My Dear Nightmare Moon

by Scarith

Two Lost Souls

For Spitfire, waking up during the soft glow of the morning sun was one of the hardest things she'd done in quite a long time. From being stolen away from her first pleasant dreams in months, to the splitting headache and dull ache across her whole body, she had no real reason to thank the sun for awakening her this day. A heavy and reluctant groan blundered out of her snout and declared to the morning her very strong distaste for its existence. It was quickly followed by a series of pained grunts as every little attempt at stretching was either met with an annoying cramping or a throbbing pain through her entire left wing and foreleg. Her eyes shifted a rather blurry gaze down to the wrecked limbs and received a visual feedback of great blobs of black, green, red, and her own yellow fur. It barely made any sense to her at first, but as her mind slowly processed her other senses alongside her vision, she gathered her limbs were bound in some kind of make shift bandages, given the tight pressure that kept her from even flexing those limbs and the rather metallic scent of dried blood now creeping into her nostrils.

"You bucking idiot." She spat a curse at herself, a rather harsh malice accompanying it. "I messed up again, just like everything else I do now a days." A sharp hiss slipped from her snout now, as her figiting pulled at her wing muscles in the decidedly wrong way. "And I might have really trashed myself up for good this time, since I should dam well be dead after that stunt."

The mare's thoughts rambled along those lines for awhile, until a most odd, yet not uncomfortable sensation washed over most of her body. It felt like hundreds of soft paintbrushes dancing across her mussed up yellow fur, it was somewhere between tickling and a wonderful rubbing that drew a light eep from Spitfire. Her good limbs all twitched at the sudden odd sensation, and she quickly turned her head around to figure out what the hell was going on. At first all she saw was this huge black mass covering all of her body aside from her bandaged limbs, but as she squinted and her eyes lost their morning fog and refocused, she made out the details. Long and wide black feathers had been the culprits behind that odd sensation, all connected to a massive wing that if fully extended could easily stuff her entire body within it, and have room for another pony. Her eyes widened and her head snapped forward as a running shock rolled through her mind.

Not good. She spoke within her mind, instead of out loud this time around. Ok, a little good. Whomever this is obviously bandaged me and likely saved my life. But, there are only two types of creatures I know that could have a wing that size and could know medicine. Her breathing came in short breaths now, a touch of panic setting in that made her eyes quiver, yet kept her body quite still.

Either the largest griffon I have ever seen found me, wrapped me up, and watched over me all the time I was knocked out. In which case they likely did it to put me in their debt and are going to tell me I owe them thousands of bits. Or.. Spitfire's eyes scrunched tight as the next thought was even more imposing than a titan of a griffon. That is an alicorn's wing, in which case that has to be blue, not black, I really did nearly kill myself, and I was so far gone that that is Princess Bucking Luna and it took her to safe my stupid flank. In which case, after all the dumb mistakes i've made and all the citations of misconduct thrown on top of me, i'm one hundred percent, guaranteed fired. But, if it was her and she healed me, at least there is a chance I can fly again. Both scenarios were absolute shit for her going forwards, it all came down to what kind of screwed she was. And with a heavy breath in preparation, she twisted her head around again, this time to the right side, and cracked open her eyes to find out just which breed of shit she was in.

Her gaze washed over the form laying next to her with not a small amount of trepidation. At first she followed the massive wing to the back of the creature it was attached to, a broad and sweeping set of shoulders anchored the limb solidly to its owner's body, clear muscle rippled beneath the black fur of this creature, and the prominent pectorals certainly looked pony shaped to Spitfire. Up once more and over the shoulders, yup, there was that waving mane that was so iconic of the Princesses... but it wasn't quite right for Luna's, it was so dark, and so, infinite. Luna's mane was still solid looking to a degree, not this, which looked like a portal she could just fall right into. That was odd. And as her gaze traveled up one more time, yup, there it was, the extra long, pillar of a horn of an alicorn. Except, Luna's wasn't that big, no it was shorter, and not nearly as thick. Did the Princess go through another growth spirt or something? Spitfire thought to herself, as she had seen how the Princess had changed over time, from when she had just been turned back from Night...night.. Nightmare.. As the mare's eyes danced down to the snout of the alicorn, Spitfire found herself staring at the unmistakable face of Nightmare Moon, who's eyes were starting to flutter open.

