Nightmare Moon and Twilight walked through the crowded corridors, the castle servants beginning to trade shifts as the night crew returned to their rooms. Moon Beam sat on Twilight’s back humming away as the ponies all bowed before their presence, her cheerful demeanor raising the byzantium unicorn’s mood. I wonder what Nightmare has in mind for the training. I can’t see her having much practice with a weapon and I’m not able to perform any magic right now…. “My Queen?” Nightmare slowed her pace so she could look at Twilight. “What type of training are we going to be doing?”

“I cannot discuss it here, Twilight. You must be more cautious of your surroundings when you speak. A crowded hall, surrounded by prying ears, is not the place to discuss secrets meant for my personal circle.” The alicorn’s reprimanding caused Twilight to fold her ears back in shame.

“I’m sorry…. I wasn’t thinking.” She walked slower as well, her dejection at having disappointed her mistress weighing upon her spirits.

Nightmare eyed her curiously. Do my words truly have that much of an effect on her? I meant it not to be a disciplinary explanation, but more of a word of caution. “Do not fret, Twilight. You are still new to times of war.” She picked up her pace as her words helped to pull the unicorn out of the slump she had fallen into. “You cannot trust anypony to keep a secret and you can never know who is a spy for your enemies and who is not.” Twilight nodded, her mood brightened as she returned to the long lost role of a student. “However, it is also a mistake to not have a council of peers or close subordinates to assist you with the difficulties that arise during a war. Without assistance, even I would fall. It is hard to admit, but not even I am capable of knowing everything.”

Twilight smiled. She’s become much more open about her shortcomings. It’s surprising how much she’s changed since I was first enslaved. It’s surprising how much I’ve changed since then. She thought back to the first week she had been under Nightmare Moon’s power, the images of her being ruthlessly beaten and forced to perform whatever deed the black alicorn wished. She could still remember the paralyzing fear from whenever she anticipated the next punishment or the loathing of the queen herself, but now things were different. I never would have thought I’d fall in love with the pony that banished Celestia and enslaved me. A smile spread across her face as she welcomed the feelings within her. I never thought I’d take a sword for anypony either. I likely wouldn’t have done that for even Celestia….

Moon Beam looked around Twilight’s neck to see her grin and gasped. “Auntie Twilight? What’cha smiling about?” The foal watched Twilight’s expression turn from a content smile to one of flushed embarrassment. The filly giggled at her reaction. “I bet you were thinking of Mommy~!”

Nightmare Moon turned her head back to them again. “Yes, I was.” The alicorn’s eyes widened slightly in mild surprise as the grin on Twilight’s face widened. “I’m always thinking about Queen Moon.” The unicorn looked up to her mistress, love dancing in her eyes like a flame. “You and Moon Beam are my world. I’d do anything for you.”

Several gasps sounded around them, causing the alicorn to glare in response. The servants that had reacted to Twilight’s declaration quickly returned to their tasks, wary of being disciplined. Nightmare returned her gaze to the pair of unicorns, her eyes softening ever so subtly. “While I appreciate your attention, Twilight, it would be best not to advertise it to everypony. You do recall what I said moments ago, yes?” Twilight nodded, but retained her smile. “We must hurry. I do not wish to keep High Commander Horizons waiting.”

The three quickened their pace, hastening their trip through the throngs of workers, heedless of their surroundings. Behind them, a lone mare slunk off into a back hall, unnoticed by the passing trio or the surrounding servants. She tossed her chocolate mane from her soft pink eyes, trotting casually past her peers, blending perfectly with the crowd. Her smooth mint body turned a corner into an empty corridor, devoid of all but minor furnishings. She passed several locked windows until she came upon a sole open portal.

