The tale of the Mare in the moon, a story known by ponies of all ages, a tale of the eldest sister of Celestia and Luna, who grew jealous and rebelled against her sisters.

The story tells that she tried to bring eternal night, because ponies adored her younger sisters and the sun, while they feared and shunned her and the night.

So she decided to bring eternal night, but in the end, was banished to the moon by Celestia and Luna.

Few even know of her real name anymore, as Nightmare Moon, and only her sisters knew the real story.

They knew that there was more to why Nightmare tried to bring eternal night than jealousy, however even they didn't know what drove Nightmare to do so.

But Celestia and Luna knew when Nightmare declared she would bring eternal night, that something in her had changed.

Something had caused her to go mad and attack Equestria, to try to cover the world in eternal night, and they knew that one day she would return.

Over a thousand years ago.

The throne room of the Castle of the three sisters.

*CRASH!*

Went the throne room doors, the thick heavy enchanted wooden doors shattered like plywood, as three alicorns came crashing through it, locked in intense combat.

They were all wielding weapons and decked in full body armour, showing signs that they had been fighting for quite some time.

"Please stop this sister!" Luna yelled, as she and Celestia continued to clash with their older sister.

"Come to your senses already Nightmare! " Celestia yelled, as she barely deflected a strike from a deep dark blue conjured spear from her eldest sister.

She unleashed a powerful blast of gold magical energy from her horn, launching Nightmare across the room.

In less then a second of being flung across the room, Nightmare flared her wings and came to a stop in mid air.

She recovered her balance in the air quickly, left unfazed from the push, and proceeded to charge her horn with magic.

If Nightmare had heard her sisters words at all, she didn't n show it, as she continued to attack them.

All the while they fought, Nightmare's eyes held a deranged and demented look of madness in them, her face was filled with seething fury

Nightmare rushed at Celestia as she morphed her spare into a great sword, holding it above high above her head in her magic grip, preparing to swing with great force.

"Sister!" Luna yelled as she conjured a large shield in front of Celestia, blocking Nightmare's strike.

Celestia seized the moment, she fired a potent concussion spell right at Nightmare's chest. But Nightmare saw it, before Celestia fired the spell, Nightmare turned into ethereal mist and swiftly dodged the attack.

The glittering mist then began to shoot out numerous bolts of black lighting and spear length icicles at them.

Celestia and Luna quickly put up magic bubbles around them, just in time to avoid the flurry of lighting and icicles.

"Nightmare, why are you doing this, we are a family, this has to end! " Luna said, crying tears as she shouted at the swirling cloud of dark blue glittering mist, paine and sadness clear in her voice.

The attacks suddenly stopped and the large cloud descended, landing on the ground and gathered around the thrones. The glittering mist flowed down the stairs and began to reform Nightmare's body near the center of the room.

She took a few steps as the mist finished reforming her body, she came to a stop close to the center of the throne room.

Nightmare stood still as she glared down at her sisters, with cold sharp eyes that held no warmth in them, while watching Celestia and Luna land on the floor.

They all stood silently as they stared at each other from opposite sides of the room, 30 yards was all that separated them.

"Why are you doing this? " Celestia asked sternly, trying to be strong for herself and for Luna.

"Why Nightmare?" Luna asked, being more open with her emotions, letting her sadness be heard.

"Why?" Nightmare asked coldly with a angry scowl, sounding insulted by the question.

"Why you ask, after all this time, you both should know better than anypony else why. " Nightmare said with a venomous tone, glaring at them with ice cold fury.

"ALL OF EQUESTRIA FEARS ME, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT LIVING LIKE THAT IS LIKE?!!!! THEY SHUN MY NIGHT, THEY SEE ME AS A MONSTER THAT ONLY BRINGS DARKNESS!!!" Nightmare yelled with in unbridled fury.

" EVEN AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE FOR THEM, I HAVE FOUGHT FOR THEM, BLED FOR THEM, THE SAME AS YOU BOTH HAVE!!! "

" I HELPED BUILD EQUESTRIA FROM THE GROUND UP!!! YET THEY CONTINUE TO ONLY ADORE YOU BOTH, WHILE THEY ONLY FEAR ME!!!!

