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

Chapter 2
A Secret Between Friends
====

Twilight yawned as she made her way down the steps to the library’s main floor. Her mane was freshly brushed, her teeth were clean, but she still wasn’t completely awake. She had been up late the night before, doing research and making some plans, and had not gotten to bed until well past midnight.

Still, with her empty belly acting as a powerful motivator, Twilight stepped into the kitchen. Almost immediately, the smells of breakfast filled her nose and whetted her appetite. Spike was working at the stove but turned and offered Twilight a pleasant “Morning” before turning his attention back to his cooking. 

“Hey, Spike,” Twilight responded before yawning again as she made her way to the table. This had been Twilight and Spike’s usual morning ever since they had moved to Ponyville, and even for a time before that. One of them would get up early and make breakfast while the other would stumble into the kitchen sometime later. Who made breakfast was largely dependent on who went to bed first the night before, and the previous evening it had been Spike.

Yet, for the past few days, there had been an addition to the routine: a little black filly alicorn who was currently seated at the table, waiting patiently for breakfast.

Twilight had come to call the filly Nyx, an old name from a storybook Twilight remembered from her own fillyhood. Nyx, as the stories went, was a black coated mare that slept during the day and basked in Luna’s night, back before the princess became Nightmare Moon. Her job was to guard her town during the night from the many creatures that hunted in the dark. The tale of Nyx of the Night was one of Twilight’s favorite bedtime stories. Her parents had to have read it to her hundreds of times when she was growing up. It was the first decent name that came to mind when she was trying to find a name for the filly other than Nightmare Moon.

And, in truth, Nyx had become the focus of Twilight’s efforts for the past few days. She had spent all of her free time studying, devoting herself to researching the possibilities of resurrection spells. Unfortunately, none of the library’s books had any direct information, and what information she could find was in theoretical magic.

The Golden Oaks Library was insufficient, but Twilight knew that the princess had unicorns in Canterlot working on the spell. They had to have more information, and she had asked Celestia if she could possibly read some of the same books or be kept informed on the progress of the research. Princess Celestia, however, refused the request, wishing Twilight to simply forget about the spell and what happened that night. 

But Twilight couldn’t stop herself. While she couldn’t really believe that the scared little filly was Nightmare Moon reborn, the threat and danger of that truth lingered constantly on the fringes of her mind. She wanted, maybe needed, to be absolutely sure, and the only way to be absolutely sure was to understand the spell and figure out what could have happened if the spell was interrupted.

Progress was slow, however, and Twilight was forced to put her research on hold the previous evening to handle a more pressing concern, one that involved Nyx.

Over the past few days, Nyx had become a little more open, though she was still nervous and quiet. She had even started helping Spike with his chores, slowly winning over the skeptical baby dragon. She had also demonstrated an interest in reading. She had cracked open and read a number of books, even though she struggled with the words at times. Her focus wasn’t purely on fictional stories either. She had read a few books that fillies her age would be exposed to in school: nonfiction books about a wide and almost random spectrum of subjects.

The reading was okay by Twilight’s standards, but, if there was one thing that Nyx did that was annoying, it was that she asked questions… a lot of questions. Most of them were things that Twilight could easily answer off the top of her head, but it was still enough of a distraction to greatly reduce her normal study time. Nyx’s curiosity, at times, just seemed insatiable. 

What worried Twilight the most, however, was that her curiosity was beginning to shift to the outside world. Just the previous day, Nyx had spent hours looking out the window, watching ponies pass by. If anypony happened to look in her direction she would quickly duck out of sight, but she would only hide for a few minutes before returning to the window.

Twilight’s concerns came to fruition when Nyx asked if she could go outside. She had to refuse the request, and, thankfully, Nyx didn’t resist. She was willing to accept her confinement in the library. Yet, her request made Twilight realize something.

She couldn’t keep Nyx hidden in the library forever. The library wasn’t a jail, she wasn’t a warden, and Nyx wasn’t a prisoner. Nyx deserved to be able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Yet, at the same time, the sudden appearance of a filly alicorn in Ponyville would undoubtedly draw a disastrous amount of unwanted attention. 

Thus, if Nyx did go outside, Twilight would be sure it was done with considerable preparation. That had been her focus of the previous evening. She had made a plan. She was going to pass off Nyx as a cousin who was going to stay with her indefinitely to study, much like how she had started living at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns when she became the princess’s private pupil. 

It might not have been the greatest of plans, but she hadn’t told her friends about Shining Armor until she got his wedding invitation. Rarity admitted later that she thought Twilight was an only child. Thus, it wasn’t unreasonable to think they’d believe Nyx was a cousin she hadn’t ever mentioned before, especially if she was a distant cousin. 

Twilight groaned a little and sat down at the kitchen table to eat her breakfast. It wasn’t a plan she was overly confident in, but the plan just had to work for a little while. She just needed more time to be sure whether or not Nyx was Nightmare Moon. Once she was sure, she’d be able to act appropriately.

Yes, all she needed was more time. Thus, once she had filled her empty, grumbling stomach, she would begin enacting her plan. Step one of said plan: she’d need to sneak Nyx across Ponyville to Carousel Boutique. 

It was time to call in Rarity’s favor.

===

It took some precise movements and careful hiding, but Twilight was able to lead Nyx across Ponyville to Carousel Boutique without anypony getting a good glimpse of them. They were going to get there right when Rarity usually opened the shop for the day, hopefully ensuring there wouldn’t be any customers in the boutique. 

The little bell above the door chimed when Twilight opened it with a relieved smile. She quickly guided Nyx inside and then looked over her shoulder. When she was sure none of the passersby on the street had taken notice of Nyx, Twilight herself slipped into the shop and flipped the latch on the door. She didn’t want anypony stumbling in on them by accident. 

