Fluttershy rushed about the hastily-erected medical tents, the groans and sobs of the injured residents of Ponyville drawing her attention as far as it would allow. She had already been tending to the crowd gathered just outside of Ponyville's town limits for several hours and was now bordering on sickening exhaustion. She slumped against a medical cart and closed her eyes for a passing moment. Seconds later, her eyes shot open again and she stood up straight, alert, but visibly drowsy.

"No, Fluttershy. You can't stop no matter how tired you are, these ponies need you." She took a deep breath, slightly restored by her self-directed pep talk, and dragged herself to the next patient, a cream earth pony with a two-toned pink and purple mane. Fluttershy took a sharp intake of air and muttered a nearly inaudible 'oh my'. The mare had a deep, jagged gash across her back that was only lightly bandaged to stop the bleeding.

Beside the mare sat a teal unicorn whose face showed her despair without inhibition. Fluttershy stepped closer to the unicorn and touched a hoof to her withers. "Lyra, I know it's tough, but you should get some sleep. I'll keep a watch on Bon Bon while you're gone. Besides, you'll have to be careful and rested in case the Queen's Guards come to find you once they realize you're missing."

"Let them.... If Bonnie dies then I've got no reason to keep going anyways. They might as well just kill me outright." Her words were hoarse and strained, spoken just barely above Fluttershy's typical soft tone. Lyra, who was on the verge of breaking down into a fit of sobs once more, looked at Fluttershy. "I.... I was going to propose to her.... She was going to say yes and we'd both get married and live happily here in Ponyville. We'd have foals with a little magical help... and raise them and grow old together...."

"You still can, Lyra. Don't talk like it's over. She isn't dead and I'm sure she'll pull through. I'll do my best to help her and, after she's able to leave, she'll need you to help her fully recover." Fluttershy looked at her hooves and pawed nervously at the ground. "I know it doesn't look very... um... promising and I know I'm not the best pony to talk about courage, but giving up now only makes the end inevitably closer...." The demure, yellow pegasus smiled softly in her best attempt to be reassuring.

Lyra blinked back the first few tears that threatened to fall before just giving in completely. The distraught unicorn grasped onto Fluttershy's neck and bawled loudly into her fur, momentarily startling the pegasus. "You're right, Fluttershy.... She'd be so disappointed in me right now, acting like a foal when I should be trusting you and the nurses and helping where I can."

"It isn't foalish to mourn the loss or injury of a loved one. It's only natural that you're deeply upset by it, but you're definitely right about the rest; it's what you do while mourning that counts."

Lyra chuckled lightly and bumped Fluttershy lightly on the forehead. "You know, I didn't expect to be lectured by Ponyville's resident scaredy-pony."

The butter yellow pony blushed and hid her face behind her pink mane. "Oh, I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to lecture you.... Umm...."

"It's okay, Fluttershy. I needed it. Thanks.... I'll see what I can do to help out with the little amount of healing magic I learned in school." Lyra stood and leaned down to nuzzle Bon Bon as she lay upon the red-stained white cot. "I'll make you proud, Bonnie.... I'll do my best until you wake up...."

Fluttershy watched Lyra trot away to find Nurse Tenderheart tending to another pony just on the other side of their current tent before turning back around to come almost muzzle-to-muzzle with Nurse Redheart. The pegasus squeaked in surprise and flinched away, cowering under her hooves. "Oh dear. I'm sorry, Fluttershy; I didn't mean to startle you."

Fluttershy, hearing her name, peeked out from a newly formed spacing in between her fore legs and visibly relaxed. After loosing a quiet sigh, the mare smiled nervously. “Oh... um.... It’s not a problem Nurse Redheart. I should have been paying attention to where I was going. It was probably my fault....”

“Nonsense, Fluttershy. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that. It was terribly rude of me.” The white mare dipped her head in an apology and returned her gaze once more to meet Fluttershy’s. “Oh! I was coming to tell you something. One of the pegasus teams that watch over the medical caravans reported in to tell me that the carriages would be here within the next couple hours. They’ll be returning to the Manehattan General Hospital after dropping off supplies and then returning to distribute their work force to the military camps set up around Equestria. I thought I’d tell you since it’d be the best way to join them.”

“Oh.... Thank you, Nurse Redheart. To be honest, I’m kind of scared to go alone, but I want to help as many ponies as I can.” Fluttershy turned her gaze to the trampled grass and kicked a hoof. “I don’t see why we have to go through all this fighting.... What happened to the times when everypony was happy and nice? Why can’t everything be normal again?” Hot tears spilled down Fluttershy’s cheeks as she cried openly, sniffled in between breaths.

“Oh Fluttershy....” The red-maned mare pulled the shy pony into a soft embrace and patted her on the back. “I’m not sure, Fluttershy. I wonder the same thing. I’ve never had to treat so many ponies at once and.... And telling the families that their child or parent died never gets any easier with repetition; it’s so tough on everypony, but us nurses and volunteers like you need to be strong for them. We may not be fighting out on the front lines, but we’re fighting all the same. We fight against the death that the griffons bring and it’s up to us make sure that we save as many ponies that get hurt as possible. So, come on, turn that frown around and we’ll help everypony together.”

