January 17th, 1055 AD

Applejack had been to a lot of funerals in her life. She had a big family, so more than most, she knew just how important it was to give the dead their due and allow their loved ones to mourn.

Yet, she was painfully conflicted on the topic of letting Nightmare Moon attend Vinyl’s funeral.

“AJ?”

She could understand having everypony that Vinyl held dear coming by to see her off properly, even though it was still a mystery to her why Nightmare Moon was a member of that group.

“AJ.”

But Nightmare Moon wasn't a normal pony: she was an evil ghost; or something like that. Applejack didn’t need personal experience to know that having that at a funeral wasn't the best idea.

“Yo!”

Applejack jolted forward as someone pushed her from behind. She whipped around, prepped for a counterattack, until she recognized the face in front of her. “Dagnabbit, Rainbow! Are ya lookin’ ta give me a heart attack?” Quickly calming from her brief adrenaline rush, Applejack turned back to what she was doing. “What’d’ya want anyhow?”

“I came by to tell you to take a break.”

Applejack scoffed. “Ah’m fine, Rainbow.”

“You’ve been working non-stop since we got out of that trial; which wouldn’t be too different from your usual work at the farm if I also didn’t know that you were up for two days before that.”

“Ain’t true,” Applejack said firmly. She picked up a tent peg and started hammering it. Rainbow Dash slipped around in front of her, eyes narrowed. “Ah caught some shut-eye, I swear.”

“How much shut-eye?”

“… Three hours.”

“Uh-huh. And when was that?”

Applejack faltered as a fog seemed to block her memories. “Uh…”

“Thought so,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion with her wings. “Come on, you’re gonna get some real sleep.”

“Cut tha’ out! Ah’m fine, ah tell ya!”

“AJ, you were trying to hammer in that peg with the handle.”

Applejack looked down at the tool in question. “Oh,” She relinquished it to Rainbow Dash’s waiting hoof. “Maybe ah could use a few winks.”

“Yeah, all forty of them.”

“Sorry fer bein’ so stubborn. Ah’m jes’ antsy, an’ when ah get antsy, ah have ta work; ah have ta do somethin’ with mah hooves.”

“I totally get that, but one of the things the Wonderbolts drilled into me from day one was that working tired is just as bad as working drunk.“

"Heh, look at ya being all responsible. Weren’t too long ago tha’ a certain pegasus used ta sleep in mah trees.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, smirking. “I still do that. I’ve just gotten better at hiding,” She chuckled and Applejack shared it with her in a moment of levity. Then, a shadow crossed Rainbow Dash’s face. “Seriously, how are you holding up? With all the cleaning up, we haven’t had a chance to talk.”

Applejack sagged. “Ah’m managin’. Ah haven’t seen this many dead ponies before. Kinda weighs something fierce on th’ mind.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, I get you.”

“Ah mean, ah expected ta see some bad things going ta battle against Nightmare Moon, but…” Applejack took a deep breath and looked off to the side. “But what th’ humans did…”

Applejack stared at the sad attempt of the tent she had tried putting up; just one among the rows and rows that cluttered the castle’s grounds, serving as shelter for all the ponies working to establish order. She had seen camps like this before in disaster movies. She never expected to see one up close, much less be a part of one.

Rainbow Dash followed her gaze, then turned back with a reassuring grin. “It’s not as bad as it looks now.”

“Really?” There was a bitterness in her tone, one that Applejack immediately regretted when she noticed her friend flinch. “Sorry.”

A shrug. “No worries. But you gotta believe me when I say that. I was flying around the second I was able to after the explosion and the gas, and if you think seeing things from the ground was bad, then being up so high and being able to see everything and how bad it is and knowing you can’t be everywhere at once to help…”

She trailed off.

“Sugarcube, are you holdin’ up fine?”

“Long as I know you girls are safe, I’m steady for as long as I need to be.”

Applejack made a mental note to get this girl some top-notch cider the instant they were back in Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw tensed as her wings flicked. Her feathers seemed to puff up. “Anyway, I’m too angry to be feeling down. Can’t believe we’re delaying the trial again; we should just get it over and done with, right?”

Applejack hesitated. “Ah dunno.”

Rainbow Dash cocked her head, mouth slack in disbelief.

“Nah, don’t get me wrong,” Applejack waved her hoof. “Ah think Nightmare Moon should get what’s comin’ ta her, but if’n tha’ Octavia gal says she an’ her wife, may she rest in peace-” Her hoof briefly touched her chest. “-wanted her at th’ funeral, then well, ah jes’ don’t think ah can say ‘naw’ ta them. Gotta respect the dead’s wishes. Within reason.”

Rainbow Dash sucked on her teeth. “I get that. Really, I do. But the longer Nightmare Moon’s around, the more time she has to get out of this ‘poor me’ funk and start smashing heads left and right.”

