Tails of Sacrifice

by CommanderX5


Ch.13 - Lunarcraft - Pt.1

Tails of Sacrifice

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Chapter 13

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Lunarcraft
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Part 1


...thank you so much for this opportunity. I promise not to waste a single day and do everything in my power to awaken Luna. Please watch over us for the next fifty years and help us fulfill your will, Kyuubi said from her humble position. Her limbs bent, and her chin pressed against the rocky ground. A two-meter tall cross made of stone stood proud ahead of her, and a ruined castle stood behind her in the background.

"And I thank you for letting me stay with Kyuubi. I will assist her in any way I can," Lily finished, bowing next to the kitsune. "Please guide us so we can use your blessings even better once we return home. Amen."

"Praying again? What's even the point?"

Kyuubi and Lily raised to their full height and turned around. Their eyes met with the alicorn looking through a hole in the wall. 

The kitsune was the first to speak. Praying is very important, and not just to ask for aid in time of need. We also give our thanks for all blessings God graciously gifted.

Nightmare walked outside before raising an eyebrow. "You do realize that you're thanking your God for, literally, trapping you on the moon for half a century."

I see this as being blessed with a chance to make you and Luna happier. Kyuubi responded with a bright smile, sitting and holding forepaws together in front of her chest. I have a very generous fifty years to accomplish it so that we all can return to Equestria with peace in our minds.

Nightmare spread her wings and flew upward, hovering in front of kitsune's face. "I can't decide whenever you are a living embodiment of innocence and naivety, or living proof of God's existence. Probably both." 

Thank you! Would you like to pray with us? I can teach you.

"I may acknowledge God's existence and the powers he bestowed upon you, but I refuse to pray to him."

Kyuubi lowered her paws and looked at the ground with dropped ears. She felt hooves under her chin, met with a stern glare.

"Since we have this part out of the way, can we focus on something more productive?"

Lily jumped high into the air due to low gravity before landing on Kyuubi's shoulder. "Weight-lifting is nowhere near as important as praying."

"I was referring to my lessons." Nightmare crossed her forelegs and narrowed her eyes, which in turn caused a sad whimper to escape Kyuubi's mouth. "I must say, I am both impressed and disappointed in your progress."

M-Meaning?

"I am impressed that you managed to learn what I like to call 'Lunar Magic.' I don't remember any unicorn, nor even that scoundrel Celestia, being able to replicate it, and yet you somehow managed to after a few weeks of training. Is there any magic you can't learn?"

Kyuubi took several seconds to raise her long paws and tap them together. "W-well... I seem capable of using all kinds of magic. It must be the nature of my species."

"And here's where my disappointment comes in. It has been half a year, and you barely improved. Your performance is poor. No, worse than poor."

Lily climbed onto Kyuubi's muzzle and explained, "That's my mentor for you. She can learn every spell but is equally bad at them all. A real Jack of No Trades." She backflipped over the kitsune's head, sliding down her fur towards her back. She wrapped her forelegs around one of Kyuubi's tails. Pulling it, she returned onto the shoulder with a low-gravity leap and displayed it to the alicorn. "And that is where these come in."

"Oh, right, her tails. If I recall your story, you had three tails before you were three years old." Nightmare rubbed her chin. "In a decade, you got your fourth due to intense training in defensive magic. Two-three decades passed before you got the fifth after learning from Zecora. Or was it four?"

Pretty much. Kyuubi glanced to the side and pleaded, Lily. My tails may be at your disposal, and I trust you with my life, but...

"Oh, sorry." Lily released the large tail before stroking her cheek with a gentle touch. “Forgot how sensitive they are.”

The alicorn poked her horn, then pointed at the five mighty puffy limbs. "Whenever you grow a new tail, you gain specialization in one field of magic, which seems to be related to what you're using the most. It is an adaptation I can understand. What I find odd is that the amount of time you need to grow new tails gets longer and longer."

