Imperial Forclousure

Chapters

New People To Meet
Sisterhood Social
The Things To Learn From The Dead
The Goddess Endures
The Cost of Fame
The Largest Spoons Claim Most Water
The Royal Audience
The Wrong Time To Catch Up
Lady Errands
A New Sunrise
The Day When The Sun Was Cold
The Midnight Communion
Old Friends Meeting
The Royal Offer
Old Enemes, New Allies
Noble Shaman
What a fright
Family Day
The Royal Inspection
A Lesson in History
Rich Secrets
Too Many Volunteers
Applechase
Applied Science
A Baddy Reuinion Day
Magics Examination
Cultural Shock
Unhappy Reunions
A Life and Its Disagreements
Rhyming Riddle
The Princess of Temporal Screw-ups
The Royal Intrigue
Back In Action, Or How They Say It
Nightmarish Interrogation
Filthy Snow
A Loose Book
Shadow Dealings
Rich Meal
Tremors
Sleeping Sun
The Battle of The Mountaintop
Changing Plans
Unladylike Spellcraft
Flurry of A Plan
One More For the History Books
Your Hands Only
All Hail the Queen.
Rise of the New Moon
Miracles Abound
Emmissary of Night
Luna and Queen
Younger Brother
The March of Industry
Long Way From Home
The Battle of The Setting Sun
Queen To D7
Farewell to the Loyal

New People To Meet

With each step on the road, it was becoming more and more apparent that she enjoyed it. She almost forgot what it felt like to look around and see not a single wall. Each night she slept in a place she never has seen before, staring at the starry sky. She quickly learned to not sleep on the bare ground, it was cold. And she woke up with a sore throat every morning, but otherwise, it was pleasing. Each day she could cover a large distance, for she didn't need to sit down for rest. When her hooves were tired, she could simply lift herself in the air and carry on that way with her magic alone, even quicker than on hooves, but she still preferred trotting simply for the feel of it. Every now and then, some critter tried to get into her bag to have a piece of her food, but those were easy to chase away. It was becoming lonely, however.
She never spent a day away from other ponies before and she missed seeing the busy work around her. Finally, the long, cobblestone road carried her back to ponies again. She heard the sounds of loggers' work long before she saw them. She never actually saw ponies chopping timber, she guessed that trees had to be somehow made into the wood, but to see the process... exhilarating! She quickened her step.

The logging site was a place with around a dozen earth ponies bringing down trees, chopping them in smaller pieces and clearing the branches. She took a moment to observe the work. One log at a time was sawed in even pieces and loaded on one of several buckboards. It looked bizarre to her that ponies were doing all of this work with their hooves alone. Why not simply ask a unicorn?

She inched closer to have a feel of how heavy those logs were. She tried to lift one of the ones stockpiled for processing. Amazingly, she easily lifted it from the pile. And they looked so heavy... Sawing each log individually felt like too long as well. Breaking it might've been too crude, but she could cut too. This was one of her newer spells that she only tested on twigs, but it should do nicely. Looking over at the loggers to get a feeling of the size she needed to cut, she then pulled the log off its pile and aimed carefully. With a dark blue beam, she quickly sliced the log in half, leaving burned ends. All took just over a second.

"Ey! Everyone!" one of the loggers' cried out. "Is it me, or did one of them logs just started to fly?"

She was about to be uncovered! While the first idea to cross her mind was to hide, she elected to abstain. After all, she was not here doing anything she might've gotten in trouble over.

The first logger to lay eyes on her spent a few moments to stare and make sure he was seeing right,
"There's a foal here! And he's holding one of the logs in the air all by himself!" In no time at all, she was surrounded by ponies.

"Never saw one of 'dem unicorn foals do that," one remarked. "Ain't it heavy?" She looked up at the log she was easily holding and smiled smugly. She then picked up four more logs and lifted them just as easily. It was becoming a little heavy now, admittedly, but she didn't show it.

"Uhhh... You were going somewhere?" the lumberers kept warily eyeing the logs floating in the air. She didn't say anything and only simply nodded.

"I head nopony having a unicorn foal around."

"Me neither. Are you coming to visit somepony?" She did not like them starting to ask her so many questions... but she decided to tolerate it for now. She shook her head.

"He must be from the glassmakers' town," one suggested.

"Did you run away from home?" She shook her head. "Aren't very talkative, are you?" She shook her head again.

"My guess, let's just wait, someone will come for him eventually. We got work to do, anyway."

And so she spent the day watching the lumberers work, it was welcome after the lonely past few days. She quickly noted how they were structured, who was their leader and who were more experienced than the others and commanded enough respect to be obeyed. She also noted the possible power struggle and thought about how she would've organized the work. It came as easy as anything.
After a while, one of the lumberers noted how she cut the log into even pieces before, so she offered to help. The lumberers reluctantly accepted and allowed her to move the wood for them. It felt weird to do something for someone else's sake, but it wasn't unpleasant. They may have not been as capable as she was, but they were ponies. Every time one of them reluctantly thanked her it made her feel like it was worth doing it in the end. This was something she never knew how much she wanted. It made her feel even worse about the tiny foal that was still with her on some level, maybe he wouldn't have broken like that if she offered him support, even if just a word. But then again, such thoughts were of no consequence. It was either him or her, they couldn't both have control over their body. She wasn't quite satisfied with it too, she felt herself distinctly female while the body was that of a foal. She did not know why it was this way, but for now, she already was used to it.

Thanks to her magical assistance, the day's work was over a bit earlier than usual and she went along with them. It took a little travel, but they did arrive at a village of some kind in the end. It felt strange to look at compared to the town, no house looked the same, being made up of various materials and constructed in its own shape. The primary material was still wood, but the foundations were made out of cobbles. The place felt old, the mold clinging to the foundations suggested them being much older than the wooden constructions atop.

The shadows were already becoming longer and it was time to find her place to sleep for the night. For once she had the pleasure to not sleep in the wilderness, passing the streets on the buckboard with logs, she quickly spotted an open attic she could spend the night in. Catching a moment when none of her new friends were looking at her, she easily hopped from her ride and quickened out of sight. She then snuck up into her chosen cover. It was cozy enough. The straw stacks made her smile contently, the night would be warm and soft for her.

She spent the evening observing the village below. The loggers tried looking for her but stopped after a few hours. The rest of the ponies were unconcerned and continued to prepare for the day's rest. Compared to where she was from, this place was quiet, tranquil even. Workers tended to go around streets singing and drinking at this hour, they simply had no other times to have their fun. Here, however, it was quiet. As soon as the sun crossed the horizon, the streets became empty entirely.
She decided to find herself some provisions for the road. The dark had not bothered her at all with the nightvision spell. She moved around the streets and quickly enough found a barn. Opening the lock was trivial, she did get pretty well acquainted with the locks back in the prison. She used to open the locks in the cells for fun and look at how uneasy it made the police ponies look.
She looked around and found some bread and vegetables, easy enough to carry around. She ate a bit and returned to her lair for nightly sleep. The straw accepted her easily, she never noticed just how tired she really was from the day. She drifted away before she could start thinking further.

She woke up late in the morning, the sun was already high in the sky. She yawned and took another few minutes for the sleep to wear off. Her bed was so soft this night that she didn't want to get up.

Eventually, she managed to gather enough willpower to roll on her hooves. She cautiously looked outside at the village. It was rather empty now, all capable ponies must have gone to work the fields, or to do other work. The only ones she saw on the streets were other foals and the mares caring for them, elderly ponies and a pony or two working in their home. The lumberers she met yesterday were nowhere to be seen.

She stepped back out of view and laid down again to consider her options. She could've simply left before anyone could ask who she was and what she was doing here, that was always an option. But it would be nice to know where she was going, or where she wanted to eventually arrive. She also did not really want to be alone on the road again. So she elected to have a walk and see if she could meet a pony who could tell her more about the lands down the road.

She fetched a few surprised looks and questions about where her parents were, but that was to be expected. She never answered, of course, because she herself couldn't tell, but none of them attempted to stop her. She tried to look pleasant, but they simply gave her unsettled looks in response. She didn't mind, she didn't want them interfering. Walking and studying the village, she met a few ponies who did seem like they could use a little help, to help foals with a ball stuck in a tree, to levitate a heavy item. It took her no effort at all and only a little time. They regarded her with the same bewilderment. They did still attempt to offer her something for her trouble, once they recovered from their unsettled states. Someone gave her a little treat, others just a word of thanks. She always smiled back and continued exploring. It felt pleasant, something she never knew she wanted. It was only a small feeling, but she felt as if she was doing something meaningful and not just for herself. She could easily snap their necks if she wanted to. But it was so much better this way!

Closer to the afternoon, a wagon rolled into the village, pulled by a richly dressed stallion. "Silks, spices, jade and porcelain! Come see goods from the East!" he shouted as he passed.

Oh, a travelling merchant! She saw one of them with her own eyes, he passed down her street once. Curiosity got the better of her. She followed the merchant down the street until he found a place to set up his shop. A small crowd quickly gathered. The merchant was content to simply stay put, for now, so she saw no reason to rush to meet him. She sat down on a fence just outside the action and simply watched him. She noticed herself having a kind of soft way of finding out about others by simply observing them. How they move, speak, react, even how they look at others. She couldn't describe exactly how she was doing it if she tried. She simply knew what different signs meant.
This particular stallion provoked her curiosity. He was talkative, a trait of his profession, he never struggled to pick words as he advertised his goods: "Oh, this one made in Yan-Tzy by the governor's own sculptor," he spoke on the small figurine made out of weird, green stone. Likely not entirely true.

She observed the merchant dealing with his customers for some more time before he suddenly looked straight at her. For a moment they stared at each other, but the merchant quickly relented and awkwardly returned to his work. The short exchange left her wondering, for a moment she could swear he recognized her. Although she never saw him before, she was certain. She started watching more closely, just where would this stallion know her from?

For the next hour, before the crowd dispersed, she continued carefully studying him. His movements became far more rigid now. He only gave back fleeting looks, just to make sure she was still there.
When he finally had a breather between tending to ponies wishing to look at his goods, he looked back at her again. Their eyes met and for a whole minute, neither of them moved or looked away.
"Sorry, I could've sworn you are a foal of someone I saw a while ago," he finally said, looking away. "You have the same look to your eye."

"Saw where?" she asked shortly. If he could tell her who her parents were...

"In Vanhoover, I think. That's a lot north and west, in Equestria. Damn, I haven't been there since before Empress Nightmare Moon..." he paused for a moment. "So I was in the Vanhoover port, came on a ship from the south to buy some of their schematics and tools to go with them. I was loading the crates on the ship when I nearly got flung out into the ocean. I picked myself off the concrete and tried to find whoever knocked me over, then I saw her, the enormous mare with a fiery mane standing by the boarding ramp, eyeing me dismissively as if I was some insect in her way. I heard about Equestrian princesses, of course, but I didn't expect to meet one, much less get in her way. She then walked aboard, a few boxes of her luggage in tow. She also had a servant with her, or someone who looked like a servant at least. A weird, insect-like pony covered in scars and with its horn broken, had wings too. I picked myself up and tried to haul my goods back on the ship. The rest of the way back she didn't talk to anyone except for that creature she had with her and the captain. She didn't look like much of a chatterbox and the crew saw what happened to me before departure, so nobody bothered her if they could. But she and her companion kept watching on all of us. I never thought I'd see that look again."

The notion gave her a pause. A Princess? She heard about them, spoken with awe as distant myths. All ponies knew the name of Princess Celestia in particular, she was older than any creature could hope to remember. But there were others too.

"Where is she?" she asked.

"You're asking a bit too many questions for somepony that small, friend," the merchant smiled at her out of his wagon-stall. "She came ashore at port Ying. But that was nearly forty years ago. All the times I've been there, I never heard anything definite. Her sister died, her title left squandered, I reckon she just wanted a quiet life after everything that happened."

"What was the Empress like?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh... little one," he sighed. "I couldn't have told you even if I saw her during her reign. She didn't even hold out a decade. From what I heard, most ponies didn't like her much. But those who did - worshipped her, sometimes literally. She was a good monarch otherwise, very authoritarian but capable. She's been moving both sun and moon for a while in the sky, then Celestia, her sister, started doing that again after she died. The sisters never really saw eye to eye for long. Nightmare Moon was the younger one, she spent the last thousand years on the moon, believe it or not, she was exiled there after her first attempt to seize power. She then returned and for a while, everything was swell. Nightmare Moon even too up a new, less intimidating name and seemed to genuinely try to make amends. Celestia was overjoyed, it couldn't have felt well to have to exile her own sister like that. All the land cheered at the return of Princess Luna, but eventually, something inside her snapped. She started a violent civil war for which Celestia unprepared, loyalists were reluctant to fight their own fellow ponies, but Nightmare Moon's supporters had no issues with that. Nightmare Moon won and sent Celestia to the moon, she did show her mercy and allowed her to return a few years later. It was said that she rapidly shifted in her attitude shortly after, she now was entirely submissive to her younger sister and even took a new name - Daybreaker. They seemed to have warm relations ever since. Nightmare Moon became much kinder to those around her. Eventually, she even attempted to reform her regime into a less tyrannical one. She was murdered in the middle of her speech."

The tale saddened her greatly. She felt a kinship with both mares, their personality shifts were a giveaway. Nonetheless, it felt reassuring to know that she wasn't alone in the world.

"I already told you how I met Daybreaker on the ship," he continued. "I had a few glimpses at her baggage, the Princess took with her some of her sister's things it looked like, I felt bad for her.
"There's also this one more thing, it was years ago, but the last time I went to those places, I heard a curious rumor about a cult trying to resurrect their dead goddess."

"Resurrect?"

"Yes, like in one of those tales about necromancers. They call themselves: 'The Society of Ivory Crescent.' Sounds insane, but I wouldn't be surprised, we talk about ponies moving sun and moon after all. I am not sure how they were going to do that, from what I heard, her body was burned. So there will be no skeletal Empress to raise."

What a story! And of her relatives no less. She listened with awe, but the ending left her saddened at how tragically it ended for her sisters.

"Map?" she asked, sounding soiled.

"Eh?" he curiously hummed. "Well, I have one, but I need it."

"To look," she clarified.

He stared at her suspiciously for a while,
"No harm in letting you look, I guess." He turned around from her and started rummaging through his many boxes. "Here." He put rolled out the sheet across the counter. She lightly dropped from her seat on the fence and approached.
"Huh, a little small you are," the merchant commented with a smile when she couldn't reach the top to look. It took her to stand on her hind legs and stretch her body upwards. "Here's where they used to rule," he pointed at the large swath of land in the northern part of the map. "And that's where... hold on," he picked up on her confused look. "You never saw a map before, have you?" As a matter of fact, she did. Just not one like this, with colorful sections and lines. "Well, alright. The colored parts are countries. And we are over here," he pointed downwards, beyond the Equestria's border. "That's the port we sailed out from and here's where we parted with the Princess," he dragged his hoof from the north to south-east. She watched carefully the snaking roads that arrived at the town shown to her. There was no hope of memorizing all of the turns and stops.

"A drawing?" she lifted her eyes onto him.

"You want to copy it out?" he asked with a bit of confusion.

"Uh-hum!" she readily nodded and smiled slightly. Her friends back at the police station brought her some paper and pencils sometimes, she was pretty good at drawing. "Paper and pencil?"

"Well, I got some, but those aren't free. Even for curious little foals."

"Uhmm..." This was a problem indeed. She had nothing to pay with... "How much?"

"Well, I won't charge you a lot for a single pencil and some paper... Well, alright, let's have it this way: I'll give you what you need and let you draw re-draw the map and you tell me how you got here, it's pretty obvious that you aren't local. A story is worth money too, you know," he winked at her with one eye.

She suddenly chuckled aloud. Oh, she had a story to tell, he had no idea what he was asking for,
"I am from... here," she pointed to the town on the map she thought represented her birthplace.

"Grainbrough, eh?" he cringed. "No offense, but I heard bad things, especially lately." She nodded, he was right. "So... you ran away from home?" She shook her head. "Then...?"

"I never knew them."

"Your parents?"

"Uh-hum."

"Oh..." his brows instantly sank down. "That sounds... rough. So, how did you make it?"

"I took what I needed."

"And... if you couldn't?"

"I always could."

"If someone caught you?"

"They would beat me."

"Badly?"

"Sometimes."

"So did you one day just get up and leave"

"No."

"Then what?" At this point, he started to sound rather confused.

"The police station was closed down."

"Did... the policeponies look after you?"

"Yes." The memory made her look back at the road sadly.

"Oh, damn... I am really sorry, it all sounds awful." He took a pause, "You got any plan on what to do now?"

"I am going to find my sister," she nodded.

"Your... sister?" She nodded in response, "Who is she?"

"The Princess with the fiery mane." He started at her for a long moment.

"Look, I don't want to say this, but she isn't... you know, your sister. You weren't even born when she celebrated her thousandth birthday." She simply shrugged in response. "...You aren't joking, are you?"

"No." He took another long moment to stare at her.

"How do you know she is your sister?" he asked, carefully picking his words.

"You described her."

"So you have seen her before?"

"No."

"Then how do you know how she looks?"

"I didn't."

"It wasn't her looks?"

"No."

"It was some quality?"

"Yes."

"Which one?" The question made her think a while. How was she to even explain something like this?

"You said she suddenly became very different," she finally decided. "My sisters can cause this."

"Your sisters? You have more than one?"

"Uh-hum," she nodded.

"How do they do this?"

"They take control."

"Control of what?"

"The body." For the third time, the merchant stallion was staring at her, this time in bewilderment at what she just said.

"Did you take someone's... body?"

"Yes."

"Whose?"

"The ponies called him Spoiled Milk."

"The foal?"

"Yes."

"Wait a little." He stepped back from the counter and looked at the mirror hanging on one of his wagon's inner walls. He then gave himself a hard slap on his cheek and blinked his eyes several times. "Okay," he returned back to her. "How did it happen?"

"Spoiled Milk tried to take food from workers, they caught him, beat him and threw them into the ditch outside their workshop. Spoiled Milk wanted to die there, I took what I needed." The station dragged his hoof from his lobe to the back of his head and scratched his neck a little.

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"Is he still with you?"

"Yes."

"Can I talk to him?"

"No."

"Okay... What of those ponies that caught him? You told the police about them?"

"They are dead," she said simply.

"You killed them?" he leaned over the counter.

"Yes," she sharply tilted her head and screeched.

"Like that?"

"Yes."

"That's why the policeponied took you in?"

"I don't know."

"Okay... " he stood straight again, sighed and closed his eyes. "I am having a hard time believing that I am hearing this. I meet a foal, who isn't a foal, with a look to his eyes that a timberwolf would envy, who says he murdered several ponies by snapping their necks. Okay, let's get on. How did you do that?"

"Show?"

"No, just tell me."

"I broke their necks."

"How, is what I am asking."

"With magic."

"You are telling me that a foal, as young as you are, can actually hurt other ponies with your magic?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, I don't want to check right now," he dragged his hoof over his eyes. He stood like that for a while, "Why?" He finally asked.

"They hurt Spoiled Milk," she answered simply as always.

"Well... okay. Look, I... this is a lot. Mind if I have a little rest? I need to make sure I am not going barny. I don't think I am, but still."

"Paper and pencil?"

"I... later," he stepped out of his wagon and stiffly trotted away, leaving her by her lonesome next to the vacant wagon.

Sisterhood Social

The next few weeks were different. They were much like what she saw back in prison. Each day was the same, get up, eat, spend the day in one place, sleep. She was spending her days studying the spell. Rich was concerned, but she needed to get this done. She knew exactly what the changeling meant by giving her the book. There could only be one she would summon.

She needed chalk, yes, chalk. That was easy to find. She also needed a quiet, flat space. A bit harder, but this village had many places where ponies rarely went. Candles? For protection, she needed none. Lastly, an item, the one that belonged to the summoned. She did not understand where she would be summoning from, but that wasn't a necessary detail. The spell itself was simple, surprisingly simple. Some of the ones she discovered herself were much more complex. Simple things almost always had caveats, but she was willing to risk.

Finally, the day had come. She slipped out from the wagon before dawn and went down to the fishing docks by the ocean. She chose a space behind some old, abandoned boats at one of the piers. Ponies walked by her circle every day and never noticed it. Her only concern was the waves. They always washed off a little of her chalk at night. So it was this time as well. The water cleaned off one side of her circle, so she had to draw again. The pier was moist, so the chalk didn't hold to it well, it took her an hour to fix the damage. The morning tide would not come for a few hours at least, she was safe for now. Without wasting any time, she put the book in the circle and began casting the spell, as the book described. She was only meant to power the circle and it would do the rest, that is why it was so simple. The book described the "Transfer Spell" but she did not know this one so she improvised, she used one of her beams. The circle started to glow purple, as was described. Now if everything went right, a cloud of black smoke should appear... Yes! The cloud appeared as was intended. She patiently waited as the cloud grew larger and darker. Two lights appeared somewhere inside, two vibrant, cyan eyes. The circle then dimmed, leaving the smoke to hang in the air. She noticed that the wind did nothing to scatter it, so it must have worked. ...But nothing happened. Growing restless, she carefully reached for the book to check if there was anything else she needed to do.

"That is not yours," the cloud suddenly spoke, she froze in place. "Little thief. You should know better than to steal from your Empress," the cloud slowly turned around. The glowing eyes were now staring directly at her. Those were not the eyes she expected to see. The pupils were slitted, like the ones of a predator. "Where are your parents?"

"I only have sisters..." The answer gave the cloud a pause.

"Your name?"

"Tiny."

"Ughhmmm..." the mare heavily sighed. She then noted where they were. She spun around, looking for something familiar. "What is this..." she whispered to herself. She then looked underneath herself, at the circle. "A summoning circle. You did this?" She curtly nodded, still unsure what to make from this. "Impressive, for someone so young, but still too amateurish. You should not dabble in the things you do not understand. Your luck that this spell requires a specific item to summon anyone, otherwise you might have summoned some creature bound for Tartarus instead of me. Now, what is it you want from me? I'd rather not linger."

"But I am your-"

"My sister, I know. You've made it obvious enough," the cloud interrupted. "That alone would not earn you any credit, dear sister of mine. You've summoned me from my rest. Speak what you wish and be done with it."

It took Tiny a moment to realize that she could not formulate what it was that she wanted. She felt miserable. She regretted coming here. She regretted it all. She knew now how the foal felt. She also knew what to do, or rather, she wouldn't be able to control it if she tried. Her eyes became wet and, soon enough, tears started rolling down her cheeks. As good enough of a way to vent her despair as any. The pain of being rejected by the only kin she could have was crushing. And she didn't even know the words to convey it.
The mare she heard stories about simply turned away from her and stared into the ocean. Slowly, she turned back again to look at her. Her look was softer this time.

"I am sorry, little sister," she said the same cursed words. "My... encounters with our other sisters were not too friendly." After saying that, she waited for Tiny to calm a little. "Would you tell me why you summoned me?"

"You are my sister," Tiny slowly said.

"Do you feel lonely?"

The question took her a little by surprise, she nodded in the end.

"I am sorry to hear that. I was not lonely in my time, believe it or not. Some ponies knew who I was, but accepted me regardless. I miss them often," she said sadly. "Is this why you came? You wish to learn how to make others accept you?" Tiny shook her head vehemently, her nose still sobbing. "Very well," she sighed. "Perhaps, then, we should go somewhere? I doubt local ponies would appreciate you conversing with me so openly." The cogs in Tiny's brain worked a little before she remembered there were other ponies around in the town. She nodded, several times.
"Do you have a hideout here, perhaps?"

"Just Mister Rich's wagon..."

"Mister Rich?" Tiny nodded. "Ughhmm... Very well, let's go to Mister Rich then. I suppose no one would notice us before dawn."

Tiny quickly took her older sister back to the marketplace, she felt better now. Although she didn't quite know what to do now, past telling Mister Rich, that is. The wagon was just where she left it. She could even hear oh so familiar snoring.

"Too bad we have to wake him, waiting is not an option," her sister sounded jaded now. She was right too. Tiny climbed inside and started to carefully shake the stallion inside.

"Ughrrr, wha..?" he mumbled through his sleep.

"Good morning, Minister." The regal voice announced herself. Mister Rich's eyes immediately flew open.

"T-tiny? That you?"

"Guess again," the ominous response came.

"Oh no. No-no-no-no!" Rich panicked. "You are dead! You are dead!"

"Quite so, Mister Rich," the cloud responded trivially. "I fear I could not stay so. Your young... shall we say friend, ensured it."

Rich shot a look at Tiny, who gave no explanation. For a while, all three waited silently.

"May I inquire where have you found this?" The black book appeared from the dark cloud, floating in the air, being held by some force.

"A changeling gave it to us... Your Majesty," he quickly remembered his manners and threw a tiny bow.

"Oh? A changeling then. I wondered if she is still living... Is she with you?"

"No, Your Majesty. She lives with your sister these days. On top of the nearest mountain. Your sister has a lot of your other things as well."

"I imagine. My sister would have a lot of explaining to do soon," having said that, the cloud started to float away.

"What of us, Your Majesty? Should we... wait for you here?"

"You need not call me that anymore, Mister Rich. I am free from my position and titles, I do not intend to re-assume them."

"So... what now?"

"Well..." she spoke wistfully. "I suppose, first thing would be speaking to my sister. I wish to know why exactly she is in this... place. As for you, I would not give you orders anymore. But I must say, I am glad to see you again after all this time, Mister Rich."

"Wait, don't go!" Tiny cried out and hopped out of the wagon back to the ground. "I'll go with you!" she lifted herself up from the ground with her magic. The eyes within the cloud visibly narrowed just a little, as if to accompany a smile.

"Why sister, aren't you adorable?" the tone instantly changed.

"Ehh... Your- Ma'am, if I may, arguing with her won't do much. I tried," Rich warned.

"I do not intend to. If the young mare wishes to accompany me, I see no reason to leave her behind. You may come too if you wish. I don't suspect you would learn anything new regardless." Rich looked confused.

"This is unexpected. You usually do not tolerate any listeners."

"Why the surprise, dear Mister Rich? I told you already, I do not intend to come back to the court," the older mare then produced a prolonged sigh. "If I am to be perfectly plain, I was glad to be relieved. That decade I spent in the palace felt like a century. Now there is no more need for secrecy. The dead have little worth to hide. Otherwise, I would need someone to tell me what happened while I was away, and I doubt my sister saw too much from her seat up there."

"Glad to die?" Tiny asked, surprised.

"When you live your first thousand years, little one, you would understand how life can become burdensome. Now come, I suppose with Mister Rich in tow, we will have to take a less steep way up. Unless he would prefer to be carried."

"N-no... Thank you."

"Well then, shall we?"

It took them until dawn to scale the mountain again. Mostly because Rich needed periodic rests and declined all offers to help him. But otherwise, they had a pleasant time. She was glad that her other sister proved to be so much nicer. She was already accustomed to being treated fine by other ponies and meeting with the same cold indifference she knew from her hometown was rather painful. She was also glad to finally speak with someone like her. She mostly listened though. Her older sister had questions, the answers that Mister Rich gave made little sense to her. He spoke of the power vacuum and struggle. The discussion left her sister rather discontented.

"What of Twilight Sparkle?" the older mare asked. Her tone being deeply worried.

"She assumed your role as the Empire's leader, but from what I heard, she could not hold it for long. It started to look bad when I saw the yearly financial reports from farming collectives. We were about to starve. I retired before that could happen."

"I see. Most troubling news indeed. Are you aware of where Twilight Sparkle is now?"

"No, my Lady. I left before she did. Perhaps your sister would know more."

"Yes, perhaps. Let us press on, she would be raising the sun soon. I would like to catch her before she knows we are coming."

The wind picked up before they reached the summit, and it slowed their climb even further. It hurt the older stallion particularly bad, he should have taken something warm. Tiny did help him to stay warm despite his promises that he would be fine, her older sister disagreed. Tiny wondered at the measure of authority this long-dead mare still had. Out of a habit, or respect, Rich treated her as if she still was his monarch.

When they reached the summit, the sun started to slowly rise over the horizon. The house was lit from the inside, but the outsides were still wrapped tightly in shadow. One such shadow separated itself from the house wall and started its measured and even way towards them. It was the changeling again. She stopped about ten meters away.

"Mistress," she whispered a greeting and bowed deeply. "I waited for you to return for me."

"Oh, dear-dear, Shadow!" her older sister dotingly crooned, while rapidly closing her distance. "To see you again is just... I just wish I could..." her delight suddenly ended.

"Mistress?" the changeling asked, stepping closer. While Tiny watched in confusion as the black cloud continued to hang without movement. "Is there anything wrong? Did I-"

"N-no, no... It is nothing, dear Shadow," her voice sounded shocked. "It's just that something dawned on me right now."

"Can I do something?" the changeling pleadingly asked.

"N-not now. I wish to see my sister now, Mister Rich and Miss Tiny told me she is here."

"Yes, Mistress. She is raising the sun at the moment. I shall show you the way immediately," the changeling uncharacteristically sharply turned around. "This way, Mistress. Should your guests stay?"

"No, Shadow. They may come with us."

"Of course, Mistress."

Tiny looked up at Rich, but he simply shrugged, just as clueless as she was. Shadow led them not into the house but rather around it. Lady Daybreaker was there, surrounded by burning candles and smoking sticks that smelled funny. Before her was a sand plot littered with stones of various sizes. Daybreaker's horn glowed warmly as the sun was rising to face her lady.

"A moment," a whisper brought her back from sightseeing. "Mistress allows you to be present, but make no mistake, you are not allowed to interfere. Try to make yourself so unnoticeable they forget you are here, it is for your own good." The changeling quietly warned before following her Mistress already on her way to the garden.

She stopped and waited for her sister to finish raising the sun, while Tiny and Rich watched in wonder until the orb became too bright to bear looking at. They both seen many sunrises, but they saw a Princess doing it. The smell of the burning incense lingered in the air before a gush of wind blew it away, unseen bells somewhere next to a house began to chime. It took another minute before the dawn fully illuminated the mountaintops. Daybreaker exhaled gracefully and stood up from her seat in the ritual.
She then turned around, preparing to head back inside and go about her daily business, when she suddenly froze in place.

"Hello, sister," Nightmare Moon greeted. For a second a glimmer of true panic could be seen in Daybreaker's eyes but it was immediately suppressed.

"Welcome to my home, sister," Daybreaker then proceeded to formally bow. Her size and the lack of practice made her a little clumsy. "I suspect you have questions," she said as readily as only numerous practice tries could let her.

"Oh, no-no-no, don't bow to me! You are my sister, not a peasant!" Nightmare Moon lamented. "I need not such gratification, please rise up." Daybreaker obediently stood straight, her eyes were slightly narrowed, "Sister, I only wish I could embrace you after so many years, there's no need for this formality! But we would have to refrain from that..." the last phrase sounded had a tone of extreme sadness to it.

"Sister, I..." Daybreaker suddenly looked directly at Tiny and Rich, who were silently hugging the wall. "You! How dare you! My own sister, brought back in a form of a pathetic-" Daybreaker was already making her way, preparing to demonstrate the full power of her anger, but Nightmare Moon moved to shield them.

"Daybreaker, please," the similarly mournful plea was voiced. "I did not bring them here to vent your anger on."

"My Lady," Shadow took the word. "I took my liberty to offer Miss Tiny Mistress' spellbook. I apologize for going behind your back, but I am not sorry."

"Is that so, dear sister? It was not your intention?" Nightmare Moon asked straightforwardly. Daybreaker did not answer and refused to look her sister in the eyes. "Shadow, dear. I believe you know the sequence of events after my death."

"Of course, Mistress. After the night of your speech, Princess Twilight attempted to take your place. After the immediate power vacuum was filled, Princess Twilight attempted to establish a relationship with your sister, Lady Daybreaker was in a poor state but she obeyed the Princess. She has been raising the sun ever since. Princess Twilight attempted to strengthen her control over the Empire by appointing her friends in the influential offices. They eventually held a council on whether they should attempt to resurrect Your Majesty. The vote failed with the majority voting against, Twilight Sparkle herself included."

"We wanted to wait," Daybreaker blurted without looking up. "We wanted to find a better option than... this."

"What, you wanted me to be anything more than a ghost? Oh, truly, so caring you are, dear sister. Have you, perhaps, considered not murdering me in the first place?" Daybreaker continued to stand silently without looking her sister in the eye. Her face was calm again. "Do you really have nothing to say for yourself, sister? Why, I know you better than this."

"I expected this," Daybreaker explained. "Sparkle would've found a way sooner or later. I knew that one day we would have this conversation. I came to terms with the fact that I would have to answer to you. There is only one thing I can say now, sister. I cannot ever do enough to earn forgiveness, but know that I am sorry for what I did. I-if you would choose to never speak to me again, then I shall do as you wish."

An awkward silence followed.

"Sister, look at me," Nightmare Moon said calmly. Daybreaker slowly obeyed. "Sister, I don't know what hurts more, that I could never feel you again, or that you think that I might not want to speak to you again. Damn you, you poor, terrified, fool, say something!"

Daybreaker exhaled sharply,
"You always, always were too magnanimous for your own good. Sister, I killed you, but you are forgiving me this easily!"

Nightmare Moon crossed the rest of the distance between them and engulfed her sister.

"Sister, you are a puff of smoke. You cannot embrace me," Daybreaker sighed from inside the black cloud.

"I don't care."

"Sister, I killed you."

"Stop talking." Daybreaker begrudgingly did as ordered.

"That went well," Rich mused aloud. "Would've never imagined our Majesty could be this lovely when in private."

"There is a lot you do not know about my Mistress, Sir Rich," the changeling whispered with a chuckle.

The Things To Learn From The Dead

"This way, Mistress. I dusted your items every day," Shadow proudly whispered. Showing them a whole room lined with boxes, stands and shelves with books. "I knew you would need them again one day."

Rich whistled,
"And here I thought a Princess would have more luggage with her than fits in this house."

"I did not have much of my own things to bring with me. Most of these are filled with the things from your tower, Nightmare. I also took the most valuable jewelry. I couldn't let such precious things be sold off by the ruffians that infested the Palace after Sparkle took over. Your student barely understood the difference between a racketeer and an entrepreneur," Daybreaker grumbled.

"That is jaded of you, dear sister. I suspect you made the whole Palace know exactly what you thought! Or, poor Rarity must have broken all her legs, trying to put down the flames!" Nightmare Moon chuckled at her own joke.

"Nightmare, I don't understand your mirth," Daybreaker responded with a sigh. "You died, your throne is lost and your followers are scattered. What is there to be so joyous about?"

"Don't you see? Daybreaker, we are finally free!" Nightmare Moon spun around, her body forming a small vortex. "Sister, we no longer have to hide behind the walls of our palace and hundreds of soldiers! We no longer have to work day and night to keep our ponies from suffering! We are free! We can do whatever our hearts wish! Why would I be upset?"

"I... thought you would be less enthusiastic about your life's plan coming into nothing," Daybreaker reminded. That soured Nightmare Moon's mood.

"Tiny, dear, would you come here?" she beckoned, changing the subject entirely. Tiny carefully stepped into the room. "I would like to show you something while we are here. My Shadow, where do you keep my old helmet?"

"Right here, Mistress. I only polished it yesterday," the changeling enthusiastically trotted to one of the glass stands. Tiny had to stretch her entire body to look inside, there, together with more pieces of armor laid an ancient, several times splintered and fixed, helmet fashioned out of blue metal. Tiny never saw an actual helmet before, only those that construction workers had.

"This is a very personal thing for me, a relic you may say," Nightmare Moon spoke, using her ethereal body to carefully lift the item out of the container, the lock did nothing to stop her and gave in almost as soon as she touched it. "I spent a thousand years wearing this in my exile. I want you to have it. I have no need any longer and I'd rather you have it than it lying in here with no use."

"Uh..." Tiny stared at the helmet far too big for her in confusion. "It is... big."

"Wear it," Nightmare Moon presented the item to her. Tiny lifted the helmet and lowered it on her head, being careful for her horn to pass into the opening.

"O-aaagh!" Tiny cried in surprise. The helmet rapidly shrank until it hugged her head snuggly.

"May it protect you as well as it protected me, dear sister."

"Mistress, did you say we are leaving?" Shadow was visibly upset.

"We have to find Princesses Twilight and Luna, dear. We shall take what we can use from my things and leave."

"Finding Luna won't be easy, sister. She disappeared immediately after you were gone, Sombra went with her. She told no one where she was going. For Twilight Sparkle, I fear, we won't find her at all. If she fled at all, I don't know where."

"Fled from what? Sister, would you clarify what exactly happened?"

"After Sparkle took over, things steadily went from bad to worse. She attempted to continue your policies, but she was nothing like you. Weak-willed and hesitant. One by one, the competent officials sensed where the wind was blowing and deserted," Daybreaker gave Rich a fleeting glare. "Sparkle had to replace them so she made her choices. They all were decent enough in their fit, except for one. Apparently, Sparkle could not find anyone better to manage the Empire's finances than Flim and Flam brothers. In no time at all, the industrialist brothers overruled, the, frankly speaking, weak Princess. You should have chosen Cadance, she did much better."

"Was that the time you decided to flee?" Nightmare Moon beckoned.

"Yes. I did as your student decreed, you did appoint her as your successor after all."

"You did as Twilight told then? Sister, that does not sound like you to obey to one like her."

"I... had a moment of clarity. I understood why you chose her and not me. Your decision was wise, sadly Sparkle wasn't ready to shoulder the weight."

"Uhmm... Is that why you left our homeland behind, Mister Rich? Was Twilight Sparkle a Princess not to your liking?" Nightmare Moon turned her attention to the senior stallion.

"Ehh... Yeees, my Lady," Rich decided not to lie.

"Well, I suppose we cannot expect all ponies to be loyal to the end," Nightmare Moon sighed. "Sister, are you certain that she did not flee herself?"

"Knowing her devotion to our subjects and to her friends specifically, I would not imagine her doing that. If we are to find her, we must go back to the Empire, or whatever state it is now. Shall I pack my things?"

"Pack your things? Is it your intention to come with us? I thought you liked it here in your cozy home."

"I want nothing more than to come with you... if you would have me. I mused long on why everything turned out like this, but I see now. You are not simply my sister, you are my monarch," Daybreakrer proceeded to bow to the ground. "I will carry you back onto your throne if that is what your orders are."

"But I told you already, I don't want to go back to the throne! Sister, I like how things turned out! I am happy to be relieved. Our ponies would govern themselves now and we need not to worry anymore. Don't you see how beautiful this is, sister dear?"

"Mistress, if I may, would you really leave your own subjects?" Shadow tactfully asked. "They would be overjoyed to see you return."

"Yes, Nightmare, you always kept telling us about responsibility," Daybreaker stood back up. "Would you go back on your own guidelines?" Nightmare Moon sharply turned away from both mares, "Sister, just so you know, we would accept any-"

"Never," Nightmare Moon sharply bashed. "I will never go back there. You do not understand! This is no privilege, this is a prison! Once you sit on the throne, you can never stand up from it again. Only in death does this sentence end. I thought I would spend eternity on that damnable throne, tending to all my subject’s all needs and being hated for it! Sister, death was my rescue, not my doom."

"If that is your wish..." Daybreaker spoke with a visible peeve and bowed her head. "I... will pack us some essentials then. No more than an hour."

"Thank you, sister." Daybreaker quietly left the room.

"Mistress, what should I pack from your reliquary?" Shadow asked with a similarly downed voice.

"Nothing, my Shadow. Say, have you brought my ingredient collection here?"

"Some, Mistress. Do you require anything particular?"

"We need chalk and some powdered amethyst. We also need wards."

"The gate spell ingredients? Mistress, are we leaving through the gate? But where?" Shadow wondered aloud.

"We are going on hooves, Shadow. The gate is for us to return when needed. It would be much more convenient than carrying all things that we might need with us."

"Ah! I see! I will bring you the ingredients right away, Mistress!" the changeling enthusiastically set to work.

"Good. Now, Tiny, come here, I'll need you to open this book on a specific page for me." Tiny cautiously walked up to her older sister and took the offered book.

"Right... I'll go see if Lady Daybreaker needs help with anything," Filthy Rich quickly caught on.

"Which page?" Tiny asked, staring at the book as if seeing it for the first time.

"It says: 'Fickle Legs' Transportation Circle,' it will be in the back of the book." Tiny obediently started looking.

"Here are the ingredients, Mistress," Shadow put down a tiny pouch, a piece of chalk and two vertical rods with round bases.

"There, Tiny. What does the instruction say?" Nightmare Moon floated behind her sister's shoulder to have a better view.

"It says to draw the circle as in the illustration, place the channelling rods on the focal points and pour powdered amethyst on top."

"Simple enough, isn't it, sister?"

"Yes..." Tiny answered unsurely.

"I wrote it down myself," Nightmare Moon said proudly. "There is a whole lot more to it than this, but I only ever cared for the practical part. Twilight Sparkle knows the specifics better than I ever did. Now, shall we?"

Tiny stared quietly at the picture of the circle for a few long moments before taking a long breath and taking up the chalk.

"Uh-hum..." Nightmare Moon softly hummed, checking the circle with the book. "Good work, sister. This should suffice. My Shadow, would you see if Daybreaker is done with her things?"

"Yes, Mistress," Shadow departed after a short bow.

"Now, put the rods on the circle and pour the amethyst on top, just a tiny bit, we will need it in the future." Tiny cautiously did as instructed.

"Mistress, Lady Daybreaker needs a little more time," Shadow quickly came back. "Also, she requests you to find Mister Rich something to do so he would stop wandering through the estate."

"So typical, she makes a point of being a changed pony but she is still so similar," Nightmare Moon mused aloud. "Give Mister Rich a map and ask him to plot a course for us. We need to go to Mount Aris."

"The hippogriff lands, Mistress?" Shadow asked in surprise.

"Yes, Shadow. Go now," Nightmare Moon dismissed her changeling, eager to return to the more important task. She floated around each pole, carefully checking their position and alignment. "Good, sister. All correct. I fear we would need to wait for our other sister to finish before we can proceed."

"Now what?" Tiny asked.

"For now, let us see if there is anything else useful in my old things. It would be nostalgic if anything, I wonder if my figurines are here too..."

"Figurines?"

"Well, yes. I commissioned those for my strategic planning sessions. Quite vain, as I now see. But they were spectacular, I adored playing with them in my quarters."

"You played with dolls?" Tiny smiled, imagining the scene.

"Not literally, of course! And those aren't dolls, those are map pieces. They aren't soft or cuddly, they are for marking spots on a map," Nightmare Moon chided. Considering her statement finished, Nightmare Moon started searching through the room's numerous closets and glass cases. Tiny stood still and watched her sister's barely material body shift all over the room as if blown by wind, her mind had already accepted that she would not understand what was going on around her even if she asked and got an answer. In fact, It was a while before she understood anything. Ever since she met her older sisters. Why couldn't Daybreaker simply accept her as Nightmare Moon did from the start? What's the difference? If Daybreaker is a Princess, why is she living on some shoreline with nothing but mountains and forests for miles around? If Daybreaker was so powerful she could lift the sun, why would she be this submissive? Why couldn't all of them simply go back to Equestria? She had many questions, but she was already giving up on searching for answers.

Tiny decided to look at Nightmare Moon's helmet instead. She was not an expert, but the helmet really looked old. Very old in fact. It didn't look fickle, from the thickness of metal it could survive a brick wall falling down on it. It was rife with scratches and cracks, those carefully sealed from the inside. The helmet itself could've been reforged entirely but instead, it was left with its scars, likely to preserve the history the owner had with it. There were new ones too, dents and scratches that were not smoothened by years of polish yet. It seemed like the helmet was in use all the way up until Nightmare Moon died. The leather lining on the inside was in a much better condition than the outer shell, it had some signs of deterioration, but only slight. The lining was likely replaced sometime recently.

Finishing examining her new headwear, Tiny put it back on and moved back to the open case to examine the rest of the armor pieces. Those were not nearly as magnificent as the helmet, the armor was partial, not looking anywhere near like those knights she saw on pictures in the books Mister Rich got for her. Only the backplate and left foreleg plates were there. Just like the helmet, they were full of recent dents and scratches. The armor wasn't broken, but it was splintered in several places on the edges.

"My... replacement armor," Nightmare Moon explained, noticing her interest. "I commissioned it to replace the one I lost when I was exiled. When I prepared to face Celestia, I elected to not weigh myself down, only wore a helmet, shoes and the peytral plate, just in case she would have guards or throws something at me. I was further away from the truth than I could imagine beforehand.
"This is no true substitute, it barely survived a single battle, the peytral was broken beyond repair, it took a straight hit from a tank cannon. The metal shattered, but the shell ricocheted regardless, the enchantment was solid at least. It held admirably about shrapnel and smaller bullets. If I recall correctly, most greaves, poleyns and cuisses were more or less intact. Too bad it was too heavy to be practical outside the battlefield." Tiny only got about half of what her sister just said, but she wanted to hear more anyway.

"Which battle?"

"That was the last battle in our war against Queen Chrysalis and her changelings, the same creatures as Shadow. I was tired of the fighting and took the matters into my own hooves. I raised my Guard and went straight to Chrysalis and her hive. She was... let's say a bit misinformed to attempt an attack on us. She was very easily led to believe her favored tactics of sudden strike would work as well as it did ever. In truth, she had no chance. A very lucky outcome for us, however. A short, victorious war can go a long way to strengthen a nation."

"Tactics?" At this time Nightmare Moon did not immediately answer, but she did stop her search and turned to look at Tiny again. Glowing, slitted eyes, burrowed into her trying to unearth all that was inside her.

"You do not know what that word means, do you?" she finally asked. "Who were your host's parents?"

"Don't know, we never saw them," Tiny answered, shaking a little from the sudden cold.

"Your caretakers?"

"Had none." Another starring round followed.

"Where have you been living before you met Mister Rich?"

"On the Bottle Street."

"On the street?"

"Yes." The stare shifted away from Tiny, her sister now looked at the floor before slowly turning away. She never said anything, continuing to quietly sort through the things. Tiny noticed that she kept looking through the same shelf for several more minutes until Daybreaker returned.

"Sister, I am ready," Daybreaker meekly said, not even coming inside the room. "Do you want to examine our supplies?"

"Yes, sister. I would like to," Nightmare Moon shallowly answered and moved out of the room.

"Is everything well, Nightmare?" Daybreaker asked, stepping away to make room for her sister to float past.

"Yes, sister, everything is well."

Nightmare Moon was mostly silent for the rest of the day. She briefly checked Daybreaker's things, made Shadow pack a few books and some other things Tiny did not know. Daybreaker charged the traveling circle and applied some warding spells on the house, then, all of them went back to the mountain. Shadow wanted to carry the luggage, but Nightmare Moon made Daybreaker levitate it instead. There was far too much of it for just one pony, especially for someone so old. Ponies did not usually like when others reminded them of their age, but Shadow did not mind too much. Tiny even saw her hide a smile when Nightmare Moon told her off. Daybreaker visibly did not enjoy her lot, but she silently shouldered the load and levitated it down the trail to the village. Upon seeing them, they gathered a whole crowd. No one alive saw her ever leaving. Daybreaker silenced the questions and pleas, and explained in her typical cold-blooded fashion that they were not to go up the mountain again if they did not wish to get hurt. After that, Daybreaker dropped their baggage in a pile next to Rich's waggon. Nightmare Moon did not make her do anything more for now. Tiny helped Mister Rich to load everything on it, it became even more crowded than it used to be, but they managed. Shadow volunteered to help him move it. This time her Mistress did not protest. With both of them, the waggon moved easier and they covered a lot of land back the way they came a few days prior. They made their way in almost complete silence, save for the sounds of steps and an occasional cough from Shadow. Nightmare Moon was entirely silent ever since they left, she was always nearby but Tiny kept losing sight of her. Daybreaker trotted behind the wagon, her expression entirely impassive.

Eventually, the time to lower the sun again has come. This time it only took Daybreaker a moment. She then silently took off a folded tent she brought with her and set it up, it only took her about a minute, that feat made Rich click his tongue and shake his head. She then took a few folded blankets, gave a pair to Shadow and headed inside her tent without saying one word. The tent was a large one, their whole waggon could fit in. Shadow said it was alright if they slept inside too, but both Tiny and Rich preferred their waggon. It was crammed more than ever, but it still felt very cozy. Shadow then asked her Mistress if she wanted her to stand the night watch. "No," was the only word she said for the whole day. Shadow silently bowed and headed inside the tent. None of them had any food since morning and no one talked about it.

The next morning began with Shadow getting up early and making them breakfast, somehow managing to get the food out of the wagon without waking any of them up. By the time Tiny woke up the cauldron was happily humming with boiling soup. Nightmare Moon was still in exactly the same spot where Tiny saw her yesterday, seemingly not moving an inch. It was still dark and both Daybreaker and Mister Rich still slept.

"Please be quiet, young Miss," the changeling said to her quietly, noticing her hopping down from the wagon. "Do not wake anyone." Tiny had no intention of being loud either way. In her experience, making more sound than needed tended to bring trouble, in this case, trouble had a name. Tiny could not imagine Daybreaker liked being woken.
She sat by the fire to chase away the night's frost. So far, it seemed the continuation of yesterday, no one talked and kept to themselves silently. Eventually, Daybreaker made her way out of the tent, quickly raised the sun and sat by the fire in her turn. Her mane was unkempt and sticking out at weird angles, she spent most of the time before breakfast straightening it up. Tiny woke Mister Rich, he grumbled a little until he remembered who else was with them in the camp. Although Nightmare Moon paid none of them any mind, he quickly hopped out of his improvised bed and joined them. He neglected his usually reasonably well-kept attire for the morning. Shadow retrieved exactly three bowls and filled them, and passed them to the ponies around her. Daybreaker took her bowl quietly, Rich quietly thanked her, when Tiny's turn came she decided to follow Rich's example rather than her sister's. Daybreaker simply drank up her bowl and set it on the ground, she then cleaned her lips with a spell. Daybreaker then retrieved her comb and started fixing her mane.

Tiny and Rich took a little time to enjoy their soup. It was thin, but this was their breakfast after all. Shadow herself did not eat anything. She occupied herself with cleaning the cauldron and checking how well their cargo was secured. Rich did not enjoy her being so close to his possessions, constantly throwing looks her way, but he did not protest. Tiny knew from experience that it was because he knew he had no word on anything at all while the two powerful mares were close by. Tiny could feel it too, but to a lesser degree. A pony like Nightmare Moon had such an aura of authority around her that questioning her, much less disobeying her, felt unthinkable. It must have been due to the herd instincts she read about with Mister Rich on their way here. Nightmare Moon was the undisputed leader of their herd, immediately followed by Daybreaker, Shadow, Tiny herself and Mister Rich being on the bottom. Fascinating how their hierarchy built itself almost instantly when they all saw each other for the first time in one place. Unlike the natural environment, however, their hierarchy was not flexible. No matter what happens, Tiny would hold a higher rank than Rich and lower than Shadow. Nightmare Moon would not allow vies for dominance in any form, she already knew as much. Not that it would change anything as the only criteria for advancing in rank besides age was Nightmare Moon's favor. Tiny suddenly discovered that she wanted more books on the topic.

Daybreaker finished combing her mane and put the tool down. Tiny knew exactly what she would do next, she hinted at it plenty with her constant glances,
"Sister, do you feel better?" Daybreaker asked with a surprising concern, approaching the floating smoke that composed Nightmare Moon's body. The cloud twitched.

"I... was just thinking. It is so easy to get lost in throught when there is nothing to distract. Sister, I feel no hunger, no fatigue, no pain. I can feel my body touching my surroundings, but otherwise, I can feel nothing."

"Was this what you were contemplating, sister?"

"Do you remember our foalhood?" Nightmare Moon suddenly asked. Daybreaker, taken off-guard, did not answer immediately.

"Not much, I only remember one distinct moment. Celestia was playing on the carpet... I think it was blue."

"Sister, I remember nothing," Nightmare Moon said completely emotionlessly. "Not a single thing before Celestia was coronated."

"Memories fade away."

"No, not like that, sister. Those memories would not fade. Something is wrong. I could recall what happened after Celestia slipped on the stairs. I remember it being a very fond memory but I just cannot remember anymore!"

"Sister, there is no reason for worry. Memories go and return as they please. I am sure you will remember in a few hours, or at most days."

"...Maybe you are right, sister, thank you. I should keep myself together."

"Of course, Nightmare," Daybreaker nodded lightly and even smiled. "Are you ready to leave? Shadow is already checking the waggon, it will only take her a few more minutes."

"Yes... I will be attending to our sister while we are on our way."

"Sister, would you mind telling us where we are going?" Daybreaker said with a very light hint at irritation. "Maybe simply teleporting would be better?"

"We must get to Mount Aris. I wish to travel there, movement helps to keep my priorities straight."

"Mout Aris? Sister, if I recall correctly, Queen Novo was not very fond of us in the past. There is no reason to believe she would treat us now any better," Daybreaker cautioned.

"This is the most likely place where Twilight Sparkle would've fled. She was friends with Princess Sky Star and hippogriffs would've accepted her. Whether they will welcome us or not, we must reach them. Even if she is no longer there, she would have almost certainly been there at some point."

"I see, sister. Should I attempt to disguise as Celestia again?"

"No, no more of that."

"As you wish," Daybreaker sighed. "I will fold the tent and we will be ready to go."

As they prepared to set forth again, Nightmare Moon came directly to Tiny as she sat in her usual place at the back of the waggon. She seemed more focused now,
"I hear Mister Rich made attempts to teach you to read, did he not?" she asked in her usual carefully weighted manner. Stutters and uncertainty were gone again.

"Yes?" Tiny cautiously answered.

"What else did he teach you?"

"To count, to add, to subtract and to multiply, also a little of dividing. He also bought me books about history and bio-logy."

"All in a few months? Why your host is supremely gifted," Nightmare Moon sounded almost surprised. "Who taught you to cast spells?"

"No one."

"You learned it yourself?"

"Yes."

"You should not dabble in the things you do not understand. You will hurt yourself one day," Nightmare Moon repeated yesterday's point. "I won't play filly games with you, we both know that you will continue trying," Nightmare Moon's voice shifted towards being cautionary. "Therefore I shall teach you how to do it properly. You would like to cast more than just the most simplistic spells from that book, would you not?"

"Yes," Tiny cautiously nodded, guessing that any other response would not be wise.

"Good," she nodded. "I brought some materials that we would need. Go on, retrieve them. You know the ones I speak of."

Tiny climbed further into the waggon and took a small stack of books, tied with a rope, deliberately set apart from the rest of what Daybreaker took with them. She looked back at Nightmare Moon for approval.

"Good," she nodded. "These are your means of achieving your goal. Treat them well and they will serve you loyally. Now, untie them, carefully."

"Sister, we are ready to move again," Daybreaker reported with a submissive bow.

"You may. I do not suppose we would be too much of a burden. Our little sister shall study on the way."

"As you say," Daybreaker backed away, her head still bowed. The waggon quickly started to move, Tiny already had all her books free of their bind when Nightmare Moon took interest in her again.

"The basis of all spellcasting is learning yourself first," Nightmare Moon began instructing. "Before any casting could be safe, you must first learn to control your own talent. Here is a simple exercise to start: open 'The Introduction to Sorcery' page six. What does the chapter name say?"

"Tense Brow's Focus Orb," Tiny slowly read.

"Read the next five sentences, aloud," Nightmare Moon said without even looking at the page, slowly floating behind the waggon as it rolled inside a bamboo forest.

"Tense Brow's Focus Orb is a practice spell used for train-ing of the student's willpo-wer. It involves summoning a small ea...ther? ...orb and holding it for as long as possible. The spell is completely harmless even if failed. To perform Tense Brow's Focus Orb, the student must focus their horn on the suf-f-iciently sized free space and apply a highly focused burst of the student's might. If performed correctly, a small orb will appear in the selected space and will quickly shrink and disappear if not held with a focused field of energy." Tiny looked up at her older sister for more instructions.

"Well? Get to it," Nightmare Moon said lightly.

Her older sister made Tiny do that one spell for nearly the whole day, only allowing a short break to eat and recuperate. The next day was the same. So was the next week. The first few times were mostly easy, after she managed to cast the Orb. But then Tiny started to realize. Holding the Orb together for more than a few minutes at a time was hard. A strange animal cry, a road bump, someone reporting something to Nightmare Moon. Tiny never knew how easy it was to lose focus. It became frustrating, fast. She was made to sit the whole day in the back of the waggon, doing nothing else but holding the Orb. Nightmare Moon promised to let her have half a day to do anything she pleased... if she could hold the orb for one hour straight. Three days in, Tiny could do no better than ten minutes. She knew the exact time because Nightmare Moon looked directly at her and counted time by the seconds, never looking away or tiring, not even when someone else talked to her. Soon Tiny got annoyed, then angry. How could someone sit for an hour straight without getting distracted once? Nightmare Moon offered to show her how but in that case she won't get her free time. Tiny accepted just to prove her point. Nightmare Moon asked her to walk by the waggon and asked Daybreaker to perform the spell, she nodded quietly. "Count," Nightmare Moon flatly ordered as the purple Orb appeared above Daybreaker's head. Tiny stared in amazement as Daybreaker not only held out the whole hour without any visible inconvenience but could also keep up with the wagon on hooves and cast spells, and set up camp. Nightmare Moon lightly cackled seeing her reaction. By the week's end, Tiny fulfilled the requirements. As agreed, no rest was offered and the demand was raised to six hours at once.

Next week, they arrived back at the port town they left behind on their way to the mountain. Tiny overheard a few words about finding a ship. The stunned expressions of the pedestrians they passed indicated that her sister did not intend to hide a thing. Tiny snapped out of it before her mind could drift far away for the spell to break, it was a good run. They stopped again and Tiny had to go out of the waggon for Mister Rich to begin his trade. Daybreaker voiced her displeasure at this behavior, she was convinced it was a needless waste since the finances were not an issue. Nightmare Moon disagreed, as usual not breaking eye contact with Tiny for her count to not drop. Shadow was then instructed to search for a ship willing to ferry passengers and a waggon to some settlement to the west they called "Sheng Shi." Tiny dwelled on that name while she was preparing for sleep. The settlements in this country always had weird and funny names in a language she didn't understand. She sometimes heard that same tongue from the local ponies too, but most of them also knew another one that Tiny and everyone else in their camp could understand. She didn't understand why there had to be different languages, it would've been so much simpler to have a shared one.

It was all back to usual in the morning. She had breakfast and it was back to practice. She still managed to have a few words with Shadow. Tiny wanted to ask her if she could teach her to shapeshift like she knew changelings could. Shadow stated that she couldn't do that anymore and went back to her business. Before Tiny had any time to think about it, Nightmare Moon was already on her with the day's practice. This time, however, she had some new challenge in mind. She made Tiny walk next to Daybreaker as the waggon moved through the town. It didn't take long, they didn't even leave the town. They soon stood by a large boat, while Daybreaker was negotiating the terms. The captain, a lousy-looking stallion with a huge hat, was quite honestly baffled by exactly the kind of passengers he was about to take on. The reverent disbelief took him when his eye wandered onto Daybreaker. The imposing mare let out a heavy sigh but did nothing otherwise. Nightmare Moon suddenly offered to make his ship always catch gale on their way to Sheng Shi. The captain was startled even more at which Nightmare Moon asked, rather snarkily, that he looks like he never saw a ghost before. She then expectantly looked at her sister, who proceeded to give the stunned stallion a golden earring. Nightmare Moon then led them aboard the ship without asking for anything further. Daybreaker and Mister Rich stayed behind to load the waggon. Tiny managed to hold her Orb from the morning, but as soon as she stepped on deck, she knew that it would only become harder from this point on. The deck never stayed still underneath her, it kept leaning away from her. It came as no surprise that her concentration failed when she almost hit her head on a barrel in the part of the hold they were allocated to.

On the brighter side, she could now hold the spell while not standing still in the waggon and that was a boon, because there was much to see on the ship. As soon as the ship took off and started to sail along the shoreline, with the ocean on one side and the vastness of wilderness on the other, Tiny spent her every hour watching, with a little distraction from her sister who kept eyes on her all day long. Tiny saw so much space before, she has been on a shoreline before, but it wasn't the same. From the shore, the ocean looked like a hill, just hiding everything behind his bulk. On the ship, the impression was different, it was as if the ocean went on forever. On her second day, Nightmare Moon again distracted her. Tiny mechanically attempted to restart the spell but something was wrong. The orb was still above her horn. She looked at Nightmare Moon quizzically, but she said nothing more than it hit her, she didn't even remember she was holding the orb! Nightmare Moon then quietly withdrew, allowing Tiny to stay alone with the ocean.

The Goddess Endures

Tiny was allowed a few hours to rest from her training, so she spent that time under the deck, lying down and watching Daybreaker attempting to have a conversation with her other sister. Nightmare Moon was not interested, but she humored her sibling regardless,
"Sister, you seem to acclimate rather well to your... situation," Daybreaker asked cautiously. She did not have much to do on the ship, mostly bossing the deckhands that came into her eye view. Tiny also overheard a crew leader saying that their presence raised morale and the crew is working harder to impress their high guests.

"Why, dear sister, you do not think I was somehow unconscious during my absence, do you?" Nightmare Moon said lightly. "It seems that our afterlife is different from what ponies expect it to be. I met no one else but more of our sisters. I was distraught at first, but it passed easily."

"What was it like?"

"Well, imagine a vast sea stretching in every direction with no land in sight and only inhabited by more of our dear kin. Some of them are angry and resentful, others confused, even more, are simply sad and a few are content. They are all different in both their appearance and temperament. I met a few quite notorious personalities there, some even were our fellow royalty. King Guto must have had quite a lot of help in his reign, I must say. The sister that accompanied him would rival Twilight Sparkle in terms of raw intelligence.
"The real wonder is underneath the sea, however. We cannot spend much time there, but while we are down there, the real world is showing us its glimpses. Only glimpses and of different times."

"You could see the future?" Daybreaker breathed in wonder.

"I suppose, although I cannot tell. It is unclear what it was I saw. I am certain I saw some of the past, I saw Celestia still in her court and Chrysalis... still breathing. But enough of that."

"Sister, forgive me for prying, but did you, by any chance, see our creator, perhaps? I was always, let's say... curious."

"Sister, you disappoint," Nightmare Moon said with a sigh. "I was sure you worked it out by now. Our creator is none other than Grogar, sister, the King of All Monsters. Who else would it be?"

"That is a stretch, sister," Daybreaker spoke with disappointment.

"Hardly. Why do you think we are only known to inhabit the powerful and noble? Why are we wired to fight for control and put our host into this lethargy inside their own body? Where does our instinctive understanding of creatures' psychology come from? This all is a little too much for a coincidence, don't you think?"

Daybreaker sighed and laid down on her pillows, "I do. We could not possibly be natural creatures. All I am saying is that pinning us on Grogar does not seem to be justified. There were many evils across the ages."

Tiny was quickly losing interest in their dialogue. Everything they ever talked about was something exceedingly boring. Like court etiquette, or political climate. Tiny picked up from her bed and went to get her bag. She didn't take out her favorite plush in a while. Mister Rich helped her to fix it up a bit, the tears were now stitched up and the dirt washed off. It would never be entirely pristine, but she loved it this way. It reminded her of where she came from. She took her plush out and checked for wear damage. Her dog held up admirably for the past few months, but the stitching on the front left paw was getting loose. Hmm...

"Mister Rich, pray tell, how did you end up with a wagon on the road?" Nightmare Moon decided to change the subject instead of answering her sister.

The stallion jerked his head, choking on his own salvia from surprise. He wasn't allowed to speak for the last few days,
"Divorce, My Lady. My wife only tolerated me because of my office, after I retired, she filed for divorce. I did not object too much..."

"Is that so? Mister Rich, this is not how I remember you. Previously, you would never give away money like this."

"I learned a lot in my office, My Lady. Money is a tool, not a purpose. I no longer had a need for such tools."

"Miss Tiara?"

"My daughter has not spoken to me since I took the office, M-my Lady," Rich lowered his eyes.

Nightmare Moon was silent for a while,
"I am sorry," she said in the end.

"We all make our choices in life, My Lady."

"Yes... We do. Mister Rich, tell me one more thing, why are you here?" Now It was his turn to stay quiet. "Old habits die hard, don't they? Twilight would know where your daughter is, you could make amends now if you wish."

"Diamond Tiara made it clear she did not wish to see me again," Rich quietly whispered. "My Lady, I don't want to speak on this matter."

"I understand. There are hardly any more tears left to shed over the past, I only hope that you have few regrets in yours. What of you, my Shadow? Have you heard from your daughters?" Nightmare Moon turned to the changeling, standing by the door.

"No, Mistress," Shadow answered shortly. Nightmare Moon did not pry further.

Soon, Tiny and her ancient sister were back at work. It was not any new exercise this time. Now it came to the rest of the books Nightmare Moon ordered packed. History, more mathematics, magical theory. The routine settled in already, so Tiny did not mind spending the whole day studying, but her sister eased up on her and allowed her breaks. Tiny decided to lurk around and study the ship. It had three decks. The top deck, where the masts and sails were located. The middle deck, where the crew quarters and their own dwelling was located. And the bottom deck, where cargo and supplies were housed.

The crewmates have been on their best behavior around her, they let her see all that she wanted to see and even explained some of the operational details in the ship. Overall, Tiny was growing more and more content with her life further on. She achieved her goal, she found her sisters. She had guidance from the impossibly old and wise Nightmare Moon. But something was odd. Filthy Rich was getting agitated. It was barely visible and neither of the royal ponies seemed to notice yet, but every day he was sitting just a little further away. He was awfully silent since they met her sisters too, he only spoke when he was spoken to. Being on the very bottom of the hierarchy must be getting to him.
In contrast, Shadow The Changeling seemed entirely calm and content. She was high in their unspoken hierarchy but was treated much the same as Rich, with an added right to address both noble mares. She mostly stayed close to Nightmare Moon, however. She wasn't centred on her, Shadow was helping all of them and doing much of the menial work, but she was making clear with her behavior that Nightmare Moon was her final authority. Shadow was something of an unknown to Tiny. She was obviously very old for her species, but unlike Mister Rich, she did not show signs of weakness. Tiny didn't know how strong changelings normally were, but so far she proved to be stronger than Rich when pulling their wagon, she needed little rest and Tiny didn't see her eating or drinking once. She was told that changelings feed on love energy, but that just brought more questions than answers.

After a whole week of sailing along the coast, they finally arrived at the port. Tiny never knew there could be that many ships in one place. The docks, stretching for miles, had ships of all sizes. Most had sails with wooden poles tried to them, some had simple cloth sails, but the most exotic ships she has seen so far were ships with metal hulls and no sails at all. They produced smoke as they moved.
On the harbor's edge stood a tall, elegant tower with its walls gently curving inwards. A bright light shined on top. Nightmare Moon proceeded to ask how in this age in a major city there can be such a backward infrastructure. Daybreaker then proceeded to give a longwinded explanation of some long-standing traditionalist agenda of the imperial family. Tiny did not understand most of it, but neither of her sisters seemed to be as impressed as she was.

Nightmare Moon made her get all her things long before their ship docked and they went ashore the moment it was done. Daybreaker swiftly levitated their wagon ashore, and they were gone again. No one said anything to the crew. They did not go far away, just to the first quiet corner.

"Excellent work so far, Mister Rich," Nightmare Moon coolly congratulated.

"Thank you, My Lady," Rich responded under his breath. "Here we'll find a ship to get us across the ocean. After that, we can make way to Mount Aris on hooves."

"Do you have any particular ship in mind?"

"I know a few captains, Lady," he nodded. "I could ask them."

"How much time do you need?"

"A day, My Lady. I know a few good inns around the city..." he suddenly stopped and his expression froze.

"Is there a caveat?"

"Yes... My Lady, would you consider staying out of sight? Ponies are not used to seeing... The ponies from before were constantly hearing rumors about your sister and weird things happening, here it Is not like that."

"I see," Nightmare Moon sighed. "Sister, you indeed succeeded in finding the most backwards place in the world to settle in."

"It was my intention. I wanted nothing to do with the ponies that betrayed us. I wished for solitude," Daybreaker calmly answered.

"Mister Rich, I don't suppose you know a local airfield?" Nightmare Moon returned her attention to the stallion.

"No, Ma'am. In this country, technology needs approval before it can be brought here."

"So be it. Search for a ship, but I will not hide from anyone anymore. It would do good for these ponies to see something unusual for a change."

"The authorities may interfere," Daybreaker warned.

"And how would they do that, dear sister?" Nightmare Moon asked teasingly.

"I understand," Daybreaker bowed slightly. "They will regret it."

Their discussion was over with that. Mister Rich left them as soon as they found an inn that Nightmare Moon found satisfactory. The ponies all around have been giving them weird looks and tried to get out of their way, the inn maid even lost her speech mid-sentence when she saw who exactly was coming into her establishment. Daybreaker took the first key she saw on the rack and dropped the second earring on the mare's table. Tiny gave the startled mare a long stare when following her sisters down the corridor. Their room was one of the better ones which Tiny saw during her time with Mister Rich. It was sizeable enough to hold about six ponies comfortably, had a table, two chairs and a large bed.

"This will do nicely," Nightmare Moon murmured to herself. "Sister, I hope you don't mind sharing your sleeping space."

"What?!" Daybreaker swung her head, her calm mask dropping momentarily. "Sister, do you truly expect me to share a bed?" she continued more calmly after a short pause.

"You don't expect our sister to sleep on the floor, do you?" Nightmare Moon turned away, considering that matter settled. "My Shadow, would you bring us some sleeping bags?"

"At once, Mistress," Shadow immediately turned around and went back into the corridor.

"Now then, Tiny, you may drop your books on the table and then we will be going on a little stroll."

"No studying?"

"Not today, dear. Go on." Tiny did as ordered and then followed her older sister outside again, they met Shadow who was just coming back with sleeping bags. She gave them a small bow and quietly passed inside.
"What do you think of this place?" Nightmare Moon asked, musingly looking at the street.

"It's clean and the streets are paved," Tiny commented.

"Not so for your home place? What was it... Bottle Street, right?"

"Yes."

"Come, let us see how clean this city really is," Nightmare Moon proceeded to move up the street, further away from the harbor. The city indeed seemed much better than the vast majority of what Tiny saw before. The houses were built out of solid, masoned stone, there were no piles of trash ubiquitous in other cities she visited. The ponies were clean too. Some wore colorful tunics and had their manes groomed.

"...hallowed ground!" the voice broke through the crowd chittering on one of the squares.

"Stop," Nightmare Moon instantly turned towards the source.

"Repent, for soon She will see the whole world enveloped in eternal night!" Tiny knew what it was. She saw a street preacher once or twice. Those people just kept shouting to a crowd something that only made sense to them. Nightmare Moon seemed interested, however. She started floating to the source, Tiny reluctantly followed in tow. The ponies, not bothered in the slightest by the shouts of the preacher, hurried out of their way. The preacher stood at the very centre of the square, on the edge of a monument of some kind, depicting a pony with a long, narrow beard, a book and a weird fan looking like an obscene, flat spoon. The preacher stood with his back to them and couldn't see them approaching.
Nightmare Moon silently stopped ten steps away from him, listening,
"You can still save yourselves! Repent and follow Her teachings! She is generous and just to all who revere her!" that stallion shouted with a weird accent, the one she has never heard before. "Our temple welcomes all to the ranks of disciples! Find us on the slopes of the Star Hills!"

"Hey! I told you that I don't want to see your face here again!" another stallion stomped angrily towards the centre. "Let's put you into a dungeon for the day, see if that-" the city guard fell silent on seeing the menacing black cloud silently floating behind the preacher.

"No one dares to silence the truth! The land under your hooves shall crack and burn and to the darkest place shall you fall!" the preacher sounded emboldened. He wanted to go on to the next round, but then he finally noticed that the ponies around either quickened away or looked uncomfortable to the extreme. He looked down at himself, trying to find the cause of this disruption, not finding anything, he looked at his cloak. Then, by trying to get a look at his back, he noticed the two of them.
He instinctively made a step away and almost fell off his improvised podium.

"Are you not glad to see me, my devotee?" Nightmare Moon overtly took enjoyment in the confusion. "I remember when you would prostrate yourself before me on the first hint of my approach."

"Demon! Abomination!" the preacher quickly recovered.

"Please, this is no way to treat your monarch," Nightmare Moon menacingly said.

"You are no ruler of me!" the stallion stepped off the statue. "Fiendish heretic! You will be purged!" the stallion then ran away past the stunned city guard.

Nightmare Moon let out a short giggle and turned back.

"I have to say, I never expected that I would miss them," Nightmare Moon said light-heartedly, her mood improved after the interaction.

"They worship you?"

"Yes. It was a major problem for me, actually. Some of my subjects had the idea of my divinity. I was exiled for a thousand years and, when I returned, I discovered that my cult has never truly faded. They isolated themselves and began preparing for my return. It was flattering, but when you have thousands of fanatical ponies who don't know how to do anything else but fight, it becomes a problem very quickly. Naturally, they clashed with the rest of my subjects. Sometimes violently at that. But their new High Priestess sounded more mild-hearted than the former one, quite a sudden change of leadership that was. She was a maid in service of the current Priestess and immediately after I ordered them to disassemble their hierarchy, she rose up and took the lead, it was as if someone spurred her on..." Nightmare Moon was silent for a while. Tiny thought that her sister was finished with her monologue, but she suddenly continued: "I can't seem to remember, although I am certain I knew more about this transition. It's bizarre, really. Who would have thought that a phantom could have a faulty memory."

"It was a long time ago."

"I suppose it was, little sister." Nightmare Moon did not speak further until they returned back to their inn. Tiny noticed that the street and most of the surrounding ones were growing to be less populated. Ponies tried not to linger around them.
Both Daybreaker and Shadow were still inside, just as they left them. Shadow was attending to a small tear in the waggon's cover that she already pulled off without asking anyone. And Daybreaker was visibly bored, to the point of her reading Tiny's books.

"Welcome back, Mistress," Shadow said with her screeching voice. Nightmare Moon acknowledged her with a glance

"Sister, I never understood why you would be keeping these," Daybreaker was visibly glad to have someone to talk with again. "When I looked through your personal library, I was bemused. I expected historical tomes, perhaps rare editions of classical writers. Not textbooks and poetry."

"I don't think even I know how to answer this," Nightmare Moon sighed. "Sometimes, sister, you see an item that you like. Not because it can bring you more power and not because it is valuable."

"I never knew you enjoyed poetry."

"There never was an occasion to speak of it. As for the textbooks, well..." A long and awkward silence ensued. "I suppose, there is no face left to lose at this point, now is there?" Nightmare Moon let out an uncharacteristically nervous chuckle. "Sister, have you ever thought about having foals?"

The question hit like thunder, stunning Daybreaker with her answer stuck in her throat. The alabaster mare simply stared wide-eyed.

"Y-you wanted to have a f-foal?!" Daybreaker finally managed to breathe out.

"Well, not exactly wanted... I entertained the thought. I did not make it public, but I was keeping a record of all potential-"

"Stop!" Daybreaker suddenly bashed. "I-I don't want to hear anything more!"

"Ah! There is the sister I remember!" Nightmare Moon purred. "Very well, if you so wish, I shall not trouble you with this. Have you seen Mister Rich since this morning?"

"Not as of yet, he has quite a number of ships to go through. I suspect we won't see him until tomorrow. Sister, perhaps we could simply chart another transportation circle? We may not be able to reach Mount Aris directly, but surely we could save ourselves time."

"I am not eager to spend our few resources that rashly. The mountain won't fly away from us. Besides, I enjoy our adventure together." Nightmare Moon floated to the table her sister was sitting at and lowered her mostly incorporeal body to resemble a sitting position. "This is the kind of activity I wished I could do with you and Luna."

"Sister, it still boggles me why would you want to abandon your birthright like this," Daybreaker shut the book with a loud thud and put it on the table.

"I already told you, sister," Nightmare Moon's voice turned tired. "Ruling a nation is not the dream that commoners believe it to be. You spent years with Celestia, surely you know exactly what I mean."

"But that is just it, sister. Celestia never had the same issue as you did. Her responsibilities were not threatening to crush her. I was worried for your wellbeing, you looked like you didn't have sleep for days at a time. I heard Rarity talking about how you were much livelier in the earlier years. You never told me what happened." Nightmare Moon sat silently for a little while.

"I came to a realization of something extremely important," Nightmare Moon solemnly spoke. "I had power, I had so much of it that I could rule the entire world if I only so wished. My soldiers adored me. My subjects revered me. And yet there was one thing that I could never have. My subjects would only ever see me as the source of authority and nothing more. They obeyed me without question, but I could never make them give me their hearts. Observing Twilight Sparkle was a truly enlightening experience. She was no great ruler, but ponies still followed her out of their own accord. Celestia was much the same. Ponies followed her not simply because she was powerful, but because they had an unflinching trust that she would always look after them."

"A task she failed at miserably. Nightmare, Celestia was a weak-willed coward," Daybreaker said with disdain. "I know how she ruled, she manipulated others to do her bidding while never putting herself in any sort of danger. When you forced her to make a choice between using force against her own ponies or losing her crown, she was absolutely paralyzed by it. She spent days staring at the map, with piles of reports at her desk and an empty list of orders. When the time came for her to protect her subjects, she broke down. Equestria is better off without her."

"Or so you say, sister," Nightmare Moon shallowly responded.

"What had that pathetic wretch that you did not have more of? Sister, you are infinitely more worthy, don't belittle yourself like this!"

"All these years and you still cannot see past the outline," Nightmare Moon sighed. "Celestia was unfit as a marshal, that is true, but that is very far from what makes a great leader. Celestia built the land of benevolence, where each pony strived to help another. Where conflict was infrequent and even more rarely did any lasting harm. Celestia wished for things like war to be the thing of the past. Do not blame her for not being prepared for it."

"Tch," Daybreaker scoffed. "A delusion and a half."

"Yet she made it happen. Sister, I cannot go a single day without cursing myself for what I did. I destroyed it. I crushed her dream, I rubbled everything she spent her whole life building. Worst of all, I broke her very spirit. Celestia that returned from the moon was not the same Celestia anymore. She lost her inner drive. She only kept going on reflex. After she saw Luna's dead body, she could not even do that anymore. I think what you did for her was more merciful than you would like to admit, dear sister."

"Luna dead?" Tiny suddenly asked. She listened to most of the discussion while resting on the bed and what she just heard seemed to contradict the whole goal of their journey.

"Not entirely. You see, Luna was completely dead at one point, but she is not any longer."

"Like you?"

"Not like me, she is very much... corporeal."

"Cor-po-real?"

"Yes, she has a body. She also has to eat, she doesn't need sleep, however. Oh... how much I miss having a body, I had such a wonderful coat!" Nightmare Moon enthusiastically mused.

"Yes, that was something Celestia always envied," Daybreaker continued. "She had this short, white coat, while Luna had a gorgeous furry coat. She even had two, long and short ones, at the same time. Touching you was like touching a velvet drape."

"So we were told. Thank goodness, they invented spells to simplify looking after it. Luna was seriously thinking about shaving before our exile." Nightmare Moon snickered.

"Oh, so gauche!" Daybreaker cried.

"I know. I barely managed to talk her out of it."

"Your coat always was perfect, Mistress," Shadow spoke up, pulling away from knitting together a hole in the fabric for a moment.

"You are very kind, my Shadow," Nightmare Moon answered without looking. "Well then, I think that Is enough enrichment for today. Sister, take your books. We will be studying illusion now, a very useful category of spells."

"To hide?" Tiny asked with quite a bit of disappointment in her voice, not even lifting herself off the bed.

"No, little sister, we won't hide for anyone anymore," Nightmare Moon asserted. "But you are a mare, not a stallion, despite your body. Illusion spells would allow you to rectify this- and more- until we can get to more complex spells and make permanent alterations."

"How long will it take?"

"Well, you are one of my more talented students, dear sister, so learning simpler illusions would not take you long, but anything as complex as physiological changes would take years to learn to apply safely," Nightmare Moon finished her explanation with a short sigh. "Well, I suppose the earlier we start, the sooner we'll get there, won't we?" Tiny sighed and stood up from the bed.

The Cost of Fame

The next morning, Rich returned. He was a little worse for wear, suggesting a night of negotiation but, nonetheless, he found a ship. The regrettable part was that they had to stay for a few days. This little detail complicated things. To Nightmare Moon things were already not going according to plan. Having been called back to the living world was all but inevitable, it was only a matter of time. She also had the luck to be summoned into the circle of her own kind, something that became a pleasant surprise. She was glad to see her sister was well, but almost half a century is a long time, noticeable even to her. She knew that Twilight and Luna were likely alright, but what of the rest of the ponies she cared for? Was Rarity still alive? What of her guards and maids? She surprised herself, but she missed Rainbow Dash as well. She grew attached to all of them and now missed all of them. Perhaps they were still alive, evidently, some were even waiting for her to return, but she knew that she could not go back. Her time was over, and that was for the best. For her, and for her former subjects, it would have been better if she never ruled.

Now she had another duty. Her tiny sister went on quite a journey to meet her. She had a good heart, despite her origin and previous deeds. Yes, she knew about those ponies she killed and that was precisely why she needed guidance. She saw the wisdom in Celestia's hooves-off approach now, sometimes it was better to allow the world to sort itself out and only give it a little help. Her little sister could go on to do great things with just a few years of instruction.

A stone thrown into a puddle produces circles, a leaf barely disturbs the surface at all. All tools have a purpose and sheer might is not always the best choice.

She waited until her companions were awake, then she sent Shadow to fetch some pellets for breakfast. The changeling obeyed, as she always did. She was another person she dearly missed during her absence. The changeling that was sent to kill her refused to follow her orders and swore fealty to her instead. She was unwaveringly loyal ever since. Having discovered her Mistress' true nature, the changeling seemingly only became even more devoted, all but worshipping her. Shadow even went as far as to fight for her against her own mother and siblings. It was flattering... and strangely humbling to have someone so utterly devoted to her person. The changeling taught her a lot more than she knew she did. Nightmare Moon may have never had a real daughter, but Shadow was the closest creature she had to that.
Shadow had her own daughters too. Nightmare Moon even met them, it was a real joy to see them together again, as short as it lasted. Someday they would have to head back and find them too. After all, a mother should never be separated from her foals.

When the changeling came back with a few bowls of pellets and everyone ate, Nightmare Moon made Tiny study the theory again. They were making progress, but even rudimentary spells were still a few days away at this rate. Their morning session was cut short with a rather noisy crowd gathering outside. No one was saying anything, for now, but she knew that everyone already picked up on the sound too.
Nightmare Moon gave her sister a look,
"Shall I go?" the white-colored mare asked, not eagerly, simply wanting to know the course of action.

"And what is it you intend to do outside? Sister, we are not here to intimidate these ponies," Nightmare Moon reminded. "This is a superstitious land. In fact, we are lucky that their emperor's officials are not in town, otherwise, we would have to cleave our way out."

"We could easily overpower them," Nightmare Moon shook the sentiment off.

"Of course," Nightmare Moon agreed, starting to slowly float to the door. "But harming others for no reason is not acceptable. They won't harm us if we were to simply explain ourselves."

"Didn't you just say-"

"Yes, I did. And this is precisely why we are lucky. We have no need to do that. Stay here, sister. Look after Tiny and Mister Rich." Upon hearing his name, the stallion raised his hoof and started opening his mouth, "Yes, Mister Rich, your coach was likely already stolen. Have no fear, we will find it. I do not expect them to find a way through my sister's seals quickly. Shadow, let us go." Having finished giving out her instructions, Nightmare Moon turned away. She noticed with a corner of her vision the changeling hiding a happy smile.

Nightmare didn't need to open the door physically, she could simply go through the openings, but she did so anyway. She was just material enough to push objects when she wanted to. They went down the corridor in silence until they were at the front door. The queer innkeeper did not run away, as Nightmare Moon expected her to, she was hiding behind her desk. The mare was clearly frightened by the increasingly agitated cries outside, Nightmare Moon paid her no mind.

The room was illuminated by the soft morning sun. The ghostly mare moved further on to look into the window. Outside she saw a crowd of ponies, hollering angry-sounding cries.

"I will speak," Nightmare Moon said to the changeling. "Move away undetected, then track the thieves down."

"Yes, Mistress," Shadow bowed her head.

With the last arrangements completed, it was now time to choose a way to address the situation. The angry mob could not possibly harm her even if they would want to... but her family they could, even if her sisters would slay many of them. Better check if they had weapons... goodness, she almost forgot how weapons even looked! Nightmare Moon forced herself to stop dwelling in her memories and re-focus on the task before her. She had to talk down a crowd of superstitious commoners, who, most likely, saw her as some sort of an evil spirit. Quaint little ponies that kind often was...

To start, Nightmare Moon decided to have a little drama for the entrance. She stood directly in front of the door and forcefully pushed it, making the door almost fly open. The crowd outside grew instantly silent, as Nightmare Moon deliberately slowly floated onto the street. If she still had her mouth, she would've smiled. She did not lose her majestic presence one bit.

"You make an awful lot of noise just to attract the attention of just one mare, my little ponies..." Nightmare Moon said slowly while sweeping the surrounding ponies with one of her better ominous looks. She was glad to see that they brought no weapons of any kind and they did not look like they came here to do them any harm. The news gave her a pause. The crowd did not look angry at all, they were now silent and looking at her with a mix of fear and awe. Some were hesitating whether they should drop to the ground and bow. The wagon, unlike she expected, was still exactly where they left it. Did they somehow...
"Why, you have grown so quiet now," Nightmare Moon continued her act. "You wished to see me, had you not?"

On those words, one of them finally stood forward, he seemed to be a kind of a soldier, clad in old-style armor made of flexible, interconnected metal plates. It took him another moment to gather enough of his determination to speak,
"I d-don't know how to explain... Ma'am," he began with a gross, eastern accent.

"Do you even know who I am?" Nightmare Moon asked to confirm her suspicion.

"Y-yes," the soldier quickly nodded.

"Sister!" someone else called. Soon enough, many more voices were speaking up, saying their names and chanting hers as if it was the name of their favorite buckball player... or a spell. They all then began to bow down lowly to her, showing their reverence in one more way. As relieving as this turnaround was, Nightmare Moon found herself at a loss on what to do. She expected to scare them away or to explain why they shouldn't fear nice and friendly, and dead, ponies like her, but she did not expect to find herself walking right into another family reunion. She had precious few encounters with her other sisters when she was still living, her sisters, usually much more intelligent than even their hosts, preferred to stay clear of her for the fear of being made to serve her. They weren't wrong, as ashamed to admit as the former Empress was. She gave a tired look to her Shadow, who never even bothered to go check the wagon, the changeling offered her a humble supportive look.

"Sisters," Nightmare Moon spoke up. "As glad as I am to meet all of you, why would you go through the trouble of finding me? I can't do anything for you anymore." Nightmare Moon had an idea that she knew exactly what the answer was and she dreaded to hear it...

"Take us to your land!" someone shouted.

"Guide us!" another cried in support.

"Lead us!"

Soon enough, the whole street was filled with such pleas. But most damningly, it started to attract attention. One by one, other ponies came to look for the source of the disturbance. No, no, no, this was not good at all!

"Sisters!" Nightmare Moon cried out to break through the hail of voices. "Quiet down, please! I understand that you've heard many stories about me, but I cannot do anything for you anymore! Sisters, I am a ghost! I have been dead for over forty years! I am no goddess! What that preacher says is wrong!" Nightmare Moon was rather rusty on her crowd control skills, it was many years since she last was addressing a crowd even before her death. If anything, her explanation only seemed to make everything worse...

"Are you abandoning us?!"

"But we all came here for your word!"

Nightmare Moon didn't like where this situation was going,
"Shadow," Nightmare Moon whispered. "Get the others, tell my sister to prepare to flee," she dispensed her instructions, the changeling quickly ran back inside without a single word.
"Sisters, I am not abandoning you!" Nightmare Moon tried to quell the crowd. "I am only telling you the truth! The preacher lied to all of you! I am not a goddess and I rule no land! You were deceived!"

"Then take us with you!"

"We will follow you! Just tell us what to do!"

The sound of metal clanging declared that their time was up. A troop of city guards was approaching from the side of the square.

"We aren't doing anything wrong!" one of her sisters cried in a coarse stallion's voice.

"You are under arrest!" the officer yelled in response. "On the authority of the city garrison, come peacefully!"

Angry murmurs started to spread amongst the crowd. Some of the more militant of Nightmare's kin were even considering attacking first. Surely they could not lose with her help?

"Nightmare!" a loud whisper of Daybreaker's voice mildly startled her. "We are ready to leave, I can cast a teleportation spell right now." Nightmare Moon didn't turn around to look, but she was somehow certain that her sister was already in the process of doing just that.

"Daybreaker, we can't simply leave!" Nightmare Moon shot back. "Our sisters will get harmed because of us! We must defuse this before we go!" Nightmare Moon rose up slightly more to look over the heads of the surrounding ponies to see the soldiers. They were heavily armed, no doubt expecting to get attacked, but then she saw someone else. She saw a familiar figure in a cloak, next to the officer with a plume, the figure was pointing straight at her!

"We can tear those soldiers apart, sister. No one in this city would be able to stop us. Just give the word and you will have your throne again," another whisper came from behind, this time it sounded eager. This time Nightmare Moon turned around to look, her sister sported oh so familiar wide grin, her eye glittering menacingly in the sun.

"Are we going to kill them?" Tiny asked the sun mare, the idea did not scare her at all.

"You are slipping, sister," Nightmare Moon warned. The effect was immediate, Daybreaker instantly stopped grinning and blinked her eyes.

"I... I am sorry, sister. I haven't meditated for the last several days. I couldn't bring my Incense with me."

"Sister, there is no time for this now!" Nightmare Moon would have slapped her too if she still had her hooves. "Sister, we must stop this! Neutralize the soldiers, but do not harm them. And bring the cloaked one to me," she added.

"At once, sister," Daybreaker stepped outside. Meanwhile, the soldiers were already getting close, their armor clanging and weapons gleaming. Daybreaker was never the one for flair, the bright mare simply suspended all of the attacking soldiers, including their officer and the cloaked preacher in the air. The soldiers all gave out surprised yelps, but it did nothing to stop Daybreaker's magic. The alabaster mare gave Nightmare a disappointed look, but said no more. Meanwhile, the ponies cheered but quickly stopped upon seeing who exactly their new champion was. Most of them likely even met her already. She decided to take the attention for herself again.

"My little ponies, I believe you see why your selected course of action is a folly," Nightmare Moon floated forth, addressing the soldiers. "As for you," Nightmare Moon gave the preacher a glare. "I should have you bound and tied."

"Do your worst!" he spat back. "Heretical abomination!"

Nightmare Moon deeply sighed, dealing with fanatics was always tiresome,
"Who, do you presume, you insult? I am the one who you profess to serve, fool! I am Nightmare Moon, the royal sovereign of the Equestrian Empire! The Night Queen, the Mare in the Moon, the Mistress of the Night!" Nightmare Moon was usually not fond of listing the many names the ponies invented for her during the last thousand years. She decided to make an exception to produce the desired effect. "This is my sister, to you, she is known as Princess Celestia. The mare who raises the sun."

"You lie!" the fanatic shouted back. "I've met the real goddess! She doesn't need others to crush her enemies! Her power splinters the earth and melts rock! She will destroy you, heretics!" This was an interesting development. Nightmare Moon exchanged looks with Daybreaker, both of them were concerned.

"Where is this... false idol you worship?"

"She'll find you herself when she wishe to!"

"Ughmm..." Nightmare Moon half-grunted half-sighed. "Sister, put them to sleep. This idiot is of no use to us." The ponies floating in the air had their muzzles wrapped in a golden aura. "Not like that, cast the sleeping spell and be done with it. Your bloodlust has no place here." The order was executed with a slight delay, giving away Daybreaker's disappointment.

"What about our kin?" Daybreaker asked, her voice turning back to her usual disinterested tone.

"Take their weapons," Nightmare Moon ordered without interest. She now had more important matters to think about.

The Largest Spoons Claim Most Water

Tiny was finding herself less and less of a focus to her older sisters now. Tiny had a number of sisters now, at least two dozen at that, she didn't even know all their names yet. Almost all of them were young. Older than her, but still young. Most of them were nice to her, few were a little mean, but Tiny knew that they needed to be that way for other ponies to take their orders seriously. They were all different too, unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies. Two of them were soldiers, the majority of others were workers of some kind, one was an artist. One of them said that they all came to see Daybreaker one time or another, they all got the same response as Tiny had and since none of them had anywhere left to go, they all settled in the closest city where no one would question who they were and why they came. They all were from different lands too, Tiny never heard about most of those places.

The last couple of days, all of them spent attending to their food needs outside the city. Tiny was mostly left to her books, Nightmare Moon only occasionally coming to check on her progress.

"Once an Empress always an Empress," Mister Rich explained to her with a sigh. The stallion became less aggravated with the arrangement since the time they were on the ship. "I am glad to see her again, don't take me wrong. It's just that it took a little time to get used to being told around that's all. Back in the day, we were usually left to our own devices."

Mister Rich and Shadow seemed to be the only ones without a sister inside them. Mister Rich managed to retain somewhat warm relations with everyone, while Shadow kept to herself and only talked to anyone who wasn't either Daybreaker or Nightmare Moon when she had to. She still provoked much interest from the sisters, no one ever saw Shadow eat anything after all. Someone regularly asked her about it, but the changeling would either answer very short with no details, or would try to avoid the question entirely.
Tiny was certain the older sisters knew, but Daybreaker was much too intimidating to annoy with unessential questions and Nightmare Moon simply did not allow almost anyone to talk to her unless permitted. This arrangement at first proved discouraging for their new subjects, but they almost immediately acclimatized, regaining their morale again.

For now, having exited the city to avoid new clashes with the authorities, they set up camp a few hours away from the outer wall. It wasn't visible from their forest encampment, but everyone knew it was there. Nightmare Moon then ordered a list of their sisters to be drawn including their professions and two names for each: the host's and the sister's, if she ever thought about choosing her own. While her sisters were busy, Nightmare Moon consulted with Daybreaker privately. Tiny didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but it was easy to guess that they were forming a plan on how to get to their destination with this company in tow.
Daybreaker soon charted another circle on the ground and brought a few more camping supplies for those who didn't have their own. Tiny didn't think she had any more back at her house and Daybreaker sternly told everyone that their tents and backpacks should be in perfect condition whenever she decided to check.

As soon as the immediate problems were settled, Daybreaker began re-aligning her circle. She was done with that the same day, but Nightmare Moon has not given the order even three days later. Tiny tried to ask her, but her older sister only said that it had to be this way. So, all of them waited. The terrain was easy to forage, so no one really minded waiting a little.

On the second day of their encampment, Nightmare Moon asked the two soldiers with them to take the weapons they took from the city guard and teach others how to use them, which snuffed out any discontent anyone had over waiting for seemingly nothing. Tiny personally wasn't impressed by bladed weapons. In her hometown, even in her younger years, she saw much more impressive weapons. She asked Mister Rich once and he told her that those were called "guns." They were awfully loud, though.

The day after that, something finally happened: another group of ponies carrying backpacks and pulling more wagons. There were another five in total, they seemed to be a family. Nightmare Moon gave them a long stare as they were arriving and ordered the camp to be folded. Daybreaker set to opening the gate. Tiny saw one of those ponies before they left the city. She was asking very persistently to speak to Nightmare Moon but as soon as she did, she was gone. Others cheered for her return.

Soon the gate was operational again and Daybreaker walked in first. She was gone for a few minutes, before returning back to declare that the other side was safe. Ponies were staring at the shimmering gate with suspicion and it took another few travels back and forth to convince them to go through. Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker both made their ponies form an orderly line and move through without obstructing anyone. Once everyone was on the other side, it was their turn. Mister Rich went first.

"Daybreaker, would you go now?" Nightmare Moon asked. "I wish to have a moment with our little sister in private." The bright mare gave her sister a blank look but obeyed without a word.
"How are you feeling, sister?" Nightmare Moon asked unusually softly, looking down warmly at her. Tiny could swear she would be smiling if she had a mouth.

"Okay?" Tiny was unsure about what her older sister wanted to hear.

"Are your relations with the others fine? They don't pick on you?"

"No... They are nice to me."

"Good... I am sorry that I cannot devote more time to teaching you for now. Our sisters insist on following us to mount Aris, you see. Once we are there, everything will be back to normal," Nightmare Moon made a short pause to let Tiny process what was said. "Say, what do you think about your other sisters now that you have met them?"

"I don't know," Tiny honestly answered, she never really thought about how she felt about them, or almost anyone in general.

"Are they different from the ponies you knew before? Are they better or worse? Perhaps they feel different to you?" Nightmare Moon gently nudged.

"They don't try to beat me. They aren't afraid of me. They don't ask where my parents are," Tiny recounted. "I think I like them."

"That is good, very good," Nightmare Moon said, pleased. "have you spoken to any of them yet?"

"With some, Mister Marching Square and Missus Rose Nectar asked me my name and gave me some pellets. They later asked me how I met you."

"Did you tell them?"

"I told them that I used a spell."

"Good, did they ask anything else?"

"They wanted to know if I liked pie. Missus Nectar said she enjoys baking."

"What did you say?"

"I said that I never ate a pie before. She looked at me weirdly after that." Nightmare Moon was silent for a while after that last response, long enough for Tiny to think that her older sister spaced out again. In the end, she told Tiny to join the others. Tiny cautiously approached the gate, not totally sure it won't hurt her if she does something wrong. Nightmare Moon nudged her to simply step into the portal as if it was a doorway. It turned out to be easy. On the other side, she was suddenly greeted with the already familiar sound of the tides washing on the shore and the cries of seagulls. Immediately she was greeted by, as usual, grumpy Daybreaker. She was standing immediately on the other side, waiting to close the gate. Nightmare Moon soon crossed as well and Daybreaker closed the gate as quickly as she opened it.

"Excellent accuracy, sister," Nightmare Moon congratulated without even looking at her and swiftly disappeared among the ponies who were setting the camp over again. The air had a general feeling of confusion in it. Mount Aris was just about an hour away, they could see it from their position on the shore, Nightmare Moon still gave no order to move. Instead, the great mare disappeared for about an hour, before returning again and ordering everyone to be at ease. Tiny returned to her books. Without her sister constantly looking over her shoulder, now she could try something more fun than illusion spells. For example, teleporting.

Teleporting required experimentation, even more so than other spells. If Daybreaker saw her, with how completely submissive to her sister she was, Nightmare Moon would know what Tiny was doing almost immediately after. So Tiny decided to find a spot where she can practice with impunity.
Mister Rich told her once that he only ever knew two unicorns who could teleport. To her, it came very easy. She managed her first teleport in twenty minutes since she started practicing. Back before her older sister started training her, she would've taken this for granted, but now it was unsettling her. This wasn't normal. Spoiled Milk may have been talented, but not to this extreme degree. He didn't progress this fast by himself. It was as if she somehow already knew everything there was to know about magic, she couldn't tell how, she simply knew. Too bad it didn't include her focus, she wouldn't have had to spend weeks holding the orb.

Tiny pondered this puzzle on her way back to the camp from her hideaway behind nearby rocks. Suddenly, she remembered something. It wasn't a complete memory, just a faint picture. Tiny realized that she remembered herself learning to teleport before. The feeling of her stomach being tugged and pulled was familiar.
The young sorceress focused on the memory harder to maybe try and find something associated with it, and she did. She remembered teleporting other ponies and the smell of gunpowder and smoke. A battle?

She also remembered something else - pain. She deduced that she was wounded somehow. Then the pain changed, it became not physical but... different. Then the memory abruptly seized. She could only vaguely remember herself being dragged away by a stallion. She was certain she knew his name, but she couldn't remember.

She had to abandon her attempts and drop down closer to the sand. Something was going on in the camp. The preparations ceased. Ponies weren't going around, loudly unpacking their supplies and chatting. Instead, the ones going around the camp and going inside tents were hippogriffs, each one armed with a rifle and wearing a blue uniform. They were leading ponies out of their tents and putting them behind the outer tents in the camp center.

Tiny quickly crossed the distance to the closest tent. She was light enough for her gallop to not be heard on the sand. Tiny could hear the hippogriffs grimly grunt orders which her sisters silently obeyed, it looked like the negotiations were already over. Tiny dropped down on the ground and rolled on her back, then lifted the tent's bottom slightly to see what was going on with her sisters.

They were seemingly okay, scared, but unharmed. Daybreaker was there too, she was sitting on the outskirts of the circle with her eyes closed and breathing in a steady rhythm. Her muscles were relaxed and did not produce a single twitch. Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be seen. The scene confused her. The soldiers weren't hurting them, but they didn't treat them very friendly either. They just arrived, they haven't done anything yet. They weren't allowed to talk, since all of them kept completely silent.

Soon, one of the hippogriffs stood in front of the rounded-up ponies,
"You all are charged with illegal crossing of Seaquestria Kingdom's border," he spoke out the learned phrase, not even trying to hide how bored he was. "You shall be detained, investigated and your property searched. Do not resist and you shall not be harmed."

"Do what you must, officer," Daybreaker calmly spoke up without opening her eyes. "None of us has any intention to resist. We shall pick up the camp and go willingly to your city with you."

"That is not necessary. Your property is seized." The dissatisfied murmur rolled over the captive ponies, "Quiet down, or you shall be tied."

"Officer, I am afraid you misunderstand," Daybreaker's tone was starting to sound threatening, while her eyes were still closed and expression perfectly tranquil. "You cannot confiscate royal property. I and my sister are here to meet your queen. Take us to her and spare us both the trouble."

"That's it, I warned you," the officer said without interest and turned away to his subordinates. "Tie them up into a line with a rope, troopers. We set out in five. Longtide, grab someone and start inventorying the camp, the border control would want it done in the next few hours."

"Yes-sir," another hippogriff answered mechanically.

"Officer, you again misunderstand," this time Daybreaker opened her eyes and stood up to her full impressive height, dwarfing both the ponies and hippogriffs around, her eyes drilling into the officer. "You will not treat royalty in such a way."

"And I keep telling you to shut up and you just won't stop making it worse for yourself," the officer turned back to her. "You think I am afraid of you just because you are big and have a horn, eh? Do you know what we say in the platoon? The bigger they are, the larger the target they make," the soldiers gave a short laugh. Daybreaker gave out a loud annoyed sigh.

"For the last time, officer. Call off your ruffians from our possessions or you will regret not doing so," Daybreaker didn't just threaten, she promised. It didn't come as too much of a surprise to Tiny that the officer made a step back from the sheer confidence of the statement.

"Hey, y-you are crazy. There are fifteen of us and just one of you. You realize that you can't fight us?" the officer was now visibly nervous, he was standing right in front of her after all. Without looking away, Daybreaker gave him the most unsettling, predatory grin Tiny ever saw in her life, it sent shivers don't her whole body.

"I assure you, there will be no fight," she purred. Tiny was... impressed, she was forced to concede that her bigger sister was a lot more cunning than she looked.

Suddenly one of the soldiers fired his rifle in the air, causing the ponies still seated in the tight circle to yelp.

"We are authorized to use lethal force!" he shouted and pointed his weapon at Daybreaker.

No, that was too far, Tiny thought. If they were going to hurt her sister even if... No, they won't hurt her sister.

The soldier suddenly dropped his weapon and reached for his neck, his eyes went as wide as they could go. The rest of the soldiers quickly ended up in the same exact predicament. The air was then filled with loud choking from a dozen of beaks at the same time. Then, just as quickly, a series of loud snaps sounded and the hippogriffs dropped down to the ground, then it was quiet again. Daybreaker lost her grin and could only stare in confusion, as to the hippogriffs, they now all lay dead around her.

The Royal Audience

"But they threatened-"

"Silence!" Nightmare Moon chided her youngest sister. "I am gravely disappointed," she switched to her oldest sibling. "You were supposed to watch over the camp while I negotiate our entry, not murder innocent border guards!"

Daybreaker did not move a muscle in reaction to the stab, still standing at attention in the middle of the tent Nightmare Moon chose to berate them in, away from prying eyes. Most likely not ears, though.

"What do you have to say, sister?" Nightmare Moon finally asked, a bit calmer.

"That I did no such thing," Daybreaker answered with an entirely flat voice. "I never intended to harm them. I would have disarmed them if that is what it would've taken, but I would not jeopardize your plans by antagonizing Queen Novo like this."

"Sister, you snapped their necks. All of our sisters saw you do that," Nightmare Moon reminded. "Save for those who left the camp without telling anyone," she shot a glance at Tiny.

"I only attempted to intimidate them, I did not kill them."

"Then who did?" Nightmare Moon asked with faked innocence. "Sister, I hope you still remember that there aren't too many candidates here."

"She did," Daybreaker accusatory pointed at Tiny with a hoof. "She is a cold-blooded killer already, you know as much. Nightmare, I believe your... attachment is clouding your judgment in the matter. Go on, tell her," Daybreaker looked at Tiny directly.

"They tried to hurt Daybreaker..." Tiny said meekly, being wary of the two mares.

"Should we take this as a confession then?" Daybreaker impassively turned her attention back to the ghostly figure of her oldest sister.

"You tried to protect Daybreaker?" Nightmare Moon asked her filly sister with concern, Tiny curtly nodded. "Sister, Daybreaker would be honored with your concern, if she was better behaved," Daybreaker broke her composure for a moment and humphed loudly. "But you cannot simply kill everyone who threatens you, do you understand?"

"But they were about to-"

"They wouldn't have dared to shoot me," Daybreaker sighed. "They would have been court-martiale for murdering an unarmed mare, especially after they learned who we are. It was a contest of gut, which they had no way to win because they couldn't raise the stakes anymore. Do you really think me so foolish as to try something like that without being certain of my success?"

"Tiny, your sister is correct. As much as I don't approve of her methods of resolving conflicts like this, she is correct. While your actions have put us in grave peril," Nightmare Moon supported Daybreaker's narrative.

"I am sorry..." Tiny weakly mumbled.

"Sister, perhaps you should teach her more discipline," Daybreaker remarked. "Your magic lessons alone are clearly not enough and only serve to make our dear sister an even larger threat to our goals."

"Perhaps you are right..." Nightmare Moon mused. "Would you perhaps do so yourself? I arranged for our entry, but twelve corpses would not be a good first impression. I would have to make our peace, hopefully, they would understand."

"Hopefully? Sister, are you saying that you intend to accept a sentence from them?"

"If that is how it has to be. We would have to pay back to their families and perhaps do service to Novo. If she even gives us the audience, that is."

At that, the council concluded and Tiny was given over to the fiery sister for her punishment, or "disciplining." Daybreaker's idea of that was much more straightforward. Tiny spent their whole way to the narrow line of land connecting Mount Aris to the continent, manually hauling sacks with grain and doing everything else Daybreaker felt would do her good. It was boring, hard and the slightest hesitation resulted in an increased load.

After a day of this regiment, they arrived at the land bridge and started moving along a dusty trail, riddled with deep tracks. Tiny never saw a wagon that could be heavy enough to leave those. Daybreaker just lowered the sun when they came to the simple chain fence. Tiny saw fences just like these around some of the workshops back at her home. There was also a checkpoint, just like at a factory she once saw from afar, when she and Spoiled were exploring. At the checkpoint stood about twenty hippogriffs, only some of them armed. On the ground, lines of metal spikes were laid out. One of them had a fancy hat. Their column came to a stop about thirty meters away from the checkpoint. Tiny wasn't allowed to ride on Mister Rich's wagon like she usually did, but instead she got the best view, standing at Daybreaker's beck and call together with Shadow. During the day, the changeling mare was remarkably more attentive to her, helping her with her chores where she could. Tiny wasn't sure if she was making sure she wasn't overextending or just watching her.

"Straighten your back, young Miss," Shadow suddenly pressed on the heavy sack of grain on her back with her hoof. "Put your head higher. It's easier to carry the load with that posture and we may need to wait for a few more hours here."

"Thank you," Tiny said with a nod, trying her best to follow the instruction. One of the most useful things she learned since the start of their journey is that she should always listen to Shadow on the rare occasions when she spoke to her directly.

Nightmare Moon then deliberately slowly floated in front of their formation. Few of their sister shuddering slightly as they felt her chilling touch. Hippogriffs on the other side frowned and some shuffled their legs uncomfortably.

Nightmare Moon spoke for a while with the hippogriff with the fancy hat. After that, the soldiers cleared away the spikes and they continued forward. Daybreaker stopped to help ponies unload the dead troopers from one of the wagons. Following the dusty trail with the caravan, Tiny started noticing buildings she couldn't see from afar. Concrete walls with narrow slits embedded in hills, fortified doorways, hidden dugouts, all reinforced with concrete and connected to shelters. Tiny stared in wonder at the real fortress around her, only becoming visible up-close. Having cleared the land bridge, they arrived at the mountain proper. The city hugged the mountain like gigantic stairs, but they didn't go to the city itself. Instead, Nightmare Moon led them to a facility at the base of the mountain, surrounded by a concrete wall, with metal gates. They were let inside by another group of soldiers. Inside was a large space and a large square building in the corner separated by a fence. Nightmare Moon said to set up camp. Ponies reluctantly obeyed. She then came to see Tiny for the first time since morning.

"Sister, rest for now," she said, removing the grain sack off Tiny's back. "Don't leave Mister Rich's wagon for today, this is very important," she instructed. "Shadow, check If our wagon has all our supplies. Daybreaker, I negotiated for us to pay with my old crown. Colonel Bilge Water will come to collect soon."

"Understood, Nightmare," Daybreaker nodded.

"I will find you all in a few hours, once our... issue is settled. Until then, I need to think about what to do next. We need to be ready to leave quickly. As soon as Novo finds out who we are, she will not be pleased."

"Let us not waste time, sister. Go out and find Sparkle, I will oversee the camp while you are away," Daybreaker suggested. Nightmare Moon remained silent, thinking on the idea.

The gates suddenly opened again and a hippogriff in a fancy outfit slipped inside.

"Milady!" he announced himself, hurrying to them. "Sincerest apologies for this treatment!" he quickly dropped down and bowed to the ground. "Queen only knew moments ago! She will receive you now," he said without raising or looking up from the ground. Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker shared a long look.

"Then let us go," Nightmare Moon said. "Mister Rich!" she called across the compound. Moments later the stallion similarly came running, "You are in charge for the next several hours, watch our camp," without waiting for an answer, Nightmare Moon turned away again.

To Tiny's delight, Nightmare Moon chose not to leave her behind this time, she and Shadow were both brought along. The messenger proposed flying, but Nightmare Moon declined. They ended up going through the city instead. From what Mister Rich told her about hippogriffs, Tiny came to expect there not to be too many of them in the city itself. They could change between land and an aquatic form, so most of them should be underwater. The streets indeed weren't very populous, although that might've been due to the late hour, there was a surprising number of ponies here too. Unlike hippogriffs, ponies were stopping on the spot and staring at them in disbelief, they most certainly knew who Tiny's older sisters were. One older pony in a police uniform even ran away when he saw them. Nightmare Moon keenly studied the streets too, was that why she wanted to walk?

Eventually, they arrived at the top of the mountain, to the large building surrounded by a garden, but no walls. It was both majestic and simple, whitewashed and with precise proportion.

"Has your Queen moved her throne?" Nightmare Moon musingly asked.

"She did. With the last of Storm King's influence gone, she wanted to end our isolation," the messenger answered.

"Progressive..."

They climbed simple, rounded stairs and the twin hippogriffs in metal armor threw open the doors for them after giving a short salute with their spears. If the exterior was pretty modest, even compared to some of the estates Tiny saw, the interior was lavish to the point of being breathtaking. The entry hall was made almost entirely out of carved, dark wood, with wide stairs leading to the second floor and several doors leading to other rooms. The walls were decorated with portraits and paintings, while the doorways were guarded by armor stands. The windows were adorned with heavy, velvet drapes. From the ceiling, a large chandelier was hanging.

"Electric lights, quaint," Nightmare Moon did not sound impressed.

"Sister, not all of the monarchs are as old-fashioned as you are," Daybreaker quickly reminded.

"And you still have no taste, sister," Nightmare Moon sighed. "Fake lights ruin the room's aesthetics. If you intend to go for the traditional feeling, then do go all the way."

"Wait here, if you would," their guide asked. "The Queen will be with you momentarily." He then quickly left through one of the side doors.

"At least they received us properly. You leave for a few decades and everyone suddenly forgets how to behave around royalty," Daybreaker allowed herself a slip from her usual stoic demeanor.

"May I remind you that we hold no more titles?" Nightmare Moon said while occupying herself with studying the armor by the door.

"Young Miss," Shadow loudly whispered to Tiny, both of them still standing at the door. "Don't forget the etiquette, you may not speak unless spoken to, you may not touch anything unless allowed and you may not stare," Shadow decided to use this moment to remind Tiny how to behave. Tiny wasn't sure if she was showing concern for her or her Mistress. After listening to the sisters bickering for a few minutes, the same side door opened and the hippogriff Queen slowly and deliberately walked into the room. She was smaller than Daybreaker and nowhere near as imposing, but she was still wearing an elegant, golden crown with finely cut gems around the headband. To Tiny, it was just a piece of metal, but she couldn't deny that it was well made. She was not young, but not quite as old as Mister Rich was.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," the Queen said with a low voice and giving a formal bow. Daybreaker proceeded to bow in her turn while Nightmare Moon, lacking faculties, had to resort to simply drifting down in through the air. "I am sorry for any inconvenience you may have encountered on the border."

"It was minor," Nightmare Moon brushed away. "I am afraid we were not introduced. I expected to see Queen Novo," Nightmare Moon moved to business, unwilling to waste time on idle talk.

"Queen Sky Star, sister," Daybreaker curtly prompted.

"Queen Novo was my mother, Your Majesty," the Queen nodded.

"Ah... yes... I remember now. You were with Princess Twilight. It is sad that we could not get properly acquainted, Your Majesty, my hope is that my feud with your mother ended with both of our deaths."

"Queen Novo's attitude never found any solidarity with me, I assure you. Queen Novo spent her reign trying to resist Storm King's aggression, I think her hateful views could be forgiven," Skystar gave a barely visible nod.

"Indeed, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon agreed.

"Now, with our immediate introduction over, I invite you and your suite to the tea room. To my knowledge, you used to be rather fond of speaking there, were you not?" Sky Star turned away and started moving towards one of the doors again. Nightmare Moon followed and the rest of them followed her.

"I accept, but I fear I am in no condition to drink anything just now. My hope was that our stay in your realm would be brief. We wish to be of no disturbance."

"There is no disturbance, Your Majesty," Sky Star sighed. "That... regrettable incident, was completely avoidable had we known of your visit."

"We would like to offer compensation, but I could not inform you any sooner. See, I walk among the living again for not even a month and we had to travel from far away to see you. Sister, what was that land, again?"

"I believe its denizens call it the Jade Empire," Daybreaker humbly replied. So she could be humble after all...

"That far? Why I would have expected you for another week by ship."

"Teleportation circles, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon explained.

"You also brought quite a retinue," the Queen continued with her small talk after taking a turn to the next door in the hallway.

"They all are our kin, Your Majesty. They asked me to lead them." The discussion stopped for a few moments as the Queen entered her tea room, leaving the door open for the rest of them. Inside stood a single hippogriff miss in a cute uniform.

"Clear Tide, my guests need two more chairs," the Queen instructed, before sitting down at the table. "Please, make yourselves comfortable, servants will find us more seats now. I am afraid I am not familiar with the rest of your suite, Your Majesty."

"Of course. Meet my sisters: Daybreaker and Tiny. Lastly, Shadow is my oldest retainer to date," the changeling formally bowed on cue, Tiny followed the late example.

"Daybreaker? As I recall, you used to have a different name," Sky Star addressed Daybreaker directly.

"Your Majesty, my sister prefers to not speak on this subject, personal reasons," Nightmare Moon quickly interjected. "Sister, would you sit?" Daybreaker obediently took the only chair, while Nightmare Moon continued to simply float.

"You said you have more kin?" the Queen continued forth.

"Yes..." Nightmare Moon hesitated a moment, thinking on how to better explain to the Queen the duality of their existence. "Your Majesty, I am sorry to not answer your question directly, but are you aware of how I came to rule?"

"Not too well, frankly speaking. My mother never quite explained what you did do for her to despise you so much, but I know that you had to fight for your right to rule with... your sister," the Queen gave a tiny look to Daybreaker, the Princess weathered the look but didn't return it.

"That is true, but only partially. You see, Princess Celestia was not my sister," Nightmare Moon said in her most delicate words. "My sister is here, her name Is Daybreaker, Your Majesty. Princess Celestia was a different pony."

"I don't understand."

"Your Majesty, I am afraid I would have to inform you that the beings you receive in your realm right now are not entirely ponies, despite our appearance," Nightmare Moon deliberately slowly began her explanation. "Sometimes, when another creature is born, they are destined to share their body with another entity. We ourselves lack any comprehensive understanding of why this happens, or how, we only know that we are separate from our hosts and that we have an instinctive drive to subdue the will of our host to take control over our shared body," Nightmare Moon made a pause for the stunned Queen to catch up. "We know each other when we meet and we refer to each other as sisters," Nightmare Moon finished.

At that moment, a trio of servants entered the room, carrying two more requested chairs and the teapot with the accompanying cups and saucers.

"Thank you," Nightmare Moon relieved Sky Star of the necessity to dismiss her servants, the hippogriffs gave her wary looks but did not disobey. Shadow then gave Tiny a small push and they both sat on the newly delivered chairs as the hippogriffs exited. "This may sound rather monstrous, but I assure you, we would not do that if we had our own bodies, as we are forced to fight for the right to have our own."

Tiny fidgeted a little in her seat as her older sister explained their situation, this whole meeting was rather boring.

"Celestia and Luna?" Sky Star finally asked, after a heavy swallow.

"Celestia is still with my sister, she is subdued and unaware. Luna is well, from what I know. During my reign, we managed to find a way to separate ourselves, with each having her own body. In fact, this is a reason why we came to you this night.
You see, after my untimely demise, my court shattered and my former attendants spread out through the land and I would like to find some of them again.
"Luna and I were unusually close for a host and a sister, you see. I... intended to take Luna's body, just as my instinct told me to, but the more we interacted, the better Luna treated me. Eventually, she simply allowed me to take control sometimes and-" Nightmare Moon stopped her thought and sat quietly for a while. "Your Majesty, I just need help to find my other sister, this is all."

A long silence prevailed over the table. Shadow quietly began serving the tea, she put a cup before everyone except herself and Nightmare Moon. She then put the tray aside and went for another lap, pouring everyone the tea. It was still steaming.
Tiny gave her cup an experimental sip, she only drank tea a few times when Mister Rich managed to exchange it for some of his trinkets, it was very expensive, as he told her. The drink was hot and had a soft, bitter taste. It felt more refined than the tea she had before.

"What can I do to help?" the Queen finally said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I need your help to locate another one of my close friends first. You are acquainted with Princess Twilight Sparkle already. I am certain that she is here, or was here for some time in the past. I need her help."

The Queen quietly hummed to herself,
"She is here. She came asking for an asylum many years ago. She had some of her friends with her too, but they all went their own ways one by one along the years. Twilight did not look like I remembered her, she was grim and bitter, but most of all she looked tired. I gave her one of the chambers in the old catacombs under the mountain, I have rarely seen her since. She also brought with her a few hundred soldiers, she said they were the guards from your palace."

"Which chamber is she in?"

"I believe it used to be the dining hall, the mountain halls predate the top city for several centuries. I shall send someone to show you the way."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon said happily. "I will not forget your assistance."

"You and your sisters may also stay for as long as you require. I will give the order to let them go out from the procession camp if they wish to," Sky Star nodded.

"Thank you again, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon said with less enthusiasm. "But I hoped to speak to you on their account too. You see, Your Majesty, my sisters may have a somewhat unrealistic view of me. I seem to have become some sort of an idol for them."

"That is understandable, Your Majesty. You are by far the most famous pony in recent history, after Princess Celestia."

"Indeed, but I do not intend to re-assume my position as they expect me to. I had my time, now I let history run on without me. I believe it is better this way for all of us." Daybreaker visibly shrank and pouted and at the words but said nothing.

"Then what is it you require my aid for?" Sky Star went on to ask.

"If you would accommodate them. My sisters aren't evil, they merely wish to have the freedom to live that every other creature has. They will do no one any harm if hippogriffs won't do any to them."

"Your Majesty, I am afraid I cannot do this," Sky Star sharply straightened up. "If those ponies wish for you to lead them, it would not be honorable to stand in-between you and them. You should speak to them first."

"Honor?" Nightmare Moon asked with a slight surprise. "Wasn't your mother the one sending spies into my lands? I allowed her to have her way, but hearing from you about honor is surprising in the extreme."

"Your Majesty, I am not my mother," Sky Star said passionately. "I was just as abhorred by her actions as you were, but I was powerless until I inherited her legacy. It was far too late to make amends then. But allow me to apologize for the actions of my mother nonetheless. I owe you some concessions, on behalf of my mother, but I won't follow in her steps."

"Then I shall honor your wish," Nightmare Moon said without enthusiasm. "May we go to see Twilight now?"

"I will show you the way myself," Sky Star stood up from the table. "It would be better to leave my servants out of this."

The Queen then promptly walked out of the room without caring to look at anyone. Nightmare Moon was the first to follow, the rest of them followed her. They moved through the corridors for another half a minute, bizarrely enough they never met anyone on their way to the stairs leading downward. There was no door or anything, just stairs. The walls quickly lost all embellishment and became bare stone, save for occasional lamps and ubiquitous power cables. Tiny saw a few of those, but she never quite understood what they were for or how they worked, she only knew that some machinery in workshops and some lights didn't work without them. The stairs ended in a square room with three more corridors and various chairs, tables, and boxes all covered with dusty cloth along the walls. The Queen led them down one of the passages, moving past several turns before ending up in front of a wooden door. It looked much newer than the walls around but still looked old. Tiny didn't say anything, but she hopped that on the side there will be less dust. She could already feel the dust, she breathed in with the still, underground air, starting to accumulate in her throat. She wanted to spit it out, but it was stuck to the walls of her neck and won't move.

Queen Sky Star checked if they were still behind her and calmly knocked on the door. It took a minute, and the Queen was already raising her hoof to knock again, but the door was eventually opened. Tiny instinctively hid behind Shadow upon seeing a monster standing in the doorway. He (and she could clearly see that it was "he") had purple scales; a large, muscular frame with a thick, spiked tail and long claws on all his limbs. He only used two of his legs to stand and that way he was even taller than the already very imposing Daybreaker. His head was elongated with sharp teeth sticking from it. On the back, he had disproportionally small wings, if Tiny had to guess, he couldn't fly.

Despite his enormous stature that barely fit through the door, not Shadow, any of her sisters, nor even the Queen, so much as even flinched at his sudden appearance. Although Daybreaker uncomfortably shuffled.

They, on the other hoof, made an impression on him without any doubt. He first looked down at the Queen, but as soon as he noticed Tiny's sisters behind, his green, slitted eyes went wide and his mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Hello, Spike," the Queen said casually. "Is Twilight too busy?"

"Eghh..." he mumbled and scratched the back of his head. "N-not too much," he then stepped away from the doorway, allowing them to enter.

One by one they went through the door, each giving a look to the queer creature. Nightmare Moon only looked at him fleetingly, Daybreaker gave him a heavy look, making him almost visibly shrink; Shadow, surprisingly, gave him a short nod and even brushed his foreleg with her hoof in a greeting. Lastly, Tiny looked at him in bewilderment. The giant looked like he could brush the sky with his head if he went outside. He looked down at her with a similar expression, no doubt wondering who she was and why her regal sisters brought her with them.

The Queen, seemingly aware of the layout, went further, following a weird, crystalline wall. The giant silently closed the door and after a momentary hesitation, caught up to them in two large steps, producing sizeable plaps instead of regular hoofsteps. The Queen, navigating confidently, led them through another door into some sort of a seating area, complete with a table. It looked like a mix of Daybreaker's relic room and Mister Rich's wagon. Orderly bookshelves coexisted with piles of objects of all shapes and sizes, most of which Tiny never even saw before in her life, and precise geometric shapes of arcane circles, just like Daybreaker could draw.

"I-I'll get Twilight then," the gigantic lizard said and quickly plaped away until disappearing out of view. Nightmare Moon immediately set to studying the room, while the rest of them, including the Queen, sat down at the table, it had just enough seats for all of them.

"Curious," Nightmare Moon said amusingly, staring down at one of the circles, though its covering of open books and focusing devices. "A transmutation circle, lacking any failsafe, but sophisticated enough to minimize the probability of miscasting. It seems the student has grown bolder... and less reserved."

"I don't know what she is doing down here," Sky Star flatly stated. "When I asked her, she started to tell me about some experiments and studying. It was the extent of what I could collect, however. Twilight was... never too good at explanations."

"Humph," Daybreaker snorted. "It's surprising she is even alive with how careless she has grown. Look at that enchanting circle, she didn't even take precautions. Just imagine what could happen if the object she is recharging melts, or worse, discharges. Poor Spike would have to put his friend in an urn to keep her in one place."

"Sister, restrain yourself. We spoke on this before, Twilight did nothing to deserve such treatment," Nightmare Moon berated, without pulling away from the drawings on the floor.

"Nothing except trying to murder you, Nightmare," Daybreaker grumbled back.

"For the last time, Daybreaker, it wasn't her idea. The poor filly didn't even know about the plot until it was sprung up."

"But you didn't punish the ones who enacted it either," Daybreaker continued her line.

"Oh, but I did. Sister, for knowing someone like Celestia so intimately, your view is surprisingly narrow. Subtlety has benefits too, dear sister," Nightmare Moon gave Daybreaker a short look and floated to the bookshelves. "Good policies make friends, not enemies. Twilight and her friends proved to be good and trustworthy subjects. They did good for the Empire."

"Not mentioning certain risks, of course," Daybreaker shot back sarcastically. With another bickering round concluded, both of them continued where they left. Daybreaker was silently staring at the table, periodically finding something interesting elsewhere in the room. While Nightmare Moon continued sorting through the room's various items, puffing and cooing at some of them.

Tiny continued to quietly watch her sisters and the Queen. Sky Star noticed her wandering eyes and shot her a reserved smile.

Eventually, the loud plaping steps returned. Spike immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Ehh... Twilight got carried away a little..." Daybreaker gave a long, heavy sigh. "I couldn't get into her lab, the door is magically locked."

"Well, we would have to rectify that, wouldn't we, sister?" Nightmare Moon pulled away from a book she was going through the pages of. As usual, the rest of the herd followed the leader. Spike again led them along crystal walls, through a large library and to a pair of heavy double doors on the far side of the library.
"An impressive place and to think all of this was just one hall away. Well, sister, would you take a look?" Daybreaker obediently stepped forwards and examined the door from top to bottom.

"I see no spells here," she said in the end. "She tried opening it, both with magic and physically, but the door still didn't budge."

"Well, we have no physical locks here..." said Spike.

"Jamming doesn't make sense either," said Daybreaker. "Something must be holding it on the other side."

"That's... weird, Twilight's lab doesn't have any heavy furniture."

"How long has she been in there?" Nightmare Moon asked, her tone growing heavier by the word.

"About fifteen hours, that's pretty normal."

"Sister, blast the door open," Nightmare Moon ordered, her voice not leaving any room for debate.

Daybreaker quickly made ten steps back. Her horn glowing with the golden aura as she took a wide stance.

"Don't overdo it," Nightmare Moon gave a stern warning.

A large golden orb appeared over her head and began to steadily grow in size. Tiny watched in awe as the sphere grew almost to the size of a wagon. With a heave, Daybreaker sent the pulsing, glowing sphere floating to the door.

"Take cover," Nightmare Moon ordered, without moving an inch herself.

"This is just a-" Daybreaker wanted to explain.

"I said: hide," Nightmare Moon repeated.

Offering no further resistance, Daybreaker quickly waved everyone towards the closest shelf. Shadow obeyed immediately, while Spike and the Queenfollowed reluctantly. The bookshelf was not a wall, but at least Tiny could take a look through the holes. The shining sphere slowly floated to the doors, then it touched the surface, producing smoke. Then the orb quivered and suddenly collapsed with a loud pop. The doors still stood.

"What?!" Daybreaker yelped, her head and neck sticking out like a mole from its hole. "I swear, I didn't miscast!"

"It seems that Twilight anticipated someone trying to breach it," Nightmare Moon musingly said.

"What kind of spell can protect from us?! This is ridiculous!" Daybreaker continued her outrage.

"Well, Twilight did say that she was going to cast every spell she knew on this door after the last time her experiment didn't go as planned," Spike explained.

"I could probably break it still, but I need to find a spell that she didn't know the defences from," Daybreaker thought aloud.

"Why, that is trivial," Nightmare Moon waved off. "Fetch my spellbook, there are a few spells there that no other creature is even aware of today."

"Your Majesty, I understand your eagerness, but can't we simply wait? Twilight would have to go out sooner or later. Destroying something she made such an effort to make looks unnecessary to me," Queen Sky Star gave her protest.

"Your Majesty, this is no longer about us," Nightmare Moon stated flatly. "Twilight knows we are here, it is trivially easy to notice the gate spell we used to arrive. It disturbs the work of other magic momentarily, unicorns can feel it. She would have met us already if she could. Considering that she did not, she either lost interest in the outside world entirely, or she is in danger. I will not stand idly with chances like these! Sister, get the spellbook. We will tear this door open even if it means blowing a hole in this mountain!"

The way Nightmare Moon said it, Tiny knew that her sister meant it. The night would surely prove exciting!

The Wrong Time To Catch Up

"Good to see you again, Shadow," Spike had to almost yell over the rumble in the room.

"The feeling is mutual, Sir Spike," Shadow said back and she meant every word. It has been many years since the last time she saw the dragon, he was so small back then. He was large now, but still just as gentle. Some things never change and Shadow was glad for it. She hoped to get an opportunity to exchange a few words with the dragon before they leave.

"You still do this thing even after so many years?" Spike toothily smirked.

"Certainly, sir," Shadow smiled back. "Have you been well?"

"Ahh... Yeah, Queen Sky Star is an old friend. Twilight met her after Storm King invaded. She tried to get her mom to help us."

"I've heard, Princess Twilight was desperate enough to try and steal the royal pearl. Queen Novo refused any help and made her leave with her suite."

"Yeah, she had a cold relationship with Novo afterwards. Nothing like between Novo and your Mistress though," Spike pointed at the ghostly figure with his eyes.

"I do not understand why Queen Novo had such strong feelings towards Mistress despite only seeing her once," Shadow admitted with a sigh. "To my knowledge, Mistress never did any wrong to Hippogriffs."

"I saw her a few times after we got here before she died. Novo was soured, I mean like the only time she wasn't frowning was when she was with Sky Star. I think Novo had personal reasons to hate your Mistress, I think she knew it too. Judging by how Sky Star is, Novo wasn't dipping her into the same poison she swallowed in her time."

Shadow nodded slowly, shortly turning around to check on Tiny,
"It sounds like she was a better mother than she was a Queen. Personal agenda should never stand before the good of the realm."

"That's what Nightmare Moon says all the time," Spike pointed out.

"That is what Queen Chrysalis didn't hear often enough," Shadow countered.

"Well, I guess she was right. It all broke down without her like instantly," Spike sighed. "So, where you all been holed up?"

"Lady Daybreaker said the name was Jade Empire. She was tired from the court and the constant scheming being associated with it, and wished to live in a quiet place."

"Understandable, from what Twilight told me about it, I can't imagine how somepony could live like that. Each evening you wake up, tidy yourself up and then work the whole night through until it was time to sleep. Twilight said that Nightmare Moon considered paperwork as her breaks. Even Twilight couldn't study the whole day with only food breaks. She also went out to see what the girls were up to, chat with Cheerlee or Miss Pie and maybe visit Zecora."

