1055 AD, November 1st

Nightmare Moon blinked in shock before giving a short bark of confident laughter. She flared her wings to their impressive span, the black feathers absorbing the light of the room.

“You think we’re afraid of some-”

Snap

In one large flash of light, Nightmare Moon’s followers lost their horns and wings, Celestia’s chains vanished, and Nightmare Moon’s speech was cut short by a cream pie to the face.

Luna followed it up with a salvo of Deep Freeze spells, encasing each of the confused followers in blocks of ice, making sure to leave just enough of their heads uncovered so they could breathe.

Within the span of four seconds, the opposition was culled, save for one blinded alicorn stumbling about and tugging at the tin tray futilely.

“Huh…” Discord pouted and crossed his arms. “Rather anti-climactic, wouldn’t you say?”

Luna didn’t answer.

She crossed the length of the throne room, narrowed eyes fixated on the demon that dared bring harm to her sister, her rage growing with every stride. Just as Nightmare Moon managed to pull the tin tray off and clear the cream from her eyes, Luna lashed out with a vicious right hook that sent her to the ground.

“Manipulative, sadistic, foul parasite!” Her hoof came up and was brought down on her opponent’s chest, earning a pained wheeze. “We shall deliver a swift and punitive punishment for thy actions! Thou will wish thou never crawled out from whatever black womb thou was conceived in!”

Another stomp and another punch.

“Where is thy arrogance now, hm? Where is thy confidence, thy self-assurance?! Well?! Where is it now?!”

Nostrils flaring, Luna raised both hooves, flapping her wings to keep balance.

But she paused as she looked at her fallen foe, curled up in the foetal position.

It would have been so easy; it was all she deserved for her crimes. She would have killed her sister, so why shouldn’t she return the favour?

All she needed to do was stomp down…

“…”

Luna’s gaze was drawn to her sister, so frighteningly weak and vulnerable. She could see Celestia’s chest rising and falling with laboured breaths as well as the many injuries marring her body.

Why wasn’t she healing?

What did Nightmare Moon do to her?

Luna turned back to her enemy, features twitching in indecision…

“…”

With a loud yell, Luna brought her hooves down.

The marble near Nightmare Moon’s head shattered.

Luna inhaled and exhaled, grinding her teeth. “Thy… your fate will be decided in court.”

“Really?” Discord slithered to her side, a disapproving look on his face. “I mean, I’m not one for all that killing stuff, but it’d be so much simpler to do her in now. You’ve seen the movies, right? Where the heroes let the villain live and it comes back to bite them in the rear later?”

“That’s not what Equestria stands for,” Luna responded. She was conflicted with her own personal desires and sense of morality. “Yes, it’d be easier. It’d also be easier if Celestia had killed me while I was imprisoned on the moon… powerless. But she didn’t. I… have to believe that perhaps this creature can redeem itself if given the chance.”

“Second chances?” The draconequus tutted with a shake of his head. “That’s a bit sketchy.”

Luna looked at him evenly. “Celestia gave you a second chance,” Discord cringed. “Despite everypony’s protests – despite mine – she gave you the chance to redeem yourself even though you wield power enough to tilt the world,” She turned back to her fallen foe. Strange – Nightmare Moon seemed so much weaker with Discord at her side. “So… I’m willing to try and give this creature a chance as well.”

Discord shrugged. “Merciful… but rather… well, dumb.”

The princess of the night stepped over Nightmare Moon and made towards her sibling.

“Watch her.”

“Like a hawk,” A bright pink hawk appeared on Discord’s shoulder and took out a pair of binoculars, peering down intently. “A rare sight, wouldn’t you say, Scales?”

Luna knelt beside her sister, horn lighting up as she channelled healing magic into Celestia’s broken body. “Sister! ‘Tia, wake up – you’re safe now.”

Celestia groaned as the rejuvenating rays stirred her, eyes fluttering open to reveal unfocused pupils, one larger than the other. “Lu…”
Her magic went no further than the base of her horn.

Luna furrowed her brow at her sister's grey-tinted horn and the unsightly bulge at its midpoint. What was wrong with it? She’d never seen anything like it. Whatever it was, it blocked her magic.

“Lu… na?”

“Yes, it is me, sister,” Fighting back tears of relief, Luna held her close. “Save your strength – it is over.”

“… mare…”

“What?”

“… ot… moon…”

“I cannot hear you.”

