Nightmare Moon slowly stirred her tea, careful to not hit the walls of the cup and not make that abhorrent noise. Cadance was being late, a little time to consider next steps. Nightmare Moon levitated an empty paper and a pen - one of the newer inventions for improving the lives of bureaucrats. Truly, progress was a wonderful thing.
Continuing to musingly stir her tea, Nightmare Moon proceeded to start writing out her nearest objectives.
Twilight could be left to her own devices for a day or two, the Princess, seemingly, understood what Nightmare Moon hinted at, at least if her requisitioning in the last few hours were any indication.
This Gilda turned up very conveniently. Not only Twilight got an opportunity to practice her skills, but also Nightmare Moon finally got her chance to get rid of a constant source of annoyance - Rainbow Dash. As soon as Twilight finishes her preparations, EAW unit, together with Miss Dash, would have all the paperwork ready for their first deployment. Once they are all the way in Griffinstone, Rainbow Dash will no longer have an opportunity to cause trouble for the foreseeable future. She’ll also have more than enough time to play with her new toys, those rotor lifted contraptions needed field testing anyway.
As soon as Dash is out of the picture, everyone in the palace will have an easier life.
The next business that would have to be taken care of was her Shadow. The changeling obviously could not serve her in the same way, her sister made sure of it. Poor Shadow simply got caught up in royal affairs and suffered for it.
For several minutes, Nightmare Moon’s pen indecisively hung over the paper. What could be done now?
A series of knocks at the door indicated that Cadance was finally here.
“Come inside,” Nightmare Moon morbidly permitted. The Princess of Love quickly obeyed, slipping inside and casting a look over her shoulder before closing the door,
“What do you want, Cadance?” Nightmare Moon asked straight, but nonetheless pouring the second cup of rather cool tea.
Witnessing the monarch’s reaction, Cadance sighed quickly matching Nightmare Moon’s own morbid expression. Seemingly, she intended the meeting to be less straightforward.
“I need to speak with you, Your Majesty,” Cadance added a respectful bow.
“Sit.” Cadance obeyed, in recognition of the other mare’s authority, and took the offered teacup. “What is your piece?” Nightmare Moon continued.
“Your Majesty, I admit, this is not official, this is a personal issue I have to ask your help with.” Nightmare Moon wearily closed her eyes. “It has become hard not to dwell on this, even Shining grows restless. I wouldn’t come if I could ask...” Nightmare Moon sighed and rubbed her forehead.
“Cadance, what do you want?” Nightmare Moon asked again, the last ounces of her energy gone. Cadance noticed, of course she did, but decided not to ask any questions.
“This is about my family, Your Majesty.”
“Twilight is here. She can help you with everything regarding her parents,” Nightmare Moon began answering, eager to get this nuisance over with. “Your own parents never left their village. Is this all?”
“Your Majesty, it is not that. ...Not only that,” Cadance swiftly corrected herself. “I speak about my aunts.”
“Did Twilight inform you, then?”
“About Luna and your sister, yes...” Cadance cut herself short.
“What is your proposal?”
Though the question was straight, Cadance hesitated, searching for words,
“...I wish to take them with me back to the Crystal Empire.”
“My sister would not approve, Cadance,” Nightmare Moon responded, the outrageous request only affecting her composure ever so slightly.
“Your Majesty, if I may speak plainly, it is not safe for them and Twilight to remain here. I think you know as much.” The onyx mare sulked even further, indicating to Cadance that she hit the spot.
“Cadance, I think you should return to Crystal City.” The dry and menacing response chilled the pink Princess but was far from giving up.
“I know you care for them,” Cadance continued in a softer tone. “I am not taking them away from you, I only want them to be safe.”
“Cadance, what do you want with my sister?” Evidently, her charm did not work, “She would not willingly go even if it was her decision.”
“It is not only about your sister, Your Majesty. My aunt is still there!” Nightmare Moon’s lips curved downwards even more.
“Cadance, you are a fool,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Celestia is lost to you. My sister will never let her out, she hates Celestia in the way only a prisoner can hate her jailor. My sister wants to erase every memory of Celestia’s existence, nothing less would be enough for her. You will not have your aunt back by asking nicely. Cadance, for your own sake and for the sake of your family - return home and forget about your aunt, this is the only thing you can do now.”
Cadence let out a heavy sigh and looked down in her cup, her sight slowly hardening,
“And what of Luna then? Do you intend to imprison her just like Celestia? And Twilight? How dare you to bring her in your schemes! I can’t recognize her anymore! She grew so distant and cold now!” Cadance suddenly burst.
“How dare you to make her into one of your tools?! She used to be so cheerful! Everypony used to be so cheerful! You shackled every single one of us! We all are your pawns now! You can hide in this palace all you want, but you can hide nothing! Every creature in your Empire knows what you really are - petty, pathetic and pitiful creature! Every single thing you have you stole away from us!
“I tolerated you! I followed your every policy! I tried to focus on what little good you did! But I can’t lie to myself any longer! I can’t let you destroy everything that we built for the thousand years! I can’t save ponies, or even myself from slavery you impose on everyone in your reach, but I still can save somepony! If you really care about Twilight, or Luna, or Celestia, or anypony else, you’ll let them all go!”
