It was dawn. They had been out all day now.

No one knew what to do at the moment. They were all just sitting around uneasily.

Pinkie and Big Mac seemed to be taking it the best. Applejack was the one who was reeling back, trying to comprehend what the Doctor had just done. Ditzy was… situated somewhere in the general vicinity of where her body was. Holding the Doc's overcoat closely.

They all wanted, in varying degrees and intensity, to ask the others what they should do now. They reined that urge in, though. Even Pinkie had more sense than to pester the subject any further by asking something that everyone would want to know, but no one does.

Fluttershy decided to try to comfort her childhood friend. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. The look on her face reinforced her answer. She was not going to be okay any time soon. Probably ever, if he doesn't keep his promise.

“…There has to be something we can do. We can’t just sit here!”

“That’s just it.” Applejack cut in. “Nightmare ain’t foolin’ around. He’s not holdin’ back fer anything. He made Nightmare Moon look like she was playin’ hide an’ seek with us. He wasn’t afraid of gettin’ his hooves dirty.”

“He doesn’t play fair!” Pinkie interjected. “Why does he have to be such a meanie? I’m sure not going to throw him a party any time soon!”

These disputes only elicited frustration upon the mailmare. “So what, then? You’re saying this is it?”

“Be reasonable, girl. What could we do?”

“Exactly! What could we do? Maybe if we asked ourselves that question earlier, then we might not have stumbled in and forced the Doctor to make that stupid deal in the first place!”

She had a lot of steam to let out. They noticed that they couldn’t do anything but let her go through with her meltdown.

“What did we expect to do to Nightmare? Get our flanks handed to us? Scold him? The Doctor was doing fine on his own! Why did we even tag along?!” She looked around, daring for an answer. Lacking a target and tired, her rage died down. “I thought that we could help him. I thought that the Elements of Harmony could help him. After all, you managed to defeat Nightmare Moon. So why couldn’t you…”

She collapsed to the ground. “…Why couldn’t I help him?”

She was openly crying now. Only this time he wasn’t there to cry into. Fluttershy meant to comfort her, but a hoof on her shoulder from Applejack held her back.

Then there was the sound of wing beats. Then, a silent landing.

They looked to their source, and walked back in surprise and… reverence.

Ditzy was oblivious. She was too caught up in her crying. She didn’t even notice when someone approached, leaned down and embraced her.
A large body on one side, a large alabaster wing on the other.

She gasped once she finally opened her eyes to find Princess Celestia holding her tight, like a loving mother.

“Hello, my little pony. You must be Ditzy Doo.”

“…Princess Celestia? What… are you doing here so late?” she blurted out, a flurry of thoughts and emotions going around in her head.

Celestia smiled tenderly in response as she got up. “You’re right to be wondering that, my little pony. I’m afraid I couldn’t do anything until now, lest Nightmare would detect me and decide to do something brash. Even now, you were being watched by one of his splinters.”

They looked in confusion towards where her highness had turned her attention. Out of the bushes appeared her younger sister, princess of the night, approaching them at a casual trot whilst holding a rabbit less-than-gently by the ears in a fetlock.

“Angel!” burst out Fluttershy, more concerned for her rabbit and the way it was being mistreated than anything else.

“It is good to see you are all in good health,” the lunar princess offered, unceremoniously throwing the rodent in the caretaker’s embrace. “The spy was taken care of.”

“Princess Luna!” Applejack bowed. “Are we glad to see both of you! We could really use yer help right about now. The Doc-”

She was cut off by Celestia, with a gesture of her hoof. “My sister and I are aware of what has been happening. Rest assured that everything will be taken care of.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you do anything before now?”

“Because, fair Ditzy, we couldn’t risk having Nightmare running away once he saw us coming. We needed to resolve this carefully, and only the Doctor was the key to doing so.”

“He’s not the key to anything! He’s alone out there, facing off against Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Twilight, all empowered with whatever Nightmare did to them…”

“As well as Spike.” Celestia answered with little regard for the mailmare's disposition. It was almost playful. “You forgot that Twilight’s assistant had also been taken away. He is most likely much more dangerous now as well.”

