider thyself among the few who could best me and my sister in combat!” she retorted, her mouth lingering open as she pondered what else to say.

Twilight looked at her. “Yeah, but that means you could slip up fighting one of them, and I doubt they’d care as much about you as I do.”

Nightmare’s mouth closed. After a few seconds, she turned away from Twilight, then coaxed her out to the railing, where she sat down. She didn’t even need to coax her friend into sitting down at her side. She pulled Twilight close with her wing and brushed her feathers through Twilight’s coat before settling in place around her shoulder.

She longed for the sky to be clear, free from the oppressive clouds. But it wasn't to be tonight. Maybe it was more fitting that she spoke what she would, under such a clouded, starless sky.

“You are very special, Twilight. Remember that,” Nightmare demanded. “You are no ordinary unicorn, nor are you any ordinary foal.” She waited for hardly a moment, then turned and met Twilight’s gaze. “You. Are. Special. Do not forget that. You bear the Element of Magic—” she shook her head as she continued, “—you stopped Discord when I cannot.” She breathed in deep and pulled Twilight closer to her. “You should not be surprised to know that you could best me. Likewise, you know that you could defeat me in but a heartbeat if you wanted to and had the Elements of Harmony.”

Nightmare fell into silence, watching Twilight’s eyes drop to rest on her shoulder. “I don’t want that,” Twilight’s whisper came as the wind.

“But you know that you could,” Nightmare pressed, barely managing to get a nod from her student. “You do remember when I told you that I want you to be able to beat me, do you not?” Twilight weakly nodded again. “You will not beat me every time we spar. Most likely, you will never be able to routinely defeat me in sparring, at least... not for a very long time. Though perhaps you will grow to learn me well enough to win often. Regardless... should you defeat me, you will have proven yourself.”

But Twilight had already proven herself so much! What could she say, what would banish the quiet stillness that haunted the filly? What would cast aside her friend’s fear and anxiety? ‘Be open with her.’ Cadance, and her own mind. She breathed in deep, then calmly breathed out. “Perhaps... perhaps I have not shown this, or perhaps I have not made it clear enough, but I respect you a great deal.”

Twilight’s head just barely nudged to the left, and even with that, the filly kept her head low. But Twilight did look up at her. It was a small victory, but a victory worth counting.

“I may think you are naive, and we do not always see things the same way, but I respect you. I hope that you know that—” Twilight’s body perked up slightly, “—and if you do not, I hope you can forgive me for not making that clear.” Her friend’s ears drifted back. ‘I expect so much of you. I know your destiny. Perhaps I am rushing things?’ “Perhaps...” she turned away from Twilight and set her eyes on the courtyard. “Perhaps I have been unfair to you with my expectations,” she relented. “I... suppose I have not considered that Starswirl was far more experienced than you, and in truth, both Celestia and I were very...” she grimaced and lifted her head up to regard the stars, only to find the clouds in their places. “We were young when we sparred with Starswirl. We were not yet skilled duelists when we sparred with him. But where we were unskilled and young... perhaps even reckless... we could back it up with our magic. I suppose you cannot say the same. You do not yet have the magic of an alicorn, nor the experience of Starswirl.”

She turned to face Twilight, who she found staring at her. She pondered Twilight’s expression but couldn’t quite place it. And then, Twilight blinked and shook whatever was on her mind away. “Perhaps I have deceived myself, then,” she lamented. “I... suspect it would not be the first time. Forgive me for expecting too much from you?”

A few seconds passed before Twilight nodded and weakly half-smiled. “But you still think I could win,” her friend noted.

Nightmare bowed her head. “I do. You—” she turned her head to the left but kept her eyes locked on Twilight’s, “—are one of the most powerful, most skilled magic users that I have ever known.” The thought, ‘And I have done nothing but fail you,’ crashed through her mind, crippling her. Her wings sagged and she forced herself to hold in a sigh before shaking her head and facing her student again. “I... I am not the best teacher. I have never taken a student before. I... it shows.” Twilight frowned; she averted her gaze and looked out over the white-covered plains between Canterlot and Ponyville. “I have... repeatedly failed at being your teacher. And there are things that I cannot teach you, things that Cadance or perhaps Sister are better suited for teaching you. I have failed as your teacher.”

“No, you haven’t,” Twilight stated. Spurred on by the firmness in Twilight’s voice, she turned her head back to face Twilight and found the filly looking at her with a defiant determination and conviction. “No, you’re not perfect. No, you’re not the best teacher. But you haven’t failed as my teacher.”

Nightmare went to speak, only to realize what she had in mind to say: ‘Sister is better than me at teaching you.’ And the words died on her tongue. ‘Always better than me.’ Except in battle.

But what was that worth?

And for it, she felt lost.

“Maybe you’re not even a good teacher,” Twilight continued, “but you’re trying. You focus on teaching me things that Princess Celestia didn’t, or maybe wouldn’t.”

“I... do not know how to teach you otherwise,” she admitted.

“I know,” Twilight said softly. “I’m not a soldier though. Just... remember that.”

Nightmare bowed her head in acceptance, held her head low for a few seconds, then lifted her head back up. “I shall try. Though I desire you to reach your full potential. It is... one reason I push you as I do.”

“I can learn a lot on my own. It’s—” Twilight turned her head to the right and tilted away from her, “—probably the main way I learned under Princess Celestia if I’m being honest. But—” Twilight looked up at her again, “—it doesn’t give me the experience that sparring does. Even if sparring isn’t applicable to everything I learn, and want to learn.”

“I should... teach you more than spells for sparring, shouldn’t I? I have... neglected your other studies.” ‘Perhaps I have even held you back.’ She did her best to hide the discomfort the thought caused her; her friend didn’t notice.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “I’ve still studied other spells and theories.”

“But I have done little to... help you with that,” she mumbled.

“And that’s okay,” Twilight said reassuringly. “You still work with me, and you can still help me with that.”

“I suppose so.” ‘But I do not know where to begin...’ She breathed in deep and straightened her body. “Perhaps we should spar now before I decide against it.” She noticed Twilight frown, but her student said nothing. She stelled her resolve as best she could, then wrapped her magic around the both of them and teleported them to the castle’s training grounds. The crack of her magic and flash of light interrupted the current occupants, who lost focus and looked back at her.

Boldly displaying their lack of discipline.

Nightmare held in a snort of disgust, but couldn’t stop her lips from parting.

“Pay attention!” their Drill Master quickly yelled at them. A few of the recruits winced, but every one of them turned their heads back straight and stood rigidly once more.

Nightmare still shook her head before hastily surveying the grounds and finding an unoccupied arena and standing up to walk over to it. She put more effort into her steps than was necessary, held herself more rigidly than she normally would; it would not do to set a poor example for the recruits. Twilight, of course, did not follow her example.

She set about walking around a large section of the grounds and weaving her magic into the edge of the arena so that their spells would not cause unwanted collateral damage, if they missed or if they got heated. Finishing with her enchantments, she nodded at Twilight, then walked to stand opposite of her, and finally turned to face Twilight.

She surveyed the grounds briefly before levitating a spear out of a barrel and bringing it over to her side to examine it. A quick spell later determined that its enchantment was designed to prevent it from injuring another, so she rolled it over in the air and pointed it towards Twilight, who looked at her flatly.

“We have magic. We don’t exactly need to fight with...” her student’s brow scrunched up as she said, “weapons.”

“True,” Nightmare admitted, levitating the spear around so the tip pointed straight up. “Though it is still something that is good to know how to use. I suppose it is unlikely you will ever fight a griffin who has a sword, but... ah—” she smiled, “—you would not understand how amusing it was to steal their swords or watch unicorns steal their swords using magic. Were it so easy to steal all their weapons...” Rather unfortunately, it was rare for unicorns to be able to disarm Griffins in such a manner.

“Just saying, but uh, spears, swords, axes, whatever else there is—”

“Halberds and maces,” Nightmare offered.

“—aren’t exactly all that useful compared to magic,” Twilight finished.

“You are correct,” Nightmare agreed, bowing her head. “But they are still... efficient. You could more easily kill with a spear than, say, a gravity-reversing spell. As you are rather fond of.” Which, of course, she did not hold against Twilight.

Twilight arched her brow and rolled her head to the right. “Most ponies can’t even use weapons very effectively,” the filly grumbled before rolling her head back to look at her. “Since, you know, hooves aren’t that great for handling weapons. Especially compared to claws and magic.”

“You would perhaps be surprised how much damage an earth pony can do with a spear if they use it correctly,” Nightmare replied. “For example, consider that Applejack dented my chestplate, which I will point out I enchanted, with her bare hooves.”

“If an earth pony had a spear and was charging me, I would stun them before they got close,” Twilight stated flatly. “Or teleport to stay away from them.”

Nightmare tilted her head again. “And if you cannot?”

Twilight tossed her head to the side. “I’m just saying that magic is better suited for... this... than weapons.”

“Not everypony is a unicorn or an alicorn. Not everypony can use magic as we do, though I do agree with you. Of course, with the proper enchantments, armor can be quite... durable and make up for the lack of being able to attack at a distance. Of course, teleportation is also an exceptionally rare skill.”

Twilight was quiet for a few seconds, just watching her with a frown that she recognized as her student thinking. “Earth ponies probably aren’t going to be all that useful against changelings, you know. Changelings can fly and use magic. At the same time.”

“So they can,” Nightmare admitted. “But unicorns, pegasi, and batponies can deal with changelings. Establishing aerial supremacy and maintaining magical supremacy gives us an advantage over the changelings, hopefully forcing them to stay on the ground. And, of course, there are other threats to consider. Still, in Luna’s day, a mixed army, applied properly, was quite effective against the Griffins, though the pegasi tended to fare poorly against them in aerial combat, for... several reasons. Of course, ponies are... notably less effective against dragons.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably.

She levitated the spear back down and pointed it at Twilight again. “But enough of this. Whenever you are ready.”

“Not going to wear your armor?” Twilight asked.

“Indeed,” Nightmare answered.

Twilight breathed in and spread her hooves to brace herself. “So, don’t hold back, right?”

She nodded. “Of course. I would be disappointed if you held yourself back.”

Twilight frowned, then turned her head left and then right before settling back on her. “Fine.” The filly’s horn burst to life with magic that stood out in the dark night, almost mesmerizing her with its brilliant radiance. How she would love to weave her magic together with Twilight’s again! But she kept her focus and spread her hooves apart in preparation for the coming battle.

As she studied Twilight, so too did Twilight study her. Their gazes locked, but Twilight didn’t match her intent: her student didn’t have the same drive to win that she ought to. Was it not serious enough to push Twilight to her limits? Was Twilight truly unwilling to let loose on her for fear of hurting her?

Perhaps she didn’t have the same intent either; her goal was to teach, not to harm.

And yet Twilight still hesitated. Blinked and broke eye contact, gradually turning her head to the right to look at the same barrel that she had. And a moment later, another spear glowed as Twilight’s aura wrapped around it, then it flew to her student’s side with the tip pointed towards her, but angled towards her hooves. Not quite mirroring her

‘What are you planning?’

Twilight looked over the spear with a grimace, then turned her head back to meet her gaze once more. Crack! Teleportation. Right.

Nightmare swiveled, throwing her back to the left and sweeping her horn down. The tip of the spear shot towards her, accompanied by of one of Twilight’s spells. The spell missed. The spear missed. Nightmare tilted her spear back and thrust it to the side, deflecting Twilight’s spear even further, momentarily breaking Twilight’s focus. She followed up with her own spell.

Crack! Twilight teleported; her student’s spear clattered to the ground and Nightmare felt Twilight’s horn poke her left flank and felt her student’s magic making her body tingle. She winced and flared her wing, battering Twilight’s neck and head just enough to knock the unicorn’s horn away and make her stumble back.

Nightmare Threw herself left and passed through where Twilight had been, easily evading Twilight’s spell. She stumbled to a stop and aimed at Twilight only for her student to more swiftly cast, forcing her onto the defensive.

Each bolt crashed into her shield, doing little more than making the blue sphere enveloping her glow brighter as Twilight’s magic harmlessly washed over it.

Twilight stepped back and cast another spell. This time, the blinding flash of light made Nightmare grunt and turn away. Looking back after the light had faded, she saw a splinter in her shield. Twilight stared intently at that crack, lost in thought.

Before Twilight could capitalize, Nightmare reinforced her shield. The crack shrank to nothingness. Twilight blinked and took in a deep breath. Refusing to simply go easy on her student, Nightmare swiftly dropped her shield and teleported to Twilight’s right. Twilight just barely had time to look at Nightmare before the shaft of the spear struck her square on the back, sending Twilight to the ground with a wheeze.

“Uggh...”

Nightmare spun the spear around so the tip pointed at Twilight, then gradually turned her body perpendicular to Twilight. Stood and watched Twilight just lay on the ground. ‘Dammit, Twilight.’

“Get up.”

Twilight shot her a glare. “That hurt.”

“And if this were an actual battle, I would have driven this spear through your heart by now!” A few seconds passed; Twilight still laid there, doing nothing more than breathing. “Your legs still work. Stand up.”

The filly finally sucked in a deep breath, then lifted her head from the stone. Tentatively, Twilight drew her hooves back to her body and pushed herself back up into a standing position, wincing and shifting her legs to work out the pain in her back.

Twilight didn’t turn to face her.

She gradually levitated the spear back and pointed it to the sky. “I do not want to hurt you, Twilight.” She waited a few seconds; Twilight still refused to look at her. She felt disappointed. “You know this. But if I must in order to motivate you, then I will.”

Twilight breathed in and held her breath for a few seconds before letting it out. “I’m not a soldier,” Twilight spoke softly.

And then Twilight blinked and turned to face her. Such an innocent expression! Not one befitting her student, not one befitting the bearer of Magic! Or perhaps it was, and perhaps she was wrong. Nightmare blinked and found her eyes jumping to the middle of Twilight’s side. Though the filly’s back was bare, she could picture what would come with time. “No... I suppose not...” she admitted.

She levitated their spears back and set them upright in the barrel.

But if Twilight was so vulnerable after being struck, if Twilight couldn’t pick herself off the ground, what did that mean if she were in an actual battle?

“But you still need to learn this.”

“I can defend myself,” Twilight said.

Nightmare met Twilight’s gaze, still found her friend’s expression wanting—or perhaps it was her who was wanting. Longing. For what?

‘I think you know me too well.’ “But you can do better than this,” Nightmare stated.

Twilight looked at her shoulder for a few seconds, then her head turned back.

“Be confident in yourself,” Nightmare comforted. “And if it still bothers you, do not be afraid to injure me.”

Twilight frowned and looked at her again. “I still don’t want to.”

Nightmare held back a sigh. “You are a good pony, Twilight. But do not be afraid of your magic. It is a part of who you are. Remember what your bother told you about shield spells.”

Twilight grimaced. “Be confident. Don’t let fear get the best of me...”

Nightmare nodded. “I will teach you as much as I can, Twilight. But you must be willing to put the effort into learning it.” Twilight’s head whipped around to face her; she tilted her head pointedly. “Yes, I know that you are, but your aversion to sparring makes it more difficult for you to overcome this challenge.”

“If I’m so much better than I used to be, why do we keep at this?”

Nightmare pursed her lips and looked off at the castle for a few seconds. ‘Perhaps... perhaps you can defend yourself well-enough.’ She looked back at Twilight. “I have a proposition for you, then: defeat me once and I will cut back on how much we spar in favor of... trying to teach you more spells. Prove to me that you can best me.”

Twilight finally turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “But we’ll still be sparring.”

Nightmare nodded. “Yes, but I will... put forth effort into... I will teach you more spells, as I should be. Or... I will try to. You would benefit greatly from learning the multitude of spells I know. Invisibility and other illusions, enchanting... perhaps even dark magic. Anything you desire.”

Twilight frowned. “Dark magic? As in... forbidden magic?”

Nightmare squirmed and hesitantly nodded, feeling her heart thumping harder. “Yes... though... I would... much prefer not to...” ‘If I do not teach you dark magic, you will be ill-equipped to fight it.’ The thought made her cringe. She fluffed her wings and steeled herself, swallowing the knot in her throat. Perhaps it was unlikely it would ever be a problem, but it was risky not to teach her that. “I... suppose I shall teach you dark magic. That way, should you ever encounter it, you can remain safe. Though... I would ask that you never use dark magic, unless... I am present to make certain you are safe. It is... dangerous.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably and stared at her chest, her jaw tightened. “And you think I need to know it?”

“I... suppose I do,” she reluctantly answered. “Though I... admit I dread the prospect. I have seen unicorns lose themselves to it. I...” ‘Do not want to lose you to it.’

Nightmare hadn’t said it, yet Twilight still looked up into her eyes in such a way that made her immediately look away from her friend. Twilight knew her well enough. “Okay. Um. I don’t think I’d ever use dark magic. I guess I’m interested in learning about it though... but I don’t really want to use it. And, um, you do make a valid point about... if I ever had to deal with it—even if that seems unlikely.”

“Good,” was all Nightmare had to say on that. She managed to look back down at Twilight. “And I suppose I should teach you how to create pocket dimensions to store objects in. It is a complicated spell, but I am certain you can master it. As to what use you will put it to, I do not know but I am certain you can find one.”

Twilight smiled a mixture of a forced, sheepish smile. “So... all I have to do is, uh, beat you and you’ll... teach me anything I want to know? More than just sparring?”

“Everything I know about magic,” Nightmare corrected. A few seconds passed in silence. She shifted her weight and looked over at the castle again. “Which... if I am being honest, I have... intended to for some time but... I suppose I have gotten caught up on sparring.”

Nightmare shook her head. “Perhaps I am being a fool as usual. I have decades to teach you...”

How long would it take to teach Twilight properly? How long would it take for Twilight to ascend? How long before Twilight was her equal? And how long before Twilight surpassed her?

And she could not help but feel mesmerized by the thought.

Twilight shook her head. “You’re not a fool.”

No matter what Twilight said, she still knew, ‘And yet I am.’ But she said nothing, rather, she breathed in before asking, “Since you seem to prefer battling in forests, shall I teleport us to one?”

“I would prefer that, yes,” Twilight said.

She pursed her lips. “May I ask why?”

“There aren’t as many ponies around.”

She shook her head. “You need not worry about us hurting them—”

“I um, just don’t like ponies watching me... do this. It makes me uncomfortable.”

‘You still shy away from attention.’ She frowned. “I see... very well.” ‘Perhaps it is not wholly a bad thing.’

Was it truly bad that Twilight shied away from attention? Was it a good thing? The filly, for all her raw potential, power, and status, was humble. Twilight did not flaunt any of that, no, she turned away from it. And for it, she found that she respected Twilight: rather than basking in her own vainglory as Sister had, Twilight was humble. A pony. Yet Twilight still needed confidence, still needed to be able to take charge when the situation demanded it. Perhaps Twilight could, yet she had done so little when Cadance was attacked.

She pushed it from her mind, saving it for another time, and wrapped her magic around the both of them to teleport them to a far-distant forest. In the wake of their teleport, she sent her magic out and gradually swept her head left and right. While there were predators in the forest, they were far off; they would be no bother to the two of them, and even if those wolves somehow overcame their fear of her, they would be but prey before her.

“Do let loose with your magic,” Nightmare said as she turned back to face Twilight. “Be confident. Be strong.” She hesitated at the next thought she had, and for that thought, she found herself anxious. A little tremble drifted through her wings, a little hiccup in her heartbeat as she met Twilight’s gaze, then pointedly bowed her head. “Make me proud to call you my student,” she challenged. ‘And eventually, my equal.’

Twilight locked eyes with her, and somehow, it seemed to resonate with Twilight as the seconds passed. Twilight breathed in and nodded firmly. It was her hope that her student would rise to her challenge, it was her hope that it would be enough for Twilight to push herself to do better. And though there was no fire of determination like she had seen in soldiers, there was something there in her student’s eyes. Not burning as bright, nor as fierce as a soldier’s determination, but it was still determination in Twilight’s own way. Neither a bitter scowl nor a pained grimace.

It reminded her of Luna, but not herself: there was no anger or resentment or thirst for vengeance in Twilight’s expression. It was a cool, calculated determination, born not from throwing around raw strength, but intellect.

And for it, she felt her heart beat faster. A proper challenge, it seemed. A proper challenge, she hoped.

Nightmare lifted her head, then turned her head back before pacing several steps away from Twilight. Once satisfied by how far apart they were, she met Twilight’s gaze again and bowed her head once more. “Whenever you are ready.” She lit her horn.

Twilight braced herself and lit her own horn. “If I win, the next time we spar, you’re going to hold back less, aren’t you?”

Nightmare tilted her head and gave Twilight a reprimanding look. “If that prevents you from putting forth your best effort I will be disappointed.”

Twilight muttered something, then breathed in deep and just as quickly exhaled. “All right. And just to be clear you still don’t want me to use fire or mind magic, right?”

Nightmare bowed her head once. “I would prefer you not.”

Twilight grimaced and nodded. A sharp crack! and flash announced her predictable teleport.

Nightmare dove away from where Twilight appeared, easily evading Twilight’s bolt of magic while also bringing her horn to bear. Rather than casting, she held the spell at the ready, knowing Twilight would teleport again.

And teleport Twilight did, behind Nightmare.

Nightmare looked back over her shoulder and kicked out with her right hind leg. Her hoof met Twilight’s chest dead center and Twilight wheezed as she stumbled back. Jumping around and dropping low, Nightmare cast.

Twilight winced and a shield snapped in place around her, taking Nightmare’s spell.

Nightmare lunged towards Twilight, only to find her hooves suddenly sinking into mud, stopping her lunge. Blinking in confusion, she glanced down to find the ground shimmering with magic—and a look back at Twilight revealed a small smirk. ‘Interesting.’ Breathing in deep—Twilight teleported to her side—she dispelled Twilight’s work and turned, only for Twilight’s magic to slam into her side.

Nightmare grunted and tried to catch herself, only to find the ground once more giving way beneath her hooves. Refusing to yield, she grabbed Twilight in her magic, catching the filly off-guard, and yanked her face-first towards the ground.

Twilight never landed, managing to teleport before she hit, but her momentum carrying. Nightmare heard Twilight grunt and then sputter as she instead hit solid ground.

Freeing herself with a quick teleport and then dispelling the mud once more, Nightmare licked her lips and watched Twilight scramble back to her hooves. “Certainly a new tactic from you,” Nightmare admitted with a nod.

Twilight forced a strained smile.

“I must admit, I did not expect—” Nightmare grunted as a tree limb slammed into her hooves, toppling her over. She tried to catch herself but landed hard on her wing. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment. ‘I see...’ Yes, perhaps that was stupid of her. ‘I should not go so easy.’ But she wanted Twilight to win.

Ignoring the ache in her wing and hooves, Nightmare launched herself back to her hooves and lunged horn first at Twilight, her speed catching the filly off-guard and making her jump back. Twilight cast a spell and Nightmare matched it, then lunged towards her again.

Twilight teleported; Nightmare grabbed the filly in her magic and threw her towards the nearest tree. Twilight teleported again and Nightmare grunted as Twilight’s weight slammed into her. Quickly looking at Twilight and catching herself, Nightmare threw Twilight away with a thrust of her wing.

Twilight grunted as she managed to land roughly on her hooves.

Nightmare intently turned herself to face Twilight.

Twilight tossed her head slightly, throwing her bangs off of her forehead, and then aimed her horn at Nightmare again.

Nightmare wasn’t sure what to expect this time. The ground started to give beneath her hooves; she quickly countered it before she could sink into it, only for gravity to reverse around her. She grunted as she went to counter the gravity spell, only to feel Twilight’s magic wrap around her hind hooves and tug them out from under her.

Twilight teleported to Nightmare’s side.

Sucking in a quick breath, Nightmare dropped to the ground and rolled onto her back before throwing Twilight back with her magic and jumping back to her hooves. Looking over her shoulder back at Twilight as she landed, she took a moment to consider her course of action, only for the crack! of Twilight teleporting in front of her to draw her attention.

Twilight lurched horn first at her; Nightmare flared her wings and jumped back. Twilight cast; Nightmare countered the spell and lurched at Twilight.

Twilight met her lunge in kind. Their horns crossed, putting them eye to eye with their noses touching. There was determination in Twilight’s eyes—for once, her student did not want to give up this fight.

And for a moment too long, they stood still.

Nightmare remembered fighting her Sister upon her birth, how they had locked horns as she now did with her student and friend. She remembered their mutual attempt to overpower each other, how they tried to force the other to back off, lest their magic grow out of control, and out of control it did grow, and for it, both of them suffered. She remembered the burning rage, the all-consuming drive to kill. She remembered the look in her sister’s eyes, one so different from Twilight’s. Fear? Surprise? Confusion? And yet like Twilight, some kind of determination.

And just as quickly as the memory came, it shattered with the sparking of Twilight’s horn against her own as their magic combined—both constructively and destructively, as it had so long ago. And for it, she felt a chill envelop her heart, a shiver gallop down her spine.

Did Twilight know what she was doing? Surely not!

As quickly as she could, she broke horn contact and threw herself back, yielding to Twilight a short-lived victory before the magic went critical with a resounding BOOM that threw them apart and blinded her. The air was torn from her lungs and her ears rang. A sharp impact as she landed and hit something. And as soon as the impact came, it was gone and she stared up at the white sky, her head pounding and her back burning.

And everything descended into silence, save for the soft, pained groan of her friend. ‘Twilight...’ She forced herself onto her side, then onto her back. Her legs trembled for a moment, but no longer. She blinked, fighting off how the explosion had stolen her night vision. Sent her magic out. Found Twilight, a solid ten meters away from her. Dashed out and leaned down close. “Twilight?”

Her friend just groaned and blinked at length. “Note to self,” the filly grumbled before scowling, “never do that again.” Twilight gradually shifted, then sat upright. Aside from scratches on her face, singed hair, and a particularly nasty cut along her side, the filly looked fine. Shaken, but fine. Twilight breathed for a few seconds, then slowly shook her head and blinked once, then stood up before looking at her.

She stepped back, giving Twilight space.

“What happened?”

A question that Nightmare could not entirely answer. “We... seem to have attempted to overpower each other. The magical backlash...” she shifted her weight and gradually looked around at the trees. None of them were any worse for wear, unlike the castle when she and Sister had fought.

“You’re bleeding,” Twilight suddenly said.

She turned back to face Twilight, saw that the unicorn was looking at the left side of her head. Tentatively lifted a forehoof and felt around until it hurt and felt warm and wet. She looked over at her forehoof, then lit her horn for light. Blood caught her magic. ‘So you have drawn my blood.’

Not the first unicorn, not the last. Not the youngest, either.

“I-I didn’t mean to do that, I swear,” Twilight blabbered out.

Nightmare quickly looked at Twilight. “I am fine,” she stated. “It will heal. It is healing.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably and threw her head about. “I don’t... I didn’t—”

“Do not apologize,” she chastised. Twilight cringed and ducked her head before gradually turning to look at her like a young foal who had been reprimanded by her parent. “Are you alright?”

“I’m-I’m fine,” Twilight answered. The filly blinked and her student’s eyes focused on her chest as her brow folded down. “I think.”

‘Good,’ came with relief.

“I... I still don’t...” Twilight trailed off and looked up at her. “What was that? You said magical backlash, but...”

“I... must admit I am not entirely sure. I... seem to have... been caught up in... memories. I... am sorry.”

Twilight frowned in that soft, forgiving manner, as like whenever Nightmare called herself a fool, that tore at her heart.

Nightmare tried to steel herself against that look, but the best she could do was turn to the right and survey the trees, hoping Twilight was innocent to just how much it affected her. “I... suppose we were both attempting to overpower each other—”

“Then why didn’t you win?”

‘Neither of us would want that,’ shot through her mind, bringing her muscles to tense. “It would not... end well.” And she left it at that, begrudging turning back to face her friend. “Come. Let us continue. The night is yet young, and I am still standing.”

Twilight’s frown turned much more prominent and far less fitting. More disapproving than forgiving. “I’m pretty sure we were both down.”

“And we are standing once again,” Nightmare countered with a nod. “It would be best not to repeat that... But I do not blame you.”

A few seconds passed before Twilight timidly nodded. “Um, okay...”

Nightmare breathed in and turned around, then paced back a good distance away from Twilight and turned back to face her again. ‘Perhaps you will win tonight...’ Her vision was still a bit too dark. Her head and back still hurt, but both were tolerable; she was used to being injured far worse.

She respectively bowed her head to Twilight, then readied her magic. Twilight’s magic likewise wrapped around her horn, but the filly didn’t have the same determination as earlier. “Do not hold back,” she emphasized with another bow of her head.

“Even though you’re hurt?” Twilight asked.

“Of course,” Nightmare dismissed. “Use it to your advantage. Make me proud to call you my student.”

Twilight breathed in and nodded, but there was still hesitation and uncertainty in Twilight’s eyes. “Okay.”

So Nightmare took the first move, aiming and charging, then casting.

Author's Note

7/6/20

Chapter started. Wrote to 1,150 words.

7/7/20

I am not sold on what I have written so far. It’s spur of the moment, having Twilight talk with Discord... I need to consult my prereaders.

I have written a section with Twilight visiting her father. This section is pretty pointless. As such, I suspect I will be duplicating the chapter and pressing “backspace” to delete it, then skipping to other parts.

Yeah I’m gonna delete that tomorrow.

Wrote to 4,398.

7/8/20

Backspaced to 3,551.

I had big plans! And then my friend cripples me by ruining my mood with a couple of entirely unrelated comments.

Boy, this story can be summed up as, “I had this great idea, and had it all planned out. Then I started writing and wrote something else.” Instructions unclear, ended up with... I can’t think of a good joke.

Wrote to 5,719, stopping at 11:42 PM. Zzz.

7/9/20

Started writing sometime before 10:20.

Wrote to 6,331. Halfway pleased with it. Tired.

7/15/20

Disappointed. Several days ago, my friend pointed out, “Streetlights exist in MLP.” Wish I had remembered that when I started on this story >_>

My heart’s not in it right now. I feel like my heart hasn’t been in it for a while.

6,645

7/20/20

I took a break for a few days. Still not focused well.

7,310

Well I stopped writing earlier but I felt better (up until I saw the description of one featured fic that made me want to hit my head on my desk) so I thought I’d try to write again.

Ended up chatting with a friend instead. 7,385.

7/22/20

I’m yawning as I write this section of Author’s Notes, and work on the story.

Hmm. I am not satisfied with this sparring scene. So like, I had the idea in mind of them locking horns and magical backlash that Nightmare takes to protect Twilight, but... that in no way makes any logical sense because: 1, size difference, 2, neither of them have the personality for locking horns when sparring, 3, they both care too much about each other to risk magical backlash like that.

Also I’m certain my heart isn’t really in this. “Get on with it!” Yes yes shut up I was planning for romance to start immediately following this chapter but now I think I can have a small chapter between these two chapters. Just wanted for Twilight to finally down Nightmare Moon before it starts, so that they’re a bit more on equal footing.

9,107

7/25/20

My heart still isn’t in it.

I’m forcing myself to draft this at this point.

9121...

7/27/20

I’m not forcing myself to write this right now. But it’s 10:42 P.M. ...

10:57 P.M. 9,581. I’m mostly okay with what I wrote, aside from worrying that it’s incredibly out of place. >Suddenly you are filled with determination.

~~7/28/20~~
7/29/20

“So anyway I started writing.”

I have come to the conclusion, and I suspect I’ve said this in the Author’s notes here before, but I’m not going to check yet, that this chapter is all over the place and needs extreme edits/rewrites. But hey, at least I’m closer to finishing a draft of what not to do! I can always edit what I’ve written, or rewrite it. But I can’t edit a blank page!

Wrote a lot today. This pleases me. My heart was moreso in it, I think. Although the pacing is... probably weird.

Wrote to 16,526.

8/4/20

This isn’t a draft of a chapter. Not at this point. No. This? This is freewriting.

Wrote to 19,948. I’m going to finish drafting this chapter tomorrow! ...unless I don’t.

P.S.: I will be nuking these Author’s notes, if that wasn’t obvious to my prereader(s).

8/5/20

Boom, freewriting finished.

21,765. I AM FINALLY DONE WITH AN AMALGAMATION OF FREEWRITING, SCENES, AND DRAFTING AHAHAHAHA! TOOK ME LITERALLY A MONTH AHAHAHA wait that’s bad.

12/9/20

Finished rereading this chapter for review so that I can work on drafting once again.

It’s not actually as bad as I thought it was when drafting it. I don’t know what this means. It still needs edits, touched up, and some rewrites, but it’s actually mostly passable.

Now I just need to reread like 3 chapters and then I can draft and then I can get to the proof that the following chapter’s title is entirely accurate.

4/6/22

Duplicated chapter to begin edits/rewrites, etc.

After reviewing the Author’s Notes, I’ve decided I will not delete them. My usual stance on it tends to be “redact certain information or comments, when applicable.” Leaves a better record like that, I suppose.

WHY IS THIS CHAPTER LAGGING TO EDIT?

Okay, time to delete like half of it to get better performance... Another two-part chapter, you say? Why yes. This means I can extend the publishing period, which gives me more time do work on finishing the story and editing chapters and so on.

I need to rewrite the entire sparring scene. I don’t look forward to that. Oh well. Procrastination, I choose you!

~~11,986.~~ 10,283.

4/7/22

Tentatively think I’m finished with this redraft attempt, for the time being, until I get feedback. I don’t really know how best to handle the author’s notes given that I’m splitting this chapter in half. I suppose I’ll leave it as-is, meaning these notes will partially apply to Part 2.

10,869.

4/8/22

Work at better transition.

10,880.

5/10/22

Rewrote the opening.

11,707.

6/10/22

Touched up some mistakes.

11,708.

6/14/22

Editing pass to find typos, etc.

11,709.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

Control Part 2

Twilight winced and countered Nightmare’s spell with a bolt of her own magic. The two spells collided and detonated with a sharp crack! and flash.

Nightmare cast again, and again, still rushing at Twilight.

Twilight cringed as she matched her spell for spell, hastily scrambling to the left to avoid Nightmare’s charge.

Nightmare teleported to Twilight’s side. Twilight held in a yelp of surprise and jumped back, narrowly avoiding a bolt of magic that struck the ground. Capitalizing on her supposed speed advantage, she teleported to Nightmare’s side and unleashed a torrent of spells. Nightmare threw herself to the ground, but two of Twilight’s spells struck her shoulder and neck.

A shield snapped around Nightmare, blocking Twilight’s follow-up, then immediately blinked out of existence as Nightmare lunged at Twilight.

Twilight breathed in deep and jumped back, grabbing Nightmare’s head with her magic and quickly deflecting the lunge away from her. Nightmare grunted but caught herself, then lunged again. Twilight teleported behind Nightmare and tugged Nightmare hind hooves out from under her. The alicorn grunted as she dropped to the ground.

Twilight felt Nightmare’s magic envelop her; she tried to fight it off but before she could succeed, the world sped past her as she was sent flying. Acting as quick as she could, she teleported so that she smacked into Nightmare’s considerably-softer body, rather than the hard ground. She wheezed from the impact and Nightmare was forced to brace herself to avoid falling over.

‘Center of mass...’ Twilight teleported away again before Nightmare could cast. ‘Could I disorientate you with teleporting enough? Probably not... Wait.’ Quickly licking her lips, she readied a series of spells while she jumped to the right to avoid a blast of Nightmare’s magic.

Casting the spells, the ground beneath Nightmare’s hooves softened and gravity increased, pulling her down. As Twilight expected, Nightmare’s focus momentarily lapsed as she looked down at the ground and focused on dispelling it. It gave her an opening: she teleported Nightmare in front of her and rammed her horn hard into Nightmare’s neck.

Twilight wheezed as she hit the ground, having been pummeled by a swift blow from Nightmare’s foreleg. “Ow...” She groaned and rolled onto her back.

“Clever. And bold,” Nightmare stated with a nod of her head.

Twilight forced a strained smile at the compliment but was forced to focus once more as Nightmare tilted her head disapprovingly before aiming at her. She teleported and forced herself back onto her hooves. Staring down her mentor, she watched the alicorn lick her lips. ‘Come on... how am I supposed to beat you if that didn’t work? You can dispel everything I can do.’

Twilight grunted as a torrent of magic lit the forest. She jumped to the side, leaving the beam of magic to tear through and fell a tree. She winced as she looked back at the tree to see it cracking and splintering as it crashed through the treetops to land on the ground with a heavy thud. “If I didn’t know better...” Twilight grumbled, looking back at Nightmare with a glare.

Nightmare smiled.

Twilight huffed and swiped her tongue across her dry lips, taking a few seconds to observe Nightmare. The alicorn’s wings twitched at her sides. From the movement, there was a chance that Nightmare’s left wing was injured from her earlier fall. ‘Can I capitalize on that? Should I capitalize on that?’ She still didn’t want to hurt Nightmare, even with what she said, but she wasn’t sure what else she could do at this point.

‘It... it will be fine. You will be okay...’ She held back a wince at the thought and breathed in, then exhaled. “So... you want me to win, don’t you?”

Nightmare bowed her head. “Of course. But I will not make it easy... to do so would be a disservice to you.”

“Right,” Twilight muttered. ‘Okay, can I win without physically hurting you?’ She had no chance to answer the question as Nightmare teleported in front of her and enveloped her in magic. With a grunt, Twilight broke through Nightmare’s grip, teleported, and knocked Nightmare off balance. By the time she recovered, Nightmare had focused on her once more.

“You take too long to decide what to do. You take too many breaks. You are not quick enough,” Nightmare chastised.

“I’m not a soldier,” Twilight retorted.

Nightmare’s eyes looked away from her for a moment and her jaw tensed and relaxed repeatedly. “I know,” Nightmare finally responded evenly. Crack! as Nightmare teleported to Twilight’s side. “But you need to improve.”

Twilight grunted as Nightmare’s forehoof landed hard on her back. Her knees buckled and gave out, sending her to the ground. She managed to grab Nightmare in her magic and force her off-balance. Nightmare’s forehoof lurched from her back as the alicorn tried to catch herself. Twilight snapped a gravity spell into place and Nightmare winced at the sudden, jarring impact, unable to react in time to the change. Twilight followed up, softening the ground, causing Nightmare to sink into the mud about halfway, and then hardening the ground around her. Knowing that Nightmare would be strong enough to break free, she quickly reinforced the ground with her magic. The alicorn struggled, momentarily confused before realizing what happened and breaking the spell.

Twilight groaned as Nightmare readily broke free of the trap and matched her stance once more.

“Quaint,” Nightmare muttered sarcastically. She shook her left wing and bits of dried mud fell out of her feathers, but Twilight could tell it would take dedicated effort to clean up the mess. “Yet I am still standing. If this was an actual battle—”

“In an actual battle you could just crush me to death,” Twilight snapped.

“I do not recall crushing any changelings to death,” Nightmare pointed out.

“Let me guess, easier ways to kill?”

“There are,” Nightmare answered. She reared up and then lunged at Twilight.

Twilight jumped back, only to feel her hind hooves held in place by Nightmare’s magic long enough for her to topple over onto her back. She rolled to the side and a moment later the ground cracked as a spell washed over it.

“You’re not normally this aggressive...” Twilight mumbled, warily watching the alicorn.

“Neither of us are,” Nightmare countered. “Now stand up.”

Twilight glared at her from the ground, then gradually stood back up on her hooves, wincing from the movement. “You are trying to teach me, right? Not humiliate me?”

Nightmare frowned. “I would not... I would not purposefully try to humiliate you.” A moment passed and her expression softened. “I... am I?” she asked.

Twilight breathed out sharply and looked away from her, grumbling, “It seems like it.”

“That is not my intent,” Nightmare said.

Twilight sighed and shook her head before facing Nightmare again.

“Am I pushing you too hard?” Nightmare asked calmly. “You bear the Element of Magic... you are destined to protect Equestria; you follow in Luna’s hoofsteps, yet perhaps you should not.”

Twilight’s frown returned. That uncertainty and disappointment in Nightmare’s voice reminded her of what Discord said—’You know, if you wanted, you could play her like a fiddle’

“You know how to protect yourself and others... you have proven that much. You will protect Equestria as you have, and as I have...” Nightmare’s voice trailed off as she looked to the sky. She suddenly shook her head and looked back at Twilight. “Please win this battle.”

Twilight jumped back as Nightmare rushed towards her, head lowered, horn aimed at her. She fired off a spell and Nightmare’s own spell met it, lighting the forest as the spells detonated. Nightmare’s visage rushed through the wake of the spell.

Twilight teleported to Nightmare’s left side. ‘Sorry about this.’ She grabbed Nightmare’s wing and tugged on it hard. Nightmare grunted and fell, but managed to stop herself from hitting the ground. Twilight felt ill as Nightmare pulled her wing to her side protectively. She wanted to apologize immediately for hurting her. The look in Nightmare’s eyes told her to keep going.

It was what Nightmare wanted, wasn’t it? For her to win. It just didn’t feel right. Holding back her nerves, she summoned her magic and forced Nightmare away from her. Knowing full-well that the alicorn would catch herself again, she preempted that by grabbing Nightmare’s hooves in her magic and pulling them towards her. She caught Nightmare off-guard; her wings flared out in surprised as she flipped over onto her back. Doubling down, she softened the ground, intensified gravity, and kicked Nightmare in the head. The kick had the desired effect, making Nightmare’s magic wink out for a moment, but just a moment.

She added her own magic to the gravity spell, pulling her into the mud as Nightmare struggled to find purchase in the soft ground. Crack! Twilight winced at the sound of Nightmare teleported, then grunted as a paid of hooves connected with her haunches. She yelped as she went face-first into the soft mud, then grunted as Nightmare grabbed her by the tail and tugged her back, dragging her in front of her. She spat mud out of her mouth and, as soon as she fought off Nightmare’s grip, threw herself into Nightmare’s chest.

In hindsight, she should have realized it wouldn’t accomplish anything beyond slightly rocking the more-massive alicorn.

“Not quite there,” Nightmare summarized.

Twilight huffed and quickly wiped her muzzle off in Nightmare’s chest and neck, then teleported away. A small, pointless victory.

Immediately countered by a blast of magic throwing her to the ground. Twilight clenched her eyes shut and grimaced, holding back a groan of pain as she splayed out on the ground. She pulled her hooves back to herself as she listened to Nightmare’s hoofsteps approach her. She pressed her head into the ground when she felt Nightmare’s muddy forehoof rest on her withers.

Giving up sounded so, so wonderful. Trying to win was pointless.

“Twilight. I believe that you have what it takes to defeat me if you apply yourself to it,” Nightmare stressed.

“This isn’t even a serious fight! You’re holding back!” Twilight argued.

Nightmare breathed in and then sighed. “Yes, I am. Because I am your mentor. If I did not hold back, I would be failing you by not giving you an opportunity to adjust and learn.”

Twilight groaned and opened her eyes to look at Nightmare.

“You need to be able to defeat me, even if I am holding myself back,” Nightmare implored with a bow of her head.

A small grimace crossed Twilight’s lips. “And I suppose you have no suggestions on how to do that?” she muttered.

Nightmare bobbed her head. “Be creative. Use brute force. You are intelligent. I am magically and physically stronger than you and more experienced. You have taken me by surprise more than once tonight, but you fail to capitalize on it enough.”

Twilight sighed and rolled onto her back. She didn’t exactly care about her stomach being exposed to Nightmare since it wasn’t a serious fight.

“You still hold yourself back.”

“Yes,” Twilight acknowledged. She sucked in a deep breath, then forced herself to sit up. After a few seconds, she stood up and looked at Nightmare. Maybe the fact that Nightmare was nearly coated in drying mud was a sign of her improving, but it made her grimace instead. She turned to face Nightmare, and Nightmare took a few paces back before bowing her head respectfully.

‘The sooner I win the sooner we can be done with this.’ Twilight held in a sigh and summoned her magic. From her own experience, overpowering Nightmare in a fair fight was out of the question, so she needed Nightmare to be in a position where she couldn’t match her. Considering her experience with how jarring being hit in the head was, it gave her some idea, and combined with knowing how easy it was to disrupt a unicorn’s—or alicorn’s—magic, she formulated a plan. She just wasn’t convinced it would work.

Twilight steading herself and spread her hooves wider apart to make sure she had a better stance. She felt Nightmare’s magic on her but, with some effort, resisted the alicorn’s magic. Nightmare licked her lips. She tried to grab Nightmare in her magic, but with far more ease Nightmare disrupted her own grip. Holding in a groan, Twilight teleported to Nightmare’s side and started charging a stun spell.

Before she had gathered enough magic to try to knock Nightmare out in a single blow, Nightmare had ducked and spun around, sweeping her forehooves out from under her and sending Twilight sprawled out on the ground. ‘Why did I try that again..?’

Heaving in distress, Twilight teleported and forced herself back to her hooves. Nightmare slowly turned to face her once more, head held low so her horn was at the ready. ‘There has to be something I can use.’ Quickly surveying her surroundings, she took note of the now-fallen tree. She immediately ruled out throwing the tree at Nightmare for obvious reasons, but some of the limbs might work, if she could get them undetected.

Twilight teleported opposite of the tree and cast a spell at Nightmare. As she expected, Nightmare dropped under the spell and turned to face her, firing a spell in retaliation. She winced and stepped out of the way, then stripped a smaller, straight branch from the tree and clipped the leaves from it. She licked her lips and focused her attention on Nightmare’s eyes as she slowly circled to the right. Nightmare mirrored her.

The swiveling of Nightmare’s ears warned Twilight that her plan was about to be discovered. Prempting NIghtmare from looking at the approaching limb, she jumped towards Nightmare and fired a barrage of spells. Nightmare’s attention remained on her. Several of Nightmare’s own spells rang out, and as their spells hit and detonated, Twilight swung the branch at Nightmare’s head.

It hit and Nightmare’s aura winked out. The alicorn let out a grunt as she fell. Acting quickly to capitalize, Twilight teleported to Nightmare’s side and clipped her horn with the branch. Nightmare grunted as she hit the ground. Twiligth attempted to hold her still with her magic, but Nightmare readily fought off the attempt. Seeing Nightmare’s aura spark around her horn, Twilight winced and quickly kicked her horn with her forehoof, then pressed her horn to the ground, hoping it would keep Nightmare from reacting.

Nightmare’s confusion gave her enough time to dump as much magic as she could into a stun spell. By the Time Nightmare rolled onto her stomach, Twilight was ready to cast the spell. She lowered her head and fired, just before Nightmare’s forehoof met her horn.

Sputtering from pain, Twilight stumbled back. She barely managed to catch a squeak of distress from Nightmare, and blinking to recover from the disorientating blow, she saw Nightmare spasming as she rolled onto her side. “Wh... what? How... how are you still...” She heaved in distress from exhaustion.

Nightmare grunted, twitching as she pulled her hooves back to herself. Nightmare breathed in deep and lifted her head to meet Twilight’s gaze. She smiled as she started to stand up. “Follow. Through.”

Twilight watched as Nightmare slowly picked herself off the ground, stumbling a few times from weakness. And then Nightmare stood up all the way, but weighed to the side before catching herself and nearly falling in the attempt. Delirium.

‘Do not hesitate. Do not apologize. You can win.’ Nightmare had told her so many things.

‘I want you to win.’

Twilight shook herself from her stupor. She stepped back and aimed at Nightmare, then fired another stun spell at her.

Nightmare staggered, her legs and wings trembling as she struggled to stand upright.

Another spell. Nightmare’s magic grabbed her and almost immediately failed as her horn winked out.

Nightmare fell onto her side and tried to push herself back up.

Another spell, and another spell.

Nightmare quietly groaned before going still, blinking eratically, horn dim and eyes glossy, having lost the determination and fire from before. Replaced with a certain calmness. ”Good...” Nightmare whispered as her eyelids gradually fluttered shut.

‘Did I actually...’ She didn’t want to believe it, so she stood still in the silence following their battle. Watched the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon’s chest, gentle, neither labored nor forced. Somehow peaceful. “Nightmare?” she asked, but it went unanswered. She tentatively walked back to her mentor’s side. Stunned unconscious. She leaned down closer, then gradually touched Nightmare’s shoulder with her right forehoof.

No reaction, nor any change in the way Nightmare breathed.

For several seconds, she kept her forehoof still, then she pulled her forehoof away and swept her gaze along Nightmare’s mud-covered side, looking over her wing and then at her flank. She could see only a few spotches of white through the dried mud. If Nightmare Moon was unconscious, it had no affect on the magic affecting her mane and tail.

Twilight fell to her haunches and closed her eyes, then used her magic, as best she could, to determine that yes, Nightmare Moon was unconscious. Her eyes shot open. “Oh...”

There was no way to know how long it would last. ‘It probably won’t be that long.’

‘I hope.’

‘Any second now...’

‘Any second.’

Nightmare Moon was still unconscious.

Twilight shifted her weight and looked at the trees and brush, then looked back at her mentor. Her friend. Looked at the alicorn’s face and saw the slightest touch of a smile on her lips, softening her features so much. She tilted her head and frowned slightly at the sight. ‘You’re glad that I won.’

‘I won?’

She looked at one of the trees opposite of where she sat. ‘I won. I knocked Nightmare Moon unconscious.’

‘I... beat an alicorn in a sparring match?’ No, that should have been impossible, yet the proof was right there, laying before her eyes.

Twilight hoped Nightmare Moon would be okay and would wake up soon. Did that make her the only pony, or creature, alive to have defeated her without the Elements of Harmony? What did that really mean? Nightmare Moon trusted her entirely, didn’t she? No, she didn’t even need to think about that to know the answer: Nightmare Moon trusted her with her life.

It went unsaid, but she knew it was true.

The silence felt all-enveloping. She looked around and stood up, then walked around and laid down on her stomach at Nightmare’s back.

Breathed in deep, and closed her eyes.

For how callous and ruthless the alicorn could be to others, laying there beside her and feeling the warmth of Nightmare Moon’s coat, she almost couldn’t believe that. Almost, but she had seen with her own eyes all of Nightmare’s flaws and struggles.

She laid her head on Nightmare’s neck; the alicorn wouldn’t mind if she fell asleep beside her, and after all that magic she used, and with the adrenaline wearing off, sleep sounded perfect. It called to her; her eyelids grew heavy, even being closed. Her eyes felt more tired with every passing second as she slipped closer and closer to dreaming.

‘Will we see each other in my dreams?’ she wondered. She imagined what that might be like as she laid there, picturing seeing Nightmare Moon, or maybe Luna, standing before her. Sitting side by side watching the stars. Just talking, just being silent. Enjoying each other’s company. Her senses dulled, though she lingered on the edge of wakefulness, half asleep, half awake. Dreaming or daydreaming.

Creak.

Yes, she could picture how the two of them could sit on a cloud together and watch the night sky, sharing a peaceful moment together in their dreams, if Nightmare Moon could visit her when unconscious. She wasn’t sure if Nightmare Moon could, though, but eventually she knew Nightmare Moon would show up, although maybe after they had both recovered and since gone to bed again.

Crack.

Her ear flicked, but it hardly mattered. She shifted her weight, pressing her body closer to Nightmare’s warm back in an attempt to stave off the cold ground and air. Yes, it was far, far too cold outside, being late winter. She blearily blinked open her eyes. Not a lot of light from the moon came down into their clearing, a combination of the angle and the tree canopy, barely enough to make out anything other than the shapes of the trees and brush.

Crack.

She blinked her eyes and lifted her head up, the fog of sleep still present but subsiding while the exhaustion of winning against an alicorn refused to give way. She thought she heard something, but put it aside; it was probably nothing. But it was cold. Nightmare Moon was probably cold, too. She turned her head and looked over Nightmare’s barely-visible body, then lit her horn with her magic.

“Grrr...” came a low growl that set her hair on end.

Her ears swiveled around and she turned her head back, looking into the darkness from where the growl originated. She didn’t see anything, but she was certain she had heard it. She glanced down at Nightmare’s unconscious body, then slowly stood up and turned to stand over her friend, setting her left and right hooves on opposite sides of Nightmare Moon.

The rustling of twigs, off to her left. She turned and looked but saw nothing. Another low growl; her heart beat harder and faster while her muscles tensed. She prepared a stun spell and bit her lip.

Quieter breaking of sticks, off to the right. She looked but saw nothing. No growl. She turned back to face the left. Rustling from in front of her. No growl. She glanced at the brush but didn’t see anything. She breathed in deep, then lifted her horn up and lit up the clearing with a magelight. More rustling, this time from every direction, followed by utter silence.

She licked her lips and gradually bowed her head so that her horn was leveled and ready to use, then slowly swept her head left and right, looking every which way. The magelight wasn’t bright enough to go much farther than the leafless bushes and branches marking the edge of the clearing, but she thought she saw something move. Fur? Fur. The glint of eyes catching the light.

Crack. from behind her.

She turned back—a wolf lunged at her. She yelped and jumped away from it. Brought her horn to bare. Cast. Her spell missed; the wolf was skinny and fast. She grabbed it in her magic and lifted it into the air—

—something grabbed her left hind hoof, and no sooner had she screamed than she was on top of Nightmare’s body. She kicked, fighting against the painful grip. Refused to look back when she freed her hoof by kicking another wolf’s muzzle with her free hind hoof, since the first wolf was lunging at her neck.

She blasted it with her magic. It convulsed and crashed into Nightmare’s body, making it rock. She jumped back to her hooves and swiveled around. When her hoof touched the ground, she nearly collapsed. To make matters worse, the wolf with her blood in its muzzle lunged for her neck and ended up with her shoulder in its mouth. She fought off a second scream and hit the wolf’s head with her head. It only growled and bit down harder.

A third and fourth wolf circled around her, jumping as if to bite her hooves, only to feign and pull back. The wolf clamped down on her shoulder and tugged. Her hooves gave out and she fell again—bringing her horn into a better position. She cast a spell; the wolf let go to try to jump back, but it wasn’t quick enough. It convulsed when her spell struck it. She grabbed it with her magic and threw it at a tree.

Three more wolves. The two circling her lunged at her hooves; one of them got her injured hind hoof. She kicked but that only made it worse. She closed her eyes, whimpering from pain. ‘No... no no no!’

And there was nopony there to save her. Them.

She cast a teleportation spell and immediately hit the ground. ‘Stand up. Fight,’ she told herself. The wolves wouldn’t be as merciful as the changelings. The wolves wouldn’t be as forgiving as Nightmare Moon. They were animals. Hungry animals. And to them, she and Nightmare Moon were food.

She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and nurse her wounds. She wished she knew proper healing magic. But neither were options. Where she lay gave her a great view of two wolves nipping at Nightmare’s hind hooves and dragging her towards the forest.

She braced herself for the pain and forced herself to stand up, then aimed and brought her magic to bear. Both wolves let go of her mentor and darted back into the forest. The other three wolves dashed at her, looking at her with predatory intent. She faced the first one. Aimed. Cast. It jumped out of the way. Cast again. It dove the opposite direction; the three of them split up to come at her from different angles. She tracked the first one and fired another stun spell. It yelped when it ran into the spell.

The second one slammed into her, snarling, and threw her to the ground. She ended up on her back. Teeth flashed before her eyes. She remembered the changelings’ fangs, she remembered Nightmare Moon standing over her victorious. It lunged at her neck; she threw her head into it and managed to jab it with her horn. It yelped and jumped back. She cast. It yelped again and hit the ground, shuddering and pawing at the ground.

The third wolf bit her injured leg, sinking its teeth deep into her. Her head arched and she held in another scream from pain. She kicked and kicked until she hit one of its paws, making it yelp and let her go. The second wolf growled and lunged at her sluggishly. She grabbed it in her magic and threw it into a tree. When it hit the tree, it yelped in pain, and a moment later, it hit the ground, whining and limping off.

It seemed, despite their hunger, it started to get through to them that they were outmatched as they started to back off.

Crack! Branches breaking.

She turned and looked to see two wolves trying to drag Nightmare Moon beyond the reach of the light. She forced herself onto her hooves, barely avoiding screaming. Hastily lifted her injured right foreleg to brush the tears from her eyes so she could see, then wrapped her magic around Nightmare Moon and teleported her away from the wolves. Both wolves skittishly jumped back from the bright flash, then looked at her. Stared at her. Seconds passed.

Both wolves turned and dashed back into the forest.

Were they gone? She didn’t think so. She listened for growls and the cracking of sticks. She kept turning her head about, watching the brush at the edge of the clearing. Used her injured forehoof to keep the tears out of her eyes.

They didn’t come back. She didn’t trust it. She grabbed the stunned wolves and teleported them as far away as she dared; it was almost nauseating, and as it was, she fell to her stomach. ‘Not good. Not good.’ She shifted her weight and laid so that her injuries were off the ground.

Made a second, then third magelight, closer to her injured shoulder and hind leg, so that she could examine how bad they were. After looking at her shoulder and hind hoof one time, she closed her eyes. ‘Don’t think about it. Don’t think about. Focus on something else. Nightmare Moon!’

Was her friend okay!? A cursory look over, specifically where the wolves had held her legs to drag her off, revealed no injuries. It was a relief, but not enough to do anything for the pain she felt.

‘Focus! Focus... I need... we need...’

She closed her eyes, cringing. ‘A shield would be a great place to start. Good job, Twilight. Good job.’ She wanted to hit her head on the ground but thought better of it. A moment later, she enveloped the clearing in a shield. It was one of, if not the largest shield she had made. It was taxing, but manageable: if it failed Nightmare Moon was at risk since she couldn’t defend herself.

‘Think... think... I should... I should try to...’

Teleporting was out of the option; she was more likely to end up getting both of them hurt if she tried that.

‘Healing spells are inefficient. Regeneration spells are more efficient but much slower.’ Of course, she didn’t know any healing or regeneration spells. ‘Learn healing magic as soon as this is over,’ she quickly decided.

‘Is there anything I can use to stop the bleeding?’ She looked around, but it was the middle of winter. There were dead leaves, which she wasn’t inclined to use for practicality reasons, and some sparse, low grass. Clumps of moss, too. Nothing to use hold it in place, and there was the issue of potential infections from using something like that.

Of course, considering they were wolf bites, infections from moss was probably the least of her concerns.

She picked up several clumps of moss with her magic and shook off as much dirt as she could without damaging the moss pads, then pressed the moss to her wounds with her magic. She didn’t exactly like the idea, but it was probably better than nothing. Maybe.

She used her magic to hold it in place, then set about gathering rocks and as much dead wood as she could. She cleared out a space and set the rocks she found around in a circle. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. She put some of the wood in a pile in the middle, then used her magic to light a fire. Though it was small at first, she carefully tended to it with her magic, placing the sticks so to maximize how quickly it would grow.

Satisfied with the fire, she set about creating the most basic shelter she could behind them so that they had some form of protection, even if it likely wouldn’t help at all if her shield failed. Plus, it might help keep them warmer. She set the sticks lengthwise so that they were at an angle, propped up by sticks held up by supports. She covered the outside with dead leaves, then grass and moss, to serve as some form of insulation.

She pressed herself as close to Nightmare Moon as she could. The adrenaline faded as the minutes passed, but she resolved not to let herself be lulled into a false sense of security. Not again. Instead, she would stay awake and alert.

Nightmare Moon jerked awake to the hissing of unseasoned wood burning on a fire and the oppressive scent of wood smoke. Opening her eyes, everything was blurry and hazy before her, and the air burned her eyes, almost making them water. The forest was tinted with raspberry light, blurred by the haze of smoke catching the soft, subtle light of a white magelight. The ground was cast in an orangish glow from the small, smoldering fire; above her was some amalgamation of sticks. At her right side, she felt the warmth of another body. Twilight.

The filly lethargically turned to face her, revealing bags under her eyes, matted cheeks, watering eyes, and grime and mud-stained fur. Twilight blinked a couple of times before seeming to realize she was awake. She watched as Twilight sluggishly turned back to face the fire, studying the warmly-glowing coals and sizzling branches. “Sorry... the wood wasn’t as dry as... as I thought it was.”

She turned back to look at the fire, then ignored it in favor of the shield surrounding them and keeping the smoke in. Indeed, the air was thick with the smoke. Heavy, oppressive, overbearing. The smell clung to their coats, and worse still, was kept inside by Twilight’s shield. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your shield is... is not letting the smoke out,” she stated.

Twilight stared at her blankly for a few seconds, seemingly stifling a yawn. She saw the filly’s eyes droop to her shoulder, then after another moment, Twilight met her gaze. “Oh...” Twilight closed her eyes and her aura flickered, accompanied by a shudder in the filly’s body and her head drifting forward.

The shield dispersed, and a gentle breeze came to carry away the smoke-laden air, bringing with it an uncomfortable chill that made her squirm where she laid. The sizzling sticks burst into flames, but the sizzling continued, only now accompanied by cracking. Twilight opened her eyes and lifted her head up a little higher before, blinking and glancing around at the ground, at the edge of the forest, as if afraid of something.

She turned her head to look, but saw nothing. Reached out with her magic, and found nothing.

But why had Twilight been shielding them? And why the fire? She peered up into the sky and beheld the moonless night sky, dotted with stars. Felt that the moon had since fallen below the horizon, which could only mean—

“I um... I had to... move the moon,” Twilight whispered.

She turned her head to face Twilight; her friend laid at her side, but looked wrong for some reason. Smaller than normal? Yes, she could feel the tension in Twilight’s body, see the poorly-hidden anxiety and worry written on her friend’s face. The sheer exhaustion in Twilight’s features, both physical and magical: Twilight was drained. Spent. Barely awake, yet forcing herself to stay awake for some unknown reason.

How had she missed it before? She shifted her weight; her body was sore and sluggish, yet waking up and far better conditioned than Twilight’s body. She rolled to the left and lifted her wing up to lay it over the filly’s back. Twilight timidly looked at her, and her student’s eyes caught the flickering flame of the fire and magelight perfectly, yet it was ruined for the worry they held.

“You defeated me.” She broke eye contact and looked at a tree. ‘Follow. Through,’ she remembered saying. And Twilight had actually followed through! Twilight had won! She felt ecstatic, and yet she did not feel ecstatic. No, something stopped her from relishing in her student's victory. She did not feel proud of Twilight. No, she felt disappointed.

Why?

Twilight had bested her. It was what she wanted!

And yet it was not what she wanted, not what she imagined.

And now Twilight lay at her side, so quietly, just barely hanging on to consciousness. Was that the reason why she was disappointed? That Twilight’s success over her was not unquestionable?

She looked back down at Twilight. “What is wrong?” she asked as she stroked her wing down Twilight’s back. The filly immediately looked at her shoulder, avoiding eye contact. She felt the swelling of bruises on Twilight’s back where she had struck Twilight, and heard the filly inhale and tense up, then breathe out once her wing passed over the sore spots. She stopped her wing just before Twilight’s flank, then lifted it and set it back on Twilight’s withers, intending to pull her close, only to stop as she felt something sticky on her feathers, accompanied by a wince from Twilight as her muscles tensed again. And that only made Twilight let out a soft, pained groan. “Twilight?” She lifted her wing to look at it; the tips of her feathers were covered in blood.

Twilight’s blood? Yes, it had to be Twilight’s blood. That was the only thing that made sense.

Had she hurt Twilight that badly? No, surely she hadn’t drawn Twilight’s blood. Not like that. Why was her student, her friend, bleeding?

Twilight stayed silent, gradually turning her head straight to face the fire, then to the right to face away from her.

“Will you not answer me?” she asked quietly. And still, her friend did not answer, aside from shifting as if to try to pull herself into a ball, but afraid to. Fear of pain? Fear of being chastised? Fear of something else? ‘Comfort her.’ She breathed in deep and scooted closer to Twilight. She wrapped her wing back around Twilight’s body and looked over what she could see. The filly laid on her stomach, seeming to favor her left foreleg and right hind leg.

And a moment later, it was clear why: her friend’s right leg was torn up and bloodied, enough that her body tensed. And for far, far too long, she did not act. ‘I did not do this,’ finally spurred her into action. No, none of her spells would have done that, and it didn’t look like Twilight’s leg had been scratched up from falling. No, it was worse than that. She lit her horn and wrapped her magic around Twilight’s body—Twilight’s right shoulder was also torn up, so she knew it wasn’t her doing—and set about healing her. Twilight shifted and squirmed, but stayed mostly still and silent.

It took more effort than she wanted to admit, but then it was a healing spell. Speeding up her friend’s healing, regrowing and healing her body with magic wasn’t an easy task. It was magically intensive, but for Twilight, there was no question of if it was worth it. Of course, there were still things she could not fix with her magic. The fresh air seemed to help Twilight’s sluggishness, but it could not be the sole cause. How much had Twilight bled? Enough to slow her down.

“Twilight? What happened?” she asked again, still staring at Twilight’s bloodied leg. ‘You need to rest. You also need a bath. Perhaps if you are too tired, I will give you a bath.’ The filly’s head twitched, making her look away from her student’s leg to watch as Twilight breathed in, yawned, and turned back to face her. A little more life in Twilight’s eyes, but only just.

“I...” Twilight trailed off and looked at her shoulder.

‘You are... hurt. Of course you are hurt. You are hurting. You are afraid.’ She wrapped Twilight with her wing and pulled the filly close to her side and held her there, then bowed her head and set her nose against the base of Twilight’s horn. She watched Twilight close her eyes. “You are safe,” she murmured.

Twilight opened her eyes and turned her head back to face the fire.

She leaned down and brushed her nose up and down against Twilight’s cheek. Slowly, reassuringly. Twilight tentatively leaned into it, and after a few encouraging strokes from her, Twilight closed her eyes and returned it. She closed her eyes, and for a while, they simply shared a gentle nuzzle. Eventually, both of them slowed and stopped in unison. She shifted her body closer to Twilight and had to stop herself from rolling onto her side to pull Twilight against her chest and hold her there.

The filly yawned again, then shook her head to try to fight it off. The yawn eventually passed, and Twilight’s head drifted lower while her muscles finally relaxed. Her friend finally shifted to lean against her body, accepting it. “There were...” Twilight’s mouth lingered open for a few seconds, then closed. She watched Twilight’s eyes jump left and right across the ground, watched the filly try to work out what to say. “After you... after I stunned you.”

Twilight lifted her head up and turned to face her. Met her gaze, but only for a moment before looking at her neck. “Wolves.”

‘Wolves?’ Wolves did this? Wolves attacked them? There had been wolves, but they had been so far away! Surely they had not—

“Wolves... attacked us. I... was... I wanted to sleep because...” Twilight trailed off and squirmed. “I was tired from sparring with you. Those spells took a lot out of me. I let my guard down.”

“And... wolves attacked us.” ‘And this is my fault, isn’t it? I knew that there were wolves around and... and I did not consider that they would...’ And now Twilight suffered because of her mistake. And she had not been able to protect Twilight, and knowing that hurt. She did not feel like celebrating Twilight’s victory, rather, she mourned in Twilight’s pain and vulnerability.

Twilight nodded. A moment passed. Her friend blinked and breathed in deeply. Twilight tried to put on some sort of confident expression, some sort of analytical mask using her intelligence, but she saw through it. “I had to fight them off since you were stunned. I should have shielded us but I didn’t think about it until afterward.”

“And I should have realized that smoke from the fire would be a problem...” the filly begrudgingly admitted.

She stroked her wing down Twilight’s side.

Twilight swallowed and shook her head. “I managed to fight them off. Obviously.”

“Of course,” she agreed.

Twilight shivered and squirmed closer to her.

‘Are you okay?’ she wanted to ask, but it was a question she already knew the answer to: no, Twilight was not okay. What could she do? “I am sorry.”

Twilight jerked back to face her, looked at her with squinted eyes as if she had done something wrong.

And, of course, Twilight was right. “It is my fault.” She turned away from Twilight. “I... knew that there were wolves here, but I did not think they would be a problem. I did not... and you are hurt because of me.”

“It’s not your fault,” came soft and firmly.

Nightmare turned back to face Twilight. “Is it not? I knew that there were wolves—”

“You didn’t know they would attack us. If you did, you would have done something differently, wouldn’t you?”

Why was Twilight so forgiving of her? Why did it seem that Twilight was so quick to be so kind to her? She looked at the ground. “It is still my fault.”

Twilight nuzzled her shoulder. She looked back at Twilight, found the filly with her eyes closed. And how she wanted nothing more than to lean down and return that nuzzle, to embrace Twilight and cross horns with her! Eventually, Twilight stopped nuzzling and opened her eyes, but the filly’s head rested against her shoulder. Yes, Twilight’s eyes were bleary; her friend was spent. Had Twilight not yet recovered from how much magic she had used? No, that was a foolish question. The smoke, the blood loss, the fear from being alone, surely that all combined to put Twilight on edge.

And for it, Twilight was vulnerable.

How could Nightmare not take mercy on Twilight, her best friend? She sighed softly and blanketed the filly with her wing. Twilight’s eyes fluttered closed after a few seconds, only for her friend to fight it off, breathing in deep and blinking her eyes open.

‘You want to sleep. You need to sleep’ And another look at the sky—accompanied with a check from her magic—reaffirmed that the moonless night had set in. Had Twilight truly done that all on her own? She reached out to the moon with her magic. Felt the feeling of Twilight’s magic where it hadn’t been, felt the countless minor errors in the spell and the moon’s position, felt how long had passed. And yet, Twilight had still done it. Alone. Without her help.

How could she not feel awed into calmness by Twilight’s work? And yet she still felt remorseful.

It took her a long while before she found words to say, and Twilight was still awake, still fighting against her need to sleep. “You are tired... sleep.”

“No,” Twilight said, leaning away from her.

She brushed her wing up to Twilight’s shoulder, felt the filly tense, then relax when Twilight realized it didn’t hurt. She gently pulled on Twilight’s head, and after a few seconds, Twilight gave in and laid her head back against her shoulder. “You need to sleep,” she murmured.

“Not yet,” Twilight said. “Are you okay?”

She bowed her head at length, trying to put meaning into that bow so Twilight would accept it. “I am fine.”

It put Twilight at ease, but not enough to lull her to sleep. “They tried to take you. The wolves. I had to teleport away and two of them tried to pull you off into the forest.” The filly looked away from her, her student’s ears pinned back as if ashamed. She felt her ears pull back alongside Twilight’s. “I should have teleported both of us. I should have...”

“But you did not think of it,” she knew. “And where would you have teleported to other than deeper into the forest, where we would be at more risk and you would be more drained?”

It took a while for Twilight to timidly nod as if expecting her to chastise her for failing.

‘I’m not a soldier.’

“Sleep now, Twilight. You are safe. I promise... I will protect you,” Nightmare coaxed in a soft murmur.

Twilight lethargically looked back up at her, met her gaze for a moment, then looked at the fire. Though she felt Twilight was at ease, her friend still fought against her body’s need for sleep. “What are you going to do now?”

“I will take us back to Canterlot,” she said. “And... once you are rested, we will...” Should she make the offer? Was it taking advantage of Twilight’s vulnerability? Fie the thought! She did not want to take advantage of Twilight; she had no intent to do so in her heart. She steeled herself against the concern. “Once you are rested, we will bathe together, if you are not opposed.”

Twilight nodded, nuzzling her shoulder. “I think I’d like that...”

She smiled at Twilight. Her friend managed a small smile back, though it wilted far too quickly. “You should rest. You need it.”

“Can you tell me a story?” Twilight whispered.

“A story?”

Twilight nodded. “So that... I don’t think about... what happened.”

‘You will be fine,’ she knew, ‘but for now, you are vulnerable.’ She felt reassured knowing Twilight would be okay. Her friend had just been through a lot. At one time, she knew she would have snapped at Twilight for being so foalish, but she had been naught more than a cruel fool when she would have done that. She was reminded of the pain the filly carried and showed when Discord had escaped. Her fault. It was always her fault.

‘You risked your life to protect me. You could have teleported away and left me to the wolves, but you did not.’ Twilight had bled for her; she owed Twilight nothing less than the same. But it was something to ponder another time.

‘A story?’ But what story? Not something made up, no. Some foolish parable to prove a point would not do. It needed to be something she had experienced. But then what could she remember to tell Twilight, something that would ease Twilight to sleep, rather than trouble her dreams?

Perhaps a story from her foalhood?

Perhaps. Twilight was the only pony she could tell such stories to.

Which one? Something memorable, something happy. Yes, nothing less than that to comfort Twilight.

But how to begin? “I... do not know that I will be...satisfactory, but... I shall try.”

“That’s okay,” came Twilight's soft, forgiving voice.

She could picture in her mind her memories. Foolish, foalhood memories, of course. The sort of memories that stayed with her, even though she had not thought back on her foalhood, and the memories specifically, in so, so long. Back when she was young, younger than Twilight, back when Celestia was just as young and naive as Twilight was. Back when Luna was so much better off.

Back when both of them, both Celestia and Luna, were innocent.

‘Perhaps I do miss my youth,’ she considered in passing. But she would never have her youth back, nor the time that Sister had stolen from her.

“After... after Celestia and I ascended. I was a lot younger than you are when I ascended. Celestia is about eight years older than me, so she was about your age.” She looked at Twilight to find her paying close attention, seemingly more awake than tired. ‘Perhaps this story will not help you.’ At the very least, perhaps how much a fool she had acted would bring a smile to Twilight’s lips. “You remember that we were unicorns?”

Twilight nodded.

