Past Sins
By Pen Stroke
Assisted By Batty Gloom
====
Chapter 13
All Hail the Queen
===================

CLANG… CLANG  	                      	CLANG… CLANG  	                      	CLANG… CLANG
 
The tolling of the bells at Canterlot Castle signaled both the end of the day and the changing of the guard. As the sun began to sink below the western horizon, the soldiers who had stood ever vigilant on the castle walls retreated from the battlements like a wave from the shore. At the same time, soaring on her pearly wings, Princess Celestia approached the castle. She glided through an opening in Canterlot’s shield spell, banked, and looked down on the castle with a small, relieved smile. She circled for a few minutes, ensuring all of the castle was safe, before she allowed herself to land on a balcony.

On that balcony Celestia found her sister, Luna, waiting for her. The pair greeted one another with tired, but grateful, smiles before Princess Luna asked the same question she had asked for the previous seven sunsets. “Were you successful?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, there were no traces of Nightmare Moon or her cult to be found in Las Pegasus. What about here?”

“Nothing, sister.”

Celestia nodded, though even that small action revealed her exhaustion. “That’s good. Has there been any news from Cadance?”

“Yes,” Luna said, “despite her reluctance to leave Canterlot and Shining Armor, she arrived at her fiefdom earlier today. She sent a letter assuring that she would begin a search of her county immediately. If Nightmare Moon is hiding there, she will be found.”

“I’m thankful for all her help. She is doing so much more than some of the other minor princes and princesses,” Celestia said as she mentally cursed the royal line. 

The “royal” family of Equestria was actually the royal lines of the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns from the old country combined into one. When Celestia and Luna saved Equestria from Discord and took over the duties of raising and lowering the sun and moon, the populace of the kingdom was overjoyed. The two sisters were seen as saviors, and ponies across Equestria called out for them to rule. This, of course, horrified the old royal families, but with the kingdom recovering from Discord’s reign they couldn’t, and didn’t, want to fight a civil war.
 
So an agreement was made. The royal lines merged and adopted Luna and Celestia, who then became the high princesses of Equestria and rulers of the kingdom. The members of the new, singular royal family became minor princes and princesses, in effect lords and ladies. They handled the day-to-day ruling of different counties in Equestria, and, despite their often overinflated egos, it was a system that had successfully governed the country for centuries.

Right now, however, the royal family was proving to be difficult. While some like Cadance aided in the search for Nightmare Moon, others barricaded themselves in their homes like children hiding under their bed covers. The rest, who neither helped nor hid, didn’t take the threat seriously and believed that the princesses were simply trying to scare them into subordination.

“You can’t worry about them right now, sister,” Luna advised Celestia before she spread her wings. “Go inside, try to get some sleep. I’ll meet up with my half of the royal army in Manehatten and continue our search there.”

“All right,” Celestia said as she began to walk inside the castle. Right before she entered, however, she paused and looked back. “Just… be careful. If you find Nightmare Moon, call for me. Do not face her alone.”
 
“I will take the utmost care, sister.” With that, Luna fluttered her wings and rose into the sky just as her moon began to rise from the eastern horizon. Celestia watched her sister fly off to continue to search and couldn’t help but worry about her. She wished to be at her sister's side, but she was already at the brink of exhaustion. Long days and sleepless nights had worn her down. She wished for nothing more than the sweet embrace of her bed and dreams.

===

“Soldiers, attention!”
 
The ranks of fresh recruits snapped to attention under Shining Armor’s firm voice. Though he wished to be with his wife, Shining Armor’s duties as captain of the royal guard had not disappeared with his marriage to Cadance. He was needed in the capitol, needed to maintain the shimmering barrier that currently surrounded Canterlot. His kingdom needed him, just as it needed the new recruits that were standing before him. 

“They look scared,” Shining Armor whispered to a nearby lieutenant.

“They are, sir, but they’re all we have,” the lieutenant whispered back. “If you want, I can call back some of the veteran guards. I’m sure they would be willing—”

Shining Armor shook his head. “No, I told them to go home and rest for a reason. The guard is made up of the toughest ponies in Equestria, but they are still ponies. They need time to sleep, they need time to eat, and they deserve to have some time with their families. We’ll just have to make do with these recruits for tonight.”

“What about you, sir? Shouldn’t you be getting some rest as well?”

“I’ll be fine,” Shining Armor assured his lieutenant, ignoring the bags that existed under his own eyes. 

“But sir—”

Shining Armor ignored his lieutenant’s protest. Stepping towards the new recruits, he raised his voice and shouted, “At ease soldiers, but keep your ears open.”

The recruits fell to a parade rest but kept their eyes focused on Shining Armor as he spoke. “I won’t sugar coat the truth. Equestria is in crisis. With Nightmare Moon threatening our princesses we need everypony to do their part.
 
“Now, I know you haven’t had much training. From what your drill sergeant has told me, you’ve barely gotten through the basics. That’s going to have to be good enough. You need to stand watch tonight so that the rest of the guard can get the sleep they need, and you will be relieved when Princess Luna returns at daybreak. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” the lines of soldiers responded in unison.

“During this watch, you will each be paired with a seasoned member of the royal guard. You will do what they tell you to do when they tell you to do it. You will not question their orders. You will not talk back. You must treat their orders as if they were coming straight from one of the princesses. Is that clear?”

“Sir, yes sir!” the lines of soldiers responded in unison.

“Good,” Shining Armor said with a nod. “Now, get to your posts and stay alert. Raise the alarm if you see anything suspicious and, should Nightmare Moon or her minions seek to take Canterlot, show them the royal guard is not to be underestimated! Dismissed!”
 
“Sir, yes sir!” the recruits replied once more before quickly dispersing. Each moved to their post where the veteran guards they were to be paired with were already waiting. Shining Armor watched as some took up watch on the walls while others left to begin patrolling the castle’s interior. He then turned and, with his lieutenant, retreated into the castle. 

It would be a long night for both new recruits and seasoned guards, and the sunrise could not come fast enough. 

===

The night wore on slowly as the moon rose up into the heavens. All was still and quiet around Canterlot Castle. Yet, the peace was not greeted as warmly as it usually was. The smallest sounds became reason for panic, and the young recruits were jumping at shadows.
 
A small clatter of armor caused one of the veteran guards to pause and look back at the recruit he had been paired with. She had stumbled at the sight of a painting of Princess Luna and had fallen forward onto her nose. She was now picking herself up off the ground and rubbing her sore snout as he watched.
 
“Keep it together,” he advised her.
 
The recruit quickly stumbled up beside him and gave a brief salute. “Y-yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I-it won’t happen again, sir.”
 
The veteran guard rolled his eyes and resumed leading the patrol route as the recruit kept close to his side. She was still shaking in her armor and glancing nervously at shadows. “You’re going to have a nervous breakdown if you don’t relax,” he told the recruit when she jumped in fear of a statue of Princess Celestia.
 
“I’m sorry, sir,” the recruit apologized as she tried to keep herself calm. “It’s just… what have you heard about Nightmare Moon?”
 
“Nothing good,” the veteran answered as he continued to lead them through the castle. He knew the patrol route by heart. He had walked it more times than he cared to admit.
 
“I… I heard that Nightmare Moon is actually more powerful than Princess Celestia. That she was able to—”
 
“Kid, take a breath and stop thinking about it,” the veteran guard lectured, keeping his tone flat and professional. “You’ll never make it through the shift if you psych yourself out.”
 
“Sorry, sorry,” the recruit apologized. “I-I just, I’m worried.”
 
“Well, you’d be a foal not to be, but you can’t let that get to you. Just try and think about something else.”
 
The recruit nodded her head. “Oh… okay… uh… s-so, where is, um… where is Princess Luna and the rest of the regular army?”
 
“In the Manehatten area,” the veteran guard replied as he and the recruit rounded a corner. “They’re doing aerial and magical sweeps to try and find Nightmare Moon and the ponies helping her.”
 
“Y-yeah,” the recruit agreed, trying to calm herself and failing. “S-s-so, what do we do if Nightmare Moon attacks the castle… besides pray?”
 
“You and me are to go and protect the library. That's where Shining Armor and the unicorns from Princess Celestia's school are holed up,” the veteran guard answered.
 
The recruit took a few quick steps, so she was in line with the veteran guard. “W-why are they in the library?”
 
“Spells,” the veteran said. He and the recruit rounded another corner, moving deeper into the castle. “The unicorns from the princess's school are going through the library to try and find spells we can use against Nightmare Moon. Spells to protect the castle and find where Nightmare Moon is  hiding. Personally, I hope they find a spell that will let us get rid of her for good.”
 
“What about Shining Armor?”
 
“He's in there to protect those other unicorns, and they're helping him too,” the veteran answered as the pair continued their patrol. “They're making sure he doesn't burn himself out magically trying to maintain his barrier spell. That's how he's been able to go without sleep the past week. From what I've heard, those unicorns have been taking turns sleeping for Shining Armor. They sleep for him, and he gets the energy he needs to keep going.”
 