Twilight then trotted forward, glancing around the boutique’s front showroom as she tried to see where Rarity was. At the same time, Nyx stayed close to Twilight. She had been excited to finally go outside, but the size and number of ponies in the outside world had driven her to cling to Twilight the entire trip over to the boutique. It was only now, when they were once more alone, that Nyx dared to venture away from Twilight. She took a few anxious steps and turned her head slowly as she took in the shop’s beautiful interior and looked at the elegant dresses that were on display. 

“Rarity, are you home?” Twilight called out as she levitated her saddlebags off and set them by the door.

“Yes, dear, just a moment!” Rarity called back as she came out from the boutique’s back room with several spools of thread floating behind her. She had on her red glasses, a sign that she was in the middle of sewing something together. “Twilight, darling, I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of you in days. Where have you been hiding?”

Twilight chuckled a little under her breath and shrugged. “In the library, where else?”

“Where else indeed,” Rarity said before setting down the spools of thread she was levitating. “You know, all those dusty old books can’t be good for your complexion. You should come with Fluttershy and I on our weekly spa outing. You had such fun the last time you joined us, and I was actually hoping the three of us could make it a regular thing.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I really would like to, but sometimes I just can’t pull myself away from a book.”

Rarity took her glasses off and set them on one of her dressmaking forms. “A fact I am well aware of. Still, I guess hearing that you’ve been studying your little head off is a good thing. It means you’ve recovered from your traumatic ponynapping as well as anypony could hope. 

“Now, just what brings you by the boutique?”

“Um,” Twilight began. She nervously scratched at one of her legs as her once pleasant smile became anxious and forced. “I need some casual day-wear.”

“Now that is a request I don’t get too often,” Rarity commented. She walked to the side of her room and began digging in a drawer. “Most ponies are just satisfied strolling about without a thread of fabric on, but, personally, I feel some ponies would look just fabulous with the right vest or day-dress.”

With a triumphant smile, Rarity pulled a pencil and a sketch pad from the drawer. She then used a hoof to push the drawer shut before she turned and began walking back towards Twilight. “Personally, I think you’re one of those ponies that doesn’t need casual wear. I, however, can’t say for certain until I have a chance to sketch out some designs. So, Twilight, what were you looking for in particular?”

“Okay, so… here’s the thing,” Twilight said with a nervous laugh. “It really isn’t for me.”

Glancing up from the sketch she had already started, Rarity arched an eyebrow. “Well, whom is it for then?”

Twilight stepped to one side, revealing Nyx, who had ducked behind her when Rarity came into the room. “It’s for her.” 

A small squeak escaped Nyx’s throat when she realized Rarity could see her. She then hung her head and quickly stepped back behind Twilight in an effort to remain hidden. After Twilight whispered some reassuring words, Nyx found the courage to step out into plain view. Still, she kept her head lowered and avoided any direct eye contact with Rarity. 

“Rarity, I’d like you to meet Nyx,” Twilight said when she was sure Nyx wasn’t going to try and hide behind her a second time. “Nyx, this is my good friend, Rarity. Say hello, Nyx.”

“Um… H-Hello, Miss Rarity,” Nyx mumbled very quietly. 

It was a good thing Nyx was keeping her eyes turned down at the floor, for it kept her from noticing that Rarity was staring dumbfounded. Her gaze was focused on Nyx’s eyes, which she found all too similar to a pair of eyes she had gotten a very close look at during the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago.

Before Nyx could notice her slack-jawed stare, Rarity regained some of her composure and put on an uneasy smile. She then looked at Twilight and spoke through her clenched teeth. “Well… of course. I… just need you to… come in back with me and… pick out a fabric. Uh… Nyx, was it? Would you mind staying here? I just need to speak with Twilight for a few moments in private.”

Nyx turned to look at Twilight as if she would never see her again. “T-Twilight?”

“It will be all right, Nyx,” she reassured. “Just go look at some of the dresses that Rarity has made. We’ll be right back.”

Nyx slowly nodded before she turned and headed towards the mannequins. She approached the one that was currently displaying the jumpsuit Fluttershy had worn when Rarity was trying to impress Photo Finish and began to look at her reflection in some of the gemstones. 

At the same time, while Nyx’s back was turned, Twilight felt herself become wrapped in magic: Rarity’s magic. She then found herself being dragged unceremoniously into the boutique’s back room by Rarity. 

The moment the pair was in the back, Rarity quickly but quietly shut the door behind them. She then flipped the latch on the door before locking her eyes on Twilight and speaking with a stressed voice. “Who. Is. That?”

Twilight flattened her ears and lowered her head, bracing herself for the worst. “I take it you noticed she looks kind of like—”

“Nightmare Moon!” Rarity loudly whispered, though her firm stance made it obvious she would have rather been shouting. “Yes, I did notice! Now, would you care to explain?!”

“Well, do you want the long or short version?” Twilight asked, anxiously scratching at her front right leg. “Or maybe the medium version? I suppose I could—”

“Twilight, just tell me!” Rarity pressed.

“Okay, short version. She might, and I mean might, be Nightmare Moon reborn. That crazy cult that ponynapped me cast some weird spell, and while Princess Celestia kept the spell from being completed, it still… well… I think it created her. I found her in the Everfree Forest, alone and scared, and—”

Rarity visibly shook as she struggled to keep herself from shouting. “And you brought her to Ponyville?!”

“Calm down before she hears you!” Twilight stressed, motioning with her hoof that Rarity needed to keep quiet. “Look, she doesn’t remember anything that happened before I found her, and she acts nothing like Nightmare Moon. She’s… just a sweet, nervous, little filly. To be honest… I’m having trouble believing she could be Nightmare Moon at all.”

Despite Twilight’s assurances, Rarity pointed an accusing hoof at Twilight while her brow furrowed with concern. “And did it ever cross your mind what would happen if she really was Nightmare Moon? That monster could have attacked you in your sleep!”

