Chapter Ten
Nightmare Moon slammed into the snow in front of Sweetie Belle, sending her stumbling back with a scream. She braced herself for an attack, but Nightmare Moon leapt over her, catching the breeze in her wings for flight.
“Don’t you dare!” Starlight yelled, firing a magical beam. Nightmare Moon banked, and sent back a beam of her own. Starlight threw up a shield, deflecting it. Unfortunately, the shot ricocheted into the herd of ponies gathered around. They screamed and ducked; thankfully, the shot missed them, hitting a cottage instead. A huge section of its stone façade exploded while every window shattered. The stone chimney toppled over and caved into the roof; broken bricks and thatched straw cascaded onto the street below.
“Whoa Nelly!” Pinkie Pie squealed.
“Careful ‘bout the buildin’s!” Applejack yelled.
“Can we discuss collateral damage later?” Starlight snapped. Her attention was fixed on Nightmare Moon. “There’s no place for you to run!” she yelled. “We’ve got you covered!”
Nightmare Moon hovered just over the ground, her eyes glittering malevolently. Sweetie Belle crept against the wall of a nearby cottage, where Miss Muffins had pulled Dinky, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. “Stay close, fillies,” Miss Muffins said in a hushed voice. “Maybe she won’t see us.”
Diamond Tiara was in shock. “That…That’s Nightmare Moon,” she whispered. “Sweet Celestia, they weren’t crazy after all.”
“You mean Princess Luna,” Scootaloo corrected. “She’s the one who’s Nightmare Moon.” She called out to the dark filly. “Princess Luna! Why are you doing this? What’s going on?”
Diamond Tiara pulled her back. “Are you crazy? She’ll hear you!”
“But Princess Luna—”
“I don’t think that’s Princess Luna,” Sweetie Belle said. She stared at the filly in wonder. This was Nightmare Moon, of that Sweetie Belle was certain. But there was a savage presence to her that differed from Princess Luna, a fierce wildness that threatened terrible harm to whomever dared cross her. Yet at the same time, that feral energy was checked by a calm, cold stillness, like a glacier in some arctic wasteland. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon were supposed to be the same pony, but the more Sweetie Belle watched Nightmare Moon, the more convinced she became that that this was some-pony else entirely.
There was movement beside her. Sweetie Belle turned to see Applejack press against the wall, cradling Applebloom in her hooves. “C’mon,” she whispered. “C’mon now, get up.”
“Will she be okay?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I reckon,” Applejack replied. “Look, she’s comin’ around.”
Applebloom moaned and opened her eyes. “O, my head,” she said groggily. “Hay jus’ happened?”
“Yer new “friend” tossed you on yer head,” Applejack explained.
“Sunny? Where is she?” Applebloom turned, and gasped when she saw the dark alicorn filly hovering in midair. “Sweet Celestia! That’s Nightmare Moon!”
Applejack shook her head. “I tried tellin’ ya,”
“I’m sorry, Sis,” Applebloom said. “I ought’ve known you wouldn’t go after her for no good reason.”
Applejack sighed. “Don’t get fussed, I reckon we sounded nuttier than a tree full o’ owls. We should ‘ave said somethin’ before all this ruckus started.”
“Then is what you said really true?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Is she the one who hurt Rarity?”
Applejack shut her eyes and nodded. “But why?” Sweetie Belle burst out. Her eyes teared up again, but the tears were of anger instead of grief. “Why did she do that?”
“We’ll worry ‘bout that later,” Applejack replied, her eyes back on Nightmare Moon. “Y’all pipe down, don’t go givin’ her any new targets.”
Sweetie Belle scowled. “You knew about her from the very beginning! You all did! Why didn’t you tell every-pony Nightmare Moon was back?”
“Some-pony stop her!” Applejack yelled suddenly, ignoring Sweetie Belle. “Don’t let her slip away!”
Sweetie Belle turned, just as Nightmare Moon banked and glided down the street towards the Everfree Forest. It suddenly occurred to Sweetie Belle that the forest had been her real destination all along.
Applejack spun around. “Don’ jus’ stand there twiddlin’ yer hooves, Starlight! Blast her!”
“I’m trying,” Starlight protested. “But she’s flying at angles!”