She breathed in deep and looked back at the forest. “I was... well, let us face it: I was a young unicorn who had just got her wings. I was not born with them, and rest assured that I was not a pegasus at heart.”

Not at all.

“Learning to fly was... not easy. My village did not have many pegasi, either. Let alone any who knew us and were willing to teach us. Starswirl wasn’t much help there either, being a unicorn mostly surrounded by other unicorns. He had not yet met his... companions, but that is a story for another time.” She paused to think, paused to remember. “I, in my infinite wisdom, decided it was a good idea to try to fly into our foalhood home through the open kitchen window.” She turned back to Twilight. “Of course, that did not exactly go as I had expected.”

“Did you make it inside?” Twilight asked, then frowned. “Rainbow’s managed to crash into my windows on more than one occasion...”

She pictured Twilight’s friend flying into a window. The pain, she did not wish on the pegasus, but it was still an amusing thought. “I did,” she answered with a nod. Twilight’s eyes flicked back to her head. “However... I managed to fly into a sack of flour. I was unharmed, but, ah... I made... quite the mess.”

She shifted uncomfortably and looked back at the forest, then set her gaze on the flickering flame of the fire. “The floor was covered in flour, to say nothing of how I looked... much more like Celestia than I normally looked. I... may have panicked and ended up making it worse by trying to clean it up using water.” She shook her head. “I would not recommend letting a foal clean up such a mess. Celestia was home at the time and finally realized something was wrong. Of course, by this time the flour on my face was dough... She... helped me clean up, which... I suppose in truth, is saying that she took care of it all and gave me a bath afterwards. I, perhaps obviously, was... rather unhappy with what had happened. I... must confess I do not remember what, but we did something together after that, which I enjoyed.” She tried to remember more, but it had happened so long ago, and she hadn’t thought about it in such a long time. Did her memories betray her now, too? “She used to tell me stories when I was still a foal, too. I remember when we were young and we would stay up late some nights to watch the stars together... She always told me to wish on falling stars. She called them lucky stars...” Not that they truly helped her.

She held in a sigh and shook her head. ‘Yet another example of how you are so much better than me, isn’t it?’ “That is far from the only time something like that happened...” she mumbled. And more memories came. Feelings of innocent joy and happiness, smiling and laughing and playing with her pink-maned sister, sorrow and comfort as she sheltered under her big sister’s wing. And the abandonment and resentment that later drove Luna to her death.

And the conflicting feelings stung.

“I... perhaps should not have spoke on this,” she mused.

Twilight nuzzled her shoulder. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to share something that personal. But... thank you for sharing that.”

She turned back to face Twilight, opened her mouth to speak, only to catch herself. ‘I would want to spend the rest of my life with you; it is only fair you know more about me.’

Not yet.

And perhaps, never.

Perhaps she truly was insane. She could not carelessly say something like that, not when there was still the risk it was untrue. Perhaps she simply pinned after Twilight and the feeling would pass in time. And then, both of them would regret her saying that. And it would be nothing but bitter for both of them.

She closed her mouth and turned back to face the fire. ‘Perhaps... perhaps I should not be so open with you. Or perhaps I should be more open with you.’ Twilight was certainly worth it. But maybe another time. She turned back to Twilight. “Would you prefer I teleport us back to Canterlot now? We can bathe and... talk while we bathe if you would like.”

“I would... prefer that,” Twilight answered. “It’s... better than sleeping here.”

Nightmare glanced around at their surroundings, grimacing. Yes, Twilight deserved better accommodations than dirt and twigs for a bed. “I suppose it is... Very well.” She stood up and made her way out from under what passed for their shelter, then looked back at Twilight. “Do you want me to carry you? I do not mind if you do.”

Twilight hesitated for a few seconds, then grimaced and turned away from her. “You probably think I’m... pathetic, don’t you...”

She turned to face Twilight. “I do not,” she said, then let out a sigh. Twilight reluctantly faced her. “You... As you... As you point out, you are not a soldier. And regardless... you won, Twilight. I may have held myself back... but you did it. You beat me. You are not pathetic, and you have more than earned such a respite.”

“You don’t want me to act like a foal—”

“I don’t,” Nightmare stated, wrapping her magic around Twilight. The filly didn’t try to fight it off, so she levitated Twilight out from under the shelter and set Twilight on her back lengthwise. Once Twilight’s hooves gently held onto her, she released her from her magic. Twilight’s warm weight on her back did not feel like a burden, rather, she welcomed it. “But you are... not... you are not doing well right now. You are tired, you were injured, you were terrified of the wolves, and caught off-guard. You are exhausted, physically and magically. You fought and bled to protect me.” She paused and bowed her head intently. “Let me carry you.”

Twilight gradually laid her head next to her neck. She took that as Twilight relenting, so she teleported the two of them back to her chambers in Canterlot. She briefly looked around and repowered the room’s magelights, then carried Twilight into the bathroom and shut the door behind them. She stopped at the bathtub, then carefully sat down and started the water.

Nightmare felt Twilight’s hooves loosen and turned her head back to watch Twilight climb off of her back. Her ears pinned back when she watched Twilight limp around to sit at her right side and lean against her. Twilight closed her eyes. She wrapped her wing around Twilight’s side and held her close.

They sat together in mutual silence until the bath was ready, then she turned off the water. Twilight breathed in and leaned away from her while she lifted her wing from Twilight’s back and folded it back to her side. She watched Twilight stand up and move to climb into the bath, but preempted her by wrapping her friend in her magic to levitate her into the bath. Twilight looked at her for a moment before relenting, then Twilight sighed softly when she sat her down in the warm water.

She climbed into the bath and sat down facing Twilight, studying her face, taking in her friend’s matted and scratched cheeks now that she had a better view of it. She looked down at Twilight’s shoulder, which was about halfway covered with water. Twilight’s blood was still clinging to her fur, along with the mud, but both were starting to wash away in the hot water. The filly rocked slightly as she leaned forward; Nightmare thought she would need to catch Twilight, but her student blinked open her eyes and caught herself.

Twilight gradually looked left, then right, seemingly looking for something. She presumed it was soap, and teleported the soap to the side of the bathtub. Twilight jerked slightly and turned to look at the soap. It seemed to take her a few seconds to realize it was the soap.

“If you...” she trailed off, unsure the best way to word her question. Twilight turned back to face her. “If you would be comfortable with it and would prefer it, I will wash you.”

Twilight looked at her neck for a few seconds before answering, “You don’t have to.”

“I do not mind and you are tired,” Nightmare said.

A few more seconds passed. Twilight gradually nodded. “Okay, I guess...”

She bowed her head and levitated the soap over to start with Twilight. “If I make you uncomfortable, just say so and I will stop.” She poured soup out on Twilight’s mane and worked it in with her magic, then set about washing Twilight’s back, sides, shoulders, and legs. Throughout the process, Twilight cooperated and voiced no distress, aside from when she was washing any of her bruises. Once she finished cleaning off Twilight, she dunked her head under the water and set about washing the mud from her own coat.

“Thank you,” Twilight murmured.

She paused to bow her head, then returned to the task of cleaning herself off.

“Do you...” Twilight hesitated to continue and avoided meeting her gaze. A few seconds passed in silence before Twilight breathed in and looked up at her. “You said that Princess Celestia took care of the flour.”

She nodded.

“What about your parents?” Twilight asked.

“They died before our ascension.”

Twilight didn’t react for a few seconds, then she saw Twilight’s eyes flick to her chest and Twilight’s ears pinned back. “Oh...”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do not be,” Nightmare countered.

Twilight looked up at her with a frown.

“’Twas hardly unusual,” she said. “And it does not bother me. I am old, Twilight. I may have been young when they died, and it may have been hard on me at the time, but that was very long ago.”

Twilight looked back at her chest. “I don’t know what I’d do if my parents died.”

What was she to say to that? Twilight would outlive her parents; they would pass on and Twilight would not, unless it was her fault. What comfort could she give Twilight that would appease her newfound worry?

“We... Celestia and I were close when we were young, in part because of that,” she said. Twilight looked up at her again, more hesitant and reserved than before.

“She loved you,” Twilight said simply.

“She did,” Nightmare agreed.

“What if she still loves you?” Twilight asked.

Her mood soured. “She does not. She made that clear a very long time ago, Twilight.”

“And now you hate her for that,” Twilight said innocently, almost as if thinking aloud.

She stayed silent; nothing needed to be said.

“Do you hate that you loved her when you were both foals?” Twilight asked.

“No...” she admitted. “It... as I said, it was a long time ago. As I said, Luna loved her.”

“You still think of yourself as Luna,” Twilight said. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Twilight continued, “You said that Princess Celestia took care of your mess. Not Luna’s.”

Nightmare closed her mouth and breathed out through her nose. “So I did.” She looked down at the water’s surface, looked at the reflection of their faces. “But I am not Luna.”

“You don’t sound convinced of that,” Twilight murmured.

She breathed in deep and lifted her head back up. “I am hardly sure of myself as I once was, Twilight. I doubt myself and my actions a great deal.” She set about finishing cleaning her coat. “I blame you for that,” she joked.

Twilight just barely smiled.

Whatever joy that smile might have given her was stifled. “As you have made quite obvious, I am a deeply flawed pony,” Nightmare admitted. She stood up and climbed out of the bath, then used her magic to dry her coat. She stood facing the wall for a few seconds, then turned her head back to look at Twilight and levitate her out of the bath. She dried Twilight’s coat while she was in the air, and then she laid Twilight on her back again. She felt Twilight fidget about to get comfortable, then felt Twilight’s hooves weakly hold onto her.

She teleported both of them to Twilight’s tower, then carried her exhausted friend up the stairs and into her bedroom. She pulled back the covers and looked back at Twilight, then watched Twilight while she levitated her over and laid her down in bed. She pulled the blankets back over Twilight while she watched her friend squirm to get comfortable. Nightmare felt jealous of the pillow as she saw Twilight nuzzling into it as she yawned. She let her aura disperse, casting the room into darkness, and watched Twilight’s eyes flutter shut, then blink open again to look at her.

She looked off to the left, then looked back at Twilight and bowed her head. “I am proud of you Twilight,” she admitted. “Very proud of you.”

Twilight smiled a little but looked away from her as if shying back from her praise.

“I suppose... I suppose I shall let you return to Ponyville come morning if you so choose. But for now, just sleep. Rest. I will watch over your dreams to make sure you will not have any nightmares.” She bowed her head again. “Goodnight, Twilight.” She turned to leave.

“Can you stay?” Twilight called softly.

She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to face Twilight.

“I-I know it’s silly, but... can you stay?” Twilight asked, avoiding looking at her. “Please?”

Nightmare walked back over to Twilight’s bed and lifted a forehoof, only to stop herself and set it back on the floor. ‘No, I should not lay with her.’ “Very well. I shall stay until you fall asleep.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said with genuine warmth and innocence as she finally closed her eyes to sleep.

Nightmare watched over her for a few minutes in silence. Twilight’s breathing slowed, calming as she drifted into sleep, that, with a little but of effort, she ensured would be peaceful. She studied Twilight’s expression and found herself grateful that it was untroubled. The hardships of the night would become little more than memories; Twilight wouldn’t have to suffer through that again, she hoped.

She parted her lips for a moment, then closed them and held in a sigh. She reached out her wing and gently brushed a lock of Twilight’s mane to the side before tenderly brushing the filly’s cheek.

Wings buzzed from behind her. She quickly folded her wing back to her side, summoned her magic, and swiveled around. Thorax jerked back slightly.

“Sorry.”

Nightmare watched him for a moment before releasing her magic and relaxing. “Thorax,” she acknowledged with a nod.

Thorax slowly relaxed, then timidly walked into the room. His eyes jumped from Twilight’s sleeping form to her. “What... happened? She was gone a long time.”

“We sparred,” Nightmare said as she turned back to Twilight. “She... beat me, but... while I was unconscious, we were attacked by wolves. She defended me but was... injured. She needs to rest.”

“Oh... are you okay?”

Nightmare tentatively nodded. “I will be fine.”

“You’re worried about her,” Thorax droned.

Nightmare nodded again. “I do worry about her. She... she is my student, she is my best friend. It is my duty to protect her; I promised her that I would and I have failed her.”

“You love her,” Thorax murmured.

Nightmare tightened her jaw and looked over at him. Thorax didn’t look at her; he was watching Twilight.

What surprised her the most was that his expression actually seemed concerned for Twilight.

But how? He was a changeling. Why would he care for Twilight at all?

Nightmare exhaled and turned her attention back to Twilight, her thoughts and feelings divided and conflicted.

Author's Note

4/8/22

Not sure what to say here. I rewrote most of the sparring I guess. Didn’t like it before, don’t like it now, might be worse now, if I’m honest.

Always needed to do this so they’re more on equal footing, even if it’s... not wholly genuine, I guess. Still, Twilight’s grown from it.

The wolves, I’d imagined it for a long while and I really wanted to tell that little story about Luna’s past, so...

10,453.

6/22/22

I’ve known for a while that I need to reread what I have unpublished because I am struggling so hard with where I’m stuck in drafting... So I decided to force myself to read. And apparently, I’m catching a bunch of typos and so on, so I decided to make a note here.

And I decided to add a little more because Thorax wasn’t mentioned here and he should be.

10,781.

6/30/22

Tiny addition.

10,788.

10/5/22

Tiny subtraction. I did not go over this again like I had intended but it’s probably fine.

10,782.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

One Last Peaceful Night

“I must admit, I am surprised by how quickly you are learning these spells. You take to them far more naturally than any other unicorn I have known, and more naturally than myself as well.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly at her praise. “It’s um, the spells really aren’t that hard. I understand the concepts very well, and applying them is easy since I know what to do.”

She held in a sigh and looked away from Twilight to survey the castle’s courtyard. Batponies on break watched them with interest, though something about the way they looked at Twilight made her uneasy. Their respect for Twilight was plain to see, but there was something else there too. She just couldn’t put her hoof on it. “I suppose I am merely building upon what Celestia taught you.” She turned back to face Twilight, whose smile had dimmed in that all-too-familiar way. “Loathe as I am to admit it, if she had not taught you as she did, then I suspect you would not be making progress as you are,” she begrudgingly mumbled, then bowed her head towards Twilight.

“I am very proud of you, Twilight.” She inclined her head slightly more to punctuate her words.

Twilight looked off to the side, avoiding her gaze. She frowned, seeing Twilight’s smile gradually fade as the filly looked down at the ground.

“So...” Cadance ventured.

Nightmare blinked as the memory scattered and her mind returned to the present. Her bowl of oatmeal sat before her, mostly untouched and cooler than when it arrived. She looked to Cadance and found her Niece looking aside at her, a small smile on her lips and a slight glint in her eye.

Yes, Cadance had recovered from the attempt on her life. While her Niece had been shaken, Cadance was stronger than she realized. Perhaps she hadn’t given Cadance enough credit.

And yet Cadance still was bested by a single pegasus.

“Twilight’s birthday is next week,” her Niece continued once she was satisfied she had Nightmare’s attention.

Nightmare breathed in and sat up straighter. “So it is...” She looked to the wall, not that it gave her any advice on how to approach the event.

“Do you have any plans?” Cadance asked.

Ah, yet another one of the questions that she dreaded. Nightmare pondered the question and her own ideas for a while, but her thoughts only made her feel more nervous as she considered them: ‘It will be your birthday. You will be seventeen. A young mare proper... I should get you a gift, something meaningful, but what can I give you that is something you would appreciate? Something special? Perhaps... perhaps I should ask if... if you would... let me court you...’

Why did that last thought make her feel so cold, make her heart pound in her chest, make her throat feel tight and make her wings twitch at her sides anxiously? ‘I’m afraid to ask you that.’

‘I do not want to risk you saying no...’

Nightmare found herself looking down at her bowl of oatmeal, not that she paid much attention to it. Her mouth was too tight to pry open to take a bite even if she wanted to.

‘But... no... Coward.’ She breathed out and forced her jaw to relax. ‘Just ask. If she says no then I can put this behind me. And... I will be alone. No! She will not... she would not abandon me as Sister did even when she says no. Perhaps... Perhaps she would say yes. But... but what then? What would courting her accomplish?’

And how would she even go about doing that? What point would it serve?

‘You would be in danger if ponies found out... But... I... I can protect you, can I not? Or at least I can try, but... I may not always succeed. You can protect yourself but you are young and naive... but you also bear the Element of Magic... You bested me and then fought off several wolves.’

‘Perhaps... perhaps I am worrying too much. There is no reason to think anything more will come of it. Perhaps we will simply court for a time and that will be the end of it. We will still be able to be friends, will we not?’ Or would she grow to hate Twilight for rejecting her, or would Twilight grow to hate her for the same? How the thought twisted her heart, physically paining her! She sucked her lip in between her teeth and lightly bit down, pinning it place.

‘You... you are worth the risk.’

She released her lip and swallowed the knot in her throat, then breathed in and licked her dried lips. She tentatively lifted her head to look back at Cadance, who looked back at her with a mixture of concern, compassion, and curiosity. “I—” her resolve crumbled. Her gaze fell to the table. “I do not know what to do, Cadance,” she lamented.

She heard Cadance’s magic and chair, followed by the sound of her Niece hopping down and walking over to her side, then pulling out another chair and sitting down at her immediate left. She just barely lifted her head to look at Cadance. ‘I am Queen! I am better than some moping fool! I am Nightmare Moon! Not Luna!’ And she felt bitter for her insecurity and anxiety.

She forced herself to sit up straight, forced herself to bury the feelings deep inside and lock them away so they wouldn’t cripple her as they did. ‘Be decisive. Do not hesitate!’ she chastised herself. “I have been thinking of what I should get her. I do have an idea, but... I am unsure that it would be wise, or that she would... appreciate it.”

“Nightmare Moon, if it’s coming from you, I’m sure she will appreciate it. What is it?” Cadance asked genuinely.

Nightmare hesitated and her jaw tightened for a moment. ‘This is a terrible idea,’ she finally decided. She turned her head away from Cadance to mumble, “A quill.”

“A quill?” came Cadance’s curious question. No reproach, nor condemnation. Simple curiosity.

“Yes,” Nightmare answered, then set her gaze on the table. “It... it is something that needs to be special. I was... considering having one of my feathers made into a quill.”

“I think she’d like that,” Cadance said softly.

Nightmare looked to Cadance and found her niece smiling a gentle, fond, reassuring smile. It was just enough for her to straighten and face her to ask, “Truly?”

“Mhm,” Cadance cooed as she nodded. “It’s sweet.”

‘Sweet.’ The idea felt so odd. She looked off at the floor for a moment, then looked to her niece again.

“It’s something special. Something from you. A part of you,” Cadance pointed out with a certain warm, comforting innocence that helped calm her nerves. “A gift with a very personal touch.”

“I... I suppose so, but... I still... I am still unsure that she would truly appreciate it.”

“She will,” Cadance said surely, smiling warmly.

“I... hope you are correct,” Nightmare mumbled. She breathed in and turned back to face the far end of the table. “I... suppose I shall have one of my feathers made into a quill, then.”

Cadance hummed thoughtfully, her smile brightening with encouragement.

Nightmare grimaced and shook her head. “Though... I am still... partially hesitant to visit her.” She faced Cadance and saw her niece frowning. “Her friends,” she said, then paused for a moment to shake her head again. “They would not welcome me... I think... But...” she trailed off.

“You’re Twilight’s friend too. It’s Twilight’s birthday,” Cadance softly pointed out.

Nightmare hesitated a moment, then bowed her head once. “I... suppose this is true. I... perhaps I am worrying too much. Perhaps her friends would not... perhaps her friends would welcome me.”

“Aren’t Twilight’s friends your friends too?” Cadance asked.

Were they? It did not seem like it. Acquaintances, assuredly, but they were not so close as to be friends. “I do not think so,” Nightmare answered.

“Well, all of you have at least one thing in common,” Cadance coaxed.

“Twilight?”

Cadance nodded gently.

Nightmare sighed softly. “So we do...”

“There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?” Cadance murmured.

“There is,” Nightmare stated.

“Do you want to talk about it?” her Niece offered.

Nightmare grimaced. “We... talked about it before.”

“You want to ask Twilight for permission to date her,” Cadance summarized.

Nightmare cringed and shifted her weight. “I... do. I would... like to ask to court her but...”

“But you’re afraid to,” Cadance knew.

It took Nightmare several seconds to admit, “I am.” She looked to Cadance again. “I... am afraid she will reject me, as always.”

“That’s one of your biggest fears, isn’t it?” Cadance asked softly.

“Perhaps it is,” Nightmare sighed, casting her eyes to the table and bowing her head in defeat. “I do not want her to reject me. I do not want to lose her. I do not want to be alone again.” She looked back up at Cadance. “Am I insane?” she asked.

Cadance frowned.

“That... I have such feelings for Twilight. My sister’s student. Somepony... unspeakably younger than me. She is not yet an adult. She is... my student. My subject. I... I do not think of her as my subject. I do not think of myself as her Queen... She is my friend... my only friend. My best friend. Am I insane, Cadance?”

“You’re a pony,” Cadance said softly.

Twilight had said something like that.

“I was alone on the moon for one thousand years. Am I insane? How can I not be? You do not know what I went through, how the sunlight burns and the night is colder than winter... The isolation. No one to talk to but myself. How am I still sane?”

“You’re strong,” Cadance murmured.

Nightmare clenched her jaw. “And yet here I am nothing more than a coward!” she spat, her lips pulling back in disgust. “A coward who does not know who she is, who feels like nothing more than a failure, forever damned to be nothing more than a failure and forever hated by everypony!”

“Twilight doesn’t hate you,” Cadance said softly. It might as well have been an icy knife plunged into her heart. “I don’t hate you. The batponies don’t hate you. Celestia doesn’t hate you.” And then twisted.

“No, she does. She has to,” Nightmare argued, vigorously shaking her head. “My sister hates me. She wants nothing more than to take advantage of me—”

“Did she always?” Cadance asked softly.

Nightmare glared at Cadance for her Niece using that against her; both of them knew the answer to it, and all she could do was glare.

“You cannot be right,” Nightmare stated. “While we may have loved each other when we were young, we grew out of it, Niece. She made that very clear.”

“Is that why you’re afraid to date Twilight?” Cadance asked. “You’re afraid you’ll end up being hurt again.”

Nightmare’s chest deflated and her jaw tightened again. After a long while, she turned away from Cadance to look at the other end of the table. She swallowed and licked her lips. “It is one of the reasons.”

“Is she worth the risk?” Cadance asked.

Nightmare closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you ask her?” Cadance murmured.

“I do not want us to regret it.”

“And what if you never ask her?” Cadance asked. “Will both of you be happy with that?”

Nightmare frowned, considering the torment of never being as open with Twilight as she could be. A risk, but a worthwhile risk. “I do not know that she would even accept...” she whispered.

“And that’s part of the risk you have to take,” Cadance murmured. “But... I think she’ll say yes if you ask her.”

Nightmare clenched her jaw and opened her eyes to look at Cadance. No visible deception.

“We’ve talked about this before, Auntie,” Cadance murmured, bowing her head and smiling gently. Nightmare watched her niece reach a wing out to touch her side. The contact felt so odd, so alien. It wasn’t her sister’s wing nor was it what she imagined the touch of Twilight’s wing would be like. “You both love each other.”

Nightmare’s eyes snapped to Cadance again. “As friends,” she stated.

Cadance waited a few seconds, then bowed her head. “As friends. Shining Armor is my best friend.” Her niece withdrew her wing. “And you said it yourself: there’s no reason anything else has to come from asking to court her. At least not for a long time, if you want to wait before doing anything more.”

Nightmare cringed at the thought, half a dozen ideas besieged her mind and heart, making her tense at the onslaught. “I... suppose... you are correct...” she managed to say.

“Mhm,” Cadance softly hummed. “Of course I am. I’m the Princess of Love.” Nightmare grimaced and turned away from Cadance. “Now... what are you going to do now?”

“I... suppose I shall eat, rather than... ponder my memories, and... have one of my feathers made into a quill for her. I... shall visit her on her birthday, and... I shall ask to court her...” Her voice dropped to barely a mumble to say, “Once... once we are alone.”

Cadance hummed fondly.

Nightmare Moon stretched her wing out and regarded the reflection in the mirror, contemplating her feathers and trying to decide which one looked the best. Anything less than perfection was unacceptable! But it needed to be one that would go unnoticed until it regrew, one that Twilight wouldn’t immediately recognize as having come from her. Though a part of her wondered if such a hope was unreasonable.

She turned her head to the right to look over her feathers, and after a few seconds, settled on one of the feathers from about the middle of her wing, one that wouldn’t be missed and could be easily turned into a quill. She carefully wrapped her magic around the shaft, then pulled it free with one swift tug. She tried to shake the pain away before folding her wing back to her side, but even though it barely helped, the pain would pass.

She levitated the feather around in front of her face and scrutinized it to make sure it was undamaged, then used her magic to clean the blood from the base of the shaft. Satisfied that it would work, she teleported to Raven’s office. Even with her sudden teleportation, Raven didn’t visibly react. No pause nor twitch of surprise, no, the unicorn took her arrival in stride, still focusing on the documents before her.

“Your Majesty,” Raven acknowledged.

“Raven,” Nightmare likewise acknowledged, bowing her head.

“The Mayor of Manehattan wants to know why you’re stationing so many Royal Guards, Wonderbolts, and Batponies in and around the city. I reminded him of what you had said, but he was still displeased.”

“I see,” Nightmare dismissed. “I shall have to speak with him, then. Perhaps I shall visit Captain Spitfire to check in on them as well.”

“If her Majesty desires it,” Raven said.

Nightmare breathed in quickly. “Though I am here for another reason.”

Raven paused for a moment, then looked to her and noticed the feather levitating in her aura. She levitated the feather over and set it on Raven’s desk. “I require this made into a quill.”

Raven levitated the feather up and scrutinized it, then looked at her for a moment before looking to her wing, immediately knowing it was one of her feathers. Her secretary looked back up at her. “If that is what her Majesty wants,” Raven acknowledged.

Nightmare bowed her head once to nod. “I do.”

Raven set the feather back down on her desk. “Do you have any specifications for it?”

“Something ornate, but still functional,” she directed. “I need it finished before the week ends.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” Raven acknowledged. “Is there anything else you require?”

“I do not think so,” she answered. “Is there anything I need to be aware of?”

Raven pondered her question for a few seconds. “Nothing pressing, your Majesty.”

“I see. Then I shall take my leave.” Nightmare teleported back to her chambers. For a moment, she simply looked around her study, taking in the bookshelves, then her desk. She turned around and walked into her bedchambers to look at her bed.

She remembered when both Twilight and her had slept together, and she remembered watching Twilight fall asleep in her own bed. Her wings bristled at her sides; she shook the thought from her mind and walked out onto the balcony, then sat down and draped her forehooves over the railing to look out at Ponyville, and the plains between Canterlot and the small, quaint village.

Large swaths of the snow had melted, but the white snow was still there to serve as a reminder that winter wasn’t far gone. She remembered from before her banishment that by now, the pegasi would have melted all of the snow that covered those plains, and yet now it took longer and more effort.

She didn’t want to admit it, but she still knew it was, in part, her own fault.

Perhaps she was a fool. The night was not the day, the moon, not the sun. But what could she do that others could not?

Bring back the sun?

Free Sister?

She shook the thoughts from her mind, and though she longed for Twilight’s company, she set her gaze on the training grounds to watch the Royal Guards and Batponies train the recruits.

Oatmeal was such a bland breakfast. Nightmare Moon pondered the thought as she looked down at her bowl of oatmeal and chewed on some of it. ‘Perhaps I should try something else another time.’

“Make sure you tell Twilight happy birthday for me,” Cadance said.

Nightmare paused chewing for a moment to look at Cadance. She swallowed, then asked, “Are you not coming?”

Cadance smiled softly. “Shining’s working, so since he can’t come, I’m going to stay and keep him company.”

Nightmare considered it for a few seconds, then gradually nodded. “I see.” ‘Are you simply saying that so that I get the opportunity to go alone to visit Twilight?’ she wondered. “Since... you are going to be staying in Canterlot,” she ventured, gradually sitting up straighter, “would you be willing to... tend to my duties?”

Cadance raised and eyebrow and hummed softly. “Planning on leaving early, are we?”

The playfulness in her Niece’s voice, combined with that playful glint in her Niece’s eye, made Nightmare fidget where she sat. “I am considering it. I... do not know when I should go. She said it is after midnight and I do not want to arrive too early and... be a burden on her, as it were, but... I do not want to be late, either.”

Cadance hummed thoughtfully. “You have a few hours to make up your mind.”

“I suppose I do,” Nightmare agreed.

“Is your quill ready?” Cadance asked.

Nightmare nodded, thinking about the case that she kept the quill in and where she had hidden it. “It is.”

Cadance smiled fondly.

“Do you... think there is anything else I should bring? Or... do?” Nightmare asked.

Cadance looked off at the wall for a long while, then looked back at her with her usual warmth. “Well, you’re planning to ask to date Twilight, right?”

“Court her, yes,” Nightmare swiftly corrected.

Cadance hummed. “Just be sure that you’re going to be able to actually ask. Don’t get cold hooves.”

Nightmare shifted uncomfortably and swallowed. “I shall... try...” she muttered.

“And try to relax and enjoy it,” Cadance added with an encouraging smile.

Nightmare timidly bowed her head once.

A knock came from the door; she turned to face the door, and a moment later, it opened to let a batpony walk inside. He closed the door behind him and bowed. “Your Majesty?”

“What is it?”

He rose from his bow. “You wanted anything unusual from Manehattan reported to you immediately. One of the patrols is late to return.”

Nightmare grimaced. ‘Perhaps I should have been more specific with my wording.’ Still, a patrol was late to return? The thought made her frown. “Which patrol?”

“One of the Wonderbolt patrols, your Majesty,” he answered.

‘Of course, it’s the Wonderbolt patrol that’s late.’ Nightmare held in a groan and shook her head. “I see. Very well. Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“Captain Spitfire already deployed a second patrol ahead of schedule to look for them, your Majesty.”

“I see. Is there any reason to suspect anything is amiss?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. Would you like the transcript of her report?”

Nightmare considered the idea but dismissed it. “No, but keep me informed of any further developments.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” he said as he bowed again. After he finished bowing, he turned to leave.

Nightmare pursed her lips. “Have a detachment of Royal Guard unicorns and a detachment of pegasi on alert in case... in case they are needed.”

He faced her and bowed again. “I will see to it, your Majesty.” He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

“Expecting trouble..?” Cadance ventured, her voice more cautious than warm.

“I—” Nightmare turned to face Cadance and take in her Niece’s frown, “—have my concerns. It is probably nothing, yet... it was a Wonderbolt patrol that is late. Late enough to warrant reporting. Even with the night and knowing they are not quite as skilled as I would prefer, the pair should have no trouble with this task.” She turned away from Cadance. “I shall... have to keep an eye on this.”

“You’re still going to visit Twilight, aren’t you?” Cadance asked.

Nightmare grimaced but nodded. “Yes. I do not particularly want for this to cause problems tonight, given that it is Twilight’s birthday... but if it is something I need to deal with...” she trailed off, picturing Twilight’s disappointment if she had to leave in the middle of her friend’s celebration.

“Do you want me to keep an eye on it for you?” Cadance offered. “If anything important comes up, I can let you know.”

Nightmare looked to Cadance and begrudgingly nodded. “Very well... Perhaps it is nothing. Perhaps I am simply anxious. I did expand their patrol area. Perhaps they simply got lost...”

“I guess we’ll know in a few hours,” Cadance said.

“Yes...” Nightmare tentatively agreed. “I am still... uneasy about this. I suspect something is wrong, but...” she trailed off and breathed in while shaking her head. “Perhaps I am simply anxious.”

“Because of Twilight,” Cadance put in.

“Yes,” Nightmare admitted. “I... perhaps worry that now is not the right time to... ask her,” she muttered. “It could be... rather poorly timed. I know that it is her birthday, but given the Changeling threat, the attempt on your life—” Cadance frowned, “—everything which has happened lately, and this development... I feel that asking to court her will only cause... problems.”

“Don’t back out now,” Cadance comforted. “It’s something you want. You might be the Queen, but you’re unhappy.”

Nightmare looked at Cadance. ‘You know me too well. Both of you do...’

“And she makes you happy. Happier than being Queen, and happier than your night.”

Nightmare grimaced and turned away from Cadance. “So she does...”

A few seconds passed in mutual silence.

“But—”

“Ask her,” Cadance coaxed.

Nightmare hesitated, then inclined her head. “I will,” she stated. “I just... I have my concerns—”

“And your worries, and your fears,” Cadance softly added.

Nightmare held in a groan but bowed her head in agreement. “So I do.”

Cadance climbed out of her chair, then walked around. She watched her Niece’s approach until Cadance hugged her. She didn’t have the immediate worry that it was an attack, she didn’t feel the instinct to fight back. She let Cadance hug her and begrudgingly leaned into her Niece’s hug.

A year ago, she knew she wouldn’t have. Cadance wouldn’t have hugged her a year ago. A year ago, she wouldn’t have given much thought to Twilight’s birthday. Twilight wouldn’t have invited her a year ago.

‘I have changed so much...’ Yes, and she owed that to Twilight. Perhaps Twilight was right, perhaps giving ponies a chance was worth the risk. For what was the alternative? Constant brooding, constant isolation, constant bitterness and anger? They were poison to her! They stifled her joy, stole away her happiness. How was it any different from her banishment? Only now she had the power to not be locked away and isolated.

Cadance pulled out of the hug. “If you need any more advice on how to talk to Twilight, I’d be happy to help.”

Nightmare breathed in and bowed her head. “Thank you. I shall keep this in mind, but... I suppose I shall find out for myself. I shall... visit her in a few hours.”

‘Should I arrive with my gift, or give it to her later this evening?’ Nightmare Moon wondered as she sat on her balcony, staring out towards Ponyville.

She hoped Twilight would appreciate it, and if Twilight would appreciate it, then she thought it wouldn’t matter when she gave it to Twilight. She felt more inclined to wait until later, that way Twilight’s friends had hopefully departed so that she could give Twilight her gift in private. Of course, there was still the matter of Thorax and Spike. They would likely be there no matter what, meaning they wouldn’t quite have the privacy she wanted.

‘I suppose I could... ask to speak with Twilight in private. Yes, I could do that... perhaps in her bedroom, or on her balcony?’ she mused. Yes, that could work. It wouldn’t be exactly what she wanted, but it was close enough. She could give Twilight her gift, then ask to court her.

‘Twilight Sparkle, if you are not so opposed to it, may I court you?’

She squirmed at the thought; her chest and throat felt tight. ‘No. No, too formal. She is my friend. We are close.’

‘Twilight, would you be opposed to my courting you?’

She grimaced. ‘That sounds too much as if I am not asking to court you.’

And what of her gift? Was a simple quill truly the best gift she could come up with? Even if it was one of her feathers, it was still just a quill, no matter how ornate. Would Twilight find some meaning in it, some deeper appreciation like she hoped, in that the quill was one of her feathers?

And what of Twilight’s friends? Would they see the quill and realize it was one of her feathers? Out of all of them, she suspected only Rarity would realize if she saw the quill. Would Twilight admit to her friends that they were courting—if she accepted? And what then? How would things change? How would that sour their friendship? Or would Twilight keep it a secret from her closest friends—

‘Are they your closest friends? Or am I your closest friend?’ The thought brought her pondering and worrying to a sudden stop. ‘Shining Armor is my best friend,’ she remembered Cadance saying.

She thought back on their relationship, how close and open they were with each other. Twilight had undoubtedly shared things with her that she wouldn’t have shared with her friends; Twilight had already told her that she had not told her friends about moving the moon together. ‘You... trust me more than them, don’t you?’

She tensed at the thought, feeling as if she had been stabbed. ‘I... why would you trust me that much?’ To everypony else, no matter how much she tried, they wouldn’t trust her the same way Twilight did. And not a single one of them would put their life on the line for her, barring the batponies and perhaps the Royal Guards and soldiers, while Twilight already had.

‘Perhaps I am your closest friend,’ she mused. ‘But I will not force you to choose between me and the rest of your friends.’ It would be too unfair on Twilight. Even if the world had forever been unfair to her, she would not in turn force that onto Twilight.

She hoped she wouldn’t, at least.

She steeled herself against the uncertainty, against the fear and worry and anxiety: Twilight was worth it.

She breathed in deep, then slowly rose to stand. She bowed her head, then summoned her magic and teleported to Twilight’s library.

Nightmare looked around to briefly take in the changes to the library. A few banners hung from the tops of bookshelves, crossing the room, adorned with little golden stars and the familiar starburst of Twilight’s cutie mark. A table was set out in the middle of the room, with punch, cupcakes, and snacks, while a large cake set in the center. Spike, Thorax, and Twilight were notably absent, but Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were present, both setting up before her arrival interrupted them.

“Hiya, Nightmare Moon!” Pinkie happily greeted her, bouncing over to stand in front of her and look up at her with a cheerful smile. “Twilight said you’d be coming but she didn’t know when you’d be here. I think you’re here earlier than she expected but I know she’ll be glad to see you here! Can I get you anything? Punch? Cupcake?”

Nightmare looked away from the Bearer of Laughter to search again for her friend, who remained just as missing as before. “No, thank you.” She shifted her weight and looked back down at Pinkie Pie. “Is Twilight not here?”

“Oh! She’s upstairs right now but since you’re here I expect her to bounce down those stairs any second now!” Pinkie declared.

She set her gaze on the loft door and nodded once. “I see. And the rest of you are not yet here?”

“They should be here shortly! Rainbow and I are here to help her set up! Thorax and Spike are out doing something, but they didn’t seem to want to say what that something was.”

“I see.” She looked back at Pinkie, then looked over at Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus hesitated for a moment, then finished tying up another banner before landing. “So... You actually showed up, huh?”

Nightmare tilted her head to the side. “I would not so easily miss Twilight’s birthday party.” A grimace wormed its way onto her lips, so she turned her gaze away from Rainbow Dash to look at the bookshelf opposite of her as Pinkie bounced back to work. “Though I must admit I am... perhaps uncomfortable being here...” she turned back to Rainbow and nodded once. “’Tis for Twilight.” She fluffed her wings apprehensively.

Rainbow nodded slowly, squinting at her skeptically. “Right.”

Nightmare shifted her weight again. “We are—” ‘Why am I asking this?’ “—good, yes?”

Rainbow’s muzzle scrunched up for a moment, then relaxed. “Yeah, I guess. Your permanent night sucks—”

Nightmare’s wings bristled at her side in agitation and her muscles tightened.

“—but Twilight’s willing to vouch for you, and, well, you were pretty cool when you were fighting the changelings.” Rainbow shifted her weight and looked to the side, lifting her right foreleg up to scratch the back of her mane. “And like, you were helping us.” The pegasus managed to set her forehoof back on the floor and look at her. “So... yeah...” Rainbow flapped her wings and hovered in the air so that they were eye to eye. “Twilight means a lot to you, huh?”

Nightmare grimaced and turned her head to the left. “She does,” she breathed out. ‘More than you realize.’ She managed to face Rainbow to say, “She is my only friend.” She hesitated for a moment, pondering whether what she wanted to add was a mistake or not. In the end, she decided to admit, “She is my best friend.”

Rainbow’s eyes flicked off to the side and her wingbeats slowed. A few seconds passed while the pegasus gradually landed, still thinking about what she had said. Eventually, Rainbow looked back up at her. “If it wasn’t for the way Twilight talks about you and defends you, and seeing how you actually seem to care about her, I wouldn’t believe that.”

Nightmare grimaced and looked to the loft again. ‘You have not come down yet? Perhaps I should come up to you.’

“Especially with how you acted when you came back from the moon,” Rainbow put in.

Nightmare looked back at Rainbow. “I... do not believe I am that same pony now.” ‘I am not.’ Was she even still Nightmare Moon? She had been born to take vengeance on her Sister for Luna’s death. And that vengeance was hollow. Now what?

She held in a sigh and shook her head. “I suppose I shall go visit Twilight now, unless she doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Eh, it should be fine,” Rainbow answered casually.

“I see.” Nightmare walked over to the stairs, then climbed up to the loft and stopped at the door to knock. “Twilight?”

Almost instantly, the door glowed with Twilight’s raspberry aura and opened. The now-young-mare was closing a book and hopping down from her bed, looking at her with a friendly smile.

Twilight looked the same she had as always, yet looking at Twilight now, she felt that Twilight was somehow different, though knew it was simply herself. ‘I will ask to court you later tonight,’ she thought as she watched Twilight walk towards her, setting the book on the nightstand. The thought must have contributed to how she looked at Twilight; the young mare was intimidating, despite her open, genuinely friendly appearance.

What chance did she truly have?

A hint of concern crossed Twilight’s expression as the young mare frowned at her. “Are you all right?”

“Ah, yes...” Nightmare shifted her weight and looked at the door to the balcony, contemplating what she had in mind for later tonight. “I am...” ‘What am I to say?’ “I am... I am just... I am not used to this.”

Nightmare mentally kicked herself and looked back at Twilight.

Her friend came to a stop in front of her and leaned over to nuzzle her. “It’ll be okay,” Twilight comforted.

Nightmare leaned down and returned the nuzzle.

“You’re probably worried that the rest of my friends will be uncomfortable with you being here, right?” Twilight guessed.

“That is... part of it,” Nightmare answered guardedly.

Twilight broke the nuzzle and took a step back. Nightmare reluctantly lifted her head back up and met Twilight’s gaze. Warmth, happiness, and excitement filled the young mare’s gaze, reminding her of the days of her youth with her Sister. “It’ll be okay,” came Twilight’s soft promise.

“I... hope so.” Nightmare shifted her weight uncomfortably and turned around. “I... do not want to ruin this night for you.”

Twilight walked out of the bedroom and stood at her side. “You won’t. Just... relax. None of us want to hurt you. Give them a chance.”

Nightmare grimaced. “I suppose... perhaps I have been negligent regarding your friends...” she muttered.

Twilight flashed her a warmer, encouraging smile. “Spike and Thorax will be back with the rest of the girls soon. You’re welcome to have some punch and snacks until they get here.”

Nightmare nodded once. “I shall keep that in mind.”

Twilight started down the stairs and she followed a few steps back.

“I did not interrupt you, did I?” Nightmare asked as they walked down the stairs.

Twilight glanced back at her for a moment to say, “It’s fine,” and then Twilight returned to looking ahead so she didn’t fall. “I should probably come down now anyway instead of spending all night up there reading...” Twilight’s voice came higher pitched as if she were embarrassed by it, and for some reason, a touch of a smile came to Nightmare’s lips from hearing it.

Twilight walked over to the table while she followed, and Pinkie bounced over. “It looks great, Pinkie,” Twilight said.

“Thanks!” Pinkie beamed.

Rainbow swooped down and landed at Pinkie’s side. “Anything else you need, Twilight?”

Twilight looked around the room before looking at Rainbow Dash again and shaking her head. “I don’t think so. Thank you for helping set up.”

Rainbow grinned. “No problem!”

Nightmare shifted her weight. “If I may ask—” all three of them looked at her, “—I have not been to a birthday party in...” She decided to skip to the important part. “I do not know what to expect.”

“Oh, well that’s easy!” Pinkie declared, bouncing over and leaning up against her chest in a manner that made her uncomfortable. “We’re here to hang out and celebrate with Twilight! We’re gonna party, and play games, and enjoy the punch and cupcakes and cake and company! Ooooh! And later we’ll give Twilight our gifts! Say, did you bring Twilight a gift?”

Nightmare hesitated under Pinkie’s smiling gaze. “I... have one for her, yes,” she admitted. “Though... I was planning to give it to her later, in private.”

Twilight’s ears perked up and she looked at Nightmare with intrigue; Nightmare saw her friend’s gaze drop to her shoulder for a moment while her smile flickered. Both the look and the flicker in her smile passed quickly, and Twilight looked up at her again.

More eager? More hopeful? Yet more nervous?

Something felt off about it, and whatever it was that she couldn’t place made her feel more anxious about tonight.

Nightmare turned her head to face Twilight and looked over the young mare’s face and back, doing her best to put her worry aside. Yes, Twilight shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. And perhaps more telling, Twilight fidgeted on her hooves and looked over at the table. “Yes, um, well, Midnight said she was going to be here sometime too.” Twilight looked back up at her, smiling sheepishly.

“I see. You two have kept in contact?”

“Yes,” Twilight answered, nodding. “I did say that we’re friends.”

“So you did...” Nightmare breathed out as she turned back to look at Rainbow Dash. ‘I suppose I should find somewhere out of the way to sit and wait.’ She looked at the table and levitated a cup up, then filled it with punch and took one of the dozens of cupcakes in her magic, then looked at Twilight’s friends and finally the young mare herself to give each of them short nods before walking over to one of the bookshelves and sitting down.

The punch was cool, fruity, and smooth, though perhaps too rich, much like the cupcake was too sweet for her liking, though not enough that she would set it aside.

Twilight walked over to her. “Mind if I join you?”

“Please do,” Nightmare answered.

Twilight sat down at her right side with a smile. She contemplated wrapping her wing around Twilight’s back but thought better of it since Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were present, and the rest of Twilight’s friends could arrive any time.

Still, that didn’t stop Twilight from leaning up against her side; the urge to wrap Twilight in her wing’s embrace grew that much stronger, but she refused to give in. “I wasn’t expecting you to come this early,” Twilight said.

Nightmare grimaced. “I did not come too soon, did I? I was unsure of when—”

Twilight leaned away from her to look up at her. “No, it’s fine. I’m just glad you came.”

‘Did you doubt that I would come?’ Nightmare wondered, and the thought did not sit well with her. “I would... endeavor not to miss this night. It is special for you. It is important.” ‘For both of us.’

Twilight regarded her contemplatively for several seconds, then turned her head to look at the bookshelf across from them. “You still would, though,” Twilight said. The young mare turned back to face her and meet her gaze. “If something important came up.”

Nightmare turned away from Twilight. “It would have to be very important, but yes. Though I would miss being here for you.”

She heard the door open and turned to look. Spike walked inside, calling, “Twilight, we’re back!” before noticing the two of them sitting together. “Oh, hey Twilight. Nightmare Moon.”

Thorax followed Spike inside, his wings twitching eagerly up until he heard Spike announce Nightmare’s name and noticed her squint at him, causing him to come to a complete stop a for a moment. His wings twitched once, then he continued on inside. Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Midnight followed him inside, each of them carrying wrapped presents, or in Midnight’s case, a pair of saddlebags situated on her back.

Midnight grinned at Twilight, then looked at Nightmare and gave a single nod which she returned in kind.

Twilight stood up and walked over to greet each of her friends with a hug. “Hey girls.”

“Happy birthday, Twilight,” Applejack said while squeezing her student.

“Thank you,” Twilight murmured.

Nightmare watched the process continue, and Twilight finally hugged Midnight. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too!” Midnight replied, eagerly returning the hug. “And happy birthday!”

Twilight pulled back. She didn’t need to see Twilight’s face to know her friend was smiling.

Applejack and Fluttershy gradually walked over to her, so she turned to look at them. Fluttershy hesitated when she faced them, but managed to overcome it and walk the rest of the way. They came to a stop; she nodded in acknowledgment. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here, to be honest.”

“I am committed to Twilight,” Nightmare replied evenly. “She is my student and my best friend.”

Applejack nodded warily. “Yeah, I guess... She does speak highly of you. More highly than I think she should.”

Nightmare grimaced but said nothing.

Applejack walked away, leaving Fluttershy there. “Is-is there anything you can do about the, um, weather?” the timid pegasus meekly asked. “If-if, um, it’s okay to ask,” she trailed off shyly, lowering her head and hiding behind her mane.

Nightmare tentatively nodded. “I do not mind.”

Fluttershy peeked out from behind her mane to look up at Nightmare. “It’s um, not good for the animals.” She quickly looked over at Applejack, who stood beside Rainbow Dash. “Or-or the um, trees.” Fluttershy looked back at Nightmare. “The cold is... it’s not really Spring. And um, the snow still on the ground in some places... I know that the weather pegasi are working on it, but, um... there really shouldn’t still be snow on the ground by now.” Fluttershy averted her gaze.

Nightmare grimaced. “I do not know,” she admitted. “Perhaps I can see if the weather pegasi need anything...” she trailed off in thought, briefly pondered whether it was a waste of military assets to deploy pegasi to assist them. Ultimately, given the threats faced by Equestria, it seemed like a misallocation of resources. Still, she had noticed the issue as well. “I shall... investigate this, then.”

“Thank you. I know we would all appreciate it if you could do something about it,” Fluttershy hastily mumbled, then made her way over to the refreshments table.

Twilight sat back down at her side. “So, when are we going on a picnic with Fluttershy?”

Nightmare’s lips pulled into a line. “I do not know.”

The door opened again, except this time some large blue cylinder rolled inside. Her expression blanked as she recognized Pinkie’s ‘party cannon’ and everypony else took note of it. Pinkie wheeled it inside and shut the door.

Nightmare felt her chest tighten; firing it off inside didn’t seem like a good idea, and the brief glance around revealed that the rest of them, barring Midnight, shared her sentiment.

“Let’s get this party started!”

And then it was too late for her to do anything. She barely started to stand up before the cannon went off with a sound she couldn’t place, flooding the air with confetti and streamers that almost reminded her of the night sky, if it were tangible and within reach.

The air sparkled as Pinkie cackled for joy while it all rained down on them. Rainbow started to laugh first, followed by a slight giggle from Rarity and a coo from Fluttershy. Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head as the rest of them joined in on the quiet laughter.

Confetti and streamers landed in everypony’s manes, on their backs, and on their muzzles. Twilight went cross-eyed as one of the streamers landed across her muzzle. Nightmare smiled a little and finally stood up, pre-empting Twilight lighting her horn to remove it by reaching out with her wing to carefully brush it off of her friend’s nose.

Twilight glanced at her. For the briefest moment, Nightmare thought she saw a glint from Cadance’s eyes in Twilight’s eyes.

And in an instant, it was replaced by confusion as Pinkie appeared between them, pulling them into a hug, and had a party hat placed atop both their heads. “Tehe! Your mane almost looks like hers now, Twilight! And yours is even more sparkly!”

Despite her scrutiny, Nightmare didn’t see what Pinkie saw in Twilight’s mane. Still, her mind briefly wandered to envision what she would look like if she had an ethereal mane.

Breaking the illusion a moment later, Twilight summoned her magic and picked the streamers and confetti out of her mane. “Well, I sure hope none of that confetti got in the cake or punch...”

Pinkie gaped at Twilight. “Of course it didn’t, silly! I’d never do something like that to cake! Here, come see!” Pinkie grabbed Twilight and rushed her over toward the table. Nightmare watched her best friend get dragged off. For a fleeting moment, Twilight looked back at her.

‘I don’t like you being taken away from me...’

Twilight looked away from her as Pinkie turned her attention to the treats and drink. From Nightmare’s own passing scrutiny, she didn’t notice any of the confetti or streamers having fallen on the treats, or even the table for that matter.

Rainbow Dash shook her head vigorously, sending a few streamers twirling to the floor as Applejack, who had been spared the onslaught, approached her.

“So, did you get it all set up?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash grinned and hovered in place. “Yep!”

Applejack returned Rainbow’s grin. “Good. I hope you look forward to losing again, Dash.”

Rainbow scoffed at Applejack. “As if!”

“And how are you tonight?”

Nightmare blinked and turned her attention to Rarity. The mare’s approach had gone unnoticed. She frowned momentarily, realizing that she had been distracted, but put it aside to nod to the unicorn. “I suppose I am all right.”

“Well, that’s good,” Rarity commented amicably. “You’ve never been to a party like this before, have you?”

Nightmare tentatively shook her head. “No.”

Rarity frowned and nodded. “Yes, I suppose you would be more used to balls and galas, wouldn’t you?”

Nightmare breathed in and turned her attention back to watch Twilight talk with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. “Truth be told, I would not say I am more used to balls either. They were never my favorite occasion. They always seemed so frivolous and pointless. That—” Nightmare paused briefly to bow her head, then looked at Rarity before continuing, “—and ponies tended to avoid and ignore me.”

Rarity winced but quickly hid it. She shuffled on her hooves uncomfortably and gave a timid nod. “Yes, well... I suppose I can see how you wouldn’t appreciate that...”

“Hey, Nightmare?” Twilight’s voice. Nightmare turned to see Twilight and her companions had made their way from the confection table over to her. “We’re going to go outside to play a game. Would you like to join us?”

Nightmare hesitated, noticing that all of them were looking at her. She shifted her weight slightly and shuffled her wings. “I do not know...” ‘Try to relax and enjoy it,’ she remembered Cadance saying. “A game?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Yes, ponyshoe toss. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with it or not. It’s not that complicated. You might enjoy it.”

“I... suppose I could give it a try,” Nightmare muttered.

“Great!” Twilight smiled a little more. “Come on.” She turned and not-quite pranced to the door, followed quickly by Rainbow Dash and Midnight, then Applejack and Fluttershy, with Thorax, Pinkie, and Spike trailing behind them.

“Well, I suppose since everyone is heading outside I should accompany you as well,” Rarity mused.

Nightmare briefly glanced at Rarity before following after the group. Rainbow quickly took the lead, flying around to the back of the library where, she presumed, the game was set up.

Three short metal poles had been driven into the ground some distance apart, while a box with ponyshoes was set nearer the library.

She decided that the best course of action for her was to observe at first. The game’s initial participants—Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Midnight, and Pinkie Pie—all lined up to take turns.

Twilight, being the birthday mare, went first, lifting one of the metal shoes with her magic, then setting it on her hoof and looking over at Nightmare for a moment before turning her attention back to the posts. She gauged the shoe’s weight in her hoof before tossing it towards the metal posts. The shoe sailed off course to the left slightly and passed over the first post to land in the grass about halfway to the second post.

“Not bad for a first try of the night,” Rainbow commented casually.

“Oh, you just wanted her to go first so you looked better in comparison,” Applejack commented.

Rainbow huffed. “Hey, It’s Twilight’s birthday, she should go first.”

Twilight merely rolled her eyes and smiled as she lifted a second ponyshoe up and placed it in her hoof. She squinted downrange and then tossed the shoe. It struck the first pole near the top and dropped to the ground.

“Not bad!” Midnight cheered.

“I think she could get some more distance if she tried...” Rainbow commented.

“We’ll see,” Twilight replied as she levitated the last shoe up to her hoof. With a quick flick of her hoof, the last shoe sailed over the first pole and landed at the base of the second pole. “Hah!”

“Nice!” Midnight complemented, giving Twilight a little hoofbump.

“Three points for Twilight. You’re up Rainbow,” Applejack announced.

Twilight smiled in victory as she levitated the three ponyshoes back to the box, then trotted over to stand beside Nightmare and Rarity.

“So... is that good?” Nightmare questioned.

“Well, it’s not great. The goal is to get the ponyshoes around the posts. The first post is worth one point, the second is worth two, and the third is worth three,” Twilight explained.

Nightmare nodded as she observed Rainbow Dash tossing the first shoe. It struck the second pole and dropped to the ground. “I see... I take it Rainbow Dash and Applejack are more practiced with this game?”

The second shoe just barely missed the top of the middle pole. “Yes,” Twilight stated.

The third shoe hit the middle pole off-center and spun around as it dropped to the ground.

“All right, four points for Rainbow Dash,” Applejack announced as she stepped up to the box while Dash swooped off to gather up the ponyshoes with a triumphant grin.

“Beat that!” Rainbow challenged as she dropped the shoes into the box.

“I will,” Applejack stated with a smirk. She confidently picked up the first shoe, tossed it up in the air once, then launched it sailing over the first and second pole to land perfectly at the base of the third.

Rainbow squinted unhappily, which grew even more pronounced as Applejack looked at her smugly.

The second shoe completely overshot the last pole, which made Applejack and Rainbow swap expressions. Perhaps out of an abundance of caution, Applejack threw the last shoe short, ringing it on the middle pole. “Five points,” she announced.

“Three shoes does not give much room for error...” Nightmare muttered as Applejack collected the shoes.

“Well, we’ll be taking turns for a few rounds and then tally up who wins,” Twilight explained.

“Ah. I see.”

Midnight lifted the first shoe and tossed it awkwardly. It tumbled through the air and landed between the last second and last poles. The second shoe landed between the first and second, and the last shoe landed around the first pole.

“One point for Midnight... I take it she has not played before?” Nightmare mused.

“I think she’s played it before, just not very often,” Twilight commented.

Pinkie grabbed one shoe and threw it, barely missing the third pole. Rainbow Dash winced when the second shoe landed perfectly at the third pole’s base. For the last shoe, Pinkie took her time, closing one eye and sticking her tongue out of her mouth in concentration before tossing the shoe to the third pole.

“Six points for Pinkie Pie, no surprise there,” Applejack muttered, finishing with a sigh.

“Oh come on, how did you do that!” Rainbow complained.

Pinkie grinned and bounced out to collect the shoes. “Pie family secret!” she happily declared.

Twilight looked around NIghtmare. “Spike? Thorax? You two want to give it a try?”

Spike shook his head. “No thanks.”

“I could try,” Thorax droned. His wings tittered for a moment and he slowly flew over to the box. He lifted the first shoe with his magic and placed it on his hoof. “It’s lighter than I expected,” he commented. His eyes jumped to the three poles.

He tossed the first shoe too cautiously and it fell before reaching the first pole.

The second shoe veered off course and landed far to the right of the second pole, and the third shoe managed to ring around the middle pole.

Nightmare squinted as the changeling smiled, his wings quickly twitching at his sides.

“Good job!” Pinkie cheered, grabbing Thorax and hugging him.

Thorax looked at Pinkie with such an innocent, happy expression. His wings seemed to catch the moonlight as they spread out and fluttered a few times, almost sparkling.

‘I don’t understand you...’ Nightmare mused. Pinkie bounded out to collect the shoes and drop them in the box.

“You want to give it a try, Nightmare Moon?” Pinkie asked.

And yet again, everypony looked at her. Nightmare swallowed and licked her lips, quickly looking to Twilight for guidance. The young mare smiled and nodded her head encouragingly.

“Go ahead.”

“Ah... I suppose...” Nightmare mumbled unsurely. She gradually walked over to the box and stood where the rest of them had, then lifted the first shoe and set it in her hoof. The shoe didn’t have that much weight in it, but she could still feel it. Nodding to herself, she turned her attention to the three poles and decided to use the first shoe as an experiment. She tossed it, sending it over the first pole and just barely over the top of the second pole.

“Not bad...” Rainbow commented.

“I see...” Nightmare muttered as she lifted the second shoe. With a quick toss, she sent it over to the second pole. The shoe spun around before dropping to the base.

Clapping broke her focus. Glancing aside, she discovered it was Twilight.

Everypony else noticed too. Twilight quickly stopped, blushing and coughing into her hoof.

Nightmare smiled a little and turned her attention to the poles. ‘Perhaps I should try hitting the last one, then.’ She nodded to herself and placed the last shoe in her hoof. With a swift toss, she sent the shoe downrange. It flew over the first and second poles only to land shy of the last pole. She grimaced.

“Eh, not bad for a first time, Rainbow commented.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Applejack stated.

Nightmare shrugged as she collected the shoes with her magic and placed them in the box. She walked back towards her observation spot beside Spike and Rarity as Twilight walked over to the box once again.

“All right, round two... let’s see what you can do, Twilight,” Rainbow commented with smile.

The closing of the door signaled the end of the party, as the last of Twilight’s friends had left after cleaning up, aside from Thorax, Spike, and Midnight, who were staying in the library, and herself. Twilight stood at the door, smiling warmly yet tiredly, while Spike, Thorax, and Midnight occupied the kitchen to talk amongst themselves.

For her part, Nightmare Moon stood near the stairs, contemplatively watching Twilight while listening in to the quiet laughter coming from Spike and Midnight, mixed with the occasional ‘laugh’ or buzzing from Thorax.

Twilight finally broke from her stupor, then walked over to her.

“You seem to have enjoyed tonight,” Nightmare noted.

Twilight paused about midway over to her and smiled warmer, nodding. “Yep! It was great.” Twilight walked the rest of the way over to her, then stopped. “Thank you for coming here tonight. That means a lot to me,” her student said softly.

Nightmare breathed in deep, then bowed her head. “I... am... I suppose it was not...” she trailed off, pondering her thoughts and memories of the night while she lifted her head back up. “It went better than I expected,” she finally said. “It was... perhaps more enjoyable than I anticipated. I am glad that you enjoyed it.” She inclined her head to Twilight again.

A few seconds passed in a mutual, pleasant silence, yet she found her thoughts gradually twisting against her to betray her, making her mouth dry and her wings tense. She licked her lips, then glanced off to her right and teleported Twilight’s gift and levitated it over to her. She looked at Twilight and smiled. “Happy birthday.”

Twilight smiled playfully and took the gift in her own magic; the moment when their magic touched made her tense with anticipation, though her friend didn’t notice it. She watched Twilight study the gift, take in the bright blue, star-speckled wrapping paper, then tear open one end of it and look inside. A moment later, Twilight went ahead and unwrapped the gift all the way and scrutinized the case: mahogany with two silver latches on one side to keep the top secure.

Her friend unlatched both sides, then levitated the lid off and ran her eyes over the ornate quill. Twilight tilted her head, and she saw the young mare’s brow flick down for just a moment as her eyes ran over the gilded shaft. Twilight’s magic gently enveloped the quill and levitated it out to hold it upright. Another moment passed before Twilight looked at her.

At her wing. Then at her.

“This is one of your feathers, isn’t it?”

Nightmare shifted her weight uncomfortably and looked at the wall behind Twilight. “I... did not anticipate that...” ‘No... of course you would have noticed it so soon...’ She mentally kicked herself and straightened to hold herself rigid, then forced herself to look at Twilight.

“It’s beautiful,” Twilight said as she levitated the quill back into its case, then carefully closed the lid. The case teleported away with a crack, then Twilight stepped over and hugged her. “Thank you.”

Nightmare leaned down and set her neck against Twilight’s neck. “I... am glad that you appreciate it. I... did not know what to get you. I thought that... you might appreciate this. I... hoped you would appreciate it.”

“I do,” Twilight said, nuzzling her.

She returned the nuzzle. All too soon, Twilight pulled back. “I, ah, did not expect you would figure out so soon...”

Twilight smiled knowingly.

Midnight laughed particularly loudly, enough that she turned her head back to regard the kitchen, even though the three of them were out of sight. She swallowed and found her mouth dry. ‘Now or never...’ Nightmare breathed in deep, hoping to settle her nerves, as she turned back to face Twilight.

Fear could be a useful tool, one to keep ponies in line and one to paralyze her enemies into inaction. And yet now that tool was turned against her: her heart’s beating came slow and forceful enough that she felt it in her chest and neck, relentlessly. Her hooves felt cold, reminding her of the chill of winter yet worse. And perhaps worst of all, an uncomfortably twist in her gut.

‘She could say no.’

‘Am I going to ruin everything between us?’

‘Will you even want to be friends with me if I ask you?’

‘My birthday’s coming up soon,’ she remembered Twilight saying. But was it a hint? An invitation? Or was she deceiving herself?

“May we—” Nightmare faltered for a moment as her courage broke, just enough to force her to start over, just enough that Twilight frowned with concern and care, “—May we speak in private?”

Twilight nodded seriously, then turned and started up the stairs.

Nightmare forced herself to follow Twilight up to the loft. Once she was inside, Twilight turned around to face her and shut the door.

‘Now or never...’

‘I am such a bumbling fool.’

‘I am acting as a filly with a crush, or a lovesick puppy.’

‘Enough of this! Do not hesitate! Be decisive! I am not Luna!’

Regardless, one way or another, she would say it, and one way or another, Twilight would reply.

Even if that was by teleporting away from her.

Again.

‘No... you... you would not do that, would you?’ she worried.

‘No! Focus.’

Nightmare swallowed and licked her lips. “I would...” she trailed off. “May I...” she trailed off again and closed her lips. She blinked and simply watched Twilight watching her. Patiently and with concern and compassion.

‘All of my preparations are for naught, are they not?’

Nightmare breathed in deep, then bowed her head and looked at the floor. It seemed to help, now that she didn’t have to look Twilight in the eye. “If you are not opposed,” she proposed, bowing her head deeper.

Thump.

Nightmare forced herself to lift her head back up to meet Twilight’s gaze. “I would... like to court you.”

Thump.

The worry on Twilight’s face lifted, and in its place, the young mare smiled. “Yes.”

Nightmare’s body tensed. Of course Twilight would reject her. Such was her fate, as always. “I understand, I sh—wait you said yes?”

Twilight nodded calmly.

“I...” Twilight actually accepted? What was there for her to say? “You are... You are certain?” Again, Twilight nodded calmly. ‘Were you expecting me to ask? Did you want me to ask?’

“I’ve uh—” Twilight looked off to her right, “—given it a lot of thought.” Twilight looked at the floor, but she could see her friend smiling sheepishly. “I... said I was willing to try. To give it...” Twilight turned back to face her and meet her gaze. “Um, you, a chance.”

Nightmare felt so relieved: a crushing weight had been lifted from her chest, one she didn’t realize had been there. As light as a feather, perhaps lighter, and yet for Twilight having said, ‘Yes’ there was still much for them to talk about. “I... have never courted anypony before,” she mumbled.

Twilight winced. “I uh, haven’t either... which—” Twilight started nodding as she looked to her right again, ”—which... is probably obvious.”

A moment passed in silence. “I... do not know what to do,” Nightmare admitted.

Twilight looked back at her, smiling awkwardly. “I don’t either.”

Nightmare shifted on her hooves. “I... suppose we shall have to figure this out for ourselves then,” she pondered aloud.

Twilight nodded, then stopped and bobbed her head to the right. “Or ask Cadance.”

“Or ask Cadance,” Nightmare echoed. She could readily picture that mad glint in her niece’s eyes if they asked for help.

A few seconds passed in silence. She looked left, then right, avoiding Twilight’s gaze. “And you are certain of your decision? I will not hold it against you if—”

Twilight closed the distance and hugged her, setting her head on Nightmare’s neck. “I’m sure.”

Nightmare gradually looked down at Twilight’s back, then reluctantly leaned down and laid her head on Twilight’s withers, setting her neck against Twilight’s neck. She breathed in deep, then closed her eyes and sat down on her haunches, and Twilight mirrored her. Of course, there was something Twilight couldn’t do, at least not yet: she spread her wings out and wrapped them around Twilight’s back to simply hold her friend close.

There were easily a half-dozen things she could think of that she wanted to do now, but holding and hugging Twilight was among them, so she was content to lazily sit there and enjoy feeling Twilight against her bare chest. The gentle, rhythmic pulse of Twilight’s heart. The comforting, steady rise and fall of Twilight’s chest as she breathed. The wonderful richness of Twilight’s soft, silken fur. Twilight’s warmth.

She held Twilight tighter with her wings and nosed into Twilight’s mane, letting the scent of lavender and books and paper and Twilight’s friends relax her as they shared the silence together.

‘Perhaps... perhaps I am being too clingy...’ The thought stabbed at her mind, ruining the peace they shared. She grimaced and begrudgingly lifted her head from Twilight’s withers, which seemed to startle Twilight into pulling back as well.

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked, her concern having returned.

Nightmare grimaced and looked off to the left. ‘I am still holding her.’ She folded her wings back to her sides. “I... do not know,” she admitted. “There are...” she trailed off. ‘You said yes. You have proved so many times that I can trust you, and yet it is still so hard to be open with you about some things.’ She sighed and faced Twilight. “There are many things I would like to do with you now, but...” she trailed off, her lips pulling into a rigid line. She shook her head and avoided Twilight’s gaze. “I feel that I cannot, or that I should not, or that they are improper.”

“Why?”

Nightmare looked back at Twilight and found her frowning curiously. She opened her mouth to speak, only to find herself hesitating, so she closed her lips to ponder her answer. “There are many reasons,” she finally settled on. “But... but enough of this. There are other things we should discuss.”

Twilight recoiled and her frown sharpened. “What?”

‘Dammit...’ Nightmare winced. Yes, that hadn’t come out as she intended. “I meant no offense...” she mumbled. “But... if we are to court—” saying it out loud still felt so jarring, “—I suppose there are things we should discuss. So that... we do not... misunderstand each other.”

Twilight’s frown gradually settled down. “Oh. Yes, um... I think that would be a good idea. Would um, you like to... sit on the balcony and talk about it?”

Nightmare tentatively nodded. “I... would not be opposed to that.”

Twilight smiled, then stood up and walked to the balcony. The gentle glow of Twilight’s aura lit the balcony as her friend opened the door, momentarily illuminating the balcony before slipping back into the darkness cast by the barren tree’s shadow. She followed Twilight outside and closed the door behind them. Twilight laid down, so she walked around and laid down at Twilight’s left side to blanket her friend with her right wing. Twilight scooted close to her, perhaps for shelter from the cold.

‘Where do I even begin?’ Nightmare felt at a loss. “I do not want to make you uncomfortable.”

“And you’re worried that you will,” Twilight guessed.

Nightmare hesitated a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

“Well, I can tell you if you do,” Twilight offered softly.

Nightmare grimaced. “Yes... I suppose that... would work. And yet...” she trailed off and looked up at the sky.

Yet what? She lowered her head to look out across the roofs of the buildings around them. “I do not want to push you away.” ‘Not again...’

“I don’t think that you will.”

Nightmare turned to look at Twilight.

“Why do you think you will?” Twilight asked curiously.

Nightmare turned away from Twilight, begrudgingly leaning her head to the left. “My past. Our past. You did nothing to deserve how I mistreated you when—”

Twilight nuzzled her neck, so she stopped. “I already told you that I forgave you for that.”

Nightmare reluctantly looked back at Twilight. “Yet that does not change the fact that I did it.” She looked at the railing. “And there is still the chance that it could happen again. I do not want to hurt you and I am afraid that I will. I am afraid I will end up pushing you away or that... you will... or...” she trailed off.

How did she word what she needed to be said? The only way she could think of was too blunt. “I do not know how to say it.”

Twilight waited patiently. Nightmare eventually managed to meet Twilight’s gaze. “I do not—” and she couldn’t keep eye contact as she spoke, “—want to be alone again.” She shook her head and fidgeted. “One thousand years alone on the moon.”

“I won’t just leave you—”

How Twilight tossed it around so carelessly! Nightmare faced Twilight, chastizing, “You do not know that. I could still snap and you might have no choice. I could end up hurting you or—”

Twilight nuzzled her again. “I know that you’re afraid of hurting me. You’ve said that a lot, Nightmare. But don’t push me away because you’re afraid of hurting me. And don’t just cut yourself off from other ponies because you’re afraid of being hurt again.”

Nightmare turned away from Twilight to look at the sky again. For the relief she felt from Twilight saying ‘Yes’ she now felt lost.

“You’re worth it,” Twilight said firmly.

Why would Twilight say that? Nightmare turned back to look at Twilight, frowning.

“I think that you’re too hard on yourself at times,” Twilight added thoughtfully.

Nightmare shook her head. “That does little to address my fears.”

Twilight’s brow folded down. “I’ve thought about this a lot since you told me that you have a crush on me. I know that you’re a deeply flawed pony, but I also know that you’re trying. I know you’re willing to try to make this work, and I’m willing to try to make this work too. I know that you like me and I like you too.”

Nightmare exhaled at length, her muscles slacking. “Work for what? For what purpose? Are we simply doing this to say that we are or... are we perhaps... testing the waters, as it were for... something... else? In the future.”

Twilight’s eyes flicked to her shoulder for a moment before returning to meet her gaze. “I don’t know where this will go, and I’m guessing you don’t know what you want out of this either, do you?”

Nightmare grimaced and fluffed her wings, only to squirm at how Twilight smiled in response. “I may... have some idea, though... perhaps it will pass,” she muttered.

“I’m willing to find out, though, if you are,” Twilight said.

Nightmare gradually nodded and breathed in. “I... do want to try. I... do want this to work out for us.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. She turned back to look at the town’s roofs. “Perhaps... it is too soon for me to say that.”

“I’m glad you’re being open and honest with me,” Twilight countered.

Nightmare glanced at Twilight to check her expression. Rather than concern and bewilderment as she expected to find, Twilight was smiling a small, hopeful smile. ‘You truly are so innocent.’ She breathed in deep and pulled Twilight tight into her side. “Yes, I suppose we need to be open and honest with each other to make this work.”

Twilight nuzzled her shoulder. “And, well, we already are.”

Nightmare nodded tentatively. “Do you...” She paused and tilted her head, then turned to face Twilight. “Is there anything that I should know, since we are courting? Or perhaps any—” she squinted at the thought, but it was necessary to ask, “—rules?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “I don’t think so. Like you said, we’ll figure this out as we go.”

“You are taking this much better than last time,” Nightmare noted.

Twilight shifted under her wing. “Right. Um. Yes. L-like I said, I had several months to think about this.”

Her friend was still nervous? Or was Twilight trying to hide something? “Did you truly think about it often?”

Twilight tossed her head to the right and looked away from Nightmare. “W-well, maybe not often but, um, a lot. I thought about you a lot. And, um, who you are. And—” Twilight hesitantly turned back to face her, and it came in a manner more befitting Fluttershy with how timid it was, “—who you’re trying to be.”

