Past Sins
By Pen Stroke
Assisted By Batty Gloom
====

Chapter 16
To Harden a Soft Heart
====

For a full week, Nightmare Moon dutifully raised and lowered the sun, making the days pass as they did before her rule. She did little else, choosing to sequester herself in her chambers. She kept tabs on how the kingdom was being ruled and made sure Spell Nexus didn't overstep certain boundaries. Beyond that, Nightmare Moon could hardly bring herself to rise from her bed.

News had been spread that it was she who raised the sun, that it was by her choice that the eternal night ended. It had been some of the most startling news to ever hit Equestria, falling just short of Nightmare Moon’s very quick rise to power.

The reactions to the news were mixed.

The Children of Nightmare sulked, Nexus in particular, seeing her decision as a sign of weakness that needed to end. They would not dare to say such a thing to their queen's face, but she could hear whispers just as well as any regular pony.

The populace at large seemed uneasy, as if Nightmare Moon was only teasing them with a few sunny days. They believed she would bring back the eternal night without warning, that she was only playing some sick game, or that she had something far worse planned for Equestria.

And if there were some who truly appreciated her returning the sun to the sky each day, Nightmare Moon didn’t hear about them. Their voices were quiet whispers in a thunderous chorus of shouts from ponies who feared she would return the night eternal or demanded that she did.

It was a surrounding storm which only aggravated the one that billowed in Nightmare Moon's mind. She kept trying to understand why she felt the way she did. Her mind was filled with an endless merry-go-round of thoughts and questions, ones she could neither silence nor answer. It all lead to sleepless nights and her desire to do nothing more than hide in her bedchamber, lock the door, and pretend the world outside didn’t exist.

But at times, the world will not be ignored.

STOO-ONGK!!!

“Hey, I said you can't enter!”

“Grab her!”

TRISH! CLANG!! CLONK!!!

“Halt… I said HALT!”

“Watch it, she's making a run at the door!”

“Somepony get some pegasi and unicorns to help catch her!”

“Watch out!”

TRISH!! THRONG!! STREEECHK!!!! TISH!!!

“That… that's it! We got her! We've got her surrounded.”

“Nopony makes a fool out of us! You’re under arrest for trespassing on castle grounds! Everypony, rush her on three… two… one…”

“Rrrraaaahhh!!!”

KKKRRRAASSH-TRISSH

Nightmare Moon bolted from her bed, tired eyes narrowing into thin slits of anger. She moved to her balcony door and burst outside. She turned her gaze down on the castle courtyard below and took in the deepest breath she could manage. She then bellowed at the top of her lungs, not caring how early it was. The sheer volume of her voice undoubtedly scared awake some ponies in Ponyville.

“WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE!?”

All that answered was moaning and groaning. A large portion of the earth pony castle guards were piled on top of each other in the center of the main courtyard. Giggling and bouncing around them playfully, as if it was all a game, was Pinkie Pie.

“You ponies are silly! That isn't how you play tag.”

Nightmare Moon didn't know whether to be shocked at what she was seeing, to be enraged that her guards had been so easily defeated, or to drop on the ground and laugh her head off. A single hyper, pink pony had just bested her soldiers without meaning to. The world could probably be on the verge of ending, and Pinkie Pie would still be Pinkie Pie.

“HALT!” Several fresh voices shouted. The unicorns of the castle’s garrison rushed forward into the courtyard, horns already glowing as pegasi began to circle in the sky above. Nightmare Moon had little doubt they were preparing to either grab Pinkie Pie or use far more dangerous tactics to stop the bouncing intruder.

Pinkie Pie, however, didn’t seem to register the danger she was in, her smile growing larger. “Oh, do you guys want to play tag too? Okay, but remember that I'm ‘it’ and you have to run away from me. These ponies just didn't get it; they kept running towards me.”

“This is no game; you are trespassing in the royal castle of Queen Nightmare Moon. Surrender now!”

“Guards, at ease.”

Nightmare Moon glided down and landed in the courtyard. The unicorns quickly ended the spells they were about to cast, and the pegasi who had been circling above landed. They all bowed to their queen as one guard spoke. “Your Highness, this pony has trespassed in your royal castle!”

“Yes, I can see that,” Nightmare Moon replied, looking down at Pinkie Pie. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I came here to see you, but when I asked the guards, they told me—” Pinkie Pie puffed out her chest and began speaking with a gruff voice. ‘No, any petitioners that want an audience with the glorious Nightmare Moon must make an appointment that must then be approved by Spell Nexus.’”

“But then,” Pinkie Pie continued with her normal, energetic tone. “I told them that I wasn't a medical practitioner and that, if I wanted to be part of an audience, I'd go watch a fun play, or maybe listen to a band. All I wanted was to talk to you, but they told me to go away.

“But I really need to talk to you, so I didn't leave,” Pinkie Pie continued to babble. “Then they opened the gates to make me leave, and I decided that, if they were silly enough to leave the castle gates open, then they probably didn't mind if I came inside. And then all these silly guards started chasing me, and before I knew it, we were having a great game of tag.”

Nightmare Moon lifted a hoof to her mouth, trying her very best not to laugh in front of her guards. She didn't know what it was that she found so funny, but she could not deny it was a struggle to keep her giggles under control. With a forced cough, she regained her serious expression and looked down at Pinkie Pie. “Why do you want to see me?”

“To give you this,” Pinkie Pie replied. She reach into her curly tail, rummaged around, and pulled out an envelope. She held it gingerly in her teeth, presenting it to Nightmare Moon. All the guards turned and watched their queen, who stared dumbfounded. An envelope was one of the last things she would have expected Pinkie Pie to give her, but, then again, being unpredictable was Pinkie Pie’s nature. 

Knowing Pinkie would not depart until the letter was read, Nightmare Moon called on her magic and levitated the envelope to her face. She lifted the flap, which had been held down with a happy face sticker, and removed the contents. It was a bright pink piece of paper decorated with laughing balloons, flowers, and brightly smiling colts and fillies. It was… an invitation to Twist’s birthday party.