“Seems pretty out of it ta me. Once had a cousin in a dark place like tha’ an’ they jes’ kept goin’ deeper an’ deeper.”

“What happened to them?"

"‘Had,’ sugarcube.”

Rainbow Dash cringed. “Sorry to hear that. But I can’t see Nightmare Moon doing something like… well, that.”

“Ah can,” Applejack replied. “If’n she thought she could take down a whole heap of us along with her.”

“You think she’d do that out of spite?” Rainbow Dash grimaced and held up her hoof almost immediately after. “Dumb question – don’t answer.”

“An’ tha’s why ah’m anxious; they say a cornered fox is jes’ as dangerous as a trained hound.”

“Yeah, pegasi have something like that, I think,” Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “How’s it go again? Let… No, ‘form storm clouds behind your own troops to prevent escape and make them fight harder.’”

Applejack’s right eyebrow ascended to her hairline.

“I mean… it’s not wrong.”

Applejack grunted and rubbed her eyes. “This whole thing’s givin’ me a headache. Ah should know better than ta wish fer someone’s death, but there’s tha’ naggin’ voice in th’ back of mah head tha’ won’t stop sayin’, ‘it’d be easier if she weren’t here anymore.’”

Rainbow Dash nodded sympathetically. “Hey, that’s what we all want, isn’t it? For her to not be here anymore.”

It sounded simple, but Applejack knew it wasn’t. With the Elements of Harmony’s whereabouts unknown, they couldn’t just blast the problem and be done with it. And who knew if the Elements would even work like they wanted? Granny said that third time was the charm, but knowing their luck, Nightmare Moon might just shrug off another attempt and go berserk.

They could just kill Nightmare Moon, but considering what she was, it would likely take one of the princesses’ power, or both, to destroy her. Failing that, they’d need Zecora to make some of her crazy concoctions.

And if, for whatever reason, that didn’t work, then… well…

Ugh, she was too tired to think.

“Sorry, RD, but ah’m gonna find a bale of hay an’ hit it. Talk later?”

“Anytime, AJ.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her hoof, and Applejack bumped it – a little normalcy felt nice. After saying farewell, Applejack went off in search for a spot to sleep; it didn’t even have to be comfortable, just isolated enough that she wouldn’t get in anypony’s way.

After just a minute of wandering in a half-daze, she found a lone tent with a single bored-looking mare taking count of some supplies. She gave Applejack a foldable cot, and Applejack set it up in the corner where she wouldn’t be a bother.

Though she was exhausted, Applejack didn’t go to sleep immediately. Instead, she rolled onto her side and stared ahead, wondering – perhaps futilely – what might have been going through Nightmare Moon’s head.

“It is time.”

Nightmare Moon sighed as Luna entered.

Luna… she’d grown up so quickly over the years she’d been back from exile. Nightmare Moon hadn’t paid much attention to her former host; too preoccupied with exacting her vengeance on the older sibling – perhaps she should have been more cautious, then she might have still had them all under lock and key.

Ah, well – it didn’t matter anymore.

“So it is,” Nightmare Moon trudged over to the door to her cell. “I’m surprised you arranged everything so quickly. Then again, Vinyl wasn’t much for patience; she was likely pestering you from the next life if it even exists.”

Luna’s lip curled in distaste. “That’s no way to speak of the dead.”

“They’re dead. What does it matter?"

Nightmare Moon found herself matching Luna’s stare. It looked like she wanted to argue but was deciding whether it was worth the energy. Eventually, Luna levitated an iron key and slotted it into the cell’s lock.

“You shall have an hour; just one to say your farewell and witness the cremation.”

Ah, so they were going with the rites of the unicorns. That made sense: Vinyl liked flashy shenanigans; she would prefer to go out in a literal blaze of glory rather than rot away beneath the earth where nopony can see.

“And where will this be held?” Nightmare Moon asked, half-interested, as she went through the open door. Luna watched her carefully. “I doubt you went out and rented a crematorium for private use.”

“It will be a cremation like those from my age,” Luna answered, then looked off to the side for a second before turning back. “Do you remember them?”

Nightmare Moon searched her memories, cycling back through hundreds and hundreds of years, and found what she was looking for. “Yes. We lay logs on one another, place the body on top, then set the whole thing alight. I remember watching through your eyes.”

A look of unease crept across Luna’s face. “I shall bring us to the spot. Stay close and do not stray, or it will be the last thing you ever do.”

Nightmare Moon managed a snicker. “Do you still believe I’m planning something?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s not as if you don’t have reason to suspect that.”

Luna’s horn lit and Nightmare Moon averted her gaze, watching as the cold stonework of her cell changed to a field of green grass and tall trees with a flash of light. She could see the blood-red sun setting behind a hill on the horizon through the gaps of the trunks – it would be night soon.

“Over here.” There was a voice behind her.

