“Principal Luna is Nightmare Moon!”

Rainbow Dash's frantic declaration was met only with silence. Five of the silences were of the polite, clueless variety, while Sunset Shimmer's was something else entirely, to judge by the way her mouth hung open. The girls had gathered in their usual band practice room, having long since staked it out as their favored after-school hangout.

“Technically,” Twilight looked up from whatever she'd been reading on her tablet. “Shouldn't it be 'Vice-Principal Luna is Nightmare Moon'?”

“Who cares?” Rainbow Dash said.

“What's a Nightmare Moon, anyway?” said Pinkie Pie.

“A mad, unspeakably powerful night goddess who wants to rule a world of eternal darkness.” Sunset Shimmer managed to keep her voice even, if barely.

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash smiled, brimming with exuberant energy, “I knew I wasn't the only one who's ever heard of her!”

Sunset Shimmer blinked. “How'd you even hear about Nightmare Moon?” She pushed past the twisting fear in her belly and prepared herself for the worst.

“The internet, duh!” Rainbow said, typically guilless.

“What.”

“Seriously, look!” Rainbow Dash pulled her phone out of her pocket, and then, thinking the better of it, turned to Twilight. “Hey! Can I borrow your tablet?”

“Sure?” Twilight said, and pushed her glasses back up into place. “Just, um, don't look at the browser history--”

“Okay cool thanks!” Rainbow Dash plucked the device out of Twilight's fingers and immediately pulled up a video app. She bit her tongue between her teeth in concentration as she hunted and pecked out the right letters. “Somebody posted this video awhile back, and it's totally awesome. Check it out!”

Rainbow Dash set Twilight's tablet on a music stand, and then dialed the volume all the way up to maximum. “For the full effect, you really gotta watch it with headphones or something, but this'll have to do for now.”

An image faded into view on the screen, showing someplace dark and smoke-filled. A basement, or even a cave perhaps. The camera swept over the audience. Shrouded in shadow, no details could be made out on the figures besides long hair and a vague air of menace. Video lines danced across the screen, and there was a general haziness in the image- a copy of a copy.

A stage dominated one end of the chamber, flanked by towering stacks of speakers. Slowly, the camera panned upwards, revealing a banner. The banner was dominated by the image of a winged, horned, and battle-armored equine, with a coat of shimmering black.

Sunset held a hand up to her mouth as she read the lettering surrounding the logo.

A figure in a dark, hooded cloak slowly stepped onto the stage, and the audience roared their approval. A slim hand in a fingerless glove extended from the depths of that cloak and took hold of a microphone stand, tilting it towards the raised hood.

“It is time.”

Even over the meager speakers of Twilight's tablet, that clear, oddly familiar voice had enough power behind it to raise goosebumps. The crowd at the bottom of the screen shouted incoherently, fists raising in salute. A handful of rangy, long-haired men in hodgepodge denim and leather meandered onto stage behind the cloaked woman, carrying their instruments like battle-scarred weaponry.

“To me, my warriors!”

The cloaked woman threw her hood back and shook out her voluminous, shimmering blue hair. She'd streaked her blue cheeks with black warpaint, and the video quality left a great deal to be desired, but Sunset Shimmer still recognized the young face of Nightmare Moon.

“No. Way,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Make your peace with your gods! For tonight, we BATTLE!”

Nightmare Moon flung off her cloak, revealing an outfit cobbled together of combat boots, fishnets, plate armor, and the occasional ragged scarf. A wickedly-sharp looking guitar materialized in her hands, and Nightmare Moon's fingers danced over the strings like coked up tarantulas.

Nightmare Moon sang like she played guitar: loud and fast. It was hard to make out exact lyrics, due to the already dodgy recording and the tiny tablet speakers. Still, bits and pieces came through: something about a mountain castle and a dead god. Pounding bass and guitars thundered behind her like distant artillery.

No sooner had the sensory assault started, it abruptly ended. Pyrotechnics flared at Nightmare Moon's feet, and the video faded out as she threw her head back in mad, triumphant laughter.

“What n' blazes was that?” Applejack said, scratching at her head.

“I couldn't tell you, Applejack.” Rarity huffed. “Doesn't that woman know chain mail is entirely unfashionable?”

“Not to mention anachronistic.” Twilight chimed in. “The riveting on her shoulder pauldron is all wrong.”

“That was terrifying.” Flutterhy said from where she hid behind Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, c'mon! That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash said. “Our principal--”

“Vice principal.” Twilight blurted by reflex.

“Fine, vice principal is like the most awesome heavy metal singer ever. Isn't that cool?”

“She was a heavy metal singer.” Rarity noted. “Couldn't you tell how old that music video is? Judging by the denim alone, that must have been recorded before any of us were even born!”

“Eeeyup.” Applejack nodded. “I reckon' if that was Vice Principal Luna, which I ain't sure it is, that ain't her anymore. She's too busy vice-principlin' ta get all gussied up n' scream at folk.”

“Rainbow,” Sunset Shimmer said, “Vice Principal Luna has an equivalent back where I'm from. And she used to be called Nightmare Moon, too. It didn't end well. But she's better now, thanks to Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer paused, and looked over at Twilight. “Er, Princess Twilight, that is. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“So it's true!” Rainbow Dash said, triumphant.

