Strong Withers sat the desk in his home’s office as he took a swig of burning cider, letting the feeling of it ‘brand’ his throat on the way down. Although it had taken the better part of the day and night to get back to his estate, staying in Canterlot with his son out of jail was simply too risky.
The boy had been caught trying to sneak out of the house. When asked what in Tartarus he was doing, the idiot had actually confessed to wanting to go to that juvenile social outing so that he could ‘teach that idiot Shining Armor and those stupid princesses a lesson about messing with him’.
So Strong Withers had promptly knocked the boy out and demanded the lot of them leave for their home back in Fillydelphia. The cost of the express airship had been astronomical, but nothing he couldn’t get the his personal expense fund to cover.
Now, all Strong Withers wanted to do was sleep. But with his wife at home with him, he couldn’t even do that! Just looking at her made him remember how she had failed when it came to their son. His so-called ultimate legacy.
More like, her ultimate failure.
His own mother was right, he should have never hooked up with the second-born daughter. While the mare’s own father had loaned him the funds Strong Withers needed for his campaign, the mare that had come with the bargain was little more than a pit for bits to fall down now that he had his own sources of revenue.
So, he sat, and drank.
In a room so dark he couldn’t see ten feet beyond his own desk.
And thought about the latest problem he had to deal with.
Princess Celestia had told him that his son would be sent back to prison if he didn’t provide her with information on ponies plotting against her daughter, which he had been one of shortly before their plan did little more than put them into Celestia’s crosshairs.
Even though the big white pony wasn’t a member of the government at the moment, he knew Celestia would be back.
“It must be hard for you,” a deep mare’s voice said. “All your life, you’ve worked yourself up from nothing to become what you are, and now it’s all come crashing down. Your wife is less than useless, your son a criminal, and any hope of a legacy you hoped to create politically was ruined the day you decided to try and oust Sunset Shimmer from power.”
Strong Withers looked up from his drink and searched around for the source of the voice. “Who’s there? How did you get in here?”
“Oh, my poor little pony, it is you who trespasses,” the mare continued as she stepped out of the darkness, making Strong Withers seize up. “You dozed off over your desk, coming into my domain.”
The alicorn that appeared in front of him was as tall as Celestia, with a coat just as black as the darkness behind her. A dark blue helmet adored her head, and an ethereal trail of blue energy followed behind her as she trotted forward. “As for my identity. I am the true Princess of Equestria,” she announced before leaned down to look Strong Withers muzzle to muzzle. “And I have a task for you.”
Theres giong to be a sequa to this huh?
Nightmare Moon, you can't beat Sunset not even close, she would crush you in a one on one fight, I'd argue she could match Discord, actually she could turn him into a statue she is powered by the elements after all.
8598345
Honestly, Discord would probably take one look at this version of Sunset and "nope".
8598549
That would be a hilarious one shot to read though.
Nightmare Moon got free early? Not surprising with all the time fuckery going on.
She can't escape from the moon, but the Dream Realm is not really a part of either world, so I can see her being able to travel in it.
Welp, he's boned
8604017
Earlier in the story Tia said that some ponies had a strong connection to the dream worls and Luna could come to them and manipulate them. She has canterlot warded against Luna's actions but the family are outside of that protection now.
So, it's confirmed here, despite being sealed, Nightmare still lurks in the dreamscape. Meaning every nightmare up to this point that all of our characters dreamt, that left each in doubt of their feelings and driving a wedge between them and driving Sunset further into guilt, was potentially all her doing.
That means she knows
She knows Celestia plans to die
Sunset is an OP MC with the power of harmony at her command
And little Twilight Sparkle is the next in line to be a threat
8753766
What's her plan to stop Sunset, she would crush Nightmare with a flick of her hoof.
Corrections:
Withers
trespasses
8886818
Not if there were meat shields made by her loved ones; or a set up to get her in position to be sucker punched.
8598549
Sure if they went horn to horn. But im sensing after all those nightmares. This NMM is much more subtile.
9127781
That is thing, NM's reign would not last more than two seconds before Discord returned even if you were to say the crusaders accelerated the process it would have happened within the decade
9127781
When imprisoned sure she's subtle. She only has dreams to interact to the world with. But Flesh and Blood NMM? She has 0 subtly. She's as subtle as a nuclear explosion, and a 100 times more likely to destroy all life around her eventually.
At least if you look at all she's done canonically.
9162693
A bit longer than 2 seconds before Discord. But then again neither of them had to deal with a pony that channels the Elements of Harmony without the foci. Add her with the Element Bearer's making 2X EoH Power. And I don't think even Tirek could so much as sneeze without being eradicated.
9127781
Yes but at some point she will come into a physical confrontation with Sunset and she will lose.
Hello there Nightmare. Wonderful Night we're having isn't it.
Uh oh, Nighty!