Nightmare Moon turned and saw Celestia standing there. A few yards behind her was Octavia; she was facing a bed of logs with some hay packed in a depression where Vinyl-

“Just us?” Nightmare Moon met Celestia’s eyes.

Celestia nodded. “I asked others, but they did not wish to be around you,” She turned her head to the side and looked so sad. “At least you’ll have privacy.”

A flicker of scorn swept through Nightmare Moon’s chest. “Save your pity, fool,” She swallowed, lips dry, and marched forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

Celestia reached out as she passed. “Night-”

“Don’t touch me.”

Shortly thereafter, Nightmare Moon found herself standing beside Octavia.

"Hello."

Octavia didn’t look at her. Nightmare Moon wished she could do the same, but she needed to see her to understand her. The other mare looked terrible.

Slowly, Octavia asked, “How did it happen?”

Nightmare Moon looked ahead for a moment and her gaze gravitated from the platoon of trees and foliage ahead to the figure lying in the-

“We were trapped in some debris with the humans closing in,” Nightmare Moon said, looking up at the sky. Octavia must have been told how Vinyl died but wanted a personal recount. For closure? Nightmare Moon didn’t care enough to know. “I wasn’t in any shape to fend them off, so I imbued Vinyl with some of my essence. We were to fight them off together; instead, she sealed me in the debris and led the humans away.”

An unfamiliar feeling became known to her – a slimy, dark worm twisting around in her gut. She had never felt this as her own before, but she knew what it was from her time possessing a host.

Shame.

She was ashamed?

Stunned, Nightmare Moon went quiet and stared at Octavia’s hooves, waiting for them to move. But they didn’t. It was Octavia’s lips that moved. They formed a smile, full of mirth, and the sight of it formed an arrow that pierced through Nightmare Moon’s shock.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t imagine somepony like you being protected. You practically took over Canterlot by yourself.”

Nightmare Moon wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. “I had help.”

"Still..." A pause. “Nightmare Moon, did she make you happy?”

“Make me…?” Nightmare Moon thought back to the times she shared with Vinyl; the good, the bad, the annoying. She replayed them over and over and realized that if even one was missing, she’d feel a little bit emptier. “… Yes. I think she did.”

Another pause.

“Nightmare Moon… why won’t you look at her?”

Taken aback, Nightmare Moon reflexively looked down. “I already…”

There she was.

Vinyl, lying on her side in a makeshift bed of hay, stone-cold dead. They had dressed the wound that killed, but she could see a fissure of missing fur and scarred flesh. Her eyes were closed – it just looked like she was sleeping. But Nightmare Moon would not do something as pathetic as lie to herself; she knew with certainty that Vinyl was gone. She was looking at a cold corpse.

It wasn’t right. Someone like that, so full of energy and so damn irritating, should be up and about pestering Nightmare Moon about going for a drink. Seeing her dead was just plain wrong; it was actually hard to look at.

“I already know she’s there,” She turned and gave Octavia an irked glare. “This is her funeral, so why would I need to look to confirm what I already know.”

Octavia grimaced. "I'm sorry."

“Don’t apologize,” Nightmare Moon snorted and sat down. “Have you said what you needed to say?”

"Not yet."

“Then get on with it!” There was venom in her tone; bitterness and irritation stirred in her blood. “I don’t want to waste more time here than necessary.”

To shut Octavia up, Nightmare Moon refused to look at her. She focused on the purple-pink sky and the ivory wisps of clouds stretching over the horizon.

It was her fault she was here. If she hadn’t come into that trial, everything would be over by now. Maybe Nightmare Moon would be imprisoned, maybe she’d be dead, maybe she’d be turned to stone – anything was better than being put aside like some antique vase, stuck in this rut without the strength to pull herself out of it.

Nightmare Moon glanced to the side and saw that Octavia was speaking, saying her final words. She was crying openly, focused entirely on her late wife.

She didn’t notice as Nightmare Moon started to bare her teeth.

One bite to the back of the neck was all it would take: Octavia would join her wife and the two sisters at the back would likely take her out, or at least Luna would. And then, Nightmare Moon wouldn’t have to exist in this aimless state.

A familiar stirring of anger and violence simmered to life. Nightmare Moon leaned forward an inch, her mouth opening. Then, someone touched her shoulder from behind; she knew who it was without even turning around.

Celestia didn’t say anything, but the grip she had on Nightmare Moon's shoulder was firm and primed for further action. Whatever misplaced sympathy that made Celestia so lenient clearly had its limits when it came to her subjects.

Nightmare Moon should have shaken her off; she should have turned around and driven a chunk of sharpened ice through her eye socket. But instead, the embers that were her anger faded to ash and crumbled like a waterlogged biscuit, and she slowly pulled back with her teeth coming back together with a soft sound.

Celestia let her hoof linger there for a few seconds more before retracting it.

