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Twilight thought she would have been happy to see her friends, and she was, but it wasn't as happy of a reunion as she had hoped for. Cadance had teleported the two of them to the castle, then led her through a maze of corridors before stopping at some guest room. She wasn't sure where she was because she hadn't been able to pay attention. There were two Royal Guards outside, both unicorns. She looked at both of them and they stiffened for some reason as they opened the door.
Inside were, of course, her five friends. She smiled. They—excepting Applejack, who was out cold and no longer wearing armor—rushed over and wrapped her in a tight hug. She felt like crying. She didn't let herself cry. She wasn't sure how long they stayed in the group hug while they—mostly Rarity—asked her questions about what had happened. She answered as best she could, though left out a few specific points.
She didn't want to talk about that.
And too soon, they pulled away. leaving her standing there. Close to her friends, yet feeling alone. Exposed.
Vulnerable.
She walked inside, walked over to one of the walls, and sat down. Cadance closed the door with her magic, then walked over and sat down at her left. Spike walked over and sat down at her right, and Fluttershy sat down on the other side of him and nuzzled Twilight comfortingly. She managed to return it, but her heart wasn’t in it. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stayed by Applejack.
She felt tired. She wanted to just sleep. Sleep the night away. Sleep until morning came. Sleep until dawn broke. Sleep until she woke up to hear Princess Celestia's soft, musical chuckle, before hearing her say how silly her dream—her nightmare—had been.
She leaned against Cadance. Sure, Cadance was a Princess and it wasn't proper, but Cadance had been her foalsitter. Cadance was also her friend and future sister-in-law. And Cadance didn't push her away. She laid her head against Cadance's shoulder and looked across the room, staring at the wall. Spike scooted closer to her. She looked over at him and offered a weak smile, then turned back to the wall. She felt Cadance lean away just enough to slip her wing out from between the two of them, then she felt Cadance's wing wrap around her back.
She felt a little better. A little safer.
Cadance hugged her.
She breathed in deep, then exhaled.
'We shouldn't have been out there.'
'She needed help. We—I—couldn't just sit by and do nothing! And she asked! She said she was sure I could.'
'She's out there on her own now!'
'She can take care of herself!'
'She was hurt. They tried to kill her.'
'Queen Chrysalis escaped because of me. I shouldn't have said anything. What if she kills Nightmare Moon?'
'What if other ponies are hurt? What if Nightmare Moon is right and Queen Chrysalis comes back to attack again, and what if next time we can't stop them? What if Nightmare Moon loses and the changelings take over Canterlot? They would take over Equestria and—!'
"Twilight," came Cadance's soft voice.
Twilight stiffened as she realized, 'I'm hyperventilating.' She forced out a breath, closed her eyes, waited a few seconds, then inhaled and opened her eyes. She swallowed, glanced around to find everypony looking at her, then looked at Cadance shook her head. "Sorry, I just... I'm thinking."
Cadance bit her lip and, after a few seconds, nodded. "I can tell," her foalsitter murmured. She felt Cadance's wing pull her closer, then go slack. It reminded her of when she was younger; it reminded her of Nightmare Moon. "But it's okay," Cadance added softly.
She closed her eyes and leaned away from Cadance to sit up straighter. 'It will be fine. Nightmare Moon can take care of herself. They hurt her but it barely slowed her down,' she told herself.
She opened her eyes. 'But what if she can't? What if they realize it's a better idea to try to stun her? What if they realize they can catch her off-guard? What if—' she mentally kicked herself, then shifted her weight.
She wanted to say, 'We shouldn't have been out there,' and yet she couldn't open her mouth to voice it. If they hadn't helped, what would have happened? Would Nightmare Moon have been defeated? Surely not! But there was that chance. She audibly groaned and leaned into Cadance's wing, drawing everypony's attention back to her. She exhaled sharply and shook her head. "We should be out there helping," she grumbled.
And that she said that.
Yes, apparently the weight of Equestria did fall on their withers for some reason.
"I think..." Rainbow trailed off when Twilight looked at her. "...Nightmare Moon can handle it."
Twilight leaned her head back against the wall. "I hope so."
She thought back to the feeling of Queen Chrysalis's magic wrapped around her neck. She shivered and squirmed closer to Cadance. 'Coward.'
'We could have died. I could have died.'
No. Not again. No, she wasn't going to fall into that mindset again. She braced herself as best she could against the fear and anxiety haunting her. But she was tired.
And now they waited. Waited, and waited, and waited. She imagined that there was a clock on the wall, and in her mind, she pictured its second hand lazily drifting along, each movement marked with a pronounced tick as the seconds dragged on.
Minutes passed by. She leveled her head. Applejack started to stir and finally woke up. Fluttershy left her side to sit with Applejack, who seemed like she might fall over if she didn't lean back against the wall. According to Rainbow Dash, "They had to stun you a lot. Like, a lot, a lot." Applejack just snorted in response.
Having finally had a chance to rest and think, she looked around the room. It wasn't any room she recognized. There were no windows, though there was a door on the other side of Cadance in addition to the one they walked in through. It was likely an interior room since it would be safer for all of them. "We should have just used the Elements," she grumbled. "This would have been so much simpler."
But no, Nightmare Moon decided that, apparently, it was too risky. So, what did the alicorn do instead? Why, send a filly and two mares to battle an army!
She was going to have a word or two with that lunatic later.
Provided, of course, that Nightmare Moon survived. She remembered Nightmare Moon saying, 'No dragon can match me,' and while she was inclined to believe it, she also knew, 'You're fighting an entire army.' And as Nightmare Moon had often pointed out, she was just one pony.
'Just relax,' she told herself. 'The Royal Guards and batponies are out there helping her.' Worrying about it wouldn't change anything, as hard as it was not to worry about.
"It's kinda hard being stuck in here doing nothing while everypony else is out there," Rainbow grumbled.
"We helped," she pointed out.
"Well, yeah..." Rainbow agreed. Twilight thought her friend would say more, but Rainbow didn't.
Exhaustion set in more heavily, and when she breathed, she noticed that her body hurt. 'Adrenaline wearing off,' she realized with a grimaced. Yes, as time went by, her body grew to ache more and more. She felt sapped and drained—body, mind, and magic. She felt sluggish.
Despite knowing how much it would hurt, she knew from experience sparring with Nightmare Moon it would be better than sitting still, so she stood up—her muscles protested the movement, reminding her that she was not a soldier—and walked to the center of the room.
Everypony looked at her questioningly. She looked back at them, then breathed in and stretched before pacing to the doorway, turning and pacing back.
"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm sore and it'll hurt less if I'm moving," she informed her friend, drawing a squint from the pegasus. She went back to pacing.