She extended her sturdy wings and, with several powerful thrusts, lifted into the air and propelled herself through the opening. The day-cycle moon shone down on her light body, bathing the mare in silver light as she soared through the air, cutting a path in the night as she raced towards the growing tree line to the north. The Whitetail Woods crept ever closer and, as she began to near the edge of the forest, she slowed her descent, fishing a small lamp from a saddle bag. Twisting the knob on the front, she flashed a small beam of light over the trees, a signal that was returned from a particularly dense portion of the woods. In a matter of seconds, the pegasus landed on the ground, her hooves crushing pine needles and cones as she settled.

“What do you have to report?” A gravelly voice called out from the darkness around her, the noise seeming to come from all around, devoid of any particular direction.

“I have news of the queen that would be of great importance to your cause.” She gave a stiff salute, but her face betrayed the fear in her heart.

A large muscular griffon moved from the darkness, his black head and grey body seeming to melt into his surroundings. He was flanked by a light squad of griffon guards, their heavy silver armor gleaming in the scant moonlight peering through the trees. “Excellent. You are certainly living up to your promise, Sweet Scoop. Now, what is it you have for us?”

“Yes, Warchief! I overheard Nightmare Moon and her whore talking about special training. She silenced the unicorn before they could speak further about the subject. She knows that there are spies in the castle, but does not know who. She also has a deep attachment to the unicorn mare Twilight Sparkle. She is often seen at the queen’s side, but I have noticed her to be on her own occasionally. If you were to kill or capture her, it would work in your favor.” The pegasus looked down, unsure about her next report.

“What else is there? I can tell you’re not telling me something. I will not hesitate to kill you if I do not get answers.” His voice was cold and uncaring, a tone truly befitting his station as Warchief.

“Well…, I’ve seen another griffon inside the castle. One not sent by you.” The gray griffon’s features turned to a scowl, his anger rising quickly. “She’s a young griffon. Probably eighteen to twenty winters with the coloration of a bald eagle. I think her name is Gilda.”

“WHAT!?” His face darkened as the blood rushed to his head, his fury reaching a bursting point. He grabbed the pegasus by her throat with one talon and lifted her off the ground. “You are absolutely certain that she is there!?” Scoop nodded weakly, the crushing grip on her neck restricting her movement. “I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE WOULD BETRAY HER CLAN BY DEFECTING TO YOUR BITCH QUEEN!” With a great heave, he threw the pegasus to the ground and turned, motioning for his squad to follow him. He took a deep breath and turned back to the sobbing mint mare. “Do not worry. I shall not kill you. You are too valuable to let die. When we destroy your queen and take over, I will be sure to reward you well for your services. Now leave.”

She stood shakily before lifting off into the air, her wings carrying her away from the terrifying griffon and his guards. She looked back at her cutie mark, a glass bowl with one scoop of chocolate, mint, and strawberry ice cream coated in chocolate syrup. I shouldn’t have agreed to do this…. I may hate the queen, but I don’t know if this is even worth the risk….

Nightmare Moon, Twilight, and Moon Beam all arrived at the room where Fancy Pants was currently staying. Twilight knocked lightly on the door and waited. A few seconds passed before the door was opened, the white unicorn standing in the opening. He bowed low when he saw the group. “My Queen, Lady Twilight, Moon Beam, what brings you to me this morning?”

“Where have the dragon bones been stored? I require their use.” Nightmare Moon watched as he frowned slightly.

“The cleanup crew hasn’t recovered all of the remains yet, My Queen. They’ve only managed to remove the skeleton of one dragon which I had them store in the largest room on this floor.”

“That is fine. What I need them for shouldn’t require any more than the one skeleton. If you would lead me to where they are, I will allow you to return to your duties.”

“Of course. Follow me.” He exited the room and moved past the trio into the hallway, heading further down the corridor towards the western section of the second floor. The alicorn and two unicorns followed behind him, the combined sounds of their hooves clopping against the floor filling the air. He turned a corner and before them stood a large wooden door with a sign reading, “Property of Queen Nightmare Moon. All unauthorized ponies caught inside will be detained for questioning and punishment.” Fancy Pants produced a key from one of the pockets on his black coat and slid it into the lock on the door. “Here we are. I had a lock placed on both of the room’s doors as a means to prevent access.” He levitated a second key from his pocket and passed it to Nightmare Moon. “When we gather the remaining dragon bones we will store them in here as well. I believe this is the only room large enough to fit any amount of the massive creatures.”