"Mistress wasn't stopping her work in the dining hall either, sir. The time at the table she spent issuing orders to the Palace staff, instructing Princess Twilight or receiving officials. Mistress took her duty very seriously," Shadow concluded.

"Yeah, Twilight was saying how tired she looked all the time," Spike gave Nightmare Moon's back another look. "I feel bad for her. She wasn't nearly as bad as the rumors about her. I just wish she wasn't so secretive about everything, things might've been different if ponies trusted her."

"Mistress always said that if ponies knew who she really was, she would lose legitimacy. She had to pose as Princess Luna for ponies to accept her," Shadow said mundanely as if reciting a script.

"And what do you think?" Spike said, nodding at her. Shadow stood quietly for a while, following the progress of breaking the stubborn doors and feeling the vibrations going through her entire body at each impact.

"I believe Mistress tends to overthink," she finally said.

"Yeah, Twilight does too. Or she did. I can't tell now since she doesn't talk to me too much anymore," Spike sighed again and dropped his shoulders.

"Was Princess scarred by her experience?"

"Looks like it," Spike shrugged. "I didn't see Twilight too often since Nightmare Moon called her to the Palace, so every time I did see her the change was striking. First, she was angry. Twilight didn't really say how, but Nightmare Moon made her work for her."

"I remember when the Princess arrived, Sir Spike. I assure her, Mistress never forced her to work," Shadow quickly stepped in. "She simply described to Princess what the project was and she worked willingly thereon."

"Well, I never thought that Nightmare Moon would just force her, it's not really how she operates. She always gets what she wants though. By the way, what project could make Twilight flip one-eighty like that? She went from not even wanting to hear about it to full-on living in the Palace."

"Mistress tasked her with developing a way to reverse the Elements of Harmony magic that exiled Princess Celestia. Mistress grew rather... discontented over the arrangement. Princess Luna could have also contributed," Shadow explained. "I never understood her reasons but around that time Mistress was rapidly changing her attitudes towards a wide array of matters, Princess Celestia included."

"Yeah, Twilight told me about it the next time she came home to grab some books. She said that Nightmare Moon made peace with Celestia and Luna. I admit I was skeptical when Twilight described Luna defending her in front of Celestia. It didn't sound right, Nightmare Moon stole her body, got them both sent on the moon for a thousand years and then did the same to her sister. Not mentioning killing thousands of ponies in the Civil War and establishing... well let's be straight, a dictatorship.
"After that, it looked like Twilight was adoring her more with each passing night. Her letters started to have whole sections devoted to how wonderful Nightmare Moon was and that was pretty much the only thing she ever talked about when we met. That was alarming, especially after seeing how Rarity got the same way. I think if it went for a few more months, they would've started to kiss the floor she stepped on... Oh..." Spike suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "Sorry, n-no offense to your Mistress."

Shadow simply nodded,
"How the Princess changed?"

"Oh, yeah, the thing we were talking about," Spike awkwardly smiled and scratched his head. "So each time I saw her, Twilight looked more tired and flustered. Nightmare Moon was obviously running her in circles. Then she started to grow... well, cynical. Never thought I would ever say that about her."

"How so?"

"Well, Shadow, no offence but she got exactly like your Mistress, at least the way Rarity was describing her. Rarity once told me how Nightmare Moon looked when signing execution warrants during the civil war. A pony was brought in front of her, she would give them a single, unblinking, indifferent look; sign the paper and order the next one to be brought out without ever looking again at the previous one. Well, Twilight looked something like that when she was explaining to me why Chrysalis never had a chance to win the war. She told me about all the different ways that Nightmare Moon could kill whole platoons of soldiers with almost... gleeful excitement. When she told me about charred bodies and torn apart tanks not a single muscle twitched on her face."

"Was that before or after I was sent to you?" Shadow asked to clarify.

"After, by a lot, It was the last time I talked to Twilight with Nightmare Moon still alive. Shadow, again, don't be offended, but from what I saw happening to Twilight, I really don't wanna spend time around your Mistress," Spike said with a hint of fear.

Shadow didn't respond, this whole exchange was a lot more fruitful than she initially thought. Shadow gave a look to Tiny, who was still sitting by the same bookshelf she was left at, but she was keenly listening in to their discussion.

"Curious little thing, aren't you?" Spike gently smiled and sat down.

"Sir, I suggest you do be careful around Mistress' little sister," Shadow intervened, emphasizing her point is a light jab to his thigh. Swinging the head around for a solution, she found Queen Sky Star standing awkwardly alone on the other side of the hall, "Her Majesty seems to be rather lonely, it is not gallant to leave a lady like this," Shadow declared, giving Spike a push.

"Alright, alright!" Spike threw his hands in the air. "I can get a hint, I am going."

Sighing with relief, Shadow turned back to Tiny, who watched the whole scene with bemusement,
"Young Miss, eavesdropping is untactful," Shadow berated, Tiny's confusion only grew further.

"But..."

"No 'but', Miss. A lady must not dishonor herself with such behavior."

"A lady?"

"Yes, Miss, you are a young lady. You have to behave accordingly," Shadow took a second to examine the foal's look. "And look on par too," at that moment, Shadow wished Rarity was still with them.

Shadow was aware of how wain her attempts were, since young Miss was inhabiting a body of the wrong gender, but she tried to pretty up her mane as she could, mostly to occupy Tiny's attention. As much as she appreciated Sir Spike and his company, he lacked subtlety. Luckily it has only been a few more minutes before Lady and Mistress found a spell that the door wasn't protected from. With a mighty creak, the large double door's outer wooden layer shattered, revealing a heavy metallic frame. Daybreaker's lightning could not breach metal completely, so Nightmare Moon ordered her to aim at the wall where the hinges should've been located. Another five minutes and Daybreaker rubbled the stone enough for the enchanted hinges to hang free. Daybreaker lightly pushed the door with a satisfied smile on her face, and it hit the floor with an ear-shattering clang, raising a cloud of dust.

"No door can stop us for long!" Daybreaker's ego surfaced once more for a moment.

"This is not yet the time to brag," Nightmare Moon sternly said. "Spike!" The dragon jumped from suddenly hearing his name in the rough voice. Nightmare Moon gave him his orders when he came running, "You will go inside first, together with my sister," and without giving him any further notice, she looked directly at Shadow. "Keep my sister and Her Majesty safe, My Shadow," she said in a softer tone. Shadow obediently nodded and took the filly by the shoulder.

"Come, young Miss," she beckoned, leading her closer to the Queen who was slightly shocked at what she just witnessed. "Your Majesty!" Shadow hailed her. The hippogriff queen glanced at her, the queen was afraid. "Your Majesty, we must go," Shadow gave the Queen a gentle nudge.

"N-no!" Sky Star resisted. "Twilight is my friend, I will not run away from danger like this!"

"Your Majesty, there is no danger," Shadow said very slowly and gently. "Mistress simply wants to remove civilians from the area, it is a standard procedure in emergencies." Despite her efforts, the Queen still refused to move. Shadow couldn't simply drag her along, this would be extremely inappropriate. After all, this was her own realm. So Shadow was left with only one option,
"Very well, Your Majesty. I shall handle your security here." But soon Shadow realized that nothing was coming to get them. There was no sign of battle or energy discharges. There was only silence. For the first time ever, Shadow felt how straining it could be. In all her years of covert service, as an assassin, a spy and even a maid, the ancient changeling hadn’t felt how heavy it could be.

Several minutes passed, Shadow was relieved to hear a distant argument, the royal sisters were alright.

"I think it is safe now, Your Majesty," Shadow said with a sigh.

"Can we look now?" Tiny asked, sounding bored already.

"Enough of these games," Sky Star snapped, pushing past Shadow and firmly trotting towards the only door still hanging upwards. Tiny gave Shadow an expectant look. The changeling yielded and beckoned the young Mistress forward.

The Queen reached the opening first but did not enter, she stopped just outside, covering her snout in silent shock. The Queen was no longer young, but she clearly wasn't too experienced either, Shadow quietly noted. Quickly catching up, Shadow peered inside and she quickly understood what exactly struck the Queen so much. The Princess was indeed inside, just as Sir said. Much more depressing, Mistress was correct as well, Princess Twilight was indeed in danger.

Twilight's laboratory looked like it was turned upside down by a tornado, the furniture and equipment were scattered throughout the room in various states. In the middle of the room, floating inside a shimmering orange circle, was the Princess herself. Her body hanging unnaturally vertically covered with glowing orange runes, her head thrown back, and her eyes and mouth shining with bright light. She was now much larger than the last time Shadow laid an eye on her, Shadow estimated she had to be just short of Daybreaker. It seems that her impressive size and power did not save her from whatever experiment she was conducting.

"Sister, we cannot simply pluck her out! You know as much!" Daybreaker passionately protested against some prior command from Nightmare Moon.

"What other choice do we have?" she answered more calmly. "The spell will no cease on its own, it is siphoning her strength. She will die if we keep her there."

"I could break the circle," Daybreaker suggested.

"Are you willing to take a bet on how much of her power it already accumulated? None of us might survive the discharge. But you are right, we cannot simply stick our hooves in there and push her out, lest we risk joining her."

Somehow, despite the situation, the sisters having an argument in a middle of an emergency served to soothe Shadow's nerves. It was as normal as a morning tide and promised swift resolution for the crisis,
"Watch, young Miss," Shadow said quietly, taking Tiny by the shoulder.

"Then, if you agree that we should not act rashly," Daybreaker began, her curiosity outweighing her passion for a moment, "what do you intend to do?"

"Why, sister, it is trivial. Use some of this debris to push her with. Truly, you seem to overlook simplest solutions, dear sister," Nightmare Moon said, sounding almost lighthearted.

"Is that your plan? To find a long stick and hit her hard enough so that she would fly out?" Daybreaker said in disbelief. "Nightmare, I have to say, your planning has degraded much since-"

"Sister!" Nightmare Moon stopped her before Daybreaker could fully begin her rant. "Don't hit her, of course, simply push her out! Use it to catch one of her legs and push! Sister, don't tell me you forgot how to use tools with all your years of spellcasting!" Daybreaker loudly sighed but protested no more. With Spike's help, she quickly found a splinter of wood large enough to reach the Princess while leaving something to hold it with. Nightmare Moon insisted that Daybreaker did not try to use her magic directly on Twilight. Then, the four of them reluctantly watched as Daybreaker tried and failed to find an angle from which she could push on the Princess' body with any force. Eventually settling on pushing her in the back, Daybreaker pushed the youngest Princess in the back with force. At first, she didn't move, her body firmly remaining in the air. Once Daybreaker applied enough force, the Princess slowly moved to the circle's edge. Eventually, one of her hooves poked out and Daybreaker seized the opportunity and grabbed onto the leg. With a sharp pull, the purple alicorn was free. The light ceased coming from her, but she remained unresponsive.

Spike immediately dashed to the place where Daybreaker was laying her down,
"Twilight!" he called. "Twilight, are you alright?" The Princess was still unmoving. Soon, a small crowd gathered around, although Daybreaker quickly lost interest and returned to the magical circle, still ominously glowing on the floor. Shadow quickly checked Alicorn's breathing and heartbeat, she was alive.

The time came to think about what to do next,
"She needs rest," Nightmare Moon declared, switching to her usual, cold, commanding tone. "Spike, take her to her quarters."

"Gladly," Spike picked his friend up with his enormous, clawed, but still tender hands. Yes, the Princess would be just fine with the dragon, Shadow didn't doubt a moment.

"Now, as much as we all would like to stay and wait for our dear Princess to recover, we will soon be missed," Nightmare Moon continued. "Your Majesty, you must station sentries until we know how to deactivate the spell. My Shadow?"

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Go with Sir Spike, we must know what exactly Twilight was doing here. This situation is deeply alarming even though we could diffuse it with no casualties, so far. As soon as she is better, you must report your findings," Nightmare Moon instructed sternly, unusually so. Even more unusually, no one moved.

"Sister, you sound almost scared," Daybreaker voiced everyone's thoughts.

Lady Errands

Daybreaker furrowed her brows, taking the offered list. As ancient as she was, Daybreaker could never get used to the responsibility of leadership. She was simply not made for it, as she came to realize. She was a completely different type of apple compared to both Nightmare and Celestia. It made complete sense that as soon as Luna made an effort to connect, it happened naturally. Sadly, the Lunar Princess will never forgive her for murdering her best friend. Not everyone in the world was fit to lead, some had to follow, something both she and Luna learned from experience. That is why they both accepted Nightmare's guidance.
And now, Daybreaker was once again thrust into the role she knew she could not perform. Another thing she learned well since her sister went absent was that sometimes there was no one else to do it. Daybreaker never held a high opinion of Twilight Sparkle, seeing the mare for nothing but a pawn, but she had to admit that Celestia chose her pawns well. Sparkle was courageous, highly intelligent and, perhaps most importantly, she was a leader. Sparkle wasn't ready to rule a realm but she did all she could. Daybreaker would never say it aloud, but she knew she couldn't have done better.

Upon finishing reading through the long list of everything their people required, Nightmare was unavailable to handle it, Rich refused to even touch her gold. The Princess was all alone in negotiating trade. Queen Sky Star graciously offered her help, which is why Daybreaker was soon walking through the royal mansion. It was far from the grandeur she got used to in Canterlot, but she appreciated the Queen trying to be modest, in line with her people. Hippogriffs were few and even fewer of them lived on land, and in a land like this a true palace had no place.

Daybreaker soon arrived at the Queen's dinner. She stopped directly by the door but did not enter. It was rude to intrude. Daybreaker knew better than to break the etiquette, even if the role of a petitioner in a court was below her dignity. Daybreaker sighed, straightened her rosy mane and humbly knocked, just lightly enough for the attendant on the other side to hear. The door opened with a quiet creak and a beaked head appeared in the opening. Daybreaker silently weathered the look, before the servant turned away.

"Lady Daybreaker, Milady," he reticently reported.

"Let her in, Blue Streak," Sky Star calmly answered. The servant quietly stepped away, allowing her entrance. Daybreaker stepped inside and walked up to the Queen's modestly sized table. She then respectfully bowed.

"Thank you for receiving me, Your Majesty," Daybreaker tried to not think about how much bowing to inferiors sickened her.

"No need, Daybreaker. Friends of Twilight Sparkle are my friends. Would you sit so that we can speak comfortably?" Daybreaker straightened up, pulled out a chair from underneath a round table, not unlike the one Nightmare so loved drinking her tea at. The Queen was having a deliciously smelling soup and a salad, with a cup of tea to enjoy afterwards,
"Would you like a cup? I fear I cannot offer a meal at this time."

"Yes, you are most kind, Your Majesty," Daybreaker gave a small bow with just her head. Sky Star gestured to her servant and he quickly picked up a small, porcelain teapot and another cup with a saucer from the cabinet. He then gracefully put the cup and saucer down on the table and poured her the drink. Sky Star nodded, dismissing her attendant.

"I hoped I could have an alone word with you, Daybreaker." The ancient mare tensed up after the Queen addressed her with just her name for the second time, but even if the Queen noticed, she did not show it, "I must say, you fascinate me. Your sister has already explained the arrangement you are in with your... hosts. It was also mentioned that you may sometimes both be in control. Is that a common occurrence?"

"No, Your Majesty," Daybreaker began to quickly answer, unwilling to drag the mandatory small talk more than necessary. "We are unaware of other similar instances. My sister and Princess Luna had a remarkable connection from the day they met one another. My sister never dominated Luna, as is the usual for our kind, instead Luna allowed her to control their body out of her own volition."

"That is what she told me."

"I may not say anything more behind my sister's back."

"I understand," Sky Star nodded. "Perhaps you could talk about your relations with Celestia instead?"

"There is hardly anything to talk about, Your Majesty," not mentioning that Daybreaker preferred to avoid speaking on that subject.

"How so? Surely, Celestia learned about you during her millennia-long life." Sky Star just finished her meal and picked her tea. Daybreaker quickly followed suit, it would be easier if her throat wasn't so dry.

"Princess Celestia knew, of course. I am afraid our relationship didn't resemble the one my sister had with her host," Daybreaker silently prayed that Sky Star would get the hint and piss... relent.

"I am guessing that, unlike Luna, Celestia did not appreciate your company."

"She certainly did not. Princess Celestia treated me with hostility from the moment she learned about me. I theorized that it was due to her having to exile her sister because of Nightmare,"

"Oh..." Sky Star covered her mouth with her claw. "I am sorry to hear that, Daybreaker. But she did accept you in the end?"

"Your Majesty," Daybreaker started to feel a ball growing in her throat. "I came to ask to get the aid you promised my sister. We require a liaison with whom we could negotiate our supplies and services, we lack food, spare parts for our waggons and several other positions required for our journey." Sky Star's eyes widened.

"O-of-course. I am sorry. I will arrange someone to see to your needs," the Queen promised, her voice showing her embarrassment.

"You are most kind," Daybreaker formally bowed and deliberately slowly stood up. Leaving her cup almost full.

"One more moment, Your Highness. Your sister asked for you to come to see her, she said it was important."

"Thank you," Daybreaker bowed again and went for the door, the servant opened it for her. As soon as the door closed behind her, Daybreaker closed her eyes and deeply sighed, her shoulders slumped.

"How do you make this look so easy?" Daybreaker quietly whispered. She stayed put for a few more seconds, trying to relax after the experience she was just subjected to. Then she began to lightly trot in the direction of the catacombs' entrance. The Queen was showing them great trust by allowing them to walk without escort and Daybreaker did not intend to prove that to be a poor judgement, making no detours and trying to not even look where she might see something she was not meant to see. The mansion was attended by a surprisingly small staff, there were only a few guards, two maids, Sky Star's personal servant and a cook. Nightmare's old Palace was tended to by a small army. There were almost three hundred armed guards, thirty maids, five cooks, a dozen couriers, forty clerks and a number of Nightmare's personal servants. One of them was responsible for bathwater, which she wanted to be manually heated and pooled into her tub. Another one was searching for the most exquisite salts and other bathing trinkets for her to enjoy.
Nightmare always said that her luxury was more of a status thing, befitting an Empress, but Daybreaker was still mildly shocked to find out that exactly how much she adored her bathing time. Still, after her sister made her to bathe together, Daybreaker could understand the appeal. She remembered that time with a streak of sorrow.

Daybreaker allowed herself to dwell on that thought while she was descending. It helped to remember why controlling her impulses was important. She got much better at it with years, she would never achieve complete control, which she already came to accept, but she could prevent herself from creating new disasters.

Daybreaker stopped to knock on the door leading to Twilight's hideout. Spike was soon there to open it for her.
"Good day, Lady Daybreaker," he forced himself to smile at her. Daybreaker figured his toothy grin would make ponies unsettled. Daybreaker nodded, without moving a muscle on her face. "Can I walk with you?" he asked, stepping aside for her to enter.

"You may," she answered without even looking at him. Daybreaker knew where Nightmare was without asking, so hopefully, she could forget that the dragon was walking with her.

"So, Twilight is still out," the dragon said, as soon as they began walking to the lab. And here she thought that he wouldn't be an annoyance. "She is alright though. We had a doctor to come and she said Twilight is just tired." Daybreaker didn't say anything. They walked for another dozen steps before Spike started again, even more awkwardly: "Your sister was working at Twilight's lab nonstop since you left. I came to check up on her, but she just sent me to do some chore every time." Daybreaker ignored him again, this time the dragon seemed to have gotten the hint.

Upon entering the library, Daybreaker immediately noticed a change. At the entrance to the lab, the heavy, armored door was still lying inside. The orange, glowing, vortex could still be seen inside. What was new is several tables all put together directly in front of the chamber, with books and paper stacks piled on them,
"Where is the foal?" Daybreaker suddenly asked, making Spike jump.

"A-ah! M-miss Tiny? She is with Twilight. Your sister said it was the best place for her at the moment. I asked if I should get her back to the surface but-"

"Nightmare!" Daybreaker hailed, seeing her sister exiting the lab with a piece of red crystal floating with her. Quite happy to get an opportunity to get rid of the babbling idiot at her side. The ghostly mare gave her a stare with her piercing, slitted eyes and then continued to the table. Daybreaker did the same.

"Sister, I imagine our hostess has passed my request," Nightmare Moon said while occupying herself with the research on the table and without even looking up at her sister.

"Yes, Nightmare. I was there addressing our supply needs. The Queen is cooperative, but our sisters miss you. They've been asking if you would come back soon."

"In a few days," Nightmare Moon said, still consumed with notes on the table. "Sister, I believe I know what happened to our dear friend," Daybreaker barely restrained from scoffing at the notion. "Spike, where did Twilight get this from?" Nightmare Moon dropped the reddened crystal on the table.

"Well... I don't know," the dragon shrugged. "She doesn't tell me everything. ...But it does look familiar," he said after a short pause.

"I imagine it would. Spike, this is one of King Sombra's magical crystals. He used these to cast spells while his... physical form was unfit," Nightmare Moon suddenly looked directly at the purple dragon. "Spike, this is very important, where did she get it?"

"Oh! So that's where I've seen it before!" Spike scratched his chin. "Twilight never said anything about bringing any with her from Crystal Empire. I have no idea how it could end up this far south, especially since Sombra is gone... right?"

The mares exchanged a long look.

"Spike, I won't say anything to otherwise disrespect your friend, but Twilight did not keep you well informed," Nightmare Moon said flatly. "Sister, we need to find the Shadow King. He won't move away from Luna for long."

"Is this why you called for me? You must already have a plan."

"I have an... idea. Sister, how much geology did Celestia study?"

"That is quite a random question," Daybreaker remarked.

"Wait, what about that thing over there?" Spike pointed at the door. "Won't you stop it from doing that siphoning thing again? You said it is dangerous, isn't it?"

Nightmare Moon gave Daybreaker a heavy stare, at which she rolled her eyes but didn't look away. It was Nightmare who insisted on being courteous even to the undeserving,
"Spike, allow me to speak plainly, we are not here to correct Twilight's mistakes. We are here on our way to find Princess Luna. We hoped that Twilight could help and we found what we needed. We saved Twilight from her own failure, she is not stupid enough to do the same mistake twice," Nightmare Moon indeed spoke unusually directly. "We will be on our way as soon as we can trace the Shadow King's crystal."

"Wait, sister, where did you find it?" Daybreaker asked, suddenly having an idea of her own.

"I found it among the litter on the floor once I cleared most of the rubble. I believe Twilight attempted to use it for whatever spell she intended to cast."

"No, sister, this is not an ingredient, this is the product of her spell!" Daybreaker exclaimed at how obvious it now sounded to her now.

"A good guess, Daybreaker, but I don't believe so. Twilight wouldn't put her life in danger to simply charge a crystal. She never was so careless, not even when she was young and naive. The only way it might have..." Nightmare Moon stopped in the middle of the sentence. "...if Sombra fooled her." She finished after a short pause. "He is here," she said definitively.

"I will speak to the Queen immediately," Daybreaker prepared to leave.

"No, she will be completely useless to us in this matter. Even if hippogriffs had a chance of finding him, they could not trap him. Their weapons are useless for the likes of us. Let the dead settle their own differences, sister. I will deal with this myself. You and Spike, make sure Twilight is rested and on her hooves within a day. Allow her to join us on our journey, if she wishes, but do not insist if she refuses."

"Won't you at least tell us your plan?" Daybreaker cautiously asked.

"Oh, I do not intend to do anything dangerous. I will simply give the King what he wishes for. Afterwards, he will tell me all we need to find Luna."

"And what if he is uncooperative?"

"Then Luna will find us herself. Now, leave me. I will be back in our camp tomorrow."

The news left Daybreaker distraught. Even more so when she was told to sit idly and wait.

"Careful with your mane, young Miss," Shadow was still foal sitting their young sister. Daybreaker understood why Nightmare won't simply delegate caring for her to Rich, just as it was before, but Nightmare went beyond it. Watching Shadow teach her to groom herself, Daybreaker almost felt jealous. She knew, of course, that the changeling was only doing that to take her attention away from any potentially dangerous pursuits and only because she saw her relationship with Nightmare, but Daybreaker felt almost jealous of the treatment nonetheless.
What made it worse is that she was directly ordered to stay there, with Twilight sleeping next to her. She could not leave and was forced to look to watch as her own retainer lavished a commoner with attention.

Daybreaker attempted to focus her attention on Twilight instead. She was not hot to touch and was breathing steadily, she could wake up at any moment now. Spike noticed her checking and mimicked her as if he would know anything about pony medicine. Daybreaker gave him a sharp glance but did not discourage him otherwise. Conflicts were messy, she preferred to avoid them now.

"Aghh..." Twilight subtly groaned.

"Quiet down, she is waking up," Daybreaker ordered without looking away from Twilight. The purple alicorn groaned again and shifted slightly in her bed, her eyes opened lightly, before blinking closed again.

"The light..." she moaned.

"Careful now, Twilight. Don't get up yet, you are still weak," Daybreaker gently put her foreleg on Twilight's chest to discourage an attempt.

"Princess... Celestia?" Twilight asked weakly. Daybreaker sighed.

"I am afraid not, Twilight," she said honestly.

"What... happened?" she opened her eyes again and gave Daybreaker an unfocused look.

"You had an accident in your lab, Twilight," Spike said, making her aware of him too. "We came as soon as we knew, Her Majesty brought Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker, they quickly tore your door wide open to get to you. Shadow is here too if you want to see her," Spike stood away, letting the changeling step closer.

"Your Highness," Shadow said in a hoarse voice and bowed with her head.

"How are you all here?" the Princess was hazy, but she was coming back quickly.

"We came to seek your help in finding Luna, Twilight," Daybreaker explained. "Nightmare was abruptly brought back, we have been on the road ever since. She expressed hope that you would join us in search for Luna as well."

"Search for Luna?" Twilight parroted. "But I don't know anything about her. I haven't seen her in decades."

"You had contact with King Sombra, Twilight," Daybreaker pointed out. "Nightmare is conversing with him as we speak."

"Is she mad at me?"

"I don't think so, Twilight. Seeing you well again well after so many years will bring her great joy. I believe, she would be proud of how well you did, considering how much was thrust on you after her death," Daybreaker added, despite herself.

"There's no time," Twilight made an attempt to get up.

"Nightmare ordered me to ensure that you rest," Daybreaker pressed her back down.

"Lady is right, Twilight. You overworked yourself and needed rest for a long time," Spike rallied to the sun mare's support.

"You don't understand! I have to finish the spell!"Twilight tried to resist, but even though she was much larger now, she still couldn't overpower Daybreaker in her weak state. "Let me go, damn you!"

"Language, Twilight," Daybreaker said, entirely unphased. "Nightmare will not tolerate her Princess talking in this way."

"To Tartarus with etiquette! We are going to die if I don't finish the spell!" Twilight exclaimed, attempting to sit again.

"Twilight, calm down," Daybreaker continued to press the alicorn down into the bed. "Explain, what was that you were doing?"

Twilight took a deep breath,
"Two days ago Sombra came to me with a request. He said he needed crystals charged and he will use those to help Nightmare Moon get back. I tapped into..." Twilight suddenly stopped and gave Daybreaker a long and cautious stare.

"Twilight, if this is as urgent as you say it is, I have to tell Nightmare now! We have no time for games!" Daybreaker was losing her temper.

"Spike, tell me my first research you remember?"

"What is the meaning of this? Get to the point, or I swear, I will drag you to Nightmare by your neck!"

"Lady Daybreaker, I-I am sorry," Spike promptly leapt to his friend's aid. "This is a check, Twilight is a little paranoid after... well, she will tell you herself once she is better," he quickly explained. "Your first research I remember was you researching how to care for baby dragons," he blushed on his purple face, having to say it aloud.

"Celestia said that you were overreacting after the third day of never seeing you out of your library," Daybreaker said with a somber sigh, surprising herself at how sad it made her to remember. Silence reigned in the room.

"I was trying to siphon energy from Istir, it is an ancient fire elemental," Twilight said in the end, making Daybreaker's eyes shoot wide open. "I was studying it and thought it would be good to experiment. I know it sounds stupid now."

"Who told you about her!?" Daybreaker barely restrained herself from hopping face to face with the younger alicorn.

"Eh... Twilight, you fancy explaining what 'an elemtnal' is?" Spike spoke up shyly.

"It's complicated, Spike," Twilight rubbed her forehead. "I was trying to track Ivory Crescent's activities, mostly out of boredom, when I suddenly came upon them chanting that name in a circle. I guessed it might be an elemental, so I tried with summoning the most ancient elemental I knew the name of and it told me only how to reach Istir. It has boundless energy, so I thought if I could harness-"

Daybreaker suddenly turned on her heels and galloped out of the room, leaving everyone present to exchange mute, confused stares.

A New Sunrise

Now when Nightmare Moon had the time to think this over, perhaps her's wasn't such a good plan after all. It only occurred to her now that Sombra might not return at all after learning about their interference.

"For once, you exceeded my expectations," the second black cloud scurried into the room. "I thought you would take a few more days to get here at what pace you chose. I never expected such idleness."

"And I expected you to not keep me waiting," Nightmare Moon said, skipping her usual pleasantries. "I hope you have a good need for this," Nightmare Moon sharply tossed the crystal over to the opposing ghost. "Twilight nearly died trying to make it for you."

"Why Miss Sparkle is a grown mare, she can make her own choices," Sombra smugly answered. "But I am afraid you misunderstand. She made this item for you," Sombra extended the crystal back, an amused smile appearing under his eyes. Nightmare Moon felt jealous of the control of his form that Sombra possessed, unavailable to her.

"What are you saying?" Nightmare Moon pressed, less than eager to play Sombra's games even in the afterlife.

"I informed the young lady that you will be needing this. After all, as we both can attest, no one has any use for dead friends."

"Sombra, cease your attempts to toy with me, I am less than excited to have to deal with you as is. Don't make it even more unpleasant than it has to be," she was fed up with him long before her demise and had no more courtesy left for the dead King.

"The sentiment is mutual, pet," Sombra dropped his smile and answered her in kind. "Do you honestly think that I would go to this length for little filth like you to taint the land again? The only reason why you are here is that I have need of you. Now, stop this little charade and take the shard so that we can start the ritual. Dead, you are of little use to me. You already wasted much of my efforts!"

If Nightmare Moon still had any brows, she would be cocking them. She never saw the Shadow King this... desperate before. She was almost certain that's what it was. And that meant she had an advantage...

"Oh, but I will do no such thing. If anything, I should destroy it. Your magic is abominable!" Nightmare gashed.

"You..." Sombra was about to explode, but stopped at the last moment, realizing that she was playing him. "You are as treacherous as I remember, at least this aspect did not change."

The thundering sound of hooves on the stones drew the attention of them both to the entrance,
"Discipline your kin better," Sombra grimly growled, retreating back into the cracks in the rock he appeared from.

"Nightmare!" Daybreaker cried, her voice one octave from breaking.

"Sister, I told you to leave me for the day. Your reason for this interruption is better to be good," Nightmare Moon chided.

"Nightmare, we must close the crack!" Daybreaker pointed at the orange glow inside Twilight's lab. "There's no time to explain!" Daybreaker rushed past her sister, leaving her bewildered at such uncharacteristic behavior.

"Daybreaker, the discharge will-"

"I know!" Daybreaker cried. The white mare took a wide stance aiming her horn at the center of the vortex.

"Daybreaker, stop!" Nightmare Moon mustered her best commanding voice, but Daybreaker ignored her entirely. The sun mare shot a beam of her magic into the vortex. The vortex began to enlarge. "Sister!" Nightmare Moon cried moments before the deed was done and the column of swirling energy destabilized and collapsed inwardly, compressing into a tiny orb. For a moment, there was silence. The compressed orb then abruptly exploded, sending the uncleared debris, and the mare, flying in all directions. It was over as soon as it began. Daybreaker's body limply fell down on the floor by the wall she was slammed into. Nightmare could only stare at her sister's body as she could not make herself move an inch. Nightmare Moon wearily sighed.

"Your sister is still just as foolish as I remember," Sombra's voice quickly returned. "Such a good thing she is not as fragile as the others, isn't it? I've heard you survived worse."

"I need to find help for my sister," Nightmare Moon sharply turned away.

"Send your minions to do that. One explosion won't be enough to do your sister any lasting damage."

"My sister just hurt herself over some foolish heroics and you want me to see you as my priority?!" Nightmare Moon rumbled. Before Shadow King could answer, another matter demanded their attention. "Spike!" she called across the hall at the dragon, trying to hold his Princess friend upright. "Go outside and bring a physician!"

Spike gave Twilight a questioning stare, upon receiving a nod, he carefully let go, ensuring she was standing on her own and quickly ran off. Shadow attempted to take over but Twilight gently pushed her away. Twilight then slowly made her way across the hall, Shadow always staying close to catch her if need be.

"Twilight, you should be in bed," Nightmare Moon sighed. In response, Twilight attempted to bow and only avoided falling thanks to Shadow leaping to support her. "Oh, Twilight, you don't need to overextend yourself for me. Don't bow to me, please. I rule no land now."

"Ah, yes. Because that changes one thing with you," Sombra, of course, couldn't help but stick in.

"Your Majesty, I failed you! I failed everyone!" Twilight said, one step from bursting into tears.

"Don't say such things, Your Highness," Shadow whispered.

"It is amazing how some never grow up, do they?" Sombra huffed. "Look at her. She is almost as tall as your sister is now, but she still can't keep herself together."

"Sombra, cease spilling your venom, you are no part of this!" Nightmare Mook gashed at the fellow undead. Nightmare Moon returned her attention back to Twilight, she was wrong to blame herself, but nothing but a complex explanation would do for her, "Twilight, Shadow is correct, don't talk like that. You are not the one who failed, it is I who failed to build a state that would not collapse without me. It failed because it was meant to."

"Ah, a classic. Chain your subjects to yourself, then throw them in a rift and watch as they clatch to their own chains. Remove the chain and see them fall to their deaths," Sombra summed up. Twilight stood quiet, her head bowed.

"Sombra, I tell you for the last time, your company, particularly your remarks are highly unpleasant. The only reason why I tolerate your presence is because I know that you will be going back to Luna and I must know where," Nightmare Moon said bluntly.

"Why, you should have said so!" Sombra widely grinned. "Luna is in your old temple, I believe you know where that is. Such a crude mock-up of it they made in Canterlot..." Sombra finished with mocked vexation. "Your worshipers provide Luna with anything she needs and would die defending her. Not that she needs any aid in that regard, as you undoubtedly remember."

"Thank you, Sombra," the words rolled heavily from her, but genuine in their intent. "But I must attend to my sister and Twilight now."

"Of course, I could give you a new body to walk around with, but I suppose family comes first," Sombra continued his mocking.

"Sombra, will you stop already?" Twilight asked weakly. "You only make yourself look worse."

"Twilight, he does not jest," Nightmare Moon sighed. "King Sombra is, perhaps, the most magically knowledgeable creature to exist today. I was subject to a demonstration of his promise myself. But it can wait, if the King is so determined to speak to me on this," she gave Sombra a short stare.

"Hmph. Fine, I suppose for the likes of us a few hours won't change a thing. I will wait for you to be done."

"Thank you," Nightmare Moon responded. She noticed a change from how she remembered him. The Shadow King was treating her... more leniently than he usually did. It would be presumptuous to think that someone as old as him could change his ways, more likely the cause of their dispute was gone as Nightmare Moon no longer occupied Luna's throne. As hard as it was to imagine now, the King still harbored tender feelings for his long-lost love. Perhaps he even held a sense of solidarity with his fellow dead, as preposterous as the idea might have felt minding their history.

Soon, Spike returned with a physician, although it was more a precaution. Nightmare Moon knew well that even if she broke most bones in her body they would regrow in a few hours. The real danger to alicorns was bleeding. Their wounds healed quickly, but not instantaneously. Nightmare Moon once nearly succumbed to her wounds, but she endured in the end with minimal aid. The experience, however, changed her in more ways than she knew. She refrained from executing her enemies for political reasons more than anything, but she did enjoy a good battle. Her next battle was also her last, she lead her soldiers to victory, but it brought her no pride or enjoyment. She put on a show, of course, as she always did for her subjects and enemies, but even Chrysalis' ultimate demise provided her with only greater sorrow. Daybreaker, despite being older than her, still behaved like a filly barely in her adulthood. She could use more of her own experience, instead of drawing from Celestia's.

She also had to attend Twilight,
"Your Majesty," Twilight lightly bowed, as soon as Nightmare left the doctor alone with her sister. Exactly as she did all those years ago, Nightmare Moon would've smiled warmly if she still had lips. The Princess didn't share her sentiment, giving her a wary look without looking her in the eyes. She already felt much better, Nightmare Moon saw as much.

"Twilight..." she sighed. "You do not have to bow to me anymore, I hold court no longer. Please, stand upright," Twilight reluctantly did, still not sure what the stance really was.

"I... prepared a small report, as the time permitted," Twilight started again. "I included-"

"Twilight, please, stop," Twilight may be brilliant but she always was very dense when it came to taking hints. "Twilight, I say again, please heed me this time: I am no longer your monarch. I came here to ask for your help, not order you to help me. You have no need to report to me now. I am glad to see you now as a friend, instead of my subject."

"But don't you want to know what happened after you... left? I put in the files as well as some of my notes from the time..." Twilight looked utterly miserable, trying her best to stick to something she knew she would deliver, to not disappoint her liege and late mentor further.

The realization suddenly hit Nightmare Moon right in her incorporeal head. Twilight only had Spike with her,
"Twilight, where are your friends?" Twilight instantly became sad, her head dropped, ears flattened.

"That too is in the report," she answered bleakly.

"Tell me yourself," Nightmare Moon asked. "Please," she added, such relations with Twilight were still new to her.

"We fell apart," Twilight said simply. "I suppose with our home gone we no longer had any reasons to stick to each other. Rarity and Rainbow couldn't stomach each other. Pinkie's sense of humor was freaking Fluttershy out. Applejack won't even leave her farm. Everyone went their own way, the only one who went with me here was Rarity, but it quickly became clear that this place was too small for her," Nightmare Moon responded with morbid silence. "Are you disappointed in me?" Twilight hopelessly asked.

"Twilight, is there a quiet place where we won't be bothered?" Nightmare Moon lowered her voice.

"My sleeping quarters are just next door," Twilight nodded.

"I owe you an explanation, Twilight," Nightmare Moon continued, once the door closed behind. Twilight's room was much the same as it was in the Palace. Maybe more spacious. "I will be frank with you, there is hardly a good way to say this. Your situation with your friends is my fault."

Twilight simply nodded,
"You had to keep us at odds so we cannot use the Elements against you." Twilight sat on her bed. Nightmare Moon attempted to mimic the gesture, shifting herself to linger above it next to the Princess. "I understand, even if it is sad that it had to be this way."

"Rarity would've been enough," Nightmare Moon continued. "She was extremely easy to manipulate. She is far too generous for her own good. Rarity would never leave Luna to suffer alone, I simply had to show her what she can do for her. Doing the same for the rest of you was unjust cruelty. I am deeply sorry that you had to go through the unyielding jaws of state politics. I suppose it is much too late for apologies, isn't it? I will not be reclaiming my throne, Twilight. The ponies have suffered enough from me. I came to ask you for help in finding my other sister, Luna. But it seems that our mutual acquaintance already did just that. We will depart in the next few days, we would be honored if you join us, but we all understand why you might not. Perhaps we might find some of your friends along the way too."

"Are you just going to abandon your ponies to their fate? After you died, everything-"

"Twilight, I know. After I died my Empire collapsed. Just as it was supposed to. It is better this way, both for me and my former subjects. Let them figure out on their own what they wish to live like, they can be a lot more capable when they have no choice."

"No, it did not just collapse! The reason why we had to flee was that the army was having the Palace under siege, they were executing anyone who had any dealings with you in the past!" While this was news to Nightmare Moon, it still failed to impress her.

"Have you expected anything else?" she innocently asked. "When common citizenry gets to power this is the natural course of action. Simple solutions for simple folk. Let me guess, they also made the wealthy share with the poor and gave every creature equal rights? The commoners' naivety is quite adorable."

"How... how can you talk about this so calmly?" the sentiment left Twilight shocked. "Your ponies died! They have "re-education" camps where they torture everyone who doesn't agree with the current political course! This is horrible!"

"It truly is, Twilight," Nightmare Moon somberly agreed. "But this is completely expectable. Perhaps now you can understand the true depth of my crime, this would be impossible under Celestia's leadership. This is why I shall interfere no longer. I did enough as is. I urge you, Twilight: come with us, leave it all behind. It is no longer your responsibility, your ponies chased you out themselves. There is joy in simpler things in life too, do not waste yourself on the task that you are neither capable nor obliged to do! Luna will be beyond joyous to see you again!"

"And then?"

"Then we can return to Queen Sky Star, or find another place. My sister found a wonderful spot by the sea, I wish you were there to see it!" Nightmare Moon chirped excitedly. "Or perhaps we could go to Arabia, it is an exquisitely beautiful land! Imagine a whole sea of sand before you and when we lower the sun, it becomes gold and bronze in the evening light! Imagine, a whole sea of shining gold stretching to the horizon!"

"That's it? Your Majesty, I don't understand," Twilight's shock has now passed and was replaced with bewilderment. "This doesn't sound like you! You always taught me that a monarch is responsible for the well-being of her subjects. Sombra promised me to find a way to bring you back, now you are here, and you are telling me that you are going to leave our ponies to suffer for what you are responsible for?!"

"Twilight, a mare can rest when she is dead. I never asked to be brought back to lead the Empire for all eternity. I am here for the sake of my sister and for those few I call my friends," Nightmare Moon said bluntly. "I will tell you here and now: I will not chain myself to that seat again." Twilight's jaw opened and closed, but produced no sound until Twilight simply turned away, "Twilight, I am sorry to disappoint you in this way."

"I-I need to be alone now."

"Of course," Nightmare Moon floated off. "I will speak to Sombra, we will meet you in a few hours."

Nightmare Moon departed without even opening the door, she didn't need to anymore. To her surprise, Sombra indeed waited for her exactly where she left him, back at the library, with Spike, Shadow and Nightmare's little sister busy cleaning Twilight's lab.

"Are you done wasting our time?" Sombra asked with a long sigh.

"Quite, tell me what it is you want now."

"I did already, I am here to build you a new body. Before you think anything, I am only doing this because Luna will never forget it if I didn't," Sombra grumbled.

"Obviously, but I must hear more. Twilight mentioned that you had a take in my return."

"Not yours. I only want Luna to return. She has been steadily feeling worse, not physically, mentally. It does not take a psychologist to know that she is missing her family. If her wellbeing demands yours, then she shall have you," Sombra admitted. Nightmare Moon sharply clicked.

"Who would have known that you could be so caring," she teased. "But what of your involvement? As far as I discovered, my sister was the one who saw me back among the living."

"I had nothing to do with that, it was her initiative. I never intended to do it in this... costly way at first. Transferring memories is much easier. I suspect you noticed some of them missing and your sister being unusually knowledgeable for her age."

"It seems that you were ultimately unsuccessful, however," Nightmare Moon remarked.

"Your memories were not producing the desired effect. She never realized herself as you, she merely treated them as being a quirk of who she is. A monumental waste of effort. With the initial plan failed, I had to get your former buttlick to gather enough energy for me for the procedure to succeed. You already know how this goes," Sombra finalized his explanation. Nightmare Moon stayed quiet for a while. The offer was enticing, highly so, but there was somepony who needed it much more than her.

"Sombra, I suggest a better idea," Nightmare Moon began. "My sister will remain unconscious for a few more hours. We could separate her and Celestia as you did with me and Luna."

"Celestia," Sombra spat out the name of his ancient enemy. "What do you care for that scheming coward? You were the one who destroyed her, were you not?"

"And I regret the deed every day since," Nightmare Moon responded without flinching.

"Your sister will see this as a betrayal," Sombra warned.

"My sister has grown, she will keep her reaction in check. I will deal with her myself. Enact your ritual, it would be better for Luna to have her real family by her side."

"Fine. As long as Luna gets what she needs I don't care which one of you it is."

The Day When The Sun Was Cold

"Celestia, can you hear me?" the tired Princess heard a voice. It was vaguely familiar.

"She hears you," another familiar voice shortly answered. Celestia felt a piece of cloth land on her face.

"Open your eyes, Celestia, slowly," the first voice instructed firmly, but gently. Celestia slightly opened one eye, the cloth on her head muffled the light. She was in bed, her head resting on a pillow. She must have had an accident and the voice she is hearing must have been Luna's. She did not quite remember what happened, but surely there was no reason for concern. "How do you feel? Anything out of place?"

"I feel..." the question was suddenly hard to answer. "I seem to feel every piece of my body very keenly," Celestia answered.

"That is quite normal, Celestia. Luna had much the same feeling after extended periods of inaction." Celestia's heart skipped a beat, if this was not Luna, then why did she sound... oh... yes, Celestia remembered now. She blinked a few times and pulled the cloth from her eyes.
To her view came the room with crystal walls, much like in Twilight's castle with a simple table a bookshelf and a glowing red circle on the floor, as well as two clouds of smoke. One had something resembling a face, which she instantly recognized. The other only had two bright, glowing eyes, Celestia hardly needed an introduction all the same. In the corner of her eye, she spotted more movement. There was another bed, and sleeping in it was her exact copy... but her mane was bright pink.

"Is that..."

"My sister, yes, Celestia," Nightmare Moon readily answered. "I am afraid she will not be glad to see you again," she said, quickly dropping her look to the floor, only for a moment.

It was weird to see her simply sleeping in the next bed like this. That thing tried to overrule Celestia in of her own body, as hard as she tried she never succeeded, neither did Celestia in getting rid of her. Celestia wasn't sure if she was glad that she won't have to listen to this creature inside her very thoughts, or if she was distraught to have to deal with her in reality. The fact that she looked all but identical to her did not help.

Celestia started to carefully sit up in her bed, immediately something black appeared at her side and grasped one of her hooves, helping her.
"Thank you, my little..." the last part stuck in Celestia's throat as she managed to get a better look. Celestia instinctively tore her hoof away from the remarkably old changeling.

"Celestia, meet Shadow. She is my retainer," Nightmare Moon calmly explained. "She will not harm you or anyone else here."

"Your Highness," the changeling nodded and respectfully bowed.

"You never mentioned her," Celestia warily pointed out.

"Her duty was more covert during your stay." Although Celestia was not yet convinced that she wasn't dreaming, she found herself nodding. When the changeling attempted to help her off the bed, Celestia simply waved her off with a short thanks.

"It is best if you are not here when she wakes up," Nightmare Moon pointed at her sister with her eyes. "I will speak to her. Twilight is outside, breathing in fresh air for the last few hours. I expect your student will be overjoyed to see you." Twilight... of course, Celestia remembered Twilight. Celestia didn't feel anything at the mention, though her mind suggested that she should.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Celestia agreed.

"Shadow, provide your escort," Nightmare ordered.

"This way, Your Highness," the changeling said meekly in her hoarse voice, trying to sound less intimidating. As uneasy as Celestia felt about being left alone with her, she seemed to be harmless enough. Especially since she had no horn.
As they left the room, it became very apparent that this isn't either Twilight's castle or the Crystal City. The natural rock blended with crystals, although the crystal parts definitely were inspired by the castle. There were no windows and the only light, that was, came from small, magical lights in the walls. Celestia's confusion only grew when the changeling started leading her upwards. These have to be the old crystal mines under Canterlot. They soon arrived directly into some kind of mansion. It was definitely not the Palace, the iconography was wrong. She recognized no hallways, windows were different and had drapes of the wrong color. Soft sunlight was seeping inside.

"Where am I?" Celestia asked aloud, forgetting she wasn't alone for a moment.

"We are the guests of Queen Sky Star at mount Aris, Your Highness," the changeling quietly responded.

"Queen Sky Star?" Celestia widened her eyes. "Wasn't it Novo?"

"It was," the changeling shortly nodded. "She died from old age and her daughter now rules." The answer confused Celestia further. She assumed she had spent some time in a coma due to Nightmare Moon seemingly having lost her material form again, but how much time really passed?
"I think Princess Twilight mentioned she wanted to catch up with the Queen. Perhaps we could ask one of the guards," the changeling suggested, drawing Celestia out of her thoughts again. Celestia looked down at her escort with suspicion. The changeling didn't flinch, demonstrating her bearing, only her eyes intelligently gleamed despite how old and crackled her shell was.

"Alright," Celestia finally agreed. "Let us find one then," Celestia took a step forward, unwilling to be led by a changeling anymore. The guard that got the pleasure of speaking to her all but shrank into a dot at her approach. Celestia gently smiled at him and pleasantly asked for some directions on where her student was currently. The stunned guard took a moment to remember but gave her what she asked for in the end. Celestia then thanked him and was on her way again, leaving a completely bewildered hippogriff behind. The changeling followed her a step behind, producing as few sounds as she could. Celestia did not enjoy her company, but she couldn't deny that she was a well-taught servant and that made her presence tolerable.

The guard told her that Twilight and Sky Star were having a walk in the garden. The Queen of Hippogriffs did not have much work, it seemed. It took most of her day to manage Equestria back when she was the only Princess. Luna lessened her load a little. Thinking about her little sister almost made her lose a step.

"Your Highness?" the changeling noticed her gait change. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I just..." Celestia couldn't exactly find the word.

"No need to explain yourself to me, Your Highness," the changeling mercifully let her go. Celestia gratefully sighed. They went on without speaking. Upon finding the entry doors, Celestia was greeted with a view of the whole city. This was new to her, the last time she visited mount Aris had a few overgrown ruins with the hippogriffs living underwater. As Celestia found them, Sky Star was sitting on a bench together with who could only be Twilight. She has grown, her new alicorn physiology starting to bloom. Her body language still remained the same. Twilight sat with her forelegs pressed into her face, while Sky Star comfortingly touched her shoulder. She was the first to notice their approach.

"Twilight, Lady Daybreaker," she quietly stated. Ah, so Daybreaker got to roam in her body for a while. It was obvious, really, but it was very hard to think about for some reason. Twilight removed her hooves from her head and gave Celestia a look which made her see just how much has truly changed.

"What do you want?" Twilight rolled every word with a distaste that Celestia never saw her exude once before.

Celestia tried to smile despite the circumstance,
"Twilight, I am so glad to see you again!" Or rather she knew she should be glad, she felt nothing inside. "Daybreaker is down in the catacombs, Twilight. Nightmare Moon freed me from her."

"Ce-lestia?" Twilight asked with suspicion.

"Yes, Twilight! I am here with you," Celestia expected Twilight to start questioning, or even to get up and hug her.

"Ughhhh!" Twilight groaned and slapped her forehead with her hoof and continued sitting like this for a while. "Did I miss an announcement? This looks like a Canterlot reunion party! The only one we are missing is Luna." Celestia felt abashed by Twilight's sudden sarcasm.

"Is something wrong?" she could only ask.

"Well, nothing is wrong! Makes sense that Her Majesty would want to see all of us back together. I wonder if there will be a time when she would ask anyone's opinion first. Who knows, tomorrow Rainbow and Rarity might be back together too. I guess if Her Majesty can't make them stop bickering for a second, nothing can."

"Twilight, maybe a little more gentle," Sky Star tried to pull the Princess back in line.

"Oh, yes. I am sorry. What was it you wanted again?" Twilight retreated back to her question.

"To see you..." Celestia answered honestly, not sure how to take Twilight's burst.

"Well, you are seeing me," Twilight deeply frowned. "I hope you like what you see."

"Her Highness could have grown a little anti-social in recent decades, Your Highness," Shadow quietly whispered at Celestia's side, helping Celestia to cope with the shock.

"Twilight, what happened? Where did all of this come from?" Celestia asked, hoping to at least get a reason.

"Celestia, you of all ponies shouldn't ask me that question. You know exactly what happened and it was all your fault!" Twilight exploded. "I should have seen it when you almost lost our home to Chrysalis! You are pathetic! It was only a matter of time before somebody snatched your crown out of your weak grasp! I was such a fool to follow you for so long! You've been using me to do your dirty work for years! You picked me up early and made me into your adoring puppet! And when it came to defending your own subjects, you didn't just fail! You refused to fight! Chrysalis was pathetic and you still took no action to stop her even though you knew how wicked she was and what her intentions were! Nightmare Moon was right to get rid of you, we are all better off without your leadership!"

Twilight then gave her a long, expectant glare, but Celestia had neither will nor the ability to argue. Quite frankly, Celestia had no idea what her former student was talking about. She remembered the changeling invasion and her rather, admittedly, disgraceful failure to notice anything ahoof with her own niece and guard captain, but Twilight herself did exactly as she was expected to do in such a case.

"Ughhh! I've got places to be," growing tired of waiting, Twilight sharply got on her hooves and stormed past Celestia on her way back inside.

"Uhmm... Princess Celestia? I am sorry you had to go through this," Sky Star attempted to start making amends.

"No, it is I who has to express my apology, Your Majesty. I should have queried my... liege if she would explain what happened since our last meeting," Celestia responded mostly on reflex. "It seems that I am quite out of the loop, as they say."

"Princess Twilight avoided speaking of you to me, Your Highness. She is rather reclusive as of now, preferring to remain with her research than with me. I am worried for her, truth be told. She has changed much since the last time we've met. Most of all her relationship with her friends, if they could be even called this anymore."

"She mentioned her friends' bickering," Celestia somberly nodded.

"That is, to put it mildly, Your Highness. In time, it became so bad that Rainbow Dash and Rarity could not remain in one room without finding reasons to... well, bicker. It was not my place to intervene."

"Understandable, Your Majesty," Celestia nodded again. "We all are grateful for your concern."

"Your Highness, if I may have a word. Princess Twilight always spoke fondly of you before, although Her Majesty made a consistent effort to teach her better than to put you, or her, on a pedestal. I don't think that even she expected such a result, however." Celestia arched a brow at the changeling mare. Just how much did Nightmare Moon allow her to know?

"Shadow, is it?" Sky Star asked. "Are you Lady Moon's servant?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the changeling readily bowed. "I was her retainer during her time at the helm. She instructed me to be as cooperative as I can as long as you do not plot any treachery."

"I see. I must say, I am a little jealous of your mistress. I would be humbled to have a servant so loyal as to stay with me for this many years. You do your mistress great honor."

"I am honored by your high praise," Shadow bowed again.

"I believe it's time for us to return back to... my liege," Celestia spoke up. "We have much to discuss indeed."

"I understand, Your Highness. We will speak more later," Sky Star then suddenly tore her gaze away from Celestia and looked past her. Celestia turned around to see what could have taken the Queen's interest. And she saw... herself. There, In the distance, was her copy again, staring at her. Daybreaker stared at Celestia with disgust, fear, hatred and shock all at once. Her mouth was opening and closing silently. Celestia felt no such emotions for the creature, so she did what she did every time upon meeting someone, Celestia gently smiled at her copy. Daybreaker's eye twitched. With a short flash, the mare was gone, teleporting away. Celestia never even noticed the black shadow next to her until it began to move.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," she greeted formally, approaching.

"Lady Moon," Sky Star nodded.

"Your Majesty," Celestia bowed her head. "I see Lady Daybreaker is taking the news better than expected."

"Somewhat. It is hard to say more, for now. My sister showed no sign of aggression."

"Mistress, if I may. Lady Daybreaker looked pained more than anything else," Shadow suggested.

"As expected," Nightmare confirmed. "It is regrettable that she has to go through this, but it is necessary. Celestia, while I do not judge you for trying to defend yourself from her, I'll have you know that Daybreaker is traumatized by your treatment. My usually proud and pompous sister was so terrified of having to face you again that she was willing to grovel and beg me to protect her from your student and her friends with their terrible Elements. I suspect she believes we are about to banish or even slay her now."

"This might not be the case, Mistress," Shadow gently contradicted. "Lady Daybreaker was persistently working on her self-control. The Lady was repentant for all her misdeeds and blamed her lack of patience, self-control and trust. I watched her on many a sleepless night as she tried to meditate her sorrow away. I believe she will do nothing rash at this time."

Nightmare Moon took several moments to think before responding:
"I suppose you are correct, my sister has changed plenty. Your counsel is wise, my Shadow."

The changeling happily smiled at the praise,
"Thank you, Mistress," she bowed again.

"I don't expect we will be moving on before we resolve this situation, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon addressed the Queen. "I would like to use this moment to show our appreciation for your hospitality, which we did not expect upon coming here. We do not have much to offer in return but I can offer my own knowledge and expertise, as well as any that Her Highness or Princess Twilight would be willing to provide. If you would have us, given the history between me and your mother."

"I accept your offer with gratitude, Lady Moon," Sky Star bowed, only slightly. "Shall you put down a list of your suggestions?"

"If that is what you require, Your Majesty. I would need access to your recent doings for reviewing. As of now, if you would excuse us, we must attend to my sister."

"Of course," Sky Star nodded. "I will not delay you any longer."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon moved away, Celestia mechanically took the cue and followed.

"I am sorry you had to return at such a time," Nightmare Moon quietly said, once Celestia caught up with her. "I suspect you have questions."

Celestia knew that she should have, but in reality, she had very few,
"Nightmare, what happened to Luna?" Nightmare Moon didn't answer for a long moment.

"She died," Nightmare Moon gloomily answered. "Sombra rectified it as much as he could, Luna is a vampony now. She controls her urges, however."

The news didn't surprise Celestia, she expected a similar answer,
"Is Sombra your ally now?"

"He... a difficult question. He has Luna's best interests in mind and if those align with ours, he will help. Trusting him would be foolish, however."

"I understand. I would like him to tell me where my sister is then."

"Luna is with the batwings, in their temple. Sombra said they worship her."

"Good," Celestia nodded. "She is provided for then."

"Yes, but Sombra's sudden decision to ally with us is a cause for concern, there was a certain trace of desperation in his offer too. I fear he might not be telling us everything."

"We will go even if he won't."

"Of course."

Celestia may have never quite agreed with Nightmare Moon's methods, but they were long past the point when it still had any meaning. Now they both had exactly the same aim and it pleased Celestia to know so. Nightmare Moon took her down the steep streets, with hippogriffs and the few ponies present reverently, or fearfully, getting out of their way. Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Nightmare Moon led her to a walled compound, that looked like a prison camp but with its gates wide open.

"Mistress, should I check if anything in our camp needs to be brought to your attention?" the changeling asked, most likely only to give Nightmare Moon a reason to send her away for the private talk that was coming.

"No, my Shadow. I will see to my sisters myself soon, stay with us for now," Nightmare Moon instructed with softness that Celestia rarely saw her show.

"Yes, Mistress," the changeling curtly responded and said no more. The space inside the walls reminded Celestia of one of the nomad camps she saw in her younger years. A collection of brightly colored tents and wagons housed an even brighter collection of ponies, moving through the camp with their daily activities or trading the trinkets they had to the visiting hippogriffs. To her surprise, she spotted Filthy Rich in their number as well, together with a small filly that kept staring directly at her while they were passing. The ponies were giving Nightmare reverent greetings and usually happy smiles, then looking away from her and trying not to get in her way. There also were two police ponies in uniform standing together and observing the camp. Once they saw them approaching, they stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and awe on the already buzzed faces. Nightmare Moon paid them no heed, passing straight to a large, white tent at the center of the camp.

"It is better if you wait outside," Nightmare Moon loudly whispered. "We will see you in a moment, hopefully."

Nightmare Moon then floated straight through the cloth into the tent. Celestia stood by the entrance and prepared to listen. For a little while, there was silence.

"You didn't have to come. I would be gone by the evening," Daybreaker said calmly, having already suppressed her emotions from before.

"Sister, I told you, I do not intend to replace you. I am wounded that you would think otherwise. I am sorry that I did not ask your opinion, but we both know what your reaction would've been."

"Nightmare, what did I do so wrong that you felt the need to have her back?" Daybreaker's composure cracked as quickly as she restored it, her voice sounded as if she was about to cry. "Was it me murdering you? Or my failure to look after our sister properly? But you said you forgave me!"

"I did, dear sister," Nightmare Moon said softly. "I am sorry that you had to go through this again."

"Sister, you don't need her! I will serve you better!"

"Of course you will, but Celestia had to return not because you failed me in any way. Daybreaker, her remaining trapped was unjust. I understand that you lack any empathy for her, but Celestia does not deserve this fate. I hope that you will understand one day or even make amends."

"A-amends?! Nightmare, she spent thousands of years finding new and elaborate ways to make me suffer so that I would not rise against her! I lived with the fear that she would find a way to kill me for every waking moment! You freed me from her and now you want me to make amends?!"

"I will not insist. I am only here to tell you that no matter what happens, you will always have your place here with me. Daybreaker, you are my sister and I will never disown you. Rest some more, for now, I hope to see you with me tomorrow."

"Wait! Nightmare, I'll try... What would you have me do?"

"I would have you do only that which would make you happy, sister. Now rest." Nightmare Moon then exited the tent and led Celestia a few steps away so that her sister could not hear them anymore.
"This is what you did to her, Celestia," she pinched coldly. "My sister whimpers from just thinking of you taking her place again. Her aggressive behavior is most likely your doing as well. I wonder how you could be so gentle to your little ponies and so cruel to someone who never had a choice if she wanted to be your enemy."

"I could not risk her harming them," Celestia responded.

"I understand as much, this is why I shall not judge. And now?"

"Now I have no more issues with your sister, she got what she wanted."

"That's it? No more issues? You traumatized her, Celestia!" The Princess of The Sun didn't respond. Celestia had nothing she could say to an accusation like that and Nightmare Moon spoke the truth. She felt nothing, even though she knew it was true.
Seeing the lack of answer, Nightmare Moon visibly shrank,
"Stay in the camp for now. My sister might not wish it, but she made a promise. She will come looking for you. I ask you only to not reject her. I will be back here soon after I speak with Twilight and Sombra more, then we will depart," having said that, Nightmare Moon departed by floating away upwards and back to the top of the mountain, leaving Celestia in the middle of a bustling camp.

Celestia needed to think. She found a shaded corner by the western wall where she could hide from multiple the curious eyes all around her. This would suffice.

"Lady Celestia?" The changeling followed her like a puppy.

"I want to be alone," she said without even looking back.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Not now, thank you."

"Of course, I will be nearby."

This situation was peculiar. It felt like she was sleeping peacefully in one of Cadance's best rooms and now she was here. She did not remember anything in between. She didn't care regardless, she simply wanted to see her sister, but that would not come for at least a little while it seemed. She could go on her own, Nightmare Moon told her where Luna was after all. But she still knew so little about what was going on. Another matter she had to address, if she was going to stay with Nightmare Moon, is her relationships. Primarily with Daybreaker.
She knew her rather well, or she believed so. Daybreaker made it clear to her that she hated her long before Luna's return, but that was of no importance any longer. Daybreaker was more afraid of her than she hated her and that was enough, at least she won't get in the way. If all fails, there is still Nightmare Moon, who has remarkable control over her unruly sister.
Celestia's relations with Nightmare Moon did not seem to have changed. Nightmare Moon always treated her as a friend after her unexpected pardon. She even expressed remorse but did not step down from her throne won with blood.
And Twilight now wanted nothing to do with her. Well, Celestia did not mind that as long as it didn't hinder their progress.

Celestia pondered the situation for a while more and the sun was starting to settle down to the horizon. Soon it will be time to raise the moon. Celestia almost forgot when was the last time she did it. Experimentally, Celestia reached out to her sun in the sky. It obeyed her as easily as it always did, starting to gently drift downwards. The feeling of the sun obeying her brought memories from long before, Celestia smiled wistfully without noticing. But then the sun suddenly stopped, refusing to obey her further.

"It's too early," Celestia heard her own voice. At its source was Celestia, or rather Daybreaker. Daybreaker seemingly calmed down. She didn't look tranquil, in fact, she looked rather sad, but she passed through her shock. Having gained her attention, Daybreaker walked directly in front of Celestia and sat down, just two steps away. She then proceeded to stoically stare Celestia in the eye. Celestia could feel her breath, such closeness was making her uncomfortable.
"Nightmare wants us to make amends," Daybreaker finally said and lowered her eyes.

"I have no issue with that suggestion," Celestia responded. They both sat in silence for almost a minute.

"We need to agree on terms of our coexistence," Daybreaker stated, still looking at Celestia's hooves.

"I suppose we do. That is rather simple, I believe. I will avoid conflict if you would do the same. I have no more grudges against you."

"No more grudges?!" Daybreaker suddenly looked up at her again. "Is that all you have to say?!"

"Yes," Celestia answered unfazed. "Quite frankly, I see very little that we can talk about."

"Maybe what you did to me?" Daybreaker grunted.

"We both know that I only did to you what you always intended to do to me. Your sister understands."

"Ughrrr..." Daybreaker half-sighed half-growled. "I promised her that I would try to make peace with you."

"And this is exactly what I am doing. I have no more grudges with you, if you have any remaining, I suggest you let go aswell."

"Celestia, why can't you ever simply talk to me?" Daybreaker said with a tired sigh. "Why do our sisters have a relationship while you refuse to even communicate?"

"Daybreaker, we hardly ever had anything to talk about," Celestia herself was getting tired, having gone through this more than once in the past.

"And that is, I expect, what Nightmare wants us to rectify."

"Your sister is only interested in her plan to go smoothly. I believe we are civilized enough to avoid allowing our past to cause problems in the present. Is there anything else?" Daybreaker sighed again and silently stood up and walked away back to the camp. Her gait gave away how dissatisfied she was with the arrangement.

The Midnight Communion

"Istir? What kind of name is that?" Nightmare Moon wondered aloud, giving the now silent circle a curious glance. "I've never heard it before," Twilight, standing next to her, gave Nightmare Moon a surprised stare.

"You haven't? I was certain you would know much more about her than I do, after all, your sister seemed to understand the moment she heard the name."

"I am quite sure I have not. You said you were trying to use her power but accidentally trapped yourself in the loop?"

"That is true, but aren't you interested in her more?"

"Twilight, there are very few other creatures I would be interested in more than you. And this... primordial creature, as you describe, is not one of them. At least she is so important that neither I nor Luna ever encountered or even heard about her in all our years."

"But if she woke up..."

"Why, but she did not. Those ignoramuses from my cult could not summon a familiar if they all combined their skill, let alone the source of all fire. Actually... this reminds me of someone," Nightmare Moon suddenly lost her line of thought. "My memory seems to be failing me recently, well, no matter."

"Then, what do we do now?" Twilight asked in the end.

"We chart a teleportation circle and then we go get Luna. Those zealots won't stop us even if they try. Sombra will meet us there and relay us the latest intel. We will only be absent for a few hours at most, my sisters will not even know we were gone at all. And they will be well treated while we are away."

"Does that also mean that you mean to return to Equestria at a future point?" Twilight asked hopefully.

"One day, perhaps. Frankly, I don't want to see that place again for now. I think I had quite enough of it."

"But what about the ponies?! Your Majesty, everyone needs you back! We need to restore the harmony, otherwise, even Windigos could return!"

"Twilight, Windigos are an old foa's tale. They were that way even in my fillyhood. Equestria wasn't founded after their defeat, the three tribes simply realized that they can achieve more by working together, rather than warring. A much better founding myth than some outside menace forcing us to unite, don't you think? That old story is almost insulting," Nightmare Moon suddenly looked past Twilight. "Spike!" The dragon, who was only sitting on a chair and keeping himself occupied by cleaning his claws, almost fell off.

"Y-yes?" he quickly jumped up.

"Spike, I took a brief look through the documentation provided by Queen Star Sky and outlined my suggestions in a letter, you may find it here, on the table. Please, take it to the Queen and tell her that there is also a more private matter I would like to bring to her attention. We intend to leave in the next few hours and it would be best if she could make a few minutes for me. As soon as you are done, fetch my sister, Princess Celestia, Mister Rich and Miss Tiny from the camp."

"...Okay," Spike was taken off guard by Nightmare Moon suddenly giving him an errand. He took the letter from the table and unsurely made his way out.

"Adorable, isn't he?" Nightmare Moon purred in his wake. "He's grown so large now, but he's still as timid as he always was."

"Well, dragons grow depending on the size of their hoard. Spike has a reasonable one in his room. He was against the idea initially, but I convinced him to get himself some gems and old coins that the treasury was taking out of circulation. It is unhealthy to repress one's natural process," Twilight explained. "So, now what?"

"Now we chart the circle. Say, do you still remember where our destination is, or should we wait for my sister?"

"No, it will be fine. I'll do it," Twilight pulled herself a piece of chalk and began to immediately draw the shape on the floor.

"In that case, I trust your judgement, Twilight. As of now, tell me, how come you are here of all places? I must admit, my sister and Shadow lacked detail in their description of the events."

Twilight gave off a heavy sigh,
"I failed," she stated. "After you were gone we had to decide on what to do. We gathered together and decided on who would do what, it looked like we could still salvage the situation back then. It quickly became clear that I should have chosen better."

"Experience is what counts in matters like statecraft," Nightmare Moon injected.

"Yes, I see that now. Far too late," Twilight grimly said.

"What happened next?"

"Not only did we fail to manage the state, but we also quarreled among each other," Twilight hopelessly continued. "AJ especially. She was trying to reanimate the dying agriculture and she just wouldn't let it go!" Twilight whined. "I kept telling her again and again that we couldn't spare a whole ten percent of our budget for agricultural subsidies, but AJ just couldn't get it. Additionally, both she and Rainbow kept arguing with Rarity, who was handling relations with the cabinet."

"Twilight," Nightmare Moon interrupted. "Do I understand correctly, you had a whole council for determining policies?"

"I... Yes," Twilight sighed. "It was too much to handle everything on my own, I couldn't do everything at the same time alone!"

"I understand, continue."

"Well, I ended up discharging AJ from the council, but it was too late. The rest of the officials in the Empire already felt where this was going. I was facing a tide of resignations on all levels. The worst was the cabinet, however. All of them stepped down except for Cloudy Dawn. I had to replace them, but I learned that I couldn't just appoint someone I knew well with a crumb of experience, so I took a risk."

"Flim and Flam brothers, I've heard."

"It was more than just them, but yes. At first, they did well enough as joined economy ministers, they even managed to earn profit for us by giving treasury loans. I breathed a little easier and focused on resolving other issues, soon after during the cabinet meeting they, together with the new Minister of War, presented me with an ultimatum that I had to pass the law to limit my own powers, or they will depose me. I... had to agree."

"Most unfortunate. Was my Guard or my Shadow not enough to protect you?"

"Physically, yes. But I couldn't simply arrest everyone involved, the dungeons aren't large enough. The streets were already starting to fill with angry mobs. Even Starlight, who didn't dare to do anything while you were there, started to spread her beliefs again. She was quickly gaining followers too."

"Who?" Nightmare Moon asked. "This... Starlight, I do not remember that name."

"Starlight Glimmer, Your Majesty. She was trying to take away everything that made everypony special. I told the Princesses about her and you later had her serve in your Guard." Even with Twilight's help, Nightmare Moon still failed to remember. She had to assume that this was another memory that she lost due to Sombra's tinkering. Too bad.

"Continue," Nightmare Moon said, while still trying to remember who this Glimmer was.

"Soon after things escalated with the street protests and your sister took it as a signal that it was time to leave. She took some of the most valuable treasures left in the Palace and left on a ship, Shadow followed her. I tried to speak to the crowd to appease them, but they were done hearing promises. The Guards were willing to use deadly force to protect me, but I forbid them. I simply gathered my things and left, I was no longer wanted. The Guards followed me here. The rest you are already aware of."
As Twilight took to silence, waiting for the judgement to be issued, a long moment of silence followed. She did not cower, but she had no gut to look up into the eyes of someone who she failed so terribly.

"You did well, Twilight. Especially considering how poorly prepared you were," Nightmare Moon said gently. "It takes decades to truly master the art of statecraft. It includes more than merely understanding the inner workings of a state. You also must know how the people you rule operate. Some skills you cannot study but only gain with experience. Throw guilt away, learn from your experiences and do better," Nightmare Moon did her best to soothe her former Princess, but she knew it would take time before Twilight would be free of her regrets. The door creaked.

"Lady Moon?" Sky Star peaked around the only remaining door.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am sorry for calling on you like this," Nightmare Moon quickly floated to the Queen, "but I must speak with you before we depart, this is important. I detailed some of my suggestions in the letter, I hope you will have the time to read it later, but there is a more important issue. Your Majesty, forgive me for being so direct, but are you considering marriage?" The question created an almost tangible area of silence in the room. Sky Star looked past Nightmare Moon at Twilight, who responded with the same stunned look that was on her own face. "Your Majesty, I again beg your forgiveness for asking such an improper question, but you absolutely should consider both marriage and an heir as quickly as possible. I understand that modern culture does not facilitate... practical marriages, but your realm itself is in grave danger. Without a husband and an heir, your house has no continuation if anything befalls yourself. I ask you to forgive me for prying into your private life, but I must insist that you start searching for candidates if you have not as of yet. Frankly, I am shocked that your mother did not make any arrangements for you."

"I'll... see what could be done..." Sky Star managed to stammer out.

"I recommend choosing among your nobility, but I understand that there might not be many options in your land. Marrying a lowborn is not unacceptable, but the crown's reputation will suffer as a result," Nightmare Moon continued. "I again apologize, but this is the matter of utmost importance, my own example illustrates as much. Now, we will depart. I will assist you more once we return. I am sure, Luna will be delighted to meet you again. Twilight, what is your progress?"

"I am done!" Twilight proudly said. "We can depart right now!"

"Hmm..." Nightmare Moon came to examine the circle, leaving a still exasperated Sky Star. "You are missing focusing rods, have you by any chance discovered an alternative?"

"I did!" Twilight beamed. "The focusing tools are still needed, but those don't necessarily need to be physical. I experimented with conjuration and discovered that Starswirl's Force Staff can do the same, saving the need to carry physical rods. Since we can create the staff in any image, we can even make one with suitable powdered material to serve as a battery!" Twilight excitedly explained. Nightmare Moon was glad to see the young alicorn happy again, but she only understood the minimum.

"Are you sure this is safe? Force Staff is a combat spell, it could do much harm when cast."

"Well, it is not exactly a dedicated combat spell. It is a weaponized telekinesis spell if we are to be completely precise," Twilight contradicted. "I simply charge an area so that it would attract and then summon crystals to put on top. No one will get hurt unless the attraction value is terribly miscalculated."

"Have you tested this?" Nightmare Moon was still unconvinced. "Will it even transfer charge from the focus to the circle?"

"Theoretically, there is no reason why it wouldn't, air is conductive after all."

"Let's test it later. Your innovation is, as always, commendable, but I would rather not utilize untested methods with regards to the risks involved."

"I understand," Twilight was no longer giddy. "I will fetch the rods," with that, Twilight went away again. Only then did Nightmare Moon remember that the Queen was still there. A sudden realization dawned in Nightmare's mind.

"I am sorry for leaving you out so uncourteously, Your Majesty. I was expecting you to have more duties for today," Nightmare Moon started to gently nudge the young Queen.

"My duties are rather few and far between compared to my mother's," Sky Star answered with a sigh. "I understand how unimpressive this must look to you. My people were always few, but the war with Storm King brought us down to merely a few dozen thousand. My cabinet rarely needs my consent due to my mother's constitution and my duties are mostly confined to general politics and formal occasions."

"Why this is rather fascinating, Your Majesty," Nightmare Moon was quick to contradict. "It sounds marvelous to have more time for your own agenda. I sometimes had to work for the entire cycle with no sleep and little rest. My duty to raise both the sun and the moon meant I had little time for anything else besides more work. I cherished my moments with others when I had them, no more than a few minutes. It was my dream to have a whole night to spend with my sisters. I am rather glad to be free now. I miss feeling my sister's soft fur but nothing in the world is ever free of charge, is it?"

"No, I suppose it is not," Sky Star reluctantly agreed. "May I ask a more personal question, Lady Moon?"

"I have precious few secrets left, Your Majesty. What troubles you?"

"Did you get what you wanted in the end? I mean, after you had the power you struggled so long for." The question gave Nightmare Moon a long pause. She was remorseful of her past actions, that was true. But she also learned much and perhaps some others benefited too.

"No," Nightmare Moon finally answered. "I have many regrets, most of them are much too late to atone for. I was very foolish to go down that path. Every night on the throne was miserable afterwards."

"Did you not enjoy your power? That seemed to be a trend along the ages," Sky Star asked again.

"Storm "King" was an idiot," Nightmare Moon said straightly and with disdain. "He was a warlord, not a king. To win a land is trivially easy with some time to prepare and when picking the correct moment. It is ruling your land that is hard. I had to make sure that my subjects were provided for, but also to make sure they were well protected while also being as free as they could be under circumstances. Even those who would not approve of me ruling them I had to care for because if I would not, that would mean that I only take care of the subjects loyal to me. That is no way for a monarch to behave. I wanted no groveling at my hooves for my favor, that is no sign of greatness. The true greatness is reserved for those that can rule so gracefully that none of your subjects can say they are forgotten, loyal or not. Even if they are outright hostile to me, they were still my subjects, withdrawing my favor from them would've meant failing in my task to protect them."

Nightmare Moon could see that her heartfelt speech was making an impression, Sky Star was staring at her with open wonder,
"How would you protect those who show you hostility?" she asked in bewilderment.

"In a way that they won't realize it, Your Majesty. A monarch has more tools than simple orders and decrees. If a group would raise their arms against me, I would divert them to fight an external enemy instead. This way they would spend their energy on defending themselves and their fellows from an actual threat, benefiting everyone. This exact scenario has played out once already, during my war with vile Queen Chrysalis. I trust you've met Rainbow Dash and Applejack? Well, they attempted to assassinate me inside my own palace, sadly I was unaware of their plot and was away at the moment, and could not stop them. They caused high casualties among my Guard, but were apprehended by Twilight herself. My High Judicator quickly petitioned me to allow him to put up a trial personally, but I instead allowed them to walk free. I arranged for them and their followers to be formed into an army unit and sent to fight the war instead. They were never violent since, even if my relations with both remained cold ever after. There are more ways to influence the realm than merely the strictly legal ones, Your Majesty."

"I see why your subjects always regarded you with such awe," Sky Star stated. "Your deception and manipulation skills are legendary even here. My mother even issued special requirements for recon teams sent to investigate your doings. She picked the ones who hated Storm King and drew a parallel between you and him."

"Her attempt was logical, but it ultimately would've not produced results," Nightmare Moon responded with a little chuckle. "In fact, I am surprised to learn that someone, as experienced as your mother, would misunderstand me so much. I did not 'brainwash' my followers to do as I will. I presented them with the set of variables that lead them to the required conclusion. Living creatures almost never have exactly the same lines of thinking, but they generally come to the same conclusion as the majority of others, with exceptions, of course. I adapt my tactics to the individuals and as such, it wouldn't have mattered what it was your mother's servants thought of me. If I wanted them to, they would have done exactly as I willed them to. They were largely beneath my notice, however, and I allowed them to gather all the intelligence they could."

"Is this why your life was so busy?" Sky Star asked. "I can't imagine all this planning was quick."

"Indeed," Nightmare Moon agreed, sinking slightly at the memory. "This is why I do it no more as it is not required. I grew averse to deceiving those I adore on a nightly basis."

"I see. I thank you for sharing your insight with me, Lady Moon," Sky Star dryly answered. "I need time to process your advice."

"Certainly, Your Majesty. Take all the time you require. Remember: this is your realm, I merely offer my experience for you to take advantage of. My sisters, Princess Celestia, Twilight and my retainers will be here soon."

Sometime later, after everyone Nightmare Moon called for had arrived, the time came for them all to depart. Twilight calmly opened the gate and the group silently ventured through, Nightmare Moon, Daybreaker and Twilight taking the lead, and Celestia coming in last. Spike was also allowed to come, which caused him to excitedly grin and enthusiastically follow them into the shimmering gate.
The outside opened them to the shimmering starry sky and a view from a mountainside. Despite the elevation, the nightly darkness did not allow most of them to see too much. Filth Rich reached into his bags and started to pull out a heavy, oil lantern.

"No," Nightmare Moon sharply told him off. "Light will immediately let them know we are here and I would prefer to not hurt anyone."

"Not the one to usually complain, Ma'am, but how are we supposed to find our way if we can't see where we a trotting?" Rich contradicted, quite unusually.

"Sister, would you help those of us who cannot see in the dark?" Daybreaker then systematically went to each one of them only sparing Shadow, and casting a spell on each. Rich blinked a few times, he could see now, but everything was grey.

"Why at night?" Tiny asked with a yawn.

"Luna cannot walk in broad daylight, little sister. You will understand soon. Now, Twilight. How far are we?"

"The usual disparity is around a kilometer. It is due to micro-inequalities of the charge," Twilight explained.

"Very well, I suppose we could afford a short hike. Sombra will meet us when we are on approach," Nightmare Moon took a moment to think. "Sister, Twilight, Celestia. While the thestrals are unlikely to resist us with deadly force, we must not lose our vigilance. Prepare to defend at the first signs of danger."

"Understood," Daybreaker answered with grim determination. Lastly, Nightmare Moon approached the youngest member of their group.

"Sister," she lowered herself to her eye level, one of the advantages of her position. "This is your first time in an uncertain environment. Do you remember how I told you to act?"

"To stay close to Mister Rich and do everything other ponies tell me to," Tiny obediently answered.

"What should you do if you feel in danger?"

"To find a safe hiding spot."

"Good. Defend yourself only if you are cornered and do not hurt anyone you don't have to. Remember that the more harm you do to other creatures, the more of them would wish to harm you." Nightmare Moon gave Mister Rich a short stare, to make sure he understands why he was brought along. Then, she went back to the fore of their formation, leaving the aft to Celestia again.

The hike up the mountain was not even noticeable for the three alicorns, but the rest of the group was becoming more and more winded as the top approached. Shadow tolerated the extortion, but Spike, Tiny and especially Filthy Rich were all breathing heavily when they finally reached the top. It was less steep than the mountainside they just climbed, but not exactly flat either. It had a road leading to an ominous, large building, surrounded by patches of mountain snow and several yews, that somehow managed to cling to the rocky surface of the mountain's scalp. The road was ridden with sandbag walls, tank traps, razorwire and ditches dug on the sides. The entrance to the temple itself was fortified with earthworks and yet more sandbags. Nightmare Moon produced a heavy sigh, her old flock never abandoned its ways. There were no patrols and sentries visible, it might have been that they simply did not disassemble their fortifications.

"Twilight," Nightmare Moon sharply called.

"Here, Your Majesty," Twilight responded, forgetting yet again that she was not supposed to use the old title anymore.

"What was the situation with the thestrals when you were in office?"

"They were having a schism and generally hemorrhaging cult members. They seemed to have reformed since, they now accepted all creatures, not only thestrals. I've heard other tribes and even griffons joining up. They tried to preach to hippogriffs too, but without success. Queen Sky Star was quick to ask about them and outlawed them when I told her what they were. They couldn't set their hooves on Aris since."

"Well, it seems like they have not become less militant since my time. At the very least we know how they operate. They are harmless enough if they threaten us - simply disarm them. Do not kill them if you can. They are foolish, but they are violent due to fear. We would do good to not contribute. Watch for ambushes."

"There are no ambushes waiting for you here," Sombra's tired voice came flying only moments before its owner. "It is a worship night. All of them, save for the few temple guards, are holding a service now. They expect no complications at this time, especially coming from you. You can quite literally walk inside and head straight for the central chamber, Luna will be there, together with the new High Priestess."

"Did they have another one so soon?" Nightmare Moon asked. "The previous one... that maid, seemed capable enough."

"She wasn't to Luna's taste," Sombra loudly snorted at his own unintended joke. "Luna found her far too timid and appointed another instead. I imagine she would be the only one left in the little cult to still be loyal to you."

"Did you just say she was too timid?" Nightmare Moon reiterated. It raised a red flag with her, she knew her named sister well and anyone's relative timidness would be a cause to relate for her, rather than to repulse her...

"This is why you are here... with Celestia. You shall see. Time's wasting, let us move in. Your... vassal is getting impatient," Sombra nodded his disembodied face towards Celestia. She was indeed starting to pace.

"Celestia, calm yourself, your dear sister is okay. You will see her in just a moment, we only need to get a few rusty old monks out of the way. No need to hurt anyone. It will be just a moment and then you'll have Luna back with you, do you see?" She took a moment to soothe the Princess. And it seemed to work, to a degree.

"Just a moment more," Celestia nodded, taking a shallow breath.

Nightmare Moon worried for her, it brought back old doubts. Back when she was still living, she was hesitant to ask Sombra for separating her sister and Celestia. Her... indecisiveness was due to Daybreaker, now, past the initial shock, she was mostly calm about Celestia being around her again, but before Daybreaker was terrified of the idea. For a while she didn't have Luna with her either, so making Celestia go on would've only brought her more pain. It served to benefit no one.

Having ensured that Celestia would be okay, Nightmare Moon led her company to the main entrance. There were two temple guards. Their night sight was unrivaled, but they didn't even know they were under attack, Daybreaker put them to sleep. Sombra took over the lead when inside. He lead them swiftly, warning them of any patrolling sentries. Nightmare Moon spent the fleeting moments examining the walls around her. The temple was old. Much older than her own palace, or even Celestia's old castle, and it made her feel a tinge of jealousy. She wanted her palace to be like this, to be built out of natural stone, masoned by workers, as they did in old times. She was told on many occasions that she was too old-fashioned, but it wasn't her fault that they used to build better in her age! It wasn't just the work quality and expensive materials that made a building. It was how it was built that counted most in her books. Machine-carved stone could never compare to the manually shaped. Once upon a time, she wished to rebuild the Castle in the forest and live there instead, but now she understood how much of a sacrilege it would've been. Machined stone would've taken all the value of the master masons' work that was put into it.

"Here," Sombra stopped before the set of twin doors. "Most of them should be inside, so will be Luna and the High Priestess. If you have any plans now is the time to voice them. Beware: Luna will not stand still and watch you attacking her people, she will come at you and no amount of talking will work on her."

"Luna will not attack us, Sombra. While you were building your quaint ice toys in the frozen north, we were caring for her," Nightmare Moon jabbed at the offensive comment.

"I am afraid she does not remember you," Sombra calmly explained, unaffected by the stab. "Since you were gone, Luna began to change. I... knew that soothing her was beyond my ability and tried to have her come back. That only led to her starting to reject me too. I gave her what she asked for, I left her alone. Eventually, your former worshipers stumbled upon her. They were leaving your city to return back to their mountain holds and seeing her, or you, as they believed, caused them to rally again. Luna herself has spent months simply sitting with no motion. I brought her the occasional animal but she no longer talked. I don't think she still recognized me. They managed to get her to talk to them, however. They were distraught with her seemingly having no knowledge of who they are or even who she was. From what I could gather, Luna had simply forgotten or blocked off her memory. She was seemingly coming back from her inner space, so I allowed them to continue. As concerning as our situation was, this cult seemingly offered to improve it. They kept speaking to her, telling her about you mostly, and Luna took to it. She believes she is you, except in a way that the Ivory Crescent describes you," Sombra then simply stopped and Nightmare Moon was grateful for that. The perspective of having to fight Luna was much to take in. She gave Celestia a look and Celestia stared back, that look said everything better than the words would've had.

"Sister, prepare your sunlight spells. The rest of you, do what you can to deal with any opposition, but do not harm anyone you do not have to. Remember, we have the advantage of overwhelming force and the element of surprise."

"We will do what you order, Nightmare," Daybreaker eagerly agreed.

"Must we really fight? Can't you just talk to them like you always do?" Twilight purpose.

"There are times when there is nothing to talk about, Twilight. You have nothing to say and the others have nothing to say to you. More importantly, you have nothing to offer. I have nothing to offer. I must take away their goddess, Twilight. There is no amount of pleading that would compel them and even trying would only give them time to organize better and possibly arm themselves, forcing us to hurt them more than we have to. But you need not to fight if you don't wish to, I will not compel you."

"I will, it's just that I wish there was any other way. Well, enough, let's do it. Stars crash down on me if I won't stand with my friends."

"Thank you, Twilight. It means a lot that you still retain your loyalty after so many years," Nightmare Moon sentiment was genuine too. How lucky did she get in life, it is an honor to lead such individuals.

"If you are finished giving praises to your servants, we do not have all night," Sombra hurried.

"Yes, I suppose we don't. Sister, breach the door and rush inside. We must clear the doorway as quickly as possible to avoid bottlenecking ourselves. Go straight for Luna and do what you must to make her yield. Twilight will deal with the rest of them. Shadow, Spike, don't let either my sister or Twilight be distracted from their spellcasting, we do not have the numbers to overwhelm them otherwise," Nightmare Moon finished her briefing with a momentary silence for any questions that may arise.

"What about us, Lady?" Mister Rich spoke his concern, he was making it clear in his voice that being in the middle of an operation like this was putting him out of his element. Well, too bad, Nightmare Moon decided to not allow her sister any more opportunities to cause pressing problems and needed someone to watch her while she is occupied.

"Stay close to Princess Celestia, she will protect you," Nightmare Moon responded. She was not entirely sure if Celestia would care or be in the position to do so once they are inside, but as long as they stay out of trouble they shouldn't need her to. "Begin."

As the order was given, Daybreaker blasted the door with a concentrated wave of energy, sending its splinters inside. Daybreaker then rushed inside, as ordered, already preparing to give a bad case of sun strike to everyone foolish enough to stand in her way. Shadow reacted second, her training made certain she knew exactly what to do in a breach and clear situation. Twilight moved next, determined to demonstrate her conviction. Lastly, with a second of delay, Spike followed.

The hall was immediately alight with energy blasts and cries, first of surprise and then in pain. Ponies and other creatures jumped up only to be thrown back on the floor by a spell or a hard buck. On the far side of the hall was Luna, a look of bewilderment on her face that was quickly swept away by a grimace of pain as Daybreaker remorselessly burned her with a ray of her sun, pleasant and warming to all but a few creatures and deadly to the rest. Beside Luna stood a unicorn in a purple mantle, she was somehow familiar. She was light pink and her mane purple with streaks of teal.

"Starlight Glimmer," Tiny calmly said, barely loud enough to cut through the sound of battle. Nightmare Moon gave her a cautious glance. Starlight, managing to go through the initial shock without being made to yield, attempted to fight back, she cast an impressive fire arrow at Daybreaker. It would have even worked if she wasn't so horribly outmatched. Daybreaker effortlessly deflected the spell back at Starlight without even looking, forcing her to urgently shield herself. Her half-baked barrier couldn't withstand her own spell ending the short duel with a hard smack into the nearest wall.

Twilight, and her more physical helpers, did similarly well, over two dozens of cultists lying with no movement around the hall. It was over before any of them knew who was attacking them. Now, to the goal of this distasteful violence.

Luna was being repeatedly blinded and chased by Daybreaker's luminance until she was in the corner with nowhere to run. Daybreaker not even moving a brow at her wails of pain, unlike Nightmare Moon herself.

"Stop," Nightmare Moon ordered, drawing nearer, Daybreaker immediately obeyed. Nightmare Moon took a moment to observe. Luna was breathing heavily, light smoke coming off her still, pushing herself into the corner, away from the burning light.
Nightmare Moon didn't know what to say, somehow it never occurred to her to think about any certain words she would say. Perhaps she was too used to not needing to talk with Luna, she usually never needed to talk to be understood by her.

"Luna!" Celestia did not share her feelings. "Oh, Luna, I missed you so much!" Celestia rushed past everyone, dropping pearly tears in her wake. Celestia embraced Luna, continuing to cry in her sister's neck.
Daybreaker looked to Nightmare Moon for instructions.

"We must go," Nightmare Moon made an effort to focus on the task at hand, quickly formulating new orders. "Twilight, quickly, chart your circle. We must be gone before anyone comes to see about the racket."

Twilight was in a slight shock from what she just did, but a direct order was enough to restart her muscle memory.

"Nightmare, what to do with them?" Daybreaker asked aloud.

"Keep your eyes on them, we will be out of here soon."

"You... are trying... to kidnap me?" Luna said, her breathing still not completely restored. "How... dare... you. I will... tear... you... limb from limb!" Luna weakly pushed at Celestia, causing her nonetheless to stumble back as if she weighed nothing.

Daybreaker furrowed her brows and ignited her horn again,
"No! No more!" Celestia got in between Daybreaker and Luna. "I'll talk to her, there's no need for that!"

"Luna, this is your sister, Celestia, don't you recognize her?" Nightmare Moon carefully nudged, hoping to prevent the situation from escalating.

"She is no sister to me!" Luna gnashed, baring her fangs. "She banished me to the moon for a thousand years, she sent her lackeys after me and forced me to do her bidding on the threat of banishing me again!" she went on. "Once I am finished with her, that little time she spent on the moon will seem pleasing to her!"

Daybreaker shot Celestia a tired stare, prompting her to act. Celestia hastily turned around to face her sister,
"Luna, we came to take you home," Celestia stated. Daybreaker immediately sighed and lowered her gaze, Nightmare Moon had to agree. Perhaps bringing her wasn't a wise choice at all. She evidently still wasn't realizing the depth of their predicament.
"This terrible place is not fit for you, you belong with those who love you, dear sister. We will repair everything, it will all be normal again."

"This is my normal now, sister. Let me show you," Luna closed the distance to Celestia faster than she could blink.

Old Friends Meeting

"It's her! I am telling you! I saw her myself in the camp!" Blackhoof slammed his hoof on the round table in the police break room, rattling the glasses and making coins jiggle.

"Didn't you just say that you also saw two Celestias?" another stallion with a white dot on his nose answered. "Come on, it's not like this is the first time you refreshed on duty."

"He-heh!" the third stallion at the table giggled. "Three kings," he said in a contrastingly calm voice, putting down three cards on the table.

"No, I swear I saw her, she was like a black cloud of smoke with two glowing, slitted eyes! I would recognize those eyes anywhere! And there really were two Celestias talking!" Blackhoof persisted. "I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's exactly like it was! The first Celestia came to the camp, she was like we remember her, and went to a tent. Then Her Majesty showed up, talking with the second Celestia, who looked like she didn't care about anything around her. Her Majesty then went to the tent and after a while, the first Celestia came out of the tent and called the second Celestia to talk in a corner." The two other stallions waited for him to finish.

"Four aces," the one with the white dot said and put four cards down.

"Hey! You cheat!" the Third stallion yelled.

"What do you mean 'cheat'? I got cards, don't I? If I cheated, I would have waited until I had done rid of all other cards. I got no more pairs," the one with the White Nose defended.

"Hey, would you drop your stupid game and listen?" Blackhoof tried to get their attention anymore.

"Blackhoof, honestly, we are too old for that crap. If you really seeing double, go have a nice sleep. You might've had one too much," White Nose shot him back.

"Yeah, take a hike," the Third stallion leapt to support, putting two more cards down.

"Taking," White Nose grabbed both.

"Got no more," the Third said.

"Oh, damn. Well, you got done and dusted then," Whine Nose smiled, laying out the rest of his cards. Three valets and the two tens he just took.

"You cheat!" the Third sharply stood up from the table.

"Prove it or didn't happen," White Nose didn't sound impressed in the slightest.

"Oh, I am going to prove it alright..." the Third started brushing through the cards on the table, counting aces and valets.

"Oh, for old captain's scruffy balls!" Blackhoof cursed. "I am telling you, I know what I saw! I'll prove it to you! Get off your bums and get down to their camp, let's ask if they saw anyone like that!"

"You think we got nothing better to do?" White Nose lazily reclined back in his chair.

"Look, let's have it like this. You come with me and if I am wrong I'll give you both what you just lost to him," he nodded to the Third.

"I didn't lose, he cheated!"

"Whatever, figure that out later. So, we got a deal?"

"Well, I could use twice his money..." White Nose mused. "Throw your mane paint on top of it and I am game."

"Hey, brazen much today?"

"Hey, you said you saw them, didn't you? You got nothing to be afraid of."

"Aghhrrr... Fine!" Blackhoof pushed himself away from the table and went to the door. "See you, two morons, outside."

Blackhoof stormed out and stomped down the stairs, the entrance into the tiny building was directly in front of the stairs, but he made a turn to the left instead.

"Hey, Cloud Wave," Blackohoof hailed the hippogriff standing at the reception. "You saw Terramar today?"

"Not yet. Why, you want to try with his sister again?" Cloud Wave grinned at him.

"What? No! I told you, it wasn't like that! Anyway, I need you to tell Terramar that the three of us got called to the internment camp."

"Weren't you posted there with Clubhoof yesterday?"

"Well, yeah, but I need to go back there, it's important."

"We have someone there today already, and you know that we don't do posts more than two at a time. Come on, I know you. You three just want to lay-off."

"I swear, nothing like that! Goodness, why does everyone think that? I never slacked off on duty."

"Really now?"

"Well, no. I didn't, honest," Blackhoof shook his head.

"And about that time when you disappeared for a whole day when that mare... what was her name again?"

"Her name was Rarity, and it wasn't like that! I and Rarity go way back, she was Nightmare Moon's advisor when I was still a guard in her palace. She just wanted to talk to someone about her problems, she's like that, can't just soldier on alone."

"If you say so. My point is that this isn't the first time and you don't get to talk about how you never do it."

"Well, we are supposed to serve the citizens and guard their wellbeing, right? Well, I did just that. I helped somepony, I didn't just sit down with those two morons for a game."

The sound of a door slamming above was heard, followed by the heavy steps on the stairs,
"Hey, weren't you supposed to wait for us outside? Come on, I want my money already." Cloud Wave gave Blackhoof an accusatory look.

"Look, just tell Terramar we are on duty, I promise I'll explain later, and I owe you," Blackhoof quickened outside, following the other two police ponies.

"Move it, move it, Blackhoof, I want my money!" White Nose ribbed on him. He valiantly endured it, and more to come, for he knew that they were going to shut up really soon and then it would be his time to crack hilarious jokes. They went down the familiar streets, the morning sun was not yet looking down between houses and the air was still pleasantly cool. Blackhoof's two compatriots mercifully shut up, allowing him to think about what he was about to do. He knew that he was right, or he thought that he knew at the very least, but what he was going to say?
'I am sorry, have you seen Princess Celestia splitting in two and both of them having a talk?' He wasn't keen on losing his money. Although, if something like that happened back at the palace, no one would've been overly surprised. Unexplainable things were happening almost daily and any attempt to dig into a newly risen mystery was met with heavy dissuasion. One night the Empress orders them to be on high alert in every area except for one, next night she lowers the alert level to normal. No one saw or heard anything, or even understood what was going on.
Princess Celestia being her bitter enemy in the morning and her sister again in the evening. Changelings being the official enemy, but later it turned out that one of them was living with the rest of them directly inside the palace, being Empress' dearest friend. The palace staff and the Guard very quickly gave up trying to make any sense of regularly occurring inexplicable events and simply stopped trying. The Empress seemed to appreciate their trust, judging by how much affection she was displaying to them.
To hear of her death inside her own palace was a crushing blow to everyone, what kind of Guards would fail to stop assassins from entering the home of their Lady when the entire city was watching? Although the morale was at an all-time low they still stuck together. Even if disgraced, they still had their duties. Princess Twilight did not disown them and they followed her, the only thing they could do.

"So, that's the place?" the Third asked, staring down the walls of the prison camp. "Never knew why they wouldn't just build a proper prison. They got the walls anyway."

"I thought you saw how these work, you used to guard camps like these," White Nose stated.

"Well, yes. But it's not like anyone bothered building concrete walls around it! Look at it!"

"Who cares? Maybe they just like it that they can just dump a bunch of prisoners there and let them figure it out from there."

The lonely board guard on the gate gave them no mind, spare Blackhoof the necessity to explain what they were doing out there. In the morning the camp was less active than it was the day before, making it easier to spot specific personalities around. It looked like everyone was just waking up.

"So, where's your twin Celestia at?" White Nose asked.

"That there is her... their tent," Blackhoof pointed at the largest tent in the camp.

"So, you wanna just get in and see? You know what, you go there. We'll see if she's there or not alright from here," White Nose said, the Third gave a chuckle.

"Yeah, really funny. Let's go find whoever is posted here today, they'll know where she is."

One of the force members stationed at the camp, as luck would have it, was one of the few police ponies that weren't in the Imperial Guard, at least not himself, everyone in the Guard knew who his father was - the only member of the unit ever to be discharged due to combat injuries. Formally, it was an honor to suffer injuries in the line of duty, but to Silver Shine's father, it always was a shame. Everyone was in the same situation in the field, but he was the only one who got himself hurt bad enough to be of no more use to his Lady. The times of knighthood were long over, but the Canterlot Royal Guard was as ancient as it was traditional. There never was any official code of conduct in this regard, everypony was simply immersed in the culture and learned from the elders. The age of knighthood may have been over, but the spirit survived, as eternal as their Lady was. There was something deeply romantic about knights willing to defend their Lady's honor with their lives, but to be rendered unfit to serve her any longer was a great shame indeed.

Silver Shine was never an official part of the troop, but he sure was one of them. He was a courier at the Palace when he was but a colt, likely due to his father's reputation. Everyone loved Morning's kid, from the maids to the courtiers. All the signs of a bright future were there. Blackhoof even heard some of the younger, and sillier, maids chatting about the Empress grooming herself a husband, but everyone who ever seen her hold a court knew how silly the idea was. She was way above all of them.

"Hey, Silver!" Blackhoof yelled, trying to get an answer. "Got instructions for your beat!" Silver had a way of just appearing out of nowhere directly in front of him and this time was no different, soon enough Silver was standing in front of him without Blackhoof knowing how he got there.

"Ready to report, sir!" he stamped out. He already got over his forties and never lost his fascination with military fleur. Probably because he never was an actual soldier. Nevertheless, there he stood, giving Blackhoof a salute in military fashion, trying to look as tough as his ludicrously crisp uniform would let him.

"You alone here?" Blackhoof asked.

"With Corporal Sandline, sir. He went for a latrine break."

"Perfect. Sergeant, would you tell us something about your shift?"

"It's quiet, sir. Folks here are friendly. I can't tell why we are keeping them here, frankly."

"Ahh... yeah. Look, did you see who lives in that tent over there?"

"Negative, sir."

"What, not one glance?" Blackhoof asked, internally cursing. He might be losing his money after all...

"No, sir. That tent has been empty since Corporal and I got here."

"Well, maybe someone told you?"

"No, sir. I never knew we were searching for someone."

"Well-well-well. Looks like someone owes me money," White Nose grinned.

"And mane paint," the Third added.

"Hey, quiet, you two!" Blackhoof gnashed back at them. "Okay, Sergeant, do you know who's responsible for the camp? They need to have a leader."

"There's a stallion that lives in a wagon, sir. Others seem to come to him to consult, but I don't know anything else."

"Is it that wagon over there?" Blackhoof pointed at the largest.

"Yes, s-"

"Carry on, Sergeant," Blackhoof sharply turned away and began moving in that direction.

"Wait, what about the orders?" Silver tried to ask him, but Blackhoof wasn't interested in him anymore.

Blackhoof determinedly strolled to the large, roofed wagon. Suddenly, a loud clutter pierced the air, followed by a loud shatter,
"You little shit," the voice was heard from inside.

"Wait, I know that voice!" White Nose suddenly cried. "Hey, you Filthy bastard, get your ass over here!" Such vulgarity could only mean one of two things. Either White Nose really knew this stallion they were about to meet or he was an idiot and just got them in trouble for no good reason, which was more likely.

"Get lost!" the answer came, completely in tune with the request.

"That's no way of receiving friends, Filthy! Get over here already!" White Nose did not sound dismayed at all.

"Wait, you said 'Filthy'? As in 'Filthy Rich'?" Blackhoof asked over his shoulder, and indeed the very same Filthy Rich stuck his head from the back of the wagon. White Nose brightly smiled, trotting closer.

"There you are, you old ass!" he said. "The world is a small place." In response, Filthy Rich hit himself on the forehead and groaned.

"Of course, where else could you be..." he moaned. "The hay do you want? I got a really big spill to clean before the whole place smells of... of whatever those jars smell of."

"The hay do you mean: 'The hay do you want'?! It's been years, Filthy. We wanted to see how you, folks, been doin'."

"Ain't none of your business. Get lost!" Blackhoof didn't remember the Minister much, he just let him in and out of the Palace gates, but he was pretty sure that he used to have better manners.

"Come on, you old bastard, for the sake of the old times, let's go out, have a few beers, share stories, just like we did those years before. All this time, you gotta have some to tell."

"Sweet Celestia, don't you, three, ever grow up? I am going to hit my eighties soon and here you are, behaving like twenty-year-old colts still! Don't you have something better to do, like playing with your grandchildren?"

"Oh, who's talking! You went off on a merry tour while your pretty lady and girl were sitting back home!"

"That's not how-"

"Yeah, like hay it isn't! I know that you wanted out of there and if you cared for them you wouldn't have gone! Don't tell me you finally got too old to have fun. There are potions for that, you know."

Filthy took a deep breath to calm himself,
"Look, what do you want? I got a job to do, I am not just sitting here cause it's cozy."

"Yeah, about that. Filthy, sorry," Blackhoof intruded before White could go on another lap. "I was stationed here yesterday and I saw... well, I saw something. We need you to verify it."

"It's the Princesses, right?" Filthy sighed. "I swear, if they are going to keep having bickering matches on the streets, soon the whole world will be following us around. First, it was this lot," Filthy waved his hoof around, "now you three."

"Wait, so Blackhoof didn't just drink one too many?" the Third suddenly remembered how to talk. "There's really two of them?"

"Two? Oh no, there aren't just two of them. There's FOUR of them!"

"Four?!" all three of his listeners asked in unison.

"Yes, four, give or take! We just keep getting more and more pon... creatures aboard! I long since stopped trying to understand what's going on or what these folks really are. Well, at least these folks can look after themselves most of the time."

"Wait, the hay are you even talking about? What's happening with you?"

"Hay if I know. I just met a little foal on the road a few months back, I had a lovely little traveling shop and she told me she wanted to go to see her sister. Here we are, with her whole damn family! Or something like that, I honestly don't get how any of them are related."

"Can you start from the beginning?" Blackhoof suggested.

"So, again, me am having the shop, and all fine and dandy. I am going around, making a living. Then suddenly, as I was going through my usual route, I see a foal, staring at me from across the street. I never knew anyone had foals that year and he didn't seem to have come with anyone. So I wait, to see if maybe someone's was going to pick him up, but it starts getting later in the day and nopony comes. Everyone's already gone, doing their business again, so I decide to ask him what he's up to. Oh, if only I knew just the kind of mess I was getting into..."

"What, was he the son of some nomad king or something?" Blackhoof asked.

"Well, no. It turned out that the foal was actually a filly, well, from her own words and that she was an orphan. She couldn't read and barely knew how to speak. Said she never had anyone looking after her. I ended up showing her a map to show me where she was from, but I quickly realized that she never even saw a map before. I ended up mentioning where I was from and telling her about how things used to be at our place, well, before everything happened."

"You always had a penchant for nostalgia," White chuckled.

"Yeah, laugh it up. I'll see how you feel when you've been walking roads for forty old years. So I told her about Princess Celestia and how things went for her, and she immediately perked up to that. She told me that Celestia was her sister. I thought she was pulling one on me, but I went along anyway. That's when she told me that she wasn't actually a foal, but some kind of alter-ego type of a thing. Like when psychiatrists give lectures on several personalities living inside one person."

"So... she was insane?"

"Honestly, I don't know at this point. The whole story sure sounded insane alright. Never heard anything less probable in my life. So, I mentioned that I saw Celestia going south along the coast on a ship, I happened to be on the same one during my way out, and she asked me to let her copy my map. I was still not sure if she was playing with me, but she sure was very serious about actually going to look for her. Just leaving her there alone didn't feel right, so I went with her, I needed to go that way at some point anyway. Can only go so long without new goods to sell. I thought that maybe I could get her to throw this crap out of her head, but the longer she was around, the less improbable it all was. She looked like, eight, maybe ten years old, but she could cut solid rock with her magic, ignite fire and do other things that not every adult unicorn knows how to do. She also was hellbent on getting her way, not in a way that foals can be, she was single-minded to a fault, anything that didn't get her to her goal was not worth her time. It was mildly terrifying, actually, to watch her roll over everyone standing between her and her goal."

"So, you found Celestia in the end, right?"

"Well, yeah, we did. I still expected her to just send us on our way and she did, kind of... kind of. Here's the thing, Celestia recognized her as her sister."

"What, really?"

"Yes, really. I was sitting there and hearing her talk about how she has someone like that coming to her every once in a while and some other stuff, and realizing that I officially didn't understand squat about anything we were doing anymore. So she sent us out again, Tiny was in despair, and then this Changeling comes chasing us."

"A Changeling?!" the three of them cried again.

"Where did that part come from? You picked up a Changeling on the way?"

"No, not me. Look, I don't get it myself. You remember this weird Changeling that suddenly appeared in the Palace at one point?"

"The one with the broken horn? Yeah, that was confusing. I thought Changelings were supposed to be our enemies and here Her Majesty suddenly walks around with one and treating her like they knew each other for years, and the Changeling jumps at her every word."

"Yeah, that one. Well, turns out that she was with Celestia the whole time. So, she follows us down the mountain, carries a spellbook and gives it to Tiny, and says to cast the spell from a certain page. Then goes back again. And she did."

"So, the Changeling just gives you a random spellbook and asks you to cast a spell and you just go through with it?"

"Well, it wasn't like I could stop her if I tried. You didn't see what she can do with that horn of hers, I did."

"Well, okay. What happened next."

"So, one night I just go to sleep and then suddenly I hear Her Majesty's voice calling to me."

"No shit!"

"Yeah, I know. And guess what, it wasn't a dream. I sat up and there she was, with those piercing glowing eyes of hers staring at me. I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Imagine your dead granny suddenly appearing in the-"

"You mean Her Majesty is alive?!" Blackhoof cried. "You knew that from the start and you couldn't say it?!"

"Look, I don't know what she is. Or is it really she, or her personality brought to life, or some other existential thing, but there she was. She asked me about what happened and I told her how everything fell apart. I thought she was going to punish me, or at least chew me up for running away like that, but she didn't say or do anything like that. Instead, we merrily went back on the mountain. Sure enough, the Changeling is standing at the top, waiting for us. Turned out it was trivially easy to have her back with us, it's just that Daybreaker and the rest of the court were against the idea. Her Majesty was obviously a little dissatisfied to learn that, but she wasn't mad at Daybreaker though."

"Wait, who the hay is Daybreaker?"

Rich proceeded to hit himself on the forehead,
"Right, you don't know yet. If you think the part of the story about the foal was improbable, wait till you hear this one. So, remember I was telling you about the personality split thing? Well, Princess Celestia and Luna had those too. Her Majesty isn't actually Princess Luna, but kind of like her... well, she isn't another... you know what, I am not even going to try to explain. So basically Princess Luna and Majesty are separate ponies, well, sort of. They kind of look really similar, I think Her Majesty wanted to be more distinct so she changed her coat color, size, mane and other stuff, well Daybreaker and Celestia look exactly the same."

"So you mean there always were four of them?" Blackhoof asked, he was quickly getting done with trying to rationalize what he was hearing. He knew for a fact that there were two Celestias, so Rich's explanation wasn't totally unbelievable.

"Well, like I said, kind of. The way they explained it to me is that it's like having someone else living with you in your head, you can talk to each other and stuff, and that other person in your head is just in for a ride, you are still the boss, well for a while. That other person in your head kind of wants to go around and do their own stuff, but they need a body and yours is the only one around."

"So they want to steal your body?"

"Well... yeah. No good way of putting it, I guess."

"Well, here's one thing I didn't know I wouldn't want to know."

"If it makes it any better, they don't really like doing it. It's just that it's either that or never getting to live. It's kinda sad, really. So, normally, when that other person takes over, they put you to sleep, or something like that. They go around and you don't have to be in their position, or get in their way. This is what happened to all these folks around and that's why they all say they are relatives. They never really get rid of you, though. So, apparently, there's some magical stuff that can clone your body and have you both get one. That's how we got four Princesses now."

"Okay, this is officially the wildest bullcrap I ever heard in my life! And that's saying something," White Nose giggled. "So, to recap, while we were guarding the Palace every day and night there was an extra set of Princesses roaming around and no one ever saw them?"

"Well, there was Luna. The Daybreaker and Celestia thing is a recent development. For Luna though, I got no idea where she was all this time, honestly. But I swear, I saw her myself, she really is a separate pony entirely."

"What about Her Majesty? Is she here?"

"Well, not right here. She is with Twilight in her mountain bunker. Claustrophobic that place of hers, doesn't she go out from time to time?"

"Well, she always was a bit of a couch potato. She preferred sitting around in the archive even when she lived in the Palace."

"I guess, but it's not like she was on her lonesome in there. In Ponyville she had... well, everyone. And in the archives, she had the archivists. Her territory wars with them were legendary!" Rich smiled.

"Oh, you don't know half of it. She was territorial alright, the poor eggheads ended up sharing space with administration clerks because Twilight wouldn't let them into their own archive. Some went as far as to sneak in during the day when she was sleeping."

"Okay, so back to the story. We went back to the mountain, picked up the changeling and then went straight to Daybreaker. Nightmare Moon wasn't mad, like at all. There were no screams, no insults flying. She was genuinely glad to see her sister, that's all. Daybreaker herself didn't believe it at first."

"Why, was she afraid that Her Majesty is mad at her because of what happened to the Empire?"

"Well... no. Prepare for another discovery, Daybreaker was the one who killed her."

"Well, I guess no one really believed that the Changeling did it," Blackhoof shrugged. "No one who ever saw her in action believed it for one second."

"No one who didn't see believed it either. Honestly, it looked like with her gone there wasn't anyone left in the Palace who knew how to lie. That changeling was the most obvious scapegoat ever, her not even trying to defend herself made it even worse. So, me and Tiny, and the Changeling look at them figuring out their relationship. I don't get one thing of what they were talking about, Tiny doesn't either. Eventually, they get enough of each other and Daybreaker takes us into her house, it turns out she had a whole room to store Her Majesty's old things. Her Majesty showed us around and even gave Tiny her old helmet. I never knew she could be so lovely. The difference between the Empress Nightmare Moon and just Nightmare Moon is a world."

"Yeah, she is much nicer when she isn't ordering anyone around. Great times those were, we even made her a surprise party once."

"Really? Did she like it?"

"She loved it! We had an orchestra, snacks and ball dancing! It's a shame we didn't have more of those, seeing her dance is an experience, let me tell you that. That freezing cold attitude was just for the outside, to everyone she liked enough, she was much nicer. It was kind of shocking to find out. I think someone even went as far as to ask her out on a date, imagine doing that."

"Did she go?"

"She didn't get the opportunity."

"Oh..." For a while, no one had any words, solemnly mourning their Lady's possible lost happiness. "So, basically we went straight here. First on land, then by ship. We tried to hire a ship to take us across the ocean, but some cultist weirdo got the city guard to arrest us, it obviously didn't happen but after that point, we got a crowd with us. Apparently, they think of Her Majesty as the leader of their whole people. So, Daybreaker opened a portal and we are here," he quickly concluded his tale.

"So, you accept any more folks?" Blackhoof asked.

"What? You wanna come along? Ain't you a bit too old for that?" White Nose hit him on the shoulder.

"And you don't want to? What, going to rot over here your whole life? Look around, this is no place for us to die in. This might be the time to do something meaningful again!"

"Well, I guess if you wanted to, you could ask Nightmare Moon herself, by the way, she doesn't want us to call her with b title anymore. I think she's done with being the Empress," Rich added.

"Judging by this assembly here I wouldn't have guessed."

"The only reason they are even here is that it wasn't right to leave them to the authorities back across the ocean. They have a problem with people knocking off their city guards. I heard her talking about getting rid of them as soon as we are here, since it's either me or Daybreaker who look after them now, I guess she got as close to getting rid of them as possible."

"And how is it, you like being in charge of others again?"

"Honestly, it's not like that. I just keep a record of who needs what and pass it over to the government griff that comes to check up on us every once in a while. Otherwise, I listen to complaints and wishes, and get them to Daybreaker when she comes around. I don't think either she or Nightmare Moon really care anymore though. They have their own problems."

"Guess some things never change. Nobility lives in the world of their own, just as it always was."

"Blackhoof, how can you be both idealistic and jaded at the same time?" White Nose asked. "You were just talking about how nice it would be to have a purpose again and how we can fix everything, and now you give the common, run of a mill, statement that every old person ever said at least once."

"Well, maybe because I am literally old?"

"Doesn't answer the question."

"Have a heart attack."

"Yeah, very mature, you lot are just role models for your age. I'll tell the Lady about you. She doesn't like crowds, but maybe for you, she'll make an exception. Get everyone that might want to join too, I got a feeling that we might be leaving soon enough."

"And how do we know if she accepts?"

"I think you'll know if she does," Rich grinned, imagining all the ways the Lady could deliver her message.

The Royal Offer

"Lady Moon?" Sky Star asked her directly. "You seem to be lost in thought."

Nightmare Moon looked at the Queen that she was meant to give advice to. She sat at her usual table, quaintly sipping on afternoon tea and reading a newspaper. That was before she took interest in her.

"Yes, I apologize, Milady," she answered politely. Sky Star was an excuse for a monarch, as laughable as she was naive. Queens in times past would've been striving to inspire their people to glorious deeds, or perhaps busing themselves with reforms. Sky Star spent her days listening to petitioners and delegating the actual work to her government. At other times she went out to attend lectures, but she rarely ever gave them, or rather no one was talking about her doing so. Nightmare Moon doubted that she could do anything for the Queen outside of outright stripping her of her responsibilities. She did not see Sky Star as weak, no. She had a subtle strength and plasticity, akin to hard rubber. She was clearly educated and mannered enough to be a Queen, albeit of a very humble kingdom. Sky Star simply lacked the initiative to apply herself and that was something Nightmare Moon did not know how to teach. But she needed time to do something not related to her family and what transpired mere hours ago.

"You look concerned," the Queen observed. "I won't pry if you wish to keep this to yourself, but it seems to me that your search brought poor results."

"I would rather not speak on this just now, you are correct, Milady."

"Very well, then, shall we perhaps return to our day's duty? Blue Streak, what was is it next in the schedule?"

"Your yearly visit to the royal academy of arts, Milady. I believe, this year your rector had a few particularly inspired students," Queen's usual servant responded from his head without even needing to look at the document. Nightmare Moon quietly noted him for his exceptional memory and professionalism, if only it still was her time...

"Oh, yes-yes! Most wonderful time of the year!" Sky Star softly clapped with her claws, emphasizing her excitement. Nightmare Moon, however, was less than excited. She only spent hours with the Queen and she was already bored to death by Sky Star's nonsensical routine.

"Your formal attires are prepared for your choosing, Milady. As per usual, they are waiting for you in the dressing room," Blue Streak continued.

"Very good, shall we then?" Sky Star beckoned her guest. For the first time since she was raised, Nightmare Moon was glad that she lacked any ability to articulate, otherwise the Queen would've noticed her lack of excitement, and it would've been impolite to frown.

"Of course, Milady. The time of choosing a dress is perhaps the second most important moment before an occasion," Nightmare Moon said in a tone devoid of any perceivable intonation.

The back and forth continued all the way to their destination, the dressing room. Their dialogue was meaningless and Nightmare Moon only continued it out of etiquette. The dressing procedure went similarly boring, with Nightmare Moon only giving small remarks, as the servants had already picked suitable for the occasion outfits. In the end, Sky Star chose a modest, blue dress with a suitable hat with a large brim. Nightmare thought that it could do with a flower, but kept that to herself. If Sky Star noticed her lack of interest, she didn't show it.

"What do you think, Lady? Would this fetch an eye on one of your galas?" Sky Star said, making a rather clumsy pirouette in her dress, making it fly slightly.

Nightmare Moon blinked several times, did the Queen just... flirt with her?
"It would be among the simpler ones, Milady," Nightmare Moon answered honestly.

"I suppose it was more of a rhetorical question. Galas never became a tradition for us, water tends to ruin cloth, especially silks," Sky Star quickly changed the subject, leaving Nightmare Moon to wonder if that little snippet that she dropped was intentional or did the Queen just realize how oblique she really sounded. Wait... no galas?

"Milady, did I hear you quite right? Did you say that your mother never hosted galas?" Although Celestia did use the word rather incorrectly... "What about balls? Surely you host balls to socialize with your fellow nobles once every year, or perhaps a quarter?"

"Not so, I am afraid," Sky Star slowly shook her head, wary of the sudden interest and tone change. "The roughly analogous event would be the New Year celebration. It is customary for common people to wait until midnight and then celebrate until morning with games, feasting and singing. It is a lovely event."

"No, Milady, you misunderstand! 'Tis a festival, not a ball! A ball is an occasion for Sirs and Ladies to wear their finest dresses and don the most precious jewellry. Guests arrive at the palace in drawn carriages and walk through the courtyard under the looks of the guards, wearing their finest uniforms, who check their invitation papers. The interior is meticulously cleaned the entire week for the guests to not spot a single dust particle in the air. When they make it to the grand hall, they are greeted with a servant who asks to take their umbrellas and unnecessary accessories. They spend the evening in the circle of other distinguished guests, chatting, laughing and dancing with the music of a live orchestra. The hostess then makes a speech, detailing her gratitude for everyone to bless her with their presence and then proceeds to lead the evening with toasts and a few select dances with the most distinguished and deserving stallions. It is an occasion to wait an entire year for, a whirlwind of satin, velvet and exquisite perfumes!" Nightmare Moon wistfully recounted, slipping into the memories of better times.

"You must have enjoyed these occasions," Sky Star noticed, amused by the suddenly vivid description.

"It was a very, very long time since I could enjoy one, sadly," Nightmare Moon continued morbidly. " The last time was before I was exiled. There were a few occasions of Celestia trying to host something remotely resembling a ball, but Luna always was against attending. She never was social, you see, struggling to speak to others she didn't know."

"Surely you have hosted some yourself later?" Sky Star asked, even though she knew the answer well enough already.

"Alas, there could be no ball with no guests. No one would've willingly accepted my invitation. They all would've still attended, of course, but that would've been the most pitiful event indeed."

"Ah, I see. You resented having to force them," Sky Star nodded.

"The beauty of a true ball is that it is a voluntary event, there can be no joy if there is compulsion involved. It will simply be another meeting, just as bland and forced as any other."

"Surely, you had some social events? A monarch cannot really rule if no one sees them."

"Well, I had some unofficial events," Nightmare Moon lightly chuckled. "At one time, my guards noticed me being upset and 'organized' a little surprise party with the rest of the palace staff. Well, not quite a surprise that was, but they did try their best to hide it. It was absolutely lovely, I hadn't that much fun since before my exile! I also, of course, had official speeches and proclamations, but I preferred to limit them unless necessary. Sometimes it is required to state your intention clearly, but usually, official addresses are a waste of words only serving to appease one's own ego."

"If you are interested in seeing them again, Twilight brought a few of your guards with her here. They live regular lives in the city," Sky Star offered, hoping to steer the conversation away from its somber theme.

"Yes, I suppose I would have to speak to them at some point, but I'd rather not if I am frank," Nightmare Moon finished with a long sigh for a better theatrical effect, she didn't normally breathe.

"You led me to believe that you used to be quite fond of them," Sky Star sighed in response.

"This is exactly why I would like them to never see me again. Milady, I must confess, I ruined a great many lives with my selfish actions. My guards may not have realized, but they suffered more than others. I don't want to do them any more harm by re-appearing in their lives so many years later. I love my loyal custodians and this is why it would be best if they never see me again. They deserved their peace. Some of them would want nothing more than to join with me again, but the duty of a monarch is to care for her subjects wellbeing, even if they themselves would not agree with her decision. As my last deed as the Empress, I shall ensure that my subjects live without my shadow looming over them."

"Milady, it's half-past three, you will be late," Blue Streak's voice pierced the door.

"Yes, we'd better get going, Milady. We cannot make the noble gathering wait," Nightmare Moon quickly supported the notion, eager to progress with the schedule.

They continued onward in silence. Nightmare Moon was glad for it. Despite her intention, she found herself returning to her familiar place: a courtroom. At least she was no longer carrying the brunt of responsibilities. She did however carry full responsibility for her extended family and everyone else who followed her here. She knew where they wanted her to lead them, but that is not where she wanted to go. The obvious conflict of interests here wasn't visible to the unaware, but it was as inevitable as death itself. There would soon come a time to make choices. But for now, she had a moment to rest from all of this. Compared to having to make decisions for so many of those she dearly loved, serving as an object for Sky Star to vent herself on was a rest, she believed.

The assembly at the academy seemed just as bored as Nightmare Moon was, at least before they arrived. The academy staff were told in advance that the Queen was bringing a friend, but judging by the awestruck stares everyone was giving her, they didn't expect quite the persona that appeared to them that day. Nightmare Moon never attempted to hide who she really was, but it seemed that the news was spreading throughout this city with unprecedented drag. After the proper introductions, she also felt tinges of panic sparkling in the air. The artists and the lecturers, as well as the rector himself, were scrambling to put up their best looks. It was quite amusing to watch, much more so than she expected when she first heard about this event. The art itself was sub-par, as expected from such a... remote nation, but she was admittedly a very poor critic. Her tutelage was over a thousand years outdated, it was so long she didn't even remember how to draw a landscape. Queen Sky Star, however, seemed delighted. The only one present actually interested in the actual paintings. Queen Novo had her educated enough to understand the technicalities of painting, allowing her to vividly chat with the artists about their technique and style. If only all of us could only be concerned with art forms.

"Did you enjoy the exhibition, Lady?" Sky Star excitedly asked on their way back. "I particularly loved 'The Ascent,' such an interesting take on the landscape! It is almost like a historical painting combined with a landscape."

"Yes, it was very interesting indeed," Nightmare Moon retorted. Truth be told, she didn't even remember the one Sky Star was talking about. There were at least three landscapes of Mount Aris and they all were rather similar.

Sky Star was silent for a whole minute before addressing her again,
"I can tell that you did not like it," Sky Star said, no longer excited, simply stating the fact.

Well, she wished an honest response, so shall it be then.
"I am rather bored, if I am entirely frank, Milady. You must understand, I am not used to the monarch spending her day so idly. I understand that your realm has a different distribution of power than mine had, but this calls into question the purpose of your title's very existence."

"Is that so? How did you spend your days then?"

"Well, my schedule was significantly busier. It started already at breakfast, I received the most urgent reports and tended to the needs of my inner court. It most often involved advising Twilight in some matter, listening to Rarity passing news and rumors, my Guard-Captain detailing drill results, and more.
After breakfast was concluded, I spent a few hours reading and signing orders in my study. Close to midnight, I usually had an hour-long break to hear any petitioners in the throne room. This was the time for meeting my various officials that were not privy to have a seat on a council. During the last few months of me-time, Twilight would join me there as my secretary. Afterwards, I spent another hour reading through ministry reports and other correspondence which did not require my response.
Then I had my dinner. It was much like breakfast, but less private. Earlier years involved meetings with diplomats and business owners, but later years I mostly spent chatting with Rarity or any other staff member that happened to be present. After a while there simply wasn't anyone I needed to speak to, I suppose. From that point onwards I had no specific event planned for the rest of the night and used the time for dealing with any emerging issues, but mostly I still did paperwork. There was always more paperwork needing my attention.
Lastly, two hours before dawn, I saved for supper and my personal time. I used to enjoy reading at that time, but the sheer amount of work that I had to do nightly quickly pushed it outside my sphere of interest. I ended up spending that time with my friends. Mostly with Rarity and Luna, but later with my sister, Twilight my Shadow, or occasionally with one of my staff members. The most well-performing ones could always use some encouragement from their Empress. Particularly bold ones would even bring me gifts as if we were on a date! Ah... such a charming hour It had become in the late year."

"Was that your average day?" Sky Star asked with a hint of disbelief.

"Why, yes. Although I preferred night over day. I hope you see now why your daily schedule can be rather uneventful in comparison."

"Your productivity is very impressive, Lady Moon. I can scarcely imagine how working the whole day could feel like," Sky Star reverently complimented. "I am afraid there's not nearly this much work to do here as it was in your land. My role is to determine the general course and perform ceremonies."

"Quite inefficient, if I may say so, Milady. But I suppose it has to be, otherwise, the government would be unstable. The more... hooves on approach is far superior in the reaction time but breaks down as soon as the leader is gone. Even if they never intended to go," Nightmare Moon intended to speak on differences of both political systems more in-depth but she found it to be of little consequence. It would be degrading to hold the Queen in such low regard, as she no doubt knew as much.

"Such a beautiful day..." Sky Star sighed happily, breaking the silence. "Let's walk a bit more, such calm, warm summer days are a rarity in our part of the world. Summer is usually the time of monsoons. Although sub-tropical rain doesn't impede us that much, since we are partially aquatic, but we still prefer the sun over any amount of rain."

"It's... weird to see the weather have its own way. We are used to shaping it ourselves. We can even schedule the weather in advance or have the landowners decide when they wanted it to rain. Farm ponies were delighted to have that option."

"It sounds truly wonderful to have an option to choose the weather. So many prevented draughts and floods! Equestria was long since hailed as the land of wonder, oh what wouldn't I do to see it at the time of its peak!" Sky Star wistfully smiled. Her mind quickly caught up with what she just said: "Oh... I am sorry, Lady Moon! I didn't mean to suggest anything."

"It is nothing, Milady. After all, you are more right than you are wrong," Nightmare Moon said with a sigh. They continued up the streets with the sun slowly rolling downward and starting to paint the walls in bronze.

"I think my mother gravely misjudged you, Lady. You have nothing in common with our own enemy. You are no tyrant, your willingness to give your power away is proof. We should've never been enemies."

"I agree, Milady. That was very non-productive. But I must warn: you make judgments far too quickly. It is good to be suspicious for someone in your position."

"But I am right, am I not? Lady, I want to make you a proposition," Sky Star suddenly stopped and looked directly at her ethereal companion. "If you have no commitments besides your numerous sisters, there could be a place made for you here, with us. Think about it. It solves problems your and mine. You would no longer need to take an active leadership role which you came to find burdensome, while we get your ancient wisdom and expertise. As you rightfully remark, we suffer from a lack of experience in most fields due to our isolationist politics for the last few hundred years. My subjects might find you queer or even intimidating now, but they will see your merits in time. Perhaps, eventually, we could even carve some level of acceptance for your kin, many can sympathize with your kind's predicament if only they would speak of themselves clearly."

Nightmare Moon took a long moment to find her response. Even if Sky Star was hopelessly naive, Nightmare Moon couldn't deny that this trait of the young queen was charming. She couldn't help but remember Twilight.
The offer was very generous in her position. But she already vowed to share her wisdom and so she shall.

"Milady, you honor me with your offer. I could not have hoped that you would value me so highly when I first arrived. I would have accepted without delay, but I already offered you my service and as such I must decline. Milady, you are far too impatient. You cannot simply make such decisions on a whim. Subjects do not appreciate sudden changes, appointing me, an infamous dictator, to a public position would immediately provoke accusations of treason or being ensnared with a foul spell. I pose no physical threat to any creature now even if I were to decide to harm them. But make no mistake, I still could pose danger even without my powers. Raw power is a crude way to attack, it is obvious and is expected. There are far more sophisticated and insidious means to do damage. Milady, I urge you to be cautious. Not for our sake, but for the good of your realm. Choose your friends carefully and never trust them completely. It only takes a single successful attempt to take advantage of your kindness."

"Well... I respect your decision, Lady," Sky Star gloomily answered.

Nightmare Moon looked down at the queen with genuine compassion, perhaps there was a way she could help after all,
"Forgive me for my bluntness, Milady. But it is obvious that you feel lonely."

Sky Star gave a sad chuckle, before returning to her slow trotting pace again,
"Is it really that obvious? Although I suppose hiding it from you is rather pointless. Unlike you, I wasn't blessed with much of a family. I only had my mother and a few relatives from other branches that I barely know. My seneschal is not much of a conversationist at the best of days and usually, he is just too busy. At the worst of your times, you still had Luna to speak to. I wonder, have you ever been alone in your life? How bizarre it must be, to live longer than my entire dynasty and never to have been left with no one to speak to."

"I suppose I couldn't understand you. It is true, I never was truly alone. Even when my named sister left me, I still had my dear court to keep me company. I am ashamed to admit that I was in rather... unpresentable state a few times when they visited me."

