//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: The Return of Nightmare Belle // by LostUmbrella //------------------------------// "You better answer me," warned Celestia in a stern tone. "And here I thought that torture was prohibited in Equestria..." chuckled Nightmare Belle in a tired tone, a rivulet of blood trailing down from a corner of her mouth. Before Celestia could reply the filly's last teasing comment, Rarity's cry diverted her attention. "Sweetie, stop!" The alicorn barely had the time to register the mare's words before she felt something grab onto one of her forelegs. She looked down and noticed Sweetie Belle staring at her, tears swelling in the worst case of puppy eyes she had ever witnessed. And when your sister is Luna and Discord tags along, you witness a lot of puppy eyes. "Please princess," said the white filly in a pleading tone "Don't hurt Nightmare, she's not a bad pony." Celestia stood there for a minute that lasted an eternity, only her flowing mane moving, as she peered down at the white filly. "Perhaps you would like to tell me why you care for her?" asked the princess in her usual motherly tone, lightening a bit the pressure on Nightmare's back "You know who she is, right?" Sweetie, reassured by the alicorn's tone, let go of her leg and nodded slowly, eyes plastered in her interlocutor's own. "Than you certainly understand that she is a bad pony, correct?" continued Celestia wearing a warm expression. "She has did some bad things in the past, but she's different now," explained the small unicorn "We've been together for the past two years and she hasn't done a single bad thing!" While Sweetie and Celestia were discussing her matter, Nightmare found herself very tired. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. It wasn't the kind of tiredness coming from the battle that had just ended, it was deeper: she was sick of all of this debating wether she was worth living or not, that same scene had played in her mind since the beginning of this, always bringing the same arguments in favor and against her, to the point that she wasn't sure herself of deserving to live. She bit her lower lip. All of her magical knowledge and power were meaningless in the end: she couldn't defeat Celestia, she couldn't save herself, and, to make the situation even more pitiable, she had put Sweetie in a bad position. She took another deep breath, preparing for the leap. "Celestia," she called, disrupting Sweetie's tale around the part when she met the other crusaders. "Yes?" "I wish to have a word with you, in private." "You realize you're not in the position to make requests, right?" "I realize it would be better to keep a foal's hears away from what I have to say," lied Nightmare in a convincing tone. The alicorn seemed to ponder the matter before asking the white filly to give the two of them a minute. "So, what is it?" "Keep her out of this," said Nightmare in a pained tone "Sweetie is a good filly, she doesn't deserve punishment for being kind to me. I'm willing to surrender unconditionally if necessary." "Wait, what?" asked Celestia, mildly confused by the dark filly's request. "You heard me..." "Indeed, but I'm still unsure of what I heard," explained the white mare, surprise still clear on her face "It's not like you to care for others outside your kin..." "True," conceded Nightmare in a bitter tone, her eyes still closed. She then felt the pressure on her back fade. She turned her head and gave Celestia a puzzled look. "I believe we can talk normally," explained the alicorn in a calm tone before giving her a stern warn: "But no tricks!" "Thank you," said Nightmare sitting up. "Now tell me, why do you care?" pressed on Celestia after a moment. "Sweetie is... Different, she has suffered greatly because of me, and yet she is willing to turn the page and start anew," explained the dark filly. "I see..." said the princess pensively "I'm starting to see the pieces fall into place... Does she know what you think of her?" "Does it matter?" "I'm the one asking questions here." "Fine, I don't know for sure, but I don't think so." "And I guess you don't know why she cares either, right?" "Sincerely no." "I believe you are missing something," stated Celestia visibly amused. "What?" asked Nightmare in a mildly annoyed tone. "That is something I won't tell you," stated the other solemnly, yet evidently still amused. The filly was about to comment on the princess' grin, more precisely on how she was going to make her eat it, when she was cut short by the alicorn herself. "One last question," she said regaining her serious demeanor "Why did you not get revenge on Twilight or the elements?" "Well, that's a bit awkward..." said the unicorn scratching her neck with a forehoof "I could say it's due to my weakened magic but it would be essentially a lie... I didn't try to take revenge because I promised Sweetie not to hurt anypony." Celestia stood peering at her interlocutor, searching for something in her downcast reptilian eyes. "I see," she said, a subtle grin dawning on her lips "I have a little something in mind I'm sure you'll be eager to help me with." Before the filly could reply, the alicorn turned to go where Sweetie Belle and Rarity were standing, motioning for her to follow. The black filly found herself momentary shocked by the alicorn's actions, torn between a hasty flee, a backstabbing attack and surrender. With some caution not to hurt her already mistreated ribs, she got up and did the only sane thing: she started trudging behind the princess. "I inform you," said Celestia stopping in front of the two unicorn sisters "That Nightmare has surrendered and will be taken to Canterlot to answer for her crimes." "What about Sweetie? She's not going to be held guilty, right?" asked Rarity in a worried tone. "Normally she would be charged for helping a wanted criminal." At those words, Sweetie ears and head dropped, while her sister brought a hoof to her mouth. "Yet, as per Nightmare's request, she is free of charge." Sweetie's head whipped up and her eyes locked with her counterpart's. Nightmare gave her a small smile, but her eyes were visibly sad. "What will be of her?" asked the white filly, her voice slightly trembling. An embarrassed silence fell on the group. "I think that the princesses won't risk me coming to threaten them any more..." said Nightmare in a tired tone "Either a life imprisonment or a death sentence." Words failed Sweetie as she tried to protest, her mouth moved but no sound came out. "Now," said the princess with a warm smile "I believe you're a bit outdated: we don't have death sentence for ponies since hundreds of years ago." "But I'm not a pony..." "You were willingly sacrificing yourself for a filly, to me that's enough." "Then she'll end up in prison?" questioned Sweetie. "That, or socially benefitting works." "Wait, you would put me on public service? Have you gone insane?" asked Nightmare Belle wearing a skeptical look. "You demonstrated you've changed and Sweetie here confirms, or are you saying you both have lied?" The dark filly bit her lip but said nothing. "Thought so," chuckled Celestia "And you surrendered unconditionally, so I think I have just the job for one such as yourself." "That is to say?" questioned Nightmare rising an eyebrow. "That brings us to what I wanted to talk about: it seems Sweetie developed a strong attachment to Nightmare, and the feeling is reciprocal, so I'd like to have her spend her term of imprisonment in Ponyville under the elements' watch, if you are okay with it of course."