"YOU BOTH KEPT SAYING IT WAS GOING TO GET BETTER, IT HASN'T!!!! THEY ONLY SEE ME AS A MONSTER OF THE NIGHT, SO I WILL MAKE THE NIGHT THE ONLY THING THEY WILL EVER SEE!!!" Nightmare roared with a beastly snarel, her voice erupting into pure rage as her voice boomed throughout the room.

Celestia and Luna physically recoiled at their sisters use of the full force of her royal voice.

It's sheer volume shook them to the bone, and the very foundations of the Castle they were standing in.

"Bringing eternal night is not the answer sister, it will only make our subjects fear you more, can't you see that?!" Celestia said, trying to reason with her older sister.

She had been badly hurt while fighting Nightmare, her armour was damaged and torn in several places. She had large gashes and cuts across her body.

Her gold armour and white coat was dripping with blood and pooling on the floor at her hoofs. Despite this she still stood strong and was prepared to fight on.

"She is right Nightmare they are your subjects too, this is madness, please don't make us fight you anymore!" Said an equally hurt Luna, pleading with Nightmare.

Luna was in no better condition than Celestia was, both severely injured, exhausted, and were running on fumes at this point.

While Nightmare was only mildly hurt, left with only a few dents in her armour and some shallow cuts from their fight. Which were quickly being repaired and healed with her magic.

It was clear to Celestia and Luna that Nightmare had plenty of strength and magic to spare, a testament to her prowess as a warrior.

THEY ARE YOUR SUBJECTS, THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN YOURS, THEY DON'T WANT ME, THEY NEVER HAVE!!!!" Nightmare yelled as she slammed her hoofs in to the ground.

Shattering the stone floor, leaving cracks like a broken mirror where she struck, and glared at them with pure hate in her burning white blue eyes.

"THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN ME AS THEIR RULER, EVEN AFTER I HAVE RULED WITH YOU BOTH FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!!! "

"THEY ONLY WANT YOU TWO, THE SUN, AND SWEET DREAMS YOU BRING THEM, MY DEAR SWEET SISTERS!!! Nightmare said with fury, her voice was ice cold and overflowed with deep hate and malice.

Celestia and Luna had been fighting with Nightmare for a whole day, using the full scale of their power to fight her.

It took both of them to fight Nightmare on any even footing, and they had to be careful Nightmare, for was an extremely skilled and a highly trained warrior.

She had thousands of years of combat training, and more than double the magical and physical strength Celestia and Luna had combined.

There was a reason she was the commander of their military, was and called the "Queen of battle" by other countries.

"Please stop this Nightmare, your proving to everypony your are the monster they say you are!" Celestia said, instantly regretting her words, her face filled with fear and regret, realizing what she had done.

Upon hearing those words, Nightmare froze up, she stood there motionless, staring at them with an emotionless blank face.

Then, her expression slowly shifted, morphing into a twisted expression of indescribable rage, as her slit eyes glowed and became needle thin.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Roared Nightmare, losing what little sanity and reason she had left.

She charged at them in blind rage, enveloping her body with her deep dark double toned blue aura.

Using her magic, Nightmare encased her body in condensed aura, using it as a propelling force along with the strength of her wings.

Just before Nightmare reached them, Celestia and Luna quickly put up magic shields and braced for the impact.

In only a second, Nightmare collided with them, smashing into their shields like a ballista bolt.

Upon impact, their shields shattered, and and all three of them went flying backwards from the shockwave of the impact.

"HAHAHA! EVEN MY OWN SISTERS THINK ME A MONSTER, NOW I AM TRULY ALONE!!!' Nightmare cackled maniacally with a deranged and demented smile.

She then used her magic to pull one of her personal weapons from a pocket space, called the Ethereal blade.

It was a massive, jet black claymore, with a pale blue silver hilt, and had a large bright blue round sapphire jewel encrusted into it.

Celestia and Luna's eyes shrunk when they saw it, knowing that the sword could cut through most things like a hot knife through butter, including magic.

Nightmare charged at them at full speed, swing down the claymore with tremendous force. Celestia and Luna barely had time to cast a shield and dive out of the blades reach.

They both teleported to a corner of the large throne and readied their weapons and resolve to fight once more.

