Mag looked herself in the mirror, her reflection looked taller and with a narrower face. Her skin was also darker, with higher cheekbones and softer eyes.
She had never look so pretty so of course she knew she must be dreaming.
"Hello Nightmare, you know if you had tried this look instead of the more evil one I would have been way more tempted. Also, apparently I was so tired we couldn't get any dangerous magic book for you to steal from that other world, too bad." Mag sarcasm wasn't very sharp but for some reason, she feel like being nicer. Most likely due to her new mother being well and for having a new much nicer mother to start with.
"Oh well, I still know all magic Luna does." The Nightmare said in a flipant tone. "Why aren't you scared anymore?"
Was the Nightmare... shrinking? Surely not; why would she do that?
"Because I also was a troubled girl who wanted love, just like you want in your own twisted way, for Luna to love you. Because that whole thing you said about hosts and that? You can't be so bad at this if you were old and experienced so my guess is that Luna created you somehow. So yes I am almost sure Luna is your mommy."
"And what if she was? I got a new host now, she is the most scary seven year old this world has ever seen!"
"You went after a kid not even in their first decade of life? Oh wow... let me guess... no one older took your deal?"
"I just saw a great deal of potential in her." The Nightmare said side-steeping the question.
Maybe it was not just that maybe the Nightmare always has a target for hosts. Maybe they always had to be female, lonely, ambitious and wanting more in life.
"You took a starved orphan girl and offered her all the food she could eat?" Mag somehow guessed at seeing the Nightmare much smaller form. She also had reverted into a pony... alicorn.
"Is not my fault that most people in this stupid World can't see me even in their dreams or nightmares! So it was that or someone older but mad. There I said it, happy now?"
"No, you still tricked a little girl that didn't know better. But then again, you were desperate, weren't you?"
The pink unicorn ate blueberries and offered Mag one, she ate the blueberry slowly.
"Why would I be desperate? You think the Dreamlands are limited to a single world?" Again Nightmare didn't answer a question. Is the Nightmare affected by the host she has, not just her affecting the host? That would explain...
Mag walked to the now much smaller sized Nightmare, picked her up and started to pet her, ignoring the Nightmare weak protests.
Her question of were Luna was in the Dream got her answer when she saw filly Celestia and Luna prancing around and playing.
Yet in the dream Mag was still an adult.
Maybe Mag wanted to be a mother? The Nightmare had to at least try to get her hosts what they wanted and what family would better accept a Nightmare possessed girl that hers?
Celestia would try her best to separate the two of them, Luna wouldn't be happy but would see it as a chance to help someone lonely and Mag-
No.
As tempting as the idea was, it was just too risky. The Nightmare still wanted Mag, Mag was an adult and was kind of fused with a goddess.
If Mag body keep changing; if the Nightmare convinced her that being a mere mortal was awful, Mag would be the perfect host. Celestia wouldn't kill them because they would share bodies with Luna. And with Equestria gone, there was no group of plucky heroines to defeat the Nightmare once more.
And a small lonely filly would be close with her mother again.
Mag said nothing just keep petting the poor sad monster. Aren't the best villains the ones you care about? The ones you can see yourself walking in their shoes if only circumstances had been different?
Luna was not just any run of the hill goddess...
Hehehe... Hill?
Not any regular moon and dream goddess.
She was a Regent just like her sister.
Any child she had wouldn't live as much as Luna herself... unless said child could be almost as powerful as her.
And if the child could borrow Luna's power to survive, wouldn't she also live as long as Luna's did?
There is no such thing as a one side coin, for there to be good there has also be be bad.
Luna had not only power over dreams but also over nightmares.
Just like the sun can be warm and inviting but also burn and kill you.
Where was Celestia darkest side hidding then? Most likely safely hidden under lock and key. With Mag, Luna and a bit of hope keeping it at bay.
No wonder Earth's Regent had made magic gets as thin as he probably could.
"You and Luna are one." Mag Willson said instead of asking. She wasn't sure how she knew that, she just did. Or maybe she did not, maybe she was mistaken?
"How do you know?" The Nightmare asked without making any move away from her lap, still enjoying the petting. That at least confirmed Mag strange thoughts.
"As I told Luna before, humans have a lot of stories. It also was really strange how you would insist in taking me as a host with Luna literally living in my head. How sure you were Luna could simply not seal you away, why didn't you go for a safer host first? Why did you went with me first despite not being your first pick?
The Eldest warned Celestia that she would break me if she changed me from being human, but you are a safeish way to change aren't you? Bonding with you would ensure whatever I did to myself or whatever carrying a goddess in my head does is not such a big deal, that not only I survive it, but I flourish!""
"I really should have gone with the 'This will stop you from dying and getting old' angle didn't I? My fault, I am still too used to Luna, so I didn't think about what a mortal really wants."
"No mortal wants to die, at least no sane one that's not suffering."
"This world is so dull and boring you know? Is like-"
"Something is not quite right? The Regent of Earth killed his brother a very long ago."
"Oh..." Was all the Nightnare said and she just enjoyed the petting for several minutes in silence.
Then Luna completely didn't read the mood and killed the filly Nightmare with a sword covered in blue flames.
"Really? That works?" Mag just had to ask.
"The Coldflame Sword cannot kill, the Nightmare is now just somewhere else in a forced time out while being stuck inside a mountain of ice."