In a flash, the mild humor Nightmare Moon found in the situation was replaced with seething anger. She threw the invitation onto the ground and stomped on it with a hoof. “What cruel joke is this?!”

“Joke? What joke? Did somepony tell a joke?” Pinkie Pie asked before she gasped and smiled. “Ooooooo, was it a knock knock joke? I love knock knock jokes! My absolute favorite goes like this. The first pony says 'knock knock', and the other pony says 'who's there', and then the first pony says—”

“PINKIE PIE!” Nightmare Moon snapped, causing most of her guards, as well as Pinkie Pie, to jump. “I'm talking about the invitation.”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Oh, that's not a joke, silly.”

“Do you think I am so foalish?! Why would I want to attend some filly's birthday party? Why would Twist even want me there? What makes you think I'd believe her parents would even allow her to send an invitation to me? I should lock you in the dungeon for this cruel prank!”

Pinkie Pie’s smile, which she had worn since Nightmare Moon’s arrival, faded. “But… this isn't a prank.”

“Then tell me the truth!”

Pinkie Pie looked skyward, as if she was going to pluck something from the clouds. “Okay. Let me see… uh… you asked a lot of questions, but I’ll try to answer them all. No, I don't think you’re foalish. You're too big to be a filly, let alone a foal. Why would you want to attend a party? Well it’s a party, and everypony likes parties. Why did Twist want to invite you? She said it's because she never saw you at the block party we had when the sun came up again.

“As for Twist's parents,” Pinkie Pie continued, “ they kind of don't know she sent you an invitation. The party's going to be at Sugarcube Corner, so I was handing out all the invitations, and Twist asked if I had an extra one. I told her I did, and she asked if I would bring it to you.

“And, honestly, I wasn't sure at first. I mean, parties are always more fun when there are more ponies, but even I didn't think it was a good idea to invite you. But then Twist told me that you weren't really as mean as everypony thinks you are, and that she still wanted you at her party. So I smiled, and I told her, 'Silly filly, I always have ten extra invitations just in case'. So after delivering all the other invitations, I bounced right over here to bring you yours!

“So, are you going to come? It's today, and it's going to be a lot of fun.”

Nightmare Moon stared at Pinkie Pie’s expectant smile, glanced to see that the eyes of the guards were on her, and then looked down to the smashed invitation. She carefully picked it up and worked to straighten it with her magic. The laughing balloons, the smiling flowers, and the swirling letters that adorned the page were now marred with dirt and creases, but the promises of games, cake, and happiness remained. 

It was a truly inviting invitation, the happiest Nightmare Moon had ever seen. Still, that didn’t stop her from folding the paper and holding it out to Pinkie Pie. “I am not going,” she flatly announced.

Pinkie Pie’s face fell into a disappointed frown. “Aw, why not? Twist was really hoping you would come. She promised to make lots of peppermint sticks. She said you liked them.”

“Tell Twist thank you for the invitation, but I cannot attend,’” Nightmare Moon reiterated.

“Well… okay,” Pinkie Pie replied. She took the invitation and slipped it back into the curly hair of her tail. “It’s still a party, even if all the guests can’t come. Still, there's always room for more ponies at a party. So, if you want to come, the party’s going to be today at noon. Feel free to just drop by if you want. I know Twist will be super happy if she thinks you’re not coming, and then you do come. It will be like a surprise!

“Well, I’ve got to get back to Sugarcube Corner,” Pinkie Pie chirped, spinning on her hooves. “See you later, Queen Nyxie.” With that, she started bouncing away, heading out the castle’s front gates and down the road to Ponyville.

“Your Majesty, would you like us to pursue and arrest her?” one of the unicorn guards asked.

“That depends. Do you think you can actually catch her?” Nightmare Moon asked, looking at the pile of soldiers that were just starting to get back on their hooves. “And do you want to risk looking like foals if you can't?”

The guards glanced at each other and decided quietly to go back to their normal patrols. Soon, the humorous distraction Pinkie Pie had caused was washed away by the return of the castle’s normal staunchness… and, for a moment, Nightmare Moon wished that Pinkie Pie had stayed for just a little longer.

===

Nightmare Moon returned to her bed chamber, intending to resume her depressed wallowing. She laid down on her bed, shut her eyes, and relinquished herself to her thoughts. Thoughts that, before Pinkie Pie's interruption, had been an endless stream of questions to which Nightmare Moon had no answers.

Yet those thoughts, those torturous thoughts, were now being pushed back. Like a brave hero facing a pack of wolves, something in her mind was fighting against the dark, clinging emotions that had been weighing her down.

Twist wanted Nightmare Moon to come to her birthday party. She had never been to a birthday party before, and she couldn't deny that some part of her was finding the invitation strangely tempting. For a moment, the full grown alicorn was a filly again, letting herself fantasize about what the party would be like. What kind of cake would be there? Would there be games?

Of course there would be games! If Pinkie Pie was involved then there would, at the very least, be Pin the Tail on the Pony. She might have even hung up a pinata!

The fantasies of the party died as Nightmare Moon looked at herself in her bedroom mirror and was forced to remember she wasn't Nyx anymore. She wasn't a filly; she was the Queen of Equestria. She was Nightmare Moon, the bringer of the eternal night, the monster who banished Celestia and Luna to the sun and moon. According to Nexus, the Children of Nightmare, and most of Equestria, she was supposed to be an evil tyrant. Heartless, cold, and—

Nightmare Moon looked away from the mirror in aggravation. She was tired of this, tired of being pulled in two very different directions. She was tired of… of having to keep her friends and mother imprisoned in the dungeons. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo deserved to go to that party more than she did.

Nightmare Moon paused on that thought and began to smile. She could not go to the party. She’d never hear the end of it from Spell Nexus, but… perhaps there was something else she could do for Twist to make the day extra special.

