"Twilight? You doing alright?" Applejack asked.
Startled, Twilight looked up from the spot on the table she had been staring at to look at Applejack, only to find that all of her friends, Cadance, her brother, and Nightmare Moon, were looking at her. She blinked once and shifted her weight under their gazes, sitting up straighter in her chair. She took a moment to recompose herself, inhaled, then nodded and answered, "Yeah..."
'We raised the moon together.'
Her eyes darted to the left, and for several seconds, her gaze lingered on her teacher. Neither of them said anything, but then nothing needed to be said. Nightmare Moon knew what was on her mind—she could see it in her eyes. She looked back at Applejack. "Just... thinking," she elaborated.
Applejacks' eyes squinted ever so slightly as the mare nodded. "Alright... like I've said, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."
She smiled back at Applejack in appreciation for the offer. "Thanks. I just have a lot on my mind."
'I felt Princess Celestia on the moon. You know I felt her.'
Rarity grimaced and leaned to the left. "I think we all do, dear," came as a quiet, lethargic mumble. Her friends all grimaced, and Nightmare Moon gradually nodded in agreement. Voicing what she was sure all of them felt, Rarity fretted, "This... this attack was horrible!"
"Everypony was scared!" Pinkie cried, throwing her forelegs into the air and nearly jumping out of her chair. "And not the fun kind!"
"I was scared too," Fluttershy whispered, ducking behind her mane.
"Eyup," Applejack grunted.
"Well, at least the worst of it is over now," Cadance, sighed in relief. She looked over at Cadance and watched her brother lean over and rest his cheek against her shoulder, and in response, Cadance leaned down and smiled. The two of them nuzzled and she smiled along with them.
'I have a—I believe the term Cadance would use is—crush on you.'
Cadance and her brother kept nuzzling, but instead of watching, she looked at Nightmare Moon, who idly watched them. 'Is that why you enjoy spending time with me so much? Is that why you like hugging me so much? Is that why you like nuzzling me?' she wondered. Nightmare noticed her looking, and turned her head to look back at her. 'Even if it's not, I mean a lot to you as your friend.'
Her eyes fell down to the burn on Nightmare's neck: the entire area glistened softly from the medicine on the patch of exposed skin, but it was healing. Looking at the middle of it still left her uncomfortable, though the rest of it was fine. And then there were the other furless patches dotting Nightmare's body and legs. And with those pinkish blotches marring her mentor's otherwise black coat, the alicorn looked odd when she considered it. 'You're letting your guard down, aren't you? Letting us all see you like this.'
She shook her head and looked down at her plate, then levitated a bite of pancakes up to her mouth. She chewed slowly and thoroughly, enjoying the syrupy goodness mixed with the subtle hint of blueberries as she drew out the bite since there were only a few bites left before she would be finished.
Her friends had all already finished since she had been distracted, but they were still there for whatever reason. She suspected they stayed because of her. She appreciated their company.
"So..." Applejack ventured, "we didn't really get a chance to talk about this yet, but uh... How much longer are we going to be staying in Canterlot?”
At that, everypony, including herself, looked at Nightmare Moon, who grimaced and looked at the door opposite her to avoid looking at any of them. "I do not know. I suppose it is safe enough for you to all return home by now, though there are still risks." Nightmare bowed her head and looked at the table, then shook her head. "And with the changelings having made a move, I am sure we will see more of them in the future."
Nightmare looked at her, then swept her gaze around to look at everypony else. "With luck, they will not know your importance and so you should be safe."
Nightmare looked at her again. 'Except me.'
Did Queen Chrysalis know how Nightmare felt about her? 'She does, doesn't she?' If the changelings fed on love, it stood to reason Queen Chrysalis knew about Nightmare’s crush on her, and given their limited interaction, Chrysalis seemed to be the type who would want to exploit that out of spite. She frowned: it probably put a target on her back.
The alicorn hesitantly bowed her head. "I... will have the batponies keep a closer eye on you, though you have proved yourself able to defend yourself—" Nightmare's tongue pressed against her lip as she hesitated. She watched her mentor's chest rise, then quickly fall, "—at least against the drones." She wasn’t sure if anypony else noticed it, but she notices a slight change in the tone in Nightmare’s voice: disappointment and worry.
'Will Queen Chrysalis come after me?' She bit her lip as she thought about it and thought back on her fear that a changeling or Queen Chrysalis would come for her while she was sleeping—a fear that she now knew Nightmare shared.
Nightmare nodded. "We will continue your training," her mentor decided. "I will see to it that the changelings are... dealt with." She frowned; everypony knew what Nightmare meant by that. Nightmare's brow twitched down slightly, then the alicorn looked away from her and grimaced again. "I suppose this will complicate things. I have... perhaps been complacent. The Guard, for all their worth, is small and is more of a ceremonial police force, rather than an army." Shaking her head, Nightmare continued, "And the Batponies do not have the same ranged magic that unicorns have, so they are less diversified."
Her mentor turned to her brother. "I will... need to work on expanding the guard or perhaps creating a new force. A proper army."
Her brother and Cadance both frowned at that. "That's not going to be easy, you know," her brother cautioned.
She heard Nightmare sigh; the alicorn closed her eyes and nodded. "I know. Ponies will not be eager to join an armed force—specifically one which serves me—which will complicate things significantly. Likewise, from what I have observed, Royal Guard unicorns are neither trained nor utilized to their best." Nightmare paused for a moment. "We will have to work out how to fix this, along with determining a proper doctrine."
Shining gradually looked away from Nightmare and slowly nodded.
"Equestria has more magical potential than any other kingdom. It is a shame we do not put it to use," Nightmare stated.
She had to wonder, 'To use for what?' They already did rely on magic for so many things-and Nightmare Moon hadn't shown interest in conquering the Griffins or the Zebras.
Nightmare looked at her. "You are intelligent. Pray tell, do you have any suggestions?"
She grimaced from once more being the center of attention. 'Other than the obvious answer of using magic more?' she wondered. "I'm not the best pony to ask—"
Nightmare inclined her head. "Perhaps not. You are not a soldier, but you were my Sister's protege, and are my student. You have likewise shown that you are capable of applying magic in—" Nightmare squinted at her, "—unique ways that I would not consider." Nightmare paused and lifted her head back up. "And do not get me started on your use of teleportation."
She licked her lips and waited a few seconds, then breathed in before answering, "I'd have to think about it."
Nightmare inclined her head. "Very well. I shall..." Nightmare paused and looked at her contemplatively. "Perhaps you should diversify your arsenal of spells."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Diversify them? I know a lot of spells—"
"So you say, but you rely on a select few when sparring with me," Nightmare countered.
She puffed out her cheeks and shifted her weight. "Okay, so I do. But a lot of the spells I know aren't exactly useful for sparring."
