Imperial Forclousure

by The Sound of Loneliness

A Baddy Reuinion Day

By the time Nightmare Moon returned, her sorrow already boiled into anger. She came all this way, she stretched herself back into the position she swore she left behind, all to aid her named sister. The pony who now rejected her!

"Don't distrub us," she said to her drones. "Have the zebra wait. Tell her that I must speak with Miss Applejack first."

The changelings silently left leaving Nightmare Moon and Applejack alone. Nightmare Moon gave the orange farm pony a heavy glare before beginning her interrogation,
"I will not play games with you, Applejack," she began plainly. "I require your information. Everyone I have met so far either refused to give up anything useful for my goal or knows nothing. Tell me what I want to know and I shall let you leave in peace."

"Information, eh? Tell me just one thin': Why shouldn't I just tell you to get bucked?" Applejack found a comfortable enough pile of brickwork and dropped herself down upon it.

"I expected nothing else of you. As mulish as always. Very well, then. Let us test the limits of my patience, shall we?" Nightmare Moon rumbled. "As if I don't have enough problems without you being difficult." Nightmare Moon expected to get hit back in response to her pinch, but Applejack fell quiet for a time.

"Uhhmm... I mean... Ya wanna talk about it first?" Applejack asked.

"It is none of your concern," Nightmare Moon grumbled.

"Well... Ya been looking like brooding fo' a while and ya said ya wanted to talk. So, let's have it like 'dis, ya tell me why ya 'ere and watcha' want, and we'll see from 'dere."

Nightmare Moon did not design to answer, initially. Despite their shared history, Nightmare Moon had to admit, of all of them, Applejack would know the most of her plight,
"I suppose you, of all my acquaintances, would be the best one to speak to on the matters of family," she begrudgingly spoke up.

"Oh..." Applejack's face suddenly became solemn. "Ya just don't look like somepony who would have too many problems with 'dat, is all."

"What, you don't think someone like me can have one, is that it?" Nightmare Moon sharply shot back. "Your prejudice is, as ever, stunning."

"It always seemed to me 'dat yer wouldn't be all 'dat much concerned if someone said something mean 'bout ya."

"It's not that," Nightmare Moon loudly sighed. "Have you ever done something to help any one of your numerous relatives just for them to tell you that they didn't want you?"

"Well... Yes, actually. When I and cousin Raddish Stew were together with Goldy, doin' bit o' ordering up. Goldy is... well... guess 'dat no matter right now. So I and Raddish were 'dere, goin' though Goldy's heirlooms and then she sees a wee big stack o' crates up the hutch. She tries to reach it, but it all ends up falling down on her instead. I and Goldy dig her out and she just says 'dat she wishes Goldy wasn't so clingy to the old stuff. We both get mad and end up not doing much more 'dat whole day. 'Dat pretty much it."

"That has to be one of the most boring stories I heard in my life, Applejack," Nightmare Moon said moodily. "It reminds me of Celestia's attempts to tell Luna fables of her own invention whenever we did something displeasing her."

"Was it 'dat often?"

"Surprisingly, no," Nightmare Moon admitted. "Usually, the only one trying to lecture us was our nurserymaid. Celestia was doing that only occasionally when she had nothing better to do, which was rare."

"So, ya and Luna been just doin' yer own thing 'den?"

"Pretty much; with Celestia being old enough to replace our parents on the throne, there was very little for us to do outside causing small-time trouble at the castle."

"Sounds like good time, honestly. Me runnin' around the farm, causin' ruckus was always fun."

"Oh..." Nightmare Moon would've grinned if she could. "It was fun. We kept running through the halls, putting water buckets for ponies to knock over, painting pictures on the walls with chalk and coal, and re-arranging star patterns."

"Like 'dat, 'den? Huh, I never believed ya actually were friends if I am honest. Always thought ya just made her believe 'dat. It kinda makes sense why Luna would protect ya as she did. ...So, what happened now?"

"I... I asked Luna to return to me... and she refused."

"Ouch," Applejack said with a nasty cringe. "What did she say?"

