Nightmare Moon sat on her obsidian throne, clad in her platinum and silver regalia. A navy rug extended from the base of the throne to the doorway, and was lined with stained glass windows depicting the defeat of Celestia, the lowering of the sun, and the moon lingering high overhead. A bit of moonlight shone into the room, landing on the throne. The throne and windows were positioned strategically, as to illuminate the dark alicorn with cold moonlight all night long, as requested by her.
She sat there, attempting to stay unmoving, her body as straight as an arrow, her face in a neutral expression of tiredness and boredom. Nightmare Moon was good at remaining silent and content, but deep inside she just wanted to go to sleep. Ruling a country alone was no easy task, and rest was important to lead Equestria with a sharp mind.
What didn’t help even more was the fact the castle was extremely cold. Nightmare Moon tried to hold back the shivering that night, but she couldn’t for long. Her armor? Cold. Her fur coat? Cold. She had done this for centuries, refusing blankets and heaters so she would not appear weak, but tonight she just couldn’t take it anymore. Her breath turned into vapor clouds as she exhaled between shivers. Her teeth chattered, and she began to sniffle. She curled up into a ball on her throne, silent and vulnerable. All she wanted was to be warm.
Nopony besides her unmoving guards stood in the throne room. They did not dare speak, in fear of her lashing out at them.
Suddenly the throne room doors opened slightly. Nightmare Moon remained curled up on her throne, eyes closed, shivering and cold. One of the castle maids, Minuette, entered the throne room, and began to approach the princess for permission to clean. As the throne room was sacred, she dared not touch it without permission.
Slowly walking forward, Minuette noticed something was definitely wrong. She saw the dark alicorn curled up on her throne, a sight never seen before. Moving to the side, she spoke with a guard.
“Excuse me, sorry to bother, but what happened to the princess?” Minuette asked in a hushed tone.
The guard turned towards the throne, noticing the vulnerable and curled up form of Nightmare Moon. His eyes widened slightly, his expression contorting, and he turned back to Minuette.
“Ah, I don’t know, frankly I nor any of the other guards have seen her like this before. It’s really strange.”
The guard felt a cold aura spread across him, and he looked up to find Nightmare Moon standing directly above him, a strained and tired look in her eyes.
“W-what is so strange?” She asked, attempting to remain confident through bouts of shivering. The guard and Minuette could tell something was definitely wrong.
“Oh, Your Highness, we were concerned about you, as we had noticed you curled up on the throne. Are you cold-“ the guard started, before being cut off.
“Silence,” she said authoritatively. Turning to Minuette, she began to speak through the shivers. “I-I would like to k-know what business you h-have in m-my throne r-room, maid.”
Minuette looked confused. In all of her years working for the princess, she had never seen her like this, cold to the point her speech was stuttering and slower than usual. It was rare to see the princess in such a vulnerable state, almost to the point where Minuette took pity in her. She had to wear this metal armor all day, sit on the cold throne, in a cold, dark room, and appear strong and infallible.
Shaking away these thoughts, Minuette returned to the question at hand. “Well Your Highness, I came to ask if I could clean your throne room, do you grant permission?” she asked, attempting to not show any concern towards the Nightmare Moon’s condition.
“Very well, you m-may begin,” Nightmare Moon said slowly, before walking shakily back to her throne. As she began to ascend the steps of the dais, she slowed considerably, and Minuette noticed a foreleg begin to shake. Suddenly, the monarch gave a shout as her leg gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
“Your Highness!” Minuette said as she rushed over. Feeling her body, she was dangerously cold. “Guards, one of you, go grab a blanket and a heater!” She called out, as she went to the intercom to call up the castle’s doctor. Seconds later, a guard came back with the necessary items. Placing the blanket over the fallen monarch, she plugged in the heater and turned it on, attempting to warm her up.
Finally, the doctor arrived, feeling her pulse and her body temperature. “Good thinking, Minuette,” the doctor began. “She’s warming up now, should come to about…now,” The doctor jumped backwards, fearful of what would happen, as even the higher ranking castle staff were not safe from the hatred of Nightmare Moon.
