1055 AD, November 8th

Fluttershy was drawn out of her stupor by the jingle of keys and the clanking of armor. Turning away from the steady rise and fall of Rarity’s chest, Fluttershy whimpered in fear as the door to their cell was pushed open.

“Up and at ‘em,” A burly pegasus in Eclipse armor entered the cell. He was twice Fluttershy’s size and his mean looks made her cower. “You’re movin’.”

“I…” Fluttershy stammered. “I-I don’t think… I mean…”

“Ough… dearie?”

The demure pegasus gasped softly and turned, eyes wide in concern as Rarity attempted to sit up. She gently pressed a hoof against her friend’s shoulder.

“Oh, you really shouldn’t be moving, Rarity; it’ll make you feel worse.”

“Hey, what’s the hold-up?” The guard stamped his hoof impatiently. “Let’s go!”

Mustering her courage, Fluttershy turned and said, “She’s not feeling well. She can’t be moving around, not like this.”

“Dearie, I’m…” Rarity sat up more. Even with the cell’s poor lighting, it was apparent the unicorn was not at her best; her mane was frumpy and frazzled, her coat was unkempt and grimy, and her make-up was smeared. Nevertheless, she smiled. “I’m fine, really. Just a… a dizzy spell. As soon as I find the… the nearest spa…”

“Rar-” Fluttershy squeaked as her friend swayed and she rushed in to catch her. “Oh no…”

The guard clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned to somepony behind him. “Won’t need chains for that one. Think you can lift her?”

An earth pony mare entered; her features were gentle and she looked genuinely concerned as she watched Fluttershy support Rarity. “Yeah, no problem, sir.”

But a kind face wasn’t enough to get into Fluttershy’s good books, especially since they were a member of the Eclipse. When the mare ventured closer, two sets of chains in her grasp, Fluttershy hugged Rarity tighter, protectively.

“Look, I’m sorry, but you have to wear these,” The mare said, rattling a set of chains. “I won’t put them on Rarity though.”

Fluttershy didn’t move; she was scared to put Rarity’s health in anypony else’s hooves. What if they made her condition worse?

“Oh, for Faust’s…! Do you want me to do it?”

The mare looked back over her shoulder and shook her head. “No, I got this, sir,” She turned back and said in a lower tone, “Come on – it’s me or him, and I don’t think he’ll be gentle.”

‘How do I know you’ll be?’

But she had little choice – either take her chances with the guard who looked and sounded nice, or the guard that didn’t.

“Please…” Fluttershy carefully guided Rarity into a prone position on the single cot as the unicorn muttered something about coiffures and flashy gemstones. “She’s very weak.”

The mare nodded and moved closer so she could lock iron cuffs around Fluttershy’s legs; the chains linking them altogether jangled noisily. They were heavy and Fluttershy could only move her feet a few inches away from each other before the chains stopped her.

For some reason, she wondered what her mother would think seeing her only daughter like this.

Once she was secured, Fluttershy watched anxiously as the mare moved to sling Rarity over her back. Her heart jumped into her throat when the guard gave a sudden grunt and Rarity came dangerously close to sliding off, but the guard quickly recovered.

“Mmph…” Rarity’s glazed eyes stared at nothing as she ran one hoof across the guard’s cuirass. “Ooh, this is some… durable fabric. What, uh… what would you call…?” She fell asleep.

“Come on,” The guard by the door urged with an annoyed sigh. “You’re taking too long.”

Fluttershy was close enough to the mare to catch a brief look of anger before it was wiped away. Instead, she nodded to Fluttershy.

“You go first. Just follow him and I’ll keep her safe.”

“… Okay…”

Fluttershy shuffled her way towards the door, keeping her head down. The pegasus guard gave a huff of satisfaction and turned to walk out.

‘At least I’m out of there…’

The past three days had been torment.

Granted, she couldn’t compare her experience to Rarity’s – especially with that ring on her horn – but she definitely looked as bad as she felt after so long without fresh air, sunlight, and nourishment.

Her feathers were in need of preening, her coat and mane were messy, and she was very much aware of how bad her breath smelt.

