The Beloved of Princess Nightmare Moon

by Aegis Shield


Temptations

The Beloved of Princess Nightmare Moon

Chapter 7: Temptations

“Alright, big guy, c’mon then,” Rainbow Dash encouraged. Nurse Bandaid rushed forward to lock arms with her. “Ohhh, somepony’s been losing their baby fat.”

“Shut up!” Bandaid laughed, shifting his weight a little. They tore from each other, then locked arms again. His muscles shuddered under the strain of just trying to hold her at bay. The cool morning air chilled their sweat as they wrestled back and forth. Rainbow’s wings flutter-flapped to help shift her weight, but Bandaid’s sheer size difference held fast.

It had been some time since he’d arrived at his parent’s home. Nightmare had sent gifts for Hearthswarming, but didn’t dare approach while family time was being spent. They exchanged letters, but there was little substance to them. Running a nation was hard work, after all. She would welcome her beloved home when he decided to toddle from Mom and Dad’s house.

Rainbow and Bandaid tumbled over each other, and his muzzle mooshed into the nape of her neck when she pinned both his shoulders. Her sweat smelled very nice. Shaking his head quickly, he put his back hooves on her underbelly and less-than-gently launched her off of himself. She took to the skies only briefly under the dojo’s cloth canopy, then dive-bombed into him. Side-stepping, Bandaid grabbed a leg and a shoulder and used her momentum against her to spin about and send her flying into a nearby post. Flipping agilely, she seemed to bounce off of it with all four hooves. Bandaid threw himself into the sand to barrel roll out of a flying kick. Rainbow skidded along the ground and charged at him again before she’d stopped.

Panting, they locked arms again. Rainbow’s footing slipped and they slapped down, one atop the other. Bandaid panted loudly as Rainbow’s wings tossed at the sand. Coughing twice she gave him a hard shove off of herself and they rolled back to their hooves. Dusting the sand from her coat, she resumed her fighting stance and threw a wild haymaker. Bandaid yapped, only having brought up one arm and not both. He skidded a couple of feet and Rainbow pounced on him while he was flat on his back. Straddling, she watched him cough on the strands of her rainbow tail while he flailed a little. “Still a Momma’s boy,” she chided, smirking over him and folding her arms a little.

Kidney shot!” Bandaid announced, crushing her abdomen from both sides. Rainbow’s lungs collapsed with a mighty wheeze and she fell to one side. Curse his medical knowledge and know-how! Bandaid scrambled to recover while she struggled to regain her breath. Both of them sweating, they squared off again; Rainbow with her octagon stance, and Bandaid with his childish ready-stance.

Rainbow admired his body a little, despite herself. The water weight and baby fat melted off in just over a month or so with his mother’s constant regimented exercise and strictly controlled eating. He was actually starting to show a bit of a stallion’s shape under that gussied-up, palace nurse fur. She saw his back leg move to shift his weight and she tensed as he launched himself forward. There was no reason to dodge, he wasn’t strong enough to be worth dodging yet. He was wrestling practice for her, and she was combat practice for him. “Water break?” she offered.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smile.

They locked arms yet again and Rainbow Dash threw him down with a mighty shout. He rolled wildly through the sand while she stamped after him, trying to get a good rib-shot in and make him give up. One or two good bruises was all it had taken at first, was he getting a little tougher? Nah. Nah that was just his earth pony breeding. They were built tougher than pegasi were. While yes, she was just playing with him and treating him like an understudy, he was certainly giving her his all. Slathering just a little from the workout, Bandaid walked a half-circle, then charged! He grabbed her shoulders and she his, but his momentum was too much. Sand was not a good stopping force for a straight-on charge. Rainbow skidded backward slowly but surely until her back met a post. Groaning with effort, he slowly, slowly got her shoulders against it for a pin. Their faces were very close together and their noses almost touched. She saw the long bead of sweat go down his face. His teeth were clenched and his cheeks were vibrating with effort. “…Don’t poop yourself, big guy.” She offered.

“PHH-HAHAHA!” he lost all his focus and she shoved him to the sand again. He stayed there a moment, face-hoofing with laughter. “You always know just what to say to throw me off!”