Minuette, on the other hand, sat by the dark alicorn, stroking her back softly. An eyelid opened, revealing a slitted blue eye. The eye looked around in shock, before landing on Minuette. Nightmare Moon shakily tried to stand up, but Minuette held her down.
“Don’t move, you’re okay, Your Highness,” Minuette said softly, adjusting the blanket on her back. “You collapsed on the dais because you were so cold, so I got you help.”
“You what?” Nightmare Moon asked, both shocked and angry. “I a-am in no n-need of help from common p-ponies!” Again, she attempted to stand, but collapsed again. With a sigh, she conceded to Minuette’s help. “Fine, I w-will let you look o-over me, maid. What is your n-name?”
“Minuette, Your Highness. Please, don’t try and stand again, you will only collapse and hurt yourself more.”
Nightmare Moonsighed and relaxed, closing her eyes. “J-judging by the c-cold t-temperatures, it is the s-start of w-winter?”
“Yes, Your Highness, one of the coldest winters Equestria has had in a long time, according to the castle records. I oughta ask, do you have plans for Heartswarming?” Minuette asked politely, careful with her words to avoid getting a rise out of the princess.
Nightmare Moon furrowed her brow, eyes still closed. “No. I shall n-not c-concern m-myself with s-such t-trivial activities.”
“Well why not? I imagine your rule is challenging, and everypony deserves a break, especially the ruler of a nation!” Minuette replied, a smile on her face.
“Do y-you think I d-don’t take b-breaks?” Nightmare Moon asked, a hint of arrogance in her trembling voice. She chuckled shakily, and a cloud of vapor emerged from her mouth. “I take m-many b-breaks, a-all year l-long.”
“Oh…” Minuette sighed, frowning. “Well I don’t have any pony to spend heartswarming with…and it’s in a few nights.”
Nightmare Moon’s face contorted into a scowl. “W-Well you’ll h-have to find s-somepony, won’t you?” She said, clearly annoyed. “Just stop t-talking, and let m-me rest.
Minuette felt a small fire build within her. She tried to subside it, but it grew anyway. She glared at the alicorn lying on the floor. “Your Highness, why are you such a jerk?” she said angrily.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes opened instantly, an angry look forming on her face. A rush of adrenaline poured into her body, bringing her body temperature up. “What…did…you…say?”
“You heard me right! Why are you such a jerk to other ponies? You push them around and you hurt them, all while sitting on your throne, gloating,” Minuette yelled. “I could pull this blanket off you, shut off the heater and leave you to freeze right now! I should’ve never attended to you at all!”
Nightmare Moon sighed, her eyes half closed, a look of ‘why are we doing this’ plastered on her face. “I have neither the strength nor the energy to deal with you, Minuette, so consider yourself lucky,” she said through gritted teeth. Her expression softened a bit, and she sighed again. “Truth be told, I don’t have anypony to spend time with either…shouldn’t a ruler have at least somepony to keep me company?”
Minuette looked at the dark alicorn. “Of course, it keeps both ponies happy and warm inside, and I’m sure it’s been a long time since you had a real friend.”
“Yes, over a thousand years,” Nightmare Moon sighed. “I suppose spending some time with somepony could be good for me. I shall talk to a guard. Maybe one of them can spare some time with me,” she said, standing up and walking towards the door to the guard’s quarters.
“Your Highness, wait!” Minuette called out.
“What is it?” The dark alicorn spat, not turning her head back.
“Would you…like to spend some time with me?” Minuette said, smiling awkwardly.
Nightmare Moon spun around. “Why would I spend my time with a castle maid?”
“Because I think a maid like me could treat you better than one of those meathead guards,” Minuette deadpanned.
Across the room, a guard snorted, offended by the remark. Nightmare Moon and Minuette chuckled, exchanging a quick glance. “So, what’s the verdict?” Minuette asked.
“I guess I could spend some time with you, Minuette. I have been rather lonely as of recently. How does three nights from now sound?” Nightmare Moon asked, the same neutral expression plastered on her face.