Why is it odd? Whenever I grow a new tail, my raw power seems to double. It makes sense that something this powerful takes a long time to develop. 

"Even so, I am surprised you didn't grow the sixth tail yet. Was there no other magic worth mastering during or after your exile to the Everfree Forest?" The alicorn placed forehooves on her sides and tilted her head to the side. "What about the Elemental Spirits? Lily mastered their magic. Why didn't you?"

Kyuubi smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... elemental magic never really interested me."

"What? You, the last of the mighty kitsune, didn't bother to master the power of ice, wind, fire, and electricity? I knew that fool Celestia was too soft of a teacher. It simply won't do."

Kyuubi withdrew her head backward upon receiving a boop in the nose. 

"We are fixing this right away. Learning about elemental magic is now part of your schedule. Effective immediately."

"Oh, I'll help!" Lily shouted with a shine in her eyes. “There’s so much I can teach you.”

Do I have nothing to say about it?

Nightmare shook her head. "No!"

Awww. Ah, alright.

"Not so fast. No magic training before weight-lifting!" 

Kyuubi sighed. Her paws were going to be sore tonight.


The kitsune bent her legs, taking ten seconds to lower herself as drops of sweat fell down her face. She took even longer to raise, feeling a three-ton boulder press against her back. She gritted her teeth, continuing her push-ups. The blue light came from the ground, a gravity rune that compensated for low gravity on the moon, raising it to Equestria’s level.

Do I have to lift three tons? It is like lifting half of my weight. Can't I return to two? Kyuubi glanced over her shoulder. The boulder was much smaller than her, but unlike her, it wasn't fur and meat, but a concentrated stone with a few holes and sharp edges here and there.

"I don't think you are in a p-position to c-complain," Nightmare said with a two and a half meter tall boulder on her back. Due to her smaller size, she performed push-ups at a much faster pace. A few veins were visible on her legs and forehead. "T-Try l-lifting f-four tons after g-getting used to lower g-gravity. It seems m-my vengeance-related t-training didn't involve enough weights."

"R-Repetition is the road to m-mastery. Also, when it comes to strength, alicorn magic is no m-match for kitsune's b-b-blessing!" 

Kyuubi looked at the flat stone under her four paws, hearing the voice of her student from under it.

The flat rocky platform spacious enough to accommodate her, Kyuubi's seven tons of weight, and the three tons she had on her back, all pressing against a filly. The kitsune knew her blessing didn't give her student strength but took away her limits. Her sweet hard-working Lily had built her strength up from almost nothing, a proof of decades filled with struggle, sweat, and effort.

The kitsune doubled her efforts, increasing the pain in her muscles. Her student's hard work filled her with resolve. It didn't last long, though, as the flat stone she stood on landed on the ground with a loud thud.

Lily!

Kyuubi jumped from the rocky platform, tripping to the side as a boulder fell from her back. She pushed herself to stand and focused her magic, wrapping levitation around the flat stone. Kyuubi pushed it aside, searching for her flattened student with panic in her eyes, but Lily was gone. She looked under the flat rock, then pressed her paws against the ground and started digging, clawing against the rocky surface.

Lily! Can you hear me?

She sat and stared with wide eyes. Her student was gone.

LIIIIIIIILLLLY!


The kitsune couldn't tell how many nights had passed as she explored the moon, searching for her precious student. Her magical scans revealed nothing, while her intense exploring led her to numerous ruins. She found villages and even cities made of stone, besieged castles, fortresses, and not a single rocky building had a living soul inside it.

Her second tail illuminated her surroundings as she scouted the dark side of the moon. A limited amount of light reaching the moon wasn't a problem before, something her predator’s eyes handled pretty well. Now, however, even she needed a light source in this complete darkness. 

Then, something caught her eye on the horizon, something massive. Summoning a holy flash with her third tail, she lighted the area for a few seconds without blinding herself. She gasped. There seemed to be a structure far ahead of her, and it was big. No. It was gigantic.

