”You know, I’ve been wondering… How did you manage to return?” Twilight asked, her head resting on Nightmare’s chest. Since the likelihood that Nightmare lodging in town wouldn’t cause at least a few problems was next to none, Twilight had offered to let her stay in her castle, finding only after the arrangements were made that the Tree had included bedrooms for her, her friends, and Spike, but no proper guest rooms.

At least, that was the excuse they went with.

“Thinking about it, when we used the Elements on you, I’m sure I felt them tear you from Luna. And then, well… “Twilight rubbed her chin. “Nothing,” She finished lamely.

Nightmare chuckled. “Would you believe that I broke free from Tartarus? That I fought my way out from the deepest pit, destroying any who dared attempt to stop me, and even fooled the guardian Cerberus?”

Giggling, Twilight shook her head. “Nope.”

“And why not?”

“Because Cerberus isn’t outside pawing at the castle doors for me to let him in so he can take you back. And yes, I said ‘pawing’. I know him – sort of. Well enough that he wouldn’t just break down the doors to my home. I think.”

“Oh my, my love is so powerful that she even tames denizens of Tartarus?” Nightmare swooned. “I shall have to remember to remain on my best behavior.” Her actions earned her a swat on the chest.

“Stop that. I’m serious, I want to know.” Twilight grinned cheekily. “And Cerberus isn’t a ‘denizen of Tartarus’. He stands guard outside the gates.”

Nightmare shook her head, smiling down at her. “Very well, though my return does involve Tartarus, if not in such a fantastical way…”

Lying on Celestia’s bed, her head resting on Nightmare’s shoulder, Twilight winced, feeling Celestia’s magic manipulate what little was left of the nerves in her left cheek. “Healing” was too kind a word for what was essentially fusing together the pieces of tissue, perineurium, and axons that hadn’t been completely burned away.

When they had returned, Luna had gone to relieve Cadance and Blueblood and take over day court for Celestia, who had “chosen to stay behind a bit longer on their joint impromptu ‘sabbatical’”. Due to the unplanned nature of their being there, Cadance and Shining Armor had had to immediately return to the Crystal Empire, though they were both told that they would more than likely be needed again, and to be ready.

With a sigh, Celestia sat back on her haunches, the light from her horn fading. “I have repaired what was left. There wasn’t much, and even my magic cannot create something from nothing. You will likely not have full feeling.”

Twilight sighed, feeling Nightmare brush a wingtip along the exposed skin on her face, feeling it only from the top of her cheek to the top of her jaw line. Still, she smiled. “That feels wonderful. Thank you, Celestia.”

“I shouldn’t have waited so long. The moment you didn’t return, I should have-“

“Celestia, stop.” Twilight turned to face the sullen mare. “I told you: I understand. You had limited options and none of them were acceptable.” She smiled lightly at the arched eyebrow the comment received. “I thought about it while I was resting with Nightmare.” Closing her eye and laying her head on her forehooves, she spoke low but firmly.

“You could have gone to war on the notion that they had taken me – with only minor evidence to support your claim. Of course, the guard and the military would undoubtedly follow you, but who’s to say how long it would have taken to get to me? Assuming I was found, how many would have died? And if I wasn’t found, ponies would begin to question if it even was the Griffins that took me. Eventually, you would have to give up, wasting the lives that had been lost. I know that you wouldn’t be okay with either and I wouldn’t find either acceptable.”

She paused and opened her eye, looking expectantly at Celestia. When the princess nodded mutely, she continued.

“You could have come yourself, of course, but what would you have done? Demanded that the king return me? He denied any involvement even staring me in the face; he would have done the same to you. Would you have begun destroying towns and cities until you found me? Even Nightmare couldn’t find me until she ripped the information out of one of the king’s advisor’s minds. The first would be pointless and would only lead toward war. Can you say that you would be okay with the second?”

“Yes,” Celestia stated firmly.

“Of course n-” Twilight blinked and jerked her head up, mouth agape, staring at Celestia. “What?”

Celestia smiled sadly. “The loss of life would be regrettable, yes, but it would be acceptable, to me, if it lead to your return.” She raised a hoof to forestall Twilight’s objections. “You are my student and friend. You have done much for me and Equestria: You brought my sister back to me when I could not, you defeated not one, but two of my greatest adversaries where I was powerless and you’ve defended Equestria multiple times, putting yourself in harm’s way to do so.