“That’s right! We can’t have our favorite nurse ponies being all sad and mopey, can we!? I know what we need! We need a party!” Pinkie Pie popped into view and startled the pair. “I can set up balloons and streamers and cake and make everypony get-well-soon cards and even sing a song! Everypony loves my songs!” Pinkie Pie started humming a tune as she walked off towards Sugar Cube Corner leaving the pair staring after her in bewilderment.

Redheart was the first to recover, as she returned to her conversation with Fluttershy. “Why don’t you take a nap before Pinkie’s party? You’ll need it for when you get to Manehattan, as I’m sure they’ll be extremely busy. Come on, I’ll find you an empty cot.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but was betrayed by a yawn that forced all attempts away. The yellow pegasus blushed and nodded before following Redheart as she led the pair to another tent set up parallel to the one they had come from.

Fluttershy looked through the white flaps and flinched back in surprise when she saw all the bloodied bandages and unconscious ponies inside. She had been in the tent before, but it was still a difficult sight to behold. Rows of ponies with vicious-looking wounds lay on blood-soaked cots as they waited out their final moments. The two mares looked at each other with despair in their eyes and walked to the far end of the tent where a single clean cot lay amongst the near-dead.

“It’s so horrible. I wish there was something I could do to help them....” Fluttershy surveyed the bodies, which were motionless save for the shallow rise and fall of their chests as they breathed. “Why don’t we have unicorns try and heal them? I know that there’s healing magic....”

“We’ve tried, but magic can only go so far with healing. We’ve never had to heal anything like this before, and all of our medical unicorns were trained to fight against minor injuries and sicknesses.” She took a deep breath and loosed a tired sigh. “Plus, healing magic is very difficult and extremely hit-or-miss. You have to know exactly what you’re doing or you could permanently damage a patient or cause the opposite of the desired effect you’re aiming for.” She laughed bitterly and shook her head. “To think that magic used for destruction and harm is so much simpler and safer to cast than magic to save and repair. It doesn’t make any sense....

“Well, I’m sure you’re exhausted, so I’ll let you be so you can get some rest; I’ll come wake you when Pinkie is set up.” Fluttershy nodded and lay upon the cot, resting her head on her forehooves before closing her eyes and drifting off into much needed slumber.

Servants rushed through the halls of Nightmare’s castle, frantically racing back and forth to clear out the bodies of the dead and prepare a space for proper burial. They paid no heed to a unicorn filly as she trudged through the crowd, her smoky mane cascading down her face to pool on the ground at her hooves. Moon Beam meandered through the halls, oblivious to the cacophony around her as her hot tears streaked down her muzzle. Her mind was a jumbled mess of rampant despair, clouded with guilt for an act she couldn’t remember. The only coherent thought she could form wasn’t a comfort in her time of need.

Mommy Moon.... Auntie Twilight.... Am I a monster? Moon Beam momentarily looked up from the floor to check her surroundings and stared blearily at the door separating her from the castle courtyard where her short games with Cherry had ended so horribly. What did I do wrong? I thought I was a good pony.... I thought everypony liked me.... She turned her gaze towards the end of the hall she was in, her eyes pausing on the door to the castle’s throne room, and took a deep, shuddering breath. Mommy and Auntie aren’t here.... Maybe.... Maybe Cloudy will know what to do since she’s Cherry’s mommy now.

The navy filly stepped over to the door leading out into the courtyard and pushed the heavy blockade open just enough for her to squeeze past. She searched the bustling crowd of ponies as they moved the corpses into lines to separate the griffons from the ponies until she spotted the familiar orange and white form of Cloudy. Moon Beam moved closer to the frantic group, slinking by the legs of the gathered ponies until she reached the small opening where Cloudy was shouting orders. The unicorn filly crept up to the pegasus and tapped her lightly on the flank; subconsciously holding her breath.

Cloudy flinched at the touch and spun to see who had disturbed her to find Moon Beam with her face scrunched up as she fought back her tears. The pegasus’ eyes widened and she bent down to meet the filly’s gaze. “Moonie.... What’s wrong? What happened?”

Moon Beam sniffled and wiped her face with a hoof. “I.... I don’t know! Cherry... and.... Cherry and... some other ponies.... We were playing.... Griffons came.... Then Cherry called me....” Moon broke down, falling to the floor and sobbing loudly.

Cloudy glared at the ponies that gathered to stare at the miserable filly, motioning for them to leave before turning her attention back to Moon Beam. She picked the filly up and stroked her mane. “What did she call you Moon Beam? Where is she?”

“She.... She called me a monster! I don’t know why! I.... We were playing out here, then the griffons came. The next thing.... The next thing I know, she’s scared... and calling me a monster..., then ran away....” Moon clung tightly to the mare’s neck, squeezing her as if the contact would make everything better. “Why did she run? I didn’t do anything wrong....”

“You must have.... Never mind, let’s just go find her. Come on, Moon Beam; I’ll help sort this out.” The orange pegasus smiled and stood; releasing the filly from her grasp. She must have changed to save them. Cherry didn’t know. She scanned the dispersing crowd, noting the distinct lack of guards in the area. “You! Green guard!”

