A Fallen Angel

"That was good."

Nightmare Moon gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"Especially throwing in the friends. Hadn't thought of that."

"That's why I'm in charge."

"Indeed it is."

Nightmare Moon and Paen Killer were both in his office, sipping the whiskey they had poured early that day. Normally, if someone had said that to Paen, he would've shown them just how "in charge" they were.

However this was Nightmare Moon.

Whether he was better or not, she could pull a knife on his throat and tell him to lean forward. And he'd lean.

Not that he feared her, that was just her bonus. He simply believed that for Nightmare Moon, Equestria should be hers to rule. He held her in the idealism of god cum pony. If it weren't for Blueblood, we'd have Equestria by now.

"You'll still have to tell him your leaving."

Nightmare Moon nodded. "A while from all this 'hugging' would do me good."

"However-" he saw Nightmare Moon glare at him. "Just a piece of advice, not an order. It'd make it come along much easier if, now that he's your friend, you told him that I wasn't that bad. That I was following orders."

"Are you sure? You seemed to be enjoying that a bit much to be just 'following orders'."

"Maybe, but he won't remember that. Just the verbal and physical abuse. One of the bonuses about it being a child."

"Very well. It shall be done."

"Good. Thank you. And my wife?"

"My Guards are digging up her body right now."

Paen had never thought he would be happy about somepony desecrating his wife's grave. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"It was my promise." she said with a wave of her hoof. "Besides, it'll make this little detour all that much quicker."

Paen nodded. He frowned as his glass ran dry. "I suppose I had best go and see what I can do about Criss..."

"Ugh, that reminds me." Nightmare Moon said. "Try your hardest to see if you can get him a new name. One he familiarises with."

"Any in particular?"

"Yes; anything but Chris, Krys, Criss, or Cris."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"You have to leave?" Criss asked.

"Yes, my friend." Criss smiled. Luna called me friend. "I found that pony you told me about, and spoke to him. He was very upset about being ordered to beat a foal, and told me so. But how can I be mad at somepony who was doing their job?"

Criss shrugged. "I guess I don't know."

"Niether do I," Luna continued. "But I asked him about it, and appearently, he hadn't liked being ordered to do that. I asked him to watch over you while I leave to Canterlot on some business."

Criss glanced around Luna to see the huge pony standing, smiling at him. It was more daunting than friendly, but Criss remembered his manners and smiled back. "See?" Luna asked. "I told you he wasn't that bad." Luna smiled at him. "Why don't you go make friends? He's upset about hitting you."

Criss reluctantly nodded and walked apprehensively up to the towering pony. Even on all fours, the pony was almost three times as tall as him.

"Hey, buddy."  The pony's smile shifted to a frown. "Hey, look... Sorry about hitting you earlier. Y'know how when you get a test or something, you have to do it? No matter how much it sucks?" Criss nodded. "This was kinda like that."

Criss wasn't sure he saw the relevancy, but he didn't want to make his last friend mad by not doing what she said. So he asked. "What's your name?"

The pony's answer was rather intimidating. "The name's Paen."

Not wanting to be rude, Criss, still thinking he had to be nice, said "That's cool."

Paen said something that Criss didn't expect. "Yeah, but not as cool as you were the other day."

"Whaddya mean?"

"When you were beating up the pony."

"...You thought that was cool?! I killed that pony!"

"'Luna thought it was ok."

That hit Criss like a brick. He knew she was a bit... outgoing, but... "She actually liked it when I killed?"

Paen grinned. Way too easy. "Yeah. As long as you had a good reason. She thought he deserved it, for making fun of her friend."

Criss knew it was wrong. He knew that he should be disgusted about Luna, and Paen, and, above all else, himself. But he didn't want to lose Luna as a friend. Or Paen, for that matter. He just didn't want to lose any more friends. Plus, if a Princess thought it was okay, was it really all that bad?

"Plus," Paen said. "Didn't you find it a little bit fun?"

Criss knew the answer. The right answer. He also knew the honest answer. They weren't the same. Criss started to cry as he realised what he meant.

Paen had to smother a frustrated sigh. "What's wrong, kid?"

"I'm a monster." Criss whispered to the floor. "I.. I killed somepony."

"That wasn't what I asked." Paen looked him in the eyes "Didn't it feel good?"

"...Yeah."

Paen was sitting in his office. Criss was asleep on the couch.

Paen was really starting to like this kid.

He caught himself.  He couldn't actually let himself buy his own lie.

Criss was not his colt.

Just then, Criss shivered.

Paen got up, grabbed his jacket, and draped it over him.

"Sleep tight, kid."