What in Celestia's name is that? Nightmare Moon, what did you create?

She approached, her paws sore from walking on the rocky surface without much of a break, lower gravity or not. 

"I wouldn't explore it if I were you."

Kyuubi looked over her shoulder, noticing the alicorn. While Nightmare's dark fur was perfect camouflage, it couldn't hide her glowing green eyes. The kitsune moved her second tail further to the side, illuminating the princess. She asked with desperation in her mental tone, Did you find her?

The alicorn shook her head. "We have to accept the truth. Lily is gone."

GONE?! Nooo...! B-But-!

"No buts. If she was unconscious or fell asleep even once, I would find her in the realm of dreams. She's gone."

Kyuubi felt her legs turn into jelly. She dropped to the ground, whimpering like a puppy, her ears dropped. Many thoughts crossed her mind. What happened? Why did she vanish? 

"When you cast your spell, it was meant to work only on you. Why didn't it?"

Kyuubi didn’t hear Nightmare Moon through her grief. The large fox only lay there, sobbing. She didn't get to do it the second time as she felt strong telekinesis pull her ear to bring her face to face with an irate alicorn. 

"DO NOT IGNORE ME! I will not stand for it again, not from Celestia and certainly not from you. I asked when you cast your spell, was it meant to work only on you? If yes, why didn't it? What. Did. Lily. Do?"

She… She held onto my leg. Kyuubi felt relief when no force pulled her ear any longer. She wiped her face of tears with a paw as if a self-cleaning cat, then looked at the alicorn questionably. What does it have to do...? Her ears perked up as her face took on an understanding expression. Oh. So that’s what you think happened.

"Precisely. When you cast God's spell, it should've affected only you." The alicorn approached, placing her forehooves on her muzzle. "What if that student of yours was affected only partially? Time travel is flawed. It doesn't allow one to stay in the past for long. I believe Lily's time simply ran out."

Oh. It makes sense. Kyuubi gulped, her throat still dry. Now that her emotions had calmed down, it all made sense. The feeling of relief quickly gave up to sadness. Her student was safe, but she would not see her for the next forty-nine years.

Nightmare withdrew her hooves and stepped back. "Good riddance to her. Do not take it personally, but I won't be missing her. She certainly lacked your maturity and wisdom."

Kyuubi turned to the side and perched her chin on her forepaws, staring at the ruined buildings, her ears dropped. Her tails now lay flat on the rocky ground. She gave a whimpering half-sigh as her thoughts raced in her mind.

"She was strong and enthusiastic but lacked respect. Slapping me in the face was just one of her offenses. She knew how to get on my nerves.” After a long pause, Nightmare Moon noticed a distinct lack of response. “Kyuubi. Are you listening?"

The kitsune ignored the alicorn, not caring if her ear would suffer for this. She didn’t want to hear Nightmare Moon bad-mouthing her student. She was already at her limit after listening to her rail against Princess Celestia. There was a limit for even her temper when others insulted her loved ones as Nightmare did. She didn’t want to exasperate Nightmare Moon or Luna any further, so she kept quiet and focused on tuning her out.

One year ago, she told Lily that she was supposed to experience this exile alone, feeling guilty that her student had gotten involved. Now, she couldn't imagine facing this trial without Lily by her side. They were so happy together, not lonely in the least, ready to help Luna and Nightmare Moon as a team, no matter how long it would take. And now she was gone.


Nightmare seethed, preparing to blast the giant multi-tailed fox rather than simply grab her ear before breaking off and groaning in annoyance as she realized what was happening. How could she not know? She experienced the same when Luna abandoned her. The feeling of emptiness, as if void in the place where the beloved one once was. 

Until now, Kyuubi's morale was very high, something that has clearly changed.

Nightmare took a step forward but refused to take another. 