It was true. Nightmare Moon flew in a zigzag pattern, darting quickly at diagonals while staying close to the cottages. Starlight fired several shots after her, but the banking and weaving caused every shot to hit the cottages instead. Glass shattered onto the street.
“Can’t ya aim better than that?” Applejack yelled.
“I’m doing the best I can!” Starlight snapped. “Do you have any better ideas?”
“Don’t worry guys, I’ve got this!” Pinkie Pie yelled. She suddenly hovered in front of Nightmare Moon, spinning her tail like a propeller while grinning broadly. “Hiya, Nighty!” Pinkie Pie greeted, as though Nightmare Moon were a friend she ran into while shopping. “You’re being a mean little Miss Grumpy-Pants, aren’t you?”
Nightmare Moon snarled and snapped at Pinkie Pie. But Pinkie Pie now hovered behind her. “Why Nighty, what sharp teeth you have! Do you brush them regularly?” They were on the ground now. Pinkie Pie wore a white lab coat with a head mirror sitting lopsided on her temple, the string of garlic still hanging around her neck. Nightmare Moon lay back in a dental chair, astonished by her abrupt change in position. Pinkie Pie lowered her head mirror, pushed Nightmare Moon’s tongue down with a wooden depressor, and peered down her mouth.
“Hm, these fangs look a little pink…you need to brush more, yes indeed-y! Tell me, are they pink from doing, like, vampire things? Yucky! Wait, are you a vampire for real? How can I find out? O, I know! Tell me, do you like garlic?”
She thrust the string of garlic bulbs into Nightmare Moon’s face. Her “patient” snarled and grabbed the string, attempting to pull Pinkie Pie closer. But Pinkie Pie now stood off to the side, the string of garlic now hanging limply in Nightmare Moon’s hoof. Nightmare Moon looked between the garlic and Pinkie Pie, bewildered.
Pinkie Pie scribbled in a notebook. “Does…not…like…garlic,” she muttered. “Well, either that means you’re a vampire, or you just don’t like garlic. Lots of ponies don’t like garlic, so it’s not real proof. Too bad I forgot to grab some wild roses…O! Let’s see if you have a reflection in my handy-dandy heady mirror!” She glanced up at it. “Hmm. I can see you in there. But that mirror isn’t silver, so it wouldn’t work, right? Wait, that peytral is silver!” She leaned in and looked into the peytral. “Yup, I can see myself in there! O, and I can see you in there, too! I guess we can scratch vampire, then.”
Nightmare Moon hissed and lashed out, her reflexes swift as a cat’s. But Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie, so Nightmare Moon struck only air, and Pinkie Pie now stood behind her. “You are a little Meanie-Pants, though,” Pinkie Pie said thoughtfully. “You have quite a little temper, too. Did you pick that up from Queen Meanie?”
Nightmare Moon’s eyes flashed. She kicked behind her (the dental chair having quietly vanished), but Pinkie Pie was gone…only to suddenly pop out of Nightmare Moon’s ear. “Wow, you sure get mad easily! Why don’t you try a breathing exercise? Just breathe in and out and count to ten! Like this! One…two…”
Nightmare Moon gasped and slammed her hoof against her ear. Pinkie Pie was no longer there, so Nightmare Moon hit herself upside the head instead. She staggered, dazed; some of the towns-ponies snickered.
“Aww, why’d you go and hit yourself like that?” Pinkie Pie asked, giggling. She now stood in front of Nightmare Moon. “That’s a silly thing to do, you know!”
Nightmare Moon growled, the sound resonating at a low note like the rumbling of distant thunder. Sweetie Belle felt her fur stand on end. What even was this thing?
Even Pinkie Pie’s cheerful demeanor faltered. “Um…that’s a very deep growl you’ve got there.” She looked uncertain for a moment, but then she had an idea. “O! Can you do impressions? Go on, do a tiger!”
Nightmare Moon snarled and fired a beam of magic at Pinkie Pie. But Pinkie Pie now stood on a cottage roof. “No, that was more jaguar than tiger. Good try though!”