“That’s fine, as long as nothing needs to be done,” Minuette responded.
“Meet me in my room at 11:30. You will know which is mine,” she said with a small scowl, returning to her old ways of speech. She returned to her throne, wrapping a robe that a guard had presented her around herself for warmth. “Continue with your duties, Minuette.”
As Minuette cleaned, the Princess of the Night watched her with her slitted eyes. Secretly, Nightmare Moon craved her attention. She could finally break the endless cycle of brooding and depression that came with being a ruler, and just enjoy herself with another pony.
It had been at least a thousand years since she had defeated Celestia, and over the years, her mental state and health had degraded. A few hundred years into her rule, guards often noticed she would be eating less, her speeches became slower, and her emotions became more unstable. This, along with other factors, compounded upon the weight of her actions all those years ago against Celestia.
Even still, she did nothing to seek out help from anypony, including the castle doctor. She bottled up her emotions for centuries, refusing to show weakness or any positive feelings. On the outside, ponies saw a fearsome, foreboding monarch, who could kill with simply the blink of an eye, but on the inside, she was growing more and more unstable.
“Hopefully,” she thought, “hopefully things will turn around in a few days. Oh Creator, help me…I’m so tired of acting this way, please…help me find solace in Minuette.”
On Nightmare Moon’s face, a small tear left her eye and trickled down her cheek.
Minuette walked slowly towards the hallway where Nightmare Moon resided. She had been wondering why in the whole world she had suddenly changed her tone to one of mild content, upon her asking about spending time with the alicorn.
As she rounded the corner, however, two guards blocked her path. “Only guards and special guests are allowed past this point,” they droned, crossing their spears.
Minuette smiled. “Her highness invited me to come spend time with her around this time, I’m sure you were notified,” she said cordially.
“Likely story, commoner. No entry!” One of the guards barked.
“What seems to be the problem?” Nightmare Moon rounded the corner, dressed in a flowing dark robe. Noticing the blue mare standing beyond the guards, she smiled softly, her eyes brightening noticeably. “Ah, Minuette, come with me. Guards, do not block my special guests next time.”
“Aye, princess,” the guards said, saluting and uncrossing their spears. Minuette proceeded through, following the dark alicorn to her chambers.
“Your Highness, your robe is beautiful! Who made it?” Minuette asked with a smile.
“The castle seamstress Rarity is rather talented, I must say,” Nightmare Moon replied. “It is very comfortable.”
As the two of them entered the chambers and shut the door, Minuette thought about what to say. “So uhh, what’s with the change in emotion when I asked if I could hang out with you?” she asked, careful to not make Nightmare Moon angry.
Nightmare Moon sat on a comfortable couch, wrapping the robe around herself. “Well, you cared for me when I collapsed that night. That had happened before, but no pony had ever done what you did. Usually I was able to warm myself up with my magic, but this time, I was so cold that nothing functioned. I am grateful for your help,” she said, speaking with gratitude. “But, that does not excuse your backtalk to your leader,” she added with a scowl. “Every pony, no matter their rank or status, shall treat me with utmost respect.”
“I’m so sorry, Your Highness, is there anything I can do to fix this?” Minuette pleaded, bowing.
The dark alicorn put an armored hoof to her chin. “You are to never speak like that to me again. Therefore, I will be halving your wages for one week. I have changed a lot since I defeated my sister all those years ago, and I am beginning to become more tolerant of ponies’ actions, so consider yourself lucky,” she said curtly. “In addition, I would like you to sit with me,” Nightmare Moon added, patting a cushion with an armored hoof.
“I can deal with half wages…” Minuette huffed, looking down with a frown. “But why do you want me to sit with you?"
“Good. I’m pleased to hear my efforts to become more…lenient…are working,” Nightmare Moon said with a grin as Minuette joined her on the couch.
As the two sat together, Minuette began to shiver slightly. Nightmare Moon quickly noticed, and decided to return Minuette’s favor. “You are very cold, Minuette. These winter nights are tough on ponies, and if I could not withstand the cold, certainly you cannot either,” she said, as she enveloped Minuette in her robe.
