The sun slowly crossed the sky as Nightmare Moon continued to wait, her only companion Rainbow Dash, and the pegasus had been rather silent after their initial exchange. Finally, her ears twitched as they picked up the sounds of hooves and wings. She looked to the sky and saw Celestia and Luna flying in from Canterlot, a large box trailing them. After a moment she turned her head and saw the other Elements galloping down the road from Ponyville. Each one had saddlebags stuffed full with supplies, Spike sitting on Twilight's back.
Nightmare Moon slowly stood as they approached. “You have them,” she stated, looking at the box. She snorted and took a single step back. “I am not sure how much I trust that you won't simply blast me with them right now.”
Celestia eyed her. “We won't, as long as you don't attack or betray us.” She tilted her head to the side and the box floated over. It opened, five necklaces and a crown floating out to their respective Bearers. Celestia trotted up to Nightmare Moon. “You are my sister, but also not my sister. My feelings are... conflicted on this matter,” she admitted, hanging her head for a moment before looking back up and locking eyes with her. “But I promise you this. If you harm Luna or the ponies who go to aid you and your Equestria, I will not rest until I see you brought low.” Celestia's mane flared, billowing out behind her and whipping about.
Nightmare Moon met Celestia's stare with one of her own. “If I am not betrayed, then I shall not betray. My word binds me.” She turned to the ponies, eyeing Rarity. The alabaster-coated unicorn had a reddish cloak fastened about her neck, and five others trailed behind her. “A wise decision,” she said, nodding.
Rarity's cheeks colored. “Why, thank you!” She crossed her left foreleg over her right, striking a pose. “They're not only functional, with a waterproof fabric, pockets on the inside and flaps for wings and a hood loose enough for horns, but also quite fashionable!” She floated one over to each of her friends. “Their clasps are your cutie marks!” Her eyes lit up. “I created them earlier, just needed an impetus to put the entire ensemble together. You understand, don't you?”
Each cloak wrapped itself around a pony, Spike hopping off before Twilight's cloak encircled her. The clasps hooked together around the neck and the cloaks draped themselves over each pony, hanging snug enough to keep all but the strongest winds out, but also loose enough at the hems as to not impede leg movement.
Applejack moved about, cantering to and fro. “Not bad, Rarity.” Her eyes went up to her hat, perched on her head. She jerked her head forward and the cloak's hood slid forward right over her beloved heirloom. “Might good of you Rarity. Thank you kindly.”
Nightmare Moon looked to the others. "And the rest of you have some provisions and supplies?” At their nods and words of assent, she looked to Luna, still standing by Celestia. “Are you prepared?”
Luna trotted up to her dark reflection, circling around Nightmare Moon. “I am.” She stopped after one full circle. “Are you?”
Nightmare Moon turned away, trotting off and away from the group. She stopped a few meters away. “I... thank you for your assistance,” she said, staring straight ahead. “Now be ready, as I do not know how long I can keep this open.” Her eyes half-closed and a low humming filled the air around her. Her horn began glowing, cerulean bolts of energy arcing up and down it. A long, flickering pole of energy grew from her horn and she reared back, slicing through air, space and the ether itself.
A long gash was torn open, quickly widening. It was rimmed with blue, crackling energy and wavered about. Nightmare Moon stepped back, her horn's glow intensifying. “GO!” she shouted, digging her hooves into the dirt.
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity all galloped through the hole. Rainbow Dash flew through the sky, pausing for a moment and glaring at Nightmare Moon before entering. Luna glanced back at Celestia and smiled before galloping forth through the hole. Finally, Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight's neck in a hug. She leaned into it for a moment, then galloped off for the hole, disappearing into the nothingness.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Remember my promise, Nightmare Moon,” she said, her eyes hardening.
Nightmare Moon allowed the barest fraction of a smile to cross her lips. “I remember, and I shall honor the help. Loyalty looks after their own!” And with that, she spread her wings, lifted her hooves off the ground and shot forward, turning into a blue flash that passed through the portal a half-second before it closed.
Celestia quietly trotted over to Spike's side. She knelt down to the baby dragon's level and leaned in close to him. “She'll be all right,” she said, smiling. “They'll all be all right.”
Spike's head bobbed up and down. “O-of course, your majesty!” He punched the air and hopped about. “There's nopony in all of Equestria who can stop Twilight, not even some weird copy of her!” He stopped bouncing around and looked to Celestia, his eyes wide. “Right?”
Celestia simply looked to where the hole was. “There's very little that can stop Twilight Sparkle, Spike.” Her gaze softened. “Stay safe, all of you.”
It was fire and ice. Up was left, right was backwards and backwards was standing still. Time stretched into infinite ether and it snapped forward...
The ponies exited the hole, slowing their gait down quickly. Dash flew out, followed by Luna and then Nightmare Moon. The hole behind them closed up, the tear in space resealing itself with a small whoosh.