Celestia grimaced; the mere act of moving her lips and tongue seemed to be a monumental feat. “It’s… not… Nightmare…”

“What…?”

It took a second for the words to sink in. A chill rushed through Luna’s body as she craned her neck to look back at the draconequus standing guard.

He saw her stare and raised his hands defensively. “What?! I wasn’t actually going to do what I was thinking of doing! Not enough space and noodles.”

Luna quickly cast Dispel on Nightmare Moon’s body.

It failed.

Her anxiety and fear rising, she cast a stronger version.

It worked.

Luna’s eyes widened when the body rippled and began to shrink.

The black coat brightened to amber and the astral mane became solid and tangerine. The horn shimmered and changed from a spiralling length of bone and keratin to a cone of wrapped newspaper.

When the spell had dispersed, there was a female pegasus in place of an alicorn.

A Disguise spell supplemented with an Enlargement spell.

Discord tilted his head curiously. “Didn’t expect that either.”

“But…” Warning bells screamed ‘trap’ in Luna’s head as she looked around the room for any pressure plates, moving walls, explosive tripwires – anything. “Then where is-”

The throne room doors suddenly creaked open and six mares trotted in with the mood of a funeral march. They were without costumes and the Elements of Harmony adorned their bodies – Luna could feel the thrum of power even from her position.

“Uh…” Discord eyed them with the first sign of genuine worry evident in his expression. “O-kay, I really dropped the ball here. What brings you all here… friends?”

Twilight kept her eyes to the ground as she and the others stopped halfway across the room. “Discord…”

“Hey, if it isn’t my favourite bookworm!” His smile and laughter didn’t show in his eyes. “So how’s everypony doing? Good?”

“Discord, I’m…” She trembled and looked up. When she caught sight of Celestia, she inhaled sharply and spoke again with more conviction. “I’m sorry.”

Luna expected him to attack or flee or do something the instant those words were uttered… but he simply stood there, a wounded look on his face as the Elements began to glow, rays of iridescent light beaming across the room.

“Fluttershy?” He questioned softly.

“P-please forgive us…” Fluttershy sobbed as she rose into the air, a bridge of multi-coloured light linking her to the rest of the Elements.

Luna gasped and stepped forward. A part of her noted the irony in her rush to protect the spirit of chaos, but the rest of her was in shock, unable to comprehend the speed of which things were falling apart.

“Hold! I order you to hold!” The mares continued to rise and the air became heavier with every passing second. “Stop! What is the meaning of this?!”

The betrayal froze Discord.

He didn’t even fully comprehend what was happening until every fibre of his being screamed in defiance as the acrid sting of stability and balance charged the air. It was happening all over again.

Self-preservation taking over, he attempted to teleport only to find that pixels of light had surrounded his body and were somehow keeping him in position.

Desperate, he made chairs fall on their heads. He made it rain glue. He turned the floor to mud. Whatever he tried was instantly rectified by the Elements. He was only delaying the inevitable.

It was hopeless.

“Well…” He sighed, resigning to his fate. “Ain’t this a kick in the harmony.”

Drawing himself up, he threw on a huge grin, and gave the pointer fingers to nobody in particular. The last time he was frozen, it was in a position that suggested he was afraid.

Unacceptable – he needed to be frozen in such a way that accentuated his rugged features and magnificent physique. If only he had been wearing an ‘I’m with Stupid’ shirt or a pair of sunglasses.

‘No, they would have been taken away by the Elements. I swear, no sense of fashion those things – all order and seriousness.’

The glow brightened and intensified until finally – with a flare of energy that shook the entire castle – a rainbow surged forwards, tendrils of colour licking at the charged air.

‘Although I have to admit – they do know how to make a scene. An explosion of colour! I should really take a page from that and work it into my next move.’

The wave of colour washed over him, blinding and powerful. He could feel a stinging sensation as his legs were petrified.

‘Why couldn’t it feel like getting a massage? Meh – probably part of the whole punishment thing, I guess.’

The petrification snaked up his serpentine body, to the tips of his fingers and across his wings before finally taking over his neck. He kept up the smile as everything started to go dark and he lost all feeling, his immense power slipping away from his grasp.

And then he was frozen… again.

