• Published 15th Oct 2012
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The Return of Princess Nightmare Moon - Aegis Shield



Nightmare Moon returns as a battered, half-starved alicorn and its up to everypony to help her. Meanwhile, Blueblood lusts after Twilight Sparkle.

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Mane

The Return of Princess Nightmare Moon
Part 10: Mane

Nightmare Moon sat on her haunches on her highest balcony, in the Obsidian Hall. She’d been staring at the night sky, her horn aglow for over twenty minutes. Bandaid had protested, but since she didn’t seem to be hurting herself, he’d soon quieted. The blackened goddess held the regal pose, taking deep breaths and trying to regulate her body’s flow of magic. Now and then a pebble would roll away from her and burst, or a mote of dust would shoot off into the evening sky, but little else. What was she doing?

“Princess?” Bandaid put a hoof on her shoulder. Her body tingled lightly, as though she were charged with static electricity. “Princess?” he tried again.

“Yes, hoofservant?” Nightmare’s eyes lidded open slightly. Her draconic gaze regarded him with a certain quiet calm he didn’t often see in her. “What is it?”

“Is there anything I can do?” Bandaid asked softly. “You’ve not had any juice today, and I’ve not worked on your legs at all either.” He dropped some verbal bait for her to scarf up, smiling inwardly.

“So eager to touch our legs, how forward of thee.” Nightmare Moon took the bait and smirked, closing her eyes and tilting her head back a bit. Her nurse grinned, knowing she was okay now. “We converse with the stars for the moment. We’ve not been able to for some time.” She told him in a whisper. He tilted his head back to look at the sky, coming to sit next to her. He couldn’t see the stars yet, but if she was talking to them they must’ve been there.

“What do they say?” Bandaid wanted to know, gently setting his medical bag down. He pawed it open lightly, getting a juice box and sticking a crazy straw in it. It had a red medical sign on it. Leaning, he gingerly pressed it between her front hooves in a less than subtle way. She smirked just a little, raising the straw to her lips while she concentrated.

“They say many things, there are millions of them.” Nightmare sipped lightly, feeling like a foal as she did so. Her nurse smiled at the small victory. At least she was taking her ‘meds.’ “Ah, the first pokes his head out.” She nodded a little, for a pinprick of light had appeared in the twilight of the day. “Now, I shalt try again to coax luna forth.” She took a long drink, setting her juice box down and blimping her wings open. Rearing up and putting her hooves on the balcony railing, she arched her back and thrust her hips forward like a drawn bow.

“Princess, please--” Bandaid sighed, but he knew she would not listen. She was the Princess of the night, the Princess of the moon. She would not be happy until she could raise the moon again. He stood just behind her, to catch her if she broke into another coughing fit from the strain.

“Obey me.” Nightmare Moon clenched her fangs together. The light around her horn ignited brighter. “I am thy mistress, the embodiment of the dark!” her wingtips quivered, and the stallion jumped back when an arc of magic went across the alicorn. A ring of dust rushed away from her, and he took another step back. Squeezing her eyes closed with strain, Nightmare pressed at the space between spaces. Luna refused to budge, the stubborn bitch, but Nightmare was just as stubborn. Heaving against the celestial body’s unbelievable weight, the black alicorn moaned with effort. Black and purple sparks shot this way and that, like her horn was a Romane candle. Bits of power raced up and down her body as a black aura began to surround her.

“Princess be careful! You’re not supposed to strai--!” Bandaid cried out when a hard rush of wind nearly knocked him down. His medical bag spilled its contents out over the balcony and he reeled, pressing himself down on his belly with distress.

Nightmare Moon stood on her back hooves, her front ones thrust towards the heavens. She rode the rush with a long, breathy cry. Her voice reverberated amongst the towers of the palace, making Canterlot herself hum in distress. Raw magic power poured from her in a molten flame of bodily light as she pressed herself higher and higher into the lunar spectrum of god-magic. “OBEY ME!” she roared, the Royal Canterlot voice demanding and concussive. Like a roll of savage thunder, her words shuddered the windowsills of countless homes and frightened many foals for miles around. Spark. Crackle. Spark-crackle-crackle. Her magic lit the crevices of every stone around her, her eyes glowing sterile white and the stars of the cosmos glittering across her pelt.

Luna did not obey. She remained hidden from Nightmare’s control. Stubborn bitch!

Princess Nightmare Moon’s concentration soon gave, and she collapsed onto her belly again. Panting loudly and growling with frustration, she pounded the balcony with an angry hoof. “Denied once more!” she snarled, eyes lidding and eyebrows drawn together nastily. “What must I do to move luna once more?!” she demanded, frustrated and ego-bruised. A thin blanket came down over her shoulders, and she batted at it. “We art not cold, Bandaid, away with thy blankets.” She shoved it away, but it landed around her shoulders once more. The nurse stared at her in disbelief, ears turned forward and his mouth open. “Enough, we proclaim!” she tossed her head once more, but the blanket came warmly down around her once more. “Stallion! We demand thee—” she turned about, only to find Bandaid several stretches away. He was on his belly, quite out of reach.