"She said that she will not abandon our subjects, even for my sake." The response seemed to give Applejack a pause. "Oh, I am so tired of everyone wanting me to rule them!"

"So, eh... You mean you weren't gonna make everypony lick yer hooves anyway?"

"Certainly not! I had quite enough, thank you very much."

"Huh... dat's refreshin'. I was already thinkin' 'bout how to have mah crew meet dem quotas with a war goin' on."

"I have no intention of fighting wars anymore, Applejack. I imagine we can both agree that it's better not to repeat that particular part of our history."

"No arguin' with 'dat. So, ya just wanna have Luna with ya again? What's she is to ya anyway? I mean, really."

Nightmare Moon took a pause for a long, brooding sigh. That question required a little more than a moment of planning,
"Luna calls me her sister," she mumbled. "She once told me she wishes I was her older sister instead of Celestia."

"I see, m'kay. But what do ya really feel like?"

"I..." Nightmare Moon took a deep breath. "I miss her," she admitted. "Applejack, she was my only company for innumerable years. Long before your clan grew its first branch, Luna was showing me kindness and appreciation I did not deserve with my actions. Luna treated me like I was her family. She knew what I was almost from the beginning, yet she allowed me to take her body anyway. Because she thought that me not being born with my own was unjust and she refused to allow me to suffer if she could do anything about it.
"Then, I hurt her. Oh, how I hurt her. In my foolishness, I believed that power would provide me with everything my birth did not. She had to pay for my mistakes with a thousand years of her life, but she still forgave me! Letting her suffer alone would be my worst deed to day."

They both sat in silence for a long while. Nightmare Moon only felt worse for it.

"...Wow... Dat's... a lot. Didn't think ya had it in ya. Carin' for someone else except yerself, mah meaning."

"I suppose you can be forgiven for thinking this way."

"Yeah, it sounds like ya owe some big apologies to a whole lot of ponies. Well, I guess we better start 'den. I think one of yer blokes said something 'bout a zebra, 'dat right?"

"Applejack, wait. I am honored that you would volunteer, but what I require of you is much simpler."

"Oh... yeah, you said you wanted information? Well, I guess I can do 'dat."

"Thank you," Nightmare Moon said humbly. "I must understand what happened to our home in my absence."

"Well... you want long or short one?"

"Just inform me of the current state. I believe we can skip all the history."

"Fair enough. I guess the first thing you'd wanna know is that we have no nobles and princesses anymore. Nobody's any higher than anyone else just cause they happened to be born in a special family."

"I somehow find that hard to believe."

"Sho, 'cept there's practically nothin' to back up 'yer status with no more anyway. It's real simple now, actually. 'Those who don't work - don't eat.' Nothing else 'bout it no more. Since crops don't grow as well anymore, everyone has to work. It ain't as much 'ere, but places East practically all big farm now."

"I had hoped we have solved this issue back in my time," Nightmare Moon sighed. "I have received reports of fertility dropping and I ordered Twilight to return the elements to the Tree. It seems my theory was wrong."

"Well... yeah. It's not really fertility though. It looks magical. Smart ponies counted some numbers and it looks like the same flat amount of crops dyin' everywhere. Can't be anythin' else, 'cept magic."

"Well, I, for one, can also propose statistics fudging. But I concur."

"Right. So, we all have to grow food now, unless there's somethin' else you do that's considered useful."

"That being?"

"Engineers, soldiers, that sort 'a folk."

"I see. The essentials. So far it eludes me why no one else could tell me anything substantial."

"Well, that's probably 'cause the borders are closed. We ain't allowed to cross in or out. They gonna shoot ya if ya try."

"That feels a tad... excessive," Nightmare Moon was surprised. So far the measures taken seemed mostly fair, given the situation. Closing borders on the other side, was not reasonable in any sense. There is little point in keeping dissenters inside where they will only corrode the state.

"If they didn't do that, everypony would've already left. 'Cept us, I guess. Ponies still sometimes slip out, but we never hear back from 'em."

"I take it you also don't have a say inside here aswell?"

