Twilight was abruptly awoken by a sharp pain in her side and a dramatic gasp. She yelped and her eyes shot open, to search for what had hurt her only to have them fall upon the frowning face of Moon Beam. Twilight's gaze softened at the filly's obvious worry. "Auntie Twilight? Are you okay? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?"

Twilight smiled and pulled the little unicorn into a hug to which she sighed happily. Despite knowing what the filly was capable of, she still found her to be very adorable. Her innocence reminded her of when she was a filly herself. "I'll be fine, although it does still hurt. Where's Nightmare Moon?"

Moon Beam snuggled up close to Twilight, resting her head on the mare's back, "Mommy Moon is meeting some ponies in her fancy room! She told me to come stay with you. I'm on guard duty!" She stood up and puffed up her chest in an attempt to make herself look fierce. It just made her that much more cute.

Twilight laughed and wrestled the filly to the floor, tickling her on her sides. "Well the big evil Auntie Twilight is here to stop miss guard pony!"

"Noooo! Stop! Eeeeee~!" The filly laughed full force as Twilight continued to tickle her. She squirmed and wriggled under the mare's grasp but couldn't escape. "Nooo! Auntie Twilight have mercy!! Aaaaaah!" Tears were forming in the corners of the filly's eyes as she continued to guffaw.

Eventually Twilight ceased her torture and laughed along with Moon Beam. She nuzzled the filly and pulled her in close. "Thank you, Moon Beam...."

The navy unicorn looked up at her, confusion on her face. "For what Auntie Twilight? I didn't do anything."

"For making me laugh, silly. I don't get to do that much anymore." She kissed Moon Beam on her forehead, right below her horn, eliciting a content sigh from the foal. "I'm curious. How did you meet Nightmare Moon? She doesn't seem like the kind of mare to take in a filly like you."

Moon Beam tilted her head upwards in thought. "Hmmm... Oh yeah!" She giggled. "It was actually kinda funny! When I was little, and I mean reeeaaaal little, I used to live in the town around the Pony Sister's castle! Have you ever been there? It's really pretty! Well one day I was out playing in the rain cause I love jumping in puddles when this big wave of black fire blew past me like WOOSH! You know it's weird. I don't remember anything before that day.... Oh well!" She paused only to breathe. "Well after that wave I was very sleepy and cold so I thought I'd take a nap. That's when Mommy Moon came up to me. She had the funniest face. Her eyes were all scrunched up and her mouth was hanging open all 'blah what?' and it made me giggle." She smiled brightly at the story. "Next thing I know I wake up with Mommy Moon!"

Twilight furrowed her brow as she tried to follow along with what the energetic filly was saying. Apparently she was hit by a wave of powerful magic and it most likely almost killed her. She frowned slightly at this. Nightmare Moon must have sensed that it hit her and saved her, but why? I've never known her to care for anything but herself and her night. Maybe she really is Nightmare Moon's foal? I'll have to ask her myself.... Finishing her contemplation, she snuggled closer to the filly. "Well, I'm glad she found you."

Nightmare Moon sat upon her throne, glaring at the line of ponies before her. After the many attempts on her life, she knew she didn't have as tight a grip on the kingdom as she had thought so she was in the process of recruiting guards. She now knew that there were still Celestial Guards plotting against her and planned to build an army against them. So far the ponies that had been found were... pathetic. They were all stallions of small stature, and even a few older colts. Not a single one of them seemed fit to fight in her honor, but they'd have to do. She couldn't be choosy when she had almost an entire country that wasn't fond of her usurping the throne.

She sighed and looked about the room one more time. Still not a single decent warrior in this- Her eyes fell upon a pegasus pony towards the back of the room. The mare was standing alone, her bright blue eye staring over the room to watch Nightmare Moon. She was built quite largely for a mare and seemed to have the muscles of a seasoned fighter. Her coat, which was hidden under dull brown cloth, was a bright orange similar to the sunset and her mane and tail a bright white. She had a scar across her right eye that was covered partially by an eye patch.

The Moon Queen grinned wide. "You, in the back. Come forth and tell me your name and why you are here."

