Twilight Sparkle was stirred from her peaceful slumber by the sounds of clopping and thumping echoing throughout the library. Still tired, Twilight tried to ignore the sounds by bringing her bed sheet over her head, but to no avail. It then occurred to Twilight that there should be no sounds in the library at such an early hour as the library was closed and everybody in it should have already been asleep.

Throwing the covers to one side, Twilight climbed out of her bed slowly and used her horn to give herself a little light to see with. Spike was still sound asleep in his bed beside Twilight’s, but the little filly who should have been sleeping beside him was nowhere to be found.

A sudden, louder thumping sound made Twilight jump in fright and she turned her attention to the stairs leading down at the end of her room. She moved slowly through the darkness, reaching the top of the stairs and making her way down carefully. When she was at the bottom she caught movement in the library’s main room. It was a shadow rustling about at the desk by the window, beside a small candle that offered only a little light.

“Nyx?” Twilight called out, making the figure freeze before turning around. “What are you doing up so early?” she asked, followed by a lengthy yawn.

“Sorry,” Nyx apologised, holding the candle up to reveal her face through the darkness. “I thought I’d forgotten something for the trip tomorrow and I didn’t want to wake you or Spike, so I…”

Twilight tilted her head, not seeing how that answered her question. “Couldn’t you have waited until later today?”

Nyx blushed. “I… I couldn’t sleep thinking there might have been something I forgot. I mean, what if I forgot that I forgot in the morning? Uh, that… sounds silly, doesn’t it?”

Twilight’s lips curled up into a smile and she gently shook her head. “No, not at all. I went through something similar at your age.” Twilight yawned again, which prompted Nyx to follow suit. “I’ll tell you what my mum told me: just write down whatever you forgot and keep it by your bedside. Then you won’t forget that you forgot come morning.”

“Is that why you always keep some parchment and a quill by your bed?” Nyx asked.

“Well, partially. It also never hurts just to be prepared for anything. Since we’re up now anyway, why don’t we just check your bag real quick and then go back up to bed.”

“Oh, I actually just finished checking. Turns out I didn’t forget after all,” Nyx said, laughing sheepishly as Twilight simply grinned down at her.

“Well then, let’s go back up. Quietly though; Spike’s still sleeping.”

“I just can’t wait,” Nyx said as she rushed to Twilight’s side before being picked up by a magical aura and placed onto the mare’s back. She yawned upon making contact with the soft, warm fur and snuggled into it, closing her eyes. “My first school trip outside of Ponyville. It’s gonna be so much fun!”

“Just remember, don’t ever go off on your own,” Twilight cautioned as she moved up the stairs. “Not that I don’t trust you. It’s the ponies around you I’m worried about.”

“I’ll be fine,” Nyx assured Twilight as she was lifted through the air and placed down gently beside Spike. The filly crawled under the covers and shifted about until she was comfortable. “Rarity’s new disguise will keep me from being noticed. She’s the best at stuff like that.”

Twilight smiled and nodded her head. “You’re right,” she said, leaning down to kiss the filly goodnight. “I hope you’re right,” she mumbled as she walked back towards her own bed, an unsure look covering her face.

“Last call for ponies heading to Baltimare!”

Cheerilee panicked as she fumbled about with the tickets in her hooves. Thanks to a little classroom mischief involving two colts deciding to have a little ‘glue war’, the class was almost late arriving at the station and had just made it in time for the last call.

“Can’t believe we almost missed out trip thanks to Snips and Snails,” Apple Bloom said, glaring towards the two colts with their manes and tails stuck together, struggling to break apart from each other.

“At least we made it, though,” Nyx said, though she and Sweetie Belle were out of breath thanks to the marathon they had to run to make it to the station on time.

“Hey, nice new look you got there,” Scootaloo said, looking up-and-down over Nyx’s new appearance. Her previously-black coat was now an amber colour, just a little darker than Apple Bloom’s coat. Her wings were concealed by a cozy little saddle that wouldn’t stand out yet, according to Rarity, wouldn’t ‘shame Nyx for fashion-life’. Finally, her mane was dyed red and tied into a ponytail.

“It’s too bad you had to cover your cutie mark, though,” Sweetie Belle said with a pout, observing Nyx’s flank that was as blank as the day they met her.

“It’s the only way Twilight and Cheerilee would let me come along,” Nyx said. “Twilight said that hardcore Nightmare Moon haters would know all about my cutie mark and would catch it at a glance.”

“Are they comin’ along, too?” Apple Bloom asked, motioning with a nod towards the two royal guards standing at the station’s entrance, looking everywhere around them.

“They have to,” Nyx said. “Their job is to follow me to keep ponies form hurting me… or vice-versa,” she added with a frown.

“Well, it’s good to see that Princess Celestia hadn’t lost all her marbles.” That voice that made the Cutie Mark Crusaders cringe could only have belonged to one filly: Diamond Tiara. “Honestly, what was she thinking letting you go like that? If it were up to me, you would have been sent to the moon forever!”

“I think that the princess is just using her in some way,” Silver Spoon said with a grin.

“Using me?” Nyx asked.

“Of course. Why else would she let a dangerous thing like you walk around?”

“You know that’s not true!” Scootaloo shouted, pointing her hoof towards the two as Sweetie Belle held onto Nyx. “Princess Celestia saw that she was good! She doesn’t deserve to be banished, and you both know it!”

“‘Good’? After what she did to all of Equestria?!” Diamond Tiara shouted. “If you ask me, the only reason she was let go is because Princess Celestia would have had to punish her sister, too.”

“She’s been comin’ ta school with us for three months now,” Apple Bloom said. “How can y’all not see that she’s not our enemy?”