Nightmare Moon leered murderously at Pinkie Pie. She shot another beam at her, but Pinkie Pie was now on the porch of the cottage, the beam merely knocking some straw off the roof instead. Pinkie Pie blew a raspberry, as though the whole ordeal was just a game to her.
“You missed me, you missed me!” she teased. “You really need to work on your aim! I bet you couldn’t hit me if I was standing right in front of you!”
Nightmare Moon huffed and charged her horn. Suddenly, she changed her mind, and the magic faded. She sat on her haunches, bowed her head, and closed her eyes. She became very still.
“O, good,” Miss Muffins said, relieved. “It looks like she’s giving up now.”
Applejack frowned. “Ya can’t be sure with her. That girl’s tricky.” She turned to Starlight. “Ain’t ya gonna blast her?”
Starlight looked uncertain. “Should I? I mean, she’s surrendering, right?”
“We can’t risk—”
“No, Miss Starlight is right,” Miss Muffins interjected. “Blasting a little filly isn’t right, even if she is Nightmare Moon.” She tilted her head. “Actually, why is she a little filly now? Did Princess Luna want a foal?”
“We’ll explain later,” Applejack grumbled. “Pinkie Pie? Ain’t ya gonna get her up?”
“Okie dokie! Are you going to come along, Nighty?” Pinkie Pie asked, leaning closer to Nightmare Moon. The dark alicorn’s ears twitched. “All this fighting really is no fun. I know! When Twilight gets you reformed, let’s do animal impressions! I can do a good impression of a bullfrog! Look, ribbit rib—”
Nightmare Moon lashed out. Pinkie Pie’s guard was down, so the blow connected this time against the side of her body. She staggered back, gasping.
“Oof,” Scootaloo said, wincing. “Liver shot.”
Pinkie Pie coughed, and spat red fluid onto the snow beneath her. She stared transfixed at it, as though she had never seen her own blood before. Nightmare Moon quickly took advantage of her paralysis. She grabbed Pinkie Pie’s head between her hooves, and shot her full in the face with her magic. Pinkie Pie collapsed on the ground, and every-pony gasped in shock. Pinkie Pie always seemed so otherworldly, unaffected by care or harm. Seeing her fall so brutally was like watching some-pony kick down the wind.
“Pinkie Pie!” Applejack screamed. She spun on Starlight. “Don’ jus’ sit there twiddlin’ your hooves, blast ‘er!”
Starlight snapped out of the malaise she had fallen into after Pinkie Pie fell. “Right.” She fired her horn. Nightmare Moon casually tilted her head to the left, Starlight’s shot blowing past her. She returned fire with a beam of her own. Starlight threw up a magical shield, but the shot blew overhead.
“Ha!” Starlight laughed. “You missed!”
“Starlight!” Applejack yelled. “Above you!”
Too late. During the battle, Starlight had drifted towards one of the cottages, its thatched roof covered in substantial snow. Nightmare Moon’s magic hit the edge and broke the fragile precipice upon which the snow clung to the roof, sending the entire frozen mass sliding down. “Wha—” Starlight said, before she was covered by heavy snow. She was buried entirely, save for a single unmoving hoof.
“Starlight!” Applejack cried. She turned and hurriedly thrust Applebloom into Miss Muffins’ hooves. “Keep her safe,” she whispered. She turned and charged into the street. “Stop, ya little hellion!”
Nightmare Moon ignored Applejack. She spread her wings and started flying towards the Everfree Forest. Applejack sprinted after her. She was a swift pony, easily keeping pace with full-sized horses. But Nightmare Moon flew faster, and Applejack’s best gallop could never close the distance. It looked as though Nightmare Moon would escape.
And then a rope snapped out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Nightmare Moon’s rear leg and dropping her to the ground.
Applejack turned. “Big Mac!”
Big Macintosh stood tall, the lasso securing Nightmare Moon’s leg held tightly between his teeth. He tossed another lasso to Applejack.
“Thank ya kindly, Big Mac! Help me wrastle her up.” She spun the lasso in her mouth and flung it over Nightmare Moon’s torso. “We gotcha now!”
Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. She stood up, and started off towards the Everfree, as though she were completely free. Applejack and Big Mac looked at each other with raised brows, and pulled. Nightmare Moon staggered but held her ground. She looked back at them for a moment, and then, without a word, kicked the leg Big Mac had roped forward. Big Mac stumbled. He retained his hold on the rope, but his eyes widened.
