Chapter Ten

Sweetie Belle screamed, stumbling back while Nightmare Moon slammed into the snow in front of her. Sweetie Belle braced herself for attack, but Nightmare Moon leapt over her, catching the breeze in her wings for flight.

"No you don't!" Starlight yelled, firing a magical blast. Nightmare Moon banked, and sent back an energy blast of her own. Starlight threw up a shield, deflecting it away. Unfortunately, the shot ricocheted into the herd of ponies gathered around. They screamed and scattered; the blast missed them and hit a cottage. A huge section of its stone façade exploded while every window shattered. The stone chimney toppled onto 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 asked. Her attention was fixed on Nightmare Moon. "She's the one we need to worry about." She narrowed her eyes. "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 at them. She seemed entirely nonplussed about the damage she had just caused. 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 in the streets. "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 Nightmare Moon as though she were in a dream, trying to process what she was seeing.

This was Nightmare Moon, of that Sweetie Belle was certain. There was a wild, furious presence to her, one totally divorced from Princess Luna. Yet at the same time, her feral energy was checked by a quiet stillness, like a glacier in a remote artic wasteland. Even her wings offered no sound as she hovered, seeking an opening. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon were supposed to be the same pony, but the more Sweetie Belle watched her, 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, concerned

"I reckon," Applejack replied. "Look, she's comin' around."

Applebloom moaned and opened her eyes. "O, my head," she said groggily. "Hay jus' happened?"

"Your new "friend" tossed you on your 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!"

"I tried tellin' ya," Applejack said, shaking her head.

"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 all 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. Sweetie Belle felt her blood run cold. "But why?" she 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 to 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 you brought Nightmare Moon here?"

"Some-pony stop her!" Applejack yelled suddenly, paying Sweetie Belle no more attention. "Don't let her slip away!"

Sweetie Belle turned and saw Nightmare Moon suddenly bank and glide down the street towards the Everfree Forest. It suddenly occurred to Sweetie Belle that the forest had been her real destination the entire time.

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 before banking suddenly and flying at the opposite diagonal, all while staying close to the cottages. Starlight fired several shots after her, but the banking and weaving caused every one to miss, hitting the cottages instead. Glass burst out into 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, I've got this!" Pinkie Pie yelled. "She was suddenly hovering in front of Nightmare Moon, grinning and spinning her tail like a propeller. "Hiya, Nighty!" Pinkie Pie greeted, as though Nightmare Moon was a friend she had run 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 suddenly hovered behind her. "Why Nighty, what sharp teeth you have! Have you been brushing them regularly?" Suddenly, they were on the ground. Pinkie Pie wore a 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, looking entirely bewildered by this development. Pinkie Pie lowered her head mirror, pushed Nightmare Moon's tongue down with a wooden depressor, and peered down her throat.

"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-sy? How can I find out? Ooh, I know! Tell me, do you like garlic?"

She thrust the string of garlic bulbs into Nightmare Moon's face. Her "patient" snarled angrily and grabbed the string, attempting to pull Pinkie Pie closer. But Pinkie Pie now stood off to the side, the string of garlic 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, that could mean you're a vampire…or I shouldn't bother with making you anything from Ita-filly. 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 made of silver, right?" She leaned in and looked inside the peytral. "Yup, I can see myself in there! O, and I can see you in here 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 Pe said thoughtfully. "That's quite a little temper you have. 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! In…out…In…out…"

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.

"Ah, why'd you go and hit yourself like that?" Pinkie Pie asked, giggling. "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. The towns-ponies stopped laughing. Sweetie Belle felt her fur stand on end. What even was this thing? Even Pinkie Pie's usual cheerful demeanor faltered. "Um…that's a very deep growl you've got there. 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 was suddenly on a roof. "No, that was more jaguar than tiger. Good try though!"

Nightmare Moon leered murderously as Pinkie Pie. She shot another beam at the roof, but Pinkie Pie was now on the porch of the house, while the magic blast knocked some straw off the cottage's roof. Pinkie Pie started humming merrily, as though the whole ordeal was just a kind of game to her.

"That a' girl, Pinkie!" Applejack cheered. "She's runnin' out o' energy, we got 'er now!"