“B-but what if Nightmare Moon gets through Shining Armor's barrier?”
 
“She wouldn't just 'get through,'” the veteran said firmly. “Shining Armor's barrier is smart. He can tell it what to keep out and what to let in. Right now, that barrier's been magicked so that it will keep out any one thing that's as strong or stronger than Princess Luna. The only way Nightmare Moon could get in is if she broke the barrier, and that's why we're here. To hold her and her minions back should that happen.”
 
The recruit swallowed nervously and shook in her armor once more. “J-just hold her back?”
 
“What, do you think you can beat her?”
 
“No!” The recruit shouted, as if she was about to be thrown to a pack of lions.
 
“Then yes, we’re just to hold our ground. We keep Nightmare Moon back until word of the attack can reach the armies out in the field. Then, whichever princess is out with the army will fly back here.” A confident smile spread onto the veteran's face. “No matter how strong Nightmare Moon is, she can’t take on both princesses at the same time.”
 
“Well then, I guess I need to be very careful nopony raises the alarm,” the younger guard said, her voice shifting in tone. The strange answer, in combination with the change in the recruit’s voice, was enough to make the veteran guard turn. He was about to ask the recruit what was wrong. The words, however, never left his mouth. Before he could react, before he could scream, the veteran guard found himself engulfed in a dark cloud. When the cloud released him, he slumped over onto the floor, lost in a deep sleep.
 
The cloud itself stemmed from the recruit, who was smiling devilishly as it receded back into her body. She used her magic to levitate the sleeping veteran guard and tossed him into an empty room before turning herself into a cloud and zipping through the castle hallways.
 
That cloud was joined by others. Each cloud had once been one of the recruits, and each had performed a similar action. They had taken out the veteran guards they were once paired with and now flowed throughout the castle to deal with any guards that remained. Then, when the castle’s armored defenders all lay asleep, the clouds began to converge on the library.
 
Outside the library’s main entrance, the clouds began to merge together into a single mass. It grew larger and larger with each cloud that joined it, and, as it grew larger, it became a swirling field of stars. It twisted and turned as it waited for a few trailing clouds to reach it, and, once it was whole, the cloud floated towards the door.

A single tendril extended from the cloud. It sank into the darkness of the keyhole and began to fiddle with the tumblers inside. It twisted and turned, and, with a resounding click, it made the lock slide into place, sealing the door from the outside. The cloud, as a whole, then sank, slipped beneath the door seam, and entered the library. 
 
At first, the silence of the castle persisted, but then a few muffled shouts began to escape the library. Those shouts were followed by the sounds of spells being unleashed and screams of terror. There was a commotion as furniture was thrown, and a thumping of hooves filled the castle hallways as ponies tried to get through the library’s locked doors.

The commotion persisted for a few minutes before ending as quickly as it began. The library and castle fell silent once more: a silence broken only by the sound of the library door unlocking. The doors then swung open, revealing what had happened inside. All of the unicorns that had been in the library, including Shining Armor, lay on the floor, sound asleep, while Nightmare Moon strode into the hallway with a confident smile.
 
“Nexus was right; that really was too easy,” Nightmare Moon mused with a small chuckle as her voice returned to its normal tone. The plan had worked. Much like the time she became the Shadowbolts to tempt Rainbow Dash, Nightmare Moon had divided herself into multiple clones that then took on the shapes of other ponies. In this case, she had taken the place of a few dozen guards in training who had been kept from reaching boot camp by Spell Nexus and the Children of Nightmare.
 
It had been interesting being a small army of ponies for several days. Nightmare Moon had never before divided herself up into so many copies, but it had served its purpose. She had been able to pass through Canterlot's defensive barrier and infiltrate the castle. Each of her smaller clones had been able to ascertain a portion of information from the veteran castle guard, and, in the end, she had been given everything she needed to take the castle in a single swoop.
 
It was a grand gambit of a plan, one Nexus hadn’t entirely approved of, since it meant sparing the castle guard. Still, it was how Nightmare Moon wanted it done, and it was a plan that had worked. The castle was undefended, no alarm had been raised, and Luna would not be returning to the castle until dawn.
 
That gave Nightmare Moon all the time she could want to find and deal with Celestia. She’d then lie in wait for Luna to return, for her to walk straight into her own demise. Then, once she had spilt the blood of both princesses, the rest of Equestria would be left to cower in fear as she took her place as queen.
===

The first room Nightmare Moon had checked was Celestia’s bedchamber, where the princess should have been resting. However, Celestia was not there, and Nightmare Moon was forced to begin searching the rest of the castle. She worked her way through the halls, checking every room as she went.
 
Each empty room caused Nightmare Moon’s concerns to grow. She feared Celestia may have sensed something was wrong and fled, or called for Luna to return. That was one thing the royal guard had correct. She did not dare to face them both at once. She had to pick each of the royal sisters off one at a time if she was to be successful in her coup.
 
Nearing the ground floor of the castle, Nightmare Moon almost rounded a corner in the hallway when a noise began to reach her ears: hoofsteps. Almost instantly, she turned into a cloud of smoke and disguised herself as a rookie pegasus guard. She then waited a few moments for the hoofsteps to get closer before she jumped around the corner to confront the unknown pony.
 
“HALT! Who goes there?”
 
The pony in question flinched, fumbling with his magic. He stumbled and swayed in an effort to keep the covered tray he was carrying from hitting the floor. It was a frantic few seconds of juggling, but eventually the unicorn got a hold of the tray and breathed a sigh of relief before looking up at the disguised Nightmare Moon.
 
“My-my apologies, I am Silver Platter. I work in the royal kitchens,” the unicorn stallion replied hurriedly, thankful that it was only a guard that had startled him.
 
“Only guards are supposed to be out at this hour,” Nightmare Moon snipped, disguising her voice so she sounded like one of the young recruits. “What are you doing?”
 
“Delivering a meal to Princess Celestia.”
 
Nightmare Moon let her fake anger cool. She relaxed her body and folded her wings. “Isn’t it rather late for the princess to be eating?”
 
“Yes, it is,” Silver Platter agreed, “but her pet phoenix delivered the order to the kitchen, and I’m not exactly in a place to question the princess’s eating habits.”
 
“I suppose not,” Nightmare Moon remarked with a chuckle as an idea formed in her head. “I, however, cannot allow anypony to wander the halls. I will escort you to the princess, though I do not know where she is presently.”
 
“Princess Celestia has requested the meal be brought to the throne room,” Silver Platter replied as he walked up beside the guard.
 
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Then we shall head to the throne room. Please, lead the way.”
 
“Of course,” Silver Platter said as the pair began to make their way through the castle. They strode without speaking for a few moments, but then Silver Platter broke the silence to ease his obviously strained nerves. “So, I thought the royal guards were supposed to patrol in pairs.”
 
“I’m just a reserve brought in so that the normal royal guard can rest, and there aren’t enough of us to keep paired patrols,” Nightmare Moon answered flatly.
 
“I guess that makes sense. The royal guard has probably been getting less sleep than the princesses. If what I’ve heard is true, they’ve been pulling double and triple shifts. Princess Celestia tried to tell them all this wasn’t necessary, but the generals wouldn’t hear of it.”
 
“So all the guards and precautions are being done against the princesses’ wishes?” the disguised Nightmare Moon asked.
 
Silver Platter nodded. “Yes ma’am, but what else are we supposed to do? The princesses are in danger, and, if we don’t try to protect them, nopony will.”
 
“So you would face Nightmare Moon, despite being horribly outmatched, just to protect the princesses?”
 
“Me? Oh heavens, no!” Silver Platter replied, laughing nervously. “I’m just a unicorn that loves bringing good food to good ponies. I wouldn’t stand a chance against Nightmare Moon. She’d squash me like a bug or gobble me up. No, defending the princesses is what you and the other guards are doing, and I can respect that.”
 
“T-thank you,” Nightmare Moon said, though the words tasted rotten in her mouth. She shouldn't have been accepting thanks when she was the one that the guards and princesses feared. Still, she kept her composure and let that conversation die before bringing up another. “What are you bringing the princess?”
 
“Nothing much. It’s just a lot of comfort food, though I can certainly understand why she wants it. Stressful times, after all.” Silver Platter levitated the plate he was carrying lower and lifted up the lid so the disguised Nightmare Moon could see the food. “We’ve got a bowl of Maroon Carrot Soup, a few freshly picked apples from the princess’s golden apple tree, and a very large slice of cloud cake with a frosting flower.”
 
Nightmare Moon arched an eyebrow. “That soup is purple.”
 
Silver Platter chuckled, and put the lid back on the tray of food. “Of course; Maroon carrots are purple, so it would make sense that soup made from them would be purple. They are actually sweeter than most common carrots.”
 
“I prefer celery soup,” Nightmare Moon commented before the pair rounded a corner and a large set of doors came into view.
 
“I’m a fan of tomato soup myself. Anyways, we’re here now. If you wouldn’t mind, could you wait out here? It will just take me a couple of minutes to give the princess her meal, and then you can escort me back to the kitchen.”
 