“Rarity, she isn’t a monster, I promise. She’s just—”

“Twilight, I think your ponynapping has rattled your senses! You have to tell Princess Celestia about this! If there is even a small chance that the filly out there is Nightmare Moon, the princess needs to know before—”

“But I’m afraid that if the princess finds out, she’ll banish Nyx to the moon!” Twilight said, struggling to keep her voice down as the argument grew more heated. “Look, you saw how she acted when she first met you. She’s more scared of you than you are of her. She really doesn’t know who Nightmare Moon is or anything that happened at the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago.”

“And have you ever thought about what might happen if she did start to remember?”

“I’ve thought about it, yes… but—”

Rarity stomped a hoof. “Twilight, listen to yourself! If that filly was produced by a spell, and that spell was supposed to bring back Nightmare Moon, then—”

“Rarity, please! You’re the only other pony I’ve told, and I need you to keep this a secret,” Twilight pleaded, “If somepony finds out, then the princess will find out. Do you really think a filly that young deserves to be banished to the moon, even if she was created by a spell meant to bring back Nightmare Moon?

“Right now, all I want to do is to try and pass her off as my cousin, just until I can figure out whether she is Nightmare Moon or just looks like her. But I can’t just keep her locked in the library all the time. If I’m going to pass her off as a normal unicorn, she needs to be able to go outside, and for that she needs a disguise. Consider this the favor you owe me.”

Rarity pushed her lips together. “And you want to use your favor like this?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied firmly.

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes.”

“Are you absolutely, positively—”

“Rarity, I’m sure.”

Rarity let out a sigh, rubbing her forehead with a hoof before nodding. “Very well, Twilight. Your secret is safe with me, but that still leaves me wondering just why you’ve brought her to my boutique.”

“I need you to make something, anything, Nyx can wear to hide her wings.”

“Her wings?” Rarity echoed, cocking an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you notice? Nyx is an alicorn.”

“Well of course I noticed,” Rarity said, a bit insulted. “I also understand why you’re apprehensive about her going outside, but, Twilight, wings are so in style right now. All the best boutiques in Canterlot are using pegasus models this season. Makes me wish I could talk Fluttershy into stepping back onto the stage; that, or convince Rainbow Dash to give fashion modeling a try. She could have such a beautiful mane if she would just brush it out once in a while and—”

“Focus!” Twilight interrupted, bringing Rarity back to reality. “Even if wings are in style, it’s a whole lot easier to hide a pair of wings than it is to hide a horn, wouldn’t you agree?”

“True, wings are a more readily hidden feature, though, personally, I think I could have figured out a way to hide her horn. Still… I’ll admit she does have that wonderful black coat; it’s such a rare color that I don’t get to work with often enough. Her mane isn’t bad either, a little ragged maybe, but with some brushing and a little care… Hmmmm…”

At that, Rarity shut her eyes and gently tapped her chin with her hoof as the gears in her mind turned. A smile then sprang onto her lips, and, with inspiration-driven enthusiasm, she opened the door to the back room. “Iiiiiddddddeeeaaaa~!” Rarity sang out.

Rarity’s sudden return made Nyx jump a little, and she quickly tried to escape when she saw Rarity coming towards her with horn aglow. It was, however, too late. Nyx found herself being levitated into the air along with several spools of fabric. She was now at the mercy of Rarity’s fashion sense. 

===

“I’m almost done, just hold still for a few more seconds,” Rarity said an hour later. She had gotten lost in her work and had been treating Nyx more like a mannequin than a filly. She had asked Nyx to stand still for almost the entire time and quickly hushed any complaints. It had allowed her to work quickly and efficiently.

It was, however, becoming apparent that Nyx was nearing the end of her endurance, growing both tired and bored of standing in the same place for so long. She kept shifting her weight between her legs and making very quiet whines. Still, for the most part Nyx had done as Rarity asked, and Twilight made a mental note to reward Nyx, if only to encourage the good behavior.

And that good behavior had allowed Rarity to work her usual magic, creating the casual wear Nyx needed. It was a simple purple vest, similar in design to the vests worn by everypony in town during Winter Wrap Up. Rarity, however, modified the design in a few places so that Nyx’s wings could hide comfortably beneath the fabric. Rarity also worked to stylize the vest a little bit, putting some black here and there to blend with Nyx’s natural coat color.

The final thing Rarity needed to work on was Nyx’s hair. She had tried a number of different styles, from styling Nyx’s mane up like her own, to giving it more body like Fluttershy’s. Nothing, however, seemed to please Rarity.

“Oh, what to do? What to do?” Rarity pondered, letting Nyx’s hair drop. “Most ponies have their mane styled to leave a little something in the front, but I think for your facial structure we need to pull your mane back. Yes, I definitely need to style it back, but it just needs something… ”

Rarity’s horn glowed, and she levitated a few ribbons and hairbands from a nearby drawer. Her eyes moved over each one, tossing some away while others lingered in the air, waiting to be judged by her meticulous eye. She even held some of the ribbons up to Nyx’s hair, as if to test the color, but in the end they all got tossed aside. 

That is until Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Of course! Aloe and Lotus!”

“Who and what now?” Twilight asked. She had been watching from what she considered a safe distance for one of Rarity’s inspiration driven design sessions. 

Rarity used her magic to bring a brush to Nyx’s mane and began brushing it back so nearly every strand would lie straight behind Nyx’s head. “Aloe and Lotus, the ponies who manage the spa. They style their manes back like this, and I think that’s just what we need.” Rarity then levitated a headband close and settled it down on Nyx’s head just behind her horn. The headband was teal with some designs featuring darker greens on the side. 

“Perfect,” Rarity said, approving of her handiwork a few minutes later. “Oh yes, this really is a mane that can pull this off, and the headband brings out the eyes.”