The addition of a dragon in the equation had, understandably, not helped the mailmare with her worries. The princess was only getting started, however.

“Do not worry. Despite the impression that he might’ve given, Nightmare will not stoop to hurting him severely."

'You mean killing him...' Ditzy thought.

"He will continue trying to fight the way he did all day, even if he does realize he might fail. And as long as he doesn't give up, he won't fail.”

Somehow, Ditzy was less than reassured by these baseless assumptions. Even if it was Princess Celestia herself saying these things, her worry for the Doctor outstaged her faith by a landslide. "How long can the Doctor reasonably last against him?”

“I believe that if there’s anyone who knows the answer to that, it’s you. After all, you know him better than any of us, don’t you?”

Prissy wasn’t lying. Though she knew the answer already, it wasn’t her who needed a little faith at the moment.

Ditzy mulled things over, looking at the garment in her hooves like it presented the answer. “As long as it takes,” she eventually admitted Celestia's earlier claim, begrudgingly.

It really got late. It started getting cold. The mailmare felt a bit of reservation, but decided to pull the coat over herself nonetheless.

She'd be lying if she said that she didn't find it snug and reassuring wearing the Doctor's coat. Like he wasn't really that far away anymore. The act itself drew a bit of surprise from the others, Celestia and Luna most of all, but she just shrugged it off.

“But still, why do we have to let him go at it alone?”

Celestia turned to frown in concern. “I'm sorry, Ditzy. But one lesson which you need to learn is that sometimes, some ponies are simply beyond your ability to help.”

That particular choice of words didn’t seem to please her younger sibling much. “That does not mean she should stop trying, sister. Maybe there truly isn't much she could do, but now is not the time to abandon him!"

Concern gave way for annoyance. "And you, sister, need to learn when the right time is for you to speak your mind."

Luna, it would seem, only grew more furious. "It would seem that thou hast forgotten thou manners. I would ask you what you recall happened last time someone was left alone, with nothing but darkness to keep them company, but clearly I would be wasting my breath. Maybe I should ask you instead, if I should join Nightmare's side again after all?”

The others looked wide-eyed in response. Celestia's eye seemed to twitch for a moment, before her composure quickly changed from anger to nervousness.

“…Surely you’re joking… right?”

Luna went over beside Ditzy, right in Sunbutt’s face. “Watch me.” She then scooped the mailmare up in one hoof, with only a startled yelp in response, and proceeded towards the castle. “Well? Are thou coming or not?”

Her royal high-horse-ness sighed and shook her nervousness away. “Honestly, Luna. One of these days you’ll be the death of me.”

“We both know that such a day would be a long time coming, Tia. Come, now. I‘d rather not imagine what the boys are doing while we’re idling about.” Her royal gothness went on ahead, not looking back any longer.

Most of the group was still processing the information they’d all received. Pinkie seemed to have gotten bored and started looking at a couple early fireflies playing with each other. Big Mac seemed less than impressed.

“Siblings, right?” he joked.

The sun princess didn't bother acknowledging him. She was too busy nursing a deathglare.

Ahead of the rest of the group, once Luna made sure she was outside earshot, she proceeded to let her abductee walk on her own and spoke to her. “I do wish to apologize if I insulted you by carrying you earlier, Ditzy Doo. As well as for subjecting you and the others to our... dispute.”

“It’s no big deal.” Ditzy managed out somewhat calmly, considering she was addressing someone who could imprison her for as much as a bad tone of voice. ”I have a sister myself, I guess I can sympathize… But regarding what you said earlier. You were joking about joining Nightmare again, weren’t you?”

There was a pause, reinforcing the mailmare’s already consistent state of uneasiness.

“…Your majesty?”

“I don’t suppose it would’ve been readily apparent, especially from your perspective so far.”

Another short pause.

“Tell me, Ditzy. Did it ever occur to you during today’s events that despite all of the troubles and grief that he’d caused you, maybe there is more to Nightmare than just an unimpressive, simple evildoer?”(*)

It would’ve been easy for the mailmare to feign ignorance. Yet following that question, all she could think of was how those cockatrices had surrounded her and the Doctor when they were vulnerable, and yet, instead of taking advantage of the situation, they just… left.

