“This is ridiculous and I hate it and I hate you.” Nightmare Moon was cursing, standing firm at the base of the hilly street that Applejack had started trotting up. Her wings were flared out, and her miasmic mane billowed menacingly behind her armoured head.
The earth pony turned around, an eyebrow cocked and her hat tilted back as if it itself were curious.
“Ah, come now, how am I any different than the other two you’ve met tonight?”
Nightmare Moon pawed at the ground, her slitted eyes widening as sparks crackled around her horn.
“So you know! You are planning something!” She slammed another hoof into the pavement, snorting. “What trickery is this? I shall not proceed any further! I don’t have time for these mind games, you foals! I have a sister to slay!”
She kicked off from the ground, eyes wild and wings beating hard. A pile of dust spread out from under her as the massive appendages hefted her frame into the air, and she turned sharply with the blazing horn aiming towards the castle high above. She pushed forward, or would have, had a sudden tug on her legs not brought her crashing to the ground.
In an instant, Nightmare Moon was laying hogtied in the middle of the street on her back, watching Pinkie Pie giggle at her with a mouthful of potato. Try as she might, she couldn’t snap the thick, rough rope that had lashed her hooves together, and even magic seemed no use.
“What sorcery is this?!” she grunted, tugging at every bit of the knot with her magic and only seeming to tighten its grip with each attempt. “Unleash me!”
Applejack dusted her hooves off and dropped the trailing end of the lasso, smirking. “In a moment, hold your horses. We gotta get some bit of understanding between the two of us down ‘afore I can go and let you play.” She reached Nightmare’s head and then sat down roughly on her chest, knocking the breath out of her before reaching down and patting her cheek with a hoof.
“I’ll destroy you.”
“I’m sure. Now see, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, they’re gentle souls. Violent sounding as they may be, they don’t really have the guts for violence. But you and I, Luna—”
“Nightmare Moon.”
“Nightmare, you and I speak a common language. I fully understand your anger, and how it feels like the only answer to any problem is to hit it as hard as you can. Don’t lie to me now; am I right?”
Nightmare looked away sullenly, frowning hard and failing at hiding her flustered cheeks.
Applejack hopped in place, bouncing her flank on Nightmare’s chest and blowing the air out of her once more.
“Ugh! Fine! Yes, of course! But you don’t understand me. Nopony understands me!”
“Horseapples, Princess.”
“What do you know about me?!”
“I know you got a lot of pride and being tied up upside down while a magic-less earth pony slaps your hooves hurts more than preeetty much anything else I can do to you,” she offered.
Nightmare Moon stared at her haughtily.
“Now I’m gonna get you up and untie you, but I wantcha to promise me you ain’t gonna fly off and start pecking at your sister’s window like a crow. And I mean it! An actual promise!”
“...”
“Awful lot of ponies around watching us now,” she added nonchalantly.
A deep groan of pain issued from Nightmare Moon’s muzzle, and she swore.
“That don’t sound like much of a promise, but I will have to remember that one,” Applejack replied.
“Applejack, I promise I won’t assault that excuse you call a Princess so long as you’re near me with this despicable rope!” she hollered, writhing against it again.
“Works for me!” Applejack whooped, and she slid off Nightmare’s chest, grabbing her lasso and giving it a light flick of the wrist.
The knot slid completely undone, and Nightmare straightened up, dusting herself off with her wings and avoiding eye contact with any of the gathered ponies.
“You look like a cat that missed a jump and then pretended it meant to in the first place,” Applejack snickered, rolling her rope up into a loop and stuffing it into her saddlebag. Before Nightmare could snap back at her, she continued. “Now that that’s outta the way, we best be going. Don’t want to get to the Cider Gardens and find they’ve run out.”
Nightmare was muttering something that sounded like ‘insolent’ under her breath before Applejack’s words registered, and she looked at her with ears perked. “Cider… Gardens?”
“You’ve never been? Well, you’re in for a treat!” Applejack bounced on her hooves, beaming. “They’re my favourite part of any Nightmare Night!”
“Cider is made in orchards,” Nightmare said, confused. She furrowed her brow and started walking after Applejack, and the two of them continued up the street that she had first tried to lead her up together. “Or at least the apples are,” she said finally, almost unsure of herself. “How does one maintain a garden of cider?”
“You know, I ain’t ever questioned the name of it before, but it’s not that.”
“Then pray tell, what is this? And where?”