“Oh…wow, thank you, Your Highness…I really appreciate this! I must say I didn’t really notice I was so cold,” she said, laughing a bit.
Nightmare Moon sighed, a bit confused at her remark, but moved past it. “Tell me, what is this Heartswarming holiday about?”
Minuette giggled. “You’ve been the ruler of Equestria for a thousand years, yet you don’t know anything about Heartswarming? Well, it’s a holiday where ponies get together and give each other gifts, and enjoy each other’s company. Usually it’s with a big group of ponies, but it can be between two ponies,” she said, looking up at the princess with a smile on her face.
Nightmare Moon sighed again, not noticing Minuette’s look of optimism. “I suppose it’s a bit strange that I don't know anything about it, but I think I’ve been too obsessed with my royal duties to bother celebrating it or learning about it. There was that war my army had to quell a few years ago…” she said solemnly. “When is Heartswarming typically celebrated?”
“It’s celebrated on the twenty-fifth of December,” Minuette responded. “That’s in a few nights!”
Nightmare Moon put her hoof to her chin, pondering her remark, before sniffing the air. “Is that…mint?” she asked Minuette with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, uh, yeah, I hope you don’t mind…” Minuette said, blushing.
“No, I particularly like the smell of mint leaves,” Nightmare Moon said with a straight face, not noticing MInuette’s cheeks reddening.
The two sat together for a while longer, before Nightmare Moon broke the silence.
“This time with you reminded me of how I used to interact with Celestia all those years ago…we would cuddle up on the couch during exceptionally cold nights, and read our favorite books by the light of the fireplace. It was very wholesome, as you can imagine,” Nightmare Moon said with a warm smile on her face, her eyes closed. “Sometimes, I miss my sister…” she added in hushed tones. Shortly thereafter, a small tear trickled down her cheek.
“I’m sure it was, Your Highness,” Minuette said, smiling. “But why do you feel that way right now when you are with me?”
Minuette could’ve sworn she saw the tiniest splash of red appear on Nightmare Moon’s cheek. “Oh, no reason at all, it just reminded me of what happened all those years ago,” Nightmare Moon said softly. “Oh wow, look at the time, I believe it’s time you start your cleaning shift,” she added awkwardly.
“But it’s two hours ear-” Minuette said before Nightmare Moon put her hoof over her mouth.
“Your princess orders it be done early. Now please, get to it, Minuette.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Minuette said dejectedly, getting up from the couch and Nightmare Moon’s warm robe and walking to the door.
“Oh, Minuette, will you join me for Heartswarming Eve, and the morning that follows?” the dark alicorn asked, a small smile on her face, stopping the blue mare.
“Of course, Your Highness. And I must say, your fur coat is so soft…” Minuette said with a smile as she closed the door.
Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but turn a deep shade of red, but thankfully Minuette had exited the room by then, so she was left alone in her room, heart pounding, cheeks burning.
“This is going…unusually well,” she thought. “I can almost feel my mental state improving…thank you, Creator.”
December twenty-fourth, Heartswaming Eve. Nightmare Moon sat wrapped in her robe by the fire in her private living room, reading a book she had saved from the old castle. It was Celestia’s old journal, and Nightmare Moon was growing sadder each minute as she read. Recalling old tales of their play, the experiences they had together, how they interacted. She had done this before, but with recent events, it was all a lot on Nightmare Moon’s heart, and she began to cry, the first time she had done so in centuries.
Tears trickled down her cheeks, hitting her robe and the couch, but she didn’t care, she finally let out all the sadness and grief she had stored up for centuries, and it felt good. It felt good to finally let her emotions free, let her tears flow, and finally peacefully let out all.
The door squeaked, and Nightmare Moon turned her head to see Minuette enter the room, wearing a simple coat and carrying two glasses of hot chocolate in her magic. “Good night, Your Highness,” she said as she carefully bowed low. “Are…you okay?” she added, a twinge of concern in her voice.