“Excellent, Chancellor. You may leave. If I have need of your services later I will send for you.” He bowed his respects and began the return trip through the halls. Nightmare Moon grinned as she swung the doors open with her magic. The room before her was enormous, three times the size of the dining hall with several ornate objects lining the walls as decorations. The room was devoid of furniture save for a few chairs and stools scattered about for whatever servants required a time to rest. The rest of the decorations had been cleared in order to make room for what sat in the middle. The massive red form of a dragon’s skeleton lay lifeless, its sinister form cleared of all flesh and muscle.

Twilight grimaced at the sight, memories of hearing the battle raging and thoughts of her emotional woes returning to the front of her mind. She took a deep breath and steadied her rising heart rate. It’s fine, Twilight. That’s all in the past and you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Nightmare has accepted you. “What…. What are you going to do with the bones? Is it related to the training?”

Nightmare Moon smiled and turned to her. “Yes. Dragons are magical creatures and thus their bones are the perfect objects to hold enchantments. Typically, gems are used as they can be attuned to hold a spell, but the bones of dragons are far more receptive and much sturdier. They can also be shaped with more ease due to their magical nature. Now... watch.”

Twilight nodded and, as soon as her head stopped moving, the air around Nightmare Moon shifted. The alicorn closed her eyes, her horn glowing a pale white as she levitated the skull, the spine, and two of its claws into the air. The silvery glow around the bones brightened as a cold, white fire began to encase them. Twilight stared in awe. She could feel the immense amounts of magic pouring forth from her mistress as her horn began to resonate along with the alicorn’s. She knew magic as it was her special talent, but this was unlike anything she had felt before. It felt old and cool unlike the warmth of typical unicorn magic. She turned her focus away from the soothing sensation in her horn back to the magic at hoof.

The fire around the bones had intensified causing them to melt into three individual orbs. Nightmare Moon’s horn glow intensified and another layer, this one pitch black, formed around it. The contrasting shades mingled into a solid gray. The alicorn opened her intensely glowing turquoise eyes and they bathed the globes in their light. Slowly, each blob began to move, shaping into their final construct.

What was once a skull shimmered as it was torn into multiple pieces. Several plates akin to a dragon’s underside formed, latching onto each other without the need of nails or joint locks. Another piece formed into a broad breastplate, two ‘wings’ stretching off to the sides and forming into a ring meant to circle a pony’s neck. The breastplate attached itself to the under plating in a similar fashion, the edges connecting and held together without need of a proper link. More pieces broke from the slowly shrinking blob and formed linking plates that curved to the shape of a pony’s back and neck. The center set of plates, the ones that would reach around the sides of their wearer, were sectioned off and interlocking in order to allow for easier maneuverability with two holes positioned perfectly for a pair of wings. Four globules of bone moved beneath the armor and formed greaves for each leg, the joints where a pony could bend their leg were linked by a small rounded guard on the fronts to allow proper movement. Each of the greaves attached to the main section of the armor at the appropriate area as the final piece began to shape. A helmet formed, the skull guard smooth and rounded to fit perfectly on a pony’s head. From the cap, the helmet curved around the ears in a perfect circle while the face guard curved around to connect at the nose. A large bladed horn protruded from the forehead while two decorative horns curled back from just below the ear slots.

The second orb shimmered, this one the remains of the claws, quivered as they slowly began to reform. The massive size of the dragon claws were condensed and molded into a pair of gruesome clawed gauntlets. Each joint of the fingers had a protruding spine for close melee while the underside was a mesh specially designed to help form a grip. From the wrists, the liquid bone formed plated guards sized to fit a griffon’s forelegs with rounded plates at each elbow. The plating extended to just below where a griffon’s legs would connect to its torso.

