A Guardian's Hope

by Last Satisfaction

Chapter 15

Author's Note:

Thanks to Schattendrache for proofreading the chapter and Flora Blossom for double checking.

Friendly reminder: Headcanons!

The revelation from Nightmare Moon, who was indulging in a toothy grin while staring at Pepper, took half of those present by surprise.

Trixie, Chitin and Gamine were all shocked, unable to think straight.

Swift, for his part, understood better why the Regicide's gaze switched from one extreme to the other, sometimes reflecting the scarred gaze of his late friend, but had now settled on this predatory, icy gaze.

As for Pepper, she quickly drew the obvious conclusion. "It was not Luna who was torturing me through my dreams, it was you," she said, sitting back down.

"Imagine my surprise the night you returned. Right after I slipped into your dreams, I came face to face with that little human, staring at me in horror, before seeing you a little further back, as usual, sitting by that campfire. Who is she?"

"Her name is Gamine; she plays at being a guardian. Long story short: I killed her mentor just like I killed Celestia. So, to make sure I will not cause any more casualties, she used a forbidden spell to take over my body. However, as a result of a mission she gave me," she said, glancing briefly Aglowing. "I asked in return to have full control of my body for one full day."

<Sweet dreams, my precious night mare.>

The title of Guardian brought a hazy memory back to Nightmare Moon's mind. A memory that sent her back to the time when Equestria was just a bunch of farms and pastures. A mare whose gentle smile was the last memory she had of that dark time. A feeling of dread seized her by the throat. It was a feeling so profound that she temporarily forgot herself, acting very much in opposition to her usual regal demeanour. "You killed a guardian? What was her name?! Answer me now!" she ordered, anxious.

"Kyndal," Pepper replied.

Not the name Nightmare Moon feared to hear. Reassured, she regained her composure as if her lapse in decorum had never happened. "I will have Luna sent back to Canterlot before dawn. I must return to my palace on the Moon to secure the future of Broncoliande."

Pepper, listening only to her intuition, took the lead. "I can open a portal to shorten the journey to Canterlot to repatriate Luna as well as create a portal you can move at your convenience to travel to the Moon, even during the day."

This offer, however, only served to make the alicorn suspicious. "It is not in your nature to offer help."

“This is where I have to rebuke you. I did offer to use a black hole to banish the three clowns to Celestia.”

Hearing this, Nightmare Moon was more shocked to hear that Celestia didn’t jump on this opportunity to cull Equestria from the founder’s actual generation. "Under the circumstances, I wouldn't refuse your offer. That being said, only the portal to travel to the moon during daytime will be needed."

"In that case, I will just need a physical object to create a transportable portal, any material that will act as a door frame, as long as it is sturdy."

Nightmare Moon, with a small, sidelong glance towards the camp, wondered what could fill that role. One possibility quickly came to mind. "The tent frame, would that do?"

Pepper considered the suggestion. "Yes," she replied as she stood up before turning her gaze to Trixie. "This should not take me long, so you better stay here and rest. I shall be back as soon as she dismisses me."

Trixie stood still for a moment before sitting back. Yes, the guidelines required her to follow Pepper everywhere for the three days, but after what she'd been through today, both body and mind needed rest, so she merely gave a brief nod.

"Swift, you watch over her for now, I'll send a soldier to replace you shortly. You will bring Luna back to Canterlot," Nightmare Moon stated before turning to Chitin and the sleeping child. She watched the latter as she thought for a moment before deciding on a course of action. "I'm sure the tent is prepared, let's avoid disturbing her sleep any further," she muttered as she turned her gaze to Chitin.

And so, the three creatures set off back towards the military camp, with the changeling warrior telekinetically carrying the child, Nightmare Moon to her left.

At the Queen's request, Pepper was at the head of the group, out of sheer suspicion. As a result, she stood in front of Chitin, placing herself in a way that allowed her to keep the alicorn in her left eye’s peripheral vision, just to make sure she didn't try anything.

Chitin didn't breathe a word, but they could feel how electric the atmosphere was.

Halfway through, Nightmare Moon, thinking back on the events of the evening, couldn't help but notice a detail that didn't seem to fit. "Assuming you're only hunting prey that is more powerful than what you last killed. Seeing as you consumed the power of Celestia and a guardian, how could you lose to Luna?"

Pepper barely had time to stop and answer when Gamine lunged at her to paralyse her mouth. "No! Don't tell her! If she were to know that her sister's soul was flickering, she would not find rest in the afterlife!"

Pepper was decidedly not enjoying this habit and gave her a glare from the corner of her eye. "If that is all you are worried about, I was not going to bring up that detail," she thought.

"Oh, okay." Gamine then released her hold and let the conversation continue as she resumed where she had been a moment earlier.

"Gamine intervened and paralysed my body because she thought I was about to decapitate Luna, who then took advantage of this opportunity," Pepper explained.

"Well, that’s thoughtful of her,” the queen said in a whisper so as not to wake the child.
“The repercussions for Equestria would have been most terrible."

"She is alive, worrying about what might have been is a waste of time. More importantly, since you are giving us an impossible quest, did Celestia have any special powers or abilities that might help? Aside from her talent for moving the sun, she was never inclined to demonstrate any ability other than raising a cup of tea to her lips when I was around. Even in the duel with Luna, she was content to lock us in a magical bubble and raise her voice. This is not the kind of information I learn during absorption. If I have no awareness of my new abilities, I will not be able to use them, at least not consciously."

"She was an alicorn, just like me. We became the princesses of this realm because we represent the three tribes, and therefore you should possess their respective abilities, the ability to manipulate the weather and clouds just by your will alone, and a magical power capable of moving the sun and moon of this world, and most importantly in Equestria, a precious connection to the land, allowing you to grow fruits and vegetables at your pleasure."