"Yeah, well, uh, if you were more active—" Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash to silence her. After that, she was able to pace without being questioned.
After several minutes of pacing, she looked back at her body. Her left side was a mess from having been thrown on the ground by the Queen, and she felt a few scratches that she couldn't see. Her mane and tail were a mess—both from the night and from having been previously captured—and she felt cold, hot, and sticky at the same time. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to sleep or take a bath first.
She knew the bath wouldn't wash the memories away, neither would it wash away the feeling of the changelings' carapace against her body, nor the feeling of that goop, nor Queen Chrysalis's magic wrapped around her neck.
She shook the thought from her mind. 'Ponies are still fighting to protect us. To protect everypony.' She grimaced and walked back to sit down beside Cadance. Cadance's wing laid around her back again. She turned to look at her future sister-in-law, and now that she stopped to scrutinize her appearance, she realized that sometime along the way, Cadance had taken time to straighten her mane out, though there were still little cuts on her cheek. Cadance noticed and looked at her. "How are you doing?" Twilight asked.
She felt and heard Cadance inhale. Cadance answered, "I'm... shaken up, but I'll be okay."
She nodded and turned back to face the wall.
"I think we all are," Rarity said.
And she had to agree.
Waiting and worrying while knowing that ponies were out fighting while she was doing nothing, Twilight had discovered as Rainbow had said, was hard. She tried to keep her worries at bay, but it didn't stop her from progressively fearing that the door would open to reveal not Nightmare Moon, but changelings.
Or Queen Chrysalis.
They were safe, but knowing that other ponies—most ponies in Canterlot—were in danger made it hard. Her stomach fluttered with anxiety, and she felt a little sick. Hungry, too, and she wasn't the only one. After Pinkie Pie had spoken up about it, her friends somewhat reluctantly chimed in with agreements.
So, as odd as she found it, as out of place and wrong as it felt, Cadance had some food brought. Nothing special; mostly fruits and some pastries. She ate, but it didn't quite sit right with her. 'We're eating while other ponies are in danger.' She suspected Rainbow or Applejack agreed, though both of them ate.
She wasn't sure how long they had waited in the room at first. How could she know? There was no clock. Cadance couldn't—to the best of her knowledge—tell the time with her magic. And the worst part was that she knew it would take hours before they heard anything unless it was bad news.
And so when the door finally opened, she was the first one to jump to her hooves. Her body, however, really hated her for the sudden movement. She did not sharply inhale, no matter what Cadance and Spike claimed. Where she stood up, everypony else simply turned to face the doorway.
A very disheveled Nightmare Moon stood in the doorway. The alicorn looked at her for a moment, meeting her gaze, then surveyed the room before she finally turned her head back to the hallway and stepped inside. Twilight stared. Her stomach felt empty and filled with feathers at the same time.
The alicorn had at least a dozen mostly-white bandages covering her body, held in place with transparent tape that caught the room's magelight just enough to slightly shine. Both forelegs, two places on her neck, her right side. Her cutie mark. Her hind leg. Her back was bandaged most of all, with several strips of tape holding the reddish bandage in place.
And the first thing Nightmare Moon did was levitate her helmet off, walk to the wall across from her, then sit down. Twilight wasn't sure whether it was from frustration or exhaustion, but Nightmare Moon was visibly tired: she wouldn't have said Nightmare Moon slumped, but her wings sagged from her sides and her eyelids looked heavy. The alicorn's muzzle scrunched up as she closed her eyes and shook her head. When Nightmare Moon opened her eyes, she said, "Most of the changelings have been dealt with."
Whether that was permanently or not went unspecified.
For the next part, she knew Nightmare Moon purposefully avoided looking at her: "The Queen escaped. We are looking for her but I do not know if we will find her."
Twilight swallowed and gradually sat back down. At the very least, Nightmare Moon was hiding any lingering anger.
Nightmare Moon lifted her right forehoof, levitated her boot off, then repeated the process with her left forehoof before pulling both boots off her hind hooves. Then Nightmare Moon levitated her chestplate off—Twilight noticed scorch marks on it—and set it aside with the rest of her armor. "We are searching out the remaining changelings, along with the ponies they captured during the invasion and the impersonated Royal Guards and Batponies."
Twilight bit her lip; Nightmare Moon noticed and met her gaze. "We will find them," was said as Nightmare inclined her head.
Nightmare's eyes betrayed no hints of anger. She let go of her lip, feeling slightly relieved.
"What happens now?" Applejack asked.
Nightmare Moon turned her head to look at Applejack, waited for a moment, then answer, "I have already set the moon for the night—" Twilight winced; they had been waiting a very long time, "—but batponies and Royal Guards will continue to hunt down the changelings that remain in Canterlot. The Captain will likewise keep the city shielded for the time being. I am satisfied that it is safe enough that you may return to your rooms in the castle to rest, though I have increased security."
Silence descended. Nopony asked anything, and her friends mostly looked between themselves.
"Are you okay?" Twilight finally asked.
Nightmare Moon looked at her and hesitated. Twilight wasn't sure if anypony else noticed it. Her teacher finally nodded once and inhaled. "I will be fine. What of yourself?"
Twilight shifted her weight as everypony looked at her again. 'Why did you have to ask that?' "I'm... fine," she lied. Nightmare Moon knew better. She met Nightmare Moon's gaze, hoping it conveyed the right meaning.
The alicorn begrudgingly inclined her head, understanding what she meant, then turned back to look at Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Your assistance was... appreciated. You have my thanks."
Twilight wondered how much Nightmare Moon hated saying that to Rainbow Dash; the pegasus grinned brashly. Applejack nodded once.
"Though perhaps—" Nightmare turned to look at Twilight, "—I should have not asked you to help."
"It's fine." That time, not a lie.
Nightmare’s gaze lingered for a few seconds, then she leaned forward and stood back up, enveloping her armor in her magic and teleporting it away. The alicorn inhaled and a little more energy envigorated her body. "I shall take my leave. If you need anything—within reason—" Nightmare specifically looked at Rarity, "—your guards shall attend to it." Her teacher turned and walked to the door, then opened it.
Twilight stood up as Nightmare Moon walked out into the hallway and turned right.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired and sore. I'm going to bed," Applejack said flatly.
Twilight started to follow after Nightmare, leaving the rest of her friends behind. She turned to the right—Nightmare paused and looked back at her—and she walked over to her. Before she could say anything, her teacher said, "You should rest."
Twilight frowned and opened her mouth, but hesitated. She found herself looking at Nightmare's eyes. She saw worry and concern, and maybe something else, too, but she wasn't sure what. No anger though—it wasn't hidden, it just wasn't there.
Nightmare bowed her head. "We will speak in the morning."