‘Well… nothing for it now; let’s see how this all plays out. Maybe they’ll win and I’ll be back to normal in no time. Optimism never hurt anybody, eh? Well… maybe it hurt that one guy, but that’s just going into boring details and facts. Alright, Nighty-Night Goon, let’s see what you’ve got.’

The Elements of Harmony’s energy flowed through Luna, an indescribable feeling of power that reminded her just how weak she was compared to the full majesty of the power of Harmony. Despite not being the intended target, the energy tugged at her feelings, calming her; she sighed in content, momentarily forgetting why she was so upset in the first place.

Then it ended and she was cruelly snatched away from enlightenment and plunged back into harsh reality.

Luna spun around, pupils shrinking upon seeing Discord petrified in a silly position. “No…”

She wasn’t fond of the draconequus, but he had helped in her time of need, even if it was at the behest of who he considered to be his true friend, so he was worthy of some respect.

“Why?” Luna turned on the Element bearers as they hovered back down. “Why would you…?”

Twilight spoke up, her tone low and shaky. “I’m sorry, Princess Luna. We had to, otherwise… otherwise…”

“Otherwise they’d be short a few siblings.”

The rich and deep tone sent shivers down her spine. Luna looked past the sombre mares and saw a tall, imposing figure standing in the doorway – the same figure she had thought was lying on the floor not minutes ago.

“Nightmare Moon…” Luna spat as the accursed parasite stepped forwards, her face smug.

“Lu-Lu…” She trotted around the mares, keeping one eye on them. “Don’t you dare move!” She barked as Applejack attempted to look at her. The farmer twitched and returned to her rigid position. “You don’t want to lose another family member, hm?”

She laughed mockingly and gave the three fillies in her telekinetic grasp a shake, their high-pitched cries of terror piercing the moon princess’ heart.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo – all she knew well.

They were terrified. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were whispering comfortingly to Sweetie Belle, who was crying silently.

“Heartless… abomination…” Luna felt like choking on her own outrage and disgust, so great it was. “You would hurt children?”

Nightmare Moon stopped and glanced at her hostages thoughtfully.

In the blink of an eye, Apple Bloom was separated from her friends, hoisted into the air, and thrown back down.

“No!”

Applejack’s cry was louder and more desperate than the rest.

Apple Bloom wailed as the floor halted inches away from her fragile legs.

“I would…” Nightmare Moon exposed sharp teeth as she grinned widely. “I will… unless the bearers throw down their Elements and you free my soldiers,” She levitated Apple Bloom back to her friends, who immediately embraced her. “Do. Not. Test. Me.”

Luna felt trapped, a mouse under the predatory watch of a cat, allowed to run about, but not allowed to escape. She wracked her brain for a plan, for anything. She became desperate as she came up empty and was horrified when a stray thought passed through.

‘The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…’

She violently cast it aside – there was no way she would allow herself to rule with a mentality like that. It was too harsh, too cruel, too much like… her.

Lowering her head in defeat and fighting back tears of frustration, Luna defrosted Nightmare Moon’s soldiers, watching helplessly as they stretched feeling back into their limbs.

Haze rushed to the Nightmare Moon imposter’s side, his horn glowing as he tended to her injuries. They were certainly severe – Luna had struck her while fully believing it was the real deal. The mare was lucky she wasn’t dead.

Twilight and her friends rid themselves of the Elements, faces dark as Nightmare Moon reached out with tendrils of magic and dragged the powerful relics to her.

They were utterly defenseless now.

‘I’ve… failed.’

Now this was glorious.

The Elements of Harmony, their bearers, and both princesses – well, former – under her control. Nightmare Moon glanced over to the throne dais and was relieved to see Veil rising under her own power, bruised and broken, but alive.

Sparing a look at Luna, she felt a twinge of remorse.

She had honestly hoped Luna would join her once more, but alas, it seemed as if it had to be this way.

‘Never mind – she’ll join her sister in captivity along with the Element bearers. Now as to what to do with these…’

The necklaces and tiara floated in her grasp, radiating power. It was nowhere near as intense as when they were touching their bearers. She regarded the objects that had imprisoned her on the moon for a thousand years, glowering balefully.

As much as she wanted to destroy them and prevent anypony from using them against her ever again, their raw magical potential was too useful to pass up should she find a way to properly harness that power.

Plus, she had no idea how to even destroy them; if they were anything like the long-lost Emerald Crown of Princess Platinum, then nothing short of throwing them into the sun would do any harm.

