Twilight and Spike sat in Twilight's chambers. Nobody said a word.
"Twilight? What will you do now?" Spike asked after a while.
"I don’t know." came only from Twilight. "I’m still thinking about the nectar. I just can't believe it."
"I have to think about the pony world, split between day and night and how many ponies had to suffer the consequences."
"But what if we return? Will I be a princess again just smiling and waving or being respected as I am here?"
"When you talk to Celestia, I'm sure you'll take it all seriously and will surely recognize your new abilities."
"Like destroying a city?!? Celestia would be deeply disturbed if I demonstrated something like that. Maybe even banishes me from Equestria. And Spike, I believe her. Something tells me that Celestia would persuade me to drink it to help Equestria."
"That's not true and you know it!” That's Nightmare Moon again, washing your brain. Do not forget the trophy chamber and she didn't treated you always well!"
"Then why didn't she destroy the spell? She trusts me so far, putting the existence of her world in my hooves, hoping that I'll make the right decision."
"Maybe she’s not aware of that fact?" said Spike.
"Maybe she is? She's not stupid, Spike. Maybe she's even better than Celestia. With us she can continue to improve and maybe create a new harmony. I would be by her side as a true princess and it would put an end to this "smiling and waving." Maybe it would be even better ... "
"I'm not going to let you destroy the spell!" Spike stood up defiantly.
"CAN YOU STOP ME?!?"
Spike froze as Twilight jumped up and stood in front of him. Spike meant to see a glance of Nightmare Moon's temper in Twilight's eyes.
"Twilight, I just want it to be like it used to be."
He tried to calm her down.
"Where all the ponies were happy, I don’t even remember the sun shining on my scales."
Twilight look became softer.
"Celestia was certainly not the best teacher. But you've outgrown yourself and how often did you save Equestria when she could not?"
"You're right, Spike, I'm sorry for that."
"You don’t have to apologize, Twilight."
Twilight and Spike hugged each other, smiling.
"It’s just all of this!" Spike said. "I really wish our friends were here.
Everything would be so much easier to bear."
"Our friends ... "Twilight said thoughtfully," Pinkie's muffins have always been so special and as annoying as Rainbow Dash can be, she's always on our side."
"I saw Rainbow Dash. She was one of Nightmare Moon's guards." said Twilight.
"It broke my heart that Rarity treated me like a stranger." Spike said sadly. Twilight burst into tears and hugged Spike harder.
"I miss them so much, Spike. I just don’t know what to do."
"It’s ok, Twilight!" Spike comforts her.
"Let's just go back. Then we will be with our friends and then we'll solve everything else later." Twilight looked at Spike with still watery eyes and nod.
She suddenly got a strange feeling. She looked around the room. So far everything was normal. But why did she suddenly felt like ... And there it was! For a second, barely noticeable in the corner of the open window, a little blue haze passed.
Hardly anyone would have noticed. But Twilight's training paid off.
Twilight pushed Spike away.
"I just remember that I was the one who was there for my friends all the time and they never for me!?! All these ponies are not real friends and it was me alone who saved Equestria!" Twilight unobtrusively pointed her eyes at the window.
"WATCH ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU, YOU USELESS REPTILE!!!!" Twilight roared. "I HAVE ENOUGH OF YOU AND YOUR KNOW-IT-ALL, SPIKE. I WILL TEACH YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE AN ALICORN!!!" Twilight set off a spell and the whole room was bathed in white light. Twilight jumped to Spike and teleported away together.
They turned up in Ponyville at the cutie mark map. Spike landed rudely on the floor.
"Can you tell me what that ..."
"RUN!",
came only from Twilight and they ran the last few meters to the map. Twilight yelling at the guards to move away from the map and started instantly casting the spell when the duo jumped on the map.
The spell formed the same ring waves as the last time Starlight used it, and above them appeared the time portal. Two seconds later, Nightmare Moon teleported in front of them.
"Twilight?" She called, glancing around, seeing her eyes panic as she saw Twilight and Spike on the map.
"Twilight, what are you doing?!? Please don’t do anything you'll regret later! "Nightmare Moon cried desperately!
"Why didn't you trust me, Master?" Twilight exclaimed disappointed.
"I could not help it, because when you leave, you make this world and everything I've achieved undone!"
"You've terrified the ponies for a long time!" Spike shouted.
"I have. But I've seen my mistakes, Spike. Twilight, why do you want to return to Celestia? You know what's going to happen," replied Nightmare Moon.
"It's not because of Celestia. You've shown me how little she really cared about me, and I believe you about the nectar, but I can’t overlook the aftermath of the eternal night and ignore it, and all the ponies who have lost everything!"
"I have already rebuilt everything! The ponies are happy and able to live safely under my care." Twilight knew that
Nightmare Moon was lying. Nobody can rebuild such devastation.
"I miss my friends, Master." Twilight said sadly,
"What are friends, Twilight? You just find new ones, it always happens in life!" Nightmare rejected Moon Twilight's argument.
"No, not those ... I'm sorry, Master."
Nightmare Moon closed her eyes. She just could not change her mind. Despite everything that she did for Twilight. But she will not let you destroy everything!
"Me too!"
Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow, and a second later unleashed such a powerful spell that shrouded everything around you in dazzling light.
Twilight and Spike stood in the magic of the map and watched speechlessly. The time spell didn't care about the destruction around it but Twilight quivered inside. She would rather destroy her than really give her the choice. As friendly and caring as she has become, in the end she was just Nightmare Moon. What a snake and she hasn't fallen for it only because of Spike!
After what felt like an eternity, her magic subsided and Nightmare Moon collapsed exhausted. She saw Twilight and Spike standing in the same place completely untouched.
"No! That can not be! What is this witchcraft?! "Nightmare Moon cried desperately.
"I thought you had changed. But in the end, we are who we are! Isn't it?"
Nightmare Moon ran to the magic and struck against it, stopped by an invisible wall.
"Twilight, please do not go!" She pleaded.
"Farewell, Master."
Twilight looked away. These tears were not real, she told herself. She activated the spell and she and Spike floated up to the portal. When Twilight almost reached the portal, she looked back one last time, and when her eyes met, this time Nightmare Moon looked away and was devoured by a bright light.