“Well you’re just concentrating so hard!” Rainbow helped him up, scrubbing her sweaty bangs out of her eyes. “We gotta get that embarrassment reflex outta you at some point!”

“Right, right,” he rolled his eyes, stretching back and forth a few times to help with the cool down. “We should shower, or mom won’t let us in the house.”

“Won’t let you in the house,” Rainbow corrected. “I stay out here, remember?”

“What is it with you and never wanting to be at our table?” Bandaid caught the sweat towel she threw at him.

“It’s their table. I’m here for training, not to move in with your family and eat their food,” Rainbow gestured to the rain cloud above the hot springs where she always stayed.

The outside showers had been exotic to Bandaid at first, but really they weren’t too different from showering at the gym. Eyes on your own stuff, and nopony would bother you. Connected to the hot springs was a small bathing area and two meager shower stalls, separated by half-walls. Bandaid took one, and Rainbow the other. The hot water, even in the winter air, felt great. It made his skin and angry muscles tingle. Soap was brief, scrubbing was standard, but the company was always nice.

Bandaid found his gaze slipping over towards Rainbow while she scrubbed at her bannered mane. He would always look away before she got the soap out of her eyes, but she was certainly a splendid specimen. Embarassedly or no, he’d certainly gotten to know her body over the weeks of training. The hoof-full of mane here, the press of foreheads there, it had been electric. He couldn’t help it. The attraction was there. Just as with Nightmare Moon, he found this powerful mare attractive. The muscle, the confidence, and all the rest. He reminded himself, not for the first time, that not only was she gay but both of them were taken. He gave a horsey snort, quickly going back to his own washing.

“What’cha staring at?” Rainbow said, one eye full of soap and one not. Her smirk spoke volumes.

Not to be baited, Bandaid quickly thought up a lie. “I was wondering if the rainbow was real,” he pawed at his mane to emphasize.

She leaned at him over the half-wall to tell him the secret. “The green stripe is fake,” she whispered conspiratorially, grinning.

“Wh… really?” he pondered, looking at her sopping wet mane. Without even thinking about it he took a strand to look at the roots. One side of her bangs was yellow, then the split of hair for her ear, and the next color was green and blue… the roots of the green hairs were blue! “Huh!” he said, lifting a flap of hair back and forth.

“Having fun there?” she said flatly. He let go like she’d slapped him.

“Sorry!”

“S’okay,” she rolled her eyes at him, getting the waiting bucket and filling it. Standing out of the shower spray while the bucket filled, she glistened. Shaking like a dog and tossing her mane a little, she checked the mirror across the way. When the bucket was filled she tumped it over herself and shook out again.

They washed in silence for a long time, each lost in their thoughts. “So what’s the plan for you?” Bandaid finally asked. “Mom is going to train you until the next season starts for the octagon?”

“Your Mom is gonna train me until she says I’m ready,” Rainbow said a little stoically.

“That could be a while,” Bandaid said, still scrubbing.

“She’s got a lot to work with!” Rainbow stepped out of her shower stall to shake off the water and get towels. “I’m Rainbow Freaking Dash! I was already good when we met in the ring!” she reared up to flail her hooves at him a little. He smiled good-naturedly.

“Well you are a hoof full,” Bandaid admitted, splashing a bucket of hot water over himself.

“I’m the biggest hoof full you’ve ever seen!” she gloated, tossing the towels aside and walking to the edge of the springs. She splashed in, careful of her wings and went to her usual corner to lounge.

Bandaid eventually followed, soaking his poor ankles and not much else. The continual shock of crashing into the mare had dealt a little bit of ache to him. Not enough to be a sprain, but flirting with a pulled muscle.

Luna watched silently, not sure she especially liked what she was seeing.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=


“…say again?” Nightmare said, blanching at the messenger.

“Nurse Bandaid’s house, Princess. It’s burned down,” he repeated delicately. “The Ponyville fire department tried to save it but erm… it was a total loss. It was all they could do to contain the blaze and keep it from spreading to other houses in the neighborhood.”

“I see,” the dark goddess mumbled. “How did it start?”

“That’s what I thought you should see,” he nosed into his saddlebags for a moment to produce a mason jar with all manner of spell-webbing all over it. Nightmare squinted at the tiny figurine inside. It was a five-inch tall, plastic dragon. It yowled in a tiny voice, spraying sparks against the glass and darting back and forth like an angry parasprite.

