//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Return of Nightmare Belle // by LostUmbrella //------------------------------// "A no is a no, Sweetie, and to be sure ya don't do anything stupid, Ah'm putting them in the wardrobe," said Apple Bloom pacing towards said piece of furniture, her friend's notes in her teeth. At those words, Nightmare Belle froze. She frantically whipped her head around searching for a way out, or at least another hiding spot, but to no avail. The earth pony opened the wardrobe door and placed the sheets on the nightmare head, apparently not noticing her, then closed it. Nightmare didn't dare to let out a sigh of relief, not to push her incredible luck. "Wait a minute, who was that?" asked Apple Bloom stopping dead in her track. Dumb luck! thought the dark filly. "Who was who?" asked Scootaloo who had been busy tucking her friend in. "A figment of your imagination?" tentatively said Sweetie Belle with a sheepish smile. The yellow filly turned around and opened the door once again, finding herself face to face with the dark unicorn, who had still the notes balanced on her head. "Uhm, hello?" offered Nightmare Belle waving weakly one of her forehooves. Silence fell on the room as Sweetie tried to disappear under the blankets. "Who are ya?" asked the earth pony frowning "And what were ya doin' in there?" "She is, uhm, my cousin from, ehm, Fillydelphia?" lied the white filly poking from under the covers. Scootaloo was going to scold her friend for lying them, but she was cut by the unknown filly. "Let's cut this Sweetie, they're your friends," sighed the dark unicorn before addressing the one in front of her "I bet you already know who I am, right Apple Bloom?" "Well, I don't know," lashed the pegasus "So, who are you?" "She's Nightmare Moon, Scoots," said the earth pony taking a step back and dropping into an aggressive stance. Scootaloo glared at the nightmare and followed her friend's example, making sure to place herself between her and Sweetie. The dark filly levitated the notes on the floor without taking her eyes away from the two, then said: "I don't go by that name anymore, but yes, that's me." "I don't know what you're here for, but I'm going to -" started saying Scootaloo in a low, threatening tone, but her voice trailed off when she saw Sweetie land between them and her fellow unicorn. "Before you three start beating each other," said the white filly picking herself up from her ungraceful landing "You'd better hear me out." "But... She's Nightmare Moon!" protested the pegasus "She's evil!" Nightmare Belle's expression didn't betray any emotion, but her ears dropped visibly showing that Scootaloo's words had hit a sore spot. A thing that Sweetie didn't miss. "Let's sit down, there's much to talk about," said Sweetie letting out a heavy sigh. --- Much like Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, princess Luna had felt a wave of nausea when Nightmare Belle had taken over the clone, and so she had gone to tell her sister right away. Much to her disdain, the sun princess refused to believe the last member of the hated race had avoided her fiery judgment and was once again roaming free. "Tia, I am telling thee that it has come back once again!" said Luna slamming a forehoof on the floor of the throne room. "Lulu, you were there when I dealt with it, you even helped me," said Celestia shaking her head "I tell you it's impossible." "Don't thou trust me, sister?" asked the moon princess clearly hurt. "Fine Lulu," sighed the other "You said it was Ponyville again? I'll ask Twilight to find out what she can, then I'll deal with the creature if it has survived." "Thank you Tia!" said the dark alicorn wrapping her forelegs around her sister, her mood visibly improved. Celestia rolled her eyes at the other alicorn's mood flip, but hugged Luna back anyway. "I think thou shall summon the royal mason now Tia..." said Luna breaking the hug "The jeweler too." "Why is that?" "I may have smashed the floor and my horseshoe in my outburst..." --- While the two princesses were having their discussion, Sweetie Belle had explained the whole situation to her friends. "So," started saying Scootaloo eyeing suspiciously the dark filly "You say you've changed?" "Not in the slightest," answered Nightmare Belle "But I promised not to hurt anypony, and I intend to keep my word." "As if your word means anything!" "Scoots, come on!" said Sweetie Belle raising her forelegs in the air "Mistrust won't do any good!" "She hasn't exactly earned our trust," said Apple Bloom slowly shaking her head. "It's not like you've given me the chance," retorted acidly the dark filly. "You already wasted your chance when you brainwashed us!" snarled the pegasus. "I controlled only Sweetie, I just directed you where I wanted you to be, you could have stopped anytime," said Nightmare with a smug grin "And I didn't ear any complain about the boons I gave you." "All of you, SHUT UP!" shouted the white filly as tears started streaming down her cheeks "Why can't you just try to get along?" "But she -" tried to protest Apple Bloom. "She's not a monster, she's just alone Bloom! What would you do in her place, without family and friends? And you, Nightmare, they are just worried fillies! There's no need to be so brash! Try to act your age!" The three fillies lowered their heads in shame. "Uhm, Sweetie is right," admitted the dark filly, her eyes cast to the side and her tail wrapped around her "I'm really sorry." "Yeah, me too," said the yellow one while hugging her crying friend to calm her down "Ah don't know what Ah would do without mah family and friends." "Me three," said Scootaloo extending a hoof towards the nightmare "I guess that if Sweets trusts you then you cannot be such a bad pony after all." Nightmare Belle studied the extended hoof for a long minute, almost as if she didn't know what she was supposed to do with it, before shaking it. "Thank you, it means a lot." "Speaking of Sweets," whispered Apple Bloom "She fell asleep, help me put her in bed." --- The next day, early in the morning, Sweetie found herself in front of Golden Oaks Library door. She was just standing there, with a forehoof raised to knock and a frown on her face. It looked almost as if she did not know how she was supposed to knock. Truth to be told, she was undecided on whether or not meeting Twilight was the right thing to do: on one hoof, she was the right pony to go to, but on the other Nightmare was counting on her. She simply stood there, wrapping her mind around that doubt until, after a good quarter of hour, she lowered her foreleg and turned to go away, letting out a sigh. She didn't take as much as a step away though, before the door opened revealing one of the library residents. "Hey there, Sweetie Belle," called Spike "I saw you standing in front of the door and wondered if I could help you..." He was standing on the door step wearing a slightly oversized chef hat, a white apron and somewhat worried expression. "Uhm, hello Spike," stammered the white filly turning around "Is Twilight home? I need to talk with her about something..." "Sure, she's having breakfast," answered the dragon motioning the other in "Come in!"