“I don’t believe that will be necessary,” Nightmare Moon answered Silver Platter. “After all, you’re about to go to sleep.”
 
Before Silver Platter could turn around, Nightmare Moon had transformed into a cloud and engulfed him. In but a few moments the deed was done. She laid the sleeping Silver Platter out on the floor before disguising herself in his image. She then drew the covered serving tray close and ensured the food inside had not been spilled before moving towards the throne room door.

===

Celestia sat back in her throne, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. She was tired, and would have rather been asleep, but sleep did not come easily. She dreaded Nightmare Moon’s coming attack, feared for Luna’s safety, and, to top it all off, nopony had seen or heard from Twilight Sparkle in days. There was simply too much weighing on her mind to get any sleep.
 
KNOCK… KNOCK…
 
Celestia perked her ears up and moved her gaze from the ceiling to the throne room doors as a figure poked his head inside. “My apologies if I disturbed you, Your Highness, but I have the meal you requested.”
 
“Thank you, Silver Platter,” Celestia greeted, “and I do apologize for making a request like this so late in the evening.”
 
“No apologies necessary, Your Highness,” Silver Platter replied. He crossed the room and presented the serving tray to the princess. “Though I hope you do not mind if I linger. That way I can take the dishes back to the kitchen once you’ve finished.”
 
Celestia smiled and took the tray in her own magic. “I do not mind in the slightest.” She then removed the lid from the tray and sniffed at the warm soup. The aromas offered her some comfort, but not as much as the food itself would bring. It was no secret, especially after that Gabby Gums article, that she had a tendency to eat when she was anxious, to seek comfort in sweet and savory foods.
 
It was a habit that, thankfully, didn’t cause Celestia too much trouble, though it was still a source of frustration on occasion. She still didn’t know what cruel hoof of fate put that photographer near Canterlot Castle on a day when she did go a little overboard, but that was a minor and distant concern of the past. The present weighed far more heavily on Celestia’s mind. Still, once Nightmare Moon was found and dealt with, she would need to put herself on a diet. She needed to get her eating habits back in order. She had indulged in cloud cake a few too many times over the past week. The pegasus-made dessert was her greatest weakness, at least when it came to food.
 
The dessert, however, she would save for last. With the help of a spoon, Celestia began to enjoy the soup, which danced across her tongue and warmed her insides. Then came the golden apples, which offered a crisp freshness that was unmatched by any other fruit in the kingdom. Finally she allowed herself to eat the cloud cake. Each bite of it melted in her mouth, coating her tongue in its light, rich flavor.
 
The last thing to enter Celestia’s mouth was the large frosting flower that had been on top of the slice of cloud cake. She chomped down on the carefully formed mass of frosting and licked her lips to gather every last trace of its sweet flavor. A smile then slipped onto her face, and she leaned back in her throne.
 
Silver Platter, seeing his princess had finished her meal, took the plate and set it off to one side before he began to walk around the back of the throne. “Was the meal to your liking?”
 
Celestia nodded. “It was delicious. Be sure to extend my thanks to the kitchen staff. I may just be able to get to sleep tonight thanks to that meal.”
 
“Good,” Silver Platter said from behind the throne as his voice began to shift, “everypony deserves a good last meal.”
 
Celestia snapped her head to the side, watching as a figure stepped out from behind her throne. While Silver Platter had been the pony that disappeared behind her regal seat, the pony that stepped into her vision was decidedly not the unicorn waiter.
 
Celestia bristled, furrowed her brow, and glared at Nightmare Moon. “How did you get in here?” She glanced out a window and saw Shining Armor's barrier was still in place. “How did you get into Canterlot?”
 
“I would think, Celestia, that after being betrayed by Spell Nexus, you would be a little more cautious,” Nightmare Moon mused with a taunting smile on her lips. She walked out from behind the throne. Each step she took exuded her confidence at the moment, like she was a cat that had outwitted and cornered a mouse.
 
“Are you saying Shining Armor let you in?” Celestia asked, only to shake her head firmly. “No, that is impossible. He would not side with you.”
 
“True, but I didn't need him to,” Nightmare Moon commented before she broke into a cloud. That cloud divided itself into multiple pieces, each piece floating to a clear section of the throne room floor before manifesting into a doppelganger of a royal guard. Each clone looked uniquely different, but they were all looking at Celestia with Nightmare Moon’s turquoise eyes.
 
“Night Wind, one of your loyal guards, has been an ally to Spell Nexus since the beginning of the Children of Nightmare,” the many parts of Nightmare Moon said in unison. “She told me of Shining Armor's barrier, how it would keep out any single pony that was of sufficient magical power.”
 
Celestia showed no sign of panic. She just furrowed her eyebrows and looked over the clones that stood before her. “It did not, however, stop you from entering in pieces. Yes, I recognize you now, Nightmare Moon. You were the recruits I saw in the courtyard when I arrived. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, you snuck in under the guise of ponies we could trust.”
 
The many clones laughed as they turned back into clouds, and their laughter combined into a single voice as Nightmare Moon reformed herself into a single alicorn mare. “Yes, it was a brilliant disguise, wasn't it?”
 
“Yes,” Celestia begrudgingly admitted, “and it would seem you are just as powerful as you were a thousand years ago, even though you lack the strength Luna currently possesses.”
 
“You can thank Spell Nexus for that. Whatever power Luna retained after the Elements of Harmony purified her was replaced by power drawn from the Everfree Forest. He really is very talented at crafting spells.”
 
“And what of my guards and servants?” Celestia pressed. “I can only imagine you went through them to get to me.”
 
“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Celestia. Your guards are now catching up on the sleep they deprived themselves of by protecting you. As to your servants, they are unaware of what occurs, except for Silver Platter. He sleeps in the hallway just outside this room.”
 
Celestia's stern exterior cracked and confusion filled her eyes. “You… didn’t hurt anypony?”
 
“I had no need to, so why would I waste my time?” Nightmare Moon asked with a short, confident chuckle.
 
“You had no need to bring lightning down on the ponies at the Summer Sun Celebration, and yet you had no qualms doing so then,” Celestia said. She rose from her throne and started to walk towards Nightmare Moon. “Now you are showing mercy and restraint. Perhaps, despite your appearance, you are not quite the same mare I once knew.”
 
A chilling laugh escaped Nightmare Moon’s lips. “You are just as delusional as Twilight Sparkle.”
 
“And where is my student, Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked. “I can only imagine you’re the reason nopony has seen her in days.”
 
“She’s in my dungeon,” Nightmare Moon answered. She kept a safe distance from Celestia, moving towards the far side of the throne room as Celestia reached the bottom of her very large and extravagant throne. The pair of alicorns then began to circle each other, Celestia wearing a stern frown while Nightmare Moon wore a smug smile.
 
“And how did she end up there?” Celestia asked cautiously, on guard for any sudden movements.
 
“She came to me, if you would believe it,” Nightmare Moon answered. “I would have thought you’d taught her better than to go running to the very ponies that would want to capture her, but that’s what she did. She wanted to sell me some sob story about how sorry she was for what happened. It was truly pathetic.”
 
Celestia ruffled her wings as she focused more intently on Nightmare Moon. “You let her live, even though, as long as she is alive, the Elements of Harmony are a threat to you.”
 
“I will tell you what I told Spell Nexus. I will deal with Twilight Sparkle in my own way and in my own time,” Nightmare Moon snipped, horn beginning to glow. “Besides, you have more important things to be worried about, Celestia.”
 
Nightmare Moon’s magic surged, and in the air beside her a magical blade took shape. It was forged of what looked like black metal that shined and flashed like calm water beneath the night sky. While alicorns were very powerful, they were not truly immortal. Their strength came from the amount of magic they held, and the best tool to counter that magic was a weapon of pure, compressed mystic energy, much like the sword Nightmare Moon now wielded.
 
“An odd level of decorum, Nightmare Moon,” Celestia commented. She formed her own magical sword, a pristine white blade, which she held in a defensive position while she and Nightmare Moon continued to circle one another. “When the changeling queen assaulted Canterlot, she and I traded our most powerful spells. Why would you desire to cross swords instead of assaulting me head on?”

Nightmare Moon laughed and twirled her sword once in the air. “Because I know of the defensive spells that still linger on this castle, Celestia. Some of your veteran guards were very informative. Were we to clash spells as you and this 'changeling queen' did, the castle would light up like a beacon and draw Luna back.

“That, and I know one other thing.” Nightmare Moon lifted the blade to her nose, admiring its glint before flicking her gaze back to Celestia. “A little tidbit Nexus told me about immortal alicorns like you and I. Magic is our strength, but it is our weakness as well. Where normal swords hold no threat, a blade formed of magic can wound, can injure, and can kill with greater ease than any random blast of magic.”

“And so that’s your intent,” Celestia whispered. The pair still circled one another, each waiting for the other to make the first move. “You came here to kill me.”

“Did you expect any less?”

“No… I suppose not, but what do you intend to do with Twilight? What are your plans for her friends, the others who wield the Elements of Harmony?” Celestia asked.
 