“Bandaid will be furious,” Nightmare mumbled, touching a hoof to her chin. Discord had brought that tiny nightmare to life from one of Bandaid’s many shelves. After the gods had left his home, Nightmare had forgotten all about it. Of course it would run about, starting fires to mark its tiny territory! Just the right thing had caught flame though, and… well… “Bandaid will be furious,” she said again. “Nopony was hurt?” she asked. The messenger dutifully shook his head. “Very well. Dismissed.”

“You don’t think this was anypony making a statement or threatening your majesties coltfriend?” the messenger pressed a little boldly.

“I said dismissed,” Nightmare Moon gave him a sideways look. “Thy message is delivered, worry no more about it.” He quickly bowed, regretting himself. The black alicorn slowly sat on the obsidian throne.

You have more to worry about than burnt houses and beaus, Princess. You should pay better attention,” the voice made her look up. The messenger stood in the doorway, a dark shape and nothing else.

“Remember to whom you speak!” Nightmare said, slowly standing. A guard or two looked worriedly back and forth between them. She paused, minding the filigree of the doors of the throne room he stood by in shadow. Taller? Yes, a bit taller. Not the same pony. “Who’s that?!” she demanded, descending the dais. All eyes fell on the stranger in the guise of a messenger. A flick of her dark powers lit every torch in the room, and a horrific sight greeted everyone. Sand slipped from the side of the stallion’s face. His eyes were rolled up and outward, like a coma victim. He trembled, like a puppet in an old woman’s hands. He toddled forward just a little, leaving bits of earth in his wake. Shuddering, he coughed a moss clot to the floor. “Are you the one that stole Bandaid and dropped him in Gnosis?” Nightmare’s aura began to slowly conjure and rise from her shoulders like so much black steam.

No. It was Celestia,” the creature said, toddling forward like a clumsy puppet.

“I do not believe you. Celestia cannot transport a pony thus,” Nightmare started forward, waving off her guards for their own safety. The stallion’s knees bent the wrong way with a pop like popcorn, then righted themselves again. “She’s said it herself.”

And you believed her,” it snarked, spitting a long line of sand on the floor. “What pony alive do you think is powerful enough to grab your dearest up without your knowledge, spirit him half a world away and then sit back to watch?”

“You, obviously!” Nightmare snarled, her fangs, jumping into view. “What puppetry is this!? Name yourself!”

I am Equis,” the puppet said. “This finger-puppet speaks for me. For now. As long as his body holds out.” As though on cue tears of wet sand escaped the stallion’s eyes.

“I don’t understand,” Nightmare said, trying to pry information while she could.

Did you know Celestia has one of Cadance’s crossbow bolts? From Cupid’s crossbow?” It said, touching hoof to chin thoughtfully. “Who’d have thought she needed that much help, huhm? I wonder what Cadance thinks of this?

Shadows from the surrounding columns began to bend and slowly pool about Nightmare’s hooves. “Stop trying to sew chaos where there is none to be had!” Reaching into the rippling nothing, she pulled free a blade of liquid night and smote the puppet where it stood! Gore and body parts flew spectacularly, like a red and brown explosion of pony. Several ponies shrieked in horror, looking away from the mess. There was silence. Nightmare Moon stood there, panting. Finally letting go of all the shadows in the room, she let them return to their original positions. Seeming to read everypony’s thoughts, she looked to the nearest soldier. “Equis would not have released him before he died. His body was already starting to give out,” she told him. He hesitantly agreed. She’d seen the puppet weeping, it was mercy. Shadows morphed forward at her will, consuming the mess and leaving the floor and carpet pristine. “Equis,” she murmured slowly. What sort of being named itself after the planet they stood on? It was something to work with. Tia would know what to make of this.

Chrysalis had long since gone home, but Cadance remained. Perhaps they would meet over this. When the dawn came. Bringing the midnight court to a close, she stopped one of her stewards and drew him near with a massive black wing. “Come, we have a new and important project for you.”

“Anything, your majesty,” he said, bowing at the waist.

