A disturbance suddenly permeated the air of the castle. Nightmare Moon doubted if the other ponies could feel it; even she barely could, and would have dismissed it as mere interference or perhaps a ghost had it not been so familiar. It was like an echo, a magic that was not only familiar but, in most ways, identical to Luna’s- -with something else deeper within it, something far more orderly.

“Nightwatcher,” she said to the chiropteran pony walking beside her. “You must leave my side now.”

“My queen,” he said, looking up to her. He looked crushed. “What have I done to displease you?”

“Nothing,” said Nightmare Moon. “Your loyalty and devotion has pleased me greatly. However, you must go to Cavern Melody now. Your daughter is about to be born.”

“Born?” said Nightwatcher, as though his mind were not capable of comprehending what he was being told. “But…your majesty, she was not conceived more than a month ago.”

“I know. And yet she is about to enter this world. You ought to be with her, and with your soon-to-be bride.” She turned to one of the many pony guards escorting them to the medical infirmary. “Will you allow him to go?”

“No,” said the guard. Nightmare Moon saw into his mind; he was suspicious. He believed that Nightwatcher would be sent to retrieve help, or to prepare for Nightmare Moon’s escape.

“If you fear that he will betray you, then go with him.”

“No,” said the guard again.

“Go,” said Cadence from the front of the group.

“But, Princess- -”

“I take two others with you, then. Just let him go.”

Nightmare Moon smiled. Cadence’s compassion, derived from her deep well of love, was her greatest weakness. For a moment, Nightmare Moon wished that she really had been intending something devious, just so that she could have a chance to crush that weakness out of her.

Instead, she turned her mind toward Nightwatcher, and spoke directly to his mind, so that only he could hear.

“Listen closely,” she said. “And tell no pony of this, save for Cavern Melody. Should I fail, and Luna’s body be destroyed, that child will become my new host, and all her descendants shall carry me as all of Luna’s ancestors once did. Protect her well, give her the love she deserves, and pray for Luna’s safety.”

“Thank you, my queen,” said Nightwatcher out loud, bowing deeply. He was then led away by two crystal ponies and a unicorn.

“I would bid you to go as well, Darkseer,” said Nightmare Moon. “But I doubt that I could ever convince you to leave my side.”

“Whatever order you give, I shall obey, my queen.”

“You make me sick,” said Shining Armor.

The Canterlot castle was constructed in a way that could not more closely represent Celestia’s mind. On the outside, it was designed to be ornate and beautiful, a representation of peace and happiness. It had ornate towers and grand, decorated hallways with large windows, many of which were decorated with images of historical events from the Second and Third Eras. On the surface, it appeared to have been constructed as a respite for diplomats and a home for royalty, completely divorced from the original purpose of castles, which was as defensive fortifications.

Nightmare Moon saw beyond that veneer, however. The way it had been constructed had been carefully crafted to distract the viewer from certain aspects of its design: the large, swooping walls, clad with trees and towers, following angles that were perfectly attuned to deflect cannon fire; or carefully disguised keep in the center of the lavish gardens. This castle, so outwardly beautiful, had always been intended as a weapon of war, a base of operations for a conflict that Celestia had always expected.

It had been intended to be mostly self-sufficient in the event of a siege. That meant that it contained a small but fully equipped infirmary meant to deal with the most severe incidents of trauma that the pony soldiers might encounter. That was where Nightmare Moon was being led.

Even before entering, she could already hear the screams, both through her ears and in her mind. She felt their injuries, and their fear. Broken bones, lacerations, confusion- -and the worst of all, the burns, or the screaming mental agony of unicorns who had been forcibly separated from their magical armor. In the distance, deep within the ward, she even felt a familiar spark of dim, dying solar energy.

“There are a great many in here,” she said. “Surely Oblivion did not cause all of them.”

“No,” said Shining Armor. “Many were injured in the riots.”

“That is unfortunate,” said Nighmare Moon. Not just their injuries, of course, but that Equestria could be so easily shattered by the destruction of Celestia.

She entered the front hall of the infirmary, and found that even the lobby was filled with beds. All around her were injured ponies, as well as nurses and doctors moving rapidly through the hectic scene, delivering medication and treatment as it was needed. As Nightmare Moon entered, however, they suddenly stopped, as if they were unsure what they were seeing.

Then the panic seemed to set in. The patients started to react negatively, screaming out in fear. The nurses and doctors- -and even several of the more ambulatory patients- -attempted to restrain them, and to reassure them, even as Nightmare Moon could sense that they were at least equally afraid.