One of the guards, a light green mare, looked in the direction of the voice and balked. “Oh.... Umm.... Commander Cloudy, Ma’am!” She shakily saluted and trotted up to the pair. “Y-yes ma’am? What d-do you need ma’am?”

“How did this happen? Why wasn’t there anybody here to stop the griffons from killing so many ponies?!” Cloudy’s fierce stare made the guard pony shiver even more.

“I-I don’t know ma’am! I just s-started my shift. I heard some of the others talking about ignoring a game.... I don’t know anything other than that!” She covered her head with her hooves and shook, terrified of what her superior would do. “Please don’t hurt me or fire me! I promise I’ll do better!”

“I’m not going to be taking any action against you....” The pegasus sighed at the unicorn’s display of cowardice. “I want the names of every pony from the previous shift. Have the head officer in charge of assigning patrols determine the punishment for failing to do their duties. You, in the mean time, need to work on your discipline. You are a knight in the queen’s army and should act like one. We are at war. We cannot have you cowering in fear from something as petty as punishment.”

“Y-yes ma’am, Commander Horizons, ma’am!” The unicorn spun on her hooves and raced away to do as she was told.

The orange pegasus sighed and looked to Moon Beam. “Come on, I think I know where she went.” She led the foal through the halls of the castle and up to her own quarters to find the door left partially open. Cloudy stuck her head through the door to find Cherry Tart shaking under the blankets on their bed. “Tart.... What’s wrong?” She turned to Moon Beam and spoke quietly. “Stay out here until I say it’s okay to come in. I want to make sure she’s willing to talk first.”

The filly under the blankets peeked out from an opening, calming down from her frightened state almost immediately. She crawled into full view and wiped her face with a shaking hoof. “It.... It was so scary.... Those monsters tried to kill us.... They.... They got so many ponies and then.... Then....” Her eyes widened as she recalled the moment the navy unicorn had changed; twisted into her worst nightmare. “She’s one of them.... She’s... a monster....”

The filly began trembling again as the memories filled her with dread until Cloudy stroked her yellow mane. “Moon Beam.... She’s different. I can’t really explain what she is, but she’s also a filly just like you.” Cherry opened her mouth to protest, but Cloudy cut her off. “Ah, ah. Don’t interrupt your guardian, missy. Moon Beam will never, never do you any harm. She... can do stuff that most fillies and colts can’t, but she only does those things to help those she cares for.” She glanced to the cracked doorway and smiled at the navy filly just outside. “The fact that she did that to save you means that she likes you. She saved me once too, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.... I was hurt really bad and she swooped in and rescued me.... I may have lost my wing, but she saved my life....” The pegasus nudged her ward to the door. “Go talk to her; She doesn’t know what happened and is really hurt right now. She would love to have you as a friend again, and I’m sure you enjoyed the time you spent with her as well.”

Cherry bit her lip and eyed the door anxiously, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea. After another gentle but firm prodding from her guardian, she cautiously walked over to the door and opened it to find the downcast filly on the other side. Cloudy watched as Moon Beam looked up and made Cherry flinch back with fearful anticipation. When the expected attack didn’t come, Cherry returned her gaze to Moon Beam whose eyes were now filled with tears as she began turning to walk away. Before the unicorn could take a single step, the earth pony tackled her to the ground squeaking out apology after apology until they were both smiling and hugging on the obsidian floor. The orange pegasus smiled, her heart warmed by the scene of the two fillies renewing their friendship and strengthening their bonds.

The door to the ambassador’s quarters opened with a black glow to allow Nightmare Moon and Twilight into the building’s lobby. Tyra followed close behind, dragging herself through sheer determination alone in order to keep up with the pair of ponies. Twilight turned her head and chuckled at the sight of the exhausted minotaur. “Sorry for dragging you around with us all day. It’s just so amazing to see the vast difference between our two cultures! I’m still quite surprised that you’re capable of maintaining your society through metalworking! The varieties of food and just... everything!”

Nightmare nodded as her own expression of gratitude. “Yes. I may have been around since before your kind existed, but I never took the time to become truly acquainted with every aspect of your society.” The midnight mare looked away towards the hall that lead to their room. “I have also been absent for the past thousand years. Your kind shall certainly be a welcome addition to our alliance. Please inform your lord that I shall be extending our stay in Valtaura, but wish to discuss with him the time I choose. In the morning, of course.” Nightmare motioned for Twilight to follow her and, just as Tyra made to follow them, halted her with the unfurling of one of her powerful wings. “We shall be fine finding our room ourselves. You may do as you wish for the remainder of the night after informing Jahurl of my decision.”

Tyra loosed a great sigh of relief and bowed awkwardly, having to fight to keep from falling on her face. “Thank you, Queen Moon. I hope that you enjoy your night. I’ll see you in the morning when I come to inform you of breakfast.” The young minotaur stood upright and bolted out of the building as quickly as her tired legs would carry her, much to the amusement of the byzantium unicorn.

“She’s certainly nice, that’s for sure. Maybe a bit too eager at times, though.” Twilight paced beside the black alicorn as they moved across the carpeted flooring to their room in the center of the building. With a quick burst of magic, Nightmare led her companion inside and noiselessly shut the door behind them. “Did you want to bathe again before bed? We have been out in the desert heat all day and, even though it’s somewhat cooler than what I’d assume it’d be, we did sweat a little bit.” Another suppressed giggle escaped her lips. “Maybe not as much as Tyra, though.”