“But even without any of that, you are family to me.” She raised her gaze to Nightmare before returning to Twilight. “And I and should do whatever is necessary to protect my family.”
Twilight continued to stare silently, her outburst against Nightmare replaying in her mind. “’Shiny doesn’t deserve that…’” She repeated softly. A prodding wing from Nightmare snapped her out of it, her unfocused eye returning to Celestia. “Thank you, Celestia. I understand. I wouldn’t want you to do it, but I understand…”

Laying her head back, Nightmare sighed and began idly running a hoof through Twilight’s mane. “You are right to say that you felt the Elements tear me from Luna. Or at least you felt them try. Luna did not simply borrow my power or take on my form; we merged. Completely. She was me as much as I was her. To separate one would have meant death for one, if not both of us, and I do not believe that the Elements are capable of taking life.

“I’m still not entirely sure of this, but I believe they attempted to ‘balance’ Luna instead. Most of her anger was… subdued; locked away inside her mind. And I went with it.”

Twilight gasped. “That’s terrible! How could they do that? Did Luna know?”

“It wasn’t so bad. I was not entirely aware the entire time. I knew somewhat what had happened, but, for the most part, I would compare it to a long nap with short moments of lucidity. And while I would have much preferred being conscious and active, it was certainly preferable to being banished again. As for Luna having knowledge of my continued existence?” Nightmare shrugged. “She did nothing about it that I can remember.
“But I will spare you the details of the half-memories from the time. When Tirek resurfaced…” Nightmare shuddered. “Just the thought of him puts a foul taste in my mouth.” She paused and smacked her lips before grinning down at Twilight, who in turn, stared back, head cocked slightly to the side. “I may need something to remove the taste before I can continue…”

It might have been a bit mean to bribe the young alicorn, but the way her eyes darted around the room, presumably searching for a drink to give her, before her ear twitched when she realized what Nightmare had meant, and the way she ducked her head with a nervous smile while her eyes jumped between Nightmare’s and the bed, even after having been together for weeks, always made it worth it.

“So does that mean that if – when Skytalon finds a way to force us into a war, can I count on you to assist me with dealing with it, in any capacity I might need you?”

She felt Nightmare shift, but Celestia spoke first, her gaze unsure. “Of course, but you can’t possibly already have a plan. We’ve only been here a few hours.”

Twilight smirked. “No plans, no. But I had a lot of time to think back there and, while most of those ideas aren’t exactly feasible, I do still have a few. I still need to test whether or not what I still have is even theoretically possible, of course, but all of them will require more magic than I have at my disposal.” She touched the collar still around her neck. “Even with this.”

“You have plans, but how do you know you will be able to act on them? They could very easily attack tomorrow,” Nightmare countered.

“They could, but they won’t.” Twilight shrugged. “They are Griffins. And, while it tends to cause problems, their pride and honor is legendary. Even if Skytalon has no honor himself, the council, the soldiers, and even the general population won’t even act without at least a spoken declaration.”

Shaking her head, Nightmare smirked. “Why did I even begin to think you hadn’t thought this through?” Her horn surrounded in a cyan aura, she asked, “Celestia, when is the next meeting between our councils?”

“We meet in a month.”

“I want it recorded.”

Celestia arched an eyebrow. “Of course, our scribes will make a record of everything said.”

“No,” Nightmare grinned, a crystal filled with magic matching her aura materializing in front of her. With a burst of magic, an image matching Nightmare’s view appeared above it. With another pulse of magic, Celestia’s mane began to flow and Nightmare’s voice emanated from the gem.

”I want it recorded.”

Nightmare smiled softly as Twilight pulled away with a contented sigh, eyes still closed and returned her head to Nightmare’s chest. She licked her lips and began running her hoof through Twilight’s mane again. “Much better. Now, where was I again?”

“Tirek,” Twilight muttered.

“Ah, yes. He isn’t important.”

“But you said-” Twilight blinked, staring up at her before pouting. “You didn’t have to do that…”

“No, perhaps not-” Nightmare grinned down at her. “-But you’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“I- that’s not-” Twilight sputtered indignantly before letting out a frustrated groan. “Just get on with it.”

“Very well,” Nightmare chuckled. “As much as it pains me to commend her for anything, it was Celestia’s plan, the transference of all the alicorn magic, that finally broke the elements’ hold on me. I am a being of magic and, with Luna in full control of herself, I was hers to give.”

With a sigh, Twilight pulled herself off the bed, Nightmare close at her side, wary of the slight wobble still in her step. She smiled gratefully up at Nightmare before turning to the door. “We should get going.”

“You’re leaving?” Celestia asked. “There are plenty of rooms available in the castle, if you’d like to stay.”