“Am I done now?” Nyx whined. She had attempted not to sound bored, but even the well-behaved Nyx was at her wits’ end.

Rarity nodded, slipping out of designer mode and regaining some cautious coldness in her voice as she remembered who she had been making the vest for. “Yes, you are done. Here, why don’t you go take a look in the mirror?”

Nyx nodded and jumped down from the table she had been standing on while Rarity had been working. It wasn’t hard to find a mirror; the front of Rarity’s shop was littered with mirrors of varying sizes. Nyx moved to the nearest one, examining her reflection while Twilight stepped over beside Rarity. 

“It’s perfect,” Twilight beamed happily. “If I didn’t know better I’d say she was just a normal unicorn.”

“Oh, Twilight, must you always think of function over form?” Rarity chided as she began to put her supplies away. “Yes, it hides her wings, but the outfit looks fabulous, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, she looks great, Rarity, and now all she needs are her glasses.” 

Rarity arched an eyebrow and glanced at Nyx, who was still looking at her reflection in the mirror. “Are you sure she needs them, Twilight? Her eyesight seems fine, in my opinion.”

“These aren’t correctional glasses. It took a lot of research, but I’ve finally found an illusion spell that I can use to enchant the glasses to disguise Nyx’s eyes. It makes them look… well… more common. After all,” Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in close to Rarity, “there are only a couple of things I know that have eyes like that. Dragons, the changeling queen, and… well, Nightmare Moon.”

Rarity nodded. “It would make sense to hide them as well, wouldn’t it? It was because of those eyes I recognized who she was. Still, at the very least I hope you selected some fashionable frames.” 

Twilight turned her head, and, using her magic, she opened a flap of her saddlebags, which were resting by the front door. From inside the bags, Twilight extracted a pair of glasses. She then quickly levitated the glasses across the room and presented them to Rarity while saying, “Well, I thought they looked nice.”

“Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed before she shied away from the glasses, as if they were an angry snake that was ready to bite. “Please tell me this is some kind of cruel joke!”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Those glasses are in every way wrong,” Rarity stressed while she treated the glasses as if their ugliness was infectious. “Those thick frames, and that black color! Oh, they utterly clash with Nyx’s entire outfit!”

“But… she has a black coat. How can black frames clash with a black coat?”

“It’s about so much more than just the color, Twilight. I mean, look at these glasses!” Rarity took the frames up in her own magic and levitated them in the air while she pointed out their flaws. “They’re matte, with no shine whatsoever. Nyx’s coat, in contrast, has just the slightest natural sheen. And don’t get me started on the thickness.

“No, these just won’t do,” Rarity snipped matter-of-factly.

“But—”

“No buts!” Rarity said. She then got behind Twilight and began pushing her towards the boutique’s front door. “I will not have you ruin this fashionable attire with some random frames you picked out just because you’d thought they’d be fine. As you surely remember, Twilight, I’ve seen your definition of fine, and it was embodied in that… interesting dress you were going to wear to the Gala before I made you your new dress.”

“But—” Twilight tried to defend, only to get cut off again.

“Now, I want you to gallop down to wherever you purchased these atrocities and get them exchanged. Pick up something in… let’s say a midnight purple with a slight, and I mean slight, gloss and make sure the frames are also at least half as thin as these… these… things,” Rarity stressed before she set the offending glasses on Twilight’s forehead.

“But what about Nyx?”

Rarity shoved Twilight out the door with a small burst of magic. “She will be fine here with me until you come back with those new frames. Now, off with you.” At that the door to the boutique abruptly shut, leaving Twilight bewildered outside while Rarity shook her head in disbelief.

“Twilight, sometimes I think you’re actually trying to be unfashionable on purpose,” Rarity huffed before she turned and trotted away from the door. It was then she caught sight of Nyx, and forced a smile. “I do apologize for that outburst, Nyx, but I just couldn’t let Twilight ruin the new outfit I made with those awful glasses. They would have just been a travesty against fashion, a simple travesty.”

“Were the glasses really that bad?” Nyx asked.

“Oh yes,” Rarity said with a nod. “Between you and me, I wouldn’t make my worst enemy, somepony I truly hated, wear those glasses. They are, in all honesty, the very definition of a fashion don’t.”

At that Rarity turned and began busying herself with cleaning up the bits and pieces of fabric left behind from making the vest. For a time, she went about her work happily, humming a melody to herself as she reveled in the satisfaction of a job well done. Yet, as Rarity cleaned she began to hear something: a quiet sniffling. Caught a bit off guard by the sound, Rarity turned to look at its source.

The source was Nyx. She had plopped down in the middle of the shop floor and looked like she was on the verge of sobbing.

It was an awkward moment, and Rarity tried to turn away and ignore Nyx. After all, she wasn’t in any way convinced that Nyx wasn’t Nightmare Moon, and she still strongly believed that Twilight needed to write a letter to the princess immediately. Even if Nyx had been well-behaved, it didn’t dispel Rarity’s fears. 

So Rarity continued to clean. She put away her spools of black and purple fabric, her needles, and her thread. She did everything she could to just ignore Nyx. Yet, as Rarity tried to keep herself busy, Nyx’s sniffling matured and graduated to soft sobs. 

Finally, it became too much. Rarity turned and approached Nyx, unable to hide the hint of annoyance in her voice as she asked, “What in the world is the matter?”

“T-Twilight doesn’t like me,” Nyx blubbered with a whine, struggling to not cry outright.

Rarity cocked her head to one side, arched an eyebrow, and took a cautious step closer as her annoyance was replaced with confusion. “Now just what makes you think that?”

“Y-you said that you wouldn’t m-make anypony wear those glasses, e-even some pony you really hate… b-but Twilight wanted me to wear those glasses, s-so she must hate me and… and…”

Rarity sighed and chuckled a little to herself in relief before she reached out with a hoof and gently lifted Nyx’s chin. “No, Nyx, I promise Twilight doesn’t hate you.”

