The Moon's Shadow

Chapters

Bonding
A New Arrival
Silver's Mission
Luna's adviser
Everfree Discovery
One of those days
The Battle Begins
Recovery
Secrets and Validation
Recruits and Regulations
Silver's Ponyville Experience
Secrets Among Sisters
Mobilization and Interrogation
Twilight's Problems
Troubles
Worth the Wait
Nightmare's Decision
Silver's Discovery
Nightmare and Luna

Bonding

Chapter 1

Now all she wanted was solitude, to be left alone for a bit of time while she recovered from the past fourty-eight hours. It was brutal for the light blue mare as she gazed into her mirror, considering after the party in Ponyville she had been harassed by the media virtually non-stop. Many of them were curious as to what happened to her, some were even wondering why she had been gone so long. The worst of it all though, was the fact that they had the gall to ask if she remembered her time as Nightmare Moon. This resulted in her breaking out into tears and galloping off to her room.

The time spent as Nightmare Moon was something she'd rather forget as she gazed into her own mildly bloodshot cyan eyes. Why had she even agreed to the interviews in the first place? She knew her magic hadn't recovered yet, which was apparent by her present appearance. Just a simple glance at her mane was enough to tell her this as it had taken on its true form. Even her body had grown a bit smaller compared to what she remembered, although that could also be attributed to her loss of power.

It agonized her just looking into her own reflection, just letting her eyes glance up and down at her present form. From her light azure mane, down to her very hooves, to the tip of her horn and finally to the very last feather on her wings. Each detail brought her more and more agony, until it reached the point where she forced herself to turn away in tears. She leapt from her spot in front of the mirror, to her bed gracefully.

She grabbed the nearest pillow upon her landing and shoved her face into it. This is where she screamed, louder than most would think possible before tossing it aside. This had been something she did years ago on a regular basis, mostly to vent her frustrations about her sister. She rolled onto her back afterward, gazing up at the ceiling. There she saw something that finally brought her a bit of peace, something that brought comfort to her troubled mind. That one thing while simply painted on the ceiling for decoration, was the stars.

'Wait a second...' she thought, 'When did we have stars painted on the ceiling?' This was something that seemed out of place almost instantly. It was new to her and while it did seem to comfort her emotionally, it brought up a flurry of questions. In response to them, she lifted herself upright, glancing around the room for other things she didn't recall. This was met with an abrupt answer as she finally took note of the paint job in the room. The walls were now painted a very dark shade of blue, possibly her favorite shade. Not only that, but the curtains to the balcony appeared different. This caused her to climb from the bed virtually sneaking up to them. She then lifted the fabric with a single hoof, examining it in the light just coming in through the glass door.

The cobalt blue almost resembled the ethereal mane she once had. It even seemed to shimmer like it when held up against the light. Even stranger was the fabric they had been made out of. It seemed finer than what she remembered, much softer too. The strangest part however came when she leaned in to sniff it. This is what caused her eyes to widen. 'Not a single trace of dust!' she thought, not even picking up the scent of dust. This immediately caused her to shift around the room, dashing from the balcony door to her dresser. She quickly lowered her eyes down to the top level, as if to look for something, before raising her head higher.

'Nothing!' she snapped, 'How is this possible? How can it be this clean?' While it wasn't the first time she was confused since her return, it was by far the worst time so far. At least the previous times, she discovered the answers relatively quickly. This time however was different and while she had some clue as to how her room was cleaned and changed up, she didn't want to jump to conclusions. The next course of action she took was to examine her bed, lifting one of the thick, yet very soft dark blue quilts up to her face. The texture was exquisite, it was soft and warm beyond what she believed possible. Then again, things had changed since she had been banished.

“What is this fabric?” she asked aloud, “And how is it this soft?” Another question popped into her head in seconds after she asked the previous. How had she not noticed it when she was lying on it? This frustrated her and confused her. Quickly letting go of the quilt before turning to the door. The look on her face was very serious, all traces of her tears seemed to vanish in this instant as she made her way out the door. She wanted answers, and she knew exactly where to get them too.

Just as she entered the halls however, a sensation overcame her. This was a feeling she wasn't too familiar with, but she still knew it. At first, it caused her to turn to the guards on either side of her with great curiosity. Almost as if she suspected them of being the cause of the feeling. Yet, as she looked over them, one a unicorn of large stature and muscular build. While the other an Earth Pony, even who was built just like the unicorn. This seemed to draw her attention away from the feeling for just a moment as she couldn't help herself. She gave the two a once over, eyeballing most of the features she could make out around their armor. It almost made her jaw drop as she did.

'Impressive, Tia,' she thought, taking a mental note of their particularly firm torsos. 'We hope all your guards are built like this...'

“Is something bothering you, Princess?” the unicorn asked, snapping her back to her senses. When she snapped back, the feeling had vanished, even though she couldn't help but shift her gaze down both ends of the hall. It took her another second or two before her attention returned to the guard.

“N-no,” she stammered, “We just wish to speak with our sister.”

“Then allow us to--”

“NO!” she shouted, “We don't need another to guide us there! We recall exactly where Tia's room is!” Both of the guards snapped back at her outburst, if they didn't have their backsides against the wall already the two might have to take a step back.

“But, we're under orders Princess Luna!” both replied simultaneously, “Princess Celestia doesn't want anything happening to you! We are to escort you around the castle until you recover your strength!” A faint glow returned to Luna's eyes in this instant, a pang of anger shot through her mind in this particular instant. She felt insulted, insulted by her own sister no less. This was evident by the look on her face.

“I said...we are fine!” she hissed, “We are capable of taking care of our self!”

“But, Princess Celestia--” This was her breaking point, just the mere mention of her sister's name seemed to agitate an old wound.

“I am a princess as well! And I order you to remain here!” she snapped, dropping her previous manner of speech for just a brief instance. Before taking a deep breath, her anger vanished almost as quickly as it had come. “We are sure we can handle a short trip down the hall, unless of course Tia moved her room in the past thousand years. Did she?”

Both had grown visibly nervous from Luna's previous outburst. Neither had expected it in the least, so, they had decided to just remain quiet. Instead the two simply shook their heads, just hoping that they didn't upset her any further.

Luna smiled to this, before trotting off casually. She seemed almost happy that they were compliant with her orders. Even if they were just her sister's guard. That thought triggered a chain reaction in her own mind, where she began to recall what her court had been like. Recalling the ponies that served her well, it also made her wonder about many other things, particularly, what had changed in the past millennium. This was among the questions racing through her mind that she had to ask her dear sister. While it was early, she needed to restore her court to what it had been. She wasn't about to give it up at all, in fact, she was even more determined to make her night as great as it could possibly be.

She continued down the hall, lost in her own thoughts. That was, until the feeling from before had returned. This snapped her back to reality the instant she felt the familiar sensation up her spine. She even froze in place, slowly tilting her head down the opposite end of the hall. It was in this instant that she knew what the feeling was exactly. Somepony was following her. She felt it in every fiber of her being, particularly because she could feel the presence.

Yet, even as she glanced behind her, she saw nothing. At the other end of the hall, she saw nothing. Not a single trace of another pony, even though she had been so sure she felt it. It was bizarre, even for her. The feeling worried her, especially considering the order she had given the guards. It was too late though to resend the order as she had already made it clear that she didn't want their help. Even now as she was regretting it, that decision remained firm. After all with or without magic, she was certain she could defend herself.

As Luna turned the corner, the feeling once again vanished. It was a good thing too as the door to her sister's room came into view. She knew it was her sister's as she saw guards on either side of it. Not only that though, but there was also the fact that she saw her sister's cutie mark painted on the door. The guards paid little mind as she approached, giving the door a good few knocks with her hoof.

“Come in,” came her sister's voice, but there was something off about it. Something about the tone seemed different, it seemed to lack the typical serenity she recalled. It was strange actually, almost enough so to make her hesitant in actually opening the door. However, she did as such anyhow and the sight she was greeted with was one she wished she hadn't come upon.

It was the last thing Luna had ever expected to see. Just as she stepped in, she was forced to close the door to prevent either of the guards from seeing the heart-breaking sight of her sister in tears.

“Tia...?” Luna asked, “Why are you crying?” The mare's face said it all. Not only had she removed her regalia, but her eyes had grown rather bloodshot and puffy compared to what they had been. Not only that, but even her ethereal mane had grown a bit unkempt, which was unusual considering it was composed mostly of magic.

“M-many reasons,” Celestia sniffed, sitting up on her hooves. “But....mostly because of what...I couldn't do for you.”

To say the least, Luna was astonished to have heard such a thing. Years ago, she thought her sister really didn't care about her or her night for that matter. As she sat in place though, she began to realize that it was in fact the opposite. It was that time where she was actually glad to be wrong about something. A smile began to spread across her face as the realization dawned on her. It was then she began to realize exactly what her dear sister had gone through over these past thousand years. That it wasn't just one of them that had suffered, but both.

“Tia, you don't need to cry anymore,” Luna muttered as tears began to form in her eyes. “It is because of you that we stand here now. Because of your student.” Celestia stood up, taking a step toward her sister.

“But, Lulu...!”

“No, I don't want to hear it!” Luna snapped, stomping her hoof. “It was your student that saved me! Even if you won't admit it, you still saved me!” She lowered herself a bit, taking a step back from her sister.

“I...could've helped you a thousand years ago...but I didn't...and in the end, I couldn't help you directly! It was Twilight who ended up saving you!” Celestia argued, tears began to stream down her cheeks in this instant. It showed just how much she truly cared to Luna, which in turn made her approach her sister.

“Tia...I don't blame you...” Luna whispered as she gazed up at her sister, “I was jealous, that much is true. However, it wasn't your fault that I became...Nightmare Moon.” she explained, “It...was something else.” This grabbed Celestia's attention in a matter of seconds, her head tilted in curiosity as she listened to Luna. It was something she hadn't heard before, nor had she even thought of. Was Nightmare Moon a separate entity completely, an entirely different pony? Was Nightmare Moon a pony at all? These were all questions that ran through her head the more she thought about it.

“What do you mean, Lulu?” she finally asked after a moment of silence.

“What I mean, Tia...Nightmare Moon was an entirely separate entity,” Luna explained further, “It, is as it was put, a nightmare. While I was possessed...I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, for a thousand years. The entire time, I had hoped that it was just a terrible dream, but when I awoke in our old castle...I knew it wasn't.” The more Luna explained, the less sense the whole situation made. It eventually reached the point where Celestia finally gave up in trying to understand it.

“I'm so sorry you had to go through all that...” Celestia whispered, only to be met with the very tight embrace of her little sister. To say the least, hadn't expected it. Not only that, but Luna was still as strong as ever, nearly crushing her in what she could only call a bear hug. “Ow-Ow-Ow! Lulu, watch it!”

“Not until you stop crying!” Luna argued, with a very soft snicker. This tipped Celestia off to her sister's intentions right away, before she finally gave in. Slowly wrapping her own hooves around the smaller alicorn.

“I missed you so much, Lulu,” Celestia finally said, feeling the tight grip beginning to loosen.

“And I, you, Tia,” Luna whispered, nuzzling into her sister's warm body. The embrace seemed to last for what felt like hours to the two alicorns. Yet, it had only been a few minutes. It was in that time that everything that had happened seemed to vanish from their minds and hearts. As they slid out of the embrace, both of them smiled at one another.

“So, did you enjoy the gifts I left outside your door yet?” Celestia asked, with a rather lecherous grin on her face. Luna immediately knew what it meant, glancing at her sister with disdain. She almost seemed offended by the question as she knew immediately what it meant.

“They are but colts!” Luna snapped, “I need a stallion, Tia! You know that!”

“But...I thought they...!”

“Yes, they may look good, but that's all they have going for them,” the night princess argued, “I'd choose a mare over them!”

“Well then...perhaps I can arrange that,” Celestia giggled, “Any mare you have in mind?”

“There's only one I can think of right now,” she replied, turning away from her sister.

“Who?” Celestia asked, tilting her head slightly with curiosity. There was a long pause after this, as Luna contemplated even telling her sister of it. “Lulu?”

“Your student,” Luna said, avoiding her sister's gaze. “Twilight Sparkle, I believe her name is?” The elder alicorn didn't seem too surprised by this in the least. In fact, she actually began to laugh at the prospect. While she did know Luna was serious about the matter, she still found it a tiny bit funny.

“You have a thing for all of my students, don't you?” she laughed, this only caused Luna's embarrassment to grow, as apparent by the faint red hue on her cheeks.

“What can I say? She has a flank that doesn't quit, least from what I saw,” Luna replied, almost jokingly.

“I think she's more interested in books than other ponies though,” Celestia mentioned, “Mostly because she's never shown an interest in any stallions or other mares.” Miles away, in Golden Oaks Library, Twilight let out a very loud and powerful sneeze as she was reading over one of her favorite books.

“So, you're saying not to go after her?”

“I didn't say that, Lulu,” Celestia commented, “I'm simply saying, if you do, I wish you luck.”

“If that's the case...I'd rather not do that to your student then, Tia,” she remarked, “There are other stallions and mares out there. Plus, if she picked up anything from you, its your prude nature.” Celestia's reaction on the other hand said something else. It was something Luna took immediate notice of and it spoke volumes as to what happened over the past thousand years.

“Well...actually...”

“You mean...!” Luna nearly shouted in her astonishment, “You're not a virgin anymore?! When did this happen?”

“A-about two hundred years after your banishment,”

“Do you regret it?” Luna asked, Celestia slowly nodded her head in response.

“It was on the anniversary of when I banished you...” she replied, “Thankfully though, my most recent lover helped make up for that.” The look of remorse seemed to vanish on Celestia's face in a moment as she mentioned her most recent lover. In fact, at the mere thought of him her entire face seemed to light up. This was something Luna took notice of easily. It actually made her smile.

“Now, what was he like?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Putting it simply...he's an alicorn,” Celestia pointed out, “And quite the charmer at that.”

“A-an alicorn stallion?!” Luna repeated, her eyes growing wide at the mere thought of this. “Really?! The last alicorn stallion I remember, is Quercus! And he died in the war with Discord!”

“That's what I thought too, but...when I saw him,” she began, “I jumped at the chance. However, he vanished about two months ago...” This conversation continued on for several hours, stretching long past sunset. Even after Celestia lowered the sun and aided Luna in bringing forth the night, the conversation continued. Until the two eventually fell asleep together. Not wanting to leave the each others side that evening. Little did the two realize as they continued to talk and reconnect. From the garden a figure watched them.

“Just stay safe, Princess...”

A New Arrival

Chapter 2

The day was rather quiet for Luna, even after her and her sister had come to an agreement. This agreement came after she had walked in on her sister in tears a few days prior. This agreement was simple. At first she would take some time to rest and relax, a few months at most. In this period of rest, she would take the time to connect and find ponies to serve her own court. This news gave Luna a bit more spring in her step, which was evident as she trotted through the halls on the following days.

With a smile that was virtually from ear to ear, she continued through the halls. This was something she commonly did a thousand years ago, something she only did while she was in deep thought. It helped quite a bit with her thought process, but the more she thought about her issues the more questions it brought up. Where would she even start looking for a trustworthy court adviser? One she knew she could trust very deep down. One that could help her gain a greater connection to her ponies and one who could also help educate her about the modern age. It was tricky too it was something she couldn't go to her sister about, as the answer was clearly obvious.

After she collapsed onto her bed, tossing all her regalia aside the night mare flipped onto her back. She inched her body around on the soft surface in an attempt to find a bit of comfort while she stared at the ceiling. 'What am I going to do?' she asked herself, as she continued to run through the few ponies she actually knew. It was then a realization struck her and a grin began to spread across her face. 'Perhaps I should ask Twilight Sparkle to be my court adviser?' the instant this thought came to her mind, her smile only began to widen. 'She is my sister's student after all, meaning she could have some understanding of what it means...plus...I don't think I've ever seen such a wonderfully plump flank.' That particular thought alone only made Luna lick her own lips. She quickly caught herself however, shaking her head in dismay.

“No! Bad Luna!” she scolded herself, “Do we remember the last time we got together with another of your sister's students?” It was something that only made her cringe and while a few of the memories were pleasant, some of the others only brought back old pain. 'Curses Tia...why do you always choose the students that turn out the sexiest?' Luna only whimpered before turning to her side with a very soft sigh. The thousand-year absence did little to settle the multitude of problems her court always had.

As time passed, Luna remained motionless. Thoughts raced all throughout her head, possibilities on who she could appoint came and went. Eventually as she ran out of possibilities, her mind finally began to settle. The endless hours of simple thinking had already taken its toll on the Princess of the Night. The instant she ran out of names she tossed a pillow from beneath her head across the room.

It flung across the room, striking a small vase on her dresser. This caused it to tilt over on its side and roll onto the ground, shattering into several pieces. Not only spilling the water, but also leaving the flowers out to die. Luna grinned sheepishly as she saw this occur, knowing full well it wouldn't be much longer before the guards responded to the sound of the vase shattering. This was what she expected, however there was nothing much to Luna's surprise.

Five minutes passed and still, the guards that her sister had assigned to stand guard at her door had yet to respond. It was bizarre for this to happen, as she knew the solar guard was very disciplined and punctual. She also knew that they were very direct and that, they would've done anything to ensure her safety. If this truly was the case then, why hadn't they barged in yet? Had she intimidated them a little too much a few days ago? So much so that they would forgo their duties a little bit? Somehow, Luna doubted that. Even though they were afraid of her, they still should have at least come in to check up on her.

After fifteen minutes had passed, her curiosity began to get the better of her. So, slowly she climbed from the bed and trotted to the door. As she approached it, she slowed her pace significantly. Being very sure to walk as quietly as she possibly could as to avoid drawing attention. Upon reaching the door, she gently placed her ear to it, giving an attempt to listen in on any possible conversation that the two could be having. However, upon inspection she was met with something even stranger.

Silence. Complete and total silence. This in turn caused her to force open the door in concern. It was in this particular moment where she was met with an even more unpleasant surprise. The halls themselves were empty. The two stallions that had been at her door were gone. This only seemed to confuse the lunar princess even further as she glanced down either side of the hall. Had her sister walked by and dismissed them? She shook her head in denial of that thought.

'No...Tia wouldn't do something like that this early...our magic hasn't recovered!' Luna thought, 'If she didn't...then something must have happened! But...how? They were very well trained guards!' A bit of panic began to set in as she continued to glance from the right to the left. Should she go to Celestia's room to seek her own protection? Or should she investigate this? It only took a second for her to decide, knowing full well what was most important to her.

Without further thought, Luna began to move silently down the hall to her left. The instant she had however, she was overcome with a familiar sense. It was the feeling from a few days ago. As the feeling overcame her she spun around, glancing down the hall that had been to her back for something, or someone. What was curious though was the fact that the hall was completely devoid of other ponies. This sent a chill up the princess' spine as she continued on her original path.

Luna grew more concerned with each step. Even as she listened carefully to her surroundings, the feeling wouldn't vanish. While she wouldn't show it too deeply, she was actually terrified. While she had indeed dealt with many terrifying things, her sister had always been right beside her. They had always supported one another, given each other strength. That wasn't the case this time however. As it stood, Celestia was most likely fairly busy at this time of day and to make matters worse, she wasn't anywhere close to full strength. At best, she could only muster a basic levitation spell. She could make that work in her favor however, given she was a better fighter than her sister.

The more she thought about it, the more relaxed she became, realizing that her skills as a warrior would be detrimental at this moment. Just as Luna's worries began to vanish, she rounded the corner. The moment she did, she was greeted by a sight that was a bit terrifying, yet somehow extremely hilarious to look at. She didn't know whether it was the positions the four guards had been put in, or the look on their faces that made it more hilarious, but she immediately began to laugh at the sight before her.

On the ground lied four guards, Two unicorns, one pegasus and one earth pony. The four glanced up at Luna with relief in their eyes and while none could speak, given they were all gagged, their eyes alone spoke volumes. What was even stranger still, was the fact that the four were also hog-tied right in the middle of the floor, but that wasn't what really made the Lunar Princess curious. It was what they were all tied with that stirred curiosity. As she trotted over to undo their gags and bindings, she examined them even closer. At first glance it looked like they had been tied with a rope dyed green.

Luna knew different however, this wasn't simply a rope that held them all in place, oh no. Their bindings were vines. Very strong vines of ivy that were native to Equestria, at least a thousand years ago. These vines were highly resistant to magic and very difficult to break with brute strength alone. As she tore the vines off the first guard, she spoke up.

“Who did this?” She asked, her voice stern yet rather curious. He glanced up to the princess for a moment.

“We...don't know, he was too fast,” the unicorn guard stated, looking to the ground in shame. The other guards followed his actions, all of them gazed at the ground. “All we know is that, its a stallion, and he's unbelievably strong for his race.”

“How can thine be sure of this individual's gender and race?” Luna inquired, tilting her head to the side.

“We know he's a stallion because of his voice and strength,” he replied, as one of the other guards was freed by Luna he spoke up as well.

“And we're sure he's a unicorn too, because he conjured these vines,” The earth pony guard added as he climbed to his feet.

“But...I've never seen a unicorn move that fast or hit that hard before!” the pegasus guard continued as his own bindings were undone by the princess. “Even for us, a unicorn that strong would be at the level of the captain for sure!”

“So, he's as strong as Sir Shining Armor?” Luna continued to inquire.

“Maybe stronger! Because I believe that he was simply toying with us,” the second unicorn mentioned as his gag was removed. This is what really snagged Luna's attention from this point. While she hadn't met Shining Armor, she had heard of just how tough he was. At least according to the rumors that were floating around about him. Were they true? She didn't know, but they were the only thing she could really go off of aside from Celestia's explanation as to why he became the Captain.

“What makes thou believe that?”

“For one, he didn't really hurt any of us...” the earth pony replied, this only caused Luna to take a second glance over all four of the guards and much to her surprise none of them had any real physical injuries. About the only thing hurt on them was their pride, which had been evident by the pleading looks she had gotten after finding them. She had to stifle a giggle at this.

'Tia's guards are slipping...' she thought, trying her best to hold back her amusement in this. While it was a serious situation, it was also funny to hear that four royal guards had been taken down by just a single unicorn. This immediately raised another question. “Are you sure he was alone?”

“Yes, we're sure!” all four said simultaneously, this only caused Luna's stifled giggle to turn into a full blown laughing fit. It took them a few seconds to realize what they had just done, but when they finally did, a visible shade of pink appeared on all four of their faces.

“Four of Tia's best...taken down by a single unicorn!” she laughed, on the verge of tears, “Hah! That's rich! Especially given that you're saying his strength, speed and magic were great enough to overcome two unicorns, a pegasus and an earth pony!”

“Well...it wasn't so much any of those things, as it was his wit...” the pegasus commented, his ears lowering in shame, “He seemed to be able to counter anything we did! Even with all four of us on him!” the pegasus paused as Luna's laughter seemed to die down. “It was like...like--”

“Like he was using your own strengths against you?” Luna asked, her tone growing more serious in an instant. “Like he wasn't fighting with his own strength...but redirecting your own onto each other?” They nodded at first, resulting in the princess falling back into her thoughts. Now where had she heard of this before? It had been so long since she had seen or heard of anything even remotely related to this, at least a thousand years. Even if that thousand years was spent on the moon.

“And...the magic he used,” one of the unicorn guards recalled, “It was...unlike any kind of magic I had ever seen!” he paused for a moment as he turned to the princess. “His magic...it was like nature itself seemed to spring from his horn...and come to life. It seemed to bend to his will.” That rung a bell in Luna's thoughts when she heard it.

'Quercus!' her thoughts screamed, 'He's alive?! The other alicorns are alive?!' Just as she was about to jump for joy about this new revelation she was cut off by the guards yet again.

“While he was...humiliating us, the hood of his cloak fell back, it revealed his face...” the pegasus pointed out, standing beside his fellow guards. “However, I didn't get too good of a look at it...”

“I did however!” The earth pony stated, “He had a messy brown mane, a green coat and greenish-brown eyes.” That's where her spirits were crushed in an instant. She recalled Quercus didn't have a brown mane. Plus, this individual had been described as a unicorn anyhow, why had she even thought it to be Quercus? He was long gone.

“I will be sure to keep that in mind,” Luna remarked, “Now, I want one of you to tell your captain to report to me immediately and another to inform my sister of this little...incident...in detail. The rest of you, are to stand outside my door until the end of your shift.” All of them nodded as she began to trot back to her room. One of the unicorns galloped off in the opposite direction while the earth pony raced ahead of Luna, heading in the direction of her sister's room.

With the guards back in place, Luna had quietly slipped back into her room. She was greeted in a rather unexpected manner after the door had closed behind her however. There he was, in the dead center of her room. He sat calmly, his expression unmoving. It was unnerving to meet his greenish-brown eyes, as they held a sense of seriousness she had never seen.

What Luna first noticed was the simple fact that he was a unicorn, matching the description she had received not more than five minutes ago. Yet, he was far different than she had expected. Yes, he had a rather ragged dark brown mane and a forest green coat, but that wasn't what threw her off. What got the princess was his form. He was a bit bigger than a normal unicorn, probably about the same size as she was in her present state. That wasn't all though; he also had muscles like she couldn't believe. Beneath the cloak, on the visible sections of his body she could see it very clearly. He was very well fit. Even his legs were on a level the guards couldn't match. It was no wonder they had lost to a unicorn like this. His body alone was unbelievable compared to them. How had a unicorn gotten that kind of body?

The final thing that seemed to draw her attention though, was his cutie mark. It too was something she hadn't ever seen before. While it felt familiar, she simply just couldn't place her hoof on where she had seen something like it. It was a Heart's Desire flower with its tip dripping ink crossing over a light green, almost emerald colored crescent moon.

“Princess Luna, I apologize for sneaking into your room,” the mysterious unicorn muttered, his voice was strong and a bit on the deep side. It was something Luna liked quite a bit, virtually making her blush on the spot.

“I-it is fine...!” she stammered, “And, I also assume that you were the one who roughed up the guards?” This received a nod as she began her steady approach of the pony. As Luna drew closer to him, she inspected every inch of his body with just her eyes alone. He only followed her movements slowly, but remained stationary as she examined him.

“Yes, that was me,” he admitted, “Although the only thing I harmed on them was their pride.” Luna fought to hold back a soft laugh.

“If that was your goal, you did it rather well,” Luna remarked as her gaze moved down his back, onto his rump. Just a single glance was all she needed before her jaw fell open wide. This stallion was cut from a completely different cloth as compared to stallions nowadays. 'So...toned...' she thought, 'Now...he's a stallion!' Even as her thoughts shifted to ones of desire, she couldn't help but wonder why he now stood before her. She knew that he had no intention of causing any harm, otherwise he would've done so the moment she entered the room. “What has brought a stallion like yourself before me?”

The unicorn's expression remained unchanged, even as he began to feel the princess' hooves gently move over his body. While he did blush a tiny bit as she poked at his flank, he couldn't complain. In fact, it actually looked like he was starting to enjoy himself, especially as she began to move a hoof right down his spine very lightly. “Princess, I have come to offer my services to you,” he said, as her hooves began to trail up his body again.

“And what kind of services would those be?” Luna asked, her voice growing a bit more sensual. It was obvious just what was on her mind in this moment, the tone of her voice tipping him off to her wishes. It only made his cheeks burn slightly in the embarrassment as he could feel his own body temperature beginning to rise.

'What does the oath entail?' he thought, feeling the princess' hoof once again poke at his flank. “A-anything you might need,” he replied after a moment of careful thought. By the time he realized his word selection, it was far too late to take it back as he found himself facing down the Lunar Princess.

Luna grinned the instant she heard those words. Whether it was a mistake on his part or not, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity that this stallion had just given her. Not only was he possibly one of the most attractive stallions she had seen since her return, but she wondered just how strong he really was. Perhaps he could even make a fantasy come to life today? Without a second thought, she wrapped her hoof around the back of his head and pulled him straight into a lust-driven kiss.

The stallion was in complete shock for a good five seconds as Luna stole the kiss. He wanted to pull away at first, he really did. He also didn't want to upset the princess either and as the kiss continued, his mind gradually went blank completely. It only took another second or two before his instincts kicked in and he returned the kiss. As he did, the princess slowly began to move her hooves around him, attempting to pull him in closer as she backed up to her bed. It became obvious where Luna was leading this and he didn't seem to mind in the least.

It just wasn't to be however, as the door swung open. There he stood in the archway, his cheeks now visibly growing a bright shade of red, obviously visible against his white coat. At first, he wanted to back out of the room as he was met with what was about to occur. However, just a single glance with his cerulean eyes told him he couldn't. He didn't speak at all, instead he took immediate action. The white unicorn virtually leapt from the door, right at the green unicorn. This of course broke the kiss both he and Luna had been locked in, much to the princess' own dismay. The two hit the ground hard, but it was the green unicorn that felt it the most as he now had an equally strong unicorn now pressing him to the carpet.

“Who are you?” the white unicorn asked as he pointed his horn at the other.

“I could ask you the same,” he remarked, “But, I already know...Shining Armor.”

“H-how...?” Shining Armor asked, perplexed as to how the unicorn knew his name. He never met this unicorn before in his life, nor had he ever even seen a unicorn of this color before. At least, that's what he originally thought. Upon closer inspection though, he recalled something he had been told quite a while back, about a unicorn colt with a green coat.

“Are you telling me, you don't remember Princess Cadance talking about me?” he inquired, in an almost sarcastic tone. “I'm hurt! Especially considering I was her second favorite to foal-sit for, next to your little sister!” This seemed to strike a nerve in the captain as he forced his face back down into the carpet.

“How do you know Cadance?” he hissed, unable to believe the fact that his marefriend would ever foal-sit for a stallion like him. “Because I don't recall her ever--”

“Please don't make me do that silly rhyme she taught me...” he remarked, rolling his eyes.

“What rhyme?” Shining Armor asked curiously, almost as if he actually knew what he was talking about.

“Something...she only taught to her favorite foals to sit for...your sister and myself,” he added, “I never really liked it as a colt either...I thought it kind of girly...” This is where Shining Armor gained quite the grin on his face as he gazed down at the still mysterious unicorn.

“Tell me,” he smirked, “And I might consider letting you go.”

His eyes went wide to this, almost as if he was now pleading for it. “Please...anything but that! I'd rather go to the dungeon than repeat that rhyme!” he whimpered, beginning to struggle against Shining Armor's grip.

“Do it! Prove how you know Cadance and I!” he snapped, “Or I could add stalking to the list of charges already on you!” He only sighed, slowly beginning to close his eyes. It was in this time his cheeks began to turn red, very visibly too.

“Sunshine...Sunshine...” he began, feeling the burning throughout his entire face now. “Ladybugs awake...clap your hooves and do a little shake.” his voice was calm the entire time he repeated the phrase. It was in this very moment that all the other guards in and around the room broke out into a laughing frenzy. Even Shining Armor too broke out into a laughing fit. It wasn't so much the rhyme that did it, but who actually repeated it. Even Luna couldn't help herself either, laughing very softly as she watched everything unfold.

“What's so funny?” a regal voice asked from the doorway. “Did I miss a joke?”

“Princess Celestia!” Shining Armor exclaimed, turning to face her while still holding the unicorn in place. “This unicorn just repeated a...funny rhyme, at least for him to say.”

“Might I know what the rhyme was?” Celestia inquired, tilting her head slightly to the side as she moved over to the unicorn.

“Please...no...don't make me repeat it again!” he whined, glancing up at Celestia.

“Well, I suppose...given you did the job I asked of you,” she finally said, this is where everyone in the room sent rather confused glances at the solar princess, even her own sister seemed utterly lost as to what was going on. “Please release him, Shining Armor.”

“B-but...Princess!” he argued, “He snuck into the castle and harassed four of my guards! That crime can't go unpunished.” Celestia giggled softly at Shining Armor's response, almost as if she had expected it.

“Actually, the only sneaking he did was into my room about a day ago,” Celestia added, “He asked for my permission to be in the castle...and guard Luna.” Shining Armor's jaw dropped in this moment. “I gave him a yes...but, only if he could prove that the guards couldn't handle the job....” there was a long silence after she had said this. “...and it seems he has done all that and more. He has adequately proven that the guard needs far more training.”

With this, Shining Armor moved aside from the green unicorn. He quickly moved to his hooves without a single word, a rather devious looking grin plastered on his face. It was a look the captain was all too familiar with, as Cadance had given it to him on countless occasions. It was the grin of 'I told you so' and he absolutely hated it.

“Don't be upset, Shining,” the unicorn commented, “I can actually help with that training if you want and I can even point out where security is the weakest if it helps any.”

“Thank you, but, I'm sure I can handle it,” he replied,

“Oh! That reminds me!” Celestia interrupted, “I never even asked for your name!” her gaze shifted to the green unicorn, who only grinned sheepishly in response.

“I didn't mean to be rude, it was just not important at the time,” the unicorn replied, “My name is Emerald Crescent.” Not only did Luna's eyes grow wide, but Celestia and even Shining Armor's eyes seemed to grow just like hers. Even the guards standing outside the room froze in shock at this little bit of information.

“You...wouldn't happen to be related to Silver Crescent, would you?” Both Celestia and Shining Armor asked simultaneously.

“Unfortunately...he's my older brother,” Emerald sighed, this is where Shining Armor glanced up at Celestia with a bit of shock. The look on Celestia's face was enough however for Emerald to figure out why she had asked the question, this only caused him to groan very softly. “That explains how he knew where your room was.”

Author's Note

Here's Chapter 2. I've had it done for a while. Make a note though I'm actually working ahead on the story. This chapter is subject to a bit of change a little later. Hope you enjoy it all.

And yes, I will finish this story. But let me work on it gradually. It'll be slow until I'm further ahead.

Silver's Mission

The Everfree Forest seemed even darker than it normally did as he found himself trudging through it. He had to be careful where he walked even with his horn aglow with a little bit of magic. This little bit of magic gave him some form of light, which allowed him to see his hoof in front of his face, but little else. This is how dark it was and it was terrifying for him too. As he walked over fallen branches and small twigs he couldn't help but wonder something. Why had he even agreed to this in the first place? Oh yes, it was at the request of his younger brother.

It was this sort of thing that frustrated him to no end, especially as he tripped over a tree root he had failed to notice. This caused him to fall face first into the mud before he even had time to react. Instinctively, his wings had fully extended even if he didn't have enough time to flap them. This only caused him to grumble quietly, slowly lifting his face from the mud.

“Damn you, Emerald...” he muttered, using his wings to push himself back up to his hooves. “You're going to owe me after this.” Once on his hooves he proceeded to wipe the mud from his face. After a moment his horn finally lit up even brighter than before and with a very simple spell, he had cast the mud from his long and glorious silver mane.

'It shouldn't be too far now...' he thought, his golden eyes now looking forward. Without another thought he pressed forward. It wasn't very long after this that he found himself entering a rather large clearing with a small canyon and a rather rickety bridge. On the other side of the bridge he could just see his target goal, a place he had read about in countless books but never actually seen for himself. An ancient castle, but not just any ancient castle; the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.

At least, what was left of it anyhow. Just by looking at it he could already see that time hadn't been too pleasant to the castle. It even made him question just how a castle in the Everfree Forest could still be standing after a thousand years, especially in this shape. As he crossed the bridge, the condition of the castle only became even more clear. With pieces of rubble occasionally falling off of it. Even with that though, it stood strong.

'How in Tartarus is this thing still standing?' he asked himself, each step growing more and more cautious. Each of his steps not only grew slower as he adjusted his ears to listen carefully, but his eyes were also darting in every which direction. In truth, he was absolutely terrified of this place as he could just feel the dark energy seeping out from it. This sensation not only made his dark blue fur stand up on end , but it made him very suspicious.

Without a second thought, he crept up to the castle as silently and swiftly as he possibly could, avoiding any possible noises. His eyes observed very carefully every little detail it could of the castle's structure. It was then he took notice of one of the windows, making an immediate dash for it. This made his job so much easier, at least, that's what he thought. Unfortunately in the particular window he had chosen, he saw nothing. This only proved to frustrate him even more than he already was as it appeared he simply just didn't want to enter the castle.

He spread his wings from this point and took to the air. It was here where he flew slowly around the building, searching for another window to peer inward. This plan was to no avail either as he was unable to find a window that he could actually see through. On top of that, he knew the front door was completely out of the question, knowing full well that it would completely reveal his presence to anything that might still be lurking within the walls. It wasn't until he had flown around the castle for a third time that he finally took notice of the roof. The rather large hole could actually prove perfect for what he had in mind.

He landed gracefully along the edge of the hole, his head peering just inside the building. It was perfect, he could see inside the throne room and he didn't even have to enter the castle. Inside, he took note of the emptiness. It was just as he thought, the castle itself was completely empty. At least, that was his initial thought. It wasn't until he began to listen closely to the interior that he was proven wrong. He froze and slowly his eyes grew very wide. The alicorn had to make a double take on the interior because he initially thought his eyes were deceiving him.

Even after rubbing his eyes very thoroughly, he still couldn't shake the sight. In the throne room he saw a figure. At first it was concealed through the darkness, but as it entered the light his jaw simply dropped. In the center of the throne room, trotting quietly was a mare. Not just any mare though, she had a long, purple mane and a pitch black coat. The mare's form was slender and upon closer inspection, her cutie mark resembled that of Princess Luna. The only real difference between this mare's and Princess Luna's however, was this mare's had slightly different colors. Whereas Luna's had a blue splotch with a pure white moon, this mare had a purple splotch with a very light blue moon.

“H-how...?!” he whispered which proved to be his big mistake. As the moment he spoke, the mare's attention shifted over to his hiding place. “Oh horsefeathers!” he cursed, having realized exactly what this meant for him. By the time he had spread his wings, it was already too late for him. In a matter of seconds he was face to face with possibly the most terrifying pony in history. Not only was she a fast flier, but she was a graceful fighter as well. As before he could even react to her movements, he found himself falling from the castle with his jaw throbbing. The stallion hit the ground with a thud before glancing up. It was here he found a horn pointed directly at his face.

“State your name and I might just spare your pitiful life!” the mare ordered, her horn beginning to glow.

“I-its Silver Crescent,” he stuttered, trying his best not to look scared. Although he found it rather difficult now facing down the most feared mare in history. 'I thought Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna were one in the same?' he asked himself as his eyes trailed over the alicorn mare. Even after doing as she had asked her horn inched a bit closer causing him to inch back a bit in response. “Hey! You said you'd spare my life!”

“I said 'might', fool!” she replied, easing up on her horn a tiny bit. Silver took advantage of this the instant it happened, unleashing a blast of pure magic from the tip of his horn. By the time she saw it coming however, it was far too late for her to even counter. The blast itself flung her back a fair distance, which gave Silver a moment to get back onto his hooves. It was here when he took advantage of her slightly dazed state, charging directly at her with his wings flapping. This gave his speed a bit of a boost, just enough so to allow him to actually force Nightmare Moon onto her back.