“At the castle,” Applejack started, and Nightmare Moon froze without her notice. “And it’s like an outdoor bar with enough cider for the city,” she concluded, and Nightmare started walking again.
“I still know you’re planning something with your friends,” she said out of the corner of her mouth, frowning down at Applejack. “And I still don’t trust any of you.”
“Well, shucks, you’re awful kind,” Applejack replied, still smiling and looking forward to the castle. “Why not?”
“What do you mean, why not?!”
“I mean what I mean. Why don’tcha trust us? One of us took you dancing and let you do it at your own pace. The other helped you get more candy than probably all the foals in Ponyville got tonight, and also bought you supper. I’m currently taking you for drinks, which I will pay for.”
“...W-well, sure, that is true… but you must be up to something! My last, brief meeting with you and your friends, I was struck by some eldritch magic that ripped my physical form to atoms.” Her lower lip quivered, and she turned her head up to the moon to avoid letting Applejack see. “All because the residents of this land are so disgusted by the night I so desperately want them to love.”
“That’s how you see it, huh?”
Nightmare snapped her head back to Applejack, baring her fangs. “Yes, of course, because that’s what it is! If you want the truth—”
“Always,” Applejack muttered.
“I am no threat to any of these citizens. I can destroy them, and will, should they give me reason to distrust them, like you and sister’s other playthings,” she sneered. “All I’ve ever wanted is recognition of the night time I have so meticulously crafted and protected, and yet once sister’s precious daylight is gone, they all scurry away to their homes and shun me. I gave it a hundred years, Applejack. A hundred years! Making the night safer, prettier, more enjoyable and liveable and, and…”
Tears were in her eyes, and she magicked them away to avoid being seen wiping them.
“Not once did I feel a modicum of love or appreciation. Eternal Night is the only way for them to learn how good it is for them. My “glorious” sister was in the way of that, but not the citizens.”
She struck a powerful pose, standing with legs wide and head high, and Applejack paused to observe this.
“For, without worshippers, one cannot be worshipped!”
She broke out into another one of those childish cackles, while Applejack watched her with a neutral expression. After the moment passed, Nightmare continued walking again, looking down at her guide.
“For my crime of threatening my sister’s glory, I was imprisoned for a millennium and then eviscerated. And yet, you expect me to trust any of you?”
“Well,” Applejack drawled, “that’s a mighty fine point you raise, and I feel a little foolish to tell you that the answer’s yes. I do expect you to trust us, cause frankly, Luna’s trusting us to help you… two? The two side’s a you, I guess, to resolve your differences. Now I ain’t stupid, and fair’s as fair does, so Nightmare Moon, I’m gonna tell you exactly what our secret plan is.”
“That makes no sense whatsoever. If I don’t trust you now, what makes you think I’ll trust your words?”
“It’s sorta my thing,” Applejack said, slightly shocked. “But whatever. Believe it or not, here’s what’s going on. Luna came to us and asked us to help quiet the anger and jealousy within her—that’s you, of course. Now, we could have surrounded Luna when she changed and shot you with some good ol’ fashioned Friendship Magic, but Twilight had a different idea.
“Basically, she figured that Luna weren’t jealous, but hurt. It ain’t that you hate ponies appreciating Princess Celestia, but that you hated that you weren’t feeling that same level of appreciation. And? Was she right, Nightmare Moon?”
The alicorn opened her mouth to snap at Applejack before slowly closing her jaw and sighing. “To deny it would be laughable. Yes, that is the case.”
“Well, so what she came up with was for each one of us to take you—not Luna, but you—out at night to show you exactly how us ponies appreciate it. It doesn’t come in the same form as laying on a beach or going to work with warm smiles, but in its own unique ways. Rarity took you dancing, and Pinkie Pie took you trick-or-treating. I’m taking you drinking, which is one of my favourite ways to spend a night.”
Nightmare Moon glanced sideways at Applejack.
“N-not every night, mind you,” Applejack added, blushing. “But when I celebrate something, it’s often around cider and friends, at night.”
“I see. So then once you have finished extolling to me the, how shall I say, virtue of alcoholism, one of your other friends is going to whisk me away and share what they enjoy doing at night?”
“Preee-cisely!”
“I see. I am like some sort of… foal, being gently taught proper manners then? Passed off from parent to parent? And what happens if I don’t play along?”
Applejack stopped, the two of them approaching the outside of the hedge maze that had been cleared for the Cider Garden, and held up a hoof against Nightmare Moon.