“But… you said—”

“Allow me to clarify,” Rarity began while she gently brushed away a few of Nyx’s tears. “I wouldn’t make anypony wear those glasses, but I also have a better sense of fashion than Twilight Sparkle. She just didn’t realize how ugly those glasses were; she’s always more concerned with function at the expense of aesthetics. Honestly, if she needed to, she’d probably wear those glasses herself, and I know Twilight doesn’t hate herself.”

“Are you sure?” Nyx asked.

“I am absolutely positive,” Rarity said, her voice ringing with authority. “Twilight Sparkle does not hate you in the least.”

“O… okay, Miss Rarity.”

“Please, you may just call me ‘Rarity’,” she corrected. True, she appreciated the fact Nyx had enough manners to address her like a lady, unlike those ruffians the Diamond Dogs. However, she never quite liked it when young fillies and colts addressed her as “Miss Rarity”. Coming from them, it made her sound older than she liked.

“Okay, Rarity,” Nyx said again, making the correction. 

Rarity smiled, gave an approving nod, and began walking towards the boutique’s kitchen. “Good. Now, I’m done cleaning, so why don’t we go and have ourselves a late morning tea while we wait for Twilight? I also think I have some leftover pieces of cake from one of Pinkie Pie’s many parties. I’d say you deserve to have a slice after behaving so well this morning.”

Nyx perked up at the thought of getting a slice of cake and eagerly followed Rarity. The pair reached the kitchen quickly, and, with an elegant flick of her horn, Rarity set several things in motion about the kitchen: a shining example of her skills as an efficient levitation multitasker.

“Go ahead and sit there,” Rarity said, motioning to the small kitchen table as a table cloth laid itself across the table and a tea kettle found its way to the stove. “The tea will be ready in a jiffy.”

Nyx complied and watched patiently as Rarity worked. Within a few minutes, the water had boiled, and the tea was ready. Rarity then cut two slices of cake and levitated it all over to the table where Nyx was waiting. It was going to be a pleasant late morning tea, but Rarity had another purpose for the impromptu sit down with Nyx. To say the least, she was curious about the Nightmare Moon look-a-like and now had an opportunity to satisfy her curiosity while Twilight was away.

“So, tell me a little about yourself, Nyx.”

Nyx looked up from the cake and tea that had been placed in front of her. “Well, I’ve been staying with Twilight. She’s a really nice unicorn, and Spike is nice too. She also has an owl named—”

“Nyx, you’re telling me about Twilight Sparkle, and I know Twilight,” Rarity interrupted with a polite chuckle before she batted at her mane. “She is, after all, one of my closest friends. That, and, if you recall, you and Twilight told me all about what you’ve been doing the past three days while I was working on your vest.”

Rarity levitated her cup of tea, preparing to take a sip. “No, I want to know more about you. Oh, and, if I were you, I’d drink your tea before it starts getting cold.”

Nyx nodded and looked down at the small cup she had been served. She first leaned in to take a sip but cringed and froze up when Rarity began to speak.

“Oh, please tell me Twilight has at least taught you how to drink tea correctly,” Rarity groaned.

“There’s… a proper way to drink tea?”

“But of course,” Rarity assured her, “especially when you have a unicorn horn. The only proper way for a unicorn mare to have tea is to levitate the cup to her mouth and take a very delicate sip, and, above all, a proper mare shouldn’t spill a drop or slurp.”

As if to give an example, Rarity did just that. She expertly sipped from the cup of tea without making a single noise before levitating it back down onto its coaster.

“You mean… like this?” Nyx replied, her own horn starting to glow. Yet, to both her and Rarity’s surprise, Nyx’s cup shot up and smashed against the ceiling, causing several small pieces to rain down on top of them. 

Rarity’s mouth hung open slightly while she gaped at where the tea cup had shattered against the ceiling. “My word…”

“Rarity, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!” Nyx panicked before she put her hooves together on the table and literally began to beg Rarity for her forgiveness. “Please don't be mad, I-I-I didn't mean to do it! It was an accident! Please don't be mad! I'm so sorry, please don’t hate me! I… I…”

“Nyx, Nyx, please relax! It was just an accident,” Rarity said. She lit her horn again, and, with the help of a few dish rags, she began to clean up the spilled tea and shattered tea cup. “Though, if I were to venture a guess, that was your first time trying to levitate something.”

Nyx replied with a nod.

“Well, I never liked that cup anyway, and no unicorn gets levitation right on the first try. Most colts and fillies your age have trouble lifting things, whereas your trouble seems to be that you have a natural ability for magic. You just put a little too much energy into it.

“Now,” Rarity continued as her magic cleaned up the last pieces of the mess and poured Nyx a fresh cup of tea. “I want you to try again, but be very gentle this time.”

“But… what if I break another cup?”

“Then I’ll just clean it up and we’ll try again until I’m out of cups,” Rarity answered, though she would secretly keep some of her cups hidden away. She was willing to help a filly learn, but she wouldn’t risk her best china being destroyed.

The vote of confidence, however, brought a smile to Nyx’s face, and she made another attempt. This time, Nyx very gently levitated the cup of tea off the saucer. It wobbled around in the air but stayed level enough that it didn’t spill. Nyx then began moving the cup closer to her head, and she opened her mouth wide to give herself as large of target as possible.

In the end, Nyx was able to wrap her lips around the rim of the cup and take a small, quiet sip. She then levitated the cup down with the intention of placing it back on the saucer. She, however, released her magic a little too early. The cup clattered down onto the waiting saucer, causing both Nyx and Rarity to wince. Yet, despite its rough landing, the cup neither broke nor spilt.

