Andromalius stood in the dark yard, focused on the task even after what seemed like hours. However, the moon still shone brightly above him, and there was no sign of the morning. The stars twinkled, and the palace was almost perfectly silent. However, this serenity did little to help his concentration as his thoughts slipped to and from different things on his mind. The water he held with his magic wavered in turn, becoming less steady the more he thought about other things. He refused to give up just yet, pushing back the thoughts of admitting defe-

"Hello, Andromalius."

There the water went, falling on top of his head after his focus was broken by Inanna the Succubus. He snorted, making some drops spray in her direction but going right through her projection, leaving not a spot.

"I'm glad to see you're alright," she said with a smirk, not commenting on his wet head and visible frustration, "I see you're... busy."

"I... was," he replied, finding the words, "It's... nice to see you again."

"And here I thought you couldn't wait to get rid of me," she replied with a short laugh, "In any case, I finally figured out how to contact you again. This forest is... really weird, it didn't allow me to get to you."

"That explains it," the hell stallion nodded, sighing in relief internally. Now he had someone to talk to outside Nightmare Moon, and he was glad to take the chance.

"Well, yeah, here I am. So, how have you been doing since..." the succubus stopped, a thoughtful look on her face, "Actually, was it a dream or was it real? You know what I'm talking about... right?"

"Yeah, I know," the hell stallion nodded, "I'm, uh, not dead."

"That much I can see," she snorted.

"I, well... I study under Nightmare Moon now," he explained slowly, "Luna is... trapped somehow, sort of locked away. So... yeah."

"I guess I missed the most interesting stuff," the succubus raised her brows as she also took a look around the ruins, "But... do you need my help? From what I've heard, Nightmare Moon... isn't the kindest, let's put it that way. At least that's how legends and tales go."

"She's harsh, but she has some good points about the world, in my opinion," Andromalius replied, gathering his will to grab some water and try again. This conversation could be a nice challenge to what he was trying to learn, "I'm worried, though... What if she's not telling me everything? Some of what she said chilled me, too."

"Isn't that the case with everyone who wants to take power?" Inanna snorted and rolled her eyes, "Not the first time, that's for sure. I don't think you should trust her, plain and simple."

"Yeah, you're right..." he sighed, wishing the weight of responsibility on his shoulders wasn't there.

"So, what's your plan to deal with all of this?"

"I... I wish I had one..." he replied awkwardly, a degree of shame visible on his face. Until this point, he didn't realize he had almost nothing but vague goals. He thought about freeing Luna - but how? Doing this isn't the first step - there were more he needed to take. And, assuming he manages to do it... then what?

"Really? Nothing at all? Man, you gotta come up with something, otherwise, well..." Inanna looked up and began to list, "You're gonna get gangbanged by those conspiracy guys, the scary alicorn, the sun cult of the scary alicorn, the dark scary alicorn, maybe her cult, and also maybe some more people who don't like you or want to use you or whatever," she looked back at him, worry on her face, "And believe me, this isn't the fun kind of gangbang."

"I'm still thinking of what I can do to get out of this in one piece," Andromalius said, furrowing his brows, "All I can do is... learn, for now. I don't think I have enough power to do much otherwise."

"And that is precisely why you need my help," Inanna nodded, "So, you say Princess Luna was locked away? Where?"

"In her own body, I guess."

"Well, that makes things easier," Inanna stood completely still for a moment, her projection not moving in any way whatsoever, "Ah-ha! Yeah, there it is. I keep some books around, and one of them might help."

"Help with... what?" the hell stallion asked while moving the captured water to above his head. It was less steady than before but it didn't drop.

"Well, if Nightmare Moon possessed Princess Luna, we can banish her from the body," Inanna explained, "It's not really a difficult spell, but... getting ready to do it is."

"So, what do I need to do?"

"Uh, let's see..." her image froze once again for a solid minute. Meanwhile, Andromalius did his best to focus the water into a straighter and more stable shape. To his disappointment and frustration, it didn't even come close to his initial attempt. Inanna finally spoke again, slowly, "Well... I'm not really sure... I wouldn't really try to tell you what it does because, uh, as simple as it is, the wording is... weird. I wouldn't try to do it without understanding it, and I'm not the smartest spellcaster."

"Then where can I read about it?" Andromalius asked, the water above him wavering.

"Ideally, I should get you this copy," she replied, "We can probably do that but try to find the book somewhere else. The title's "Magicae Vocationis". There's a tome number, I think it's three? Maybe four? The book's old, so yeah..."

"Wait..." the hell stallion said, his ears turning away, "Someone's coming, you better go."

Inanna nodded and her projection disappeared in a blink of a way, leaving not a sight nor a feeling. Hoofsteps could now be heard clearly, and they were slow and steady. Nightmare Moon came into sight, her eyebrows slightly raised. She didn't fail to notice the wetness still present on Andromalius' head. However, she decided not to talk about it... yet.

