//------------------------------//
// Diplomacy 
// Story: The Night's Stars 
// by SC_Orion 
//------------------------------//

Looking at the map of Equestria laid out on the table before her, Nightmare Moon found one thing above all else that stood out: The Deer Kingdom. Encompassing no more than a tenth of the size of Equestria but claiming the majority of the Whitetail Woods, somehow the Deer Kingdom remained a separate nation, despite the massive expanse of Equestria surrounding the small country.

And honestly, it bewildered her. How had, in the full thousand years of her banishment, the deer not joined with Equestria? They may have been separate species, but the deer were so similar to ponies. Even if the deer had not joined Equestria, she had expected to see more deer than she had- which was to say she had expected to see deer in Equestria, while she had yet to see a single one.

Granted, she had not visited many forested areas, save for the Everfree Forest and the forest dominating the Canterlot Mountain Range. 'Perhaps these are exceptions, rather than normal,' was her thought on the matter. From what she had determined, deer did inhabit Equestria as Equestrian citizens, but they still kept to themselves. And, of course, they still preferred forests, even a thousand years later.

The fact that the Deer Kingdom remained a separate nation surprised her. While she had not expected her sister to annex them, it just seemed like it would have been natural for it to occur during her absence. Ponies and deer shared a special bond, as both were prey species and had banded together countless times in the past for mutual protection. The deer were agile and physically strong, and they had their own magic, not too dissimilar from unicorn magic, but they also had magic similar to earth ponies. They were also quite skilled at alchemy, though perhaps not quite as skilled as the zebras.

And zebras? They were practically another subspecies of pony, yet they kept to themselves even more than the deer did.

The entire situation felt so odd to her. In the thousand years of her absence, why hadn't the deer integrated into Equestria? They were fiercely loyal and brave warriors, but also peace-loving, just like ponies. Perhaps they had retained their strong desire for independence, but still. In a thousand years, the deer population should have grown to a point that necessitated integration into Equestria.

'Perhaps I am missing something,' she mused. After all, it had been less than two weeks since her glorious return. And figuring everything out that had happened in a thousand years? Even if she was an immortal alicorn, two weeks was not enough time.

And oh, how painful these two weeks had been! Wherever she went, ponies' competency sank like a rock in water. Professional government workers? They couldn't find the right paperwork. Archivists who knew every book from cover to cover? They suddenly couldn't remember where anything was. At least they were able to recover their wit. The Royal Guard? They were competent when she wasn't around, but the second she showed up? They went rigid in fear.

The Royal Guard's incompetency would be problematic- unless when it came down to it, they managed to act. She wasn't sure whether that would happen or not. But at the very least, they did seem to manage to help keep ponies calm. But that didn't completely stop the spread of panic.

And of course, it was worse in Equestria's larger cities. Canterlot was mostly sparred- likely because of her presence so close at hoof. But she couldn't be everywhere at once, and the Royal Guard was stretched thin. She had a solution in mind for this, but she had not yet had the time to implement it.

Her gaze drifted over to Hollow Shades, and she smiled. The town and the entire region would prove invaluable. Her smile faltered. 'Assuming you still exist...' She felt an odd feeling of numbness at that thought, and it also made her feel anxious.

She shook her head and cast the concerns aside, then returned her gaze to the Whitetail Woods, but her thoughts still wandered: ever since her return, the government had been paralyzed and unable to act swiftly on any problem that had arisen. Everypony was too afraid of making a mistake and earning her wrath, so they were all waiting on her orders.

She loathed it and barred her teeth at the thought. Sure, she had magic that made communicating with them quick and easy! Sure it gave her more power and control! But it took so much time. It left her without the time she needed to tend to other needs and desires. And so based on that, she knew the only legitimate course of action was to officially retain at least partial local self-governance. She was but one pony, even if she was an immortal alicorn. She could not be everywhere at once, nor did she know how best to manage things at the local level that ponies were demanding of her.

So long as they were loyal, so long as they did not rebel, nor question her rule, nor dissent, she would let them keep their limited local decision making. If the leaders stepped out of line, she could replace them and step in to remind ponies of who was in charge. If the ponies rose up against her, she would quell it, even though she knew the consequences of that would be damaging.

After all, the most dangerous dissent was likely to occur in large cities. Economically important cities. If she lost control of the situation, there would be no way for her to ever hope to outshine her dear sister and earn the praise she so deserved.

About the only thing that was truly going remotely right was her student. Her lips pulled into a smile and she lifted her gaze away from the map. She turned her head to the right to look out of the open balcony. Her moon dominated the sky and filled her with a sense of pride and accomplishment, so long as she ignored the black stain of her sister upon her moon.

Twilight Sparkle was such a curiosity. The filly had so much potential! And what made things even more fascinating was that she didn't focus on learning spells, but rather learning the components of spells. From what she had seen of the filly's magic, she was potent and knew many spells, both basic and advanced, far more than most unicorns could ever hope to learn over their entire lifetimes.

And then there were the countless variations of the spells she could cast, all because she knew how the magic acted and how everything worked together. Just thinking about it excited her! Her heart beat faster in her chest, and she felt so much energy at her disposal. Her sister had focused her student's learning on Magic Theory in addition to the spells. And Twilight grasped Magic Theory well. Truly, she was born to bear the Element of Magic. She would be able to create her own spells on the fly with proper training and experience.

There was no doubt in her mind that Twilight Sparkle was important. And she was still incomplete, even after the spark of friendship restored the Elements of Harmony and established her connection to the Element of Magic, she was incomplete.

And yet, despite her importance, Twilight Sparkle, while proud, was not boastful. Nor was she very confident. And then there was her fear and insecurity. The filly was so easily startled, yet she called Twilight Sparkle her student. It left her disappointed, although she knew it was her own fault, and in hindsight, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She sighed and shook her head. How could she bring out Twilight Sparkle's potential if the filly never relaxed, never felt confident about her capabilities, and always thought she was out to get her? How did Twilight Sparkle not understand that she wanted her to succeed?

A part of her found that thought so foreign to her. Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the Night, wanting somepony to succeed at something!? Absurd! And yet, here she was, wanting Twilight Sparkle to overcome her burdens, wanting Twilight Sparkle to succeed at being her student. Twilight Sparkle, her dear sister's former student. Here she was, wanting somepony who very well may be lying to her in order to gain the opportunity to defeat her and restore Princess Celestia to succeed.

There was a knock on the door. Immediately, she knew it was her student, and she smiled at that.

She looked up from the map and stared out into her study. After waiting a moment, she rose from her bed and stepped down onto the floor, then strode into the study. She turned to the left and approached the door, then opened it.

Twilight went rigid and stared straight ahead at her chestplate.

She frowned at Twilight's discomfort but then her smile returned. A visit from her student! A chance to learn more about her and get a break from having to think about all of the problems facing her and Equestria! It was a welcome reprieve. "Enter," she bade, stepping aside.

Mechanically, Twilight shuffled into the room. She followed Twilight with her eyes, and in return, Twilight glanced at her. She could practically feel Twilight's heart stuttering in her chest, and she could see the slight tremble in her legs each time she lifted a hoof off the floor.

She shut the door once Twilight was clear, and Twilight jerked. Her lips pulled down at that. "How many times will I have to tell you to relax, Twilight Sparkle?"

"I-I'm s-sorry," was her unsure, stuttered apology.

'I need to work on your confidence,' she mused. But another thought occurred to her, 'You have not been quite so nervous as this around me recently...' That realization drew her curiosity. She turned around, then walked on by Twilight. As she passed beside the filly, she lifted her wing from her side and casually brushed her feather along Twilight's back.

The touch had the intended effect of reassuring her. Looking back at her, Twilight was no longer so rigid, nor did her heart seem to want to burst from her chest. The arteries in her neck did not throb visibly through her coat. She looked relaxed, and Twilight's eyes wandered over her body. Once she was a few steps in front of her, she turned around to face her, then looked over her features and body. Twilight's cutie mark still drew her interest. How could it not? She forced her gaze back onto her face. "What is on your mind, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight swallowed, then stood up straighter. "I-I want to talk about C-Cadance," was her answer.

Her voice was an odd mixture of firmness and complete fragility. She was forceful and commanded attention- quite audacious of her to demand of her Queen, and yet, her courage would shatter with the slightest retort. So she kept silent, pondering the matter for several seconds. She held her expression in check and studied Twilight. 'Could this be an opportunity to help your confidence?' she wondered.

With that thought in mind, she smiled and took a deep breath. Twilight held her ground, but her legs did shake. In a slow motion to ensure that Twilight knew it was coming, she lifted her wing from her side. Twilight immediately glanced at it, then her eyes focused back on her chestplate. In an unassuming manner, she reached out with her wing and stroked a feather over Twilight's muzzle.

Twilight closed her eyes and relaxed. She lifted her feather from her student's face, then folded her wing. A few seconds later, Twilight opened her eyes.

"What of Princess Cadance?" Nightmare asked.

"I-I want you to release her," was her reply. It came out quieter than her first sentence. Her confidence was in danger of breaking, even with the comfort she had given her.