Twilight glanced around. “Everypony okay?”
Applejack glanced down at her hooves and what was beneath them. “I'm all right, but this grass sure ain't.” She looked up at Twilight, her expression grim. “It's dyin'.”
Everyone looked around at the field they stood in. The grass, in stark contrast to the healthy green of the Equestria they came from, was a pale-yellow and short. Farther in the distance stood trees, a few with leaves but most bare, their skeletal branches poking into the purple sky. A cool wind blew, rattling them and sending a few leaves to the ground.
Twilight's breath caught in her throat as she spotted the sun on the horizon, a pale disk hanging there, casting little light and almost as much warmth. She craned her head and neck up, reaching a hoof up as if to touch it. Her gaze drifted to the left and the moon, also hanging in the sky. “It's... stuck there?” she asked, glancing to Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. My own power is insufficient to move it, and the Tyrant Filly’s stolen power has tilted the balance I shared with Celestia.” She looked to Luna. “Do you suppose if we combined our powers, we could wrest control of the sun from her?”
Luna slowly shook her head. “We’d be constantly fighting her for control of the sun, and you and I both know how much damage might happen during the struggle.” She approached her dark reflection. “It’d be better to confront her at Canterlot... Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”
Everyone there looked to the pale-yellow pegasus sitting on the grass. Fluttershy’s shoulders hitched slightly as tears fell from her eyes. “P-Ponyville...” She swallowed. “All the animals, all of us!” Her head darted around. “What’s happened there?”
Rainbow Dash landed next to her and wrapped a wing around her body in a tight hug. “Hey, it’s all right! I’m sure everypony there is doing their best there.” She looked around at her friends, her expression of confidence fading with every pair of eyes she met. “Right?”
Twilight turned and walked up to Nightmare Moon, craning her neck up to look at the alicorn. Her ears folded back against her head, but she cleared her throat and spoke clearly. “Nightmare Moon, I think it’d be best for us to first check on Ponyville, to put our minds at ease.”
Nightmare Moon snorted. She bent her head down low, locking eyes with Twilight and smiling when the unicorn visibly flinched. “That would be a complete waste of time.” She unfurled a wing and gestured to Canterlot. “Once the Tyrant Filly is defeated and my rightful place on the throne is restored, then perhaps we can visit Ponyville and assuage any fears you might have.”
Luna trotted around, turning to face Nightmare Moon. “I believe it would be wise to at least have a look at Ponyville,” she said, her expression neutral. “You’ve been sealed away for a thousand years, and you need at the very least a base assessment of what’s been going on, do you not?” She turned and motioned in the general direction of Ponyville. Her mane flared and wind whipped through, rattling branches and sending dead leaves scattering. “Besides, a visit there would lift their spirits, and turn them to your banner, would it not?”
Nightmare Moon’s mouth slowly turned upward. “Yes, you’re right. To have their loyalty, to show them that their true Princess has returned?” She spread her wings out, but a gesture from Luna stopped her from soaring into the air. “What?”
Luna pointed up at the starless sky. “It would be better to walk, to keep under the Tyrant Filly’s senses. Besides, we’ll get a better lay of the land on hoof.”
Pinkie Pie hopped up and spun around. She jabbed one foreleg at Canterlot. “If Canterlot is there, then Ponyville is...” Her other foreleg swept across, finally settling on a small gap in the trees. “There!”
All eyes turned to the small break in the trees and a dirt path barely wide enough for one pony to cross. Applejack trotted up to it and scrapped a hoof across it. “Land’s sakes!” She looked back. “Back home, this here’s wide enough for a fully-laden cart with all the trimmin’s to roll through!”
Nightmare Moon strode up to Applejack’s side. “Lead the way, then. I look forward to seeing my future subjects and assuring them their true princess has returned.”
Applejack hesitated. She glanced to Twilight, then Luna. At their nods she turned and trotted off, Nightmare Moon close behind. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash shadowed Fluttershy as they followed, Rarity close behind. Luna and Twilight took up the rear. Twilight looked up to Luna as they approached the small gap. “So... Princess, why are we going to Ponyville? I mean really why?”
Luna’s horn softly glowed and the branches parted slightly, allowing them to walk side-by-side down the path. A translucent shield formed in front of them, blocking their words from reaching Nightmare. “I believe my counterpart needs an object lesson in what ‘Eternal Night’ would truly bring.” She glanced down to Twilight. “It was a harsh one for me, but necessary. And my counterpart will need it even more. Otherwise, we’d simply be exchanging one tyrant for another.” Her gaze hardened. “And I know all too well what would happen if Nightmare Moon gained power over this Equestria.” She looked ahead to Nightmare Moon. “By all my power, it will not happen, Twilight Sparkle. It will not.”