It was true. That last blast had been much thinner than before, and lacked a lot of punch in comparison. Nightmare Moon panted heavily, sweat running down her face despite it being the middle of winter.

"You missed me, you missed me!" Pinkie Pie 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 again. But she seemed to change her mind suddenly, and let the light fade. Then she sat on her hunches, bowed her head, and closed her eyes. She became very still. Only her ears moved, twisting around like a cat.

"O, good," Miss Muffins said, relieved. "It looks like she's giving up now."

Applejack frowned. "Ya can never be sure with her. That girl's tricky." She turned to Starlight. "Ain't ya going to blast her?"

Starlight looked unsure. "Should I? I mean, she's giving up now, 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 Nightmare Moon a little filly now? Did Princess Luna want a foal?"

"We'll explain later," Applejack grumbled. "Pinkie Pie? Isn't yak going to get her up?"

"Okay, we're coming. Are you going to come along, Nighty?" Pinkie Pie asked, leaning closer to Nightmare Moon. The dark alicorn ears twitched, but otherwise stayed put. "All this fighting really is no fun. I know! When Twilight gets you reformed, let's do animal impressions! I can do a really good impression of a bullfrog! Look, ribbit rib—"

Nightmare Moon lashed out suddenly. Pinkie Pie's guard was down, so the blow connected this time against the side of her body. Pinkie Pie staggered back, gasping for air.

"Oof," Scootaloo said, wincing. "Liver shot."

Pinkie Pie coughed, and a red fluid spat out onto the snow beneath her. She stared, transfixed, 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 then struck her back knee against the bottom of her chin.

Every-pony gasped as Pinkie Pie collapsed on the ground. Time sat still as ponies stared at her unconscious body, unable to process quite what had just happened. Pinkie Pie always seemed so otherworldly, unaffected by care or harm. Seeing her fall in such a brutal method was like watching some-pony knock down the wind down.

"Pinkie Pie!" Applejack yelled. She spun on Starlight. "Don' jus' sit there twiddlin' your hooves, blast 'er!"

Starlight snapped out of the daze she had fallen into after Pinkie Pie fell. "Right." She fired her horn.

Nightmare Moon casually stepped aside, Starlight's shot blowing right by her, and returned fire with a magical blast of her own. Starlight winced and threw up a magical shield, but the shot blew right over her head.

"Ha!" Starlight laughed. "You missed!"

"Starlight!" Applejack yelled. "Above you!"

Starlight glanced up, but it was already too late. During the battle, Starlight had drifted towards the one of the cottages. The thatched roof had built up a substantial amount of snow on top of it. Nightmare Moon's magic had disturbed the fragile precipice upon which the snow clung to the room, and it cascaded down like an avalanche upon Starlight. "Wha—" Starlight said, before she was buried by heavy snow.

"Starlight!" Applejack cried. She turned and hurriedly thrust Applebloom into Miss Muffin's hooves. "Keep her safe," she said, before turning and charging into the street. "Now hang on a minute there, ya little hellion!"

Nightmare Moon ignored Applejack. She spread her wings and began to fly away towards the Everfree Forest. Applejack sprinted after her, at a pace rivaled by full-sized horses. But even Sweetie Belle could see that Nightmare Moon outpaced her, and realized she getting away.

And then a rope snapped out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Nightmare Moon's rear leg and pulling her to the ground.

Applejack turned. "Big Mac!"

Big Macintosh stood up the street, the lasso holding Nightmare Moon's leg held tightly between his teeth. He held another lasso in his hoof, which he tossed to Applejack without a word.

"Thank ya kindly, Big Mac! Help me wrestle her up." She spun the lasso in her mouth and flung it over Nightmare Moon's torso before she could take off the other rope. "We gotcha now!"

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes at them. She stood up, and began walking towards the Everfree as though she were completely free. Applejack and Big Mac looked at each other, and without a word pulled. Nightmare Moon staggered and fell with a grunt. She picked herself back up without a sound, and looked back at them. She stared for a few seconds, and then, to every-pony's surprise, smiled. She suddenly kicked the leg Big Mac had roped forward, and Big Mac stumbled. He stayed standing and retained his hold on the rope, but his eyes widened.