Hell, destroying them might even create a magical feedback that could wipe out her, if not the entirety of Equestria.

She’d study them later to find out how they worked and what weaknesses they had.

Nightmare Moon looked towards the defeated mares and smirked haughtily.

“My, my – don’t you all look upset…” It may have been childish and petty, but it felt damn good to mock the ponies that blasted her with the Elements’ power four years ago. “Oh, I know! Why don’t you use the magic of friendship to get your precious Elements back?” She tilted her head in faux curiosity. “No? I wonder why…” She oriented her head towards the floating fillies, seeing their wide-eyed terror.

“… ute…”

Nightmare Moon’s ears twitched. “Pardon?” Nopony spoke. She raised her brow and sighed. “Come now, I know one of you said something.”

The silence lasted a few seconds longer before the white unicorn met her gaze icily, trembling with barely-supressed rage. “You… are a brute. A brute and a bully.”

Nightmare Moon was genuinely surprised; she would have thought it was Applejack or Rainbow Dash, but apparently the clothes designer had grown a backbone.

‘How amusing…’

“Sticks and stones.” She replied with a shrug.

“Ebony, Miasma…” Nightmare Moon directed her thoughts to her soldiers. “Escort these mares to the dungeons once I am done. Fade, you remain here with me. Haze, how is she doing?”

“I’m fine…” Veil’s response with laden with pain. “Pretty sure I coughed up a lung, but whatever; never liked those organs anyway.”

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Quite a statement coming from a pegasus.”

Grinning triumphantly, she glanced towards the Element bearers once more, intent on gaining satisfaction from the hopeless expression of-

Twilight tore her anxious eyes away from her beloved mentor – her second mother – when she heard a harsh choke followed by a trio of thumps and yelps. She turned her attention to the cruel alicorn.

Nightmare Moon’s legs trembled, barely able to keep her upright, and her expression one of abject terror. The magical prison she held the fillies in had shorted out, leaving them lying on the floor, and stunned by their sudden freedom.

‘What…?’

She turned to Fluttershy and had to force herself not to cower away. Her shy friend’s Oculus Petrification – colloquially known as The Stare – had kicked in with a vengeance. Twilight could feel the magic radiating from the pegasus’ eyes, so intense that it had turned them black, resembling empty sockets.

‘At the epitome of its power, Oculus Petrification is capable of rendering even the most vicious creatures comatose, page 137; Encyclopaedia of Unusual Abnormalities of Physical and Magical Origin by Notepad…’

Casting the thought aside, she immediately yelled, “Rarity, get the girls away! Everypony else make sure Fluttershy doesn’t break eye contact!”

Rarity reacted instantly and swept the frightened fillies in her magic as Twilight and the rest of her friends moved to intercept Nightmare Moon’s followers. The fashionista made a break for the doors, but a silver bolt of magic struck first, and a magical barrier spread out to completely cover the doors. Rarity skid to a halt before she slammed into it, sensing that making physical contact would not end well.

Seeing her predicament and knowing Rarity didn’t have the skill in magic to dispel the barrier, Twilight made to get rid of it herself, but was intercepted by a unicorn mare teleporting in front of her. Her sharp teeth were bared as her horn lit up and Twilight threw up a barrier in time to stop a Kinetic Impact spell.

“Please, stop!” She cried desperately. “She’ll bring about everlasting night! Do you know the effects that would have on the ecosystem?! There is a delicate balance in which Equestria requires solar energy approximately-”

A bolt of electricity slammed into her barrier a moment later, the backlash causing a sting behind her eyes.

“Save your breath.” The mare retorted as her horn bled crimson energy.

Applejack thundered towards the earth pony that followed Nightmare Moon, her insides boiling as images of her sister being stallion-handled flashed through her mind’s eye. She would have preferred giving the alicorn herself a good bucking, but she trusted Twilight to know what she was doing.

So she was going to make sure nopony disturbed Fluttershy.

Her opponent charged forwards and Applejack knew – judging by how every step was cracking the floor – that she wouldn’t win a head-on assault. She had to play it smart.

She stayed on her straight path, letting out a battle cry for good measure, until they were only a few feet away, at which point she quickly dodged to the side and spun, putting all her weight on her front hooves and lashing out with her back hooves.

The vibrations made her teeth shake – she had bucked trees softer than this pony – and the muscles in her legs burned, but her opponent wasn’t heavy enough to remain grounded and was thrown back a few yards.