‘I ran out of toothpaste I think. Angel was reminding me to buy some- oh, Angel… please take care of the others. Harry, you too…’

She raised her head long enough to spot two other pairs of guards leading the rest of her friends out. Her heart swelled with joy and relief upon laying eyes on them for the first time in what felt like ages. Who cares if they looked a little worse for wear? They were all safe and healthy enough to be walking about.

Well… ‘dragged about’ in Rainbow Dash’s case.

“Think you’re so tough, huh?” Rainbow Dash grunted as she pulled and yanked against the grip of an earth pony stallion. “That armor doesn’t count for anything! Let me go and I’ll show you some real strength!”

“RD, cut that out!” Applejack admonished. “Ya’ll want th’ CMC to get in trouble?”

Rainbow Dash shot a glare at her, but stopped struggling, though the string of insults and curses she muttered under her breath did not stop. Fluttershy was close enough to hear some of the words and they were enough to bring a wicked blush to her cheeks.

‘My, I didn’t even know those words could be used together in such a way…’

Once her friends were all out of their cells – oh, but where was Twilight? – the guards looked to a pegasus mare near the dungeon’s exit. Fluttershy recognized her as one of Nightmare Moon’s followers. She looked even more intimidating in that dark armor.

“Ensign Scarlet…” The mare craned her head to the side so she had a clearer view of the back. “Are we going to have to worry about you falling behind?”

“No, ma’am,” The mare carrying Rarity replied with a shake of her head. “I’m fine.”

“Hey, what’d you shitlords do to her?” Rainbow Dash demanded with a furious expression. “If you-”

Fluttershy inhaled in fright as one of the guards grabbed her long-time friend by the mane and gave a vicious tug, eliciting a cry of pain.

“If you don’t shut the hell up right now, then I’m gonna-”

Whap

Rainbow Dash flopped to the floor with a rattle of chains and the stallion was knocked back. Nightmare Moon’s follower retracted her wing and stared evenly at the guard as Pinkie helped up her friend.

“Do you have some ear problem where you hear somepony saying, ‘hit the prisoners’ in my voice?”

The guard grimaced and rubbed at his sore hoof. “No, ma’am…”

“Good to know,” She turned and started trotting towards the exit. “Alright, everypony follow me. You can complain all you want, but don’t expect me to do anything about it.”

“Now hold on a minute…” Applejack said abruptly. “Where’re ya’ll takin’ us an’ where’s Twilight?”

“Eh, she’s fine,” The mare stopped and turned her head enough to fix Applejack with an expression of disinterest. “Somewhere with Empress Nightmare Moon working on a way to seal the Entropic Fractures. As for you guys, you’ve been upgraded to better quarters and you get to say goodbye to those fillies… the Cutsie Park Rangers or whatever…”

Fluttershy was worried about Twilight, but the news of better quarters and the release of the CMC was a welcome surprise. She didn’t know why Nightmare Moon decided to do that, but she wasn’t one to look a gift hippo in the mouth.

“Seriously?” Applejack’s eyes widened – a rare moment of emotional vulnerability. “We get t’ see our little sisters?”

“You won’t if you don’t hurry up; the Empress was super-specific about what time and when, so if you want to see them off…”

Needless to say, they were all motivated to get a move on.

Fluttershy awkwardly shuffled along the dungeon’s corridor as quickly as she could and cast worried glances over her shoulder to see if Rarity was alright.

Scarlet did seem to have little trouble carrying her – Rarity would have taken it as a sign that she was doing well in keeping her svelte figure – and she was careful to keep her movements and gait steady.

‘At least she seems somewhat nice, even if she is working for Nightmare Moon.’

Clunk

“Ouch!”

Fluttershy recoiled and pressed a hoof against her right temple. The edge of the exit’s doorway – that would certainly leave a bruise. The demure pegasus flushed deeply as some of the guards guffawed at her expense.

“Are you okay?”

“You okay, Flutters?”

“Um, yes, I’m fine,” Fluttershy rubbed at the sore spot and smiled reassuringly at Scarlet and Pinkie’s concerned looks. “Don’t mind me.”

