>Tired... you were so tired...
 
>But still, you lumbered you way over to the command table Nightmare Moon had willed into existence.
>Standing on the opposite side, you watched her unroll a map of Equestria across its surface.
>You were wondering where that blasted thing had gone.
 
>While it was extremely convenient to be able to just wish things into existence, they weren’t always the most reliable.
>When you were just getting into the swing of this whole raiding thing, you had been tasked to steal a complete map of Equestria for future planning purposes.
 
>She must have stored it... somewhere.
>You never really paid attention to where the things you brought back here went.
>Your job was to steal, not to store.
>Knowing her, she probably buried it somewhere in the ground.
>She couldn’t have things like storage racks cluttering up her picturesque hill.
 
>As soon as the map reached to your end of the table, flags of all color began popping up.
>It was an easy way to keep track of where you went.
>Each major population center was marked with at least one.
 
>A blue flag was for untouched, green for one raid, yellow for two, red for three and up.
>White flags indicated either heavy guard presence or extreme caution.
>Black meant the area was completely forbidden.
>There used to be only two, Canterlot and Ponyville, but now a third stood over Manehatten.
 
>There was nothing left for anyone there.
 
>You also stole a map of the Crystal Empire, but it was... well, somewhere in the hill with the other stuff.
 
>Staring at you from her side of the table, she somehow snapped her hoof to grab your attention.
>You really stopped questioning these things.
 
>“If they weren’t taking us seriously before, they certainly will now.”
 
>How observant, glorious queen.
>She must have seen you rolling your eyes, as she shot you through with a steely glare.
>You straightened up quickly, that damn horse still had power over you when it came to trivial things.
 
>“We need to make another major strike, and soon. These small town raids aren’t giving us enough power, we have to move before they can completely fortify major population centers.”
 
>Nightmare Moon paced back and forth, looking wholly at home discussing strategy over a map with little markers on it.
 
>“Our next target is Cloudsdale”
 
>You nearly gagged on your own spit.
 
“W-what!?”
 
>She was in no mood to give any quarter, staring you down until you were practically hiding under your end of the table.
 
>“It’s a soft enough target, with all those ponies there most of the guard should be busy trying to safeguard them when you show up. Even with reinforcements the guards should be kept busy.”
 
>“Because,” you did NOT like that evil grin growing on her face, “in but a few days, the Wonderbolts will be holding a show there.”
 
>Your eyes widened involuntarily at her words, this was so not okay with you.
 
“Wait, how do you know that? You can’t see into Equestria unless I’m down there.”
 
>“Do you not realize why I ask you to steal newspapers? I don’t read that drivel for pleasure you know!”
 
>Fuck, you just deliver the goods, not read them!
>But there were more pressing matters at hand than your lack of reading.
 
“But the Princesses! You can’t expect me to go down there when at least one of them will be attending!”
 
>Sure, you were clever enough, but you could barely control that accursed staff in the first place!
>Let alone fight an alicorn one on one!
 
>“Simple, we lure both of them out with a threat.”
 
>You nodded slowly, trying to calm down.
>It sounded simple enough.
>Bait them out with a threat to keep them in one place, and then hit Cloudsdale while they’re waiting around for nothing.
>After you recent actions they would have to take it seriously, no matter how much of a sham it sounded.
 
>They might even divert guard forces if you threaten some other major cities.
>You’d be risking a lot if they called your bluff, but hopefully the fear of what might happen would prevent that.
 
“But how will we get it to them? We don’t exactly have a dragon on hand, and regular mail is out of the question.”
 
>She’s grinning again...
 
>“You’ll just have to hoof deliver it then”
 
>Holy SHIT!
>Things just keep getting worse!
>Laughter rang across the World Between, as Nightmare Moon made sure to enjoy your distress.
>After her little laughing fit was over, she continued on.
 
>“Relax, you’ll hit both of their rooms while they’re out changing the sun and moon. It should be mere seconds you have to spend in Canterlot to leave both a note.”
 
>Evening out your breathing after avoiding a heart attack, you nodded weakly.
>It didn’t sound too bad, just a few measly seconds, what’s the worst that could possibly go wrong?
>You grimaced as you finished that thought.
>Now you’re really in for it.
 
“Just one thing”
 
>You raised a finger, leaning on your staff as you cursed yourself for, well, cursing yourself with that stupid line.
 