"So, during the confrontation with Pinkie in Ponyville, I commanded the winds?" muttered Gamine to herself.

"But if you didn't know that, why did you choose her? Luna was happy to give a full demonstration of those traits that make us second to none in this world," the queen pointed out.

Pepper shrugged, taking Nightmare Moon's answer at face value. "In retrospect, between two planeswalkers, I chose the oldest one. It seemed the most logical choice, but if I had known Luna had two millennial old souls in her bosom, it would be Celestia who would be mourning her sister."

Chitin raised an eyebrow at this statement.

Nightmare Moon turned livid, and rightly so, shocked to see a page of her life, forgotten after a thousand years, revealed so casually. She turned away abruptly, watching for a long second as Aglowing Shell slept peacefully, just to give herself a good reason not to give in to her murderous impulses, to stifle the urge to slam Pepper once more against the trunk of the nearest tree. She managed to calm herself, with a great effort, and after taking a deep breath, she suddenly turned to Pepper, glaring at her. "How long have you known?"

Pepper, who had channeled her magic in preparation to counterattack upon feeling the growing murderous intent, relaxed and broke her concentration as she saw that Nightmare wished for the conversation to resume. "Since the first day. When she came to free me in Ponyville, the mirror I went through to enter this world had the same energy signature as Celestia's magic. And you are of an even rarer class, for you are also a dreamwalker, but that kind of ability is of no use to me, which is why, despite the demonstration of power, I chose Celestia."

Nightmare Moon remembered Gamine's explanation. Going forward, whenever she woke up, Chrysalis would remember any thought she, her temporary guest, had as her own. This huge stone thrown into the pond only brought back memories of a forgotten time. At this point, it was better to know what Pepper knew, so she could give directions to her successor based on the revelations. "What else do you know?"

Pepper sat back, reviewing her ideas for a moment before coldly replying. "Based on this, and what Luna told me in our first meeting, I have some guesses. Having only one parent in common, it is logical to deduce that they are the planeswalker. You have Cutie Marks, which implies that the other was from this world. Celestia, given her size, was probably an earth pony’s child, and you, logically, a bat pony’s."

"You're wrong on all counts. Celestia and I only have one parent, the same father. His name is Grogar."

Chitin was shocked by this revelation. "Grogar, the Father of Monsters, is your father?!"

Nightmare Moon barely had time to create a bubble to protect Aglowing's sleep, and a second bubble around them, so that this conversation would not get out any further. "Yes."

The changeling was confused. "I don't understand. If you are Grogar’s creations, why did Celestia lead Equestria as a pacifist?"

Nightmare Moon remembered the desolation wrought by their father. A vision so painful that even now it horrified her. "For on the historic day Gusty the Brave came to confront him, and ended up stealing the artefact that was Grogar's source of power, Celestia and I stood before a crossroad in our destiny. Help our father and let what was not even yet Equestria, and probably the rest of this planet, become a ruin, or help Gusty, and put an end to this madness. By choice, changeling! It was by choice that Celestia and I ended up becoming Princesses of Equestria."

Chitin remained silent, contemplating what was being said.

Nightmare Moon turned her attention to Pepper. "We do not have a mother. We are the creations of an evil entity. The future of Equestria was so bleak that a guardian stepped in. She assisted Gusty, at first without revealing her true nature nor the reason for her presence, and assisted as the rear guard while Gusty confronted Grogar. After Gusty's victory, the guardian banished Grogar from this dimension. In seclusion, Gusty and the guardian spent the next ten years raising us. They taught us their respective knowledge. As a parting gift, the guardian awakened Celestia and me as planeswalkers, strengthening by doing so our magic, to be Equestria’s guardians, to watch over this battered kingdom after her departure. Gutsy then introduced us to Starswirl the Bearded, who would become our next mentor, teaching us how to control this powerful magic.” She briefly looked at Chitin.” The rest is history.”

"What I cannot figure out, though, is why you are hiding your ability to travel between worlds from every creature," Pepper said.

Nightmare Moon sighed. “This has to do with an event that happened, twenty years after the disappearance of Starswirl the Bearded, who by then, with Celestia's help, created this dimensional mirror. My dear sister, confident as she was in her abilities, took her very first pupil under her wing. Majesty, a unicorn who was as gifted in magic as she was in flattering my sister's ego. Celestia had the foolish idea of giving her a part of her magic, as she had done before with Starswirl, after she saw that Majesty’s powers had permanently withered from assisting in raising the sun and the moon, back when eleven unicorns performed this task. Back before our coronation. Imagine how horrified Celestia was when we caught Majesty using this magic on the enemies of Equestria, dispersing them into a flurry of bubbles that scattered across the universe without the spilling of a single drop of blood. My poor sister never really got over it, and was later forced to drain knowledge and magic out of her very first student, who didn't understand what she had done wrong. Turned amnesiac, Majesty was watched from afar, until her dying breath. We then swore to each other that we would be the sole repositories of this magic, and that we would never again seek to share it. We had literally forgotten about it, until you came into this world. And Celestia had the wonderful idea of welcoming you without ever breathing a word that we knew."

Pepper considered this information before dismissing it with a shrug. Just as she was about to resume the walk to the camp, Chitin intervened.

"This is the second time I've heard that term. What is a planeswalker?" the changeling asked, both intrigued and confused by this exchange that expanded their perspective of reality as they knew it.

Pepper glanced at Nightmare Moon, and seeing no objection coming from her, proceeded to explain. "They are entities that possess the magical power capable of tearing the fabric of reality to walk beyond their native dimension."

Chitin remained circumspect, taking the information that came in bits and pieces with a grain of salt. Since Celestia and Luna were also planeswalkers, the changeling understood that not every one of them was like Pepper, and somehow that was reassuring. "So, Twilight and Cadance are also ones?"