“Maybe because we’re not as blind as you,” Silver Spoon said. “I mean, come on, a shield? Could it be any more obvious that she’s just trying to win our trust by pretending to be nice?”

“Face it, she’s Nightmare Moon.” Nyx twitched as the name passed through her ears. “You don’t give a name like that to anypony who’s good. It’d be like somepony who’s evil being called Fluffy Rainbowshine.”

“That’s not her name!” Scootaloo shouted.

“Girls!” The group turned their heads to find Cheerilee standing just outside of the train. “Get onboard, now!” The fillies quickly obeyed, rushing into the train. Diamond Tiara held back whilst Nyx passed her, and she ran onboard after plenty of space was left between them. Before she could walk off with Silver Spoon, though, a hoof touched her shoulder. “Diamond Tiara, a word?”

“Can’t it wait? All the good seats are going to be taken!” Diamond Tiara said.

“I heard your little conversation just now,” Cheerilee said in a stern tone. The filly huffed and turned her head. “Diamond Tiara, I know that Nyx hurt you when she… went through that little rebellious phase of hers. She hurt many ponies, including myself.”

“Then why-”

“Because I forgave her,” Cheerilee answered. “And so did many others. Twilight Sparkle forgave her. The princesses forgave her. Even Granny Smith, though still a little wary, is letting Nyx and Apple Bloom play together. And we both know that you didn’t exactly play a small part in her existential crisis.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Diamond Tiara said innocently.

“I’m not going to ask that you become instant best friends, but can’t you try just a little bit to get along together? At the very least, give her a chance. Bury the past and let Nyx prove that she’s not that same pony that took over our town.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re just being nice to her so Twilight will get the princess to give the school more money.”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! Where did you hear that from?!”

“It’s all over the town,” Silver Spoon said. “You want more money for the school, Miss Colgate wants to expand her dentistry, Sugar Cube Corner is looking to expand…”

“Girls, those are just nasty, baseless rumours!” Cheerilee told the two fillies. “Nopony in this town is being nice to her just to win the princess’ favour! They’ve all forgiven her, and they’re all willing to give her a second chance.”

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “Well I’m not. Can we go now?”

“At least for this trip, don’t call her ‘Nightmare Moon’. That disguise is there for a reason, and you’ll have a lot more than a detention to worry about if you go around telling everypony who she is.”

Diamond Tiara winced and simply sighed. “Fine,” she conceded. “Can we go now?”

“… You may.” Cheerilee watched the two fillies walk away down the corridor, sighing to herself as she soon followed after them.

One hour later, the train was almost at its destination. Cheerilee called for silence so that she could explain the day plan to her class. “At lunchtime, we are going to all meet back together at the station and eat together. After that we will head over to the museum where we will be given a private tour. Until then, you all have free time to look around the town and buy any souvenirs, but, you must remain in groups of at least two at all times!”

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee!” the class responded.

The train screeched as it began to slow down, alerting everypony that their destination had been reached. “Well then, please arrange yourselves into groups and remember to meet back at the station by noon.”

Naturally, the five members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders banded together. As the train stopped, fillies and colts filed out of the train after their teacher, before rushing off excitedly into the large new town.

“Hey, why’s your name badge say ‘Amber’?” Scootaloo asked, looking over the badge that Nyx was wearing.

Nyx frowned as she looked down at the tag herself and said, “It’s because-”

“It’s because she’s a freak,” Diamond Tiara spat as she and Silver Spoon passed by the group, catching them by surprise. “If ponies knew who she was they’d do horrible things to her, right? That’s why she has to hide herself in all that makeup. It’s pitiful, really.”

“I would feel sorry for you,” Silver Spoon said, “But then, I’d have to think of you as a fellow pony for that.”

“Would you two knock it off already?!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Y’know, ever since Nyx apologised to ya an’ you spat in her face, she’s done nothin’ but be nice to you!”

“Well, except for behind their backs,” Sweetie Belle commented, earning a glare from Scootaloo. “What? It’s the truth.”

“It’ll take a lot more than playing nice to make us-” Diamond Tiara stopped as she noticed Cheerilee watching them with a glare from the corner of her eye. With a disgruntled look, she turned to leave. “Let’s go, Silver Spoon. They’re not worth it.”

“Enjoy your day now. Try not to let her freaky ‘nightmare magic’ spread to you,” Silver Spoon giggled before leaving with Diamond Tiara.

“Those two make me so mad,” Apple Bloom muttered.

“Forget them!” Scootaloo said. “Let’s go out and have the best day ever! What d’you say?”

“I’m with Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle cheered. “We’re in Baltimare, guys! This is like, a whole new town to try to earn our cutie marks in!”

“And a chance to try some of that awesome Baltimare candy you can’t buy back in Ponyville,” Twist pointed out.

Nyx smiled and nodded to her friends. “Yeah, I’m not going to spend the day moping around! It’s like Twilight told me: ‘being a freak isn’t a bad thing, as long as I’m proud of who I am’!”

“I don’t get it, but right on!” Scootaloo said.

“So do we have to call you ‘Amber’ now?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Only around others,” Nyx replied. “So, what should we do first?”

“And then she said ‘oatmeal, are you crazy?!’!” Scootaloo laughed, though her friends were visibly less amused. “Uh, well… it sounded funnier when Pinkie Pie said it.”

“Okay girls, it looks like we have time for one more thing,” Apple Bloom said. The clock tower standing before the group told them that there were only thirty minutes left until it was officially noon. “Let’s see now, we’ve bought all our souvenirs…”

“Tried on the latest Baltimare trends,” Sweetie Belle said, rubbing her cheek against her fluffy new scarf.

“Tried the sweet Baltimare chocolates,” Twist said in a dreamy tone before licking her lips.