“There you go, just like that,” Rarity said, though her happiness came mostly from the fact that Nyx hadn’t smashed another tea cup. “Yes, you’ve taken a good first step towards being a proper mare.”

Nyx looked up at Rarity with wide, eager eyes. “So, if I can learn to sip tea right, I’ll be a proper mare!?”

“Oh heavens no,” Rarity replied. She stepped away from the table and began to slowly stroll across the room. “A proper mare has to be able to walk with the right posture, to keep up pleasant conversation, oh… and any proper mare must—”

“Can you teach me something else, Rarity?” Nyx asked eagerly. “Please?”

Rarity glanced in Nyx’s direction, finding the request all too enticing. Yes, she was still unsure about Nyx, but she had been presented with an opportunity to spread her knowledge of proper manners and elegance. It was an offer too tempting to pass up.

“Well… I suppose we have time before Twilight gets back to go over a few things,” Rarity mused with a smile before she walked back over to the table. “First, sit up straight; a proper mare must never slouch at the table. Now, while maintaining your posture, I’ll demonstrate the proper way to eat cake.”

===

Twilight galloped, grumbling under her breath about the pony at the shop where she had bought the frames. It had taken much longer than it should have to find the right frames, and it was no fault of Twilight’s. The stallion who ran the store understood Rarity’s very specific specifications, but what had taken him forever was finding those glasses. The stallion had no organization skills, and they ended up looking through half the boxes he had in storage for those specific frames.

Still, Twilight had the glasses in question and was happy to see she was getting close to Carousel Boutique. She galloped in the door, looking around the front room for Rarity and Nyx. A small surge of panic went through her when she saw the front room was empty, but, before she started to get worked up, Twilight called out.

“Rarity?”

“Oh! Twilight! You’re back,” Rarity called. “Come on into the kitchen.”

Following her friend’s voice, Twilight nosed open the door to the kitchen and was a bit surprised at what she found. Rarity was balancing a stack of three books on her head while Nyx had a single fairly thin book on hers. Nyx was watching the book, squirming a little as she tried to keep it balanced. Rarity, on the other hoof, was strolling around as if the three books she was carrying weren’t even there. 

“What… are you two doing?” Twilight asked, her expression etched with confusion.

Rarity smiled, turned, and strolled towards Twilight while keeping the books on her head perfectly balanced. “Why, I’m just giving Nyx a few lessons in being a proper mare.”

“Yeah, she taught me how to sip tea, how to eat cake, and now she’s showing me how to have proper posture,” Nyx chirped, all too excited by the prospect of learning. 

“There’s a way to eat cake?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask with a raised eyebrow.

“But of course, Twilight. At least, there is a proper way to do it,” Rarity assured her. “Still, I assume you have the new glasses?”

“Yep, I’ve got them right here,” Twilight said. She levitated the frames off her forehead and held them out to Rarity, who took them in her own magic. Rarity then began turning them over several times. She scrutinized every detail, and, after a moment, she nodded her head weakly. 

“These are… better. Not ideal, mind you, but still better than the last pair. Have you already enchanted them?”

“Yes, I did it on my way over here.”

Rarity turned to Nyx, and levitated the glasses into her hooves. “Well then, try them on.”

Nyx glanced down at the frames in her hooves and then worked to place them on her nose. It took her a few tries to get them on correctly, but once they were in place the enchantment Twilight had placed on the frames worked almost instantly. Nyx’s eyes changed in appearance and looked like the eyes of any other pony. They had normal round pupils, and while the irises of her eyes were still turquoise, the whites of her eyes were now actually white.

“Yes, those frames definitely suit her better than the first pair,” Rarity said with a smile and a single, confident nod. “And the color goes just as well with her vest as I had hoped.”

“Twilight, why do I have to wear a vest and glasses anyway?” Nyx asked, her curiosity about the clothes reaching its limits. 

Twilight bit her lip and rubbed the back of her neck anxiously as she tried to figure out what to say. Thankfully, however, Rarity stepped in to assist by saying, “Well, Twilight’s just trying to protect you.”

Nyx’s ears drooped and she shrank back a little. “Protect me? From what?”

“Why, from making other ponies jealous. Most ponies either have wings or a horn, if they even have either at all, but you have both. Not only that, but you have such unique eyes that you’d make other ponies jealous, and you wouldn’t want to make anypony jealous, would you?” 

Rarity finished by gently tapping Nyx on the nose, making her giggle a little before she smiled up at Rarity and said, “No, I guess I don’t…”

“Well, you just keep those vest and glasses on then, and you won’t have to worry about it. Now, why don’t you go and finish your cake? I want to talk with Twilight for a moment.” 

Nyx nodded eagerly and quickly scampered back over to the kitchen table while Rarity guided Twilight to the far corner of the room where they could talk quietly without being overheard.

“So, I take it you two have been getting along,” Twilight commented in a hushed voice. 

Rarity glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll admit, Twilight, she’s… she’s very well behaved, and I can see why you believe she only looks like Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Rarity lifted a hoof. “Don’t misunderstand me, Twilight. I still think you should tell Princess Celestia about this, but I can better appreciate your reasons for desiring secrecy. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep at night if Celestia punished such a young, sweet filly if she wasn’t in fact Nightmare Moon. Still, I noticed a couple things that you may want to be aware of.”

“Like what?”

“Firstly, that little filly has a lot of magic.” Rarity warned. “As you can see, she’s already able to levitate a tea cup with some proficiency. Well, the first cup she tried to lift flew straight into the ceiling and shattered to bits, like she put too much effort into it.”

“Well, she is an alicorn,” Twilight pointed out. “Princess Celestia and Luna are able to move the sun and moon. Magic is probably just something that comes naturally to her.” 