“While they pose no danger as long as I have Twilight,” Nightmare Moon noted confidently, “they will get their just reward. I’ve ordered my guard to capture them unharmed, so that I will be able to decide their fate.”
 
Celestia arched an eyebrow and allowed her sword to lower just an inch. “Unharmed? Why would you care about their well-being? Why not let your minions bring them in bruised and battered?”
 
Nightmare Moon snorted in contempt. “I will not let Spell Nexus, or anypony else, take the vengeance I deserve for what those ponies did to me. While you would not know it, being torn off another pony like a cheap costume by the Elements of Harmony is an excruciating experience, and they will endure double the pain they caused me that day.”
 
“Then what do you intend to do with them?” Celestia questioned.
 
“Whatever I see fit!” snarled Nightmare Moon. “Their fate is in my hooves and nopony, neither you nor Nexus, has any right to question my decisions. I am above reproach.”
 
“Yet you speak as if Nexus has been questioning your actions.”
 
Nightmare Moon laughed, though she made sure to keep her sword raised. “He is a foal who believes he knows my every desire, but I am not so easily understood by such common ponies. He knows of my desire to seize Equestria, and he acts to support that, as he should. It was his hooves, however, that hurt Twilight, and it was his belief that I desired to have her hung or beheaded.”
 
“And isn’t that your desire?” Celestia asked, pressing the issue. “Would it not be simpler for you to let him do as he wishes with Twilight? Why not let him save you the trouble?”
 
Nightmare Moon launched herself at Celestia while swinging her sword in a wide arc. “Nopony hurts Twilight except me!”
 
Celestia just barely managed to block the blow, the clang of metal striking metal echoing across the throne room walls. Nightmare Moon then attempted a thrust, making Celestia spread her wings. With a single powerful flap, she threw herself back, dodging the blade and putting more distance between herself and Nightmare Moon.
 
“I do not wish to fight you,” Celestia said, but Nightmare Moon did not falter in her attack. Celestia was just barely able to raise her sword to block a downward swing from Nightmare Moon, and the two magical swords clashed with a resounding clang.
 
Nightmare Moon pressed her blade against Celestia's in an attempt to break through the defense with sheer force. “Then surrender yourself!”
 
Celestia buckled momentarily under the weight of Nightmare Moon’s attack, but she would not be so easily defeated. A careful turn of her blade sent Nightmare Moon's sword down into the throne room floor. Celestia then proceeded to bring the pommel of her sword around to strike Nightmare Moon in the throat.
 
The sudden thrust of the sword’s blunt hilt into her neck caused Nightmare Moon to stumble back, coughing and wheezing from the blow. Celestia, however, did not press her offensive. She instead stayed on the far side of the throne room, lowering her sword as her voice echoed across the marble hall. “You have told me what your minions did to Twilight Sparkle, but what have you done to her, Nightmare Moon?”
 
“N-nothing,” Nightmare Moon choked out. “She has been recovering from the injuries given to her by Nexus, under the care of my castle’s doctor.”
 
An expression of surprise etched itself across Celestia’s face. “You are caring for her?”
 
“I told you, nopony else will have my vengeance. I am having her injuries treated simply so that she can properly appreciate the pain I will induce when I make her pay for what she’s done to me!”
 
Nightmare Moon’s shout hung in the air, words that echoed not with rage but with pain. Celestia remained silent until the echoes had faded, and then spoke with an odd, almost concerned tone in her voice. “And what has she done to you, Nightmare Moon?”
 
The question struck Nightmare Moon’s heart and set her fury ablaze. “Don’t you dare speak as if you don’t know!” she yelled, her words dripping with loathing as she recovered from Celestia’s blow. “It was her and her friends that set the Elements of Harmony upon me. That, and I have not forgotten her most recent crimes. Twilight Sparkle betrayed, lied to, and above all else, abandoned me!”
 
“Listen to me, Nightmare—” Celestia paused, taking a step forward as her tone became more pleading. “No, listen to me, Nyx. I'm sorry. I did not want to take you away from Twilight forcibly, and I had every intention of returning you to her the next morning.”
 
Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth. “Those are nothing but lies. You and Twilight conspired against me that night. Twilight knew what you were going to do, and she did nothing to stop it. She wanted you to take me away.”
 
“Nyx, that is not true,” Celestia said firmly. “Twilight tried to convince me you weren't a danger. She didn't want to let you go.”
 
Nightmare Moon drew in a deep breath, her cold composure returning. “But she did let me go, and I will never forgive her for it.”
 
“But—”
 
“And don’t think I’ll ever forgive you, either!” seethed Nightmare Moon. She pointed the tip of her sword at Celestia. “It’s all your fault! Everything is your fault! You allowed the ponies of the past to ignore the night sky, turning Luna into me! You sent your student to Ponyville where she and her friends murdered me with the Elements of Harmony! You took me away from Ponyville, from my simple, ignorant life!”
 
Nightmare Moon sucked in a breath, held it, and fixed her accusing gaze on Celestia. “All that I have lost, all that I have become, all that I can ever claim to be is a shadow of your actions. Tonight, you shall pay for your sins, Celestia!”
 
With those words Nightmare Moon lashed out, springing into the air and soaring across the room while yelling in a furious rage. She brought her sword beneath her and swiped at Celestia as she flew by. Celestia dodged to the left and spun herself around just in time to see Nightmare Moon land and resume her ground attack. Sparks soared into the air as their blades clashed again and again.
 
The pair was evenly matched for a time, but then Celestia saw an opening. Nightmare Moon swung too wide, overextended her attack, and Celestia seized the opportunity. As quickly as her hooves would allow, she spun around and bucked. She hit Nightmare Moon in the side, and the force of the blow sent her flying across the room. She would have likely crashed into a wall, but with a flutter of her wings, Nightmare Moon was able to right herself. She pressed her hooves into the floor, skidded to a stop, and glared across the room at Celestia with murderous intent.
 
“Nyx, please, I implore you to listen to reason. End this senseless fight. I promise—”
 
Nightmare Moon ignored Celestia and charged back into battle. Both their blades clashed once more. Nightmare Moon was putting all of her strength behind her attack, and it was just enough to force Celestia’s blade to the side.
 
Knowing her defenses had been broken through, Celestia bent her legs and tried to jump away, but she could not escape without harm. Nightmare Moon struck out again and the tip of her sword nicked Celestia’s cheek, leaving a small cut that began to weep blood.
 
Celestia landed a few feet back and released a surge of magic from her body. The wave of energy pushed Nightmare Moon back and gave Celestia the moment of rest she needed. She could feel herself bleeding, but she remained focused on her opponent. “Nyx, please—”
 
Nightmare Moon winced, her voice dripping with her hatred of Celestia. “Stop calling me Nyx! I am not Nyx! I can never be Nyx because of you! Because of you, I am and will forever be Nightmare Moon! Now silence your tongue before I cut it out, and quit holding back! Fight me, coward!”
 
“I am not a coward,” Celestia retorted firmly as she wiped the blood away with her right forehoof, “and I am not the only one holding back. You strike only to injure me, Nyx, and that is not the only time you have shown mercy. You put my guards to sleep, where in the past you wouldn't have batted an eye at seeing them injured or even dead. You speak of Twilight's betrayal, and yet you have not taken your vengeance against her. If you are truly Nightmare Moon, then why do you show mercy?”
 
“I… I…” Nightmare Moon struggled with her words, her mind locking up as she was faced with Celestia’s questions. Why was she holding back? Why wasn’t she giving it her all? She had practiced using a sword with the guards during training. She knew how to fight, so why wasn’t she going for the killing blows?
 
“Nyx,” Celestia began, lowering her sword as the fight slipped into a lull. “I know you’ve been hurt. I know you have a right to be angry at me, and I know I do not deserve forgiveness for the part I played in turning you into this. Yet, if this is what you truly wanted, you would have killed me with that last blow. Please, end this farce and let us put our swords away. It is not too late.”
 
“Too late?” Nightmare Moon echoed, an inferno of rage flashing to life behind her eyes. “Too late?!
 
“It was always TOO LATE FOR ME!” Nightmare Moon yelled, her voice growing until she was shouting at the top of her lungs. At the same time her mane began to surge and swirl, reflecting the storm of anger that raged within.
 
With a screech, Nightmare Moon launched herself at Celestia, this time accompanying her charge with a volley of lightning. Celestia managed to block a few of the arcane bolts with her sword, but she was struck by others. The bolts did little damage themselves, but they caused Celestia to wince, which made it all the more difficult for her to block Nightmare Moon’s coming sword.
 
The rage and magic behind Nightmare Moon’s blade would soon prove to be too much. Their weapons clashed with a thunderous crack, and, before Celestia could retreat, her sword began to fracture. It burst apart, shattering like glass as its magic failed beneath the force of Nightmare Moon’s blow.
 