So Twilight closed her mouth. Nightmare looked away from her and walked on, leaving her behind. She watched Nightmare walk on, and realizing that Nightmare had made a good point, sighed and turned around. 'Sleep will be good for all of us, I think,' she decided.
She wondered if any of them would be able to sleep.
Applejack walked out of the room, followed by Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. Spike came out and then Cadance walked out last. "I'll uh, see you all in the morning, I guess," Twilight said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Twilight," they chorused.
Spike walked over to her and hugged her foreleg. Twilight smiled and leaned down to nuzzle him. "Are you ready?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered.
"Then let's go." She turned around and, while not entirely sure where she was, decided to follow the path Nightmare Moon had taken. She considered teleporting but didn't like the idea with as much as she had teleported earlier. 'We'll figure it out eventually... I can always ask somepony for help if it comes down to it.'
Eventually, she figured out where they were and so made her way to one of the closest exits to her tower.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Spike asked. “You’re being really quiet.”
Twilight thought about it for a while. "I don't know," she admitted.
She found herself slowing as they neared the door. 'Nightmare Moon said it's safe,' and yet her teacher could have been wrong. She forced herself to ignore the anxiety and passed on outside. Both guards bowed to her as she passed. It didn't help her feel any better.
And so once outside and once the doors had shut, she stopped and looked around. Unlike earlier, there was some semblance of calm and order. It was quiet, and almost peaceful, as if the night simply did not care what had happened before. She heard metal boots clicking against the stone as guards patrolled. She heard a few voices and a few occasional coughs.
The air felt cold against her coat. She shivered, then turned and walked on towards her tower. In passing, she looked up at the sky. Seeing the tint of her brother's magic encompassing the entire sky was something else. Magic was her special talent, but she doubted she'd ever be able to shield an entire city like he was.
Eventually, they approached the door to her tower. The two guards straightened at her approach. She slowed. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but she felt nervous. Her worries were, of course, misplaced, as both of them made it inside without any problems.
She sealed the door with her magic once they were inside, then powered up the magelight. And for a few seconds, she just stood there.
Her tower didn't feel warm. It didn't feel inviting. It didn't even feel welcoming. No, it felt callous and uncaring. And she found herself eyeing all of the shadows. Just to make sure that they didn't hide changelings waiting to pounce on her, either as she passed by or in her sleep. None of them did. She still double-checked.
"Twilight?" Spike finally said.
She blinked and looked at him. "Right, sorry," she apologized, then forced herself to ignore how exposed she felt as she crossed the distance to the stairs. She stepped on the first one and stopped and winced. "I should have asked earlier..." she trailed off and turned back to look at Spike. "Are you okay?"
He hesitated, then nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm okay Twilight," he said. And she was sure he meant it, even if it wasn't as warm or eager as she had hoped. She felt a little better and managed to smile back.
She led the way to her bedroom and charged up the magelight before walking in—again making sure that there were no changeling lying in wait for them—and then closed the door. She considered taking a bath, but decided against it. So she said, "Goodnight," to Spike and walked over to her bed.
"Night, Twilight," he said.
She collapsed into bed with a silent groan. The cold bedsheets sapped whatever warmth was left in her body. It was unpleasant, and as she laid there, she felt her muscles aching. Throbbing with the pulse of her heart. She clenched her eyes shut, then rolled over onto her back and used her magic to pull the covers back and tuck herself in. Everything hurt.
She watched Spike crawl into his basket and curl up, then cover himself up and close his eyes. She rolled her head to the right—her cheek was still sore—and looked out the window at the tinted night sky.
Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and sighed as soon as the door clicked shut behind her, leaving her alone in the blissful silence of her chambers. It was a welcome reprieve from the rest of the night. She opened her eyes and idly looked about her room, knowing that she was alone, though entertaining the thought that perhaps, somehow, a changeling was lying in wait for her.
Of course, there wasn't.
She was glad to be done fighting the changelings, though it still set in her core, 'There will be more to deal with in the morning. There are prisoners, and there are yet changelings roaming free. Ponies and Royal Guards are missing, and finding them may prove a challenge.'
She sagged, only momentarily, but her exhaustion showed, and only because she was alone. 'If the guards saw me like this, it would not be good.' The results would either be demoralizing to them or inviting assassination attempts, though most likely the former rather than the latter—at least while there was an outside threat to deal with.
She turned and stumbled through the door to her bedchambers. Her legs and back ached, and her head hurt, but the pain from the changelings' spells had since subsided. She forced herself to ignore the discomfort. She was Queen. She had experienced worse. She would not let it stop her.
She found her head drawn to the bed as she walked past it. She felt the musical call of sleep, offering even more escape from her pain, frustrations, and worries. But sleep would only hasten the torment that the morrow would bring. 'Perhaps guards will come get me during the night for something if I sleep, so perhaps it would be better to remain vigilant, lest the changelings catch us unaware again.'
She grimaced and forced herself to look away from her bed. Passing into the bathroom, the task was made easier by closing the door with her magic. She idly surveyed the room in passing, then walked over in front of the mirror. Looked at herself. Grimaced more.
How many times had she slipped up when fighting the changelings? Every spell they landed on her! She looked at the reflection of the white bandages covering her body—each one a testament to her slipping up, each one a reminder that she was imperfect, each one a reminder that she was still just a pony. And looking at the reflection of the bandages, she remembered the burning feeling, even if it was now replaced by an uncomfortable numb tingle from her body healing.
And each burn made it that much more likely that ponies would question her power and rule. Each burn invited dissent. Ponies would not see her as having protected them, but as having been weak.
Anger kindled alongside her exhaustion, but it burned itself out almost immediately. 'This took more out of me than it should. I must find a more permanent solution to containing the Elements.'
Yes, perhaps it was not that she was slow or weak, arrogant or out of practice, but that so much of her power was tied up controlling the Elements of Harmony and with the moon.
But it was a thought to consider another time.
She turned her gaze away from the mirror and looked down at the bandage on her foreleg. Wrapped her magic around the tape and peeled it away. It pulled on her fur, but not enough to hurt. She set the bandage down on the sink and ran her eyes over the pinkish skin that had regrown. A combination of the healing salves the medics had used, her own natural healing, and applying her magic had sped her regeneration. Towards the center, her skin was still raw, not fully healed. Her fur had barely started to regrow around the edges.
'Would it be better for ponies to see me wearing bandages or to see me with such imperfections?' she wondered. Of course, the thought was moot. She would simply use magic to hide her skin with the illusion of fur. Some ponies might be able to tell there was an illusion in place, however, though it mattered little.
She shook her head and peeled off the rest of the bandages, setting each one down on the sink. Her bare skin, so exposed to the chill of the air, felt discomforting and unnatural. She craned her head to look at her back—probably the worst injury she had received—where two changelings had slammed into her and burned her.