“Can I just get some sleep first?”
 
>Nightmare Moon thought long and hard about it, nodding her head to herself as she slowly walked around to your side.
>She leaned in close to make sure you could hear her answer.
 
>“No”
 
>Oh come on.
>You could just tell from that look you got that she was about to ask you to do something.
>Throwing in the towel early, you waited to see what it was this time.
 
>She ripped open a portal before gesturing at it with her metal clad hoof.
 
“Seriously?”
 
>“Would you just suck it up already, Anonymous. There won’t be any fighting, I want to see Equestria again.”
 
>You were being denied sleep just so she could get her jollies projecting herself into Equestria.
>While she couldn’t enter it physically without being destroyed, she could still project her image into it.
>It ate up a ton of her magic and the projection could barely match a filly in terms of magical strength, but it allowed her to see and open portals accurately.
 
>Throwing your hands up in defeat you marched your way across the threshold.
>You found yourself in, surprisingly enough, another little moonlit glade.
>There was a stream in front of you that was fed by a thin but tall waterfall.
 
>Looking around, this place was almost like the one in the World Between, but it felt so much more... alive.
>Your ears perked up at all those little sounds of nightlife.
>You had gotten so used to the silence on the other side you that had practically forgotten what nature actually sounded like.
 
>Nightmare Moon’s projection manifested near you, she seemed as taken aback by the sights and sounds as you were, a sad smile on her face.
>You both just spent time walking around the perimeter, listening and observing.
 
>Neither of you really bothered to slow down the frantic pace of your harvest to enjoy the scenery.
>It was always mission after mission after mission, with whatever little sleep you could catch in between.
 
>She had stopped at the shallow stream, watching the waterfall intently.
>This was a rare moment of peacefulness, one that you were very thankful for.
>No worrying about your next incursions, no moral regrets over your actions, just simple relaxing in nature.
 
>Nightmare Moon seemed to need it more than you, however.
>She was lying flat on her back, hooves tucked in, just watching the starry sky.
 
>You decided to join her.
>All you really had to look at was stars back in the World Between, and it was about time to see just how accurate she really was.
>She took no notice of you when you settled in beside her.
 
>Taking your first real look at the actual night sky in a long time, you found your breath catching in your throat.
>It really was an exact replica, right down to every last little detail.
>Is this what she based everything on?
 
>The accuracy made sense though.
>She had spent thousands of years tending to the stars, maybe not as Nightmare Moon, but certainly as part of Luna.
 
>You felt a little guilty over poking fun at her perfectionism.
>A whole millennium, locked away from everything, even the sights and sounds.
>No wonder she was so desperate to create something in that featureless void you had to call home.
 
>But this one still seemed different.
>You couldn’t describe it in words, for it was more of a feeling you got.
>The one back home felt sterile, no matter how you looked at it.
>This, however, had a vibrant sense of life, a feeling she was unable to capture in her own creation.
>You wondered what she was thinking, seeing the comparison for herself.
 
>It was even a damn full moon too.
 
>Had she come here often, before her banishment, when she was still part of Luna?
>She was able to easily slice a portal here, she must have been familiar with this place somehow.
 
>Both of you stayed there for a while simply stargazing.
>No movement, no talking, just two individuals resting under a blanket of stars.
>You made sure to savor every moment of this calm.
 
>Your eyelids soon started growing heavy.
>Turning on your side to face Nightmare Moon, you watched her unflinching gaze pierce the heavens, broken only by having to blink.
>Occasionally she would divert her attention to you, but never for more than a second.
>You followed the slow rise and fall of her ebony chest, partially obscured by the nebulous mane that spilled to the side of her, and listened to the soft sounds of her breathing.
 
>Slowly you closed your eyes...
 
>A sharp jolt of magic startled you out of your gentle descent into sleep.
 
>“Don’t fall asleep here you foal! You need to get through the portal!”
 
>Well, THERE went the nice moment you were having.
 
“Yeah yeah yeah, damn staff is more important than anything”
 
>“N- Yes! That is the sole source of our power! No matter how secluded this place may be we can’t take any chances!”
 
>You raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
>Did she seriously just trip over her own words?
>What was she going to say?
>Before you could question her on anything, she opened the passage and faded away.
 
>As much as you would have liked to pass it off as your tired mind making things up, it gnawed at you all the way to your rest.