Nightmare Moon pulled against them. Both Apples dug their hooves in, and Nightmare Moon struggled to move forward, but she finally stepped powerfully forward, and Applejack stumbled forward a few paces.

Scootaloo watched this display in utter astonishment. "Horse apples! How strong is that kid?"

"How is she doing that?" Sweetie Belle asked. She felt both amazed and fearful at the same time.

"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 sis and my big brother!"

At that exact moment, Nightmare Moon pulled forward suddenly, and both Apples stumbled.

"Uh, I think?" Applebloom amended.

"Starlight," Applejack called between her teeth. "Come on! Blast her while ya can!"

But Starlight made no movement from under the snow pile. Sweetie Belle recalled what getting hit in the face with a snowball was like, and shuddered to think what pounds of snow on the head could do.

"C'mon, wake up," Applejack urged. "We can't keep her down forever. Uh-oh!"

Nightmare Moon extended her wings, Applejack evidently missing them with her lasso. She flapped them experimentally, and then with a sharp thrust became airborne. The Apples stepped back as one and pulled down, attempting to ground her. Nightmare Moon dipped, but she flapped her wings rapidly to pull away. Sweat ran down her mane, the effort needed to fight against two adult ponies extending an obvious strain on her.

Some of the town-ponies started cheering on the Apples, giving them encouragement to keep pulling, and some telling for them to try pulling Nightmare Moon down harder. Even the Crusaders got in on it. "Hang in there, Sis!" Applebloom yelled. "Don't let her go for an instant!"

The encouragement was unnecessary. Neither Apple would let the rope go for any reason, but it did seem to strengthen them. They stepped back, and Nightmare Moon lost ground again. For a brief moment, it seemed like they would succeed.

And then they started rising.

It happened gradually at first. Both Apples kept their hooves planted firmly into the ground, giving them a base from which to pull down Nightmare Moon. But the snow underfoot was slick to begin with, making their hold on the ground unsteady. That meant there was less traction to give them as good a hold of the ground. Nightmare Moon ascended higher, causing them to slip—and then their front hooves lifted off the ground. They continued rising as their ensnared captive ascended higher, until both ponies were rearing up on their back legs. Applejack, spotting the danger, attempted to push herself down, but Nightmare Moon pulled her back up and climbed even higher. Applejack slipped, and then her back hooves left the ground. Big Mac tried to step back to get more traction, but he slipped too, and was uplifted with Applejack.

They dangled beneath Nightmare Moon like dead weight, neither Apple letting go, yet possessing no more support against which to pull. They easily outweighed her by a great amount, yet she pulled them higher into the air, until she was level with the thatched roofs of the cottages. The ponies below gasped, amazed by this feat of strength while also worried for the Apples.

"Applejack! Big Mac!" Applebloom yelled, her eyes wide. "Y'all be careful up there!"

Applejack flailed in the air, trying to pull herself down, but to no avail. Both Apple's were captive to their captive, their ropes suddenly their lifelines. Nightmare Moon hovered, and looked down at Applejack. She smirked. Normally, a villainess smiling at Applejack inspired renewed courage, but this time her eyes shrunk to the tiniest of pinpricks.

Nightmare Moon banked sharply, and started flying around in a circle. The ropes holding her grew taught, 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, so she desisted.

Both Apples were strong ponies, the strongest, perhaps, in all Ponyville. But even they could hardly stand spinning over fifteen feet in the air while holding onto rope with their teeth. Big Mac lost his grip and plummeted. "Whoa!" he yelled, before he slammed 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 the rope with her hooves while maintaining her bite-hold on the rope. Her stubbornness was practically a superpower itself. But physics acted against her, and she slipped and fell at last. Even then, Applejack refused to fall alone. She grabbed at both ropes with her hooves and pulled. She plummeted quickly; however the ropes tugged Nightmare Moon after her, and they crashed to the ground together.

The ponies held their collective breath. The three combatants lay still in the snow, and no-pony felt brave enough to check if they had survived. Time seemed to crawl to a standstill.