"Nah, not really," Applejack shook her head lightly. "Ya do what ya told by yer commissar, if ya do a good job, ya get rations. Otherwise, they don't bother ya too much. It's honestly not so bad, everythin' considered. Unless one of 'em needs a scapegoat, then ain't much anypony can do for ya. Troublemakers ain't treated gently."

"And that is why you are compliant, necessity."

"Eeeeh... To be honest, it's more. I think I'm just tired. Bein' angry at ya and Rarity, and other ponies, was takin' too much outta me;
"I just wanted for things be back to how they were, us just growin' apples and makin' Zap jam, and cider, ya know what I mean?"

"I won't pretend to know, Applejack," Nightmare Moon said with a grain of envy. "I spent my life first fighting over and later protecting my land. There never truly were good times for me."

"Nah, it's not good times, just better. We always remember better times when we are in a pinch. Ya just told me 'bout yer's."

"I suppose you are right. Better times. Are your workers your family?"

"I guess they kinda are, but nah. They were just sent 'ere by the committee from elsewhere. I got a colt from Ponyville and from Appleoosa, and even from Fillydelphia. Ya just get sent wherever ya needed. Good to have some help, to be honest."

"And your siblings?"

"Well... they were sent away. I get letters from time to time. Mac says he's in Vanhoover. Apple Bloom ended up in Appleoosa, we have kin there and they look out for her. Could be worse."

"My... condolences, Applejack. I am aware of how tightly connected your clan is."

"Don't sweat it," Applejack waved it off. "Just how it has to be. Ain't nothin' wrong with helpin' others."

Nightmare Moon, had to look away, suddenly Applejack's honest face felt hard to look at. How naive Applejack still was. Nightmare Moon didn't want to steal what little innocence she still had, but Applejack would never appreciate her not speaking out now. Her internal debate didn't last long enough for her to become even more sentimental.

"Applejack," she began firmly. "They were taken away not because of necessity. I remember many a tyrant who separated families to deprive ponies of their connections. This is no gesture for aiding others, it is a means to control you."

"Nah, it's not like they sit down at a table and talk 'bout who should go where. They saw us having lot-a ponypower and made some of us go where there ain't much."

"Applejack, think: You have a whole team on your farm, but they choose specifically your siblings to go. None any of your other workers, specifically your siblings, even though they couldn't have overlooked that you are a family. It is easier to control you if you have no one to trust; and even by yourself, you are a hoofull, let me tell you that from experience."

Applejack suddenly stared at her with wide eyes,
"Ya mean you-"

"No, I never did anything this vile. I never attempted to separate you from your family or any of your friends... with the exception of Rarity. You see, war is war, I did what I had to achieve victory. I still attempted to cause you the least amount of suffering possible."

Applejack sighed and closed her eyes, being momentary silent,
"Ah suppose it is what it is," her non-combative stance brought Nightmare Moon some relief. "I guess ya didn't separate me from Bloom or Mac."

"No, Applejack. I would never do such a thing, even in my worst moment, that is truly vile. We, titleholders, are judged by the state of our holdings. Our duty is to make sure you are content and provided for. We feud with each other, but our duty to you never changes."

"Ya make it sound like yer feudin' didn't kill thousands of ponies," Applejack gloomily reminded.

"Something I would never stop regretting. Eternal existence is also an opportunity for any number of grave missteps."

"Well, at least yer sorry."

"I am, Applejack. Perhaps I am still able to rectify some of them. Tell me of the political state of the country."

"Back to business, then," Applejack sighed. "The highest authority, at least officially, is the Central Bureau. Each province sends one representative there where they all do their politickin'. We are all required to sit down by a radio each month and listen to the Bureau's secretary readin' out the decisions they came to. Under the Bureau, are different ministries. Ministry of Agriculture is the one ah hear most often, but there's great many of them, even things like public transport and forestry have there own ministries."

"Odd," Nightmare Moon remarked. "Having such an extensive bureaucratic apparatus never increases overall efficiency." Applejack just shrugged.

"I dunno. Never been one for that stuff."

"We shall see just how well they work, I suppose. What else is there?"

"Not much, just plants and town councils."