“Now...who are you?” he asked, lowering his horn at her. “And what in Equestria are you doing here?” There was a silence between the two of them, before she actually began to laugh very softly. It began as a chuckle, before escalating to a full blown evil cackle. This worried Silver, knowing people like Nightmare Moon only really laugh like this when they have a plan.

“Don't you recognize Equestria's one and only queen?” the mare laughed, only to see a smirk spread across the stallion's face.

“That's funny,” Silver snickered, “Because all I see is an alicorn mare in an old ruin.” This remark seemed to strike a chord with Nightmare Moon, as in the instant after he had said it, he found his entire body flying into the air at full force.

“Silence! You will show the proper respect to your queen!” she ordered, as Silver's body crashed onto the ground again.

“My queen?” he asked, as he lifted his body. “Ahhahhahaha!” this was the turning point for him as he proceeded to hit the ground with his hoof, finally breaking into a fit of laughter. It was a serious one too as he had visible tears in his eyes. “The ones that rule me, are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Not you, Nightmare Moon!” These words seemed to cause a reaction in the mare, as her face began to burn a bright red. In a combination of embarrassment and anger at the mere thought of a stallion like this laughing at her. Not once in her life had she been more insulted than she was now.

“You shall regret those words...” she muttered, anger visible in her voice before she just seemed to vanish completely. The laughter ended a second after she had vanished and Silver's eyes grew wide. Before he even had time to react, he found himself being flung into the air by a uppercut from Nightmare Moon's hoof, leaving him partially stunned at just how fast she was able to move.

'Then again...she and Luna were once one mare...' he thought as she flew up, landing another strike on him. This time on the top of his head right next to his horn. That strike sent him spiraling right into the ground rather hard, leaving an impact crater about the same size as his body.

Just as he began to pick himself up again, Silver found himself beating forced back with another powerful hoof strike to his jaw. The blow was a hard one, one that caused him to float a tiny bit before he crashed into the ground and skidded. A tree was the only thing that stopped his path as he crashed into it, back first. As you can imagine that had been rather painful, to the point where it had blurred his vision a tiny bit. In that moment, he came to the realization that he was outmatched. Although it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Yet, for some reason or another he found himself struggling back up to his hooves still ready to fight.

Silver's mind immediately began to work over many different possible ideas that he could use against this mare. Some were just simple spells, others were more complex strategies. Each time though, he was reminded of the fact that Nightmare Moon was a part of Luna. What this said to him wasn't very good either. It only said that his situation was utterly hopeless, as in countless history books he had read through, he knew Luna had been a very skilled warrior and a genius tactician. Not only that, but her magic was far beyond his. These were just simple facts that poured over him as he smirked at her, seeming completely confident.

It was in that moment that he finally saw it. The moment she saw his smirk was the moment he had found his ace in the hole, his ticket out. As in that very instant she saw this confidence, she flew into a bit of a rage before charging him. Unfortunately though, he could do very little to counter her strength. It worked into a decent plan he had formulated though, which only looked more likely as she pinned him onto the ground.

'One thousand years on the moon...alone,' he thought, his smirk only growing as he glanced up at Nightmare Moon. 'Well...in a sense.' It was the opportune moment to spring his plan. She stood just above him and given at least one of his hooves were free, he took clear advantage of it. Ever so slowly, he raised his right hoof, gently moving it to her left cheek and very slowly down her neck before letting the sensation fade away.

“Nng!” Nightmare Moon groaned, before she leapt off him and took a few steps back nervously. While it wasn't the type of contact she herself was used to. It was the kind that her other half had grown accustomed to. Due to the simple fact that she had been without this for so many years on the moon, her body's reaction was instant.

'Easy...' Silver thought as he glanced up at her. 'Now...just...keep it up.' This simple thought nearly caused him to gag. Now it wasn't the thought of having to seduce this mare or anything that seemed to bother him. 'Relax Silver...she IS an attractive mare...' he told himself. Although it was to little avail as something seemed to turn him off about her. Yet, it was the only real way he could think of as his plan had already begun to work.

It was evident by the scent that now filled the air. As Silver moved back up to his hooves, he could smell the very distinct scent of Nightmare Moon's arousal. How had she gotten turned on that easily? That was simple. A thousand years of pent up desire and no proper method of release. The scent itself seemed to ease his mind a little bit as he made his approach to the rather reluctant Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon's reluctance only came for one reason, her own surprise. She never would have expected something like this to happen, so almost immediately she began to back away as the stallion approached. Yet, as he approached, she couldn't help but grow even more turned on by his advances. It wasn't until she had backed herself into a corner that she finally gave in. Once he was within range, she leapt all over him.

That caught Silver off guard, yet he seemed perfectly complacent with this entire thing. Especially as he felt her lips pressing against his. He did little to fight back, in fact, he seemed to egg her on as he returned the kiss with just as much lust. Each second, he trailed his hooves gently over her body. Caressing every inch he possibly could as she pinned him down. An audible moan slipped from the throat of the night mare as it continued, his touch seeming to bring a great deal of pleasure to her.

She craved it, from the very instant she felt that initial touch her body wanted nothing more than to have this stallion. This was evident in her arousal as well, as it seemed to soak his fur. The instant the kiss broke he glanced up at her with that obnoxious smirk of his. At first it annoyed her, but now she just found it irresistible. She couldn't really explain it, there was just something about that look in his eyes. It only seemed to magnify the lust and arousal now controlling her mind.

“Want to stake your claim?” Silver teased, this only made Nightmare climb right off him and proceed to return to the castle. Just as he was about to get up however, her horn lit up and gripped his tail. Silver's eyes grew wide when this happened and it was then that he realized his biggest mistake. 'I should have let her kill me...'

The next thing Silver knew, he was being forced onto an old bed. One he was certain had been used by Luna, as judging by his surroundings. Although he'd love to search through the room, that wasn't the most important thought on his mind at the present moment. The first thing on his mind was the mare that was now grinding against his crotch rather desperately. He couldn't fight back now, if he did it would only be far worse for him. Nightmare's desperation gave him another idea though. With his own growing arousal and a smirk on his face he knew what he had to do.

Silver drew on what strength he could muster, regardless of whether he wanted to or not and forced Nightmare right off of him. At first, she seemed upset, but when he pinned her down that all changed. She submitted completely to it, almost as if it was what she wanted and she seemed to especially enjoy when he nipped on her ear playfully. In this moment she seemed just like a normal mare, even for a lust driven one.

“D-don't tease me!” she cried out as he continued to nip on her ear. This only made her even more submissive to him, slowly lowering her head back onto a rather old pillow. With full control now, Silver began to slowly work a bit of his own personal magic, kissing down her body. This only seemed to increase her anticipation, as signified by her moans, each one growing louder than the last. The further down he went, the more she squirmed. She was now completely lost in the moment, swimming in ecstasy.

Silver also began to lose himself in the passion as he began to please the mare. This only worked to excite said mare even further as her moans grew louder with each second. It was in that moment, as he slowly moved down her body that she felt it. Nightmare felt his full length as it gently rubbed up against one of her legs. That sensation caused her to glance down and when she did, she only blushed at the sight.

“Excited, aren't we?” Nightmare asked as she moved her hoof beneath his chin. “Easy though, it's been a while since I've done anything.”

“But...aren't you just a copy of Princess Luna?” Silver asked, although he probably shouldn't have. This is where Nightmare sent him quite a dangerous glare, one that made him very scared, almost like she had intention of eating him. The glare made him freeze for just an instant before he resumed placing very soft kisses all over her body.

The further Silver moved down, the more pleasure Nightmare felt and the more pleasure she felt, the louder she became. When he finally reached her entrance however, she let out a very loud moan the instant she felt contact. What he did next though caught her completely off guard. It had been enough to send her mind swimming again like he had before.

“Silver!” Nightmare cried as his tongue began to caress her entrance. This sent wave after wave of endless bliss throughout her body, which had been craving it since he began. Silver on the other hand seemed to pay little mind to her responses and just continued to please her. She began to breathe a little heavier as he continued, his tongue eventually sliding into her.

What only added to the already intense pleasure she was now receiving, she even felt a bit of his muzzle push into her. It only made her cry out even louder than she had before, which was actually a good thing. Nightmare's enthusiasm seemed to increase along with Silver's as he pushed his muzzle into her very slowly. It formed a gentle rhythm after a moment or two, which only seemed to drive her even crazier as evident by her moans and gentle grinding on his face.

It wasn't long however before a thousand years of celibacy caught up with the mare's body. The combination of the grinding, his muzzle and suppressed desires proved to be just too much for Nightmare and she finally just threw her head back. In a second she felt everything vanish, before being overcome with possibly the most intense feeling she had ever felt. She simply couldn't describe it with words, but a series of moans and screams that would only grow louder as Silver continued on. Even while his face was being coated with a fair amount of her sweet juices.

After Nightmare's body began to settle from the first orgasm, he finally pulled his muzzle away. In that moment, she had gone relatively limp from the overwhelming pleasure. Silver took full advantage of this instance, quickly moving back up to face her in the eyes. By the time she finally returned to her senses, it was too late to make a move against him. As if she wanted to in the first place, feeling every inch of his length gently grinding against her. It was that action that only seemed to increase her appetite for more, especially as she felt the tip pressing firmly against her.

“Easy...” Nightmare whispered to him and he complied at first. Gently thrusting his full length into her until their hips met. As he slid in she squirmed beneath him, feeling the pleasure only growing more intense than it had before. Yes, it had a bit of pain mixed in with it, granted she hadn't taken anything in a while, but she enjoyed that. The pain added a bit of flavor to the pleasure, only making her want more and more as she wrapped her front legs around his shoulders.

Silver too was swimming in sheer delight at just how tight she was. He didn't think much on this though as he slowly began to pull out. Just as he was pulling out, he thrust his way back in. This initial thrust was like bliss to Nightmare when she felt it. Silver only added to the sensation of bliss as he begun to repeat his movements. His rhythm started off slowly, before gradually beginning to increase. As the rhythm increased the pleasure also began to increase.

“F-faster!” Nightmare ordered, much to her own satisfaction, Silver complied. Increasing the rhythm just a bit. As it increased this time, his thrusting also became a little more intense. To the point where she actually had to move her hooves down to his flank. Now attempting to hold on for dear life. “S-Silver!” she cried out, as the bed itself began to creak even louder beneath them. The faster they moved, the more the bed creaked.

Silver grunted, his thrusting becoming more vigorous each passing minute, this only made the bed creak even more, eventually reaching the point where the headboard was being slammed against the wall. As the pleasure grew, so did his desire to continue thrusting even harder. What sent him over the edge in his thrusting though was Nightmare's next scream. As she threw her head back, he could feel her inner walls constricting around his member. The pleasure was intense beyond reason for him, only causing him to cry out himself. It even worked to increase the vigorous nature of his thrusting. His lust, his desire. The pleasure, the building pressure. It was driving him wild.

Nightmare seemed to enjoy this herself. She clutched his flank as tight as she could, his thrusts growing more and more intense. It was here where she nearly jumped in surprise as amidst his intense thrusting, the bed beneath them finally gave way. The legs were no longer able to hold up against the continuous rocking motions they were making and it finally snapped, falling flat onto the ground.

“Oops...” Silver muttered, his eyes glancing over their surroundings. The pause however was short-lived as Nightmare quietly looked up at him, as if she was wondering what was taking him so long. In fact, the longer she lied there with him inside her, the more annoyed she became.

“Well?” she asked, raising a brow,

“Well what?” Silver asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at her.

“FINISH THE JOB!” Nightmare roared, Silver blushed a tiny bit as he resumed thrusting into her. The instant the waves of pleasure resumed washing over the mare, she calmed down significantly. Before long, the thrusts had reached the intensity that had caused the bed to give way beneath them. It was at that point where she actually began to moan from the sheer delight of his thrusting. Once again clutching his flank for dear life.

The pleasure climbed very quickly, growing even more intense than it had before. Nightmare couldn't exactly explain why this was happening, but she didn't care. All she could figure was the pause made it feel all the more pleasurable. By this time she actually needed to use both of her hooves to hold onto him with how intense his thrusting was. She loved each and every second of the building pleasure to the point where her mind swam in complete bliss.

Nightmare knew she wouldn't last much longer, she could feel it in her loins. She could feel the pleasure soar to its peak as her muscles tensed and her mind went completely blank. It came like a volcano eruption, wave upon wave of sheer delight washed over her in a matter of seconds as her muscles contracted. While there wasn't very much as compared to the previous, the mare's fluids still splattered over his crotch area. What made it all better too, was as her orgasm died down, she could feel a second wave coming onto her.

Nightmare's muscles contracted again as Silver continued to thrust into her. Which sent her mind swimming even further. So much so, that she was actually forced to release her grip on his flank. This made him smirk deviously. It wouldn't be very much longer now.

The pleasure for Silver had grown quite significantly as her inner walls tightened around his member. This only increased the vigor of his thrusts. He was nearing his limit, he didn't know if it was because of how tight she was right now or what, but either way he loved every second of this. He had long since pushed aside his sense of disgust for this mare, now finding complete enjoyment in this. Least for as long he lasted.

'Just...a bit more...' he thought, keeping his mind focused more on pleasing the mare now. He could feel his own muscles tightening after a couple minutes of thrusting. It took a great deal of mental control for him to hold back, even with a strained look on his face. However, as Nightmare's third orgasm in a row began, he couldn't hold back any longer. With one final thrust, he released his seed deep within her. It was thick too, quickly filling her up and oozing out of her very slowly.

The two of them were exhausted by the time both of their orgasms finished. Very slowly, Silver pulled out of the mare, before simply collapsing at her side as she continued to lie on the bed in awe at what just happened. As she lied there, reveling in it all. She found her mind wandering and slowly drifting from consciousness. Nightmare's exhaustion finally catching up with her. While she hadn't moved a whole lot, the whole ordeal had taken its toll. Before long, she was actually out like a light. It was signified by her slowed breathing. As she drifted off, Silver simply observed and once he was positive she was asleep, his horn lit up and he vanished from the room.

Nightmare would be completely unaware that he had left at all, at least until the morning. Silver was certain of that to say the least as he snuck from the old castle and back into the Everfree Forest.

Author's Note

Yes, this chapter had some Nightmare Moon rompings in it. I went there. And don't worry, Everything has a significance in my story.

Luna's adviser

Chapter 4

Luna rubbed her temples as she sat at a desk. It hadn't even been a total of fifteen minutes yet and already her head was pounding from the sheer amount of stress she had. She let the papers fall back onto the desk as she leaned back with a sigh, failing to understand what each individual thing on them meant.

'Things have changed...' she thought, as she glanced back down at the papers, looking them over once again. At the very top they read 'Application for Employment' in large bold letters. She understood that part, along with the part regarding the individual's name, address and other contact information, but as she moved further down on the application, she only found that her headache was growing worse. It eventually reached the point where she just slid her hoof right across the desk, forcing the papers onto the ground as she just simply hit her head on the desk with a groan.

Luna raised her head at the moment the door swung open. The pony that stood in the doorway appeared as a great relief to the mare, as she met him with a small smile. Not only was she looking for an excuse to not do her work at this particular moment, but she also found herself being lost in the stallion that placed the mushroom omelet and the glass of water on the desk.

Whether it was the smell of the omelet or the stallion's very attractive features, she didn't know. Either way though, her mouth was watering from it. Luna's heart rate jumped as she was met with both the pleasant aroma and the pleasant sight of that certain very attractive stallion, Emerald. What was it about this stallion that got her blood flowing? She had no idea, but she loved it either way. Not only that, but it was also the first time in a long time that a stallion had even got her feeling like this. Usually it was mares that did this trick.

'I haven't seen such a fine stallion in a long time...' she thought, as she felt her body temperature slowly beginning to rise. 'Damn it Luna! Keep yourself under control! Its unbecoming of a princess to get aroused in company! Even if that company is very attractive...' As these thoughts crossed her mind, Emerald just gazed at her with a blissfully unaware smile.

“How's work?” he asked, as the mare licked her lips.

“I-its...going great!” Luna lied, which earned a bit of a glare from Emerald. “I-I just chose my court advisor!” Immediately, her horn lit up and the nearest paper levitated right in front of her. “One Flash Sentry!” It was evident just by the look on her face that she was lying out her teeth. Not only that, but even though it had only been a week since his arrival he already learned quite a bit about the Solar Guard. Namely the pony she had just named off.

“Are you sure about that?” Emerald asked, “I hear from Shining Armor that he's...not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. He's strong, but...apparently he's a little arrogant.”

“And?” Luna asked, “I don't mind if I have to...'break him in' as they say!” Emerald shook his head slowly, before sighing very softly.

“Here, Princess, allow me,” he said, “Fill your stomach first, I'll handle this.” Emerald's horn lit up again and several of the papers levitated up to him, including the one with Flash Sentry's name on it.

“Glad to see omelets haven't changed too much at least!” she exclaimed as she bit down on it. However, it came as a shock to her at the sheer amount of flavor she was met with. The flavor was absolutely exquisite to her tastebuds. She could not only taste the sweet flavor of the cheese, but she could even taste all the spices that the chef had put into it. It had so much flavor that she couldn't help but groan in pleasure. “I...stand corrected...” Emerald chuckled at Luna's response, glancing at her as she gobbled down the omelet as if her life depended on it.

It was a good couple of minutes after Luna had finished up her omelet before she once again turned her attention back to the stallion as he continued to flip through each and every application. Once he set them down however, it was another story. As his expression grew very serious rather abruptly.

“Alright, Princess,” Emerald started, before he was met with a hoof to his lips.

“Please...just call me Luna,” she cooed, almost seductively, “I trust you...”

“Alright, Luna,” he continued, clearing his throat, “You see, for a court adviser, you want to select somepony who has a bit more worldly experience. In this case, its not just about their employment experience but about how much of the world they've seen.” he explained, “Least compared to what it was a thousand years ago.”

“That, I am aware of,” Luna said, “But...how do I know the right pony for the job? I need somepony who can help us restore the night to its former glory!” This caused Emerald to take a seat before her, while tapping his chin in thought. “And it would also have to be somepony with connections throughout Equestria! Somepony who knows what he or she is doing!”

“Well...I do know a few ponies...” the stallion muttered, Luna's ear twitched and a glint appeared in the mare's eye the moment she heard him utter these words. “...and a number of them owe me favors...so if I send a few letters...” It was then a lightbulb went off in the mare's mind and a grin spread across her face. A very devious grin, one that hadn't been seen in Equestria for a thousand years. It even terrified Emerald to see such a grin, as he was left wondering exactly what was running through her mind.

“Wait!” she snapped, “I think I know the perfect candidate for my court advisor....AND my Captain of the Guard.” This caught Emerald off guard when he heard it, how was it possible she found two ponies so quickly? He couldn't exactly figure out exactly who she could be talking about, but as she walked around her desk and placed her hoof on his shoulder with a smile, it became clear.

“Emerald Crescent, can you handle the responsibilities of being my captain as well as my court adviser?” Even if he had seen it coming, it wouldn't have stopped his jaw from hitting the floor. He was absolutely dumbfounded at the question, so much so, that he just sat there quietly as it registered in his mind.

“B-but...I..h-how...w-why...?” Emerald stammered, finding himself unable to even form a coherent question. Yet, Luna was seemingly able to understand what exactly he was trying to ask.

“It was one of the things I haven't stopped thinking about since you first showed up!” Luna said, “I wasn't sure at first...so I requested Shining Armor dig up some information on you.” she paused a moment, looking the stallion straight in the eyes. “What I found was nothing short of interesting. While your real talent, as pointed out by your cutie mark is writing romance novels...you are one very interesting stallion. Not only are you strong, but you've traveled the world...and your family is even part of the loyalists. I thought they had vanished many years ago, even my sister had lost track of your family! At least, until you surfaced.”

“W-well...my brothers and I...we went underground after our mother vanished,” Emerald pointed out, “The only family member I actually kept in contact with was my eldest brother, Silver Crescent.” This peaked Luna's curiosity very quickly. She had heard the name a few times since her return and it seemed to even be a name that got on Shining Armor's nerves particularly. It only made her smile.

“Where is this brother of yours?” she asked, her curiosity now getting the better of her. “And what's he like?” This question seemed to annoy Emerald very deeply as his ears lowered again. However unlike the last time, this time his face was one of frustration and annoyance.

“Silver...is....difficult...” he muttered, “He...flirts with nearly every mare he sees! I can't even get him to hold a serious conversation half the time! He's a pervert!” Luna broke out into a fit of laughter with how Emerald had stated it. It came onto her very quickly and filled the office. It went on for at least a good five minutes as tears began to fall from her eyes.

“HAHA—You-Hehe--mean he's THAT kind of pony?” she was finally able to ask as her laughter died down and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Yes...and that's not even the most annoying part...” Emerald whispered, his voice filling with shame and disappointment. “He's also...an Alicorn...” Luna's wings shot out and her eyes grew very wide the very instant she heard the final word.

'A-an...alicorn?' she asked herself, 'There...are still other alicorns?' Luna seemed to drift off into a brief daze. Thankfully it didn't last long though as Emerald quickly snapped her from it.

“And...as for his location...I sent him to Ponyville for some information,” Emerald added, “While he does work for Princess Celestia as a spy...he's also my best informant. Even if he is a letch.”

Luna's eyes narrowed at the mentioning of Ponyville, however she didn't really speak a word. Instead, she only turned her head toward a window in the room, one that allowed her a great view of a fair amount of the land itself. While normally she'd look just to enjoy the view, this time was a bit different. It was almost as if upon the mentioning of Ponyville, she had felt something. This made Emerald fairly suspicious as to what she was thinking, especially with the serious look on her face.

“Luna?” the stallion voiced, placing his hoof on her shoulder. The response was instant as her cheeks lit up very bright, even her gradually darkening coat couldn't hide the redness now on her cheeks. This caused her gaze to return to the stallion, meeting his with a small smile. “About...your offer too...”

“What do you say?” she asked, taking ahold of the hoof he had placed on her shoulder. While this didn't make him uncomfortable, he couldn't help but blush a bit as he moved a bit closer to the princess.

“I accept,” he finally said after a couple minutes of silent gazing. “I'd love nothing more than to serve you.”

'In what ways?' she asked herself with a soft giggle. “Glad to know...but...you should really watch how you phrase something...” The mare's voice slowly became a bit more seductive at this point, teasing almost as she gazed deep into his eyes. “Because...right now, I'd love nothing more...than to be serviced by you.” It took Emerald just a couple of seconds to figure out what she meant, especially with her hoof now underneath his chin and the other slowly moving down his cheek. He wanted to resist immediately, but his body simply wouldn't listen to him and no matter how hard he tried, he found it increasingly difficult to actually even want to pull himself away.

Luna didn't waste a single second of this time. She simply brought her lips together with his and this contact sent a shiver up her spine. It was a rather pleasant shiver too, one that would make her moan very softly in her own throat as he began to kiss back. He didn't put up a bit of a fight, instead he seemed to encourage her a bit as his hooves began to move up around her shoulders. She felt it, and only let it deepen the kiss the two were now sharing. The two could feel it now, the heat radiating off each other's bodies. It was intense already as she began to push against Emerald.

As she did, he felt himself back right up against the desk and very carefully he even let himself be pushed onto it. This was already starting to get to him very quickly. Not only was there heat, but there was also lust radiating from the mare and he rather enjoyed the feeling it gave him, especially as he felt himself beginning to grow a bit more uncomfortable with her on top of him.

Luna too could feel something. Not only had her desires begun to surface again, but she was actually getting a desired response from him. Between their bodies, she could feel his member beginning to show itself. It was only when he had reached his full length did she actually feel his size. It was impressive to her, only working to further her desires.

Luna broke the kiss for a moment, taking the time to actually look him in his eyes. In that moment, she saw something that made her heart leap. In his eyes she took note of not only his lust, but also the strange touch of affection he had for her. This was a look she didn't receive very often, but she knew right there that he actually cared for her. Which made it all the more meaningful when she brought his lips back to her again.

At this point she seemed to lose all care in the world as his hooves caressed her body. It was the type of attention she had missed very dearly over the past thousand years. She loved absolutely every second of it. She could feel her heart racing, she could feel herself growing more and more aroused with each gentle, caressing touch.

The longer it continued, the more aroused both ponies grew. It even became apparent of Luna's own arousal by a very powerful scent that was slowly filling the room. She could even feel a bit of dampness in her loins. At the same time she even felt a bit of dampness on her stomach. She knew what this meant without even thinking about it. It wasn't very long before she broke the kiss again with a grin on her face.

“Emerald...” she cooed, moving her hoof down his cheek. “I...need an important favor from you...” she began, “I'm sure you can guess what that favor is...” the stallion didn't need words to know what she needed. She had made it fairly clear over the past week exactly what she wanted. That she wanted more than just him in her court. She wanted him for another reason. He just hoped he could actually help with the situation. Luna slowly climbed from the desk and off of him. The first thing she saw made her smile. To say the least she was rather pleased with it.

“My...someone's ready to please their princess,” She cooed playfully, watching as he followed. The next couple of minutes felt like an eternity as she lifted her tail a tiny bit. This caused him to scramble immediately and mount her. Just as he was positioning himself however, the door to her office swung open and they were met with both Shining Armor and her sister.

“Umm....” Shining Armor stammered, his entire face now glowing a bright red.

“Don't you ever knock!” Luna roared in her Canterlot voice.

Celestia on the other hand moved her hoof over Shining Armor's face as quickly as she could, along with turning her head away from the two. It was too late however, both Emerald and Luna had been completely embarrassed, as evident by the looks on their faces. It was a good couple of minutes before they were able to make themselves as decent as possible, Emerald having to take refuge behind Luna's desk, while she stomped up to her older sister. By that time, Shining Armor had already quietly trotted from the room in his own embarrassment.

“Now...Tia, why are you here?” she asked, with a bit of frustration in her voice.

“Shining and I came to see if you had selected your court adviser yet,” the alabaster mare calmly replied, even given the present circumstances. “But apparently...you were dealing with 'other' matters instead...”

“Haha! Dear sister, that is where you are wrong!” she cheered, a grin now on her face. “Emerald and I were merely attempting to...'celebrate' the selection of my captain and adviser.” Celestia's ears perked, almost as if she had misheard her sister.

“You...already chose both a captain and adviser for your court and the Lunar Guard?” she asked, perplexed and a little curious.

“Do you think I would honestly do something like that without good reason?” she asked, giggling. “Maybe you don't know me as well as you thought, Tia.” The grin she wore on her face previously slowly becoming more and more devious as she continued.

“So, tell me who it is? So I can get you all the appropriate paperwork,” Celestia said, but this is when she was met with an even more perplexing behavior, particularly her motions toward the stallion now hiding his lower half with the desk. After a few seconds of silly gestures, Luna simply sighed.

“Its Emerald, sister!” Luna said, “He's my captain and adviser!”

It was only when Luna said this that everything seemed to click into place. It all made sense from then on exactly why the two were about to have their way with one another. Celestia could only nod in understanding, not really wanting her sister to know exactly ran through her head at this particular moment.

'I...just hope you're not setting yourself up for heartbreak, Lulu...'

Everfree Discovery

Chapter 5

It was a quiet summer afternoon, a gentle breeze was wafting over Ponyville just as it ticked past midday. On this particular day, a lavender mare with a sapphire colored mane sat atop a small hill just on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Right beside her she carried a wooden clipboard that had several sheets of paper attached to it and floating with the use of her telekinesis was a very fine quill.

On the actual paper were various sketch-type drawings of many different kinds of flora, much like the one she had just finished drawing before setting the clipboard back into her saddlebags along with the quill. She grinned, before trotting right down the hill in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Just as she was approaching however, her ears twitched. The sound of breaking branches and snapping twigs caused the mare to take a step back. At the very instant she did, she became rather aware of a voice that was filled with a significant amount of frustration. She even took note of a figure weaving recklessly through the darkness of the forest, to which she assumed was the source of all the noise.

Nervousness filled her being as the dark figure drew closer and closer. She gulped, having to take another step back. It was at the very instant that she stepped back that a rather large dark blue alicorn fumbled and tripped through the foliage and out of the forest. He landed face first into the dirt and grass in what looked like a rather painful way. In fact, his entire body looked painful as he was covered with various scratches and bruises that were visible through his coat. Feathers were missing, clumps of fur had been removed and were left with patches of a few bloody scratches. On top of that, even his mane was a complete disaster by this point. It was filled with twigs and leaves, all tangled up in various knots. He was a complete wreck.

The mere sight of him made Twilight jump in shock, but what really frightened her was him slowly lifting his head to meet her gaze. Plastered on his face was a somewhat goofy grin considering his position and it was followed by a rather soft chuckle.

“Did...the heavens loose an angel?” the stallion muttered weakly, “A-although...I don't think I've ever seen a lavender angel before...” the mare's ears tilted back and her cheeks flushed a tiny bit. This hadn't been the first time she had received a compliment like this, particularly from a stallion. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she recalled another particular stallion paying her a similar compliment back when she was still living in the castle. However, the big difference between the two was, this particular stallion's voice seem to hold more sincerity in it over the previous. He was even a bit more handsome and an alicorn to boot.

'Wait...an alicorn?!' This is where the mare's mind went into complete overdrive. 'I thought there were only three alicorns! And I thought they were all mares too! I've never seen an alicorn stallion before!' Everything grew a bit awkward at this particular moment as she began to eyeball every inch of his body. At least what she could see given about half of him was still entangled in a bush.

To say the least, for Silver, this was quite an awkward situation. As he found himself drifting in and out of consciousness while she examined his body. It actually made him feel like a slab of meat as he glanced up at the lavender mare. His vision was blurred as he watched her move around his body and it was only growing more awkward the longer he sat there.

“Um...help?” he begged. The reaction was instant as the mare seemed to go from examining him out of simple curiosity, to realizing that she was dealing with an injured pony, regardless of which kind he was. This is when she flew into full panic mode and the very last thing the stallion saw was a bright purple light before the world around him went dark.

The very instant he had passed out, the mare had teleported back into Ponyville, in a complete state of panic. She galloped through the streets as fast as her legs would carry her trying to find some help. She first thought to go to the hospital, but the question arose if they could even treat an alicorn properly? The next thing she thought of though was bringing him to the library and treat him herself. Which wasn't that bad of an idea, however the stallion in question was not a pony she could lift on her own. Even with magic, she knew she couldn't lift him.

As she ran through Ponyville though, allowing various potential ideas for getting Silver back to the library fast it actually dawned on her. When the idea came to mind, she skidded to a stop before simply shaking her head at her fears.

'I could've just simply teleported him!' she screamed in her head as her horn lit up. It was then that another fear ran through her mind. 'I...left him alone....near the Everfree Forest!' This is where she would probably have to slap herself. She couldn't believe that she just teleported away and left him at the edge of the forest unconscious. How could she have done such a thing? What would her mentor say to her if she found out about this? The aura surrounding her horn lit up very bright at this point. She could feel the warmth traveling throughout her entire body before she simply vanished again from the streets of Ponyville, now appearing once again at the stallion's side.

“I'm so sorry!” the mare cried out when she reached his side. “Just hold on, you'll be fine!” Without a seconds' hesitation, her aura surrounded the two of them and they both vanished in a bright purple flash of light. The next thing the mare knew, she was scrambling down the stairs of her home into the library.

“Spike! Spike!” she cried as she galloped down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. “Get the first aid kit! We need it now!” As the mare skidded into the kitchen, the first thing she'd take notice of would be the state it was in. While it wasn't too bad, it was still quite a mess. On top of that, she watched as a baby dragon mixed a bowl of cake batter with gem bits in it.

“Twilight!” the dragon cried out in shock, the urgency and volume of the mare's voice almost causing him to drop the mixing bowl he had. “I-I thought you wouldn't be back for a couple more hours!”

“I wasn't expecting to come back until then either!” Twilight snapped, her panic getting the better of her for the moment. “But...something came up! I found somepony at the edge of the Everfree!” It took a second for this to register for Spike, granted he was accustomed to Twilight's panic attacks, but never like this. The look in her eyes was even more upset than usual for some reason, but he dared not question it. “He's in bad shape and I need the first aid kit! Where is it?!” All the poor dragon could do was simply point in the direction of the cupboard where it was stashed.

In the time Twilight was searching for the First Aid kit, Silver had actually begun to stir again. As his eyes flicked open and the world once again came into focus, he found himself waking up not only with a splitting headache, but his whole body in a bit of pain. He felt sore, extremely sore but he knew why that was. He could even feel small spots of searing pain all across his body as he slowly lifted his head.

Silver had to rub his eyes as he glanced around the room, the blurriness faded very quickly as he made an attempt to climb from the bed. Just as he lifted his hoof and placed it on the wooden floor, his ears twitched. Hoofsteps up the stairs, they were frantic no less. This made him panic, retracting his hoof from the floor and returning his body to the position it had been not more than a few seconds ago as he waited for the hoofsteps to reach him.

'Don't move a muscle...' he thought, 'Don't let her know you're awake yet...' but he also knew it wouldn't be long before she found out. He knew some of the larger cuts he had needed treatment, otherwise he could be on the opposite end of some really nasty infections. However, what really made him not want to move was the mare in question. Silver knew very well that he had seen her somewhere, but where had he?

His eyes veered up as she reached the bedside. Unlike the last time, this time he actually got a very good look at her. At which point he felt his heart stop as she opened up the first aid kit. All of it came flooding back to him on exactly who this mare was. It was so much that it even made his life flash a little before his very eyes as he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

'Oh horsefeathers...' he thought, as a cold chill ran up his spine. 'I used a pick up line on Twilight Sparkle...' he slowly closed his eyes and at the very second he did, an image of Princess Celestia banishing him to the sun ran through his mind. 'No...she won't banish me to the sun for hurting her student...she'll have me executed...' Even though he knew the chances of this were very unlikely, it was still a possibility if he hurt Twilight in any way. Plus, that didn't add what a few other ponies could do to him if he did either.

Silver's train of thought went on for quite a while, at least until he felt a cotton swab being dabbed on one of his wounds. The very instant it made contact though, he felt an even greater searing pain from the antiseptic that she was using. Which only caused him to wince before he glanced up at her again.

“I know you're awake,” Twilight whispered, it was obvious too, considering he was gazing up at her. This only made Silver grin as he readjusted his position on the bed as so she could continue cleaning up some of his wounds.

“Am I that obvious?” he asked, as his own horn lit up, which began to remove the leaves and twigs from his mane and body. He even piled them neatly just off the side of the bed. This whole process took a good few minutes and actually helped distract himself from the pain of the antiseptic. It was short-lived however as by the time he had finished, he felt another burst travel up his body. “Can you please be a bit more gentle?”

“I'm being as gentle as I can!” she snapped, “It wasn't MY fault that you were this badly hurt!” This in particular caused his ears to lower a tiny bit with a small blush appearing on his cheeks. She was right of course too. It was his own fault for the injuries he had sustained, granted he had decided against flying out of the forest for fear of being spotted. Which had proven to be a bit of a mistake.

'But...its not a total loss...' he added to his thoughts, 'I did just meet this very...lovely mare.' Silver had to catch himself in his own thoughts, feeling an immediate wave of shame washing over his mood. 'No! Bad! She's Princess Celestia's student! I shouldn't even be thinking about that!' he screamed in his mind, even as his eyes traveled over the curves of her body. 'Although...she is still a mare...' he thought, as his eyes trailed back past her rump, to which he couldn't exactly get a good view of. 'And a beautiful one at that...'

The entire time Twilight was treating Silver, she took notice of the looks she was receiving. It wasn't exactly the first time she had seen anypony actually eyeballing her. She had a few in the past, but not very many. However, this was the first time she could genuinely catch a pony in the act and she wanted to tell him off for it. However, something about this particular instance actually found it rather cute, only making her smile instead.

“I'm Twilight--” the mare started before she found a hoof gently pressed against her lips.

“You don't need to introduce yourself, Twilight Sparkle,” Silver smiled, “I already know who you are...I did work at the castle directly under Princess Celestia for about a year.”

“Oh you did? Then what did you exactly do at the castle?” Twilight asked, “I don't think I've ever seen you around before.” At this particular moment, his smile morphed into a very playful grin. Almost as if he had something in mind.

“If I told you, then I'd have to kill you,” he jokingly replied, however the response he received wasn't what he had expected at all. Instead it only made Twilight take a few steps back from him. She looked absolutely frightened by it. It was something that at first he thought it was funny, but at the same time also be informative of his job at the castle. When it didn't work however and instead only frightened her a tiny bit, he sighed. “I'm kidding, Twilight!” he finally said, “My job is being an informant for the Princess and to help keep Equestria safe and peaceful.”

“I-Informant?” she inquired curiously.

“A spy essentially,” Silver replied, “My name is Silver Crescent.”

“Equestria has spies?” she continued on, it was followed by another soft sigh as Silver slowly shook his head.

“Yes, of course it does. All kingdoms have spies. In Equestria's case, there are a total of three,” he explained, “Thankfully its a very relaxed job so we don't need a large number, we just simply need quality. Its also why we're paid on a salary instead of hourly wages.”

“But...what purpose...?” Twilight tried to ask, but before she could he once again stopped her. He was actually perfectly calm as he gathered all of his thoughts on the matter. A smile moved across his face once again before he chuckled very softly.

“How do you think the Princess keeps the peace so well?” Silver asked Twilight, which only made her question it as well. In fact, it was something she often did wonder about. Especially given how often some of the nobles she had seen always seemed to bow a little bit more to Celestia. “She has people like us, who seek out information on individuals. Especially nobles who have...oversized egos.” the moment after he had said that, he coughed a couple of times and she could swear she heard him say a name amongst the coughs. To her it had sounded like she said the word 'blue', but she simply ignored it for the most part.

“So...you're telling me that she has a bit of dirt on every noble in Canterlot?” Twilight asked, there was a brief pause before the mare actually broke out into a fit of laughter. Silver couldn't quite tell what she was laughing at. Either it was the fact about the nobles or it was the simple fact that he was claiming to be a spy for the princess. Granted it was a little tough to believe, given just how peaceful Equestria typically was.

“Don't believe me, huh?” he called on the laughter after about thirty seconds. Twilight's laughter began to die down by that point, after which she wiped the tears from her eyes. As she returned her gaze to the stallion lying on her bed, he could see exactly what she thought about him written all over her face. It was very evident, especially in her eyes, that she didn't have much belief in the fact that he was what he said.