These thoughts flooded her mind, 'He was responsible for everything that had happened today… wasn’t he? I mean, he could’ve decided not to kidnap anyone last night, and then fight back when they were trying to render his efforts pointless…'

“Well?” Luna insisted, noticing the conflict in the other’s expressions.

“I honestly don’t know. We’ve gone through so much today. The Doctor more than anyone… but…” She stopped walking and sighed. “Just what is it that Nightmare’s trying to accomplish?”

Luna offered a faint smile.

“He’s trying to save me.”

Ditzy was baffled by the response. It just came out of nowhere.

They could hear hoofsteps approaching.

“It’s a long story, and I doubt my sister would allow me to offer my own point of view without addendum from her part.”

They didn’t move, offering the others chance to catch up.

“What were you talking about?” the culprit asked the two as she lead the group to join.

“Oh, nothing,” Luna resumed her walking, ignoring her sister. ”I was just trying to offer a bit of perspective, was all.”

The older sister only rose an eyebrow suspiciously in response, walking back in her field of view. Luna rolled her eyes, exasperated, and finally gave in. She faced her sibling challengingly.

“Tell me, sister. How would you describe Nightmare? Besides as a bane to all of ponykind that should’ve never been born, that is.”

“You know that isn’t what I believe, Luna.” Celestia offered quickly in response, drawing closer tentatively.

“Yet you would dissolve him in light with a smile on your face.”

That had the solar princess stop and stare in bewilderment.

“I can’t imagine how painful it must’ve been for him." Luna continued. "Being slowly melted away, not even getting the chance to finish his sentence. I imagine that if he were designed to scream when in pain, then it would’ve been much harder for you to hide behind petty half-truths now.”

She wasn’t holding down a smile now. Luna was staring intently at her sister, which, in turn, would refuse to give an inch. As always.
It was always her sister’s way, or her own downfall. Even if both would eventually translate into a loss for her.

Luna could see it in her eyes. Celestia was on the brink. The sun princess was not expecting this here.

Good.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. It wasn’t as if having the crown all for yourself wasn’t your intention all alo-”

<Slap>

Let her subjects see her for once. Beyond her perfect, plastic smile and faultless façade. Beyond the illusion of godhood and conveniently offered idolisation.

“A thousand years, and you haven’t changed at all.”

“That’s enough, Luna!”

She was always the ponies’ favorite. Their model of perfection. Leaving her on the other end of the counter. In the dark.

An antithesis. A symbol for the occult, since Celestia is all that is good, pure and holy in the world. How could she represent anything but the exact opposite?

It’s as simple as the difference between day and night.

Ponies always prefer keeping it simple. Keeping everything in black and white. Either you’re good, or you’re evil. And it only takes a preference, or sometimes even just a word, to be drafted into the latter.

They needed someone to tell bedtime stories about. Who else, but Celestia’s less than perfect sister, could parents use as a boogieman to scare the foals into finally calming down and going to sleep? Who else could they make Nightmare Night about?

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

They were never really equal. Luna never really had any say in the matter when Celestia had come, triumphantly, after a thousand years of planning, to offer a kind, benevolent hoof. To forgive her for her transgressions.

Celestia did love her. As she was the only constant thing in her eternal life. She loved her because she was family. But familial love takes many forms.

She bowed her head, stoic and subdued. As was always expected of her.

Celestia’s anger died down and she started leading the way. Making sure her disobedient sibling was close behind.

A thousand years, and she only grew worse.

Luna was never her sister’s equal. She was her younger sister. And now, after she’d been defeated twice and lost a tier of demigodhood, her sister gaining one instead(**), Luna almost felt like a pet.

The others were conflicted. Maybe they just caught them in a bad day? Ditzy, however, started on her road to finding the truth.

Luna's words repeated in her head. "He’s trying to save me." She didn’t need to know all the details. She only needed to know what was right in front of her eyes.