Then Nightmare Moon sat bolt upright, so suddenly that several ponies gasped. She rose to her feet, panting but otherwise appearing entirely unscathed by the fall, perhaps due to the Pegasus part of her nature. Her horn lit, and the lasso tied around her leg burnt away. Then she turned, tossed her head back so her mane landed behind her horn, and stared at the adults around her fiercely. No-pony moved to challenge her. Realizing this, Nightmare Moon inhaled and tensed her muscles, the rope around her middle straining against her. A deep snarl resonated inside of her, and with a mighty yell the lasso burst, sending pieces of rope flying in all directions.

Every-pony gasped. Dinky shuddered and grabbed her mother's leg. "Why did she do that, Mommy? Couldn't she just burn them off too?"

"Not so loud," Miss Muffins whispered anxiously. "She just wants to show every-pony how strong she is."

"How come she wants us to see how strong she is?" Dinky asked.

"Maybe so we'll leave her alone?" Scootaloo suggested.

"Why don't we let her be alone if she wants that?" Dinky asked.

"Because she's doing bad things and they want her to stop," Miss Muffins explained.

"O."

Nightmare Moon huffed and panted, the effort of dramatically breaking the rope no doubt taxing to her, on top of the other feats she had just performed. Seeing no other challengers remaining, she turned to the road towards the Everfree Forest, spreading her wing in preparation for flight.

"Hold on there, little missy!" Big Mac, recovered from his fall, thundered down the street, having decided to charge her instead.

Sweetie Belle had witnessed enough by this point to guess this was a very bad idea. "Wait!" she cried.

But it was already too late. Nightmare Moon sidestepped Big Mac. He charged past her, realized his mistake, and tried to course correct. He slid a little in the slush and stumbled; Nightmare Moon turned and bucked behind her. The blow landed squarely between his legs, right in the groin.

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, and backflipped, driving him head-first into the frost-covered streets. Big Mac crumpled into the snow. He was out cold.

"Big Mac!" Applejack screamed. She got up and charged at Nightmare Moon, who lazily side-stepped 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. Applejack stepped back to evade the blow. The two combatants faced each other; Applejack stomped her hooves and snorted smoke. Nightmare Moon stared at her with cold disdain, carrying herself with a regal bearing that somehow made her appear bigger than she was. They circled each other, the one seeking a hole in the others defense.

"Diamond Tiara!"

Every-pony turned to see Spoiled Rich come around a corner and march down the street. Diamond Tiara's ears wilted. Applejack arched an incredulous brow at her, while Nightmare Moon gave her a calculating look.

"I thought I might find you at the source of this ruckus," Spoiled Rich said. She was glaring at Diamond Tiara, oblivious to the events surrounding her. "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 had been listening to her speak with growing dislike. She bared her fangs and growled at her with a sound like distant thunder. Spoiled Rich screamed, and turned to flee.

"Mom, 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. Spoiled Rich took in this situation with a calculating look, and then turned away and ran.

"Mother!" Diamond Tiara called. "Please! Don't leave me!"

But Spoiled Rich did not turn around again, fleeing down the street with a single-minded search for safety. Nightmare Moon watched this exchange in astonishment, and then suddenly became incensed. "Cobarde!" she spat. She fired a magical blast. It quickly overtook Spoiled Rich and blasted into her rear, dropping her instantly.

"Mom?" Diamond Tiara whispered, her eyes widening in shock. She slowly turned her attention to Nightmare Moon, stunned. Nightmare Moon stared back, but the cold fury in her eyes seemed to have softened to something like pity.

Applejack looked confused. "Heck ya go and do that for?"

Nightmare Moon responded by striking Applejack upside the hide. Applejack made the mistake of lowering her guard, and the blow caught her entirely by surprise. She groaned, and collapsed into the snow.

"Applejack!" Applebloom screamed. Miss Muffins tried to hold her back, but Applebloom broke away and ran out into the street. "Get away from my sister, ya bully!"

"Wait! Stay away from her!" Starlight stood out of the snowdrift. Snow covered her entire body, her face purpled from the impact, but she no longer appeared dazed, her horn lit and ready. "Don't get in the way.

But Applebloom was too angry to listen. She charged at Nightmare Moon, forgetting that her siblings had been beaten after trying the same tactic. Nightmare Moon arched a brow. She let Applebloom get closer, and then sidestepped her. But instead of striking her, she grabbed Applebloom with her hooves and pulled her tightly against her body.

