…
“Intere-esting…” I prolonged, when the mare went silent. At the start I had to pull information from her almost with pliers, but then she fell into the talk and told a lot of interesting stuff. Her story is truly unusual. Didn’t except that. Especially didn’t except, that the brand-new Princess will have earned her horn for making peace between Shining and Twilight’s parents! Yeah…What a small world. Opposites attract, as they say. I guess that’s how quiet, homely Night Light, who prefers the tranquility of the library and slimness in formulas, and the fidgety Twilight Velvet, who loves adventure and adrenaline in her blood, came together. A burning love, a wedding after three months, and, very soon, a harsh kick of reality, which quickly showed, that family life is much more complicated than moonlight walks and serenades under the windows. Opposites attracted, but, as it turned out, they didn’t get along very well beneath the same roof for any length of time. Quarrels, brawls, tears, runs to the parents for support… The relationship was going downhill, and it would have gone there soon if they hadn’t gotten into a fight right in the street, where Cadence had bumped into them. She somehow managed to find words to calm them down, brought the news, that Velvet was pregnant, scolded the stunned couple, and, after receiving the cutie mark, left in prostration, giving a subdued promise to come tomorrow and continue the conversation. Notably, information about Velvet’s pregnancy wasn’t known for Cadence as well, only making an assumption, that this skill is a part of her talent, declaring itself in that moment. In any case, she saved the family from disintegration, becoming a close friend along the way, ten months later, Cadence caught Celestia’s eye and passed the Prominence, and three weeks later, Shining was born. Much to the alicorn’s chagrin — and to Armor’s quiet relief — she hadn’t time to babysit her future husband: Tia, in the context of Nightmare Moon’s returning, was heavily concerned about preparing an alternative to herself — “just in case” — and Cadence’s days were swiftly guided to the funny days of express-training of a new ruler. Learning magic, intense training of the school subjects for passing it earlier, etiquette… Then — special course in the School for Gifted Unicorns, Canterlot Academy of Management and Personnel, practice on different positions and different cities… Anyways, she had seen Shining literally a few times during this period for mere moments. Later, when Tia realized, that she was overdoing it again, and after a long heartfelt apology, she reduced the burden on her niece, who was by that time thoroughly overwrought and disturbed, and who was no longer able to see Shining, because he had been sent to the Cadet Corps for training. But throughly babysat his little sister — Twilight. And when Armor arrived home in the new uniform of the Lieutenant of the Guard after graduation, alicorn could not resist the statuesque handsome officer — the very next day gave him a bouquet of roses from the castle garden… On this moment, wondering about the ups and downs of fate in thought, I, with mutual wishes of a good night, said goodbye to the already sleepy couple. Honestly, I was almost the same and was dropping off… Nevertheless, it was an interesting acquaintance. And yeah… Bade farewell… Not ba-ad… As soon as my head touched the pillow, I immediately fell into darkness.***
“With morning’s soft light on the walls of the ancient town! Equestrian land meets a gorgeous dawn!” I, of course, lied a bit about morning and dawn: it was already a little past noon. But the mood was good, Sun shined, and after my escort out of the night visitors, I slept just great. So after stretching a little and washing my face, I was now cheerfully trying to make the table, on which Cadence had landed, resemble its original shape. Alas, tabletop, that is broken in half, is not going to be even barely patched up during absence of even glue. Well, at least it stands by itself, if one doesn’t touch it… My work was disturbed by a long-expected clop of shoes in the hallway and following tap on the door. “Hello, Nightmare.” Entering, the Princess of the Sun smiled. “Hello. Come in, feel at home!” I smiled in answer. Tia giggled, covering herself behind a wing’s tip. “I’m glad that you’re in good mood, Nightmare.” “Yeah, thanks for the yesterday’s conversation.” I nodded. “It helped. Seems that I want to live again.” “I’m happy, that it wasn’t only disgust for you, but turned out to be useful. And also… I must apologize.” Celestia sighed. “For what?” I looked at her a little bit dazedly. “In yesterday’s talk I used the spell of truth to feel your lie. It was very