Nightmare Moon quietly listened to Cadance throwing insults and accusations, stirring her tea. It was naive of her to believe that Cadance could bear no harsh feelings. The onyx mare went to gulp on her tea, a thought occurred to her that perhaps Rarity’s recent idea for a drinking habit was not so bad as it initially appeared, it a strong drink would certainly be useful now.
“Say something!” Cadance gnashed.
“What would you like me to say, Cadance?” Nightmare Moon innocently asked. “I could tell you what you wish to hear, but I believe you to be wise enough to prefer truth to pretty lies. I have nothing more to tell you, regardless of how much you bark at me. Although, perhaps there is one more thing: Cadance, you are absolutely right.” Cadance widened her eyes, whether on her Empress being totally unswayed by her tirade or her agreeing with it, Nightmare Moon could not tell yet,
“Tea?” Nightmare Moon offered.
Cadance did not respond. Instead, the pink alicorn Princess cowered her face and broke into tears, she still was so fragile. Cadance lost her explosive attitude, yet Nightmare Moon felt no joy for her victory; Cadance was totally right.
“I will not hide myself from you, Cadance,” Nightmare Moon said determinedly. “I am who I am, Twilight knows this as well as you do, so do Luna and Celestia. I propped Twilight to help me, it is true, but she is here on her own consent. Our situation brings her little joy, but she believes that it can be turned around, if she learns the ways of the Empire well enough.
“You may believe otherwise now, but believe when I say I wish it could be any different. I am not Celestia and Equestria is not what it used to be. It will not come back to what is was regardless of what any of us do. Our species is no longer monolithic, it is rife with divisions. Some are purely political while others are cultural, or even racial. If I am gone, who’ll stop thestrals from taking up arms against remaining Celestia’s loyalists? And what of the remaining changelings? If they are lucky, they will be simply left to die out. I am no saint, but would you believe if I say I wish we could make it all better for our ponies?“
The extended explanation did very little to calm Cadance down. Nightmare Moon blew a heavy sigh. Sometimes a mare just needed time.
A sudden ruckus outside grabbed the Empress’ attention, it sounded like two ponies ran into each other.
“The Empress has not called for you!” Baron’s stern, but strained, voice came through the door.
“I don’t give a single flying bug if she called for me or not! I am going in and you aren’t stopping me!” Nightmare Moon did not recognize the voice, but it was brazen enough to be recognized as a soldier, male too. Would it be brave or foolish to seek an audience without an invitation?
Certain that Cadance would excuse her, Nightmare Moon stood up and made her way to the door, to deal with this invader personally.
She did not make it on time.
Suddenly, the door was bashed inside, making the bewildered Empress stop in her tracks. From the open passage, looking at her, stood an undisguised changeling in officer uniform. The changeling gave her a stern look from his uncharacteristic purple eyes and even made a step towards her,
“Fina-” the changeling began to say his piece before suddenly being dragged right back out of the room by Baron’s hoof, the scramble on the floor then continued.
Nightmare Moon tilted her head to the side, more than a little intrigued.
“Sergeant, let him go,” she ordered. “I wish to hear what this creature is trying to tell me so desperately.”
“Finally!” The changeling was allowed to get back up and dust himself off.
“General Pharynx, I presume?” Nightmare Moon asked, curiously looking the officer over. He did, indeed, catch the eye; his brother could not compare. He was rather bulky, for a changeling. Of course, no match for her own towering stature, or even a large stallion, but rather impressive for his own diminutive species. His brother and Shadow looked tiny compared to him.
“And you are Nightmare Moon,” he asserted. The Guard behind him frowned on this breach of protocol, Pharynx likely didn’t even care enough to read it,
“I am going to be brief,” he suddenly switched to his professional tone. “I came to get our Queen back and you are going to return her to us.”
Baron proceeded to wildly widen his eyes, but Nightmare Moon’s look kept him from taking actions. This sudden amusement was quite welcome. Nightmare Moon wanted to answer something to match the changeling’s advance but found that she could not find words. Nightmare Moon wanted to laugh but could not make a sound. Her mind could not focus at all. At least not on anything that wasn’t her guest. What was this? What Pharynx was...
“You heard me?” Pharynx asked.
“...Yes,” Nightmare Moon answered almost unconsciously.
“Good, I’ll find myself a spot in one of your rooms. Don’t take too long.” The changeling turned away and marched back out,
“Pick up your jaw, soldier,” he grumbled when passing Baron.
Baron instinctively did as ordered, the sharp order also did wonders to push him out of his complete, wide-eyed stupor. Sergeant proceeded to blink his eyes to push the rest of the stupor out of his system. There had to be a reason for all of this, there always was a reason and a simple Guard wouldn’t have a reason to know. Baron threw in a short bow without looking at the Empress and hastened to the door. Yet, curiosity made better of him. He dared a single glance… that was his undoing. That single glance was all he needed to remember precisely what caused his jaw to drop the last time. The Empress, a timeless, ancient creature, was standing right where he last saw her, bearing a dumbstruck expression on her face, her breath quick and uneven and eyes not moving anywhere from the sight of the departing General. But Her Majesty was rather inexpressive, Princess Cadance however… her hoof was covering her mouth, no doubt open in disbelief but her eyes said it all, wide and astonished, yet with a tinge of recognition. The Princess knew exactly what just happened here.