“Yuh!” he pointed dumbly, scrambling to find his voice. “Your mane!”

Nightmare reached up suddenly, grasping at a long, flowing ethereal mane. It embodied itself around her head, and flowed out of her backside as a tail. “Our… our mane!” she gaped, eyes widening in shock. She pulled at it sharply. “Ouch!” she said, then laughed. She let it go, shaking her head about. It disobeyed gravity, flowing freely in the air as though it were underwater. She gave a girly, mare-ish shriek, rearing up and flailing her hooves. “My mane!” she even lost her royal ‘we’ for a moment in her joy. “My mane! It returns!” she cried out joyfully.

Bandaid stared, transfixed. It was like the night sky. It was misty and blue, starry and black. It was ever-shifting, ever-flowing, and yet somehow still hair at the end of it all. Entranced he came close, staring up into her mane, into the cosmos, with glittering eyes. “It’s beautiful…” he said in a whispery voice, unable to take his eyes off of it. “It’s full of stars…”

“Yes, yes it is!” Nightmare said, grinning from ear to ear and tossing it about wildly. “We have missed it so!” she flopped down onto her belly, taking an arm-full of the ethereal thing into her grasp. She shifted it back and forth, and then tossed it free again. “Ohhh, so lovely!” she chirped, leaping to her hooves again. “We must show our sister! Come!” she wheeled about to head back inside, only to nearly run over a white alicorn in her doorway.

“Sister, your mane!” Celestia gasped, the residue of teleportation magic rolling off of her fur like glitter. “I felt your magic spike and came to see—it’s so lovely!” it was rare indeed to see Celestia truly enthusiastic.

“We must brush it!” Nightmare demanded happily, jostling past her sister and into her room. The white alicorn followed, giggling a bit. “It’s been so, so long! We must brush it!” she began tossing entire drawers over her shoulder as she took her vanity apart to find a proper brush. “Ah-hah!” she hopped up onto her massive bed, nickering and patting a spot for Celestia to join her.

The Princess of the day nudged the moon skyward while her sister was distracted, then came to eagerly join her on the bed. Bandaid scrambled about to collect the scattered contents of his medical bag while the royal sisters fussed over Nightmare Moon’s fresh new mane. The surge of power in her body must’ve ignited it, they decided, and now it was back in full. Her normal mane would continue to grow, out of sight, underneath it. But my goodness, she really looked like a goddess again now!

Curiosity was burning in Nurse Bandaid by the time he came in from the balcony. How did one brush an ethereal mane? It was like brushing smoke, wasn’t it? Well, apparently it took solar or lunar magic focused through a brush. Nightmare Moon was lying on her belly, her lips in a great big smile, while Celestia brushed her over and over. The brush was aglow with golden magic, and somehow it seemed to grasp at the ghostly locks like normal hair. The stars and swirling galaxies in the Princess’ mane shifted and moved about, seeming to come to an unspoken order as they were worked at—CLONK! One star suddenly fell out of her mane and struck Nightmare right on the head.

“Erk!” Princess Nightmare Moon made a sour face, and Celestia leaned around her to see. Nightmare picked up a dull, glass-like orb. “Ohhh, hullo there.” She smiled with her fangs. “Used up already, are we?” she turned it over and over, then looked at her sister. “Our nephew has made his wish, it seems.”

“Oh?” Celestia went back to brushing, swan-like how she was sitting behind her sister. “What did he wish for?”

“We think we know.” Nightmare said nastily, raising the dead star up to her ear and listening. Shhh. Shhhhh. Shhh. It sounded much like raising a conch to one’s ear. When she was sure it was devoid of its wishing magic, she gave it a slight flick with her hoof. The whispering ends of a voice, Blueblood’s voice, still echoed within it. One of the fun bits of having a wishing star used up was when it returned to her. Nightmare did like finding out what the magic had been used on, so wishing stars were always equipped with return-spells so that she could always find out.

“Well?’ said Celestia, smiling serenely. She watched Nightmare listen quietly for a time, trying to make out the echo of the stallion’s voice within. Extending a wing to hold her sister steady, she ran the brush over and over through her mane.

“What?!” Nightmare demanded suddenly, her face turning shocked. The answer caught her so off-guard that her wings flared open and almost slapped Bandaid in the face when he approached the bedside. The stallion whew’d in relief, but his Princess turned to look at him. “He doth not wish for Twilight Sparkle’s desire!” she told him.