“Nightmare Moon!” cried a unicorn. “No! Don’t take me! I have a family!”

Nightmare Moon only stared at them. Their reaction was neither amusing nor annoying, so she remained ambivalent. They were not her immediate concern.

What did surprise her, though, was that in the darkest corner of the wing the several chiropteran patients, despite their injuries, rose from their beds. Some of them had been injured greatly in the service of the kingdom, and Nightmare Moon could feel their pain as they moved. Despite their wounds, however, they all stood next to their beds and bowed to her, their ancient queen returned.

Nightmare Moon was led away from the main wards, toward a much smaller room with much fewer doctors that sat apart from the others. Shining Armor opened the door, and Nightmare Moon felt a gust of magically chilled air against her naked, hairless body. She, Cadence, and Shining Armor passed into the cold room, leaving the guards to stand at the only exit.

“How long have they been dead?” she asked when she saw the sheet-covered bodies, lined up in the small storage room.

“Several days,” said Shining Armor. “But as is procedure, preservation spells were cast on them. To ensure that their families would have a chance to say goodbye.”

“Then they might still be viable,” said Nightmare Moon. She approached the nearest of the bodies, one whose sheet was stained with blood. She pulled it back and scrutinized the wreckage of a pony beneath.

Cadence turned away, looking as though she were about to weep, or vomit, or both. Shining Armor looked directly at the body, though. Nightmare Moon did not even need to use telepathy to know that he blamed himself for this, somehow.

“What’s the matter?” he said. “Still think you can do it?”

“The condition of the body hardly matters,” said Nightmare Moon. The pony before her- -who had once been a pale green mare- -did not disturb her in the slightest. In fact, she suddenly felt rather hungry. “It is the decay of the head alone that determines the efficacy of the spell. These ponies have been dead far longer than I would have liked, but they may still be in adequate condition.” She knew that she had to be careful; resurrection spells were possible on the long-dead, but what came back was never truly a pony.

“How do you know this?” asked Cadence, still unable to look at the body.

“You may not be aware of this, but I was not always Nightmare Moon. Long before I inhabited Luna, I was the queen of the necromancers. Actually, for the latter several millennia of my first life, I was a lich.”

“Necromancy is not resurrection,” said Shining Armor. Nightmare Moon was surprised that such a pure and heroic white unicorn would have even a passing familiarity with such a dark form of magic. “If you intend to bring them back as those…those things, just stop right now. Don’t waste our time. The dead can never return as they were.”

“Yes they can.”

“No, they can’t. It is not possible.”

“Not for you, no, because of inherent limitations to your anatomy.” She pointed at Shining Armor’s tiny, blunt little horn. “One horn. Your kind were given just one as a handicap. Your magic is inherently stunted. Spells of this complexity require far more than sheer power. The design of this spell requires three. Even Celestia herself is limited. Even she cannot perform the spell.”

“But you only have one,” said Cadence.

“I know,” said Nightmare Moon. “But I know the spell, and how to perform it. And there just so happen to be three horns in this room right now.”

“You…you want us to help you?”

“No. I want you to help her,” she said, pointing to the corpse. “And them.” She gestured with her hoof to the other bodies. “I cannot do this on my own.”

“It’s a trick,” said Shining Armor. “We can’t trust you. How do we know you won’t turn your magic against us at the last second?”

Nightmare Moon sighed. “Please forgive me for this, but this is how.” She focused her magic on Shining Armor, and recalled the spell that he had fired against her body barely an hour prior. She assimilated the information of the spell, and modified it, focusing the results back on Shining Armor.

The air around him seemed to shift, as though it solidified into fragments of glass that then tinkled to the floor before disappearing.

“My… my seals,” he said, converting himself with his forelegs as though he were naked. “You just…how did you…”

“Because I am a living god,” said Nightmare Moon. “My power is equivalent to that of Celestia, and my mind far older. I was already ancient when the first of your kind were embryos in a tank of fluid. I could kill you both right now if I wanted to.” She smiled. “Clearly, since you are alive, I do not want you dead. Yet.” She turned to Cadence. “I give this decision to you, then, since he is a fool. Princess of Love, choose your path. Allow me to help you, or reject me. Choose.”

Cadence stared at Nightmare Moon for a moment, and Nightmare Moon understood that the outcome was not predetermined. Cadence’s choice would choose the path, and it could be a choice and either direction. The wrong choice, of course, would cause things to go very badly. Either way, Nightmare Moon would win- -but if Cadence rejected her, the effects for Luna would be catastrophic.