“Why would I?!” she replied, “You haven't exactly given me any real evidence that you're a spy! Or that you even know Princess Celestia for that matter!” she laughed again, which only caused Silver to just sigh very softly as he listened. “I could even make an argument that you don't even look the part! But I might just be reading one too many spy novels.” It was at this point where he simply smirked.

“Unless we're attending some formal event, we don't wear suits,” Silver stated, “Far too uncomfortable to wear constantly.” he only paused for an instant as he tried to think of a clever response for her. “And you do realize that spies rely on information, right? We tend to know more about a pony than most would think.”

“Then prove it!” Twilight challenged, poking his muzzle with her hoof at least twice. “Prove to me that you're this 'spy'.” It was almost too perfect for him, to the point where he couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Silver readjusted his position on the bed, to better allow him to gaze right at her with his golden orbs. It was a bit unnerving for Twilight at first, but she quickly shook it off. Now determined to prove that he wasn't a spy. What came from the stallion's mouth next however would only cause her jaw to drop.

“Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal student,” he began, clearing his throat, “When you were but a filly, about seven or eight, you took the entrance exam for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Upon taking the exam, you initially struggled, but upon being startled by a very loud sound in the distance, a magical surge occurred. Which caused complete havoc within the room. It not only caused you to hatch an egg containing a baby dragon that you later called 'Spike', but it also transformed him into a full sized dragon.” As he explained this and Twilight listened, her confidence slowly began to vanish. “That's not all though, you also transformed everypony in the room, which in turn caused general havoc. At least, until Princess Celestia arrived to calm you and help you gain control. After which, everything returned to normal and you earned your cutie mark.”

“I-is that all?” she asked, now beginning to feel a tiny bit violated by his words. “B-because that's common information!” she lied, attempting to at least put up some fight. It was to no avail however as he had an air of complete confidence around him. To the point where it was completely terrifying.

“Nope...that's just the first part,” he grinned, “You also graduated at the top of your class, an A+ student, possibly the highest grades of anypony in the school. Your brother is named Shining Armor, whom has just recently been promoted to Captain of the Guard. You are also a holder of one of the Elements of Harmony, which you used to restore Princess Luna to her original self and finally, your magical abilities compared to other unicorns are top par and still growing if you believe it. Oh and your old foal-sitter is Princess Cadance.”

'H-how...did he...?' Twilight thought as her jaw dropped. Never in her life had she met someone like this stallion. Not only did he seem to know everything about her, but he also knew about her family and even her foal sitter! It was disturbing just how much he knew. What else did he know about her? In fact what else did he know end of story? As she just stood before him, her jaw hanging open, the mare could feel her heart racing. It wasn't a feeling she had ever experienced in her life either. Coupled with it, she could even feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. To say the least, this stallion was something else for her altogether.

Two days had passed since Silver had escaped Nightmare Moon's clutches and it was at this point she found herself once again trotting through the halls of the ancient castle. It was quite a lonely place however, the more she wandered, the more echos she heard throughout the building. She wasn't frightened in the least by the bizarre noises that came from the place. Oh no, that didn't bother her in the least. In fact, she actually welcomed the noises as they broke her away from whatever was on her mind at the particular time. In this particular case though, she actually did have something on her mind as she trotted into the library of the castle.

The very instant she trotted into the room, a very strange feeling washed over her body. One that she had grown rather familiar with over the past day. Nightmare fought against the feeling, having to press her hoof to her mouth to suppress it before taking very deep and slow breaths. It became frustrating the more frequently it happened, which is why she was now looking up one of the bookshelves for answers.

'If memory serves...then the books on medicine and healing should be...' with a hoof raised, she scanned over the bindings, reading the titles she could possibly read. It was to little avail however as she found the dust on them was far too thick to even make out a couple letters. This resulted in her horn lighting up and her aura enveloping all of the books before gently levitating down around her. Which granted her a far better view of the titles.

Nightmare's eyes shifted between the books, returning ones she didn't need to the shelf very quickly. It took a considerable amount of time as she went through each and every book, she eventually found the exact one she was looking for. It was a book regarding common illnesses and remedies.

'Now...how about a remedy to soothe nausea?' she thought, as she flipped through the pages. She moved relatively fast, flicking through them with a combination of her telekinesis and hoof. Until she reached just one particular page with the information she desired. However, what she read was useless, as right after she read it, she simply just returned the book to the shelf. A slightly saddened look appearing on her face.

As she sat in place scratching her head, another wave of nausea overcame her. Unfortunately, with how sudden it was she knew she wouldn't be able to fight it and instead she just galloped right out of the library as fast as she could to find the nearest open container and she was thankful about it too. Taking ahold of a large, empty pot and just emptied the contents of her stomach into it without a second's hesitation. It had all happened in a matter of seconds before she slowly raised her head.

'Guess I won't be eating apples anytime soon,' she thought with a final belch before leaving the pot and the contents of her stomach behind to go find another meal.

Author's Note

AND Chapter 5. I apologize for taking my sweet time posting.

I'm trying to get it finished before posting in rapid succession. I am up to Chapter 12 when it comes to completion.

12/20. Only 8 more chapters to write.

One of those days

Chapter 6

Normally she looked rather regal and magnificent. This time however, she just looked completely exhausted. With dark circles beneath her eyes and a frazzled ethereal mane, she looked like an absolute disaster. Especially given she had set aside her regalia and what little make up she had to use just to maintain the appearance. By eight o'clock though, she had finally stopped caring on her outward appearance for the day, even if it was minor by this point. Now though, was one of Celestia's favorite parts of the day. The very moment where she reached the edge of the bed with an exhausted smile on her face before letting her entire body just flop right onto the mattress and blankets.

The sensation was pure bliss as she felt her custom mattress from Cloudsdale surround her. They were soft beyond imagine. She could argue that clouds were softer than this mattress but she cared little at this point as she snuggled in. The fact that the soft sensation was coupled with the cool temperature of her blankets and pillows only made the first ten to fifteen seconds even better. Celestia then brought her hooves around the nearest pillow, only to pull it right beneath her head. She gently nuzzled the soft surface, burying her face in it for just a couple of seconds before she set it back to its previous position.

'Oh how I missed my bed...' she thought, sprawling herself out for just a second as she got comfortable. This was followed by a yawn as she continued to snuggle right into the bed. 'Always so soft...always so inviting...' the mare's smile seemed to fade for a moment or two as she patted the empty spot right before her. 'And so empty...' Celestia only sighed before turning to her other side, now facing the balcony.

It only took a second for Celestia to forget about the emptiness of her bed as she began to let her mind drift. It was a magnificent feeling again as she let her thoughts wander before just slowly emptying from her mind. Coupled with this, she slowly began to let her eyes finally close and the embrace of sleep finally began to take her. The world around her slowly became darker and darker with each passing second as her consciousness faded. The very last thing that crossed her mind was the thought of the wonderful dream she had the night before. Deep down, she wished she could continue it as the last of her consciousness vanished.

Not more than a couple minutes after Celestia had fallen into slumber, did the door swing open with a great deal of force. It was only stopped half a second before making contact with the doorstop by a blue aura surrounding the knob.

“But Princess Luna...!” one of the guards whispered, trying his best to keep his voice down for Celestia's sake. “Princess Celestia spent a fair amount of her day with the nobles! She's exhausted!” However, the dark blue mare simply rolled her eyes.

“She...ordered us to not allow a single pony in!” the other guard attempted to argue. Once again though, it was simply met with her just overlooking the fact that he even said it.

“We have...matters to discuss,” Luna said, not even bothering to glance back, “They're very important matters that cannot wait until morning. So unless you want to have nightmares for the rest of your lives...you'd best hold your tongue.” The very tone of the mare's voice sent shivers up both stallions' spines in an instant. They could tell right from that moment that nothing would be able to stop her from talking to her sister. So the two slowly backed right out of the room and made sure to close the door as they did. Which only made the mare smile softly before shifting her attention over to her sister's sleeping form.

Celestia seemed so peaceful as Luna approached, it was actually rather adorable to see her even sleeping in such a manner. In just a very short amount of time, the alabaster alicorn had sprawled herself out on her bed, even her wings had fully unfurled. Seeing this only made her sister snicker very softly, using her hoof to cover her own mouth as she watched. The best part in all of this though, was seeing the much older alicorn actually lie on her back with her tongue hanging out. While this sort of thing didn't happen all of the time, when it did, it always seemed to make her smile.

'Always such a graceful sleeper, Tia...' she thought as she leaned in a bit closer. Right to the point where her muzzle was nearly in her sister's ear. “Ohhh....Tia....” Luna's voice hummed. Unfortunately though, the voice did little, only causing Celestia to simply bat her face away with her hoof before turning onto her other side. This didn't deter Luna however, as she simply leaned in again to whisper in her sister's ear. It took a few more attempts at this as well, as each and every time it seemed to go ignored, much to Luna's growing frustration. 'Still the stubborn sleeper I see, Tia...' she noted, with a very soft sigh. 'I had hoped it wouldn't come to this...'

Celestia remained blissfully unaware, even through all of her sister's poking and prodding. This was something she was rather accustomed to, at least from back in their filly days. That proved to be the mare's big mistake though, had she actually just acknowledged her sister even for a moment while she slept, she would've been able to actually feel her now standing on the bed.

“Oh Tia! Time to wake up!” Luna 's Royal Canterlot voice boomed. “Your sister needs you!” It shook the entire room and at the very instant she actually used it, Celestia jumped awake. The mare's eyes flew open in absolute terror. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she glanced around the room, only to meet the unyielding gaze of her beloved sister.

“Lulu...what are you doing?” Celestia asked after a few moments of silence. It wasn't very long before the pounding in her chest faded either and she began to relax again. Yet, she couldn't exactly relax as her sister was just glaring at her, with something on her mind clearly.

“Where is it?” she finally asked, her glare intensifying as she did. Celestia knew the answer to this question immediately, she had even figured out what her sister was talking about on top of that. It was evident by the look on the lunar mare's face what she wanted and how badly she wanted it.

“Where is what, Lulu?” she asked, looking almost confused at her sister. As if she was trying to tease her a tiny bit. However, that didn't quite work out how she had hoped, as it only seemed to aggravate Luna even more.

“You know very well what!” Luna snapped as she jumped off the bed. “My precious orb!” right as she said this, she stomped the floor with one of her hooves in her frustration. It only resulted in Celestia just laughing very softly. “This isn't funny Tia! I need it if I am to carry out my duties!” The smile that was once present on her face, vanished all too quickly and it was then she knew this wasn't going to be too pretty.

Celestia met her sister's frustrations with a very soft and rather sad sounding sigh. While Luna couldn't quite see it, her sister didn't really want her to resume her duties just yet. In fact, if it were up to her, she wouldn't dare resume them end of story. That would only be if she had her way, but that wouldn't ever be the case as she knew Luna was a very capable mare.

“Luna...I...don't think you're strong enough yet to...” she began, but as she did, Luna only grew more visibly frustrated than she had before. This wasn't the first time this had happened and it most certainly wouldn't be the last time it happened either.

“No, Celestia!” she roared, borderline her royal Canterlot voice. “Don't give me this shit again!” This caught the alabaster mare completely off guard. To say the least she hadn't expected her sister to use such profane language, but then again it was Luna. She should've expected it, given she was the cause of this particular mess. “You know very well father entrusted that orb to me! Not you! It is MY job to watch over the night.” she pointed out, much to Celestia's shock. “It is my job to paint the night skies, to raise the moon and to protect ponies dreams! Father taught me everything himself!”

Celestia's pupils shrunk when she felt the pressure of Luna's words hit her and while it wasn't the first time these words had been spoken from her sister's mouth...this time it had the biggest impact. For as she spoke them, she felt the weight on her shoulders increase gradually. It eventually got to the point where she even felt as though she couldn't breath, yet she didn't even move from her spot on the bed.

“But...Lulu...I...” she tried to argue, however, the moment she did, she was met with a great deal of resistance from Luna. Even though it had just been a glare, her sister had never looked at her like that before. It was actually rather frightening. 'Even Nightmare Moon is less frightening than this...' she considered.

“Don't 'but I' me Tia!” she argued, “What would mother say? What would father say? Hell, what would Quercus say!?” Just mentioning the first two seemed to strike a nerve in Celestia at that point, but the moment she said the third name she felt something snap within her. Which then began to bubble to the surface in the form of a gradual shift in her facial expression.

“Now don't you bring him into this!” Celestia roared, her anger finally bubbling to the surface.

“Why shouldn't I?!” Luna retorted, almost as loud as her sister, “Just say it! You don't want to lose me like you lost Quercus!” She was aggressive like Celestia couldn't believe. Overpowering and demanding, it was enough to strike fear even in her elder sister. All of this stung very greatly, mostly due to the fact it was actually true. She didn't want to lose her sister like she lost him, it was at this point where her ears dropped.

“Luna...I...” she muttered, her voice beginning to crack as she spoke.

“I know Tia...I loved him too...” Luna whispered as Celestia glanced back up at her. “He would say...you can't protect me forever...and we need to start talking more!” This was another moment where she felt absolutely defeated. It was like she had been hit with a trout at the particular moment before finally falling flat on the bed in defeat. “You know sister...if you have a problem you can come to me with it, right?”

There wasn't a response beyond this point from Celestia as she just seemed to fall into a state where she was locked within her own thoughts. While she did hear Luna's voice, she was met with an assortment of emotions. While a part of her wanted to scream and shout at her sister more about even mentioning Quercus, she also wanted to just break out into tears. Yet, as she lied there, nothing came. In place of all the emotions she should feel, she felt utterly empty inside. It was a confusing feeling to say the least, but not the first time she had ever felt like this.

“Now...what do you say?” Luna gestured to Celestia's non-responsive form. “Can I have my orb back?” her sister however didn't even move an inch, she just lied on her bed quietly. Staring right at the wall as if in deep thought. It wasn't until she actually felt the touch of her sister's hooves on her cheek did she finally begin to respond again. It began with a sigh of pure defeat as Celestia's horn lit up.

“If I don't give it back...you'd probably just try to steal it back...” she sighed, using her magic to slide open a closet on the other side of the room. The moment it opened, Luna's eyes lit up with pure joy as she galloped on over to the now open door. “You'll find it sitting on the mini-dresser. I kept it well polished while you were away...” Before she could say another word however, the orb had vanished from its spot along with Luna. Which only left Celestia with a small smile on her face.

For Emerald, the paperwork quickly became arduous and extraordinarily tedious. Even though most of it consisted of him signing on the dotted line another fair chunk of it consisted of him actually writing out reports. It was by far the worst part of being Luna's court advisor. That wasn't all of it though, if you added in the paperwork from being Captain of the Lunar Guard it became far worse. As he sat in his office, signing away the papers, it caused him to develop an eye twitch.

'How could this job possibly get more annoying...' he contemplated as he wrote away the first full day of his paperwork. Just as he had thought that, the door to his office swung open and in the doorway stood one Shining Armor. The moment Emerald glanced up, he sighed. “I wish I hadn't thought that...” he muttered under his breath. Thankfully the Captain of the Solar Guard didn't hear him.

“How's your first day so far?” he asked, his tone rather cheerful and upbeat. This cheerful demeanor only seemed to annoy Emerald even more as he met Shining's gaze. It was even evident on his face that he wasn't in a good mood, as he kept his gaze locked on the other captain. Yet, even as he did, his quill still somehow kept on writing away as if he knew exactly what to do with the papers.

“You enter my office without knocking just to ask me that?” Emerald finally asked with a deadpan look on his face.

“Well, excu-” The quill dropped that very instant and Shining only found that his mouth was being clamped shut by Emerald's magic. Not once in his life had he ever seen a pony react that quickly to something. It was impressive just how fast that unicorn's magic reflexes were. Once more, was the look on his face just as he was about to speak. The look almost seemed completely disturbed by what had nearly come from Shining's mouth as it had been coupled with a very rapid eye twitch.

“Do not...finish that sentence,” Emerald stated, even though the look on his face was disturbed, Shining had never heard such a calm tone before either. “My brother...says what you're about to say very frequently...” he went on, “And...every time he does...I want to strangle him. Promise me...I will not hear that line from your mouth...”

Shining Armor gulped when he heard that as the magical grip finally released itself and for the second time in his life he felt genuinely terrified of somepony. It was at which point where he began to ask himself questions. Questions such as: who's more terrifying, my marefriend or this unicorn? That was just one of the many questions that ran through his mind. It was the most prominent though as he thought of some of the things that Cadance had done when he upset her. It only made him shiver in fear.

“Shining?” Emerald asked, breaking the other stallion's gaze upon him. “If you don't have anything further to say, then please don't waste time in here. I'm certain you have very pressing matters to attend to yourself.” Shining shook his head when he heard the words and Emerald was completely accurate too. He actually had a romantic evening with Cadance planned tonight and he needed a bit of time to get ready.

'He's a perfect match to be Princess Luna's Captain and Advisor,' he thought, 'Intimidating and very serious...' Upon a closer inspection by Shining Armor, even without moving from his present spot. He took careful notice of Emerald's mannerisms. How he just seemed so calm and quiet. Not even making many facial expressions as he read through the papers and scrolls. If he coupled that with the reflexes and his magical potential, this pony was something else. He was indeed the brother of Silver Crescent. “I...came to actually ask about something...” he started, “Important and a little personal.”

“You're not coming out are you?” Emerald asked instantly, even still able to work through the conversation. “I've said it to several others in my life and I'll say it to you, I'm not interested in stallions...even if you are good looking.” It was that line that caused a blush to move across Shining Armor's cheeks. He had never heard such strong words come from somepony's mouth. On top of that; he did have a marefriend too, which only seemed to make it insulting to his stallion pride.

“No!” he snapped instantly in his defense.

“Denial can make you even more obvious,” Emerald teased as for the first time before Shining, he smirked. “Relax, I'm just teasing you. Princess Cadance was more than just my foalsitter, she was a close family friend too.”

“R-really?” Shining inquired, now a tiny bit curious.

“Our mother adored her and appreciated her assistance, given she was a single mother,” Emerald added with a soft smile. “And she was an incredible foalsitter for me. I heard quite a bit about you and your sister too. More than just what my brother told me.” Now it was time for Shining Armor to grow rather curious about this pony. While he had been curious before, he was just beginning to realize just who this pony was.

“What...exactly did both of them say about me?” he questioned, now approaching the desk.

“Princess Cadance spoke very highly of you,” Emerald began, “I don't quite remember the specifics, but she really adored you for a very long time.” This only made Shining's blush return, quickly enveloping most of his face as he heard it. It only seemed to make him appreciate what he had with Cadance even more than he already did.

“And...your brother?” he asked, his voice cracking a tiny bit. This only caused Emerald to sigh very softly, having to put down his quill again. Although still very calm, he seemed a bit disturbed by the mentioning of his brother, once again.

“Let me get this very clear for you,” he began, “My brother is a good stallion to many, yes, but he annoys me to no end. I love him as my brother, but...I also want to beat the tar out of him for some of the shit he pulls...on top of that, I also worry a great deal for him. Because he tends to get himself into a mess without even realizing it.” Emerald's eye twitch returned as he spoke about his brother, but it didn't last very long as he took a deep breath after explaining how he felt. “While I don't like talking about him...I'll tell you this. He's rather fond of you. He said, back in school you and your friends were fun to hang out with. Even though he was one of the most popular I believe.” This caught Shining Armor a little off guard, he had expected Silver to see him rather differently. Only really spending time with him and his friends because he was such good friends with Cadance. It only brought a smile to his face as he heard it. “I even believe he had an affectionate nickname for you....” Emerald paused, which only seemed to shift the eye twitch he had over to Shining. “Nerd Armor was it?”

'Damn...that nickname will haunt me for my entire life...' he cursed inwardly, hoping that everypony would've forgotten about that wretched nickname. However it wasn't meant to be, given Emerald had just brought it back up. “S-so...how IS your brother?” he was forced to ask, in a sad attempt to change the subject slightly as to get him to forget about the nickname he had just brought back. It was a good choice in questions too as Emerald had to stop and think about what he was going to say before he said it to avoid drawing attention to anything.

'Now that you mention it though...' Emerald thought, as he recalled the fact that his brother had yet to even send in a report. The first thought was that he ended up getting distracted from the mission he had received, but that was unlike Silver to do that. He was more business first, amusement later even when you considered his track record. This only made the unicorn begin to worry a little bit about his brother deep down. He couldn't even shake the feeling that something bad might just be happening to him right now or worse, he was perfectly fine he had just forgotten to send in any information. Either way it wasn't a pleasant moment for Emerald as he was now tasked with a response to Shining Armor's question. What should he say? Should he give him the full truth and say that he's out on a mission? Or should he give a common response? All of this happened in a matter of a couple of seconds. “What am I? His keeper?” he responded quickly, hoping that Shining wouldn't notice the tiny delay between the question and his answer. Thankfully it was also something he wouldn't ever find out about either as at that particular moment a rather familiar voice called out.

“Shiny!” a voice called out as a mare with a tri-colored mane and a pink coat poked her head into the door. “Did you forget about our date tonight? We have to be at the restaurant at eight o'clock sharp!” it took the mare a moment of glancing over Shining Armor before she simply frowned. “Oh come on! I've been looking forward to this date for two weeks! And you're not even out of your armor!” As she spoke, she trotted in looking just a tiny bit frustrated, “You know very well I can't reschedule that reser...vation....” The mare however came to an instant stop as she spotted the stallion behind the desk. It was where her jaw dropped to the ground in shock. “Emerald?!”

'Uh-oh...' was the only thing that popped in his head. Before he could even react, he found himself on the receiving end of a very strong bear hug from the alicorn mare. It was here where Emerald discovered just how great the physical strength of an alicorn really was. He had heard of his brother speak of hugs like this, but he had never experienced one for himself and it was just like Silver had described too. Painful. Very painful. Struggling didn't help either as he felt his body beginning to go limp in the Princess' incredible embrace. “P-Princess Cadance...” he gasped, “T-too...tight...” Relief came just in the nick of time too as she released the hug right after hearing the gasping.

“Hehe...sorry,” she replied sheepishly, “I couldn't help myself, seeing the second favorite foal to foal-sit for.” As Emerald was just attempting to catch his breath, he took notice of Shining Armor's silent chuckle, almost as if he was saying that he had gotten what he deserved. “So...I take it by the fact that you're in this office, it means you're Aunt Luna's new advisor?”

“And Captain of the Lunar Guard too,” Emerald added proudly.

“At such a young age too...” she said, gently rubbing the top of his head with her hoof. “I think you're even younger than Shiny was when he became Captain of the Solar Guard. He was Twenty-three when he got promoted to captain.”

“Well, he didn't go through the proper training beforehand!” Shining argued, “Princess Luna just gave him the job.” It was a valid point too, Emerald hadn't gone through the proper training, he didn't even know the proper spells a guard should know before being the captain. The fact was however, they were a part of two separate guards, meaning the requirements were different.

“I'm just as fit as you are, Shining...” Emerald teased, “No need to be jealous.” That seemed to strike a bit of a nerve with Shining Armor, as his cheeks once again flushed for just a brief instance. “Plus...shouldn't you two be on your date by now?”

His pupils shrunk as he glanced at Cadance. Whom upon being reminded just grew relatively silent before walking past Shining. At which point her horn lit up and she proceeded to just drag him away by his tail. It was quite a humorous sight to behold watching Shining Armor as he was dragged to the door in a rather humiliating manner. Almost like a cat not wanting to go to the vet. Why he did it, Emerald could only speculate as the two disappeared behind the door.

“Glad to see you again, Emerald!” Cadance called back, “And if you see your brother, give him my regards!”

“Will do!” Emerald responded, however that was just the problem he was facing. As he once again set down the quill before turning to a window just behind him. 'You'd better be okay...'

The Battle Begins

Chapter 7

To most ponies, the night was a peaceful time. To a few of the denizens of Ponyville however, that wasn't quite the case. As they found themselves violently tossing and turning in their beds, their slumber tormented by an endless stream of nightmares. It was very strange too, normally a nightmare doesn't happen very frequently, even in Ponyville, but these nightmares were very different.

The nightmares were intense, filling every inch of their bodies with fear as they tossed and turned. The ponies that suffered, only wished they could wake up by this point as tears streamed down their face. They were even in a panic as they continued to struggle against the very dreams they were having. Try as they might though, no amount of struggling and no amount of tears would help them in their present situation as they were just simply lost within a sea of fear as a cloud of bluish-purple mist enveloped them.

The mist itself seemed to gently wrap itself around the bodies of the individual ponies as they continued to struggle against the nightmares. This mist only seemed to intensify the violent fits the ponies were having, causing them to sweat profusely as they continued to struggle. Even the tears seemed to intensify along with the fits, as they all cried and begged for it to be over. Unfortunately though, this was to no avail for them as they just seemed to grow weaker and weaker with each passing second they remained in the mist. Eventually reaching the point where their struggling just seemed to cease and they completely gave in. Once this happened the mist took its leave, quietly slipping through the cracked window.

A groan only followed this as the pony finally began to stir. She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes to reveal her moderate cerise orbs. These orbs glanced around her room, shifting through the decorated walls of the inn. She had rather heavy looking bags beneath her eyes, even visible against her naturally white coat. The mare's eyes only remained open for a few seconds before a jolt of pain traveled up her spine. This in turn caused her to clutch her head as she felt the sheer agony all throughout her skull. The pain was very heavy, enough so to cause her to just fall back on the bed.

'Tavi was right...' she thought, the very moment she even bothered to think about it however, it only seemed to intensify the pain she felt. Causing it to travel all throughout every inch of her body. 'I really need to cut back on the sauce...it gives me nightmares.' For a couple of moments she just simply rubbed her temples in an attempt to dull the pain, before simply just returning to her slumber without another thought.

The mist only continued on its trek through the small town, traveling to house after house as it seemed to not only feed off of the nightmares, but actually cause them. The very moment it entered a building, it seemed to quickly envelop a pony. Bringing upon a series of fits and struggles once again. As it would do this, the cloud only seemed to grow larger and stronger. Each time the fits came along even faster than before and were even more violent as well. It was startling just how fast this cloud of mist could move and absolutely terrifying for the poor citizens of Ponyville. The strangest part of the mist however, was in how it moved.

It seemed to move in a very logical and direct pattern. Moving fast and efficently, it was able to move between the buildings within a matter of a few minutes. Able to even select its next victim in that short of a time. However, if you observed the mist very carefully, you would take true notice of the pattern. As it seemed to only remain on the far edges of the town, moving very carefully in a circle. Even going as far as to avoid particular buildings such as Carasoul Boutique and Golden Oaks Library. Which is what made it even stranger.

Eventually however, after it snaked its way out of another cracked window it began to swirl just outside said window. The mist quickly took shape as it swirled around, forming that of a pony. Not just any pony either; but that of Nightmare Moon. After taking her full form, she simply glanced into the window for a second. At which point she licked her lips with a malicious smile.

'Such delicious fear...' she thought, 'I think the taste of it has improved too...otherwise its just because I have my own body now.' She didn't know either way, but she did enjoy it. For the first time in over a thousand years, she could actually enjoy the fear of ponies and gather magical strength at the very same time. Unlike in the past though, she could even feel a hint of satisfaction with all the ponies she had preyed on so far. It was a very strange feeling, satisfaction. It was better than it had been before she had taken over Luna's body. Because back then, she didn't even feel a thing except a gnawing hunger for fear and while that hunger still remained a part of her; it didn't seem very significant compared to the other feelings. Especially the nausea that welled up within her for just a few seconds.

The sudden wave of nausea caused the mare to just cover her mouth as she fought against it. Thankfully this time it was easy to resist and much to her own relief she was able to keep a physical meal down this time. Even if it did leave a nasty taste in her mouth. She cringed at it, before turning her attention right down the street. 'More fear? Or should I grab actual food?' she debated inwardly, before trotting off, following the street and her nose.

Nightmare's nose and stomach lead her down the streets and up to a small bakery. While the doors were closed, it wasn't much of a hassle for her to sneak in as all she had to do was revert her body back to her mist form. Carefully sliding her form in between the cracks of the door and into the building. What she was met with though, simply just made her drool.

She didn't know whether it was her own desire or the part of Luna that still lingered within her, but either way she rather loved what she saw. Sweets, delicious sweets. While the selection was fairly limited, given the shop was closed, she still had a few choices she could make. What made it all the better was the simple fact that she even had the downstairs to herself completely. It would require a bit of careful movement however as she was particularly aware of the fact that ponies lived upstairs.

The first problem came up almost instantly as she was met with the simple fact that just about everything was locked in cabinets. This upset Nightmare a bit, but with a bit of careful work, she was able to easily undo the few locks that she found. Still being mindful of not making a whole lot of noise. Once she had opened the display cases of interest, she proceeded to browse.

Even with the somewhat limited selection, she was still ecstatic about having the place to herself. This wasn't what made her freeze however, what made her freeze was the simple fact that she didn't quite feel right about doing this. While she did need food for survival, it didn't quite feel right to her to take the food that wasn't hers. However, that bit of hesitation didn't seem to last very long as she first took ahold of one of the leftover cupcakes with the assumption that they might've been tossed out anyhow.

As she took that bite, she felt an immediate sugary rush throughout her body. It was absolutely titillating the very moment she felt it. It was like a massive euphoria for her, even giving her quite a boost to take whatever else she found in the storage containers. Particularly though, Nightmare found herself focusing on gathering what she could of the pastries. Instead of just eating them outright and leaving a mess, she decided to take what she had with her. The list consisted of a couple coffee cakes, about six muffins and two additional cupcakes with a few slices of cake on top of that. Which she was very careful with as she made her way to the door.

Next came the very tricky part, that was until she took notice of a saddlebag sitting on a table. With a very wide grin on her face, she snatched it right up and stored all the pastries she possibly could into the bag. Being sure to store them just right with a thin layer of magic to keep them all in place before trotting very quietly out the door. That proved to be her biggest mistake of the night however, as it caused the bell above the door to ring. This in turn stirred the occupants on the floor above her, which made her just bolt straight out the door as fast as her hooves would carry her.

It didn't take the mare very long to travel a fair distance away, where she was left leaning ever so casually on a flag post near town hall. That had to be the fastest she had ever run in her presently-short existence until now. It left her feeling even more exhausted than it should have, it even came with another touch of nausea that had been working her nerves as of late. It wasn't like it was a dibilitating issue, just more of an annoyance as compared to everything else that had been going on. It wasn't very important however as she was forced to glance back in the direction she had come, hoping that she hadn't awoken the entire town by now.

'Good...still quiet...' she contemplated, 'Now...back to work...' with another sinister grin on her face, Nightmare's body slowly morphed into the mist once again, she was even able to do the same to the newly acquired saddlebag.

A chill traveled up Luna's spine as she set the orb on its pedestal. It had taken her another good hour to actually track the pedestal down within the castle, which only seemed to get on the mare's nerves to a greater extent. Now however, as a very disturbing feeling traveled up her body she had calmed down completely. She forgot her frustration and anger at the castle staff whom just wanted to assist her and even her lust for the very pony that now sat by her side in her room.

The sensation started at the very tip of her tail and traveled up throughout her body as she gazed into the blank pearl orb. As the feeling traveled up her spine however, her gaze averted from the orb. She could feel her wings beginning to quiver and even a few small vibrations in the base of her hooves. The longer she contemplated the sensation, the more intense it only became. It wasn't until she shifted her gaze out past her balcony door, looking through the glass and into the night sky she could see did she realize just what this feeling was.

Emerald grew concerned as he saw her mannerisms change relatively quickly. He hadn't been expecting something like this to happen nor did he even know what it meant as he watched Luna begin to quiver ever so slightly. His first thought was that it was a bit of fear traveling up her spine, along with a bit of doubt she had left in her being. The longer he watched her though, the less he seemed to think this particular scenario, especially when he remembered what happened the first couple of minutes after they had met. The Lunar Princess wasn't exactly the one for fear or even doubt anymore. She was just simply more of the one who took action. Luna's quivering only seemed to get worse for a few seconds before she turned to Emerald.

“Emerald...can you please stand guard outside the door?” she asked after two minutes of dead silence.

“W-why?” The stallion inquired, not exactly questioning the orders but more just wondering what they could possibly mean.

“Because...” she paused, taking a second to come up with a very clever lie. “The Moon Orb can be dangerous to ordinary ponies...and I don't want my favorite guard to get hurt.” a very soft and gentle smile appeared on her face. Emerald recognized the specific type of smile on her face instantly as one he had grown accustomed to seeing in his line of work. It wasn't a genuine smile that was on her face, but a fake smile. One that concealed the actual truth behind why she wanted him out of the room. He could feel it too, that it was extremely important for her.

“Understood, Princess!” he nodded, before quietly trotting to the door. “If you need me, just give a holler.” With that, the pony vanished behind said door, being sure to close it as he went.

'This is personal Emerald,' she thought, 'I'm sorry, but I can't have any interruptions...' As the door closed, Luna's horn lit up and her aura simply just turned the lock as to prevent unwanted entry into the room before she turned back to her precious orb.

Very slowly, Luna began to move her hooves around the orb. Not even touching the surface of the ball itself, but instead just gliding them over it. As she did, not only did her horn begin to glow but so did the very tips of her hooves as if she was channeling magic directly through them. The orb quickly responded to this magic with a glow of its own and she could feel it. The mystical energies flowed through the mare's body again and its glow seemed to surround her in a matter of seconds. It was a sensational feeling, one that she had come to enjoy back before Nightmare Moon came into play.

'Yes...yes!' she screamed in her mind as she felt the orb's magic invigorating her. The longer she continued to channel her own energy into it, the more energy she began to receive in feedback as the connection was made again. She could feel her body beginning to grow and visibly, even her coat seemed to grow a bit darker with each passing second she kneaded the magic. It was also a very gentle sensation, a calming effect that only seemed to excite her even further the longer she went at it.

The more magic she kneaded with the orb, the more invigorated she began to feel. Coupled with this sensation, came the sensation of her mane beginning to change as well. The magic quickly escalated to the point where it started from her head. Each and every strand of her hair began to change ever so slowly. The more the energy began to flow into her however, the faster the changes seemed to take place as her mane seemed to become more and more spectral and ethereal. Eventually reaching the point where her light blue mane was soon replaced with her ethereal mane. It even seemed to gain a new shine to it as she continued to mess around with the orb. The stars of her mane seeming to glisten and sparkle in the dim lights of the room.

Although a portion of her strength had finally returned to her, it was merely superficial. She could only feel a fourth of her strength back with her instead of all of it like she had counted on. Which is why under normal conditions she probably wouldn't attempt this, but the circumstances called for this. She could sense it now, as clear as day. She could sense the distress of the ponies in Equestria, on top of that they were fairly close.

'Probably in that nearby town...Ponyville was it?' she asked herself as the orb began to clear. As it did, the entire land of Equestria came into glorious view. 'Glad its almost a full moon...' she thought, 'Otherwise I couldn't see this well.' Luna inhaled slowly as she watched Equestria through the moon. She could see just about every detail of the land she presided over, even in the darkness of the night. It was absolutely beautiful for her. Even if she had little time to admire it.

“Vision of the Moon...show us the plight of our ponies. Show us the town of Ponyville and the trouble within!” Luna commanded and the orb simply obeyed. The vision within it focused sharply and in a second or two she could see the entire town from above. However, she was left baffled as she couldn't see very much going on in the town. Aside from the occasional pony or two wandering the streets. 'That's strange...' she considered, 'Very strange...I could've sworn that I sensed distress...' It only baffled her further as she watched on. Being cautious about what she decided to spy in on.

The longer Luna watched all of Ponyville; only focusing in on something when it seemed curious, the more bored she became. There wasn't very much happening even in the orb at first, but as she panned her sight around, closer to the residential areas of the town; she grinned. 'I knew it was you...' she contemplated as she saw a flying mass of mist flying in through a window. 'Looks like the Elements of Harmony weren't enough to take you down after all...'

It was in this moment where the mare closed her eyes and pressed her hoof onto the orb very gently. In a second she could feel her consciousness beginning to fade from her body and from her position in Canterlot. This was a very old spell that her father had taught her, one she had actually perfected while on the moon. It wasn't like just any old spell either, it was a spell that only the sisters actually knew about at this present day in age. It was known as Astral Projection. Upon employing the almost-forgotten spell, Luna found herself feeling weightless as she stood just outside the window. She took just a moment to take in her surroundings before her gaze shifted to the window again and what she saw inside simply horrified her.

A poor, unfortunate stallion squirming atop his bed. Struggling needlessly with tears and sweat all over his body. The moment she saw it, it hurt her inside. She knew exactly what he was enduring and could very well sympathize with it as she had gone through the same torment before becoming Nightmare Moon. This sight started off as pain, but quickly grew to unimaginable anger as she just walked straight through the wall to face the cloud of mist.

“Nightmare! Cease your torment of this stallion now!” Luna's voice echoed, only audible to the cloud of mist that was swirling around the stallion. It was at this point where the Lunar Princess was met with a moment of utter terror, causing her to have to take a step back.

“You want me to stop? I dare you to come and try,” the mist cooed in a voice suspiciously similar to her own. It was an unexpected turn of events, one she wished she had seen coming. Then perhaps she might actually be prepared to face this parasitic creature down.

“You know very well I have the means to destroy you!” Luna warned in an attempts to hide the actual truth from the Nightmare.

“Then why haven't you yet?” Nightmare inquired, “Is it because...unlike me, you haven't fully recovered yet?” That was where Luna snapped, before she leapt right at the mist. At which point she took ahold of it with her hooves and mouth before proceeding to simply pull it from the stallion. At first, it was working as she took several steps back, even going as far as to pass right through the wall to carry the mist out.

What occurred next though was not to Luna's plans, as the mist seemed to act like a rubberband. Springing back to the stallion the instant it slipped right out of her clutches. This in turn also caused the stallion to let out a shriek in agony. 'Damn it!' she cursed, charging right back into the building. 'I can't hurt the stallion...then how am I...?' she paused, before it clicked in her mind and a grin appeared on her face. Nightmare was caught off guard by what Luna did next. Instead of taking ahold of her mist form again, instead she charged even faster at her before making a complete dive right into the stallion's body. That actually proved to be a great move for Luna as she found herself transported into the stallion's dreamscape.

“So...that's how you want to handle it?” Nightmare asked as confident as ever, “Inside the dreams of another pony?” The remark was indeed well founded, mostly on fear as it was troubling to fight within a dream. However, said comment also brought a smirk to Luna's face as she had already begun formulating a plan to handle this situation.

'Just as long as we don't cause any damage...' she noted, 'Then at best he should be just extremely tired in the morning. If everything goes according to plan...' It was only when she met Nightmare Moon's intimidating gaze did she realize that her idea might actually be a foolish one. As she was faced with something she had only seen in her own mind instead of somepony else's. “Oh...horsefeathers...” Luna cursed.