Twilight watched Nightmare Moon once more, the alicorn seemingly no worse for wear as she continued to maintain this immensely powerful spell. I hope she isn’t overdoing it…. She never seems to show her fatigue so I can only hope that this spell isn’t exhausting her.... She returned her gaze back to the remaining orb, the spine. It had split off into two pieces, both of similar size, and moved away from each other. The section to Twilight’s right shifted and roiled, expanding and contracting as the cold fire around it intensified. A third layer of magical aura overlapped the gray, turning it a deep black. The roiling blob stilled before taking form. It shaped itself into an ornate circlet, small runes etched around the outer ring while the front shaped a large horn from the thick mass gathered there. The final section twisted and contracted seeming to fold over onto itself several times until it formed a small dagger and sheathe. The blade curved from the handle into a form resembling a simple flame, the edge sharp as a razor. The handle was simple in design, not much different from a typical dagger’s handle as far as Twilight could tell, save for the glowing symbols carved into the base.

The fire slowly died as Nightmare Moon’s horn lost its intense glow, dimming to the typical black Twilight was used to seeing. Each object cooled and began to take on a sheen similar to that of mythril silver, a soft glow lingering from the aftermath of the magic. Nightmare took a deep breath before levitating the objects closer to them. Moon Beam’s expression was one of awe, her mouth hanging open as she marveled at the beautiful pieces of enchanted equipment.

The alicorn turned to Twilight and moved the dagger and circlet closer. “These are yours, Twilight. Seeing as you are constantly by my side, I saw fit to gift you with two objects. The first is a circlet that I wish for you to wear at all times. I have enchanted it to enhance your magical abilities and at the same time mask them from the senses of others.”

The circlet floated over to the unicorn and affixed itself upon her head, her horn sliding into the hollow shell and locking in place. As soon as the entirety of her horn was covered, a slight tingling ran through her skull. Her face flushed as the sensation of magic coursed through her body. “It’s…. Thank you, My Queen. I may not be capable of wielding my magic, but I’ll never remove it.”

“Wow, Auntie Twilight! That makes you look so pretty!” The filly clambered across Twilight’s back to perch herself on the mare’s shoulders in order to get a closer look. Twilight merely blushed and smiled, looking back at the tiny unicorn.

“Now. The second item I have for you is this dagger.” She floated it closer to the unicorn so she could inspect it. “This item has been specially enchanted into a substance similar to liquid metal in order to change form based on your desire. It can become anything you wish, be it staff, sword, axe, or even shield. I will explain how such changes can be forced upon it when we join the other two at the obelisk. For now, I will strap it around your chest so we can be on our way.” A length of the silvery bone extended from the sheathe when it came into contact with Twilight’s chest and wrapped around her. As soon as the new strap connected to its origin, its color blended to match Twilight’s coat effectively hiding all but the dagger from view.

“Wow! That’s amazing! I never knew dragon bones could be used to create such complicated enchantments. In all the books I’ve read about magic and enchanting, I’ve never seen anything like this done before!” Her eyes glowed with scholarly passion as her mind filled itself with questions. “Could you… explain how it works to me and maybe show me how you did it?”

“Not at this time, but I will tell you how it works when we meet with Commander Horizons and Gilda.” She enveloped the armor and gauntlets in her mane before turning to leave. She motioned for Twilight to follow and, after making sure the two unicorns were at her side, left the ballroom.

Gilda sat in the grass tapping her talons on the ground in impatience while Cloudy continued to stand at attention, her eyes watching the entrances to the courtyard for signs of the queen. The griffon shouted in frustration. “What the hell!? What’s taking them so long? We’ve been waiting her for almost an hour! Ugh!” She looked over at the pegasus and frowned. “How can you stand to just stare at the walls!?”

“I have spent several years in the Canterlot Royal Guard before being accepted into the Lunar Army. I have been trained to remain completely stationary for several hours without moving.” She turned her head to watch the young griffon’s face. “This is nothing compared to the training sessions required to enter the guard.”