But still, releasing Cadance? She had nothing to gain from that, and to do so would cause problems. Her lip twitched down. She opened her mouth to respond, but Twilight acted first: "W-wait! Please hear m-me out," Twilight pleaded. Once again, Twilight's legs started to wobble.

She waited for a second, then nodded. "As I have said, Twilight Sparkle, I will listen when you wish to speak."

Twilight's chest expanded, then deflated. "O-okay... um... S-she's the Princess of Love. I-I was thinking... y-you could let her g-go and use this to your advantage?"

She frowned. "She's an alicorn, and so she is a threat-"

"Cadance isn't a threat to you..." Twilight Sparkle said quietly. "She's not a fighter, and-"

With that, her interest faded to annoyance. "I can tell she's not a fighter, Twilight Sparkle," she retorted, "but she is an alicorn. She is a symbol. And thus, she is a threat to me."

"She is a symbol, and that's how you can use her to your advantage!" Twilight retorted before wincing. "I mean... look," she cautiously implored, "you can talk to Cadance and convince her to help you-"

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Help me what, exactly?"

Twilight puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "She did a lot of social events under Pr-!" she winced and looked away from her out of concern.

She felt an ember of anger spark at that but kept silent. Exploding at Twilight would not help. Exploding at her for a slight slip up such as that would be a mistake, she knew, and it would hurt her student for no good reason. It would only hurt her student's confidence.

"...your sister," Twilight corrected. A moment later, she looked back up at her with an expression that pleaded for her to recognize the value in her suggestion: "You could have her do the same things but for you! It would give ponies a way to relax and give them a sense of normalcy." She looked down at her chestplate, and her confidence wilted. "It... might help with the uncertainty to see this going on..." she said in a quieter voice.

She didn't respond immediately, instead, taking a few seconds to ponder the idea. 'Princess Cadance is not a fighter. At worst, she could be a figurehead for ponies to gather around in dissent. Perhaps a leader for them, but unlikely. Perhaps there are benefits to this idea. Assuming Princess Cadance agrees, then perhaps this could help calm ponies down.' So the idea did have some value to it. 'Maybe it would even help them see me differently...' She knew that was wishful thinking, and she had to keep herself from showing her disgust. "This could end badly, you know," she stated.

Twilight didn't respond, instead choosing to continue to stare at her chestplate.

"If this causes rebellion or dissent, I will put an end to this," she stated succinctly. "I expect you to keep her in line."

Twilight paled at that. Her eyes jumped up to meet Nightmare's gaze, and a look of horror filled them. "W-what!?"

"I will talk to her, and you will accompany me. I do not trust her, so I will make it known that you are responsible for her. You will keep her in line," she stated.

"M-me!? Why!?" was her hasty response.

"You're the one who..." she trailed off and squinted. 'Saying that will only discourage her...' She waited a few seconds to recompose herself, and likewise, Twilight recovered too, though not to the extent she did. "You know her better than I," she stated. "And it would do you well to have this responsibility. I do not expect issues to arise from this," she stated.

Twilight wasn't convinced.

She frowned. "You believe this is a wise course of action, do you not?" she queried.

Twilight reluctantly nodded. "I-I do, I-I think it could h-help... A-along with the Gala!"

Nightmare nodded. "Then because you believe this will help, I will not punish you should this go poorly," she stated.

She could see the wave of relief washing over Twilight. Her eyelids twitched and her muscles relaxed so that she didn't hold herself as rigidly. "T-thank you," was her grateful reply.

She nodded. 'Will you ever betray me?' she idly wondered. As she looked over the filly before her, she saw her vulnerability. The thought of Twilight betraying her bothered her. It did not sit well with her. Nor did the idea of punishing her for disobedience. After all, Twilight had been very obedient so far, and if she had to punish Twilight, how badly would that hurt their fledgling relationship?

She had told Twilight to relax, but, as she looked at the filly now, she knew that if she hurt Twilight, any of her ability to relax around her would most likely be gone forever. It left her in a predicament. Perhaps she could go easy on her, or perhaps she would simply never need to. Or perhaps she could explain to Twilight what she had done wrong to ensure it did not happen again.

It still didn't sit well with her. Twilight was just so innocent and vulnerable. Breaking her would be not only a waste but an atrocity.

But, she could not simply tell her that she would not punish her if she rebelled, as that would invite that rebellion, and Twilight was still a potential threat to her. And if Twilight rebelled, her potential would be wasted. And that? That wasn't an option.

She lit her horn, then cast her magic outward. With ease, she took a hold of Twilight in her magic, then teleported the two of them to the castle's dungeons. The double image from teleporting barely affected her, though Twilight staggered from it. She watched Twilight for a few seconds as she recovered. But at the very least, Twilight had grown acquainted with her magic, so it did not paralyze her the same way it once did.

Twilight finally shook the disorientation off, then looked at her.

She smiled at her, then looked ahead. Behind the metal bars of the cell sat one pink alicorn. She sat as far back in the cell as she could, centered in the middle. Her mane was disheveled, and her tail was curled around her left side, with the end laying in front of her forehooves, as if she was trying to hide the shackels and chains from sight. Yet despite that, her mane and tail were still so pristine compared to how it would have been a thousand years ago. The dungeon was clean and kept well. She found it odd that ponies wasted time and resources on it, but it was undoubtedly more pleasant than things had been. Cadance had it easy compared to what it could have been.

Cadance stared ahead straight at her. Her lips were a flat, neutral line, and her eyes were wide, displaying fear and hurt. Her horn was still bound with the ring she had put there, sealing off her magic and marking her as a prisoner. Her tiara was not on her head as it had been when she sent her to the dungeon. She frowned at that, then glanced around to find the tiara cast aside, laying so that the band was reaching up into the air while the central gem was flat against the marble floor.

'Why did I let you keep that, and why have you now discarded it?' she wondered. Her eyes fell back on Cadance, and Cadance glanced back at her. She glanced at her student to her right, who in turn glanced at her before looking back at Cadance. She turned her head left, then right. To her surprise, Captain Shining Armor was nowhere to be seen. She turned her gaze back to the imprisoned princess. "Princess Cadance," she greeted.

Cadance's muscles slumped at that, and her form sagged as if the very mention of her name stole whatever hope and energy she had left. "Nightmare Moon..." was her hesitant, quiet acknowledgment.

"Twilight Sparkle had a most interesting idea," she replied. She searched Cadance for a reaction, and indeed, there was one. Cadance's brow twitched down, and her eyes glanced over to Twilight, then her gaze lingered.

After a few seconds, Cadance took a deep breath and looked back up at her. "What sort of idea?"

"She suggested that we reach some kind of agreement. Swear fealty to me and help me, and I will give you your freedom," she said. A smile pulled at her lips. "I am certain that both my student and the Captain of the Guard would approve of this offer," she stated.

Cadance frowned, then swallowed. She turned her head to the left and looked down at the floor. Nightmare watched as her eyes jumped from spot to spot. Slowly, Cadance lifted her head back up and looked at her. "What exactly do you want?" was her question.

Nightmare inhaled, then calmly exhaled. "Your expertise," she answered. "As my student has told me, you have a way with ponies. And my return has caused a great deal of panic, fear, and uncertainty."

Cadance's frown became more pronounced, and her brow creased further. "Why would you care about that?" was her cautious question.

Her nostrils flared at that. Cadance was an alicorn! A princess! How could she not see the trouble that would cause!? "It is simple, dear Cadance," she answered. Methodically, she lifted a forehoof, then took a step towards the cell. Whether Cadance wasn't intimidated by that or it was simply because of the metal bars between them, she wasn't sure, but Cadance did not show fear. "Ponies tend to do stupid things out of fear. Fear can ensure ponies stay in line, but too much will shatter society. Uncertainty is unwanted. Uncertainty leads to a great deal of issues that can make my rule unstable. You can assist me by dealing with this uncertainty."

"How exactly do you expect me to do that?" Cadance meekly questioned.

She hesitated at that. Was Cadance truly willing to help, or was this a facade? She sounded genuine. She was so soft and weak. She was no strategist, nor did she seem manipulative. How could this have been a facade? Especially if Princess Cadance had been trained by her sister! Cadance, like her sister, would not have wanted harm to come to anypony. So thus, it made sense that she would be willing to help, if not for her, then to protect ponies. "My student tells me that you are quite adept when it comes to social events. This would be beneficial, as I do not exactly mix well with social events. Releasing you- assuming you swear fealty to me and agree to help me- would go a long ways towards assuring ponies that I am not going to rend Equestria, and it would help keep them in line. Fear is only so effective at holding an empire together, and, as they say, love is more powerful than fear."

She tried not to let it, but her bitterness slipped out with that last phrase. It sickened her, but it was true. Oh, how wonderful it would be if ponies would love her, but that would never happen. So all she had was fear, power, and intimidation. But fear was destructive. An Empire built solely on fear would not last, so she knew she could not rely solely on fear. It would be too unstable, there would be too much uncertainty. It would undermine her rule and threaten her empire's prosperity. If she used only fear, she would never outshine her dear sister like she deserved.