Nightmare shook her head and carefully began levitating the blue armor from her body. “No, I wish only to rest tonight, Twilight. We can bathe ourselves on the morrow should the need arise.” Her turquoise eyes flashed in the flickering lamplight. “Besides, you have quite an alluring scent, my pet....”

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat at the use of her old position, but not from the dread the word used to bring her. Instead, her chest tightened with arousal, the term calling forth excitement from unbidden thoughts of being dominated by the alicorn. Her face flushed darker as she looked at her hooves. “I can’t smell too attractive. At least, I don’t think me being sweaty is very attractive.... Is it?”

“Not as enticing as another scent I can recall, but it is certainly a smell that I enjoy.” She nudged Twilight towards the bed and soon followed her onto the freshly blanketed mattress. “Perhaps we could partake of both aromas in the morning after we have rested.” The alluring gaze from the moon queen elicited a deep, shuddering breath from the young mare. “I shall assume that was a ‘Yes, My Queen.’ as I did not have any plans to allow any form of refusal.” She leaned over towards Twilight’s head and whispered huskily into her ear. “I will take you tomorrow morning, so be sure you are ready....”

Twilight moaned softly as her lover's breath caressed the inside of her ear. She nodded weakly and returned the kiss brought by her queen’s lips before curling up in the alicorn’s embrace. Nightmare Moon quickly fell into a deep slumber, but Twilight found it incredibly difficult to follow suit. Thoughts ran unhindered in the mare’s mind as she imagined the possible events that would undoubtedly occur only a scant few hours from then. After a near infinite passage of time, exhaustion finally took hold of the unicorn and pulled her under the embrace of sleep.

Darkness once more enveloped the unicorn, embracing her with its typical indifference. She tried in vain, something that had become more habit than actual want, to move or fix her view someplace else, but was completely incapable of moving as expected. A long mental sigh punctuated her thoughts before she felt the familiar tug on her consciousness that denoted a coming vision. Her eyes focused on a dim light in the distance, the tiniest crescent sliver on an unknown horizon, before she was pulled into the welcoming embrace of Nightmare's memory.

She stood at the head of a grand army, the thousands of ponies that filled its ranks poised tall and proud, their senses alert. The ground, soft and wet, squished beneath her hooves as she took a step away from the formation behind her to climb the small crest of a hill before them. The feel of the sinking earth drew her attention down until her turquoise eyes halted on a shallow puddle reflecting her image upon its surface. Luna drew her head back to admire her new visage. Twilight admired the mare as well, her freshly blackened coat shone in the moonlight with a luster that was curiously absent from the Nightmare Moon she was accustomed to. Her mane billowed in its ethereal wind, but instead of the glowing field of blue, it resembled something akin to a winter aurora with stars dancing in its brilliant colors.

Wow.... She looked amazing back then. Why would she change such magnificence? Twilight mentally chastised herself for her unintended slip. She looks beautiful now, too, but.... Am I defending myself in my own thoughts? She made another mental sigh in order to realign her thoughts. I'll be sure to find out why later.

Luna took one last glance at her reflection, inspecting the heavy blue armor that almost completely covered her from head to hoof. Its polished surface seemed to absorb the silvery light of the moon instead of reflect it, which only served to enhance its sinister image. "Ahh, We truly are a wonder to behold. Wouldst thou agree, Commander Heart Gleam?"

The majestic alicorn turned to a bat-enchanted pony standing behind and to her right. Twilight could feel Luna's eyes daring the pony to disagree and feared for the soldier's safety. "Yes, Your Majesty. You are truly the most majestic being in existence. Not even your sister could hope to match your beauty." Her voice was soft and sweet, a complete contradiction to her appearance, but befitting her name. Her words rang with a tone that, even if Twilight wanted to believe she were lying, would seemingly scream that what was spoken is the absolute truth. Twilight certainly didn't need convincing of the mare's honesty, however. The way that the petite bat-pony looked at her ruler tinged her thoughts with jealousy.

“Thou hast certainly served thy purpose well these last few months, Heart Gleam. Shouldest thou continue to prove thy worth, thy position at Our side will remain assured.” Luna looked away, back towards the rolling fields just before her. “Dost thou believe Our sister will join Us in battle tonight? She seems all too eager to send her pawns to wage war with Us instead. We know that Our sister is much too frightened of Our majestic pow-.”

She stopped and focused her vision on the horizon, straining her eyes to see as far as she could. Just at the edge of her sight, a flash of gold played in the night followed by the distant sound of marching hooves sloshing in the dampened soil. “Ahh, it would seem Our sister hast decided to grace Us with her presence. Heart Gleam, We leave Our army under thine command. When We flare Our wings, call the order to attack. Tonight, We shall show Our sister who is truly fit to rule!”

Luna took to the air, flying towards the white, pink, and gold figure silhouetted against the rows of gold armored gray and white. Celestia moved towards Luna as she approached, her face showing signs of exhaustion and worry. She looks... so haggard.... I could never have thought she could ever be so... distraught.