Luna was miserable. Celestia was… not what she seemed.

Elsewhere. The Doctor and Rarity materialize out of thin air, in front of the crumbled castle of the royal sisters.

Behind them, was a moat, and a fallen bridge. This time cut from the other side, hanging along the chasm wall, on their side.

It would’ve certainly proven problematic to get across without magic or flying.

“Hey, Doc.”

…While also dealing with Rainbow Dash, no doubt.

It appeared that the former weather manager was there, waiting for them. Or possibly just him, since it had only been a few seconds since the Time Lord had made the deal, and she was already set and confortable on top of a low-hanging cloud when he arrived. It would appear that this was the location she was made to hold until he came by.

He’d assumed they were only set up to meet him one by one because it was difficult for Nightmare to properly and fully control more than one pony directly. The animals and shambling trees were magically tethered to follow simple commands. Plus, with every one of them which he’d meet, it appeared that his hold on them was growing stronger. Maybe they were growing stronger over time, maybe there were simply less ponies to share power between. However, it didn’t explain how come Rainbow was so expressive.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” the Doctor returned the courtesy.

He met the smirking, converted pegasus’s gaze. Her waving mane ranging in streaks from light purple to darker, to deep blue, to black. Her coat a dark gray. Both colors turning darker along her hooves, and her hair’s and tail’s outlines. Her size, of course, being a solid head taller than normal, like the others. Her eyes, of course, being a bottomless black, like the others.

Her smirk didn’t present anything malicious to it. It was purely playful. Yet, given her overall aspect, the already weary and on-guard Doctor could only perceive it as threatening.

She spoke again before too long a pause, “Nice way to prove Nightmare’s efforts pointless, by the way.”

“How do you mean?”

“Oh, you know. Besides foiling his every attempt to recover the others back on his side. Even his last try to split your group up turned out to be a bust. And to rub it in, you came here of your own free will afterwards. Heck, the only reason you agreed to come here was because Night-man failed to split you guys up in the first place.”

“Really now? And I should care, because…?”

She got off and landed in front of him. “No point in being rude, man. You’ll be on our side soon enough.”

“You seem to be under the impression that I’ve come here because I surrendered. I haven’t lost yet. And actually…” He took a few steps towards the other one of the two girls. “I’ve yet to be given any evidence that you’ve held your end of the bargain. How do I know you haven’t ambushed the others as soon as I’ve left?”

Rarity placed a hoof against his forehead, and his vision flashed with images of the others at the edge of the forest. Talking, though mostly trying to calm Ditzy down.

“Is that good enough?”

The Time Lord blinked his void eyes a few times to re-adjust. “Yes, I suppose. It seemed to be in real-time.”

“Then let’s be on our way.”

He obliged, and allowed Rainbow to lead him inside. “Since we have nothing better to do right now, I was curious about a few details.”

“Ask away.”

“Why did Nightmare Moon offer you such trifling obstacles when she returned? It’s obvious that even Nightmare alone had the ability to change the very fabric of reality, somehow merge it with the dream world. Surely him empowering an alicorn would be more than enough to deal with you without breaking a sweat?”

“It would, if Her Highness wasn’t weakened from escaping her prison, then confronting Celestia and sealing her into the sun. At the time when she was facing us, she just didn’t perceive us as a threat. All she wanted was to destroy the Elements so they could never be used against her again.”

“Then why didn’t she?”

“There was nothing to destroy. It turned out that the artifacts had died, and the element of magic was missing altogether. They couldn’t be used again even if the remaining pieces were repaired somehow. Without the catalyst, they were as useful as dead stone.”

“And then we came and kicked her butt!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

“…Come again?” the Doctor offered in confusion.

“What! Twi managed to repair the elements, and we used them to zap the corruption out of Luna.”

“…And you’re glad about that, why?”

Rarity got to clarifying, “Believe it or not, Doctor, but Nightmare never wanted Luna to be a part of him. And the contact, it… damaged them both. Especially over a thousand years of being the same person. What we did, Nightmare was very grateful for it. Even if they only healed Luna and left him to…”

The Time Lord needed no time at all to understand where the seamstress was going with that line.

