>The armor shards floated out of your hands, slowly spinning as they rose in the air.
>Nightmare Moon’s horn was glowing brightly with magic as she quickly fit each piece of her old mantle back together.
>With the power of the World Between, the cracks were sealed and it was made whole once more.
 
>Shrugging off her inferior conjured armor, she slowly put on her renewed set.
 
>It would fall back apart if it ever left here, but that was a problem for a later date.
 
>The effects of her power boost were made immediate.
>You watched the horizon stretch further into the distance, more land expanding outwards from Nightmare Moon’s bubble of reality.
>The forest around you was driven backwards to make room for a large plot empty ground.
 
>Bricks of obsidian started forming in the thousands as she began piecing together a large structure.
>Tall spires of black tore their way into the night sky, the light of the moon glinting off their polished surfaces.
 
>A bolt of lightning flashed in the background as Nightmare Moon completed her construction.
>Almost disappointed by the lack of an accompanying pipe organ, you walked with her to the tall gate of your new base.
 
“Gonna name it anything?”
 
>She stopped and put a hoof to her chin, humming in thought.
 
>“It shall be known as... Castle Midnight!”
 
>There was another strike of lightning in the background.
 
>“What’s with that look you're giving me!?”
 
“It’s just... it’s kinda lame.”
 
>“I didn’t see YOU build this castle with your mind! The name is final!”
 
>You had a stupid grin as Nightmare Moon raised the portcullis and entered in a huff.
>Considering her the queen of the castle, what did that make you?
>Did you hold the ambitious position as king, or were you but a knight?
 
>Chuckling privately to yourself, you followed her into the foyer.
>You weren’t too surprised to see it lavished with all manner of lunar iconography.
 
>There were two hallways to your sides, but Nightmare Moon was moving down the central corridor.
>Not wanting to get lost, you picked up the pace.
>The flooring was made of dull obsidian bricks.
>Every couple of feet there were statues of various astronomical pieces, flanked with thin vases of white flowers.
>It struck an interesting a contrast to the dark interior.
 
>At the end of the hallway was an important looking set of wooden double doors.
>They were engraved with silver filigree and a large crescent moon was split down the middle between them.
>Another pair of hallways stretched out to your left and right.
>A set of paintings sat on both sides of the twin doors, on the left was Nightmare Moon, and on the right was, surprisingly enough, one of you.
 
>Having waited for you to catch up, she opened the doors inward with a dramatic burst, revealing a massive throne room.
>You swore there was a chorus singing as you gazed upon the seat of her power.
>A window from far above you allowed the moonlight to beam in directly onto the royal throne.
>It sat on a tall dais, a few steps of stairs leading the chosen ascendant to their symbol of divinity.
 
>A thin sapphire colored carpet trimmed with silver stretched from the foot of the throne all the way to the entrance, creating a path through the polished obsidian flooring.
>Six columns of equally shiny marble lined both walls, long banners depicting Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark hanging off them.
 
>What really knocked you out was the enormous stained glass window above the throne.
>It was a stylized depiction of both you and Nightmare Moon.
>You're not sure why you were so stunned to see yourself included, but the fact that you were left a fuzzy feeling in your heart.
 
>“Wipe that dumb look off your face, Anonymous.”
 
“What stunning first orders to deliver from your mighty throne, my dear queen.”
 
>Bowing exaggeratedly with your staff, you watched her face distort in muted anger.
>Looking carefully though, you could the corners of her lips tug upwards in a hidden smile.
 
>“One day I’ll make you call me queen in earnest, Anonymous. Be thankful that it is not today.”
 
>She bared her fangs at you malevolently.
>You met her challenge by showing off your own pair of canines in a wide grin.
 
>“Such fight in you! That will have to be addressed! But, for now, bring me the Discorb so I can begin to unravel its mysteries.”
 
>Detaching it from your staff, you somewhat remorsefully let Nightmare Moon levitate it out of your hand.
>Stay strong, little artifact.
>She went into a trance-like state as it orbited around her head.
>You opted to explore the castle while she tried to fathom the unfathomable on her throne.
 
>Striding back through the opulent doors, you went down the hallway you entered from.
>There were two doors you noticed during your first walk through that you wanted to search.
>Taking the one on your right revealed a large dining room.
 