Applejack maintained her balance as she went back on all fours and turned around, grimacing. The mare was already getting back up, winded, but far from hurt.

‘What in th’ hay have these guys been eatin’?’

The mare rose and gave her a scathing glare before turning her attention back to Fluttershy.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

She may have been stronger and tougher, but Applejack was faster; she tackled the mare back to the ground and held her tight, toughing out the punches and kicks as best she could.

‘Ah’m goin’ t’ be sore in th’ mornin’…’

Rainbow Dash went for the pegasi, eyes blazing with fury. “You guys are so dead! Think you and your boss can pick on my little sis and her friends?! Not while I’m still kicking!”

“Verily!” Luna joined her, eyes emitting a fierce white light as energy crackled at the tip of her horn. “Thou shalt regret the day thy-”

The pegasus mare – a sour expression on her face – reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a black canister with a diamond in a small slot. She threw it to the ground and shielded her face with a wing.

“Uh oh…” Rainbow Dash had no idea what the canister was, but it couldn’t be good. She attempted to cover her eyes as well. “Princess, watch-”

BANG

Though she was fast enough to cover eyes, her self-inflicted blindness allowed a tremendous force to strike her in the stomach and send her cartwheeling across the room. It was only due to her Wonderbolts training and natural awesomeness that she was able to regain her bearings.

“The heck was that?” The cyan pegasus coughed.

A few yards away, Luna was yelling out some choice words that made even her blush. The lunar princess was also frantically rubbing at her eyes and firing bolts of magic blindly at the pegasus mare, who had already left her original position and was taking out a few more canisters. Rainbow Dash noted how she was favouring one wing over the other; a sign of a sprain.

“Hey, that’s cheating!”

Any thoughts of darting over to lend the princess a hoof, however, were erased as the other pegasus, a stallion, blocked her path and hovered in place with an infuriatingly smug grin.

“I know, it’s great, yeah?” His wings spread out with a snap and he rocketed towards her.

Rainbow Dash shot upwards, dodging the attack by mere centimetres and turning around in mid-air to face him as he rebounded off the wall, the force of his impact cracking the stone. She banked to the right to avoid it, but the tip of his wings caught her in the side, leaving a small nick that quickly welled with blood.

Hissing in discomfort more than pain, she turned again to face him, calculating his velocity as he bounced off the ceiling and came at her again.

‘One, two, three, go!’

She rolled backwards as he sped over her rotating body, almost clipping her in the head, and bucked him in the belly, the force sending him spiralling out of control and into the wall. Rolling to right herself, she watched as he only just barely righted himself, and rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace and narrowed eyes.

“Lucky hit.”

“Luck?” She scoffed, throwing out her forelegs in a challenging manner. “Don’t need luck when the guy you’re fighting’s slow as molasses. What’s your wingpower – 4.3?”

“More than you can handle,” He snapped back, stopping the beat of his wings to hang in the air momentarily before surging forwards. “I’m just getting started!”

“Oh good!” Rainbow Dash raced off, forcing him to pursue. “’Cause if you really were trying then I’d feel really bad!”

The guy was obviously proud and arrogant – he reminded her of somepony – which meant he was going to chase her instead of doing the smart thing and going after Fluttershy. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to keep him occupied for very long, especially in such an enclosed area, but her friends, all of Equestria was counting on her.

So Mother Faust be her witness, she’d be the best damn distraction the world had ever seen.

“Peek-a-boo! Over here! Yoo-hoo! Here I am! There I am! Woo-hoo!”

The unicorn stallion grimaced, firing spell after spell as she popped up in front of, behind, and to the side of him. “Stop this silly charade at once!”

“But we’re not playing charades,” Pinkie said, placing a hoof to her lips in thought as she stood on his back. She would have known if they were playing charades, wouldn’t she? She jumped over his head as he turned with a yelp and tried to blast her. “Unless… it’s a surprise game of charades!” Pinkie jumped up and down in excitement. “Ooh, I love surprises!”

Twilight had told her to distract the meanies that listened to Hokey Smokes – or was it Black Snooty? – while she and Fluttershy were having a staring contest so she had thought a game of Hide and Seek would be the perfect thing for the job, but charades sounded a lot more fun and was just as distracting!