“Secondly,” Rarity continued, not even registering Twilight’s interruption, “Be very, and I do mean very, careful what you say around her. I’ve found out the hard way that Nyx is a very sensitive pony. I accidentally said something in passing that made her think you hated her, and she was absolutely heartbroken. In fact, I dare say she is actually worse than our dear Fluttershy.”

“To be fair, Fluttershy has gotten more sociable recently. I’m sure that Nyx will grow out of it eventually… or at least I hope so.”

“Well, still be careful of what you say,” Rarity stressed. “It wouldn’t take much to hurt her feelings.”

“Don’t worry, Rarity,” Twilight replied with a reassuring smile. “I may not know as much about fashion as you do, but I do know that you have to be careful about what you say to some ponies because it just may hurt their feelings.”

Rarity gave a small laugh. “One of your lessons on friendship, I would imagine. So, what do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?”

“I was actually planning to show Nyx around Ponyville and see how well her disguise works. Take her to see the rest of our friends.”

“Very clever of you, Twilight. In case the disguise isn’t enough, you’d only be introducing her to our friends, ponies who we can trust to keep a secret.”

Twilight gave an affirming nod. “Exactly, though… I think for right now I’d like to just keep the truth between you and me.”

“It would be for the best, wouldn’t it?” Rarity agreed. “While Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie may take well to Nyx, I can only imagine that convincing Applejack and Rainbow Dash that she isn’t Nightmare Moon would be much more difficult. Those two are just so stubborn when they get their minds set.”

“That, and the fewer ponies that know the truth, the better; at least until I can figure out if she really is Nightmare Moon or just happens to look like her,” Twilight explained. “Still, you promise to keep this just between us?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Rarity quickly chanted, making the appropriate body movements in tune with the Pinkie Pie promise.

“Thank you, Rarity, and thanks again for helping with Nyx’s disguise.”

“It was my pleasure, Twilight. It was nice being able to extend my creativity to a casual wear vest,” Rarity replied before her tone once again turned serious. “Please promise me one thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Keep an eye on Nyx, Twilight. I know you don’t think she’s Nightmare Moon, but I would rather you err on the side of caution.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll be careful, Rarity, I promise.”

“Good,” Rarity said with an approving nod before she and Twilight began moving back to the table. Nyx had finished the last of her cake, set her fork down like a proper mare, and was just jumping down from her seat at the table as the two mares walked up. 

“All right Nyx, we need to get going,” Twilight said. She began to guide Nyx from the room, but she paused at the kitchen door to look back at Rarity. “And thanks again.” 

“Yeah, thank you, Rarity,” Nyx added. “It was fun learning to be a proper mare.”

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Rarity said with a smile.

“Do you think I could come back and learn some more?”

Rarity tensed, glancing anxiously at Twilight. It was a rare occasion when somepony was actually interested in learning about proper manners, at least in the simple-natured community of Ponyville. Rarity would walk down the street and see ponies slouching or eating with such horrible manners, and, the few times she tried to correct ponies, her efforts were usually met with annoyed glares. Even her own little sister, Sweetie Belle, didn’t seem interested in learning proper etiquette. She was more worried about playing with her friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. 

It was such a tempting request, an opportunity to spread proper manners in a world that was often, in her opinion, lacking such things. That, and Rarity realized something else. Having Nyx over would give her the opportunity to make sure she wasn’t Nightmare Moon. While Twilight seemed at least somewhat certain, Rarity felt it wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes watching Nyx, just in case she started to show signs of being evil.

“I suppose you could come back from time to time,” Rarity finally answered, “though, if I’m busy with a client, I expect you to either come back later or wait patiently. A proper mare doesn’t interrupt somepony that’s working.”

Nyx nodded her head eagerly, more than willing to accept Rarity’s terms. 

===

Twilight spent the next few hours showing Nyx to her other friends, and, just like her friends were different, their responses to Nyx were vastly different. The only constant was, thankfully, the one thing Twilight really needed to worry about. None of them had so far been able to see through Nyx’s disguise.

Rainbow Dash was actually the very first to run into Twilight and Nyx… literally. Twilight was no stranger to being a living crash site for her pegasus friend, and was no worse for the wear after the pony-to-pony collision. Nyx, however, was bawling her eyes out in panic, worried that the first pony to show her any kindness was seriously injured.

It was easy enough to get Nyx to calm down once Twilight was able to assure her that she wasn’t hurt. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, wasn’t too impressed with Twilight’s “cousin.” In her own words, Dash pointed out that Nyx was kind of a crybaby and that she could stand a lot of toughening up. It was the kind of harsh honesty Dash was known for, though Twilight didn't appreciate it at the time. After those not so gentle words, Nyx hid behind Twilight until Rainbow finally left.

The next pony Twilight introduced Nyx to was Applejack. Still reeling from her encounter with Rainbow Dash, Nyx was frightened of Applejack and seeing her bucking trees didn’t help. Nyx, however, warmed up to Applejack when she showed her some good old fashioned hospitality, offering a smile and apple juice. Soon, Applejack was answering Nyx’s almost endless stream of apple-and-farm-related questions, impressing not only Nyx but Twilight with her extensive knowledge of her livelihood. If apple farming was a field of magical or scientific study, Applejack would have a PhD.

Nyx also got along with Fluttershy fairly well. Though, if Nyx couldn’t get along with the bearer of the Element of Kindness, Twilight would’ve doubted that Nyx could ever get along with anypony. Fluttershy also proved to be just the mare to help Nyx completely forget about Rainbow Dash’s callous comments. Fluttershy introduced Nyx to as many of her animal friends as she could and happily responded to Nyx’s questions about the many cute and cuddly creatures.

That had all happened earlier that day, and now Twilight was leading Nyx through the streets of Ponyville to their final destination. The disguise had to undergo one final test before Twilight would feel confident that Nyx’s resemblance to Nightmare Moon would remain hidden. One final opponent: an energetic pink earth pony that had a happy outlook on life, but more importantly, a strange sixth sense.