Nightmare nodded once. "Precisely. I do not have time to go through the Archives properly, but I am certain there have been new spells developed in my absence, or at least improved upon. I would like for you to go through the Archives—" she perked up at that thought, "—and learn more spells, and I suppose I shall have to teach you spells that you will not learn anywhere else."
She frowned a bit and reluctantly nodded.
"Hey, I thought Twilight was supposed to be really good with magic! Like, really, really good at it," Rainbow challenged.
Nightmare breathed in and inclined her head. "She is, Rainbow Dash, but do consider that she is not yet an adult. For as much as... as my Sister taught her, and as much as Twilight knows, they focused on fundamentals rather than actual spells. She has not put everything she knows to use."
Rainbow grumbled something she couldn't make out, and Nightmare turned back to looked at her. 'And you want to change that, don't you?' The answer was fairly obvious. She glanced back at her pancakes and cut off another bite, then swiped it around her plate to soak up as much of the syrup as she could before eating it.
"Have you decided when you're going to reschedule your wedding?" Rarity inquired.
Cadance smiled softly but shook her head. "We don't have a date yet, but soon." Her brother smiled, then the two of them leaned their heads together to share a tender nuzzle. And again, she saw Nightmare watch them before looking at her. Her mentor shifted her weight and sat up straighter.
"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't end up like this," Rarity grumbled.
"I will make certain it does not," Nightmare put in.
Cadance smiled at Nightmare. "Thank you."
Nightmare hesitated a few seconds, then nodded once. Another moment passed before her mentor looked back at her. "I suppose if you are finished—" she glanced at her plate and scooped up the last of her pancake to eat, "—I would like to take a walk with you through Canterlot." Nightmare shifted again, uncertainty slipping into her expression. "If... you are not opposed."
She finished chewing, then swallowed. 'We might run into changelings, but you probably took care of most of that last night.' And regardless, if they did, she was certain they'd be fine. She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine, I guess."
"Uh, are you sure that's safe?" Applejack asked. "Not that I doubt you or anything, but you know, there could still be changelings in Canterlot."
Nightmare looked at Applejack and inclined her head once. "There could be, but I do not believe we will run into any problems." There was an almost unnoticeable pause before Nightmare bowed her head and declared, "And if we do, I shall keep her safe."
"You could take some Royal Guards with you," her brother coaxed.
Nightmare shook her head, then looked at him. "It will not be necessary and will only detract from what they are already doing."
He didn't like that and looked at her, but nodded.
She smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine."
His jaw tightened, then he sighed.
Cadance nuzzled him again. "They'll be okay," she comforted.
And with that, Nightmare Moon stood from her chair and walked around the table to stand beside her. She hopped down and turned, giving her friends smiles. "Stay safe," she told them.
They nodded back at her and gradually hopped down from their chairs. "Yeah, you too," they generally agreed.
Nightmare started to the door and she followed, taking her place at Nightmare's right side. Nightmare glanced over her shoulder to look at her friends, then said, "Enjoy your night."
"Your friends seem to have warmed up to me," Nightmare commented.
Twilight looked over at her mentor. The alicorn's expression looked mostly neutral, with a touch of contemplation. As she watched her teacher walk, she noticed that despite her apparent relaxed stance, Nightmare stayed vigilant, her eyes darting about to keep aware of their surroundings. "Yes," she eventually agreed, then looked back ahead.
The aftermath of the invasion left Canterlot disarrayed. Nopony was out on the street aside from them and the occasional patrol of Royal Guards and Batponies, all armed with spears. They hadn't come across a patrol in a while, but she remembered the last one they crossed: alert like Nightmare, yet unlike her teacher, they were on edge. There had been two batponies, two pegasi, two earth ponies, and two unicorns—the same composition as other patrols they had passed. The unicorns had been in the middle, with the earth ponies in front and back. The pegasi flew over the unicorns, and the unicorns were flanked by the two batponies.
All in all, the way the patrols were organized was designed to keep the changelings from getting too close to the unicorns.
"There's not a lot of damage to the city," she commented, looking around at the walls and streets. The Royal Guard unicorns had used strictly stun spells, as had the changelings—aside from attacking Nightmare and the spells where they wrapped their magic around their bodies and dived. Those spells left holes in the street and walls, which were thankfully mostly grouped together, and only where larger battles had taken place.
"Collateral damage would not be good," Nightmare stated. "The changelings wanted ponies alive. Using lethal spells would not benefit them."
She winced and shifted her weight. "Aside from you."
For a while, Nightmare was silent. Without looking at her mentor, she knew Nightmare Moon was thinking. They eventually came to an intersection. Nightmare stopped and looked in both directions while she stopped beside her. Eventually deciding to continue forward, Nightmare led on and she followed. They crossed the intersection in silence, but once they were on the other side, Nightmare spoke again. "I should not have cast that spell at the Queen when she had the crowd behind her. I did not consider that she would evade it."
She looked at her mentor and found her slightly concerned. 'If ponies hadn't jumped out of the way, you could have killed them on accident.' And Nightmare thought just the same. She turned back ahead and looked at the street. "Yeah..."
Nightmare eventually shook her head. "I must likewise admit I am not used to combat in cities such as this. When I was Luna, most battles were fought in open fields or forests." She looked at her teacher again; Nightmare's head was slightly bowed. "And—" Nightmare turned to look at her, "—perhaps I have been... arrogant." She frowned; Nightmare watched her face, then breathed in and faced ahead. "I am not used to fighting opponents who have magic at their disposal as the changelings do. I have fought Griffins, monsters, and varying magic users, but never an army that could both fly and use magic."
"You said you had fought them before, right?" she asked.
Nightmare nodded. "I have, several times. But again, it is not the same. They were... not this organized, nor numerous. They did not invade as they did here. They relied more on stealth and deception rather than brute force." Nightmare lifted her head up and looked at the sky. She looked up and studied the shield between them and the stars. "This Queen—Chrysalis—is different from the Queens of past. She is far more direct and aggressive. Less subtle... She seemed to want to conquer Equestria, rather than infiltrate and hide in the shadows."
Though she didn't want to ask it, she licked her lips and then asked it anyway, "Do you think she will be back?"
Nightmare didn't answer for a few seconds. "I believe she will." And then Nightmare looked right at her. "And..." Nightmare trailed off and her lips twisted into a strained line.
"You think she'll come after me," Twilight finished.
Nightmare's wings sagged from her side, and without saying anything, Nightmare turned away from her and nodded. "She is more vengeful than I remember Queens being. The Queens of old would not have threatened to kill you to spite me. You would be more valuable to them alive."
She looked away from Nightmare Moon. They silently walked past a few stores; their windows were thankfully intact. With luck, ponies wouldn't be too shaken up. 'Maybe this will make it a little easier for you to build an army. It's an outside threat. You said that's one way to unite ponies.'
"I should not have teleported away," Nightmare blurted out. "I should not have just left you."
