Nightfall was doing better—honestly she was. And much of that came from school. While she’d initially been fearful of her time in the Equestrian education system, it became quickly evident to her that Cheerilee was nothing like the teachers Luna remembered from her earliest years. The earth pony was not about to examine her with powerful magic, and she wasn’t putting her under constant suspicion to try and figure out who she was underneath.
Her fellow students were less universally positive—there were bullies, and others who just didn’t interest her. But Nightfall had made some friends. That made almost anything they did interesting enough to keep her engaged.
Today, that meant a brief field trip outside of class. They all lined up, walking into town in a single file line with Cheerilee in front and their class president, Diamond Tiara, bringing up the rear. That meant the popular kids were in back, dragging their hooves as much as they could.
Nightfall’s new friends didn’t even try to fight over the back of the line, but followed their instructor closely instead. They didn’t seem concerned with the fact that they were being overheard, so Nightfall didn’t let herself think about it either.
“There’s no way that happened,” Nightfall said, not as confrontational as her words might’ve suggested. “Tons and tons of magical copies of a pony? That doesn’t make sense. The magic involved would…” She thought about it—paused, sketching a few runes in the dirt.
This made the whole line stop behind her, and a few annoyed voices call up for her to get moving again. So she did, looking a little embarrassed. “Sorry.”
“It’s real,” Featherweight declared. “I got a picture for the Foal Free Press, you can get the issue and see for yourself. It was one of the weirdest things that happened this year.”
“I dunno,” Aura sounded thoughtful. “What about the parasprites?”
They were most of the way to their destination by now, City Hall’s round shape looming bigger than almost any other building in town. Nightfall could see that Cheerilee was watching them closely, obviously listening as they walked. But then she noticed a disturbance in the back of the line, and raised a hoof. “You all wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“I guess that was weird too,” Featherweight agreed. “Almost ate the whole town.”
Nightfall’s heart sank. Though she often had no idea what her friends were talking about, this word was quite familiar. “Hold on… parasprites are still a threat? I thought we would’ve wiped them out by now.”
“By now?” Liza’s eyebrows went up.
Nightfall’s ears flattened. “Yeah, uh… uh… by now.”
Zipporwhill nudged her gently from behind her in line. “I don’t think ponies wanted to exterminate them. Pinkie Pie just lured them away. They didn’t hurt anypony. Why should we hurt them?”
“Because they’re dangerous,” Nightfall answered without thinking. The word alone was enough to dredge up old memories. Memories that belonged to somepony else—of fields swept clean by clouds of parasprites. Of thousands and thousands starving when winter came and all the grass died.
But her friends were looking at her. With concern on their faces, and confusion. “A long time ago, parasprites would eat all the food,” she said. “That’s just the same as hurting ponies, even if they don’t do it themselves.”
“Oh,” Zipporwhill said. “I guess so. It’s a good thing they’re gone then.”
“How many other weird things happen in Ponyville?” Nightfall asked, unable to keep the apprehension from her voice. “I mean… that thing with magic copying a pony over and over is crazy. Then parasprites attack, and…”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Aura said, settling in beside her. “I moved here a few years ago from Fillydelphia, and it wasn’t anything like this. The most exciting thing that we ever had was the Nightmare Night spook-alley. But Ponyville… it seems like everything weird happens here. We got attacked by an Ursa Major, several kidnappings. The parasprites…”
“Don’t forget the scariest thing,” Featherweight added helpfully. “Nightmare Moon.”
“Oh, yeah,” Aura nodded, pulling Nightfall in closer. “Now that’s the story worth telling. We didn’t get to yesterday. I guess recess ended too soon…”
Nightfall glanced around them, searching for an excuse. Maybe one of the ponies passing them on the road would help. But no—Ponyville’s residents were far too busy with their own affairs. They hardly even seemed to see the children, or else walked around widely enough not to distract from the line. Those who spoke at all only seemed to give polite greetings to Cheerilee.
I’m trapped. Nowhere to go this time.
“I didn’t even know if there would be an Equestria after that night,” Zipporwhill said, voice timid. “But I guess there was.”
“You guess?” Aura glowered. “Obviously the good guys won in the end. I heard the whole thing from Dinky, who heard it from Sweetie Belle, who heard it from Twilight Sparkle herself. No way it isn’t good!”
“Tell me,” Nightfall said, wanting nothing less in the entire world. She glanced over her shoulder—her house wasn’t actually that far from here. They were in the center of Ponyville. Maybe if Midnight were there, she could—
No. They’ll think I’m weird. I just have to pretend.
But she didn’t have to pretend, not then anyway. Cheerilee returned from the back of the line, and proceeded to launch into an explanation of the city council meeting they were about to attend and what they should watch for. She made them each promise that they would keep quiet during the meeting, and promised to quiz them when it was over.
Then they went inside, and straight up to one of the balconies. Downstairs, stuffy ponies were deep in conversation over the dullest possible subjects. Nightfall pretended to be paying attention, but that ruse could only go on for so long.
Eventually conversation downstairs got loud enough that Aura and the others could whisper without attracting attention.
“She was right up here,” Aura began. “We expected Princess Celestia to walk out, for the celebration and all. But she didn’t come.”