tactlessly and bad from for my own part. Forgive me this decision, please. But, unfortunately, I hadn’t come up with something better.” I looked somewhere through the alicorn in prostration. Is she even sane?! “Princess.” I tackled the stupor after a few seconds. “Do you understand, that you blab strategical information to a potential enemy, don’t you? Why?!” I looked at her pitifully. “Stop, wait… You’re fooling me, right?” Says “spell”, but in reality just an empath. I will think, that now, right now, this conversation is not the most important, she didn’t turn it on and doesn’t feel it, but she will read me and make conclusions… Or not? I’ll get a brain dislocation with her… But maybe… “I already said, that I don’t think of you as my enemy!” Tia sighed. “Didn’t you think, that I’m cozying up to you and turn the Elements on my side to overthrow you afterwards or something? How do you know if I’m going to do that or not?” “As I already asked you: don’t think of yourself worse than you are in reality, Nightmare. I think you wouldn’t do that.” Nice logic. “But if you’re wrong — what then?” “Do you suggest suspect you in every possible crime?” Gazing tiredly, Tia answered with a question on the question. “Then not only you: I can suspect Twilight as well, and Fancy, and Blueblood… Anyone! And, the most important — did suspicion and distrust made someone’s day? Sombra, some time ago, started with not trusting anyone and seeing a coming plot in every shadow. And what this poor unicorn came to, his country and his people?” “Sometime ago I unfailingly trusted Luna. And how did it end for me?” I insisted gloomily. “The more reason why I must trust you. You know more than anyone else, how does it feel, when your trust is betrayed” A-a… Princess’ conclusion was surprising for me, and, most importantly, there’s nothing I can put against it. She understood it earlier than I did: stabbing in the back, like Luna, is beyond my strength. It’s… I don’t even know. I wasn’t going to, of course, but how did she know? And she… Like that. “Well… It doesn’t lack some logic.” I admitted defeat in the debate. “I hope, that sometime this trust will be mutual.” Celestia smiled fleetly. “By the way, I have a small gift for you.” “Hm?” I raised brows. “Here, take it.” Tia extracted two golden plates from under her wing, which evoked associations with credit cards, and handed them to me. “Grand Galloping Gala” — was written on the adverse by a pretentious font. Invitations. Two of them. For me, Nightmare Moon. She’s gone nuts… “What is it?” Not hastening to accept the offered, I asked in an indifferent tone. I don’t have a clue if Nightmare knew about this holiday… “Invitations for the traditional annual grandiose ball in honor of the Canterlot’s founding, which will be held on the twelfth of May, next year. To you and someone, whom you’d like to go with.” “And why?” Not changing tones, I asked. “I understand it as an aristocratic mob, and I don’t like this audience, to say the least. You know, what would be, if someone in his infinitive wisdom hurt my feelings? And they certainly will: intrigues, rumors, and, most importantly, a sea of arrogance: someone certainly would like to acidly and tauntingly discuss a wrongly chosen spoon… Are you sure you need this? In the end, why do I need it?” “You need it for going out into the world and make your appearance clear. I guess, that your reputation would be a little bit better — and I hope, that you would try do the same.” Tia looked in my eyes meaningfully. “Because I also hope, that you wouldn’t threaten someone just because of such a small thing, let alone use force. And for me… To make the last step to change the situation, in which I, unfortunately, turned your name against you, and to shake things up a bit, and…” Tia smiled coyly. “To look at you, clothed in a beautiful dress, of course.” “What?! What is this for?!” I looked at the alicorn in shock. “Thought I’d mention it just in case, so you don’t show up there in armor either. Twilight said, that you wear it almost constantly, often even in house! Why?” I opened mouth to insist and froze, looking at one point. Quite so — why?! After all, if I recall, right after Tia handed me the armor, I put it on without even thinking if I needed it at all or why I needed it. I could… I don’t know… I could have refused such a gift, for example. Or ask to have it packed to take it, so to speak, in hand luggage. But no — I haven’t even had such a thought in the past, and I don’t have it now, when the armor is put on automatically after awakening. And the funniest thing — I can put it on, have a breakfast, and then take it off to go to a training, where it would bother me! Maybe to avoid the feeling, that