She frowned and reluctantly looked over at her mentor, who looked at her with her ears slightly angled back. Thinking logically, the answer was obvious—ultimately, Nightmare would have been a fool to try anything else. That logic did nothing to soothe the regret in her mentor’s eyes. She thought back to the night they had slept together. Maybe Nightmare had offered, in part, out of guilt. "You said it yourself. You didn't have a choice."
Nightmare cringed and tilted her head up and turned away from her. "It does not make me feel any better about it, Twilight. I abandoned you. I broke my promise to you."
She stopped. Nightmare continued on for two steps before realizing that Twilight had, and when she did, Nightmare stopped and looked back at her. "It's okay, alright?"
Nightmare just watched her for a few seconds before reluctantly bowing her head. "Very well."
She walked the few steps back to Nightmare's side; Nightmare watched her the whole time. "I guess it's probably a good thing they didn't try to stun you..." she trailed off and frowned. "Okay, this may be a stupid question but why didn't they try to stun you?"
Nightmare leaned away from her, then started forward again. "Because in truth, it would perhaps be harder for them to kill me that way." Nightmare looked at her again. "You are aware of how pegasi are... quite resistant to lightning, yes?" She nodded. "They are also resistant to stun spells."
She inclined her head. "So, because you're an alicorn you're more resistant to stun spells?"
Nightmare nodded curtly. "Quite."
She frowned and lifted her head again. "But you said that I could slow you down by stunning you."
Nightmare nodded again. "Your magic is more potent than theirs. You can but it would be hard. It would slow me down, but I do not know to what extent."
She turned away from her mentor. 'So, next time we're sparring, don't hold back is what you're saying?' Well, if Nightmare Moon had battled Princess Celestia—which she had at least twice—then her mentor could probably take whatever she threw at her. "And what about them trying to kill you?" she asked.
"As I said, this Queen is far more aggressive—"
"I mean how hard would it be for them? I don't quite understand that. We've talked about it before but..." she trailed off and grimaced.
Nightmare tilted her head up. "Ah." The alicorn's wings bristled at her sides. "It is... not easy. I have been through a great deal and I am still here. As you have seen, I heal quickly, and as I have told you, I have an innate resistance to magic—" Nightmare bowed her head, "—as all ponies do, though as I am an alicorn, that resistance is stronger."
"Of course," she said.
Nightmare lifted her head again and sighed; Twilight nearly stopped but kept walking. "I suppose in truth I do not know. There are things that I suspect I cannot heal from. I doubt I could survive a dagger to the heart or my head being cut off for example," her mentor confided.
She frowned and distinctly did not picture either of those images. "How do you know you can't heal from that?"
Nightmare looked at her and opened her mouth, only to hesitate and set her tongue against her lips. A few seconds passed before her mentor looked away again. "Perhaps intuition, perhaps logic." Nightmare continued a few steps in silence. "I doubt I could heal if I am already dead."
She didn't know what to reply, so she said nothing.
They came to a plaza with a fountain in it. The water caught the light of the moon: not a perfect reflection, as the surface was too rippled, scattering the light, but the soft white glow and the gentle trickling of water were pleasant. Nightmare came to a stop a few paces from the fountain.
"Perhaps I have been a fool," Nightmare mused, then turned to look at her. "Complacent. Arrogant. Cruel—" Nightmare's lips twitched back, revealing her teeth, "—A fool."
She frowned and opened her mouth, but Nightmare turned away from her. "I should not have been so caught off-guard by the Changelings. I forgot they existed."
"It's been a long time. I don't think anyone would fault you for forgetting," she softly comforted.
Nightmare shook her head. "Perhaps not, but I have still been complacent." Her mentor turned to face her. "And a fool."
She shook her head. "You're not a fool."
"Am I not?" Nightmare challenged, gradually turning her body to face her. "I was cruel to you when I returned. I have made countless mistakes. Discord escaped—" Nightmare started shaking her head, "—and the changelings caught me off-guard, which could have been avoided had I not taken Cadance's necklace.” Nightmare’s jaw tightened, she almost missed it, but it was there. ”And I have a crush on you."
Nightmare turned to the left, turning away from her. "It is not in my best interest."
"Are you doing okay?" she coaxed.
Nightmare looked back at her. "I... do not know. I doubt myself. I am... unhappy. I feel as if having you help me raise the moon was a mistake."
Her ears pinned back. "Why do you think that?"
Nightmare sighed and sat down on her haunches, shaking her head. "We did not enjoy it as I thought we would. As I had hoped we would. You felt Sister and the moon is ruined by her presence.” Nightmare lowered her head. “It is not something we can share together that is as special for you as it was for Luna the first time she had moved it. Luna was ecstatic and for us?” Nightmare lifted her head to watch the sky, a bitter smile crossing her lips for the briefest moment before fading. “It was... nothing more than a disappointment. A reminder of what we do not have."
She sat down beside Nightmare Moon. 'I don't know what to say.' So she sat beside her mentor in silence, pondering what to say until she realized she would never have the perfect response. "It was special for me," she declared. Nightmare looked at her. "We moved the moon together," she emphasized, bowing her head and arching her brow. "That's not the sort of thing that happens all the time."
"So it is not," Nightmare idly dismissed.
"Maybe it wasn't perfect but—but I still... we moved the moon together," she repeated. "That's something that we have that I'll never have with... your Sister."
Nightmare shook her head dismissively while her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "And yet she is still there to ruin it and mock me."
She leaned over and closed her eyes. Set her head against Nightmare's shoulder and nuzzled her. At first, Nightmare's muscles were tense, though she almost immediately felt her mentor relax. She heard Nightmare sigh and felt the alicorn shift until those majestic feathers of hers brushed over her back, then felt the warmth of Nightmare's side and wing against her body. "You would do this even though you know how I feel about you?"
"Yes," Twilight answered, still nuzzling Nightmare's shoulder. "You're my friend, and I can tell you're hurting. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I just left you to hurt, would I?"
Nightmare sighed again. She felt Nightmare's chin against her cheek and the alicorn gradually returned her nuzzle. "I treasure you and your friendship," Nightmare confessed in a soft murmur. After a few quiet seconds, Nightmare pulled back. She gradually leaned her head away from Nightmare's shoulder, opened her eyes, and looked up to see Nightmare gazing at the sky. "I suppose we should not be doing this here," Nightmare cringed, turning to look at her. "I do not want other ponies seeing this as it could put you in danger."
She frowned a little as Nightmare stood back up, missing the warmth of Nightmare's side and wing. Eventually, she made herself stand up beside her mentor, who watched her.
"Sometimes, I forget how young you truly are," Nightmare sighed.
Her mentor turned to the left and walked on. After a few seconds, she turned and followed, hastily catching up so she was at her side.
"And yet I would sooner trust you in battle than the Royal Guard."