The magic released from her broken blade knocked Celestia off her hooves. She rolled and bounced across the throne room floor, eventually coming to a stop at the base of her throne. Shards of the shattered blade had speckled her with small cuts, and her breathing was labored as the pain of the magical knock-back pulsed throughout her body.
 
Celestia took a few deep, gasping breaths to try and recover more quickly, but it was already too late. When she looked up, she saw Nightmare Moon standing over her and felt Nightmare Moon's black, magical blade press against her neck.

“It’s over, Celestia,” Nightmare Moon said coldly, and Celestia knew it was true. Yet, instead of closing her eyes and waiting for the bitter end, she locked her gaze on Nightmare Moon. The pair stared at each other for a long time, both still as stone. All it would take for Nightmare Moon to end Celestia’s life was a twitch of her sword, yet she just stood there.
 
“You’re still holding back,” Celestia said.
 
Nightmare Moon pressed her sword into Celestia’s neck. “SHUT UP! I could end this right now. I could kill you. Just a quick slash of my sword and your life would be forfeit.”
 
“Yes, you have defeated me,” Celestia admitted, “but I implore you to stop, Nyx, and listen.”
 
Nightmare Moon put more pressure on her sword, the blade breaking the surface of Celestia’s skin and drawing blood. “Why? Why should I stop now? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t slash your throat!”
 
“Because, though you deny it, your actions and words tell me that you care about Twilight,” Celestia calmly explained. “So I ask you to stop, Nyx, and realize where you stand. This is your point of no return. If you finish me here, you will secure Equestria as your own, but across this kingdom, even in Twilight’s eyes, you shall never be seen as anything but my murderer and a monster.”
 
Nightmare Moon’s eyes pulsated at the mention of Twilight Sparkle, and she lowered her sword a few inches. Celestia dared to hope that Nightmare Moon had finally listened to reason, but a few moments later the sword was back against her neck. Yet, the murderous intent that once filled Nightmare Moon’s eyes had faded, and her sword was trembling.
 
Then, with a slow breath, Nightmare Moon lowered her blade. She spoke with a broken, hollow voice as her mane began to wrap around Celestia. “Your time will come, but before then you will know the pain I’ve suffered. For a thousand years you shall be banished to the sun, held amongst its magic, just as I was held by the moon. Only then, once you’ve known the full extent of my suffering, shall you know death.”
 
With those final few words and a flash of light from within her mane, Nightmare Moon made good on her word. She completed her spell and banished Celestia to the sun.
 
Yet, even after Celestia was gone, Nightmare Moon remained where she was. She stared at the spot where Celestia had been, and then she looked up to Celestia's now empty throne. With little warning, Nightmare Moon sucked in a deep breath, cried out in a rage, and threw her sword. It pierced the air like an arrow, and, with a resounding “thunk” of metal against wood, it sank into the back of Celestia’s throne.

===

Luna banked to one side, looking over Canterlot. It was nearly dawn, and she was returning to the castle so that Celestia could fly out, meet the army, and continue the search for Nightmare Moon. The search over the evening had been fruitless. Both exhaustion and disappointment made Luna yearn for the comfort of her bed.

Yet, as Luna drew closer to the castle, she began to notice how still and quiet it was. She saw no guards moving along the battlements, saw nopony at all. Some servants should have at least been out tending to the early morning chores, but there was nopony around.

Shining Armor’s barrier was also nowhere to be seen. 

Luna felt the air catch in her chest, and, with a few furious flaps of her wings, she surged towards the castle. She dove into the courtyard but did not land nor slow down. Instead, she threw open the castle doors with her magic and soared through the hallways. It was something Celestia was unable to do because of her size, but Luna was still small enough that her wingspan fit inside the corridors.

The castle was deserted, utterly empty, and it did nothing to improve Luna’s nerves. She flew with even greater speed, fearing the worst as she raced amongst the halls. Luna first went to Celestia’s bedroom, but, when her sister wasn’t there, Luna went to the next likely place: the throne room. When she couldn’t sleep, Celestia always liked to go there.

“Sister? Sister, are you in here?” Luna called out, landing in the doorway. She looked first to the throne, desperately hoping to see Celestia there. Her sister, however, was nowhere to be seen. In her place, standing just in front of the throne, was an all-black alicorn with a swirling, magical mane and tail.

Luna felt herself tense when she saw Nightmare Moon, a figure she had only ever seen reflected back in a mirror. Was this really what she used to look like? She could now see why so many ponies told scary stories about her. A pitch-black mare with a magical mane and tail of the night and piercing dragon eyes. It was the kind of thing nightmares were made of.

Eyes glaring, Luna quietly began to move across the room. Though she was walking on the regal, red rug that ran from the door to Celestia’s throne, Luna’s hoofsteps were still audible.

“You’re back earlier than I expected, or perhaps it is later in the morning than I realized,” Nightmare Moon remarked quietly. She turned to face Luna, revealing her tired eyes.  

“Where is Celestia?” Luna asked firmly.

“Your precious sister is getting a taste of her own medicine. She has been banished to the sun,” Nightmare Moon replied, forcing firmness into her voice. “Do not take this as a sign of mercy. I merely wish for Celestia to know the torture of the imprisonment that I endured for a thousand years. Once she has known that, her life is forfeit.”

“Imprisonment ‘we’ endured,” Luna corrected, “or have you forgotten where you came from?”

“I have not forgotten. All the memories I have are either my own or the memories from when you were the one called Nightmare Moon. It is from those memories that I know my desires and destiny. It’s a destiny you were too weak to seize for your own, but a destiny that will be mine.”

“But is it a destiny you want?” asked Luna.

“I cannot recall any time when I did not want the eternal night and the defeat of Equestria’s royalty… which now includes you,” Nightmare Moon answered. She manifested her magical sword and began to walk towards Luna. “Defend yourself.”

Luna formed two smaller, shorter blades which floated on either side of her. “Is that truly all you can remember? Do you not recall the time you spent with Twilight Sparkle, Nyx?”

“Do not call me that. I am Nightmare Moon.”

“But do you remember the time you spent with Twilight?” Luna pressed.

Nightmare Moon snorted in contempt. “Of course I do. I would not forget something so recent so easily.”

“Then you have memories beyond being Nightmare Moon, beyond the memories you had to inherit from me.”

“What is your point? Those memories are a few short months compared to the hundreds of years of memories I have from the time when we were one and the same.”

“But I know those memories are a thousand times happier than the memories we share. I came to know you briefly, Nyx, at the dinner after the Spring Festival. You talked of friends, of school, of Twilight… you were happy. Why are you throwing that away to pursue old desires that were never yours?”

“They are my desires,” Nightmare Moon spat. “I want vengeance. I want Equestria. I want ponies to look upon the beauty of my night.”

“But it isn’t your night. It’s mine,” Luna stressed. “ I’m the one that raises and lowers the moon. I’m the one who got jealous of Celestia. I’m the one that felt unappreciated and grew to loathe the ponies who slept through my night, but that’s because I’m the one that crafted and made the night my own, not you.”

Nightmare Moon stomped a hoof. “It will be my night soon enough. When you’re gone, I shall inherit your status as ruler of the nighttime sky, just as I have inherited your memories. I will make the sky more beautiful than you ever could. Ponies will look upon it and be in such awe that they will love the night, love me, and forget all about the sun and you royal sisters.”

“Nyx, you don’t have to be what I was,” Luna said sternly, as if she was explaining a difficult concept to a child throwing a tantrum. “Being Nightmare Moon is a choice, not a curse of blood you have to inherit.” 

Nightmare Moon hung her head and lowered her sword. “No, you are wrong… for I have inherited much more from you than just your memories. The loathing, the fear, and the hatred Equestria had for you have become mine to bear. The Elements of Harmony left you to live a happy life again while I became your scapegoat, the monster in the dark that you were saved from.”

“But Nyx—”

“I told you not to call me that! I. Am. Nightmare Moon!” she seethed as her eyes flashed with determination. She raised her sword and pointed its tip at Luna. “Now defend yourself.”

“Very well, I shall never refer to you as Nyx again,” Luna said as she raised her own blades. “You have made your choice. You have chosen to threaten me, my kingdom, and my sister. You have refused to see reason, have chosen to be as blind as I once was, and have forced my hoof. I will not stand down nor surrender, Nightmare Moon. If you wish to have Equestria, you must take it from me.”

Luna lifted her swords, her voice carrying the final echoes of a warning. “But know this, Nightmare Moon; once our swords clash, from now until eternity, it won’t be my past that haunts you, but your own.”

Nightmare Moon laughed as she began to stride towards Luna like a storm cloud rolling over Equestria. “I will not be dissuaded, and no matter how valiantly you fight, you will fall. You will share Celestia’s fate, because this is my kingdom now.”

===

Whispers and hushed voices filled the Ponyville square. Everypony in town had gathered outside the town hall. The sun was supposed to have risen several hours ago, but, instead, the moon still lingered in the center of the sky, filling the world with its pale glow. What was worse was that several craters had appeared on the moon. They darkened the moon’s surface, returning to it the rough silhouette of the Mare in the Moon that had adorned it for a thousand years.