The high-ranking mare at the front of the line called back, “Can we hurry it up back there, possibly?”

Fluttershy flinched and fell back into step.

“You know…”

That was it.

Nightmare Moon didn’t even bother acknowledging the young filly’s words. From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she had been prepping an insult, but chickened out at the last second.

Obviously, Nightmare Moon was more imposing than the guards who had been bringing them their meals for the past week.

‘I’d be doing something wrong if that was the case…’

Sighing impatiently, she slouched in her throne and cast her gaze around the throne room.

Fade was waiting with two other pegasi – a stallion and a mare – a few feet away from the throne dais. He had been flirting with the mare a while ago, but quickly lost interest when he realized she only responded positively because his rank intimidated her. Now he was discussing cumulus-ball with the stallion.

Haze was directly on the left side of her throne, magically shifting through a stack of papers with a look of deep thought.

She plucked at the mental link they shared. “No word on those shipments from the Crystal Empire?”

“Princess Cadance doesn’t want to stress out her subjects by having them mine for the type of crystals you’ve asked for; it reminds them too much of King Sombra’s reign,” Haze replied without looking up. “She has a few ponies working on it, but it’ll take some time to get the amount you wanted.”

Nightmare Moon growled deep in her throat. “Unbelievable. What about the ambassador from the Griffon Kingdom?”

“He should be here sometime this afternoon; I’ve already prepared him and his daughter’s accommodations.”

“Good,” Nightmare Moon glanced down at the three foals sitting at the foot of the dais. The orange coated pegasus was glaring up at her. “Be sure to send Twilight and Sunset another full-length mirror; the last one broke.”

“I’ll get right on it, Empress.”

“You know…” Scootaloo began as she wetted her lips. “You’re not that scary.”

Nightmare Moon didn’t pay the remark any mind and sent her thoughts to Fade. “You know how to get to Ponyville, correct?”

“Just follow the train tracks, yeah? Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Be wary of the pegasus – I have a feeling she might attempt something when you take them back.”

“Yeah?” Fade glanced at the filly in question, one eyebrow cocking. “Ah, no worries, boss; I think I can handle a foal.”

Nightmare Moon would be genuinely astonished if he couldn’t.

“That statue in the Everfree is way scarier than you,” Scootaloo continued with a defiant tilt of her chin. “And it’s covered in moss.”

‘Why is there a statue of my likeness near Ponyville? Who built it?’

“Like, you’re not even as big as the statue; you’re a few inches short- ow!”

“Scoots, ah’m gonna bop you again if ya’ll keep antagonizin’ her.” Apple Bloom said through an angry scowl.

Scootaloo poked her tongue out, but settled down and crossed her forelegs.

‘Yes, Rainbow Dash has most definitely rubbed off on you. The courage and defiance is commendable, but I won’t be surprised if it got the two of them killed one day. I wonder how the Element of Loyalty would react if such a thing happened because of her? How completely would it break her?’

Nightmare Moon pondered that for a while until she saw the throne room doors opening. She sat up straight and watched closely as Veil entered, followed by a platoon of guards and five of the Element bearers. As expected, once the CMC caught sight of their loved ones and friends, they rushed over. Nightmare Moon allowed it, but kept an eye out for any signs of escape.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were quick to embrace Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle was content with holding Rarity’s hoof, stirring the older unicorn into waking and smiling down tiredly.

She really did look sick.

‘Perhaps I should have paid more attention to Twilight’s woes; enemy she may be, she wouldn’t exaggerate if it came down to her friends’ health.’

“Haze, be sure to assign a physician to examine Rarity once they’ve been settled into their quarters.”

“Understood, Empress.”

Nightmare Moon rose from her throne and stepped off the dais. “Make the most of this,” She said as she trotted down the red, velvet carpet. “I have important business to attend to, so say your farewells and the fillies will be brought back to Ponyville.”

“If they get so much as a scratch…” Applejack growled, holding her sister as best she can with the chains on.

“Oh, don’t waste your breath trying to give meaningless threats,” Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Just say what you want to say before they go.”