"I hope I can live up to that trust," Twilight stated genuinely.
Nightmare's stride faltered for the briefest of moments; her mentor's ears twitching back before righting themselves, and her wings sagging as her head drifted ever so slightly lower.
And for a time, they walked in in silence. Passed stores and mansions, passed parks and plazas, passed by two more patrols. The night was peaceful compared to the chaos surrounding the changelings' attack, and though Nightmare remained vigilant, watching the corners and checking the shadows for anything that might lay in weight to ambush them, her mentor walked on just as relaxed as she was.
At another plaza, they turned left and started back towards, she assumed, the castle.
As they walked on, Twilight’s mind wandered: thoughts of the Changeling invasion, thoughts of what Nightmare had told her, and thoughts about Hearth’s Warming and raising the moon with Nightmare played through her mind before eventually, she remembered seeing her father and Nightmare talking. Unease churned in her chest as she remembered it, only calmed by remembering that each time she had looked at them, they seemed to get along.
She licked her lips and looked to Nightmare, who, while still visibly conflicted, continued her vigilance. “Hey...” she said testingly, drawing Nightmare’s gaze to her, followed by Nightmare turning her head to face her, “So I saw you talking with my dad...” she ventured, pausing briefly to swallow before finally asking, “How did it go?”
Nightmare breathed in deep and leaned away from her, her conflict replaced with a neutral expression. “Well enough, all things considered,” Nightmare answered. A few seconds passed as she exhaled and straightened herself. “He worries about you,” she added.
Twilight nodded reluctantly, knowing just how true that was, but not knowing what, if anything, to say. A few more moments passed on in mutual silence as she thought about it more.
“Interesting,” Nightmare muttered.
Twilight blinked and glanced at Nightmare as her thoughts were broken. The alicorn glanced aside at her, then nodded towards some point further down the street. She turned to look and saw a unicorn stallion peering out from a side street. She frowned as she watched him look the opposite way of them, likely to see if it was safe. “That’s the first pony we’ve actually seen out, isn’t it?”
Nightmare nodded once. “Indeed. I am rather surprised anypony would be out at all.”
The stallion finished looking away from them and turned towards them. Upon seeing her—and more likely, Nightmare Moon—he jerked in surprise and stumbled as he scurried away.
Twilight frowned as he disappeared from sight, then grimaced and shook her head. “Well...” she muttered to herself before sighing. ‘Of course, even with the Changelings attacking, ponies are still afraid of you. Maybe an outside threat won’t help you as much as you think it will.’
The chime of Nightmare’s magic broke Twilight’s musing. “I wonder...” Nightmare muttered.
She turned her head to see Nightmare’s horn aglow with magic while her brow fell into a frown, then a scowl.
“It is a changeling,” Nightmare growled.
“Wha—” Twilight didn’t even get a chance to finish before her teacher leaped into action, rushing past her in the direction the stallion—the disguised changeling—had gone. She grunted before rushing off after her. “Nightmare!”
Unsurprisingly, but frustratingly, her teacher ignored her. Groaning in frustration, she slowed to a stop and summoned her magic before teleporting to Nightmare’s side. Nightmare rushed past her, not pausing even as she turned her head to look at her. The stallion turned right, running away in a panic with Nightmare rapidly closing on him.
She teleported again, and a moment later the stallion yelped as Nightmare’s magic enveloped it and threw it to the street. The crack of Nightmare summoning a spear made her tense. She bit her lip and hastily teleported to Nightmare’s side—Nightmare thrust the spear at the defenseless stallion. Without any time to think, she broke Nightmare’s grip on him and deflected the spear just enough that the tip dug into the pavement rather than his chest. Her unexpected actions drew Nightmare’s bewildered gaze to her while the stallion scrambled back to his hooves.
Nightmare growled and forced him back to the ground with her magic, then pinned him in place with a forehoof. “Twilight—”
“Stop,” Twilight emphasized, arching her brow up.
Nightmare scoffed and tossed her head back. “It is a changeling—”
Twilight looked at the stallion pinned under one of Nightmare’s hooves. He shook uncontrollably, eyes locked on Nightmare’s face. Her lips twisted into a grimace—a long time ago, she knew she would have reacted the same way. “If you’re wrong about this—”
A quick burst of magic from Nightmare’s horn, and the stallion grunted. His voice morphing in the process, becoming slightly higher pitched. A familiar green glow enveloped his body, and then what was left was the cold, black carapace of a changeling. Now revealed, his ears were still pinned against his head and he still trembled.
Twilight looked back at Nightmare, who tilted her head condescendingly and said, “I am not.”
She silently watched her mentor for a few seconds until Nightmare turned her attention back to the changeling. Nightmare lifted her forehoof from the changeling and levitated it into the air by its neck. It kicked wildly, struggling against Nightmare’s grip.
Twilight clenched her jaw and used her magic to break it free from Nightmare’s grasp. It fell back to the street; Nightmare tried to grab it again but Twilight used her own magic to stop her—at least until the changeling scrambled to his hooves and tried to bolt, to which Nightmare responded by grabbing one of its legs and pulling it back before pinning it once more, this time with her hoof on the back of its neck. With a quick spell, she teleported the changeling out from under Nightmare’s hoof and behind her so that she was between them. Nightmare’s lips twitched for a moment, then her jaw tightened as she turned to face Twilight. “I’m not going to let you kill it,” Twilight stated.
Nightmare looked at her with a scowl. “It is—”
"Yes," she grunted, bowing her head, "it's a changeling. I know." Nightmare tilted her head slightly, glaring at her disapprovingly before setting that same glare on the changeling behind her. "It's just one,” she forced out. “You don't have to kill it. It's defenseless."
"It is a threat!"
She pointedly stared at Nightmare for a few seconds, then just as pointedly turned her head back to look at the changeling. Still shaking in the spot she had teleported it to, it unblinkingly stared at Nightmare Moon from the ground. Paralyzed in fear—of the pony she called her friend.
The thought hurt. Even if it was a changeling, was that right? Her ears drifted back. Maybe it was just some ploy, but she wasn’t willing to take the risk that it wasn’t.
She turned back to face her mentor, her expression softening from sympathy. "It's not a threat. Look at it. It’s afraid."
Nightmare's lips flicked for a moment and Nightmare looked back down at her. If anything, Nightmare's jaw only tightened further.
And yet, her mentor's eyes seemed to soften just from looking at her. "If I spare it," Nightmare challenged, bowing her head, "I am condemning it to a slow death by starvation, like the others.”
“I don’t see you trying to execute the rest of the captured changelings,” she countered.
Nightmare’s glare returned as she tilted her head once more.
She straightened herself. "There has to be another way."
Nightmare seethed, tossing her head left and right. Nightmare met her gaze once more. "We cannot satisfy their dietary requirements. There is no other way."