Beneath that moon, the Mayor of Ponyville, Ivory Scroll, moved up to the podium set on the veranda of the town hall. It looked like she had been crying, but the mayor wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, forcing herself to be strong.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts, as Mayor of Ponyville it is my duty… my solemn duty to announce that Princess Luna and Princess Celestia have—” She choked on her words, but, after licking her lips, she managed to continue. “They have been defeated.”

A hushed gasp cascaded through the crowd. Ponies looked at each other with disbelief, none daring to speak as they hung on every word that left Ivory’s mouth.

“I received word just after sun… when the sunrise was due to occur. During the night, Nightmare Moon seized Canterlot Castle. She defeated Princess Celestia and then laid in wait until Princess Luna returned to the castle a few hours ago. Both princesses are now imprisoned in the sun and the moon respectively.”

Ivory Scroll coughed again, trying to keep the strength in her voice from failing. “Nightmare Moon has hereby decreed herself Queen of Equestria, and the Children of Nightmare, the ponies responsible for her return, are already taking control of the government. Their forces have secured the capital, due in part to a swelling of their ranks following the coup.”

Ivory’s voice began to tremble as she forced out the final words. “The Children of Nightmare have warned that… that any open rebellion against the new crown will be met harshly and… and that… A-and that we h-have seen the last of the s-sun. This night… will last f-f-for… forever.”

Another gasp cut through the crowd, and a few ponies even fainted. However, before the harsh truth could even properly sink into the residents of Ponyville, another voice rang out through the now everlasting night. “Oh Miss Mayor, you speak as if this is some great tragedy.”

Every head in the crowd spun around, looking back to see Nightmare Moon striding towards them. She was flanked on either side by two of her own royal guard. They were clad in armor that matched hers in color, and their eyes, like hers, seemed to glow in the night with turquoise irises.

The crowd quickly parted to make a path, much like they did the day Nightmare Moon first returned. Some even bowed as she passed, a sight that made Nightmare Moon smile. She couldn’t expect them all to be so eager to bow right away. It was a start, though, and she could be patient. After all, she had all the time in the world.

Once she had reached the veranda of the town hall, Nightmare Moon used her magic to move the podium Ivory Scroll had been speaking from off to one side. She then looked to Ivory Scroll and saw that the mayor had retreated back several steps and was trembling like a leaf. Still, Ivory managed to bow to her new queen.

Satisfied with the level of respect the mayor had shown her, Nightmare Moon turned to face the crowd and let her voice reach a commanding volume. “Citizens of Ponyville, it is hard to believe that merely a week ago I stood amongst you, freshly reborn, and now I am already your queen. One must truly wonder how sturdy your monarchy was, considering how easily it was conquered.

“I now stand as your one true queen. Under me, Equestria shall flourish under the eternal night. You need not fear for your crops or your homes, for, while the night can be cold, those most loyal to me have already begun the act of making this kingdom a place that can thrive beneath the moonlight. They have long been prepared for the night eternal.

“And there is further reason to rejoice!” Nightmare Moon told them. “For, as I promised on the day of my return, I have not forgotten the kindness you all showed me when I was but a scared little filly. For this, I have decided to give Ponyville a great honor, to bestow upon it a gift no other town or city in Equestria will share.”

The ground shook, a distant rumbling reaching the ear of everypony as Nightmare Moon's eyes glowed. All heads turned to the distant rock quarries in the hills just beyond Ponyville, where the rumbling seemed to be emanating from. For a moment, none of them were able to see anything. Yet, as the rumbling continued, a single pointed spire began to rise up against the horizon.

The rumbling then rose to a terrifying cacophony, as if the world was splitting in two. At the same time, the first spire continued to rise higher and was soon joined by others. Eventually, a whole castle had risen up into view, casting a harsh shadow and looking down upon Ponyville like a giant ready to strike.

When the fortress had fully risen, and the rumbling had stopped, Nightmare Moon looked down and savored the shock and horror on her subjects’ faces. “Yes, ponies of Ponyville, your eyes do not deceive you. For the time being, Canterlot shall remain the administrative capitol of Equestria, but Ponyville shall be the true heart of this kingdom. It is here, in your town, that both I and my castle find a home, and Ponyville will know prosperity unmatched as it slowly becomes the beating heart of Equestria.”

Nightmare Moon finished her speech with a triumphant smile and a flare of her wings. The crowd, however, did not share in her enthusiasm. The only pony that dared to speak was Ivory Scroll. She shakily took a few steps towards Nightmare Moon and bowed to her new queen. “You… y-you honor us, Your Highness. We… w-we will gladly serve as your home.”

Nightmare Moon smiled. “Well-chosen words, Mayor. If you keep that attitude up, I may just let you keep your position.”

“Well, some of us ain’t goin’ down without a fight!”

Nightmare Moon and the crowd as a whole turned their heads and saw six ponies standing in a nearby, empty street. Nightmare Moon recognized five of the ponies. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all together, wearing their Elements of Harmony necklaces. They were standing strong, except for Fluttershy, who was hiding behind Rarity. Still, all five of them were there and together.

The sixth pony, however, was one Nightmare Moon did not recognize. She appeared to be a simple earth pony. Her coat was blue, and her mane was a mixture of white and silver. She was, for some reason, wearing a purple pointed hat that was decorated with silver and gold stars. She also had on a cape that matched the hat and stood with her head held aloft. It was a posture that reminded Nightmare Moon of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

She hated the blue-colored pony already.

“Well, well, well, I was wondering when you five would show up. Who’s the new mare?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“Her name is—” Applejack began, only for the blue pony to interrupt her.

“I believe that I can speak for myself, thank you very much,” the new pony snipped. She then turned and gave Nightmare Moon a confident grin, as if she was looking down at some pony far beneath her. “Remember this face well, Nightmare Moon, for it will be the face of your doom!” the blue pony exclaimed as she pointed a hoof at the self-appointed queen. “For on this day, it will be I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, who will single-hoofedly vanquish you and bring peace and order back to Equestria!”

An eruption of magical fireworks and firecrackers erupted from behind Trixie, as if in fanfare for her words. The display, however, only made Nightmare Moon arch her eyebrows skeptically and look towards Applejack. “You're kidding. You're kidding, right?”

“I assure you, Nightmare Moon, this is no jest,” Trixie crowed. A light purple glow encased the mare’s hat, causing it to rise up and shift back on the pony’s head. The adjustment revealed that she was, in fact, a unicorn. “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, shall defeat you.”

“Okay, this has to be a joke,” Nightmare Moon scoffed. “This was your idea, Pinkie Pie, wasn’t it? You five got together and decided to get on my good side by playing a prank. Very smart, but I think you may want to tell your friend there to tone it down. You wouldn’t want me to actually believe you came here to defeat me, now do you?”

“That is exactly what the Great and Powerful Trixie intends to do,” she exclaimed.

The smile faded from Nightmare Moon’s face and a threatening coldness filled her voice. “Do you not understand who you challenge?”

Trixie lifted a hoof anxiously at Nightmare Moon’s statement, as if she was going to take a step back, but instead she planted her hoof back down defiantly. “I am fully aware of your power, but I wield a far greater one. A power that I shall use to send you back to the dark pit you crawled out of. For you see, I am not merely a unicorn. I am the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria!”

Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but gape. This… this fool was either completely clueless or had a death wish. Who was crazy enough to be so boastful? The only time Nightmare Moon had ever heard of a pony with such an ego was when—

Nightmare Moon’s eyes flickered, and she was struck with a realization. She knew this mare. Not personally, but she had heard of her. Twilight had told her a story about a blue unicorn that had come into town, boasting she had defeated an Ursa Major. But when an Ursa Minor came into town, the unicorn was unable to do anything, leaving Twilight to save the day.

It was a tale that had become one of her favorite bedtime stories, and that memory caused Nightmare Moon to smirk. “Oh… oh yes, of course,” she spoke with a deceptively gentle tone. “I’ve heard of you before, Great and Powerful Trixie”

“Y-you have? I mean, of course you have! Far and wide have ponies heard the tales of the miraculous feats of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she exclaimed before releasing more firework magic in the air.

A chuckle escaped Nightmare Moon’s lips. “Yes, I know who you are. You’re the egomaniac with a tacky hat that almost destroyed Ponyville with her boasting.”

Nightmare Moon’s words sucked the air out of Trixie’s lungs, made her mouth hang open, and caused her pupils to narrow to tiny dots.

“At least,” Nightmare Moon continued, smiling devilishly, “that’s how Rarity put it. When Twilight told me about the last time you were here, she was more… polite, though she basically said the same thing.”

Trixie turned and glared at Rarity as she hissed in a whisper, “You know her, and you told her that?!?”

“Hey, don’t get mad at her! She’s not the one boasting that she’s going to save the day all by herself!” Rainbow Dash argued in Rarity’s defense.

“And I shouldn't need to remind you that you’re worth a rotten apple without the rest of us,” Applejack added, pointing an accusing hoof at Trixie.