Then, slowly, Cadence stepped forward. “Tell me what to do.”

“Cadence- -” started Shining Armor.

“Shining,” said Cadence, “I love you. More than anything. And I hate to do this. As your Princess, I order you to assist me.”

“You’re…you’re pulling rank on me?”

“I am. And I promise I will make it up to you when this is over. But right now, they need us.” She turned back to Nightmare Moon, awaiting directions.

“You two will stand at either side. I will stand at her head.”

The two alicorns moved to their positions, and, after some hesitation, Shining Armor joined them.

“This is not going to be easy,” said Nightmare Moon, specifically focusing on Shining Armor. “Your special talent is for tactical magic, and, as unicorns go, you are a prodigy. However, you are still not an alicorn. I would have preferred your sister here, but she is apparently predisposed.”

“If we are going to do this, I might as well go all the way.” Shining Armor lifted something from a pouch in his armor. It was a tiny loop of dark colored metal, its surface inscribed with blood-red runes.

“Shining, no,” said Cadence.

“If you trust her, Cadence, so do I,” said Shining Armor, slipping the ring over his horn. He cried out weakly as the sudden surge of magic filled his body, and he seemed to convulse.

“Shining, are you okay,” said Cadence, reaching for him.

“I’m…fine,” said Shining Armor, standing. His eyes were wide, flicking around the room rapidly. “Better than okay…I feel really good.” He looked at his wife. “Wow. You are so pink. You look really good.” He turned his attention toward Nightmare Moon. “You don’t look bad either. Those eyes…I’ve always had a thing for green eyes.”

“Shining!” said Cadence.

“Ignore him,” said Nightmare Moon. “But this does put a time limit on our actions.” Indeed, applying a piece of magic-accelerating armor directly to one’s horn was probably the most idiotic thing Nightmare Moon had ever seen- -if Shining Armor had been any less of a unicorn, he would have been killed instantly.

Nightmare Moon lowered her horn over the body of the pony below her. “Join me,” she said. “Lend me your power.”

They obeyed. Cadence leaned forward first, her pink horn glowing with blue magic. Shining Armor followed, his horn glowing with violet magic stained with flecks of toxic red.

Nightmare Moon suddenly reached out through their mutual magic and latched onto their minds. Cadence cried out in surprise, and Shining Armor giggled with masochistic delight. The return of magic was actually far greater than expected, and not just because of Shining Armor’s enhanced state. The interaction between Cadence and Shining Armor’s minds was producing something far greater than Nightmare Moon had expected. She knew that it was their love, but beyond that could not comprehend it.

She began the spell, using their minds as an extension of her own, feeding Cadence the necessary information to perform her part of the spell. Shining Armor, being the weakest, stood as an anchor, holding the spell intact while it was operating.

Below her, she watched as the remains of the pony pulled themselves back together, slowly knitting themselves into their original form. This was not at all the same type of spell that Oblivion used in resurrections- -he essentially cheated death by pouring Order into a body, pulling out the entropy and violently forcing his target back to life. This was a true resurrection spell, performed with the tact and care of a master necromancer- -a spell that none but Nightmare Moon would ever have the skill to do properly. Every cell in the body was infused with magic, and manipulated, drawing them together, allowing them to regenerate, restoring a prematurely stopped process to motion.

The pony’s body repaired itself, and she almost seemed to be sleeping. Repairing the body was the easy part; her injuries had been caused by plasma burns to the chest, which were much easier to heal than a wound dealt by magic.

Then came the hard part. Nightmare Moon reached deeper into the shared mind that she had built between the other two, and used their horns as she had once used her own natural three. Below her, the pony stirred. Cadence gasped.

“Do not stop,” ordered Nightmare Moon. “Do not waiver. Do not fail.”

She poured a sudden surge of magic into the dead ponies chest, and her eyes shot open as she reached up widely, taking a deep and rattling breath. The spell, being completed, collapsed, as did Shining Armor. The newly resurrected pony turned on her side and vomited blood and spare tissue. She was cold and shivering, naked in a pool of her own blood in a chilled room.

“What…what happened?” she said, hoarsely. “Where…where am I?”

“Oh Celestia,” said Cadence, wrapping the newly reborn pony in a hug, despite her visible exhaustion. “You did it.”

“This was not the work of Celestia. This was the work of Nightmare Moon. Now get her out of here, and wake your husband up. There are still five more to do.”

Nightmare Moon stood in a high part of Canterlot Caslte, with Cadence at her side. Elsewhere in the castle, doctors marveled at six “miracles”, and six ponies drawn back from the beyond were reunited once again with their families. Outside, though, Equestria still burned. In truth, little had changed.

