Nightmare Moon's POV
The moon is high above in the sky above like it was every night, with Luna there on her tower's balcony, having finished raising the moon up into the sky. Her shadow that stood there as she was doing so, slips quietly into her tower. Most likely to watch the ponies as they dream or take walks in the Canterlot garden below.
My head was turned at its side when I was watching Luna. I was in bed that the princesses were more than happy to provide for me when I was given another chance. Admittedly when they gave me this room, I thought I was their prisoner, but to them... their friend. It did take me a while before I realized that. Though I am very certain that Prince Blueblood thinks differently about me still, thinking I should be locked up in a cell in Tartarus.
No way I'd want to go anywhere there. Not even with Tirek there, after all he had done to try and take Equestria's magic by force.
Sunset Shimmer who was normally with me, had gone for the night to go back to her quarters for sleep. Both myself and her were a small bit exhausted from extracting more information from the black book that was closed on the pedestal across from the room, but we were within the range of finding the answer on time to this mysterious map that she had found from within the evil texts.
The map itself? I recognized some parts of it, as Yakyakistan was within the map's range, as a path through the mountains north from our allies lived was visible through the snowy rocks. Being that the yaks had knowledge of it and what lied beyond in the north, they could be the only clue to where this path would take.
Would it be that for finding the First Alicorn's Book? Where it is written how to stop the threat of Mortem?
Other than the bloody texts that I was frustrated with trying to translate for a week, the map had only one thing left to fill and it was where the map would be pointing to. With the help of my magic, I was the one who could help protect from Sunset from the dangers of the book's dark magic. As no magical protection present could have made her blind as soon as she read it.
Tomorrow afternoon, she will be returning to help me further. She believes that I work too hard with her, and that I should go spend more time with the ponies in Ponyville, where Brayden lives.
Me? I've already seen my love Brayden this past week. But he knows that whenever he needs me, he will signal for me. I am always there for him. There is also the princesses as well, but they are usually committed to their royal duties, often not really having much time to talk when a special event for them comes up.
Yeah, it's just me most of the time, working on the mystery of the Dragon Queen's black books with Sunset. Honestly though, I am getting a bit bored of being here in this room... I should really get up and take a stroll through the castle.
I motion myself upwards in the bed, letting the sheets slide backwards as I slip out, placing my black hooves out onto the crystalline floor that I was used to. My cyan cat eyes, stare for another moment outside of the room, the sight of Luna's moon illuminating the sky above and now in full appearance.
Trotting around the bed, I go past the pedestal where the Black Book rests, and open up my bedroom door. The hallways outside seem to be very quiet aside from maybe one or two castle guards on patrol, busy to keep everyone in the castle safe and protected from any threat that may come.
The soft black hooves touch onto the plush red carpet of regal feeling as I am trotting down the hall. The guards have not turned their eyes off to look at me, other than to stand guard and be on the lookout for intruders or threats. Knowing them after a while and being rather shy of them in the early days of being redeemed, I believe they are already used to me by this point.
"Good evening Nightmare Moon," The guard coming up to my right, standing there by the western wing's stairway to the main hall where most would come in. "Out for another stroll again?"
I giggled for a moment as my eyes peeked towards the pegasi's apple green colored eyes. "Of course," I responded to him. "I'm having another one of those nights again, and maybe perhaps a walk can help me get relaxed."
The guard nods his head in obedience, watching me go past him and down the stairway.
Even the main hall was quite peaceful and quiet at this time of night, with one of the ballroom doors closed shut at the bottom right of the main floor. There is a light on, and there is laughter of entertainment coming from inside there. I am very certain that it is Celestia with some delegates from as far as the Dragon Lands and Mount Aris. Even after the Storm King's defeat and arrest, the treaty of sharing information from between us and the Hippogriffs has brought us great allies in return.
I would like to go inside and join in with them. Though I am very certain that it is between Celestia and the others inside, so I do not want to bother them. They may be skeptical about who I am, as I was once the Mare in the Moon. Any appearance I make could set them off. They would just feel angry about why I was spared possibly, by the Hippogriff viewpoint.
Ember though? I've met her about once or twice to get a feeling of what I should expect when she comes to visit. I know Spike though, being that this was the first dragon he had made friends with for the alliance with Equestria, she'd never make me look bad. Sure, she can act a bit arrogant, but she keeps well to her word.