Scootaloo watched this display in astonishment. “Horse apples! How strong is that kid?”
“She’s an alicorn,” Diamond Tiara said, awed. “They’re supposed to be stronger than normal, right?”
“Well, it don’t matter how strong she is,” Applebloom said, proudly. “She ain’t gettin’ away from my big siblin’s!”
At that exact moment, Nightmare Moon jerked forward suddenly, and both Apples stumbled.
“Uh, I think?” Applebloom amended.
“Starlight!” Applejack hissed, between her teeth. “Come on! Blast her while ya can!”
But Starlight made no movement from beneath the snow pile. Sweetie Belle recalled what getting hit in the face with a snowball felt like, and shuddered to think what sort of damage a whole roof worth could do.
“C’mon girl, wake up,” Applejack urged. “We can’t keep her down forever. Whoa!”
Nightmare Moon extended her wings, Applejack’s lasso having fallen short of their joints. She flapped them experimentally, and then kicked off the ground. The Apples stepped back as one and pulled down; Nightmare Moon dipped, but she remained airborne. She flapped her wings rapidly, sweat running down her face from the effort needed to fight against two adult ponies. The town-ponies cheered for the Apples, shouting encouragements and urging them to pull harder. Even the Crusaders got in on it. “Hang in there, Sis!” Applebloom yelled. “Don’t let her go for an instant!”
“Pull her down already!” Scootaloo urged. “C’mon, you’ve got this!”
The encouragement was unnecessary; neither Apple would release the rope for any reason. They stepped back, and Nightmare Moon dipped even lower. Ponies cried for joy. It looked like the Apples were going to win.
And then they started rising.
It began slowly. Both Apples kept their hooves planted firmly into the icy streets, giving them a base from which to pull against Nightmare Moon. But the snow underfoot was slick, providing little traction. Nightmare Moon rose higher, causing them to momentarily lose their footing—and then their front hooves were lifted off the ground. They continued rising as their ensnared captive ascended, until both ponies reared up completely. Applejack, spotting the danger, attempted to pull herself down, but Nightmare Moon climbed higher still. Applejack slipped. Before she could regain her footing, Nightmare Moon suddenly jerked skyward, and Applejack now hung in midair. Big Mac stepped back to pull them both down, but he too slipped, and found himself hanging with Applejack. They dangled beneath Nightmare Moon, neither Apple letting go, yet possessing no more support against which to pull. Their combined weight vastly surpassed Nightmare Moon, yet she pulled them higher into the air with surprising ease, until she was level with the thatched roofs of the cottages.
“Applejack! Big Mac!” Applebloom yelled, her eyes wide. “Y’all be careful up there!”
Both Apples flailed in the air, but to no avail. Their captive was now their captor; their ropes were now their lifelines. Nightmare Moon banked suddenly and flew in a circle, the ropes holding her growing taut while the ponies dangling beneath her starting spinning. She flew faster and faster, until the Apple’s spun like tops in the air. Sweetie Belle tried following their movements, but the spinning made her dizzy.
The Apples were strong ponies; the strongest, perhaps, in all Ponyville. But holding onto rope with their teeth while being spun two stories in the air taxed them beyond their limits. Big Mac lost his grip first and plummeted. “Whoa!” he yelled, before slamming into his side onto a snowdrift below. He lay there, moaning.
“Big Mac!” Applebloom cried. She made to go to his side, but Miss Muffins pulled her back.
Applejack, meanwhile, tried grabbing Big Mac’s rope with her hooves while maintaining her bite-hold. But physics acted against her, and she lost her hold and fell. Even then, Applejack refused to fall alone. She grabbed desperately at both ropes with her hooves and pulled. The ropes tugged Nightmare Moon down after her, and they both crashed to the ground.
