Today was not Twilight's day... or rather, night.
That was an understatement, facing against a Corrupted Goddess of the Night, in the middle of the most dangerous forest of Equestria, with only the help of 5 other mares and a bunch of useless rocks... Today was the worst night of her life!
Remebering everything from this morning in a vain attempt to see where everything went wrong, and also her mind taunting her with reviving her life before her eyes in what was sure to be her final breath, she saw the day prior:
Everything was going smooth as it could, with twilight barging into her personal library in Canterlot, failing to give her number one assistant, Spike, a concussion, and succefully murdering the stuffed bear that was supposed to be her old friend, Moondancer, birthday present.
She made a mental note: if somehow she survived the encounter with the Night Mare, she was gonna to hug Spike as hard as she could, and personally travel back to Canterlot to deliver a new stuffed bear.
After that, she found information about the Elements of Harmony and how this were used to seal away the fabled Nightmare Moon, a powerful mad alicorn, and probable lost sister of Celestia.
Despite her best efforts to give warning of Her return, she was instead placed in a royal chariot destined to a small town, where she was assigned to oversee the preparation of a festival, and according to her teacher, she was also tasked with making new friends there, of course this being twilight, she promptly ignored the last parts of the letter and tried to focus all her energy into supervising the festival as fast as she could to resume her studies and oprevent a possible catastrophe, sadly destiny has a cruel sence of humor, and it made sure she had the craziest day of her whole life, until the next one arrived of course.
Twilight was not a social outcast, she was not introverted, she wasn't shy nor timid when it came to speaking with others, while she refered to herself as reserved, in reallity she just... couldn't care less about the ponies around her. The selected few that conformed her group of friends back in Canterlot had joined her on a nearly daily basis thinking she was just a grumpy filly with a bitter sence of humor, more than one time she found herself asking them why they chose to hang out with her, the answer always being "Because we are friends?", sometimes noticing the incredulity of the pony answering varied from one to another, but that was besides the point, she thought they where just nuisances that only slowed her down in her studies, at least at first she though of them like that, in the years she controlled herself enough to not offend them enough to make them hate her, she grew acostumed to their presence, and over time they grew on her, she had to admit it was nice to talk with somepony to relieve the acumulated stress of studying.
She though specially high of Moondancer, whom not only seemed to share her burning passion for studying and research, but also her more nieche enjoyment of peace and quiet times while reading, something the rest of her friends did not seemed to enjoy as much... her mind wandered off towards her again, in another time, in another place, maybe another Twilight was now with another Spike celebrating Moondancer's birthday party, but knowing her she would leave the main room of the party and retire to her personal study for some peace and quiet, and it would take the rest of the group a good few hours to take notice of this and will send Twilight to retrieve her.
She couldn't help but chuckle out loud at that thought, that silent sneaker was followed by a not so silent Snort that echoed in the whole throne room, her eyes went wide as porcelain plates, she just realized what she had done, every mare in the room turned to her, the Night Mare turining her head with a cold gaze that cut like a sharp blade through the room with ease, her mologue has just been interrupted by what she only saw as a peasant and defiant of her new eternal regime, she was not pleased by this.
The other 5 mares also were observing her with varying levels of incredulity, surprise, fear and even some amusement. Oh yeah, the other five mares...
After her initial contact with a Pink Maned Menace she knew this town was bad news, that statement only got proved more and more accurate the longer she stayed and the more interacions she had with the inhabitants, from having her ribs almost crushed with a corset, drenched and dried with clouds, being force feeded until she almost exploted, the most awkward interaction with someone actually shy to finally having her temporal home turned into a nightclub; she showed the greatest ammout of self control by not throwing everything and everypony out the window in a fit of rage and surprise, but most of that came from her tiredness, and after the hot sauce incident she found a good excuse to not come out of her personal quarters until everypony else had left the building, that moment sadly didn't arrived until her precense was needed in the town hall, alongside the rest of the partygoers and her new "friends".
At that moment Twilight knew that if there was a force up high, more powerful than Celestia, it sure had a grudge against her, the satisfaction of her being right all along was short lived as the realization sink in, there truly was a Mare in the Moon, somehow the Stars did aided her scape, and she had defeated Celestia with no effort at all, and was now searching for the elements to destroy them, all of this in order to conquer the whole world and bring the night eternal.