you walk nude — ponies don’t use clothes? But no! I don’t have this feeling! Strangely enough, but it appears only when the cover is off, before that you feel your body completely dressed! Then there’s only one word — habit. Nightmare Moon’s habit. Wear armor, whether you need it or not. If that’s the case — what habits did I pick up, which I don’t know about? I shivered uncomfortably. I’m changing. And I don’t even notice that. I’m losing my old self — and don’t feel it until it’s too obvious. How much time do I have until the complete transformation into a mare-pony even in my own thoughts? Will I even notice the moment when it happens? When “Nightmare Moon” would stop to be a pseudonym for me and become a name? My name? “Nightmare, is everything alright?” Princess’ voice brought me back. “I have no clue, honestly.” I shook my head. “You… You asked a very interesting question. I have food for thought.” “Excuse me if I forced you to remember something…” Celestia drooped. “No, everything is fine… In this context at least. Just some small inner inconsistencies, ignore it.” I interrupted the alicorn, feigning plain kindness on my face. “If you need help, you can always address me.” Tia assured, looking at me for a few seconds with care. “Thanks.” I nodded in answer. “Well…” Princess broke the silence in the air after a long pause. “What’s your answer about invitations?” So… One for Flutty, no doubt. Pinkie, Rarity… Twilight would go in either case… Do I need one for myself? Honestly, this kind of hanging out is not I’m interested in at all. I don’t give a heck about nobles with their intrigues, I barely can dance even when walking on two legs, what would happen on four… Pros? I can have a good meal, listen to beautiful music, look at the air show and fireworks. I can, after all, “make merry carelessly and funnily” by “smashing services and burning drying barns” — I have the eligible reputation. But Tia wouldn’t like it. Well… Maybe she would: she was fine with the party’s mayhem in the canon — just sat behind a table and laughed. Well, okay, let’s go, and then we’ll see. Store is no sore, and it’s not that hard to gift it to someone or just throw it away. “Give me four — and that’s a deal.” Making decision, I chuckled. “A-a…” Celestia confused for a moment. “Why?” “Even though I can count all my good buddies by hooves — and there would be some extra left — but I’m not going to choose between them.” I shrugged with wings. “So four or nothing. If it’s such a problem — fine, give me three.” “Hm…” Princess paused to think. “It’s solvable. And forgive my inquisitiveness, why are you ready to take at least three? Not sure in relationships with someone from your fiends?” “I’m sure in every of my friends.” I chuckled again. “I’ll give them to the others and go without it. Your guards aren’t suicides, are they? They won’t dare to stop.” Smirk turned into a mischievous grin by itself. “Nightmare…” Scowling, Tia looked at me harshly. “What? I’m interested in testing your warriors’ bravery and dedication and their limits.” I brought back a rather neutral expression on my face. “I have a funny feeling, that if you don’t order them to not let me in at all costs, I won’t even have to threaten them.” “But what if they won’t let you in?” Princess narrowed her eyes. “I hope you wouldn’t use force or threats, would you?” “Need like a hole in the head… Would go back to Ponyville, eat and go to bed.” I moved with a wing phlegmatically. “I wouldn’t lose anything. Such an aristocratic meeting is just not interesting for me, and if I’m going there — I’m going there not for myself. For that matter — what about Luna?” The feeling, that had been looming somewhere on the periphery of my consciousness since Tia had extended the invitations to me, finally took shape in a concrete question. “She…” Saddened alicorn unexpectedly hesitated. “I hope I can persuade her to honor the holiday with her presence after all.” “And I also expect, that in such a time you will change your anger towards my poor sister into mercy, and, if not to forgive her, at least temporarily agree to extinguish your enmity towards her…” Celestia sighed with a forced smile. Yeah, of course… You know, it’s better for everyone if this blue nag wouldn’t appear on the occasion. And if she does not survive until the celebration, there would be beautiful wakes of the blue one… With fireworks, heh. Sooner or later, Luna, you’ll pay for everything, fucking scumbag. For everything! For every fucking “beautiful” day in absolute loneliness in that goddamn hell! “Nightmare!” I shivered from Tia’s worried hollo. “A? Yeah… Everything is fine. I just took a thought…” Shaking head, I looked around slowly. “You had such a face… And