"Ugh!" Grunted Celestia as she smashed into a wall, receiving a strong hit to her jaw, knocking her golden helmet off.

Leaving half of her face bloody and bruised, as she got to her shaky hoofs Celestia spat some of her teeth out and a mouthful of blood.

"Sister the elements!" Luna shouted, before she was hit with a powerful magic bolt, sending her crashing into the ground, breaking some bones upon impact.

Celestia teleported to where Luna was standing in the center of the throne room, they pulled out the elements of harmony from under their armour, hidden until they were ready to use them.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!" Yelled Nightmare, her eyes filled with rage and madness as she charged and locked swords with them.

"Sister now!" Yelled Celestia as she and Luna charged the elements, as Nightmare's sword was steadily cutting through their swords .

In the next moment there was a thundering sound and bright white light, then all was quite except for the two remaining alicorn sisters.

They looked up at the moon shinning in the night sky, now with the image that would be know as the mare in the moon.

As Celestia and Luna slumped to the ground, their sorrow filled cries echoed through the castle and into the moonlit night.

Present day Equestria

Day of the summer sunset celebration.

"Oh no." Twilight said said fearfully, seeing the mare in the moon image vanish.

" Come on Twilight, you don't want to be late for the celebration now do ya? " Applejack said, nudging the purple unicorn with a hoof.

" R-right. " Twilight said with a nervous smile, taking a moment to look at the moon before entering the town hall.

Long had Nightmare stared at Equestria, her home always in sight, left alone in the silent void on the moon.

The very symbol that she embodied and represented, her prison for so long, even she didn't know anymore.

She has been trapped in the moon as a spirit, having been stripped of her body by the elements of harmony.

But after so long, the magic that bound her slowly had been unraveling, and after over a thousand years, she was freed from her bonds.

In the throne room of Canterlot castle, a deep glittering cloud of deep blue mist formed, slowly morphing into the shape of a large and tall pony.

After a few moments, Nightmare's body was fully manifested, and for the first time since her banishment, breathed in fresh air.

"Ahhh it is good to be back, wait what happen to the castle, everything is different. " Nightmare said, seeing the striking differences in the details and architecture.

Each room was room was mostly white marble and high grade glass windows. The white walls and floors were filled with luxurious furniture and golden decorations. The floors were either made of white marble or had luxuries purple and gold carpets on them.

"This is all different, but it doesn't matter, this castle looks nice, too much use of the color white though. " Now where are Celestia and Luna?" Nightmare asked as she started to walk through the castle halls, using her magic to search for her younger sisters.

Nightmare had just went around a corner and was starting down a corridor, while looking over the designs and styles of the place.

But what caught her interest the most, were the large glass stained windows. Each depicting battles and events that Celestia, Luna, and her had been in.

From the wendigos to when they fought Sombra to free the Crystal Empire, to when they sealed Discord in stone. But as she began to study them, she noticed some slight changes and a key difference in the the depictions.

"These are different, why have these been changed, why am I not in any of these? " Nightmare thought, getting upset that her sisters would let somepony make such an error about their accomplishments throughout history.

"Hold it right there!" Said a loud voice from down the hall behind Nightmare.

"Hmm, and who are you little pony? " Nightmare asked curiously with a amused smirk as.she turned to face the one behind her.

Upon doing so, she saw it was angry golden armoured white coat and navy blue mane unicorn stallion before her.

"I am Shining Armour, the commander of Celestia's royale guards, and you will be stopped here Nightmare Moon! " Yelled a nervous but determined Shining Armour, getting into a fighting stance.

"Oh the current commander of Tia's guards huh, you know me but you intend to face me, your queen? My your a brave one, foolish, but brave. " Nightmare said amused, studying his stance and judging his worth as a warrior.

"Queen, you are no ruler, your a monster, a tyrant trying to bring eternal night! " Shining Armour said, not aware that he just hit a very raw nerve.

"Confident are you, well let's test your mettle then warrior!!!" Nightmare said with an angry yet excited tone, shooting a black lighting bolt at Shining.

Upon seeing the lighting around Nightmare's horn, Shining made a shield bubble before it could hit him. .