Having everything in account and looking in retrospective, running straight into the Everfree probably wasn't the best idea she had, not since the talking book incident, but she had done it, and just like the book, she had to commit to her decitions, unfortunately she didn't took in account the five other mares who followed her silently until danger arived, she was rightfully mad at them, she was beyond mad, not only had they decided to follow her, they didnt warned her about it and now were risking their own lives with the silly pretense of "not abbandonig a friend", she was rightfully mad and no ammout of "but you also decided to enter the Everfree alone with no sence of direction either" was gonna change her mind.
Her mind changed really fast due to the fact that they saved her life multiple times, if she was alone she wouldn't have lasted a minute in this place, Night Mare was making sure their arrival was as delayed as posible or that they didn't arrived at all.
Either way they managed, and she couldn't deny she had a soft spot for her new companions already, hardship does bring ponies togheter! Sadly they where doomed, and with them the rest of the world, the elements didn't worked, and Night Mare reduced them to pebles, all hope was lost now, and all she managed to do was interrupt the Queen of the Night with an involuntary laugh.
If it wasn't for the situation she would have addmited the lost princess was beautiful, the initial shock of her being real gave way to noting everything else about her, a hard piercing glare of amethist green, a mane that seemed to flow in the wind like it was underwater with the infinity of the universe proyected on it, dark fur that seemed to blend with the darkness of the night itself, almost swallowing all light and bending it around her, the shine of her armor and helmet and her use of the Royal Canterlot Voice, if her heart was already pounding in her chest after her initial arrival, turining from a cloud of dust and bats into the tallest pony she had ever seen, once NightMare's gaze met hers she was sure her heart was going to jump out of her chest, that feeling also probably played part in why she went straight to the forest instead of the library, but none of that mattered now.
Going back to the present, nothing had changed, everypony was still quiet, the other 5 must be thinking what is wrong in her head, Night Mare was still looking at her with scorn and the elements were still dust on the ground, she had to evoke all her will to not look away from NightMare, and silently praying to Celestia the room was dark enough to hide her growing blush.
Just then and idea formed, one voice that resonated louder than everything else, clearing her mind of the constant buzzing, the determination bloomed in her chest and she done a mask of confidense, fake it till you make it one of her professors once said, she hoped they where right.
Trying to muster all her good memories until one in particular, involving a pink menace, did the job, she laughed out loud once more, praying it was convincing enough, she took a step forward, apparently it did, because NightMare was also taking a step forward.
"What is so funny?" she asked in a manner that could have made every other pony run away and cower in fear, with a glare so fierce it could melt and freeze steel at the same time, her sharp theet crowing a smile without an ounce of humor, her wings moved a little, most likely readying a combat stance, if somepony was mad enough to dare and laugh at her, much worse, in her PRECENSE, that pony was also mad enough to try something stupid and dangerous.
Twilight on her side wasn't faced at all by this, on her many years training to avoid awkward social interactions she mastered a secret art of not flinching when faced against intimidating ponies, and most importantly, after one of her friends had told her she had a "heavy gaze" she learned to look at ponies on their forehead rather than the eyes, it made it seem like you where looking at them without sending each other into a panic attack, she smiled despite herself, taking one step after the other, she was glad.
It may be the end of her and all of Ponykind, it may be the start of an eternal night regime with all its dire consequences, hell, she may accidentally condemned the other five mares who decided to accompany her to a fate worse than dead, but at least she was not alone in this, at least she could laugh in the face of death one last time, and who knows, if this worked...
"Oh, nothing" she said while eyeing her left hoove in a casual manner, as if to inspect any damage on her hooficure "Its just humurous" -Don't laugh, its a funny word but we need to make it credible- she chastised herself, "To really think you actually have won"
Now it was turn of NightMare to frown. "What are you implying?" she said, stopping dead in her tracks, one hoof was still raised, her smile droped and her wings tensed.
"Oh, P L E A S E! you don't really believe you could just return after a thousand years on the moon and expect Celestia, The Monarch of the Sun, to not have done anything to prevent it, or at least a plan B in case you really managed to defeat her, right?" she was bluffing, she knew she was bluffing, Celestia herself, alongside every other sapient creature probably, also knew she was bluffing with this, but she always had an unspoken rule about situations like this, commitment is key, if her smile faltered even for a second the consequences were beyond even her wildest nightmares (heh) during her worst panic attacks, and secretly, she was starting to enjoy this a little.