Gilda sighed before glancing off to her right, movement in the corner of her vision catching her attention. She focused her vision on the form of three incoming ponies and rolled her eyes. “About time! I thought they were just gonna leave us here!”

Nightmare Moon and Twilight swiftly made their way across the vast courtyard and stopped in front of the pair. Cloudy bowed low before forcing the griffon to do the same. “Rise, Commander Horizons. Let us enter so we may begin the first session of your training.”

The two winged soldiers both looked at each other, confusion playing across their features. “What do you mean, enter? There isn’t a door anywhere near here! You’ve obviously lost your mind, lady.” A swift crack of the pegasus’ hoof sent the griffon’s senses reeling as she grasped her head in pain. “Buck! Fine! You’ve obviously lost your mind, Your Highness.”

Nightmare Moon scowled, but paid no heed to the griffon’s childish words. “That is because you cannot see the entrance, but it is most certainly there. If you would just walk through the wall there, you’ll see what I mean.”

Gilda eyed the obelisk where she was pointing and cautiously walked closer to it. She could see the wall, but not a single opening presented itself. She squinted her eyes in order to try and discern if there was something to mark the entrance, but nothing seemed out of place or strange. With a shrug of her shoulders, the griffon started off at a brisk pace towards the wall and, just as she reached the tower, smashed beak first into solid stone. She shrieked in surprise as she fell upon her backside. “Buck! I thought you said that there was an entrance there!”

Moon Beam burst into laughter as she watched the griffon squirm on the ground holding her face which elicited a chuckle from Twilight as well. Nightmare Moon and Cloudy both maintained their stoic expression. “There is. I just didn’t open it for you. Consider that your punishment for not calling me by my title.” Her horn glowed slightly causing the surface of the black tower to ripple. “You may now proceed. As soon as we are inside I will begin your lesson.”

The three ponies moved into the entrance followed by a grumbling Gilda with the queen bringing up the rear. As soon as they stepped inside, the wall behind them once again solidified into an impassable slab preventing anything from leaving or entering. Nightmare Moon looked up to the two new to the scene, their eyes wide in awe.

“This place…. It’s so much bigger than it looks! My Queen, it is truly amazing.” Cloudy glanced around at the flowers and lush grass growing around the tomb in the center. Everything was illuminated by the moon overhead coloring everything with a pale glow.

“I thought this would just be some boring old useless tower, but I have to admit that it’s pretty awesome.”

“Let us hurry and begin. I would like to get this lesson over with as soon as possible. It is by far the hardest thing I am going to teach you, but it is absolutely necessary if you wish to stay and learn the rest I have to offer.” She loosed the dragon bone items from her mane, their silvery sheen glowing brighter in the moonlight, and suspended them in the air with her magic. “For you, Private Gilda, a pair of gauntlets fashioned from the claws of a dragon. Commander Horizons, to you I give this set of armor also forged from the bones of a dragon. Take your time to put them on before I start.” She levitated the items to their respective owners and watched as they struggled to equip the gear. Gilda couldn’t get her talons through the thin holes of the arm guards while Cloudy struggled to fit herself into the backside of her armor. Neither of them could get into their new gear.

“You may stop. Neither of you would be capable of using the gear as of yet. What you have before you are objects forged in moon fire and enchanted to draw upon the energies of my namesake.” She looked up into the sky where the natural satellite hovered full and proud. “As my personal guards, I am going to teach you how to draw upon the power resting within the bestowed objects and, in turn, call upon the powers of the moon to aid you.”

Twilight gasped, her mind filled with even more questions. “The moon? We’re going to be able to use it like you? How is that even possible?”

“It is certainly not impossible, Twilight. The only objects in Equestria that are capable of holding lunar enchantment are the bones of dragons, basilisks, and star metal. While dragon bone is capable of holding lunar magic, it is by far the weakest of the three items. It vastly limits your ability to draw upon the moon’s magic, but is useful nonetheless. Now,” she turned back to the other two, “seeing as you are neither unicorn nor other magical creature, you two will have the most difficulty using the armor. It requires intense concentration in order to pass the first wall, but after you attune yourself to your focusing item you will have a much simpler time manipulating them.”