The disguise would have to stand up against Pinkie Pie.

Twilight winced when she heard the little bell above Sugarcube Corner’s door ring, announcing her and Nyx’s arrival. She knew she could make Pinkie Pie promise to keep the truth a secret if she saw through the disguise, but that didn’t ease Twilight's nerves. If anypony was going to see through the disguise, it would be Pinkie Pie. Yet, if the disguise could fool her, then it meant that any regular pony would be fooled.

“Hey, welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where everything is super tasty, super sugary, and just super super. Oh, hey, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced out from the kitchen. “Here for an afternoon snack?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m actually here to introduce you to my cousin. She’s going to be staying here in Ponyville with me for a while, and—”

Twilight found herself quickly knocked out of the way as Pinkie Pie zipped up, bringing her face within inches of Nyx. Nyx responded to this invasion of her personal space by craning her neck back and taking a few nervous steps in the opposite direction of Pinkie Pie.

“Yay! I love meeting new ponies! I’m Pinkie Pie. What’s your name?”

“I’m… I’m… I’m…” Nyx stammered as she stared into Pinkie Pie’s expectant, almost manic blue eyes.

“Oh, I know!” Pinkie Pie chirped, bringing her head back and returning some of Nyx’s personal space. “Let me guess! I’m great at guessing games. Um… Little Shadow? No… how about Night Shade? Oh, I know! Black Snooty, Black Snooty!”

Pinkie Pie froze up at this, as did Twilight. On the morning of the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago, when Nightmare Moon first appeared, Pinkie had tried to guess Nightmare Moon’s name. One of the names she guessed back then was Black Snooty, and Twilight’s mind had already begun to whirl with worry. Was that a sign Pinkie Pie saw the resemblance? Was she able to see through Nyx’s disguise?

“Oh, I’m sorry, that was mean of me,” Pinkie then finally apologized, ending the uncomfortable silence that had fallen on the room. “I know your coat is black, but I don’t know enough about you to call you snooty, and even if I did, I wouldn’t say it to you like this. That would just make me a rude rudy rude pants.” Pinkie Pie tilted her head to one side, staring at the ceiling as she scratched her head. “Why did I think that would be your name?”

“Well,” Twilight interrupted, not wanting to give Pinkie Pie time to think, “In any case, her name is Nyx.”

“Oh, that’s a cool name. Nyx… Nyx… Nyx… oh yea, that is a really cool name. So, Nyxie, how long have you been in Ponyville?”

“Just a few days,” Twilight answered for Nyx, since Nyx was now hiding behind her.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie Pie shouted before she glared angrily at Twilight. “She’s been here for that long and you didn’t tell me?!”

“W-well,” Twilight stuttered while forcing a smile, “I was just giving her a chance to settle in. See, she’s very—”

“Twilight, nothing helps a pony settle in better than a welcome party,” Pinkie Pie lectured, her tone dead serious, “and now I’m late! I’m going to have to make this party extra, super-duper special to make up for it being so late! Oh, I’m going to need streamers, balloons, and you know what else?”

“No,” Twilight replied, slightly afraid of what the answer would be.

“I’m going to need… a piñata! That’s the only thing that can make up for the fact that I’m this late with Nyx’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie Pie announced, as if the strange unwritten laws of Pinkie Pie’s parties were common knowledge to anypony. “Now, we’ll have the party at the library tonight, and I’ll invite everypony! Oh, it’ll be so much fun, but I’m going to need help if I’m going to pull it off. Oh, where’s Rainbow Dash?”

With that, Pinkie Pie was off, leaving a very scared and confused Nyx in her wake. Twilight, however, was mostly relieved. Pinkie Pie was acting like Pinkie Pie, which meant she hadn’t recognized Nyx. She did worry that Pinkie Pie might have subconsciously noticed Nyx’s resemblance to Nightmare Moon, which could explain why she brought up the name Black Snooty. Still, as long as that recognition stayed in Pinkie’s subconscious, they would be fine.

With Pinkie Pie off to pull together a welcome party, Twilight turned her attention to Nyx. She was still stunned, as some ponies were when they first met the very energetic Pinkie Pie. She, however, was beginning to recover and had shored up just enough courage to peak out from her hiding place behind Twilight. 

“Twilight, i-is she always like that?”

“Only when she meets a new pony,” Twilight assured.

Nyx turned her attention to the door Pinkie Pie had bounced out of a few moments earlier. “And… is she really going to throw me a party?”

“Yep. Pinkie Pie throws a party for every new pony who comes to Ponyville, even ponies who may only be staying here for a few days. She just… really likes throwing parties and making ponies smile.”

“That’s nice, but… please don’t be angry at me for saying this but… she’s kind of weird.”

Twilight laughed a little. “Yes, that’s Pinkie Pie. She’s on a different wavelength than any other pony I know. But don’t worry; she’s one of the nicest ponies in Ponyville. Still, if she’s going to throw you a party, I’m going to have to let you know what to expect. I don’t want you to get overloaded like I did at my welcome party.”

“Pinkie Pie threw you a welcome party? What was that like?”

Twilight chuckled anxiously; the welcome party had been on the night just before Nightmare Moon returned, which was treading dangerously close to information Twilight didn’t want to share with Nyx. After all, the reason she hadn’t attended her own welcome party was that she wanted time to look up more information about Nightmare Moon.

Then again, Nyx did just ask what the party was like. Twilight didn’t have to mention what happened during that Summer Sun Celebration or why she was so eager to get away from everypony that day. It couldn’t hurt to just tell her about the party.

“Well, it’s sort of like this,” Twilight began as the pair turned to leave Sugarcube Corner. “I had just arrived in Ponyville with Spike, and he told me to try to talk to some of the ponies in town. The first pony we ran into was Pinkie Pie, and…”