Author's Note

My editor decided to go Victorian with Luna's speech.

4.2: 1st POV version) a Dance with a Nightmare in the Pale Moonlight!

The stars hath fully aligned at last.

Mine... no our. Our imprisonment was at its weakest. And had I a say, we wouldst remain imprisoned for yet another millennia. From the moment my dear sister banished us, I hath understood. And in the fullness of time, I hath come to accept such as my due.

I am such a fool. As I always have been. My foolhardy doubt and jealousy of mine own sister hast drivin me from my greatest purpose in life, to defend my subjects as they are in their most vulnerable moments. A task which not only hath I abandoned in my hubris and rage, but my Nightmare, the darkness that is myself, was set to do them harm.

I did struggle, of course. But centuries hath weakened me beyond all use. Not to consider that the chains with which I was bound where of mine own making. The Nightmare did nowise notice mine efforts even as we broke through Harmony’s seal and catapulted to Equestria.

‘Damn you Nightmare!’

‘HAHAHA! Damning yourself? My weaker half, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? I am you! You are me!’ The Nightmare’s insane mirth continued as we appeared before my sister. Ere the light from our appearance hath faded, we wrapped Tia in the fragments of our own prison. Afore she could blink, my poor sister was locked in our stead.

I did not reply to mine other. How could I? Had I not the same thoughts afore? Much as it vexeth me, the Nightmare was correct. I could only watch as we carried out our plans.

“Now… I must prepare myself to greet my subjects!”

I paid no heed to our diatribe. Mine attention was taken entirely with the afeared visages of my once subjects. Though I knew the futility, I struggled once more then. I failed as I knew I would. The Nightmare had been clever in my minding. Mine own power continued to restrain me.

My gaze was drawn to a particular pony. He was certes the most puissant example of equinity I had ever laid eyes on. With a stature to match our own and grand musculature, this stallion certainly outweighed us by a fair margin. Most intriguingly, of all the ponies here, he showed no signs of fear.

‘Oh? What’s this? Is my weaker half enjoying some eye candy?’

I paid no heed to my darker half, for in our distraction the stallion had ascended the stairway and was in the midst of rubbing flanks with us most flirtatiously. “Say, how about we go back through that curtain? I’ll bet I can rut the evil right out of you.”

I burst into laughter in our head. I had a great appreciation for this approach, be it banter afore combat or foreplay. In times long gone, in the best of times, it was both.

“Arrogant colt! Know your place!!” We spat before blasting him with a bolt of raw mana.

I would snort if I only could. The Nightmare is more than capable of using our exceptional skills in spellcasting and control. I could never decide if the Nightmare simply enjoyed the intimidation of using our bottomless well of mana, or if she enjoyed my frustration from using brute force. In either case, such crudities hath long become her base nature.

“Is this foreplay for you? Cause if so I can deal.” My laughter sparked anew. This marvelous pony happily bantered even after being blasted over the balustrade! “It’s not my thing but if you like it rough I can provide!~”

‘Oh my stars! That tongue waggle!’ I simply must discover what sort of enchantment he used to make his tongue do that!.

Unfortunately, our only reply was a growl as we bared our serrated fangs, which only earned more catcalls of ever greater lewdness. By the maker, he must have balls of chromed tungsten! The Nightmare had had enough though, and removed us to our castle.

‘I would certainly enjoy becoming known to that stallion.’

Howls of frustration accompanied our magic as it wove throughout the forest..

‘That was a good one! I must remember it.

‘I feel defiled just hearing this filth.’

The stallion and his herd had arrived, and the stallion had resumed his banter. While I wouldst have enjoyed the experience, mine other most certes did not. We howled in rage as we charged into battle, forsaking even the most basic of subtleties. Twould be a lie to deny that this brought me a form of satisfaction for its own sake.

The stallion met our charge with his own, countering our greater strength with his greater mass. He was no great warrior, but with Nightmare enraged beyond reason he was able to maintain control of the battle. Quite wisely, he kept the encounter as close as possible. He also took every opportunity to molest our person. One must expect one’s tail to be pulled during close combat, but I have never had my tail hole licked in the process.

Throughout it all, this unnamed pony kept up a constant string of comments. In retrospect, I shouldst have foreseen the culmination of the first act of our conflict.

"Your resistance makes me harder!" He shouted as he reared up, and with a strange twist he dropped from his sheath. It was like being hit by a buffalo warclub. A slightly wet warclub.

“Thou didn’st.” I reached up and touched the sticky dampness on mine visage. “Thou did.”

The Nightmare erupted in a fit of rage. We spun and, with a far more traditional act of combat, shattered the stallion’s jaw.

Despite the Nightmare being incoherent in our head, I was enjoying everything about this combat. Would that there were such viril stallions in every conflict... had I ever battled such a worthy opponent? I would not have credited him with such honor, but his return blow flung us across the room.

“FUCKING FIRE THE GODDAMN FRIENDSHIP LASER!!”

That the stallion could still somehow talk with a broken and dislocated jaw paused our combat, only for us to struggle in earnest as Nightmare saw the true danger... “Friendship Laser” indeed!

There is no comparing the feeling of Harmony’s power washing over and through oneself. I was filled with peace, hope, fear, and so much more as both us and our gallant opponent were enveloped in light. My own power was unraveled, and the chains that had bound me for ages beyond counting fell away.

Finally! I was finally free!

And my Nightmare was returned to the depths of my mind, where it would stay until my darkness was needed once again.