• Published 3rd Sep 2014
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Full Moon Fever: A MoonLight Prompt Collab - TheLastBrunnenG



Sundown and Midnight, Stars and Moon, Magic and Dark Dreams

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49 Help by Toratchi888

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by Toratchi888

Epilogue to "Fangs," "Trickery," and "Subterfuge"


Dusk’s shadows stretch across Equestria. Long fingers of darkness reach from lofty Canterlot over humble Ponyville. Within that ivory palace, confrontation with a princess awaits.

Slinking in the spaces of shadow, a black cloud like smoke weaves its way from its hiding place towards fair Canterlot, and the fair mare within.

Unusually, both day and night guards line the battlements; more unusually, their eyes are fixed on the horizon, ignoring all signs of movement below the walls of noble Canterlot.

The shadow slips within the castle’s precincts…

* * *

Nightmare Moon coalesced out of her cloud of smoke, skulking in what little shadow remained in Canterlot’s inner courtyard; the same in which she had arrived with Twilight but one month prior.

Nopony had seen Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville since then, though Nightmare Moon had spied on Twilight’s friends and learned they had visited a few times, mainly to reunite Twilight with Spike and reassure them both that they were being taken care of.

Nightmare Moon peered around, ears swivelling. She heard not a sound from the Royal Guards; they stood fixed in place. Nor was there even a hint of breeze, or birdsong, or the chirrup of insects; all was silent and still.

Suddenly, Nightmare Moon’s ears snapped forward. She heard the clip-clop of hooves rising from the broad stairs hidden below the level of the courtyard’s floor. The steps were measured, their owners walking calmly, possibly two abreast.

Princess Cadance and Princess Celestia’s heads appeared below ground level, rising with their bodies. Cadance moved left, while Celestia moved right, flanking and facing the path.

Yet another set of hoofbeats sounded, and Princess Luna came into view. She paused at the top of the stairs, staring intently into the shadows for several heartbeats, before she moved to stand at her sister’s left hoof.

A final set of hoofbeats signalled the arrival of the final princess: Twilight Sparkle. She walked slowly and with great care, placing her hooves nicely with each step. As she cleared the lip of the stairs, the other Princesses closed ranks, such that Celestia, Luna, and Cadance backed Twilight shoulder-to-shoulder.

Nightmare Moon observed Twilight from her hiding place: Twilight stood with shoulders stooped, and she had bags under her eyes. Still, despite her obvious weariness, her eyes were still bright with Twilight’s famed intelligence.

Nightmare Moon stepped slowly from the shadows, ever step measured, the nicety of her steps a concession to peaceable intentions.

The alicorns stared at each other, measuring intent. After a moment, Celestia raised her chin a fraction. Twilight, sensing the motion, turns about.

“Call us if you have need, my faithful student,” said Celestia, reserving a slight frown for Nightmare Moon.

“Be thou true to thine own self, Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna, with a glance at the Nightmare.

Cadance broke ranks for a moment. She lowered her head, and touched her horn to Twilight’s. A brief azure flare of magic flowed up Cadance’s horn and into Twilight’s; Twilight rolled her wings open and closed, straightening slightly with the motion.

The three princesses gave a last look towards Nightmare Moon, before making their way down the stairs; Nightmare Moon heard them take the right-hand path, just as she had with Twilight the month before. As the hoofbeats faded, Twilight turned to face her Nightmare.

Nightmare Moon gazed levelly at Twilight, and she returned the gaze with equanimity. A heartbeat, and Nightmare Moon dipped her head, closed her eyes, and lit her horn; her magic surrounded her champron, which lifted from her head to settle beside her right forehoof.

Free of its confinement, Nightmare’s mane puffed out, bobbing like a cloud around her head.

Twilight chuckled quietly, snorting once as she did. Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrowed before she blinked and tilted her head. “Well, I’m glad you’re laughing, though I fail to see what’s funny.”

“Hahaha, your hair’s all poofy like Pinkie’s! That head-armour… Rarity wouldn’t be caught dead with hair like that! If she could see you…!”

Twilight sunk to the ground, chuckling all the while. After a moment, Nightmare Moon lifted her champron with her magic and spun it to one side. Seeing her reflection, she chuckled as well.

As their mirth died, Nightmare Moon replaced her champron on the ground and gave her full attention to the now-standing Twilight Sparkle. “Well, my dear, I can say you look much more beautiful when I can see your face clearly.”

“As opposed, I assume, to bearing down on me and making me your blood-slave in the pale moon-light,” Twilight responded drily.

“Ah. Quite…”

“You received the vision I sent you. Obviously.”

“Yes…” Nightmare pawed the ground. “You have decided, then.”

“I talked with Luna, and Celestia, and Cadance, and my friends. I don’t know if they completely understood… what you put me through.”

Nightmare Moon blew, a slight tilt of her head betraying her nervousness. “You have an ironic sense of pomp, Twilight Sparkle; choosing the place of our arrival for my little subterfuge…”

Twilight’s face closed, became serious. “Nightmare, let’s not mince words. I understand you’re trying to find your place. I believe you truly want to be somepony, and be someone’s special somepony.”

“Truly.”

“You say you tried to help me, to show me my weakness and my strength. But you did it through lies and trickery.”

“But did not my plans, the lunar phases, show—”

“Nightmare, cut the crap.”

Nightmare’s head snapped up.

Twilight glared at her. “You had me going with your moon-phase mumbo-jumbo. Congratulations. The lunar-phases have power, yes; Luna admits as much. But she told me—and I’m relieved—that it’s only as much power as you believe in. You gave me the key to be free of your power when you told me the trick you used, the matching of your schedule to the phases.

“For months now, I’ve been isolated. That hurt me and it hurt my friends. I bear my own measure of responsibility for my actions, but that does not excuse yours. As a princess… I am within my rights to punish you, of course.”

Nightmare cowered, shrinking in on herself.

“How will I deal with you? Shall I pardon you? Build you up? Welcome you in? Perhaps you would fear my anger… if I wished you harm."

Nightmare peeked up at that, a puzzled frown crossing her face.

“Nightmare Moon, you pride yourself for your cleverness, but now, in the face of one angry pony, you shrivel in despair. Do you think a Princess is so wrathful that you should know fear?”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened.

“Tell me, Nightmare: Do you want me to be friends with you?”

Nightmare Moon’s mouth dropped open.

Twilight smiled. “Oh? Is an offer of friendship all it takes”—she trots forward, until her face is close to Nightmare’s—“to defang the Mare in the Moon?”

Twilight blew gently, touching Nightmare’s muzzle briefly with her own and staring into the larger mare’s eyes. “I am Princess of Friendship. And you need a friend. So perhaps it is I… who can help you.”

* * *

Twilight opens her wings, closes her eyes, and lights her horn.

In the courtyard below, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance touch horns and invoke their magic.

In the east, the Moon rises, a halo like Twilight’s Cutie Mark framing it.

Twilight lifts Nightmare Moon’s head with a hoof, and together they turn east. Above them, the stars spread out, glittering diamonds against a velvet sky.

The Royal Guard, as one, lift their horns to the sky and send a glowing wave of magic into the sky, which shimmers and twinkles like star-light.

“The night-light holds no terror, nor the realm of dreaming pain. Sun and Moon and Stars; Love and Tolerance and Friendship.” Twilight raises a hoof to place on Nightmare Moon’s shoulder. “The Nightmare is over; together, we shall find a new name for you, and you will help me spread the Magic of Friendship.”

Nightmare Moon smiles. “Thank you, Twilight. I’d like that. I will be… your help.”

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