"Wha—?" Applebloom sputtered. "Let go of me!"

Nightmare Moon lit her horn. There was a sound like something metallic being pulled, and suddenly a very large knife with a curved blade appeared from inside her jacket. She held it up to Applebloom's throat. Applebloom's pupils became wide in terror as she felt the blade's edge brush against her coat. Nightmare Moon said nothing, but she turned her gaze to Starlight and stared at her with a very pointed expression on her face.

The street suddenly became very quiet. Starlight gasped. "N-No!" she cried. "You wouldn't!"

Nightmare Moon arched a brow and pressed the blade in slightly. Applebloom squealed and whimpered, tears running down her cheeks. The knife made no cut, but the intention remained.

"No, don't hurt her!" Starlight cried. She was shaking, both from fear and anger. "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. Why'd you blast her? For running away? Being a coward? Who are you to judge her? Taking a hostage and threatening a filly is just as cowardly!"

Nightmare Moon looked astonished after hearing this, and her ears wilted slightly. She seemed uncertain for a moment, but then her gaze hardened, and she angled the blade as if to cut. Applebloom shut her eyes tightly and cringed.

"Wait!" Starlight cried. "Alright! Fine! You win. Do what you like with me, only please…let her go." She doused her magic and hung her head. Nightmare Moon said nothing, but she pressed the knife with her hoof, freeing it from her magic. Then, eyeing Starlight with a fierce gaze like a hawk hunting a mouse, charged her horn for a particular strong magic blast. The air around her vibrated with the power of it.

Sweetie Belle's heart skipped a beat. She had already seen too many of her favorite adults fall today, and with that much energy, she was certain she was about to see Starlight die too. "No!" she shouted. "Don't kill her!"

Nightmare Moon turned to look at her, and Sweetie Belle froze up. She had a very intense gaze, cold and calculating. Sweetie Belle had yet to see her blink. She trembled under the intensity of that gaze, but she swallowed and went on: "P-Please. You've hurt enough ponies today. I…I don't know why you're doing all this, but you don't have to kill any-pony."

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. The charge on her horn grew more intense, and the very air around them resonated from the power emanating from the beam. Starlight covered her eyes with her hooves and trembled as she awaited the fall of the axe.

"We were helping you!" Sweetie Belle burst out. "We were trying to be your friend, and all you did in return is beat up our friends and family! What kind of friend are you?" Nightmare Moon's ears wilted, and she looked away from Sweetie Belle and at her feet. For a moment, Sweetie Belle thought she might call off her shot. But then she raised her head, her expression hardened. The shot grew more powerful still.

Sweetie Belle shook her head at her, fighting back tears. "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 her into a frog or something?"

Sweetie Belle turned and gave Scootaloo the biggest "What-the-hay?" expression she could manage. Scootaloo shrugged and grinned sheepishly, aware of how stupid that suggestion was. But Nightmare Moon suddenly became contemplative, as though she were actually considering this. Her fierce expression turned thoughtful, the magical charge becoming diminished. Suddenly, she grinned broadly, and giggled. Magic gathered in her horn again. The very air around them seemed to hum with the power. Her mane began waving in the air of its own accord, lifting above her as though weightless, before collapsing into a misty starfield. The towns-ponies gasped in amazement. But before any-pony could respond, a great beam of energy shot towards Starlight.

She barely had time to cry out before the blast hit.

Nothing happened.

Starlight blinked. "O, was that it? I guess your power isn't as strong any—whoa!" She was suddenly hoisted up into the air, indigo magic suddenly enveloping her. She hovered in the air for a few seconds, magical energy crackling around her, before suddenly glowing with a brilliant white light. Starlight's shape became smaller, and changed into a shape far removed from equine. Then the light faded, and something plopped onto the snowy street.

Starlight was gone. In her place sat an unusually large bullfrog. It was purplish-pink, with three stripes running from snout to rear, each one separate colors of purple, aquamarine, and dark blue. The bulbous eyes had elliptical pupils, but the irises were regimental blue. There was little doubt who this frog had been.

"Ribbit," Starlight croaked. She hopped away, driven by instinct to escape the snow. The town-ponies gasped in horror—several fainted in shock. Nightmare Moon, on the other hoof, chortled.