"Auuuugh!" Shining yelled in pain, as the black lighting hit his shield, shattering it upon impact.

Upon contact, Shining's shield shattered and he was electrocuted by the magic lighting, feeling intense pain across his body.

Shining made the mistake of using a barrier that absorbed the force of attacks, when he should have used a shield spell that deflected magic.

When energy based attacks like lighting bolts hit, they latch on to what they touched, turning almost anything physical into a conductor.

Luckily he had on armour that gave some protection against energy and elemental based attacks, but was not unscathed. His armour and body had several burn marks.

He got back up on shaky legs and shot 4 large light red magic bolts at Nightmare, only for them to shatter as they hit her, doing no damage.

"Hahaha! Really, are you serious, you looked stronger, but wow your weak. Wait you specialize in defense, and you severely lack firepower. "

" Because you trained only in defense magic, didn't you, I would think that you'd know it's important not to limit your capabilities" Nightmare said with a mocking smirk and tone.

"That doesn't matter, I am a shield for Celestia and the ponies of Equestria!" Shining yelled, still determine he lit his horn, but it immediately went out.

"What?!" Shining said, stunned and confused as his spell was cancelled.

"Trying to use a sound amp spell to call for help, won't work while in range of a silent ward, need to look out for those." Nightmare said mockingly as she smiled.

"Huha, you really are a rookie, knowing next to nothing about what a magic battle entails. Some commander you are, now GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Nightmare roared with fury.

She conjured a large deep blue whip like tendril out of her mane, flowing with concentrated magic.

Seeing this, Shining focused his magic to make a multi layered shield bubble, just before Nightmare swung her conjured whip.

She swung her ethereal whip faster than the eye could see, it tore and shattered threw his shield in a instant.

" BOOM!!! "

The impact sounding like a thunder strike as it connected, shattering to the bubble to pieces, like a broken mirror.

"Ugh. " was the only sound Shining said as he laid in the rubble that was once a castle wall, before blacking out.

One moment, Shining was looking at Nightmare preparing for a counter attack, then everything became a blur for him,

"Pathetic, and I wasn't even trying."Nightmare spat with disappointment, before moving on with her search.

"She is free." Luna said with sadness in her voice.

"Yes she is, this day was going to come sooner or later Luna." Celestia said, putting on a brave face for her sister, but felt worry building in her heart.

They were standing on the balcony of dawn and dusk where they raised and lowered the sun and moon together.

This balcony was a huge overhanging balcony that was themed after the sun and moon. Positioned between the east and west wing of the castle, giving a great view of the horizon.

This is where one could look over a vast amount of Equestria with a stunning view of the sky. It had a stained glass window on both sides with their cutie marks on the them.

This was the place where the two sisters rose and lowered the sun and moon, and spent time watching sunsets and stargazing together.

"Tia, do you think she will be her true self, or like she was, before we banished her?" Luna asked hesitantly, hope and fear mixed in her voice.

"We can only hope she is her true self Luna, if not we will have to prepare for when she will strike. "

"Now our little poines are waiting, let's start this new day shall we?" Celestia asked as she charged her horn to raise the sun.

"Let's sister." Luna said smiling as she prepared to lower the moon, reaching out to it with her special magic.

but strangely, try as she might ,Luna could not lower the moon, some force was fighting against her command.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Celestia asked, confused that the moon was still in the sky.

"For some reason, I can't make the moon move!" Luna said frustrated, stress clear in her voice, as she felt some force fighting against her command.

" Hahaha. "Then a came ghostly chuckle rang throughout the air.

"That is because my dear little sister, is because it's my moon."Said an all to familiar voice.

Both sisters spun around and went pale upon seeing their older sister Nightmare Moon.

She was smiling at them, appearing to be happy to see them, if not for the mad and unnatural cold and burning anger held in her eyes.

She was wearing her full set of legendary Nightingale armour, from head to hoof Nightmare was covered in deep dark black blue and pale blue silver metals.

know

Her armour was made of materials, known as shadow steel, moon silver, and was covered in highly detailed dark blue and pale blue silver engravings runes.

Her double plated black chest plate had a blue silver crescent moon in the middle, glowing in the moonlight,

Her whole neck was covered in blueish black and silver scaled plated armour,her whole barrel was covered in armour.

