//------------------------------//
// Whispers 
// Story: You Can't Just Vanquish Evil 
// by Toon 
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While walking through the unknown terrain the night seem to still envelope the sky, seeing the stars had disgusted me. I was the only wielder of them and they had not been touched during my absence, while I'm sure Celestia could not change them I still felt a sliver of respect for her respecting my domain. 

That didn't make me hold any less hatred towards her, however, but looking towards the stars gave another feeling inside me. One I haven't felt in a millennium; artistic vision, true I was upon the moon and saw the world from outside of the endless abyss of space but I never was able to see the stars.

A feeling of want I haven't felt in centuries, a want for manipulating the stars into my art piece to create a beauty for all ponies that wished to see the night in its purest form.

I shook my head away from these thoughts, they were pointless like nothing more than a distant dream you cling to. But I am no pleasant dream nor am I searching for one, I am Nightmare Moon and I seek to twist those pleasantries into nightmares.

The forest was vast and it would be a long trek before I reach a civilization which was good actually, I was slow and soon growing tired. My first real priority is shelter, maybe something of a tree for high ground maybe a cave or tunnel to stay grounded for a bit.

Whatever I find in this forest needs to be equipped with at least something to protect myself in, nothing could be worse than the freezing nights on the moon.

I kept my direction wandering aimlessly through the forest, while I would be worried about the creatures lurking in the shadows, I was simply put; weak.

After the elements used their ancient magic on me I was barely holding some, if any magic.

The situation I was in truly dawned on me, I was alone, in some far-off chunk of the world with no food or refreshments and I had lost a sufficient amount of magic.

I was growing weaker by the second, my magic failing and shrinking even more than I thought would be possible.

Trees began to look similar to one another and close together with no real way out aside from the moonlight seeping through the leaves of the forest.

I wasn't scared per say but I was worried how I would go on like this, I would survive, I WILL survive, but how? Even those thoughts betrayed me silently inside my head there was a whisper of doubt.

All around me was a blur, trees alike to their kin with no differences but the markings of their wood surface.

I thought by walking for about an hour suggesting by the moon's position that I would've found some kind of answer to my worries but they only grew.

I was a princess and destined QUEEN so why? Why am I being defeated so pathetically and easily to the whims of nature? I was tired, sore, and just mainly exhausted. My adrenaline could only last me so long although my estimation was right it gave me no real pride to see it come to fruition.

I was slowing down and soon came to a stop, I felt weary, I leaned towards a nameless and faceless tree. There was little that had worn me down as so, many centuries before my imprisonment me and Tia- Celestia; fought through countless wars and battles to bring together all ponies. 

Many fun and hard times through thick and thin whether exhausted or exhilarated we balanced each other's high spirits and low. I had no support now, however, no title, no kingdom, no helpers, no teacher, and no sister. I was truly alone, countless dreams I could view and watch throughout my imprisonment onto the lunar throne but now it was as if silence had truly taken over.

I felt weak and crumbling slowly but surely into sleep until I heard a rustle, my head swiveled to the source where a bush was, I stood on my fours and gave a stance, creating the illusion of readiness and preparation to take on any foe.

"Who goes there!" I had used my royal voice to give way to intimidation and slowly the creature began to move.

Through the thick of leaves came a brown, oak-like wood material sticking out as they began to inch forward with green eyes glowing through the deep darkness; a timber wolf.

Had at any other time I met one I would've scoffed at the idea of lowering myself to fighting one but my situation was much direr than my pride.

I lifted myself to muster some kind of magic and focus it into my horn, a light spell to make my casting seem real but it was just a bluff hoping the intruder to buy it.

But I was so tired I had left a lapse in my judgment of haste; timberwolves are feral and primarily basic on motives and instincts, lighting a simple horn will not do. I need to make myself bigger, seem like a much stronger foe.

I ran my head of all possible solutions, perhaps use some leaves for a sort of cap to make my stance seem bigger? No, I don't have nearly the magic nor time to make something so elaborate let alone the tools. Break tree branches with my hooves to put them on my body to make myself seem sharper to touch? They do have fear of Ursa Majors, but again I have little strength and time for that.

I was out of options and out of time, I prepared a stance to avoid any oncoming attacks from the beast but what happened was something I was not expecting; more came from the bushes behind the first timber wolf and two more came to join the fight.

That did it for me, today was the worst day ever, I was expecting to take over Equestria after breaking the elements of harmony, take down my sister and imprison her. Become a Princess THE princess, the definitive one that would rule over with the moon high and destroy any neigh sayers.

Yet here I was about to be taken advantage of in my weak state to be treated as some kind of animal's easy prey, I would die like any other commoner, weak, malnourished and soon to be dead. Would this truly be the ending of me? A princess forgotten to time that will die silently and pathetically like a weakling.

I shut my eyes and felt the fear take a grip of me and the pity of myself but a fading second voice came along, 'Are We going to lie down and die in a place like this?' 

I opened my eyes to that question, that second voice- the darkness that had awakened in me so long ago still within me when I thought I felt it slipping away from me. 

"N-no," I whispered, I had taken a deep breath and reaffirmed my voice and stance. "NO!" I evened my eyesight to those damn timberwolves, "I WILL NOT DIE TO SOME PESTS! I AM NIGHTMARE MOON! AND I WILL NOT GO DOWN LIKE A WHIMPERING ANIMAL!"

The timberwolves gave no care to my declaration however and charged straight towards me, I grit my teeth, held firm to the ground, and prepared for the fight.