===

KNOCK… KNOCK…

Pinkie Pie bounced over to the front door of Sugarcube Corner, opening it with a bright smile. Twist’s birthday party was in full swing, the only unaccounted-for guest being Nightmare Moon. Twist was having a good time though, and the music and happiness within the bakery flowed out into the street as Pinkie Pie held the door open.

“Hi, what can I do for you stallions?”

A pair of Nightmare Moon’s royal guards remained stone-faced, stepping to the side to reveal a large birthday present, wrapped in purple wrapping paper and blue ribbons with a few holes in the top.

“We were ordered to deliver this present to a filly named Twist and see to it that she opened it immediately.”

“A surprise present! Oh, that's so fun! Just a second,” Pinkie Pie replied. She galloped back into the party, and, in moments, she had found the guest of honor. With little warning, Pinkie whisked Twist away from the conversation she was having and brought her to the large present that sat on the front step.

“Whoa, is that for me?” Twist asked when she saw the present, which was larger than she was.

Pinkie Pie motioned towards the guards. “That's what they said, and they also said you had to open it right away. Sooooo… open it, open it!”

Twist nodded, just as eager as Pinkie Pie to see what was inside. She took hold of one of the loose bits of ribbon with her teeth and pulled until the bow on top came untied. Then, without warning, the top of the box exploded, shooting confetti everywhere as three figures popped up, smiling ear to ear.

“Happy Birthday!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo cheered in unison as they held their front legs over their heads with excited fanfare.

“OH MY GOSH!” Twist shouted, practically leaping at the three fillies. “I thought you girls were all out of town!”

“Well, we were, but… let's just say Nyx helped us get back home early,” Apple Bloom lied.

“This is so awesome!” Twist exclaimed. “The only way it could be better was if Nyx was able to come.”

“Sorry, Twist, but she can't,” Sweetie Belle said as she and the other Crusaders got out of the large present. “But Nyx wanted us to tell you she really wanted to come.”

“Yeah, and she also sent you a present… well, a present besides us. It's in the bottom of the box.”

“Oh, I'll get it,” Pinkie Pie chirped. She bounded into the air before diving into the larger box. A moment later, she resurfaced holding a much more reasonably sized present in her teeth. She set it down in front of Twist, and the birthday filly eagerly began to open her gift. She removed the wrapping, pulled open the folds of the box, and dipped her head inside to see what was hidden within.

“What is it? What is it?” Apple Bloom asked.

Twist brought her head back out of the box, licking some chocolate off her lips. “It's fudge, and it's really good.”

“Can I have some?” Scootaloo asked, quickly zipping over to the side of the present.

“Sure,” Twist replied, letting each of the Crusaders and Pinkie Pie dig into the present and take one of the carefully cut squares. Soon, all their eyes lit up, having never tasted such amazing fudge before.

===

A strong frown hung on Nexus's face as he descended a spiraling stone staircase in the castle. He was not accompanied by his personal guards and had adjusted the castle’s patrols. He needed to have a private conversation with a particular mare, and he did not want to be interrupted.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Nexus strode along the empty cells of the castle dungeon until he reached the one at the very end. Twilight Sparkle was sitting up in her cot when he stepped in front of the bars, and he met her gaze with a cold, hateful glare.

“This is all your fault,” Nexus seethed.

“Well that's wonderfully specific,” Twilight sassed. “And just what is 'all my fault'?”

“Do you realize what Nightmare Moon did today?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. All I know is that she came to take Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo away. She didn't tell me what she was going to do with them.”

“Well, I'll tell you what she did,” Nexus forced out through gritted teeth before he leaned in and pressed his nose through the bars. “She. Let. Them. GO!”

A smile blossomed on Twilight’s face as she stood from her cot. “She did?”

“Yes, but it wasn't just that,” Nexus growled, pacing in front of the cell. “No, she wrapped those fillies up in a present and then wasted the time of two of her soldiers by having them deliver the present to a birthday party. She also sent another gift: fudge made by the royal chef.”

The smile on Twilight's face turned to a wide grin, and she gave one of her forelegs a triumphant swing. “That's my girl.”

“NO!” Nexus snapped. His voice filled the dungeon, and it echoed with his rage. “The queen is in no way your daughter, no matter what lies you filled her head with! If anything, you have ruined her.

“It is you who softened her heart and filled her mind with notions of compassion and laughter. It is you who taught her to love the sun, who allowed her to have friends. Friends only bring weakness. A true queen must think only of the kingdom and her own wishes, but, now, Nightmare Moon is so soft-hearted she is sending birthday presents to a little filly!”

Twilight snorted at Nexus dismissively. “Say what you want, Spell Nexus, but I'm proud of her. She’s not listening to her old memories or your insane suggestions. She’s choosing to listen to her conscience and do what she knows is right. At this rate it won’t be long until Nyx will—”

“SHE IS NOT NYX!” Nexus interrupted with a bellow. “She is Nightmare Moon! She is meant to bring the eternal night to Equestria, and she is to make the ponies of this kingdom suffer for how they scorned her in the past! She is meant to make you and your friends pay for defeating her with the Elements of Harmony. That is what Nightmare Moon should be doing.”

“That is what Nightmare Moon would do, but the pony you call queen is not her anymore. She is her own mare, and she can choose for herself who she wants to be,” Twilight smiled, leaning into the bars as she looked Nexus dead in the eye. “And right now Nyx is choosing to be the pony she wants to be, not the monster you’ve been trying to make her.”

Nexus shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, biting back a scream of rage. He stomped his hooves, tossed his head, and fought against the urge to strangle Twilight Sparkle where she sat. He even began to reach out towards her with his magic, but, after a few tense moments, Nexus calmed himself down. He was still angry, but now the anger was back under control, allowing him to refocus his glare.

“I do not know why I am so surprised. You were a student of Celestia, the bleeding heart who used to sit upon Equestria's throne. The one who sought peace above all else, who did not see that, under proper leadership, Equestria could rise to control so much more, to be so much more.