After the resurrections, Shining Armor had been admitted to the castle’s makeshift hospital. He was, Nightmare Moon admitted, surprisingly strong for a mortal. The doctors assured her what she already knew- -that he would recover, in time, after substantial rest. The ring of cursed steel had been removed from his body, and he would suffer withdrawal sickness, but no permanent damage had been done.

Likewise, it seemed that Twilight and her five friends were no longer in any immediate danger. As expected, they had all experienced a single bolt of pain, but then mysteriously recovered. Rarity and Fluttershy had been brought to the hospital, but the doctors found nothing wrong with them and discharged them rapidly.

The temporary incapacitation of Shining Armor was fortunate, because it meant that Cadence was left in a position of full authority. She was far easier to “convince” of things. To her, Nightmare Moon had proven herself. The guards that fell under her command no longer followed as closely, and Cadence was far more receptive to orders from her new queen.

“There is no time to waste,” said Nightmare Moon, still shivering from the cold storage room.

“What are you going to do?” asked Cadence.

Nighmare Moon followed the perimeter of the room to a balcony, leaving Cadence’s guards and Darkseer inside. Cadence followed her, and the two alicorns looked out at the burning city below, and above to the red sky.

“Tell me, Cadence,” she asked Nightmare Moon. “What do you know of fear?”

Cadence looked to her, somewhat confused. “Fear? Well, it’s the opposite of love. Fear and hatred. That’s what caused all this.”

“That is correct, but not completely,” said Nightmare Moon. Cadence’s description was almost exactly what she had expected from an alicorn trained in Celestia’s image. “You see, there are actually several types of fear. Right now, in the glow of the red sun, my subjects feel fear of the unknown. That is the worst kind of fear. They have nothing do defend against. They cannot brace their minds, and this is the result.”

“What do you intend to do?” asked Cadence.

“Simply to change the type of fear. From an unknown, to an inevitability. To wrap them in the comfort of fear directed toward and enemy, and enemy that they cannot defeat, but one that they might please.”

Nightmare Moon raised her horn to the sky, and black-colored magical energy poured out of it. The sun resisted her force at first, but then obeyed. Even Luna herself could not move the sun, not alone, anyway- -but Nightmare Moon, by the very definition of her being, could.

She forced the sun to the west, and made it set. The red light burned brilliantly across the sky in the most spectacular of all sunsets, one that would have been profoundly beautiful in different circumstances. Then, as it fell and its light faded, Nightmare Moon raised the moon.

The moon was much easier to control. It was linked directly to Luna’s physical body; it was a part of her, just as Nightmare Moon was. Nightmare Moon moved it far more rapidly than it normally would be moved, forcing it to the center of the sky to its rightful place.

She smiled, because Luna had never truly understood her own power. Even as the old Nightmare Moon, the bizarre and incomplete hybrid of them both, she had only a distant grasp of what “Eternal Night” might mean.

Nightmare Moon focused the full power of her magic into the moon. A burst of lunar energy shot from her body, the icy glow knocking back Cadence and sending several of the guards cowering behind each other. Above, the moon changed. Its dim, white glow became as blinding as that of the sun, and Luna’s creations, the manifold stars and galaxies, stood out sharply against the blackness, filling it with delicate color and intricate light.

All over Equestria, the light of the new moon fell upon the land. It was as bright as the sun, but the light was not the same. Whereas the sun was warm, the light of the moon brought cold; where sunlight drove away the shadows of the world, moonlight deepened them, pouring darkness into the places unreached by its light. The entire world was suddenly set in a surreal sharp contrast.

Nightmare Moon stared out at the land she now dominated. All that sat below the moon was now hers, but that was not enough. She channeled her own magic into Luna’s, and connected her mind to the moon. Barely visible threads of telepathic energy rained down from the skies.

“Equestria,” she said, her voice quiet but echoing through the minds of all those on who the moonlight fell. “Your Princess, Celestia, has fallen. She fought hard to protect you from the Choggoth threat, but in the end failed just the same. I, Nightmare Moon, by my strength and by my birthright, herby claim the throne of Equestria. Rejoice. I will accomplish what Celestia never could in life, and will honor the true nature of Equestria, and of ponies.”

She terminated the connection. It was actually somewhat draining, even for her, to reach all ponies at once, even for a simple transmission.

“Are you insane?” cried Cadence. “Are you trying to start a revolution? Was this really all a trick to get the throne?”