“Sister.... Do we.... Do we have to fight? Why won’t you stop this nonsense?” Celestia wearily held her gaze upon Luna, watching her with unease.

“Yes, sister. This shall be done regardless of whether or not you wish to do battle. We will crush thou beneath Our hooves regardless of whether thou fight back or not!”

Celestia sighed and hung her head. “Luna.... Why can’t we just talk this out? So many ponies have died because of your actions. Why? Why is this all necessary?”

I knew the reasons. I remember reading them being explained in the lore book that had led me to find the Elements, but it doesn’t seem like a true justification for the actions taken. If this was all caused by simple jealousy.... Luna scoffed. “The time for negotiations is over, Celestia. Ponies have worshipped thou for far too long only to hate Us and the night that We bring. They feared Us long before any of this began. If that is how they wish to see Us, as a monster meant to oppress and destroy them, then that is what We shall become! Thou never paid attention to Our plight until We posed a threat to thine kingdom. Why, dear sister, should We listen to thine pleas?”

“Luna, please....” Celestia’s desperate cry fell on deaf ears as Luna spun on her heels.

“We are not Luna anymore. From now on, thou shalt call Us Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Night and true ruler of Equestria!” She cackled and flared her wings. Moments later, a resounding cry of thousands of ponies tore through the night causing Celestia to visibly shake.

“Luna....”

“We are not Luna!”

“N-Nightmare... Moon.... Please leave our subjects out of this!” Luna ignored the solar alicorn and jumped into the air, hovering above Celestia with her powerful wings. “Fine.... If you won’t spare our subjects, then I will.” Luna and Twilight watched Celestia’s horn glow a bright gold and, within moments, the same golden aura encompassed the mass of gathered ponies. Luna looked back to her army as they stopped and began to panic, but, in a flash of brilliant golden light, they disappeared from the battlefield. The last sound heard was a cry of despair from Heart Gleam as she was whisked away from her Queen’s side.

Luna spun in the air and landed before Celestia as the pearly white alicorn panted in exhaustion. “If that is how thou wish to die, Celestia, alone and unprotected, then so be it. We shall not hold back on the account of thou wasting thine energy saving these pitiful insects!”

The world darkened around Twilight as Luna reared onto her hind hooves in an attempt to land a devastating blow to her elder sister’s head. Again, Twilight found herself trapped in the darkness between visions; a place where she could ponder the happenings of the previous memory. After a long mental sigh, she focused her raging thoughts into a single coherent line of insight. It’s terrifying how far everything went just from pent up feelings of abandonment and loathing.... I can’t help but to place the blame on Nightmare, though.... She could have talked with Celestia about it.... I would ha-. Twilight paused, her mind sorting out her feelings. I would have..., wouldn’t I? I’d have talked to Celestia..., but what if I was in her horse shoes? I’ve already done so much that I never thought I would before.... Almost all of it in the name of the pony that banished my mentor.... The pony I love. I.... I don’t even know if I’d have been able to do anything differently.... She’d had thousands of years before this to gain knowledge from, and not even all of that had stopped anything.... I’d have been just as terrible.

Twilight closed her senses off through intense concentration, tired of being in the emptiness and alone with her rampaging thoughts and fears. She wanted to wake up and hold Nightmare Moon; to feel the caress of the alicorn’s fur on her muzzle. Anything to escape the dread of her recent vision. After several long, excruciating moments, the darkness finally fully consumed her and pulled her out of the memory and back into dreamless slumber.

Nightmare Moon watched Twilight’s sleeping form, her breathing heavy as her gaze lingered on the mare’s rising and falling chest. She had not remained asleep like the unicorn had, having been awoken hours before by a mix of her growing desire and the young mare's dream-induced whimpers. Perhaps it was foalish of me to postpone our coupling.... Restraining myself for this long has been.... She breathed in deeply, inhaling a whiff of Twilight's sweat and natural scent, and exhaled heavily. I cannot wait any longer.

She withdrew her wing from where it draped across the byzantium mare's body and leaned down; placing her muzzle a scant few millimeters from Twilight's ear. The midnight alicorn's hot breath tickled the unicorn making her neck tense up as she was slowly pulled from her slumber. Nightmare Moon nipped the ear's tip gently eliciting a soft murmur of pleasure from the unconscious mare before speaking huskily. "Twilight, it is time to awaken. I am ready."

Twilight's eyelids fluttered lightly as she first emerged from sleep's embrace before her sleep-addled mind fully processed her lover's words. Her eyes shot open to full alert and turned to meet Nightmare's lust-filled gaze. "N-Nightmare...."

"I am glad that you have roused from your dreams so quickly. I was not certain how much longer I could have waited. I was about to smother your face between my haunches."

Twilight flushed brightly and averted her eyes from the alicorn's. “T-that’s.... That’s kind of unlike you....” She looked back up, smiling, and breathed in to smell the near-overwhelming musk of Nightmare's arousal. "How long...?"

"Several hours. I woke not long after you fell asleep."

Twilight gasped, inhaling another burst of the alicorn's strong aroma; increasing her own blush. She felt a rising heat from between her own thighs. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner!? I wouldn’t have minded!” She leaned her muzzle towards Nightmare’s, and the two locked their lips in a passionate kiss.