Nightmare frowned. “Who I am trying to be?”

Twilight nodded. “You know how much you’ve changed. You’re trying to change. And...” Twilight grimaced and turned away from her, breathing in forcefully. “I think you’re changing because of me.”

“I am,” Nightmare stated, yet Twilight’s grimace only grew.

Her friend turned back to look at her, to study her expression. “I give you a reason to change.”

“You do,” Nightmare agreed.

Twilight glanced at her shoulder, then faced the roof across from them. “Is that a good thing, though? If you’re only changing for me, what does that say about you? Or... about us?”

“I do not know,” Nightmare admitted. “You are worried that...” she trailed off, not quite sure what to say. She felt like she knew what Twilight meant, but she didn't know how to put it into words. “You... You are worried that if you are the only reason I am changing, that... I would revert to my old ways if... you decided to stop courting me, or stop being my friend?”

Twilight bowed her head and looked at the wooden floor. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve thought about that before.” Twilight looked up at her. “But I don’t know if that has anything to do with my choice or not.” And Twilight’s uncertainly was written in her eyes and lips. “I don’t want that...”

Nightmare gradually inclined her head once. “I see...” She glanced off at the railing, then looked up at the stars. “I am afraid that... you are only agreeing because... I am the Queen, and because... I have banished Celestia. And—” she lowered her head to face the floor, “—perhaps out of pity.”

“You know that’s not true,” Twilight quickly countered, her voice quiet as if hurt.

Nightmare reluctantly nodded. “Yet I am still afraid that is the case.” She tilted her head to look at Twilight. She didn’t have to look down at the young mare, rather, Twilight looked straight ahead into her eyes. Even with the uncertainty sparkling in Twilight’s eyes, something about it was comforting. Both of them had their fears and worries—and they could tell them to each other.

Nightmare felt a subtle breeze blow by, and Twilight shivered before looking to the right and pressing herself closer to Nightmare’s body. “You are cold?”

Twilight looked back at her and nodded. “Yeah. I uh, I know I grew up in Canterlot, but... it’s cold.”

Nightmare grimaced and stood up. “Very well. Perhaps we should return inside?”

Twilight stood up. “Yeah, I guess...”

Nightmare turned and opened the door for Twilight with her magic, then followed Twilight inside and shut the door behind them. She watched Twilight walk over and then climb onto her bed before laying down and looking over at her, pondering something.

“Do you, um... want to join me?”

Nightmare hesitated. “Join you?”

Twilight’s eyes went to the bed, and her friend’s head bobbed to the side before looking at her again. “On the bed. Or, um, in it. Under the blankets. Since... it would be warmer.”

Nightmare fluffed her wings and pointedly looked at the wall. “I... am...” She pursed her lips. ‘You do not mean... no, surely you do not...’ Ah, she couldn’t find it in herself to look at Twilight when she asked, “To clarify, you simply... desire for me to lay beside you, and nothing more, yes?”

Nightmare managed to look down at Twilight and see her muzzle scrunched up. “What do you-oh. Um. No. I just...” Twilight squirmed where she lay. “We’ve, um, laid together a lot. And... And, um—” Twilight looked at the bed, blushing slightly, “—I just think that it would be nice to lay together under the blankets, since it would be warmer, and we have done that together before. We’ve slept together—”

Nightmare could tell Twilight’s mind ground to a halt for a moment as she considered something. ‘No. Dammit. I should not have said anything.’ She grimaced, knowing the unintentional torment that she had forced upon Twilight yet again. She breathed in and leaned to the right, then gradually walked over to the bed and stroked her feathers over Twilight’s back. “I... do not think it would be wise for us to sleep together tonight, but... I can stay for a while.”

Twilight opened her eyes to see her, only to blink several times and shake her head.

“If you want, then yes, I will lay with you to keep you company and warm you,” Nightmare offered.

Twilight smiled awkwardly and rolled her head to the side, then stood from the bed and pulled the covers back before climbing back into the bed and laying down on her back and scooting aside to give her room.

Nightmare looked over the bed, remembering just how small it was compared to her own beds. Barely enough room for the two of them—if there was room for the two of them at all. She set her right forehoof on the bed, then climbed up and laid down beside Twilight, who nestled up against her side and pulled the bedsheets back over them.

Twilight squirmed where she lay, perhaps because of the bed’s chill stealing away her warmth, or perhaps because of the lingering thought. “Do you, um, have enough room?”

“I am fine,” Nightmare answered. “Are you?”

“Um, yes,” Twilight answered, “but, um, I forgot how small my bed is when it comes to you...”

“’Tis fine,” Nightmare dismissed. She shifted her weight around until she was comfortable enough, then stared up at the ceiling.

“You know, Thorax, Spike, or Midnight could walk in and see us like this,” Twilight stated.

“I am aware,” Nightmare agreed.

“I really didn’t think this through, did I?”

“You did not.”

A few seconds passed in peaceful silence.

“If you don’t want to do this then we don’t have to.”

“If you are not comfortable with this, I can leave the bed to you,” Nightmare replied.

“No, I just...” Twilight trailed off, letting out a short huff. “It’s not your bed. And maybe I’m nervous that they might see this.”

Nightmare grimaced. “So you share my fear of other ponies finding out about... about us,” she mused.

Twilight’s silence was a ‘Yes.’

“I am afraid ponies will find out and hurt you to hurt me, or... simply hurt you because of... this. If... you have... feelings for me.”

“I... guess I am a little worried about that,” Twilight whispered.

Nightmare tilted her head to look at Twilight and found her friend’s eyes already looking at her. ”Do you have feelings for me?”

Twilight immediately looked down at the bedsheets covering her own body. “I don’t know,” was Twilight’s quiet answer. Twilight’s eyes flicked back to her. “I think so. But I don’t know for sure. I know that I like you... I’m willing to try and find out.”

“Thank you.”

Twilight’s brow folded down. “You don’t need to thank me for that.” The young mare’s voice was so soft and forgiving that it made Nightmare’s ears pull back.

“I am grateful for... you giving me the chance, Twilight,” Nightmare elaborated. “Most ponies would not.”

Twilight looked at the bedsheets again and hesitantly nodded.

Nightmare watched Twilight for a few seconds longer, then looked back up at the ceiling. “I... must admit that... I do not think of you as my subject, or myself as your Queen. I have not in... a very long time. I would much rather call you my friend. My best friend. If... if I am being honest, I think of you more as my equal than anything else. Though...” she trailed off, grimacing as she remembered many of Twilight’s shortcomings. “Not in everything, I suppose, but I do not think myself better than you.”

Twilight shook her head. “I can’t think of myself as your equal. But... we’re friends.”

Nightmare breathed in and nodded. “And we are courting.”

“And we’re courting,” Twilight echoed.

A long while passed in mutual silence. It was a comfortable silence that left her to her thoughts, and though some were troubled by her worries and fears, she found that she didn’t feel weighed down like normal. Indeed, Twilight’s warmth and the gradual warming of the bed seemed to likewise help put her at ease, along with putting Twilight at ease.

“This is... nice,” Twilight finally said. “It’s peaceful.”

“It is,” Nightmare agreed. ‘Though I can think of other things I think we would enjoy more than this. Were we in my bed, this would be better too.’

“Earlier—if you don’t mind me asking—you said that there are things you want to do with me but feel like you can’t.”

Nightmare grimaced.

“What was it?” Twilight asked.

Nightmare squirmed where she laid, her body betraying her by showing Twilight how uncomfortable the prospect of explaining made her. “I would like to hold you while we lay together. I would like to carry you on my back as I fly, so that we can enjoy the night together. Perhaps lay on a cloud to watch the stars, or simply lay in a meadow together to enjoy the peace while we watch the stars. I would like to sleep with you as we have before. Perhaps move the moon with you again.”

“And why don’t you?”

Nightmare tilted her head to look at Twilight. Her expression was so genuinely soft and curious, open, without any condemnation.

“Feel like you can do any of that,” Twilight clarified after a moment of silence.

Nightmare breathed in and nudged her head back to face the ceiling. “I do not... I am afraid that I will push you away, or that it will be too much too soon. We have only... just started courting.”

“We’ve done all of that before—”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable—”

“All of that sounds nice.”

Nightmare frowned. “But it’s... perhaps not proper.”

“Why do you think that?” Twilight asked.

Nightmare tilted her head back to look at Twilight again.

“You don’t need to be afraid of pushing me away like that, or being open with me.”

Nightmare breathed in, then turned her head back to the ceiling and exhaled.

“We’ve already done all of that, and I’m not opposed to doing any of that more. Even just as friends. And we’re courting.”

Nightmare felt Twilight roll onto her side, facing her, and Twilight’s head came to rest on her chest while Twilight’s horn sat against her neck. She tentatively nudged her muzzle lower to look at Twilight. Still, even if Twilight was open to all of that, her worried remained. “I... do not want to take advantage of you,” she mumbled. “You are... you are a young mare now, but...”

Twilight looked up at her so innocently and patiently; she felt like she needed to turn away from Twilight’s gaze for how uncomfortable it made her.

“I do not want to manipulate you into doing anything you are not comfortable doing, and... I am afraid that I have, or that I will. I have... I have taken advantage of you before...”

Twilight frowned and nuzzled her. “Nightmare, I think you need to relax a little.”

“I am relaxed—”

“But you’re worrying too much,” Twilight countered.

Nightmare hesitated.

“You’re still afraid to be close to me, because you’re afraid of being hurt or hurting me.”

Nightmare looked away from Twilight, and Twilight nuzzled her.

“Please relax?”

“I do not know if I can,” Nightmare stated.

“You can, but you’re nervous,” Twilight pressed.

“Perhaps I am. I do not want to ruin... our friendship.” Nightmare looked down at Twilight, who met her gaze. “You are my only friend. I do not want to be alone again.”

“And you won’t be,” Twilight said firmly. “I want you to—” the confidence in Twilight’s voice faltered suddenly, “—um, hold me.”

Nightmare frowned at Twilight unsurely. “You do not sound sure of that.”

Twilight frowned. “I want you to, it’s just... um... not... something that I normally ask. Or... do. It’s... it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Nightmare breathed in and nodded in agreement. “Neither of us have... experience with that. Though... perhaps my youth with Celestia, but I suppose that would not count.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of being close to me,” Twilight murmured.

A few seconds passed where Nightmare looked out the window at the night sky, then she felt Twilight’s nose nudging her neck. She craned her head back to look at Twilight. “Hold me? Please?”

Nightmare slightly turned herself towards Twilight, then hesitated. “Are you certain?”

Twilight nodded.

Nightmare licked her lips and went to roll over, only to pause. “Very... well.” She shifted and rolled onto her side, facing Twilight, while Twilight shifted around until they ended up eye to eye, and she tensed from how close they were, from the way Twilight looked at her, from how her friend’s eyes, her marefriend’s eyes, caught the subtle glow of the magelight so, so perfectly.

Twilight blinked and shifted, then her marefriend laid her head upon her neck. The warmth against her neck finally broke her stupor, and she managed to unfold her right wing out to lay it over Twilight’s body while she slipped her left wing under Twilight’s body to embrace her.

“Um, is... is laying on your wing like this uncomfortable?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. It is fine,” Nightmare answered, curling her wings together around Twilight’s back to hold her close. She settled in and contemplated the way she held Twilight, and how Twilight held herself: her forelegs and hind legs were tucked in between their bodies, so they were not quite chest to chest. Though she would have preferred it if they were, she thought it likely that Twilight was uncomfortable with anything more, so she didn’t say anything.

She folded her hind legs up so that her hind hooves touched just above the base of Twilight’s tail, and the length of Twilight’s tail laid over both her hind legs. She slipped her left foreleg under Twilight’s neck and laid her right foreleg over Twilight’s shoulder. “Is this... acceptable?”

“I like it,” Twilight murmured. “Do you like it?”

Nightmare felt Twilight shift around in her embrace, possibly to find a new, more comfortable position, though she wasn’t sure. She wanted Twilight to return her embrace, but thought better of admitting that. “It is fine.”

Twilight pulled her head back to look at her. “Fine?” Her marefriend raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Don’t you like it?”

Nightmare opened her mouth and found herself hesitating. ‘Are either of us ready to be this close?’ She knew Twilight wouldn’t simply betray her, but still, she felt that they were too close, as much as she wanted more. “I do, I just...” she trailed off.

“Uncomfortable being this close?” Twilight guessed.

Nightmare grimaced. ‘You know me too well.’ She sighed and nodded. “I do not know that I am ready for this...”

Twilight’s brow folded down. “I’m... not sure I understand why you’re so uncomfortable with this. We slept together before. You do remember that, right? That was literally the night before you told me that you had a crush on me.”

Nightmare shifted uncomfortably; her body couldn’t decide whether to hold Twilight closer or release her and roll over onto her other side. “Of course I remember that.”

“You held me that night while we slept,” Twilight said softly.

“I did,” Nightmare agreed quietly.

“So what’s different now? Why are you afraid of it now?”

“You should know,” she muttered, releasing Twilight and rolling back onto her back.

“Nightmare...” Twilight quietly sighed. “I can’t believe I’m the pony who has to tell you this, but it will be okay. Come on. Relax. Don’t do this to me tonight.”

Guilt stabbed at her, and Nightmare winced from the pain as her ears flicked back. “I... I should not have—” she stopped herself, realizing what she was going to say.

Her gut twisted painfully and her body tensed.

Twilight pulled herself closer and laid at her side patiently. She felt Twilight’s forehoof brush over her shoulder and turned her head back to watch Twilight tentatively wrap her foreleg around her and slide up so that her back was against Twilight’s chest.

“I am sorry...” she murmured. “I just... I do not want you to think of this as some obligation or another.”

“It’s not. I want to court you, remember?”

Nightmare grimaced and rolled her head back to look out the window. “Perhaps your birthday was not the best night to ask...”

“Well I’m glad you did,” Twilight countered. “You don’t have to hold me if you don’t want to, but I’d still like it if you wanted to and did hold me. Let yourself relax and enjoy this. Please? I’m your friend. Your... um... marefriend... I guess...”

Nightmare’s lips pulled into a strained line. “We have not yet been courting for a single night and already I am ruining—”

“No. No, you’re not,” Twilight retorted. “You’ve said it yourself, that neither of us have any idea what we’re doing. I’m pretty sure Cadance would probably say something like, ‘follow your heart’ or ‘do what feels right.’ Believe it or not, Nightmare, I know that this is hard for you. It took you a long time to open up to me, and in all honesty? It should be shocking how quickly you did, considering that you were banished to the moon for one thousand years.”

Nightmare closed her eyes. “I am sorry. I just... I do not want to rush into anything and I feel like I am, and...”

She felt Twilight’s cheek lay on her neck, followed by the comforting weight of her friend’s head. “I know. And it’s okay.”

Nightmare opened her eyes and swallowed. She slowly drew in a deep breath, then let it out. “Do you...” She tilted her head back to look at Twilight. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

“Nothing too special,” Twilight answered, smiling sweetly.

“Would you—” she looked at the wall opposite of the bed, “—perhaps be interested in... dining out, together? Or... or perhaps something else?”

Twilight’s smile warmed even more as her marefriend smiled wider. “I’d like that,” Twilight said fondly.

“Then—”

Crack!

A scroll appeared over her in the flash of Cadance’s aura. Twilight pulled out of her embrace in surprise. Nightmare caught the scroll before it could land on her muzzle, then rolled over and broke Cadance’s seal and unrolled the scroll.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, her soft voice dipping into concern.

Nightmare Moon,

You were right to be worried. Manehattan is under attack by the Minotaur Empire.

Cadance.

Nightmare’s body tensed as her months-long fear was finally realized in that single letter. “I-I must go,” she hastily muttered. She tossed her head back and forth, glancing around the bed as she pulled the covers back to jump to her hooves. “The minotaurs are attacking Manehattan—”

“What!?” Twilight yelped, bolting upright. “Why would—”

Nightmare looked back at Twilight and extended a wing to stop Twilight from hopping down beside her. “I have suspected something like this would transpire for some time now.” And it stung to think that out of every night it could have been, it was tonight. “I did not... I did not think it would happen tonight.”

She summoned her armor and hastily donned it; the biting cold of the metal felt too tight compared to the freedom and warmth and comfort she shared while laying with Twilight. Twilight’s brow creased down; perhaps Twilight could tell her discomfort. Leaving Twilight felt wrong, but what choice did she have? “I... I am sorry.”

Twilight glanced down at the bed, then looked back up at her and hopped down beside her. “I can help—”

Nightmare remembered watching Twilight fall asleep, how Thorax had come to stand by her side and watch Twilight for a while too.

She remembered Twilight’s dazed state after having fought off wolves. Wild animals.

She remembered Twilight winning.

And she remembered Twilight bleeding.

“No,” Nightmare stated, turning to face Twilight and shaking her head slowly. “I will not put you in danger tonight. It is your birthday—”

“I’m the Bearer of the Element of Magic—” Twilight protested.

“The Elements will be of little help with this,” Nightmare hastily interrupted. “As they were with the Changelings.”

Twilight stood up straighter. “We helped.”

“You did, but it was an exceptional situation.” Nightmare turned back around. “The minotaurs have less reason to use nonlethal weapons. You... you are not a soldier.”

Twilight was silent.

Nightmare shook her head, the thought of Twilight facing a minotaur and losing flashing through her mind. And now, of all times? When she had just asked to court Twilight? When she might have something to look forward to in her future? How the thought burned through her mind, twisting with anger and bitterness. And fear. “I will not put you in harm’s way on purpose, not now. I gave you my word that I would protect you.” She looked back at Twilight and bowed her head intently. “And I will keep that promise.”

Twilight studied her, and as the seconds passed by, she saw Twilight resign to stay behind. “Stay safe,” was spoken so quietly. Did Twilight share her own fears?

“I will be fine,” Nightmare stated. Yet, it wasn’t a promise. The Minotaurs could be ruthless, and for what reason did the Minotaurs have to attack but her?

Nightmare turned around and hugged Twilight. Despite being an alicorn, it felt like Twilight’s hug was stronger than her own with how tight the young mare—her marefriend—clung to her.

They parted and she stepped back, then bowed her head to Twilight again. ‘I will see you again...’

Nightmare wrapped her magic into her horn, then teleported to Canterlot.

Author's Note

8/10/20

I get to the first scene break and I’m feeling tired.

Thought I’d end up writing more than I did but I didn’t. 2,014.

8/11/20

Wrote to 4,531. Got tired and didn’t want to work on describing the library for the however-many-th time.

8/13/20

5,272. I wonder if I’m sick...

Make that 5,736.

8/14/20

TWO YEARS OF PREPARATIONS HAVE FINALLY PAID OFF! HUZZAH! THEY’RE COURTING!

Wrote to 8,645.

8/15/20

I’m tired so I’m going to have to reread this to make sure I don’t have anything too repetitive here.

Wrote to 10,951. Stopped in the middle of a sentence. At the absolute minimum, tomorrow I can finish writing that sentence!

8/16/20

Well I did write more! Not as much as I expected. I started at night time, which is why. I’m also not sold on this since Twilight might be too pressing and it’s not what I had in mind originally.

Wrote to 11,436.

8/17/20

Woot! Firstly, and perhaps most wonderfully, I am finished with this draft.

Secondly, it ended on 13,000 words exactly.

Thirdly, I went back and added a little bit to the opening memory since that was kind of needed.

Fourth, I need to reread and heavily edit their shared scene. I am certain of it. Too much repetition, probably. Not enough cuteness.

10/19/22.

This chapter and the following chapters need heavy edits and or rewrites. To elaborate, this chapter needs to have more slice-of-life party stuff which is probably not my strong suit as I am not particularly social. The following chapters, well... My opinion on what I want has changed because they feel so out of place in this story.

Also today is the anniversary* of when I first watched the show, or at least the date burned into my mind. I forgot this until after this day.

13,606.

10/21/22

I’ve actually figured out a few ideas for addressing the lack of games originally in this chapter which my prereader was disappointed by. To be honest, not my area of expertise which... if I’m being honest I would not expect to be a surprise to anyone.

Of course, the biggest challenge I now face is how to set up the following chapters, since I’m going to heavily rewrite them, and I need to figure out how to prevent plot holes from forming while also addressing a few minor plot holes which already exist.

15,416.

10/24/22

All right I think this chapter is ready, aside from possible typos and so on. I did some minor edits which probably improve some things.

15,729.

2/20/23

Some very minor edits and tweaks.

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s taken over four years for this moment to come, four years for this chapter, for them to actually begin dating. Four very long years.

But now it’s here.

15,748.

3/2/23

I did not get around to rereading this (again) before publishing because I kind of forgot and ran out of time. Anyway since I last posted a blog about the story I have accomplished absolutely nothing in terms of the following chapter aside from some ideas. So I have no idea when this chapter title will actually be properly relevant like I had originally planned all those years ago when I had this plan.

Support me on Ko-Fi. You know, if you want to.

Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

The Battle of Manehattan

Nightmare Moon barely had time to reorientate herself from coming out of her teleportation spell before the cries of, “Your Majesty!” reached her ears.

She turned towards the source as soon as she could; Cadance stood flanked by two batponies, while a half dozen Royal Guard unicorns followed up behind them. The batponies both fell into hasty bows, then the one on Cadance’s right, adorned with the rank of Colonel, quickly strode over to stand before her.

Nightmare nodded in acknowledgment and took a moment to briefly survey the group. None of them bore any injuries, though they were visibly tense under their armor. She met Cadance’s gaze and found her niece’s eyes haunted by fear, shock, and concern. Cadance’s lip trembled as if to say something, only to falter at the last moment.

She nodded at Cadance, then faced the Colonel. “What is the situation?”

“At least a dozen Minotaur warships steaming to port in Manehattan. They used a scheduled storm to get close to the city and avoid detection. A Royal Guard flight was sent to investigate but was intercepted. Captain Spitfire believes this is what happened to the missing Wonderbolt patrol, and has taken command of the defense until ordered otherwise.”

Nightmare sneered and tossed her head back. “Of course. Of course!” she spat, then growled and shook her head. “Dammit,” she snapped, stomping her hoof into the floor. “Tonight of all nights,” she said under her breath.

Cadance’s lips and eyes twitched from hearing her grumble.

Nightmare held back a growl. “How were they intercepted?”

“Griffins,” the Colonel answered coldly. Nightmare tightened her jaw. “We’ve yet to see any evidence of any attacks from the griffin lands. Based on the survivors’ reports, Spitfire believes they’re hired mercenaries.”

Nightmare breathed in deep, then cast aside the agitation at how callously the Minotaurs had ruined her evening. And some griffins even had the audacity to help them! She leveled her gaze on the Colonel. “I need more information than this! A dozen warships? How many soldiers? How many griffins?”

He stood rigidly, unphased by her demands. “We don’t know, your Majesty.”

She breathed in, then exhaled sharply. “Magic?”

“None that has been reported.”

‘One advantage.’ She kept that in mind. “I need an estimate of how many soldiers, Colonel.”

“Maybe two thousand at most, but I’m not qualified to give a proper estimate.”

She snarled and tossed her head left and right. Notably, the throne room was empty beside them.

“Shall I assemble the recruits—”

Her eyes snapped back on him, silencing him. “They would be more likely to get themselves killed than help, Colonel—”

“Manehattan’s garrison isn’t that large, Nightmare,” Cadance tentatively voiced, audibly unsure herself if she wanted to suggest what they both knew was a bad idea.

Nightmare looked at her niece and nodded once. “I am aware.” She straightened her head and breathed in deep before exhaling at length. “I have precious few options to work with.” She shook her head in agitation.

Of course, there really was only one option, one solution. The reason she was in the Throne room, the reason she had donned her armor.

But Manehattan? That was an urban environment, and how right she had been! Too much of strategic importance nestled in one city. A city ripe for the Minotaurs’ taking. Or was that even their goal?

Why attack Manehattan?

She squinted. “Colonel, you said there are no other signs of attack, but how sure are we?”

Cadance frowned as the Colonel shook his head. “From what I’m aware, this is the only hint of an invasion that’s been reported.”

“What are you thinking?” Cadance asked.

She looked at her niece and asked, “Why Manehattan? It is a strategically important city, true, but why concentrate their efforts on one city? They would be better off dividing Equestria’s limited—” she hated the idea, “—forces among multiple locations, or coming through the griffin lands. I can only—”

She paused, realizing what she should have seen before. Several seconds passed in silence. “I see.” Yes, that made sense. “They are concentrating on Manehattan to draw me out. They want me.”

Cadance frowned.

“Your Majesty, perhaps you should remain here—”

She looked at the Colonel reprovingly, silencing him. “I will not lose Manehattan, Colonel. Even if they have come for me, they will plunder the city for resources and tens of thousands of ponies live in Manehattan. If I do nothing they will suffer. And regardless, if I do not engage them and they win, they will not stop at Manehattan.”

She nodded once to herself. “I am taking to the field.” She faced Cadance. “Remain here. Tend to things in my absence. Since I do not know what I am dealing with, prepare a division of batponies should I need them.” Cadance gave a startled nod. She leveled her gaze on the Colonel once more. “I want more patrols along the coast and the border with the griffin lands. If anything remotely amiss happens, I am to be informed at once.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” the Colonel dutifully answered.

She tentatively turned her gaze to Cadance. ‘You are not a warrior, but I may need your help.’ Her jaw tightened at the thought.

No. Only as a last resort.

She turned back to the Colonel. “I presume the detachment I requested earlier is prepared?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“Good.” Finally, something that went right! “Then we shall leave immediately. With haste, perhaps we shall arrive before the battle begins in earnest.”

The world warped and twisted around her as she teleported herself and her accompanying Royal Guard detachment to Manehattan. Once the spell finished and the flash of light fadded, a heavy silence filled the air, broken by distant, dulled shouts. The moist air was warmer than in Canterlot, pleasantly warmer, though still carried with it a lingering chill.

A low rumble overhead drew her gaze skyward; the stars were obstructed by a thick layer of clouds. The passing storm had already left the street wet with rain. Perhaps it was a contributing factor to the minotaurs’ invasion; perhaps they had known about the planned storm, and such was why they chose tonight as their time to attack.

The only way Minotaurs could have known would have been if a pony had told them.

‘Dammit...’

She breathed in deep and caught the detestable stench of Manehattan, nearly drowning out the more pleasant scent of the salty ocean and the crisp fragrance of the rain.

But there was no time to consider the smells, no time to procrastinate. If the Minotaurs had not landed yet, they would soon, and Manehattan, no matter how important it was, was underdefended because of how stretched for ponypower she was.

She took a moment to prepare herself and noticed an uncomfortable anxiety in her chest where there normally wasn’t. Why? She was Nightmare Moon! The minotaurs and griffins here tonight would fall before her as all of Equestria’s enemies had before.

But there would be a cost.

There had always been a cost.

She gradually tilted her head left, then right, surveying the faces of the Royal Guards accompanying her. Where they were normally stoic, attempting to betray no expression, now, many of them were unable to hide fear and worry. Yet there they stood, they did not shake or tremble in their boots. Maybe just for now, still removed from the imminent danger.

So many of them were young stallions. All of them had enlisted under Celestia’s reign. Could she count on any of them? Undoubtedly, they would lay down their lives in a heartbeat for Celestia, for they loved her.

But she was not her sister.

She was not their Princess.

The Royal Guards were loyal to her only by Celestia’s orders, such that they might be spared. ‘The fact that you had to order them to obey me...’ She hated the idea; their loyalty was not to her, but to Celestia.

How many of them would die? Not for her, no. If they knew what the minotaurs wanted, they would likely join the minotaurs to try to defeat her to save their Princess. No, if they were to die, it would be for Equestria, for ponies who would otherwise suffer from their inaction.

And she felt a sense of comradery at that: Luna had fought so long for Equestria. Perhaps, in a way, the Royal Guard carried on some of Luna’s legacy. She breathed in, feeling some of her anxiety washed away, then nodded to herself.

“Your Majesty?” Prince Shining Armor’s voice.

She faced him and gave the Prince a quick nod. “Proceed to the town hall and inform Captain Spitfire of our arrival. Remain there until I return.”

He gave a rigid salute while Nightmare spread her wings wide. “All right stallions..!”

His voice grew distant and she soared into the air. The wind against her wings was almost comforting, yet for feeling the cold bite of her chestplate and helmet, she knew the truth of what was to come.

The changelings wanted ponies alive; ponies were food to them so long as they lived.

The minotaurs and griffins did not.

The changelings had magic with which to stun their prey.

The minotaurs and griffins did not.

She flew on, soaring past the town hall and briefly sparing a look down at the sparsely assembled guards and batponies. She passed by apartments and businesses, and with every passing building, she felt a growing weight in her stomach.

How many homes and businesses would be ruined or destroyed?

How many innocent ponies would lose their lives tonight because of the minotaurs?

Another rumble of thunder among the clouds overhead.

She felt anger, she felt fire, swelling together into an inferno in her chest that pressed back against the cold, and so she resolved herself to one simple promise: ‘I will not fail.’

She turned her gaze away from the city to behold the minotaur fleet. A dozen warships hardly described it with justice! At the sight, her wings faltered for a moment before recovering.

A dozen warships and their escorts; each warship was built from wood and steel that stood out for how dull it was compared to the water catching what light of the moon that pierced the breaks in the clouds, dirtied by the thick black smoke that billowed out of multiple chimneys from the tops of the vessels.

Several smaller ships had already docked in the port; she could make out their soldiers descending the ramp and moving into the city proper. She clenched her jaw and passed over them, knowing she needed to investigate the warships first.

Of the warships, she could clearly make out three separate kinds. The largest, of which there was only one, was centered in the main armada, far out in the harbor such that it was protected from any attempt to board it. It was a behemoth, a fortress in its own right. The armor on the hull scattered the light as if were a beacon in the night, something for the fleet to rally around. A command ship, most likely.

She dared to fly closer to examine the warships better from above. She held her breath as she sank through the coal smoke so that she could make out more details.

The largest ship—the command ship as she was now certain—bristled with large turrets in the front and back, each with three long-barreled cannons. Hatches adorned the ship’s hull, possibly betraying even more cannons hidden inside, lying in wait for their order to fire.

The ship was massive by Equestrian standards. And such was a marvel of what they had accomplished with their industrial might. Equestria had nothing anywhere close to that warship, let alone any of the other warships. Trade vessels were one thing, but ships of war were another.

She banked and flew closer to the next closest ship. It wasn’t as large as the command ship, perhaps three-fourths as long and wide. The deck had several turrets along the sides, while ropes hung over the edges of the hull. Minotaurs bristled on the ships’ topside, wearing dull steel armor and carrying their axes and spears and crossbows as they climbed down to their smaller landing craft. There were four ships of such class.

The third class of warship was again smaller than either of the other classes. Far sleeker, and likely far more maneuverable and easier to produce. She wasn’t sure what role the ship was meant to fill, aside from escorting the larger warships. And like their command ship, the hull was lined with hatches likely hiding the ships’ cannons.

What had these warships been designed for? Surely they had not been intended to use against Equestria, as Equestria had no navy! The minotaurs would have had to design and build the fleet in a year in response to her return. It seemed unlikely they would have been able to achieve that, even with their industrial might. The only ideas she could imagine were that they were built to fight the Minotaur Republic, or perhaps to defend from dragons.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind and took in the smaller escorting ships. Support ships, she decided. Likewise, unloading more soldiers into smaller boats headed into port.

She wasn’t sure how many minotaurs there were, but regardless of how many were left to land, many had already reached the city and taken the port.

But not a single griffin walked among the minotaurs that she could see.

“Dammit...” she muttered.

She flew further up into the sky, just below the cloud and smoke layer so that she could still see the fleet. ‘If I destroy their warships, they still have soldiers in the city. They will not be able to escape. Perhaps they will surrender but then that is more resources we have to expend.’ Yes, guarding captured minotaurs could weaken her forces even further, but she doubted that was the minotaurs’ plan.

‘The warships are a threat to the city. If they fire on Manehattan, there will be much destruction that I cannot afford. Ponies will die...’

She grimaced, contemplating her options.

‘If we push them back out of the city, they may yet fire on Manehattan to spite me. Thus I will have to cripple their fleet once their forces are out of the city.’ And her grimace twisted as she considered, ‘Assuming they do not fire on the city while they have soldiers in it.’

She doubted the Prince would be able to shield Manehattan against the fleet’s weapons, even more so since Cadance was elsewhere. Perhaps with her own help, but they did not share the same bond that Cadance and Shining did.

She could unleash her magic on the fleet. She considered the idea: starting with the command ship, and making her way through the ships from largest to smallest. Tearing the hulls apart with her magic would be simple. She would end up trapping the soldiers in the city.

Would they fight harder or give up?

Perhaps a message needed to be sent.

Yes, a message would do nicely. The Minotaur Emperor needed to be taught a lesson.

So at least one ship had to escape.

Preferably more than one. Preferably with as few minotaurs killed as possible. Yes, as many wounded minotaurs as there could be needed to make it home.

After all, if they were dead, that was the end of it. If they were still alive, the minotaurs had to use resources to save and take care of them which meant fewer resources to use against Equestria. However, if the warships started firing on Manehattan, she would destroy them.

A crack of lightning, the roll of thunder. Her shadow fell upon the deck of the ship she observed.

For a passing moment, they noticed.

A passing moment, and no more as the light faded.

She could imagine their dread, for she had it in the eyes of griffins long since felled. Not all of them, but enough.

She turned her gaze back to the boats docked in the port and the smaller boats ferrying troops into port. ‘If I destroy them, it will limit their ability to land more troops, however, it will likewise make it more difficult for them to withdraw.’

While such would inevitably result in her victory, the protracted fight until the minotaurs either surrendered or fled would prove costly.

Movement from below caught her notice; she set her gaze upon a griffin flying up towards her. He wore steel armor that, while distinctly different from the armor of old, still bore resemblance if only for being suited for a griffin. In his talons, he held a crossbow aimed at her.

He fired.

Her magic burst to life, enveloping her with a shield.

Her shield flared as the bolt struck it and slipped through her magic.

‘Dammit!’

Crack!

Searing pain assaulted her wing and side as the bolt detonated just inside her shield. The concussive force rattled her insides, her armor doing little to block the blast.

Wind whipped around her, the sea raced up towards her.

‘I’m falling.’

Fighting through the disorientation, ringing in her ears, and headache, she righted herself, glanced back up to see the griffin readying a second bold, then fell into a dive. She summoned her magic again.

Crack!

She appeared above the griffin. He was unprepared for her change in position. She was not.

Her magic punched through his armor and tore through his body, the force launching him back towards the ship he came from.

With her magic, she collected his crossbow and bolts, then cast another teleportation spell.

Crack!

Nightmare flew out of her teleportation spell and hit the ground with a grunt. Her chestplate screeched against the water-slicked roadway but took most of the impact, leaving her to tumble to a slightly less unpleasant stop.

“My Queen!” a batpony called.

She breathed in deep—her side burned and ached as she inhaled. It felt like little shards of metal were stuck in her body. She closed her eyes and scowled as she forced herself to stand up. Moving the wrong way, she found herself flinching against the feeling.

She had no choice but to fight through the pain.

She never had a choice.

Nightmare opened her eyes and wrapped her magic around herself while a batpony mare rushed to her side, a medical kit tucked under her wing. Sure enough, there were shards of metal embedded in her body. The two largest shards, each about half as long as her forehoof from tip to end, barely missed her lungs.

She grimaced and hastily wrapped the shards in her magic to pull them out of her body. No matter how much she tensed, it hurt just as much, if not worse, than when they went in. Yet she stood defiantly until both shards were free. She exhaled sharply once they were out; it would not do for her soldiers to hear her scream.

Her left wing trembled when she went to fold it, so she turned her head to examine it. Her entire wing was cut up and bleeding. Feathers were cut off, broken, or outright missing everywhere. She held in a growl and set about pulling the smaller bits of metal out of her wing and side.

“My Queen, let—”

“No,” she hissed.

The batpony stayed at her side, hesitating.

‘Dammit.’ Once the last bits of metal were out, she closed her eyes and washed her magic over her side and wing, stitching her flesh back together with a healing spell. The pain faded as her magic healed her wounds, but a phantom sensation, the memory, lingered. She briefly considered regrowing her feathers but decided against it for the moment; if it became too troublesome, she would. Nightmare opened her eyes and looked at her body as she used her magic to clear the blood from her coat, leaving it to mix with the water on the pavement.

She stamped her forehoof into the ground, making the batpony mare jump back. ‘You incompetent foal!’ She clenched her teeth and turned her gaze back to the town hall as she folded her wing. ‘Once this is over, I need to forge myself better armor.’

She gave the idea the briefest thought and felt her anger subsiding to the back of her mind for the time being. She glanced down at her chestplate, then looked back up at the batpony. “I presume Captain Spitfire and Prince Shining Armor are inside?”

The mare gave a hasty nod. “Yes, my Queen.”

Nightmare breathed in once and nodded. “Very good.”

She took a moment to turn her attention to the crossbow and bolts. While there was nothing too special about the crossbow, the tips of the bolts were larger than they should have been and they shimmered faintly with some enchantment. She exhaled sharply and levitated the crossbow and bolts over to the medic. The mare reached out to grab them; the weight from the weapon and ammo made her lurch toward the ground before steadying herself. “Have these examined; the bolts were able to pierce my shield before detonating.”

The batpony frowned suddenly before nodding. “Of course, my Queen.”

Nightmare scowled and calmly walked to the town hall, passed the two unicorns standing guard, and walked inside. The one who could see her side stared as she passed by.

Both commanders were just inside the entrance, and at hearing the door open, they both turned to see her and saluted. She carried herself in at a calm stride; the pain was a distant memory now.

“Queen Nightmare Moon,” Spitfire finally spoke, “what are your orders?”

She waited until she was a few steps away from Spitfire, then bowed her head once at the pegasus. “If it is at all possible, contain the minotaurs close to the port and beaches. I do not want them to get inside Manehattan proper. Evacuate ponies as needed, if you have not already done so.”

Spitfire tensed. “We’re already working on evacuating ponies.”

She tilted her head up higher. “Good.”

“The trains aren’t going to be quick enough though,” the Prince put in.

Spitfire grimaced.

Nightmare looked at him. “I am not losing Manehattan. Prince. Captain.” She nodded at both of them in turn. “I presume the two of you have discussed what we discussed, Prince?”

Shining nodded tersely. “Yes. How did your recon go?”

Nightmare tossed her head back and ruffled her wings. “Ah... I should have taken time to cloak myself but I did not.” She straightened herself to face him once more. “A griffin came to intercept me—” she extended her wing for a moment to draw their gazes to it, then folded it back to her side and continued, “—so I would presume the griffins will be used to interfere with pegasi and batponies. Likewise, I believe an assault on the fleet would best be left to myself.” She gradually bowed her head and looked off to the left, knowing, nay, imagining the slaughter that would be any batpony or pegasus assault on the fleet.

Their lives would be wasted. They would die for nothing. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She looked at the Prince again, her head still bowed. “I will not throw away lives pointlessly. I do not yet know how effectively we will be able to use aerial supremacy tonight because of the griffins and their weapons, however, the storm should provide ample cover for the batponies.”

“Might I suggest a supporting role then, your Majesty?” Spitfire suggested.

Nightmare lifted her head back up and turned to Spitfire to consider her suggestion. “Pray tell?”

Spitfire continued, tentatively nodding, “I was thinking from a mobility standpoint. Pegasi and batponies could probably carry unicorns or earth ponies into better positions on the rooftops, then we could bait minotaurs into ambushes.”

She considered the idea and tentatively bowed her head. “Perhaps, though there is the risk that they would be spotted and would become targets of the griffins. I would rather not have ponies defenseless under griffin assault.”

Spitfire stood up straighter. “All right. However, there are a few more ideas to consider. You could lower the moon—”

“Not for this,” Nightmare preemptively countered.

Spitfire waited a moment before reluctantly she nodded. “Okay... Then we could have the pegasi work with the storm over the city. The minotaurs wouldn’t be able to do anything to defend against lightning strikes.”

Nightmare tilted her head and pondered the idea. “Effective. However, the pegasi would have to deal with griffins, though batpony escorts could provide proper cover. Yes, I believe we can work with this. Have the pegasi who are not assisting with the evacuation focus on this and ensure they are escorted properly. And see to it that batponies are dispatched to disable the streetlights. Once the streetlights are off, deploy the batponies to hunt down groups of minotaurs and griffins. Since they can see better in the dark, they shall have an added advantage in addition to being harder to spot and quicker than both.”

Spitfire nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Prince—” she turned to face her nephew-in-law, “—though I have ideas of my own, I would hear your thoughts on this situation.”

He shifted uncomfortably and grimaced. “We’re outnumbered and outmatched—”

“I will be evening those odds,” Nightmare put in with an incline of her head.

“You can only be in one place at a time,” he reminded.

She breathed in and lifted her head up. “You are correct.”

He gradually turned his head left, then right. Another second passed before he looked at her. “Earth ponies should be kept back. I’m not sure how well they will fair against the minotaurs in a fight, assuming they aren’t picked off from a distance.”

She nodded in agreement. “It would be pointlessly throwing away their lives. They would better fill the role of assisting with the evacuation, or protecting the unicorns fighting the minotaurs.”

Shining nodded. “I think Spitfire’s ideas of luring them into ambushes is worth a try.”

Nightmare nodded idly.

“However, depending on how many griffins there are, it could leave them very exposed unless they’re inside buildings, which would take time and could cause collateral damage.”

“I am aware...” she admitted.

Shining Armor straightened and gave a terse nod. “Of course, your Majesty.”

If things went poorly, many ponies were going to die tonight, and that would cripple the Royal Guard in addition to Equestria as a whole.

A few seconds of silence lingered between them.

Her Nephew eventually broke it. “And we can’t match their ships. If the batponies are as good as you think they are, and you’re able to do as much as you say you can, we can deal with their soldiers in the city. Their ships are another story. If we can hold the city but they still have the ships, then holding the city is probably pointless, if not impossible.”

She squinted at him and nodded. “I will deal with the armada, but not yet. Equestria is unprepared for a war, despite my best efforts. Thus, I believe it is in our best interests to inflict as much damage on them as possible to force them to retreat with their wounded and damaged warships so to force them to deal with that rather than building anew.”

Shining considered what she said and tentatively nodded, only to pause. “To slow them down?”

She nodded once. “Correct. If it is at all possible, avoid killing them. If they have medics, do not engage them unless the medics are fighting back. Do give them time to retrieve their wounded and bring them back to the ships.”

He seemed uncomfortable but nonetheless nodded. “And you’re going to the front...”

She nodded again. “Correct. I may be new to fighting in such an urban environment, and I may have limited experience battling minotaurs, but Luna was quite adept at defending Equestria. We will have much to discuss after this battle is won.”

“What if their ships start firing on the city?” Shining asked. “I don’t think I can shield Manehattan against that.”

Nightmare bowed her head. “If their ships fire on Manehattan, I will destroy them.”

Shining Armor and Spitfire shared a look. She wasn’t sure if they believed that she could accomplish it, but unlike them, she knew she could. “If nothing else, I shall take to the front. You both know what to do.”

“Good luck,” Shining and Spitfire chorused.

Nightmare nodded once to both of them and summoned her magic. Since she wasn’t sure where the best location to begin was, she settled on teleporting into the sky and immediately unfurled her wings to glide down about halfway to the tallest rooftops so that she had an overhead view as she flew towards the port.

Below, she could make out the guards and batponies ushering massive herds of ponies along some route to the train station. Fortunately, the line of ponies was uncontested by any minotaurs. At least for the time being.

She banked right and reached out with her magic and momentarily stalled, overwhelmed by just how many ponies she felt in the city below. ‘Focus,’ she told herself as she ignored the ponies to search for minotaurs instead.

Zap! Pop!

If there had been no resistance at the port, then the battle had now begun. She swiveled her head around to find which direction it came from and then shot off in that direction, tracking down the sound with her ears and searching with her magic until she came to hover over the intersection where the battle had broken out.

In the street below, from her perspective, she could make out a dozen minotaurs taking cover behind carts and wagons and in alleys, gradually making their way towards a small group of about half as many Royal Guard unicorns. The minotaurs carefully avoided the streelights, meanwhile, the body of one Royal Guard lay in a pool of blood under a light. A crossbow bolt stuck out from his neck. Many unarmored ponies galloped away from the scene, and several more cowered in fear wherever they could find to hide.

She forced herself to ignore their cries of terror, forced herself not to be drawn into the memories those cries brought back to the surface.

Crack! Crack! Zap! Zap! Crack!

She watched one of the unicorn’s shields flare as it was pelted by bolts. Unlike the bolt used against her, none of these pierced his magic. As the bolts dropped to the street, she could make out little cracks forming in his shield before new magic washed over it to reinforce it. The guards were retreating as the minotaurs advanced, though not before making sure the unarmored ponies were well on their way to safety.

She breathed in deep, then angled her wings and silently dove toward the advancing minotaurs.

Crack! Crack! Zap! A bolt of magic struck a minotaur in his chest as he ran towards a wagon for cover, sending him to the ground. A second minotaur charged over and crouched down at his side, aiming his crossbow at the guards, and a third minotaur followed a second later.

They didn’t see her until it was too late. Three of them startled, turning and raising their crossbows to her as she neared the ground. She shielded herself. Their bolts struck her shield and dropped to the street; her arrival, now announced, drew the attention of more of the minotaurs as she landed in the middle.

She hastily took in the minotaurs’ position and watched as they operated their crossbows or drew their axes.

They fired at her.

She stood defiantly as each bolt struck her shield and fell to the street. Their futile volley having finished, they stared at her for a brief second before remembering what they were supposed to do.

The ones with their axes charged her while the crossbow minotaurs quickly rearmed.

She met one of the charging minotaur’s eyes. He was young, like the stallions she had brought to Manehattan with her, and just like them, afraid. Afraid and worried. Afraid of her and worried about what she would do. There was no predatory intent in his eyes, none of the hunger of the griffins. Yet there was a certain hardness, a certain determination there, one she recognized as ingrained by training. And a certain comradery. He wasn’t a monster.

She dropped her shield and dove to the ground as the crossbows fired. Their bolts missed her. She grabbed their weapons with her magic and tugged, only to notice how sluggish it was. ‘Enchanted? Magic resistance?’ One or the other, she wasn’t sure which. The charging minotaurs held tight to their axes. The crossbows were torn free. She swiveled to face the two who she had disarmed and shielded herself before any of the others could prime their weapons again.

She spun the crossbows back on their owners; the bolts readily pierced their chestplates, dropping them to the street. Their blood ran over their armor, glistening under the streetlights.

Their only sounds were shocked gasps.

She launched the two now-expended crossbows at another pair of minotaurs with enough force to send them to the ground as the crossbows struck their heads.

She shifted under a broad swing from one axe and caught another in her magic, tore it free from its owner, and caught him in his chest, readily breaking through his armor, crumpling his body, and sending him to the ground. The other minotaur was met with a blast of magic to his chest that readily cut through his armor.

Two more minotaurs stood up from their cover to fire their crossbows at her, but with a quick nudge from her magic, their aim was knocked off and the bolts bounced off the street.

Her magic enveloped their necks and—Crunch. They fell to the street.

Metal boots against the pavement.

She turned to face the new arrivals. A dozen more minotaurs barreled in, keeping to the sides of the street, crossbows all aimed at her.

When they walked through the cones of light from streetlights, she could see their steeled, determined expressions.

They wanted her.

She met them head-on. Charged towards them, bracing herself. Their charge broke as they ducked into alleys to take cover. They staggered their crossbow fire, forcing her to keep her shield up so that she couldn’t cast spells at them.

She grabbed a crossbow from the street, notched a bolt, hastily aimed, and fired, striking the wall behind the one she aimed at. He hastily ducked back for cover as she readied another bolt. He stuck his head out and dropped straight back to the ground as her next bolt hit where she wanted. His body disappeared behind the wall, likely moved out of the way by another soldier.

Nightmare reached the first set of alleyways they occupied and stopped. Minotaurs on both sides retreated deeper into the alleys, some taking cover behind dumpsters. She watched them, feigned left and teleported into the alley on the right. As soon as she appeared, she launched the dumpster through the alleyway, crushing the soldiers as they ran.

A second teleport; the minotaurs in the other alley turned to see her right on their trail. Three held drew their axes and charged her, one ran. She grabbed the weapons of those who defied her, overpowering whatever resistance there was, and rammed them back into their owners, making them stagger back long enough for her to slash the backs of their legs with the axes. They grunted and collapsed, and a swift follow-up strike laid them low.

She discarded the axes and lifted a discarded crossbow, notched another bolt, and fired at the running minotaur’s leg. The armor did little to stop the bolt and he collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain.

She notched a fresh bolt and paused to listen, idly watching the minotaur crawl to the wall, where he clutched his leg. Distant cracks of magic and shouts of battles, muffled cries and groans from the minotaurs she had wounded. None of them dared to stand as she looked around at their crippled forms. None of them dared to aim their crossbows at her.

She lowered her shield, satisfied that she had done enough here. Quickly stripping a satchel of bolts from one minotaur's back and swinging it over her own back, she teleported herself and her newfound tools back to the sky.

An explosion below, followed the dull crack of an armor’s enchantment shattering and a cry of pain caught Nightmare’s attention. Debris from a destroyed cart rained down through the street as a minotaur’s axe threw a unicorn down to the street and drew blood from his shoulder. Two more Royal Guards lay unmoving with bolts through their chestplates.

She circled around and saw a group of minotaurs approaching the remaining Royal Guards who were taking cover in the alleys. The minotaurs approached methodically, their crossbows aimed at all times.

She dove.

Not fast enough.

A unicorn stuck his head out to aim, only for a minotaur to fire first. The unicorn’s head snapped back and he hit the ground with a bolt sticking out, just below his horn. She was fortunate to be far away. His companions were not.

One of the minotaurs rushed up to another abandoned cart, overturned it and ducked down before reaching to his side. She couldn’t make out what it was, but he threw it towards the alley.

She snatched it out of the air before it could land. It gave her presence away.

A moment later, she landed, and a second after that, whatever he had thrown exploded in her magic.

Her leg trembled as something slid through her flank. She held in a hiss of pain as she slammed her magic into the minotaurs. They flew back like nothing more than toys under her might; some of them hit the pavement, others hit the walls.

In their momentary haze, she tore their crossbows from their grips and pulled the metal shard from her flank. As they scrambled to draw their axes and spears, she aimed each crossbow back at its owner and fired. The thuds came almost all at once, sounding so final as the bolts punched through the minotaurs’ bodies. Some of them screamed and cried in pain, others simply gasped in shock and surprise.

She levitated the crossbows back to her side and reloaded each one in turn, not having the focus to reload each simultaneously.

“Y-you’re Majesty?” came the shaky voice of one of the Royal Guards.

She looked back over her withers. One unicorn had his head stuck out, and a moment later, a second joined him.

She turned away from them and nodded. “Rally on me,” she commanded, making certain to keep her voice steady so as to reassure them.

They obeyed her orders; the remaining Royal Guards grouped up around her. An unarmored stallion tentatively looked around the corner at her, wide-eyed, and below him, a young filly looked at her.

Nightmare’s jaw tightened. She hated the sight of that fear in their eyes. She met the filly’s gaze and bowed her head carefully, then met the stallion’s gaze. “Go. Head to the train station.”

At that, he grabbed the filly and swung her onto his back, then galloped down the street.

She turned her attention back to the Royal Guards; they surveyed the bodies of the fallen, both their comrades and their enemies.

“W-what about them?”

“We leave their wounded. We will gather our dead after the battle is won,” she said. One of the guards favored his left foreleg. A bolt stuck out of his right shoulder that left him trembling. His armor, though enchanted, had not done its duty to protect him. The minotaur’s crossbows packed too much punch; it was wise to keep the earth ponies back. She breathed in deeply and walked around to face him. Ran her eyes over his bloodied golded armor, then followed the trail of his blood back to the alley from where he came.

“Y-yes, your Majesty?” he stuttered.

“I am going to heal your shoulder. This will hurt,” she forewarned as she reached out with her magic.

“Wha-AHH!” he screamed and tensed as she pulled the bolt back out of his shoulder. He staggered, nearly falling over, but she was swift to catch him with her magic. “Wh-what the buck!?”

She nodded once and showed him the bolt. He stared at it unblinkingly before slowly wincing. He didn’t even react to her magic healing his shoulder.

She nodded once and turned back around. “We are spread thin and are being pushed back.”

“You don’t say?” one of them quipped.

She ignored him; lashing out wouldn’t benefit any of them, least of all her.

“I didn’t sign up for this,” one of them muttered.

She pointedly turned her head to look at him. “And yet now we are here,” she retorted, swiveling around to face him. “I know that you do not want to be here. None of us do!” she hissed.

He stepped back, regretting speaking.

Nightmare took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, trying to calm the irritation the colts’ words gave her. She took another moment to meet each of them in the eyes. “I am not your princess. I know none of you want to be here. None of you want to lay down your lives to save mine. I have no illusion that you would. You would sooner put a dagger in my heart,” she stated. She looked back over them; they did their best to conceal their thoughts and opinions, yet to her, they were plain to see. “I do not want to be here either. I am doing my best to save as many of your lives as I can.” She shook her head and turned back around. “I am only a single pony. I cannot be everywhere at once. If you do not do your duty as I do mine, innocent ponies will suffer and die tonight.”

She levitated crossbows over and thrust them against the unicorns’ chests, earning a grunt from two of them. “Take these.” Once she felt their magic wrap around the weapons, she let go of them and distributed satchels of bolts, but was still left with three crossbows for herself. They didn’t seem to have any difficulty holding the weapons in their magic, but they examined the crossbows unsurely, unfamiliar with the weapons. “Aim and press this in to fire it,” she demonstrated, “Crank this to draw the string back and then place a bolt in here to reload it. If you can shield yourself and leave the crossbows outside to fire them, all the better.”

She strode forward confidently. A moment later, she heard the hoofsteps of the trailing Guards rushing up to walk beside her. None of them were bold enough to walk in front of her.

They walked the length of the street and came to an intersection. She looked both ways; on the right she saw minotaurs guarding a warehouse while more minotaurs loaded up supplies into a wagon. She tightened her jaw and turned to charge, already taking aim with her crossbows.

She loosed her bolts. All three shots missed and the minotaurs dove for cover. Her escort followed behind her, and a moment later, the whizzing of their bolts followed.

The minotaurs returned fire as she reloaded. All of their shots missed and they ducked back behind cover before she could fire. One of them made the mistake of using the wagon for cover; she wrapped her magic around the wagon to lift it up. The minotaur froze in surprise.

A bolt found purchase in his chest and he hit the ground.

One of the minotaurs winced and looked over at him. She reloaded as she set the wagon down across the street. A minotaur ducked out and aimed at her. She shielded herself—the minotaur fired and the bolt skidded off her shield. The first minotaur charged over to his fallen companion. Two more minotaurs rushed out and took cover to fire at her.

Aiming more carefully, each of her bolts hit this time. One of them fell, the other two staggered and reloaded to fire again. Her escort finally figured out how to reload and another volley of bolts descended upon them.

Enough bolts hit to bring down both minotaurs.

The minotaur lying on the street lifted his crossbow while the other one froze up. She heard the fallen one say something she couldn’t make out. The one still standing shot something back at him. The fallen one fired and threw in another bolt. One of her escorts put a quick end to his resistance. The last minotaur looked between his now-deceased companion and her several times before stumbling to his feet to run.

She aimed. Her bolt hit him in the back. She heard his yelp as the bolt struck him. He hit the ground.

“Your Majesty?”

She glanced at the Royal Guard; he was looking up. She turned her gaze upward to note the churning cloud bank, and she could even spot the dark forms of a formation of batponies on the hunt.

A bolt of lightning descended to a street some distance away, followed by the sharp crack! of thunder which then rumbled through the city.

“Pegasi and batponies are providing aerial support,” she announced. ‘Assuming they are not too troubled by griffins.’ She frowned; so far she had only seen one griffin. There had to be more, but the question was where.

She hastily surveyed the immediate area. “We should withdraw from here. More minotaurs will be along soon enough to retrieve their wounded. We would not want to interfere with that, would we?”

None of them answered her. Good.

She wrapped her magic around all of her companions and then teleported all six of them back to the town hall. The sight that greeted her was far more chaotic than she had hoped. Where earlier there had been some semblance of order, now, the makeshift headquarters also served as a field hospital. She clenched her jaw, briefly taking time to look over her wounded.

Many of them had their armor stripped off and had bloodied bandages covering their wounds. Some of them limped along to assist the batponies treating the ones lying on the ground. Discarded armor glistened from blood around holes or large gaps where bolts or axes had broken through.

“AHHHH!” one pony screamed loud enough for her ears to fold back as she winced.

The stallion’s scream calmed into a croaked whimper.

She took one single look at him before turning away. Her guards would have nightmares about the sight.

She would too.

For as much time had passed, little had changed. The minotaurs' brutal strength more than made up for the relative agility and maneuverability of griffins. Where Royal Guard armor would have readily protected them from the strikes of griffin weapons, the sheer force with which a minotaur could bring an axe down was overwhelming, and their crossbows were far superior to those bows and crossbows that the griffins once used.

And their explosives. Pony armor had not been designed or enchanted to deal with the concussive force of the blasts.

They were brutal.

They were efficient.

Where ponies had adapted to relying on magic and griffins had adapted to take advantage of their claws and being able to fly, the minotaurs took advantage of their sheer, brute strength and industrial might. The minotaurs didn’t have magic like ponies or griffins, no, they had to rely on that brutal strength and efficiency.

She doubted their weapons would be enough to bring down a dragon, but against ponies, they were deadly.

She tentatively approached the wounded stallion; he trembled, clutching at his chest while two batponies tended to him.

‘What did he do to deserve this..?’

A bitterness settled in the back of her throat; she summoned her magic, drawing the notice of the stallion and the batpony medics, and wrapped his wounds in her aura.

She could not help all of them. She was one pony. She could not be everywhere at once.

She numbed his pain and set about knitting his broken body back together.

Her aura faded as she finished. Two of the batponies scurried away to help others, leaving one to make sure he would be all right.

‘How many lives will that decision have cost?’

She turned away from him at the thought.

The Prince hurried out from the town hall towards her.

Nightmare forced the thought from her mind. She turned her attention to her nephew-in-law and nodded once he came to a stop in front of her. “Why are they here and not being evacuated?”

“They need the attention immediately. Evacuating them on the train would take too long,” he answered in a hushed tone.

“I see,” she responded quietly. She looked around the mass of ponies. Most of the ones who were injured were unicorns. Even if it was expected, it wasn’t a beneficial outcome. A mixture of Royal Guards assisted the batponies tended to the wounded. ‘Dammit.’ Many of the wounded pegasi and batponies among them had their necks and bodies raked with the markings of griffin talons. “How are the pegasi fairing?”

Shining grimaced. “They’re not very experienced in controlling the weather, so they’re not as effective as we’d hoped, and the griffins have been harassing them despite the batponies efforts.”

Nightmare exhaled sharply. “I have not seen griffins outside of one who attempted to intercept me earlier.”

“They’ve mostly kept inside and above the cloud layer to deal with the pegasi and batponies,” Shining answered. “And they’re attempting to avoid the batponies.”

“Dammit...” Nightmare muttered. She looked at the unicorns standing at her side, awaiting her orders. “You are dismissed,” she told them. They all gave hasty salutes, then broke away from her, staying in one group as they sought out some commander or another to give them new orders. She turned back to Shining and inclined her head. “We may have to adjust the pegasi’s training so they can better manage storms; it could prove advantageous.” Shining nodded in agreement. “How is the evacuation proceeding?”

He grimaced and turned his head to the side. “Slowly.”

“I see,” she acknowledged.

He shifted uncomfortably. “The minotaurs seem to be avoiding the evacuation route.”

“They are not attacking them?”

“No.”

She felt a sense of dread she did not know she felt lift from her. She breathed in, then exhaled. “I see. Good. Though I suspect they are raiding warehouses at the port?”

Shining grimaced and nodded. “And everywhere else they can. They’re still pressing deeper into Manehattan. Are you sure that leaving their fleet alone is a good idea? We might lose Manehattan at this rate.”

Nightmare shook her head decisively. “We will not lose the city, Prince,” she assured.

Shining let out a tired sigh. “And yet the minotaurs are still advancing, and ponies are still dying.”

“I know,” she acknowledged. “My options are limited. Were this an open field the battle would be won by now,” she stated. “I will not destroy Manehattan, the homes of countless thousands of ponies, for the sake of killing a few thousand minotaurs.”

He nodded soberly, haunted by the alternative. “The batponies are helping out more than I expected if I’m being honest. Even if the griffins are still harassing the pegasi, they’re at least helping unicorns deal with the minotaurs.”

She allowed herself a brief smile. “Such is their purpose, Nephew. I did create them to be soldiers to protect Equestria.”

He turned to look at her, visibly conflicted at the idea. “Is that all they are to you? They’re ponies too, just like my Royal Guards.”

Where had that question even come from? Taken by surprise as she was, she had no immediate answer.

He turned away from her. “They’re stealthy, I’ll give them that, but the minotaurs are a lot stronger than them. If they don’t disable the minotaur with their first strike, they lose.”

Nightmare knew exactly what he meant, and she nodded reluctantly. ‘How many batponies will die tonight because of the minotaurs and griffins?’ And yet, their sacrifices would not be in vain. They would save countless Royal Guards, perhaps even the whole of Equestria. It reminded her of her past, of the batponies she had led into battle against the griffins and other monsters.

And then it brought her to realize something else.

Celestia had given them peace where she had failed.

The first wars Equestria had truly known in over a millennium. Perhaps the changelings were not her fault, but the minotaurs? They wanted her. And because of it, they now killed her soldiers, threatened her country, and destroyed ponies’ lives.

And more than that. If she failed, they would conquer Equestria, wouldn’t they? And then what? Equestria would be shattered and every pony who had fallen in defense of Equestria, every battle Luna had fought, it would all be for naught. And Twilight and her friends and family would all suffer.

Because for as soft as Celestia had made Equestria, she could not deny that they knew peace and happiness and, somehow, security.

And she felt anger and determination burn all the hotter for it. Luna’s battles were not in vain. Luna’s death was not in vain. The deaths of the Royal Guards and batponies would not be in vain!

“The minotaurs will pay for this, Shining,” she growled. She turned back to face him and met his gaze, then bowed her head to seal the promise, “I give you my word.”

Shining nodded tersely.

Nightmare breathed in deep to settle her anger, then exhaled. “And what of the rest of Equestria? Are there any new reports of invasion?”

“None so far,” Shining answered.

Nightmare nodded. “I see. Good. I can continue to keep my focus on Manehattan, then.”

The cold night air embraced her, cooling her body from the heat of battle and evaporating her sweat from her coat as she soared over Manehattan. She watched a train steam off for Fillydelphia, where the evacuated ponies would be temporarily sheltered as best they could until it was safe.

The rumble of thunder signaled more strikes of lightning descending upon minotaurs below.

The distant screeching of griffins.

The cracking of spells and magic meeting steel.

The dull umpfs of explosions.

She turned her gaze back to the harbor and beheld the minotaur armada. Stared at the command ship and contemplated.

‘Perhaps I should have simply destroyed their fleet earlier.’

She beat her wings once to keep herself in the air.

‘Perhaps they would have withdrawn sooner.’

She steadied herself against the wind so that she stayed level.

‘How many ponies have they killed already?’

Her eyes flicked to the city below. Sporadic flashes of spells dotted the streets, meshed with the subtle glow of unicorns’ horns, some falling dark.

‘How many ponies have died because of that decision?’

Several bolts of lightning crashed down to the city.

‘How many lives will my decision have saved?’

Another crack of lightning; the silhouette of a pony locked in combat with a griffin.

‘How vulnerable will Equestria be after tonight is over?’

She saw an explosion in the street; ponies were thrown away from the epicenter and hit the pavement. None of them moved.

She held her breath.

Watched as minotaurs approached them.

A unicorn swiveled out of an alley. The Royal Guard got a spell off. A minotaur fell. The others aimed, and the unicorn fell too.

War.

Death.

Destruction.

Equestria did not prosper. Equestria did not know peace. How could she say she overcame her sister if this was her fate and the fate of her ponies?

She angled her wings and dove toward the minotaurs.

‘They’re ponies too, just like my Royal Guards. If they don’t disable the minotaur with the first strike, they lose,’ her nephew’s voice echoed in her mind.

The minotaurs did not see her as she descended upon them. They cleared the street, making sure there were no more of her soldiers. Her comrades. They must have found a family in hiding because two minotaurs dragged the ponies out kicking and screaming into the street.

But they didn’t look up.

Was it faith in their griffin allies, or was it arrogance?

‘How many batponies will die tonight because of the minotaurs?’

She landed. The minotaurs turned on her and the family rushed to escape while the minotaurs aimed at her.

She was quicker. Her magic, more keen than their hands. Their weapons, easier to seize than hers. Oh, they fought back. They tried to hold onto their crossbows and draw their axes, they tried to reach for their explosives.

But they failed.

They knew how efficient their weapons were when she turned them back on them.

They knew how brutal their weapons were she used their explosives against them.

They knew the horrors of war that she had seen over a dozen lifetimes.

And they lay in pools of their own blood, dying, as every other fallen soldier had before them.

Nightmare strode towards the minotaurs who sheltered behind an overturned cart. They thought themselves safe. They believed that a simple cart would protect them!

How foolish!

She wrapped her magic around the cart and threw it at them. She heard them grunt under the cart’s weight, but they pushed it off themselves with hardly a challenge and rose back to their feet before scattering into alleyways.

One of them was slowest.

She grabbed his leg and pulled him back. He fell face-first to the street and rolled onto his back.

He raised his crossbow at her.

The bolt bounced off her shield.

Four more pings as more minotaurs arrived, charging toward her in an attempt to save their comrade.

The fallen minotaur readied another bolt.

She waited for him to reload, then tore the fallen minotaur’s crossbow from his hands and turned it back on him.

The four charging minotaurs staggered before redoubling their efforts.

One screamed a battle cry, threw his crossbow aside and drew his ax.

His three companions ducked out of the alleyway. They fired on her.

Batponies descended from the sky. Three of the four who had charged her fell forward as the batponies’ hind hoofblades sank through their armor into their backs.

One batpony missed, and for her reward, the minotaur grabbed her.

Nightmare lunged forward and grabbed the minotaur with her magic.

But he was faster than her, and the mare didn’t even make a sound as he wrung her neck and threw her body aside like she was nothing but trash.

The batpony’s three companions gave her a momentary look. It was over so fast, yet at the same time lasted so long. It was a look Nightmare had seen too many times before. Pain, surprise, emptiness. An inability to understand what had happened, what went wrong. Why was it her, and not me? All the while, recognizing, knowing, nothing could be done; they had failed, and one of them had paid with her life.

And then the three surviving batponies launched back into the air, knowing there was nothing they could do for their dead companion. They couldn’t even mourn her yet. They had to act, or more would join her.

She snapped the minotaur’s neck and threw him at the remaining minotaurs before taking their lives.

But it would not bring her batpony back.

A minotaur fell and a second took his place, aimed, and fired. The bolt struck her shield and bounced right off as she charged at them.

One of them threw something at her. She heard the click of metal striking pavement.

A second later, the explosive detonated against her shield. Fragments and bits of metal pelted her shield and bounced right back off.

Her shield was unbroken.

Her comrade’s shield was not. He staggered at her side, and then a dull thwump was punctuated by him falling to the ground.

The minotaurs kept firing as fast as they could.

She tore their weapons from their grips, forced the metal to bend and twist under her magic until the crossbows were unrecognizable and their axes were scrap.

Some of them ran.

She lowered her shield.

Some of them reached for explosives.

She pulled the pins from the explosives of those who carelessly ran.

She held the explosives firmly in the hands of those who in panic tried to throw them.

And their mistakes cost them their lives.

And the street was silent aside from the whimpers of the dying.

She stood and contemplated the dead minotaurs.

She turned and looked at the fallen unicorn. Her fallen comrade.

He trembled on the pavement; his blood painted his golden armor red.

He tried to stand but couldn’t find the strength.

She had seen it too many times before.

How fragile his life was. Did he have siblings? Was he a father?

She sat down at his side and wrapped her magic around him. His trembling faded. She pulled the bolt from his chest and healed his wound.

He looked up at her, shocked, horrified, afraid.

The same fear she had seen in so many eyes before.

It was natural, wasn’t it? Being afraid of death.

She stood back up. He staggered back to his hooves.

His legs gave out.

She caught him with her magic before he hit the pavement and steadied him.

She looked back at the rest of his fallen comrades. The rest of her fallen comrades.

Some were still alive.

Some could be saved.

Good.

Minotaurs took cover as she approached. Behind her, half a dozen unicorns followed her.

Each one, armor stained by their own blood.

Faces etched with determination.

The minotaurs fired on them.

Her shield protected all seven of them.

The flash and crack! of lightning.

The scream of a minotaur as he staggered back, his chest smoking.

Some of them aimed at the sky, some stayed focused on her.

It changed nothing.

Another bolt of lightning fell another minotaur, and two more bolts followed behind the first, both striking the street and scorching it.

She walked on, her approach unphased by her pegasi’s assault and the minotaurs’ defense.

Some of them ran inside a building whose door had been broken down. Some of them ran to an alley.

She lowered her shield and channeled her magic into a beam that she directed onto the minotaurs as they ran.

She cut them down; her magic tore through their armor and bodies with the same ease as she had the changelings.

Glass shattered from her right. She turned—

Thwump!

Her shoulder exploded with pain and she staggered to the left from the impact. One of her comrades caught her.

Her jaw clenched and her eyes pressed close. She forced back a scream.

“Your Majesty!”

She heard the chime of the guards’ magic weave together into a shield. The pings! of more bolts fired at them, the impacts, the splintering of the shield, followed by the shield’s collapse and the unicorns’ grunts.

She sucked in a deep breath and righted herself.

Forged her magic into another shield for all of them before the minotaurs could reload.

Pulled the bolt from her shoulder and numbed the pain.

Opened her eyes to gaze upon the busted window on the third story.

Healed her shoulder.

Sent her magic into the room.

Grabbed the minotaur.

And dropped him.

He lived.

She snapped his neck.

He died.

The others followed soon enough.

Around her lay strewn the bodies of the fallen. Minotaurs and ponies and griffins alike. Not just unicorns this time. Pegasi, earth ponies, and batponies joined them. Lives all cut short.

None of them could she save.

For all her power? For all her magic? For her authority? For her skill at taking life?

They were dead, and she could not change that.

Nothing could.

She stood amongst them, surrounded by six unicorns and six batponies.

What had any of her comrades done to deserve their death at the hands of the minotaurs?

Or the pegasi and batponies, the ones who had survived a griffin’s attack, only to plummet to their death?

They fought.

They resisted.

For those they loved.

For her Sister.

For hope.

To protect.

Just like Luna had.

Some of the armor’s enchantments still held; their bodies were all mostly indistinguishable from one another. And their faces all blurred together now.

And she hated it.

She hated it.

She hated the minotaurs and griffins who had killed them.

She hated the minotaur Emperor for starting this war.

She hated the griffins who helped them, who took the minotaurs' gold with the same greed that they then took her ponies’ lives.

Hated their weapons for the lives they had taken.

Hated their ships for the pain they had brought.

Hated her sister for letting the minotaurs fester and grow so powerful as to be a threat to their ponies.

“My Queen!” a batpony mare shouted.

She turned—

The batpony collided with her body—

Thwump!

The mare gasped.

Nightmare fell to the side.

The mare dropped to the ground.

Zap! Magic washed over one of the minotaur’s bodies.

It twitched, and its crossbow slipped from its grip.

Still alive? Yes. It was still alive.

She looked at the batpony mare.

The mare didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

She touched her forehoof to the mare’s exposed neck.

No reaction.

No beating of her heart.

Checked with her magic.

Dead.

Her expression wasn’t scared, no. Resolute.

Fated to die for her Queen.

The mare hadn’t deserved that.

None of them did.

And that bastard minotaur stole her life. And for it?

It was still alive.

Was she married?

Was she a mother?

Were her foals now orphaned?

How many more lives did she have to see cut short?

She stood.

Her body trembled.

She grabbed the minotaur with her magic and held it up so that it might face her.

She healed its magic-induced wounds. Dispersed the numbness from the stun spell.

Watched it stir.

Watched it struggle.

Pointedly approached it.

Considered all of the countless spells she knew.

Considered all of her experiences of the pain the griffins had inflicted.

Considered all of the torment she had known.

Considered all of the dark magic she knew.

Sundered its mind.

Silenced its screams.

Threw it into a wall.

And repaid it for what it had done.

Nightmare walked alone, having sent her impromptu escort away so that they might better help protect others, and listened to the silence.

Most of the fighting was over now, it seemed. She hoped. Minotaurs were fewer and further between, but so were her ponies.

From what she had seen, the Royal Guard had been shattered. She lost count of how many of her ponies had been killed. She never counted how many minotaurs fell. Only now, most of the minotaurs’ bodies were gone, having been taken back to their ships where they would tend to their wounded.

Where the Royal Guard had faltered simply from lacking the numbers, the batponies had risen to the challenge. They soared through the sky, keeping eyes on the minotaurs' movements and pouncing on their prey.

