//------------------------------// // 8 - Change of Management // Story: Mare Of The Moon // by tom117z //------------------------------// Three days later The twilight sky glistened above Canterlot. Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Nova had succeeded, Day was gone, replaced by a state of twilight and the nights had been lengthened so it lasted in equal measure to twilight. Things hadn't gone completely smoothly, as to be expected they faced opposition and an attempted rebellion from those guards more loyal to Celestia, however like Nova had predicted the promise of gold to the majority of guards had brought their blades to fight for them, the rebellion was extinguished before it even began. The civilian population was terrified, but passive. The nobles were largely indifferent to the change in management though there were a few issues. For instance Sir Fancy Pants had been a vocal protester to the new diarchy and had been trying to encourage the population to take action, he was now sharing a cell with Prince Blueblood (who had acted an arrogant moron as usual). However Nova, who had lost any taste she may have had for conflict had been making sure that the prisoners were treated well and that the conspirators were simply imprisoned and not executed. An example of this would be Princess Cadance, Nightmare Moon had wanted to execute her as an example but Nova had talked her out of it, it would seem Nova and Nova alone held sway with her mother. However Nova did not know how far the influence would extend, her mothers wrath was still great and wouldn't likely fade anytime soon. Now night would soon befall the world once more as mother and daughter sat on a balcony overviewing the city. Nightmare Moon's horn lit up to bring about the night as Nova did the same to arrange the stars into all sorts of beautiful and artistic patterns. However this night Nova struggled, the screaming in her mind had yet to stop. "Twilight? Are you well?" Nightmare Moon asked her daughter noticing her struggle. "I'm fine." "Twilight... I will always know when you are lying to me, now what's wrong?" Nova sighed. "It's just... are we doing the right thing?" "Yes," Nightmare Moon answered simply. "The good thing? I doubt it, but I do truly believe we are justified." "But those who harmed us are long dead!" "Celestia isn't... yet." Nova sighed, her mothers words doing very little to reassure her troubled mind. Nightmare Moon nuzzled her daughter affectionately. "I know recent events have been hard on you, but things will get better my little star, I promise." A cough caught their attention and the pair turned to see a guard standing by the door. "Sorry to interrupt your highnesses, but there is a group of protesters threatening to barge through the gates, they are demanding the return of Celestia and the day," the guard informed them. "Are they now? We'll see how that goes for them..." Nightmare Moon said with an annoyed snarl. "Go easy on them mother, please?" Nova asked of Nightmare Moon. "No promises." Nightmare Moon and the guard left the balcony to confront the protesters. Nova turned to look back over the city. Events continued to way heavily on her mind, events of the previous few days continued to playback within her mind. She had spent so long hating Celestia. But a thousand years had past, even if it was less for her. Questions invaded her mind, a conflict of morality coursing through her soul. And then there were the Element Bearers. They had been true paragons of their own individual elements, and had been nothing but pleasant to her. They had offered her friendship, and what did she do? Betray and imprison them. And no matter how hard she tried to deny it... she liked them. She had wanted to be their friend, and yet loyalty to her mother kept her from that path. As it always had been. That is how it had all started, simple loyalty to her mother led her on the path of dark magic. She hadn't blamed Celestia at first for any of what happened, that only happened as the dark forces in her blood fed off of her darkest emotions, fueling the anger that had started off as barely an ember. And the path she chose had now led here. Could she have stopped all this? Could they have remained one, big, happy family had she just tried? The more she though on this, the sicker she felt in her stomach. The screaming continuing in her mind told her as much. "You know now, don't you?" Twilight Sparkle stated accusingly, appearing as an apparition next to Nova. "How you could have stopped this, and yet blind loyalty led you down an near irreversible path..." Nightmare Nova didn't answer the apparition. "Note I said, 'near' irreversible," she stated in a far kinder voice. Nova turned to face the smaller mare, a reflection of which she longed to see in the mirror again. "What do you mean?" "Celestia is still out there," Twilight said. "You could end this." Nova shook her head. "After what we've done? She would banish, or kill, us both. I will not surrender to that mare. Equestria will hate is for now, but we can make it better!" "But you don't need to be hated at all!" Twilight shouted in desperation. "You're wrong about Celestia, you have been wrong for a very long time! You friends from Ponyville can forgive us, as can out aunt! You just need to try!" Tears threatened to breach Nova's eyes, but she batted them away and regarded the apperition in anger. "Be gone! You aren't real! Banish yourself from my presence this instant!" "You cannot hide from yourself," Twilight stated sadly. "You will see soon enough..." And just like that, she was gone. Nova was shaking, and the screaming continued. All was quiet at Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh sat on the front porch looking up at the stars. He was worried. Worried for the farm as he didn't know how long the tree's would live with so little sunlight reaching them during the twilight, he was worried at what the tyrants now in charge might do next and above else he was worried for Applejack who had gone missing when Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Nova had revealed themselves. The sound of a breaking twig caught his attention, he turned to see an exhausted alabaster alicorn slowly making her way towards him "I need help..." Celestia said tiredly. "Eeyup," Big Mac responded.