“N-no…I’m not,” Nightmare Moon said through the tears.
Minuette trotted over to her side and set the cups of hot chocolate on the table. Sitting beside her, she placed a hoof on her back, stroking it lovingly.
“It’s okay…you’re okay…I’m here for you,” she said with a smile, moving closer to the mare’s side.
In desperation, Nightmare Moon flared out her wing and brought her close. “Please…please help me, my dear Minuette, I feel so horrible right now, please, comfort me…” she said, holding back the tears, her face contorted into a look of despair.
Minuette looked at her in astonishment. The Princess of the Night, once one of the most feared ponies in the land, was now asking her to be comforted. Noticing the open journal on the table, she grabbed it, closed it, and placed it on a nearby bookshelf.
“Did this book have anything to do with this?” Minuette asked sympathetically.
“Y-yes, it was the diary of my sister…who I banished somewhere a thousand years ago…” Nightmare Moon said as she began to cry more.
“Shh…you’re okay…here, drink this,” Minuette said soothingly, bringing a glass of hot chocolate to her lips. Reluctantly, the dark alicorn sipped on the drink, dissipating the tears. “Do you feel better now?” Minuette asked, smiling up at Nightmare Moon, who’s tears had subsided.
“Mmm, yes, that was…refreshing. Thank you, my dear Minuette…” Nightmare Moon said softly, causing Minuette to blush a little bit. “I must tell you the story, it’s quite-” Nightmare Moon started, before being cut off by Minuette.
“You like me, don’t you?” Minuette asked, chuckling.
Nightmare Moon’s cheeks turned red at the unexpected statement. “Ahh, well, erm, I like stallions, not mares!” she said quickly.
“You called me ‘your dear Minuette’ not two minutes ago, Your Highness,” Minuette said flatly.
Nightmare Moon hung her head. “I must confess, I have had you on my mind for the past few nights now. You have been so kind, so gentle, so loving towards me, a monster of the night,” she said reluctantly.
Minuette gasped, blushing. It was not every night the ruler of a land complimented a common pony like her. “You…you aren’t a monster, you’re just misunderstood and misguided,” she said softly, stroking Nightmare Moon’s back. “I hope I helped correct your misguidedness when it comes to treating ponies well. And I’ve gotta be honest with you, you’re quite good looking,” she added bashfully.
“Oh, wow, thank you, Minuette,” Nightmare Moon said, smiling. She started to run her hoof along the couch sporadically, almost as if she was thinking about something. “Minuette, would you like to spend the night with me, curled up with me, before the fire?” Nightmare Moon asked, tears in her eyes, cheeks burning red.
Minuette smiled, blushing as well. “You want me to cuddle with you?” she asked, giggling.
“If that’s what you want…” Nightmare Moon chuckled, as she adjusted her position to be on her side. Carefully lifting Minuette with her magic, she placed the blue mare parallel to her side, draping her large wing over her like a blanket, then wrapping her robe over the two of them.
“Oooh, this is comfy!” Minuette said, blushing. “You’re so soft, Your Highness.”
“Oh please, don’t bother with formalities, this is anything but formal,” she said, giggling. “It is quite late, shall we sleep here on the couch, together?”
Minuette took one look at the mare. “Yes, I would love that,” she said bashfully.
“Oh, my dear Minuette, you are so easy to flatter,” Nightmare Moon said, grinning. The two locked eyes, and expressions of love appeared on their faces as they leaned in for a kiss.
As they parted, they both smiled and blushed. “Nightmare Moon, it’s safe to say this has been the best Heartswarming Eve I’ve ever had…” Minuette said softly.
Nightmare Moon simply chuckled, a grin on her face. “Ah, but your kiss is just delightfully minty…and you bring out emotions within me that I haven’t felt in a thousand years, it’s simply wonderful,” she said, blushing.
“And you said you liked stallions,” Minuette said, a playful grin on her face.
Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Well maybe I like both, what’s a little experimentation going to do to a pony? A thousand years ago, doing what we are doing would be illegal, and punishable by death,” she whispered. “Thankfully, I abolished that terrible practice centuries ago.”