“Okay, two words! First word! Three-” Pinkie snorted and face-hoofed. “Oh right, I’m supposed to be quiet. Sorry, why don’t you go first?”

A flare of magic erupted from his horn. She leaned back on her tail and spring-bounced over it, landing with a puzzled expression.

“Bzzap? Or was that pew? Is that mean two words or one? And how many syllables? Is this a new rule?”

“Oh, horn shavings – of course I get stuck with the jester of the group…”

The magical barrier was simply too strong for her. Rarity gave up her attempts on cracking it and looked around for a safe haven for the fillies.

‘Oh dear, oh dear, the windows? No, it’s too long a fall. I can’t teleport either; I knew I should have learned, but I kept putting it off and now… now…’

Emitting a whine of frustration and fear, Rarity raced back towards Fluttershy and placed the fillies down on the floor before crouching and erecting a dome of magic. It was a simple barrier she learned from Twilight after the Diamond Dog fiasco and probably couldn’t even stop half the attacks of Nightmare Moon’s lackeys, but blast it all, she had to protect these girls and Fluttershy!

Thankfully, her friends were doing a wonderful job of keeping them at bay.

Pinkie and Twilight were up against the unicorns, Applejack was wrestling with the sole earth pony, and Rainbow Dash and Luna were engaging the two pegasi.

‘Normally I’m not one to endorse violence, but I sincerely hope they knock these ruffians out soon.’

“R-Rarity?”

Turning, Rarity attempted a reassuring smile as her sister and friends huddled together, their eyes watery and filled with terror. “It’s okay, Sweetie Belle; everything is going to be alright. Just lay low, okay? You girls all just lay low.”

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders whimpered and shut their eyes against the sounds of battle.

Maintaining her shimmering blue barrier, Rarity glanced towards Fluttershy, a shiver going down her spine as she saw the pitch-black eyes.
She had seen her dear friend angry at times – which was quite frightening in itself – but this was an entirely new level of fury. Her friends and their siblings being threatened, Princess Celestia reduced to such a deplorable state, and Discord being trapped in his stony prison once again, Fluttershy was beyond angry at this point and Nightmare Moon had to bear the full brunt of it.

Frankly, she couldn’t think of somepony more deserving.

Speaking of the heartless bully, Rarity turned her gaze and noticed with horror that the evil alicorn’s expression of terror wasn’t as intense as before and that she was beginning to twitch her head, as if making a conscious effort to look away.

“Oh dear…” Rarity looked back to Fluttershy. “Darling, please hold her for just a bit longer,” She had no idea how the Stare worked and worried that doing anything to help might just have the opposite effect. “You can do it; I know you can!”

Not expecting an answer, she jumped when Fluttershy grunted through gritted teeth. “Trying… b-but she…” A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. “She’s so… strong…”

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy sweetness,” Rarity apologized with a worried expression; she felt so helpless. “I don’t know how I can help…”

Fluttershy’s eyes flashed back to their normal state for an instant. “Me… either…”

Rarity continued supporting Fluttershy with encouraging words, casting furtive glances over her shoulder and silently urging the battle to end already.

Can’t run… can’t move… can’t look at those eyes… can’t look away…

…

N-no, I… I have to look away…

…

But I can’t move…

…

I can move… I just have to move my head…

…

M-move… I will not lose again… I can’t lose…

I will not lose again…

I will not… allow it.

I will not succumb to this accursed Stare! I will not succumb to this pegasus! I am Nightmare Moon and I will not submit!

Gradually, Nightmare Moon’s mind began to chase away the primal terror and the unnatural magnetism that prevented her from looking away from those darkened eyes. Sensation crept back into her body and it was with immeasurable relief that she was finally able to shut her eyes and sever the last bit of control the pegasus had on her. When she opened her eyes again, it was Fluttershy that whimpered and backed down at the fury of the alicorn’s glare.

Nightmare Moon grinned without an ounce of mirth, her voice like a sharp blade. “I am going to enjoy breaking you…”

She walked forwards.

The pitiful barrier didn’t even require dispelling; a single hoof crashing down on the dome shattered it and threw the white unicorn to the ground with a shrill cry of pain. The fillies shrieked in dismay and the yellow pegasus immediately rushed to them and her fallen friend, her wings and hooves spreading out to shield them.

A valiant display of courage, but ultimately futile.

“Get away from them!”

A blast of electricity sent explosions of pain racing across her body.