By the time Octavia finished saying what she had to say, the sky had darkened to a bluish-purple and the first of the stars twinkled overhead.

Octavia wiped her eyes and turned. She seemed surprised to see Celestia there – and perhaps a little concerned – but merely acknowledged her with a dip of her head. “Nightmare Moon, do you want to say anything? Anything at all. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”

Anything?

Nightmare Moon looked down at Vinyl again; her face was peaceful, oblivious to the trouble she was still causing.

‘Look where you ended up. Damn fool. Perhaps if you had listened to me, you might still be alive.’

It still didn’t quite register with her that Vinyl would do something like that. Of course, she knew of sacrifice; it was supposed to be one’s final act to ensure that something or someone you deeply cared for would remain even after you perished. A supposedly noble act, but one Nightmare Moon found ridiculous. She was born to dominate and rule, so why should she want something to remain after she perished? The world might as well be gone if she wasn’t there.

Octavia stared at her, waiting. Did she really expect Nightmare Moon to give a eulogy?

‘Does it hurt deep down? Knowing that your wife chose to save my life over spending the rest of hers with you? I bet her last thoughts were of me, too.’

It would be delectable; she’d say those things and watch the anguish etch onto Octavia’s face, the loathing – one last hurrah, one last opportunity to dwell in lording her power over another, whether that be physical or emotional.

Nightmare Moon inhaled swiftly and let it all out in one breath.

“…!”

Nothing.

Her mouth was open; her eyes were wild and blazing with rage; her fangs were fully bared and ready to relish in the vitriol that would spill forth; her vocal cords trembled with anticipation.

But nothing came out.

It was stuck; everything she thought about saying rumbled and festered in the depths of her throat like a thunderstorm – it wanted to surge out so much, lash out at all indiscriminately. Yet, some force was keeping it all down, leaving her to choke on air and look like a complete idiot.

‘Why? Why is this happening? What is this?’ Nightmare Moon’s teeth clashed together as she groaned in despair and squeezed her eyes closed. ‘What is wrong with me?!’

“… Continue with the rites,” She growled out. “I’m sick of looking at her.”

Octavia simply nodded and signed to Celestia that she was ready.

“Very well,” Celestia stepped forward, her horn igniting with a soft orange light. “Vinyl Scratch, we commit your body to the embrace of flames. May the winds carry your ashes and guide you to Mother Faust’s side, where you shall know peace and joy. Farewell to thee.”

Nightmare Moon did not turn away as Celestia’s magic conjured brilliant violet flames that swiftly spread to consume the pyre. Spellfire – a form of what some might call ‘sympathetic fire’ for it did not leave blackened and charred husks but completely break down and reduce materials to white ash. Poets loved using spellfire in metaphors and comparing it to abstract concepts like beauty and purification while conveniently ignoring that spellfire would kill you just as painfully as regular fire. But it was always about aesthetics with those types. She could even imagine some idiot coming up to her right now and smarming that at the very least Vinyl had a dignified funeral.

Oh, how she wished someone would do that, then she could toss them into the fires and tell them over their screams that at least it was a beautiful death.

Nightmare Moon watched silently as the flames started to eat away at Vinyl’s flesh; it seemed to flake away in layers with the skin going first, then the sinew and muscle, and then finally the bones.

She could hear Octavia breaking down beside her. Celestia went to comfort her, murmuring sweet and worthless nothings.

The flames were starting to devour Vinyl’s face. Nightmare Moon looked off to the side, not really feeling anything besides a numbing cold.

There was no smell – spellfire had that quirk, too.

A few minutes passed, then Nightmare Moon turned back.

Vinyl was gone, bones and all; just the pyre remained and even that was starting to crumble into ash.

Realizing that, Nightmare Moon suddenly quavered and let out a shaky groan before doubling over. She could feel Celestia’s eyes on her, but the princess didn’t say anything. That was good. Nightmare Moon felt like she couldn’t even draw in breath to utter a single word. It felt like something had just hit her; it felt like Caed had just hit her.

“Octavia, I think it’s best that you leave now,” Celestia said. After a pause, she added, “I know, but there’s something Nightmare Moon and I need to talk about.”

What? What was that fool talking about? Talking? More talking?! Nightmare Moon had enough of talking! She snarled and grinded her hoof into the dirt, finding satisfaction in feeling the blades of grass bend and the dirt clumps pulp.

She heard Celestia usher Octavia away. There was some conversation going on that involved Luna, but Nightmare Moon couldn’t make out the words over the ringing in her ears. Her body was trembling and aching. Her eyelids fluttered and slid down, plunging her into darkness with the only sound being the crackling flames.

‘Vinyl…’

The pop of displaced air informed her of a teleportation.

‘Vinyl…’

Hooves crushed grass blades; they approached her.