"I see. You must answer directly to the ministry then."

"'That's right. Farms ain't takin' any directions from towns."

"I understand. While I feel somewhat reluctant to ask... what is the official position on royalty?"

Applejack propped her chin and actually took a moment to think. This had to be good, Nightmare Moon didn't remember seeing the farmpony do that once.

"Lady, we have a situation," Major Tarsus hailed her, entering their chamber.

"Out of my sight, Major!" Nightmare Moon snapped at him, currently exceeding her limit of patience with her subordinates. "I will hear you after Miss Applejack is safely off and not a moment earlier." To his credit, the old drone did not even flinch at her sharp bite.

"Lady, we have intruders on the castle grounds," he continued, unfazed. "Somehow, they infiltrated-"

"Deal with it yourself and don't bother me again! I have an urgent business that may just save your soldier's lives."

"Understood, My Lady. I will not disturb you further," the Major curtly bowed and backed out through the passway.

"I apologize for that," Nightmare Moon returned to a tone much milder. "They are almost like little foals sometimes."

"He looked like he has somethin' important to tell ya though."

"Pfff!" Nightmare Moon snorted. "Please, whatever kind of intruders there may be, they will not see next moonrise. My sister is already more than they can handle, without even counting my changelings."

"How come you got changelings followin' ya anyway?"

"That would be a story for another time. Back to our agenda."

"Ah... Yeah, the royal thing. Well, to tell ya straight, it's kinda confusin'. Officially, nobody really talks about you, it's like mentionin' ya, or Luna, or Celestia is bad luck, ya know what I mean?"

"I believe I do, Applejack. I suppose this means Celestia won't have a peaceful resolution then. What do you reckon the public thinks about their new leadership?"

"Hold on... did ya say Celestia?"

"Quite so. Celestia is here with me, we have an understanding for the moment."

"And yer... eh..."

"My sister? She is with me aswell. I had Shadow King separate them."

"What, Sombra's here too? It's like an all-time baddy convention. Who else ya brought?"

"No more baddies, Applejack. Sombra and I shared interest on my way here, I helped him and he helped me."

"If ya say so, Sombra doesn't seem to be the kind of a pony who'd ever do somethin' for ya without it doin' even more for him."

"I suppose. Would a chance of receiving everything you ever wished for be enough of an incentive if you were in his position?"

"What, ya promised him he'd rule the world?"

Nightmare Moon couldn't help but laugh at the notion,
"No, things are never quite so simple with creatures, living or dead. Sombra was a king longer than you have been alive, long before you were born. He knows from experience how pointless power is without a purpose. Power does not appear from a vacuum, others must lend it to you. Without his subjects, Sombra is, almost literally, nothing. Sombra is far from selfless, he has absolutely no desire to bother himself with caring over others in exchange for the power that he has no use for. What Sombra is after is much simpler and more relatable than you may think."

"If ya say so. ah'ma trust mah own experience."

"I suppose it was a folly to expect otherwise. Well then, how do you like your new rulership?"

Applejack shrugged,
"Some good, some bad, ya know, just ponies. Folks don't gossip too much these days, bad things tend to happen to gossipers."

"I see. I suspect there are places for ponies talking too much?"

"Gotta isolate them troublemakers somehow."

"These ministries you speak of, I suspect they would have some kind of buildings to use. Tell me where the headquarters for the Ministry of War, Agriculture, Internal and External Affairs and Infrastructure are."

"Well, I dunno about the others, but the Ministry of Agriculture is in Manehatten. That's where the Central Bureau is at too, I'd wager mah three-day ration most of them are in Manehattan too."

"That will suffice, you are free to leave now," Nightmare Moon decided it was time to hold a council and share some of her findings with Celestia. Perhaps together they could come up with a plan on what to do next. If not, she could order a raid to capture more intel.

"Back to work then!" Applejack said with a smile, as she rolled back onto her hooves. "Been nice seein' ya, as weird as sayin' that is. By the way, any way I could have a chit-chat with ol' Princess too?"