“I have no desire for the throne,” said Nightmare Moon, ignoring the exhaustion from the expense of magic that funded the feats she had just performed. “To rule a nation of ponies would be…pointless. It would serve no purpose to me.”

“Then why?”

“To give them a new fear. A fear of me.”

The sound of the beating of featherless wings filled the air, and several chiropteran ponies, responding to their queen’s ascension, arrived. All of them bowed in unison.

“Do you have news of Cavern Melody’s daughter?” asked Nightmare Moon.

“A healthy filly,” said the leader of the group, an unusually large female.

“This pleases me,” said Nightmare Moon as Darkseer left the terrified pony guards to join the group. “Now,” she said, both to her chiropterans, who now stood at attention, and to Cadence, who watched in awe. “I need to raise an army as soon as possible, one that will follow me with absolute loyalty. I cannot trust that Celestia’s army will so readily obey Nightmare Moon.”

“Our forces are at your command,” said Darkseer.

“How many?”

“There are over two thousand extant of our kind,” said the leading female. “All are prepared to fight at your will.”

“Take only those with military training,” said Nightmare Moon. “Assemble them here, at the castle.” One of the chiropterans nodded and went on his way to execute the order. “Also, send word to Griffonstone. Inform them that I am paying one thousand bits per day for mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries?” said Cadence, seemingly shocked.

“I need absolute loyalty. With that offer, every hen, cock, and fledgling will be at my side within a matter of hours, and will obey me absolutely.” She turned her attention toward Darkseer. “Darkseer,” she said. “I give you a special task, one that will perhaps be the most difficult. Go to the depths of your nation, to the most ancient and deepest caves. Find the oldest of the priestesses.”

“To what end, my queen?”

“Ask her to contact the Other Side, and to inform that Satin Veil that I would like to request soldiers.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Cadence. “You couldn’t possibly- -”

“Ponies are dying, Cadence. Equestria has fallen, and every second it remains out of my control it weakens and decays further. If unleashing a horde of demons on this land is necessary to stabilize it, to stop the chaos, then I will not hesitate. Even if I have to take volunteers from the prisoners of Tartarus, I will regain control. Darkseer, go. Find Stain Veil, and witness those who gave rise to your kind.”

“Yes, your majesty,” he said, bowing and then flying off.

“And you,” said Nightmare Moon, turning her attention toward the group of guards at the edge of the room. Their eyes followed where she was looking, and they suddenly jumped back at the sight of a green pony with a forked antler for a horn, one who had been there in the background the entire time without being noticed. “Where is Discord? Bring him here, now!”

“Sorry,” said Buttery Snake, stepping out of the background, grinning widely. “D says that this is an internal conflict in Order. Doesn’t want to get involved beyond how deep in the soup he already is.”

“Then can I assume that he is taking action?”

“I didn’t say anything,” said Buttery Snake, smiling.

“Then I will trust him to manage his own actions.” Nightmare Moon was not sure what Discord was, or where he had come from, but she knew that he could not help but mettle in the affairs of mortals. Even if that meant spreading his own brand of chaos throughout the land, or at the very least securing the families of the Elements of Harmony. “But you are officially conscripted into my army.”

“Righty oh,” said Buttery Snake, adjusting the camouflage fatigues that had suddenly appeared on this body. “That’s a good thing, because I never knew what I was told in the first place. Do I get to wield the Astral Hammer?”

“No.” Nightmare Moon turned back to Cadence. “The Elements of Harmony. What is their condition?”

“Condition? They aren’t just things.”

“I am aware of that. They are ponies, as are you, but nevertheless, they are the elite of our soldiers by Celestia’s will. Are they currently hurt?”

“No,” said Cadence. “The doctors checked them, but nothing is wrong. Except for Twilight…”

“Then have the remaining five meet me in private. We have things to discuss.”

Rainbow Dash was the last to enter the room. She looked around at the u-shaped table that had been set up in the windowless room, and shivered. Something about the way the shadows were so much sharper than normal was unnerving to her. In addition, she already felt terrible and ashamed for having failed to defeat Nightmare Moon. Logically, she realized that it was impossible for her to do it on her own, but in her heart she knew that she should have tried harder. Failure without trying was the most painful kind of failure.

Being with her friends, at least, made her feel somewhat better. She looked around at the table. All the seats were filled except one. Twilight was missing, and Rainbow Dash could not blame her. She had not left Celestia’s side for one moment since they had found her on the floor of that stone closet, her eyes staring blindly upward at the ceiling.

Rainbow Dash shivered again, and took the seat next to Applejack.

“You okay?” she said.