“And, as the teacher passed the lessons onto the student, so too did the student pass on the poisoned knowledge of kindness to the filly in her care. Even after my queen was reborn, even when Nightmare Moon returned as the mare she was meant to be, you did not stop. You came to the castle speaking apologies and sweet words. It was you who refreshed the poison of kindness in Nightmare Moon's veins.”

“And what does that say about you, Headmaster Spell Nexus?” Twilight rebutted. “You were once Princess Celestia’s student just like I am now! She taught you, mentored you, and made you the headmaster of her school. How could you betray the princesses?”

“Mine was not the first betrayal!” Spell Nexus raged. He slammed a hoof against the bars, causing Twilight to flinch and flatten her ears. “Celestia betrayed me! She knew full well what the shreds of Nightmare Moon contained. She sent me to explore that magic, but I was to be nothing more than a sacrificial lamb sent to slaughter. It was Nightmare Moon who spared me, who showed me mercy, who showed me the error of my ways.” He breathed heavily through his mouth. His exertion had caused some ragged bits of his mane to fall into his face, giving him a deranged appearance as he glared at Twilight.

“But perhaps you are right.” He raised a hoof to his head, brushing back some of the lose strands of his mane. “Perhaps I too have been kind to our queen. Perhaps I too am still afflicted by Celestia’s poison. I have followed my queen, bowed to her, and given her what she’s wanted. However, what Nightmare Moon wants is not what she needs. She needs to be the queen she can be. She needs to be cured of the kindness that possesses her. 

“And I know just the remedy,” Nexus said. His horn glowed as he clicked open the lock on the cell. Twilight quickly retreated, pressing herself against the back wall of the cell as Nexus moved slowly towards her. His dark shadow fell upon her, and his turquoise eyes flashed menacingly.

“If… if you hurt me, Nyx will—”

“Oh, you misunderstand, Twilight Sparkle. I have no intention of hurting you. In fact, quite the opposite. After all, there is no better cure for a soft heart than to be betrayed by one you hold dear.”

===

“And she wouldn't say why she wanted to see me?”

“No,” Nexus replied. He walked alongside Nightmare Moon as the pair descended into the dungeon. “The guards only reported that she started screaming, demanding to see you. I would not have brought it to your attention, but she has refused to eat.”

“I thank you for alerting me to this, Nexus,” Nightmare Moon replied, “but I would have you wait at the bottom of the stairwell. I will speak with Twilight Sparkle alone.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” Nexus agreed as the two reached the dungeon. As he was asked, Nexus remained at the base of the steps while Nightmare Moon walked to the far end of the hall. She turned to look into the last cell and saw Twilight was lying on her cot. Her body was almost completely covered by her blanket, and she was facing the wall.

“You wanted to see me?” Nightmare Moon spoke softly, wishing to keep Nexus from overhearing the conversation.

Twilight groaned weakly before she began speaking. “Yes… please, the… the guards… they…”

Nightmare Moon felt her heart skip a beat. She opened the cell door without hesitation and rushed in. “Did they hurt you?”

Twilight mumbled something, but Nightmare Moon didn't hear. She bent close, bringing her head next to Twilight’s.

“Did the guards do something to you?” Nightmare Moon asked, still speaking softly, but with a firm undertone.

“I'm sorry… I'm sorry…”

Nightmare Moon nuzzled Twilight’s neck reassuringly. “Twilight, no, whatever they did to you, it wasn't your fault.”

“I'm sorry… that I ever found you in the forest.”

In but a single breath, Nightmare Moon felt the atmosphere in the cell change. The panic and fear she felt for Twilight was replaced with dread, and, within moments of that last whispered word escaping Twilight's lips, Nightmare Moon felt a searing pain in her right shoulder.

She jumped back, stumbled, and fell onto the floor of the cell. She looked back at her shoulder where a large gash was now visible. It was painful, one of the few times Nightmare Moon had felt physical pain since her resurrection.

Looking back at Twilight, Nightmare Moon saw her getting up from her cot slowly. The anti-magic collar that was supposed to be around her neck was lying on her pillow, and, in the air beside her head, Twilight held a thin magical dagger. It was a much smaller version of the spell Nightmare Moon used to form a sword to fight Celestia, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous.

“What are you doing?” Nightmare Moon asked. She scrambled to try and get to her hooves, but the small space of the cell was making it difficult for her to maneuver.

Twilight took a step towards Nightmare Moon as she kept the dagger held aloft. “Fixing my mistake.”

“M-m-mistake?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied as she continued her slow approach. “You’re a monster, you’re a tyrant, and I should have never saved you from the forest.”

“Twilight… Twilight, what’s wrong? Why— why are you…” Nightmare Moon stuttered out. Her voice grew weak as she began to hyperventilate. “It’s… i-it’s me… it’s Nyx… d-don’t you remember—”

“I remember perfectly what you’ve done. You took over Equestria. You banished my mentor to the sun and brought eternal night. You locked up three innocent fillies and made me promise them everything would be all right before you took them away.”

Nightmare Moon continued to panic, struggling to get to her hooves. She pushed herself against a wall of the cell. “I took them away to let them go. I let them go, Twilight. You have to believe me. You… y-you always believed me.”

Twilight stood over Nightmare Moon, and Equestria’s queen saw nothing of the care and compassion she once knew. Instead, Twilight’s purple eyes were filled with nothing but hatred and murderous intent. “That’s what being in this dungeon has helped me realize, that I never should have believed or trusted you. That you were, you are… and you always will be a monster, and I’m ashamed that I ever called you my daughter.”

“N-n-n-no… n-n-n-no,” Nightmare Moon began to weep. “Twilight… Twilight don’t say that! Please, please don’t say that! I-I-I’m sorry I did all this! Just, please! Don’t say that! I’m sorry!”