A large strip of her fur was missing, leaving her pink, regrowing skin exposed. Her fur would grow back eventually, and until then, she could tolerate the discomfort. Using magic to regrow her fur was a frivolous waste of her power.
Yet still tempting.
She shook the thought off and strode back to her study, then sat down at her desk. A few sealed scrolls laid in a pile on the right side—each one a report detailing the night's events and such that she needed to be aware of. Her lips set into a scowl as she levitated the first one up. 'I could simply sleep. This could wait until morning.' But such would be a dereliction of her duty; it would not do to be caught off-guard again. Once already showed bad enough on her. 'I need to be aware of what is happening.'
She broke the seal to read the first report, only to startle at the crack of a teleportation spell. There were only a few ponies it could be, and it was certainly not a changeling. They couldn't teleport. 'Twilight,' she figured, and with that thought in mind, set the scroll aside. She heard hoofsteps: light and timid. Not Cadance. She stood up, then turned around and waited.
Her patience was rewarded with the filly gradually sticking her head past the doorway and looking at her. She tilted her head, and for a few seconds, Twilight just watched her. She saw her student's eyes flick back and forth between the splotches of her visible skin, studying her as if she were some kind of forbidden specimen. Then it seemed to click in her student's mind, as Twilight winced, shifted her weight, and looked away, gradually straightening her head and finally timidly walking into the room as if unsure if she had permission to.
"Twilight." Nightmare straightened her head.
Twilight turned back to face her, biting her lip. "I uh..." the filly trailed off as she timidly approached her. Twilight came to a stop in front of her and looked her over. She finally said, "I can't sleep," and met her gaze.
For a moment, Nightmare found herself considering, 'Fitting that you would come to me.' And of course, she could not blame Twilight for it. She waited for a few seconds; Twilight shifted her weight. 'You have more to say,' she knew. 'We should wait until you have rested to talk.' But fie, Twilight was already here, and had already gone through the trouble of teleporting there. She nodded once. "You desire to speak?" she asked.
Twilight cringed and turned away from her. "I'm... scared."
Nightmare’s brow folded down. 'You are afraid?'
Twilight faced her. "I'm just... I'm worried." The filly let out some sound that sounded like a mix of a whimper, a squeal, and a cry of pain. Nightmare’s ears pulled back at the sound. "What if there are changelings still around and what if they break in and... I don't know, replace me or Spike or one of my friends while we're sleeping like Queen Chrysalis did to Cadance!? Or what if Queen Chrysalis tries to..." Twilight bit her lip and tossed her head left and right.
'Of course,' set heavily in Nightmare’s mind. She breathed in deep, then sat down on her haunches. 'You are afraid again, like when Discord escaped.' And she felt sorrow. She held in a sigh.
How could Twilight not be afraid? The parasitic Queen had threatened to kill her at least once.
Nightmare felt the overpowering feeling of defeat creep up inside her chest. "I promise you that you and your friends will be safe." Twilight looked at her, and Nightmare was reminded of the empty look in Twilight's eyes earlier. "I am..." She hesitated, then relented and shook her head. "I should not have asked you and your friends to help. I am sorry." 'Perhaps I forget how young you truly are at times.' And there was nopony to blame but herself.
Twilight's brow twitched lower. "I could have—we could have..."
And though it went unsaid, they both knew what it was. And that was solely on her.
Nightmare unfolded her wings and reached out. Traced her feathers along Twilight's sides, and the filly gradually gave in, stepped closer, and pressed up against her chest before sitting down on her haunches. And with Twilight close, she wrapped her wings around Twilight's back to embrace her. The filly leaned against her, though her body was tense. She set her head down on top of Twilight's—Twilight's horn rested against the right side of her neck, just below one of her burns—and looked down to see the way her black feathers hid Twilight's body from sight, leaving nearly the only evidence of her presence as her tail.
And for a while, Nightmare simply sat there in silence, content to hold the filly close: her fur wasn't soft and smooth as she remembered, but coarse and matted from the night's conflict. Her body felt chilly, rather than warm, and her weight set heavier against her chest than normal. But the filly didn't cry into her coat. She felt no tears. Just the rise and fall of her chest. Heard no sniffles. Only Twilight’s heavy, labored breaths.
"Do you desire to talk?" Nightmare murmured.
Several seconds passed before Twilight answered, "I don't know. Not really. I just... I'm scared. I don't feel safe."
Nightmare squeezed Twilight with her wings. "You are safe," she promised.
"I don't feel safe in my tower right now," Twilight mumbled. "If Queen Chrysalis could get to Cadance in the castle..."
Nightmare closed her eyes. 'I would not force you away.' Twilight's worries were misplaced, but as with Discord, Twilight needed comfort and reassurance. To turn Twilight away and simply rebuke her was cruel. Nightmare opened her eyes and offered, "Then if you so desire, you may rest in my chambers for the night."
She felt Twilight pull away at that—Twilight's horn grazed her skin—and so reluctantly let go of the filly and lifted her head back. Twilight slowly shook her head. It did not seem to be a refusal, but neither did Twilight seem inclined to accept. "And what about you?"
With a grimace, she tossed her head to the right. Looked back at the scrolls on her desk. Felt tired simply considering the task before her. "There is work that I must attend to, and in truth, I should remain vigilant—"
"You need to sleep too," Twilight said firmly.
Nightmare felt a hoof jab her chest and tensed up at the feeling. Jerked her head around to look back at Twilight, who halfway scowled. For a moment, she was not sure how to respond. "I will be fine," she countered.
"You'll need it for tomorrow," Twilight pressed. After a few seconds, the filly's glare subsided. Twilight sighed and shook her head.
'Ah, this is true. Tomorrow will be most unpleasant.' Yes, regardless of how well-rested she was, tomorrow would be unpleasant. And if she was not well-rested, even using magic to help her function, it would be less pleasant. She winced, and Twilight saw. "I suppose this is correct," she grumbled.
Twilight opened her mouth, only to stop and shake her head again. "I should..." The filly stood up and turned. "I should just go. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—"
"You may stay," Nightmare preempted. Twilight stopped and looked back at her. She slowly stood up. "You do not feel safe in your tower. I will not force you to leave."
'I can offer to have you stay here and spend the night with you,' teased her mind, and with that, she felt a burst of energy spurred on by anxiety fill her. Her wings twitched at her sides. 'Yes, we could sleep together and you would be comforted and safe.' Surely her presence alone would help! If Twilight did not feel safe alone in her tower with Spike, then assuredly she would feel safe with her!
'At one time that would have terrified you. No, it would have petrified you.' And she felt condemned considering how terrified Twilight would have been months ago.