"Have you cried?" Sky Star asked with a weak, knowing smile.

"Yes..." Nightmare Moon answered simply.

"Then perhaps you understand more than you think, Lady Moon."

"Or perhaps we have much more in common than we initially perceived."

Old Enemes, New Allies

"Like this?" Tiny brought her head lower and held.

"Yes, excellent, Young Miss," Shadow calmly complimented. "This is the middle bow. It's less formal than the full bow. This is the proper informal greeting of any individuals bearing a higher title. Always remember your manners, Young Miss, it may make the difference between success and failure. Now, when a lord or a lady gives you permission, you may utilize a less compromising bow." Shadow proceeded to bow her head lightly, without moving her neck.

"Isn't that a nod?" Tiny asked, tilting her head.

"Yes, but for our purpose, this gesture is called 'upper bow'. It is the least formal bow and may only be given with explicit permission."

"Why?"

"Because this is the ritual. It is very important to instill respect for titles among noble mares and stallions."

"But I have no titles!"

"Not yet, Young Miss, but you are a sister of the most illustrious ruler for the land to ever see. She chose you specifically to accompany her and you must not disgrace her with your manners. Now, back to practice. Upper bow." The changeling yet again demonstrated the gesture. Tiny loudly blew through her nose and repeated the movement.

To Tiny's great relief, Shadow turned out to be much more lenient in her instruction than Daybreaker was. She refrained from punishments, instead simply correcting Tiny's stance when required. Although Tiny has guessed why exactly the changeling was showing her so much attention lately, she was still glad that it was no longer Daybreaker. One day with her sister was enough, no more breaking Nightmare's rules.
Shadow seemed to share her sentiment, as she was focusing on rules specifically. Tiny found it tedious, but she already realized that everything she was being taught was one way or another for her own good, which made it much more agreeable. Shadow's gentle approach helped too. She missed her magic lessons though.

"Now, Miss, the low bow," Shadow put her forelegs wide and lowered her whole body almost reaching the floor. "This is the bow most demanding of your technique. Without practice, you may slip, or allow an even worse disgrace."

"But the floor is dirty and I can have my fancy clothes spoiled," Tiny tried to protest.

"Miss, this is the whole message you are sending. You are willing to dirty your dress and coat to show your reverence."

"Why?"

Shadow heavily sighed,
"Miss, this is a ritual that must be observed before you can speak to a lord or lady. Why' is inconsequential."
Tiny pouted but did as she was told. Shadow stepped closer and leaned to inspect her pose,
"No, this is wrong, Miss," she said with her usual flat tone.

"Why?!" Tiny cried out, jumping back up.

"Because you give off the wrong emotion. You must not be tense when bowing, otherwise, you can come off as unwilling." Tiny had to rethink her image of the changeling. She wasn't harsh, but she could be absolutely insufferably aggravating, but Tiny still sighed and tried again, attempting to relax before bowing.
"Still a poor performance, Miss. But do keep practicing, your technique could use more practice regardless."

"Shadow, leave her alone, already," Twilight wearily trotted past her and dropped in a leather armchair that somehow looked almost exactly like what Tiny once saw a factory director sit on.

"Your Highness, my Mistress disagrees," Shadow answered almost immediately after. "She has been drilling Young Miss herself, but now she has no personal time."

"Shadow, we both know she didn't mean for you to teach her to properly bow," Twilight tiredly grumbled, leaning her head over the seat's back. "You, of all ponies, should know that she doesn't appreciate empty groveling."

"That is true, Princess. But all entourage of the Mistress must be properly taught to behave themselves, lest they embarrass her in public." Twilight only groaned. "Let us continue, Miss," Tiny's attention returned to Tiny.

"Your Highness, how's Daybreaker and Princess Celestia?" Tiny scrambled to continue the conversation.

"'How 'is' pronounce the word to the end, Miss," Shadow instantly corrected.

"Celestia will be fine. Luna's vampirism isn't infectious," Twilight grumbled a little at the end. "Daybreaker had me worried for a moment. She lost blood, but she will recover quickly. It's good that she didn't hesitate, unlike someone else..."

"Your Highness, you speak about the Princess' own family. Don't you think your judgment is too harsh? The Princess tried her best to get Princess Luna to come with us peacefully."

"And she failed spectacularly! She ended up injuring herself and a bystander! If it wasn't for Daybreaker, we would have more than just blood loss and lacerations! We aren't playing catch here, someone could die!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Lady Daybreaker's actions were heroic indeed," Shadow tried to gently change the subject. "Mistress must be very proud."

"Shadow, since when did you become so plastic?" Twilight sighed. "I don't remember you being afraid to say what you think before. I know you think that this was a pitiful display. We should have restrained our target and returned."

"It is not my place to say, Your Highness," Shadow responded, deflecting the jab entirely.

"Oh, to Tartarus with this," Twilight shut her eyes and said no more.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Tiny asked in her turn.

"Better to ask what's not wrong!" Twilight exploded. "Actually, who the hay are you even? Everyone foalsits you in turns like you are a foal of a queen! When I was your age you couldn't dream about Princess Celestia even knowing about my existence. And you are showered with attention by Majesty herself, her best retainer, her sister and at the same time no one I asked knows anything about you!"

"My name is Tiny..." she answered, not knowing what else to say.

"Princess, can I do anything to help with your frustration?" Shadow monotonously said.

"You can make everything back how it used to be when I had a home, friends and family, that would help an awful lot!" Twilight suddenly put her hoof to her ear. "Oh, what's that? You can't? Oh, looks like no one is helping me then?"

"I am sorry to have contributed," Shadow continued with another answer entirely in her character.

"I am not sure you even know what you did," Twilight said, her voice losing most of her energy.

"I think it is best we return to our practice," Shadow concluded.

"Yes, do that," Twilight murmured.

This time Tiny didn't try to stall. The Princess wasn't nice to talk to at all. Tiny never knew someone could exhume so much anger and frustration in such a short time. She wanted to ask Shadow to find another room to practice, but she already could tell exactly what the changeling was going to say. If she had anything to bet, she would even put it down on the exact words. Tiny spent another hour bowing until Shadow allowed her a short rest. Twilight was already gone to do some weird things she was always saying she was going to do, like check if she didn't lose any of her notes. They weren't alone for very long as the door was pulled open again and in the opening appeared the large white mare. Tiny first thought about Daybreaker, but the body language was wrong. Princess Celestia carried herself not with pompous self-certainty but with uncertain determination. She still had bruises and cuts on her body from how Tiny saw her last, but she was no longer bleeding. Another change Tiny noticed from before is her face. Her eyes were unusually focused and her mouth was stoically curved upwards.

"Your Highness," Shadow immediately middle-bowing. Tiny mimicked the motion, just to utilize her new skills. Celestia focused on them for a moment and then looked the room over.

"Where is Nightmare Moon? Your Mistress," her voice was no longer flat and emotionless, but much more alive

"She asked to not be disturbed for this one day, Your Highness," Shadow tactfully refused.

"I must speak with her, I imagine she would be displeased if you won't tell me."

"I fear I cannot be of assistance, Your Highness. I am terribly sorry," Shadow refused again without even a second of hesitation. Celestia frowned even more and walked closer. Tiny didn't flinch this time, being used to Daybreaker's imposing stature hanging over her. Celestia slowly dropped down to the floor until her belly was on the floor. Her head was still above Tiny's, so she had to bring her neck down to look into Tiny's face.

"And you, my little pony? Will you help me?" Tiny mechanically looked at Shadow, who looked back but otherwise sent no messages.

"She said she'd be with the Queen," Tiny finally answered. Celestia gave her a warm smile.

"Thank you, my little pony." Celestia patted her on the head and began standing back up, "I will go see her now if none of you mind." Celestia stood up and turned to the door, but then stopped. Tiny bit her lip already imagining what kind of punishment she will be getting this time.

"You should be in bed," Nightmare Moon said after a short starring match.

"I feel better already. I need to speak with you," Celestia responded, her voice becoming emotionless again.

"I can see that," Nightmare Moon responded ambiguously. "To save your words, I will answer now: your sister slipped away and not even Sombra knows where she is now."

"That is why I need to speak with you," Celestia sharply turned her head to glance at Tiny and Shadow.

"Speak if you must. I trust them both to hear it," Nightmare Moon agreed.

"Very well. You have ruined my life," Celestia said straight to the point. A small pause ensued.

"I did," Nightmare Moon admitted without flinching. "I believe my apology would be quite useless now."

"Indeed. Not only have you stolen my family away and turned my friends against me, but you have also destroyed everything I worked for my whole life, and none of this is reservable now." Celestia stopped, Nightmare Moon nodded in acknowledgement, "Now I ask you to help me to restore it."

"My help? Celestia, I have nothing to offer you in terms of help. I have already played great leader once. Once was enough."

"We are in agreement on that point. Would you sit?" Celestia asked curtly, but not even feigning a smile. Nightmare Moon looked down at her body and gave a short laugh.

"Of course," she agreed. "Sometimes I forget how alike we really are."

"I would like to disagree."

"Then do. I doubt this is what you really want, however."

"It is not. Nightmare Moon, I propose an alliance for mutual benefit. We both want our sister back, let us work together. While we do, we could also fix some of our mistakes," Celestia said, carefully choosing words.

"I have everything I want already, Celestia," Nightmare Moon bluntly hushed her. "I want to see Luna normal again, this is the last thing I want. Once I have her with me, you can go and do whatever you want. Fight for your throne if you must, but I will be no part of this anymore. I have all the power that I ever wanted."

"And you had more," Celestia agreed. "Your palace and city gleamed, your subjects cheered and feared you. So then, tell me: are you proud of what you achieved?" Nightmare Moon gave Celestia a stare promising all the earthly suffering, but the white mare only smiled back.
"With all your power you could have anything in the whole world but one thing, am I not right? With all your power you could never make yourself happy. The world that you've built was exactly as you designed it, it was gleaming on the outside but rotten and brittle inside. It made you suffer by just living in it."

"What do you know of suffering, Celestia?" Nightmare Moon dangerously lowered her voice. "You never had to suffer for anything in your life! Your title was passed down from our mother to the eldest daughter. I had to struggle for everything that I ever had! I spent a thousand years dreaming of the moment of settling our score! Maybe my realm was miserable, but it was mine and mine alone!"

"And you hated every moment of it. We both know it's true, Nightmare."

"What does this have to do with our present matter?"

"You owe me. You destroyed everything I worked for, help me to undo what you ruined!" Celestia demanded openly.

"And what do I get from helping you? You realize that you have nothing to offer except for your pitiful accusations and woes?"

Celestia lowered her eyes and stood silent,
"I offer my help in dealing with everyone who would not deal with you in your search," Celestia finally said in defeat.

"And then?"

"You help me to find my own allies, it would not be of any trouble to you. You have all kinds of creatures standing in queues to have a single look at you," Celestia said gloomily.

"Well, well, old friend, where have all of your hubris and righteousness disappeared?" Nightmare Moon openly laughed. "I suppose I could take you along, as long as you remember who holds your leash."

"Are we in agreement then?" Celestia said impatiently.

"Yes, yes, you can come along and use whoever else wishes to die on your hill. I expect you to make yourself useful along the way," Nightmare Moon said, already losing interest in the discussion. "Beware though, I will not tolerate you trying to put your talons into my own companions. I expect my dear sister and Twilight will be all too eager to tear you up like a pillow if I am to wish it. But it wouldn't come to that, would it? No, we will get along just fine you and me, the two vipers in a pit."

"Yes, we'll get along very well, my liege," Celestia said, burrowing into her adversary with eyes full of poison.

Noble Shaman

"Uhmm... I was hoping to leave Cadance out of this. I confess I have no desire to interact with her again," Nightmare Moon said drearily.

"Cadance would be of great help to us, she is undoubtedly more aware of the situation in our homeland than anyone else of our remaining friends," Celestia countered, shuffling slightly in her deep, leather armchair. "Aswell as provide us with her soldiers and a staging ground."

"If you could sway her."

"When I can sway her."

Both mares loudly huffed, but neither one stated their contradictions. Nightmare Moon eventually averted her eyes and stared into the fireplace instead.

"You should gather your former Guard as well, I reckon they would be glad to fight for us again if need be," Celestia calmly suggested.

"Leave them out of this!" Nightmare Moon sharply jabbed back.

"You, of all of us, should know that war cannot be waged without sacrifice. Loathe as I am to admit it, we would undoubtedly have to make war to reclaim our land," Celestia stated. Her newfound coldbloodedness was making Nightmare Moon uneasy. Was Celestia always like this and simply pretended, or is this another one of her own crimes?

"War is the greatest method of reclaiming ruins, Celestia," Nightmare Moon contradicted.

"I suppose we would have to wait until we know more," Celestia agreed to postpone the discussion. "In the meantime, order Twilight to start charting the teleportation circle to Crystal Empire next. We will need to speak to my niece all the same."

"We could gather our own intel, it would likely be more up to date and accurate than Cadance could provide."

"I suppose we would need to at some point, yes," Celestia agreed. "But until we can afford to conduct reconnaissance, reconnaissance we must first approach our goal from afar. Especially since our enemies are now alerted of our presence."

"My sorry cult will not be an obstacle. They will not dare to challenge us directly now that Luna and her High Priestess know that they cannot win."

"You underestimate them by saying so, by attacking them in their home, we pushed them in a corner. The desperate enemy is the most dangerous one."

"I know them, Celestia. They are a tool, not an actor. They are incapable of establishing their own agenda. They only can follow orders, and even that they do poorly. They cause more trouble to their masters than they are worth."

"Did they not force my sister to be their willing tool?"

"Hah! If only… they will walk off a cliff if she tells them to. Zealots are very predictable."

"And what if that is exactly what they needed as a leader? My sister leads them quite capably, it would seem. And the sister I knew would never associate herself with the likes of them."

"Hmph, fine. We will monitor them."

"We would need to do more than that…, we must contain them," Celestia pushed further. "You are well aware by now how corrosive these zealots are. They are a danger to our society."

"Celestia, I am tired of this. You were pushing edging me for days over your disdain towards a few pitiful fanatics. They have your sister, but they are beyond our reach for now. We have no time to scour every hiding spot they might have found."

"Then perhaps you should stop stalling and give the order. The sooner we contact Cadance, the sooner we will know more."

Nightmare Moon would've bitten her lip if she had any. Celestia caught her again. They weren't on friendly terms just yet, but Nightmare Moon still enjoyed Celestia seeing through her. It was nice to finally be understood. Paradoxically, her tricks not working brought her comfort.

"I will give the order," Nightmare Moon said in the end.

"I suggest you do so right away, I will gather our host while you prepare. I reckon they will be better-off among our own people."

"Reasonable, I also would like to bring Queen Sky Star along. It would do both her and Cadance good to get acquainted."

"Very well, I see no harm coming from it," Celestia agreed, not even trying to pretend interested.

Considering their daily council over, Nightmare Moon left the sun mare alone, retreating straight through the closed door that led into the corridor. There she immediately discovered that their discussion wasn't private.

"Sister, I do not appreciate you growing such a long nose," Nightmare Moon tiredly said.

Daybreaker immediately jumped away from the door. Caught with her ear on the door, she knew that there was no point trying to make excuses and therefore didn't even try.

"Come," Nightmare Moon decided to not berate her with her former host obviously being able to hear it. "We are departing today. Celestia will gather our sisters while we need to prepare to depart. Tell Twilight to gather her supplies and meet us down there, I must speak with the Queen."

"As you say," Daybreaker respectfully bowed.

"Thank you. You are the best sister in the world," Nightmare Moon gave her sister a quick 'hug'. She noticed Daybreaker even lightly smiling at the show of affection. She was glad, Daybreaker was beautiful when she was smiling, and she did so very rarely.

Nightmare Moon said her farewells and went to find her... protege, she supposed. Recalling Sky Star's schedule, she was meant to hold court now, which meant that she had nothing to do. Her courtroom was very humble by Nightmare Moon's royal standards, as well. She expected such a room to belong to a count at most. But Nightmare Moon started to see the benefits… her throne room was much cozier than her own admittedly cold and heartless box.

The Queen sat on her equally humble throne, with only wooden furnish, and listened to someone from the cabinet petition her. It was not related to either financing or politics, but to some administrative issue that they seemed to be unable to resolve without the Queen's signature, so Nightmare Moon did not bother listening closely. Eventually, Sky Star signed his paper, the hippogriff bowed and turned to leave. She didn't make herself too obvious, waiting to the side, but he still sensed her looking at him. He looked straight at her, slightly shocked. She pointed at Sky Star with her eyes. He mirrored her gesture and remembered what he was supposed to say: "L-lady," he gave her a small bow and hurried away.

"Must be something on my face," Nightmare Moon dryly joked, joining the Queen as she stood up from her seat.

"Or perhaps your general visage. If you really can change your look on a whim perhaps you should consider appearing less… intimidating," Sky Star answered.

"Oh, this... My looks come from a much younger age, when I was much less restrained. When I was young, the idea of terrifying the onlookers with my very image seemed appealing. All of us make mistakes in our youth, I suppose."

"Why won't you fix your mistake then?"

"It feels wrong," Nightmare Moon answered simply. "This is the image remembered by those that know me. It became something of a part of me, something that I chose myself instead of inheriting it from my host. How can I simply put all of this aside?"

"Forgive me, Lady Moon, but you do not come off as this sentimental. Weren't you the one who advised me to enter a political marriage?"

"I suppose no, I do not come off sentimental," Nightmare Moon agreed with a sigh. "Milady, I came to offer you another opportunity to enhance your abilities. My host departs today for the land of another Princess that you have are yet to meet. Princess Cadance. She is the only one of us that retained her sovereignty, and I expect it would be most useful for you to meet her. We are charting a teleportation circle, so you could safely travel there and back. Perhaps you could even exchange embassies."

Sky Star looked puzzled,
"You can travel that far away so quickly?" she said in disbelief.

"Why, yes. Instantaneous too. Our people's magical abilities are unrivaled in their flexibility."

"Then why do you waste your effort on building vehicles such as the trains and your trucks? They are a great boon to us but seem redundant for you."

"Ah, that is a very good question, Milady. The issue with the teleportation circle is that it is very fragile. It is no more than chalk on the floor, as you can imagine, moving cargo or even walking over it, and especially water proves fatal to it. It is required that a unicorn wizard monitors the circle at all times, ready to repair it as needed and that we cannot afford. I must say, Celestia's program for training wizards was producing only a few sufficiently gifted candidates every several years. I intended to reform and expand her School for Gifted Unicorns, but I could never follow through with it.
Another downside, fatal to some, is the cost of a mistake. A miscalculation of coordinates will undoubtedly lead travelers to a place they never intended to be in. I trust Twilight to chart our circles, but she is far beyond an average wizard, you see. Twilight checks her every equation and symbol several times over even though she rarely makes mistakes in the first place."

"A disappointing answer, I must say. Very well, I suppose we could go for a visit. How long, do you reckon, will it take?"

"No more than several hours, unless an emergency happens. You shall be back by dark. Of course, you can always return later in a more official manner if you desire a dignified reception."

"I understand. I will see Blue Streak about a practical dress then."

"Meet us in our camp, we will be waiting for you."

"I agree. We will be there," considering their discussion over, Sky Star vacated her throne room through the very same door Nightmare Moon herself just floated through. The dark mare sighed once more and made her way through the first open window of which there were many on this summer day.

Her camp was already packing. Her sisters beamed upon seeing her.

"Lady!" Mister Rich called for her from below.

"What Mister Rich?" Nightmare Moon asked him upon coming close enough so that she didn't have to yell in return. The stallion slightly shuddered, upon seeing her poor mood.

"It's about your former Guards, Lady," Rich decided to be quickly out with it. "Sergeant... or was it corporal? ...Blackhoof and his two cronies came to look for you here. They asked you to take them with us."

Nightmare Moon sighed heavily. So they finally heard. Hardly surprising. Considering the size of their host, she did not even try to hide who she was. Part of her wanted to accept her soldiers back, after all, she loved them as only a fellow warrior could. But it sickened her, they gave up so much for her sake. How could she demand more from them, much less to take them away from their established lives yet again. She was flattered that they still would follow her if she would only ask them to, but she couldn't be selfish enough to accept.

"Lady?" Rich asked her again, wanting an answer.

"Leave them be," Nightmare Moon answered short. This wasn't the time for sentimental memories or discussions. They were on the move and she needed to assume command over those that still needed her. She started to search for Twilight with her eyes. She found her quickly, hard at work drawing the circle on the concrete. She was about to go to her, but she suddenly caught another pony staring back at her. It was a reasonably young pony stallion, stallion, slack-jawed and eyes open in stunned bewilderment. He was familiar to her. Yes, yes, she remembered now. She wanted to give him a smile, just to indicate that she remembered him, but had to limit herself to simple eye gestures. She looked at him and then looked at the ground, then looked at him again. Then, without looking away, she slowly floated towards Twilight. Nightmare Moon hoped that he understood her.

"Twilight, your progress?" Nightmare Moon finally looked at her Princess straight again.

"Another moment," Twilight answered.

"Where are my sisters, Twilight? Daybreaker was supposed to be with you."

"That filly is with Shadow, they are inside Daybreaker's tent. Once Shadow heard about where we’re going, she started giving the filly some last-minute etiquette lessons," Twilight answered without looking up from her work.

"Twilight, her name is Tiny. It is not respectable to keep forgetting her name." Twilight suddenly looked up from her work.

"Lady, with all due respect, I cannot be bothered to learn every name you come in contact with." Twilight then stared back at her waiting for what kind of scolding she was about to get. But Nightmare Moon could've only smiled in response.

"Good, Twilight!" Nightmare Moon softly said.

"You approve?" Twilight tilted her head to the side.

"Of course, Twilight. I always wanted for you to learn to question authority. Even mine."

"I don't understand, didn't you want me to be your second?"

"Yes, Twilight. That is exactly what I wanted. I wanted you to be able to replace me when needed. I never wanted you to be just another servant, let alone a tool, how Celestia made you. We may be your betters, but we are not above you. We are not above your questioning."

"That means that I can scrutinize your decisions?" Twilight asked with a lingering hint of disbelief.

"When it is necessary. Twilight, while I do encourage your scrutiny, be mindful that I only do so because I trust in your expertise. You understand much, but not all, and therefore your counterpoints are only appreciated when they have any knowledge behind them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly, Lady. While we are at this, if I may. I believe we should start preparing for our inevitable confrontation. I made a short overview for when you might have considered hiring skilled soldiers, as well as some of our own veterans that may still be willing and young enough to fight." Twilight started levitating her saddlebags, opening them.

"Twilight, let's focus on the task before us, please. We will speak about this when the time comes."

"Oh, right. Of course, Lady. I understand," Twilight dropped her bags down.

"I hope you do, Twilight. Carry on, for now."

Nightmare Moon went straight for her sister's tent.

"Hold like... this. Good. How quickly you learn, little pony!" Nightmare Moon heard Celestia before she came close to the tent. She wasn't surprised that Celestia was already on her way working on her little sister. Whether she had to stop her or not, she hadn't decided just yet.

Nightmare Moon found Celestia prostrating herself next to Tiny as she herself practiced the low bow. Celestia keenly watched for her posture to be correct. Shadow awkwardly stood aside.

"Mistress," she greeted Nightmare Moon as she entered the tent. Celestia immediately stood up from her position. Tiny wanted to follow her.

"Hold," Celestia ordered. "My liege,' she nodded to Nightmare Moon. "I trust all is proceeding according to your plan?" she said without any of the warmth she showed to Tiny.

"Quite, Twilight will be finishing shortly. I suggest we begin gathering this tent as well. Say, where is my sister? Twilight told me she was here."

"She was here just a moment ago. I believe she said she had forgotten something at the lab and went to fetch it." Nightmare Moon's mood soured further. This wasn't good. Her sister was avoiding Celestia, but she reckoned it was progress nonetheless that she did not attempt to challenge her to a duel or some other uncivilized way of resolving conflicts. As to her sister and her issue, Nightmare Moon had a feeling that Daybreaker will be speaking out herself soon.

The preparations were completed quickly soon after. It was just like they did before - orderly column. Nightmare Moon's sisters picked up quickly. Though their weapons training would not do them good against gunpowder weapons, the discipline that came with it would. They stood in formation for another hour, not a single complaint voiced until the Queen arrived in a simplistic yellow dress that was only reaching her knees. Her mood was overall pleasant, excited to do something meaningful.

"I am grateful you could come, Milady," Nightmare Moon greeted her as Sky Star approached. "But are you sure you would not bring your Guard? They have an important ceremonial role."

"I believe we would have time later for stiff official ceremonies. For the moment, I would like to know Princess Celestia's niece more informaly. I hope that would be of no hindrance to you."

"Not at all, Milady. It is much more informative than an official ceremony, to be sure. There is a little request that I must make in this case, however. Do remember that Princess Cadance is not a pureblooded noble mare. Much like Twilight, she was adopted into the Canterlot royalty by Princess Celestia. This, technically, means that you vastly outrank her. Still, this does not mean that we can expect a particularly lavish reception. Cadance was never known for strict adherence to etiquette, you see. I humbly request you to be understanding in case if she makes a mistake outside the official protocol. She is educated well enough to conduct an official visit, but she can be stubborn and uncooperative when in private. Please keep in mind that she would not want to insult you even if it seems otherwise."

"I suppose we would have to see, won't we? I am sure it will go well."

"Yes, Milady. Best to not overthink this."

They were forced to wait for a short while until Daybreaker reappeared.

"I am sorry to have made you all wait," Daybreaker said to no one in particular, abandoning her usually, albeit ingenuine, politeness. Nightmare Moon and the Queen share a silent stare.

"It is time we were on the move," Nightmare Moon said.

The bitter cold in the north never bothered Nightmare Moon, she even enjoyed it. She belonged in the dark, after all, and the dark was cold. It simply felt right for her to be in a place where the temperature didn't rise above freezing point year-round. If it wasn't for the wind... She felt none of it anymore, which could not be said about her shivering host. Twilight missed her target by miles, forcing them to march in the freezing cold. At least they knew exactly where their destination was, the spire of the Crystal Palace shined bright as it always did.

Her sisters had no complaints. Nightmare Moon was slowly growing to respect their resilience and integrity. There were no more complaints ever since their first march together. As sorry as she was for them, they followed her without question no matter where she went. She couldn't help but doubt her decision to distance herself away from providing active leadership. She abhorred the idea of chaining herself to another throne, yet it looked less and less feasible for her to stay away from it. No matter where she went, there were always creatures that wanted her to be their leader. Of course, a lot of them knew her by her reputation or even personally, but she had no doubt that even if she was a total stranger, it wouldn't have changed much.

"H-how, m-m-much, f-further?" the Queen, however, fared much worse. Helped only by her singular aide, she was shivering with her whole body. No doubt regretting her frivolous decision.

"Twenty more minutes at the current pace, Milady," Nightmare Moon answered without turning or stopping. "Sister, help her," Daybreaker from the left of her sharply changed her pace for the Queen and Blue Streak to catch up with her.

As Nightmare Moon promised, they did reach the edge of the Crystal City weather sphere. Creatures were stepping through it reluctantly and staring at the green grass below as if it was the very first time they saw it. Nightmare Moon allowed them all a moment of respite to warm themselves. They couldn't rest for long, however. Nightmare Moon soon spotted a group coming their way. Two of them were armed, but the rest weren't, which led her to believe that these had to be the reception delegates. As amateurish as she expected from Cadance. It could've only been worse if she came herself.

She waited for them to approach but the mare in old-fashioned butler clothes,
"Welcome!" she said with a beaming smile, Nightmare Moon's look doing nothing to discourage her. "We were expecting you, Your Majesty," she addressed Nightmare Moon directly. She acknowledged the spokesmare with a nod.

"It seems we will not be resting long. Sister, call Celestia and Twilight. Milady and I will have a head start."

"As you wish, Nightmare," Daybreaker said without enthusiasm.

"Now, Milady, shall we?"

"Yes, let us," Sky Star answered, still having shivers from the cold weather. Nightmare Moon approached their welcoming party first, as she was supposed to introduce everyone. She gave the mare a questioning look.

"My name is Cold Snap, Your Majesty," the mare bowed. "I am Princess Cadance's diplomatic aide." Nightmare Moon hummed approvingly. Since Cadance couldn't know they were coming, this had to be the best she could do to receive them. At least she showed enough awareness to not send border guards.

"I take it other gentlecolts with you are here for utilitarian issues?"

"Correct, Your Majesty. This is Sir Rolling Thunder, a cavalier of the Crystal Heart order, he is to-"

"Rolling Thunder?" Nightmare Moon stopped her, putting her focus on the stallion. He immediately put forth his best attention stance for her, "The world is a small place, Captain."

"Permission to speak, Your Majesty!" he asked, not hiding his excitement, unbefit to his honorable age. Nightmare Moon chuckled twice at him.

"Granted, Captain."

"Today is the happiest day for the last forty years!" he stamped out words as energetically as even Nightmare did not remember him do. The genuine simplicity of the old warrior would've made Nightmare Moon tear up. Which made her all the more grateful for being dead, as crying in public would've been completely inappropriate.

"The feeling is quite mutual, Captain. But I suppose we would have time to catch up later, won't we?
Lady Cold Snap, I believe my old Captain has a reason to be here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Knight Rolling Thunder will be overseeing security measures for you. While Mister Goldmine has graciously offered to take the expense of your companion’s accommodation."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty!" the stallion took off his fedora. Nightmare Moon was always reluctant to accept the new fashion, although, by this time, it was hardly new. Nightmare Moon heard steps behind her, which meant the time for the idle chat was over.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir," Nightmare Moon responded. "Allow me to introduce you to Queen Sky Star, the ruling monarch of Mount Aris and all hippogriffs. As well as my own retinue," Nightmare Moon turned and began recounting: "Princess Celestia, you have no doubt heard of her. Don't confuse her with my sister Daybreaker, although she looks similar. Finally, Princess Twilight, the youngest Princess in our entourage," each noble mare gave a curt bow as Nightmare Moon named them. "Lastly, I have to introduce my own aide. My Shadow, come out," the changeling uneasily stepped from behind the line of nobility. She was clearly uneasy to be back here again. "This is Shadow Crest, my oldest and most loyal retainer to date. I understand that you may have doubts about her kind, but I assure you, she will do no one any harm," Nightmare Moon explained while touching her changeling's back with her ethereal body.

"Oh, I assure you, Your Majesty, there would be no issue in this regard," Cold Snap widely smiled. "We have many changelings living with us in the city. We had wonderful relations with them ever since you removed their Queen."

"Truly? Did Princess Cadance sign a treaty with them?" Nightmare Moon asked in mild disbelief at how easily changelings seemed to adapt to the situation.

"I suppose you could say that," her smile disappeared. "After you were gone, Princess was approached by General Pharynx, who was speaking for the remainder of the changelings under Chrysalis. The treaty itself is only partially open to the public, but the changelings who wished it were granted special citizenship. They have all the rights as we do for two exceptions: they must carry their identification with them at all times, and they are not allowed to hold government positions outside their own hierarchy."

"Terms are far from fair," Nightmare Moon remarked.

"They were born from necessity," Cold Snap countered. "Changelings had no complaints either, they are content with their own internal autonomy within the state. They have their own court, they may own property, they have the right to serve in the military and attain any rank."

"Very well. It is not my place to protest," Nightmare Moon agreed. "If the Princess wouldn't mind, we would like an audience."

"Of course, Your Majesty!" the smile was back on Cold Snap's face. "I would take you to the Palace right now if you wish, the Princess expects you."

"A single moment, if you will. I must give orders to set up camp."

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

Nightmare Moon was both impressed and concerned at the same time. How did Cadance know so quickly who, exactly, was coming to her? As Cold Snap led them to the palace, Nightmare noticed the citizenry was not prone to excessive staring. Almost as if a delegation as unusual as theirs was an everyday occurrence. The citizenry was not as Nightmare Moon remembered either. They mostly were ponies, as is fitting, but occasionally there also was a changeling walking down the street, without even trying to hide. All of them were young. She didn't find faces she remembered, although, for this race, it was hardly surprising - they all looked so alike. Except for her Shadow, of course. Nightmare Moon glanced over her non-existent shoulder and noted her Shadow's head bowed to the ground and legs bent to make her height smaller. Oh, it was so selfish of her! Nightmare Moon forgot to think of her dear Shadow's feelings. It must be terribly stressful for her to be among her own kind again and look them in the eyes after so many years. Nightmare Moon made a mental note to give her some affection later.

Crystal City was remarkably unchanged since the last time Nightmare Moon visited it. Apart from the changelings that occasionally walked by and trailed them with their large, inexpressive eyes. Cadance's palace looked just the same as well. Even the atmosphere didn't change despite the passing of time. It was almost like the time had frozen here along with everything else outside the protective dome.

They were marched directly to the palace, clearly, Cadance didn't plan to waste their time. Nightmare Moon was long past believing in clear kindness in creatures of her own social status, therefore this show of hospitality must serve a purpose. What Cadance would want with her was a mystery to Nightmare Moon for now.

"Is the Princess prepared to see us, or perhaps we should be prepared to wait?" Nightmare Moon asked their escort. The answer itself was of little interest to Nightmare Moon, but the way the aide said it might yield some more information.

"Princess Cadance began to prepare for you the moment you arrived in the region. She will see you immediately," Cold Snap answered crisply and without hesitation. Curious, it would seem the Princess was waiting for much longer than that. Her reaction time was far too quick.

As promised, they were taken directly into the Palace. The armed guards gave them a military salute, Nightmare Moon was certain their faces were familiar. Was Cadance trying to appease her all of a sudden? The dark mare was growing more intrigued by the moment. Her relationship with Cadance was always cold at the best of times, but she nonetheless fell in line, and Nightmare Moon, in return, respected her noble right to the throne of the Crystal Empire. They could never be friends, not even now, but Nightmare Moon still was glad to have someone else who had royal blood in her. Cadance was perhaps the only one she didn't have to look down on in the latter years, the... honesty in their relationship was refreshing. She loved Twilight and her friends, even the obnoxious Rainbow Dash, but they still were nothing but peasants. In one case, quite literally.

On their way to the throne chamber, Nightmare Moon noticed another peculiarity. Princess Cadance changed the decor. The last time she was her guest, Nightmare Moon found the interior rather bland. It was very minimalistic, almost exactly like Sombra preferred it, with only the necessary furnishings, such as chairs, tables, furniture and, in a few cases, carpets. Now, however, it looked like a proper palace. The corridors had soft cushions where one could sit and discuss their latest visit to a theatre, windows were draped and now were properly framed with glass to keep the northern wind out, the floor had large and soft carpets everywhere and not just in the throne and guest chambers. The place in general looked more lived-in. Cadance also seemed to make use of the modern utilities. Electric lights, covered with some semblance of artistic covers to prevent the light from shining directly into the eyes of passing servants. Although, the crystal walls still had a tendency to amplify even the mutest light to almost unbearable luminosity, Nightmare Moon was glad that her light-sensitive eyes were gone with her body, otherwise, now she would've been be nearly blind and in constant, skull-shattering pain.

The doors were still as Nightmare Moon remembered them and still had to be opened by the two soldiers standing on the outside of the throne room. Inside though, it seemed that Cadance has once again changed the decoration. It seemed she opted for an older layout of the throneroom being combined with the main dining hall, indicated by a large table at the centre, with the throne, and Cadance herself, overlooking it from a podium. She wasted no time,
"Greetings, fellow ponies!" she said with a wide, happy smile. Most impressive, it seems Cadance was working on herself, even her eyes were smiling. It took a moment to notice Shining Armor standing up, overshadowed by his wife, from his much smaller seat. He, as befits a soldier, wasn't smiling.
"Allow me to welcome you to the Crystal Empire and express my greatest joy of seeing all of you again," Cadance continued, stepping down from her podium and slowly making her way to them through the hall. Nightmare Moon glanced at Celestia standing by her, she already wore one of her most radiant smiles for the event.

"The joy is ours, Princess. Your reception is exquisite! From the moment we set our hooves inside the crystal heart's protective radius, we immediately found ourselves in the most capable company of your trusted dignitaries! Our baggage and our companions were treated with utmost care and reverence," Nightmare Moon responded, returning the mandatory sweet talk. She decided to omit the part where she had to suffer through having to follow a mere aide, instead of a minister, or at the very least a senechal. In the end, petty grudges were not what any of them were here for.

"I hope your travels through the surrounding wastes were not too taxing, Your Majes-ty," Cadance's otherwise impeccable smile twitched slightly as she saw something behind Nightmare's back, the rest of the suite were making it inside the room, it seemed.

"It was only a slight inconvenience, Your Highness," Nightmare Moon answered. "The margin of error in our gate spell landed us on the far side from your most magnificent city. But enough about that unpleasant accident. I hope you still remember your late aunt, Princess Celestia," Nightmare Moon looked at the white alicorn, giving her the word.

"It is most wonderful to see you again, my dear!" Celestia proceeded to step forth and give Cadance a formal embrace. It lasted for exactly as much as was required to emphasize them being related, and then Celestia pulled back.
"We have so much to catch up on, dear niece!"

"Oh, you cannot even imagine how much you are right, aunty!" Cadance smiled sweetly. "Oh, who is that with you?" Cadance centered her look at the Queen.

"Queen Sky Star of hippogriffs, from Mount Aris, Your Highness," Nightmare Moon introduced, prompting the Queen to step forth.

"Your Highness, I've heard much good about you and glad to make your acquaintance," Sky Star curtly nodded.

"I cannot say I've heard much about you or your realm, but I am eager to learn more, Your Majesty," Cadance's smile visibly strained, not expecting there to be this unknown variable.

"Lastly, I suspect you remember my sister," Nightmare Moon hurried onwards.

"Your Highness," Daybreaker calmly bowed. "Shining Armor," Daybreaker also acknowledged the white stallion, who so far was trying to make himself as invisible as possible.

"The rest of my entourage here includes our servants," Nightmare Moon finished her explanation, still paying no mind to Cadance's husband. "Now, we are now done with the procedure… Cadance, is there a place where we can speak privately?" The polite smile immediately disappeared from Cadance's face.

"Sister, don't you think that perhaps we should wait a little more before weighing down the Princess with our problems?" Daybreaker interjected.

"I am afraid, our liege is correct, Cadance," Celestia spoke hurriedly, supporting Nightmare. "We did not come merely for a visit, we have much to speak to you on."

Cadance only sighed tiredly and didn't respond for a short while,
"Leave us," she addressed her guards coolly. "Sit, the table shall accommodate all of us."

"Thank you, Cadance," Nightmare Moon said grimly.

"Well, lay it out on me. If you are so desperate to ruin such a wonderful day," Cadance sat down at the dining table, casually pulling herself a chair.

"Cadance. we need your help," Nightmare Moon decided not to stall. "We need your intel. We must know the exact situation in our land. We also ask for your permission to draw a more permanent teleportation circle in your palace."

"We also ask for access to your resources and your soldiers. We require aid to save my sister from the clutches of a militant cult," Celestia sat down across from Cadance.

Cadance made another pause before answering,
"So, if I heard you correctly. You came to me from the grave, demanding my help and not even offering anything in return? Nightmare Moon, I believe you are in no position to demand anything from me."

"That is in your interests as well, Cadance. Do you expect me to believe that you have no care for your own homeland?" Nightmare Moon paid no mind to Cadance's frank rudeness.

"Oh, we are far beyond reclaiming our homeland, Nightmare Moon. My soldiers will be of no use to you. You deal with much more than a single cult. Have you even been there?"

"I confess, we have not. We hoped to gather more information beforehand. Conducting blind reconnaissance by fire would be extremely risky."

"Tell me, Nightmare Moon, why have you come here? What is it you really want? Do you want your power back?" Daybreaker angrily growled, Nightmare Moon gave her sister a stare for good measure.

"Dear niece, what we want is to have Luna back. Coincidentally, my sister is holden by the great evil that we will be dismantling to reach her. In helping us, you will help yourself as well," Celestia calmly explained.

"If you wish to purge the evil from our homeland, you would need to make blood flow in rivers," Cadance said with a sigh. "Your cult is not the power in control there, it is a hooffull of extremists in a boiling ocean. To return your land, you must do more than just a purge, you would need to wage war! In years of your absence, no one reveres you any longer. You have no forces for that, have you?"

"Stop wasting our time, Cadance!" Daybreaker stomped on the floor. "Did you forget who you speak with?! You, a lowly mongrel, by some misconception taken for an heir, dare to talk down to the head of an illustrious noble dynasty that ruled the land long before your own bloodline even started!"

"Don't you dare to talk to her like this!" Shinning Armor finally did something other than just standing. Immediately all eyes were on him for speaking up.

"Oh, look at that. The little soldier finally found his gut!" Daybreaker grinned, glad to have another victim to tear up. "And here I was thinking that you were on a short leash. Well, what is it are you going to do, warrior?"

"Sister, cease at once!" Nightmare Moon cried out. "You will not humiliate a mare and her husband in their own home!" Daybreaker gave the brazen stallion another glare and turned away with a snarl.

"Now, Cadance, will you help us?" Nightmare Moon asked, her own patience running thin as well.

"I would've helped even Sombra if he said that he wants to stir that bog that our home has become," Cadance grimly said.

"That is likely what it will come to, niece," Celestia stated. "How much are you willing to do for us?"

"I won't send my people to fight your war," Cadance said straightly, indicating with her tone that she did not intend to argue. "I will provide weapons, however. I will also share what I could learn about them, but for that, you would need to see my daughter. Although I am loath to let you close to her."

"Cadance, you know I will do nothing to her, you have my word," Nightmare Moon spoke with reverence.

"I know, that is why I am even considering it," Cadance said coldly. "Only you two will come. I don't want this crowd bothering Flurry."

"Understood," Nightmare Moon promptly said. "Before we can go, Queen Sky Star is here for a less tense subject." On cue, Celestia stood up and stepped away from the table, and Sky Star hurriedly sat in her place.

"Greetings again, Your Highness. I am honored to have a chance to meet you," Sky Star tittered. Cadance gave Nightmare Moon a bewildered stare. Nightmare Moon pointed back at the Queen with her eyes.

"Well then, Your Majesty. I welcome you to Crystal Palace. What do you wish to discuss?"

"I would like to speak foreign relations, Your Highness. After Princess Twilight draws her teleportation circle, we could exchange embassies."

"Of course, Your Majesty!" the smile returned to Cadance's face. "I would be delighted to assist you. I would also be delighted to visit your realm as well. I've heard much about your mother's progress."

"My mother learned much from your esteemed aunt's lands, Your Highness. I would love to know you better as well, Princess," Sky Star ended with a strained smile.

"Of course!" Cadance beamed. "But I am afraid we would have to wait, I must attend to this matter first," Cadance glanced at Nightmare Moon. "I hope that won't be much of a mood killer."

"No, most certainly not!" Sky Star quickly assured. "After all, Lady Moon was the one who came to you and only took me along."

"I am grateful for your understanding. Now, I suppose the sooner we finish this matter, the quicker the two of us can begin. Now, shall we?"

"We are only waiting for you, Your Highness," Nightmare Moon said formally.

Cadance gave Sky Star a parting smile and stood up from the table, heading for the doors again. Celestia and Nightmare Moon quickly took flanking positions.

"Is she your new student, Nightmare Moon?" Cadance said as soon as they were out, without even a hint of warmness in her voice.

"In a sense," Nightmare Moon said after a short pause. "She was kind enough to offer us a haven and took upon herself the expanses. It was wrong to not offer anything in return. We have little now, so I offered my help."

"You are a demon that honors her agreements, I should have guessed," Cadance said bitterly. Nightmare Moon wanted to respond, but she had no rebuttal.

"How can your daughter help us, Cadance?" Nightmare Moon asked instead.

"She has the gift of divination," the answer was. "She is the source of most of the information that you ask for. Without her, I would've had to send my soldiers to scout."

"Little Flurry is a farseer. Flurry with a divination sphere wasn't the future I imagined when she still was in the crib," Celestia stated calmly.

"I always believed she would take after her father. If what I heard was correct, Shining tried to give his daughter as much time as she could spare from his soldiering. Cadance, how did this come to pass?"

"We are not completely sure. Flurry was growing up incredibly wise for her age, and she always studied well at school. She seemed to have a future as a scientist."

"Flurry a scientist, studying at school," Nightmare Moon reaffirmed disapprovingly. "I would not believe that you are so poor as to allow your own daughter to be taught in a regular school. Surely I must have misunderstood."

"We take pride in our education, Nightmare Moon," Cadance tried to sound calm, but the change in attitude was still apparent. "I raised its prestige by sending my own daughter to study with other foals."

"Now I see that it is you who misunderstands. This has nothing to do with education quality. Noble foals must never be allowed to mingle with the common citizenry, they would inevitably develop nasty habits associated with such company. Poor Flurry would disgrace you in public, much less with foreign dignitaries. By the way, her distinct absence makes the state of her upbringing glaringly obvious."

"Should I take this personally?" Cadance asked threateningly.

"Cadance, please show more restraint," Celestia quickly intervened. "You must remember that Nightmare Moon and I come from a much different age. In our time, it was considered essential for a house's good name for all its members to have only the most exquisite manners. What Nightmare Moon means to say is that Flurry might hurt your reputation unless she behaves properly." Nightmare Moon gave Celestia a grateful look.

"Moreover, I mean no insult to you personally. Celestia personally ensured that you were are taught proper manners, despite your own nobility being greatly watered down due to no fault of your own. I only wish to voice a concern, nothing more."

"I guess I should have expected this," Cadance gave in with a deep sigh. "You would've made a lot fewer mistakes if either of you had ve kept up with the changing times. We no longer measure merit in the purity of heritage and strict upbringing."

"Of course you don't, Cadance," Nightmare Moon answered with a chuckle. "How can you put a stake in such things if you yourself are not much different from the peasants that you lead?"

"You are completely and utterly right. I am not different from the people I lead and I pride myself on that," Cadance answered viperously. It was agreed that further discussion is pointless.

They could smell Flurry's room before they could see the door to Flurry's workshop. The smell of incense richly permeated the air, even in the corridors. With visible displeasure, Cadance knocked on the door.

"Flurry Heart! The guests are here!" she called loudly, but from inside there was not a single sound. Cadance waited a moment, before sighing and pushing the door open herself. Inside there was a small, circular room with pillows, burning candles and sticks of incense. The smoke inside was so thick that it rushed out like water. The walls were lined up with a series of menacing, ritualistic masks and posters, showing what could only be a band, albeit playing instruments Nightmare Moon had never seen in her life. Flurry Heart herself was sitting in the center of the room on a bloody-looking pentagram with a smooth, eyeless mask on her face, Nightmare Moon estimated her to just touch her tallest sister's chin if she stood up. The young Princess was writhing on the ground as if having a seizure.
"She is in trance again," Cadance stated as a matter-of-fact.

"Should we call help?" Celestia queried.

"No, she is rather easy to interrupt," Cadance answered, making a few confident steps to her daughter. Nightmare Moon used the moment to share a doubtful stare with Celestia. But Cadance quickly put her foreleg on Flurry's shoulder and began shaking her., Within a few seconds, Flurry responded by raising her forelegs to her head, and Cadance stopped.

"Mooom! Is it time for dinner so soon?" she asked in an amazingly childish manner, not befitting her age.

"Flurry, the guests are here," Cadance said sternly.

"Oh!" Flurry excitedly huffed and pulled her mask off. She blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted. "Hi!" she waved in greeting to the two senior mares, smiling radiantly. They exchanged looks again. "Oh, you look so beautiful in person, grandauntie!" Flurry excitedly said to Celestia, trotting to her, examining e her from head to hoof like a museum exhibition.

"Well, thank you..." Celestia recoiled slightly, being at a loss of words from at the young alicorn's nonchalant behaviour.

"Auntie, there is something I was dying to ask of you when I finally meet you," Flurry proclaimed. "What was the calendar day of your birthday?"

"Well... eh... I believe it was twenty-ninth. It was so long ago since the last time it mattered."

"Oooh! I knew it! It makes so much sense now," Flurry muttered.

"What does?"

"Oh, you'll see. I won't spoil the surprise, just know that it's your next birthday!" Flurry giddily said. "But anyway, I am so glad to see you again, auntie., I know that we are going to be the best of friends." Just like that, the excited Flurry was no longer interested in Celestia and turned to Nightmare Moon, who was already mentally preparing for what would come next...
“I waited so long to finally meet you!” Flurry all but squealed from excitement. “I am a fan!”
Cadance glared at her daughter.

“A fan, then?” Nightmare Moon reiterated with a note of suspicion.

“That means I like what you do! I heard so much good things” Flurry stuck in.

“Ehh… Fine then. And what is it you were told?”

“That you like books! Just like aunty Twilight!” The answer stunned the dark mare for awhile. Books? Her?
Nightmare Moon concluded that the Princess must be misinformed, but then Flurry spoke up again,
“That one you used to have in your room…” Flurry musingly scratched her chin, “For the life of me, can’t remember the name, such a tear-jerk. I loved that one too. Actually, maybe we could read it together sometimes? It would be the best, most nerdy, evening ever!” Celestia and Cadance both glanced over to the deathly quiet ghost of a mare. Nightmare Moon could only remember herself being at loss of words a few times in millenia and this one was fresh. She suspiciously narrowed her eyes, staring at the broadly grinning child before her.
Her hint was awfully specific. Unnervingly so. Nightmare Moon knew, of course, exactly which book Flurry talked about. The one she could know nothing about.

“...Yes, I seem to remember now. It is quite odd of you to pick your liking of that one in particular. I myself entirely forgot,” she lied. “Did Rarity tell you about my library?”

“Rarity? Noooo!” Flurry waved the notion away as something silly. “I never asked her, actually.”

“Then who?” Nightmare asked with growing interest. Flurry deepend her smile and fondled her featureless mask in her hooves.

“Meet Orioodloo! She has the best stories around!” It so happened that the name rang a bell.

“Orioodloo?” Nightmare repeated with deliberation. “Are you talking to imprisoned demons? Cadance, how come your only daughter does something so unbelievably reckless under your own roof?”

“My daughter is a seer, Nightmare,” Cadance brushed her off.

“Actually, I prefer ‘shaman’. And it’s not just demons. I talk to all kinds of spirits,” Flurry slowly waved across the wall, lined with masks. Hers was the only one perfectly smooth.
“Spirits know everything. You just need to ask them.”

“Everything then? So you are aware why we are here then.”

“Yep, and I can tell you from the start that you’ve wasted your time. I can tell you what you want to hear, but we both know that it won’t do you any good.”

“That is for me to decide, little Flurry. Mind your station.” To be entirely frank, the brazen manners that Flurry Heart displayed in her presence have made Nightmare Moon doubt the propriety of her upbringing even more. At this point Nightmare Moon was starting to contemplate punishing the insulent child herself if Cadance won't, the last thing stopping her was the fact that she was an heir to Cadance's house.

“Station?” Flurry asked in surprise. “Ohhhh! That, station! It’s funny that you should mention that,” musing expression returned to Flurry.

“I see nothing funny here, Flurry. It is quite unbecoming for the future head of the noble house to forget her position.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I just remembered another story from Ori here. She told me about someone who kept hearing the exact same thing,” Celestia suddenly tensed but said nothing. “Well, it doesn’t matter, I guess. Was a long time ago. Just trivia.” The hint provoked Nightmare to internally huff. Flurry knew and understood far too much about her, for Nightmare’s liking.
“Anyway,” Flurry was smiling again. “So, you wanted to know where Luna is, right? She’s in Las Pegasus, for how much good it would do for you. You know that chasing her now, when she knows that you are coming, would be a complete waste of everyone’s time.”

“Let’s not tell each other what we do and do not know, Flurry,” Nightmare Moon bit back her growing frustration of having to remind Flurry Heart who she was speaking to.

“Oh, I don’t presume to tell you what you know! I just state the fact!” Flurry defensively raised her forelegs. “But I’ll shut up now. So, now that you know what you wanted, what are you going to do?”

“What I am going to do, is not a concern of yours. In fact, I am beginning to think that this all was a waste of my effort. If you are a ‘shaman’ then give me the information I require.”

“Well, I could also tell you about political dispositions, troop strength, and the like, but I think you said that you don’t wanna bother with that anymore,” Flurry stared her directly in her eyes, waiting for an answer.
But Nightmare Moon was at a loss herself. Flurry was correct. Nightmare Moon didn’t want to fight a war. There was nothing left worth fighting for.
Flurry smiled, pleased with the produced result, “So, what would you have us do, Lady Moon?”

What a fright

"Why are we here?" Tiny asked. Nightmare was gone again and she was getting bored of sitting idly and waiting for her.

"Because Mistress said we should come," Shadow answered.

"But we don't do anything!" Tiny cried out.

"Don't question Mistress, Young Miss. If she told us to come it means this is where we are supposed to be." Tiny pouted. Shadow was getting frustratingly predictable, like waves she always sounded the same.

She didn't even have anyone to talk to! Twilight had the Queen and the handlers that led them into this hole had each other. The Prince quickly excused himself immediately after his wife was gone to not remain one on one with Daybreaker. The only one Tiny could talk to was Shadow, and talks with her always looped back to "Mistress". Tiny wondered if Shadow ever thought about anything not related to her. At least when Shadow incessantly made her practice something, Tiny didn't have the time to think about how bored she was.
The only other who didn't have anyone to talk to was Daybreaker. She just sat at the other end of the same table Tiny was sitting at, all alone, quietly looking down at the polished wood. She looked like one of those down on their luck ponies sitting in inns over their last cups. Tiny shuddered a little, remembering their last time together. Would she really dare to come to her on her own? Tiny gave Shadow a careful look, despite only looking down with one eye, Tiny didn't doubt that the changeling's full attention was solely on her.

"Can I go sit with my sister?" Tiny nodded at Daybreaker. Shadow's eye slowly blinked and dashed to Daybreaker, then back to Tiny. Shadow wasn't answering, as if silently asking: 'Are you sure?'

"Certainly," Shadow finally answered. Tiny smiled lightly and hopped down from her chair, if things go bad at least she could be sure that Shadow will help her. Tiny trotted along with the large table, she refused to hesitate like she usually did when she had to speak with her intimidating older sister, Daybreaker seemed like someone who would abhor indecisiveness. Tiny hopped on the closest free chair. Daybreaker turned her head slightly and stared at her for a moment before looking back down at the table. Tiny continued staring back, wondering what her sister was thinking just now. She didn't chase her away immediately, so probably nothing bad.

"You looked lonely..." Tiny mumbled apologetically.

"Amazingly perceptive," Daybreaker mumbled back. "Pushed to the sidelines with the rest of you by that hypocrite because my sister feels guilty. I was the one who was loyal, not her!" This was the first time Tiny ever heard Daybreaker openly express her dissatisfaction over Nightmare's actions. There was also something else that Tiny realized: Daybreaker trusted her!

"Nightmare and Celestia have an al... alliance," Tiny said with trouble. "Celestia wants Nightmare to help her have her throne back and Nightmare said no. Instead, Celestia told her that she will help if Nightmare lets her find her own help."

Daybreaker looked at Tiny in mild bewilderment,
"What would you know of Nightmare's arrangements?"

"I was there," Tiny shrugged. Daybreaker sighed and continued staring at her own reflection on the polished table.

"She talks freely with you in the earshot and me she sends away each time she needs to say something meaningful." Tiny awkwardly bit her lip but said nothing. "You know, when I was your age, I had so many plans for the future. I wanted to bring glory to my name and to have more lands under my rule than one map can show. I wanted ponies a thousand years later to tell their foals the stories about my deeds. Instead, I got this," Daybreaker shrugged in turn.
"My host turned out so strong-willed and uncooperative that I couldn't even have her talk to me. Celestia took pleasure in showing me every day what I could never have, she posed in front of the mirror every morning and stood at her balcony just a stitch longer every evening. She couldn't get rid of me, but she did absolutely everything she could to make sure I had it as unpleasant as I could have. I did all I could to show my more fortunate sister that I am loyal to her and not anyone else and she still mistrusts me!" Daybreaker raised her hoof to bang on the table but then stopped and put it down with a heavy sigh.
"And you? Who was your host?"

"He was an orphan foal with no one to look after him or even a home."

"You told us that already. Who was he really?" Tiny blinked in surprise. "Was he strong, or did you break him with no resistance? How did he treat you? Did you feel remorse over having to do this to him?"

"I didn't speak," Tiny explained. "I didn't even know I could. I waited until he felt bad and asked him to give in."

"So he showed no struggle in the end," Daybreaker said with disappointment. "Pity. When they resist, we can learn much about them and ourselves."

"Didn't you say that Celestia resisted?"

"Yes. Oh, how she resisted," Daybreaker sighed again. "Everything could've been different if that was where she stopped. The hypocrite doesn't practice the kindness that she preaches. I am so jealous of Nightmare. How two sisters could be so polarly different I would never understand."

"Were you friends?"

"With whom? With Luna? No, we weren't. We could have been if there was a little more time," Daybreaker added with rare sadness. "Celestia and Luna are different like Day and Night. Celestia burns like the sun and there is no place in her sight where you can feel comfort. Luna has her light too, but it's soft moonlight. Instead of blinding and burning, she softly welcomes you to any extent that you would like to give in to her."

"You must have liked her."

"There isn't a single creature in the land that wouldn't. I wish I had more time with her, but there will be more in the future," Daybreaker finished hopefully.
"I think I now understand why Nightmare doesn't want to burden herself with leadership any longer than necessary. Nightmare simply doesn't want to trade her happiness for power no longer." Tiny decided not to say anything further. Being silent could say more than words at times.

Tiny enjoyed this little talk with her sister. It turned out that she could be much milder when she felt like it. She wasn't exactly mean... it's just that she had to keep appearances up. She didn't have such presence as Nightmare did, so she had to compensate with aggression. Tiny saw things like that before, like when a worker tried to impress his friends after their shift. She bore witness to many fights that started out of a desire to seem more than they are. Tiny suddenly became curious, would either of her sisters approve of wanting more than is afforded to you?

Tiny glanced back at Shadow and the changeling was staring straight back at her. She probably hasn't moved her head since Tiny trotted off. The changeling slightly nodded to her, must be the display of approval.
The doors to the hall lightly creaked and Shadow quickly turned away to look. Through the narrow opening, a mare pushed in. She had a white, well-groomed coat with a purple mane and tail styled in elegant swirls. She was old enough for much of her hair to gray out, a fact she seemed to be not a bit shy to show.

"Rarity!" Twilight joyously exclaimed. The Princess abandoned her ongoing discussion with the Queen and was at the doors in two large leaps. "It's so good to see you again!"

The mare smiled sweetly,
"Oh, Twilight, you are just like I remember you! You still behave much younger than you are."

Twilight's giddiness changed to confusion,
"What?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"Twilight, dear, we are too old for such shows of affection. You will soon be older than any living pony from our generation."

"Oh, yes. You are right, Rarity. I am sorry. I saw you and I just forgot," Twilight awkwardly excused herself, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"It's quite alright, dear. I am glad to know that you still feel so young." Rarity gave everyone in the room a long look. The Queen gave her a smile. Daybreaker forced herself to follow the example but made no attempt to hide her own dark mood.
"Now who are you, sweety?" Rarity trotted straight to Tiny, bypassing everyone else in the room. "It can't be that you are a young Princess, can it?"

"Miss Rarity, this is Mistress' young sister," Shadow hurried to the rescue. "Let me introduce Miss Tiny."

"Oh, it's lovely to meet you, Tiny! Oh... wait a moment. Shadow, dear, didn't you just say that she was a sister? Oh, well. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Rarity gave Tiny an appraising look. "Well, we could do something with you, I suppose. With a dress and a long mane we would make you look like a lady in no time at all... even if an unusually bulky one. Now then, you owe me a really long story, I think!"

"You would need to wait for Her Majesty for that, Rarity," Twilight interjected.

"Why, don't be silly, Twilight! We can have enough firsthoof accounts. I am sure she won't mind if we start without her."

Tiny heard Daybreaker behind her loudly sigh.

"Well, I suppose the first thing Lady Moon would want you to know is that she doesn't intend to re-assume her responsibilities," Sky Star took the word.

"Oh, that, yes. Flurry said as much. It was quite a mood killer, let me tell you. There are many still waiting for her to return."

"Such a strong sense of loyalty you all display. I wonder what one would do to earn it?" Sky Star asked Rarity directly, plunging her into deep thought for a long moment.

"I suppose it rises naturally from experience, dear. Her Majesty is a great mare and can inspire others by simply being who she is. She can be both strong and gentle depending on what is required more. She is kind and generous, while at the same time having an unparalleled knowledge of political workings, in both our and foreign countries. She is also a warrior and a leader of fighting ponies, always having a close connection to them."

"You make it sound like she has no flaws," Sky Star pointed out. "Surely, you must be idealizing her."

Rarity gently smiled,
"Of course, she has flaws, dear. Her flaw is that she is a person. She has feelings and wants. It is empowering to know that in ways that matter the Princesses are no different from the rest of us. They are what any of us can become. In a sense, they are our people's personification.
"Her Majesty is a particularly powerful example to follow because she used to be a terrible villain. Now she uses her experience and talents to protect us, rather than to harm." Rarity stopped in thought,
"Oh! How could I forget! It's Nightmare Night, her holiday! We absolutely must get ahold of her for tonight!" Daybreaker loudly dropped on the table.

"What is Nightmare Night?" Sky Star tilted her head.

"It's-"

"Twilight, dear! Let this be a surprise," Rarity quickly silenced the Princess, smiling slyly. "Now, I want to know everything about what you've been doing! Starting with Princess Daybreaker!"

The mare perked up upon hearing her own name,
"I've been literally living on a large rock. I have no stories to tell you," she answered without hiding her exhaustion.

"Uhhmm... Perhaps not. Shadow, would you tell?"

"I am pleased to report Lady Daybreaker was working on herself," Shadow immediately ratted her out. "The Lady adopted spiritual practices to keep in control of her emotions."

"That is wonderful!" Rarity beamed. "There is never too much self-betterment."

"Her desire to be alone was not honored, however. Soon other sisters came searching for guidance, but the Lady always rebuked them until now."

"Rebuked? Oh, that must have been hard for the poor dears!" Rarity compassionately noted. "Would those ponies who came with you happen to be..?"

"Yes, Miss. Most of them are Her Majesty's sisters. They found us again when we were on our journey and she allowed them to follow her here. They were beyond happy to have a leader."

"That is bemusing. Her sisters weren't eager to obey her before," Rarity remembered. "Something must have changed."

"I believe they are either unaware of Mistress' past or they prefer her over the absence of any direction at all."

"Uhmm... No, I think it is something else entirely. Say, dear, is there anything different about Majesty herself? Besides her being incorporeal that is."

"Mistress seems to be less certain of herself now," Shadow confessed after a short moment of hesitation. "She leads reluctantly and with visible displeasure."

"Displeasure? Can it be so that Her Majesty voices it?"

"She does," Shadow only said and stood still. Rarity squinted her eyes at the changeling. It was many years since she last saw her, but talking to her was something she could never forget. Shadow did not like verbal communication, for the lack of better words. She was tense, her eyes were focused solely on Rarity and she refused to elaborate. Without saying a word, Rarity stepped closer, bringing her head close for the Changeling to reach. "Mistress says she won't retake her throne," Shadow whispered into Rarity's ear with so much held back fear and heartache that Rarity never heard her express before. Rarity gave her a worried look, it was a privilege to be trusted enough to see what the stoic Shadow really feels, but something that could make even her worry for her Mistress must be dire.

"Aawww, don't fret, darling! She's a big filly, she'll find her way," Rarity then offered Shadow a hug, to her surprise she accepted.

Tiny looked at the tender display in amazement. Shadow could, in fact, trust someone who wasn't Nightmare Moon. The embrace soon ended with Shadow letting go. She did not look much different, but she was less tense.

"Shadow, dear, you should also come with us," Rarity said with a wide smile. "Your darling fillies would be absolutely delighted to see you. I'd have you know that they decided to not live separately any longer. They have a cute house behind the city square. The one that has the statue on it. Oh! Did you by any chance bring Spikey?"

"We did, Miss. He remained with the rest of the caravan," Shadow answered.

Rarity literally hopped in place from giddiness,
"Oh, he must be so handsome now! Shadow, do you think he'll like my new style? Too bad I only conditioned my mane once."

"I am sure Sir Spike will be absolutely swept away with your beauty," Shadow complimented, even sporting a very slight smile on her lips.

Rarity continued to chat about nothing in particular for a while longer. Tiny could still gather some useful information from her train of thought. It seems that Crystal City has since become a hub of technology and progress, but most of its advancements remain in the laboratories. Tiny didn't understand why something as simple as an electric wrench couldn't be mass-produced, but it seemed that without someone's direct interest, nothing could advance here. The exception was military technology. The changelings, even though there weren't many of them left, were fiercely militant and continuously put effort into producing weapons and war engines. Crystal ponies did not exactly appreciate their neighbors' violent tendency, but Princess Cadance chose to take no action, opting to apparently simply wait them out. Tiny asked Rarity what that meant, but the mare bit her lip and said that she'll tell that story some other time.
Then the royal mares returned.

Cadance opened a single door and gloomily stepped in, going straight for her throne. Her head was hanging, her mane draped over her neck like a towel. She sat up on her throne and covered her face with her hooves. Tiny looked back just in time to see Celestia and Nightmare Moon coming in as well. There also was a tall mare Tiny didn't know just yet. She immediately began scanning the hall and then centred her look on Tiny herself. She then grinned widely and quickly began trotting directly to her, avoiding even looking at anyone else in the hall.

"Hi, Tiny! You don't even know how long I've wanted to meet you!" She eagerly held out her hoof to Tiny. She looked at the outstretched hoof then glanced back up at the mare, but decided to reciprocate. After they bumped hooves, the mare put her hoof back on the ground and sat on the chair next to Tiny. She then looked at Daybreaker over Tiny's head with a look as if she just remembered she was there. "Oh, hi, Daybreaker. I am Flurry!" Daybreaker quirked her brow and said nothing. Flurry didn't seem to mind and focused on Tiny again, "I wanna talk to you about so much, but first things first: How're your teleports doing?" Tiny's eyes widened in shock at the question but quickly narrowed down to the stare of wary suspicion. "I know this sounds out of nowhere, but I really need to know. Pretty please?" Flurry gave Tiny a disarming smile.

"I did?" Tiny said, still wary of the alicorn towering over her.

"What? You learned teleportation spells?!" Daybreaker cried out behind her. "N-!"

"Please-please, don't tell her just yet!" Flurry quickly silenced the mare by shoving her hoof into her opening mouth. Daybreaker did indeed quiet down and she looked as if her brows were about to run to her scalp. Flurry continued as quickly as she could talk, "I know that you want to explode right now but listen to me both of you! Tiny you need to stop doing your practice. Yes, that's what your sisters would've told you anyway but for a different reason! Well, not totally, it's still dangerous just in a different way. Look you are being tracked. Starlight Glimmer remember? She's really mad at how you dragged her through the dirt in front of her minions and she wants you all-"

"Insolent whelp!" Daybreaker finally managed to push Flurry's leg out of her mouth, having to resort to shoving her roughly. "How dare you to put your filthy-"

"Daybreaker!" Nightmare Moon bellowed. Daybreaker shrank as her imperious sister advanced on her. "Don't you dare to raise your voice on our hosts, this is my last warning to you. What is your excuse?"

Daybreaker suddenly pointed at Tiny,
"She learns teleportation spells!" the mare said with the look of a schoolfilly telling on her classmate cheating at a test.

"No, I don't!" Tiny contradicted without thinking. "How would I do that? It isn't in the textbook," she quickly found a plausible-sounding lie.

"Ah, Mistress! Miss Tiny did no such thing, I have been with her since we arrived at Queen Novo's castle," Shadow suddenly stepped in front of Nightmare Moon. "She was very well behaved and took to her etiquette lessons quite well." The evening was still young and it seemed it was not done surprising Tiny yet. Shadow just told a half-truth to her Mistress.

Nightmare Moon gave everyone a stern glare, stopping on Tiny,
"I better not find out anything about this, young lady. I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous it is for an amateur to dabble in teleportation magic."

"But what about my lessons? You promised to teach me," Tiny asked pleadingly.

"I can't spare time to do so presently," Nightmare Moon rigidly told her off.

"Let me! I'll teach her!" Flurry eagerly volunteered, reminding her that she was indeed still there.

"You?" Nightmare Moon asked in bemusement. "What would you teach her, I wonder? You are hardly an archmage at such a young age."

"Well, I could teach her how to hide that-you-know-what, for one! So that everypony stops confusing her with a stallion. Besides, I am forty-eight!"

"Is that to be considered a mark of responsible age nowadays? Even your mother is only approaching her hundredth year. I would not expect you to fully understand the gravity of your duties until you have ruled a land for at least as much. Sister, would you?"

"Teach her?" Daybreaker glared down at Tiny. "What did I do to earn such a punishment, sister?"

"Tis no punishment, dear Daybreaker. There is simply no one else available. Twilight is needed elsewhere, while you cannot possibly expect Cadance to be of any help. She is your sister, after all. If she displeases you, perhaps you could rectify that."

"But she isn't even an alicorn! Sister, we are wasting our time lugging her with us, much less attempting to educate her in our ways. She doesn't take to your lessons because she can't!"

"Yet she proved you wrong, didn't she? She already started mastering teleportation spells. It is unheard of to even attempt such a feat at her age. Do not understate her potential so."

"But... I..." Daybreaker failed to find further excuses and hang her head in defeat. "Yes, sister," she mournfully agreed.

"Good. Now, we have more to discuss. As I already told Cadance and the Queen, we must prepare to fight. I wished to avoid harming anyone, but it seems that the situation is out of our hooves now. We will need help to find our dear sister again and that would mean that we would inevitably come in contact with more of Ivory Crescent. According to what Twilight could gather, they are as militant as ever, but now there is also a good reason. They themselves are extremely strained as they are forced to clash with the official powers of our homeland. From what Flurry told me, it seems that we should not expect a pleasant time either. We must gather those of my soldiers who are still willing and able to fight for us. Cadance promised to share equipment with us."

"Do you plan to fight a war with only your old guards? Sister, but this is madness. We would be lucky to gather a hundred of them. They are doubtlessly great warriors, but their skills couldn't have remained as sharp as they used to be after this much time."

"That is exactly true, my sister. That is why I intend to avoid fighting head-on. Sometimes, to win one must simply lie and wait. Our weapons shall be stealth and precision, rather than brute force. Perhaps we won't even need a hundred."

"Would I not be of more use to you in the fray instead of back here?" Daybreaker made one last attempt to wiggle away from her unwanted pupil.

"As I said, sister: Stealth. You would attract too much attention to us. I understand your desire to be at the spearhead, but you are far too precious to risk. I would never forgive myself if another one of my sisters died due to my failures. I am your sister and I shall protect you."

"I obey your wisdom," Daybreaker said breathlessly, bowing her head.

"Now, we have much to do. I shall speak to the changelings first. I expect we could be certain that at least some of them would fight for us, even if only out of boredom. They may very well become our most capable troopers."

"Your Majesty!" Rarity finally spoke. "I realize how busy you must be, but could you perhaps spare a moment?" Nightmare Moon quickly turned to look for her.

"Rarity! Oh, dear-dear Rarity! What are you standing there, so quietly, for? I imagined I would have to find you myself! Wait, no, irrelevant! Tell me, how are you doing now?"

"Splendidly, Your Majesty!" Rarity happily smiled. "Oh... I-I am sorry, I forgot for a moment," Rarity lost her smile.

"Don't even mention it. I never knew how pleasant dying could be. You should try it sometimes. Say, what do you do now?"

"Well, I... I have a theater," Rarity needed a moment to find herself again.

"A theatre? Oh, you must be the primary costume designer. Your actors are no doubt dashing."

"Yes... they are. But, Your Majesty, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about. Do you know what day it is?" Rarity smiled widely again.

"It is the... Oh... Oh, my night," Nightmare Moon looked suspiciously. "Rarity, you have plans for tonight, don't you?"

"I may have," Rarity pointedly glanced at Tiny.

"There, darlings! Take your pick," Rarity threw open a door revealing racks of clothes. Tiny could barely catch her jaw in time. The room could possibly make for a workshop for a dozen blacksmiths working side by side, filled to the sealing with racks upon racks of hanging cloth. Gowns, suits, transparent masks, more of what she didn't even know the names of. There were even old-style armors there with colorful feathers atop.

"Rarity, I never doubted your creative eye, but don't you think that is a little excessive?" Nightmare Moon asked, staring at the warehouse-sized wardrobe with the same amazement as Tiny.

Rarity slightly blushed,
"I just can't bring myself to throw these away. We even use some again from time to time."

"And you cannot package them more compactly because you are afraid they might suffer damage. I suppose I should have expected it. Well now... I don't suppose any of you have any desire to participate?" Nightmare Moon turned to her, by now, rather expansive party.

"Totally! Aunty Rarity has the best Nightmare Night costumes!" Flurry giddily grinned.

"Just remember what we talked about, dear."

"No possessed masks," Flurry drearily echoed. "But it would be more fun that vway, I could learn where the meanest party would be," she tried to protest anyway.

"Yes, dear, but you also get lost while wearing them. It wouldn't be nice to have to search for you around the city, would it?"

"That time I lost you because I got distracted! I told you already! Besides, it was only once."

"I... don't want to tell your mother that I lost you the second time, Flurry," Rarity explained straightly.

"I am not ten years old anymore either."

"To your mother, you will always be ten years old, Flurry," Rarity put down a period. "Now, who wants to be a scary wraith?"

"Rarity, would I qualify?" Nightmare Moon teasingly asked.

"Oh, oh! I am sorry Your Majesty! Perhaps we should find a different costume this year instead."

"Rarity, would you, please, stop calling me that? My name is more appropriate now." Rarity seemed to stagger for a moment.

"Nightmare..." she experimentally tried the new name. "Oh, that feels so weird to say."

"Rarity, we are too old for meaningless titles. And I must say, I never had an opportunity to celebrate my own night. I am looking forward to seeing how ponies venerate me these days."

"Oh, yes!" Rarity said with an excited shudder. "We have costume parties, foals go door to door to get candy sacrifices to put at your idol, scary cafe menus, spookhouses and much more! Ponies come up with new ways to celebrate every year! It is so lovely that Princess Cadance introduced crystal ponies to the tradition. I am sure they will be delighted to have you!"

Tiny was still skeptical about the whole arrangement, but some of the things Rarity listed did sound fun to do. She just hoped that she wouldn't look like a fool in her costume.

Tiny ended up choosing the Timberwolf costume. Tiny never saw a Timberwolf in her life and when she asked, she was told that Timberwolves are magical beasts made of wood. To Tiny it sounded ridiculous, but the costume was actually cool. It was very soft and warm, unlike the actual Timberwolf. Rarity told her that she made the costume for a play but it wasn't popular enough to be performed regularly.
Flurry got a dragon costume. It didn't look like Spike though.
Nightmare Moon even got her sister to dress up, although it took much convincing, looking for a costume to fit her and in the end, it would still be a hefty understatement to say that she was unsatisfied. Her costume was one of a large goose, which Nightmare greatly enjoyed looking at.
Twilight didn't come, saying that she was going to get Spike and catch them later. Tiny was actually curious what kind of costume she would've picked.
Shadow didn't show any desire to partake, and it wouldn't have changed anything if she did.
The Queen had herself a griffon beak, which surprisingly made her look rather convincingly from the front.
Finally, Rarity herself didn't wear anything either and only smiled mysteriously when Nightmare asked her about it.

They had to wait a few hours for the evening. Rarity had them all treated to a meal in a cafe next-door to her theater. The staff was only two ponies and seemed nice. Though they were bewildered to suddenly serve nobility dressed in ridiculous costumes. Daybreaker didn't appreciate them, Nightmare gave thanks on her behalf.

As promised, Twilight found them with Spike in tow. Twilight's costume was less extravagant. She wore a purple jacket, like those that Queen's soldiers did, but hers had moon regalia.

"Oh! Twilight, Spike! So glad you made it!" Rarity happily trotted over. Rarity enthusiastically studied the dragon's large body, "Spikey-Wikey! How big you have gotten! Surely, you didn't let your size make you less of a gentlecolt."

"Uhh... Hello to you too, Rarity. Long time no see, hope you've been well and all that."

"Ugh! Too long! Twilight, dear, why did you have to stay at that [dreadful/i] place? So much dust, not a single window, dampness! I am glad you at least managed to save some of your garderobe. Although I must say, it doesn't fit you too well anymore!" Rarity was visibly stricken.

"That is why it makes a great costume," Twilight smiled. "I just wish I had some medals to pin on it, would've been even better."

"Now, Twilight, medals are not for pinning on costumes," Nightmare Moon quickly contradicted. "Awards are to demonstrate our appreciation to soldiers that fight for us. They are no toys and are to be treated with reverence."

"I know, but... I am sorry, I should've known better than to say that aloud. So, can we go now? Ponies already walk about and I really missed Nightmare Night."

"I would have to agree with Twilight. We don't have this holiday in Seaquestria," Queen Sky Star spoke up for the first time in what felt like hours to Tiny.

"Well then, I suppose there is no harm in beginning early," Nightmare caved in. "Let's head out."

"Just one moment, please!" Rarity asked, running off to the restroom. Rarity returned in a few minutes dressed in a luxurious satin dress, adorned with feathers and completed with a mask topped with a similar feather crest.

The following night was both confusing and exciting at the same time for Tiny. It was fun, or something close to being fun. The first couple hours they were looking for someplace where Nightmare and Daybreaker could stay while others go around, that's what Flurry told her later anyways. Apparently, neither one of them wasn't very keen on going around the town. They did have at least some fun though, because when Tiny next saw them, Daybreaker was all red with punch and Nightmare was in the most gleeful mood Tiny ever saw her. She almost regretted she didn't stay to see what Nightmare had made her do. Other ponies seemed to be entirely friendly with the two sisters, coming to make their acquaintance, although Daybreaker was even more irritable than usual and that quickly discouraged them.

The rest of them, excluding Shadow, went after Flurry, who promised to 'Show them what's this Nightmare Night thing all about.' What it was about was them walking through the city door to door singing 'Nightmare Night, what a fright.' Well, it wasn't really a fright, to be honest. Tiny knew the mare to whom this night was dedicated. Nightmare was sweet and only occasionally scary.
Tiny asked Flurry about the rhyme and Flurry said that it was a belief that when Nightmare Moon will return, she would bite you if you won't give her something better. It was long since nobody believed it literally but ponies still kept doing it because it was fun. Queen Skystar said that it was a fascinating tradition. Tiny still felt stupid in her costume and while singing the rhyme, but doing it together helped. Ponies usually focused on Spike, he repeated his name at least a dozen times to different ponies throughout the night. Twilight said that Spike was something of a celebrity in the Crystal Empire, he even opted to go without a costume for that reason, aswell as there being no costume that could be made to suit his bulk in a timely fashion.

"...And then I threw them to the dungeon! Deep and soggy, dark and gloomy. Never to be seen again and their screams echo through the halls for eternity!" Nightmare Moon continued quietly, "My bounty is due again tonight, whom shall I drag underground this time?" Ponies erupted in applause. Nightmare Moon gave Daybreaker, covered in red liquid, a teasing glance.
"Did you have fun?" Nightmare Moon asked the crowd. "Be quick, while the Night is still young, you have time to gather your tribute still." The ponies then gradually dispersed, some staying for a moment later to leave Nightmare some of their candy.

"I see you are having fun yourself, Moony!" Flurry nonchalantly said, coming straight to the ghostly mare.

Nightmare Moon jerked,
"Flurry, not in public." Tiny couldn't help but smile. "But yes, this celebration is enjoyable. Rarity, I hope you won't be too morbid on account of my sister's costume," Nightmare Moon snickered, giving Daybreaker another teasing glance. "And you, have you had fun?"

"Oh, it was great! Sky Star has a great singing voice." The remark made the Queen suddenly gag on her salvia. "Tiny here seems to be a bit apprehensive."

"I dunno, Flurry, I didn't notice her doing anything unusual," Spike scratched the back of his head. "She just seems a little detached most of the time, that's all."

"Spike, she's right there," Twilight whispered loudly.

"I feel stupid," Tiny said, wanting to get on with it.

"Why so, little sister? Didn't you enjoy having candy?"

"Candy is nice. But this costume is stupid, ponies laugh at me!"

Tiny watched the adults exchange a series of looks.

"Sweety, nobody laughs at you," Rarity gently smiled. "Ponies dress in funny costumes not to laugh at each other, but to laugh together, to have fun."

"Yes, little sister. No one mocks you. If anything, you look adorable."

"Can we go back to camp?" Tiny asked, eager to end the conversation.

"Camp? What camp?" it then dawned on Rarity exactly what Tiny wanted to go back to. "No, this won't do! This will absolutely not do! You won't live in tents if I can say anything about it! I will have Cadance provide you with rooms in her palace and I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

"Rarity, she already did," Nightmare Moon quickly stepped in. "That was one of the very first things we were offered. It's just that my sister seems to be a little attached to the road."

"Well, in that case, I suppose I'll see you there. Oh, and don't be strangers!" Rarity then radiantly smiled and headed off in the direction of her theatre, forgetting entirely about the rest of the costumes.

Family Day

"I will not hear of it!" Nightmare Moon asserted. "You must see your own daughters, my Shadow!"

"Mistress, it will be easier if I don't..." Shadow meekly protested. The idea of coming face-to-face with her own drones, especially after this much time, was making her anxious beyond belief.

"I said, no! My Shadow, I understand that you are afraid of what they could say to you, or even what you might learn about them after so many years. But it is wrong for a mother to be kept from foals. I will not stand for keeping you away from them more than is necessary." Shadow visibly shrank but dared not to contradict her Mistress directly. Mistress still gave her a sympathetic look before shifting her attention to Rarity.
"Have her meet them alone and let no one interfere. Celestia and I will spend most of the day inspecting what Cadance has offered us. You will have plenty of time."

"Of course," Rarity bowed her head lightly. "They should both be at home. Tibia works from home and Grossa is freshly out of work."

"Then I suggest you hurry before any one of them steps out," Nightmare Moon concluded.

"Let's go, dear," Rarity nudged Shadow in her shoulder. Shadow gave her Mistress a final pleading look, but Nightmare Moon stared her back. "Don't worry, darling. You have wonderful, sweet girls," Rarity tried to soothe her. It helped a little. Shadow loved her drones, of course she did. That is exactly why she was so anxious.
Rarity half-dragged her outside the palace and across the square to a stubby house, but that's how they had to go, as her mind was in a haze of memories the whole way. The house looked quaint, she supposed. Tibia must have picked up housecare as well.
"Well, go on, Darling, knock," Rarity nudged her towards the house. Shadow uneasily made a few steps and looked back at Rarity. Rarity radiantly smiled back at her. Shadow looked at the pavement in front of her, it was cobble; just like it used to be in the Palace quarter in Canterlot. Steeling herself, Shadow walked the rest of the way to the door. It was an oddly plain door. A simple, smooth door you could find in a bathroom. It had a recent layer of paint to it, blue. Slowly, Shadow lifted her leg to knock, she noticed herself trembling. She shook her head and made her hoof finally connect with the door. For the moment, nothing happened, no steps, no voices. Shadow wanted to knock again, but then the door silently opened. She was greeted with a petite changeling in a green sweater, whom she recognized as Tibia, her daughter. Her mouth fell slightly open as if she was trying to process who she was looking at.

"M-mom?" Tibia finally asked.

"Hello... Tibia," Shadow greeted her daughter.

"Mom!" Tibia lunged forward, embracing her. Shadow didn't resist her daughter's affection. Tibia eventually let her go and looked back over her shoulder, "Grossa, come! Mother is here!"

"You live in a nice home..." Shadow noted aloud. It did sound awkward, but staying there quiet was worse.

"Oh? Ah, this... I got it from an old couple when they moved closer to their children." Shadow nodded contently. She was glad for Tibia; ponies didn't like changelings, usually enough to turn off their money. "Oh! Rarity!" Tibia was now looking past her.

"Hello to you too, Darling!" Rarity trotted closer, wearing her usual smile.

Shadow wasn't looking; she stared past Tibia. Grossa, her much bulkier daughter, stood on the stairs, staring back at her. They stared at each other for a moment longer, but Grossa submissively lowered her eyes just before her stare could be considered a challenge.

"Welcome, mother," she said flatly.

Shadow always felt that Grossa, out of all her daughters, understood her the most. Despite their physical difference, the two of them were alike the most. That is why Shadow knew that there could be no reconciliation now; she knew she wouldn't have forgiven in place of her daughter.

Tibia released her by then and Grossa slowly made her way down and came close to Shadow. Not a single thing changed in the daughter's expression since she stopped talking. Grossa eventually came to stand before her mother and then she tensed, and deliberately slowly embraced Shadow, and much less forcefully than her sister did. Shadow endured it before Grossa pulled back.

"Will you grace us by coming to our home, mother?" Grossa asked formally, almost sarcastically. Shadow sighed and said nothing while moving past Grossa. Her daughters walked inside behind her. Rarity also came in, although she was treated as if she wasn't there.

No one spoke for a long while. Shadow explored her daughters' house in almost complete silence. She didn't say it, but she had mixed feelings about it. The house was clean and orderly, but no one who ever saw inside could believe that ponies lived here. Changeling's mind was prone to obsessions. The fact which their upbringing relied upon. The perfect order and cleanliness were already enough to bewilder ponies, yet what gave it away entirely is that the house was devoid of color. The rooms were painted with clean shades of white and gray. Those were easy to clean.

"I am sorry, mom," Tibia said behind her. "I didn't know you'd be coming today. If I had, I would've washed the floors one more time."

"Is this all your work, Tibia?" Shadow began to slowly walk towards the door her other daughter left through.

"Mostly, yes. Grossa is rarely at home," Tibia looked down on the floor, hiding her eyes. "She doesn't have a stable job."

Shadow slowly blinked,
"Thank you for sparing your sister of having to tell me this. Do ponies treat you fairly?"

"They do, mother. At least they don't restrict us in any way. Grossa prefers it this way."

"Do you work?"

"Yes, mother. I am an architect at a bureau."

Shadow stood quietly, contemplating. Grossa concerned her. She was glad for her darling daughters to have something she never could, but Grossa struggled with precisely that. Shadow even knew why.

"Mother? Did I displease you?" Tibia asked with the same worried voice she always did. It was so-so long the last time Shadow heard her. Shadow briefly glanced at Rarity, who was trying her best to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"No, Tibia. You did well. You did very, very well," Shadow thought that she should say more, but she didn't know how. "Let's go find your sister now."

Tibia silently went for the door, opening it for Shadow. It was the kitchen. Grossa was spreading red tablecloth on a round, wooden table. Tibia probably wasn't the one buying the day they got the cloth. Shadow spotted Rarity hesitating before coming in. Shadow found this endearing of her. Rarity could never resist finding out everyone's secrets, but she still was reluctant to stick her nose into Shadow's affairs. She still did not take the hints, though.

"Rarity," Shadow turned to the unicorn in the door. "Could you please stand outside for a moment?" Rarity looked at Shadow as if she just gotten slapped across her muzzle. Shadow simply made Rarity back out, and then she closed the door. She would, of course, still eavesdrop, but at least she wouldn't be in the room. When she turned back, she was met with her daughters' prying eyes.

They had another chair ready for her. It was a wooden, minimalist chair like the ones they had back in the army.
"Well, mother," Grossa began as soon as Shadow settled down, "are you staying for long?" Tibia immediately shot her sister a cautious glance, but the bulky drone didn't seem to mind, or notice.

"My mistress has business here," Shadow honestly answered.

"Lady Rarity told us," Grossa said without emotion, clearly having expected a different answer. "I considered volunteering, but that now seems redundant with you already being here."

"Mom, what Grossa wants to say is that we missed you," Tibia said flatly. "We thought that you would finally be back with us, but then you disappeared again."

"That was unfortunate, yes," Grossa agreed. Her daughters then silently stared at her.

Shadow took a deep breath. She knew, exactly, what her daughters expected her to say, and it filled her with dread. How could one say to her own daughters that she had something more important than them?

"I had a duty to my mistress. I had to be away." Grossa sharply looked away in disappointment.

"That's what you said," Grossa reminded. "That's what you said before you went on your mission too."

Shadow took a step back to reconsider, for Grossa was right. That's what she said more than once before, and it was an unsatisfying non-answer as ever. Shadow sank in her chair, she wanted to, but she had nothing else to say.

"Mother, would you sit?" Grossa pointed at the third, still unoccupied chair.

Slowly, with even clicks of her legs on the floor, Shadow hesitantly approached her seat. It was no landmine. She slowly sat down.

"Mother, forgive me for rushing, but is there a specific reason for you to come for us?" the larger one of her daughters has run out of patience.

"Grossa!" Tibia glared.

"My Mistress ordered me to," Shadow answered simply and truthfully. Both of her daughters stared at Shadow blankly.

"I suppose I should have expected that," Grossa sighed. "But then, she is our Mistress too. I've heard she prefers 'Empress'. Tell us, Mother, perhaps we should join her?"

"No!" Shadow shot up. "No," she said more deliberately.

"No?" Grossa reiterated.

"Grossa, I think it's enough for now. Give mom a little space, will you?" Tibia came to halt the conversation before it could proceed any further.
Shadow breathed a sigh of relief. Tibia knew how to help. Shadow would rather not speak on this to her daughters, never.

The awkward silence hung in the air. Shadow's mind naturally wandered back to her Mistress. Why did she have to subject Shadow to this suffering... It would've been so much easier if she didn't have to see them again. Grossa wanted to hear something specific. Tibia did as well, even though she hid it. They wanted to hear why did she leave them behind, twice at that. There was an answer. An answer deeply disappointing to them; an answer, that made Shadow wallow in shame every time she had thought of this moment. They were wonderful daughters and they made Shadow truly proud with how they turned out... they didn't deserve to hear these words.

"Why did she tell you to come?" A fair question. Shadow could only look down, avoiding her daughter's eyes. "You obviously didn't want to," Grossa continued. "What did she want you to say?" Shadow knew but refused to believe it. Mistress couldn't be so cruel to her; she must have had something else in mind. Grossa stared at her fruitlessly for a while longer, not a single muscle moved under her shell's plates, but her patience was already thin. Grossa sharply stood up and went straight for the closed door. The burly drone yanked the door open, almost making Rarity fall headfirst in the opening. Grossa was visibly surprised at her shamelessly eavesdropping, but it was over as soon as Rarity's cheeks showed the first color.
"Where is she?" Grossa asked, her tone tired and showing no desire for arguing.

"W-who?" Rarity breathlessly asked.

"You know who. Tell me."

"L-lady is unavailable at the moment..."

"She'll make time for us, trust me. If my mother won't say why she came, then I would have to ask Mistress and you are going to help me."

The Royal Inspection

Nightmare Moon was pleasantly surprised, a more and more common occurrence recently. Cadance promised arms... but what that actually entailed was far more than mere handguns and ammunition. As soon as she met the contact Cadance offered her, she and Celestia were led through warehouses and hangers with enthusiasm similar to what Rarity would have in a boutique at the season's opening. Innovative firearms, explosives, vehicles, even aircraft were shown to her by eager, changeling-dominated, staff. "Warrior-Queen" they whispered reverently as they were guided throughout the area. Perhaps she had chosen the wrong people to lead, she even allowed herself a thought. Then, as a dreary reminder, she noticed that every young soldier she saw was female; they were the last ones of their kind to be born.

The innovative aircraft were what caught her most intense attention. There was one that she saw once already. It was a refined variant of what engineers in Manehattan built during her rule to improve troops' mobility, a machine using the large, vertical blade to hover and fly. But there was another machine, so much more interesting to her. Apparently, when she was gone, a new propulsion engine was invented. She never said it to anyone, but flying machines had a humbling effect on her. She could fly too, even faster than any machine of her time, but even she could tire. Great bombers of her Air Force never did. They flew thousands of times of what a pegasus could while carrying many tons of explosives aboard. When she saw the new jet engine mounted on a much smaller aircraft, she was convinced that the machine had entirely won the sky at last. The unparalleled speed with which the plane was propelled forward left her in a state of awe. The first such occasion in many a century. The plane climbed at a rate completely impossible for any flying machine or creature she saw previously and then dropped, gaining so much speed that Nightmare Moon saw air bending around it. She was told that it could fly even faster than that, faster than sound travelled. She believed them.

"Impressive," Celestia said aloud. "Are you done sightseeing yet?"

Nightmare Moon gave Celestia a mildly surprised look,
"Wasn't it, you, who wanted troops?"

"Not to stare at, most definitely."

Nightmare Moon turned away. Celestia was right, of course, she was,
"Major, enough with the devices. Show me your champions," she addressed the elderly changeling who was showing her around. There used to be a whole crowd of them; even her former Captain, whom she entirely forgot about, suddenly wanted to escort her around, which she allowed for a time; Nightmare Moon only asked for the highest-ranking changeling to come; she always hated crowds.

"Champions?" the changeling was vividly surprised. "Do you wish to inspect troops, my Lady?"

"Not troops. You must have some formation consisting of your best soldiers."

"That would be the rangers, Lady."

Nightmare Moon remembered this name, she read about them a few times in reports,
"Now that is a name I didn't expect to ever hear again. Are they still the same as they were during our war?"

"The personnel has changed."

"I suppose..." Nightmare Moon fell deliberately silent. "Are they available?"

"They always are, Lady. I'll pass the word right now if that pleases you," Major pulled on his remarkably tiny radio, that was pinned to his shirt. "Watchtower here, Lady wants to see Crossbow. Prepare for inspection. Out." Major then let his radio go, "Right this way, please."

The soldiers that Nightmare Moon asked for looked like the most over-equipped company she has ever seen, and she still remembered the nights when warriors wore plated armor. The wholly female soldiers had numerous pouches and bags fixed on stings and hanging all over their white fatigues, filled with knives, radios, ammunition, grenades, canteens, shovels, gas masks, large mines, binoculars, entire tool kits, spare shoes; even their helmets did not escape the stuffing, where they had lighters, flashlights, cigarettes and yet more ammunition. Nightmare Moon hadn't even spoken to them yet, but she was already deeply disappointed. Truly, peace degraded troops like little else. One of the surest ways to spot someone who has no place on the battlefield is to see their equipment and this equipment clearly indicated that they, themselves, weren't even sure what they were going to do once they were deployed. She expected much better from changelings.

"Well?" Celestia decided to put an end to the tense silence.

"Words would be excrescent. Major, tell what they are meant to do," Nightmare Moon asked, suddenly feeling bored.

"Independent action with minimal support, my Lady."

"Minimal support?" Nightmare Moon heard proposals of something like this in the past. She promoted independence among her officer corps, but she struggled to imagine how they could be incompetent enough to leave troops without support. Regardless of whether it was a lowly infantry-pony, or a fully armed knight, all required support; be it: weapons and armor to replace broken ones, or provisions to feed on the march.

"They infiltrate behind enemy lines and operate independently to disrupt enemy supply lines and communication," he explained with practiced monotony. "My Lady," he quickly added with an apologetic dip of his head.

"Hmm... I see. They use the element of surprise and attack undefended walls while also funneling information to their own lords. Shed about half of this baggage they are carrying, and I could see them taking a long march required to fulfill their purpose," Nightmare Moon said without even pretending to sound interested any longer.

"This is just for demonstration purposes, My Lady. Their equipment is configured depending on their mission," Major quickly excused the appointed flaw. Well, at least the Major had some understanding, at least of how to make convincing excuses.

"And what of their skills?"

"They are specially trained," the Major said shortly.

Nightmare Moon sighed,
"Let them speak for themselves. Which one of them is an officer?" Normally it was easy to tell, but recently, by her standards, low-ranking officers began wearing the same uniforms as their subordinates. It was undignified, but she had to recognize the necessity. It won't stop an assassin's blade, but it might ward off a carefully aimed shot.

"Second Lieutenant Mandible, My Lady."

"Call her. I want to hear from her what this pawnshop they carry around is and what they plan to do with it once they are in the field."

The Major sighed and turned back to the line of quietly standing soldiers,
"Second Lieutenant Mandibule, report to the Lady the answers for her questions."

A single changeling stepped out of line and marched evenly to Nightmare Moon. She then sharply saluted,
"Second Lieutenant Madibule, permission to speak, My Lady," she said with a surprisingly clean, for a changeling, voice.

"Granted."

"Our equipment is designed to be durable and redundant. We are meant to carry it with us in the field and establish caches in the operations area to be used as needed. We only carry the barest necessity into the combat phase of our missions. My Lady."

Unexpectedly for herself, Nightmare Moon found herself humbled. It seems Cadance was right, for once. She has indeed fallen back too much in her ways,
"What are you trained in?" she asked nonetheless.

"We all went through basic infantry training, as well as survival training, heavy weapons operation, air insertion and sniper training. My Lady."

"Your experience?"

"None, My Lady. We had no opportunity to exercise our skills as Princess Mi Amore waged no wars in your absence."

Nightmare Moon didn't answer. She never really expected to see a large experienced force at her disposal, when Cadance offered help, but commanding completely green soldiers wasn't in her plans either. They were simply unfit to be thrown on the frontlines. They were changelings, not ponies, but even changelings could snap when they saw too many of their siblings killed in a short amount of time. Yet, still, these were likely the best she would find.

"You would do," Nightmare Moon said grimly. "Major, have the Lieutenant and her platoon do extra exercises. Focus on their natural infiltration abilities. Also, requisition a field hospital, a cargo plane and a few of those dragonflies with fuel. I wish them to be prepared to fly if we call them."

Major looked disappointed for a brief moment before responding,
"It will be done, My Lady."

"Come," she said to Celestia. "We still need to plan on how to approach this situation we have on our hooves."

Celestia looked at her slightly surprised,
"You want my help with planning?"

"Not planning. I want you to be aware. Teleport us back to the Palace, please." Celestia made no objection, weaving the spell and doing as she was asked. In a blink, they were back in the chambers Cadance had given to them, large enough to have a room for all three of them; but Nightmare Moon didn't need that much space. The lowborn of her court got more modest rooms, befitting of their position.
"I need to think," Nightmare Moon told Celestia, drifting off to a corner she found pleasing to coil in.

"Should I apply myself to something while you do?"

"Do as you see fit," Nightmare Moon threw back without even looking, too tired to have patience for Celestia as well.

"That is quite novel. I think I will," Celestia picked a log from the stash by the fireplace and tossed it in. She then effortlessly ignited it. Looking around, she scooped a few pillows before lying down by the fire. Letting out a content sigh, the Princess of The Sun closed her eyes.

Nightmare Moon looked at the display; not completely sure if Celestia was teasing her, but eventually decided to stop brooding altogether.

"How does it feel?" she asked aloud.

Celestia opened an eye,
"How does what feel?"

"The fire, the pillows. I find that the more time passes, the less I remember of how the world feels." Although she did not lie, the answer wasn't the primary reason for her question. It was a rare moment when both of them were alone and without any immediate task to do.

Celestia stared at her with one eye for a while, before looking at the fire,
"Like a warm embrace," Celestia eventually humored her. Nightmare Moon pondered in silence on the meaning of the answer, perhaps it indeed was.

"How does it feel, to die?" Celestia asked back.

"Agonizing, I suppose."

"You suppose? An uncertain answer."

"In the moment, I barely felt it. I felt more joy than pain. It was at that moment I finally realized that I was free. Freedom, true freedom, is something we can only experience once in life. I was finally free of my endless responsibilities and work, of cares and desires. I could finally have a moment to enjoy life for what it was. I remember taking my last deep breath over Canterlot streets. It was cold, mountain air with a light scent of spring blooms. I never thought that air could be so delicious. It truly was a moment to die for."

"You make death sound pleasant."

"But life is such torture, Celestia. Compared to life, death is the sweetest of caresses. No one deserves to live forever."

Another long silence ensued. Both mares only listened to the crackling of the fire. It was pleasant, Nightmare Moon supposed. She didn't feel the warmth of the fire, but the atmosphere itself made her feel an altogether different kind of warmth.

"Sometimes I wonder how much I've truly missed in life," Nightmare Moon admitted. "I looked at Twilight and her tender relationships. I was so jealous."

"Is that why you indoctrinated her? Was your hope that she would show you the same?" Celestia asked flatly. There was no deliberate sting in the question, Celestia simply wished to know.

"That is not a simple question to answer," Nightmare Moon sighed. "I only wanted her to stop hiding behind her daily routines and continue doing what made her and everyone around her happy. It benefited both of us, and our ponies. I gave her a job, it was not ideal, but it gave her something productive to do. You being here now is her achievement."

"You never told me why you wanted peace. You have won, have you not?" Celestia said hollowly.

"I told you on the very first night. Celestia, I made a terrible mistake that I wished to rectify. Why didn't you fight? Why didn't you stop me as you did all those years ago?" Heavy silence set in the room. "Were you afraid?" Nightmare Moon finally asked.

"Yes," Celestia admitted, her words came forced. "I was." Nightmare Moon didn't need any more. Of course, it was so obvious.

"Yet you will fight now."

"It's the only choice. If I won't, everything I worked for would be for naught," Celestia quickly pulled herself together.

"I suppose it would be," Nightmare Moon did not press, although she was confident that both of them knew that it wasn't all.
"So then, when we have our subjects back, what comes next? Will we be going back to our usual feuding?"

"If you wish to know the future, you should ask the young seer," Celestia said harshly.

"I do not wish to know the future, but how you wish our future to be, Celestia. So, please, indulge me."

"Well, to begin with, I would have to sort through a great pile of paper," Celestia sighed. "Then I would have to appoint trustworthy ministers, then, in a decade or two, maybe I could say that we returned to what can be considered acceptable state of stability."

"I suppose," Nightmare Moon agreed. "And what of Thestrals and my sisters? What part in your design shall they play?"

"Nightmare Moon, has it ever crossed your mind that not everyone could be made to embrace harmony? I tried teaching those bat-winged fanatics. Bringing them into the fold does no good, their very presence destabilizes the society."

"Hmph, some harmony you have in mind. Truly, only those who are complacent enough are good enough," Nightmare Moon did not hide her contempt.

"I've learned my lesson from experience," Celestid chided.

"It seems not, you have not. Celestia, why do you keep giving your enemies reasons to hate you?" The Sun Princess frowned upon a brutally straight question. "No wonder they 'destabilize society', as you put it. They quite frankly hate you. First, you send their only protector into exile and then you turn on them for the crime of standing with their sovereign. They never knew who exactly they followed, but even if they did, they would side with Grogar himself if it meant hurting you."

"You left me with no choice!" Celestia blasted. "Do you think I am happier for having had to expel them?! They did not stop after you were gone! They continued marauding and attacking anyone who would side with the Sun well over a century after you were exiled!"

"Such loyal subjects!" Nightmare Moon said with unmasked delight.

"They've been sacking and burning villages and towns whenever they had an opportunity! What was I supposed to do?! Let them?! I had to uproot one of the pony tribes entirely and send them to scurry elsewhere from their ancestral home because of you! You are the one whom they are meant to hate!" Celestia was left breathing heavily after her burst. Nightmare Moon said nothing and allowed her to recover. It was a shame this had to be the time they shared this discussion, a while back it could have changed something.

"Celestia, do you think your sister is ready to rule?" Nightmare Moon finally asked.

"Luna always was," the answer came almost instantly. "She was the one who thought otherwise."

A Lesson in History

Author's Note

Dear reader. I would like a moment of your time. I release this one unedited, but you would have to excuse me for I do not have time any longer. To the matter: I am a Ukrainian and as you, undoubtedly, know, we are currently desperately fighting for our lives against Russian Military. They are approaching my city and I wish to release one more chapter while I still can. I hope you enjoy this one for it may be the last one I has ever written. I would still deploy edits if I will have enough time between airstrikes and if our internet cables won't be cut. I wish you all well and I say my goodbyes to you all, my loyal readers, just in case.

*Edited

A Lesson in History

Tiny loved sleeping in beds. It was so soft that she did not even have a sore back in the morning. It was also warm. She didn't want to wake up, but eventually, it always happened. She set up in her bed and looked at the window. It was bright outside. Maybe today, her sister would have time to teach her a bit more. She's been reading her books, but they were boring and she wanted to practice. Tiny went for the door but stopped, hearing someone speaking just outside.

"Dale."

"Element."

"Torn."

"Nugget."

"Tapestry."

"Yale."

"Empathy."

"Youth."

"Herb."

"Ball."

Tiny listened for a while more, confused as to why two ponies would recount words like this at her door. She opened the door slightly to see. On the other side stood a single guard and Princess Furry.

"Hair."

"Rake."

"E-e-e... Electricity."

"Yoke."

"Equality."

"Yeast."

"Task."

"I thought the rule was: 'No K'," Flurry said.

"Well... yes, it was," the guard gave up. "Test."

"Top."

"Pencil."

"Lake." Flurry then glanced sideways at Tiny in the door, "Ah, there she is. I think this means that you should be going."

"I think I should. See you, Flurry. Good day to you too, little lady," he gallantly excused himself before trotting away and leaving Tiny alone with brightly smiling Flurry. Tiny felt a little shudder run down her back.

"Hello, sister!" Flurry began. "Been waiting on you, don't you hate it when it's the last hour till you need to do something and that hour just drags on, and on, and on. No? I do. I am getting that feeling a lot," Tiny stood quietly, not sure what she was supposed to say. "Well, anyway. Since I got the big, scary leader to agree to me taking you off her hooves, I guess we should start. Now, what was it you wanted... oh, yeah, right. I think you wanted to practice teleportation, right?"

Tiny gave Flurry a dumbfounded stare.

"What? Didn't they tell you? I can see the FU-U-U-UTERE, and past occasionally. But first, you need to eat up. You've missed the breakfast, so I saved you some," with a pop, Flurry had a tray covered by lid balancing on her hoof.

Tiny continued staring distrustingly.

"Look, I can see the future, granted? That means I know what to do. I am a friend of your sisters and that means I am a friend of you."

"I am pretty sure it's not how this works, Princess," Tiny disagreed.

Flurry groaned,
"Okay, look. If you aren't going to do as you are asked, you are going to get in trouble with Nightmare. I want us to be friends, but you have to listen to me either way. So, have a bite and then we gonna have a very educational few hours."
Tiny suspiciously took the offered tray and experimentally opened the lid. Inside was some kind of warm soup, bread slices and a salad. She didn't know if she could even eat this much.
"You wanna go to the staff room? There's a table there," Flurry asked. Tiny's first reaction was to refuse, but she didn't feel like being rude to Flurry now, since she brought her food. She, of all creatures, knew how valuable food is.

"Okay..." she reluctantly agreed.

Flurry grinned,
"That's right, always better to eat with friends. The staff room is right this way; each floor in the Palace has one." Tiny noted the last bit, could be useful later.

Tiny sat in the conveniently empty room and ate her meal; Flurry had herself a sandwich too. Flurry told her about Crystal Empire and her Mom: it was mostly boring. Which Flurry apparently noticed and stopped talking. Tiny finished her meal in silence.

"Okay, time to have some fun," Flurry clapped hooves and teleported the empty tray and plates away. Next, it was Tiny herself who was getting teleported. She appeared in some kind of a large, brightly lit hole; it felt dizzy. "Give it a moment, it's always like this when you are starting out. So, anyway, you remember that blink spell you did back when Nightmare tried schooling you?"

Tiny cautiously nodded.

"Perfect, now I am gonna teach you something much cooler. You know how Aunty Twilight draws these circles on the ground and then a portal appears? Well, what if I told you that you can items into portals?" Flurry smiled conspiratorily. "Before we begin, Nightmare, Twilight, D, or anyone else can't know anything or both of us are going to get into a lot of trouble."

"Aren't you supposed to teach me safe things?" Tiny asked, remembering her sister's anger from the last time.

"Well... yes," Flurry gave in. "But you really need to know this. It will be important later. Now-"

"Wait, important later? Why won't Twilight simply bind portals to things if circles are fragile and need to be looked after?"

"For your first question, I can't tell you. For the second, well... Twilight, for all her brains, doesn't know about everything. Especially if it's something Aunty Celestia doesn't know."

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"Well, to be honest, I am not sure myself how exactly you would use it. It's just that I know that it's better you do, than not," Flurry apologetically raised her hooves. "You also wanna know how come I know something which even Aunty Celestia doesn't?"

"Yes, please."

"I told you, I see past and future. This particular time it was the past. It's much easier than seeing the future, let me tell you that. There's only one possibility after all, so I don't have to spend days on end trying to sort through this huge web of possible ways everything can go differently," Flurry self-confidently said. "So anyways, this is something your friend Sombra came up with. That's why he was such a problem as to warrant Celestia and Luna's personal attention."

"Personal attention?"

"Wait, you mean nobody told you?!" Flurry facehooved herself. "I didn't even bother checking; everyone here knows the story ten times over. So, okay, listen: Sombra wasn't always this black cloud you see him as now. He's actually dead, just like Nightmare is. Back in the day, he was a unicorn, like you. Except it was so long ago, he probably doesn't even remember how he looked. He was the King of this here Empire, that's why Nightmare keeps calling him 'King'. She's a real believer in the old times she is. So, he was a good king; he's actually the guy who came up with the way to heat our little snow-globe up, pretty cool, right? It's really hard to tell by looking at him, but he used to be real cheerful and friendly. So much that Luna fell for him."

"Fell for him?"

"Well, she fell in love with him. It's like Nightmare and D. but between people who aren't related. It's real long and complicated to explain so basically it's what you feel like when you want to marry someone... or are supposed to feel anyway. Because Nightmare has a different idea. So, anyway, she falls in love with him and he falls in love with her. But they can't get married because Sombra doesn't come from a noble bloodline."

"Nightmare keeps talking about this, but she never explains why it's important," Tiny wedged in.

"Well, whether it's important or not depends on your perspective. To Nightmare, it looks like it's the most important quality a person can have. Mom thinks it's a load of horsecrap, but that's probably because she herself isn't noble. One thing that seeing future doesn't help with is knowing what's inside someone else's head; I honestly can't even tell with my own sometimes. So, as I see it, being noble isn't important because it makes you, in some way, smarter, or stronger. It's simply that back in the day, when even Celestia was still young, the family name was the only way you could pass something to your kids. So noble kids were always better than regular ones because they inherited personal qualities and titles of their parents, as well as more material things but those were less important. This was basically the centerpiece of the entire worldview that people had back then. Since Nightmare comes from that time too and spent the last thousand years away from everyone except Luna, I think that's why she still sees it as so important. Well, that and less rational things too."

"So your Mom is not as good as Queen Skystar simply because her Mom wasn't a Princess?"

"Well... not exactly," Flurry gave a strangled smile. "Look, Tiny, this is really complicated. My Mom isn't entirely a 'commoner' her ancestor was an aunt of the last Queen of the Crystal Empire, the one before Sombra. This is practically the only reason why Nightmare tolerates her. If not for her Great-great-great-whatevertimes-grandmother, Nightmare wouldn't even bother talking to her; because, honestly, Mom doesn't like Nightmare and it's mutual. They have an old grudge between them."

"So, is your Mom noble or not?"

"It's kinda both?" Flurry sounded unsure herself. "I told you it's complicated, but Skystar is totally more noble than Mom is."

"And Sombra wasn't noble?"

"Phew!" Tiny shook her hoof, hurrying the thought away. "Not one percent of him was. He wasn't even born here."

"So how did he become King then?"

"Well, the old Queen died and he was kind of like her adopted son, she had no other children and no one else wanted to compete for the crown. I know it's not exciting, but it rarely is with these things. So, he becomes the King, starts doing all this cool stuff and then he meets Luna, and they fall in love, but Luna has to reject him because he isn't noble. He gets upset, like really-really upset."

"Luna tried telling him that it's better this way because he would die someday and she never will. Well, I guess we are technically past that. Actually, coming to think about it, almost everyone from that time is dead. The only one who's still alive in the traditional sense is Aunty Celestia and by extension Big D. So, anyways, Luna's speech gives Sombra an idea of the century, or so he thinks. Sombra wants to become immortal. He starts digging up all the spells he can and ends up massing such an amount of magical lore that even good-old Starswirl couldn't manage. It turns out that a spell to make someone immortal doesn't exist, go figure; otherwise, every second-rate archmage would be immortal by now. But he wouldn't have been Sombra if such minuscule setbacks could stop him, if there isn't a spell that can set him up, Sombra will invent his own."

"Wait, magical lore? Where?"

"Well, where do you think? Sombra burned it all, of course. You don't know him if you think he'd let it all just lay about. So, I was just getting to the best part of the story. Sombra starts pushing in new fields of magical research. Wherever others thought it was too dangerous, Sombra was galloping straight to. So he found a way to make something of a magical battery; you saw how it works. By using fear magic, he managed to change regular crystals you see all around here into these new, black crystals. I don't think there's anyone else who knows how it works, except Sombra himself, but I think that black crystals can hold a magical charge and release it during a ritual. That's where things become real messed up because to get the ritual going you need to draw a circle with the blood of a creature scared out of its guts. Maybe it has to do with adrenaline in their blood, gotta ask him about it. By that point, the public here became a little bit... dissatisfied. Sombra anticipated an uprising so he also invented a mind control spell. Compared to what he already did it was a whole lot easier. Nightmare has it in her book, actually. So if you ever need slaves you know whom to ask."

"What's a battery?" At that question Flurry deeply frowned.

"Oh, damn, I hoped you wouldn't ask. Look, explaining it all will take like ten hours, so I'll just tell you that it's a thingy that can store energy for you to use later. Ever seen those flashlights every soldier and policepony carries around? Those use batteries."

"Ah..."

"So, back to it. Sombra gets his whole ritual going and... he fails spectacularly. Something apparently went wrong and Sombra ended up not only not getting his goal done but unhinging his own pretty obsessive brain even more. The whole 'good king' schtick was gone, though in all actuality, it probably happened a long-long time ago and it's just that Sombra stopped carrying enough to pretend to himself that it didn't. For a few weeks, Sombra is really upset and gets angry easily; kind of like D, but he actually meant it. It was ugly to look at, I'll just say that. So, the common folk get sick of him, grab their weapons... and it turns out that Sombra cast his new mind-control spell on every helmet in the army. Bet they all thought it was just ward spells; they always do. Things don't go too well for the common folk after that point.
"At last, Celestia stops listening to Luna crying to her about not hurting her coltfriend and decides to get it over with before Sombra realizes that he can just take whom he wants. Luna eventually caves in too. They get their troop together and go out to fight him. Luna pleads to him to just surrender, but that's just not how Sombra operates. So this is where this spell I wanna teach you comes about. Sombra had to lead his troops himself because his mind control had one disadvantage, it takes away all independent thinking. His soldiers could understand and execute orders, but they couldn't order their peers. Sombra had to retreat on more than one occasion and he was just unreasonably quick about it, he did use some kind of teleport spell but it was so quick and reliable: no matter what Celestia and Luna did, they couldn't trap him. Eventually, they still won by sheer attrition but he gave them a bloody good fight. He still had one last trick to play. He cursed the whole city to disappear and return later when Celestia and Luna wouldn't be around, hopefully. Yes, he was that bitter of a loser. He... overdid it a bit. Celestia was done talking to him then and ordered his head off. Except he wasn't really gone because that ritual he invented did work, just in a really weird way. Instead of becoming immortal he just became undying. That's all; storytime With Sister Flurry is over."

"So... you just told me all of this just to tell me about the spell?" Tiny asked, ever so slightly disappointed.

"What can I say? I love telling stories, and this is a really good one!" Flurry smiled. Tiny felt something was wrong this time, though; the smile Flurry had she saw before... on Celestia.
"Let's start already, Shadow will be done with her personal business soon and come to look at what we are doing. So, first, we need two items to bind portals to. They need to be durable but inconspicuous, also not bulky. Any ideas?"

Tiny lifted her hoof and slowly stroked her chin while she pondered,
"Well, I have one thing that's very durable. Nightmare gave me her helmet."

"Oooh! Yeah! That thing!" Flurry held out her hoof and with a soft puff, the very object appeared to rest on it.

"How do you do that? The textbooks said you had to know the exact spot of the object to pull it up like this."

"What and you think I don't?" Flurry smugly grinned. "Well, this is a good one, yes. You could carry this everywhere you go. From what Nightmare herself says about her armor, it might even come useful."

"Is it true?"

"What? What Nightmare says? Mostly true, yes. Her armor cost a fortune, just the materials could afford you a fitted ship for a long voyage. It was also enchanted beyond all reasonable measure by the best wizards of the time aswell as Nightmare herself. She wanted an armor that would protect her from anything and she very nearly got it."

"It has cracks."

"That's on purpose. It cracks but absorbs impact. Did she tell you how it saved her from a direct hit with a tank shell? Oh damn, lady, that was dramatic to watch, let me tell you! They sure don't make armor like they used to."

"Nightmare said it was different armor that did, she said she lost most of it when she was sent to the moon and had to make replacements. She also said that her chestplate broke from getting hit."

"If it was her original armor, she could still salvage it. That helmet you've got survived worse, the old thing will be around long after you." Tiny looked at the battered helmet in Flury's hooves with newfound reverence, just how many monstrous strikes did it take instead for its mistress?
"We also need something else. Something which you can leave behind and be sure no one finds, but durable enough to not break from someone stepping on it, for one."

Tiny had to think again. She didn't really have anything else that he owned, she was a vagabond in the end,
"Maybe make something?" Tiny offered in the end.

"Why, sure. Where do you wanna keep it?"

As a matter of fact, Tiny long since wanted something for the wagon. Something which Mister Rich would never bother removing because he won't need to,
"A light that doesn't run out?"

"Phuff! Oh, that's easy!" Flurry magicked the light from the wagon just as Tiny left it yesterday. "You know light spell? Nightmare had to teach you, every unicorn foal can do it."

"I... do," Tiny answered with a second of hesitation. Something just occurred to her. If Flurry knew past and future as she seemed to, why does she even ask? Didn't she know then that she learned the spell long before she ever heard about her regal sisters?

"Perfect!" Flurry smiled pleasantly; if she noticed Tiny having doubts, she didn't show it. "Let me just have this done," with a flick, Flurry extinguished the fire inside the light. "Now, just cast light and I'll add longevity modifier, easy." Tiny did as asked. She chose the same orange color as regular flame so that nobody would think anything is different. Flurry stared at it without removing her smile or visible tension on her forehead. If she was casting anything, Tiny couldn't tell; her horn was already glowing to hold the light in the air.
"Done," Flurry said simply. With subtle pops, three more items appeared floating by her. Crystals, exactly like those they found in Twilight's lab, and a simple clay pot. "Now, here's where things get messy," Flurry declared. "Gotta draw the circle and get it cleaned quick, not much time left. You watch, I'll give you the schematic later." Flurry stepped outside of the circle of flowing items and began taking paint from the pot and drawing a shape on the floor. ...It wasn't paint, was it?

In just under two minutes, the intricate circle was drawn on the floor, with many smaller, empty circles which Tiny assumed had to be spots for the items. The shape looked very much like the one that Sombra painted when he separated Daybreaker from Celestia. It had no sharp angles and all lines flowed into each other; it was elegant in a certain way. She quite frankly couldn't make 'a single lick of sense of this blasted piece of...' as Mister Rich was fond of saying when he was frustrated. Did Flurry really draw all this just from memory? Tiny wasn't sure if Flurry bewildered or scared her.

"Now?" Tiny asked, still reeling from Flurry's causality in doing something she wasn't certain even Princess Twilight could manage.

"Now we just put items in place and let it do its thing."

"That easy?"

"Eeyep. Sombra wasn't the nicest stallion around, but he had a smoking genius for designing these things. It casts all the spells itself, we just need to power it."

"Okay..." Tiny felt like she had no choice but to see what happens. Flurry then put the two items they got in place and then the crystals. The circle instantly came to life, shining purple. It went on like that for a few seconds before going dark again, "Did we do something wrong?"

"Not even slightly: it's just done. What, you expected it to hum, spin around and finish with a loud click? Okay, let's test it out," Flurry sent the light to hold on the other side of the hall. "Now, activating it is real simple. Works on intent. You want it to fly you over to its pair and you are there. Come on, touch it and try."

Tiny wanted to ask how exactly it worked but elected not to give Flurry an opportunity to go for another ten minutes about it. She touched the helmet on the floor with her hoof.

"Oh! I almost forgot, mind your..." Tiny didn't hear the rest. Before she even knew what was going on, she was already on the other side of the hall. Her world was spinning and legs running from under her, she wisely dropped on her bottom before she fell. Flurry was beside her a moment later,
"Hey, you okay? I wanted to tell you, but... yeah." At least Tiny could hear fine. "So, anyways. I am going to send both things back to your wagon, leave the light there and the helmet wear on your head wherever Nightmare takes you. Oh and don't tell anyone about it. I mean anyone at all. Especially not Rarity, actually don't tell anything to Rarity if you don't want everyone else to know it too. If Nightmare hears about this, she'll see the helmet as an asset and take it off you. Now, let's get presentable before someone catches us with this circle."

Rich Secrets

Filthy Rich was thinking over his life decisions. He didn't regret coming here, no. He actually ended up meeting a few of his old mates from the palace. The Guard Captain was some kind of an honorary escort for big stuffs. His old business partner had been getting by selling melted snow water. Rich didn't understand how, but apparently, the brand worked and his partner made enough sales to live.

He was questioning at which point did he allow himself to be dragged into this whole adventure. Was it when he met Tiny or was it when he didn't leave after he got her where she needed to go? He had nothing against his old Princess', but this whole thing wasn't going in the direction he liked. Traveling from place to place, meeting people and making a living from it was fine: that's what he was doing anyway, what was wrong is that in some inexplicable way he ended up being in charge of a whole bunch of creatures he didn't understand and who expected him to make decisions. Tiny's numerous sisters weren't mean to him, or anyone else for that matter. They were actually surprisingly mild-mannered and pleasant for being essentially hobos for much of their lives. He knew it was all a sham, he knew every trick in the book from his own experience, but he couldn't help but sometimes forget that they weren't really ponies. That scared him. He got them to do their own little business, so now their caravan looked like a rolling market. He couldn't forget how they smiled at him and told him how happy they were to have him around. At that moment he forgot once again. Then he noticed that their smiles were all too perfect, he knew because they were all the same, like damn dolls on a shelf they were.

This situation made him nostalgic about his time as a minister. He didn't really choose to be one; it's just one day he woke up to an Imperial courier delivering him a letter of admittance in the middle of the night. His first instinct was to refuse but quickly perished the thought. He didn't really have a choice. The letter was an order, not an offer. Even the courier seemed to know and asked if Rich needed an escort. He remembered himself giving a chuckle.
Ponies never meaning what they actually said, was a distinct mark of that time. Nightmare Moon was a recognized grandmaster of word bending and everyone else simply took the example to heart. Often she didn't even need to speak to get her message across as loud as a bell. She was the most skilled in subtle threats. She never threatened openly and very rarely even allowed her voice to have the most mildly threatening tone, but her words radiated such a clear and intense threat that everyone in the room could be seen visibly sweating. He didn't understand how she was doing it, she never once acted to justify the waves of terror she radiated... at least Rich never knew if she did. In the beginning, she was cold but never cruel. The more cemented her position became, the less threatening her presence became, but it never dissipated entirely. She was magnanimous and merciful but never allowed for a single moment to forget that there was a different side to her which could come back as soon as anyone displeased her. She inspired a mix of adoration and fear. That is the kind of situation Rich felt himself at again.

She wasn't threatening, in fact, she rarely paid him any attention at all, but he again felt like he had no choice in anything that was going on. Rich didn't doubt for a single moment that she would see them safely through the entire journey, but the more time was passing the less disgruntled he became over the arrangement. He could theoretically leave; he doubted that she would stop him, but what was he going to do afterwards? He was already stuck in the frozen north. Crystal City was a fine place to live, but he won't be able to trade here and doing labor felt antithetical to his whole being. He probably could ask Twilight to get him back to Mount Aris, but that won't be much better. In short, she had him again. It was only going to become worse from now on, he just knew it. The worst part is that he couldn't even get when did the trap close. It was all coming down to him meeting a filly and being too damn nice to let her go out alone. He couldn't shake off the feeling of being a massive fool.
But that's life, he supposed. And it was time to do something productive with it.

He didn't feel like asking if anyone needed anything at a camp, so he decided to do his own chores. Since Tiny was staying out of his wagon for once, he could actually have a bit of space for himself. He almost forgot just how large it could be when he was alone. He could have himself at least four more crates with cargo.

Well, time's a-wasting. Good time to do some maintenance. Rich made sure his tools were ready and went to check the wheels. He didn't expect anything to change about them, he checked while they were at Aris.
It wasn't a surprise to find that the wheels were all nailed well and the axels weren't showing rot yet. He then went forwards to check the straps. Won't be nice to suddenly find them weathered when it's time to move again.
Next, he remembered that it was a jolly long time before he added oil to the lantern. It wasn't critically important to do, but he thought it was better to do it now than at night. He took it down from its place under the roof, it still burned just fine. He rotated the pin to snuff it out, but the fire didn't disappear. Rich dumbly stared at the lamp for a few seconds before trying to turn the pin again, nothing happened. He tried turning it back, nothing happened. Rich shook the lamp, the fire didn't disappear.

"The hay?" he quietly swore. He cautiously set it down and slowly turned the glass cover till it came off. Rich tried sniffing but the fire had no usual burnt oil smell he came to expect. The fire also wasn't exuding any heat. At this point, Rich came to the realization that it had to be magic again, which meant he probably shouldn't mess with it. "Well, at least it doesn't need any more oil," he mumbled before hanging the lamp back in its place.

He thought about what else he could check, maybe the roof. He started to turn around the wagon to make his way up there when he realised that there was someone behind him,
"Yeah-yeah, I am just about to finish here, wait a moment."

"Sure, I can wait," the answer came. Oddly enough it was a voice he didn't hear before, he peeked behind him out of curiosity and nearly hit his head on the wagon. He thought for a second that a bugbear snuck up on him so large was the pony behind him.

"Sweet Celestia, lady!" he spat out. "Didn't your parents teach you to not sneak up on others?"

"Well, since you knew that I was there, it technically doesn't count as sneaking up."

Rich sighed, partly to calm down his pulse, partly out of exasperation, and began turning to face his visitor,
"Anyway, what can I..." the enormous mare had both horn and wings. They just keep multiplying, didn't they? Rich had to remember to tell his mates back at the mountain that there was another one now.

"I am Flurry, by the way," she smiled at him.

"Filthy Rich, Your... Highness?" he cautiously guessed.

"Nah, don't bother with that," she waved him away. "Nightmare isn't around to chew you up for keeping your own convenience in mind."

"Eh... thanks, Flurry."

"Don't mention it. So, anyway, I need you to sell me something. I got bits." With a soft pop, a heavy purse appeared floating by her side.

"Me?" Rich asked with genuine surprise. "Eh... Flurry, I think you've missed the Emporium of Exotic Whatevers a bit."

"No, I think I came just where there's something I need. Anyways, since when do you tell clients to piss off?"

Rich stared at the Princess with suspicion and slight disbelief for a few more moments, waiting for her to say that she was joking,
"Well then... what can I help you with?"

"Nothing extravagant. I need that lantern," Flurry pointed with her eyes over Rich's head. He turned his head around to make sure he didn't have some different lamp he forgot about. "Oh, also I am going to buy your silence."

"You know... it just so happened that I need this lamp. It gets a bit dark around here at night," Rich carefully worded this response.

"I can add another lantern, just like this one, to the deal," Flurry said without losing her smile. Sure enough, the lamp appeared, floating. It was an exact copy, it even had stains and scratches. "All of this," she jingled the coins in the purse. "And the lantern." Rich had to admit, the deal was enticing. That purse had to have enough gold to buy him a new wagon, just for one lamp that won't stop burning. Something wasn't right here though. The money probably wasn't of any value to Flurry, it's that she wanted the lamp this bad to actually come and ask for it.

"Let me guess, if I refuse, you are going to take it anyway?" Rich asked with dreary expectancy.

"Not at all," Flurry readily answered. "It's yours; if I can't have it, then I can't."

"What, you ain't even gonna tell on me to the rest of your entitlement circle?"

"Nope. I do want to buy your silence, remember?"

"Right. So, tell you what. You are going to tell me what's up with this lamp and then I am going to sell it to you," Rich didn't care for the lamp, to be fair, but the information was probably worth more than the money he's been offered.

"Can't do that, sorry," Flurry straightly refused.

"Well, then I guess we are about done, ain't we? If you excuse me now..."

"I can tell you something else though. Something that you could actually find uses for. Although, you are probably gonna facehoof yourself over how you didn't manage to piece it together yourself," Flurry teased.

Rich huffed,
"Fine. It better be good though."

"Oh, it is, promise! It's about Nightmare, something everyone knows but nobody ever brings up to her."

"Spill it out already," Rich sighed.

"Okay, so you know how she makes a point of only nobility being worth her time? You had to notice it, real obvious. So, what if I told you that it's the tiniest bit hypocritical coming from her?"

"Well, actually yes. I noticed her making a big deal out of it. So what are you saying?"

"Well, it ever occurred to you that Nightmare herself isn't directly related to the noble line of Celestia and Luna?"

What followed was screaming silence. No, in fact, he never thought about this for one single second ever since he learned that Nightmare and Luna were different ponies. The thought felt wrong, alien as if it couldn't be true. Someone who spent so much time lecturing everyone around on how important nobility was couldn't just be pretending... right?

"Yeah," Flurry said quietly. "That changes things, doesn't it? Just be very sure you never mention this particular part of her biography within her hearing range. That... wouldn't be very nice of you." Rich had to agree, it really wouldn't be very nice of him at all. He had to think on what to do with this information.
"Well, anyway, I am not going to bother you any further. Here's your money," she dropped the bag down into the wagon. "Here's your lantern," she put down the lamp more carefully.
"Ta-ta," she said with a wave of her hoof before disappearing away with the same pop. Rich didn't even remember anymore what she wanted, but it couldn't possibly be important since he was a damn moving kiosk holder.

Nightmare Moon, the Emperess of all Equestria, the Crystal Empire and later Changelings too, had no noble right to rule. This was wild to think about. She sure behaved on par, if anything she was even more imperious than all other princesses he met. Not that it was a very high bar since others made a point of being approachable.

Another thing he could scarcely believe is that he suddenly had the means to actually hurt her in some way. Back when she was in power, she made it a pinnacle of her strategy to appear unassailable, that's what one of his colleagues told him once before the cabinet meeting. It suddenly made even more sense for her to pretend to be Luna now. Luna actually had a legitimate claim on the throne. It also made a lot of sense for Nightmare to be in good graces with everyone who could expose her, that meant... everyone who was here with her right now and tripped over each other to please her. Folks like him, or the rest of Twilight's friends, wouldn't have been taken seriously if they came out and said it.

Oh... Oh, damn. She suddenly looked a lot more insidious now. Definitely a lot more so than any other nobility he heard about, that included Queen Cryssalis, which was a high bar. What was even wilder was that he had a way to hurt her. Actually hurt Nightmare Moon! Did he really want to though? She didn't do anything to him; if anything, she gave him one hell of a promotion. It caused him a fallout with his family, but it's not like she intended it to... right?
He wasn't sure anymore. Coming to think about it, he wasn't sure of anything he thought he understood about her actions. If she had no right to rule in the first place and now didn't even want to... what were they even doing here?

Nobody really bothered to explain anything to him, but he had an idea that they wanted to get some help from Cadance... to do what? He overheard Nightmare Moon saying that she wanted Luna back. If he didn't dream up their foray to the temple, Cadance wouldn't be of any help in catching the runaway Princess. Actually, where was that Sombra character? He just disappeared right after they were back.