But so had the griffins.

She felt drained as she trudged along the street. The cold weight of her armor, her blood-soaked fur, the sweat clinging to her forehead and body, and how sluggish her movements felt.

She forced herself to stay as focused as she could, but her thoughts were haunted by faces that blurred together.

Not only from tonight but the ones who had fought alongside Luna.

Her wings sagged from her sides as she silently carried herself along.

She did not feel like a victor, nor like a Queen.

She didn’t even feel like a guardian. No, she had failed that duty as soon as the minotaurs had attacked.

And everypony, every guard, every batpony, every mother and father and foal who had been taken from their homes and families and friends, they all looked to her for safety and comfort and reassurance.

How many of them she had failed.

And she had nopony.

There was nopony to tell her that it would be okay.

Nopony to count on to help her.

Nopony to whisper honeyed lies into her ears.

Nopony to hold her.

But she wasn’t Luna. She was stronger than Luna.

Wasn’t she?

And yet she felt defeated.

Just like Luna.

She stopped and looked over the street. Took in the blood streaks under the dark streetlights, took in the shattered glass and busted-down doors and overturned carts.

Nightmare remembered seeing Manehattan like that before. Back when she was so much younger, back when Twilight was afraid of her own shadow. Back when Twilight was scared of her and she had only mistreated her in return.

But now it was worse—the mingled bodies of a batpony and griffin lay crumpled on the sidewalk; the stallion had given his life to take the griffin with him.

He was not the first.

She hoped he was the last.

She didn’t have the will or strength to stop her wingtips from touching the pavement.

Water and blood soaked into her feathers, but mostly blood.

It was good that the battle was almost over. It was good that there were no minotaurs nearby to bear witness to her weakness.

She could picture Twilight standing at her side. But how would Twilight look? Would she be confused, with a blank expression showing her friend’s inability to comprehend the scene before her? Or would Twilight be afraid and cling to her for safety as a foal would cling to her mother while a griffin stared them down?

At the latter thought, something stirred in her. Renewed strength, renewed fire. She had made a promise. She had made many promises.

She blinked the sluggishness away.

Ponies were counting on her.

Twilight was counting on her.

The sooner the battle was over, the sooner she could leave.

The sooner she could leave and return to Twilight. Feel Twilight’s fur against her own, feel the warmth of Twilight’s body. The gentle caress of her friend’s muzzle as they nuzzled. The scent of books and ink and lavender and Twilight’s friends.

She steeled herself, knowing such thoughts would only make it that much more likely that she would slip up and then her promises would go unfulfilled.

She strode to the end of the block and turned right.

“Nightmare Moon!” a gruff voice bellowed.

She tensed and readied her magic.

“Do you know how many of my bulls you killed today?” the voice demanded.

Some minotaur leader or another? The commander of the attack, perhaps? She drew in a deep breath, preparing herself for a fight. Perhaps it would be no different as the other fights, or perhaps he had some advantage his troops did not. “Are you challenging me?”

“Yes. I am,” the voice answered. “And then I’m going to drag your body back to the Emperor with me. Or you could make this easier on both of us and surrender.”

“Bold words coming from one who hides in the shadows like a coward!”

“This!” the minotaur bellowed with a thunderous laugh. “Coming from the Queen of the Night herself!” His laughter slowed to a stop. “How priceless.”

Nightmare licked her lips and watched as a hulking brute of a minotaur walked out from the busted-down door of a warehouse. He stood nearly twice her height, clad entirely in thick, rough steel armor that shimmered from some enchantment or another, dragging some weapon on the ground behind him by his left hand. The screeching of metal scraping against the pavement made her uncomfortable. Two smaller minotaurs flanked him, both wearing their usual steel armor and carrying crossbows held slightly lowered.

The tips of their bolts were unusually large.

She studied his weapon as he dragged it into view and strode out onto the street to face her. Some combination of a warhammer and a battleax, with the blade on top while the head dragged on the pavement. The hammerhead was larger than her head, more fitting of some kind of mace, fit with short, stubby metal knobs all over. The blade was twisted with a wicked curve, seemingly more intended to inflict pain rather than kill. The entire weapon shimmered with the magic of enchantments, like the armor.

He came to a stop about ten feet from her and braced himself, then purposefully lifted the hammer with one hand and brought the handle up and over to rest firmly in his other hand. His escort held back another five feet or so. Both of them watched her from where they stood, neither seeming any more important than the countless other minotaur soldiers she had felled.

She breathed in deep and steadied herself as she readied her magic. “I respect your courage,” she stated as she bowed her head, aiming her horn at the minotaur’s chest. “But it will not help you.”

He let out a guttural huff and charged at her.

She wrapped her magic around the handle of his weapon, only for her magic to slip off. The surprise cost her precious time. ‘Dammit!’ The enchantment or the metal itself was resistant to magic.

He brought his warhammer back to his side as he rushed in.

She cast a bolt of magic at his chest; his chestplate lit up as it absorbed the blast of magic.

He swung his weapon at her. She snapped her wings out and jumped back, using her wings for added lift.

The hammer’s head swung passed where she stood and continued on until he stopped it, cocked at his left side.

She landed and fired again. Two spells.

He closed the distance and lifted the warhammer up over his head.

Her spells flashed against his chestplate.

She stepped back and hammered away at his armor with her spells, only to see her magic wash harmlessly over the metal.

He brought his warhammer down.

She shielded herself.

The force of the blow buckled her shield. A spiderweb of cracks raced outward from where the studs collided, and in the center of where the hammer struck, a large crack split her shield in two.

She grunted, feeling him forcing the weapon down against her shield as hard as he could.

It wasn’t enough. She reinforced her shield with more magic, then gathered magic in her horn to detonate her shield.

The blast made him stagger back, but he recovered and grabbed his hammer with both of his hands.

Faster than she expected.

He brought the hammer down. She threw herself to the right.

The hammer smashed into the pavement. She felt the impact through her boots, felt the air ripple from the impact, felt little bits of the road strike her side as the pavement exploded from the impact.

He roared ferociously and yanked the hammer free from the pavement while she tried to grab his armor in her magic.

The same magic resistance.

She growled and ducked under a swing, then threw her weight into the minotaur’s legs.

He took the blow in stride and kept standing.

Realizing her mistake, she jumped back, but his hind leg still struck her chestplate with enough force that a graceful landing was impossible. She hit the ground and rolled back to her hooves.

Another noticeable dent joined the one Applejack inflicted.

Nightmare ignored it as he brought the hammer back to rest in both of his hands and sized her up. “You didn’t really think we forgot about your magic, did you?” he growled. “The very same magic you used to take away the sun?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “If this is the full extent of your capabilities I am hardly impressed!” she hissed.

He let out a battle cry and charged.

She reared up and gathered more magic in her horn, then slammed her forehooves into the roadway as she released her spell. The shockwave struck him and broke his charge, momentarily staggering him.

Long enough for her to capitalize.

She heaved her weight forward into a charge and focused her magic into an intense beam. Her magic slammed into his chestplate head-on, making it glow brighter as its enchantments struggled against her magic.

She wasn’t finished yet!

But neither was he. He lunched at her and met her charge head-on. His elbow slammed into her muzzle, throwing her horn out of position hard enough that she had to catch herself so she didn’t fall down.

And that was all the opening he needed. His hammer collided with her wing a moment later.

The impact was disorientating. She wasn’t entirely sure what happened. The world twisted and spun around her.

Her wing crumpled under the blow and her ribs cracked. The air was ripped from her lungs as a magical shockwave tore through her body, tearing up her lungs. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream. She wasn’t even sure she could scream. The city twisted around her as she flew until something—a brick wall—stopped her. Her head whipped into the wall last. She couldn’t stop herself from grunting at the impact.

For a split second, she saw naught but darkness.

The first thing she could make sense of was lying crumpled on the street against the wall. Breathing hurt, it was nearly impossible. She coughed up blood and her whole body screamed in protest. The only sound she could make was a groan, and that turned into a cough.

The detestable taste and stench of her own blood.

The sound of metal clicking on pavement as something approached her.

She sluggishly stood back to her hooves. She had to force it, because her body protested every movement. The pain was nauseating. Her legs nearly gave out, and she ended up leaning her left side against the wall for support. Her lungs burned, her body ached, her legs trembled. Her right wing was useless. She gasped for breath and coughed again, and for it was rewarded with pain.

Yet over it all, she could hear the distinct clicks of his metal boots on the pavement as he approached.

She wanted nothing more than to keep her eyes closed, to teleport away to be with Twilight and heal herself, to take a bath and forget about everything.

But she would not. She was stronger than that. She forced herself to fight on as she always had.

Because she was Nightmare Moon.

She opened her eyes and turned to face him.

“I was expecting a challenge,” he growled.

She forced herself to snort, despite how much it hurt, despite it turning into a cough that brought up more blood to streak her muzzle, and then wrapped her magic around her body to numb the pain and heal herself.

But he gave her no reprieve and launched himself at her.

She pushed away from the wall and backpedaled. His hammer struck the wall, and bricks exploded everywhere, nearly demolishing the whole front of the building.

It gave her an opening. She took it and fired a blast of magic at his side. His armor shrugged it off. He spun and kicked her in the chest. She screwed her eyes shut as she stumbled back, reeling from the pain of her reawakened injuries. Her legs nearly betrayed her, almost making her fall to the ground, but she was steadfast.

He swung his hammer. She deflected his swipe with a blast of magic and stepped back. ‘Dammit!’ It gave her the briefest moment to look at her shattered right wing.

And he kept lunging at her; there was no opportunity for her to heal herself. She ducked low when he swung high and jumped back when he swung downward. Dodged to the side when he swung upward.

It was all she could do to evade his attacks.

Another blow toppled a streetlight over. She grabbed it with her magic as it fell, then swiftly spun it around and caught him in the head with it. He staggered back, stumbling from the sudden, jarring blow.

She followed up and thrust the base at his chest. He stumbled again. She spun the rod around and crushed the concrete base down on his head. He growled in pain and hit the ground, but immediately started picking himself back up.

It was the opportunity she needed to heal her lungs, ribs, and wings. He lunged before she could finish, but she could finally breathe easier, and the fresh air was wonderful.

‘If I lose, I will not see Twilight again.’

She parried a blow from his hammer with her streetlight, only for the once-straight post to wind up bent almost back to the base.

‘Buildings can be replaced. I cannot.’

Perhaps collateral damage was unavoidable.

She strode back and steeled herself against his unflinching march towards her. The arrogant bastard smiled, thinking she was retreating.

Nightmare snarled and hammered away at his armor with her magic. Bolts of magic, stun spells, spells to tear through his armor and body, spells to slow him and confuse him, none of them did more than wash over his armor, leaving it glowing brighter. Not enough to overwhelm the enchantments. She couldn’t aim well enough to hit his exposed body, either. ‘How did you acquire such armor!?’ her mind snapped.

Regardless, he would fall. It was only a matter of balancing how much destruction was needed with how much was acceptable.

Surely she could defeat him without dropping a building on him. But perhaps he was worth the cost to rebuild.

She switched tactics and refocused her magic into a beam. The initial impact staggered him; his armor glowed brightly as the enchantments worked overtime to disperse her magic, and for his part, he charged full speed ahead at her.

She focused more magic into the beam, enough to match a Royal Guard’s full magic.

Enough to cut through their ships’ armor.

Enough to lay a dragon low.

Enough to match Twilight’s magic.

For the briefest moment, she considered using more.

The enchantments flickered.

He swung his hammer. She had to jump out of the way and let up on her attack. He followed up his swing with another downward thrust. She focused her beam again and struck his helmet.

The enchantments burned away instantly and her magic sliced through his armor, then tore through his head and body.

He collapsed on the ground.

She stamped her hoof into the ground and ignored the pain that she felt. ‘Next time I will not take the chance and hold back at the beginning.’

She cast her gaze on the two minotaurs who had escorted him. They both stared at her, frozen in place, shocked. She wrapped her magic back around her wounds and strode towards them. “If you run, I will let you live,” she snapped. “Your fleet has twenty minutes to be underway before I turn it into your tomb.”

Both of them forgot about their weapons, broke rank, turned, and ran.

She snarled and surveyed the street. Certain that she was alone, she strode back to their fallen champion and examined his armor with her magic. The minotaurs couldn’t have enchanted it. Who had, then? Surely not the griffins, surely not the zebras, and certainly not the deer. It felt like unicorn magic, but who? And how?

She surged her magic into the enchantments to burn them all out to vent her frustration, then ran her magic over the metal. She wasn’t sure what it was, it wasn’t steel. Something else. Something that was harder for her to grip than normal armor, akin to the metal that their weapons were made out of.

Did they have more?

How much more?

But then did that matter how much they had? Equestria was still difficult for them to reach. Even if they succeeded in taking the city, it would be difficult for them to hold it.

‘We cannot fight in a city again, at least not an Equestrian city.’ The costs were simply too high and the risks too great. Ships would have to be intercepted, and she would have to make sure the griffins were lending no aid to the minotaurs.

She exhaled sharply, then looked back at their fallen champion.

She stripped the minotaur of his armor and cast his body aside, then studied the armor until she heard a quiet clink of metal hitting the pavement.

Had she dropped something? No, she had not.

She turned to see one of their explosives. She barely managed to shield herself before it detonated, and a dozen pings! immediately followed it. Her shield was assaulted from all sides.

She braced herself, but none of the bolts slipped through her magic.

She sent her magic out.

She was surrounded by minotaurs inside the nearby buildings; they had been lying in wait for her.

An ambush.

One that they had completely butchered.

She grabbed them in her magic and threw them through the windows. Glass shattered and cut them up as she dumped them on the pavement just in front of where they had taken to waiting for her battle to finish.

She considered killing them as they picked themselves up but thought better of it.

But making them think she was retreating wouldn’t do. “Leave now and I will spare your lives!” she hissed.

Either pulling them out of their hiding spots or the threat was enough to make them retreat. Or perhaps it was their dead champion, now stripped bare before them.

She watched them run while she healed herself, and once she was certain they weren’t about to change their minds, she growled and teleported herself and the armor back to the outside of the town hall.

Most of the ponies who were there now were batponies. The wounded Royal Guards had been evacuated alongside the other evacuees. She didn’t spot her Nephew or Spitfire anywhere so she walked to the town hall and stepped inside. A cursory look around was all she needed to locate the Captain, conversing with a batpony colonel.

She made her way over to them; both of them saw her and turned their attention to her. And both of them gawked at her blood-covered muzzle, but their shock faded after a few seconds. The batpony bowed while Spitfire saluted.

Nightmare nodded once in acknowledgment. “I believe they will be retreating shortly. I will be giving them one last parting gift as they do.”

“And if they don’t?” Spitfire asked.

She tilted her head and flared her magic. “Then I am not taking prisoners.”

The Colonel shivered.

“What do you have there?” Spitfire asked, nodding towards the armor she held.

She turned her gaze to the armor and scowled. “I fought a minotaur who I believe was their commander. This was his armor. It was... far more resilient than I anticipated.” She breathed in; though fully healed, her lungs and side still ached. The phantom pain made her look over at her right side, at her wing. She could still feel the agony from earlier, but her right wing at least looked fine compared to her left wing. Regrowing the fur and feathers was a frivolous waste of magic, so long as she could still fly.

Of course, red smeared her coat and muzzle, and as she thought about it, blood wasn’t the only thing on her. Sweat, smoke, little bits of metal and pavement and dirt, and for thinking about it all, she felt filthy.

She scowled in disgust, even as she thought back on all the times Luna had returned from battle just the same.

A bath would be nice, but first, there was one last matter to attend to.

Nightmare Moon soared through the skies, just below the sparse cloud cover erected by the pegasi. The minotaur’s fleet was indeed retreating, just as slowly as she was sure their best speed was. The hulking behemoths that were their ships seemed almost still atop the water, though the scattered reflection of the moon in their wake betrayed their movement.

Neither of her wings felt right as she flew along, but they would be fine in a few nights, if not sooner, so she put the discomfort aside as she contemplated the fleet below her.

Besides, perhaps the memory would be a good motivation for her to do better.

Did the fools know she watched from above? She saw no griffin patrols attempting to guard their retreat. Did they think they would escape so easily?

Of course, no patrol could help them.

She glided along at a casual pace, keeping up with the fleet and watching the ships as they lumbered through the sea. Every so often, she looked back at Manehattan to gauge how far out they were.

And she waited. She waited patiently. Lulled the bastards into a sense of security so that they would lower their guard. Let the ones who had never left their ships think they were getting away without seeing the worst of the battle.

She summoned her magic and charged up her horn.

How wrong they would be.

Her first beam of magic ripped through their command ship’s hull. She missed where she was aiming, but it didn’t matter. The ship’s reinforced hull bowed before her, exploding in a spray of splinters and metal shrapnel. The ship lurched away from the impact. They let loose fearful cries.

And she cut a path of destruction through the ship’s hull until—

A blinding flash of light as their weapons store detonated. The ship’s hull disintegrated around the blast and split into two sections.

For a moment, all was silent.

BOOM!

The shockwave hit her body; she grunted and steadied herself.

She took aim at the next ship, one of their cruisers, and cut open the ship’s side with more ease than doing the same to a dragon.

BOOM!

Her magic hit another weapon store.

The ship listed and nearly capsized.

Half-armored griffins shot into the sky.

Her magic readily shot them down. The ones she sparred dove back to their ships even quicker.

She reached out and grabbed a second cruiser with her magic. The ship was massive; surely no single unicorn could hope to achieve the feat she did! But such was her magic, such was her talent. She lifted the ship from the water.

And crushed the hull.

Felt the resistance, felt the way the wood and steel strained against the force she put on them.

Felt them give, then twist and splinter and shatter.

Watched the hull implode.

Dropped the ship back to the water. It shook and listed side to side unsteadily.

She had made her point clear.

And so she watched the fleet limp along. Watched their little boats ferry survivors and supplies from their crippled cruisers to the smaller escorting warships.

She felt satisfied.

Satisfied and drained and tired.

Was war all she was good at?

She turned to fly back to Manehattan. Eventually, their panicked shouting faded to nothingness, leaving her flight in silence broken only by the occasional rumble of thunder.

Author's Note

8/25/20

Chapter started.

Encouraged by this comment, I’ve written to 3,218.

Make that 3,868.

I like to try to go through ideas for the story, scenes, etc., and consider the way for them to play through which makes the most sense from a logical standpoint. For example, what is the logical outcome of a battle between rifles and magic?

Well, depending on the rules, one logical outcome is “No U” and shooting them with their own weapons. Likewise, it occurs to me that really, to follow this logic to its natural conclusion, Nightmare Moon, mover of the moon, should be able to easily point the gun that shot at her (naval flak or whatever you wanna call it) somewhere else, other than her. And the same to the spotlights.

And like, you know, commit Halo 2 cutscene where the Marathon Class Heavy Cruiser gets bisected lengthwise by the CAS’s plasma projector.

Ah, but that’s just not as good for storytelling, you know? Removes too much of the struggle...

Also, for the record, I didn’t think about having Nightmare Moon make herself invisible. A logical explanation for this is overconfidence. Likewise, this can be applied to her armor’s... limited protection. Headcanon time? The reason the armor really only protects her chest is because she had no plans to run from Celestia in their battle. I came up with this hours ago. Or maybe before, and I forgot. I think it makes sense.

8/26/20

Wrote to 7,053.

I’m going full poet but not really. I had a ton of fun writing that one scene with the short sentences all spaced out.

Well. Um. I enjoyed writing like this way too much. By which I mean I ended up writing to 8,988.

I’m biased for sure, but you can say a lot with a little when it’s done right. My friend agrees that this is good. Hooray for echo chambers!

...and I just keep writing. 9,729.

8/27/20

There’s a Halo reference. Can you guess?

I am tentatively saying the draft is finished today as of 12,534.

9/15/20

Edits started.

13,868.

12/11/20

I still enjoy rereading this chapter. I really hope this chapter doesn’t warrant an M rating. I’ve tried my hardest to avoid getting an M rating slapped onto this story. Which is one reason I went poetic/vague/whatever it was with how I wrote the combat in this chapter.

A more concrete example is, “The magic tore through his body” instead of something more gruesome.

3/14/23

Finally forcing myself to open and duplicate the chapter to work on it, even if it just amounts to some progress rereading it.

After much deliberation and consideration, I have indeed decided that I want to strip out most rifles/firearms from this chapter. It just clashes too much and I just don’t like it. However, I will be leaving the prior author’s notes about it for posterity and whatever.

13,803

3/15/23

I’m not entirely happy with how this is going despite progress.

14,101.

3/16/23

I suppose I’ve finished these edits/rewrites.

Will want to do editing sweeps probably. I need to get with my prereader now.

14,405.

9/13/23

Reread chapter. I don’t entirely like it but I am not rewriting this (in part because I’d have to rewrite/retcon other already published chapters).

Maybe one day after I finish this story I will rewrite the entire thing. There are definitely things I’d change if I did, but the amount of time and work that would require probably makes it nonviable.

I know there are still typos and a few other issues in this chapter, and a few things that probably need to be rewritten for the sake of understanding it better but I don’t have the patience or drive to fix that right now. If those mistakes are still present at the time of publishing, please comment and point them out so I can fix them.

9/18/23

I’m enjoying rereading and editing this a lot more than I expected.

15,303.

9/19/23

Stripped out something I was going to add but decided against, and forgot to actually remove. Fortunately, my prereader caught it for me! Ahahaha! Thanks, man.

15,241

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Thoughts, comments, or questions? Leave them below!

One Last Sunset

My Most Faithful Student,

I see your choice in literature is as varied as ever, Twilight. Predictions and Prophecies? Destiny is one thing, but predicting the future is an entirely different matter. Why, if you tried to predict the future- make a prophecy- then who's to say that the simple act of that wouldn't change the outcome? It's simply a silly notion that anypony- myself included- could predict the future. I know that you look up to Starswirl the Bearded, Twilight, but his prophecies aren't exactly accurate. Surely you've read the rest of the tales in that book, rather than just the one about Nightmare Moon?

But with that said, my dearest student, you are destined for great things. Your knowledge and magic nearly rival Starswirl, and you're not even an adult yet! At this rate, history will forget about him and you'll take his place! But I must admit that I fear you will burn yourself out at this rate, Twilight. I worry about you when I hear that you spend all of your days studying. I know that you mean well, and I am proud of you for your dedication to learning, but you really need to take a break and experience life more, even if it's just for one day. There's more to life than what you can find in books- some lessons can only be learned through experience, rather than by reading them from a book. Yes, you may learn spells from books, but you cannot simply cast them as soon as you learn them. Practice- experience- is required.

Among the Royal Guard, there is a saying that "Field experience is one skill you never have until after you need it." History has taught me this lesson at great cost, Twilight, but that doesn't mean we can't be prepared by learning from books. However, as I mentioned before, you can't learn everything from books. Books can make problems seem far more simple than they actually are.

And because of that, I want you to oversee this year's Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville! Now I know you're probably scowling when you read this or have Spike read it to you, but it will be good for you to get outside of your comfort zone and get some fresh air- and meet some ponies other than myself, your family, the Archivist, librarians, and royal guards. We all know you deserve a break with how hard you've spent the past decade studying under me. It will be good for you to get this experience in. With your organizational skills, I know that you can do it- and there's nopony else more qualified or deserving to oversee this year's Summer Sun Celebration than you, my Most Faithful Student. Besides, if anything unexpected does happen, who better to handle it than my prized pupil?

But it would be best if you put this silly Nightmare Moon nonsense behind you. You don't need to worry about that, Twilight. It's just an old pony's tale.

I'll send a chariot to take you to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I'll even arrange for you to stay in the town's library!

Yours truly, Princess Celestia.

The Princess had been right. Even knowing that she was going to be staying in the town's library did little to alleviate her scowl. It was outrageous! Her! The princess's Most Faithful Student! Her protege! She had devoted her life to studying magic under her and learning all that she could! And Princess Celestia wanted her to take a break to meet other ponies. She couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe this!" Twilight cried out. "I-I know what I read and she's in grave danger and she's just ignoring me!" After a few seconds, her expression fell and her ears pinned back from pain. "How could she just... ignore me?" she asked softly.

A soft, disappointed sigh escaped the lips of a young dragon standing beside her. "Twilight... please calm down. It's Princess Celestia. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about. You heard her! She said it's just an old pony's tale. There's nothing to be worried about," he comforted. "She's not in danger, you're just... overreacting."

Twilight hung her head guiltily. "I hope you're right, but... I feel worried sick about this." Her head shot up and she looked at Spike pleadingly. "W-what if she's wrong? What if Nightmare Moon comes back like the prophecy says!? Princess Celestia controls the sun and the moon! What do you think Nightmare Moon would do to her-!?"

Spike gripped Twilight's foreleg with his claws and gently shook her, making her entire body shake and sway, breaking her out of her fear-induced rant. "Twilight!" Spike interjected. "Come on! Hasn't Princess Celestia been alive for over... thousands of years or something?"

Twilight winced, then turned away from Spike to nod. "Well... yes. She has," she admitted glumly. She huffed and looked back at Spike. "But that doesn't mean-"

"But she told you not to worry about it, Twilight. If Nightmare Moon was real, I think she'd tell you that..." Spike reassured. He smiled at her until Twilight turned away from him and looked out of the room's large window, gazing out across Canterlot. "Twilight, if she's like... thousands of years old, she'd know about something like this is it was real. And if it was real, she wouldn't just brush your concern off. She wouldn't lie to you."

Twilight opened her mouth to retort him but stopped herself. He was entirely correct. Princess Celestia had been alive for such a long time that it was unthinkable that she would brush this off if it was real, and if it was real, she wouldn't brush off Twilight's concern for her, so through logical reasoning, she could deduce that it wasn't real. And if it wasn't real, then she was overreacting, even if it didn't feel like it. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. A few seconds passed before she opened her eyes again. "Y-you're right, Spike... I... I guess I should trust her." She smiled, and her face lit up with determination. "She wouldn't lie to me, after all. If Nightmare Moon was real, she'd tell me about it," she stated resolutely.

Spike smiled. "See!" he said. "You really do worry too much, Twilight. It'll be fine. Besides, even if Nightmare Moon were real, Princess Celestia would stop her from causing eternal night!"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I guess... I can't imagine anypony, or really anything for that matter, being able to defeat Princess Celestia. She would stop Nightmare Moon." She looked around, then rolled up the scroll. "Can you get my saddlebags?" She started walking over to one of her tower's massive bookshelves, scanning the titles idly. "I need to get ready to go to Ponyville..." Her scowl returned, but it wasn't nearly as prominent as it had been before. Even if she didn't like it, Spike was right. Worrying about Nightmare Moon wasn't necessary if Princess Celestia told her it wasn't necessary. Besides, she had a new assignment from the princess- even if it wasn't a lesson that she wanted to learn, she needed to do her best. After all, she was Princess Celestia's Most Faithful Student.

Spike nodded. "Sure. I'm sure the pegasus chariot will be by soon. Is there anything else you need?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'll take care of the rest. I shouldn't need to bring anything. I'm just overseeing things. Oh! I will need paper and quills though. And ink too."

"I'll take care of it, Twilight," Spike affirmed. "You just relax and think about how to organize everything."

Twilight smiled to herself. "Thanks, Spike. Although, I'm not sure that anypony can relax and plan for something like this at the same time," she said with a cheerful giggle. She trotted back over to the idle dragon, then wrapped a foreleg around his back and leaned down to nuzzle him. Spike returned her hug, wrapping his arms around Twilight's neck, and he giggled a bit from Twilight's fur tickling his scales. After a few seconds, they parted.

"Present company excluded of course!" he noted. "You find organizing relaxing..." he said in a much less enthusiastic tone. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes at the dragon's comment. Spike turned and headed towards Twilight's desk to retrieve the items she had requested, leaving Twilight to ponder over everything for a few seconds.

And a few seconds was more than enough time for her to think. She trusted Princess Celestia- her mentor wouldn't lie to her, and Princess Celestia trusted her. In fact, Princess Celestia trusted her with things that she didn't even trust other ponies close to her with, not even her advisors or the royal guards. And just one small detail of that was Princess Celestia trusting her to oversee the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. The one-thousandth. It'd only ever come around once, and it'd be another thousand years before another milestone like that could be reached.

Her eyes lit up, sparkling in delight at the prospect, and she let out a giddy laugh. Maybe she could afford to take a slight break- but no, a break simply wouldn't do. This would be the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. It had to be absolutely perfect. Princess Celestia put her in charge, so everything had to be perfect. She couldn't let her down! It was unthinkable.

She had simply been thinking about it the wrong way. Her assignment wasn't to take a break or to meet other ponies. No, her assignment was to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration! The one-thousandth! To ensure that it was absolutely perfect for her beloved mentor, and, of course, to learn a lesson and gain experience while doing it.

Content with this in mind, she paid Spike a passing glance to check on his work. And of course, he was doing as fine of a job as ever. She knew she could always count on Spike to always be her number one assistant, it would never change. With a smile, she turned her attention back to the bookshelf, but not before her eyes swept over the still-open book 'Predictions and Prophecies' on the table. Her smile wavered. She trusted Princess Celestia completely.

'But why do I still feel so worried about this..?'

Ponyville was one of the closest 'cities' to Canterlot in Equestria. In truth, while Ponyville was nearly in Canterlot's backyard, it was far from a city- it was more of a village, or a small, rural town. In a way, it was shocking, not only that such a place was chosen for the Summer Sun Celebration, but also because it was the closest town to Canterlot in Equestria. An interesting sidenote that she had learned was that Ponyville was even closer to the actual center of Equestria than Canterlot was. For some reason, she found that fascinating when considered alongside Ponyville being a town, rather than a city.

Much larger and more densely populated cities existed in Equestria, as did smaller ones, yet Ponyville for all it's closeness to Canterlot seemed to be extraordinarily unremarkable. The only thing that most ponies would find interesting was its proximity to the Everfree Forest, which she had learned was generally avoided, for good reason.

But rather than giving it much more thought, she came to the conclusion that the reason why Ponyville was a small, rural town, and not a bustling city on Canterlot's doorstep, was most likely because of its proximity to the Everfree Forest, even if it was so close to Canterlot.

Twilight scowled and blinked. She turned away from Canterlot and its mountain to look at Spike, who held on tight to an open scroll. The chariot was flown by two white, armor-clad pegasus Royal Guards, and if Spike were to let go, that scroll would be history- if it weren't for a spell she had put on it ensuring such a thing wouldn't happen. Normally, a pegasus chariot ride would make her smile and relax as she felt the wind blowing through her mane, making her wonder if that feeling was the same for pegasi when they flew through the air, free of having to stand on anything for support, but right now, it just wasn't the same.

Her trust in Princess Celestia was unshakable- or so she thought- but right now, she found herself questioning whether she trusted her princess as much as she thought she did. 'I have no reason to be worried about Nightmare Moon! Princess Celestia said it isn't real; so it's not real, yet I'm still worried! Why am I still worried about this!?' She nibbled on her lip, and her scowl lifted. 'Maybe I'm not worried about Nightmare Moon... maybe I'm worried about the Celebration?'

She took a deep breath, then swallowed. Maybe all she needed was to distract herself for a moment- after all, there was a lot of pressure on her to oversee the celebration. Despite the fact that the trip was only a few hours long by pegasus chariot, and that they were not even halfway there, she already had everything planned out. She had even gone over everything that could go wrong! Including the risk of Nightmare Moon being real. Her scowl threatened to return, but she caught it in time and put a stop to it.

With nothing to distract her, she found her mind kept wandering back to Nightmare Moon for some reason, and every time it happened, she felt a strange unease come over her. It was so different from anything else she had felt. And the fear. Nightmare Moon would bring eternal night. It was almost enough to send her into a panic attack, hyperventilating at the idea. Not at night lasting forever, but at what it would mean. It would mean that her mentor, Princess Celestia, would be gone.

"Twilight?"

Twilight blinked, the sudden sound of Spike speaking her name breaking her stupor. She licked her lips and looked at him. "Yes, Spike?"

Spike squinted at her unsurely, and his eyes rolled over her body, from her chest to her head, then to her horn. "...Are you okay? You seem... I dunno, distracted? Nervous?"

Twilight hesitated, then gave him a timid nod in response. "Yeah. I'm okay. Just thinking." She offered him a wry grin. "I do have a lot on my mind, after all. I get to oversee the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, Spike! Princess Celestia entrusted it to me!"

She couldn't help herself. She did a little jump in place and let out a squee. Fortunately, the pegasus pulling the chariot- along with the chariot- managed to not lurch from her jump nor her landing. And of course, physics was on her side, so she landed right where she jumped on the chariot.

It still worried Spike, and at his glare made Twilight blush at her foalish reaction. She quickly sat down and cleared her throat. "I've been thinking... How did Ponyville manage to get chosen for this year's Summer Sun Celebration anyway?" she asked. She looked up from Spike and gazed out beyond the two stallions pulling the chariot. In the distance, she could see Ponyville. It was small, but it looked quaint, yet it wasn't someplace where she would have expected the Celebration to occur. Manehatton, Fillydedlphia, Los Pegasus, and Canterlot, sure. But Ponyville? "I don't understand... It's just so... unremarkable?"

Spike shrugged. "I dunno. Princess Celestia chose it, so I'm sure she had a reason!" he offered.

Twilight nodded to herself. "Yeah..." 'Some reason...' All too soon, their conversation drew to an abrupt close, leaving her to her thoughts once again as the wind blew through her mane. 'But... it's the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. Surely she'd want that in Canterlot, not... Ponyville?'

She let out a sigh as answers evaded her. 'Maybe I should have asked her about it,' she thought. With a shake of her head, she turned back and watched Canterlot as it grew smaller in the distance.

Somewhere along the trip, her gaze had turned from Canterlot to the town of Ponyville. Even from the air, she could tell it had a nice, homely feel to it. It was a sharp contrast with Canterlot, and the Canterlot nobility would probably rather donate their estates than visit such a town. Rather than paved streets, Ponyville's streets were cobblestone, or barring that, simply dirt roads. Rather than constructed of glistening marble and magnificent pillars, the houses were constructed of wood and of stone, and of other assorted materials, perhaps even with thatched roofs, although she suspected it only looked thatched from the distance. Such houses would hardly be considered worth the cost of materials in Canterlot, and yet she found it had a pleasant appeal to it.

'Maybe that's why Princess Celestia is having it here instead of in Canterlot,' she mused as they touched the ground. The chariot bumped and jostled her around far more than she was used to as they landed, but she put it aside, knowing the cause was the dirt or cobblestone street. As soon as the chariot came to a stop, she stood up and jumped out of the open back, followed by Spike, who hopped down beside her.

As soon as she touched the ground, Twilight walked along the chariot to the two stallions who brought them to Ponyville. "Thank you, sirs," she said with a smile.

They both returned her smile and nodded in acknowledgment. "If you need anything, ma'am, we'll be unloading your things at the library, and then we'll be with the Mayor to handle security."

At the mention of 'security,' she had to force her smile to mask her concern, but she nodded in response. She pulled away from them and walked back to the end of the chariot. Spike was standing there, looking around and taking in the unassuming scenery. She had to admit, it was a nice change from Canterlot- it wasn't like everything was trying to scream out 'Look at me!' louder than everything else.

Twilight nodded to herself as she looked around. Many ponies casually strolled down the streets, of whom the majority were earth ponies, followed by pegasi, and then there were only a few unicorns like she had expected. The population make up was nearly the exact opposite of Canterlot, which was a majority unicorn city, although there were still countless pegasi and earth ponies living there.

"So, uh, where to first, Twilight?" Spike asked.

Twilight looked at him and smiled, then levitated the scroll he held out of his claws and over in front of her. She didn't need to look at the list to know exactly was on it, but it helped for accuracy's sake. "Well..." she trailed off and cast her gaze skyward. Even the barest examination revealed countless fluffy white clouds dotting the skies above the town- which was exactly not what she had ordered. Not a single cloud was acceptable for tomorrow. Her eyes narrowed. "I think we need to give this... 'Rainbow Dash' a visit. She's the pegasus in charge of the weather, and there are still clouds all over the place!" she huffed in frustration.

"Come on, Spike!" she called as she started trotting down the street.

"Wait! Twilight!" Spike called after her, "We don't even know where she is!"

Twilight skidded to a stop, and Spike ran right into her hind legs, letting out an 'oof' from the impact as he fell onto the street. Twilight looked back at him with an apologetic smile, then scooped him up in her magic and sat him down on her back, just below her withers. "Right... any ideas?"

"Uh, maybe check the sky? She is a pegasus, after all," Spike offered with a shrug.

"Well, that's better than nothing..." Twilight said glumly.

For several minutes, the two wandered through Ponyville aimlessly, searching out the pegasus named 'Rainbow Dash,' mostly searching the skies for her, though careful to avoid walking into anypony or anything, but without a description to go with the name, they really didn't know what to look for. Eventually, they started asking around for her, and while that yielded a description of her appearance- a light blue coat, rainbow-colored mane and tail, which Twilight couldn't really picture, and 'beautiful magenta eyes' according to the stallion they asked- Twilight suspected that the stallion had a crush on Rainbow Dash- they still couldn't find her.

Twilight groaned and came to a stop in the middle of one of the countless streets they had wandered. "This? This is pointless..." she said in exasperation. "Well, no wonder she hasn't taken care of the clouds. She's nowhere to be found! Of course! What am I going to do now?!"

"Cheer up, Twilight," Spike comforted. "I'm sure she'll turn up. Maybe try looking for her friends? Or maybe ask another pegasus?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then let out a long sigh as she deflated her lungs. "Yeah... but still. I'm on a schedule, Spike! And she-"

"Twilight, why don't we look for some of the others first, then? Maybe she'll turn up that way?" Spike offered.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. You're right. We're getting nowhere right now, and it shouldn't be a problem to find the others," she noted.

"Maybe you should try to meet some other ponies like Princess Celestia suggested?" Spike offered.

"Spike..." she groaned, dropping her head even lower. After a few seconds, she shook her head and picked it back up. She looked to her left, then her right, scanning the town to try to decide which way would be most efficient for meeting with the rest of the ponies taking care of things. When she looked back ahead, however, there was a bubbly pink earth pony standing in front of her. There was absolutely no way that the earth pony had enough time to get in front of her like that, yet despite that, she stood there with a bright, infectious smile on her face.

She already wanted to avoid and ignore her.

"Try to talk to her!" Spike suggested.

Seeing as though the pony was standing right in front of her, she relented to Spike's coaxing. "Um... hello?" she asked, smiling a forced, awkward smile.

The pink pony gasped, jumped up into the air, then landed and zoomed off.

Twilight blinked, then pursed her lips. "Well, that was a completely wasted attempt at making a conversation. What kind of pony does that, anyway? Ugh..."

"I don't know, Twilight. Maybe she's really shy or something? An introvert?" Spike offered.

Twilight tilted her head as she mulled over that idea. She wanted to say that yes, it would make sense. She knew it made sense from experience. First hoof experience. With herself as the pony jumping and running away. She frowned. Looking back, she knew it was silly how she reacted, but she had been a filly at the time. She shook the thought from her head. "I don't know... she didn't really seem like an introvert," she answered. "She seemed too... eager? Energetic?"

"Uh, maybe she's... just a hyper introvert?" Spike suggested. Better suggestions clearly evaded him, leaving him just as stumped at Twilight.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. "Well, I suppose we shouldn't focus on whoever that was. Maybe we'll see her again, or maybe not. I hope not. But! I have an assignment to do. Come on, we still have to find Rainbow Dash."

"We're going to work on finding the other ponies though, right?" Spike asked.

Twilight nodded quickly. "Yes. You made a good point. Since we're not finding her, we'll search for her while we work on making sure everything else is going smoothly. What's next on the list?"

Twilight could feel Spike frown without looking back at him. "You don't remember?"

Twilight looked back at him with a chastising glare. "Of course I remember Spike! It's just better from an accuracy standpoint to double check the list!"

Spike let out a sigh and rolled his eyes as he pulled the list out. "A pony named Applejack is in charge of catering for the celebration..." he trailed off as his eyes drifted over the text, and he muttered most of it to himself as he searched for anything of importance. "Ah-ha! She lives on a farm outside of Ponyville called... Sweet Apple Acres?"

Twilight thought about the names for a moment. 'Applejack? Sweet Apple Acres?' "How quaint," she stated.

One more quick look around, and a glance skyward to check for the missing pegasus, which once again confirmed that she was still missing, and Twilight took off trotting towards Sweet Apple Acres. It wasn't hard to know where to look- from memory, she recalled seeing an apple orchard outside of the town when they had flown in, and she had made a mental map of where they were in relation to it.

The trip through town and to Sweet Apple Acres went by quickly and without any interruptions or signs of the blasted pegasus that was supposed to be in charge of the weather. Soon enough, they arrived at the farm proper, and it felt like a proper farm. Dirt and grass everywhere, all fenced in, with an old, worn gate. Above the gate was a wooden sign with a faded red apple painted on it. Below the apple read, "Sweet Apple Acres."

Twilight stopped for a few seconds to admire it. She never really had an opportunity to see a farm before, between living in Canterlot all of her life and studying under Princess Celestia, she just never had the time. But while she never had the time, she could respect what earth ponies were capable of. Their magic and ability to work with plants and nature was truly remarkable. Sadly, she had never had the opportunity to study it since she was so focused on unicorn magic.

An alarming, loud shout of "Yeeeeeeeeehaw!" broke her musings.

She didn't jump, but she did tense up. As her head jerked around towards the source, an orange-coated, blond manned earth pony raced past her. In the passing glance she took of her, she could barely discern her cutie mark: three apples. There was also a red ribbon on her tail and mane. She also wore a brownish-tan stetson, that despite her speed, stayed on her head without any signs of trouble.

She watched as the earth pony dashed towards a tree, came to a stop, swept around, and bucked her hind legs into an apple tree. The tree shook violently from the impact, and apples rained down from the branches. As soon as she finished the buck, the earth pony reared up on her hind legs and let out a victorious shout.

Knowing physics as well as she did, Twilight was impressed, even if she knew earth pony magic was behind it. She took a moment to compose herself, then put on a smile and casually trotted forward. "Excuse me, miss?" she asked.

Before she could process it, the earth pony zipped over to her and picked up her right forehoof with both of her forehooves and started shaking her hoof. "Well, hi there Sugarcube! Name's Applejack! Pleasure to meet you!"

Twilight was grateful that as soon as Applejack introduced herself, she stopped shaking her hoof, even if her hoof didn't stop moving up and down until she used her magic on it. "Ahem... My name is Twilight Sparkle," she introduced herself. "I'm here to check in on you- I was sent by Princess Celestia to oversee this year's Summer Sun Celebration. You're catering for the celebration tomorrow, correct?"

Applejack gave a hardy nod. "Eyup! Sure am! And don't you worry none, Sugarcube, we've got the food all taken care of! I've got the whole family here a helpin'!" Barely breaking stride, she raced over to a metal triangle suspended from a rope. She scooped up a metal rod with her mouth, then clanged it all around inside of the triangle and spat the rod back out. "We've got company, everypony!" she shouted.

Over the next half minute, easily over two dozen earth ponies raced out from places unseen to greet Twilight. As each one showed up, Applejack listed off their name without a hitch or stumbling. Sadly, even with Applejack's best efforts, Twilight couldn't keep pace- there were simply too many of them, all with names relating to apples in some way or another. She couldn't keep up, and she only caught a few names- Big Mac, her brother, Applebloom, her little sister, and then Granny Smith, who was, ironically, their grandmother. Her mother and father were notably absent.

"You're here to check out the food, right? Care to sample it!? Why, we've got apple pie, apple fritters, apple dumplings, apple cake, apple cookies, apples, apples, and more apples!" Applejack listed off eagerly.

And the tables. Oh, the tables! They were absolutely filled with apple related foods. Tomorrow, nopony would lack food. Provided, of course, they liked apples. The pleasant aroma that wafted through the air made Twilight's mouth water, but her will was stronger than that. "Oh, no, I'm sorry," she apologized. "But I really can't. You see, we have a lot of things to take care of today and..." the rest of her argument died on her lips as soon as Applejack's young sister walked over to her, looking up at her with the biggest pleading eyes she had ever seen.

The filly had a yellowish coat, with a red tail and mane, complete with a big pink bow in her mane. Her lower lip was stuck out pleadingly. "Please, miss? Won't ya' join us for lunch?"

Twilight never stood a chance. Before she realized what she was saying, she had agreed. Not a moment later, she was seated at a table and ponies delivered all sorts of apple foods to her. And what was worse? They all watched her eagerly, just waiting for her to eat it all, or at least try it, and give them her approval.

Twilight gulped, then looked pleadingly at Spike.

Twilight held her head straight out from her body. She felt horrible. Her stomach churned in discomfort as her whole body seemed to sag from the weight of all the food she had tried. There was simply too much, and they didn't take 'no thanks' for an answer. That wasn't to say that their food wasn't good. It was actually great! But there was just too much of it. At least she knew that the catering was in capable hooves.

She let out a groan and came to a stop. "Spike... please... make sure I never agree to anything like that... ever... again..."

Spike stifled a laugh. "Oh, come on, Twilight. It wasn't that bad, they-"

Before Spike could continue, Twilight levitated him over onto the ground in front of her and glared at him, then winced. She lit her horn to cast a spell, one that would hopefully make her feel better. She closed her eyes as her magenta aura enveloped her body. Over the next few seconds, her belly shrank, the grumbling died down, and she felt sweet, sweet relief. As soon as she was back to normal, she opened her eyes and let out a blissful sigh.

"They seem like nice ponies," Spike offered.

Twilight slumped down for a moment. As much as she loathed to admit it, he was right about them. The Apple family was nice. A bit eccentric in their love for apples, but nice. She lifted her head back up and took a deep breath. "Well... at least we've got that taken care of. Now if only we could find-"

"Look out!" a sharp, raspy voice called out.

Twilight's head swiveled around and looked up towards the source-

-Right as the source crashed into her, knocking the air out of her lungs and knocking her to the ground. Twilight winced and groaned as she rolled across the dirt road, her body and coat dragging against the ground enough to hurt and probably leave a few bruises, to say nothing of how messy her coat and mane were going to be. By the time she finally came to a stop and recovered her senses enough to feel again, she realized that she wished she couldn't feel. Her entire left side ached and a few spots burned. Her legs were sore, and she could tell that her legs were mangled in with another pony's legs, and to make matters worse, the pony was on top of her, preventing her from getting up. She let out a groan and pressed her head into the dirt as whoever crashed into her slowly untangled their legs and stood up.

"Hehe... uh, sorry about that," the pony- a mare- apologized.

Twilight took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and immediately glared at the pegasus. One look was all it took to tell her the mare's identity. "Rainbow Dash, I presume?" she asked flatly.

"Yep!" the pegasus boastfully acknowledged. She beat her wings and jumped into the air, then hovered there. "Fastest pegasus in the world, and future Wonderbolt, at your service! Hehe... uh, sorry about crashing into you. I sort of lost control."

"Right," Twilight said flatly, still glaring at the pegasus. She slowly picked herself up, wincing as she put her weight back onto her legs. She looked at her left side and took in the atrocious, dirtied state of her coat. She took a deep breath, then let out a weary sigh.

"Uh, oops. Sorry, let me help you with that!" Rainbow said. The pegasus disappeared in a strong gust of wind, and not a moment later, a cloud- a dark gray cloud- appeared over Twilight's head. The unicorn wilted at the sight. Unseen by her, Rainbow Dash started bouncing up and down on the cloud, and a torrential downfall of rain poured out of the cloud and onto Twilight.

Twilight let out a squeal as the cold rain soaked into her coat and chilled her to her core. The water clung to her and left her paralyzed in place, horrified by the impromptu shower. She stood there, shaking from cold, as Rainbow zoomed off, pushing the cloud away.

When the pegasus returned and landed, Twilight shot her a glare and blew water off of her lips.

"Sorry, let me dry you off real quick!" Rainbow said. Before Twilight could offer protest based on her prior treatment at the pegasus' hooves, the mare had already shot into the air and was flying around her in a whirlwind.

Rainbow Dash certainly lived up to her name. Twilight has never seen another pegasus fly so fast- or recklessly- and she seemed to turn into a blur of rainbow color as she flew around in circles. It was enough to disorientate her, and by the time Rainbow stopped and landed, she felt dry.

Her mane felt odd, however. Almost immediately, Rainbow's face pulled into a smile, and she lifted a forehoof to her mouth to try to stifle her laughter. Spike walked over beside Rainbow, staring at Twilight's head. Despite her attempts to contain herself, Rainbow fell over backward, cackling at Twilight and flailing her hooves about. Not a moment later, Spike joined her laughter.

Twilight glared at the two of them, but neither of them paid her any mind. In the end, she looked up to see the disaster that was her mane. She felt a twinge of panic, but mostly anger. In the end, she huffed and looked back at Rainbow.

The mare wiped a tear from her eye and stood back up. "Oh wow, that was good... I'm sorry about that... uh, I never got your name."

"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight stated. "I'm here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. You're in charge of the weather, correct?"

Rainbow nodded and flew up into the air, then casually laid down on a cloud. "Yeah."

"And I ordered clear weather. Otherwise known as 'no clouds.' Remember?" Twilight queried.

"Pfft, yeah! I'll get it done as soon as I finish with my nap," Rainbow replied, batting her hoof dismissively at the unicorn below.

"You know, I don't think the Wonderbolts take lazy weather pegasi who can't even keep the sky clear," Twilight mused, smiling to herself.

Rainbow rolled over on the cloud and stared down at Twilight, looking as if she had just been challenged. "Oh really? I can clear this sky in ten seconds flat!" she boasted.

Twilight's smile grew into an almost menacing one. The way the pegasus rose to her challenge confirmed in her mind exactly what she needed to do. "Prove it."

In the blink of an eye, Rainbow steeled her resolve, then shot off of the cloud in a blur. A faint rainbow trail lingered behind her, gradually fading, but she was already hard at work. She flew across the sky from cloud to cloud, kicking and punching each one, busting them and making them disperse. In the end, she cleared the sky just as fast as she said she would. She rocketed towards the ground and landed right in front of Twilight with her wings flared out. "Ten. Seconds. Flat."

Twilight simply stared at her with her mouth agape.

Rainbow's expression turned friendly again. "Well, it was nice meeting you Twilight Sparkle! We're going to be great friends! But I have some things I've gotta go do now, sorry!" And with that, she took off to the sky.

"Well, that happened," Spike commented.

It took Twilight a few seconds to recover. She shook her head to try to shake the bewilderment and concern and countless questions of how she did that so quickly out of her mind. "I have a headache..." she groaned under her breath. "Come on. Let's go see how the decorations are going. Surely that can't be so..." she trailed off, grimacing.

She levitated Spike back up, then set him down on her back again. She turned back to head into town to search out the pony in charge of decorations- a unicorn by the name of 'Rarity.' With every step, she winced as pain shot through her left foreleg, giving her a slight limp, but she endured. 'Maybe I should have started with her instead...' she mused.

The trip back to town took only a few minutes, even with her limp. But, by the time she arrived, the pain in her leg had dulled to just a constant throbbing ache, so it was bearable enough that she didn't limp as she walked through the town. At the first pony she saw, she asked him where to find Rarity, and he was kind enough to tell her that the unicorn owned a boutique and give her directions there.

The trip to the boutique was rather uneventful- no sign of the crazy pink earth pony, no more food to make her shudder, and no more incidents with the reckless pegasus. But that also meant that nothing else productive happened. As the day dragged on, Twilight found herself feeling tired, worn out, and demotivated. Not the least of which was because a lot more attention than she wanted was drawn to herself. Or, more specifically, to her mane.

She took a deep breath as she ascended the steps to the boutique and knocked on the door. 'As soon as I finish checking on Rarity, I'll check on Fluttershy and then go to the library and I'll find a good book to read,' she told herself while she waited for the door to be answered. A quick glance up, and she revised her plan: 'After I fix my mane.' For a brief moment, her scowl returned as her thoughts drifted back to Rainbow Dash, however, she swept it aside and tried to smile as best she could in case Rarity opened the door.

But it didn't happen. She knocked on the door again, louder this time then waited once more. After several seconds, she looked around, wondering if perhaps the unicorn wasn't there. "Maybe we should have asked if she was here?" Spike suggested.

Twilight huffed, then turned and trotted off the steps and into the street. "You know, I imagine that you're probably right. What exactly is the lesson that Princess Celestia supposed to be teaching me? Because I certainly don't like it!"

"Oh calm down, Twilight... It'll be fine. You're worrying too much!" Spike retorted.

Twilight stopped and jerked her head back to shoot Spike a glare. "You're not the pony who was force-fed so much food that I had to use a spell to get rid of it," she quipped back. "Nor are you the pony who was used to break the fall of a speeding pegasus!"

"Twilight," Spike sighed softly. "Princess Celestia probably just wants to teach you that not everything goes exactly as planned in life! She wants you to get this experience in leadership in!"

Twilight grit her teeth. She wanted to be angry. And well, to an extent, she most certainly was angry. Today wasn't really her day. And tomorrow would be Princess Celestia's day. She sighed softly, feeling like Princess Celestia might have put too much on her. But even still, she couldn't let her down. It was unacceptable! She couldn't fail her! She had to put forth her best, and Princess Celestia trusted her to take care of this. She couldn't betray Princess Celestia's trust like that, and she couldn't let tomorrow be ruined by her failures.

And even though she was angry and wanted to be angry, and didn't exactly like this lesson, she was still excited about the Summer Sun Celebration. Just less so the 'overseeing and organizing it' part. That part she didn't care for, which was saying something, because she loved organization. It was probably because she had to interact with other ponies. And not just other ponies. Oh, no, the ponies she had to interact with were simply crazy! There was no other more succinct way to put it.

But still, she had to trust Princess Celestia, her mentor, her beloved mentor. Princess Celestia thought she needed this lesson, and it was a lesson from her, so she tried to look at it that way. She did cherish learning from Princess Celestia- she held the lessons learned from her close in her heart. But it was hard to look at this as a lesson from her, at least in part because Princess Celestia wasn't there with her. It just wasn't the same as studying history with the pony who lived it or learning magic from somepony who had studied it for centuries.

She took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. "Come on. We have things to do. The sooner we get them done the sooner-"

"You can lock yourself in the library and study until you're needed or tomorrow comes," Spike sighed in defeat.

Twilight's expression softened. "Spike, when am I ever going to need other ponies?" Spike looked at her like he was about to protest, but Twilight continued, "Princess Celestia will always be there for me- and Equestria," she replied. She offered him a reassuring smile and reached back to nuzzle him. "Plus I'll always have you."

Spike laughed as Twilight's fur tickled his cheek. "Okay! Okay! Stop it Twilight!"

Twilight giggled and smiled. "Sorry, Spike," she apologized as she broke the nuzzle, "but I kind of needed that."

Spike nodded slowly in understanding. "It's okay..." he trailed off as Twilight started walking again. "Uh, do you have any idea where Rarity would be, then?"

Twilight pursed her lips and scanned the streets for anypony matching the unicorn's description, but she wasn't there. If she wasn't out and about, and she wasn't at her boutique, then she was probably busy taking care of something. She nodded. "Let's check the Town Hall. If she's still preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration, that's probably where she'll be."

Fortunately, Rarity's boutique wasn't really all that far away from the Town Hall. Unfortunately, it was still long enough that there were ponies roaming about- ponies who could see her, ponies who took one look at her and immediately stared at her ruined, poofed up mane.

She did her best to hide her scowl as she reached the Town Hall. Fortunately, the door was open, and from outside, she could hear some cheerful humming. As she stepped into the Town Hall, one glance around confirmed that the decorations were being put up. They weren't the best she had seen- after all, this town wasn't Canterlot- but they were moderately acceptable, if nowhere near what Princess Celestia deserved.

Nonetheless, she assumed that it was their idea of 'the best' for their princess. Which was, in a way, absolutely depressing.

"Oh my goodness! Darling!" a mare called out, her voice smooth like silk and sweet as honey, leaving the alarm to sound entirely out of place. No sooner had Twilight turned to the source than a pristine white unicorn with a styled purple mane gawked in horror, staring at the atrocity on her head. "What happened to your mane!?" she shrieked.

Twilight winced from the verbal assault. For how sweet her voice was, her screaming most certainly wasn't. "Rainbow Dash happened to it," she stated flatly. The unicorn looked horrified. "You're Rarity I presume?"

"Oh this simply won't do!" the unicorn cried out. Before Twilight could put up a fight, Rarity pulled her further into the Town Hall, levitated out what appeared to be a mobile dressing station, then set to work fixing her mane.

In a dazzling display of masterful control over telekinesis, the unicorn managed to fix Twilight's mane in under half a minute, along with providing a mirror for her to scrutinize herself, which left Twilight squinting at her reflection. Without any knowledge of who she was, this unicorn had fixed her mane right up and met her own standards. There wasn't a trace left of what Rainbow had done to her mane. A blink and quick glance later, and her coat seemed to sparkle.

At least until the mare forced her into a tight-fitting dress. She let out a squeak as the unicorn pulled the straps tight with her mouth, forcing the air out of her lungs. "S-stop!" she cried out, her eyes watering from panic.

Not a moment too soon, the unicorn blushed and stopped herself. "O-oh, um, terribly sorry dear!" she apologized. "I-I just couldn't help myself! You looked so dreadful with- with that disaster of a mane! Oh, dear, I can't believe Rainbow Dash would do something like that to you! Poor dear..." With a heavy sigh, she tossed her mane to the side and undid the strap, then slowly pulled the dress off of Twilight.

Twilight gasped for breath and collapsed to the floor, sucking in deep breaths and refusing to let anything stop her until she started to feel dizzy.

"Dear? Are you alright?"

"Y-yes," Twilight squeaked. 'Now that you're done trying to murder me,' she thought. Still, she kept it to herself and hid her scowl. "L-like I was saying. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to oversee this year's Summer Sun Celebration's preparations."

Rarity hummed to herself and nodded. "Oh, yes, yes, decorating is almost finished. It'll be ready on time dear," she said dismissively. For a split second, the unicorn paused and seemed to do a double take. "W-wait, Twilight Sparkle!? You mean you're the princess's protege!?" she demanded.

Twilight shifted her weight on her hooves and nodded quickly. "Yes. Princess Celestia sent me-"

"To oversee this year's Summer Sun Celebration!?" the mare squealed in delight and her eyes lit up. "You're from Canterlot! Oh, what is it like dear!? Tell me everything! And the princess! What is it like to be her student!?"

Twilight forced a large smile at the unicorn as she asked question after question. In the back of her mind, a small part of her betrayed her with the question 'Did Princess Celestia make me have to deal with these insane ponies on purpose!?' For the most part, however, she knew better than that. Unless of course, it was part of her lesson. That thought left her on edge, but she endured- Princess Celestia needed her, after all, and it was, of course, an assignment from her.

Even if it was one she was starting to hate.

She took a deep breath. She was able to keep a pleasant smile on her lips, but only just. "Yes, well, I-I do have other things to take care of today, miss...?"

The white unicorn shook herself out of her dazzled state and blushed. "O-oh, yes, of course, dear," she stammered. "Where are my manners? My name is Rarity," she finally introduced, her name rolling off of her tongue with a sort of humility, pride, and dignity, that somehow mixed perfectly in with her sweetness. She bowed her head graciously and smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. I'm sorry that I've kept you so long, I just... tend to get a bit enamored by Canterlot. I've never had the chance, but I'd absolutely love to visit Canterlot." She let out a dreamy, wistful sigh. "I do hope to spend some more time with you, dear! We'll be the best of friends!"

Twilight's smile cracked and wobbled. At the mention of 'friend', she screamed inside. "Right, well! I'll probably be with Princess Celestia most of tomorrow!" she said happily. "And I'll be busy the rest of today," she stated flatly. "But I'll try to make some time for you," she lied.

Rarity didn't notice the lie and simply nodded happily. "Oh yes, of course, dear. Don't let me keep you waiting any longer, I'm certain that you must be far too busy for me to waste any more of your time."

Twilight nodded- Rarity finally said something she could agree with. "Right! Exactly. I'm busy. We have some other things to take care of," she stated. She slowly started backing up, then turned and hastily trotted to the door.

"Take care darling!" Rarity called after her.

Twilight refused to stop or look back. She barely hesitated as she passed Spike. The dragon had stayed in the same place the entire time she was there. There was something about his eyes, too- his pupils had turned red and seemed to be shaped like hearts. She squinted in suspicion and picked the young dragon up with her magic, turned him around, then sat him down on her back as she trotted out of the Town Hall.

"S-she's... beautiful..." Spike sighed.

"Come on, Casanova, we still need to find Fluttershy. The sooner we make sure she has things handled, the sooner we can get to the Library," Twilight stated.

"Sweet, sweet Rarity..." was Spike's longing reply.

Much to Twilight's disappointment, throughout her entire trip to search out Fluttershy, Spike sighed and mumbled about just how beautiful Rarity was. And while yes, she agreed that Rarity was beautiful, Spike took it to another level. It was as plain as day that Spike had a crush on her, and she felt like that was going to end up haunting her. But, the trip to find Fluttershy wasn't entirely bad. At the very least, Rarity had generously fixed her mane, so ponies didn't stare at her in bewilderment, which made her feel a little better.

Eventually, they found Fluttershy, clued in by the beautiful, synchronized and rehearsed chirping and delightful singing of birds. Their songs were so wonderous that it soothed her soul, helping to ease the blight caused by the other ponies she had met today. Finally! Maybe she would meet somepony who wasn't completely crazy.

Smiling, Twilight used her magic to spread some bushes apart so she could walk through them. After all, looking for the proper way to the clearing would have taken time that she could have been using to study. Maybe even do research! Or just look through that Predictions and Prophecies book again.

Her anxiety returned, making her chest tighten up. She felt almost like she needed to run, but she didn't know where. For a few seconds, she stayed silent, standing completely still in the bushes, watching the pegasus she assumed to be Fluttershy tending to the choir of birds.

The pegasus had a butter-colored coat, and her mane was a beautiful soft pink. Her voice was soft, smooth, and quiet.

"Um... oh dear... oh dear..." she whispered. "Um... e-excuse me? Mr. Robin?" she called. The choir of birds stopped their singing, and the bird in question, supposedly a robin from his name, blinked a few times and watched the pegasus. Ever so slowly, she crept across the grass, then weakly beat her wings. She just barely hovered with her hooves off the ground, then she timidly ascended to the branch that the bird was on. "Um excuse me... but um... y-you're off-key, c-could you maybe... um... t-try again? If-if you don't mind, that is..." she said shyly.

The robin gave a happy nod, then started chirping sweetly again. Fluttershy smiled.

Twilight stepped out of the bushes, smiling. "Wow!" she called.

Fluttershy squeaked, and her wings instantly folded to her sides. And instantly, she closed her eyes and let out an even softer, terrified squeak as she fell to the grass, landing on her haunches. The birds all flew away, startled by a combination of Twilight and Fluttershy.

Ignoring her plight, Twilight walked over to her with a cheerful smile. "That was amazing! I've never heard anything like that."

"O-oh, um... t-thank y-you..." was the whispered reply.

Twilight craned her neck a bit, leaning over to the shy pegasus, who ducked her head back so that her mane covered her face in response. "You're Fluttershy, right? In charge of the music? I'm Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia's star pupil. I'm here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration."

The pegasus timidly nodded and squeaked out something inaudible.

Twilight lean in a little closer, only for the pegasus to pull further back from her. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it, sorry."

Another squeak, this one even less audible than before.

Twilight forced herself to keep smiling. 'Right... of course... Of course, everypony I have to interact with today is...' She looked around a bit, then lifted her head back up, realizing that the frightened pegasus didn't seem to be recovering. "Right... well! I can see that you have the music covered, so... I'll just be going then!" she said, mostly to herself since she realized the pegasus wouldn't reply, or at least if she did, it wouldn't be audible.

She turned to the left and started walking away. Slowly for the first few steps, then picking up speed. After all, the library was calling to her! And she was Princess Celestia's most faithful student. Who would she be if she were to ignore the library's call?

Sadly, there was a gasp from behind her. "A baby dragon!?" was shouted in the same voice belonging to the timid mare, but the timidness was missing. It was an excited shout, but still soft and sweet.

Twilight stopped and looked back-

-Right as Fluttershy's head rammed into her haunches, violating her privacy, knocking her away, and making Spike land on the ground, somehow standing up. "Oh, I've never met a baby dragon before! Can you talk?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah?" was Spike's confused response.

"Oh my! I've never met a baby dragon that could talk before... what do baby dragons talk about?"

Twilight closed her eyes, pressed her forehead into the ground, and groaned. 'So today's one of those days...'

By the time Twilight returned to the library- carrying Spike on her back, and of course, followed by the 'shy' pegasus, who certainly didn't act shy around Spike, she questioned whether she could have forced a smile for Princess Celestia, even if under the threat of banishment. Try as she did, it was darn near impossible for her to view this as an assignment from Princess Celestia, or a lesson, or any kind. And the opportunity to oversee the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration wasn't nearly as appealing as it was hours earlier.

She came to a stop at the door, ignoring the conversation Fluttershy and Spike were having- like she had been after the first two minutes of walking- and cleared her throat, breaking the conversation and drawing both Spike and Fluttershy's attention. Fluttershy shied back slightly. "Excuse me, but we're here. Spike and I really need to be going, not that it wasn't nice to meet you, Fluttershy. I'm sure Spike's tired, and we really have a lot of things to take care of for tomorrow."

"Actually, I'm really not that tired, Twilight. And we don't have anything left to-"

Twilight quickly jerked and knocked Spike off her back. Spike grunted as he landed on his butt on the ground. He shot Twilight a glare, which intensified as Twilight leaned down closer to him and made some babying noises. "He's so tired he can't even stand on his own two feet!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, it is rather late, isn't it? I should be going..." Fluttershy replied.

"I'm not a baby..." Spike muttered as Fluttershy walked away. "If I was a pony I'd probably have my cutie mark by now!"

Twilight smiled sweetly. "Technically, you're still a baby dragon, mister."

Spike huffed as Twilight picked him up and set him back down on her withers. "I know where you live," he retorted.

Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling to herself, as she opened the door. Somehow, the room seemed darker than she thought possible, but she shrugged it off and walked on inside. Both of them looked around, but in the darkness, they couldn't make anything out. Spike hopped off her back. "Help me find the light switch, Spike."

The lights turned on with a shout of "SURPRISE!"

Twilight screamed and jumped back in shock, her heart racing in her chest. Ponies were everywhere she looked! Not a spot was left untaken, it was almost like the whole town was there! She was used to crowds, but that didn't mean she liked them. She was used to high-stress situations- that came with being the Princess's protege, but she wasn't prepared for this. For crying out loud, this was a library, not a ballroom!

A pink blur all but exploded in her face, pulling her into a hug. "Hi! Were you surprised! Oh, you looked so surprised! You remember me, don't you? We met earlier today and I realized I didn't recognize you which was strange since I know everypony in Ponyville and then I realized that must mean you were new here which meant that I didn't know you and you wouldn't know anypony else so I threw you this surprise party to welcome you to Ponyville!"

Twilight's mind raced, and her brain and ears hurt. "This is a library!" she shouted.

The pink earth pony just giggled. "Yep! I heard this is where you were staying which I thought was strange but then again I've only just met you and that's why I'm throwing you this party!"

"In a library," Twilight stated again. Her left eye twitched.

The pink pony giggled again and bounced in place a few times. "Yep! This is where you're staying, silly! So I thought this would be the best place to hold it! I'm Pinkie Pie, by the way."

"...of course I'm surprised. This is a library. You know, someplace where it's supposed to be quiet," Twilight nearly hissed.

Pinkie frowned for just a moment. "Oh, that's silly! If you're supposed to be quiet in a library then you can't have a party!"

"...that's the point," Twilight muttered, feeling defeated. Truly, this pink earth pony was going to be the bane of her existence until Princess Celestia graciously let her return to Canterlot.

Pinkie just smiled obliviously. "Come on! Mingle with the ponies! Or have a drink!" She pulled Twilight across to the middle of the room, where there was a table set up with punch.

Twilight warily looked over the drinks and scanned the crowd, trying to ignore the loud music and the fact that so many ponies were crowded in the library- and not one of them was reading a book. It left her feeling devastated. They were in a library! How could they not be reading books instead of doing something silly like partying!

"Oh, I'm so excited for tomorrow! The Summer Sun Celebration, yippie! It's like the best party. Ever!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Twilight clenched her jaw, then levitated one of the cups of punch up off of the table. She turned to face it and looked at it longingly, then put the cup to her lips, lifted it up, and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes in delight as the creamy, smooth punch rolled past her lips, onto her tongue, and then down her throat. It was fruity and cool- quite refreshing.

As soon as she finished drinking it, she found a trash can and threw the cup away. She scanned the room and found stairs, in addition to seeing four other ponies she wanted to avoid at all costs. She didn't even know how Fluttershy got inside, but sure enough, she was there. She fell into a panic as Rainbow Dash and Rarity started approaching her, but she forced herself to maintain her cool.

"Uh... hey, Twilight. I uh, just wanted to apologize for earlier. And the whole 'mane' thing..." Rainbow said, followed by an awkward, forced laugh, spurred on by a glare from Rarity. "Great party though!"

"Right. Sure," Twilight said dismissively. She hastily glanced away from them to make sure Pinkie Pie wasn't looking, then she glanced back at the stairs. "I'm going to go now," she said promptly.

"What! Why?" Rainbow gawked at her in surprise.

Twilight frowned. "This isn't the sort of thing I enjoy. I was hoping for a quiet evening to study some books and-"

Rainbow's face twisted into a disgusted scowl. "Studying books!?" she cried out in alarm. "Seriously..?" she muttered under her breath, not wanting to be heard. She gave an indignant flap of her wings and hovered in the air. "Look, Twilight, tomorrow's the Summer Sun Celebration!" she complained, "I'm sure you can, you know, hang out with us and, I don't know, celebrate or something!?"

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I'd rather not..." she defended.

"Oh come on, Twi!" Spike called. The young dragon walked over to her with a smile, carrying a cup in one claw and a black blindfold in the other. "Just relax and live a little! It's not like Princess Celestia told you not to party or anything-"

"She told me to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, Spike! She didn't say I had to party and that I couldn't study! This is an assignment!" Twilight retorted.

"But Princess Celestia said to meet some ponies!" Spike defended.

Twilight smiled in victory. "And I have!" she countered. "She said to meet some ponies, which I did when I checked in on things, so I've already done that, Spike!"

For a moment, Spike just looked at Twilight, then his shoulders slumped and his head tilted down. A soft, defeated sigh escaped his lips, but it went unheard over the music and laughter.

"Don't you think that you're being... er, what's the word... rather unfriendly?" Rarity asked cautiously.

Twilight looked back at her and straightened up, preparing herself for a lecture: "Rarity, I don't do friends. I don't have any friends aside from Spike, my brother, and Princess Celestia." After a moment's pause, she added, "And Smarty Pants..." under her voice. "Anypony else would simply distract me from my studies, and Princess Celestia would be disappointed if I didn't take my studies seriously!"

Why did it seem so hard for other ponies to grasp that? When she was a foal, yes, she could understand other foals having a hard time grasping that. But as she grew up? When she was nearly an adult? Why were ponies still so insistent on being 'friends!?'

Rainbow frowned warily at the unicorn. Her wingbeats slowed until her hooves touched the wooden floor. "Uh, Twilight, I don't think Princess Celestia would be mad if you relaxed a little. I mean, seriously. It seems like you need to relax."

Twilight huffed and puffed out her chest. "I'll be upstairs- trying to study or sleep- if anypony needs me. That's how I relax." Without another word, she turned and trotted towards the stairs, then ascended them before anypony could stop her. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she practically jumped into the loft and shut the door behind her.

Even as the thick oak door shut, she could still hear the music and laughter coming from downstairs. If the party kept going on, it would drive her crazy before the night ended. Doing her best to ignore the constant thumping, she swept her gaze around and scrutinized the loft. As expected, what little she had brought with her had been neatly arranged on a desk off against the right wall. She slowly walked about halfway into the room, then stopped and looked back at the door. With a quick flourish of magic from her horn, the door locked.

Sadly, locking the door did nothing to alleviate the persistent sounds of the party. After watching the door for a few seconds, she looked towards the bed, then glanced out the window.

Normally, the sunset was a beautiful sight to behold. It was a reassurance, knowing that Princess Celestia, her beloved mentor, was still there, guiding the day and ushering in the night. But as she stood there, looking out the window and watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon, something felt different. The sun almost seemed remorseful, or maybe tired, in its motions. And it wasn't just that, either. Something other than the sun felt wrong.

She trusted Princess Celestia, but she just couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness. Before she knew it, she had crossed the room and lifted her right forehoof to touch the window. There was a tightness in her chest, and she felt fear as the sun dipped halfway under the horizon.

She trusted her princess, but something kept eating at her. In the back of her mind, she felt fear that this would be the last sunset she would see for a very, very long time.

A loud chorus of laughter broke her trance. She blinked, then looked over her left shoulder, halfway expecting somepony- something- to be standing there, watching her. But there wasn't. She was alone, like normal, except Spike wasn't there with her.

