//------------------------------// // Night Never Rests // Story: Resistance // by TapitLightly //------------------------------// So little to do. So much time to do it in. After a thousand years of ruling Equestria, the Queen of the Night had seen it all. After several millenia of living, Nightmare Moon was bored. "Ma'am! The new artificial lighting in the farms on the Southwest corner is fading!" The Alicorn's Head of Agriculture broke her out of her revery. "Yes Mrs. Top, I know. The flickering on the horizon is ever so clear. Bring me Morning Star. I'll have him send some of his unicorns to add some power to the ones already there." "Thank you ma'am!" "Dismissed." Carrot Top exited the throne room, allowing Nightmare to relax again. She enjoyed the view that the room gave her over the capitol city. Yes, the streets of Celestial City were beautiful. She thought once again with sadness of the last confrontation with her sister. The sadness she had felt after that last battle had caused her to release something that took her one thousand years to restrain. And in order to do so, she had to be a tyrannical leader, and she didn't have the leadership abilities of her sister. Tyranny was the only way she could think of. Perhaps it was wrong, but what else can she do? The forces of chaos are crafty. She knows she is right. But, and not for the first time, she found herself wishing for a friend. Someone to share the night with. Someone who could understand her musings and help her escape from the crushing guilt and boredom bred from maintaining order. Someone like.... like Celestia. But there is no one left who's like Celestia was. Celestia is gone, and it's her fault. She heard trotting at the front of the hall and quickly composed herself. "Ma'am. Mrs. Top said you wanted to see me." "Yes Mr. Star. See that light flickering on the horizon?" "Yes ma'am. That's a farm on the Southwest corner." "I know, I know. I need you to send a few more Unicorns over there to give them more power. We can't have them running out. We try to avoid chaos, and losing several farms certaintly wouldn't help matters." "Yes ma'am. But, if I may be so bold, why are you installing new lighting anyway? I mean, you definitely have the power necessary to continue powering the old stuff." "Morning Star, you have long been my most trusted advisor, my head general, and, more recently, my head director of magical affairs. So I'm going to confide in you something that would launch the general populace into a panic. So I'm going to request that you don't tell anyone about this." "Of course ma'am. You can trust me." "That's good Mr. Star. Now, onto the reason I'm putting things in so I don't have to power them. You are correct, I could continue powering them. In fact, it would be easy. However, I've come to realize I may not always be around to power them." "But ma'am, you're immortal!" "Almost Star. Almost. I cannot die of age, that much is true. I also cannot die in battle. However, should I choose to die-" "No Nightmare! We need you here!" "Star! We may have known each other for a long time, but you are NOT to interrupt me!" "Yes ma'am! I apologize for my rudeness." "Good. Now, as I was saying, should I choose to die, it would be possible, and the power released by the death of an immortal of my calibre would be unimaginable. Enough to do almost anything. I could destroy everything. I could undo any spell. I could, perhaps, bring back the dead." "Ma'am... What you're talking about, it's... It's insanity. With all due respect ma'am, I must request that you decease these thoughts. You're worrying me. I- I couldn't handle losing you Nightmare Moon. You're our leader." "I appreciate that more than you know. However, this is something I must try. I have an old debt I have to repay." The truth was that Nightmare Moon was glad to hear that she was needed. And she also heard the unmistakable care in Morning Star's voice. She had been in a relationship once before, but quickly realized that no matter what, no matter how much she cared, no matter how much she did to prevent it, everypony she currently knew would one day die, and if she failed, she would keep living, surpassing every single living pony. Because their lives passed in a blink of an eye. And if she allowed one of them to get close, it would only hurt that much more when they passed into the void. She had been in a relationship once, and it had almost brought about the return of chaos. You cannot avoid fate, yet that's exactly what she is trying to do, isn't it? She's not supposed to be able to die, and yet that's what she's attempting. Perhaps, should she fail, she would let another pony get closer, if only to stave of the hurt for a few decades. "Ma'am? Are you okay?" Nightmare quickly wiped the tears from her eye. "Yes Morning Star. Just a bit... nostalgic. "Do you want to talk about it?" "Perhaps later. I've a long journey in front of me, and I must prepare." "Yes ma'am." "Don't forget to send those Unicorns." "Of course ma'am." Morning Star left the throne room. Once again, Nightmare Moon was left to her musings. "Yes Nightmare. You do have a long journey in front of you indeed." Author's note: UUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH. I jumped around soooooo much this chapter. I apologize for that. I was trying to get all this information in there, and it made alot more sense in my head.