Nightmare Moon realized that she had been training and experimenting for several days in a row with no rest. The landscape had been completely transformed. Making use of the influence of her moon and those of the others she was now linked with, she was now able to modify the surface of the tectonic plates, but even with her newfound, titanic reserves of power and magic, she could only barely change portions bigger than a house in size.
Divets and craters formed about, including multiple that looked like hoof and footprints that could crush half of a city. The mare grinned, realizing what she could create with her new magic. The possibilities were endless, but when she dug further than her base power before her banishment, she could feel something tugging at her mind. Something was pulling her consciousness away, and she just couldn't pinpoint the source nor the reason. It was almost like somepony was trying to tell her something, but that couldn't be. it was her magic and no one else's! Still, it felt like she was 'stretched out' , like she had been made subconsciously aware of a pool of power she never truly had access to.
A sigh escaped her lips. The castle had been improving as time went on. The keep had been modified as per her specifications, leveraging the contributions of Sunny. The windows were going to be made of stained glass representing herself in various events fictional and non-fictional, but so far they were boring, plain glass windows. In fact, the keep itself had been repaired almost fully, and no pony but the soldiers had gone to the dungeon beneath through the newly excavated dungeon entrance. They found that the spell on the cage was unbreakable, something they angrily brought to the alicorn's attention. She grinned and laughed at them. They just had to bring food and water to the prisoner. His family could be quadrice damned for all she cared. After all, the woes of the peasants after attempting to end her life were none of her concern. In fact, she had forgotten about him by the time the soldier had brought the spell to her attention.
A grumble came from her stomach. The mare-in-the-moon was hungry. Very hungry.
"Ooof," she wheezed when she rubbed her belly. "Not eating in days can take a lot of an alicorn." Moon patted the ground with a hoof, watching the many tiny stones roll down into one of the craters she had made. "Those so-called royals are coming today." She wiped some drool off of the side of her mouth. "This drool is making me feel like a cannibal. Could do with a nice stew right now. Something simple to sate my appetite."
When she finally returned to the castle grounds, the early sun had risen a little higher, its strange halos still pulsing slowly around its body. The alicorn froze in place when the light hit her and singed her right shoulder.
"That felt like...rage," she realized in utter awe. The alicorn looked to the smoking spot and rubbed it. "The sun emits rage, fury...and sorrow?" She narrowed her immortal eyes upon the celestial body. "But they feel...hollow. Like the dregs of something that has departed our world." Moon snorted and frowned angrily. "That...is inconsequential. Looks like things like that still happen nowadays," she dismissed.
One time was happenstance, and that after so long that she had been freed? Meant nothing.
She landed in the courtyard and bellowed at the top of her lungs. "Sunny Dimples!"
The stallion hurried over, accompanied by the mayor.
"Yes, your majesty?!" the young stallion shouted.
"I hunger."
"W-well, the food is where it always is." He smiled and rubbed his foreleg.
The mare rolled her eyes and dropped down briefly. "I want a proper meal. A cooked meal. I have been doing nothing but eating fresh produce like an animal!"
"What's wrong with her?" the mayor asked Sunny.
"She wants to eat cooked meals."
The elder rubbed his chin with the back of his hoof. "She does, huh? Tell her that, during the feast tonight celebrating the first day of the Winterdrop Turning, that there will be plenty of cooked foods ready for her, but she has to stick to the script before she can enjoy them."
Sunny relayed the information to Nightmare who seemed upset but acknowledged the suggestion.
"It wouldn't do to just appear out of thin air and stuff my face." She smiled. "I'd rather see the faces of all those nobles that claim to be related to alicorns of the past." Her smile became wider and toothier. "Especially the relatives of that would-be assassin. They must still be fuming after I imprisoned him." A chuckle escaped her. "I'd love to see that." She turned and waved the two away. "I return to study."
The mayor's jaw dropped. "She can speak our language now?"
Sunny wobbled his hoof in the air. "She can speak a few things, but she's not ready to speak for the nobles, so I'll act as the interpreter for her."
The mayor felt his body shiver in excitement. "That's perfect. That will add to the legitimacy of her being an actual alicorn."
"Have you even thought about what will happen?" Sunny asked.
The mayor nodded dismissively. "It'll tear down the nobles a peg and get me on the good side of the royal family."
"Wh...That's just what you want to happen, but what about her? She's going to do something drastic that will upheave our way of life as we know it!" He looked towards the keep nervously. "I know she'll do it. She has no reason not to!"
"You're too paranoid. She has a castle here and a good thing going. She wouldn't jeopardize her chances like that. The royal family has too many resources and too many supporters. That alicorn would never be able to take over without riots exploding everywhere."
"Hmmm...I hope you're right."
The night had finally come. The city was alight with colorful spells and street lamps, but its noise was muffled in the mountains where the castle stood. One couple stepped off their chariot and watched as the red oak construct accented with gold trims flew off with their pegasus driver.
"Look, dear, the moon," the mare asked. Her dress fluttered when she pointed to the sky.
"Amazing. I've never seen it so big. It's filling up most of my sight." The stallion adjusted his glasses and fluffed his mustache. "Could've sworn it was crashing down on us when you pointed that out."