Spitfire's mind raced as time seemed to slow down with her gaze completely locked on the alicorn's slowly opening eye. Her mind blazed as it processed her current situation; Nightmare Moon was a live Nightmare Moon was currently holding her in her wing, and that same Nightmare Moon, as there was only one Mistress of Darkness and terror of legends, was currently waking up and Spitfire was in no condition to go anywhere or do anything about it. Clashes of facts and beliefs ripped nad bashed one another apart within the mare. This was the bucking scariest mare that ever lived, yet she was cradling her as if Spitfire were her onw daughter. This creature tried to bring eternal night to the world and was willing to destroy Princess Celestia to do it, yet she was the only other pony around and somehow her wing and leg were bandaged, and she knew she had nowhere near the amount of damage and pain she should have. None of these conflicts made sense, and Spitfire just locked up as Nightmare Moon's slitted eye finally opened up in full.

The pegaus said not a word as the slitted eye roamed over her body, taking stock of the state of the mare she'd been holding all night long. For Spitfire however, her entire focus was on that eye and not a single other thought even so much as rippled across the surface of her mind. The situation was nigh-on impossible, but yet, here it was, completely irrefutable as the alicorn of darkness started to raise herself up and stretch out her own limbs after that visual inspection was over. The motions made that massive wing glide over her body again and drum up that half-tickling sensation, drawing a surprised eep from Spitfire as her body shivered in response.

"Good morning." Came a voice that while deep, had an almost sweet lull to it, and a touch of apprehension. It made Spitfire gave a shake of her head in an attempt to bring her sense back from their vacation.

"Good...morning?" Spitfire said aloud, not really in return, but asking if she had indeed really just been greeted so, well, normally.

"Yes, good morning." Nightmare Moon repeated herself, her wings furling upon her back with a loud rustling. "How are you feeling?" She asked, her forelegs now tucking under her chest after their stretching.

"Painful." Was Spitfire's immediate, blunt response. The absurdity of it all left Spitfire's mind to just spit out what was simple and quick.

"Good, that means your nerves were not shredded in the crash." Nightmare Moon said matter-of-factly.

"Wh, just wait a minute!" Spitfire spat out, finally fed up with the sheer confusion in her mind. "What in the hay is going on? Your Nightmare Bucking Moon, the one that tried to bring eternal night and kill Princess Celestia, twice. And your sitting here, cuddling me, having i'm assuming bandaged me since there is no one else here, and slept by my side all night long? This doesn't, make, any, sense!" Her nostrils were flared as her breathing turned into a series of thick snorts of aggravation.

Several quiet moments passed, the pegasus' words having shoved out what was a somewhat-normal conversation in a very unusual situation. Nightmare Moon had an expression of mixed apprehension and indignation at having been yelled at such. She'd expected something like it, or outright fear, but she didn't quite know how to respond at first. She wanted to show she wasn't what the mare knew her as, but even though she wasn't raving mad and evil anymore she did still have her pride, and being yelled at so forcefully did take a strike at that pride. When she did speak, her voice held a tight tension to it, clearly holding back harsher words.

"I am here because the Elements of Harmony gave me a new chance at life. I was mad during my time with Luna, my mind is clearer, and I wish to do better. Thus, after your crash, I have done what I can to safe your life. If you feel it in you, I wish to attempt getting to know one another as two strangers would upon first meeting. My healing you is a gesture of good faith towards that goal, I do not call any debt for that act, or expect any recompense besides what I have just asked for." Every single word was specifically chosen in a purely diplomatic way of speech. Deliberate, cautious, and tense.

