The Unwanted One

“Night, you’re just!.. Beautifully beautiful!” “Thanks, Pin…” “Nightmare, don’t twist or you’ll ruin everything!” “I’m standing. Silent.” I straightened up with a “dashing and dorky” look, staring glassy-eyed in the mirror in front of me. No, white looks good on me, definitely… “Freeze for a moment, please… Here… It is!” A flower was neatly woven into my starry mane. “Cadence!” I hissed and showed my indignation by a menacingly tilted gaze towards the alicorn, not having other options to do so. She and Rarity were decorating me as some spruce with two horns and four hooves. “I had asked you yesterday!..” “You wasn’t convincing enough, darling!” Rarity giggled from the other side, adjusting the laces of my dress on my back. “And don’t you want to be completely irresistible on such an exciting and momentous day?” “Help me.” I mumbled half-heartedly and sighed, rolling my eyes. “Nightmare! Don’t forget the words! Here, I drew some of them!..” Twilight, who literally appeared in front of me, shook a small scroll menacingly. “The ceremony must be flawless! Nightmare, just don’t worry about it, okay?” I smiled involuntarily. “Such an event for you!.. It’s!.. It must be perfect!!! It has to be! I’m!.. I need to!..” The lavender unicorn was out of the hall, her eyes splashing with panic. What a… wretched horse! I wish there was something to remember. “Yes, yes, I agree, I undertake…” and that’s it. A dozen of words and so much panic… “Nightmare, don’t laugh, please. You’re disturbing me. Rarity, how about a blue rose to match her eyes?” Cadence followed her ex-foster child with a thoughtful gaze and again looked at me. “It goes worse with a white dress! And it partially blends in with the mane, don’t you see? Leave the white one!” Now they go along. How long has it been since Rar addressed her as “Your Grace!” alternately with bows, and since a week they danced around me — and already it was just “you”… I looked at my reflection in the mirror with sad wistfulness. The reflection stared back a little wearily from underneath the fancy hairdo, decorated with white ribbons and silver strings with pearls. Not only that, they also made me specially train to keep my mane from fully transitioning into the ethereal state for the sake of it! You see, it’s bad without a hairdo! And you don’t even know what they have done with my tail!.. And the dress is dazzling white, with rare elements of blue and navy blue… It’s beautiful, no doubt, but it’s complicated — my legs are already buckling, like in full armor, damn it… On the other hand, my day is very special — I can tolerate it. And I guess I’ll have to wear dresses a lot more often starting tomorrow morning…

…

A pompous carpet, strewn with flowers, dampens the sound of our footsteps. The hem of a dazzling white dress with navy blue and blue inserts slides down my hind legs. A solemn march sounds. Thousands of eyes seem to be crossed over me, under which all the emotions I have are boiling at once. Look at me! And at my holiday! My triumph! And, at the same time — the excitement, the shaky legs… I was hoping it would be easier… I have a little experience in front of such crowds, but… Shit… This has never happened to me before… The altar, beside which Celestia, Cadence, and Luna stood, watching me with warm glances of joy, inexorably drew nearer with each step. So did the questions “Are you ready?” and “Do you agree?” And my answer is “Yes!” — and my life will somehow change noticeably again. It’s… Scary. But… I’ll manage somehow, right? Crap, Twilight’s cheat sheet might have been worth looking at after all… Here we are. The footsteps fall silent for good. I did a proper curtsy in front of Her Highness Princess Celestia — she’s leading the ceremony. Hiding my face, I try my best to wipe away the nervous stupid grin on my face: why the hell did I thought of a “Everyone says howdy in front of the white alicorn!” Damn it… I try to listen to her words. My head is foggy and jumbled, my thoughts rushing around like sparks from a fire, flaring out of nowhere and fading into nowhere. The excitement is unimaginable, even though it seems… Princess calls my name. Damn it, nice time for daydreaming!.. “Yes…” A suddenly hoarse voice lets me down. “Yes!” I repeat loudly and clearly. This is how it’s done. I tilt my head. I feel a crown coming down on it. “Your place is amongst us, Nightmare Moon.” With a smile, Celestia steps aside, letting me walk up the altar. I go up. I turn around into the hall. A carpeted walkway strewn with flowers. The standard-bearers that accompanied me on it, carrying banners with my new coat of arms. A huge crowd of ponies of many colors. My ponies, whom I’m supposed to protect by my rank. And I will not let anyone harm them. I will not let anyone harm them, among whom I have found my new home. My new friends. My new life. I want — and I will keep and protect them, and they will keep and protect me. Her Grace Crown Princess Nightmare Moon, The Princess of The Dreams. The words that I accept this title and pledge to help and protect ponies and Equestria in every way and to strengthen friendship and harmony in these lands are unexpectedly easy and simple. A pleasant warmth reigns in my soul. From all the stares, from the applause, from… their recognition. I am known. I am appreciated. I am respected. I am loved! They dedicate songs and pictures to me, they name foals after me! The latter is an isolated case, but still… As I finished, I closed my eyes, enjoying a kind of unbelievable peace. I feel as if all the walls have fallen around me, all the chains have burst, all my worries have ended. I have a home. And I am welcome and appreciated there. “Nightmare, will you make a speech for everyone? From the balcony?” Cadence whispers, bringing me back to reality and gently holding out a folder. I pick it up, run my eyes over it. Clear, precise, professional… Official. “Of course I’ll.” I nod in reply and hand the folder back with a smile. “But I’ll say it in my way. I’m not an unwanted one here, after all, am I?..” I take a step up the stairs, and the standard-bearers part from the path, clearing a carpeted path. A crowd erupts, forming a living corridor to the balcony that overhangs Canterlot Square. Ponies cheerfully applaud, some greeting, some even cheering from the crowd. A bouquet of flowers falls at my feet, and I pick them up, nodding and smiling appreciatively. And I walk on, feeling rather than hearing the footsteps of the other Princesses behind me. I step into the future. Which we will all make better together.

…

Novosibirsk, May 2019 — May 2022.