“There is no forgiveness,” Twilight said coldly. She began to raise the dagger. “I can never forgive myself for believing you were anything but a monster… and now, I’m going to fix my mistake. I’m going to fix. It. All.”

“NOOOO!!!” Nightmare Moon cried out. Her voice echoed the pain of her heart, which threatened to shatter. Twilight, however, did not falter nor slow. She held the dagger high and aimed for Nightmare Moon’s neck. Yet, before Twilight could strike, Spell Nexus appeared at the cell door. Drawn to his queen’s side by her cry, Nexus wrapped his magic around Twilight and pinned her against the wall.

“GUARDS! The Queen has been injured!” Nexus shouted out. Within moments, a patrol of soldiers arrived. The guards escorted Nightmare Moon from the cell while Nexus re-secured the anti-magic brace to Twilight’s neck. Then, he slammed the door shut, and turned to follow the royal guards as they carried Nightmare Moon away.

Nexus, however, didn’t follow too closely. After all, he didn’t want the guards, or his queen, noticing his grin.

===

Nightmare Moon lay on her bed, head resting on her tear-soaked pillow as she hugged her Twilight Sparkle doll to her chest. She had not moved for hours. Her world, in a single brief moment, had been shattered. The one solid, constant foundation she had been able to rely on through the chaos of becoming queen had crumbled.

Twilight had attacked her. Twilight had called her a monster. Twilight… was ashamed of her.

Those thoughts hurt more than the wound in Nightmare Moon’s shoulder, which had been bandaged and cared for. It was a pain in her chest, like somepony had stabbed her in the heart with a dagger and was now twisting it. Twilight, the one who always believed she was still Nyx, the one who raised her as Nyx, had turned her back on her.

She really was a monster; who was she trying to fool by pretending otherwise? She was Nightmare Moon, the Queen of Equestria, one of the most wicked beings that Equestria had ever known. Any hopes or desires to the contrary were nothing but lies and falsehoods she was creating for herself. If Twilight… if even Twilight was unable to see her as anything else, then she had no hope.

She was Nightmare Moon and there was no escaping it.

Shuddering as a fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes, Nightmare Moon turned over on her bed, trying to find a dry patch on her pillow to rest her head on. Her eyes flicked to the clock, allowing her to see she had spent the whole afternoon just lying there. It honestly had felt much longer than that.

The clock showed it was almost time for the sunset. Nightmare Moon was tempted to just blow it off, to leave the world in the amber glow of early evening, but she had a responsibility to Equestria. Even if Twilight hated her, even if everypony thought she was a monster, she wouldn’t let them down. She’d guide the sun and moon through their cycle.

It was the one thing she seemed to be able to do that didn’t make somepony hate her even more.

Taking in a deep breath, Nightmare Moon had to draw upon every ounce of energy she had left to haul herself up from the bed and walk slowly to her balcony. The afternoon in bed had been anything but restful. She was exhausted. As soon as she was on her hooves, she wanted to lay back down.

Yet she found the strength to reach her bedroom’s balcony and step into the cool evening air. She turned her gaze to the west, where the sun was waiting to be tucked below the horizon. The sky was already starting to glow with the warm, golden colors of sunset.

Thankfully, Nightmare Moon only needed to nudge the sun with her magic. The golden orb seemed all too willing to sink below the horizon, and the moon was just as compliant. The pair exchanged dominance of the sky, and, for a moment, Nightmare Moon lingered to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful sight, one she enjoyed for a few minutes before she turned away. 

She had every intention of going back to her bed and hugging her Twilight Sparkle doll to her chest once more. Yet, just as Nightmare Moon turned, she noticed something out of the ordinary. There was a huge crowd of ponies outside the castle gates, and, on top of the gatehouse, Spell Nexus was standing with a large contingent of soldiers. The gatehouse itself had also been modified. Jutting out from the top of the battlements was a platform, a simple structure of wood timbers, and a rope.

A hanging noose and gallows had been built over the edge of the castle gates, and there was a pony about to be executed. She stood on the very edge of the platform with the noose around her neck. She was mere moments from being shoved, moments from falling to her death, and yet the mare was looking back over her shoulder.

She was staring straight at Nightmare Moon.

===

Spell Nexus made every attempt to remain stoic and serious, to be professional, but he could not contain his giddiness. This was it, this was what he needed and hoped for. It had all worked beautifully. He was going to be rid of Twilight Sparkle, the mare that was injecting the poison of kindness into his queen, once and for all. 

Nexus moved to the edge of the castle’s gatehouse, looking over the beautiful set of gallows that had been constructed over the course of the afternoon. A single long, thin wooden platform extended from the top of the gatehouse outwards over the waiting crowd of ponies below. Above the platform were a number of thick timbers, constructed and laid out to support a single, hanging rope.

The rope itself was long, and its free end had been tied into a noose. Nexus had measured the rope himself. Once a pony was pushed off the platform, they would fall almost all the way to the ground. Then, just before their hooves would reach the ground, the rope would snap taut. The victim would be dead almost instantly, but, more importantly, they would hang in clear view of the ponies watching below.

It was a thing of beauty.

Oh, if only he could have brought the Canterlot Royal Guard down to Ponyville for this. After he had showed them the light, they had been a powerful force. They, under Shining Armor’s leadership, had kept Canterlot under control. Princess Cadance’s own rebel forces had been stopped numerous times by her husband’s keen military experience.

That, unfortunately, was also the reason the Canterlot Royal Guard needed to stay in the capitol, but it didn’t stop Spell Nexus from imaging what it would be like if they were there. They would stand across the walls, looking down upon the citizens below. They would be dressed in the armor of their queen, and their old uniforms would be decaying in a junk heap. The residents of Ponyville would loose all hope if they saw the ponies who once defended the princesses now stood with Nightmare Moon. 

The sound of marching hooves drew Spell Nexus from his daydream and focused his attention on a quarter of the guards. They were just reaching the top of the stairs that connected the castle battlement’s to the courtyard below, and standing between them was a particular purple unicorn.