She levitated the armor and gauntlets and touched them to the bodies of their owners. “You must close your minds to all outside disturbances and inner workings. Let your subconscious mind control the necessary motions your body needs to survive while allowing your conscious mind to free itself from all worldly bonds.” The two closed their eyes, attempting to shut off their thoughts and allow peace to overcome themselves. “You must learn to feel for the magic of the moon and the world around you, focusing your mind on the flow of the moon.”

Gilda fought with her over-active mind to bring it under control. She wasn’t used to concentrating on anything other than what she could see and it was showing in her features. Her mind raced with thoughts of flying through the sky, the feeling of the wind flowing past her as she raced her closest friend. The cyan pegasus flew directly beside her, her rainbow mane billowing in the rushing currents. “You must shut out all feelings and accept only the magic.” The griffon shook the memory from her thoughts and concentrated even harder. The cold touch of the bone slowly faded until finally her mind was free.

Beside her, Cloudy struggled with similar problems. She forsook all forms of meditation and relaxation after the trauma with the griffons years ago. Every time she allowed herself a moment to think, the memories flooded into her mind. Images of the fight with the griffon squad burned her thoughts as she watched her husband die over and over, the scene replaying in an infinite loop. Every night she dreamt of that day, unable to keep herself from succumbing to the draw of rest. Her mind fought with itself over what it should do, consciously fighting to suppress the images while subconsciously forcing them to the front of her thoughts. She continued to struggle for what seemed like hours, until her persistence won. For the first time in years, her mind was clear of the regret of not having died with her beloved.

Twilight watched the two struggle to calm themselves, taking in their expressions as they suppressed all internal and external forces. As soon as their features slackened in a state of relaxation, she too closed her eyes. She focused on the feeling she had experienced before, the cool power that had radiated from Nightmare Moon’s magic. She brought her head down in concentration, probing the lines of magic with the slim amount of power she could draw from her circlet for the traces of energy she knew to be the moon. She sighed in frustration as the magic eluded her. Why can’t I do it? I should be able to find the moon’s magic without any trouble! Magic is my special talent! I’m sorry, my beloved Nightmare. I can’t even do this simple task….

Nightmare Moon looked away from the two in front of her and focused her attention on the unicorn. She had felt the shift in Twilight’s mood, felt her own mood dampen as Twilight’s dropped. The link must not be just one way. I can feel her emotions. “Do not worry, Twilight. I have already explained that this is not a simple ability to grasp. I did not expect you to be able to perform the task right away.”

Twilight looked up at her in surprise, but quickly dropped her head again. “I should be able to do it…. I know what the moon’s magic feels like. I could feel it when you were making our focusing items. I just can’t do it….”

The alicorn looked at the unicorn, her lip curling into a slight smile noticeable only by those paying enough attention. “You can find it, Twilight. I know because you are a very talented unicorn. You were able to destroy a magic draining ring without any outside assistance. All you have to do is concentrate.”

Twilight’s face lit up with a heavy blush, Nightmare Moon’s stoic voice outplayed by her encouraging words. She felt her heart swell as her feelings swirled inside her head. She… believes in me…. I…. I don’t even know what to…. Her face continued to heat up as she replayed the alicorn’s words in her head over and over. She hardly noticed the soothing coolness begin to enter her body or the way her horn had begun to glow a dark black as the lunar magic filled her body. What she could feel, however, was the dagger shifting and squirming between her front legs. She looked down at the silver dagger and opened her eyes in surprise. It’s moving! I…. I was able to access the magic! The dagger continued to shift and ripple as it changed shape until it stopped, its form now a necklace with Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark imprinted on the sides of a small medallion.