"Thou art doing well," she said, making the water above the hell stallion waver just a bit more, "Thou needst time to master this, but what I see so far is... acceptable. However, thy focus must not be lost during peril as well as peace."

Her horn lit up and produced a bright and loud flash of light that made Andromalius drop the water. Before it could fall on his head, he managed to catch it, and now there were individual drops hanging in the air, no longer representing a whole. A few moments later, however, the hell stallion managed to bring it all back together to the previous shape.

"Reestablishing thy focus after thou hast lost it is not enough," Nightmare Moon said, "Loss of focus might not allow thee to recover as quickly as thou didst now," as she said the last word, her horn once again exploded with sound and light. This time, the water merely shook a lot but remained mostly intact.

"This is... harder than I thought," Andromalius struggled to say.

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy," the dark alicorn confirmed with a nod, "Now, breathe steadily. It is not thy body that struggleth but thy mind. Thine own will is what struggleth. It seemeth thou had a peaceful life in thy world, didst thou not?"

"I... guess," he replied with less strain in his voice.

"The strong make good times. Good times make the weak," Nightmare Moon said, "'Tis not thy fault thou'rt not as strong as thou needst to be, but 'tis truly thy responsibility to amend it. The world is an unforgiving place, especially with who thou art now. Thou hast to be strong to overcome the great many obstacles in thy path."

She hurled a small rock at Andromalius, impacting him in the chest. He took a step backwards, barely keeping the water together. He stabilized it soon, and the dark alicorn looked at him with approval.

"Good. Thou art learning," she said, "Now for a test."

"So quickly?" he asked, surprised.

"What is the purpose of learning if thou dost not use it practically? Holding some water together is no difficult task. I have something more for thee. Let the water back to the stream and follow me."

Andromalius did as asked and went after Nightmare Moon. The two went back to the palace and traveled through a few halls before appearing in the throne room. By far, it was the most badly damaged out of the entire palace: many holes were present in the ceiling and the walls, the thrones themselves were cracked and dull in color. The tapestries, those that still survived, were tattered and rotting. Moss and vines took over the walls and the floor, slowly but surely destroying the majesty that one was present there.

"This palace is in an unacceptable condition," the dark alicorn said, her eyes noting all the damage the throne room sustained during her fight with Celestia. She felt nothing but disappointment at herself over losing this fight, but Luna, still present in her mind, remembered how it hurt. Bitter and angry, she attacked her own sister, and the horror of realization of what she had done did not reach her until many years later. Even after her return, she could hardly look into Celestia's forgiving eyes, and the divide between the two seemed to grow ever wider no matter what. With her body taken away, Luna could do little but watch as events unfolded, and she refused to think of what Nightmare Moon would turn Equestria into and what would happen to Celestia herself.

"Alright, so what are we going to do?" Andromalius asked, eyeing the ruins.

"We shall mend and remake, of course," Nightmare Moon said, "Follow my lead, thou shalt understand what to do."

Her horn lit up and she concentrated, bringing the spell into perfect, unwavering focus. She remembered how the throne room was a thousand years ago, then willed this memory to change into a vision of her future. She cast her spell, and the Sun Throne shattered into splinters along with the Moon Throne, and the two came together in the dance of wood and paint as she reassembled them into one Night Throne. The colors mixed, bringing the deep blues, purple, and silver. The night would reign supreme in this palace once all is complete, and it would be transformed into the Night's Domain. Remaking the throne room was just the first step.

Meanwhile, the rest of her picked up the debris and put it back into the walls and ceiling, forcing them to become whole again. Andromalius helped her with the latter, repairing the surroundings as best he could. He stripped the moss from the floors and tried his magic at cleaning and fixing the tiles. The remains of the beautiful decorated carpet were removed and tossed aside, now just rotting rags. Then came the turn of the windows, and many glass shards were brought together to remake them. However, Andromalius didn't manage to make them perfect - the glass had many bulges and, in the end, wasn't even transparent. Nightmare Moon noticed it and fixed the windows with a brush of her magic, making them perfectly smooth again.

The entire throne pedestal was disassembled brick by brick and then made anew. The two stairways became one, leading up to a lone Night Throne. The sun symbols on the walls and columns were erased along with the crescent moon, now replaced with the majesty of the full moon instead.

Andromalius didn't miss the changes to the throne room. It was, after all, not a simple return to the former glory but a start of something new, something that made him shiver and tremble internally. As the changes were finalized and the repairs finished, a question appeared in his mind.

"What will happen to Princess Celestia?" he asked. He didn't have particularly warm feelings towards the solar alicorn, yet he did not wish her death. From what he had understood so far, she was fooled and manipulated. However, it did not erase the fact that she held hostilities against him since the first day.

"She standeth in opposition to me. This, unfortunately, necessitateth her removal," Nightmare Moon replied calmly yet coldly, "Not death, but removal from power and influence. It is true she was played by the Conspirators, yet it doth not excuse her blindness. She is unfit to rule and lead."

The hell stallion had nothing to respond with, and he didn't particularly want to protest. In part, he even agreed with her. However, there was something sinister in her voice that suggested more than she was letting on.