She breathed in deep and stepped right in front of Nightmare, craning her head back to look up at her. "Then let me try to find one." She exhaled and shook her head. “Look, it has to be better than leaving all of them to starve to death, right? And if I can find a way to make it so that they don’t have to feed on ponies, then maybe Queen Chrysalis won’t have a reason to come back and attack Equestria again.”
Nightmare stared at her for several seconds, then looked at the changeling. She drew in a deep breath, then exhaled at length. She closed her eyes and shook her head, then opened her eyes and looked at Twilight. "If I agree to this, it is your responsibility," the alicorn stated. She glared at the changeling behind Twilight. "And so help me," Nightmare promised in a cold, cruel voice, "If you hurt her..."
She shifted her weight. "Nightmare Moon."
Her teacher looked back at her. Matched her gaze for several seconds.
Backed down.
Turned away from her and walked to the right before stopping and looking at the wall.
She watched the alicorn for a few seconds, then gradually turned around to face the changeling whose life she had saved. She hoped she had saved it.
She did not want to be the pony sentencing it to starvation.
It stared at her with a seemingly empty gaze, its teal eyes boring into her own, reminding her of the changelings who had pinned her to the ground. A shiver ran through her body as she remembered the feeling of the cold carapace pressed against her body.
Could it even speak?
Nightmare had called them drones. Did it have a sex or was it sexless?
"Hello?" she asked.
It gradually—and extremely slowly—shifted as it started to stand up. She glanced over at Nightmare Moon, who eyed the changeling like she expected it to try to kill her.
"H-hello," it softly droned.
'So you can talk.' That was a great first step! It broke eye contact to look at her mentor, then looked at her again. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. Do you have a name?"
It swallowed hard, its wings jittering nervously at its sides. "Th-Thorax."
As soon as they walked through the gate to the castle courtyard, guards look at them. Or, more specifically, the changeling that stood on her right. Thorax had specifically kept Twilight between Nightmare Moon and himself, and, for the most part, barely looked away from Nightmare Moon the entire trek back to the castle. Nightmare Moon ignored his gaze in favor of surveying the courtyard; he eventually looked away from Nightmare to look around too.
The guards looked on in confusion, unsure if they were supposed to do anything or not. Two of them—Nightmare Moon had sent a scroll on the way back—strode over to them and gave quick bows before standing on the opposite side of Thorax from her. His insectoid wings jittered at his sides as he watched them while one of them slipped a magic inhibitor ring onto his horn. He shifted nervously and stepped slightly closer to her. ‘Of course you’re nervous...’
Eventually, Nightmare Moon walked forward, and so she followed. Thorax followed closely behind her, and with good reason.
"Your Majesty?" one of the guards questioned as they approached the door to the castle.
Nightmare inclined her head once, but said nothing and continued inside.
Thorax looked over at her, his head held low, his ears pinned back, and what served as his lips slightly downturn. She glanced at him but didn't know what to say. She glanced at Nightmare; it was hard to miss how tense her mentor was. Neither of them had directly spoken to each other, and for that matter, not much had been said on the way back. She missed the relaxed peace they had shared.
They walked into the Throne Room; Thorax looked around and eyed the throne. She glanced at it in passing.
Nightmare led them back to the hallway, then they turned left and continued on. The guards they passed all paused to watch, though didn't ask any questions, possibly because of Nightmare's scowl, or possibly because of the escort.
When they reached Nightmare's chambers, the alicorn finally looked at Thorax and nodded once. "Remain here." Her mentor opened the door and nodded at her. She gradually walked inside, to the middle of the room, then stopped and turned around. Nightmare silently walked in after her, then closed the door. Thorax's wings twitched before she lost sight of him.
"I do not trust it," Nightmare stated.
"I can tell," she flatly acknowledged. 'You may have a crush on me but you're still angry so often.'
Maybe Discord was right. Maybe it really was a mistake.
Nightmare lifted her head and breathed in deep, then cast her breath out and walked around her side. She turned to watch, and Nightmare walked on past her to the desk. "Stay safe. Keep an eye on it. If you require assistance, do not hesitate to ask."
"I'll be fine," she declared.
Nightmare gradually turned her head back to look at her, then just as slowly looked back at her desk. “I... apologize for... losing my temper with you.”
“Apology accepted.” Twilight smiled softly.
Nightmare gradually looked back at her over her shoulder, a slight grimace across her lips. Eventually, she breathed in, then exhaled as she turned her attention back to her desk. "You said—or at least we had agreed—that you would assist me, yes?"
Though Nightmare wasn't looking at her, she nodded, then walked over to her mentor's side. "Yes." She looked at Nightmare's desk; strewn across it were a few piles of scrolls. 'This can't be everything.' "Right, so," she ventured, turning her gaze back to her mentor.
"I do not know where to begin," Nightmare admitted. "Administration was... always Sister's stronger suit, along with diplomacy."
Twilight squinted. "Then what did you do?"
Nightmare jerked slightly.
"I didn't mean it like that."
Nightmare fidgeted, then tossed her head left and right before looking at her again. "I was the Warrior. The Guardian. I led Equestria's armies and backed her diplomacy, as it were. I likewise hunted monsters to ensure Equestria's safety, along with guarding ponies' dreams so they would not have nightmares."
And Nightmare turned away from her, fuming, "Little good that it did."
"You did help rule Equestria though, right?" she asked.
Nightmare turned back to her and nodded. "Yes, though not to the extent of Sister, and she often overruled my decisions regardless. At least—” Nightmare trailed off and turned back to her desk, “—further into our reign."
'Right. Sore subject.' "Okay." She closed her eyes, turned her head back to Nightmare's desk, then opened her eyes. "I'm going to go ahead and admit that I don't really know what to do, but I'm at least halfway decent at organizing." She turned back to meet her mentor's gaze. "But I do know Princess Celestia didn't—" 'I said her name.' She stumbled, pausing as the realization set in. But Nightmare didn't chastise her for it. No, her mentor didn't seem to react at all. She shifted her weight and licked her lips.
Nightmare bowed her head. "As I have said, you may speak her name."
"Sorry," she instinctively apologized.
Nightmare tilted her head.
'Right, don't apologize.' She breathed in, then sharply exhaled. "As I was saying, she didn't do everything herself. She had ponies to help her, and yes, I know you do too, but you're obviously doing something wrong." She paused and thought. "Or... or maybe you're not and you only think you are. She was very busy."
Nightmare shook her head. "There must be some way to streamline this. It is irksome having to deal with Mayors and Governors and varying officials so often."
She raised her head a little. "You don't have a secretary, do you?"
Nightmare shifted her weight. A few seconds passed before her mentor answered, "I do not."
"Right." She frowned. "Because you don't trust anypony for that role."
"They would try to sabotage—"
She groaned and closed her eyes. "No. No, they wouldn't. Find somepony you can trust, make them your secretary. It will help." She opened her eyes. "It won't fix everything, but it will help. Find a batpony if you have to, or maybe talk to Raven."