But yet she thought back on a few of her dreams and found the desire to offer outweighing the condemnation of knowing how she had hurt Twilight before. It would help, and if Twilight had nightmares, she would do her duty to banish them. Twilight would be safe, and she would be content with sharing her bed with Twilight.
'I would be taking advantage of you,' a part of her mind rebelled, and a certain coldness crept up in her chest, making her shift her weight and squirm where she sat. Twilight noticed and frowned. Nightmare parted her lips to speak but hesitated. 'You are afraid and have been through much tonight. You will say yes because you do not want to be alone, and because you will feel safe. And even if you decline, if I press, you will accept.'
And Nightmare felt split and tormented. 'I wish to help you. We will both be happier for it.' Or perhaps she was lying to herself. Perhaps she was simply wanting it for herself, simply wanting to take advantage of Twilight and her naivety as Sister had taken advantage of her. But no! She stamped the dissent out. Hesitating to offer was a mistake! Twilight needed her and she would be remiss if she did not comfort her student and friend.
So she gradually nodded, feeling the anxiety rising up worse than before, making her doubt herself even more. "If you truly feel uncomfortable taking my bed, then I have a counterproposal." She finished by inclining her head.
A moment passed before Twilight turned back to face her. "And that would be?"
The anxiety tickling her stomach grew worse; it was an unfamiliar feeling that Nightmare did not like. "Stay here with me tonight." She nodded once. "The bed is surely big enough for both of us."
And again Twilight hesitated, shifting her weight. "I can't ask you to—"
Nightmare bowed her head low and said, "I am offering."
Twilight eventually closed her mouth. Her jaw twitched as if she was going to speak but then shut again.
"I do not mind," Nightmare added, then lifted her head back up. "We are friends and you are the only pony who I would make such an offer to. You will be safe."
"If... if you're sure," Twilight mumbled.
Nightmare nodded once, then turned back to her desk. "You may go ahead. I will—" it occurred to her how odd it was to say and it made her uncomfortable, "—join you shortly." She levitated the report again, but didn't hear Twilight move.
She heard Twilight inhale. "You're not just trying to trick me into sleeping while you stay awake all night, right?"
Nightmare frowned and turned around to face Twilight. "I would not—!" she caught herself and jerked her head back, though a frown still settled on her lips. She inhaled, held the breath in for a moment, then let it out. Once she was sure she wasn't going to snap, she said, "I would not do that to you." She bowed her head and closed her eyes, then set the report back down and let go of her magic. "Very well. Come," she bade, then opened her eyes and walked past Twilight. She heard the filly follow her.
As she passed into her bedchambers, she saw Spike's basket—and the accompanying dragon—set against the wall. She paused and waited for Twilight to walk around beside her, then faced her.
"Sorry, I just... I didn't want to leave him back in my tower by himself," her student said.
Nightmare nodded once and said, "I see," to preempt Twilight's worry, but the filly still clenched her jaw. "I do not mind; it is better than he stays since you do not feel safe," she said. With that settled, she pulled away and walked over to the left side of the bed.
Nightmare looked back at Twilight, who was yet uncomfortable. The filly turned from Spike to look at her, then gradually meandered over to stand on the side of the bed opposite of her. Nightmare went ahead and pulled the covers back for both of them, then climbed into bed and laid down on her side facing Twilight, mindful of her back.
Twilight stood there for a few seconds, then shook her head and looked back at Spike while climbing into the bed. Reluctantly, Twilight laid down. Nightmare pulled the covers back over them and watched the filly roll onto her right side to face away from her. She studied Twilight's mane and silently contemplated how the filly squirmed as if trying to get comfortable while keeping her distance. "Is something wrong?"
Twilight stopped moving, lifted her head up, and looked over at her. "No, It's just... not what I'm used to."
'Of course. You have not had friends until recently.' Yes, perhaps Twilight was intimidated at the idea of sleeping with her friend. Or maybe Twilight was intimidated at the idea of sleeping with her. If she had been standing, she would have nodded, but since she was in bed, she settled on saying, "Relax."
Twilight either tried to smile or grimaced before laying her head back down on the pillow.
Yes, sleep would be good. For both of them. And now laying down, she remembered how tired she was. She could put away the stress of the changeling attack—for now. Tomorrow, after she—they—had rested, she would deal with whatever needed to be dealt with.
And yet Twilight still squirmed. Nightmare frowned. "You are comfortable, yes?"
Again Twilight stopped. "Yes."
'Something is troubling you.' And Nightmare had an idea of what. 'You were captured by the changelings twice.' Was there any wonder why she was afraid? Yet the filly had been brave and steadfast. She was confident in Twilight's abilities, but Twilight was yet young. "You are still afraid," she ventured.
She saw Twilight tense, and it took Twilight far longer than it should have to finally admit, "Yes..."
"You are safe here," she murmured comfortingly. "I will not let them harm you."
And yet Twilight didn't relax, didn’t look back at her. "You teleported away."
And Nightmare felt that all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment slither up into her chest. It smothered her anxiety out and left her feeling defeated and exhausted.
"I did."
"I was scared," Twilight whispered.
And Nightmare thought back on it and remembered the fear in the filly's eyes, the look in them before she stopped Chrysalis. She inhaled deeply, then silently exhaled. "I am sorry... I had little choice." But that was hardly an excuse.
"I know," Twilight whispered, voice cracking slightly.
That soft voice pierced Nightmare’s ears, making them fold back, and for a time, she wondered if Twilight felt alone, so far away across the bed from her. Isolated, like Luna had been. Cast aside as she had been. Abandoned to her fate.
Just like her.
And it didn't sit right with her. "Come here," she softly called. Twilight's head tilted to look back at her, but the filly hesitated in her confusion. So Nightmare took initiative, scooted closer, then laid her foreleg over Twilight's side—the filly's muscles felt tense—and pulled her close. She slid her wing out and brushed it over Twilight's side, yearning to feel a wing where there was none, and pulled the filly close against her body, holding her tight.
And Twilight felt so small and fragile. Her body lacked the warmth Nightmare had grown to treasure; it was so cold, like a void against her, drawing out her own warmth and making her shiver. Her coat was rugged and coarse, and the normally pleasant scent was missing, replaced with sweat and grime. But such was what it was; Nightmare would not simply cast Twilight aside. She wrapped her foreleg around Twilight's chest. Held her close. Felt Twilight's fur against her bare skin where a changeling had burned her. The unfamiliar sensation tickled.
She felt Twilight finally relax and so asked, "Is this better?"
"Yes," Twilight answered, then she squirmed. "Is this—is this okay though? It's... um, well—"
"I do not mind," Nightmare said again.
