//------------------------------//
// 90 Days, Bandaid! 
// Story: The Affection of Princess Nightmare Moon 
// by Aegis Shield 
//------------------------------//

The Affection of Princess Nightmare Moon
Part 1: 90 Days, Bandaid!

Nightmare Moon sat frowning on her throne. The time was precisely one in the morning, the start of the new day. Her sister Celestia was not due to take over royal duties until dawn, which was usually around five or six. Pondering over a book that was much older than it had the right to be, she looked up. “Scribe.” She said with a pensive look. A mare with a quill and paper on her flank snapped from her doze. “Make note, I am nullifying another outdated law.”

“Another one?” said Quick Quill, cocking her head. At her majesty’s angry look, she quickly whipped out quill and paper and stopped asking questions. She pushed her curtain-like mane out of her eyes with a sheepish smile. “I-I-I mean, of course your majesty! Which one are we getting rid of toda… er, tonight?” she paused, quill poised to do the night goddess’ bidding.

“According to this text, it is recommended that a pony who refuses tribute during the harvest season may, under the right circumstances, be sentenced to death by catapult.” Nightmare Moon said mildly. She snickered a little after saying that, though. She couldn’t help it. She quickly regained her composure, however, and went on. “While I find it hilarious to bind and launch such a simpering fool to his death, the death penalty has not been in effect in Equestria for the past three hundred and seventeen years.” The black alicorn turned the book over and showed it to her scribe. “Make note of this law’s binding number, and send a message to parliament to assure it is nullified.”

“Yes your majesty.” Quick Quill scribbled the long, complex number down and rolled the parchment up. She used magic to levitate it down the dais to a squire, and the young colt took off at a gallop, ever the eager messenger. “That makes thirty-three laws this week, you’re on a roll!”

“I am sure any budding law student will sing my praises.” Nightmare nodded in a dull way, reaching for another tome on the stack next to her. The poor night goddess was bored out of her skull. Appointments and audiences were rare for the Midnight Court, so she’d taken to slimming out the law books. In a nation as old as Equestria, there was some tidying to be done when it came to laws and regulations. Some simply didn’t apply anymore, some were obsolete, and others were simply too specific to mean anything after so long. Often times the black alicorn would flip through a random tome, read until she found something that no longer applied, and had it nullified. It was, paperwork-wise, about ten times harder to get rid of a law than it was to create one—but Nightmare had yet to see a pony with the stones firm enough to tell her no, she could not get rid of this or that if it displeased her.

“How about this one, your Majesty? It says that a stallion may beat his wife on the steps of the town hall— as long as he has her permission?” Quick Quill said it like a question, furrowing her brow over a book in her hooves. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

The bait was too perfect. The regal frown melted and the black mare hunched a bit on her throne. Luna, way up in the sky, rolled her proverbial eyes. Herrrrre we go. Nightmare’s jowls lifted, showing off the rows of fierce-looking teeth. Her honest smiles were, frankly, terrifying. “Some mares enjoy being spanked.” Nightmare said with a laugh. Quick Quill looked up, face turning scarlet. “In public as well, I would not deny such forward foreplay, my scribe.” She chuckled behind her hoof, and the sound rolled about the room. Then she finally gave in.  “Muh-HAHAHAHAA!” she roared with scandalous laughter, throwing her head back.

A couple of the guards shivered, but more than one of him had a smirk on his face. Their new night time Princess was a strange one, very much Celestia’s opposite. She was not above lewd jokes, fine wines, participating in festivals, and eyeballing stallions that pleased her. A newspaper had called her the ‘Party Princess’ for a time, and she’d been interviewed by Play Stallion on the ‘Official Royal Word on What a Stallion Should be Doing for His Mare in the Bedroom.’ ((“If she doth not get hers, thou shalt not be getting any—and shame upon thy male bits for seven generations!” Stallions the country-over had scrambled for self-help books and conversed fiercely over improving their love lives after that.)) 