"Th—That ain't funny," Applebloom said. She was eying the knife warily, lest Nightmare Moon's grip slip in her mirth.

Sweetie Belle spun on Scootaloo. "Why'd you go and say something like that for? Now Starlight's a frog!"

"I was just spit balling!" Scootaloo said, aghast. "I didn't think she'd actually do it! But it's better than letting Princess Luna zap her. Besides, I'm sure Princess Twilight can fix that." They glanced at Frog-Starlight. She had hopped over to a nearby porch and sat on one of the steps, her throat pumping as she stared blankly into space. A snow fly, disturbed by the turbulence of the battle, scurried out from beneath a small crevice. Frog-Starlight shot her long tongue out and caught it.

"Um…I think?" Scootaloo added sheepishly. Sweetie Belle shook her head at her. Nightmare Moon chortled at this display.

"Um…Your Highness?" Applebloom said. "Ya beat Starlight now. D'ya think you could put that there knife down?"

Nightmare Moon glanced at her, but kept the knife in place. Her eyes traveled over the town-ponies, possibly to see if any-pony else meant to challenge her.

Then her belly growled.

Every-pony tensed. Nightmare Moon looked down at Applebloom, and her expression changed. There was a curious glitter in her eyes, the same one she had given the Crusaders when she had gotten hungry as "Sunny Daydream." Sweetie Belle suddenly remembered certain stories about Nightmare Moon, stories involving gobbling and foals. Nightmare Moon licked her lips.

Sweetie Belle's blood suddenly went cold.

"She wouldn't," Silver Spoon whispered, horrified.

"I think she might," Scootaloo whispered back. "Those teeth…"

Dinky was curious. "Do what? What is she going to do?"

"Gobble up Applebloom," Scootaloo said, shuddering.

"She is?" Dinky cried, her eyes growing big. "O no! I don't want Applebloom to get gobbled! O no no no!" She started sobbing.

Miss Muffins gasped. She ran into the street and fell upon her face in front of Nightmare Moon. "Please, Your Highness! Don't hurt any of the 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 said. She struggled to hold onto Dinky. She looked disparately around, hoping some-pony would come help. But no-pony came. They were all too terrified to do or say anything. Some of them hid their faces, not wanting to see Nightmare Moon take her up on her offer.

But the pony who seemed the most taken aback was Nightmare Moon herself. She stared at Miss Muffins in total astonishment, apparently having no idea how to respond to this.

"Mommy! Mommy! No!" Dinky sobbed, crying into Sweetie Belle's foreleg. Nightmare Moon's cold gaze faltered. She looked between Dinky and Miss Muffins and her mother, and then down the street, where Frog-Starlight sat stupidly staring at the hole where the snow fly had crawled out of. Her expression was hard to read; she almost seemed conflicted.

"Y-Ya promised," Applebloom stammered. Her terrified eyes were locked onto the knife pressed against her throat. "Y-Yer a princess, ya gotta keep yer word!"

Nightmare Moon nodded, slowly. "Si. I made a pact with her. I must keep my word." Her voice was the same as when she had been masquerading as Sunny Daydream. It sounded wrong, hearing such an ethereal, melodious voice coming out of such a frightening creature. She pulled the knife away. Applebloom gasped and collapsed into the street, breathing heavily and shaking. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, who stared back with her usual cold impassivity. "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 still, 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, scrapping against what Sweetie Belle assumed was the sheath. She glanced at Dinky, nodded at her, and turned away without a word.

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 as they held each other.

Nightmare Moon looked back at them, her expression suddenly looking sad. She stared at them longingly, as though she was seeing her dearest dream passing for some-pony else. She turned away again, morose. By her mood, no-pony would have thought that she was a victor in a battle against her enemies, but the loser.

She took several paces and spread her wings to take flight. She only just caught air before a loud voice called from above.

"Hold it right there!"

A rainbow blur descended from the skies like a falling star. It halted in midair, hovering directly in front of Nightmare Moon.

Scootaloo cheered. "Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves and glared down at Nightmare Moon. There were three long cuts running down her face, but she seemed unaware of them. "And where do you think you're going, kid?"

Nightmare Moon said nothing. The magical blast she fired in Rainbow's face was response enough.