The top of her back had a solid plate of moon silver with bluish black slightly curved spines running down her back.

Her underside armour was pure bluish black, her hoofs had armoured spiked boots of the same color.

Her helmet was a solid blue black with moon silver on the edges with blue flames around her glowing pale blue slit eyes burning with a furious look in them.

"Long time no see dear sisters, how I've missed you both." Nightmare said, dispute the sweetness of her words, they could tell they were full of venom and anger.

"I wish I could say the same Nightmare. " Celestia said dryly, trying to keep herself from showing any fear.

" What, not happy to see your big sister after all this time? " Nightmare asked seemingly calm, too calm in fact, which only unnerved her sisters more.

Then suddenly, without any warning, Nightmare lunged at her sisters with her claymore ready to swing, the blade glowed with a dark blue aura.

Celestia and Luna had but a second to teleport away from a massive deep blue crescent moon shaped slash coming at them, leaving a 3ft deep 4ft wide and 23ft long ice coated gash in the floor.

They reappeared on opposite sides of the room, Celestia on Nightmare's left and Luna on her right.

"Normally, one of you would follow up with an attack, then the other would follow after with them, at least that's how I taught you both how to fight,

" But it seems you both have gotten rusty since I've been away." Nightmare said with a mad fang filled smile spread across her face.

Celestia and Luna stayed silent as they stood their ground, watching Nightmare and fighting to keep their nerve.

"Tell me dear sisters, how long have I been gone for, I've seemed to have lost track of time." Nightmare said, as she playfully twirling her sword in the air.

"A little over 1200 years." Celestia said with a stern flat tone in her voice, her eyes locked on Nightmare's every move.

Both Celestia and Luna saw Nightmare's slit eyes shrink and her muscles tighten, she looked like a beast ready to pounce.

"Nightmare wait we can talk abou-"

"YOU TRAPPED ME ON THE MOON FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS?!!!!!" Nightmare screamed with unbridled rage.

Nightmare then charged her horn with a double toned black and deep dark blue aura, creating a powerful magic shockwave pulse, knocking back Celestia and Luna across the room.

They quickly used their magic to stop their momentum and landed on the floor, though they could feel the soreness of the impact all over them.

As they got back up and got their bearings, they saw Nightmare staring at them, shaking with rage.

"Nightmare, please stop why are you doing this, are you planning on trying to bring eternal night again?" Luna said with tears in her eyes.

All the memories of what Nightmare was like before, as the caring, loving, sweet big sister she remembered Nightmare was before flooded Luna's mind, only making this fight worse for her.

"What else would you expect out of a monster like me, after all that's what everypony thinks of me, even my own sisters!" Nightmare spat with disdain and venom.

Celestia and Luna's hearts broke at those words, the very same last words they said to her over a thousand years, those hurtful words that pushed her over the edge.

Nightmare lunged at Luna and dived in the ground like it was water, shooting up from under Luna. Hitting her square in the jaw with a high velocity upper cut, knocking her up in the air and out cold, Nightmare then shot a magic blot at Luna, sending her crashing into a wall.

"Luna!" Celestia yelled as she flew at Nightmare charging her horn. But Nightmare had already sank back into the ground again before Celestia could do anything.

Before Celestia could react, she felt a tight grip on her barrel, she only got a glimpse of a deep dark glittering blue mist around her. Then she was slammed into the ground on her back, knocking the air out of her.

Barely able to see straight, she saw the blurry form of Nightmare towering over her, looking down at her like a predator ready to finish off their prey.

"Well this was fun sister, but I think I will go pay your little poines a visit next. " Nightmare said with a cold tone, charging her horn with dark lighting.

Nightmare hit Celestia with a black lighting bolt at point blank range, and with a short scream Celestia was unconscious.

Nightmare stood in the middle of the room, looking at her unconscious sisters, then in a rare moment, Nightmare felt something else through the blinding haze of rage and bitterness.

As she looked over them beaten and defenseless, the sight made Nightmare feel something grip her heart strongly.

Slowly, the anger and bitterness faded from her mind, replaced with a painful sense of guilt and regret.