Applejack huffed, but heeded her words, and softly spoke to Apple Bloom.

She said something about taking care of the farm and listening to Big Mac, but Nightmare Moon didn’t really care. Her thoughts were lying with the griffon ambassador’s arrival.

‘This is a prime opportunity to see if they’ve been suffering the Entropic Fracture phenomena as well. Perhaps they have something new to bring to the table…’

Speaking of something new…

“Veil, I want you to go down to the laboratory and tell Twilight and Sunset that I’ll be arriving late.”

“Yeah, alright…” Veil’s mental link bobbed with fatigue. “Should I tell them about the heartwarming reunion here or what?”

“If you wish.”

Veil nodded and turned to trot out of the throne room.

Nightmare Moon was aware that despite their strength, her Praetorian Guard still needed rest, and that was something they had not being getting lately. Neither was she, but it would take three months of staying awake before fatigue started really affecting her. Her Praetorian Guard had been working non-stop for a little over a week; she’d give it another four days before their strength started waning.

‘Hmm… Two more days and I’ll let them have a rest.’

To do that, Nightmare Moon would have to take on their duties as well as the ones she was already saddled with, but that was fine; she could handle it.

They deserved that much for their loyalty.

Turning her attention back to the Element bearers, Nightmare Moon waited for a few more minutes before saying, “Alright, I think that’s enough bonding,” She turned her head towards Fade and gave a curt nod. “Take these fillies back to Ponyville.”

Expectedly, none of the Element bearers were happy to be parting with the CMC, but Nightmare Moon scowled down at them, and any protests were quickly halted.

“Hey, what’s up?” Fade said cheerfully as he and the other two Eclipse pegasi approached. “Ready to go back to your parents, yeah?”

The CMC managed to give some impressive glares. Nightmare Moon felt a chuckle build in her throat at the sight of Fade awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh.

“You can handle a foal, right, Fade?”

“Ah yeah, good one, boss; my confidence is super-high, now.”

“No need to look like someone shi…” He paused. “Uh, peed in your cereal, yeah? We’ll get you back to Ponyville and then you can see all your friends again! Hey, how’s about I show you a few aerial tricks on the way?”

“I only learn lessons from Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo said haughtily.

Rainbow Dash snickered loudly as Fade frowned.

“Yeah, you know what? I’m taking somepony who can appreciate flying. How’s about it, Sweaty Belle?”

“Sweetie Belle.”

“Whatever.”

Fade and his subordinates led the fillies out of the throne room after they gave one last farewell. With that bit of annoyance out of the way, all that was needed was for the Element bearers to get settled and for a physician to look at Rarity, and then Nightmare Moon would have completed her end of the deal with one Twilight Sparkle.

‘Then I can finally concentrate on more important matters…’

“Show these five to their new quarters,” Nightmare Moon ordered the Eclipse guard escorts with a wave of her forehoof. “If they show any signs of disobedience, you have my permission to use force. However, be very mindful that you do not cause any permanent damage,” She leaned forwards and lowered her voice to a menacing growl. “Because that damage will be reflected on you ten-fold.”

It was important to inspire a little fear when it came to anypony else that wasn’t part of her Praetorian Guard, just so the message was well and truly clear.

And well, yes, Nightmare Moon admitted to enjoying the look of fear and terror on one’s face when they recognized her power.

“W-we won’t, Empress,” One of the guards said quickly and with a slight stammer. He bowed for good measure and turned to the others to say, “Back in formation; let’s go!”

Before the Element bearers could be led out, Rainbow Dash stepped forwards and tilted her head upwards, meeting Nightmare Moon’s gaze.

“You haven’t beaten us yet,” Rainbow Dash growled with fury blazing in her eyes. “As long as I keep drawing breath, you’ll never beat us!”

One of the guards shouted and moved to stop her, but Nightmare Moon held up a forehoof, an amused grin spreading across her face as she looked down at the smaller mare.