The pegasus stood up and casually walked to the stairs in front of the throne, bowing her head. "My name is Cloudy Horizon, your Majesty. I wish only to serve as a loyal guard under your command."

"Why should I trust you to not stab me in the back? You have obviously served as some sort of warrior in the past." Nightmare Moon eyed her cautiously, keeping a watch on her expression.

Cloudy lifted her head and stared right back into the alicorn's eyes. "I once served under Celestia and her guards. They sent me on a mission to retrieve one of our own from captivity in Griffonia. He was killed en-route to the palace and they unjustly pinned his death on me. I have no love for the sun princess."

Nightmare Moon beamed at the stern look the pegasus gave her. "Very well. I shall allow you to prove your loyalty to me through your services. You will be head of my personal guard and will train the rest of these foals in the art of war. You seem to have seen battle before so I believe that will not prove too difficult for one such as yourself. On the morrow I shall have your captain’s armor crafted and enchant you to fit your role. Silent Brook!" The lime earth pony stepped up beside her from where she had been sitting off to the side. "Escort Captain Horizon and the rest to the guards barracks in the south wing. Make sure they are accommodated properly then come see me in my chambers."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" She bowed and turned to the group before the throne. "Please follow me and do not get lost." Brook trotted off at a leisurely pace, Cloudy behind her and the rest behind Cloudy. In total there were about two-hundred ponies, guessed Brook as she led them through the vast black halls. She slowed her pace slightly to get even with Cloudy. "So, Miss Horizons, have any family back home?"

"No."

"Any friends? Any pets?"

"No."

"What do you do for fun? Do you like to dance? Play Music?"

"Nothing."

Brook stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "You could lighten up, you know. I'm just trying to be friendly. It doesn't have to be all work here."

"I am here only to serve Her Majesty, Queen Moon. I am not here to be friendly. If you wish to talk, go talk to the recruits behind us."

Brook scrunched her nose up then stuck her tongue out at the orange pegasus. "Boo. You're no fun at all. Just wait till you get tackled by Moon Beam...." she muttered under her breath, snickering with anticipation of the inevitable event. In a matter of minutes, the group had arrived at the guards' dorm. The hall was huge and lined with rows and rows of beds, all uniform and dull. Small iron frames with a single mattress covered by a fitting sheet and top sheet. Nothing special, but still cozy. "This is the guards' room. Pick a bed and mark the trunk at the foot of your bed with your name. That's where you'll store whatever stuff you have brought with you." The ponies all began to file away, picking their beds. Cloudy tried to go too. "Not you." The mare looked at Brook curiously. "You get your own quarters. It is closer to the throne room and Her Majesty's chambers. Follow me, please."

Brook turned around and began the journey back to the northern wing, moving slightly faster as she didn't want to make Nightmare Moon wait. They trotted through the halls, passing several castle workers on the way, none of which paid them any heed, until they came to the staircase. They ascended the stairs, and stopped on the first landing. "This is typically our guest floor, but we do not have many guests so you will be taking one of these rooms as your own. Her Majesty would most likely prefer you take the one nearest the stairs. The dining hall is just below us to the left should you require food and all of the rooms have their own lavatories. Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you." Cloudy turned away from her and entered the first door to her right without waiting for a reply.

Silent Brook frowned and turned away. "Somepony has a stick up her butt...." she said as she continued up the stairs to Nightmare Moon's floor.

Nightmare Moon stood on the balcony overlooking the construction of the city that was to be built around the castle with the castle being the direct center. There were several foundations set out across the barren ground and even a few beginnings of the skeleton of a building. The construction was going at a much slower pace than the castle had as Nightmare Moon felt no need to finish it in a rush. She had no wish to be surrounded by incompetent foals just yet. She had been there for hours now after sending Silent Brook away after she had found Moon Beam and Twilight sleeping together upon her arrival. She hadn't a use for the maid at that time.