“Surprised, are you?” Nightmare asked as she approached her counterpart. To say the least, Luna was fairly shocked at what she was now looking at. A full physical form for Nightmare instead of the typical mass of magic she had originally been. “Well, so was I when I awoke in the old castle,” she answered, “The Elements of Harmony granted me a body! And the best part? Its our old body! With a few improvements of course.”

“I don't care if you have your own cake! I'm still going to defeat you!” Luna proclaimed, earning a chuckle from her darker half as she walked right by her side.

“Oh dear Luna...” she cooed, “We shared a body for over a thousand years...and I can tell when you're bluffing...” Before Luna even knew it, she found herself hurdling through the dreamscape of the stallion and crashing right into the ground rather hard. The crash had left a skid mark on the earth, tearing apart the grass and ground as she made impact. Even as an astral projection, that had hurt. On top of that, it had also affected the stallion they were both inside of, even if very little for the moment.

'I have to move this fight...' Luna considered as she pulled herself up from the ground. Slowly shifting her gaze back up to the Nightmaric version of herself. She was worried, not for herself though. But for the stallion that now had host to them. She couldn't fight at full knowing it could cause untold amounts of damage to the psyche of any of her people. Which is why she launched herself off the ground at full force.

It had felt like an explosion to both Nightmare and Luna as the latter launched herself into the air. Nightmare didn't even have time to react to it either, she just felt a strike to her torso. It wasn't necessarily a strong blow, but the speed winded her as the two came flying from the dream and into the grand dreamscape.

“As d-direct as ever...” Nightmare gasped, even with the force on her body however, she quickly took ahold of Luna's sides as best as she could. This caused a bit of an imbalance in her body, the tightness against her astral form made it even more uncomfortable to fly at such a high speed. Which ended up resulting in her releasing the mare.

While Luna was able to land gracefully on a surface she had manifested with her own thoughts, Nightmare on the other hand couldn't really do much of anything. Upon her being released, she just simply continued to travel upward for a few seconds before she was able to stop herself with her wings and land just as gracefully as her counterpart. The landing only lasted half a second as she galloped right at Luna to take a mighty swing with her hoof.

It struck rather hard, sending her spiraling right across the dreamscape before she skidded to a halt with her hooves. Luna then made her own dash right at Nightmare, using her wings to further her momentum. However, just before she could land the strike she couldn't help but spot the smirk out of the corner of her eye before her vision lit up in a brilliant purple explosion.

It was a powerful blast of magic, this time sending her barreling backward before crashing hard into a wall. She could feel white, hot pain burning through every inch of her body as she thrust herself right off the wall and again at Nightmare. This time however, she had been prepared for a magical blast, quickly arching to the left just slightly to let it blaze right under her left wing. This was instantly followed by Luna's own blast of dark blue magic.

It was already too late for Nightmare to react to the blast. She couldn't dodge, she didn't even have the time to bring up a barrier. So instead she just stood in place and took the blast. Unlike her own however, this blast didn't really seem to affect her as badly as she had thought. In fact, it felt a bit more like a tickling spell instead of like a blast of magic. There hadn't been a single bit of pain and the tickle had barely even registered which in turn caused her just to laugh.

“Really...?” she asked, her tone growing even more confident. “Is THAT the best you've got, Luna? You should just go back to Canterlot! Because then...you may have survived!”

'Not good...' Luna scolded, 'Spells are useless...' In the very moment she had scolded herself, Nightmare had made her move. She wasn't worried anymore about Luna's present strength, given she had just recently been feeding off of fear. This meant her magic had gained quite a bit of potency as compared to Luna's.

“Say...when I take over Equestria...” Nightmare started, now holding Luna by the throat against an invisible surface of the dreamscape. “Should I keep you and your sister around to be my servants?”

“E-even i-if you d-defeat me...!” Luna choked, “Y-you can't b-beat Celestia!”

“Ohohoho...” she laughed, before tossing Luna aside, giving her a few moments to breath at the very least. “I wonder...” she continued, delivering powerful kick to the Princess' stomach. This kick was enough to fling Luna again, causing her to roll along the ground. “How Celestia would feel...” It was soon followed by a second, even more painful kick. Which in turn caused her to cry out in sheer agony. “If she woke up and found her sister dead!” That was the last thing Luna heard from Nightmare before her vision was clouded by a bright flash of light.

The next thing Luna knew she was surrounded by a very warm and fuzzy sensation. It was pure bliss, but at the same time she was also fearful of actually opening her eyes to learn the source. She was relieved though when she did open them as she found herself in the very tight embrace of Emerald. Which is also where she learned just how strong of a unicorn he really was, considering his front legs were tightly wrapped around her stomach.

“Its okay Princess...” he whispered, “You're safe now...”

“E-Emerald?” Luna questioned, a bit frazzled and sore from her earlier experience. “But I thought I--” the unicorn only laughed very softly at her confusion as he gently ran his hoof through her mane. That simple action seemed to bring her a bit of comfort, especially as he repeated the very same movement.

“I'm a better bodyguard than that, Luna...” he smirked as she glanced up at him. “I made a copy of your room key.”

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize if the fight scene seems kinda blah.

Recovery

Chapter 8

Twilight Sparkle could feel her cheeks burning and her stomach in complete knots as she trotted up the stairs. In her magical grip, she carried a tray with an assortment of food on it. The assortment just consisted of a vine or two of grapes with a few freshly peeled oranges, some strawberries and blueberries. All of it seemed like quite a bit for just one pony, however, it wasn't just for one pony it was in fact for two. Which was why the mare found herself growing even more nervous with each and every step up to her bed.

The very moment she reached the upstairs area, she could feel her stomach twisting into even more knots. It was only as her eyes came to rest on the stallion that now lied on her bed did she feel the discomfort get even worse. Twilight had never felt like this before in her life, it was an entirely new experience. What seemed to set her mind at ease though was the simple fact she had read about it in a book not more than a week or two ago, which allowed her to even put logic to what she was feeling. That, though only seemed to make matters worse and raise the level of tension she felt in her body.

The strangest part of all this too was the simple fact that he had only been at her place for about a day. How could she be attracted to somepony so easily? Shouldn't the process of attraction take longer to establish? What was it about this stallion that was so great anyhow? 'Well, he is very handsome...' she contemplated, 'And...any mare would have trouble resisting that charm of his too...'

“So, that's dinner huh?” Silver asked as Twilight trotted up the stairs. Even though he had quite a few bandages over his body and he had lost a bit of fur, he was still quite a stallion. Especially to Twilight whom visibly blushed as she laid her eyes on him.

“Y-yeah, I figured w-we could s-share it,” Twilight stammered, which was unusual for her. Silver noticed this right off the bat too, which in turn made him smile. He could see clearly what ran through the mare's mind at this point as it was evident by the blushing on her cheeks. “A-and I didn't want to make a mess on the bed either...”

'Depends on what kind of mess you're talking about,' Silver added in his mind, “That's perfectly fine, plus I'm used to eating rather light meals most of the time.” Twilight blinked when he said that, which seemed to put her mind a little at ease as she reached the bed. Where she set the tray aside gently before climbing onto it herself. That only made the internal situation worse for her though as she could feel her stomach tightening even more the closer she got to him.

Even though Twilight could've shared the bed with him the night before, she hadn't. She had been busy a fair amount of the night cataloging the new books that the library had gotten in. Eventually reaching the point where she fell asleep at her desk by the time she had finished. Perhaps it was a good thing though as she assumed Silver might not enjoy her company. In the end though, that thought proved to be far from right as she found he particularly enjoyed her company.

“So you don't mind just fruit, right?” she asked, only earning that simple smile again. “Its all we really have at the moment, I haven't gone to the market in around a week.”

“Like I said, Twilight,” he smiled, “Its perfectly fine. Plus, it'll give me the chance to spend more time with you.” If there was a way to intensify what Twilight was feeling at the present moment, that would be the way. Silver could swear he saw her entire face turn a very bright red as she just sat in place, completely motionless. It was adorable when he saw it, only working to widen his smile while making him chuckle at the very same time. 'She really does think too much...' he reflected upon, 'Extremely intelligent, incredible learning curve...but a bad habit of overthinking...just like Celestia said.' This only made it seem a bit funnier, his chuckling getting a bit louder. 'But what she didn't say was just how beautiful she is...'

“R-really?” Twilight finally asked, after working through her nervousness. In truth though, she was ecstatic to hear this. She could feel her heart jumping for joy the moment she had heard it. Even considering that by this time her heart was pounding very hard in her chest, to the point where she could feel it throughout her body. It meant quite a bit to her when she heard it, it even encouraged her to snuggle up a bit closer to his body on the bed. Still a comfortable distance from him, but just close enough to where she could feel his body heat.

It was before long when Silver began to levitate one of the vines of grapes up to his mouth, taking slow and careful bites as he did. In a single bite he took a fair number of them, before turning his attention back to Twilight. Simply just letting the vine fall onto his hoof.

“So, have you read any interesting stories lately?” asked Silver, but instantly he regretted asking it as he recalled the important aspect of this mare. She loves books. By the time he had caught himself it was far too late as her eyes began to sparkle a little bit the very moment he asked. It was like the perfect question to ask her.

'He's...perfect...' Twilight concluded as her eyes began to fill with a bit of desire. 'Too...perfect...' It was only after she realized this that the glint in her eyes began to vanish. 'No stallion can be that perfect! How could one like him exist? He's handsome, he's charming and he's intelligent! There has to be a catch...' As the glint in her eyes began to vanish, she just simply sighed. “This has to be a dream...” she muttered.

Silver had grown a little worried, but it only lasted a second until she finally spoke. This was a bit of a relief to him as he feared she would go off on a tangent about a story. It was also a bit of a problem too, as he became aware of just what ran through her mind. 'She must've just overthought her crush on me...' he assumed, just judging by the look in her eyes. It was depressing just how fast the emotion shifted in them too. Which meant he had to do something about it.

“Twilight?” he started, causing her to shift her gaze back up at him. “This isn't a dream...I know you may think it is...but it isn't.”

“Prove it!” she stated, “Prove to me that this isn't a dream!” Silver's ears fell back when those words were spoken. How would he do this? He had already proven one thing to her in the past, he just needed the right kind of idea to do as such. It was as he thought of this though that he realized one thing; that what he had already proven to her could make matters worse! It was only as he was thinking though, did it dawn on him and a grin began to spread across his face.

“Easy...” he cooed in such a tone that it brought back her blush instantly. The tone was so soft that it seemed to ease the tension she had all throughout her body. Which was something he took quick advantage of. Without a moment of hesitation, while Twilight had been in a daze she wouldn't notice him fully extending his right wing. Where he then used it to pull her in as close as physically possible. “I can do that.” he snickered.

This proved to be quite a big jump in this particular matter, but one that seemed to work out relatively well as Twilight just seemed to go right for the warmth of his body. Even with her heart pounding in her chest, she simply just leaned right up against his side peacefully. It was pure bliss in that moment as she had never felt such a wonderful warmth in her. The blushing vanished and the knots in her stomach along with it. All she could really think to do was just to close her eyes slowly and enjoy the moment she was given.

'This...has to be a dream...' The rational part of her mind called out. Giving an attempt to argue with the other parts of her mind and heart. 'But...it can't be a dream! It feels too real...by Celestia let this be real...' These thoughts though began to fade as she relaxed for the first time in a very long time. The euphoria of being close to somepony you like enough to make her just forget all of her previous thoughts. In a matter of seconds, she eventually reached the point of complete peace.

“That better?” Silver smiled,

“Uh-huh,” Twilight nodded, enjoying the very first time she had ever cuddled with somepony of the opposite gender that she wasn't related to. She didn't think it would feel like this, even her precious books didn't describe just how incredible it felt to be this close to somepony you liked. She couldn't even think of the words that could best describe it either. Instead though, she found herself just enjoying the moment. Which was something she rarely ever did. What occurred next just became icing on the cake for her though.

With Silver's magic around the stem, he lifted the vine of grapes up to Twilight. The gesture was one she had read about in various depictions of leadership and even relationships. Something often done while the two were cuddling or the leader was relaxing. This seemed to bring a greater euphoria to her as she lifted herself up to take a bite. The grapes themselves seemed to taste even better as she ate them and while she could potentially explain it, she simply didn't want to.

“How are you feeling now?” he asked as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. It took a good minute before the question actually registered within Twilight's mind, which quickly brought her back to reality.

“I've never felt better...” she replied, glancing up at him with a smile, “You're so warm...and comfy...” Acting solely on her present desires, she just nuzzled into his side. Feeling the warmth of his body and softness of his coat. It was like a pillow and his wing was a blanket. “It doesn't feel like how authors describe it...”

“Of course not!” Silver smiled, “Not many authors can describe just how cuddling feels unless they've actually cuddled with somepony. Even then its kind of a difficult thing to give words to.” This seemed to reassure Twilight of her present feelings as she continued to eat the grapes he was offering, occasionally letting off very soft and pleasant sighs the longer she remained like this.

“It...actually feels better than they describe!” Twilight added, “Especially...with you...” she only blushed at her own words, once again using his fur to conceal it. Even if it was to little avail as Silver was easily able to notice again.

“If cuddling and snuggling feels nice...just imagine what...” The stallion didn't need to finish that sentence as Twilight was able to just guess what he had been about to say. While the thought had been in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but consider it even more now. Exactly how accurate were the erotic and adult novels she read? Exactly how realistic were they in describing the sensations? It simply just made her wonder what the real thing felt like and not just self pleasure. These thoughts only intensified her blushing further, reaching the point where her entire face was now as red as a beet.

“D-don't...say anything further!” Twilight snapped, while simultaneously glaring at him.

“Aw, come on! Its fun to talk about!” Silver teased, “Plus...we're all alone here tonight too.”

“No!” she cried out, this time being a bit more stern. “I-I don't want to talk about those kinds of things!” Silver got the point the instant she had raised her voice. He didn't need to be told more than once or twice not to go a particular way, especially when it came to mares. Twilight on the other hand wasn't so much angry or anything, she just seemed rather embarrassed by just how quick this stallion was trying to work. 'I can't talk about it yet...' was the thought that popped in her mind.

“No need to get hostile...” Silver said, “I was only teasing, Twi.” This in turn caused her to push away from him a little bit, still not wanting to leave the complete warmth of his body. Yet, at the same time she also wanted to keep her distance.

“You're just like every other stallion I've heard about!” Twilight argued, “All you care about is one thing!” The words hurt Silver a tiny bit even if he did consider them to be true about himself.

“You're right...” he admitted with a sigh, “I was like that. But, after an incident a few years ago...I changed.” Silver turned away from Twilight at this point. “After I had my heart broken...rather badly I might add, something in me changed...” he simply just turned back to her with a smile returning to his face. “While I am a physical stallion in the regard of romance and love...I care a bit more about whom I spend my time with.” Twilight seemed to return the smile as she listened to his words. All of them seemed very genuine to her ears and it brought comfort to actually hear them.

'Guess he's not as perfect as I thought...' Twilight noted, 'But...who could hurt such a sweetheart? Even if he is a perv...'

The two ponies carried on a conversation for hours. Eating the fruit that Twilight had brought and simply enjoying one another's company. By the time the fruit had been finished off however, the two had slowly begun to dwindle down their topics. Through a sheer stroke of luck as the conversation died down, so did the mare as well. So by ten o'clock that night, she fell into a very deep and peaceful slumber snuggled against Silver for warmth instead of using the blankets. This left him technically alone as long as he didn't disturb the mare.

'Good...she's finally asleep...' Silver thought as he glanced down at her. 'But...should I really move to disturb such an adorable mare?' he asked himself this question as he gazed down at her in silence. As he did, he contemplated actually trying to get up from the bed. While he did have the strength for it, he worried about whether Twilight would start asking questions or not. It didn't take him very long to come to this decision either as he just simply smiled. 'I can't disturb her...' he concluded. 'But...how do I get a piece of paper and a quill?'

This posed another question for him, where could he even find paper and a quill? He was in a library, yes. And one that was run by the student of Celestia no less. Which meant she had to keep an abundance of parchment as well as numerous quills with ink. As he pondered the very question, he began to glance around the room in hopes that something was actually there. As his gaze passed by the vanity on the other side of the room, he nearly screamed with delight as out of the corner of his eye he saw just a small piece of torn parchment.

'Next I need that damned quill...' he added, 'Oh...and some ink...' This is what took quite a bit more looking on the other hand. After the initial glance he looked a bit more carefully. Moving his eyes over every detail of the room as best as he could in the dark. First past the windowsill and then over the vanity a second time to ensure he didn't miss anything. That was followed by the nightstand and eventually the bookshelf opposite of the vanity. “Yes!” he cried out, only to cover his mouth with both of his hooves. As his search had finally come to an end. On the nightstand he noticed the ink bottle and while on the bookshelf he took notice of the owl feather. This all came very short of his shout as he was forced to glance back down at Twilight, just hoping he hadn't disturbed her.

It was a relief when she just simply mumbled something in her sleep and shifted her position slightly as now he could finally focus on bringing the three objects to him. Here, his horn lit up, surrounded by his signature silvery aura which quickly enveloped the items. While the items were fairly light, he still seemed to have a bit of trouble levitating all of them to him at once. Silver had to be careful as he did too, because one simple mistake could disturb the sleeping mare. He just became even more thankful that it didn't come to that by the time he received all three items. Silver moved fast at this point, using his magic like a piece of cardboard this time for the paper. Unfurling it as quickly as he could before carefully dipping the quill into the bottle.

'Emerald, I have very important news...'

Secrets and Validation

Chapter 9

It was a rare sight to see one of the royal sisters without her regalia. A very rare sight indeed, but also a very unique and beautiful one as well. This was the case with Luna as she sat outside upon the balcony of her room, just allowing the breeze to gently flow through her mane. While she felt a bit more vulnerable and naked without her breastplate, crown and shoes, it felt nice to be without it for a change.
'Tia is right...' she sighed, 'Crowns are heavier than they look...' Luna's sigh had been rather heavy as she leaned herself upon the railing. The only thing that seemed to uplift her spirits at this point, was the blaring lights within Canterlot. Even though it was just past eleven at night, she could still hear celebrations taking place below. It was entertaining to see such a thing and a little heartwarming as to how times had changed. The smile on her face only seemed to last a second however as she kept focus on the events that had recently transpired. 'What am I going to do about her?' she asked herself, 'Should I consider telling Tia?' She shook her head immediately to the idea before lowering it. It was a bad idea, no a very bad idea.

“Trouble in paradise, Lulu?” a very familiar voice called out, pulling Luna right out of her deep thoughts. Why is it every single time she thinks about her sister she seems to show up? It was annoying every single time it happened and this time was no different either as her eyes simply darted over to her.

“Am I really that obvious?” Luna asked, her tone rather annoyed. At the same time though, she was also curious as to how Celestia could even tell that she was troubled. Even as she met her older sister's gaze. Who sat quietly beside her sister, matching her mannerisms and even her present not-so-regal appearance. It added to the rare sights that most ponies wouldn't ever see, with both sisters not wearing their regalia.

“Its tough to say...” Celestia began, “Without you around, I had to develop my own strategy to deal with dignitaries.” A smile spread across her face at this point as she nudged the smaller mare. “I've learned to pick up on the more subtle mannerisms everypony gives off. Especially when they have something to hide.”

'Damn it...' Luna cursed inwardly, it was just her luck that the very moment she didn't want her sister around, she shows up. To add onto the laundry list of issues, she could even see right through her. “E-exactly h-how good are you?” she questioned, hiding the worry and fear in her eyes. It only took a glance, one that lasted no longer than five seconds before the older sister smiled.

“You have quite a bit weighing down on your mind and in your heart,” Celestia began, inhaling deeply before her next statement. “Whatever the issue is, its something that happened that you're unsure about, even if you did see it with your own eyes. The weight of the crown is also starting to get to you quite a bit and its causing you to forget a little about your lust toward the handsome Emerald Crescent.” The simple mentioning of his name caused Luna's cheeks to flare up a bright red. Even more, her elder sister was actually rather accurate in just about everything she was saying too. “Or...is it more than lust?” she inquired, which only seemed to make matters worse for her. “Going just by the faint blush on your cheeks, it could very well be something more. Here I thought you still had a 'taste' for mares.”

“H-hey!” Luna attempted to argue, her entire face turning beet red just from the statement alone. It was coupled with a small giggle from Celestia, whom seemed relatively pleased at what she was doing.

“So it is true!” Celestia teased, “Its more than lust!” It was at this point where Luna simply hung her head in defeat. Once again beaten by her sister, although it felt relatively nice to her to happen in the way it just did. “What do you intend on doing about it? Aside from trying to get him into bed with you.”

“T-that's my b-business, Tia!” Luna stammered, “P-plus...I don't know how it'd look to my Lunar Guard if I did anything.” This is what caught Celestia's attention again. For just a few seconds her smile vanished, but quickly returned.

“He's really that good?” Celestia asked curiously, meeting her own sister's embarrassed gaze.

“Better than good...” Luna replied, her blush finally beginning to vanish, only to be replaced with a smile. “He's one of the best captains I've ever had!” This is where her excitement began to grow, it was very visible in her eyes that she was overjoyed to have him as the captain. Probably about as much as Cadence had when Shining Armor was promoted to captain himself. “In just a week...he's tracked down a colony of Bat-ponies! I just assumed they died off after you banished me...but they're still alive!” Celestia's face became one of shock the very instant those words had been spoken. It was almost as if her mind had just completely stopped working for just a few seconds. She would even swear her heart skipped a beat upon the news.

“B-but...I...!” she stammered out, it was a very rare moment where she found herself completely speechless. Not even knowing what to say to Luna at that point. Confusion grew in her until she simply just lowered her head. 'I spend close to a thousand years trying to keep tabs on them...and a unicorn finds them in a week?!' Celestia groaned in frustration after hearing that, before lowering her head. “I...I tried to help them...I tried to do good for them...” she said, “But...other ponies just didn't like them...even after they vanished I tried to keep track of them! But they...they just vanished! I couldn't find them anywhere!” It was now Luna's turn to giggle with a very devious grin on her face.

“Oh Tia...” she cooed, “They're my ponies of the night! I trained them to conceal themselves very well and protect Equestria should anything happen to me!” Luna paused for a moment, as her grin only grew wider. “I must've trained them better than I thought...because they did survive a thousand years without me.” It was a very good question too, one that Celestia couldn't help but ask internally to herself. How could this group of ponies survive so long without their leader? Then again, Luna did survive a thousand years being trapped on the moon. To add onto that, Equestria survived a thousand years under just her rule. It was interesting, something she'd have to look into down the road.

“How exactly DID you train them?” Celestia inquired, “For...them to survive that long without their leader...and still remain hidden? Its astonishing. Perhaps I could use something like that with the Solar Guard.” This is what made Luna's smile grow even more than before. For the first time in a very long time her sister had even asked for her advice! It made her heart jump for joy. So much so that she could hardly contain her excitement. Even though it became short-lived.

“Honestly?” she began, “I don't remember. It was so long ago that its difficult to recall the exact details of the training. But I'm sure Emerald and I will figure it out if they don't remember either.” Celestia's demeanor changed almost instantly after she heard that. Going from a loving, gentle smile to a seemingly serious glance at her darling sister. It was the type of look that Luna knew all to well. She could only guess what was coming next as their gazes remained locked.

“Speaking of details...” Celestia began, which caused Luna to freeze instantly. “How did your first use of the orb go?” It had almost been as if she read her mind too, causing the lunar mare's ears to drop just slightly. Of which, she would probably notice right away. What could she do about this situation? Should she tell her sister the truth?

“I-it...went perfectly!” Luna lied outright and even after a thousand years of being apart she still couldn't hide it from her sister. Celestia could easily see it by the multiple tells she had, habits she hadn't completely corrected while trying to tell her sister something. Particularly the one where her left ear twitched. This caused her eyes to narrow at the much younger alicorn almost like a mother would upon finding out their child had snatched something from the cookie jar.

“Luna...” Celestia began in her more serious tone. “You said not more than a couple days ago that we're sisters...and if we have a problem, that we should talk about it.” This made matters far worse for Luna, it made the twitching a bit more uncomfortable, almost like it was an itch. In fact, as she thought about it, she could feel the familiar tightening feeling on her ear.

This was quickly followed by the sudden and powerful urge to scratch her ear. Never in her life had she been overcome with such an uncomfortable urge. It was even stronger than her urge to get into bed with Emerald. However, it wasn't as strong as the urge to yell at her sister. This was something that she needed to do and something she simply couldn't fight.

“Come on Luna...what happened?” Celestia asked, “Did you accidentally stumble into another perverse dream again?” Luna smiled at the question, feeling her body relaxing just a tiny bit after being asked. She took a single cleansing breath to gather her thoughts for an accurate response. She had to tell the truth to her sister. But she knew she couldn't tell her the full truth.

“Well...it didn't go exactly how I had hoped...” Luna began while her sister listened, “I traveled to Ponyville, only to find that a number of the citizens were having nightmares...” Celestia simply grew rather silent as she grew more intent, leaning in a bit closer to her sister. “I did my best to assist and guide them, but I found I wasn't quite strong enough yet to help them completely. Emerald ended up pulling me out of a nightmare before it backfired on me.”

Celestia was very careful in her observations as her sister explained everything. Through her body language she couldn't exactly tell that she wasn't being completely truthful. Yet, there was a part of her that felt as though she was hiding something. Something that was very serious regarding the full situation. 'Should I press it further?' she asked herself, taking another moment to look over her sister. That was where she simply smiled. 'No...that's a bad idea...I need to show her that I trust her.' During the few moments of silence between when she spoke and her sister began to leer at her, she couldn't help but grow rather nervous again. “Emerald saved your flank then?” she asked, “No wonder why you like him so much...”

“Damn it, Tia!” Luna cried, “Get your mind off of romance for fifteen minutes! Can't we have a serious conversation without you making a joke about my love life?” That particular question seemed to end her nervousness and just replace it with frustration again.

“Or lack thereof, Lulu,” Celestia joked, now giggling behind her hoof. 'Least I know I can trust Emerald to protect her...' In the end, while she'd always worry about her little sister, she knew very well it would only cause even more problems between them if she didn't give her at least a little bit of trust. Even with the extremely annoyed look she was now receiving, she just couldn't help but laugh at it.

“Sometimes I wonder Tia...” she muttered,

“Wonder about what?”

“Sometimes I wonder just how anypony could put up with you...” Luna stated, “Because I certainly have trouble doing as such sometimes.” This was followed by another soft sigh, “I love you to death Tia...but sometimes I just...want to smack you!”

“That's a good thing then,” Celestia giggled, “Because...sometimes I want to do the same.” Luna's face seemed to morph at this point however as she began to groan in a very loud fashion while glaring at her sister. She could swear that she had never seen her sister with such a grumpy look on her face before. This was one of those particular times where she just smiled in response. It was only when the glare intensified though that she took it as a sign. “Well...I'll leave you to your duties.” And with a bright golden pop she was gone.

'That was a close one...' Luna sighed, returning her gaze onto the city. It was such a beautiful place. Far bigger than she had remembered, but also far more catered to the night as well with all the lightning. While it did take a little away from the beauty of the night sky, it seemed to calm her a tiny bit. At least until her gaze began to shift to the town off in the distance. While it was barely visible against the darkness of the night, she could still see it clearly. She could even feel it clearly as she gazed off into it. 'Nightmare...what exactly are you doing?' she asked herself, 'Why didn't the Elements destroy you?'

The longer Luna sat upon the balcony, the more she thought about this. The more she wondered about the reason as to why Nightmare was alive still. How exactly had she survived it too? She didn't exactly have the most harmonious of magics and the strangest part of that all, was how she had retained the form while they had been merged. A part of her could feel it too. Even with the distance between the two she knew it deep down. She knew there was far more to this whole situation than she was seeing.

'No...there's no way she can have a full physical form!' Luna debated with herself, 'If it is possible...how could the Elements do that? Why would they do it anyhow?' She groaned again, this time rubbing her own temples. 'Well...she could always have that form in the dreamscape...' Another possibility for it, which only upset her even more. If she did take that form while in the dreamscape then it could potentially make restoring her court even more difficult, granted they looked so similar in comparison. This only seemed to upset the mare even further before simply slumping herself over the railing in defeat. 'What am I going to do about you...?'

Reflecting on the fight was just as difficult as it was trying to figure out why Nightmare was even alive in the first place. To add onto the difficulty, it also hurt her pride a bit to lose to a darker version of herself. She hadn't felt this bad in a very long time, especially given on top of everything she was letting down her ponies and her sister as well. In the time she continued to reflect and contemplate everything, she could feel the room shake as the door swung open.

Luna turned her head only to take notice of a pony just stumbling into her room. Through the curtains, at first she couldn't tell whom it was, but as the pony drew closer she recognized him as Emerald. This brought a smile to her face, even has he tripped over his own four hooves. It was actually rather entertaining to see such a strong pony be so off balance, even for just a second.

“Princess Luna, I have very important news!” he gasped, while he was out of breath, probably from having to gallop at full speed to her room his demeanor was still perfectly calm. How a pony could remain this calm was beyond her, but then again, she could do just the same at times.

“Please Emerald, you don't need to be so formal,” she smiled, entering the room from the balcony. “Just call me Luna.” He didn't seem to pay much mind to it however as he held out a neatly wrapped roll of parchment for the mare. She was left a tiny bit confused by it, having to take a second glance between it and the pony holding it before levitating it under her control.

“Its an intelligence report from my brother,” Emerald explained, “I recently sent him into the Everfree to check up on a few suspicions I had...” Luna's pupils dilated when the words entered her ears. Did this mean what she thought it meant? Was Emerald really suspicious of the very same thing that was troubling her as well? If so, she really did make the appropriate decision in making him a captain.

'If there are any gods that can hear me...' she prayed silently, 'Do not let this confirm the suspicions...' After a couple of seconds, she unfurled the parchment and began to glance over all of it. Being very careful not to skip even a single word. It was a very formally written note, even if it had been scribbled upon a torn piece of parchment, there was even a safety spell over the note as well. Emerald's brother was indeed a very skilled mage to be able to cast such spells.
Emerald,

I apologize for taking as long as I did in getting this message to you. However, I will say this; if you haven't guessed by now I did run into quite a bit of trouble upon my investigation of the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.

This particular trouble however doesn't include falling rubble from the unfortunate castle either. As I found myself completely stunned in what I discovered there. Apparently your fears are very well founded in terms of Nightmare Moon. To say the least, I was shocked when I stumbled upon the fact that she was alive.

It was strange though, because I originally thought Nightmare Moon and Luna were one in the same, not two separate entities.I will confirm it though that she is very much real and very much her own pony. Not only that, but she was extremely terrifying to me.

I was lucky...I barely made it out of there alive. I was just thankful that a tactic I tried actually bared fruit.Had I not, I'm certain both you and Princess Luna would be in the dark about this until it was too late. Thankfully it won't come to that though, as I'm pretty certain she just intends on taking over Equestria. Unlike the last time where she wanted to bring forth an eternal night.

Be careful brother, and take very good care of Princess Luna. Because I'm certain Nightmare Moon will be coming after her in due time...Also...while this is up to you. Allow me to advise you NOT to tell Princess Celestia. Because if you do, this could end up getting very ugly very quickly...

Sincerely,

Silver Crescent

Luna's heart sank as she read through the letter. Why is it everything always seemed to go from bad to worse for her? Even though she did have her suspicions on the whole situation before the letter. Just having it to confirm her worst fears only seemed to make the entire situation worse. It was at this point that she just quietly crawled onto her bed and curled up into a ball as she let the the whole situation sink in completely. She wasn't alone though thankfully.

What made this whole situation seem a tiny bit easier was the fact that Emerald quickly lied right down next to her. Almost like he had read her mind and knew exactly what she needed at this time. This better allowed the princess to stretch out a bit and snuggle right into his side. It immediately brought back a tiny bit of her smile as she found comfort in the unicorn's warmth.

“Thank you, Emerald...” she whispered.

“Its my pleasure,” he smiled as he wrapped his leg around her. This pulled the mare in just a bit closer to his body, making her feel even more comfortable as she rested her head on his body. “What are we going to do, Luna?” She didn't respond right away, instead she only found herself basking in the warmth and comfort of Emerald's embrace. It had been many years since she felt this kind of warmth and she wasn't about to let it go right now. Especially when she needed it.

“I...do not know yet...” she replied after a few peaceful moments. It wasn't long though before something popped into her head. Something she could recall about Nightmare during their fight. “Would it be wrong of me though if I decided to wait for her to come to me?”

“I should say, for the benefit of Equestria we take her down as soon as possible,” Emerald advised, “But...in the end, its up to you to make the call Luna and I'll simply carry out your orders.”

“Then...” she paused, “We wait...I don't want to risk anypony's lives unnecessarily.” Luna simply smiled at him. “Especially those of my beloved bat-ponies.” She gently nuzzled him from here, seeking to find a bit more comfort in his presence.

Author's Note

Enjoy this chapter.

Recruits and Regulations

Chapter 10

Luna had a wide smile on her face as she watched Emerald speak to the new recruits. That wasn't why she was smiling however, it was the fact that the Lunar Guard had new recruits in the first place. So it was reasonable that she was overjoyed, in fact as she watched him address the recruits, she felt the unyielding urge to jump for joy. Even though the number of recruits was rather limited, she was still happy about it. Even considering she knew it'd be a while before her numbers matched her sister's. She was still happy and proud.

Twenty. Twenty new recruits for the Lunar Guard, each of them fairly balanced between the three pony races. This is why she was overjoyed about it, because not only did she have the new recruits, but these twenty had willingly joined. Just knowing this fact caused her pride to well up a little in her chest, only making her smile grow wider. The kicker to all of this though was what stood on Emerald's side.

Clad in the traditional armor of the Lunar Guard stood at least thirty more ponies. Their eyes were ferocious and very feral with wings like bats. The real kicker of their ferocious appearance too, was the fact that a number of them had visible fangs hanging from their mouths. This would make just about anypony flinch the moment they laid their eyes on them. Yet, what made Luna smile was the fact that, even after her millennium long absence; they were still loyal and proud ponies of the night. As she watched on, she was forced to wipe a few proud tears from her eyes.
'My beloved bat-ponies...' she thought, 'Forgive me for abandoning you...' This was a moment where she felt even worse about letting her desires get the better of her. The more Luna thought about it the more remorse she felt about the whole thing. Even though it had just been one group of ponies, they had still been loyal from the very moment she found them. They admired her, they worshipped her, and what did she do? She just abandoned them to make other ponies enjoy her night. It was only now that she realized the terrible mistake she had made, especially given they had remained loyal even after all these years. What had she done to deserve something like this?

It took Luna a few minutes before she gained control of herself. Much to her own relief nopony had actually seen the tears as they slid down her cheeks. She couldn’t bare the thought of letting another pony see even a hint of weakness at this point, especially the new recruits. What would they think of her if they saw even a hint of weakness in her? Disrespect was something she couldn’t stand, no, she wanted to make sure they knew just how tough the Lunar Guard really was, even if it meant hiding how she really felt for the moment.

“At attention!” Emerald ordered as he inspected the recruits. The very moment the words slid from the unicorn’s mouth, the group obeyed. They all stood straight with their muscles tensed. This in turn only made him smile a tiny bit. They showed promise when they followed the first order. “Now, at ease.” he spoke out after a few moments. To which they once again listened. “Now, I realize some of you were transferred here from the Solar Guard and you’re probably expecting pretty much the same.” he began, which in turn earned a few slow nods. As they nodded, he only began to chuckle very softly. “Forget that notion now! This is the Lunar Guard, it is nothing like the Solar Guard!”

“Uhmm...” a recruit began as he raised his hoof, “Exactly...how is it different?” This only caused Emerald’s smile to grow a tiny bit. Even Luna smiled at the question as it had been a very smart question to ask.

“I’m very glad you asked that question!” Emerald announced as he approached the recruit, “Unlike the Solar Guard, where their job is often based in whichever city they’re assigned to...The Lunar Guard’s duty is to ALL of Equestria!” This sent a wave of confusion over the recruits, causing a tiny bit of chatter amongst them.

“But...I thought the Solar Guard’s duty was to...!” another recruit started, only to meet the rather intimidating gaze of Emerald. This sent a chill up the pony’s spine, causing him to freeze in his own horseshoes.

“In the past thousand years, yes,” Emerald began, “The Solar Guard had taken this job, but now that Princess Luna is back...that means, we take the mantle of our duty back!” he cleared his throat after a moment. “You see, where as Princess Celestia’s job is to handle the political matters of the day. It is Princess Luna’s job to handle the dangers of the night.” The mere mentioning of dangers caused every single recruit to swallow uncomfortably; some began to sweat nervously and others even began to tremble still.

“But...if Princess Luna has been absent for so long...how are we all still safe?” a third recruit asked, this time from the farthest end of the line. This one was visibly trembling as Emerald passed by.

“Another fine question,” Emerald smiled, “You see those ponies over there?” His hoof simply gestured to the stationary batponies who had been unmoving for the past ten minutes. The simple lack of motion only seemed to make these ponies even more intimidating to the others. Not only that, but some of them even had visible fangs protruding from their mouths. Which in turn added to the fear factor. “These ponies are known as Bat-ponies.” he said, “They’re an underground race of ponies. While many would debate of their origins, that they’re a mutation of pegasi. There really isn’t a written record as to how they came about. What we do know though is that, unlike pegasi, bat-ponies can’t control the weather at all.” This came as a shock to the recruits, causing a collective gasp. “In place of that though, the bat-ponies are swifter and stronger than pegasi and even some earth ponies!”

“T-they are?!” several recruits shouted simultaneously, the collective shock growing.

“Yes and adding onto that...all bat-ponies have strict loyalties to Princess Luna,” Emerald pointed out, “While they will take orders from the other princesses out of respect, their loyalties do strictly lie to the lovely Princess of the Night.” This made Luna’s ears perk up the instant she heard it. Causing a faint blush to appear on her cheeks. Thankfully against her dark blue coat it was hardly visible. “Even after a thousand years, the bat-ponies maintained their loyalties. They carried out their missions each and every night without fail. They protected us from terrifying beasts, even at the cost of their own lives and while they are terrifying...they are also unwavering and very protective.”

Luna had to admit to herself that Emerald was quite the talented speaker. Not only had he brought a bit of a blush to her cheeks, but he was proving to really inspire the troops. Even though all of them did seem a little terrified of the bat-ponies and the mission of the Lunar Guard, she could see that their fear was just beginning to fade. His speech and responses even proved to be a bit of a turn on for her the longer she listened. She could feel her stomach tightening with each word spoken. She actually began to enjoy it rather significantly as she listened, to the point where her body began to heat up quite a bit. She could even feel the muscles in her wings beginning to tighten.