“Really? From where I’m standing, I seem to have done well in defeating you,” She gestured grandly to the throne behind her and her lips peeled back to show sharp fangs in a wide smile. “I sit on the throne. It is my guard which occupies this city. The Elements of Harmony are under lock and key. The former princesses and the fabled Element bearers are my prisoners.”

“You haven’t broken us,” Rainbow Dash replied coldly. “Yeah, it might be a super-cliché thing to say, but you won’t break me, my friends, or the princesses so long as our spirits remain. And when we get out of here, we’re gonna kick your ass all the way to the moon!”

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Well, as much as I despise you for the pain you inflicted on me all those years ago, I have to admit that I admire your resolve,” She paused to let the words sink in before continuing. “Admiration aside though, you’re still my prisoner, and unless you want me to bite off one of your friends’ ears, I suggest you obey and follow my guards. If not for yourself, then for Rarity…”

Rainbow Dash looked at her weak, unicorn friend and uttered a soft curse.

“Now, if there’s nothing else…”

The bearer of Loyalty put in one last glare of defiance before reluctantly allowing one of the guards to escort her out of the room.

Nightmare Moon kept a smirk on her face as she watched them leave. She hadn’t been lying; she really could admire resolve in a pony, no matter who they were.

Well, unless they were Blueblood.

‘After all…’ Nightmare Moon thought as she turned to head back to her throne. ‘More than power, more than strength, it was resolve and determination which drove me to achieve my goals in the first place.’

‘Why does it always smell like cinnamon around here?’

It wasn’t an unpleasant smell, but it made Veil wonder what exactly had been going in in the castle’s lab when Celestia and Luna were still in power.

‘Celestia was probably making some new type of ingredient to put on her cakes…’

The guard by the lab’s entrance saluted when she approached and she returned it half-heartedly, a scowl turning her face sour when she only now just realized what she had just thought.

‘Ugh, now I’m doing the whole ‘Celestia gets off on cakes’ thing. I really gotta remember to not pay attention to Fade when he opens his mouth.’

Pushing the door open and entering the lab, Veil was assaulted by the sounds of an argument.

“That theory went out in 505 AD! I had no idea you were working to set technology backwards!”

“Just because something’s antiquated, doesn’t mean it’s no longer applicable!”

Wrinkling her nose against the strong scent of cinnamon, Veil surveyed the room for its occupants.

The room itself was quite large – obviously designed with Celestia’s considerable stature in mind – but the tables covered with scientific apparatuses and the shelves lined with assorted materials made it seem enclosed. Several emergency washing stations lined the walls and there was another door on the far wall that led to a decontamination shower for substances of both chemical and magical type.

There were no windows and the fluorescent lights above seemed to be unusually bright to compensate for that. Whatever the reason, it stung Veil’s eyes, and she trotted further in, eager to finish her task and leave.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m categorizing the metals which we agreed to-”

“From least conductive to most? It’s the other way around!”

“The other-?! What does that matter?”

Twilight and Sunset Shimmer were standing near the Crystal Mirror – Veil honestly could not remember what its actual name was – that they had placed against the far wall of the room.

Several apparatuses had been hooked up to it and the vine-like mess of wires ran across the floor in loops. One machine spat out paper with squiggly lines and another beeped and booped incessantly. Veil jolted when a burst of sparks erupted from one of the metal clamps attached to the mirror’s frame and the machine it was connected to let out a distressing whine.

Neither Twilight or Sunset paid any attention to it, so Veil guessed… hoped it was fine.

“Do you even know what a focus stone is?” Sunset’s infuriated face was fixated on Twilight while she used telekinesis to simultaneously write something down in a thick notepad. “If you try to use that to channel all that energy, it’ll explode, and then we’ll have shrapnel to worry about!”

Twilight’s expression mirrored Sunset’s and it caused Veil no small amount of concern when she levitated a beaker of blue fluid into a beaker of red… all without looking.

“I’m not some amateur thaumaturgist, Sunset; I know what’ll happen if we use a focus stone with this kind of power. But this isn’t an ordinary focus stone we’re going to use…”

“And how exactly does that…?” Sunset’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you can’t possibly mean…”

“I sure do.”