“I suggested we wait-.” Another joining of muzzles and their tongues danced together, fighting for dominance as they were forced back and forth between mouths. They moaned huskily into each other, the sensual tango clouding their minds with lust. Nightmare pulled away, leaving a small bridge of saliva to connect their mouths before it broke. They panted heavily, their breath stolen from them by their kiss.

Twilight gazed dreamily into Nightmare Moon’s turquoise irises before leaning forward once more to kiss the alicorn lightly on her lips. The alicorn moved to lengthen the peck, but Twilight kissed lower, just upon her jawline, and accentuated it with a slight nip. “Twilight-.” Nightmare’s words were stolen by another peck, a quick lap of tongue on the nape of her neck, and were replaced by a sharp gasp. Twilight continued her trail of kisses, bites, and licks down the alicorn’s body until she reached her chest.

The young unicorn pressed lightly on her lover’s barrel, a hint that was taken quite speedily as Nightmare laid herself on her back. Twilight ran a hoof across the mare’s chest, tracing circles lightly along the skin and making her muscles tense at the near-phantom touch. She licked Nightmare’s stomach, trailing a line of saliva from the bottom of her barrel to her throat, eliciting a throaty moan from the royal mare. Twilight smiled and crawled lower, keeping her face close the the alicorn’s body so her breathing would caress her fur. She stopped above the two small mounds of Nightmare’s breasts, breathing heavily as she fought the urge to dive straight into her queen’s soaked love, and traced around each nipple with her tongue.

The reaction from Nightmare Moon brought a smile to the unicorn’s lips as she bit her left nipple lightly. Her tongue danced across the tip as she softly ground her teeth on the sensitive peak. Nightmare gasped and instinctively thrust her hips into Twilight’s chest, smearing the unicorn’s coat with her fluids. Twilight sucked hard upon the nipple in her mouth, forcing another moan from the alicorn’s muzzle, before releasing it with a loud ‘pop’ and kissing both of the hardened peaks. “Nightmare.... Your scent is so... powerful.... Do you want me to...?”

“Yes!” The uncharacteristic outburst startled both of the mares and made Twilight giggle quietly. “Twilight, I want your tongue... and your horn inside of me....” Her words were labored and heavy, a sign that she was struggling with the fire in her loins. Do not make me wait any longer, love.... I have been holding back all night....

The unicorn, for her part, was restraining herself very well despite the musk that emanated from her love’s folds. She took a deep breath of the pungent aroma, shuddering in delight as it clouded her sense, then traced her tongue along Nightmare’s thigh and up her leg. Her slick muscle danced across the sole of the mare’s hoof, teasing the sensitive appendage. Nightmare groaned and pulled her hoof away, spreading herself wider. Twilight took the hint and returned to the delicate flesh between the mare’s thighs, teasing around her vulva with gentle hoof and mouth. Sensuous nips of her teeth, followed by fiery lashes of wet tongue, were accentuated by the prodding and massaging of the unicorn mare’s forelimb. “Twilight.... Please....”

Twilight was caught off-guard, never having expected her queen to plead for anything, but quickly recovered and proceeded on to what was being indirectly requested. She drew her tongue across the fiery folds of Nightmare’s love, drawing the overflowing mare fluids into her mouth at the peak of the lick. She savored both Nightmare’s taste and her cry of pleasure, relishing the feeling of bringing such a powerful reaction from the mare she loved. Another slide of her strong tongue, this one lingering on the sensitive bud hidden beneath protective folds, and another guttural moan escaped the midnight mare’s lips.

Nightmare writhed under the ministrations of her dedicated partner. Her haunches were on fire, begging to be taken by something more than a tongue. Even if that tongue is- Ohhh.... So amazing.... Twilight buried her face deep into Nightmare’s love, her muzzle digging lovingly into her vulva as her tongue explored further, caressing the walls of her most intimate cavity. The royal mare tensed; her mound squeezed tightly upon Twilight’s lashing muscle as her first orgasm rocked her body, punctuated by a scream of lust. “Tw- Twilight!”

The young unicorn was surprised by the sudden flood of juices that sprayed upon her muzzle, but she quickly recovered and lapped furiously at the clenching and winking vagina. She guided Nightmare Moon down from the first of many peaks that were certainly going to be reached and, as soon as the mare’s legs stopped spasming, pulled her face away to give the alicorn a smoldering gaze. “Nightmare..., did you-?”

“Your necklace, Twilight.” Nightmare Moon cut her off, returning the lusty stare even as Twilight’s turned into one of confusion. “I can smell you.... Your sweat and musk.... Give me your necklace.” Twilight complied and carefully used her hooves to hand the dragon bone choker over as demanded. “Now, turn around and present yourself.” Once more, Twilight did as she was told and turned so her backside was facing the black alicorn who took her time to stand upon slightly shaky legs. “Your scent is so enticing, Twilight. It would be rude as your lover to leave you as the only one giving.”