Now she just stood on the balcony, admiring her work on the night, reveling in the cool breeze of night air. This was her kingdom and no amount of disloyal peons were going to take it away from her. She looked up into the sky and smirked. "Do you see this sister? Your once sunny and cheerful world is now plunged into darkness by my power. The ponies no longer have a choice as to whether or not they want to appreciate my night. Not even the Elements can stop me now." She started to laugh only to be interrupted by the sound of hooves by her side. She turned to find Twilight Sparkle standing next to her, yawning groggily and wincing slightly as she over-stretched her back.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, My Queen...." She had seen Nightmare Moon's glare at having been interrupted.

"How did you stop Moon Beam? Nopony has ever been able to soothe her rage aside from myself."

Twilight was slightly shocked to have been asked this question, but recovered quickly. "I- I'm not sure.... I know that I've been spending a lot of time with her this past week, but I still don't know why she listened to me.... I'm so-sorry for-"

"Stop. While I am furious that your actions allowed those guards to escape, I am now more curious as to how you did it. As you can tell, she is not a normal foal. She doesn't usually retain any memory of her time in her shadow nor does she normally share feelings with her foal form. Why she responded to you is... disturbing."

Twilight couldn't contain her shock. She had expected Nightmare Moon to yell at her or something, but not ask her questions or find her unusual ability disturbing. "I...,.I don't know. Maybe she views me as family like you?" Twilight contemplated her next sentence, trying to figure out if she should voice her thoughts. She feared reprisal but could barely retain her curiosity. Her curiosity won. "Is.... Is Moon Beam truly your daughter?"

The black alicorn tensed up, her straight navy mane bristling. "No. That is all I have to say on the matter."

"She said that you found her in the town outside-" She looked up and recoiled at the seething glare the alicorn was giving her.

"Enough." She barely spoke above a whisper, but Twilight could feel the words shake her soul nonetheless. "You shall ask no more of this or face my wrath. The only reason I am restraining from punishing you now is the foal sleeping just meters from us."

Twilight nodded slightly and backed up into the room. A shiver ran down her back as she settled back into bed beside Moon Beam. Nightmare Moon continued to stand on the balcony, staring off into the night, thinking. Why did I not set her in her place? I know Moon could have slept through it, so why did I make that excuse? She straightened her face, returning it to that passive gaze she typically held. It matters not. She knows not to cross me now. With that final thought, she turned away from the railing and walked inside to settle into the head of her bed. I have more important things to worry about than some useless pet.

Nightmare Moon and Moon Beam sat in the castle courtyard in front of the obelisk, watching the new guard ponies go about their daily training. They were all doing sets of push-ups and sit-ups to strengthen their bodies with Cloudy Horizon at the head of the group barking orders at them. Her looks had changed dramatically from her first night in the castle.

The morning, as far as time is concerned, after she had arrived, Nightmare Moon had summoned her to the throne room once more. She had performed the ritual of inducting her into her personal guard and bestowed upon her a special enchantment given only to those ponies of the highest ranking in her army. It changed her body drastically. Her wings, once soft and covered in feathers, had been morphed into a bat's wings, light and leathery, perfect for aerial maneuverability. Her orange coat was dyed a dark grey and her mane and tail were dyed black and midnight blue. Her ears were lengthened slightly and feathered off at the tips and her eye, once blue, changed yellow with draconic pupils matching her Queen's. Special armor was crafted for her as well. A purple plate helm and neck guard with a navy saddle trimmed with sky blue to cover the top of her body down to her flanks. Upon her breast was a fierce black gorget that hooked onto the plates along her neck and her hooves were covered with purple horse shoes. She was truly a terrifying creature with her enchantments.

Moon Beam squirmed beside Nightmare Moon. She hadn't gotten to meet the new pony with the awesome armor and wings yet and she was doing her best to refrain from tackling her with a hug. The pair sat and watched as, finally, the ponies finished their drills and began to rest, taking a breather from the strenuous activities they were not accustomed to. The moment Cloudy turned away from the group was the moment she was on her back with a navy unicorn giggling in her face.

"Hi! I'm Moon Beam! What's your name? Are you new here? I'm so excited to meet another pony that knows Mommy Moon! Has anypony told you that you look really cool? Are those wings real? Can I touch them?" At the end of her barrage of words, Moon Beam reached out with one of her front hooves to stroke Cloudy's wing only to be wrapped in a black glow and lifted off the flustered pegasus. "Awwww...!"

