//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Planning Ahead 
// Story: Nightrise 
// by ThePrinceOfTheNorth 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 3: Planning Ahead

"So, do you like them?"

Winter gestured to the four rows of mares and stallions, twelve alicorns in each row. Each one wore a black Wondetbolt outfit, but these were not Wonderbolts, they were The Shadowbolts, Nightmare Moon's version of The Wonderbolts. Beside them stood another four rows of stallions and mares, these alicorns had bat wings and wore armor made from the same stuff as the castle they now stood in, stardust. These were the Shadow Guard, the name matching their Shadowbolt counterpart. A mare stood in front of each group, both dessed in their respective colours and wearing a helmet similar to Nightmare Moon's. These two stepped forward.

"Captain Nightshade of the Shadowbolts and Captain Twilight of the Shadow Guard," Winter said as the two ponies bowed to Nightmare Moon.

"At your service," both Captains said in unison.

"I am very, very impressed," Nightmare Moon said, responding to Winter's earlier question.

"Good! I'll keep them in Solstice until your return," Winter said before he teleported the ponies back to Solstice. "How have things been?"

"They've been quite good, actually," said Nightmare Moon as Luna returned from a trip to the castle conservatory. Nightmare Moon had to admit, the two of them really knew how to grow the prettiest flowers, though neither of them would ever admit to this. "Ah, Lulu! How was your little trip!"


"Wonderful," exclaimed Luna, noticing Winter was there as well. "They're all good."

"What," asked Winter.

"It's...not pretty," replied Nightmare Moon.

"Withdrawn," Winter said hurriedly. "So, have have you two been?"

"Very good," replied Nightmare Moon happily. Honestly, she was really enjoying being a good, friendly pony. Still, she had been created from hate and resentment, but she had decided that fact would not shape her as a pony, but it may be useful in later days.

"I've been having so much fun," Luna exclaimed. "I never knew two ponies could do so much together! Celestia was never one for fun."

"Oh, cheer up," Nightmare Moon said as she gave Luna a friendly nudge, "Don't think about her. Sure, she was always mean to you. She just didn't know you were upset."

Luna looked up at Nightmare Moon and smiled. "Thanks M."

"Don't mention it," Nightmare Moon said, "Anything for my BFF."

~~~~~~~~~~

Winter left some time later, leaving Luna and Nightmare Moon alone in the Lunar Palace for another year. To pass the time, they had begun expanding the palace, and it was already twice the size it had originally been, with a maze of new rooms, towers, and an entire new palace wing which contained the conservatory and the observatory, the latter of which is where they were now.

"I spotted a new star here," said Luna, gesturing to a point on the three dimensional map. It had taken months of enchanting to get the map to function to all the specifications, but it had been worth it. They could view the sky of any known star or planet now, which was a very interesting thing, seeing the sky from a different perspective. The two of them had a library near the Observatory filled with star charts for these distant planets, all based on the observations they made in the observatory.

"Let's see," said Nightmare Moon as she fired a bolt at the gem that projected the hologram, causing it t ripple before it restabilized. Sure enough, a new star had appeared.

"Do you wanna chart it," asked Luna anxiously.

"Absopositveolutely," said Nightmare Moon in a funny tone, causing them both to laugh.

They spent the next few hours checking out the stars that could be viewed from this new star. It truely was amazing how many stars there were out there, so it took the two mares a few hours to get the charts done. It was well into the morning, so the two of them were fairly tired. In fact, Luna would have slammed her head into the floor had Nightmare Moon not caught her.

"Let's get you to bed," Nightmare Moon said tiredly as she lifted Luna onto her back, making her way to her bedchamber.

When she got there, she laid Luna onto the enormous bed before getting on herself. Luna quickly snuggled up to Nightmare Moon.

"Goodnight, Moonie," said Luna.

"Goodnight, Lulu," replied Nightmare Moon as she too fell asleep.