“Well, Rarity might spank you, and worse case scenario we’ll probably invigorate you or whatever word you said it was. Point is none of us want to do that—save for maybe Rarity and—well, that’s not important. What’s important is that we love Luna. We love you, no matter how you present yourself. Hurting you is not our goal.
“So, that in mind, Nightmare Moon,” Applejack paused, tilting her head towards the wrought iron gates and the cacophonic cheering that could be heard from beyond it, “you have yourself a choice to make.”
Nightmare stared at the gate and the stack of cider barrels next to it that could be seen towering above the hedge, and found she felt rather parched.
“And what choice would that be?” she asked, still looking away.
“You can wreak havoc and try to attack your sister and bring about Eternal Night, or you can come with me to the Cider Gardens, have a pint, and relax a bit.”
“I… suppose I can indulge myself for an hour,” Nightmare answered, unsure. “I am royalty, after all…”
“That’s the spirit,” Applejack said, giving Nightmare a playful punch on the shoulder, earning a glare she did not catch. “Follow me, then!” she said, trotting happily through the gates.
Nightmare steeled herself and stepped through behind the earth pony, her eyes wildly scanning for anything that looked awry, only to blink in surprise as she took in the scene before her.
Something was definitely awry. In fact, everything was awry. Near the gate was a long counter lined with bartending ponies and hundreds of kegs, and beside that was an even longer line. Interspersed throughout the garden were dozens of large wooden tables of assorted sizes, and each one seemed to have at least three occupants. Unicorns lifting trays of foaming mugs weaved their way fluidly throughout crowds of ponies, swapping mugs for bits at such speeds she could hardly keep up with it.
Ponies were laughing and cheering and shouting after one another. Ponies were dancing at their seat or up near the northwest corner of the garden, where space had been cleared and a band played lively country music. Ponies were sipping from cups, chugging from mugs, and drooling over plates of appetizers. Everywhere Nightmare Moon looked, there was a pony doing something, and they were doing that something with an air of extravagance she had never seen before.
“C’mon!” Applejack shouted, waving a hoof from one of the tables closer to the front. There were three other ponies there, but they weren’t any Nightmare Moon recognized, and she walked forward cautiously, still staring around in awe.
“You move pretty slow for such long legs,” Applejack chided her when she finally reached the table. “Have a seat, and we’ll get introductions out of the way.”
Nightmare Moon awkwardly shuffled onto the seat, slightly splaying her hindlegs out to fit at the table, and then nodded slowly with a suspicious squint at the two earth ponies and the unicorn that sat across from her.
“Howdy, neighbours,” Applejack said as she sat down. She reached behind herself as she spoke and tapped one of the wandering servers on the side, getting their attention. Upon seeing the alicorn next to her, the server’s eyes widened, and she lifted all the mugs off her tray and onto the center of the table, all whilst bowing.
“Pleasure to see you, Princess Luna,” she said, her horn almost at the floor.
“I am Nightm—”
“Drinks are free for the Crown, your Highness,” Applejack cut in, speaking through the corner of her mouth.
“...Thank you,” Nightmare said to the server instead.
“Would your Highness be interested in any of the appetizers tonight? We have fried celery sticks, hay fries, and mozzarella sticks.”
“We’ll take the platter, ma’am,” Applejack replied. She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a hooffull of bits, proffering them to the mare. The server blushed, nodded her head in appreciation, and scampered off towards the bar, while stuffing the coins into her own little pouch.
“So!” Applejack said, turning to the other three ponies. “Thanks for letting us join you! I’m Applejack, and this here is Princess Luna, who’s currently undergoing a bit of an identity crisis and would like you to refer to her as Nightmare Moon.”
“Thas cute,” hiccuped one of the earth ponies, a vibrant purple mare with a thick, messy mane. “I’m Berry Punch. Pleasure t’ meetcha, your Highness.”
“Don’t mind her,” the second mare said. She was a darker purple than her companion, with two-tone light pink hair. “We’ve been playing some drinking games, and I think she’s been losing on purpose.” She giggled, and then held a hoof out towards Nightmare Moon. “I’m Cheerilee. We’ve met before, but you were… shorter, at the time.” She looked at Applejack, a shrewd glint in her eyes. “I take it she wouldn’t remember us?”
“I’m right here,” Nightmare Moon snapped. “You can speak to me,” she said softer, her tone almost apologetic in response to Applejack’s glare. “But no, I do not remember most of what Luna has experienced.”