"No," replied Nightmare Moon. "The HeartSpell does not have that function. Certainly, it has some similarity to the spark of the planeswalkers though. But in this case, it is only when a pony has proved worthy of becoming a symbol for the kingdom that this magic, latent in each of them, activates itself, transforming the worthy ones in our image. To return to the basic question, they are almost our equals, except that they do not gain a planeswalker’s magic in the process." Seeing then that everyone's curiosity was satisfied, she nodded towards the camp. "Let us continue. There is still much to do."

Pepper was surprised by this explanation, but as she had said herself, worrying about what might have been was a waste of time.

Once at the camp, Luna was the first priority. So, Nightmare Moon sent Dauntless Halberd to replace Swift. Swift’s abilities and intellect made him the ideal soldier to be placed in charge of the repatriation escort.

Meanwhile, Pepper created two linked portals isolated from her personal warp points. And, after a successful test of the portals, approached Swift, Chitin and Nightmare Moon as the latter summed up what the official version would be.

Swift, his left foreleg clenched around one of the portals, pressed his free hoof against his chest plate, activating the enchantment within the blue, oval shaped gem cut to resemble a dragon's eye. He then took off, flying through a magical tunnel that had suddenly formed out of a mass of magically summoned storm clouds. Swift disappeared in a blinding light, travelling at great speed from Equestria to the Moon.

Pepper immediately recognised what she was seeing.

Nightmare Moon, seeing her raised eyebrow, took the initiative, erecting a dome to have a quick, private conversation with the human. "Yes, that was dimensional magic. It's just used to shorten the travel time between Equestria and the Moon. These gems are from long before Majesty, made by me to facilitate such travel. And since the incident, I have made each of my soldiers personally promise that on their lives, and those of their lineage, they would never let a unicorn or a vampony put their hoofs on one of them, making these artefacts an honour, while keeping them ignorant of their true nature. So be mindful of making any comment that might reveal this secret." Without waiting for a reaction, she ended the conversation by breaking the spell that was isolating them. When she felt enough time had passed for Swift to have completed his assignment, she magically empowered the portal, activating it. This caused the tent frame to float into the air and form a portal frame large enough for two alicorns like Nightmare Moon to easily pass through while walking side by side.

The bat ponies who witnessed the scene were quite surprised to see magic capable of such a feat.

The bat ponies pulling the royal cart marched through the portal, joining Swift on the other side, who then climbed onto the cart to ensure that the still unconscious Princess Luna, who was already on it, did not fall off on the way to Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon was pleased with the result. "You've done what you came for, you can go back to your campfire, Pepper."

The latter thought about the situation for a moment, and considering that her presence was no longer necessary, turned to the Queen. "For this service rendered, I request another ration."

Nightmare Moon frowned before turning to one of her soldiers. "Give her what she’s asking for and lead her out of the camp." She then watched the human disappear behind the tents before looking around for the Major. She turned to the Shadowbolt Nebula guarding the command tent. "Where is the major Antarès?"

The bat pony shook her head.

"The last time I saw her, she was where you had your training with your friend," Chitin pointed out, using the excuse in case, despite the distance, Pepper had let an ear linger in their direction.

This evening was never ending, and Nightmare Moon had the feeling that no time for rest was going to be given, but that was the daily lot of those who rule after all. "Go rest in the tent that has been prepared for this purpose, I will come and make sure of Aglowing's good dreams when I return."

On the Major's orders, due to the fact that the camp was built at a comfortable distance away from the command tent, to ensure Nightmare Moon would not be disturbed by military activity, the guest tent requested by Nightmare Moon, for Aglowing and Chitin to rest, was installed next to it.

After hearing and seeing Pepper implore her for food, Nightmare Moon's borrowed body growled with hunger, she requested a ration to satiate herself on her westward walk.

A bat pony brought it to her with haste.

Pulling a slice of mango confit from the tin can as she exited the camp, Nightmare Moon was taken by surprise when she took a bite of her treat and felt an explosion of flavour so intense, it made her sigh with pleasure. She then ravenously consumed the ration like an uneducated foal, before regaining an attitude worthy of the princess she was. “I understand now why Chrysalis had taken such pleasure in consuming most of the sweets and other pastries I had brought for Aglowing. Her sense of taste is as enhanced as her sense of smell.” She flared her wings and took a brief flight over to the Major’s position, leaving the can behind temporarily, as well as her feeling of shame from her inelegant consumption of her treat.

The Major had stood there all this time, prostrating herself, like an empty shell abandoned by her certainties.

Seeing her like this, and noticing the envelope sticking out from her armour, Nightmare Moon had some idea of why she was in such a state, but nothing good would come of rushing her, so she took her place at her side. Cute Bite’s lineage had watched over Nightmare Moon for a thousand years, she thought it fitting to return the favour, spreading a benevolent wing to shield her aide-de-camp from the night wind. "Why are you crying like this, away from everything?"

"My sister, she betrayed you. She knew what would happen after your banishment ended. Yet she did nothing to ensure your victory. All this time I held a traitor in high regard."

The queen distanced herself from such accusations, thinking that the bat pony's heart had been bruised by the revelations to such an extent that she could not see the bigger picture. "How much do you know now?"

"My hooves are covered in moon blood, my Queen."

"I see," she said, considering what would be the best approach to help her subordinate see beyond the tip of her nose. "Let's say your sister had the wisdom to warn me, what would have been the alternative outcome?"

"You would have defeated Twilight Sparkle, and my sister would still be alive," the Major said.

"Then?" encouraged Nightmare Moon.

The Major's imagination was beginning to trot away from the point where it had been festering. "You would have ruled Equestria unchallenged."