“We could go to the library,” Nyx suggested. A moment of silence passed before the rest of the group burst into laughter, causing Nyx to blush. “What? Libraries can be just as fun as all those places!” The group laughed harder and Nyx turned her head to pout.

“We don’t exactly have enough time for that anyway,” Apple Bloom said as she finally managed to calm down.

“There’s a bookstore just over there, though,” Twist added, pointing to a shop just down the street that they were in.

Scootaloo wiped a tear from her eye and was about to say something, but her eyes were caught by something behind Nyx. She gasped, and shouted, “Hey guys! Check it out!”

Everypony turned around. There was a sign on a shop’s window, in front of much sporting gear and apparel, with a picture of the Wonderbolts on it. It was a sign detailing an autograph signing that was going on that very day and time.

“It’s the Wonderbolts!” Scootaloo exclaimed, her tail wagging as she pressed her face against the window. “They’re signing autographs up until lunch! This is so cool!”

“Looks like there’s a line,” Apple Bloom observing.

“We might be able to make back in time, but then we can’t go to the bookstore,” Sweetie Belle said, turning to Nyx to see her looking worried. Nyx noticed this and quickly smiled again.

“T-That’s fine. I’ve got plenty of books back at home, anyway,” Nyx said assuringly.

“Well, how ‘bout if Nyx an’ ah go to the bookstore, an’ we all meet up back at the station,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Cheerilee did say ta stay in at least pairs, an’ ah might be able ta find a new recipe book for Granny Smith.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Scootaloo said. “Okay Crusaders! Synchronise watches!”

“We don’t have watches,” Sweetie Belle said.

“And I don’t know what ‘synchronise’ means,” Twist added.

“It’s an expression!” Scootaloo explained. “It means ‘let’s go!’”

“Actually it means to-” Nyx stopped herself. She knew that there was little benefit to correcting Scootaloo short of further cementing her role as the group’s nerd. “Uh, yeah. Good plan.”

Nyx and Apple Bloom separated from the rest of the group and headed to the bookstore. Once there, Nyx’s smile grew tenfold. The store was much bigger than the one in Ponyville and the smell of ink and parchment filled the air.

As Apple Bloom glanced over the shelf names to find the cooking section, Nyx’s sixth sense for reading kicked in and drew her immediately over to the collection of magic literature. She had to use her magic to reach the higher shelves, with books aimed at older ponies, and found a book on quantum magic that she didn’t recognise from the library. She recognised the author, though, and opened it up to start reading right away.

“Hey now!” the clerk shouted from the counter. “This isn’t a library! Ya gotta pay for that if ye wanna read it!”

“Oh, sorry!” Nyx answered, reaching into her saddlebag to find what little allowance she had remaining. She had plenty for the book and hurried over to the counter. As soon as she had her receipt, she opened the book and continued reading.

Beside her, Apple Bloom was making her own purchase. “Hey Mister, can ah borrow yer restroom?”

“No, ya can’t,” the clerk responded. “You can use the public one though, round the corner and next to the chariot dealership.”

“Thanks!” Apple Bloom said as she collected her book and put it away. “Hey Ny- er, Amber, ya comin’?”

“Huh?” Nyx looked up from her book and took a second to register Apple Bloom’s question. “Oh, uh… I wanted to have a look at the science section first… I’ll catch up after I’m done.”

“Okay. Ah’ll just wait outside the restroom then,” Apple Bloom said, rushing out of the store and around the corner to the left.

After a few minutes browsing the rest of the magic and science sections, Nyx decided to just leave with the purchase that she made and left the store to meet up with Apple Bloom. She looked both ways and thought for a second, before rounding the corner to the right. She looked down the street but couldn’t see Apple Bloom, so she continued moving down for a bit before wondering if she took a wrong turn. “I didn’t exactly pay much attention to where Apple Bloom went…”

Just as Nyx decided that she should ask somepony for directions, she spotted Diamond Tiara standing beneath a lamppost, looking around in every direction. Their eyes met and Nyx felt a chill of unease as Diamond’s glare burned into her brain.

“H-Hey,” Nyx called out. “Uh, where’s Silver Spoon? Weren’t you two going around together?”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Diamond Tiara said with a huff, “But if you must know, we split up for a bit and decided to meet outside this chariot shop.”

Nyx turned to the shop beside Diamond Tiara and found a store named ‘Buck Chariots’. Beside it, just a little further down the street, were some public restrooms. “Did Apple Bloom come by here?” Diamond’s eyes narrowed further, making Nyx flinch. “I-I was just asking! Apple Bloom told me she was going to the restroom.”

“Well I didn’t see her,” Diamond Tiara said dismissively. “So you can go now. Go on, shoo!”

“If she’s not here… then we probably got separated. I don’t think we should be walking back to the station alone.”

“Who said I’ll be alone? Silver Spoon will be here soon. I mean, how many chariot shops would there be in one town?”

“I told her to meet me right here,” Silver Spoon deadpanned as she kicked a stone lying on the ground, standing outside of ‘Coltwagen Chariots’. “How many chariot shops could there be in one town?

“It’s gettin’ late,” Apple Bloom said. “Miss Cheerilee’s gonna start worryin’.”

“I guess we’ve got no choice then,” Silver Spoon sighed. “For now, I’ll let you walk with me back to the station.”

“We’re not gonna look for Nyx and Diamond Tiara?”

“It would be better if we told Miss Cheerilee where we last saw them. Better for her to have two lost students and a general idea of where to look than four students and no clue whatsoever.”

“… Huh. Usually ah jus’ go with mah gut instinct an’ tackle a problem head-on.”

“That’s why you’re still a blank flank. You’re all brawn, no brain.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “Ya may be smart, but that doesn’t mean ye’re better than me.”