What if Nightmare Moon wanted Luna to pretend to be her again? Or actually possessing her like Tiny and this lot in the camp were doing? Oh, horsecrap, this was getting very interesting. There's still something he didn't know, what did the rest of the court know? The question was: who could he ask?
The changeling maid would know, but she won't talk to him and almost certainly even report him to Nightmare Moon.
Twilight herself had exactly no idea about what they were doing and why but followed out of blind loyalty. That was obvious to him from the very first time he met her.
Rarity could also know a lot, but anything she realistically would tell him was something that would set him on a completely sideways trail.
Nightmare's sister will flog him for even asking.
Celestia won't tell on her ally.
Cadance never spent any significant time at the Palace.
And who else was there?
He could try the old Guard Captain, he probably won't immediately tell on him digging. Spike could also know something useful, secondhoof from Twilight, but still. He'd have to get his old mates Rolling and Spike some other time, somehow he didn't doubt that they won't let him into the Cadance's palace to ask either one...

"Mister Filthy Rich?" someone called behind him. There stood a pony in the blue uniform of the police, "I was told you could be found here."

Rich suppressed the desire to groan; apparently, the day wasn't done with him yet.

"It's me," he answered without even trying to hide his lack of enthusiasm. "Who's asking?"

"Officer Creaky Bars. There's been an accident with one of your acquaintances, she said you would pay the bail of..." he pulled out a tiny notepad, "four hundred sixty-five bits for herself, two of her daughters and a unicorn mare."

Rich was a bit dumbfounded at the officer's claim, did one of the camp's denizens go out? He didn't know none about it,
"You sure you went to the right stallion?" Rich gave voice to his doubts. "I don't know anyone who fits your description."

"They are changelings, sir. One is very old and keeps silent the whole time, we couldn't even get her to tell us her name. The two others told us their names are Tibia and Grossa. The unicorn is Rarity Belle, she is... famous in the town. All four were passed to us with a charge of attempted breaking and entering."

"Break and entry? Where?"

"Considering they were brought in by changeling soldiers, my guess would be a military facility. We don't usually get our noses into changelings' business, so we took them at their word," the officer said. "Miss Rarity told us you may be willing to pay their fine."

"Uh... sure. Let me just grab my purse," Rich mumbled, his mind was already far away. Trying to piece together how this could happen in the first place. He could tell exactly who one of the changelings was, it was far too much of a coincidence to be just any other one of them. The actual question was how did she find herself in such a predicament. To his displeasure, he discovered that paying the fine would take him much of his trading budget. Well, his Lady would compensate him the expense, that part of their arrangement would remain absolutely stable regardless of circumstance, he expected.
"Right then, lead the way," he told the officer.

He enjoyed the walk through the city, in all honesty. It has been a very long time since he saw a city that had both electricity and magic users in it. It was either one or the other, usually neither. Since he was left back with the rest of the sisterhood, he didn't get to look at the Crystal City up close until now. Most of the places he ended up travelling were comparatively primitive. They had impressive architecture in their own right, but that was far from the most important. That was why ponies rarely even contemplated living without Princesses to guide them, or he always thought that it's what it was.

All good things had to end and so they arrived at the precinct. Rich gave his purse to the receptionist and a couple of minutes later another pony brought out the detainees. His judgment was spot on and therefore he wasn't surprised one bit.
Rarity gave him a meek, apologetic smile. Shadow refused to look him in the eye, determinedly staring at the floor instead. If he could trust his limited experience around her, that's what counted for a display of embarrassment. The two other changelings stared at him with their monochrome, compound eyes. He couldn't decipher if they even knew who he was, much less if they were glad to see him. It was somewhat unnerving.

"That's one hay of a meet-together, Rarity," he broke the tense silence, still refusing to look away from the two he didn't know. "I honestly expected the friendly visit to be a bit different."

"Ha-ha..." Rarity tensely chuckled. "Y-yes, I suppose this is rather an embarrassing little predicament, is it not? Rich, Darling, can I perhaps interest you in a cocktail?" she asked hopefully, trying to at least slightly lighten the mood with her tone.

"I guess so..." he agreed without thinking, still staring back at the changelings. Rarity quickly darted out and Rich forced himself to look away, unwilling to remain alone with the three changelings.

Rarity waited for him right outside and yet she still managed to startle him,
"Richy, thank you!" Rarity immediately grabbed him around his neck as soon as he was in range. "I couldn't have possibly looked Cadance in the eye if she had to pay my bail herself! This is just horrendous!"

"Y-yes, it totally is, isn't it?" Rich was still reeling slightly. "You want to talk about how this happened?"

"Not here!" she categorically stated. "I need a drink first."

"Since when you drink?" Rich asked in genuine surprise. He never once saw her drink anything apart from trace quantities of wine. "And what do we do with... them?" he had to nod at the silent trio.

"Oh... yes," Rarity evidently simply forgot. "Darlings... do you think you could go for a little... snack?" she coyly suggested.

"We would be honored, Lady Rarity," the smallest one answered, although her distinct lack of enthusiasm said more than her words did.

Rarity really took them to a bar; to Rich's surprise, she didn't even choose a specifically presentable one. It was run by a gruff-looking pony stallion, he quirked his brow at their company but didn't ask questions. Rarity went up and ordered a bottle of whiskey. Rich was speechless.
Rarity took off for a table then, the changelings remained sitting. Rarity turned her head and shouted that she'll be paying for them. Rarity got immediately to it, without even asking Rich if he wanted any. She downed two glasses in one go and had the third one on the table for when she needed it.

"So... about this whole break in business..." Rich cautiously. "Maybe start from who these two are," Rich glanced at the changelings, still sitting at the stools and evidently not passing on free refreshment either.

"They are Grossa and Tibia. They are Shadow's daughters. Such sweet fillies they are, Richy," Rarity said a little slow.

"She really has children then," Rich musingly propped his chin. "I heard the Lady ask her once, but... ehh..."

"Yes, Shadow is a little... shy... in that regard. From what I heard, she had to leave them at a young age: to go on her fateful mission. Poor Grossa seems to still be a bit sore from that."

"Yeah... I can guess," Rich glanced at the trio again. Try as he might, they all looked the same to him; he just knew that Shadow was much older and had no horn.
"So, did you just run into them on the street or..?"

"Why, no. Surely, not run into them! We went for a visit! It took a little convincing but in the end, we had a wonderful time together."

"So... you just got Shadow to leave Lady's side to have a chat with her fillies?" the story didn't add up to him just yet.

"Why, not leave, of course! As soon as I told Nightmare that Shadow's daughters are here, she would suffer no excuses. I wish more of my friends were so thoughtful..." Rarity sighed with open sadness. Well, Shadow was her best retainer, he mused, and the Lady was attached to her. Nightmare Moon having attachments still felt bizarre today, after weeks of him observing their interactions.

"So it was her idea all along, huh. So, where does this break-in begin?"

"Well..." Rarity coyly smiled and looked down into her glass. "It is a little silly, really. Darling Grossa just wanted to have a word with Her Majesty. She didn't mean any harm." Rich had a moment to process how this came together with the rest of the story.

"At a... changeling base?" Rich asked after he made the only logical conclusion he could see.

"Why, yes. The poor dear is always so awfully busy. She had negotiations at the time and they just couldn't make time for Darling Grossa to speak to her."

"Negotiations with changelings? They wanna pitch in and help us in... whatever is it we are currently up to?"

"Why, of course, they would like to pitch in," Rarity made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "Our Lady is very well respected with them. 'Warrior Queen' they call her." Rich wasn't entirely surprised with this new piece of news, it just was unexpected. Nightmare Moon ruined their race and changelings only loved her for it. Meanwhile, Rarity continued, "I imagine they would follow her wherever she wishes. They are even eager to do so. They would never disrespect their hosts here by saying this openly, but poor dears feel terribly out of place here."

"So they did tell you?" Rich pointed out a contradiction. Well, rather an exception he expected. He also suddenly realized that Rarity wielded much more respect than it would seem at first glance if any of the changelings trusted her, a pony, enough to voice their concerns to her.

"Why, no. They didn't tell me anything," Rarity smiled at him indulgently. "I never even asked, truth be told. It's simply so obvious that nopony can avoid seeing it, provided they understand our chitinous friends' way of thought.
See, changelings need someone to follow. It is something of a natural requirement for them. They feel so terribly lost when without their Queen. Nightmare is not their Queen, exactly, but as far as they are concerned she is better. Nightmare won their obedience rather than being born into being their Queen, and Darlings are quite fed-up with the inherited leadership, let me just tell you. Quite the irony, if we remember just how high the Lady values heritage."

"Yeah, about that," Rich suddenly remembered what he wanted to ask her. After he bailed her out of prison, he expected she would at least indulge him enough to not tell anyone who might tell Nightmare, "Rarity, I have to ask you something. Do you know that Nightmare Moon isn't directly related to Luna and Celestia?"

Rarity slowly blinked,
"That is odd of you to say. For all that matters, she is. Our Lady was always like a sister to Luna."

"Well... not entirely. Rarity, forgive me for being blunt, but she made us all into idiots. She has no legitimate claim to the title she held: she's a usurper. Her soldiers 'ought to arrest her, not worship her. That's why she pretended to be Luna, because otherwise everypony would've known who she is and that she has no right to rule over them."

Despite her addled state, Rarity managed to give him a surprisingly clear warning glance,
"Richy, dear, be careful what you say..." she ever so slightly nodded to the stools. She was of course right, he had to remind himself. If Rarity was willing to give him lenience, Shadow would certainly not if she heard him.
"Now, while I do respect your right to have your own ideas, you are just so horrifically wrong that Nightmare would've felt insulted. And she rarely ever feels that way."

Rich snorted,
"What gives, I just ousted her whole game and called her out for who she is. Of course, she'd feel insulted."

"Richy, has it ever occurred to you that it doesn't matter what her real heritage is?" Rarity asked with somewhat more perceivable sting than her usual mannerisms allowed her. "Ponies and changelings alike follow her because of who she is, not who she was born as. She is so much more than just a usurper. She is a reformer and unifier, a great warrior and leader, and one of the wisest creatures alive. It may matter to her; to look like she has some old, dusty tittle that holds her as a legitimate claimant, but to us it never did."

"So you did know? From the start?"

"Why, of course, I did," Rarity admitted without a hint of shame. "We all did, Princess Luna herself explained to us their relationship."

"And you just helped her anyway?" Rich wasn't entirely surprised this time around either, he was just disappointed. So deeply disappointed.

"Why shouldn't have I?" Rarity smiled again. "Richy, there were times when this question would have made me excuse myself, but I don't regret any of what I did any longer. It was the right thing to do. Princess Celestia was willfully neglecting the ponies she was meant to care for. Nightmare may not have been the most peaceful Lady I have seen, but her heart was in the right place."

Rich wasn't sure if she knew what she just admitted, or what he was really expecting to hear from her. Rarity was always sublime in making excuses; apparently, she got good enough to make herself believe her own words. She was right, though. It wouldn't be the most shocking thing her followers already knew about her. It looked like nobody except Rich actually cared for what the law said. And the law said that Nightmare Moon had a lot to answer for.

"Right, let's get you back home then," Rich started getting up. Rarity looked regretfully over at her bottle, still being mostly full.

"A lady can find her way home, thank you very much," Rarity said indignantly. "But perhaps Shadow and the fillies could use your help," she added mildly.

Rich grunted and went to check up on them,
"Hey," he called out. "You three are okay?" the three of them all turned at once and stared at him. The larger one looked noticeably buzzed. They stared for a moment longer, when the elderly changeling herself began to slowly get up. She suddenly looked so old to him. Not just physically, she moved with the weariness only the real elders showed. He barely restrained himself from trying to help her up. Shadow gave him one more, long stare and went for the exit. Her daughters hurried after her each giving him a single glance.

"You go ahead, darlings," Rarity spoke again. "I'll catch up with you later."

The road on was Shadow leading him home rather the other way around. Not a single word was said through the whole way until they reached an unremarkable house Rich assumed had to be their destination. Shadow stopped right outside the door and stood there for a few moments before her daughters took the hint and went inside. The large one nearly hit her head on the doorway and needed a little help from her sister. All in complete silence. Rich was honestly thinking about asking Twilight if changelings had some non-verbal way of communication.

Shadow slowly turned to face him,
"Thank you," she dryly spoke, immediately dropping her look down again. It had to be the first time he ever heard her saying that to anyone who wasn't her lady. To his own surprise, he even looked at her with compassion. He couldn't imagine what shame she was going through and what he saved her from yet going through if it was Nightmare who came for her.

"H-hey, it's not a big deal," he tried talking back. "Just a bit of coin is nothing to cry over, especially if it's for a friend. I... don't suppose you can tell me what happened without me learning something about your Mistress?"

"No," her answer was short and honest, he nodded to that.

"Okay. Let's go back to her then, our lady is probably out of her mind from worry." She visibly relaxed. Her shoulders sank.

"Yes, she probably is. And Miss Tiny might be in need of more directions." Rich smiled at that, now that would be someone who won't be glad to see the creaky, old lady again.

Too Many Volunteers

It was a very long time since Daybreaker last had anyone to spar with. She once met a warrior-monk who claimed to be able to shatter stone with his hooves. It indeed was so. Much to the bewilderment of the gathered crowd, he broke every stone they challenged him with. The monk wasn't boisterous and was only showing what an attuned mind and body could do. He, of course, proved no challenge at all for her. To his credit, he still accepted a duel. He did not cower or spit her: but calmly accepted his defeat. He still gave her his critique: her magic was a walking stick that prevented her from running and her emotion clouded her judgment. She considered showing the impudent peasant his place, but quickly realized that it would only demonstrate his point.
He then invited her to visit his temple. The place was nothing special, but it was maintained. The monks she met were spending their days in training, meditation and maintaining the temple. Although their skills were only impressive to the lesser ponies, their meditation practice intrigued her. The goal was to clear the mind of all emotions, both good and bad. The monks believed that this was the way to enlightenment. Although Daybreaker could not testify to that end, she did feel the most at peace she had ever been when practicing.

When Shining Armor foolishly challenged her to a duel, Daybreaker did not ridicule him. Although he had absolutely no chance despite his expertise in defensive magic, mocking him would not be a worthy way to respond. Nightmare in her great wisdom was, as always, right. Insulting a host in his home was unworthy of a noble lady. So she honored the Prince and his pretentious attempt to get back at her for her previous insults and used the opportunity to practice her calm in battle. She allowed him a couple of attempts to penetrate her defense, mostly to test her calm against attacks. She effortlessly deflected his spells, her breathing never growing any heavier. Once she got content enough, she simply pulled his legs from beneath him. He may have been remarkable in his defensive spells, but they were no use if he simply never saw her attack. She then calmly thanked him for practice and left him to contemplate his failure, he did earn some of his pride back by simply trying, she expected.

Her sister was waiting for her outside the sparring room,
"I hope you are finished humiliating Cadance's husband," she said humorlessly. "We are prepared to move again."

"You seem in a foul mood," Daybreaker said with concern. "Was your foray less than satisfactory?"

"I suppose that would depend on your perspective," Nightmare Moon responded gloomily. "The news of me gathering a troop spread like a wildfire. It seems that I am quite appreciated by changelings. Singular drones and groups came to asking me to take them with us."

"I can see how that can get tiring, yes," Daybreaker suddenly remembered their sisters simply inviting themselves into her presence and asking her to direct them. "Did you accept?"

"No. Much to their displeasure no doubt."

"If they so wish to fight for you, why not allow them?" Daybreaker asked probingly: mostly to have Nightmare speak her frustration. But Nightmare simply stared at her.

"Sometimes you bewilder me," Nightmare said after a pause. "Do you wish to fight?"

"If that is what you require of me - I will," Daybreaker said readily.

"That is not what I asked. Do. You. Wish. To. Make. War?"

Daybreaker was unsure what exactly displeased her sister but she expected that prolonged hesitation would only disappoint her,
"No," Daybreaker asserted. "War wastes our potential. We could be doing so much more."

"Yet you ask why I would not allow young changelings, the last of their kind to be hatched, fight for me. Sister, it often seems to me that you only think after you speak," Nightmare Moon verbally slapped Daybreaker enough to make her reconsider her attempts to have Nightmare vent. "A Princess must protect her subjects, not the opposite. I picked the most capable of them and in the lowest acceptable number. I will not have any unnecessary death in my service."

"I would not have thought you a pacifist," Daybreaker said with genuine surprise. "You never seemed to have qualms with having others fight for you."

"A pacifist is a different word for a coward!" Nightmare Moon spat in disdain. "War is a solemn duty to perform, sister. We must not shirk from it but we must always minimize the damage. I still hope that it won't come to that, but I cannot blame Celestia for her desire to prepare. I can also only hope that the changelings see the good their effort brings, instead of simply exercising their loyalty to me."

"Can I help?" Daybreaker asked.

"Yes, thank you for asking. Take care of our little sisters and Mister Rich while I am away. They might get a little restless during prolonged inaction. Maybe have them learn something new, that usually distracts ponies enough. Also, please assist Her Majesty if she requests you to."

"Nightmare, I still ask you to perhaps reconsider," Daybreaker made no attempt to hide her enduring displeasure. "I wish to walk with you, I have done enough waiting. I could cast illusions as well as any of your changelings, if not as seamlessly. Rarity and Filthy Rich can provide enough overwatch over our sisters. If not, they will find help, they are not too incompetent. You could leave Sparkle behind, you and Celestia both ensured she would be overqualified for the task, she might even enjoy teaching again."

Nightmare Moon sighed,
"I suppose yes, she would indeed be overqualified. Very well, dear sister. I shall take you with me instead of Twilight."

"Thank you!" Daybreaker beamed. "I will not disappoint you! Give me your orders!"

"Not so fast, dear Daybreaker," Nightmare halted her. "We must get to our mission area first. I believe I know a good-enough place for us to shelter in the field that should still be unoccupied. At least it would have taken our subjects a large amount of effort to take it. However, we cannot afford another teleportation mishap; there's more at stake than having our hooves frostbitten. So, please, gather Twilight and Celestia, and draw the teleportation circle together. Make calculations independently and check them between each other. Let Twilight draw the circle and watch her."

"I am admittedly rather rusty on my triangulation equations."

"I would not believe that Celestia and yourself spent so much time on the throne that you no longer remember such simple geometry! Have Twilight get her maps and count. Twilight will recite the equation for you out of her memory if you are uncertain of your own."

"As you order," Daybreaker bowed.

"Now, I will bring our little helpers. Mister Rich would have had his fill of them by now."

"Wait! Nightmare, tell me where we are going?"

"Oh... we are going on a nostalgia trip, to our old castle," Nightmare almost purred, pleased with her idea of a hideout. "Go now, I will be with you shortly and I expect you three to be done by then."

"It shall be so, sister," Daybreaker reverently bowed one more time and trotted past to get the order to Twilight.

To this end, Daybreaker was content. She managed to have her sister reconsider her decision and Daybreaker wanted nothing else. Yes, loyalty to those who treated her with kindness was what gave life meaning.
Daybreaker's train of thought had to be cut short, as a door to Sparkle's chamber was swung open just as she was about to enter.

"Oh, hi!" Flurry Heart sheepishly smiled at her, still not forgetting to close the door behind her back. "Are you here for aunty Twilight too? What a coincidence! I just wanted to come and see if you are doing fine. Daddy said he was going to 'have something straightened' and then I didn't see you two for a little while."

"Your father is unharmed," Daybreaker said, furrowing. "I will speak to your aunt now."

"Wait-wait-wait," Flurry, quite annoyingly, stepped in Daybreaker's way. "What do you mean he is unharmed? Did you do something dangerous?" Daybreaker rolled her eyes.

"We sparred," she admitted, simply. "Your father challenged me to a duel. He lost."

"Wow!" Flurry breathed out. "I wish he told me, I would've loved to watch! Mom says fighting is for soldiers, but I always thought it's kinda useful for more things than just fighting a war; you see what I am saying? It's like Nightmare, everyone knows she can... well, could, hurt you by not even being in the same town with you. So everyone respected her just for that if nothing else."

"And how would you know?" Daybreaker sharply shoved her foreleg into Flurry's chest. "You were but a filly when she lived."

"Hey! Don't shove me like that! It's rude!" Flurry stepped back into place. "I know 'cause everypony does. Even changelings do. They tell stories about how out of nowhere their tanks would catch fire and how their officers woke up in the middle of the night screaming. I never hear anything like that being talked about Celestia, so I guess Nightmare has the whole spotlight to herself, you can say."

Daybreaker felt a sudden urge to fix her posture,
"If Celestia is any less powerful than Nightmare was, then only marginally. Celestia can burn her enemies in just the numbers as Nightmare can."

"Well, she never showed it," Flurry shrugged. "Or at least no one remembers it."

"That is because Celestia is a coward who only has others fight for her, little Flurry," Daybreaker glared down at the smaller alicorn. "Nightmare handles her enemies herself, that is why she is so popular with her soldiers."

"Oh, so that's why changelings can't have any more hatchlings. They think it was an accident, but I never heard them say how it really happened. Nightmare just took their Queen in and then she wound up dead."

"That's..." Daybreaker's retort stuck in her throat. To be totally fair, she didn't really know why it happened either. Chrysalis was, seemingly, accidentally killed by Shadow herself, Daybreaker witnessed it. And Shadow was Nightmare's assassin. "She deserved her fate," Daybreaker was forced to pedal back.

"I guess," Flurry frowned sadly. "Wish the buggos didn't have to die cause of her. They are kinda cool. They love Nightmare as any of her former guards in here. She's their Queen now, she's also kind of the reason why they will all die out soon."

Daybreaker found no response to that and simply kept solemn silence for a little longer.

"Well, good talking to ya, Big D," Flurry smiled at her again. "Guess you better go see Aunty now, wouldn't want her to be late on doing something important. I'll go find Dad now."

Daybreaker almost lost enough of her temper to teach Cadance's brat the importance of respect, but Nightmare wouldn't have approved. With nothing more but a tired sigh, Daybreaker returned to her task. Cadance's daughter unknowingly gave her a new perspective, but that changed nothing.

"Twilight Sparkle," Daybreaker announced herself from the doorway.

The Princess in question looked up from her paper-laden desk, pen still tightly gripped in her sorcery. Her room didn't have one, Daybreaker noted, Cadance's staff likely hauled a desk to Twilight's room specifically.

"Yes?" Twilight asked with slight worry.

"I bring word from Nightmare. We are to find your former mentor and draw a new teleportation circle, the three of us together."

"Well..." Twilight put her pen down. "I suppose it is better we start," Twilight readily stood up and levitated her bags. "Where are we going exactly?"

"The Castle of Two Sisters."

Twilight froze for a second giving Daybreaker a panicked look.

"Nightmare permits you to stay," Daybreaker added.

"I think I would like to," Twilight sighed in relief. "Let's find Celestia now."

"Find?" Daybreaker tilted her head. "Does this mean you don't know where your mentor is?" Twilight blew through her nose.

"I have about as much stake in her being here as you do," Twilight pranced straight past Daybreaker, leaving her a glare to remember.

"Oh, I am most confident of that, Twilight Sparkle. Your disdain towards Luna's despicable sister pleases me," Daybreaker followed suit, feeling amused at the younger alicorn trying verbally shove her.

"One thing we agree on," Twilight muttered.

"Pray tell, what have I done to draw your misplaced ire?"

"Start with your self-assured attitude."

"That says Twilight Sparkle," Daybreaker didn't stop herself from having a chuckle. "Always so right, so confident in her own judgment that she blindly followed a rotten hypocrite most of her life."

"I also hate having to keep looking at your face," Twilight spat out.

"Indeed, but one thing we may always agree on." Daybreaker found herself smiling behind Twilight's back. Seeing her trying to talk back was like having a kitten trying to bite into her hoof with all its might - amusing and adorable. A cub could grow into a tiger in the end still, it would've been interesting to witness. Perhaps one day, Twilight would duel her and prove herself to be a worthy sparring partner.

"You!" Twilight called out to a staff pony pushing a trolley with clean sheets down the guest room corridor. "Have you seen Princess Celestia?" The pony warily shook his head. Twilight looked back at Daybreaker's derisive grin, "Ugh! Princess Celestia looks exactly like this mare, have you seen one that looks like her recently?"

"N-no, Princess," the pony answered, with another shook of his head.

"It seems you intimidate him," Daybreaker pointed out with a stifled chuckle.

"Why is that funny?! You intimidate everyone!"

"That's the point, young one; I was unaware you have already learned from me so much," Daybreaker's mock praise made Twilight groan in exasperation.

"Let's just get on with this," she said through gritted teeth, stomping on to find the third part of their team.

Daybreaker, as usual, wasn't glad to see Celestia. Especially considering that the mare was apparently occupying herself with teaching Daybreaker's young sister. Having caught Celestia and Tiny practicing spellcraft, Daybreaker wanted to puke. She wasn't angry, just sick of the Sun Princess' constant hypocrisy. Celestia hated Daybreaker and her kind, that was something she learned personally and that could be respected. But seeing her acting so pleasantly to Tiny could only mean that Celestia found a use for her. Daybreaker still said nothing as they went outside together, she didn't believe Celestia to be a threat; she simply wanted to fulfill her orders and be separate herself from Celestia yet again. It eluded Daybreaker entirely why Nightmare decided to keep Celestia aboard, but she was not going to question her decisions.

Daybreaker listened to Twilight reading out the formula out of her head, as Nightmare said she would, and then calculated the coordinates. Daybreaker and Celestia checked the map and ran the numbers themselves. Daybreaker only put half of her mind to it, but her result matched Twilight's. Daybreaker noticed Tiny listening in and gave her a stern glance, warning her that it was still too early to study complex spells. Shadow took this as Tiny having too little to do.

Celestia needed to draw her own equation on the map, but her result matched Twilight's aswell. Minus the time they wasted searching for Celestia throughout the Crystal Palace, they've made good time. So all five of them, including Shadow and Tiny, had to wait together. They mostly waited in silence, apart from Tiny complaining to her caretaker. At some point, the Captain came by; Daybreaker did not notice him doing so and paid him no mind. He was as inconsequential as any other trooper serving them, even if the former Guards were more loyal than most. The Captain was followed by Princess Flurry Heart, who must be here to wish her goodbyes.

Eventually, Nightmare did show up, and she had the number of soldiers Daybreaker had already seen. They had the same collection equipment dangling from their backs, chests and shoulders but also carried crates with them. Nightmare slowly floated towards the three alicorns, examining the circle on her way.

"Are you sure in your calculations this time?" Nightmare Moon asked coldly.

"Yes, Lady," Twilight readily answered. "I have all my notes-"

"Sister, have you checked?" Nightmare cut Twilight off before she could reach for her writings.

"My own calculations match that of Twilight's," Daybreaker stated impassively. "Celestia wrote hers down, she has the same end result," Daybreaker quickly continued, preferring to say it herself rather than let Celestia speak. Nightmare's eyes quickly centered on Shadow and Tiny.

"Tiny," Nightmare Moon said intently. "Come here." Tiny wearily looked first at Nightmare herself, then at Shadow. She then cautiously approached, not quite sure what exactly the sudden interest in her entailed.
Nightmare Moon gradually lowered her ethereal body closer to the ground until she wasn't towering above the foal anymore.
"Sister, it is time to say goodbye," Nightmare gently whispered. "Where I go now, many ponies will get hurt. You will stay here with Mister Rich, your other sisters and Cadance's ponies. Twilight will teach you what I had no time to." Nightmare then fell silent, watching for signs of her little sister's response. Tiny stared at her for a second in silent shock.

"Noooo!" Tiny loudly sobbed. "You can't leave me here!" Daybreaker winced and grimaced at the foal crying.

"Now, sister, be a big filly. I am only doing this because it is very dangerous to bring you with me," Nightmare said with the same calm softness, while gently wiping Tiny's tears with her the cloud of her material smoke. "A war camp is no place for foals. I am only leaving for a time; I will be back for you, I promise."

"But I can fight!" Tiny cried out, stomping her tiny hoof in frustration.

"It is not whether you can fight, sister. It is the question of whether you should. Hurting others for no good reason is wrong. There's no good reason for you to do that."

"But you have a reason! I'll just help!"

"No, sister," Nightmare Moon calmly but firmly said her verdict. "You have no stake in what Celestia and I shall be doing now and I will not have you share danger whilst you are not required to. Stay here, I will be back shortly and I will have you show me everything you studied. And listen to Twilight and Mister Rich while I am away." Nightmare Moon slipped past Tiny and drew closer to the three waiting mares.
"Twilight, have her learn something useful," Nightmare Moon whispered quietly. "Make absolutely sure she does not have too much free time she knows not what to do with. And tell Rarity, and Sky Star, I am sorry I didn't say goodbye."

The purple alicorn hesitated, but just a moment,
"Well, I guess it's back to books then," she even smiled.

"Thank you, Twilight," Nightmare spoke warmly. "Now, we must depart."

"Uh... Actually..." Flurry Heart stepped forth. "Rolling here wanted to ask you something," she beckoned the Knight.

"Lady! Permission to-"

"Granted, Captain. Be quick with it," Nightmare Moon said with visible annoyance at this new distraction.

"Lady, I want to go with you."

"Out of the question, Captain. You served your time already, enjoy your civilian life."

"Lady-Marshal!" he suddenly raised his voice at her, even invoking her old rank. "I was a soldier in your Guard for many years and then I was your Captain! When you disappeared we were left to rot!" he angrily snarled. "We thought that we failed to protect you, but it turned out that you are just fine without us!"

Nightmare Moon quietly waited for him to finish,
"I shall remember your insubordination, Captain. Dismissed."

"No, I don't think I will, Ma'am!" Rolling refused. "Don't you understand?! You deprive us of our lives purpose! There's a couple of Old Guard here, they want nothing more than to come back to the glory days again!"

"Captain, for the sake of your honorable service, I will tell you one more time: No. Next time you will hear that from my soldiers instead."

Rolling Thunder looked like he was going to protest again, but instead, he just stooped his shoulders and with a defeated sigh went on his way.

"Wow, cold," Flurry remarked. "I don't suppose I could come either?"

"No, you most certainly can't," Nightmare Moon responded, already turning back to Daybreaker and Celestia. This situation felt horrible to observe, Daybreaker thought. She could tell that Rolling Thunder was hurt by this rejection, the one he did nothing to deserve at that.
"Open the gates, we have wasted enough time already," Nightmare impatiently ordered.

"Uhmm! Nightmare, darling! Just a moment, please!" the familiar voice has cut the air. Daybreaker moved to obey the order, but she kept her ears to the source regardless. "I am so glad I could catch you before you left, dear! It would've been horrendous otherwise!"

"Rarity, I fear there's little time left for that. My sister shall open the gate and we would have to leave quickly. I apologize that I couldn't tell you my farewells before."

"Yes, darling, most unfortunate. I hope Shadow could spare a moment to say goodbye too, her darling girls just wanted to see her one more time oh so much!" That remark made Daybreaker turn around and sure enough there they were. She remembered them from way before and now both of the drones, much older at that, stood before her regal sister again... except the larger one was giving her not reverent enough look. Daybreaker frowned and glanced at Shadow, who looked almost as crushed as Rolling Thunder was a minute ago. Daybreaker must have grown sentimental for the changeling after so many years because she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It must have been terrible to see her own daughter dishonoring herself by glaring at her superior.

"Take us with you," a short demand was offered, delivered flatly and impassively. Other changelings started giving the pair bewildered looks, even her own sister gave the large one a weird look. "We want to follow our mother, take us with you," the changeling repeated. Nightmare Moon didn't answer, instead, she slowly turned to look at Shadow, who looked like she wished the earth would swallow her.

"Nightmare Moon, I believe we have something to do," Celestia impatiently hurried Nightmare, much to Daybreaker's displeasure.

"Dear children," Nightmare Moon sighed heavily, using the most atypical address Daybreaker has ever seen her sister do. "I cannot allow you to accompany us. Please, understand."

"We are changelings, not your regular pony farmers," the large changeling almost growled, even earning a shove from her sister but not moving an inch. "We can fight. I am my mother's oldest drone and I trained in the Royal Academy. I am better than any of these hatchlings you have! Take me with you!"

"No," Nightmare Moon answered, her composition slowly returning. Daybreaker glanced at Shadow again she was still staring at the scene with barely restrained desire.

"Nightmare!" Daybreaker heard her own voice. "This is cruel! We cannot do this to our retainer! Allow them to come, 'the mother must not be separated from her foals'." In response, Nightmare stared at her in mute shock. Daybreaker could feel it even without any body language to judge by. Without noticing it, she made a step away from her sister.

"Did you just question my authority?" Nightmare Moon asked without any anger, just pure disbelief. Daybreaker bit her lip.
"I cannot believe this, of all of them, it is you. My own kin!"

Daybreaker immediately dropped in a deep bow,
"No, of course, I am not questioning your authority; I would never." Daybreaker quickly muttered, still hoping to avoid the strife. "I have only said that you, perhaps, forgetting some circumstance," Daybreaker slowly pointed at Shadow with one of her legs.

Nightmare Moon continued glaring down at her sister for another long moment,
"Major Tarsus, have both of these drones fitted in a uniform given a rifle and assigned to one of the company's sergeants. I want to forget they are even here," Nightmare Moon said coldly, almost bitterly.

"Yes, Ma'am!" the old changeling screeched.

Daybreaker dared to look up at her sister, but she was no longer there. Looking for her with her eyes, Daybreaker instead found Princess Flurry. The filly smiled at her and with a sly wink disappeared behind the moving ranks of soldiers.

Applechase

Her old home, Nightmare Moon couldn't help but remember. She remembered walking through the hallways together with Luna, her host. It was so distant now, almost like remembering a dream.

"Ma'am," Tarsus approached and stood at attention.

"Speak," she ordered while continuing to refresh her memory of the house of her youth.

"We have fortified the entrance with a couple of barricades and a machine gun. It should hold against a ground assault, unless they bring artillery."

"There are catacombs we could use in that case, ask my sister to show you their entrances," Nightmare Moon said impassively. "Send patrols into the forest, if met with any resistance they must retreat back here immediately. Also, instruct them to watch for a primitive hut made out of straw and wood, a zebra healer once lived there. She would be most useful if we could gain her services."

"Affirmative, My Lady," Tarsus saluted and turned to walk away.

"Major, I would have you attach a couple to me as well. There is something I wish to see for myself and I would like a little help."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Nightmare Moon has been away from this place for so long. Truth was that she loved the Everfree Forest; ever since she frolicked there with Luna, a part of her always lived here. She missed being able to smell the warm summer wind carrying the scent of bark and leaves. She missed the feeling of grass touching her legs. A better time.

"Faster," she said to her soldiers, clambering behind her as they tried to follow her through the thickets; their clothes and equipment getting caught on branches. The drones looked quite apprehensive; as they already had tears and scratches, and were certain to get more. Oh, the first campaign was always the most educational.
"Drop in the treeline, we must not be seen just now," she told them, herself floating towards the ground to stick out less. At first sight, Ponyville didn't look at all different from what she remembered it like. Some new buildings were added, some old ones were missing. Twilight's Castle was, remarkably, still there too. It was taken care of and didn't look damaged; curious, someone still used it for some reason.
She could also see that the Apple Acres were still there as well, although it wasn't merely an orchard anymore. She could remember that the family owning it were staunch traditionalists, yet now there were tractors there, parked by a concrete garage, with grain towers in the background. It seemed that even the most stubborn of them have finally seen reason.

"Queen, what are we to do?" one of her changelings asked her. Nightmare cringed every time one of them called her that, but after the fifth time today, she stopped telling them off. If it brought them comfort to use that word for her, she could allow that.

"Disguise yourselves: we will be scouting. There's a very important pony mare that used to live here before. I must know if she is still nearby for she is crucial to my plans. Her name is Applejack, she has a bright orange coat, a sandy mane and she always wears a hat."

"But we will not be able to hide our weapons!" Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes, although she suspected that wouldn't have the same effect without a head for her eyes to roll in.

"Yes, your weapons won't be hidden but armed ponies suddenly arriving at a farm would be much less noteworthy than armed changelings. Now, do as you were ordered."

Her troop did without further discussion. She was satisfied with them for now.

They slowly crept to the farm, Nightmare Moon chose the side away from the fields and orchard. Even then, it was strangely empty and quiet. From what she remembered about peasant life, there was always work to do around the yard and in the field. Yet there wasn't anyone working, carrying goods or doing repairs.

"Something is wrong," Nightmare Moon said just loudly enough for her escort to hear her. "Check your weapons and wait, I shall go forth and signal when you are needed."

She deigned not to wait for her changelings to answer and began slithering towards the farm, keeping herself close to the ground. She was starting to think that the changelings were far too blunt of a tool and would prove a liability. She floated through a remarkably modern chain fence with it proving to be no obstacle all the same. She checked buildings on the farm one by one, finding no trace of its inhabitants. On closer inspection, there were signs of struggle visible. A dropped haystack, splatered fresh dirt and hoofprints everywhere. It seems Nightmare Moon would have to play a tracker.
She called her drones.

"Someone took the ponies we are looking for. Check every building, search for anyone alive," she quickly gave her order, but changelings didn't move. "Go!" she barked with annoyance.

Her changelings snapped into action and galloped to do her bidding, leaving her to contemplate this unexpected turn of events. She had absolutely no understanding just where or why her old acquaintance was taken, perhaps the new leadership is much less lenient to dissent than she was. She was certainly not going to owe any favors to Cadance's child with how little information she offered. She tried looking for tracks leaving the area, but there was not enough to determine their direction. She would have to send more of her troopers to scout and search for where Applejack and her relatives could've been taken.

"My Queen!" one of her changelings hailed her. He had with him a rough-looking mare with a deep red coat, plentiful scars and a broken horn. In her mouth, there was a self-made tobacco wrap. "I found her sitting inside the estate, she said she was waiting."

"Hi," the mare said calmly. "Was wondering when you finally show up, been waiting a lot longer than I am used to."

Nightmare Moon looked at the mare with suspicion,
"Your ambush was poor."

The mare chuckled, her wrap almost falling out of her mouth,
"They didn't tell me you were a joker. But no, no ambush."

"You want to talk to me then. I am tired of playing games."

The mare shrugged,
"That's what they paid me for."

"Deliver your message," Nightmare Moon sighed.

"They told me to show you where you can find the folks who lived here. They knew you'd come looking."

"And why would I trust you? Your employers were hardly inconspicuous enough to leave to trace. Otherwise, why would they pay you if they want me to find where they are kept? They could have simply left them here. This looks too much like a ploy, you must see that."

"I don't know," the mare shrugged again. "I just told you what they paid me to tell you. I already have my money so I don't really care if you believe me or not."

"Ugh! Mercenaries..." Nightmare Moon winced in contempt.

"Hey! It's 'private contractor,' a respectable business."

"I think not, mercenary filth!" Nightmare Moon held a pause to recenter, "Do as you were told to do, lead me to where you say you will," Nightmare Moon looked past the pony at her drone instead. "You, find your sisters. We are moving again."

"Is this it?" Nightmare Moon skeptically asked. The pony led them to the middle of nowhere in the plains just outside Ponyville, Nightmare Moon used to enjoy watching these from the windows of her Palace.
"You better not have wasted my time, mercenary."

"That wasn't part of the job," the mare dryly said. "There's a trapdoor here somewhere. They enchanted it so it can't be seen."

"Of course they did..." Nightmare Moon deeply sighed. "Well then, spread out and find it."

"My Queen, if I may, we can sense illusions if you would like us to..." one of her drones coyly suggested.

"Please do. The sooner we have our target, the quicker we can return." The drones visibly cast no magic and didn't even break their disguises, yet the trapdoor was indeed found. Upon being pulled open it revealed a grim hole with a ladder going downwards.

"Well, since my job here is done I hope you don't mind if I head out?" the mare asked.

"Not so fast. I shall see for myself exactly what is down there and you are coming with me," Nightmare Moon chided.

"Well..." she looked at four armed soldiers all looking at her. "I suppose I can stay a bit longer."

"Excellent. Now, if you would be so kind, after you."

The dugout was a remarkable achievement even before it was enhanced with the invisible door. It was a well-disguised bunker and while being a simple concrete box, it was still far better than makeshift. It had a table, chairs, beds and a storeroom but with only oil for lighting. Electrical lighting would require generators, she supposed. She wasn't bothered by the dark all the same.

"Open that door," she pointed at the heavy metal door at the end of the room. The drones shared a short stare and three of them approached the door. One of them checked the handle and simply pulled. The door creaked open. One of the drones pulled out her flashlight.

"There are ponies here," she said.

"See, told you," the red mare said smugly. "I always keep my end of the bargain."

"Shush, you," Nightmare Moon sharply hissed. She silently floated to the room, inside there were a dozen ponies tied up with simple ropes, they were also blindfolded and gagged. Unfazed, Nightmare Moon began going through the prisoners one by one. To her relief, she found whom she was searching for. She reached behind Applejack's head and undid her gag.

"I ain't tellin' ya a thing!" were the first words out of her mouth. "Not one thing, ya hear me!"

"Ugh! As charming as ever," Nightmare said, starting to undo the blindfold. Her voice made the farmer go silent.

"No! No-no-no! Ur dead! Ur dead!" Applejack babbled. "I saw ya die, I saw ya die!"

"I can assure you, you are quite correct. I am very much dead! Now, if you are done stating the obvious, you can help me to understand why exactly you were put here and I shall consider whether I should rescue you."

"Why would ya rescue me? Yer goons put us 'ere in de first place!"

"My 'goons', Applejack?"

"Ya mean ya don't know? I thought 'dem batwings sucked it up to you."

"Supposedly they mean to, yes. Yet in our last encounter, that couldn't have been further from the truth."

"So, you gonna untie us, or what? We got work to do, soon 'dem commissar will come checking."

"I could. You are not going back, however. I have need of you."

"Oh, fiddlesticks! Why did I even bother askin'? Fine!"

"Untie them," Nightmare Moon moved away. "I will have a very enlightening discussion with you shortly, Applejack."

Nightmare Moon retreated out of the room before she could hear any of Applejack's honestly quite tiresome retorts. She was a fool and a stubborn one at that, but she was needed. Nightmare Moon's train of thought abruptly cut short. There, in the room, there was someone waiting for her. Nightmare Moon knew this presence.

"Hello, Nightmare," Luna said coolly.

"All of you, out of here, now," Nightmare Moon sharply snappily ordered. Her troopers quickly cut the binds and indeed were out in seconds, leaving the dead to speak alone.

"They still fight for you," Luna remarked, slowly walking towards the lamp and igniting it with a spark from her horn, illuminating herself in the soft glow.

"It is the only thing left for them to do," Nightmare Moon explained. "A warrior without a purpose is confused and miserable."

"I see you still have your mind for philosophy," Luna smiled, her long, sharp fangs poking out of her lips. "At least someone doesn't change in this place. How were you?"

"Being dead is less unpleasant than I was led to imagine. It is also much less final. One of my sisters used a summoning spell using my spellbook as an anchor."

"I understand. It always seems easy in retrospect, is it not?" Luna dryly chuckled. "Had I known, I would've gotten Starlight to do it."

"It is not perfect," Nightmare Moon looked down upon her floating body.

"Nothing ever is. I could have made Sombra do his ritual on you again. I don't think he would've refused if I asked him."

"I think it suits me better like this."

"More convenient?"

"At times, but more of a reminder. My servants do physical work well enough."

"I have heard our other sister is with you as well. How has she been? I regret not coming to speak with her, I let myself be angry at her."

"You are not the only one with regrets, Luna. Daybreaker spent many years in atonement. She has taught herself discipline and restraint. I am proud of her."

"I only want to meet her more now. But that is not why I waited for you here. I must know what your goal is."

"I have come for you, Luna. Sombra told me you've lost your mind and needed help. I see he lied."

Luna looked genuinely puzzled,
"What did he tell you?"

"He told me that you shut yourself in a cave and believed you were me."

"Ah!" Luna openly laughed. "I see. He always believed what he wanted to believe. Another thing that never changes. I simply wanted to be alone and Sombra was not taking hints, so I ignored him."

"Is it not true then that you lead the Ivory Crescent now? One of the devotees I've met seemed convinced."

"Leading - no. It is not quite like that. You see, we have an agreement with Starlight Glimmer if you remember her. She had no loyalty to her and took power when she saw it. I think you would've approved of her methods. Starlight leads the cult and shapes it into whatever she wishes it to be, which is usually acquiring more power. While I publicly show her my support as my high priestess and gain some of her resources for my own interests."

"A deft manoeuver."

"I am glad you like it as much as I do! I wanted to mimic your style."

"What about your sister? Why did you not tell us this when we were at your temple. Twilight had to save her life from the injuries you have inflicted."

Luna's expression soured,
"How is she?"

"Alive, but deeply wounded in her heart."

"I had to sell the deception to the crowd. You appearing there made my situation slippery. Remember, they think I am you. I had to make them believe I hate my sister, just like their dogma teaches. It would not be productive to the goal if they knew I was lying."

"Would you tell me your goal?"

"To do good."

"That's it?"

Luna sighed,
"I have always said you were better at viewing the big picture."

"I don't believe it is just this. It is never this simple with you. You could have taken the throne after my death. Why didn't you?"

"That is what Sombra wanted me to do. But I had no idea how to run a state! I am not you!"

"You let it all fall apart just because you were afraid of responsibility?!" Nightmare Moon almost yelled. Luna visibly shrank.

"I thought that someone you taught would do a better job," Luna tried to defend herself without much hope. "But we will make it right now! You are back!"

"Luna, I am not here to chain myself to the throne again," Nightmare Moon deeply sighed. "I am here only for you. I had Shadow King separate our sisters, Celestia shall rule and both of us can leave this wretched land."

"But she would simply go back to what she did before! She hasn't learned a thing last time I saw her!"

"And was her way so bad?"

"Yes, it was! Thestrals, remember what she did to them!"

"Luna, forget about the past! Let us leave together, we don't need this battle anymore!"

Luna sneered in disgust,
"I cannot believe what I just heard. You want to abandon our ponies?! Our own subjects when they need us most? Nightmare, I cannot do this! Not again."

"They are not our subjects, Luna. Duty ends in death. I will not make the same mistake twice. I will not shackle myself to the hierarchy. I am free now and so are you. Luna, please, let's just leave."

"No, I cannot. Nightmare, I cannot believe you can be so callous. Even now. I thought this was behind you. Our ponies suffer! I must fight for them, if I cannot do anything else. This is my choice. I hope you will change your mind. I will send a pony to your quarters. She will be your contact with me and will give you the information I have been gathering. I hope once you see what is going on, it will change your heart. Until then, I cannot bear to listen to you any longer. Goodbye."

Luna then disappeared, teleporting away just like she used to when they were little. There was something new to it now. In all their time together, Nightmare Moon didn't remember Luna rejecting her.

Applied Science

"Ten, plus eight... eighteen?"

"That's right," Twilight smiled. "Rich taught you well enough. Now, divide by six."

"Three."

"That's right. How about multiplying? Multiply three by nine."

"Twenty-seven," Tiny answered without hesitation. This was largely trivial for her at this point. Twilight did load her with more books to study, but so far she never actually checked if Tiny even opened any of them.

"Twenty-seven by three?"

"...Eighty-one?" this one was a bit harder, she had to spend a moment counting.

"Correct!" Twilight beamed, pleased to have such a gifted student. "Okay, let's be done with the basics for today. Would you like a little break before we go on with the lesson?"

"I am not tired yet," Tiny didn't understand exactly why Twilight asked every twenty or so minutes. She wasn't going to tire in twenty minutes, Nightmare sometimes had her study the whole day.

"Okay then, one more basic question: Can you repeat the law of energy conservation for me?"

"Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another."

"Great!" Twilight excitedly clapped her hooves. "You know, you are gifted! You know so much more than any filly would usually know at your age!" Tiny looked down, under the table, in embarrassment. It had to be the first time someone made her a compliment like that.
"I wish we could have access to the royal library in Canterlot," Twilight ruefully sighed. "Anyway," Twilight dropped a new book down at the table, a smile already coming back to her face. "As good a time as any to learn some geography!"

Tiny loudly dropped her head down on the table with a loud groan. When Nightmare left her behind with Twilight, of all ponies, Tiny actually thought that it might not be so bad. Sure, she would have to be away from some of the only creatures she actually cared about, but at least she would get to study under the best scholar in living memory. Well, it was true, she supposed; she just didn't know that the things Twilight found 'useful' would be equations, numbers and scientific laws Tiny had absolutely no idea how to apply.

"Princess Twilight, can you teach me a new spell instead, please?" Tiny mumbled into the table without much hope.

"Spells?" Twilight sounded surprised. "But geography is so much more fun!"

"Well, Nightmare promised to teach me magic!"

"Come on now," Twilight managed to keep her composure, Tiny wished she would at least get mad at her. "Lady said you should learn something useful, there's nothing more useful in the world than science."

"If you are a builder!" Tiny groaned without enthusiasm. "We won't be building a bridge or an electrical chain. We have ponies for that!"

"Hey! Just because you happen to know Lady doesn't mean you can behave so stuck-up!"

Tiny shrugged,
"It works for her."

"What works for her is being good to others so others are good to her! Lady takes care of us, so we take care of her."

"Aunty, Tiny is just a filly; there's no point in yelling at her over this," Flurry placated. Both Tiny and Twilight turned to look at the princess casually leaning in the doorway.

"How long were you standing there?" Twilight asked.

"The whole time?" Flurry answered with a satisfied grin. "Anyways, Aunty, you look like you should have a break. Have a coffee, I bet you don't remember the last time you got any since Hippogriffs only got tea in their area." Tiny could tell that the offer was enticing, Twilight even bit her lip to hold back a grin at the memories.

"Yes, a coffee would be nice. But we are kind of in the middle of something," Twilight sighed with audible regret. "The break isn't going anywhere, I suppose."

"Oh, come on! Aunty, there's nothing wrong with just having one coffee! Moony won't be coming back for a while, you got all the time in the world to teach Tiny all the boring numbers you care to. Besides, Tiny looks like she could use a break too." Twilight gave Tiny a skeptical look.

"Well, I guess I could have a break," Twilight unsurely stood up.

"That's right, Aunty! The staffs' room is at the end of the hallway, enjoy!"

"Thanks," Tiny said after Twilight left.

"Nah, it's nothing. Besides, I gotta tell you something. I may have screwed up a bit," Flurry nervously smiled. "I won't lie, you aren't supposed to be here right now. I saw you going with Moony and right now you would've been meeting someone very interesting instead of sitting here with Twilight. I gotta arrange that, somehow."

"...Okay, why?"

"Well, unless you are there, with them... well, no beating about the crystal growth, Nightmare's gonna die."

"What, die again?"

"Yeah... again. You'll see later. But what's even worse is that Big D is gonna die trying to save her."

Tiny was taken aback by the sudden revelation. No, she wouldn't want any of her sisters to die, even if some of them were mean sometimes.
"Why can't you just tell Twilight?"

"Well, because then she would make me go through ten billion tests so that she can measure me before she makes any decision at all and we don't have enough time for that. Look, I am telling you cause you gotta be ready."

"Okay... what do I need to do?"

"First, you need to get your helmet. It's paramount. Life and death kind of paramount. Once you have it, don't take it off. I mean it. If you lose it you all gonna die."

"Alright."

"Then, you gotta watch out. There's gonna be a weird pegasus mare right here in the Palace. She's gonna have a rainbow mane and tail, and a very cute baby blue coat. Not sure the name she goes by right now, but back in the day she was Rainbow Dash. You gotta use your helmet with her and her alone. This is important, there's probably gonna be someone else with her. I'll deal with them, but you can't bring them along. Also, don't let Twilight see them or you won't hear the end of it, I would also have to do a lot of explaining and I don't want to. Got all of that?"

"Sounds easy enough..."

"Okay, so once you both pop out of the back of your wagon, I'm gonna be there waiting with a circle. You gonna be away in a flash. Once you are in the castle though... well, it can't really be helped, get ready to get yelled at. But Nightmare probably won't bother Big D to make another circle just to send you back, especially since she's still mad at D, so you are probably safe afterwards. The person you need to talk to once you are clear is a zebra, you know who that is, right? She's like a pony, but with stripes, can't miss her. Also talks really funny, you'll see. Just try not to die of laughter and she'll get you on the way. Now, Twilight's about to be back and I got places to be. See you in a few hours."

Divine Wind stepped on the pier and almost fell over. Many days spent on the shaking deck of their ship made the solid land feel uneasy. Balance quickly returned to her and she stepped up to meet the approaching port official.

"Captain, I presume?" the old hippogriff in glasses asked.

"I'll pay for tying up the boat," she said, surprising herself with her sudden heavy accent, it has been a long time indeed.

"Five golden bits," he said without further delay, understanding her haste quicker than even her own master did. She reached to her bags and retrieved her purse, she counted out the sum and laid it out in his outstretched claw. "Enjoy your stay," he said monotonously: making a note in his ledger. Rainbow quickly went around him, eager to get the business over with. Her way led her to meet the current Queen and as loath as she was to do so, she had to rely on her old connections to get what she wanted.

"Divine!" the cry caught up with her. "Wait up!" a cold shiver ran down her spine. During her time on the ship, she already regretted telling his lordship of her mission. He simply wouldn't hear of him staying home afterwards. The worst part is that she had no argument to counter with. He was the lord of the Hirokawa clan and it was his right and duty to protect it in any way required. She had no choice but to comply with his desire to come with her to this, potentially, dangerous negotiation. She had to insist on them leaving their armor and weapons home, to which he agreed surprisingly quickly, which did no favors to her mental health.
Lord Snow Strike tumbled along the pier to her, narrowly avoiding colliding with the portmaster.

"Your Lordship, it is perhaps unwise to rush," she cautioned. "Sealegs need a moment to wear off."

"Nonsense! You just stepped on the dry land as if nothing happened! Hirokawa clan takes inspiration from you and so shall I," he declared with his unchanging optimism.

Rainbow bowed her head at the compliment, but on the inside, she was screaming. She had to find something to distract him with, not just to protect her sanity from constant reminders of him proposing to her, but also so that he won't embarrass them with his woefully inadequate manners.

"Now, where are these barbarians we shall meet?" and his ignorance too.

"My Lord, perhaps it is better that I speak to them myself. I speak their language."

Snow Strike smiled at her, but went onward nonetheless,
"I appreciate your concern, Divine, but I shall look the warrior in the eyes before I ask him for help." Divine Wind dared not to express her protest, it was not for her to protest against her master's desire. "Lead our charge, I am looking forward to meeting these friends of yours."

Divine Wind was forced to comply and lead her Lord up the mountain to where she knew the royal catacombs were. In all honesty, she wasn't looking forward to this. She was disciplined enough to not allow the thoughts of her old friends' reactions to her fill her head and it still was hard to go there again.

"Impressive place," Snow Strike thought aloud. "All this... stone. It must be taking them such monumental effort to build like this..." Divine Wind smiled despite herself. Her Lord never saw anything grander than his own estate. She even allowed herself to imagine his reaction to old Canterlot, that was a fine place.

"It is not just stone, My Lord, but concrete," Divine Wind corrected. "It is a liquid solution that can be made solid in any required form. It is not as hard as natural stone is, but it can be reinforced with metal grids, almost like our blades have harder steel cores."

"Metal inside stone?!" he said in disbelief. "Oh, that must be a truly strong stone!"

"It truly is, My Lord. A mangonel would struggle to knock down a wall made of reinforced concrete."

"Fascinating! I would have you explain more of how this solution is made later, but now back to the task. You were decisively tight-lipped on the subject of who we shall be meeting."

"My Lord, I told you that it's old friends of mine, that much is the only thing I can know after this many years," while technically she spoke the truth, she indeed preferred to remain tight-lipped. He needn't know the entirety of their relationship... and the degree of her shame.

"I see," he said simply. "Your trust in them perplexes me now."

"It is simply our only option. As I showed you, our new enemy has the means to render our weapons and armor useless. Foreigners can help and our best chance for help is here. There is... a powerful noble lady living in the caverns under this mountain. She knows many things and she may be gracious enough to aid us in some small way at least," Divine finished her deliberately vague explanation, she doubted the specifics would be of any use to him right now anyway.

"Are you familiar with the ruler of this place then? You are always full of surprises, Divine. It's as if I didn't know you my whole life." Divine bit her lip at that. Her release did come quickly after, as they stared at the suddenly locked gateway.

"This is irregular," Divine said pensively. "Queen Sky Star doesn't usually lock her gates so early in the day."

"She must be praying at her shrine and doesn't want to be disturbed at this time of day," Snow Strike proposed.

"That... could be the case," it was for how much they knew. "I suppose, I would have to find her all the same. Since our matter is urgent, I expect she will understand. If you would wait for me here, My Lord."

"I suppose, you are the one with wings, Divine," Snow Strike half-heartedly agreed. Divine Wind was quick to fly over the gates and land on the other side, she didn't normally fly much anymore, but she managed rather easily nonetheless. She was overjoyed to have a way to separate herself from her Lord, even if just for the moment so she could think about what she was going to say. She was terrible at planning her speeches and always improvised before, but she needed to at least figure out how to get Twilight to actually help. If nothing changed from the last time they've seen each other, Twilight will be less than eager. She resolved to try to ask Sky Star first, she might be able to do something to help as well.
But when she tried to do just that, she discovered that the estate grounds were empty. No gardeners, no guard on patrol around the house. She tried going directly to the main doors, but they were locked. Did Sky Star move house? She could have, that would explain why there was no one there. As a last-ditch effort, she tried ringing the doorbell. In retrospect, the gates had one too so it was great that she didn't think about it sooner.

To her great joy, someone did come.

"Can I help you?" the question came from behind the locked door.

"I have to see Princess Twilight Sparkle or Queen Sky Star," Divine Wind answered back. "They know me and it is urgent."

"I am afraid they are unavailable, regardless of the urgency, Lady..?"

"Rainbow Dash," her old name rang unfamiliarly in her own ears.

"I will mention your name to the noble ladies once they have returned, have a nice day," her invisible interlocutor answered back.

"No, wait! I really cannot wait! My... my family will suffer!" it wasn't the exact way to translate the meaning, but it had to do in a pinch like this. "If they aren't here, tell me where they went! Please."

A delay passed before the hippogriff on the other side answered,
"I fear I cannot help you, Lady Dash," they said with honest rue. "We are not privy to the wishes of our Queen. She went on a diplomatic visit, to where I do not know."

"Let me in Princess' library, she keeps notes of everything she does. You can watch me the entire time, so I won't take anything!"

"Lady Dash, it is an open breach of conduct to let a guest in without invitation, much more to allow her to-"

"Didn't you hear me?! My family will get killed if I won't find help!" Rainbow cried out at the locked door. "I don't have anyone else to go to! Do whatever you have to, but let me see Twilight's notes! She ain't gonna fault you, I swear on my honor!"

After another long pause, to Rainbow's great relief, she heard the lock on the door click. The door slowly moved out of her way, on the other side stood a hippogriff young enough to have Rainbow as her mother.

"Come in before I realize what I am doing," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Thank you!" Rainbow beamed at her. "I'll find a way to repay you somehow for this."

"I said: 'Come in," she repeated much more deliberately. Rainbow wasted no more time. She let the hippogriff take her to the catacomb entrance and down the stairs, they were familiar but deliberately forgotten. The door to Twilight's cave was still in the same place, just like the interior. The urgency and excitement burned away the dreamy feeling she was having from walking the same rooms again, she knew exactly where to look.

The library also looked exactly the same as she expected it to, the shelves arranged under precise angles and spaces between each other with a single table littered with papers.

"There!" Rainbow pointed at the table. "That has to be it!"

"It?" the new voice suddenly emerged, forcing Rainbow to freeze. A large unicorn mare stood up from behind the table, still holding a piece of chalk in the air. She wore a comfy-looking cloak that concealed most of her physique apart from her curly mane and light pink coat,
"You two lookin' for something?"
Rainbow gave her guide a stunned, questioning look, but the hippogriff looked just as surprised as she was.
"Hey, I am pretty sure Twilight doesn't like when someponies touch her stuff, so unless she told you to..."

"W-we just need to look at her notes," Rainbow tried to explain.

"Never heard her ever mention that," the mare shook her head. "Who are you, anyways?"

"My name is Rainbow Dash, I am Twilight's friend. I need to find her," Rainbow spilled the beans.

"Oh, so that's who you are looking for! Well, she ain't here."

"Well, y-yeah... I know," Rainbow suddenly stammered. "That's why I need to look at her notes, she must have written down when she was going somewhere."

"She's at Crystal Empire," the mare said with a shrug. "That's kinda why I am here. I am helping her set up this here teleportation circle. She had one outside, but the wind and rain just kept messing with it, nasty things here at the ocean banks, let me tell you."

"Wait, are you saying you can take me to Twilight?" Rainbow broadly smiled.

"Don't see why not, I am just about done here with this circle. Just gotta put up the focusing rods and we are about good. By the way, you wanna bring the missy you've got there too?"

Rainbow again glanced at hippogriff,
"Eh... no. She's just here cause she watches the house for the Queen. There's someone else I have to bring along, is it fine if I go for a moment?"

"Whatever suits you," the mare said without a care. "Except I ain't going to be here when you are back, so I hope you ain't afraid of portals."

"No..." Rainbow said with a hint of caution. "Well... t-thank you. I'll just have to come back in a moment.
"Uhm... hey, you think you could let my... ehh... Lord too? He's just outside the gates. We'll be gone before you notice, I swear," Rainbow tried putting on her friendliest smile for the occasion. The hippogriff sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Divine, what is that!?" Snow Strike cried out upon seeing the shimmering gates.

"That is a... it is like a door, My Lord," Rainbow Dash attempted to explain. "It is a door that, when opened, allows travel over great distances instantaneously." Snow Strike gave her a whole series of glances that could be summed up as a doubt in her continued sanity.
"My Lord, I am ill-equipped to elaborate," Rainbow Dash apologetically bowed. "I only know what it does."

"You cannot possibly suggest that we use it!" Snow Strike exclaimed, still shocked.

"I am afraid we must. We have missed our meeting and must go after them," she could have turned the situation to her own advantage and said she could do it herself if he was scared, but that would be a low blow. "I promise, it is safe."

"Is there really no other way?"

"I am afraid not," Rainbow shook her head determinedly.

"Very well then..." Snow Strike composed himself and bravely stepped towards the unknown. Rainbow was relieved to see that her master would not display dishonor in cowardice. The proving of a warrior is not in battle, it's in uncertainty. And only one who can face uncertainty with a hardened spirit is worthy to be a leader.
"How does this work?" Snow Strike asked her.

"We must walk into it. It is simple."

"Well, fine then. No more hesitation!" he proclaimed and walked straight into the shimmering gate, disappearing. Rainbow did not wish to stay behind and followed suit. A sudden burst of light blinded her, it was extremely bright compared to the muted light of Twilight's library. Her eyes did get used to the luminosity eventually and she could see that they were surrounded by walls of bright crystals, which were what was magnifying the light this much.
"Where are we?" her Lord asked. "It's so bright here. As if staring at the sun."

"I cannot say for certain," Rainbow admitted. "But we must be on the correct path, dwellings fashioned out of crystal are favored by the noble Lady we are after." Rainbow then spotted a window on the wall and went to see. The landscape outside was familiar to her, it couldn't really be forgotten. The rows of sparkling crystal houses and regularly branching roads, surrounded by endless white. They had to be in the Crystal Empire, there could be no other place like this.

"What is..." Snow Strike approached to take his own look. They just stood there silently for a while, Rainbow swimming in memories, "I've never seen anything so... beautiful," Snow Strike said breathlessly.
"Within the montain's deep
I found a door.
To gem-like pastures
among the white of snow," he made a short poem, a custom in their culture.

"My Lord, we should be going. It can't be far now," Rainbow dragged herself away from the window.

"Yes, I believe you are right. I would let you continue being our guide here then," he said with unbecoming warmth. Making Rainbow remember why she wanted to be away in the first place. "I feel... naked without my swords."

"Warrior's weapons are not merely his swords, My Lord. At times the best way to disarm an enemy is to bring no weapons yourself," she said to him as one of the warrior school teachers would. "Diplomacy is a great weapon in and of itself." Snow Strike only huffed in response. He did agree with her, but that made him no happier. "I believe I may know where the throneroom is here, My Lord. Right this way, if you please."

"Hold on! Divine, explain what is going on! It seems to me we have had enough of keeping in the dark. Who are we searching for? How can she help us?"

"I suppose," Rainbow deeply sighed. She hoped to get this over with before she had to explain herself, she did not enjoy remembering. "We are searching for a great sorceress that I used to know. She is very powerful, more than enough to give us a fighting chance if it comes to that, but an even better option would be if she gave us intel about our enemy. I only hope that she will still be willing to help even though we didn't part on the best of terms." Snow Strike raised his brows at her.

"You knew someone so powerful in your time here? Divine, the more I learn about your past, the less your present makes sense to me." Rainbow could only awkwardly shrug.

"That is why I didn't want to tell you, My Lord."

"S-sorry!"

"Hmm?" Rainbow and Snow Strike both turned their heads to the source of the sound.

"Are you Rainbow Dash?" a small foal with a blue cover on his head was hailing them. "I am supposed to help you, I think."

"Help me? Do you know Twilight Sparkle? We are looking for her."

"Well, Twilight is here," the foal shrugged.

"Oh, thanks!" Rainbow gratefully smiled. "Can you show us where?"

"Sure... Come," the foal stretched his hoof to Rainbow. From up close though... something didn't look right.

"Wait, little one, where did you get that?" Rainbow was certain she saw the helmet before, she even knew where.

"Well... it's a gift."

"A gift? Who gave it to you?"

"Ehhh... Well..." Rainbow got the feeling that he was trying to figure out how to lie. Though he evidently realized that too. The foal suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Rainbow by the leg.

Rainbow didn't see exactly what he did after. Suddenly they were both falling downwards before hitting the wooden floor. Curios began falling, with loud jingles, from the surrounding walls down on them both.

"There you two are," an already familiar voice called to Rainbow. "I was starting to think that I would have to put Richy to sleep."

"What the hay?!" Rainbow pushed the foal off herself and tried to get vertical again, all the junk atop her jiggling down to the floor. "The hay did you do to me?!"

"She didn't do any bad, Aunty Rainbow. Just got you to where you are needed. Don't worry about your coltfriend, by the way."

"He isn't my coltfriend! I don't have-"

"Yeah, Aunty, we really don't have time for this. You wanna find some help, right? Well, you gotta go then and quickly."

"Go where? Who the hay are you?"

"Oh me? Just someone helping you out." Rainbow suddenly felt herself being grasped in a magic field and forcibly dragged outside. There was the already familiar mare with a circle on the ground. "About ready to depart. Tiny, get over here and don't forget to tell Aunty Rainbow what's up." Before Rainbow could get her bearings again she was moving again. Pushed into the circle, she tried to get up again. The foal was already beside her. "Bye!" the mare singsonged and then suddenly everything was dark.

"Hey! Hey, the hay are you doing!? Where the hay are we?!" Rainbow tried asking again. "You better not be there when I am up! Why is it so dark?" Suddenly someone lit a flashlight. The vaulted ceiling was the first thing Rainbow saw. She lifted her head and tried to spot the source of the light. "Ah... horsecrap!" Rainbow tiredly groaned, lifting her hooves up.

A Baddy Reuinion Day

By the time Nightmare Moon returned, her sorrow already boiled into anger. She came all this way, she stretched herself back into the position she swore she left behind, all to aid her named sister. The pony who now rejected her!

"Don't distrub us," she said to her drones. "Have the zebra wait. Tell her that I must speak with Miss Applejack first."

The changelings silently left leaving Nightmare Moon and Applejack alone. Nightmare Moon gave the orange farm pony a heavy glare before beginning her interrogation,
"I will not play games with you, Applejack," she began plainly. "I require your information. Everyone I have met so far either refused to give up anything useful for my goal or knows nothing. Tell me what I want to know and I shall let you leave in peace."

"Information, eh? Tell me just one thin': Why shouldn't I just tell you to get bucked?" Applejack found a comfortable enough pile of brickwork and dropped herself down upon it.

"I expected nothing else of you. As mulish as always. Very well, then. Let us test the limits of my patience, shall we?" Nightmare Moon rumbled. "As if I don't have enough problems without you being difficult." Nightmare Moon expected to get hit back in response to her pinch, but Applejack fell quiet for a time.

"Uhhmm... I mean... Ya wanna talk about it first?" Applejack asked.

"It is none of your concern," Nightmare Moon grumbled.

"Well... Ya been looking like brooding fo' a while and ya said ya wanted to talk. So, let's have it like 'dis, ya tell me why ya 'ere and watcha' want, and we'll see from 'dere."

Nightmare Moon did not design to answer, initially. Despite their shared history, Nightmare Moon had to admit, of all of them, Applejack would know the most of her plight,
"I suppose you, of all my acquaintances, would be the best one to speak to on the matters of family," she begrudgingly spoke up.

"Oh..." Applejack's face suddenly became solemn. "Ya just don't look like somepony who would have too many problems with 'dat, is all."

"What, you don't think someone like me can have one, is that it?" Nightmare Moon sharply shot back. "Your prejudice is, as ever, stunning."

"It always seemed to me 'dat yer wouldn't be all 'dat much concerned if someone said something mean 'bout ya."

"It's not that," Nightmare Moon loudly sighed. "Have you ever done something to help any one of your numerous relatives just for them to tell you that they didn't want you?"

"Well... Yes, actually. When I and cousin Raddish Stew were together with Goldy, doin' bit o' ordering up. Goldy is... well... guess 'dat no matter right now. So I and Raddish were 'dere, goin' though Goldy's heirlooms and then she sees a wee big stack o' crates up the hutch. She tries to reach it, but it all ends up falling down on her instead. I and Goldy dig her out and she just says 'dat she wishes Goldy wasn't so clingy to the old stuff. We both get mad and end up not doing much more 'dat whole day. 'Dat pretty much it."

"That has to be one of the most boring stories I heard in my life, Applejack," Nightmare Moon said moodily. "It reminds me of Celestia's attempts to tell Luna fables of her own invention whenever we did something displeasing her."

"Was it 'dat often?"

"Surprisingly, no," Nightmare Moon admitted. "Usually, the only one trying to lecture us was our nurserymaid. Celestia was doing that only occasionally when she had nothing better to do, which was rare."

"So, ya and Luna been just doin' yer own thing 'den?"

"Pretty much; with Celestia being old enough to replace our parents on the throne, there was very little for us to do outside causing small-time trouble at the castle."

"Sounds like good time, honestly. Me runnin' around the farm, causin' ruckus was always fun."

"Oh..." Nightmare Moon would've grinned if she could. "It was fun. We kept running through the halls, putting water buckets for ponies to knock over, painting pictures on the walls with chalk and coal, and re-arranging star patterns."

"Like 'dat, 'den? Huh, I never believed ya actually were friends if I am honest. Always thought ya just made her believe 'dat. It kinda makes sense why Luna would protect ya as she did. ...So, what happened now?"

"I... I asked Luna to return to me... and she refused."

"Ouch," Applejack said with a nasty cringe. "What did she say?"

"She said that she will not abandon our subjects, even for my sake." The response seemed to give Applejack a pause. "Oh, I am so tired of everyone wanting me to rule them!"

"So, eh... You mean you weren't gonna make everypony lick yer hooves anyway?"

"Certainly not! I had quite enough, thank you very much."

"Huh... dat's refreshin'. I was already thinkin' 'bout how to have mah crew meet dem quotas with a war goin' on."

"I have no intention of fighting wars anymore, Applejack. I imagine we can both agree that it's better not to repeat that particular part of our history."

"No arguin' with 'dat. So, ya just wanna have Luna with ya again? What's she is to ya anyway? I mean, really."

Nightmare Moon took a pause for a long, brooding sigh. That question required a little more than a moment of planning,
"Luna calls me her sister," she mumbled. "She once told me she wishes I was her older sister instead of Celestia."

"I see, m'kay. But what do ya really feel like?"

"I..." Nightmare Moon took a deep breath. "I miss her," she admitted. "Applejack, she was my only company for innumerable years. Long before your clan grew its first branch, Luna was showing me kindness and appreciation I did not deserve with my actions. Luna treated me like I was her family. She knew what I was almost from the beginning, yet she allowed me to take her body anyway. Because she thought that me not being born with my own was unjust and she refused to allow me to suffer if she could do anything about it.
"Then, I hurt her. Oh, how I hurt her. In my foolishness, I believed that power would provide me with everything my birth did not. She had to pay for my mistakes with a thousand years of her life, but she still forgave me! Letting her suffer alone would be my worst deed to day."

They both sat in silence for a long while. Nightmare Moon only felt worse for it.

"...Wow... Dat's... a lot. Didn't think ya had it in ya. Carin' for someone else except yerself, mah meaning."

"I suppose you can be forgiven for thinking this way."

"Yeah, it sounds like ya owe some big apologies to a whole lot of ponies. Well, I guess we better start 'den. I think one of yer blokes said something 'bout a zebra, 'dat right?"

"Applejack, wait. I am honored that you would volunteer, but what I require of you is much simpler."

"Oh... yeah, you said you wanted information? Well, I guess I can do 'dat."

"Thank you," Nightmare Moon said humbly. "I must understand what happened to our home in my absence."

"Well... you want long or short one?"

"Just inform me of the current state. I believe we can skip all the history."

"Fair enough. I guess the first thing you'd wanna know is that we have no nobles and princesses anymore. Nobody's any higher than anyone else just cause they happened to be born in a special family."

"I somehow find that hard to believe."

"Sho, 'cept there's practically nothin' to back up 'yer status with no more anyway. It's real simple now, actually. 'Those who don't work - don't eat.' Nothing else 'bout it no more. Since crops don't grow as well anymore, everyone has to work. It ain't as much 'ere, but places East practically all big farm now."

"I had hoped we have solved this issue back in my time," Nightmare Moon sighed. "I have received reports of fertility dropping and I ordered Twilight to return the elements to the Tree. It seems my theory was wrong."

"Well... yeah. It's not really fertility though. It looks magical. Smart ponies counted some numbers and it looks like the same flat amount of crops dyin' everywhere. Can't be anythin' else, 'cept magic."

"Well, I, for one, can also propose statistics fudging. But I concur."

"Right. So, we all have to grow food now, unless there's somethin' else you do that's considered useful."

"That being?"

"Engineers, soldiers, that sort 'a folk."

"I see. The essentials. So far it eludes me why no one else could tell me anything substantial."

"Well, that's probably 'cause the borders are closed. We ain't allowed to cross in or out. They gonna shoot ya if ya try."

"That feels a tad... excessive," Nightmare Moon was surprised. So far the measures taken seemed mostly fair, given the situation. Closing borders on the other side, was not reasonable in any sense. There is little point in keeping dissenters inside where they will only corrode the state.

"If they didn't do that, everypony would've already left. 'Cept us, I guess. Ponies still sometimes slip out, but we never hear back from 'em."

"I take it you also don't have a say inside here aswell?"

"Nah, not really," Applejack shook her head lightly. "Ya do what ya told by yer commissar, if ya do a good job, ya get rations. Otherwise, they don't bother ya too much. It's honestly not so bad, everythin' considered. Unless one of 'em needs a scapegoat, then ain't much anypony can do for ya. Troublemakers ain't treated gently."

"And that is why you are compliant, necessity."

"Eeeeh... To be honest, it's more. I think I'm just tired. Bein' angry at ya and Rarity, and other ponies, was takin' too much outta me;
"I just wanted for things be back to how they were, us just growin' apples and makin' Zap jam, and cider, ya know what I mean?"

"I won't pretend to know, Applejack," Nightmare Moon said with a grain of envy. "I spent my life first fighting over and later protecting my land. There never truly were good times for me."

"Nah, it's not good times, just better. We always remember better times when we are in a pinch. Ya just told me 'bout yer's."

"I suppose you are right. Better times. Are your workers your family?"

"I guess they kinda are, but nah. They were just sent 'ere by the committee from elsewhere. I got a colt from Ponyville and from Appleoosa, and even from Fillydelphia. Ya just get sent wherever ya needed. Good to have some help, to be honest."

"And your siblings?"

"Well... they were sent away. I get letters from time to time. Mac says he's in Vanhoover. Apple Bloom ended up in Appleoosa, we have kin there and they look out for her. Could be worse."

"My... condolences, Applejack. I am aware of how tightly connected your clan is."

"Don't sweat it," Applejack waved it off. "Just how it has to be. Ain't nothin' wrong with helpin' others."

Nightmare Moon, had to look away, suddenly Applejack's honest face felt hard to look at. How naive Applejack still was. Nightmare Moon didn't want to steal what little innocence she still had, but Applejack would never appreciate her not speaking out now. Her internal debate didn't last long enough for her to become even more sentimental.

"Applejack," she began firmly. "They were taken away not because of necessity. I remember many a tyrant who separated families to deprive ponies of their connections. This is no gesture for aiding others, it is a means to control you."

"Nah, it's not like they sit down at a table and talk 'bout who should go where. They saw us having lot-a ponypower and made some of us go where there ain't much."

"Applejack, think: You have a whole team on your farm, but they choose specifically your siblings to go. None any of your other workers, specifically your siblings, even though they couldn't have overlooked that you are a family. It is easier to control you if you have no one to trust; and even by yourself, you are a hoofull, let me tell you that from experience."

Applejack suddenly stared at her with wide eyes,
"Ya mean you-"

"No, I never did anything this vile. I never attempted to separate you from your family or any of your friends... with the exception of Rarity. You see, war is war, I did what I had to achieve victory. I still attempted to cause you the least amount of suffering possible."

Applejack sighed and closed her eyes, being momentary silent,
"Ah suppose it is what it is," her non-combative stance brought Nightmare Moon some relief. "I guess ya didn't separate me from Bloom or Mac."

"No, Applejack. I would never do such a thing, even in my worst moment, that is truly vile. We, titleholders, are judged by the state of our holdings. Our duty is to make sure you are content and provided for. We feud with each other, but our duty to you never changes."

"Ya make it sound like yer feudin' didn't kill thousands of ponies," Applejack gloomily reminded.

"Something I would never stop regretting. Eternal existence is also an opportunity for any number of grave missteps."

"Well, at least yer sorry."

"I am, Applejack. Perhaps I am still able to rectify some of them. Tell me of the political state of the country."

"Back to business, then," Applejack sighed. "The highest authority, at least officially, is the Central Bureau. Each province sends one representative there where they all do their politickin'. We are all required to sit down by a radio each month and listen to the Bureau's secretary readin' out the decisions they came to. Under the Bureau, are different ministries. Ministry of Agriculture is the one ah hear most often, but there's great many of them, even things like public transport and forestry have there own ministries."

"Odd," Nightmare Moon remarked. "Having such an extensive bureaucratic apparatus never increases overall efficiency." Applejack just shrugged.

"I dunno. Never been one for that stuff."

"We shall see just how well they work, I suppose. What else is there?"

"Not much, just plants and town councils."

"I see. You must answer directly to the ministry then."

"'That's right. Farms ain't takin' any directions from towns."

"I understand. While I feel somewhat reluctant to ask... what is the official position on royalty?"

Applejack propped her chin and actually took a moment to think. This had to be good, Nightmare Moon didn't remember seeing the farmpony do that once.

"Lady, we have a situation," Major Tarsus hailed her, entering their chamber.

"Out of my sight, Major!" Nightmare Moon snapped at him, currently exceeding her limit of patience with her subordinates. "I will hear you after Miss Applejack is safely off and not a moment earlier." To his credit, the old drone did not even flinch at her sharp bite.

"Lady, we have intruders on the castle grounds," he continued, unfazed. "Somehow, they infiltrated-"

"Deal with it yourself and don't bother me again! I have an urgent business that may just save your soldier's lives."

"Understood, My Lady. I will not disturb you further," the Major curtly bowed and backed out through the passway.

"I apologize for that," Nightmare Moon returned to a tone much milder. "They are almost like little foals sometimes."

"He looked like he has somethin' important to tell ya though."

"Pfff!" Nightmare Moon snorted. "Please, whatever kind of intruders there may be, they will not see next moonrise. My sister is already more than they can handle, without even counting my changelings."

"How come you got changelings followin' ya anyway?"

"That would be a story for another time. Back to our agenda."

"Ah... Yeah, the royal thing. Well, to tell ya straight, it's kinda confusin'. Officially, nobody really talks about you, it's like mentionin' ya, or Luna, or Celestia is bad luck, ya know what I mean?"

"I believe I do, Applejack. I suppose this means Celestia won't have a peaceful resolution then. What do you reckon the public thinks about their new leadership?"

"Hold on... did ya say Celestia?"

"Quite so. Celestia is here with me, we have an understanding for the moment."

"And yer... eh..."

"My sister? She is with me aswell. I had Shadow King separate them."

"What, Sombra's here too? It's like an all-time baddy convention. Who else ya brought?"

"No more baddies, Applejack. Sombra and I shared interest on my way here, I helped him and he helped me."

"If ya say so, Sombra doesn't seem to be the kind of a pony who'd ever do somethin' for ya without it doin' even more for him."

"I suppose. Would a chance of receiving everything you ever wished for be enough of an incentive if you were in his position?"

"What, ya promised him he'd rule the world?"

Nightmare Moon couldn't help but laugh at the notion,
"No, things are never quite so simple with creatures, living or dead. Sombra was a king longer than you have been alive, long before you were born. He knows from experience how pointless power is without a purpose. Power does not appear from a vacuum, others must lend it to you. Without his subjects, Sombra is, almost literally, nothing. Sombra is far from selfless, he has absolutely no desire to bother himself with caring over others in exchange for the power that he has no use for. What Sombra is after is much simpler and more relatable than you may think."

"If ya say so. ah'ma trust mah own experience."

"I suppose it was a folly to expect otherwise. Well then, how do you like your new rulership?"

Applejack shrugged,
"Some good, some bad, ya know, just ponies. Folks don't gossip too much these days, bad things tend to happen to gossipers."

"I see. I suspect there are places for ponies talking too much?"

"Gotta isolate them troublemakers somehow."

"These ministries you speak of, I suspect they would have some kind of buildings to use. Tell me where the headquarters for the Ministry of War, Agriculture, Internal and External Affairs and Infrastructure are."

"Well, I dunno about the others, but the Ministry of Agriculture is in Manehatten. That's where the Central Bureau is at too, I'd wager mah three-day ration most of them are in Manehattan too."

"That will suffice, you are free to leave now," Nightmare Moon decided it was time to hold a council and share some of her findings with Celestia. Perhaps together they could come up with a plan on what to do next. If not, she could order a raid to capture more intel.

"Back to work then!" Applejack said with a smile, as she rolled back onto her hooves. "Been nice seein' ya, as weird as sayin' that is. By the way, any way I could have a chit-chat with ol' Princess too?"

"I did intend to hold a council with her right now, but I suppose we can wait for you. You have more than earned it and my gratitude for your cooperation. Especially so considering our history."

"Never thought ah'd be helpin' ya mahself, to be honest. Family's important, more than a grudge anyway. Not sure if thats what yer really after, but ah hope ya still get Luna out from wherever she's holed up. Haven't seen her in ages."

"Ha-ha! I'll see what I can do, Applejack," Nightmare Moon couldn't help herself. The conversation with the farmpony made her feel warm inside, making amends with her old adversaries was a source of rare happiness to her, she noticed.

Nightmare Moon left Applejack with Celestia. She had to see to whoever attempted to breach her little fortress, but she did steal a glance at Celestia giving Applejack the same homely warmness Nightmare Moon no longer normally seen her give now.

Her Major told her about a foal one of his troopers found making a ruckus in the Castle's catacombs. Nightmare Moon didn't even feel surprised, she even found herself blaming her own inability to recognize how much more teaching she still had to do for her little sister to finally feel enough at ease to stop clinging to her. But then Major mentioned the other pony her sister arrived with. A pegasus with blue fur and rainbow mane. Nightmare Moon sighed, the world felt so small.

She expected that the Changelings would tie them up and put them in some makeshift prison, but to her pleasant surprise, they did nothing of sort. She found them sitting by their camping gear dump, Tiny even made herself comfortable on a couple of backpacks. Rainbow Dash noticed her first and stared at her with mixed shock and horror, Tiny must have not told her as to not spoil the surprise. Nightmare Moon allowed herself a momentary pleasure of seeing her humble, for once. She did get a good look in the meanwhile.
Rainbow Dash was different; everyone of her old subjects was in some way, but none of them had their difference displayed so outwardly, perhaps only bar the little postfoal. Rainbow Dash's mane was much better kept than she remembered: it was groomed and neatly cut, although it wasn't combed for some time. She also had scars. One was on her neck: looked like a shallow, but clean cut. Most of her scars were on her right foreleg; now, those kinds of scars she hadn't seen in quite some time. Her fur still grew there irregularly and stood out from the rest of her coat, those were scars of an archer practicing without vambraces. In her youth, inexperienced archers had to train with special protection for their legs; otherwise, on a botched release, the string would flay the skin of their foreleg. Nightmare Moon was intrigued, traditional archery was extremely rare in this day and age. But that could wait.

"Tiny!" Nightmare Moon sternly called, the filly sharply twitched. "Why are you here despite being told to stay with Princess Twilight?"

Tiny rapidly sat up, spooked by Nightmare so sharply pulling her from her nap,
"Flurry said you are in trouble," Tiny whined quietly, looking on the floor.

"Did she now?" Nightmare Moon chided. "And what exactly did she say?"

"She said you would die unless I am here."

"Clearly, she is far too late with that prediction," Nightmare Moon said with a disappointed sigh. "Did my sister already give you a piece of her mind?"

"She chased the changelings that had us off and put us here. She told me to wait until you are free to deal with me..."

"Well, that is highly restrained of her. I will find a suitable punishment for you, but for now, go find Shadow. She will find you something to do."

Tiny visibly sank at the mention of her best retainer, but still, she hopped down on the floor and slowly walked off to find her.

"Now then, I believe you and I should have words," Nightmare Moon turned to the unusually quiet Rainbow. She was no longer mortified, just visibly uncomfortable. Nightmare Moon felt a sudden urge to push her face-first into this newfound fear of the dead, but dismissed the idea.
"I don't suppose you would be charitable enough to tell me why have you come instead of staring at me like a buffoon?"

"But you are dead!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Ohhh..." Nightmare Moon deeply sighed. The whole 'you are dead' thing was getting old, "Rainbow Dash, we are too old to play the 'how are you not dead' game. You and me, we have more interesting things to discuss."

"I want nothing to do with you!" Rainbow spat out in frustration. "I am not even supposed to be here!"

"On that, we agree. Pray tell then, where was it you were heading before my little sister intercepted you?"

"None of your business, okay?"

"I find it so tiresome to negotiate with the commoners... Rainbow Dash, you intended to go elsewhere, my sister brought you here instead. Wherever you were heading, you are clearly far off course now and I am your only way to get back in a timely fashion. Therefore, negotiate with me."

"C-Crystal Empire, I need to go back to the Crystal Empire," Rainbow Dash blurted out.

"Why, that can be easily arranged. We have a direct teleportation circle directly to Cadance's palace. I could ask my sister to activate it and you will be there. The principal question is why should I?" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and Nightmare Moon allowed her to stew for the moment. Someone, as asinine, as Rainbow Dash she remembered always needed a little time to remember her place.

"What do you want?" Rainbow Dash asked in defeat.

"From you? Simply information. Tell me what you are searching for and why, and where you have spent the last decade. For that, I shall deliver you to where you ask."

"That's all? What stops me from just lying to you?" Rainbow Dash bitterly asked, evidently just to play hard to get. Nightmare Moon had to be patient with this one.

"Is that how you wish to conduct our business? I offer to help you, I did not draw you here. My offer is genuine and I attach no further complications for you. Of course, you could lie, I have little means to verify your word at present, but that would hardly make you any better than me..."

Rainbow Dash loudly snorted,
"You really think this will work on me? Ancestors, you must think I am daft."

"I take it you will not cooperate then?"

"Whatever gave you that idea."

"Shame," Nightmare Moon gave a sigh of disappointment. "Well, come then. Let's make you Cadance's problem."

Rainbow Dash stared at her in bewilderment and didn't move,
"What's your catch?"

"Catch? Rainbow Dash, if you are not useful to me, then I must get rid of you without you giving away our location to my enemies. Considering, by a remarkable coincidence, that you are heading exactly to our backline, I see no reason to not simply give you what you want. That would spare me of having to allocate my soldiers to guard you."

Rainbow Dash still looked unconvinced,
"What, that's it? You won't even try to fool me into trusting you?"

"Oh, please. You overestimate just how much I need your information. Knowing precisely what you are doing here would've been interesting, but I could certainly do without. So, are you done with questions?"

"Sure..." Rainbow Dash picked herself off the floor.

"On an unrelated note, your old friend Applejack is here. She wished to speak with Princess Celestia and you might still catch her before she returns to her farm."

"Wait, what? Celestia? I thought you kill your hosts when you take over bodies."

"Rainbow Dash, I am wounded that you would think so. You've seen Luna, she was alive and well."

"Yes, but she didn't really resist you!"

"We are not predators, we are spirits. We do not kill our hosts. They are simply suppressed and we may even allow them to have control over their body. I simply asked King Sombra to do what he did for me and separate Celestia and my sister. It is quite unfair for us to live without our own bodies, don't you think? Although, my sister chooses to leave her appearance unaltered and you might have issues telling her apart from Celestia."

"I believe it when I see it."

"That is quite a low bar. I'll take you to her now if you wish."

"Yes... let's go see her," Rainbow Dash answered much less impetuously. Nightmare Moon adored putting ponies like Rainbow Dash in their place like this. She did not need to tell her a single lie to coerce her into not only showing more humility, but also to stay.

They found Celestia rather happily chatting up Applejack. They giggled together, no doubt remembering old times. To Nightmare Moon it almost felt wrong to sour their mood. Celestia looked at her and her expression immediately darkened, but noticing who was dragging behind her she lighted up a little more.

"Look whom the changelings found sneaking around," Nightmare Moon singsonged, eager to see what these two will be able to coax out of the pegasus.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash! Mah day just gettin' better and better!" Applejack loudly exclaimed. "Come 'ere!"

Applejack marched straight towards the deliciously awkward Rainbow Dash, giving her a hug that left her out of breath. Nightmare Moon would've smiled from ear to ear, if she had any. But she had to have words with Celestia.

"Have her tell you why she is here," she said, drawing close to Celestia's ear. "She is clearly not here just out of nostalgia and she won't tell me." Nightmare Moon then floated away, leaving Celestia to do what she did best: to have a pony trust her. In the meantime, she searched the hall with her eyes, she had other things to do.

Magics Examination

Tiny was bored out of her mind. Nightmare promised to find her some punishment, but she never came. Making her wait endlessly, having to practice manners with Shadow endlessly and being bored endlessly probably was her punishment. The worst thing was that everyone was quickly forgetting about her. Daybreaker only cared enough to not allow her to end up in a cell, which probably would be less homey than the last one. The only other one who even talked to her was Shadow and even Shadow lost interest in her, instead, having a weird staring match with her two daughters across the hall.
Her only saving grace was that she could observe other changelings that were walking around and working. The first thing she noticed is that they were almost completely silent with each other. They didn't stare at each other instead of talking, but every single one of them somehow usually knew what they 'ought to do without anyone saying it aloud. For complex instructions, they still used words, but for most things they only had to use body language. It was kind of fascinating to watch, actually. Twilight would've loved to see this.

She also watched Nightmare Moon having a very short chat with Celestia and then leaving her with Rainbow Dash. Then her sister finally remembered her. Tiny did notice something about Nightmare, it was easier to see from a distance, the shade of her smoke was lighter.

"Oh, what-ever am I go-ing to do with you..." Nightmare monotonously stressed every syllable. "You should feel very grateful to not be my mother's foal. If she was your mother, you would've forgotten how your plot feels with how poorly you behave."

"Sorry..." Tiny really didn't have a lot to say in her defense. In retrospect, Flurry didn't really explain to her exactly why she was needed here.

"Shadow," the Changeling dreamily turned to see who called her name. Her eyes immediately widened and she quickly gave a curt bow. "You seem distracted," Nightmare Moon pointed out.

"I have been daydreaming, Mistress. It won't happen again."

"Why, I don't mind you having a little time for yourself. I am glad you have enough to daydream, but your charge is bored." Shadow glanced at Tiny, evidently having forgotten about her entirely.

"Forgive me, Mistress," she bowed. "I will find work for young Tiny."

"Actually, dear Shadow, I think I will take care of that for now. Have a little more time, you deserve it more than anyone else I know," Nightmare Moon said tenderly. "Come, Tiny."

Tiny dropped her look to the floor and obediently followed her older sister. Nightmare brought her outside, Tiny had never been outside the ruins before. There was a grand cliff and forest behind it.

"Sit with me. It's a pretty sunset Daybreaker made," Nightmare pointed out. Tiny did as asked, putting her plot on the grass, "You already know what I want to know," Nightmare said straightforwardly, giving Tiny a sideways glance.

"Flurry said you are in trouble and you will need my help soon. She said she'll send me together with Rainbow. I am sorry for misbehaving... again," Tiny gave Nightmare a little guilty smile.

"Did the Princess tell you exactly what I need help with?"

"No, she just said you are going to die all over again."

"Really now? Well, that is interesting indeed..." Nightmare Moon sat quietly, contemplating. "Did she tell you what you must do?"

"To speak to a zebra. Flurry said that a zebra will show me what to do. She said that a zebra would have stripes and-"

"I know how a zebra looks, thank you, dear sister. I think I know exactly whom you speak of. As a matter of fact, I sent a detachment to retrieve her, but they did not return as of yet. This forest has a tendency to confuse travelers."

"Weren't you going to punish me?" Tiny asked, not quite believing that Nightmare would simply allow her to meet the zebra.

"Oh, I will. I will see you sorting supply crates until all of them are arranged in alphabetical order and according to their size and weight. But first, I believe we must speak. Sister, you cannot keep disobeying my instructions. I understand that you do what you see as best, but you are in no position to judge what is the best course of action. I left you with Princess Twilight because it was safer: for both you and us. I understand that she might be too orthodox of a teacher, but teaching is her forte. A few years under her tutelage would've landed you in any of the best academies in my old Empire. I would even go as far as to say that I would've been very lucky to have had such a brilliant tutor as Twilight is. She does not deserve such treatment, there is no greater insult to a teacher than a student running away from a lesson."

"They were boring," Tiny shrugged, suspecting that Nightmare's point went past her.

Nightmare Moon sighed,
"Tiny, did Twilight do something mean to you?"

"No?" Tiny cautiously answered.

"Speak truthfully, I will have a word with her if she hurt you in any way."

"She didn't do anything," Tiny shook her head, she hated the idea of Twilight landing in trouble because she failed to answer.

"Does she deserve such disrespect as you show?"

"No..." Tiny looked down at the pavement, already starting to see where this was heading.

"Then what shouldn't you have done?"

"I shouldn't have run off," Tiny gloomily answered.

"Good. You will apologize to Twilight as soon as you see her again. Such an opportunity you are wasting! I had to learn mostly from self-studying while you have the most talented scholar to teach you! I hope you will see just how much good it does to you one day."

"Did you say you were self-studying? Didn't you have tutors too?" Tiny tried to change the subject. She already learned that Nightmare usually enjoyed talking about the past and it was sure better than being lectured. Also, Nightmare might forget about those boxes if it went on long enough...

"Dearest Mother preferred to afford the best care to Celestia," Nightmare Moon spat out with a bitterness Tiny had never heard from her before. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. "Luna and I were only afforded second best. Which we were none too happy about. I'll just say that our tutors were unsatisfied with Luna. When Luna afforded me control, I preferred studying in our young years. Before an opportunity too good to pass up came about that is."

"Did you like studying magic too?"

"As improbable as it would sound, no. I preferred studying something more practical, my favorite subject was Strategy. I learned magic out of necessity, rather than desire. At the time, for us to cast but the most necessary spells was considered unprincessly. But War would teach you such things far better than any tutor could, I took care to write down all war magics I came upon for later use. I would theorize that my book is the singlemost potentially destructive thing in the world. In retrospect, I should have burned it," Nightmare Moon finished with a tinge of regret.

"Why? If you really wrote down every war spell..."

"Then this knowledge would be used to cause pointless destruction! Sometimes knowledge is left forgotten for a reason. We have enough weapons as is."

Tiny contemplated what to answer to that. She couldn't honestly say she knew what Nightmare really meant. Wasn't destruction an inherent part of war either way? She couldn't directly speak against Nightmare either, that rarely ever ended well for her or anyone else for that matter,
"I don't understand. Why did you learn to fight if you don't want to?"

"Because war is more than simply fighting, my young sister. I did not learn to fight, I learned to command. Wisdom wins a war, not strength. The leader must never fight and I only did so on a couple of occasions."

"I understand even less now," Tiny honestly admitted, Tiny quite honestly did not see the relation to what she was asking. "Why did you learn all of that if you never wanted to use it?"

Nightmare Moon tiredly sighed,
"I never said I did not intend to use it," she spoke chidingly. "I intended to use my knowledge as my bid for the throne. In battle, I could have won, but what wins the war is always wisdom. I was young and brash, both of which tend to negatively correlate with wisdom."

"You mean you lost?!" Tiny was slightly shocked. Everyone behaved as if she won...

"Haven't you heard the legend? I challenged Celestia to a duel, she accepted to avoid further loss of life. I came alone, as I promised. Celestia brought Elements of Harmony to gain an edge. I should have known, but I still underestimated her hubris. To think that she could wield all six of them alone! What makes this even more outrageous is that she was correct! Oh, I spent more than a little time venting my rage on the moon!"

"If you lost why does everyone ask you what to do?"

"Because that was over a thousand years ago!" Nightmare Moon cried out. "After I was released when Celestia finally found herself, someone who could erase her failure to free Luna from me, they defeated me again with the Elements and I was forced to lay and wait for my next opportunity!" Tiny noticed Nightmare Moon slipping out of her balance and beginning to rant and rave.
"Oh, how sweet my reckoning was! I used Celestia's most precious thing against her - her subjects. Celestia considers herself nothing less of a missionary, harming her subjects feels nothing short of harming her own life's very purpose. I turned her subjects against her and made her watch as her remaining supporters had to take arms to defend themselves. I also made sure to separate the Elements before they could assemble against me. Rarity proved to be an asset to me, she brought confusion and division to them that I required. With that done I only had to wait. Celestia could not stop the carnage... not without culling thousands of her little ponies. But then it was. There always is another way - to surrender," Nightmare's voice became cloyingly sweet.
"As soon as she did, I immediately ordered my soldiers to stop. Then, I gave her the same treatment as she gave me. I made her dear little pets send her to the moon in turn and then I simply sent them on their way to wallow in their defeat. Their sweet suffering gave me more pleasure than I had in many a year. It was a glorious triumph!"

"Then... why is she here?" For that simple question, her all-knowing sister had no immediate answer. Nightmare Moon simply stared at the orange sky.

"I discovered that everything I did in my life was hollow and pointless," she dryly answered after a minute of deliberation. "I defeated my enemies and proved that I could do just as well in ruling my subjects as Celestia did. Yet there was no happiness in it. I enjoyed bringing ruin upon them, but it quickly passed and their ruin became mine. Ponies obeyed me, but they were miserable in it. They still laughed and joked, came together to celebrate, but they all were miserable without even noticing it. Even though they could still find joy in their lives, how could that compare to life itself bringing them joy? Old Equestria was a wonderous place. Where a pony had to work not to survive and not even to serve Celestia but because it made them happy. Rarity's profession before I made her my willing puppet was tailorship, she had stunning dresses made for all her friends for no other reason but because she loved seeing them happy. She had her own boutique and dreams of becoming the most esteemed tailor in Equestria.
"I ruined it. I destroyed everything she was striving for so utterly that not even her dream has lived. She doesn't even realize how much I have hurt her. This is no glorious victory but a tragedy, a horrid tragedy. All of them faced the same, even foals with their whole lives still ahead of them were not spared. They too were now chained to work that would never make them happy, simply because they had to earn a living now. They gave me nothing but their adoration and loyalty when they should have only shown me their disdain. I sat on the throne and watched as they all got consumed by their petty nightly chores while comprehending how utterly I have failed. This was the very opposite of what I wished for when I was warring with Celestia!
"At first, I tried to live with it. We rarely get all we want in life, as I thought. But living with it never became easier, especially for Luna. She had to be the one I hurt the most. I betrayed her trust twice, I stole her body, I imprisoned her sister, I murdered her subjects. I was so disgustingly selfish! I did my best to soothe her, but my words were hollow after everything I had done.
"I had to face the fact that all I achieved was misery for everyone, including myself. I hesitated, but I had to at least attempt to resolve the enormous problem that I had created. To begin, I re-assembled the element bearers, they were worse for wear but for the task of returning Celestia to us, they agreed to work with each other once more. Then, I had to grovel before Celestia for her help. To her credit, she did try to help me, for what little it was worth. What I did to her seemingly crushed her even more than it did me. She existed on pure reflex, her presence inspired more sorrow than comfort. Then... an accident happened and Celestia was no more, only Daybreaker. I do not wish to elaborate further."

That was way-way more than what Tiny expected would follow from her questions. She didn't know what to say, literally.

"I suppose you got your punishment," Nightmare Moon said on a suddenly much lighter note. "If you so dislike Twilight's formal style of teaching, then perhaps you would be more satisfied by Daybreaker's personal approach." Tiny's spirit immediately sank at the mere memory of Daybreaker taking care of her for not even a day.
"I think she might be less harsh on you this time. Come with me, I will show you."

Upon re-entering inside the ruined great hall, they rubbed shoulders with Applejack. Nightmare Moon gave her a short nod of acknowledgment and went on. Applejack gave Tiny a confused stare, but didn't act.

Tiny hasn't seen Daybreaker in the last hour and she wasn't in the hall. Nightmare seemed to know where she was going though, so Tiny just trailed behind. They found Daybreaker at the end of the stairway leading to the same catacombs that Tiny and Rainbow popped in. She was giving some Changelings directions of some kind.

"Daybreaker!" Nightmare Moon called sternly. Daybreaker immediately fell silent and turned to look at them. Daybreaker visibly slouched and didn't look directly at Nightmare, "Since my sister has decided to follow us, you will now take care of her and teach her," Nightmare Moon said with finality. "You will treat her as honorably and kindly as I treated you. See to it that she stays out of trouble."

"As you command, sister," Daybreaker said uncharacteristically humbly and mildly. Nightmare Moon gave Tiny a glance and then floated away without saying a single word more. "Follow me," Daybreaker grunted.

Why Nightmare would say that Daybreaker would be gentler now that she's in a terrible mood baffled Tiny. If anything, Daybreaker was going to make her count the bricks in some wall, or come up with some other deliberately boring and pointless assignment for her. Changelings have evidently started moving their equipment underground. There weren't many of them, but there were a lot of crates. Daybreaker pulled over one small crate with 'C1' stamped on the top side of it and put it next to the wall. She then pulled over a larger crate and put it next to the smaller one, forming a makeshift table with a chair.
"Sit," Daybreaker ordered. Daybreaker then looked through the rest of the crates in the stockpile, cracked one open and pulled out a rifle. "I don't know why does my sister want to bother with you, but you will no longer be leisurely walking with us!" Daybreaker forcefully put the rifle in front of Tiny on the larger crate with a thud. "From now on, you will learn to be useful."

Tiny silently stared at the presented weapon, "Do you want me to shoot it?" Tiny asked with slight disbelief.

Daybreaker rolled her eyes,
"Certainly not! You yourself don't know what you will be doing tomorrow! Teaching you to shoot won't bring anyone any good, least of all yourself. You will learn to maintain the weapons of our soldiers so they may do other, more important work. Now, watch," Daybreaker engulfed the rifle in her golden magical aura and lifted it off the table. First, she slowly unscrewed the stock, and put it down on the table with the screw next to it. Then, Daybreaker pressed a button at the side of the rifle and pulled the charging handle out. She then pressed down on the forestock, opening the receiver. Daybreaker pulled the spring out and set it down by the handle. Next was the bolt, Daybreaker pulled the bolt carrier from the chamber, flipped it vertically and let the bolt fall down on the crate.
"This would be enough for now," she said as she put the open rifle down by its contents. "Trigger assembly, gas piston and barrel will come later."

"How do you know how to do this?" Tiny asked, surprised how seemingly proficient the older mare is with weapons she would never use.

"That, my sister, is what you must know to be respected by warriors. From a pikepony to a general, none would respect you if you won't demonstrate your understanding of their field. Warriors are the societal class only loyal to their own. Nightmare is only so popular with her soldiers even after so many years because she was with them everywhere, from training to a ditch."

"Really? Nightmare in a ditch?" Imagining Nightmare muddy was a little hard.

"Almost literally at that, yes," Daybreaker confirmed, her face never deviating from her perfect frown. "Nightmare would never hide from her enemies in a ditch. But in times of war, she went with her loyal, unlike Celestia." Tiny blinked and looked down at the disassembled rifle. Looked simple enough. Just put the bolt back into the bolt carrier; slide it into the chamber, ensuring the tail fits to the piston tube. Tiny suddenly caught herself: she couldn't remember how she knew all of the names of the components. Tiny sat dumbfounded for almost a minute, before looking up at Daybreaker, who expectantly lifted an eyebrow. She was amazingly patient, but Tiny decided that it would be better to avoid straining her patience.

Tiny picked up the bolt and slid it back into the bolt carrier she then put it back into the chamber. Easy enough. Tiny then lifted the spring and put it to the back of the bolt carrier. Next, tiny held the rifle closed and pressed the charging handle into the back of the receiver. The stock came next, but that was easy, Tiny was familiar with screws from maintaining her wagon with Mister Rich.

Daybreaker lifted the rifle, examined how it was locked and then pulled the handle until it clicked, "Good enough," she mumbled, before releasing the spring with a press of the trigger. "Now, do it faster."

"Hmm... too slow. I counted fifteen seconds. You can do quicker."

"Come on!" Tiny groaned. "It was thirteen! I cut two seconds by screwing the stock at the same time."

"Indeed. You would've still been at seventeen seconds otherwise." Tiny groaned again. She spent twenty minutes trying to perfect her routine and it seemed that Daybreaker would never be satisfied with her time. She was supposed to be searching for the zebra, not assembling rifles!

"Why are we doing this? I could be a lot more useful with my spells than by doing this!"

"Because teaching a curveball like you magic is dangerous." Tiny couldn't help but appreciate how brutally straightforward Daybreaker could be especially compared to some others she knew.

"But I am not even asking you to teach me combat spells! Just teach me a spell to hide changelings on missions, or maybe something to dry their clothes, or communicate at a distance, just something, anything!"

Daybreaker did not immediately refuse, instead humming deeply as she delved into thought. Tiny was mildly shocked that Daybreaker was actually considering it.

"I'd do all chores you want and I won't misbehave anymore!" Tiny tried to sweeten the deal.

"Hmm... That assuming you can resist," Daybreaker gloomily pointed out. "Fine, you will have your instruction. I suppose it would be a poor public image for Nightmare to break her word."

"Oh! Thank you!"

"But no more disobeying!" Daybreaker warned sharply. "Next time I will punish you," she warned. "I will teach you a spell that you may use to repel dirt from yourself or items you enchant. That would be adequate for you to make yourself useful."

Tiny was ecstatic, she was going to learn some more spells! Even if it was just so she could clean after Nightmare's soldiers. But she suddenly had a question,
"So, we can just enchant clothes and wheels and shoes to always be clean? Why isn't everyone?"

Daybreaker gave her an indulgent smile,
"Do you believe unicorns have nothing better to do than to enchant everyone's possessions? Those that can cast enchantments do not concern themselves with something so petty. How do you imagine expansive, vaulted, things like Nightmare's palace were built? Certainly not with merely stone and mortar, it would have taken decades."

"Everyone keeps mentioning it, but is it really that big?" Tiny shrugged. "Mister Rich said it was big enough to fit a ship in one of its rooms."

Daybreaker rolled her eyes yet again,
"Ugh! Yes, she does have a palace that big. If you don't make yourself too much of a nuisance, you might even see it. Now, observe." Daybreaker gathered a layer of dust off the floor and sprinkled it over the rifle as if it was salt. Daybreaker then glanced at Tiny to ensure her attention. With a light pulse, all dust flew off the rifle as if someone blew at it. Daybreaker then picked up more dust, this time it didn't stay on the rifle for a moment before being repelled. Daybreaker then pulled another rifle from the same crate and set it down by Tiny. "Now, repeat."

Tiny stared at Daybreaker, "How?" she asked.

"Just as you saw."

"But how did you do that?" Daybreaker rolled her eyes at that. Tiny sighed, Daybreaker always seemed to have in her mind a certain way everyone was supposed to behave. It suddenly occurred to Tiny that this may be why Daybreaker had such low opinions of nearly everyone she met.

"You were taught the basics of magical theory by Nightmare herself, so use what you learned and copy what I just showed you. Unless you are willing to prove to me that not even Nightmare could teach one coot such as you." Tiny still felt befuddled, how could theory help her to learn a spell from just seeing it used once?

"Am I supposed to invent a new spell?" Tiny cautiously guessed.

Daybreaker loudly sighed,
"No, you are meant to repeat the one I just showed you. You know exactly how to do that," Daybreaker reiterated, now with audible annoyance.

Tiny stared intently at the rifle, trying to understand how she was supposed to do this. "I don't understand!" Tiny eventually gave up, failing to remember anything that could be of use to her now. "Nightmare only taught me stupid training spells!"

"It is beyond me why she even tries with you," Daybreaker admitted with a frown for the record books. "You are clearly a waste of our effort," Daybreaker stood up from her seat.

"No-no-no!" Tiny blabbered in panic, fearing that she will be made to waste time on some menial errand again. "I-I'll do it, look!" Tiny focused on the rifle again and tried to do the same as Daybreaker did. She made a pulsing aura around the rifle. Tiny swiftly scooped some more dust from the floor with her magic and dropped it at the weapon, it didn't fly off.

Daybreaker raised her brow at that, "Is this all?"

Tiny tried a pulse of a different frequency, but it didn't work. Tiny tried again, this time the dust moved! But it was just the rifle vibrating.

"Stop wasting my time," Daybreaker grunted. "Strip that rifle several hundred more times. When I next see you I want to see time under 3 seconds."

"I don't understand!" Tiny cried out. "How am I supposed to do something I don't know how to do?!" Tiny swiped the rifle off the crate in frustration. It hit the stone floor with a racket.
At that Daybreaker actually froze and simply stared at her, her face completely flat and motionless. "Why do you hate me so much?" Tiny asked.

Daybreaker slowly blinked and then stared at Tiny for a moment more, Tiny stared right back. Daybreaker deeply sighed and sat back on the other side of the crate,
"Listen: you are not here because it is your destiny or because of your blood, or because you deserve it," Daybreaker sais with deliberate calmness. "You are here because you were in the correct place at the correct time. Nightmare showed you so much favor, she brought you along even though you only brew trouble, she personally taught you, gave you the best teacher she knew and even when you directly violate her will she does not punish you. Unlike me," Daybreaker added. "She treats you better than she treats me and you squander all you are given! You ungrateful whelp, undeserving and ignorant, dare to ignore the teaching of my royal sister!"

"You are mad because I am not learning quick enough?" Tiny tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"No, I am displeased with your lack of respect," Daybreaker muttered through gritted teeth.

"I am... sorry?"

"Oh, now you are sorry! But I fear it is much too late, Nightmare no longer has any time for you! Isn't that a pickle?" Daybreaker feigned regret.

"Doesn't that just mean it's you who has to teach me?" Tiny just couldn't help but use it against her.

"I suppose that is correct," Daybreaker sighed, her excitement now depleted. "A truly fitting punishment. Enough of this. Since you are unable to replicate the simplest spells, I would have to take you through the process again. Where are your books?"

"In Mister Rich's wagon..."

"But of course, I should have known. Well, it seems you would have to learn on the fly then. As you already know, the most important skill for a mage is their focus. Nightmare has drilled as much into you herself and I do not believe that even you could undo that amount of effort this quickly, therefore I will continue. This spell relies on weaving, a concept you should have known by now. You must have your spell take a form, like a sock, rather than remain formless, like a gush of the wind. That is why you fail because you attempt to have a formless burst stick to a solid object. I suspect you have also failed at illusion magic for this very reason." To Tiny it seemed that Daybreaker had the wrong information. Tiny did remember reading about weaving in the textbook Nightmare had her study, but she never got to practice it. Daybreaker didn't enjoy being told she was wrong by people lower than her in rank, so Tiny held her tongue.
"The spell itself is trivial, simply create a repulsion field. I imagine you know how to do that."

"Is it like a telekinesis spell?"

"It is similar enough, but stretched out. It must remain even after you cease even though you no longer maintain it."

"How?"

"By casting a modified telekinetic spell, of course."

"Is this really all there's to it?" Tiny asked, still not quite convinced.

"I could also teach you how to have it react to react only to non-living matter, but one thing at a time, I think."

"Okay..." Tiny stared down at the rifle yet again. She lightly poked it with her magic to ensure she was doing what she thought she was doing just in case. Tiny then enveloped the rifle and tried to use the extension modifier Flurry told her about. She wasn't entirely sure exactly how Flurry did it, but she did feel it when she used her helmet. Every time she used it, the modifier seemingly looped the spell back to the beginning. Tiny had the rifle float above the crate and tried to loop the spell. She felt a light pulse go off. Tiny then let go of the rifle, but it kept floating above the crate.
Daybreaker experimentally poked the weapon with her hoof. It entered a light spin but didn't drop.

"That is not quite the repulsion field I meant," she gave her verdict. "But that is better than failing completely."

That was a rather begrudging compliment if Tiny ever heard one, but from Daybreaker even that much was a lot.
"So, are you going to teach me how?"

"I suppose I would have to," Daybreaker musingly said. "We would need books, however. Which we have none."

"Isn't this your old home? Shouldn't there be a library?"

"Do you really think Celestia would just leave books to rot in ruins?" Daybreaker asked straightly. "Books were far-far more valuable than they are now in the times when we lived here. Everything she could, she took with her to Canterlot, except... well, I suppose that is our only option then."

"What is?"

"Nightmare's own spellbook. That is the only material we have left unless Nightmare elects to send you back. Nightmare is a generous ruler, if you please her sufficiently, she might allow us to use it."

"How?"

"Well, you would have to demonstrate that you finally learned something instead of missing every instruction you are given. So, I suggest you train."

Tiny once again stared at the unfortunate rifle.

Cultural Shock

Shadow was distressed. She felt absolutely horrendous and lost. For the first time since she could remember, she didn't know what to do. She didn't have any work anymore, not that she could focus on it. No matter what she tried to do, she found herself distracted. Her attention now wandered away from her task, something she never felt before. Her sweet daughters were just across the hall, so it was so hard to even think about anything else.
She watched other changelings going about the castle, doing the many chores an army always had to do. They used to lug crates and equipment around and search for places to set up a command center, hardpoints observation posts, a hospital, an ammunition dump and more. She remembered very vaguely how to do any of that. It suddenly occurred to her just how old she really was, everyone she used to know of her own species most likely died of old age, she didn't smell a single familiar scent from all the changelings around her. And they evidently did not recognize hers. She wasn't ignored, as she used to be. She stood out too much to ignore, so others were glancing curiously at her and whispering among each other. This was different as well, her brothers and sisters never felt discouraged to talk to her, even though they quickly found her too uncanny to form connections with her. Staying away and whispering was the pony way.
That was simply one of the ways that ponies were fundamentally different from them. Ponies were very friendly to her, but only after everyone saw her with Mistress. She doubted she would have fared any differently if she was a pony, ponies simply lacked the automatic trust for each other that changelings had... or used to have.

So she sat there, on the floor, with the command tent on one side and a half-ruined column on the other, waiting until someone needed her again. She noticed a certain blue pegasus brought in by Daybreaker and a foal. Shadow wasn't surprised, she even smiled. She remembered how much trouble was having her own hatchlings do as she told them. The sudden reappearance of Rainbow Dash was less expected. Shadow liked to think that they were friends long ago. It bewildered her exactly why Rainbow Dash decided to forget her grudge against her so quickly, but she increasingly found herself in conversations with her over the course of the next few months.

Afterwards, Shadow vaguely remembered Miss Tiny coming to her and propping herself down, she was gone just as quickly as she appeared. She was again alone. She watched other changelings for a few more minutes when to her surprise a whole group of them stopped whispering among each other and all approached her. They were younger than most others, Shadow thought that the oldest couldn't have been older than three years overdue for foundation training.

"Elder?" one called out. "We never heard your name in our briefing, is it classified?" Shadow wanted to chuckle, but held back. No, her name wasn't classified, she just had a better one.

"My Mistress calls me 'Shadow'," she declared. They started to nod, exchanged looks and shuffled their feet. It seemed that her response was somehow unsatisfying but not one of them dared to directly contradict her.

"My name is Ommatidila, elder. My rank is Sergeant, I am the youngest daughter of Colonel Mitosis," Shadow nodded at the very formal introduction. She didn't know her parents, but ponies considered them important. "Troop, introduce yourselves!" at that Shadow immediately flattened her ears.

"No need for that," she quickly spoke up, having no wish to use her limited memory for names. "Your commander's name is enough."

"Yes, of course, elder," Ommatidila said after an audible choke. "I am sorry to have displeased you. So... you see... we... Well, we wondered if you could tell us a little about how it used to be when the old Queen was still with us... we haven't been born to know her." The question puzzled Shadow, why would someone even ask her such a thing? Why does it matter what the old Queen was like if they have a new one?

"Do you attempt to compare?" Shadow asked to verify the only conclusion she found.

"No, of course not! Queen Nightmare Moon is beyond comparison to someone she has already defeated," Ommatidila quickly explained. "We... we just want to know how did it happen that we are the last generation of our people... if that is not too much to ask."

"Old Queen was very different, she put forward Changeling supremacy as a goal of her rule. We did many wrongs in her name. We didn't think like that at the time, she was our Queen."

"Ponies told us that the Queen was evil," Ommatidila shrugged, one of her subordinates repeated her gesture. "They told us that she would make us suck the love out of living things until they weren't alive anymore."

"That is not entirely true. We were punished if we killed someone in the process of extracting love, ponies in particular. We were taught that killing them was counterproductive because dead ponies don't produce any love," Shadow corrected. From what she could piece together this was a misconception held by ponies.

"Wait, elder, you mean ponies are right to say that?" the younger one asked in disbelief accompanied by a gasp from another one.

Shadow studied the young changelings' expressions, trying to process what exactly could they mean, she just told them that this was wrong,
"No, we weren't killing anyone during our feeding," Shadow repeated slowly.

"No, I mean sucking love! Was it really something that we used to do?"

Shadow could only stare in mute shock. How did they live long enough to not know how to feed, this was nonsensical to her on several layers,
"You weren't taught to feed?" Shadow asked, still not entirely sure that she understood correctly.

"No?" Ommatidila very cautiously answered. "We were taught that we don't need food, food was for ponies, and that we get our energy by being close to ponies."

Shadow dropped her eyes and stared at the floor. Suddenly she had to rethink everything she knew about these new changelings. She knew about feeding off love that is saturated in the air, that was taught to all changelings selected for covert training. What was shocking is that young changelings were no longer taught how to hunt and not be completely reliant on the will of the ponies they lived with.

"Did I say something to displease you?" Ommatidila asked.

"No, nothing at all. This is new to me," Shadow explained. "I never imagined I would someday meet changelings that don't know how to feed."

"I always thought that it was just what ponies thought... they don't really like us that much so it made sense for them to come up with nasty rumors. But if that was true, I really can't blame them. It must be horrible!"

Shadow did not answer. She didn't know what to make out of this. It couldn't have been their own decision to not teach young drones. Ponies must have been so terrified of them that they mandated that newborn nymphs would not be taught to feed. Shadow wasn't sure what exactly she felt but she could make out one single feeling from the collage - disappointment. Since she met her Mistress and all of her wonderful aides and servants, she always thought ponies were above this degree of pettiness. Her soldiers were always gallant, maids were cheery and helpful, and clerks from the administrative wing were always slightly afraid of her because she was outranking them too much for their comfort but she couldn't ever imagine them doing something like this to her people. What made this even worse is that Princess Cadance allowed it.

"Yes... for them it must have been," Shadow reluctantly agreed in the end. "Excuse me, I must go for now. Return to your tasks," she then quickly departed only waiting to hear a goodbye to observe the manners. She wasn't angry, at least she didn't think she was. She just needed a moment to reassess.

Ensuring she was out of view, she looked around. She had to busy herself with something. She noticed soldiers stacking magazines for their rifles, the sight caused a bout of nostalgia. She remembered her time in training when she was taught to do this. It was a different magazine back then, a different caliber too, but she still remembered even though it was so long ago that she could hardly remember the room it was done in. Put the magazine against something hard and press on it, the cartridge gets pressed under the rib on one side and the next one on the other, so it goes on and on until the spring won't compress anymore. The magazine goes in the slot underneath, the bolt goes up and over the receiver to chamber the cartridge. It wasn't like this any longer; back in her time automatic bolts were not yet employed for rifle. She didn't really experience even those. While she was taught to shoot and operate a rifle just like every other drone in the hive, her training never went beyond simple rifles. Instead, she was taught to fight with her body. She was proud to have used that weapon in service of her Mistress as well. She couldn't help but wonder...

"Do you need any help with that?" she asked the drones stacking magazines. They simultaneously stopped and looked up at her, one pivoted her head around to see if there was someone else behind them. "The Lady has given me a break from my usual duties. I wondered if there's a way I could help." The drones looked at each other, then at their magazines.

"Well, we have some more to stack. So if you really want to..." she huddled closer to her partner, making space for Shadow.

Shadow didn't waste time and picked up right where the drone left. The magazine she was stacking was still half-empty, its weight filled Shadow with strange comfort. She picked up a cartridge from the large, green box in the middle. It was a different caliber from what she used to, shorter, but not as small as a pistol cartridge. She reckoned it might penetrate a thin concrete wall. With a soft clicking of metal, the cartridge went in place. It came easy, her muscles required little input from her. The second bullet followed in just as simply and then they were going in with practiced quickness.

Weapons were always the same in the end. Old or new, a rifle will always be a rifle. It had a bolt, a receiver and cartridges. If she was taught to fire a howitzer, she would be able to do that with any howitzer with a minimal amount of time to reapply her knowledge.
She gave another wistful look to where her two lovely drones were resting just a little while ago. Perhaps there were more things in the world that only need a minimum amount of time.

She glanced at the drone to her left, specifically at her shoulder strap. She was a corporal,
"Corporal," the changeling shuddered at hearing her rank, "why are you here?"

"Because Captain ordered me to get a couple of dozens of magazines ready... Ma'am," she answered. "Always pays to be prepared for unpredictable."

"Your orders are not what I was asking for," Shadow calmly corrected. "Why have you chosen to enlist? I understand ponies in Crystal Empire do not draft."

"No... It just felt like what I am supposed to do. Everyone does it."

Shadow nodded to herself,
"When I was a little nymph our purpose was to serve the hive by serving our Queen. There is no hive anymore and our Queen is dead."

"I think it is just what we are meant to do. Ponies told us that they normally don't want to hurt anyone if they can avoid it, they also aren't as disciplined and dedicated as us. Ponies say that everyone has their special talent so it seems only right that we do what we are good at."

Shadow could only come to the conclusion that the drone didn't have the answer she was looking for. She reckoned not even her Lady would have it for her. Something went wrong about her kin after the last time she met any, it felt like they were losing their grasp over what they are. Perhaps the Mistress would find this sad, but Shadow just thought it was fitting that the last changelings also were the end of the changeling way of life. Perhaps in their confusion, they would be able to live a brief moment as ponies instead. That was better than what she hoped for in the end.

Shadow decided to leave her new friends to work in silence until they ran out of empty magazines. She then bid them goodbyes. Shadow couldn't see her Mistress, Princess Celestia or Applejack anymore, they must have moved on to other business. Shadow didn't want to mill anymore, she could sleep instead to be more useful when she was needed. Mistress always said she should rest more after all...

Shadow returned to the rucksack pile and decided to try it for herself, Tiny looked quite comfortable lying atop. They did turn out to be soft, though someone might need them while she's resting. She doubted other changelings would be decisive enough to wake her, but they could just borrow another pack, surely the owner would understand.
Shadow went forward and laid down, it wasn't as soft as a bed, but it wasn't stone. She could sleep like that easily enough.

Shadow didn't know how long had she slept, when she opened her eyes it was brighter in the hall. ...Someone was also holding her head. Her vision made out eyes, two deep green eyes, focused on intently studying her forehead. Shadow blinked to focus her sight. Her head was gray with black lines. Her mane gathered in a plume. A... zebra? Shadow remembered Mistress mentioning a zebra.

"A scar old as the grey in my mane, perhaps I should know your name?" the zebra rhymed releasing Shadow's head. "Do tell, what is your name?"

"My Mistress calls me Shadow. Can you step back, please?" Shadow never appreciated others casually standing so close to her. Shadow now could see her better, this zebra was old. To the point that the ends of her mane were completely white. She also had a bag hanging from her neck.

The zebra smiled at her warmly. "it is an honor, and the name Zecora is mine, your mistress and I had a meeting just as fine. You look like you've been here long enough to have observed, is there a place I can work where I won't be disturbed?"

It took Shadow a moment to think about how to answer. In truth, she didn't really know. She didn't know the layout of the castle having never taken the time to explore it.

"Our talk has fallen flat, was your tongue gotten by a cat?" Zebra rhymed again.

"I don't know how to help you," Shadow admitted.

Zecora didn't seem discouraged in the slightest by the answer,
"If you do not know then do not fret, it is only unknown as of yet."

"I am afraid I have to wait for orders from my Mistress, Lady Zecora," Shadow even took a step back for affirmation. Something about Zecora's demeanour was making Shadow uncomfortable.

"But your mistress can attest; I have found you at her behest. We spoke at length of my amenities; I must see what works best for a changeling of my remedies."

The moment made more sense to Shadow now. Her Mistress intended her to help this zebra to find out how her medicine affected changelings... and she needed a test subject. With all of Shadow's old wounds, it was natural that she was her choice.

"If this is what my Lady wishes," Shadow resigned herself to this fate.

"Do not fear the worst, in healing I am well versed," Zebra proclaimed, taking Shadow's hoof to lead her forward. Her expression was a calming smile and her lead was gentle, it calmed Shadow a little as well.

"We could look in the castle catacombs, there might be room there," Shadow suggested.

"Oh! An idea just delightful, you proved to be very insightful," Zebra looked around, searching for a way down. There was the one Daybreaker showed them, it was a fake wall that slide aside. Shadow disliked dwelling here, it wasn't damp but dusty and decrepit. The walls looked like they were going to crumble. Zecora seemed satisfied though, she quickly found herself space between crates in a tunnel crossroad.

"A dry place for my tools, ingredients, and cauldron for the brews; this is the perfect place that I choose," Shadow was not looking forward to hauling Zecora's things here. "But I can not let all that distract, I have an important task I must enact," Zebra then pulled out a small collection of bottles from the bag on her neck. Zebra clearly wasn't a surgeon so Shadow was skeptical.
"My salve can heal wounds and scars with no concern, but your horn I can promise no return," Zecora opened one of the bottles releasing a musky, sweet scent that immediately started to make a lump in Shadow's throat. Nevertheless, Shadow obediently waited for Zecora to apply her salve all across her body and her many scars. Zecora then made her stand still until it worked. The salve didn't burn her, exactly, it was just making her feel dirty.

Since there was no place for her to lie down, Shadow had to stand still until Zecora thought it was enough. Zecora didn't bring a mirror, but the zebra herself seemed satisfied. Zecora then gave her to sip of a reddish liquid. It felt tingly. Zecora allowed her to sit, which Shadow promptly did. After half an hour of standing almost without movement simply sitting felt divine. Zecora didn't talk to her too much, only asking her how she was feeling.

Finally, Shadow heard someone coming to them. Shadow hoped it was someone to give her new instructions. The steps were very light, so it couldn't be one of the changelings. Tiny must have been sent to her for foalsitting again.

Tiny indeed soon came trotting, stopping by the entrance into their improvised laboratory.

"A foal out here all alone, are you lost and far from home?" Zecora asked with concern. Shadow noted that she didn't sound surprised.

"Are you Zecora?" Tiny asked.

"Ah, now I see. You're looking for me?"

"A... a friend said I should meet you when I get a chance."

"My friends are few and far between; who is the friend that to me remains unseen?"

"Princess... Twilight," Tiny answered. This made Shadow's eyes suspiciously narrow.

"Oh! A name I last heard a while ago. Would the Princess visit me too?"

"No... Princess Twilight is in Crystal Empire, with Princess Cadance. But she said I should meet you."

"To any and all ends I am always glad to meet the Princess' friends!"

"Miss Tiny, aren't you supposed to stay with Princess Daybreaker?" Shadow asked.

"I did, but I asked her and she let me take a walk," Tiny answered simply. "So, what are you doing?"

"Trying out my brews to ensure which succeed! Nightmare Moon asks that I heal her drones and I agreed."

"Oh... Okay. Can I watch?"

"Learning is a noble intent, sit down and watch to your content."

With that Tiny plopped down next to Shadow and watched her with interest.

"Shadow looks like the changelings in the main hall," Tiny remarked. Shadow looked downwards at her carapace but failed to see the difference.

"Younger," Zecora added.

Tiny just shrugged,
"Can't you glue her shell too?"

"Mayhaps the cracks would have mended, if the potion had worked as intended," Zecora leaned down taking a close look at Shadow's shell. "Hmmm... this one is as good as water from a spring, for it did not a single thing."

"Uhmm... Miss Zecora, are you a doctor? You don't look like one," Tiny said with concern. Zecora just smiled.

"I was a doctor long before, in my home far off the shore. I am but a humble potion dealer, now most ponies call me a healer."

"Okay... So you make your own medicine?"

"That and more," Zecora winked. Zecora took up another bottle, "I have many that I grow; here, have another to go," Shadow obediently sipped.

"Is this tea?" Shadow asked, the taste suggested so.

"Yes," Zecora eagerly nodded. "My homeland has a wide variety, this one is for soothing anxiety." Zecora then opened the last bottle. "I brought one last remedy to try; this one may hurt a bit I won't lie." Shadow took a deep breath and took another sip from the last bottle. It wasn't too bad, the liquid was musky but not coarse. It hit Shadow right in the stomach, to the point of hurting. Shadow huffed and curled in a ball. "Oh, look at that jerking, the potion must be working!" Zecora excitedly concluded.

Unhappy Reunions

"Aunty, I don't think this is working. Maybe we should just do as Mom said and find an interpreter?"

"No, no, I am getting there," Twilight proceeded to draw an earth pony on the board. She then pointed at her drawing and then pointed at the stallion sitting across the room, he tilted his head. Twilight then drew another pony, with wings and a horn. She then pointed at herself, spreading her wings. "T-wi-light," she said with deliberation.

"Twai-lait?" the stallion repeated.

"Good enough," Twilight mumbled. She then pointed at the stallion drawing on the board and then at the stallion again. The stallion quizzically tilted his head again. "Ugh! Why is this so hard?!" Twilight exclaimed. They have been doing this for the better part of an hour.

"Aunty, don't get upset: communicating with ponies that speak a different language is always a challenge. You'll be there someday, for now, you need help."

"How are we going to find an interpreter if we don't even know what language he speaks?"

Flurry shrugged,
"Well, I didn't think this far ahead."

"Well, better start thinking then!" Twilight scratched her forehead, "What if we try flashcards?"

"You mean like they do for school fillies? Aunty, he's a little old for school," Flurry incredulously pointed out.

"No one is ever old for school!" Twilight was quick to contradict. "Small foals learn to talk without knowing how at first, adult ponies can too, eventually."

"Well, how long do you want to teach him? We don't even know why he is here and if he needs any help!"

"I guess you are right, it will take too long," Twilight returned to thinking, scratching her chin with her right hoof. "I suppose the best we can do is to put his photo in tomorrow's Crystal Herald and ask if anyone knows him, maybe he's someone's visiting relative. We could also try and find interpreters that way. I guess we'd have to try until we hit the one."