"And the whole head falling off she did before she disappeared?"
"Wouldn't you say I have a flair for the dramatic? She does too."
"Oh yes, you do. So I am right? You and Nightmare Moon are two halves of a whole?" She still wanted to be sure and maybe wanted to be wrong... Because this side of Luna... it was not something she was fully comfortable with.
"Yes and no. She is indeed my creation, made out of despair, hope and a desire for companionship. But as making someone out of nothing is not possible, she started as a copy of myself... but as that did make me just literally talking to myself... you can guess what happened next."
"But if you made her, how come she ended having so much power over you? How come she took advantage of you so easily?"
"Having once been my copy, she knew exactly what to say, how to act, she knew exactly what buttons to push as you humans say."
"Ah, the whole one person is their own worst enemy thing?"
"Yes. But good luck telling that to my sister without crushing her with guilt. For her I kept the lie that the Nightmare was something else, something dangerous. But now with our world gone? What's the point? The lie no longer has a reason to be and if I desire to help my sister I have to be more honest."
"You... you really love each other." Mag was not crying pink tears and anyone who said that was a stinky liar who lies and... stuff.
"We are literally made to keep company to each other as long as we live. That's why I feel nothing but pity for your World Regent. No matter how horrible he is, nothing will be as bad for him as what he already did to himself."
"Come here... aunt." Mag then have Luna a hug. "What's going on? Why I suddenly know things I shouldn't have figured on my own?" Mag had a mix of horror and thinking it was cool about that.
"In a dream anything is possible, and as we are connected you will get more and more able to express yourself in Dreams. This is not due to any mental contamination but because I am not your Regent but I am still a Regent. Even as dismished as I am that's... gonna cause trouble. The Eldest was right when he said humans are not ponies after all."
Mag just... sat down in the dream, thinking in the middle of her childhood forest.
"How much more will I change?"
"To live is to change a bit every day. But in your case... I do not know. A part of it depends on you, another in me and the last third depends on how long we keep sharing the same body."
"So... I actually wanted pink hair?" Mag actually could see child Mag having wanted that but as an adult?
"Even if that is the case, I decided to not fix your hair both as a lesson and because we couldn't afford the Eldest getting as annoying as the terms of my sister Asylum allow him."
"You... you are the one playing politics? Aren't you the fun princess?" Mag refused to admit she was pouting.
"I will do a lot to help my sister, even things I loathe doing."
"A lot instead of anything?" Mag just had to ask.
"I did said I need to be more honest, didn't I? That includes even lies I tell to myself."
"Uh. So... what will you do about Nightmare Moon?"
"Read a lot of books about how to deal with children to start with."
"I think she is way more dangerous that any child those books are aimed at."
"Even so, now that I am forcing myself into Honesty the Nightmare has a lot less power over me. I am still hurt but admitting it was myself who did a lot of the hurting does help."
"Did you said the H word in a weird way?"
"What? You mean Honesty? And H word? Really?"
"Sorry this is... a bit too much, I think the only reason I am not freaking out is because I am not awake."
"Ah, I know the feeling. Anything else you want to talk about? I left my sister in a pleasant dream so we have some time."
"If I grow a horn, will at least look cool and help me with my magic?"
"No, unless you changed a whole lot of your nervous system and your brain. And I don't think you would survive that, not unless it was done it very careful and slowly. Think of it as going by puberty once more."
"No way in hell I am dealing with that ever again!"
"Good, I think a nose ring would be better to channel your magic anyway."
"Really?" Mag raised an eyebrow.
"No, I was joking."
"Could I pull the look anyway?"
"Not as a human, maybe not even as a pony, maybe as a Zebra? I am not up to date with fashion, be it human or pony. Then again as one of the only two members left of my species, I could be the one deciding whatever said fashion is."
"Luna, you said you are trying to be more honest, what do you think will happen to me? Will I become a pony?"
"Only if you really really really want to. And even then you would be quite the unusual pony."
"Would being a pony help me with magic?"
"Yes and no. I am the most familiar with the ways a unicorn does magic but having you getting used to permanently being a different species would cut time in our lessons. Not to mention that as a pony you may not be able to survive in a place with so little magic as Earth."
"You said permanently, what if it wasn't permanent?" Mag just had to ask because she was curious.
"Neither you or me can safely do transformation magic at the moment. And while my sister definitely has the power, she lacks the skill. Not to mention that in her current mental state, she may end turning you into a pony permanently by accident if she tries."
"Ah the whole ponies being herd creatures thing?"
"Yes. Also the fact that as a Regent we tend to want beings to rule, that's is a constant with a few exceptions. We can pick the way we rule, we can just watch in hiding and do nothing but ensure our subjects just survive but we do have to rule."
"So... good thing Celestia literally can't just turn any creature into a pony then?"
"Yes, good for this world and her mental health."
When Mag woke up she found that she had been hugging Celestia and crying.
Celestia had been crying too but would most likely deny it. With the practice she had in the last few days, there was no trouble in washing away the tears from her clothes and the Goddess fur. All that while not waking up said Goddess.
"Why did she had a relapse? She was acting okay a few days ago."
"Do you really need to ask?""
"Right lost almost everything and everyone, only her sister left... would making a cake help?"
"My sister loves cake, be sure to add a lot of sugar and frosting."
And so Mag the Barbarian daughter of a Sun Goddess made cake... and the three of them had that for breakfast.