"Why should I help you?" was Cadance's innocent, unassuming question. There was no disobedience in her voice, no aggressive stubbornness, simply genuine curiosity.

So, she did not retort her. It would be good to have her as an ally, even if it was tentative and would be broken if her sister returned. "Equestria would benefit from this. Ponies would see this and hopefully not act out of fear so much. You would be helping protect Equestria from itself," she emphasized. "And you would have your freedom," she added as an afterthought.

She saw Cadance's mouth shift as she nibbled on her lip. Cadance looked at Twilight as if searching for some form of help or support.

Would Twilight respond? What would she say? The idea fascinated her. It was an opportunity for Twilight to show loyalty and confidence. She looked at Twilight. Twilight tensed up and glanced at her. She could see Twilight swallow, then Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out.

Twilight opened her eyes, then licked her lips. Her mouth parted, but she hesitated. Again, she glanced aside at Nightmare, as if asking for permission. So she bowed her head once, giving her student permission to speak. Twilight shifted her head, then looked back at Cadance. "I... I know that you might not want to, but... it-it can help! Pr..." she trailed off and bit her lip. "She wouldn't want Equestria to suffer..." she offered.

She looked at Cadance, and the alicorn radiated uncertainty as she looked at Twilight. Eventually, she turned to face Nightmare Moon. "What do you want me to do?" was her guarded question.

"Simply do what you did under my sister's rule. And swear fealty to me," she answered. She leaned in close to the metal bars and glared at the alicorn. "But do not betray me or abuse this freedom, or there will be consequences," she growled.

Cadance nodded slowly and her eyes shot to the floor. "O-okay, I'll... do it," she answered. Her eyes shot back up to Nightmare, who smiled. "But only to help everypony. I'm not going to help you hurt anypony."

She pulled her head back and chuckled. "Dear Cadance, do not take me for a foal," she retorted. Cadance's eyebrows twitched down for a brief moment. She took a deep breath, then channeled her magic and created another necklace similar to the one Twilight wore, then she channeled her magic into it until it took on a shimmering, glossy look from the magical enchantment.

After all, it would not do to give Cadance too much freedom or space to sow dissent- even if it was unlikely that she would. And it would do Equestria good to see that, while Cadance would be free, she was still under her leash. She held the necklace in her magic and turned it about to examine it dismissively, then she looked at Cadance. "You will wear this at all times, just like my student. I will hear everything said around you, and I will know where you are at all times."

Cadance grimaced but nodded, though slowly. Slowly, she stood up, then took a tentative step towards the cell. Her shackles and chains rattled from her movement and made her shuffle have a cold, broken feeling. Nightmare used her magic to unlock the door, then pushed it inward so that the door swung open.

Even more slowly than she stood up, Cadance shuffled towards the open door and Nightmare Moon. Once she was just inside the doorway, she stopped.

Nightmare levitated the necklace over to her, then slid it over her head and set it on her neck. Cadance grimaced and stared down at the silver crescent moon, then looked back up at her.

Nightmare stepped to the left, then extended a wing to beckon her out. In the same motion, she used her magic to remove the ring from her horn, which made Cadance look up at her horn and smile with relief, and unlock the shackles from her hooves. Next, she unbound Cadance's wings, and immediately, Cadance stretched her wings out and closed her eyes from simply enjoying the freedom.

After a few seconds, Cadance opened her eyes and then walked out, leaving the chains behind and staring at her the whole time. Only once she was past the cell door did she look away from Nightmare, and immediately, Twilight grabbed her.

Nightmare tilted her head slightly as Twilight embraced Cadance in a hug. Cadance returned it with the same vigor, wrapping a forehoof around the back of Twilight's neck and slowly stroking her mane. 'Perhaps releasing Cadance will have more benefits than I first thought,' she mused. After all, her student was close to Cadance. Perhaps then, this would help Twilight to loosen up. It would be a boost to her confidence, would it not?

She smiled to herself at that. Confidence was something Twilight desperately needed. She just needed a way to build that up, then Twilight could truly be on the path to becoming her student and being worthy of that title.

Their hug continued for several seconds, it was as if both of them were desperate for each other's comfort. But she was patient, and so she allowed it to continue to its natural end, when Cadance lifted her head back up. Following her, Twilight slowly pulled back from the hug. For a second longer, they watched each other, then turned to face Nightmare.

"Follow," she commanded. Without waiting for affirmation, she turned, then walked towards the dungeon's exit. Teleporting would have been quicker, but less effective. Plus, walking out with them in tow should have been an effective way to say, 'Cadance is now mine, so do not concern yourselves with her freedom' to the guards.

She quickly past both Twilight and Cadance, and almost instantly, she heard the frantic scrapping of Twilight's hooves on the floor, followed by her quick hoofsteps, until she was at her proper place. She glanced aside at Twilight, then looked back ahead. Though Twilight had scrambled to her side, her gait was almost relaxed and calm, though it was still guarded.

Cadance caught up with them and walked at Twilight's right without as much effort or anxiety, and after that, she turned her gaze back ahead as they made their way out of the dungeon.

The guards they encountered all tensed as she came into view, but their gazes all eventually fell onto Cadance. None of them were sure what to think, from what she saw, but she was certain the message was conveyed, if not through Cadance's lack of bindings, then through the necklace she now wore.

Only once they had ascended the stairs and entered the castle proper did she stop. She turned to face Cadance, who nervously looked back at her. "You may take your leave now, dear Cadance," she stated.

Cadance nodded, then looked down at Twilight and turned to face her. At the same time, as if they shared some special psychic connection, Twilight turned to face her. They both hugged again, although Cadance stared back at her, rather than looking at Twilight.

And Nightmare met Cadance's gaze and watched both of them. There were a lingering fear and concern in those eyes of hers. But then, how could there not have been?

Eventually, they parted, but Cadance lingered nearby for a few seconds longer. "Where's... Shiny?" she asked.

Twilight glanced back at Nightmare, who inhaled. "Captain Shining Armor should be tending to his duties," she answered. Twilight looked back at Cadance, and Cadance nodded slowly. "As per his exact location, that I do not know. I do not care that you two are together, but do not let it cause problems."

Cadance nodded quickly, then turned and hastily trotted away. Not once did she look back to see Nightmare and Twilight watching her retreat.

A few seconds after she disappeared, she heard Twilight whisper, "Thank you..."

She looked down at the filly and nodded once. "It is in my best interest to prevent chaos from consuming Equestria," she replied.

Slowly, Twilight nodded, then she frowned. "Why didn't you just teleport us back? It would have been quicker."

"Yes, it would have been quicker, but this way more guards saw us, so word should spread that I have granted Cadance her freedom, rather than forcing me to have to address it," she replied.

Twilight looked down at her chestplate and her head bobbed up and down idly. "I can't teleport." A moment after speaking that, she looked up at her.

Nightmare smiled. "Well, you most certainly have the magic for it, Twilight Sparkle. Why can you not perform this spell?"

Twilight looked back down at her chestplate and nibbled on her lip. "I understand the spell's framework, it's just... it's hard..." she trailed off, her lips pulling into a grimace.

Nightmare nodded. "It is a complicated spell," she agreed. "Perhaps one of the most complicated spells I know of. Very few unicorns have ever been able to pull off a teleportation spell, but I am certain you have it in you to pull off such a complex spell."

Twilight smiled at that, as if she took it as praise or pride. Then, her smile wavered, her lips wobbled, and it faded like the ground had been stolen out from under her.

"I will teach you this spell if you cannot figure it out on your own," she stated.

Twilight looked up at her. For a moment, her fear was gone. She looked so hopeful, so innocent, so eager to learn. But she blinked, and it was so subdued compared to what it had been. Perhaps she had not even seen it in the first place. Twilight was still ready and eager to learn, but that curiosity, her thirst for knowledge, seemed to be dampened by something. Gradually, Twilight's eyes trailed down her body until they stopped and focused on the crescent moon of Nightmare's chestplate. "Y-you will?"

Nightmare nodded, even if she wasn't sure Twilight would see it. "Of course," she answered sweetly. "It would be most beneficial for you to be able to teleport, and it would be a waste of your talent not to teach you this spell."

Twilight's muscles gradually tensed up over the next few seconds, and she clenched her jaw. "Even... though..."

She chuckled mirthfully. "Twilight Sparkle, even if you can teleport, at most, that is a nuisance to me should you betray me. Perhaps you will become adept enough to teleport in a battle, but it would not help you against me. No, I will trust you with such a spell because of how useful it is, and because you have not shown inclination to disobey me."

Twilight's nod was rigid and mechanical.

It was another of Twilight's flaws that she needed to work on. 'You are so scared of failure that it paralyzes you and prevents you from acting.' She wasn't sure which of Twilight's flaws drew more of her annoyance, but her fear of making a mistake and being punished for it hampered their relationship. How could Twilight truly put forth her best effort if she was scared of failing and being punished? And she had told her she would not punish her for such a failure, but Twilight simply did not trust her. She held back a sigh, knowing that it would take time and a lot of effort on her part to fix this problem.