The ponies held their breath. The three combatants lay still in the snow, and no-pony felt brave enough to check if they had survived. Then Nightmare Moon sat bolt upright, so abruptly that several ponies gasped. She rose to her feet, panting, but otherwise appeared entirely unscathed by the fall. Her horn lit, and the lasso tied around her leg burned away. Then she turned and tossed her head back, her bang landing behind her horn. She inhaled and tensed her muscles, straining against the rope wrapped around her middle. A deep snarl resonated inside of her, and with a mighty yell the lasso burst, sending pieces of rope flying in all directions. She huffed and panted, taxed by the entire experience. She glared at the other ponies gathered around, as if to see if any-pony else intended to challenge her.
“Hold on there, little missy!” Big Mac had recovered, and charged down the street after her.
Applejack raised her head. “Wait!” she cried.
But it was too late. Nightmare Moon sidestepped Big Mac. He charged past her, slid in the slush, and stumbled. Nightmare Moon bucked behind her; the blow landed squarely between Big Mac’s hindlegs.
Big Mac bent over, his eyes watering. “O, nelly,” he said, his voice suddenly high-pitched. Nightmare Moon showed no mercy; she grabbed him from behind, lifted him into the air, and drove him head-first into the frost-covered street. Big Mac crumpled. He was out cold.
“Big Mac!” Applejack screamed. She stood and charged Nightmare Moon, who lazily sidestepped her and kicked out. Applejack was ready for it and leaped aside, aiming a good buck at Nightmare Moon’s head. Nightmare Moon slipped it with ease and came up with a horn thrust, and Applejack stepped back, the blow missing her. The two combatants turned and stared each other down; Applejack stomped her hooves and snorted smoke, while Nightmare Moon glowered at her with cold disdain. They circled each other, the one seeking a hole in the defense of the other.
“Diamond Tiara!”
Every-pony turned to see Spoiled Rich marching down the street. “I thought I might find you at the source of this ruckus,” she snapped. She glared at Diamond Tiara, oblivious to her surroundings. “Once again, you disobey me to gallivant with ponies beneath your station! You’re coming home with me, young lady, right n—”
She suddenly noticed Nightmare Moon, who bared her fangs and growled at her. Spoiled Rich screamed, and turned to flee.
“Mother, wait!” Diamond Tiara cried suddenly. “Don’t leave me behind!”
Spoiled Rich turned. Diamond Tiara galloped towards her, but slipped in the snow and fell face-first into the slush. “Ow, my leg!” she moaned. “I think I twisted it!” Spoiled Rich’s expression became calculating. She looked at her daughter, looked at Nightmare Moon, and then came to a decision.
She turned and ran.
“Mom!” Diamond Tiara called, reaching after her. “Please! Don’t leave me!”
But Spoiled Rich kept running, galloping down the street as fast as she could go. Nightmare Moon suddenly became incensed. “Cobarde!” she spat. She fired a magical beam after her, which quickly overtook Spoiled Rich and blasted into her back. Spoiled Rich fell to the ground with a scream, and then lay motionless in the snow.
“M-Mom?” Diamond Tiara whispered, her eyes widening in shock. She turned slowly to Nightmare Moon, stunned. Nightmare Moon stared back, but the cold fury in her eyes had softened. Her expression seemed almost pitying.
Applejack was confused. “Heck ya go and do that for?”
Nightmare Moon responded by striking Applejack upside the head. Applejack had lowered her guard, so the blow caught her by surprise. She groaned and collapsed into the snow.
“Applejack!” Applebloom screamed. Miss Muffins tried to hold her back again, but Applebloom broke away and ran out into the street. “Get away from my sister, ya bully!”
“Wait! Stay away from her!” It was Starlight. During the melee she had extracted herself from the snow. Slush clung to her coat while her face was bruised and purpled, but her horn was lit. “Don’t get in the way!”
But Applebloom ignored her. She charged at Nightmare Moon, too angry to remember that her siblings had been beaten attempting the same tactic. Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. She allowed Applebloom to get closer, and then sidestepped her. But instead of striking, she grabbed Applebloom and pulled her close.
“Wha—?” Applebloom sputtered. “Lemme go!”
Nightmare Moon lit her horn. There was a sound like something sharp scrapping against something solid, and then a very large knife with a curved blade emerged from her jacket. She pressed the sharpened inner edge against Applebloom’s throat. Nightmare Moon said nothing, but she turned her gaze to Starlight and arched her brow meaningfully.