But, it was not all fun and games either. She was a brilliant mathematician. As such, she’d streamlined Equestria’s tax laws and regulations by 17% in only a few months, and then balanced the royal budget to such an extent that Celestia had handed royal money matters to her entirely. Nightmare Moon took her royal duties very seriously. She may have been out of touch with the modern culture, but there were things that didn’t change no matter the era. Things like money, wine, sex, starry skies and certain sorts of etiquette. While she’d only been back from the moon for perhaps nine months, she’d not sat idle and done nothing. She was busy-busy-busy as soon as she could get her hooves on a project. Partially to ease the burden from Celestia, partially to endear herself to the modern ponies around her, and partially— well, to get into Nurse Bandaid’s bed.

Nurse Bandaid had nursed her back to health, saved her from being changeling food, and had really shown her what was expected of her on a personal level. They’d been through much together, and the few months of calm had allowed them to become something like friends. By law she could not publically pursue him in the romantic sense because he was her medical hoofservant, but that didn’t keep her from counting the seconds until he wasn’t. That would not have stopped her centuries ago, but as a goddess of lust and a learning pony, she knew she would have to wait. Absence made the heart grow fonder, after all. The moment the three-month mark had been reached, he was all hers. She’d been released from medical attention 89 days ago, and she need merely wait one more day. She had contained her excitement by diving into tax laws and other boring things, but it didn’t keep the back of her head from tingling with excitement.

By the time the clock struck 2:30am, Nightmare was quite finished sorting out expired tax laws and eyeballing contracts on ancient parchment. “We declare this Midnight Court adjourned!” she stamped a hoof twice. “Rise tomorrow evening groomed and ready to serve thy nation again!” the black alicorn bade them, rising from her throne. “Quick Quill, with me.” She said in a softer voice. The mare followed eagerly, pen and parchment hovering in front of her as they went. “Send flowers to Lt. Steel Wing’s wife, her foal is due soon. Also, make certain that parliament strikes their tax meeting from tomorrow’s schedule, I have already done all the math for them.” They rounded the corner, heading towards the solar side of the palace and out of the lunar one. Though the throne room was in the middle of the castle, Nightmare considered most of it her sister’s territory still. “The griffon ambassador will be arriving in a few months, make sure the highest room in the tallest tower is set up for him to nest in properly.” She was going down a grocery list of things as they walked, and Quick Quill scratched down each one as they went. Nightmare liked her because she could write as fast as anypony could speak, and she never had to pause to wait for her to catch up.

“Anything else, Princess Nightmare?” Quick Quill asked eagerly. Her intelligent eyes flicked up at her goddess, quill pausing.

“That is all. You may leave us. Good morrow, my scribe.” Nightmare nodded regally. The mare bowed and dismissed herself, leaving Nightmare Moon alone with the pair of guards that usually followed her around these days. “Come, I make for my sister’s chambers.” She told them. They nodded silently, ever-frowning and quiet. Nightmare found them boring, compared to the twins. They’d eloped with their beloveds, though, so she bore them no grudges. It didn’t make their replacements any more interesting, though. Sigh.


=-----=-----=-----=-----=


Celestia awoke with soft, affectionate lips on her own. She purred quietly, turning on her side with a deep breath of waking. Nightmare lay in the bed next to her, smiling lovingly. “Mhh, Nightie.” The milky goddess whispered, slowly lifting her head. “What time—?”

“Still time to sleep. I could not resist thy lips, forgive me.” Nightmare Moon raised a great black wing, silently asking Luna to hide behind some clouds. She pressed her sister’s head gently back to her pillows. The moon bashfully obeyed, not wanting to wake the sun goddess with bright moonlight. The black alicorn tucked her sister’s head under her wing, enveloping her in warm darkness. “Oh Tia…” she tucked her head like a swan’s under her wing, resting her chin atop Celestia’s head.