I continue down, and then moving up again to the east wing of the castle, my hooves not having got any of the party's attention from what business was being made. The hallways upon peeking in, seem dark and lonely. Lonely... such a sad, but yet for me, it's blissful when it is my time alone to think things over.
The balcony on the opposite side of where the throne room's entrance is, will help provide a sight for me of Ponyville and the rest of the land from below the mountain. From what I am certain by the weather ponies, it isn't supposed to rain until later tonight. It's something I always like to do when I am not busy here or with Brayden.
Sure there is the classical music that is playing throughout the castle halls, but even so, it does get boring over time when I am not interested for that. When it comes to music, I'm more interested in what Brayden has on his little 'music player' device that is from Earth.
A turn down another hallway, and I can see the closed doors to the left from across the throne room doors. Trotting forward, I place my right front hoof onto the left sided door's handle, giving it a twist to push it open.
The smell of fresh air fills in once again, and I step out into the moonlight on the balcony. The stars above in the darkened sky above, shining brightly as usual, twinkling on occasion. My hooves can feel the stone underneath them, even when I raised my left front hoof and placed it to rest on the railing made of that same material as well.
Above me, my cyan cat eyes are directly not towards the full moon that I once had the magic to manipulate for the wrong reasons. My focus was more on the stars and the magic that were contained with them that I would use for being able to help Brayden ensure that he will have a good night's rest, so that no nightmares would grip onto him. The nightmares he would suffer from when Queen Chrysalis made him her own personal slave, was already deep trauma for him and took more than enough of the stars' magic to help me and Luna comfort him and assure all was now okay.
Other than knowing that Thorax was completely on our side, there were no reports on what has been happening with the Changelings in the Badlands when they were sent back there in the last invasion.
Even though the stars are many, many light-years away from our world, I have always wanted to see the other civilizations beyond Equus. I have seen Earth from the magic that has recovered over time, but from the experience that Brayden and his friends endured. I'm not sure that it would be such a good time to go explore there by myself. It does share the same elements that our world does... but it'll be saved for one other time.
The books that Alex, Brayden's best friend, had brought from there. The astronomy books are quite an interesting read on where the nebulas are from that point of view to the normal human. Those the astronomers have not discovered our world light-years past the Eagle Nebula, there shouldn't be anything to worry about for now if they decide to be peaceful towards us.
Humanity from what I know, by definition, are not perfect. They have their flaws like going to start wars for no reason, and just creating division among themselves, except for the select few who see that they should at least give peace a chance.
Brayden I know deep in my heart, is willing to give that message to all of them, even if his voice is nothing but dust blowing past them in the silent wind. Even when I lied down next to him on the grass, my head placed on his chest, the sound of his heart shared with me what that of good. Even if the voice of his is silent to the ears of the masses on Earth, it would take some time to spread it among the others who aren't like those who live life, buy and don't try to find a purpose to make lives better.
From this view on the balcony, I see the expansion of the Everfree that has grown out overtime from the thousand years that I had been banished with Luna. The ruins for the Castle of the Two Sisters are still there, but remain in such a crumbling state that after the Lord Tirek incident, nopony has stepped inside since then. Still, before it all crashes down, it is best to preserve whatever history remains from within those stone halls.
There is also the old theater from nearby. That too is in quite a crumbling state, with the lack of anypony trying to take care of it. The expansion and growth of the forest over time had decided to make it partially its home.
Something's odd about it though. There are a few glowing lights there, something I haven't seen before.
Wait, those... those aren't even lights...
From what I misinterpreted as such, were instead the colors of blue, followed by a series of what looked to be the colors of what would represent flames. It would swap back and forth between one another.
My heart... it's giving me such a warning inside. My connection to Brayden when he saved me. I can sense that he is there, and that there might be trouble. My heart hurts a bit from that shift from is warning me to affecting my emotions to become rather worried and frightened there. I don't know why he is there, but I don't want any harm brought to him.
I had quick intentions on wanting to see what was happening over there and praying inside that Brayden wasn't hurt, though my heart can tell me he is in great danger.
I spread open my black colored wings, taking off in the skies to head down from the castle, straight towards the outdoor theater from the past thousand years. By the flames, I can tell that it was an enemy he was facing. I am too afraid to admit who it is, but I knew that I have to protect him.
Stars and Luna's moon in the night sky, please keep Brayden safe until I get there.