‘Vinyl…’

Celestia’s voice rang out, impossibly loud. “Are you okay?”

Nightmare Moon responded with what felt appropriate; to be specific, she turned around and saw just how much Celestia’s face could compress in on itself. Then, as Celestia stumbled backwards with a grunt of surprise, Nightmare Moon felt, for the first time since Vinyl died, a real sense of purpose.

But it was a fleeting sensation, a teasing wisp leaving empty promises; she needed more.

With an unrestrained roar, Nightmare Moon chased after Celestia and pinned her to the ground, throwing punch after punch.

“Stop!” Celestia caught her left hoof, then the other one. Her face was a bloody and misshapen mess, but her teeth and lips were intact for speech. “Nightmare Moon, just stop for a second and listen to me.”

“I’ve had enough of listening to you to last for another thousand years!” Nightmare Moon pulled back, but Celestia refused to let go. “Let go and fight back!”

Celestia kept them locked together. “What you’re feeling is perfectly understandable!”

Rage filled Nightmare Moon, hot and familiar. “You know nothing of how I feel!”

“Yes, I do!” Celestia threw her off to the side and stood, her wounds already healing. "I know what you’re feeling because I’ve seen it time and time again in my subjects. You’re lost and confused.”

Nightmare Moon trembled as she got back up. "Be quiet."

“Vinyl brought out something in you and now that she’s gone, it’s like there’s a part of you missing.”

“Silence!”

Nightmare Moon charged. Logically, she knew that a magic attack would have worked better, but at that moment she was utterly convinced that all she needed to do to succeed and stop feeling the way she did was to just attack, attack, attack. So she did.

Nightmare Moon punched, kicked, and snapped her jaws. Celestia dodged, blocked, and parried.

"Stop this.”

“No!" Nightmare Moon snarled. "No more talking! This is the day when I finally end your miserable existence!” She lashed out with a punch. Celestia caught it.

“You don't want to do this.”

"You dare tell me what I want and don't want?!" She swung wildly with her other hoof. Celestia swayed to the side, released her grip, and let Nightmare Moon's own momentum pull her to the ground."Ghk! Since the day you banished me to the moon, I have yearned for my vengeance!” Nightmare Moon's wings kicked up dust and loose pebbles as they flapped and took her into the air. She swooped around, picking up speed, and dove down at Celestia. "Showing mercy was a mistake! Your life is mine to-“

Celestia grabbed her mid-air and slammed her down, though not as hard as she could have. And of course she did that; Nightmare Moon would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed.

"Look at yourself," Celestia moved back and allowed Nightmare Moon to crawl back to her hooves. "Even when you were affected by Zecora's mix, you fought better than this. You're clearly not physically ill, so the only reason is that your heart isn't truly in this. Why don't you just stop?"

Nightmare Moon hissed through her teeth. "As long as I keep fighting you, I have purpose. If I stop, then I’ll have nothing again.”

"Are you really okay with a purpose that you can only put some effort into?"

“If it involves killing you, then yes,” Nightmare Moon prowled forward. Her body felt... heavy. She couldn't have been that dazed by the throw, but she felt like collapsing into a boneless heap. “You make me sick. Your self-righteousness makes me sick. Even after all I’ve done, you’re willing to forgive and forget all because I was idiotic enough to allow one pony to get close to me?!”

“One pony was all it would have taken.”

Nightmare Moon stopped. “What?”

“Luna told me that when you started talking to her, she was so happy just to have somepony there.”

“You think I don’t know that? She was alone, desperate for attention; she was easy prey for me.”

“So, what if that pony wasn’t you?” Celestia started walking towards her. She looked unafraid; determined but not angry. Somehow, that unsettled Nightmare Moon more than any grotesque grimace of hate ever could. “What if it was a farmer? An artist? A guard? Anypony that could have just told Luna how much her night meant to them? That her efforts were appreciated?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Maybe if there was just one pony that could have done that, then none of this would have happened,” Celestia said. “It took one pony to get through to you, so maybe I can as well.”

Nightmare Moon had many things to be angry about, but the main thing that jumped to be the front-runner in that instant was the notion that Celestia was comparing herself to Vinyl. It made her irrationally, uncomfortably mad, so much so that her decision to charge Celestia was made while her body was already doing it.

“You’re nothing like her!”

She lunged, seeking to pierce Celestia’s heart with her horn, but Celestia swayed to the side. Nightmare Moon spun with her foreleg outstretched and managed to clock her in the temple; she was stunned long enough for Nightmare Moon to line up and lance her horn through Celestia's chest.

Suddenly, stars peppered Nightmare Moon's vision. She wasn't sure exactly what happened, but she had an inkling that Celestia's hoof had something to do with it if the throbbing in the side of her head was any indication. Whatever it was, her balance was shot, and she was swiftly thrown backwards.