Celestia murred quietly, her hooves extending until the pair of them were entangled to share body heat. The dawn was not for a few more hours. She could slip into quiet dreams of cake and handsome stallions for a short time longer. Her lashes fluttered shut after a moment, and she curled into the warmth instinctively. Nightmare didn’t often visit her bed, but it was always a warm and loving experience. A goddess of the night knew precisely how to spur on the deepest and most restful sleep.

Humming a lullaby older than written history, Nightmare Moon removed her helm, regalia and horse shoes to lay naked with her sibling. Creatures as ancient as they did not know the embarrassment of nudity, sibling affection, or even sharing a bed with one’s sister. It was a purer, un-bashful love that let them share each other like two perfectly intertwined swans. Princess Nightmare said no more, heaving a deep sigh and settling to nap with Celestia until she had to raise the sun in a few more hours. Their private time was precious, warm, and quiet. They pressed together. Though mere months had passed since Nightmare Moon’s return, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the centuries they’d spent apart. They would make it up to each other, one night at a time.


=-----=-----=-----=-----=


The Changeling hive in the southern badlands was a frenzy of activity as usual. Being bug-like in nature, they didn’t often require sleep. They could sleep, but no-ling would sleep at a time like this. The hive mother was in pain, and they could all feel it. They shared the link with her, and the despairing, itching agony had been shared with them for over three months now. The more changelings that shared it, the less burden it was on the hive mother though, so they all bore a small bit of it to aid her.

Queen Chrysalis had gone to Equestria as soon as she’d heard that Nightmare Moon had returned, and had returned a broken mess with no carapace! A naked changeling was the most fleshy, vulnerable thing imaginable. So, of course, she’d been rushed to healing pods, tenderly cleaned day in and day out, left to rest, given all the best food they could scavange. But no, the poor hive queen was not healing properly. The single buck of mighty Celestia’s hooves had made her an invalid. 
Chrysalis could not even walk or feed herself with nothing holding the shape of her body firmly. It was misery and hell, rasping out orders and demands as she went. Her hive did her bidding, but she could not stand the pity in her eyes. They would not bring the larva to see her as she was, and her servants would barely meet her eyes. Her pale, spaghetti-like muscle structure quivered whenever she tried to stand— which she barely could. This would not do. 

One day, while laying miserably in her mossy bed, she felt it. One of the many hive-watchers felt the quiver of oncoming rain. A rare thunderstorm was about to pass over the hive. Her face lit up. “S-servant!” she rasped. The drone came close and bowed. “Ah, good there you are.” She said blearily. “Chitin-oh, isn’t it?” he nodded, beaming that she knew his name. In a family of four or five million, that was a rare honor. “Get five or six strong changelings, and take my litter outside.”

“O-outside?” he buzzed in surprise, wings lifting him into the air for a moment. Her cocked his head with worry for her. “But hive-mother! The rain will get in your wings and make them sticky!”

“I don’t need the rain, I need the lightning. Do as I say.” She said a little less gently, giving him a mother’s angry look. He wilted a little, but then obeyed. She loved her children, all five million of them, very much—but she did wish they’d stop questioning her every five seconds. Perhaps they’d lost a bit of faith in her, after she’d come home empty-hooved of love? She’d gotten some from a normal, mortal stallion, but she’d promised them alicorn love upon her return from Equestria. The hive had been disappointed, diluting what she’d brought home into normal eating loam and such— but it was like being given tofu after somepony had promised steak. It just wasn’t the same. Chrysalis felt their disappointment, and felt very guilty for it. She sighed, reclining upward a bit when the six changelings appeared to take her outside.

When they emerged from an exit tunnel, she directed them to a nice high hill. The rocky terrain of the badlands was jagged and desert-like, but changelings could fly so it hardly mattered. They set her litter down and helped her wobble to her hooves. “Your majesty?” one of them asked worriedly as she neared the crest of the hill. She wasn’t going to jump off was she?! No… no she’d stopped. She watched the thunderhead approach, listened to its threatening growls and roars. “What should we do? It will rain soon!” the drone begged her to come back inside where it was safe and not wet.