“No,” said Applejack bluntly. She had removed her hat and set it in front of her, and she was playing with it. Her skin was pale, and she did not seem to be able to meet the eyes of any of her friends.

“Look, I’m sorry,” said Rainbow Dash. “Whatever you saw, it can’t hurt you. It wasn’t real.”

“But it was,” snapped Applejack. She looked at Rainbow Dash, and seeing the expression of hurt on her friend’s face, changed her tone. “I’m sahry, Dash.”

“It’s okay,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Is…is it true?” squeaked Fluttershy from across the table. “Is she…is Nightmare Moon…”

“Back?” said Rainbow Dash. “Yes. She is.” There was not even really a need to ask; they had all heard her voice shouting inside their heads, talking about how she was taking over the kingdom and telling lies about Celestia’s death.

“Of all the ponies to come back from the dead,” whined Pinkie Pie, who was pressed against the table in a rather detected looking state. “We get the only one that I can’t possibly throw a welcoming party for. Although a black frosted cake would be impressive…”

“I am not going to lie,” said Rarity, “but the situation here is looking…well, a tad grim, I admit, but that’s no reason to lose hope. At least that horrible red light is gone. Although the colors under moonlight are all wrong…” She seemed to notice that the other ponies were not nearly as interested in the nature of color under moonlight as she was, and smiled as she stopped talking.

“Why are we here again?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Because Cadence summn’d us,” said Applejack quietly.

“She didn’t summon me,” said Pinkie Pie. “One of those creepy bat guys came and told me.”

“Really?” said Fluttershy. “Me too…”

“Me too,” said Rainbow Dash, suddenly recalling how unusual it had been for one of Luna’s guards to be sent to summon her.

“I got one too,” said Applejack. “Freakish littlah’ weirdos.”

“I actually think they’re rather hansom,” mumbled Fluttershy, blushing. “With their cute little wings and those pointy little ears.”

They all paused for a moment.

“Hey,” said Pinkie at last. “You don’t think those guys were all loyal to Nightmare Moon, do you?”

They all laughed humorlessly, until the laughter trailed off ominously.

The door to the chamber suddenly swung open, and everypony looked up, fully expecting to see Nightmare Moon stride in. Instead, however, Cadence entered.

“Oh, thank Celestia,” said Rarity, putting her hoof on her chest and examining. “I was sure that you were Nightmare Moon.”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash. “I bet you already finished of that bit- -”

Her sentace trailed off as Cadence’s shadow suddenly seemed to move independently of her, and a pair of large, inpony eyes appared.

“Go ahead, Rainbow-Dash,” said NightmareMoon, stepping out from beside Cadence, her green eyes wide and expressionless, seeming to stare at everything in the room simultaneously. “Finish your sentence.”

“Cadence,” she said instead, turning toward the pink alicorn who was now standing at the side of the room. “You…you backstabber!”

“Do not blame her,” snapped Nightmare Moon. “Cadence did what needed to be done. She deserves your love as much as I deserve your hate. This decision was hard enough for her as it is.”

“You’ll never have Equestria!” cried Rainbow Dash, standing on the table. “We’ll fight you- -we’ll all fight you!”

“And I will win. Or, rather, would win, if I cared.” She picked up Rainbow Dash in her magic and set her back into her chair. “Now please be civil about this.” She turned her attention toward the shivering mass that was Fluttershy. “And please do not be so excessively fearful. It is endlessly annoying.”

“I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. Even to Nightmare Moon, the pastel-colored Pegasus was a pitiable sight.

“Don’t apologize to her,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Please,” said Cadence, stepping forward. “Please just listen to her. She’s not the same pony that she once was.”

“Or, more accurately, the pony I once was is no longer who I am now,” corrected Nightmare Moon.”

“Please forgive us…um…Miss Moon,” said Rarity, “if we find that difficult to believe.”

“Are any of you currently dead? Or in chains?”

Pinkie Pie sat up and ran her hooves over herself. “Nope,” she said.

“In fact.” Nightmare Moon stepped to one side. “Any of you are free to go. If you want your preconceived prejudices to determine your actions, leave. Abandon Equestria in its time of need.”

Fluttershy actually started to stand, but Rarity pushed her back into her seat.

“I thought so,” said Nightmare Moon. “You all must realize that I am not the pony once known as ‘Nightmare Moon’, at least not completely. I am far older, older than even Celestia and Luna themselves. Ruling this kingdom is not my goal. Eternal Night is not my goal. Those were both Luna’s desires, ingrained into me. I only desire to safeguard Equestria in a time when Luna cannot.”