"You will accompany me when I visit the deer," she said.

Twilight looked up at her and nodded obediently. But the obedient nod was so rigid and forced. It made her want to scream. Her own student obeyed out of fear.

"You... really need to do something about... time..." Twilight replied cautiously. She swallowed. "H-how long has it been since your return?" was her quiet, high-pitched question.

"Twelve nights," was her response. After all, how could she not keep track of how long she had been free from her accursed prison!?

Twilight's brow and lips twitched. "How are we supposed to tell time?"

Nightmare hesitated. 'Without the day-night cycle, normal ponies have no way to tell time...' She had no answer for Twilight, and she felt her expression draw a blank for the first time in the past thousand years. 'How did that slip by me!?' She clenched her jaw in bewilderment.

There was, of course, the obvious answer of clocks, but that could prove impractical with no cycle to follow. Since the moon was constantly locked in place and didn't move, there was no way for ponies to know whether the time shown by a clock was accurate or not.

Twilight, of course, knew better than to point any of this out to her, although a part of her was bothered by how Twilight held herself in check at that.

Cautiously, she tilted her head to the right. "Perhaps you have suggestions..?"

Twilight smiled. And oh, how nervous that smile was. The way her lips were pulled back far, far too much, showing her broad smile. The way her eyes screamed out, 'Why, oh why! Why did you have to ask me that question!?' The sheer horror in her eyes.

At the very least, Twilight was an amusing filly to have as a student. Her reactions, when they weren't out of fear and sometimes even when they were out of fear, were entertaining.

"W-well," Twilight squeaked. "U-um... M-maybe... m-move the M-Moon? L-like... u-um..." she trailed off, her eyes nervously jumping from side to side.

"In mimicry of the cycle of day and night?" she asked.

Twilight hastily nodded, though tensed up like she was expecting to be hurt for affirming that.

She felt disappointment at Twilight's reaction, and it seemed contagious, like every time before. Her disappointment caused Twilight to be disappointed. It was odd. "You would suggest that I move the Moon around so that ponies have a way to measure time?"

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Twilight squeaked. "I-I-"

"Stop," she groaned. Twilight went silent. She clenched her eyes shut. "Stop apologizing for offering suggestions... I am not so stupid as to want ponies to deliberately lie to me or mislead me about problems..." she muttered. Only after a few seconds to recover from Twilight's idiocracy did she open her eyes and take a deep breath to continue: "It is a good idea. Perhaps this will help with uncertainty. It will remain night, but I can move the Moon to provide some analog to the day-night cycle. Although there could be problems with this, they should be manageable. I shall do this," she answered.

Twilight's expression blanked in surprise. "R-really?"

"Yes," was her flat response.

Twilight blinked, then looked aside and blinked a few more times.

Nightmare tilted her head to the side. "Why are you so surprised?"

Twilight glanced back at her. "W-well, um... it-it's just that... I thought you wanted the Moon to... always be out..."

Nightmare shook her head. "It is not necessary," she replied. "And in truth, my sister has robbed me of my enjoyment of the Moon..."

Twilight's ears folded back at that. "B-but your cutie mark is the Moon! How?"

She inhaled quickly and opened her mouth as a spark of anger shot through her body. She barely caught herself, but because she did, she stopped herself from snapping at the filly. After a moment to calm herself, she replied, "I was imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years, so you will have to forgive me for having seen enough of it for a lifetime. That, and the scarring from the banishment spell."

"I... hadn't thought of that," was Twilight's whispered response.

"It will still be eternal night," Nightmare said, "but divided into a lighter night, illuminated by the Moon, and a moonless night."

Twilight nodded slowly. "I think... that will help with some problems."

"I would expect it to," Nightmare stated. "It should help ponies return to a routine similar to what they had before. This should be good for the uncertainty problem."

"I think... it will make adjusting easier on everypony..." Twilight added.

"Perhaps..." she mused. For a moment, she let her mind wander. There were risks with this idea, but having a cycle that ponies could follow might be worth the risks. "We will be departing in a few hours," she said. "See to it that you are prepared."

Twilight gawked at her. "W-what? T-that fast?" she stuttered. "I- I thought that it wasn't going to be for a few da- uh, nights..." She looked away, her lips uneven with a cringe.

"I am certain that word of my return has spread. If it has not, then I do not know how anything that can see could have managed to miss my night," she retorted. "As such, I believe it would be wise to address the Deer Kingdom swiftly before any more internal problems occur."

"Right..." Twilight half-groaned.

Nightmare frowned at that. Twilight turned her head further away from her and looked off down the hallway Cadance had retreated down. "What troubles you?"

Twilight turned her head back towards her and glanced at her, then looked back down the hallway. "It's just... short notice. A-and it-it's an important diplomatic meeting! A-and um, w-what if something happens while we're gone?"

Even with Twilight facing away from her, she could see the filly bite her lip. She had no idea how Twilight still had a lip at the rate she was chewing on it. And then there was also the anxiety and fear in her voice. And of course, her stance went back to rigid. The filly was exhausting herself with her panic attacks and fear. She shook her head at that realization. "If something happens, then the Royal Guard can send me a scroll, and I will simply teleport us back so that I can deal with it," she answered. "Now stop trying to bite your lip off."

Twilight released her lip as her cheeks pulled up and her ears fell back. An embarrassed "S-sorry..." quickly left her mouth.

"You may take your leave now, Twilight Sparkle. I will find you when I have need of you," she said.

Twilight turned around to face her, then fell into a quick bow. "O-of course," she answered formally. As soon as she finished speaking, she rose from the bow, then turned and marched down the hallway Cadance departed down.

She watched Twilight for a few seconds, then looked just beside her. There was no discernable change in how the filly carried herself. To further test it, she turned her head to the left and checked with her magic. Once again, Twilight's stride was unchanged. She wanted to smile at that, but instead, she only scowled. Sure, Twilight's gait didn't change when she looked away! But it was still an uncomfortable walk that didn't change even when she rounded the corner that Cadance had disappeared behind.

She lingered for a few seconds, then teleported herself back to her bedchambers. Confidently, she stepped forward as the double image faded, then she climbed back onto her bed and stared down at the map before her. Once again, her eyes fell onto the Whitetail Woods and the Deer Kingdom. But she only focused on it for a few seconds before looking to the north. To the northeast, the former Griffin Empire. She hadn't heard a thing from the Griffins since she had claimed the throne, and every historical record she had found indicated that the Griffin Empire had truly collapsed.

But what most bothered her about it was how little Equestria knew about the Griffins now. Or the rest of the world, for that matter. Equestria was isolated from the world, even its closest neighbors from what she had seen. Equestria traded, but yet ponies knew so little about what was outside of Equestria's borders. It didn't sit right with her. How would they be able to identify threats if they knew nothing about what was out there, how strong those nations were, and who ruled them?

Then looking directly north above Equestria, the vast, empty cold plains between Equestria and Yakyakistan. It was like a void in the map. The entire area was simply unclaimed by any current nation. Of course, it was an inhospitable region, but it hadn't always been that way. She could remember it clearly: The Crystal Empire. Alongside the deer, the crystal ponies were another of Equestria's greatest allies. And just like the deer, the crystal ponies kept to themselves to the point that even when fighting alongside them, she barely learned anything about them.

But even in her thousand-year absence, they had not returned. The Empire was still sealed away. But it could not stay sealed away forever. No, the spell would not last. 'How much longer until your return?' growled in her mind. Indeed, the Empire's return would also herald the return of the King of Shadows. And he? He was a threat to her reign, just like Discord.

King Sombra would move quickly to restore his power and build an army to send against her. He was a simple unicorn, but his mastery over dark magic made him a threat both to Equestria and to her. And Equestria was woefully unprepared for his return, whenever it would be. 'Surely, you could not have forgotten about him, sister! Why do you stand so unprepared!?'

Her lips pulled back, baring her teeth in disgust. Her dear sister was soft and weak and foolish. She would have brought ruin to Equestria by leaving her so undefended.

And now it fell to her. Not only did she have to ensure Equestria did not fall from internal disorder, nor did she only have to make sure Discord did not escape. No, she had to deal with at least three very significant threats to her rule and Equestria. Even if King Sombra and Discord were sealed away, it was a risk she could not afford to take. Even if she could easily crush the Crystal Empire by herself, the fallen king presented a threat.

Her eyes drifted down to Hollow Shades. 'I will have to act soon,' she noted. Would they still be able to help? Would they remember her? Would they even still exist? Sister and her ponies had never cared for them.

She took a deep breath, then looked to the south. In her time, it had simply been called 'The Great Desert.' Now they called it the Badlands. 'Fitting, I suppose.' Back in her day, nobody really wanted the area, although Equestria had claimed it. Now, there were some cities scattered around the northern fourth of the Badlands. Below the desert, there were plains, mountains and forests, and finally a tropical jungle. That whole section was home to varying tribes of Zebras.