"But you're the Queen and I'm—"
"My friend," Nightmare emphasized. "We are friends. Do not forget that."
But she couldn't escape the thought, 'I am taking advantage of you.'
A few seconds passed. "I'm sorry," Twilight whispered.
"It is fine," Nightmare murmured. "Try to rest. I shall protect you. I give you my word." And to seal it, she hugged Twilight closer, wrapping her wing around Twilight more firmly and tentatively laying her hind leg over Twilight’s flank. With a quick spell, she depowered the magelight, casting the room in darkness. She felt Twilight yawn and rub her back into her chest. The sensation was pleasant, reassuring, even. "Goodnight, Twilight."
"Goodnight..."
For a while, Nightmare looked across the room, just staring at the wall. Feeling the rise and fall of Twilight's chest as she breathed. Feeling the pulse of her heart. Feeling Twilight’s body gradually relax and warm as she slipped into a peaceful sleep and then carefree dreams.
Nightmare Moon closed her eyes, feeling content.
When Nightmare Moon awoke, she found herself feeling warm, calm, and at peace. Settled in the crook of her neck was Twilight's head, and against her chest and abdomen, she felt Twilight's warm body. She felt the rise and fall of Twilight's chest as the filly breathed, and so her foreleg rose and fell as it was draped over Twilight's chest, with her forehoof set near her friend's heart. The scent of lavender had finally settled into Twilight's mane, though the undertones of sweat and fear and dirt were still present.
'This is pleasant,' she decided, and so kept her eyes closed and simply enjoyed the moment. Though the moon pricked at her magic, warning her that it was nearly time to recast the spell, she had time and as such would not leave. The calm, relaxing sensation of simply lazily laying in bed was too pleasant to cast aside. No knocks on the door. No hisses of changelings. Nothing imposing on her.
Simple freedom.
She breathed in deep, catching the mixed scent of Twilight, then exhaled into Twilight's mane. She felt the filly's ear twitch, flicking her cheek, but otherwise, there was no reaction from her sleeping friend. She blinked open her eyes and glanced around the room without moving, ensuring that they were, of course, alone.
It wouldn't do for anypony to see them like that. It would put Twilight at greater risk.
The filly's horn was centered right between her eyes when she looked at the wall, and for a moment, she considered it and the power the filly could wield. 'We will raise the moon together,' she thought, and anticipation flooded through her body, banishing the calm ease from simply relaxing there.
She lifted her head—she felt a few strands of Twilight's mane cling to her chin—and turned her head about, once more reaffirming that they were alone. And so assured their time together was private, laid her head back down on the pillow and craned her head forward until the back of Twilight's head was against her neck.
She gave the filly a gentle squeeze, trying to avoid disturbing her. 'You did not have nightmares,' she was assured, and it so comforted her. She closed her eyes again, a slight smile pulling at her lips.
She felt content. That they could sleep together peacefully and that she could relax, let down her guard, and simply lay with Twilight was wonderful. She did not have to worry about being betrayed or used or taken advantage of.
And yet, 'I took advantage of you,' stabbed her mind, cutting through the peace she felt. She opened her eyes as she felt the contentedness melt away, replaced with dread. 'You were vulnerable and I took advantage of you.'
And then came the guilt. It didn't taste bitter, but she did feel condemned.
Maybe it wasn't that bad but it was still bad enough. A betrayal, taking advantage of Twilight for her own gain, just like Sister had Luna. 'I wanted to comfort you. I did comfort you,' but she had still wanted it.
If Twilight had not been so vulnerable, would she have accepted? Assuredly not!
And so she bit her lip and slid her head away from the filly. 'We must speak.' But not yet. Twilight was still resting and she would not wake her; the filly needed it. So she peeled herself away from Twilight—she immediately longed for feeling her friend's warmth close to her heart again—and silently slid out of the bed, mindful of her injured back. She left the magelight off; she did not need it and it would only risk disrupting Twilight's sleep.
'You are yet young. I said I would wait.' Yes, Twilight was still far too young, far too impressionable. She needed to wait; to do otherwise was to take advantage of her and would only sour things between them. And yet, 'But I must at least be honest with you,' because not admitting it, as hard as it would be, would perhaps be just as bad.
And with the dread settling into her core from the thought of the conversation to come, she shuffled away from the bed to go to her study. She saw a basket come into view and looked to see Spike curled up in a blanket. 'Ah, yes.' She remembered that now; they had not been alone, but he was still asleep.
She welcomed the momentary distraction, though it only lasted until she walked into her study. She sat down at her desk and opened the first scroll again. Several more had arrived during the night for her to review, but none of them were sealed with urgent markings, so she set them aside for the time being.
She trudged through the first three of the scrolls. The varying reports listed within did little to improve her mood: several hundred ponies, including Royal Guards and batponies, were unaccounted for. Including ponies of varying importance in her administration, which brought her to grimace at the implications. And there were still changelings that hadn't been dealt with—including the Queen. But to her relief, it was time to raise the moon. She set the reports aside and strode back to her bedchambers. She stopped in the doorway to simply gaze upon the still-sleeping filly. 'We should raise the moon together,' she reaffirmed.
But Twilight still slept, and after last night, the filly needed it. Nightmare sighed and bowed her head as she turned away from her and walked out onto her balcony. The thought, 'Another time,' left her feeling disappointed.
And so she came to the railing and stopped. Looked out across the dark courtyard to see the few guards and batponies patrolling. Felt the cold steal what little warmth lingered in her body. Cast her gaze to the sky and took in the stars. Disappointed weighed her down as she channeled her magic. She cast her spells. Wrapped her magic around the moon, recharged the mechanisms, and raised the moon. It peeked above the eastern horizon, and she turned to regard that tiny white sliver.
Just enough to see, not enough to have ruined by Sister.
She stayed there and silently watched it until it was.
And then she left. She walked back inside and shut the door. Saw Twilight and Spike still sleeping and headed to the bathroom. Closed the door, and then stood in front of the mirror to look at herself. Her wounds were healing quickly, and more of her fur was regrowing, but it would still take time. She glanced at the bandages and teleported them away, then walked back out to her bedchambers. She stopped halfway to her study and turned back to regard her student.
Twilight was finally stirring. Shifting, but not yet awake. Nightmare turned around to face Twilight and lifted her forehoof, only to hesitate. Did she approach, or did she remain where she was? Did she greet Twilight as she awoke, or simply watch from a distance? Or did she leave to tend to reports until Twilight finally stumbled out of bed?
They needed to talk, and it was urgent. But perhaps it would be best not to immediately overwhelm Twilight with such a conversation as soon as she awoke. Yes, letting Twilight wake up so that she could think properly would be the best course of action.