"Go on."

"And the ponies would have come to revere you as you always deserved."

"A pleasing prospect. But, what then?"

A simple question, but it left Cute Bite puzzled, her mind had wandered far from where it had started, too far perhaps. Since the event happened so far back, she didn't understand, lost as she was in this perfect world, and yet it was right there in front of her eyes. "It would have been a perfect victory...?" she suggested, unsure.

"Yes, until Pepper came along, who without Celestia's presence, would have made Luna and I her prey. The human admitted that to me not ten minutes ago. Because of her sacrifice, your sister died a hero, for she saved my life, nay, my soul!"

These few words helped the major realise that her sister’s choice, which had seemed so selfish at first, had changed so much in how things were playing out today. All this time, she had anchored herself to a past spun from lies. Even though the letters her sister had left for her had torn the veil over her eyes to pieces, it was only now that she could see the full extent of her mistake, finally opening her eyes to the present. It was as though the bad dream she had been living through was finally dissipating. She bowed her head under the weight of shame, feeling miserable for having rushed to judgement on her sister's choices, not taking into account the current situation, and worse, for having called her a traitor.

"To the extent that you know what this code entails, I imagine you know enough to hear what I confided to your father and your sister when they were my confidants. I think telling you that will be rather significant in your case."

Cute Bite barely dared to glance at Nightmare Moon.

“A thousand years ago, before my banishment, I was the incarnation of jealousy, jealous because of my older sister. Celestia was taller than me? I used magic to make myself as big as her. Celestia ruled Equestria? I took over Broncoliande and made it my kingdom. Celestia had the Wonderbolts? I created the shadowbolts from the elites of my bat pony warriors. I could go on day and night for a whole week listing all the things I did out of jealousy because of Celestia, but I'll just cut to the conclusion. Whatever the reason, living a life that is not your own for, or because of, a sister, it’s not worth it. Because when it's time to reach the stars, only then do you realise that, absorbed as you were, you didn't live the life you dreamed of as a filly. Live a life that will leave you with no regrets on the eve of your last breath. A life that will leave you with a smile on your face when life leaves your body, that is all I wish for you, Major.”

She laughed nervously. "My sister almost wrote the same thing word to word." First her sister and now the queen herself, it was hard to turn a deaf ear to the two mares she’d made her muses for as long as she could remember. She lifted her head, flashing a smile at Nightmare Moon. "In that case, I'll have to go back to my real adult’s name."

And the confidante smiled back at her. "That sounds like an excellent first step. If the matter is closed, I will inform you of the progress."

The bat pony raised an eyebrow, not suspecting for a moment what she was about to learn.

---

In Ponyville, the early shifting of the sun and the moon worried Ponyville’s citizens. Twilight and her friend spent what was supposed to be the rest of the afternoon rationalising that princess Luna had her reasons for doing so, and that the sun would be raised again tomorrow morning. An hour later, as dinner came to an end, Sunset, seeing that morale was low, despite the laughing jolts from Pinkie's interventions, offered to talk about her life in Japony in the hope of distracting them.

The mares and the young dragon came to form a half circle in front of Sunset, only then did the unicorn begin her tale. "Japony is a kingdom that lies on the other side of the continent that the griffins call home. The country is almost as large as ours. The north and west are lined with mountain ranges that almost entirely delineate the border and protect it from neighbouring nations, while to the south and east lies a sea with a string of islands not too far off the coast that served as the starting point for what would become the nation of today. Now, with the geography covered, I shall begin with its founding, by seven tribes of unicorns."

"Wait a minute, only unicorns? How do they do the weather without pegasi?" Rainbow Dash pointed out, suddenly invested in the story.

"Or harvest any food," added Applejack.

"If you would have given me the time..." said Sunset, "I would have said that in this kingdom, the elements have their own will."

"Like the Everfree Forest?" asked Twilight.

"Exactly," replied Sunset. "And in those ancient times, you had to deal with the whims and impulses of the elemental spirits. It was a rudimentary time, until the arrival of the venerable earth pony." Seeing that she had captivated her audience, with them hanging on her every word, she continued. "The name of this earth pony has been lost to time, but when he asked to speak to the leaders of the seven tribes, no one dared to be absent from that meeting. He offered his knowledge and wisdom to the islanders, and after a long conversation, the chiefs agreed to found a kingdom on the mainland, but to do so, they had to elect a leader, and this was done through a tournament. The winner founded the Chrysanthemum clan, only the samurai from this clan were, are, and will be the princes and princesses ruling the kingdom."

"Why only those from this clan?"

"Because, for the prosperity of the kingdom, that is the clan’s role. True, I did not explain it earlier, but to summarise, a clan is a collection of families associated by real or fictitious kinship, based on the idea that they descended from a common ancestor."

"So, my Apple family, Pinkie's family, and Aunt and Uncle Orange, we are a clan?" asked Applejack.

The question gave Sunset a slight headache. "Yes and no, it's not the samurai's job to work the land, that's the heimins' job."

"What's that?"

"To make a long story short, in Japony, there are different castes, the most important is of course, the Chrysanthemum clan, then the six clans, then the ronins, who are samurais without clans, the heimins, who are basically the merchants, or those who work the land or are house stewards as the case may be, and the etas, who deal with the more menial tasks of life in society." She paused for a moment before resuming. "And when I got there, I was a gaijin, a foreigner. Can I start again now?"

Mares and dragon nodded.

"The Pine Clan was the first clan I dealt with, they are the ones who guard the only somewhat passable point by land one can enter or leave the kingdom and handle relations with the outside world. But at the very beginning, they were a clan of warriors that pushed back anything that might have been an external threat to this nascent kingdom, and even today, they are samurais that should not be taken lightly, quick to react to the slightest attempt at invasion. It took me seven months to learn to speak and write the local dialect."