Perhaps it made sense that the Zebras and Ponies never really bonded together. After all, there was an inhospitable geographical divide between them.

Looking at the Badlands, though, she felt a nagging sense that something was off. She just couldn't put it. It was like she was forgetting something important from before her banishment.

She shook the thought aside and lit her horn to roll the map back up. Once it was rolled up, she levitated it over and set it on the desk for later. There was much she still needed to go over, but a break would be good for her.

She slid off of the bed and walked to the bathroom. With hardly a thought, a small white orb coalesced at the tip of her horn, then levitated off with a quiet pop. It wafted through the air lazily, then came to a stop near the center of the bathroom, hovering in place far above everything else, where it could illuminate the entire bathroom in the soft light of the moon.

She sighed, then approached the bath. Using her magic, she turned on the water and shut the door behind her. As the tub filled, she lifted her hooves in turn and removed her boots, setting them aside. The cold of the marble floor against her hooves felt wonderful, and each time her freshly bared hoof touched the floor, it sent a small shiver of delight down her spine. Just to be free and to feel something other than the constricting metal was a freedom she had never had on the Moon! After her boots were off, she levitated her helmet off without a thought.

She closed her eyes as the cool air embraced her normally protected head. It was refreshing to feel the air against her coat, and some of her ire and annoyance drifted away. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked over her cyan helmet. Crafted so long ago along with the rest of her armor, it had served her well and accompanied her for a thousand years.

But now she was Queen. Why did she continue to cling to her battle armor at all times? She could have been dressed as proper royalty! Rather than a helmet, a tiara should have sat atop her head! But no, it was a helmet. A tiara would not have suited her nearly as well, nor would it have offered her any protection. And picturing herself wearing a tiara, after having worn her battle armor for a millennium? She scoffed at the image, even if the tiara was polished black onyx or obsidian, or perhaps silver or gold painted black. Maybe it did not even need to be painted, but she still scoffed at the idea.

Without her armor on, it simply wasn't the same. She was Nightmare Moon, and her battle armor was a part of her. A fitting part of her. She had conquered her sister and subjugated Equestria, and perhaps now had many enemies. Nothing but armor would suit her properly. So there was no tiara to mark her status as Queen and Empress, no, instead, it was a helmet that marked her as conquerer.

She set her helmet down alongside her boots, and for several long seconds, she just stared at the partial set of armor. As the sound of water filling the tub deepened, she turned the water off, then warmed the bath with her magic, yet she still did not look away from her armor.

She took a deep breath and once again felt the imperfect, dented chestplate against her chest. She looked down and scowled. Perhaps a normal pony would not have noticed, perhaps a normal pony would not have felt it, but Applejack had scarred that chestplate she so treasured.

She turned to the tub, then dipped one hoof at a time into the water, until she stepped into it entirely. Slowly, she sat down on her haunches and sank into the warm water. She felt as if she could melt from the enveloping embrace. The gentle but firm, constant pressure, along with the warmth seeping into her coat, it felt so, so wonderful.

She needed to treat herself to this more often. She closed her eyes and relaxed, exhaling calmly and just feeling the pressure the water put on her body, feeling the warm water flood the space between her chest and her chestplate, feeling the water run through her coat and feathers.

Having spent a thousand years away from the miraculous liquid, how could she not adore it so? It warmed her coat and armor without dissenting or rebelling against her. It was, perhaps, a friend.

"Shining!" Cadance called.

"C-Cadance?" was his shocked reply.

There was the sound of Cadance's hooves clicking on the marble floor in rapid succession as she ran. She could make out the sounds of the Captain's armored hooves clacking against the marble floor. She was surprised it had taken them so long to find one another.

The hoofsteps came to a stop, and she could imagine them embracing one another.

"I-I was so worried about you!" Shining Armor whispered. "Are you okay? How did you..."

"I-I'm fine," Cadance stuttered. "Nightmare... decided to let me go if I... helped her..."

There was a brief silence.

"Hear me out, Shiny! Please..." Cadance pleaded.

Shining Armor exhaled heavily. "Okay..." he said quietly.

"I-I said I would help her, b-but only so long as it wasn't hurting anypony. She... wants me to help ponies adjust... She wants me to keep doing what I was doing before so that ponies see something normal."

"Attending social events?" was Shining's bewildered response. "Uh, what?"

"It will be good for everypony!" Cadance replied. "This way they have some... normal in their lives after... this..."

Another pause.

"Okay, if you're sure..." Shining said hesitantly. "I'm just glad you're safe... What's this?"

"It, um... Nightmare Moon said that it's like what Twilight's wearing all the time-"

"It does look the same," Shining cut in. "Wait, so she's listening to us right now?" was his abrupt realization.

She smiled at the following silence.

"Well... it... could be worse, I could have-"

Whatever he was about to say was muffled, presumably from a hoof.

Cadance coughed.

"Sorry," Shining Apologized.

"It's okay, Shiny..." Cadance comforted.

"Well, I guess... this is going to make things awkward isn't it?" Shining asked.

"We'll... figure it out, or just have to pretend that she's not listening in..." Cadance replied.

Nightmare Moon opened her eyes and squinted at that. It didn't sound salacious, but then, it also reminded her that Cadance was the Princess of Love. And based on that, she had some second thoughts about the particular leash she gave her.

She shook the thought aside and blocked out most of what else was said between them as she closed her eyes to go back to relaxing.




Nightmare stood looking at her Moon with satisfaction as it slowly ascended further into the sky. Surely, ponies would notice that the Moon was moving. Surely, if they didn't notice that or its eventual change in position, they would notice when darkness descended upon the world. How could they not?

Then again, ponies could be rather inept.

She just hoped that they didn't panic. That would create undue annoyances for her. Tedious little things to attend to, like reminding everypony she was still around and that no, her sister had not returned. And making sure that ponies didn't start burning down Equestria out of fear. She had sent word out to the Royal Guards deployed in cities to spread word about what she was doing and had given them orders to keep things in control. Hopefully, they would do their jobs, despite being spread thin. Hopefully, ponies would see this and view it as something of a return to the routine and the blackness of night without her moon's light wouldn't paralyze everything in fear. Maybe things would actually go well!

That was probably wishful thinking. At best. Hopefully, the Royal Guard would be able to stop ponies' herd instincts from kicking in when the rioting and looting and other destruction started.

Looking down from the Moon, she briefly surveyed the dirt path before them. It was hardly fitting for her status as Queen, but simply teleporting into the Deer Kingdom's capital wouldn't do. No, this way- walking into the Whitetails Woods- they would realize she was coming. They could prepare to receive her and her student. Then, the deer could be hospitable to them.

She cast a glance aside at Twilight. Her student stood at her right side, and she actually looked halfway eager for once. She did not hold herself rigidly like normal. She was mostly calm. She felt a hint of pride at that. 'Perhaps you will be able to overcome your fears yet,' she mused.

Twilight also wore a pair of saddlebags emblazoned with her cutie mark. She found herself staring at the emblem, then glancing back to stare at the cutie mark on Twilight's flank. Just looking at that pink starburst made her feel wide awake and filled with energy. It still sent her mind racing, knowing and seeing that Twilight's cutie mark looked nearly identical to the Element of Magic, which she bore. Her special talent was magic, she was the bearer of the Element of Magic, she studied Magic Theory, and she knew what went into making spells work.

Looking at Twilight's cutie mark, her mind and body demanded some form of action.

'So much potential...' slithered through her mind. The thought made a shiver race down her spine, but her body remained unmoved by the sensation.

Twilight glanced aside at her, and she could see that her body was gradually becoming tenser. She looked away from her flank and met her gaze. For a moment, the memory of how let down she looked when she found out that her mentor had lied to her passed through Nightmare's mind. It left a subdued feeling behind in her wake; she felt sorry for Twilight. She could relate to her in such a way. After all, her dear sister had hurt both of them. But for some reason, she had not spoken a word of what her sister had told her. It remained her own secret, that Twilight's former mentor had told her that she had a student.

It would have been a great way to severe whatever tie Twilight still had to her dear sister, but she did not use that knife, as she was unsure of the extent that it would wound Twilight.

The book levitating in front of Twilight drifted down a few inches as Twilight seemed to lose focus, though it did not fall, and as she noticed her grip slipping, she blinked and glanced at the book before returning to look at Nightmare. "Y-yes?" she squeaked.

"Are you ready, Twilight Sparkle?" was her question.

Twilight carefully closed the book, offering her a brief glimpse of the cover, which depicted a frontal portrait of a deer, before levitating it back and slipping it into the bag on her right side. She nodded. "Yes," she answered. Her eyes jumped left and then right, then shot back to Nightmare. "J-just the two of us, though?"

Nightmare cocked her head to the side. "Of course," she answered.

Twilight shifted her weight onto her right side. "N-no guards or anything?"

That brought a frown to her lips and her brow creased. "Why would we need guards?" she asked.

"Um... for protection?" Twilight asked, though as she spoke, it seemed to occur to her how silly a question it was.