The castle entrance was guarded by a plethora of armored soldiers flying around and standing guard on the walls and at the door. After presenting an invitation, the visitors were free to enter. Nightmare Moon watched the ponies flock in from all around, completely ignoring the city below. From her perch above the first floor of the keep, she could stay hidden in the shadows and watch the nobles mingle. She felt intense disgust when looking at most of them. With her experience, she could tell just from a glance which ones were full of themselves and which ones were humble. Which ones worked hard and diligently to reach their position and which ones just received an inheritance.
Because it had only just been renovated, the alicorn had bound orbs of light to the ceiling, flooding the chamber with the soothing silver light of the moon. She watched as the ponies would crowd around a plethora of long tables draped in white cloth and presenting a wide assortment of dishes; There were even twelve pots big enough to hold three foals worth of stew just waiting for her. She could almost taste them all. Nightmare Moon was perhaps the terror of the night, but she would eventually be the one to bring an end to the contents of all twelve pots. Such was her ravenous hunger that she could claim such a feat occurring.
There were ponies of all colors wearing a wide variety of...They looked like they were wearing full-body pajamas. What sort of absurdist, stupid style was that? Below her stood the mayor and Sunny Dimples, both fidgeting about nervously. The alicorn saw the twins rush over to him, then walk below a small, slitted window. Horns echoed throughout the throne-room-made-dining-hall, and a stallion with his eyes half-closed and his head held high announced the arrival of the royal couple.
Moon leaned over the balcony rails and smirked. "So this is the king and queen?" she smirked. Everyone bowed upon their entry. The king wore the same attire the mayor had seen him in prior, but the queen was new. She was a pegasus and adorned both wings in white cloth covered in pink jewels. Her dress followed suit, using the pink jewels to make wavy patterns. Nightmare Moon realized she had her clothes colored to match her fur and feathers just to make it seem like her body was a giant jewel.
"How tacky."
Her braided, pink mane was also a similar color to the jewels, and the alicorn noticed that many of the stallions, and some mares, stared stupidly at the queen's pink eyes.
"How cliché" Moon grunted.
"My King and Queen!" the mayor said with a bow. Sunny followed. "I am so glad you made it. The trip was not too troublesome, I hope."
The king shook his head. "Not at all," the royal answered. "It takes the mind off of the daily affairs of the kingdom to have even hour-long trips across the land."
"What about you, my queen? Do you require anything?" the mayor asked. The mare looked at him with a raised brow. "I-is something the matter? Did I forget a custom or--"
"She is a mute," the king interrupted.
The two stallions stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"Beg your pardon?" the mayor said.
"Yes. She is a mute. She communicates using the feathers of her wings. I can translate for you," he said.
"Really? You can read wing language?" Sunny asked.
The king laughed. "But of course! She is my wife. How else are we to help each other if we can't even do something as simple as communicate?" He looked at her and nodded as the feathers of her wings bent and went into various different directions along with the position of the wings themselves. "She says that this is an interesting looking party and she would be glad to see what you have planned."
"Is it too much to ask what happened to her majesty?" the mayor asked. His need for stimulation broke through his façade.
King Gallant gave the elder a scowl in response. "That is indeed going too far. I will let it slide this time so long as- He bounced. "Of course! I almost forgot. You said you had a surprise for me."
The mayor bowed. "Ah, yes! Of course, and I apologize again. My curiosity broke through."
The alicorn noticed that there were several ponies around with the same fur colors as the one in her dungeon. It was hard to see them since their dark-colored suits blended into the bricks despite the silvery lights above illuminating the throne room. It was quite the contrast from the other ponies who wore more vibrant clothing and mane decorations. They seemed to stick together and a lot of the patrons were actively avoiding them. That gave the mare an insidious idea: Being isolated from the others would make them vulnerable. She could potentially make them the first nobles of her court, provided they fit what she required. So far, they were all haughty and full of themselves. Not one seemed to be ready for actual responsibilities. The full moon featured on the flanks of their outfits only served to fuel her unspent rage further.
"Everypony, may I have your attention!" the mayor announced. The brouhaha died out as everyone turned to face the elder. "I am very grateful that you have come to the festivities of our dear city, and, if King and Queen Majesty accept, I would be happy to let this particular party occur one more night, then the hotels of my city are welcome to you if you so choose to stay. We have many quality hotels that the regulars will be able to direct you towards, I'm sure."
"Enough with the faffing around. Get to the point," the king chastized.
"Ah, of course."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Sunny whispered to the mayor.
"All of you are proud descendants of many different alicorns whose true names have been lost to time, but two months ago, a blessing fell upon our city. A blessing tall and powerful, and we have kept her hidden for the benefit of the king's joy. She is a majestic being of pure elegance and terror, and she will be joining us tonight. In fact, she has been watching us this whole time and accommodated us with this soft and comfortable light" He moved past the king and looked upwards. "I present to you: the alicorn of the moon!"
That was her queue. The alicorn chased away the shadows, displaying her mighty form with spread wings. She jumped down, slowly falling to the ground as she flapped her wings. "Greetings, subjects! I am Nightmare Moon! You may bow," she announced.
The room was silent, but she couldn't smile without breaking the theatrics of her entry. Ah, the life of royalty. So frivolous and filled with theatrics to woo the others and start a chain of one-upping each other. Nightmare Moon was going to keep it simple. She was going to poke and prod these ponies for all the amusement she lacked while imprisoned.