She carefully used her magic to lift them up and casted healing magic, gently used her hoofs to mend their wounds and fix their broken bones.

" I've done the best I can for you both, you were always better at healing magic then I was Celestia, all I was good for, was fighting and waging war. " Nightmare thought sadly as she checked over them.

She carefully laid them on the floor and grabbed two near by pillows in her magic, gently moving their heads as she placing their heads under them.

"Now, it is time I meet my new subjects of this age." Nightmare thought, as she took to the skies.

"That wasn't there a thousand years ago, looks like a good place to make my first public appearance." Nightmare thought, as her eyes fell on a small town southwest of Canterlot.

Ponyville, moments from the start of the summer sunset celebration.

As Nightmare reformed in the air over the town,standing on a low hanging cloud, she saw a distinct lack of ponies in the rural town.

"Hmm where is everypony, oh is that this town's place for gatherings? " Nightmare thought as she looked at a large communal building.

"Hmm, I wonder what's going on in there, oh well it's just the right place to show them I'm back." Nightmare said smiling as she slipped into the shadows and entered the building.

"And with that, let us now greet Princess Celestia as the Sun greets this new day. " Mayor Mare said, finishing her speech, as the curtains were drawn revealing that no pony was there.

"Where is she. " Said a random pony

"She was supposed to be here by now. " Mayor Mare said confused, checking her watch.

"Oh, oh! maybe she's hiding! " Pinky Pie said, bouncing in place.

"This is great, what a perfect opportunity to show myself." Nightmare thought, smiling as she turned into her mist form.

"Hahaha!" Nightmare laughed out loud with mirth, she couldn't hold in her amusement any longer. She emerged from the shadows as glittering mist on the balcony overseeing the room.

"Hahahaha!" Came a ghostly laugh scaring all who heard it.

Then from the shadows of the balcony came glittering dark blue ethereal mist. What appeared next made all the ponies blood go cold.

There standing before them, was the tallest, largest pony like creature they had ever seen.
Towering at least 9 and half hoofs(feet) tall, with eyes that burned with blue fire(Sombra eyes but blue) and a smile filled with large fangs.

"Greetings ponies of Equestria, your queen has returned!" Nightmare said with zeal as she was surveying the crowd, a little bit disappointed that she saw fear in their faces.

"What have you done with Princess Celestia you creep!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to fly at Nightmare. But was help back by Applejack holding onto her tail.

"Who is she, Where is Princess Celestia!" Said some random ponies.

"Oh, I love guessing games, oh scary big bat pony, oh miss bat mare, oh the pony of shadows!" Pinky Pie said, clapping her hoofs excitedly.

"What, am I not royale enough, do you really not know who I am?" Nightmare asked, feeling confused an quickly getting irritated.

"I do, your Nightmare Moon, the mare in the moon!" Twilight yelled as she pointed at Nightmare, causing everypony to gasps loudly in shock.

"Mare in the moon, I don't remember ever being called that before." Nightmare thought, her full attention now on Twilight.

"I have gained many titles over the centuries, but I have never been called this, mare in the moon before. " Nightmare said with a curious look and a raised eyebrow.

"W-what b-but." Twilight stuttered out, quickly losing her nerve.

" Prepares I should refresh your memories, I am Nightmare Moon, the eldest sister of Celestia and Luna, ruler of the night, and Queen of Equestria!" Nightmare said, flaring her wings for dramatic effect.

"Nightmare Moon, I thought that were just bedtime stories!"

"You mean she's real?!"

"Queen, Equestria has never had a queen before." Twilight said, tilting her head to the side, confused as she stared at Nightmare.

"Only Princess Celestia and Luna have ruled Equestria." Twilight's said, lighting the spark of rage in Nightmare.

Rage overwhelmed Nightmare's mind, recalling the altered stained glass windows, the reactions of the ponies, and the words of Twilight.

As Nightmare pieced it all together, a horrible thought rose in her mind, though it was the only thing that made sense, igniting seething fury and bitterness in her like never before.

"[/ I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, THE QUEEN OF EQUESTRIA, I AM NOT A BUCKING FAIRYTALE!!! " Nightmare screamed, her voice echoed through the building like thunder.

