Creature Comforts and Sobering Thoughts
The night terrors mocked her and tore into her for giving in to her mortal weaknesses. The torment did not end until Trixie shook her awake.
"I had hoped you would've slept better, Night."
"It is none of your concern," she replied, struggling to her feet and pushing past Trixie as she exited the cart, hearing only a frustrated sigh from Trixie as she did so.
She again found the daylight strangely comforting, feeling a pang of hurt that her beloved night was turning against her.
She felt achy and sore in every part of her body and she noted Trixie doing a routine of stretching her limbs to the limit of their flexibility and when Trixie's attention was elsewhere, she mimicked the same motions and found them to quite reliving for some of the soreness.
"Hurry and eat, Night. We need to begin soon," Trixie said.
Nightmare Moon began grazing again and after a few moments she stopped, the grass falling from her mouth. Where was her outrage? Where was her indignation? Just the day before she would have only done this out of protest and now she had begun eating the grass without question. What was happening to her? Even the thought of the day's journey, while she was certainly not looking forward to a long day of pulling the cart, did not invoke the horror of indignation and humiliation it had before. Was Trixie manipulating her mind or was some mortal part of her accepting her fate? She looked to Trixie and after a few moments of study she realized Trixie's powers weren't refined enough for thought manipulation, so it had to be a problem with herself. Her mind at night had turned against her, but now even during waking hours her body was betraying her as well.
She sighed and her shoulders slumped as she looked down at the grass with a heavy heart and resumed eating.
When she was done she put on the hat Trixie had given her.
"Are you going to be cooperative today?" Trixie asked.
Nightmare Moon took her place before the cart.
"Let us get this ordeal over with as soon as possible."
"Excellent. See, that wasn't so bad," Trixie replied as they started off.
Nightmare Moon trudged on throughout the day, the heat and exertion taking their toll. Trixie would have her stop every few miles to rest and even short naps brought nightmarish torments.
Hours later they passed a number of signs for Clocksburro and when they were only a mile from the village Trixie had her pull off over at a spot that was not visible from the road.
"What are we doing here? I thought it imperative to reach this village," Nightmare Moon asked.
"It is, but you must understand that the way you carry yourself and the way you look determine how everyone sees you. When you enter a new place, all eyes will be on you; that first impression is everything. We either appear stylish and sophisticated, like me, or look like a yokel who just fell off the turnip cart, then got run over by it, like you."
"I beg your pardon?" Nightmare Moon asked, indignant.
"My dear, have you seen yourself lately? You're a fright!" Trixie responded.
A mirror appeared in front of Nightmare Moon and she saw indeed that she was a pathetic sight. More than that, she finally beheld her mortal shell clearly for the first time. Mesmerized, she removed her hat and saw that her mane was a just a tangle with grass and leaves in the mix; muddy hooves and a spattered and dusty coat completed the ensemble. She didn't look one iota like the fearsome mistress of the night. A wave of disgust and contempt washed over her as she looked at what she had become and compared it in her mind with her past glory.
After a quick meal, Trixie entered her cart and returned shortly with what looked like a miniature bathtub. She levitated it to the ground and Nightmare Moon watched as it expanded until it was full size; it began filling with water and strangely, the water was overflowing with bubbles. She looked closer and saw through the bubbles that there were jets of water on the sides beneath the surface.
"What manner of strange contrivance is this?" she asked.
"That, my dear, is a portable Jacuzzi. The ultimate in travel luxuries," Trixie replied and a moment later Nightmare Moon felt herself levitated into the air and dropped unceremoniously into the tub.
At first she protested, but quickly the charms of the luxurious bath won her over. The soothing hot water and massaging water jets helped her relax. Shortly an enchanted bath brush began scrubbing her back and another began washing her mane. She closed her eyes, savoring the experience. The heated blanket had been a nice comfort, but this bath… this was positively decadent. She did wonder as to the purpose of the artificial duck that floated in the bath water, seemingly serving no purpose.
The bubbles were strange—it seemed so inefficient to have the bath overflowing with bubbles like it was, yet in a way it was amusing to watch them. Intrigued, she began using her hooves to form shapes out of masses of bubbles.
She had made a large bubble version of the duck and a boat, all while wearing a bubble pirate hat in addition to a bubble beard. Just as she was about to try something more ambitious the playful pony was interrupted by Trixie.
"I am glad to see you finally smiling, Night. I knew you couldn't stay angry forever."
Nightmare Moon looked at her in alarm and brought up her hooves to cover her mouth. "I-I wasn't smiling!"
"Of course, it was merely an upside down frown. Now, if you are finished, we need to get you properly groomed."
She reluctantly left the luxury of the tub and returned to the mirror. Despite being sopping wet, she did indeed already look better than before. Soon more enchanted brushes appeared and began brushing her tail, mane and coat.
She grunted with discomfort and grit her teeth as the brushes in her mane struggled to tame the knotted, tangled mess. As her true appearance began to emerge even Trixie seemed impressed.
"Well, you do clean up rather nicely," Trixie said. "The black coat is quite striking, a rare shade. Most ponies tend toward pastels."
Nightmare Moon continued to admire her reflection, seeing that there still was some aspect of her old self in her mortal appearance and took some comfort in that. Celestia could easily have cursed her with a hideous appearance—then she had to catch herself. She was not grateful to Celestia for any of this. This was a nightmare with no end in sight.
After Trixie's turn in the Jacuzzi—during which Nightmare Moon noted Trixie wore a bubble wizard's hat—and after her turn at grooming, the performing pony primped in the mirror.
"Night, you're still too scary and angry looking," Trixie said, looking at her via the mirror. "We need to soften your look a bit."
"I am always angry," came the indignant reply.
Trixie levitated some flowers from the meadow and placed them in Nightmare Moon's mane.
"There, that takes a bit of the gruff edge off."
Nightmare Moon walked over to the mirror, frowning. "I am not amused."
"Now, now, Night, be a good sport. Come, let's have something to eat and then we'll give Clocksburro a show they'll never forget!"
Trixie gestured for Nightmare Moon to join her by the small campfire, where she prepared some soup and muffins along with a pot of brewed tea.
Nightmare Moon was hesitant at first, recalling her painful encounter with cooked food, but the enticing smell was too good. A part of her wanted to refuse the meal from an enemy's hoof, but another strange new part of her found herself glad. She sat and began eating, enjoying it and the tea. The strange textures and flavors rolled over her tongue, her mind processing these new sensations—so much enjoyment from so simple an action! Each food had its own unique flavor, and each could be combined in infinite variation. A lifetime could be spent eating and never experience the exact same tasting meal twice, she marveled.
"The meals of a traveler are humble, but I am glad you seem to be enjoying them, Night," Trixie said.
"Thank you," she said, then nearly choked on her food. She'd just said 'thank you'—where had that come from? She was Nightmare Moon, she took, she did not—Trixie levitated a blueberry muffin over to her. She took a bite and again marveled at the wonders of food, her anger taking a back seat to the exploration of taste.
"Now, best behavior, Night. Poise and dignity, with a hint of mystery," Trixie said, climbing on to the cart.
Nightmare Moon sighed and as took her place at the front of the cart, she wondered at what point exactly she had stopped being indignant about her lot. What was it Celestia had said…Nightmare Moon had not been a complete being, but she had turned her into one. What did that mean? Was it Celestia's meddling or was she accepting mortal existence?
For now, she didn't have time to reflect. Clocksburro was here.