"I did intend to hold a council with her right now, but I suppose we can wait for you. You have more than earned it and my gratitude for your cooperation. Especially so considering our history."

"Never thought ah'd be helpin' ya mahself, to be honest. Family's important, more than a grudge anyway. Not sure if thats what yer really after, but ah hope ya still get Luna out from wherever she's holed up. Haven't seen her in ages."

"Ha-ha! I'll see what I can do, Applejack," Nightmare Moon couldn't help herself. The conversation with the farmpony made her feel warm inside, making amends with her old adversaries was a source of rare happiness to her, she noticed.

Nightmare Moon left Applejack with Celestia. She had to see to whoever attempted to breach her little fortress, but she did steal a glance at Celestia giving Applejack the same homely warmness Nightmare Moon no longer normally seen her give now.

Her Major told her about a foal one of his troopers found making a ruckus in the Castle's catacombs. Nightmare Moon didn't even feel surprised, she even found herself blaming her own inability to recognize how much more teaching she still had to do for her little sister to finally feel enough at ease to stop clinging to her. But then Major mentioned the other pony her sister arrived with. A pegasus with blue fur and rainbow mane. Nightmare Moon sighed, the world felt so small.

She expected that the Changelings would tie them up and put them in some makeshift prison, but to her pleasant surprise, they did nothing of sort. She found them sitting by their camping gear dump, Tiny even made herself comfortable on a couple of backpacks. Rainbow Dash noticed her first and stared at her with mixed shock and horror, Tiny must have not told her as to not spoil the surprise. Nightmare Moon allowed herself a momentary pleasure of seeing her humble, for once. She did get a good look in the meanwhile.
Rainbow Dash was different; everyone of her old subjects was in some way, but none of them had their difference displayed so outwardly, perhaps only bar the little postfoal. Rainbow Dash's mane was much better kept than she remembered: it was groomed and neatly cut, although it wasn't combed for some time. She also had scars. One was on her neck: looked like a shallow, but clean cut. Most of her scars were on her right foreleg; now, those kinds of scars she hadn't seen in quite some time. Her fur still grew there irregularly and stood out from the rest of her coat, those were scars of an archer practicing without vambraces. In her youth, inexperienced archers had to train with special protection for their legs; otherwise, on a botched release, the string would flay the skin of their foreleg. Nightmare Moon was intrigued, traditional archery was extremely rare in this day and age. But that could wait.

"Tiny!" Nightmare Moon sternly called, the filly sharply twitched. "Why are you here despite being told to stay with Princess Twilight?"

Tiny rapidly sat up, spooked by Nightmare so sharply pulling her from her nap,
"Flurry said you are in trouble," Tiny whined quietly, looking on the floor.

"Did she now?" Nightmare Moon chided. "And what exactly did she say?"

"She said you would die unless I am here."

"Clearly, she is far too late with that prediction," Nightmare Moon said with a disappointed sigh. "Did my sister already give you a piece of her mind?"

"She chased the changelings that had us off and put us here. She told me to wait until you are free to deal with me..."

"Well, that is highly restrained of her. I will find a suitable punishment for you, but for now, go find Shadow. She will find you something to do."

Tiny visibly sank at the mention of her best retainer, but still, she hopped down on the floor and slowly walked off to find her.

"Now then, I believe you and I should have words," Nightmare Moon turned to the unusually quiet Rainbow. She was no longer mortified, just visibly uncomfortable. Nightmare Moon felt a sudden urge to push her face-first into this newfound fear of the dead, but dismissed the idea.
"I don't suppose you would be charitable enough to tell me why have you come instead of staring at me like a buffoon?"

"But you are dead!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Ohhh..." Nightmare Moon deeply sighed. The whole 'you are dead' thing was getting old, "Rainbow Dash, we are too old to play the 'how are you not dead' game. You and me, we have more interesting things to discuss."

"I want nothing to do with you!" Rainbow spat out in frustration. "I am not even supposed to be here!"

"On that, we agree. Pray tell then, where was it you were heading before my little sister intercepted you?"

"None of your business, okay?"