“N-No!” Starlight gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
Nightmare Moon pressed the blade in slightly. Applebloom squealed and whimpered as she felt the edge brush against her throat. The blade left no cut, yet there was little doubt that it would if given slightly more pressure.
“Don’t hurt her!” Starlight cried. She shook her head in disbelief. “I-I can’t believe you’d try this, even after everything else you’ve done.” She pointed at the still form of Spoiled Rich. “I saw what you did to her. That was for running away, right? Well, who are you to judge her? Taking a filly hostage is just as cowardly!”
Nightmare Moon’s ears wilted slightly. She looked away from Starlight, uncertain. For a moment, it looked as though she would set the knife aside. But then her gaze hardened, and she angled the blade as if to cut. Applebloom shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face.
“Wait!” Starlight cried. “Alright! Fine! You win. I’ll let you do what you like with me, but please…let her go.” She doused her magic and hung her head. Nightmare Moon pressed the knife’s handle with her hoof, freeing it from her magic. Then, eyeing Starlight with a fierce gaze, like a hawk hunting a mouse, charged her horn. Starlight’s eyes widened and, instinctively, brought up a shield. But Nightmare Moon pushed the knife up and Starlight, recognizing her meaning, vanished the shield. She trembled as Nightmare Moon’s magic grew in power.
Sweetie Belle’s heart skipped a beat. That much magic would be lethal. “No!” she shrieked. “Don’t kill her!”
Nightmare Moon glanced at her, and Sweetie Belle froze. She trembled beneath the intensity of those cold serpentine eyes, but she swallowed and went on: “P-Please. You’ve h-hurt enough ponies today. I…I don’t know why you’re doing all this, but you don’t have to k-kill any-pony!”
Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. The magical pulse intensified; the very air around them resonated with power. Starlight covered her eyes with her hooves, trembling as she awaited the fall of the axe.
“We were helping you!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “We were trying to be your friend, and you repaid us by beating up our friends and family! You—You stabbed my sister, and no-pony is sure if she’ll even m-make it.” Her voice broke. Tears streamed down her face, but she shook them away and yelled, “What kind of friend are you?”
Nightmare Moon’s ears wilted, and she looked away from Sweetie Belle. Again, there was a moment where Sweetie Belle thought she might call off her shot. But then she raised her head, her eyes hard as frozen steel. The charge of her horn grew more focused; Sweetie Bell realized she was ready to fire.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “You have all this power, and all you do is hurt ponies with it! Why can’t you use it for something else?”
“Yeah!” Scootaloo shouted. “Like, why don’t you just turn Starlight into a frog or something?”
Sweetie Belle turned and gave Scootaloo the biggest “What-the-hay?” expression she could muster. Scootaloo shrugged and grinned sheepishly, realizing the stupidity of that suggestion. But Nightmare Moon’s fierce expression turned thoughtful, the magic in her horn diminishing. Her scowl turned upwards into an impish smirk, and she giggled. Magic gathered in her horn again, but this time, the magic affected Nightmare Moon herself. Her mane waved in the air of its own accord, floating above her as though weightless before dissolving into a misty starfield. The magic in her horn reached its zenith in power, and Nightmare Moon fired the shot. Starlight cried out as the magic hit her square in the chest.
Nothing happened.
Starlight blinked. “O, was that it? I guess your power isn’t as strong any—whoa!” She was hoisted skyward, indigo magic enveloping her. She hovered for a few seconds, magical energy crackling around her, before suddenly glowing with a brilliant white light. Starlight’s profile became smaller, shrinking into a squat, round shape divorced from anything equine. The light faded, and something plopped onto the street.
An unusually large bullfrog sat where Starlight stood. It was purplish-pink, with three stripes of purple, aquamarine, and dark blue running from snout to rear. The bulbous eyes had elliptical pupils, with sclera of regimental blue. “Ribbit,” Starlight croaked. She hopped away, instinct driving her to escape the snow.
The town-ponies gasped in horror—several fainted in shock. Nightmare Moon, on the other hoof, chortled. Her mane had returned to normal.
Sweetie Belle spun on Scootaloo. “Why did you say that for? Now Starlight’s a frog!”