“Of course it does. Smart ponies are always at the top. Look at Twilight Sparkle, for example: she’s smart, and she’s the princess’ pupil. What about your brother and sister? All they do is play around in the mud all day.”

“So what ye’re sayin’ is that Diamond Tiara, who sleeps through all her classes, is on the bottom?”

Silver Spoon stopped. “T-That’s different!” she shouted quickly. “Diamond has smarts, she just… shows it off differently!”

“Uh-huh,” Apple Bloom replied in a flat tone. “Like comin’ up with new ways ta make fun of me an’ mah friends? Or makin’ Nyx feel bad about her past?”

Silver Spoon harrumphed and started walking, Apple Bloom following after her. “That so-called ‘filly’ has it coming,” Silver Spoon said. “If you went through what Di and I went through, you wouldn’t be friends with her.”

“Maybe y’all have forgotten, but Nyx trapped us in a dungeon for a few days after we tried ta help her. We still forgave her, though, ‘cause we know she’s truly sorry fer what she did. Why can’t you see that?”

“That’s just what she wants you to think,” Silver Spoon huffed. “Maybe you trust her, but I don’t, and I know for a fact that Di will never forgive her for what she did.”

“Ya mean callin’ her out like that when she took over the town? Ah mean, ya did have it comin’ with that mean prank ya pulled.”

“No, not that,” Silver Spoon said. “What she did was much, much worse.”

Nyx’s nose twitched as a cool breeze brushed over her muzzle. She brought her hoof up to scratch it and looked around once more. Diamond Tiara was still tapping her hoof impatiently and there was no sign of Apple Bloom anywhere, nor Silver Spoon. “Maybe we should go back,” Nyx suggested. “If the others are lost, we should go back and tell Miss Cheerilee-”

“If you think I’m walking back with you, then you must be as dumb as those stupid friends of yours.”

Nyx frowned. She was starting to feel cold and she wanted to get to the station before lunchtime, but Diamond Tiara was being stubborn. Something landed between her eyes, causing her to blink and look up. It was starting to rain. “Everypony will start to worry if we stay here.”

“Then go. I’ll wait right here for Silver Spoon,” Diamond Tiara responded in a stubborn tone.

“But it wouldn’t be safe to walk through Baltimare alone.”

“You think it would be safer walking with Nightmare Moon?”

“D-Don’t say that!” Nyx quickly shouted with a shush, casting her eyes around everywhere. She sighed with relief as it seemed that nopony had heard that. “Why do you do that?! Why do you always have to bring that up around me? Why are you always picking on me even after I apologised and never did anything to you after that?”

Diamond Tiara scoffed. “You think just saying ‘sorry’ is all it takes? After what you did, you should be thrown in jail!”

“What I did?! Look, I know that I called you out when I came back as… her, but you did push me to that with that ‘little prank’ of yours! Besides, nopony even blames you for it, so why can’t you just-”

“I’m not talking about that!” Diamond Tiara shouted, turning around and stomping closer to the startled Nyx. She wasn’t just annoyed or agitated by this point. She was angry. “You think this is about calling me out in front of all those ponies?”

Nyx gulped. She could feel her legs trembling beneath her as she took a step back from Diamond Tiara. “T-Then, if it’s about my enslaving the town, I-I already said that I’m-”

“It’s not about that, either! You, you could have taken the town, and you could have taken the princesses!” A teardrop rolled out of the corner of Diamond Tiara’s eye, a glint reflecting from it catching Nyx’s attention. “But you had no right to take my dad, too.”

Nyx’s breath caught and her heart started to beat faster. “Y-Your… dad?”

“You and your ‘Children of Nightmare’ corrupted him, and stole him away from me!” Diamond Tiara took another step forward, forcing Nyx to take another one back. “Because of you, my dad left home to serve you.” She walked Nyx up against a wall. There was no retreating for the other filly now. “I had to hide in Silver Spoon’s house because Daddy wanted to make me one of your slaves. I had to hold my breath while Silver Spoon’s mum convinced him I wasn’t there, and I had to hide my face whenever I went outside!”

“I-I didn’t-”

“And when word spread that you beat both princesses, I thought that was it! Dad wasn’t coming back! I’d never be able to see him again and instead had to fear him!” Diamond Tiara raised a forehoof to wipe her face covered in tears. “I… I saw him arresting ponies and taking them away. He took Silver Spoon’s mum away and Silver and I had to hide in a wine cellar until everything was over!”

“But that wasn’t me!” Nyx shouted, her voice quivering. “I-I had nothing to do with ‘the blessing’. That was all Spell Nexus!”

“I don’t care!” Diamond Tiara shouted, slamming her hooves onto the ground. “I don’t care about ‘Spell Nexus’ or ‘Children of Nightmare’! You took my dad away from me once and I’m not going to let you do it again!” Diamond Tiara clenched her eyes shut and stepped back as she tried to hold back her sobs. She wiped her eyes quickly, trying to will herself to stop.

Nyx was silent as she watched Diamond Tiara barely holding back her crying, gasping and hiccupping before her. Not sure what to say or to do, Nyx simply raised her hoof and reached it out to the other filly.

Diamond Tiara opened her eyes just in time to see a black hoof about to touch her and her eyes widened as she backed away quickly with a terrified gasp. “S-STAY AWAY!” she shouted. “Don’t touch me, you freak!”

The harsh words stung Nyx’s heart, but she tried to ignore it as she took a step closer to Diamond Tiara. “Please, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to-”

“NO!” Diamond Tiara backed up some more, giving herself some distance. “I’m not going to fall for it! You just stay away from me, and stay away from my dad!” With that, Diamond Tiara turned around and ran quickly down the street.