Shaking the stars from her head, Nightmare Moon looked up and growled viciously as Celestia plugged the puncture wound and watched her, stone-faced. "Enough of your insolence! Fight!"

Celestia shook her head. “I failed to see what was happening with my sister; I could have stopped her from going down a dark path, but I didn’t. It’s not too late for you, though. You’re not the same being from when we first thought; you have a chance to make a new life.”

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe it. Celestia really wasn't going to fight no matter how hard she came at her.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

Grinning savagely, Nightmare Moon spoke, pouring all her vitriol and spite into each syllable. "Hmph. Such a high and mighty attitude you have there. It seems rather misplaced from my perspective. After all, the deaths of all those ponies is at least partially your fault. Well, more than just 'partially.'"

Celestia didn't respond, but Nightmare Moon saw her wings twitch.

"Really now, attacking during a truce that you suggested in the first place? One that I so graciously accepted? I'm impressed by your ruthlesness," Nightmare Moon chuckled darkly. "Perhaps we're more alike than I expected in that regard."

"You're right," To Nightmare Moon's shock, Celestia solemnly nodded. "Not just me, but my sister and even the others; we struck under the lie of a truce, and because of that the humans were able to take advantage of it and take so many. At the time, we were just so desperate to defeat you that a faux truce seemed justifiable."

"Oh, so now you feel remorse? You can't handle the outcome of your actions when it doesn't suit your ideals, so you moan and apologize to miraculously make it all better?" With a volatile mix of disgust and malicious glee, Nightmare Moon pointed to the pyre. "I'm certain Vinyl feels better knowing that you apologized."

This time, Celestia winced. "I can only hope."

Slowly, Nightmare Moon's elation ebbed. This wasn't turning out like she hoped. Celestia wasn't reacting to her venomous words like she wanted. She didn't want this grim acceptance and remorse; she wanted anger and denial.

"What of your sister? Has she apologized?" Nightmare Moon stomped the earth. Celestia just looked at her and didn't flinch this time. "She is the most responsible for everything next to me! I did not force her into giving control of her body; she accepted me! Ah, but the forlorn younger sister of the ever-so-merciful Celestia is a special thing, isn't she?" Her tone turned cruel, mocking. "You must have your hooves full keeping an eye on her just in case she starts feeling resentful once more."

Celestia blew a sigh, but it was drawn-out instead of being sharp and shallow; she was exasperated, not angry. "You won't bait me anymore. I know what you're going through, so I know what to expect."

"You have no idea!" Nightmare Moon spat, frustrated at the response she was getting; or, lack thereof. "You might know what the rest of your kind go through when they lose someone precious to them, but I am different from you."

"Maybe you're not that different anymore. Truly evil creatures don't feel sadness or love, and you've shown that you do feel those."

Nightmare Moon almost choked; each word had to be forced out. “Are you touched in the head? Since I was born, my sole purpose has been to rule and dominate those around me, whether through sheer power or guile. I sought land, riches, subjects; anything that denoted my status as a ruler. Friendship, sympathy, love; they’re nothing but tools for me to use.”

Celestia watched her, listening.

“Before I even knew of Equestria, I have been in more skirmishes and wars than you can imagine trying to seize power. A small army, a patch of farmland, a wayward princess, an oasis in a burning desert; it didn’t matter what it was, so long as it gave me some form of power over others.

“I’ve won them. I’ve lost every single one of them as well, but it didn’t matter because I knew there would always be something for me to take as my own. Kingdoms, cities, villages, entire continents; they were all ripe for my taking! The journey to take what I set my sights on was as exhilarating as the moment when I finally had it in my grasp.”

Nightmare Moon shuddered, a momentary flash of genuine elation jolting through her body.

“That desire for power would always remain. I could have an entire kingdom, lose it, have it burned to the ground by my enemies, but I knew I would get another chance elsewhere. My dreams would never die so long as the world I knew existed alongside me. There was simply no limit to how many times I could try.”

Her gaze just so happened to wander to the side and she saw the blazing pyre, still eating away at the wood. That moment of elation was snuffed out. Nightmare Moon grit her teeth and released a strained breath.

“But then I had another desire. I wanted to protect her. After spending so much time together, she became something of a constant in my life, something that I didn’t want to go away. Foolish.”

Celestia shook her head. “It’s not foolish.”

“It is for a creature like me!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “Domination had been my only desire before that foul magic of the Elements washed over me. Then, when I met her, it all changed: protecting her became another of my goals. Do you realize what that means?

“There will always be a next time to ruling the world. Not for Vinyl; there isn’t a next time where I can save her. I had one chance and I failed.”

In a way, this felt incredible, like a weight was being taken from her shoulders. She felt lighter inside, but the tightness in her chest remained. Not even the thought of smearing Celestia’s face across the ground perked her up like it did just mere moments ago; it had been a fleeting sensation that she failed to make the most of.