Stumbling back a few feet, Nightmare Moon directed a scathing look at Twilight. The purple alicorn flinched, but stood her ground and prepared another spell, pumping large amounts of magic into it. Nightmare Moon was reminded just why she was adopted as Celestia’s protégée as the air of the throne room became charged with ambient magic radiating off Twilight’s horn.

Still, all the power in the world counted for nothing if you turned your back on an opponent.

Ebony took advantage of Twilight’s foolish move.

She telekinetically tore out a chunk of the floor and threw it at the back of Twilight’s head with titanic force.

CRACK

The Element of Magic folded like a house of cards, half-lidded eyes staring up at nothing as a rivulet of crimson ran down the back of her neck.

Nightmare Moon sent an approving nod at the unicorn before turning back to the group. Gathering energy into her horn, she weaved a barrier around them and imbued it with electricity.

“Don’t move now.” She trilled with faux pleasantness, directing most of her ire towards the pegasus.

Straightening, Nightmare Moon fixated on Luna and galloped across the throne room, Ebony at her side.

Luna’s shout of victory as she managed to snag the female pegasus in her telekinesis was rendered null as something was pressed to the back of her head and forced her down into the floor, muzzle first. Blood spurted from both nostrils and a few of her teeth broke from the impact.

“Surrender.”

An unwelcome feeling of nostalgia filled her as the cold voice whispered into her ear. Spitting up blood and one molar, Luna twisted her head to glare into the draconic eyes defiantly.

“Never.”

“It was an admirable effort, but you’ve lost,” Nightmare Moon grunted as Luna struggled and she violently slammed her head down again. “Every second you spend struggling is a second I will take back by tormenting your friends and sister, and I will force you to watch.”

The larger alicorn’s physical strength was more than hers and the threat made her pause in using magic.

Luna watched as the female unicorn cast a bolt of crimson at Applejack’s left hind leg, debilitating her enough for the earth pony to get the upper hoof and unleash a barrage of blows.

She heard Rainbow Dash curse and enter the fray.

For her part, she did manage to give the earth pony a good few punches before the two opposing pegasi each grabbed a wing and pulled her to the ground, allowing the unicorn to cast a Paralysis spell.

She couldn’t see where Pinkie Pie was, nor did she know what had happened to Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and the fillies, but she didn’t think they would last long.

‘No, don’t listen! I have to save them! I have to-’

The hoof on her head left to harshly kick her onto her back. Two powerful forelegs smashed down on either side of her head, trapping her.

“Go on then. Fight back.”

Nightmare Moon snarled down at her, horn glowing and wings spread out to block the light and frame her in shadow.

“Hurry… Cast a spell. Summon lightning. Call your guards! Hurry! Hurry! Hit me! Hit me and see how I’ll pay it back to them! Strike me and see how they’ll suffer! Hurt me and see how I’ll hurt them! Do it!”

Mother Faust… was that what ponies had seen a thousand years ago? This… horrifying visage of something that looked equine, but wasn’t? This sadistic creature that smiled at the thought of harming others?

‘I have to… I can’t fail Equestria again. I… I can’t…’

But Luna could see it in the parasite’s eyes.

Somepony would die if she fought back.

‘The needs of the many… or my friends… my only family?’

“…”

The princess of the night’s lip trembled as she closed her eyes, shame and helplessness filling her as she realized that there was no way she could intentionally allow those close to her to come to harm.

A part of her knew that it was the right thing, but…

“I… I surrender.”

What of Equestria?

What of her home?

Author's Notes:

Note 1: Luna might have caught onto the ploy quicker if she wasn't so blinded by her anger.

Note 2: Mother Faust is the sole deity of the Alicasim (Al-eye-kay-zim) religion, the most prominent religious group in Equestria. The followers are referred to as Alicasists (Al-eye-kay-zists) and believe Mother Faust chased away the Dark that plagued the universe and sowed the seeds that would first give life. Alicasim's origins stem from unicorn society and today, most earth ponies and pegasi follow it instead of the religions their ancestors had.

Note 3: "I honestly have no idea why this filly has three times the amount of ocular nerves. You'd think it'd mess with her vision, but she's perfectly fine. A bit of a weak flyer, but that's not in correlation to her eyes. I'm thinking of sending for a unicorn doctor, you know?" - Letter from Doctor Comet to a co-worker on the subject of Fluttershy.