you scraped your teeth with such a force…” Princess, I think, even shivered. “What happened?” “A-a. Happens sometimes. “Because of the “happy” memories.” Waving away lamely, I feigned something like a smile. “In a nutshell, three-four invitations, if you really want to see me for some reason — and let’s give the topic a rest. “Fine.” Princess looked at me with some strange gaze after a few seconds and sighed quietly. “Sorry, I resembled you something unpleasant, while not even wanting to do it… I didn’t want to sadden you.” “It’s nothing. Sometimes useful. It resembles… Something important.” I shook head indefinably. “May I know what?” Tia lifted her head. “And yeah, I wanted to invite you on a breakfast and put in touch with a beautiful pony at the same time. Let’s go?” I nodded positively. Alicorn, smiling for a moment, put the invitations onto the table, which, under her dazed stare, scraped and tilted from the weight. Celestia looked at me meaningfully, and I chuckled, shrugging with wings in answer like: “It just happened, there’s nothing to do with that”. Princess, chuckling distrustfully and shaking head, turned around and went into the hallway, encouraging me to follow her with a gesture. “By foot? Not teleportation?” I was surprised, catching up to her. “I asked to set the table in the small dining room of this closed — for the time being — wing. Make a little walk, don’t you mind? And after all, I thought, that teleportation would be unpleasant for you.” “Fine. Let’s go.” I nodded shortly, and we, accompanied by the booming echo of the empty hallway, started to clatter with shoes on the polished stone. She’s again… “Would be unpleasant for you”… She cannot be worried about this, can she?! A-a, God damn it… Although… Maybe she wanted to ask something?… “Would you tell it?” Tia suddenly looked at me after a dozen of steps “What?” I didn’t understand. “About the important things that bad memories recall to you.” She refreshed my memory. Yeah, she asked about it, didn’t she… Important things? About Nightmare, being betrayed and left behind to die on the Moon. And I, in a manner, owe her for my second chance in her body. “No.” “It’s better if I wouldn’t.” I shook my head. “Sorry.” “I understand.” Tia nodded slowly. We reached the double door in silence. Princess, opening it, stepped back, nodding to me invitingly and offering to enter first. I hope it’s not because of a landmine or because of that hatch, that was made specially for me… Entering, I, with some surprise, met the purple eyes’ gaze of the known pink alicorn, already sitting behind a table. Her gaze was beggarly-frightened. “Don’t tell her anything! Be surprised of me! We haven’t met!!!” Was clearly seen in the “soul’s mirrors” of one loving mare. I chuckled, narrowing my eyes. “But maybe?…” Cadence shook head in panic hardly visible. “No! Please!” An eyebrow arched in feigned thoughtfulness. “What’s in it for me?” Her eyebrows are up and her ears are slightly drooping. “Everything you want! Beg you — be wordless!” I sigh quietly in a demonstrative tone. “Fi-ine, alright, be it.” Wide happy smile, straight pink ears. “Yay! Thanks!” “Nightmare Moon, let me show you my niece, Her Excellency Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” Celestia demonstrated the known alicorn to me ceremonially and with a proud smile,. “Alicorn?!” I feigned a surprise and narrowed eyes like a predator, going round the table with a shark’s speed and coming closer to a bit lost Cadence. “If I remember correctly, you were complaining, that pregnancy is a seldom thing, not enough of alicorns… And she’s here? She’s a clueless kid, she is not even a hundred years old!” Not holding myself, I taunted the Princess of love. “From where?” “Clueless kid” stared daggers at me from under the puckered brows and turned sulky. I barely held the coming out laughter. “She wasn’t born as an alicorn, Nightmare.” Tia came closer, looking at the dummy up niece with slight worriment. “But her deeds opened such a way for her…” Celestia briefly paraphrased what I’ve already known from Cadence, which gradually sided with us and added some details from herself, and she, in my opinion, played her first meeting with me quite convincingly. “So, there are dozens of potential alicorns, walking somewhere in the country, but you still sigh about scarce amount of our race?