Nyx contemplated giving chase, but the pink filly was faster than her. She remained motionless for several moments as she replayed Diamond Tiara’s words through her head many times. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, lowering her hoof and looking down at the ground beneath her.

Raindrops were pelting the ground hard. During Diamond Tiara’s rant, the rain must have picked up without her noticing it. Deciding that she should return to the station, Nyx ran down the street after Diamond Tiara.

“Dinky Doo, Twist, Scootaloo, Amber, Apple Bloom…”

“Ah can’t believe it started rainin’ so much,” Apple Bloom said as she reached a hoof out from the shelter of the train station’s rooftop to feel the heavy rainfall pelting down onto her hoof. “What were those pegasi thinkin’, ruinin’ such a nice day?”

“At least we’ll be indoors after this,” Sweetie Belle pointed out. “I just feel bad for everypony who forgot to bring an umbrella.”

“Uh, that’d be everypony but you,” Scootaloo said.

“Nuh-uh. Nyx has one too, right?”

“I can use my magic to deflect the rain,” Nyx said with a smile. Before she knew it somepony was holding her head and rubbing her mane with their hoof.

“Yeah, yeah! We get you’re awesome at magic already,” Scootaloo teased as she roughed up her friend’s mane. Nyx eventually managed to struggle her way to freedom and moaned as she straightened herself out.

“Diamond Tiara?” Cheerilee called out, a hint of panic in her tone that drew everypony’s attention. “Has anypony seen Diamond Tiara?!”

“She isn’t back yet?” Nyx asked. All eyes fell onto her. “I-I saw her earlier. She said she was coming back alone…”

“Oh no…” Cheerilee’s face paled as she looked around quickly. “Oh, this can’t be happening… Okay, just stay calm everypony! I’m going to ask the security guard over there to-”

“Nyx! Wait!” Apple Bloom shouted. The teacher turned to find her student running away from the station through the pelting rain, and Apple Bloom ready to follow her.

“Apple Bloom, stay put!” Cheerilee ordered, halting her student pre-emptively. “Everypony, I need you all to stay here! I will find Nyx and Diamond Tiara!”

“But-”

“I mean it, Apple Bloom!” Cheerilee said, a stern look over her face. “I know that you’re worried, but three lost little ponies isn’t going to make the situation any better.”

“… Okay, Miss Cheerilee,” Apple Bloom muttered, sitting down and lowering her head in defeat.

“Excuse me!” Cheerilee approached the security guard standing beside a bench on the train platform. “I’m sorry, but could I ask you to watch over my class for me? Two of my students are missing and I have to go and find them!”

“What?” The stallion looked over the group of young foals and swallowed. “I-I don’t know how to handle… kids, ma’am. Shouldn’t you let the police find-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back,” Cheerilee said, turning around and running away very quickly. “Just make sure they don’t wander away!”

“Wait, ma’am!”

Cheerilee pushed through the rain, her eyes narrowing to shield themselves from the harsh droplets and her blood pumping at full force. ‘I have to find them,’ she thought to herself. ‘If it was just Diamond Tiara I could have left it to the police, but now that Nyx is out there… Oh Celestia, I have to find them before somepony else does!’

Another dank, dark alleyway. Another dead-end. This marked the fifth one in a row for Diamond Tiara. “I know the station was around here somewhere…” Diamond Tiara shivered and held back a sneeze. The rain was really picking up, the wind was getting stronger, and colder, and there were… hoofsteps behind her! “Oh, finally! Hey, could you tell me where the…”

The stallions standing behind Diamond Tiara sniggered as the pink filly turned to face them. A large, skinny stallion in a torn-up coat, with a very unkempt mane and a glass bottle firmly gripped in his one good wing, the other wrapped in bandages. A smaller, bulkier stallion smoking a cigarette and twirling a knife on top of his horn. And a stallion whose figure was hidden completely beneath a black cloak, his only identifying feature being the beard slightly poking out of his hood.

“What’s wrong, lil’ filly?” the taller stallion asked, walking closer to Diamond Tiara. “Got a lil’ lost did we? This’s a bad place fer somepony your age.”

“Lotsa bad stallions around,” the cloaked pony said. Diamond Tiara backed away, feeling the wall behind hit her rump after just a few steps. “Thugs and murders, rapists and druggies. Even a few cannibals, just desperate for their next meal to stay alive.”

“Aw, but don’t worry,” the bulky one said, bobbing his head to allow his knife to fall into his right forehoof. “We ain’t gonna hurt ya, darlin’. Not if ya do exactly as we say.”

“Hey, nice tiara,” the taller stallion said. “Betcha her family’s loaded. Heh, we hit the jackpot with this one.”

“S-Stay away from me!” Diamond Tiara shouted, reaching for the nearest makeshift weapon that she could find – a trashcan lid – and holding it up like a shield. “I-I’m warning you! Touch one hair on my head and my d-dad will sue you for every bit you have!”

“Well then, we’ll jus’ have ta get ourselves a good lawyer then!” the cloaked stallion said. “The best your money can buy!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“That was Diamond Tiara!” Nyx stopped for a moment to determine where the sound had come from. It was close, she was sure of it. Nyx’s ears had deduced that the scream had come from the direction of a nearby tattoo parlour and she quickly bolted forward, entering a rundown street with many condemned buildings.

“GET AWAY FROM ME I SAID!”

“There!” Nyx ran down the street as quickly as her legs would allow her to, eventually passing by an alleyway where she found three stallions surrounding a pink filly wearing a shiny tiara. “Let her go!”

The taller stallion grabbed Diamond Tiara by the mane and turned to face the interloper. “Oh, it’s just another kid? Heh, your parents must suck if they can’t even keep ya away from dark places like this.”