“Journey to Ponyville, assess the damage at this address.” She gave him the messenger’s scroll. “Rebuild the home exactly as it was, spare no expense and pay extra to expedite every process within reason. If you may set concrete faster with twenty unicorns focusing their magic on it, see it happen.”

“Er,” he said, a little caught off guard. “Yes your majesty,” he said slowly. “Am I using the royal accounts, or…?”

“The most powerful force in any system of mathematics is compound interest, my little pony,” Nightmare chuckled. “How much in the ways of monies do you think I gained through interest alone while I was gone for a thousand years?”

“Enough for a house?” he offered lamely, giving a tentative smile.

“Enough for a house,” she allowed with a playful roll of her eyes. “Now go. I will see thee rank and honor if it is completed before my beloved’s return to Ponyville.”

“When will he be back, Highness?” the stallion asked, noting down things as he could.

“I’ve no idea,” she said in earnest. “Work fast, do it right, spare no expense.” She sent him away after that so she could be alone with her thoughts. It was only then that she allowed Luna’s thoughts to invade her mind. She stopped for a moment to peer out a window, up at her. The night air was clear, and it was easy to see her. She listened with perked ears. Cocked an eyebrow. Listened further. “Wrestling, you say?” she murmured to nopony at all. She tilted her head like a dog listening to a high-pitched noise. “Bah, do not say such things Luna,” she waved a hoof dismissively as she spoke. “Bandaid would not stray from our bosom for yon violence.” She soothed the moon, slowly lighting her horn. It was time, anyway, according to the nearby standing clock. Lowering the fussy celestial body to her proverbial bed, she nuzzled it with her dark magicks until it finally quieted for the day. As though on cue, the sun began to peek over the horizon and pinken the sky. The stars began to wink out, yawning and mumbling amongst themselves.

Craning her neck, Nightmare looked to see Celestia standing on a high balcony in the Solar Wing of the palace, arms raised and wings open as though in ecstasy. Eyes closed, wide smile, she enjoyed every moment of the burst of dawn. She could almost hear the clippity-clop of her hooves as she set herself down again. The morning had come, as it always did.

“Oh! Good morning, Princess,” Twilight Sparkle had come up the hall to the throne room where Nightmare Moon stood in the archway. Servants started wandering in to change the decore. The obsidian throne rotated on a vast mechanism to be replaced by the white marble one. Banners and tapestries were turned over to reveal their day-time versions. Sweepers and moppers went through. Desks were rummaged through and a few laywers chit-chatted with each other about the coming cases. Nightmare Moon took the scuffle in cooly, then looked down at Twilight Sparkle.

“…Niece,” she said gently. “How are you faring? Good dreams, I hope?”

“None at all, just how I like it,” Twilight said, pushing her smooth bangs out of her eyes with a smile.

“You forgot your circlet,” Nightmare pointed.

“Eep!” Twilight practically slapped herself on the forehead to feel for it, then quickly pawed into her light-purple purses to find it. “Right, right, yes. Ahem.” She put it on, splayed her ears, then adjusted it again. She looked up at Nightmare for approval, looking sorry.

Nightmare reached and corrected the golden circlet so it sat evenly on her brow. “Perfect,” she smiled.

“Thanks, sorry about that. I’m still getting used to all this.”

“If there ever comes a time that you get used to it, let me know,” Nightmare said playfully. “I would hate to miss it.” Twilight smiled apologetically, ruffling through her papers and such to find her schedule for that day. “You wear it well,” she consoled to help her calm down. “Small wonder Celestia chose you to sit in her stead.” Twilight positively beamed at the praise, eyes shimmering. “Excuse me, I must retire.”

“Good day, Princess!” Twilight said with a bow and a smile. With that, the young mare walked slowly into the throne room to take her seat. Nightmare watched her go. The bowing, well-wishes, smiles and respect were no dimmer than if Twilight were Celestia herself. Huh. Nightmare was gone before Twilight sat on the throne.

Her mouth became a neutral line as she returned to the Obsidian Hall, to her private chambers. She spared no pony a look or a smile or much more than a curt nod as she went. This wasn’t about Bandaid, it seemed. Nor she and Chrysalis. It was about Celestia. Too many things were pointing away from her beau and towards her sister.

