Love and Conquerors

“Remarkable,” said Nightmare Moon, squinting at Daybreaker as the two alicorns circled the table. “I truly never believed I’d see you in the flesh. And I’m seeing rather a lot of flesh…”

Both mares were scantily dressed, actually - their transformations hadn’t been kind to their clothes. For one thing, Nightmare Moon was a good deal taller than Luna, and growing upwards had torn the top of her dress from the bottom. And they’d both just about doubled their muscle mass when they transformed into their other, wilder selves. Sleeves and straps got torn, and everything above the waist was ripped to tatters, barely hanging on. And the two alicorn’s bodies, brimming with physical and magical strength, moved like prowling beasts as they circled the table.

Neither one of them was truly focusing on the others’ near-nudity, although their eyes did twitch to catch the occasional flash of a nipple. They were more focused on the spells they were casting; both alicorns had elected to begin with a round of protective enchantments, girding themselves against magical attacks before the battle began. At practically the same moment, raging fire formed at the tip of Daybreaker’s horn and inky darkness gathered on Nightmare Moon’s. The true test of wills was about to begin - a magical battle that could bring down the castle, or consume the entire town of Ponyville…

“STOP,” commanded a voice from the doorway. The princess’ heads turned just a few degrees, just enough that they could see the source of the sound while keeping an eye on each other.

“Twilight!” said Nightmare Moon, panic seeping into her normally confident voice. “Twilight, I-”

“Stacked Deck’s Scalpel,” said Twilight coldly - flicking her finger towards the two purple bolts of energy she was levitating beside herself. “Derived from a school of magic normally used for internal medicine. Compared to most offensive spells, it is laughably inefficient… but most forms of magical barrier are useless against it.”

Daybreaker made a gesture towards Nightmare Moon, holding up her palm. “Twilight,” she said, “I am sorry you-”

“Primary effect is excruciating pain, which is why I am hesitating to use it,” said Twilight, “But I will subdue you both, by whatever means necessary, unless you give me a very good reason not to. Shields down, ladies. Horns off.”

The sisters hesitated for just a moment… and then they quietly dispelled their magical barriers and let the spells in their horns dissipate. “Twilight,” said Nightmare Moon, putting her finger to her lips, “Hearing you talk like that is… exciting.”

Twilight’s magical bolts lurched forward threateningly, each moving about a foot and a half closer to their targets. Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker, now nearly defenseless, both flinched. “That is not an explanation,” she said.

“Twilight,” said Daybreaker, “Dear Twilight, I will explain.”

“Good start,” said Twilight. “So you’re Daybreaker? Starlight told me about you… I just didn’t think you were real.”

“Existential matters would take a rather long time to explain,” said Daybreaker. “But… yes, I am real.”

“Okay. So what is it you want?” asked Twilight. “And how do I get Princess Celestia back?”

“Well… the latter question brings us dangerously close to existential territory,” said Celestia. “But as for the former… there is only one thing I want, Twilight Sparkle. I want you. Princess Celestia’s love for you was what awakened me, Twilight, and I am here solely because I wish to win your heart.”

“And I as well!” said Nightmare Moon. “Luna loves you dearly, and I awoke because she lacked the strength to vie for your love.”

“That’s… no, that’s not how this works,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “Nightmare Moon came out because she wanted to rule Equestria and plunge it into eternal night, not because she was in love…”

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “And I suppose you are the expert on the manifestation of alter egos? You don’t even have one of your own… Hmm, not yet, anyway.”

“Nightmare Moon and I exist beside our counterparts,” said Daybreaker, stepping forward cautiously. “We are embodiments of desire, and as long as our ‘other selves’ satisfy their desires, we are content to be passengers. But when a desire is denied long enough, we grow in strength.”

“A thousand years ago, Luna desired the same love that her sister received,” said Nightmare Moon. “And she suffered in silence, unloved and lonely, until I was strong enough to take control.”

“Okay…” said Twilight, still eyeing the sisters cautiously.

“But it is not eternal night that I desire this time,” said Nightmare Moon. “It is only you, Twilight Sparkle. I have loved you since I came to know you, and I will not be complete until you are in my arms.”

“Hence the conflict,” said Daybreaker. “Princess Celestia has loved you for even longer-” Nightmare Moon snorted derisively, and Daybreaker turned her head sharply to scowl at her sister. “Well, it’s true. While she mentored you, pushing down her feelings, I grew in strength… and now I’m here, Twilight. And I am yours.”