“I said let her go!” Nyx shouted, charging forward with her horn shining brightly. The bulky stallion stepped forward and kicked her to the side with an audible thud, causing her to land in a pile of trash.

“Should we take ‘er, too?” the cloaked stallion asked.

“Nah, she don’t look like she’s got much. ‘Sides, two brats’d just slow us down,” the tall stallion said. “Let’s jus’ leave her be. If she can still walk, that is.”

“Ow ow ow ow ow…” Nyx’s legs shook as she slowly tried to push herself up, one eye closed and the other struggling to remain open as her entire body ached. Pieces of broken glass covered her front and her sides and a small trail of blood leaked from her mouth. Her mane fell before her one good eye… and shimmered.

“Let’s go, before more ponies come,” the bulky stallion said.

“NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!” Diamond Tiara demanded, struggling in the taller pony’s hold.

“This brat just don’t get it, does she?” The stallion broke his glass bottle and pointed the jagged end to Diamond Tiara’s throat. The filly seemed to get the message and quieted down, with the exception of her gasped sobs. “Heh, there’s a good girl now.”

“Let… her go…”

“Hm? You still awake over there?”

Nyx finally managed to push herself to her hooves and turned her head to face the tall stallion. “I said… let… her go…” Nyx’s horn lit up, and the stallions simply chuckled… until a bright light shot forth that hit the bottle, dissolving it to dust before their eyes.

“W-What the fuck?!” The taller stallion dropped Diamond Tiara and backed away quickly. “What’d she- GAH!”

“How’d she do that?!” the cloaked stallion asked as he witnessed a vapour of mist forming beneath his friend, taking the shape of the filly with the now-glowing mane before she delivered a swift, magical blast to the stallion’s abdomen.

Nyx turned to the two remaining stallions and picked them up with her magic, tossing them aside and slamming them into the wall beside her with a dark-purple aura of magic.

“H-Help! Somepony help me!” Diamond Tiara cried, picking up a rock on the ground and throwing it at Nyx. The rock simply dissolved as it came close and Nyx turned to the filly, her eyebrows furrowed. She took a step forward. “STOP!”

“Diamond, please,” Nyx said, reaching a hoof out. “I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help you.”

“STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU D-DEMON!”

“Demon…” Nyx looked down at the small puddle between herself and Diamond Tiara. There, she could see an image of a pony whose eyes were glowing black, whose mane was swirling and glistening with magic, and whose blood was evaporating to mist as it seeped out of her wounds. “N-No… That’s not me.” Nyx closed her eyes and grunted. “That’s not me anymore! I’m… I’m not-”

Nyx’s hearing cut out as some large and hard collided with the side of her face at great speed. Ringing filled the filly’s head as she opened her eyes again, only to find the world spinning around her. “Damn bitch. Y’almost took me out.”

Nyx closed her eyes and channelled some magic into her horn. However, something hard collided with her face this time, stopping the magic and causing the filly to cry out and hold her muzzle as blood and tears rolled down.

“We’ll have none of that.” The stallion watched as the glowing mane died down to a steady purple. “Huh, mane dye huh? Fancy that. An’ if I’m right, that magic was…” The stallion reached down to Nyx’s saddle and ripped it off. He grinned as a pair of small, twitching wings entered his vision. “Well, well, well. What do we have here then? Nightmare Moon, a mere child?”

Nyx removed her hooves from her face and looked up to find the bulky stallion from before, holding a knife to her face within a golden aura of magic. “N-No. I’m not-”

“Y’can’t fool me! I was there when Nightmare Moon took over Ponyville! I know that magic when I see it!” The stallion pressed the knife into Nyx’s skin, causing her to wince as blood trickled out onto the blade. “Forget the rich filly. You will fetch in a much higher price.”

‘W-What do I do? What do I do?!’ Nyx looked around frantically. The other two stallions were still knocked out and Diamond Tiara was shaking like a leaf as she stared right back into her eyes. ‘Why aren’t those two guards coming? Wait, shouldn’t they have already done something by now? Oh no, don’t tell me I lost them in the heavy rain! Why did I have to be so stupid?! Why did I have to come after Diamond Tiara all on my own?! If I had just stayed where I was and let Miss Cheerilee handle it-’

“How ‘bout it, then?” the stallion asked. “I asked who ya think’d pay more for yer body. On one hoof, I’m sure researchers would just love the chance ta take y’ apart an’ find out what makes ya tick. The mafia’d pay a high price, then turn you into the finest hitmare around. After breakin’ you in a lil’ first, o’course. But I think the real money’d come from all them victims of Children of Nightmare. If I charge a hundred bits for just one minute with ya…”

“P-Please…”

“Oooh yes. I’m sure ponies would pay well for a chance to do whatever they want to Nightmare Moon. And they don’t even have t’ be afraid, because she’s jus’ a filly who can’t even defend herself.” The stallion raised his knife higher, startling Nyx as the blade touched against her horn. “Well, after a few ‘modifications’, that is.”

“PLEASE DON’T!”

“UGH!” The knife dropped to the floor, the clanging of metal echoing throughout the alleyway soon followed by the thud of the large pony slamming onto the ground.

All was silent, save for the heavy breathing of the pony who had come to the fillies’ rescue. The two looked up in awe, neither one saying a word. Cheerilee took her eyes off of the stallion after she was sure that he wasn’t going to wake up and then lowered her now-broken clipboard.

“Are you okay?” Cheerilee asked, but received no answer. “I asked if you are both okay!”

“Y-Yes!” Nyx and Diamond Tiara both answered in unison.

Cheerilee released her breath and knelt down to hold her two students. “Thank Celestia…” she whispered.

Diamond Tiara simply sat there and turned her head slowly to the side, catching a glimpse of Nyx just as the other filly closed her eyes for the final time that day.