>Tyrian purple tablecloth covered a far too large wooden dining table.
>A few more banners were placed in here, and there was a nice centerpiece rug underneath the table.
>In the middle of the wall was an empty fireplace set in a large alcove.
 
>More exploration revealed similar trends amongst the rooms.
>The kitchen, the courtyard... there were just two people living in this place, why was everything so damn big?
>Moving up a floor, you milled about a large commons area with quite a few rooms for the servants, if you ever had any.
 
>Across the courtyard there was a barracks, for the soldiers you’d never house.
>There was also a storage room, which actually had some use.
>Inside were racks of all the old pilfered goods you’d taken.
 
>Returning to the main building, you took a different path upwards.
>You passed a well-stocked library, much to your surprise.
>The books actually had words on them, instead of being the blank placeholders you envisioned them as.
 
>Everything started to blend together as you passed through the empty halls.
 
>A castle vault filled with nothing, some facilities which served no purpose since there was nobody to use them.
>Ah, you were wondering where the command table would find itself, this must be the strategic room.
>Moving onwards, you stumbled across an observatory, which would be somewhat interesting if wasn’t for the fact the sky was artificial.
 
>You actually forgot why you were here in the first place.
>All of this served little purpose for anything!
>Besides, weren’t you going to move out of here and into Canterlot anyways?
 
>Nightmare Moon’s room was actually quite small for your expectations.
>It looked a lot like Luna’s.
>You could see a familiar astronomical model sitting on a nightstand next to that heavenly bed.
>A small fireplace crackled in its little cubbyhole in the wall.
>Moonlight streamed in from a balcony, which was placed in such a way as to perfectly observe its rise and fall.
 
>That was if it, you know, ever moved.
 
>The dark curtains fluttered in the wind as you opened the glass balcony doors.
>From where you were standing, you had a commanding view of most of the land.
>You leaned against the railing as you took in the sights.
>For all its uselessness, at least it looked pretty.
 
>“There you are, Anonymous. I’ve been trying to find you.”
 
>The Discorb floated over and dropped into your hands.
 
>“It will take me a few days to fully comprehend its secrets. There also seems to be a case of separation anxiety with it.”
 
>She eyed you crossly, as if this was somehow your doing.
>Maybe if she spent all that time trying to figure out how to work with the damn thing instead of you it wouldn’t be so difficult for her to understand.
 
>Wait, ‘separation anxiety’?
>You gave her a puzzled look, but she made no further comment on it.
 
>“You should get some rest, these will be a rare few days where there is little to be done but sit here.”
 
>Sure you’ve always been clamoring on about a vacation, but now that you think about it, it seems like the worst possible thing.
>You’d much rather be sticking your neck out in Equestria doing some ridiculous terror mission instead of sitting around in an empty castle all day long.
 
>But perhaps it was better this way.
>This would allow you to sort yourself out before the time of Nightmare Moon’s return to Equestria.
 
“Good morning, Nightmare.”
 
>“Good morning, Anonymous, sleep well.”
 
>With your farewells said, and a brief set of directions to your quarters, you set off to rest.
>Your room was well furnished: a sturdy bed that was actually comfortable, some windows, a desk, a dresser, and a fireplace.
 
>Taking off your shoes, you let your feet slide across the soft rug that covered the whole floor.
>Stripping down, you leaned the Discorb against the headboard of your bed as you made yourself comfortable.
>You weren’t particularly tired, so you just watched the ceiling.
 
>Reaching over, you grabbed the staff and held it over your head, gazing into its hypnotic patterns.
 
“Hey, Dis, you think we’re gonna make it out of here?”
 
>You felt bits and pieces of your words echoed back to you in your mind.
 
“Stay. strong. little. human.”
 
>A peal of insane laughter escaped from you.
>It already seemed alive enough before, but the fact that completing it granted it sentience made something inside you snap.
>At least you’d have someone else to talk to now.
 
“Well what do you think about our dear queen?”
 
>You felt kind of crazy talking out loud to yourself, but not like there was anyone around to think that.
>And besides, this time the voices in your head responding to you weren’t actually yours!
>Well, technically it still was.
>The Discorb was taking the words its heard you think of before, and mixing them into sentences to respond with.
 