“Well, we’ll help’ya forget some new memories tonight!” Berry Punch cheered, grabbing one of the new mugs of cider and holding it up towards Nightmare Moon. Applejack grabbed one as well and, elbowing Nightmare to lift her own and follow suit, they toasted before bringing the cups to their lips and drinking heartily.
“Oh my, this is… wonderful,” Nightmare said, looking at the tankard in surprise.
“Thank you kindly!” Applejack said, beaming with pride. “I never got your name, feller,” she said to the unicorn.
“I’m Golden Gavel,” he said, swaying slightly. “It’s an honour to meet you, Pri—Nightmare Moon.” He nodded sagely and grabbed his own mug. “So what brings you to our little table here?”
Nightmare looked down at Applejack and tilted an eyebrow.
“I’m teaching her Highness how to relax a little. I believe I heard something about drinking games?”
“You did!” Cheerilee said enthusiastically. “Would you like to play a round with us? We were just about to start a game of Never Have I Ever.”
“Hot-diggedy!” Applejack whooped, punching the air. “That’s one’a my favourites! Aww, this’ll be right fun, Nightmare!”
“What is “Never Have I Ever?” Nightmare asked, the tone of her voice wavering between nervous apprehension and curiosity.
“Ah, well, thas real easy then,” Berry Punch said, tilting her cup towards the alicorn. “Les start with you then. Just g’wan and say ‘never have I ever played Never Have I Ever.’”
“...Never have I ever played Never Have I Ever?”
The three ponies all took a deep pull on their mugs, leaving Nightmare Moon blinking in confusion.
“You drink if you have done the thing the other pony hasn’t. You gotta be truthful, too, otherwise it’s no fun. It don’t matter how embarrassing or ridiculous it is. If it’s your turn to drink, you drink.” The others nodded, confirming this. “Why don’t you start again, with your own question? Then we’ll go clockwise round the table,” Applejack said, giving her a reassuring smile.
“Alright… Hmm. Never have I ever raised the sun.”
The three ponies stared at her vacantly.
“The trick,” Berry Punch said, puncturing the heavy silence that had quickly fallen around their table, “is to find something that somepony else likely has done.” She looked around, tired eyes already squinting as she focused on the participants at the table, before smiling. “Never have I ever eaten Zap Apple Jam,” she decided.
Golden Gavel and Applejack both took swigs.
“So what is the purpose of the game? The end goal? How does one win?”
“Some ponies play to see who finishes their cups first or gets to a certain number,” Cheerilee responded, rubbing her muzzle as she thought. “But tonight we’re just trying to get each other drunk!”
“Why—”
“Never have I ever told a lie,” Cheerilee said, looking towards Berry with a devious grin. To her surprise, every pony at the table instead of Berry took a drink, including Nightmare Moon—she used to, after all, tell herself that she was fine being forgotten by the citizens.
When Nightmare finished her mouthful, enjoying the spicy flavours of cider as they washed down her throat, she was surprised to find everypony staring wild-eyed at Applejack, who was wiping her own mouth off.
“Did I miss something?”
“Applejack,” Golden Gavel said, “You’re the only pony in Equestria who any jury would accept as a reliable witness. Wh… when did you lie?”
“All the time as a filly,” she said, chuckling. “Then I made a massive mistake that got out of hoof, and after a well-deserved punishment decided that sorta action weren’t for me.”
Nightmare Moon winced as if struck, but nopony noticed, and Applejack continued.
“My turn, though. How abouts… Never have I ever tried to overthrow the Kingdom.” She stuck her tongue out at Nightmare Moon, earning an evil glare in response.
“If the little bit of memory from my lesser counterpart’s recent time amongst the common rabble holds true, I believe they call that a ‘cheap shot’, Applejack.”
Applejack didn’t respond, because she was too busy dropping her jaw at Golden Gavel.
“...What?” he asked, setting his mug down as a bit of foam ran down his chin. “You find me one pony who went to Law School who didn’t make a plan about eliminating the monarchy,” he said, defensively. “It’s like an annual event at our university to organize a protest.”
And Nightmare Moon laughed.
She didn’t expect it to happen, and judging by the rest of the looks she gained, neither were her companions at the table, but laugh she did. It was not the maniacal, cracked-voice laughter she had unleashed at the castle, nor even the sly and sultry practiced chuckle of a villain’s plans coming together, but a giggle. She had giggled.
A moment of introspection took over the alicorn. Why had she laughed? She was nervous, ready to be attacked at any moment, but the tense awareness of her surroundings hadn’t stopped the noise from escaping her lips unbidden. And this stallion had just threatened the Crown. Her crown. And she had laughed.