Spell Nexus smiled as he looked over Twilight Sparkle. Her ankles were shackled in heavy irons, and she had an anti-magic collar around her neck. While he knew she wouldn’t resist, the heavy restraints sent a message. It sent a message that would reverberate across Equestria.

The ponies would look upon his queen and the Children of Nightmare with the fear and respect they deserved. They would inspire fear and loyalty even if her highness continued to raise the sun. That small act of kindness could possibly turn into a very convincing bit of leverage. After all, the threat of an eternal night still lingered. Should the ponies try to stand up or revolt, Nightmare Moon would be able to bring back the eternal night until their spirits and wills were broken.

Yet all of that was just frosting on the cake. Nightmare Moon would once again act like the queen she was meant to be. Twilight’s betrayal would harden Nightmare Moon’s soft heart. Yes, it had pained Nexus to let Twilight cause his queen harm, but it had to be done.

As Nexus contemplated all this, Twilight had been guided out to the edge of the platform. There she stood, eyes shut as she faced the crowd who looked on in disbelief and worry. Some even began to call out in protest, but a few quick passes by the castle’s pegasus guards silenced those that would speak out against the execution.

Twilight was going to fall with the last traces of the sun, and, with the sun halfway set, it was time for Nexus to begin his speech. He moved to the edge of the castle battlements and cast a spell to magically amplify his voice. He then spoke, letting his words flow out across the crowd.

“Twilight Sparkle, you are accused of attempting to assassinate her royal majesty, the regent of the sun and moon, our beloved Nightmare Moon. Do you deny these charges as I have read them?”

“No,” Twilight answered, her voice hollow and flat.

“Then, for your crimes against the crown and kingdom, you are hereby sentenced to execution by hanging immediately.” Horn glowing, Nexus secured the noose around Twilight’s neck. “Do you have any final words?”

For the first time since she had been guided to the gallows, Twilight turned and opened her eyes. She looked at Nexus. She stared at him as if she was truly trying to say something. Yet, her mouth never opened, and, eventually, she shook her head once.

Nexus smiled and nodded approvingly before stepping back. He prepared a wave of magic that would shove Twilight Sparkle from the edge of the platform. At the same time, Twilight turned to look forward again. Yet, as she turned, her eyes drifted. She caught sight of Nightmare Moon watching from a distant castle balcony. Their eyes locked, and Nightmare Moon visibly bristled.

It was in that moment, as Nightmare Moon began to spread her wings, that their eye contact was broken. It was in that moment, with his smile cracking into a malicious grin, that Spell Nexus shoved Twilight off the platform. It was in that moment that Twilight Sparkle began to fall.

Gasps cascaded from everypony watching as Twilight flew limply through the air. The slack on the long rope began to disappear, beginning its own silent countdown before it would snap taut. Some ponies below hid their eyes, unable to watch what was about to occur. Others were unable to look away no matter how hard they tried.

Further and further Twilight fell as the rope ate up its slack. Nexus moved to the edge of the gatehouse and watched as his moment of triumph drew closer. His eager eyes betrayed the fact that he was enjoying the execution, that he was drinking in every moment.

The rope was about to snap taut; the air was about to be filled with the sickening crack of a breaking neck. Nexus held his breath, bit his lip. No one, neither the guards on the walls nor the ponies below, dared to blink.

And then… it didn't happen.

For a moment, the crowd, guards, and Nexus had to stare at the rope when what they expected to happen didn’t occur. There was no snap of the rope or crack of a neck. The rope just swung lazily back and forth. The unicorn and noose that had once been at the end it had vanished, gone so fast that nopony had been able to see what had happened.

Nexus was the first to speak, his angry bellow echoing across the castle grounds.

“WHERE DID SHE GO!?!?!”

===

Nightmare Moon had never moved so fast or put so much magic into becoming a cloud of energy. She had never managed to create a doppelganger – a fake Nightmare Moon she left in her bedroom in case Nexus came looking for her – so quickly. She had never done so much so quickly, and it had been a painful strain on her magic.

But she had done it. She had saved Twilight.

She was currently carrying Twilight away from Ponyville; the indigo cloud that was her body flying off into the Everfree Forest. Almost instinctively, she found her way to the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It was someplace forgotten. There would be no ponies around, and Nexus wouldn’t send soldiers so deep into the forest. Nightmare Moon had little doubt that he was already sending out troops to find the pony that was supposed to be hanging from the other end of his rope.

Moving to the most intact part of the castle, Nightmare Moon entered the old throne room. It had been the place of her greatest defeat, but, at the moment, she didn’t care. She very carefully deposited Twilight on the floor before letting her body re-solidify.

Once her hooves were on solid ground again, Nightmare Moon rushed over to Twilight. She removed the shackles and anti-magic brace and tossed the hunks of metal away. Next, she gingerly lifted the noose from Twilight’s neck and tossed it away as well. She did not want to even look at the horrible piece of rope for a moment longer than she needed to.

With that, Twilight was free, but Nightmare Moon held her breath. What would the mare do? Would she try to attack again? Nightmare Moon wasn’t sure she could bear being attacked by Twilight a second time, verbally or physically. Still, she had to be sure Twilight was safe. She just had to be sure.

After a few moments, Twilight began to recover from being whisked away so abruptly from her own execution. Nightmare Moon was thankful for the sign of life, but, when Twilight opened her eyes, Nightmare Moon saw Twilgith’s irises were not purple, but, instead, were a familiar turquoise.

Twilight had turquoise eyes. Nexus had blessed her, and, like any loyal member of the Children of Nightmare, the first thing Twilight did when she got back to her hooves was bow to her queen. 

Nightmare Moon’s mind buzzed. Was that why Twilight had attacked? Was Nexus behind it? She had wondered what being blessed did. Spell Nexus always said it opened a pony’s mind to the wisdom of her rule. She had wondered if the blessing did more than that. Unfortunately, whenever she asked about it, Nexus always assured her otherwise.