Nightmare simply raised an eyebrow. "Mobilizing guards would take longer, and I think it would send the wrong message. It would be better to do this personally- just the two of us," she explained, "and allow me to assure you, you will be perfectly safe with me. I do not anticipate hostilities. Though the deer are strong warriors, they are not that naturally aggressive. If, however, problems do arise, you have my word that I will keep you safe," she said.

Twilight glanced down at the ground, then nodded and turned her head forward. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "O-okay."

For a moment longer, she hesitated, simply enjoying looking at her student. She glanced away from her and turned her attention to the path before them. "We are wasting moonlight," she noted. With nothing more to say, she strode forward. She did not hear Twilight's hoofsteps against the dirt, but she could feel her walking close beside her even without the necklace. Twilight's walk was calm but guarded.

Calmly, the two of them walked into the forest. While it had been quiet before, it was if everything immediately reacted to her presence, and the silence became all-encompassing. There was no breeze to rustle the leaves and make the trees' branches sway in the wind to create a soothing music. There were no birds singing, nor did any insects make a sound. Larger animals, perhaps both predators if any and prey, all fell silent and stopped any form of movement that would draw her attention.

Even the plants seemed to feel and recognize her presence, and they stood still as she strode deeper into the forest. Indeed, the only movement came from her student and herself, both of whom were the only two living things that seemed unaffected by her presence, but even her student was affected by her presence.

The dirt path was well-traveled and clear, though as they made their way deeper into the forest, the tree canopy gradually stretched out over the path to cover it and hide the moon from sight. As they descended into darkness, Twilight walked a little closer to her, though kept far enough away that she did not trip up either of them. Nightmare lit her horn and channeled her magic into a small orb. With a crack, the white orb shot out from her horn, illuminating the darkness with the soft white light of the moon. She guided the orb ahead of them, not for herself, but for Twilight's sake: her student's eyesight did not compare to her own.

"Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, have you ever been to the Whitetail Woods before?" she asked.

"Um.. no," was Twilight's answer. "I uh, I've not... I'm not much of a outdoors pony."

Nightmare inclined her head as they continued into the forest. "I presumed as such; you are a scholar."

She could almost feel Twilight glance aside at her in response to that. "I just... Pr..." Twilight trailed off, and curiously, she looked back at her.

'How long will it be before you cease attempting to speak that accursed name?' she wondered without anger.

"...Your sister," Twilight finally corrected. "I uh... outside of the Summer Sun Celebration, I've... never really left Canterlot. And, well, you know, Canterlot doesn't have many trees. Since, you know, it's built on a platform. And the side of a mountain."

"Yes," Nightmare answered, "but what of the mountainside? I have seen it from above, and while it is steep in places, there are still areas of the forest which are most accessible. Do you have no interest in forests?"

"No, not really," was Twilight's answer. "I prefer being inside. Where I can study. In peace."

"I see," Nightmare replied. The dirt path continued ahead, but it seemed that the forest was slowly returning to life. Though no breeze came and though no birds chirped, she could hear the distant buzzing of insects slowly growing louder. Inhaling, she could smell the fresh fragrance of the forest- the scent of trees and of ferns and of grass and dirt. And her sense of smell relished it. How could she not? A thousand years with nothing to smell except her own scent and nearly anything was a welcome refreshment.

Truly, in the time since her return, she had forgotten how much she missed the fresh smells that Canterlot so lacked, and they filled her with a subdued calmness. Perhaps her sister had denied her vengeance, but she still had her freedom. Perhaps the deer would prove troublesome, but for the moment, she could enjoy this walk with her student.

"Tell me, you are quite fond of books, are you not?" she asked.

"Yes," Twilight answered. "I am." There was a hint of pride or arrogance in her voice, but Nightmare merely smirked at it.

"I have not have time to see to everything; I recall you mentioning that my sister had a school, did you not?" she asked.

"Um... yes," Twilight answered with great hesitance. "She... did..."

She looked over at Twilight, who held her head level and looked ahead. But when she looked at Twilight, the filly's eyes glanced at her for a moment before returning straight ahead. "For gifted unicorns, I recall?"

Twilight nodded timidly.

"I suppose I shall need to address this, won't I?" she asked.

Twilight bit the corner of her lip and gradually turned to look at her. "I-I suppose," she said in a high-pitched voice.

She frowned. "I will not end it if that is your concern," she firmly countered. Twilight relaxed at that and looked away from her. "I will simply have to review it and see to the best course of action regarding its continued existence and function."

Without saying anything, Twilight nodded quickly.

She waited for a moment, then looked back forward. Ahead, the path started to curve to the right, and the trees and underbrush thinned, though not enough to suggest the outermost parts of civilization. How the deer had managed to keep the forest so pristine- even with their magic and alchemy- despite a thousand years of population growth and all that entailed still eluded her.

Coming around the bend, she found that the path met another dirt path. Looking left, she followed the dirt path back but found nothing of interest, excepting more trees and bushes alongside the pathway. "Pegasi tend to the weather here, do they not?" she questioned.

"As far as I know, yes," was Twilight's answer.

She nodded to herself, then looked to the right. As with the way the path had come, it was surrounded by trees and brushes and was well-trod. She started forward, and once again, Twilight followed beside her.

Several minutes passed them by with nothing more being spoken between them. The forest seemed to grow acquainted with her presence, but the calls and singing of birds were still far between, as they had not yet adjusted to the eternal night. The calls of owls stood out among the distant buzz of insects which did their best to stay as far from Nightmare Moon as they could. The occasional rustle of bushes caused her student to tense up, but then relax as whatever had caused it hastily made its retreat.

Most likely, they were small rodents, perhaps mice or rabbits, that fled from her presence. Eventually, something larger caught her attention, and as she stopped, Twilight likewise stopped. She could hear it lurking in the forest, just beyond the path. The subtle rubbing of leaves on wood as it disturbed the underbrush. It was perhaps the size of a pony, but lighter and more delicate in build.

Identifying the source of the disturbance, she turned towards the sound and extended her magic. Almost immediately, all movement and sounds ceased as the forest felt her magic seeping into it. And indeed, her magic confirmed her suspicions. One of the forest's inhabitants that she sought out. "Show yourself," she called out.

A few seconds passed by with no response nor any sound of movement. She felt Twilight step closer to her, afraid of that which she did not know. Had she known how to search with her magic, she could have identified the deer, but she either did not think of it or did not know how. Calmly, she waited. It was only a matter of time; either the deer would make itself known, or it would try to escape.

But the moon continued on its course, and darkness would eventually descend. A night without a moon, how dark it would be! While it was of little concern to her, it would be a problem for her student, and as such, they were wasting time.

Gradually, the rustling of underbrush returned. She turned to face the source head on and peered into the darkness. Likewise, her student stepped around to stand close beside her once again. A glance at Twilight confirmed she was squinting into the darkness, trying to perceive that which she could not see.

Looking back, she watched as ever so slowly, the deer poked its head out from the brush. It was a cautious, testing glance as if to make sure there was no immediate danger. Taking one look at her, the deer froze in place. She could see the way her muscles tensed up, the way her fear filled her wide, soul-filled eyes.

Her nose was black, and her coat was a soft, matte brown, speckled with tuffs of white fur. The underside of her neck was almost pure white, like her sister, but the doe's fur was longer, somehow more graceful, despite their forest home. The white coat descended down to her chest, and presumably to her underbody. She was small, no larger than Twilight, and most assuredly younger than her. Her legs were, in comparison to Twilight's, skinny and boney, almost to the point of looking sickly and fragile, yet she knew they were deceptively strong and precise.

Cautiously, the fawn made her way out of the underbrush. Her body was rigid with anxiety, and her muscles were tensed, ready to bolt at an alarming rate if it proved necessary. Her head was devoid of any antlers, reaffirming her status as a female, but her ears were extended straight up in an alert stance, focused on Nightmare.

Twilight relaxed beside her, now assured that there was no present danger.

Nightmare looked over the fawn curiously, taking in her form. Just like she had remembered, the deer's form was so graceful and slender, far more so than her and her sister. Sleek and agile, well-suited for moving through the forest at high speeds. The doe was a few inches shorter than Twilight, and she put her age a few years younger than her student.

"Y-you're ponies?" was the doe's quiet, filly-like voice. It was a sweet, humble voice, yet filled with fear and apprehension.

"Indeed we are," Nightmare answered.

The fawn lifted her front right leg and shifted her weight back in fear. After a few seconds without an attack, she let her leg back down. The doe looked over Nightmare's body and saw her glowing horn, then the faint bulge in her sides. Upon her closer scrutiny, her eyes widened, seeing Nightmare's feathers. "Y-you're an alicorn!?"

"Yes," Nightmare answeres succinctly.

"You're not-"

"No," she preempted. The fawn took a step back and crouched down. "I am Nightmare Moon," she stated. She could nearly hear the fawn gulp at her name. "No doubt, you recognize the night that I have brought." The deer nodded quickly but remained silent. She inhaled and smiled, showing her teeth. She could see the palpable wave of icy-cold fear wash over the deer. After all, the fawn was younger than Twilight, and even more so than ponies, deer were prey. And she was the predator. But rather than flee, the doe was paralyzed with fear. "I wish to speak with your king, and you will take me to him."