Nightfall could see herself standing there—much taller, and braver. She stepped out onto the balcony, expecting adulation from the ponies below, maybe even worship. She was the rightful inheritor of their world, and they would praise her as their liberator from the tyrant Celestia.
Instead she’d been greeted with confusion. Her great rebellion had been so insignificant that they didn’t even remember her name. But she had made them fear her well enough. These foals certainly knew who Nightmare Moon was now.
“And then she exploded!” Aura finished, a few hours later when they were waiting outside the schoolhouse to be picked up. “And all the evil magic was destroyed forever, and only the good Princess Luna was left behind. And she’s helped her sister take care of Equestria ever since.”
Her friends actually stomped their hooves in praise for the story—or Liza and Featherweight did, since Zipporwhill was already home.
“Like I said, I got the inside scoop,” Aura said, looking very pleased with herself. “I’m sure it must’ve been a big deal even out as far as… Motherlode? That’s where you’re from, right?” She hardly even waited for Nightfall’s nod. “You must remember the night that went on too long. And you knew there used to be just one princess.”
“I knew,” she said. But Nightfall wasn’t doing a very good job pretending to be interested anymore. She just looked sick, staring down at the dirt as though she expected it to help hide her.
“I know it’s a scary story,” Featherweight said, touching one wing on her shoulder in a way he probably thought was sympathetic. “Maybe you shouldn’t have told it to her all at once, Aura.”
The earth pony shrugged an indignant shoulder. “Nah, I can see. Nightfall’s a tough pony, just look at that face. She’s not scared, she’s mad. If you think the guards should’ve kept us safe, or maybe the Elements—that was the first time they did anything.”
Aura wasn’t as good at reading emotions as she thought she was. If Nightfall was angry at anypony, it wasn’t the guards. It wasn’t her friends for talking about this, either. As much as she would’ve wished they would forget and tell her about something else.
“Do you think… she could’ve been good?” Nightfall finally asked. Her voice was on the edge of tears, but she hoped they wouldn’t be able to hear.
“Huh?” They asked in unison. There was a pony coming up the road now, one of many parents and family members. But Nightfall knew her name. This was Applejack, the Element of Honesty. One of the ones who had killed her.
It’s not me, she thought. But that voice seemed so tiny in her head after hearing the fear of her classmates. She remembered wanting justice, but these ponies didn’t even understand the nature of the conflict. To them, she’d been a monster who was going to freeze Equestria in a night that went on forever.
Liza wandered off to join her mom, so it was Aura who finally answered. “Who could’ve been good? Luna? Of course she was!”
“No.” Nightfall’s voice sounded very small now, even to herself. “Nightmare Moon.”
“Oh.” Aura shook her head without thinking. “She was a monster, that’s all. Equestria gets attacked by them sometimes. But we always win.”
“Of course we do,” Featherweight said. “Or there wouldn’t be an Equestria.”
“Well yeah, but…” Aura trailed off, then shrugged. “Yeah. I guess so.”
Nightfall couldn’t stop herself. Maybe she should’ve—maybe Midnight would be mad at her. Maybe she’d ruin everything. There were actual tears in her eyes now, and her voice split a few times as she spoke. “What if—what if she didn’t know what she was doing? Do you think if she came back… you think she could say sorry, like Luna did?”
She could see their discomfort at the name without the title—but Nightfall didn’t care. Just now she didn’t care about much of anything. It was all tears.
“I guess so,” Featherweight eventually said. “Nopony really got hurt, did they? Just scared. Lots of things have come to scare us. The parasprites hurt Ponyville way more than she did.”
Nightfall didn’t even think. She just embraced him, and Aura, and didn’t care how much of her tears they saw.
Then, like a switch being flipped, she suddenly realized how she’d obviously just given everything away. She snapped up, wings buzzing out from around her and lifting her into an unsteady arc. She dropped on the other side of the schoolhouse fence, and started running. She ignored their confused voices—ignored Cheerilee calling after her. She just ran.
She made it about a hundred feet down the road when she smacked into Midnight. She’s going to hate me. Now I’ve given us away and we’ll have to move and she wanted to live here and I’m probably just better off in Tartarus anyways.
But where she imaged livid anger, she saw only confusion on Midnight’s face. And not just from her—several ponies were staring at her, including Cheerilee. Her teacher, mercifully, had already seen who she’d met up with and was turning around to go back to her other students.
Midnight seemed to bristle at all the attention. She glared around at the other ponies, though she didn’t lift her tail to threaten them or anything. Still, that much intensity from a pony so big and strong was apparently enough. They wandered off, letting Nightfall clamber up onto her back. Without invitation, but Midnight didn’t protest.
“What happened?” Midnight asked, for the second time in as many days.
“Memories,” Nightfall answered again. “And… my friends called me a monster.”
“Really?” Midnight sounded doubtful. “Like how they were afraid of you yesterday?”
When Nightfall didn’t have a response ready, Midnight went on. “We’ve got an appointment with Twilight in a few minutes. But last time we were supposed to meet, she got kidnapped and made me wait. I think we can keep her waiting a little while too. Let’s get something sweet.”