A flutter of hope came to life in Nightmare Moon’s chest. If Twilight was blessed, there was a chance that she really didn’t mean what she had said. Maybe there was also a chance she could fix things; maybe she could undo what Nexus had done.

Twilight was still bowing respectfully, and, after taking a moment to steady herself, Nightmare Moon sat down in front of her and cleared her throat. “Please… rise,” she said, and Twilight did. She stood up, her turquoise eyes once again locked with the gaze of Nightmare Moon.

“Why did you attack me?”

“Spell Nexus instructed me on how to form a magical dagger. He told me to attack you, so you would remember the mare you are meant to be, so that I could no longer poison you with kindness,” Twilight answered flatly, as a peasant would speak to royalty. “He told me what to say, and I said it so that you would be able to become the queen you were meant to be.”

“And your eyes, why were they were purple in the cell?”

“All of the Children of Nightmare can hide their blessed eyes, and Spell Nexus instructed me to keep my eyes disguised while you were in my cell. Once the deed was done, he gave me permission to return my eyes to this color. He said that I had done well and that he would allow me the honor of dying as a member of the revered Children of Nightmare,” Twilight answered.

“And did Nexus do something to you before that?” Nightmare Moon asked, a small tremor entering her voice.

Twilight nodded. “He came to my cell in the dungeon and offered me the blessing of your magic. I then saw that you truly are meant to be Equestria’s one and only queen. That is your destiny, and I had no right keeping you from it.”

“No… no, you had every right,” Nightmare Moon whispered. She wanted to cry, but she forced herself to stay strong. She couldn’t be weak, not now… not when Twilight needed her. She steeled herself and continued to question the blessed Twilight.

“How did Spell Nexus bless you? Nexus has never let me see the blessing ritual, so tell me how it is done.”

“Nexus opened his mouth, and a small black cloud slipped out. He then bit down, cutting off a piece of that cloud. The vapor then entered my mouth, and, after a few moments, I saw the truth.”

“Your mouth,” Nightmare Moon echoed, licking her lips as she shifted anxiously. “Twilight, I’m going to try something… and, if it works, you should be your old self again… but… it may not work. Do you trust me?”

“Of course, my Queen.” 

Nightmare Moon felt her chest tighten. She had been given permission, but not by the real Twilight. The blessing was in control. The blessing was making her just another obedient member of the Children of Nightmare, and it made Nightmare Moon that much more anxious. She didn’t know a thing about the blessing. She could do more harm than good. For all she knew, the real Twilight was gone forever. Still, seeing Twilight bowed before her, Nightmare Moon knew one thing. 

She had to at least try.

Slowly, Nightmare Moon reached out and surrounded Twilight with her magical mane, cradling her as gently as possible. As the magical aura engulfed Twilight, she took in a deep breath. The truth was that Nightmare Moon no longer had any real hair. Her tail and mane were nothing more than pure magic, a manifestation of the incredible power at her disposal. Her mystical “hair” flowed, ebbed, and was able to phase through solid matter. It was why her mane flowed through her helmet, always visible no matter what she chose to wear.

Now Nightmare Moon was going to try to phase her mane through Twilight’s body. She believed it would work, but she could not be totally sure. A living body was different from the metal of her helmet, and the magical mane could easily do more harm than good. Still, as she gently lifted Twilight off the ground, Nightmare Moon felt she had no other choice.

Taking one more breath to calm her nerves, Nightmare Moon began to phase her magical mane through Twilight’s torso, near her heart. At the same time, she used her tail to hold her adoptive mother aloft.

Despite Nightmare Moon’s hopes, her magic passed through Twilight’s torso without obstruction. She could not sense anything and was unable to find any manifestation of the blessing Nexus had put in her. There was nothing there, and Nightmare Moon’s heart sunk in her chest. What if the blessing was permanent? What if she had lost her mother forever?

Nyx would have broken down at such thoughts, but Nightmare Moon shook her head and shoved the fears away. No, Twilight wasn’t beyond rescue. She would not let her mother be taken away. She could bring the real Twilight Sparkle back. Magic like this had to have a manifestation. It had to be hiding someplace. She just had to find it.

The search continued, and Nightmare Moon phased her mane through the rest of Twilight’s body. Fetlocks, haunches, ankles, back legs, thighs, hooves, chest, torso, forelegs, elbows; Nightmare Moon checked every muscle, bone, and fiber of Twilight’s being. She checked and double-checked everywhere she could think of, yet was still unable to find the blessing. Running out of places to look, Nightmare Moon swept her magic up towards Twilight's head.

That’s when Nightmare Moon felt it. A mass, a haze of magic shaped like a choking vine, was clinging to the back of Twilight’s skull. It was interwoven with the muscles and bones that were already inhabiting the space, but, more importantly, it was foreign magic, not at all like the magic that naturally occurred in Twilight’s body.

Nightmare Moon reached out to grasp the magical mass with her mane, slowly feeling out the extent of its presence. While there was a center core to the mass, there were also long tendrils, like roots, spreading out in all directions. Some of the roots even reached out to Twilight’s eyes.

There was no doubt in Nightmare Moon’s mind. The thing she had just found was the blessing, and, without a moment’s hesitation, she began to drag out the cancer like mass of magic with her mane. 

The tumor of magic fought back; it tried to repel her attack, but it was no match. Nightmare Moon carefully pulled away the roots of the infection, drawing it out of Twilight’s head. The infection became a dark black spot in her otherwise indigo mane, one that Nightmare Moon watched intently while she carefully set Twilight down on the ruined castle’s stone floor.

The infection pulsed and squirmed in her magic. It was trying to move up her mane, trying to reach her head. It did not get very far, however. With the same cold, merciless expression she once used to look down upon the ponies of Equestria, Nightmare Moon called on her magic. With glowing eyes, she drove her mane to attack the infection she had removed from Twilight. She burned it away without a shred of remorse.