Sunset Shimmer frowned. “That's not what I meant.”

“Oh, c'mon! It makes sense! Pony-Twilight is a super-nerd, and this Twilight is a super-nerd.” Rainbow Dash paused, and smiled sheepishly at the purple-haired girl. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Twilight leaned over and collected her tablet.

“And, like, I'm awesome, so I'm just assuming Pony-Me is equally awesome. Almost equally awesome, 'cause I can play guitar and she can't because she's got hooves--”

“You'd be surprised.” Sunset Shimmer noted.

“But still! If Pony-Luna was Nightmare Moon, that means our Luna was totally Nightmare Moon! Oh man. Do you think she does autographs?”

“I wouldn't bring it up, if I were you.” Sunset Shimmer said.

“Why not?”

“Think of it this way.” Sunset Shimmer said, “can't you think of something you did a long time ago that you might be embarrassed about now?”

“Psh. No.” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms across her chest. “I'm awesome. I've always been awesome, and I always will be awesome.”

“What about that time in fourth grade when you ate too much ice cream before a soccer game and then you got all sick and went 'bleeeeeaargh' and barfed everywhere in the middle of the field and they had to delay the game so they could clean it up but you could still tell it was there because they had to dig up some of the grass so it was like there was a big sign that said 'Rainbow Dash lost her cookies here?' Even though it was ice cream, and not cookies, but I guess it kind of counts because there was some cookies and cream ice cream! Not that you'd need a sign, 'cause everyone saw it anyway.” Pinkie Pie smiled cheerily through the whole memory. “That was some goooood ice cream, though.”

Rainbow Dash's expression fell. “Okay. So maybe not everything I do is awesome. But, like, the majority is.” She squinted at Pinkie Pie. “Besides, you ate more ice cream than I did. How come you didn't puke?”

“'cause I was playing goalie and didn't have to run around like you.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Besides.” Fluttershy said. With the music video over, she'd finally managed to calm herself down. “I bet there's a lot of parents who would get really mad if they found out Vice Principal Luna used to sing about blood and fire and stuff. She might even lose her job. And then what would she do?”

“Fluttershy's right.” Twilight said without looking up from her tablet. “If Vice-Principal Luna doesn't want to tell us about what she's done before, then we should respect her privacy.”

“Besides,” Rarity added on, “even if Vice-Principal Luna's prior career were to come to light, it's not as if she's going to switch back to that flash-and-fishnets look.” Rarity considered the image, and shuddered. “At least, I certainly hope she won't.”

“Fine, fine. I won't tell anybody. Jeez.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “I can't believe none of you guys like metal.”

“It's too scary,” said Fluttershy.

“It's too loud,” said Rarity.

“It's too much nonsense.” Applejack said, “hollerin' 'bout dragons n' hobbits n' whatever.”

“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash said. “Sometimes we grow pony ears and do glowy magic stuff! How can you call that nonsense?”

“'cause we don't turn into dragons or hobbits, that's what.”

Rainbow Dash facepalmed. “Okay, so, I'm just gonna let that slide 'cause Applejack doesn't listen to anything but country.”

“Hey!” Applejack said, “I listen to country and western, thankyouverymuch.”

“Aw, don't feel bad, Rainbow!” Pinkie Pie said, “we can like different things and still be friends! Like, I guess Nightmare Moon is kind of fun in a GRRR ARG RAAAAR kind of way! I mean, it's not a polka, but I'm not gonna hold it against her.”

“Polka?” Rainbow Dash sputtered, “But … but … you can't mosh to polka!”

Pinkie Pie cracked a knowing grin. “You'd be surprised.”

“To be honest, Rainbow, I've never really listened to much heavy metal music before.” Twilight laid a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. “But, well, I can appreciate the technical aspects to it. Not to mention the inherent references to the fantasy literary canon.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Say what?”

“The stuff about dragons and hobbits.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Look.” Sunset Shimmer pushed herself out of her chair. “I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting kinda hungry. Anyone else wanna grab a salad or something?”

“Salad, nothing! I'm going for the chimichangas!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down at the thought.

The other girls murmured their agreement (if perhaps less enthusiastically than Pinkie did), and made their way out of the practice room, through the hallway, and out into the parking lot. Eventually (and unfortunately, from Rainbow's point of view), the subject drifted away from that of heavy metal, to more insignificant things like who liked who at school (Lyra and Bon-Bon, for the record) and whatever movies that were supposed to come out that weekend (that sequel to that movie about that guy who did the thing).

Rainbow tuned out the chatter of her friends, which was easy enough. As she trailed behind them, she saw a glimpse of flowing blue hair from the corner of her eye. Sure enough, there she was. Vice-Principal Luna, walking out of Canterlot High. At a glance, everything about her looked normal. Boring, even. The clothes, the haircut, even the little hybrid hatchback that Vice Principal Luna got into, and drove out of the parking lot all painted an utterly mundane picture. It was hard to reconcile such a vision of normalcy with a heavy metal queen such as Nightmare Moon.

But Rainbow Dash knew better.

She smiled to herself as she watched Vice Principal Luna pull out of the parking lot.

Rainbow Dash began to plan.