…” I scratched my brow thoughtfully with a shoe, hearing the mares’ tale and putting an empty salad bowl aside at the same time. I hate local breakfasts — green only… “Dozens, Nightmare. But Equestria is not the same as it was a thousand years ago: there are millions of pony, not tens of thousands as back then. I look for. Cadence do it as well. And I hope, that you would not refuse to help us when you’re back to normal. But… It’s not even a needle in a haystack — it’s one concrete grain of sand on a beach. “I can only hope, that my quest will be successful sooner or later, but alas, I can’t count on it.” Looking thoughtfully at her reflection in the polished side of the teapot, Celestia sighed wearily and drooped. “I guess so.” I agreed with her words. “Furthermore, if only two look for them, at the same time sparing most of the time to run the country… What about delegate authority? You can order unicorn to look for it… Or?…” I stopped, remembering the pink alicorn’s story. “Alas. Whatever this… Initiation was, but unicorns are not able to find it, as the Cadence’s medical examination experience showed, when she’s only got her cutie mark.” Celestia confirmed my guess. “Moreover, I’m still not sure whether every alicorn can see it or this ability is a part of my own talent only…” “Well, you can leave the throne to someone… Another alicorn, one of the older ones who’s around… to go into an exi… I mean, on wanderings, looking for ponies, ready to Ascend…” I suggested with the most thoughtful expression, but seeing Tia’s elongated face, I couldn’t stand it and laughed. The Princess of the Sun, after a few moments, suddenly joined. Cadence narrowed down to just a smile. “O, Nightmare!…” Celestia laughed one last time. “You don’t know my desire to pass down Equestria in someone’s reliable hooves and go away in a far back-country, where I can live in silentness and calmness, not worrying about anything. But who can take care of my little ponies? Protect them from hunger, coldness, calamities, enemies? Who will be able to — and, most importantly, want to — do it day after day? Who will get through, won’t destroy everything, that I have been creating for centuries? Yes, Equestria is not perfect, but it’s still wonderful! No famine and wars, big epidemics are a thing of the past, poverty, that was a usual thing like three hundred years ago, almost vaporized as a fact as well! Unfortunately, there are still prisons, orphanages, ponies still sometimes die at the height of their powers from illnesses, natural disasters, accidents and even from predators. There’s still inequality, fault line, there are unhappy and poor ones… I haven’t fixed everything in time. And some is even beyond my powers to be fixed… But I still happy to see Equestria in that way — because it seems, that only a short time ago, the country was filled more with sorrow and injustice, not with happiness and joy. And I don’t have the right to let it go back to these times. So I wouldn’t be able to sign away the cold and unwieldy throne to another Princess for a long time.” Celestia smiled with sadness. “I was merely joking.” I smiled awkwardly. I didn’t anticipate such a red hot reaction. “And I was not.” White alicorn looked right at me. “Equestria is my life, Nightmare. And I will break sweat for it to prosper even more.” “It’s strange that I’m alive, then.” I chuckled. “You have to be very lucky to find even more dangerous threat to your ponies…” “But the fact of us, talking with each other calmly and peacefully for such a long time, says, that my decision is right, not your strange mania of depicting yourself as a threat to Equestria and as my enemy.” Tia interrupted me smoothly. “Though not now, but you can become a powerful ally of my country and… My friend.” Cautiously, with low-lying waiting, pink eyes of the Princess of the Sun looked at me. I shivered. It’s hard to not believe you, it’s hard to not love you, you calmly and softly overcome my distrust to politicians generally and my personal to you… You just seem to be a good and kind pony… Or, maybe, you really are such a pony. And in this case I could consider it as happiness to call you my friend, but… Luna. You don’t want to see what she’s all about, do you. You had been missing your sister for so long — and this love is stronger than any logic. Will you believe me, when I… No, not now. So if Luna is alive — I can’t call you my friend, Tia. Because I would not have the right to let you down, and I don’t know if I will be able to… “Joking, right?” Making decision, I feigned a distrustful face markedly. “Of course, there can be everything in this world… But we — friends?! This… Was it tea in my cup?” I looked at my half-emptied bowl demonstratively. “Princess Celestia always treats feelings very responsible, Nightmare Moon.” Pink alicorn looked at me harshly. “She doesn’t make jokes with these things. Are you alright, auntie?” Cadence turned to the senior Princess. “Yes. Thanks, Cadence. Honestly, I wasn’t anticipating any other answer different from this context.” Tia smiled sadly. “Alas, Nightmare can