"I find it so tiresome to negotiate with the commoners... Rainbow Dash, you intended to go elsewhere, my sister brought you here instead. Wherever you were heading, you are clearly far off course now and I am your only way to get back in a timely fashion. Therefore, negotiate with me."

"C-Crystal Empire, I need to go back to the Crystal Empire," Rainbow Dash blurted out.

"Why, that can be easily arranged. We have a direct teleportation circle directly to Cadance's palace. I could ask my sister to activate it and you will be there. The principal question is why should I?" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and Nightmare Moon allowed her to stew for the moment. Someone, as asinine, as Rainbow Dash she remembered always needed a little time to remember her place.

"What do you want?" Rainbow Dash asked in defeat.

"From you? Simply information. Tell me what you are searching for and why, and where you have spent the last decade. For that, I shall deliver you to where you ask."

"That's all? What stops me from just lying to you?" Rainbow Dash bitterly asked, evidently just to play hard to get. Nightmare Moon had to be patient with this one.

"Is that how you wish to conduct our business? I offer to help you, I did not draw you here. My offer is genuine and I attach no further complications for you. Of course, you could lie, I have little means to verify your word at present, but that would hardly make you any better than me..."

Rainbow Dash loudly snorted,
"You really think this will work on me? Ancestors, you must think I am daft."

"I take it you will not cooperate then?"

"Whatever gave you that idea."

"Shame," Nightmare Moon gave a sigh of disappointment. "Well, come then. Let's make you Cadance's problem."

Rainbow Dash stared at her in bewilderment and didn't move,
"What's your catch?"

"Catch? Rainbow Dash, if you are not useful to me, then I must get rid of you without you giving away our location to my enemies. Considering, by a remarkable coincidence, that you are heading exactly to our backline, I see no reason to not simply give you what you want. That would spare me of having to allocate my soldiers to guard you."

Rainbow Dash still looked unconvinced,
"What, that's it? You won't even try to fool me into trusting you?"

"Oh, please. You overestimate just how much I need your information. Knowing precisely what you are doing here would've been interesting, but I could certainly do without. So, are you done with questions?"

"Sure..." Rainbow Dash picked herself off the floor.

"On an unrelated note, your old friend Applejack is here. She wished to speak with Princess Celestia and you might still catch her before she returns to her farm."

"Wait, what? Celestia? I thought you kill your hosts when you take over bodies."

"Rainbow Dash, I am wounded that you would think so. You've seen Luna, she was alive and well."

"Yes, but she didn't really resist you!"

"We are not predators, we are spirits. We do not kill our hosts. They are simply suppressed and we may even allow them to have control over their body. I simply asked King Sombra to do what he did for me and separate Celestia and my sister. It is quite unfair for us to live without our own bodies, don't you think? Although, my sister chooses to leave her appearance unaltered and you might have issues telling her apart from Celestia."

"I believe it when I see it."

"That is quite a low bar. I'll take you to her now if you wish."

"Yes... let's go see her," Rainbow Dash answered much less impetuously. Nightmare Moon adored putting ponies like Rainbow Dash in their place like this. She did not need to tell her a single lie to coerce her into not only showing more humility, but also to stay.

They found Celestia rather happily chatting up Applejack. They giggled together, no doubt remembering old times. To Nightmare Moon it almost felt wrong to sour their mood. Celestia looked at her and her expression immediately darkened, but noticing who was dragging behind her she lighted up a little more.

"Look whom the changelings found sneaking around," Nightmare Moon singsonged, eager to see what these two will be able to coax out of the pegasus.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash! Mah day just gettin' better and better!" Applejack loudly exclaimed. "Come 'ere!"

Applejack marched straight towards the deliciously awkward Rainbow Dash, giving her a hug that left her out of breath. Nightmare Moon would've smiled from ear to ear, if she had any. But she had to have words with Celestia.

"Have her tell you why she is here," she said, drawing close to Celestia's ear. "She is clearly not here just out of nostalgia and she won't tell me." Nightmare Moon then floated away, leaving Celestia to do what she did best: to have a pony trust her. In the meantime, she searched the hall with her eyes, she had other things to do.