That made her feel a pang of guilt. Perhaps she had been too hard on Spike. He did mean well, but it was silly. Yes, Princess Celestia had said it would be good for her to meet ponies, but she didn't say she had to meet other ponies. She already had everypony she needed. She didn't need other ponies distracting her from her magical studies.

Princess Celestia had suggested she meet other ponies before. She even suggested trying to make friends with other ponies! It was so hard to believe that Princess Celestia would tell her that. She wasn't sure what to think of that. It had to be a test- whether she'd choose to put her studies and Princess Celestia before anything else. In a way, it hurt. It made her wonder if Princess Celestia doubted her loyalty to her and her studies.

She sighed softly, then picked up the first book on top of the desk that her magic could reach. Without looking at the title, she climbed into the bed and laid down on her back.

As she levitated the book over into her sight, she froze.

Predictions and Prophecies.

As she stared at it, her mind wandered. She felt fear, concern, and worry. Princess Celestia told her not to worry- it was just an old pony's tale. But that didn't stop it from scaring and worrying her. 'Why can't I shake the feeling that something really bad is going to happen tonight..?'

After a few seconds of staring at the book, she couldn't help herself. In a flourish of magic, she opened the book to the pages on the prophecy of the return of Nightmare Moon. As soon as she opened the pages, she felt a sudden wave of fear wash over her, followed by panic as everything grew dark.

The sun had set.

A sense of foreboding and dread welled up inside her as she turned to look out the window. Unlike the remorse with which the sun had set, the moon rose with a gleeful anticipation. It was almost eager. The Mare on the Moon seemed to dominate the features of the moon even more than normal, and as she stared at it, it felt like it was staring back at her.

She tried her best to shake the feeling, but it lingered. As the moon ascended, she would have sworn that she saw a few stars, all brighter than normal and ones she didn't recognize, drift across the sky.

'The stars will aid in her escape...' The phrase shot through her mind. She shut her eyes, then clenched them shut, refusing to open them. The party's music continued, blaring into the room, despite the closed door. She opened her eyes and looked up at the book.

'This is silly... I'm worried for no reason. If Nightmare Moon were real, Princess Celestia would stop her,' she reasoned to herself. But if Nightmare Moon were real, then Princess Celestia had lied to her. 'She wouldn't lie to me, would she?'

'Of course not! I'm her Most Faithful Student! She wouldn't lie to me... but... hypothetically, if she did, why would she? To protect me? Yes, that's reasonable, but... I could help her!'

She sighed, then turned to look at the nightstand beside the bed. With hardly any thought, she levitated the book over, closed it, and set it down on the table with a dull thunk. She peered over and looked at the desk again. Upon it sat the rest of the books she had taken with her. The only book that really stood out was The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. It was all she could find on the Elements of Harmony. It really wasn't much, either.

But she didn't feel like reading anything tonight, because tonight, she felt scared. The night didn't feel quite as peaceful or relaxing as normal. Part of that, she reasoned, was probably the party going on downstairs. As much as she tried to block it out, she still couldn't put it from her mind to relax.

The party, like her worries, dragged on. Midnight came and went. Hours past. Her tired mind gradually slowed down and relaxed as sleep started to pull at her, calling her name with a voice as sweet as Princess Celestia's. 'I'm worrying too much,' her tired mind thought, 'Night isn't that bad... it's nice... peaceful... Eternal night could be nice...'

A loud knocking on the door broke Twilight's peaceful slumber. With a jerk, Twilight awoke, exhaling sharply as fear suddenly crept over her entire being. But within seconds, the fear faded. A dull fogginess rolled into place over her mind, and slowly, she relaxed and laid her head back down on her pillow. She stared up at the ceiling, then looked at the nightstand beside her bed.

Four-thirty in the morning. Princess Celestia would already be in Ponyville preparing, and soon, she would raise the sun.

Twilight smiled tiredly, but as soon as another series of knocks thudded against the door, her smile twisted into a scowl.

The party was still going.

But on the bright side, she had slept undisturbed, even if it only was for perhaps two hours.

"Twilight! Everypony's getting ready to leave. It's almost time for Princess Celestia to raise the sun!" Spike called.

The thought brought joy to Twilight, along with fond memories. The first time she had seen Princess Celestia raise the sun, she had dedicated herself to learning and studying. She had wanted, no, needed to get into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She had done far more than that.

She took a deep breath, then sat up and hopped out of bed. The soft glow of her horn enveloped the door, then unlocked it, and pulled it open. Spike stood there in the doorway, wearing a lampshade as a hat. To Twilight, it looked odd, but she was certain that it was a result of some silly game. Still, she put it out of mind, just glad to see Spike- even more so since he woke her up. She held back a wince as she realized she hadn't set an alarm. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Spike," she sighed.

"You about ready?" Spike asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes. I should brush my mane, but I'll hurry! I don't want to miss this- or Princess Celestia," she said with a smile.

"Alright! I'll be waiting for you downstairs," Spike replied. With that said, Spike turned and walked on down the stairs.

Twilight didn't hesitate to walk over to the desk and lift her brush up in her magic. Fortunately, either because she hadn't slept that long, or some other unknown reason, her mane wasn't knotted like normal, and the brush's bristles flowed through her mane, straightening it, without any problems. After just a few strokes, she went over her tail, then set the brush down.

She took a few steps towards the door, but each step came slower than the last until she stopped. She couldn't help but look out the window again. The moon was aligned almost perfectly for her to see it. The Mare in the Moon was still there. It gave her a sense of relief.

Realizing that Princess Celestia hadn't lied to her and that it was all just an old pony's tale, she turned away from the moon with a smile on her lips. Reassured in knowing that Princess Celestia was safe, she trotted out of the room, then down the stairs to meet up with Spike.

But had she watched for just a few seconds longer, she would have had a panic attack as four stars drifted closer to the moon.

When Twilight caught up with Spike, she wasn't surprised to find his eyelids drooping. With the party winding down, his young age and how late it was started to catch up with him. Twilight smiled and picked him up with her magic. She held him close and gave him a nuzzle, despite his weak protests, then she sat him down on her back. "Come on. After we see Princess Celestia raise the sun, you can take a nap while I'm with her celebrating," she offered.

"No!" Spike whined. "Twilight, it's the Summer Sun Celebration! I don't wanna take a nap I want to party and hang out with you and Princess Celestia!"

Twilight giggled softly. "Okay, we'll see," she replied.

While the party was winding down, it hadn't completely ended, and a few ponies lingered. Certainly they would finish soon, otherwise, they'd risk missing Princess Celestia raise the sun and starting the Summer Sun Celebration! Twilight, of course, had even more reason than them to hurry along to the Town Hall. She was overseeing the celebration, and of course, she wanted to see Princess Celestia before the celebration started.

Sure, she'd probably be able to spend a big part of the day with her, but when given the choice between spending more or less time with Princess Celestia, there really wasn't any choice at all.

Twilight made her way out of the library, then trotted towards the town hall. Despite the early hour, the streets were filled with ponies all heading to the Town Hall. With each step, Twilight found herself more awake than the last, and her entire body bristled with energy, eagerness, and excitement. Today was the one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, and today would make all of yesterday's craziness worth it, jut to see Princess Celestia happy and celebrating with everypony. And, of course, to hear her voice sweetly say, 'Well done, my Most Faithful Student.'

At the thought of her special title and name, her heart nearly swooned, and she let out a giddy, foalish giggle. Even Spike was infected with the excitement filling the atmosphere as they walked into the Town Hall.

Twilight looked around eagerly. Ponies of all ages were gathered around, chatting excitedly with each other while they waited for Princess Celestia's appearance. She scanned the crowd for the one pony who would stand out anywhere, but much to her disappointment, she couldn't see Princess Celestia anywhere. But no matter, she hadn't expected to see her in the crowd- at least not yet.

She glanced at the clock, then looked at the different doors leading away from the main room, wondering which, if any of them, could lead her to her beloved mentor. Sadly, it seemed none of them would, as there were no Royal Guards posted at the doors. But there were royal guards present- although it was just the two pegasi who had flown her to Ponyville from Canterlot. She mulled over the idea of asking them where Princess Celestia was but eventually talked herself out of it.

It didn't stop her from being disappointed- she had wanted to see Princess Celestia before her public appearance, but she would get to spend plenty of time with her later. It just wasn't soon enough for her.

She looked back at the clock as the seconds ticked away. The chatter grew louder as more excitement filled the voices present. She felt her own excitement ballooning inside her chest. In just a few minutes, she would get to see her mentor. It would be a public appearance first, and then she would raise the sun. Although she had seen her mentor so many times before, and seen her raise the sun on many occasions, it was still special. It would never stop being special.

Princess Celestia had chosen her, above all others, to be her personal student. Her personal protege. Her Most Faithful Student.

She looked away from the clock for one moment to venture a glance at the balcony. She could already picture Princess Celestia standing there, looking out at the crowd, looking out at her, with her gentle, reassuring and loving smile as her beautiful multicolored mane waved in an ethereal breeze.

She looked back at the clock, but her gaze was drawn to the nearby window. 'The stars will aid in her escape.' As she watched on, a feeling of dread, then fear welled up inside of her. Four stars slowly fell towards the moon- one from the top right, one from the top left, one from the bottom left, and then one from the bottom right.

To her knowledge, there was no such astronomical event that should occur like that. And all she could do was watch as the stars accelerated, then seemed to touch the surface of the moon, then disappear.

A sinking feeling enveloped her entire body as a flash of light enveloped the moon, erasing the Mare on the Moon from the surface of the moon. She felt a cold chill race down her spine, and her entire body tensed up. She felt paralyzed by what she had seen. There wasn't anything that should have been able to do that, except perhaps, the return of Nightmare Moon.

She did her absolute best to force the fear back, to stop herself from screaming in panic. She barely managed to turn to face the balcony. Spike seemed to notice that something was wrong with her. He poked her neck with his claws, causing Twilight to let out a squeak of shock, then start trembling.

"T-Twilight? Sorry, I- I didn't mean to hurt you!" he swiftly apologized.

"T-the moon," was Twilight's eerily quiet reply.

Spike glanced at the moon, then did a double take. "Uh... that's... not supposed to be like that... is it..?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head hastily. Her legs continued to tremble, but she had to know. She looked back at the moon. Fear struck again- the white surface of the moon looked haunted. As she stared at the moon, she lost track of time, even with the clock in her field of vision.

Eventually, there was a sparkle in the distance, followed by a dark streak that shot up from somewhere in the Everfree Forest, rapidly ascending and shooting towards the moon. In the span of a few seconds, the streak impacted the moon. Slowly, the craters of the Mare on the Moon returned, one by one.

A feeling of relief washed over her. Her muscles relaxed and her trembling ceased. She blinked, then looked over the Mare on the Moon again. It looked just like how it should be, although she couldn't shake the feeling that it seemed more subdued than before, almost regretful and somber.

Nonetheless, she was reassured. 'If Nightmare Moon returned, Princess Celestia just sent her back,' she told herself. But still, that would mean that Princess Celestia lied to her, and that? That hurt.

She tried to shake the feeling, but it stayed there with her as she watched the balcony. 'I can... ask her about it later...' Even that thought didn't help.

The next few minutes passed just like the rest, with building excitement, but for Twilight, it didn't feel quite as magical as it had. She sighed, unable to find her smile. Eventually, a hush fell over the crowd as the Mayor- apparently named Mayor Mare- stepped forward to the podium. She cleared her throat, silencing the rest of the hushed whispers. "Fillies and gentlecolts... It is my great honor to present to you..." As she drew out the announcement, everypony, Twilight included, could feel the anticipation grow to nerve wrecking levels. "Princess Celestia!"

With an exaggerated wave of her hoof, she motioned at the balcony. The curtains were pulled back, and the lights turned on, pointed at the balcony.

Nopony was there. A startled wave of gasps ran out through the crowd.

For a few seconds, nopony knew how to react. A voice from somewhere beyond the balcony cried out "She's gone!"

Another wave of gasps rolled through the crowd. "N-now now, everypony! I'm sure there's... a good... explanation for this?" Mayor Mare offered.

Twilight, for her part, froze. 'Nightmare Moon...'

Author's Note

I just randomly had an urge to write this, and since I've been feeling down and not wanting to work on other stories right now, I felt like trying to write this for myself, wondering if maybe it'd help me.

And now this story is over 110k words long, and it's probably my favorite story that I've written.

Originally I forgot to introduce Applejack...

Diplomacy

Looking at the map of Equestria laid out on the table before her, Nightmare Moon found one thing above all else that stood out: The Deer Kingdom. Encompassing no more than a tenth of the size of Equestria but claiming the majority of the Whitetail Woods, somehow the Deer Kingdom remained a separate nation, despite the massive expanse of Equestria surrounding the small country.

And honestly, it bewildered her. How had, in the full thousand years of her banishment, the deer not joined with Equestria? They may have been separate species, but the deer were so similar to ponies. Even if the deer had not joined Equestria, she had expected to see more deer than she had- which was to say she had expected to see deer in Equestria, while she had yet to see a single one.

Granted, she had not visited many forested areas, save for the Everfree Forest and the forest dominating the Canterlot Mountain Range. 'Perhaps these are exceptions, rather than normal,' was her thought on the matter. From what she had determined, deer did inhabit Equestria as Equestrian citizens, but they still kept to themselves. And, of course, they still preferred forests, even a thousand years later.

The fact that the Deer Kingdom remained a separate nation surprised her. While she had not expected her sister to annex them, it just seemed like it would have been natural for it to occur during her absence. Ponies and deer shared a special bond, as both were prey species and had banded together countless times in the past for mutual protection. The deer were agile and physically strong, and they had their own magic, not too dissimilar from unicorn magic, but they also had magic similar to earth ponies. They were also quite skilled at alchemy, though perhaps not quite as skilled as the zebras.

And zebras? They were practically another subspecies of pony, yet they kept to themselves even more than the deer did.

The entire situation felt so odd to her. In the thousand years of her absence, why hadn't the deer integrated into Equestria? They were fiercely loyal and brave warriors, but also peace-loving, just like ponies. Perhaps they had retained their strong desire for independence, but still. In a thousand years, the deer population should have grown to a point that necessitated integration into Equestria.

'Perhaps I am missing something,' she mused. After all, it had been less than two weeks since her glorious return. And figuring everything out that had happened in a thousand years? Even if she was an immortal alicorn, two weeks was not enough time.

And oh, how painful these two weeks had been! Wherever she went, ponies' competency sank like a rock in water. Professional government workers? They couldn't find the right paperwork. Archivists who knew every book from cover to cover? They suddenly couldn't remember where anything was. At least they were able to recover their wit. The Royal Guard? They were competent when she wasn't around, but the second she showed up? They went rigid in fear.

The Royal Guard's incompetency would be problematic- unless when it came down to it, they managed to act. She wasn't sure whether that would happen or not. But at the very least, they did seem to manage to help keep ponies calm. But that didn't completely stop the spread of panic.

And of course, it was worse in Equestria's larger cities. Canterlot was mostly sparred- likely because of her presence so close at hoof. But she couldn't be everywhere at once, and the Royal Guard was stretched thin. She had a solution in mind for this, but she had not yet had the time to implement it.

Her gaze drifted over to Hollow Shades, and she smiled. The town and the entire region would prove invaluable. Her smile faltered. 'Assuming you still exist...' She felt an odd feeling of numbness at that thought, and it also made her feel anxious.

She shook her head and cast the concerns aside, then returned her gaze to the Whitetail Woods, but her thoughts still wandered: ever since her return, the government had been paralyzed and unable to act swiftly on any problem that had arisen. Everypony was too afraid of making a mistake and earning her wrath, so they were all waiting on her orders.

She loathed it and barred her teeth at the thought. Sure, she had magic that made communicating with them quick and easy! Sure it gave her more power and control! But it took so much time. It left her without the time she needed to tend to other needs and desires. And so based on that, she knew the only legitimate course of action was to officially retain at least partial local self-governance. She was but one pony, even if she was an immortal alicorn. She could not be everywhere at once, nor did she know how best to manage things at the local level that ponies were demanding of her.

So long as they were loyal, so long as they did not rebel, nor question her rule, nor dissent, she would let them keep their limited local decision making. If the leaders stepped out of line, she could replace them and step in to remind ponies of who was in charge. If the ponies rose up against her, she would quell it, even though she knew the consequences of that would be damaging.

After all, the most dangerous dissent was likely to occur in large cities. Economically important cities. If she lost control of the situation, there would be no way for her to ever hope to outshine her dear sister and earn the praise she so deserved.

About the only thing that was truly going remotely right was her student. Her lips pulled into a smile and she lifted her gaze away from the map. She turned her head to the right to look out of the open balcony. Her moon dominated the sky and filled her with a sense of pride and accomplishment, so long as she ignored the black stain of her sister upon her moon.

Twilight Sparkle was such a curiosity. The filly had so much potential! And what made things even more fascinating was that she didn't focus on learning spells, but rather learning the components of spells. From what she had seen of the filly's magic, she was potent and knew many spells, both basic and advanced, far more than most unicorns could ever hope to learn over their entire lifetimes.

And then there were the countless variations of the spells she could cast, all because she knew how the magic acted and how everything worked together. Just thinking about it excited her! Her heart beat faster in her chest, and she felt so much energy at her disposal. Her sister had focused her student's learning on Magic Theory in addition to the spells. And Twilight grasped Magic Theory well. Truly, she was born to bear the Element of Magic. She would be able to create her own spells on the fly with proper training and experience.

There was no doubt in her mind that Twilight Sparkle was important. And she was still incomplete, even after the spark of friendship restored the Elements of Harmony and established her connection to the Element of Magic, she was incomplete.

And yet, despite her importance, Twilight Sparkle, while proud, was not boastful. Nor was she very confident. And then there was her fear and insecurity. The filly was so easily startled, yet she called Twilight Sparkle her student. It left her disappointed, although she knew it was her own fault, and in hindsight, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She sighed and shook her head. How could she bring out Twilight Sparkle's potential if the filly never relaxed, never felt confident about her capabilities, and always thought she was out to get her? How did Twilight Sparkle not understand that she wanted her to succeed?

A part of her found that thought so foreign to her. Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the Night, wanting somepony to succeed at something!? Absurd! And yet, here she was, wanting Twilight Sparkle to overcome her burdens, wanting Twilight Sparkle to succeed at being her student. Twilight Sparkle, her dear sister's former student. Here she was, wanting somepony who very well may be lying to her in order to gain the opportunity to defeat her and restore Princess Celestia to succeed.

There was a knock on the door. Immediately, she knew it was her student, and she smiled at that.

She looked up from the map and stared out into her study. After waiting a moment, she rose from her bed and stepped down onto the floor, then strode into the study. She turned to the left and approached the door, then opened it.

Twilight went rigid and stared straight ahead at her chestplate.

She frowned at Twilight's discomfort but then her smile returned. A visit from her student! A chance to learn more about her and get a break from having to think about all of the problems facing her and Equestria! It was a welcome reprieve. "Enter," she bade, stepping aside.

Mechanically, Twilight shuffled into the room. She followed Twilight with her eyes, and in return, Twilight glanced at her. She could practically feel Twilight's heart stuttering in her chest, and she could see the slight tremble in her legs each time she lifted a hoof off the floor.

She shut the door once Twilight was clear, and Twilight jerked. Her lips pulled down at that. "How many times will I have to tell you to relax, Twilight Sparkle?"

"I-I'm s-sorry," was her unsure, stuttered apology.

'I need to work on your confidence,' she mused. But another thought occurred to her, 'You have not been quite so nervous as this around me recently...' That realization drew her curiosity. She turned around, then walked on by Twilight. As she passed beside the filly, she lifted her wing from her side and casually brushed her feather along Twilight's back.

The touch had the intended effect of reassuring her. Looking back at her, Twilight was no longer so rigid, nor did her heart seem to want to burst from her chest. The arteries in her neck did not throb visibly through her coat. She looked relaxed, and Twilight's eyes wandered over her body. Once she was a few steps in front of her, she turned around to face her, then looked over her features and body. Twilight's cutie mark still drew her interest. How could it not? She forced her gaze back onto her face. "What is on your mind, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight swallowed, then stood up straighter. "I-I want to talk about C-Cadance," was her answer.

Her voice was an odd mixture of firmness and complete fragility. She was forceful and commanded attention- quite audacious of her to demand of her Queen, and yet, her courage would shatter with the slightest retort. So she kept silent, pondering the matter for several seconds. She held her expression in check and studied Twilight. 'Could this be an opportunity to help your confidence?' she wondered.

With that thought in mind, she smiled and took a deep breath. Twilight held her ground, but her legs did shake. In a slow motion to ensure that Twilight knew it was coming, she lifted her wing from her side. Twilight immediately glanced at it, then her eyes focused back on her chestplate. In an unassuming manner, she reached out with her wing and stroked a feather over Twilight's muzzle.

Twilight closed her eyes and relaxed. She lifted her feather from her student's face, then folded her wing. A few seconds later, Twilight opened her eyes.

"What of Princess Cadance?" Nightmare asked.

"I-I want you to release her," was her reply. It came out quieter than her first sentence. Her confidence was in danger of breaking, even with the comfort she had given her.

But still, releasing Cadance? She had nothing to gain from that, and to do so would cause problems. Her lip twitched down. She opened her mouth to respond, but Twilight acted first: "W-wait! Please hear m-me out," Twilight pleaded. Once again, Twilight's legs started to wobble.

She waited for a second, then nodded. "As I have said, Twilight Sparkle, I will listen when you wish to speak."

Twilight's chest expanded, then deflated. "O-okay... um... S-she's the Princess of Love. I-I was thinking... y-you could let her g-go and use this to your advantage?"

She frowned. "She's an alicorn, and so she is a threat-"

"Cadance isn't a threat to you..." Twilight Sparkle said quietly. "She's not a fighter, and-"

With that, her interest faded to annoyance. "I can tell she's not a fighter, Twilight Sparkle," she retorted, "but she is an alicorn. She is a symbol. And thus, she is a threat to me."

"She is a symbol, and that's how you can use her to your advantage!" Twilight retorted before wincing. "I mean... look," she cautiously implored, "you can talk to Cadance and convince her to help you-"

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Help me what, exactly?"

Twilight puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "She did a lot of social events under Pr-!" she winced and looked away from her out of concern.

She felt an ember of anger spark at that but kept silent. Exploding at Twilight would not help. Exploding at her for a slight slip up such as that would be a mistake, she knew, and it would hurt her student for no good reason. It would only hurt her student's confidence.

"...your sister," Twilight corrected. A moment later, she looked back up at her with an expression that pleaded for her to recognize the value in her suggestion: "You could have her do the same things but for you! It would give ponies a way to relax and give them a sense of normalcy." She looked down at her chestplate, and her confidence wilted. "It... might help with the uncertainty to see this going on..." she said in a quieter voice.

She didn't respond immediately, instead, taking a few seconds to ponder the idea. 'Princess Cadance is not a fighter. At worst, she could be a figurehead for ponies to gather around in dissent. Perhaps a leader for them, but unlikely. Perhaps there are benefits to this idea. Assuming Princess Cadance agrees, then perhaps this could help calm ponies down.' So the idea did have some value to it. 'Maybe it would even help them see me differently...' She knew that was wishful thinking, and she had to keep herself from showing her disgust. "This could end badly, you know," she stated.

Twilight didn't respond, instead choosing to continue to stare at her chestplate.

"If this causes rebellion or dissent, I will put an end to this," she stated succinctly. "I expect you to keep her in line."

Twilight paled at that. Her eyes jumped up to meet Nightmare's gaze, and a look of horror filled them. "W-what!?"

"I will talk to her, and you will accompany me. I do not trust her, so I will make it known that you are responsible for her. You will keep her in line," she stated.

"M-me!? Why!?" was her hasty response.

"You're the one who..." she trailed off and squinted. 'Saying that will only discourage her...' She waited a few seconds to recompose herself, and likewise, Twilight recovered too, though not to the extent she did. "You know her better than I," she stated. "And it would do you well to have this responsibility. I do not expect issues to arise from this," she stated.

Twilight wasn't convinced.

She frowned. "You believe this is a wise course of action, do you not?" she queried.

Twilight reluctantly nodded. "I-I do, I-I think it could h-help... A-along with the Gala!"

Nightmare nodded. "Then because you believe this will help, I will not punish you should this go poorly," she stated.

She could see the wave of relief washing over Twilight. Her eyelids twitched and her muscles relaxed so that she didn't hold herself as rigidly. "T-thank you," was her grateful reply.

She nodded. 'Will you ever betray me?' she idly wondered. As she looked over the filly before her, she saw her vulnerability. The thought of Twilight betraying her bothered her. It did not sit well with her. Nor did the idea of punishing her for disobedience. After all, Twilight had been very obedient so far, and if she had to punish Twilight, how badly would that hurt their fledgling relationship?

She had told Twilight to relax, but, as she looked at the filly now, she knew that if she hurt Twilight, any of her ability to relax around her would most likely be gone forever. It left her in a predicament. Perhaps she could go easy on her, or perhaps she would simply never need to. Or perhaps she could explain to Twilight what she had done wrong to ensure it did not happen again.

It still didn't sit well with her. Twilight was just so innocent and vulnerable. Breaking her would be not only a waste but an atrocity.

But, she could not simply tell her that she would not punish her if she rebelled, as that would invite that rebellion, and Twilight was still a potential threat to her. And if Twilight rebelled, her potential would be wasted. And that? That wasn't an option.

She lit her horn, then cast her magic outward. With ease, she took a hold of Twilight in her magic, then teleported the two of them to the castle's dungeons. The double image from teleporting barely affected her, though Twilight staggered from it. She watched Twilight for a few seconds as she recovered. But at the very least, Twilight had grown acquainted with her magic, so it did not paralyze her the same way it once did.

Twilight finally shook the disorientation off, then looked at her.

She smiled at her, then looked ahead. Behind the metal bars of the cell sat one pink alicorn. She sat as far back in the cell as she could, centered in the middle. Her mane was disheveled, and her tail was curled around her left side, with the end laying in front of her forehooves, as if she was trying to hide the shackels and chains from sight. Yet despite that, her mane and tail were still so pristine compared to how it would have been a thousand years ago. The dungeon was clean and kept well. She found it odd that ponies wasted time and resources on it, but it was undoubtedly more pleasant than things had been. Cadance had it easy compared to what it could have been.

Cadance stared ahead straight at her. Her lips were a flat, neutral line, and her eyes were wide, displaying fear and hurt. Her horn was still bound with the ring she had put there, sealing off her magic and marking her as a prisoner. Her tiara was not on her head as it had been when she sent her to the dungeon. She frowned at that, then glanced around to find the tiara cast aside, laying so that the band was reaching up into the air while the central gem was flat against the marble floor.

'Why did I let you keep that, and why have you now discarded it?' she wondered. Her eyes fell back on Cadance, and Cadance glanced back at her. She glanced at her student to her right, who in turn glanced at her before looking back at Cadance. She turned her head left, then right. To her surprise, Captain Shining Armor was nowhere to be seen. She turned her gaze back to the imprisoned princess. "Princess Cadance," she greeted.

Cadance's muscles slumped at that, and her form sagged as if the very mention of her name stole whatever hope and energy she had left. "Nightmare Moon..." was her hesitant, quiet acknowledgment.

"Twilight Sparkle had a most interesting idea," she replied. She searched Cadance for a reaction, and indeed, there was one. Cadance's brow twitched down, and her eyes glanced over to Twilight, then her gaze lingered.

After a few seconds, Cadance took a deep breath and looked back up at her. "What sort of idea?"

"She suggested that we reach some kind of agreement. Swear fealty to me and help me, and I will give you your freedom," she said. A smile pulled at her lips. "I am certain that both my student and the Captain of the Guard would approve of this offer," she stated.

Cadance frowned, then swallowed. She turned her head to the left and looked down at the floor. Nightmare watched as her eyes jumped from spot to spot. Slowly, Cadance lifted her head back up and looked at her. "What exactly do you want?" was her question.

Nightmare inhaled, then calmly exhaled. "Your expertise," she answered. "As my student has told me, you have a way with ponies. And my return has caused a great deal of panic, fear, and uncertainty."

Cadance's frown became more pronounced, and her brow creased further. "Why would you care about that?" was her cautious question.

Her nostrils flared at that. Cadance was an alicorn! A princess! How could she not see the trouble that would cause!? "It is simple, dear Cadance," she answered. Methodically, she lifted a forehoof, then took a step towards the cell. Whether Cadance wasn't intimidated by that or it was simply because of the metal bars between them, she wasn't sure, but Cadance did not show fear. "Ponies tend to do stupid things out of fear. Fear can ensure ponies stay in line, but too much will shatter society. Uncertainty is unwanted. Uncertainty leads to a great deal of issues that can make my rule unstable. You can assist me by dealing with this uncertainty."

"How exactly do you expect me to do that?" Cadance meekly questioned.

She hesitated at that. Was Cadance truly willing to help, or was this a facade? She sounded genuine. She was so soft and weak. She was no strategist, nor did she seem manipulative. How could this have been a facade? Especially if Princess Cadance had been trained by her sister! Cadance, like her sister, would not have wanted harm to come to anypony. So thus, it made sense that she would be willing to help, if not for her, then to protect ponies. "My student tells me that you are quite adept when it comes to social events. This would be beneficial, as I do not exactly mix well with social events. Releasing you- assuming you swear fealty to me and agree to help me- would go a long ways towards assuring ponies that I am not going to rend Equestria, and it would help keep them in line. Fear is only so effective at holding an empire together, and, as they say, love is more powerful than fear."

She tried not to let it, but her bitterness slipped out with that last phrase. It sickened her, but it was true. Oh, how wonderful it would be if ponies would love her, but that would never happen. So all she had was fear, power, and intimidation. But fear was destructive. An Empire built solely on fear would not last, so she knew she could not rely solely on fear. It would be too unstable, there would be too much uncertainty. It would undermine her rule and threaten her empire's prosperity. If she used only fear, she would never outshine her dear sister like she deserved.

"Why should I help you?" was Cadance's innocent, unassuming question. There was no disobedience in her voice, no aggressive stubbornness, simply genuine curiosity.

So, she did not retort her. It would be good to have her as an ally, even if it was tentative and would be broken if her sister returned. "Equestria would benefit from this. Ponies would see this and hopefully not act out of fear so much. You would be helping protect Equestria from itself," she emphasized. "And you would have your freedom," she added as an afterthought.

She saw Cadance's mouth shift as she nibbled on her lip. Cadance looked at Twilight as if searching for some form of help or support.

Would Twilight respond? What would she say? The idea fascinated her. It was an opportunity for Twilight to show loyalty and confidence. She looked at Twilight. Twilight tensed up and glanced at her. She could see Twilight swallow, then Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out.

Twilight opened her eyes, then licked her lips. Her mouth parted, but she hesitated. Again, she glanced aside at Nightmare, as if asking for permission. So she bowed her head once, giving her student permission to speak. Twilight shifted her head, then looked back at Cadance. "I... I know that you might not want to, but... it-it can help! Pr..." she trailed off and bit her lip. "She wouldn't want Equestria to suffer..." she offered.

She looked at Cadance, and the alicorn radiated uncertainty as she looked at Twilight. Eventually, she turned to face Nightmare Moon. "What do you want me to do?" was her guarded question.

"Simply do what you did under my sister's rule. And swear fealty to me," she answered. She leaned in close to the metal bars and glared at the alicorn. "But do not betray me or abuse this freedom, or there will be consequences," she growled.

Cadance nodded slowly and her eyes shot to the floor. "O-okay, I'll... do it," she answered. Her eyes shot back up to Nightmare, who smiled. "But only to help everypony. I'm not going to help you hurt anypony."

She pulled her head back and chuckled. "Dear Cadance, do not take me for a foal," she retorted. Cadance's eyebrows twitched down for a brief moment. She took a deep breath, then channeled her magic and created another necklace similar to the one Twilight wore, then she channeled her magic into it until it took on a shimmering, glossy look from the magical enchantment.

After all, it would not do to give Cadance too much freedom or space to sow dissent- even if it was unlikely that she would. And it would do Equestria good to see that, while Cadance would be free, she was still under her leash. She held the necklace in her magic and turned it about to examine it dismissively, then she looked at Cadance. "You will wear this at all times, just like my student. I will hear everything said around you, and I will know where you are at all times."

Cadance grimaced but nodded, though slowly. Slowly, she stood up, then took a tentative step towards the cell. Her shackles and chains rattled from her movement and made her shuffle have a cold, broken feeling. Nightmare used her magic to unlock the door, then pushed it inward so that the door swung open.

Even more slowly than she stood up, Cadance shuffled towards the open door and Nightmare Moon. Once she was just inside the doorway, she stopped.

Nightmare levitated the necklace over to her, then slid it over her head and set it on her neck. Cadance grimaced and stared down at the silver crescent moon, then looked back up at her.

Nightmare stepped to the left, then extended a wing to beckon her out. In the same motion, she used her magic to remove the ring from her horn, which made Cadance look up at her horn and smile with relief, and unlock the shackles from her hooves. Next, she unbound Cadance's wings, and immediately, Cadance stretched her wings out and closed her eyes from simply enjoying the freedom.

After a few seconds, Cadance opened her eyes and then walked out, leaving the chains behind and staring at her the whole time. Only once she was past the cell door did she look away from Nightmare, and immediately, Twilight grabbed her.

Nightmare tilted her head slightly as Twilight embraced Cadance in a hug. Cadance returned it with the same vigor, wrapping a forehoof around the back of Twilight's neck and slowly stroking her mane. 'Perhaps releasing Cadance will have more benefits than I first thought,' she mused. After all, her student was close to Cadance. Perhaps then, this would help Twilight to loosen up. It would be a boost to her confidence, would it not?

She smiled to herself at that. Confidence was something Twilight desperately needed. She just needed a way to build that up, then Twilight could truly be on the path to becoming her student and being worthy of that title.

Their hug continued for several seconds, it was as if both of them were desperate for each other's comfort. But she was patient, and so she allowed it to continue to its natural end, when Cadance lifted her head back up. Following her, Twilight slowly pulled back from the hug. For a second longer, they watched each other, then turned to face Nightmare.

"Follow," she commanded. Without waiting for affirmation, she turned, then walked towards the dungeon's exit. Teleporting would have been quicker, but less effective. Plus, walking out with them in tow should have been an effective way to say, 'Cadance is now mine, so do not concern yourselves with her freedom' to the guards.

She quickly past both Twilight and Cadance, and almost instantly, she heard the frantic scrapping of Twilight's hooves on the floor, followed by her quick hoofsteps, until she was at her proper place. She glanced aside at Twilight, then looked back ahead. Though Twilight had scrambled to her side, her gait was almost relaxed and calm, though it was still guarded.

Cadance caught up with them and walked at Twilight's right without as much effort or anxiety, and after that, she turned her gaze back ahead as they made their way out of the dungeon.

The guards they encountered all tensed as she came into view, but their gazes all eventually fell onto Cadance. None of them were sure what to think, from what she saw, but she was certain the message was conveyed, if not through Cadance's lack of bindings, then through the necklace she now wore.

Only once they had ascended the stairs and entered the castle proper did she stop. She turned to face Cadance, who nervously looked back at her. "You may take your leave now, dear Cadance," she stated.

Cadance nodded, then looked down at Twilight and turned to face her. At the same time, as if they shared some special psychic connection, Twilight turned to face her. They both hugged again, although Cadance stared back at her, rather than looking at Twilight.

And Nightmare met Cadance's gaze and watched both of them. There were a lingering fear and concern in those eyes of hers. But then, how could there not have been?

Eventually, they parted, but Cadance lingered nearby for a few seconds longer. "Where's... Shiny?" she asked.

Twilight glanced back at Nightmare, who inhaled. "Captain Shining Armor should be tending to his duties," she answered. Twilight looked back at Cadance, and Cadance nodded slowly. "As per his exact location, that I do not know. I do not care that you two are together, but do not let it cause problems."

Cadance nodded quickly, then turned and hastily trotted away. Not once did she look back to see Nightmare and Twilight watching her retreat.

A few seconds after she disappeared, she heard Twilight whisper, "Thank you..."

She looked down at the filly and nodded once. "It is in my best interest to prevent chaos from consuming Equestria," she replied.

Slowly, Twilight nodded, then she frowned. "Why didn't you just teleport us back? It would have been quicker."

"Yes, it would have been quicker, but this way more guards saw us, so word should spread that I have granted Cadance her freedom, rather than forcing me to have to address it," she replied.

Twilight looked down at her chestplate and her head bobbed up and down idly. "I can't teleport." A moment after speaking that, she looked up at her.

Nightmare smiled. "Well, you most certainly have the magic for it, Twilight Sparkle. Why can you not perform this spell?"

Twilight looked back down at her chestplate and nibbled on her lip. "I understand the spell's framework, it's just... it's hard..." she trailed off, her lips pulling into a grimace.

Nightmare nodded. "It is a complicated spell," she agreed. "Perhaps one of the most complicated spells I know of. Very few unicorns have ever been able to pull off a teleportation spell, but I am certain you have it in you to pull off such a complex spell."

Twilight smiled at that, as if she took it as praise or pride. Then, her smile wavered, her lips wobbled, and it faded like the ground had been stolen out from under her.

"I will teach you this spell if you cannot figure it out on your own," she stated.

Twilight looked up at her. For a moment, her fear was gone. She looked so hopeful, so innocent, so eager to learn. But she blinked, and it was so subdued compared to what it had been. Perhaps she had not even seen it in the first place. Twilight was still ready and eager to learn, but that curiosity, her thirst for knowledge, seemed to be dampened by something. Gradually, Twilight's eyes trailed down her body until they stopped and focused on the crescent moon of Nightmare's chestplate. "Y-you will?"

Nightmare nodded, even if she wasn't sure Twilight would see it. "Of course," she answered sweetly. "It would be most beneficial for you to be able to teleport, and it would be a waste of your talent not to teach you this spell."

Twilight's muscles gradually tensed up over the next few seconds, and she clenched her jaw. "Even... though..."

She chuckled mirthfully. "Twilight Sparkle, even if you can teleport, at most, that is a nuisance to me should you betray me. Perhaps you will become adept enough to teleport in a battle, but it would not help you against me. No, I will trust you with such a spell because of how useful it is, and because you have not shown inclination to disobey me."

Twilight's nod was rigid and mechanical.

It was another of Twilight's flaws that she needed to work on. 'You are so scared of failure that it paralyzes you and prevents you from acting.' She wasn't sure which of Twilight's flaws drew more of her annoyance, but her fear of making a mistake and being punished for it hampered their relationship. How could Twilight truly put forth her best effort if she was scared of failing and being punished? And she had told her she would not punish her for such a failure, but Twilight simply did not trust her. She held back a sigh, knowing that it would take time and a lot of effort on her part to fix this problem.

"You will accompany me when I visit the deer," she said.

Twilight looked up at her and nodded obediently. But the obedient nod was so rigid and forced. It made her want to scream. Her own student obeyed out of fear.

"You... really need to do something about... time..." Twilight replied cautiously. She swallowed. "H-how long has it been since your return?" was her quiet, high-pitched question.

"Twelve nights," was her response. After all, how could she not keep track of how long she had been free from her accursed prison!?

Twilight's brow and lips twitched. "How are we supposed to tell time?"

Nightmare hesitated. 'Without the day-night cycle, normal ponies have no way to tell time...' She had no answer for Twilight, and she felt her expression draw a blank for the first time in the past thousand years. 'How did that slip by me!?' She clenched her jaw in bewilderment.

There was, of course, the obvious answer of clocks, but that could prove impractical with no cycle to follow. Since the moon was constantly locked in place and didn't move, there was no way for ponies to know whether the time shown by a clock was accurate or not.

Twilight, of course, knew better than to point any of this out to her, although a part of her was bothered by how Twilight held herself in check at that.

Cautiously, she tilted her head to the right. "Perhaps you have suggestions..?"

Twilight smiled. And oh, how nervous that smile was. The way her lips were pulled back far, far too much, showing her broad smile. The way her eyes screamed out, 'Why, oh why! Why did you have to ask me that question!?' The sheer horror in her eyes.

At the very least, Twilight was an amusing filly to have as a student. Her reactions, when they weren't out of fear and sometimes even when they were out of fear, were entertaining.

"W-well," Twilight squeaked. "U-um... M-maybe... m-move the M-Moon? L-like... u-um..." she trailed off, her eyes nervously jumping from side to side.

"In mimicry of the cycle of day and night?" she asked.

Twilight hastily nodded, though tensed up like she was expecting to be hurt for affirming that.

She felt disappointment at Twilight's reaction, and it seemed contagious, like every time before. Her disappointment caused Twilight to be disappointed. It was odd. "You would suggest that I move the Moon around so that ponies have a way to measure time?"

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Twilight squeaked. "I-I-"

"Stop," she groaned. Twilight went silent. She clenched her eyes shut. "Stop apologizing for offering suggestions... I am not so stupid as to want ponies to deliberately lie to me or mislead me about problems..." she muttered. Only after a few seconds to recover from Twilight's idiocracy did she open her eyes and take a deep breath to continue: "It is a good idea. Perhaps this will help with uncertainty. It will remain night, but I can move the Moon to provide some analog to the day-night cycle. Although there could be problems with this, they should be manageable. I shall do this," she answered.

Twilight's expression blanked in surprise. "R-really?"

"Yes," was her flat response.

Twilight blinked, then looked aside and blinked a few more times.

Nightmare tilted her head to the side. "Why are you so surprised?"

Twilight glanced back at her. "W-well, um... it-it's just that... I thought you wanted the Moon to... always be out..."

Nightmare shook her head. "It is not necessary," she replied. "And in truth, my sister has robbed me of my enjoyment of the Moon..."

Twilight's ears folded back at that. "B-but your cutie mark is the Moon! How?"

She inhaled quickly and opened her mouth as a spark of anger shot through her body. She barely caught herself, but because she did, she stopped herself from snapping at the filly. After a moment to calm herself, she replied, "I was imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years, so you will have to forgive me for having seen enough of it for a lifetime. That, and the scarring from the banishment spell."

"I... hadn't thought of that," was Twilight's whispered response.

"It will still be eternal night," Nightmare said, "but divided into a lighter night, illuminated by the Moon, and a moonless night."

Twilight nodded slowly. "I think... that will help with some problems."

"I would expect it to," Nightmare stated. "It should help ponies return to a routine similar to what they had before. This should be good for the uncertainty problem."

"I think... it will make adjusting easier on everypony..." Twilight added.

"Perhaps..." she mused. For a moment, she let her mind wander. There were risks with this idea, but having a cycle that ponies could follow might be worth the risks. "We will be departing in a few hours," she said. "See to it that you are prepared."

Twilight gawked at her. "W-what? T-that fast?" she stuttered. "I- I thought that it wasn't going to be for a few da- uh, nights..." She looked away, her lips uneven with a cringe.

"I am certain that word of my return has spread. If it has not, then I do not know how anything that can see could have managed to miss my night," she retorted. "As such, I believe it would be wise to address the Deer Kingdom swiftly before any more internal problems occur."

"Right..." Twilight half-groaned.

Nightmare frowned at that. Twilight turned her head further away from her and looked off down the hallway Cadance had retreated down. "What troubles you?"

Twilight turned her head back towards her and glanced at her, then looked back down the hallway. "It's just... short notice. A-and it-it's an important diplomatic meeting! A-and um, w-what if something happens while we're gone?"

Even with Twilight facing away from her, she could see the filly bite her lip. She had no idea how Twilight still had a lip at the rate she was chewing on it. And then there was also the anxiety and fear in her voice. And of course, her stance went back to rigid. The filly was exhausting herself with her panic attacks and fear. She shook her head at that realization. "If something happens, then the Royal Guard can send me a scroll, and I will simply teleport us back so that I can deal with it," she answered. "Now stop trying to bite your lip off."

Twilight released her lip as her cheeks pulled up and her ears fell back. An embarrassed "S-sorry..." quickly left her mouth.

"You may take your leave now, Twilight Sparkle. I will find you when I have need of you," she said.

Twilight turned around to face her, then fell into a quick bow. "O-of course," she answered formally. As soon as she finished speaking, she rose from the bow, then turned and marched down the hallway Cadance departed down.

She watched Twilight for a few seconds, then looked just beside her. There was no discernable change in how the filly carried herself. To further test it, she turned her head to the left and checked with her magic. Once again, Twilight's stride was unchanged. She wanted to smile at that, but instead, she only scowled. Sure, Twilight's gait didn't change when she looked away! But it was still an uncomfortable walk that didn't change even when she rounded the corner that Cadance had disappeared behind.

She lingered for a few seconds, then teleported herself back to her bedchambers. Confidently, she stepped forward as the double image faded, then she climbed back onto her bed and stared down at the map before her. Once again, her eyes fell onto the Whitetail Woods and the Deer Kingdom. But she only focused on it for a few seconds before looking to the north. To the northeast, the former Griffin Empire. She hadn't heard a thing from the Griffins since she had claimed the throne, and every historical record she had found indicated that the Griffin Empire had truly collapsed.

But what most bothered her about it was how little Equestria knew about the Griffins now. Or the rest of the world, for that matter. Equestria was isolated from the world, even its closest neighbors from what she had seen. Equestria traded, but yet ponies knew so little about what was outside of Equestria's borders. It didn't sit right with her. How would they be able to identify threats if they knew nothing about what was out there, how strong those nations were, and who ruled them?

Then looking directly north above Equestria, the vast, empty cold plains between Equestria and Yakyakistan. It was like a void in the map. The entire area was simply unclaimed by any current nation. Of course, it was an inhospitable region, but it hadn't always been that way. She could remember it clearly: The Crystal Empire. Alongside the deer, the crystal ponies were another of Equestria's greatest allies. And just like the deer, the crystal ponies kept to themselves to the point that even when fighting alongside them, she barely learned anything about them.

But even in her thousand-year absence, they had not returned. The Empire was still sealed away. But it could not stay sealed away forever. No, the spell would not last. 'How much longer until your return?' growled in her mind. Indeed, the Empire's return would also herald the return of the King of Shadows. And he? He was a threat to her reign, just like Discord.

King Sombra would move quickly to restore his power and build an army to send against her. He was a simple unicorn, but his mastery over dark magic made him a threat both to Equestria and to her. And Equestria was woefully unprepared for his return, whenever it would be. 'Surely, you could not have forgotten about him, sister! Why do you stand so unprepared!?'

Her lips pulled back, baring her teeth in disgust. Her dear sister was soft and weak and foolish. She would have brought ruin to Equestria by leaving her so undefended.

And now it fell to her. Not only did she have to ensure Equestria did not fall from internal disorder, nor did she only have to make sure Discord did not escape. No, she had to deal with at least three very significant threats to her rule and Equestria. Even if King Sombra and Discord were sealed away, it was a risk she could not afford to take. Even if she could easily crush the Crystal Empire by herself, the fallen king presented a threat.

Her eyes drifted down to Hollow Shades. 'I will have to act soon,' she noted. Would they still be able to help? Would they remember her? Would they even still exist? Sister and her ponies had never cared for them.

She took a deep breath, then looked to the south. In her time, it had simply been called 'The Great Desert.' Now they called it the Badlands. 'Fitting, I suppose.' Back in her day, nobody really wanted the area, although Equestria had claimed it. Now, there were some cities scattered around the northern fourth of the Badlands. Below the desert, there were plains, mountains and forests, and finally a tropical jungle. That whole section was home to varying tribes of Zebras.

Perhaps it made sense that the Zebras and Ponies never really bonded together. After all, there was an inhospitable geographical divide between them.

Looking at the Badlands, though, she felt a nagging sense that something was off. She just couldn't put it. It was like she was forgetting something important from before her banishment.

She shook the thought aside and lit her horn to roll the map back up. Once it was rolled up, she levitated it over and set it on the desk for later. There was much she still needed to go over, but a break would be good for her.

She slid off of the bed and walked to the bathroom. With hardly a thought, a small white orb coalesced at the tip of her horn, then levitated off with a quiet pop. It wafted through the air lazily, then came to a stop near the center of the bathroom, hovering in place far above everything else, where it could illuminate the entire bathroom in the soft light of the moon.

She sighed, then approached the bath. Using her magic, she turned on the water and shut the door behind her. As the tub filled, she lifted her hooves in turn and removed her boots, setting them aside. The cold of the marble floor against her hooves felt wonderful, and each time her freshly bared hoof touched the floor, it sent a small shiver of delight down her spine. Just to be free and to feel something other than the constricting metal was a freedom she had never had on the Moon! After her boots were off, she levitated her helmet off without a thought.

She closed her eyes as the cool air embraced her normally protected head. It was refreshing to feel the air against her coat, and some of her ire and annoyance drifted away. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked over her cyan helmet. Crafted so long ago along with the rest of her armor, it had served her well and accompanied her for a thousand years.

But now she was Queen. Why did she continue to cling to her battle armor at all times? She could have been dressed as proper royalty! Rather than a helmet, a tiara should have sat atop her head! But no, it was a helmet. A tiara would not have suited her nearly as well, nor would it have offered her any protection. And picturing herself wearing a tiara, after having worn her battle armor for a millennium? She scoffed at the image, even if the tiara was polished black onyx or obsidian, or perhaps silver or gold painted black. Maybe it did not even need to be painted, but she still scoffed at the idea.

Without her armor on, it simply wasn't the same. She was Nightmare Moon, and her battle armor was a part of her. A fitting part of her. She had conquered her sister and subjugated Equestria, and perhaps now had many enemies. Nothing but armor would suit her properly. So there was no tiara to mark her status as Queen and Empress, no, instead, it was a helmet that marked her as conquerer.

She set her helmet down alongside her boots, and for several long seconds, she just stared at the partial set of armor. As the sound of water filling the tub deepened, she turned the water off, then warmed the bath with her magic, yet she still did not look away from her armor.

She took a deep breath and once again felt the imperfect, dented chestplate against her chest. She looked down and scowled. Perhaps a normal pony would not have noticed, perhaps a normal pony would not have felt it, but Applejack had scarred that chestplate she so treasured.

She turned to the tub, then dipped one hoof at a time into the water, until she stepped into it entirely. Slowly, she sat down on her haunches and sank into the warm water. She felt as if she could melt from the enveloping embrace. The gentle but firm, constant pressure, along with the warmth seeping into her coat, it felt so, so wonderful.

She needed to treat herself to this more often. She closed her eyes and relaxed, exhaling calmly and just feeling the pressure the water put on her body, feeling the warm water flood the space between her chest and her chestplate, feeling the water run through her coat and feathers.

Having spent a thousand years away from the miraculous liquid, how could she not adore it so? It warmed her coat and armor without dissenting or rebelling against her. It was, perhaps, a friend.

"Shining!" Cadance called.

"C-Cadance?" was his shocked reply.

There was the sound of Cadance's hooves clicking on the marble floor in rapid succession as she ran. She could make out the sounds of the Captain's armored hooves clacking against the marble floor. She was surprised it had taken them so long to find one another.

The hoofsteps came to a stop, and she could imagine them embracing one another.

"I-I was so worried about you!" Shining Armor whispered. "Are you okay? How did you..."

"I-I'm fine," Cadance stuttered. "Nightmare... decided to let me go if I... helped her..."

There was a brief silence.

"Hear me out, Shiny! Please..." Cadance pleaded.

Shining Armor exhaled heavily. "Okay..." he said quietly.

"I-I said I would help her, b-but only so long as it wasn't hurting anypony. She... wants me to help ponies adjust... She wants me to keep doing what I was doing before so that ponies see something normal."

"Attending social events?" was Shining's bewildered response. "Uh, what?"

"It will be good for everypony!" Cadance replied. "This way they have some... normal in their lives after... this..."

Another pause.

"Okay, if you're sure..." Shining said hesitantly. "I'm just glad you're safe... What's this?"

"It, um... Nightmare Moon said that it's like what Twilight's wearing all the time-"

"It does look the same," Shining cut in. "Wait, so she's listening to us right now?" was his abrupt realization.

She smiled at the following silence.

"Well... it... could be worse, I could have-"

Whatever he was about to say was muffled, presumably from a hoof.

Cadance coughed.

"Sorry," Shining Apologized.

"It's okay, Shiny..." Cadance comforted.

"Well, I guess... this is going to make things awkward isn't it?" Shining asked.

"We'll... figure it out, or just have to pretend that she's not listening in..." Cadance replied.

Nightmare Moon opened her eyes and squinted at that. It didn't sound salacious, but then, it also reminded her that Cadance was the Princess of Love. And based on that, she had some second thoughts about the particular leash she gave her.

She shook the thought aside and blocked out most of what else was said between them as she closed her eyes to go back to relaxing.

Nightmare stood looking at her Moon with satisfaction as it slowly ascended further into the sky. Surely, ponies would notice that the Moon was moving. Surely, if they didn't notice that or its eventual change in position, they would notice when darkness descended upon the world. How could they not?

Then again, ponies could be rather inept.

She just hoped that they didn't panic. That would create undue annoyances for her. Tedious little things to attend to, like reminding everypony she was still around and that no, her sister had not returned. And making sure that ponies didn't start burning down Equestria out of fear. She had sent word out to the Royal Guards deployed in cities to spread word about what she was doing and had given them orders to keep things in control. Hopefully, they would do their jobs, despite being spread thin. Hopefully, ponies would see this and view it as something of a return to the routine and the blackness of night without her moon's light wouldn't paralyze everything in fear. Maybe things would actually go well!

That was probably wishful thinking. At best. Hopefully, the Royal Guard would be able to stop ponies' herd instincts from kicking in when the rioting and looting and other destruction started.

Looking down from the Moon, she briefly surveyed the dirt path before them. It was hardly fitting for her status as Queen, but simply teleporting into the Deer Kingdom's capital wouldn't do. No, this way- walking into the Whitetails Woods- they would realize she was coming. They could prepare to receive her and her student. Then, the deer could be hospitable to them.

She cast a glance aside at Twilight. Her student stood at her right side, and she actually looked halfway eager for once. She did not hold herself rigidly like normal. She was mostly calm. She felt a hint of pride at that. 'Perhaps you will be able to overcome your fears yet,' she mused.

Twilight also wore a pair of saddlebags emblazoned with her cutie mark. She found herself staring at the emblem, then glancing back to stare at the cutie mark on Twilight's flank. Just looking at that pink starburst made her feel wide awake and filled with energy. It still sent her mind racing, knowing and seeing that Twilight's cutie mark looked nearly identical to the Element of Magic, which she bore. Her special talent was magic, she was the bearer of the Element of Magic, she studied Magic Theory, and she knew what went into making spells work.

Looking at Twilight's cutie mark, her mind and body demanded some form of action.

'So much potential...' slithered through her mind. The thought made a shiver race down her spine, but her body remained unmoved by the sensation.

Twilight glanced aside at her, and she could see that her body was gradually becoming tenser. She looked away from her flank and met her gaze. For a moment, the memory of how let down she looked when she found out that her mentor had lied to her passed through Nightmare's mind. It left a subdued feeling behind in her wake; she felt sorry for Twilight. She could relate to her in such a way. After all, her dear sister had hurt both of them. But for some reason, she had not spoken a word of what her sister had told her. It remained her own secret, that Twilight's former mentor had told her that she had a student.

It would have been a great way to severe whatever tie Twilight still had to her dear sister, but she did not use that knife, as she was unsure of the extent that it would wound Twilight.

The book levitating in front of Twilight drifted down a few inches as Twilight seemed to lose focus, though it did not fall, and as she noticed her grip slipping, she blinked and glanced at the book before returning to look at Nightmare. "Y-yes?" she squeaked.

"Are you ready, Twilight Sparkle?" was her question.

Twilight carefully closed the book, offering her a brief glimpse of the cover, which depicted a frontal portrait of a deer, before levitating it back and slipping it into the bag on her right side. She nodded. "Yes," she answered. Her eyes jumped left and then right, then shot back to Nightmare. "J-just the two of us, though?"

Nightmare cocked her head to the side. "Of course," she answered.

Twilight shifted her weight onto her right side. "N-no guards or anything?"

That brought a frown to her lips and her brow creased. "Why would we need guards?" she asked.

"Um... for protection?" Twilight asked, though as she spoke, it seemed to occur to her how silly a question it was.

Nightmare simply raised an eyebrow. "Mobilizing guards would take longer, and I think it would send the wrong message. It would be better to do this personally- just the two of us," she explained, "and allow me to assure you, you will be perfectly safe with me. I do not anticipate hostilities. Though the deer are strong warriors, they are not that naturally aggressive. If, however, problems do arise, you have my word that I will keep you safe," she said.

Twilight glanced down at the ground, then nodded and turned her head forward. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "O-okay."

For a moment longer, she hesitated, simply enjoying looking at her student. She glanced away from her and turned her attention to the path before them. "We are wasting moonlight," she noted. With nothing more to say, she strode forward. She did not hear Twilight's hoofsteps against the dirt, but she could feel her walking close beside her even without the necklace. Twilight's walk was calm but guarded.

Calmly, the two of them walked into the forest. While it had been quiet before, it was if everything immediately reacted to her presence, and the silence became all-encompassing. There was no breeze to rustle the leaves and make the trees' branches sway in the wind to create a soothing music. There were no birds singing, nor did any insects make a sound. Larger animals, perhaps both predators if any and prey, all fell silent and stopped any form of movement that would draw her attention.

Even the plants seemed to feel and recognize her presence, and they stood still as she strode deeper into the forest. Indeed, the only movement came from her student and herself, both of whom were the only two living things that seemed unaffected by her presence, but even her student was affected by her presence.

The dirt path was well-traveled and clear, though as they made their way deeper into the forest, the tree canopy gradually stretched out over the path to cover it and hide the moon from sight. As they descended into darkness, Twilight walked a little closer to her, though kept far enough away that she did not trip up either of them. Nightmare lit her horn and channeled her magic into a small orb. With a crack, the white orb shot out from her horn, illuminating the darkness with the soft white light of the moon. She guided the orb ahead of them, not for herself, but for Twilight's sake: her student's eyesight did not compare to her own.

"Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, have you ever been to the Whitetail Woods before?" she asked.

"Um.. no," was Twilight's answer. "I uh, I've not... I'm not much of a outdoors pony."

Nightmare inclined her head as they continued into the forest. "I presumed as such; you are a scholar."

She could almost feel Twilight glance aside at her in response to that. "I just... Pr..." Twilight trailed off, and curiously, she looked back at her.

'How long will it be before you cease attempting to speak that accursed name?' she wondered without anger.

"...Your sister," Twilight finally corrected. "I uh... outside of the Summer Sun Celebration, I've... never really left Canterlot. And, well, you know, Canterlot doesn't have many trees. Since, you know, it's built on a platform. And the side of a mountain."

"Yes," Nightmare answered, "but what of the mountainside? I have seen it from above, and while it is steep in places, there are still areas of the forest which are most accessible. Do you have no interest in forests?"

"No, not really," was Twilight's answer. "I prefer being inside. Where I can study. In peace."

"I see," Nightmare replied. The dirt path continued ahead, but it seemed that the forest was slowly returning to life. Though no breeze came and though no birds chirped, she could hear the distant buzzing of insects slowly growing louder. Inhaling, she could smell the fresh fragrance of the forest- the scent of trees and of ferns and of grass and dirt. And her sense of smell relished it. How could she not? A thousand years with nothing to smell except her own scent and nearly anything was a welcome refreshment.

Truly, in the time since her return, she had forgotten how much she missed the fresh smells that Canterlot so lacked, and they filled her with a subdued calmness. Perhaps her sister had denied her vengeance, but she still had her freedom. Perhaps the deer would prove troublesome, but for the moment, she could enjoy this walk with her student.

"Tell me, you are quite fond of books, are you not?" she asked.

"Yes," Twilight answered. "I am." There was a hint of pride or arrogance in her voice, but Nightmare merely smirked at it.

"I have not have time to see to everything; I recall you mentioning that my sister had a school, did you not?" she asked.

"Um... yes," Twilight answered with great hesitance. "She... did..."

She looked over at Twilight, who held her head level and looked ahead. But when she looked at Twilight, the filly's eyes glanced at her for a moment before returning straight ahead. "For gifted unicorns, I recall?"

Twilight nodded timidly.

"I suppose I shall need to address this, won't I?" she asked.

Twilight bit the corner of her lip and gradually turned to look at her. "I-I suppose," she said in a high-pitched voice.

She frowned. "I will not end it if that is your concern," she firmly countered. Twilight relaxed at that and looked away from her. "I will simply have to review it and see to the best course of action regarding its continued existence and function."

Without saying anything, Twilight nodded quickly.

She waited for a moment, then looked back forward. Ahead, the path started to curve to the right, and the trees and underbrush thinned, though not enough to suggest the outermost parts of civilization. How the deer had managed to keep the forest so pristine- even with their magic and alchemy- despite a thousand years of population growth and all that entailed still eluded her.

Coming around the bend, she found that the path met another dirt path. Looking left, she followed the dirt path back but found nothing of interest, excepting more trees and bushes alongside the pathway. "Pegasi tend to the weather here, do they not?" she questioned.

"As far as I know, yes," was Twilight's answer.

She nodded to herself, then looked to the right. As with the way the path had come, it was surrounded by trees and brushes and was well-trod. She started forward, and once again, Twilight followed beside her.

Several minutes passed them by with nothing more being spoken between them. The forest seemed to grow acquainted with her presence, but the calls and singing of birds were still far between, as they had not yet adjusted to the eternal night. The calls of owls stood out among the distant buzz of insects which did their best to stay as far from Nightmare Moon as they could. The occasional rustle of bushes caused her student to tense up, but then relax as whatever had caused it hastily made its retreat.

Most likely, they were small rodents, perhaps mice or rabbits, that fled from her presence. Eventually, something larger caught her attention, and as she stopped, Twilight likewise stopped. She could hear it lurking in the forest, just beyond the path. The subtle rubbing of leaves on wood as it disturbed the underbrush. It was perhaps the size of a pony, but lighter and more delicate in build.

Identifying the source of the disturbance, she turned towards the sound and extended her magic. Almost immediately, all movement and sounds ceased as the forest felt her magic seeping into it. And indeed, her magic confirmed her suspicions. One of the forest's inhabitants that she sought out. "Show yourself," she called out.

A few seconds passed by with no response nor any sound of movement. She felt Twilight step closer to her, afraid of that which she did not know. Had she known how to search with her magic, she could have identified the deer, but she either did not think of it or did not know how. Calmly, she waited. It was only a matter of time; either the deer would make itself known, or it would try to escape.

But the moon continued on its course, and darkness would eventually descend. A night without a moon, how dark it would be! While it was of little concern to her, it would be a problem for her student, and as such, they were wasting time.

Gradually, the rustling of underbrush returned. She turned to face the source head on and peered into the darkness. Likewise, her student stepped around to stand close beside her once again. A glance at Twilight confirmed she was squinting into the darkness, trying to perceive that which she could not see.

Looking back, she watched as ever so slowly, the deer poked its head out from the brush. It was a cautious, testing glance as if to make sure there was no immediate danger. Taking one look at her, the deer froze in place. She could see the way her muscles tensed up, the way her fear filled her wide, soul-filled eyes.

Her nose was black, and her coat was a soft, matte brown, speckled with tuffs of white fur. The underside of her neck was almost pure white, like her sister, but the doe's fur was longer, somehow more graceful, despite their forest home. The white coat descended down to her chest, and presumably to her underbody. She was small, no larger than Twilight, and most assuredly younger than her. Her legs were, in comparison to Twilight's, skinny and boney, almost to the point of looking sickly and fragile, yet she knew they were deceptively strong and precise.

Cautiously, the fawn made her way out of the underbrush. Her body was rigid with anxiety, and her muscles were tensed, ready to bolt at an alarming rate if it proved necessary. Her head was devoid of any antlers, reaffirming her status as a female, but her ears were extended straight up in an alert stance, focused on Nightmare.

Twilight relaxed beside her, now assured that there was no present danger.

Nightmare looked over the fawn curiously, taking in her form. Just like she had remembered, the deer's form was so graceful and slender, far more so than her and her sister. Sleek and agile, well-suited for moving through the forest at high speeds. The doe was a few inches shorter than Twilight, and she put her age a few years younger than her student.

"Y-you're ponies?" was the doe's quiet, filly-like voice. It was a sweet, humble voice, yet filled with fear and apprehension.

"Indeed we are," Nightmare answered.

The fawn lifted her front right leg and shifted her weight back in fear. After a few seconds without an attack, she let her leg back down. The doe looked over Nightmare's body and saw her glowing horn, then the faint bulge in her sides. Upon her closer scrutiny, her eyes widened, seeing Nightmare's feathers. "Y-you're an alicorn!?"

"Yes," Nightmare answeres succinctly.

"You're not-"

"No," she preempted. The fawn took a step back and crouched down. "I am Nightmare Moon," she stated. She could nearly hear the fawn gulp at her name. "No doubt, you recognize the night that I have brought." The deer nodded quickly but remained silent. She inhaled and smiled, showing her teeth. She could see the palpable wave of icy-cold fear wash over the deer. After all, the fawn was younger than Twilight, and even more so than ponies, deer were prey. And she was the predator. But rather than flee, the doe was paralyzed with fear. "I wish to speak with your king, and you will take me to him."

The horror in the fawn's eyes reminded her of what she had seen in Twilight's eyes when she asked the filly to prove her worth. It left something to be desired, and she felt a hint of disgust at it. The doe wasn't even an adult, and here she was, intimidating her! It was something more befitting a coward like a griffin than somepony as regal than her. And so it left a bitter taste in her mouth. This fawn had the same innocence that Twilight did, even more so than her student. She did not deserve such treatment. And she was acting such a way to a fawn so much younger than her student. It was wrong, and she knew it.

The fawn's tail flicked quickly from left to right behind her. "F-follow m-me... I-I'll t-take you to Antlerfall... A-and you c-can speak to King Aspen!"

Without another word, the fawn turned, then leaped to the right. In a bounding stride, she jumped onto the path, then quickly darted along the path. She bounded with each step like she would have through the forest, and she was quick and agile, spurred on by fear, yet she held herself back. Nightmare had seen deer move far faster than the fawn. She quickly strode after the fawn, taking long steps in order to keep pace. Twilight moved quickly to stay at her side.

After a bit, the fawn's bounding slowed, then turned into a quick walk, allowing Nightmare and her student to catch up.

"How far is it?" Nightmare asked.

The fawn leaped in shock, then righted herself. "U-um, it's not far... Antlerfall was built near the edge of the forest..."

Content with the fawn's answer, she continued to follow in silence. Minutes passed before the forest started to thin and show signs of more activity. Eventually, the path grew wider, but no less dirt-based. Finally, the darkness was fought off by the burning light of fires. She smiled as she neared the town. As she glimpsed the city beyond, her smile faded.

She had expected a large city, one that was perhaps not grand nor magnificent, but one that was befitting the capital of a nation. Houses were built into trees, and the underbrush was cut away, but while she had no idea for how long the town stretched on, it seemed incredibly disappointing. There were wooden and rope pathways connecting trees together into a mishmash of life, yet it seemed so empty like it was hardly lived in.

It also contrasted so differently from what she remembered of the deer a thousand years ago. She could recall walking the dirt or moss-covered paths that made up the deer's roads, and she could recall the homes built into trees and the occasional dens, but they had been so much more lively, even in the times of war when weapon racks were about and stags prepared for war.

Looking back, she cherished those memories. Sitting around campfires wearing her black battle armor, flanked by Equestrian soldiers in unpainted steel armor, while stags sat across from them. The comradery shared before the dawn of a battle, being able to look up at her stars and moon with others, even if their thoughts were on the battle ahead. Back when, at the very least, ponies respected her. Nowhere near the extent that they had loved her dear sister, but she was their guardian and protector. Sister had helped, but her talents never were in warfare. Sisyer hadn't been able to do what she did.

In the aftermath of the memories, she felt a bitterness deep inside her core once again, and it seemed it was uncontained, as the atmosphere shifted once again, the very air condensing as if to protect itself and make it less vulnerable to her presence. The fawn proceeded ahead in a guarded manner, and a glance to her side showed Twilight's relaxed posture having been withdrawn into one of formal isolation.

Casting her gaze around the city, she found very few signs of life. Through windows, she could occasionally discern a deer's shadow cast by the warm glow of firelight, but the streets were so empty and silent. Even on the eves of battles so long ago, fawns had roamed the streets with a careless playfulness, even with the threat of the griffins lurking just ahead of them. The fawns had pranced around without any concern for the war that raged on, they had giggled and laughed with the foal-like innocence that youth had, oblivious to the horrors of war they were protected from, save for those who were unlucky.

And those fawns? They were forever changed. There was a certain loss ever present in their eyes, one that was inescapable. It haunted them. Their gazes seemed infinitely deeper than their untouched peers. How could it not? They were but fawns, unprepared for the horrors war brought, unprepared for the realities that adults or even older fawns faced. And the way they walked, with a caution that spoke of trauma that would never leave.

Some of them had grown to become great warriors. Some of them had recovered from what had happened to them, but even then, they were still scarred. Their fawnhood had been stolen from them, violently so, by the talons and beaks of the griffins.

The thoughts angered her. Were the same thing to happen now, a thousand years later, the damage would be far worse. The devastation would be on a far larger scale. And Equestria would be completely unprepared should something like that happen. How could she not be troubled by the prospect of such a disaster befalling her empire? To rebuild and reaffirm control and order would take time that she did not have should such a thing transpire.

Perhaps she should have wiped the griffins out a thousand years ago, but no, she had not. Dear sister would not have it then, and at the time, to genocide an entire species, even one that caused such harm, had appalled her. Even now, such a thought unnerved her. She could have exterminated them. It would take time, but she could do it. But to actually do such a thing? It would be a blight on her reign. Ponies would know. Ponies would remember that. 'I am no monster...' growled out in her mind.

Ahead of her was a massive oak tree, one which far outgrew the Golden Oak Library where she had watched her student speak of the Elements of Harmony in widthe several times over. The tree spoke of power, and its canopy seemed to shelter the surrounding trees, despite not stretching much higher than the rest of them. Had she been flying above the forest, she would have spotted the tree, though likely not realized its importance. The front entrance was a double door, elegantly decorated with sweeping swirls carved into the wood. Some of the lines and curls wrapped into images that depicted stags, yet for the most part, it was simply decorative and abstract, perhaps some reference to the growth of plants and the wind.

Standing to guard the entrance were two stags, both of which put her student's size to shame. They towered over her student by at least the same height as Cadance, and their bodies were far more massive than the slender alicorn. Their shoulders were broadly spaced, and while their legs were still thin, they did not appear bony. They stood gracefully and radiated an aura of strength and determination, a buffer of sorts, holding back her aura of terror. They gazed ahead at her, but did not cower. They were prey, but they were warriors who would not be intimidated by any predators.

Their chests were covered in an overlapping mesh of thin, curved, triangular metal plates that reminded her of the scales on a dragon's body, and the gray metal reflected the light from her mage light and the glows of the countless fires, which caused the armor to almost shimmer and sparkle in the constantly shifting and twisting orange glow. Upon their slender heads were helmets, though they only protected their muzzles and jaw, as their large antlers would not allow for further protection. Both held spears against their right shoulder with their right leg.

The fawn slowed as she neared them, but it did not seem to be out of intimidation of the two stags that towered over her. Eventually, she stopped, took one look back at Nightmare, then bounded off in a burst of energy, disappearing into the surrounding town.

She wasn't sure if her student had managed to see just how quickly the doe had made her escape.

Confidently and holding herself with regality, she approached the two stags with a methodical, practiced step. She had perfected such a stride, one designed to tell her victim that she was approaching and nothing could be done to slow her; she held authority and power, and demanded obedience. The stags straightened but did not back down. "I will speak with your king," she stated.

"You are not Princess Celestia," the one on the right stated.

She bared her teeth in disgust at that name. The undying inferno in the back of her mind sparked to life and exploded to life once again, filling her entire mind with her infinite hatred. She clenched her jaw tight, so tight that if somepony's neck had been between her teeth, they would have already died. Her breathing picked up, her chest expanding and contracting with barely any restraint. "You will not speak that name in front of me again!" she growled, leaving no room for debate.

But the stag was not intimidated. No, his pride would not allow it. "You are her sister?" he asked in a firm voice that betrayed no fear. He stared death in the eye, and he did not flinch.

Nightmare's clenched jaw relaxed, and her lips pulled up. She tossed her head to the sky and looked up at the tree canopy, letting out a mirthful laugh. Oh, how strong the irony! "Of course the deer remember me!" she bellowed out into the night, her laugh continuing. Her laugh slowly faded into a low rumble that shook the forest to its very core. Once her laugh ceased, she lowered her head. Anger flashed through her mind. So what if her breathing was uncontrolled? So what if it looked to them that she was on the verge of losing control? It would do them good to know her wrath should they act against her! 'Foals!' hissed through her mind. If she had not been an alicorn, her very teeth would have shattered. "While my own subjects do not!" she spat.

Both stags were silent. The tension in the air was permeable as if the air itself had coiled itself into a ball of some sort that would explode and destroy everything around if any further stress was added to it. The stags were not intimidated.

Twilight trembled in fear.