‘Stay down wings...’ she repeated to herself in attempts to keep focus. It was to no avail though as Luna had even begun to admire his physical appearance. The custom purple armor Emerald wore was absolutely exquisite on him. While it did conceal his muscles, it also seemed to add an air of even greater strength to him. This made him quite the object of lust the longer she observed and listened to his words. Eventually reaching the point where she simply just licked her lips. It was only when a nearby bat-pony tapped her shoulder that she finally returned to reality.

“Princess?” she asked, “Are you alright?” The look of concern was evident on her face especially as she stood quietly to her right. It took Luna a couple of seconds before her mind returned to reality instead of just staring at her captain. It had been a concerning minute or two for the bat-pony as she didn’t want anything to happen to the princess.

“Y-yes!” Luna replied, “I-I’m fine!”

“Y-you didn’t look fine to me...” the bat-pony replied, “In fact...you were drooling a tiny bit as you stared at...” It was only when the pony glanced off in the direction Luna had been staring did she finally get it. “Oh...so he’s...?” she started, however before she could even finish, the princess shook her head. Almost as if asking for her not to say a words about it.

“Thank you,” she whispered, before returning her focus to Emerald. Unfortunately the moment she did, her wings finally reached their full extension, forcing themselves outward and growing rather stiff in the process. ‘Damn it!’

“I expect the very same from all of you. I expect all of you to show Princess Celestia and Cadenza the same level of respect that you show Princess Luna and I!” he announced, “For if you don’t, discipline will be strict and harsh. We will not tolerate it. Do I make myself clear?” His entire speech seemed to weed out the fear a little bit from many of the ponies and while a few still seemed a bit nervous, it seemed as though they had grown a bit of courage through it.

“Sir! Yes, Sir!” All of them called out at once, saluting him at the very same time. Which only brought a smile to his face as he took notice of it. It was impressive just how quickly their overall demeanor had changed from a very simple speech.

“Now...your princess wishes to address her recruits, pay attention!” he ordered, stomping a hoof onto the ground before quietly stepping aside. This was the big moment for Luna as she approached. Thankfully, before she had begun her approach, she had gotten her wings to settle from the unfortunate wing-boner she had been suffering from. As she approached, the group of twenty recruits bowed very politely along with the bat-ponies. Whom surprisingly still hadn’t relaxed, even after a good ten minutes of standing at attention.

“You are dismissed,” Luna stated to the bat-ponies, “Go relax until we get a schedule up.” They took the orders almost instantly. Letting their bodies finally relax before they either flew or trotted off to the Lunar Guard barracks. After that, the princess turned her attention back to the recruits. This is where her smile vanished completely and was replaced with a rather intimidating glare. One that, immediately caused all of them to freeze once again in their horseshoes and resume trembling for as long as it lasted. “My precious Lunar Guard...listen very carefully because, I will be explaining the details of our jobs and I will only explain this once!”

All the recruits, including the ones who had been trembling seemed to stop whatever they were doing at that very moment. Whether it was kicking the grass with their hooves or just staring off into space. This wasn’t something any of them could possibly miss. Especially given it was from the princess herself. Even the chatter seemed to vanish as the lunar mare began to inspect them.

“First, Pegasi,” Luna began, clearing her throat. “Your task is to patrol the skies surrounding the places you’re assigned to. Observing everything very carefully either in the air or on the ground. Only remember it if it is important, but do not engage unless something is in danger. Particularly another pony. I don’t want you risking your lives unnecessarily.” Every single pegasus recruit nodded as she explained, which only made her smile a little bit. “Second, comes Earth Ponies. Your jobs are more related to being the muscle in dangerous situations. You are also the eyes and ears within buildings and on the ground when a pegasus cannot handle it.” All the Earth ponies nodded as well. Their job seemed simple enough. “As for Unicorns though...you have the most difficult job. Or at least some of you will. Not every unicorn will be assigned to this task. However, a fair majority of you will be taught the spells necessary to enter dreams to protect ponies from nightmares. On top of that, also guiding them through and helping them interpret dreams. Unicorns incapable of using dream magic efficiently will be assigned to guard duties primarily. Am I clear?”

“Yes, princess!” all of them saluted, this was a very pleasing sign for her too. With a small sigh she was finally able to relax a bit upon their response.

“Now, dismissed!” she ordered, “Training begins in two days!” With that, all the ponies just trotted off, most of which actually made a path directly for the barracks. Once all of them were gone, Luna let out a soft sigh of relief before turning to Emerald. “I did well?”

“Very well, you’re quite the speaker,” Emerald complimented with a smile on his face. “What about me?” Just asking that only seemed to cause the princess to blush again as she recalled the short speech he gave. Not only that, but Luna even recalled exactly what she had been doing the entire time he was giving the speech. Which only made matters far worse than before, intensifying the blush on her face.

“Y-you were quite good...” she answered after a moment, “Y-you were rather attractive while doing it too.”

“As were you...” Emerald added, “I found your motivated look rather...enticing.” Luna’s ears perked a tiny bit. Was this the chance she had been waiting for? Did she want to finally just let her desires get the better of her and take over here? Or did she want to wait just a bit longer. This is where she found herself shifting her gaze away from the unicorn. It had been for just a moment though as she glanced up to her balcony.

“Oh! You mean this look?” she asked as she lowered her brow just a tiny bit, making the gaze she had even softer as she looked upon Emerald. This caused the pony to take a step forward in response.

‘Such beautiful eyes,’ he thought, as he met the gaze of her cyan eyes. They were very beautiful indeed, holding so much strength within them. Yet, the deeper he looked into her eyes, the more he saw. He also saw a tiny bit of loneliness coupled with a hint of lust in them. This was a very powerful combination for him as he could feel his will beginning to waver the longer he gazed.

Luna didn’t need a second thought as she continued to gaze into his eyes. Each passing second she drew closer and closer to him, before closing the gap entirely. She met his lips in a relatively short amount of time and he didn’t even put up any resistance. Instead, he simply kissed back with just as much passion as she kissed him. His lips were warm and inviting, to the point where her sense of self control quickly vanished. It was only a few seconds later before the kiss finally broke and the unicorn was left sitting in shock as he wondered what she was going to do next.

Nothing could’ve prepared him however for what actually happened next as she pulled him into a second kiss. During that second kiss, Luna’s horn lit up very bright, enveloping the two in a matter of seconds before they just vanished completely in a bright blue ‘pop’. It wasn’t until the kiss broke that Emerald found himself lying on the princess’ bed, with his body overtop of her, much to his own surprise.

‘She works fast...’ he noted as he gazed up at her.

“We have a little time, wouldn’t you say?” the mare asked as she slowly moved her hoof down his body. She moved absolutely flawlessly too, touching just about every sensitive spot on his body. First starting with his neck, then down the side of his stomach. It was such a gentle touch that he failed to notice just how easily his armor seemed to fall off and be tossed aside by the mare.

“W-well...I do have to write up the schedules...” he tried to argue, making an attempt to resist her. The moment he did however, he found himself being completely pinned down by the full physical strength that Luna had. While it did make him a bit uncomfortable, he found he couldn’t complain very much in this regard. Especially given she even had her flank so firmly planted against his crotch as well.

“Forget the schedules for now...” she cooed seductively in his ear. This wasn’t making it any easier for him either as he found himself growing steadily aroused the longer she sat on his crotch. He could feel his heart beginning to pound and the blood rushing to the rather vital area. “I have a different task for you...and this one...is more vital than any schedule.” Emerald could only assume what she meant too. If it wasn’t obvious enough for him, it would once he began to grow rather erect. Even without moving, he could feel it. He could feel the mare’s very arousal beginning to rub along his length and it felt oh so good.

Luna smirked as she felt him beginning to poke into her flank. It wouldn’t take her very long beyond that point to take full advantage of the situation. Quickly repositioning herself, she put it right in-between her thighs, before gently grinding their hips together. Emerald’s response was to let out a rather delicious sounding moan to the princess as she began to grind, it was such an incredible sensation he felt shooting through his body. He didn’t know whether it was because of his attraction to her or whether it was simply because she was the princess of the night. It even felt as though the sensations were heightened as he could swear it shouldn’t feel this good, ever.

“L-Luna!” he cried out in sheer delight, as she could feel the lips of her entrance beginning to slide just around the width of his member. It was a sensation that she longed for, for over a thousand years. Luna even felt heightened sensitivity as she continued to gently grind along his member. It had never felt this good before, perhaps it had been the time she spent without even a single hint of pleasure? She didn’t care too much to think about it though as she was more focused on ensuring that she lasted as long as possible. She wanted to savor every last second of the pure bliss she felt at this moment.

“Your mission...” she whispered playfully, “Is to give your princess an excellent story and a very happy ending.” It wasn’t until the grinding came to a sudden halt that the words actually registered in his mind. Emerald could guess exactly what she meant without the need for interpretation, granted that was a euphemism he often used to describe certain actions in his novels.

“Any rules?” he asked, looking up at the mare. “Do you want it to be a long story or a short story?”

“Whichever works for you, but I’d prefer a long one,” Luna giggled as she climbed off of him. “Oh and one other rule...you can’t use those two horns. Just to make it more challenging.”

“I’ll only need one item to do this task,” Emerald chuckled before he leaned in to place a kiss on her lips. This kiss was very slow and extremely passionate, even more so than the previous ones. Luna could even feel his front legs as they gently wrapped around her. She could feel them trailing all over her body, first starting on her back which she seemed to find even more sensual before moving a bit more downward. She didn’t care either, even as she felt his hoof on her flank. It was far too wonderful of a sensation for her to complain.

Even when she began to feel his tongue begging for entry into her mouth, she complied. This was by far the best part of everything so far. She could feel her own arousal growing the further he went. To the point where her heart was even pounding in her chest from the heated moment. Eventually it begged the response of her own tongue sliding right into his mouth before slowly entwining with his. In the end, she let out a very pleased moan within her throat just before he finally broke away from the lip contact.

“Wow...” she whispered, “If this is how you begin...I can’t wait to see how you end!” It was only just beginning too. As upon breaking away, Luna found herself being met with a very passionate kiss starting along her neck. It sparked an immediate reaction too as it was one of her more sensitive spots. A single kiss there only increased her arousal further, to the point where she was even beginning to drool just a little. What was it about this stallion that got her going so easily? She had always preferred a mare to a stallion in most cases, especially the bookish types like her sister’s student.

The next kiss came just below the previous one, upon her collar, just above the armor she wore. It was even better than the last too, sending another wave of sweet bliss over her body. As this continued, each kiss only became more intense than the last as he worked his way down. The further down he moved, the more pleasure she began to feel and even more than the pleasure, she could feel her body temperature rising. She was becoming hot, very hot, and it worked well with her arousal as well. Yet at the same time it also made her a bit more impatient with each movement.

‘At this rate, he won’t even have to try!’ she cried out, doing her best to keep herself under control. ‘No! No! I can last longer than that! If I can’t last more than five minutes, then I have to let him have at me!’ Luna’s conclusion couldn’t have come at a better time as at that very moment she felt his tongue gently caress over the lips of her entrance. It resulted in her letting out a very loud cry of utter delight the moment she felt it.

The sensation was heavenly, she couldn’t ask for a more wonderful sensation than that. It became even better as she felt a second round of it, the pleasure only beginning to magnify as it crashed over her body. She couldn’t find words to describe it, she didn’t even want to moan at it. Instead she wanted to scream in delight as it continued. Fostered by Emerald’s sensual tongue. It only became more intense as she felt his tongue slide inside her, which at first caused her to flinch, before sliding back into position to further enjoy the pleasure. After the first thirty seconds of this, Luna’s breathing had become rather labored as she continued to enjoy the pleasure. Each second only causing another moan to escape her lips.

“E-Emerald!” she cried, which only increased the fervor of his pace. It eventually reached such a point where she actually had to close her eyes with how intense it was beginning to get. Only when the doorknob turned just ever so slightly did her ears perk again, shifting in the direction of the door. It was a sound she knew all too well. She had experienced it on many occasions too, namely from her sister. The initial reaction in her mind was to kick Emerald off the bed, but she knew it would just raise even more questions if he was at the foot of her bed. She could do nothing else except grab the nearest blanket with her hooves and cast it over her body. “J-just k-keep going!” she ordered as she did.

Shining Armor pushed the door open to the room very slowly. He did this just to ensure that the princess was indeed in her room along with Emerald as the guards had said. However, what he saw when he finally entered was something entirely different than what he expected. Instead of seeing both ponies together, he instead saw just Luna lying on her bed very peacefully with a blanket draped over her. It was strange though as he gazed upon the bed, but it wasn’t that much of a focus for the time being.

“Princess Luna!” Shining called out as he entered, much to Luna’s own frustration. The frustration was so dense he could even feel it in her eyes coupled with a very powerful malice. It was almost like she didn’t want him in the room at this particular moment, but he paid little mind to this warning. “Where are those transfer documents?”

‘He bothers me for...documents?’ she asked herself with a deadpan look directed at the stallion. “D-didn’t Emerald give them to you earlier?” Luna inquired, trying to fight back a scream in ecstasy. It was a real struggle too as the pleasure just kept on growing with each passing second. All the while, another pony stood quietly at the door, watching on as she received cunnilingus.

“No...he didn’t,” the stallion replied, “and I need to get them filed before I can go home! Do you have them?”

“W-why would you think that...I!...Have them!” she nearly screamed, gasping in-between words as the pleasure continued to soar. Making it all the more difficult for her to resist.

“Is...something wrong, Princess?” Shining inquired, as he took a step forward. This immediately made her grow rather tense as she simply sat there. She knew if he got any closer, he was sure to find out exactly what was going on. Luna wasn’t about to have that though, as she simply gave a very sweet and innocent smile.

“No...everything’s perfectly FINE!” She jumped, feeling Emerald’s muzzle being pushed into her. ‘Damn that stallion...’ Shining took another step forward in his curiosity, his gaze slowly shifting to the blanket that covered Luna. He could swear that he saw something move beneath them, before once again returning to the princess.

“I...thought you might have them to decide on your recruits,” he finally answered, watching as she shifted uncomfortably beneath the covers.

“E-Emerald is my CAPtain,” she started, once again feeling another spike in the pleasure. It was at this point she knew it wouldn’t be very much longer before her end came. She could even feel the muscles in her groin beginning to tighten. She had maybe a minute at most. “And I TRUST! him....I’m sure if you checked his office, you’d find them!”

“But...you said...” he tried to say, only to be cut off by Luna’s unyielding gaze of frustration again. This time however, he felt a chill travel up his spine. It was almost as if something was telling him to leave after she had spoken. “Alright...I’ll check there...and...please tell Emerald that I need to speak with him soon.” It was only after that particular moment that he left, closing the door behind him.

It was only in that moment the door closed behind Shining did Luna finally just let everything go. It was like a thousand years had passed before her eyes in an instant as she went over the edge. It was absolute bliss that washed over every inch of her body, she could even feel it right at the tips of her hooves. She even had to force her eyes closed for a moment just to stop herself from screaming. It was to no avail though as the pleasure was far too overwhelming even for an alicorn of her stature.

“WE HAVE CLIMAXED!” Luna’s royal voice boomed, echoing all throughout the castle. It was much to her own embarrassment and bliss at the very same time. Even Shining Armor could feel his cheeks burning with complete embarrassment as he stood just outside her door.

Seconds felt like an eternity to Nightmare as she sat awestruck at what she just heard. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs upon hearing the news from the doctor that now stood before her. How could this have happened? What was she going to do about it? How was she to carry out her plans now with this new idea? The longer she sat there, the more these thoughts ran through her head as the doctor’s three words finally registered in her mind. No matter how much she didn’t want it, it was the reality of the situation and she needed to face it now.

“Congratulations! You’re pregnant!” the doctor announced. Meanwhile, on the other side of Ponyville a certain pink pony was walking along the path, when she felt a shiver travel from the very tip of her tail all the way up to the highest part of her mane very quickly.

‘That’s never happened before...’ she pondered, ‘What could it mean?’

Author's Note

I do hope you enjoy this chapter. It was a delight to write it.

Silver's Ponyville Experience

Chapter 11

Warmth. It was something that Twilight deeply enjoyed. Especially this particular type of warmth that she had grown accustomed to feeling in her bed. It was bizarre really, she had never really cared too much for this in the past. Now however, after having experienced it for the very first time, she sang a very different tune. As she began to stir on this particular morning, she could feel that the warmth she had come to enjoy had vanished. While she did still have the warmth of her blankets, it wasn’t the kind she desired. No by all means, the kind she desired came from another body. One that she had grown relatively attached to over the course of the past couple of weeks. It only took her a moment after turning over before she realized that the other side of the bed was empty.

‘Where’s the warmth...?’ she inquired to herself as she patted the space Silver had once occupied. It took Twilight’s mind a few minutes to actually begin registering everything as it happened though. Once she finally realized it, her eyes flew open in shock and horror. “Silver?!” she cried out, lifting body up in a panic. “Where are you!?” She could feel her heart pounding, pumping adrenaline all throughout her body as she glanced around the room. It hadn’t even been five minutes into the morning, but already she was in a panic. The mare couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t even think clearly as she flung the covers off with a combination of her magic and hooves. All she could actually think about was the stallion that had occupied the left side of her bed. Where had he gone? Had he left for Canterlot? Was he even fully recovered? Why had he gone without telling her? These were just some of the questions that ran through her mind within just a fraction of a second. Twilight’s hoof shot out to her right, quickly grasping ahold of the small clock on the nightstand. Maybe this could shed light onto the situation before she flew into a complete panic. The moment her eyes saw what the clock read however only made her jaw drop even more.

“Nine o’clock!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Twilight was screaming internally by this moment. She hadn’t ever slept this late in her life before. In fact, often times she was up even before the sun had risen just to get ahead on her daily schedule. That wasn’t the case today however, as she was left just quietly sitting in the bed, dumbfounded and awestruck that she had even slept in today. It was such an uncommon occurrence that she even began to go over possible scenarios as to why she slept in within seconds. It even caused her to develop a very mild eye twitch as she released the clock, allowing it to fall onto the bed. ‘H-how...could...this...happen?’ she questioned, ‘I-I’m always so...’ It was unfortunate for the mare though as she wouldn’t ever be able to finish that particular thought. As right at that very moment a certain purple dragon walked quietly into the room.

“Morning Twilight!” he greeted, which broke her concentration instantly. Shifting her thoughts once again back over to Silver. Perhaps now she might be able to find out where he was and why no one had woken her up.

“Where’s Silver, Spike!?” Twilight interrogated, her face showing off to Spike just how frantic she actually was. This was actually something he had seen coming as he stood in the doorway. He expected Twilight to be this frantic upon noticing his disappearance. He even figured that it would only get worse the moment she found out the time. With a single glance he even figured that she learned of both before he even entered.

‘Silver is right...she really DOES need to relax,’ he noted, laughing inwardly at the remark. “Silver left sometime around six,” Spike explained, “He said he was going for a walk and that he’d be back around ten.”

“Th-then why didn’t you wake me!?” she screamed at the dragon, which caused him to flinch. “W-why didn’t HE wake me!?” The answer she had received only seemed to make her panic more. Which in turn caused Spike to facepalm.

‘Every week...’ he thought, ‘First it was the Pinkie Sense...now its Silver...its only going to be a matter of time before she loses it completely...’ Spike couldn’t even find the appropriate words in his vocabulary to best describe the situation he had been put in. He wanted to be angry at Silver for doing this to him, but the stallion had promised compensation for his efforts in the form of really nice gems. Which is what prevented him from just walking out of the room right then and there. “He said you deserved to sleep in after last night,” he pointed out, although not fully understanding it. “He said you’d know what that would mean.”

‘I would?’ she asked herself, as if not recalling what it meant. It actually took Twilight a good five minutes of thought, recalling all that happened the night before, before she actually realized what it meant. When she did remember though, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

“All I remember from last night were your very strange sounds,” Spike added, “What were you two doing last night anyhow?” This seemed to intensify the mare’s blushing. Had she really been that loud last night? It was only as she thought about it that all of the details finally came flooding back to her. It wasn’t a wonder why she slept so well last night as she possibly had the most incredible night of her life. She didn’t remember a time when she felt so at ease before.

“O-oh...uhm...” Twilight stammered, it wasn’t so much what they had done that embarrassed her, but the simple fact she hadn’t been quieter. “S-Silver gave me a massage...” because of her stammering however, this made Spike very suspicious on whether she was being honest. That, coupled with her blushing only made it even worse.

“Twilight...” he began, “You promised you wouldn’t ever lie to me again...”

“B-but I’m not lying!” Twilight argued, the tone of her voice said otherwise to Spike though.

“Are you sure?” Spike asked, “Because after you gave me...”

“I hardly know the guy!” she snapped, “He’s sweet, he’s charming...but I hardly know him! Why would I ever do something like that with a pony I hardly know!?” The mare’s voice became more firm here, although her blushing just seemed to intensify the further the conversation went.

“But you’ve been...” he tried to add, only to earn a glare from Twilight. This one didn’t seem too pleased with him either.

“I know I’ve been sharing a bed with him for the past two weeks,” she pointed out, “But...nothing is going on! I swear! I just enjoy his warmth and company!” While Spike felt a bit skeptical about it, he just simply let it go this time. Actually beginning to take notice of the honesty in her eyes. The strangest part of this however, was the actual look in her eyes. While he didn’t quite understand it, it was the look of infatuation. Almost as if she had really developed a thing for him over the course of the past two weeks. Was it something more? He couldn’t really tell, but there was just something in her eyes that for some reason just made him relatively happy to see.

“Oh and he also said he’d bring back brunch for us!” Spike added with a grin. This news made the mare smile a tiny bit, she hadn’t ever met a stallion like this before in her life really. It made her rather happy to know that there were actually half decent stallions out there that were attractive and enjoyed talking instead of giving single word responses. Twilight just sat quietly for a moment longer, a smile on her face before finally climbing from the bed. That was Spike’s cue to walk quietly from the room to begin preparing the mare’s morning tea.

‘He is such a sweetheart,’ she thought, slowly crossing the room to make her way to the vanity. As Twilight lifted her hairbrush, she couldn’t help but gaze into the eyes of her own reflection. When she did, it was like she was looking into her own heart for just a moment. This is where an image of her desire flashed right through her mind. The image was just a relatively simple desire, but it made her pose a very important question to herself. ‘Do I have feelings for him?’

With a bright and cheerful smile spread wide across his face, Silver trotted through the streets of Ponyville. At first, he always thought that Ponyville didn’t have very much. Now though he thought a bit different, even for a small town it did in fact have quite a bit. This was something that gave it quite a charm to him, it wasn’t like Canterlot in the least. In fact it felt more homely as he glanced into the shops. When he did, it only made his smile even more genuine as there was just one more thing for him to actually like about the town. What seemed to make it all the better was when he took his first step into the market area. It was where his jaw dropped in awe before his smile returned.

The market was large, especially large even for a Thursday. It was strange really, while he had seen market stalls before in his life, he had never seen this many before. Was it small towns that drew in merchants? He didn’t know. What he did know though was the simple fact that he couldn’t find things like this in Canterlot or any other city for that matter. This town was very unique in its marketplace as everything just seemed unique.

‘Incredible...’ he noted as he passed by a small jewelry stall. Silver even paused as he passed by the stall, glancing over horn rings, necklaces, even bracelets. He even swore he saw a nose ring with a ruby on it before he began to walk away. ‘The quality of the items isn’t comparable to Canterlot’s...but the selection is far better! How is that possible?’ It wasn’t until he reached the apple stall at the end of the line that his jaw just completely fell to the floor.

In an assortment of colors and kinds, he saw apples. They weren’t just any apples however, as he easily recognized them from the sheer amount of quality they had. These apples, even if they had yellow or green skin, were all fairly reflective. Not once in his life had he seen fruit in such pristine condition either. They were absolutely magnificent even after the first few seconds, so much so that he could even smell them from a few feet away. He knew these apples, given he had heard rumors about them before. Particularly from his little brother who had become a chef. These were Apple Family apples and they were among some of the highest quality apples to ever be in Equestria.

‘I must have some...’ he thought as he approached the stall, just eyeballing the quality. The question then came, exactly what kind of apples did he want? Did he want red? Yellow? Green? Or did he want a few Zap Apples? Upon a second glance however, he found himself a bit disappointed. Which in turn caused his ears to drop a little. ‘Damn...I don’t see any Zap Apples...’

“Howdy! How may Ah help you?” a voice asked just in front of him. The accent was fairly thick too, but it was one he recognized as one of Twilight’s friends. While he hadn’t met her directly, Silver had heard her voice at least once or twice throughout his stay in the library. It wasn’t a voice he could easily forget either as it was a voice of honesty. Silver’s eyes slowly moved up to meet with the sap green eyes of a rather prominent orange mare wearing a somewhat tattered western hat. With just a single glance he knew she was an earth pony, as is with a majority of the Apple family.

“Yes...I’d like to purchase five apples please,” Silver smiled without even thinking of a number. He figured that might be a start to gathering up some brunch for him, Spike and Twilight. Not much of one, but when he considered all the other possible places he could go in town; there were at least a few more options.

“That’ll be ten bits!” the mare exclaimed as she tossed five apples into a bag. It was at which point Silver dug into a small bag, pulling out the asking price. He didn’t even bother to haggle either, which was a bit surprising to the mare. While most ponies actually attempted to haggle with her, this stallion didn’t. Even if the price did seem a couple bits higher than it normally should. Yet, he didn’t even seem to care as he just trotted off carrying the bag without a single care in the world. It wasn’t until she titled her head just slightly to the left that she finally took notice of the pure and simple fact that he was an alicorn. Did she just have royalty purchase something at her stall? Were there even alicorn stallions? If so, why hadn’t she heard about them until now? She figured it might be big news if there was an alicorn prince. Eventually though she was forced to shrug this line of thought off as a few customers began to line up.

The streets began to fill rather quickly as the clock struck nine. It was around that time that shops and other places of business began to open up. This is where things became quite interesting as Silver made the attempt to enjoy some of the sights of Ponyville. It did create a bit of a problem though as he found himself walking against a seemingly endless horde of ponies. Dodging the few that actually rushed by him. Before long, the difficulty of his situation only grew as he sidestepped past another pony that blazed right past him. The worst part of that particular moment was, instead of trotting, the pegasus just flew right past him. It happened too quickly for him to react in time. There had maybe been less than half a second between when he was standing normal to when the whole world began to spin. It spun fast too, so quickly in fact that he found himself twirling out of control right through the door of a nearby shop. One he was lucky that was actually unlocked before he finally came to a halt with his stomach to the floor.

“Somepony get the number of that chariot?” Silver inquired before planting his face firmly on the floor. He could still feel his head spinning even though his body had stopped. It was only when he closed his eyes and shook his head that he regained his focus. After which he slowly began to climb to his feet.

“I’m so sorry darling! What happened?” another voice asked as he felt a hoof gently help him up to his own hooves.

“I...got railed by a blue blur!” he replied, placing his hoof to his forehead before opening his eyes. The very moment he opened them however was a different story as what stood to his right side was possibly one of the most beautiful ponies he could ever imagine. She had an elegant and beautifully curled purple mane coupled with azure eyes. Adding on, she even had a marshmallow white coat. It only seemed to compliment her overall appearance. It was in that moment that his frustration seemed to vanish, only to be replaced with a very gentle smile. “But...it looks like it wasn’t that bad really...considering there’s a very beautiful mare standing before me.”

“Rai--” she started, only to be cut off by his compliment. Its response was to have her cheeks light up a little. “My...aren’t you the sweetheart.” she cooed in response, now taking a second to look him over as well. By her eyes, Silver was quite the good looking stallion. Not only did he have a fabulous blue coat coupled with a luxurious silver mane, but he even had a horn and a pair of wings. Wait...he had both? This required the mare to glance him over a second time in her confusion before she began to quiver with a combination of excitement and fear.

“A-An alicorn!” she announced, “Y-you’re an alicorn!” She was startled and amazed at the fact. So much so in fact that she had absolutely no clue what to do. So much ran through her mind at this particular moment, but the first of which was the question that she asked next. “Are you...a prince?” Silver blinked once when he heard the question. He gazed at the mare next and blinked again before he broke out into a fit of laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!” he laughed, “You think I’m a prince?” This left the mare scratching her own head for a moment as she just listened to him laugh. She hadn’t ever heard of an alicorn not being royalty, it was profound. Granted the only three known at this point beside this particular stallion were the princesses. So it was a reasonable assumption. “While I appreciate the compliment...I’m not a prince. I’m just...very lucky.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, “I thought all alicorns were royalty!”

“Its untrue actually,” Silver pointed out, “Princess Celestia told me herself...an alicorn being born is just very uncommon. However, it can happen.”

“So, you’re just one of those...’uncommon’ alicorns?” she inquired, growing a bit more curious. As she grew more curious, she couldn’t help but be transfixed by the combination of colors between his coat and mane. They just seemed to match so well together. It even seemed to flow a little bit as he nodded in response. It was only when the sunlight hit his hair at just the right angle did it finally begin to shimmer and once that happened everything clicked in her mind. “IIIIIIDDDEEEAAA!” she sang, before galloping off. It was only at this point that Silver found himself standing alone in the mare’s boutique, completely confused.

‘Ponies in this town are...crazy...’ was his only thought at this point. “It was nice meeting you miss...uhm...” he paused, only to see her head poke around the corner with a smile.

“Its Rarity darling,” she replied, “And how could I ever thank you for giving me that idea?”

“No need for repayment,” he smiled, only to receive a small frown from the mare.

“Oh, but I must! Its only fair!” Rarity insisted, looking as if she wasn’t going to let him walk away from this one. It actually required a bit more thought for him and considering his stomach was rather empty right now it only made it a bit more difficult to get a clear picture as to what he could ask for. But lo and behold, after a couple moments of silence it struck him.

“Two things!” Silver stated, this made the mare a bit nervous. After all she did say she wanted to repay him. She now wished she could take a little bit of it back at this point. Although it was far too late for her to do that. “First....can you give me directions to a place to get some food? Preferably for a decent brunch, I’m treating a couple friends.” That was simple enough for her, knowing that Sugarcube Corner wasn’t that far from the place. The second favor came up next and it worried her just a tiny bit as she recalled the gaze she had received when he first entered. “Second....” she bit her lip in the tension, in attempts to keep herself under control. “Could you make a new Tuxedo for me? Nothing too fancy, just enough to blend in at formal affairs.” This came as a sigh of relief for Rarity as she somewhat expected him to ask her out on a date.

“I’d love to darling!” she smiled, “There’s a small bakery just down the street, its called Sugarcube corner. But...I don’t think I caught your name though.” She was relieved that he hadn’t asked for a date at all. Instead he had been rather reasonable with what he had asked. Even going as far as to ask for a nice tuxedo. This helped her business too, as it was basically free advertising.

“Its Silver Crescent,” Silver answered, “And thank you again Rarity.”

“Its my pleasure, Silver,” she paused, “Can you come by a little later in the day for your measurements? Say...three?” Silver only nodded in response to her request before walking right out of the door. ‘What’s a stallion like that doing in Ponyville?’ she asked herself as she watched him leave. Once he had vanished from sight Rarity sighed softly before going right to work.

Five minutes. That’s all it had taken before he found himself entering Sugarcube Corner. To Silver, the place seemed even more inviting than the other bakeries he had been to in the past. It actually felt relatively nice to be in such a place. Unlike the other places though, the simple smell of the sweets was very overpowering to him. The aroma of the sweets blasting him the very moment he entered the building. He could tell right off the bat that he was in the right place to find a good brunch for three individuals. It didn’t even take him very long either, in fact it had to be some of the fastest service he had ever received. Even with how busy it was, they had gotten his orders and he was able to pay without a single bit of trouble.

About the only thing that seemed to bug him was the very bright pink pony who seemed to be brimming with energy. He could only attribute her hyperactivity to the fact that she worked in the bakery itself. Which probably meant to him that she ate quite a few sweets in her time. This was all he needed now. He couldn’t handle a pony like that right now, not after everything else. So quietly and swiftly he left after paying for his orders. Being very careful not to drop the two bags with the food in them.

While that had gone off without much trouble, his morning wasn’t quite over yet as on his way back to the library a chill ran up his spine. It was the type of chill that he recognized all too well. It was one he often felt on missions when he knew something just wasn’t quite right around him. As if somepony nearby was watching him. It was so bad in fact that he actually turned his head back down the still active streets of Ponyville.

‘I swear somepony is watching me...’ he contemplated, as his eyes darted throughout the crowd. Yet, as he did, he saw nothing that actually stood out against the crowd itself. So, he just kept on walking. Although this time he moved a bit faster. Even as he did this it still didn’t help his situation, the sensation on the back of his neck still didn’t seem to fade. However he did make the attempt to conceal just how nervous he really was, even as he looked back over his shoulder a second time upon reaching the bridge before Golden Oaks Library. ‘Who’s there...?’ he inquired to himself, ‘Is anypony there...?’At that point, he slowed his pace a tiny bit, moving back to a casual trot as he was no longer worried about whomever was watching him; that is, if anypony was watching him.

He was right too that somepony was watching him, following him in fact as this particular mare had done a good job of spotting him as she had just been leaving the market herself. Clad in a thick grey cloak, she weaved in and out of alleyways. Finding them far faster than just taking the normal streets to keep up with him. Even though they were only made faster by the single fact that she had been utilizing her wings to speed herself up.

‘Should I...?’ she asked herself, ‘Should I tell him?’ A bit of nervousness filling her body. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach. That could also be attributed to the nausea she had been experiencing on a daily basis too, but she tried her hardest not to think about that. The only thing on her mind now was the fact that the cause for her physical anguish was still nearby. She could take full advantage of this situation and actually pull him away from the town. It made her smile to think that one thought. The thought of hearing his screams as he was dragged back into the Everfree Forest excited her even more. Those happy thoughts for her though were sadly ruined by the other factor she was now facing. That one little factor that kept her from doing anything more than just stalking Silver. The fact that he was the cause of her pregnancy.

As much as Nightmare wanted to, she found herself completely unable to do anything against the stallion. Even before finding out she was pregnant, she had felt completely different. Now that she was though, she knew she had to start being more cautious whether she wanted to or not. The reason for that once again went right back to her pregnancy. She couldn’t harm the father of the foal she carried within her. Simply thinking about it made her feel terrible. Or was that the half-eaten nachos she had eaten fifteen minutes ago? She didn’t know either way. One thing though that she did know as she watched the stallion enter the library.

She couldn’t remain in Ponyville for very much longer. If she did, she knew it would put not only her life in danger, but it would also put the life of the foal she carried as well. Which is why as she watched the door close, she fully extended her wings and took off in the direction of Canterlot.

Author's Note

And, as I've officially finished writing the story by the time I post this....I should let you know. I'll be posting daily. Also, expect a special surprise when I post the final chapter.

Secrets Among Sisters

Chapter 12

Headaches, they weren’t what they were a thousand years ago. If anything, they had worsened over the course of the past thousand years. At least, this is what Luna was quickly discovering as she looked over the sheer volumes of paperwork that now sat on her desk. Most of the stuff that sat there was rather trivial. Consisting of small-time petitions and requests to host parties in certain locations. That was the easy part however, as the difficult part came when she flipped through the stack of papers. As she was, she could feel the pain between her temples beginning to grow. She could feel her eyes beginning to ache and she could even feel her own frustration growing as she read through them.

‘How does Tia do it?’ she asked herself, ‘How does she spend hours doing this crap?’ It wasn’t until she turned over the very next item on the top of the stack did her eyes grow wide. The pounding in her head grew worse the moment she laid her eyes upon the paper before just thrusting it down upon the desk in frustration along with her own head. ‘Send me back to the moon now...’ she surrendered, just looking over a small time bill that already had her sister’s signature.

Luna just glared at the paper after lifting her head slowly. She could feel the corner of her left eye just beginning to twitch with the growing stress on her mind. She had to pass laws now? Why would her sister ask her to do such a thing? She hadn’t been back for more than a month. It was hardly enough time to study up on modern day Equestrian law! This only raised the level of pure frustration she felt. Just seeing it made her want to flip her desk in anger, but instead of doing such a thing, she simply just set the paper aside and sighed.

“Stay calm...” Luna muttered to herself, “Very deep breaths...” The mare inhaled very slowly and deeply, closing her eyes as she did, only to exhale a few moments later. Upon doing so, she could feel some of the stress and tension vanish from her body. Even though it was far from enough to help at this point. This at least allowed her to bring a greater deal of focus to her mind as she opened her eyes again. She never thought she could hate something so much in her life, but anything was possible. Never before had she hated something so much. It eventually got to the point where she gripped the very top paper on the stack, taking just a single second to look it over. ‘Another party request, eh?’ she thought, just glaring at it. Before she knew it though, the request sheet just burst into flames, being reduced to ash in a matter of seconds. That is where she felt all of her stress vanish before she stepped away from the desk with a very soft smile on her face.

It only took a few seconds before Luna reached a large metal teapot across from her desk. Using telekinesis, she lifted it very slowly, pouring it into a small cup. The liquid was fairly dark and still steaming a tiny bit. It was an absolutely beautiful sight to behold as she watched the cup fill before setting down the pot. It had been quite a while since she had any tea, a thousand years to be exact and she needed it too. It brought a smile to her face as she lifted the cup slowly, watching the steam rise from the liquid.

‘Ahhh....sweet bliss...’ she thought, as the rim of the cup reached the edge of her mouth. That however was her big mistake for the day as the moment she tipped the liquid into her mouth she was met with an incredible burning sensation. She could feel her tongue as well as the rest of her mouth begin to burn as the liquid ran into it. It caused her eyes to break open wide before pulling the cup away in a hurry. By that time though it was far too late to really do much of anything as she just realized the mistake she had made. It resulted in her wanting to scream again, cursing the sheer rotten luck she seemed to be having as of late.

First, there was that close call she had involving Nightmare, which had been her own mistake as well. She had underestimated the mare’s magical strength at the time. If she confronted the mare now however, it would be a completely different story in her eyes. As she had finally regained virtually all of her magical strength. Second, that mare was still out there too. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Nightmare was still a very serious threat to Equestria and she needed to do something soon. However, she had vanished completely. Not even a single rumor had come in over the past two weeks. Even the Moon Orb was essentially useless. Third, there had been the incident with one certain pony in the castle. A pony claiming to be both a prince and her sister’s nephew. She didn’t have much of a clue as to how it was possible, but the only thing she could assume was that he had been adopted. It resulted in him being carted off to the hospital wing of the castle with a broken jaw. That in turn also resulted in her being chewed out by Celestia, which didn’t please her one bit. That wasn’t even the kicker either. The kicker came in various forms, but it always seemed to happen. Even when she thought she was alone. It seemed that every single time she tried anything with Emerald, it always ended up with an interruption.