'I am hesitating. I am wasting time. I should not hesitate and I should not waste time.’ A grimace slipped onto her lips. ‘I should not be paralyzed into inaction,’ she chastised herself. She held in a groan and turned from her student, then walked back to her desk.
She managed to get through several of the scrolls by the time her ears finally perked up from hearing the faint click of hooves touching the floor. 'You are awake.'
She stood up and turned around, then walked to the doorway and peered inside. The filly was turned to face the balcony, though saw Nightmare and turned to face her a moment later.
Nightmare wasn't sure what to say, and neither did Twilight say anything. 'We will talk soon,' she decided, pushing it off so that Twilight could awake further. "Good morning." She stepped into her bedchambers. "How are you?"
She heard Twilight inhale. "Fine. I think," was her student's answer. Twilight looked over at Spike.
Nightmare shifted her weight and touched the tip of her tongue to the top of her mouth. 'Stop hesitating.' "How did you sleep?" she ventured.
Twilight looked back at her. "I... slept okay."
'You seem uncomfortable,' Nightmare thought. She kept it herself; she would include it in their later conversation.
"How long have you been up?" Twilight asked.
Nightmare tossed her head to the side. "Long enough to have raised the moon and attend to reviewing most of the reports I received."
Twilight fidgeted. "Ah."
'Perhaps we should bathe,' she considered. Yes, washing away the prior nights' grime would be pleasant; showing up for breakfast without a bath did not appeal. She opened her mouth to offer, but caught herself. 'If you knew what I must tell you, would you accept or decline?' Surely Twilight would decline. And with that so, bathing together and then speaking on the subject would make Twilight uncomfortable. She closed her mouth. "If you so desire, you may take a bath here," she said.
The barest hint of a smile graced Twilight's lips. "Thanks. Uh, what about you?"
Nightmare nodded—mostly to herself—and said, "I will bathe after you. I shall... attend to other matters first. We will speak after you are finished."
Twilight winced and her head turned towards the floor. "I'm sorry that Queen Chrysalis escaped. I didn't think that—"
Nightmare shook her head and looked at the wall rather than the filly. "Not that," she said. Her voice nearly came out as a growl, and she winced. 'I claim to care about you and yet I snap at you...' A scowl settled onto her lips; Twilight, still wincing, lifted her head up to look at her. "I apologize for... that. It was not my intent." She bobbed her head and fluffed her wings. "I should... work on controlling myself better."
Because she too easily lost control, still. She thought back and considered how impatient she could be at times, then shook it from her mind for another time.
"You... should..." Twilight delicately agreed.
Nightmare’s eyelids twitched. With a shake of her head, she said, "Regardless. Not that. While I will admit that I am angry she escaped, I am not angry at you." At least not now. "I... do not hold it against you," she said carefully.
Twilight gradually nodded. "I'll uh... see you in a bit, then."
Nightmare inclined her head; Twilight walked around and went into the bathroom. The magelight inside glowed to life before the door shut.
And Nightmare just stood there, staring at the door.
Eventually, she forced herself to turn back and return to the last scrolls. It was a better use of her time than waiting however long it would take for Twilight to finish.
By the time Nightmare heard the door open, she had long since finished with the reports and organized her thoughts for the coming conversation. Yet it was still with trepidation that she meandered to the doorway to peer at Twilight as the filly walked back into her bedchambers.
Twilight stopped and looked at her.
Nightmare scrutinized Twilight's now-cleaned and groomed body. 'You look pleasant,' but she kept it to herself. She breathed in deep to steel herself, then said, "We must talk." She flicked her eyes to Spike—he was still asleep for the moment—and then met Twilight's gaze. "Alone." And with that said, Nightmare pulled back from the doorway and beckoned Twilight over with her wing. Nightmare walked to the middle of her study, then turned back to face Twilight as she entered. Nightmare closed the door with her magic, then sealed the room to ensure nothing said would be heard by anypony else.
Twilight walked over to her, tossing her head side to side hastily. "Look, I really am sorry about Queen Chrysalis escaping—"
Nightmare inclined her head. "I know. And that is not what we must discuss."
Twilight stopped a few paces away from her. "If you want to convince me that the only option is killing the changelings, you won't."
Nightmare nodded to herself and set her head at an angle. "Nor is that."
"The resistance?" Twilight asked, her muzzle scrunching up.
Nightmare tilted her head. "May I speak?"
Twilight winced. "Sorry."
Nightmare nodded, opened her mouth, and found all of her preparations for naught.
That damned unease and uncertainty snuck in and stole away all of her confidence and plans. That damned unease mocked her, running away with her preparations while laughing. Her stomach jittered worse than she could remember, and her hooves, nay, her entire body felt cold.
'Dammit.'
What was she to say!? She had to tell the truth, but that only made it harder. She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes. "This is difficult for me."
"I can tell..." Twilight said at length. "What's wrong?"
Nightmare opened her eyes and saw Twilight frowning. "It is not so much that something is wrong as it is that this is..." she trailed off. For all her preparations, she found that there was no right way to say it. "This conversation will be difficult for me. It is not something I have experience with."
And Twilight waited patiently while she wasted time.
So Nightmare decided to just get it over with. She breathed in deep to try to steady herself, then exhaled. "I took advantage of you."
Twilight didn't say anything for a while. The filly didn't gasp in shock or react in surprise. Rather, Twilight's head turned slightly to the right. "If this is about you forcing me to help you yesterday, you didn't. As much as I don't like it, I recognize that it was... necessary. I still chose—"
Nightmare shook her head. "No. Perhaps I should not have asked you to assist me, but that is not what this is about." She breathed in and, as much as she knew she would regret it, said, "Rather—" she bowed her head, "—this is about my offer for us to sleep together." And that only made Twilight confused. But of course, it did. Twilight was young and inexperienced—just like her. "I took advantage of you," she repeated. "You were vulnerable. You were scared, and I—"
Twilight shook her head while her muzzle scrunched up, betraying only more confusion. "I don't... yes, I was afraid, but I don't quite see how you took advantage of that."
And so the worst part came, and Nightmare's whole body tingled. Did she dare admit it? Could she say it? "Because I like you," she specified. And it made her squirm and tighten her wings. "More than I should."
She had said it.
Twilight was silent. The filly stared at Nightmare. Opened her mouth, only to tilt her head as if confused, then close her mouth. Blinked. Opened her mouth again, then her mouth drifted closed.
And because Twilight didn't seem to understand, she bluntly hammered the last nail into her coffin: "I have a—I believe the term Cadance would use is—crush on you."
Twilight startled at that; Nightmare saw the way the filly's whole body tensed with surprise. "W-what?" was croaked, as if the filly was choking on her own spit—and maybe Twilight did.