"Was it difficult?" asked Twilight.

"It was not without difficulty, where in Equestria we have an alphabet that could be described as spherical," she took a sheet of paper and wrote the Equestrian alphabet. "In Japony, they use an alphabet, the most complex of which is made up of a dozen small strokes, really an illegible scrawl, sometimes," she said as she wrote down all the ideograms

"Oh! Oh! Can I try?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Sunset was cautious, somehow, she had an idea of how this would end up, though she was willing to end up a laughing stock if it would take every creature’s mind off their worries for a while. "Of course," she said, handing the paper and pencil to the earth pony.

It only took Pinkie about ten seconds to write a single line before showing it to the unicorn. "What do you think?" she asked with a chuckle.

Sunset read the sentence. "Kore..." she cut short the reading aloud and her jaw dropped the instant she understood the meaning of the translation. Smiling, both amused and annoyed, she squinted, glaring at Pinkie Pie who was hiding her laughter behind the paper.

"What did she write?" asked Twilight.

"She very distinctly wrote <Kore wo yomeru yatsu ha baka da>. It means <She who reads this is an idiot>."

The explanation triggered a general laughter and a good-natured atmosphere, Pinkie exchanging a wink with Sunset as an aside.

Sunset then resumed her story. "I used to work in ryokans, which are combination hotels, restaurants and bars. By observing how the heimin behaved towards the samurai, I learned how I should behave towards all of them, since, as a foreigner, my position in society was more or less the same. The following spring, as I was finally fluent in the local language, I left the pine clan and went to the Cherry clan. Excellence perfectly sums up the way of life in this clan. Each of the samurai seek to excel in an art, but they are mainly known for having the best duellists. In fact, it was a master blacksmith from this clan who, many years later, trained me to forge my katana. But for my first spring in Japony, I was deepening my knowledge, after all, the Cherry Clan was responsible for establishing the unique culture and the codes of etiquette that still govern the kingdom today."

"That sounds like a perfect place for a pony like me," Rarity quipped.

"Perfection is considered a bad thing there, because there's no progression possible when you get a perfect result. It's like if you have achieved the perfect dress, you won't find the inspiration to do anything else, because perfection has been achieved. In my humble opinion, the venerable earth pony must have come from Equestria, because he taught them to live in harmony with the elemental spirits, and because of his guidance, excellence is what those who live in Japony aspire to."

"Oh well, in that case, it's an excellent place for a pony like me," Rarity said in a most sophisticated way.

A general laughter followed.

"The following spring, I left for the Lotus Clan, which was tasked with learning and mastering the magic of the venerable earth pony. I stayed there for five long years to decently manage to do the same."

"Wait, you mean, the fire wings spell you used when we met, it was their magic?!" asked Twilight, her eyes full of stars and her face unable to contain her excitement.

Sunset had no trouble guessing what was going on in the princess' head. "Indeed, however, it would seem that not all unicorns are able to converse with elemental spirits. Therefore, even if I tried to teach you to do the same, Twilight, you might be one of those who never succeed."

Such information almost instantly turned the smile into a pout, her eyes moist and her lip low as if trying to cross the library floor. Still, Twilight wasn't one to give up so easily. "Will you at least show me?"

"Of course." Following this promise, she resumed her tale. "The next clan I visited was the Plum clan, but I don't have much to say about it, since I spent a whole year waiting in a village on the edge of the border for permission to enter. However, I did have many opportunities to converse with samurai of this clan. When they aren’t busy competing with samurai of the Cherry clan for the title of best duelists, they spend their time meditating or having philosophical conversations that end very late at night."

"What is meditation?" Rainbow asked, intrigued.

"Meditation is clearing your mind. With enough practice, it allows you to regain some inner balance. And it's the first step to communing with an elemental spirit." She looked around for an Equestrian equivalent. "It's almost like an afternoon at the spa, you don't think about anything, you let the twins do their treatments."

"Sounds cool... I guess," the pegasus said.

Immediately after Rainbow made this statement, Applejack raised an eyebrow and turned towards Rainbow.

"Oh, so Rarity must be a meditation expert," teased Pinkie.

"A wonderful expert indeed," surmised Rarity in the same sophisticated tone as before, flicking her silky purple mane with the back of her hoof.

Again, a collective laugh filled the room.

"The next year, it was the Bamboo clan I was visiting. They are the prince's army. I learned during my time in Japony that the clan founder's katana is kept by the current prince of Japony, and if an incident requires the army to be involved, the prince summons the lord of the clan and returns the katana, pointing out the enemy whom the blade should be wielded against. These unicorns are bred to be fierce warriors." Sunset turned her gaze to Rainbow. "I'm willing to bet that the Wonderbolts' training is not as bad as that which the bamboo clan samurai endure on a daily basis."

The mere idea that there could be anything more demanding than Wonderbolts training made the mare's wings straighten. It was impossible to tell if it was the challenge or the dread that put her in such a state.

"I didn't stay until the next spring, when they're not busy putting an end to a conflict, they have a nasty tendency to pick on passing ronins."

"Are you saying it's still war there?" asked Twilight.

"Japony has no enemies but itself, the six clans spend their time warring with each other. And the bamboo clan steps in when they're not involved themselves."

"They spend their time warring with each other, and no one complains?"

"Weird, isn't it? There is a local saying that the most beautiful flower is born in adversity. That's their way of life, though I will admit, I too thought it was crazy during my first years there. But with time, these flash wars make you appreciate the little things in life, like enjoying a rice cake." Seeing the doubt on everycreature’s faces, she continued. "That's the way they live, no amount of talking would have gotten me to understand that, just as you couldn't make them understand how Equestria has lived a thousand years without a single war."