She knew that the great kitsune needed moral support, like words of encouragement, psychological support, and a gentle touch on the shoulder. And she was terrible at that. Should she start by hugging Kyuubi’s large muzzle, then tell the kitsune that she will be there for her? Just thinking about it brought a blush to Nightmare’s cheeks. 

Suddenly, she walked forward against her will. Why was she even walking? She wasn't ready to act soft, nor come up with any mawkish lines that would cheer up the kitsune. 

She looked down and gasped. Her limbs were no longer black. She approached on blue legs, then stroked Kyuubi's fluffy cheek.

"L-Luna?" Nightmare said, trying to reach her other-self. There was no response, and her legs became black a moment later. 

Nightmare has felt a mixture of emotions, from joy to shock. After centuries of silence, Luna had made a move, peeking out to cheer up the depressed kitsune. It may not have been much, but it gave her hope.

She narrowed her eyes and said firmly, "Kyuubi. I know things won't be the same now, but at least Lily is free now. You should find solace in knowing that Lily is no longer bound to this prison."

A year ago, I would agree with you, but now? I’m not so sure. Lily was so happy to be with me. I...Don’t know how to feel knowing it was only temporary. I didn’t even get to say goodbye...

Nightmare’s ears fell at the depression seeping into the kitsune’s voice, sensing Kyuubi may have even started tearing up. Not wanting to deal with another crying episode, the dark alicorn blushed a deep red as she came to her decision.

Nightmare Moon stood on her rear legs and spread her wings for support. She wrapped both forelegs around an astonished Kyuubi's lowered neck, nuzzling it with her cheek. Not that she didn't like to hug this big piece of fluff, but she either did it subtly, or it was Kyuubi who hugged her.

"You can't think about it. If you let sadness overtake you now, your next years will become miserable. You have to keep your mind distracted."

W-What? How? Kyuubi was slowly coming out of the shock stemming from the fact that Nightmare Moon was hugging her.

"Keep doing something. Exercise, practice magic, anything goes. Just remain busy. Do not dare to lose your smile after being here for just one year."

Nightmare maintained the hug for a while longer, then released the large, fluffy beast that still looked back at her with surprise, her eyes flashing in the darkness. Eventually, a smile worked its way onto Kyuubi’s face.

Thank you. 

“Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t.”

Oh, all right. And...And I’m sorry for being selfish. Here I am thinking about myself when you are the one who endured loneliness. I should be here for you.

"You, being selfish? Perish the thoughts." Nightmare chuckled, trying to brighten the mood. 

After a moment for tension to die down, Kyuubi lowered herself onto her side in front of the alicorn. I wished to ask about it for months but never gathered the courage to do so. And I am even more curious now. She gestured her paw at their surroundings and asked, Why is this moon filled with ruins? At first, I thought you crafted an old capital for sentimental reasons, but now I see you used most of the moon for your work. Was that how you and Luna distracted yourself?

The alicorn pointed forward at the titanic structure, which was no less than an hour of walking away. "It was an activity I did alongside Luna, one that kept me busy for centuries, watching dreams aside.” She stood up and gestured for the kitsune to follow. "I’ll explain on the way."

Do you mean that massive thing? It seems far away. Would you like a ride?

Nightmare glanced over her shoulder, seeing Kyuubi better due to her illuminating tail. "Ride? You? I will not get tired with so little gravity weighing me down, and I can fly. If anything, I should be asking if I should levitate you to save us time." She resumed her walk, feeling light as a feather. 

I will manage it. I feel light myself. The kitsune followed, taking two tired steps for each five of hers. Kyuubi yelped and raised her forepaw, levitating the sharp leftover away, which looked like the damaged head of an alicorn statue, before healing her wound. I stand corrected. Why does the dark side of the moon need to be so dark? How did you even build anything here in the first place?

"Practice."

Um...Care to elaborate?

Rolling her eyes, Nightmare Moon spread her wings, deciding to fly next to the kitsune's head. "As I already explained, we needed something to do. Something that would keep us busy, distracted from our fate. Visiting ponies' dreams was one of our diversions."