“So…” said Twilight, “Both princesses fell in love with me… and both of their alter egos got strong enough to come out and court me… on the same day?”

Daybreaker smiled, letting a chuckle escape her throat. “It is funny, when you look at it a certain way,” she said. “But it’s a bit less of a pure coincidence that you might imagine. I believe we both sensed that the other was getting close to actively pursuing you, which hastened our emergence. And, of course, this little get-together was exactly the crucible that was needed for this odd event to transpire…”

“Okay, I suppose that makes some sense,” said Twilight. The magic bolts beside her, which she’d been maintaining throughout the conversation, faded into nothing. “So now what?”

“Well, when you entered the room,” said Nightmare Moon, visibly relaxing now that she didn’t have a spell aimed at her, “Daybreaker and I were about to have something of an informal duel to determine who would... “ she paused, considering her wording. “...Win the right to pursue you.”

“I’d be happy to pick that back up,” said Daybreaker. “Perhaps in a different venue? Someplace with not quite so many breakable objects and innocent bystanders?”

“No!” said Twilight. “Fighting for my love? If you two honestly think that’s the way to win my heart, you are very different mares than the princesses I know!”

“Oh, it would not be as brutal as you may be imagining,” said Nightmare Moon, casually waving away Twilight’s indignance. “We would trade a few nonlethal spells, whittling down each others’ defenses, until I found an opening and wrestled Daybreaker to the ground. She would not surrender quickly, but I would wear her down. And once I emerged victorious, you and I would retire to someplace private, where we would make love continuously for several days and nights.”

Nightmare Moon leaned forward, and her tattered dress slipped lower on her shoulders, exposing a full view of her jet-black breasts and deep blue nipples. Twilight found herself staring, feeling a swirl of confused emotions. She still didn’t want the princesses to fight over her, of course… but Nightmare Moon’s brief description of the powerful alicorn sisters wrestling one another gave her pause. Their bodies were bigger now, their feminine curves framed by powerful and enticing muscles… the thought of days-long sexual congress with the victor of a princess-on-princess brawl wasn’t totally without appeal.

“Do you truly think you could overpower me, sister?” scoffed Daybreaker, putting her hands to her hips in a pose that seemed to deliberately show off her musculature. “Even if you managed to grapple me, you would find yourself baking in my solar heat… sweating and panting, muscles straining to keep hold of me as my fire depleted your strength.”

Twilight gulped, her mind suddenly swimming with suggestive imagery. “Girls, please…”

“You think the heat of a star can faze me, sister?” said Nightmare Moon. “I am the night. The endless cold darkness between the stars.”

“Oh please, you're just the moon,” said Daybreaker, rolling her eyes. “You don't get all of outer space just because you're the night princess.”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “If you are so confident, then let our magics clash and see who comes out on top. I have half a mind to tear this tattered dress off and start brawling right this second.”

“Girls! Please!” said Twilight, who was worried that her resolve would give out if the princesses spent any more time verbally sparring. “Neither of you will win my heart through violence!”

The princesses took a moment to process this information. “But,” said Nightmare Moon, “you are… open to having your heart won? By either of us?”

Twilight walked over to the central table, with a thoughtful expression on her face, and took a seat. “Well… sure,” she said. “I love both the princesses dearly, and you two are… sort of... the princesses?” She sighed. “I still don't understand all this. Are the princesses… coming back?”

“Yes,” said Daybreaker. “The two of us are expressions of Celestia’s and Luna’s desires. Speaking for myself, my only purpose is to ensure that Celestia pursues your love. Whether I win or lose, I will consider the matter settled and become Princess Celestia once more.” Nightmare Moon nodded in agreement.

“Okay, good,” said Twilight. “But... “ she rested her head in one hand, staring blankly at the crystalline surface of the table. “This is still a lot to take in. Princess Celestia has been in love with me? For how long?”

“I could not give you a precise date and time,” said Daybreaker, “But when you left for Ponyville, she began to think of you less as a student and more as an independent mare - a mare who accomplished great things with the lessons she taught you, and overcame obstacles with the friends she gathered around her. And when you became a princess… well, Celestia began to think of you as someone she would truly be able to spend her life with.”

Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “So… this whole time… I mean, Celestia is my mentor, a guiding star in my life, a pony I have loved and trusted since I was young. But…”

“Do you not share her feelings?” asked Daybreaker. There was a crack in the fiery mare’s confidence, and the flames of her mane visibly dimmed.

“I don’t know!” said Twilight. “I never imagined she’d feel that way about me! How do I sort through a lifetime’s worth of feelings and come up with a simple answer?” She turned to Nightmare Moon. “And Luna is in love with me too? When did that start?”

“The moment you vanquished me was a time of… heightened emotion,” said Nightmare Moon. “For me, and for Princess Luna. “The rage I felt when I was defeated, and Luna’s gratitude at being herself again… it was difficult to stop thinking about you, Twilight, for quite some time. And the kindness you showed us on Nightmare Night has stayed with us. At a time when we felt most unloved, you lifted us up, simply because of who you are. When we think of you, Twilight, our heart grows warm. We wish to be close to you, always.” She sighed. “But perhaps you do not think of Princess Luna the same way?”

“I guess I don’t know,” said Twilight. “I suppose I’ve always admired you… sympathized with your feelings of alienation… and the mystique of the mare who walks in dreams is certainly alluring, but…” She groaned, rubbing her temple. “I don’t know! I’m thinking about all this for the first time! Even if there was only one of you, this would feel impossible!”

“As much as I would like to win your heart outright, Twilight Sparkle,” said Daybreaker. “Perhaps it is… too much to ask. Forgive my reckless ambition. I suppose the two of us could… lower the stakes somewhat, now that our intentions are out in the open. You need not pledge your whole self to me, Twilight, but would you be willing to let Celestia court you? To prove herself to you, in the hopes that love might blossom?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” said Twilight, “yes, I suppose I’m willing to give it a try. I mean, who am I to turn down a mare of your stature? And Nightmare Moon, does this sound all right to you?”

“It is only fair to take your feelings into account, Twilight,” said Nightmare Moon. “If this is more to your liking, then I agree to it.”

“Well, it is good to have that settled,” said Daybreaker. “I am sorry that we made a poor impression upon you, Twilight Sparkle, but it was only because we needed some kind of contest to determine who was the most deserving mare.”

“Now that my temper is no longer raging,” said Nightmare Moon, “I suppose that magical and physical combat is not the most logical way to settle our conflict.”

“Well, neither of us was thinking logically,” said Daybreaker. “We merely wished to win decisively. Now that Twilight Sparkle is aware of our contest, though, it behooves us to choose what is best for her. The question is, how do we determine that?”

In the silence that followed, Twilight considered the question. There was some precedent in the romantic fiction she read, but she’d never been satisfied with those stories. Even when the duels resulted in the “correct” suitor winning the protagonist’s heart - as they generally did, since the stories were designed to deliver satisfying conclusions - Twilight couldn’t help but think it could have been handled better. But she’d never dared to imagine that Celestia and Luna would be fighting one another (as their “evil” alter-egos, no less) with her heart as the prize. What contest could possibly-

“I know,” said Daybreaker. “Since we are trying to win Twilight’s love, why not prove which one of us is the better lover?”

Twilight stammered, struck dumb by the proposal. “Wh-”

“Ah, a direct approach,” said Nightmare Moon, her mouth gradually curling into a smile. “Yes, very reasonable. Twilight already knows Luna and Celestia well, so she can already deduce what it would be like to spend a evening together, or go on a romantic getaway. What she does not know is how we fuck.”

“Yes, precisely,” said Daybreaker, strolling over to where Twilight sat and putting her hand on her shoulder. “With our boundless passion and unlimited stamina, we will make love to Twilight for however long it takes her to come to a decision. Whoever best pleasures her will be the victor.”

“Then it is agreed,” said Nightmare Moon. She walked over to Twilight and placed her hand on the mare’s other shoulder. “Let us begin right away, sister.”

As the two powerful alicorns lifted her from her seat and began to lead her out of the room, Twilight was still struggling to speak. Every time she thought she was about to recover the power of speech, something took her voice away again: a hand confidently groping her bottom, a series of kisses running up her neck to her cheek, the brush of steely muscles against her arm. Silent, yielding to the wishes of her aspiring lovers, she let herself be walked out into the hallway and up the stairs to her bedroom.