“He didn’t?” Bandaid said, looking both relieved and happy.

Celestia quirked a brow, her brush pausing in Nightmare’s mane. “Could you excuse us, Bandaid? Guards?” she addressed the armored stallions by the doorway. Nightmare’s guards bowed respectfully, and also stepped out. When the room was empty, the white alicorn leaned around her sister with a frown. “Did you give that to Blueblood thinking he would use it to gain Twilight’s affection?” the day Princess wanted to know. Nightmare Moon nodded. “And you gave it to him anyway?” She nodded again. “Nightie, that’s baiting!” she said, pulling the brush free and taking the dull orb from her. Putting it to her ear to listen, she could hear Blueblood’s voice in a distant whisper.




“I wish for the perfect--”




“I thought to expose him for the worm he is.” Nightmare said, shrugging a bit. Celestia frowned at her, closing her wings. “What? I would not eat him a second time!” she said, turning her nose up a bit.

“I’m disappointed in you, sister.” The white alicorn said sadly, wilting. “I thought you were genuinely apologetic.” She gave a little sigh, leaning and listening to the wish again.

“He hath proven me wrong, Tia.” said Nightmare quietly, her pride vanishing for a moment. “I handed him the power of the Gods themselves, and that is what he wished for?” There was a long silence between the two alicorns as Celestia set the dead wishing star on the bedspread. She looked at Nightmare, who had a puzzled expression on her face. Perhaps her distant nephew was not such a lusty monster after all. “I have,” she hesitated a moment. “I have met worse princes than he, I suppose.” The black alicorn finally admitted. Celestia smiled quietly, then slowly went back to brushing her sister’s mane. It would take more than a little time to get a thousand years of knots out of an ethereal mane.


=-----=-----=-----=-----=
The Next Day…
=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Prince Blueblood was dashing around his mansion like a madpony, hyperventilating. Rushing to one bookshelf to another, to all the tables in the building—he was flipping open books, savagely tearing at pages and sweating. The three maids had gathered in the great room, watching the white stallion vroom back and forth between rooms. “Ahh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Oh gods!” He zoomed past them, back and forth in rabid search for something. “This is the worst thing ever!” he shouted, pulling at his mane in a very un-princely way. For a pony with a compass rose on his flank, he sure did seem lost. In his own house, no less.

“What is this madness?” Tombs had emerged from one of the wings of the mansion. All three maids stood at attention. Feather Duster, Squeaky Clean, and Cheery Cherry all bowed formally to their leader. He nodded, asserting his question again silently with a twist of his mustache. Vroom! Blueblood raced by again, tearing a book off a shelf and flipping through it quickly. That wasn’t it either!

“We think he lost a book or something, he’s been tearing things apart looking for it.” said Feather Duster gently.

“Hrm.” Tombs cocked his head and adjusted his monocle. Coughing once, he watched his master go back and forth in his frenzy. After a few long moments of judging a pattern, his hoof lanced out and grabbed his master’s golden mane. Hauling him back by the scruff of his neck, he pulled the charging pony to a halt. “Sire, your running about is quite unbecoming. Perhaps we staff might aid you?”

“Tombs! It’s terrible! I’ve done something terrible!” Blueblood seized him by his immaculate collar. “How could I be so stupid?! I thought I had a book on it but I think I took it back to the library!”

Swak! Blueblood gave a mare-ish yap of pain when Tombs smacked him upside his head. All three maids winced openly. Coughing once, now that his charge had calmed for a moment, he spoke. “Sire, get ahold of yourself. Whatever it is, I’m sure it can be put right.”

“I asked Twilight Sparkle to the Grand Galloping Gala!” Prince Blueblood exploded, eyes wild.

“Oh, that’s quite good.” Tombs allowed himself a whiskery smile, nodding his approval. “Tiz only proper that a lady like her be seen with a proper stallion like yourself. Keeps away the riff-raff.” He straightened his collar with a singular snap of movement. The vest cocked itself back into place, as though Blueblood had never grabbed it.

“I asked her to the Gala, but I can’t dance!” Blueblood said desperately.

The room went quiet after all three maids had gasped. The butler stared at his master, his face a careful mask of mild uncertainty. It was an alien expression that no member of the household had ever seen. “…wat.” Tombs said after a long silence. Digging into his vest for a moment, he produced a tiny little leather book. Flipping it open, he scanned it. The little book was, quite literally, a brief summary of Blueblood’s activities and habits. Everything from his schooling onward. Horn-fencing. Cooking. Reading. Princely duties. Politics. Visiting the royal family. Twilight Sparkle. Everything of significance for the master’s habits and preferences. How he liked his bath. How he liked his wine. How often he invested in this or that to compound his fortunes for charities. There was no mention of ball room dancing, one of the staples of a standard noble’s long list of skills. Snap, went the little book as it was closed. He stuffed it away. “There has been… an oversight.” He said slowly. All three maids gaaaaaasped with wide eyes, their hooves at their chins. His monocle flashing, he turned and jutted a commanding hoof at all three mares present. “You three! Strip!” he snapped.