And carving in stone was another?

The alicorn laughed. "That's an understatement. Picture this: Every day or night, Luna spent a significant amount of time building the capital of Equestria, using what the moon has to offer. A few years pass, and the castle based on her memories is finally finished. The quality was very underwhelming, though. Luna may have been an artist, but she still lacked building experience."

And then she made the city? One house at a time?

"She did... a few decades later."

Huh?

"Luna was frustrated, and while dreams and the construction of the castle kept her busy, she had much rage to unload. She was also a bit of a perfectionist when it came to her art. Dissatisfied with her work, she unleashed all her rage, spending weeks destroying the castle she had spent years building. Once there was only rubble and ash left, she repeated the process, keeping herself occupied. I gained true sentience a year before her fourth attempt."

Kyuubi stopped as her heart skipped a bit. She narrowed her eyes and raised her weightless sore paw, poking the alicorn in the chest. Are you saying that Luna spent decades building and destroying an entire castle over and over?! The alicorn flapped her wings, stopping herself from being pushed away by Kyuubi's prodding. The labor of hundreds of ponies done and undone by a single alicorn? How? Why?!

"She had... a lot of free time. And she needed a hobby."

Are you serious!?

"I am dead serious. I even got the honor of destroying the fourth and fifth castles. I suggested that if we ever got free, we should lay siege to Canterlot and overthrow Celestia, and it was excellent practice." The alicorn resumed her flight. The kitsune followed, gasping at her words. "The quality of our work improved with each new construction, and we became very proficient in it. Instead of a few years, we only needed months."

And? And? 

Nightmare smiled in satisfaction. The kitsune was invested in the story and had forgotten about Lily's disappearance. She couldn't lose Kyuubi’s attention. "After finishing the castle for the tenth time, or the twelfth, we were finally satisfied with our work, and laying siege to it repetitively got, well, repetitive. We used it as our proud home while we focused on rebuilding the rest of the city. Or at least, what we remembered of it from the flight's view."

And then you laid siege to it?

"For fun, yes, but we decided to spice it up a little. Using numerous crystals and gems we discovered in the deeper part of the moon, and our magical might, we created golems in the shape of ponies." She tapped her chin. "I believe it was a year after we learned how to tamper the seal that keeps us trapped to enable flight. Its magic makes up for lack of air splendidly."

Golems...Were they sentient?

"Heavens no. They were just magical constructs that followed the simplest orders. We ordered them to defend the city, so they did."


Kyuubi bit her bottom lip as drops of sweat formed on her forehead. 

When she developed a plan to purify Nightmare Moon with the best Knight Templars on her side, she didn't predict the alicorn would be this dangerous. The idea of her laying siege to the castle and a city defended by golems didn't cross her mind. Luna, or in this case, Nightmare Moon, was training themselves for all-out war against an entire nation.

Walking on three lightweight paws, she tapped her chin. If Nightmare was this prepared, shouldn't their battle against her have been that much harder? She desired more information.

So you even simulated invading a defended city. How long did that go on? What happened next?  Kyuubi asked, trying to gain more clues.

"I see someone here is eager. I will, of course, reward your curiosity." Nightmare unleashed a sinister chuckle, something that in the past would have sent a chill down Kyuubi's spine. "We knew that, eventually, building and destroying the fake capital would become rather...stale, so we expanded our horizons. We started creating our heart's desire. Palaces, fortresses, fortifications. More golems with better defenses. Tall towers next to each other crumbling like a domino. It was entertaining for a time."

Wait, question.

The alicorn glanced to the side. "Yes?"

If you could make golems, why didn't you possess one to have a body of your own? 

"Oh, trust me, I tried. Not only did the new body fall apart in mere days, but I also couldn't display my full might with it. In the end, I need a living host. A strong one."