Trixie met the harsh tone in Applejack’s voice with a snarl. “Hey, you’re the ones who convinced me to come back here! You’re the ones that came to me, and the only reason I agreed is because defeating Nightmare Moon would salvage my career. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you, so you better not mess this up!”

“As amusing as it is to meet the overconfident showpony from one of Twilight’s stories,” Nightmare Moon interrupted, if only to keep the six ponies from squabbling amongst themselves, “I am curious. What makes you think you actually stand a chance against me? Just how do you plan to defeat me, an immortal alicorn, when you are nothing more than a mere unicorn?”

“I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, intend to use the most powerful magic known to ponykind, for I am the new bearer of the Element of Magic!” Trixie exclaimed. She lifted her hat again and revealed that she was wearing a familiar tiara. She then quickly swapped the two things around, setting her hat back on her head and placing the tiara on top of the hat. It allowed her to proudly wear both at the same time.

And, for the first time since her transformation, Nightmare Moon felt real fear. “Where did you get those?!” she hissed as she drew a hoof back in fear. “Nexus assured me he would secure them from Canterlot Tower!”

“You can thank Princess Cadance for that,” Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile. “She got the Elements out of Canterlot and to us before Twilight disappeared, because Princess Celestia knew you’d try to take them from Canterlot when you attacked.”

Nightmare Moon had made a miscalculation. She had come so far, but now her destruction was staring her down. She and Spell Nexus had not thought Princess Celestia would preemptively remove the Elements of Harmony from Canterlot Tower. They believed that Celestia would simply try to protect the elements, especially with Twilight missing in action.

The elements, however, must have been sent to Ponyville within hours of her reappearance, before Twilight had even begun her search for the once underground castle. 

And to Nightmare Moon’s horror, Trixie was proving herself a capable replacement. The Elements of Harmony began to come to life. They glowed and began to lift the six wielders into the air. Nightmare Moon instinctively worked herself into a defensive position. She had been torn apart by the magical rainbow once. She would not let it happen again. She’d jump out of the way, try to escape, but she would not go down a second time so easily.

The spell continued to grow in power, and the six ponies were engulfed in light. The crowd below began to cheer, and they looked on with eager eyes. The Elements of Harmony then launched their fabled rainbow, and the moment Nightmare Moon saw it she was filled with an overpowering desire… to laugh.

The rainbow spat out by the Elements of Harmony was the size of a candy bar and its colors were sickly and mismatched. It drifted on the wind like a leaf, and when it finally reached Nightmare Moon, the rainbow did not burn or hurt. All it was able to do was make a small patch of her body feel warmer before it faded. If Nightmare Moon was to be honest, it was a rather pleasant sensation, like a warm blanket.

As Nightmare Moon tried to contain the laughter caused by the pitiful display, she was struck by inspiration. It was a mischievous, almost childish, idea, but it was too good to resist. She took in a deep breath and howled with fake agony. She then let her body burst into indigo smoke like she was a balloon that had been popped. 

It was a sight that made the crowd gasp. They watched the smoky remnants of Nightmare Moon fade into the night air and then turned to look at their supposed saviors, who were sprawled out on the ground. 

When the group was led by Twilight Sparkle, the magic of the elements left them feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. This time, however, they were covered with scuffs and scratches. It was like the ancient magic had worked against them, not with them. Trixie herself hastily shoved the tiara off her head and into the dirt before proceeding to rub the sides of her skull. Her head was pounding with the worst headache she had ever felt in her life.

The first to recover was Rarity, who forced herself to her hooves and looked around for any sign of Nightmare Moon. “Is… is it over?”

“I reckon it is,” Applejack answered. A small smile formed on her face. “To tell y’all the truth, I didn’t think it’d be that easy a second time, or that Trixie would actually be able to pull this off.”

Trixie huffed, her large ego unaffected by her splitting headache. “You doubted that I could be the new bearer of the Element of Magic? Don't you know? You can always count on the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, but the gesture went unnoticed as the residents of Ponyville began to encircle them. The crowd was cheering their heroes and the defeat of Nightmare Moon. Soon the princess would grace the town with their presence. The moon would be lowered and the sun would rise and everything would be normal. And, as sure as the sun would rise, Trixie stood up and began to bask in the adulation, soaking it all in.

“Yes! Yes, celebrate ponies of Ponyville! For I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, have saved Equestria all by myself! I truly am the greatest equine who has ever lived!”

Very quickly the cheers from the crowd began to die as Ponyville’s residents began to remember why they didn’t particularly like the “Great and Powerful” Trixie. Still, they wouldn’t let Trixie’s gloating ruin their happiness. Nightmare Moon had been defeated. It was a day to celebrate.

However, the celebration ended before it even began. From amongst the crowd’s hooves, several trails of indigo smoke swirled up into the air and towards the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The smoke formed into a swirling tornado, which sucked up the six mares despite their panicked shouts. The tornado spun the mares round and round, tossing and spinning them as it moved towards the town hall.

Then, as quickly as it had picked them up, the tornado dropped the six mares at the foot of the town hall steps, leaving them in a crumpled heap. Pinkie Pie was the only one among them able to raise her head, and her eyes were spinning as she asked, “Did anypony see the carriage that hit us?”

Pinkie Pie’s question drew a haughty laugh from the swirling indigo tornado. It had moved to the top of the town hall’s steps and materialized into Nightmare Moon. Once more the crowd gasped, for not only was Nightmare Moon still alive, but she now held all six of the Elements of Harmony in her mane.

After glaring down at the six mares for a time, Nightmare Moon let a smile creep onto her lips as she descended the steps. She focused her attention on Trixie, the mare who believed herself a match for Equestria’s new queen. She stood over Trixie, watched, and waited as she recovered from her ride in the tornado. 

Trixie sat up, rubbed her head, and when she finally opened her eyes, her nose was but a few inches from Nightmare Moon’s tall, slender legs. She titled her head up slowly and saw Nightmare Moon smiling down at her with a wide, triumphant grin. 

“Gotcha.”

That one word from Nightmare Moon made Trixie yelp. She jumped, turned, and tried to run away. She, however, got no more than two steps before Nightmare Moon whipped out her magic and caught one of Trixie’s legs. This caused her to stumble, trip, and crash to the ground with a painful thud. Yet, despite the pain from her rough landing, Trixie quickly turned over onto her back. She stared with wide fearful eyes as Nightmare Moon closed in on her like a wolf would tower over an injured rabbit. 

“What a disappointing rebellion,” Nightmare Moon commented. “Then again, I shouldn’t have expected more from a mare so second-rate compared to Twilight Sparkle. Now, what am I to do with you? Perhaps I should take a memento so I can fondly remember your pathetic attempt to overthrow me. Yes, I do believe I need a trophy to hang on my wall.”

At that Nightmare Moon’s mane arched back and struck out, diving towards Trixie with murderous intent. Trixie flinched and screamed at the sight, yet she never felt the pain of death. Instead, she felt something being taken off of her. Nightmare Moon had done nothing more but take her hat and cape.

“What? Were you afraid that I would take your pretty little head?” Nightmare Moon sardonically asked. “Don’t worry, if I want that, I’ll come back for it. Now, if I remember Twilight's story correctly, this is the part where you realize what a fool you've made of yourself and you run away.”

“M-mark my words, you haven’t seen the last of me!” Trixie vowed weakly, trying to save face even though she knew Nightmare Moon was sparing her. “For while you may have won the battle, the war is far from over! The Great and Powerful Trixie never runs away! She only makes tactical retreats!”

At that, Trixie used her magic to summon a smoke screen. She then turned and bolted, running as fast as her hooves would carry her. It was the same kind of retreat she had made after the Ursa Minor incident, and the display left most of Ponyville’s residents groaning.

While the crowd was disappointed with Trixie, Nightmare Moon reveled in her most recent success. The one thing left that could possibly defeat her, the Elements of Harmony, were now in her possession. She could now make sure they were never used again. So thrilled was she at her absolute victory, Nightmare Moon couldn’t keep herself from having a little more fun.

Looking over the crowd of ponies that hung on her every word out of fear, Nightmare Moon once again turned into an indigo cloud. Her body swirled and condensed quickly before she rematerialized, but not as a regal alicorn. Instead, Nightmare Moon had taken on Trixie’s appearance and was wearing the cape and hat she plucked from the real Trixie but a few moments ago.

“Behold, Ponyville!” the shape-shifted Nightmare Moon shouted out in Trixie’s own voice. “I am the Weak and Cowardly Trixie! Thrill as I attempt to pretend that sparklers and flashes of light are worthy of admiration! Be dazzled as I bore you with speeches about my unfounded belief in my own abilities! Gasp as I turn tail and run at the first sign of danger!”

The Not-Trixie began to laugh haughtily, finding amusement at her own joke. Her performance, however, was met with utter silence. No pony in the crowd gave so much as a chortle or giggle.

The silence made the Not-Trixie’s face contort, first into an expression of disappointment then into one of annoyance. “Hmph. Plebeians. You would think they would appreciate a mare that can shape-shift at will,” Nightmare Moon grumbled to herself. She changed back into her normal appearance and Trixie’s hat and cape joined the Elements of Harmony in the embrace of her magical mane.