‘Can this possibly get any worse?’ she asked herself and as if the world was out to get her, she felt the door fling open with a great deal of force. She didn’t bother looking, she could only assume whom it was. The first thought that came to mind was the fact it was Shining Armor, having come to request her Lunar Guard for assistance in a more trivial manner. That, or it was another member of the Solar Guard itself.

“Lulu!” An unexpected voice called out from the door. This caused her ear to twitch very slightly, that was unexpected of her sister. On top of that, she could just feel the curiosity and anger seeping from her voice. Something wasn’t quite right about that, it was very odd that Celestia seemed almost angry about something. Luna could only guess what was making her sister frustrated.

“Yes dear Tia?” Luna asked, slowly turning her attention to her sister. In an attempt to hide the numerous problems weighing down on her, she put on a fake smile. One of her many common tactics against her sister. That probably hadn’t been the best idea she ever had though as the larger alicorn quietly crossed the room. It went from bad to worse from there as the tension between them grew.

“Luna....cut the fake smile,” Celestia stated, glaring at her sister. “We need to talk about something...” This wasn’t good for Luna as she knew the tone of her sister’s voice all too well. The particular tone coupled with the rather terrifying glare unnerved her. It was often her downfall when it came to the truth. She simply couldn’t beat it.

“About what?” she asked, doing as requested as she sipped on her tea. Thankfully by the time she had taken this sip it had cooled quite significantly, now being lukewarm. The perfect temperature to enjoy the peaceful drink. Which was a good thing as she would need peace of mind to be able to go up against her sister.

“About...these reports I received this evening,” Celestia began, her horn lighting up. This was followed by a small stack of papers appearing out of thin air, levitating between them. The stack wasn’t very thick, but what was concerning was the fact that they seemed sloppily written. It resulted in Luna setting her tea aside for the moment and taking ahold of the reports. While the writing on them was fairly messy, she could still make out much of what they said and what they did say only made her heart sink.

‘Sleeplessness and general frustration from nobles?’ she read, ‘What does it mean to me if a few uptight nobles are exhausted? They’re just sitting on their flanks most of the day anyhow...’ But as she read on, she only felt her heart sink a little lower. As it seemed the sleeplessness had been coupled with a series of horrific nightmares that caused night fits in them. Which also resulted in a few ponies accidentally striking their loved ones in their sleep. Luna knew immediately what this meant, she could feel it all throughout her body as she sat there, skimming over each report. Most of which consisted of the same thing, just in different locations all throughout Canterlot. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t hide it from Celestia for very much longer with this evidence. “So? Plenty of ponies still have nightmares. Many of them are very angry.” she pointed out, “Ponies are repressing themselves more than they did a thousand years ago...perhaps its just getting to them now?”

“That may be true...” Celestia agreed, a devious grin appearing on her face at this point. This was a type of grin she recognized. It meant that she already had a plan to contend with this line of thought. It wasn’t a good sign for Luna either. She was prepared for this, she had probably taken a few hours to think about what she’d say before she approached. “But, read the next one...then you’ll see my point.”

‘Damn you Tia...’ she cursed, before focusing on the reports. Here she flipped the page and began to glance over it. At first it began like the previous ones, but as she went on through the page she began to feel a little more hopeless in this argument. This one almost seemed like a complete retelling of what had occurred in Ponyville, save for the fight that she had endured. ‘No...they actually SAW the mist?’ she asked, making an attempt at coming up with an excuse. ‘Or at least...THOUGHT they saw the mist...’ She grinned, before turning up to her sister. “And this happened a couple days ago?” she inquired.

“Yes, at least according to the report,” Celestia added, “I even spoke to the mare that saw it. She was in rough shape when I saw her...” she sighed, slowly shaking her head. “But she did describe a bluish-purple mist leaving through a window of her apartment.” her eyes narrowed at this point, leaning in very close to her sister. “The same kind of mist....that you took the form of when you were Nightmare Moon....” Was Celestia really thinking that about Luna? Did she really think that she had become Nightmare Moon again? Well, that was better than her finding out that Nightmare Moon had become her own pony. This was the option she’d prefer over everything else at the time.

“Did you really just ask me that?” Luna enquired, returning the exact glare that Celestia was giving.

“Well? Do I have to get the Elements of Harmony again?” Celestia acknowledged, it only brought a greater level of disappointment to the lunar mare to hear such a question being asked. As if the previous hadn’t been bad enough. It resulted in her actually facehoofing.

“Tia, if I was Nightmare Moon again, then you’d be the FIRST to know...” she replied, “Because I’d still be after your gigantic flank.” This caused a tiny bit of blushing in the alabaster mare’s cheeks, it even lessened the glare upon her a tiny bit. Which gave Luna the perfect opening to actually get her sister off her back.

“Hey! My flank’s not that big...” she replied, actually taking that moment to turn around and look down at her own rear. This was just too perfect for Luna, it actually ended up with her laughing very softly. It even brought an idea to mind as to what she could do to change her sister’s focus.

“Well...its far bigger than I remember!” Luna joked, moving down to poke the sun cutie mark on it with her hoof. “And its squishier too! What would Quercus say if he saw it now?”

“Quiet Lulu! The guards will hear!” Celestia replied, her cheeks now burning with embarrassment. It was in the moment her sister began to poke her flank that it dawned on her. This was simply a distraction to change the subject. She knew the tactic all too well as it had been one Luna employed quite often when she didn’t want her to know about something. This meant that whatever she was hiding was fairly important, whatever it was. “Plus...this isn’t about my flank size! Its about whatever in Tartarus you’re hiding!”

‘Damn it!’ Luna cursed, ‘I hate when you do that, Tia...’

“And as if the nightmares weren’t bad enough, we’re also dealing with theft!” she added, seeming to grow a bit more frantic at this point. “This is the first time in a very long time that we’ve dealt with amount of theft too! Law enforcement is baffled! I have reason to assume though that its connected, because it all started around the same time.” This worried Luna quite significantly. If Celestia actually did learn of Nightmare, she might just fly off the handle a little more than she was now. She couldn’t have that either, this was a secret she had to keep. No matter if they were sisters or not. She had to keep it from her at all costs.

“Care to give some detail on the thefts?” Luna asked, although already certain that it was also Nightmare that had been doing said theft. She could only assume that her survival depended on what she could get and that she needed more than just nightmares to sustain her now. Which actually worked to an advantage. Already she had begun formulating a plan as to how to pin her down.

“Well...according to the reports,” Celestia began, “All of the shops that were hit were franchise shops. They have locations all over Equestria and some even in the Griffin Kingdom.” she continued, this made a bit of sense as Luna listened. A franchise would probably have a bit more money than most family owned locations. Not only that, but they would probably have decent quality items in greater numbers. Which meant a wider selection too. “There wasn’t a sign of forced entry...no hoofprints left at the scene either. The two primary things that were stolen included money and food.”

“How much money?” Luna inquired, trying to add a bit more to the puzzle.

“It estimates at about ten thousand bits over the course of about two weeks,” Celestia explained, “Often even multiple stores are hit too and even hit multiple times! Its astonishing. Especially since many of them do have surveillance...”

“Curious...” she began, “And the surveillance didn’t capture anything?”

“According to the reports?” Celestia asked, “Nothing so far. But they’re still being reviewed.”

“All of this is happening at night too, isn’t it?” Luna asked, as another idea came to mind. This earned a nod from Celestia. “Which means...my dear Tia, all of this falls under the jurisdiction of the Lunar Guard and myself! Not your Solar Guard.” This was quite an important point that she made too, as Celestia was left dumbfounded by it. All this time the Solar Guard had done what the Lunar Guard had typically done. They handled not only the day shift, but the night shift as well and she had grown rather accustomed to it as well. In fact, she had grown rather fond of reading the nighttime reports from the previous days. It had become a much needed reprieve from everything that happened from the day. “So I must ask...why in Tartarus are you even reading the reports meant for ME?!”

“I...uh...” Celestia choked, she hadn’t felt pressure like this in quite a while. In fact, it actually made her rather nervous to the point where she was at a loss for words. While with normal ponies she could typically handle things like this, she wasn’t accustomed to having her sister do this sort of thing. Well, she was, but normally she could quickly retort it. This resulted in an idea springing to mind. “I guess I’m so used to reading the reports...that I kinda forgot that they...don’t belong to me anymore, hehe...” she explained with a faint blush on her cheeks.

‘I’ll get you back for that, sister...’ she thought, it was at which point that Celestia recognized the particular look she was now getting from her little sister. It was often that look that desired payback, that screamed for revenge. It meant she was going to be in for a very long couple of weeks with her sister. Given she also knew that this was something she wouldn’t be too forgiving on.

“Forgive me?” she asked in an attempt to avoid any payback. Just as Luna was about to open her mouth however, Emerald came bursting in through the door. The sheer force of his entry had almost been enough to throw it off its hinges. Both princesses were amazed that it hadn’t already done so given how vigorous Celestia had opened it not twenty minutes earlier. He dashed right up to the lunar mare’s side and began to whisper into her ear.

“A theft has just occurred...one of the patrolling batponies just reported it,” he whispered, this in turn brought a smile to Luna’s face. This might be the chance she was looking for to actually catch Nightmare.

“How long ago?”

“Two minutes,” Emerald claimed, “Which means...she can’t have gotten that far yet!” This was perfect, far too perfect for Luna. She felt like jumping for joy at this point, but kept herself in check for the sake of keeping control. It was here where her gaze shifted back up to her older sister with a very wide smile.

“If you’ll help me Tia...I might forgive you for this,” she started, “But I do need a favor.”

“And that is?” Celestia responded, hoping just to clear up the mess she had caused.

“I need a detachment from the Solar Guard to assist my Lunar Guard,” Luna proclaimed, “But the rules are, they are not to speak or report to you on the events surrounding this investigation. They are only permitted to report to me about it.” Celestia was hesitant about the situation. She wanted to be sure about exactly what was going on. Emerald only seemed to make it more suspicious, given he seemed just as aware of the situation as Luna was. It was really just one of those things that bothered her. However, as she sat in thought, she realized there really wasn’t a choice. Both ponies and businesses were being hurt by this, she really didn’t have time to sit around and talk about it.

“Alright...” Celestia conceded, “You may take whatever you need...just get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible!” Luna smiled at the response. While she could see that her sister really didn’t want to do something like this, she hadn’t been given an option. This was her chance now, a chance to prove herself a bit to not only herself, but to her sister. To prove that she could actually handle the situation better than she did a thousand years ago. She turned to Emerald with the smile and a determined look in her eyes.

“Rally the guard! Gather as many Solar Guard as possible too!” Luna ordered, “Have them rally outside the barracks in five minutes!” With a nod, Emerald vanished in a bright green ‘pop’ just moments after receiving the orders. ‘You won’t beat me this time Nightmare...’

Mobilization and Interrogation

Chapter 13

This was exactly the chance she had been waiting for. It showed in her rapidly quickening pace as she nearly galloped through the nearly empty halls of the castle. It had only been two minutes since she left her sister, but it felt much longer than that. As she galloped, a multitude of thoughts ran through her mind, most of which were focused upon Nightmare Moon. Were the guards ready for such a task? Were they capable of potentially handling an alicorn in combat? If so, could they handle Nightmare? She didn’t know any of this though, even as she thought very carefully on it. The longer she would, the faster she began to move. The mare’s only other concern came in the form of the Solar Guard she had requisitioned as well. She couldn’t help but be concerned about it either, as these ponies were loyal to her sister. The question was though, exactly how loyal were they? Would they follow her orders exactly and keep their mouths’ shut regarding their mission? Or would they blab about it to her sister, saying that Nightmare Moon actually was alive? What was she to do?

In that very last second as she pushed the main door to the castle open, it finally dawned on her. It was in that moment where an idea popped into her head as to what she could do and it made her very happy to think about it. Especially as she laid her eyes on the lines of guards now standing at attention for her. The group had a mixture of batponies, unicorn, pegasi and earth ponies in it. Adding onto it, she could even see the mixture of her guard’s bluish purple armor and the Solar Guard’s golden armor. Adding onto this, she was also impressed at the sheer number that had gathered for Emerald. She was impressed.

“Well done, Emerald,” Luna announced as she fluttered gracefully over to the unicorn in an attempt to save a moment. “In record time too, I’m impressed. How did you do it?”

“Simple, Lieutenant Shield Breaker lent me his airhorn,” Emerald snickered, as a few of the guards simply rubbed their heads very slowly.

“Shield Breaker?” Luna inquired, “Who is he?” From the ranks of the royal guard a single unicorn stepped forth. He was a very capable looking young grey unicorn with blue eyes. Even given his rank, he appeared rather young yet he had quite an air of determination about him. Upon stepping out of the ranks, he bowed politely to Luna with a smile on his face.

“Lieutenant Shield Breaker of the Solar Guard,” he began, “Second only to Shining Armor and trained personally by him as well. When he’s not around, I am in charge of the Solar Guard.”

“’Tis a pleasure to meet you, Sir Shield Breaker,” Luna smiled as she took a moment to glance him over still. She studied his mannerisms for just a single moment, observing every detail of how he carried himself. While he was a young stallion, he also seemed rather confident. On top of that, she could even see the pure loyalty he had to the princesses and Canterlot. ‘A really good soldier...I wish I had found him first.’ she considered, before he took a step back into the line up. ‘Celestia is very lucky to have him...’

“I bet many of you are wondering why I called for a rally,” Emerald stated as Luna took a place right next to him. This received a collective nod from the Solar Guard as they looked upon one another in their confusion. They were in fact wondering why he had called for a rally. “It is because we are facing a crisis,” he continued, “One that the Lunar Guard simply cannot handle themselves.” This caused a collective gasp from the Solar Guard as well as a collective glare directed at Emerald for even saying such a thing. It only made him chuckle very softly in response.

“Hey! What about our training!?” One of the Lunar Guards argued. This came much to Emerald’s own dismay, as he frowned ever so slightly before beginning to approach the guard that had spoken out against him. This particular guard had been a unicorn, one who didn’t even flinch as his superior began to approach. The reason he was so confident however was merely due to his size in comparison to the green unicorn. That was, at least until he came face to face with him. Then he was met with possibly the most intimidating glare he had ever received in his life. It sent chills up his spine, causing him to literally quake in his own horseshoes.

“Your training was effective...” Emerald whispered, his voice holding back quite a bit of malice, “But...you are still a new recruit. You have no field experience and on top of that, this particular enemy is very dangerous.” The tone of his superior’s voice was relatively unnerving. He had never heard such a calm, yet intimidating voice before in his life. It was enough to make him take a step back. “This enemy has a power like you wouldn’t believe...she could very well kill you if she desired.” Emerald paused a moment, allowing the reality of the situation sink into the individual guard. “Your training isn’t enough right now and aside from the obvious lack of numbers. That’s why we called upon the Solar Guard too. We need their assistance. Do I make myself clear?”

“C-crystal, sir,” he saluted, while quaking at the very same time. This had been the very first time in his life that anypony had ever frightened him. It only made the stallion wonder if he had made the appropriate choice in joining the guard. Especially the Lunar Guard, considering just how intimidating the captain was. On top of that, the Princess in charge also seemed just as frightening. It was too late for regrets and far too late for him to take back his decision.

“Good,” Emerald smiled, “Next time you talk back to me though...you will be punished severely.” The smile itself seemed harmless enough as he began to take a couple steps back to return to Luna’s side. He couldn’t even imagine exactly what kind of punishment he’d be forced to undergo considering whom it was.

The entire time this had gone on, Luna had sat quietly observing it. It made her snicker very quietly, having to actually cover her mouth to hide the pure and simple fact that she was enjoying the sight unfold. Even if it was for just a single moment, she rather enjoyed seeing the look on the larger stallion’s face when Emerald approached him. She even enjoyed watching his confidence vanish in half a second from the unicorn. It was all too perfect for her, it even showed her the bit of weakness that was still apparent in her guards. That was something for another time though.

“Now! Your princess wishes to address you!” Emerald announced, stomping a hoof on the ground. “Listen closely for your task!”

“Thank you Captain Emerald,” Luna smiled as she shifted her gaze over to all of the guards that stood before her. Arguably she appeared a tiny bit nervous and rather worried upon the reaction she’d receive when she delivered the news. She didn’t want to, but she had no real choice. She couldn’t let Nightmare Moon run free, otherwise it would only lead to more issues with her sister and that was something she didn’t want. “As many of you have heard, there is a thief in Canterlot,” she began, “However, this thief isn’t an ordinary thief. What many of you probably haven’t heard is the fact that this thief has been slipping in and out of the shops without even leaving a single trace of their presence. Or should I say...her presence?” she cleared her throat, taking the opportunity to think about what she was going to say next. She didn’t want to give out too many details about the mare in question as she was positive they would figure out exactly who it was. “According to intelligence reports, we are dealing with a mare. She should have a long, purple mane with a very dark coat.”

The description she had given caused Emerald to send a glance at Luna. He looked a bit worried as he shifted his glance back toward the line up. He could see they had begun to question exactly who they were talking about. While at the same time he could even see the batponies just standing quietly, almost as if they knew instinctively whom they spoke of. He did know he could trust them on this matter though, considering just how much they seemed to look up to the princess.

“Your orders are simple,” Luna explained, “You are to find this mare, find out where she’s staying and common places she goes to. After which, you are to inform Emerald or I directly! You do not go to my sister, you do not write a report on this!” she demanded, “And most important of all! You are not to talk about this either! Whether you find her or not! Is that understood?” As she gave this speech, her voice became even more demanding and serious with each word. At the very end she even stomped her hoof. “Batponies and Pegasi will take to the skies! Make a record of anything strange you see in the skies as well as the ground! The rest of you will split up into groups of three, at least one unicorn to a group at the minimum. You are to make records of ANYPONY you meet or see!” She gasped, having to actually take a moment to catch her breath. This showed the very serious and somewhat frantic nature of their mission. “And most of all, if anypony seems suspicious, you are to FOLLOW them! Do not engage them at all! You have my permission to do as such to discover where they are going.”

“Yes, princess!” all of them saluted, before moving out. Batponies and pegasi took flight, while the remainder of the guard galloped out of the open gate.

“Hold it!” Luna called out, pointing a hoof in the direction of Shield Breaker. The unicorn froze in place, asking as if she was pointing at him. He seemed confused at first as he approached the princess again. “You’re with us, Shield Breaker.”

“W-what?” he asked, “I-I am? Why?”

“You’re a defensive-type caster, right?” Luna responded with a question of her own. Even if she could already assume that he was. Especially considering he had been trained by Shining Armor.

“O-of course!” he stammered, “Although I’m nowhere near as good as Captain Shining Armor. I’m better with breaking defenses than anything.”

“Well, the fact still remains...” Luna said, “You CAN create barriers...” Shield Breaker only nodded in his response. He couldn’t really do much else aside from just stand in place and listen to the princess. “And I need you with us tonight.” On the inside he felt a mixture of emotions he couldn’t quite understand. He wanted to jump for joy on one hoof, but on the other he was also very concerned as to why an alicorn of all ponies would need him with the Captain of the Lunar Guard. Couldn’t she cast barrier spells simply enough? Or better yet, couldn’t her captain cast the spells? It left him scratching his head, but none the less he accepted. Overjoyed at the simple prospect of being with them. “Plus...I also need you to help me coordinate the Solar Guard too.”

“I’ll try not to disappoint you, Princess,” he saluted, earning a very soft smile from Luna.

“Please...just call me Luna,” she added as she began to walk to the gate. “Now, let’s move out!”

It wasn’t the first time he had felt this exhausted and sore before, but it had been a long time since he felt like it. He could feel the ache in his wings as the breeze began to die down and he descended upon the streets of Canterlot. This hadn’t been the first time he had to fly into the city either, but he rather enjoyed the journey this time as it had been rather peaceful for him. The stallion’s hooves clicked against the stone of the streets as he touched down, feeling the great deal of relief on his wings as he did. His legs felt a bit stiff and overall he felt a bit chilly at the same time, but it was all fairly manageable as he glanced around the streets.

‘That’s strange...’ he thought, as his eyes shifted all over the street. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw shadowy figures. Many of them moving very swiftly. Most of which were barely visible with the present amount of light. It unnerved him to see these figures, especially considering they were hardly visible even with the street lamps providing a bit of light. They all just seemed to move from one shadow to the next, making them even harder to track with his eyes alone. It wasn’t until he began to walk that he finally caught a glimpse of everything. What he saw however, only worried him even more. For a brief instant, as they slipped beneath a street lamp he saw them. They moved swiftly, almost to the point where he hadn’t seen them, but he did.

Three ponies, two earth and one unicorn. All of which were clad in the traditional armor of the Lunar Guard. Normally, Silver wouldn’t be worried very much about this type of thing as it could be attributed to training. What worried him however was the fact that it was occurring all over the particular street he was on. Counting at least three, maybe four groups of ponies sneaking in and out between alleyways in groups of three as if they were looking for something. ‘Not good...’ he speculated, wondering exactly what was going on.

Silver wouldn’t have very much time to wonder about it though as in the second he began to move his hooves, he felt his body growing much lighter. It was only for just a second though as he felt a sudden pressure upon his back before he began to tumble through the streets. Around his neck, he felt rather strong hooves. To make it worse, they were tight. Not too tight to where he may suffocate, but enough to where he simply couldn’t escape. To where struggle was simply meaningless. It was here he cursed his luck, before his eyes finally shifted down to what had grabbed him.

“Don’t move...” the individual hissed, while the voice was rather calm it was also extremely frightening to listen to. The breathing seemed a bit raspy as it left the pony’s mouth. How had he not detected this individual? It was abnormal that he could hardly feel this pony’s presence. It was almost as if they had come out of the darkness itself to pounce on him. To top it all off, they were far stronger than he was, but he did have one thing they hopefully didn’t. Magic. Silver’s horn lit up in a very bright and brilliant flash and before the pony even knew it. He was pinned down against the stone.

“You should really be more careful about whom you--” Before he could finish though, he felt even more weight upon his body as from several directions ponies appeared. ‘Oh...horsefeathers...’ he cursed as he glanced around at them. Silver saw very clearly that most, if not all of them wore the Lunar Guard armor. He recognized it very clearly, even in the mostly dark environment by the simple shape of it. When he looked at these ponies, he slowly glanced down at the one he had pinned beneath his hoof. ‘The Lunar Guard, huh? They’re pretty good...even after two weeks.’ he snickered, before lifting his hoof up to release the guard. “There....I’m on your side, see?”

“If you are on our side...why did you retaliate?” the previously pinned pony inquired,

“Why did you use such force against me?” Silver posed in response, having to clear his throat. “I was simply defending myself.” This was only followed by a few moments of silence as they all stood quietly. Some of them sent glances in-between one another, as if looking for answers. All the while the pony that had tackled him just stood quietly, gazing directly at the alicorn with his fierce, glowing yellow eyes.

“I thought you were another,” he said, “Apologies...um...?”

“Silver Crescent,” Silver added, with a grin. “And judging by the slight glow of your eyes...and your immense strength...” he trailed off, taking a seat on the stone for a moment. “You’re a batpony.”

“Well done...” the batpony hissed, sending a few glances to the group that had gathered. This told them to go back to work. “Why, dare I ask are you flying into Canterlot at this hour? Do you even know how late it is?”

“No, I don’t,” the alicorn rolled his eyes. The sarcasm clear in his voice, but even with it the batpony didn’t quite understand the tone he was using. Seeming to tilt his head slightly.

“Its almost one in the morning, good sir,” the batpony said, “And there is a thief about...which is why tackled you once you landed.” At first it caused Silver to simply facehoof, slowly shaking his head. He wanted to explain what he actually meant to the batpony, but he was afraid that it would take more time than either pony had at the particular moment. However, the mentioning of a thief captured his attention after a second. It caused his ears to perk a bit and tilt his head slightly to the left as he set down his hoof.

“A thief?” he inquired,

“Yes...a thief. The rest of the information is classified however,” the batpony said, “Only available to those that work at the castle.”

‘That still doesn’t explain why the Lunar Guard was deployed...’ Silver thought, ‘Or at least this many of them...’ It was curious for the pony to think of such things, he ran over several possibilities as to why the guard would be deployed, but the more he thought about it the less he actually worried. He trusted the Lunar Guard enough to handle the situation their way. He was certain that Princess Luna would be able to take care of a meager thief. “You know, I could get that information easily,” he affirmed, “I actually do work at the castle.” The batpony tensed up when Silver said this. It only lasted for just a second though as he seemed to relax just as quickly as something else came to mind.

“Then show me your identification, Silver Crescent.” he requested, confident in the fact that he couldn’t possibly be an employee of the castle. This was proven dead wrong however, as from a saddlebag he carried, a badge levitated out and flashed right before the pony’s eyes. This in turn caused his jaw to drop a little bit. This was a badge that was usually given to all those that actually worked at the castle. While the badge was mostly used for show, namely for employees that didn’t work as a member of the guard, but instead worked elsewhere in the castle.

“That good enough?” Silver asked, with his signature grin upon his face as he put away his badge. “I could request for information on the thief if I desired. Especially given I report straight to the Princesses. However, I am far too exhausted to poke and prod for such trivial information...” he yawned, “I’ve been up for sixteen hours straight...may I please now go to the castle?”

“O-of course, sir...” he stammered a little, having gotten quite a good glimpse of the badge. While most of the badges were indeed rather similar, there was something a bit different about his. He knew it wasn’t that common of a badge either, but he knew he saw it somewhere. It made him think, all the while stepping aside for Silver to continue along his path.

The rest of his journey seemed relatively quiet and peaceful to his own senses. While the prospect of a thief did actually concern him quite a bit, he wasn’t exactly scared of just a single pony. He didn’t know whether it was due to how tired he was or what had just happened. Either way, he simply didn’t care right now. The only thing actually on his mind was the prospect of his own bed again. This lack of concern resulted in him failing to notice extremely important thing before reaching the gates. The entire time a certain alicorn mare had been stalking him.

Twilight's Problems

Chapter 14

As Celestia entered her chambers, she tossed aside her regalia. It was at this point she finally laid her eyes upon it. She saw possibly the most beautiful thing her eyes have ever seen in their lives. It sat upon a small tray right next to her bed and it was gloriously beautiful. Words couldn’t describe it, but the single tear in her eyes did that job well. She had longed for this for ages, desired it and even craved it. She couldn’t ask for a more perfect time for it either, as she needed it after the conversation she just had with her sister not more than ten minutes ago.

‘Sweet sugary delights...how I’ve missed you...’ she thought as she trotted over to the tray with a very wide smile. While to most, it was simply just a slice of cake. To Celestia however, it was the most beautiful work of the culinary arts she could imagine. With the thick brown frosting and the multiple layers, with finally the cherry on top. She couldn’t ask for a more beautiful creation in her life. Even if the work of art was only going to last a few more minutes in the world.

The mare sat motionless before the tray for a moment or two before her horn finally lit up. The golden aura quickly enveloped the plate her favorite pastry sat on, along with it a pastry fork. The first bite was cut very slowly before being scooped up into her mouth. She was then met with a rush of flavor on her tastebuds. It was in that moment she felt the world around her vanish and all she could taste was the chocolate.In that one singular moment, Celestia thought of nothing but the taste of the chocolate. It was pure bliss. The texture of the cake was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t too moist, nor was it too dry. The frosting was sweet, but not overbearing. All of this was followed by a very soft moan as she swallowed that very first bite.

‘Its...perfect...’ she smiled, allowing that single tear to finally slide down her cheek. ‘So, he finally perfected the recipe? Its a shame tomorrow is his retirement.’ Celestia once again glanced at the cake with the wide smile still present. For just a moment, she set the cake aside and lifted up the nearby glass of milk to take a sip. Just as she did a very familiar feeling washed over her. This resulted in her nearly flinging the cake to the other side of the room as a reaction. Because just as she did a scroll appeared in a green flash, before plopping right on the tray. It was followed by a sigh of relief as she glanced at the cake. ‘That was too close...’

She seemed befuddled by the scroll, having to actually shift a glance between it and the clock on her nightstand. The clock itself read well past midnight, which was even stranger to her. She knew full well that it wasn’t very common for Twilight to be up at this hour, let alone Spike. Had her student decided to pull another all night study session? If so, why had she sent the letter? Perhaps it was another friendship report? But what possible lesson could she have learned at this late hour? Celestia soon figured that instead of just considering what it could be about, she should just set aside her cake for the moment and read through it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Normally I wouldn’t write you at this late hour, as you could potentially be asleep or working for that matter. However, I...I feel this is relatively important as I find myself feeling relatively confused regarding my feelings for somepony. My confusion was only made worse when I went to Rarity for advice. While she honestly did try to help me through the issue, it only seemed to make matters far worse than they had been, which left me pacing the floor wondering about it.

I looked through every book I could find on the subject, but sadly even that seemed rather limited in what it could tell me. Which is why I write this now. I simply do not know what to do and I felt as though you might be able to help me. Allow me to explain: You see, about a month ago I found a stallion at the edge of the Everfree Forest. He was in pretty rough shape too, so I helped him back to my home to treat his injuries. Thankfully none of them were severe...but...he was a real sweetheart.

In the single month we spent together, he was possibly one of the nicest stallions I have ever met, even though he did act like a bit of a pervert. Even considering that though, it was just really cute how he did it. He even made me laugh a few times with some of the things he said. Adding onto this, he was also really charming. On occasion, he said some of the most amazing things to me. Especially that very first thing he said...but I won’t go into that for now.

It wasn’t just what he said though that made me feel like this, but what we did too.

Celestia froze at this moment, taking a second to re-read that particular line. For just a moment she assumed possibly the naughtiest scenario. At least until it dawned on her that her student was far better than that. It only made her smile softly before she laughed at her own thoughts. She couldn’t believe she thought of such a thing. It was before long where she actually began to read the letter again, right where she left off.

I...never knew cuddling with somepony was such a wonderful feeling. He was so warm and comfortable...he was almost like a living pillow. His wings even kept me warm all night, it was better than a blanket! This is part of the reason I’m awake now...because in that month I had grown so accustomed to his warmth...I’ve forgotten what its like to be without it.

The other reason is, I find myself still thinking about him. I mean, how could I not! He’s handsome, he’s intelligent and to add onto that, he’s even an alicorn! At first, I honestly thought he was some sort of dream...that there was no way a stallion like him existed. That was incorrect though, after spending a month with him...I know he’s very real. Its just that...how come you never told me that there were other alicorns? How come I never met this stallion before either? He claimed he worked for you directly! As a spy...or an ‘informant’ as he put it. How come I didn’t see him around the castle?! I would’ve loved to have met somepony like that sooner! But I digress...do you have any advice that could help me in this situation? Because I’ve never felt like this before, with anypony and I just...want clear answers.

Your faithful, but emotionally confused student,

Twilight Sparkle.

By the time she had finished the letter, the cake had also vanished from her plate. That however, was the last thing on her mind at this point as she was lost in her own confusion as to how to respond to her student. It was rare for Twilight to ask for advice, very rare in fact as she was an extremely intelligent mare. It was an entirely different story this time though. As she had been put into a very complicated social situation and simply just needed some guidance. It took a couple of minutes before she picked the letter up again and re-read it completely as if searching for maximum clarification. It was then she smiled softly.

‘Silver really is one of Equestria’s most charming ponies...’ Celestia laughed softly, ‘But what should I do about this? Should I write her a letter?’ That thought however was cut short by the clock in her room gonging once. It was far too late for her to be sending letters at this point. She might as well just go herself and give the advice. Not only would it be simpler, but it would also be more efficient. That way she could figure out if she needed to talk to Silver about this when she returned.

The most difficult thing about living with Twilight was possibly that very bad habit of hers. The habit of overthinking on certain scenarios and making matters far worse than they needed to be. Thankfully, unlike the previous times. This particular time didn’t really seem to be as bad as the others. It just consisted of quite a bit of groaning, talking to herself and a tremendous amount of pacing all about the library. All the while, Spike was simply curled up in his basket with a pair of earmuffs on. It was almost as if he had grown accustomed to this sort of thing and adapted to better fit the situation.

Dark circles were visible beneath Twilight’s eyes as she paced all about the library. She awaited the advice from her mentor, waiting to hear that familiar belch from the dragon before he went back to sleep again. The longer she waited though, the more impatient she became. Going as far as to tap her hoof on the floor near Spike before resuming her pacing. Why hadn’t Princess Celestia written back yet? Certainly it shouldn’t take this long to do that. Even though it had only been about ten minutes since the letter had been sent, it still felt like an eternity to Twilight as her mind continued to run over the possible scenarios as to why her mentor hadn’t replied yet before shifting back over to her original issue.

It wasn’t until she began to trot downstairs at a quickened pace did she notice something out of the ordinary. In the very center of the room, within the darkness she could make out a figure. A figure with a very large, white body and a flowing rainbow mane. This caused her heart to jump the moment she saw it, thinking it was something else at first. The brief burst of adrenaline waking her up even more than she already was.

“Good evening, Twilight,” Celestia said, a playful smile on her face.

“P-princess! What are you doing here!?” Twilight nearly screamed, confused as to why her mentor would show up unannounced to her place. On top of that, as she approached she took notice that Celestia was even without her regalia. This was something she hadn’t ever seen before. “And...where’s your--”

“Shhh...” she hushed, “Take a deep breath and relax...” Celestia didn’t just do this for herself. She also did this for Twilight. Not wanting to see her get worked up and disturb the other occupant of the library or half of Ponyville for that matter. “I’m here informally. Not as a princess, but as your mentor. That is why I’m not wearing my crown.”

“It...just feels weird not seeing you without your regalia...” Twilight said, taking another moment to look over her mentor. It indeed did feel strange seeing her like this. She seemed so...normal now. Almost like she had been just a regular pony, even if she was an alicorn.

“Well...not many do see me without it,” Celestia smiled, “In fact...because of that, most ponies actually think they’re a part of my body!” This is where she laughed very softly, “Its silly really, but funny too when I remove them in front of some ponies.” Twilight laughed right along with her mentor. Realizing just how funny it actually was. Even though at one point she had thought it herself.

“B-but...why would you come for...such a trivial issue?” Twilight asked as the laughter died down. “I mean...its just over a stallion...” This seemed to bring back a hint of laughter to Celestia. Who seemed to think just slightly different than Twilight.

“That may be true...” she began, “But...consider it a part of your studies of friendship too.” This made Twilight tilt her head just slightly in her confusion. She hadn’t really seen that part coming, nor did she know a way to respond to it either. It was a bit of a head scratching problem for her as she tried to understand what her mentor meant.

“Um...Princess...what do you mean?” Twilight inquired, “A part of my friendship studies? How can these feelings be related to friendship? Especially when they’re this confusing!” That made Celestia giggle a tiny bit harder, having to cover her mouth in an attempt to be polite.

“Didn’t Rarity explain it to you?” Celestia asked, only for Twilight to shake her head in response. She was clearly growing more confused by the minute. The fact that Celestia’s words didn’t seem to be helping any either only made it worse. “She didn’t say...you have a crush on this pony?”

“Oh! You mean that?!” Twilight exclaimed, “She explained that...but she wasn’t that clear on it...she seemed more interested in the actual stallion over everything else.”

‘Gossip lovers...’ Celestia rolled her eyes at Twilight’s response. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she had originally thought. Having hoped that Rarity would at least cover a little bit of this. It was at that point where she wished Cadence was right next to her to give a little bit of back up. That was out of the question though as it was far too late to ask her for any assistance. “Well...to put it simply. A crush is the first stage of love. But this kind of love is different from say...the love you have for your friends or family.”

“Different, how?” Twilight asked, now growing intrigued by what her mentor was saying.

“Its a deeper kind of love, Twilight,” Celestia smiled, as she observed the look on her student’s face. It was such an adorable look as she listened and absorbed the information like a sponge. “Its tough to describe, but...its a love that’s like friendship...only...you’re closer to that particular pony. To the point where you’d even trust your deepest secrets to them.” She dug deep here, reflecting on everything to draw forth what she was saying. As if picking it out from her own experience. “This type of love is the type that can sometimes bring new life into the world. It can easily be the most beautiful and wonderful thing anypony could ever experience. But at the same time, it could also be the most painful thing to experience too. Because...that kind of love sometimes doesn’t last. Sometimes...it just fades away...and other times still, it turns sour.”

Celestia’s demeanor seemed to change at this point. The mentioning of this seeming to hurt her just a tiny bit. While it only lasted for a brief second, it seemed she was carrying quite a bit of pain with her. It even looked as though she was about to cry as she thought about it. However, just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished and she returned to her typically bright demeanor. It was rather startling for Twilight to see at the very least.

“I-It can?” she asked, now a little worried about her own feelings.

“Yes...it can...” she whispered, “But...its not something you should fear...” Celestia brought her hoof up slowly to Twilight’s chin, lifting it up to gaze into her eyes. What she saw only widened her smile just a tiny bit, trying to hide what she saw in her student’s eyes. “Its something you should embrace...because...sometimes it only comes along once in a lifetime.”

“But...what if...?” she tried to ask, only to have Celestia shake her head very slowly.

“That’s not a question you should ask me,” she whispered, “But one you should trust your heart for the answer...” After a couple more seconds of gazing into the eyes of her student, she lowered her hoof. ‘Plus...I’m certain this stallion feels the same way...’

“T-thank you...” Twilight replied, smiling up at her mentor. The words had been enough to relax her quite a bit, she even felt her own exhaustion catching up with her finally.

“Was that helpful?” Celestia asked,

“Yes...very much, Princess,” Twilight replied, that was until something else dawned on her. It took a couple seconds before something else had dawned on her. “B-but...wait! How can I know if its a special connection, like you said...if I can’t talk to him anymore!? He left for Canterlot this morning!” This only made Celestia giggle again. She had actually expected this kind of thing and came prepared with an actual response to it.

“Don’t worry...I’ll send you a spell tomorrow afternoon which will allow you to send and receive messages through Spike to him,” Celestia answered, “And...just for reference, the stallion IS Silver Crescent, isn’t he?”

“H-how did you...?” Twilight asked, dumbfounded at the thought of her actually getting it right.

“He works under me after all,” Celestia grinned, “Plus, the personality description matches up flawlessly...I don’t think I could’ve described him better myself. Charming, intelligent and a bit of a pervert.”

“Y-you know him that well?”