Kyuubi's ears dropped. Oh. My deepest condolences. 

"Hmph. Appreciated." The alicorn resumed her flight and cleared her throat. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I believe it was during the third century when Luna gave up on everything and sealed herself deep inside her mind, leaving me to face this prison on my own. I was shocked, terrified, lost."

And? And? Kyuubi's tails started flapping left and right, her eyes wide open and her ears straightened upward. She yelped, tripping over the ruins of a building as her fur became grayer from the clinging dust. She groaned. Bruising herself with tools made of stone wasn't all that pleasant, while magic wasn't the most efficient self-cleaning tool. The aftertaste of licking her fluff was even worse. I wish we had water on the moon. I suppose we can’t alter the seal to fix that.

The kitsune didn't get to complain more as she was grabbed with levitation. With low gravity, the alicorn had little trouble moving her around. She moved her second tail further forward, providing more light ahead of them.

"Luna preferred to craft and build, while I wanted to fight and besiege things. I wanted to lock myself in a long battle to keep loneliness at bay, but it took too long to create and was too easy to destroy." Nightmare pointed ahead as the gigantic construction became slightly more visible. A few towers with massive orange crystals lit the area before the colossal wall. 

"This is when I decided to create my grand project on the darker side of the moon. An impregnable lunar bastion. I named it Fort Selene."

A lunar bastion named Fort Selene… A good name. Is that what we're approaching now? Kyuubi narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth, focusing more magic into her second tail. She sent intense light for better visibility. She looked to the left, then to the right, and next upward, suddenly feeling like a tiny fox again. 

The endless wall of stone seemed to carry on for kilometers on both sides, being at least a few hundred meters tall. Compared to that, the Canterlot Castle. No, the entirety of Canterlot with the mountain, combined, would be smaller than the behemoth in front of her. As Nightmare flew upward, taking her high into the sky for a better view, Kyuubi gasped. This fortress seemed to have no end.

"Impressed?"

H-How?

The alicorn turned around, now hovering in front of her face, her head raised in pride. "I decided to put an insane amount of effort into something that could withstand any siege. I spent nearly half a century creating the most impenetrable fortress I could while building an army of golems. And as I made more golems, I gave them a simple order. Improve the fortress to make it bigger, harder, stronger, and so they did."

Kyuubi gasped, wondering if this all is but one long dream. If what she heard was indeed the truth, then Nightmare Moon's resolve was out of this world.

"After the fortress was built to my satisfaction, armed with crystals that I filled with my magic and with an army, I used a forbidden art from Luna's arsenal. I summoned a few powerful demons, and then I tasked them with defending this fortress against me."

D-D-D-Demons!? Kyuubi's ears dropped, and a fearful whimper escaped her mouth. She quickly thought of Ninetails who lead entire armies. Undead, mutated animals, and even demons. In short, she wasn't the least bit thrilled with what Nightmare Moon did.

"Yes. Powerful creatures that enjoyed violence and were bound to follow orders as long as their summoner was mightier than them. Finally, I ordered my golems to do all in their power to defend this fortress, improve it, and repair it. Just in case, I told them not to kill. Then I finally began my assault."

Kyuubi smiled sheepishly. C-Considering that this fortress is still standing proud, I assume you failed.

The alicorn lowered her head in shame. "That’s putting it lightly. Again and again, I lay siege to it before being forced to withdraw in the end. The fortress became even bigger and better defended after each assault. For decades, I enjoyed the thrill of battle, yet victory was never within my grasp."

Kyuubi waved her paws in aggravation. B-But how? You are so powerful! How could the golems out-repair the damage you caused?

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "You were Celestia's student, and she never taught you about the weaknesses of an alicorn's magic?"

Kyuubi tapped her paws nervously. She did ask the princess about the weaknesses of alicorn magic to better prepare. Unfortunately, her mentor was a bit vague with the information, and she never pressed the issue again. S-She said that alicorns need to use their powers wisely and never waste them, but nothing more than that.