She could hear Twilight's shaking, and she could feel it and sense it. So much trembling that the necklace shook across her chest. Any sense of a sadistic, irate smile that had been on her lips disappeared, and the inferno had been crushed by a tsunami. Suddenly, she felt as if everything was staring at her, not in fear, but in ridicule, as if to say, 'Look at the tantrum that foal is throwing, and see why she is so undeserving of love!'

She did not feel anger. She felt disappointment. Reluctantly, she turned her head. It took what felt like forever until she could glance back at Twilight. She hated what she saw. Twilight shook uncontrollably, oh so rigidly. Her whole body was completely tense. How long until she passed out, falling unconscious, from circulation failing, or simply from fear? Minutes? Seconds. Her eyes were so wide, and she stared straight ahead. The corners of her eyes were glistening, and her lips quivered. She didn't even breathe.

And it was her fault. Looking back at the two stags, they seemed to be silently judging her for hurting a filly so. She clenched her jaw and ground her teeth. She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

She wasn't a monster, but she might as well have been one.

She extended her wing and brushed a feather along Twilight's side. Twilight recoiled and let out a squeak of fear, stumbling over her hooves to step as far away from her as she could. She felt the filly's coat move just out of reach, then felt her starting to trip over herself and fall.

She intervened, catching Twilight with her magic. She held Twilight in place, then reached out with her wing and slid her feather along the length of Twilight's coat, from just in front of her flank, over her sides and ribcage, up to her shoulder. The whole time, she stared straight ahead at the door. And both stags watched her, still intent on judging her.

Twilight's trembling calmed, but she still shivered. "I will speak with your king now," she said again. She tried not to let it slip in, but her bitterness still made itself known.

The stag on the right inclined his head in acknowledgment, then turned to the left. His antlers blazed to life with a rich green aura and the door was enveloped in the same aura, then swung inward. He slipped inside, and the door shut behind him.

She waited patiently. Twilight still shook. Her silence seemed deathly quiet. She glanced aside at Twilight, and Twilight continued to look straight ahead, refusing to look at her. Twilight's chest expanded and contracted in a tightly controlled manner. The longer she watched her student, the more disappointment she felt. She looked away from her and returned to waiting patiently.

Idly, she touched Twilight's back with a feather, then slowly stroked it along the length of her back. Twilight's coat parted around her feather in an almost pleasant way, and with each stroke, more of Twilight's shivering faded and a bit of her confidence returned. After the fourth stroke, Twilight's shaking was gone, and her breathing was almost normal, though her body was still tense, rigid like stone. Before she could continue, however, the doors opened all the way and the stag walked back out.

"You may speak with King Aspen," he stated.

She folded her wing to her side and inclined her head at him, then strode inside with no fanfare. Twilight bolted forward in order to keep pace with her, and instantly, her shaking returned.

Putting aside Twilight's trembling, she looked around the tree's interior. Since it was a hollowed out tree, the room was circular in nature. Every wooden surface looked so solid and study, yet while the floor was plain, the walls were carved, decorated with those same majestic sweeping lines and curves that made the interior look lighter, all the while depicting does and stags and other abstract ideas she could not place. It reminded her of the swirls on the door to her bedchambers, yet the ones carved into the walls of this tree looked so much more organic and natural.

Off to the right, there was a stone fireplace set into the wall that had a fire burning inside of it. It would have been a fire hazard, but two stags stood guard nearby, along with a healthy number of buckets whose liquid surfaces twinkled and sparkled like stars or jewels from the orange crackling light. Inside the fireplace and over the fire were two metal rods, upon which a large pot sat. Listening, she could hear the gentle roar of the boiling water.

To the left, glass bottles were suspended from the ceiling by ropes. The bottles curved outward at the lower middle, then swept back inward to create a bulbous sphere, while the top was not too dissimilar from a teapot, slowly shrinking inward, but then curling outward and falling down in a shape reminiscent of a flower. The rope from which they were suspended from wrapped around just under the flower-like lip and it ensured that the rope did not slip.

Within the bulbous base, a yellow and purple fluid mixed and churned about, though never managing to diffuse together into one color. They always remained separate, never quite able to touch one another, constantly giving off a warm orange glow, not dissimilar from the fire, save for the fact that the glow did not dance like the lances of flame. The light was constant, like a beacon of stability and strength, symbolic of their King, her sister, and so much more. In fact, it almost looked symbolic of her sister and herself, the way the yellow and purple liquids chased after the other, like the day-night cycle of how the sun chased after the moon, which in turn, chased after the sun, never able to catch the other.

She shook the thought from her mind; the last thing she needed was to further trouble her student. Looking directly ahead, at the back of the room, there was a spiral staircase that extended into the room. The wood had been cut back from the tops of the stairs to clear out the rest of the room, but the stairway was left. Beneath the stairs may have been hollow, but she could not tell for the wall of wood that blocked her view.

She strode over to the stairs, then turned and ascended them. Twilight scrambled up the stairs beside her. As they walked, it was not lost on her that Twilight was still at her right side, trapped between her and the wall. But she also knew that it meant she would be the first to be seen, and Twilight would be mostly hidden from sight by her body.

The stairs continued to spiral on still, far above the room that they came to. She had no idea how many levels and rooms the tree had to it, but she knew it was finite. Looking into the room she ascended into, she saw that the walls were decorated with shields crossed with spears or antlers, windows were covered with a deep purple fabric, and glowing lamps hung from the ceiling. Opposite the spot where the stairs met the room's floor was a throne built of wood and antlers, with a large pair of antlers at the top.

Upon the throne sat a large stag whose coat was mostly white, save for the black of the tip of his nose and the brown, matte fur covering his cheeks. Brown fur stretched down from his back to cover his ribcage, then just as quickly retreated, leaving his shoulder white. His eyes were sharp and pristine, green in color. Two small purple gems were set in cusps on his antlers near the base, and wrapped around his neck was his golden regalia that almost looked like an upside down flower, complete with a heart-shaped ruby set in the center, which served to pin a deep purple tassel that hung over his chest in place.

Standing at his right was a much younger stag whose antlers were not too dissimilar from a unicorn's horn, rather than the twisted mangle of half a dozen spurs like the other stags. To his left stood a doe, then another young female fawn, perhaps half Twilight's age. Like King Aspen, the doe seemed young and full of energy and youthful strength, but looking at her, she could feel a stubbornness mixed in with her unmistakable deer friendliness. A floral wreath hung loosely from her neck, made from red, white, blue, and purple flowers, all so delicately arranged to where it looked like the wreath would disintegrate if she so much as inhaled.

"Seeing as how you're obviously not Princess Celestia," King Aspen called from the throne. His voice had a firm quality to it, it was a voice that spoke of power and youthful strength, not yet wisened by old age. There was a pridefulness in his voice, but it lacked the blind arrogance that Canterlot nobles possessed. "And given the night that has befallen the world," he continued.

She turned to face him and stepped forward. Twilight, likewise stayed at her side and followed closely.

"You must be Princess Lu-"

Her gaze hardened at that, and she clencher her jaw. Exposing Twilight to another outburst would not do, but far worse was the threat posed by this stag! 'That wretched name must not be spoken!' "Nightmare Moon," she preempted in a threatening growl. She was certain that if she could have seen Twilight from her position, her student would have glanced at her.

King Aspen paused for a moment, then closed his mouth. He looked over her, then studied Twilight before looking back at her. "This is the name you have taken for yourself? Fitting."

She snorted.

"And I see you've claimed your sister's student," he added as an afterthought. His eyes traced over her form, taking in her armor. "You're different from the stories passed down from the wars."

"Yes," was her succinct reply.

King Aspen took a deep breath, then stepped off his thrown. Like the other stags, he towered over Twilight, but in contrast, he was nearly as tall as her. "So tell me, Nightmare Moon, why have you come to my kingdom?"

She cocked her head to the side. "To ensure that you and your kingdom don't stab me in the back," she stated. She evened her head out and looked him in the eye with an intent, piercing gaze. "It would not do, after all, to risk turning one's allies into enemies."

He nodded in understanding. "You have broken the day-night cycle and have brought eternal night," was his annoyed response.

"I don't mind," she hissed, "annexing you if that's a problem," she retorted.

He snorted and looked at her intently. "Would you risk war with the deer?" he asked.

It gave her pause. Perhaps she had spoken too quickly. Sure, in theory, she could annex the deer into Equestria. But that wasn't just asking for problems. No, that was begging for problems! The deer were peaceful, and ponies knew that. Her subjects would not support such a move and would likely resist. And the deer? Well, if she did manage to conquer them, their resistance would prevent much of anything useful from being done. They were, after all, stubborn. And that resistance could spill into Equestria, bringing even more chaos and dissent, and putting her empire and rule in an even more precarious position.

Perhaps there was a solution, but at least for the moment, annexation was out of the question. The deer had not, after all, caused her any problems yet to warrant such a move. And to preemptively attack them when they had not caused her any problems and likely would not? Such a thing was foalish!

She inhaled calmly. "That is not my desire," she stated firmly. "I do not know what dealings my sister had with you, but I shall review them," she promised.

"Trade, mostly," was his response.

"I would presume as such," she stated. "As of right now I have no problem keeping these deals in effect; I will, however, review them. Is this acceptable?"

He inclined his head to nod.

"Perhaps in the future, we can make more deals," she offered. "But do keep in mind that I will not be pleased if I find out you're working against me."

He lifted his head up and held himself more proudly. "Neither I nor the deer have any desire for war with ponies, although this night of yours may be pushing things. We will consider remaining in our alliance, but with this change in leadership, we may end it. But even if we decide to end it, we will not attack unless you provoke us."

She inclined her head. "Very well."

Disorder Part 2

There was the flash of light and the crack of magic. It wasn't accompanied by a double-image this time since Twilight's eyes were closed. She opened her eyes and saw, to her immediate left, Nightmare Moon's black coat. In front of her, the steps leading up to the town hall.

She felt a twist in her stomach, and out of some kind of instinct, she looked up at the portico. She stared at the depiction of Princess Celestia's cutie mark. Then, she held her breath and glanced back at her teacher.

Nightmare ignored it. She couldn't tell whether her teacher forced herself to ignore it or just paid no attention to it; Nightmare's head was turning back to the right from looking off somewhere to the left.

Twilight turned her head to the right and surveyed the street. It looked almost the same as it had before, and with that, she felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. There were, from what she could see, no signs of the problems Nightmare had told her of. There were no herds of ponies screaming, shouting, and yelling, no ponies galloping around being chased by guards, no ponies trying to burn buildings or break into buildings to steal anything.

She glanced to the sky, then looked back down before looking up again. Pegasi flew through the air just high enough above that they wouldn't fly into any buildings. With the light of the moon, it was impossible to miss the golden gleam of their armor, and as she watched, she noticed a pattern: the pegasi flew either alone or with a partner, but they always followed the street. They never flew over the tops of buildings.

'They're patrolling...' came to mind.

Maybe there were problems. But if there were problems, they weren't nearby.

She turned her attention back to her teacher. "Um... what exactly are we going to do?" she asked.

Without looking back at her, Nightmare answered, "Restore order." Her teacher stepped to the left and turned away from the steps.

She slowly walked forward and turned to the left until she was at her teacher's side. "How, exactly?" she asked.

"It will depend on the extent of what is transpiring," was her teacher's answer. For a few seconds, Nightmare was silent, and her eyes gradually drifted over the buildings and street before her. "I am hoping that this will be easy to remedy, but I do not expect that to be the case."

Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled and turned to face her. "Manehattan is large. From what reports I received, the bulk of the dissent is transpiring outside of the city's core. Provided it remains this way our task shall remain much simpler, however, if it spreads or threatens to spread I will put a stop to it."

Twilight was afraid to have her question answered, but still asked, "How?"

Nightmare didn't immediately answer. Instead, her teacher turned away from her. "It is important that I ensure this does not spread and does not linger. It would be detrimental to my rule. And likewise, I recognize that I must react carefully to this situation. I am unsure if using fear would be wise to use in this situation as it could very easily make matters worse. However, if it comes down to it, I will use force to restore order if it is necessary."

Quietly, Twilight warned, "Only as a last resort."

Nightmare turned her head to face her. Her gaze was intent but not malicious. There was no immediate backlash nor retort, only contemplation. Her teacher slowly inclined her head and then nodded. "Overreacting in this situation would not be wise," she agreed. "And I do not desire to make matters worse."

A second passed before Nightmare continued, "And in truth, I do not know how best to address this situation. Circumstances are different from the experience I have."

Twilight inhaled and nodded. "Okay, um... so... you're wanting advice, right?"

"I believe I said as much," Nightmare acknowledged.

Twilight shifted her weight in an attempt to ignore her teacher's tone, but the tone lingered. So flat: like she was asking a stupid question, like she was wasting time. She inhaled, then nodded to herself. "Okay, so... um... if ponies are out and acting in herds, then... um... it needs to be stopped." At the flat expression Nightmare gave her, she continued. "Um, maybe a curfew? If you keep ponies inside then hopefully it will help..."

Nightmare turned away from her, but she still caught a glimpse of a scowl. "Such would be useful, but then what of ponies who are already out?"

"Get them to go home and stay inside," she answered. "Or- or maybe address them! That might help if you talk to them."

"It did not help before," Nightmare retorted.

Twilight winced and turned her head to the left. "It's worth a try?" she squeaked out.

Nightmare glanced back at her. "Perhaps," was all that she said, and then after a moment of contemplation, "But given the current circumstances, it could be unwise to have so many ponies in one area."

Twilight winced. 'That... probably would end badly.' She inhaled and then mumbled, "Look, I don't know what to do here..."

Nightmare inhaled, then exhaled. Under her breath, "The feeling is mutual."

Twilight squinted at Nightmare. "What does that mean?" she huffed.

Nightmare turned to face her. "It means that I do not have experience in situations like this," was her curt response.

She flinched and her right hind hoof stepped back. "I-I'm sor-"

Nightmare closed her eyes and shook her head. "We do not have time for apologies; you are forgiven," was rushed out. And more cautiously, "And I... apologize for snapping at you." Then Nightmare opened her eyes. "We are wasting time... perhaps we will know how best to act when we see the extent of what is happening. Come."

With that, Nightmare strode forward at a brisk trot. An intent, meticulous trot. Her gait was one that displayed power and told anypony who looked at her, 'Stay out of my way.'

Twilight nearly had to gallop to keep up with Nightmare Moon. Unlike at Sweet Apple Acres, moving now left her feeling anxious. It wasn't a way for her to use that energy, instead, it only made the energy swirl around inside of her chest and stomach. She knew that the movement would eventually bring her into situations she didn't want to be in: Nightmare confronting ponies who were, most likely, doing stupid things as a herd. Ponies who were, possibly, actively disobeying and spiting Nightmare Moon.

Ponies who would, quite assuredly, experience Nightmare's wrath first-hoof.

'Better them than me,' whispered in her mind.

But she still had to do what she could. Advise Nightmare Moon, and perhaps she would be able to intervene and prevent anything worse from happening. Princess Celestia would never forgive her if she let Nightmare Moon hurt ponies without trying to stop her. The thought weighed down on her mind.

"What about Cadance?" she voiced. And for some reason, it was enough to make Nightmare come to a complete stop, then turn her head to look at her. An odd expression of bewilderment crossed her teacher's expression, but she almost missed it from stumbling to a stop.

"Cadance?" Nightmare asked.

She nodded. "She'd have better advice for you than me... I mean she doesn't exactly have experience with this but she has experiences similar to this..."

"Cadance," Nightmare said again.

Twilight quizzically tilted her head. "Yes?" she asked. "Or have you already asked her? I, sorry-" she winced, then said, "sorry," again.

There was a pause before Nightmare spoke, and during that pause, Nightmare looked contemplative and agitated. "I have not."

And she felt certain she mishead what her teacher had said, yet she also knew that there was no reason for her to have misheard that: "You haven't asked her for advice..?"

"You are correct," Nightmare answered.

And it was Twilight's turn to be silent for a moment, then she asked, "Why?"

Nightmare shifted her weight, and for the briefest moment, looked away, but not before she saw a slight hint of bitterness crossing her teacher's expression. "I did not think of it."

"You didn't- what?" was all Twilight could voice.

Nightmare turned back to face her. "The thought of Cadance helping never crossed my mind."

"But this is exactly why you..!-" Twilight shifted her weight and her enthusiasm died for the next part, "-you know."

"Yes," was Nightmare's response. Much more hesitantly, her teacher said, "But I did not think of it..."

And she couldn't fathom that. The thought that Nightmare Moon, her teacher, an alicorn, somepony who was so intelligent and logical, had completely missed such an idea. "Why?" was all she could voice.

Nightmare inhaled. "I am but one pony, Twilight Sparkle. I can make mistakes. You know this because of how I reacted to you upon my return." The memory made her shuffle her hooves all closer together. "I am not perfect, I am not all-knowing," Nightmare chastised.

It went unsaid, but the implications fell into place in her mind. Nightmare Moon had defeated her sister, and that combined with Nightmare's admissions along with the fact that they were sisters meant that the same could be said of Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia wasn't perfect. Her ears drifted back slightly. She felt tired at the thought.

But then she already knew Princess Celestia wasn't perfect: Princess Celestia lied to her. Princess Celestia had to banish her own sister for a thousand years. Princess Celestia hadn't stopped Nightmare Moon when she returned. Princess Celestia, as evidence proved, could not have been perfect, nor had Princess Celestia ever been perfect, despite what she had believed.

"I cannot think of everything," Nightmare added.

The voice broke through the resignation Twilight felt, and as she refocused, she found her eyes staring at Nightmare's cyan chestplate. She nodded timidly.

"Twilight Sparkle?" Nightmare called.

Twilight blinked, then looked up to find Nightmare looking down at her.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Nightmare said.

And a part of her relished and cherished that praise. Perhaps it wasn't much, but the praise was still there, in the form of a thanks. She had pointed something out that her teacher had missed, and she felt a bit of pride. Any droop in her ears was forgotten as they perked back up. Although she didn't smile, she nearly did.

"Remain here and I will retrieve Cadance. I believe she will be of great use in this situation, however, I still wish for your assistance in dealing with this unrest." A pause, then her teacher added, "I will not be long."

She nodded. Nightmare teleported away.

And that left her there alone in the dead of night in an unfamiliar city. As the realization sank in, accompanied by knowing that in theory, the city was dangerous, she felt a jittery energy fill her body. She sucked her lip in between her teeth, then slowly rolled her teeth back and forth over her lip. Her eyes darted left and right, and she slowly swept her head back and forth.

There wasn't anypony else around from what she could see. Aside from the pegasi patrolling above, but that wasn't what she was worried about. No, for all she knew, now that her teacher was gone, that blanket of protection Nightmare gave her was gone too. Maybe Nightmare was still just a teleport away, still listening in. But Nightmare would still have to teleport back.

Somepony could have been stalking them, just waiting for a moment when she was alone for an opportunity to strike. She didn't see anypony lurking in the shadows. She didn't feel like she was being watched. And Nightmare hadn't said they were being followed.

Surely, it was a silly thought. But then it didn't stop her from being nervous. There wasn't anypony around who she knew. No mentor, no parents or brother or foalsitter, no Spike, no friends. No protection.

'You're overreacting,' she told herself. 'There's no reason to be afraid,' she told herself. 'Nightmare Moon will protect me if anything happens,' she knew.

The seconds felt like they lingered on, each one longer than the last. With each pulse of her heart, a wave of that jittery energy throbbed in her chest, rushing outward. Her ears swiveled about, trying to pick up any faint sounds in the silence that could have betrayed the approach of anypony, but there was nothing to be heard.

She saw the flash of light from a teleportation spell and heard the sharp crack. As soon as she heard that sound, she knew her mentor had returned; she felt a wave of relief wash over her body. She saw Cadance first, standing at Nightmare's left side, looking at Nightmare Moon. She smiled at Cadance, but Cadance didn't smile back. No, Cadance was focused on Nightmare Moon too much to put on a smile. It was enough to make her smile fade. Then she saw her teacher, who was looking at her rather than Cadance.

And almost dismissively, Nightmare faced Cadance and nearly growled, "You have your task," then looked back at her.

Cadance gave a quick, timid nod, then pulled away and took a step to the left. For a moment, Cadance looked at her and hesitated. For a moment, Cadance gave something reminescent of a smile. She knew it was supposed to be a smile, but it just wasn't a smile. It wasn't warm like Cadance's smiles were, it was a choked smile, a strained smile. A forced half-smile, half-grimace.

'Did I do something wrong?' was the first thought that came to mind, but it was so brief it was forgotten. Cadance glanced at Nightmare out of the corner of her eye, then walked over to her. She watched Cadance approach, then stop in front of her. When Cadance leaned down, she smiled, and as Cadance gave her a hug, she returned it.

Even if it felt like Nightmare Moon was impatiently watching them hug, she returned it. She knew that in her teacher's mind, there were more important things to do, and arguably, Nightmare Moon was right. The hug was wasting time, and in that wasted time, things could grow worse. But the hug was still something she welcomed, and she held onto Cadance as long as Cadance held onto her.

Eventually, Cadance broke the hug and pulled back. "Be careful, Twilight..."

"I will," Twilight said, then added, "and you be careful yourself!"

Cadance flashed a genuine smile and let out a soft giggle. "I'll be fine..." she trailed off and sighed. "I wish ponies weren't..." She looked away, and her gaze drifted off to the right, into the night sky. "I hope ponies aren't..." she whispered. A moment passed, then she shook her head. "I should probably hurry. The more ponies I can talk to, well..."

Twilight nodded, and then Cadance took off at a brisk trot. She turned her head to watch Cadance for a few seconds, then she heard her teacher's boots clicking against the pavement. She turned back and faced Nightmare.

"Shall we continue?" was her teacher's question.

Twilight nodded but asked, "What is Cadance doing?"

Nightmare turned, then took a step forward as she said, "We will talk as we walk." And then Nightmare strode forward intently once more as if she had never broken stride in the first place. Twilight had to gallop to keep up again, but she managed. "Cadance will be doing what we are doing: searching out the unrest and addressing it as she does so," was the explanation.

"No speeches or anything?" she asked.

"Perhaps she will do so, but I do not know," Nightmare answered. "How she chooses to address it is up to her, provided she does not make it worse."

And she knew Cadance wouldn't make it worse. It wouldn't be on purpose, and it wouldn't be an accident either; Cadance simply wouldn't make matters worse. Ponies liked her. It would be good for the city for Cadance to be here and help. Ponies would see her, and it would calm them down and reassure them.

Twilight looked left and right as they galloped on, but the only pony constantly there with her was Nightmare Moon. The only other ponies she saw were Royal Guards, and she only saw them in passing.

After a few more minutes of galloping and seeing nopony else save for Royal Guards patrolling the streets, she could convince herself that it was, just like before, Nightmare Moon overreacting. Perhaps there were isolated problems, but it wasn't as widespread as her teacher believed. Cadance wasn't even necessary; getting her had been a waste of time.

She could almost convince herself of that, right up until she heard the distant cacophony of ponies. Screams and shouts and yelling, all rolled into a distant, nerve-wracking roar. She couldn't hear any voices, only noise in the distance. She couldn't make out words, but knew the sources were ponies.

Twilight smelled the stench of smoke. It wasn't the almost pleasant smell of burning wood that she barely knew, no, it was a heavy, choking scent: materials burning that were not meant to be burned, materials burning that shouldn't have been burned. The streets were thick and heavy with the scent of smoke, and over the roofs of buildings, she could make out columns of smoke billowing into the night sky, blotting out the stars.

The columns of smoke were far between, but they were there: a dark blot on the otherwise beautiful night. As the choking scent of smoke grew stronger and the shouts protests of ponies neared, so too did the number of Royal Guards on the street increase. All of them walked with a quick gait that wasted no time. They didn't bother to acknowledge either her teacher or herself at best, and at worst, actively ignored them. But so too did Nightmare ignore the lack of recognition or acknowledgment; it would have wasted time.

She risked a glance at Nightmare's expression. Her lips were a hard line, and in her teacher's eyes, she saw anger. Behind the anger, she saw intellect, somepony trying to find the best way to correct a mistake, the best way to change course.

As the roaring crackle of fire made itself known, Nightmare's gait slowed to a quick walk, and she was able to keep up just by trotting. The smell of smoke plagued the air, lingering heavy and blanketing the streets. She fought back the urge to choke and gag on that putrid scent and mostly succeeded, but breathing it in made her feel sick. Her eyes watered from the sting carried by the smoke.

Her teacher wasn't phased by it in the slightest.

They walked out into an intersection, and that was when she saw the fire. It had to have been a building at one point in time, she knew, but now, it might as well have been a building-sized torch. It had either been an apartment or some kind of multi-story building. It might have had five stories at some point, but the building had collapsed in on itself and there was no way to tell. She only knew that it had been a building because it was in Manehattan.

The flames lanced into the air like spears or bolts of magic. Every pegasus Royal Guard in the vicinity was keeping a healthy distance from the inferno for safety's sake: there wasn't much they could do. Flying too close would have been progressively more difficult because of the smoke, flames, and rising hot air making flight dangerous at best. There were no clouds in the sky that she could spot, and the Royal Guard pegasi rarely had the training required to produce clouds to deal with a fire of that magnitude, to say nothing of most likely being spread too thin to help.

She felt the draft of air rushing past her coat as it was sucked up into the fire to fuel the flames even higher. She felt the searing heat of the burning building, drying her lips out, drying her eyes, and warming her chest enough to make her, futile as it was, step back away from the source.

And then she realized that Nightmare had stopped alongside her. Looking into the edge of Nightmare's eye, she saw an expression of near-fascination with the inferno. Yet beyond the fascination, she saw something that caught her entirely off-guard. Anger and reminiscence, both somehow twisted together and so thoroughly intertwined that Nightmare looked pained as if some unknowable memories had seized control of her mind, refusing to back down, forcing her to watch and hear as they played out before her in the light of the fire. And seeing and hearing those memories kicked Nightmare Moon harder than an earth pony ever could.

'Anguish,' whispered in her mind.

The reflection of the flames danced in Nightmare's eyes. In a way, it was almost mesmerizing. Watching that shimmering flicker, she could almost picture it in the sky as a star. Almost.

Nightmare exhaled, then turned to the right.

She stared at Nightmare for a moment longer, then swallowed. Only then did she turn to the right, and the sight made her clench her jaw as her stomach tightened. A line of Royal Guards crossed the width of the street near the next intersection. It was a mixture of earth ponies and unicorns, where the unicorns were doing their best to shield the entire line. In front of them, she could just barely see a mob of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. There wasn't any organization or order in the crowd, and the line of Royal Guards barely knew what to do in that situation.

And seeing the Royal Guards not knowing how to handle the situation? It made her legs tense. They were the Royal Guard, they were supposed to be able to handle this! They were tasked with protecting Princess Celestia, and now Nightmare Moon. Maybe this never would have happened under Princess Celestia, and the thought of it happening was simply silly, but to see them so incapable? It wouldn't have happened under Princess Celestia, but if it had, they would have been just as unprepared as they were now!

She was glad Nightmare Moon was there with her. She was glad that the batponies seemed to be more competent than the Royal Guard, even though that meant the Royal Guard was less capable. At the very least, Equestria wasn't unprotected. Her teacher, like Princess Celestia before her, would make sure Equestria was protected.

After all, it was in her teacher's best interest that Equestria was protected.

Running her eyes over the line of Royal Guards again, she found that mixed in with them were ponies wearing dark blue, if not black, uniforms and caps. They were ponies who actually had a better idea of what they were doing and who were more familiar with the city.

The mob hadn't noticed them yet. She couldn't comprehend how their arrival went unnoticed, but it did. Were they that intent on the guards trying to stop them that they did not notice the Queen and her student?

She flinched when she finally heard and realized what the ponies were shouting: demanding the return of Princess Celestia, insulting Nightmare Moon, raging against the eternal night, and demanding that the guards do something about Nightmare Moon and restore Princess Celestia. They demanded the return of the sun, they demanded a return to normalcy. And that was just the tip of it all. There were ponies who just screamed and yelled at the top of their lungs for no apparent reason, save for that other ponies were doing the same. There were ponies who cried out that Princess Celestia had failed them. There were ponies who cried out that the Royal Guard had failed Princess Celestia, that the Royal Guard had failed them. There were ponies who swore and cursed, and ponies who shouted out calls to battle, calls to attack the Royal Guard, calls to overthrow Nightmare Moon, and calls for revolution, anarchy, or destruction. Ponies shouting out obscenities that foals shouldn't have heard.

Ponies weren't supposed to be like that. Naturally, ponies weren't like that. Ponies were kind and friendly. Peace-loving. It wasn't in their nature.

Yet these ponies were insane. They were animalistic, acting on instinct. Acting out of fear and uncertainty.

It scared her. It terrified her. The mob of ponies was the culmination of nearly everything that could go wrong when fear overrode logic and reason, the culmination of what fear could do to ponies.

It was a monument to what Nightmare Moon had brought; a glimpse of what could happen to Equestria without harmony and order.

Unicorns from the mob found whatever they could and launched it at the guards. Earth ponies tried to rush in, only to retreat when they realized they were alone in trying to push the line of Royal Guards. Pegasi hovered above the crowd only to swoop down to find something to throw at the line of guards.

She stepped back, and her teacher took a step forward. "Remain here," was her teacher's growled order.

Twilight had no objections to that order. Approaching the line of Royal Guards would have been dangerous as any objects that missed the guards and their shields flew behind them and crashed into the street, sending debris rolling closer to the intersection.

Nightmare strode on past her with a walk that wasn't going to stop for anything. That walk wasn't directed at her, but it didn't stop her from feeling cold, gripping fear. Ice washed over her body, and the heat of the raging inferno was forgotten. Fear locked her legs in place.

Nightmare Moon lit her horn. It only took a few more steps before the shouting went silent, like a wave washing over the crowd. And she watched and saw, even if it was just barely for the line of guards and their shields, as that waved washed over the crowd. It wasn't fear. It was terror. She could feel the silence it brought, and the silence was even more pronounced than what they had shouted. She could see the guards all going rigid. But the crowd? The crowd was even worse. Pegasi forgot how to fly, so they landed and backed up. Earth ponies kept their distance and tried to put other ponies in front of them. The glow from unicorns' horns went dark. The only sounds she could hear was the roaring crackle of the fire and the intent clicking of Nightmare's boots striking the road.

And she was certain dragons would have fled to avoid that approach.

Nightmare's wings shot out, then in one powerful motion, swooped down, launching her over the line of Guards. She took a step back, and how the guards didn't break the line eluded her. She saw the panic washing over the crowd. The crowd grew smaller. Ponies weren't running away. They were huddling together as if they thought it would somehow protect them.

Nightmare landed. She heard the click of her teacher's boots hitting the street over the roaring crackle of the fire, and Nightmare didn't break stride. One step forward, then stopping. Twilight silently stared at her teacher, watching as her head and muzzle drifted left, then right, sweeping over the crowd in a calculated, meticulous motion. It was a controlled motion, there was no haste or panic in Nightmare's action. She was in control, and nopony would ever deny that.

She saw Nightmare's chest expand, then deflate. "Disperse and return to your homes," was her intent order, spoken with authority, power, and regality. Princess Celestia never would have spoken with the same authority and power than her teacher demanded, yet Nightmare somehow spoke with even more control than Princess Celestia. The crowd was frozen at her words, and they might as well have been statues. "And I will pretend," Nightmare growled, "that I never saw this."

She was grateful that she wasn't in that crowd. She was grateful that voice, that threat, wasn't directed at her. Nightmare's head swept left and then back right again in another calculated sweep. And then Nightmare spoke again, and as she spoke, she saw individual ponies seized with panic, like a predator was staring at them and only them, and they were alone, "Will you continue to act like foals? Or will you prove that you're better than this? My dear sister, I am sure, would be so very proud of how you're acting, of how you're treating her sister."

And to her amazement, she actually saw ponies' ears drift back. From what she could see of the ponies at the front of the crowd, a few seconds passed before they looked away from Nightmare Moon. Even her own ears drifted back. But not every ear drifted back, not everypony in the crowd felt the shame that she felt. She couldn't see how they looked, but she could almost feel and picture it, the ponies who wouldn't be dissuaded by Nightmare's mocking, the ponies who would still continue to cause problems.

"Go home," Nightmare told them, and with that, she turned around.

And then she saw the blue glow of a single horn from the crowd, followed by a brick being levitated up into the air in that same blue aura, which finished with it being launched at her teacher. Somepony, who she assumed to be responsable, screamed out against Nightmare as the brick flew towards the alicorn. The mare screamed out obscenities and cursed Nightmare and her eternal night.

The situation might have been okay. It might have been diffused by what Nightmare had said. Nightmare might have left after diffusing the situation and the crowd dispersed. And both of them might have forgotten about it as they moved on to the next problem. The crowd might have departed to go back to their homes without any objections.

It might have been, up until that happened.

Nightmare didn't even turn around. Twilight stared at her teacher, and her teacher stared back at her, looking at her with an expression that all but outright said, 'Do you see what I have been saying? The ponies will never love me!' And there was so much bitterness in that expression. So much disappointment, and so much resentment. Yet the anger was controlled. She looked away. She still saw that impenetrable dark blue shield flash to life around Nightmare, then as she stared at the street, she heard the brick thunk against the shield before thudding onto the street.

And as if it clicked, she realized what had happened. Somepony had actually assaulted Nightmare Moon. Somepony had made the same mistake that she had. Somepony had just signed their own death warrant. Her chest locked up, her legs froze. Ice barely began to describe how cold she felt. Everything was distant. The heat of the fire felt like a biting cold as if it had somehow turned into a blizzard that would never stop until every last degree of warmth had been sucked out of the entirety of Equestria.

She heard the click of Nightmare's hoof. She assumed Nightmare was turning around. She heard the crowd scatter in panic. Hooves so frantically scraping on the pavement, scattering like a herd of some prey animals when a predator burst out from the bushes to hunt them down to devour.

Somehow, she managed to look up. All she saw that remained of the crowd were tails whipping in the air as they all dispersed in utter terror. Nopony remained. No unicorns remained, either. Whoever launched the brick had escaped. The line of guards tentatively relaxed, unsure if something worse would now happen, so they kept alert. Their bodies remained tensed as they gradually broke the line. They were ready to flee just like the crowd if Nightmare did anything.

One of the guards managed to find something that resembled courage or perhaps stupidity and shuffled over to Nightmare Moon, who was watching the crowd flee. "Do you wish us to track her down, Queen Nightmare Moon?"

"No," was hissed through clenched teeth. Nightmare tilted her head back towards the guard and continued, "Unless she causes problems again, ignore her. It is not worth tracking down one such pony when this chaos is unfolding."

The guard quickly nodded and retreated even more hastily.

Nightmare turned her head back, and then she couldn't see her expression. Nightmare just looked away from her, staring down the street, or perhaps looking around without moving her head. She wanted to move but she was still paralyzed in fear.

The guards gathered into a group, then left. Once the sound of their hooves was drowned out by the crackling of the fire, Nightmare turned around and walked back to her, walking at such a casual pace that made her even more nervous. How could Nightmare Moon be casual after that? It had to be a lie.

And Nightmare looked at her, practically staring at her, except her eyes drifted left and right, all over her body. She craned her head up as Nightmare stopped and stood in front of her. For a few seconds, both of them were silent as they stared at each other. Nightmare turned to the right and looked at the inferno.

She couldn't look away from her teacher.

"They will be able to take care of that," Nightmare asked, turning her head back to face her before adding, "correct?"

She managed to look away from Nightmare. Lances of fire still struck out at the sky, and the flames were threatening to engulf nearby buildings, yet still hadn't. Guards and fireponies, but mostly fireponies, were trying to fight it and pegasi were coordinating or doing whatever it was they were doing, which excluded making clouds, as flying above that inferno was something only somepony as insane as Rainbow Dash would do.

She found her voice and said, "They should be able to... if not then it should burn itself out..."

"Good," Nightmare acknowledged.

And for a few more seconds, nothing was said as they watched the fire burn while ponies scurried about to fight it. To her, it felt like both of them actively ignored what had transpired, and it brought a question to her mind, 'Did she hold back because I'm here?'

The uncertainty returned. Was she the only reason things hadn't gone worse? If she hadn't been present, would her teacher have snapped? Had Nightmare held herself in check solely because she was there? Was that unicorn still alive because of her? Were the ponies in the crowd still alive only because she had been there?

The questions twisted in her gut. She felt queasy.

It wouldn't have been a problem if Cadance had been there with them. She hoped Cadance was safe, she hoped Cadance wasn't having to deal with what she had just seen. She hoped Cadance was managing to calm ponies down.

But she still felt the irrational fear that Cadance wasn't managing to help matters.

Nightmare's silken feather brush along the length of her back. She closed her eyes. She felt her lips lift up into a smile. The knot in her gut flew away. One stroke and the feather left. She opened her eyes and watched her teacher, who watched her right back.

Her legs didn't tremble, she didn't feel like she was walking on eggshells, or that her teacher was going to just snap. She felt calm, though still uneasy.

"I am sure this was not the only such crowd," Nightmare said, "and we should not linger."

She nodded. Nightmare turned around, then looked left and right. "Perhaps it would be better to see things from the air," Nightmare mused. Her teacher looked back at her and said, "We would have a better idea of what we are dealing with from above."

She nodded, "Yes," then stopped before realizing what Nightmare said: "Wait, we?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Yes," was her flat response. "We, as in both of us-"

"I'm not a pegasus! I can't fly!" Twilight protested.

Nightmare tilted her head and looked at her as if she was oblivious to some very important detail, then as if to emphasize that detail, spread her wings. "Then how expedient it is that I can," was sarcastically delivered.

She winced and turned away from her teacher. "Right, sorry, I just... I-I wasn't... expecting that," she stuttered out.

Looking back at Nightmare, she said, "Princess C-" wincing before correcting, "your sister wouldn't have, um, done this."

"I am aware of that," Nightmare said. Then, she turned to face away from her and sat down with her back to her. "But it does not matter. This is most efficient, and I do not feel comfortable leaving you here while I search, and your help would be beneficial in this matter."

And she couldn't believe that this was happening. She could believe that Nightmare Moon was sitting down, waiting for her to climb onto her back. She couldn't believe it. Sure, ponies sometimes rode on the backs of their pegasi friends or pegasi they had paid, but this was entirely different! Nightmare Moon wasn't a pegasus, she was an alicorn. Nightmare Moon was Queen. And she was just a filly. Nightmare Moon had better things to do than carry her around, things that were less demeaning for her. Nightmare Moon could have had one of the Royal Guard pegasi flying around carry her, but no. Nightmare Moon herself was there, sitting down so that she could climb into place on her back.

It was intimidating, to say nothing of the fact that she'd be in physical contact with her teacher, and that her life would be so very dependent on Nightmare's wings.

"Come," Nightmare called, her mane moving to the right so it would not impede her. "I will not drop you if that is your concern."

Somehow, she managed to walk over and stop behind Nightmare Moon. She stared at the alicorn's back. Her black coat was so intimidating, she was afraid that those hairs weren't actually fur, but needles that would stab her if she touched them. They were smoothed back like metal, and it convinced her that this would be the single most unpleasant experience of her life.

And yet at the same time, she was terrified that, despite being metal, Nightmare would be so fragile that she would hurt her teacher, and that in turn would be the last accident that happened. Reason couldn't fix her concerns: even if she knew that Nightmare Moon was the furthest thing from fragile, she couldn't help but see her back as a thin pane of glass that, if so much as a quill fell on it, would shatter and send her plummeting to her death.

That was if it wasn't throwing her to her death.

Somehow, she managed to reach out with a hoof and touch Nightmare's back.

Her coat was so incredibly soft and rich, silken to the point that the most expensive silk, enchanted with the most powerful magic, would never compare. She felt like she could melt into that rich softness. It was just like Princess Celestia's coat, and if she closed her eyes, she could imagine that she was touching Princess Celestia and her white coat instead of Nightmare Moon's black coat. She didn't close her eyes though. She knew it was Nightmare Moon.

And finally, feeling how soft Nightmare's coat was, the memory of Nightmare hugging her came back to mind. She felt calmer, yet still so intimidated by the prospect of riding on Nightmare's back while she flew.

She bit her lip and managed to wrap her forelegs around Nightmare's withers. Compared to Nightmare's coat, that chestplate she never took off was painful to touch. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't comfortable. It felt like an uncrossable chasm, like something somehow permanently separating them. She slid her abdomen into place against Nightmare's back, then wrapped her hind legs around her teacher's underbody. She held on, and Nightmare stood up; her weight might as well have been the weight of the air for Nightmare Moon.

And knowing and feeling Nightmare supporting her body was even more intimidating than the idea of Nightmare carrying her. The thought was one thing and experiencing it was entirely different. It was actually happening, Nightmare was carrying her. She felt so small, smaller than she had felt when she was a filly and just getting used to Princess Celestia.

Nightmare stretched her wings out, then left the ground.

She stared down and watched as the pavement shrank away. She felt the wind ripple through her mane and tail, and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach like her stomach was dropping out beneath her or like she had left it below. There was no ground to support her, and what ground there was, was too far away for her to safely land. If she fell, if Nightmare dropped her, if Nightmare let her fall, she wouldn't survive.

She held onto the alicorn with as much strength as she could manage. Her muscles hurt. Nightmare surely knew, but for some reason she said nothing.

They didn't fly that high. just high enough to avoid the roofs of buildings. Her heart still pounded in her chest, thumping against Nightmare's back. If Nightmare didn't already know how little she trusted her, then her teacher would easily tell from her grip and heartbeat.

"I will not let you fall," Nightmare called back to her.

She nodded. She believed her teacher, but she still held onto Nightmare for her life. Sure, Nightmare wouldn't throw her. Sure, Nightmare wouldn't let her fall. Sure, Nightmare could catch her with magic. But that didn't mean she wanted to experience what falling was like from that high up, even for a second!

Nightmare flew above the streets, and both of them surveyed the chaos below. The large crowds of ponies were isolated, and the chaos was sporadic. Some parts of the city were entirely untouched, other parts were just gigantic messes of ponies and Royal Guards and debris. Never once did Nightmare stray anywhere near the lances of fire shooting up into the air, never once did she drift near the columns of thick, choking smoke.

And because her muscles ached, she managed to lessen her grip on Nightmare. She found her heart wasn't hammering in her chest, trying to beat its way out so it could get back to the ground. And if it wasn't for everything happening below, then maybe, just maybe, she could have enjoyed it. After all, she had only flown on Cadance's back before, and that had been a rare, special treat that always made her laugh and smile.

If she ignored the heavy scent of smoke in the air and clinging to their coats, if she ignored the raging infernos, and if she ignored everything that was happening below, it was nice.

Nightmare shook her head. "I am quite... perhaps bewildered is the right term. The unrest is..." Another shake of her head, accompanied by a groan. "It makes no sense," she muttered. "The city is..." A stronger shake of her head accompanied by an exasperated sigh. "The pattern makes no sense. I would expect it to be more widespread. Not pockets of unrest, but regions."

Twilight pondered it but had no answer for her teacher.

She barely heard Nightmare mutter, "So much of this doesn't make sense..."

"The unrest?" she asked.

Nightmare turned her head and looked back at her. There was hesitance in her expression like she wasn't sure if she should say anything. Reluctantly, her teacher answered, "Many things I have found since my return do not make sense... and it is... I do not understand it."

She remembered Nightmare mentioning something like that before, and so she gave a slow nod.

Nightmare studied her for a moment longer, then went back to scanning the streets below them. "It is... so different from what I expected."

"What did you expect?" she asked.

For a few seconds, there was just the sound of Nightmare's wings and the wind. "Not this," was Nightmare's delayed answer. "Do you have any suggestions on how to best address this unrest? Addressing each crowd would take time, although this is what Cadance is successfully doing, and then there is not necessarily an assurance that they will not depart and reform given that it is us. Addressing the whole city as you suggested, given its current state, is most likely an unwise decision."

"And there aren't enough Royal Guards to go around..?" she asked.

"I do not believe there are enough to restore order if it came down to it. If the unrest was more widespread than it is, it would likely escalate out of control even further," Nightmare answered.

Twilight shifted her weight on Nightmare's back, but very timidly. Falling would have been bad, plus she didn't want to annoy the pony carrying her. "Um... this might be a stupid question," she admitted, "but could you have some batponies come help?"

"There are some on their way, but it will take time for them to arrive. And in truth I am concerned they would make matters worse," Nightmare answered, then turned back to face her. "Ponies are not familiar with them, and seeing them show up to restore order could look bad, which could make matters far worse."

She grimaced. "Right..." she muttered. Nothing came to mind. No ideas, no grand solutions. Princess Celestia would know exactly what to do. Princess Celestia would probably give everypony some comforting words, and that'd be the end of the matter. But Princess Celestia wasn't here, and Nightmare Moon wouldn't have the same effect. She let out a sigh and whispered, "I don't know."

"Then we shall have to work this out as we go," Nightmare said.

She thought about it, then asked, "Isn't that more or less what we're already doing?"

"Yes," was Nightmare's nearly-instant answer.

"So... you're just going to... keep addressing crowds as needed..?" she ventured.

"It is not something I would prefer to do," Nightmare answered, "but I do not have many options available right now. If there were more guards present, then I could enforce a curfew or match the unrest with enough of a show of force to stop it from spreading while not resorting to using force that could make things worse. I can only be in one place at a time so this may prove somewhat difficult to control, however, Cadance does appear to be easing the unrest. At least what groups she has encountered."

Twilight shifted her weight again on Nightmare's back. "You'd rather not use force..?"

Nightmare looked back at her and said, "There is a time and place for force. If I have no choice then I will use force to stop this, but I am not so naive as to think that I can solve every problem with force. It is the same way with fear. Ponies need to know that unrest will not be tolerated, but I cannot act so forcefully as to cause further harm."

Nightmare continued to watch her, and she gave a slow nod. Almost reluctantly, her teacher looked away from her and went back to scanning the streets below. "If excessive force would benefit me in the long run, then yes, I would use that, but I know that excessive force can only work so long before problems become worse. I will not have my rule weakened by instability caused by excessive force."

She looked right down at Nightmare's coat, and her eyes nestled in between her teacher's shoulders. "You'll do whatever benefits you, whatever is in your best interest..." she murmured.

For the briefest moment, Nightmare's eyes darted back to her. "Yes," was said, and then her teacher's eyes darted back away.

'If it's in your best interest...' whispered in her mind, and she shivered. Perhaps she could trust her teacher, but then there would always be the risk that it would be in her teacher's best interest to abuse that trust, take advantage of her, or betray her.

Twilight kept quiet, and likewise, Nightmare said nothing more as they continued their flight.

Eventually, she forgot about the chaos below- at least as best she could with the distant roar of ponies screaming and shouting, the raging fires and billowing smoke, and the scent of that smoke in the air. She almost managed to relax, but she was still timid, so entirely aware of Nightmare carrying her. But Nightmare hadn't dropped her, Nightmare hadn't let her fall, Nightmare hadn't thrown her. Nightmare had been careful, giving her no reason to hold on so tight.

And it was nice to fly with her, at least as nice as it could be. The circumstances were still lingering in the back of her mind, poisoning it, but if it hadn't been for those circumstances, she wouldn't have had any complaints. She knew that the only reason Nightmare was carrying her was because of the circumstances, and a part of her regretted that. If she could get over her timidness and unease about riding on Nightmare's back, along with who Nightmare Moon was, then she would have liked to do this again, without the constant knowledge of the chaos below ruining it all.

But it was wishful thinking. It was silly; Nightmare Moon would never agree to something like that unless circumstances demanded it. And there was no way she could, let alone would, ask that. She was just a filly, and of course, Nightmare Moon was Queen. And Nightmare Moon had better things to do. Even if Nightmare Moon was her teacher, there was no reason for her to agree.

And then there was the fact that it was Nightmare Moon.

"Two ponies just went into... I believe the term is an alley?" Nightmare half-asked. "I am going to land."

She blinked and refocused on the circumstances instead of her thoughts. Nightmare's head was tilted left, back towards her, and her gaze was on her. "Um, okay?" she asked. There was a moment of silence as her teacher banked to the left, and out of instinct, she gripped the alicorn tighter so she wouldn't fall. "It's just two ponies though? Shouldn't we be... focused on larger crowds?"

"I would agree," Nightmare said with a nod, "however they seem to be painting a wall with something I'd very much rather not have painted."

And without looking, 'Celestia's cutie mark...' came to mind, and she clenched her jaw.

And as if to test her, Nightmare asked, "This will not do now, will it?"

She couldn't answer that. To agree would be to betray Princess Celestia even more. To disagree, she could not; the only acceptable answer was agreement. She turned her head to the right. It wasn't like it mattered at this point. Her ears folded back and she barely managed to whisper out, "Of course..." But even she heard just how disheartened her own voice was.

But it wasn't like it mattered, not now. Princess Celestia wasn't coming back. She was resigned to that fact.

She wanted to cry. Maybe it was the smoke, but she doubted that was why.

She felt Nightmare land and heard the click of her hooves striking the pavement. Her teacher took a few steps forward as she landed, and the steps felt almost like a continuation of the flight. There was a certain grace to those steps that she didn't understand. Then Nightmare sat down on her haunches. She let go of Nightmare's back and slid off, then stood up.

She hadn't noticed it before, but now that her underbody wasn't on top of Nightmare's back, the air felt so very cold in comparison. She missed Nightmare's warmth. Ears still folded back, she timidly walked to the right and came to stand beside Nightmare as her teacher stood up.

And they stood there silently for a time, listening. And she heard the hushed, conspiratorial whispers of ponies plotting and sowing rebellion, ponies who were being so brave and so very, incredibly stupid.

It was, from what she could hear, a stallion and a mare. They were young, of course, but they were still older than her. The whispers were quick, no more than what had to be said. She looked around and saw no guards nearby; it was a section of the city that, aside from the two ponies speaking in hushed whispers, was free from the panic that fueled mobs elsewhere. Ponies stayed inside. Perhaps out of fear of the eternal night, or perhaps they were smart and knew what was happening so they choose to stay inside to avoid being caught in the unrest.

And those two ponies continued whispering to one another, occasionally broken by the rushing, airy sound of something spraying. If she had to guess, going by what Nightmare had said, it was paint that they were spraying. And the two ponies whispered more than enough evidence against themselves that Nightmare would have reason to act.

She wasn't sure how they hadn't heard them land. They both listened, trying to stay alert for guards. Neither of them realized just how close Nightmare Moon was.

And Nightmare crept forward. It was a slow, silent step. Her metal boots didn't make a single sound as they touched down on the pavement, it might as well have been that Nightmare's boots were padded with feathers. There was no magic involved, only Nightmare's own skill that kept her approach silent.

It was a predator stalking her prey.

She hadn't noticed Nightmare moving at first, how silent it had been. But when she noticed, she lifted a hoof up to step forward, only for Nightmare to extend a wing as if to say, 'Don't.' So she didn't step forward. She held herself still, keeping her forehoof lifted in place. She didn't set her hoof down, out of fear of making a sound. She held her breath, and Nightmare crept past her, walking closer and closer to the alley.

Her heartbeat felt slow, and the seconds seem to stretch on and on, each one feeling longer than the last. Each time Nightmare's hoof touched the pavement, she expected a click, she expected a scream of some kind, either fear or rage. But each step was still so silent as before.

'The batponies are just as stealthy as this...' came to mind as she watched. If not entirely as stealthy as Nightmare could be, then very close.

She couldn't look away. Nightmare's head passed the edge of the brick building, and the whispering went silent. Even without seeing them, she could almost feel their fear, how their hearts would suddenly feel so big and so small at the same time, how their guts would twist, how their stomachs would suddenly feel a jittery energy that wouldn't go away. How they would feel that predatory gaze of her teacher, how it would paralyze them.

How they wouldn't be able to escape their fate.

"I do hope," Nightmare called out, taking another silent step forward, then turning so her body faced into the alley. She somehow made the mistake of glancing at her teacher's eyes, and she found an intent gaze, one presumably directed at the two ponies inside. "That this is meant to defame my sister," her teacher finished.

And she felt a shiver go down her spine, accompanied by feeling a coldness take a hold of her body, as Nightmare continued, "Because if it is not, I will be quite displeased."

And both ponies were silent. They had no answer, but then how could they have an answer? They would be paralyzed in fear, and it was just the two of them. There was no crowd for them to hide in, no crowd to give then anonymity. No crowd to empower them.

Or maybe they were resolute in their defiance, refusing to answer, refusing to back down. She couldn't picture that, though. How could anything defy Nightmare Moon and survive?

She felt the cold of the pavement against her formerly lifted forehoof. She glanced down and found her hooves carrying her forward without her permission. And her heart pounded in her chest, banging against her ribs in an attempt to break out of her body to escape. But it was trapped, just like the two ponies in the alley.

Her hooves carrier her to Nightmare's side. She turned and saw the two ponies: a mare and stallion, just barely. Neither could be more than five years older than her, and that would have been pushing it. Both unicorns with unlit horns. The stallion had a dark-colored coat. Perhaps blue of some kind but in the shadow of the buildings, she couldn't tell, and likewise, his mane and tail were both dark colors, perhaps black or dark gray. The mare had a pink coat and her mane and tail were light yellows with darker highlights mixed in. Both ponies were wide-eyed, and although they surely saw her standing beside Nightmare, both were staring only at Nightmare Moon.

A spray can of paint laid on its side on the ground, with yellowish paint dripping from the nozzle. She didn't even have to turn left to see their work: taking up the bulk of the wall, it was a mural of Princess Celestia's cutie mark. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else. And it was so expertly painted, it didn't look like spray paint had been used, but that a professional had meticulously gone over the wall with a brush, stroke by stroke. The paint was applied so smoothly that she was shocked it had been painted onto a wall instead of canvas.

It was something that should have been in a museum, not on the street, not in an alleyway.

And the two unicorns responsible for it had been caught red-hoofed. They had nowhere to run, as the alleyway was blocked off by a wall. Not that running would have helped them any. And there was no way either of them could have been capable of teleporting. No, that was too complicated and powerful a spell for just about everypony: she would have recognized them. Probably, anyway.

Neither said anything in their defense, even as Nightmare waited. Then Nightmare lit her horn, and her dark blue magic enveloped both unicorns. She saw the terror that washed over them as that magic took a hold of them. It was a primal terror that couldn't be fought off, couldn't be resisted. A terror that somehow existed before time itself, a terror that was ingrained into ponies by their very nature.

And Nightmare cut their magic off, just as it had been with her and Rarity: they couldn't fight back even if they somehow could manage to overcome that need to run away. Then, as if to mock them, their hooves were bound with summoned magical bindings. The mare squeaked, the stallion grunted, and both fell onto their sides, with the stallion's weight landing on the mare's side.

Nightmare inhaled, then calmly exhaled.

"D-don't hurt us!" the mare finally bellowed into the night, nearly shrieking.

"I will consider it," was Nightmare's short response. And with that, Nightmare turned to face her, then extended a wing out and motioned for her to walk back to the right.

So she hastily trotted out of sight from the two bound ponies, and galloped until she was at the entrance to the building immediately to the right of the alley. She heard Nightmare's clicking hoofsteps following her, and she turned around as Nightmare approached.

Then Nightmare stopped in front of her and asked, "What shall I do to them?"

The question took her by surprise. It wasn't a question she had expected. She had expected Nightmare to state what would happen to them, and that would be it. Their guilt would have been found by Nightmare Moon, their verdict would be delivered by Nightmare Moon, and then the execution would have been at Nightmare Moon's hooves.

And the way it was asked: no malice, but rather, genuine curiosity. It wasn't asked out of anger, it wasn't demanded of her. It wasn't a tone that screamed, 'Choose or I will kill them.' No, it was the tone of one who wanted to choose carefully, one who knew that slipping up would spell disaster, and one who wanted another opinion.

It made her heart leap into her throat, nearly choking her, and she felt so much bubbling energy racing through her chest, infinitely more than she could picture Pinkie Pie having. It was energy that made her need to gallop away, energy that made her need to release it somehow.

Then, Nightmare extended her wing and touched one of those divine feathers against her shoulder. The touch, the feeling of that feather, it worked against the panic consuming her mind: the bubbling, roaring energy in her chest deflated. The feather stroked back along her side, and she shivered.

Calmness overtook her, and she felt tired.

She inhaled, then exhaled. Nightmare folded her wing to her side and said, "I cannot tolerate such dissent. If I do not act, then this will undermine my rule; but likewise, if I am too harsh, they could become martyrs and spark even greater unrest."

"H-have they actually committed a crime?" she voiced, then bit her tongue when she realized what she said.

Nightmare stared at her, and that gaze felt so intent, as if her misspeaking had been challenging the Empress's authority. Nightmare Moon's word was law, and her misspeaking had challenged, if not undermined it.

She managed not to step back out of fear.

Nightmare slowly took in a deep breath, then exhaled and said, "Vandalism." And it was spat so bitterly because it was vandalism, yet so much more than just vandalism. "However given the circumstances, this could also be taken as an act of treason or a call to rebellion. I have not called a curfew, so I cannot punish them for violating that without causing uncertainty."

Nightmare closed her eyes and shook her head. "The punishment for vandalism is hardly punishment. The punishment for treason or inciting rebellion is far more severe." Her teacher opened her eyes. "I am inclined to lean towards the later. I will not tolerate this insult. To not act would be foalish, as it would invite questions of my rule and encourage dissent."

There was a pause, and Nightmare grimaced before begrudgingly muttering, "Yet I also recognize that I could very easily turn them into martyrs, and that is assuredly not in my best interest."

Another pause and Nightmare's eyes jumped back and forth a few times. She just barely made out Nightmare mumbling, "A thousand years ago I would have thrown them in the dungeon or killed them and been done with it." Nightmare's eyes jumped back onto hers and her teacher inhaled.

Without thinking about it, under her breath Twilight muttered, "Couldn't you just make them disappear?" And when she realized what she had said, she cringed, knowing she might have just been directly responsible for the deaths of two ponies. Her chest twisted and tightened, and her gut knotted. And when word of that inevitably got out, Equestria would demand her blood. If by some miraculous means Princess Celestia returned after that, she had to hope that Nightmare Moon won again, and that Nightmare Moon wouldn't just betray her.

Nightmare looked at her with bewilderment. "You-"

"I-I mean-!" she tried to backpedal, but there really wasn't any reasonable argument she could make there about meaning something different.

"I will assume that was a slipup and that you are not suggesting I make them disappear," Nightmare stated carefully. Then, said even more carefully, "But that is an option."

And it made her shiver, because Nightmare Moon could very well do that same thing to her. "It-it would cause uncertainty," she rushed out, scrambling to sway the option out of Nightmare's reach.

"Would it?" Nightmare inquired genuinely. "Who would notice two such ponies going missing, and who would suspect I had anything to do with it? I could make them disappear, to a dungeon cell or..." she trailed off as a frown twisted onto her face. Something went over her teacher's expression, then Nightmare's frown grew more pronounced and disgusted. Hastily, Nightmare stated, "No. I could, but I will not. I will not do something so underhoofed."

Twilight felt relief wash over her like a tsunami, and it left her feeling tired. Her eyelids drifted closed as that blissful feeling consumed her. She wouldn't have blood on her hooves. She didn't know how much time passed before the anxiety slowly pulsed back to life inside her chest, but when it did, she opened her eyes. Nightmare Moon still stood there, waiting for her answer.

She wanted to ask if her teacher would make her disappear if she betrayed her. She didn't want to know the answer, and she wasn't sure if she knew it or not. She didn't voice the question.

"C-can you just... punish them for vandalism?" she squeaked out, wincing and shying back from Nightmare's inevitable rage at her suggestion.

But Nightmare didn't snap at her. Nightmare's eyes hardened, but there wasn't an immediate retort. "What is your reasoning?" she asked.

Twilight bit her lip and looked left, then right. There had to be some logical reason why they shouldn't be thrown in a dungeon, banished, or worse! And then it came to her, and she felt more confident. Her gaze locked on her mentor and she answered, "Because there's nopony else here! It's not inciting rebellion because there isn't anypony else here to be incited!" It had to work.

She held her breath and chewed on her lip.

She watched Nightmare ponder it, almost mulling it over in her mind, swishing the words around in her mouth. "You make a valid point, yet I could still charge them with treason-"

"And wouldn't that be almost the same as just making them disappear?" she questioned.

Nightmare was silent again, and Twilight watched her teacher ponder the thought once more and felt her anxiety rising.

She had questioned Nightmare Moon's authority.

"Very well, Twilight Sparkle," was said carefully, "I will adhere to the punishment for vandalism. Nothing more."

She nodded quickly.

Nightmare's expression softened. "Do not think that I am angry at you," she said.

"Y-you're not? B-but I questioned your authority!" she blabbered. And it was silly to think that she was making that argument. She knew it was; it wasn't in her best interest to say that, yet she did. It was foolish to say that she had questioned Nightmare's authority. It would have been better to pretend it hadn't have happened, and it would have been much better to never have said anything. She cringed.

Her teacher's expression neither softened nor hardened. "As I have said, I desire your advice. I may wish for greater punishment on them for this disrespect, but I do not wish to cause more uncertainty, and turning them into martyrs would be stupid." Nightmare Moon studied her for a moment, then added, "And do not think that I consider this questioning my authority. We need to be able to talk about this openly. It would not do for you to be afraid to bring up a point that I have not considered, out of fear that I will punish you for doing so. It would be like refusing to listen to ponies voice concerns about problems. Ignoring problems until they become worse. It would be unwise."

Twilight nodded, this time more slowly. Her teacher turned away from her, then walked back to the alley. She heard a crack of magic as Nightmare teleported something as she walked beside her teacher. When she saw into the alleyway, her teacher was writing out a scroll, and then Nightmare finished, rolled it up, and bound it with her seal before picking both unicorns up with her magic and carrying them out onto the street.

She watched her teacher set them down well within sight, and then her teacher left the scroll with them. She could only assume that it was orders for whatever guard would find them.

She could only hope that the orders were what she thought, and that Nightmare Moon did not leave an order to kill them.

Although maybe it was unlikely the guard would obey such orders.

'No... she wouldn't do that...' Twilight told herself. But she wasn't sure.

Nightmare walked back to her, then stopped and stared at the mural. Her teacher scowled, yet she found some semblance of reminiscence in her teacher's gaze as she stared at that mural.

And then the reminiscence was gone. Nightmare faced her and asked, "Shall we continue?"

She glanced aside at the two ponies. Neither were going anywhere until the Royal Guard showed up. And even then they might not be going anywhere. She looked back at Nightmare and nodded, wondering, 'Are we going to fly again?'

But to her disappointment, Nightmare said, "Then I shall teleport us to the next crowd."

Twilight didn't get a chance to say anything, not that she would have, before Nightmare's magic enveloped her. She tried to close her eyes but was too slow. There was the crack of the air and the flash of light that accompanied the teleportation spell followed up with the disorientating double image.

It still wasn't as bad as it had been. She was used to feeling Nightmare's magic. She was used to being teleported around, at least compared to what it had been like before.

Field Experience and Book Smarts

Twilight's legs and lungs burned. Her chest ached, and a few scratches on her cheeks stung. She could barely hear her own thoughts over her panting, the constant cracking and snapping of twigs and leaves under her hooves, and the rustling of underbrush as she ran ahead.

Closing in on another bush, she risked lighting her horn to push as many of the branches out of her way as she could. The branches cut at her hooves and legs, making her bite on her lip for just a moment. 'If I trip, I'll hurt myself worse,' made her let go of her lip. She let her aura disperse, and with her horn dimmed, the darkness returned to envelop the forest.

She slowed to a stop, still panting, her legs and lungs still burning. She stood as still as she could, she tried to breathe as quietly as she could, but it made her vision blur. Methodically, she nudged her head left and right, swiveling her ears in every direction. Nightmare Moon couldn't catch her if she knew her teacher was coming.

She hoped.

Stupid as it was. The knowledge, 'Of course, if Nightmare Moon wants to catch me there's not much I can do,' left her demoralized. Why did they have to do this!? Sparring was one thing. It was halfway okay compared to this! But having her try to escape so that Nightmare Moon could 'hunt' her?!

'Are you insane!?' she had wanted to shriek. Needless to say, she had kept that to herself when voicing her concerns. There was just so much wrong with this! Nightmare Moon expected her to evade her for an unspecified amount of time, and in truth, Nightmare Moon was probably just playing with her! Nightmare Moon could probably end it whenever she wanted. And Nightmare Moon still expected her to be able to see and navigate a forest at night. Sure, the moon was out! That didn't make any difference!

It was rigged against her. Nightmare Moon had more or less admitted that. "It's not about winning, rather, evade me as long as you can," she had said.

She let out a quiet groan and tossed her head to the left. 'I just want to lay down and be done with this!' But Nightmare Moon wouldn't have that. Or at the very least, Nightmare Moon would be disappointed at her for giving up. And just giving up, as great as it sounded, would be turning her back on Nightmare Moon teaching her.

She grimaced as she looked left and right. She didn't see Nightmare Moon where she looked. Not that it mattered. Nightmare Moon blended in well, and if her teacher wanted, well, invisibility spells were well within her grasp.

She sucked in a deep breath and tilted her head back to look up. She couldn't make out the sky for the tree canopy, but some beams of moonlight managed to break through the leaves and branches, streaming in at wide angles. Lowering her head, she told herself, 'Okay, focus.'

Focusing would help, but only so much.

'Why does it seem like you're trying to turn me into a soldier!?' distracted her, and she winced. Well, maybe not a soldier, but it sure seemed like it. Nightmare Moon's lessons were much more active than Princess Celestia's.

'Maybe she's trying to mold me after herself?' whispered in her mind.

She shivered. The night's chill was made all the worse by having stopped moving. Running kept her warm, but also made her sweat, and thus, stopping meant she'd get cold. Her lips pulled into another wince.

She lifted her forehoof and took a step forward. Leaves and twigs crunched underneath her hoof. In an otherwise silent forest. The animals, birds, and insects were all silent because Nightmare Moon was there, and there she was, making all sorts of noise.

She held back a groan and clenched her eyes shut. 'Why didn't I realize that earlier?' Mentally kicking herself, she lit her horn and cast a quick spell to silence her steps. As soon as she finished casting, she let her magic go. Having her horn lit only told Nightmare Moon where she was.

And she was being stalked. She could feel it: not quite predatory as it had been before, and far more amused. A shiver trickled down her spine.

She winced, then held herself still, only moving her ears, listening into the silent night-

A chime of magic came from her left. Her wince faded; she swiveled to the left. A bolt of dark blue magic sizzled passed where she stood. As much as she wanted to look and see what happened to it, she had made that mistake enough times to know better.

And sure enough, Nightmare stood about twenty steps away from her, her body obscured by brush and a tree, in complete darkness, save for the glow of her horn. Her cyan armor glistened, reflecting the aura of her horn. She could see enough. She aimed and fired off a spell back at Nightmare.

The glow of Nightmare's horn blinked out, and in the darkness, her teacher disappeared. She held her breath and listened, only to hear silence.

A shadow darted by at her left. She stepped right and turned. No spell came. Anxiety welled up inside her. Nightmare Moon could be anywhere! Behind her, above her, right beside her, and she wouldn't know until it was too late! She couldn't outrun her. She couldn't outfight her. She couldn't trick her.

It was just a matter of time.

She ran forward as fast as she could, passing through brush and shrubs with barely any sound, yet the branches scraping her sides stung. She danced between breaks in the canopy that let moonlight touch the ground, keeping to the shadows as best she could. She jumped over fallen branches and roots so she wouldn't trip again. She kept her horn unlit as she ran, listening to her instincts that told her to run! faster.

Her left forehoof caught on an unburied root. She hit the ground. Twigs, nuts, and small pebbles cut into her chest and body as she slid across the rough ground. Her leg hurt. Her chest hurt. Her body hurt. She held in a groan of pain, and once she stopped moving, pressed her head to the ground.

'Maybe if I just lay here like this, she won't find me for a while? Maybe if she does find me we can stop!'

She knew better than that. Unless she was seriously injured, in which case they would stop. She slowly sucked in a deep breath and lifted her head from the ground. Carefully craning her head left and right, she scanned her surroundings. She didn't see Nightmare Moon. That didn't mean anything.

She tested each of her hooves, experimenting to make sure none of them were injured. While her left forehoof hurt the worst, it was 'tolerable.' She carefully pushed herself up into a standing position, waited and listened for a few seconds, then stepped forward. Her left forehoof ached as she put weight on it, and her shoulder wasn't happy about it either, but she could still keep going.

She glanced down at her chest and swept debris off her coat with her left forehoof, then forced herself ahead.

Nightmare Moon stepped out in front of her, turned to face her, smiling. Her teacher's horn lit.

And there wasn't anything she could do. She might be able to sidestep the first spell, but the next spell or the spell after that would land. She might be able to shield herself, but that would give Nightmare Moon an excuse to hammer away at her shield until it popped, and then she'd feel even worse. She might be able to stop herself before running into Nightmare Moon, but her legs wouldn't like that, and of course, the spell would still land.

So she did something stupid, something she knew Rainbow Dash would approve of. She pushed herself faster and ran straight at Nightmare Moon. Her heart nearly froze in fear. Nightmare lowered her horn. She pointed her horn at Nightmare's chest. Lit her horn.

Nightmare fired first.

She teleported. The spell never landed. She risked a glance back, just long enough to see Nightmare Moon whip around and aim again.

The next spell came. She threw herself to the right and rolled. Her side protested the impact and she let out a grunt, coming to a stop against a fallen log.

No time to waste, she scrambled back to her hooves. Her body shook and trembled, and she felt sickeningly hot. Another spell from Nightmare's horn. She teleported again. Reappearing, she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Nightmare turned to face her again, oh so casually, mocking Twilight with how little she could do to escape now.

Twilight scowled and grimaced. Her horn flickered and sparked. She might be able to dodge the next spell. It would hurt, but it might be doable. Letting the spell hit might be preferable. Getting it over with, and an end to the torment her body suffered, a chance to rest.

Nightmare fired a spell. She threw herself to the right. Right into the path of Nightmare's next spell.

"Predictable," Nightmare chastized.

There wasn't time to react. She clenched her eyes, felt her magic surge for a moment, then heard a crack and saw a white flash. She didn't want to open her eyes but had no choice. Darkness. Nightmare Moon wasn't in front of her. She had teleported. "Hah!" she cried out happily.

"Is that all?" Nightmare Moon asked from behind her.

Twilight cringed. For a few seconds, she stood still, expecting the next spell and halfway welcoming it. It didn't happen. She forced herself to look back behind her. Nightmare regarded her with a tilted her, horn angled to the sky but still lit. "Um... hi."

Nightmare quirked an eyebrow.

Twilight spun around to face her and stepped back. Nightmare aimed and fired a spell. She fired back. Their spells collided and destroyed each other in a flash of pink-blue light. Nightmare fired again, and again, and again.

She couldn't match it. She fired a spell and jumped. The next spells destroyed each other, and the following spells washed over the ground.

"You're getting better," Nightmare commented, a hint of pride seeping into her voice.

Twilight smiled. 'For Nightmare Moon to say that!' Of course, it wasn't over yet. She forced herself back onto her hooves. Every part of her body protested the movement. She felt sluggish. "I'm... going to.... regret this... tomorrow..." she panted out.

Nightmare faced her again and fired a spell, giving Twilight no time to react.

So Twilight threw herself forward. The spell barely missed; she felt the ripple of air in the spells wake against her fur. She landed with Nightmare Moon's boots right in front of her face. She looked up. Nightmare looked down at her.

"So... I think... this is... over..." she mumbled.

"Yes," Nightmare agreed. Rather than casting a spell, her teacher lifted her right forehoof, then set it on her back, gently pressing down.

And yes, it was over. She wasn't getting out of that now. She inhaled as deeply as she could, then let her head go limp, letting out a groan.

"Fifteen minutes... I believe that is a new record for you," Nightmare mused idly.

Twilight huffed. 'If that can be considered a record.'

"It is an improvement," Nightmare Moon pointed out all-too-happily.

"So you... say," she retorted.

"Come now, Twilight, you have-"

Twilight lifted her head back up to face Nightmare Moon. Her world spun around her, and her head felt light. "You could have... won... tend minutes... ago."

Nightmare's smile faded, and she broke eye contact. "You are correct."

"Why?" Twilight asked.

Nightmare looked back down at her. "To push you to do better."

Twilight let her head hit the ground again.

"You were spent, yet you had a surge of magic," Nightmare commented.

Twilight frowned. The memory felt fuzzy; it had happened so fast. "I... did," she mumbled.

"Perhaps your limits are further than you believe."

That wasn't a good thing to hear from her teacher. She pressed her eyes closed and cringed. Great. Just great! Next thing she'd know, Nightmare Moon was going to make her try to teleport both of them back to Canterlot or something equally as insane! She let out a long groan.

"You are tired," Nightmare acknowledged.

"Yes," she snapped. She could feel Nightmare's frown. Maybe snapping was uncalled for. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It is fine," Nightmare dismissed.

The cold ground sapped the warmth from her wet coat, then her skin, chilling her. The night air washed over her back, making her uncomfortable cold. She shivered, and her body continued to tremble, making her burning joints ache. Nightmare's boot left a cold imprint on her body beyond the air and the ground.