Twilight shook her head. “Thank you for offering, but no. I want to start preparing as soon as possible. And I want to let at least my friends know I’m back.” Twilight paused before turning toward Celestia. “Speaking of which, how much does everypony know?”

“Your friends know that you were taken by the Griffins during your visit.” Celestia chuckled at Twilight’s questioning gaze. “Suffice it to say that it is difficult to sleep or even think when your guards are chasing Pinkie Pie while Rainbow Dash beats on your door, demanding answers.”

Twilight turned away with a small smile, but said nothing.

“As for everypony else…” Celestia sighed, her shoulders sagging. “We said that you stayed in the Kingdoms to learn more of their customs and culture.”

Twilight nodded, but again, said nothing.

Nightmare gently raised Twilight’s head with a wing, looking down at her, her gaze soft. “As much as I’m sure you’d be loath to do so, you should consider removing that collar; perhaps consider leaving it here in Celestia’s care.” Twilight pulled her head away, shaking it profusely. Nightmare sighed. “It is likely to raise questions.”

Twilight’s horn lit, her lavender aura surrounding the collar. The sides began to thin out and flatten against her neck, falling until it rested over her shoulders, while the front followed suit, elongating and curving down against her chest. With a pulse of magic, a starburst indent appeared in the center of the front, the metal around her neck thickening as the metal shifted. When she finished modifying the collar and released it from her magic, the indent was flooded with lavender magic. When it filled, the magic took on a reflective sheen, imitating a gem, while the collar itself shifted to brushed silver.

“There. No one will question a torc, right?” Twilight asked with a smug grin. “All of you have one, so it shouldn’t be surprising that I have one too, right?”

Celestia and Nightmare traded wary glances. “Very well,” Nightmare sighed. “There is still the matter of your face, since you are set on keeping this hidden. Perhaps an illusion?”

“Yeah, that’d be simple enough.” Twilight brushed a hoof against her torc. She blinked and looked at Celestia. “Celestia, are the royal armorers on duty?”

“They are. I can send for them, if you’d like.”

Twilight glanced out the window, noting that the sun had moved well past its apex, on its way toward the horizon. “Could you have them meet me in a few hours? There’s something I need to do first.”

“Of course. I will tell them to meet you in your old study an hour before sundown.”

Twilight nodded. “That’ll be fine, thank you. Also, is the meditation room we used to use still available? The one that’s warded to keep magic from getting in or out?”

“It is,” Celestia said with a wry smile. “The wards should still be strong enough to maintain their barrier, but please do not test them. We don’t need the staff panicking. Again.”

“That was one time,” Twilight huffed. “And you told me to test them,” She added with a soft smile, starting toward the doors. She paused, her magic surrounding a handle. “Thank you again, Celestia. For everything.” Her smile turned to a grin. “And make sure to tell the armorers to be willing to get creative.” She chuckled and continued out of the room, looking up at Nightmare. “You’re good with mind magic, right?”

”When you received Luna’s magic, you also received me.” Nightmare laughed at Twilight’s wide-eyed stare. “Believe me; I was as surprised as you. Waking up in your mind was… jarring, to say the least.” She gently stroked Twilight’s neck. “I will say, coming from Luna’s mind, your memories were refreshingly sharp and focused.”

“My memories?” Twilight squeaked. “You searched through my memories without my permission?”

“I promise you, I did not pry on anything intimate or embarrassing, but, as far as I knew, you were to become my new host. I wanted to know how you might react to my presence should I reveal myself to you.”

“You could have just talked to me.”

“I could have-” Nightmare nodded. “- but, as I recall, you had your hooves full at the time. I doubt you would have welcomed the distraction during your flight into a mountain.”

Twilight shuddered against her. “That’s… fair, I guess.” She blinked, her ears perking up. “Does that mean I gave you to Tirek when I gave him all the alicorn magic?”

“No,” Nightmare said softly. “Whereas I was part of Luna, and thus part of her magic, you and I were not bonded in the same way. You contained me, but did not control me. But, at the same time, I could do nothing to help you.” She grinned and resumed stroking Twilight’s neck. “And believe me, had I the ability at the time, I would have done anything I could to help you remove the last centaur from this plane.”

The meditation room was a simple affair: circular and empty except for four pillars arrayed in a square in the center of the room, fitted with a single inward facing iron sconce that provided light by way of blue mage-fire.

Twilight was sitting on her haunches in the center, facing Nightmare, who stood across from her. “Twilight, explain to me again why we’re here.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak. “This time without sounding like a mad pony.”

Twilight groaned in frustration. “Okay, look. You’re good with mind magic, right? Illusions, manipulation, making ponies think that something is happening when it actually isn’t?” Nightmare nodded slowly. “I want you to make me feel fear.”