"So its true then, You are the champion chosen by my Sister to put an end to my plans" the room was filled with gasps that the the Alicorn and Unicorn tried to ignore, it was true then, once upon a time there were two sisters, now there is only Celestia and a void impossible to fill, Twilight was now seriously hoping her ploy worked.
"She Mentioned me?" she asked, maybe a little to eager to hear just what Clestia had said about her, after clearing her throat, she resumed her calm walk towards the monarch. "I mean, yes, i am the prized student, head scholar and leavander magus of Celestia of the Sol Invicta" she was givingherself way to many titles, but maybe they would make her seem more important than the antisocial mare who decided a good idea for her birthday was to hide in her room all day and build a book fort with a talking book.
"So you must also now what this 'plan B' involves, as your new queen i demand you to speak, and make haste, we might spare your life and the charge of treason" she was looking down at twilight now, there where just inches apart, but right before they could collide with one another, Twilight kept walking to the left of NightMare, taking direction towards the small steps of the podium in the far end of the room, just where Nightmare had destroyed the elements and had to step down in order to meet Twilight.
"Hmm" she silently 'considered'. "You are asking me to betray the confidence of the Princess herself, and help you cast the whole world into an eternal night? betray the trust of the five ponies who i became to consider my friends?" she gave her back to NightMare, she allowed her face to relax and assumed a more serious tone, it was hard to maintain the facade for such a long period of time, if she ever met a pony dedicated to acting she was gonna praise their capacity to do so.
That was enough for NightMare, her smile returned with renewed vigor, she turned around and saw the figure of the levander unicorn shrouded in darkness, the small pony turned around with half lided eyes and a mouth forming a straight line, there was no indication of what she was thinking, but if NightMare couldn't make her join her, she was gonna make sure she spilled every information she might be helding, one way or another.
Twilight was now the one looking down at NightMare, truly seeing her, focusing in her eyes, those emerald green that seemed to radiate a soft light, with pupils mimicking a reptilian, but just like a cat's the pupils expanded into ovals, she had her, so now its time for the last step
"Well, my Queen" she had to blink a second longer than necesary hoping she could avoid the reddeness crawl its way to her cheeks, using that word felt indicent somehow, altough she could see herself using it more often. She supressed a giggle.
"I think i would be inclined to take you up on that offer". 'Please, oh please dont hate me' she repeated over and over in her head, she didnt dared to move her gaze from NightMare's, but she could feel a burn in her own skin, the five other mares now changed from trembling gazes of worry to now contemp, hurt and even more amusement, Twilight hadn't took in account THEIR reaction, but once it was over, she would aplogize profusely and explain, given they dont decide to run and attack her on the spot. No time for delays!
One levander hoof was raising, carefully and softly lifting NightMare's chin, they where now face to face, truly face to face, each pair of eyes lost in the other, the lower lip of the Monarch started to tremble slightly, jus what was she doing? daring to touch a queen! and why she didnt seemed to mind all that much?!
"If, and only IF, you take me for dinner later"
Many jaws hit the floor, everything was happening so fast around her, she was sure she heard a burst of laughs in the back of her mind, a sound echoed through the hall, and considering the loudness of it, she was sure someone just fainted, but out of all, and something that fortunately went unheard by the Night Monarch was a distinctive "WHAT?!" from someone who was not in the room, one voice that Twilight could recognize amywhere, she was gonna need to make a lot of explaining after this.
On her side Nightmare Moon, not 'Night Mare' she didnt liked to be reffered as such thank you, was dumbfounded, what had just happened? did this mare, this madmare, had actually try to court her? in front of five other strangers? just after meeting her? without the customary flowers?!
Nightmare Moon was not a stranger to the idea of courtship, many had tried, and failed, to conquer her heart before her exile, many of them, she knew, where just for political reasons, others seemed sincere enough, but those were always destined to fail, she was a very timid pony actually, her regal behavior worked away from personal confrontations but once you stepped near her, her mask would shatter instantly, always being more brusk than necesary when a nice pony offered plans for a date, she felt just like that once more, but multiplied, she had seen all kind of would be consorts, both kind and unkind, some even bordering to botherosme and malicious, but this mare right here, in front of her, cupping her chin with a soft hoof, she was different from them all, while her smile was playful and flirty and her eyes expression seemed to radiate confidense thos eyes didnt lied, she was sincere in her declaration.
Did she actually liked her? did she saw beauty on the dark sky of her night?
Maybe... Maybe she could give this a try.
Nightmare Moon smiled, sincerely, after what felt and actually were millenia, Tonight is was Her Night.