“Well, they’re both okay at least,” Cheerilee’s voice echoed through Nyx’s mind. “Honestly, just what is the Royal Guard paid for if they can’t even protect one filly?!”

“W-We’re terribly sorry, ma’am,” a stallion’s voice replied. It sounded of shame and regret. “We tried to search from above but the rain was too strong, and we couldn’t detect her magic until she had started to use it.”

“I don’t want excuses, young man! The two of you were given a job to do and you both failed! I’m going to have to tell Twilight about this when we get back!”

“No! Please, anything but that!”

“I’m sorry, but my hooves are tied! Now, I think the best thing for you to do is to sit outside and plan your apology letters.”

“But-”

“Outside! Now!”

Nyx blinked as she watched her two guards bowing their heads and leaving the room. “Huh? Where a-am I?” she asked as she raised her head, which proved to be a mistake as everything started to spin.

“You’re safe now,” Cheerilee assured Nyx as she approached the filly and placed a hoof to her forehead. “You have a slight fever, but you should be just fine.”

Nyx looked up to find Cheerilee smiling down at her. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have run off like that…”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Cheerilee said. “And I will be sure to have a word with Twilight about that later.”

“Y-You will?” Nyx asked, her eyes shaking as a chill descended down her spine. “Do you have to?”

“Yes, I do.” Nyx moaned and lowered her head. Cheerilee reached down and held the filly lightly, spreading warmth throughout Nyx’s body. “But for now, I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

“… OW!” Nyx flinched and backed away, looking down her body to find most of it bandaged. Small red spots were beginning to form beneath the bandages, causing Cheerilee to gasp.

“Wait right here! I’m going to find the nurse and bring her to you!”

“The nurse?” Nyx watched Cheerilee rushing out of the room without answering. Looking back down at her own body, Nyx recalled the many shards of broken glass that she had been thrown into and started to breath faster as the pain caught up to her. “W-Wait, then why aren’t we in the nurse’s office?” Nyx asked herself out loud.

“Because we’re on a train,” a voice next to Nyx answered.

Nyx turned her head and found Diamond Tiara glaring towards her on a bed at the opposite side of the room. “A… train?” Nyx glanced around the room that she was in. Indeed, the room was cramped, with only four hammocks and a window displaying the passing scenery outside.

“You can’t go to the nurse’s car because your stupid disguise wore off.”

Nyx raised a hoof to feel for her mane. She found a strand and brought it before her eyes. It was purple. She looked down her side to find one of her wings poking out of her bandages. She then turned back to Diamond Tiara. “Then why are you here?”

“YOU DEMON!”’

Nyx frowned. “… I thought… I thought you hated me…”

“I’m not here by choice,” Diamond Tiara said. Miss Cheerilee wanted us both where she could watch us together. That’s all.”

“Oh. I see…” Nyx averted her eyes. She couldn’t stand to see somepony looking at her with such fire, such animosity… and yet, she could still feel it burning into the side of her skull. “I’m…” Nyx took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry about your father.”

“I told you, ‘sorry’ isn’t going to change what happened.”

“I know,” Nyx said, trembling as she clenched her eyes shut, “But it’s all I have. I know what it’s like to think you’ve lost your family, and I… I know that words alone can’t undo what happened, but it’s all I can give you.”

“You?” Diamond Tiara scoffed. “What do you know about family?”

“Even though I was created, it was Twilight’s blood that made me.” Nyx reopened her eyes and looked down at the red spot beneath her bandages. “It’s Twilight’s blood that’s inside me, and it’s Twilight who took me in and cared for me, and trusted me when nopony else did. She came for me, and she never stop caring… In many ways, I consider Twilight to be my mother, even if I don’t deserve it.

“When I became Nightmare Moon, I had to stop seeing Twilight. She was the enemy after all. But Twilight still came, so I had to lock her away in a cold dungeon. Then Spell Nexus… tried to take her away from me forever…”

“Spell Nexus again? You just love hiding behind other ponies, don’t you?” Diamond Tiara waited for a response, but none came. Instead, Nyx simply sniffled and began to shake. “W-What? Did I hit the nail on the head?”

Nyx shook her head. “… Spell Nexus… used Twilight against me.” Nyx raised her head. Her bloodshot eyes were leaking tears like a dam that had just burst. “He ‘blessed’ her so that she would attack me, and then tried to execute her!”

Diamond’s eyes shot open and for once, she had no retort. She simply watched the other filly crying in silence until the door opened and Cheerilee walked in with another mare.

“What happened?” Cheerilee asked, casting an accusing gaze over Diamond Tiara.

“I-It wasn’t me!” Diamond Tiara shouted, pointing a hoof towards Nyx. “S-She just started crying all on her own!”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow, scanning Diamond Tiara’s body for telltales signs that the filly wasn’t being honest. “… Well, don’t worry,” she said as she turned back to Nyx. “We’ll be in Ponyville soon, and those painful memories will be just like a bad dream.”

Nyx nodded through her sniffles, wiping her eyes so that she could see her teacher more clearly. The nurse cleaned up Nyx’s wounds and changed the bandages. Diamond Tiara kept her eyes fixed on the wall the entire time, folding her ears against her head to stop Nyx’s cries out.

“There, all better now,” the nurse said as soon as she was finished. “Just avoid moving too much or too quickly and try not to put too much strain on your body. You’ll have to go to a doctor when you arrive in Ponyville to get them stitched up.”

“Thank you, Nurse.” Cheerilee followed the nurse to the cabin door, stopping once she was there to face her two students once more. “I have to check up on the rest of the class, so I’m going to have to leave the two of you here for a bit. The guards – as reliable as they are – will be just outside if you need anything.” Cheerilee sent one final look over to Diamond Tiara and asked, “Are you feeling well enough to join us?”