Nightmare fidgeted again. "She was Sister's—"
"Yes," she preempted with a nod, "she was. Which means she has experience—"
"She is loyal to Sister—"
"Do you really think Raven would sabotage you?" she challenged. "Stop and think about it. How does that help your sister any? How does that help Equestria any? It won't bring your sister back, and it won't make anypony's life any easier."
Nightmare groaned and looked away from her. "And what of the Mayors, Governors, and other officials?"
"I don't know. Either have your secretary manage that better, or find somepony to handle that for you. Like, I don't know, maybe Cadance? Like I suggested before."
Nightmare's face hardened. "I forgot about that."
"Then talk to Cadance about it," she pressed.
Nightmare finally looked back at her. "Cadance is busy. She must plan her wedding... again... and likewise will—" Nightmare squinted, "—likely be busy following her wedding. Likewise, she is helping to keep ponies calm."
"You're either going to have to do it yourself then, or find somepony to handle it for you."
Nightmare grimaced.
"I'm going to go ahead and suggest you invite Raven to join us," she added. Nightmare's grimace turned into a frown. "We can talk to her together," she diplomatically finished.
"Fine," Nightmare sighed. The alicorn's horn flashed and a scroll appeared before her. Her mentor hastily wrote out a message, then teleported the scroll away in another flash of light.
"Tea?" she suggested.
Nightmare's lips pressed into a line. "I suppose tea would make this less unpleasant." After a moment, Nightmare tilted her head to the side. "Yes, I suppose tea would be pleasant. I shall return. Make yourself comfortable." And with that, Nightmare teleported away.
She shifted where she stood. 'Princess Celestia always seemed to have tea prepared.' She looked left and right, studying the walls and bookshelves, then gradually turned to the left and walked over to the bookshelf. She ran her eyes over the titles, so many of them familiar and so many more unfamiliar.
'Have you gone through all of these books? Do you like reading?' she wondered.
In the end, she ended up grimacing: 'You probably don't.'
She turned around and looked at the other wall, only to find herself looking around again. Eventually, she meandered over to the doorway to Nightmare's bedchambers and looked into the room. The bed, though pristine as usual, made her think back on when they had slept together.
A long time ago, that was unthinkable.
Knowing that, she frowned in thought. Nightmare Moon had changed, so, so much since her return. From cold and cruel to caring and patient.
'You are safe here. I will not let her harm you.'
'Come here.'
'Is this better?'
'I do not mind. We are friends. Do not forget that.'
'I treasure you.'
She smiled a little. Yes, Nightmare Moon cared about her. Maybe it was just her, but it was a start. Nightmare Moon wasn’t as cold as she once was—but she was still distant. Still, she had slept quite well; it was relaxing, and she felt much safer with Nightmare Moon against her back.
Holding her.
Her smile faded and she shifted her weight. 'This is always going to be awkward, isn't it?' Yes, most likely. 'How old are you?' The simplest answer was, 'Very.'
But maybe she didn't need to worry about any of that. At least not yet: Nightmare had said, 'I will wait.' But eventually, maybe.
Regardless, she shook her head and walked back towards the bookshelf. 'She wants me to look through the Archives,' drifted through her mind. Her heart beat a little faster and she put a small jump in her steps at the prospect. She knew the fundamentals and, if she did go through the Archives, she was certain she'd wind up knowing so many, many more spells than what she already knew.
And she had to wonder, 'What did you mean by spells that I can't learn anywhere else?' Spells Nightmare Moon—or Luna—had made, maybe? Spells that were too dangerous to be in books? Spells that only Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia knew?
Oh, there were so many possibilities!
But they were probably dangerous spells.
Before she could give it any more thought, there was the crack! of Nightmare's teleportation spell. She turned right and looked at her mentor, who looked around trying to find her, until finally finding her. Beside Nightmare Moon, a pot of tea—she could see steam rising from the spout—and three teacups levitated in her aura. Her mentor inclined her head slightly and turned to face her.
She walked over and sat down, and at that, Nightmare gradually sat down as well, pouring two cups of tea. She took the one Nightmare offered her and levitated it under her nose to smell. The earthy scent of chamomile—just like Princess Celestia liked.
She shifted her weight. "You said you were unhappy earlier."
Nightmare's lips slowly pulled into a line. "I did."
"You... always seem to be unhappy," she ventured.
Nightmare breathed in and looked at the door. "Perhaps I am," Nightmare admitted. "Not always, but often." Her mentor bowed her head and looked at the floor. "I find no joy in ruling Equestria. It is not as I imagined it would be." Nightmare looked at her. "I have told you this before, have I not?"
She reluctantly nodded.
Nightmare shook her head and idly looked at the door. "Perhaps I am simply an old fool. Perhaps it is simply my fate." Nightmare looked at her. "Perhaps I should blame you for this. Six months ago I was so sure of myself,” Nightmare glanced at the floor before breathing in and exhaling, “and now I am not."
She frowned. 'You need to forgive her.' "Do you think you're better off now or before?"
Nightmare frowned and looked back at her. "I do not know." Turned away from her to look at the bookshelf. "I do not want to be a monster. I... do not want to be as I was six months ago. But I do not want to doubt myself—" Nightmare turned back to her, "—or feel so uncertain as I do."
There was nothing she could think of to say that would make her mentor feel any better. "Maybe just—" she licked her lips to buy more time to think, futile as it was. "—try not to worry about it?"
Nightmare only shook her head, albeit slowly.
"Maybe try letting your guard down more?" she suggested. "Give more ponies a chance."
Nightmare snorted and tossed her head back. "All that would do was give them more opportunities to betray me."
'Of course, you would see it that way.' She closed her eyes and breathed in deep, held it for a few seconds, then breathed out. Lifted her head up and opened her eyes. "Which is better? Locking yourself away, never being close to anypony so that you're never hurt, or opening yourself up to ponies, risking getting hurt, and finding friends?"
Nightmare tilted her head. "You say that it is a choice between two extremes, Twilight; to be open and have friends or to be closed off and have none," her mentor posed, then inclined her head, "Yet we are friends and I am still closed off from other ponies. It is not either-or, Twilight."
“If you never opened up to me, would we be friends?” she asked softly.
Nightmare looked down at her teacup for several longs seconds, then took a drink from it without answering. Both of them already knew the answer. She looked down at her own tea, and satisfied she wouldn't burn herself, took a drink of it too. She let the warmth comfort her, let the taste relax her. Closed her eyes to enjoy it, swallowed, and opened her eyes again. "Why do you want me to beat you in sparring?"
Nightmare watched her for a few seconds. "Can you not figure it out yourself?"
She frowned. "My friends thought it was suspicious. Maybe they still do, I don't know. Midnight said to ask you—" Nightmare frowned, and she smiled sheepishly. "—which I, maybe obviously, procrastinated on."