Celestia didn’t say anything, and Nightmare Moon tired looking at her face knowing no matter what she did or said would get her the fight she wanted. Hell, she didn't even know if she even wanted that; Celestia had planted seeds of doubt in her mind. Irritated, she snorted and stomped over to the pyre, turning her back to the other alicorn. The ethereal flames didn’t do much to cool her head.

She heard the distinct sound of a teleportation behind her. Luna's voice followed a second later.

"Octavia is safe and well," A pointed pause. "And it appears that more went on here besides a verbal exchange."

Nightmare Moon debated whether or not to try and goad Luna into a deathmatch, but it just didn't have the same appeal as it did with Celestia. Celestia sent her to the moon for a thousand years, and Luna fell to her own pride and envy and played the part of a puppet for a while; it wasn't hard to tell which of the two was a more worthy rival.

Still, she couldn't resist getting a jab in. "So, you missed another event, hm? At least it wasn't a thousand years this time."

After a few seconds of silence, Celestia murmured. "Luna, put that down, please."

Luna scoffed, and something heavy hit the dirt. "I would not cheat the hangmare's noose; it would have fractured her skull at most. And my question is yet to recieve an answer."

"We were just... talking," Celestia replied. Nightmare Moon heard her come a little closer. "It got heated, but that's over now."

Nightmare Moon moaned and covered her face, feeling nauseous. “I don’t want to feel like this. I want to hurt you for sending me to the moon. I want to take over Equestria. I want to live. But I no longer have the motivation for any of that. What is wrong with me?”

Celestia came closer, but kept a fair distance between them. “You’ve never experienced what it’s like to lose somepony close to you. It’s not uncommon to feel what you’re feeling right now.”

A chill crawled down Nightmare Moon’s spine as she turned around. “And you would want more to be close to you? Knowing that you would feel this when they inevitably pass?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Why? To have the drive to pursue your ambitions taken away from you is the most horrendous fate I can imagine!”

“To be so completely alone is the worst fate I can imagine,” Celestia shot back. “You must have felt something similar, or why else would you keep Vinyl around?”

Nightmare Moon’s lip curled at one corner. “It wasn’t intentional. By the time I realized how deeply ingrained she’d become in my life, it was already too late.”

“But it wasn’t all bad, was it?”

“... No,” Nightmare Moon turned back to the pyre; it was slowly going out now, the orange embers fading to a dull white that drifted on a gentle breeze. “Despite the pain her death brought me, I don’t regret the fun we had together.”

“You should hold onto those memories.” Celestia rounded to Nightmare Moon’s side.

“It’s not like I have a choice,” She gave a mirthless sneer and tapped the side of her head. “Perfect recollection. I can recall any event with perfect clarity if I focus for long enough,” Dropping her hoof back onto the ground, Nightmare Moon added, “Particularly for those thousand years on the moon.”

Celestia acknowledged that with a nod. “… Are you really just going to let whatever happen, happen? If there’s one thing I can say about you no matter what my feelings are, or were at the time, then it’s that you’re one of the most determined beings I’ve ever met. Seeing you like this rubs me the wrong way.”

“Do you truly want to see me back to my usual self?”

"Nay," Luna answered immediately. At some point, she came around to Nightmare Moon's other side, effectively flanking her. "Sister, I admire your ability to inspire, but please direct that talent away from the power-hungry demon."

“Well…” Celestia laughed- well, more like nickered nervously. “I honestly can’t say that I want that, but it’s not like having that kind of determination is a bad thing; it’s just when you go around hurting and using others to get what you want. I truly think that with enough time, you can focus your energy in a more positive way.”

She really wasn’t going to give up on this, was she? Nightmare Moon sighed and rubbed her eyes. “You sent me to the moon for a thousand years and I despise you for that,” She turned to catch Celestia’s eyes. “I won’t join you.”

Celestia sighed. “But if you don’t show that you’re willing to make an honest attempt at reformation, you might be executed,” She paused for a breath. “I’m certain Vinyl would have wanted you to live.”

A dark feeling swelled in Nightmare Moon as she barked out a bitter laugh and gestured to the blackened pyre in front of her. “As you can see, she wants for nothing.”

“She sacrificed herself to save you,” Celestia’s tone hardened. “I’m sure she wanted you to live if she was willing to go out alone against the humans and lead them away. You should be grateful for that and move forward.”

Nightmare Moon ground her teeth together. "‘Move forward’ on what? There is no incentive for me to do so. Conquering Canterlot no longer appeals to me, the sole pony I wished to protect is gone, and you have just shown to me that I cannot even put any real effort into killing you. What else is there for me to look forward to?"

Luna grumbled in a fed-up tone. "Sister, she does not even wish to help herself."

Celestia sighed. "Luna, not now."

Unabated, Luna continued. "If she has no room in her heart for redemption, then do not waste your breath and energy. With that temperment, she would jump through a Fracture if one were to appear here and now."