With her impromptu attempt at celebrity roasting failing to earn a single laugh, Nightmare Moon redirected her focus on the five remaining mares that dared to oppose her. She expected them to be shocked, filled with fear, to be trembling in her shadow, but they were, in fact, arguing among themselves.

“I told you we shouldn’t have used her,” Rainbow Dash barked at Applejack.

“Oh hush up,” Applejack snapped back. “She was the only unicorn we could find who had a special talent for magic, and even that was a long shot.”

“So, my little ponies,” Nightmare Moon began, ending the disagreement and forcing the five mares to take notice of her, “what am I going to do with you?”

“Do whatever you want, you can’t make us talk!” Dash shouted defiantly.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie agreed, only to look quizzically at Rainbow Dash a moment later. “Wait, what would we talk to her about?”

“Pinkie Pie, shhhh.”

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Your bickering alone is very amusing to me. How would you five like to be my personal court jesters? I’ll even let you have visitation rights with Twilight Sparkle.”

“Your Majesty, the law dictates that there is only one punishment for those who dare to attack you.”

Nightmare Moon turned her attention to the voice, seeing it was one of her body guards. She was surprised they had actually lingered nearby after her faked defeat. She would have expected them to bolt for the castle to inform Spell Nexus of what had happened. Still, they had remained and were now bowing down to her respectfully.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Nightmare Moon turned her attention away from the guards that were interrupting her fun. “Let me guess, this is one of Nexus’s laws.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” one of her guards confirmed.

“And what does this law say?”

“That any pony that attacks your royal grace is to meet the gallows,” the other guard answered.

“Did… did he just say… gallows?” Rarity asked in a hushed, disbelieving whisper.

Applejack nodded. “He… he did, sugarcube.”

“B-b-but what about the animals at my cottage?” Fluttershy asked as she started to tear up in panic. “There are some that need their medicine. I have to go take care of them. There is a little ferret that needs his bandages changed a-and there are song birds that are just about ready to take their first flight. What will happen if I’m not there to catch them if they fall?”

“You be strong, sugarcube. I promise all those little animals will get along just fine,” Applejack tried to reassure her. “Just… just like how Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith will get along. It will be hard, ‘specially when the next Applebucking Season comes. I-I don’t think Big Macintosh will be able to handle all them trees himself, but Apple Bloom's gettin’ big. She’ll be buckin’ apples any year now. She’ll be able to help.”

“But… but I can’t go to the gallows!” Rarity wailed in a panic. “I just can’t! I can’t leave my family behind like that!”

“And who will throw the parties when I’m gone?” Pinkie Pie asked, her usually curly hair starting to deflate and fall straight. “Who's going to make the cake when I'm gone? The Cakes will have their anniversary party soon, and there is a wedding party that we have to cater, and then there is a birthday party for Lyra, and—”

“What’s wrong with all of you!?” Rainbow Dash bellowed at her friends. She got to her hooves and flared her wings. “We can’t give up! We can take her without the elements!”

Rainbow Dash leapt at Nightmare Moon. She arched her hoof back, making it very clear she intended to punch Nightmare Moon square in the jaw. Nightmare Moon, however, made no effort to dodge or duck Rainbow Dash’s attack, for she didn’t have to.

Before Rainbow could lay a hoof on Nightmare Moon, the two royal guards rushed forward and tackled her. They pinned Rainbow Dash against the ground, and even though she struggled to try and free herself, the stallions were too strong. She had no hope to escape, and finally the reality of the situation started to settle in. “We… we’ve lost.”

Applejack sniffled and rubbed her hoof across her nose. She was doing her best not to cry, to be the strong one for her friends, but she was losing that fight. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but that’s what it looks like.”

“But this isn’t fair,” Dash complained. She began to struggle against the guards again as tears formed in her eyes. “I was going to go to the Wonderbolt tryouts this summer. I was going to be a Wonderbolt, and I promised Scootaloo that I would teach her how to fly like I do when her wings were stronger. I promised her that I would, and… and who's going to clear the weather in Ponyville if I'm not around?”

Rainbow Dash’s questions were the final straw. Applejack, who had been struggling to be strong, broke like a thin twig. She began to cry with her friends, and Nightmare Moon watched as all five mares crumbled under the cost their attempted rebellion would incur. And, as she watched them, Nightmare Moon knew she should have been happy. She should have been enjoying the sight of their suffering.

Instead her chest felt tight, as if something had reached inside her and was now squeezing her heart. 

“My queen, shall we place them under arrest?” One of the guards asked.

Nightmare Moon opened her mouth to reply, but she could not bring herself to say “yes”. The words were too heavy on her tongue. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t force herself to do it. She could not doom them, Twilight’s friends, to a death at the gallows.

Thus, Nightmare Moon said the only thing she could. “No, you are to let them go.”

“WHAT!?”

The shouted question of disbelief had come from not just the guards, but from everypony who heard Nightmare Moon’s order. Mouths were hanging open in shock, eyes were wide in disbelief. None could believe what they had just heard, but Nightmare Moon confirmed what she said was true. 

“Yes, let them go. I am officially pardoning them as my first act as Queen of Equestria.”

“B-b-but, my Queen, the law says—” one of the guards tried to protest.

“Am I, or am I not, your queen?!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “Now, return to the castle and inform Nexus that I want him to take me through all the new laws he’s enacted, every single one of them.”

“But my Queen, we aren’t supposed to leave your side for any—”

“NOW!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, her angry shout punctuated by a lightning bolt directed at the hooves of the guards. The guards didn’t waste a moment after that. They took off and flew towards the now above ground castle as fast as their wings would carry them.

Nightmare Moon kept her eyes on the pegasi for a few more moments before turning her gaze down on the five mares who were staring back at her. They, along with the rest of the crowd, didn’t dare to say a word, fearful that a single utterance might change her mind. 

It was Rarity who finally dared to break the silence. “You’re… you’re letting us go?”

“It is a repayment of a debt and nothing more,” Nightmare Moon answered coldly as she spread her wings. “For the kindness you showed me when I was but a cowardly filly, I am now sparing your lives. Do not expect the same mercy should you try and rebel against me again.”

With those final words, Nightmare Moon took flight. She circled once over Ponyville, looking down at the crowd and seeing their fear-filled eyes. She then turned in the direction of her freshly-risen castle and flew towards it with the Elements of Harmony, along with Trixie’s hat and cape, floating in her magical mane.

===

With a flutter of wings, Nightmare Moon landed on her bedroom balcony and stepped inside. She floated the Elements of Harmony to a nearby dresser and tucked them away along with her armor. She removed her helmet last and hung it from a stud on the wall. Then she simply tossed Trixie’s hat and cape onto a table, intending to deal with them later.

The now armorless Nightmare Moon laid down on her bed, breathing out slowly as she sank into the softness of her blanket. She wanted nothing more than to simply sleep. Yet, as she tried to rest, she found sleep would not come easily.

Her mind began to turn. It went over her actions of the past few hours, and it was struggling to understand her recent choices.

First, she didn’t attack the guards. She could have easily sent the Children of Nightmare to the castle and seized it by force. In fact, that was what the royal guard expected her to do, to be a direct threat to them. Instead, she had gone a more subversive route. She had impersonated soldiers and infiltrated the castle, all so that she could get to Celestia without hurting anypony else.

Second, she didn’t kill Celestia or Luna. In her anger, she came close to finishing Celestia. All it would have taken was a flick of her sword, but then the princess said those words. Celestia made her think of Twilight and how she would react to the news that her mentor had been slain. Then, even during the fight with Luna, Celestia’s words rang out in her mind, and in the end she banished Luna to the moon just as she had banished Celestia to the sun.

Third, she had spared Twilight’s friends. In fact, she had let them go completely unpunished. Yes, she had the Elements of Harmony now, but would those mares ever truly accept her rule? Would they not attempt to free Twilight and retake the Elements? It would have made more sense to take them out… permanently.

Yet, like Luna and Celestia, she had spared them… just as she had spared Twilight. She should have struck Twilight Sparkle down the moment Nexus brought her to the throne room. In fact, she should have done it the night she was fully resurrected, when she found Twilight in the crowd. Yet, whenever her thoughts turned to such dark actions, such as taking the lives of those ponies, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Nightmare Moon violently shook her head. What was wrong with her? She was no longer that scared, crybaby Nyx. She was Nightmare Moon: Queen of Equestria and Bringer of the Night Eternal! She was the sole immortal alicorn left in the world, the most powerful pony that ever lived and ever would live!

She had won. In all aspects her victory was absolute. She had everything she ever wanted. Celestia and Luna were gone. She now held the Elements of Harmony, the one force that could defeat her. She was the one true Queen of Equestria, and she would reign for millennia to come. Even if she was unwilling to kill, she didn’t need to. Nopony in Equestria or the world would be able to defy her.

She had won, and that was all that mattered.