“Well, good night, Your Highness…” Minuette said, as she closed her eyes and snuggled into Nightmare Moon’s soft chest fur.
“Good night, my dear Minuette,” Nightmare Moon replied, placing her head on the couch, closing her eyes.
As the moonlight shone in, Minuette awoke to an already awake Nightmare Moon.
“Good night, my love, how did you sleep?” Nightmare Moon asked lovingly.
“Oh it was just great! You make for a great pillow and bed,” Minuette said, giggling. “Happy Heartswarming!”
“Oh, I almost forgot it was tonight…happy Heartswarming, my dear Minuette. I believe I placed the item I got you nearby,” Nightmare Moon said, scanning the room. “Aha!” she exclaimed, levitating a small package over. Unwrapping it, she produced a silver necklace, with a platinum crescent moon pendant attached to it. “This is my gift to you, Minuette. It’s a sign of my gratitude, and as of very recently, my love. Wear it close to you,” she said as she placed the necklace around Minuette’s neck.
“Oh wow, Nightmare Moon, it’s beautiful, thank you so much!” Minuette said excitedly. “Let me find what I got you!” she added, getting up and walking out of the room. Minutes later she returned, a small box in her magic. Placing it near the dark alicorn, she motioned for her to open it.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red. “S-socks?”
“Yes, Nightmare Moon, socks. Here, try them on! You will look so cute, promise!” Minuette said, almost laughing.
“Oh my…I feel so strange, so good…” Nightmare Moon said, blushing even harder.
“You look so cute! Lemme get a camera!” Minuette rushed out of the room, leaving a bewildered and sock-clad Nightmare Moon in her private living room. Moments later, Minuette came rushing back in with said camera, snapping several photos, all of which caught Nightmare Moon in some very compromising poses. The two of them looked at the photos and hit the floor laughing.
“Oh, my dear Minuette, this has been the best Heartswarming ever!” Nightmare Moon said happily, a wide smile forming on her face. “Just make sure to file those photos away, wouldn’t want the guards to get ahold of them!”
“What would the guards do?” Minuette replied questioningly.
“Oh, you know how adult stallions are…they’ll find a way to make it weird, you know?” Nightmare Moon chuckled.
“Maybe you could sell them and generate a ton of money for the crown?” Minuette joked, giving Nightmare Moon a playful punch on the shoulder.
“I don’t know how I feel about selling photos of me,” the dark alicorn replied with a grin on her face. “Let’s keep it a secret between you and I, shall we?”
“Yes, you have my word!” Minuette said, laughing harder.
“Oh, how could I have gone a thousand years without experiencing something like this?” Nightmare Moon said, looking deep into Minuette’s eyes.
“I don’t know, Nightmare Moon, but you finally experienced it!” Minuette replied, giving the princess a kiss on the cheek.
“You’re too sweet,” Nightmare Moon replied, giggling. “Now, let us go spend the rest of this night together, I have to show you this thing I found on the castle grounds!” she said, using her magic to remove Minuette’s gift from her legs and put on her regalia.
“Okay!” Minuette replied, following Nightmare Moon out of the room and into the hallway, their laughter lighting up the castle hallways as they ventured outside to the gardens.
Author's Note
I really hope I did both Nightmare Moon and Minuette justice in this story. Making Nightmare Moon into a cute little furball is easy; justifying it with a good explanation in the plot? That's hard.
Minuette on the other hand, apart from one episode in Season 6(?), she appears very infrequently, making her a blank slate of sorts. From what I could gather she was pretty cheeky, so I tried to incorporate that into the story. In the beginning, she's more mellow; as she's been employed by the government, but towards the middle her cheekier side starts to break out.
I also had to sprinkle in a Colgate reference, how could I not?
Overall, a very fun story to write. Jhoira, if you're reading this, happy holidays! How did I do with your prompt? Had to keep it short since the max length is about 5,000 words, so there's probably a few pacing issues (of course). Again, happy holidays, and I hope my story is to your liking 