She opened her wine cabinet and poured herself a more than generous glass. She went to the long fire at her hearth to brood. Seating herself on the animal skin before it, she tilted her wine back and forth. It had grabbed Bandaid to set she and Chrysalis to fight, but evidence pointed to Celestia, until disproven. Now, the same entity came telling Nightmare that Celestia had stolen from Cadance? She wasn’t stupid. Nightmare knew exactly what Cupid’s Crossbow was, as well as its potency over the minds of living thing capable of love. Was Celestia so lonely she was force love by magic? Nightmare drank deeply from her wine, hissing a little. She poured more. If Celestia had stolen a bolt of love from Cupid’s crossbow without Cadance noticing, a miracle in itself, what could she possibly want to do with it. Select a stallion and stab him in the ass with it? She shook her head again, taking another swallow. Hearsay, until proven otherwise. Nightmare looked out her balcony window, towards the solar towers across from her own. Hmm. Celestia would not be at home at the moment. Cadance was staying in the royal apartments. Perhaps a quick nose around wouldn’t hurt. Not that she believed Equis’ hearsay, but better to check in case something else was going on. If she found a hole under Celestia’s bed, then all the better that she was thorough.

Draining her wine glass and setting the bottle on the mantle, Nightmare flicked her body with magic. Her silvery regalia melted away into nothing. Sticking to shadows, she would be invisible. Dipping into the shadows before the rising dawn caught her, she slipped out of the room and into the Obsidian Hall. Slowly turning invisible, she hovered past guards and walking palace staff so her big hooves wouldn’t make sound on the pristine marble floors.

She’d always found the Solar Halls bright and golden and gaudy, but they were not her quarters so she’d never voiced such opinions. Celestia liked her whites and creams and golds just as she liked her blacks and purples and silvers. At last, she reached Celestia’s chamber door. She listened, feeling the room with her magic. Nopony home. Concealing herself, she slipped into the room after the magical locks and trip-wires had undone themselves to let her in. So few had permission anymore.

Nightmare glanced about, genuinely curious for a few moments. She didn’t often visit her sister’s room. The bed was gigantic, the hearth much like her own, and all the usual amenities were there. It was almost militaristic in design, really. She spent so little free time here, being the ruler of a nation. The whites and golds must’ve been a nightmare to dust and keep bright. Rolling her eyes a little, the black alicorn peered about. If there was anything that didn’t belong here, she would know it. Something that didn’t smell like Celestia, or some such. She’d sniffed out Blueblood to eat him, she’d sniffed out Bandaid many a time for playful activity, of course she knew her sister’s scent too.

Closing her eyes, she wandered slowly around the room. It took all of thirty seconds. Behind a chest-high bookshelf, tucked behind the wood paneling, there it was. It smelled of pheromones, mint and crystalline winter mornings. Cadance. Cadance’s scent. Nightmare’s keen nose led her forward and she lit her horn. Something wiggled, jammed between the wall and the bookshelf.

“So it’s true,” Nightmare whispered, shocked. Held in her magic was a short, stout crossbow bolt with a bright red heart-shaped tip. It reeked of love magic. Handling it gingerly, she turned it over and over. Yes, it was genuine. Cadance outlawed love magic, all across the land, for everypony except for herself. There was no way she would have given this to Celestia, especially while she trained to gain a beau of her own. What was this for? If she failed and went into some terrible heat? If Cadance gave up on her?

Nightmare hrmm’d, not for the first time, over the strained relationship between Cadance and Celestia. Crysalis had been beaten back over and over, even killed. Discord had been turned to stone. She herself had been banished to the moon for a thousand years. The tiny, niggling doubt began to rise in Nightmare’s breast. Was Equis right? Was Celestia preparing to take down Cadance as well?

They often joked her solar sister was fond of her long incarcerations. But no, no surely not. There were too many strings moving in this tangled web. She and Chrysalis had been first, with Bandaid caught in the middle. Surely only Celestia could move him so quickly to Gnosis, but no. It had been a setup. Then Celestia steals from Cadance? She would not believe it. This had to be another setup! “Who is to say this was not planted here?” Nightmare suddenly decided, putting it back where she found it. “I do not believe your lies, Equis!” she said firmly, turning and leaving her sister’s room. "Celestia and Cadance must know of this!"



End of Chapter 7