“Actually, my legs are still hurting,” Diamond Tiara said, her eyes still on the wall.

“Then just holler if you need help,” Cheerilee repeated, before leaving the room and the two of them alone.

“… Your legs hurt?” Nyx asked. “What happened? Did they-”

“Hey, about what that stallion said to you.” Diamond Tiara turned to meet Nyx’s gaze and hesitated for a moment. “Is it… is it true?”

“Huh? Is what true?”

“… Would ponies… really pay money to hurt you?”

Nyx’s breathing stopped for a second. “W-Well, I wouldn’t put it past them,” she muttered. “I mean, even around Ponyville, it’s obvious that there are ponies who don’t like me… Like you and Silver Spoon…”

“But that pony said they were going to ‘break’ you!”

Nyx slowly nodded her head. “That’s why… I’m always so afraid whenever I walk around outside.”

“Afraid? You? But whenever I see you, you’re always smiling and running around like a… like a child…”

“That’s because I don’t want anypony to worry about me, but the truth is, every time I’m outside, I’m afraid that somepony might take me away again.” Nyx held herself with her forelegs as she shivered on her bed. “That somepony who can’t forgive me, who can only see the ‘demon’ in me, might finally see fit to remove me from this world…”

“… But Twilight wouldn’t let that happen, right?” Diamond Tiara asked, earning a surprised look from Nyx. “I mean, she’s like, got connections with the princess, and she’s smart and good with magic and- W-Why are you looking at me like that?!”

“Well, it’s because…” Nyx breathed out slowly and smiled. “It’s because you’re right… Twilight wouldn’t let something like that happen to me, but I still get worried sometimes…”

“And besides, you still have your ‘Nightmare Moon powers’, right?”

Nyx’s smile quickly turned into a frown. “N-No, I don’t. I-”

“You used them earlier, didn’t you?”

“Not through choice!” Nyx shouted, wincing as she felt a jolt from her chest. “… I didn’t do that because I wanted to. It just sort of happened, and I felt scared by it… Scared that I was going to betray Twilight again… and my friends… and that I’d hurt ponies like you again.”

“What?” Diamond Tiara asked, her mouth hanging open as she failed to formulated any more words for her many questions.

“I didn’t even consider how your father being taken away could have hurt you, but after hearing it today, it made me wonder… just how many others did I hurt in ways I don’t even know about? If I did that again… I don’t know what I’d do…”

“… I’m going to bed,” Diamond Tiara said simply, laying down on the hammock and turning onto her side to face away from Nyx. “Use your magic to close the blinds, if you’re so ‘sorry’.”

Nyx nodded silently and closed her eyes, focussing her magic through the pain in her chest to pull the blinds shut. The room became much darker all of a sudden, and before long the sounds of snoring filled the cabin.

“Grounded? For two whole weeks?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That’s so not fair,” Scootaloo said. “It was Diamond Tiara who ran off on her own!”

“It’s fine,” Nyx said as she limped alongside her friends, using her magic to adjust her saddlebags to a more comfortable position. “That’s about how long the doctor said it’ll take for me to recover, anyway.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Sweetie Belle said. “I was sooooo worried about you the whole time! Hey, let me know when it’s safe to hug you again.”

“As soon as your grounding’s over, we’ll have a party at my place!” Twist declared. “Treats on me!”

“Ah’d prefer a plate,” Apple Bloom laughed, though her friends didn’t join her. “Oh come on! That was funny!”

“Funny to a kindergartener maybe.” The Crusaders stopped and frowned as, sure enough, the familiar voice was soon accompanied by the familiar faces of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon giggled at her own little joke. “Nah, even kindergarteners would have more brain cells than that.”

“Now now, I thought that was pretty creative,” Diamond Tiara said. “Maybe she’ll get her cutie mark in joke-telling. In fact, does that say ‘gullible’ on her flank?!”

“Really?! Where?!”

“Apple Bloom, don’t-” Sweetie Belle’s warning came too late as her friend was already running circles trying to catch a glimpse of her own flank which was still as blank as it was that morning. Sweetie Belle facehoofed as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughed.

“I heard you had to get stitches, is that right?” Silver Spoon asked Nyx. “It’s a good thing your fur is black, or that might be totally embarrassing!”

Nyx frowned and turned her head, awaiting Diamond Tiara’s inevitable tongue-lashing.

“Too bad you’ll have to miss Gym class. Although, I guess that saves you the embarrassment of being in last place again.”

‘… Huh?’

“And at least now we’ll be spared your constant ‘Miss Cheerilee, I know the answer!’.”

“Oh em gee, she does that way too much,” Silver Spoon followed. “Teacher’s pet much?”

“Well, you be a good doggy and stay out of trouble now,” Diamond Tiara said with a grin and she waved goodbye to the Crusaders.

“Jerks,” Scootaloo mumbled as the five fillies watched Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walk away. “Just ignore ‘em, Nyx. They’re nothing but-” Scootaloo stopped as she noticed Nyx staring into space with a strange look on her face. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was open, and she looked as if she had just experienced her first taste of cake; in totally awe, yet confused that she had never experienced such a wonderful thing before. “Uh, Nyx?”

“She… She doesn’t hate me,” Nyx said.

“Who? Diamond Tiara?” Sweetie Belle squeaked with a cocked eyebrow. “Uh, didn’t you hear the whole ‘doggy’ thing?”

“Yeah, but… she didn’t bring up Nightmare Moon, and she treated me like she treats you guys.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, an’ she hates us.”

With a wide smile on her face, Nyx continued moving forwards towards the schoolhouse, feeling the rays of sunshine beaming down on her with greater radiance than ever before. “She doesn’t hate me… She doesn’t hate me!”