Nightmare Moon did not take her eyes off the infection until every last piece had been destroyed, and it was only then she allowed her expression to soften. She glanced back at Twilight, who had become unresponsive during the procedure. For a moment Nightmare Moon feared she had done harm to her mother.

Yet Twilight began to recover. She began to shift, and, after a few tense minutes, she sat up straight. A groan escaped her lips as she lifted a hoof to rub her forehead. She opened her eyes.

Nightmare Moon felt a wave of relief wash over her, and a smile blossom onto her face. Twilight’s eyes were once again purple; the blessing had been removed. She had done it!

“Urgh, my head is killing me,” Twilight complained. She lowered a hoof and began to look around. “What happened? Where am—”

Twilight didn’t get to finish her last question as she suddenly felt herself get taken up in an embrace, her face buried in black fur. Without a word, Nightmare Moon had moved closer to Twilight, drawing in and hugging her mother tightly to her chest as her great black wings encircled Twilight, joining in the embrace.

“Oh… oh thank you. Thank you for being okay,” Nightmare Moon whispered, bending down and nuzzling Twilight’s neck.

“Nyx… what… what’s going on?” Twilight asked. She managed to pull her head out from Nightmare Moon’s chest, so she could look into her eyes.

“Don’t worry, you’re someplace safe. You’re safe, and I won’t let Nexus ever hurt you again.”

Twilight looked up at Nightmare Moon in confusion. “Nexus… wait, did he do something?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“I… I think… maybe.” Twilight scrunched up her nose, winced, and moved a hoof to hold her head.

“It’s a bit hazy, but it’s getting clearer. Nexus came to my cell, he was blaming me for how you’ve been acting. Then… then he moved into the cell. I tried to escape… tried to run out and find the guards, but he pinned me and then… something black came out of his mouth and… urgh, my head.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to try to remember everything right now,” Nightmare Moon reassured her. “Just take your time.”

Twilight nodded, smiling a little as she let herself settle into Nightmare Moon’s embrace. “The next thing I remember after that is hearing your voice. I was lying on my cot… I… I said something, and then you came into my cell. And then…”

Twilight gasped. She pulled herself away and shoved one of Nightmare Moon’s wings out of the way to reveal the bandages underneath.

“It’s not your fault, Twilight,” Nightmare Moon said in an attempt to console her.

“But… but I stabbed you! W-why w-would I stab you? H-how did I stab you? I… I don’t even know how to cast that spell!” Twilight began to panic, and her breathing quickened. 

Nightmare Moon drew Twilight back into the embrace of her wings. She hugged her as tightly as possible, as if fearing Twilight would be ripped away once more. “You… were being controlled.”

“Controlled? How?”

“Anypony that joins the Children of Nightmare receives a blessing from Nexus. It’s supposed to be a blessing of my magic, something Nexus received when he first dealt with the shreds that were left after you and your friends defeated me with the Elements of Harmony.

“It’s the reason why all the Children of Nightmare have turquoise eyes. Nexus said that the blessing of magic opened ponies’ eyes to what good I could bring as Queen of Equestria. That it was the blessing that opened his eyes, inspiring him to form the Children of Nightmare and try to resurrect me.”

Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth and shook her head. “And Spell Nexus has been spreading the blessing around like Nightmare Night candy. Every member of the Children of Nightmare… every soldier in the Canterlot Royal Guard… everypony that willingly supports me has been blessed, has had their minds twisted.

“And you… I know now he blessed you too,” Nightmare Moon concluded. “He used the blessing to make you attack me, so he could use you to make me into the queen he thinks I should be.”

Twilight leaned in, wrapped her hooves around Nightmare Moon’s chest, and hugged her tightly. “I… I would never… never in a million years want to hurt you, Nyx.”

Nightmare Moon nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes and running down her cheek. “I know… I know, Twilight… and I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“I thought you hated me… and because of that… they almost… they were almost able to…”

“To what?” Twilight pressed.

Nightmare Moon shook her head, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “I… I didn’t know they were going to do it. You have to believe I didn’t know. I would have never let them… I wouldn’t want to lose you like that.”

Twilight looked at Nightmare Moon with a deep frown. “Nyx, what are you talking about?”

“I… I almost wasn’t able to save you. If I hadn’t gone out onto the balcony then… if I hadn’t turned to look… then… then you could have… could have…”

“Could have what?” Twilight asked fearfully, her memories still not completely returned. “W-what almost happened?”

Nightmare Moon couldn’t bring herself to say it, so, instead, she pulled her head away from Twilight’s and folded her wings. She motioned with her hoof, and Twilight looked in that direction to see the noose Nightmare Moon had removed moments before.

Twilight lifted a hoof to her neck, her breathing once again panicked, as she came to terms with the fact that she had almost been hanged. Yet, instead of trying to embrace and comfort Twilight, Nightmare Moon got to her hooves.

“Twilight, I want you to go to Zecora’s hut,” she instructed while she kept her back turned to Twilight. “I want you to go there and hide. My royal guard is undoubtedly looking for you, and I need to know you’re someplace safe.”

“What… why? Nyx, what are you going to do?” Twilight asked, not liking the serious tone of Nightmare Moon’s voice.

Nightmare Moon spread her wings, preparing to take off. “I’m going to have a few words with Spell Nexus, and Twilight… stop calling me Nyx.”

“But—”

“Nyx would have never let Nexus get so close to taking you away. Nyx… would have known something was wrong when you started shouting like that. I’m… I’m not your daughter anymore. I don’t deserve to be called Nyx, and I don’t deserve a mother as wonderful as you. There is no forgiveness for Nightmare Moon.

“But, while there is no redemption for me, Spell Nexus will face retribution for what he has done!” 

With that, and before Twilight could shout a word in protest, Nightmare Moon had taken flight. She circled the ruined castle only once, glanced down at Twilight one final time, and then banked in the direction of Ponyville and her castle.