Previous Chapters
Close
Chapter 11,401 words
Chapter 21,338 words
Chapter 31,556 words
Chapter 41,420 words
Chapter 51,378 words
Chapter 61,172 words
Chapter 71,217 words
Chapter 81,474 words
Chapter 91,274 words

Chapter 9

"I'd like to have Nightmare spend her term of imprisonment in Ponyville under the elements' watch, if you are okay with it of course," said Celestia in her usual calm tone.

Rarity and Nightmare elaborated the request in their mind almost simultaneously, and then both found their brains shutting down.

"Did you hear that, Nightmare?" asked Sweetie Belle in an excited tone, practically jumping in place "You can stay in Ponyville! Can she stay sis? Can she?"

"Uhm, well," said Rarity hesitantly "I believe it's better if we first ask the others, after all I'm in no position to choose for them..."

"She can stay with us at the Boutique, as an acquired sister!" explained the excited white filly.

This doesn't sound so bad... thought Nightmare Belle.

"She can come to school with me!" went on the bouncing unicorn.

I'm a bit past school age, something like a thousand years!

"And since she has no cutie mark, she can join the Cutie Mark Crusaders, then we'll all go crusading together!"

At the perspective of Nightmare joining the havoc-wreaking trio, she and Rarity paled a bit.

"Uhm, Celestia, are you sure life imprisonment isn't a viable option?" half pleaded the dark filly.

"I don't think it is," chuckled the princess, blissfully unaware of the crusaders' talent for mayhem "Now, let us all return to Ponyville, so that this matter might be settled."

"Oh, and Pinkie will surely throw her a welcome party!" continued Sweetie, who hadn't paid attention to a single word being too absorbed in her tirade.

---

The library main room was really spacious, built in order to hold as many ponies as possible, and so, even with all the presents, it was nearly empty. And yet, to Nightmare, it seemed incredibly crowded. And it was only her fault (mainly due to the fact the other four bearers were too busy staring at the princess with eyes as wide as saucer plates): since Celestia had ended recounting the filly's tale, Twilight Sparkle had been staring at her as if she was a rare specimen of some kind.

Well, I guess I kinda am... she thought.

"Let me git this straight," said Applejack ending the shocked silence that had filled the room "We are to keep an eye on Nightmare Moon while she spends her prison term here in Ponyville doin' socially useful work?"

"That's essentially it all, yes," replied Celestia sipping some tea that Spike had provided her.

"Are you sure it is a good idea, princess?" questioned Fluttershy, who found Nightmare's diminutive form much cuter and bearable than the one she had during their first meeting "If it's okay for me to ask, of course."

"It seems that your little sisters have developed a bond with her, and I can't find traces of them being manipulated," explained the alicorn in her motherly tone "I believe she is already trying to change, and so I decided to give her a chance."

"Uhm, princess?"

"Yes Twilight?"

"What does princess Luna think of this?"

"I... Actually I didn't tell her yet..." admitted Celestia fidgeting with her hooves, embarrassment clear on her face.

"Well, I have nothing against the idea of helping Nightmare reform, but I belive your sister deserves at least that much... You better ask her first."

"Ah reckon that if mah sis befriended her she mustn't be that bad, so Ah agree if princess Luna gives the go," stated Applejack tilting her hat backwards.

"She's not that scary, I guess it's ok," quietly added Fluttershy "Especially if she helps keep an eye on Sweetie, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."

"Wee, gotta go prepare her 'welcome to Ponyville' party!" squealed Pinkie bouncing around the fillies.

"Wait a minute, are you for real?" asked Rainbow Dash with a disbelieving expression as she hovered next to her friends "This is Nightmare Moon we're talking about! She is evil by definition!"

"Why not give her a chance?" asked Twilight without pealing her gaze from the four fillies "Imagine all the good things that might come from her being here!"

"Exactly, might is the key word. Don't you see what a threat she is?"

"She has little magical power and no chances of talking us into distrusting each other," summarized the lavender mare "Pretty meager threat."

Nightmare grimaced at those words: hadn't she chosen to put aside her thirst for revenge she would have been in a tight spot.

"Fine, but don't cry when she goes all 'the night will last forever' thingie again," conceded the pegasus crossing her forelegs and putting on an offended expression, gestures that earned her a round of snickered laughter from her friends.

---

With a soft popping sound, a scroll appeared above princess Luna's sleeping head as she slept, only to fall on it a moment later, waking her.

"W-who? What? Letter?" said Luna, sleep sloshing her speech.

"She lit a candle, opened the scroll and red:

Dear Lulu,
the nightmare has been dealt with and now resides at Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. I hope you don't mind.
Love,
Tia

"What?" stated the lunar princess rereading the short letter.

She rose and walked to the wardrobe, where she started rummaging and mumbling "I know how to solve this... Where is my war hammer?"

---

"No, it will be a cold day in Tartarus before I'll enter there!" stated Nightmare Belle stomping a hoof.

"Come on sis, it will be great!" pleaded Sweetie Belle.

"Like hay it will be! I'm a thousand years too old to be in elementary school! And Rarity wouldn't appreciate you calling me sister."

"Well, ya need history class fer sure: ya have a gap of a thousand years to cover," said Apple Bloom backing Sweetie up.

"Yeah, and the princess wants this too," added Scootaloo smirking "Unless you prefer Twilight's special course."

"Fine, but I won't be held responsible for my actions if that snobby brat, Pearl Crown or whatever, starts 'bullying' me. I hate bullies."

Without further discussions but with some snickering, the four fillies entered the school building and took seat, Nightmare taking care of placing herself in the back of the classroom.

"Hello class!" saluted Cheerilee entering moments later "Today we have a new friend joining us: please, come here and introduce yourself."

The black unicorn reached the desk and faced her classmates, then said in a monotone emotionless voice: "Hello, my name is Nightmare Belle, I'm Sweetie's relative."

"Uhm, yes, good, go back please," said the teacher, who was starting to feel unnerved by the new filly "Ehm, today we'll see the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon."

The unwilling main star of the class, who had meanwhile returned to her desk, slammed her face on it, as the crusaders giggled between themselves.

Stay in Ponyville, they said. It's gonna be great, they said, thought Nightmare with a groan.

Author's Note:

So, that's the end of the journey.

Thank you all for everything you did to support me, it really helped me reaching the end