Nightmare leveled her with a flat stare. “So, you want me to make you believe that you fear me?”

“No, I wouldn’t-… no.” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “How about something that even the most irrational pony wouldn’t fear?”

“So, a rabbit?”

“No,” Twilight snickered. “We both know that rabbits can be Tartarus-spawn.”

“Very well,” Twilight heard Nightmare reluctantly say before her horn was surrounded in her sapphire aura and she disappeared in a flash.

I rubbed away the spots from my eye, unprepared for Nightmare’s spell. Looking back to where she stood, I found that she was gone, in her place, a group of… squirrels.

She’d made a scurry of squirrels.

I wanted to fall over laughing as I watched them hop around in front of me, their tiny little paws clacking against the stone floor. There was no way that any pony would be afraid of them, even if those tiny claws could dig into my flesh and tear it from my bones.

I blinked. That wasn’t right. They are squirrels; docile. And even if they decided to attack me, I could do nothing as they swarmed over me, claws and teeth tearing wherever they could get a hold.

I stopped myself from taking an involuntary step away and shook my head, trying to get the image of one of them holding my eye, its teeth poised to bite into it, out of my head. I knew they weren’t real, knew that nothing could happen to me, but I still couldn’t stop myself from shaking.

Clenching my eye shut, I stepped forward toward where Nightmare had been standing, my hooves passing through the illusions without trouble. As I moved through them, I could feel their claws scratching at my legs, could feel them climbing on me.

Everything inside me was telling me to run, to bolt through the doors and find somewhere where they couldn’t get to me and curl up. I pressed on for what felt like hours until I finally felt something unyielding. Looking up, I saw Nightmare looking down at me worriedly. Still shaking, I nuzzled into her chest, laughing.

“That was…”

“Too much?” She asked, her hoof running through my mane.

“No.” I grinned and looked back up at her. “It was perfect. Teach me.”

”When you unlocked the Tree’s gift and, in turn, released everypony’s magic, I could not return to Luna. The laws of Tartarus would not allow me to enter and rules of the world supersede any rules we set upon ourselves, even through magic.

“Yet, even though I was free, I was weak, unable to even maintain a simple pony form, let alone this one. And so, I hid within the Everfree to recover.”

“Why the Everfree forest? Why not somewhere safe?”

“And where would you have suggested that would not have caused panic had I been discovered? No, the forest was safe enough and has plenty of untapped magic that I could siphon to hasten my recovery.” Nightmare’s visage darkened. “I will admit, I was quite angry in the months it took me to recover and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been planning some sort of revenge against Celestia, Luna, and… well, you.”

Nightmare caught Twilight’s chin with the tip of a wing as she tried to duck her head, muttering apologies. She smiled softly down at her. “There’s no need for that. Any ill will I harbored in that time has been forgotten.” She leaned down and pressed her lips against Twilight’s, holding the kiss until she felt the smaller mare relax before pulling away and wrapping her in her wings and hooves.

“After all, how could I hold a grudge against the mare who returned my freedom?”

Silence is a funny thing: It can be calming or foreboding, it can be a sign of acceptance or condemnation, but, most of all, it gives you time to think. To think on what you’ve just said, on what you’ve done, on what’s happened. Whether you want to or not.

I had been doing my best to keep myself distracted, to keep myself focused on anything other than the past year. But with nothing left to focus on, nothing to even say as Nightmare absorbed my plans for the spell…

Silence is a terrible thing.

“Twilight-“

“Hey.” My voice was calm, low. “You said before that I was immortal, but not invincible. That means I can die, right?”

She stared at me and before she stopped herself, I could see the answer in her narrowed eyes. “Why?” Her voice was even, colder than I’d ever heard from her.

“I don’t…” I searched for anything to say, to hide my reason. In hindsight, it was simple: ‘I want to know how careful I should be.’ Of course, hindsight is always twenty-twenty. “I don’t know how I’ll deal with… well, everything. Right now, I’m focused, but when this is all over… I don’t know. What if it drives me insane? What if… I just want to know if it’s an option.”

Even before I finished and she began to approach me, I expected her anger. I expected her to be upset. I didn’t expect my vision to snap to the right or pain to flare across the freshly healed nerves in my face.

I turned back in time to see her lower her hoof, her face hard, eyes filled with anger. She continued to advance on me and I started backing away. “You would dare,” She growled. I felt my flank hit one of the pillars. Still, she didn’t stop. I found myself on my hind legs, pinned between her and the pillar before she finally stopped.