The frustration levels boiling inside of Spitfire dropped slowly at first while Nightmare Moon explained things. But, once her mind was clear of that surface haze they plummeted in free fall. She came to the realization that she had just chewed out arguably the largest threat Equestria had ever known, the alicorn's level of power was on par with even discord and she also had had an intimate knowledge of the nation and its government when she was in direct conflict. That initial burst of brash bucking against the situation came from being in a more militaristic environment as a Wonderbolt, they were called to deal with emergencies like rampaging dragons after all, some staring danger down the throat attitude was to be expected. However, that quickly dissipated when one was beaten into a broken heap like herself at the moment an one also took into account the pony she were yelling at could easily turn her to dust even if the pegasus was at her best. Her ears flattened sharply to her skull, and her head lowered nearly to the ground in a submissive reaction to her realization of just outclassed she was.

I just cussed out Nightmare Moon, and i'm not dead, dear Celestia i'm not dead. She thought as she quickly went over a list of details of her situation, In fact, everything points to her having saved my life, just like she said she has. I've got a broken wing and leg that should be all shattered bone, but its bandaged up and cared for. Though regardless, that still means i'm going absolutely nowhere fast without some kind of help. And all she wants after all this, is to be teared as a stranger I haven't met before. Which, technically is true. And then to get to know each other like a pair of normal ponies do. Her eyes dared to roam over the alicorn's chest again, chewing on her cheek as she deliberated with herself. In the end, she felt she had only one sane option.

"Hello, i'm Spitfire, a Wonderbolt Captain Washup." Spitfire said with no little amount of anxiousness as she looked the great alicorn in the eyes and held out a shakey hoof.

With a grin, Nightmare Moon's body visibly relaxed as Spitfire's attitude switched up to something much more polite. Her own hoof reached out to take the pegasus' and she gave it a mighty firm shake in greeting. Her voice had shed volumes of tension as she spoke again to the injured mare, no malice or held back irritation in it now.

"Greetings Spitfire, I am Nightmare Moon, the Alicorn of Darkness and former mad-pony."

Author's Note:

This particular chapter took me a while to get the ending third finished. Most of it was straight-forwards in my mind, even the beginning of the conversation. But, for some reason it was harder to keep the character's reactions to exactly the type of personalities I personally have made for my versions of them. This is their first dialog together, and while I am overjoyed with Nightmare Moon's dialog with her father and her emotions displayed during that scene, this is in a whole other context. I couldn't just throw away the emotions she'd been left with after being brought back to life, but I had to let her own personality, one not in a immediate chaotic life-shattering/remaking crisis come out and blend the two together. Spitfire was a bit of a balancing act to, as the title of the chapter says, she is a lost soul like Nightmare Moon in my story (as to why that is, you'll just have to wait and see!). That brashness is still there, she is still a dam Spitfire like her namesake, but she's also come to realize that is what has been causing her heaps of trouble lately, along with other things clouding her judgement. I really hope the character's don't seem to have any moments of emotional 180s in here, let me know in the comments if there are any moments like that!

Comments

[CristalGalaxy]

It's a really interesting story I find! You don't rush it and take your time with the details, progressing little by little and that's great! (Wish I could be like you and learn how not to rush my stories ^^)

Overall : Great!

[Seeking Dusk]

Spitfire's been having some trouble, it seems. Shame we still don't know what's been going on in her life, but it seems like it's been serious enough to get her majorly down. I like the personality you gave her.

Griffon saving her to put her in their debt Griffons are con artists. Opportunistic con artists. But now I see that NMM came back full-sized. For some reason I had the impression that she came back smaller than she had been. Spitfire's freak-out was fun though.

So... the Elements of Harmony are her father?

A few more grammatical errors in this chapter than the others, 'I's not capitalized, a few misspelled words, but not that many.