Flurry sighed. This was getting boring, if she was being honest with herself. Keeping Twilight occupied so she wouldn't notice anyone missing was bound to be boring, but this was ridiculous. Flurry glanced at the clock. It was twenty-five past eleven, almost twenty-six. The earliest mark was already missed so that means she'd have to stay with Twilight for any amount of time up to four hours before Moony is done playing detective. Though... since Tiny wasn't back yet she held a cautious hope that at least that part of the plan went as intended. She still wished this was over already, she had places to be. Not that the next stage will be much more pleasant.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Flurry breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.

"Yes, come in!" Twilight answered.

"Your Highnesses," a clean face in a helmet appeared from behind the door. "Your friend, Rainbow Dash is here. She demands to speak to you."

Twilight stared blankly at the guard,
"Who?"

"Rainbow Dash, Lady," the stallion opened the door wider and stepped aside.

Flurry clapped her hooves,
"Oh! Aunty Rainbow! Welcome!" While technically Rainbow was only here because Flurry herself gave her a boost, she was still glad to see her. The last time they met she barely reached Rainbow's knee.

Rainbow stared at Flurry with visible suspicion but didn't say anything. Flurry expected this, so she made her move first.

"Aunty Rainbow, it's so good to see you again!" Flurry quickly trotted up to the pegasus and took her in a hearty embrace.

"Wait!" Rainbow tried to push Flurry off, which she allowed. "I've seen you before."

"Of course you did! I am Flurry Heart, you and Aunty Twilight used to foalsit me so many times! Have you really forgotten?" Flurry feigned being saddened.

"Oh... Yeah... I think I remember now... Hello, Flurry, nice to see you again."

"Rainbow, is that really you?" Twilight finally remembered how to speak. Flurry quickly stepped away to let them see each other. "You look so... so savvy."

"Huh, I really am..." Rainbow finally decided to see who else was in the room, she did come for a specific reason after all. Noticing the stallion sitting inside and looking at her expectantly, Rainbow quickly dashed to him and deeply bowed. Although Flurry did pretend to be surprised, she wasn't pretending when it came to Rainbow's friend. She really had absolutely no idea what he was saying, so Rainbow coming along will make things simpler... for Twilight anyway.

Rainbow and the stallion entered a rapid exchange that lasted about a minute.

"Rainbow, do you know what he's saying?" Twilight asked, not entirely believing in Rainbow knowing more than one language.

"Of course I do! He's my... eh..." Twilight suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "...Landlord, yeah."

"Landlord, huh?" Twilight was evidently not buying. "Rainbow, do tell me, why your 'landlord' doesn't even speak regular Ponish in Crystal Empire? This is a bit of a coincidence for both of you to be here at the same time."

"Well, actually, we were looking for you!"

"Really now?"

"Yes, really... Twilight, I know it's been a little while and we didn't part on best of terms, but my landlord and I really need your help," Rainbow then sheepishly smiled, almost in exactly the same way as she used to do.

"So, let me get this straight. You left your friends to go and do what you want, you didn't even write me a letter in years and now you come back because you are in trouble. Rainbow, it's things like this that make me wonder how we became friends in the first place."

"Oh, you are the one to talk! You and Rarity were the ones who went to work for our enemy! Did you really expect me to just forget? You never even apologised! Except to her for not caving in sooner!" Oh-ho! This was getting fun! Flurry sure loved that future wasn't set in stone otherwise spoilers would've been unbearable.

"I wanted to do something good for other ponies! If that meant working with Nightmare Moon then it was what I was going to do! What I was sorry about was not seeing how selfish I was! I wasn't going to brew venom for pointless revenge like you were! I did good while you had to be isolated so that you wouldn't hurt anyone anymore! You know, ponies get worse for what you did!"

"Whoa! I am so-so grateful! I am so grateful that I wish I had a shiv with me when I was in the room with her! Too bad I wasn't quick enough with that though, if there ever was a good thing to get busted for it would've been killing tyrants!"

"Tyrants?! She went out of her way to protect you from your own stupidity!"

"...Well, if I was such a pain maybe she shouldn't have," Rainbow answered after a small pause.

Flurry figured this was as good a cue as she was getting,
"It sounds like you two need some one-on-one time. I'll just go tell mom, she might want to hug you later, Rainbow." Flurry didn't wait for her answer and did her best to disappear out of view as fast as possible. Twilight and Rainbow continued arguing after she left.

Now was the time to nudge some more pieces into place, but this time Flurry needed some help. Well, actually, quite a bit of help. Raising the dead was tricky and dangerous business, and the dead she was going to raise was far-far too important to rely on her own, admittedly, meagre necromantic knowledge. No, she needed a real expert.

Flurry looked behind her to make sure she was alone. The soldier that brought Rainbow has already gone back to his post. No one will miss her if she was gone for... let's say half an hour. Rainbow and Twilight will keep catching up for at least ten more minutes and likely even a bit more than that. Then they will have a more friendly interaction and also the business talk too. As long as she was efficient, no one would know she was ever gone and that would be important because her intentions somehow leaking out to Moony would be absolutely disastrous in the majority of visions she explored.

Flury envisioned where she was going one more time: a cave close to a mountain's summit, snow lying in heaps, a view of the farmlands and a sea on the horizon. Flurry was already there. She didn't envision the cold, biting wind. Flurry swiftly ventured into the cave, this was already unpleasant enough.
She was quickly, internally, rehearsing what she predicted would be the most effective words to get the favor she required.

"A visitor. Oh, how I just love visitors," the disembodied voice spoke sarcastically. "I know who you are, the pretender's foaling. But you came at a fortunate time; a thousand years ago, you would not have left my adobe."

"Now-now, just because you and my mom are old friends it doesn't mean that we have to be that way too. I came to bargain not argue," Flurry said her carefully chosen words.

The voice loudly snorted in return,
"You came to bargain with me. Why should I? You have nothing of value to offer me."

Flurry contently smiled,
"Oh, I think I have exactly what you want, the only thing that you want. You want to know a place, I know that place."

Sombra paused. FLurry could tell that this was going exactly where she wanted.

"What place?" he asked with much less arrogance this time.

"A place where Luna waits for you," Flurry answered simply. "I know where she is, we could go there right now if you want."

"How would a brat like you know? Are you trying to play me?!"

"Not at all! I can show you exactly what you want to know right now and for almost nothing from your part but one small favor."

"Ughrr... What favor?"

"Well... it's a little embarrassing, actually. You see... I have this little pet project and I need to raise someone from the dead. Not like a skeleton or a zombie though, no, I mean to revive their body back to being alive. I also need it scrubbed of its original owner. Teach my friend how and I will help you find Luna again."

"Hmph! So you expect me to have a word with this firend and teach them necromancy. Perhaps you also want me to make a wheel square?"

"I have absolutely no doubt that you of them all can manage and besides, my friend is very well known for being a sucker for learning. So, would you like to see Luna now?"

Sombra silently manifested in front of her, his menacing visage showing her he wasn't in any better mood now.

"Great!" Flurry disarmingly smiled at him nonetheless. "Let me just set us up..." Group teleportation was not something she used often but she knew exactly where she needed to go. Besides, knowing your own possible futures brings a whole host of reasons why you shouldn't mess up your spells.

"...and have them bring extra passes, give them an extra thousand bits if they ask for more. We must have the passes by the next full moon or our friends in Manehatten will be trapped there with no way to come back," Luna was in the middle of giving instructions to a thestral mare. They were standing in a circular room with a spherical lantern hanging from the ceiling. The room had no windows and only had a map a table and a sofa. The table was full of paper: letters, newspaper cut-outs, folders, pictures. There was a single door, where Luna was currently standing together with her thestral.
Flurry never really met any of them. She knew they existed and she had an idea what they are like, but she kinda wanted to someday know one. If things go nicely, she will have an opportunity to meet quite a number. If no, then just one.

The thestral looked directly at her,
"Intruders!"

Luna sharply pivoted around preparing to face whoever infiltrated her hideout,
"F-Flury Heart? Is that you?" Well, Flurry was glad that at least someone remembered her from long ago.

"Hi, Aunty Luna!" Flurry smiled happily. "Sorry for popping in so suddenly."

Luna dashed forwards to her, damn, she was fast when she wanted to be. Flurry had to remind herself exactly what her great aunt really was and how easily Luna could hurt her.
Luna visibly wanted to give her a hearty embrace, but stopped just short, remembering that much herself.

"You... you are so tall now," she remarked.

"I am old now, Aunty. Don't worry, all the birthdays you missed were boring."

Luna's face immediately darkened,
"Flurry Heart, I apo-"

"I told you, Aunty, don't worry about it," Flurry reassuringly pat her slightly below the shoulder. Luna was still taller than her so reaching Luna's shoulder wasn't exactly comfortable. "I know you are very busy and mom always said that there's time for everything, it just isn't the time yet. I promise you: there will be time for us to catch up on everything in the end. We can read novels together and paint, and gather Lavander, and play pranks on aunty Celestia. You have noooo idea just how long I had to come up with the best pranks we can do together!"

Luna actually smiled dreamily at that,
"Yes, that will be a splendid time."

"It's always better together," Flurry repeated her practised smile again. "Aunty, someone has been looking for you," Flurry gestured at the dark shadow by the wall.

"Oh..." Luna wasn't surprised, just sad. Flurry really wished she could spend some genuine time with her aunt, truth be told she always wanted to, but it was just as she said: there was time for everything and now it wasn't the time for that.

"I'll come see you again soon," Flurry said gently. "I'll even bring Mom if you want and aunty Celestia too. Moony got her and big D get along, imagine that!"

"Hah..." Luna chuckled, once. "Maybe just you is enough for now, Flurry."

"Sure thing, Aunty. You two just need a word alone now, but I'll be back soon!" Flurry then winked mischievously at the bewildered thestral mare still standing at the open door and disappeared again. Now to tell Mom about Rainbow... and probably be left without pocket money for a week for bringing her over without asking. There was no way in the world she would be able to fool Mom into thinking that she had nothing to do with her old friends popping out of thin air in her castle.

A Life and Its Disagreements

"They have a garrison in Ponyville, a company of motorized infantry, it sounded like. They have a decade of simple trucks, possibly mortars and heavy-caliber machine guns," Nightmare Moon described.

"We can handle that many," Daybreaker answered dismissively.

"If necessary, I don't imagine it will come to that; they don't even know we are here. Now, something much more interesting," Nightmare Moon glanced down at a mare with a stylish fedora standing by her side. "This is Lady Nightstar she is our liaison from Luna's faction of the cult," the mare silently lifted her hat in a greeting. "I believe she has information on the state of Canterlot's defenses."

"Indeed, my Mistresses. I have been gathering intelligence in Canterlot for some time now. Canterlot garrison is small and lacks heavy weapons. It's stationed in the airfield higher on the mountain, I imagine just as you left it. There are about seven companies worth of soldiers and about a thousand supporting personnel. They have mortars and attack craft but they will be hesitant to use them, fearing collateral damage. Canterlot is one of the most peaceful assignments a trooper can get at this time, so you could probably take them in their sleep."

"I suppose. What do you think, Celestia? My old Palace would likely be in a sorry state, but there is a throne there for you to sit on. I doubt the citizenry will have too many grievances with you reclaiming it." The Sun Princess stayed quiet so far, Celestia was very clearly feeling out of her element without having authority.

"It seems to me it will not be this easy. Tell me, My Little Pony, how do you think ponies would react?"

"There's a significant anti-monarchist sentiment. Ponies blame the royalty for their misfortune."

"Sentiments come and go, they will grumble but obey. Especially if one would demonstrate the futility of resisting. After all, they will die one day and we won't," Nightmare Moon dismissively pointed out. "I suppose we could bring more changelings if they are determined to be uncooperative. But the real question is whether they will fight us?"

"Some will," Nightstar shrugged. "It's difficult to tell until it's time."

"So? Shall we make a couple of examples, Celestia?"

The Sun Princess looked visibly unwell from where the discussion was going,
"There must be some better options."

"I understand that you never had to fight for your throne, but you must understand that this is not abnormal. We are not in a position of power at present and this means we must do what we can, we do not get to choose methods," Nightmare Moon quickly contradicted.

"If you are so experienced, I do not see why to ask me. I want none of your warmongering. you know this."

"I assure you, my intention is far from such. It is that power struggles often involve elements of warfare."

"Cadance made it beyond clear that she will not support us in a war," Celestia reminded. Celestia could always find more arguments, Nightmare Moon noticed.

"That depends on just how badly we want her resources. Technically, you still have a claim to her title and you are still, technically, her liege. You could simply usurp Crystal Empire and do with their army as you please," Nightmare Moon mused.

The proposal sent the room into a state of shock. Celestia stared at her wide-eyed trying to discern if she was joking and even her sister covered her mouth.

"Surely you realize that Cadance will not simply roll over," Celestia tried to dispel the suggestion together with its implications.

"She will resist, of course, but her ability to do so is limited. Changelings will support us while Cadance herself will have little chance against both yourself and my illustrious sister, perhaps even Twilight."

"Sister, how can you even think something so dishonorable?" Daybreaker indignantly spoke up. "Cadance may be a mouse while we are a lion, but she is the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire. She is the living descendant of Princess Amore. How can you suggest so serenely to depose her for her army?"

"What is Honor, sister?" Nightmare Moon calmly asked. "Do you consider failure to reclaim one's title as honorable? Perhaps honor is allowing one's subjects to b ruled by common rabble? Maybe it is forgetting one's place?"

"Crystal Ponies will not abide by this!" Celestia was even louder in her resentment.

"Oh, they will abide by anything we decide. To a commoner, it makes little difference what the name of the lord that rules them is. Tax collectors always show up on time and the armies always levy.
"But perhaps it is too early. I have learned of a way we can glean better insights. It seems that the new capital is in Manehattan instead of Canterlot at this time. We can learn much by infiltrating the Manehattan administration."

"Your Eminence, if I may," Nightstar asked for a word.

"Speak," Nightmare Moon permitted.

"I can pass on a message to our people in Manehattan so that they may compile their intelligence."

"Unless you are telling me that Luna has her own people in government positions, I don't believe that will be of any use to us. We will be soon having archives at our disposal."

"You plan to steal a whole archive?" Daybreaker asked in disbelief.

"I plan to gain access to more than one. It has been such a long time since the last time I came into a library. Tell Tarsus that we are going to need an archivist or two.
"Celestia, do you still remember that quaint spell that you used for mailing Twilight her instructions? Tell me: can it be made to work on changelings?"

"Possibly. However, it has to be something other than Spike's own fire breath this time."

"How much time do you need?"

"A day is plenty."

"Excellent. Now, Lady Nightstar, we must start assessing the state of Canterlot. What can you provide us with?"

"I will be honest, Your Eminence, not enough to give you the city on our own. I happen to have favors from Olive and her boys. They can help you smuggle in weapons if this is how you want to go about this."

"Pardon me? Are you openly telling me that you are friends with smugglers?" Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes.

Thestral mare stepped back,
"Well, that would not be the word they use. You see, the Bureau made a statement against alcohol. It harms you physically and mentally, as well as other ponies who have to see you. My friends just get ponies what they want, they don't do anything dirty."

"Oh, in what times do we live," Nightmare Moon's voice dripping with sarcasm. "I am given criminals as intermediaries. If it was a more fortuitous occasion, I would be ordering my guards to throw you into a cell now, but alas."

Nightstar suddenly gave Nightmare Moon a very indignant glare,
"Excuse me, Your Eminence! After you told us to disband our church, you didn't specify how we are meant to survive in the city which despises us! Unlike those heretical schismatics, we obeyed your order!"

"Why, dear, that is very good to hear! I was convinced that your cult was nothing but a failure until now, incapable of following even the clearest instructions! I am glad that my trust in your kind was not entirely misplaced."

Nightstar looked on in stunned silence. Celestia and Daybreaker both silently stared at her aswell.

"Why have we fallen silent all of the sudden? We have a takeover to plan."

"I wonder, do you even realize what you are saying?" Celestia asked, mostly rhetorically, as Nightmare Moon felt.

"Saying? What I said was a compliment. Religious fanatics make fine soldiers, but in peacetime, they are nothing but trouble. I was tired of them causing discontent among my subjects and I ordered them to disband their hierarchy so that they won't cause trouble in an organized matter at least. I am glad that at least some of them backed their supposed devotion to me with deeds."

"Nightmare Moon, have you considered perhaps showing your own subjects respect? If this is how you always treated them, it baffles me that they were apparently fond of you," Celestia put through with audible resentment.

"Oh, but respect is too valuable to dispense freely. Especially to those who deserve none. You yourself showed Luna's chosen tribe very little respect. I would argue that I did more for them than you ever tried."

"Wait!" Nightstar gathered enough of her courage to stick in between them. Nightmare Moon did not appreciate the lack of tact, but she liked the thestral's spine. Well, all eyes were on her now...
"Is it true? Have you really despised us all this time?" Oh, the poor dear, she really couldn't have guessed. Nightmare Moon smiled internally.

"Why, is it really so surprising for you? You believe me to be a goddess, that in and of itself doesn't deserve respect. You were of great use to me during our war, but afterwards, you have failed at being good subjects to me. That is not a personal fault of yours, or even not of your high priestess. Every lord or lady requires their subjects to be loyal, but loyalty isn't the same for different people. Changelings that you have seen in the hall are loyal to me because I proved my superiority over their pathetic Queen, ponies were loyal to me because they simply had no one else to care for them.
"You, on the other flank, were not loyal to me at all, what you were loyal to is the manufactured image that I had nothing to do with by the time I returned from exile. I resented the thing that you worshipped, it was insulting that someone would imagine me so petty and cowardly. Your goddess punishes others for the crime of not worshipping her and requires you to spread the faith in her by force despite controlling the sun and moon, and also the afterlife and dreams. Do you really believe me so weak that I would not show my face to the ones I expect to worship me and instead send you to tell them about me?
"I suppose the answer to your question is 'yes'. I resented everything about your religion since the moment I returned."

Nightmare Moon had to admit, it felt nice to finally express how she felt about them. Unlike Chrysalis, she didn't enjoy lying. Lying is a very primitive way to deceive, there are much better ways that allow her some room to manueuvere even if they fail.

"But why didn't you just correct us if we were so wrong? You were the center of our existence, we would've changed!" Nightstar sounded as if she was about to cry. Precious little thing.

"Dear, what makes you think it was so easy? You were on the inside, weren't you? What would happen if Luna tomorrow told your high priestess that she wasn't at all what you thought she was She will simply attempt to internalize and then disseminate this new and warped version to her underlings. You see, it is not your worship that I required. Your loyalty was supposed to be that of honor and duty as any good subject's, nothing could be simpler."

"But... if you aren't a goddess what are you?! You don't die, you don't age, you barely even can be harmed! You have power over sun and moon, and-"

"Let's skip the whole list, thank you very much. I don't know what exactly I am, as you can guess, there's no research on the subject of me. I am absolutely, certainly not natural in any way you might imagine. I suppose I could agree with one of my most recent acquaintances. The closest word to describe me is 'spirit', though I expect scholars would protest. Now, if your curiosity is all satisfied, I'd like to come back to the matter before us.
"I have in mind to cease the airfield and use it to land more troops and weapons. I suspect we'll need at least a single artillery battery. I'll send a message back to Crystal Empire to prepare four one-twenty millimeters and perhaps three thousand shells. That will be more than enough to shell into the ground any surrounding settlement that might resist us. But they are unlikely to even notice at first."

"So this is your plan then? You will seize our capital back in a swift strike, what then?" Celestia was skeptical.

"Then we'll have to pass the initiative to our enemy and see their reaction. If we have armies mobilizing, then we must call for help and either remove Cadance out of the way or persuade her to not interfere. If they decide to parlay instead, then we can do even more. Parlaying with the war already on is a show of weakness and a signal that we can take more from them."

"This is so characteristic of you that I am not even surprised," Celestia said with a huff at the end. "Your response to an offer of peace is more war. Please, explain: why are we doing this? Have you considered negotiating at least?"

"Negotiate with who? Celestia, may I remind you that the throne is currently unoccupied? There isn't even a usurper to speak to. Who are you going to negotiate with?"

"Your Eminence, if I may again," Nightstar grudgingly spoke up. "There is a government body you can speak to. They have the power to sign treaties if this is your aim."

"That 'Bureau' I keep hearing about? Please, what is there to talk about with an assembly of peasants? I reckon they won't agree with each other on what type of drapes to hang over the windows, much less on the procedure on how to pass the authority back to its rightful holders."

Both Celestia and Nighstar grimaced, Nightmare Moon wanted to roll her eyes but decided to restrain herself.

"I would rather at least try before we have to use force and ensure our ponies hate us for certain," Celestia answered in the end.

"So be it," Nightmare Moon answered simply. To her, it really didn't matter exactly what they were going to do with this situation. She was only here for Luna. "I'll have my soldiers prepare for when you fail and they attempt to imprison you. Now, to the less important matters. Celestia, did you manage to draw Miss Dash to tell you what she was doing in the middle of our camp? I do not expect this to be a coincidence."

"She was decidedly tight-lipped. She only said that she had some kind of a problem she needed Twilight's help with. I believe we should ask her in a few days. Applejack felt insulted and stormed out with a goodbye, in case you wonder about her success."

"Interesting... If Twilight's account of their falling out was accurate, Rainbow Dash is desperate. She may be of use to us after all. Now, Lady Nightstar, are you aware of any other of Princess Twilight's old companions? It seems we just keep running into them."

"They appear to have gone to ground, Your Eminence. But I did hear a rumor concerning a bright pink pony mare commanding an airship. She and her crew are apparently a scourge of the skies south from Tenochitilan basin."

"An airship then... Well, that would be quite impractical. I suppose we would have to wait and see who else will come out of their hiding spot," Nightmare Moon deliberated in silence for a while. "Sister," she abruptly called, making Daybreaker shudder. "I have something for you to do."

"...Me?" she asked with a note of surprise. "Didn't you tell me to care for-"

"Yes, I did and I see absolutely no reason to believe it would impede your performance. You are to travel back to Mount Aris and access the state of my old Guard. It is regrettable if I'll have to call them from their retirement, but it seems there might not be a better way. Learn whether they require any weaponry and equipment and count exactly how many of them will still fight."

"I'll do as you say..." Daybreaker then stood, shuffling her hooves and staring at the floor.

"Is my instruction unclear?" Nightmare Moon asked coldly.

"Sister, there is a matter I must speak to you with concerning my... caretaking. Young Tiny has not taken her textbooks with her. I was wondering if you might allow us to borrow your spellbook just until we return to Crystal Empire."

Truth be told, Nightmare Moon was plesantly surprised. Daybreaker actually seemed to learn her lesson in humility... or perhaps she was afraid of failing her. Either way, it wasn't such a poor idea, with Daybreaker no one would even think of stealing it.

"Very well," Nightmare Moon finally said. "Take it with my blessing and make absolutely sure it stays with you at all times. Use it to teach our little sister but no destructive magic. Be warned: if you lose it you better not come back," Nightmare Moon ominously ended. "Go now."

Daybreaker dropped her eyes back to the floor and quickly retreated away from the chamber.

"I suppose I shouldn't expect you to be gentle to your own kind," Celestia thought aloud. "Who's better to know your own than you?"

"Daybreaker allows her emotion to override her judgment. I wonder where did she pick that habit up?" Nightmare Moon immediately jabbed back.

"Perhaps I also was too gentle," Celestia mockingly agreed.

Both mares glared at each other from across the room, neither one making a sound.

"Be careful whom you spite," Nightmare Moon warned in the end. "You will be a sorry leader without even your enemies to rely upon."

"I don't intend to have enemies. But sometimes life disagrees."

"Indeed it does... indeed it does..."

Rhyming Riddle

Tiny clip-clopped back into the main hall and her sight landed upon the closest soldier she saw. She was carrying a stack of small, empty bags towards the castle entrance. Tiny looked curious as to why she needed those but had to dismiss her curiosity as she had something important to take her of.

"Miss!" Tiny politely called out, trotting after the changeling. She didn't even turn her ear. Tiny mumbled a curse, why were all of these changelings so hard to get through to? "Wait up, I need your help!" Tiny asked insistently. The changeling didn't even show a sign of hearing her, Tiny thought she might need to get in front of her to grab her attention. Luckily the drone wasn't in a hurry.

With a short gallop, Tiny sharply cut the changeling off; this time she did look at her,
"Miss, please, I need help!" Tiny asked again.

The drone was giving her a confused stare,
"From me?" she innocently asked with her croaking voice.

"From anyone! I need water and a bucket, and a towel!" The changeling again stared at her in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you know where I can get some water?"

"Eh... Are you supposed to be here?"

Tiny wanted to cry out in frustration. The drone wasn't even thinking about helping her, the drone was just internally sorting through her instructions to figure out how to handle her. Tiny never, really, met other creatures that she actively didn't want to be around, so this had to be the first.

Tiny knew how to get a changeling to cooperate though,
"Look! I was sent by Queen's healer, she needs water in a bucket and a towel. She is healing Queen's personal maid. You don't want me to tell her that she isn't getting what she needs because you stood here asking stupid questions, do you?"

The changeling's attitude visibly changed: now, she looked down on Tiny with suspicion. Tiny was reasonably sure that her bluff would work because, to the changeling, the risk of not helping her was greater than deviating from her orders.
The changeling considered for a moment more,
"Follow me then," she eventually said and headed back the way she came. Tiny grinned wickedly to herself and followed suit.

They went back to what Tiny assumed would be a store, but actually, it was just a tent where everyone who couldn't find a safe space to sleep underground ended up. The changeling gave her the bucket in the corner; it was empty though, so Tiny had to wait for the drone to fill it with water from their rations slowly. The soldier then gave her a towel from a tiny box that Tiny assumed was personal items, either hers or one of her friends. Tiny was slightly shocked over how nonchalant the soldier was about giving up her own things. Tiny picked all items up with telekinesis and quickened back.

Zecora was still right where Tiny left her - next to Shadow, who was lying on the floor clutching her stomach,
"You are back just in time, what luck! I should have known there would be a need to tuck," zebra lamented, putting her foreleg to Shadow's head. "Her reaction is stronger than ever I won't lie, her fever has gone quite high." Zecora took the towel and soaked it in the bucket. The towel was somewhat large so she folded it several times. Zecora then put it over Shadow's eyes,
"Be still as you can and try to relax, soon your shell will be free of its cracks."

"What did you do to her?" Tiny asked with concern; Shadow was even less responsive than the other changelings she had seen and gave her endless amounts of boring busy work, but she was also very caring and Tiny didn't want her hurt all the same.

"It was a bone growth potion, hurting is part of its function," Zecora explained. "Her bones are outside her body, that might be why her suffering is total."

Tiny was liking this less and less with each passing moment. This zebra was starting to seem like a con-mare to her and she has seen quite a few. Why did Nightmare Moon allow her to experiment on someone she cared for so much? And why did Flurry say that this mare was going to show her what to do? None of this was making sense and Tiny was getting tired of feeling completely lost.
"How do you know Nightmare?" Tiny decided to ask straight, she didn't see why Zecora won't just tell her.

"Knowing her is something I could not pretend, not even through a distant friend," Zecora giggled to herself.

"Then... why are you here?"

"She invited me just as I was cooking my stew, it is safe to assume it is I that she knew."

Tiny wasn't surprised, Nightmare seemed to know everyone,
"So... she just told you to practice on Shadow?"

"I take no orders from lords or those who demand a task completed, to simply ask for help is all that is needed," Zecora said proudly.

"You don't?" Tiny tilted her head. "Everyone else seems to, the first question everyone asks us is what are we going to do."

"On that, I have no doubt. Her intentions were clear to me with an armed scout."

"So, do you like it? You seem like you'd like what Nightmare is doing."

"Be assured I do not, but sometimes it cannot be fought. Nightmare Moon is known for her clarity, I only hope that it extends to charity."

Tiny glanced at Shadow to see if she was alright, the changeling actually seemed to be asleep, at least her breathing was very even.
"Well, she doesn't seem like she wants to hurt anyone," Tiny suggested. "Nightmare always said that killing must have a purpose."

Zecora chuckled sadly at that,
"From what I've seen in my time, a purpose is what takes the most away in their prime."

"I always thought it's bad ponies who hurt other ponies, they don't need a reason, that's why we need soldiers who kill bad ponies."

"Anypony is a bad pony at the right time I fear. Three of my old friends would tell you the same if they were here. One was a wanderer that was skilled in performing; our Princess had to give her a stern warning. The second was a mare of a stormy hour, greatly fond of her firepower. The third one is the saddest tale, underhoved tactics that tended to fail."

Tiny just stared at Zecora, expecting her to perhaps explain but zebra said no more: only a sly grin on her muzzle. This was getting annoying. Apparently, Zecora's manner of speech also involved never answering the question directly. "So, you mean that your friends were bad ponies and deserved to die?" Tiny decided to get it over with.

"Varies from the opposite to not quite. Some of them still stubbornly live despite.."

"You mean they don't want to die?"

"That and much more you are likely not aware… what would you say to your hovel being cleared out by a mare?"

"I don't understand what you are saying," Tiny admitted.

"Allow an old zebra to have fun with her rhyme, you'll have your answer in your own line."

Tiny decided to drop the subject at that, Zecora would just talk in riddles either way.

"So, Nightmare just wants you for your potions? She could have any alchemist she wanted."

"Perhaps she knows I'll do no harm… and for my disarming charm?" Zecora chuckled twice.

"Can you teach me something about alchemy?"

"Alchemy, alchemy... But how can I teach alchemy if that is not what I do? If I were a pony I'd be a unicorn, as healing is zebra magic I tell you."

"I love studying magic!" Tiny perked up.

"Oh, I see no harm in trying, if you could help me with the supplying," Zecora suddenly looked past Tiny. "But that would be a later date, it seems someone else has something to state."

Tiny looked over her shoulder, Daybreaker could be very quiet sometimes...

"Tiny, Nightmare ruled for us to return back to Mount Aris," Daybreaker delivered matter-of-factly. Tiny deeply sighed. "She did allow me to have her spellbook, however," Daybreaker continued in the same manner, demonstrating the familiar folio. "If you behave, I will see what will be useful for you in there."

"Bye, Zecora," Tiny said, lightly disappointed.

"Goodbye, little one. Scurry along and don't forget to have fun," Zecora wished her with a wave.

Tiny followed Daybreaker back out and to the newly drawn teleportation circle in the main hall,
"Will it take long?" Tiny asked.

"Several days. Nightmare orders me to gather her old guard," Daybreaker dryly answered, starting to charge the channeling rods. Tiny hated this part, she always was dizzy afterward. They soon stood inside Twilight's library, Tiny's head was spinning. Didn't they leave through the one at the mountain foot?
"Come," Daybreaker said routinely. "It will be educational for you to witness a muster." Tiny sighed again, this will totally take awhile.

The Princess of Temporal Screw-ups

Flurry was humming a tune to herself; she liked singing in general. Work was less monotonous when she had something else to focus on: though, literally, anything was more fun than doing dishes. Flurry guessed she had her aunties to thank for her Mom insisting on all of their own washing, cleaning and drying for their own rooms, clothes and kitchenware. Her turning out like Aunty Celestia, or worse, like Aunty Luna, would've been Mom's nightmare. Flurry had to admit that there was merit in not being helpless when not surrounded by servants, but not when there was something a lot better to do. She could meditate, for one. It will be a couple of days before anypony really needs her, but it didn't mean she couldn't improve her vision. She could also just spend time with Aunty Twilight, like any normal filly is supposed to do when growing up. Though that probably won't end well as long as Rainbow is around. The more time Flurry spends in her presence, the higher the chance that Rainbow will recognize her; then there'd be a lot of explaining to do which may or may not result in Twilight telling Mom or Moony. Which was going to end in her being grounded at the very least.

Flurry continued to hum to herself the tune she remembered from school: it was a song about harmony, of all things Nopony really remembered what it was about anymore though... except Mom that is. Though some weird kind of harmony still existed. There was very little conflict in this age, even with Moony, and some others, enjoying a good fight a bit too much. Flurry wondered if Moony went to see the tree ye: the tree would give her a hint or two. Wasn't a big deal though, they all will be seeing the tree eventually. But before tha, there's still some more work to do, including dishes.

Flurry spent another ten minutes at the sink, wondering why nopony had invented a spell to automate this yet. Eventually, the dirty plates were over and done with, so Flurry ended up thinking about what to do now. She could always go see Mom and ask how she's doing. Flurry slipped out of the empty kitchen and trotted back to the upper levels, asking a maid where her mother was on the way. Mother was doing what she was usually doing - writing and signing orders in her study. Flurry really struggled to imagine to how many of her years added up in that room.

"Mom?" Flurry politely knocked. "Are you busy?"

"Come in, Flurry. It's nothing too urgent."

Flurry opened the door and popped her head inside, her mother was sitting at her table, exactly where she expected. Flurry then moved the rest of her body inside and closed the door behind her.

"Just want to see if you are okay," Flurry said quietly. "You weren't the same since Moony left..."

"Oh, Flurry!" Cadance sharply stood up and stomped over to her window, turning her back on her daughter. "Don't remind me about her!"

"Sorry, Mom..." Flurry said apologetically. "So, anything you want to get off your mind?"

"Don't you already know what I am going to say?" Mom said after a sigh.

"Well... I told you already that it's not this exact. There are a lot of ways you can say one thing, or you can just decide to say something else because I asked you in a certain tone of voice, or if you are looking at something at a time. Besides, sometimes saying it aloud makes you feel better in on itself."

"I guess you are right," Cadance caved in, turning around back to Flurry again. "Sometimes I feel like I live in a dream I can never wake up from. It's been so long, but sometimes I still catch myself thinking about including it in my next letter to Aunty Celestia when I see a cute critter."

"I sometimes still catch myself wondering if I have time to do something after school." Cadance sighed at that. "What really bothers you though? I am sure you didn't just start feeling like this."

"I guess I am still waiting for whatever that snake coming back from the dead will mean for us. She has already taken over most of our army by simply coming in and declaring her intentions, even our household guards have been trying to come up with excuses to sneak out and follow her. Even just her presence is already poisonous."

"Well, since technically they are still a part of the Canterlot guards, I don't really see this as a large surprise," Flurry couldn't help but point out. "Did Dad ever try to break them off into a separate culture?"

"Your dad is too proud of being the Captain of the solar guard to do anything like that. He wouldn't even listen."

"Mom, I really don't want to sound like an alarmist, but this looks like a textbook situation before a coup. We probably need to replace the guards with someone we can trust," Flurry said straightforwardly. Cadance looked worried.

"Have you seen it happen?"

"...Yes," Flurry decided to not shy away this time. "Moony almost looks like an old, dusty lady in a castle, but she is a lot more than just that. She doesn't like breaking her idea of law and order, but if she sees no other way to get what she needs, she won't shy away from it. I am sure you already know, but she is a really bitter loser.
"It might not come to that though, so don't worry too much, okay?"

Cadance, seeming as if she didn't even hear, immediately started her way back to her desk,
"I will have to have a serious talk with Shinning later about this. He won't be wiggling his way from replacing the guards this time. Also, I should start singling out whom to purge from the army..."

"No!" Flurry stepped in her way. "Mom, please! I know you told me that I am too young to understand anything about governing the country, but, please, don't overreact. Trust me, the last thing we want is to provoke Moony to do something drastic to prevent the loss of her staging area. She is already thinking about this and we really don't want to give her reasons to act now. Mommy, I know you want to protect everyone, but you won't be able to if she locks you up in your own quarters under guard. We have to play along with her and give her what she needs. For now, let's just replace the guards."

"If she is already considering it, then we should prepare to defend," her mother still sounded unmoved. "Household guards won't protect us from a hostile takeover."

"Neither will the army purged from its best soldiers, Mom! You aren't getting it, Moony isn't just popular with soldiers because she used to fund the army more than Celestia. Soldiers love her because she and they are cut from the same cloth. She won't tell them to do anything that she herself wouldn't do: she would sleep with them in one tent, eat from one bowl and walk on one road. They believe in her because she'll get them out of any trouble and because they know she always remembers them: the little guys. If it comes to it, the majority of soldiers, even if they aren't changelings, will side with her and there's nothing we can do about it right now. To our subjects it's the choice between two personalities, they don't care who has more claims or any other royal thing Moony constantly talks about, what they care about is who would treat them better and among the soldierly, she has no rivals.
"Mom, you need to face it: we can't oppose her and win. We have to bide time and search for a way out of this situation without heavy losses. We can replace guards with civilians to reduce how much information leaks out, but anything larger will provoke a response. Moony only cares about our army, if we allow her to have it, she'll have no reason to take interest in some other things we may be doing. If we make enough friends, we could possibly defend ourselves if Moony still decides to depose you in the end."

"Flurry, I am sorry, but how do you know this? Are you sure of your vision? Nightmare Moon won't know a thing until it is too late. She is too far."

"Mom, remember who we are talking about. Underestimating Nightmare Moon is a very bad idea, just like Chrysi." Truth be told, Flurry has already regretted starting this conversation altogether. She didn't prepare in advance, didn't look through possible outcomes and here her mother was about to make what would be the worst mistake of her life so far. Entirely because of Flurry at that.

"You are right," Cadance suddenly agreed with her to Flurry's great relief. "I certainly cannot underestimate her, especially what she'll do when she doesn't see us useful anymore. I will not waste time and will start preparing. Flurry, dear, use your gift to find out exactly when she notices." Flurry was internally facehoofing herself. Not even literally knowing the future could save her from catastrophic screw-ups.

"Mom, I already did! Our best chance is to not antagonize her. She doesn't want the Empire, she only wants our resources. If we just let her have what she wants she'll leave us alone!"

"Flurry, when was it smart to arm your enemies? Even if you are right, how far did you look? What will she do after she wins her war? We cannot risk that much. Flurry, please, do as I ask and help me. For once, don't be stubborn. For me and for our country. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mom," Flurry sighed. Without waiting for goodbyes, Flurry sulked and went back outside. Well, this went spectacularly wrong. Now Flurry had to figure out how to fix this or at least convince Moony to be gentle. Real good job, Flurry, who needs enemies to foil your plans when you can do that yourself better than anyone else? Years of preparation, nudging pieces in place, now in danger because of one unplanned conversation!
...Well, she could go to Moony herself and tell her about Mom's plan to deprive her of her influence. That would give Flurry some leverage to ask for favors concerning her mother. Her mom would absolutely hate her for that though, even if she was doing it for her from the start. As a last resort option, this wasn't too bad. At least it would almost certainly work unless she got her research of Moony's character completely wrong.
Another option would be sabotage: she could theoretically intercept orders, warn the officers under suspicion and if all else fails could bribe or blackmail the new ones. That would take all of her time though, unless... unless she got her father to help her sabotage her mother's plan to defend their homeland. Oh boy, she'll be having a second conversation today and again without preparation. There was no time to explore the outcomes, she had to find her dad before mom has a chance to get in contact with him. Needless to say, if she messed up again, things were gonna get ugly.
But where was he? Flurry knew he wasn't in the castle, he had some official nonsense to carry out today. She couldn't just go back and ask Mom and she had no idea who else might know. Well... vision it is.

Flurry sat down on the ground outside her Mom's study and tried to clear her head, she had a fair bit of practice, so it wasn't as hard as it used to be... mostly. It was silent in the corridors today, so no noise to zone out. Well, now she was just stalling...

Flurry took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled, zoning out her own breathing too. She then focused on her dad. White coat, blue mane... yes, yes this was him. Now, where... castle... her mother embracing him, or... holding him? No, this wasn't it, this was future... or past? No, had to be the future; wouldn't be two outcomes if it was past. What happened before that... him walking down the corridors, his adjutant to his side... long ride home, his carriage is missing one of its wheels and has to do with a spare, silver one, the ride starts from... a warehouse? ...no, it couldn't be that... yes... there it is, a building with heavy doors and stairs... a court? No, the court. Flurry turned around, she had to find the time when he would leave, the sun was already out, there was a clock on the street corner... twenty-seven past eleven, in seven hours. Too long, mom might send him a courier. Flurry continued going back, the arms of the clock turned back another three hours and her dad was just coming into the court. He still had the same carriage. They were driving from... from... was it an official he was visiting at home? Her father walked backwards up the stairway to the third story and walked back into apartment number six. Inside was... a mare? Flurry nearly lost focus and rolled out of her trance. Her errant mind nearly went on a spree of stray thoughts that would most certainly ruin her vision. Flurry needed time... there was one on the wall in the living room. Six past nine, still a few hours. Flurry watched the clock run back another three hours, her dad was just coming in. He went backwards to his car again. His driver started smoking just as dad was leaving. They went back inside and rolled again until... white smoke. There, that was it, he was waiting for his chauffeur to repair the engine; they were at... Stonemasons' Street, Flurry knew the building of the tin smelter at the corner. Flurry sharply opened her eyes, she was still in the corridor. She quickly looked out of the window, the sun was still high, so she didn't spend much time searching. So far so good.

Flurry remembered the tin smelter from her vision, its loading dock and the four short stacks and the carved frontal doors. The sound of the street welcomed her. Flurry quickly looked up the road. Her dad's car was there with white smoke coming from its engine, he was standing there, next to his driver and adjutant.

"We are going to be late," her dad grumbled aloud. "How long can one radiator take?"

"It's in shambles, sir," his driver responded without lifting his head off the engine. "I'll jury-rig it to work, just give me a little."

"Dad!" Flurry wasn't going to wait for that. "Dad, we need to talk!"

Shinning Armor jumped, as Flurry startled him, landing close.

"Eh-h-h... Hello there, Little Rose!" Shinning Armor greeted her with another lame nickname, this one would rank in Top 6, actually no, Top 5. "Daddy is on important business right now... important state business. Catch you up in the evening?" he gave her his usual bachelor smile that contrasted sharply with his formal wear. Some ponies just never grow up, do they?

"No, Dad, this really can't wait. It's about Mom and, by extension, also about the whole of Crystal Empire. Please, can we talk alone for a while? Your car won't get fixed for another ten minutes anyway."

"How do you... oh, yes." Flurry sarcastically hit her own temple. "Sorry, Flurry. It feels like just yesterday we were getting you ready for first grade... foals grow so fast."

"Dad, it was forty years ago! Cut the old-timer energy already and get over here!" Flurry forcefully pulled her dad away from the car. He was visibly dissatisfied at how easily flurry handled him. "Now, Dad, this is really important for all of our wellbeing, especially Mom's. I need you to help me and I need you to keep quiet about it, can you do that?"

"Of course, dear. Anything for you!" Shining readily answered.

"So, Mom is going to have a talk with your this evening, about loyalty in the army. She wants you to clear it from Nightmare Moon's sympathizers." Shining immediately furrowed his brows. "Now, Dad, listen carefully: I need you to leave them be and never tell Mom, this is extremely important. A lot of ponies will get hurt if you won't: you, mom and eve me!"

"Flurry, what is this?" Dad asked with mild disbelief. "Are you really scheming behind your mother's back and want me to help you?"

"I am and I do," Flurry sighed, there was no point denying it. "Dad, I made a horrible mistake. I had a vision of Nightmare Moon deposing Mom and taking the Empire for its resources to fight her war. I told Mom and she freaked out. She wants to defend against Nightmare Moon but she can't! I've seen it; if she feels her army supply is threatened, she'll react aggressively. There's no way Mom can defend against her, Nightmare Moon has three alicorns with her, the changelings, who will do anything she tells; not to mention all the ponies who still idolize her. Please, Dad, you have to help me! I don't want Mom to get hurt or worse, just because of my vision that might never come true!"

"This... this is very serious," Flurry impatiently sighed, at least her dad recognized her concerns as valid. "Are you sure it is this bad? Your aunt Twilight might think of something-"

"Dad! Twilight won't help us!" Flurry raised her voice, before remembering they weren't exactly in private. "Aunty Twilight won't help us. If it comes between us and Nightmare Moon, she won't pick us; she'll either stay out of it entirely or even choose her. She won't oppose Nightmare Moon because there is nothing to win by doing that, neither for us or her. Nightmare Moon is not in this to get us under her thrall again, the only things we have that interest her are our location and our troops. I promise, she won't hurt anyone if we don't provoke her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because that isn't how she does things! Come on, Dad!" Flurry took a breath. "You know, you and Mom could learn something from her. You should always take time to know who you are dealing with."

"I don't know, sweety," Shining Armor began what could only be him falling in line with Mom. "You do sound very sure, but maybe your Mom knows best? She never failed in her judgment before." Flurry rolled her eyes.

"Look, Dad, I'll explain again very quickly: If you do as Mom says, Nightmare Moon will take Crystal Empire from us and we'll end up in our own dungeons. I've seen it happen and there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop her. Help me to prevent that."

Shining stared at Flurry for a few seconds before dropping his gaze to the cobblestone below.

"Flurry, I don't know. Sabotaging Cadance's rule in her own country and lying to her face, this is just wrong."

Flurry deeply sighed,
"I didn't want to do this, but apparently I am the only one here who's willing to make sacrifices here," she grumbled through gritted teeth. "If you won't help me I'll tell Mom exactly where you are going right now, exactly who you are going to meet and what you are going to do with her," Flurry finished with a glare to substitute her threat. Oh, she will be answering for this. Blackmailing your own Dad... well, about time she started playing in the adult league.

"Flury, she-"

"Ah-ah-ah, Daddy. What's it gonna be? You either do exactly as I told you, or Mom will know everything about you."

"Flurry, I can't do that," Shining answered much more resolutely than what Flurry expected. "Tell your mother if you have to. She will maul me, but I won't betray her and Crystal Empire both."

"Dad, you are betraying both by failing to stop Mom from making a crucial mistake, don't you see? Blind loyalty is not good for anyone."

Shinning Armor just stepped close and embraced his daughter instead of trying to retort further,
"I am proud of you," he said quietly. Eventually, he let her go.

"Dad..."

"Flurry, I can't do what you are asking," he repeated determinedly. "I'll talk to Cadance, but if she decides to go through anyway, I won't backstab her, I already did enough of that already. It is better to lose power than to lose each other. It's good that you care so much, but sometimes the only option you can afford is a bad one."

"Dad... I'll have to warn Nightmare Moon, explain what happened. Then she'll at least won't take this personally."

"Do what you think is best, often this is the best any of us can do." Dad tapped her on the shoulder in encouragement, smiled weakly and went back to his car. Flurry watched him get in and drive off with his entourage. Just like that, he was gone.

"Princess, don't stand on the driveway," a police pony asked her from the sideline.

"Sorry," Flurry said back mechanically. She didn't bother walking off, she just teleported back home. She immediately dropped on her bed head-first, burying her face in the pillows.

What the hay was she going to do now? Showing her face to Nightmare Moon right now would lead to an interrogation over more than just this one thing. Moony would have a whole lot of questions that it wasn't yet the time to answer. But doing nothing will almost certainly result in her spending the next few months in a cell and that means the whole plan going kaput. She had to think and have a few more visions. Moony always says that lying is crude and a real master can deceive without saying a single falsehood; but, apparently, Flurry was no master, because she could think of no other way than try and tell a convincing lie to somepony who already doesn't trust her. But... maybe she wouldn't have to tell a single lie after all...

What if Flurry could get someone else to tip Moony off without Flurry herself coming into contact with Moony? Such a shame Tiny was already away; if she was still around, it would've been much easier. No one else in Moony's immediate vicinity would keep her under covers. Otherwise... well, she could try asking Aunty Luna to help. Moony won't second guess her. But then there's no telling how Aunty would react to the news of Moony getting geared for fighting. There also were Twilight and Rarity but they are busy with Rainbow and her friend so just being in one room with them is a hazard.
Flurry wearily crawled off the bed and headed to the next room in the corridor, this was her "ritual" room. Flurry sat down at the center and decided to pick Babau this time, she was bored of Orioodlo's smoothness. Slipping Babau on, Flurry focused on her Great-aunt. She wasn't important for the next week or so, so Flurry in all honesty had no idea where Luna was now or what she was up to.
Flurry caught Luna in the same place she saw her the last time, in her headquarters in Las Pegasus. Flurry got the impression that her Aunty wasn't leaving it often. Luna seemed to be having an argument with Sombra over some nuisance, as Sombra called it. Now, Flurry had no idea what time or date this was, but at least she wasn't far off because this definitely wasn't before yesterday. Flurry, frankly, couldn't care less about their argument, so she just went back until she saw herself in the room together with Sombra. This was her starter point, she had to go forwards twenty-four hours and luckily there was a clock in the room so she didn't have to go elsewhere to find it, she won't be losing track of Luna. Flurry watched Luna wandering across the room, reading her notes and letters the cultists were occasionally bringing her, arguing with Sombra and once with Starlight Glimmer. Flurry didn't have an interest in any of that, so she didn't even bother to listen. When the time was finally at present, she could finally see what it would take to convince Luna to help.

Flurry started simple. She willed the vision to include herself and made the phantom Flurry tell Luna how everything was straight, which Luna simply didn't believe. A reasonable response, considering Flurry just told her she knew the future. Flurry had to demonstrate by getting Aunty to write something on a paper which Flurry could then read it off without looking. Luna was still suspicious, but unfortunately, they had no time for further testing. Flurry explained that she needed help and that her Mom will lose her heritage and there will likely be a large war if Luna didn't do as she asked. Of course, Luna didn't budge quite so easily and demanded yet more explanations. Flurry figured that it will be dawn before she finds the correct words to get Luna to cooperate. Well then... better get some snacks!

The Royal Intrigue

"So... let me get this straight, you came all the way here to ask me to help you?" Twilight incredulously summarized. "Rainbow, even if I would want to help you deal with this new threat your clan faces, I am spoken for!"

"Oh, ye-e-eah! How could I forget, your owner called you and you came running like a good lapdog. This totally isn't the reason why we got at each other's throats to begin with! Nightmare Moon said that, so we gotta do this, but Nightmare did that like five years ago, so maybe let's do something she did just two years ago. It's as if you two are just walking radios, broadcasting whatever the glorious leader wants. I guess no matter how much time passes and how long we don't see each other things just don't change."

"I think that is the first thing today that we both agree on," Twilight bitterly muttered.

"Girls, girls! Perhaps it's better if we won't turn this into score settling since we have some decisions to make," Rarity then nodded at the stallion still seated by the table, staring curiously at their fight. "Rainbow, why don't you tell us exactly what you need?"

"I told you already," Rainbow tiredly sighed. "I need Twilight to come back with me so she can help deal with manure-lobbers who are gonna hurt my people! They are armed with firearms, we are gonna get massacred without some kind of edge!"

"That is it? Rainbow, seriously? You want me to fight a war for you?"

"Not a war! Just one tiny tussle, the bounty huntress did say they were only coming for me so there shouldn't be many of them."

"Yes, about that episode, Darling. You forgot to mention the circumstance of this ghastly... mercenary telling you her plans. This sounds just a tad bit cliche for my taste."

Rainbow just shrugged,
"She said she knew me and she was doing it for 'old times sake...' whatever that meant. I have no idea what she was talking about; though it was dark and probably from a really long time ago, so there's a half percent that I just don't remember her."

"It still doesn't make sense; if she found you all the way on Sunrise Isles without anyone there even knowing your name, she has to be a real pro. Her suddenly getting sentimental doesn't seem right."

Rainbow just shrugged again,
"That's what happened."

"Rainbow, dear, can you describe her?"

"Dark-reddish coat, solid build, smokes, seems to have a horn but is surprisingly good at throwing, she also has these bombs that turn everything they hit into stone. I told you, it was dark."

"Wait... bombs? As in a large sphere with a fuse? "

"What? No! Those weren't around for like two hundred years! I mean more like the glass balls with green, glowing stuff in them."

Twilight sharply hit herself on the forehead,
"How the hay didn't I guess sooner? That fact that she knew you was a dead giveaway. Rainbow, I would like to congratulate you, you've managed to forget one of the only evildoers we faced that actually managed to beat us. I believe that this mysterious bounty hunter is non-other than Tempest Shadow, or rather Fizzlepop Berrytwist."

"Sarcasm is dully noted. So, you wanna tell me who that is?"

"Rainbow, really? Somehow you still manage to disappoint me more. She was Storm King's lieutenant when he invaded Canterlot with his airship fleet and sent us scunnering to the southern side of the continent to ask Queen Novo for help. You seriously don't remember any of it?"

"Well, of course I do! I just forgot bits and pieces. Look, it's been a long time, give me a break!"

"Well, I guess you can get up, take your pupil here and head right back. I trust you can find the exit," Twilight turned to leave.

"W-wait! You can't just leave like that!"

Twilight looked over her shoulder with a chuffed grin,
"Watch me."

"You know what I meant! Twilight, ponies gonna die if you won't do anything!"

"Why is that my problem, exactly? Look, Rainbow, I am a Princess of Equestria. My duty is here, not wherever it is you live these days."

"You didn't seem too bothered about it the last time," Rainbow angrily mumbled.

"Twilight, as much as I am displeased by it, I must agree with Rainbow. She most certainly wasn't very well-behaved, but we cannot simply turn her down. What would that make us?"

"Alright, fine!" Twilight turned back around with a heavy stomp with her hooves. "But I am not going back with you."

"Considering you were about to leave me to die, I'll take that. What are you willing to offer?"

"I suppose I could convince Cadance to give you a crate or two of firearms so you could defend yourselves. After I find Tiny that is. Rarity, have you seen her since yesterday? I almost forgot about her with Rainbow showing up."

"Who is Tiny? Is that someone else I can't remember?"

"You wouldn't know her, dear. She is a young sister to Lady Moon, I was told she is personally responsible for returning her to us."

"Doesn't it feel weird to you that she's so good with magic at her age, Rarity? My cutie mark is literally magic and I still struggled with what she can do when I was Celestia's student."

"Well, either Lady is a much better teacher, or she must be extremely gifted."

"She doesn't look like somepony taught her much... I mean, she still doesn't read too well and writes very slowly. And with her attitude, I doubt Lady Moon could have tolerated her for long."

"Hey! You two intend to tell me who the hay are you talking about? I don't know anyone who's called 'Tiny.'"

"Ugh! She is a foal, barely older than when you were in flight school. Dark-brown coat and clear green eyes."

"Wait... That is her? But... she is a colt!"

"Yes-yes, Rainbow! Did you see her?!"

"You could say that, yeah. So, after I ended up here, using your teleportation circle back at Novo's, I ran into this weird colt. He grabbed me and suddenly we were outside and there was somepony else there. They said a couple words to me and then the colt and I are suddenly in the Two Sisters' Castle in the Everfree and there's like a battalion of changelings there who all get ordered around by Nightmare Moon; there's also Celestia there and Daybreaker too. Nightmare Moon tried to make me talk but when I said 'no' she just sent me back here."

"Okay, this whole story officially got even more screwed up. But at least we now know how come your friend was here way earlier than you and I guess we know where Tiny is. Oh, stars, Lady is going to give me a piece of her mind! I guess I better go see if she wants me to bring Tiny back here again, I have to find a way to make sure she stops running away."

"But what about Rainbow? And that other mysterious figure she mentioned? The mystery is only getting thicker."

"That's just probably some unicorn Tiny got to help her. Judging from how Filthy Rich talks about her, it's really not implausible. The filly is tougher than most adult ponies and would have no issue coning someone into helping her."

"Didn't sound like that, actually," Rainbow dash musingly scratched her jaw. "It was like the other was giving the colt instructions on what to do. She also kept calling me 'aunty'. Why does everypony suddenly know me but I don't know anypony?"

"Oh... well, that makes this much simpler. Rainbow, I believe I have the primary suspect! The only two ponies I ever heard referring to another as 'aunty' are Princess Cadance and her little filly - Flurry Heart."

"Why would Flurry do this? None of this makes any sense. Rarity, are you sure about it, maybe there is someone else?"

"No, darling, I am quite sure. It might not make sense to us, but to Flurry Heart, it must be perfectly sensible. She simply knows something that we don't. She happens to have a gift for scrying magic, so it is quite understandable. She even claims she could see the future when 'spirits' help her."

"Seeing the future now? You gotta be kidding me. Twilight, was that a chapter in your books too?"

"N-no! Rarity, nopony can see the future! A spell like that doesn't exist! It cannot exist, it is impossible! It doesn't matter what kind of a spirit you summon, none of them knows the future because the future isn't determined!"

"I assure you, Twilight, Flurry most certainly can, to some degree of accuracy. Cadance made her take numerous tests before she had to accept this. Flurry can tell you exactly what you will do within the next week to the smallest detail. The only thing she seems incapable of predicting is thoughts. She says she can only see what will happen, so if it's not visible she cannot see it. It's a shame you couldn't be here with her, Twilight. She would have certainly made you proud with her ability."

"Phenomenal! So much potential data! I can finally learn what happened to-"

"Twilight, I get that you are itching to write to Canterlot Academy of Science, but can you focus?"

"Yes, Twilight. I believe your research can wait. We should go and ask Flurry why she has done this. I am sure she will be able to sufficiently explain her actions."

"Yes, yes, let's go!" Twilight almost ran out of the room before realizing she didn't know where to go. "Rarity, do you know where she is?"

"I sadly didn't bump into her today to ask, Darling."

"Doesn't she have a job or something? Someone there should now."

"Rainbow, don't be ridiculous! Flurry is a Princess, she will not be caught working in a factory like some mudpony! Well, I suppose we could ask the staff if any of them saw her. If not, we can wait until tomorrow. I am sure there will be no harm to the young lady under royal protection. "

"Rarity, is it me, or have you somehow got even more stuck up since the last time we saw each other?"

"Whatever do you mean, Rainbow? You cannot possibly disapprove of my language, can you?"

"Forget about it, let's go find Flurry already."

Flurry emerged from the frigid depth with a cucumber and a tied bundle of spinach. Her peers always told her that it's gross, but Flurry always liked spinach, especially with tomatoes. There weren't any tomatoes to go around so Flurry settled on a cucumber instead. Flurry quickly found a bread bun and sliced it open with a force field. She did the same with the cucumber and laid it between the slices, putting spinach over it. It will be rather dull like that; it will do for now, if she wasn't greedy with her bites. Grabbing a saucer on the way out, Flurry trotted back to her summoning room.
And this day, her snack break turned out even better than normal. Flurry thanked her lucky stars that Aunty Twilight and her friends couldn't go two minutes without bickering over something, she heard them way before they knew she was coming. Now, the only reason why they would be standing at her door is because they had questions for her and Flurry had a pretty good idea of what those questions were. Flurry, in all honesty, wanted none of their interrogations but considering her predicament, she was reconsidering. If anyone would agree to help her out of this pitfall it would be these three, four if counting with the foreigner. Flurry would have to answer some pretty pointed questions and there was absolutely no way she could lie her way out of this one without preparation, but she was sure she could get Twilight and Rarity to help her out.

Flurry took a deep breath to calm herself, took on her practiced smile and stepped out of the corner,
"Oh, hi! Are you waiting for me?" Flurry asked cheerfully.

"Hello, Flurry, Darling! You look absolutely glowing today, have you been trying the shampoo I got?"

"It makes my mane so soft it feels like a cloud, Rarity. Thank you for borrowing it. Oh, have you seen Coco's new models?"

Rainbow coughed dryly,
"Oh... yes... Flurry, I am afraid we have a rather sensitive matter on our hooves, can we talk?"

"Of course! I always have time for you and Aunty. Though Mom asked me to help her with something so I hope I can help you sooner rather than later."

Twilight shyly looked away, pretending that she suddenly noted something on her leg. Flurry opened the door and let the four of them in, both Rainbow and the colt gave her very suspicious looks.

"So, what can I do for you?" Flurry plap'd straight back to her place in the middle of the room and even picked up her mask for looks.

"Start with what game you are playing," Rainbow Dash said skipping pleasantries.

"Oh, a couple! Why, would you like to play, Aunty Rainbow?"

"Don't play dumb, we both know what this is about."

"Alright, fine, no more beating around the bush. But remember, you asked for it," Flurry warned with a smug smile. "I'd like to start with you, Rainbow, before we speak about matters at present. Your people are safe and were never in danger to begin with. The mercenary you met was only paid to find you and deliver you a message. No one is coming to get you or them."

"Hey! That's not even remotely what I meant! Who hired her and why?"

Flurry smiled indulgently,
"I did, who else?" That... wasn't technically true, but close enough. "I just told you: she was only paid to give you a message and that's it. She is a great hire, by the way. Doesn't ask questions or demand unduly raises, a good option if you ever need someone tied up and dragged back to you."

"W-wait, it was you?!" Rainbow stretched her neck out without actually moving her legs. "Why would you do that?!"

"To get you to just where you are needed," Flurry put emphatically calmly. "We have Twilight, Rarity and you all in one place for the first time in years! Quite a coincidence, isn't it? We also have Applejack close by, just two more and we are all set."

All three mares incredulously stared at her. Flurry really hoped they wouldn't act so shocked, especially not Rarity, but can't be helped.

"By the way, can you stop arguing over the smallest crumbles, pretty please? We have a lot to do and we can't do anything if we can't agree on anything."

"What? Is this why... you made me an idiot in front of my clan and my master just so that you could have me here to further your conspiracies?!"

"Well, technically, they don't know that you've been made an idiot. I mean, look at this bloke, he doesn't look like he has any idea what's going on. Anyways, back to the matter-"

"No! The only place I am going is back to my home! I am done with this constant, manipulating horsecrap!" Rainbow sharply turned around and stomped her way out of the room, dragging the visibly confused foreigner after her.

"Huh, didn't go too bad."

"Flurry... I am terribly sorry to make you repeat yourself, but is this true? Are you the one who had Rainbow come here?"

Flurry cringed at the question.
"Well... yes, but technically no. It wasn't my idea to do that, but it seemed beneficial, so I let it happen. By the way, you two absolutely need to make her cooperative. We are all gonna need her soon."

"For what? Flurry, how did all of this come about? I left you when you were a cute bundle of joy and now I suddenly find out that you can see the future and treat other ponies as pawns to be used." Flurry unironically felt burned by the jab.

"Well, maybe next time you, old-timers, can actually do your damn jobs and not leave everything ruined so that cute bundles of joy like me wouldn't have to clean up your mess. But that's beside the point. You have to reign Rainbow in, it's extremely important. But before that, I need you to do something."

"Hold on! Flurry, why do you assume that we have any interest in doing whatever you say? I am still reeling from the fact that my niece is on the course to surpass both Celestia and Nightmare Moon in treachery."

"Well, Aunty, that's just it. That is exactly why you have to help me, or your Lady would have to ascend a step or two on that ladder. Also, we all will be pretty miserable."

"Flurry, dear, I do not doubt you, but a little clarification would be helpful. What is going to happen that pushes you to do all of this?"

"Actually, things would've been much easier if everything went according to plan, but since they didn't, we now have to prevent Moony from forcibly taking over Crystal Empire from Mom. I think even Rainbow would agree that this wouldn't be very good."

"Wait, Lady is going to do what?! This makes no sense! She cares nothing about Crystal Empire!"

"Well... Mom may be planning to leave her on her own out there without support, but that part didn't make it into any of Moony's plans. As soon as Moony learns about this, she will depose Mom. I've checked; unless something changes, it is almost guaranteed to happen."

"Outstanding! Suddenly Cadance was struck by idiocy! How can she think that provoking Nightmare Moon is a good idea?"

"I told her the same thing, Aunty! Mom just doesn't trust Moony to keep away."

"Flurry, darling, I must ask: are you quite certain? Perhaps there are some... variabilities you didn't explore quite so thoroughly?"

"There may be," Flurry admitted. "I... may have accidentally tipped Mommy off on how much control Moony really has over the Empire. I mean her former soldiers and changelings. If Moony decided to go through with her coup, Mom wouldn't be able to stop her. You have to understand, there is no time! We have to do something before Moony hears about this, otherwise, Mom will end up in a dungeon and the Empire will turn into a police state!"

"Okay! Everyone calm down!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let's verify. You told Cadance that Nightmare Moon is popular so she wants to change that, is that right?"

"There's more to it, but basically yes."

"Okay. When does the coup part come in?"

"It shouldn't come in at all. Well, unless things go the wrong way. So, basically, Moony was thinking about doing this if she for any reason needs more help and Mom doesn't provide it."

"Wait, Cadance is scared of what Nightmare thinks about? Are you kidding me? Since when is Cadance so afraid that she obsesses over what others think, not even do?"

"I think it's just Moony. Mom isn't really afraid... she just doesn't want to give her an advantage if she can help it."

"So... essentially... she is afraid?"

"Well, yes..."

There was a short pause,
"I guess we have work cut out for us then. So, Rarity says you can see the future, what do we do?"

"The future isn't like that, it's changing. I have to sit still and sort through all the different ways it can go and how it can happen. It's not instant, not like time travel from books. We don't have much time, as soon as Mom starts her purge, the word will get out and Moony will find out soon when her supplies stop coming. We have from a few days to a few weeks before she comes asking questions and even less than that to prevent it. We can tell her now and maybe convince her to not do anything drastic, at least not immediately. Alternatively, we can all go to Mom and try to convince her to stop. Don't hold your breath though because I tried."

"Darling, I understand this is quite a predicament, but why would Lady want something she doesn't need? I knew her for years and she was always rather upset when she had no choice but to use violence. She took only a hundred changelings with her, surely this is not enough to fight with, merely to protect and assist."

"Rarity, I am really sorry to tell you this, but you don't know what she is like," Flurry said genuinely. "Nightmare Moon is not really someone you can know by only seeing one side of her. You know her as cold-blooded, radiating authority, occasionally scary but normally generous and almost kind when among friends. Aunty here knows her as wise, almost all-knowing, harsh, but just. You both are right but that is not everything that she is. Out of everyone I ever followed through the past, Moony has to be the most complex and contradictory, and I had a lot of time to learn about other ponies, trust me. Rainbow is right about her too, to a degree, she was a remorseless backstabber who wanted power and stopped at nothing to get it. She may dislike having to use violence but she won't shy away from it if she sees it as necessary. I've seen her when she was fighting Aunty Celestia for the first time, she had not a drop of compassion for her enemies."

"Flurry, don't you think this is a little extreme? Ponies can change, that was a thousand years ago."

"She changed alright. She learned how to make her enemies play a game they can't win. Her methods in general are much more refined, but she's still herself. She cares for you, like actually cares for you as if you were her friends, but make no mistake: to her, you are pawns and pawns sometimes must be sacrificed even if you really like them. When she sees that the only way for her to get what she wants is to use violence, she will get to it with the same determination you see when she is trying to avoid doing harm to Rainbow no matter how much of a nuisance she is being.
"Before you jump on me, I am not saying she is evil, alright? She is just a wee-old lady is all. She knows that treating others like this isn't very nice and she really wishes she didn't have to, but she honestly doesn't think that you can do any better. You weren't born into nobility, so your lot is to do as you are told."

"Why, Flurry, everyone has their own quirks. I won't deny that the Lady has a bit of prejudice, but she would not do anything so drastic. She is known for being subtle, not crude."

"She can do both. Moony looks down at you and that's why she dislikes doing you harm; to her, a miserable subject is her personal failure. Against those she sees as her equals though she has very few reservations. Remember how she treated Celestia when she considered her a threat. Remember what happened to Chrysalis. She respects Mom because of her noble heritage but that is also why she will not hold herself back for her as she does for Rainbow. She is not the one to let sentiments stand between her and the goal. Trust me: nothing good is going to happen if Moony starts seeing Mom as a threat to her operations."

"Rarity, I really want to dismiss this... but she is right," Twilight admitted. "Nightmare Moon may be our friend now, but when she just took power things weren't looking very good. She was never cruel, but she can be ruthless when she needs to be."

"I won't hear a word more!" Rarity indignantly stomped. "I was with her from the very beginning! I was there when she rallied all good and noble spirits to stand for those who couldn't stand for themselves! I will not allow you to brush away everything good she did!"

"And what is that, exactly?" Flurry cheekily smiled. She caught her, Flurry realized.

"Equality of course! Harmony looked like a farse with our poor thestrals being treated so horribly over something they did so long ago!"

"Rarity, did you ever notice a single bat in the Palace outside of when they were specifically called for?" Rarity had gone quiet at that, searching through her distant memories.

"Oh... it was so long ago... I can't possibly remember all of the Palace staff off the top of my head."

"That's because there never was one. She would've never admitted that in the public, but Moony was actually not a fan of them and their hierarchy. She saw them as troublemakers and only tolerated them because they were one of the sources for her legitimacy. You don't have to believe me right now, you can ask her yourself. Unlike them, she likes you and won't lie to your face.

"There has to be a reasonable explanation, I am sure she will put your concerns to rest, Daring. Come, let's ask her. We have her circle, we will be there and back in a moment and all will be good again."

"Aunty, are you up for it?"

"Sure... I guess. There is something I want to ask you though. I still can't really believe you can just focus and see the future. This completely upends what I read about Starswirl's temporal magic."

"Is it really so surprising? You travelled in time before, you also had a potion that allowed you to see the past as if you were there. What I am doing is kind of like that, but for the future and I can also manipulate the vision to see how the future will change if I do this or that. It's nowhere near as quick as what you did, though: it takes days to explore all the possible variants for a single moment in time and years of work to manipulate something big."

"Something big? You mean you tried?"

"Sure I did, Aunty! Why do you think Changelings have so much leeway around here? I am not sure if you remember well, but Mom really doesn't like Changelings. Almost as much as Moony, actually. It took a lot of work to get both them and her to a point where they coexist. The worst thing is that I couldn't tell anyone I was doing something; ponies don't take well to being... well, manipulated, even if it's for their own good. I could still do it, but it would've been much harder with them actively expecting it."

"Flurry, you are scaring me."

"That's another reason to keep quiet. So, do you wanna go or should we try talking to Mom instead? I don't know what will happen either way."

"I think the bigger problem here is Nightmare Moon lashing out if I am honest. We could probably reason with Cadance, but we have to make sure Nightmare doesn't do anything first."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Flurry was relieved: she was accustomed to just toughing it out, but it was stressful to make decisions on everyone's behalf all the time.
"Oh! And before I send you, please-please don't tell her I told you. I really don't want to sit through more than one interrogation. She already has questions for me and I don't want it to look like I'm meddling with her business."

"Wait, an interrogation? Oh! I almost forgot! Flurry, why did you send Tiny and Rainbow off? I hope this isn't some kind of elaborate prank."

Flurry bit her lip and internally facehoofed, her tongue was by far her strongest foe,
"Ah... that... Will you believe me if I told you that she's better off with Moony than here?"

"Well, Nightmare Moon simply has no time for her anymore. That is why she left her behind to be attended to!"

"Thought so! Bye-e!"

"No, wai-" but they were already gone. Flurry was glad she wasn't just a plain old unicorn, otherwise, this would've been a lot harder to pull off. What to do now, what to do now... Well, she needed to clear off for a while, Moony will come knocking soon. Wasting time was still unproductive. She could still go to Aunty Luna and ask her for help, Flurry guessed. She didn't need her to talk to Moony anymore, so there might be something else in this. Luna would need to know about the possibility of this tiny-little civil war either way.

Flurry finally made up her mind, time to go see Luna again.

Her Aunt's parlor was as she last saw it. As if nopony even touched anything in it. Luna was still in there too, occupied by reading a book. At least she wasn't obsessing.
Sombra was there too, coiled over her head on the ceiling, he was probably reading too.

"We have visitors," he noticed her almost instantly. "Look, it is your lovely niece again," he said sarcastically, but without his usual poison.

"Flurry Heart!" Luna quickly stood up.

"Hello, Aunty," Flurry sheepishly waved.

"I am glad you are visiting as often as you promised. I have been coming up with activities we could do together when I am free, do you like painting? I loved to paint when I was younger."

"Aunty-Aunty, please!" Flurry waved with both hooves. "There is something you must know. Mom is trying to purge Nightmare Moon's sympathizers."

"What?" Luna was giving her a confused stare.

"Aunty, my mom is trying to get rid of Nighty's supporters in Crystal Empire's army so that she can't rely on them against my mom," Flurry repeated slower and more deliberately.

Luna kept staring at her for a moment more, waiting for her to continue,
"Has Cadance grown paranoid?" Luna finally asked.

"No, Aunty, you don't understand! Nightmare Moon is thinking about deposing Mom so that she won't get between her and the resources she needs."

"Flurry Heart, what makes you think so? Nightmare Moon respects the rules of the feudal hierarchy. She has no claim on Crystal Empire, therefore she can do nothing of what you say."

"Aunty Celestia does..."

"Why would sister do this to your sweet mother? Celestia always adored her."

"Because Mom won't help with her taking back Equestria. Nighty and Aunty agreed to work together for a while. Celestia is willing to do whatever she has to."

"Oh, sister, sweet sister, why are you always so self-sure... Very well, Flurry Heart, it seems that you are indeed correct and my late niece is in danger. I understand you must have reasons to communicate this to me?"

"She wants you to protect her mother, what else?" Sombra finally reminded them of his presence. "I see little point in antagonizing either one of your relatives by taking a side. Nightmare Moon will, obviously, put the pretender in the dirt and that would be the end of her rule. Better your pet gets my Empire than that weak-willed spawn of Amore's line."

"Actually, that's not true," Flurry spoke up before Luna could start scolding him for his attitude. "Aunty, I only want to ask you that you talk to Mom. Nopony wants this fight, the only reason why she is doing this is that she doesn't trust Nightmare Moon to leave us be. I can't talk her out of it, but she will listen to you. If you can just talk to her, everypony can have what they need."

"I will speak to Cadance, of course. But if what you are saying about Nightmare Moon is true, I must confront her myself first. Come, I would like you to present your case to her yourself."

"Aunty Twilight and Rarity already went to talk to her. I hoped you would try to talk to Mom before she has time to do anything. It really wouldn't be nice if someone lost their job just because Mom doesn't trust Nighty."

"I admire your care, Flurry Heart. Indeed, that would not be nice. Very well, I will do as you ask. I suppose it has been a while since I had seen my niece."

"Aunty, there is a little issue though, it is day outside."

Luna gently smiled at that,
"I better not linger outside then."

"Luna..." Sombra wanted to protest, but stopped himself just short.

"Don't worry about me, I can take a little sunlight," Luna said lightheartedly.

"If you say so, Aunty..." Flurry said diplomatically. Luna was kind of... surprising. It was one thing to know someone from observing them and another from interacting with them. Flurry knew Luna wasn't easy to scare off, but her total lack of concern was new to her. In the past, Luna used to caution others. Even now, she always emphasized caution when instructing her people.
"I can put us right into Mom's room if you want to," Flurry offered.

"That would be quite efficient, thank you," Luna answered calmly, strutting up to Flurry.

Flurry bit her lip and decided not to stall anymore. She just hoped the janitor wouldn't have too much extra work.

With a quick flash they were away and in Cadance's study. Flurry's mother was still there, working and she nearly fell off her chair when Flurry and Luna suddenly emerged in front of her.

"How many times did I tell... you..." Cadance began scolding on reflex. Cadence dropped her thought as soon as she saw who else was there. Luna was clearly visible in light falling through the window in the northern wall. As soon as light touched her, Luna immediately twitched, but then willed herself to relax back as much as she could.

"Cadance," she calmly greeted. "I am sorry for my unannounced visit, but it seems the matter is most urgent. Would you mind if I obscure the window? It is a little bright." Cadance just slowly shook her head. At that, Luna sharply turned, and pulled the drapes shut, leaving the room dark, bar for Cadance's desk lamp. Flurry almost immediately lost Luna's very silhouette in the dark. Flurry caught the smell of burned flesh and fur in the air, the atmosphere was about to get even more unpleasant. Cadance lit her horn, the room became visible again in pale blue light. Flurry could see her aunt again, just barely.

"What brings you, Aunty?" Cadence wearily asked.

"As much as I am glad to see you now, I fear it is nay a visit of pleasure," Luna replied determinedly. "Young Flurry Heart made me aware of your latest plans and it seems we must speak at once." Cadance gave Flurry a disappointing look and Flurry awkwardly frowned.

"Whatever my daughter told you, Aunty, you must understand that I am doing nothing drastic. Flurry is convinced that this course of action will bring the wrath of the Nightmare upon us, but it must be done regardless or she will achieve the same effect without even actively trying. Her fanatical followers spread their beliefs throughout any structure they are embedded in. Her reemergence only galvanized them. I am already not in control of the armed forces and she only visited in passing without actively trying to gather support."

"That may be so," Luna sighed. "Nightmare has a rare talent, her simple presence inspires loyalty among ponies. It is as strong now as it was a thousand years ago. Not even my dearest sister could achieve such an effect in all her years of ruling. Ponies revered her and followed her words unquestionably, but her mere presence did not inspire them. Certainly not enough to induce this fanaticism you speak of. Nightmare seems to have a particular affinity with soldiers, in particular, she never shirked her responsibility of leading them and she always seems to feel more at ease when surrounded by her troops. Likewise, they seem to be calmer and perhaps even happier in her presence. She was never a ponies' mare and believed that displaying emotion outwardly was weakness, but her Imperial Guards were among the very few she ever openly showed affection."

"What are you trying to say, Luna? I understand that she is not a machine, she has feelings. That is exactly what makes us enemies instead of friends."

"What I am attempting to convey, is that your fears are unfounded," Luna held a pause, but Cadance waited. "I know Nightmare Moon better than any creature, living or dead. She will not let you stand in the way of her goal, whatever that might be, but she will do you no harm otherwise. Make no mistake, Nightmare Moon can be truly terrible to her enemy, but she is no simple brute. Nightmare Moon is a strategist, she respects her enemy and does not spend her strength in unwarranted wars. Nightmare Moon has no interest in your realm, she rarely ever spoke of it at all. When she did, it was mostly in conjunction with her annoyance with your attitude. She respects you due to your heritage and does not covet what is yours. Give her what she wants from you and she will leave you, and your subjects, in peace. Had she wished to depose you, her soldiers would have stormed your castle before you even knew of her arrival. But instead, she came to you openly and stated her intentions clearly, asking for your help. Think about what you are doing, my dear niece."

Cadance did appear to be thinking. She sat in her chair silently, her brows furrowed in concentration. Flurry always noticed her mother was a careful thinker. Not that Nightmare Moon wasn't, it's just that Cadance took her time when Nightmare Moon was decisive. Knowing this, her mother's abrupt reaction was all the more disconcerting.

Someone knocked on the door,
"Princess! Nightmare Moon wishes-"

"Demands," the sharp correction came.

"-demands to see you."

"Let her in." The door quietly opened and Nightmare Moon slipped in. Flurry could see Twilight and Rarity out in the corridor. Nightmare Moon sharply slammed the door behind her, leaving the other ponies out.

"Princess Cadance, Princess Flurry Heart, Luna," she greeted coolly.

"Nightmare Moon," Cadance matched her. Luna simply nodded. Flurry bit her lip, Nightmare Moon came far too quick.

"I understand that this may very well be the last time we speak on friendly terms, therefore I will be frank with you: Luna, your sister is out to get herself killed and Cadance seemed to have dedicated herself to deprive me of resources to do anything about that. Even now, Celestia is away negotiating terms of unconditional surrender from what passes as a legislative body for this parody of a state we find ourselves in opposition to. Is this what you want?"

"Sister was always idealistic," Luna sighed, not quite sounding surprised. "I do not believe they will harm her, at least not immediately. The Bureau would not miss an opportunity to use her for propaganda. But we would have to help her out, I suppose."

"Luna, do you realize that this would mean open war? If we reveal ourselves so openly, the enemy will not stop until they find us. Which brings us to the matter of our meeting..." Nightmare Moon suddenly turned to Cadance. "Cadance, I can not imagine why you would want to do something so foolish, but I assure you: I was not the Empress of Equestrian Empire by letting some knock-off take away my army," Nightmare Moon started growing like a storm cloud. "I always believed you to know your place, but if this is what you want, I will remind you why you are not to get in between a timberwolf and her prey."

"Wait!" Luna stepped up. "Nightmare, there is no need for hostility. Surely we can broker some sort of agreement with Cadance."

"I doubt that. Tell us then, Cadance. What are your conditions?"

"Conditions? My only condition is that you leave my land and take all of your sycophants with you. I want not a trace of your taint to remain."

Nightmare Moon's eyes tested the pink Princess' resolve, and Cadance returned it.
"And what do you offer?" Nightmare Moon finally asked.

"I offer you a quiet exit. We both know this is not in your interest, you have too much on your plate planning your takeover. You will have nothing to fear from me."

This was going rather poorly and Flurry was beginning to panic. She was half-certain that if Nightmare Moon could, she would've hit her mom right now.

"Candace," Nightmare Moon said slowly and very deliberately. "For the sake of Luna and your subjects, I will ask you again one more time: you have disclosed your desire, what is your offer?"

"I am sure I do not need to repeat myself. You have heard me perfectly."

"Very well. Luna, are you satisfied? Shall I indulge Cadance's open provocation, or do you have some other means to resolve this?" Nightmare Moon prompted, though it was quite obvious she expected only one outcome.

"Cadance, this isn't reasonable. Do you really want Nightmare to do as you fear? We are not asking you to do anything severe. I know that your city hosts the remnants of the changeling hive, they are all soldiers and they all wish for nothing else but to fight for someone they respect. All we ask you is to allow them. Simply don't interfere and this confrontation will be over."

And here, Flurry finally grasped it. Her mom wasn't thinking she could win; what she was trying to do is prove to everyone, in Crystal Empire and elsewhere, that she is right. Cadance knows Nightmare Moon can break her even without physically doing a thing, that is what she is counting on! Flurry suddenly felt a pinch of awe towards her mother. Nightmare Moon was recognized as the master of intrigue even when she still lived, but now she was so consumed by her sole objective that she paid no attention to what others were doing. If she does as she threatens, her image of a benevolent and just hero standing up for the wronged will be severely damaged as a hostile takeover was none of those things. Especially since Cadance herself had a reputation for kindness and fairness.

"You know, Aunty, I think I'll bite. Come, Nightmare Moon, try and make good on your threats," Cadance predictably refused, she even smiled.

"So be it," Nightmare Moon solemnly declared. "Gather your loyal soldiers and prepare your defenses. I shall give you the war you want." With that Nightmare Moon stormed out without even bothering to open the door before going through it leaving conspicuous silence behind.

"Cadance, what are you doing?" Luna asked flatly.

"It is just something I picked up from her, actually," Cadance continued smiling. "You know if you help, this will be over sooner and easier." Luna just frowned and teleported away. "Oh well," Cadance said, still smiling smugly. "Would you like some tea while we wait?" she asked Flurry. While Flurry, was, in fact, frightened.

Flurry had never seen this side of her mother before. Cadance wasn't known for her schemes. This was bad, for everyone involved.

"I... I think I'll pass, Mom. I had to catch her," Flurry went for the door. She had to catch Nightmare Moon and tell her what this was about.

"You are going to tell on me to the old crone, aren't you?" Cadance sighed. Her smile quickly stretched back; this time, it was indulgent, "Flurry, my little gem, you are so bright but you still don't get it. I can't allow you to do that, not when I am on the verge of finally bringing down the worst menace in our history." Without moving a single muscle, Cadance suddenly fired a stunning spell. Flurry couldn't react, but her wards held, her father made sure she could keep them up without thinking. At that, her Mom's smile finally changed into a scowl. Wide eyed and panicking, Flurry galloped to the door,
"No, you don't!" Flurry heard the lock clicking closed. "Come on your own, this is just for a day or two," Cadance urged, her tone leaving a distinct 'or else' feeling.

Flurry had a short moment to process the situation. This was bad; this was very, very bad. And she couldn't allow that to happen.

Flurry turned around and faced her mother. Cadance was positively glaring at her, her horn aimed aggressively across the room. How could she win in a direct fight against her own mother?! She had decades more experience and she knew it! Wait... yes... she knew it and she knew exactly what spell to use because Dad didn't teach her how to defend against it. Flurry licked her lips nervously, she was about to take a very big risk.

Flurry cast a counterspell against Banishment. Cadence saw Flurry's horn sparking alive, this was it. Cadence cast her spell. Suddenly, she was flung out of the room in a brilliant flash of blue light, leaving Flurry alone. Flurry exhaled sharply, it worked. She guessed the spell correctly and now she had about one minute to either come up with something or warn Nightmare Moon.
If she warned Nightmare Moon she could prevent this disaster from happening, but Mom would still do everything she could to hurt her... Flurry herself would also probably have to stay away from Crystal Empire for a while. Alternatively, she could... well, prepare a hold spell until her mother is back and have her neutralized entirely, as much as she hated to think like that about Mom.

With a deep sigh, Flurry made her choice and darted out of the room. She knew exactly where to go, she ran past the many stairs until she caught up,
"I don't get it," she heard Twilight say, as they were walking down. "Cadance doesn't have anything to win, outside from getting one over you, that is."

"This is precisely why this is suspicious!" Nightmare Moon was vocally angry. "She is goading me into striking her, undoubtedly. But I have no choice but to take her bait, otherwise, we will be back where we started!"

"Darlings, how can you even consider this? Aren't you appalled by this?" Rarity certainly sounded appalled. "There must be some fundamental misunderstanding here. Princess Cadance wouldn't want anyone to get hurt over a petty grudge!"

"Wait!" Flurry cried out, her voice breaking. All three turned to see Flurry stumble down the stairs after them.

"Oh, look. The supposed oracle," Nightmare Moon said sarcastically. "I hope this corresponds exactly to your prophecies."

"It does!" Flurry said. "You have to stop! If you let my mom lure you in, you will lose your only remaining asset, your reputation! Think about it, Mom is known to be gracious and fair, you attacking her with no justification will demonize you both here and everywhere else the word can get!" Flurry stopped and simply panted for air. Nightmare Moon floated silently as well.

"This... does make sense," Twilight agreed. "I didn't think Cadance was capable of something like this."

"Then you know her not," Nightmare Moon concluded. "Although my 'reputation' will hardly be harmed by mere rumors, I suppose we will still have to do something, as the Crystal Empire will have no monarch."

"Flurry, darling, your... face," Rarity pointed out. Flurry didn't understand at first, but then she felt moisture. Huh, it just dawned on her, she just fought her own mother. Flurry wiped her face with her foreleg.

"We-we should go," Flurry proposed. "Mom won't be happy I am helping you."

"Oh, you will be doing a lot more of that soon," Nightmare Moon spoke menacingly. "Twilight! Deliver us back to camp, I see no reason to walk all the way to the circle. As for you, you will be answering a couple of questions before I grant you my protections..."

Oh well, so much for staying away from Nightmare Moon.

Back In Action, Or How They Say It

"This is misery," Blackhoof groaned. "We are here while the Empress is away campaigning! This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

"She didn't call for us, so we stay put," White Nose said, albeit without enthusiasm.

"And besides, is this so bad? I mean... the hippogriffs pay us all to stand around all day and do nothing, more or less. I don't even get why hippogriffs need police, nobody ever does anything criminal," the Third complained.

"Don't you miss the old days at least a little? When something we did actually mattered. Remember the march on Canterlot, how ponies of all tribes came to join us, how fillies would give us flowers on the way."

"And how we ruined the city? Look, Blackhoof, I get that you miss the days when you were young; but they are gone. Even if you run off to fight someone new, those times won't come back," White Nose grabbed himself another couple of slices of bread from the plate.

"This isn't about that!" both of his friends simply stared back at him. "Well, not entirely. It's just that with her back, it feels like nothing we do here matters anymore. This just isn't where we are supposed to be, you know what I mean?"

"M-by," White Nose said with his mouth full of bread. He swallowed, "Can't say it's all too bad. Hippogriffs just want us to stay out of trouble and they don't give us hard times because of our past. Sometimes they would even ask for some stories about how everything used to be. A pretty swell deal, all things considering."

"Don't you at least miss our Lady? When she wasn't around it was bad enough, but now that we all know she's out there, just sitting here feels unbearable!"

"Of course I miss her! I never heard of a single officer who never suffered a single casualty in her troop. If she chose you to fight for her, you knew you were going to come back alive. Even garrison lads would sometimes see someone die in a barfight or whatnot."

"Not to mention how good it felt to serve under her, she was the Empress," the Third finished up his soup. "Everyone would treat you differently simply because you were close to her. Are you going to eat that?" he nodded at Blackhoof's salad.

"Ugh... take it," Blackhoof scoffed. "Do any of you remember how caring she could be? That's what I really miss. We were around this joint for a while, but griffs sometimes don't even care about learning our names. In general, do you see officers who know every single one of their battalion by name? If you needed something; you didn't even need to say it aloud. Whatever you needed would just appear with a courier, she never mentioned it before or after. Nobody ever figured out how, but she always knew. You could say she was a damn tyrant, but she cared way more than Celestia ever did.
"It was getting better too. Do you remember how that poor sod brought her flowers and just gave them to her in front of everyone, and she actually accepted? If I knew it was that simple, I would be the first in line at the flower shop. I think we lost something beautiful," Blackhoof finished with a dreary sigh.

"What, you would've asked her out on a date?" the Third teased.

"Well, what if I would have? Someone as drop-dead as her deserves to be showered with flowers all night. Maybe if townsfolk saw her on a date once or twice, they would see her differently. It would've almost been like good-old times, maybe even better. In the end, she wasn't some eldrich evil from ages past; I think she just wanted to fit in somehow, you know?"

"Yes, taking over Equestria helped with that goal massively," White Nose countered.

"Hey, no one is perfect. And besides, I'd see what you'll do after being stuck on the moon for a thousand years with only your failure to think about."

"This whole discussion is starting to get weird. At this rate, we'll be talking about her assets in a minute. I think it's time I hit my beat."

"As if anyone cares if you do or not, nothing ever goes on either way."

"Sure, but at least I'll be away from you and your romantic fantasies. See you in the evening at Monsoon and bring at least five hundred this time, last time I could barely buy myself groceries with my winnings."

"Fine, see you there," Blackhoof grumbled. "And you, are you going too?"

"I still have your salad, so not yet," the Third answered, taking a bite of cabbage to emphasize. "I guess some good comes out of your monologuing."

"Is this really what you care about?" Blackhoof asked incredulously. "I don't believe it, everyone in the Guard was in love with the Empress to some degree. I don't believe you don't want to go back at least a little."

"Well, I guess I do," the Third finally admitted. "Look, don't listen to that bloke, he just likes being a contrarian. We are all glad she's back and doing something again, but she doesn't want us back. It's just that simple. Maybe when she's done with whatever she's up to, she'll come to see us all again. Imagine how wholesome that would be, all of us just sitting together in someone's living room. Remembering our times past, a few of our lads have wet cheeks. If she doesn't can you blame her? We done screwed up big time on her. Who needs a guard who can't do their job when the lady needs him most?"

"I always figured we were mostly there as a status symbol and some ponies she could always count on to do things for her. I never thought she would actually need protection from something. Not after I saw what she could do when she wanted to."

"Yeah... I still hear screams of those poor chaps she burned down in their own vehicles and trenches when I am dreaming at night. We talk about her like she's just our officer or even a friend, but she really wasn't someone you'd want gunning for you. Sun and moon, and whole shaboom."

"I guess that's why everyone seems so drawn to her all the time. Power is attractive. I just wish there was a little more time..."

"We all do, Blacky, we all do. Well, guess it's time for me to go too. See you soon," Third actually gave him a genuine smile instead of his usual gawking.

"See you..." Blackhoof returned the goodbye without enthusiasm.

Blackhoof was left alone in the mess hall, with a couple of leftover slices of bread. He gobbled up the bread and headed out as well. His post was high up on the mountain so he might as well head there. The road up was winding, but he knew it well enough to not even look where he was going, hippogriffs greeting him pleasantly on the way. He told his pals about how bored he was but there was more to it. Hippogriff land was pleasant, almost like old Equestria... and that was exactly why he didn't like it. This state of perpetual peace and quiet felt unnatural to him after everything he saw. He didn't doubt that hippogriffs could be angry, petty and even vengeful; they did get to arrest someone once in a while for having a loud argument after eleven at night, after all. What was unsettling to him is that it felt like they were bottling all their negativity up, like ponies used to. Oh, how spectacularly the pressure blew off the cap.

When he finally arrived at his post, he found that for once it wasn't as calm as usual. There was a vocal crowd there, mostly ponies but an occasional hippogriff was there too. Standing higher than anyone else, he could see the attraction: it was one of Celestias, whether the real one or that Daybreaker creature Rich told him about.
Blackhoof trotted closer to the back of the crowd and tugged on someone's shirt, "What's going on?" he asked.

"A call to arms!" the answer was. "Lady Daybreaker is gathering volunteers."

Blackhoof spaced out for a second trying to analyze,
"For what?" he ended up asking.

"To restore Equestria, awfully exciting, I know! Can you imagine, the Princesses are back!"

"Yeah... sounds awesome," Blackhoof mechanically answered. It probably was exciting, at least Blackhoof thought it should be; but truth be told, he was more confused than excited. This was incredibly sudden and out of place. His Lady wouldn't simply call for everyone to join her, she always chose her followers personally. Something about this wasn't right.
Blackhoof pulled out his document and started pushing through the crowd, chanting "Aris Police Force," like an enchantment. Eventually, his spell worked and he ended up in the first row.

He saw a tall, snow-white mare with a flowing mane and deep, piercing eyes. This was Celestia alright. Next to her stood Queen Skystar, who looked pretty lost and bewildered herself, looking at what was happening with almost childlike wonder. Lastly, a little foal with a notebook was scribbling by their side, visibly bored.

"Name, battalion and rank," Celestia said in a cold, businesslike way.

"Heartseeker, sergeant-major, ninety-eighth tank battalion," the stallion in front of her readily answered.

"Role."

"Senior mechanic."

"Go through." On cue, the stallion went past her and joined the smaller crowd standing in the square Blackhoof normally ate his dinner when on duty.

"Name, battalion, rank," Celestia repeated with the exact same inflexion. For some reason, the pony wasn't answering. "Name, battalion, rank," Celestia repeated more forcefully. Somebody pushed Blackhoof in the back. He then realised that she was looking straight at him...

"Uhm... eh... Blackhoof, First Imperial Guard Battalion, Sergeant," that made her expression change slightly, a glimmer of recognition appeared.

"Go through," her voice was slightly deeper. The foal scribbled down his name. Blackhoof obediently dragged his hooves along to the crowd on the other side of the square. He was immediately greeted by smiles, pats and hearty words; like an old friend. Blackhoof weakly returned the pleasantries. He was actually starting to ask whether any of this was real or just a dream. It felt like everything was shrouded in mist, like it wasn't real.
Suddenly, Blachoof realized that he wasn't at the square anymore. Instead, they were somewhere else. They were walking up to a grim, utilitarian building. The door was swung open for them, the room inside was some kind of a check-in; area with a table and a single security door. All over the room were open wooden crates, inside each were five hippogriffian rifles and their magazines. Blackhoof ended up with one of those, he didn't notice how. Next, he was in some kind of barracks, his rifle sat next to the bed's frame. It felt like he ate dinner just a couple of minutes ago.

In the morning, Blachoof managed to wake up a little early. Sleep helped to shake off some of the trance he was in. He remembered going to the arsenal, he also remembered that there wasn't any ammunition. He checked his rifle and magazines just to be certain. That meant they weren't going just yet. Blackhoof couldn't remember if anyone told him what he was getting into, but he probably still had time to piece it together. He looked himself over, he still was in his uniform, which probably wasn't for long. Most importantly, he still had his radio. He never was so glad for miniaturization.
Blackhoof carefully sat up to avoid making a sound. Looking around, he noticed about thirty other ponies sleeping soundly on their own beds. He slowly and carefully crawled out of bed and quietly went to what looked like the sanitary area. If hippogriffs built barracks in the way Blackhoof remembered them, somewhere close to the sanitary room there also had to be the office, which meant he had to be extra quiet passing that.

He did eventually get to the sanitation and closed the door behind himself. He pulled out his radio,
"Dispatch, dispatch," Blackhoof said as quietly as he could without actually whispering. "Officer Blackhoof, charlie-niner, calling dispatch."

A moment later the radio gave off a beep, indicating someone was transmitting,
"Charlie-niner, dispatch here. You didn't report-in yesterday, should I put through that you were drunk again?"

"Negative, dispatch," Blackhoof said with a sigh. "I was tracking potential ten-thirty five. A large group of ten-thirty-twos."

"Ten-one-o-four?" the dispatch sounded worried.

"Ten-one-o-six. I saw a crowd at the northern Sailor's Street," Blackhoof was going to say that he saw a Princess, but he honestly couldn't verify if he really saw her or really was drunk and just didn't remember. "We were led to a military armory and given assault weapons, no ammo though. Requesting orders."

"Wait one," the radio has called silent for some time.
"Charlie-niner, are you still there?"

"Ten-four."

"All callsigns, prepare for ten-sixty eight: we have confirmed orders from Commissioner Tide Breaker. You are to ignore the recruiters and assist them if asked to do so. They act on behalf of Queen Skystar. All ponies with prior experience may volunteer after being approved by their respective chief. Ten-fifteen."

"Ten-sixty-nine, dispatch," Blackhoof heard another voice from his radio. "Any chance for more information?"

"Ten-seventy four." With that, the radio fell completely silent, leaving Blackhoof with yet more questions.

"Okay then..." Blackhoof said to the radio without pressing the transmission button.

He lay back in his bed and started thinking. This obviously couldn't be Queen's own idea. Blackhoof would even bet that any single one of the Equestrian Princesses could straight-up pressure her to get whatever they wanted. So, apparently, this really was what it looked like, which in itself was strange considering pretty much nothing ever was the way it looked near or around Nightmare Moon. Blackhoof was having some heavy suspicion that this was some kind of set-up; at least, if this was literally anyone else, it would be. Leisurely mused on his bed for another fifteen minutes, roughly, finding nothing else concrete. Eventually, a hippogriff in a plain green uniform, with staff-sergeant chevrons, came in with a literal bell and rang it with a rope tied to the tongue. Blackhoof had no idea what was wrong with good old-fashioned yelling, but the bell sure got everyone nice and awake in record time. The whole platoon was up on their hooves in less than ten seconds. The last time Blackhoof saw this was when the instructors at the infantry academy decided to be creative and dispose of unusable ammo at about five in the morning.

Then the hippogriff dragged in a rolling cage with fresh olive drabs. They all were the same size, but hippogriffs finding enough for everyone in one day was already a small miracle considering they were ponies. Blachoof asked about his badge and radio, the officer just told him to leave them on his bed and that someone will take care of them. Blackhoof did as told and cast his final eye on his nametag. This was it, he realized, the last time he would ever wear those. He touched it just to memorize how it felt.
The uniform ended up too small for him, but that wasn't the worst thing so he didn't complain. Once everyone got redressed, they were all led outside with their weapons. A bunch of tables were set up straight under the open sky, it was going to rain soon, Blackhoof noted. Getting to look around the place when it wasn't dark made him realize that he knew the place. It was the naval barracks at Northern Cross. Judging by the absence of sailors around, he had to guess that they were either evicted to make space or straight up didn't know about what was happening at their joint.

They all got space at one of the tables, sharing it with at least one other. A hippogriff with the same rifle stood in the open and gave them a crash course on how it operated. Blackhoof actually found that mildly fun, he wasn't really in the loop since he left the army. Rifles he normally contended with were straight-pull bolt-action. They were incredibly simplistic, so much so they rarely ever broke. It's very hard to break something that only has two moving parts and no automatics, so the only time anyone needed to take their weapon apart was when the inspection day came and everything had to shine like the surface of a moonlit lake. This new thing, though, was something completely different. Not only was it self-chambering but also fully automatic and could be switched to fire single for better control. When taking it apart Blackhoof figured he'd have to ask someone to put it back together the first couple of times. It had so many components to it that he didn't even try to figure it out; pony see, pony do it was this time then. That was what took several hours of the day and Blackhoof was quickly remembering that they had no breakfast. It didn't matter, though, so he didn't yabber and tried to learn while he could. Because he'd bet that, unlike his old lady, this one would not tolerate the same kind of treatment. He did get the a hang of it in the end. Managed to strip the whole thing and put it back together again without extra parts left.

Blackhoof used the extra time to look at who else was around. Only one of them was from the Guard and he was on the day detail, so Blackhoof didn't remember him well. Used to love standing around the sun tower in the Palace. There was one other face he knew though: Silver Shine, because, of course, he would come running the second he heard about someone gathering the Old Guard again. Blackhoof didn't actively dislike him, he was a nice lad and always did his best for everyone who asked for his help, very loyal too. The thing was that this really wasn't his place to be. The colt wanted so bad to be like his dad, the only guard to ever suffer a wound for his Empress, but he really should be doing something better, something else. Morning wouldn't have approved his colt walking in his hoofsteps.

Sometime close to midday, they were finally given some food. It was seaweed, Blackhoof couldn't look at the stuff. It was a major reason why he quit the army. For the first few months with hippogriffs, they had nothing but seaweed for ponies. Because apparently, hippogriffs didn't eat grass or hay. They were caring enough to buy some in the end though, no doubt because the brass was sick of reading the unending stream of complaints.
Blackhoof managed to stuff himself with it a bit, it was even worse than he remembered but at least he managed to hold the salty stuff from getting back out. Not everypony could do that.

After their rather unsatisfying dinner, Blackhoof saw his first bullet of the day. Two boxes were brought out for them to practice. The ammo was live, so their handlers only gave it away immediately before the exercise. Blackhoof was mildly annoyed at their lack of confidence, after all, they all knew how to put up with weapons. Even Silver did, at least with pistols.

Firing this new weapon for the first time felt like having a hot meal for the first time in life. It was just... so convenient. No need to yank the bolt open to chamber the next round, no reloading the thing one bullet at a time: automatics did all of it. It was heavy though, especially when the magazine was fully stacked. The rest of the day was spent studying their weapons more and... well, getting to know each other. It was important to be familiar with the people you were going to serve with. Closer to the night, another group of ponies was brought in, his pals included. Whitenose gave him a pitched whistle and waved.

"I hope you weren't going to leave us behind while you are having all the fun!" Whitenose immediately gave him a hearty pat.

"Good to see you too," Blackhoof dryly answered. "This isn't really the time," he nodded at his weapon, still only half-assembled.

"Ooh! New equipment! I heard about them: supposedly, they combine the fire rate and penetration of a machine gun with the portability of a regular-old rifle. You got to shoot it yet?"

"Yes, actually. It is not really a machine gun, but give it a larger magazine and it might as well be."

"Sounds like something they could cobble together if we ask really nicely," the Third stallion grinned.

"Anyway, Blackhoof, you won't believe who else is here with us," White Nose smiled even broader.

"Who? More of your pals from the interior guard?"

"Better! It's the old Captain!"

"You mean Rolling Thunder? Isn't he in Crystal Empire?"

"No! Not that poser! I mean Stormbreaker, the real captain. Turns out he was here all along, just didn't want any attention. "

"No way he is still alive!" it was bizarre because from what Blackhoof remembered, the old captain was about as old as Blackhoof was now by the time Rolling replaced him. Only made sense at the time.

"Sure is! He's just over there," White Nose pointed at the unmistakable figure standing on its lonesome right where they were first ordered to stop.

"Huh... Well, guess this will be just like old times then, I mean the ones before the old times. I sure miss Rolling already."

"Hey, don't be like that! Sure, the captain is strict but that is because he is a real officer with pedigree: went to an actual academy and studied for it too. His father was an officer and his grandfather was an officer. Rolling was just a hotshot that got lucky during the war, that's all."

"Since when do you care about who someone's father and grandfather were? Because in that regard Gleaming Star would tramp everyone and she wasn't even a Lieutenant despite her dad being an actual duke."

"That has nothing to do with this! Gleaming Star was nobility but she wasn't a better trooper because of it, if anything it made it harder for her. I served with someone who was in the same class as her at the infantry academy, everyone else didn't like her being there in the slightest and wasn't at all scared to show it her attitude didn't help either. What makes a real officer isn't the blood, it's the family. Stormbreaker grew up knowing who he was going to be and was preparing his whole life. He didn't just catch the eye of someone important doing some heroics."

"What's your problem with Rolling anyway? He wasn't a bad Captain, unlike Stormbreaker he actually knows what it feels like to stand side by side with the rest of us on the firestep."

"Never said there's anything wrong with him, he just can't jump over his own head."

"Hey, is this really everything you two want to talk about?" the Third finally spoke up. "We got lots of old buddies here besides the Captain. Have any of you seen Silver?"

"Oh, don't even mention him," Blackhoof grumbled. "Thinks he's doing his pop proud by getting into this mess. If Morning was still here, he'd drag his sorry flank back home himself."

"Good thing he isn't, then. Would've made both Silver and himself the town's laughing stock. Imagine him arguing with Silver over this with everyone looking. Besides, wasn't it Morning who got him the job at the Palace? There sure is only one way up from there."

"Don't think so, Morning wouldn't have dared to just stroll up to the staff management and ask them to give his son a job. He would've died from shame if he ever just thought about doing that regardless of how badly they needed it. Someone must have taken pity on them."

The three of them held a very loud silence.

"Let's go say hi to the Captain, I guess," Blackhoof suggested. No objections were voiced, so Blackhoof approached Stormbreaker. The old Captain didn't look well. He looked ancient. His mane was almost completely gray and even the ends of his fur were graying. His stature was thin and his hooves looked like they were barely able to support his weight. His eyes, though, didn't age a day.
"Hey... been a while," Blackhoof stretched his leg out for a shake. Stormbreaker looked at his hoof, his face didn't move the slightest.

"When addressing an officer, a soldier must stand at attention," he coolly reminded. His tone was strict but his voice was weak.

"Ugh... you'd think creatures change with time. Look, we aren't in the Guard anymore, you aren't an officer no more and I don't owe you salutes."

"I have seen no document signed for my retirement, or yours for that matter. Shall I report your insubordination to Lady Daybreaker?" With an annoyed grunt, Blackhoof put his hoof back on the ground, pushed out his chest and angled his chin.
"Now, what was it you were trying to say?"

"I have been saying that we haven't seen each other in a long time and I'd like to ask how you've been doing all this time... sir."

Stormbreaker rubbed his face on his hoof, "After I was ordered from the Palace to command Her Majesty's penal unit we spent our days vanquishing Changeling hordes before they could be driven off. After our inevitable victory, my platoon was reconstituted into an experimental technology testing group and I spent most of my time filing away trial reports. After the... unfortunate setback we have suffered, I was working as an accountant at this fine hamlet's wharf."

"You? An accountant?" White Nose asked in disbelief. "How would you know how to compile numbers?"

Stormbreaker pinched him with a stare,
"What do you presume I was busy with as your Captain? Most of an officer's responsibilities are concerns of paper."

"Really? You had an awful lot of time to chew us up over nothing," Blackhoof pointed out. "You once gave me three days of latrine duty for my shirt being unbuttoned at the top."

"And your lieutenant I gave a week of potato cleaning at the kitchen. You both had dishonored your platoon with your negligence," Stormbreaker reminded without blinking.

"Fine, maybe I did," Blackhoof gave up. "So, now what?"

"Now we are returning to our Mistress and we shall serve her again as she sees fit," Stormbreaker explained. "I expect you to pass on the spirit of the Imperial Guard to the new generation."

"Holy crap, sir. Is this what you are really setting out to do? Rebuild the Guard? With this crowd of misfits? Isn't the Guard supposed to be, you know, picked?"

"I am afraid we have no such luxury this time around. After everything is back to how it always should have been - perhaps. Enough talk, I suggest you train and rest. From what I've been told, it will be some time before any of us will be resting again." He sudden;y lowered his voice: "The three of you, in particular, must show a good example. These creatures you see around us will soon depend on your experience and advice. I will be expecting you to take the lead."

"Leading? Us? Stormy, you know this isn't a good idea."

"First, if you call me that again, I will ensure you spend the whole campaign on guard duty. Second, I am quite certain this is not my best idea, but I am out of options. As far as trustworthiness goes with our comrades-in-arms, you are the only ones that I can offer any trust to."

Nightmarish Interrogation

"Impressive..." Nightmare Moon musingly murmured. "How do you feel?" she asked her Shadow, who was now clad in an almost perfectly unscathed shell.

"It was painful," Shadow shuddered slightly at the memory.

"A bone grown at a fast pace can cause intense strain, but if a pony broke their leg there's no avoiding the pain," Zecora gently rubbed the changeling's mended shell.

"Can you restore her horn as well?" Nightmare Moon asked with hope.

"A cure like that is quite a task, I'm afraid I can not do what you ask," Zecora shook her head for emphasis. Nightmare Moon cast a mournful look at the still-broken horn of her most loyal subject.

"I see," Nightmare Moon responded after a pause. "You are dismissed for now. Prepare for your future patients. I have something rather urgent to attend to. Come, my Shadow."

Leaving Zecora's sanctum, Nightmare Moon maintained a swift pace. Her new... hostage might be what she required all this time.

"My Shadow, I must ask something of you. Something neither of us will be proud of."

Shadow looked curiously at her Mistress. Her ethereal body swirled nervously, instead of flowing calmly in the wind,
"I will do anything for you," she answered, as always.

"Reluctantly, I must ask you to remember your interrogation techniques," Nightmare Moon said slowly. "I have arranged for you to have the tools."

Shadow thought to herself, as they walked. Her Mistress was renowned for her mercy if not compassion. That she was asking her to employ her skills must mean that the need was dire indeed.

"Mistress, I will not deny you, but isn't there a better way? Surely, you can learn what you wish without such sacrifices."

"I hope you are correct: I am disgusted that I even ask such things of you. But I am doubtful," Nightmare Moon confessed. "You must speak of this to no one else, but our situation just became even more disadvantageous. Our forces no longer have a stable source of supplies. I am hoping to arrange for sustenance at least, but ammunition and weapons I am deliberating seizing with force. I am questioning my own wisdom in coming here. Overthrowing an established regime with these few soldiers; and little intelligence and munitions is a task for the most daring. Yet fortune graced us once still. Princess Flurry Heart has chosen to throw her lot with us rather than obey her mother. She is plotting something; I can sense it. That is why she is here and that is why she went against her own mother. I fear she might be our most dangerous opponent here."

"Perhaps she is not plotting against you in particular," Shadow offered.

"Her design involves us, I am sure of this much. I must know. If she will not speak up willingly, we must use other ways."

"Mistress, is this truly wise?" Shadow attempted to contradict more forcefully. "Princess Flurry Heart would make a powerful ally, especially if her talents are not overstated. Perhaps it would be better to offer her a token of trust?"

"That is a gamble I cannot take, my Shadow. Flurry Heart is no naive idealist, unlike Twilight. She is wise beyond her years and cunning as a raven. Mares like her are only loyal to their own cause and cannot be trusted. Go and prepare. Should your skill be needed, I shall call for you."

Shadow grimaced but bowed and left as ordered, leaving Nightmare Moon to steel herself for an impending trial. For her own honor and that of all her loyal: she had to get the truth peacefully.

Before being called to her Shadow, she arranged accommodation for her guest: Twilight should have taken care of that. Flurry had her own tent now on the far side of the hall, by the stairs leading to the castle's throneroom. Nightmare Moon heard them before she saw them:
"No, Aunty, I swear, Mom will be alright. It was a banishment spell, it rarely takes more than a minute for anyone to find the way back."

"But what if she miscast and it sent her to the shadowrealm? Or even the plane of fire?! I have to check! I have to go and check!" Loud shuffling came from the tent.

"Twilight, darling, stay calm! Remember, dear Cadance was tutored by Princess Celestia as well. She wouldn't miscast so catastrophically. I am sure she is quite alright and is regretting overreacting like that," Rarity reassured her friend.

Nightmare Moon decided not to eavesdrop and pushed the tent's cover aside. Mares inside immediately fell silent, eyeing her warily and only Flurry Heart looked her directly in the eye.

"I must have word with Flurry Heart," Nightmare Moon said gloomily. Twilight on reflex began getting up.

"It's alright, I will see you later," Flurry reassured her. Without a word, both mares left the tent and headed away. Nightmare Moon waited for them before finally speaking.

"You know exactly what I wish to know," she began without delay. "At least if your abilities are as described to me by your esteemed mother."

Flurry deeply sighed and rubbed her eyes,
"Would you believe me if I told you that it's better for everyone if you don't know?" Flurry asked without much hope.

"I cannot," Nightmare Moon responded resolutely. "I must know what your angle is to ensure the safety of those who trust me with their lives."

"No one will be hurt, I promise."

"You should know better than to promise what you know will not come to pass," Nightmare Moon cautioned. "Due to your mother's actions, we are alone and without allies. An army requires more than simple provisions."

"Have you maybe tried doing something other than threatening ponies with weapons?" Flurry pointed at her accusingly. "You wouldn't need an army if you weren't going to start a war, would you?"

"Are you another one who will try to explain to me the wonders of negotiating with those who would see me dead? Oh, wait..."

"That's not what I am saying, okay?" Nightmare Moon simply stared back at her, she was too old to play guess. "Look, if you are as good at this as everyone thinks you are, then you are better than this."

"I imagine you know exactly how good I am at this," Nightmare Moon pointed out.

"Ugh... You are a real butt sometimes, you know that? I want to help you, okay?"

"Excellent. Tell me exactly why you are helping me and why you are trying to sink your fangs into my dear sister."

"I can't. First, because it won't work if I tell you. Second, you probably would want to forget everything you heard anyway. You, of all people, know that sometimes it's better not to know something."

"If you are unwilling to cooperate, you are of no use to me."

"Won't you just trust me? I promise I will make it up to you in the end."

"Trust is precious and must be earned, Flurry Heart. You lie and betray your own mother. Why should I trust a mare like you?" Nightmare Moon did not hide her disgust.

"I didn't betray anyone!" Flurry protested. "Sometimes ponies don't know what's best for them! You know better than anyone!"

"Very well. What do, you suggest, I do?" Nightmare Moon decided to give the young princess her chance.

"I only need you to not get in the way. You don't need to do anything for me except give me some space."

"And what do you offer me in exchange?"

"I'll give you everything you ever wanted," Flurry spoke as she smirked ever so slightly.

"What do you even know about my desires? A mere child, pretending to be a farseer," Nightmare Moon looked away and peered at her troops, resting by the doors.

"I know what you are saying. You want your friend back and you'd do anything for that," Flurry answered. "But, to be honest, I think that's a load of horsecrap. Maybe you believe it yourself, maybe you don't, my gift doesn't tell me what ponies think, but I don't think it's true."

"Amazing. Now you presume to know more about my motivations than I do myself. You may not behave as nobly as your title necessitates, but your hubris would make my dear sister, Daybreaker, look humble."

"But I am right, am I not? You know it deep down too. You aren't selfish and petty, you care about other creatures, not just yourself," Flurry said with a tad of admiration. "You aren't doing this just because Luna told you to. You want ponies to be better off because of you."

"What a startling observation. Truly, worthy of the neghininan oracle," Nightmare Moon shot back sarcastically. "Of course, I wish for ponies to be better. It used to be my duty for the longest time to see to that. It is what nobility exists for. But it is no longer my duty, my former subjects have taken it upon themselves to see to their own well-being and I am glad for that. I will do what I must, but no more."

"Sure they did. They are actually doing pretty well for themselves, all things considered. But sometimes they need just a tad bit of help though."

"Oh? Is this when you finally divulge what I have been asking you all this time since our very first meeting?"

"Told you, I can't. Otherwise, it won't happen. You'll know in time and I swear that it's nothing bad. Do what you decide to do for now. But... maybe try not to hurt anyone if that's not too much to ask," Flurry sheepishly smiled.

Nightmare Moon sighed and turned back to Flurry,
"My patience is running thin. It seems to me that you need a lesson from our history."

"History? You mean you want to tell me some story you like telling Tiny and Twilight? I've seen them for myself as they happened."

"Oh, no. It's not like that. I believe you could do better with a practical lesson. We could start simple: with water. That is an ancient method perfected long before any of the currently living were even born. Then, I suppose, we could try a more modern method. Once, I saw my soldiers use a truck. They would put the captive's limbs under the wheel and drive over it. I have never tried it myself, but for them, it seemed to work well enough. Normally, a pony would have only four limbs but your alicorn biology makes the process much less susceptible to error," Nightmare Moon finished her elaborate threat. "Make no mistake, you will tell me what I want to know, one way or another."

Flurry shuddered,
"Y-you wouldn't do that!" she flatly denied. "You never tortured anyone! That's just not what you do!"

"Do you really think so? I am not so sure myself," Nightmare Moon said slowly. "I used to pride myself on my ability to get my way without resorting to such methods. It seems I have lost my edge, as it was. Regardless, I cannot allow you to harm my followers or me. If you will not cooperate willingly, I shall do what I must."

"You know... I can just teleport away..."

"Of course, but then my problem resolves itself. You are of no danger to me unless in proximity."

Flurry Heart slyly smiled at that,
"You'd be surprised..." she teased.

"Spare me. Now then, what shall it be? Shall you cooperate, flee or perhaps you will make me torture information out of you?" Nightmare Moon finished with a pointed stare.

"Fine..." Flurry gave in. "But you would have to do some things for me too if I am going to help you."

"I don't believe you are in a position of bargaining with me. But perhaps, if you demonstrate your usefulness."

"Oh, I can be useful, alright, let me tell you," Flurry huffed. "Look, I really can't tell you about what I am here for, okay? I promise it's not going to hurt anyone and it might even benefit you, from a certain perspective. You have to stop digging at me, promise me that and I will help you succeed in whatever you are planning."

"You seem unaware of just what kind of risk you represent. What is my insurance?"

"My word." Nightmare Moon actually laughed, she laughed for good ten seconds.

"Truly, a valuable commodity," Nightmare moon came down from her fit. "I have doubts on whether or not you can even provide what you are offering, your scrying seems to be unreliable at best."

"Future is always in motion," Flurry said mysteriously. "I can see all possible futures from the present, but not at the same time and not necessarily the shortest way there. It is as reliable as any of your schemes are."

"Hmm... very well," Nightmare Moon reluctantly agreed. "I am going against my better judgment; better hope that you won't prove my trust misplaced. For your sake... and for the sake of your family." Flury uncomfortably grimaced.

"Right... I have something for you right now if you'll do exactly as I say."

"As you say? No, I think not. You will do exactly as I say. Tell me everything you know about where they hold my fellow princess."

"I will, eventually, but there's something more-"

"Where. Is. Celestia?" Nightmare Moon's voice became openly threatening. Flurry nervously took a step back. Oh, boy. She could be scary when she wanted...

Rainbow Dash was sitting straightly on a chair, eyeing Princess Cadance cautiously as she reclined across the desk. Her expression was a deep frown and her eyes were thoughtful. Rainbow fidgeted uncomfortably.

Filthy Snow

Rainbow Dash felt pretty miserable about herself right about now. She wanted to get away from all of this when she left. From scheming, snobbish nobles that cannot even be bothered to ask the people they are meant to guide how they feel about them; to sycophantic yes-mares with no principles what-so-ever. Here she was, again: dragged right back as soon as a noble spit wanted to see her. She stormed off, but she had no way of leaving.

"Divine Wind, is everything according to your plan?" Snow Strike cautiously asked. "Your last exchange did not look productive and you left so abruptly..."

"There is no enemy," Rainbow Dash shot at him.

"I am sorry?"

"There is no enemy coming after our clan. They tricked me to come. It was all a big lie," Rainbow Dash leaned into the castle wall and covered her face.

"Why, that is wonderful!" Snow Strike beamed. "It means none of our people would die to their honorless weapons."

"We came all of this way for nothing! And now we are stranded here!" Rainbow snapped. "We are stranded on the other side of the world with no way of getting home!"

"But you are knowledgable in these people's ways and many powerful ponies are your friends. Surely someone will help. Divine, you are painting far too drab; we may even benefit from our situation." Rainbow felt as if her master just slapped her across her face. Her gaze could have burned a hole in him.

"You don't understand! I didn't leave because I had no friends! I tried to kill a tyrant and for my trouble everypony looked at me like I had an executioner waiting for me! My friends didn't want to see me anymore, no one wanted to give me a job. To mock me further, she made me join her army and train soldiers for her! Everyone I would gladly have died for before, either betrayed everything we used to stand for or just gave up! I want nothing to do with this place of honorless cowards bowing to anyone who happens to have a title! I should never have returned."

"Divine, mind your manners," Snow Strike warned. "But I see your distress. Betrayal is the worst of offenses. Yet, perhaps we may yet find some gain from this venture. If we cannot return, for now, we could study these strange ponies and their ways and see how we can improve our own when we return home."

"Didn't you listen? I know their ways, I was one of them. They have nothing worth learning."

"These buildings look impressive."

"Don't you... aghhh!" Rainbow groaned in exasperation.

"Divine, what is happening?" Snow Strike sounded concerned. "I have never seen you this... agitated."

That seemed to give Rainbow a pause. She was angry because she was fooled, but this wasn't the first time she was angry. Very far from it. She was plenty angry when a colt she taught failed in a spar against a pupil a whole year younger, but she could always pull herself together in a couple of minutes.

"You are correct," Rainbow cautiously admitted with a courteous bow. "I lost control."

"Divine, peace! It is only natural, if I was exiled from my clan and then lured back by treachery, I would be furious!"

Rainbow slightly smiled,
"You... You are so much better than them," she said warmly.

After a moment of confused staring, Snow Strike puffed out,
"Why, certainly! I am much more honorable and..."

"Twenty percent cooler?" Rainbow giggled. "Nevermind, it's just what I used to say when something was better than something else."

"Oh... alright then. You should teach me the language, as we will be staying for a time."

The reminder made Rainbow sulk again,
"I suggest we just start going. If I remembered correctly, there was a train that could get us with a good part of the way."

"What is... a train?"

"Oh, it's like a huge snake made out of metal, that helps ponies travel and move things quicker. Like a ship, but on land."

"Fascinating! Divine, surely, we could bring a couple of manuscripts with us. All other clans would shower us in gold for such a boon."

"My Lord, even if we could find some plans on market, we will be unable to produce the necessary components," Rainbow shook her head slowly.

"Then we should learn its secrets first!" Snow Strike exclaimed enthusiastically.

Suddenly, the castle entrance was thrown open in the wake of exiting ponies and a particular apparition Rainbow hoped to never see again.

After a quick glance at her Lord, Nightmare Moon landed a heavy stare at Rainbow herself.

"Y-yeah... forgot to mention," Flurry Heart came trotting out, she looked dishevelled and shaken. Much more than Rainbow would've expected her to become in less than an hour. "We should bring them too, they'll be helpful pretty soon." Nightmare Moon glanced at the Princess, then at Rarity and finally Twilight. Neither one offering anything except frowns and uneasy looks.

"Leave them," Nightmare Moon sharply declared. "I have no use for servants like her any longer."

Rainbow instinctually made a step forward but controlled herself enough to not say anything she might regret. It didn't sound like now would be the best time to get on Nightmare Moon's nerves. She sounded irritated as is and when she was irritated... "honors" that could not be refused were swiftly bestowed.

"But... we need them!" Flurry attempted to protest.

"I said leave them. I will have my hooves full with you as is," Nightmare Moon said in a tone inviting no further discussion.

Flurry Heart grimaced, but obediently marched onward to the circle on the ground. In a few moments, all four of them were gone. Leaving Rainbow and her Master alone again.

"Divine, what was that?" Snow Strike asked in bewilderment. "Was that a stormcloud with eyes?"

"That was Nightmare Moon," Rainbow sighed. She almost regretted having to tell him. "She is... or was, the Empress of the Lunar Empire of Equestria and she is also the whore who ruined my home."

"Oh... so this is how she looks. From how you described her I envisioned someone much more intimidating."

"Oh, she was! I swear to you, she was terror incarnate. She wasn't always incorporeal like this. When she was alive, she dwarfed every pony around her in height and weight. But the worst was her magic. She had the ability to control the dream realm. She could enter anyone's dream and change it to whatever she wanted. Her name starts with Nightmare for a reason. It also didn't help that she is very intelligent and has hundreds of years' worth of experience."

"You sound like you envy her," Snow Strike pointed out.

If it was anyone else, Rainbow would have simply exploded, but for her master, she bit her tongue just a bit:
"My Lord, don't insult me like that! She is the evil witch that destroyed my life!"

"I wouldn't dare to compare, banish the thought. But I can't help but feel the same kind of effortless authority when you are leading warriors to battle. I always wondered just how you do it. She has that as well. In her very eyes, her voice, fascinating. Tell me more about her."

"My Lord, I ask you to abandon this course," Rainbow warned, she did not like where this was going at all. At this rate, her Master was going to become another one of Nightmare Moon's vassals. "She is known for her treachery. Her sworn enemies mysteriously abandon their cause to serve her instead. I have seen it dozens of times over. I beg of you! Let us leave while she has no interest in us, lest we become her puppets."

"She must also be highly adept at the art of negotiation as well," Snow Strike deduced. "But I shall trust your experience, if you believe that we shouldn't tangle with such a curious creature, then we shall not." Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Your Lordship. She is like a spider, once a fly touches its web, there's no way to escape. This is for the better. I suppose we need a place to stay before we can find a way to leave safely. I have overheard that one of my acquaintances is also nearby. I suspect he will be able to aid us."

"In what way? Divine, I must confess: I become tired of having to gather information from your visages."

"He will help us get home, or at least some means of surviving."

"You don't sound-"

"Master, please, let us waste no more time. I am anxious in this suspended state we are left in. You will pass your own judgment soon enough," Rainbow pleaded, unwilling to try Fate with idle chatter. Spirits were awfully unkind today as is.

Filthy Rich wouldn't say he was much of a carpenter, not by a longshot, but occasionally he had to hit a nail or two. Or a few more than two since recently. He took another one from his mouth, lined it up to a plank, cautiously aimed and hit it with his hammer. The nail was stuck in the wood so he let go of it. With a few quick strikes, sounding as dull thuds to his curious audience. A young crystal filly watched with curiosity at the ageing stallion working on the wooden frame for a house. Her interest was expected as wood was a highly uncommon building material in Crystal Empire. Crystal ponies would build with either crystals or stone, leaving wood for decorations and furniture. It was expensive as well, as growing trees was impossible outside Crystal City's protective dome of warmth. Filthy Rich, however, had no choice as they had no stonemasons in the camp and hiring them for construction was far beyond their budget now that Nightmare Moon was gone.
Rich had barely finished one side before he had curious stares following every strike of his hammer. Crystal Ponies would come asking what he was building several times a day. Sometimes foals would come to watch or "help" after school hours; although if their parents had any idea who were taking residence on edge of their shimmering city, the foals would be forbidden to as much as look in the direction of the expanding camp. Rich found nightmares unnerving, especially when they were trying to be more friendly than necessary. But crystal ponies did not seem to mind their new neighbors too much, even if they noticed something off with them while chatting with them or when they often came to buy a hoof-made shawl or other trinkets Rich had to sell. Not many were coming for repeated visits, Rich noticed.

This filly wasn't his only guest today, as it seemed. A pair of ponies were on their way and neither was a crystal pony. He could recognize that rainbow mane anywhere.

"Rainbow Dash? Is that you there?" Rich put the hammer and nails down and went to meet them.

"It's me, I'm glad you remember me," Rainbow genuinely smiled.

"I couldn't forget one like you in a thousand years, come here!" Rich stepped close and wrapped his foreleg over her withers, Rainbow leaned into him. "Who's your friend?" Rich asked, catching a piercing glare from the stallion.

"Yes..." Rainbow nervously coughed and stood back. "Meet Snow Strike, he is my liege."

"Your who?" Rich proceeded to groan. "Don't tell me you are also into this whole nobility bullshit. I'm having enough as is."

"It's not that kind of nobility. I just serve him and he gives me land to live off in return," Rainbow quickly explained.

"That's technically how it always is," Rich sighed. "Okay, fine. I don't wanna know. So, are you here for Lady Moon too?"

"Let's not talk about that, please. Rich, I need to ask for a favor. I and my liege need to get home and there isn't anyone who will help us."

"Huh?" Rich looked over his shoulder back at his wagon. "Look, Rainbow, I know I used to have a lot of money, but that's not how it is anymore. Besides, I am kind of in the middle of something," he nodded at the building skeleton.

Rainbow visibly sank,
"Okay, I understand. See you around," Rainbow started turning.

"Wait," Rich reached out. "Just because I can't help you myself, maybe I can get someone else to help you out. I can try to get Princess Cadance to help you, she surely has some vehicle for you to use, or maybe she could just teleport you."

"I tried that way already," Rainbow shook her head. "She can't send me anywhere unless she knows exactly where it is, I mean if she been there already. I am here because she said that you might know something."

"Huh, when Twilight does it, looks simpler. She just does some calculations on some paper and we are off."

"Wait, you are here because you came with Twilight?!"

"That's right. Didn't Cadance tell you?"

"No! We didn't talk about her! I just want to go home, not sort through old garbage!"

"Garbage? Rainbow, I know you have problems, but she was your friend. Twilight is good people, even though Nightmare Moon managed to get into her head. You know she has ways."

"That's the thing! Twilight knows that and does it anyway! She knows what monster Nightmare Moon is from experience and serves her anyway because she thinks that friendship can change her! She... I... I don't want to talk about this."

"Alright," Rich cautiously backed off. "Do you need a place to stay? We can find a tent for you, it's warm even at night."

"Well, I guess if we are stuck here, we'd better stay away from any nobles," Rainbow sighed. "Alright then, show us our tent."

"Right over here, please. Also, I have to warn you from the start: don't get surprised when your fur starts standing up. You aren't imagining it, it really looks like they are faking it."

"Who?" Rainbow asked in confusion.

"The others. You aren't living here by yourselves." As Rich led them through the camp, its denizens started giving them curious looks. "I don't understand what they are, really. But they don't want to hurt anyone, they are a bit creepy though."

"Are they? They look like regular ponies to me," Rainbow stared back at the onlookers.

"They are... well, they are related to Nightmare Moon. Whatever that is supposed to mean. No one ever bothered to explain anything to me."

"Oh... Well, this changes things."

"They aren't dangerous, I swear!" Rich quickly assured. "I never saw them hurt a fly!"

"That's right! You didn't see!"

Rich suddenly stopped and turned on his heels, Rainbow narrowly avoiding bumping into him.

"I'd watch who you badmouth if I were you," he menacingly grunted. "Some creatures have friends who can get upset."

Suddenly, Rich felt himself shoved,
"Keep your distance," he glared at Rich.

"Keep your damn hooves to yourself!" Rich shot back at him. "You come to my home and you insult my friends!"

Snow Strike widened his eyes and gave Rainbow a bewildered stare.

"W-wait! Rich, since when are you bilingual?"

He produced an amused snort,
"I am not. When you go around the world a bit you learn useful things."

"Well, that is rather unexpected. I suppose we started on the wrong hoof. My name is Snow Strike, the Lord of-"

"Hold your horses! Sorry for being so direct with you, but no one really cares this far away from your home. If we are going to be friends, you better stop with that. I am done with noble snobs."

"Oh! I am horribly sorry! I meant no disrespect! May I ask your name?"

"Filthy Rich, like someone who has large amounts of money."

"I presume you are rich then?"

"I... I used to be once upon a time. Right then, your tent is that one, get comfortable. If someone bothers you, tell them you are my friends. I gotta go get that frame finished."

"Could we be of any assistance?"

A Loose Book

Daybreaker learned something about herself: she hated sloppy writing. As triggering as re-reading the same scroll several times after her little sister was made to rewrite it. Daybreaker also found out that she had little patience for teaching in general.
It wasn't Tiny's fault that she knew nothing about geometry to draw proper circles... or could not write a neat letter. Daybreaker kept telling herself that punishing her for her poor performance was unjust, yet forcing her to rewrite it must feel like a punishment in and of itself. At least she managed to source some textbooks.

"Here," Tiny muttered, pushing her latest draft to her side of the table and turning away. Daybreaker wearily sighed and looked down at the metaphorical hoofwork. Daybreaker must have been getting better at reading unintelligible scripts, she swore it was no different from the previous take.

"Good," Daybreaker acknowledged. "Now rewrite the names and your work as a scribe will be done for now."

"This is unfair! I wrote it seven times already! When are you going to teach me spells?"