"Super simple," snapped Spike, starting to count on his fingers. "Twilight beat Nightmare Moon, Discord and Chrysalis, and I'm the hero of the Crystal Kingdom because I helped beat Sombra."

"Spike!!!" shouted Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow.

Fluttershy, who had been quiet until then, cowered.

"What? I'm not a girl, I can say his name all I want."

"And what do you think would happen if you said his name in front of the mare who shouldn't say it?" chided Twilight. "Suppose Sunset is said mare, what would happen if I hadn't already explained it to her?" she asked.

Spike fell silent and crossed his arms to better sulk.

"Oh, is that his name? Come on, Twilight, from what you've told me, he literally exploded, how could he just come back in the event I'm the mare of the prediction?" questioned Sunset.

"Maybe like when Discord snapped his fingers to make chocolate milk rain!" quipped Pinkie, suddenly thinking back to the rich flavour of the beverage, her tongue hanging low. "Ummm! Chocolate milk~♥"

Pinkie’s intervention was enough of a distraction to salvage what was left of the mood she was trying to set with Sunset, and the latter immediately took advantage of the silence to resume her tale as if nothing had happened. "Laws and justice are the charges of the Ivy clan." She paused. "I’d been living in Japony for eight years by then. Due to my long stay, I had a reputation, and as such, I was sometimes considered a ronin, which allowed me to earn a decent living. So, when I arrived at the border, I was greeted by the magistrate who had employed me many times as a yoriki."

"Like you told Spitfire the other day?" asked Rainbow.

"Right. So, as I was saying, the magistrate, basically a representative of justice, who had employed me many times as an assistant for his missions offered me lodging during my stay, in exchange for taking on several missions on his behalf. This allowed me to master the gears of the legal system. The desire to have my own katana came a few months later. Even though I was somepony who could talk to the spirits, no unicorn can ask for their help indefinitely. It's spiritually exhausting. So often it ended in a sword fight when the culprits had lost their sense of honour. The following year, I returned to the Cherry clan.”

Sunset then told the gathering of her adventures there and spoke of the allies she’d had during a mission. First was the escort of the poet ronin around the Cherry clan, who’d had his coat painted by a Master artist and was travelling the road to be presented in every stronghold as a living canvas of art. Then the investigation with the magistrate of the Ivy clan, which led to the exposure of a vast organisation of marauders who were embezzling the royal tax.

Applejack's ears twitched when she heard Sunset say that the criminals had been subjugated. She realised that the story had been watered down, but did not breathe a word of it, understanding perfectly that Sunset had done this to keep the captivating magic of the tales intact.

Sunset was about to tell a third of her adventures when there was a knock at the door.

It startled almost every creature.

Twilight went to open the door, and when she did, she saw a pegasus of the royal guard standing there, and behind him was the official carriage of royal travel.

Upon seeing her, he quickly greeted the princess by raising a hoof to temple level. "Good evening, Princess Twilight, your presence is urgently required at the palace."

"What happened?" the mare asked.

"I'm sorry, the instructions I received made it clear that I was not to speak of this in public, you will be informed by the one summoning you once you arrive at Canterlot castle," explained the royal guard.

Ears lowered and heart racing, Twilight turned her head to her friends and Spike. "I'm going to the castle; something must have happened to Princess Luna."

Sunset finished fastening her harness to keep her katana against her side before coming over to Twilight. "Wait, we're all going. If something happened to Princess Luna, there's no way you're going alone, you could be in danger. So, you're going to wear the elements of harmony, and we're going to use the portal to get there. You go ahead with the girls; I'll take care of teleporting the cart to the castle courtyard."

Twilight was speechless for a moment as she processed Sunset’s plan. Relieved, she came over and hugged Sunset. "Thank you."

"No problem, Twilight," she said before returning the hug.

As Sunset passed the tracking artefact around her neck, checking that no signals were coming from the north, Twilight telekinetically pulled the elements of harmony out of the display case and attached them to the corresponding bearers before placing her crown on her head and Spike on her back.

Without waiting, they left for Fluttershy's cottage, followed by the royal guards, once there, as Sunset had planned, the six element bearers and Spike went through the gate into the palace armoury before exiting and proceeding towards the front entrance. Upon arriving there, the princess immediately spotted and approached Celestia's personal butler. "Hello Reynaud, what happened?"

The servant bent his neck in a short bow. "Hello Princess Twilight, it's about Princess Luna, she is currently in the hospital, her days are not in danger, however, she was seriously injured in a fight." Even though Reynaud had tried to soften the facts by starting with the good news, the announcement threw the group into a tizzy. "A bat pony is waiting for you in the throne room to give you a more detailed report of the events."

Twilight glanced over her shoulder at her friends, and without a word, they galloped off towards the throne room. Halfway down the great hallway that led to it, they came across a unicorn walking leisurely through. "Prince Blueblood?"

The stallion lazily turned his arctic blue eyes to the alicorn. "Oh, Princess Twilight, how kind of you to join this unscheduled meeting."

"Prince Blueblood? What are you doing here?" asked Sunset, who by a succession of short-range teleportations, had caught up.

"Reynaud informed me that a diplomat was urgently needed in the throne room, so here I am," he said, moving to the closed doors before turning around. He nodded towards them, waiting.

Rarity and Sunset squinted. "Fifteen years since I last saw him and as far as I can see, he hasn’t changed," said the latter.

"Oh, trust me, Sunset dear, not one bit," Rarity added.

Greeted by the guards stationed in front of the throne room doors, Sunset opened the passage for the group to enter, and they could see that Swift was not alone.

Besides him was Dusty Nova, who removed the cloak that signified her status as a royal mage soon after the doors opened, the warrior's words echoing in her mind.