Twilight looked back to see Nightmare Moon wrapping the strap of her necklace around her hips before the black glow of her magic turned a silvery white. She watched the dragon bone change shape from the necklace she kept it as into something resembling black lingerie with a small pouch. Her eyes widened in a mix of shock and excitement as it continued to morph into the form of a long, thick black phallus. “Are.... Are you going to use that on me?” Her words seemed alien to her, husky and dripping with lust, as she felt the heat in her haunches skyrocket.

Nightmare Moon stared at the prostrate mare before her, her attention absorbed by the winking sex on full display. She leaned forward slowly and dragged her tongue across Twilight’s vulva causing the mare to moan and swat her tail across her muzzle, inviting her to continue. Instead, she pulled away and positioned herself above the defenseless unicorn. “Are you prepared, Twilight? I do not know if you’ve experienced this before, and I do not wish to harm you during an act as intimate as this.”

“No.... I mean- No! I’ve never been... penetrated before, but yes.... I’m ready.” She glanced at the thick dildo mere inches from her sex and shuddered. “Please... be gentle....”

The royal alicorn nodded knowingly and stepped forward, pressing the flared head against Twilight’s opening. The unicorn moaned as it pressed against her folds and shifted herself towards it to increase the pressure against herself. Nightmare Moon pushed her hips forward, spreading the mare's lips around the head of the artificial shaft and bringing forth a groan of discomfort from the submissive unicorn. She paused in her advance, waiting for a sign to continue, and was met with a slight force against her stomach as Twilight pushed against the member. The black alicorn responded in turn and pressed further, sliding the slicked length deeper and deeper until she felt resistance mere inches inside.

Nightmare pushed harder making Twilight whimper in pain, but, just as she attempted to pull out, the young mare's walls held the phallus in place. "No...." The word came out as more of a gasp of desperation than any coherent utterance. "Don't stop.... Just..., carefully...."

Twilight bit her bottom lip as Nightmare returned the pressure to her hymen. "Relax or it will hurt more." Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath and loosed it as she forced herself to loosen her grasp on the intruding object. The black alicorn didn't waste the chance and thrust forward, piercing past the thin membrane and filling the unicorn completely.

Twilight cried out in pain, but was quickly silenced as Nightmare magicked her head around to lock her in a deep kiss. Their tongues lashed together, and Twilight soon found herself crushing the penis; the dull, aching pain replaced by a throbbing need. The lunar mare took the byzantium unicorn's throaty groan as a cue and pulled partially out, leaving Twilight with an aching feeling of emptiness. She longed to be filled once again, and her soft whimper to urge her lover on was rewarded with a quick thrust that spread her open and thudded against her cervix.

Twilight cried out in delight as Nightmare began pumping in and out of her at a steady, forceful pace and clenched tighter every time the phallus' preputial ring passed her opening, stretching her more than even the thickest part of the shaft. Twilight lashed her tail across Nightmare's nipples, her tongue hanging out to drool on the bed sheets as she panted loudly. "Faster...! I'm.... I'm close!" The royal mare snorted and increased her speed and flared her horn. The black glow surrounded Twilight's firm breasts, kneading the supple flesh as a similar glow formed under her own tail.

The glow of her magic spread her soaked flower open, revealing her love tunnel to the open air as it worked in and out in tandem to her thrusts in the squealing unicorn. Twilight's high pitched cries filled the air as Nightmare Moon grunted in a mix of pleasure and effort, both of them approaching climax at a breakneck speed. The black mare's hips slapped noisily against Twilight's rump, each contact sending biting pleasure through her flanks and tingling all the way up her spine to her horn.

"Nightmare..., my love.... Kiss me!" They locked lips once more as the dominant mare pounded Twilight's yielding love-hole. The black of Nightmare's magic was overwhelmed by silver as she forced the phallus to grow in girth as she embedded it as far as she could. Twilight's eyes went wide and her mouth opened in a silent scream as her walls were stretched open to their limit, forcing her over the edge. Nightmare Moon's orgasm soon followed as the mix between the pleasure of dominating her lover, her lover's own climax, and her own magical ministrations flipped her switch. The room was filled with the pungent smell of sex and sweat as the two mares collapsed on each other, their glistening, sweat-soaked bodies pressed together as they rode out their orgasms, dripping hot mare-fluids down their legs to further soak the bed.

Twilight, surprisingly, was the first to recover and she took advantage of her lover's immobility to pull herself off the phallus that had impaled her, moaning as it slid out and left her feeling empty. She teasingly kissed down Nightmare's body; making her way to the thoroughly drenched member and suckled on the head, relishing the taste of her own arousal. "Can.... Can I...?"

Nightmare Moon didn't need to hear Twilight's question to understand what she wanted and responded by turning over onto her back, her stiff wings spread wide on the bed and dragon bone penis standing erect. "Do it."

Twilight nodded and carefully pulled the phallus-endowed lingerie off of the alicorn's backside and off her legs. She slid the love-drenched bone up her own legs to nestle against her nethers, the normally solid bone now soft as silk against her slick, heated backside. It fit itself to her form automatically and the eager mare didn't waste any time as she slid it into her waiting lover's passage. There was little resistance on the first thrust, but as she continued on, Nightmare grasped the length as it massaged her sensitive walls.