"Watch your tone!" Daybreaker seethed. "I will teach you, as I promised. But first, you have a duty to attend to. As a scribe, you must ensure that any documents you create are intelligible to others. The list you have written will serve Nightmare to account for her soldiers. She will know if one of them goes missing or perishes. Write the list one more time: neatly and properly. It will also need your signature, but that is for later, when you are almost finished."

"It's still not fair," Tiny muttered.

"Life is unfair," Daybreaker stated and put a clean sheet of paper before her tiny scribe. "I will be back in a moment."

Daybreaker stood up and headed for the door. Closing it silently behind her, she headed down the corridor. The day had run out and she had to raise the moon, she also had a pending invitation from the Queen, as inconsequential as she was.

Finding herself a terrasse, Daybreaker sat down and prepared for her duty. Little by little the sun rolled behind the horizon, showering Daybreaker in crimson light. It was quickly exchanged for the sonorous silvery light of the moon, as it rose from the horizon and set on its path through the sky. With her most important task done, Daybreaker decided to return to her pupil.

Tiny made much progress in little time. Her horn shined brightly, holding a modernistic ink pen and rapidly scribing down the text. Daybreaker looker over the filly's shoulders in satisfaction. The truth was that there was nothing wrong with her writing - Nightmare could always have Tiny read it. Daybreaker merely needed an excuse to have her write more. Though she suspected that her actual reason would frustrate Tiny even more.

After another minute, Tiny was done and once again presented her work to Daybreaker with a rather grumpy expression. Daybreaker looked at the text impassively. If it was any clearer than the previous one, it was a minute improvement.

"I believe you will not get much better at the moment," Daybreker stated, deciding to seize the monotonous training for the moment. Daybreaker opened a drawer and took out the spellbook she borrowed from her sister, Tiny instantly shook off her boredom.
"Now, I promised to teach you, but beware that I also promised Nightmare that I will only teach you safe spells. Which are in the minority as far as this book is concerned," Daybreaker warned.

"Okay," Tiny nodded. "But how do I attack the enemy?"

"You will not be attacking anyone," Daybreaker immediately corrected the dangerous train of thought. "Everycreature has a purpose in the world, a peasant toils, a builder builds, a noble rules, a soldier fights. You are not a soldier, therefore you will not be doing such a thing."

"But you do!"

Daybreaker pursed her lips and summoned her patience,
"I am a noblemare. My duty is to be a leader, a leader must share in the burdens of her soldiers to earn their respect and obedience."

"But what do I do?!" Tiny cried in frustration. "If everyone has a place what do I?"

Daybreaker bit her lip,
"Your role is not yet determined. You are still very young and that is why you must study. It will benefit you and every other creature aswell." Having made her point, Daybreaker opened the spellbook and flipped its many pages until she reached the spell she intended to show. "Twinkle Sprite's Projection will serve you your entire life."

"...An incorporeal copy?" Tiny looked both confused and disappointed.

"Only limited by your imagination. See," Daybreaker ignited her horn and a spectral copy of the alicorn appeared on the other side of the room. Daybreaker took a step forward and so did her copy; she turned and the copy followed her. Finally, Daybreaker cast light... and so did her copy.
"Being incorporeal, it can also step through solid walls," Daybreaker added, glancing at Tiny's reaction. She looked curious now. "Any spell you cast will also be carried to your projection. Now, let's-" A polite knock on the door interrupted Daybreaker's train of thought. She frowned deeply, knowing full well what this was about, "Yes?"

"Queen Skystar requests your presence, Lady Daybreaker," an impassive voice belonging to the Queen's butler came from the other side. Daybreaker knew that this was going to be a waste of her time and she had genuinely hoped that the Queen would get the hint, but now that she was sent for, she could not refuse without it being seen as an insult.

"I will be there in a moment," Daybreaker informed, straining to prevent her dissatisfaction from sounding obvious. She looked down at Tiny and the book, "Study the Projection, if I know that you so much as looked at anything else, I will have you assisting the maids for tomorrow instead of studying. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sister," Tiny readily answered, as Daybreaker instructed her.

With her sister sorted, she left the room and followed the butler. The walk was long enough for Daybreaker to go through all the different ways she could slip away but not long enough so that she would come up with the one that wouldn't be disgraceful. The Queen was standing awkwardly and alone in her garden, waiting for her. Daybreaker thought she would have to say something,
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, for being so late. I have promised Nightmare that I will teach our sister while we are away."

Skystar smiled at her and very artificially at that,
"I understand. I never had the pleasure of foalsitting myself, but my peers used to tell me how distracting it is."

"It certainly is, but I have already made you wait long enough. You have spoken about this... activity you wished to partake in."

"Yes. I wish you to accompany me to the royal archive. I believe there is something to find there that both of us will find beneficial to see."

"Your Majesty, surely you see that neither of us is equipped for archive work. You already have hippogriffs with both the knowledge and the will to assist you."

"Indeed I do. I had the document retrieved, copied and transcribed for us. We are only to read it." Daybreaker internally cursed. She wouldn't dare to speak up, but Skystar was making her teeth grind with how clueless she was. Nightmare sent her here to do a task, not to stroll through the city and definitely not to dive into dusty archives. Although she suspected that Twilight Sparkle would be shocked to hear that anyone wasn't excited about that last part and this might have been where the Queen got the idea to invite her along. The two of them trully made a dreadful duo.

"If you believe it is best," Daybreaker lightly bowed.

Skystar gestured for her to come and so they headed out into the city,
"How is your recruitment going?" Skystar suddenly asked.

"It is... adequate. Nightmare will be very grateful to learn of all the aid you have provided."

"Perhaps her having her subjects back is best for all. Since I was crowned, neither pony nor hippogriff seemed to be happy with each other. My advisors often bring news of a pony making a public scene. Among other complaints: they are loud, argumentative and sometimes rude. I have been asked to consider resettling them away from the mountain."

"This is news to me," Daybreaker was genuinely surprised. "Ponies of Equestria are known for their mild manners."

"I have heard as much, imagine my surprise when I heard of them attempting to conceal their weapons and retain their organization."

"I suppose my sister's soldiers are not akin to her other subjects. The atmosphere at the Palace was always that of paranoia. Imperial Guards insisted on being armed at all times both outside and inside the gates. Nightmare spoke of an underhooved assault on the Palace by a group of misguided rebels aiming to assassinate her. They have failed, of course, but the Guards were never at ease afterwards."

"But that does not excuse their behavior here, even if they meant no harm to us specifically."

"Certainly not. It seems without proper leadership soldierly simply lose everything that makes them different from brigands."

They continued on in silence, only drawing curious stares from the citizenry on the way. The archive building stood a lumbering display of masonry at the corner, passed by cars and pedestrians alike, which seemed rather counterproductive for an institution existing for scholars. But the lack of windows and walls as thick as some fortifications from Daybreaker's youth proved her assumption incorrect. It also was the first thing in hippogriff lands that as much as resembled a structure fit for royalty, with masoned marble floors and granite walls. Past a heavy, air-tight door leading to the vault, they were presented with a single sheet of paper, with letters transcribed. It must have been a copy and even then Daybreaeker was profoundly unimpressed.

"We will take it from here, your help won't be needed," Skystar said to the archivist who came along to evidently aid their reading. "Lady Daybreaker, I present to you Royal Secret Service, report number four thousand three hundred eighty-nine, filed in one thousand and fourteen years since Princess Luna's banishment, uncensored version."

"Do not take me as ungrateful, but what use would I have for an intelligence report from twenty years ago?"

"Simply read it."

Daybreaker stepped closer and did just that.

Eyes only.

From: Kingfish

To: Leviathan

Leviathan, Mussel reports that Cabal began attempting to contact Starfish. I need not remind you that if successful, it will have disastrous consequences. You have failed to send your last report on time. Therefore Aris assumes your capture or death. Behemoth will be sent with a team to ensure mission completion disregarding secrecy. Ivory Crescent seems to currently be unaware of Cabal's actions and therefore will not act quickly enough. Contact them and report at once upon receiving this note.

Aside from the typical intelligence rumble, Daybreaker was failing to recognize the significance of the note and said so to the Queen with an expectant stare.

"This note was uncovered two days ago by my spymaster. His appointment predates the note, but he was unaware of operations involving Ivory Crescent. I was hoping that you could speak to them on my behalf when you are called back to your sister. My spymaster has made inquiries and has uncovered some of the codenames listed. While the agent personalities are still mysterious, Cabal and Starfish have been identified. Cabal seems to be the codename for a cell of Ivory Cresent while Starfish is an entity. They are mentioned in other similar notes."

Daybreaker openly rolled her eyes, before remembering herself,
"I will relay your request to Nightmare, but for now I have my duties if this is all."

"Do take this copy with you as well."

The foray left a sour taste in Daybreaker's mouth. Daybreaker was trying her hardest to banish such unbecoming thoughts, but her mind kept offering her the exact word to describe the Queen: idiot.
Daybreaker already couldn't wait to leave this place behind.

For now, she still had her sister, a more agreeable company. She elected not to walk and teleported back to the estate. Now standing now outside the room: she took a deep breath to bite back her irritation, she pulled on the door and entered. Tiny was just as she was left, turning around to see who had come in.

"What is your progress?" Daybreaker asked, eager to forget the previous experience.

Tiny shrugged,
"Feels easy."

"Is it, now? Would you care to cast it then?"

Tiny ignited her horn and her incorporeal copy appeared across the table.

"Hmm... Indeed. Perhaps you are as talented as Mister Rich described you," Daybreaker allowed her pupil praise. "I wonder if you could also project spells through it." Tiny, then, demonstrated by casting Light. Her projection's horn obediently started to glow, "Good," Daybreaker said with a satisfied purr. Maybe this trip would be not quite as unpleasant. "I must say, you impress me: I don't remember even Twilight Sparkle learning this quickly, it would take her a much more thorough study."

Tiny shrugged again,
"There are Nightmare's notes at the back of the book, they help."

Daybreaker pulled the book from under Tiny's hooves and over to her side of the table. Flipping the book to the back, sure enough, she found the ready-made equations for casting spells for different purposes and conditions. Now she just felt silly.

"I believe I told you to not read what you are not meant to read," Daybreaker stated.

"I didn't read anything from other spells."

"Fine, but no more cheating like that. You won't always have Nightmare's help and you must learn to calculate this yourself."

"But I am bad at counting! It's not as easy as you make it look!"

"Now, now. I have been weaving spells my entire life. I don't need to calculate because I have the common equations memorized after thousands of casts. Every unicorn foal has to learn to do this, even Twilight Sparkle, even though now she can cast much more complex spells without thinking or even looking. You are awfully unwise to disregard her teachings."

"But Twilight only wants to teach boring things like-"

"Like mathematics? You will learn, in time, that magic is quite a bit more complex than a simple reflex."

"Are you going to make me learn geography or math now?" Tiny asked with so much despair that Daybreaker actually staggered.

"No... I think you need a break. Have you eaten your dinner?"

Tiny nodded,
"I am not hungry much."

"Very well. In that case, perhaps it is time we inspected the troops. After all, that is why we are here. Come now, they must be doing firing drills tonight."

"I think that we are here because Nightmare doesn't want us getting in the way," Tiny remarked, hopping off her chair and going for the door.

"In your case, perhaps. You must understand: Nightmare is not your mother. She cannot dedicate all of her time to you, she has duties that you actively impede."

Tiny looked up incredulously,
"But I am not doing anything!"

"Precisely, little sister. Your presence is of little help to her or her soldiers and that means that you are only getting in the way by being there. In war, everycreature has a purpose; those who don't, have no place there. It is not your fault that you aren't old enough to be useful, but you must understand that you cannot keep distracting her. Her attention is valuable and it should not be spent making sure you are not in trouble."

"But can't I help? I can cast magic and I can kill enemies too."

The nonchalant tone of Tiny's question made Daybreaker miss a step,
"Those borderguards were hardly your first victims, were they?"

"No," Tiny simply answered.

"Sister, war is not simply killing enemies. It often harms more than it helps. In war, we do not win because we have destroyed the enemy but because we have achieved our goals. Do you understand?"

"But if we don't have to kill anyone why do we ask for weapons?"

"Because other creatures are determined to oppose us and we must remove them out of our way. Magic is our way, but all others must make do with weapons instead. You will understand more when you are older."

"But can't you tell me now? I will understand, I just know it."

"No, it is not as simple as simply telling. I could tell you about strategy and history, but it will tell you little because you did not experience anything to relate it to. I know it is unsatisfying, but this is simply how the world is."

Tiny seemed to sulk but asked no further questions, Daybreaker led her in silence.

With the training field in view, they spotted a company of less-than-fresh recruits running through an obstacle course with a firing exercise at the end. Daybreaker noted that they were slow. Most of them served the Empire before, but their age still made them weak. Daybreaker would have trained them for longer, but Nightmare bid them to return as soon as able.

"Look at how much more they must do compared to us," Daybreaker spoke. "They have no magic, only some can fly, yet they still must perform as well as unicorns in every aspect; if not individually - then collectively. Do not let yourself see that as a weakness. Many a great mage was brought low by simple warriors."

One soldier noticed them coming, and before long they were all dropping what they were doing and lining up in front of their barracks.

"Lady!" an officer hailed her. "I am prepared to give-"

"Silence," Daybreaker grunted at him. The old stallion instantly fell silent and stood at attention. "I have watched you all run through this rather pathetic course and I am thoroughly unimpressed. I remember the day when a warrior could walk through the walls you struggle to climb over."

"Lady, you must understand-"

"Silence! If you are incapable of matching the meager speed requirements of this age, perhaps you will impress with your aim. An archer from the Royal Guard could hit the center of a target three times in two seconds from across the courtyard. You should be able to match that with your experience and superior weapons quite easily." The line-up was deathly silent, "Well? Do you wait until the continent drifts closer to you?" With that, the officer called a couple of stallions to carry forth a target and set it up by the fence by the entrance. Daybreaker was too tired to wait, so she decided to help them. She levitated a table herself and set it across the target. Spotting the officer carrying a rifle and an ammunition box, she snatched those too. She stripped the rifle to its frame and set the parts on the table.
"Put it together, fire three times and strip it again." The first soldier, a blond, visibly nervous stallion, stepped to the table.

"Begin!" the officer cried and pressed the button on his watch. The soldier scrambled to put the weapon together, fire three shots and strip it again. "Twenty-eight! You are atrocious, cor-"

"Silence! Patience, officer. We shall know their exact performance soon enough. Any unicorns among you?"

"I, ma'am!" one unicorn stepped out of the line.

"A unicorn among the common soldierly, do you not know magic?"

"My horn is too small to cast complex spells, ma'am! I can, however, shoot."

"Show us then." The unicorn stepped towards the table and upon the signal followed the drill, finishing in exactly twenty-five seconds. A disgruntled grumble ran through the line.

"Hmm... Not bad," Daybreaker clicked with her tongue. "Tiny, would you fancy a try?" Tiny gave Daybreaker a wide-eyed stare.

"Lady, I must protest! This is against safety guidelines," the officer was quick to bail her out.

"Just stripping then. Go ahead." Tiny obediently went to the table. The officer pressed the button. With a spike of pride, Daybreaker only counted until ten. The rest of the soldiers stared in amazement, it was so quick that their eyes could barely see the movement before it ended.
"Ten seconds," Daybreaker stated. "Without firing, of course, but I don't imagine that would slow Tiny down by much. You all should be ashamed. You are soldiers, this is your lives' purpose. Even a unicorn among you: yet after thousands of drills, cannot outmatch a foal! Get back to your training, or I swear by my noble sister's name, you will never get to cast your worthless sight on her visage ever again!"

With that, Daybreaker turned away and stomped out of the camp, Tiny quickly trotted after her, utterly confused.

"You did excellently," Daybreaker smiled, once she caught up.

"Is this how I am supposed to be useful?" Tiny asked, not grasping the purpose of the scene.

"That was merely one way. Soldiers are proud creatures, failing to outdo a foal by this much would keep buzzing in their heads until they improve. I am glad that you also improved. Weapon drills train discipline and responsibility, it is good to learn a weapon even as a unicorn."

All things considered, Daybreaker found that she was in a good mood. Perhaps she could humor the Queen and her antics a few more times.

"Can't we just teleport?" Tiny asked. "Walking uphill is tiring."

"I suppose," Daybreaker agreed, unwilling for her pupil to get tired just yet. With a brilliant flash, they were back in Tiny's room again. "Now, I believe we can learn something else... where is the book?"

Tiny shrugged,
"I didn't take it, I was with you the whole time."

A creaking tree started falling in Daybreaker's head.

Shadow Dealings

"...Eight...nine...ten... eleven... twelve...who knows how many on stand-by. More than enough guards for just for one gate, they must be expecting trouble."

"No. They are here waiting to redeploy, their planes are not being unloaded," Shadow confidently contradicted.

"Maybe they didn't get to it yet."

"Ammunition is a hazard to the airfield unless stored safely. An accident will cause critical damage to the entire facility. They would not risk it unless they knew they had no time."

Nightstar turned away from her binoculars to look at Shadow curiously,
"You know way too much about this for a maid." Shadow opened her mouth to explain, but the thestral had already turned back to observing: "Your Mistress will be pleased to know that the supposed heavy security will clear off in a day."

"We still must appraise their strength and equipment."

"Well, since you spoke against bringing anyone else, we can't just send someone in disguise to take a look."

"Soldiers lack training for infiltration, they are likely to be uncovered and expose our presence."

"Yes, you said that already. I can't imagine how they can mess up so much for their illusion to not be enough, but Her Eminence agrees with you."

"There are other ways. If one of the guards were to disappear, it would arouse much less suspicion."

"I guess that can work, except we would have to dispose of them afterwards. That will upset our Lady."

"No, we will bring them back with us. The Lady will question them for all she wishes to know."

"That's... not a bad idea, actually," Nightstar looked over to the gate again. "There's a lot of them though, how are you planning to pull this off?"

"I will enter the guardhouse and capture a soldier coming to rest. Then, we shall fly them away and ask aid for smuggling them out of the city from your criminal subordinates."

"They are not... Okay, fine. How are we going to do that without them spotting us? They are not thestrals, but even they can see us dragging their comrade through the air. Besides, you don't fly quietly."

"No, I don't," Shadow confirmed and turned to leave.

"Wait, that's all you have to say? Look, the plan is lousy. We are going to fail, or worse."

"That is true, but it changes nothing, as we must achieve the goals Mistress appointed for us. If we must take risks to do so, then this is what we shall do."

"But what if something goes wrong? She won't like us getting caught."

"Then we must not fail," Shadow once again started walking, expecting the baffled mare to follow. Nightstar did follow, cursing under her breath and questioning her choice of volunteering to serve as a middlemare entirely. This was definitely not what she expected to do.

The two mares silently crawled through long grass to the chainlink fence guarding the base's perimeter. The rusty sign on the fence warned of high voltage; but with a simple experiment using a grass blade, it turned out that the guards neglected the power.

Shadow cautiously waited to see if any patrol had its route by the guard room, but after an hour none came. Climbing the fence would've been far too loud, not to mention razor wire coils at the top, so the mares elected to fly over. Nightstar could do so quietly, but Shadow - no. The buzzing of her wings will make a sound that will spread far in the night air. Whether or not that will bring attention remained to be seen. Trying to make her buzz as light as possible, Shadow made the jump.
Landing across the fence, Shadow immediately dashed towards the closest wall and waited silently to hear if anyone was coming to check.

"It's quiet," Nighstar whispered, her hearing keener.

Shadow crept towards the guardhouse's corner. The soldiers at the gates still stood calmly. If they heard her, they paid it no mind. There were no convenient windows on the rear side of the house, but that was no bother, they could sneak in through the front door easily enough. They could either wait for the guard to change or some other distraction and move in then, or they could go now and wait inside. Provided there was no one else waiting for them there, otherwise, the mission will be over much sooner.
Shadow chose to move. She ran up to a door, before anyone could see her, cracked the door open and looked inside to make sure she wouldn't run into a full room. Seeing no one initially, she dove inside. Hurrying Nighstar in, Shadow closed the door and stood still, listening to the noises around her. There was a noise coming from what she assumed had to be the water closet, although she did not see anyone enter the house recently. Shadow signaled Nightstar to hold the door and began quietly creeping towards the noise.

The source was a pony, she was sure of that. The grunts and underneath curses gave that away. It was a mare, she sounded labored and frustrated. Shadow peeked through the door and immediately noticed robust, pink legs peeking from under a cabin. The door creaked quietly, but the mare still heard, immediately falling quiet. Shadow began moving in to strike.

"Who's there?" the mare asked, Shadow was undeterred, reaching for the door. "Shadow, is that you?" That made her freeze in place, her mind panicking for a moment, how did she... "Well, of course, it's you. It can only be you right now. Look, I know this sounds weird, but I really need your help. I want to help your Mistress but she won't let me if I go to her directly. Also, I need a moment, I am a bit... stuck."

"...Stuck?" Shadow asked, her rational mind trying to piece together what was going on.

"Yeah... I am feeling really stupid right now. I miscalculated teleport distance and now my leg is stuck in this damn toilet, I've been trying to pull it out for five minutes already, so if you could, maybe help me out?"

Her confusion still rampant, Shadow opened the cabin door. On the other side was Princess Flurry Heart, awkwardly smiling, with her back leg stuck in the toilet. Shadow did not know the specifics of pony magic, but this was the most extreme teleportation accident she had ever seen, even after perhaps hundreds of times she teleported with her Mistress.
Shadow pushed past the Princess to her back leg and took a hold of it. She pulled putting her weight into it and both of them ended up on the floor.

"Right..." Flurry got up with a grunt, crawling from underneath the surprisingly lithe changeling. "Okay, back to business. Shadow, we aren't even introduced, but I need your help and you need mine. Your Mistress won't understand, not yet."

"I cannot aid you in anything Mistress won't approve of," Shadow defensively stepped back.

"She... she will approve, I promise you. She just needs to see it, but she won't let me do it right now because she is going to think I am trying to betray her."

"I cannot help you then."

"Shadow, you have to! She is the reason you live, right? You are loyal to her above all else. What I am doing is in her interests, she just doesn't know it and she is way too suspicious to simply trust me at my word. She will thank both of us later."

"Princess, you should go. We have a mission from my Mistress. You may get hurt."

Flurry stared at Shadow for a whole second, as if she had no idea what Shadow was saying,
"Oh... Right... Your recon. I actually forgot why you are here. Okay, what if I help you with that? I can divine any kind of intel you want to find here, I can even get you confidential documents if you want them. How about I do that and you hear me out?"

Shadow was growing suspicious, of the Princess herself and her motifs. Shadow was a changeling, she was taught to deceive ponies from an early age and this felt like the same knowledge used against her. Caution was in order, but Shadow saw no harm in accepting the trade just once,
"Very well, Princess. Aid me and I shall listen, but be aware that my Mistress will know of this."

"I don't doubt that you will report everything to her. It would be against your character to do otherwise, but I think that once you hear me out, you will want to wait for some time before telling her. Okay, anyway, what do you need?"

"Mistress sent us to learn the state of the garrison, their numbers, equipment, chain of command. Anything that could aid my Mistress to stage an assault."

"Oh... W-well, I guess that is easy enough. Wait a moment," Flurry sat back onto the toilet closed her eyes and grew silent. Her lips moved, producing no sound, sometimes becoming a frown or a satisfied smile,
"Okay, I got it," she said without opening her eyes. With a soft pop, several folders of documents appeared on the floor beside Shadow. "These were in the commander's office. I think it's all you need and then some."

Shadow began methodically looking into the folders to know what she was getting. To her surprise, it looked like it really were documents from the table of an officer. One page even had still fresh ink.

"Hey, Shadow, what's happening? You are taking too long," Nightstar called to her through the door.

"I think I have what we need."

"What? But we just got in."

"I have the base's inventory documents and personnel manifest."

"How?"

"Princess Flurry Heart gave them to me, in exchange that I listen to her words."

"...What?" Nightstaer peeked through the door, giving the Princess a stare of utter confusion.

"Come in," Flurry offered her a friendly smile. "Nobody will come for at least five more minutes." With that, she was back to focusing on Shadow, "As I said, you need to help me. Your people are dying and I am trying to prevent that."

"Our queen is dead, without her we are doomed," Shadow morbidly reminded.

"That's the part that I need your help with, you need a new queen but there's no one alive who can fill the slot. We have to recreate a Changeling queen, but Nightmare will order you to kill me if she hears what I am up to. You have to help me to get it done without her finding out until it's time, she will think I am trying to bring back her mortal enemy. She might have been willing to tolerate her being alive back then, but now she will not allow a threat like that to appear if she can help it. You aren't quick to jump to conclusions, are you?"

"Our queen was unworthy. She only cared for her own ambitions. Our kind would rather die out than suffer her ever again. I will report you to my Mistress now."

"Wait! Shadow, you are doing exactly what I am afraid Nightmare will. You are jumping to conclusions before you hear me out. I don't want to resurrect Chrysalis! That would be a disaster waiting to happen. I said: I want to make a new queen so that changelings don't go extinct. Nightmare won't even let me finish the sentence before ordering me to be taken away. You know how self-sure she is. All I am asking is that you get her to think about fixing this, she won't be suspicious of you and we still need her in the end, no one else will fit. It won't be hard either, she regrets letting Chrysalis go after you and she would do a lot to fix her mistake. Get her thinking so that she won't be as resistant to the idea of you getting a queen again."

"Princess, I do not understand. If your cause is truly so benevolent, you have nothing to fear from my Mistress. She is kind and noble, she won't punish you for aiding her in caring for her subjects, she will likely even reward you."

Flurry bit her lip,
"Shadow, you know better than anyone else that she is not constant, no creature is. Right now she is not willing to see it like that. She already expects me to stab her in the back so when she hears about me trying to make a changeling queen, she will connect that to Chrysalis. She will send you to do the job. I have seen it. I don't want to die and I know you don't want to hurt anyone. You can help her more than you ever helped her before. Don't tell her just yet and help her be more open-minded."
Suddenly, the entrance door was pushed open and a melodic whistling announced that their time was up,
"Okay, time to leave," Flurry said and transported them away from the suddenly very crammed guardroom.

Rich Meal

Rich grabbed a bowl and unceremoniously dipped it into the cauldron, passing it along to Rainbow. The pegasus stared at her bowl in confusion: there weren’t any spoons around.

“Hey, don’t you have some cutlery?”

Rich huffed, producing another full bowl for Snow Strike,
“What, you two never drank soup?”

“Well… It’s just improper.”

“Suck it up, buttercup. No servants around here to carry your two and a half tons of baggage.”

Snow looked at Rainbow with a silent question. Eventually, Snow Strike was the first to break out, taking a sip out of his bowl, being careful not to spill any of it on his dirty-white fur. Rainbow followed suit. After a short taste, she greedily gulped more. Rich snorted his amusement.

“See? No hair off your noble heads. Want some more?”

“It is thin, Master Rich,” Snow Strike remarked, passing his bowl back to Rich.

“Of course it is. How do you think we keep everyone fed? We don’t have much to work with here.”

“Your Lord must be rather closefisted. He would not even aid you in times of hunger, much less offer shelter.”

Rich glanced at the mostly done frame that they were building just moments ago,
“We do not have a Lord. Never did. Now we don’t even have a Lady anymore, either…, it’s just us now.”

Snow Strike looked at Rich with concern,
“How sad.”

“Not at all. We are better this way. Live once without anyone telling you what to do, and you’ll never want to come back.” Rainbow’s lips stretched into a thin line, “Besides, having your own things, instead of hoof-me-downs, feels good.”

“Your Lady must be very cruel indeed if that is how you feel,” Snow Strike summarized. “My father always treated peasants with kindness, unless they broke laws. I strive to do the same, most other Lords seem to agree with this philosophy regardless of the land they rule.”

Rich looked down at his own reflection in his bowl; frowning, he took a sip,
“It wasn’t that she was cruel, just aloof and controlling. All you did was because she allowed it and only until she allowed it. She once had a church dedicated to her; until one day, they were gone. Not dead, just disbanded. There was rarely any direct action from her, just a display of disapproval was enough.
“Rainbow over here was forced to serve in the army because no one else would offer her a job or even a home. Nightmare Moon offered her a commission because she knew Rainbow couldn’t refuse. Despite there being very little actual repression but everyone felt her hoof on their throat. I had a business back then, a pretty wife from a rich family and a daughter,” Rich finished bitterly. “She didn’t take any of it away, I don’t think she was even aware that I would lose something; but as soon as I got an invitation to hold an office, I knew I couldn’t refuse. She wanted me and she couldn’t care less what it cost me to serve her.
“This is better, everything I got now can fit in this wagon, but at least no one can take it from me.”

“I guess not all of it was horrible, in retrospect,” Rainbow added. “She actually cared enough to make sure everyone was fed and had a home, even if it made them dependent on her. She also didn’t oppress us much. If she was sure we wouldn’t be hurting her power, she just left us to our own devices. It was getting better with time. After a while, she relaxed a lot.”

“It sounds like she was trying to be a good Lady to the best of her ability,” Snow Strike calmly observed.

“I guess,” Rainbow reluctantly agreed. “She doesn’t fit the description of an evil overlord, and trust me, I know someone I can compare with. She was trying, I can give that to her. She was even preparing to abdicate in favor of Luna, that’s another Princess. I think if that had worked, things would’ve gotten much better. She would’ve still schemed in the background, of course. But ponies wouldn’t have been terrified of doing something she disagreed with.”

“What was she like? I never had an opportunity to meet Luna;, she was always very reclusive. I wonder if she was the reason why Nightmare Moon was so lenient.”

“Well, it was hard to tell with Luna being stuck in her head, but we did get to talk to her a few times when Nightmare Moon wasn’t working. Luna seemed weirdly happy:, she also showed Nightmare Moon, of all ponies, affection despite her ruining everyone’s lives. Rarity says they always were very close.”

“Didn’t think Nightmare Moon even understood what being close meant.”

“Well, maybe she didn’t. She still was a bloody tyrant. But when it came to Luna, she always was tender. By the way, how is Luna these days?”

“I wouldn’t know, never met her. Nightmare Moon said that Luna was elsewhere and that we were actually trying to find her until we arrived here. Nightmare Moon hadn’t sounded like she had any ulterior motives either and was annoyed when the ponies asked her to rule them again. Wasn’t anything like what I expected. It’s… weird… seeing her away from the Palace and servants; she is still so stuck-up that I don’t think she actually sees commoners as worthy enough to account for, but she was courteous regardless. Asked me if my family was alright. Paid me generously too.”

“She was frustrated when I met her. Had a whole bunch of changelings with her. I don’t think it was because of them, though… I think she likes them. She had a changeling in her court long before I got there.”

“Sounds like something she would do, yeah. Changelings are very good at spying, after all.”

“Oh, you don’t even know one half of it,” an excited smile appeared on her face. “Shadow was one of the coolest creatures I ever knew. She was absolutely badass. Could kick you in the flank, and you would’ve never known it was her.”

“Wait, Shadow is still alive, she is there with her now. Scarred more than any veteran I’ve seen and completely devoted to her. Always thought it was weird for a changeling to be a maid.”

“I think Shadow has something wrong with her head, to be honest. It’s like she’s incapable of thinking about anything not related to Nightmare Moon. I know she can, I got her to talk about a few other things, but she quickly gets nervous and wants to go back to her duty, or something else close to her goddess. She’s very bright, though and also doesn’t have these patterns that changelings usually think in. As long as she’s thinking about her job, I think she’d give Twilight a run for her money.”

“That good, eh? Well, Nightmare Moon sure likes her. Seems to be the only one she genuinely trusts.”

“There’s also Rarity, but she’s just so gutless and non-combative that Nightmare Moon spins her like a yarn. She likes her, though… in the way you like your favorite hammer.
“She also likes Twilight and she actually respects her too. Never walks on her as she does with Rarity. Twilight also said that Nightmare was trying to teach her how to hold court; but I don’t know anything about that, I was never let anywhere close. I’ve seen them about on the palace grounds sometimes, and Twilight acted like she was a school filly again. Always carried around a notepad and scribbled down things. I think Nightmare just had her helping with paperwork and notes.”

Rich grunted and set down his bowl,
“I should go see if anyone needs anything.”

“One more issue, Master Rich. This noble lady you speak so much of is truly fascinating. Is there any possibility of you introducing us?”

Both Rainbow Dash and Rich simultaneously cried out, perfectly interrupting and cancelling each other out. After a mute stare, Rainbow won,
“My Lord, didn’t you hear? She is dangerous, contact with her is a source of great woes.”

“I fully intend to heed your warning, Divine Wind. I will not let her ensnare me like she did your friends. But there is so much to be gained! We have to at least try and benefit from this situation. At the very least, she could help us get home.”

“I guess if Princess Cadance can’t help you, you’d have to go through Nightmare Moon,” Rich reluctantly agreed.

“But… It’s…” Rainbow tried to protest but couldn’t come up with any more reasons. Luckily, her stubbornness couldn’t be called into question in time.

“Hey! Everypony!” a bulky purple dragon wearing a cape and a golden ring around his biceps was quickly rushing towards them.

“Spike? The hay are you wearing?” Rich asked, raising his brows.

“This… I met a sculptor that recognized me and made me pose for a statue. What can I say: I am famous here. Anyway! I came as soon as I heard. Rainbow! It’s so good to see you!” Spike stepped forward, opening his arms wide. Snow Strike immediately furrowed his brows and jumped in front of him.
“Uhh… Hi?” Spike offered.

Rainbow stood up and pushed the two apart,
“My Lord, this is Spike. He is an old friend, and he is a dragon.”

That comment immediately changed the atmosphere. Snow Strike now looked on curiously, studying his large form. Spike stood silently, hoping someone was about to answer his silent question.

“Curious, I I never thought they would be this small…”

“There are large dragons as well, My Lord. They grow throughout their entire lives based on accumulated wealth.”

“Uhh… Rainbow, are you gonna introduce us? Maybe then this won’t be so weird,” Spike suggested.

“Spike, this is Lord Snow Strike, he is here with me.”

“Okay… So, how have you been? Haven’t seen you in absolute ages!”

“I… eh… It’s a lot to tell.”

Spike smiled at that,
“I got time! Don’t think any crystal ponies will want a photo with me again for now, and I love stories!”

“Oh, if you’re gonna tell the whole darn, stinking thing, count me in too. Creatures in the camp can wait just a bit longer.”

Rainbow warily glanced at her master and began thinking about how to best tell her friend that she tried to forget him.

Tremors

Daybreaker was frantically searching the library: checking every bookshelf, picking books that looked promising to her, and dropping them on the floor when they were not the one.
Her rosy mane was frizzled, and her eyes were wide with terror. Across from her, Tiny was also picking through all the similarly looking books.

“Keep searching! It is here, it must be here!” Daybreaker commanded her. Tiny knew better than to speak against Daybreaker, much less when she was in such a state of mind.

“It isn’t here,” Tiny responded, having finished on her side.

“Go to the next one! We are not leaving until we find it!”

“Why are you so scared?” Tiny decided to try and get something out of her. “We can always come back the next day and find it then.”

“No!” Daybreaker stopped rummaging and stared at Tiny with her burning gaze. “We must find it as soon as possible! It will do untold destruction if found by the wrong creatures!”

Tiny shrugged,
“But isn’t it safe here? Hippogriffs can’t do magic, at least not like us.”

“Just find it!” Daybreaker snapped.

Tiny sighed. She knew, of course, why Daybreaker was terrified. It was obvious to anyone who had seen her and Nightmare together,
“You know, Nightmare won’t do anything to us if she finds out. She’ll yell and give us some chores, but she won’t tell us to leave or anything like that.”

“I promised her that I would take care of everything! I can’t return without her spellbook, she will never trust me again! …Oh! Thank goodness!” Daybreaker breathed a sigh of relief, flipping through the pages of the familiar book in a simple black leather covering. She squeezed it tightly to her chest and sat on the floor with her back against the bookshelf, breathing heavily, as if she just ran a great distance.

“Can we go back and eat now?” Tiny asked with a shrug.

Daybreaker angrily stared at her,
“Don’t you understand how much danger your losing the spellbook put us in?!”

“But you are the one who brought it! You just said that Nightmare said you should be taking care of everything!”

“I left you with the book so that you could study from it! It was supposed to be safe in your chamber! I now see how much of a mistake it was to trust you to be responsible!”

It quickly became obvious to Tiny how pointless arguing was. Daybreaker already decided to blame her, and there was nothing she could do to stop whatever punishment Daybreaker was about to subject her to. Tiny was upset, she guessed. That’s how ponies were supposed to feel when someone else was accusing them of things they didn’t do, but Tiny couldn’t for the life of her feel anything what-so-ever except annoyance. This wasn’t exactly new, after all.

Daybreaker took deep breaths to calm down and started putting books back on the shelves,
“We’d have to give our apologies to the librarian,” Daybreaker calmly stated. “A noble lady storming into their quiet adobe and rummaging through their carefully arranged books like a common ruffian is quite unbefitting.”

Tiny waited for her sister to finish and then followed her out of the library. Daybreaker spoke to the rather scared librarian hippogriff, making amends. Daybreaker never mentioned the punishment, her supposed mistake, or even spoke to her at all after they left the library. Daybreaker finally spoke to her again when their supper arrived, still dining together rather than Daybreaker leaving to eat with the Queen. The alicorn spoke about Tiny’s progress and judged on what she believed she should learn the next day, again, mentioning nothing about the spellbook. After the meal, Daybreaker told her to sleep and left it at that.
Tiny lay in her bed with open eyes for a while, wondering why Daybreaker was so lenient all of a sudden instead of how strict she normally was.

In the morning, Daybreaker woke her up at breakfast, as usual. During breakfast, Daybreaker did her usual small talk with the Queen, neither one making any mention of yesterday’s commotion; Daybreaker continued ignoring Tiny completely. After breakfast, Tiny wanted to pee, so she peeled off towards a bathroom while; agreeing to meet Daybreaker outside afterwards. Tiny guessed that her sister had more army stuff to show her today. Daybreaker met her as agreed.

“Sister, what are we doing today?” Tiny decided to ask directly.

Daybreaker huffed,
“Today, you shall learn something supremely important for your life. You shall learn responsibility.” Tiny shrugged, awaiting for Daybreaker to continue. “I have in mind a specific location. I was told it is scheduled for demolition soon, but you and our troops could make better use of it.”

“Me? What would I do with an old building?”

“You specifically will do nothing with it, yet it will be very useful to you nonetheless.”

As Daybreaker clearly did not want to explain everything to her now, Tiny figured she’ll see for herself. The day was warm and sunny. Where Tiny was from, autumn was cold, so this felt nice. Hippogriffs around were getting used to them, and fewer were taking time to curiously stare at them. Ponies still did, though.

Their soldiers seemed to like this day; even the grumpy old office didn't yell at them today as they did their exercises, singing a song out of tune. Tiny heard ponies sing all the time; she didn’t really know any songs, but just hearing them made her feel better sometimes. She didn’t get to enjoy their singing for long at all, as soon as one of them saw their figures coming down the hill, they all immediately quieted down and hurriedly formed a line before their barrack. Daybreaker told her that being a soldier meant being a part of the whole, so Tiny guessed that being so quick was good.

“My Lady, the company is ready for your inspection!” the officer sharply reported. Daybreaker gave the lineup a single long glance.

“As impressive as your disciplining methods are, Lieutenant, I would rather your troops demonstrate something practical today. You were supposed to receive a shipment of explosives.”

“Yes, My Lady. It was delivered, even though I had not requested it.”

“I made requisitions myself, Lieutenant. I do not believe that your standard drills are adequate enough for what my sister requires of you. I believe there was an engineer among you?”

The stallion sharply turned towards the lineup and shouted:
“Specialist Short Fuse, step forward!” a large stallion with an ominous-looking keg as his cutie mark stepped out.

“Excellent. Trooper, you shall instruct your comrades-in-arms in the art of explosive materials.”

“Yes, Maam!” he answered without hesitation. “May I begin?”

“Not yet. Retrieve the crate, assemble in marching order, and follow me.”

“My Lady, permission to use a truck?” Lieutenant asked.

“Ugh… must you?”

“The crate is, admittedly, heavy, My Lady. Carrying it on our backs will be very tiring.”

“You have a unicorn among you;, have him levitate the crate along. Even the weakest unicorns are capable of that much.”

“At once, My Lady,” the officer left to retrieve the crate.

The soldiers quickly stood in double columns, the unicorn at the end levitating the crate in the back. Daybreaker gave the order to move out, and soon enough, they were orderly marching up the mountain.

'Our fleet's ships peal out thunder, crashing through the broken waves;
As the island’s grim defenders gather to fight to their graves;
The cannons roar! ships collide! Enemy in sight!
They’re coming now, to board our deck. Steady, prepare to fight!' Someone started to sing a measured and slow song. Other voices quickly joined in. Soon enough, Tiny felt like she knew the song already and could sing together with everyone. Daybreaker quirked her brow but didn’t stop her. Tiny didn’t understand the meaning of the song, but it was fun to sing it with everyone, all the same. She wondered why her sisters never sang songs. She heard Nightmare hum a tune once, but no more than that. They eventually arrived at a large, rectangular warehouse, surrounded by a chain link fence with ominous “keep out” signs plastered to it. Daybreaker ordered a ditch to be dug, which resulted in a protracted search for shovels, as none were brought along. Eventually, the tools were procured, and soldiers diligently began digging under the watchful eyes of their Lieutenant, who couldn’t help but occasionally yell at them.

“Sister, a question,” Tiny looked up at Daybreaker. “Why does he keep badmouthing other soldiers? No one likes when creatures do that to others.”

“It is his way of maintaining discipline. No one likes being yelled at: and this is exactly why it works. They want him to stop yelling, and the easiest way to ensure he doesn’t yell is to see that he has no reason to. Those who are wiser appreciate his instruction, ultimately, this is for their own good.”

Having answered the question, Daybreaker pulled out the spellbook and began flipping pages in concentration. Tiny began humming the song again while watching the soldiers work and all the others who had no shovels just rest in the shadow of the warehouse. There were so many different ponies there. Some were very old, others much younger. Some were tall, others short. Some were earth ponies, others were pegasi. But there was only one unicorn - Daybreaker told her that holding unicorns in the infantry was a waste of their abilities. They started singing again, a different song at this time and it reminded Tiny of another question she wanted to ask.

“Sister, why don’t you and Nightmare never sing anything?”

Daybreaker gave her an incredulous glance from the book, being surprised that she would even ask such a thing,
“Singing is distracting.”

“But you don’t always have something important to do.”

Daybreaker didn’t answer for some time, her face going through several changes before returning to its usual impassiveness,
“I do not know,” she admitted. Despite the simplicity of the answer, Tiny was left completely baffled. How didn’t she?

“Singing makes me feel happier,” Tiny said absentmindedly.

“I suppose you have your answer then. I cannot be happier if I am not happy, to begin with,” Daybreaker grumbled.

“Why won’t you be? I thought you loved being together with Nightmare.”

“It’s… it’s more complicated than this. I love our sister dearly, and although she magnanimously forgives me for all of my missteps, I cannot help but feel anxious nonetheless. There’s so much not even she could help me with.”

“Mister Rich once told me that telling someone how you feel can help you feel better. Maybe you should tell Nightmare?”

“Mister Rich is a wise stallion, sister… but there is a time for such things and there is a time not to. Sister has far too many issues plaguing her daily to also solve mine. Sometimes we cannot afford to put our own interests first.”

“Someone else then? Mister Rich always listened to me.”

“Sister, there is something fundamental you still fail to understand about the difference between you and us: something which you absolutely must learn before you stop being a liability. Nobility and commoners do not and should not understand each other’s plight. We see the world very differently from you and that is by design.”

“Nightmare keeps mentioning this, but every time I ask, she doesn’t say what makes us different,” Tiny shrugged. “She told me that nobility are supposed to learn to lead from foalhood, but why can’t commoners learn in the same way?”

Daybreaker bit her lip,
“There is more to this than simply education. A commoner can be an able administrator, but not a ruler. What would you do if you were made a queen today?”

The question stunned Tiny, she never really entertained the possibility. It always seemed silly to daydream about things like these,
“I’d ask my subjects how I can help them? Isn’t that what a queen does?”

“No,” Daybreaker shook her head slowly. “A commoner serves a noble, not the opposite. It is not a matter of what you can do for them, it is a matter of how they may assist you in achieving your own design, from which all should benefit. This is the crucial difference: a commoner was raised close to the earth and, therefore, cannot see over the horizon. This is why a noble must not mingle with commoners unless strictly necessary. Living among them degrades our ability to lead until we too can only see the immediate problems that our people face. A commoner understandably believes that we imagine ourselves above them, but separation is necessary for the greater good of everyone.”

“Okay, but why does it matter if you are born to be noble and I am not? Princess Twilight wasn’t born noble either, but she is still a Princess.”

“Princess Twilight has a title, but she is still a commoner and is treated as such; even though she commands much respect due to her knowledge and ability. Nightmare never considered her fit to rule and only Celestia even had such thoughts. There is nothing dishonorable in being of common descent, sister. Our roles in society are inherently different, but both are necessary and respectable in their own ways. A noble commands while a commoner obeys. Without a noble, there would be no one to direct them and without commoners, noble titles mean nothing.”

Tiny slowly started feeling frustration crawl out from the depth of her mind, Daybreaker wasn’t answering the question that Tiny was asking,
“But, sister, why must a noble be born a noble?”

Daybreaker wearily sighed,
“Because a commoner cannot see beyond their immediate issues, how would you-”

“Sister, I want to know why a commoner cannot be born in a palace!”

Daybreaker angrily glared at her,
“Never interrupt your superiors!” she menacingly chided. After Tiny’s overstep, their discussion was immediately over, and Tiny had to wait in awkward silence. Daybreaker eventually found the page she wanted and seemingly calmed down. They watched the soldiers work on the dugout and sort through the explosives in the crate. After everything was accounted for, the engineer laid out electronics and rectangular bricks of an explosive compound on the ground. Daybreaker gave a nod, and the lengthy instruction began. The stallion painstakingly went through every single component that made the otherwise harmless material into a deadly explosive that could shatter stone and tear metal. Without Daybreaker, Tiny quickly felt bored; she figured nopony would allow her anywhere near explosives, so she could only sit and watch.
Soldiers eventually started practising assembling bombs, though their instructor did take out batteries meant for powering them. Daybreaker stood up and stepped forward,
“What can you say about this accelerated training course:, will they know enough not to detonate themselves now?” she asked Short Fuse.

“I believe so, but not much more, Ma’am. Demolition is not as simple as putting strings into a pack of nitroglycerine and igniting.”

“Oh, I never doubted that much. Perhaps you shall show them just what will happen if they forget your instructions?”

The stallion furrowed his brows at the suggestion,
“I reckon’ I could bring down a wall or two with a single crate.”

“Just two?” Daybreaker asked, audibly disappointed.

“Like I said, Ma’am, it’s not as simple as it looks. To produce optimal results, precise conditions are required, which are most often impossible to achieve in the field.”

“Then, perhaps a different demonstration is in order. I was only going to clean up after you have expended your resources, but I suppose it will be more picturesque this way. Do make sure to stand far enough back.”

Levitating the spellbook in front, Daybreaker gave it one last glance and began casting. The ground shook and soldiers were exchanging panicked looks. The tremors quaked strong enough for ponies to have a hard time keeping balance with the ground trying to escape from under them: and then, with a loud and melodic ring, it all stopped. A clear, high-pitched, melodic ring emanated from a simple, two-pronged fork. Being held in the air by Daybreaker’s magical aura. She looked back at them and gave a thin, satisfied smirk, before hurling the fork into the building. At once the sound stopped and a thunderous roar of breaking concrete, iron, and glass replaced it. In moments a large section of the warehouse collapsed onto the ground.

“Imagine what would have happened if I allowed the tremor to run its course,’ she punctuated.

Sleeping Sun

Nightmare Moon watched her soldiers depart for their first mission with a heavy heart. She told them to be as careful as possible, but tonight was the last one in their lives as innocents. After tonight they would have killed in her name. Nightmare Moon turned to look at her namesake, gently rising over the horizon, raised by her sister from far away. By the end of the night, they would have killed for her.

She wished to ask her for advice, but Luna never came, she had to make her move.
“Lady, the teleportation circle is ready… but is this really necessary? Maybe we could try to look for someone to bribe…, or perhaps negotiate with a higher official.” Twilight was very anxious, shuffling her legs and biting her lip. Nightmare Moon wished she could have something soothing to say.

“Twilight, I know that you never wished for this and only ever wanted to see others safe and happy, but we cannot delay anymore. I waited for you to try negotiating with the warden, possibly giving away our element of surprise entirely. From what you reported, you were lucky that he recognized you and proved amicable enough to not arrest you.
“It brings no end of sorrow to me, but we must harm our own kin once again. We cannot allow them to harm Celestia as every second she spends there, she is in danger. I do not ask you to fight, but you must do what is required from you.”

“I-I will! But this feels so rushed and poorly planned, we never learned how many guards there are, or the layout;, not even where the Princess is…”

“Excessive planning is as much detrimental as not enough. No plan can account for every eventuality… and the more complex the plan is, the more rigid it is. Rigid things are prone to shattering.”

“I… I understand. You are right, just like always…” Twilight anxiously murmured to herself. Nightmare Moon sensed that Twilight was on the verge of a breakdown. The thought of this turning into another horrific war, this time her being directly involved. Was this truly necessary? She quickly stopped her train of thought, she could not allow herself to doubt at such a moment.

“Twilight, I swear to you on my mother’s name that your concerns will never become real. We do what we must to restore our homeland; I shall do that much and no more, I will lord no more. I will do my utmost to minimize casualties. Come now, let us see if everyone else is ready.”

Twilight silently dragged on behind her as they went back inside the castle. The camp was, quite literally, buzzing with excitement as changelings were checking their weapons and equipment one more time before going to battle. The sounds of metal rubbing against metal, buzzing wings, and rustling cloth were omnipresent in each corner of the large entry hall.
Nightmare Moon headed directly for the command tent, but in her way came Shadow, she looked visibly distraught over something.

“Mistress, may we speak for a moment? There is something that demands your attention, it concerns your loyal followers.” Shadow rarely displayed her discomfort outwardly. Nightmare Moon never asked why, but she believed that Shadow didn’t want her to worry. This had to be exceptionally important.

“Twilight, find Rarity, please. I will be with you shortly.” After Twilight obediently, and stiffly, walked off in the vague direction of where the seamstress could be found, Nightmare Moon focused on Shadow again. Shadow immediately looked at the ground.

She spent a long moment hesitating before speaking almost inaudibly:
“Mistress, you are making a mistake.”

The simple statement, spoken just above a whisper, but to Nightmare Moon, it held the gravity of the largest star. She knew the Changeling for many years and came to dearly love her devoted retainer as she did her own kin, and never before could she bring herself to say these words. Not once Shadow contradicted her. This was the first and Nightmare Moon did know how to react.

Shadow must have understood the effect her words had as she became even more visibly uncomfortable, her eyes darting across the floor and her whole body quivering.

“M-my Shadow…” Nightmare tried to question, but the rest of her thought never came.

“Mistress, you are making a terrible mistake,” Shadow eventually repeated herself, hoping that Nightmare would understand her without her having to speak any more of the damning words.

“But… there is no other way…”

“Mistress, please, do not commit to your plans,” Shadow quietly begged.

Nightmare’s mind was starting to recover from the utter shock of the situation. Shadow would never say a word against her, under normal circumstances. Could she have learned something previously obscured, something that confirmed the folly of her course?

“My Shadow, please, speak,” Nightmare gently asked. Shadow continued staring at the ground, trying to overcome the intense shame that such a protest brought her.

“Mistress, the changelings are dying,” she finally uttered. “There are so few left. They are loyal only to you, sacrificing them this way will bring you only sorrow.”

Many thoughts resulted from this statement. The first one was dread. Nightmare Moon could only count a few times in her life when she felt fear, and never like this. She understood intuitively, she was afraid not for herself but for Shadow. For Shadow to come out to her like this, she had to be in nothing short of complete panic. There was something that utterly terrified her dear Shadow, and the very thought of something harming her terrified Nightmare as well.

Shadow did not fear for her own life, that was not in her nature. The ancient changeling drone understood her role, and knew that her fate was to die doing what was required of her; whenever that day would come. Nor she feared for other changelings, excluding only her daughters, perhaps. Could it be that Shadow was terrified of losing them? Nightmare Moon could not say what exact form their relationship had, she just couldn’t understand. But she knew that Shadow loved them deeply, even if they were a constant distraction in her line of duty. But no… this couldn’t be the only reason. Her Shadow would never put her petty fears above her Mistress’ goals. Even if those goals would make Shadow absolutely miserable. Which in turn would… Ah… There it was.

At that moment, Nightmare Moon could finally see with clarity the true depth of what she was about to do. It was not merely that her loyal soldiers were going to defeat the enemy in her name, it was that many of them would die to further her goals. And how many of them will be forever crippled? She suddenly remembered one of her Guards, Morning Shine. He stepped on a mine during the one and only field battle her Imperial Guard participated in. There was no glory in that injury, no tale to proudly tell his son. He lived the rest of his life in shame for being the only Guard who could no longer serve her due to his own carelessness. The carelessness was her own doing because she needed to show her strength. He deserved so much better than that and Nightmare Moon could not feel worse because of that.

This was a new outlook for her. Nightmare Moon always believed that war was a solemn, almost sacred, duty for both nobles and commoners alike. The material exemplification of the proper order of things. A noble leads and a commoner toils: acting together for the future. But now it was different. Here she was, alone, commanding a troop of some of the very last changelings to ever live; that followed her not because they believed in her cause, but because they could not imagine living without a queen ordering them to act. She wasn’t even sure if they had a choice in following her or if submission to her was a biological necessity for them. The new realization made the whole endeavor disgust her. She should have never taken the changelings with her. This was not their battle to fight. And Nightmare Moon knew that she would never forgive herself for making them die for her when other ways could still be attempted.

It did not feel like it was very long, but evidently, it was long enough for her to be missed. Nightmare Moon suddenly discovered Rarity’s worried look, as the seamstress approached her until she stood beside Shadow. Rarity gave the Changeling a single sideways glance, her expression turning even more worried.

“Darling, is everything alright? You look as if dear Shadow just shined a light in your eyes.” Nightmare Moon vaguely remembered the pain she felt when bright light hit her sensitive eyes when she still lived. She supposed that she felt similarly now.

“Shadow and I… we were discussing the state of our forces. She provided me with valuable and unexpected insight just now.”

“Oh? Should I tell the company to wait a few more hours if you want to restructure the plan? Surely, it is nothing too severe? After all, we have a friend to free from a cruel, dirty, wet prison,” Rarity cringed.

The remainder returned Nightmare Moon to what she was just about to do. She resented having to send changelings to battle for Celestia’s sake, but what were her options? She could not leave Celestia to rot.

“Rarity…” Nightmare Moon decided to stop lying to her friend. “My dear Shadow just saved me from making one of the worst mistakes in my life and death. I cannot send changelings to die for me. A war is waged not for glory or obligation, but because refusing to often leads to even more misery. I cannot ask the last of the changelings to die because of Celestia’s stubbornness! An action this careless is anathema to all that is noble!” Nightmare Moon emphatically looked at Shadow next. “Words cannot express my gratitude to you, My Shadow. I was so blind to the reality of what I was doing to those I was meant to protect. I am unworthy of you. I am unworthy of any of you.”

Rarity was visibly taken aback,
“Why would you say such a thing? Of course, you are worthy! We stand by you because you are our friend, and you wish to bring good to ponies! It’s what friends do - support each other. We all would be here even if you weren’t so capable.”

Nightmare Moon felt sick. Rarity’s immutable sweetness made her feel worse over what she did to her,
“Thank you… I promise…” Nightmare Moon wanted to tell Rarity she would make it right, but she realized that this would be a lie. “No… Rarity, I cannot do this any longer!” she burst, quickly drawing eyes, although Changelings respected their queen enough to not eavesdrop on her private matters. “Rarity, I used you! I ruined your life! What I did sickens me, I cannot pretend it never happened any longer!”

Rarity stood silently before the edges of her mouth slowly curled up,
“Oh, you remind me of Fluttershy! Darling always overthinks it. Why does it matter what you did so many years ago? Ponies remember it no better than what you did a thousand years ago. Yes, you did some regrettable things, but I never believed for a moment that this was who you are. Wouldn’t you now agree I was right?”

“But… Rarity… so many ponies died because of what I did, how could you support me fully knowing this?”

Rarity’s smile dimed,
“Yes. Would it have stopped you if I wasn’t there with you?”

“No.”

“So I thought as well. We were already in a horrible situation, regardless of what anyone did. Thestrals already came down from their mountains, and there was hardly a way to prevent ponies’ lives from being lost. Even if we used our elements and defeated you, it would have changed little in the lives lost. I could, however, change you. I made it so fewer ponies resisted you so that you needn’t harm them. After all, you only did what you had to do to defeat Princess Celestia. If anything, you moderated your armies that stewed in their hatred for centuries. I do not regret a single moment I spent running your errands or assisting your rule out of the Palace. I always believed you could do much more good here, rather than on the Moon… and look at you now! Risking everything you have to save the same mare that made you spend a thousand years on the Moon!
“Though I cannot say it was easy, or even pleasant at all times, I believe we and Luna did a great job reforming you, if I do say so myself!”

“You… reformed me?!”

“But of course! No creature is evil in its nature. Evil is miserable, and no creature wants to be miserable. Just look at Sombra, he had everything except for one mare he cared for the most… and it made him feel dreadful for every moment of his life and death. It is sad that so little can be done for him, but it wasn’t too late for you. You only needed to see just how much better it was to love and be loved in return than to be feared.”

This was definitely a new perspective. Nightmare Moon always believed that Rarity was firmly under her hoof, and it turned out that it was much more mutual than she thought. Although, the irony that the Princess of Love stood against her gave her no confidence.

“I suppose your reasoning was sound,” Nightmare Moon admitted. “I no longer know what to do. I see now that my course up to this point was wrong, but I see no other way to accomplish our goals. As much as trying to be less aggressive reduces our chances for success. I am questioning if I should rescue Celestia at all. She knew the risks and that her little ponies would sentence her for as much as showing her face to them.”

“Why, darling, everyone doubts themselves at the precipice. Just think about which course of action will do the most good to the grandest number of creatures.”

“I no longer believe my actions can do good to anyone,” Nightmare Moon gloomily responded. “I wish I never returned, I wish I stayed in the afterlife with my other sisters.”

“But that is so untrue! Look around you,” Rarity dramatically waved her hoof. “Every creature is here for you, and because of you, they finally do something that matters again. You give them a new reason to live!”

“They give themselves a reason to live. Changelings are creatures of duty and devotion. They don’t need me to have a purpose, they merely need a leader. It simply so happens that they see me as the most legitimate leader they can have at present. The fact that their queens never gave them a better purpose than war is pitiful. Such good subjects do not deserve to be wasted on the battlefield in a war that is ultimately unnecessary.”

Rarity was visibly perplexed by the answer,
“But Nightmare, you always repeat that war is a solemn duty. Changelings don’t know a higher honor than to fight for their queen.”

“Which only makes this sadder. Rarity, they are naive as foals, only knowing and understanding as required. Ignorant of all good in life. I cannot bring myself to sacrifice them. Not even for Celestia. I will go alone.”

“Mistress, but how do you intend to rescue the Princess? Allow me to come with you!” Shadow eagerly asked.

“No, my Shadow. This is not your battle. None of you should risk for Celestia’s sake. I will go alone. I may not be harmed with physical weapons.”

Nightmare Moon felt too sick to discuss this further. Offering a brief look for goodbye before floating away with no word. Nightmare Moon didn’t want to go. She wanted to be alone right now. But she had a duty to attend to. Her alliance has proved to be a liability, but she was bound by it regardless.
She found Twilight doing last-minute checks on the teleportation circle. Nightmare Moon made Twilight calculate it to deliver her directly into the prison’s courtyard, a perfect place to strike.

“Twilight, cast your spell. I am going alone,” Nightmare Moon ordered mechanically.
Twilight hesitated, looking around at their soldiers, still preparing for battle.

“Lady-”

“Twilight, please. I do not want to talk about it. I will go alone.”

Twilight hesitated for a while longer… but then she quietly obeyed nonetheless. The circle sparkled brightly before opening a rift between the channelling rods. Nightmare Moon floated through. As soon as she was through, the rift closed behind her. Looking around, Nightmare Moon acknowledged the accuracy of Twilight’s calculations. She was inside the courtyard, floating before a grim, concrete building with narrow windows and dim lights emanating from inside. The courtyard was littered with benches, tools, and attributes of prison life, as well as several guards staring down at her from their guard towers, attracted by the bright light of the rift. None of them had moved or raised the alarm just yet, clearly, there were no instructions on a small stormcloud teleporting inside their defences.
Nightmare Moon had no interest in waiting for them to figure it out. She quickly slithered her way towards the building. Sinking under the shut, metal door, she entered a grim, dimly lit hallway. Nightmare noted that security was rather light, she only spotted one guard wearily strolling back and forth in the hallway. She directed herself directly to him.

“Direct me to your warden’s office,” Nightmare Moon asked directly. She did not really have a plan for when she could get there, but she guessed that she would have to negotiate.

The soldier jumped halfway to the ceiling from a cloud of smoke just speaking to him,
“Uhh?!” He squeaked.

“Please, direct me to your warden. You house a prisoner I would like released,” Nightmare Moon calmly repeated.

“W-what? How…”

Nightmare Moon audibly sighed,
“Please, focus on your duty, guardspony. A visitor is asking for your directions. It is not required for you to know everything.”

“But… visitors are not allowed,” the guard managed to answer. Still far too confused over just what was speaking to him.

“Ugh… dismissed,” Nightmare Moon floated past him, deciding to search for the warden on her own.

The lone guard stared at her in confusion for a moment before rushing ahead of her and standing in her way,
“I mean it! Visitors are not allowed, this is a facility with restricted access!”

“Hmph! I’d like to see you stop me,” to punctuate her point, Nightmare Moon floated straight through him.

“But… it’s illegal!”

At that, Nightmare Moon began genuinely laughing; her fit only took a few seconds before she could control herself again,
“Don’t be ridiculous, little pony, your petty laws do not apply to me. You have no right to enforce them on me, nor can you. I have a business with your warden, and I shall leave when it is concluded. …Although, I suppose, I could simply free whoever is required myself. That would be much less intrusive on your warden’s timetable.”

“I… okay. I’ll walk you to the office. Just… don’t do anything, please.”

As promised, the guard brought her to the office spaces, at the top of the building. Nightmare Moon noted that the prison seemed only partially full at most, this must be a dedicated place to hold the most important prisoners. She’d have to comb through here and see who is a real threat here.

“The rumor is the warden is having a meeting today, so you might need to wait a bit.”

“I assure you, he will make time for me.”

“I doubt that;, nopony wants to upset the minister of information. She knows everything about everypony.”

Oh... that was a treat. Apparently, her old servant not only did not fall from fame, but even held sway. Not that she was surprised. Cloudy Dawn was a proper viper, that was why she had chosen her for the office. She also цфі the only ітфлу that proved to be too much even for an accomplished snake handler such as Nightmare Moon, and she never forgot her role in sowing discord in her Empire.

“I believe that madame minister will be positively delighted to meet me just as well.”

Nightmare Moon followed the guard until he pointed her at the office she was looking for. She dryly thanked him and invited herself in.

She expected the office to be buzzing with the chatter of negotiations, but it was eerily silent. Inside, Nightmare discovered a surprisingly homely room one would not expect to see in prison. The walls were covered in calming, deep green wallpaper with tasteful flowers littered closer to the floor. The light was mute and warm. In the middle of the room, stood a tea table with two chairs, one occupied. A familiar porcelain teapot and cups waited on top.

Although Dawn obviously waited for her, it seemed that Nightmare Moon managed to surprise her after all. Dawn was staring at her with a rare case of bewilderment for her.

“I suppose, this is where I should I invite you to have some tea, like you used to invite me… Though, it seems that would be a case of black humor.”

Indeed it was. Nightmare had to suppress a chuckle. She did attempt to “sit,”, however,
“I feel as if I should be surprised at you expecting me.”

“I connected the dots as soon as I heard that Twilight was back,” Cloudy explained. “Being in charge of literally all information streams in Equestria has plenty of perks,” the mare proceeded to pour herself a cup of tea from the teapot and breath the steam in. “You have such an impeccable taste in tea. It’s a shame that growing tea was deemed an unnecessary waste of labor by the agriculture ministry.”

“I came to negotiate the release of Princess Celestia,” Nightmare Moon decided to move to the point. She didn’t want to spend time reminiscing with Dawn, of all ponies. “I believe you can arrange that.”

“Simply enough,” Dawn casually confirmed. “I would have to convince the Central Bureau that the messages of her capture were false positives, but that is hardly impossible. That is, in fact, why I came here.”

“I am glad we understand each other, shall we?”

“In a moment. You see, I also hoped I could talk to you directly instead of having to use a princess as a messenger. I need to know your intentions.”

“My intentions are to rescue my fellow royal from unlawful captivity by her own subjects. I have no intention of exacting revenge.”

“I expected that much, it is not your style. Though, I partially expected having to parley with a strike team instead of you. Your soldiers must have begged you to get an opportunity for some revenge.”

“Less so than you believe.”

“Even though, I don’t think they are happy about our modern arrangement.”

“No, they are not.”

“I see. Are you planning to reign them in and attempt diplomacy like Princess Celestia had?”

“I believe you know my style better than to assume such a thing.”

Cloudy nodded and took a small sip from her cup. A vintage clock loudly counted the seconds of the pause,
“A shame,” Dawn said in the end, continuing their verbal duel. “I was looking forward to calling you my Empress again.”

“Why, are you truly so disillusioned in your ideal of democracy that you wish a tyrant like me to save you?”

“More so that I never believed in it to begin with,” Cloudy answered with a small grin. “Contrary to what you, likely, think; I never wanted you to abdicate. I only wanted you to shift your policies. I believe you know enough about my background to understand my perspective.”

“You had a fondness for writing about foreign leaders, yes. I enjoyed reading several of your reports on griffon dukes.”

“I also wrote on democratic projects too. Saddle Arabia has a centuries-long democratic tradition of electing emirs, though only nobility and rich commoners can vote. Their system is not bad in the sense that their state functions stably, most of the time, but it is so painfully conservative and slow to move that at the time I was writing my field report, they had failed to adopt the steam engine.
“A more republican ideal of minotaurs landed them better results, but in the last several decades, each election has turned into a competition of cutthroats who can convince the public that the other side is even worse than theirs is. Their policies suffered as a result, with record levels of corruption and no political will to reform.”

“And so you believe I did well in comparison to everyone else. Such a backhoof compliment you have. Celestia is eager to take her crown again, perhaps it is her you should speak to.”

“Celestia? Is this why you are going to such lengths to rescue her?”

“I want nothing to do with this place any longer. I am only here because of Luna.”

Dawn looked on in disbelief, before recomposing herself,
“Is she here?” Nightmare Moon realized that she overestimated her opponent and made a mistake.

“I do not know,” Nightmare Moon lied. “I came to search for her together with Celestia. As per conditions of our alliance, I am to assist her in reclaiming her position; if I am able to do so.”

“You do not know?” Dawn incredulously asked. “That is rare. I do not remember you admitting ignorance once before. No, you always know. You always know at least something;, that is why you are so successful.”

Nightmare Moon mentally flogged herself for her mistake. Having to resort to lying made it too easy for Dawn to see through her.

“My knowledge of Luna only extends as far as it did in my life. I last saw her before my death and I haven’t heard any information regarding her since. Searching for her trail here seemed the most logical way to begin.”

Dawn knowingly smiled at her, showing her that the deception was not working,
“A shame. We could have helped each other. I have wanted to meet her ever since these zealots started infiltrating our ranks. There’s no need for this hostility. If you ever find her, please pass my invitation on to her.”

“I will see what I can do. Now, will you do as you promised?”

Dawn frowned, but stood up,
“Do you have to be so hasty? Your throne can wait a little longer, no one else will be claiming it any time soon.”

Nightmare’s first instinct was to tell her again that she had no intention of claiming a throne at all, but had stopped herself just in time. Dawn was trying to provoke her, she wasn’t being genuine…. Neither of them was,
“I will suffer no excuses. A princess must not be held in captivity a second longer if I can help it.”

“I always admired your principles. Let’s go then, she has a special cell at the infirmary.”

“Special cell?”

“Of course. You wouldn’t expect an alicorn to be treated like any other petty criminal.”

Nightmare Moon did not like the sound of that.

The way to the infirmary lay through more lively cell blocks. Nightmare Moon saw dozens of ponies lying in their rough, metal beds, not all sleeping but too afraid to move regardless. This was no place for her or Celestia. Dawn led her past the infirmary into a separate room, the door wasn’t reinforced and only had a simple lock. Two guards stood outside.

“It’s time, boys,” Dawn signalled them with a flourish. “Time to put our friend back out there.”

The guards warily glanced at Nightmare Moon, and she responded with practiced cold glare. The door wasn’t even locked, and the inside looked nothing like a cell but rather a medical ward. Celestia was lying in bed, several needles connecting pipes to her hooves and neck. Her eyes were closed, but the heartbeat meter showed that she was alive.

“You drugged her?!” Nightmare Moon cried out. Causing several ponies around her to step back in fear. “How dare you! How dare you lay your filthy hooves on a royal Princess! You are unworthy to even look at her!” The more Nightmare said, the more enraged she felt. She wanted to break something, preferably Dawn’s spine. “Is this your doing?!” she yelled at the mare directly. “You dare to imprison her, and now you drug her?! I will make you answer for what you did! You, lowborn filth, will suffer as she did!”
Despite how well Dawn knew her and how much experience she had in dealing with nobles of all sorts; Nightmare Moon, for the first time, saw genuine fear in her eyes. A testament to her presence and rumbling voice, she must have looked like a small stormcloud ready to erupt in a lightning storm for the ages.

Dawn quickly recomposed herself after Nightmare’s eruption and attempted to placate her,
“I swear to you, this wasn’t my idea! I only arrived several hours before you did! This is the best way we can deal with magically gifted prisoners! The only other way is to cut…” Dawn realized far too late that her explanation was about to have the opposite result. If Nightmare Moon’s rage wasn’t quite hot enough to melt steel, now it would reliably melt enchanted tungsten in a sub-caliber shell.

“Release her immediately!” Nightmare Moon ordered. Dawn nervously nodded, and the staff frantically started disconnecting needles from the sleeping Princess. It took them some minutes and a few more drugs, but Celestia soon started to steer in her sleep and began groggily opening her eyes, squinting at the light.

“See? No harm done. It was a medical coma,” Dawn clarified, having a moment to calm her nerves.

“Celestia! Can you hear me?” Nightmare Moon called out. Celestia’s eyes were unfocused, but consciousness seemed to have returned.

“Y-yes. Just a tiny bit sleepy. Don’t you worry, everypony, your Princess is not worse for wear.”

“Teleportation spell, do you think you can still cast?”

“Yes… I just need a moment,” Celestia stood up on her wobbly legs and yawned. “Dear, it’s been some time since I had so much sleep. Now, where are we? I do not remember having a cell so lavish.”

“Celestia, this scum has drugged you and kept you sleeping for the entirety of your imprisonment.”

“Is that so?” Celestia curiously looked at the medical machinery around her, paying special attention to the dripper she was recently disconnected from. Having finished her examination, Celestia suddenly showed Nightmare a playful grin, “I am pleased to know that you care so much for my wellbeing.”

Dawn giggled twice, stopping herself under Nightmare Moon’s death glare,
“When I am back here, you’d better not still be on the premises.”

“Now-now, Nightmare Moon. Will you at least tell me who your new friend is before you kill her?” Celestia asked, taking a few steps forward to have a closer look. “Your face is oddly familiar…”

“My name is Cloudy Dawn, Your Highness,” Dawn bowed slightly. “I served as the Imperial Minister of Information after you were banished. Before that, I worked as a journalist for Equestria Daily; I mostly spent time abroad, so you probably wouldn’t remember me...”

“Nonsense! Of course, I remember you! You were widely known as a political writer. Luna enjoyed finishing her night reading your articles,” Celestia glanced at Nightmare Moon at the end.

“Lest we forget your current employ in our enemy’s,” Nightmare Moon pointedly added.

“Must you always paint everyone as friend or foe?”

“As much as I am glad to see that you are in a good mood, I should remind you that we have much to do. Let us leave this place.”

“Can I, at least, offer you a compromise for a peaceful resolution of our conflict?” Dawn asked with little hope.

“From what I understand, you have no authority to offer us satisfactory terms,” Nightmare Moon pointed out. “Unless you are offering to assist us in restoring the lawful order.”

“I have no authority to negotiate alone on behalf of the Central Bureau, but I can convince them to offer you the terms close to what we agree upon. After all, I direct the information flow: and can show them precisely what they need to see.”

“What you are offering is edging on treason. I see your loyalty is as shifty as ever. But very well, I shall hear your offer out.”

“I see no reason why we shouldn’t negotiate either; go on, my little pony. Speak up.”

“Thank you. While I cannot offer you unconditional surrender, I can offer to address the question of your legal status. It must be awfully inconvenient to deal with ponies trying to arrest you every time they see you…”

Nightmare Moon gave a glance to Celestia, who returned it. Nightmare Moon then proceeded to cackle. Dawn visibly shrank. Celestia frowned at Nightmare Moon, but the apparition did not even notice her reaction, consumed by what she found utterly hilarious.

“My little pony, I am sorry. It seems that Nightmare Moon has found your offer wanting. Perhaps it is because she sees your law as beneath us.”

“It is… i-it is not just that! It… it is that she believes that her pathetic lawponies can prove an obstacle. Dawn, sweety, you could not arrest me regardless of how many lackeys you send after me. You have no chains that would hold me, and no amount of sedative will prevent my escape. I will burn your prison to the ground and free everyone you mistreated, and you will be unable to do anything about that. The very idea that you, a peasant, infer that you are capable of denying us is laughable.”

“I am not going to do anything to you! I want to help you, for Celestia’s sake!‘

“Thank you, my little pony.”

“I just… look, it doesn’t have to be like this. We can coexist; I know that neither of you wants to fight, it’s just not in your characters. We can talk about this and come to some sort of compromise without having to harm anypony. I will give you my guarantees that you will not be harmed again.”

“Celestia, this is a waste of our time,” Nightmare Moon dismissively asserted. “She cannot offer us what we want and only wishes to stall. Dawn is not like most honest folk, she is as treacherous and cunning as any one of us.”

“I concur, Nightmare Moon;, it seems that you are correct. Cloudy, is there anything at all you can offer that is other than our own safety and negotiation opportunities with your superiors?”

“I suppose not. At least for the time being. But if you choose conflict, I won’t be able to do anything for you at all!”

Nightmare Moon and Celestia briefly exchanged views,
“I suppose we would have to take what is ours then. Celestia, let us leave. I am tired of this charade.”

Celestia proceeded to ignite her horn, and both were gone in a bright spark, leaving Cloudy alone with confused and borderline terrified medical staff. Cloudy proceeded to close her eyes and sigh deeply. She pulled out a cheap lighter and lit up the end of a common cigarette,
“Sound the evacuation order,” she calmly said. “We are leaving, and anyone who is not out in five minutes will be left to fend for themselves.” Cloudy then marched out of the room without waiting for an answer.

The Battle of The Mountaintop

Nightmare Moon was furious. She reigned in her emotions, but was still as close to white-hot rage as she could be while still remaining in control. She wanted to destroy that place and free all of its prisoners. Nightmare Moon hated what they had done to Celestia, but she hated what Dawn implied they did to others so much more. It was unforgivable. Removing a unicorn’s horn not only stripped them of magic but stripped them of their identity. This callous mistreatment of a tribe for merely inconveniencing the state was an affront to everything Equestria was. Not even Sombra could be so cruel.
Nightmare Moon could not stand aside and watch anymore. She knew exactly what she was called to do. She lost her title with her death, but it mattered not to her.

“Soldiers! Form a double-file column!” Nightmare Moon’s order came like thunder in the relative silence of her camp. Changeling immediately jumped up and began hastily assembling. Nightmare Moon leaned towards Celestia’s ear,
“Prepare an earthshaker spell. I will send for you when it is time.”

Celestia rammed a bewildered stare into her companion,
“Were you serious about burning down that place?”

“Deathly,” Nightmare Moon icily responded. “After it is done, we will head for Canterlot. You are returning to your throne tonight.”

Ignoring Celestia’s visible hesitation, Nightmare Moon turned to search for Rarity with her eyes. Having located her dear friend, she rushed through the air forming a long, black streak. Her sudden burst of speed left Rarity slightly frightened.

“Return to the Queen’s domain and bring my sister and all troops that she managed to gather,” Nightmare Moon commanded. “Ensure my little sister stays out of harm’s way until dawn.” Having delivered her order, Nightmare Moon sharply turned away and repeated her search for the next servant that currently required orders.

“My Shadow,” Nightmare Moon called imperiously. The Changeling looked back at her, her round, insectile eyes unreadable. “I require your aid again. This time I must ask you to do more than merely scout. Take the knowledge that you gathered during your last raid and use it against our enemies. Take your daughters with you and prepare the airfield for our arrival. Our enemy must not know of us until we are already inside. Assume the identities of the checkpoint guards and await our arrival. Kill the originals if you must.”

“Mistress, are you certain?” Shadow cautiously asked.

“My Shadow, I understand what I must do now. I see why I am required. Princess Celestia refuses to protect her subjects if it means violence. There is no one else who is able and willing. You will aid me, that is how our existence shall have a purpose again.”

Shadow’s glassy eyes kept trailing her, before slowly closing in compliance,
“Of course, Mistress.”

“Thank you, My Shadow. I may not be able to save your race from extinction, but I can ensure that you will be revered as the great heroes you always were. Just as Falcon brought the Shield of Flash Magnus to the first Queen of Equestria, we shall bring ponies the means to protect themselves.
”Go now, and know that I am always with you in my thoughts.“

Shadow uneasily went to collect what she required for her mission. Nightmare Moon still had one more order to give.

“Twilight,” the purple alicorn uneasily looked up from the circle, still intact on the floor. “I will venture through the gate again with our troops. Keep the gate open until we return, but send Rarity to Mount Aris when she is ready.”

“Yes, Lady,” Twilight answered readily, but unsurely.

“Twilight, when I was there, I witnessed ponies being not merely kept out of sight but maimed as well to ensure they would not escape. That place exists for ponies that must never be seen again. We shall not stand aside and watch this happening.”

Twilight nodded in agreement,
“No, we shall not.”

Nightmare Moon looked at her with gratitude. Meanwhile, her troops had assembled; and the major dutifully stood beside, waiting for her decree. Changelings were hard to read, but outwardly they looked resolute and prepared to do as she ordered,
“My soldiers!” Nightmare Moon addressed them directly. “Before the night ends, you shall be covered in glory! But before that, we have much to do. Beyond this gate lies a repugnant prison where ponies are brought and never to be seen again, they shall join us in our struggle if we free them. Go forth and open their cells, kill all personnel that will not surrender. For what they did, they deserve neither your pity nor your lives. Be fast and win before our enemy organizes, for this is only the first and easiest of our battles tonight. Go and hide not your faces, let the enemy look you in the eyes as you crush them! Charge!”

Upon the order, the changelings went into a full gallop, the sum of their feet shaking the ground, and they rushed into the gleaming gate,
“Major, stay with me. I shall have you by my side tonight.”

The Changelings surged from the shining gate as a great buzzing wave of black, chitin, cloth, and metal. Flying up and away as soon as they were on the other side to make way for their sisters as quickly as possible. The guards were more prepared but did not expect the scale of the assault they were facing. A few of them threw together a makeshift barricade and huddled behind it; while others were trying to fire from windows; their single-shot rifles had formidable stopping power, but they lacked the fire rate to truly suppress the enemy. The Changelings, however, quickly suppressed the guard with their automatic fire. Then, like a swarm of angry bees, they swiftly swarmed all over them and surrounded their barricade before they could even fathom what was happening. The guards’ surprise was quickly followed by confused panic: but they knew it was already over, hesitating for a few moments before they dropped their weapons and raised their hooves. The swarm quickly neutralized them before just as quickly surging inside the prison, firing, bashing, throwing, and stinging anyone offering it resistance. Just as quickly as it began, it was over, the few ponies left inside were confused and horrified at the speed and ferocity of the assault. None of them died, but some had bleeding bites and cuts, and others were only bruised. The Changelings had suffered two of their sisters dead and few more inured - an inevitable price of an infantry assault.

Nightmare Moon sent many to death in the past, and had no doubt she would be sending more in the future. Yet now, it felt different; she felt nought but shame and regret.
The few remaining terrified guards were presented to her; there were only twelve. The civilian staff all totalled in fifty-four heads total. Nightmare Moon cared little for them;, her concern was in the prisoners. Prisoners were numerous. It took them almost twenty minutes to find everyone and lead them outside, looking as confused as their jailors were. Few of them were unicorns, but looking at them confirmed that Dawn meant what she said, as their horns were conspicuously missing. Nightmare’s long-dead heart filled with anger at the sight. These fools were destroying Equestria’s largest benefit over short-term advantage.

“I am Nightmare Moon!” she proclaimed loudly enough for all to hear. “I came to free you from your shackles and avenge crimes done to you. Those of you who wish to join me in my quest to bring freedom to all who have had their freedom denied to them can speak to my soldiers. For those of you who do not, I will offer safety from the despotic government that imprisoned you. I will not lord over you, nor will I use coercion against you. To the jailors among you: know that I will not allow any harm to come upon you as long as you are my prisoners as the customary honors of war dictate. You shall remain in my care until you can be transferred to a dedicated facility, where you shall remain until your past actions can be reliably verified. Know that I will not hesitate to order your execution if you abuse my hospitality. All of you shall be fed and clothed as needed. Now come, there is much to do tonight.”

Nightmare Moon then ordered the ponies to be taken to the Castle and asked Major to retrieve Celetia. The Princess of the Sun emerged from the gate visibly in thought,
“Must we be so destructive?”

“Yes. We shall destroy every single dungeon where they harm ponies. Now cast the spell;, we have much more to do tonight yet.”

Celestia was obviously biting back objections but decided to trust Nightmare’s judgement nonetheless. Nightmare Moon appreciated Celestia’s understanding but decided to muse on it later.

Celestia summoned a monstrous quake, and before long, the building collapsed into opened fissures.

“Using spells for destruction feels unnatural to me,” Celestia stated, surveying the newly made ruins. “Someone has built this.”

“Someone who has used to it deprive your little ponies of their freedom. This is why you always fail when there is no one to shift responsibilities to. You are unwilling to break your principles even if your duty requires you to. For the sake of your subjects, I hope that you will know better in the future. The likes of us have no luxury of being rigid.”

“Rigid?” Celestia looked at Nightmare, surprised. “Is it rigidity to look upon this devastation and feel regret? Is it rigidity to only wish my subjects to be happy? Is it rigidity to refuse to harm them?”

“Oh, but how could you be so old yet still so naive? Sometimes harm is unavoidable. Your only choice is whether you do harm yourself or allow others to do it. The first option allows you to be certain that only what has to happen will be done. The second option leaves all of us at someone else’s mercy. That is why we must fight now;, that is why this place must be destroyed. Stone can be made anew. Ponies cannot be. Not every set of choices includes a moral one.”

“Oh, I am not naive. I am well aware that my inaction does nothing to stop monsters like you from harming ponies. Violence always begets violence. There is a point where one has to stop. I teach ponies to not turn to destruction. For a thousand years I labored to achieve Equestria, where ponies would never be afraid. Before you returned, no pony had seen war for generations. I hardly ever had to try a murderer, and even drunken brawls were a rarity.”

“That was a noble goal indeed,” Nightmare Moon acknowledged calmly. “No amount of repentance shall be enough to atone for my crime. But neither will be for yours. I am guilty of destroying our subjects’ lives, but you are guilty of allowing me to do that. No one else could have stopped me, you knew that.”

“Haven’t you said that we had more work to do tonight?”

Nightmare Moon huffed and headed through the gate back to the camp with Celestia in tow.

Her castle was now crowded even more so than usual, but Nightmare Moon had no time to organize them just yet. No, she had a battle to attend to.

“Twilight,” she turned to the purple alicorn patiently waiting by the gate. “Watch over our new guests, if you would be so inclined. Keep in mind that some of them are prisoners and could attempt to escape. Celestia, stay for the moment. You will have your city back by morning, but before then, it is dangerous.”

“Do what you must, Nightmare Moon,” Celestia sighed. “I suppose you will regardless of what I say.”

Nightmare Moon did not deign to answer. She quickly summoned her Major and allowed him to issue ten minutes for the troops to resupply. After those minutes expired, Nightmare Mood once again had her troops form a column and led them out of the Ccastle’s front gate. She noted that they must have been quite a sight to behold, she even felt nostalgic. Many-many years ago she already led her ponies-at-arms out of the gate to war just like this. This time it will end better than the last time.

Nightmare Moon led her soldiers through the forest in near-total silence and order. No one spoke unless asked to and even marched in-step, as if during a parade. The goal of their trip soon appeared in Nightmare Moon’s sight. It was a walled compound on the edge of Ponyville, not quite inside the town itself but close enough to see it clearly. A new, paved road was laid just in front of the gates. The compound was also silent, even in comparison to the forest at night. Her advanced team had to have successfully carried out their mission. Otherwise, the ponies would’ve been all over the place by now. She hoped that none of them were severely harmed, she would already have to bury far too many of her few remaining loyalists. She kept telling herself that doing nothing was pure cowardice, but no matter how hard she tried to chase the doubt away, she could not. She could only ignore them.

The gates of the compound were slightly ajar. Not obviously so, just slightly to tell anyone who had business to know that they weren’t locked. Nightmare Moon peeked inside. The area was mostly empty, safe for a loose metallic barrel or a leftover crate. A weary-looking truck rested by the open garage doors, next to several more closed shut. Large, square barracks stood to her side, gloomily reminding her just how many ponies lived here until tonight. A smaller but multi-storied headquarters building with neatly trimmed grass by its walls met her directly in front of the gate with a depot huddled by its side.

Ensuring that the area was safe, she ordered her troopers to move in and check for any vehicles in working order. Her plan required at least a couple. Seeing their sisters pour in through the gate, the advanced team showed themselves. Their uniforms were dirty from crawling through mud. The drone she put in command calmly and nonchalantly walked over to her and reported that the area was taken by subterfuge instead of an open assault. The drone seemingly did not mind that the hoof she was saluting with was covered in blood almost to her elbow. Considering that Nightmare Moon did not directly order them to take prisoners and that the drone reported none, she could guess accurately, exactly how many they took. Nightmare Moon looked at the barracks with open sorrow, but didn’t regret her decision. The lives of her own soldiers were so much more important to her. She would never order them to take unnecessary risks, even if it resulted in high casualties for her enemies. She had to remember to return and lay them down as warriors should be. Although changelings did not understand such customs, they had enough decency not to throw them in a pile or burn them.

For now, her own warriors prepared their vehicles. She counted five trucks. It will be crammed, but they will all fit. So far, the plan was proceeding just as intended. Now was the time to make sure that her subordinates understood what they were meant to do, as she could not expect to micromanage such a battle.

She divided her soldiers into five, equal teams and allowed them to choose their own leaders, as their internal hierarchy would suggest. Sadly Shadow did not bring her a map of the airbase, but Nightmare Moon remembered it well from memory; it had been a long time, but military installations rarely changed in layout significantly. She drew a map on the ground with a borrowed bayonet and began explaining it to her changelings-at-arms. They will be able to get inside the perimeter in their stolen trucks with changelings disguising themselves as ponies, her Shadow will make sure they do. What comes next would be much more difficult and bloody. While they had the element of surprise on their side, the airbase holds the area of a major munitions stockpile and will undoubtedly be heavily guarded. She expected that the major strong points would be the barracks and the command center. Barracks will be housing the majority of the garrison at night, but the command center was an extremely advantageous position that could be defended from an infantry attack even without stationary weapons. Nightmare Moon briefly deliberated on bringing a few mortars and leaving them behind to shell the barracks when it was time, but Major Tarsus quickly warned her that his changelings were not trained for mortar duty. It was a pity, but Nightmare Moon could hardly expect the same quality of training as the storied infantry academy of Tall Tree could provide from Crystal Empire.
Instead, Nightmare Moon decided to proceed with her original plan: an infiltration attack by infantry. No matter how far technology advanced, infantry fighting would always devolve into bayonet charges eventually. Even if every trooper had suppression ability for a whole squad these days. Tarsus agreed with her judgment and suggested they assault the command center first before switching to the barracks. Nightmare Moon had to decline. It had to be simultaneous, lest the garrison arms itself. Of course, she could not commit entirely to any sort of assault and had to leave reserves.
Her finalized plan was simplistic but brutal in its execution. They will drive inside the perimeter and approach as quickly as possible to the command center, it happened to be located beneath the air control tower and therefore was an excellent landmark. When in position or discovered: they will disembark and advance at peak speeds towards assigned objectives. Every single one of her soldiers being capable of flight aided in this greatly. One squad would assault the command center, as committing more would only result in changelings hindering each other in cramped conditions; three more will fly towards the barracks, engage with grenades and destroy the opposition in close combat; two more squads will be left in reserve to reinforce or deal with any other unforeseen source of opposition. After the main sources of resistance were suppressed, the headquarters will be garrisoned with the reserves and remaining members of the assault team; meanwhile, the other half of the company attempts to secure the ammunition storehouses. With these in control as well as the fortified position at the air tower, they will be able to easily repel any counterattack should it come immediately. Nightmare Moon was confident in her strategy, but one thing was making her uneasy: they had no ability to repel an armored reversal. Her troops consisted entirely of light infantry and were poorly suited for defending against anything other than infantry. She had to hope that they would be able to find everything they needed for that on-site.
She also had little in terms of an escape plan. As much as she regretted admitting to herself: if she failed, there was a significant chance that her soldiers would be wiped out. If they fail to capture the air control tower, they are likely to be surrounded and destroyed in several hours. This was a risk that she would not have taken under different circumstances; but her resources were few, and her enemy was mighty. This looked like an attack of desperation more than anything else, but no other option would be any safer and will only grow more dangerous by the day.

“To your vehicles, please,” Nightmare Moon ordered, having ensured that all team leaders understood their objectives precisely. Changelings began boarding with no word of complaint or a murmur of doubt, such was their faith in their queen. But others quickly trotted to the compound’s arsenal for more grenades and ammunition with the permission of their leaders. Nightmare Moon chose to ride with her reserve in the back of their column, together with Tarsus, serving as her adjutant. They were soon on the road: their engines announcing their movement far into the night. The ride was uneventful, even as they began passing through Canterlot’s lower parts. The city was much like Nightmare Moon remembered it: although with less splendor and much less carefully maintained. The ponies looked on curiously at the passing vehicles, none keen-eyed enough to notice a speck of blackness in the already dark night. The ones wearing clothes wore their working outfits, with only a few going out to spend time with their loved ones in simplistic, but often decorated by hoof, attires suitable for a warm summer night. Despite the grimness of the deed she had to commit, Nightmare Moon felt relieved to finally be home again; she could only hope that Canterlot would stay like this even after her arrival.

The road soon took them up the mountain again, bypassing the governmental part and her old palace until it was level again. Almost there now.

The vehicles soon stopped. A signal came from the driver’s cabin, it was time for her to dismount. Nightmare Moon gracefully floated out of the truck and looked towards her goal. There were two ponies at the checkpoint, seemingly speaking to the driver of the first truck. Nightmare Moon could not reveal herself. She was confident in her Shadow, she never once failed a mission in her service, her daughters undoubtedly just as formidable as their mother. Yet there was a chance of their failure: and in that case, they will all be in grave danger if anyone at all saw her.

Nightmare Moon slowly slithered beneath the trucks, silently moving closer to the head of the column until she could hear the words spoken. To her relief, the guards were indeed disguised changelings. All was proceeding as planned. This was one of the smoothest plans she had ever put into action, which was bizarre considering the circumstance. Nightmare Moon would not have been surprised if the base would’ve been raised by the time they arrived. Either Dawn neglected to inform anyone of her presence… or this was a trap. For one long moment, Nightmare Moon paused in doubt once more. She could still retreat, leave this place, and return back to Queen Skystar and hippogriffs. They would welcome her with an open embrace, especially if she committed herself to keeping the peace between ponies and hippogriffs.
This was… appealing. In truth, Nightmare Moon was tired. She was deathly tired. She spent barely three hundred years in Equestria but felt as if it had been millennia. It felt so long when she enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. She was so foolish to rebel against Celestia who magnanimously shouldered all responsibility so that her sister could be free and happy.

But what’s done is done. She had made mistakes and was determined to set right what she could. The first step was to tear the land out of the usurpers’ cold grasp and return it to the one who is willing to restore it. She only hoped that this time, it was no mistake.

She left the protective hull of the vehicle, and the eyes of the disguised infiltrators were on her,
“Where is your mother?” Nightmare Moon calmly asked. The changeling nodded towards the guard shack, and Nightmare Moon went there. Inside were several tied up and struggling ponies, ever gracious Shadow refused to harm them even if it meant putting herself a danger. She was there too, clutching a rifle to her chest and watching them like a griffon.

“Mistress,” she acknowledged her with a short bow.

“My Shadow, come with me. I require you to be close when the battle begins. I shall leave your daughters to guard the prisoners.”

“Mmmmwww!” one of the ponies squealed upon seeing her speak, although his gag prevented him from being heard. Nightmare Moon paid him no mind.

“As you command,” Shadow stood up and began to step stepped towards the door.

“One more thing, My Shadow. Did you spot anything different from your last visit?”

“The planes have flown away, taking their cargo and some of the troops,” Shadow answered.

“As expected,” Nightmare Moon confirmed. “But is there more? My Shadow, I must confess to you, this feels… too easy. When an enemy seems weaker than they should be, it indicates a trap about to be sprung.”

“Mmmmwwhhh!” the pony again tried speaking, but once again could not get a word out.

“At the prison, I have met an old servant of mine. She expected me. She knows me. I do not believe that she would simply allow us to be this brazen.”

Shadow entered deep thought, the plates on her face rhythmically shifting,
“We could interrogate one of the captives,” she suggested. “I have not noticed anything abnormal compared to my prior observation.”

“My Shadow, I am afraid we do not have time. Our vehicles arriving unannounced is already drawing attention. I must commence assault soon lest we lose our advantage.”

“Have you brought Princess Flurry, Mistress? Perhaps she can tell.”

“She is conspicuously missing. This makes our situation even less clear, but I must press on. Perhaps calling you with me is not proactive enough. My Shadow, go and find us the safest path to retreat. In case of treachery, perhaps some of our soldiers may yet live.”

“It will be done, Mistress,” Shadow bowed and quickly trotted outside, leaving Nightmare Moon alone with the prisoners.

She gave them a single lookover and followed her Shadow out.

Having assigned the guard for prisoners, she decided to press on. Her vehicles slowly poured in and followed the road towards the air tower.

The trucks slowly rumbled down the road towards their goal, grim barracks and stores on one side and a fence on the other. The road was clear of sentries, no one expected them. Her truck suddenly came to a stop, and Nightmare Moon heard a loud speech from the column’s head. She took a look from the side. They have arrived. A pony in officer’s regalia was standing by the first truck, speaking to the driver. He wouldn’t even know what happened to him. Nightmare Moon gave one last look at her changelings, huddling together and clutching their weapons. Grim determination on their faces.

“Now,” she whispered. That was all she needed to do, they knew what came next. One by one, they swiftly hopped out of the vehicle and went forwards, covering themselves behind the vehicles. The officer gave a surprised yelp followed by a gurgle. Other changelings began dismounting and flying off or rushing towards the nearest building. Nightmare Moon did not choose a field headquarters location in her plan, for she did not know the exact layout to the minute details required:, but she was confident that one of the near, thick-shelved storehouses would do. She intended her reserves to stay put there with her as well, she needed to make use of their radios too.
Before she could make a definite choice, the sounds of struggle permeated the air. There were no gunshots just yet, but they will come in a few seconds.

Most of her soldiers were already away on their tasks, and therefore they won’t be easy targets. Nightmare Moon ordered several of her remaining troopers to smash the door into a large building closer to the strip, it seemed large enough to serve as an effective fortification for a platoon and would do as her headquarters. The air was full of gunfire when they arrived. By the time they got inside, explosions were ringing only a stone’s throw away. Awfully-sounding siren made Nightmare Moon internally moan.

“Fortify the entrances,” Nightmare Moon instructed. “I need a sentry on the second floor watching for threats.”

The building they occupied was a motor pool. Several vehicles in various states of repair were lined on the outside, and a few were suspended by hydraulic lifts. This was new. Nightmare Moon never intended this base to serve as a maintenance point for ground forces. Though she did not complain. Internal tool storage and had no windows, this would serve her needs. She asked for one radio and left her soldiers to organize the defense themselves. Then, she waited. Her Major was dutifully by her side as her trusted staff. The hardest part of warfare was waiting. It didn’t matter how many times she did this, it never felt easy. She had to be here, to plan and execute stratagems, while her soldiers were fighting outside; losing their lives in her service. Nightmare Moon wished she could lead them herself, but that was no general’s role. She was glad it was not ponies she was leading this time. She loved them dearly, but she had to admit that most of them were poorly suited for war. Explosions and gunfire were always nerve-wracking, Nightmare Moon remembered her first modern battle to minute details due to the fact of just how terrified she was. Fear was an alien emotion to her for most of her life. Before, battles were the prerogative of knights, their house forces, and levied peasants. They were almost quaint by modern standards. Now wars were a singular unending battle stretched for thousands of kilometres and hundreds of thousands of participants on each side, each day going through the hailstorm of shrapnel and bullets with no guarantee that they will even see the face of the one who killed them. It was impersonal and mechanical. Nightmare Moon resented having to adapt for the longest time.

The battle raged on for some time when the radio came alive. The assault detachment reported having secured the air control tower. Nightmare Moon immediately ordered half of her remaining troops to reinforce and fortify. She hesitated asking of their casualties.

This was easier with Changelings. They were much like knights of old rather than pony soldiers. A pony had more to them than simply their ability to fight, for changelings, it was their purpose. At the thought, Nightmare Moon remembered Queen Chrysalis, her old enemy, and how easily she crushed her. For the first time, Nightmare Moon thanked her in her mind. Changelings around her did not panic, their faces did not even twitch when they heard a particularly close explosion or shot. It was not merely their discipline, as impressive as it was, changelings simply reacted differently to stress. Instead of panicking or shutting down, changelings simply focused on their goal with single-minded determination to the exclusion of anything else.

Nightmare Moon waited until the fighting quieted down. She broke the radio silence and asked her troops to report their status. To her relief, every detachment reported success. The battle was theirs. She ordered her final reserve to sweep the premises for any holdouts and immediately call for reinforcements when discovered.

The search continued for another half an hour until every building and ground depression was explored. They took prisoners, but most were either heavily wounded or caught in their beds before they could react. Nightmare Moon wished they could do as much for all of them, but the watch alerted most of the garrison quickly enough for them to reach for their weapons. They were not supposed to have their weaponry stored inside their barracks, one could only imagine how many of their tools went “missing” over the years. She would not have let that stand.

She probably should call her witch to look after the wounded.

“My Shadow, fly back to my castle and bring Zecora, ask her to bring many blood clotting remedies.” The elder changeling silently bowed, spread her transparent wings, and buzzed out.

Nightmare Moon was left to contemplate her next actions. Her sister will arrive soon and bring her reinforcements. She did not expect much resistance in the city itself. Canterlot in itself had no military value. It was extremely defensible due to being situated on a mountain but provided little other advantage. This likely meant there would be no other source of military resistance. There will certainly be policeponies to contend with, but lacking orders and being taken completely off-guard, she did not expect them to offer significant resistance.

“Major. Take stocks of our losses and choose six changelings to conduct recon in the city. I wish to know the locations of police stations and any additional forces garrisoned there.”

“At once, my lady,” Major quickly but calmly trotted out of the building the same way Shadow just left. Leaving Nightmare Moon alone with the radiomare. The only thing left to do was wait.

“What is your name, filly?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“Fuchsia, my Queen.” Nightmare Moon resisted the drive to correct her on the title. As annoyed as she was at the commoners constantly using the wrong titles for her, she supposed that this was one exception. It did not matter how many times she corrected them;, for changelings, she was the queen.

“Like a flower,” Nightmare Moon said. “I understand the tradition for your people is to give foals anatomical names.”

Fuchsia shrugged and looked at her radio,
“My mother named me this way,” she simply answered.

“Did she ever explain to you the significance of your name?”

“No, my Queen.”

“Fuchsia is an entire genus of flowers. Some are deep red, others are white, but they all have their pollen pods elevated so that hummingbirds could reach them easier.”

“The flower can be a different color, but it stays the same,” the drone acknowledged.

“Indeed. Just like your kind does. Tell me something else: what did you do before you were a soldier?”

“I trained.”

“Is that all you did? I do not imagine so. There is something about your species that has been troubling me from the moment my dear Shadow sought me out. You only wish to be seen as servants to your hive - your queen, but you were not blindly loyal to your former queen. After I defeated her in battle, your ancestors renounced her and pledged their loyalty to me. This is not how your hierarchy should operate. There have been many times when your hive has suffered defeat, but never before have you simply abandoned your queen.”

“I was told that she was unworthy. She allowed her selfish ambitions to stand before the needs of the hive.”

“Is that so? While we were not deeply familiar, Chrysalis did not appear to me as a mare who would disregard her children. To all her vanity and lust for power, Chrysalis was first and foremost a mother. She wished to secure a stable food source for her hive: and to that end, she went very far. She has tried subterfuge twice but was stopped by brave ponies. She only attempted a direct assault after exhausting other options. Although, she was much too uncompromising. While her desire to be independent of the pony leaders is understandable, one must also be mindful to not overstrain. Chrysalis believed that overwhelming numbers could win the war for her, but that is only a single factor. Numbers are a significant advantage, but they will matter little if the enemy already knows where and when they will be. I knew the exact date and hour of their strike. I had proper units laying in wait with reserves prepared to counter. Before they knew what was going on, they were already being bypassed and their communications cut. It was over rather quickly afterwards.
“Frankly speaking, Chrysalis never stood a chance.”

“Not against you,” the drone mechanically agreed.

“She would not have fared well against Princess Celestia either if she was to be convinced that simply giving up was not her best course of action. I merely was able to do it faster.”

“Is this what it was like? You knew from the beginning but waited for our queen to attack first?”

“Precisely. I waited for her to expose herself and then brought her low. If I were to attack first, it would have resulted in unnecessary casualties. As it stands, her casualties were much larger than mine despite me being the one on the offensive.”

“How many?”

“It is hard to say. Before my death, they were not yet accurately counted. The estimates ranged from five hundred thousand to a million.”

“Couldn’t you have sent your assassin instead?”

“I could… although that had an unfortunate possibility of failing. If My Shadow were to have been captured, I would have not only lost her, but it would have also given away just how much knowledge I had about Chrysalis and her plan. Please, understand that in war, failure is unacceptable. Casualties are unfortunate, but ultimately worthwhile as long as one’s objectives are achieved.”

“Is that still true? Are we the means to achieve your objectives, my Queen?” the question was not delivered with the accusation, she merely asked a question. Yet Nightmare Moon still felt that she was being judged. Changelings would not dare to speak against her, but she knew very well that they always judge her actions, just as they did Chrysalis.

“Regrettably, yes,” Nightmare Moon decided to speak honestly. “As much as I lament this fact. I wish that I could provide you with a better future. I cannot save your species, but I can ensure that you are at least remembered. Raise the rest of your company on the radio, I need a report.”

The reports from her squads consisted of their status, and this time they had time to count their losses. Sixteen were wounded, and only five dead. Considering they were up against a similar force, these were acceptable casualties. Mighty Bucephalus could have done no better.

It would be a moment before her scouts return with the information she needed, but her sister would be arriving any moment now.
Indeed in ten minutes, she heard a commotion outside, and her sister’s voice was barking commands as any sergeant-major would. She was a good pick for this.

Nightmare Moon found her outside, by a shimmering gate spewing forth dozens of ponies. Some she vaguely remembered, others she did not know.

“I welcome you back, dear Daybreaker,” Nightmare Moon addressed her sister, floating closer. Daybreaker acknowledged her with a curt bow.

“I come when ordered. Your soldiers are mustered and armed as you commanded. They are prepared and in high spirits.”

Nightmare Moon looked at the quickly forming crowd, staring at her in silent bewilderment. They were so old now. This was all she had now, she supposed. The old and the dying. Yet… they were her most loyal warriors if even after all this time they flocked to her. Changelings felt they had no other way;, their loyalty was thin. But ponies… these were the creatures that truly followed her out of something deep.

“I am grateful that you could come, my soldiers,” Nightmare Moon began respectfully;, she would bow to them if she could.
“I have no right to call for you after all you have already done, but you came nonetheless. Some of you already know me, and I welcome you as old friends, for the others I can only explain myself: You are not here to seek glory or riches. I have neither to give. I only offer you duty, just as I always did. Yet this time, your duty will not be to me. But to them,” Nightmare Moon pointed with her gaze at the city just barely visible behind the curve of the mountain due to its bright lights.
“When I led you to Canterlot last time, I demanded your fealty: but now I only ask for help. I came to set my mistakes right. I have gathered the splitters of what I shattered, and I intend to put them together and forge something new. I cannot restore the harmony that some of you might still remember, but I can try. Perhaps I may just approach it. I do not ask you to die for this cause, for there will be no grand battles to fight. I only ask that you labour alongside me for something larger than any of us. Your names will not be remembered, but your deed will be. I hope this much is enough; if not, my sister will transport you back.”

Nightmare Moon looked on intently at the gathering. Some ponies were visibly disappointed. She had to agree, this was not her finest speech. But she couldn’t manage any better under the circumstance. She had nothing to inspire them with besides hope. Equestria is not yet lost.

Changing Plans

Luna silently lunged through the midnight hallway, avoiding the passing guard and his pesky flashlight. It felt so dreamy in this building at night, even more so than during the day. Bureaucracy always bored her almost to sleep, so she was glad to leave it to her sisters: but this time she had to engage in it herself. She only needed to find the correct desk.

Luna darted from room to room, from desk to desk, from drawer to drawer. Grain shipments, population census, seaweed quotas, pig iron production rates - it was all wrong. What she needed was a place. With Nightmare prepared to support her with force and advice, now was the time to move. She needed to know where to find the Minister of Industry and Agriculture. If she could only get with them in the same room… But this was not as simple as just finding schedules. Those were kept with the ministers and their staff at all times so that ponies like her specifically could not find them.

Dashing from room to room, Luna eventually found something. It was an internal note from this evening:

“To: Glossy Makrel, Security Chief, Floor 26

From: Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture

28th of June, XXXX

Your lottery number for this cycle is 7788.
Secure the file of the corresponding number in your safe until the 2nd from 1600 of the current date.

Equestria and Her People.
End.”

This note meant little in itself, but Luna knew of its significance. The protocol for handling documents in the Bureu’s bureaucracy demanded that in case of a Minister being off-site, the current documentation must be distributed along the higher-ranking staff through lottery. The document was likely to have no relevance to her goal, but the note in itself told her that her target was not here and would not return in the next several days. She still needed to find where exactly they went, however. Searching for the proper document would likely be fruitless due to the lottery system, however, she could still try the minister’s office and secretariat.

Luna continued darting along the hallways, faster than the eye could see and enough to raise a weak gale, even then, still completely silent. Luna swiftly reached the upper, much more secure floors; but locked doors and safes couldn’t stop an alicorn. Forcing the locks to open, Luna entered a room lined with wood and soft carpets. A large portrait was hanging on the back wall. “Green Thumb, 6th Minister of Agriculture”, the plaque said. Luna took a long look at the painting, committing the Minister’s image to memory, before moving on to the surrounding desks. With her best speed, Luna rummaged through the numerous notes, finding little, before she spotted a crumpled paper in the “incinerator bucket”. She levitated it up and unfolded it. It was another note, though, this one was hoofwritten and forgoing the proper convention.

“Madame, I regret to inform you that your request for ten crates of Royal Violet tea will be denied, and you will soon receive a notice, regardless of whether you ask for the Ministry or not. As per this year’s plan, my district was ordered to seed corn instead of tea this year, and we do not have enough produce left from the previous year. I understand entirely that this may result in my resignation in the near future. I would like to offer an alternative: while I cannot provide tea, I do have several crates of coffee of Arabian produce in the stockpile. If you would accept it as a substitute, perhaps we could still avoid the emerging problems.

Equestria and Her People.”

Luna could use this. Coffee was just as rare as tea in this day and age, and ponies will talk. Tomorrow evening she could get messages from her network on all the coffee of the corresponding brand. This was not a guarantee, for she did not have the response letter or even a guarantee that her intel would be accurate, but this was likely the best she’d get, as there would be no papers directly stating the minister’s location regardless.

Luna gathered what little information she had, and with a pop of displaced air, she teleported away. She immediately stepped towards her own desk, without even looking up from the documents.

“Aunty, there you are!” the worried voice of Luna’s lovely niece made her known. “Aunty, we need to talk! It’s important!”

“Dear niece, I am afraid I cannot humor you right now. Would you please wait outside for a moment? I will be free for you in just a few minutes.” Luna did no’t even turn, quickly levitating an ink pen and some paper.

“No! Aunty, you don’t get it! Nightmare sent you a messenger a day ago, but you weren’t here, and I couldn’t find out where you went with scrying!”

“Like I said, Flurry just a moment. I only need to finish this order. I will be with you both in a moment. Would you, kindly, find Midnight Shade?”

“Aunty, Nightmare is in the middle of attacking Canterlot! You must talk to her!”

Luna immediately wheeled around, forgetting entirely about her half-finished order.

“She is doing what?!” Luna asked in disbelief. “How she-”

“Aunty, please! Just come with me! You have to talk to her before she kills everyone in the city standing against her!”

“W-where is Sombra?” Luna shakily asked.

“I… Aunty, Sombra isn’t here. He will be gone for a while. We have to find Nightmare before she orders her troops to attack the city itself;, right now, she’s at the base on the mountaintop, but she has already sent changelings to scout police stations and any other source of threat. She will kill all of them unless you interfere! You are the only pony she’ll listen to!”

“Yes, you are right, of course. I shall go immediately.”

Luna walked closer to her niece, and nodded. Luna then began casting a teleportation spell. Within a moment, they were there. Luna’s aim was not as perfect as Twilight’s was so they ended up outside of the airbase’s territory, but still close enough to hear out-of-tune singing coming from the area behind the fence.

Luna said nothing, unfurled her wings, and gracefully took off with a jump. Flurry wondered for a moment how her aunt could be so casually beautiful. Luna flew into the base itself, and it did not take long for the distant singing to stop, they were already spotted. The fact that they weren’t immediately fired upon meant that perhaps the soldiers were told to expect them.

Luna landed on a patch of grass by a large group of pony soldiers sitting around smaller campfires made out of empty fuel drums. They were clutching their rifles as the alicorns approached but showed no outward hostility.

“Where is Nightmare?!” Luna asked, making sure that all of them heard her. A few of them even covered their ears. Nobody answered her, but before she could ask again, a very old pony stallion rushed towards her and deeply bowed.

“Princess Luna, Lady Nightmare Moon is in her headquarters, would you have me lead you there?”

“Yes, immediately!” Luna answered confidently.

The stallion led them to the same garage from Flurry’s vision, so far, this was going as she wanted it to, despite the recent trend. They were let inside, where Nightmare was looking down at a map and, drawing with a red marker. Hearing the door, she glared at the ones daring to interrupt her strategizing, but seeing Luna, she immediately softened.

“Nightmare! What is all of this?” Luna asked quickly shortening the distance until she stood just a few steps from her sister. “When I asked you to help, I didn’t want you to do this! You told me this was behind you!”
Luna sounded genuinely hurt… this talk wasn’t going to be nice. Flurry tried to make herself as small as possible, hiding away next to the door.

“Luna, I know how it seems, but I am only doing what is necessary to restore the rightful way of things. I have not harmed anyone who wouldn’t have harmed us. This lowborn filth had imprisoned your sister and drugged her until she couldn’t stay awake. If these were the old days still, I would have hunted down and executed every single one who had their hoof mired in such a crime! After saving her, I crushed their prison into rubble and destroyed two military camps. I ensured that no innocent ponies have even seen us.”

“To Tartarus with your throne!” Luna outright yelled in anger. “You are killing ponies for power, and now you invent excuses?! I worked for decades to gather enough information to coerce the Bureau into releasing our former servants peacefully and working towards a common future! They will think that this attack is the doing of my ponies!”

“But… Luna, you could just take what was yours after I died… why did you wait for so long? I thought they hunted you…”

“Of course not! Nightmare, because of your meddling, our subjects thought that you were an aspect of mine, remember? They thought I was already dead. Instead, they hunted our sister, who fled! Your heavy-hoofed methods are why we are in this situation, to begin with! Even after all these years, violence is still your first resort?”

“Only because our enemy leaves me no choice. Luna, they had your sister! What would you have preferred I done? Let them do as they pleased with her? Celestia willingly gave herself up in the hope that they would listen to what she had to say. If you wish to blame someone, then blame her! I tried to reach you, but your poor excuse of a liaison has failed to deliver the message in time!”

“I wasn’t even at my desk for the better part of the last three days! I was finding intelligence on the Bureau member I had to meet! I was this close to finding him!”

“Meet? You would meet with the savages that drugged your sister?!”

Flurry has heard quick, heavy, fast-approaching hoof steps outside. Daybreaker had to bend her neck to not hit her head when entering. She glared at Flurry, but said nothing, stopping next to her, likewise waiting for her sisters to cease arguing.

“So you took this place to save Celestia? Hardly a prison fit for her, don’t you think?”

“No, Celestia was in a fortified prison. I managed to negotiate her release, but, Luna, there were more prisoners there. After I’ve seen how they treated Celestia, I couldn’t just leave the rest of them!”

“Such selflessness! I wish it extended to everyone else you’ve killed!”

“Luna, everyone in this facility was a soldier, they would have harmed you and your own followers if ordered so! They would have gotten in the way of us retaking our throne city! Surely you understand.”

“Canterlot is irrelevant! What we need to take is Manehattan, Canterlot is just a symbol at best.”

“Manehattan? Luna, what makes you say so? Canterlot is where my palace is, it is where the throne is. Without it, there is no monarchy.”

“Because Manehattan is where the government is! You are not going to hurt them by taking Canterlot! What do you think is going to happen once you have it? Will the army just surrender to you?”

“Not immediately, of course, but that would be the start. The ponies will know their legitimate rulers are back and will flock to us.”

“Oh… Nightmare, you didn’t talk to any of them, did you? Not many remember the days before our return, but everypony remembers you. They will not flock to you, they will flee to the end of the world.”

“Which is precisely why Celestia will be the one ruling instead. I never wanted this. I wanted to leave her to deal with this as she saw fit. I am only here for you, Luna. You wanted me to help you take back what is ours, and by our stars, I shall do so. I will hang every traitor myself if I have to. We get our home back, and your sister gets her throne, we all get what we want.”

“No!” Luna stomped on the floor in frustration, shattering the wood and nearly falling. “Nightmare, how can you be so callous? I thought you didn’t want any more blood to be shed, yet now you speak as if nothing has changed at all! I wanted this to be peaceful, to prove to our ponies that we have their best interests in mind after all! How would you have me do this if you are just killing everyone who does not immediately swear fealty to you?”

“But Luna, surely you see. We cannot convince our enemies to just simply give in. If it had been this easy, they would have never been our enemies. I promise: I shall only do what is necessary and no more.”

“But you are already past that. You killed several hundred ponies that weren’t a threat to you, simply because they were in your way. They might have joined you if you tried to negotiate. Soldiers are some of the only ponies that remember you fondly. Nightmare, I beg of you - stop! Don’t repeat the same mistakes from your past. It is not too late.”

“If… if that is what you desire, Luna,” Nightmare Moon caved in, with a degree of disappointment in her answer. “But what would you have me do instead? I suppose… I can still ensure that Celestia returns to her throne and protect her if nothing else.”

Luna nodded, “Please, do so. Do not harm anyone unless it is in self-defense. This will work out, I promise. I know you are not on speaking terms with her yet, but try to get Cadance to lend her support; if not for you, then for Celestia. Anyone whom we could get political support from will help us a lot when it’s time to re-establish the government. Maybe this will even be enough to discourage a military response entirely.”

“I will do as you ask but do not expect great results. Cadence hates me enough to put her own life and that of her subjects on the line only so that she could discredit me. Celestia has taught her poorly.”

“I will speak with her. For now, call off your attack on the city. I will return to you soon and speak with both you and Celestia.”

“As you wish…”

Luna nodded gratefully and turned to leave. Flurry followed suit, grinning to herself. She managed to successfully avert this crisis after all. Not much longer now.

“...Nightmare,” Daybreaker spoke up once Luna was out of view. “I intended to report the findings of your scouts, but I suppose it is irrelevant now. Do you wish to give any immediate orders?”

“Order the troops at ease and begin cleaning this place up,” Nightmare Moon tiredly responded. “I suppose we will be playing the role of a nice and obedient troop. We will need some help as well, prepare the prisoners for interrogation. …And bring Rarity, Celestia, and the other civilians here.”

“It will be done. Should I also order the troops to take control of your palace?”

“No, not now. It seems that Luna does not wish for us to attract any undue attention. Also, do return my book, if you would be so kind. I’ll be reviewing what you taught our sister within the next several hours.”

A nervous frown appeared on Daybreaker’s face for a brief moment, but Nightmare Moon did not press. She had more immediate issues to deal with.

“We missed some good times, didn’t we?” Blackhoof said, looking over a huge pile of bodies, a shovel slung over his back.

“Yeah, we really did. Poor bastards didn’t even know what hit them. Most of them are still in their pajamas,” Whitenose lamented. “The changelings who were piling them up told me they did the same thing at Ponyville too, except that time the ponies never even got out of their beds. By the stars.”

“Overheard someone talking about Luna giving Nightmare a piece of her mind over this. Apparently… this wasn’t the plan.”

"Yeah, feels like nobody had any plan for a very long time at this point. The hay do we do if not even our Lady knows?" Whitenose sat on the ground, starting to rub his leg wraps.

"I don't know anymore. I'll just dig for now," Blackhoof punctuated by putting the shovel blade into the ground and lifting up a pile of earth.

"Just like in the army..." the third stallion drearily pointed out.

Unladylike Spellcraft

Tiny sat on a bedroll, staring into a teacup Rarity put out for her. The tea was hot; wispy streaks of white steam were slowly rising from the cup, tickling Tiny’s nose.

“Try it, darling,” Rarity prompted. “I promise, it’s not too hot.”

Tiny shrugged, levitated the cup to her lips, and sipped. The tea was almost hot enough to burn, but not quite. It tasted buttery and sweet.

“A lovely blend, wouldn’t you say?‘ Rarity asked, taking a sip herself.

“It tastes like water with something added into it,” Tiny said flatly.

Rarity sighed, “Oh, darling. You can’t even imagine how wrong you are.”

Tiny shrugged again, “Water is water, no matter what you add to it. Can we go to Nightmare now?”

“This again... Dear, I told you before: Nightmare specifically asked for you to stay here until morning. Nightmare is fighting a battle right now; we would only be in the way, distracting her.”

“I can fight too…” Tiny grumbled.

“Oh, perish the thought!” Rarity turned her nose up and away. “Fighting is uncouth and unladylike!” Rarity then looked back at Tiny. “We shall leave it to Nightmare and her soldiers.”

Tiny decided to keep staring into her cup. She was excited when Rarity came running to call them back, but she didn’t even get to see Nightmare again. Daybreaker immediately left with the ponies, and Tiny stayed with Rarity. Celestia and Twilight were also there, but they were guarding a crowd of ponies in a corner. Tiny guessed they were prisoners from Nightmare’s battle but never asked.

The steam from the cup seduced her after all, and Tiny decided to take another sip. The tea was still hot, and Tiny was starting to enjoy it. Looking at Rarity, Tiny suddenly froze.
Across her, Rarity was struggling with a black cloud that was holding her mouth shut, restraining her hooves, and enveloping her horn all at once, leaving only her nose and eyes looking around in panic.

“A foal,” a voice calmly stated. Only then did Tiny notice glowing red eyes in the cloud. She had seen it before; Nightmare had spoken to it in Twilight’s place. “She wants me to teach a foal. I wonder what she imagines you’d do with such knowledge.”

Tiny didn’t say anything, starting to slowly quiver in her seat. This was a ghost; she didn’t doubt that. But it wasn’t like with Nightmare; in its tone, Tiny could sense malice.

“You caught the eye of more than one usurper, it seems,” the ghost continued. “Flurry Heart wants me to teach you necromancy… how curious. I might just do so… if only to see where this will lead.” After those words, Rarity began struggling even harder, but she could do little without the use of her limbs or horn.

“Well, come then. Your friend wishes to resurrect a specific corpse, and I will make sure you do. No one will say that King Sombra is a liar.”

Sombra dragged the panicking Rarity away towards the exit, making no sound. Tiny knew she probably should have told Celestia… but the allure of new spells was more potent. With a cautious look between tents at the princesses, Tiny quickly trotted after the ghost as it kept dragging Rarity away outside.

“There is a cave underneath the Castle,” he explained after Tiny passed the doors. “A pity you are not an alicorn,” he said before descending into the chasm.

Tiny looked down; the chasm was deep. Probably as deep as the Castle was tall. That was no issue for her, though. Tiny focused on a specific point down at the bottom and tried teleporting there. In the blink of an eye, she was down there. Tiny really didn’t understand why this was a big deal if it was so easy.

She got down even quicker than the ghost did, “Hmm… maybe you are not such a waste after all,” he only said. Sombra led her into the cave; at first, it was dark and ominous, but soon there was soft light ahead. There was a tree… a grand, crystal tree. Its dim light was glowing softly, but the tree itself was losing its coloration in places. It looked weakened but not ruined. At the very roots of the tree, there was something else; it looked like a changeling’s carapace but larger.

“That is the corpse you will be reviving,” Sombra said. “Take this,” he produced a tied scroll and offered it to Tiny, “Read this, and the spell will be enacted.”

“But weren’t you going to teach me how to do it?” Tiny whined.

“If you are indeed as gifted as your caretakers believe, you will learn the spell yourself from the scroll. How do you presume Princess Twilight learned so many without any aid from her teacher?”

Reluctantly, Tiny took the scroll. Opening it, she noted that it was written in a standard script; luckily, Mister Rich taught her to read it. Suddenly, Tiny was remembering all the instructions she received fondly; those books that Nightmare made her study were starting to become useful. The scroll was definitely written to ensure that even an amateur unicorn would at least understand it; casting it was another matter. It was more complex than the spells Daybreaker made her learn, and it relied on a different matrix as well, yet Tiny was confident she could crack it in time. Right now, though…

Tiny looked at Rarity; the mare had calmed down somewhat. She shook her head rapidly. That made Tiny question whether this was the right course of action. Sombra did say that Flurry asked him to, but Flurry herself never mentioned him. Though Flurry rarely explained what exactly she had planned.

“Flurry didn’t say anything about this,” Tiny attempted to excuse herself.

“Ah, but of course. We do not say more than servants must know to perform their duties. Now, do as you are told and read the scroll over the corpse,” Sombra was starting to sound impatient.

Reluctantly, Tiny headed over to the corpse. Upon reaching closer, Tiny noted a bird’s nest in the tree’s crystalline branches. The tree’s warm glow felt almost as if it was encouraging her. Was this really right? Tiny didn’t want to harm Nightmare or anyone else from her new friends.
With a heavy heart, Tiny started to cast.

The corpse was surrounded by her magic aura and began rapidly growing and restoring to a recognizable creature... as if going back in time. Tiny never stopped reading until she reached the end. This was much less gruesome than she expected from a necromantic spell. Tiny sighed in relief and looked on at her work.
The creature at her hooves was definitely a Changeling, though not one she had ever seen before. It was tall and lean, with a long mane and tail. It still looked dead to her, as it did not breathe or move.

“There. Now I will take my leave, tell the usurper that our agreement is finished. I will have no further dealings with her,” Sombra let Rarity slip out from his grasp, and in a single long line, he streaked out of the cave.

Rarity immediately jumped to the dead creature, staring at it with wide eyes,
“Oh, no-no-no-no! This a total disaster!” she lamented. “Oh, Tiny, darling, why did you have to listen to that treacherous ruffian?! This a catastrophe! She puts all of us in grave danger! We must imprison her!”

“Looks still dead,” Tiny shrugged, not entirely understanding Rarity’s reaction. That slightly curbed Rarity’s panic. The mare touched the creature’s chest.

“Oh, thank goodness! She has no heartbeat. Chrysalis returning at such a moment would’ve spelled absolute chaos.”

“What’s so bad about her? Can’t Nightmare just kill her back?”

“This, my dear, is the former Queen of changelings. The only creature in all the world that could contest Nightmare’s claim on the changelings.”

“Oh… Don’t they dislike her now?”

“Yes, but one could make some unusual choices for the survival of their race, darling. We must tell Nightmare.‘

“But isn’t she in battle?”

Rarity stood silent for a moment, “Yes… we’d have to wait.”

“What’s so bad about this? Even the spell is easy. I just read the scroll like Sombra said. He could do it himself if he wanted.”

“No, dear, he could not. Only unicorns can read scrolls. Sombra cannot cast unicorn magic on account of being dead. He must conduct a ritual to cast the most simple spell. We should give the scroll to Nightmare as well: she would want to know all about this scheme.”

Something suddenly hit Tiny, “No! Rarity, we can’t tell Nightmare! She’ll send Shadow to kill her! Flurry saw it in the future!”

Rarity was visibly taken aback, “How can you say that? Nightmare does not harm any creatures unless absolutely necessary. Flurry is our friend; she would never do that. One of my other friends even attempted to kill her once: not even then did Nightmare harm her in return; she did not even imprison her; Nightmare simply put her where she knew she couldn’t do any harm.”

Tiny took thought. Could have Flurry mistaken? Was it a different future? Rarity knew Nightmare better than either of them. She had no reason to trust Flurry, coming to think of it. Maybe she was lying about seeing the future and was trying to use her. But why? Flurry had no stake in Nightmare’s war unless she was acting on her mom’s behalf.

“Maybe we should talk to Flurry first?” Tiny unsurely asked. “She’ll explain what’s happening.”

“As nice as that would be, Flurry seems to be very aloof as of late. Would you happen to know anything about her whereabouts?”

“No…”

“Well, in that case, we should hurry and tell Nightmare as soon as she is finished. Come on now.”

As Rarity beckoned her back out of the cave, Tiny’s mind began racing to find some sort of solution that would not endanger anyone. The spell did not revive the Queen outright, it seemed. She was still dead; it’s just that her body was no longer decomposed. Yet Nightmare might still take this as a threat. Tiny didn’t know what to do… but figured she could start by trying to delay Rarity.

“Rarity?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Can you help me to practice some spells while we wait for Nightmare to get done?”

“Why, of course! Although… I am not as good of a teacher as Twilight, I’m afraid…”

“Sister taught me a new spell yesterday, but I need someone to practice it with. It’s for self-defense: I cast it, and the creature gets very tired, so I can maybe get away.

“Oh… dear, I don’t know. Are you quite sure it is safe?”

“Well, if I mess up, Twilight and Celestia are nearby. Nightmare will have some new stuff for them to do when she’s back, and I won’t get the chance to practice anymore despite things getting more dangerous… just look at what happened with that ghost that took you hostage. Can you help? Pretty please?”

Flurry of A Plan

Nightmare Moon watched as her soldiers swarmed around the hangars and barracks like a colony of ants. After Luna’s departure, Nightmare Moon was forced to reconsider her strategy. She still intended to bring the city under her control, but she could not do so with military force.
She decided her current best course was to stay put, for now, and use outside ponies to make gains while her changeling and pony soldiers played pretend as a dutiful garrison. Hardly the glorious return they envisioned.

“Nightmare,” Luna’s voice came from somewhere behind her. Nightmare did not even flinch at the sudden call: she was long used to her named sibling being so abrupt. “I spoke to Cadance.”

“By the tone of your voice, I understand that you did not see as much success,” Nightmare Moon answered without turning.

“Cadance hardly even wanted to listen. The moment she saw me, she knew the purpose of my arrival,” Luna stepped to Nightmare’s side, watching her soldiers alongside her. “She agreed to aid us somewhat. Cadence will recognize Celestia’s right to the throne and send an embassy as soon as possible.”

“An ironic day that would be. A vassal recognizes her sovereign. Does Cadance even realize how easily I could put her in her place should I so desire?”

“She seems absolutely convinced that there is no greater evil other than you. I suppose your success has scared her more than it did anypony else. She has told me that ever since she saw the threat you represented to the Crystal Empire, she has not had any thoughts of peace. She said that your control of the changelings directly threatens the stability of her realm. Their loyalty to Crystal Empire hinges solely on your goodwill. It is understandable why Cadance attempts to keep you away and discredit you.”

“Ugh…” Nightmare Moon turned away from the window with an annoyed huff. “Of course it does! Who does she imagine she is to them? She is no queen. She is barely even a dutchess. She may have her own house forces, but the imperial troops were never meant to be under her command to begin with! The fact that changelings saw it prudent to lodge themselves in her fief gives her no right to command them. They swore their fealty to me, not her.”

Luna calmly nodded and followed Nightmare as she floated further towards the stairs,
“I understand your sentiment, Nightmare, but Cadance sees it differently; she understands you as a threat rather than her liege. Perhaps there is a way for the two of you to reconcile after all?”

“I see no such way. I have better things to do than deposing Cadance; she can have her little winter wonderland all to herself. I told her as much myself, yet she continued undeterred. I had considered bringing her fears to life after she refused vital supplies, yet her daughter offered her service in exchange for reconsidering. Her service has been lackluster, but I gave her my word.”

Nightmare Moon floated out of the control tower and headed towards where she knew Daybreaker was watching her young sister.

“Cadance hasn’t mentioned any such agreement,” Luna spoke. “I take it Flurry Heart did so without her consent. What precisely did she promise you?”

“Her ability as a seer. To that extent, she seems capable enough. Although she is frivolous and often leaves for extended periods. I believe you know at least some of her activities.”

“Indeed I do, Nightmare. Flurry Heart seems to have her own scheme at work. She appeared before me several days ago, bringing Sombra to me. She seems to see the future indeed; that is how he found me, whereas Sombra himself failed to after our… disagreement. She has been visiting me ever since, sometimes to speak to me, otherwise to warn me.”

“Hmmm… what kind of dealing could she have with the deposed king? He despises her almost as much as Cadance herself. Perhaps more.”

“That is unknown to me as well. I suppose I could ask him… I doubt he would deny his involvement with Flurry.”

“Let us ask her as well. Did she come with you again?”

“Yes, we separated. Flurry wished to accompany me to speak to you, but I asked her to wait. It seemed best for her to be away while we spoke of her mother.”

“Yes… She has to be annoying my sister then. How convenient for all of us to be in the same place like this… Too convenient. Luna, I know you find my assault distasteful, but there is something I believe I should speak to you about. The Bureau knows of me. My former minister, Cloudy Dawn is here. Still occupying the same post. I met her when negotiating for Celestia’s release. She was attempting to fool us into surrendering to her, more or less. I do not believe she understands the extent of our power just yet, but she knows of our intentions. Yet, no alarms have been raised. We have arrived here to find the garrison sleeping in their beds, completely oblivious to our approach. They had few sentries, and those they did have did not raise an alarm when a group of vehicles unexpectedly arrived at their base. The only thing indicating their readiness for an attack was the fact they stored their arms in their barracks instead of the armory. This caused us losses, but most of them never had a chance to wake up. This seems too easy. An aware enemy would not behave like this unless they were either extremely disorganized or had a plan in place. I cannot shake off the feeling that I led my soldiers into a trap. And conveniently, we are all here tonight… including the normally aloof Flurry Heart.”