The horror in the fawn's eyes reminded her of what she had seen in Twilight's eyes when she asked the filly to prove her worth. It left something to be desired, and she felt a hint of disgust at it. The doe wasn't even an adult, and here she was, intimidating her! It was something more befitting a coward like a griffin than somepony as regal than her. And so it left a bitter taste in her mouth. This fawn had the same innocence that Twilight did, even more so than her student. She did not deserve such treatment. And she was acting such a way to a fawn so much younger than her student. It was wrong, and she knew it.

The fawn's tail flicked quickly from left to right behind her. "F-follow m-me... I-I'll t-take you to Antlerfall... A-and you c-can speak to King Aspen!"

Without another word, the fawn turned, then leaped to the right. In a bounding stride, she jumped onto the path, then quickly darted along the path. She bounded with each step like she would have through the forest, and she was quick and agile, spurred on by fear, yet she held herself back. Nightmare had seen deer move far faster than the fawn. She quickly strode after the fawn, taking long steps in order to keep pace. Twilight moved quickly to stay at her side.

After a bit, the fawn's bounding slowed, then turned into a quick walk, allowing Nightmare and her student to catch up.

"How far is it?" Nightmare asked.

The fawn leaped in shock, then righted herself. "U-um, it's not far... Antlerfall was built near the edge of the forest..."

Content with the fawn's answer, she continued to follow in silence. Minutes passed before the forest started to thin and show signs of more activity. Eventually, the path grew wider, but no less dirt-based. Finally, the darkness was fought off by the burning light of fires. She smiled as she neared the town. As she glimpsed the city beyond, her smile faded.

She had expected a large city, one that was perhaps not grand nor magnificent, but one that was befitting the capital of a nation. Houses were built into trees, and the underbrush was cut away, but while she had no idea for how long the town stretched on, it seemed incredibly disappointing. There were wooden and rope pathways connecting trees together into a mishmash of life, yet it seemed so empty like it was hardly lived in.

It also contrasted so differently from what she remembered of the deer a thousand years ago. She could recall walking the dirt or moss-covered paths that made up the deer's roads, and she could recall the homes built into trees and the occasional dens, but they had been so much more lively, even in the times of war when weapon racks were about and stags prepared for war.

Looking back, she cherished those memories. Sitting around campfires wearing her black battle armor, flanked by Equestrian soldiers in unpainted steel armor, while stags sat across from them. The comradery shared before the dawn of a battle, being able to look up at her stars and moon with others, even if their thoughts were on the battle ahead. Back when, at the very least, ponies respected her. Nowhere near the extent that they had loved her dear sister, but she was their guardian and protector. Sister had helped, but her talents never were in warfare. Sisyer hadn't been able to do what she did.

In the aftermath of the memories, she felt a bitterness deep inside her core once again, and it seemed it was uncontained, as the atmosphere shifted once again, the very air condensing as if to protect itself and make it less vulnerable to her presence. The fawn proceeded ahead in a guarded manner, and a glance to her side showed Twilight's relaxed posture having been withdrawn into one of formal isolation.

Casting her gaze around the city, she found very few signs of life. Through windows, she could occasionally discern a deer's shadow cast by the warm glow of firelight, but the streets were so empty and silent. Even on the eves of battles so long ago, fawns had roamed the streets with a careless playfulness, even with the threat of the griffins lurking just ahead of them. The fawns had pranced around without any concern for the war that raged on, they had giggled and laughed with the foal-like innocence that youth had, oblivious to the horrors of war they were protected from, save for those who were unlucky.

And those fawns? They were forever changed. There was a certain loss ever present in their eyes, one that was inescapable. It haunted them. Their gazes seemed infinitely deeper than their untouched peers. How could it not? They were but fawns, unprepared for the horrors war brought, unprepared for the realities that adults or even older fawns faced. And the way they walked, with a caution that spoke of trauma that would never leave.

Some of them had grown to become great warriors. Some of them had recovered from what had happened to them, but even then, they were still scarred. Their fawnhood had been stolen from them, violently so, by the talons and beaks of the griffins.

The thoughts angered her. Were the same thing to happen now, a thousand years later, the damage would be far worse. The devastation would be on a far larger scale. And Equestria would be completely unprepared should something like that happen. How could she not be troubled by the prospect of such a disaster befalling her empire? To rebuild and reaffirm control and order would take time that she did not have should such a thing transpire.

Perhaps she should have wiped the griffins out a thousand years ago, but no, she had not. Dear sister would not have it then, and at the time, to genocide an entire species, even one that caused such harm, had appalled her. Even now, such a thought unnerved her. She could have exterminated them. It would take time, but she could do it. But to actually do such a thing? It would be a blight on her reign. Ponies would know. Ponies would remember that. 'I am no monster...' growled out in her mind.

Ahead of her was a massive oak tree, one which far outgrew the Golden Oak Library where she had watched her student speak of the Elements of Harmony in widthe several times over. The tree spoke of power, and its canopy seemed to shelter the surrounding trees, despite not stretching much higher than the rest of them. Had she been flying above the forest, she would have spotted the tree, though likely not realized its importance. The front entrance was a double door, elegantly decorated with sweeping swirls carved into the wood. Some of the lines and curls wrapped into images that depicted stags, yet for the most part, it was simply decorative and abstract, perhaps some reference to the growth of plants and the wind.

Standing to guard the entrance were two stags, both of which put her student's size to shame. They towered over her student by at least the same height as Cadance, and their bodies were far more massive than the slender alicorn. Their shoulders were broadly spaced, and while their legs were still thin, they did not appear bony. They stood gracefully and radiated an aura of strength and determination, a buffer of sorts, holding back her aura of terror. They gazed ahead at her, but did not cower. They were prey, but they were warriors who would not be intimidated by any predators.

Their chests were covered in an overlapping mesh of thin, curved, triangular metal plates that reminded her of the scales on a dragon's body, and the gray metal reflected the light from her mage light and the glows of the countless fires, which caused the armor to almost shimmer and sparkle in the constantly shifting and twisting orange glow. Upon their slender heads were helmets, though they only protected their muzzles and jaw, as their large antlers would not allow for further protection. Both held spears against their right shoulder with their right leg.

The fawn slowed as she neared them, but it did not seem to be out of intimidation of the two stags that towered over her. Eventually, she stopped, took one look back at Nightmare, then bounded off in a burst of energy, disappearing into the surrounding town.

She wasn't sure if her student had managed to see just how quickly the doe had made her escape.

Confidently and holding herself with regality, she approached the two stags with a methodical, practiced step. She had perfected such a stride, one designed to tell her victim that she was approaching and nothing could be done to slow her; she held authority and power, and demanded obedience. The stags straightened but did not back down. "I will speak with your king," she stated.

"You are not Princess Celestia," the one on the right stated.

She bared her teeth in disgust at that name. The undying inferno in the back of her mind sparked to life and exploded to life once again, filling her entire mind with her infinite hatred. She clenched her jaw tight, so tight that if somepony's neck had been between her teeth, they would have already died. Her breathing picked up, her chest expanding and contracting with barely any restraint. "You will not speak that name in front of me again!" she growled, leaving no room for debate.

But the stag was not intimidated. No, his pride would not allow it. "You are her sister?" he asked in a firm voice that betrayed no fear. He stared death in the eye, and he did not flinch.

Nightmare's clenched jaw relaxed, and her lips pulled up. She tossed her head to the sky and looked up at the tree canopy, letting out a mirthful laugh. Oh, how strong the irony! "Of course the deer remember me!" she bellowed out into the night, her laugh continuing. Her laugh slowly faded into a low rumble that shook the forest to its very core. Once her laugh ceased, she lowered her head. Anger flashed through her mind. So what if her breathing was uncontrolled? So what if it looked to them that she was on the verge of losing control? It would do them good to know her wrath should they act against her! 'Foals!' hissed through her mind. If she had not been an alicorn, her very teeth would have shattered. "While my own subjects do not!" she spat.

Both stags were silent. The tension in the air was permeable as if the air itself had coiled itself into a ball of some sort that would explode and destroy everything around if any further stress was added to it. The stags were not intimidated.

Twilight trembled in fear.

She could hear Twilight's shaking, and she could feel it and sense it. So much trembling that the necklace shook across her chest. Any sense of a sadistic, irate smile that had been on her lips disappeared, and the inferno had been crushed by a tsunami. Suddenly, she felt as if everything was staring at her, not in fear, but in ridicule, as if to say, 'Look at the tantrum that foal is throwing, and see why she is so undeserving of love!'

She did not feel anger. She felt disappointment. Reluctantly, she turned her head. It took what felt like forever until she could glance back at Twilight. She hated what she saw. Twilight shook uncontrollably, oh so rigidly. Her whole body was completely tense. How long until she passed out, falling unconscious, from circulation failing, or simply from fear? Minutes? Seconds. Her eyes were so wide, and she stared straight ahead. The corners of her eyes were glistening, and her lips quivered. She didn't even breathe.

