“A many are you, farmers, sailors, business mares, and showponies. You have stood behind me, behind each other, but not for protection… No, you have sought justice and justice is never lead by those who cower away behind armies of a blinded sun… And for what could be this last time, let me, your princess of the darkness in which the weak hide... your ruler of the night you rest on... your queen of the moon that guides you through the darkness and stars that you have wished to… Let me gallop in front of you not because of petty glory or honor… rather, to show justice to those who plot against you and your family… Let the night of Celestia’s eternal day LAST FOREVER!”
-Nightmare Moon, final battle of Equestria at Ponie Villa
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Twilight stared. Rather, more accurately, her body ceased moving. Her mind was filled with the night that she had met her friends and the times the very same mare had tried to lead them astray.
Her features grew from confusion to doubt to an indistinguishable mix of the two. Those feeling grew when the same mare draped a wing over her, just like Celestia, and drew her in close.
Twilight shifted her hooves uncomfortably; an arch nemesis hugging her was very uncomfortable. Especially a supposed death one. With her mind currently fried, her mouth did the the only thing it knew how to do… Reply.
“Why, hello there Nightmare Moon, it’s a wonder seeing you here…” Her mouth paused, “Especially after we, you know, killed you?”
Hearing this, Nightmare Moon chuckled. “My dear Twilight, such formalities you have, and as much as I love that name, it truly doesn’t suit me anymore. It is more of a warname, you know? To inspire courage in the common rebel?” She tapped her hoof against her chest over-dramatically, “I’m sure Celestia had you read up on some wars… for merely academic purposes of course,” She shook her head, giggling like a school filly.
Twilight simply continued to look at her, now a tint of shock added to the mixing bowl that was her emotions. Seeing an archenemy, much less, royal pony laugh a real laugh greatly confused her. “Seeing as there isn’t a war yet, I would honestly prefer you to call me… Um... Twilight... Velvet... yes, yes,” She nodded, “that seems to fit... like one of your friends of course.”
Twilight shook her head and began to list off, “One, what do you mean a war? It was only you and Celestia in the old castle. Two, yes, I did do an assignment on the Buffalo-Gryphon War. Three, why do you want me to call you my mother’s name? And four… Why are you so… different than before?
Nightmare Moon stopped her giggling for a moment, and with a final chuckle, she answered Twilight’s questions. “Well, of course the war had been covered up from the general public. Ponies honestly can’t stand fighting in the ‘modern’ times, can they? They just have to discover the,” Her head nodded side to side with each syllable, “The Magic of Friendship.” She paused her head bouncing before continuing, “I would guess that you had to search the castle archives to find any information on the Buffalo-Gryphon War?” Twilight nodded. “And I would also have it that you failed that assignment?”
Twilight shivered. It was the first and only time she ever got below an A+. ‘You can’t make-up stuff like that and expect an A+ in this class, Sparkle. I expect better of you next time.’ “Now on to your second question, I honestly don’t know your mother. I would bet she is a pleasant soul, maybe some day, I might meet her. I made up my name similarly to how ever foal’s parents do. I like the night, as Celestia has told you, and the mere texture of velvet…” Nightmare Moon sighed dreamily, “There, the name Twilight Velvet is born, or rather reborn!” She throw her hoof up triumphantly.
Twilight stared at her.
“What… Wait, did you think I was some two dimensional spirit that had infested Luna in an attempt to take over the world in a dramatic ‘eternal night’?” Nightmare began to laugh. She stopped for a moment and looked at Twilight before continuing, her voice filled with mirth, “Oh by the gods, you did!” She fell to the ground, laughing.
To Twilight, Nightmare currently reminded her of Rainbow Dash, always laughing at her.
“Phew, Twilight, you got a sense of humor,” Nightmare said getting up and dusting the non-existent dust from her coat, “you don’t give off that type of vibe when you meet ponies. So… how’s life, or rather, how is death, my little pony?”
“Only Celestia can- Oh why bother, other than getting turned into walking skeleton, quite well,” she responded. She paused, her eyes narrowing, “did you have a hoof in this? You’re the only one who can control dreams like Prin-Luna.”
“No and yes, Twilight,” the mare that had just been laughing, sighed and looked down. “How do I explain this…” she muttered. Her head slowly lifted up, front hoof rubbing the back of her head. “Well, best way to do this is probably the truth. I trust it that some pony has already told you what Celestia, Luna, and the rest of the immortals do, right?” Twilight nodded. “Good, good, I can skip that part. Well, the reason you’re becoming a walking skeleton is that you’re the princess, ruler, queen, god… of death itself.”
Twilight paused, she waited. This had to be a prank by Luna or something. Nightmare Moon just stood there, watching her try to comprehend the sudden flood of information in her mind. Finally, Twilight snapped her manners in half and set them on fire. “WHAT!? Are you joking?” She shouted, “AM I GOING TO HAVE TO WEAR A CLOAK AND TAKE PONIES TO TARTARUS?” Her hoof reached back and smacked the mare across the face.
Nightmare’s cheek grew a light shade of red, which considering her black coat, meant it was a hard hit. “Ouch, if you’re going, ahh, to stop yelling I can actually, ahh, explain things to you,” Nightmare said, rubbing her redding cheek. Twilight took a deep breath and sighed. “You’re not the first pony to have to experienced this before… And no, you don’t have to wear a cloak. The other option… is a bit different though. You’re not the harbinger of death, you’re more of a guide so to speak. It’s hard to explain…”
“Wait? How do you know this?” Twilight questioned, head turned to the side, “the only way for you to have known this is… oh.”
Nightmare kicked her front hoof and hid most of her mane behind her now tangible mane. “Yeah, I, or rather Luna, was one of the ponies who were assigned the task of guiding the dead,” she muttered, “not that we liked to do it or anything.”
“Yo-Luna is a god, what can force her to do anything?”
“A relative…”
“You don’t mean to suggest…” Her accusation was interrupted by train whistle.
“Forgive me, Sparkle, but this is where we go our separate ways.” Nightmare leaned down and looked deep into Twilight’s eyes, “But should you need me, I shall be there for you, waiting in your dreams.” The mare wrapped her wings around Twilight in a final embrace. Twilight stayed in it for a second before wiggling away from the mare. Nightmare didn’t bother lowered her wings back to her body before walking away, they just dragged limp on the ground as she moved.
Twilight would have scoffed and thought that the hug was meaningless, but she looked up. The mare had turned a final glance at her. The once stout and rigid figure Twilight saw as a villain, Nightmare Moon, neigh, Velvet, had tears pouring down her eyes as her disappeared into the fading black.