They seemed to believe her.

“You look weird,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Focus,” said Nightmare Moon. She stared unblinkingly at them all. “You all reek.”

“Excuse me?” said Rarity, suddenly profoundly offended. “A lady does not have an odor.”

“Not physically. You smell of the Gloame.”

“Weh where just there,” sighed Applejack. She seemed far more tired than the rest.

“That was an unbelievably foolish thing to do,” said Nightmare Moon. “The radiation storms alone could have killed you in minutes. Then again, in this backward land, you probably do not even understand the concept of radiation.”

“We went because we had to. To stop that…thing,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Under Celestia’s orders, I assume?”

They all nodded.

Nightmare Moon sighed. “That is just like her. To attack her ‘enemy’ without thinking. I would have expected better from you all, though.”

“Us?” said Rainbow Dash. “What did we do?”

“Did you even stop to think? Didn’t you wonder why Celestia was so willing to sacrifice you? Do you weakling Third Era ponies not even have the capacity to doubt your ‘benevolent’ goddess?”

“Don’t yell at us,” said Rarity, trying to comfort Fluttershy who was now varnishing under the table. “We were the ones risking our lives to protect Equestria.”

“Yeah, you big meenie!” said Pinkie Pie.

“Twilight said that that thing was a Choggoth,” said Rainbow Dash. “If we didn’t kill it, it would destroy everything in Equestria!”

“Stop and think for a moment, you fools,” snapped Nightmare Moon. “Oblivion has countless bodies in every city. If he wanted to destroy Equestria, he would have. He would simply absorb it. You would have no power to stop him. Now tell me, did he do that?”

“No,” said Applejack when the others refused to speak.

“And you never stopped to consider his motivations. Did you even try to ask him why he was doing what he was doing? He probably would have told you.”

“No,” said Fluttershy.

“So you just walked into his home and attacked him?”

None of them responded that time.

“I know Oblivion. He does not care about Equestria, at least not specifically. He desires neither conquest nor destruction. His target is far more specific. No doubt he is attempting to disable the Finality Core.”

“What the hay is that?” said Pinkie Pie.

“It is a machine, from my time. It is what originally gave Luna and Celestia their powers five thousand years ago.”

“So he is trying to become more powerful?” asked Cadence, “or to destroy you two?”

“We are only incidental,” explained Nightmare Moon, annoyed at how mentally thick ponies were. “He does not care about us, or himself. His only target is the Core.”

“Why, exactly?” squeaked Fluttershy. “Why does he want it so bad?”

“I cannot answer that question,” said Nightmare Moon. “But I surmise that he fears that it will somehow activate.”

“And if it…does?”

“All life in Equestria will be instantly annihilated.”

“All of it?”

“Every plant, animal, pony, down to the very bacteria. Even Oblivion himself will be destroyed.”

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash. “Hold on a second. So you’re saying that he’s actually trying to protect Equestria?”

“Of course,” said Nightmare Moon, her eyes adjusting their position slightly to view Rainbow Dash. The blue Pegasus was surprisingly attractive, at least for a pony who was still alive. Nightmare Moon did not allow herself to be distracted, though.

“Surely you can’t be serious!” said Rarity. “That thin is a…an abomination!”

“Oblivion is a mentally unstable superweapon. He cannot help what he is. I find it odd that you five, who are famed for your capacity for friendship, would so blindly turn against him. However…” she paused. “Please help me to understand. Why did you fail to kill him?”

“It’s not our fault,” said Rainbow Dash, crossing her forelegs in front of her. “The Elements of Harmony failed!”

“The Elements do not fail,” said Nightmare Moon. “Of all ponies, I am perhaps the most aware of this.”

“I dunno,” said Applejack. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, then at the others. “It jus felt…weird. Did ya’ll feel it too?”

“I did,” said Fluttershy.

“So did I,” said Rarity. “It was like…oh, how to describe it.”

“Lahk we were tryin’ to attack an old friend.”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash. “I felt it too. Like, I knew him or something, from a long time ago.”

“It felt like I had been at his birthday party like, a thousand times,” said Pinkie Pie.

“But he…isn’t our friend,” said Rarity. “Even when he was, we all hardly knew him…”

“This is not completely unexpected,” said Nightmare Moon.

“Why?”

“Simply because little is known about the workings of the Elements of Harmony. Their exact parameters of use are unknown, even to me. Probably even to Celestia.”

“Are you saying we can’t beat him?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I am saying do not even try. Oblivion is not currently a threat.”