“Retreat to the tunnel entrance. Seal the others from the rain, as per normal.” Chrysalis rasped, coughing a bit. She almost stumbled in her weakness. They rushed forward to steady her, but she snarled when they got too close. “Keep the hive safe until I get done here. Obey me.” She gave a slight push with her mind, and they scrambled to do as she said.

When Chrysalis was at last alone, she turned her attention to the sky. The big black cloud was huge, scary and pregnant with rain and lightning. Beautiful. With no carapace to steady her body, she shivered in the rush of cold air it brought with it. The southern badlands didn’t often get rain, but when it did rain it REALLY rained. This violent storm had yet to break, but the purring rumble of thunder was promising.

Her carapace had not grown back properly, even months after Celestia’s assault. So thoroughly had she been stripped of her exoskeleton, that it had no starting point to grow back from! Her body wasn’t sure what to do or where to begin. At least, that’s what she surmised. She was open to infection, stabbing wounds, and all sorts of other parasites. Only the love and devotion of the hive itself had kept her from dying outright, and that was after three days of them trying to figure out how to chew through the body cast she’d arrived home in.

The storm rumbled again, and Chrysalis could feel the static electricity rising in the air. Her cheeks, eyes, and hair tingled. She looked to either side of her. The spiny, jutting rocks would have to do. Propping herself on both spike-like rocks, she passed their tips through the holes in her hooves to hold her body weight. It was painful. She felt crucified for a moment, then she remembered why she was there. Her horn sputtered, crackled, and then went out. Huffing in frustration she hunched, clenching her teeth until her cheeks vibrated. The iron in the hill of rock under her would have to do. Making sure she was at the absolutely apex, she reached into the heavens with all her might. Her body refused to repair itself on its own? She would need a jolt to get started, then. Heaving herself upright, she threw her head back as it began to pour down rain suddenly. She tucked her instantly ruined wings with a growl, glaring up into the wind and rain.

She shuddered at the cold. Sheet rain began to hammer down on her. It was crisp, like a white winter’s day. It made her more awake, more acute in the senses and more alive. Arching her long back like a bow, she roared her challenge into the heavens! Crackle-bo-o-o-o-om! CRK-booooooom! Lightning arched down from on high, blasting a nearby cactus into oblivion. Another, on the nearby hill, exploding a sharp boulder. Chrysalis pulled at it with all her might, trying to draw it to herself. There was concussive thunder and dust rushed away from her in a ring. She vanished in the violent explosion of dirt and dust. 

A bolt of white light arced down from on high. Sand blasted itself into glass. The drones in the tunnel entrance gaped in horror until suddenly a figure emerged, pushing aside the haze of dust with her will alone. She pulled at it harder, tried to will it to herself. She could absorb it, if she could just get it to HIT her! She would force her body to take it, and regrow itself!
For almost an hour, Chrysalis suicidally tried to strike herself with lightning. She roared as her wet mane flapped like a sagging banner in the high winds. Her wings would be useless for days. Her fleshy, soft body dripped with cold and she shivered. She just… she just couldn’t do it! Before long, the storm’s fury was spent and it had wandered further south towards the jagged sea of rock and sand. She sighed, hanging her head. She rolled her neck back and forth while her hivelings rushed back and forth with little towels. Throwing her head back with a frustrated groan, she walked down the tunnel and into one of the domed rooms. Drones leapt from their resting places, seizing her front hooves and gliding her to the base of the massive, column-shaped room. 

Queen Chrysalis seized a mushroom and crushed it in her magical aura, casting the spores aside. They glittered like fireflies, swirling about. It tornado’d around her, lighting the room. The hive pulsed happily at the mere sight of her, and they poured into the cavernous room like so many zerglings in a rush. The floor was soon covered, then the walls, then the ceiling too. Carpets of happy changelings rushed back and forth over each other as their queen made her public appearance. She looked… well, to be honest she looked terrible, but she was still standing so that was what counted to them. All hail the Queen!