<If your loyalty is to Nightmare Moon, then resign from being Canterlot's Royal Mage at once.>

Swift had deliberately chosen not to divulge the reason right away on the advice of Nightmare Moon, as the vampony was overzealous when it came to the Queen, and it was best to control her by keeping her in the dark to begin with. He walked over to Twilight and curtsied with due respect. "Good evening, Princess Twilight, my name is Swift Chess, soldier of the Moon Guard, ready to report on the events of the evening. But before I do, I have been ordered to ask you the following question, the ponies and the dragon here, do you consider them capable of keeping it a secret?"

Twilight hadn't expected such an entrance, a new secret to keep, as if Princess Celestia's death wasn't already weighing on her heart enough. It had to be even worse for Rarity and Applejack, who lived with their families. She didn't need to ask them. "I trust my friends," she answered with conviction.

Swift glanced at Blueblood.

With an indignant flick of his mane, the prince took the trouble of introducing himself. "I am Prince Blueblood, diplomat of Equestria, whatever is said here will not leave this room."

Swift nodded. "Good. Following the battle in the Badlands, we were forced to travel to Dodge City and Appleloosa to reassure the locals. We let them know that Princess Luna fought to protect the changelings from an Extra Equestrian threat at great personal risk and was injured in the battle. This information is currently being relayed to every town in the kingdom by us."

The announcement provoked a strong reaction from Twilight, her friends, and Spike.

Sunset and Blueblood remained as phlegmatic as ever.

Swift continued. "Yes, it's a lie, it's the Moon's parting gift to Equestria, as of tonight, Broncoliande no longer recognises Princess Luna as its rightful ruler.

"In the name of Equestria, I will take note of this," Blueblood said. "But if Broncoliande wishes to remain on good terms with Equestria, you will need to sign a non-aggression pact. Moreover, the treaty of the two sisters hereby lapses."

"We know that. When the new ruler has been chosen, he will first endeavour to-"

"New ruler?!" Dusty Nova suddenly shouted. "What happened to our Queen, Swift?!" Just as Nightmare Moon had predicted, the vampony snapped.

"After she lost her fight against Pepper, Princess Luna, who, no doubt because our Queen preferred to defend the changelings than to finish the genocide, destroyed the tantabus. She then explained, and I quote, that she was getting rid of a part of herself that was no longer needed." He left his explanation hanging to purposely create tension before resuming. "The spirit of our Queen being in the tantabus at that moment..." He did not finish his sentence, merely shaking his head, purposely, to let their imaginations run wild, and mostly on Pepper's advice, to prevent Applejack from detecting an elaborate lie in his tale.

The answer struck everycreature present like a bolt of lightning. Fluttershy and Rarity fell to their rumps, Rainbow and Applejack, having taken the news a little better, went to make sure their friends were okay. Hoof to her mouth, Pinkie Pie was so shocked that her mane deflated. Spike, who had only known Nightmare Moon through Luna and the Nightmare Night celebration, was not sure how to feel about that.

Inevitably, their eyes turned to Twilight, and as they did, she felt the guilt tightening its grip over her heart.

But Sunset was there to support her, with a hoof on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Twilight, you couldn't have known that Princess Luna would come to such an end, besides, you only took my advice, if anyone is to blame, it's me." Despite instances where she seemed to sincerely regret refusing to help Nightmare Moon, the unicorn laughed under her breath. She never expected her plan to be partially successful.

"Our Queen was murdered by Princess Luna?" repeated Dusty. "In that case-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence as Swift, waiting for that very moment, rushed into her side to tackle her to the ground and silence her. As she tried to catch her breath, the bat pony placed the soleret against her throat to impede her speaking. "In that case nothing at all, Dusty. This is no time to escalate the situation. Without our Queen, only the primogenes have the right to decide how we react. Don't you agree?"

Calmed by the shock treatment, she nodded weakly between ragged breaths.

"I will remove my hoof, you will catch your breath, you will then say that this is of no importance. You will do this without making a sideways glance and in a tone so convincing that even I can believe it, have I made myself clear?" he ordered intransigently.

She complied, bowing, still coughing. "May the events of this evening never mar the good relations between Equestria and Broncoliande."

All according to plan. "Well, we're off," Swift continued.

"Wait a minute, what about Pepper?" asked Sunset.

"Given the state she put Princess Luna in, what were we supposed to do against such a monster?" replied the soldier.

Sunset had nothing to say to that. She would have preferred Nightmare Moon take Pepper to the grave. Then Princess Luna would finally have her revenge, and she would no longer be a danger to Equestria. "And she didn't try to do the same to her as she did to Princess Celestia?" she asked suspiciously.

Swift knew from this question that there was nothing ordinary about this unicorn, and that made her a greater threat than Princess Twilight. "I'm sorry for this aside, but I don't seem to have the honour of knowing you."

Sunset ticked; he had a point. She bowed courteously. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. It is an honour to meet you." She did however take note that he only cared about her identity once she began to question him about Pepper's actions.

"So do I, Miss Shimmer. Back to your question, she said it is not her modus operandi."

“She’s said that a lot,” confirmed Rainbow.

Applejack didn’t notice any lies.

The interrogation ended with this question. Once Swift and Dusty had left the room, Blueblood turned to Twilight. "What are your orders, Princess?"

"My... orders?" the alicorn repeated.

"Pending Princess Luna's full recovery, and inasmuch as Princess Cadance is the head of the Crystal Kingdom, you are, per default, at the head of Equestria," the diplomat said, pointing with his hoof to the throne of Celestia.

When she woke up this morning, Twilight could have never guessed that a chain of circumstances would lead her to take her mentor's place, even if it was only for a short time.

---

After a quick trip to the moon, the group led by Swift returned to the camp. Dusty was on the wagon, grumbling.