"Thou didst reasonably well with the repairs," she said, changing the topic, "There are areas to improve, but thou shalt do better next time, of course."

She lit her horn and one small piece of the debris flew at Andromalius. He reacted by raising his shield at the last moment, and the piece shattered against his magic into dust.

"Thou art learning," Nightmare Moon said with approval then returned to work, using her magic to light the candles and the chandelier above with silver fire. The room was now basked in a soft glow, and the moon shone through the windows, adding to the lighting. The dark alicorn admired this perfection before ascending to the throne and looking at it for a long while.

The night must reign, she knew it. It was her sole goal in life, her only desire, it was why she was created. Each night, she stepped closer and closer to it, yet it remained out of her reach. The sun still shone and the night knew the end when the moon disappeared, giving way to the scorching light of the day. The sun's hateful rays burned with strong intensity, forcing the creatures of the night to hide in fear to await dusk and the coming of the calming darkness.

One night, she would take the throne. Yet it was not this night, and not the next night. However, there was time destined for her, time of her ascension. It would be the time of the Eternal Night, and she would be its herald.

Nothing is given freely, and all things have to be fought for. Nightmare Moon would not sit idly by as the opportunities pass and the world grows ever-older and becomes stagnant, even more so than it was already.

She would take them.

In Canterlot, a certain noble house was hosting an invite-only party deep in the night. It was mostly quiet and sophisticated as all such parties tended to be. However, this simplicity hid something more, something secretive. Such parties were hosted regularly by the members of the Equestrian Court, and as such didn't cause much suspicion, allowing those who wanted to go unnoticed to blend in and communicate without exposing themselves.

At parties deserving attention, at least one member of House Blueblood was present, as was the case here. The head of the House, Stalwart Blue, attended this one and mingled with the crowd. He was dressed in an expensive and impeccable light-blue suit with the crest of his House proudly displayed right under the collar like a medal - a golden shield with light-blue edges, and a drop of deep blue blood in its center. Some would call it tasteless - such as naming the House and its members after a phrase describing important ponies - but Stalwart Blue wore it with pride, for he managed to keep his ancestors' wealth and improve it in the years since he became the head of the House. Under his perfect suit, there was only a small layer of fat which hid a wide and reasonably impressive white-furred frame. He might be the head of one of the most disliked Houses, but no pony would say it to his face. In turn, his features were perfect and angular, his blond hair featuring quite a few streaks of silver in his age. He bore a pleasant smile which didn't reach his gray eyes as he surveyed the party.

Another noble was making her way through the crowd in his direction. She was a gorgeous unicorn mare of pale blue coat and brilliant white mane, her age hidden by the toned look of her body under a black dress. Her blue eyes fixated on Stalwart Blue as she approached him.

"Good evening, Lady White," Stalwart Blue inclined his head in a greeting, "It's a pleasure seeing you here tonight."

"Likewise, Lord Stalwart Blue," she inclined her head in turn, "It's a beautiful night. Princess Luna blessed us with a full moon."

'Indeed," the stallion agreed, "I hope you found the party entertaining. It's on the slow side this time of night, unfortunately."

"That is why I came to you," Lady White let a small smile touch her lips, "Your company is always pleasant, my lord. Do you remember the time when we were just foals, careless and, dare I say, adventurous?"

"I do," Stalwart Blue replied, his body stiffening slightly.

"I still distinctly remember how the two of us ran across the rooftops," she continued, her tone unchanged, but her eyes flicked to her right, to the buildings on the other side of the street from the yard where the party was taking place. Slowly, Stalwart Blue followed her gaze, then flicked back to her, "It was indeed a good time, one I treasure to this day," she looked into his eyes, "Would you like to join me on the rooftops tonight, to remember those times?"

"I-I'm afraid I can't do this now while others may be watching, my lady," the stallion stammered in the beginning but recomposed himself by the fourth word, "Perhaps... at a later time."

"Very well," Lady White nodded in acknowledgement, "So, how is your eldest son doing?"

For many minutes, the two discussed mundane things, smoothly flowing from one topic to the next. They talked about family and the relationships inside their respective Houses, about business and how to make things more profitable and less prone to mistakes, and about leisure and how to spend their free time. With an excuse, the mare left Stalwart Blue and mingled with the rest of the guests, talking to some of them extensively. The head of House Blueblood followed her with his eyes, a frown on his face. His eyes flicked to the rooftops, but the moonlight revealed nothing. The moon slowly disappeared behind the horizon, and the rays of sun appeared. The guests were departing, the party closing to an end.

"This was a pleasant night," Lady White said as Stalwart Blue escorted her out of the yard and into the Canterlot streets, "I shall be certainly seeing towards our next get-together, my lord."

"And I shall look forward to it as well, my lady," the head of House Blueblood bowed to her, "May I escort you to your home?"

"No, but thank you," the mare said, bowing to him in turn, "Have a pleasant day, my lord."