"Yes," Nightmare agreed.
A few seconds passed. "Well?"
Nightmare turned her head to the right. A few seconds passed. Nightmare faced her again and inclined her head. "Consider it, Twilight." Nightmare breathed in and slowly flared her wings out, then bowed her head towards her right wing before turning back to her. "I am an alicorn. Surely, if you are able to defeat me, I can be assured that you will be able to defend yourself from nearly any threat."
She thought about Nightmare's answer for a while and eventually nodded.
Finally, somepony knocked on the door. Nightmare looked over her to look at the door. "I suspect Raven is here," Nightmare said as she stood up.
Twilight stood up and turned, watching Nightmare walk to the door. The door glowed with Nightmare's aura, then opened. Raven stood there. "You wanted to see me, your Majesty?"
Nightmare looked back at her, then turned back to Raven and nodded. "Come." Her mentor stepped to the side and Raven walked in. Once she was through, Nightmare closed the door.
She tried giving Raven a smile; both Raven and her mentor walked back over. She sat down while Nightmare walked to her prior place. "Moreso, it was Twilight who wanted us to speak," Nightmare admitted. The third teacup levitated over to the unicorn. "Tea?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Raven said as she took the tea in her own magic before sampling it. A few seconds passed. "The former Princess was quite fond of chamomile tea."
"So I have been told," Nightmare admitted as she sat down.
And for a few seconds, they got to enjoy awkward silence. "Right, well, Raven, thank you for coming."
Raven looked at her. "Of course."
She shifted her weight. 'You're too formal.' She turned to look at Nightmare Moon. Her mentor looked at her questioningly, so she lifted her brow up to try to encourage her to say something.
It did not have the desired effect; Nightmare Moon tilted her head. "Talk to her," she finally pressed.
"Ah." Nightmare turned to Raven. "You were... Sister's secretary."
Raven nodded. "I was Her Highness's secretary and confidant, yes, though I have had less to do as of late with the reorganization of your administration."
Nightmare shifted uncomfortably. "My student has suggested that I have you return to your prior duties, and perhaps take on new ones, as it has been established that I am ineffective at managing—" Nightmare scowled, "—what I have been managing."
Raven breathed in and nodded again. "If Her Majesty wishes it, I can resume my prior duties and work out a few alternate plans for Her Majesty's review. And if I may, I would suggest Her Majesty delegate reviewing matters to other secretaries so that Her Majesty is not bothered by information Her Majesty does not need to know, that way Her Majesty can focus on the important matters."
Nightmare squinted at Raven. "I do not trust you."
"So Her Majesty has already made clear," Raven acknowledged.
Nightmare's expression hardened. "And pray tell—" the alicorn tilted her head, "—how am I to know that you are not working against me?"
"Her Highness would prefer Equestria to avoid unnecessary suffering; if working for Her Majesty is a means to attain this then Her Highness would support this course of action."
"So you admit you are still loyal to Sister."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, where my loyalty lies is irrelevant. While I would prefer Her Highness's return, there is no way I could contribute to such a goal; any attempt at undermining Her Majesty would only cause problems for Equestria, which would ultimately be to Her Highness' disapproval."
And she could tell Nightmare Moon didn't know how to respond to that; the alicorn just stared blankly at Raven. Several seconds passed before her mentor shook her head. "Fine. Return to your previous tasks, but I will be watching you."
"As Her Majesty wishes," Raven said as she stood up. "Shall I inform Princess Cadance?"
"Do so," Nightmare said half-heartedly.
Raven bowed, then turned to leave. When the door clicked closed after her departure, Nightmare groaned. "I do not like her."
She stood up. "And if it makes things easier for you?"
Nightmare looked at her, bobbing her head with short, quick jerks. "Then I suppose it is worthwhile, though I still do not trust her." Her mentor lifted her head up to look at the ceiling, shook her head, then stood up before looking at her. "I suppose this is enough for now. Go tend to your pet."
'What?' Her muzzle scrunched up. 'Thorax?' Yes. What else could Nightmare Moon have met? "Pet?"
Nightmare pointedly tilted her head. "Your changeling." Twilight frowned. "Be careful." Nightmare's expression gradually softened, then her mentor reached out with her wing and brushed her feathers through her mane. She wanted to lean into it, but decided against it. And all too soon, Nightmare finished, turned her head to the floor, and then looked away from her.
"I'll be fine. You worry about me too much."
Nightmare looked back at her to meet her gaze. "I have my reasons to worry about you, Twilight. You are my friend, you are my student. I promised I would protect you."
'And you have a crush on me.' She looked back at her teacup, brought it to her mouth, and downed it in one go. It was almost too much; it almost hurt swallowing it. She levitated the teacup over and set it on Nightmare's desk, then stepped over and hugged her mentor, careful to avoid her more injured side. She laid her head on Nightmare's shoulder, and Nightmare leaned down to return it, going so far as to drape a foreleg over her back.
"You may go through the Archives as you desire; I suppose there is no point in denying you access," Nightmare mumbled into her mane.
She frowned. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
"I did not mean it that way, only that you will learn many of those spells eventually. Perhaps it is better this way."
She hummed and gradually pulled away from her mentor. "Well... I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Nightmare reluctantly nodded. "Very well. Enjoy the rest of your night."
She smiled at her mentor as she turned to walk to the door. "You too." Opening the door, she saw Thorax fidgeting where he stood; all of the guards were watching him, their bodies tense. She stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her. "Um. Right. Sorry about the wait."
"It's... okay," he droned, his wings jittering. "Better than the alternative at least."
She shifted her weight. 'Which alternative?' But she knew better than to ask it. "Right... uh... I'm going to just teleport us to my tower." She wrapped her magic around Thorax and then teleported both of them to her tower.
The two guards at her tower both startled at their arrival, then tensed from seeing Thorax. "Ma'am?"
"He's—" she turned back to Thorax, who watched them, "—with me."
Both guards shifted where they stood, but nodded. With that settled, she opened the door with her magic, then walked on through. She stopped about the center of the library and turned around, realizing she hadn't heard Thorax enter. "Are you coming?"
"Oh, sorry," he apologized, gradually walking inside, head held low as he looked left and right, taking in the bookshelves.
The two guards went to follow, but she preempted them with, "Wait outside."
Neither of them seemed sure about that but nonetheless nodded. "Of course, Lady Sparkle."
Lady Sparkle? 'That's a first.' She closed the door with her magic once Thorax was inside. The changeling gradually lifted his head up. "What do you think?"
He looked at her. "It's... nice," he mumbled. "You like books, don't you?"
She beamed and nodded. "Yes. What about you?"
His wings jittered. "Changelings don't really read."
Her smile wilted. "You can read though, right?"