“Of course!” Celestia nodded, “Oh...and one more thing. Don’t try to rush. Try to take it slowly.” Twilight only nodded in response, even if she didn’t quite understand what her mentor had said to her. Then again, it was late in the night and she was also extremely tired. Which is why, moments after saying that the alicorn mare just seemed to vanish in a bright, golden pop before Twilight trotted her way upstairs to finally get some rest.

Troubles

Chapter 15

Nightmare’s body had grown heavy, very heavy. The once swift movements had slowed down to nothing but a basic crawl. Even her magic had grown rather limited to just simple telekinesis by this day. Along with the limitations now imposed on her body, she also had to cope with the pure and simple fact that she had grown wider too. Particularly around her midsection and she absolutely hated it. She had gained quite a bit of weight and this very weight had not only slowed her down, but it was also what the weight represented that seemed to bother her.

What was truly incredible though, was the simple fact that throughout the past year she had gone completely uncaptured. It was truly amazing how she had not only evaded the Lunar Guard, but the Solar Guard and Princess Luna at the very same time. However, most of it had simply just been a matter of luck on her part coupled with a bit of careful planning. Even with that though, it still amazed her how she had been able to dodge the royal guard in its entirety and any local law enforcement on top of that. Especially considering what she had to do to survive.

Thinking back on it, summer hadn’t really been much of an issue for her. However, it was as the temperature began to drop that she actually began to worry. Nightmare’s worry though hadn’t been about herself, in fact, for the first time in her own life; she was actually concerned for something else. The well-being of the unborn foal she was carrying. This was one of the reasons she had been extremely lucky in her survival as the moment autumn hit, she commandeered an apartment building for herself. She had just been thankful that the building had been rather run down as compared to many of the others in the city, so it made the perfect hiding spot for her. Even considering she had to steal blankets still to keep herself warm throughout the winter.

It worked out especially well in the way of food too, because with the shelter she had gained the ability to actually store larger quantities of food instead of going out to steal every single night. This made it far easier on her body in the later months as her pregnancy progressed. As she found herself growing tired far more quickly. This resulted in her actually growing far more cautious while on the run. Being very careful not to leave any traces behind during thefts as to prevent being tracked. She couldn’t risk anything at this point.

For the first time, Nightmare had truly been afraid. She was scared, she was alone. It made her far more defensive and protective instinctually. She didn’t want to risk being captured, because she feared what Luna and Celestia might do to her; or worse, what they might do to her foal if they ever found out. It was the one thing she wouldn’t risk for anything in the world. Which was why she was very glad she had found the apartment.

What really surprised Nightmare though, wasn’t just the fact that she had survived an entire year. It was the fact that she had remained just under the radar the entire time as well. While she was aware that Luna and the entire Lunar Guard was searching for her, she hadn’t exactly done much to draw attention to herself or even her hiding place. Yes, she did recall a few rather close calls on that front, but otherwise she remained rather well hidden. Had she actually won this battle against Luna? She didn’t quite know that yet, but it really did feel like it as she slowly walked through the darkened streets of Canterlot.

It was a rather warm night, even for it being early June. She walked with a bit of spring in her step through the streets, all the while being very cautious as to not draw attention to herself. She had to be like this, as there hadn’t been very much of an option overall. It was either walk out during the daytime and cause a complete uproar or walk through the streets at night and be cautious. This was mostly due to the increasing numbers of the Lunar Guard now patrolling the streets of the city. While it did concern her, they seemed easy enough to avoid for the most part. The very strange thing though was, even while walking out in the open many of them seemed to just ignore her. It was almost as if she wasn’t there. Which was something she found particularly strange at least until she remembered the condition she was in.

Even stranger still, was the fact that a few of them even seemed to assist her as she walked through the streets. Offering assistance because of it. Which only seemed to make her life even easier as she crossed through most of Canterlot. Somehow, this seemed to be one of the greatest blessings she could’ve ever asked for. The question did remain though. What would Luna do to her foal if she discovered it? That was something she refused to think about though. Because the more she did, the more upset her stomach became. In fact, all throughout the trip through Canterlot, she could feel a bit of discomfort throughout her lower region. It seemed to grow as she walked, but she paid very little mind to it as she continued along her path.

Luna cared not for her regalia at this point. Merely tossing it aside as she let her body flop onto the bed with a groan. She had never faced a challenge like this before in her life and it was finally beginning to wear on her after almost a full year. While the times had indeed changed, her job hadn’t, the only difference was...unlike before she had a great deal more help. Even with that help however, it was beginning to wear on her a great deal, she could feel herself growing tired even more quickly than before as it was apparent with the yawn that finally escaped her. She didn’t even try to be polite about it either, she just simply yawned rather loudly.

‘How....?’ she asked herself, turning from her side onto her back. With her full body sprawled onto the bed as she stared up at the ceiling. While Luna did appear to stare up at it, she wasn’t actually. Instead she was gazing well past the solid surface, as if she was looking up at the actual sky. ‘H-how could she elude me for this long...?’ she continued to think, focusing on the one singular fact of Nightmare Moon. ‘Am I doing something wrong?’ she asked, ‘Or am I missing something?’ she blinked very slowly, letting her eyes close as she fell into deep thought. ‘No! The plans were absolutely flawless! How can I be missing something? I asked specifically that they report everypony they see!’ It was befuddling as she slowly turned onto her other side with a sigh of defeat, her gaze now moving to the door. ‘Is it possible she left Canterlot?’ she paused a moment, reflecting upon this line of thought. ‘No! She hasn’t! I’m sure of it! Otherwise the thefts would’ve stopped by now! That is...unless she doesn’t NEED to steal and its somepony...GAH!’ The moment she felt a spike in her frustration, she immediately picked up a pillow and chucked it right at the door.

As if on cue, the door swung open the very moment she flung the pillow and before she knew it, said feathery softness struck a pony dead square in the face with a great deal of force. The force of the throw had been incredible, even for a pillow, causing the pony it had struck to go flying back about half a meter before landing right on his flank.

“That’s a pleasant way to say ‘hello’,” Emerald remarked in a monotone voice. Almost as if he had become accustomed to taking a pillow to the face. He stood up very slowly, brushing off his body. “Although...I don’t blame you for doing it. Considering we have yet to find her.' he added as he entered the room, being sure to close the door behind him.

“That pillow was not intended for you,” Luna sighed in despair, “It was intended for the door. Unfortunately...it missed the intended target.” After that particular moment, she merely flipped onto her other side. Looking to hide her shame from her captain and adviser. That however became an invitation for him to climb onto the bed very slowly. Thankfully he was devoid of the Lunar Guard’s armor for the time being, otherwise this would’ve gone badly for him.

The next thing Luna knew was, she had a pair of hooves slowly wrapping around her lower body and her head was being forced up against Emerald’s warm chest. This was a pleasant sensation, giving a bit of a euphoria to the mare as she snuggled right into him without even bothering to fight against it. His presence always brought her a bit of comfort when she needed it, especially given he always seemed to know exactly what she needed at particular moments. This instance was no different, as she felt his warmth fill her body. All the stress seemed to vanish along with it.

‘How does he do this?’ she asked herself, hesitating for just a single moment before all the stress just vanished. ‘Ahh, screw it...’ Luna thought as she just snuggled on into his embrace further. It took just a couple of moments before she found that perfect position in his embrace. That very perfect position where it felt like she was sitting on a cloud as it drifted through the sky slowly. This was followed by her eyes slowly closing as she relaxed even further.

“Better now?” Emerald whispered seductively in her ear. Which sent an erotic chill right up her spine.

‘Damn him...’ she thought, feeling just a hint of arousal beginning to surface. This is where an idea popped into her head, a very fiendish one at that. While it did come at a bit of a price, she couldn’t really help but go forward with her plan. “Did you bring cake?” she inquired, without even opening her eyes.

“N-no...” he muttered, “W-why...? Should I have?”

“Yes you should have!” Luna argued, while trying to cover a small laugh that was beginning to form.

“B-but...do you know what cake would do to you?” Emerald asked, much to her dismay.

“Yes!” she replied, “It would make me most happy!” This was met with a very soft chuckle in the sheer amusement of the situation. Emerald could clearly tell she was just toying around with him a little bit. Even though he did consider the possibility that she did want some cake. It brought a few potential ideas to mind that made him enjoy the company of the princess.

“What kind of cake would your royal highness like?” he inquired as she shuffled in his embrace, to where she was now facing him.

“We would prefer a triple chocolate cake, with sprinkles and a cherry on top if you please!” she ordered, a rather pleased grin on her face. “But only if my sister hasn’t consumed it already! If she hasn’t, bring us a slice! A large slice!” Emerald’s response was to first place a very soft kiss upon the mare’s lips. Which in turn made her blush a tiny bit before he trotted to the door. This granted her the perfect view of him as he left. Luna’s eyes visibly tracing over his detailed features again, particularly the part of his body facing her direction. His extremely toned flank. Just seeing it sent a chill up her spine, followed by a luscious grin. ‘Now...if only he had frosting on it...’

The discomfort in her body had only grown worse as she continued through the streets. It had gotten so bad that it was virtually crippling. The strange thing about it though was, it seemed to come and go at set intervals. Intervals she could time very clearly in her mind too. She could only wonder what it meant as she struggled to stay on her hooves the entire way.

Nightmare was just grateful she had recently moved out of the apartment a few weeks ago, having chosen a warehouse as her present place of residence. It was far larger compared to the apartment and while it didn’t retain the heat as much compared to it, she didn’t care. She had numerous blankets that kept her warm, even on the cold spring nights. She just wished she had a soft bed to lie on instead of a cluster of pillows and blankets. Because maybe then, her back wouldn’t ache as badly as it did at this exact moment. Or had that been another interval of pain? She couldn’t really tell anymore. She just knew that this pregnancy was beginning to wear thin on her.

She pushed the door open very slowly. Opening it just wide enough for her to slip in before closing it once again. Inside, it was rather dark, even with the light of the waxing moon peering in through the window. The warehouse was rather empty, save for what sat in the center of it. Surrounding a small oil lap were several cans of food, an abundance of soft blankets and even large, fluffy pillows. She had even snatched a cloud not more than a few weeks ago, as it gently hovered above the blankets. Just high enough to be within reach. While it wasn’t exactly paradise, she could consider this her home for the time being.

It took just a matter of seconds for Nightmare to reach the blankets, desiring to rush before eventually curling up on them. She sought the comfort and warmth they brought to her, even through the excruciating she had begun to feel not more than a couple hours ago. As the next interval came, she winced in a great deal of pain. Doing so in hopes to remain as quiet as she possibly could. Detection was the last thing she wanted, but upon that wave of pain she began to contemplate it. Wonder about its source. The pain itself seemed to be centered around her abdominal area particularly and even her back. It was unlike anything she had felt before, but as she paid a deeper attention to it, she felt something else.

The pain came along with a tightening and cramping of her entire body. Nightmare continued to reflect on it and the pain itself seemed more of a sharp pain as well and it only seemed to be coupled with the tightening of her muscles. It was in that moment where she began to recall something from a maternity book she had snatched from the library in her own curiosity. How could she have missed it for the past couple of hours? How could she have missed all the signs? It was only upon the next wave of pain did it finally dawn on her.

‘No...No...no! Not now!’ she cried to herself in pure agony. What was she going to do now? What could she do now? She was all alone in a warehouse, unable to do much in the way of anything due to the increasingly intense pain. The worst part of all of this though, was the fact she didn’t even know what to do either as it meant not only her life, but the life of the foal that she carried around.

Author's Note

This chapter was a bit short sadly.

Worth the Wait

Chapter 16

A very gentle breeze wafted past Luna as she sat quietly upon her balcony. She placed both of her front hooves upon the railing, leaning just over it. This granted a better view of not only the city below, but the night sky above as well. With the view, she hoped to at least catch a glimpse of what she had been looking for over the course of the year. Yet, there was nary a glimpse of said pony. Even more frustrating to her was the recent turn of events over the past couple of days. It left the entire Lunar Guard scratching their heads.

‘She usually steals something at least once a week,’ she thought, perplexed by the dead silence. ‘Often on a Monday too...’ Luna let go of a very heavy sigh, lowering her head in-between her forelegs. A part of her was glad that there hadn’t been a theft this week. At the very same time however; she was also uneasy about the silence. This kind of silence was very unnerving. It usually meant that there was something else going on. That something far worse than everything else all together was about to happen. While it didn’t happen all of the time in every single case, it happened quite frequently too.

“Eerie, isn’t it?” a voice inquired, it was a fairly masculine voice too. A voice she had grown rather fond of over the past year. One she didn’t even need to turn to, to know whom it was.

“What’s eerie?” Luna inquired to the stallion that stepped right up next to her.

“The calm,” Emerald replied, his tone as serious as ever. “They say the worst calms always come before the worst storms.” This was something that Luna could agree to. Just hearing this though seemed to calm her a tiny bit, knowing that at least somepony else felt exactly what she was feeling. This in turn caused her to bring her hooves back onto the stone surface of the balcony.

“My father said that to me once,” Luna added, “Although not in those exact words.” This drew Emerald’s curiosity a tiny bit. This was the first time he had ever heard about the parents of the two sisters. What kind of ponies could they possibly be? Were they even ponies? Could they control the sun and moon like their children? Are they even still alive?

“What...was he like?” Emerald asked hesitantly, just hoping that he wasn’t out of line by asking this. Thankfully it didn’t seem to bother Luna in the slightest when he did as she just turned to him with a very soft smile on her face. It seemed to bring her a bit of joy when he did, almost as if she had wanted him to ask that particular question. It even appeared to be a welcomed distraction from the issues that were on her mind.

“Our father...” Luna began, “Was a very strong and wise alicorn stallion. He was the Alicorn of the Night before me...the one who crafted the moon orb and also the one who taught me everything I know.” she spoke proudly, puffing out her chest with the pride backing her up. “On top of being a magnificent warrior...he was also one of the kindest ponies ever. Even though he was rather strict when it came to discipline.” she continued on, seeming to find a bit more joy in talking about her father. Which intrigued Emerald even further.

“Do you have an example?” he asked, interrupting Luna as she spoke.

“Yes...my sister,” she pointed out, “Celestia is very similar to our father, except in the fact that he preferred action over words. Which is what I prefer myself.”

“Which...explains why you’re upset over Nightmare’s disappearance,” Emerald added, which was a big mistake on his part. As those particular words seemed to strike a powerful nerve with her. While she did remain quiet about it, it was obvious his words had hurt her a bit. Which in turn caused her to lower her ears and turn away from him. He lowered his ears when he saw her response. “T-that...came out wrong...” he muttered, “I...”

“No...” she waved a hoof, “I know what you meant, Emerald.” this was followed by another soft sigh, “Its not what you think, its something else entirely.” Luna’s sigh told it all, there was something else to this situation. A reason as to why she had been so determined to find the mare now calling herself Nightmare Moon. At first it had been puzzling as to why she had been so determined to find this mare and over time it had even become a bit of an obsession. To the point where it was on her mind at almost all hours of the day.

“Then...what is it?” The very instant he asked that single question, her gaze shifted up to him. With an even greater determination flashing in them than before. She pressed her hoof up to his chest and he leaned back slowly. At the very same time, Luna began to lean in, gazing him directly in the eyes.

“If I tell you this, Emerald,” she whispered, “You must swear on your brother’s grave to never speak of it!” The tone of her voice was dead serious as well as the gaze in her eyes. The combination of which was rather intimidating to the stallion, causing him to gulp nervously. Emerald hadn’t ever received this kind of look from Luna before. While he did have a list of looks he had received, most of which had been rather seductive and entrancing or even grateful. He hadn’t seen a look like this. This meant to him that she was serious. “I mean it too! Even Celestia can’t know this! Even our mother cannot know either!”

“A-Alright!” Emerald replied, “I-I won’t breathe a word of it!”

“Good boy...” Luna smiled, leaning up to kiss him softly on the end of his muzzle.

‘What am I? A dog?’ he asked himself as he listened to the princess. At this point she took a step back, exhaling very slowly through her mouth before clearing her throat.

“My...father and I fought Nightmare before,” Luna explained, “Or...at least a Nightmare. Or should I say several Nightmares.”

“S-several?!” Emerald stammered, “There’s more than one!?” His voice grew louder at this point, which in turn caused the lunar princess to cover his mouth very quickly. She didn’t want another living soul to know this either, judging by the look on her face. In fact, she looked absolutely terrified by the volume of his voice. Actually going as far as to glance around, even dragging the stallion right off the balcony to peek outside her room. Just hoping the guards didn’t hear a single thing.

“Quiet you sexy idiot!” she ordered, “I said I don’t want anypony else to know!” As she ordered this, he slowly nodded. Letting the initial shock finally begin to wear off. When it finally did, she lowered her hoof very slowly just to ensure he didn’t shout again.

“S-sorry...” he muttered, lowering his ears in dismay.

“Its perfectly fine this time,” Luna began, taking another glance around. This time being sure to lock the door to the room as well as close the balcony door. “Just...don’t shout that again!”

“So, what’s this about there being more than one?” Emerald asked, this time lowering the tone of his voice even more. Luna closed her eyes upon hearing the question, as if taking a moment to contemplate everything in general before she spoke.

“Most ponies don’t know this...but...” she began, “The moon and the sun are far older than they think.” Luna took a couple steps back again as she thought of how to phrase everything. “The sun was created well before the planet...the moon, sometime after the planet. While that is mostly a detail everyone knows...do you know WHY the moon was created? Why we even need it?”

“Uhh...” Emerald trailed off, trying to consider all of the possibilities. However, nothing seemed to come his way on that front. As he was just left hanging his head in the confusion.

“The moon was created to protect those that live in the light,” Luna explained, “To drive away the darkest and foulest creatures that exist in the night. However, as you know...the protection does have its limits. When the moon’s light is blocked out, even just slightly...things can slip through. That’s what those Nightmares are. They’re embodiments of the darkness that exist without the moon’s protection. Formed of fear and powerful dark magic...magic that is even older than Celestia and I.” Emerald couldn’t help but shiver as he listened to the princess’ explanation. “These things exist to cause nothing but pain and agony. They feed off of the fear and negative emotions that are created through nightmares in other creatures.”

“Oh! Sort of like how a changeling can feed off of positive emotions?” he added, trying to make sense to it. Luna smiled at this response.

“Exactly!” she replied, “Where as a Changeling prefers to feed off of love...the Nightmares prefer to feed off of fear. But make no mistake. These things are nothing like Changelings. By the common description, they take on a mist or fog-like appearance in their natural state. They can only come out at night and they only exist to feed and cause fear. They feel absolutely nothing else. They’re just living masses of magic.”

“T-then...how?” Emerald tried to ask, searching his mind for the right words to this question. He didn’t know what to think at this point. If Nightmare Moon really was this ‘living mass of magic’, then how did she have a body?

“That...I don’t know,” Luna explained, “My father and I didn’t really take the time to study the things...but given she still has a fair amount of my magic. I figure that’s the reason she’s able to take that form.” She slowly lifted her gaze back up at Emerald, meeting his gaze again. Unlike the last time however, this time her eyes seemed rather vulnerable. She looked confused and alone. He could see it very clearly with the almost lifeless and hopeless look in her eyes. The look made his heart sink in an instant.

“Is that what’s bothering you?” he asked, receiving a very slow nod in response.

“That’s not all of it though, Emerald,” she sighed, climbing onto the bed very slowly before just flopping right down on it. He could feel it very clearly at this point. What she had explained to him wasn’t the worst part of the whole situation. He knew it was only going to get worse at this point. Which was why he joined her right on the bed, snuggling right up next to her.

The tension seemed to vanish the very moment she felt his warmth. In turn, it caused her to just lean up against his shoulder without a second thought. Luna felt the warmth of his body begin to radiate onto her own, slowly filling her with the sense of comfort she needed at the right moment. If she hadn’t gotten it, she might’ve broken out into tears then and there.

“I’m afraid to ask...but...” he began, only to feel her hoof press against his lips. Slowly, the mare closed her eyes and brought her hoof down again. The mare’s thoughts and emotions settled as she settled. She could feel the racing thoughts begin to slow in her mind and she was finally able to get a grip upon them before she opened her eyes once again.

“The reason I’m so worried...is because...” Luna began, once again trying to articulate her thoughts and feelings into appropriate words. “This one...Nightmare Moon...is different than the ones I faced in the past.” she exhaled very slowly, using that time to find the right words to describe it. “While...the nightmares are dangerous creatures, they’ve always had to enter a pony to cause nightmares. I’ve witnessed it myself....I’ve seen them enter through either the ears, nose or mouth. Most often through the ears.” Emerald didn’t like where this explanation was going. He could see that it was about to go even more south than it already had. Just having a body and some of Luna’s magic was bad enough, it didn’t take a scientist to guess what she was going to say next.

“She...doesn’t need to enter the victim?” he finished, only earning a nod from the princess. With this information, he could only assume what Luna was going through. Which was why upon hearing this information, he pulled her in a bit closer, resting his own chin on the top of her head. This gesture seemed to bring a great deal more comfort than any of the previous ones. As she slowly closed her eyes in response to it while moving her wing around him.

“From what I’ve observed, no,” Luna added, “She...pretty much can do what I do and manipulate dreams from the outside. But...she does have to be in her mist form to do it. Which is also how I’m sure she’s been able to go undetected by the security.”

“But...that still doesn’t explain everything...” Emerald added, which was followed by a very soft groan from the princess as she placed her hoof on her face. A gesture she had picked up on from the stallion in the time they had spent together.

“You may be a brilliant and intimidating captain, as well as adviser...” Luna added, “And a...very sexy stallion...but sometimes...you’re such a headache...” she sighed for the fifth time in the night. This one however seemed more superficial and far less depressing.

“H-hey! You hired me!” Emerald argued, clearly frowning with a tiny bit of a blush on his cheeks. He was clearly conflicted by what she had just said. Not only had she given him quite a nice compliment, but she had also insulted him at the very same time. He didn’t know exactly what to say about this at first. That was short lived however, as a very devious grin spread across his face the moment she turned back to him.

“You’re just lucky you--” Before she could finish however, she found herself in a lip-lock with the stallion. Luna’s eyes grew fairly wide at the sudden turn of events, her wings even sprung up the instant it happened and it was coupled with a very visible blush on her cheeks. She hadn’t expected this in the least, especially given the previously depressing conversation. Yet, it seemed to work in lifting her spirits quite considerably in just a matter of seconds.

It was another ten to fifteen seconds before she finally melted right into the kiss. Feeling all of the stress in her just vanish without another word or thought. In fact, she couldn’t find words or thoughts to this instance, instead she merely kissed him back. Slowly closing her eyes as she tilted her head just slightly. It was a wonderful sensation, especially when her heart began to pound in her chest. She didn’t care beyond that, just feeling the world around her melt away very slowly as she focused on nothing else but the kiss.

Luna couldn’t ask for a more perfect moment, ever. Especially as she felt him began to push against her slightly. This wasn’t much of a problem, which is why she quickly caved into it. Just letting him have the control very slowly. The mare’s body began to rotate along with his, to the point where both ponies were actually lying on their sides instead. Facing one another. Had the previous moment been perfect? Or was this moment perfect? She didn’t care anymore, especially as she felt his hoof begin to move down her left side.

‘What am I doing...?’ she asked herself, as she felt a few tiny waves of pleasure course over her body. ‘Am I submitting to this stallion?’ It looked quite like it too, as he began to take even more control of the situation. Even as it dragged on, she didn’t seem to care in the least. Instead, as the kiss broke; she just gazed at him passionately. In the mare’s eyes, he saw it. Another of the many looks that she had given him. This time though, it seemed a bit different. Unlike the previous times, where there had just been a tremendous amount of lust. There was also longing and a hint of loneliness. The bit of loneliness that she wanted to cast aside. ‘But...I prefer mares...’ she thought, ‘W-why would I let...oh screw it...he’s done so much for me. How can I NOT submit to him?’ It was only when a smile moved across her face that he once again pulled her into a kiss. ‘Just this once at least...’

Emerald saw it in the mare’s eyes. He felt it in her subtle actions as they continued to kiss. He could feel her hooves gently moving across his body, slowly moving down his spine. They mirrored his movements almost exactly, except for the fact that she clutched his flank very tightly. That was a big indicator for him, especially given just how tight she had gripped it. This caused him to yelp rather loudly, shocked that she had even done such a thing at first. At least, until he realized the look he was now receiving.

“I’m...going to let you have your dastardly way with me,” she cooed, “Just...for tonight. As long as you’re gentle to begin with. Because...well, it is my first time since returning from the moon.”

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting you, my princess,” he whispered seductively, which caught her attention. This sparked an immediate reaction, even more than the kissing had done as she could feel just a hint of arousal. “Unless of course...you wanted me to.” That drove her over the edge though, she could feel her cheeks beginning to burn at that point as well as her loins beginning to tighten up just a little bit.

‘Did he really just...?’ she shook her head, trying to keep it on straight even amidst the lustful thoughts running through her mind. This came suddenly before he resumed kissing her. The passion only seemed to magnify what she was already feeling in that very moment. Feeling the dampness beginning to grow between her legs. This caused her to once again clutch onto his flank, as if holding onto it for dear life for just a couple of seconds.

The pure intensity of their passion went on for several minutes. It grew from points of very soft and gentle kissing, to the most intense and passionate of kissing. To the point where their tongues were hanging from their mouths. At first, Luna had been forceful, having to pin him down to the bed for just an instant upon his request, before being flung onto her back. It was in that moment where she felt it, where she felt the object of her desires beginning to take shape between their bodies. It took shape fast too, as she could feel the rod hardening very quickly. Which in turn only added to her own already heightened arousal.

The passionate kissing ended abruptly as he climbed right off of her. This instead gave her quite the view of what she had been feeling before. The size of his tool didn’t really impress her that much, the smile on her face said that much. However, what impressed her was the fact that she saw just a very tiny bit of pre-cum dripping from it. That said everything she wanted to know at this particular instant before climbing to her own hooves upon his request.

Luna slowly lowered her head onto the pillow, with her rump fully in the air, facing the unicorn. It was an uncommon occasion for her to present herself like this, but one she rather enjoyed. She simply wished she could see the look on the stallion’s face as he stood in awe of her glorious, wet vagina. For a moment, he even watched as it winked at him. He hadn’t ever had a chance to see a more arousing sight in his life and while it wasn’t the first time he had ever seen Luna’s entrance. It was certainly his favorite thus far. Especially as he watched the walls contract for just a moment, causing another wink.

“Are you just going to sit there and stare?” the mare teased, “Or...do I have to take command?” That was a line that sent a chill up Emerald’s spine. It was both a positive and a negative chill as he could only assume what she would do if he just continued to stare. He scrambled to mount her at first, before positioning himself very carefully. It took just a couple of seconds to work around her tail before he finally gave the very first thrust into her.

It was what she had been anticipating for quite some time. What she had fantasized about for the past year since her return and it was finally happening at this particular moment. It came abruptly as she felt her walls part from the size of his member. It hurt just a little bit from the fact that she hadn’t received in quite some time, but it was a good kind of hurt for her. Enough to cause her to let out a rather pleased shout. He went in deep upon the first thrust too, going as far as he could possibly go. Luna couldn’t ask for a more heavenly moment in her life, at least until the next thrust came.

For Emerald, it was a magnificent sensation. She was tight, very tight around his length. Even with the first thrust spreading her apart, he couldn’t help but let out a very soft grunt in the sheer bliss of how it felt. He couldn’t even put words to the sensation because of how it felt. He didn’t know what was better about it. How it felt, or the simple fact that it was Princess Luna he was now inside of. He didn’t even have time to think about it as his body just seemed to take over, responding to what not only he wanted, but what the princess had been craving from him for close to a year now.

“Yeesssss!” Luna cried out in sheer delight as she felt the second thrust wash over her. Shortly after it, came the third and fourth thrust. Eventually following up into a very quickened rhythm as he adjusted to her body. It was delightful, no. It was better than delightful. Each thrust was absolutely magnificent, better than the previous. As he thrusted on, she bit onto the pillow in pure bliss as each wave of pleasure washed over her. “FASTER!” she roared, feeling him comply with the request.

Emerald’s thrusting continued to quicken over the course of a couple of minutes, feeling his testicles slap rather hard against the mare’s lower body. This did cause him a bit of pain when it occurred, but it too was a good kind of pain when coupled with the pure pleasure he could feel rushing through every inch of his body.

“Harder!” she ordered, “Rut me senseless!”

“Yes, Princess,” Emerald complied, giving each thrust a greater amount of force. Though, she didn’t seem to be effected much by the effort at first.

“Damn it!” she snapped, “I said harder! Really use your back legs!” Luna cried, “You’re strong! Show me just how strong you are!” Emerald did just that too. Really putting a significant amount of force into each thrust. Enough to the point where a very loud smack could be heard between each one and Luna had to actually bite on the edge of one of her pillows. She had made a great guess on his strength. She didn’t expect him to be this strong however, as he continued to viciously pound into her.

The sheer intensity of the thrusts were enough to bring in just a bit of pain with the pleasure. She didn’t seem to mind it either as the sensations seemed to contrast fairly quickly. Only working to intensify the pleasure she felt with each passing second. That very combination also proved to tighten her muscles quite significantly. Which in return brought her climax all that much closer. Luna’s initial response to the rapidly closing in orgasm was to shut her eyes and force it back down. It was to no avail though as she just felt the flood gates give way. The muscles contracted in her lower body and she could feel even more intense waves of pleasure washing over her, enough to bring her to her knees.

‘Oh gods above...’ she thought as she felt her legs wobble just a bit. Feeling each and every muscle contraction of her orgasm send another wave of pleasure over her. Along with that, it was also coupled with a bit of fluid splattering over Emerald’s stomach and lower body. The orgasm was intense and it became a struggle to stay on her hooves at that point. What made it even harder to do that though, was the pure fact that the stallion hadn’t stopped yet. His thrusting only continued on and on with each passing second. This intensified her orgasm even further, to the point where tears began streaming down her face in the sheer ecstasy coursing through her body.

Luna’s first orgasm only intensified the pleasure that Emerald felt all throughout his body. He could feel her inner walls pulling and tugging on his length as if it was trying to milk him. Which was a powerful feeling in it of itself. That, along with the continuing thrusts only seemed to throw him over the edge in a matter of seconds after her orgasm began. Each second felt like an eternity to the two of them as Emerald’s orgasm erupted into her. Thick ropes of his seed filled up her womb and eventually began to spurt out with each contraction of her muscles, painting his coat even more than it had before. Both of them grew silent and their movements slowed as the orgasms continued.

Their bliss lasted for a good two minutes, before Emerald finally fell back and Luna collapsed onto the bed. Where they just simply lied back and basked in the afterglow of one of the most intense experiences of their lives. so far. They said nothing and not a single sound was heard. They didn’t even move from where they had fallen for a good five minutes more, before the stallion finally stirred.

“L-Luna?” Emerald finally spoke, crawling his way up to the princess, before flopping onto his side. Only to find she just gazed back at him rather blankly. Seemingly lost in what she had felt. “Princess?”

“That thousand years on the moon was worth it...”

Author's Note

My portrayal of Luna is as follows; at least, for her romantic and sexual interests. She's bisexual, but with a preference to mares. Yes, she likes stallions too, but she prefers mares over them in most cases. Every now and again though, she'll pick up a stallion lover.

Nightmare's Decision

Chapter 17

The past week had taken its toll on Nightmare, very visibly. She looked as though she hadn’t slept in that entire time. If the bloodshot eyes weren’t enough, she also had fairly large dark circles beneath them to show just how badly she was beaten. On top of that, even her once beautiful amethyst mane had become nothing more than a rat’s nest along with her sleek black coat. She didn’t care about this though. Even rest seemed far from the mare’s mind as she sat on the nest of pillows. She didn’t even care about her own personal condition as she simply glanced down at her own stomach or better yet, what was curled right up next to it.

There it sat, curled up in a small dark blue ball of fluff was something she hadn’t ever seen before. Something she didn’t know quite what to make of, yet, seemed strangely drawn to it. What was she going to do now? What could she do now? She wasn’t exactly in the best position to be doing much of anything. In fact, she couldn’t even think of what she could possibly do at this point. There was so much running through her mind in those ten minutes. So much that she couldn’t even comprehend what she was feeling. As she thought about it though, they began to become a bit more clear.

‘What...am I doing?’ she asked herself, as her emotions began to well up in her. This had to be the first time she had ever felt like this in her life. It wasn’t like anything she recalled from Luna, by any means. This time it was entirely different. Deep down she was beginning to feel something. Something more than just that lust she had felt. Yet, she didn’t seem to understand exactly what she was feeling. ‘Who am I...?’ she continued to question herself. In the hopes that it would reveal what she could do with what she was facing now.

It proved fruitless though, as Nightmare found herself growing even more confused as she questioned herself. It was followed by a very soft sigh as she turned up to the nearest window. Outside it, she saw nothing but darkness, but as she gazed past it...she saw the stars. They twinkled bright throughout the night sky. This brought no comfort though, for as she returned her gaze to the little fluff ball, there was a bit of movement.

Nightmare smiled very slowly as she watched the fluff ball uncurl. The smile wasn’t malicious at all either, instead it seemed rather gentle and almost loving as she watched the fluff ball reveal itself. With a small horn and a curly amethyst mane to match her own, it was adorable. Cute even, she couldn’t deny that. Especially with the beautiful golden eyes she had along with everything else. Just watching this, she felt what could only be described as joy in her heart. It was a foal, but not just any. It was her foal. A little filly no less and possibly the most adorable little thing ever.

“What?” she asked as she was met with the returning gaze of her own little filly. She could feel her own heart melting at the sight that occurred next, as the little one cooed while raising her hooves up to her mother. Nightmare’s expression softened even more when it happened, lowering her head to meet the gaze of her daughter. “You caused me quite a bit of pain, you know...” she grumbled, earning a boop on the end of her muzzle as a response. This made her sigh. ‘I want to be angry...’ she considered, ‘but...I simply can’t...’ She received another boop on the nose soon after. “I...can’t be mad at you...” she sighed in defeat. The little filly cooed in response, once again booping her mother on the nose. ‘What am I going to do with you?’

That was the most important question for Nightmare as she leaned in to nuzzle the filly affectionately. She cared now, she couldn’t deny that. For the first time, she actually knew what it was like to truly care for another living being instead of herself. Was this what love was? She didn’t know exactly, but she rather liked it. It was why she seemed so lost in what course of action she should possibly take. All the possibilities were limited, she didn’t really have much she could do beyond this point. It was only as she began to nuzzle her recently born daughter that it finally dawned on her. What would happen to this foal if she was captured?

That was the first thing that came to mind as she felt the very loving contact of the filly. It was unlike anything she had felt before. Even with Luna’s memories to assist her, this was on a whole other level. She couldn’t find words to compare to the euphoria that traveled through her body. It seemed soothing, yet joyful at the very same time. She didn’t just care for this little filly. No, it was more than that. It was only after eleven months of struggle and what seemed like an eternity of sheer agony had she realized it. She had grown to love the little filly.

It was here she finally began to understand some of the memories she had inherited from Luna. It was in this moment that she was beginning to truly understand what it meant to be a pony in the first place. Not only that, but she was even beginning to understand what it meant to be a mother and what it meant to have feelings in the first place. It was a truly wonderful feeling she had in this moment. Heartwarming even, a far cry to what she had been over a thousand years ago. Nightmare remembered those days very vividly too and as she thought about them, it came with an uneasiness. Which was strange, because she hadn’t felt like this before.

It made her stomach sink just thinking about it. As she recalled the memories it only made her feel worse. She didn’t know where these feelings came from, but they made her think and think relatively hard as she glanced back up to through the window. In that one moment, it hit her. She felt a very dreadful and almost physically painful feeling travel over her. Just recalling all that she had done, even before she had gained this body made her absolutely sick to her stomach.

‘I’m a Nightmare...’ she acknowledged, finally feeling the true remorse of all that she had done. It was in that moment too that another thought came to mind. One that made her just facehoof at how contrived it truly was. ‘No...I’m not a Nightmare, I’m an idiot. Eternal night? Even Luna must see that’s a bad idea by now...nothing would survive without the sun. Especially ponies...and what would be the point in ruling Equestria then? Everypony would be dead.’ It didn’t need very much thought to see the flaw in the grand scheme of it all. Nightmare cursed herself, just lowering her head again, this time onto a pillow. The mare sat in silence after that for a good five minutes at most. She would’ve sat longer had it not been for the crawling around of her daughter, whom seemed to want her mother’s attention again.

The filly didn’t cry, the filly didn’t fuss very much. Instead, she seemed to just move up to her mother’s face and hug her. It was as if she knew her mother was troubled, which in turn made Nightmare smile. She felt comforted a little as she glanced at her daughter. Was this little filly truly a curse? Or had she been a blessing for the mare? Had becoming pregnant actually assisted her in unseen ways? Had it even saved her life? She didn’t know this, but it certainly felt like it. Nightmare’s hoof moved around the filly slowly. Earning another strange sound as a response.

“That’s right...” she whispered, “Momma loves you...” Those words seemed to resonate with the filly when they were spoken. Causing a giggle in pure joy before she fell onto her flank. This caused Nightmare to laugh in response. “How is it that something that caused me so much trouble...is so cute at the same time...” she wondered this for another good couple of minutes. Nightmare observed the behavior of the filly for the next several minutes afterward. Watching as she stood up again and back over to her stomach. Or more precisely, her engorged breasts.

Upon delivery the first question she had was how would she feed her foal? But instead of letting a logical mind and fears overtake her, she merely let instinct handle the entire situation. It was then she received an answer and quite a bit of relief. She was glad she could provide comfort and food for the filly. She actually felt like a pretty decent mother, even with the circumstances. Deep down though, this also helped her realize something else. That she wouldn’t be able to care for the filly for very much longer.

‘If I get caught now...she’s a goner...’ Nightmare considered, watching as the filly began to suckle on one of her teats. It was a true statement too, because no matter which way she swung it, the filly wouldn’t survive. What would happen if she told Luna about this? What would befall the filly then? While there was a distinct possibility of her counterpart being merciful and kind it wasn’t very likely. It was too much of a risk to even speak of this. ‘Plus...what would Celestia do if she discovered it too?’ The very instant that question popped into her head, she grew scared. Who knows what either princess would do to this filly! No way, she couldn’t risk anything with that. There has to be an alternative.

Nightmare’s thoughts shifted the very moment she felt the familiar sensation travel up her spine. This pulled her focus from a possible plan on how to deal with the problem she was facing onto her daughter again. At first she appeared annoyed by it, but eventually became soothed by the sensation. The mare’s mental focus remained on her nursing daughter for a couple of minutes before soon returning to what it had been. This time met with new inspiration as a result of the nursing.