Nightmare Moon nodded in approval, a feeling of satisfaction and something else welling up inside her. She couldn’t place the second emotion, but could easily discern from where it stemmed. She turned back to the griffon and pegasus who were still concentrating on the task given to them. Their faces showed no emotion or care, only serene calm. They had started nearly fifteen minutes ago and were still trying to feel for the magic.

The unicorns and alicorn sat and watched them intently, as the minutes continued to pass by. After twenty-six, the two still hadn’t shown any sign of coming close to finding the lunar energy until, as one, their focusing items shimmered. Twilight smiled as the armor and gauntlets began to melt around their owners and solidifying once more into their true shape. The pair opened their eyes and looked down.

“YES! Haha! I knew I could do it! In your face moon!” Gilda shouted in excitement as she tested out her new gear, flexing the joints and fingers to get a proper feel for them.

Cloudy simply sat there and admired her armor. “It is surprisingly light, Your Majesty. With how thick the plating is and how much plating it consists of, I was expecting it to weigh much more than this.”

“Excellent. I am pleased that you have completed the first task today. It shall allow us to continue your training much faster than I had originally planned.”

Gilda stopped and looked over to the black alicorn. “What do you mean? I can keep going! That was no sweat at-” the griffon’s body immediately slumped as she began to feel fatigue from exercising that she couldn’t even remember doing. “Ugh…. Why do I feel so weak?” She looked over to the pegasus who was doing just as poorly.

“Being non-magical beings, you are much more susceptible to magical fatigue than a unicorn that has lived her entire life casting spells. The attunement to the moon is a very powerful spell and draws upon your energy in order to be cast as you did not have the full assistance of your enchanted gear. We will continue this tomorrow after you have rested.” She turned and reopened the passage through the wall of the obelisk, allowing the group to pass through once more. “You may retire to your chambers or spend the rest of the night doing whatever you wish. We will meet here at the same time tomorrow morning.” Cloudy bowed and began the return to her room while Gilda simply took off into the air after picking her halberd from the ground where she had planted it.

Nightmare Moon and Twilight turned towards the door closest to the stairs and walked towards them. The unicorn was able to take six steps before collapsing on the ground, exhaustion evident on her face. “Oh no! Auntie Twilight! I’m sorry! I must be really heavy.”

The foal moved off of Twilight’s back, but the unicorn still couldn’t move. “I’m sorry, Mistress…. I’m just… so tired….” She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep as she lay in the grass.

Nightmare Moon watched her quietly before levitating the unicorn across her back and continuing towards the castle. “Follow closely, Moon Beam.” The foal complied and walked faster to keep up with the alicorn’s long strides. She certainly tries her hardest. Does she truly care for me that much? A slight smile graced the alicorn’s lips as they entered the castle doors. Inside, she was stopped by the white unicorn chancellor, his face an open book of grim news. “What is it, Chancellor?”

“The griffons have begun attacking.”

Author’s Notes: Hey gaiz! Peppy here! Sorry this one took so long. My brain hasn’t been wanting to co-operate with me so it’s been difficult to concentrate and use my imagination (cue SpongeBob drawing a rainbow in the air with his hands). Dunno what’s going on, but I’ll try and get it to stop being a royal pain in my plot (like Blueblood is to EVERYTHING). Anyhooves, here you go! Chapter 24! Also, I’ll try to get around to drawing what the armor is supposed to look like (It’s not gonna be the best thing you’ve seen, but I’ll do my best). Peppy out!

Editor's Notes: Hi everypony, Dr.Jekyll here and this chapter was amazing. A lil' sloppy (if it wasn't, I would be out of the job), but definitely fantastic. And now, allow me to introduce my new Co-Editor, Sukasa. Give a round of applause, everypony. I hope you enjoyed it and turn the mic- *cough*, I mean pen over to Sukasa. Have at it.

Editor’s Notes #2: Hi. Kasa here, but I bet half of you stopped reading somewhere above this anyways. It’s funny, I spoke to Peppy about this a while back, but I’ve only just started helping out. Doesn’t matter, edited document. I’m happy to join the team, and hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!