“So, you’re saying that even though the process of splitting them apart hurt him. Almost even killed him…?” They didn’t correct him. Good grief… “…He was even thankful for it?”

“Thankful would be a strong word,” a voice offered from within his head.

Seems Nighty boy wanted to make his presence known. Suppose he didn’t like the fact that the conversation was going as though he wasn’t even there.

“Okay then. What word would you use instead?”

They entered the reception area. A large room, ragged tapestries and rotten carpets adorning throughout.

“Relief,” the shade finally answered. “Despite what happened, I was relieved to find out that Luna was herself again.”

Now was the Doctor’s turn to decide whether he should give his words any credit. It seemed too far fetched for him. Nightmare’s story and his actions simply did not fit.

“If you really are as brave and selfless as you makes yourself out to be, then why have girls fight for you? I thought that someone who could stand being torn asunder would have a little more pride.”

“We feel pain differently from each other, Doctor. When you would scream, instinct demanding for self preservation, there would be no point for me to react the same. At least, not usually. Usually, I would be nigh invulnerable. However, with the Elements treating me like nothing more than a disease, there was barely anything left of me to come back afterwards. And after being a part of someone else for so long, I could no longer fully recover. I had lost too much, I was vulnerable. Like a parasite, without a host I would die."

"Then how did you survive?"

"I... cannot say. I had a deal with my savior. Rest assured, however. He said he would introduce himself to you, when the time will be right."

The Doctor only took his words to heart. More secrets...

"How soon would that be?"

No answer. The Doctor sneered.

They exited the reception area a while back, and were now weaving through crisscrossing corridors. All the while listening to Nightmare's tale.

"I did have a grudge at the elements at the time. I was much less than I would’ve preferred back then, when after so many days of regaining my strength, I was finally able to seek out my would-be killers. Yet when I’ve finally found them, and I searched through their memories, I’ve found that Luna was… freed from me. That things were better. And for a moment, I even believed that when Celestia offered her hoof in acceptance to her, that the look of joy on Luna’s face was genuine.

But I knew better. I might’ve lost so much when the Elements struck me, but I still remembered more than enough to know that Luna wasn’t shedding tears of joy then.”

The Doctor cut in and finished, “She was evading further punishment. You’ve lost, there was nothing else she could do.”

They had just finished going through the last stretch of the hallways. There were so many passages and turns in the castle still remaining after so long. They finally arrived at the foot of a long stairway.

And so they started climbing.

“So, Doctor? What do you say now?” Nightmare finally asked.

What could he say? He waited for the information to settle, and an adequate response to be decided upon. Nothing he could say, but…

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t even let you explain yourself.”

No, he did not. He wasn’t even willing to bother to care. Even if it was understandable considering everything that happened, he was still not absolved from kicking himself in the head and feeling responsible for not being able to better adapt to the situation.

There was no excuse for the way he acted. For the way he forgot about his morals and beliefs.

“And yet, you still want to oppose me,” Nightmare completed.

“The girls didn’t accept to help you this way. You’ve forced them. I want to help you in their stead, but I doubt you can accept my help because it would mean the Elements would be free and a threat to you again.”

“You want to promise to me that I would be safe in your hands, but we both know how much your promises are worth.”

The Doctor reached the top of the stairs, and entered Luna’s throne room. He knew where to find Twilight and the last part of Nightmare. The latter looked back from aside a fallen part of the room.

The Doctor walked forward, towards the center of the room, and steeled himself. “I doubt we can resolve this peacefully.”

Twilight got up and approached, accumulating magic in her horn. Rarity and Rainbow Dash flanked him on either side.

“No, we can't.”

The Time Lord only offered a sad look in return. He had fought already. Might as well keep fighting to the end. “Very well. May the best man win.”

Author's Notes:

(*) Yeah, yeah, I’ve been going on and on about Nightmare’s point of view and how he’s not really such a bad guy, but this is where someone finally sides with him and defends him.

(**) Sunbutt received the lightshow hair after she’d stolen Luna's rank by become the only ruler of the realm.