“Not a threat? He took down Celestia.”

“But he cannot kill her. Not without destabilizing the Spheres. If he wants to destroy the sun and the moon, he would need to do so at the same time. Luna is surely his next target.”

“Then he is coming for…you?”

“Yes. But I will not be so easily defeated. But he is not your concern.”

“Then what the hay is?” demanded Pinkie Pie. “I think I really am starting to wonder why you called us here today.”

“Because I need your support.”

“You wan’ us to prahmise not tah try ‘an off yah,” said Applejack.

“Yes, but more importantly, I need you to stay here. Do not try to escape, and do not leave Twilight’s side. The six of you are one of Celestia’s greatest military assets. I cannot risk losing you. Neither can Luna.”

“You wan’ tah make peace with us,” said Applejack.

“After what you did to Applejack, that’s not an- -” started Rainbow Dash.

“Ah am with you,” said Applejack, cutting her off.

“What?” they all said, turning to her.

“So am I,” said Fluttershy.

“You too?” aid Rainbow Dash.

“If she tries to mess with us, we can always mess her up,” said Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie will permit this, for now.”

“As will I,” said Rarity.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I don’t like this. So no. I will not support her. But I will not leave, if that is what you want.”

“Thank you,” said Nightmare Moon. She turned her attention toward Rarity. “Fashionista pony,” she said.

“Y- -yes,” said Rarity, straightening.

“In case you are not aware, I am currently nude. This appearance is not befitting of an interim queen. I am assigning you to create garments that are more appropriate for my position.”

“Me?” she squeaked. She seemed about to faint.

“I trust your judgement. However, I desire a very specific crown. One of my soldiers will bring you the basic layout. As for the rest of you.” She turned to them. “Move as you will. Just know that I am always watching.”

Cadence followed Nightmare Moon through the shadows of the hallway. It disturbed her on some level to be serving as the lieutenant to one of the greatest threats that Equestria had ever known, and she could feel the fear that was surging through the land. The power from the transmitter at the center of her own kingdom was dangerously low, and seemed to be only maintaining itself because the majority of the crystal ponies had no idea who Nightmare Moon was.

“It concerns me,” said Nightmare Moon, causing Cadence to jump slightly, “that the Elements of Harmony failed to function properly.”

“Perhaps Oblivion is not intrinsically evil,” suggested Cadence. That was still something that she believed, even more after hearing Nightmare Moon describe the Choggoth in greater detail- -even though she was unsure how Nightmare Moon knew any of those things.

“It should not matter. The Elements of Harmony are a weapon, as is Oblivion. They should have recognized him as a threat, and at the very least disabled him.”

“What if he isn’t a threat?”

“You mistake good intentions for good actions,” said Nightmare Moon. “Oblivion is never to be trusted. His goal is, ultimately, the protection of Equestria, but only in the most limited of senses. He would destroy Equestria without hesitation if it meant the destruction of his enemies. Believe me. In my own time, he did.”

“You mean this happened before?”

“Yes. And I stood at his side, only to be betrayed.”

“Do you think you can defeat him?”

“He is not my concern. But I have a plan.” Nightmare Moon stopped in the center of the hallway, and turned her head toward the ceiling. Suddenly, tilted down and released a horrible choking sound. At first, Cadence stood back, not sure what was happening, or if she should help. Then, to her horror, she saw something dark staring to emerge from her mouth. As Nightmare Moon coughed, a dark and starry cloud emerged from her mouth.

Nightmare Moon vomited the object onto the floor, and it rapidly lifted itself into the air, expanding rapidly. It was definitely alive, and seemed confused. Then it distorted, attempting to escape, only to be trapped by a black triangle that appeared beneath it.

“Tantabus,” said Nightmare Moon, wiping the saliva and blood from her mouth. “Look at me. Know me, and that I am not Luna. I have no capacity for guilt or regret. I am not subject to such weaknesses. You are no part of me.”

The stary, protoplasmic mass seemed to respond to her, and cried out in pain as Nightmare Moon surged magic into it. When she suddenly released it from its torment, it shifted once again, this time forming a shadowy silhouette of a pony.

“Tantabus,” said Nightmare Moon. “Defend this castle. This is my order.”

The ghostly pony seemed to nod, and then evaporated into dark smoke and vanished.

“What was that?” said Cadence.

Nightmare Moon smiled. “Something of Luna’s design. Inspired by me. It seems her skill has grown quite substantially. If only she could know how proud of her I truly am.”

As Nightmare Moon walked off into the shadows, Cadence could not help but wonder who this strange black alicorn was.