And it was her fault. Looking back at the two stags, they seemed to be silently judging her for hurting a filly so. She clenched her jaw and ground her teeth. She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

She wasn't a monster, but she might as well have been one.

She extended her wing and brushed a feather along Twilight's side. Twilight recoiled and let out a squeak of fear, stumbling over her hooves to step as far away from her as she could. She felt the filly's coat move just out of reach, then felt her starting to trip over herself and fall.

She intervened, catching Twilight with her magic. She held Twilight in place, then reached out with her wing and slid her feather along the length of Twilight's coat, from just in front of her flank, over her sides and ribcage, up to her shoulder. The whole time, she stared straight ahead at the door. And both stags watched her, still intent on judging her.

Twilight's trembling calmed, but she still shivered. "I will speak with your king now," she said again. She tried not to let it slip in, but her bitterness still made itself known.

The stag on the right inclined his head in acknowledgment, then turned to the left. His antlers blazed to life with a rich green aura and the door was enveloped in the same aura, then swung inward. He slipped inside, and the door shut behind him.

She waited patiently. Twilight still shook. Her silence seemed deathly quiet. She glanced aside at Twilight, and Twilight continued to look straight ahead, refusing to look at her. Twilight's chest expanded and contracted in a tightly controlled manner. The longer she watched her student, the more disappointment she felt. She looked away from her and returned to waiting patiently.

Idly, she touched Twilight's back with a feather, then slowly stroked it along the length of her back. Twilight's coat parted around her feather in an almost pleasant way, and with each stroke, more of Twilight's shivering faded and a bit of her confidence returned. After the fourth stroke, Twilight's shaking was gone, and her breathing was almost normal, though her body was still tense, rigid like stone. Before she could continue, however, the doors opened all the way and the stag walked back out.

"You may speak with King Aspen," he stated.

She folded her wing to her side and inclined her head at him, then strode inside with no fanfare. Twilight bolted forward in order to keep pace with her, and instantly, her shaking returned.

Putting aside Twilight's trembling, she looked around the tree's interior. Since it was a hollowed out tree, the room was circular in nature. Every wooden surface looked so solid and study, yet while the floor was plain, the walls were carved, decorated with those same majestic sweeping lines and curves that made the interior look lighter, all the while depicting does and stags and other abstract ideas she could not place. It reminded her of the swirls on the door to her bedchambers, yet the ones carved into the walls of this tree looked so much more organic and natural.

Off to the right, there was a stone fireplace set into the wall that had a fire burning inside of it. It would have been a fire hazard, but two stags stood guard nearby, along with a healthy number of buckets whose liquid surfaces twinkled and sparkled like stars or jewels from the orange crackling light. Inside the fireplace and over the fire were two metal rods, upon which a large pot sat. Listening, she could hear the gentle roar of the boiling water.

To the left, glass bottles were suspended from the ceiling by ropes. The bottles curved outward at the lower middle, then swept back inward to create a bulbous sphere, while the top was not too dissimilar from a teapot, slowly shrinking inward, but then curling outward and falling down in a shape reminiscent of a flower. The rope from which they were suspended from wrapped around just under the flower-like lip and it ensured that the rope did not slip.

Within the bulbous base, a yellow and purple fluid mixed and churned about, though never managing to diffuse together into one color. They always remained separate, never quite able to touch one another, constantly giving off a warm orange glow, not dissimilar from the fire, save for the fact that the glow did not dance like the lances of flame. The light was constant, like a beacon of stability and strength, symbolic of their King, her sister, and so much more. In fact, it almost looked symbolic of her sister and herself, the way the yellow and purple liquids chased after the other, like the day-night cycle of how the sun chased after the moon, which in turn, chased after the sun, never able to catch the other.

She shook the thought from her mind; the last thing she needed was to further trouble her student. Looking directly ahead, at the back of the room, there was a spiral staircase that extended into the room. The wood had been cut back from the tops of the stairs to clear out the rest of the room, but the stairway was left. Beneath the stairs may have been hollow, but she could not tell for the wall of wood that blocked her view.

She strode over to the stairs, then turned and ascended them. Twilight scrambled up the stairs beside her. As they walked, it was not lost on her that Twilight was still at her right side, trapped between her and the wall. But she also knew that it meant she would be the first to be seen, and Twilight would be mostly hidden from sight by her body.

The stairs continued to spiral on still, far above the room that they came to. She had no idea how many levels and rooms the tree had to it, but she knew it was finite. Looking into the room she ascended into, she saw that the walls were decorated with shields crossed with spears or antlers, windows were covered with a deep purple fabric, and glowing lamps hung from the ceiling. Opposite the spot where the stairs met the room's floor was a throne built of wood and antlers, with a large pair of antlers at the top.

Upon the throne sat a large stag whose coat was mostly white, save for the black of the tip of his nose and the brown, matte fur covering his cheeks. Brown fur stretched down from his back to cover his ribcage, then just as quickly retreated, leaving his shoulder white. His eyes were sharp and pristine, green in color. Two small purple gems were set in cusps on his antlers near the base, and wrapped around his neck was his golden regalia that almost looked like an upside down flower, complete with a heart-shaped ruby set in the center, which served to pin a deep purple tassel that hung over his chest in place.

Standing at his right was a much younger stag whose antlers were not too dissimilar from a unicorn's horn, rather than the twisted mangle of half a dozen spurs like the other stags. To his left stood a doe, then another young female fawn, perhaps half Twilight's age. Like King Aspen, the doe seemed young and full of energy and youthful strength, but looking at her, she could feel a stubbornness mixed in with her unmistakable deer friendliness. A floral wreath hung loosely from her neck, made from red, white, blue, and purple flowers, all so delicately arranged to where it looked like the wreath would disintegrate if she so much as inhaled.

"Seeing as how you're obviously not Princess Celestia," King Aspen called from the throne. His voice had a firm quality to it, it was a voice that spoke of power and youthful strength, not yet wisened by old age. There was a pridefulness in his voice, but it lacked the blind arrogance that Canterlot nobles possessed. "And given the night that has befallen the world," he continued.

She turned to face him and stepped forward. Twilight, likewise stayed at her side and followed closely.

"You must be Princess Lu-"

Her gaze hardened at that, and she clencher her jaw. Exposing Twilight to another outburst would not do, but far worse was the threat posed by this stag! 'That wretched name must not be spoken!' "Nightmare Moon," she preempted in a threatening growl. She was certain that if she could have seen Twilight from her position, her student would have glanced at her.

King Aspen paused for a moment, then closed his mouth. He looked over her, then studied Twilight before looking back at her. "This is the name you have taken for yourself? Fitting."

She snorted.

"And I see you've claimed your sister's student," he added as an afterthought. His eyes traced over her form, taking in her armor. "You're different from the stories passed down from the wars."

"Yes," was her succinct reply.

King Aspen took a deep breath, then stepped off his thrown. Like the other stags, he towered over Twilight, but in contrast, he was nearly as tall as her. "So tell me, Nightmare Moon, why have you come to my kingdom?"

She cocked her head to the side. "To ensure that you and your kingdom don't stab me in the back," she stated. She evened her head out and looked him in the eye with an intent, piercing gaze. "It would not do, after all, to risk turning one's allies into enemies."

He nodded in understanding. "You have broken the day-night cycle and have brought eternal night," was his annoyed response.

"I don't mind," she hissed, "annexing you if that's a problem," she retorted.

He snorted and looked at her intently. "Would you risk war with the deer?" he asked.

It gave her pause. Perhaps she had spoken too quickly. Sure, in theory, she could annex the deer into Equestria. But that wasn't just asking for problems. No, that was begging for problems! The deer were peaceful, and ponies knew that. Her subjects would not support such a move and would likely resist. And the deer? Well, if she did manage to conquer them, their resistance would prevent much of anything useful from being done. They were, after all, stubborn. And that resistance could spill into Equestria, bringing even more chaos and dissent, and putting her empire and rule in an even more precarious position.

Perhaps there was a solution, but at least for the moment, annexation was out of the question. The deer had not, after all, caused her any problems yet to warrant such a move. And to preemptively attack them when they had not caused her any problems and likely would not? Such a thing was foalish! 

She inhaled calmly. "That is not my desire," she stated firmly. "I do not know what dealings my sister had with you, but I shall review them," she promised.

"Trade, mostly," was his response.

"I would presume as such," she stated. "As of right now I have no problem keeping these deals in effect; I will, however, review them. Is this acceptable?"

He inclined his head to nod.

"Perhaps in the future, we can make more deals," she offered. "But do keep in mind that I will not be pleased if I find out you're working against me."

He lifted his head up and held himself more proudly. "Neither I nor the deer have any desire for war with ponies, although this night of yours may be pushing things. We will consider remaining in our alliance, but with this change in leadership, we may end it. But even if we decide to end it, we will not attack unless you provoke us."

She inclined her head. "Very well."