Cloudy Horizon stood up and composed herself, dusting off the dirt from her fall to the earth. "Energetic filly, Your Majesty."

Nightmare Moon set the small unicorn on her back and nodded to her captain. "Yes, she is. Return to your training. I shall keep a closer watch on her so she does not assault you again." This sentence elicited a giggle from Nightmare Moon's back.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She bowed and turned back to the congregation of guards-in-training. "All right you knaves! Get back into formation! We're going to train in hoof-to-hoof combat!"

Nightmare Moon watched carefully as the recruits toiled away under the light of the moon. She knew a battle was coming. She could feel it ever since Twilight caused the unicorns to escape. She had to be prepared or else it could mean the end of her reign. Even with her great magic and Moon Beam, the alicorn knew she couldn't stop an entire army of Celestia's guards.

Twilight sighed into her hooves. The wounds she had received had healed up enough that she no longer required bandages, but the soreness still lingered. She was once again alone on the grand bed that belonged to her Queen, shackled with the glowing magic as was normal only this time she was expecting a visitor. Soon after her thoughts began to drift into mindless contemplation, a knock sounded on the door causing Twilight's heart to jump in excitement. She's here! Twilight straightened her mane as best she could without her magic then coughed slightly, clearing her throat. "Come in, Brook!"

Immediately after the words escaped her lips, the doors to the room swung open to reveal the lime green earth pony as she walked through the portal. Silent Brook quickly made her way to the bed and sat beside Twilight, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Are you feeling any better? I'm not the best medical pony, but I hope my ministrations were okay." Twilight blushed fiercely, remembering the 'ministrations' that Brook had performed on her. The mare noticed the blush and giggled. "Not that, Twilight. I meant the bandages. I already know what you thought of my other medical technique."

Twilight flushed again and just laughed with Brook. "They were perfect. I probably wouldn't have been healed nearly as well if it wasn't for your help.... Thank you so much." Twilight kissed Brook softly, and leaned her head on the mare's neck.

The earth pony smiled and brought her face in front of Twilight's, nose only inches away from the unicorn's. "You have lovely eyes, Twilight." She smiled at the blushing mare then brought her mouth to Twilight's, their lips meeting in a deep, passionate kiss. They could both feel the affection coming from the other pony as their tongues danced in each other's mouth. Eventually the kiss was broken by them having to pull back for air, but only for a moment as they were once more locked together, their actions speaking for their hearts. Time seemed to slow around them as they shared this intimate moment together and Twilight felt herself wishing that it could last forever. Alas, such a wish was not to come true. Silent Brook pulled out of the kiss once more, a trail of saliva connecting them momentarily before her words broke the strand. "I should go before Nightmare Moon comes back. She was only watching the new guards train and I doubt she'll stay during their whole routine."

Twilight sighed dejectedly then brought her smile back. "You're right. I just wish we could spend more time together without fear of what would happen if we were caught. I'd love to learn more about you and your life as a worker for Princess Celestia and maybe more about your feelings of us."

Silent Brook smiled and stood, heading back to where she had come in. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'll tell you all about my past and my feelings for you soon." With one final reassuring grin, the earth pony exited the room, shutting the door behind her. The moment the portal was closed, she lost her smile and went back to her daily tasks.

Author's Notes: Oh god I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired! I should be asleep right now, but I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible. Hate to leave you guys hanging. So here we are, introducing another OC into the story that is important to the plot! 'How many more are there gonna be!?' you ask? I can't tell ya cause I'm not sure myself! After all the times Nightmare Moon has killed off the captains of Celestia's Guard you can probably guess that there'll be AT LEAST a few more, but eh, who's to say? Well, hope you enjoy this chapter as I am now going to bed. Have fun and sleep well everypony! Peppy out!

Editor's Notes: Okay, Dr.Jekyll here and I haven't slept in *thinking* eighty-six hours (or roughly three-and-a-half days). Imma' go to sleep now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know I did.

Author's Notes (again): Makes me sound like a slave driver, doesn't he?