Her double blue toned ethereal mane and tail flowed through the air, forming into an ethereal twister. Nightmare then turned into mist and flew out the building in a glittering dark blue cloud.

" HOW COULD THEY, THEY ERASED ME FROM HISTORY, THEY MADE EVERYPONY FORGET ABOUT ME!!! Nightmare thought, seething with rage as she flew into the sky.

" Wait, the elements, the elements are the only thing that can banish me to the moon again! If I destroy them, then they can't send me back to the moon, and I know where they are! " Nightmare thought, a fiendish smile spread across her face, as she headed for the Everfree forest.

In the throne room of the old castle of the three sisters.

Nightmare had gotten to the castle and held the elements in her magical grasp. She was a moment away from smashing the elements, then the throne room doors flew open.

"Nightmare, we are here to stop you!" Twilight yelled as she and her friends charged into the old castle's throne room.

"You're to late ponies, nothing can stop me now!" Nightmare said as she shattered the elements to pieces and laughed.

But then she heard the purple unicorn mare and the others talking, and then to her surprise, she saw the elements reforming.

"Impossible, I shattered them, they didn't have a trace of magic in them!!!" Nightmare thought, becoming overwhelmed with panic.

The six ponies began to levitate into the air, radiate a shining white light.

"These, these are the new bearers of the elements, does this mean that I will be imprisoned again?!!!"

" I won't go, I just got back, I just reunited with my sisters!!!" Nightmare thought, as a moment of clarity came and temporarily cleared her mind of her madness.

A familiar white light projected from Twilight and her friends at Nightmare, engulfing her in the blinding white light.

" Mother, Celestia, Luna, I'm sorry...so sorry... " Were Nightmare's last thoughts, as she faded from existence.

"We did it! " Twilight said as she cheered with her friends, feeling a rush of excitement and energy at their accomplishment.

"Yeeha!" Applejack said as as she was threw her hat in the air.

"We really did it." Fluttershy said smiling as she looked to the others.

"My that was exhilarating!" Rarity said, still astonished by what they accomplished.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash cheered as she flew through the air.

"Woopee!!" Pinky Pie shouted as she threw some confetti in the air.

"Congratulations on defeating Nightmare." Luna said, teleporting into the room with Celestia.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!" Twilight said excitedly, running up to them.

"It seems you made a few friends in your short time here, my pupil." Celestia said smiling as she looked to Twilight.

"Yes I did, and I couldn't have gotten through this with out them." Twilight said happily, looking at her friends.

"Where is Nightmare anyway?" Luna said, looking around for the bat alicorn.

"Oh, she vanished after we used the elements on her." Twilight said, recalling what happened to the bat alicorn.

as Twilight and the others were talking amongst themselves, still feeling the adrenaline from their battle.

They didn't noticing that Celestia and Lunahad went stiff upon hearing the news of Nightmare Moon's demise.

"Well, if it's alright with you all, why don't I teleport you all back to Ponyville, you and your friends must be tired after all of this." Celestia said calmly with a smile.

"Yes that would be nice, we're more than a little tired." Twilight said, looking to her friends nodding in agreement.

" Waaaaaauugggh!!!, Nightmare!!! "

After Twilight and her friends were gone, Luna burst into tears wailing loudly, slumping to the ground.

Celestia cried openly as well, tears pouring out as she sobbed loudly, no longer able to hold in her emotions either.

"I just, let our sister be wiped from existence, how could I have let this happen! " Celestia thought, sobbing uncontrollably, losing all strength in her legs as she collapsed beside Luna who continued wailing.

"Nightmare, she's gone!!!" Luna shouted, crying her eyes out in her hooves.

Little did they know, that Nightmare was not gone, right behind them, a glittering dark blue cloud of ethereal mist was forming from thin air.

As the glittering cloud of mist finished reforming the bat alicorns body, she no longer had her armour on.

Letting her ethereal mane and tail flow freely, as she laid unconscious on her side on the stone floor.

Without her helmet, the top of her head was visible, revealing a short spiky deep blue sapphire mane with her ethereal mane flowing from it.

" Ugh, I can finally think again, uuugghgh and everything hurts, is this our castle, where are Celestia and Luna?" Nightmare thought, as she lifted her head and looked around.