Coiling up a little reserve of strength, she thrust herself into the air like Celestia at the summer sun celebration. Larva rushed back and forth, squealing happily. Quiet pulses of neon green magic exploded from the hive mother. Crystals perched around the room caught it and lit up like Las Pegasus. Brilliant lights danced back and forth as thousands of butts planted themselves and feelers extended. The queen loved her hive very much, despite all the violence and drama in their lives. She could not feed herself or feed on the love of a lesser changeling, but she could surely share her own love with her subjects. Now, she was sharing it with everyling! She fed them, ohhhhh Faust she fed them. They squealed happily, and the love she gave reciprocated back and forth and ‘round and ‘round. It was a feast!

There was wild laughter and dancing about her as she rotated in midair. The rapid pulse of magic and love from her body was like a heartbeat, and they ate up every bit of it. Eggs in the far reaches of the hive began to hatch. Working drones began to tunnel like crazy. Behemoths roared and flailed wildly, stretching their great muscles and dozens of legs.

Chrysalis landed at last with vulnerable expression, wilting down and winded. She gave the hive her best half-smile. Drones rushed around her to help her away from the feeding frenzy. That was the best she could do for now. If not from lightning, if not from magic, what could she do to restore herself? She wasn’t sure anymore. Waiting for the lightning storm had taken months.

“My Queen, here, rest yourself.” Said a nameless drone sympathetically, easing her onto a giant, cushy mushroom in one of the side caverns. Turning, he lit a series of jutting crystals with his horn and fluffed her pillow. She watched him with disinterest, until he looked up at her again. “I ah… I had one of the workers look way back in our warehouses for anything that might help.” He turned, producing a tiny capsule from under a wing.

Chrysalis stared at it. It was dark purple, almost black. It looked like a pill. It was hard, but felt sticky like amber. “Is this…?!” she stared with widened eyes. She was holding a chunk of alicorn love. Well, love she’d received and then let her body convert into an edible substance. If a changeling queen gorged herself, she could make royal ‘jelly’, to store some of the love for later. But alicorn love, ohh! Such a delicacy! Such a prize! Such a feast! Even the tiniest little droplet could keep a drone going for decades! “Have you been holding out on me?!” she demanded angrily. She grabbed him by the neck with her magic, wringing him about like a ragdoll.

“N-no! No of course not, my Queen! We just found it!” he pleaded and gagged until she dropped him. His wings fluttered back and forth until they could fold themselves correctly. “I think maybe it was hidden for emergencies or something. Royal jelly doesn’t just go missing, after all.” He lay himself on his belly, stretching out his neck in case she decided to squish him in her anger. He was only a drone after all, and the Hive Queen could do that if she wanted.

Chrysalis popped the sticky rock in her mouth, gulping it animatedly. Grunting a bit when it struck her belly, she shuddered. The hunger pangs subsided. Her joints stopped aching. She felt feast-exhaustion hitting her, like she’d eaten too much. Just that little pebble, ugh! Her belly felt swollen. She sagged a bit. She purred audibly, and stroked the drone’s head. “That’s niiiiice…” she sighed out. “Princess Nightmare Moon’s love, ooo…” she closed her eyes and licked her lips a few times in case she missed any. “What I wouldn’t give for more immortal love, Mother forgive me…” she murred, tilting her head back. “Nightmare was always the easiest to trick, but no longer I’d imagine. Cadance is married and has a more-than-watchful husband…” she mused trailing off for a time. “Discord is a statue… which is for the best.” She snickered a little. “That just leaves Cellie.” Reached into a hidden flap in her mushroom-bed, she pulled parchment and quill. “Dear Princess Celestia…” she smirked, her fangs out as she wrote to her sister. She was only halfway through composing her letter when she began to itch like mad. Stopping, she scratched herself wildly, gritting her teeth. Re-growing her carapace was going to itch for ages, she was going to miss quite a bit of sleep in the next few days.


End of Part 1