The major came to meet them but was royally snubbed by the vampony who preferred to go off on a tangent. "What's the matter with him?" she asked herself as Swift approached.

"Don't mind her, Cutie Bite. She just needs to digest the lie I told to the diplomat from Equestria."

"Our Queen informed me of your mission, did everything go well?"

"The announcement of our Queen's death went down like a charm; I didn't feel that anypony doubted my words. However, a unicorn I hadn’t read any files about before seemed more cunning than …” He realised he was about to say Twilight. “... the rest. She introduced herself as Sunset Shimmer."

"Don’t remember any files with that name," the Major confirmed. "Specify your reasoning."

"All she was interested in was where Pepper was, and why she spared Princess Luna. Maybe I'm imagining things, but from the anger in her eyes, I have a feeling it's not best to lock them both in the same room. The walls wouldn't hold for long." He turned his attention to his friend. "You seem more serene than usual, Cute Bite," he noted with a small teasing smile.

Serene she was, as she smiled back, what's more, it didn't really bother her to hear him use her birth name, now that she knew the reason. And since she had the advantage, she wanted to reverse the roles, just this once. "I'll go write the report. Oh, and Swift, from now on, call me Regal Blade," she ordered with a smile, as she left for the command tent, without a backward glance.

Wide-eyed, Swift took this turn of events in stride, so much so that his jaw and his wings fell to the ground. It was only when he had recovered from the shock that he realised that he was not the only one to have been visited by a mischievous mail pony.

---

Several hours passed, it was time for the sun and the moon to exchange places in the sky, but the last alicorn whose royal duty it was to do so was in a coma in the hospital of Canterlot.

Ten minutes later, Regal Blade entered the tent where Nightmare Moon slept alongside the child, the better to watch over her dreams, even though she had lost the ability to do so along with the tantabus.

Chitin reopened her crinkled eyes with instinctive distrust, her eyes slicing through the darkness of the tent, but when she saw the bat pony standing there, she let her guard down.

Regal Blade moved closer to the sleeping alicorn and unsheathed the soleret before shaking her, making sure not to shake her too hard.

Nightmare Moon, the helmet still on her head, woke up with a jolt, sleeping physically after four years of being a disembodied spirit was something she had missed terribly. She watched her subordinate for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "What's going on?" she whispered.

"My Queen," breathed the mare just as low. "The day shift took its turn ten minutes ago, but the sun hasn't been raised yet.

Nightmare Moon felt the urge to spit her venom on Pepper's back, but she held back so as not to wake up Aglowing. She tiptoed out of the tent and made her way to Pepper's camp. Once there, walking slowly, she approached the campfire, but the human was absent. A few steps further, she immediately noticed the open gate hidden by the stone block. Without waiting, she stepped through it, and found herself in front of the ruined castle, but this was not the time to dwell on the past. Concentrating on the present, she spotted her soon enough.

Pepper was sitting by the river below. She was meticulously brushing her teeth with the toothbrush she had left in her secret place.

"Pepper!" hailed Nightmare Moon. "I told you to raise the sun." she growled.

The unicorn stopped her brushing, turning her gaze to the queen for a moment. "Not my problem," she replied before returning to her dental cleaning.

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe her ears. "You're the only one fit in Equestria, though in terms of raw power, Twilight could pull it off, but the backlash..." she shook her head, trying to push the vision of StarSwirl lying on the ground, having exhausted his last bit of magical strength to lower the moon one too many times. "...the sun's presence in the sky is more important than brushing your teeth!" She couldn't believe she was saying these words.

Pepper took the brush out of her mouth again. "I am just finishing making sure I have gotten all the monsters out of my mouth. Equestria can wait that long," she said before continuing.

"The? Are you talking about the cavities?" she asked, coming to sit beside her.

Pepper glanced towards Nightmare Moon. "Pinkie called them that, yes. According to her, every time I eat a piece of candy, these cavities come and try to destroy my teeth, and when I asked what they looked like, she said they were little monsters that you cannot see with the naked eye, however cleaning the teeth like this ensured that they stayed away for the day."

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe that Pepper could take these childish explanations so seriously. Exasperated, she breathed out her exasperation. "Raise the sun, you can finish your brushing afterwards."

She brushed for a few seconds, but finally replied, not hiding her chagrin any further. "You of all people should understand me. The moment I lower the moon, I myself will end my day of freedom, and I do not know when Gamine will let me have control of my body again."

It wasn’t difficult for Nightmare Moon to understand Pepper’s position. She didn't like it too much, yet she sat there without saying a word, respecting Pepper's desire to savour her last moments of freedom. The sun might be up late today, but it's not as if anycreature would dare go to Canterlot Castle to complain.

Pepper continued to brush her teeth for a while, but the truth was that her teeth had been clean for some time.

Gamine said nothing. She had promised a full day, and she was going to keep her word.

Pepper eventually relented, placing the toothbrush and tube of toothpaste on the stone table in her hideout through a small portal. After cleaning her mouth out with some water, she spat it out into the river and turned her attention to Nightmare Moon. "On second thought, Gamine is going to be in charge of the day and night cycle for a while. The ability to manipulate the sun is mine, but it would be best if you guided her in lowering the moon, as she will be employing raw power without any clue on how to properly do that."

Nightmare Moon was already considering worst-case scenarios. "So be it. Let's do this."

Pepper relinquished her body to Gamine.

Gamine then followed Nightmare Moon's instructions. They crossed horns, and with her guidance, the Moon was lowered smoothly, before the sun was lifted high in the sky.

To the average pony, it was just another day.

But for Gamine, Regal Blade and Twilight, it was the beginning of a new chapter.

For Nightmare Moon, the final pages of her story.