He nodded. "We can. We kind of have to be able to read to infiltrate places and fit in, but we normally don't read books. There aren't really any books in the Hive."
"Oh." She shifted her weight. 'How do you learn magic then? Do you have other changelings teach you? You'd have to for some spells-assuming you have spells like that. Or is do you all have an innate understanding of your magic? Or—or is it through practice or trial and error?' There were so many questions to ask, so much to learn! But it would have to wait. "Well, uh, if you want you can read any of my books. Just try not to damage them or... misplace them."
"Okay," he droned in a neutral tone.
'I should find Spike. Is he even here?'
She turned and headed to the stairs, making it as far as the first step before she heard, "Why did you stand up for me?"
She stopped and looked back at him. "Nightmare Moon would have killed you if I didn't."
His wings bristled. "But why? I'm a changeling and you're a pony."
She squinted at him for a moment before her expression softened. "Because it's the right thing to do," she stated. A few seconds passed where he silently watched her. ‘I hope...’ Eventually deciding he wasn't going to say anything further, she turned and climbed the stairs.
She checked their bedroom, but it was empty, so she went back to the stairs and descended back into her library. "I'll be back. I need to find somepony."
"Oh, okay," he monotoned.
She paused for a minute, then walked past him. "Uh, stay here, I guess."
"I don't really have anywhere else to go," he pointed out. "And it's not like those guards would let me leave."
Her jaw tightened. 'Right...' She didn't answer, instead choosing to head back outside.
"Ma'am?" one of the guards questioned.
"I'll be back," she said, lighting her horn and preparing her teleportation spell. The world warped around her like normal, but as usual, she was used to it. The door to her friends' shared chambers came into focus, along with the four Royal Guards-two on each side-who straightened at her arrival. She glanced at them as she lifted her forehoof to knock on the door.
A moment later, the door parted and swung inward, revealing Applejack. "Well—" Applejack smiled at her and stepped aside, "—howdy, Twilight!"
She smiled back and walked inside and looked around; her friends stood up and turned to face her. "Hey, girls."
"What brings you by?" Applejack asked, closing the door behind her.
'Right. Where should I start?' She hesitated, considering the best way to begin. Would they react well or poorly to intervening on Thorax's behalf? Thinking about it made her frown. "Right, well, uh, I just... needed to tell you that, uh—" 'There's no good way to say this,' she realized, "—Nightmare Moon and I were out walking and came across a changeling."
What was the best way to continue from that? They all looked at her expectantly. She shifted her weight, tossed her head left and then right before finally settling on, "Nightmare Moon was going to kill him, so I convinced her not to."
A moment passed while her friends took it in.
"No offense darling—that's very noble of you, yes, and don't take this the wrong way, dear—but you didn't come stop by just to tell us that," Rarity said.
She cringed. "Yes. Well. Uh. I'm supposed to keep an eye on him because of that. So..." she trailed off, fidgeting, taking in her friends uncertain expressions. She took in a deep breath, then mumbled, "He'll... be with me when we all head back to Ponyville..."
Applejack breathed in, then exhaled and shook her head. "You sure that's a good idea?"
She turned to look at Applejack; the mare's ears might have been back slightly, but it was hard to tell. Applejack's brow was folded down slightly, but there was no outright rejection, and for that, she felt relieved. She turned to face her friend. "I couldn't just let her kill him. He was defenseless and wasn't fighting back."
"I meant taking him back to Ponyville with us," Applejack restated.
She nudged her head higher. "His magic should be suppressed, and I'll keep an eye on him," she stated.
"And I don't doubt that, girl, but..." Applejack trailed off, shut her mouth and shook her head. "Alright. Just be careful. They did attack Canterlot and capture you and Princess Cadance."
She winced and turned to the left. The rest of her friends looked at her with folded brows. And then there was Rainbow Dash, who hovered in the air with her forelegs crossed. "I know that. Don't remind me," she muttered. "Look—" she turned back to Applejack, "—if I did nothing she would have killed somepony—or changeling—who was defenseless. You can't approve of that."
"And I don't," Applejack affirmed.
"And the reason why he's my responsibility is that I managed to... well, I made Nightmare Moon mad."
"So it's a punishment, then," Applejack said flatly.
She winced and looked at the wall behind Applejack. "Partially." Applejack sighed and she looked back at her. "But! It's also an opportunity.” She smiled. “Just think of what we could learn about changelings if we can befriend them!”
“Oh... that could be nice... maybe we wouldn’t have to fight them again then... assuming that we would have to fight them again...” Fluttershy mumbled.
She looked at Fluttershy and nodded sympathetically. “Hopefully I can figure out a better solution for them needing to feed on love and life force.”
“I hope so!” Pinkie agreed as she bounced over to Twilight. “The changelings having to attack us for food really isn’t nice!” She sat down on her haunches, frowning in thought. “Maybe they should have just asked? Maybe that would have worked better! I’d happily share my cupcakes with any of you!”
Twilight smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that easy, Pinkie.”
“Aww...” Pinkie pouted. “Still...” Her encouraging smile returned. “If anypony can figure out this doozy of a problem, it’d be you, Twilight!”
She managed to smile at Pinkie as Rarity nodded in agreement. "Quite so. And while I find this whole ordeal simply dreadful—" which everypony knew by now, "—and I don’t like the thought of one of those things being so close to Sweetie Belle, I can't say that I like the thought that Nightmare Moon would just kill them...”
Twilight grimaced slightly and nodded. “Like I said, I’ll keep an eye on him. I wouldn’t let him hurt Sweetie Belle or Applebloom.” She looked at Applejack with a reassuring smile, which met Applejack’s approval. She looked over at Rainbow. “Or Scootaloo.”
“Psh, as if I’d need you to keep Scootaloo safe from a changeling,” Rainbow dismissed with a grin. "But if he gives you any problems, just let me know," said Rainbow.
She rolled her eyes at Rainbow's comment, though still smiled.
"It's safe though, right?" Spike asked as he walked over to her side.
She nodded and leaned down to hug and nuzzle him. "Of course, Spike. I wouldn't do this unless I thought it was safe and could work." 'Even though Nightmare Moon, who is unfathomably older than me, thinks it’s a bad idea.'
But Nightmare Moon was wrong about a lot of things.
Her friends walked over to her, gathered around her, and embraced her. She smiled, closed her eyes, and sat down on her haunches. "Thank you all for supporting me... I was... I was worried that you wouldn't."
"I think I speak for us all when I saw that we have our reservations, dear, but we also know you," Rarity chimed.
"You've asked us to trust you, and we do," Applejack put in.
"And you'll give him a chance?" she asked.
They nodded and nuzzled her. She nuzzled him back. "Sure," Rainbow cautiously answered. "But if he does anything—!"
"We know, Rainbow," Rarity groaned.
She giggled softly. "I wouldn't trade you girls for the world." 'Or Princess Celestia.'