Her vision was blurry, and she had a ringing in her ear, but both were clearing up as her eyes focused on a familiar white and blue silhouette.

"Celestia, Luna?" Nightmare thought, feeling pure joy at seeing her little sisters, only to be quickly replaced with heartbreak.

*sob, sob, sob* Cried Luna.

"Nightmare I'm so, so sorry, I failed to save you ." Nightmare heard Celestia say, barely a whisper as she cried as well.

"Their crying over me, Celestia, Luna, you have nothing to be sorry for." Nightmare thought, feeling her heart break at seeing her sisters crying over her.

Carefully Nightmare got up, her legs felt like jelly as she began to walk over to them. But thanks to her special magic as bat pony, she approached them silently, trying not to alert or scare them.

Slowly, she warped her wings around both of them, giving them a much needed hug. She felt them relaxing against her large wings, slowly calming down in her embrace.

"This brings back so many memories, I used to always hug them when we got upset with each other when we were younger, I'm glad I've not lost my touch." Nightmare thought, smiling fondly as she enjoyed hugging her sisters again.

"Thanks Luna, I needed this." Celestia said smiling, wiping a tear away.

"What do you mean, I thought you were hugging me. " Luna said, opening her eyes and looking to Celestia.

Nightmare could feel their bodys go stiff and their heartbeats speeding up, as they saw a familiar large black wing on their shoulders.

Nightmare watched with amusement, as they both slowly turned their heads to look behind them.

When they saw their older sister right next to them, their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their heads.

"Hello Tia, Lulu, I'm back. " Nightmare said weakly with a smile, her voice dry and hoarse, having not come back quite yet.

Nightmare, your back." Luna said as she cried again, only this time it was for joy, as she saw that Nightmare was her true self again.

"Yes, and it is good to see you both again". Nightmare said giving them a tighter hug.

"Your back, your really back, I thought we lost you." Celestia said, smiling as she and Luna nuzzled their older sister.

"Sorry for worrying you both, but I'm back now, and I'm not going anywhere." Nightmare said smiling as she returned the nuzzle.

They stayed like that for more than a minute, as they enjoyed the fact that they were a reunited again.

"So sisters, I would like to know what you both have been up to, and where are you living know, obviously not here anymore." Nightmare said as she gesturing around the old ruins with a hoof.

"No, we moved to a place called Canterlot, it is on the side of the ancient Mountain Skypeak, oh you will love it there Nightmare, the view is amazing! Luna said excitedly, telling Nightmare all about their new home called Canterlot.

Celestia watched joyfully as Luna told Nightmare about their home, happy that they were together again.

" She looks so much better,her eyes no longer have that madness in them, and the way she is acting, she really had returned to normal."

"Well I don't know about you two, but it is almost dawn and I am tired, why don't you show me where this Canterlot is?" Nightmare asked while yawning.

"You don't remember, you were there just an hour ago." Luna asked confused.

"I was, I don't remember, probably from getting hit with the elements, I was literally unmade by them for a few second, but I'm sure it well wear off." Nightmare said, shrugging it off like it was nothing.

"Well don't worry about it, we'll just show you around the place, so shall we be off to our home then?" Luna asked with a smile to her older sister.

"Yes let's sisters, I am feeling rather exhausted, oh and by the way Celestia, there's something I've been wondering." Nightmare said, eyeing Celestia with an odd look.

"Hmm, what's that?" Celestia asked curiously as she looked to Nightmare.

Nightmare raised a hoof, and gently poked Celestia's side, her hoof going 2 and a half inches deep when she did.

"How often are you eating cakes now a days?" Nightmare asked with a smug look on her face.

"Th-that's not important right now, let's just get home so you and Luna can get some sleep, unless you want to stay up past dawn." Celestia said, her voice sounding higher and a light blush covered her face.

"No I don't, I have never been a morning pony before, and that's not likely to change." Nightmare said, chuckling at her little sister's antics.

And with that the three sisters teleported to their new home to start there lives as a family again.

To be continued.

Author's Note

Well I hope you all like this story, it's a different take on Nightmare, and Nightmare is one of my favorite characters in mlp, hope you enjoy the story!