…

Something came loose in Nightmare Moon’s head. Like a splash of ice-cold water, it felt as if she had been aroused from a half-asleep state. “That's it...” Eyes wide, Nightmare Moon faced Luna. "You've finally contributed something that's of worth to me!"

Luna's face conveyed an indescribable emotion. "'Tis fitting that your compliments are gifted with a wrapping of sandpaper."

Nightmare Moon ignored her and turned to face Celestia, feverish anticipation bubbling in her chest. "The Resonator!"

“What?” Celestia turned to her and blinked in surprise. “The mirror? Uh, we haven’t found it yet, but why did you-”

“No! You must find it as quickly as possible!”

“Why?”

“Because there is a solution that will satisfy everyone,” Nightmare Moon grinned, a wide and gleaming grin. “Using the Resonator, we’ll open a Fracture that I will use to go to the human’s world. There, I will kill Caed. Once and for all.”

Celestia’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. “How would…? I thought the mirror couldn’t open Fractures, just close them.”

“No. A while back, when you sent that letter for our meeting, Twilight informed me that there was a way to re-open Fractures that the humans use even after they’ve already been closed. It’s all about reverting ambient magic energy to a previous state.”

Celestia looked like she was trying to wrap her around that concept.

Nightmare Moon trembled, practically giddy. Finally, she had something that would give her life meaning again. Her mind was starting to clear, her muscles felt strong and supple again, her magic churned and roared to life once more; she was rejuvenated!

Oh, how she wished she had made this connection sooner rather than later, but it was better than not making it at all.

“But no, wait…” Celestia shook her head. “That’s suicide! Going there by yourself?”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “I was ready to walk through their world to save Vinyl. To kill Caed, I would tread through the fires of Tartarus,” She grit her teeth and held her head high as Celestia started to protest more. “This is the only ‘punishment’ I shall accept. You can send me there – call it exile – and I will not be a threat to you anymore. As a bonus, I’ll make sure that the humans can cause no further trouble – one way or another.”

It took a few seconds for Luna to process everything, but then she seemed thoughtful. “The mirror may be used in such a way?”

“It can. You can confirm the details with Twilight if need be,” Nightmare Moon rubbed her chin and started to pace. “We’ll need her anyway to get this done as soon as possible. Ah, and we’ll need the Elements of Harmony, too.”

“Uh, hold on a second,” Celestia moved in front of Nightmare Moon as she came back. “When I said for you to move forward, this isn’t what I meant.”

Nightmare Moon bumped her out of the way.

“Ow. Caed is too strong for you to take on by yourself. And he won’t be alone.”

“Hah hah! Oh, but I will defeat Caed,” Turning to face the two sisters, Nightmare Moon leered savagely. “You see, now that he has done something so utterly and profoundly stupid as to cause the death of my friend, his fate has been sealed. Now it is my sole desire to return the favour and end not only his life but the things he lives for. I will bring his whole world down around him.”

Celestia bit her lower lip. Luna blinked owlishly.

“Of course, I’ll succeed. I am no longer chained by the need to keep someone alive,” Nightmare Moon cackled lowly from her belly. “It will be a wondrous reckoning.”

She felt like she had before all this happened: full of confidence with her strength straining to be let loose and her goal clear in her mind. Nightmare Moon might have lost her desire to conquer Equestria, she might have lost her desire to make Celestia and everyone else who had dared stand against her suffer, but she was not without purpose:

Kill Caed. Kill Caed. This was what would drive her forward. What came after that didn’t matter; she would fulfil her ambition, or die trying.

And yet…

Even through the bloodthirst and determination, Nightmare Moon could feel it somewhere in a dark corner in her soul; a familiar and unwelcome sensation of emptiness. It was waiting, festering; it gave an air of anticipation, letting her know it wasn’t going to leave so easily.

Nightmare Moon gave one last glance at the blackened pile that used to hold her friend’s body. It was somewhat surreal to think that she had once been there.

‘This won’t bring you back, Vinyl. I don’t know what you were hoping for when you went out alone, but I think I knew you well enough to know that you wouldn’t want me to continue being lost like I was.’

Lips curling into a steadfast sneer, Nightmare Moon turned away and looked forward.

‘This is ultimately a selfish goal to sate my thirst for vengeance, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say that part of me hopes that Caed’s death might wring a smile out of your ghost.’

Author's Notes:

Note 1: Spellfire - a manifestation of magic that takes the behaviour and some of the traits of regular fire. Spellfire affects the physical environment in the same manner as regular fire, but has difficulty spreading. Water is less effective against these flames, instead it is better to dispel it.

So far, the only known creatures capable of conjuring and manipulating this force are unicorns and dragons. Interestingly, spellfire manipulation falls under the Arcane School, not the Elemental School.