“After all we went through, all I, Luna, your brother and even Celestia did to recover you, you would dare ask if it was possible to end your own life?”

“I-“

She drove her hoof against the pillar behind me. I heard the stone crack. “Don’t. I spent the entire last year worried, searching. I ran myself ragged, sleeping only when I could not continue, eating only when this body would give out if I hadn’t. I broke-“

“You don’t under-“ She hit the pillar again and I felt the entire thing shudder from the blow. Just like the squirrels, I was certain that she wouldn’t actually harm me. Yet, again, I could not stop myself from shaking as her slitted eyes bore into my own. I tried to teleport away, only for the spell to be interrupted by her grinding her horn painfully against mine.

“I broke one of the few rules of magic that I have respected for millennia, violating another creature’s mind to find you. Had I known that you would make it all worthless…” She let out a pained laugh and rested her forehead against mine, her anger visibly fading as she sagged. “Had I known, I still would have come for you. Because you are the reason I am no longer bound to Luna. Because I owe you. Because I love you.”

I felt her magic begin to flow. So close to my horn, I could tell that it was the same spell she’d used to link our minds when she first found me. I tried to pull away, but she stayed with me, the back of my head against the pillar. “You say that you don’t know how you will handle the memories. I asked you before to speak to me about what happened. I ask you now to share them with me.”

Staring into her already shimmering eyes, I knew that she wouldn’t force the issue if I said no. Despite that, or maybe because of it, I reluctantly lowered my mental barriers and mirrored her spell.

I immediately regretted it.

The researchers had said, many times, in the beginning that everything they did to me was an experiment: Tests for them to learn more about alicorn magic and physiology. I chose to call it that as well for a reason. By the end, when my captors started flaying skin from different parts of my body just to see where it would heal faster, when they reached into my mouth and tore out most of my tongue and I laid there hoping that, for once, I’d be allowed to choke to death on my own blood, even they couldn’t hide behind the pretense of ‘research’.

I hadn’t told her much, hadn’t said anything to anyone else. Not because I didn’t want her to know what had happened, but because I didn’t want anyone to have to experience it, even second-hoof. When I felt her quivering against me, saw her breaking down as she experienced everything through my memories, I was prepared to break our connection again. But, again, I was interrupted, this time by her lips pressed against mine.

It was a desperate kiss: Desperate for some form of comfort, desperate to know that I – that somepony – was there for her. And as I wrapped my forehooves around her neck, brushing my tongue against her lips, something in the back of my mind wondered if the first time I kissed her in the lab, after recovering my wits, was just as desperate.

I heard her laugh in my head, her voice pained even in thought. ”Oh, believe me, it was. Except, I’m not dragging you down to the flo-“ I pulled away from the kiss to see a teasing smile on her muzzle. Even that seemed off, to me. She rested her forehead against mine again, panting lightly, still shaking.

“I will not stop you from seeking the answer yourself. As much as it would pain me, I would not be so selfish as to stop you if you found it necessary to take your own life,” She whispered almost inaudibly. “But, I ask you to share this burden with me, allow me to carry some of the weight. And if, when this is over, you find that there is no other option… Then, I will answer you.”

The month leading up to the council meeting was thankfully uneventful. My friends had greeted me in my castle that night. How they knew I was returning baffled me until I saw the cake Pinkie had baked waiting in the dining room. What surprised me the most, though, was how quickly Rarity saw through my illusion. It shouldn’t have: she would be the one to notice a minute difference, even if it was just my left eye being a few centimeters off from where it had been when I left.

Honestly, it made it easier, made me have to explain – in minor detail – what had happened to them and what was likely to happen. By the time they left that night, I don’t think I’d managed to convince any of them that any participation by me in the coming conflict was a good idea or even necessary. Still, Dash agreed to help me with my agility in the air and Applejack with my physical endurance.

Would it have been better to learn from a royal guard or soldier? Probably. But I wanted to limit the chance that it would get out that I was training for combat.

A month later, Nightmare and I were lying in bed, her on her back with me lying on top of her. With how busy the two of us had been, planning and working with Celestia and Luna to bolster the most likely avenues of attack, nights were the only time we had for the pleasure of being alone together, being able to push everything else out of our minds, to just block out everything that wasn’t us, if only for a time.

I sighed, content to just lay there wrapped in her hooves. I felt the magical disturbance, the air by the nightstand vacating as something was being forced into existence where it once occupied. With a muted pop, a scroll bearing Celestia’s seal appeared on the nightstand, a gem filled with golden magic clinking against another filled with purple and sapphire as it came to rest on the nightstand.