hardly trust anyone…” I chuckled skeptically. You are not “anyone” — Princess, don’t juggle it. “This is mostly the reason why I invited you to join our breakfast.” Celestia continued. “Unfortunately, Nightmare attends Canterlot rarely, but I hoped, that the Princess of love can help her with something: even if it’s just a kind word in a letter. And with mere knowledge, that there’s one more pony, who doesn’t think of her as a monster.” White alicorn smiled sadly. “I’ll be glad to support if I can.” Cadence nodded, looking at me. “I’m doing alright so far.” I moved with a wing. I don’t know what she can help me with and why. And I don’t know how to treat her as well. On one hand — it’s another pair of Celestia’s eyes and ears near me. On the other hand… Exactly, “another”. A pair more, a pair less… And Tia herself gives a very convincing impression of a sweet and kind pony, who, moreover, has no reason to do anything bad to me. Damn it. How long have I thought otherwise? This sunbutt cannot be not trusted, God damn it……
“I hope your stay in Canterlot was not too onerous for you, Nightmare?” Tia addressed to me. She, I and Cadence strolled leisurely across the landing pad. The chariot was already ready, but, apparently, they didn’t want to let me go without talking. As for the question… The memorable conversation with Tia really helped, I still felt empty and sad, but calm. In addition, I was enriched by several useful exercises in magic, an interesting and perhaps even useful introduction to Cadence, as well as four cards in gold — invitations to the Gala — and the injunction not to wear armor to the ball under any circumstances. It wasn’t very clear how to treat Tia at the end of the day. She… fascinates. A friendly attitude, a pleasant soft voice, a polite manner of speech, a sense of humor… It was beginning to seem, that she wanted to become my friend, despite the absurdity of such a conclusion. Honestly, I wouldn’t be against if she really is like that and doesn’t play with loaded dice with me. But maybe… Nah. Or… A-a, I don’t know, damn it… “Everything is fine.” Shaking head to get rid of the thoughts, I answered to stop the prolonged pause. “Really? Forgive my indelicacy, but what happened with the table in your chamber then?” Tia mused. Cadence lost her pace and looked at me in panic. A-a, sunny one thinks, that the table was a prey of hysterics, as it was with the pillow… “Fell onto it. By an accident.” Answering vaguely, I looked at the pink alicorn with a chuckle. “Not a big deal.” Celestia smiled and eased. Cadence exhaled quietly and emphasized a thankful nod in a barely visible manner. We were walking silently for a few seconds, clopping with shoes on the stone together and drawing gazes of a pair of pegasus-chariot drivers. “Say hello to Twilight from me, okay?” Cadence smiled a bit sadly. “I haven’t see her for a while… Just can’t get there.” Pink alicorn sighed. “Yeah…” I nodded, but got distracted and looked at Tia. “Twilight!” She exclaimed with me simultaneously. “I think I haven’t sent invitations to her!” “Invitations to Gala?” Cadence specified rhetorically. “Send, please! She dreamed so much about it!” “Certainly. And won’t forget anymore, I promise.” The Princess of the Day smiled. “Unfortunately, I have a conference right now, so I’ll do it a little bit later…” I thought for a second about telling her to send six at once, but quickly dismissed the idea: three ponies would get them from me, and Twilight shouldn’t be deprived of a friendship lesson. Let things drift. “Alas, but I have to go. Nightmare, forgive me if this visit hasn’t left the best impressions.” Celestia looked at me. “Alas, my duty as a ruler sometimes obliges me to make not the most honest and correct decisions. I just hope you’re not too offended by it.” Is it the truth spell she’s so worried about, or the visit itself? A-a, I won’t get it anyway. I tried already… Or maybe that her spell is not a spell, but a natural passive ability, m? This assumption made me feel a little uncomfortable again. “I am sorry, that this visit was in such a situation, but still, it was good to see you. Oh… Honestly — even a month ago I couldn’t have thought about saying something like that about Nightmare Moon herself.” Tia chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s all the more surprising now to say it from the heart. Write to me if something bothers you, don’t be coy. I hope we’ll meet soon again, but now, unfortunately, I have to go. Goodbye, Nightmare. Good luck at the road!” The snowy alicorn took a step and embraced me briefly quicker than I could react, and disappeared in a patting flash of teleportation with a wink. “See ya, Princess.” I said slowly into the space.