Perhaps it was because of the futility of a meager unicorn trying to lay siege to what would be her fortress. Perhaps it was the look on the faces of his friends as they stared incredulously at the revelation.
Or perhaps, she considered, she was having fun.
“...Moon?” she heard, bringing her out of her thoughts.
“What?” she snapped, looking around for the speaker.
“Is yer turn,” Berry Punch said, looking expectantly at her mug, desperate for another pull.
“Ah, yes, right. Uhm.” She looked around the table, considering. Applejack had said to answer truthfully despite how embarrassing it may be, and so of course an aim of the game should be to embarrass your companions. Something the earth pony had said to her earlier came back to her, and she grinned and spoke.
“Never have I ever spanked a mare.”
Immediately Cheerilee and Applejack looked sharply at each other before turning away just as fast, each of them bringing their mugs up to cover their deeply blushing faces. The reaction did not go unnoticed by Berry Punch, who started laughing so hard she rolled backwards off the unbacked chair, and continued to howl whilst busy servers walked around her seamlessly. The laughter was contagious, and again Nightmare Moon found herself with a smile she could not snuff out and a quiet chuckle that, despite her worries, would not cease.
“You’re picking up on this far too fast,” Applejack said with a smirk. “You’re gonna get me in trouble, you keep this up.”
“It is only fair for the embarrassment you caused me earlier this evening,” Nightmare replied playfully.
Cheerilee helped Berry Punch get back up, marvelling while she did so at the mug of cider that had fallen with her but not spilled a drop. The drunken mare stabilized herself again, and then looked around, reading the table.
“Never have I ever kissed a sibling,” she said, earning a disgusted noise from Cheerilee. Applejack however just shrugged and drained her cup, setting it down with a loud clunk. She turned to Nightmare Moon, muttering something about pecks on Apple Bloom’s cheeks when putting her to bed, and then froze.
“I…” was all Nightmare Moon could mutter, her eyes clouded by yet another memory from an aeon ago.
She was no longer in the Canterlot Cider Gardens, but in the Castle of the Two Sisters, long before her transformation. She had been wandering the halls, ruminating on the efforts of her long nights defending the infant country from all the various monsters and threats that accompany every new claim to land and power, and how she felt.
She had been stepping softly, aimlessly, until her hooves had brought her before Celestia’s room, where her bigger sister was standing within the doorway, mane still mussy from the night’s rest, her tired eyes catching the pain on Luna’s face the moment they fell upon it.
They had spoken then. Nightmare couldn’t remember the words that had been exchanged, or even the energy or tone of the conversation. Was it their first fight? Or the first time she had opened up to Celestia about her fears, her anxieties?
What she did remember was how she felt after the conversation, and the touch of warmth that Celestia had planted in her heart, holding the cold void of anger at bay for just that much longer, and the kiss she had placed on her sister’s cheek in relief and thanks.
Nightmare Moon took a long, slow drink, as a tear ran down her cheek.
“Never have I ever slept with a mare and stallion at the same time,” Cheerilee said loudly, clearly hoping to move on from whatever Berry’s question had brought, and Nightmare Moon’s cheeks curled in a very small smile in thanks for her thought.
Applejack, now freshly stocked with a new tankard of cider, drank alongside Golden Gavel, and swayed a bit. “Y’all are bullying me,” she said, before a hiccup came out.
“Never have I ever finished a keg of alcohol in one night,” Golden Gavel said, causing all three earth ponies to drink. He winked at Nightmare Moon. “It’s hardly worth mentioning for an earth pony, because they can hold so much more liquor than any other race.” He frowned for a moment. “Though now that I think of it, I’ve never seen an alicorn drunk.”
Another quick memory flashed through Nightmare Moon’s mind, and she laughed loudly, holding a hoof to her chest. “I have, and it’s ridiculous,” she said, vividly imagining Celestia using her magic to float herself around the castle after a night of consuming an imported treat: fermented plums. It was apparently, she had learned after catching her breath enough to ask, because Celestia’s legs no longer seemed to go where her mind wanted them to. She wiped a tear from her eye as her hearty laughter dampened to a mild chortle.
Their game continued on, and as it did more and more memories from Nightmare Moon’s time as Luna seemed to flow through the sieve. At one point, as she was recounting to the rest of them the time she had chased a moth for several hours and became entirely lost in the Everfree Forest, Berry Punch—who, despite the breakdown in speech of the rest of the table, was still as precisely drunk as she was when they started—had noted that Nightmare Moon was the only pony she had ever seen regain memories after drinking.