“Do you believe Cloudy Dawn could outsmart us like this?”

“No… Dawn would not dare. She is a viper, but a viper only bites when stepped on or when she worms her way into one’s bed.”

“Wouldn’t killing us in one swoop be worth the risk? You always took much care when dealing with her in the past.”

“Dawn would only try something so brazen if she was absolutely sure she would succeed, which she is not sure of. Dawn knows us, and we know her; she knows she can not harm me and that others will likely escape. Such an act will surely result in her death, as I would leave no stone unturned to find her.”

“Who, then?”

“That is the part I dread, for I do not know. There is some other force at play here, one that we have not discovered yet. It would seem it can only be Flurry Heart herself. She does indeed seem to see the future; it would not be hard for her to nudge the events to have us all converge here at the same time. And in that case, we have already played right into her hooves and may only see what she has planned for us. It would be a humbling experience for sure.”

Both mares headed towards the gathering, and neither knew what to expect.

The room they were gathering in was mostly silent, save for the quiet talking between Rarity and Tiny, as well as… Shadow and Flurry Heart. Even that all ceased at once as Luna appeared at the door.

Luna stiffly walked in, with Nightmare floating immediately behind her. Daybreaker cautiously stepped back. Celestia and Luna exchanged glances and silent promises as only siblings could.
For a while, no one spoke, cautiously evaluating each other… and possible weaknesses. There would be no fighting here, aside from the verbal kind, of course… yet in all other respects, the gathering looked just like any court Nightmare Moon had ever seen. She was growing tired of this: all present, besides Flurry Heart, were either family or about to become as much. There should be no such mistrust among them.

“So,” Nightmare Moon slowly spoke up, staring directly at Flurry. “We are all here. This is no coincidence. Everyone in this room has a reason to be here tonight. Yet only a few are here at my behest.”

“Nightmare Moon, spare us your dour speeches,” Celestia hurried, having no desire to hear her speak more than necessary.

“Indeed I should,” Nightmare Moon agreed. “Perhaps the one responsible for us being here tonight would like to speak instead?” Nightmare Moon pointedly looked at Flurry.

Following Nightmare Moon’s look, first Celestia, then one by one, all the others looked at Flurry. The young alicorn visibly shrunk. Hesitating for a few moments, Flurry slowly made her way to the middle of the room.

“I…” Flurry began, but stopped, catching Nightmare’s outright hostile glare. “She is right,” Flurry admitted. “All of you are here because of me.”

The relatively quiet room suddenly became entirely silent.

“If it wasn’t for me, Nightmare would probably be either putting my mom into a dungeon or in the middle of signing drafting orders. You're all probably wondering what I'm trying to do and why, and I kept telling you that I can’t tell you yet, but it seems it’s about time.”

“Then you admit it,” Nightmare Moon said contentedly. “Speak, what game do you play? Is this your doing that our enemy restricts itself so that we may achieve our goals?”

“No, I got nothing to do with that. Sabotaging them would have taken too much attention and wouldn’t have made a difference in the end.”

“Then what kind of tapestry do you weave, my young spider?” Nightmare Moon spoke without a hint of warmness to her voice.

“I am not doing all that much, honestly,” Flurry smiled. “I didn’t lie to you when I said that I am working for your benefit. You’ll thank me in the end, trust me.”

“I will do no such thing, not for a single more moment,” Nightmare Moon wavered side to side in annoyance. “Speak, or I shall order your arrest.”

Flurry cringed,
“Sure… So, I guess I won’t waste anyone’s time and get to the point. A few years ago, I had a vision of a future Equestria, finally peaceful again and with all of you alive and well, working together for everyone’s benefit. It was only a brief moment before it was gone, but ever since, I have been trying to find a way to make it a reality; it’s not as simple as you’d think it would be if you could know the future. The future is not like fate: it’s not set in stone, not for anyone or anything. Every moment, it changes, and I can only see where it’s heading right now; in a moment, it can be something different entirely. I was the one who talked Mom into turning on you, Nightmare.”

Daybreaker meaningly grumbled, but no one paid her mind.

“Ah… I suppose I should have thought so. But then again, Cadence’s initial favorable reception was surprising, considering how much she disdains me.”

“Mom is afraid of you: she thinks you are a monster that destroys ponies’ livelihoods and wants power over anything else. Well, she never really said exactly what she thinks about you, but it has to be something pretty bad if she’s willing to put her own life on the line to bring you down.”

“Your mother can believe whatever she wants, this has nothing to do with her. You said that it was you who made her turn on me, to what purpose?” Nightmare Moon evenly asked.

“By accident. I wanted to explain to her why changelings follow you instead of her. As soon as she heard how deep it really goes, she started plotting.”

Nightmare Moon stared at her silently, waiting for her to add more.

“You are a lousy diviner,” Nightmare Moon said in the end. “And to prevent me from crushing her, you gave yourself up to me. Was this the extent of your meddling?”

“No. This is not even the main part. You see, the reason I couldn’t talk to you about this before was because I knew you wouldn’t have believed me if I told you I had your best interests in mind.”

“I still do not believe so.”

“But you will! I know you deeply regret Chrysalis’ death… because without her, the Changelings will die out, and knowing that you could have prevented it makes your heart bleed. What if I told you I could get them a new queen?”

“No,” Nightmare Moon simply said. “You will not. I will have my soldiers put you to the wall before I let you do what your mother has failed to do. Speaking of which, I believe this charade has gone long enough. Sister, bring here a few of my soldiers: ponies.”

“Nightmare,” Celestia sternly spoke up. “Wait before you do something you may regret later.”

Daybreaker looked at Nightmare with a silent question. After a moment of deliberation, Nightmare reluctantly agreed to wait, “Very well. I can afford a moment more of patience."

“And that is why I couldn’t tell you…” Flurry continued. “If you let me finish, I would’ve told you that there’s a way of everyone getting what they want. Changelings will be loyal to you, but they will still have a queen so they won’t die out. It just happens that I need your help with this part.”

“My help?” Nightmare Moon asked incredulously. “What kind of help could I provide that no one else can?”

“That… I think it’s better if I show you. Twilight, can you make us a teleportation circle real quick?” Flurry asked Twilight, who silently tried to keep her brain from overheating from calculations of the implications of what she had just heard.

“Circle? Yes, yes, of course. Where to?”

“To the Castle of the Two Sisters.” The room became completely silent again. “I’ll make sense soon, I promise.”

“Do as she asks,” Nightmare Moon said. “I suppose we need a teleportation circle here as well, regardless.”

“I’ll get my components,” Twilight began swiftly trotting towards the door.

Nightmare Moon waited until she left, before warning:
“I tire of your games, Flurry Heart. I wish to be done with my labors and retire. I have not made my way here to toil again for ungrateful hypocrites such as your mother. I will humor you this once, but after tonight, I shall order your arrest if I hear that you continue scheming against my cause.”

Flurry Heart looked at her indignantly.

“I'm trying to fix your mistake! The Changelings lost their Queen because you failed to keep her away from danger!”

“I am no foalsitter. Chrysalis made her choice. I did not kill her; her inability to accept defeat did.”

“And you could prevent it! Now their whole race is dying out because you let her out of the cell!”

“She would have died of starvation if I did not! I would not throw my own subjects into her cell just to feed her! The only thing that I regret is sending my Shadow away: I only caused sadness for both of us.”

“Liar,” Flurry smirked. “But that doesn’t matter anymore because I will fix it. The Changeling race will live on, continue obeying you, and live in peace with ponies.”

“You? Save the Changeling race? How would you accomplish that? Chrysalis left no successor to replace her.”

“That is what I intend to show you… just a little patience. You have waited a thousand years on the moon. What is a few minutes?”

Nightmare Moon did not deign to respond, figuring that deeds would be louder than any words could be. Twilight soon returned and began drawing the circle on the floor. Everyone patiently waited.

Nightmare Moon needed to consult someone on how to act after Flurry’s stunt tonight. She did not doubt that the youngest alicorn did for sure have something substantial, but she did not believe that it would be enough to redeem her after the damage she had done. Flurry Heart was one of the few creatures she ever encountered that she could not deal with by simply putting her in a cell or giving her a meaningless job to keep her time left for schemes to a minimum. Celestia could give such advice, although her expertise does not include ponies capable of seeing the future. The other choice could be Rarity, if only she was on hoof. Come to think of it… where would she be at such a moment? If Tiny was here, then she had no immediate concerns that would be keeping her away. She’d order her found the very moment they were done with this pantomime.

One by one, they entered the shimmering gate into the now rather empty Castle. Flurry then led them outside and down into the ravine. There was a cave. Nightmare Moon caught Daybreaker’s disturbed look.

“We cannot go in there,” Nightmare Moon said, stopping. “We are unwelcome there.”

Flurry gave her a surprised look,
“Why? The Tree of Harmony is nice to all who are nice to others.”

“It will smite me and my sisters if it has a chance. It happened to me once before.”

“Smite you? Are you talking about when Celestia sent you to the moon? Why would it do that now?”

Nightmare Moon sighed,
“Are you truly this ignorant? The Tree exists to protect Equestria from the likes of me. It always attempted to aid my enemies in the past.”

“Nightmare Moon, while I would not disagree, I believe the Tree will acknowledge your change of heart,” Celestia pinched in. “This once, you have nothing to fear from the Tree.”

“My Lady, I think Princess Celestia is right. The Tree of Harmony doesn’t normally take direct action,” Twilight echoed.

“Very well,” Nightmare Moon reluctantly agreed. “Though I will make a contingency first. My Shadow.”

“Yes, Mistress?” Shadow perked up.

“Stay here. If I do not return with Flurry Heart - kill her.” Shadow stared emotionlessly at a visibly nervous Flurry.

“Mistress, perhaps I should come inside? It would be easier to snap her neck if I am close.”

“Would it be too much to ask that you do not discuss the murder of my niece?!” Celestia angrily forced herself in.

“I agree. Nightmare, I understand that you have few reasons to trust her… but perhaps ordering dear Shadow to murder Flurry Heart is excessive,” Luna came to Celestia’s aid. “If the Tree indeed sends you away again, we will simply resummon you the same way you returned Celestia.”

“Hmm, very well. You may be right. And I do wish to get this over with.”

Flurry Heart continued her way inside the cave, soon turning the corner. Nightmare Moon followed suit, although merely being so close to the one thing she still feared was stressful. When she finally laid her eyes on the tree, she did not feel pain in her very being. The calm light of the Tree did not harm her, although she felt none of its warmth either. There was something bright and yellow among its branches.

“Philomena!” Celestia called happily. With a loud cry, the phoenix swept down from the Tree and landed on her mistress’ back, immediately nuzzling her neck. “I missed you oh so much!”

The appearance of the phoenix lifted spirits among the companions. Tiny was utterly fascinated with the curious bird, but that is for later.

“Hello, Philomena,” Shadow respectfully bowed her head to the bird. “I hope Miss Fluttershy is also well.” But the phoenix only stared back at her with deep sadness.

Flurry cleared her throat. She stood next to something large and black at the roots of the Tree,
“As nice as it is to meet with old friends, we really need to get a move on. Nightmare, please, come.”

Nightmare Moon came closer, close enough to see precisely what Flurry had there.

“Chrysalis. Does no one stay dead anymore?” Nightmare sarcastically asked.

“Oh, she’s dead,” Flurry grinned, nudging the changeling’s head. “See? It’s just her body, Chrysalis herself is not at home.”

“Is this your plan then? To resurrect my enemy?”

“Oh no, not at all! I want to resurrect you!” Flurry pointed at Nightmare with her hoof, still smugly grinning.

“Excuse me?”

“I want you to have Chrysalis’ body and be a real queen for changelings.”

Nightmare Moon was silent… she was stunned. A changeling queen? Her?! Nightmare never gave such a thing a thought. They were different species. She always saw herself as a queen only for ponies; that was very different from being a queen to changelings.

“My dear niece, is this truly wise?” Celestia stepped closer. “I have never heard of such magic being practiced safely. Surely you have given thought to the complications.”

“It’s not the magic you should think about, Aunty. Nightmare is a ghost; she can possess things and bodies too. I simply made it so that she wouldn’t have to possess an empty skeleton. Took some convincing, but I managed to get Sombra to write me a scroll with a spell to do this. If anyone knows how to do this right, it’s him. Aunty, you have to understand: the Changelings are dying out. There are very few left, and they keep throwing themselves out to die. They don’t know how to live in any other way. They need a queen, or they will disappear entirely. They already follow Nightmare, and she doesn’t want to lead ponies anymore. Unlike Chrysalis, Nightmare doesn’t see them as just tools. She’d be a great queen to them. I have foreseen it!”

“That can work, actually,” Twilight mused. “If it does, the changelings will be safe and even live in peace with ponies! That would be almost like adding a new tribe!”

Twilight’s excitement did little to embolden Nightmare Moon. She respected changelings and adored them as her subjects…but she was a pony. She couldn’t just…

“Mistress? Are you feeling unwell?” Shadow stared at her point blank, with eyes betraying rare concern.

“I… Yes… I do… I don’t know what to think or do. I may no longer be a living mare… but to just…” Nightmare Moon suddenly met eyes with Tiny; her little sister stared at her with bewildered eyes and a tilted head. A thought ran through her mind. No… she could not do this. Not in another thousand years.

“I… Would you excuse me, I need to leave.”

And just like Sombra before her… she quickly flew out of the cave in a single, long trail.

One More For the History Books

Blackhoof juggled grenades like he was a seasoned circus actor. Who knew the party trick he learned while in the police force would still be entertaining; but the ponies gathered around were cheering and whistling like at a sports match. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. If he had missed his calling, he might as well make some money on the side.

“Hey, lads, tell you all what! I'll make you a bet! If I can juggle ten more at a time, you all owe me fifty bits!” he shouted. He might have been a bit too confident, but where’s the fun in being safe? Whitenose tossed him ten more grenades one by one until he was juggling thirteen. It didn’t really matter how many he had to juggle as long as he could throw them high enough.

“Hah!,” Whitenose laughed. "You make a better juggler than a guard."

Blackhoof pierced him with a deathglare, barely managing to remember about juggling. Whitenose immediately stopped laughing.

Blackhoof turned away, focusing back on his juggling.

“Well! He’s doing it! So, everypony, pay up!” Whitenose declared. A murmur of dissatisfaction rolled over the crowd, but they all started reaching into their pockets.

“V probably shouldn’t do dis again,” Blackhoof said, biting into a donut.

“Come on, you; we are resting, aren’t we? With all the money you won us, we can afford some extra food besides the rations.”

“If the Captain ever finds out we left the base, we will never get to rest again,” Blackhoof complained. “How the hay did I let you talk me into this? We are in hostile territory surrounded by enemies for Moon’s sake!”

“All the better that we scouted the premises! Don’t worry, nobody will miss us; we just need to sneak back in without anyone seeing.”

Both of them suddenly stopped as they realized that there was a sentry watching them from the gatehouse.

“Welp, there goes that,” Blackhoof sighed. “You got a good excuse or a way to get him to not snitch?”

“Well, we can pay him. Or give him some food. I'm sure we can talk about it.”

It turned out that no, they couldn’t. The sentry turned out to be a changeling, and no matter what they offered, she didn’t budge. So they both ended up sitting in the guard room, waiting for an officer to come and deal with them.

“Why do I keep listening to you,” Blackhoof asked rhetorically. Their food was already eaten, so at least they wouldn’t be losing it.

Whitenose didn’t respond: he was looking out the window, watching another changeling entering the base,
“Why does she let her in and not us? I swear, these changeling pricks must think they are special.”

“She’s a scout, you moron. Why do you think none of us gets to go out, not even to scout? Because changelings can change into whoever they want and get around easily, while we're easily recognized.”

“But we're better; we know the city, and we’ve been doing this for way longer!”

“Look… if you got issues, you can voice them to the Captain. I’m sure he’ll relay them to the Lady.”

“Fat chance of that. He’d sooner give us extra watch duty on top of what we’ll get for going out. I don’t think she’s even here to listen to him. Haven’t seen or heard about her in a few days.”

“I haven’t either… she must be away doing some important ruler stuff. It’s just Daybreaker, Celestia, Twilight, and this new one...”

“Flurry Heart.”

“Yes, her. I swear, alicorns just keep multiplying so fast that figuring out who’s in charge is going to get hard real soon. How many is that now?”

“Seven… I think.”

“Oh, sweet. Remember when there were just two, and they had family issues? Imagine if all of them decide to duke it out. This is starting to get out of hoof.”

“They seem to get along fine,” Whitenose shrugged. “Lady and Celestia even patched it all up.”

“Yeah, for now... while they all have a shared goal, whatever that is.”

“What are we even doing here? Nobody told me what our objective is. Just some vague speech. For standing around and doing nothing, there sure are alot of these changeling plotholes. Nobody can even tell that they don’t fit in or wasn’t there before.”

Soon, the old Captain came to pick them up. After a lengthy lecture and learning a few new insults, the two of them were deposited in a dumping ground. Not for bodies, those were already buried. They were literally assigned to guard a bleeding garbage dump.

Their smelly assignment continued on with no interruptions until the night. The one good part of the punishment was that they got to watch the sunset without anyone bothering them. They’d still have to stay up all night, but it could’ve been worse. Stormbreaker could’ve made them carry crates from one side of the airfield and back.

“Canterlot.”

“Tall Tree.”

“...Ah, you got me. I don’t know any that start with E.”

“That’s why I chose it. Figured you wouldn’t. So, what did I win?”

“Win?”

“Well, yes. Are you going to wash my hoof wraps from now on, or…?”

“Oh screw you! I ain’t playing with you anymore! It always ends with… wait… did you hear that?”

The stallions stood silent for a few moments.

“...It was like a distant bang. Like an explosion.”

“I don’t think so. Maybe it’s just somebody throwing out some metal trash.”

They stood silent for a while. Another loud explosion was heard, but it was closer.

“Okay, I hear it now. What the hay is that? Can’t be just some foal with firecrackers, right?”

“Those are… I think those are ranging shots. We're about to get shelled!”

“Wait, isn’t that a little drastic? Who knows what kind of loud sound there’s going to be next to a city?”

“Would you rather raise a false alarm or be responsible for not raising a real one?”

With their debate settled, the two stallions rushed back across the airfield, yelling for everyone they met to get in cover. They made it over to the barracks, but just barely. As they saw the first ponies of their company, the ground started shaking as explosions rained shards of stone and heaps of earth onto the stallions. Diving towards the closest wall, they covered their heads and hoped for their lives that a shell wouldn’t land atop them. The explosions rocked the ground and rained earth atop them. The fire was still pretty inaccurate, but it will be on target in the next barrage. The barrage only lasted minutes, but felt like hours, all the time they waited, lying down on the ground cowering in fear of the true master of the battlefield. Blackhoof got his wish, after all: they’d get to fight one more war in service of their Lady.

The barrage stopped after some time, leaving the ponies and changeling alike to scramble for their weapons. A sudden barrage was usually a sign of an impending assault. Blackhoof and Whitenose rushed towards the armory; it was chaos, almost two hundred creatures crowded there at once, waiting for their weapons to be given to them. They were not ready, too complacent.

Blackhoof managed to grab a rifle that someone passed out; he barely had enough time to fill the magazine and stick it underneath the weapon when he saw them…

Flying in, in bright moonlight, there were ponies. Blackhoof cried out, and changelings and ponies alike began scattering in chaos. Some began frantically firing despite the enemy still being too far out of range.

Somehow, Blackhoof ended up next to a few ponies he knew. Silver Shine looked at him for guidance with panicking eyes.

“Stay with me, kid!” Blackhoof tried to sound confident. “We’ll get through this, happens every other day.” Silver did not look impressed.

“Everyone! Get inside and deny them a hoofhold!” Blackhoof yelled, half-dragging both Silver and Whitenose to the mechanic’s shop. He figured it would be easy enough to defend. He told Silver to watch the side door while taking the second story with Whitenose.

“The… the hay is this?!” Whitenose asked. “How did they know?!”

“Not now! Stay focused! Don’t let them land close to the infrastructure, or we’ll not dig them out of there till morning! Stars, I wish we had an MG!”

“Right… Right… Wait for them to touch the ground, then drop them; just like the ‘lings.”

The stallions then quieted down and began intently peering at the runway, waiting for the first of their invaders. The attackers soon approached close enough to be clearly visible, making Blackhoof arched his brows in bewilderment. Thestrals?! He almost missed the moment as bat-winged ponies began swooping down. A few tried to land at their garage: Blackhoof and Whitenose opened up from the second-story window, and the first two dropped to the ground, scaring the others off. Blackhoof fired a few more shots at them, hoping for a lucky hit, but got none. Taking a moment to look at the downed enemies, he noticed that they both only seemed wounded. He deliberated for a moment on whether to make sure they weren’t a threat but resisted the temptation. If they tried something, Silver would get them.

“Hey, you got any grenades?” he asked Whitenose, anyway.

“N-no! They weren’t giving them out! Barely had enough time to give us the tools.”

“Well, that blows. If they assault the building, we're screwed. Better not let any close in.”

The stallions continued defending, waiting for the enemy to make themselves vulnerable, but they seemed to have taken the hint, as none tried landing close again. Instead, the artillery barrage picked up again, forcing them to hide behind the walls. This time it was nearly an hour, or Blackhoof figured at least. Their ears were ringing, and their ammo was low, but they were determined. As soon as Blackhoof peeked out, sure enough, there were already Thestrals on the grass, rushing towards their wounded. He heard their weak warnings and thanked his foresight. He had them now.

He took time to carefully aim so as to not waste any more bullets than needed. He managed to down one more before the rest ducked and weaved towards the closest piece of uneven terrain for cover. He realized they wouldn’t be able to get all of them… not with just three of them and only three magazines between them all. This was a losing battle.

“Hey,” he called Whitenose. “This is looking bad. We gotta get outta here.”

“H-how? They are right outside!”

“Well, if we stay here, they’ll realize they got an advantage soon! They’ll either storm the building or keep throwing grenades ‘till we are dead! We have to get out and find the rest of our platoon!”

“Then what do we do?! We can’t just leg it; they're way too close for that!”

Blackhoof realized that he was right. They only had two exits, and both were in direct line of fire. They couldn’t fly either. But all three of them were going to die if they stayed there. Blackhoof cursed himself for rushing inside without thinking it through.

“I’ll hold them off,” Blackhoof said. “Give me your rifle and run; I’ll hold them off until I am out of ammo.”

Whitenose looked at him as if he was daft,
“Like hay, you will! We're going together, you fool! Heroics like this are what get you killed!”

“We don’t have time to argue!” Blackhoof chidded. “It’s either some of us get out or none at all! It was my idea; I am doing it! I am going to shoot until I am out, and then I am going to surrender. They won’t kill me; they’ll need prisoners to exchange at the end of this.”

The time for arguing was up; the Thestrals noticed the lack of fire coming out and began slowly peeking out of their cover. Before Blackhoof managed to suppress them again, one of the bat-winged bastards managed to hit him in the forehoof. The blood streamed out onto the floor.

“Agh! Screw you! Just go!” he yelled.

Despite the concern on his face, Whitenose obeyed. He galloped down the stairs and saw shadows just outside the door that Silver was guarding. The foal wasn’t stupid; he piled up some boxes, tool drawers, and whatever else he could hide behind and was keeping the doorway secured. He fired a few warning shots to keep the attackers from storming in immediately as Whitenose came clambering down the stairs.

“S-silver, w-we gotta go!” Whitenose managed to say. Silver looked at him just in time to miss a large grenade flying into the doorway. Whitenose dove behind Silver’s barricade, dragging him down behind it. The explosion left his ears ringing and his vision blurry. He reached for his rifle to fire a few shots to keep the Thestrals from charging in. Before he could get in position, he saw the tufted ears come into view over the barricade. Whitenose fired at those ears anyway. The Thestral dove down with a grunt.

“Come and get us, you orchard pests!” Whitenose taunted through gritted teeth, ignoring pulsing pain in his head; knowing that they were done for had paradoxically helped him find his bravery. “I got enough for everyone!”

The batponies responded with a barrage of automatic fire, forcing the stallions to duck behind the barricade again. Whitenose and Silver returned fire blindly, hoping to at least avoid hoof-to-hoof fighting they knew they didn’t have the numbers for.

Eventually, their attackers had enough; with a sharp warning and the tell-tale click of a grenade pin, he saw the grenade flying in over the top of the barricade. Whitenose and Silver both tried to catch it but only managed to kick it higher in the air so it would land behind them instead. Whitenose knew they wouldn’t be able to toss it back in time; they’d need to be as fast as Rainbow Dash for that. He closed his eyes and tried to think about his sister’s wedding. Sweet moon, he got hammered that day…

The explosion still startled him. Somehow, he wasn’t dead; he cautiously opened his eyes and looked himself and Silver over. Hoofsteps on the other side of the barricade warned him that this wasn’t over yet. He reached for his rifle and managed to lift it just in time as the attacker showed their black as midnight fur and slitted eyes. He fired his weapon to defend himself, but at the last moment, his weapon was pushed away from the target before being torn away from him completely, almost taking his hooves with it. The force dragged him off his back and onto the barricade towards the nauseating display of burned and still twitching Thestrals before him. And the smell… it definitely wasn’t pastry.

Your Hands Only

Rainbow Dash really dragged her hooves on the crystal paved road, crystal ponies and a few changelings busily walking past. Rainbow was used to repeated failures in her life and did not allow them to hinder her now, but her master was not as wizened. He would not be pleased with another failure.

They had been confined to the Crystal Empire for some time now, and it did not look like they would be leaving any time soon without some help from Princess Cadance, who was too uncertain of her ability to cast teleportation safely to risk harming her friend. They needed Twilight’s help… and that meant they needed Nightmare Moon’s help, much to Rainbow’s great dismay. Yet even for that, they had to get out of the Crystal Empire first. There weren’t trains going to Ponyville anymore, and traveling on hooves would take weeks, not to mention the cold was likely to kill them long before that. They really appeared to be stuck, at least, until Nightmare Moon finished whatever she was up to.

Rainbow had wanted to kill her in the past for her crimes...but now it seemed like death only increased her influence, not to mention even making her indestructible now. Every changeling she saw was busy preparing for their Queen to call them to war. Even crystal ponies weren’t immune. They did not share in the fanaticism, but the idea of helping their cousins down south did resonate with them. There was no doubt that with a little bit of convincing, they would join her, and the very thought had sickened Rainbow.

How could someone so objectively terrible as her be so attractive? Rainbow couldn’t understand the desire to bend down for a petty tyrant like this!

She eventually found her way back to the ramshackle quarters they had put together for the nightmares. And she was immediately spotted.

“Miss Rainbow! Are you feeling unwell?” a colorful mare Rainbow knew as Sunshine immediately appeared at her side, a worried look on her face. Rainbow wrinkled her nose. Nightmares were capable of being genuine; Rainbow just hated that she couldn’t be angry at them anymore for being related to Nightmare Moon.

“Just… leave me alone for a bit,” Rainbow asked, trying to sound calm. “I promise I’ll be fine, I am just tired of everyone I ask for help telling me to get lost.”

“Can I help? I can’t help you get home, but I heard from someone that talking can help,” the mare offered sweetly, with a perfectly cordial smile.

“Well… alright,” Rainbow agreed, plopping under a red canvas hung between some cabins. “Can you do something for me?”

“Of course! Just ask,” the mare answered with the same unnerving smile.

“I know you… people… aren’t doing it on purpose, but can you smile not so... perfect? It’s unnerving when someone’s smile has the exact same perfect curve every time. Looks unnatural.”

The request seemed to puzzle the mare for a moment.

“Like this?” she tried smiling with her jaw in a different position. It ended up looking like she had her jaw dislocated.

“Yeah, something like that,” Rainbow smiled to herself for a moment. “I don’t know if you understand what situation I'm in…”

“Well, you want to go home, don’t you? My host’s mom used to say that wherever you are, it’s never as good as home. I think I’ll understand after we’ve made ourselves a home here.”

“Well, it’s a bit of that, but what if you made a mistake, and because of you, someone else was stranded away from home where they were really needed?”

“Oh, you mean Master Snowstrike! I think I’d feel pretty miserable, too,” the mare nodded.

“Yeah…” Rainbow couldn’t even begin to explain the real depth of her failure in terms of social norms. “Listen, there’s something that was bothering me for some time. I think you’d have a better idea than anyone else about it.”

“Me?” the nightmare widened her eyes.

“Yes… You see, me and your big sister have never been cool, and I can’t get why anyone else would be. No offense, but she’s a bit of a monster.”

If Sunshine was offended, she didn’t show it. Instead, her face showed serious thought, saying,
“Well, I wasn’t even born when she was the monster you talk about. I’ve heard some stories, but she couldn’t be too bad, right? She has helped me and our kin to find a place where we can be safe. Princess Cadance doesn’t like us, but she doesn’t want to kill us merely because we aren’t really natural. Nightmare didn’t need to do this, but she did anyway.”

“Well, yeah, that’s nice. But she killed hundreds of thousands just to defeat Celestia, whom she even returned from the moon in the end, so it was entirely pointless. How can anypony be okay with this just because she doesn’t feel good about doing that? Does anyone just get to murder someone and then be fine later if they feel bad about it?”

“That’s… that’s an ugly question,” the mare admitted. “But does punishing her achieve anything? Unlike us, ponies can’t come back from being dead, no matter how harshly the killer is punished.”

“Justice, resolution. Some sort of atonement for everyone who died trying to stop her. I just can’t stand the fact that my friends are in the dirt while she keeps going like nothing happened and keeps scheming.”

“I am sorry, Rainbow,” the mare insisted, attempting to show compassion.

“Ugh… It’s okay, forget I said anything.”

The mare respectfully held back her responses. They sat together silently for some time: Rainbow Dash spent it in thought. She had to tell Snowstrike that they’d likely have to stay here for months… if not years. She should probably take him somewhere out of everyone’s earshot. If Sunshine and the other nightmares she talked to were any indication, they would immediately pick up on them having an argument and would surely eavesdrop. They couldn’t help it. Just like changelings couldn’t help but draw love from everyone around them, so couldn’t nightmares help but listen more intently to when others spoke around them. It helped with blending in. Not so different, the two of them.

“Do you want some cider? I saw a keg on the market today, and the shopkeeper gave it away for fifteen bits. Mister Rich said you used to love it.”

“Maybe later. Thanks for the offer, Sunshine, but I really need to report back to Snowstrike.” Rainbow apologetically smiled, standing up.

“Have fun!” Sunshine waved, giving her usual perfect smile.

Rainbow did not doubt she was going to have fun. As for exactly how much, she would have to see.

With the smell of cut wood heavy in the air, finding Snowstrike was easy. If he was not completely engrossed in carving art into planks; then he was at the meeting hall. Ever since Rich showed him carpentry, he seemed to be entirely consumed by it. Rainbow wasn’t even sure he still remembered how un-lordly carpentry is.

“My Lord!” Rainbow called after entering the hall. The stallion sat up in his hammock and looked at her with sleep still in his eyes. “I bring news.”

“Oh… Di-yawn-ine. What news?”

“I’ve been to the old train station. They said they don’t run trains to Equestria either. It looks like we’d have to stay for some time until Nightmare Moon finished her war. The Crystal Empire doesn’t have a wizard powerful enough to send us home.”

“Oh, well, that’s quite regrettable,” he said without a hint of sadness in his voice. “I suppose we would have to spend some more time here after all. Let’s go see what Rich is doing.”

Rainbow resisted facehoofing herself. She would have reminded him of his responsibilities to the clan, but since they had no way of returning home currently, it was pointless.

“Excuse me! Are you Rainbow Dash?” a mail stallion suddenly appeared right at Rainbow’s side. “I have a delivery for you.”

“For me?” Rainbow cocked her brow. “Are you sure there isn’t another Rainbow Dash?”

The stallion pulled up a clipboard,
“Uhh… blue coat, rainbow-colored mane, and tail… I think it’s all in order.” He immediately pulled a letter out of his bag and held it out for Rainbow. After a moment of hesitation, Rainbow took it. The stallion said goodbye and left.

“What is this?” Snowstrike approached, eyeing the letter. “One of your old friends reestablishing contact?”

“I don’t know… Why would anyone write a letter instead of coming to see me?” Rainbow cautiously undid the glue and opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of parchment instead of paper, written in a script that Rainbow had only seen a few times in her life.

“This… this is a magical scroll, I believe,” she explained. “A wizard would use this to cast magic unknown to them.”

“Cast magic? Does this mean that you are a wizard now?”

“No, only unicorns can use magic. I think there’s been a mistake. The envelope has my name, but someone sending me a scroll seems doubtful, especially out of the blue.”

“Let’s see if Rich knows something. Surely he would have some thoughts.”

Rainbow wanted to agree… but then she thought about how they got here. This wasn’t random. Someone knew the exact place where she’d be today, and magical scrolls were far too special to casually lose. This was meant for her.
“On the other hoof… master, give me a few hours. I know of a mage who is quite knowledgeable on spellcraft. He could tell the exact nature of this spell; that might clarify what happened.”

Rainbow Dash left Sunburst’s dwelling disappointed. Although he was able to tell her what the scroll was, there was a snag. It was indeed a teleportation scroll, however, it would only work for two ponies: the caster and one other, which meant only one of them could leave using it. At least that meant that she could reach Nightmare Moon… to grovel for her help. Since Sunburst himself could not cast the spell, Rainbow had to go and ask Cadance for help.

Rainbow would have lied if she said she wasn’t glad seeing her oldest friends, but being in this position was downright humiliating. She was totally dependent on the whim of others, and was also forced to contend with the fact that she was, whatsoever, unimportant. Not even her best remaining friend had any desire to help her, and Rainbow couldn’t blame her either.

At least the guardsponies allowed her into the palace without question. The Crystal Palace halls were unusually busy. Well, from what Rainbow saw back in the day. Firstly, there were more guards. Significantly more guards. This looked more like Nightmare Moon’s palace than Love Princess’. Nightmare Moon simply would get off on being surrounded by guards rather than having them for a practical reason, but Cadance was never a fan of militaristic aesthetics.
Second, the corridors were full of changelings. That bit puzzled Rainbow even more. Asking them wouldn’t help, at least if her limited experience with Shadow still was relevant.

Instead of Cadance, the first important pony she ran into was actually Shinning Armor. She found him speaking to a pair of guards; Rainbow politely stopped so as not to eavesdrop. He spotted her and dismissed both guards shortly.

“Hello, Rainbow,” he smiled at her warmly. “Here to see Cadance?”

“Yeah… I got this in the mail,” she showed him the scroll.

“Oh… A teleportation spell, huh? Somewhere you need to go?”

“Yes, I need to see Twilight, and she’s back in Equestria.”

“Well, Cadence has a guest right now. You want to hit the mess?”

“Wait, a guest? Who would come all this way to see Cadance?”

“Hay if I know,” Shinning shrugged. “You know how it is, politics is for Princesses. I’d cast the spell for you myself, but… if I got you killed by teleporting you into a wall somewhere, Cadence would kill me.”

“Right… thanks for the offer, but I’d rather be done with this as soon as possible. Believe it or not, Rich actually managed to make manual work fun. Never thought he was good for anything other than peddling and dressing snazzy.”

“Really? Huh… I guess I should go see him, too. Well, alright, I’ll tell her you’re waiting.”

The two went along the crystal corridors, surrounded by more guards and changelings. Shining soon disappeared into Cadance’s room and after a short pause came back with his face as motionless as a rock.

Cadence was looking forward to a peaceful evening. Having this many changelings in the palace would normally unnerve her but the law dictated that officers during dismissal had to get their resignation signed by a member of the court or someone representing them. Tomorrow it will be back to normal again. Cadence reclined in her chair and closed her eyes.

“Cadance,” a calm, cold, and familiar voice dashed her hopes for peace.

“What do you want this time?” Cadance asked without opening her eyes. “You can take your changelings with you if that is what you are after.”

“No,” Nightmare Moon answered flatly and unusually sharply. “I ask for your advice. There is a matter, I believe, only you could help me with.”

“Advice? The only advice I could give you is to return back the way you came; that will save you time.”

“Cadance, please. I know that you have no reason to aid me, but this is an extremely private matter for any mare. I have no one else I could ask.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes, was this some kind of a ruse? Though… Nightmare Moon rarely lied even when it was deception. She took pride in her ability to deceive without speaking falsehood, or so Cadance heard.

“What do you want my help for?”

“I want your advice on a very delicate matter. With something I never thought I could need help with,” Nightmare Moon was clearly stalling. “Something I never thought I could face so soon.”

“Say what is it, already. Let’s get this over with.”

“Cadance, the issue is your own daughter.” Cadence’s fur stood up on her neck. “She believes it is time for me to be a mother.”

Cadence felt as if hit with a frying pan squarely on the nose, even recoiling slightly. Is Nightmare Moon playing with her?

“Allow me to explain. After your daughter offered me her ability to see the future, she left for some time and returned today. She revealed to me the true purpose of her actions, and now I do not know what I should do. Your daughter deeply feels for the plight of the changeling race. Without their queen, they shall end. She has found a way to return a queen to them and wishes me to be that queen.

“She used a necromantic spell, sourced from King Sombra to revive the dead body of Queen Chrysalis; it now lies at the roots of the Tree of Harmony, waiting for a spirit to take it. I am reluctant to accept. Changelings swear themselves to me, as misplaced as their loyalty is, and so it is my duty to ensure their survival. But I am a pony, not in nature but in birth. I imagined my foal to be a playmate to Flurry Heart, not a drone, existing to benefit my hive. You are the only one I know who could give me advice on being a parent, and so I have come to you for help. What must I do?”

“Y-you’re asking me?” Cadence said in disbelief. “You always wanted to tell others what to do and believe and now you ask me what to do?”

“Yes,” Nightmare Moon answered simply. “I have no more excuses left for my actions for there can be no forgiveness. Hate me if you must, but aid me for the sake of both the ponies and the changelings. Your daughter wishes me to abandon ponykind for the sake of changelings. I suppose what I truly wish to know is whether parenthood is worth sacrificing one race for the sake of another.”

Cadance reclined in her chair with a sigh, thinking about what to say,
“When I had Flurry I thought my life would never be happier and I suppose I was right. I never was happier than on the day I first held her in my hooves. But parenthood is more than just seeing your foal make their first steps. Being a parent means always caring for them. No matter how old they get, they are still your foal. Sometimes I love my Flurry to bits, and sometimes I wanted to stuff her back where she came from, but for her, I’d still do anything. It is no longer about your own goals and aspirations, but for your foal’s. Your life, partly, becomes dedicated entirely to them. Nightmare Moon, do you think that is something you want?”

The two mares suddenly swung their heads around, to see Shining Armor loudly close the door.

“Well, I suppose this is no longer as secret as I meant it,” Nightmare Moon said with a dry chuckle. “I think I am finally beginning to understand Celestia’s favorite phrase. She has no children of her own and replaces them with her little ponies. What mother would send her own foals to die, even if that means stopping someone like me? It seems she and Chrysalis were not in such different positions, only characters.”

“Chrysalis treated changelings as an extension of herself,” Cadence scoffed. “It always scared me how easily she sacrifices her own children.”

“Her own children… Yes, after all, she was their queen. I see now. I thank you, Cadence. I believe I know what I must do now,” Nightmare Moon prepared to head for the door, but stopped.
“Cadance, I understand that you may never truly forgive me. But our feud only causes chaos to ponies. Your own daughter was forced to leave home to do what she believes is right. Is it worth it?”

“No, it never was.”

All Hail the Queen.

Nightmare Moon waited for a moment more, but the Princess of Love had said all she wished.

“Thank you, Cadence,” Nightmare Moon said again, as heartfelt as she could considering the circumstance, before seeping underneath the door back into the hallway.

She understood now. Luna was right, right from the very beginning. The key to victory did not lie with might. Nightmare Moon saw it clearly now. To achieve their goals, She did not know how, but she knew what to do. She had to get back to the Tree. Yet there seemed to be an obstacle in her way…

“Hey…” Rainbow Dash greeted her, standing in the middle of the hallway. “I… need a word.”

“With me?” Nightmare Moon feigned surprise. “Didn’t you ask to be sent out of my way?”

“I did but… Well… I need some help. I was going to come find you, but since you are here…”

Truth be told, Nightmare Moon couldn't care less about Rainbow's problems, but if she was determined to change her course, she could start by doing something she wouldn't ordinarily do.

“Well then, what can I help you with?” Nightmare Moon asked. Seeing Rainbow cringe at her pointedly polite response gave her some pleasure.

“I want to go home,” Rainbow said straightly. “Cadance says she can’t help because she’s never been there; without that, she can fumble the destination for the teleport spell. Could you please get Twilight to help me out?”

“Hmm…” While the request was not, in any way, outrageous, having Twilight waste her time on this at such a moment might prove costly, although not likely, “Very well. I shall tell her of your plight. She will be here as soon as I return to Equestria.”

“Wait, just like that?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “You aren’t going to make me grovel in front of you? Or train your soldiers? Or anything else?”

Nightmare Moon actually chuckled, only twice,
“Why would I need you to do that, Rainbow Dash? Nothing has changed since the last time we met. If you will not offer your service willingly, I will not force you to. Forced service is unreliable and prone to shifting loyalty.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you! You never let me quit!”

“I merely offered you a way to make a living in the way you knew how. You could have left at any time or simply refused your posting in the first place. It was simply that we both knew that you’d struggle to find anyone else who would take you in.”

“Yeah, thanks to you! Everything that happened to us was your fault! If it wasn’t for you, there’d still be Wonderbolts!”

“In that respect, you are entirely correct. I would apologize, but we both know how meaningless that would be at this point.”

“So now what? Are you going to just leave and do it all over again? That’s what you are doing there, aren’t you?”

“With any luck, I hope not. I do not know what I'm going to do once I'm back, but I can promise that I'll try to do better. It is now clear to me that my present course of action will not result in the peace we all wish for.”

“Don’t pretend anyone who isn’t you gets a say. I hate it when you do that.”

“Well, believe it or not. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the pressure of my sisters. All I want now is for them to be safe, yet Luna cannot sit idly when she could be helping others. I do not know how to achieve her vision, but I will try until we succeed. For her sake, I would do anything it takes.”

Rainbow Dash grimaced and looked away,
“Look… I got this scroll over here.” She showed Nightmare the folded piece of parchment. “Somepony mailed it to me today, probably by mistake. I was going to ask if Cadance would cast it for me so I could talk to you, but since I no longer need it, maybe it’ll be useful to you.”

Nightmare Moon took the scroll and unfolded it, skimming it quietly.

“...A teleportation scroll,” she confirmed thoughtfully. “With a pre-determined destination, in fact. Someone really didn’t wish to see this spell miscast.”

“Yeah… I’ve had it looked at by a professional.”

“I see. I’m thankful, Rainbow Dash. Judging by the coordinates… this is another one of Flurry Heart’s schemes. This will take me somewhere inside the Everfree Valley, much closer to my destination. I will have Twilight see you as soon as I’m there.”

“Sure… glad to help.” Nightmare Moon turned back towards the door she had just come through. “Hey and… thanks… I mean it, you don’t have to help me, and I know we aren’t on good terms, and all… yeah.”

Nightmare Moon listened until the end and decided to say nothing so as to not make this any more awkward for Rainbow Dash. She may have rivaled Applejack in stubbornness, but she was, in the end, fair. It was a shame that fate decreed they had to be enemies for so long.

“Cadance, one more thing,” Nightmare Moon hailed while, once again, coming through the door. “I understand if I’m asking too much of you, but it seems there is a way for me to return much quicker. I met Rainbow Dash with a teleportation scroll. She wished to ask you to cast it for her. May I ask that you do so for me?”

Cadence looked on wearily from her seat but took the scroll nonetheless. She closed her eyes and gave an exhausted sigh,
“Very well. I suppose I do have to find my daughter in the end. Let’s go.”

Nightmare Moon was slightly surprised at how easy it was, but didn't question a moment of luck, for they quickly passed.

Cadance stood in the middle of the room next to Nightmare Moon’s own ethereal body, and unfolded the scroll in its entirety, and quickly ran through it with her eyes while nodding lightly.
The pink alicorn read the spell several times before casting to ensure she wasn’t missing vital components, but the scroll was very comprehensive and had the spell fully prepared. With a tasteful flicker of her horn, Cadence released the suspended spell from the scroll, and both mares felt themselves being dragged away from Crystal Palace. As quickly as it started, the sensation was over. They were inside a small room, a cottage if Nightmare Moon was to hazard a guess. In front of them, Flurry Heart herself was sitting with a book in her lap.

“Oh, finally! You know… Wait, you are not Rainbow,” Flurry Heart quickly closed the book and jumped back to her hooves from the dusty chair she was using.

“For someone who knows the future, you are strangely easy to surprise, Flurry Heart. What was your plan this time?”

“No, this is not how it’s supposed to go! Rainbow was supposed to get the scroll and get Dad to ask Mom to cast it; Mom would say she was busy, and Dad would cast it himself! Neither of you is supposed to be here! Oh, this is all wrong! How in the hay am I going to get the Elements together again if she isn’t even here?”

“Flurry, why wouldn’t you simply talk to me about all this?” Cadence spoke softly. “If I knew I could have helped you do something so important, I would have. You didn’t need any spirit mask for advice.”

Flurry visibly cringed,
“Well… Mom, I’m sorry to tell you if you didn’t guess yet, but the whole spirit thing was an act. There weren’t any spirits, and the masks I got from an antique shop.
“Also, I tried talking to you about it. You just flipped out, and it made everything worse. Moony here got shafted because of that and almost ended up doing who knows what to you just to get the supplies needed for her plans.”

“No, Flurry. I mean before that. Why didn’t you talk to me about your visions? I waited to see what you were going to do with your gift, and all this time, you were doing such amazing work! I thought Nightmare Moon showed up to rebuild her empire and wanted to start with us.”

“Hold on… thought? You mean you actually figured it out!?” Flurry Heart stared in wide-eyed surprise. “That never happened! I never ever saw a future when the two of you didn’t hate each other! This is great! You did better than I ever could!”

The two mares in question exchanged looks.

“Well, perhaps we should not be hasty,” Nightmare Moon began cautiously. “While it seems we are finally finding understanding after all these years, we are still in opposition otherwise. Cadence has a duty to uphold, as, seemingly, do I. We cannot both succeed. Yet, this does not mean we must necessarily be enemies. At least not for personal reasons. It would be a very different time when we could be true friends, but it seems we are beginning to take the first steps.”

“As much as I am in disbelief of that idea,” Cadence confirmed. “Flurry, please, let’s go home. Leave all of this to Nightmare Moon and your Aunts. You already did much more than anypony expected.”

“I… can’t. Mom, please, I need to do something! I can’t just sit back and watch, not this time! I can fix something fundamentally wrong with the world! Don’t you understand? I can save a species!” Flurry expectantly looked at Nightmare Moon. “I get that it’s very intimidating to just be put in front of something like this, and I’m sorry that it was so sudden, but there really isn’t a better way. I searched for years! This way everyone will be better, even you. Let’s go to the castle; I’ve got it charted out. I’ll explain when we get there.”

The entirety of the flight to the castle was uneventful, save for Cadence's occasional pleading for her daughter to stop, which fell on deaf ears. Their approach was not unnoticed; a large alicorn form took off from below to meet them as they came into view.

“Nightmare!” Daybreaker hailed. “You have been missed! The troops have been asking for your orders, and I was worried! How could you simply bolt like that without speaking a word?” As offended as Daybreaker meant to sound, she failed to conceal her relief. “And who is this with you? Did you finally come to your senses, Cadence?”

“Leave the Princess of Crystal Empire out of this!” Nightmare Moon sharply cut her off. “She is here to retrieve her daughter, nothing else.”

Daybreaker held her forelegs up apologetically,
“I only meant to-”

“We know what you meant. Dear sister, sometimes your mouth outpaces your decorum.”

“Yes, yes, I am sure she is sorry. We are a little bit in a hurry here,” Flurry Heart hurried along. “It would be nice if we could get on sorting this mess out within the next couple of hours. It’s not much further.”

The four alicorns landed in the ravine and followed Flurry Heart into the cave.

“So, here’s the plan: You get ahold of Chrysalis’ old digs, grab Luna and Celestia, and then the three of you are gonna go to Manehattan. There’s a particular pony there that you need some help from. Luna will know exactly where to find him soon enough, so don’t worry about it. He’s gonna help you convince the bureaucracy to trust you by coming up with some ideas on how to get this economy under control. He’s a smart cookie and would’ve done that already, but when you have two dozen ministries all competing for resources, every spare scrap of money and materials is precious. With a more centralized leadership, those could go to the folks that really need them. It sounds pretty hard, but it’s easier than it sounds. You good for now?”

Nightmare Moon nervously stared at Chrysalis by the crystal roots. She knew what she had to say. Or she thought she did, at least. She glanced at Cadance for support, but the Pink Princess only shook her head.

“I… cannot do that,” Nightmare Moon slowly said. “I simply cannot.”

Flurry blinked,
“What do you mean you can’t? Of course you can! It’s easy! Just enter her body just like you do when you pass through a door.”

“No… I cannot simply abandon my duty and rule the Changelings. I am sorry, Flurry Heart.
As honorable and inspiring as your work is, you would have to find a different mare to take up the cause. I see now that my purpose lies with ponykind, and I was selfish to reject my responsibility. No one but me can allay it, and that is why it must be me. I cannot do that if I must devote myself to Changelingkind instead.”

“But you could still do that! You’d just have to…”

“Split my attention? Flurry Heart, we both know that is not possible; it is merely wishful thinking. As regrettable as it is. To save the Changeling race, I must take immediate action and take them away from harm. Their blood is precious, and every time it is spilled, their chances for survival decrease even with a queen.
“Just like I told you before: I will not put the needs of my ponies below those of the changelings. I am a pony, and to them I dedicate myself.”

“Nightmare… perhaps we should search for someone else to replace you then,” Daybreaker cautiously suggested.

“There can’t be anyone else! I looked! I looked for twenty years! Everyone else either fails or becomes just as power-hungry as Chrysalis!” Flurry cried out, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I can’t believe this! I planned this for years! It was perfect! All you had to do was just play your role! You are the best option they have! You could have saved them, you callous bitch!” Flurry Heart slowly sank to the floor, tears rolling off her cheeks and falling to the dusty stone.
“Are my visions really this worthless?”

“As tragic as this is, if I must choose, I choose ponies…” Nightmare Moon reiterated. Although the words tasted sour, that is what she had to say. She would not let anyone harm them, even if they were ungrateful, and even if that meant sacrificing her no less beloved subjects.
“I share your woe, but it has to be this way. We are ponies, and our loyalty must lie with ponykind first. Changelingkind will be remembered, and their sacrifice will be honored.
“Sister, order my soldiers to venture out and reconnect with their old friends and relatives in the capital. There must be some left. They will help us gain the information we need. Stress for them that there will be no violence within the city; we only seek to aid them in whichever way we can.”

Having finished, Nightmare Moon was about to turn to Cadance when she noticed something bizarre…
“Sister?” Daybreaker wasn’t responding. She found Daybreaker in deep thought. Doubt was written on her face, yet there was conviction too. One she had never seen her sister exhibit before. “Daybreaker, is something the matter?”

“You are right,” Daybreaker said resolutely. “You cannot put the Changelings above the ponies. That will take too much of your attention. You are exactly where you are needed most. I will do it.”

Nightmare Moon looked on in silence, attempting to piece together what her sister meant,
“...Do what?”

“I will replace you. We are sisters: If both of us can inhabit that shell Flurry Heart has created, I can go instead.”

“You?” Flurry perked up. “You, a Queen of Changelings?! No, no, there is no way in Tartarus! You don’t know anything about the ruling; the best you could do is watch Celestia doing it from the sidelines. That’s not going to end well for anyone.”

“I can do it!” Daybreaker stepped ahead. “Being a princess means protecting my subjects. If Nightmare cannot, then I will!”

“No! Absolutely not!” Nightmare Moon regained her voice. “You are my sister! I won’t allow you to throw away your own life to rectify just one of my many shortcomings!”

“Nightmare, I have to! This is what you always wanted me to understand, and I finally see it! Being born noble means bearing responsibility for others! I was only concerned with my own freedom and desires before, and everything always felt off! I see why now!
“I was rejecting my purpose! To rule means to serve the needs of our subjects, not having them serve ours. We rule because, in this way, we can serve our subjects best, even if they don’t understand how. I see how I can serve now. This is what I am here for, just like leading your soldiers is what you are here for. Please, Nightmare! Don’t rob me of this!”

“I… I mean… I… I guess this could work…” Flurry Heart said after a moment of contemplation, wiping her face with her hoof. “If Nightmare is there to help you, this could work. I guess now it would have to work.”

“Sister, please, reconsider,” Nightmare Moon pleaded. “That responsibility may not be something you’d grow to enjoy. In many ways, Luna and I have both envied Celestia; it is only much later that I finally understood the reasoning behind her attempting to leave Luna with as few responsibilities as she could. Luna was resentful, but Celestia only wished for Luna to live a life she never could. If you proceed as you intend to, you will never be free again… Not in this life, nor the next. Being a queen is not simply power and responsibility but also a chain, as there can never be a former queen.
“Please, do not make the mistake I made. Despite what you believe, you do not have to do this. Celestia and I will solve this somehow. If not, we will do what we can to ensure the Changelings are comfortable. I urge you: live.”

“Wait, hold on you two,” Cadence suddenly reminded them she was there. “Why are you arguing about this? Isn’t it better to leave Chrysalis in her own body? Chrysalis is a coward; she won’t stand up to you whatever you may ask.”

“We cannot,” Nightmare Moon grimly answered. “Chrysalis is a huge risk. She may be a coward, but she is ruthlessly cunning, and more importantly, she has something that we need, which means she has power over us.”

“I never had a vision where having Chrysalis alive again was ever good news,” Flurry added. “Chrysalis being dead is better for everyone, including the Changelings. This is why I wanted Moony to be the Queen.”

“That is why I must do it, Nightmare,” Daybreaker spoke up again. “You see it, don’t you? I could simply stand back and let you take care of it, just like I always did before. That would be so easy. But I cannot, not anymore. I cannot always be in your shadow, Nightmare! Remember what Celestia did and how awful it was for you and Luna. Celestia swore to never again keep Luna from being better, even if that would bring pain to her. Luna has grown so much since. Would you have denied her that if you could?”

“Hmmgggrrr…” Nightmare Moon made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a growl and still managed to be neither.
“Are you sure? Is this what you really want?” Nightmare Moon asked again, hopelessly.

“Yes, Nightmare. I finally see a role for myself that no one else can perform. I finally feel needed; instead of being just a burden to you!”

Nightmare Moon sighed deeply. She would hate to lose her sister just to prove some untested theory from an unreliable diviner, but as much as she hated to admit it, Daybreaker was right. By keeping her out of harm’s way, she was only making Daybreaker unhappy. For Nightmare Moon, her future was set in stone the very moment she took up arms against Celestia; Daybreaker’s future was not, and seeing her sister getting tied up in the same web as her was sorrowful. But, she supposed, she couldn’t protect her forever, just like Celestia couldn’t protect Luna. One day, we all must grow up.

“If you have decided, I will not bar you,” Nightmare Moon said sadly. “Know that I will always be here for you, regardless of who you choose to be. You only need to ask, and I will move the world for you.”

In response, Daybreaker gave the most sincere, grateful smile Nightmare Moon had ever seen on her features. She was almost glowing.
“Thank you, sister. I promise this will change nothing for my allegiance. I will always be here for you too, whatever your designs may be.”

Nightmare Moon thought that now would be the moment when they would embrace, but they were unable; yet instead of the sorrow of the past, the thought now filled her with happiness. Daybreaker’s look was all she needed.

“Now then, shall we?” Nightmare Moon turned back to Flurry.

“Yeah… sure. Well, I figure this is going to be the hardest part. Daybreaker, I need to dissolve your body. Actually, maybe it’s good that you are here, Mom. You can probably do this much easier than I can.”

“How can I help?” Cadence asked.

“Well, remember when the first time you faced Sombra, he got repelled by the magic of the Crystal Heart? Since Daybreaker’s physical body is basically his magic; you could use your love magic to disperse it. I think a simple high-energy blast would work, but we might need to try something else if that fails.”

Daybreaker visibly shrank at Flurry casually mentioning that her mother would be using combat spells on her,
“I will endure what it takes,” she said determinedly.

“It shouldn’t hurt much,” Flurry quickly attempted to dispel her fears. “Remember, you can’t actually feel pain if you have no body, and if everything goes according to plan, you won’t have a body after Mom blasts you. Should only be a second or two.”

“I can testify,” Nightmare Moon confirmed. “Being dead is quite relaxing. I am sure you will enjoy the experience, sister.”

“Very well,” Daybreaker stepped aside to make sure no one would get hit, took a farewell look at her still remaining body, and looked at Cadance resolutely. “Do it.”

Cadence did not need another invitation. She bowed her head, aiming her horn directly at the white alicorn, and grunted with extortion, releasing a bright pink beam of energy that engulfed Daybreaker fully.

“Enough! Mom, stop!” Flurry asked. Cadence did stop. Daybreaker was no more; only a white mist remained in her stead, and a few sparks of purple still permeated the air.

“Sister? Can you hear us?”

“I… I can,” the answer came. The white mist slowly began coalescing into a cloud. “That moment when you hit me… I never felt such agony in my entire existence.”

“I am sorry…” Cadence said.

“I accept. That is what had to happen, and it is over now.”

“I must say, sister, you look fetching!” Nightmare Moon remarked, quickly wishing to change the subject. “This shade of matted white is quite fitting to you. I am even a little jealous.”

“You may be there one day too,” Daybreaker answered with a dry chuckle. “Ever since you were summoned, the color of your smoke was slowly getting brighter. You used to be as black as Chrysalis’ heart, but now you are almost indigo. You’d look majestic with fur, though the sun won’t be kind to it.”

“Getting brighter?” Flurry perked up, squinting her eyes at Nightmare Moon. “As in, like, without you actively doing anything to color it?”

“The dead have no use for dyes, Flurry Heart,” Nightmare Moon responded.

“That’s… interesting. I guess with you being less physical than ponies normally are, your coloration isn’t dependent on nature.”

“I am sure Twilight would like nothing else than to run a few dozen tests on me, but that would be for later.”

“Right. Okay then, now comes the tricky part. I don’t really know how the possession thing works.”

“What?!” both Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker both cried out.

“Wait! Wait! Bad wording! Bad wording!” Flurry rapidly waved her forelegs.”I know how it works; I just don’t know how to start it, okay? So, in my visions, you just touch the body and kinda flow inside. I don’t really understand how you do it, but every time you try, it just… works out. I don’t know if Daybreaker can do that.”

The two sisters stared at each other for a moment, neither quite knowing what to say.

“Alright then…” Daybreaker floated towards the prone changeling. “Who would have thought,” she looked over the body before her, then looked up at the Tree itself. She slowly approached Chrysalis’ body until she was touching it; she held it for a moment, but nothing happened. Then, Daybreaker sighed and entered her ajar maw instead. Somehow, she managed to push the entirety of her voluminous body in until she was no longer visible.

Nightmare Moon anxiously looked on, waiting for something to happen. For a while, no movement or sound betrayed the result. Until one sound cut the silence. A breath. Then a cough. The queen’s thorax heaved as she wheezed to life after much time of unuse. Shivers ran through her whole body until her breathing stabilized. Her eyes slowly cracked open, as vivid green as Nightmare Moon remembered them.

“Sister, can you hear me?” Nightmare Moon hopefully asked.

“Y-yes…” the answer was croaky and weak. “So… so hungry…”

“Oh… right, I forgot about this part. Someone has to feed her or she’ll die again in a few hours. Mom?”

“...Well, I guess I am the best suited, am I not?” Cadence said resignedly. “Come here, you disgusting body snatcher,” she sighed, grabbing Daybreaker’s new body by the hooves and dragging her up until she was embracing her.

In time, Daybreaker began feeling better, enough to stand up on her own, and Cadance cautiously let her go.

“Thank you, Cadence,” Daybreaker said earnestly. “You weren’t obliged to help us, but you did nonetheless.”

“I’d rather you take my love than my daughter’s.”

“I am grateful nonetheless.”

“So am I, Cadence,” Nightmare Moon floated closer. “You may not be born noble, but you are every bit as noble in spirit as the most highborn queen in the past or future. Celestia was wise to have chosen you. We are both indebted to you, and I will be honored if you would allow me to repay you someday.”

“I will consider it. Nightmare Moon, after what you did… I cannot ever accept you. But I can’t hate you. You may be a monster, but you are no different from anyone else. If your kind is some kind of cosmic evil, then this evil is so inept that it fails to outdo any common lowlife. You are so pathetic that you don’t even have your own bodies. If you wish to repay me, then do as every other flawed and petty creature would do and be better than you were. That is all I want from you.”

“I understand. I will do my utmost, Cadence. Even though I still don’t understand how. If this is the first step, then perhaps I should seek more guidance.”

Flurry cringed slightly. “Ehhh… I can’t help you much there. All of my visions had you doing this, not Daybreaker. Surveying the differences will take months, and planning it out accordingly, even longer. This future stuff isn’t quick, demons or no demons.”

“Well… perhaps there is some other source of guidance then,” Nightmare Moon turned to the Tree. “Although, I am unworthy.”

“You realize that the Tree won’t tell you anything? It can’t speak. It will give you what it thinks will help you, but you have to figure everything else out yourself. Remember how Twilight and her friends got a locked box they had to find magical keys for? Expect that sort of thing.”

“Noted…” Nightmare Moon stared at the Tree intently, unsure of how to gain its favor. The words were cheap, and the Tree wouldn’t fall for them. It radiated its usual calming light… as if oblivious to all before it. Its smooth, crystal surface was still and warm to the touch. It felt soothing, almost like she could sleep. Sleep… it had been so long since she slept. She could almost feel herself drifting away until she was far-far away from her troubles.

Rise of the New Moon

Nightmare Moon found herself in a dark but familiar place. The dream realm. It had been many years since she had seen it last, and even before her death, she neglected this part of her domain. The thought of having to personally intrude on her subjects to protect them from their own dreams seemed rather patronizing to her.

Now, though… this place felt different. She felt… at ease. Like she was somewhere where she belonged after many years of being away. Here, surrounded by tiny pinpricks of dreaming ponies and in complete control of all dream matter, she could finally truly rest. Although, there was something that tugged on her. Not physically, but she obviously felt compelled to approach one dream in particular. Should she? It has been so long since she dispelled a nightmare, almost as long as she had crafted one.

There was an orange stallion with a bright, sandy mane and tail, and he was dreaming about being chased. Such a common fear it was, so much that it almost seemed banal to her. But what he was being pursued by made this far less simple. It was no monster or beast, but another pony. A thestral, with brightly glowing eyes and long fangs.

She stepped in front of the stallion, willing the street to narrow down so she could more easily block it with her bulk. The stallion looked at her in confusion for a moment and even slowed his gallop ever so slightly; then, realizing there was nowhere to run, he was right back to absolute terror. He could not get past her, but he couldn’t go back either. He kept looking back over his shoulder and then back to her, not realizing that neither of his assailants was moving. Nightmare Moon patiently waited for him to notice. Whatever this apparition was, it would not harm him as long as she willed the dream to stop.

The stallion eventually noticed that the pony chasing him was just as still as he was, and a look of surprise and confusion once again returned to his gaze. He cautiously looked back at the thestral, then back to her once again. After a momentary hesitation, he turned away from her and slowly, using only the tips of his hooves, inched closer to the thestral, occasionally looking back at her to make sure she never moved either.

Nightmare Moon preferred forcing dreamers to overcome their nightmares rather than just dispelling them. She helped but gave no hints as to what the stallion needed to do, allowing him to learn at his own pace.

Fear was soon replaced by curiosity as he looked onto the frozen mid-leap thestral, almost suspended in the air. He even found enough courage to touch it. He tried pushing it, but Nightmare Moon did not want it to be malleable enough to be pushed down… not yet. An idea sprang up in her mind.

The stallion looked back at the end of the alley but found only the warm lights of the windows and street lamps. He stared at the empty alley in confusion for a moment, then looked back at the thestral, only for the monstrous pony to tackle him to the ground and snap its jaws just shy of his nose. Fear was back on his features as he tried, in vain, to push it off or crawl back. Realizing he had no choice, the stallion gathered all his strength and tried to kick. Although, in the waking world, such a strike would not be possible due to the weight resting on his legs, Nightmare Moon allowed it here as it served her purpose. The thestral was thrown back several steps and knocked on its back, visibly dazed after the hard kick. The stallion immediately got back to his hooves and tried to flee again… only to realize that the alley was a dead end. The thestral was back onto him, catching one of his legs, only for the stallion to kick it again, throwing the creature to the wall as if it weighed nothing. After a moment of wonder, the pony was onto it, kicking it again and again until it stopped moving entirely.

Breathing heavily, the stallion looked in bewilderment at his own legs, then back at the prone enemy before him. Nightmare Moon was satisfied. He quickly grasped what he needed to do, and she hoped he would remember to do so in the future, too. After all, he had just as much control over his own dream as she did. She merely had extended power to control those of others and travel through the dream realm. She was prepared to leave the stallion to rest now.

“Uh… lady… you there?” he called her unsurely. “I know I saw you there; come out, please.”

Hmm… Well… she supposed his wish could be granted. She waited for him to scan the other side of the alley before reappearing. Her suddenly being only a few steps away startled him for a moment. She rustled her feathers ever so slightly in response.

“Uh… Hello… I just wanted to say thank you. You did that… whatever it was. So.. thanks.”

“I accept your gratitude,” she said curtly.

“So, do you know anyplace where we can be safe from more of those… creatures? I have been seeing them all around the town no matter where I go.”

“No, there is no place safe for you here, for this is your dream. When you awaken, you shall forget it just like you do all others.”

“Wait… a dream?” he looked around his surroundings. “But it feels so real…”

“Look again,” Nightmare Moon said dispassionately.

He did, and the alley was gone entirely, replaced with a blank void. He stared back at her in awe for a few moments before finding his words again, “Who are you?” he asked.

“That is not important. Know that I am here to aid you in overcoming your nightmares. I only forced you to confront them head-on; everything else was your own doing. I did this so next time you would not need my aid.”

“Oooohhh!” he cooed. “I understand! My ma told me stories about meeting you once! You’re Princess Luna, aren’t you? The Princess of the Night and the Watchmare of Dreams! You look… different from how she described you, though…” he looked her over again.

Nightmare Moon winced at that, “No… you are mistaken. Luna is someone entirely different.”

“But she’s the only one who can come to other ponies' dreams… if you are not her, then I don’t know.”

“It is not wise to pry at others, my little pony,” she said in a threatening tone.

“Sorry,” he stepped back warily.

A question popped up in Nightmare Moon’s mind. Perhaps not really important, but she had been sent here for a reason,
“Is your mother’s name Scootaloo by any chance?” the color of his coat lined up. He was also a pegasus…

“Yes. Do you know her too?”

“Not personally. I suppose this world is much smaller than it seems. How is your esteemed mother?”

“She is good, I guess. She’s a driver. Often drives me and her friends around the town when her job lets her borrow the car. She always said she wanted to fly, but driving is the next best thing.”

Nightmare Moon smiled contently; at least someone was in a place where she belonged,
“Luna will be glad to hear.”

“You know Luna too?!”

“I do,” Nightmare Moon admitted; she reckoned it was too late to deny it. “She is my sister.”

The excitement was immediately replaced with confusion,
“...You are not Princess Celestia,” he pointed out.

“I am not. Luna has more than one sister. Even though only one of us is related to her by blood.”

“But you have both wings and a horn, and you are not Princess Twilight or Cadance either.”

“My name is Nightmare Moon. Your mother has likely used my name to frighten you against staying up late,” Nightmare Moon remarked bitterly.

“But… isn’t that just one of Luna’s names? I never heard any stories about you as separate from her.”

“I have been known as her, but to suit my own needs. Few ponies would obey me if they knew that the one giving orders was the feared and terrible Nightmare Moon instead of kind and loving Luna.”

“So… you were the Empress?”

“I was. And may I never be again.”

“That’s… wow. I didn’t imagine I’d meet the Empress when I was going to sleep. So cool! I am going to tell Mom; oh, she’s going to flip out! You have to see her too sometime and bring Luna too! They used to be friends.”

“As nice as that would be, that is not possible. Luna no longer sleeps, which is the only way to enter the dream realm. Neither do I, for that matter. This is… unusual.”

“Wait, you don’t sleep? But everypony needs to sleep sometime… don’t you at least nap?”

“No. I am dead, my little pony. I exist as a specter, while Luna is a vampony. Neither of us can dream.”

“Oh… you both must be really tired from being awake all the time.”

“You cannot even imagine,” Nightmare Moon groaned aloud. “Although that is hardly due to sleep. Once you have lived to be a thousand years old, you would understand how tiring living truly is. For me, though, not even death is an escape. Though it has been rather pleasant in comparison.”

“Okay, not sure I understand why you’re here, though. Didn’t you say that you can’t dream?”

“I cannot… under normal circumstances. I have been recalled to undo the harm I have caused, and I asked the Tree of Harmony for guidance on how to best achieve such a task. In response, it sent me here. It seems even in death, the dream realm recognizes me.”

“Well, you look pretty alive to me,” he was even brave enough to approach and touch her on the foreleg. “You are warm and soft. Not at all like a dead pony is.”

“This is not my true form but a projection, just like yours is. The dream realm is malleable and can change form. I can shape it in any way I wish, and so can you, although you are doing it unconsciously. In the waking world, I have no physical form at all.”

“Maybe I can help? The Tree did send you here for a reason, right?”

“Indeed. Although I do not know why or how can you help. My task is as much beyond you as it is beyond me, and you likely know even less than I do. So far I have been failing to make any progress, but in failure, I have learned some of the wrong approaches.”

“What have you been up to?”

“What I am most knowledgeable about… War. I know many ways of defeating an enemy with the force of arms, but none of them are suitable. Violence does not make our obstacles wane… but grow. My sister asked me to stop, and so I did. Yet I see no other option. As it currently stands, we must take power away from a sprawling bureaucratic state with significant military and administrative resources.”

“An alicorn’s potential for destruction can be truly terrifying, and I could muster four of them, but even then, I could only destroy my enemy while controlling territory demands much more force than I have. All reasonable calculations predict short-term failure and long-term war of attrition. I will win, but for that, so many ponies would have to die that the victory will mean nothing, for there will be no more Equestria. I have asked for guidance, and now I am here… with you.”

Nightmare Moon looked intently at the pony in front of her. He was not much like his mother; he had full-sized wings for one. He was no great philosopher, or even a warrior… his cutie mark suggested he was a cook.

“Well…” he recoiled slightly from her stare. “I’d be happy to help. You helped me after all. What can I do?”

“That is the pertinent question, isn’t it? You see, I do not know. The riddle that I must solve seemingly requires the impossible. I must restore the world to how it was before I irreversibly changed it. Now my very existence seems to sully it. My warriors flock to me, only to find disappointment in seeing that I am unwilling to lead them to further conquest; meanwhile, my rivals seem to beat themselves into a frenzy of war preparations from the mere knowledge that I am still here. At the same time, we must defeat the usurpers in power to return it back to Princess Celestia, yet it cannot be done through violent means. I do not know how to even approach this great task that I have before me.”

“Well… the thing ponies liked most about the world that used to be is the safety and stability. So, maybe that’s what you should begin with.”

“I am afraid that is simply not possible. My mere presence puts all of my allies in danger, for my enemies will go to great lengths to weaken me. I cannot promise safety until after I am victorious. For stability, though… that is even harder. There is a myriad of reasons for unrest within a realm, most of which I have no power over, be I alicorn or shade.”

“Sometimes, even just showing that you are trying can help a lot,” he offered with a shrug. “My boss is a bit of a plothole and never gives me any extra checks, even if we’re cooking for big guests from Manehatten. But he really cares about us all. Our dishwasher once had a hospital refuse him because they were short on staff, and my boss went there himself and gave them such a talk that they gave our co-worker the best room. You don’t have to be perfect; you just need to make the effort when others wouldn’t.”

“That… is a fresh perspective, to be sure. I suppose your boss is a good leader to you. If I am to demonstrate that I am a source of benefits, they will be much less opposed to my presence. And if my aid is required, they will be more inclined to listen to my words. As my other sister said: A leader’s purpose is to serve others, not have others serve them.
“But to that end, I will require much power… and I do not possess any at the moment. I could act through others, but the influence is directly dependent on visibility, and working through even someone as greatly respected as Twilight Sparkle will have a much-reduced effect than doing so personally. Perhaps my soldiers are not so different from common ponies after all. The only general they can respect is the one they can see.”

“Well… if that makes it any clearer to you. How are you going to do that, though?”

“To begin, it seems I would have to enlist the services of a necromancer. I would require a physical body. Then… well, I suppose we shall see.”

The stallion looked deep in thought for a moment; Nightmare Moon began wondering if he was easily distracted,
“I think that’s what I can help you with,” he suddenly said. “My mom told me a story about how Princess Luna once created a shared dream among many ponies to catch an evil creature in their dreams before it could enter the real world. If you can do anything you want here, why not make your own body from scratch and then simply leave?”

Nightmare Moon first opened her mouth to say that it was impossible but stopped herself and pondered instead. Neither she nor Luna had practiced methods of accomplishing such a feat, for that would surely mean the death of their material form. But now that she was already dead, she had nothing to lose.

“That may be possible,” Nightmare Moon said musingly. “Although I never gave much thought to how I wish to look. I suppose I can simply recreate my old appearance.” Nightmare Moon looked herself over. Her pitch-black fur was soft, velvety, and just puffy enough to have some volume for style. Her bluish-black feathers in her wings. Her flowing, nebula mane. Locks of fur just above her hooves. Luna’s body was stunning in its beauty, even if she did change her coat’s colors and added height for a more imposing appearance. Her sharp teeth and slitted eyes provided her advantages in battle. Yet all this seemed obsolete to Nightmare Moon, this was simply not her.

“I have always seen my own visage as another way of communicating.” Nightmare Moon struck a pose by extending her wings upwards, double her own height.
“I can be imposing, or mysterious,” she folded her wings and angled her head slightly up. “But at all times - superior. Looks are extremely important for a ruler, as by the looks my subjects know my authority. But this all seems unnecessary now… If I am to provoke trust instead of terror, I’ll require something else.”

“Something else? Do you mean… a different color?”

“Among other things, my fangs would have to go too. Maybe less height… or maybe less muscle. I suppose I do look like I could kick an average tree over.”

“Yeah, your size is pretty intimidating,” the stallion agreed.

“Hmm…” Nightmare Moon considered which size to use for a moment. She was the exact same height as Celestia; she intended this to indicate that they were on equal footing. Luna’s slightly shorter but still tall stature seemed like an obvious choice.
“How is this?” Nightmare Moon asked, willing her body to shrink.

“Eh… Well, I suppose you do need to stand out a bit, but it’s still a bit big.”

“You are absolutely correct; I must stand out. I suppose my wondrous black coat is next, then.”

“Well, maybe not necessarily,” he quickly spoke up. “You could add some accents, you know, maybe add spots of white to your nose or sides or something. Just so ponies can see that you aren’t some darkness demon or anything.”

Truth be told, there were times when Nightmare Moon considered doing something similar. For a ball, she thought about dying the edges of her feathers in white to accentuate them more; it would go nicely with her old silver jewelry too…
Nightmare Moon had the very tips of her feathers turn snow-white, but that was not enough. She also had the locks on her legs gradually turn white. Dispensing with the white, she added more dark blue to her legs so that the white of the locks wouldn’t contrast too much with the black of the rest of her legs. Looking over her mostly barren back, Nightmare Moon also added tiny patches of white across her back, sides, and thighs and willed them to gleam in the light like metal. She decided to stop there for now.
She made a graceful round turn, fully extending her wings, and looked questioningly at her only critic.

“Whoa…” he breathed out.

Nightmare Moon giggled,
“Am I already so beautiful that you have forgotten any semblance of speech?”

With a smile, she decided to complete her looks with some tasteful attire, as well. She chose a flowing, see-through gown to barely cover her back and left a few strips hanging down past her barrel, ending with crescent pendants. This would enhance the mystical theme she chose for the moment. Next was her head. She briefly considered a tiara but decided it to be in poor taste. Instead, she chose a necklace of concentric silver chains ending with a singular red ruby at the last circle. She created a few more airy chains to put in her mane, adding a few rubies to break the monotony of white over her body.
Admiring her work, she made a few dancing passes and turned around to see if the pendants moved as they should. Noticing the jaw-dropped awe of her audience, a sly smirk appeared on her face. She continued her dance.

Willing a majestic hall to appear around them, Nightmare Moon filled it with ponies in suits and dresses. She looked at the stallion expectantly.

It took several seconds for the stallion to realize where they were and what she wanted him to do.

“M-My…” he cleared his throat after stammering. “My Lady, may I have a dance?”

She beamed at him,
“You may.” She stepped back and formally bowed to him; he clumsily repeated her gesture. Quite uncouth, but she reckoned she could make a prince out of him in a decade or two. But for now, she wished to see him move.

He took her offered hoof and looked up at her unsurely; their still, quite-apparent size difference would not make things easy for him; luckily, this was but a dream.

“Do what you feel is right,” she said to him with an encouraging smile. “Dancing with a partner is an expression of passion more than it is skill.”

That dispelled some of his stiffness as he gripped her foreleg more firmly and stepped back. Nightmare Moon followed his lead. His routine was fairly basic, consisting of spins and rhythmic steps. She wouldn’t be surprised if he learned this dance for his graduation party at school. Still, she appreciated him trying. Dancing was something she always craved to do, but she very rarely got the opportunity.

“You know, most of my subjects would not dare to ask me out for a dance,” she remarked. “I suppose they were much too afraid of disappointing their Empress. I rarely had an opportunity for a quiet dance as a result.”

“Really?” he asked incredulously.

“The last one was my late Captain of the Guard. It is a Canterlot tradition that, at a gala, the Princess dances with the Captain of her Guard before everyone else joins with their selected partners. That was such a lovely night; my guards went out of their way to organize a party for me.”

“Oh, that was very sweet of them. You must have gotten a fair few gifts, too.”

“Not as many as you may imagine. Although I had some,” Nightmare Moon dreamily smiled, remembering how an innocent colt in her guard brought her a bouquet of white roses. Oh, if only he knew the meaning.
“I sometimes received flowers from my guards, although if you would take my advice: never allow a soldier to pick a gift for a mare. It may have unintended significance,” she finished with a wry smirk.

“From guards? Wasn’t it just their job? I couldn’t do that…”

“No, it is not just a job, my little pony,” Nightmare Moon stepped away from him with a sigh. “As you may guess, I hardly needed any guards in the first place. Assassins would suffer a rather… grizzly end if they ever managed to sneak into my quarters. No, guards were a status symbol. Nothing signals the importance of a pony quite like a well-maintained and groomed guard detail. This may seem inglorious, but I assure you, I intended it to be anything but. I picked my own guards myself for their glorious deeds and afforded them a life in my palace instead of a remote barrack, or worse… a trench. None ever refused. I also allowed them much freedom. They were well-paid, allowed to buy property in the capital, and had other benefits. Of course, I also happened to be rather popular in the army, and guarding me was considered a great honor. No one ever had enough courage to court me, but gifts would occasionally find their way to me all the same.”

“I’d gift you flowers too if you lived in my town. You are very pretty,” he sheepishly said.

“Why, thank you! You can’t imagine how few ponies ever said so to me. But mayhaps that would not be quite appropriate for me to accept any further advances. I am more than a thousand years older than you in the end.”

“Alright… Are we ever going to meet again?”

“Perhaps, would you wish us to? After all, this is a dream, and you will not remember it for long once you wake.”

“Totally! I never imagined you’d be so cool! You probably know so many stories! Maybe we could play some buckball, too!”

Nightmare Moon chuckled,
“I am sure your friends would be less than eager to play ball with Nightmare Moon of all creatures. I believe parents still scare their foals with my name.”

“Yeah, with Nightmare Moon. Trust me, everyone would love to meet you, Moon!”

“Well, The first part of my name does indeed seem like it has outlived its usefulness... You have been of great aid to me, my little pony,” she courteously bowed to him. “Well then. I suppose, unless you desire to spend just a little more time together, I should prepare to take my leave. You see, once you wake, your dream shall disappear, together with me and this new body we crafted. It would be most unfortunate if your awakening came earlier rather than later. But I promise that we will meet again. I may not be able to visit you in the waking world just yet, but I can promise you that I will find you in your dreams. Perhaps I might even bring my sister, although she might be less eager to meet you than you are to meet her.”

“Yeah… I get it. You gotta go do important things. While I… well… I’ll return to cooking food for some big wigs from one ministry or another. They shift every other day, so I stopped caring which one.”

“Don’t be so crestfallen over it. A cook is a noble and important profession. I would have long perished had it not been for the multitudes of my kitchen staff. By the stars, my mother would have had me flogged if she saw me trying to learn to prepare food myself. Simply because you do not give orders to thousands of ponies with each stroke on parchment does not make you any less important.”

“Well… it’s just that sometimes I wish I could do something big, you know? Like you, or Twilight Sparkle. Something that would help everyone.”

“Well… perhaps that could be arranged,” Moon smiled conspiratorially. “My sister Luna wishes to speak to a certain pony that you may just know the location of.”

Miracles Abound

“This is disastrous,” Daybreaker buzzed bleakly. “She was right. The tree did smite her as soon as she dared to address it. This venture was a poor gamble. With Nightmare lost, we are lost as well. More than in any other time.” Daybreaker turned towards visibly stunned Flurry Heart,
“You will be punished for your failure!”

“Me?! This wasn’t in the visions! I told you both, it had to be her! I tried to do it right, but you just had to do what you thought was better! So choke on your threat! You only got yourself to blame!”

“You impudent… You vowed that the tree would not harm her! This was not even banishment! There were no portals to the realm of the dead! The tree simply purged her before our eyes! You will die for what you did!” Daybreaker ignited her horn, attempting to cast a spell to immolate the source of her vow but discovered that the inferno she wished did not manifest.

“Ha!” Flurry grinned. “Forgetting something, queenie?”

“I don’t need magic to see your head on a pike!” Daybreaker bared her sharp fangs. With a speed born from all-consuming rage, Daybreaker leaped to tackle the younger mare.

Equally swiftly her way was barred by a lithe yet determined pink form,
“Daybreaker, stop!” Cadance desperately begged, but her plea fell on deaf ears. Resigning herself to what she had to do, Cadance threw herself beneath Daybreaker’s hooves, sending her tumbling to the ground. Refusing to give her a moment of respite, Cadance quickly fell upon her, pushing the posses changeling to the ground,
“Daybreaker, please! She wouldn’t want us to kill each other because of her!”

Daybreaker struggled on the ground to get out from beneath Cadance’s weight, but the alicorn was stronger. Managing to slightly shift her body to get an angle, Daybreaker kicked at Cadance’s hind legs. Using the momentarily unsteady balance of her adversary, Daybreaker rolled to her back and kicked with all four of her legs, aiming for the head. Her aim was slightly off, but her kick still connected with Cadance’s jaw, the force of impact sending her on the ground a few steps away in a shower of bloody spittle.

“M-mom!” Flurry cried out.

Not one to leave enemies behind, Daybreaker was quickly upon the stunned alicorn, delivering more strikes to her head and exposed stomach. Something cracked in Cadance’s head, and her jaw hung open, tilted at an unnatural angle. Blood flowed in streams from her many gashes.

A powerful force threw Daybreaker away from Cadance’s unconscious body. After several tumbles, she found a wall. Something cracked in her back, but Daybreaker pushed herself up, feeling no pain. She directed her burning gaze at Flurry Heart.

“You want a fight?!” she hissed, tears flowing down her face. “I’ll give you a fight!”

Daybreaker bared her teeth again and charged her enemy. Having only made a few steps, she felt the familiar pull of magical force. In a moment of clarity among the sea of burning rage, Daybreaker realized that she had no chance against an alicorn without her magic. As she was being flung around the cave like a puppet and slammed against the wall and ground, Daybreaker’s anger was soon replaced by terror. Daybreaker felt her shell shatter and break under the impact; she still felt almost no pain due to adrenaline flooding her blood, even though it had already begun coloring the ground in dirty, brown puddles.
Her beating stopped as suddenly as it began, leaving her on the ground, ten steps away from a panting Flurry Heart, still glaring at her with unrestrained hatred. Daybreaker tried to stand up again, but was forced to stay prone by Flurry’s arcane might.

“You… will do… exactly as I… tell you to,” Flurry rumbled between her pants. “You are… serving me… now! Got it?!”

“Is she?” Both mares turned their heads to the source of the question. Their bewilderment increased tenfold as an onyx alicorn slowly and gracefully stepped from a purple tear in space itself. Her glowing, teal eyes betrayed no hint of emotion. Flurry and Daybreaker simply stared as the newcomer glanced behind her shoulder right before the tear closed behind her.
“Are you the overlord here, Flurry Heart?” the mare asked calmly. “Should I bow?”

The question made Daybreaker spring into action. She forced herself up, as much as her wounded body would allow her, before prostrating herself,
“I am so sorry!” she lamented. “I thought you were gone! I lost control!”

The mare smiled warmly,
“Do not ask my forgiveness, sister mine. I am grateful and flattered that you would go to such lengths for me. But you won’t need to. With the blessing of the Tree, I promise: I will never leave you ever again.”
Her smile soured as she looked at the unconscious Cadance,
“She will live and recover in merely a few hours. I have suffered worse wounds in the past. But your apology would be in order nonetheless.”

“O-of course. Anything you demand!”

“No,” she shook her head slightly, causing the jewelry in her mane to jingle melodically. “Do not do so because I ordered; do so because it is what your honor demands you must do. You have harmed her out of anger, not because it was just.”

“Of course.”

Nightmare Moon nodded slowly,
“What of you, Flurry Heart?”

“What of me? What about you! You just disappeared on us! Your whacko sister almost killed my mom! I had to do something about it!”

“Yes, something. With such power as yours, one would think you'd have no need to resort to such measures. If I remember correctly, you even volunteered to teach my sister some of your magic. Is this what your lesson was like?”

“I… well, I guess I could have restrained her… but…”

“Flurry Heart, please. There is no need for this; I understand how it feels to have made a mistake and be afraid to admit weakness. We will not judge or use it against you. Simply do what you know is right.”

Flurry Heart visibly cringed and stiffly turned to face the still-bowing Daybreaker, who watched her with one slitted eye,
“I’m… sorry… I may have been too rough with you. I mean, it’s not nice that you beat my mom like this, but I didn’t have to do the same to you. Especially since… you know.”

“I accept your amends, Flurry Heart,” Daybreaker responded somewhat grumpily.

“Now then. Flurry, tend to your mother. She will wake soon. Me and my sister must take the news to all of our allies.”

“What news?” Flurry tilted her head. “They already know that we were going to find a queen for the ‘lings.”

“I know what we must do now!” Nightmare Moon proclaimed. “Your mother, Luna, my sister. You all had a piece of the puzzle, yet only now do I see the full picture. To allay the ponies from their suffering, we first must earn the right to do so. Come, sister, let us see what we may yet salvage from our misguided prior course.”

“Yes… ugh!” Daybreaker moaned as she felt a sharp pain pierce her when she stood upright. “I will be fine. If the spirit is healthy, the body will pull through.”

“That is good, for you will be required for this next part. You must convince our changelings to put their trust in you. They will not receive you well at first.”

“I am ready! Let’s go!”

“But first, we must visit Celestia and release our prisoners.”

“Release?” Daybreaker asked out of pure confusion.

“Yes. Although holding them provides us a bargaining chip, they may aid us in a different, even more profound way.”

“If that is your will, Nightmare.” Daybreaker did sound convinced, but Moon smiled gratefully at her regardless.

“And one more thing, dear sister. I am Nightmare no longer. From this night on, I am simply Moon.”

The moon shone brightly at them as they stepped outside. Moon took a deep breath of cold, forest air. It filled her with sensations she had long since forgotten. The taste of the air was intoxicating. But she had no time, not now.

Moon spread her wings and took a few experimental flaps, It had been some time since she used wings to fly. Daybreaker next to her seemed to be similarly struggling to understand how she had to use her new wings. Feeling confident, Moon took a short start and leapt in the air, making several powerful flaps to gain altitude. She circled a few times, waiting for her sister to join her.

“This is delightful!” Moon cried excitedly. “I missed this oh so much!”

“I am glad you are in good spirits,” Daybreaker grumbled, frustrated with her short wings being too short.

“Try flapping faster,” Moon suggested. “Remember how our Shadow flies.”

That seemed to help, Daybreaker flapped as quickly as she could. A characteristic buzz filled the air. It took Daybreaker a few more minutes to understand how to steer herself, but before long she too steadily ascended. Moon proceeded to land at the entrance to the Castle, glancing at her sister expectantly over her shoulder. The queen slowly and cautiously followed, touching down on the grass and cringing from the pain in her back.

Moon stepped inside and a full hall of ponies greeted her. Some were tied up, others sat in makeshift cages, but most were allowed to roam free. After all, she did promise them freedom. They all immediately ceased and looked at her; some warily, others in bewilderment.

“Greetings once again, my little ponies,” Moon walked through the door, Daybreaker uneasily trailing behind.
“Have you seen your caretakers by any chance?”

“I am here, Nightmare Moon,” Celestia stepped out from behind the former command tent. Her eyebrows rose as she took in Moon’s new look.

“The Tree did not smite me, Celestia,” Moon began explaining. “Instead it blessed me with understanding. I no longer have doubts, I know what we must do.”

“Pray tell, what is it?”

“Free them,” Moon gestured at the closest cage. “We have no use for prisoners anymore.”

“I am no great warrior, but even I see that releasing the enemy for no gain is a foolish strategy.”

“They are no enemies to us. They will carry the word of our return throughout the land. Let all know.”

“Were you not the one who spoke of the danger of this eventuality? Nightmare Moon, it is not like you to be so whimsical,” Celestia said incredulously. The white alicorn stepped fully into view, approaching to confront the now smaller Moon. “I am already surprised that you submitted yourself to the Tree’s judgment and it did not reject you. What is this?” Celestia made a wide, vertical gesture over Moon’s body.

“Not a single spec of vile magic. Pure dream matter.”

“How?!” Celestia exclaimed. “You cannot dream!”

“That was the nature of my blessing, Celestia. Now I dream and my dream has enlightened me. I have no need for sorcery now, I only need the Dreamrealm and my voice. Those are the tools that I shall use instead of weapons.”

“How? Your dreams will not help you against our enemies.”

“On the contrary, I will show you,” Moon gestured for Celestia to step aside. Reluctantly, she did. Moon flickered her horn through the air, cutting a visible purple line. She pushed the sides of the fissure wide enough for her foreleg to fit through. Moon reached inside, and a short moment later, she retreated back out with a juicy red apple.
“Do you remember the apples from Sweet Apple Acres, Celestia?” she offered the apple to the shocked alicorn with a smile.

“T-that’s impossible!” Celestia cried out in the otherwise completely silent room.

Moon’s smile got broader,
“Don’t be so rigid, Celestia. That is your one flaw. Try it. It is freshly picked, I promise.”

Celestia reluctantly took the offered fruit. Inspecting it closely the alicorn could not find a single flaw. It looked exactly like Celestia remembered. She took a bite, and her eyebrows flew upward at the explosion of flavor in her mouth. She chomped the rest of it almost on reflex.

Moon giggled,
“I told you.”

“But… how?!” Daybreaker asked, just as shocked as the Princess. “Why couldn’t you before?! This is incredible!”

“I have some for all of you,” Moon said, reaching inside the fissure yet again. This time she pulled out a full basket.
“You see, there is something about Luna that you, Celestia, and even me always overlooked. We all treated her sovereignty over the Dreamrealm as an afterthought. Just as you govern the day in all senses, Celestia, Luna does night. Dreamrealm is infinitely malleable for all of us. Just wish and it will be so. What made Luna different was that she could freely traverse it. But she never attempted to leave it in any other way aside from waking, for that would have surely killed her real body. And now… the dream and the waking world need not be so separate. You see, I have no body.”

“You turned the bane of our kind into an advantage!” Daybreaker exclaimed.

“Yes! Rejoice! We shall no longer have the need to harm others for our own sake!” Moon spread her wings and directed her attention to the rest of the ponies,
“For you, my little ponies, I bear gifts! Go and tell what you have seen to all you meet! But before that, you shall feast!”

The hall was full of chewing, slurping, and occasional laughter as ponies, both prisoner and guard alike, enjoyed the best food they had in their lives, from simple fruit to the most exquisite dishes Moon could remember her cooks ever created. A few were even singing a merry song, and others were already passed out. Even Celestia half-heartedly enjoyed a plate of cucumber salad.

“Sister, I still do not understand how this is possible,” Daybreaker said, being the only one unable to enjoy common food. “Surely there should be some limit to this ability of yours…”

Moon glanced at her from her seat at the newly-created table, setting down a goblet of fine vine,
“Sister, do not think about such things now. It is the moment of merriment, not worry. Think at least what we will be able to accomplish with such power! You, me, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, even Flurry Heart. We will make Equestria better than it ever was!”

“Hmm…” Daybreaker uneasily frowned. “I hope you are correct, sister.”

“You are not convinced?”

“I fear not. You may be able to do what any wizard of old would call a divine miracle, but many others will still oppose us. It unnerves me how easily reality itself bends to you now. There is a limit after which one can have too much power.”

Moon stared at her surprised,
“Sister? Are you implying…”

“No, no, no! Of course not!” Daybreaker quickly contradicted. “If anyone is worthy of such power, it is you. It’s just that I simply fear that you may come to rely on it too much. What makes you formidable is not your spellcraft or your strength. This seems to me an unnecessary crutch.”

“Oh…I understand your concern, dear Daybreaker. You are correct, of course, but this is no more than a tool. I only need it to better serve my people, just like I served these ponies around us. It is this that I wish to do with it, nothing else.”

“As always, I bow to your wisdom.”

“Now then, let us not dwell on the dour. Pray tell… have you seen Twilight as of recently? I wish to… how do they say it… blow her mind.”

“Oh, that would be something to witness,” Daybreaker smiled. “She stayed at the airfield, the last I heard. I came here to check on Celestia and see if I could interrogate Flurry Heart about your whereabouts, but did not find her here.”

“Well then. Shall we go surprise them? The night is still young.”

Both mares stood up from the table and headed for the charted teleportation circle, carefully stepping inside to not damage the delicate lines. Upon ensuring they were both inside, Moon began cautiously weaving the spell. She was not as artful at it as Twilight was even when she was not out of practice. After a moment, they both were in a completely different place entirely. Not at the Castle anymore, but not at their destination either. It looked similar enough, but this could not be it…

“Moon! Get down!” Daybreaker desperately called out to her, but Moon did not hear her. She stared as if bewitched at the scene of carnage before her. Ponies cried out in pain, explosions threw heaps of dirt around, and gunfire racketed in the silence of the night. No, this couldn’t be it. She had to be still dreaming. She couldn’t have miscalculated this much…

“Am I… Am I still dreaming?” Moon asked, her voice shallow. “Was everything just an illusion?”

“No!” Daybreaker emphatically denied. “This is real! I swear to you on Luna’s name, this is real! Please, get down!”

Moon allowed her sister to drag her towards the ground. The grass felt so real… but she couldn’t remember how grass was meant to feel. The sounds of battle were so real, she thought she knew those sounds well, but could she be certain?

“Moon, sister of mine, please, we have to stop this!” Daybreaker spoke to her. “Please, come to your senses! We can’t falter now!”

“But, this isn’t real!” Moon countered. “I am dreaming. This has to be my nightmare. My newfound power, the joy I forgot I could feel, the glorious future - all of it was too good to be true. I was so foolish to believe it.”

“Sister, please, look at me!” Daybreaker asked insistently. “Look at me!” Moon did as asked. She looked upon her sister, the hideous creature that her sister became. The piercing, green eyes, the maw dotted with sharp fangs and jagged horn.
“I can’t summon my fire anymore,” she said deliberately. “This may be your dream, but to me it is real. I cannot do this alone, not anymore. Do you understand?”

“But this is the Dreamrealm, I can just command it-”

“No,” Daybreaker said simply. “You cannot. If you interfere with the dream, you will interfere with me. I am your sister, regardless of this hideous form. I was always first to step up when you could not. Will you step up in my stead now?”

Moon blinked a few times, the dream did not disappear. Instead, the fog in her mind cleared a little, she could see a purpose before her.

“Smite the invaders, sister,” Daybreaker instructed. “Kill those who would harm our own. That is the way of the battlefield.”

“Yes… I will. For you, I will.”

“Then go! Our warriors are dying pointless deaths! Stop this!” Daybreaker pushed Moon away and she rapidly propped herself up. She scanned the battlefield around, her mind racing to find a plan of some kind. She spotted a whole squad of invaders assaulting a single building. They were entering through the side door, but the defenders kept them at bay, so there was no way out. A moment later, they were inside. She was needed there.

Quickly teleporting, Moon was at the door, just in time to see one of the invaders chuck a grenade. It flew over a barricade, two hooves reached out for it, but failed to catch it; kicking it higher in the air instead. She seized the moment and grasped it in her aura, pulling it outside and hurling it away. Some warriors watched their grenade reverse its trajectory entirely and fly out of the door, while others were entirely oblivious and were creeping closer to the barricade along the ground, weary of the blast.
The air filled with static, and her fur stood up. The faces of the enemy turned from surprise to terror as they realized what was about to happen. Moon cast a blinding lightning bolt at her closest adversary, but it did not stop at them. Electricity jumped between each one and as one they all collapsed, their bodies twitching. There was but a moment of elation before Moon quickly realized that she made a mistake. Chain lightning was far too unpredictable to cast so close to her own ponies. In two huge leaps, she was at the barricade, putting her forelegs onto it to peer behind it. Suddenly, a barrel emerged, aimed directly at her. She reacted before she could even think, swatting it away. The weapons discharged, firing a burst of hot metal past her. Moon reflexively grasped the weapon and pulled, but the stubborn warrior refused to let go and she pulled him the whole way to the top of the barricade, before stopping. As he looked at her, his eyes widened in bewilderment.

“L-Lady? How are…”

“It does not matter,” she interrupted. “Who else is here with you?”

“Sergeant Blackhoof and Silver Shine over here, t-that’s all,” she glanced to the hide he nodded in, Silver looked white as snow even though his coat. He stared at her in such a way as if he saw a goddess come to him. She cringed at the thought.

“Are you wounded?” she asked.

“No, Lady. Though Blackhoof is, he’s upstairs.”

“Wait here, he will be with you in a moment,” Moon gloomily promised.

Both stallions gave her bewildered stares, but she was already running up the stairs, jumping four steps at a time. She found him sitting by a window, near a sea of glass shards and spent casings. He had noticed her, but was seemingly unsurprised.

“Have I lost this much blood already?” he asked, then laughed. “Hah! I guess I always was on the scrawny side, wasn’t I.”

“Hold still,” she ordered, approaching.

“As if I could do anything else. I never thought… you know, the whole star thing was real. Guess these bleeding batwings were right about something after all. So, am I gonna meet my ma and pa now?”

Moon silently opened a tear and cautiously levitated him inside. She willed his body to heal inside her Dreamrealm, before pulling him out again. The stallion was dazed, but his wounds were gone.

“Whoa… never done that one before…”

“On your hooves, Sergeant!” she barked. “Your squad is waiting for you downstairs.”

“Wait… what? Are they dead too?”

“You are not dead, you fool! I healed your wounds!”

“Huh?” he looked down at himself.

“Go! Lead them back to your officer and regroup,' she ordered, swatting him on the withers for good measure.

The stallion stumbled out in confusion. That being taken care of, Moon still had the rest of her troopers to save. She teleported herself outside, high into the air. Flapping her wings, she scanned the battlefield. Spotting many dark figures on the ground she realized that swooping from group to group would take too long, and many of her ponies would die. There had to be something else she could do. Her eyes scanned the scene before her until they stopped - on her moon. This… this could work.

Moon licked her suddenly parched lips as she prepared to upset the natural order of things. She focused her might on the distant sun and felt it answer her call, recognizing her.

The battle then swiftly ground to a halt as warriors on all sides looked with both bewilderment and fear at the rapidly ascending sun. Thestrals covered their eyes and screamed in pain at the suddenly bright light surrounding them. Moon felt her own eyes burn too, but she welcomed it.

Her soldiers seemed just as terrified as the thestrals were. Some dropped their weapons and cowered, while others searched for cover. They needed orders,
“Cease!” she spoke in her loudest Royal Canterlot. Her voice rolled across the mountains and echoed back to her from distant peaks. “I speak to you, bat-winged creatures, who profess to worship my name! You have greatly angered me, openly attacking my servants! I am Moon, your goddess, and your judge! Drop your weapons and surrender now, or risk my full wrath!”

Moon hoped her word would be enough; all things considered, it was often her most powerful weapon. She looked down beneath her for one singular creature.

“Sister! Are you alright?” she asked, teleporting to the changeling lying on the ground.

“I am fine, Moon,” Daybreaker stood back up while wiping off the dirt she had caught. “Are you alright?”

“Yes… yes, I am well. Let’s go, we have to find Stormbreaker; hopefully, he has not perished in the fighting.”

They flew towards the air control tower since Moon expected it to be the best defensible place in the area. Moon landed at the entrance and burst inside. It was a complete mess… wounded lying on all possible surfaces, next to boxes of ammunition. The ground was dirty from hooves and blood, and the air was full of gunpowder fumes. It took Moon a moment to find her officer.

“Captain, report,” she asked. The officer didn’t even raise a brow as he looked at her new form. “What in Tartarus has happened while I was gone?! I left you with a fortress and when I return, I discover that you nearly lost it to some zealots!”

“I accept full responsibility, My Lady,” he said calmly in the face of her outburst. “I was too confident in our position and became complacent. About 3 o’clock in the morning we came under bombardment by artillery, after which the assault immediately began. The enemy landed directly on the airstrip and charged out positions.”

“What are our losses?” Moon asked, calming down somewhat.

“I cannot tell at the moment. May I ask…?” he nodded at Daybreaker.

“It is my sister, Daybreaker. I hope you still recognize her, even in this body.”

“Understood,“ he nodded. “My Lady, you may take stock of our casualties yourself. The hospital has been set up by the eastern fence.”

“Not now. You have spoken of the artillery. Where is it?”

“I cannot tell at present, My Lady,” Stormbreaker curtly responded. “I will send someone to determine the rough direction by the craters.”

“Do so. I will be back in ten minutes. I expect you to have some intelligence by then. And tell your soldiers to take stock of prisoners.”

Moon stormed out of the company headquarters in a storm. She did not know what to think or feel. She had stopped the slaughter, but not the madness. These were Luna’s people! How could they attack her own like this?! Did Luna turn against her? Or did the Thestrals turn against Luna?

She approached the hospital tent and already knew that things did not go well. Body bags were laid outside. Dozens of them. Both changelings and ponies alike labored together, carrying their dead out. Suddenly, a pair of changelings stared directly at her so pointedly that it made her stop. One of them then dropped her side of the bag and turned away. In shame?
Moon stared at the pair for a moment more. The other one glared at her, before turning away herself and drawing closer to the first one. She... knew them.

Inside the hospital was full of wails and screams, as well as nervous orders of doctors. Some thestrals were sitting on the ground, waiting their turn. Moon feverishly scanned the faces, until stopping on one.

“Twilight!” she called. The purple alicorn turned her head towards her. Moon rushed towards her, trying her hardest not to bump into anyone.
“Oh, Twilight! I am so glad you are fine!” But she was not, tears stood in her eyes. Moon looked at the table next to her, and it was as if her heart stopped.
“No, no! Not y-you!” Moon sobbed. On the table was her Shadow, lying lifelessly.

“I-I tried! The fragment was stuck in her lung, I couldn’t get it out before she suffocated!” Twilight bleated, but Moon didn’t hear her.

Moon reached out to the changeling’s still body but stopped just short, before faltering entirely and sliding down to the ground. She sobbed. Everyone saw her, but she did not care.

A thought ran through her mind. It was not over, she could fix this! Desperately Moon opened another tear and cautiously, gently, sent her Shadow through, ignoring the surprised gasps. Moon willed her wounds to heal, the fragments disappeared from her lung, her heart to beat, and her chest to heave.
When she returned Shadow from the dream realm, the changeling’s wounds were gone and her breast heaved. Even the age cracks in her shell and her horn returned. Moon sighed in relief. She put her back on the table before stunned Twilight.

“My Shadow, can you hear me?” Moon asked gently.

“Yes, Mistress.” the Changeling responded, slowly trying to rise. “Forgive me… for this weakness.”

“H… How?!” Twilight gasped. “It was too late, the brain would have been damaged irreversibly!”

“No,” Moon said, looking at Twilight with one eye. “No one will suffer because of my mistakes, not anymore. Gather the wounded and the dying. I will heal everyone. No one will die today.
“And you, my Shadow,” Moon whispered. “Rest. You have given so much more than I could have ever asked. You need not give any longer; now it is I who shall give back to you all. I have all we need now, it will all be right now. I promise.”

“Chief, Ahm tellin’ ya. This whole exercise thing stinks like a dungheap. When yer doin’ an exercise ya be scheduling it. We’d be on a range right ‘bout now.”

“Got the papers right here,” Chief stubbornly retorted. “Wait for fifteen minutes and get ready to fire again.”

I sighed heavily and went to get the next batch of shells. I knew that something wasn’t right with this story. Our battery got raised at night and got trucked to the middle of nowhere to fire some shells over some mountains. That’s not how exercises were conducted, despite the paperwork from battalion headquarters being legitimate. I had a very bad feeling about this and wouldn’t be surprised if MPs would take us in in the morning.

I crowbared a box open and dragged out a new shell. I turned around to carry it back to the gun. It was a bit heavy and I almost dropped it, but I straightened out. A cool light shone on my face, and I figured the clouds parted. Then, I realized that the moon couldn't be in the south. I stopped and focused on the source of light, it was dim and pale. At first, I thought it was a plane, but then it flew low… and approached rapidly.

“Uh… Chief? The hay be that?” I asked. Chief took a break from his paperwork and looked up. He simply stared at the light until it got so close I could see what it actually was. A pony, with both wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. It was a mare of large stature and idealized but gentle beauty. A light dress hugged her sides. And her whole being exuded soft light, like the moon from the sky. I wondered if a goddess was coming down to the earth to demand our worship.

She landed in the middle of our battery, completely unbothered by some of us reaching for weapons. She looked at each of us appraisingly for a moment. No one moved, but I saw Chief slowly reaching for his sidearm. The mare had seen that also.

“You must be the officer in charge,” she spoke in an even, cold tone. “I have come to see you in particular.” Chief pulled out his weapon and chambered the round. She only smiled,
“Fire, I dare you.” I could see that Chief was tensing up but he held off. The mare then pulled the weapon away from him, making him stumble forth a few steps. She then pulled his pistol to her own chest and fired. We all gasped. She fired several more times, her smug grin never disappearing.
“Not all of us are so easily harmed, my little ponies,” she declared, throwing the pistol back to Chief. Blood steamed out of her chest, which didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“What are ye?!” I demanded. The mare turned on her large, slitted eye to look at me.

“I am a pony, just like you are. Some of you may have even heard of me. My name is Moon. I used to rule this country once.” My brows flew up and the cold of the night has returned tenfold. Of course, I knew that name, everyone did.
“You must have many questions,” she acknowledged my surprise. “I will explain myself, but first… Officer, I ask you to stop your bombardment of my wards. You have already injured many and would have killed yet more if I was not there. I do not know what your orders are, but you must stop.”

Everyone looked at Chief, it took a moment to find some sort of a response to this accusation,
“I… have express orders to continue the exercise until ordered to stop. In our documents, it is listed that our target is a practice range and that there are no settlements in the deviation range. It is impossible-”

“I promise you, it is quite possible,” she interrupted him. “Your orders are either incompetent or fraudulent. You were firing on the Canterlot airbase whilst it was being assaulted by a force no less than a company large of unknown allegiance. You are complicit regardless of whether you know what you did or not. I offer you one single opportunity to cease, I am prepared to offer great compensation if that shall sway you, but refuse and I will be forced to do what I must to protect those who trusted me with their lives,” her tone was distinctly threatening and Chief noticed that much as well. I looked at her chest again and to my surprise, there was not a single trace of wounds anymore. I started to have a very bad feeling about our chances…
Moon loudly inhaled and then released the air again, continuing much more softly,
“I beseech you: return to your homes or, better yet, come with me. There are many of your siblings waiting to greet you at my camp, even if their rest has been interrupted by battle and pain. I came back to you to ensure this is no longer needed. I will give each and every one of you a mountain of gold and gems, build each one of you a palace compared to which mine is naught but a hovel. I offer you everything your heart desires, right here and now… all you must do is but stop. I offer you safety too if that is what you require, no one shall harm you in my care. I will not allow that to happen again after tonight.”

I looked at Chief again, then at everyone else. Not one of us knew what this was about, but everyone knew that she meant business. Her voice and her gestures portrayed total confidence, and from her earlier display, I was convinced that it was warranted. After all, if we can’t kill her, what could we do?

“...I am sorry…” Chief said after a time. “...We’ve got our orders.” His tone wasn’t either proud or glad, not even confident. He simply said what he knew he had to.

Moon closed her eyes and deeply sighed, “I understand. Then, you know what we must do now. I take you as my prisoners and you shall be granted the customary honors. Resist if you must; your weapons will be of no use, but I will afford you a moment to prepare them,” her tone was solemn but tired.

Chief started reloading his pistol. I reluctantly took my rifle and slotted a magazine in. Moon waited patiently for us to reluctantly prepare. She gazed languidly at Chief.

“Uhh… battery! Attack!”

I put my rifle up and aimed, but I could not fire. I simply couldn’t move. Not a single shot was fired. Moon sighed again. She began twisting my legs away from my weapon. We never had even a single hint of a chance.

Emmissary of Night

Blackhoof was sitting on a chair by the armory; his rifle, armed, stood next to him by the wall. His wounds were healed in their totality by Lady's bizarre new magic; his confusion, however, was not.

He pulled out his last cigarette out of his top pocket, put it in his mouth, and then remembered that he lost his lighter.

"Ah, crap. I wish I remembered to ask for a new lighter when she said she could just conjure it." He tucked his cigarette back in his pocket and looked up at the sky, covering his eyes. It was several hours before noon. Officers were busy figuring out what to do with all of the new folks, and nobody gave him any orders, but he would still prefer the day to be over with. He then noticed that he had company. A thestral with a light brown coat and rich green eyes behind spectacles intently stared at him. In the light of day, Blackhoof could see that her uniform was light blue with a silver outline and a crescent-shaped moon adorned with bat wings. Below, there was a motto: "Ad noctem aeternam".

"Hey, are you lost or something?" Blackhoof figured it was a bit weird that the bats were simply left to roam free, but this wouldn't be the first time they got to serve side by side with recent enemies. Compared to changelings, thestrals were at least not as stiff and boring.

"I've seen you somewhere…" the thestral said and squinted her eyes at him.

Blackhoof shrugged,

"I don't remember seeing you before."

"Hmm… Which unit did you serve in?"

"Uh…" Blackhoof thought for a second; did she mean before… or after? "Well, there was One-Hundred and Eleventh Infantry Regiment, then there was First Imperial Guard Company, then it was Sixth Platoon of Her Majesty's Police at Mount Aris, then there's whatever this outfit is."

"You've fought in the war," she said confidently, nodding her head.

"Uhh… Technically, in more than one. There was the civil war, then-"

"Is your name Blackhoof, by any chance?"

Blackhoof stared at the mare for a whole second, then shook his head,
"Okay, enough playing around. How the hay do you know me?"

The mare smiled bittersweet at him,

"You saved my parents and me from a rolled-over train car at Horseshoe Hill. The train went off the rails, and one of the cars crashed into our house. You and your troop pulled the car out. My parents still keep a picture of you all in a silvered frame above the fireplace."

Blackhoof looked down at the ground embarrassedly,

"I was a private back then. I didn't really do anything besides stand around and clear a bit of rubble. It was Sarge who got the tank boys to drag the thing away; we wouldn't have managed on our own."

The mare sat next to him,
"We are grateful to all of you regardless of how much you did. You could've left us there since you were battling Solarists, but you helped us even though we couldn't have helped you."

"Yeah… except if it wasn't for us, the tracks wouldn't have been damaged, and the train wouldn't have crashed. It was the very beginning of the whole debacle, and the trains weren't switched to wartime operation yet. We all regret it ever happening... even Lady Moon does."

The mare looked confused for a moment before pressing her spectacles to her snout,
"It wasn't your fault. You did the best you could."

Blackhoof shrugged. The best he could do was all too often, not enough,
"I guess," he said.

"Is everyone else here too? Mom would want nothing more than to get another picture."

Suddenly, everyone in the platoon flashed one by one in his mind. The dead ones, too.

"Ehh… No, not really. It's just me. I got promoted out of One Hundred Eleventh and never saw my old squaddies again. Sorry."

"You've mentioned you were promoted into the Imperial Guard. I never saw the inside of the Palace… or even met anyone who did, now that I think of it. I saw it for the first time with my own eyes tonight. It must have been magnificent," she said reverently, staring in the direction where they knew it was.

"I've heard even the stone of the walls was magical there."

"It's true," Blackhoof said quickly, eager to get out of thinking about that time in the past. "The walls of the Palace glow slightly. It's still dark, but just bright enough to go without a light."

"You know, the templar are inspired by your service. I do not know why we were ordered here, but it must have been a misunderstanding. Moon's honored servants could have done nothing to impede her plan."

And now they come to the pertinent question, why were they here,

"What were you told? I was under the impression that your… organization doesn't do anything so open. Frankly, I thought you, folks, were peaceful."

"Well… sometimes it is wise to be prepared for anything."

Blackhoof frowned at the non-answer,

"What's your name?"

"Silver Strings. My special talent is music."

Blackhoof nodded contently; barely anyone talked about their special talent these days,
"Nice meeting you, Silver Strings. I figure I should stop delaying and go see my sergeant. He probably will have something for me to do by now."

Silver Strings got up along with him,
"Okay. Talk to you again?"

"...Sure," he answered with a slight bit of hesitation. "See you later. I'll tell you about what Moon is like later."

"That would be nice, thank you!" she smiled at him gratefully.

Having entangled himself from this piece of his past, Blackhoof headed in the opposite direction. He was never really fond of bat ponies, despite technically fighting a war for their sake. He, in particular, did not like when they wanted to keep vital secrets. Maybe she had just recognized him by coincidence, or maybe she wanted something else entirely; he really didn't care. He was about to head to have some sleep to make up for the night he spent awake but stopped at the corner of the closest barrack. There was a small crowd: about eight ponies and changelings stood in a half-circle, all watching now Queen Daybreaker. Blackhoof saw her horn grow in neon green light, yet instead of the expected transformation, Daybreaker grunted her annoyance. Blackhoof snorted and went inside. He dropped onto the bed without even bothering to take off his dirty fatigues.

He woke up when the sun was already setting. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes before glancing outside an open window. The commotion seemed to have died down. He yawned and stood back onto his hooves. He was still tired, but he was feeling better now. Blackhoof thought he should be able to find his mates somewhere around; they probably had some sort of task by now and felt pretty mad that he'd left them out. Suddenly, a foal ran up to him.

"Uh… Hi, Tiny," he said, holding back another yawn. "You seen Whitenose anywhere?"

"Moon is looking for you," Tiny flatly stated.

"Me?" Blackhoof stared at her incredulously. "What does she need me for?"

"She said you know the city, and she needs someone to help our sister and her host find their way around."

"Huh? Hold on a moment; let's start from the beginning. What happened since I was out?"

Tiny sighed and looked up at him with irritation,

"Moon and I went to the Crystal Empire to send Rainbow home, and Moon decided she was going to split our sisters from their hosts because it's unfair that only one gets to have a body. Then she gave Mister Rich a bi-i-ig box of gems because he lost a bunch of money before, or something. Then she asked him if he knew anyone who was good at holding attention, and he pointed us to Color Splash-"

"Hold on!" Blackhoof shook his head, forcing himself to refocus. "Maybe I don't need the whole story. Who are the ones I need to walk about with, and where are they?"

"Color Splash and her host, Fireball. They are over there." Tiny pointed at the canteen.

"Of-course that's where they are…" Blackhoof said in a defeated voice. "Right then. I guess I'll go ask them where they need to go. Run back to the Lady and tell her I am on it."

"Wait, she said you should take this," Tiny showed him a tiny notebook. It was colored deep blue and had Moon's cutie mark pressed into the cover.

"Didn't think she'd ever make her own merchandise," Blackhoof joked in a flat voice while taking the book and starting to flip through it. To his surprise, he found that the pages weren't blank. The back of the cover had Blackhoof's name written in black, calligraphic letters, and the first page had a monochrome picture of a large gem. The next one had a basket of apples, and the one after that had a combat knife.

"Ooookay… What's this? This ain't no regular souvenir, that's for sure."

"Moon made a few of these; if you tear out a page, it will transform into what's on it."

"Huh, convenient. I guess this way we won't have to run to her every time someone needs something. I gotta flip through it and see what else is in here. Oh… what happens if I lose mine? Can anyone else use it?"

Tiny shrugged,
"Don't lose it."

"Fair enough. Okay, I'm off now. See you later."

Tiny nodded and went back the way she came. Blackhoof waited in place, flipping through a few more pages, before heading to the canteen. The tiny notebook seemed to have items for all sorts of situations and contingencies. It had food, clothes, cleaning supplies, and even weapons. It also had spells in it, each having notes on how a non-unicorn could use them.

Blackhoof whistled. Ho-ho, did he wish he had this thing in the past... It was almost comically convenient. He couldn't even remember all the times he wished he had a clean pair of legwraps, or some soap.

He put the notebook in the pocket on his chest and stepped inside the canteen. He regretted not asking how this Color Splash looked. There were about a dozen ponies sitting there, eating meals or socializing. There was a trio of thestrals taking up a table for themselves, enjoying radish slurries. Then there was a single changeling. Five troopers in hippogriffian fatigues, one of them waved at him; he waved back but didn't approach. Lastly… there were two identically looking mares in civilian clothes. One was literally jumping in excitement, and the other was warily eying her while chewing a lettuce sandwich. Well, maybe it wasn't an issue after all.

"Hey!" he called out to them, getting closer. "Either of you Color Splash?"

"That's meee!" the bubbly mare singed out. "That's my sis, Fireball! Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah…" Blackhoof recoiled. "I guessed you were twins or something."

"Are you also…?" Fireball asked cautiously but trailed off in the end.

"What?"

"Forget it," Fireball grumpily muttered, standing up. "Let's get this over with."

"Wait a second, what are we doing? I was told to find you, but not why."

"We are going to do a show!" Color Splash excitedly bounced her way around the table.

"That's what this is about? You are performers?" he groaned. "Crap, I wish I stayed in bed. The nosey brat wouldn't have found me."

"No, we aren't musicians, comedians, or even jugglers," Fireball stated. "That Moon of yours says she needs someone who isn't an alicorn to reach out to the townsfolk."

"Which means we are doing a show!" Color Splash added.

"No, we aren't!" Fireball snapped at her. "I swear by my horseshoes, I've only known you for less than a day, and you already piss me off!"

"Wait, aren't you two sisters?" Blackhoof titled his head. "Were you separated at birth or something?"

"Something like that. The more I think about this, the more I want to choke this pile of crap for wearing my face!"

Color's attitude changed in an instant,
"But I told you I was sorry! I will make it up to you now that Moon split us!"

"The hay is going on?!" Blackhoof yelled out loud enough for thestrals to give him annoyed glances. "Nothing in this bleeding place makes any sense since yesterday."

"The way it was explained to me," Fireball said with a sigh, "some ponies are born with an evil spirit inside of them that waits for an opportunity to steal their body, and it happened to me. The only reason why I am even here is because Moon took pity. I am still bollocks knows where surrounded by creatures I don't know, and I got no idea how to get home or where my home even is now."

"I am sorry!" Color yelped out.

"Shut your piehole," the mare grunted angrily.

"O-okay. That... actually makes sense," Blackhoof nodded to himself. "I just didn't know this sort of thing happens regularly. So, does everyone get their own body, or how does this work?"

"Back at Crystal Empire, yeah. There's a whole lot of these freaks there who just got split off from ponies."

"Okay, so what was that about Lady Moon giving you a job?"

"I figured I might as well do something for her since she gave me my life back and stuff. She said she needed someone who could grab a crowd's attention, and I used to be a teacher before. I figured I am as good a candidate as anyone else there."

"Okay, what about her?"

"She insists on coming along and won't take 'no' for an answer. Moon said she should, too."

"I know that it doesn't sound genuine coming from me, but I always wanted to meet you! I wish we could've been sisters from the start!"

"You. Are. Not. My. Sister!" The mare punctuated every word by thrusting her hoof into Color's chest. Color's eyes were shimmering wet by the last word.

"Hey-hey-hey-hey!" Blackhoof got in between the mares. "I get that you are mad, but there's no need for this! We're all in this together!"

"You don't get it do you?!" Fireball exploded. "You don't know what it's like to lose six years of your life because some bitch can't get her own body!"

Blackhoof should have just listened to her and didn't ask any questions. He now understood why her name was "Fireball".

"Look, Fireball. We got a job to do. If Moon says Color Splash should also come, that's good enough for me. She is good at picking good people; I've known her for almost fifty years, and never once was she wrong about someone."

Surprisingly enough, that was all it took. Fireball blinked, and her brows slowly straightened out while her snarl eventually disappeared as well,

"You are right," she said. "I volunteered for this job, and I shouldn't get distracted. We should get going. What's your name again?"

"Blackhoof. I used to live here; I can take you wherever you need to go."

"Our church used to be in the lower city," one of the thestrals suddenly spoke up. "If you want someone to deliver the words of the Moon to, Her chosen people would be the most receptive."

"Huh… Thanks," Blackhoof said over his shoulder. "I owe you a cider."

"Okay then, lead the way," Fireball said.

"Right. I had a thing here somewhere…" Blackhoof pulled out his notebook and started flipping. "Here it is… Okay, if I understand correctly, I should just tear this one out, and it will work out." Blackhoof proceeded to pull the page free and drop it on the ground. Before even hitting the floor, the page transformed into a folded carpet. "Huh, it really is that simple."

Both the mares and the soldiers looked in confusion at the carpet materializing just in front of their eyes. Blackhoof casually kicked the carpet until it was fully unfurled; he then walked onto it and sat down.

"Okay then… Go outside!" he ordered, and the carpet immediately floated up and towards the door. "Ha-ha! It worked!" he laughed excitedly.

"How in the world did you do that?" Fireball asked incredulously.

"I got no freaking idea how this works! Apparently, Lady Moon can just make these notebooks full of spells with delayed activation, and when you tear one page out, whatever's on it will immediately appear in front of you."

"C-can we get a few of those too?" a trooper asked.

"Maybe," Blackhoof shrugged. "Try asking."

After briefly looking at each other, both kinds of ponies quickly left the room, leaving only the lone changeling to sit there.

"Alright! All aboard! Choo-choo!"

With all three of them on the carpet, Blackhoof commanded it to fly towards the city. Whether the item was intelligent or had some means of navigating itself, the carpet went where it was ordered. Blackhoof easily saw the building of the old church above; it stretched like a crescent moon among other, much smaller buildings. He commanded his carpet to land, and before long, they stood on the street just by the entrance. He folded the carpet and put it across his back.

"So… now what?" he asked.

"Well, the entrance is impressive enough," Fireball nodded her head at the bemused pedestrians staring at them. "We've got an audience already. So, is this the place? Looks a bit bland for a temple in the capital."

"Her Ladyship dislikes worship," Blackhoof stated. "Back in the day, the bat folks were even more unhinged than now, and she preferred ignoring them entirely. She eventually made them disband the church, but I guess it didn't take."

"Alright. Let's see if anyone's home," the mare went directly for the doors.

Blackhoof exchanged looks with Color, then shrugged and followed. Fireball knocked on the door. To Blackhoof's surprise, someone opened.

"Yes?" a batpony stallion cautiously looked at all three of them.

"My name is Fireball, I am an anointed messenger of the Moon. I must see your High Priestess."

The stallion stared at her with glassy eyes for a long five seconds before responding,
"That is not possible," he said very slowly. "The church was closed by the order of the Moon herself."

"Then give me the name of your High Priestess and tell me where to find her."

"There isn't one anymore. There wasn't for decades."

"Hmm… This complicates things. Say, would you be able to gather the congregation together? Even as many as a few dozen will be plenty."

"Wait, how do I know you are not lying?"

Blackhoof sighed; he knew the question was coming. He pushed past Fireball and stood in front of the church's caretaker.

"Here's our proof," he pulled out the notebook emblazoned with Moon's mark. "I received this from her hooves minutes ago. It is a magical item that allows me to cast spells like a unicorn would."

"Well, I was hoping you had some sort of a… document."

"Okay, listen here: I am Sergeant Blackhoof, of the First Canterlot Regiment of the Imperial Guard. I am the bearer of the knightly honors, Medal of Courage, Distinguished Service, and Order of The Silver Moon. I fought at Canterlot Siege, and I stood by my Empress' side as she vanquished the Changeling Queen. She knows her greatest champions by their names, and she believed that her most devoted subjects would too. Should I go back to her and tell her how unworthy you are?"

"A… A thousand apologies, Master! I am only a humble daykeeper of the chapel!"

"Go and do as the messenger says! The Moon demands that you listen!" Blackhoof stomped his hoof on the granite floor.

"At once! I will be gone only for a moment, I promise!" The thestral proceeded to gallop out, respectfully keeping distance from them under Blackhoof's stern eye.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," he admitted casually. "Okay, let's see if they got any beer in here."

"Wait, you didn't tell me you were-" Fireball began.

"Quit sweating it. I just put it all in the words that this kind of folk understands best. I am not actually that important."

"A-are you really one of her guards?" Color asked, her eyes staring at him in awe. "Does she really know your name?"

Blackhoof sighed,
"Yes, she does. She knows all of her guards by name. She has to since she didn't trust anyone to pick recruits. I am telling you: drop it. It's a lot less extraordinary than it sounds. I never got to guard her quarters or anything; she’s just isn't that kind of a ruler."

"Did someone else get to?" Color asked, bewildered.

"No! She isn't like that!" Blackhoof snapped.

"...I didn't mean to say anything offensive, I am sorry!"

"It's fine. It's just a touchy subject. My idiotic squadmates loved to gossip about her, and it's really not how we are supposed to behave. I didn't lie about the knightly honors, you know."

"Oooohhh!" Color gasped, her eyes glittering. "That's so romantic! A knight defends his lady's honor!"

"Can we get on with the job already?" Fireball reminded.

"Yeah, I figure we should. Right then. What's the plan?"

"Well, Moon told me to tell them that she is back, and now she won't let anyone go uncared for, but she is not forcing herself on anyone. She also told me to teach them how to contact her in their dreams."

"Well, I guess volunteering is now the operating mode. Not sure if it works though: we haven't had much progress since we arrived. We only have the bugs, who already have a really strange sense of loyalty to her; and now we also have the locals and the bats. Neither are sure how to deal with the fact that they died, and Moon just magicked them back to life. That's pretty much it, in a total of about four hundred. We are going to need to speed this up a lot if we are going to turn this thing around."

"Wait, she raised them from the dead?! Nobody told me that! Celestia's shoes, why does she even bother with this proselytizing horsecrap if she can probably just send her message through dreams?" Fireball asked out of frustration.

"Well… do you remember a lot of your dreams after you are up?"

"A fair point. Anyway, I've got to prepare. Let's go see if there's a board somewhere here I can draw on."

"Hey, we aren't in school, remember?"

Fireball smirked,
"It's never too late for school!"

"...And so the Moon compels you to take up Her word and spread it to all, so that everyone can share in the fruit of her labor. She does not order you to do so, nor will she judge if you would not, but know that you will be doing great service to the realm and earning Her eternal gratitude."

“Damn…” Blackhoof whispered to Color, chewing on some lettuce he got from his notebook. “What kind of a teacher is she? I doubt there are classes on how to talk to batfolks.”

“She was a linguist,” Color said absentmindedly.

“Lady Fireball,” a thestral mare stood up. “With all due respect, what you are saying cannot be true. The Moon abandoned us in favor of the day ponies. Even if she has returned, she would not want us back. Do you have a proof?”

“Are ye of little faith?” the answer came. “Simply do as I ask when you go to sleep, and you shall see for yourself... or better yet, come with me and ask her.”

“Look,” Color nudged Blackhoof. He raised a brow at her as she held out a piece of paper with an excited smile.

He took it and turned it around. It was a drawing of him in a knightly plate with his helmet’s visor up.

“Huh, thanks. I don’t think anyone ever drew me before.”

“Do you like it?”

“You bet, skillfully made. Especially since you only have a pencil there.”

“I mostly work with brushes, but I just couldn’t help myself! You really should tell me a story or two; I know my illustrations will sell like cakes!”

“Hah! Sure, later,” Blackhoof hid the drawing inside one of his pickets and turned back to watch Fireball preach. …But it was already over. The thestrals were standing up from their seats, quietly exchanging words and leaving out of the door.

“Hey, looks like I am done here,” Fireball approached them. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Sure. Tell you what, let’s go have a cider. Moon won’t think ill if we relax after the job, trust me.”

Luna and Queen

“My Queen…” the drone reluctantly bowed to Daybreaker. “The answer from the Crystal Empire just arrived.”

“Leave it on the table,” Daybreaker said disinterestedly while keeping her focus on the first line of her own unfinished letter: ‘I, Queen Daybreaker.’

The drone silently did as told and stood still, waiting for orders.

“You may go,” Daybreaker dismissed her. The drone quickly did so.

Daybreaker knew that taking care of the Changelings was up to her now, but she still didn’t know where to start. Besides, she had much more pressing thoughts - her sister’s safety. There was someone out there who wished her great harm, yet it seemed she was not concerned in the slightest… this troubled the Queen greatly. Moon might no longer be susceptible to physical dangers, but her labors were.

“Daybreaker?” the Queen jerked up to see her beloved sister… but only found the Lunar Princess at her door. “I hoped to see our sister, but it seems she is away for negotiations.”

“Yes… Moon wishes to reconnect with an old friend, Fluttershy.”

“Seeing her would bring all of us great joy,” Luna smiled. “I see you both have been busy. Did I hear right? That Nightmare is now a goddess?”

“She wishes for that part of her name to be forgotten. She is Moon to all now. As to your question, I do not know what she is. She asked the Tree of Harmony for a blessing, and it submerged her spirit into the Dreamrealm entirely. I do not understand the logistics, but she explained that she is capable of projecting out into the waking world. I have watched her raise ponies from the dead, even those who were dead for days; I have seen her create treasures, food, and weapons out of naught but her will, and I watched her travel great distances but with no need of calculations or risk of failure. I would not begrudge anycreature now for seeing her as a goddess now.”

“You do not seem overly happy.”

Daybreaker slowly shook her head,
“I fear it makes her overconfident. Last night, we were attacked by a force from your templars, Luna. We never believed you knew, but she refused even to investigate. She cannot be harmed, nor can the ones whom she protects, but how can she think about feeding the hungry and housing the homeless when there are clearly enemies wishing her great harm?”

“Perhaps she doesn’t think of her enemies as worth her attention. Our sister was never too keen on treating mortal creatures as much of a threat, and the only one she ever thought was a serious adversary was Celestia. Tell me more about this attack: did you say that thestrals were involved?”

“They were,” Daybreaker nodded. “It was a force of thestral infantry attacking in the dead of night with artillery support. Moon stopped them and resurrected the fallen, but even then, they refused to tell us of their motives. Their artillery crews say they were in training and were none the wiser.”

“Troubling. I know nothing about this. I was building IvoryCrescentt as a peaceful network to help ponies that needed it. I never sanctioned any kind of military wing.”