“I was spitballing!” Scootaloo said, aghast. “I didn’t think she’d do it! B-But it can’t be that bad, right? I’m sure Princess Twilight can fix that.” The two fillies regarded Frog-Starlight. She had settled onto the step of a nearby porch, throat pumping as she stared blankly into space. A snow fly, disturbed from its nest, scurried out from beneath a small crevice. Frog-Starlight shot out a long, sticky tongue and caught it, drawing the insect into her mouth.
“I think?” Scootaloo added sheepishly. Sweetie Belle shook her head at her, while Nightmare Moon shrieked in laughter.
“Um…Your Highness?” Applebloom asked. “Ya beat Starlight now. D’ya think you could put that there knife down?”
Nightmare Moon abruptly ceased laughing. She looked coldly down at Applebloom, the knife left firmly in place. Her mood changed like pulling a switch, and it was unnerving to witness. Her eyes darted over the towns-ponies, to see if any-pony else meant to challenge her.
Then her belly growled.
Nightmare Moon looked down at Applebloom with a curious glitter in her eyes, the same way she had looked at the Crusaders when she had gotten hungry as “Sunny Daydream.” She leaned down and sniffed Applebloom’s mane deeply.
“Wha-What are ya doing?” Applebloom asked, repulsed. Nightmare Moon eyed her longingly. She salivated and licked her lips.
Sweetie Belle’s blood suddenly went cold. “She wouldn’t,” she whispered.
“I think she might,” Scootaloo whispered back. “Those teeth…”
Dinky was curious. “Do what? What is she going to do?”
“Gobble up Applebloom,” Scootaloo explained, with a shudder.
“Gobble her?” Dinky cried, her eyes growing big. “O no! I do not want Applebloom to get gobbled! O no no no!” She started crying.
Miss Muffins gasped. She ran into the street and fell on her face before Nightmare Moon. “Please, Your Highness! Don’t hurt our fillies! Eat me instead!”
“No, Mommy!” Dinky cried. “Don’t let her gobble you up!” She tried to run to her, but Sweetie Belle pulled her back. “Let me go, let me go!”
“No, I’m not letting you get hurt too!” Sweetie Belle cried. She struggled to hold onto Dinky while searching desperately for some-pony to help. But every-pony else were too terrified to do anything. Some of them hid their faces, not wanting to see Nightmare Moon take Miss Muffins up on her offer.
“Mommy! Mommy! No!” Dinky wailed, sobbing into Sweetie Belle’s foreleg. Nightmare Moon glanced at her, and her cold gaze faltered. She looked between Dinky and Miss Muffins, and then turned to where Frog-Starlight sat on the porch.
“You promised Starlight,” Sweetie Belle reminded her. “You agreed to let Applebloom go if she surrendered. You’re a princess, you must keep your word!”
Nightmare Moon nodded, slowly. “Sí. I made a pact with her.” She pulled the knife away. Applebloom gasped and collapsed onto the street, panting. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, who regained her usual cold deportment. “You may go,” she said, dismissing Applebloom with a regal wave of her hoof. Applebloom could only nod, and crawled away to where Applejack lay in the snow.
Nightmare Moon turned her attention back to Miss Muffins. The knife floated in the air again, and for a moment, Sweetie Belle was sure she would use it to make good on Miss Muffins’ offer. But then Nightmare Moon stowed the knife into her coat. She regarded Miss Muffins for a moment, and then looked at Dinky. She nodded at her.
Dinky broke away from Sweetie Belle and ran straight to her mother. “Mommy! Mommy!”
“O, Dinky,” Miss Muffins wept, holding out her hooves and pulling her close. They embraced, tears running down their faces.
Nightmare Moon watched them longingly, as though she were seeing her dearest dream passing by. She turned away, her mood more subdued than before. Glancing around and seeing no other challengers, she marched several paces and flapped her wings for flight. She had only just caught air when a loud voice thundered from above.
“Hold it right there!”
A rainbow streak descended from the skies like a falling star. It halted in midair, hovering above Nightmare Moon.
Scootaloo cheered. “Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves and glared down at Nightmare Moon. Three long cuts ran down her face, but she seemed unaware of them. “Where d’ya think you’re going, kid?”