Japes and jabs and cheap shots went back and forth, and time and time again a server slipped past the table, expertly swapping all the empty mugs with new ones. Together they laughed and shouted and cheered, until finally Nightmare felt a familiar sting of anxiety cut through the warm hug of inebriation.
“...never let the (hic) class care fer a hamster, since,” Cheerilee slurred before giggling. Nightmare let out a half-hearted chuckle before elbowing Applejack lightly, and then harder when she didn’t notice at first.
“Hmm?”
“I think I have had enough. This has been…” She paused, fearing to say the word aloud as if it might bite her, before deciding that she had been honest the whole game and stopping now would be ridiculous. “This has been fun, Applejack. But I do not wish to partake any further, lest I need my faculties around me if I am assaulted.”
Applejack looked at her from her position, crumpled over on the table, head resting on crossed hooves with a half-full mug positioned strategically close enough to sip from.
“Do I look at all in any position t’ wrassle you?” she said, smiling.
“Absolutely not, which is wonderful, but a rather poor performance as host to a royal guest.”
Applejack blew a raspberry at her, but then nodded. “Yer right. I’m in no condition fer foalsittin’.” She looked up, noting the position of the moon above. “Sweet C’lestia, is only been an hour. Uh…” she trailed, before looking around, eyes squinted.
“Is there some significance to the time?”
“We had this whole sorta shed-oole made up, to keep crossin’ paths with one n’other at the right time and whatnot. But I’m early. Got carried away learnin’ about the pranks you’d pull with the Everfree snakes and have had too much. Aha!” she said, raising her head and waving a hoof towards the bar. She blinked before realizing whoever she was looking at did not see her, and then brought a hoof to her lips and whistled.
There was a multifaceted flash and Nightmare Moon jumped, bringing that now-familiar crackling glow to her horn as she locked eyes with whatever stranger had popped by.
“You!” Nightmare said, leaning back in her seat away from the cyan pegasus that hovered next to her. Rainbow Dash ignored her, focusing on Applejack instead.
“Heya AJ. What’s up?”
“Sorry t’ interrupt yer drinks,” she said, reaching a hoof up and patting Dash’s leg consolingly. “I’ll make it up to ya later, but I got a bit carried away and need ya t’ take care a Luna fer me a bit earlier.”
“Make it up to me how?” Dash asked, lowering herself in the air and leaning against Applejack’s withers.
“More cider, ‘course,” Applejack said.
“I dunno, AJ,” Dash said, turning to look at Nightmare Moon. She had been frozen still, leaned back with charged horn, but made no other move or sound. “She looks like trouble to me. You know I love cider, but…”
“Delivered in the back of the barn when nopony’s around?”
“That should do,” she said, winking at the earth pony. She swung around back to Nightmare Moon and gave her a once-over. “I get the feeling you still hate us and won’t be trusting me at all?”
“I— uh, that is…” Nightmare said, blinking, before diffusing the magic in her horn and relaxing. “Kind of, but I get the feeling you’re not going to put up with it any more than your friends, are you?”
“Nope,” Dash said, hovering in the air as if she were sitting cross-legged. “We can play that game if it makes you feel better, though. It is your night, after all.” She smiled, a cocky gleam of teeth that simultaneously made Nightmare Moon want to punch her and make an alliance with her. It was the sort of villainous smile an evil mastermind who knew all their machinations were going exactly according to plan might have.
“Cocksure mare,” Applejack muttered into her mug.
“Thick-thighed mule,” Dash responded, not looking at her.
“Yer jus’ jealous.”
“I am. Would you mind sharing them?”
The two of them grinned, and Nightmare Moon felt she was caught in the middle of some ritual exchange between the two of them, practiced a thousand times over.
“So… well?” Nightmare said, edging into the conversation. “And what whimsical virtue are you to impart upon me, Pegasus?”
Rainbow Dash blinked. “Uh, well, first, you can call me Rainbow Dash, Luna.”
“It’s Nightmare Moon,” Applejack and Nightmare Moon said at the same time.
“Sure, whatever. And second, I don’t know where you’re getting the concept of virtuousness from. I was thinking crime.”
“Wait, wh—”
“Last one to the castle peak is a Diamond Dog!” Dash interrupted her, giving her a quick slap on the flank before bolting off into the air, a rainbow contrail left shimmering behind her.