Nightmare Moon's pleasure was heightened by the thought of her juices mixing with Twilight's underneath the now-byzantium lingerie. Her panting breaths soon turned to powerful moans as the unicorn thrust into her as quickly as she could. Twilight smiled lustfully at the once-dominant mare that was trapped by her hips and forelegs before pressing her muzzle to her lover’s. The pair shared one passionate kiss after another as their hips slapped together and their mare cum soaked their fur even as Nightmare reached her third orgasm.

Tyra strode down the hall humming softly to a phantom tune as she carried a small platter decorated with light breakfast dishes. She came upon the door of the ponies' current dwelling and paused. I swear I heard something in there.... She shrugged and placed the silver platter on one hand as she raised the other and knocked lightly on the door. "Queen Moon, Lady Sparkle, I've brought your breakfast and a summons from Lord Jahurl. I'll come and set it on your coffee table.”

Had the girl been paying attention, she would have heard the muted cry of protest from the unicorn, but due to her haste, she barged through the door and stopped dead in her tracks. The silver platter and all of its contents were dropped upon the carpeting as she took in the sight before her. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly as her mind sorted out the scene before her. The queen is over.... With a.... In Lady Sparkle's bum-

The young minotaur fell to the floor, her consciousness stolen by the rapid rush of blood to her face as she fainted. Twilight similarly flushed and buried her face in Nightmare's chest to hide her shame while the black alicorn merely looked at the unmoving minotaur on the carpet. She made to continue, but Twilight shook her head and pushed on her chest lightly.

"I.... I can't.... She ruined it.... Bucking horn halter...." Nightmare Moon sighed and climbed off of Twilight so they could bathe and cleanse themselves of their love and Twilight's shame.

Pale moonlight glinted off the side of the Aerburg as its turbines slowed and reversed their rotations to decelerate. The massive airship and its trailing companion glided slowly into the waiting air docks of the pegasus city of Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash jumped to her hooves from her resting position as soon as the craft stopped its movement and rushed to wake Dizzy Twister. She found the mare laying against the wall near the stairs, passed out from exhaustion before she could claim one of the many open sleeping cabins for herself.

Rainbow shook the mare gently with her hoof, whispering quietly into her ear. "Dizzy. Dizzy! Wake up. We're here." The slightly older mare opened her eyes and blinked, shaking off the lingering urge to sleep as a yawn escaped her lips. "Come on, I wanna be the first one out and I don't wanna leave you behind, considering that this is your hometown and all."

Dizzy smiled and slowly rose to her hooves. "Thanks, Dash. We’d better hurry to the loading dock if we're going to be the first ones out." She followed after the rainbow maned mare as she led them down into the entrance corridor. The pair arrived quickly and, in a matter of minutes, the rest of the ponies aboard the airship began to gather behind them. "Have you ever seen the western coast from Cloudsdale?"

Dash shook her head and sighed. “I've never been too far from Ponyville. I only stayed in Cloudsdale for flight school during the months it remained stationary above Canterlot. My parents never did like the idea of me being too far away from home."

Dizzy smiled and watched the docking door as it hissed and began to open. "Well, you've certainly missed out. The view of the ocean reflecting the light of the moon and the way Cloudsdale clouds refract the light.... It truly is the most beau... tiful...." The door to the loading dock opened to reveal a ravaged city of clouds. The once majestic buildings now broken apart and almost unrecognizable. "Thing...."

Rainbow Dash gaped in horror, stunned by the destruction. "What the buck... happened here?"

Author’s Notes: Well, This one is certainly the best ever so far. Clop-wise at least. I absolutely loved writing this one and hope you enjoy it as well. I plan on writing out a sub chapter after this similar to the Hearthswarming chapter after I finish Chapter 3 of Necro Domina. It will be glorious and cloppy and there will be much rejoicing! Yaaay~ For now, indulge yourselves in this wonderful chapter (for those of you who decide to read the clop) and shame on you if you don’t (for those of you that don’t read the clop. srsly gaiz. the clop is the best part.) A big thanks to Jeky-poo, Squidbilly, and Kassy for their wonderful assistance (especially Jeky-poo for all his help in keeping me on task [lol keeping me on task] and giving me ideas for bits and pieces). For now, Peppy out!

Editor’s Notes #1: Hello all. Fun fun fun chapter we have here (let’sssssssss hope nothing happensssssss to it -Peppy Creeper). I’m pretty beat from work right now so this is gonna be a bit short. BUT... Nice lil’ tid bit aboot the intermission- It is very cloppy and there is heavy use of an... ‘enlargement’ spell. Make of that what you will. Cya next chapter (Whether it be ATFN or ND, doesn’t matter [But if your reading this and you haven’t read Necro Domina yet then get your ass over there and read it! {Now! (I won’t say it again. [Stop reading my god damn note and go read it. {I mean come on. (Two chapters and nineteen-thousand one-hundred and eighty-eight words. [Necromancy. {What’s not to love? (That question does not give anyone permission to troll the comments.) } ] ) } ] ) } ] ).

Peppy: Seriously. Necro Domina will tie in heavily with the sequel so it is imperative that you read it as well if you don’t wanna be like: Wtf is going on here?

Editor’s Notes #3: You could have simply said, “Necromancy,” Jekyll. I know that I’m not the only one who gets aroused from merely mentioning it. Right? ...Right?