As if sensing her discomfort, Nightmare lifted her forehoof from her back, then sat down on her haunches. Twilight pulled on her hooves, only to groan. Her eyes felt heavy as she opened them. Sluggish as she turned her gaze onto Nightmare's expression. Heavy as she took in the contemplative, concerned look as her teacher looked her over.

Nightmare extended her right wing, touched a feather to her cheek, then pushed. Twilight's head rolled to the right; Nightmare scrutinized her cheek.

She felt Nightmare's magic wash over the shallow cuts on her muzzle caused by unruly branches, and then Nightmare rolled her head to the left and healed the rest of the shallow cuts. Her eyes drifted closed, and she felt Nightmare's feathers brush away whatever blood had leaked out of the cuts. A few seconds without contact later, she opened her eyes halfway. "Please... tell me we're done tonight," she pleaded.

Nightmare probably nodded. Twilight couldn't force herself to look up. "We are done for tonight, yes," Nightmare affirmed.

Twilight sighed and closed her eyes.

"I will return you to Ponyville and you may rest for the remainder of the evening," Nightmare said.

Twilight murmured in agreement. A bed sounded wonderful. Maybe a nice bath first, though. Her lips curled in disgust; she was probably a mess after everything.

She heard Nightmare Moon's magic again and blearily opened her eyes. As an afterthought, she grimaced; opening her eyes when Nightmare Moon was going to cast a teleportation spell was stupid. But no flash of light came; instead, she felt Nightmare's magic envelop her body, then the ground fell away as she was carefully lifted up. "What are you..?" she managed to mumble.

"I am carrying you back," Nightmare dismissed, and with that, levitated Twilight onto her back.

Twilight lifted her head up, and for a moment, simply stared into Nightmare Moon's mane. "I can... walk," she mumbled.

"Perhaps," Nightmare said as she turned her head; Twilight's head turned to keep looking at her teacher's mane, "but do you want to?"

Twilight managed to meet Nightmare's gaze. "Not... really."

Nightmare nodded once, then turned her head back around. Twilight shifted her weight on Nightmare's back. The metal armor dug into her already sore chest, but otherwise, the warmth of her teacher's body was soothing compared to the night's chill. Twilight thought she saw Nightmare tilt her head back and glance at her, but her eyes might have been playing tricks on her.

And then Nightmare Moon teleported them back to Ponyville. When the flash subsided, the warm, golden glow of candles lit took its place. The cold was replaced with air a few degrees warmer. The fresh scents of the forest were replaced by the familiar scents of books and of ink and of paper. She smiled. 'Home,' she knew.

"Er... hi," Spike called.

Twilight lifted her head up and looked over at Spike. He sat against a wall, staring at her and Nightmare Moon, holding a book in his lap. "We're back!" she declared.

He smiled. "I can see that." He looked down at the book, then put it down beside him and stood up. "You're not hurt, right?"

Before Twilight could answer, Nightmare preempted, "She is tired. If she is hurt, I will tend to it."

Spike looked at her and nodded slowly. "Right..." was his unconvinced mumble.

Nightmare's brow twitched, but she kept silent.

"I'm fine, Spike... just... tired... and sore... and exhausted," Twilight answered.

Nightmare lingered for a moment longer, then walked towards the stairs.

"Can I get you anything? Tea, maybe?" Spike offered.

"That would be nice," Twilight answered, smiling. "Thanks Spike!"

Spike smiled back. "I'll have it ready in just a minute!" And with that, he jumped to his claws and scurried off into the kitchen.

Nightmare stepped up the first stair. "You treasure him," she noted.

Twilight turned her head back to look at Nightmare's head, only for her eyes to drift back to her teacher's mane. "Yeah..." she answered.

Nightmare glanced back at her. "You... hatched him. You share a bond with him."

She nodded.

Nightmare turned her head back to face her as she ascended the stairs. "What is he to you? Family? A brother? A son?"

Twilight blinked, her face suddenly feeling frigid. "Um..." was all she could think to say. 'What?' her mind grasped. And for several seconds, she had no answer.

Nightmare's eyes flicked to the wooden stairs, then lifted back up. "I see." Her teacher looked back ahead. "You have not given it thought."

And Twilight's lips twisted down in agony. Her ears pinned back against her mane. "I'm a terrible pony..."

Nightmare looked back at her. "You are not," was her impatient declaration. Twilight frowned at her. "Ponies..." and Nightmare Moon trailed off, looking away from her. Twilight thought she saw a ghost of realization crossing Nightmare Moon's face. "Ponies make mistakes..." Nightmare finally finished. "I am not perfect. You are not perfect."

Twilight was silent until Nightmare walked into the loft. "I guess... he's like a little brother to me."

"I see..." Nightmare said. Her teacher stopped before the bed, then sat down on her haunches.

Twilight slid off Nightmare's back and landed on the floor. Nightmare looked back at her. Twilight smiled sheepishly, slid back, then stood up. With no small amount of groaning in discomfort as her body protested even the slightest movement.

Nightmare frowned pointedly, and then she felt her teacher's magic wash over her body, almost massaging away each and every little pain and ache. And it felt wonderful. She slumped, nearly collapsing to the floor. "Thank you..." she mumbled.

Nightmare nodded. "I shall... leave you to Spike and Midnight's care. I must return to Canterlot. Expanding the rail system is..." her teacher bobbed her head, searching for the right word. "The logistics are more challenging than I had anticipated."

"I... might be able to help with that," Twilight offered.

Nightmare hesitated for a moment, then inclined her head. "Perhaps." A pause, and then Nightmare quickly specified, "But another time. Rest."

Twilight nodded and clambered over to her bed, then practically threw herself on it. And it felt wonderful. She pressed her head into the bed and let out a soft groan.

There was a crack of a teleport spell before anything else could be said. Twilight raised her head off the bed and looked behind her. Sure enough, Nightmare Moon was gone. She held back a sigh and pulled herself up onto her bed. As she turned around to face the door, her eyes fell on her chest. Her fur was matted by sweat, smeared with dirt, and some of the forest's debris was still there. She grimaced.

No necklace.

Spike walked in through the open door, carrying a tray with a teapot and a teacup in his claws. She smiled at him as he walked to the bed. Once he came to a stop, she channeled her magic into her horn. Her aura flickered and sparked for a few seconds, then stabilized. She lifted the teacup, brought it to her lips, blew air across the liquid's surface, and then took a small sip. Chamomile. Her smile grew. 'I'm going to sleep well tonight.'

"She really made you work tonight, huh?" Spike offered. He set the tray down on the bed at Twilight's left, then climbed up and sat at her right.

Twilight nodded, then took another drink of the tea. The warmth rolled down her throat as she swallowed, and she felt content. "Yeah," she answered.

Midnight appeared in the doorway. "Finally back?"

Twilight turned to look at her and nodded. "For tonight."

"For tonight," Spike echoed.

She turned back at him. He looked at the floor. 'He's my little brother... I need to pay more attention to him, not pawn him off on Midnight!' Even if Spike was okay with that. She wrapped her right foreleg around him and pulled him to her side. He looked at her and smiled as he returned the hug. "I know you worry about me but... I'll be fine," she said, then leaned down to nuzzle his forehead.

"It's just hard," Spike replied. "I..." he trailed off and squinted, pulling out of the hug and leveling her with a squint. "You need a bath, Twilight."

"Yep," Midnight agreed. "I can smell you from here!"

Twilight shot Midnight a glare. The batpony smiled playfully. She let the glare fade and shook her head. "Right. Yes. A bath would be nice," she agreed, then slid off the bed. She drank the rest of her cup of tea, then made her way to the bathroom. She looked back at Spike and Midnight before closing the door, and they shared a conspiratorial look before they realized she was watching them.

She squinted. Midnight smiled innocently.

Coat cleaned and dried, Twilight walked out of the bathroom, leaving behind the agonizing memories of sparring with and then running from Nightmare Moon. Looking around her bedroom, she found Spike had wandered off, but Midnight lingered behind, nibbling on the edge of an apple core from the doorway.

And of course, nopony else was there. Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be seen. She looked left again, then turned back to Midnight. Meeting the batpony's gaze, she simply said, "Tell me about Luna."

For a moment, her guard's carefree expression slipped. Not quite surprise. For another moment, Midnight just watched her, then she pushed herself away from the door frame. "Luna," Midnight echoed.

Twilight turned to face her. "Princess Luna," she emphasized.

Without missing a beat, Midnight tilted her head and asked, "What do you want to know about her?"

And Twilight bristled where she stood. Such an opportunity! And yet that question. "I don't know! I don't know who Luna was or what she was like! I can't ask questions if I don't know what questions to ask!"

Midnight frowned a bit but nodded. "Well..." and trailing off, Midnight's carefree smile returned. "How about a bedtime story, then?"

Twilight squinted at her. "The moon is still out."

Midnight smiled sweetly, dipping her tongue out between her fangs. "That doesn't mean you can't go to sleep already."

Groaning, Twilight threw back her head and walked over to her bed. "Just tell me about Luna." As she climbed into her bed, she heard Midnight inhale, then heard something land in a wastebasket. When she looked back at Midnight before rolling onto her back, the mare no longer had the remnants of an apple in her hoof.

Midnight calmly strolled over to her, then stopped beside the bed. "Princess Luna..." she began. For a moment, Midnight paused and studied Twilight, then looked out the window. "Well, I'm not sure where to start. You already know she's Princess Celestia's sister."

"What was she like?" Twilight prompted. "Before." Nothing else needed to be specified.

Midnight glanced at her and briefly frowned. Her gaze went back to the window, back to the night sky. "Princess Luna... younger sister to Princess Celestia..." Midnight inhaled and nodded. "She was Equestria's guardian, her protector. Equestria's enemies knew her and feared her. She was the warrior-princess. But... she was still just a pony." Midnight looked Twilight in the eye. "Like you or me."

Twilight nodded.

"She-" Midnight looked back at the sky, "-had emotions like anypony else. She was loyal and honest, albeit blunt, and for a time, joyful. I think you would have liked her. Princess Luna was... excitable, but..." a grimace strangled Midnight's features. "That was another lifetime ago. Defending Equestria took its toll on her, while Princess Celestia was left to rule..." Midnight paused to bob her head to the right, "Make most of the decisions. Luna was blunt."

"Nightmare Moon is blunt," Twilight pointed out.

Midnight shrugged. "Luna wasn't as cold as Nightmare Moon is. Princess Luna was compassionate and caring. There are tales of her wrath when Equestria's enemies provoked her with..." Midnight squirmed, her wings rubbing against her sides, "Well, you don't want to know. But it really hurt her. And then despite all she did for Equestria, ponies didn't care for her. And... she felt betrayed. She was loyal, and they betrayed her. She was honest, and... Equestria lied to her. She was happy, and they strangled her joy." Midnight shook her head. "Luna guarded ponies dreams. She tried to protect them from nightmares, but since she was always there when there were nightmares..."

Twilight frowned. "What?"

Midnight looked at her. "Ponies were able to convince other ponies that Princess Luna caused their nightmares."

Twilight sat up. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Midnight frowned and shook her head. "You have to remember that ponies already hated Luna."

Twilight's ears fell. "But... why!? Why would they hate her and, and how did they associate her with nightmares!?"

"Because she tried to stop their nightmares," Midnight answered. A moment passed and Midnight winced. "Right. You wouldn't know that. Princess Luna could visit ponies' dreams."

'Nightmare Moon visited my dream! She stopped the nightmare about Discord.' That had to be why it didn't feel right! But then why had Nightmare Moon looked afraid?

Nightmare Moon had visited her dream. Had it been the only time? What else had Nightmare Moon seen!? The room felt colder.

Midnight's brow creased.

Twilight licked her lips. "But Equestria isn't like that now!" she defended. "If Nightmare Moon gave ponies a chance..."

Midnight took a deep breath, then reluctantly nodded. "Yeah..."

"She's not happy," Twilight stated.

Midnight nodded in agreement. "She isn't."

Taking a risk, Twilight ventured, "She needs to forgive Princess Celestia."

And Midnight agreed. "She does."

They watched each other for a few seconds in silence. "Is that why you didn't tell her about, well... Rainbow suggesting we use the Elements of Harmony on her?"

Midnight shifted her weight on her hooves. "Among other reasons. She probably expects that much from Rainbow Dash, anyway."

Twilight frowned. "Really?"

"Nightmare Moon doesn't like Rainbow Dash," Midnight stated.

"I gathered that much," Twilight mumbled.

Midnight smiled a bit. "You make her happy. She's glad to have a friend, and... I see a bit more of Princess Luna in her now than when she showed up in Hollow Shades."

Twilight wasn't sure what to make of that, because that meant maybe there was a chance for something. But another thing latched onto her mind. She squinted at Midnight. "You say that like you were alive when Princess Luna was around."

Midnight gaped at her. "Whaaat? No! I'm not that old, silly!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You still haven't told me how old you are," she pointed out.

Midnight smiled. "Mhm."

Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. "And you're not going to," she summarized.

"Nope!" Midnight agreed.

Twilight groaned. "Right. Well... what did Princess Luna look like?"

Midnight nodded casually. "Shorter than Nightmare Moon," was her first answer. "Her coat was midnight blue, and her mane and tail were more, uh, stable? Yeah, I think that's the word I want to use. Less boily."

Twilight blinked. "Boily?"

Midnight shrugged. "Nightmare Moon's mane isn't as beautiful as Princess Luna's was."

"Again," Twilight pointed out flatly, "you say that like you've seen Princess Luna."

Midnight shrugged. "We have portraits of Princess Luna."

And Twilight perked right up. "What!? You do!?" she pleaded. Oh! If that was the case then, then she had to see it! Something that only batponies, Nightmare Moon, and Princess Celestia knew! She felt giddy.

"Mhm," Midnight agreed, smiling happily. "Back in Hollow Shades. And, well, probably other batpony cities, too. If you go back to Hollow Shades, I can show you sometime!"

A trip to Hollow Shades was definitely in their future. "I'd love to see what Princess Luna looked like." Her smile faded. "Wait... how did you know Nightmare Moon was Princess Luna when she showed up?"

Midnight winced. "We know about... what happened," was her guard's reluctant answer. "When she turned into Nightmare Moon. We saw what she looked like... we have portraits of that too."

Twilight frowned and nodded carefully. "Right..." she mumbled. "Uh, what else can you tell me?"

Midnight smiled sadly. "I don't know... you really should ask Nightmare Moon about this instead of me." Perhaps too quickly, Midnight pulled away from the bed. "Well, goodnight, Twilight."

"Night..." Twilight mumbled, watching Midnight leave. She turned back to the tray on the bed and took her teacup again, refilled it, and sipped on the tea.

It wasn't as warm now.

When Twilight awoke an hour before moonrise, she couldn't remember any nightmares or dreams. She had laid in bed for a while before eventually, inevitably, falling asleep. As she laid under the blankets, cradled in their warmth, she wondered, 'Did you visit my dreams last night, and is that why I don't remember them?'

Was Nightmare Moon mad at her?

She didn't know. She wouldn't know unless she asked. She rolled her head to the left and scrutinized the room. In the dark, moonless night, she couldn't make out much of anything. No glows pierced the darkness. No feeling of being watched. She rolled her head to the right and looked out the window. Tiny pinpricks of light dotted the sky: some were clear, and others were hazy halos of light.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, let the blankets fall away, and lit her horn. The pinkish light her horn gave off was enough to determine Nightmare Moon wasn't there.

She couldn't ask until she saw Nightmare Moon again. And there were a lot of questions she needed to ask.

She sighed softly, and the sigh turned into a yawn. She shook her head to try and banish the lingering exhaustion, then slumped forward and laid on her stomach. For a few seconds, she laid there, enjoying the musical chime of her magic. As her eyes wandered around the room, she considered reactivating the magelight. Before she did, however, she pulled herself to the end of the bed and looked over at Spike's basket.

He was still asleep. She didn't cast the spell.

She rested her head, letting it hang over the end of the bed, and watched Spike for several seconds. Curled up as he was in his basket, under the blanket, he looked peaceful. Free from worries. Free from doubts. Free from fears. And just as soon as he woke up, at least some of those would come back. "I'm sorry I worry you so much, Spike," she whispered to the night.

But there wasn't much she could do about that, other than be there for him and stay safe. 'How can I convince you all that Nightmare Moon isn't evil?' she wondered. The thought only brought her to grimace, brought her ears to pin back against her mane.

'Maybe,' she wondered, 'the answer is time.' Given enough time, they would see and hopefully realize Nightmare Moon wasn't evil.

Or was she just deluding herself? She scowled. 'No. You're not evil. You've done bad things but you're not evil.'

After all, good ponies could do bad things. Princess Celestia was a good pony, and Princess Celestia had done bad things.

She sighed and lifted her head up, then slid off the bed. Her hooves quietly clicked against the wooden floor, but Spike didn't stir. Cautious not to wake him, she walked to the door, opened it with her magic, then stepped out and walked down the stairs to the library.

With only the light of her horn, shadows danced across the walls as she moved. But there was nothing there to get her. Glancing back at the top of the stairs, she closed the door, then powered up a magelight. The steady, soft, magical glow gave ample light for her to reaffirm what she already knew.

She inhaled and walked over to the bookshelves, then circled around the room, letting her eyes wander over each spine, reading the titles. Completing the circle, she opened the door to the basement and descended into the darkness, led by the glow of her magic. At the bottom step, she powered up another magelight, then looked around the room.

With as early as it was, and since Spike was asleep, she had time to come down here and study without disturbing him. She walked over to the chair and desk, sat down, and levitated over one of the books Nightmare Moon had sent her. She took a moment to center it in front of her, then opened the cover to read.

Except her eyes glossed over as she read on. The text and knowledge and theories contained within didn't hold her attention like normal. No, her mind pranced away from studying in favor of wondering, 'Luna...'

Her eyes fell on her bare chest, and she grimaced. The easiest way to contact Nightmare Moon wasn't there now. It was a sign of trust, and to other ponies, a sign of her freedom. She welcomed the freedom and missed the necklace. She welcomed to show of trust and missed the connection.

But she still had other ways to contact Nightmare Moon. She bowed her head until her horn touched the wooden desk. "Spike's still asleep..." she groaned.

But! That was okay. He needed to sleep. She sucked in a deep breath as she lifted her head up. Rather than wasting time trying to study when her mind was elsewhere, she put it aside, hopped out of the chair and walked back to the library.

'Now what?' she wondered because she wasn't sure. It was too early to really do anything else. She 'could' fix breakfast for Spike, Midnight, and herself, but past experience told her that was probably a bad idea.

Grimacing, she walked to the window and looked outside. None of the buildings she could see had any lights on. Nopony roamed the street. She couldn't see any pegasi or batponies flying through the sky.

"You're-"

"Gah!" Twilight jumped around to see Midnight silently descending the stairs.

"-up early." Midnight smiled, then yawned. As the batpony yawned, her eyes drifted closed, and Twilight heard a faint, "Eee..."

Twilight frowned. "Don't scare me like that!"

Midnight casually walked over to her, stopped in front of her, then lifted her right forehoof and touched her nose. Twilight's muzzle scrunched up and her head jerked back. "You," Midnight cooed, "need to relax a little." Then Midnight giggled sweetly and set her forehoof back down.

Twilight straightened. "I am relaxed," she said matter-of-factly. "You just surprised me, since you're up so early."

In hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised her.

Midnight tilted her head. "You don't look relaxed."

Twilight huffed and turned back around. Still no other lights on, still nopony roaming the street. "I'm not sure what to do," she admitted. "I tried studying but I, uh, was distracted."

"Princess Luna?" Midnight asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah..." She paused and a grimace twisted her lips. "And my friends don't trust her. Well, or like her, either."

A dark figure ducked out from an alleyway between two homes. She could just barely make out a face and a horn, but with it being so dark, she couldn't tell anything else. 'I guess ponies are out now.' It was surprising, but the caution the pony displayed was definitely what she expected: hesitant to even go out onto the street, creeping out as if expecting something to pounce. Staring at her for a moment.

She felt unnerved. She frowned.

The moment passed, and the pony disappeared into the shadows. Her ears fell back as her chest ached. 'Do they distrust me that much?'

She and her friends had saved Equestria from Discord! But maybe because she was Nightmare Moon's student she still scared them. It didn't help that she didn't know many ponies in Ponyville that well, aside from her friends. She sighed. 'Two months...'

"Why don't you go ahead and eat some breakfast?" Midnight suggested. Twilight looked back at the batpony. "Maybe that'll help you figure out what to do?"

Twilight smiled weakly. "I don't know if it'll help any, but I guess it's worth trying."

"Mhm," Midnight agreed.

Twilight turned around to face Midnight. "I don't suppose," she ventured, leaning her head left, "you have any ideas on how to get the rest of my friends to, uh, not hate Nightmare Moon?"

Midnight shrugged. "I don't know if there's anything you can do about that, other than give it time. Oooh! Maybe a few more times saving Equestria and you'd all start trusting each other more!"

Twilight glared at Midnight. Emphatically, "No. Not happening. Once was enough. Besides, it's not like that's going to happen again!"

Midnight tilted her head. "How can you be sure?"

She wasn't sure. She clenched her jaw. "What are the chances that..." she paused and puffed out her cheeks for a moment before continuing, "That we'd have to do that again!?"

"How should I know?" Midnight asked.

"It's too early for this," Twilight groaned.

Breakfast came and went by the time Spike woke up: some cereal for Twilight, and Midnight enjoyed two apples. Not as extravagant as breakfast with Nightmare Moon, but still filling. By the time Spike finished eating his gem-sprinkled 'cereal', Midnight had once again donned her familiar armor, and Twilight had prepared a letter for Spike to send to Nightmare Moon.

The reply was as quick as it was to the point:

Twilight,

You may visit Hollow Shades if you desire. You do not need my permission to travel, but I would appreciate being informed when you leave.

Nightmare Moon

It really wasted a lot of space that Nightmare Moon could have written out more. Of course, she didn't put why she wanted to go to Hollow Shades in the letter. That was the sort of thing she wanted to talk to Nightmare Moon about in person. Most of what she wanted to talk about were better off in person.

'Should I go without telling her why?' she wondered. 'Would Nightmare Moon be mad at me if I didn't? Would she tell me not to if I did? Does she know they have portraits of Princess Luna?' She didn't make plans yet, though. She planned to make plans.

So she bounced down the stairs to her study with a little more energy than before. She sat down in her chair, lit a couple of candles- they weren't necessary for light, but the warm glow was comforting- and went back to studying with renewed vigor.

Oh, there was so much to study and learn! The books Nightmare had given her with a mixture of theory and application of spells, of which, rather than like Princess Celestia would have her study, the spells were more direct, which was to say they would be applicable to sparring with Nightmare Moon.

The books were relatively recent: she recognized some of the defensive spells from the School for Gifted Unicorns, in particular, ones that were useful in experimentation. In fact, most of the books that contained spells and theory were related to defensive magic, rather than offensive magic. There were other spells and theories mixed in, as well: more mundane uses for magic. A few of the ideas surprised her.

Unfortunately, before she could dive too deeply into anything, Spike called, "Twilight!" breaking her focus.

Twilight blinked, then craned her head back. Spike stood at the top of the stairs. "Can it wait, Spike?" she called.

Spike shook his head, and Midnight ducked her head into the doorway before shouting, "Colonel Wing wants you to go visit!"

Twilight turned back to the book. "Well, so much for studying for a few hours..." she vented under her breath. But it'd be okay. All she'd have to do was go to the Castle of the Two Sisters, see how things were going, see what the Colonel had to say- and if needed, take care of that- and then she could come back to study!

She hoped.

"Coming!" she called as she hopped off her chair. As she walked up the stairs, Spike and Midnight stepped back. "So, uh, how am I supposed to get there?" she asked as she walked into the library. She looked out the window, but didn't see anything of note. In the doorway, though, four batponies stood. She didn't recognize either of the mares.

Midnight smiled at her. "It's your lucky night! You get to fly the Bat Express!"

Twilight shifted and looked at Midnight. "Er, what?"

Midnight turned around, giggling, and sat down on her haunches. "Climb on."

"You're carrying me?" Twilight summarized.

"Mhm," Midnight answered with a nod.

"Why? Why not a, well, chariot or wagon like before?" she asked.

"Harder to spot this way," was Midnight's answer. "If it's too visible, ponies will figure out that something's going on, and while they might not know what..."

"Right..." Twilight mumbled. Of course, it was somewhat silly, given that the trainloads of supplies probably hadn't been missed before. Although maybe the worry was that seeing her going to the Everfree via chariot or cart would draw too much interest. She walked over to Midnight and situated herself on her guard's back. As she held on, Midnight stood up.

Spike snickered. She shot him a glare. "...we should have waited to do this until we were outside," Twilight mumbled.

"Oh well," Midnight dismissed, then waltzed on outside. The four batponies took up positions at Midnight's left and right, then the five of them jumped into the air.

Twilight held on tighter. At least with Nightmare Moon and Cadance, both of them were larger than her. There was more room, but not so with Midnight. And then Midnight was a batpony, with no unicorn or alicorn magic. 'I could fall! Okay, just hold on tight!' She still cringed. "You won't drop me, right?"

"Well, I can't say I won't but I'm not going to try to drop you," Midnight answered.

"Not. Helping," Twilight growled.

Midnight looked back at her with a smile. "Oh don't worry! If you fall, one of us will catch you."

Twilight huffed but stayed still.

Somepony mumbled, "If we didn't, Nightmare Moon would probably kill us..."

It didn't help her feel any safer. If anything, it only made her more nervous. She kept her legs locked onto Midnight's body and did her best not to turn her head left or right. Given that Midnight wasn't much larger than her, she figured shifting her weight too much from one side or the other would probably be a bad idea.

Still, she managed to look down and watch Ponyville drift away so far below them. It was almost surreal. She held on tighter, yet somehow found herself enjoying the view. The wind flowed through her mane and tail, and if she closed her eyes, she could forget about the looming threat of falling to her death.

And it was peaceful.

"I guess there's supposed to be a storm later tonight, which is why he wants you to come visit now," Midnight commented.

Twilight opened her eyes. She couldn't look back without turning her head, so she didn't. "I'll take your word for it," she replied.

"Mkay," Midnight acknowledged.

As they passed into the area above the Everfree Forest, she felt the air change. A certain tinge in the air, like magic, that made her uncomfortable. Midnight didn't react, but she noticed both batpony escorts' wings twitch out of sync. The air grew colder than before and felt thicker like it tried to cling to her coat in an attempt to weigh her down and pull her to the forest below.

It hadn't felt that way when Rainbow Dash carried her across the river, nor when Midnight carried her across the river. 'Maybe it's because of how high up we are?' she wondered.

The forest passed by in a moonlit blur: she couldn't tell where one tree's canopy ended and another's started. The vegetation was just too dense. Looking off to the left, though, she barely spotted a break in the forest: a small, unnatural-looking clearing. She frowned.

"Roc, nine o'clock," one of the batponies on the left called, and Twilight felt a surge of panic shoot through her, almost like her stomach suddenly dropped to the forest below.

"Go high," another batpony said. And with that, all five of them soared towards the star-filled night sky. Twilight held back a squeak and tightened her grip on Midnight.

As they ascended, she looked to the left to try and spot the roc, but couldn't see it. She just hoped the roc didn't see them. Granted, there was a distinct chance she would be able to scare or fight it off with her magic, but she didn't want to take the chance. She doubted the batponies did either.

"Clear?"

"Clear. Level out."

She shifted her weight on Midnight as their ascent slowed and leveled out, then glanced over at the moon, still so far out of reach.

They flew over the river, and for a moment, the air felt better. As soon as they passed the river, the air thickened and weighed down on her again. 'Okay, maybe the river is just special then.' But there was no way to know for sure without more tests.

'I could ask Rainbow Dash what it felt like to fly through the Everfree Forest!' And it was a good idea! But it would have to wait.

Eventually, the Castle of the Two Sisters came into view, and from the air, she found herself unable to look away, just like the first time. Seeing it from so high up was an entirely different picture from seeing it on the ground. While it was only a shell of its former glory, she could almost picture how it looked so long ago when it was the capital of Equestria.

And yet, the castle almost seemed like a blight on the land: it was like the forest itself recoiled away from the castle, refusing to make any progress towards claiming the land. The ravine that separated the castle from the forest looked unnatural as if somepony had forged it thousands of years ago, and nature had since weathered it away. Perhaps a city had surrounded the castle at one time, and most likely, that had been the case. Yet the castle had still been isolated even then, she was certain.

And now, that city was no more. Lost to time, along with who knew what else.

As they descended to the courtyard, she finally managed to scrutinize the camp that had been set up on the castle's grounds. Dozens of large tents and wagons, stakes of crates and tools and dozens of worktables. A few fires burned from firepits. Some batponies walked to and fro between tents while others flew from one point to another. Dozens of batponies patrolled around the edge of the castle; they had already been spotted by them, and their focus had gone back to the Everfree Forest.

Wooden scaffolding lined many of the castle's walls, both inside and out. Through the broken roof, she could spot more scaffolding inside the castle, and yet it was simply more evidence of the battle the castle had born witness to. A battle she couldn't fathom, between two of what had to be the most powerful beings in existence.

Between day and night, between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon.

Her teachers.

They glided down to land, and it reaffirmed her appreciation for the walls' height: they wouldn't stop hydras or dragons unless enchanted and defended, but any other land-based threat, if it managed to get passed the ravine, wouldn't break into the castle grounds. And she had to assume they were even more protected by enchantments in the past. If Equestria had known wars that had been erased or forgotten, how then would it have done to let the seat of Equestrian power be vulnerable?

They landed, and as Midnight touched down, she spotted Colonel Wing and Lieutenant Colonel Fang walk out from a tent. How they knew of her arrival, or if it was simply good timing, she wasn't sure. Midnight sat down, and she climbed off. Her legs welcomed the freedom from holding onto Midnight for her life. Midnight stood back up as she walked over to stand at Midnight's right.

The Colonel and his Lieutenant approached her, came to a stop, and then bowed. The bow stuck out in Twilight's mind again: it wasn't something that really fit right. A bow was something Royal Guards would give exclusively to Princess Celestia, not each other, nor their superiors. When they rose, the Colonel said, "Ma'am-"

She smiled and reminded, "Twilight is fine."

The batpony hesitated and gave a reluctant, uncertain nod. "Twilight," he tested.

She smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "Since there's a storm planned for later tonight, I figured it was probably safer for you to come now rather than later. I apologize if it caused any inconvenience."

Twilight shook her head. Her books could wait. "It's fine," she dismissed, then looked left and then right. While the camp was busy, nopony was screaming, so that was probably a good sing. She faced the Colonel again. "I hope everything is going well?" she asked with a smile.

He inclined his head. "Yes, Ma'am."

And with that, Twilight's smile deteriorated. 'And we're back to that...'

Continuing, the Colonel said, "Aside from the occasional-" he lifted his head and nodded absently, "-cockatrice, roc, timberwolf, and, er... things we don't recognize, everything is going well so far. We've not run into any unexpected problems. The quarry is running smoothly enough, albeit somewhat slowly. But we're still on schedule."

Her smile returned. "Well, that's good to hear!"

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, Ma'am." The Colonel glanced aside at his Lieutenant, then met Twilight's gaze again. "There is something Nightmare Moon wants you to see, however."

Twilight perked up. "Oh?"

He nodded. "The library."

"Oh!" More books! More knowledge! And even better, it was knowledge that might have been lost! Maybe. Who knew what she could learn! Despite what Midnight might say, Twilight assuredly did not let out a squeal akin to a filly on Hearth's Warming. 'Yes, my books back in the library can wait for this!' she knew. "Well, uh, lead the way?"

He nodded and called, "This way." Then he took the lead. His Lieutenant bowed to her, then walked back to the tent. She followed after the Colonel, and Midnight and the two escorts followed her. She kept her distance from the scaffolding and was even more careful around scaffolding where batponies were working: they wore bright orange helmets on their head, rather than unpainted steel. She found it odd, but kept it to herself; if they were somewhere less protected, she doubted they would have worn the same helmets.

Walking through the castle's main doors, she felt a sense of dread: the same sense that she had felt every other time she had walked into the castle. Even with more ponies around than ever before, the castle's air was still stained by past memories.

Several batponies wore harnesses on their body, from which ropes held up stones smaller than her which had been shaped to complete the arch of the roof. From what she could see, all of the previously damaged stones had been removed, and the debris had been cleared out. She still had to ask, "Is it safe to be here?" while staring at a dozen or more batponies maneuvering three stones into place to complete a section of the roof.

The Colonel paused for a moment to contemplate, then nodded and answered, "Safe enough."

Which wasn't reassuring.

"There's plenty of ponies to knock you out of the way if something falls!" Midnight reasoned.

Though not wanting to ask it, she still questioned, "But what happens to whoever knocks me out of the way?"

"Bats are fast," was Midnight's quick answer. "We'll be fine."

Twilight swallowed and continued following the Colonel, nervously eyeing the roof wherever scaffolding held stones in place and passing by as quickly as she could.

"As you can see," the Colonel commented, "we're making good progress. Very good progress."

Of course, it would still be a while before everything could be repaired, and then after that, it would take a while to refurbish the place. "I'm glad it's going smoothly," Twilight answered.

They walked passed the open doors to the throne room, yet her eyes lingered behind, gazing into that so-fateful room. To her surprise, both broken thrones remained on the raised platform, but the chunks of stone missing from them had been removed. Before she couldn't look, her eyes flicked to the passageway leading to Nightmare Moon's chambers.

Princess Luna's chambers.

The wall blocked the passage from sight. 'I want to go back there,' she found herself thinking. 'As much as I hate that memory, I want to go back there.'

She would have time later. She just hoped Nightmare Moon wouldn't mind.

The Colonel led on, and eventually, they descended a flight of stairs that led to another hallway. The hallway ended with an arched doorway, the doors long since gone, through which she could see bookshelves. After that, she nearly pranced the rest of the way to the room.

"Nightmare Moon has already briefly gone through the library. You're allowed to go through it, but she doesn't want you removing anything unless she's gone over it," the Colonel said.

"Okay," Twilight dismissed. She licked her lips. Was she drooling? She wasn't sure. She turned her head towards the Colonel, but her eyes refused to break from the bookshelf. "Is there anything else you need me for, or..?" she ventured.

Midnight and the Colonel both smiled. "You can go through the library now if you wish. If anything comes up, you'll be informed. Just tell us when you're ready to leave, and we'll have you escorted back," the Colonel said.

"Alright!" Twilight pranced into the library.

"Find anything good?" Midnight asked.

Twilight tore her gaze from the book to look back at her guard. "Yes!" she acknowledged. "I've never seen a lot of these books, and some of them I've never even heard of! And they're all in such great condition!" She let out a happy squeal.

Midnight's wings rubbed against her side. "Well, you know, enchanted to be protected and preserved and all that."

That they were. Grinning, Twilight went back to her chosen book-

"So... it's going to storm in about an hour. Well, back in Ponyville anyway. And it's a big storm," Midnight said.

Twilight looked back at Midnight, her smile starting to dim. 'I don't like where this is going.'

Nodding, Midnight continued, "And it'll probably last for a while... and the Colonel doesn't want us flying back during the storm... nor when the moon isn't out-"

She didn't like where it was going. "You're batponies, you should be fine without the moonlight!" she defended.

Midnight kept nodding, either agreeing or ignoring her, "-so it's probably best if we head back now, otherwise we'll be stuck here for a while."

Stuck here with this wondrous library. She turned back and behold the voluminous tomes of knowledge. She looked back at Midnight. "That doesn't sound that bad..." she murmured.

Midnight tilted her head. "Do you really wanna stay here that long? There is room but it wouldn't be as cozy as your library."

Twilight turned back to her book and huffed. "We've not even been here that long!"

"Two hours," Midnight replied.

Twilight smiled at Midnight. "See! Not that long!"

"Spike was right," Midnight mumbled and, upon realizing Twilight heard her, smiled innocently.

Twilight groaned and let her head hit the desk. "Do we really have to head back?"

"Well, no," Midnight answered, "but Spike is still back at the library. Probably alone, too. And nopony really knows where you are, so..." she trailed off, nodding her head and casually avoiding eye contact. "It'd probably be best to head back."

And with that, Midnight was right. Maybe somepony would be there with Spike, but she wouldn't risk him being alone. Not now. Although she still had half the mind to argue against it because it would be easy to just have a batpony go tell Spike she was staying here for a while. But she was still responsible for Spike. "Okay," Twilight sighed. She pushed herself away from the desk and open book, gave it one last longing look, then climbed off the chair.

"So I'll try to hurry to get you back before the storm starts," Midnight said as she turned back to the hallway.

"Thanks, but please don't drop me," Twilight cautioned.

"I won't!" Midnight defended before taking the lead.

Twilight followed her as they made their way back to the courtyard. As they stepped out into the fresh night air, the four batpony mares from before fell in beside her. Midnight stopped and sat down, and Twilight climbed onto her guard's back again.

As they Midnight climbed into the air, even from the Castle of the Two Sisters she could make out the dark stormclouds. The blocked Canterlot from view and reminded her of the stormclouds over Canterlot when they had defeated Discord, except darker. "Uh... is that storm safe?" she asked over the wind.

"I dunno, I'm not a pegasus!" Midnight was quick to remind.

Twilight winced. 'Rainbow said the weather is harder to manage now... Oh, I hope everypony is alright!' But it would probably be fine, right? Rainbow Dash was a weather pony, and Rainbow Dash wouldn't let anypony down! They'd keep it under control.

She hoped.

"We'll be fine!" Midnight called back. "We'll be there before it starts!"

Light flickered within the dark stormclouds. Lightning.

"Probably," Midnight amended.

'Well, at least we're flying. With nothing to connect us to the ground, we should be safe from lightning,' she knew. And if that wasn't enough, she could think of a few spells that would help. And if they really needed it, she might be able to teleport all five of them the last leg of the trip.

She noticed the wind steadily picking up as they flew closer to Ponyville and the storm. Neither Midnight nor her escorts were deterred by the storm, but she did notice Midnight having to put more effort into keeping them steady than before. "Maybe you should land just outside of the Everfree Forest?" she suggested. "We can walk the rest of the way, or I can try to teleport us back, and..." she paused and glanced at the other four batponies, "Uh, they can fly back?"

"Alright," Midnight agreed.

More lightning flashed in the sky, followed by booms that rattled her lungs. The rain hadn't started yet, but she knew when it did start it was going to pour. It wouldn't be chocolate milk rain, though, and for that she was grateful. A few pegasi raced back and forth across the sky, just under the cloud layer. They were too far away for her to see their expressions, but they hurried.

There was no way for her to tell if they were weather pegasi or not, so she wasn't sure if that was a bad sign.

Oh, who was she kidding? Of course it was a bad sign!

Midnight landed, and Twilight quickly climbed off of her back. A sudden gust of wind nearly toppled her and set the leaves rustling as the trees swayed back and forth. Her mane and tail whipped in the wind, and she knew she'd have to brush her mane back into order by the time they made it back to the library.

Without wasting more time, she took off at a brisk trot back to Ponyville proper. They passed by Fluttershy's cottage, and she had half the mind to stop and take shelter there, but since she hadn't felt any rain, she decided to press on. Midnight didn't seem to mind, either.

CrackBOOM!

And for a moment, Twilight froze, letting out a squeak of fear as lightning cracked open a nearby tree, sending a spray of bark everywhere. Her heart lurched into her throat, pounding against her chest as if begging for somepony to let it out. Her legs trembled, and she stared at the tree. It wasn't on fire, but during brief lulls in the wind, she could see smoke waft into the air.

She bit her lip as her eyes shot over to Midnight.

"Can we maybe hurry up and get back to the Library? I'm kinda wearing metal armor," Midnight quickly pointed out. "And that was a bit too close for comfort."

Twilight felt a drop of rain pelt her face, then another, and then another. A slow roar built up. "Okay! I'm teleporting us!" she called out, then wrapped her magic around the both of them. They disappeared in a crack of light, not too different from the rest of the lightning overhead.

She barely let the light from their arrival fade before galloping into the library through the front door, Midnight close behind her. She turned back to look outside, then shut the door. And just as soon as she shut the door, the rain came down in sheets, hammering the tree and sending a soft, constant rumble into the night.

"Well... I'm glad we're not out in that," Twilight acknowledged, warily watching the blankets of water streaming out of the sky between flashes of lightning.

Midnight nodded. "Good thing you teleported us when you did."

"Yes," Twilight agreed. She turned away from the window and scrutinized the library: nothing was out of place, except Spike wasn't in sight. "Spike!" she called out.

A moment later, Spike ducked out from the loft and smiled. "Twilight, you're back!" he cried out.

Twilight smiled at him. "Of course! I wasn't about to leave you here alone during this!" Mostly not a lie.

She was glad she came back.

"So..." Midnight spoke up, drawing Twilight's attention to her. Her guard nodded casually, though squinted out the window. Innocently, the batpony asked, "Are Applejack and Rarity supposed to be out in that?"

"What!?" Twilight shrieked. As she whipped around to look out of the window, she declared, "Nopony should be out in that!" And to her horror, she witnessed both Applejack and Rarity racing through the streets during the flashes of lightning. Both of them were absolutely drenched from mane to tail. Applejack's stetson sagged, and Rarity's mane and tail clung to her body with all the grace of a snake.

She threw open the door and bolted outside- careful to not step out where she would likewise get soaked. "Rarity! Applejack!" she called out, and both mares skidded to a stop. Applejack slid in the slick mud and fell over, and Rarity grimaced but offered her a hoof to help her back up, which Applejack eagerly accepted.

Without further prompting, both mares hastily ran to the doorway. Twilight jumped out of the way as they nearly collided with her.

"THAT WAS JUST AWFUL!" Rarity shrieked venomously. "Rainbow Dash said they were planning a storm, not a monsoon!" As Twilight picked herself up and turned around, Rarity's voice dropped to a high pitched whine, "Oh! Would you just look at my poor mane and tail!" Rarity sat on her haunches in a growing puddle of water, her ears pinned back against her mane while she ran the backs and sides of her forehooves through her mane, wringing water out of it. Her wide eyes looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

"I think you'll be fine, Rarity," Applejack commented.

The near-crying expression boiled over as Rarity shot Applejack a heated glare. "Well maybe for you, Applejack!" Rarity accosted.

Applejack looked at Rarity flatly. "Maybe we shiould just thank Twilight for letting us come in?" was her suggestion.

As if nothing had happened, Rarity looked at Twilight and said, "Oh yes, yes, of course, dear. Thank you, Twilight."

Twilight smiled sheepishly, glanced back at the door, then closed it with her magic. "Well, I figured it's probably better to have you in here than out-"

CrackBOOM!

Twilight did not nearly jump to the ceiling, despite what her friends might claim. She simply didn't have that kind of strength, nor did she have wings. As she landed, she clenched her jaw and forced out, "-there," She let a second pass, then inhaled. "Well. I guess you two are going to be stuck here for a while. Unless you want to go back out in-"

Before she finished, Rarity's eyes widened in horror, and in a flash of speed that rivaled Rainbow Dash, Rarity was in front of Twilight. "No!" Rarity cried.

"-that or have me try to teleport you back," Twilight finished, shifting her weight as Rarity stared at her.

Rarity coughed and shifted her weight. "Sorry about that, dear." She tilted her head before carefully inquiring, "What was that about teleporting us back?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I might be able to teleport you back but I'm not entirely sure it would, uh, work as intended. I'm still fairly new to teleportation."

"Oh, yes, of course," Rarity dismissed. She looked left and right, then down at her still-dripping body before clearing her throat and meeting Twilight's gaze with a polite smile. "I don't suppose you have towels, dear?"

As Twilight turned to the stairs, she called, "Spike!"

And Spike was one step ahead of her, already descending the stairs, carrying two towels in his claws.

Rarity looked over, then walked towards him and levitated the towel on top over to start drying herself off, while Applejack took the other towel in her mouth to do the same. "Thank you, Spike," Rarity cooed.

"N-no problem, Rarity," Spike sighed, unable to look away from the unicorn.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess you're stuck here with me for the time being."

"So, is that kinda like a sleepover, then?" Midnight asked.

Twilight paused and pursed her lips. 'Does this count as a sleepover? Probably not. It wasn't planned or anything! It was sudden and unexpected. But maybe it could be a sleepover? That might be nice.' She turned towards the window and peered outside. The flashes of lightning told her, 'Your friends are going to be stuck with you for the night.'

Maybe it wasn't a sleepover, but it could be one. And who knows!? Maybe it would be fun!

Except she had no idea how a sleepover was supposed to work. Ignoring the conversation passing between Rarity and Applejack, along with Midnight's innocent voice, she prowled over to the bookshelves and scanned the titles. She thought she remembered seeing a book about sleepovers, and knowing most of what else the library stocked, she would be surprised if it didn't.

There. She spotted it and pulled the book out with her magic. "Aha!" she called out and flipped the book open to the table of contents. Half of the chapters didn't make sense, but some of them looked fun! "Where to start..?" she mumbled.

Nightmare Moon starred off at the storm enveloping Ponyville and the surrounding area. The clouds were alight with near-constant flickering flashes of lightning, yet because of the distance between Ponyville and Canterlot, a calm silence reigned. It was almost unnerving. No, that wasn't the right word, and she couldn't think of the right word.

She felt almost detached from herself as she watched the storm hammer away at the small village. She felt peace, yet knew the village's inhabitants felt anything but peace. It reminded her of ages past. It brought her to reminisce.

Metal crashing against metal. Lightning aimed by pegasi to strike griffins and dragons. The wind tearing through her feathers, rain beating against her face. Screeching griffins descending upon her ponies and herself with reckless aggression tempered by training. Claws meeting armor and body and feather.

She blinked the memories away; Ponyville experienced nothing like that now.

Sister had, somehow, given them peace.

She found herself shaking her head, a scowl threatening to slip onto her lips, held back solely by force of will. Her mind betrayed her as the thought, 'Somehow, you did something right,' slipped through her mind. The thought was insane.

An edge of concern slipped into her chest, making her feel as if her body wasn't large enough to hold everything inside of it. Her chest felt tight. She felt discomfort. 'My friend is out in that.' Twilight was back in Ponyville, hopefully riding out the storm from the safety of her library-tree. Even if she didn't have the safety of shelter, though, surely her student wouldn't be so easily conquered by a mere storm!

And yet, that storm was worse than storms she had seen since her return. The constant lightning strikes brought her to fear, 'Something has gone wrong.' But she didn't act on it. It would be fine. The storm wasn't so bad as the worst of them she had experienced: ones made for war, ones made to kill.

Twilight would be fine.

She hoped Twilight would be fine.

There was a knock on the door, heard through magic. Without looking away from the storm, without leaving her spot on the balcony, she opened the door. A few seconds passed before Cadance walked inside. She closed the door behind her, then waited several seconds for Cadance to figure out where she was.

Cadance walked up behind her before stopping.

"Niece," Nightmare acknowledged.

A few more seconds passed by. Cadance meandered around and came to a stop at the railing beside her. "That's... quite the storm."

"I have seen worse," Nightmare dismissed.

Cadance faded her and frowned. "I don't think I've seen a storm that has that much lightning before..." her niece murmured.

"I have," Nightmare acknowledged. She hesitated for a moment, then inclined her head once. 'Long ago.'

Cadance watched her for a while before looking back out at the storm. "I hope everypony is okay..."

Nightmare inhaled deeply. Cadance looked at her as she exhaled.

"How are you doing?" Cadance asked.

Nightmare turned to face Cadance. "I am fine." With nothing else to say, she turned back to watching the storm.

"Are you still mad about-"

"I have had time to think," Nightmare cut in. "While it angers me that you have mocked me as Sister does-"

"Celestia doesn't mock you," Cadance spoke softly.

Perhaps she was growing more accustomed to hearing that damned name, because she didn't feel like screaming. She turned to face Cadance but held back her glare. Glaring at her niece wouldn't benefit her any, as much as she wanted to. "The banishment spell. The scarring on the moon. Did she not tell you?"

Cadance frowned and turned away, nodding slowly. "She did."

"Then you know how she mocks me even now," Nightmare summarized.

Cadance faced her again. "I have never heard her speak badly of you," And again, Cadance said, "I'm telling you, your sister loves you."

"Do not repeat this conversation, Niece," Nightmare groaned. "I will not have it."

Because Cadance had been lied to, and Cadance believed those lies.

"Sometimes, the truth hurts."

Nightmare blinked once, then turned to scrutinize her niece's expression. Innocent, yet tainted by her sister's lies for so long. Cadance had been lied to by Celestia just like Luna had been. She knew better. Cadance did not. Holding that against her niece was folly; it wasn't something Cadance had a choice in. She had been brainwashed by Sister. And yet her niece was correct. The truth did hurt. She knew that well, but it wasn't what Cadance thought. "You are correct," she said as she turned back to the storm. "I... will apologize for getting carried away when we last spoke."

"You, apologizing?" Cadance asked, her voice taking on a playful tone that made Nightmare want to scowl.

"I am not perfect," Nightmare acknowledged. "And..." she trailed off, licked her lips, and let her head bow so she could study the courtyard below. "As I have said. I have had time to think. Much time." She faced Cadance. Her niece. Not by blood, but by adoption. The choice of her sister. "I tend to get... shall we say, carried away, at times."

Cadance reluctantly nodded. "I... can tell..." was her hesitant mumble.

"Sister lied to you, and you know no different. Holding that against you is..." she trailed off and scowled. "Perhaps foalish," she growled through clenched teeth. "Besides, Twilight would likely agree with you that I am overreacting-"

"I never said you were," Cadance pointed out.

She ignored it as she continued, "Misplaced as it is, and so snapping at you as I desire is..." she trailed off and shook her head.

"So because of Twilight," Cadance summarized. That playful edge seeped back into her Niece's voice, and while she squinted at Cadance, Cadance wore a soft smile. She could almost see some sort of spark in her niece's eyes.

How pointless. "Yes," Nightmare retorted. "Though perhaps my logic is flawed," she admitted, bobbing her head left and right before stopping to nod. "Twilight is special."

"To you," Cadance emphasized.

Nightmare faced Cadance. Met her gaze. "Twilight is special," she repeated. "She bears the Element of Magic. Her potential... her destiny-"

"And she's your friend," Cadance said.

Nightmare stopped. A few seconds passed in silence. She inhaled, then exhaled and nodded in agreement. "Yes. She is my friend." That Twilight was her only friend went unsaid, but both of them knew it. "It is... pleasant."

"It's something you want, isn't it? Friends. For ponies to love you," Cadance murmured.

Torment overtook Nightmare Moon. She turned away from Cadance, her lips twisting into a grimace. It was so frivolous! It was what she wanted. She knew it would never be! She knew Twilight was her friend.

But if it was something that would never be, something that could never be, how was it that Twilight was her friend? 'Perhaps I am wrong.' To Cadance, she said, "Yes." Before Cadance could capitalize on her admission and twist it into some kind of weapon to use against her, she faced her nice and preempted, "But it will never be."

Because time had taught her that lesson. Sister had made certain of that.

Cadance turned her body to face her. "Give ponies a chance," was her plea. "If you just try, I think you'd be surprised. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to be hated. Twilight is proof of that."

"Twilight is special," Nightmare retorted. "Twilight is an exception."

"You gave her a chance," Cadance said.

Nightmare narrowed her eyes on Cadance. "Twilight was my student."

"She wasn't when you gave her a chance," Cadance pointed out just as softly as normal. "And she's more than that, now. She's your friend."

Nightmare lifted her head defiantly. "You will not convince me, Niece. Twilight is special. An exception."

"Twilight was your sister's student. You're convinced that Celestia hates you or wants to use you?" Cadance looked away from her, looked out at Ponyville, leaving her to stare at her niece. After a few seconds of silence, Cadance looked back at her and simply said, "Then tell me why Twilight is your friend. Twilight was Celestia's student for half of her life, so I would have thought if Celestia was all that you claimed her to be, that Twilight's friendship with you would be nothing more than a lie. A lie meant to hurt you or decieve you."

And she felt cold.

Again, Cadance asked in a simple, malice-free voice, "Is it a lie?"

It wasn't, and both of them knew that. But she could not bring herself to say it, instead simply staring at Cadance. She did not understand, she could not comprehend.

Cadance eventually asked, "What is it that you really want? To rule Equestria? To be loved? Revenge on Celestia?"

All of that. Foolish as it was, she wanted all of that. She would not be loved and she still wanted it. She ruled Equestria, but Equestria looked at her just like it had so long ago when she was not in battle to protect her nation. Her victory over her sister did not give her joy. She had banished her sister, yet it agonized her to see the moon so scarred. "Yes." And yet ruling Equestria and revenge on Sister did not give her lasting joy, and she would not be loved because such a thing was impossible.

Time had taught her that lesson. Sister had made sure of it.

Cadance frowned that same sad, pitying smile. "And if you can't have all of that... if you can only have one thing..." And then Cadance asked in an innocent voice akin to a young foal, "What would you choose?"

Cadance walked away.

Nightmare Moon watched her leave. 'Were I a thousand years younger,' slithered through her mind. But she was not. She had been given time to think and to plan and to seeth. She would not destroy Equestria as she once wanted. Doing so was stupid. She would not hurt Cadance as part of her desired. Doing so wasn't in her best interest. She would not torture her sister as her soul demanded. Torture was the work of a monster.

She was conflicted and angry and bitter and lost.

Author's Note

When you write 10,028 words for a new chapter in a single day, you tend to feel pretty great. Albeit tired. Even if you have been writing for somewhere between 8 and 9 hours.

Original title: I Don't Have a Title for This Chapter Yet

1/30/20

If I've not said it before, I wrote this chapter several months ago. I don't have a date for that, but I'm dating this section with the day I'm working on. ~~By the time this chapter is live, I'll probably have made a blog post dedicated to The Night's Stars detailing a few things.~~

2/6/20

See this blog post for a few semi-relevant details about The Night's Stars.

Casual

Twilight almost threw open the door to her library before trotting inside with a happy smile. She powered on the magelight, then swept her gaze around the room to make sure nothing looked out of place and shut the door behind her. Already, the library's warm, homey feel brought her to sigh contently. "I know we were only gone for a couple of nights, but it's good to be home," she said with a nod.

Midnight strolled on passed her and headed upstairs.

Spike jumped off her back. "Yeah..." he mumbled, then turned to face her. She looked down at him, and a bit of a frown pulled at her brow when she saw his insecurity: tapping his claws together while his brow folded slightly down. "I guess this is home, isn't it?" he asked.

She turned to face him and sat down on her haunches, then pulled him to her chest with a foreleg. He returned the embrace and she nuzzled him. "I guess..." she mumbled. "It's not the same as Canterlot, but..."

Spike nodded, accidentally returning the nuzzle. "Yeah." He pulled back and looked up at her, a little of his worry banished with a slightly brighter expression in its place. "Hey, I guess the ponies here are nicer than in Canterlot, so..."

Twilight winced and turned away from him. "Right..." she muttered. "Nicer..."

A second passed in silence. "Uh, I mean, your friends are nice?" Spike offered.

Twilight turned back to face him with a strained smile. "They are..." she quietly drawled. It was a point she could not argue, and one she would not argue. Her friends were wonderful.

Spike nodded and looked away from her. "And everypony else still avoids you, for the most part."

"Well..." Twilight mumbled as she stood up. "Maybe eventually that'll change." She walked over to the bookshelf on the other side of the room and looked over the books, scrutinizing their titles and placement. Nothing looked out of place.

"It might help if you'd go out more," Spike offered.

Twilight paused, blinked, then looked back at him.

He held up his claws defensively. "I'm just saying with as much as you're cooped up in here and as much as you're not around..."

She winced again and her ears fell back. "I'm... gone for a good reason..." she defended.

He frowned and walked over to her. "I know you are, Twilight, but still. Princess Celestia wanted you to make friends-"

Twilight brightened and her ears jumped back into place. "I did make friends!" she happily declared. "Seven of them."

"Right," Spike mumbled. "Nightmare Moon..." He shook his head, and she frowned. "She still scares me."

Twilight sighed. 'I don't feel like dealing with this right now.' So, she wouldn't! "I'll be fine," she repeated for what must have been the hundredth time. She inhaled and nodded to herself. "Spike? Can you check to make sure the food is still good?" They were only gone for three nights, but a lot could happen in three nights!

"Yeah, sure," he said, then walked on into the kitchen.

"If anything's spoiled I might have to visit the market," she mumbled to herself. And that would require changing her plans. And she had plans. Sure, they were only gone for three nights, but that was three nights away from her studies! Even if she had taken a lot of time to browse through Hollow Shades' libraries in search of information on Luna, and three nights really wasn't enough time for that, especially given that in truth it really wasn't even one night because of spending time with her friends, which she was happy to do, and the art gallery.

Nodding to herself, she knew, 'I need to go back sometime.' It surprised her how few books she managed to find on Princess Luna and history from way back then. She had expected more, especially with her success at the art gallery. But she had made notes on the books and their contents so she could come back at a later date.

But now she was home! She could relax, study, practice her magic, inevitably get drawn into more sparring matches with Nightmare Moon, and of course, spend more time with her friends. "Spike, while you're at it, can you check to make sure we're stocked on scrolls, ink, and quills?" she called. "Oh! And candles too!"

"Sure thing, Twilight!" Spike called back from the kitchen.

She smiled. "Thanks, Spike!" She walked along the bookshelf and made her way to the basement door, then opened it and started down the stairs. She relit the magelight as she descended the stairs, then hummed happily as she trotted over to her desk.

The crate of books was right where she left it, and lifting the lid, she found the books all neatly packed just like before. She set the lid down off to the side, but before she could levitate out a book, she heard Spike call, "Twilight! Mail's here!"

So Twilight blinked in surprise and turned back towards the stairs. She half expected to see him standing there, but he wasn't. "Coming!" she called, then turned around and climbed back up the stairs. The front door was open, and a light gray pegasus stood in the doorway. Her mane was blond, and her yellow eyes didn't focus on the same point. She carried a pair of saddlebags in front of her wings. She smiled at the mare. "Hello Derpy!" she called as she walked towards the door.

Derpy smiled happily. "Welcome back, Twilight!" she called in a warm, bubbly voice. As she came to a stop before the mailmare, Derpy asked, "How was your trip?"

"It was good," Twilight said with a nod. "Hollow Shades is an... interesting place."

She watched Derpy's right eye drift back until it focused at some point on the ceiling. It made her uncomfortable, but she didn't let it bother her too much: Derpy was one of the friendliest ponies in town, and one of the few who seemed more or less unphased by the permanent night. Derpy didn't have a problem with her being Nightmare Moon's student, either. The pegasus was lovable and hard to hold a grudge against.

"Oh, I can imagine!" Derpy said with a bright smile. "I've run into those batponies a few times when I've gotten lost and they're always nice and help me find my way!"

Twilight smiled. "Well, I'm glad somepony is starting to warm up to them. I just wish everypony would..." she trailed off shaking her head. 'They probably will, eventually.' "Did you have something for me?"

For a moment, Derpy's expression blanked, then she smiled. "Oh, yeah!" The pegasus shook her head and refocused her gaze, then turned back to her saddlebag on the right side, lifted the flap and scrounged around for something. She tried to see what it was and how the pegasus managed to sort the envelopes with her muzzle, but she didn't have a good enough view. After a few seconds, Derpy grabbed one of the letters and tugged it out, then turned to face her and present the letter. She mumbled something incomprehensible through the envelope.

Twilight just kept smiling and took it in her magic. "Thank you, Derpy," she said as she levitated the envelope closer.

Derpy closed her eyes and smiled happily. "No problem, Twilight! I'll see you around."

And with that, Derpy left, turning around and flying off into the night sky. She watched for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the envelope as she closed the door. Unmarked, aside from the library's address. No return address. Not bound by any seal or anything to distinguish it from a normal letter. If it wasn't for the lack of return address. She frowned at the one piece of missing information. 'If it was my parents or my brother, it would have a return address.'

Perhaps whoever had sent the letter simply forgot. It still wouldn't have been her parents or brother, but it was probably unimportant. She just barely started to rip the envelope open with her magic when Spike came up beside her and asked, "Who's it from and what's it say?"

She just gave him a flat look, drawing a nervous, apologetic laugh from him. She couldn't keep it up, and a smile broke onto her lips, so she turned her gaze back to the envelope and ripped it open. She levitated the letter out of the envelope and levitated the envelope lower as she studied the paper. She opened it, then read it twice.

As Nightmare gazed out across Equestria, the thought, 'You know what Luna looked like,' ate at her mind, as it had so often since she had seen that damned dream. It seemed like whenever she had a moment of peace, her mind instantly went back to the dream and that thought. Her jaw was tight, but not clenched or clamped. Her wings were pressed against her side, but not rigid.

And yet, even with as much as the thought twisted her lips into a strained grimace, as much as the thought disgusted her, she found that she wasn't angry. At least, not now. Not after reflection. She kept her word; she didn't destroy the art gallery. At first, she had wanted to, but not quite as much after visiting it the first time, and every time after that she cared less and less.

Paintings and portraits and sculptures of Luna. She could hardly remember the works existing, could hardly remember the faces of the artists, their features a blur as she thought on and digested their names.

Paintings and portraits and sculptures of her sister and Luna. A time so long ago. A time when Luna was so blind and naive and foalish. Blind to sister's lies. Naive enough to believe them. Foalish enough to hope for a better future. And she felt bitter and violated by the reminder of how stupid she had been! To erase that vile memory would be welcome.

And yet, it contributed to who she was today. It was a part of her, no matter how much she hated it.

Paintings of her battle with sister. A few of them were too accurate, forcing her to think back on the memory when faced by the painting. That she had lost to her sister. That she had reason to see it as a good thing that she lost to her sister, for if she hadn't, she wouldn't have what she now had. The knowledge left her mind twisted uncomfortably, left her sickened and bitter and feeling something she couldn't quite place. Dissociated from herself, as if she simply inhabited her own body, as if she was looking through her own eyes, powerless.

As much as she disliked much of the artwork, she had made a promise. And perhaps Twilight was right. Perhaps it was foalish to want to have it all destroyed. They remembered Luna. They remembered what happened. They remembered what her sister did to her. Equestria may have forgotten everything she had done, everything she had sacrificed, everything she had endured, but her batponies remembered.

And now Twilight knew what Luna looked like. Now Twilight had seen her take on that weak form, even if only in a dream. 'Why!?' her mind demanded, but even asking the question was stupid. 'You asked. You wanted to know.'

And oh, how frivolous and pointless and banal it was! It didn't matter! It was a waste of time! Luna was dead and gone. Nothing but a memory. A legend, perhaps. An idea. Something lost to the footnotes of history. Purged and erased.

Her eyes rolled right and settled on that quaint little village of Ponyville. She tried to look at the tree that she knew was her student's library. And then her eyes lost focus; the memory of the dream washed over her. Twilight standing before her, looking almost lost and yet so sure of herself as she declared, 'You were beautiful!' And it brought her friend to tears, that nopony else thought so.

And the dream faded away as the phantom sensation of Twilight colliding with her chestplate to hug her tickled her body.

Twilight thought Luna was beautiful, and Nightmare Moon couldn't wrap her mind around it. How could it have been? Sister's own former student! Sister hadn't indoctrinated Twilight, at least not in that way. And perhaps Sister hadn't indoctrinated Cadance with a hatred of Luna. Perhaps Sister hadn't indoctrinated Equestria with a hatred of Luna.

But Sister still lied to them all. Sister still used each and every one of them to her own gain, just like Sister used Luna. Cadance and Twilight and Equestria were all victims of Sister's lies, just like she was.

And yet, Twilight still thought Luna was beautiful. It caught her off-guard.

A pony who wasn't a batpony, who thought Luna was beautiful. Once upon a time, Luna would have leaped for joy. Pranced through a field of flowers. Galloped to that damned Sister, babber all about it while her sister smiled on in faux joy. Or more likely, Sister wouldn't have given Luna time.

She couldn't understand it, couldn't grasp it. It made no sense! How could it have!? Sister did nothing but take advantage of Luna, lie to her, use her, exploit her! And yet neither of Sister's greatest pawns harbored that same hatred for her. Neither of them twisted her, neither trying to take advantage of her nor undermining her. And perhaps that was part of Sister's plan: hoping to obtain some unknowable advantage by lulling her into a sense of security through seeing both Cadance and Twilight as victims of her lies, as ponies who did not hate her.

Because both of them had one thousand years to think and plan.

And yet, even now, Sister was using them. Using Cadance and Twilight and mocking her from her banishment on the moon. Neither of them saw it, but she did.

Cadance did not hate her, and Cadance genuinely believed Sister loved her, so swayed by Sister's lies.

Twilight did not hate her, and Twilight thought Luna was beautiful.

And Equestria had not.

She felt disappointed for some reason. 'It only took being gone for one thousand years for somepony to think I was beautiful. One thousand years where Sister ruled alone.' A thousand years for everypony to forget who she was. The insanity of the thought, of what it might suggest, and of what Cadance said, made her want to laugh, and yet, she stayed deathly silent. Listening to the city's silence. Listening to Cadance's breathing and hoofsteps. Feeling the calm, unassuming night breeze wash over her body, bringing with it a renewed, unwelcome chill.

Feeling the longing for Twilight's company, or at least to know where she was and that she was safe.

Her eyes dropped down to Canterlot, then lifted up just enough to look at the valley so far below at the base of the mountain.

She missed Twilight. It had been two nights since she had seen the filly; after she put Twilight back in bed, she left, and she had not seen her since. And she hadn't heard from her. 'I perhaps grew too accustomed to having you close by,' she mused, then shook the thought from her mind: It wasn't important, yet it lingered because she was too fond of Twilight. She lifted her head back up and looked at Ponyville again.

It was within her reach.

Her student, no, her friend, was just a teleport away.

She had the time. Nothing else needed her attention.

Perhaps the loneliness she felt would pass. Perhaps it was simply out of the desire to teach Twilight more. After all, the filly was still unprepared. Her friend still doubted herself and her potential. And that lack of confidence hurt both of them: to Twilight, it hindered her. Even with the occasional surge of magic when Twilight was at her end and about to lose, she didn't realize. Twilight didn't grasp it. She didn't see.

And to her, it left her disappointed that her friend didn't trust in her own magic. It left her disappointed that Twilight didn't see her potential, or perhaps, refused to accept it. Almost turning away from what she could be. And it ate at her mind, 'Why would you turn this away!? You will surpass Starswirl!'

Was it her own doing that was hurting Twilight's confidence? The disappointment grew worse as her mind lingered on the possibility. She frowned and her head drooped lower until her eyes settled on the courtyard below.

Perhaps it was her own doing. Or perhaps she coddled her student too much. Maybe Twilight needed more pushing. But was she ready? She felt unsure, and the uncertainty twisted her chest and ate at her mind. 'I cannot ruin this,' nearly paralyzed her. And the paralysis making her hesitate to take action was foalish. Stupid.

Her eyes snapped back onto the tree in Ponyville. 'The next time we spar, I will tell you to stop doubting yourself. I am sheltering you too much. You must recognize that your enemies will not care that you are a foal and will not fight fair,' she knew. And if she didn't tell Twilight the truth, then she was failing her as both her teacher and her friend.

And perhaps worse: Holding Twilight back, just like Sister did.

She clenched her jaw and flicked her tail.

It was in their best interests.

Cadance knocked on the door. She turned her gaze away from Ponyville and walked back inside, leaving the door open. As she walked into her study, she opened the door and looked at Cadance. Her niece hesitated a moment to look around, then once Cadance saw her, her niece walked inside.

"Cadance," she acknowledged with a nod. Cadance nodded once, and once she was clear of the door, Nightmare closed it with her magic. "Pray tell, what brings you here?"

Cadance offered a weak half-smile. "I thought you'd like to know that preparations for the Gala are complete." Cadance paused and tilted her head to the side, breaking eye contact for a moment before meeting Nightmare's gaze again. "Well, as complete as they can be without last-minute details and ensuring everything is ready before it starts."

Nightmare inclined her head once. "I see. Good," she said. A moment passed, and a flicker of something ate at her mind until she added, "Thank you."

Cadance's smile grew a little warmer for a moment, then faded back. Her niece studied her expression, looking at her curiously for some reason. "Are you sure you don't want to attend?"

Nightmare scowled and turned her head away from Cadance. "Yes," she said succinctly. "You are more than capable of handling this yourself."

"Yes, but ponies might like to see you," Cadance murmured.

She turned back to look at her niece with narrowed eyes. "I do not think so," she stated. Cadance winced and her niece's ears flicked back. "My attendance would only turn into a mockery." She felt a twinge of victory. There was nothing Cadance could say that would convince her otherwise because she knew she was right! And Cadance knew she was right too, no matter what she said.

Yet Cadance met her gaze, and Nightmare felt her victorious smile fade away into nothingness. "I'm sure Twilight would like to see you there," was all her niece had to say, and her victory slipped out of her hooves.

And then all traces of her smile were gone.

Nightmare waited a moment to digest her niece's words, then inhaled and turned away from the lesser alicorn once again. 'You are correct,' she knew, and it pained her, both that her niece was right and that Twilight would be so close and yet so far. "She will still see me, but I will not be attending," she affirmed with a nod.

A moment passed. She looked back at Cadance. "You care about her," her niece acknowledged.

And Nightmare felt a little spark of anger, deep in her core. That Cadance would think after all this time that she did not care!? "Of course I care about her!" she snapped. "She is my student and friend!"

Cadance didn't back down, nor look apologetic. And Nightmare knew she had overreacted, because Cadance had not meant it as an insult; Cadance did not question her care for her student. A small playful smile pulled at the corner of her niece's lips, disarming the anger and turning it into something that made her uncomfortable. She felt the need to shift her weight but forced herself to stay still. And then Cadance bowed her muzzle a little lower, looked at her with a playful glint in her eyes, and murmured, "More than that."

And Nightmare knew what Cadance meant, so for several seconds, stayed silent. To immediate crush or dismiss such a notion would only serve to reinforce Cadance's belief that it was true. Waiting gave her time to think and collect herself, but waiting did nothing about the twist in her chest and anxiety coiling in her gut. She took a deep breath, then let it out before calmly repeating, "She is my friend."

"And that means a lot to you," Cadance added in that sweet, soft voice of hers.

Nightmare tilted her head to the right and turned away, letting out a strained admission of, "It... does..." And oh! How it made the anxiety in her gut and twist in her chest all the worse! She turned back to face Cadance, met her gaze for a second, then broke eye contact: Cadance's eyes were too eager. "I find myself... perhaps too fond of her." Looking back up at Cadance was a mistake; her niece grinned. 'This is far too agitating.' So she put it aside. She stamped out that twist, stamped out that anxiety. Lifted her head higher. "She is my friend and for that I am thankful. Her potential..." she broke eye contact and let her gaze trace over the floor as she whispered, "her destiny..."

And in her dreams, she had seen it. And in her dreams, she was free.

"My offer to talk still stands," Cadance said almost teasingly.

Nightmare looked back up at her. For a few seconds, she just looked at her niece, taking in the warm, genuine smile so different from the faces that normally looked at her, the faces that scowled in disgust or gazed on her in terror. She nodded once. "I will keep that in mind, Niece." And she would. Perhaps not for what Cadance thought, but Cadance might still be able to help if problems occurred in her friendship with Twilight.

Cadance smiled far too happily as she turned around, opened the door, and then pranced out of the room. Nightmare closed the door and let out a low groan.

It was such a pointless conversation. So what if she was too fond of Twilight? The filly was her friend.

And of course, Cadance knew that she was fond of Twilight.

She turned around and walked back out onto her balcony. The night welcomed her back with a chilled hug that brought her memories back to feeling Twilight laying beside her. She was still a pony, and so the warmth and companionship were pleasant and desired. 'Us being friends means something to you as well,' she knew. Speaking with Twilight in her dream had been proof enough of that.

She felt comforted. Even if she did long to see her student reach her full potential.

But would Twilight reach that full potential? Twilight had the potential, but would she be able to draw it out, grow her student, and bring her to shine? Could Twilight overcome herself, her doubts and fears, and everything that held her back?

Her eyes flickered to the moon, and for a moment, she put the scarring out of her thoughts. In her mind, she could almost picture the two of them sitting on the balcony in the pitch-black darkness of the moonless night, crossing her horn with Twilight's and guiding her student and friend to do what needed to be done. She could almost picture their magic intertwining as she guided her student's magic out to the spells to move the moon; she could almost picture showing and teaching her student everything required in that moment of contact between their horns and magic.

And then she could picture the moon breaking the horizon. Perhaps not by much, or perhaps Twilight would surprise her and do far more than Starswirl could on his own or with the help of other unicorns. She could picture Twilight's amazement when her student saw what she herself had done. She could picture Twilight squealing in delight and prancing around in circles on the balcony.

And she smiled as she shook her head. Then the smile faded as a cold feeling crept into the back of her mind and sunk down to her chest. 'You are not yet ready for that, and it will be some time before you are.'

But she had time. She could be patient. She could wait and watch and help Twilight along her course.

And perhaps Twilight would surpass her.

Perhaps.