There was no hesitating when Tombs gave a command to the household staff. Blueblood stood there, rather stunned, as all three maids cast aside their complex and layered outfits. Tools, keys, and other odds and ends fell out this way and that as the dresses went flying. The master of the house briefly wondered if his staff wandered the house armed. With the odd pile of things, he decided they probably did. Soon, all three mares were naked, standing there and saluting their leader.

Blueblood stared at them, heat in his face. “Er, Tombs, what’re you—?”

“Look closely, Sire.” Tombs said, standing shoulder to shoulder with the white stallion. “Which of them is closest to Twilight Sparkle’s shape and height?” he gestured. Blueblood cocked his head, looking all three mares over for a moment. There was a bit of pink in a few cheeks.

“Feather Duster is closest.” Blueblood said after a time, pointing. She smiled coyly, and the other two maids eyed her a bit with wonder.

“Feather Duster, you will be the master’s new dance partner, while I teach him how to dance properly for the Grand Galloping Gala.” Tombs said, nodding officially. “At least one hour per day, until the Gala, you will practice with him.”

“Yes sir!” she saluted, smiling and making it a promise. “You can count on me.”

“You two, redress and back to work.” He dismissed the other two with a nod. They obeyed, and soon it was just Blueblood, Feather Duster and Tombs in the room. “We have a little more than a month until the Grand Galloping Gala.” He told his master and his underling. “I suggest we start now.”

“Yes!” said both Blueblood and Feather Duster in unison.

“Now then, let’s begin.” Tombs nodded, stepping back and shoving some furniture to the wall with his earth-pony strength. Cocking his head a bit, he went to the phonograph in the corner. It was a decorative antique, but it would have to do. Fishing into the record stand it sat on, he murmured over the titles until he found something worth dancing to. Turning the crank a bit and setting the record into motion, he touched the needle to the disk. A slow, morose sort of tune came out. They would speed it up later, but for now it was slow for learning’s sake.

Blueblood smiled a little awkwardly at Feather Duster. She smiled back, a little flushed at him. Coughing a little, the Prince pushed his mane back to get it out of his eyes. He tried to be friendly about it, to start out. “May I have this dan--!?”

Swak! Tombs whomped him upside the back of his head. Feather Duster jumped, startled. “No.” Tombs said in a quick, even voice. Sniffing a little, he stepped in from the side to correct the stallion’s posture and approach. “Twilight Sparkle is a lady, not some side street strumpet. A gentlecolt approaches with a bow, Sire.” He gestured to himself, bending at the base of his withers with his muzzle pointed down at an angle. Feather Duster giggled a little at all the attention, smiling. Blueblood was quick to note this. “Now you.” He said, nodding at Blueblood. The Prince bowed a bit awkwardly. This was going to take some work.


=-----=-----=-----=-----=


“Alright Twilight,” Celestia smiled demurely. They both lay on little pillows in front of a lovely little ivory hearth. “One moment, and we’ll finish for the evening.” Closing her eyes and hunching just a little bit, Celestia lit her horn with a quiet golden light.

Sol giggled a little, warm in his proverbial bed in the space between spaces. The sun goddess coddled him with her expansive wings. The bright and shining Sol sighed softly, happy in his resting place. Celestia always made sure to check on him just as the last of his light was leaving the horizon. He adored her for it, and always obeyed when she called him the next morning to shed his light on Equestria. Leaning, still in her astral form, she nuzzled him. The spirit of the sun, such an innocent thing. If only Nightmare would cuddle Luna now and then, she really was quite cute once you got to know her. In a black, endless void sort of way.

Celestia’s eyes slitted back open and she gave a coy smile. Twilight cocked her head, waiting patiently until the glow of her teacher’s horn faded. “Everything okay?” she asked softly.

“Mhm.” Celestia nodded a bit. “Now, for your final question of the evening.” The white alicorn had been quizzing her student across various subjects to see how her studies were going. Particularly in the areas of politics, Equestrian law, sociology, etiquette, and court tradition.

Twilight sat upright, ready for anything with an adorable expression of seriousness on her face. She steeled herself. “I’m ready.” The purple mare nodded.

When she was sure her student was paying apt attention, the sun goddess nodded slowly. Folding her wings in a regal way, she actually cocked her head and looked at Twilight in a sideways manner. Twilight leaned a little, curious. “Would you accompany my sister to Ponyville for Nightmare Night this weekend, and make sure she doesn’t eat anypony?”

“…wat.”



End of Part 10