“You’re crazy! Nightmare Moon would never let you do that!”

Twilight’s frown tightened and her eyes blazed with determination. “We’ll see then, won’t we?”

“Lover’s quarrel?” Veil commented dryly.

The two blinked in surprise as they finally noticed her presence. Twilight’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink at Veil’s remark while Sunset just huffed in irritation and turned to devote all her attention to her work.

“No, it’s just…” Twilight shook her head and cleared her throat awkwardly. “Just a bit of a disagreement; it’s bound to happen in any field of work,” She gave a short giggle. “That was actually one of the most engaging conversations I’ve ever had.”

“I’m sure it was positively riveting. Anyway, Nightmare Moon said she’d be down here later than what she said, so she sent me down to let you know.”

“I’m heartbroken…” Sunset muttered, deadpan.

“I can tell,” Veil retorted before turning back to Twilight. “So I couldn’t help but notice with the shouting and everything, but you said something about Nightmare Moon not letting you do something? Do I have reason to duck and cover at some point?”

“Ah, well…” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. “I… No offense, but it’s rather… complicated and unless you have at least a minor in Magic Conversion and are somewhat familiar with how enchanting works, then I have to-”

“Yeah, okay…” Veil held up a hoof to stop her, cringing slightly. “Sorry I asked.”

“Now, if you don’t mind answering one of my questions…?”

There was a hint of pleading in Twilight’s hopeful expression; it could only have to do with the status of her friends. Well, Nightmare Moon did say she could tell her if she wanted to, and though Veil didn't actually feel much sympathy for Twilight, she saw no reason to withhold the information.

She didn't get off on watching ponies worry and stress, as much as she couldn't stand them sometimes.

“Your friends are fine,” Veil answered. “Rarity’s getting looked at and those fillies are going back to Ponyville. Happy?”

“Yes…” Twilight replied honestly and with a breath of relief. The tension in her body seemed to evaporate at once. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Whatever,” Veil shrugged and made to leave. “Anything else you want, tell me now.”

“Yes, actually,” Sunset briskly turned to face her as Veil looked back. “Where are those crystals I ordered? They were supposed to be her yesterday and…” She gestured pointedly around the room, which lacked a supply of crystals.

“Well, the anomalies tearing through our reality are putting a hamper on trading, funnily enough. You’ll have to wait a bit, so do you want anything else? A hoof massage? Want me to fan you with my wings?”

Sunset’s face turned red and she growled, “How am I supposed to get anything done? No crystals, bland meals, and the princess over here keeps using the wrong measuring instruments…”

“I am not!” Twilight shrilled. “When have I ever used the wrong instruments?”

“And that’s my cue to leave…”

The unicorns continued their ‘engaging conversation’, oblivious to Veil’s departure.

“… Oh, I did use the wrong instrument.”

“You see? Now if… Oh, I’ve been writing down my notes over Nightmare Moon’s.”

“…”

“…”

“I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

Author's Notes:

Note 1: It may be strange to imagine a pegasus using their wings in combat due to their frail appearance, but the truth is, a pegasus' wings are incredibly strong, even if they are incapable of achieving flight without the assistance of magic. A fully-grown pegasus in their prime striking with their wings is equivalent to a strike with their hoof. Furthermore, once they achieve enough speed, their Aura allows their feathers to cut through soft materials such as cloth, wood, and flesh. Pegasi attach blades to their wings to further the lethality of their speed.

A common misconception amongst ponies is that wing size has ties to the size of a stallion's genitalia, much like how many believe that the size of a unicorn's horn has similar results. This belief is false. However, unlike unicorns - who are quick to roll their eyes at such rumours - pegasi embrace this way of thinking, possibly to fuel their egos and to flaunt their wings to potential mates of other races.

Or, they just like messing with them.

Note 2: The ponies of the Crystal Empire adore their new rulers and are frustrated at their own inability to venture deep into the Crystal Mines without suffering an acute panic attack as unpleasant memories resurface.

And then there are some, who are strong enough to ignore the dreaded memories and go deep into the mines, that feel as though the panic they experience may not be entirely in their heads...