Nightmare Moon facehooved. "Typical. Celestia was never keen when it came to revealing information. It seems she didn't change after all those years."

Well, it was her weakness, too. I don’t think anycreature would part with that knowledge. Instinctive self-preservation. She certainly wasn’t going to tell Nightmare Moon about possibly targeting her tails to disrupt their abilities. Is there something important I am missing?

The alicorn sighed. "You are at least aware that alicorns possess earth pony, unicorn, and pegasus magic in ourselves?" The kitsune nodded. "Aside from that, we also possess alicorn magic. It protects us from harm and boosts the power of our spells many times over. As long as we have it, we are forces to be reckoned with, capable of destroying an entire city."

Kyuubi nodded again.

"The issue is that, as powerful as it makes us, our reserves don’t last long. For example, if we exhaust our unicorn magic after a few hours of intense training, we only need a few hours of rest." Nightmare poked her horn. "Do you know how long it takes to recover our supply of alicorn magic?"

Two days?

“An entire week, with our precious moon bestowing us with its power. If Luna did not create a bond with the moon during her ascension, recovering her alicorn magic would take no less than a month.”

Kyuubi gasped. A w-week? Truly? She recalled her battle against Nightmare Moon. Thanks to flawless teamwork and the help of her purifying magic and teeth, they had barely bested the alicorn in combat. Did that mean that their foe would have needed a few days to be at full strength again? Was this what Nightmare had meant when she told them that they had no idea how much they had achieved?

"We possess an extreme burst of power, far superior to what any unicorn is capable. In return, we need to conserve our magic and use it only when necessary, or else we could become powerless when we need it the most. We must always go for a decisive victory because we will never win a war of attrition."

Kyuubi nodded, something she has been doing a lot today. Her mind slowly took in the information. In the end, even alicorns needed support. Wait, wait, wait. If you trained so incredibly hard, shouldn't you be far mightier than you appear? Were you holding back this past year?

“Hmm...Unlikely.” Nightmare shook her head, then shrugged. "If I had regained my freedom a few centuries ago, I would have been an unstoppable force. However, after years of endless combat, I started losing hope I would ever regain my freedom. Eventually, just like Luna, I gave up on everything. No goal, no motivation, no efforts."

Nightmare flew, taking the larger kitsune away from the fortress as they soared towards their base of operation, a place with more light. The titanic bastion was no longer visible in the darkness.

"I froze myself, waking up every few decades later. Watch some dreams, build something, fail to reach Luna, and fight a little, then freeze myself again. Repeat again and again. Centuries would pass in monotony, while my mightiest creation would grow more and more, with demons ruling it and fighting each in a power struggle. Not that I cared much. Most of my skills and the powers I gained over the course of three centuries decayed."

And one day, you were awakened by us. I see where this is going. Kyuubi looked at the dark mare in pity. So the reason they won was that Nightmare Moon got rusty, a blessing in disguise.

"Kyuubi."

Hm? Yes? 

"Beginning tomorrow morning, crafting and construction exercises will be part of your schedule. I need to regain my skills, and I wish to share my experiences with you."

Kyuubi smiled and nodded. So lessons about Elemental Magic, Lunar Magic, daily attempts to reach Luna, and then crafting atop that. Sounds wonderful. She grinned. Add weight-lifting and running exercise atop that, your gravity rune included. Due to her innocence, she didn’t question the reason Nightmare had regarding regaining her skills.

"What? Where does all this enthusiasm come from?"

As Kyuubi noticed that their surroundings were no longer as dark as before, she raised her head pridefully. I want to make everypony, no, everycreature I know happy and proud when I meet them again. Especially Lily. I will slack off no more.

Nightmare smiled, not bothering to hide her emotions behind a cold mask. She wouldn’t say it aloud, but she cared about the kitsune. She would regret it if Kyuubi lost her warm, enthusiastic smile.