‘Perhaps I should try and care for her?’ Nightmare contemplated, ‘We could take shelter in the Ancient Castle....’ That thought seemed to trail off into the distance however as it was met with an endless list of fears and dangers for the filly. Plus, adding in the fact it was in the Everfree along with not being able to watch her all the time. It was really an even worse idea than the Eternal Night one. She only smacked her face with a pillow at that point. ‘No, I can’t do that to her...she needs friends as well as a good life!’ she sighed, ‘What else is there?’ For the next fifteen minutes, Nightmare continued to rack her brain for possible ideas. Yet, all of them were foolish and even a bit selfish. It wasn’t until she actually finished her meal that it finally came to her.

If she used Luna’s memories as a point of reference, this would be the hardest decision of her life. Just thinking about it for even a second made tears form in Nightmare’s eyes. She didn’t want to do something like that at all. She would rather face an eternity in Tartarus than do that, but it was a possibility. She could always give her up. Perhaps to an orphanage...maybe then a nice family would adopt her. She wanted to be selfish in this situation, but found herself unable to. No matter how hard she tried, deep down she truly did know what was best for her daughter.

‘But...what if nopony adopts her?’ she asked, ‘What if...they abuse her?’ Those thoughts popped right into her mind the very instant the word orphanage left it. It was a risk, a very big risk on her part. ‘Wait! I could always give her to somepony...?’ That in particular might be a better option for her. But whom? Who would be the best choice to take care of this little filly? It was then and only then when everything finally fell into place. A very evil smile spread across her face as she glanced down at her daughter.

Swiftly and silently Nightmare moved through the streets of Canterlot. In her mouth she carried a basket and not just any either. This particular basket now contained her precious sleeping filly. It was startling how swiftly she could move too, even with that basket. It would put the Lunar Guard to shame with the simple fact that she was able to avoid even the slightest detection from them as she snuck through the streets. She had to be cautious though and for good reason. She feared what would happen to her precious gift if she was caught.

The Lunar Guard wasn’t much trouble. The real problem was gauging her movements carefully. Ensuring that the basket didn’t move to erratically as she attempted to stay out of sight. Magic was another risk to her plans at this point. While she could just as easily teleport into Canterlot Castle, she didn’t dare. She didn’t want to take a single risk in this situation, given it was her daughter’s future on the line. Which is why she had taken to the streets first. This way she could actually use her eyes instead of relying on pure luck.

It worked too, as she found it rather easy to slip past a fair amount of the Lunar Guard. Even avoiding detection from Batponies, which is where her greatest worry lied. She feared making even just a single mistake around one, given how sensitive their hearing was. Which is why she had to trot carefully and observe even more carefully just to ensure she got to the next alleyway undetected.

Nightmare continued through Canterlot in this manner for the next two hours. Taking each step very cautiously and only using magic out of pure necessity. While she did have a few close calls, especially when her daughter began to fuss a little. Making very soft noises. Thankfully though, she remained mostly undetected. At least until she crossed paths with a batpony. What hope she had vanished in a matter of seconds as the filly began to fuss. The noises caught the attention of just one single passing batpony, which in return caused him to draw closer to the alleyway. As he did, his eyes shifted all through it, before centering right on the mare.

“Halt!” he ordered, “State your name and explain why you are out at this hour!” his bright yellow orbs inched down just slightly, Glancing at the basket that contained the little filly. There were an abundance of reasons why Batponies were considered the best for Lunar Guard duties. One of which was their sonar-like hearing and the other was their incredible night vision. It was this combination that made them highly important to Luna and Nightmare knew this very clearly.

‘Horsefeathers...’ Nightmare cursed, beginning to panic as she complied with his request. She began to step forward, all the while making an attempt at trying to figure out the best possible course of action she could take. Perhaps she should just surrender now? Maybe it was for the best she was captured here. At least she could say it was by another creature of the night. At least she could even say she had been stopped by Luna’s soldiers. It was only when she was reminded of what she carried in her mouth that she realized her own foolishness. ‘No...I will not be captured until she is in safe hooves...’

That one thought caused a knee jerk reaction in Nightmare. She didn’t even take another second to consider what she was going to do and instead her horn lit up very bright before both her and the filly vanished completely from the batpony’s sight. She knew this would immediately raise the alarm and she wouldn’t have much time after it before they began to track her. Which was why she focused on one thing. While she didn’t know its exact location, she hoped magic would at least give her a bit of assistance in this matter. That luck actually paid off rather well as she found herself appearing right outside a door within the castle.

Upon appearing at the door, she pushed it open very slowly. Inside she saw a dark blue alicorn sprawled out on his bed, which only made her smile. Whether it had been pure luck or through her desire to ensure the safety of her daughter, she would never know nor would she have time to find out. Instead she placed the basket very gently onto the ground, just inside the door and hopefully out of sight of any passersby. Along with it she set a note, being sure to tuck it just out of reach of the filly, coupled with it she tucked a silver necklace in.

“I know you won’t understand this...” she whispered, as tears fell from her eyes. “I want you to know, that while I didn’t have much time to spend with you...” she paused, choking on her own words. “That no matter what happens to me...I will always be with you...and I will always love you...” she smiled, placing a very soft kiss on the forehead of the little filly. Taking one final moment to even hold her very close. In her heart, she knew this was the right thing. This was the best thing she could do for her only daughter. ‘My precious Eclipse...’

Author's Note

Feels, feels and more feels.

Silver's Discovery

Chapter 18

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as Luna walked through the halls. With her head hung low and her wings even lower, she walked very slowly up to her room. Not only was she completely exhausted, but she felt utterly defeated at the same time. Adding insult to injury was the fact that she simply knew that Nightmare had entered the castle. Why? She didn’t know. Because by the time the guards had realized it, she had teleported right out of the building. While there had been a brief period between her arrival and departure, it hadn’t been long enough to actually pin her down completely.

On top of that, there had also been a report from one of the patrols about a mare carrying a basket--- she had teleported, of course. That was just the beginning though. All of last night had been such chaos that she swore that she had heard Discord laughing throughout most of it. The worst part of the whole night however, was the plain and simple fact that it would end up on a report. That Celestia would find out before the day was done. This discouraged her even more as she pushed the door to her room open.

Luna swayed slowly as she entered, she could feel the room spinning as a result of her exhaustion. She felt lightheaded, nauseous even as she let everything finally sink in. She had an abundance of questions running through her mind, but the first of which involved the mare that had once again slipped through her hooves and left her completely humiliated. Why had Nightmare shown up in the castle? What exactly was she trying to accomplish by teleporting in? Was she finally making her move? Had that just been a distraction? How could it have been a distraction? She has no followers! These thoughts kept piling up one after another as she reached her bed. Just letting herself fall very slowly onto the surface, face first.

‘Damn it...’ Luna cursed inwardly, ‘What if Tia finds out? I know a few guards saw her...I just know it!’ she argued, lifting her head very slowly. It was then an idea popped into her head before she turned slowly over to the pedestal on the other side of the room. Atop this pedestal sat a pearl-like orb that held a very faint glow. Upon seeing it, she sighed. ‘Like she could steal it anyhow...’ she considered, before returning her face into the pillow. Nightmare was a crafty mare, a very crafty mare indeed. How was it she was so cunning? ‘Even I’m not that cunning...’ she told herself, ‘Exactly how different are we?’

That was another question that came to mind, flipping onto her back as she reflected upon the time when they had been one. It was strange to think about it now too, but it was the only thing she really had left. She recalled the moon in particular, the battles in their subconscious. These battles were long and arduous, sometimes even spanning days as her body sat in silence. This wasn’t exactly a pleasant time either as she remembered just how much strain the constant fights put on her. Not just her mind either, while they did cause monumentally painful headaches, they also left her body in a tremendous amount of pain as well. Which made her wonder just how she had even survived these battles. Then again, Nightmare did need her body at the time.

The mare placed her hooves across her chest, pressing them against one another as she gazed up at the ceiling. What puzzled Luna even more than the fact that Nightmare had been in the castle, was the fact that she hadn’t even gone after either her or Celestia. It was very strange as she clearly had the opportunity and even the power to do as such. Yet she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she had only teleported in for a few minutes, caused a bit of chaos and then vanished just as quickly as she had appeared. What had she done? Had she stolen something? What if she had left something? There was absolutely no evidence to support either theory either as it seemed everything had been in place after she vanished. At least save for the pride of the entire Royal Guard as well as her own pride too.

“Ohhhh....Luuuuunnnnaaaa....” a voice sung out, instantly breaking the concentration and thoughts of the princess. The voice wasn’t quite one she was familiar with and to top that off it seemed to have a teasing tone to it. Almost as if it was mocking her. This made Luna lift her head instantly, shifting a glance all over the room. “I know you can hear me...” the voice cooed again, causing her ears to twitch just a tiny bit.

“Who are you?!” she cried out, “Where are you!?”

“Oh...don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the sound of my voice already,” the voice continued to tease, “Am I really not that memorable? I mean, we did share a body for a thousand years.” It clicked the moment that line was spoken. She didn’t even need another hint as to whom it was.

“Nightmare! Where are you?!” Luna bellowed as she continued to glance around the room. Befuddled as to where the source of the voice was coming from. How was it she was hearing Nightmare’s voice at this moment? Was she using a telepathy spell? It wasn’t until her eyes rested upon the pearl-like orb across the room did she realize what was going on. Around it, she could see a faint pulse and as she began to cross the room it started to become clear. In the vision of the orb she saw none other than Nightmare Moon. Something was off about her though from what she remembered of their last encounter.

Upon closer inspection, Luna took notice that Nightmare seemed a bit more exhausted and it hadn’t just been what had recently occurred either. It was even visible in her cyan eyes that she had been through quite a bit recently. Even her mane showed it clearly. Perhaps even more so than just the feeling that came off of her eyes. Not only that, but something else seemed different about her. Like something had changed. It was unclear exactly what had changed though, even if it left her scratching her head even more.

“I came to chat,” she finally said after a moment of silence.

“I don’t want anything to do with you!” Luna snapped, “After all you’ve done...why should I?” Nightmare didn’t say anything in response at first. Instead she just met her other half’s gaze. Something was different about it though, unlike before where Nightmare had just been a manipulative mass of magic, feeding off of fear. This time, the mare could see there was something truly genuine in her eyes. Actual emotion, her eyes seemed almost pleading and heartbroken.

“I...I can understand why you wouldn’t want to speak with me...” Nightmare muttered, any shred of confidence she had vanishing in an instant. Even through the orb Luna could feel the sorrow as if it was flowing from the orb itself. At first, she simply thought this was some kind of ploy. A trick to get all the magic and even the orb from her. However, as the sorrow continued to seep from the orb she could see that something had indeed changed. She even saw a particular look that she was all too familiar with, as she had seen it on her own face quite frequently in the past year.

‘Remorse...?’ she inquired to herself, ‘I...I thought Nightmares didn’t feel emotion?’ This only added more to the previous mystery as to why Nightmare had even been in the castle. Why did she feel remorse and sorrow? Exactly what was her reason to? Was having her own body finally getting to her? Was there more to this than Luna was seeing? She didn’t know any of this, instead she was just left sitting in a state of shock.

“But...please...can you hear me out?” she inquired, only to make Luna’s jaw drop even more. Had she really just said that word? Had she really just tried to be polite and civilized? It didn’t take her very long to come to the decision, no matter how much she hated Nightmare at this point. No matter how much she wanted to kick the everliving daylights out of the mare that had caused her so much anguish over the course of the past thousand years.

“Fine...” Luna conceded, “Against my better judgement, I’ll listen.” She was hesitant, that much was obvious. What Luna didn’t say though spoke volumes to Nightmare. She could tell it pained her better half to make that decision quite a bit and that she was already on thin ice. Which meant to Nightmare that she needed to take it very, very carefully.

“Thank you,” Nightmare smiled, the first actual smile Luna had ever seen from the mare too. It was quite disturbing to see such a thing considering the fact she actually had fangs instead of regular teeth. It made her quite the intimidating pony. “Now...I believe I should say this first...” she began, “Due to recent events, I have actually given up on my desire for an eternal night. My reasoning is personal, so I won’t be sharing it.” Luna’s eyes grew rather wide when she heard this. Giving up the idea of an eternal night? Was she really considering doing such a thing? What could possibly have caused her to change her ideals so drastically in just a year’s time? “And....I’m also more than willing to hand myself over to you and your guards now.”

“Wait....WHAT?!” Luna inquired, astonished that Nightmare Moon of all mares seemed to be so willing to hand herself over, even when she might have the power to overthrow both the sisters. “Explain yourself!” she ordered, “What brought you to these conclusions!?”

“My main reason, I am keeping to myself,” Nightmare noted, “I already told you of that....but, my other reason is, its just simply illogical.” She cleared her throat as if to take a moment to organize her thoughts. “If there was an eternal night, it would kill everything. The temperature would drop so drastically, that eventually the whole country would turn into a gigantic icicle. And I don’t think anypony can really handle that...winter is bad enough.”

‘Got that right...’ Luna remarked inwardly, ‘Although...I had Emerald keeping me warm throughout the winter...’ That thought resulted in a very small smile spreading across her face.

“And...as for surrendering...” Nightmare paused, closing her eyes for a few moments. “I...just think its in yours and Equestria’s best interests that you just deal with me as soon as possible. I can’t survive in this world...” she trailed off for a moment, rethinking her own words. “...Correction, I can survive in this world...but its not ideal for somepony like me. Its a constant struggle to survive and I have to steal from so many others.” As she spoke, the tone of her voice seemed to hold quite a bit of honesty in it. She seemed truly genuine as she continued to speak. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve had to do this past year...I regret many of them.” It was at this point she smiled a tiny bit. “And some, I don’t regret.”

“How...do I know this isn’t just part of your evil plan?” Luna asked in a rather cliche manner. It was only after she had asked that question did she realize just how silly it was to ask. It resulted in her actually facehoofing at her own question before Nightmare broke out into a fit of laughter at her reaction.

“Did you really just...?” Nightmare cackled, trying to cover her mouth with her hoof. “I see a year in modern society still haven’t curbed some of your cliche habits.”

“S-shut up!” Luna ordered, feeling her cheeks burning with the humiliation. She still couldn’t believe what she had just done.

“In all seriousness though,” Nightmare replied, stifling a small chuckle. “The thing is, you do not. I know you will not trust me at all, which is why I will say...bring what reinforcements you desire to the old castle in three days.” she paused, her eyes narrowing just a tiny bit. “I don’t care whom you bring...but, you must be among them. Because if you do not come, I will not hesitate to take down your precious guards.” There seemed to be an air of seriousness about her words by that time. Luna could clearly see it now and it made her a tiny bit nervous. Should she risk the lives of ponies to deal with this matter? Or should she just go herself? It could be part of a very clever plan set up by the mare. One that could cost her everything she had just been rebuilding. “Oh...and if you don’t show up...I’ll come to you instead. Your choice. See you in three days Luna!” Nightmare’s image vanished entirely from the orb, leaving the princess once again alone with her thoughts.

‘What am I going to do?’ she asked herself, ‘If I go...I put my own life at risk...as well as the lives of anypony that comes with...’ she considered, just letting her eyes gaze into the now empty orb. ‘But...if I don’t...Tia will find out for sure! And certainly the lives of all the ponies here would be at risk too...’ she groaned, glancing up at the ceiling again. She didn’t know what to do, that was...until she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Luna...?” Emerald murmured, Luna slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. It was a rather comforting gaze too. One that seemed to bring her a great deal of ease in a moment where she needed it the most. Even his smile brought her some comfort, even though it didn’t answer her questions.

“How...much did you hear?”

“The part about the eternal night and on,” he answered, “So...she wants to surrender herself?”

“It has to be a trick!” Luna argued instantly, stomping her hoof onto the ground. “I just know it! There’s no way she would just give up!”

“But...what if she isn’t lying?” Emerald inquired, “Do we really want to risk everypony in the castle and Canterlot? Do we want to risk your sister finding out too?”

“N-No...but....”

“Then...why don’t we just take a few guards with us?” he offered, “You and I, along with a small squad should be enough.” Luna wanted to argue this, but it wasn’t such a bad idea now that she actually thought about it. “I mean, an alicorn, a three unicorns and a batpony might be enough. You know full well too just how strong Batponies really are.”

“Fighting five on one....would be very difficult even for her,” Luna stated, feeling her confidence beginning to return as she found herself actually agreeing to it. She was just surprised that Emerald had thought of it before she had. It only made a smile move across her face. “Go gather the three of your choosing!” she ordered, receiving a nod in understanding before trotting to the door again. “Oh and Emerald...” she interrupted, causing him to turn back. “I don’t know what I would do without you...I love you...”

“I love you too, Luna...”

A ray of warmth beat down on his face, forcing him to take one of his pillows and sandwich his head between them. He was met with a rush of coolness over all of his face which helped him fall back into slumber before he even woke up completely. If it wasn’t clear by then, he was tired, no, exhausted was a better word for it. His entire body felt sore and weak as he lied on his bed. As he lied there though, it became rather apparent that sleep wouldn’t come for him. At least not as he could hear a very faint sound through the pillow. To him, it almost sounded like a laugh. A giggle in fact. The type of giggle that felt rather familiar to him, yet at the same time he found he couldn’t pin down what the cause was. This in turn made him toss the pillow aside and glance around his room for the source of the sound. It was when Silver tossed the pillow aside that he squinted. Met with a large blast of light right into his face.

‘Gah! I should consider rearranging my room...’ he thought as his eyes began to adjust to the light. Thankfully this happened relatively quick, better allowing him to glance around the room. The first motion he made was for the nearby clock, taking a moment to actually figure out what time it was before he thought of anything else. His immediate response however was to slam the clock right against the nightstand as hard as he possibly could without causing too much damage. “Only seven?!” he cried, which proved to be his biggest mistake. As his voice echoed through the room it was met with a rather loud scream or cry of something else entirely.

That was a sound he hadn’t heard in many years, but it was one that had been ingrained very deeply on his memory. He knew it from having to raise his brothers for several years. It was a sound he hated very dearly and very much so even if he had become accustomed to it. Were his memories coming back to haunt him? Was it just his imagination? He didn’t think so as he could feel a headache already beginning to form from the loud wailing. “What in Tartarus?!” he exclaimed, one eye shut from the sheer volume of the wailing.

Pinpointing the sound was easy from the get-go. As there was only one thing in the room that was out of place. That was the basket right near the slightly ajar door. But how had it gotten there? That didn’t matter though, what mattered now as he knew what was in it. Not only could he see it squirming, but he could even hear it. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that a foal was in that basket and he was in for a very long morning.

Silver scrambled very quickly from his bed, tripping over the blankets as he made his way over to the basket. What his eyes met however was an entirely different story, he could feel his heart stopping as he laid his eyes on the foal in the basket. He was filled immediately with a sense of dread and fear along with a bit of panic to boot. The purple mane was enough to tip him off, but couple that with the dark blue of her coat and the filly’s golden eyes, he actually had to struggle to stay on his feet as he met the purely innocent gaze of the filly who seemed absolutely overjoyed that she was finally getting some attention. Even in his confusion, his initial instinct was to reach out and lift her from the basket as she reached back at him. He could hear the giggles coming from the filly, yet none of them seemed to register as he gazed at her.

While Silver wanted to deny it, deep down he knew just from looking at the filly once. He knew whom this filly belonged to, he didn’t even need a note to confirm the suspicions as just his first glance was enough. If her golden eyes weren’t the tipping point, it was her dark blue coat. His sense of dread and fear was soon overpowered though by something else. Something far worse that he was familiar with.

“OH SWEET CELESTIA!” he cried, having to clutch his nose with his own magic like a clothespin. ‘Is this my greeting?’ He didn’t need much indicator beyond that point as she clearly needed a diaper change and upon closer inspection a bath too. While he wasn’t really prepared for any of this, he was certain he could make due for the time being. At least until he could get everything squared away. He was never more thankful to have magic than at this particular moment too as it allowed him to not only care for the filly, but go through the basket at the same time. As he made his way to the bathroom to care for her.

He was left in an even greater dismay as from the basket a necklace fell along with a piece of paper. He took notice of this instantly, levitating both of them up to get a better look. If it wasn’t clear enough who the filly belonged to, the necklace itself seemed to tip him off even more as attached to a silver chain was a silver crescent moon.

‘Guess I DID forget to use a safety spell with her...’ he admitted to himself as he set the filly down to begin cleaning her up. Starting by removing the diaper she had been wearing. That made matters about twice as bad for him as he was met with an even more awful oder than he could handle. Enough to make his eyes water as he continued to clean her up.

It didn’t take the stallion very long to clean the filly up, having past experiences in foal care with his brothers. Even though he did lack the necessary supplies, he still found himself rather capable to clean her up completely of everything, while still being as gentle as possible with her. As he finished up though, he lifted the paper and unfolded it.
Dear Silver,

I’m certain by now you know who’s filly this is...and whom has written this letter. I know deep down you probably hate me for this, I know that you hated me before this. But...don’t focus any hatred upon your daughter, she is just an innocent filly who just happened to be caught in the middle of this. I now leave her with you though...knowing you could provide a better life for her. A happy life. It is the least I can do for her.

While I could’ve given her up to an orphanage...I decided against it and so you know...I did risk everything to get her into the castle and to you. So I ask...please...please...don’t abandon her. And while it may not mean anything coming from me...please...just please...give her a good life. That is all I want to ask of you...oh and make sure she gets that necklace...I made sure it was special for her. Tell her...that its a gift from her mother when she’s older.

One final thing too...don’t tell her who her mother is...ever. I’d rather have her go through life not knowing her mother was a monster. But...please...assure her that...her mother loves her.

With Love and Lust,

The mare you fear most.

P.S. Her name is Eclipse, and she was born on May 31st, at three forty-five in the morning. Just for your information.

P.P.S. If you do anything against my wishes in this letter...you will have nightmares for the rest of your life.

Silver felt all the life drain from his body as he read through the entire letter before very gently setting it aside. “What...have I gotten myself into?”

Nightmare and Luna

Chapter 19

It was calm, very calm for this time of day. Especially given the sun had set not more than ten minutes ago as she sat just outside the steps of the Ancient Castle. The Everfree Forest had never been this calm in the entire time she had spent in it. In fact, it seemed to only increase in danger to the point where she had to fly over it completely. Yet, today it was just as peaceful as the rest of Equestria. Why was it so peaceful? She couldn’t explain this nor could she even find the appropriate words to describe the calm. Perhaps it was a warning of what was yet to come? She didn’t know this either. All she knew was, she had to be patient.

‘It won’t be much longer...’ she thought, her gaze moving across the bridge. She could feel it in every inch of her body that her counterpart was approaching. This was probably the only thing she knew for sure at this particular moment, but that was due to the connection the two shared through magic. What was Luna planning to do to her? Will she be locked in a dungeon? Or would Luna execute her on the spot? Nightmare wouldn’t put it past her better half to do either.

Nightmare crossed her front legs as she continued to wait. While she could feel Luna approaching, it was difficult to tell just how far away she was. She couldn’t truly estimate just how much longer it would be before she saw the familiar face of the lunar princess. As the minutes continued to tick on by, she could feel her patience beginning to wear thin. The uneasiness in her spine growing slightly as she sat quietly. Perhaps she should fix herself up a bit more than she already had? No, she couldn’t now. What if Luna showed up while she was away? She might assume the worst of her! She had to, at least make a decent impression before she said goodbye to whatever freedom she had.

It wasn’t until the moon had ascended the sky a third of the way was her patience finally rewarded. On the opposite end of the bridge, from deep within the forest appeared five figures. While at first she became worried, Nightmare soon recalled what she had said to Luna not more than a few days ago about bringing as many as she desired. This made the uneasiness a little worse as she felt her stomach beginning to twist into knots. This would actually be the very first time she had ever truly interacted with this many ponies at one time. It made her rather nervous even though she knew that the four with the slightly larger figure were guards.

“About time...” she muttered to herself as she watched them slowly come into view. The first of which that she was able to make out was the lunar mare and her better half. Just seeing her brought a very small smile to her face, because even though she was expecting the worst possible scenario; she was still glad that Luna had come. What left her rather perplexed though was the dark green pony that walked alongside Luna. She swore she had seen that pony before, or at least seen someone like that pony. Which was strange because she hadn’t necessarily interacted with many ponies. Yet, why did this pony stick out above the rest of them? Following behind those two, were three members of the Lunar Guard. One of which she could clearly make out was a batpony, even from this distance.

Nightmare just watched quietly as they began to cross the rickety bridge. It required quite a bit of restraint just to watch them cross it in single file very slowly. She found herself fighting against the desire to unleash a powerful blast upon Luna, who was in the lead of the group at this moment. Along with that thought, she also came up with the possibility of severing the ropes on the bridge itself. This was possibly one of the most perfect positions to take full advantage of. However, she did no such thing. Which left the princess rather confused upon reaching the opposite end.

“What’s your game!” Luna cried, her voice cracking a tiny bit as she approached. The sound itself seemed to show the amount of stress she was under and how much she simply detested the present situation. As she nearly screamed her words, the four guards quickly surrounded Nightmare without a moment’s hesitation, the three now apparent unicorns pointing their now glowing horns at the mare.

“I have no game,” Nightmare stated rather deviously, “I already told you, I just wanted to chat; nothing more.”

“Chat!?” Luna screamed, “Don’t you mean ‘kill all five of us’?”

“No my dear Luna...” Nightmare muttered, “I have absolutely no intention of killing-- or even hurting any of you. So can you please lower your horns?” Luna quivered just a tiny bit at the mare’s words. It had been the second time she had used that word. It was strange just hearing it from a pony like Nightmare too, considering just how evil Luna believed her to be.

“Fine...” Luna muttered, giving a very small gesture. At which all four guards lowered themselves just a tiny bit, entering a rather neutral stance. Emerald however didn’t quite do this. While he had indeed followed the request and lowered his horn, he didn’t seem to relax at all. Instead, his muscles just seemed to tense up quite a bit. Almost as if he was preparing for the worst possible case scenario. Even the other guards seemed to follow suit of this too remaining on edge, as if ready to take down Nightmare if she did anything.

“Just so you know...I could’ve just as easily taken you all out on the bridge...” she commented, a very malicious grin slowly appearing across her face. “And while I wanted to...oh so very badly...I didn’t attack you. Which has to account for something. Doesn’t it?” This was a truth that Luna had realized while she was on the bridge. There were probably a number of evil things she could’ve done that might’ve made it easier. However, it was strange that she didn’t.

Luna’s eyes trailed all over the mare’s body at this point, as if looking for something that seemed abnormal. She saw nothing however; instead she only saw just a neatly trimmed black coat along with a decently groomed dark purple mane. Nightmare looked almost serene as she sat quietly, especially with the slightly visible pudge she had gained in the time they had been apart. Even she could see it, which made her snicker a little. “What exactly have you been eating? Cake?” she inquired, “Because...well...you’ve gotten a bit rounder since I last saw you.”

“Well....excuse m---” Emerald’s glare only worsened when he heard the beginning of that phrase, but before she could even finish she felt a hoof placed ever so gently over her mouth.

“Don’t...finish...that...line...” Luna whispered, gesturing off to Emerald. “At least if you want to come out of this uninjured.” Nightmare gulped nervously for the very first time in her life, her eyes slowly moving off to the side as she observed Emerald. Luna, she could handle. However, there was something about that particular pony that seemed to rub her the wrong way. Yes, he was attractive. Very attractive as a matter of fact, but upon a second glance he actually seemed rather terrifying. It was enough to send a chill right up her spine. “Do you understand?” Nightmare nodded before Luna removed her hoof.

“Well...I had to survive the winter, didn’t I?” Nightmare asked, “Its not easy being a monster in Equestria...I had to do many things in the past year...” She paused, glancing down at her hooves. “Some of them I regret, while others...” she paused, thinking back to the few snobby nobles she had stolen from. “I do not.”

“You? Regret?” Luna chuckled, “Don’t make me laugh! A Nightmare such as yourself doesn’t feel regret. In fact, you don’t feel anything.”

“You’re wrong!” Nightmare snapped, her gaze shifting back up to meet Luna. “Well...at first...you’re right...but...I’m not a nightmare anymore!” Luna was taken aback by the mare’s will. “Which is why I’m surrendering now.” Luna thought for a moment as she looked over Nightmare. Taking notice of the subtleties in her mannerisms. She could see very clearly in the mare’s eyes that something was indeed different. Even if it was just a very slight difference, she could see it clearly. It was strange too, because as she saw them, she could even feel there was a difference within Nightmare. As if something had changed. What she didn’t know was what. What had changed in this mare? What had happened over the course of the year that caused this change to occur in her? Why had she gone from an emotionless mass of magic to a pony? Why did she seem to even have feelings now? Was it because she actually has a body?

“And what did you expect me to do when I arrived?” Luna inquired, now growing just slightly curious about everything. She wanted to know more now. “You’ve given up bringing an eternal night, just as I have...” she paused, “AND you’re surrendering...its strange. I never thought YOU of all ponies would give up.”

“It is strange...I know,” Nightmare agreed, “Even I can’t completely explain it myself. But, due to recent events. Events I will not go into for personal reasons...I came to the conclusion that it would be terribly foolish to bring an eternal night. As I previously stated; without the sun, all of us would freeze or otherwise starve to death.”

“I realized this once we had been separated...” Luna muttered, “Glad you do see it this way...”

“But it still doesn’t excuse what you’ve done,” Emerald added, “You’re still a criminal...and you can’t deny that. You just admitted to doing things you regret. If I assume it right...you ARE the pony that’s been causing trouble in Canterlot. With the string of thefts.”

“That is...on top of my other crimes,” Nightmare admitted, still seeming rather proud as she sat peacefully. “My crime of possessing Luna and breaking sisters apart...of taking multiple lives while in that position too and many more.” she sighed at this point. “Which is why, I am fully submitting to whatever punishment you desire. I won’t argue and I won’t fight back at all. I don’t have a need to anymore.” She lowered her head in shame by this point, almost as if she was bowing before the lunar princess. “And...don’t be merciful either...”

“Oh...don’t worry,” Luna smiled, “I had no intention of showing you any mercy.” she clarified. Which in turn caused Nightmare to prepare for whatever was coming next. She was ready for the punishment, half expecting to receive the full death penalty. The very moment she saw Luna’s horn begin to glow out of the corner of her eyes, she closed them. Just wanting it to be over as quickly as possible. She expected perhaps a bit of pain too for just a few minutes. This was something she could endure. “Well...maybe a little mercy...”

The brightness of Luna’s horn only began to grow as she pointed it right at Nightmare, whom had fully prepared herself for everything. Not a word was said from anypony, but instead, the lunar mare unleashed a mighty blast of blue light. This engulfed the mare almost instantly. While it couldn’t be followed by the other ponies present, as they had to cover their eyes from the sheer brightness of the light. It began to engulf Nightmare from the very tip of her horn. Slowly spreading down her body, to her head and eventually to the very tip of her tail and hooves. She could feel it very clearly.

When this light engulfed her, Nightmare felt it. She felt her magical strength beginning to vanish. It was as if a leech had been attached to her body and had already sucked out half a pint of blood. She began to feel rather lightheaded right away and an incredible weakness in her legs. She even felt her wings beginning to grow limp. Was this what true death felt like? No, it didn’t feel like her life was coming to an end at all. Instead, it felt like something was flowing right out of her from the tip of her horn.

If the other four ponies could see what was happening, they’d notice waves of magic flowing from Nightmare, back into Luna. At the very same time, they’d also notice a bit of life actually beginning to leave her eyes too as the magic was drained. Even her horn seemed to darken and crack a tiny bit as the magic was siphoned from the Nightmare and in a matter of seconds after it had begun, it was finally over. Yet, Luna just stared at what was before her, which hadn’t vanished like she had anticipated. While Nightmare had collapsed and completely passed out from the fact that she just had her magic drained from her. This confused Luna to no end as she just sat, wide eyed, unable to pull her gaze away from the mare.

‘But...no...it can’t be!’ she screamed in her head, ‘H-how is this possible?’

“Princess, what should we do?” the batpony asked with great curiosity.

“I...I don’t know...” she replied, dumbstruck at the fact Nightmare still existed. She even had to turn to Emerald for the answer, whom only smirked in response to this.

“Put her in chains, we’re heading back to Canterlot,” he ordered, “But...bandage up her horn too. We don’t want it to get infected.” This order came in light of the fact her horn actually had taken on a charcoal-like appearance after her magic had been drained completely. A few cracks appearing down it. This meant that it was now just a hollow shell of what it had been. Which is why they had to take extra care as to not damage it while wrapping it before they finally just put her into chains and carted her off.

Chains rattled as she moved, her head hung very low with a bandage wrapped tightly around her horn to protect it. She couldn't run even if she wanted to, while Nightmare Moon's body had recovered from a number of the injuries she had sustained, she knew running was a mistake. As guards followed closely behind her. What made it even more difficult for her was the simple fact that on either side of her were Princess Luna and Emerald, the two ponies that had brought her down in the first place.

Guards, she could easily escape from. Even with the heavy chains around her angles, but she knew escaping even one of these two was difficult. Nightmare's eyes darted from left to right as she observed the two of them. What caught her eye the most was just Emerald carried himself. He seemed to walk with a sense of pride in every step. While it was subtle, it was still obvious to her. What did this stallion mean to Luna?

Nightmare's gaze glanced toward Luna at this point, observing every single stride she took. She was just as graceful as she had always been, although she did seem a bit physically bigger than she had previously. Even her mane seemed to have an added shine to it. No doubt as an influence from the power she had taken back. This wasn't an important aspect to Nightmare, what was important was how she was carrying herself; how she was watching Emerald.

She too seemed to carry herself rather proudly, a bit more than she normally did. Even her wings were fully extended, almost as if she was showing them off. It was only when the princess' gaze shifted just slightly over to the unicorn that she actually realized it.

“So...into stallions now, huh, Lulu?” she remarked, a devious smirk on her face.

“Silence! We will not fall for your tricks again!” Luna snapped, “And only Tia may call me that!”

“Oh worry not,” Nightmare replied, lifting herself up with a bit more pride this time. “I couldn't escape even if I tried now, could I? Especially with you and that....delicious piece of a stallion here escorting me!” Emerald shuttered at her words, as he earned a slightly seductive glance Nightmare. “If it was just the guards...yes, perhaps I could overpower them. But you two? No...you're too much for me even if could use magic.” It was true too and they both knew it. She knew making an attempt at an escape would prove pointless at this point. She'd probably just end up in worse shape than she already was.

“Then what's your game?!” Luna said, stomping her hoof. Focusing her glare right on her darker half. She swore there was another motive to this, she could feel it.

“No game, my dear Luna,” Nightmare replied, grinning, “I'm just trying to learn a little about my better half...and her new stallion.” This only caused Luna's cheeks to burn with a bit of embarrassment, before she simply resumed her path through the dungeon. “Oh come on, don't you want to share the...details with me?” Luna just grew very silent at this moment, it was here where her horn lit up to force Nightmare to continue walking. “Oh...come on! Don't you have anything to say to me?”

“No!” she yelled, “What we want to say would be inappropriate in mixed company!”

“Luna...calm down, you're using the royal we again,” Emerald advised, “We don't want Celestia finding out now, do we?” Nightmare's ears perked at the mere mentioning of the solar princess. Which in turn caused a smirk to spread across her face again.

“So he's more than just looks and muscle, huh?” she asked, “Far different from your usual taste in stallions...or even mares for that matter.” This seemed to get under Luna's skin the moment she heard it. The princess' ears twitched and her eyes narrowed a tiny bit as she sent a glance to Nightmare. As if telling her to silence herself before saying something she'd regret. She took the hint too, once again lowering her ears and head fully and just walking along with them very quietly from that point on.

It wasn't very much longer before the group reached a large iron door, which Emerald unlocked within seconds. Behind that door was possibly one of the most depressing sights. It was a relatively small room with an even smaller cell taking up about half of it. The cell had a small bed which had been made up especially for Nightmare, it had a small table and a deck of cards already sitting on it. There wasn't even a barred window for her to look out of. It was just a single cramped cell in a small room where she'd be observed constantly. She was just thankful that there was at least a bit of plumbing for the cell, even if there wasn't a single bit of privacy.

From what Nightmare observed, she also figured at least one guard would be in this room with her at all times. Judging simply by the desk that sat on the opposite side of the cells and by the door, she could tell that this was easily a high security cell, if not a maximum. Times had defiantly changed since she had last been in Equestria.

“I took the liberty of providing you with a deck of cards,” Luna said, “That way you at least have something to keep yourself entertained. I'm also putting you in this particular type of cell, where you can be monitored...” Nightmare rolled her eyes first in response to this.

“You don't need to explain yourself Luna,” Nightmare stated, “I already KNOW you don't trust me alone...you think that even though I'm powerless, I'm still a threat.” she paused, turning to meet Luna's gaze. “And you're right about that too.” A smile slowly crept across Nightmare Moon's face at this point. This unnerved Luna, it was one of the few times anypony would actually see her flinch in the sight of an enemy.

After leading Nightmare right into the cell, she had the shackles unlocked. It was at this point where she felt truly at ease to undo them. “I want at least one guard sitting in the room with her at all times!” Luna ordered, “Two sitting outside the doors. And you are not to leave your post unless you have somepony to relieve you! Do I make myself clear?!” All three ponies simply saluted, before taking their posts. At which point, both Luna and Emerald quietly walked from the dungeon.

“Something wrong, Luna?” Emerald asked as they reached the stairs. He had noticed it right away that something was bothering Luna, it was evident by the look on her face. Yet, when he asked she just slowly looked up and smiled at him.

“I...its nothing,” she lied, the fake smile on her face said otherwise.

“Luna....” he began, “You know that fake smile doesn't work on your sister or myself for that matter...what is it?”

“You saw it right before we locked her up...” Luna began, “That smile,i t was like she...wanted to be there. Almost as if she was happy she was in that cell.”

“You don't mean...” Emerald began, only to have Luna nod very slowly.

“Its possible that she let us capture her...” she pointed out, “But...I can't figure out why."

“Then why don't we...!” Emerald tried to speak, however, he was met with a hoof to his mouth.

“No...I don't think her reasons are that bad...” Luna added, “I don't think she even wants to be a threat anymore.”

“Then perhaps we should discuss it with her?” Emerald asked, much to Luna's dismay.

“Its a situation for another time,” she sighed, “For now...we need to focus on keeping this from my sister...I can't imagine what she'd do if she learned that Nightmare Moon was still alive.” Luna still had a few loose ends aside from just her sister to tie up when it came to this particular situation. It had to be handled quickly and silently. She was just thankful she had Emerald by her side to help with everything.

Author's Note

The Road So Far: http://youtu.be/al12WO5x23w (The reference should be obvious)