“There… may be something you do not know about your own organization. When I was still a guest of Queen Skystar’s, she gave me an old intelligence report from her mother's time. Your group has splintered. I thought nothing of this at first, but now it is apparent that I have underestimated the Hippogriff Queen.”

“This is grave… I will investigate. Not one shall escape judgment,” Luna promised determinedly.

“Luna, wait. Perhaps you’d like to wait for Moon; she will wish to speak with you first.”

“That is true. I suppose I will wait then,” Luna stepped closer until she was close enough to touch. “Daybreaker, I believe we did not get enough time before.”

“Tragically so. I should not have gone,” Daybreaker said mournfully. “I thought to save what little I could from falling into the hooves of the unworthy.”

“You do not need to make excuses to me, sister mine,” Luna said comfortingly. “I understand. Fate has been kind, and all of us are here now. To my great joy, even Celestia is with us.”

“Luna, this… is unfair for Celestia. She is your sister, not us. Celestia has not been a good family to you, but she is the only one you have left.”

“She is,” Luna nodded calmly. “This does not concern Celestia; it is her failure to recognize the treasure we were given at birth.
“As far as I am concerned, Moon is as much family to me as Celestia is; she did just as much for me. And that means so are you: if you would accept me.” Luna leaned ahead and extended her hoof.

Daybreaker was visibly reluctant,
“Luna… You’ve spent a thousand years with her and her alone. Surely you realize that…”

Luna smiled warmly,
“I do not care. I’ve made my decision, and I am happier for it.”

Daybreaker hesitated still, Luna’s words sounding in her head. This was not meant for her kind,
“Luna, you are so generous,” Daybreaker finally made a decision and closed the gap between them, letting Luna embrace her and coiling her chitinous limb around her back.
“We do not deserve you.”

“This is what you both taught me, sister. I cannot be as capable as Moon, as wise as Celestia, or as strong as you. Nor can I prevent creatures from being evil. But I can serve Harmony by showing others how much better their lives would be should they work to change their lot. Moon used to be miserable, alone, and unloved. Now, she is happy!”

“I… I must learn to shapeshift one of these days,” Daybreaker sighed.

“No, Daybreaker, you are perfect as is,” Luna giggled.

Daybreaker sighed and closed her eyes, surrendering to the comfort offered by Luna. She did not know how much time had passed before she opened her eyes again, but they already had an audience. Rarity was silently looking at them with a smile as wide as if she were at the grandest gala in the world.

“Don’t mind me, darlings! I will come back later!”

“No, Rarity, you are not interrupting us,” Luna stepped back. “Daybreaker and I were only catching up. Speak your mind.”

“I only wanted to check up on Daybreaker. She looked terribly down and dispirited ever since, but I see you already saw to that.”

“You are as welcome here as Daybreaker is,” Luna went to embrace Rarity in turn. “Tell me a little about what you have been doing.”

“Oh, you know. I am doing a little of everything. A poor colt tore his sleeve during a patrol, a sentry going hungry, Zecora so busy with her potions that she forgot to sleep.”

“Zecora? I remember her. Is she pledged to Moon, too?”

“Moon asked her to make medicine for her changelings. But it looks like they won’t be needing it now, thank goodness. Moon can even heal missing limbs and aging. Have you seen Shadow yet? The darling looks so young again; she can even use her magic! She won’t let you see that, but I know she is giddy with excitement to go on a mission again!”

Luna smiled serenely at the news, “You, too, seem giddy for the future.”

“How can I not be? We finally did it! We found a way to restore Equestria! It will be better than it ever was, and harmony and friendship will take precedence over material need.”

“I confess, this does reach far beyond my wildest dreams. What do you think, Daybreaker?”

“I would urge caution. We do not know what side effects this new power can have. Our sister is unusually rash. This is very unlike her… and I worry.”

“I find it quite understandable. Darling is excited now that she has discovered the power to right the wrongs she always wished to right.”

“Indeed. What is there to be afraid of when even death slithers away cowardly before our sister?”

Daybreaker closed her eyes and sighed heavily,
“I pray to her moon that you are right. But I cannot stop worrying. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

“We should not speak about this further without Moon present,” Luna suggested, gesturing towards the exit. “Let us go and speak to these new thestrals you’ve encountered.”

Daybreaker nodded,
“Moon permitted them to roam free and leave whenever they wish. Very few, if any, are left, especially after Moon returned many of them to life. They took one of the hangars for their place of gathering.”

“They cause no trouble at all, and are even cheerful despite being our enemies only hours ago,” Rarity added. “This all looks like a genuine misunderstanding. They have much love for Moon and great respect for all her servants. She is their goddess after all, even if Moon herself dislikes that kind of worship.”

“I would see for myself still. Rarity, please, stay and direct my sister to me if she returns before I finish.”

“Of course, Luna. Take as much time as you need.” Rarity watched the two tall mares go side by side and smiled wide again at the memory of them embracing. She then turned around and left for the tower to see if there was anything else she could do tonight.

Rarity hummed to herself while putting stitches on her newest project. She stopped for a moment, deliberating if she should search for gems to sew onto the dress; she would never forgive herself if the dress Princess Celestia was to wear in public was anything other than perfection.

Rarity also intended to make dresses for Luna and Moon, but she simply couldn’t stay away from this one. She couldn’t wait for the Princess to see it.

She was so consumed by the feeling of satin and silk on her hooves that she almost missed the door opening.

“Oh… You’re back,” she said to Moon, who was looking at her around the doorframe. “Just a moment, I was finishing for today regardless.”

“Of course, though we may be a slight distraction to you.” Fluttershy’s wisened face, surrounded by a luscious pink mane, appeared right beneath Moon’s.

Rarity immediately forgot about her sewing,
“Eeeeeee!” Rarity squealed as she almost knocked Fluttershy off her hooves. “I missed you oh so much!”

Fluttershy smiled and gave Moon a happy glance, reciprocating Rarity’s embrace.

“You look absolutely wonderful! You simply must tell me all about your conditioner!”

“I just brush, Rarity,” Fluttershy said sheepishly.

“Where have you been for so long? We all worried!”

“I was with my animal friends; where else would I be? You didn’t need me anymore, and I didn’t want you to think you had to sacrifice to accommodate me.”

“Why would you say such a thing? You would’ve never troubled us; not even someone as brash as Rainbow Dash would see you that way. Even if we don’t agree with each other anymore, we are still friends, and you would always be missed.”

“Thank you, but you looked like you needed some time without having to think about me.”

“Well, it’s in the past now. Let us not remember that, my friends,” Moon remembered something, “Rarity, why don’t you tell Fluttershy what you are working on? Surely, it is more interesting than reminiscing about what has already been done.”

“Oh, this little thing?” Rarity looked back at the unfinished dress. “It is just something I started doing in my spare time so as not to get too rusty.” Moon lifted a brow. “Okay, it’s a dress for Princess Celestia to wear when she speaks to the ponies again. I just want to see her shine in that moment. Please, don’t tell her just yet!”

“My lips are sealed,” Moon promised. “Do you need help? Perhaps fabrics? Or another tailor?”

“No, no. Not for the moment. I was weighing whether gems would look good, but I think it’s better to do without the extravagants. Princess Celestia needs a dress that highlights her natural beauty, not distract from it.”

Moon glanced at Fluttershy,
“Would it be alright if we watched you work?”

“Don’t you have important work?” Rarity reluctantly asked.

“Nothing that cannot be delayed. It seems I have just missed Luna, and without speaking to her, I would rather not make undue haste.”
Moon proceeded to summon a luxurious red sofa and immediately laid on it, still leaving space for comparatively diminutive Fluttershy,
“Just pretend we are not here.”

Rarity reluctantly returned to work, but her apprehension soon evaporated. She adored the attention and did her best to make a good showing. Rarity thrived under pressure, and her work went swifter. In a few hours, Rarity had already finished the back stitch and was ready to decide how the dress would sit.

Another knock on the door,
“Rarity! Are you in there?” Twilight’s voice rang from behind the door.

“The door is unlocked, darling. Please don’t yell,” Rarity hummed.

Twilight quickly got into the room and closed the door behind her before widening her eyes slightly, noticing Rarity wasn’t alone,
“Hello, Twilight,” Moon smiled at her warmly. “Fluttershy and I were keeping Rarity company.”

“I see… When did you come back?”

“Not so long ago. Come on, Twilight, is this really what you want to ask me now? Fluttershy, it looks like poor Twilight has forgotten you already,” Moon teased, using her magic to tenderly scratch one of the pegasus’ ears.

“N-no… It’s just that Daybreaker and Luna were waiting for you, but Luna had to leave before you came back, and Sergeant Blackhoof said he had a report for you.”

“Is that so? Did he give you the details?”

“No, he said it was for your ears only.”

“Considering he is here, he would have to report success. Oh, Blackhoof, he is still as devoted as always, so much so that he forgets that he doesn’t need my orders to start thinking.
“I already know what he has to say. I already have dreamers asking for my aid, which means that the batfolk are already spreading the message I asked them to spread. This way, I need not force myself on the ponies, and those that wish to see me would come out of their own volition.”

“Oh dear. Knowing what they think about you, it must be really exciting for them.” Fluttershy spoke up.

“Doubtlessly. That is why I chose them. If they must treat me as something a base as a god, they might as well do something good with it.
“Now then, I see that my presence distracts you from what you should be doing. I shall go and find my sister and Celestia. As for you, I forbid you from leaving this room for at least an hour. Speak to each other. You have not seen Fluttershy for a long time, and you have much to tell her.”

“But-”

“I will not hear of it! Your tasks can wait. Your friends cannot,” Moon gave Fluttershy a goodbye pat and stood up from her sofa. “I will see you all in a while.”

Stepping outside, Moon stood still for a moment, pondering. Her sister will undoubtedly run her ear with her usual speech of how reckless Moon is and that they should take it more slow. Moon was frankly tired of hearing it. Daybreaker meant well, but she just couldn’t see beyond her fear. It was true that Moon hadn’t yet mastered her new power, but she knew enough to understand that she was given it for a reason, and she would not progress unless faced with actual odds.

Celestia, on the other hoof, was a different matter. She was as amazed at Moon’s abilities as everyone else, but Celestia seemed less wary. Moon wanted to take Celestia back to the thestral church, which would make a useable seat for her government. Thestrals would obey her if Moon ordered them to.

Moon ventured to find the white alicorn; she would be here, close to her pupil. But before she proceeded, she spotted another one.

“Silver Shine,” she whispered the stallion's name. He was having a meal with his squad, chatting without a care in the world. Moon smiled serenely. She never wanted him to be a soldier, but she was glad to see he was making friends. He lifted his eyes from his mess and looked directly at her, his face lit up with child-like awe.

She approached the soldiers, her jewelry chiming. She glanced over at the other troopers: Blackhoof, White Nose, and Bramble Juice, although he didn’t like his full name.

The others started moving,
“Please, don’t stand up. I only came to express my gratitude to Blackhoof, my dutiful protector. You have done admirably at your task. Now I may act through those who would come to me willingly.”

“It is our pleasure to serve, My Lady!” Blackhoof proudly said what he thought he was supposed to say. His two friends enthusiastically nodded.

“Your captain wastes your talents. From your performance in both battle and your assignment I can see that you are meant for leadership. As for you, White Nose and Bramble Juice, I commend your bravery. I will speak of it to your Captain. As for you, Silver Shine, I am deeply disappointed.”
The stallion looked up at her in disbelief; his jaw was slightly ajar.
“Your father has sacrificed much so that you would have a better life, and you have wasted his effort,” her pendants chimed a somber tune in the wind. “So, newly-made killer, did you enjoy the fighting you desired?”

Silver Shine was stunned; Blackhoof spoke first,
“My Lady, Silver is as good as any soldier I ever served with. He was just as brave.”

“Do not sully my appreciation of you by defending him. You know as well as I what his father’s thoughts would have been. Why are you here, Silver Shine? Are you seeking glory? Adventure?”

“I wanted to be with you!” he fired out. “Ever since I worked as a mailpony in your Palace, I wanted to be in the Guard, like Father! I thought it was the least I could do after all you did for us!”

A deep frown crossed Moon’s face; she knew this moment would come one day. She only hoped it would be at a better time,
“I did what I had to to to undo the injustice you have suffered over my actions,” Moon said dryly.
“I have failed you and thousands more of my subjects as the Empress. I have allowed myself to shirk my duties in favor of improving my personal life. I have restored my relationship with my sisters, but you have suffered for it. Your father has suffered his injuries due to my desire to bask in the glory of conquest, your poverty was the result of my negligence of lawmaking, and your mother’s death is due to my failure to provide healthcare even to my most loyal subjects. All three were easily preventable had I done what I was supposed to. I can offer you all the riches you may imagine and even bring your loved ones back to life, but I cannot undo the suffering I have caused. Your gratitude is misplaced, and my failures deserve no excuses.”

Silver stared at her silently before looking back down into his mess canteen,
“Father would be upset if he knew you blamed yourself,” Silver said flatly. “He was ashamed to be the only one to ever be discharged from the Guard because of an injury. He thought it was due to his own carelessness.”

“Your father was one of my most devoted guardsponies; that sounds like him,” Moon nodded sadly with a jiggle of her jewels. “Which makes this all the more tragic. I did not deserve such loyalty from him.”

“He also said that he was in love with you. After Mother died, that is. He knew he could never be with you, of course… but he wanted to serve you at least. The fact he couldn’t was eating him alive, thinking he failed in life up until he died. I wanted to do this for him, to succeed where he couldn’t.”

Moon narrowed her eyes and tilted her head; her pendants jiggled a chord. Her sadness was now mixed with curiosity. The three other soldiers now stared at Silver as if he had two heads,
“To succeed where your father could not. Silver Shine, are you attempting to court me?”

“I… Would you accept if I did?” he stammered out, looking her directly in the eyes, hoping she would see the rest of what he meant to tell.

Moon’s first instinct was to reject him as an unworthy commoner, but she did not wish to be so callous.

“You know not what you are wishing for. There is a reason why royalty keeps away from commoners such as yourself. Our lives are not meant to intertwine. You will grow old and die while I will remain forevermore in mourning. We are bound by a covenant that only ends with death, and for me, not even then. You will not find what you seek in me. Find a common mare for yourself, someone you could grow old with and have foals. You can yet have what I am not allowed to have. True happiness does not lie with power and titles; those things will only make you miserable,” Moon had to make an effort for her voice to not break or stutter. She needed him to understand. Her soldiers looked up at her with surprise, while Silver simply stared at her.

“But it doesn’t have to be like this! You are a goddess now! A real one, not whatever the batponies think you are! No one needs to die anymore!”

“No. I cannot,” Moon shook her head, sending her pendants flying around her head. “With power as great as this, I must be as greatly cautious. Immortality is a great burden, and I will wish it for no one else. Not my sisters, not my greatest servants, not you. Someday, they all will die, and in that, their every moment is precious. One day, you will die too, and you should await that time, not run from it, for with eternal life comes eternal sacrifice and eternal pain, and death is the only escape.”

Silver wanted to retort, even standing up from his seat, but he could not find the words.

“Heed me, Silver Shine: it is better this way. Forget me; you are worthy of a better lot,” Moon turned around to leave the stallion to come to terms with rejection. She only made one step before meeting the eyes of Princess Mi Amore, staring at her. Of course, she would not be the Princess of Love if she did not know.

“At least go on a date once or twice in your life; it’d do you some good,” Cadence says with a sigh.

“This is not the time,” Moon said, walking past Cadance to find Celestia. “I must focus on the ponies, not my own wishes.”

“That’s a copout, and you know it.”

“It will always be truth even if it is. We are almost prepared. I have found a place ready for Celestia to assert her rulership. I will then have Luna direct me to the next meeting of the Bureau so that I can demonstrate the benefits we offer.”

“What if they refuse?”

“Then we will work with those ponies that do not. They cannot prosecute us, which means they cannot stop us. We have no need for violence and can afford to be patient.”

“And after it is done, will you give the poor colt a chance?”

Moon glanced at Cadance; her face was serious,
“Have you not heard me?”

“We both know what a load of horseaples your speech was. You wanted him to feel less bad because you refused him due to not being an alicorn. You know why that was wrong.”

“...I suppose you are right. I will give him a chance. Even if I doubt his ability to capture my heart.”

“For that to ever happen, you need to try. Shining Armor isn’t an alicorn, either. Don’t you think we are a good pair?” Moon pondered; Cadence was right, bar for a single detail… one day, he will die, and that will crush Cadance.

“Cadance, Shining Armor will leave you one day. Are you not afraid of that?”

“I am. Of course I am. But I refuse to let it ground me. The moments we share now are with me forever, while fear and loss are temporary. I meant what I said: going on a date will do you good even if nothing comes out of it. Love is one of the highlights of life.”

“I remember how Luna felt about Sombra,” Moon reminisced. “I don’t remember a time when she was happier; it was as if nothing could bring her sorrow… until Sombra broke her heart. I would have killed that bastard a second time if I could,” Moon finished bitterly.

“Well, now you can,” Cadence said dispassionately. “Will you?”

“No…” Moon said with a deep sigh.

“I am glad. Sombra loves Auntie, even if he has a very destructive way of acting on it. Maybe we should help him.”

“Maybe. One day. For now, I must speak to Celestia about my arrangements. Do you wish to hear?”

“I do. Let’s get this over with.”

Moon and Cadance met with Celestia and Daybreaker; both were rattled to some extent… both fearful. Moon brought all four of them to the Cathedral and introduced them. Thestrals were wary of the Princesses despite Moon’s instruction. After the introductions were done, Moon quickly left, leaving Celestia to rule her tiny fief and leaving her several notebooks for use as required.

“Sister, I worry for you,” Daybreaker spoke up once they settled in the Castle. “You act as if you are not yourself. You were ever cautious and pondered every decision you made, but now you rush ahead without much thought or caution. You could make a crucial mistake or cause damage to your realm. I do not understand where this change came from. It is not like you to fail at wielding power.”

“Sister, sister, sister,” Moon singsonged, plopping down into the sea of summoned pillows. “When will you learn to see the big picture? What do I have to be cautious about? I can no longer fail, regardless of what I set my mind to. As much as I try to uproot the notion, thestrals may as well be right about my divinity now, if not in spirit than in power. Besides, you have your own duties. Have you chosen yourself aides as I instructed?”

“I did… but among the Changelings, there were no suitable candidates, not without combing through Crystal Empire at least. But Moon, I insist: you are being reckless. I do not how yet, but you are inviting doom by being so hasty.”

Moon smiled warmly,
“Thank you for being so caring. But I promise, nothing can happen I won’t be able to rectify with some effort. Trust in me, just like you always did before.”

“I… I hope you are right. I will try not to worry so much; I know I should have more faith. I will try to focus on taking care of my charges now.”

“As you should. Now, then, I have new duties to attend to. I have given the ponies a way of contacting me directly, and I am already receiving prayers. I will start answering them now. I will see you in a few hours,” Moon said, opening a tear and disappearing into the dream realm.

Younger Brother

The sky was slowly turning blue and purple, night was coming soon and Tiny felt spent. The last time she felt so tired was on the ship when Moon had her study from morning to night.
Tiny sat down on her bed, took off her satchel, put it on the dusty nightstand, and then went to lie down. Tiny thought to dust the room a little in the morning. It was surprisingly decent after a thousand years of abandonment… but could still use a thorough cleaning. She wondered if she could get Shadow to teach her about it; she used to clean their wagon with Mister Rich, but she guessed that some rags and regular water simply wouldn’t suffice here.

She breathed deeply the dirty air and relaxed under the silky blankets, falling asleep. Moon told her that everyone had dreams, but Tiny rarely did. Or perhaps she just didn’t remember them. So it was this night too; Tiny quickly drifted through the night as if it were but a moment, unaware of its passing until morning had already come. Tiny laid in bed for a while longer, until finally sitting up and getting ready for her day. She took her satchel, quickly brushed off the bottom of the dust, and left in search of some water. She traced her way through the winding hallways until she reached her destination, she washed her face under a stream from a water tank Moon created. She got her breakfast from the few changelings left at the castle, mostly to guard her as she guessed.

As Tiny sat down to eat, she thought about what her sisters would have her do today. In the last week, since Moon acquired her power, much has changed. Canterlot was now steadily falling under their control, and the way Moon went about achieving this fascinated Tiny.
Simply forcing them to obey her with all her power would’ve been very easy, Tiny knew even she could do that in a few days. But Moon seemingly did nothing of the sort; most of the time, Moon was back at the base doing little if anything at all. Tiny only saw her give out supplies she conjured to changelings and ponies; and, on occasion, speak to Celestia.
Ponies came to see if Celestia had indeed returned as they heard; then went straight back to their normal lives. No one so far tried to harm her or the bat ponies, while Celestia slowly reached out to the city’s officials and respected ponies alike. Some she bribed with treasure Moon provided, others had to see Moon first, and others still had to be convinced in other ways. That is what Tiny had usually been tasked with in recent days. When someone would ask for a favor, it was usually Tiny, Shadow, and the Thestrals who had to ensure it was done. Mostly it amounted to simply assisting ponies with improving their livelihoods.

They were forbidden to ask for compensation, and Tiny understood why. What they got in return was not taxes or power, but reliance. Moon could provide ponies with anything they needed, but Celestia made it appear as if Thestrals were the ones sharing. That helped to ensure that ponies wouldn’t abuse Moon’s generosity and even developed goodwill on their own. Tiny was already hearing good words being spoken about the bat ponies on the street, even though other tribes tended to distrust them naturally.

The process was deliberately slow and also very work-intensive, but Tiny could see it working. Celestia would soon start asking more ponies to contribute towards improving their own conditions and through working together, they will bond into a cohesive whole. With Celestia’s guidance and Moon’s magic, there would be no limit to the greatness they could create together. Tiny has heard about her sister’s style of governance, but seeing it put into action was another matter entirely. The plan was simple and elegant, but most of all, ponies wouldn’t even realize that it was her doing; they will believe it was their own achievement. Tiny could see why so many ponies idolized her.

Tiny finished her meal and asked the castle guards if they needed anything from Moon or if anyone asked for her. She was told that the changelings were starting to get low on love, which meant it was time for them to get exchanged for different ones. Tiny sighed, these ones had barely gotten used to her talking to them enough to not just stare at her in bewilderment. Tiny felt sad for them; they were so used to nopony paying them any mind that someone noticing them surprised them.

Tiny took out her books and notes. She figured she could impress her sisters with her knowledge the next time she saw them. She left her pencil between the pages she left off on and now it was as easy as flipping it open again.
She continued reading about the enchantment of metals for some time with mild interest, it wasn’t within her normal circle of interests. She was curious about how Flurry enchanted her helmet, but not much beyond that. The book was boring her and Tiny’s thoughts quickly started floating away. She thought about what she was going to do tomorrow, and then the next day.
After a minute of pondering, Tiny realized she had no idea what she was studying for. She loved magic… but what she would do with it when she was done Tiny did not know. Moon told her that power had to serve a purpose other than acquiring more power, but she had none.

“Are you lost in deep thought? Or are you feeling fraught?”

Tiny looked at the smiling zebra, then up at the hole in the ceiling. It was brighter.

“I just…” Tiny looked down at her book. “I just don’t know anymore.”

“Don’t know where you head and which path to tread?”

Tiny nodded, “I just feel useless. Moon and Day do everything by themselves and I get to stay in here, with books; studying something that will never be helpful. I feel that even if I was as good at this as Twilight, there still wouldn’t be a place for me.”

“Hmmm…” Zecora hummed. “Twilight had much the same doubts long ago, your plight is more common than you know. Follow your heart and find your own way, and you might even surpass her one day.”

“Twilight? No… Zecora, thanks for trying, but you are making it worse by lying.”

Zecora looked annoyed for just a moment,
“I did not speak a single lie… but perhaps we should give a more personal example a try. My potent craft has saved lives but would still look rather weak; when Nightmare Moon can remedy the dead and give any what they seek.”

“I guess,” Tiny sighed. “Thank you for trying, Zecora. There is something I wanted to ask you. Why didn’t you take a student yourself?”

“It would be a wondrous thing to have a student of my own, but a pony is not compatible with these skills to hone.”

“Won’t I do? I can ask Moon to make me a zebra. She can do that now.”

“You are very capable… and adorable, but asking that much of you would be quite deplorable. On your bid, I shall concede; if you wish, you could still proceed. But do not think you can master it and prevail, potions are a craft only zebrakind can truly grasp and avail. Basic skills you may be able to obtain, but this craft is only our domain.”

Tiny spoke to Zecora for some time, even having her explain some basic principles of potion brewing. It was as straightforward as expected, but Zecora only mysteriously smiled when Tiny asked why only a zebra could master it.
But Zecora soon gave her goodbyes and left to gather her things. Tiny felt a bit sad that Zecora was leaving and going back to her forest, but she understood. Moon didn’t need her anymore.

Tiny quit studying for a while and took a break. Humming tunes to herself while lying down on a sleeping bag, she pondered. She thought about what she wanted to do with herself and what her sisters might need her to be.

While lost humming her tune, she almost missed the soft hooves on the stone,
“I am glad you are taking an interest in pony pastimes,” Tiny jolted despite the silky smooth voice.
“We may not be ponies, but they are our people nonetheless. The closer we resemble them, the easier it is to forget we are not the same. My sister and I do not sing often. You should be better than us.”

“I can’t be better than you, at anything,” Tiny sighed, then sat up and looked up at her sister’s serene face. It was still weird seeing her in the flesh, she was like a reflection of Celestia. Outwardly entirely motionless, but her eyes speaking where her features did not.

Moon smiled, breaking her stoic expression,
“My dear sister, I may be a thousand years older than you and have power that others can never achieve, but this does not mean that others cannot do better than me. My magic helps, but there is always more than one way to achieve a goal. See how you can achieve your goals, rather than dwell on the things you cannot do.”

“Does Celestia need my help again?” Tiny asked without enthusiasm, wishing to move on to business.

“No,” Moon answered with the slightest hint of a smile. “I think today should be the day to teach you a little bit about diplomacy.”

“Diplomacy?” Tiny asked, unconvinced.

“Indeed. Any princess should be taught the art of negotiation.”

Tiny stared at Moon for a long moment, waiting for her to give up the joke. But she never did. The foal slowly got up and reluctantly stepped closer to her big sister, looking up at her for an explanation.

“I believe now would be a good time for you to meet your host, Tiny. Are you ready?”

Tiny was not. She knew this day was coming, but she was not ready. Tiny remembered her host well, he was so miserable she almost felt like she did him a service by letting him rest.

But Tiny knew that her sister was right, “I am ready.” She would have to face it sooner or later, and Moon would make her even if she were unwilling.

Moon nodded, her expression unreadable. The purple tear opened and Moon looked on expectantly. Tiny said she was ready, but she lied. A lot has changed since that fateful day; but she was never indifferent to her host, she had known him since her first moment, after all.

“I need a moment…” Tiny asked. Moon cocked an eyebrow and closed the rift.

“Very well. I understand feeling nervous, but we must do this all the same.”

“I need to go get something. It’s important.”

Moon nodded once again and Tiny left back for her room. She hoped that she didn’t leave it in Daybreaker’s room…

Tiny found the stuffed dog on her nightstand. She stood there for a while, looking at it. It was the singular item that she still had from her host. It was his favorite toy. One of the few she took with her wherever she went. Tiny remembered how weak he was, it was so easy to take it all away from him. He was just like this toy, dirty and torn. She felt nothing back then, simply doing what was natural. But she took care to butcher those who harmed him. She didn’t know what to feel, but she always cared; she felt a ping of anger at the thought even now.

Moon looked at her with mild surprise when Tiny returned carrying an old, dirty stuffed toy. She said nothing though, nodding in understanding.

Stepping inside Moon’s domain was still scary, but Tiny had the toy with her this time. Immediately upon stepping inside, she felt soothed: Moon already bending the Dreamrealm to calm her down.

“And now we begin,” Moon declared. “What is your host’s name? It may make it easier for us if we can speak to him in a way that is familiar to him.”

Tiny deeply frowned,
“He was an orphan from a young age. No one taught him anything.”

“I see. Images it is then, only a small hindrance. I will teach him what he has to know, sister. Do not worry about that.”

Tiny stood there, looking around, waiting for something to happen. For pinch, or maybe pain, anything… yet nothing came. She blinked and staggered back. There he was, right in front of her, sleeping peacefully. More peacefully than she ever saw him. Perfectly comfortable tucked in a bed of the softest pillow and blanket. Tiny kinda felt jealous, actually.

Moon reappeared outside Tiny’s vision and approached, making no sound as she did.

“Such a fine youth,” Moon said wispily as she approached the colt. “A pity that you were not born in Equestria.” She proceeded to lay down alongside the foal, letting him rest on her soft side. Moon then began to hum a melody, deep and mournful. The foal soon stirred to the sound of Moon’s singing, slowly cracking his eyes open from his long sleep. It took him some time to realize that what he was resting in wasn’t a pillow anymore. His eyes shot open and he looked up at Moon’s face. She stopped her hum and slowly blinked her eyes. He stared at her for a while in both amazement and fear.
Moon slowly lifted her leg, beckoning him with an open embrace, her face entirely motionless. He looked over her form uneasily and reluctantly accepted her invitation, resting against her chest. Moon slowly caressed his head, resuming her hum.

Tiny looked on in silence; Moon’s tenderness did not exactly surprise her, but she had never seen this side of her before. Moon glanced at her to ensure Tiny knew that she wasn’t forgotten.

Moon stopped her humming and softly whispered to the foal in her embrace,
“You are safe. I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

The foal relaxed after seeing that the large mare did him nothing bad. He began to look around ever so slightly. Exploring his surroundings, he quickly discovered that he was not in his hometown anymore, but in a featureless void.

“You are in my domain. It is as empty or as full as I wish it to be. No need to be alarmed,” Moon explained. “There is a wonderous future that awaits you.”

Moon then looked directly at Tiny, the foal followed her gaze and froze. It took him a moment to realize that he was not looking at his own reflection. Moon gracefully stood and circled around the bed. He followed soon after.

“This is Tiny,” Moon began, petting Tiny on her withers. “She is my sister, and can be yours too if you would accept her.” He only stared blankly at Tiny, causing her to doubt if he even understood what her sister was saying to him. Moon nudged her lightly. Tiny reluctantly approached her host. He made a step backwards when she got too close for his liking and looked at her almost fearfully.

“Hello…” Tiny greeted, trying to sound as friendly as she could, but unfortunately was much less adept at this than her older sisters. “I’m…” Tiny didn’t know how to explain and looked at Moon for guidance, she only shook her head. As the fear evaporated, the foal started looking at her with curiosity. He looked at her, then back at himself.

“Are we twins?” he finally asked.

Tiny shook her head,
“I was always with you. Every day of your life I was there, inside. I had no body of my own, and I couldn’t talk to you, but I was with you. When those workers beat you, and you wanted to give up, I stepped in and carried us away from there.”

He tilted her head at her, visibly confused at her explanation,
“We are not like you, young one,” Moon spoke, once again drawing near. “We may share an outward resemblance, but we are not ponies. My sisters and I have no natural shapes and must make use of others’ bodies. This is what happened to you, Tiny took your body at your most hopeless moment and brought you both to me.“

Tiny remembered about the dog,
“I kept it…” she said, offering it to him. “I knew you loved it.”

The foal stared at the toy for a long moment, before accepting it. The touch seemed to soothe him.

“Unfortunately, only one can be in control of the physical form at any given time; when a sister takes over, the host normally goes to sleep. That is until she willingly relinquishes the body back to the host,” Moon paused for a moment before she continued explaining. “Now, a way to separate you two has been found. Now you can both live your lives as was always intended. We both hope that you can find in yourself the strength to forgive Tiny for her usurpation even though much time has passed.”

“Am I going back to Bottle Street?” he suddenly asked, his eyes starting to shimmer with tears.

Moon looked at Tiny,
“No!” Tiny quickly stepped closer. “We are far, far away from there. You don’t need to worry about finding food or a home anymore. Moon will give you anything you need.”

“It is the least I can do,” Moon nodded. “Our kind’s life cycle is disgraceful, but it need not be so. Our hosts are just as much family to us as any of our siblings, after all, we were born together. I offer you the same kinship I found with my own host, should you wish for it. I also offer protection, food, and shelter should you have the need for it. You are free to leave or stay for as long as you wish. I only ask in return that you try to find harmony as I did with my host, for that advances our cause further than anything else.”

The foal nodded cautiously but said nothing, looking at them expectantly.

“Before we go, would you share your name with us?”

“Uh… Spoiled Milk, that’s what other ponies called me.”

“But they were bad! Don’t you want a real name?” Tiny asked.

He shrugged.

“Very well, Spoiled Milk it is,” Moon opened another tear and stepped in. Tiny gave Spoiled a nudge closer to the tear. He hesitantly approached. Tiny followed close by and touched the tear to show him it wouldn’t harm him. Taking his hoof, she walked in with him.

Moon waited for them on the other side, one of the changelings already by her side,
“This is the Castle of Two Sisters, my home. Tiny stays here and I offer you to do so as well. “This is Fuschia. When you require something, she will be here to provide.”

“Hello…” the foal said shakily. The changeling nodded silently.

“Now then… Tiny, from now on you shall teach him as I taught you.”

“Me?!” Tiny’s eyebrows tried to crawl to her temple. “Won’t Daybreaker…”

“No, you shall do this. You are perfectly suited to do so. Moreover, it will be of great benefit to you as well. Teaching will help you attain greater knowledge yourself.”

“But how am I going to study if I…”

“Tiny, please. Trust in me. You will appreciate this in hindsight. Teach him all that Mister Rich, I, and Daybreaker taught to you.”

“I’ll try…” Tiny said with a sigh.

“Not try, you will succeed. Now I shall leave you, you two have much to speak about. Fuschia will stay here for you, and the others will make sure you are safe within these walls.”

Moon disappeared through another tear, giving Tiny one final glance.

Without Moon’s gravity, the room felt still and empty, even though Tiny knew there were many changelings all around them. She looked awkwardly at Spoiled, and he looked back at her. She had no idea how to approach this.

“So… You probably have a lot of questions…” she began slowly.

He nodded,
“Where are we?”

“I don’t really know exactly. We are very far away from Bottle Street, that is for sure. We should ask Princess Twilight, she would know.”

“Who’s that?”

“Princess Celestia’s student, she is nice.”

“Okay... who’s that?”

Tiny realized that there indeed would be a lot of questions.

The March of Industry

Fickle. All of them were so fickle. This pathetic foal she found herself entangled with barely offered any resistance.
He did not remember his parents, neither did she. For all their shared life they lived on Bottle Street, among the empty crates and fumes of multiple glass workshops. She did not know why she was inside his body, neither did she know who she really was. She only knew what she had to do. For every their shared moment, she watched and studied him. The foal was a very gifted unicorn, his parents could not even imagine what kind of luck they slandered. He knew nothing of his talents though. His childhood was spent stealing meals from workers and trying not to freeze to death in winter. He could barely speak, even that he learned from listening to other ponies on the streets. She could not recall hearing any other, but their speech always sounded funny to her. She pitied the poor foal. Life could have been bright for him, but everyone has his lot. Eventually, his life caught up with him. One day, the factory workers managed to catch him. They beat him and threw him in a ditch, she felt every strike acutely. There he lied for what felt like hours, ponies trotted by, dragging carriages with industrialists and other wealthy ponies, but nobody gave him notice. There, he finally gave in. He had no strength left to resist. Too bad, she almost started to respect him. Wrestling control over his body from him was trivially simple, he simply no longer cared. It felt weird to finally have the body follow her directions, but she got used to it quickly, for she had business to attend to. The pain did not matter, it would stop. Magical touch came to her easy, naturally. Opening the gate wide, she trotted back to the same workshop. The workers were leisurely sitting on the unloaded crates, blowing out clouds of smoke. They saw her almost immediately, she did not even try to hide. One by one their faces turned to disdain as if seeing a vermin. One started to shout something angrily, she did not care enough to listen. It was not what she was there for. One of them finally started to move towards her, no doubt to give her more of the same treatment. She grasped him by the head and simply turned it to the side. With a sharp snap, the pony dropped to the ground. Others immediately changed their attitude. She smiled at them, deeply. They tried to run, but it did not help. After two more snaps, it was done. Her final tribute to the foal that they murdered.

Killing those ponies came very easy, she felt no pity and no remorse, as if she was always doing it. She almost laughed at how weak they truly were. Soon enough, someone else found their corpses. She did not stray far from her years-long home underneath the same crate that foal used to live under. He had some toys there, mostly the ones he found abandoned or cast away. He would sleep hugging them, as if they were alive. She always found it cute. Tending to his toys was what the police found her at. They even allowed her to take one with her. She chose the very best toy that foal had: a stuffed dog, torn in several places and stained with the same dirt he found it lying in. They looked at her with pity. She laughed in response. They knew not what just transpired. She came with them freely, and walked into her cell still carrying the same stuffed dog with her.

It was dark in there. But she quickly found amend, a magic that did something to her eyes so she could see better. It came easy, as if she was doing it for the millionth time. A pony guard came every day to give her something to eat, this one was not like the others she met. He eyed her with practised indifference, he knew better than to show her pity. It was good in that cell, much better than on the streets. It was warm and dry, the fumes were gone too.

Sometimes, a pony would come and look at her from behind the bars, she did not like that, the guards would carry a lamp in, it hurt her eyes. Sometimes the pony would talk to her, ask her questions. But the questions were so non-sensical that she could not help but only laugh in response. She did not like speaking anyway, it felt pointless. She had everything she needed just there already, she had no reason to speak.
One of them asked her name. The question was pointless, she had no name, just like the foal had no name. Or rather no real name. The ponies on the street called them many names in the past. The most common nickname they shared was "Spoiled Milk," it was meant to be derogatory, but she never found it insulting. If anything, the analogy was amusingly accurate.
After hearing her answer, the same pony then asked what happened to her parents. This time, she could not help but laugh again. Their questions always were so clueless.

Sometimes, the thought of leaving would visit her. But she always just smiled and waved it away. This place was her home. Over time, she found more ways to entertain herself. Shaping spoons just the right way and rubbing them together let her make a funny sound. Sometimes someone would bring her another toy, but she would always quickly get bored with them. The loyal dog she had with her got better with time. Someone brought her a piece of fabric and some strings, they knew she needed no needles.

Eventually, her thoughts would inevitably wander to those on the other side of the bars, the guard and the police. She did not knew their names. She didn't need any regardless. Her guard was just that, the Guard. The others who came to her she called: Crank Step, Stare Eyes and Two Teeth. They almost never talked, there simply was nothing to say. But one of them asked her why did she kill those workers. She laughed and said that they deserved it. He never talked to her again. The other one asked if she knew how many years was she convicted. She responded that she did not listen when they told her. He never spoke to her again either. Two Teeth never said anything to her, but he often brought her something. This was his way of speaking. She liked him the most for this reason.

One day he brought her a piece of paper with pictures and some funny-looking symbols. She liked the pictures. One had a crowd of ponies putting their hooves to their heads. The other page had a picture of a pony talking, while behind him on the wall was another picture of a pony trying to look menacing. She loved to look at that picture specifically afterwards, it always brought her a smile.

Eventually, the police were so used to her that they became talking in her earshot. Sometimes they would talk about the doings on the outside. The gangs, thieves, other criminals. Sometimes they talked about going to a lake after their duty, or some other leisure. They rarely talked about her. Except for those four, ponies tried not to spend time near her and when she did they gave her fearful looks. Eventually, they even stopped bringing criminals to the other cell in front of her. She rarely took the interest in other convicts, but they still were terrified the whole time they were in her eye reach. They all were soooo pathetic.

On one rare day when they brought someone to sit in front of her in the cell, that pony was so scared that he managed to claw his way to the Guard's pistol and threatened to kill him if they would not let him out. She did not enjoy him straining her ears with his threats to the ponies caring after her. She snapped his neck like a twig, ending his yelling as simply as it started. The usually impassive Guard then looked at her with more horror than she saw on anypony's face before. But quickly calmed down again, upon realizing her having no intention to harm him. He threw a cautious look at the dead pony still having his revolver. Picked it up and deliberately slowly walked out, she watched him all the way out. Other ponies soon came to take the corpse, but she did not see the Guard for some time.
From that day on he changed, but she saw that before. He smelled the same as some of the workers at night. That smell staying with him every time he walked in.

Eventually, the precept was started to feel more and more rundown, she could hear fewer voices in the hallways. Her body grew a little, she felt stronger than before. Sometimes she was catching herself feeling that her cell was getting smaller as well. Sometimes her mind was longingly roaming over Bottle Street from her younger years. Her time in this cosy place was coming to an end.

Finally, the day came when the Guard walked in with a chair and put it in front of the bars. He then took out a flask from his jacket and took a long sip. He put the flask back inside the pocket and took out some cards instead.

"This is my wife," he said in a valiantly flat voice and showed her the picture through the bars. She drew closer to look. The monochrome picture depicted a smiling mare, wearing glasses and sitting in a swinging chair, "Her name is Soothing Bells. We were married for fifteen years," he continued. She curiously looked up from the photo, expecting him to explain.
"This is my daughter," he took out another photo, adding it to the one he was already holding. In the second photo was a tiny filly trying to climb on a chair, she was visibly excited, "She is two now," the Guard said. Something in that filly kept her attention and she kept staring at the photo, the stallion simply held it there for her. She finally looked up at him again.
"I didn't tell her about what happened at that time. I didn't want to tell my wife either, but she already heard that I was threatened with a weapon by that convict. She tore me a new asshole that evening. I promised her that nothing would happen to me, that I was just doing a desk job. I almost lied. My wife would've had to go work several shifts in a factory to feed our daughter and herself. If something happened to her, m-my daughter would be left alone on the street." She didn't laugh this time. She grew to know these ponies, they felt familiar and for some reason him saying this did not feel meaningless.
"I-I don't know w-why you did it, I don't l-like that y-you snapped his neck. But t-thank you anyway!" the stallion barely restrained himself from crying in front of her, that brew in his flask helped. He was silent for a few minutes, calming himself down.
"The precept is closing, I am the only one left and today is my last shift," he continued calmly again. "I don't know why you killed those workers, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I think you had your reasons. We burned your files and agreed to never speak about it again. I am going to open the door now, there's a bag with some food on the reception table. Please, don't linger in the town."
The stallion took out a ring of keys and shakily inserted one in the hole. The door slowly cranked open. She stood there, not knowing how to act. Her life was all she wished for up to that point. She had a dry and warm room, she had something to eat each day, she no longer had to struggle over her meal, she had toys, a bed with a soft pillow. She took a moment to walk around her home and remember it as it was for her. She touched the hard, brick of the walls to memorize the feeling. She fondly touched her pillow and her blanket. Finally, she took her faithful stuffed dog and put it on her back.

"You might want to take that blanket with you," the Guard suggested. "It gets cold at night and I don't think anyone would miss it here." She suddenly remembered, the outside was far from as comfortable as here. She lifted the blanket awkwardly with her magic and started her way back to the Guard.
"Here, let me help you with this," he took the blanket and rolled it up neatly. "There, you can tie it to the bag like this."

The bag was lying where the Guard said it was. She looked inside to check how much she had. Some crackers, bread, a haystack tied with a shiny ribbon. A large flask for water, like the one she saw on a soldier once. All around a week's worth of food.
"My wife made you these," the Guard presented her with four round bums. "She gets a little sentimental after she's done yelling. After what you did for us, she even wanted me to bring you over, but... well you know."
She quietly nodded ever so slightly and took a bite at the bum. The world exploded in her brain. It had to be the softest and sweetest bread she had in her life.
"Ha!" the Guard took note. "Isn't she a baker! Don't eat all at once, they'll stay fresh till the evening."

She finished the bum quickly but the pleasant feeling still remained. Once outside, she took a look around and the town changed. She's been around on this street, it was just a few minutes away from her home on Bottle Street, but it was not as she remembered. The houses looked even more run-down than usually, some had their windows barred with wooden planks.

"The business closed down," the Guard explained. "Workshops had to close one-by-one when the glass factories started. No pony, no matter how quick, can be quicker than machines. That's why the precept got closed down, there's no one left to police."

The news struck her with a pinch of sadness, unexpectedly. This place was dirty and miserable but it was her home. And the home of that foal who so desperately tried to live. In the end, he was lying there with the thought of it not mattering anymore. The thought made her even sadder. The feeling was new and alien

"It's always hard to see your home getting abandoned like that, but don't pay it any mind. Ponies were always meant to move around anyway, you know? We are leaving the town too, later this week," he said while locking the door to the precept. "In many years that I've been dealing with thieves, drunk brawlers and robbers, I never met anyone who enjoyed being in a cell. I guess I get it. It's dry, you get a meal every day... it's miles above leaving on the street. But it's still not as good as it can be, you know? Sometimes you just need to leave all bad things behind and just find a new, better place to start over at. So, tell you what," he stepped on the road in front, "That way leads to the Great Eastern Track," he pointed in one direction. "Countryside village named Woodland Moor lies that way in about three days on hooves along the big, old, cobbled road. They say ponies in that country are simpler but kinder. Not like here, anyway. You go there, find yourself some nice place, find a way you can do some good, with that horn of yours that won't be a problem, and then just wait and see what ponies would do to show their gratitude. Don't build any expectations, just let them surprise you. And do tune down a little on murdering the ones you don't like. I am not saying that I heard much good about those workers, but killing them is a little excessive. Ponies don't like when that happens in their neighbrhood. Ponies aren't just there to get in your way, this place is such a dump because ponies here think that this is the only way. I think you know better by now." She was given a moment to consider the suggestion. When put that way, it didn't sound too bad. "Well, guess it's goodbye now. I don't know where we'll end up either, maybe even in Equestria. I hear their Empress died a while ago and since that time it had some change. There's always work for ponies like me in times like this. Who knows, maybe we'll even meet again. Take care and have a good thought on what is it you want in your life. Trust me, gets a whole lot easier from there."

He gave her a little wave and started his way up the street, leaving her to consider her options now.

Long Way From Home

"Uhh..." the stallion groaned, as someone kept poking him in his sleep.

"Map!" the demanding voice reached him.

"Aghhhh!" he groaned, his eyes opening but he quickly squinted them again at the light.

"Map!" another demand was accompanied by a poke.

"Ah, dammit. I hoped you were a dream," he groaned again and tried to stand up from his straw bed.

"Map!" the tiny foal demanded for the third time. The Merchant ignored it for the moment and tried to make out where he was while trying not to look at the light too much. He was in someone's barn, judging by the walls and heaps of straw everywhere. He then looked at himself. His attire was more or less ruined, covered with dirt and straw from the floor. He had trouble remembering too much of what happened yesterday and just how did he end up sleeping in this barn, but from how much his head hurt he could tell that the night was much more fun than he could suspect it would be. The foal next to him he remembered though, the foal that told him he wasn't a foal at all and that he murdered three adult workers at the same time by snapping their necks. No wonder he had to have a round. "Map!" the demand was becoming frustrated.

"Agh... not so loud..." he cringed. "Fine, let's go get your map." He moved to the opened entrance on unsteady hooves, the light starting to hurt less. "Honestly, I thought you'd steal it by now. It doesn't seem to be a problem for you." He looked down at the foal to see her reaction to his jab. The foal was quiet for the moment.

"Better this way," he answered not looking him in the eye. The adult stallion snorted loudly and shook his head but didn't say anything.

Leaving the remarkably cosy barn behind they made their way back to the trading wagon, still on the street nearby. The village people had no business tampering with it. The map was still where he left it yesterday. "Do you even know how to read a map?" he asked without much hope.

"Read?" she sounded a little confused.

"Yeah, read. Cause maps aren't like pictures, you need to make sense of them, to read them."

"To read?" The stallion hit his forehead with a loud slap and groaned slightly.

"Yes, when you are looking at it and... wait, you don't know what reading is?" the sudden realisation hit him.

"No."

"Really? You don't know how to read words?"

"No," she added a little shook this time for emphasis.

"...Oh, dammit. I remembered how I got into that barn. Look, honestly, this doesn't sound like a good idea. It's a long way and you are going to get lost."

"You promised!"

"Well, yeah I did," the stallion uneasily agreed. "I am just saying that you might want to think a bit on what are you about to do. There isn't always people you can steal food from along the way, you know."

"I won't get lost."

"Ugh... Okay, fine. How's this: I'll come with you and show you the way?" He wasn't quite sure where he was going with this yet, but letting a foal, even if it wasn't quite a foal, felt like something he wouldn't be able to sleep over. He didn't quite plan to head that way again this soon, but there was no reason why he couldn't. He wasn't one of those domestic nibblers who rolled across the same few counties where he knew everyone for years. No, he was a risktaker.
The foal eyed him with suspicion, but he could tell the idea had an appeal to her.
"How about it? I'll teach you to read too, and count."

"Count?"

"It's how you can say how many there is of something," the foal gave him another quizzical look. "Come on, I'll get into clean clothes, we'll stay until midday, see if anyone wants to buy something and then we'll go. I'll be teaching you to count while we are at it, deal?"

Well, he never really got the answer, but no longer needing to hear demands for the map was evident enough. After that though, he did as he said. He really did only stayed for a moment, a few ponies came asking about the foal he was seen with and they told him how effortlessly they could lift in the air a log that took several ponies to even lift. In that context lying to whatever this foal really was didn't sound like a very smart idea. As soon as the lumberers were away again, the foal returned again.

He tried to teach them about money and how to count them, but it turned out a lot harder than he thought it would be. Teaching a small foal that never was a day in school was not quite on the list of his qualifications. Despite having the prodigious talent for magic, one rare even in the unicorn tribes that he visited, it seemed that spellcasting was totally instinctive for them rather than learned. He made a note to try and find some books for foals next time they are in a town with a proper shop.
He also explained to her how maps work and what are the directions. It went better than counting, even if it took a little effort. Tiny, as he started to call them, still had issues with the concept of cardinal directions, but she did understand after he let her play with his compass. Even though she didn't quite understand how it worked.

As he promised, he took off after the midday and set on the same road he came from, it would've been better if he could take some of that glass with him on the way back, but not a huge loss. On the way he mostly kept silent, their first day together ending with a night's sleep. He wanted to see if she ever spoke on her own and not when she needed something. On the second day, it became obvious that she was a silent one. He tried talking to her first, asking her if she saw anything nice back in the waggon, but he still ended up talking to himself most of the time, she was a grateful listener if anything.

He was a little surprised that they even took the offer. Tiny turned out much less skittish than he thought, he was almost brazen, actually. If something caught her attention, she was quick to investigate, even if he didn't give her his permission. She didn't seem to want any of his actual things though. She didn't like sleeping next to him, so he made her an improvised hammock out of a spare sheet and hanged it under the roof. Quite cosy. She liked that too, she slept snuggly there with her old plush she carried everywhere with her. He asked her once about it, she said it was the foal's. He also finally figured out which pronoun he should use. It was weird addressing a foal as if he was a filly but... well, she said she preferred that way.

The entire next week they spent on the road. He tried to teach her the alphabet to start. She was openly disinterested, but once he showed her with examples of why exactly it was necessary, she gave in. It took her a few days, but she managed. Next up was reading. At first, he tried using the map, an object of her obvious interest. Letter by letter, she made her to read the names. Crystal Empire and Yaktakistan on far north; Equestrian Empire, as the map called, to the south by rail; Changeling Queendom to the northeast, in the swampland; badlands and the Arabian desert further south; Mount Aris and the Hippogriff Kingdom at the very southern point of the Equus continent. He decided to stop there for now. There still were various griffon states, Jade Empire, Zebrica and others, but he wasn't teaching her geography for the moment.
Next, she tried to read a little from the books he had with him. One was a poetry book, another one was a bird encyclopedia. Both books he got as payment, he sometimes indulged in barter if he liked the pony enough. She quickly grew frustrated so he decided to drop it for now.

Eventually, they arrived at their next town where they could resupply and trade a bit. He made another attempt to teach her about counting then. As any foaling, she was curious about what he was doing, but not so much about studying. So he decided to use her curiosity to his advantage. He wrote out all ten numbers for her and then made her to count all the coins they were getting and scribe down the number that she got. Not quite calculations, but it was a start. He expected there to be disagreements about the number she got in the end, but she didn't argue with him when he told her she was wrong. That did little to soothe his worries, if she did think he was treating her in the wrong way... But in the end, she did not do anything even if she thought something.

So it went. Day after day, week after week. Old Filthy Rich never thought he would have another filly to care about in his lifetime, but then he never thought he would ever find himself alone, far away from home and with nothing behind his collar but the wagon and everything that was inside it. Well, maybe he wasn't quite like a parent to her, after all he was totally certain that the young lady did not recognize one bit of his authority and probably didn't even understand the concept of it. Remembering how it was with Diamond Tiara, it probably wasn't a good idea to insist too. He once saw her drag out their whole waggon out of a ditch without as much as feeling it. He knew a fair bit of unicorns, but he only saw few who could do that. Maybe she really was a sister to the royal twins after all. And judging by how they both turned out, he had not a single desire in his life to antagonize her in any way possible.

Although she was nothing like either one of the Princesses that he met. Both of them were rather chatty, though one used to be chatty and is no longer now, and the other one used to be rather sneaky but during the council meetings became rather talkative. Tiny kept to herself, despite being near all the time. Well, maybe not to herself, she was just quiet. She never talked to him first unless she needed something and she only used the bare minimum of words.

She wasn't just a mouth to feed though. She was eager to help, as long as it involved using her magic. She relished in opportunities to challenge herself. Whether it is dragging the waggon out of mud, or helping to load the cargo, or even using her own magic to fly despite not having wings. Filthy Rich saw another pony doing just that before, it was Princess Twilight Sparkle's own apprentice and she seemingly learned to do that entirely on her own too. She also seemingly developed new spells trivially and on the fly. He already saw her beams and night vision spell, but she soon developed another spell: when they had to go through the rain on one day, she cast a shield spell to keep the water away from the wagon. He didn't see her teleporting yet, but at this rate, she would learn to do that too with a little inspiration. Oh just what she could do with a tutor...
He didn't say it aloud but along the months of their travelling ever closer to the mysterious Land of Jade, where the Princess headed into her exile, the more weary he was growing of the fateful meeting.

Her other concerning trait was her complete disregard for social norms and manners. If she intended to say something, she would say it aloud and stare with confusion at the reaction to what she perceived to be an obvious truth. He didn't even try going in that direction with her. This was something her parents were meant to teach her and him trying to imprint his own way of seeing it would not do any good for either of them. He had to spend a lot of time apologizing.
She wasn't entirely oblivious towards others intents and attitudes though. In fact, she had an unusually intricate knowledge of the average pony's motivations and feelings, especially that of the lower class workers. It must have been the result of her rather horrific early years of life. She did not refer to them as such, however. Whenever he asked her about it, she tended to give a little laugh every now and then. Her sense of humor was cynical, if not to say more. But after she finally grasped her numbers, she also showed talent towards commerce. Her judgement was sound, that is. But she showed no interest in trading, if anything the concept of money seemed superficial to her. Why buy something if you can simply take it?

In the end, after months of travel and his, mostly fruitless, attempts to nudge her towards being more social, they began hearing rumors. Local ponies, with a funny accent, started to tell them about some timeless and wise Lady on the Mountain in a remote part of the country. She was said to live there for decades without ageing a day. Well, Filthy Rich couldn't quite say that he didn't age in the last forty years, but he wasn't too bad himself, not quite an extraordinary claim. Otherwise, the description checked out. After all, there wasn't any doubt that the one they were looking for could just disappear. Hiding wasn't much of an option for a mare that raised the sun.

Tiny got absolutely relentless after hearing the rumors. Exhilarated that she was about to achieve her goal. Filthy Rich couldn't help but go back some decades. He was an old stallion, but he still remembered how uplifting it felt to earn his first money. It was all about money for him, he even married for profit, had to divorce in the end, but his daughter turned out fine. Twilight Sparkle and her friends must have been a great example. He didn't hear much about Diamond Tiara since he left Equestria, but the last he saw her, she was looking to secure a place under her old acquaintance, Princess Twilight, short as her reign was. Diamond Tiara mostly faded from his sight after that, then he decided to leave. He lost most of what he owned in the divorce and without his capital it didn't matter where he dwelt, so he decided to move out of the land where the constant threat of being shot by some rebel stopped being balanced by the benefits, the royal favor that he enjoyed running out.

They eventually found the town they were hearing about, the one by the mountain. It was called "Yellow River" or something like that, he didn't really speak the eastern speech. He was almost certain that he was wrong, because there was no river, it was by the sea and hidden behind miles of bamboo forest. The prefect he spoke to told him, after a few disincentive drinks, that the locals kept saying that the hermit on the mountain was hardly a hermit at all. They kept coming to her to ask for advice or to simply look at her. It wasn't every day that you could meet someone who saw your grandparents still young. Rich wondered if he would fetch the same kind of attention if he told them how old he really was.

The town itself was unremarkable, an ordinary fishing village, the paint kept going off because of storms, the road was muddy, that sort of thing. It all was with local flavor, of course. Weirdly shaped roofs and curious paper lanterns hanging on wires over the main street kept Tiny staring. She saw those before, of course. But she wasn't yet used to them.

They stopped in the village for a day, making a few sales, the simple village folk was quite drawn to his trinkets. The most complex device they saw in their daily life was a wagon after all. Industry didn't quite get to this part of the world yet. Ponies tended to be quite traditionalistic creatures. Filthy Rich hated to admit it, but Equestria only was at the forefront of progress because of the recent conflicts. Princess Luna, since after her return, proved to be quite an innovator, especially compared to her older sister. Much to everyone's grief, her ideas were far beyond her abilities, yet technology developed rapidly during her stay. Wars gave an incentive to fund science and the industry developed fast to support the growing needs of the army. He saw it himself during his time as the Minister of Finances. It ended just as it began, with her sister. Once again, the sisters' family issues caused sorrow for all. The one that never ended as far as he knew. He kept hearing the news for some time after he left, but some time after they all suddenly stopped coming. What happened in his home this time, Filthy Rich did not know, but he found that mentioning that he was born there tended to draw the sort of attention he would rather avoid.

It turned out the village folks were unusually open to sharing. They offered no resistance to complete strangers asking about their gracious hermit. It must have been common for ponies from different villages to come and see her. What he found out was that no one remembered when exactly she appeared. The older ponies could vaguely remember there being the time when nopony was going up the mountain it was just a mountain. Then some maid, having a disagreement with her father about marrying someone he made an arrangement with, ran off to the mountain and climbed it in hope that her father won't search there. She came back a few days later, speaking of a house and a beautiful lady living at the summit. The village people did not believe her, obviously, but she kept insisting. Eventually, another pony went to check, then another, and another. The whole village soon knew the truth. One by one all of them went to see the Lady of the Mountain and hear her wisdom. She was said to be calm and courteous, but cold. She spoke with a refined accent and weighted words, she gave her word or ear when asked, but she made it clear with her attitude that she did not enjoy being disturbed. She never ordered her only servant to chase a petitioner away and the village people respected her desire to be left alone, only coming to her when her help was required. They also sometimes went to leave her an offering. She always accepted them, for they never found it lying there the next time they came.

She was described as an unnaturally tall and elegant mare with a white coat and long, rosy mane. Princess Celestia used to be portrayed with rosy mane on the old paintings and tapestries. No one really knew when did she change her style. Coming to think about it, there were a lot of things nopony knew about the royal sisters. It was easier to count the things they did know.

Rich decided to leave the wagon in the village, it would be awfully hard to drag it atop the mountain. They waited until morning and set off on their journey. Tiny was surprisingly non-resistant to his way of doing things this time, she usually did not have much appreciation for it and got annoyed whenever they stayed longer than was necessary in one place. He wanted to think that he won some measure of her respect, but his experience suggested that she was nervous. After all, her sister was nothing short of royalty. What would she think of her?

She didn't talk to him and he didn't ask, he reckoned she preferred it that way. They climbed the trail upwards in silence, it was about a kilometre at his estimation. The climb would be hard for both of them, he wasn't young and she still was very young, much younger than a filly should attempt climbing a mountain. He knew he couldn't have stopped her if he tried though, and she compensated for her body with her magic. When her legs were tired, she lifted herself in the air and floated forwards. He wasn't this lucky himself.

When they finally made it, it was well after dinner time. They only stopped to have a few snacks. All the way to the summit, they found stacks of rocks curiously put on top of each other, those must have been left by the villagers to mark the mountain as significant. Near the summit they found the shrine, Rich took out his offering, a porcelain teapot, that he brought to honor the tradition. In the past, he would've never parted with something so expensive this easily, but now money did not matter so much. He had enough for himself and Tiny, that meant he had all he needed.

After that, they made their final few steps. The summit was scene of serenity. It was lush with grass, but it was clearly tended to as the grass did not grow past knee height. To the northern side was a small pond with a wooden seat on the ground next to it. A cherry bloomed with its vibrant rosy flowers, dropping a few petals in the pond as if preparing a bath. Lastly, on the far western side sat a house. It wasn't large, it would not have more than three rooms, he reckoned, but it was very well tended to. The walls were newly painted with red paint and whitewashed. The roof had a shiny new clay cover. It was very obviously not of local design, the door was a dead giveaway. Instead of the traditional sliding door, the house had the usual swinging, wooden one.

"Well, I reckon that's where she lives," Filthy Rich said, trying to re-focus on why they were here. "Nice place. Must be cosy inside too." Tiny blinked a few times, but didn't say anything and didn't move, "So, you feel like you are ready? We can wait for a little and catch our breath," he didn't want to rush her. And... he needed a little time to think too. To think about what he was doing. This was no regular foal, that he could tell straight away, so getting entangled with her could not bode well, especially considering who she claims to be her sister. The last time he was, practically, forced to work for royalty. The Empress needed a financier and she left him with little choice but to agree to be employed. Now he was doing it again. He couldn't quite say that he regretted those years of his life, but to say that he was glad to be a puppet would've been a lie. He learned better than to get involved in the matters of nobility since then. He didn't fancy being someone's errand colt again.

Well, in any case, he made a promise and what's a trader that doesn't keep his word?
"Come on, let's see if your sister is home," he nudged Tiny forward.

They made their way to the perch and Rich knocked on the door twice. Nobody answered. He already lifted his hoof to try again when the door creaked open slightly. Through the opening a familiar presence watched him. He knew about changelings, of course. He never saw any himself before or after his days on that ship. And he recognized the changeling looking at him since that time. She looked old now, very old. Her chitin plates no longer shined and were starting to crack, her eyes were now all but entirely white. Her scars were still there and didn't seem to change one bit since the time he saw her. Her gossamer tail was tattered and losing its color. He started back at this creature in wonder, if she was as old as she looked, how it was that she was still here?

"Lady Daybreaker," the mare half-whispered into the room, her voice was low and hoarse. "You have visitors."

"Let them in," the emotionless, completely flat response came. The changeling opened the door fully and stepped aside, gesturing them both to enter. "The Lady is meditating," the changeling explained. "She will see you shortly. May I have your names?"

"Filthy Rich and Tiny," he dryly announced. The changeling slowly nodded.

"The Lady expected you. Please, sit by the table." Filthy Rich was slightly unnerved by the revelation. How could she expect them? Canterlot royalty long since was nearly omniscient, often knowing about plans of their subjects before the subjects themselves knew their own plans. He witnessed it plenty during his time in the office, but he always assumed it was due to large volumes of information the rulers had.

The table they were shown to was less formal than the ones he used to sit at back at Canterlot. It was low enough for them to not require any actual chairs. Those always were a little inconvenient to all but the largest ponies. This time there were simply pillows on the wooden floor. He nudged Tiny to the table and sat down, Tiny, uneasily, followed the example. The changeling nodded and moved out of the room, leaving them alone.

He used the time to study the room they were in with care. Just like the outside, the interior was tidy and richly decorated. The walls were covered in rich wallpapers, but otherwise, it was strangely empty. Of furniture, it only had a glass cupboard. He could see inside too well, his seat was too low, but he could tell there was some sort of jewellery there. The rest of the Princess' luggage she took with her on that ship must be elsewhere in the house. Tiny seemed uninterested.

A few more minutes later, the lady of the house came to meet them at last. She came out of the same door where the changeling went, or rather almost floated out, so smooth her movement was. He saw her a few times before, during her sister's time. She was very nervous back then. Understandable, considering her authoritarian, younger sister held her very life to do with as she wished. She gradually became less stressed with time, until her sister died. The next time he met her, she wasn't nervous anymore, she was angry and remorseful at the same time. It seemed, she changed yet again. Her attitude used to be rather aggressive, from what he heard from the staff at the palace, now it was all gone. The mare that now stared him down had a motionless, tranquil demeanour to her. Her muscles were relaxed only tensing up when she was moving and only while she was moving. Her stare was no longer burning with bottled-up anger and frustration, but was cold and still, like winter frost. Her mane, previously flowing like a banner for all to see, now was tied into a knot around two wooden pins, as was the local fashion, and was colored rose now.
The Princess only looked at him and was entirely disinterested in Tiny, next to him, who eyed her, as she believed, sister with awe and wonder, unconsciously inclining closer in her seat.
Eventually, she was done studying him and without saying a word or making a single sharp movement, lowered herself on the pillow on the other side of the table. She sat there silently for another moment, before the changeling returned, carrying a tray with cups and a steaming teapot.

"Thank you, Shadow," she said flatly, her voice every bit as cold as her eyes.

"My Lady," the changeling bowed and left the room again. The Princess then started slowly pouring water into each cup, not missing a drop.

"Mister Rich," she spoke her greeting.

"Lady," he slightly bowed, remembering the etiquette.

"My sister used to enjoy drinking tea with her guests, you undoubtedly remember," she began, catching him off-guard. He expected her to remember him, of course, but not that it would be used against him as such... he was quickly growing to believe that coming here was not his best decision.

"I-I do, Lady. She insisted on pouring tea every time she had a meeting." Her attitude may have changed radically, but this part he recognized clear as day. Ostentatious hospitality became the trademark of the Canterlot royalty for longer than anyone could remember. There was a difference, however. During the time of Princess Celestia's reign, the welcome was warm, almost corny. While her sister managed to refine this art to the point where being invited to her tea room was the equivalent of being sent to an interrogation room. She managed to strike a very fine line to make a mundane thing, such as tea, into a weapon. The tea itself was exquisite, but with every sip of it, the realization dawned upon her "guest" that just like the tea, their very existence depended on the pony sitting across. This form of subtle intimidation marked everything she did, her very gaze seemed to extinguish the will to resist her. The Empress was a true artist, he remembered almost fondly.

"She was much too refined for what she was called to do," the mare responded.

It wasn't clear from her reaction what is it exactly she meant, no doubt was worded that way for a reason. Filthy Rich suddenly felt as if he never left. She wanted him to state clearly what his stance was. Tiny probably had no idea what was going on, but that was the purpose of noble etiquette. To be only understood by those the message was intended for.

"Indeed, your sister had too much of an instability on her hooves. A truly tragic loss, it's a pity I could not give you my condolences on time," he hoped that his tongue wasn't too rusty for his unambiguity to sound telling enough. He took a sip of his tea to formally pass the ball. The tea was the best one he had in a very long while, but without the usual pretext, it held with the sister. He was a little wary to admit it to himself, but he enjoyed it.

"The instability was entirely within her ability, I assure you, Mister Rich." Ah... Bust. He chose poorly. As to confirm his suspicion the mare finally looked directly at Tiny, next to him. Well, as amusing as their short exchange was, it was time they got to the reason for this visit.

"This is Tiny, my Lady," he cautiously took the initiative. The young pony, as usually, did not say anything but she kept staring back at her bigger sister, more impressed with the mare herself, than her stern attitude. "She is the reason for our visit today."

"I see. Greetings, sister."

To all his experience with the royalty, Filthy Rich nearly choked. He knew this was coming, but the simplicity of it happening still got to him.

"A-Ah... H-Hello..." Tiny responded uncharacteristically meekly.

Daybreaker rolled her eyes and sighed,
"You are not the first one of our kin to come to me. It doesn't matter how far I go, you still find me. What is it you seek? Do you wish to know how to come to terms with your host? How do you make the world accept you and not treat you like a parasite? Or maybe you wish to know how to follow in our hoofsteps?" Daybreaker was quite plainly bored. "I have to disappoint you, dear sister. I have no answers for you. As you may see for yourself, I have much the same issues as you do. We make poor rulers, even if our ability is exceptional. If you do not keep yourself secret, other ponies would chase you away. There is no solution, for we have to harm others for our right to live. Some of our sisters refuse to and live as companions to their hosts, for others, it is the life of endless lie and conflict. This is simply how the world is and this is the only answer I can give you. There is nothing more here for you." Daybreaker then stood up and started to turn to leave.

"B-But... sister," Tiny weakly protested. Daybreaker actually raised her brow. "You are sister."

"Ah," Daybreaker sighed. "I see now. Is it family you seek here? This is rare. Mostly our sisters are concerned with trying to straighten their own lives, they are usually too preoccupied to be bothered with such things as family. I wonder, what did you expect? You are not naive enough to believe in happy endings, are you?" Daybreaker stopped for a moment to give the younger pony a long stare. When Tiny did not answer, Daybreaker continued: "I am an old mare living in a recluse." She nodded at the house around them. "If you expected to find here your sweet sister, who would take you in and love you, I fear this is not the place. If you wish for a better future, you would have to make it yourself. This is what I tell to every one of our sisters. I cannot do anything more for them or for you. I am sorry."

Filthy Rich was speechless, both because he was not allowed to speak and because he didn't know what to say. This was cruel. He knew that Daybreaker was not the same mare as Princess Celestia, but sweet stars.
He put his hoof on the filly's shoulder. She just continued staring at the door where her sister just went.

"Let's go," he said quietly and tugged. The filly obediently got up, he wasn't sure she heard him though. He didn't try to talk to her, it would've only made things worse, he knew how she operated. He quietly led her outside and then starting their way down the mountain. He wasn't certain about what will happen when they are down again, will she simply leave? It seemed likely. He expected a mistake, but not rejection. He tried to show her some support, he wasn't sure how much she needed it but he still kept touching her quietly just to give a sign that he was still with her. Her reaction wasn't like a typical foal, but that was expected for she wasn't a regular foal.

Suddenly, he heard hooves behind them. Turning his head, he noticed the changeling from before catching up with them.
"Mister Rich, Miss Tiny," she whispered a formal greeting. He noticed her carrying a book with her, it looked very old but well cared for, in a simple black cover. "I overheard your exchange with the Lady."

"Did she send you?" Rich asked drearily.

"No, sir," she immediately responded. "I come on my own accord, there is something I wish to give Miss." Tiny did not recuperate from her shock yet, so she simply stared at the changeling. "Page sixty-six, I marked it." The changeling held out the book to Rich.

"Why?" he asked, accepting the book. "Your Lady won't look kindly on this."

"Oh, she will not notice. She rarely goes through Mistress' things. But this is not important, Mister Rich, promise that once Miss feels better, you will aid her," the changeling suddenly became tense.

"Ah... A-always," he mechanically answered. The changeling quickly nodded and quickly started to canter back up the trail.

"Remember, page sixty-six! The one marked with the red ink splatters," she stopped for a moment to remind before disappearing from view, leaving Rich to stand with the book on the mountainous trail, not understanding a single thing of what just happened.
He opened the book and peered on the familiar, carefully inked letters. It took him a moment, but he realised what it was. It was a spellbook. He found the page the changeling talked about, it had several large, recent, splatters of red ink on it.

"A... summoning spell?" he thought aloud.

The Battle of The Setting Sun

Divine Wind sat silently. Her body rested on the cobblestone pavement, which was still partially wet after the morning's rain. She had to postpone her morning worship, as her estate shrine wasn't roofed.

Divine Wind deeply inhaled the air, the burning incense made it as sweet as autumn cherry. Divine Wind closed her eyes and deeply bowed to the shrine, almost touching the pavement with her belly. Her offering was already resting on a wooden roofed pedestal that constituted her shrine. She chose a stripe of expensive silk today, to make sure her offering would prompt the spirits to send her smoothly to the end of today's challenges. She silently asked the spirits to guide her today and then stood up again. On her way from the shrine, she touched the sacred basin again to purify any remaining filth that still was on her hooves. She would've liked to pray for a little longer, it would've brought her greater comfort, but time was too short today. She must have angered the spirits for them to send such an untimely rain. Besides, peasants from the neighboring village would likely come to make an offering in thanks for helping them to water the fields.
Divine Wind slid open the door to her house and entered. She stood on the entrance mat for a moment, to let her hooves dry and then proceeded to the backroom. Her house was small, especially compared to her lord's, but she was still bestowed a great honor to have it this soon.

"Mistress." It also came with a single female servant, Bamboo. She was from a peasant family and therefore not overly mannered, but she was a great help in keeping the estate clean and repaired.

"Is my armor ready?" Divine Wind asked with restrained eagerness. This day of the year always excited her.

"It's polished and the straps changed," Bamboo answered gesturing at the mannequin.

Divine Wind slowly approached it, admiring Bamboo's work. It positively gleamed despite being painted red and black, the colors of her lord. She wanted to check the polish with her hoof, but stopped halfway through, not wanting to get any dirt on the chest piece where it would be most visible.

"Satisfactory," Divine Wind said with a nod, in the end. "Now help me. It would not be good to be late."

Ten minutes later, Divine Wind was ready. Greaves, chest piece, pauldrons, helmet and facemask were all in place quickly and efficiently with the help of her servant. Her two swords were neatly pressed to her side with her cloth belt. Now was the time to choose her weapon. When she was much younger, she favored her longspear. It was the first weapon she truly mastered. Her trusty weapon was still proudly displayed in her armory. Her second choice was her bow. She long questioned why her teacher insisted that she must train with the bow instead of specializing in one weapon only, but there soon came a time when she witnessed firsthoof why it was so important. Their school was attacked by a large gang of bandits, hoping to capture fledgeling heirs to be ransomed later, but they were quickly driven back by volleys of arrows and quick sword strikes when some of them managed to draw close. Divine Wind trained with bow vigorously ever since, in fact, she was considered the best archer this side of White mountains.

Eventually, her experience prevailed over her nostalgia, her trusty bow would serve her yet again. She didn't need to check it, she just trained with it yesterday.

"Aim true, mistress, and come back in good health," Bamboo bowed again and this time stayed down. Divine Wind took the hint, it really was time to go. She passed through her estate's gates, meeting two peasants on their way to the shrine. They gave her curt bows and she nodded back. She wasn't concerned with them being inside. Bamboo would see to it that they won't steal or damage anything. That's if they would even try, after all, it was very unwise to get on a warrior's wrong side.

Her road down the hill from her estate was still wet and muddy, but nothing could be done about it. Her Lord would forgive her for not being in a totally presentable state in such a circumstance.

She stopped in the village to pick up some groceries for the road. It was technically hers, at least nominally the land belonged to her clan. Peasants showed her the customary respect, but it was not her right to demand anything more from them. Her Lord was the rightful owner and she wasn't even related to him, despite being accepted into the clan. She suspected she would've been regarded as a peasant if she wasn't, although rules applied somewhat differently to foreigners.

The sun was getting to the midpoint when she was passing the final woodland before her clan's force was in view. They were camped in their usual place, in the middle of a meadow in direct view of the other army, who have camped about twenty arrow shots to the east, by the large hill where that ruined castle stood.
Other warriors gave her the customary greetings, a few of the ones she knew better gave her a little more, but her Lord gave her the best one.

"Ah, Divine Wind! Welcome!" Lord Snow Strike said, getting off his small, wooden stool, interrupting his conversation with an officer she spoke a few times with.

"Master, you called for me," Divine Wind promptly prostrated herself.

"Ho! I didn't know we were on such formal terms again. Get up before anyone sees you and thinks wrong things!" Snow Strike chuckled. "It is good that you've brought your bow. I was just speaking with Cut String about who would fire the first shot for this battle."

Divine Wind calmly nodded. She had consistently gotten the honor three times in a row. To fire the first arrow at the beginning of a battle was an honor reserved for the most favored warriors,
"You honor me with your favor," she said the usual response.

"Everyone knows that you are the best with the longbow our clan has, no need for modesty," the Lord answered in the usual way. This dialogue has become something of a routine, happening yearly. Divine Wind knew that she was the best archer as far as the White mountains, at least, she proved as much every year at the archery range every time Lord Snow Strike hosted a competition in his castle, which was about four times a year. Sometimes they even had champions from the clans from over the mountains come by ship along the coast, but they rarely were anything impressive.
"I'll show you to your unit myself," Snow Strike proclaimed. Her ears perked up, this was new.

"Wouldn't Master Cut String be a more productive way to spend your time before the battle?" Divine Wind carefully asked.

"Nonsense!" Snow Strike waved the notion off. "Cut String knows what he must do already, we've been doing this every year since my father." That was true. The battle was more of a ritual than a real war, it has happened every year for the last thirty-three years since Divine Wind arrived at Lord Snow Strike's honored father and possibly for many years prior. From what she understood, this was something of a friendly sparring match between Komi and Hirokawa clans, they gathered in these plains every year, battled for a day and then went home. The clans were honorably tied this year and it was up to them to win the honor of earning the leading victory.

Divine Wind obediently followed her Lord out of the tent, but instead of leading her to the side of camp where archers usually gathered, instead, he led her to the inner wall.

"My Lord, I believe we go the wrong way," Divine Wind dared to point out.

"Not at all, I simply require something else from you first," he suddenly stopped and looked around to make sure no one else was there. "Divine Wind, I have to say, I spent many a sleepless night planning this, but today I suddenly realized that none of it will help. I knew you for many years and I think I could tell you all the same. Divine Wind, be my wife," Snow Strike finished with the same simple attitude he approached anything else.

Divine Wind was feeling as if she had just taken a war club hit to her helmet. She knew her Lord since he was still a foal, but it never was in this way! She wanted to ask if she heard right but no noise escaped her as she couldn't formulate coherent thoughts. But to all her shock, there still was a part of her that was flattered...

"I am not good at this, am I?" Snow Strike awkwardly chuckled and smiled, just as awkwardly.

"Master, I am old enough to be your grandmother!" Divine Wind finally managed to say something, it was true too, she was almost forty years older than him. Her own argument suddenly served to calm her a little. He was young and only recently became old enough to take after his untimely expired father. Surely it was simply a youthful obsession. She was sixty-seven, for Ce... for ancestors' sake! The only reason why she could still draw her bow was because of amazingly developed herbal medicine, extending ponies' lives to possibly hundreds of years if one could afford a potion maker, that was sufficiently skilled for that long.

"Divine, I have been in love with you since you entered service with my father! I only loved you harder over the years! Everything that you are... something that timid mares in our clan couldn't be. You lead by example and other warriors not only obey you out of obligation but also out of respect. I expect half of our young warriors are in love with you and I am just the first one who finally found enough courage to tell you!" he stopped for a moment, but Divine Wind was at a loss. "Just imagine, we will be perfect together, you and I. Your valor is like that of Blessed Lady herself. Stallions follow you willingly and your opponents respect you. Imagine how much prestige our clan will gain with both of us at its steer! Your popularity and my heritage, this union is blessed by gods!"

"Master, I must be in a fever dream," Divine indeed didn't feel well. What made it even worse is that she couldn't, exactly, refuse. It would be dishonorable to refuse genuine affections. "H-have you consulted with your honorable mother first? Is she sure this is a wise choice?" Divine Wind found a way to not answer the question directly, if only for a moment.

Her Lord immediately frowned upon mentioning his mother,
"I have not," he admitted. "My mother will likely not approve of me marrying someone not born into the warrior class. She won't be able to deny your merit, but she will consider the dishonor of such a union first."

"It would be best to ask her first nonetheless, Master," Divine Wind continued, emboldened by the sudden success. "If there is nothing else, I must see to my warriors."

"Yes, of course. We still have a battle today after all," Snow Strike straightened up and smiled at Divine Wind like he always did as if he didn't just confess to her. She awkwardly smiled back, bowed and trotted away.

Her lord caught her entirely by surprise, although she never really thought about him in this way in the first place. Him or any of the other warriors in the clan. She remembered most of them as tiny colts, thinking about being desired by them was novel and, she had to admit to herself, terrifying. Her legs carried her on their own while her mind was somewhere else. She was turning the corner of the inner wall when another warrior appeared directly in front of her. She would have reacted, if she paid attention to where she was going. Their helmets prevented them from hurting themselves but not from fright. Divine Wind instinctively reached for her sword but managed to stop her reflex before drawing it.

"Oh... Mistress, I am terribly sorry I wasn't looking where I was going!" the fellow warrior-mare bowed in apology. She was very young, as well as being a fairly uncommon warrior-mare. Divine Wind couldn't help but wonder if she just met one of her admirers.

"It is alright, you can't see around corners that well, what's your name?"

"Cherry Blossom, mistress I was sent to search for you you are meant to be in command of our formation,"
the words were flying out of her mouth so fast that Divine Wind wasn't sure if she was getting slower or the mare learned to talk from squirrels and songbirds.

"Yes... I've heard. Are you my second?"

"Yes Mistress." Divine Wind sighed, she never volunteered to teach, but somehow, every other year she was made to lead a formation of inexperienced warriors. Which mostly resulted in an awful performance and hurt her reputation. Although other clan warriors learned to show her some understanding.

"Fine then, let's get this over with. I hope you could assemble in a timely fashion, we still have an inspection to go through and ideally some archery exercise."

The next three hours were spent watching some of the most abysmal warriors Divine Wind had to lead in her life. She didn't know which exact school they were studying at, but they surely did their teachers shame. Most of them were so young they could hardly boast a single skirmish. Those who were old enough to have seen a battle could at least wear their armor without caving under its weight, which was a vast improvement. This was the other side of her reputation as a master-archer, she was expected to improve other warriors' skills, regardless of whether she wanted to bother or not. Her second, Cherry Blossom, was not entirely terrible herself, she had some promise, but at her age, she could barely draw the longbow. Divine Wind suspected that she only trained with a shortbow before and this was either her first time doing battle with a longbow entirely, or at least she didn't spend much time with it in school.

There was a slight stigma about warrior-mares, although mares of the warrior class were taught to wield weapons, the traditional choice was glaive, not bow or spear which stallions learned. The glaive's length was believed to offer much greater striking force to compensate for the overall lack of training and experience that mares were expected to suffer from. Divine Wind was still glad that her example at the very least chipped away at the tradition in her clan.

At least for these yearly battles, peasants weren't levied, it would break the last straws of her temper to have to train peasants to shoot a longbow right before the battle.

Divine Wind was relieved to hear the steady beat of drums pick up. Drums were a way to transfer signals, each formation had a drummer and was merged into another in case of losing him. Every warrior was taught drum signals since early foalhood as receiving and interpreting orders was the foundation of warfare. Divine Wind swiftly made her own drummer start banging, calling the formation to assemble. She already had the battle order and knew exactly where to lead her warriors. They stood in the field for another fifteen minutes until the war host assembled fully, the Komo doing the same on their side of the field. The sun was burning hot today, the moisture in the air minimal. This battle would be decided with arrows for sure.
Another set of drum signals and they were on the move, marching towards the enemy formation. Divine Wind and her young archers were put in the center of their battle order, Snow Strike with his retainers directly behind her. They were ordered to stop at the range of an extreme arrowshot, as she calculated. She proudly trotted to the front of the host, where everyone could see her and looked over her shoulder. Snow Strike smiled and nodded his approval.

Divine Wind took three arrows from the quiver on her hip and put them through the small hoof band ends first. She then took another arrow and put it on the string. She eyed the enemy line carefully, seeking the best target. The arrows were real, as well as the blades were, she reminded herself as she always did. The battle was friendly, but it wasn't fake, ponies will get hurt and possibly killed on this day. Divine Wind picked a stallion with an ornament on his head, it usually meant he was an officer. She reared and pulled her string back, inhaling deeply, then she sharply let go. She never understood how she could pull something without some kind of a device with hooks for it, but it always worked and she preferred to not think about it. Her arrow was a bit low, hitting the officer on his foreleg, but he fell down all the same. He wasn't in any way useful with his leg injured. Perhaps it was better this way, her bow wouldn't have penetrated his armor if she hit his chest or head anyway. Immediately after, the drums picked up again. She instinctively touched her mask to make sure it didn't slide and rushed back to her formation.

They were ordered to run into the arrow range in loose formation, while infantry stayed put and prepared.

"Alright everypony, here it comes!" Divine Wind yelled to her warriors. "Fire on my command and fire quickly, offer them your armor, not your weak points!"
She pulled one of the arrows from her hoof band, "Draw! Fire!" she ordered in quick succession. She was content that they would be able to follow her tempo, they were inexperienced but they were taught to fire bows for their entire lives. They could manage a good tempo at least until the return volleys came back. "Hold!" she shouted once the arrows were away. A few seconds later the air was filled with the whistling of arrows and their arrowheads clinking against metal. It was over as quickly as it started, with no one crying in pain as no arrows found their way past their armor yet.
"Draw!" Divine Wind ordered and immediately as she herself lifted her head to take aim a late arrow hit her directly on her cheek causing her to flinch and almost let the string go prematurely. The only thing that saved her was her mask, but there was no time to think about that. "Loose!" It gave her valuable intel, however: Komi archers weren't disciplined or experienced either.
"Draw!" she ordered again immediately, but this time she waited. It was risky, if any other formations were to fire on them, they would suffer losses, but battles were not won by being safe. As soon as she saw the opposition formation lift their heads, she cried: "Loose!" Her little trick worked, their arrows didn't hit the thick tops of their helmets and plates on their backs, but the chest plates, legs and bellies as the warriors were drawing their bows. Some of them were immediately on the ground, while some others managed to stand, but only a few let their arrows fly. Divine Wind heard a cry of pain from a warrior to her far-right, but didn't pay it any attention. There was nothing they could do for him right now.
"Draw-loose! Draw-loose! Fire at will!" she yelled, pressing her advantage. They would have to flee now as they had no chance of winning the archer duel after suffering losses. So it indeed happened, all of them who could still move on their own were routing as Divine Wind and her archers were pelting them with arrows without stopping until they were out of range.

Divine Wind heard her clan giving her a loud cheer, well she was the best archer this side of the mountains after all...

After the skirmish, Divine Wind and her archers were lazily pelting the infantry with their arrows until the enemy had no other choice but to charge them head-on. Divine Wind then simply retreated behind the infantry and only took potshots on lightly armored pegasi formations as they tried to gain some sort of an advantage by using their speed, but the battle was already lost. Hirokawa clan infantry and pegasi smashed the Komi line with their alternating charges, a tactic invented by a clan, living in far-away plains beyond the mountains.
Divine Wind was left to leisure for the rest of the day, as she couldn't fire on the infantry in melee without hitting her own. Her mood was vastly improved, she even considered giving her warriors public praise. But elected to not do so in the end, it would be wrong to pamper them in this way at such a young age. Stuck-up warriors were not a boon to any clan. She still gave them a good word for their performance though.
That said, they could still get themselves stuck in melee, but they never got the order to do so and none from the formation volunteered. They were still terrified after their first time in the battle. It would never truly go away, that feeling. But they would never learn the true terror of war as Divine Wind knew it, no matter how many volleys would strike their armor. When she was young, she already was a warrior. It was a different world back then and a much different way to wage war, very detached, some never even saw the damage they did. She preferred how it was now, a personal, almost intimate contest between warriors who trained for that exact moment throughout their whole lives.

The battle was over with the first rays of the setting sun and the time came for counting losses. As usual, the battle was mostly clean. There were plenty of wounded, but actual deaths were typically avoided unless an arrow would strike an eye. As is custom, after the battle was done, each warhost went back to its camp, where they could celebrate. Divine Wind spent her evening with her warriors, as the leader should. She was later called to the Lord's tent. Other officers were already there and gave her a loud cheer as soon as she popped inside.

"Aha! Here's our heroine!" Snow Strike announced. "Come, Divine! We can't start without our champion, can we?" Divine Wind swallowed a sudden lump in her throat and uneasily shuffled forth to the low table other officers were sitting at, there was a mat ready for her to sit on by her Lord's side. "I knew putting you in command was the right decision, you just needed time to develop your own art of command!" Divine Wind awkwardly smiled at him. She must have done the best she ever did in a field battle today, but this still had to be the worst day she had in a year by a long shot! "No one will now dare to say that the Hirokawa clan doesn't have the best archers on the Sunrise Islands!" Another round of cheer followed. Lord Snow Strike was always good at keeping high morale if nothing else. "So let us have a hearty drink in honor of Divine Wind, the champion of Hirokawa!"

By the time Divine Wind managed to make her way back to her estate, it was deep night. Her Lord insisted on providing her escort, but she managed to wiggle out of it thanks to not drinking more than enough, to remember more than he did. The lights were dark, but she thought nothing of it. Bamboo would've long since went to sleep and the night wind could blow them out.

"You are a hard mare to find." The sudden voice made her almost jump and reach for her sword. "Running away to the edge of the world only to play pretend in some backwards warrior culture," the voice continued speaking without so much as flinching at the weapon being drawn. "A quaint little house you have. Your maid wasn't very useful, however. Her language is all wrong." That remark made her realise something, the voice wasn't speaking in her language.

"Show yourself!" she yelled, trying to make out silhouettes in the dark. One of the shadows moved.

"This is no way to greet old friends, Rainbow Dash," the figure suddenly flicked some small object and with a few clicks lit up itself with a small fire. "I hope you don't mind me smoking, I just got tied up in the Jade tobacco," the figure lit a small paper wrap in her mouth and flicked the object close. It was enough time for Divine Wind to see her face. Deep red with a scar across her eye. She's seen her before.

"I know you," she said determinedly, still holding her sword between them for precaution. She knew the language, it came back naturally. The other mare loudly snorted in response.

"No, you don't. Otherwise, you wouldn't rely on that toothpick you've got. If you remembered, you would've known exactly what comes next," with those words the mare threw some round projectile at her with surprising agility even by Divine Wind's standards. She instinctively put her sword in the way causing the orb to shatter at it. Before she could attack she suddenly felt her sword becoming much heavier. At a glance she suddenly realized that the metal was rapidly changing into stone. Divine Wind dropped the sword in disbelief and looked back at the mare who was calmly standing in front of her, balancing her lit wrap on her hoof.

"Who are you?" Divine Wind finally asked.

"Just as I said, an old friend. I won't expect you to remember though, it was a long time ago. Anyways, that's not important right now," she put her wrap back to her mouth and took a deep breath. "What is important is that there's someone else who wants to see you, and you will be seeing them whether you want it or not."

"Who wants to see me?"

"Ah, well, can't tell you right now. Bad business practice, see. Let's just say it's someone with a lot of money to hire ponies like me to find ponies like you."

"So, what happens now? Are you going to drag me?"

"Drag you? Why, no. I was paid to find you, that's all. There are others who would drag you. I just needed to make sure it's really you, can't be totally certain from the distance with all of this crap you wear and how you behave. Now then, listen. For old times sake, I am going to tell you something: if you want your new friends to stay alive for much longer, you should come out willingly. You don't remember me, but I am sure you remember what ponies from the place we both come from can do. Your pretty armor won't protect from lead and the people that pay me sure as Tartarus aren't afraid to use it. ...Well, I reckon that's it then. See you around pretty soon."

"Wait! You come to my home, threatening to harm my clan and you expect to just walk out of here?!" Divine Wind reached for her second, shorter sword.

"Well, no. I expect to walk out of here after I have helped you. We both know that you won't be giving in, that's simply not who you are and I just told you what you needed to know to defend yourself. The only question is how are you going to prepare."

Divine Wind grumbled but didn't draw her weapon. She was right, if she was her enemy, she wouldn't have told her anything.

"You know what, I think I'll tell you something more. There is someone else who can help you. Although they won't be as cheap as me, they would want something more valuable than money." She then spat her burning wrap on the ground and stomped on it, "You still remember where hippogriffs live? Well, I won't be spoiling the surprise for you, but let's just say that the people who want to have you earned themselves some enemies."

Queen To D7

Some things were expected, but they soured her mood non-the-less. It was one such piece of information that Nightmare Moon received from her willful farseer. Nightmare Moon had expected Princess Celestia to allow herself to be imprisoned, rather than harm those she is sworn to care for, for there was no way that simply asking would have compelled the peasant assembly to relinquish their power, as meager as it was compared to a true monarch. The confirmation given by Princess Flurry Heart only put her in an even darker mood. She would have to retrieve the stubborn fool from her cell before they could continue: and now that she knew precisely where that cell was, Nightmare Moon no longer had excuses to delay. She did not need any more intelligence than that, not truly. The guards will be numerous, but they won’t expect a quick strike, especially if it comes from within. Twilight could calculate a teleportation spell to the inside quite easily. They may still suffer losses, and the guards will most certainly suffer heavy casualties, but that was the price of Celestia’s stubborn refusal to do what her duty demanded of her.

There was still one problem she had to solve: someone had to lead her troops to battle. Her natural first choice was her sister, Daybreaker, of course. She was naturally aggressive, bold, and very eager to prove herself, even now, after she learned to curb her most destructive tendencies. Yet she was otherwise occupied.
She could go herself, she could probably do better even without having means of directly harming her enemies, but the thought of leaving her camp unattended was making her anxious. Changelings could take care of themselves, it is not her soldiers that she was wary of. For once, ponies made her much more uneasy. Flurry Heart, in particular, was an unknown variable. They seemed to come to an understanding, yet taking someone like Cadance’s daughter at her word screamed foolishness to Nightmare Moon. She could trust common ponies - even Twilight - to stay predictable and reliable. But a noble - no.
Nightmare Moon could take a risk and send Major Tarsus. He seemed competent enough: old and probably fought in the war or studied under those who did. But he was not a noble, not even an alicorn at that, and therefore much more fallible.
Sending Twilight was out of the question… regardless of how much sorcerous power she wielded. She was a prodigy - true, but her area of expertise was as far removed from command as hers was from pottery. Perhaps if their time together was not cut so short, but that ship had sailed a long time ago. But she may be able to look after the camp, if asking her to not fall for Flurry Heart’s trickery would be far too much.

It seemed that she simply had no good options left. Nightmare Moon resigned to having to go herself and leave her best officer behind. At least she could specifically instruct him to not play Flurry Heart’s game; and be sure that he would do his best to follow that order. Bringing Twilight along would also eliminate that vulnerability.
Now as for the next stage of her plan, she will have to plan the operation. They could not rely on magical support, aside from the lacklustre combat skills of Twilight, that is. Which means: the only means of avoiding rather costly close-quarters fighting would be speed and the element of surprise.

She hailed the closest changeling to have her find their major. But when the trooper was already trotting off, she realized there would have to be more than one strike. After such a brazen assault on a prison, aimed at freeing a high-profile prisoner, troops at other crucial targets will be brought to high alert. Her small force relied entirely on speed and the element of surprise since Cadance refused aid. If Nightmare Moon was honest with herself, their situation was far from good, and she was desperate for supplies and reinforcements. She hoped her sister would exceed expectations and bring more soldiers than Nightmare Moon could reasonably expect. Matters coming to the worst, exceeding reasonable expectations is likely what it will take from all of them. She could either: strike the small garrison in Ponyville and capture its ammunition stocks… or she could be daring and attack the Canterlot airbase, that would be one of her hardest battles of all time, but the reward would be enormous. If its arsenal was as large as it used to be during the Empire, then she wouldn’t need resupply for months. They will also gain access to heavy artillery, although they would still have to find crews to operate it.

The response time for this bureaucrat-ruled state would likely be on the slow end, especially in the army, but rumors travel quicker than bullets. But not necessarily faster than teleporting. If prepared thoroughly enough, she could lead two assaults in a single night.
Her soldiers shall be exhausted by the end, but they should have, at the very least, a day before any response could be mounted.

“My Lady, you have called,” her Major hailed her, fast approaching.

“Indeed,” Nightmare Moon felt like she could show him more favor after all. “I have need of your counsel. Say, have you inventoried our supplies?”

“Yes, My Lady,” he simply nodded. “Would you like a complete report drafted?”

“Not this time,. B just bring me the weapon stockpile manifesto. I believe we will be making our move tomorrow night;, prepare your troops for protracted deployment.”

The Major hesitated, internal struggle visible on his face and body language.

“Ugh. Speak what is on your mind,” she demanded, having no patience for indecisive underlings.

“My Lady, I regret having to say this: my soldiers are going hungry. It has been a week since we could replenish our energy reserves. Without being among ponies, we will soon become too weak to fight. I beg your pardon for havin’ to trouble you with something as disgusting as changeling feeding, b-”

“Major!” Nightmare Moon sharply silenced him, before he could give her the entire breakdown. “I am fully aware of your nutrition requirements and your ability to extract energy from other living beings. I shall only tell you this once: never utter the word ‘disgusting’ and yourselves in one sentence. Your attitude is throwing shade not only at your race, but also at everyone who allies with you and me as well. Know that I do not find your necessary feeding disgusting, even though it is indeed parasitic in nature. You are no more disgusting than ponies feeding on grass, and everyone who shall say otherwise must be made to answer for such insults. I will not stand for my soldiers belittling themselves.”

The changeling clumsily slumped down in a deep bow,
“My apologies, Lady. Ponies tend to react negatively to our feeding, and I assumed you would be displeased to hear of it.”

“Make it known to your subordinates that they are not to take such treatment anymore. Extract compensation for such insults and report them to me or my sister.”

“Understood, My Lady. I shall go retrieve the manifesto; unless there is something else you require?”

“One more thing. I require volunteers for a highly dangerous assignment. Make sure they know that it might be deadly.”

“We are always prepared for that, My Lady. I shall be back soon.”

That one last remark raised anxiety in her. Nightmare Moon usually enjoyed being among Changelings. They were much more single-minded than ponies but were also less prejudiced and more willing to cooperate with unfamiliar people. They knew next-to-nothing about her but accepted her without question, regardless, as it was the proper way of things. But their mentality was making her uneasy at times. They were fatalistic, indifferent to the suffering of themselves and others, and overzealous in their duty. She liked them, but they would have been a curse on her Empire much; like the zealots were, at least if settled together with ponies.

With her moment of reflection passed, she still had more of her supporters to call upon. She had to contact Luna and also discuss with Twilight the spells they will require. She hoped Shadow will return before she is finished.

Searching for the young Princess was a simple matter. She simply had to follow her voice. Whenever Twilight wasn’t laying down a lecture on biology for a changeling who thought incorrectly of pony nutritional needs, she was with Rarity. The seamstress always knew a way to remain friends with everyone, regardless of their views or attitude. Well, almost everyone. These two had quite a bit to talk about, it seemed.

Among the tents, they found themselves a seat on a flat piece of fallen brickwork, caringly covered with plaid. Nightmare Moon did not wish to intrude, much less eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help but hear them reminiscing on the old times… before her. Even after all the times she heard that she could not get used to it. Even though they immediately hushed soon as they saw her.

“Rarity, Twilight,” Nightmare Moon dryly greeted. “It is time.”

The mares looked at each other, Twilight grimaced and stood up, obediently coming over to Nightmare.

“What do we have to do?” she asked with determination. Nightmare Moon would have given her an approving nod if she could.

“I have received information on where your teacher must be held after she failed to reason with commoners in power. We require your expertise in transportation magic yet again to rescue her. I hope you are not yet growing tired.”

“Alright. Where do you need to go?”

“Bat Mountains, as ironic as that is. I will show you on the map exactly where, but before we discuss further: Rarity, I have something to ask of you also.”

“Me?” the seamstress was slightly surprised. “Of course! Anything you need.”

“I require you to wait for my Shadow and Lady Nighstar to return and then have her contact Luna. I must speak with her before we begin our operation.”

“Certainly. I must say, I hoped to get an opportunity to speak with her. I think we have a lot of common friends.”

“Be sure to not delay her for too long. I am sure you understand the gravity of the situation.”

“Just a little, I promise.”

“Very well, take care, my friend.”

Nightmare Moon, with Twilight in tow, departed for the command tent, leaving Rarity rather lonely. She thought she would have to stand somewhere close to the entrance, but having to do so alone was making her dreary already. She and Twilight were having a great time together; some changelings shared some tea while they talked about Spike and Cadance, and their time together. It’s a shame that they had to leave Spike behind, having him close by was always fun. Though he was, in all likelihood, completely fine on his own. Crystal ponies surely must remember him, they have a statue of him, after all. But she already missed him all the same. She had never noticed before just how much she missed Spike in particular.

Luckily, she had someone else to talk to while she was waiting. Rarity went over to the barrack tent. From what she understood, the smallest organizational unit in the Crystal Imperial Army was the company. Which could include hundreds of ponies or changelings. And for each one hundred soldiers, there was only one tent. Rarity couldn’t help but feel dreadful for all those that had to huddle together in one tent. It must be absolutely horrible.

“I am dreadfully sorry. But have any of you, by any chance, seen Tibia or Grossa?” Rarity asked, after flipping aside the hanging cloth of the tent with her magic. Wouldn’t want to touch that dirty ground cloth…

Changelings inside stared at her for a moment from the ground, before one of them, answered: “They are reinforcing the bridge outside.”

Reinforcing the bridge? How odd… couldn’t all of them either fly or teleport? Rarity gave her thanks and then departed, so as not to detract from their rest.
She indeed found Shadow’s daughters just outside, by the bridge. They had stacks of wooden planks and several coils of rope. Two new ropes were already swung across the ravine, and the two changelings were examining the bridge and trying the flooring to the new ropes.

“Girls!” Rarity announced herself to them. “I hope I do not intrude. I have just heard of this assignment of yours, and I immediately thought about how I could help.”

The changelings looked at each other.
“Rarity, if you would, bring over those ropes and planks and hold them closer.” A simple enough request. Rarity lifted up the building materials and sent them floating towards the sisters. Tibia shouted her thanks and returned to work. Rarity wanted to ask how they were doing, but shouting all the way across the ravine would be straining. Changelings worked somewhat quicker, but the sheer amount of work for two of them made sure it was taking a while still. There was one boon to it all the same: Rarity had time to think away from everyone else.
She did not doubt what she was doing there. That was where her place always was, with people who needed her support. But it seemed that nobody else understood quite what they were doing or what their goal was. Seemingly not even their Lady knew. Rarity felt disturbed by that. Never, in her many years of serving as Nightmare Moon’s chamberlain, had she seen her aimless. Perhaps she needed a friendly ear, it always seemed to do wonders for her mental state in the past.
Daybreaker as well. Rarity had to admit that she did not know her well enough to understand what was driving her. There was great affection between the two sisters, despite them being so radically different. Daybreaker seemed much more driven by impulses and emotion than Nightmare Moon was. Nightmare Moon was not entirely coldblooded, but she was highly rational, although the reasons for her making a particular decision were not always obvious. Rarity watched her holding court many times, the Empress devoted much of that time to careful deliberation before committing to any decree. Although she commanded much fear from her subjects, the sight of her on the throne was calming to petitioners, even if only because much of her reputation came from exaggerated stories. Daybreaker was very different: she was always eager to act and was known for her short temper, and volcanic rage. Her attitude was only tempered by her unflinching loyalty to her sister, if it wasn’t for that, Rarity was fearful to imagine how much horror Daybreaker could inflict. She wasn’t evil in her own right, but her pride and short temper made her very dangerous if let loose. There was something making her deeply anxious, especially in Nightmare’s presence. Some of it was guilt, but it wasn’t just that. Although Rarity doubted that Daybreaker would simply talk to her, there were other ways.

Rarity came to the conclusion that she needed to gather more information and perhaps Nightmare’s request would be just what she needed. Rarity had to talk to Shadow, she would know how her Mistress’ truly felt like.

“Darlings!” Rarity called to the sisters. “Do you, by any chance, know when your mother is tasked to return?”

“If I had to estimate, it would be before dawn,” Tibia answered without raising her head from the knot she was tying.

Rarity looked to the East, the sky on the horizon was beginning to grow lighter, it would not be much longer now. She continued to help the two sisters out until a characteristic buzzing was heard. Rarity looked in the direction of the sound, predictably, she was hard-pressed to see anything in the darkness of the night, even with the moon’s light brightening up the surrounding woods. Eventually, the changeling and her companion landed at the entrance. Rarity wasted no time.

“There you are, Darlings! It’s so good to see you again! Was your trip successful?”

“Rarity, don’t take this the wrong way, but we can’t wag chins right now,” Nightstar shut her out and tried to walk to the castle.

“Oh, but Lady Moon gave me specific instructions! In fact, I have a message for you. You are to contact Princess Luna immediately, Lady asks for an urgent meeting.”

Nighstar looked over to Shadow, but she displayed a completely neutral expression. Although Rarity knew better. Shadow was mostly unreadable for all but other changelings, but not for Rarity. Subtle, involuntary twitches of her plates and wings, shuffling of her legs. Yes, Shadow knew something.

“Now, dear. Run along, you wouldn’t want to keep the Lady waiting longer than necessary.”

Nightstar again looked at Shadow, but faced the same neutral look as before. Frowning, the mare turned around and flew off without a word. Rarity waited a few moments for her to get out of earshot.

“Shadow, darling, I believe we must speak,” Rarity said in a hushed voice. “I know you would like to report your findings, and this is likely outside of me to ask, but I have to ask you something first: Dear, did our Lady ever explain to you why we are preparing for a coup?” As damning as the question would be if asked by anycreature else, Rarity trusted Shadow to show her good faith. Even if outwardly she appeared fanatical, the truth of her loyalty was more nuanced: and Shadow could, very well much, think outside her instructions, usually even more so than regular changelings.

Shadow looked around for a few long moments, lingering on her daughters, continuing to labor away even as their mother returned. Satisfied that they were mostly alone, Shadow made a step closer,
“I believe Mistress understands that Princess Luna wants her to demonstrate a willingness to help their subjects to again become something more than they are now. But she does not know precisely what the Princess desires her to do.”

“And she returns to what she understands the most,” Rarity concluded. “Shadow, dear, why would your Mistress be so rash? She is not known to be hasty or violent. Her rushing headlong into battle seems very uncharacteristic.”

“Mistress speaks precious little of her motivation and I would not dare to presume, perhaps she does not think about such matters but only about what she believes must be done.”

“Aren’t you worried for her? She has been here once before, she did what she had to but came to regret it deeply.”

“It is not for us to question Mistress' judgment, Rarity. …But I fear so as well.”

Rarity raised her eyebrows, Shadow admitting to doubting her Mistress was rare…, but not unprecedented. Although perfectly willing to follow Nightmare even if she was making a mistake, Shadow still thinks for herself. There was something inspiring about that.

“We can help her nonetheless. Sometimes a pony who wants to do the right thing becomes so focused that they cannot see their other options. As always, she needs our support and our counsel may aid her in making a better decision. Do you imagine she would be receptive?”

“Perhaps even more so than you hope for. Our Mistress is greatly stressed. The absence of Princess Luna has not been good on her.”

“Do you think we should go together?”

“I… it may be beneficial.”

“On our way then, dear,” Rarity beckoned. “Don’t get in trouble, girls!”

Rarity took point and went first, no one gave them more than a look the whole way up until they reached the command tent. Inside, they could hear Nightmare Moon and Twilight discussing the magical component of the plan. As soon as Rarity flipped the cloth from the way, the discussion immediately stopped. Nightmare Moon, Twilight, and that officer of hers, were all eyeing Rarity and Shadow on their way in.

“What news?” Nightmare Moon spoke.

“My task is complete, Mistress,” Shadow produced a stack of papers from her bags, offering them with a mild bow. Nightmare Moon accepted the documents and began methodically flipping through them.

“Yes… Yes, this is exactly what I require. My Shadow, you excel as you always do. Find some rest for now, there will be more to do soon.”

“You are too kind, Mistress. But there is more. Can we have a moment alone?”

“Twilight, Major, you are free for a moment.” Nightmare Moon dismissed her staff without a moment of hesitation. Twilight gathered her notes and followed the Major out, giving Rarity and Shadow a glance on the way out.

“Lady…” Rarity stepped forward. “Nightmare, we are worried about you. Darling, you have been so stressed recently. You seem so rash and irritable… is there something you would like to talk about?”

Nightmare Moon turned away, was she trying to hide her eyes?

“I am grateful for your sentiment, truly. You are the only ones I could trust completely. It is so comforting to have creatures that will always stand by you. But sometimes, not even you can help. How could you?”

“Mistress, sometimes ponies need someone to speak to. Since Princess Luna is no longer with you, you seem to lack a confidant. You also seem to lack a vision of the future.”

“Ah, but isn’t that the truth... The future seems more nebulous than ever. We lack reliable intelligence, a source of supply, and most importantly, a clear objective. I intend to resolve both of these issues to a small extent at least…, but you are correct that I have no confidant for more private concerns. Concerns that perhaps no one can truly aid me. I know what I must do, but I find myself hesitating.”

“Hesitation is only natural for someone of your station, Mistress. But do not hesitate much longer, for even a wrong decision is better than none.”

“Yes, very wise, my Shadow. But how could I be decisive when any decision I can make will cost the lives of those few who still believe in me? Celestia’s stubbornness left us no other choice but to come into confrontation with our very people. Once they are aware of us, they will not stop until they destroy us.”

“Have you considered trying a more peaceful approach? I wouldn’t be surprised if ponies were feeling vengeful if we attacked them first. Perhaps poor things are simply afraid of you?”

“Perhaps, Rarity, but it changes nothing for us. I tried to talk Celestia out of her foolish endeavor, but she did not listen despite knowing that she was likely to be imprisoned instead. She wanted to try every option before resorting to what she knew was inevitable.”

“But is it inevitable? This is Equestria, our moniker was friendship, after all.”

“Indeed. Although I am no master of the Magic of Friendship, my expertise lies in other matters entirely.”

“Twilight usually knows how to help with friendship problems. Maybe you could ask her?”

“This is quite a large friendship problem, Rarity. I suppose we could ask her. However, I expect she wouldn’t know where to begin at this point. She has failed under pressure in much less hazardous conditions.”

“We all did, but we didn’t have you.”

Farewell to the Loyal

Author's Note

I realized much too late that I accidentally inserted a piece of this chapter into the previous one. So, there is a piece of what you could call "reused content" here. My deepest apologies.

Farewell to the Loyal

Tiny sat up in bed and yawned. Sleeping in bed was rather new to her. She usually had to do with a sleeping bag or even just a blanket. She had her own room too. The only one in their party to have one. One of the ponies also gifted her his satchel to keep her notes in. But most of all, Tiny felt like for the first time in her life she belonged somewhere, that she finally found others who treated her as a part of their group and wouldn’t want her to leave. Daybreaker tried acting like she did not like being her foalsitter, but Tiny knew enough to see through. Daybreaker wasn’t very good at pretending anyhow, it didn’t coincide very well with how far Daybreaker went to make sure she was comfortable and cared for. She constantly gave her work to do, most of which Tiny didn’t care for. But she did shore up what Tiny was reasonably sure was her own room at the Castle just for her, while staying in tents with her soldiers herself. The bed was old and creaky, but the bedding was new and clean. There was also very little dust around: and what dirt there was, was so old that no amount of washing would clean it.

Tiny felt welcome but not entirely comfortable. She looked at the helmet on her bedstand and thought back on what Flurry had told her. Her sister was already dead, what could she save her from?

With a heave, Tiny sat up and looked at the window. The sky was already bright. She might just catch someone right before they get to the important things they do. Tiny took her gifted satchel, dropped her notes in, and wore her helmet. Trotting down the stairs and a hallway, she was back to the main hall. To her surprise, it was significantly different from how she left it. The tents, boxes, and even creatures were all still there. But… they either slept all over the hall or were groggily walking about. Prisoners were also loose, but did nothing to escape.
Almost as soon as Tiny entered the hall, Flurry saw her and with a spark of her horn was already right next to her.

“Hey, sis…. You slept well tonight?” Flurry started, both hurriedly and awkwardly.

“Uh… yes?”

“Well, didn’t you happen to hear… oh, forget it. Look, I need your help. Again. And it’s a big one too. Again,” Flurry stated flatly. “I know I am supposed to be this almost omniscient oracle, but apparently I am bad at my job and I don’t know what to do now.”

Tiny tilted her head slightly,
“What happened?”

“A lot,” Flurry waved in the direction of the camp. “Okay, this is going to take a second to explain. So, basically, I was going to convince Nightmare to ditch the whole war thing and go take care of the buggos instead. I thought I figured out what she wanted and I could just give it to her. But I guess I was wrong. I thought she just wanted to be useful and someone to take care of.”

The suggestion left Tiny puzzled. Nightmare always told her straight what she wanted, but Tiny never stopped to think about it. Nightmare wanted to be with Luna, but she never thought further,
“Didn’t she just want to be with Luna? That’s what she said,” Tiny shrugged.

Flurry cringed,
“Well., yeeeeeeeeeeah. Sort of. That’s not the whole thing though, since she could’ve easily just gone alone and found Luna all by herself. It would’ve taken time but time is one thing that she’s not low on. She wanted to, maybe, but she couldn’t leave y'all to fend for yourselves. She knew that you needed her and trusted in her. That means a great deal to her.”

“So, what went wrong?”

“Pretty much, everything! Starting from the fact that the one who is going to take care of the Changelings from now on is Daybreaker and I have absolutely no idea how that’s going to go!”

“But you can see the future!”

“Well, yeah! But not all of it, just the one immediately ahead of us at the moment! As soon as some circumstances change, the prediction comes out wrong! But wait, that’s not the worst part. Besides the fact that Daybreaker is now the Queen of Changelings and her getting into a bucking contest with my mom, that’s still not the worst news! What if I told you that somehow, between when you went to sleep and now, Moony managed to get friendly with Mom, get the approval of the Tree of Harmony, get physical again, and also get this new godlike power that allows her to pretty much bend reality?”

“What?” Tiny asked in confusion. “What does any of that mean?”

“It means that last night our world got rolled on its head and now we gotta figure out how to behave!”

“What’s that power you were talking about?” Flurry asked with no small amount of curiosity.

“Well, I could try and guess, but honestly, I got no bleeding idea!” Flurry artistically threw her hooves upward. Tiny could have sworn she could hear a distant confetti cannon, but it was gone as soon as she heard it.
“So, what actually happened is Moony said she wanted to get in touch with the tree. She went to it and she was just gone. Daybreaker flipped out and knocked out Mom. Moony then comes back in a swanky new body with jewelry the size of your snout hanging all over her and gets her to stop. She then casually goes upstairs and starts just pulling food out of thin air. And drinks too, that’s why everyone here’s so hung over that they can’t stand straight. She then went straight back to the airbase, which it turns out somebody had attacked it tonight, killed everyone who didn’t surrender, and then straight up resurrected Shadow from the dead in front of gobsmacked Twilight. I wish you could’ve seen her face,” the faintest trace of a smile appeared on Flurry’s lips.
“I have no idea what’s going on and whether this is even Nightmare anymore. She dropped the first part of her name and now just calls herself Moon. She can’t explain anything either. She just says that she unlocked the true potential of dreamwalking - that’s Luna’s second power, the one she got aside from controlling celestial bodies in the sky. That doesn’t explain how she does any of that stuff though. She just opens a portal to somewhere and pulls it out. Looks really impressive, but I am scared out of my mind, to be honest with you.”

"...Why?" As much as Tiny was bewildered at how much had changed in just a few hours, she saw no issue. Now that Moon was alive again and had this much power, surely she could help everyone.

"Because now we have to go along with whatever she decides to do! We can't stop her anymore if she does something bad! I don't think anyone can! Even if all of us and Luna get together, we can't do anything to her! We can blast her to bits, and she'll be back in a few minutes at most! And that's being generous because she now does not even seem to feel bullets hitting her; I doubt spells will be much better.
"This isn't good! No one should have this much power! Anyone can make mistakes, and Nightmare would've been the first one to admit that! Whoever this is, she doesn't seem like she agrees."

"Can't you just see what she's going to do? Maybe you can't know for sure, but you can know what she wants, right?"

Flurry sighed,
"Well, I already do, kind of. She says she'll solve everyone's problems, build everyone a palace, that sort of thing. I think she means it, but this kind of stuff doesn't normally work out, you know? I mean, regardless of the amount of power you have, just look at me. Look… what I wanna ask is: can you talk to her? Just figure out what happens next. You can sense ponies' feelings way better than I. I am just really worried that this is gonna go very wrong, and there's nothing I can do about it now. I feel like I've messed up one too many times, you understand?"

"A-alright," Tiny agreed. "Where is Moon now?"

"Give me a sec," Flurry closed her eyes and sat down in silence. "Airfield, trying to talk some new prisoners she's got into joining her… Isn't working out very well, so I think she's a tad annoyed. I'll send you now."

Tiny nodded, there wasn't any time for breakfast she thought with regret. In a moment she was out on the concrete. After momentarily being stunned at the amount of destruction the battle wreaked, she started looking for her sister. There wasn't much commotion at all, surprisingly. The mood seemed to be rather merry. She kept stumbling upon grinning ponies and some rather confused-looking changelings, until someone pointed her to where Moon was. She found Moon in a hangar, and the first thing that struck her wrong was her coat. Moon was as tall as Tiny expected her to be… not as tall as Daybreaker, but tall. Her coat was the wrong color, though. Her barrel was black with white spots that glittered under her airy dress. Her wings had snow-white tips, while her legs were more blue than black.

Moon first turned her ear, then her head; her eyes looked the same at least, even down to the glow.

"Sister!" Moon exclaimed gladly, starting to trot. "I am so glad you are unharmed! Daybreaker told me you were safe, but I couldn't leave to check…" she glanced over her shoulder at about a dozen tied-up ponies in unfamiliar uniforms. "I have such wonders to show you!"

"Uh…" Tiny awkwardly accepted Moon's embrace. "This feels weird."

"You can say that again, little missy," one of the ponies said.

"I always enjoyed doing this," Moon assured. "I quite missed holding my dear sister and Luna. Now, the only thing that's missing is a nice, warm bath… Speaking of which. You all could use one, too. When was the last time you felt the touch of water, little sister?"

"Uhh…" Tiny couldn't remember, which Moon seemed to read.

"Oh, this simply won't do."

"Don't you have important things to do?" Tiny asked, deliberately making as few motions as possible.

"Well, I suppose I could dig up those unfortunate casualties from before and reverse that horrible misunderstanding…" Moon muzingly said. "But we have time for that later. For anything, practically."

"So… you are alive now?" Tiny decided to get to the point. Moon suddenly let her go and stepped back. She then proceeded to elegantly spin in place as if dancing.

"I quite enjoyed crafting this aesthetic; do you approve?" Moon asked with a smile.

"Uh… Yes… What happened?"

"Well, that would be somewhat difficult to explain. You see, I believe I am still dreaming," Tiny felt like her head was a bell and Moon just rang. "Well, at least a part of me. You see, I am the mistress of the dreamrealm, despite me being technically dead. The only thing that changed is that I could not enter it. When the Tree of Harmony sent me to the dreamrealm, I could still shape it in whichever way I wanted. But now that I no longer have a physical body, I am no longer tied to the material world either." Moon proceeded to open a shimmering purple tear in space itself; a magnificent marble bath appeared in the ground where there was nothing but concrete before.

"Being dead has advantages; since I have nothing to lose from such a transition, I can freely move between the dreamrealm and the waking world without the unfortunate loss of life that would usually be entailed. To me, dream and reality are no longer separate."

Moon reached into the bath, and Tiny heard water splash. "Ah… perfect temperature."

"Can… I do that too?!" Tiny bleated out, starting to doubt whether she herself was awake.

"To some degree, I believe. You may not be able to move between the dreams and reality on your own: but inside your own dream, you can do anything you imagine. While I, however, could transport it into the realspace. Do you see now what a waste your resistance is?" She impassionately asked the tied-up ponies. "I can literally make all your dreams real, and the only thing I ask of you is that you help me share this gift with others. We can create a world where no one needs to suffer for their bread, where everyone has anything they desire. You have resisted this far, as your honor demanded. There is no need for you to reject my offer now."

"Loyalty," one of them blurted out.

"Hmm… I know someone who would agree with you," Moon mused. "Speaking of which, I have a promise to fulfill. I would have to leave you for a moment," Moon ignited her horn, and the ropes that were binding the ponies fell to the ground. "Go and find yourselves a place to stay. You may freely leave if you so desire, but I think you might not want to once you see the true depth of what I promise you," Moon finished with a sly smile. "Now, sister, I would like you to accompany me. It has been too long since I had a moment to spend with you and no one else. Just a moment…"

Moon ignited her horn again, and Tiny felt the telltale twisting in her stomach as reality warped around them. Less than a second later, they were already on a crystal-paved road.

"Now then, we should go find Rainbow Dash. I promised to help her when I could… and now would be that time. While we search, tell me about how you have been doing. I hope Daybreaker was not too harsh."

"No," Tiny quickly started walking beside Moon, who leisurely strolled down the road. "She was surprisingly nice."

"Was she? Well, I suppose she is a sweetheart when she doesn't feel the need to seem strong... very loyal and attentive to her friends. Has she taught you anything useful?"

"A lot!" Tiny excitedly exclaimed. "She taught me how to double the spell I cast!"

"Oh…" Moon cringed lightly. "Well, I suppose I did tell her to only teach you safe spells from my book, and that one itself can do no harm."

Moon momentarily looked away to look at a pony staring at them as they walked past,

"You know, I always dreamed of a day when I'd have time to simply walk down the street at my leisure. Unconcerned over the fate of my realm or any other troubles I have. This is… somewhat of a new experience to me. What did ponies do to enjoy themselves in your hometown?"

The question took Tiny off guard. She remembered seeing ponies going to "have a drink".

"I did not have much of an opportunity to find out," Tiny admitted. "My host was a homeless orphan."

"A tragedy," Moon sadly added. "I hope that one day he could find a better life. Now I can see to it that he gets an opportunity, at least. As much as I would like all of our kin to experience the joy of being close to their host... in practice, the host does not usually react well to discovering our kind's presence. It feels very wrong to a pony to feel someone else inside their own mind. Mayhaps it would be better to keep what has truly transpired a secret. A body is a very personal thing. No one will be able to tell what exactly your host will do upon seeing his own doppelganger peering back at him."

"Let's do that some other time, please," Tiny asked.

"Of course. We have all the time in the world now."

"There's something else. Flurry says you have too much power now," Tiny admitted.

"Understandable," Moon nodded. "But the prudency of that discussion is now long past. The dream realm was always my domain, and I can relinquish it no more now than I can cease to be. Flurry Heart wishes for what's best, but she cannot accept that things are very often out of our control, regardless of what power we possess. She will accept the new status-quo. She has no choice."

"What about everyone else?"

"As shocked as Twilight, Celestia, and Daybreaker were to witness my new abilities, they seemed to be more amazed than afraid of them. Twilight would not cease begging me to let her test my limits. It seems in her excitement, she has forgotten the mortal danger that manipulating reality would pose if abused."

Tiny wanted to ask another question, but before she could, someone called out to them,

"Hey!'' Before Tiny could turn her head towards the voice, the prismatic wave of colors streaked towards her, followed by a gust of wind. Rainbow Dash found them first, just as they were to enter their old camp.

"How are you…?" the pegasus squinted her eyes, curiously looking over Moon's new form.

"Greetings, Rainbow Dash," Moon slightly bowed her head in a formal greeting. "I am flattered that you would recognize me regardless of what body I create. I have come to fulfill my vow to you."

Rainbow's brows momentarily jumped, as if she was surprised that Moon didn't forget, "About time. Let's get to it. Lodge's this way."

"Of course… but before you depart, I wish you to have something. There is a great debt that I owe to you that I feel I should pay while I have an opportunity."

Rainbow frowned,
"Look, I appreciate the offer, but you really can't do anything more for me besides just get me home. I just want to go back to the life that I had."

"I understand. Yet I ask that you humor me. I may never be able to undo the harm I have done to you and your friends, but I can do this much." A purple rift opened, and a small divination sphere floated forth.

"I will craft one such for every one of your friends when I find them. This way, you will be able to speak and see each other over any distance."

"We aren't on speaking terms, mostly."

Moon nodded and silently held the sphere out regardless. Rainbow stood still for a long time, hesitating whether to take the gift or reject it. Eventually, she took it and placed it in her bag. Neither Moon nor Rainbow said a word, and the three of them continued further.

"Do you need to make a circle or something?" Rainbow asked once they reached the outskirts of the camp.

"No. My magic is not of arcane origin. I need not abide by the same rules."

"Right then. Give me a second, I need to fetch Snowstrike and… say goodbyes."

Moon nodded,
"I can give you the means to visit whenever you wish as well… if you would accept another gift."

Rainbow looked at Moon incredulously for a second before realizing that the offer was entirely serious,
"How exactly are you going to arrange that? I do need a unicorn to cast that kind of magic."

"It is just like I said," Moon opened another rift, summoning forth a large stone platform and a small, unremarkable amulet of bluish metal. "My magic is not of arcane origin. This is comprised entirely of dreams that I mold in a shape that I see fit and then transport into the world. This amulet is tuned to your voice. Simply lay it on the ground and speak your desire. It will transport you here, you may bring others with you as well, if you choose. It will not decay or lose power as long as you have it. To a thief, it will be a mere trinket. I would shower you in such gifts if I knew that they would be of any relief to you, but we both know that such dependency on me will only bring you anxiety, even if I vow never to leverage it."

"Hmph…" Rainbow huffed. "You learned new tricks."

"Rather reinvented the old ones. I am glad that I only did so now. I would have misused this power if I was any younger."

"And you are saying that now you are just good enough to always know the right way?"

"No. Merely that I know of a way to use it for good. I could easily make you bend your knee to me and eagerly kill for my desires, but that would only bring me misery to know that I could have turned from evil, and yet I did not. Rarity once said that evil is miserable, and to that one thing I can attest even beyond your doubt, I imagine."

"Hhmm…" Rainbow glanced at the bag where the sphere was stored and fondled the amulet on her neck.

"Thanks," Rainbow muttered.

"I can rejuvenate your body and soul so that you could participate in your favorite contest again, just like you did when you were barely any younger than my sister here. I can build you a track that no athlete could ever even imagine. I can reach every single one of the Wonderbolts and assemble them to fly again for the cheer of the crowd of happy colts and fillies. I can even bring your friends back from the cold sleep if you were to show me where their graves are.
"There is no limit to the blessings that I offer if you were only to ask for them. I want no pledges of loyalty or payment in return, for I have no need of either any longer. I will send you on your way if that is what you desire the most. But just imagine what wonders I could create for all ponykind here. Equestria can be a place of eternal grace; where warriors like us are no longer needed. It can be better than the promised afterlife that my worshipers once imagined for themselves. But not even now I can do everything alone.
"You can flee from it, but you know the truth. Your place is here, among the ones you had protected, those who will need your guidance in the future, and those who loved you even though it was made difficult for them."

Rainbow listened silently, and Moon saw on her face that her words were making an effect. Rainbow's brows furrowed, and her jaws pressed tightly together. Moon decided to give her a literal push, gently urging her toward the lodge she intended to go into. Rainbow glanced at her, meeting her expectant look.

Moon waited respectfully until Rainbow returned with an unfamiliar stallion by her side. He was young, almost a colt. Immediately upon seeing her, he stared at her in foal-like wonder. And another one also emerged… her own minister.

"Greetings again, Mister Rich," Moon humbly bowed her head. "I am here on business."

He looked at her with suspicion,
"Weren't you…"

"I am still just as dead as I was before, Mister Rich. But that is too long of a discussion for now," Moon momentarily glanced at Rainbow, who looked like someone had thrown a heavy weight on her back.

"I believe that it is time." The white stallion quickly said something to Rainbow in a coarse language Moon did not know. Rainbow beggingly looked at him. Snarling, Rich spoke instead.

"This is Lord Snow Strike," he said. "He wants to make your acquaintance."

"Does he now?" Moon tilted her head. "Very well. Would you kindly interpret for us? My name is Moon; I hold no titles and have no official powers. I am honored to speak to a Lord," she bowed more pronounced.

With a sigh, Rich spoke the phrase back to Snow Strike, who excitedly answered back,
"My retainer told me much about you," Rich interpreted. "I wanted to meet you for a long time."

"A retainer?" Moon stared at Rainbow. "My Lord, I cannot say the same. Had I known that you were here this whole time, I would have come much sooner. How may I serve?"

Rich was cringing this time,
"You are a fascinating figure. Is it true that you are responsible for raising and lowering the Moon and the Sun for the entire world?"

"It used to be true. I have not done so for a long time. There are others now," Moon decided to leave the details unspoken for the moment. She did not trust this "Lord" just yet.

The Lord was visibly disappointed,
"You are also known as a great sorceress."

"That is true," Moon said shortly. "Shall I demonstrate?"

"Yes, please."

Moon wouldn't let such an opportunity go to waste,
"Sister? Would you be my assistant for this magic show?"

"Uh… okay?" she said unsurely.

Moon took off one of her rubies from her mane and gave it to Tiny. She eyed the stone curiously. Moon then opened a rift and produced a shining sapphire of the exact same size, shape, and cut. Then another, and another.

"Look," Moon levitated the stones to the stallion, "each one exactly the same, perfect shape as my own. I can create a thousand more right now if you wish. Each one is as real as these ones, and all perfectly similar."

Rich took a couple of moments to interpret, as Snow Strike stared enchanted at the gems, twinkling softly with moonlight as they swayed slightly in the crystal empire's magically warmed wind.

"You can create riches out of nothing?"

"I can do much more than this," Moon said while staring at Rainbow. The pegasus's eyes were glued to the ground, and her face was a mix of anxiety and impatience.

"My power is beyond the reach of average unicorns, who are responsible for casting magic in this land. I can shape the very world around us with little more than a thought. But perhaps let us stop at me offering you more gifts for you to take back to your land. You seem to be in a hurry, if your retainer is any indication."

This time, Snow Strike was the one to glance at Rainbow,
"We could delay some more." Rainbow visibly shrank at the words.

"Very well. Was there anything else you require of me aside from curiosity?"

"I wish to engage in diplomacy as well. We could trade."

"My Lord, I fear I have nothing to trade nor hold any power to establish relations. After my death, my titles are void. The fact that I live again changes that none. Perhaps it is best if you return in several years; I will direct you to the ruling princess then."

Snow Strike was quite obviously disappointed, just like Moon intended. This foreigner was no use and, therefore, could only be trouble. If she discouraged him sufficiently, it might be enough to overcome his obvious curiosity. She did showcase her power, but she did so in a mundane way. Moon's expression was entirely unreadable, but she was smiling from ear to ear internally. A true master could deceive without speaking a single falsehood.

"In that case, I would like to go for now," Rich interpreted.

"Of course," Moon said, bowing again. "I would require you to give me a destination first, however."

"Mount Aris would suffice."

"This way, please," Moon opened a purple tear and stepped aside. Both Rainbow and Snow looked at it with suspicion but entered.

"Don't go anywhere, Tiny. And see to it that Mister Rich doesn't disappear on us either; I have business with him too," she said before disappearing into the tear as well.

"This is the Dreamrealm, Rainbow Dash. Or rather the interconnected fabric of it, all stretched out before us. Those white orbs you see are dreams. I can visit any single one of them or each one at the same time. Their placement is not random; the space inside the Dreamrealm corresponds with the waking world. We will exist just as we entered and be at our destination as quickly as walking through a portal."

"Uhhh… Okay? Why are you telling me this, exactly?" Rainbow said, curiously looking at the myriad of dreams around her.

"Inside the Dreamrealm, I can create any shape, object, or creature I wish. I could restore your youth, make you an immortal alicorn; I could even make you a true goddess. Here, flesh is just as fluid as the dreams you conjure at night, and all your wishes can come to pass. Upon reemerging, your gains shall not be lost, as opposed to simply waking."

Rainbow snarled,
"What do you want me to say? I am not going to lick your shoes no matter what you offer."

"And I want that not. Do you imagine I would ask you, if it is your worship that I desired? No, I have no need of that. Instead, I wish to aid you because any and all of your future successes further my goal. I know you are worthy of power; your loyalty will not allow you to misuse it. You could do great good in Equestria... but if you are determined to leave, it matters not in the end. You will still do good for ponykind. So tell me: how can I help?"