As she pictured Twilight wearing the tiara that was the Element of Magic in her mind, she wondered, 'How far does your destiny go?' Because there were hints and whispers of more. She could feel it. Twilight was still incomplete, and she had a feeling she knew what was missing. And it sent a shudder of ecstasy down her spine, making her swipe her tongue across her lips as energy coiled inside her chest in excitement. Or perhaps she was being a foal. Perhaps she was grasping at that which wasn't there. Perhaps her hope was misplaced, but she still hoped.

And she had to wonder, 'Did you intend for Twilight to replace Luna?'

But there was no answer for her. There would be no answer for her unless she spoke with Sister. She could not speak with Sister until the Elements of Harmony were safely locked away in her castle.

So she had to wait and be patient. And perhaps even then, she would have no answer. Wouldn't that be in her sister's interests? To mock her even further, taunting her by knowing, yet refusing to give her the answers she sought. Holding them just out of reach.

And the anticipation wilted, and worry and concern sprung up inside of her. 'Am I deluding myself? Lying to myself?' her mind questioned. What was it that Twilight even saw in her to want to call her friend? What did Twilight see in such a short time that other ponies had not seen in their lifetime? And that Twilight had been taught by her sister!

She did not understand it, she could not grasp it, because it was not a lie that Twilight was her friend.

And she was distracted. She groaned and shook her head. Perhaps she did not need to understand it. 'It will not do to be unprepared.'

Perhaps Twilight would appreciate her company for a few minutes. Besides, an idea flickered in the back of her mind: Rarity was a seamstress; perhaps she would be willing to make dresses for Twilight and the rest of them for the Gala. Once again she tried and failed to picture Twilight wearing a dress. But Rarity was Twilight's friend, and if anypony could make it work, it would be Rarity.

She nodded to herself as she wrapped her magic around her horn, and a moment later, she cast her teleportation spell.

Something Twilight was far better at than her, even if Twilight's range was limited by lack of experience and self-doubt.

After the flash of light from her spell subsided, she turned her head left and then right, then turned around to survey the room. To her surprise, the library's main room was empty, aside from the normal written occupants. She breathed in and her muzzle twitched in disgust; the scent of smoke hung in the air. 'A failed spell, perhaps?' she wondered. But it didn't smell like a failed spell, nor did it smell of burnt hair, rather, it smelled of burnt paper.

She winced. 'I do hope you did not damage one of your books.' Twilight would be most displeased if that happened. Perhaps it was a good thing she came; she could cheer her friend up if that was the case.

She heard the scratching of claws on wood and turned back to the left to find Spike standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her. "Uh, hi," was his mumbled greeting.

She inclined her head once and watched him for a moment longer. He stood tall and held himself tight, yet his claws twitched at his sides. "Is Twilight here?" she asked.

He blinked once and shook himself out of inaction. As he started down the stairs, he kept eye contact with her and said, "Uh, no. She went out for a bit..."

'Her friends, perhaps?' Nightmare wondered. Tilting her head, she asked, "Did she say where?"

"You might check the market," he offered.

Nightmare nodded and turned back to the door. 'Perhaps not her friends, then.' "Did she say what she was doing?"

"Well, not really," Spike answered. "She got a letter from somepony and then she said she was going to go to the market."

Nightmare paused and pursed her lips before looking back at Spike. "From who?"

He shrugged dismissively. "Dunno. She didn't say."

He was hiding something. She turned back around and scrutinized his body. His shoulders were rigid and his claws were balled up, yet the claws on his feet twitched. He tilted his head a bit lower and forced a strained smile that almost made her scowl. 'You neither like me nor trust me. I make you nervous.'

Perhaps she was wrong, then, and he was not hiding something from her. Perhaps it was simply his distrust of her, or perhaps she was imagining it. She shook her head. "I see."

"The letter might not even be related. She said she needed to get some quills, ink, and scrolls," Spike said.

A moment later, she heard Midnight trot out from her room. The batpony stopped as soon as Nightmare looked at her. "You are not with Twilight," she surmised.

Midnight turned to look at her, and gave a mixture of a grimace and a smile. "No..." was her quiet, diplomatic answer.

Nightmare closed her eyes and let out a soft groan. "Your duty," she reminded as she opened her eyes and tilted her head, "is to keep Twilight safe."

Midnight frowned and turned as she descended the stairs. "She'll be fine. There's plenty of us patrolling, and besides, she can teleport."

Nightmare nudged her head higher and turned to the right. Agitated by Midnight's response, she countered with, "Yes, but if she were attacked, I am not convinced-"

"She'll be fine," Midnight repeated more firmly.

Nightmare turned back to face Midnight and squinted at her. The batpony held herself seriously, yet relaxed and unconcerned. 'Perhaps she can protect herself,' but she wasn't sure. "She is my student." Twilight would have enemies.

Midnight nodded seriously. "There's nopony here in Ponyville who would want to hurt her."

Nightmare snapped her head at an angle. "And you are certain of this?"

Midnight frowned. "Yes, my Queen."

Nightmare stared at Midnight unblinkingly as she said, "I hope you are correct." Midnight's dereliction of her duty was unacceptable. If a habit was made of it, it would put Twilight at risk. Surely her batponies had not forgotten their training in her absence to the point that they made such foalish, stupid mistakes!

"Twilight told me to stay here with Spike," Midnight added.

For a second longer, Nightmare stared at Midnight, then turned away from her. 'Perhaps you are abusing your authority, Twilight,' she wondered, and yet, it was within her student's authority and right to do so. No, perhaps she was being unreasonable. Perhaps Midnight was right, perhaps Ponyville was safe.

At least from ponies who would want to hurt Twilight. The village was still close to the Everfree Forest; monsters could still attack and might harm her student. But if Midnight was doing as Twilight instructed, then holding such against the guard would only cause uncertainty.

And perhaps she was underestimating Twilight. It still soured her mood, and she still grimaced. "Very well. I shall return. If Twilight returns before me, tell her that I was here and will return soon," she said as she walked to the door again.

"Uh, okay," Spike said.

She did her best not to let her annoyance show. But of course, Spike didn't deserve her agitation. Spike was essentially Twilight's little brother. He wasn't like the dragons of old, and he was yet young. A foal. Innocent, like his sister. She inhaled deeply again and caught another whiff of smoke, but put it aside as she opened the door and stepped out into the night.

Midnight was another story.

To her surprise, when she looked around, she saw ponies walking about in the darkened streets: not many, but more than she had seen before. As her eyes glanced over them, they froze and looked at her fearfully. And the novelty of seeing ponies out in her night wore off, and she turned to the right, only to pause. 'Stopping at Rarity's boutique would be a quicker first stop, and perhaps Twilight is there. If not, perhaps I will run into her on my way to the market.'

She turned back around and made her way to Rarity's boutique. Along the way, there were more ponies out walking, though they were timid well before she looked directly at them. Even when she was certain that hadn't detected her approach, they were nervous because of her night. But maybe they had reason to be afraid since they were close to the Everfree Forest. A few times, she spotted batponies flying overhead as they did their duty to keep everypony else safe.

She stopped for a moment to look at the boutique: from the windows, bright glows reached out into the street from magelights that surely were meant to substitute for the day, so that Rarity could see well enough to do her job. She did not take it as an insult; Rarity and other ponies did not see as well as she did in the dark.

She knocked on the door and just barely touched her boot to the porch when she heard Rarity call, "Come in!" So she opened the door with her magic and walked inside to the far-too-brightly lit room. She heard the chime of another pony's magic and looked to the right. A moment passed, so she stepped all the way inside and closed the door. The chime of magic continued, but accompanied a few hoofsteps until Rarity walked through a doorway. "Welcome to-" and Rarity froze when the mare's eyes landed on her. "Nightmare Moon..." she muttered.

Nightmare tilted her head. "I was unaware your Boutique was called Nightmare Moon."

For a second, Rarity's face blanked, then she blinked and shook her head before muttering, "Well, that's something I would have expected from Pinkie Pie rather than you."

"Yes," Nightmare agreed.

Rarity sucked in a quick breath and stood up straighter. "Might I ask what brings you here?"

"You may," Nightmare answered.

Rarity waited for a moment, then shifted her weight on her hooves. "What brings you here, exactly?"

"I desire to commission you to make dresses for Twilight and the rest of your friends, yourself included, for the Grand Galloping Gala," Nightmare said.

And Rarity's eyes lit up, practically sparkling like stars. The unicorn did a little dance and then reared up to squish her cheeks with her forehooves. "The Gala! Oh!" Rarity fell back onto all four hooves and danced in place, then disappeared through the door to the other room. "Twilight already asked me to make dresses for us all!" she called from somewhere. A moment later, Rarity trotted back out in a confident stride, pushing along a rack from which a set of six dresses hung.

Dresses that she knew had only been started on a few hours earlier: they were mostly unadorned cloth cut and shaped so that ponies could wear them. She found such frivolous, extravagant attire wasteful, though there were a time and place for it.

Rarity smiled sheepishly, almost blushing. "I haven't had much time to work on them since we just got back to Ponyville, but I made the designs while in Hollow Shades."

"I see," Nightmare commented. "After I told Twilight..?" she ventured.

Rarity nodded. "Oh yes, of course. I'm rather worried that a month isn't enough time to finish them all in addition to other commissions, but..." Rarity trailed off, turning her head to the left and looking down at the floor. "I must admit business still isn't quite the same as it was..." and the chipper tone flattened as she finished, "before."

And there it was: even more reminder of how foalish everypony was acting! "I am unsurprised," Nightmare acknowledged. "There has been an economic downturn from my rise to power, though from what I have seen, I believe things will start to improve."

Rarity looked back up at her. "And if they don't?" was her innocent question.

Nightmare glanced over the dresses on her way to look at the wall on the left, then she met Rarity's gaze and nodded once. "I already have plans in motion that should help alleviate the problem. Expanding the rail and road system should help, and if it does not, I am in discussions with the griffins for a way to increase our trade with them. Their resources should be very beneficial."

Rarity frowned a bit. "Hmm... I see." But the unicorn did not sound convinced. "And how are those discussions going?"

Nightmare bobbed her head. "They are... proceeding slowly." She lifted her head up and tilted it at an angle. "The griffins are... most peculiar now."

"Yes, yes," Rarity muttered. "Gilda sure was... something."

Nightmare looked back at Rarity. "I was unaware that she had made it to Ponyville."

Rarity grimaced. "Don't mention it around Pinkie Pie," she cautioned.

Frowning, Nightmare asked, "Something happened between Gilda and Pinkie Pie?"

Rarity nodded. "It was... well, the two of them got into a fight over Rainbow Dash. Gilda ended up making a fool of herself at a party Pinkie and Rainbow threw for her."

Nightmare nodded hesitantly. "I see... I will... keep it in mind."

A moment passed in silence. Rarity shifted her weight and then coughed into her hoof. "Yes, well..." she drawled, turning back to look at Nightmare. "I've already started on the dresses."

Nightmare nodded. "I do not know what resources the rest of Twilight's friends have to spend, but I will cover the expense for all of you."

Rarity quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no!" she chirped. "None of that. Just getting to make dresses for all of us for the Gala is enough for me!"

Nightmare felt her eyebrow go up as the thought, 'Yes... how generous of you,' meandered through her mind. And, of course, Rarity represented the Element of Generosity. "I insist," she stated. "I believe, given your location, that you would have been hit harder by the..." she trailed off, searching for the right way to word it. She settled on, "Problems my return has caused... and as you are Twilight's friend, I insist you let the crown cover the expenses, as it is by my invitation you are coming."

Rarity waited a moment, then blubbered, "Well, I appreciate the offer but it's really unnecessary!"

Nightmare waited a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Very well. But my offer still stands. If you change your mind, have Twilight forward a..." she paused and pursed her lips. "I believe the proper term is invoice?" Rarity nodded. "To me and I shall have it taken care of."

Rarity smiled. Not as warm as Cadance or Twilight, not as genuine, and still strained, but it was a smile. "I appreciate the offer, Nightmare Moon..."

She just gave a single, succinct nod. She started to turn around, but before she could, Rarity asked, "Would you... perhaps-" Nightmare turned back to face the unicorn who rolled her head about unsurely before chirping, "-want me to make you a dress for the Gala as well?"

The first thought that came to Nightmare's mind was a final, 'No.' But she didn't immediately voice it. Having Rarity make her a dress was pointless. She would not wear it nor get any use out of it. She would not even be attending the Gala. But, even if she did not, perhaps Rarity would at least accept compensation for such a dress.

But she felt uncertain over the whole idea. 'A dress,' echoed in her mind, and oh! How it tore at her very being! She, Nightmare Moon, wearing a dress!? She had no time for such pointlessness! She had no place to wear something so useless! She had her armor and that was what she needed: something that protected her, giving her something to fall back on and rely on if she slipped up and made a mistake. Something that could buy her time to react, if something went wrong.

Though, perhaps she could enchant it. With enough magic, it could suffice as a suitable replacement for armor, although it just would not be the same.

So she gave a reluctant nod. She held her muzzle low while she voiced, "Provided you accept compensation."

Rarity winced a bit. "Er, sure..." was her mutter. "Although I think simply making a dress for you and having that known might help..." the unicorn mused, though her brow folded down with uncertainty. "Although... maybe not..." but it wasn't directed at her.

And Nightmare had to admit, it was likely a mistake. Yet she still lifted her head up and said, "Then I will... commission you to make a dress for me."

"Alright. Come this way, then," Rarity called as she turned around and walked into the next room. "I need to take your measurements."

Nightmare hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the doorway. She stopped and looked around the next room: shelves lined with rolls of cloth and thread, tables with sketches and needles and gems, ponnequins and racks and hangers, and a raised platform that had a maroon curtain behind it.

Rarity levitated up a cloth measuring tape up, then turned to face her. "Coming, dear?"

Nightmare squinted at Rarity for a moment, then walked into the room and stopped in the middle.

Rarity unrolled the measure as she approached, then stopped. "Er... take your armor off?"

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "Is this necessary?"

Firmly, "Yes. I can't take proper measurements if you're wearing that, so anything measured with your armor on wouldn't be my best work."

Nightmare stared at Rarity for a few seconds, then turned to face the opposite side of the room. "Fine." She levitated her helmet off, then set it down on the floor before lifting each of her hooves, one at a time, and pulling her boots off. And then all that was left was her chestplate, and her head tilted lower until she could gaze upon the cyan armor she had worn unceasingly for a thousand years.

Her oldest friend; a part of her.

Something that, perhaps, she needed to leave behind.

She levitated the chestplate up off her body, leaving herself fully exposed to the world. The air immediately rushed in up against her chest, and without any of the armor on, she felt so much lighter, so much more vulnerable. The missing weight was freeing, and yet it made her cautious, put her on edge. If she was caught off guard, she did not have her armor to fall back on to protect her.

And Rarity was the only pony who had ever seen her without that chestplate on, as Luna did not count.

But to Rarity, it didn't mean anything. It was simply a means to an end. So Rarity walked around her, taking those measurements she needed. And every time the cloth brushed against her chest, she flinched at the unfamiliar, almost tickling sensation. She missed her armor and the safety it gave her.

But she wasn't in danger.

Rarity wrote down the measurements on a pad of paper, using a pencil. Muttered under her breath a few complaints and ideas. "Have you ever been fitted for a dress before?" Rarity asked.

A grimace pulled at Nightmare's lips; she leaned her head to the left. "Yes. A very long time ago. I did not wear dresses often..."

Rarity hummed in thought as she walked around to Nightmare's left. Nightmare leveled her head again and watched the unicorn scrutinize her body. "Extend your wings, please."

So Nightmare did as requested, unfolding her wings and stretching them out to her full extent. Out of instinct, she held them at the ready to propel herself in the air, yet Rarity did not comment on it.

"I think blue would work well... or perhaps silver? Purple?" Rarity's brow folded down in though.

"I am somewhat fond of royal blue," Nightmare said.

Rarity blinked and glanced up at her. "Yes, yes, it could work... but it's missing something. Purple? Fuchsia, maybe? Hmm... silver? Lavender... maybe..." The unicorn squinted as she continued studying her body, sweeping her gaze from neck to wings and flank and tail. Flipping the page in her notepad, Rarity started sketching what Nightmare presumed to be a rough idea of the dress.

"What do you think of Twilight?" Rarity asked, almost dismissive as she continued sketching and scrutinizing Nightmare.

Nightmare looked away from Rarity. "She is..." she trailed off. How could she describe Twilight? "I am fond of her," she admitted. She heard the scratching of Rarity's pencil against the paper stop for a moment, then it resumed. "She is more talented than most unicorns I have met, and she has more potential than my mentor. It is... I would like to see her reach that potential." She paused for a few seconds to think, then inclined her head, "And she is... a good pony. She is kind and curious." And there was a lot more she could say on the matter, but she did not.

"You like having her as your student, don't you?" Rarity asked.

Nightmare glanced at Rarity and found the unicorn looking at her face. "I do," she agreed.

For a few more seconds, Rarity watched her, then looked at the pad of paper and continued sketching for a few more seconds. "Finished," Rarity stated.

Nightmare wasted no time in putting her armor back on, and the weight was comforting, yet at the same time, she missed the freedom. But it was pointless.

"I'll have to come up with a few more ideas, then I'll run the designs by you?" Rarity offered.

Nightmare shook her head. "I am sure whatever you decide will be fine. And the cost is not a concern, so long as it is within reason."

"Of course," Rarity said. "I'll get started on it right away!"

Nightmare looked at Rarity. "Finish your own dresses for the Gala first," she said. "I would rather the six of you have your dresses than have my own."

Rarity hesitated a moment, then nodded. "If you're... sure."

"I am," Nightmare stated.

Rarity looked up at her mane. "Have you considered putting your mane up? Or do you plan to leave it like that with the dress?" And then Rarity frowned, turned away, and grimaced. "Or... can you even do anything with your mane?" Looking back at her, "How does that even work?"

"I can do things with it, yes," Nightmare answered, bowing her head once. "Though I would prefer to leave it as it is."

"I see..." Rarity mumbled. "Well, I shall attempt to work around that, then."

Nightmare nodded once. "If that is all?" Rarity grimaced but nodded. "Then I shall take my leave." With nothing more to say, she turned around and left. She walked outside and closed the door behind her, then stood there for a moment as she surveyed the still mostly deserted street. But it was better than it had been. She teleported back to the library.

"Ahh!" Twilight cried out. As the flash of light died, Nightmare saw Twilight land on her hooves, facing her. Then Twilight forced a smile as she greeted, "Uh, hi!"

Nightmare nodded. "I did not intend to startle you."

"Me?" Twilight asked, leaning left. "Startled? What? Noo..." she drawled, then forced a laugh.

Nightmare tilted her head. 'You are not good at lying, or perhaps this is simply because I caught you off-guard.'

Twilight ducked her head lower, her ears lowering. "Okay maybe just a little," she clarified.

Nightmare ignored it in favor of looking over Twilight's body. The filly wasn't wearing any saddlebags, and glancing around the room, she didn't see any lying on the floor. Either she hadn't taken them or she had teleported them away. Turning back to Twilight, the petite filly stood up a bit straighter.

"So..." her friend ventured, "what brings you here?"

"I had time," Nightmare offered, and her mind added, 'And I missed you.' "So I thought you might enjoy my company, and I wanted to speak with Rarity."

Twilight perked up at the mention of her friend. "Oh?"

Nightmare inclined her head. "Yes. I was going to ask her to make the six of you dresses for the Gala-" she felt a smile pull at her lips, "-but I see that you have already taken care of that."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I maaaay have mentioned that you wanted us to come to the Gala." A moment passed and her friend cringed. "You... should have seen how they all reacted to that," Twilight muttered.

Spike shifted his weight uncomfortably. "That was something," he mumbled.

"I shall take your word for it," Nightmare said. "How was your trip?"

A smile replaced Twilight's cringe. "Oh, it was good! Thanks for asking. We had a lot of fun and I learned..." Twilight paused and her expression fell, then she scowled and muttered, "A lot, though not as much as I wanted to..." Then Twilight brightened, putting a smile back on. "But still! It was good."

"I am glad you enjoyed it," Nightmare replied.

They watched each other in silence for a moment, and Nightmare found her eyes tracing back along Twilight's sides. Then Twilight turned her head towards Spike, and her eyes snapped back onto Twilight's face. "Spike? Could you fix us some tea?"

"Sure thing, Twilight!" Spike called as he scampered into the kitchen.

The corner of Twilight's lip pulled up as she looked back at Nightmare. "So... how long are you going to be here for?"

"Provided nothing comes up," Nightmare said with an incline of her head. She paused and held her head in place, still inclined. "I can spend the rest of the evening with you if you so desire."

At that, Twilight perked right up. "Oh! Sure, that sounds good," her friend eagerly agreed. As Twilight turned towards the stairs, she looked back at Nightmare and said, "There are a few things I'd like to ask you and-" Twilight bowed her head a little, avoiding eye contact, "-ask, if um-" her student lifted her head back up, smiling hopefully, "-you don't mind?"

Ever so slightly, Twilight reminded her of Fluttershy, shying back like that. It gave her a moment's pause before she answered, "Perhaps. It would depend on what it is, but as I have said, I do not mind talking with you, and I wish for us to be able to talk openly and honestly."

"Great!" Twilight climbed up the stairs, then stopped at the top and looked back at Nightmare. "Are you coming?" Without saying anything, Nightmare walked over to the stairs and started climbing up. Twilight walked on into her bedroom as she said, "I'm not sure if you know about it or not, but the library has a balcony."

"I see," Nightmare replied. Once at the top of the stairs, she paused and peered into the dimly lit bedroom. Twilight's bed looked so small and scrawny compared to what she was used to. It was hardly fit for somepony of Twilight's status! But Twilight didn't seem to complain about it. In particular, she took note of the stars and crescent moons adorning the blankets. Besides that, there was a window and an open door to the window's left which opened to the night sky. Against the wall on her left was another door. Beside the bed was a nightstand, but the only thing on it was a ceramic plate that had a pile of dust on it.

Twilight ducked her head back in from the balcony and watched her, so Nightmare Moon walked across the room and stepped out onto the balcony. She glanced over the railing, then lifted her head up and scrutinized the branches overhead.

The balcony was halfway obscured by the branches, and as such, the wind was blocked out and only a small section of the night sky was visible in the east, without the moon.

Twilight laid on her stomach on the right, looking back at her with a friendly little smile. "I think I should probably get a telescope... This might not be the best place for it, but I think there are plenty of places around Ponyville that would work. My friends might enjoy it, too. And since it's night all the time..." Twilight trailed off, smiling an awkward smile.

Nightmare walked over and then sat down on her haunches beside Twilight. "Perhaps. Though I suspect it would be better in Canterlot, given the elevation and less humidity."

"Yeah..." Twilight said quietly. "But I can't always be in Canterlot and... the rest of my friends are here, so I thought maybe they'd be interested in it."

Nightmare gave a slow nod. "Something for you all to share in," she summarized. 'And perhaps something we could share.'

Twilight was quiet for a moment, then Nightmare saw her student turn to face her, so she looked at Twilight. "How... do you move the moon?" was Twilight's cautious question.

Nightmare waited a few seconds as she mulled over her student's question. She took a deep breath, then looked behind her. Assured that nopony was watching and listening, she slid her forehooves forward, then folded them as her chestplate rested against the floor. What did Twilight want to know? Was this the opportunity she was waiting for? But Twilight wasn't ready to try.

But Twilight could learn. She could prepare Twilight. Nightmare licked her lips and started nodding. She turned to face Twilight and studied her hopeful, innocent expression. "What did Sister tell you of it?"

Twilight broke eye contact and looked at her neck. "Not... anything, really."

"I see," Nightmare said. She lifted her right wing, then gently traced a few of her feathers along the length of Twilight's back, drawing her friend's gaze back to her own. "As I said before, it is not something that I have to constantly power."

Twilight nodded and gradually turned away from her to face the sky. "Yes, I... remember."

'That is a sore point for you, isn't it?' Nightmare wondered. 'That it did not occur to you or that you failed to realize we do not have to constantly move the sun and moon...' She banished the thought from her mind. "There are... mechanisms in place." She nodded once. "Spells that Sister and I powered. Raising and lowering the moon is a part of the spells which continue to guide the moon across the sky. It is... difficult to explain."

Twilight turned back to her with a folded brow and a slight frown on her lips. "How much do you control? You don't control the meteors."

"The moon," Nightmare answered. "Such is the extent of my birthright." With a hesitant incline of her head, she added, "And as with Sister, I can move the sun, though it is not as natural for me."

And though it went unsaid that the inverse was true, that Sister could move her moon, they both knew it.

Twilight tilted her head. "And what about the night?"

"It too is a part of my birthright, as is the night sky, but I do not control the stars," Nightmare said. "I believe I have said before that I think you overestimate both my and Sister's magic."

Twilight winced and fidgeted where she laid, turning away from her. "Maybe..." was the filly's quiet mumble. Turning back to face her, Twilight's expression hardened as she said, "But you're still an alicorn. Both of you are."

"Yes," Nightmare said with a nod. And Twilight looked at her intently, keeping her from looking away.

"Starswirl the bearded and several unicorns moved the sun and moon before you did, right? That's what the history books say, and that's what Princess Celestia-" Twilight winced and closed her eyes as soon as she realized the mistake.

But it was just that. A mistake. There had been no intent there, and it hadn't been the first time she had heard that damned name. Cadance mocked her with it. But she didn't care. What was the point? That was her sister's name.

"Sorry, I didn't-"

Nightmare brushed her feathers back up to Twilight's withers as she preempted, "Do not apologize. It is fine." Twilight opened her eyes and stared at her. Ignoring it, she lifted her feathers from Twilight's back and turned her eyes to the filly's mane. After a second of contemplation, she lifted her wing higher, then stroked her feathers down the length of the back of Twilight's mane.

Twilight closed her eyes and relaxed, her head drooping lower. "Right..." she mumbled.

Finishing the stroke, Nightmare laid her wing over Twilight's back. It was a feeling she found herself fond of, that of sheltering her friend under her wing. The symbolism made her smile ever so slightly, even if she was the only pony to recognize the promise. Twilight's warmth against her side and the bottom of her wing was most welcome as well. "But yes, you are correct. Starswirl and his council handled the sun and moon before Sister and I took over."

Twilight turned back to meet her gaze. "Could I?" was her simple question.

She found herself staring into the filly's eyes. What had brought on that question? "Perhaps..." she found herself mumbling. She broke eye contact and looked at the stars, but not before she saw some glimmer of something in Twilight's eyes.

"Midnight and Rainbow Dash seem convinced that I could," Twilight said. And Twilight looked away from her, growing visibly uncomfortable.

'They are correct,' she knew. But she would not speak that. Not yet. It would be a surprise, when the time was right. Something they would share in.

A long while passed in silence. Twilight eventually lifted her head back up and looked out at the night sky, and with that, she too turned back to the sky. She heard Spike's claws scratching on the wood. "Tea's ready," he said.

She looked back at him and Twilight did the same. He carried a tray in his claws that held a large tea pitcher and two teacups. Yet he didn't look at her or Twilight's face, rather, his attention was directed at her wing blanketing Twilight's body. She glanced back at her wing for a moment, then looked back at Spike.

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight said as she levitated the tray over, either oblivious to where Spike's attention was or ignoring it.

Spike looked at Twilight and offered a strained, nervous smile. "I-I hope you like it!"

"I am sure it will be fine," Nightmare voiced. Not that it helped Spike feel any better.

"Right. I uh, if you need me I'll be downstairs," Spike said, then disappeared back inside.

She turned back to face Twilight and watched the filly place the tray in front of them, then pour two cups of tea. Twilight's aura enveloped both teacups, and she accepted the cup offered to her. She took a small drink from it and let the smooth warmth caress her tongue before swallowing. The tea tasted of a mixture of apples and chamomile. "He is skittish around me."

Twilight looked aside at her with a grimace. "Yeah..." she drawled. "They all are."

"You are correct," Nightmare noted with a nod. She heard Twilight breathe in, then sigh. She studied Twilight's features and found the filly looking down at her cup of tea, or perhaps through it. She turned back to the sky. 'I am straining your relationship with your friends, aren't I?'

The thought was unwelcome; she did not want to put that strain on Twilight. Twilight had something that she had not had for so long, and she did not want to take that away from her.

A subtle breeze sent the trees' leaves rustling for a few seconds, and after a short while, she could hear the distant buzz of cicadas and the chirping of crickets. A few distant laughs broke the stillness of her night. Twilight's weight shifted at her side, then leaned against her, making her feel the filly's warm body even more pronounced against her side. She tilted her head and turned to watch Twilight.

"What is it like, moving the moon?"

Nightmare looked off at the railing. Thought back on her memories. Reminisced. "I suppose it is... something special, yet I have done it enough that the novelty has worn off. It is more duty than anything now." But that was only part of the reason, and the rest went unsaid. She didn't let the bitterness slip out, but she felt it. Bitterness mixed in with longing and disappointment.

Sister had wounded her so much.

Author's Note

~~I had this chapter written for months, and in that whole time, I never once came up with a good title for it.~~

~~...or any title at all, actually.~~
Titled I considered as of 3/16/20:
Letters From A Pegasus A possibly obscure reference
(Something that translates into roughly, "Tentative letting her guard down")

This chapter feels weaker than I remember, but like I said, it's been written for months and it took me a while to get around to reviewing it.

And oh yeah, rereading this I remember I once had a typo. Misspelled fuchsia as fusha. This is why you have a prereader and make sure to have the right word because otherwise, you end up writing something quite different from what you intended.

A Delayed Hearth's Warming Part 1

Twilight teleported to the garden. Maybe it wasn’t the best choice, but it was safer than teleporting out into Canterlot or trying to teleport further away, and gave her time to try—and likely fail—to collect her thoughts.

'Nightmare Moon has a crush on me? Nightmare Moon has a crush on me.' And for having heard that, Twilight felt dazed.

How did she respond to that?

No, how did she even process that?

'Princess Celestia's sister has a crush on me.'

Somepony probably over a hundred times her age! The pony who moved the moon! The pony who brought eternal night. The pony who banished Princess Celestia and took over Equestria.

'Why? How? I don't... I don't even...'

She halfway expected to see Nightmare Moon smile and hear her say something along the lines of, 'Got you!' but that wasn't Nightmare Moon. No, Nightmare Moon hadn't played some cruel prank on her, nor had the alicorn—'And I'm me!'—lied to her. Nightmare Moon wouldn't lie about that. At least not purposefully. 'Maybe... maybe you don't actually have a crush on me!? Yes! You only think you do because—' because why?

'Why me?'

And yet she felt like it was a stupid question. 'I'm you friend, and maybe the only friend you’ve ever had.'

Maybe then, it wasn't that Nightmare Moon had a crush on her, but that Nightmare Moon didn't understand friendship. Or maybe the alicorn was obsessed with her for some reason neither of them knew. Other than the obvious, because she was Nightmare’s friend.

That was probably the answer, wasn’t it?

Nightmare Moon's voice repeated in her mind, 'I believe the term Cadance would use is crush.'

'You’ve talked to Cadance, haven’t you?'

Her stomach and face felt cold. What had Cadance said? Cadance was the Princess of Love! She bit her lip. Did Cadance set her up? No, Cadance wouldn't do anything like that, Cadance wouldn’t play that kind of prank on anypony. Did that mean Cadance actually thought Nightmare Moon had a crush on her?

She nibbled on her lip.

And even ignoring that, 'I like you more than I should.'

She tossed her head to the left and right. What was she supposed to do!? How was she supposed to react to hearing that admission from Nightmare Moon?

'Okay, Twilight! Just! Don't! Panic!' she told herself.

Though in truth, it was a little late.

She noticed her legs felt frigid and were trembling. Yes, her entire body felt cold now that she thought about it. 'Anxiety? Yes. Yes! Anxiety. I'm anxious and worried and—and oh what am I supposed to do!?'

She inhaled as deep as she could—her lungs protested it—and held her breath. She closed her eyes, then waited. Waited until she felt her heart throbbing. Waited until her lungs burned. Waited until her body started fidgeting and until she couldn't take it anymore.

She exhaled and opened her eyes, then gasped for breath.

The edges of her vision flickered. She felt light.

She focused on her breathing. Ignored the panic spurred on by what Nightmare Moon said. Looked at the garden. Frowned at the dull, lackluster plants. Only a few flowers were blooming, and most of them were an icy blue. 'Right. Winter.'

She shook her head, then trotted into the maze of hedges. She barely paid any attention to where she went, only letting the icy blue flowers and statues draw her gaze. 'Okay. Think. Focus.'

She listened and heard the trickling of water—the fountains—and metal boots clicking against the ground—guards on patrol.

She stopped and turned around. Faced the moon. Looked up at it. 'Your sister. Has a crush on me.'

Yes, she could imagine how that letter would go: 'Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned that your little sister has a crush on me. Your faithful future sister-in-law, Twilight Sparkle.'

Her body felt downright frigid. She gulped. Where was her blood? Her heart was certainly hammering away, but her blood certainly wasn't flowing through her veins. She could tell because of how cold she was. No warm-blooded mammal had any right feeling that cold.

Maybe she was just dreaming after all. But if that was true, why was she still asleep?

'What am I supposed to do?' But Princess Celestia couldn't answer her. Even if the Princess could, she had no idea what she would hear her say.

And all that she thought of was when Spike read Princess Celestia's last letter to her. 'You told me to make some friends, not find a special somepony.' She grimaced. It didn't help.

'I should talk to Cadance,' she thought. She nodded to herself and turned away from the moon. 'Or my friends.'

She walked deeper into the garden.

'Or my parents.'

'Or my brother.'

And as she considered every option, she came to a realization: every choice was equally as bad as the last. Yes, because telling her parents that Nightmare Moon had a crush on her was such a good idea! Yes, telling her brother that Nightmare Moon had a crush on her couldn't possibly backfire! And telling her friends? Well, maybe that wasn't the worst idea; she wasn't sure how they would react.

'No, Cadance is probably the best choice.' Yes, the Princess of Love could advise her. 'Advise me with what!?' It was Nightmare Moon who had the crush on her!

How was she supposed to respond?

Her ears folded back and she sighed as she walked on, no longer caring for the flowers and statues. Her head drooped.

'I should tell the girls. Or should I?' She lifted her head back up in thought. They wouldn't take it well. They didn't need to know. They were her friends.

'I should tell my brother. And parents.'

She walked on for a few seconds before realizing she wanted to avoid those conversations as long as possible. Yet both were unavoidable.

She grimaced a lot.

And Nightmare Moon had a crush on her. 'She said she has for a while.' She stopped to think, trying to remember if there was anything that should have been obvious. But with her own inexperience and Nightmare Moon's inexperience, she raked her brain and still found nothing.

'Do you love me?' she remembered asking. 'I do not know,' Nightmare Moon answered.

She didn't know what to think of that, either. Nightmare Moon had a crush on her but didn't know if she loved her? She felt confused. She felt lost. She felt frustrated. She felt exasperated.

And, of course, frigid.

'You care about me. That much is obvious.' She walked on, remembering her teacher's admission of, 'More than I should.'

But what was Nightmare Moon comparing how much she should care about her to? 'Maybe you only think you care about me more than you should? Maybe it's because you're you—the queen—that you think you care too much about me? Maybe it's because you think it's detrimental to you?'

But, if Nightmare Moon thought it was detrimental to her, why did Nightmare Moon continue to care rather than stamping it out? What did it mean that Nightmare Moon didn't put a stop to it? Was Nightmare Moon choosing to care about her, even though she thought it was bad?

And what did that mean for her? 'You are yet young.' And Nightmare Moon had been banished for one thousand years. She, in comparison, wasn't quite seventeen.

And with that thought in mind, she in no way had any desire to tell anypony what Nightmare Moon told her. As if infamy for being Nightmare Moon's student wasn't bad enough, adding on 'the pony Nightmare Moon has a crush on' would more than do it.

Yes, it would be bad for anypony to learn that.

She bit her lip as she walked on.

"And they might realize they can hurt her worse by hurting me..." she said under her breath.

She groaned and shook her head. 'Okay. Focus. If Nightmare Moon has a crush on me, what does that change?'

Yes! That was a good question to start with. 'I'm her student and she has a crush on me. My teacher has a crush on me.' She regretted that, for the slightest moment, the thought entered her mind, 'What would have happened if Princess Celestia had a crush on me?'

She was tempted to run headfirst into the nearest statue.

'Okay, so it makes her being my teacher more awkward.' But even so, she still wanted to learn from Nightmare Moon. And maybe it wouldn't be awkward at all! The only difference was now she knew that Nightmare Moon had a crush on her. Perhaps nothing would change at all. Perhaps she was worried about nothing.

'We're still friends.' And she didn't like the idea of sacrificing their friendship just because it would be awkward.

But then did that mean Nightmare Moon had more hidden motives? Could she trust Nightmare Moon if the alicorn did have a crush on her? But Nightmare Moon had admitted it when she didn't have to. And Nightmare Moon was kind—at least to her. 'And maybe that's why you're kind to me,' she thought with a grimace.

And what had she done? She ran away like a foal. 'I just needed to think.'

Yes, Nightmare Moon was right. They did need to talk. Though maybe they didn't need to discuss Nightmare Moon's crush on her.

'Maybe if you have a crush on me, you’re willing to let your guard down?' She stopped and thought about it: if Nightmare Moon was willing to admit that, then maybe it was a good sign! And of course, Nightmare Moon already had let her guard down with her so much. 'You don’t wear your armor very often anymore. We stargaze together. We slept together. You admitted that you have a crush on me.' She doubted Nightmare Moon would have admitted anything like that six months ago. 'No, you probably would have just—'

She ended that thought and walked on to leave it behind.

So yes, Nightmare Moon did care about her, although it had been months since she had doubted that. She thought back, remembering Nightmare's apology for forcing her to become her student, remembering Nightmare's apology for mistreating her when she returned, and remembering Nightmare's apology for doubting their friendship. She remembered Nightmare's pained expression, the doubt and fear in her eyes. And she found herself frowning. 'You care about me a lot.'

Just how much did she mean to Nightmare Moon?

The night didn't feel quite so cold, but she felt all-too-aware of the silence. Even the trickling of fountains sounded muffled.

Was it healthy for Nightmare Moon to have a crush on her? 'Probably not.' She grimaced again. 'But I don't think any less of you for it.'

'Though perhaps in the future, if you are not opposed,' Nightmare had said. 'You're willing to date me. Do you want to? No, you do, don't you? But you're—' "You're afraid," she whispered.

'I have many fears,' Nightmare Moon had said.

'You're afraid I'm going to reject you.' And in her own way, Luna felt rejected by Princess Celestia. 'And I just teleported away. I shouldn't have done that. I should have stayed and we should have talked more. I need to apologize for that.' She winced and grimaced, regretting her decision to just teleport away—but then what was the alternative?

And still, how did she feel about knowing that Nightmare Moon wanted to court her? The thought left her once again on the verge of panicking, considering the prospect of dating Nightmare Moon. 'She's an alicorn. She's Princess Celestia's sister. She's a lot older than me. She's my mentor.'

It was intimidating. Though maybe it shouldn't have been. 'We're friends.'

What would a date with Nightmare Moon be like, anyway? She couldn’t imagine it—between not having any experience with it aside from memories of some of the times she had seen her brother and Cadance dating and not being able to imagine Nightmare Moon letting down her guard enough to enjoy a date, she just couldn’t imagine it.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. Held the breath for a few seconds, then exhaled and opened her eyes. Walked on and listened to the click of her hooves against the ground. She finally calmed down enough to ask herself, 'Would I be opposed?'

It was intimidating.

She would be nervous and anxious.

They were friends.

She didn't have a crush on Nightmare Moon.

But she wasn't completely against giving it a chance—and realizing that made her heart stutter, made her stomach feel queasy with anxiety.

She rounded a hedge and immediately regretted it: her mind and body skidded to a stop as she stared ahead at Discord's statue. Pins raced through her body and she would have sworn her fur stood on end, despite knowing it shouldn't have. She nearly backpedaled, but knowing, 'You're sealed in stone. You can't do anything,' was just enough to stop her. Not that she liked being near that statue.

And so it came as a surprise when she heard Discord chuckle. The pins that ran through her body before paled in comparison to the jolt of shock that shot through her body. "Y-you're—!?"

She heard Discord huff in her mind. 'Oh, no. Unfortunately not. At least, not yet.' She could feel him smirk, picture him rolling his eyes at the last word. 'So, what brings little miss magic to my knee of the garden?'

She cautiously turned her head to the right and begrudgingly approached. She set her eyes all over his stone form, but saw no cracks or imperfections that could betray him escaping. She could still feel him rolling his eyes.

'Wait!' his voice suddenly boomed in her mind, making her jerk back. 'Don't tell me. Let me guess.'

She would have sworn she heard him inhale and felt a gust of wind rush by her.

'You're here because Luna said she has a crush on you and, Luna being Tia's sister, you're panicking and overwhelmed by the concept!'

"How did—!?"

'Oh, don't be so surprised. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, remember? I may be imprisoned but I can still hear, you know.'

"I'm leaving now," she stated, then turned. There was nothing to be gained from interacting with Discord; he was a liar.

'Not even going to stay and chat with poor, hapless me? Oh, woe is me, trapped in stone for however long it is until I break free again!'

She stopped and glared at his statue. "Yeah, no. I don't feel sorry for you, given what you did."

'Oh, but you should! You gave Luna a chance and she has a crush on you now. Why not me? Oooh! Who knows, maybe I could develop a crush on you-ou!' his voice sing-songed teasingly.

'Nope.' She wouldn't give that idea any purchase in her mind.

‘But think about it! We could cuddle up together like how you and Luna have, my body curled around yours and—’

Twilight clenched her eyes shut—she didn’t imagine sleeping with Discord, but she was reminded of Nightmare Moon holding her last night. Even with what Nightmare Moon had said, it was still a comforting memory. ‘No.’

She heard him huff. 'Fine. Well, how about some advice from your friendly neighborhood Spirit of Chaos?'

She could just leave. She wanted to. She should have. She knew she should have. But instead, she groaned and turned back to face his statue. "And why, exactly, should I listen to your advice? You lie and manipulate! You have no reason to give me advice!" And, of course, listening to it was crazy.

She heard him cackle in her mind. 'Don't you remember? You're supposed to be the smart one. If I always do what's unexpected, then you expect me to do the unexpected, and then when I do something unexpected you expect me to do it and it's not unexpected, then if I do something you'd expect, you wouldn't expect me to do that and so it's unexpected.'

She growled and tightened her jaw. "And why, exactly, would you want to give me advice? I distinctly remember you saying she wanted to kill me." She paused for a moment, flexed her brow and pressed, "Well, maybe you haven't noticed, but she doesn't."

She heard Discord snort. 'Yes, yes. And I'll have you know I stand by it. Do you know why?'

Twilight tossed her head back. "No, but I have a feeling that you're going to tell me."

'Of course!' he emphatically offered. Again she heard him inhale and it felt like his body curled around her neck again. 'It's quite simple, really. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yourself!'

'Then again, maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were. Hmm. Yes, I suppose that explains it.'

"Discord," she hissed.

'Hmm. Yes. Let's see here. The pony who banished her sister to the moon—'

"Princess Celestia did that too," Twilight said flatly.

Ignoring her, Discord continued, '—has a crush on you. Now. Think, little miss magic. Luna wanted to kill her own dear sister. How much then, I find myself wondering, can having a crush on you mean?'

Doubt edged its way into her mind.

'She was, after all, already willing to kill family before. And you're not even related to her. You don't have half the history with her that Tia did!'

She clenched her jaw. "So what, then? Luna and Princess Celestia didn't exactly seem to get along."

He made some kind of dismissive grunt. 'Oh, please. Ask her about it sometime. If she really is so honest with you, then she'll admit something along the lines of how they grew up together, how they loved each other—being sisters, you know. And of course, Tia took care of Luna when they were younger.'

She lifted her head up a little higher. "I will."

'Good.' She felt him smile. 'And I think we both know what happened next. Well, not in so many details for you—you weren't alive back then—but it's painfully obvious by looking at the moon.'

A bit of her determination wilted.

'So tell me, little miss magic: if Luna had loved Tia so much with them having grown up together, and then turned on her and tried to kill her and usurp the throne of Equestria after ruling together for hundreds of years, what does that mean for you?' he asked. 'You've known her for all of half a year. Tia and Luna loved each other for centuries. Or who knows! Maybe I'm wrong! Wouldn't that be positively fascinating!? Imagine it! Only knowing her for six months and in that time it was more than enough for Luna to love you more than she ever loved Tia!'

He let out a giddy cackle that frayed her mane.

That cackle came to a sudden stop. 'She wanted to kill Tia out of jealousy. Tia banished her for a thousand years. Do you know what that does to a pony? I could tell you, you know. Can Luna truly be sane? Stop and think about it. A thousand years alone. How many generations of ponies is that? Multiple lives... The same sight to look at. Bound, unable to do anything. Only able to think... Only able to plan... Only able to rage. And when she returned? She sentenced Tia to the exact. Same. Fate.'

She bit her lip. The night, for all its beauty and wonder, felt as if it were pressing down on her from all sides.

`And she claims to have morals? She claims its justified? Oh little miss magic, I laugh at her supposed moral high ground. She threw her sister away for power. What, may I ask, is stopping her from throwing you away for the exact. Same. Reason?'

She shook her head. "No... She wouldn't—"

'If you were smart,' he challenged, 'you'd know how bad of an idea this is. Luna having a crush on you is nothing more than a death sentence for you, one way or another. And so I find myself wondering, will it be her jealousy that drives her to kill you, or some other pony wanting to use you against Luna? Maybe you'll rule Equestria alongside her. Ponies will love you more... and she will resent you... and hate you. Or maybe ponies will grow to hate you too in addition to Luna growing to hate you. Just imagine... she would be bringing you down with her, when she inevitably falls.'

"Your advice... is that it's a bad idea..?" she quietly mumbled. She heard him chuckle in her mind.

'Of course. Or, maybe I'm lying to you, just like you think. Or maybe it's both? But I pose the question: am I wrong?'

"You... you're just trying to..." To what? To hurt her? To damage her relationship with Nightmare Moon? To unnerve her? The answer was probably yes.

But he made a point. And that he did, she found herself recoiling at the thought: 'Discord is telling me that it's a bad idea, and it is a bad idea.'

She felt him smile.

It was exactly what he wanted, and so she cringed. Maybe then she should give it a chance—just to annoy Discord. But no, that was the wrong reason and would likely hurt Nightmare Moon. Maybe she should give it a chance—but it was a bad idea.

'Of course it's a bad idea!' he reaffirmed.

Then again, Discord was the one saying that. She couldn't trust him. But he might have been right: it was a bad idea.

‘And just imagine how easily you could break her if you lead her on... Dating her without loving her... and her finally realizing the truth, or dating her and growing to despise her... I daresay you could break her even more than Tia did.’

She wilted at the thought. Nightmare Moon was already letting her guard down—breaking her heart now would be cruel, and likely mean—

'And so what will you do, little miss magic? Will you give her a chance, or will you heed my advice?'

He fell silent.

And so she thought. 'I don't know. I don't want to deal with this.' At least not now. There was already too much for her to deal with. She took in a deep breath, then forced it back out. Nightmare Moon having a crush on her, if she was being honest, didn't seem to change much: the only difference was now she knew. 'Though perhaps in the future, If you are not opposed,' Nightmare Moon had said.

No, Discord was just trying to manipulate her for his own gains. Driving a wedge between her and Nightmare Moon was in his best interest. So armed with that knowledge, she steeled herself. 'I'm not opposed to trying, eventually.'

Even if it was intimidating.

She heard Discord inhale. 'Hmm. I wonder what the foals will be like. Will they take after you and worship the ground Tia walks on, or will they want to kill her like Luna does? Ooh! What are you going to name them? Shimmering Night? Nyx? Oh! I can't wait to see what chaos comes of this!'

She finally found out where her blood had gone because her face felt hot. "Th-that's n-not..."

'What, not possible?' He laughed. 'Oh little miss magic,' he cooed in the voice a mother comforting her foal, 'I promise you that if you look, you'll find some spells for tha-at,' he teased.

Yes, she had had enough of this conversation. She turned around and promptly strode away from that accursed statue. She heard him laughing in her mind as she left, and she would have sworn she heard the ticking of a clock.

'I should be dealing with the changelings,' Nightmare Moon knew, and yet, 'I will after this.'

But why did visiting Cadance matter? Why did speaking with her niece—the Princess of Love—weigh on her more than dealing with the remnant changelings in Canterlot? Why did it demand her attention so much more than hunting down the Queen?

'This is foolish,' she chastised herself.

And yet she still walked the hallways to Cadance's room in silence. The guards—there were few of them as most of them were otherwise occupied—gave her cursory glances as she walked by, all going on unaware of her destination and her thoughts, all unaware of the burns that she had hidden with her magic.

Twilight's reaction was mostly as expected, though perhaps not teleporting away—but it did not surprise her. It would be good for the filly to collect her thoughts after she had made her confession. Even if it hurt. But, why had she hoped for anything else?

'Perhaps I should have waited longer. Perhaps I should not have told you until after we had dealt with the changelings. You have been through a lot and I only put more on you.'

Perhaps telling Twilight, then, had not been something that she needed to do to be honest with Twilight, but for her own benefit so that she would feel better.

And so as she walked on, she felt so very aware of the silence. The subtle click of her hooves against the marble. The chill in the air. The glances from Royal Guards and batponies as she passed them by.

A tinge of worry pricked her mind: 'There are yet changelings free in Canterlot and you teleported away.'

She had no idea where Twilight was.

She had no idea if Twilight was safe.

She had no idea if Queen Chrysalis was after Twilight again.

'You can take care of yourself,' she told herself. But she still remembered that the changelings had somehow bested Twilight. Twice. 'You faced a Changeling Queen and lost,' and it was disappointing though not surprising; the Queen had caught Twilight off-guard. Just like her. 'How did she capture you the second time?' Amidst the chaos of the battle, she had not seen.

'In a straight-up battle, would you defeat her?' she wondered.

The answer ought to be 'Yes,' but she was unsure.

Twilight needed to be able to. But for now, all she could do was try to force the worry and concern aside and hope that Twilight was safe and would be fine.

'With the changelings, there is no such thing as a straight-up battle.' She remembered the changeling who took Twilight's form. She remembered the fear in Twilight's eyes.

And now that she was not in battle, it hurt.

But she had been wrong. She had not had nightmares about it. At least not yet.

She had slept peacefully last night.

She approached the door to Cadance's chambers—the four guards nodded at her almost in sync, and she nodded back—and then stopped and knocked. She waited for several seconds before the door opened. Cadance faced her, regarding her tiredly; her mane was disheveled, unbrushed, and hints of sleep lingered under her eyes. "Nightmare?" Cadance asked, her brow folding down. "Is everything okay?"

'You are asking about the changelings.' She tilted her head back and looked off at the wall. "I... do not know," she managed to say, then faced Cadance and met her gaze. Her niece frowned, opened the door wider, and stepped aside to grant her entrance, so she walked inside and cast her gaze about her niece's chambers.

She saw Twilight's brother in bed, still sleeping. 'So I am not the only pony who did not sleep alone last night.' Though likely it was for Cadance's sake, rather than the Captain's. Or perhaps it helped him keep the shield strong. Regardless, she would hardly chastise them. It would be hypocritical. She watched him for a few seconds, then turned her head to face Cadance. The door clicked as it closed.

"What's going on?" Cadance asked.

She looked back at the Captain and closed the door to Cadance's bedchambers, then nodded once. "I..." and she found herself trailing off in hesitation as that damned anxiety tortured her chest and stomach again. She let out a short, frustrated groan and tossed her head once before facing Cadance and forcing herself to say, "I told Twilight." And surely that was all she needed to say; Cadance could figure out the rest.

For a moment, Cadance's only reaction was a twitch of her brow. The lesser alicorn's mouth parted, then closed for a moment. Worry flickered through her eyes. A frown pulled at her lips. "How did she take it?"

She envisioned Twilight teleporting away again and grimaced—she remembered how she felt, how she had stood there, doubting she had made the right choice as she still doubted. She turned her head to the left and regarded the wall. "About as well as I had expected." She faced Cadance again before elaborating, "She was confused and—" she squinted; perhaps it wasn't quite the right word, but it worked, "—anxious."

Cadance's head drifted to the right as a grimace spread across her lips. "That... sounds like her."

She nodded in agreement and defeat. "She teleported away after we spoke so that she could think."

Cadance looked at her again. "And what about you? How are you taking it?"

She grimaced and looked at the floor before catching herself and forcing her gaze back to the wall. "I do not know. Perhaps... disappointed, I suppose. Though her reaction was not unexpected, it is..." she trailed off and simply shook her head. 'Disappointing. You are still young.' She met Cadance's gaze. "It is unfair of me to have told her this, is it not?"

Cadance's head swayed left and then right before centering again. Her niece gave a short, calm nod. "You could have timed it better."

She turned away from Cadance again. ‘Perhaps the changeling Queen intended for this to distract me... Perhaps that is why she was so blunt in pushing for me to tell Twilight...’ She grimaced at the thought. "I should have waited until after we had... dealt with the changelings." She studied the wall, though there was nothing to see, then turned back to Cadance. "I do not know what to do. I do not know what I am doing. I do not have experience with this, Cadance."

Cadance nodded in understanding. "And Twilight doesn't either."

And how it pained her to hear that! She felt her ears fold back and saw Cadance's eyes jump to them, so corrected the problem. "I know," she admitted in barely more than a mumble. "She is young. Too young."

Cadance's eyelids twitched, but then she gradually nodded. "There's always going to be an age difference between you two."

'There will be,' she knew, and it pained her. It wasn't fair on Twilight and would never be fair on her. She inhaled, then exhaled. "I will wait. I will... perhaps offer to court her when she is older."

Cadance raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps?"

She groaned. "Niece," and tossed her head left and right. It only made Cadance smirk playfully. "I have made her uncomfortable... and I do not want her to reject me. I do not want to hurt her by courting her before she is ready..."

Cadance's smirk twisted into a frown. "You're afraid to take a chance."

She reluctantly nodded. "I am." ‘I should not be telling Cadance this.’ It was downright foolish—Cadance could so easily take advantage of it and use it against her!—and yet she still admitted it to her Niece.

Cadance looked disappointed. "You care about her." Niece tilted her head to the right and smiled sheepishly. "And while yes, you could have timed this better—" Cadance straightened her head, but her smile lingered, "—it's a good first step."

"A first step towards what?" Because what was there for her? No matter how much she desired it, it was unfair for Twilight and would simply never be. To consider it? Her dreams nothing more than fantasy. Delusions. She was deceiving herself.

Cadance nodded intently. "It's what you want. It makes you happy," Cadance pointed out, and more softly, "Give it—give Twilight—a chance. Like you already have."

Her ears pinned back. She tried but couldn't correct their posture. "It cannot work out, Cadance. It will not work out. She does not even consider the idea. To her it is insane, to her it is overwhelming."

And Cadance nodded in agreement. "It is."

Her ears finally lifted back up and she shook her head. "It is foolish! And yet you say to give it a chance..." She felt bitter knowing it would never be. She felt disappointed, knowing it was her fate.

Cadance smiled a fond, assured smile, one bright and warm, then confidently answered, "Because it takes time."

And she simply stood resolute, betraying none of her worries, nor any of her disappointment. How was it that Cadance could be so confident? "She does not share my feelings."

For a moment, Cadance only looked at her. Then her niece inclined her head once and said, "Maybe not your crush, but a crush is temporary. Love is as much of a choice as a feeling. You already love her."

She scowled. "I do not believe that I love—"

Cadance preemptively shook her head. "You do. In your own way. You choose to open yourself up to her, don't you? You've said it yourself. You could have simply killed her. You chose not to. You have compassion for her. You’ve let your guard down with her. She's your friend—"

"My best friend," she corrected.

Cadance smiled genuinely. "Best friend."

'Perhaps I should not have said that,' she considered. "I still do not know if I would say that I love her."

Cadance tilted her head a bit. "You already love her. As a friend, but you do love her. Like she loves the rest of her friends."

She considered it. "Perhaps."

Cadance bowed her head and looked at her pointedly. "Are you trying to argue with the Princess of Love about whether you love her or not?"

She said nothing, rather, her body decided to fidget against her will.

Cadance lifted her head again. "Twilight might not have a crush on you, but she loves you as a friend."

'She loves you as a friend,' repeated in her mind. It tore at her heart. Not the pain of rejection, but that Twilight was her friend. Twilight could have so easily said no to that, but the filly did not. She looked off to the left and then looked down at the floor. Twilight could have simply rejected her already—she deserved nothing less for how she had treated Twilight—and yet Twilight chose to be her friend. "And I treasure that," she whispered.

A few seconds passed before Cadance nodded. She looked back at her niece. "I think if you give her a chance, then she'll be willing to give you a chance."

She frowned and turned away from her niece again. "I do not want to risk her rejection."

"You already told her," Cadance pointed out. "Why stop now? You care about her. What would you do if she rejected you?"

She looked at the floor again, though she did not even need to give thought to her answer. "I cannot force her to court me," she said, then lifted her head and faced Cadance. "But I do not want to risk our friendship, and courting her could jeopardize it."

Cadance nodded solemnly. "It could, but I don’t think it will. Twilight cares about you. We both know this is something that you want, something that makes you happy. And I know you don't want to hurt her. If I thought you did, I wouldn't be helping you."

She grimaced and gradually looked off to her left. She testingly said, "I do... appreciate your... help," and found she did not like saying that. Cadance hummed musically. "Why?" she asked, turning to meet Cadance's gaze again. "Why are you helping me?"

Cadance's brow creased. "You're my aunt—"

She tilted her head. "And yet you have no reason to truly care. Sister raised and taught you, and I have taken her from you and Twilight both."

She heard Cadance inhale, then her niece bowed her head before lifting it back up. "Because you're my aunt. You're family."

She scowled, bitterly remembering Sister's deeds.

And yet, Cadance continued, "Because I think it will be good for you—"

"Good for me," she repeated, her lips twitching at the words.

"I care about Celestia. I care about Twilight. And I care about you, Nightmare Moon," Cadance said in a soft, disarming voice. "I have my reservations," Cadance admitted with a calm nod, "but I do think it can work out, and I do know how much you care about her, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself."

She squinted at Cadance.

"I know she makes you happy, and I know you love her as a friend. I know that she loves you as a friend too. I know that Twilight's young, but I know you don't want to hurt her. I know that this isn't going to be easy on either of you."

Cadance stepped forward, smile a soft, innocent smile that was disarming. More befitting a foal than a princess. "But I also know you're willing to try." Her niece pressed her chest against her own and laid her head against her neck. Draped her right foreleg around her back, pulled her close. "And I know you're hurting. You should be happy too."

And for a moment, she simply stood there as Cadance hugged her, considering it. It was not a threat, not a lie. Neither a manipulation meant to deceive nor something meant to lower her guard to slip a dagger into her back. She breathed in, then gradually leaned her head to her right and laid her head against Cadance's and returned the hug. Cadance's hug wasn't forced, rather it was genuine.

'Why? Why do you care? Why do you think this can work out? Why would you want it to work out?' But her mind could grasp no answer. 'You should not approve. You should hate me. You should desire to bring Sister back and defeat me. You should not desire for me to court Twilight, and yet you do. Why?'

“Twilight has been good for you. You’re not the same bitter mare you were when we first met.”

There it was. Cadance’s desire for self-preservation. It had to be the real reason behind trying to—to help her. ‘But... you’re right about—about us.’ She was better off now than when she first returned—she had a friend, a best friend, a confidant, and she wasn’t as bitter—she could relax.

“I trust you not to hurt her.”

And she tentatively hugged Cadance, feeling confused and lost and unfocused.

Several seconds passed—it was peaceful, but not nearly as peaceful as the time she shared with Twilight—before Cadance pulled back to look at her with an encouraging, albeit serious smile.

“You—” Nightmare swallowed, “—you say that she makes me happy, but... what about Twilight?” she asked.

Cadance breathed in and nodded. “In your own way, you make her happy too. You two have a special relationship, one besides being Mentor and Student. You’ve said it yourself: Twilight is your best friend. I think—” Cadance looked aside and nodded to herself before looking back at Nightmare, “—you’re her best friend too.”

Nightmare’s brow folded down slightly and she looked down at the floor. “But she does not share my feelings.”

“Not yet,” Cadance murmured.

Nightmare lifted her head back to face Cadance. “You—you think she can?”

Cadance nodded calmly. “She enjoys spending time with you, and as much as I think she’s good for you, I think you’re good for her too. You’ve already helped her a lot—and I think you see that. She may not have a crush on you, and maybe she never will, but...” Cadance smiled a soft, caring smile. “I think you can make her happy. You have it in you.”

Nightmare swallowed again and tentatively nodded. “You think I should pursue it then.”

“I do,” Cadance said happily.

She nodded more cautiously. “Perhaps... perhaps I will, but... I... I need to wait. She is... she is still young.”

Cadance nodded again, then pressed her chest to Nightmare’s and hugged her again. “She’s always going to be a lot younger than you, Nightmare Moon. Yes, you should wait for her to be older first before dating her. But don’t keep her waiting forever.”

Nightmare hugged Cadance back. “Perhaps...”

With all of it on her mind, it took a while before her thoughts returned to, 'The changelings.' Dread arose in her chest: she needed to tend to them, lest any further damage assail Canterlot. It did not matter how she felt, it did not matter that she did not want to. She had little choice. She pulled back from Cadance and shook her head. "I must attend to the changelings. If you see Twilight..."

What was there for her to say?

She turned away and looked at the wall on the left side of the door. "Tell her what I am doing and that we will speak later."

Having settled her nerves and reorganized her mind, Twilight finally walked the length of the hallway to Nightmare Moon's chambers. As she approached the door, the guard on the right looked at her in acknowledgment. "Good evening," was his greeting. She nodded back and wrapped the door in her magic. He shifted his weight, so she stopped to look at him. "The Queen isn't here right now. She left to speak with Princess Cadance."

Nightmare Moon was speaking with Cadance. A tinge of worry came back, fluttering around in the back of her mind. She managed to keep it in check, though. "Oh. Thank you." 'What about Spike? Is he still here?' Rather than ask, she went ahead and opened the door and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her. As the guard said, Nightmare Moon wasn't there. The magelight in the study was on, but the bedroom was dark. She didn't see any sign of Spike and walked into the bedroom.

He was still asleep in his basket. She glanced around the room, checking to see if Nightmare Moon was there without the guards knowing about it, but to her disappointment, her mentor wasn't there. 'You probably shouldn't wake up here,' she decided as she set her gaze back on Spike. She walked over to his basket and wrapped it in her magic, then teleported both the basket and Spike back to her tower. 'I hope I didn't wake you up.'

Although Spike would be waking up soon enough anyway.

She stood there in the darkness for a few seconds to contemplate what to do. 'I should probably go see if she's still with Cadance, and if she's not I guess I can talk to Cadance about it.' A grimace set on her lips as she turned and walked back out into the hallway.

Maybe it was simply what Nightmare Moon had told her, but the walk to Cadance's room felt different. It felt like it took longer, it felt quieter. Maybe there had been fewer guards, but she hadn't paid attention so she wasn't sure. However, Cadance’s room was more heavily guarded than usual. She approached the door and knocked.

After a few seconds, the door glowed with Cadance's aura and opened. "Can we talk?" she asked.

Cadance smiled and nodded, stepping back inside. "Of course, Twilight."

She walked inside and looked around, half expecting that Nightmare Moon was there, but she didn't see her mentor anywhere. She wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad.

"She already left," Cadance murmured. Twilight turned back to look at Cadance as she closed the door. It clicked when it shut. "She said to tell you that she was going to be... busy with the changelings and that she'd talk with you later."

'Right. Changelings. This isn't timed well,' she thought as a grimace spread across her lips. She looked off at the wall, avoiding Cadance's gaze. "Right. Talk later..." But as much as she needed to talk with Nightmare Moon, she wouldn't hold it against her teacher for deciding to prioritize dealing with the changeling invasion before talking about that. "I guess it makes sense that she'd want to finish up with that..." she admitted. She turned back to face Cadance; Cadance smiled at her sheepishly. She shifted her weight.

What was she supposed to say?

How was she supposed to start this conversation?

"You two, uh, already talked?" she ventured.

Cadance gave a calm, collected nod. "We did."

"About..?" she ventured, biting her tongue before saying anything else. 'You already know. Of course you already know. You talked with Nightmare Moon before! How many times? And she said that you said she has a crush on me.'

Cadance nodded again. "She told me what she said to you."

She shifted her weight. "Um, right. That..." She gradually looked off to the right, studying the wall and peeking inside Cadance's bedroom. They were, from what she could see, alone.

Even if it was just the two of them, even if Cadance was her friend and former foalsitter, she felt nervous.

Cadance was the Princess of Love.

She breathed in and turned back to face Cadance, feeling a bit of the chill from earlier return.

Cadance bowed her head reassuringly and murmured, "You said you wanted to talk?"

She hesitated a few seconds before nodding and looking off at the floor beside her right hoof. "Yes..." She heard the chime of Cadance's magic and a crack and flash of light; when she looked, she saw Cadance setting two pillows down on the floor, accompanied by a pitcher of tea and two teacups. Cadance smiled, and she smiled back sheepishly.

Cadance turned and walked over to sit down on her cushion, and she followed, then sat down on her own facing Cadance. "I don't... I don't know what to say," she admitted while Cadance poured two cups of tea. She took the one she was offered and looked down at it. She just barely saw her reflection. "I don't know where to start."

"Start wherever you're comfortable with," Cadance coaxed.

She grimaced and looked up at her former foalsitter. Her eyes were soft, though there was a glint of playfulness in them. "Nightmare Moon has a crush on me," she admitted. And Cadance nodded. 'Or,' she considered, 'thinks she has a crush on me.' "She said she has a crush on me."

"She does," Cadance answered in a soft murmur.

She leaned forward. "She does?"

Cadance nodded, then lifted her teacup to her lips to take a sip. She gradually sat back and waited for Cadance to finish. When Cadance finished taking a regal sip of her tea, she set the cup back down on the floor. "She cares about you a lot, and I think she cares about you more than she realizes or is willing to admit."

Her gaze dropped to Cadance's chest, then fell to the surface of her tea. She couldn't help but remember the times when she had stargazed with Nightmare Moon and how content her mentor seemed to just be around her when they were alone. 'Maybe I just didn't see it?' she wondered, but couldn't be sure. Princess Celestia was always calm around her, but Princess Celestia was always calm. Nightmare Moon, in contrast, seemed agitated almost always, save for when they were alone. "Yeah..." She looked back up at Cadance. "Us being friends means a lot to her."

Cadance nodded and softly answered, "It does."

They fell back into silence. She looked down at her tea for a few seconds, then lifted it to her lips and took a short drink from it. She welcomed the sweet warmth.

"And how do you feel about what she said?" Cadance asked.

She held the teacup to her lips a few seconds longer, then set it down on the floor. She swallowed and licked her lips, then looked at the door. "I think..." she trailed off, Discord's 'advice' replaying through her mind, bringing her to grimace. 'It is a bad idea.'

And maybe she was being a fool, then.

She shook her head and looked back up at Cadance. "I don't have a crush on her or anything, but we are friends and I'm happy we're friends." She paused and leaned her head to the right. "Granted..." she grumbled, "Nightmare Moon telling me that she has a crush on me surprises me. To say the least."

Cadance smiled and giggled softly. "She did say you were overwhelmed."

She nodded, then hung her head. "I was, yes." Lifting her head back up to meet Cadance's gaze, she said, "I mean, it's Princess Celestia's sister. And—" she shook her head vigorously, "—and there's so much just..." She stopped shaking her head. "I don't know. It caught me off-guard."

She leaned forward. "Why me?"

Cadance looked off to the left. "I don't know if she knows, Twilight," was her admission.

She leaned back again, frowning slightly. ‘You know why, but you think Nightmare Moon doesn’t know why.’ "Does she actually have a crush on me?" Cadance turned back to look at her. "Or does she only think she does?"

Cadance nodded. "She does have a crush on you Twilight. I can tell. I am the Princess of Love."

"She said she didn't know if she loved me," she pointed out.

Cadance smiled almost sadly. "Twilight, you know well enough that there's more than one kind of love. She does love you, as a friend. And you love her as a friend too."

After a few seconds, she looked at Cadance's chest. "Well... Yeah..."

Cadance took another sip of her tea, then set it back down.

She opened her mouth, only to stop and set her head at an angle. She closed her mouth, then met Cadance's gaze. "Do you actually think that—" she broke eye contact, "—that... I don't know, that it could work out?"

"Do you want it to?" Cadance asked.

Twilight silently watched Cadance’s chest for a few seconds. "I don't know. I don't have a crush on her. I don't think I'm opposed to, um, dating her eventually, but..." Twilight trailed off and bit her lip.

"You're anxious and worried," Cadance calmly finished for her.

She let go of her lip. All things considered? "Yes."

"She is too," Cadance murmured. Twilight looked back up at Cadance. "She's afraid you’ll reject her."

Twilight felt her brow pull down at that. "I know she's afraid of that..." she said softly.

"But it is your choice, Twilight," Cadance pointed out. "If you don't want to, then don't. Lying to her will only hurt her more."

Twilight frowned. 'If I don't want to give her a chance, she'll think I'm rejecting her, won't she? And that will hurt her.' But if she didn't want to, and did give it a chance anyway, it would only hurt them both more than saying no. "I don't know what to do."

"Talk to her," Cadance said. "Be open. Be honest. Neither of you have experience with this, Twilight."

She grimaced and turned away. "It's... hard. It's complicated."

Because of everything that had happened in the past six months. And so she felt defeated when she thought back on everything. Defeated and overwhelmed. She nudged her head back to look at Cadance. 'Being her student now is going to be harder, isn't it?'

Cadance nodded. "I know. It is. But nopony is saying you have to decide one way or another right now."

She gradually nodded. "I guess so..."

"She knows not to pressure you into a decision. You’re still young. And remember that as much as you don’t want to hurt her, she doesn’t want to hurt you."

'You are yet young. It is unfair of me to offer or ask to,' Nightmare Moon had said. 'You'll wait for an answer. You're patient. But we still need to talk.'

"She could have waited for a better time to tell you, though," Cadance drawled.

She winced. 'Yes. Yes you could have.' She voiced as much, "Yes."

Cadance's smile faded away. "Are you doing okay after last night? I know that Queen Chrysalis wasn't—"

She didn't let her mind wander back to her short-lived battle with the changeling queen, nor did she let her mind wander back to the aftermath and having stumbled across Cadance. She didn't stop to think about how the Queen had nearly killed her twice, nor how she thought for sure Nightmare Moon was just leaving her to die. Maybe Discord was right in his own way, but she remembered Nightmare Moon holding her last night. "I'm fine," she forced herself to say. And Cadance knew better than that, as her brow creased and a frown pulled at her lips. "Or—" she bobbed her head, “—I'll be fine. I don't... I don't want to talk about that."

Cadance nodded solemnly. “If you ever need to talk about it—or Nightmare Moon—don’t hesitate to come get me.”

She smiled weakly back at Cadance. “Thanks...” She trailed off and looked at the floor, her thoughts gradually returning to the memory of Nightmare Moon holding her. “We—” she licked her lips and looked up at Cadance, a slight nervousness once more making her heart beat faster, “—we slept together last night. Um, Nightmare Moon and me.”

Cadance hummed musically, raising an eyebrow with playful curiosity.

Twilight’s jaw tightened. She looked back down at the floor. “I was... scared because of Chrysalis.” She didn’t need to look at Cadance to sense her mood once more falling, just like her own. “And... well, I didn’t feel safe in my tower, so... I came to talk to her and—” she looked back up at Cadance, who watched her wearily, “—she offered to let me sleep in her room instead. I didn’t want to do that since she needs to sleep too—” she bobbed her head to the right, “—so she made the counteroffer for us to sleep together. And... I accepted it. She... She was worried that she took advantage of me.”

Cadance nodded cautiously. “She... doesn’t want to hurt you.”

Twilight looked at the floor. “I know...” she whispered. “She... held me, too. While we were sleeping. It was, um, nice.”

Cadance giggled softly. “It’s nice when Shiny holds me too.”

Twilight looked up at Cadance, smiling awkwardly despite Cadance’s warm, encouraging smile. Her smile eventually fell as her thoughts drifted back to her memories. “It’s, um, the first time we’ve slept together. I think. But... I’ve fallen asleep beside her before—at least I’m fairly certain I have.”

Cadance hummed thoughtfully. “Did you feel safe with her?”

Twilight nodded timidly. “I did... Which...” she grimaced. “Considering how she treated me when she returned...” she trailed off and shook her head slowly.

“She’s not the same pony she was,” Cadance stated. “If she was, I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”

Twilight slowly nodded in agreement. ‘You’re wrong about her, Discord.’

Author's Note

Draft finished(?) 2/18/20.

2/23/21

Edits. Brought 7,951 up to 9,281.

3/5/21

Nuked a couple of sections that I added in the last edit sweep. One was too much catastrophizing, and another was a problem because I was wearing rose-tinted glasses when writing it...

9,074.

3/9/21

Added one sentence.

9,079.

3/16/21

Some rereading of a section I wasn’t completely sold on, along with minor edits/touch-ups to said section.

9,158.

7/6/21

Minor edits.

9,190.

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