And now what was there to be said? Nightmare did not know and so looked at the wall.
"I-I don't... what?"
Nightmare looked at Twilight; her student's entire muzzle was scrunched up. Perhaps confusion, perhaps shock, perhaps disgust. She felt a tinge of anger and bitterness, but a cascade of disappointment smothered both out.
Why had she hoped for anything else?
The scrunch gradually faded to nothing more than bewilderment and wide-eyes. "...how long?"
That made Nightmare squirm. She avoided Twilight's gaze and answered, "Quite some time. In truth, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps as long ago as your defeating Discord..."
Twilight squinted at her. "Why?"
'I have asked myself that,' Nightmare remembered, and a grimace spread across her lips. "I do not... I am not sure I know why myself." She dropped her gaze back onto Twilight. "I have made you uncomfortable," she guessed.
Twilight opened her mouth wide as she inhaled, then paused. A moment passed; Twilight blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just... overwhelmed."
For a moment, she said nothing. 'I am Celestia's sister. You put her on a pedestal. And I know you. Yes, I see why you would be.'
"You have a crush on me?" Twilight asked, her muzzle scrunching up again.
Nightmare nodded once. "I believe so."
A few seconds passed in mutual silence. Twilight fidgeted. "Do you, uh..." Twilight screwed her eyes shut. "Love me?"
"I do not know," Nightmare admitted.
Twilight opened her eyes.
"You are my friend and I do care about you," Nightmare stated. No reaction from Twilight. Nightmare gradually nodded. "I... apologize for not telling you sooner. I was... am... afraid that you would..." She bit her tongue. 'Coward.' "I am afraid that you would desire to no longer be friends with me nor learn from me."
Twilight's brow folded down and she opened her mouth. "I still want to learn from you and be your friend but... I just... Okay, look, this is a lot to take in for me, okay? You're... you. Princess Celestia's sister."
Nightmare nodded in agreement. 'So I was correct.' "If you desire to leave I will not keep you, nor will I force you to join me for breakfast." Twilight opened her mouth, but Nightmare continued, "Though I would ask that you refrain from telling..." 'No, perhaps you should be able to speak to your friends about this.' Yes, it was unfair to ask her to keep it a secret from them, although not everypony should know. 'I will not see you hurt.' "You may tell your friends but I would rather this not become common knowledge."
"Um, right," Twilight agreed.
"If you desire me to leave you alone, just say so," Nightmare added. Twilight frowned. She wanted to reach out with her wing but knew better, so she kept it at her side.
"Is... there a reason why you're telling me?" Twilight asked, her voice betraying her anxiety and unease, leaving Nightmare feeling defeated.
Nightmare nodded. "You deserve to know." She paused for a moment and grimaced. "I would... perhaps offer to court you, but..." she trailed off and bit her tongue again.
Twilight nearly gawked at her; she saw the filly's chest deflate. "C-court as in, um... date?"
Nightmare tilted her head. "Is that the modern term?" Twilight nodded. "I see. Then... yes. But..." She cast her head to the right and gazed at the bookshelf. "You are yet... young. It is unfair of me to offer or ask to." She looked back at Twilight. "So I will not. Though... perhaps in the future, If you are not opposed..." she trailed off. 'No, this is a mistake.' She sighed. 'I have made a fool of myself.'
Twilight's mouth parted, then gradually closed. "Can I... maybe... think about this? It's um... a lot to think about."
Nightmare nodded in defeat, disappointment smothering out any other feelings she might have felt. "Of course." Because anything else would be cruel.
"I-I uh, I'll... I'll be back," Twilight said. Her horn glowed and the filly disappeared in the flash of her teleportation spell.
Nightmare was used to being alone.
It still hurt.
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Nightmare Moon being kinda awkward and innocent is somehow hard to reconcile with her image from the show and other works @.@
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Is that good or bad?
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i am not sure about that yet, but the story is good yes.
Ay, the long-awaited romance has arrived! (It's not TwiLuna, but it's the second-best thing given the circumstances!)
I know Twily might not accept, but it's just nice seeing this.
It finally happened and I couldn't be happier.
This chapter was absolutely fantastic. Twilight, while showing much of her old habits and anxieties, still retained her character development, and came to Nightmare Moon when she needed assistance with her fear.
Nightmare Moon was naturally afraid to discuss her feelings with Twilight and terrified and disgusted because she felt she used her.
The characterization was amazing snd this chapter was so much fun to read. Keep up the great work and I can't wait ro see what comes next.
Woo! As you said, we finally made it! Question is, who is Twilight going to run to for advice... Rarity or Cadance? Kinda hoping Cadance, but from the narrative perspective I see Rarity being the one for the added drama it would cause.
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Holy smokes and there was even a confession of (maybe) love. 
What a ride.
Almost two years ago this story was hitting wing hug levels of lewdness. Now though, a couple hundred thousand words later and this story is basically just erotica. I mean not only were they sleeping together, but they were partaking in the big and small spoon maneuver and it was all pre-marital!
FINALLY.
Really been enjoying this story. Hope you keep up the great work to see this story through to the end.
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I fully intend to follow this story through to its end. I can see it approaching but it’s still a ways off.
So how old is Twilight in this story? I think I might have understood her to be younger than she is.
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I, in my infinite wisdom, thought it was a good idea to make her 16 at the time the story started, so she’s approaching her 17th birthday where I am going to finally start referring to her as a young mare.
And upon reflection from this reply alone, I realize I probably could have used “young mare” to refer to her this entire time and it would have worked better than filly. Maybe. It might make more sense for Nightmare Moon to still refer to her as a filly, rather than a young mare.
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Ah, that makes much more sense. Because she was referred to as filly and the rest of the mane six as adult/older, I was picturing them (the rest of the mane six) as they were in the show and Twilight as around the age of the CMC. This chapter was kind of a wake-up call, she had to be older then.
I cant get enough of this story. It's crazy to think of where we started to where this story is right now.
This chapter has me all giddy and anxious. Let me just say that you have done a wonderful job with this story and thank you for all of the hard work you put into it.
will celestia stay banished ?
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Spoilers.
I love how real these interactions are. Like... Wow. Just so good.
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Thank you for this comment. I was having a rough day earlier and this is encouraging.
Nice update. Looking forward to seeing more.
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Thanks. I’m not sure when I’ll be publishing it, unfortunately.
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How do you reread this so much?
At this point, you probably know what’s happened better than me and I should probably ask you to make notes of any mistakes you see when rereading.
Open invitation to send me a DM with lists of mistakes you find... You know, if you want to.
Well. I’m finally all caught up. Damn. This has been awesome. Moar please.
Hooray. I have finally reached Moon’s confession.