“Go. for. it. you. coward.”
 
>That last bit was spoken in Nightmare Moon’s voice.
 
“A little harsh there, Dis.”
 
>It did not respond, the swirling chromatic mass focusing in concentration.
>Well it didn’t actually look like that, but that was the feeling you got from it.
 
“I. will. assist. you.”
 
>Surely it had to be kidding, accepting help from the Discorb of all things seemed like a very bad idea.
 
“Who. is. Shirley?”
 
>You waved your hand dismissively.
 
>“That’s not important right now, just go to sleep already.”
 
>Setting it back next to the headboard, you pulled the sheets closer around you and tried not to think about tomorrow.
 
>It felt like morning as you awoke.
>Glancing at the clock on your nightstand, you confirmed that it was indeed nighttime in Equestria.
>Would it really kill her to at least make the moon move in accordance with the time?
>Moving the curtains to let the moonlight in, you went about your morning ritual of making everything happen with your mind.
 
>You were really going to miss how easy it was when you returned to Equestria.
>Walking into your bathroom, you stood in the tub and willed forth some water and cleaning products.
>Finished with that, you moved on to the marvelous invention called toothpaste.
>You never had to reach for anything, just making it appear in your hand and letting it vanish when you were done with it.
 
>Hell, since you weren’t going out on any missions you didn’t even have to bother getting dressed, you could just make clothing appear on yourself.
 
>Opting for the lazy route of dressing, you grabbed the Discorb as you made your way to the dining room.
 
“Good. morning.”
 
“No no no, that’s what you say when someone is heading off to sleep, we say good night here to greet people.”
 
>It really spoke volumes about how weird things were when even the Discorb was confused.
>There was no further conversation as the artifact struggled to wrap whatever counted as its head around this new information.
 
>Nightmare Moon was already sitting at her end of the table when you arrived.
>After greeting each other good night, you took your seat.
>The incredibly long distance between the two of you made it difficult to pass any food over or talk without shouting.
 
>In the corner of your eye you could see the Discorb shining brighter as it gathered power.
>There was a sharp sound that cut through the air as the table was split down the middle by an unseen force.
>Both sides were rapidly sucked into this divide, turning the thirty nine-person table into a four person one.
 
>Nightmare Moon’s fork had barely levitated off of her plate when you suddenly found yourselves in close proximity.
 
>“Anonymous, what is the meaning of this?”
 
>You nervously cleared your throat.
 
“I’m uh, not too sure myself.”
 
>There was another cut out of the blue, turning it into a decidedly one-person table.
>Nightmare Moon leaned over the table slightly to stare you in the eyes, trying to discern your motives.
>You had to hold your plate in your hands, as there was only room on the table for one.
 
>The rest of the meal was awkwardly quiet.
>You were glaring daggers at your staff the entire time.
>When both of you finished, you handed over the Discorb to her as she walked to the throne room.
 
>Letting out a long breath as soon as the door closed, you ran a hand through your hair.
>Left with nothing to do again, you went back to wandering the halls like some kind of revenant.
 
>It was surprising to think that only a month had passed since this little rebellion started.
>It was even more surprising how far you managed to get.
>While neither of you would openly admit it, you made a pretty effective duo.
 
>You evened each other out, she knew when to push forward and you knew when to fall back.
>She dreamed big, while you kept a realistic viewpoint.
>You were a series of opposites, which merged together to create an efficient agenda.
 
>Her ambition to claim the throne was not shared with you.
>A quiet, peaceful life was all you wanted, but she made you realize that you might have to rise to enormous heights to seize your dreams.
 
>You smiled to yourself.
>It never hurt to have some direction in life, and Nightmare Moon certainly didn’t mind giving it to you.
>Outside of minor disputes, there were no major disagreements between you two.
>All things considered, you actually got along quite well for a dimensional traveler and an exiled tyrant.
 
>You elected to power nap through lunch until it was time for dinner.
 
>The table was back to normal for the meal, the Discorb silent the whole time through.
>With a curt good morning between you two, the day came to an end.
 
“Good. night.”
 
“No, it’s morning, Dis, MORNING.”
 
“Such. folly.”
 
>You let sleep wash over you with a grin on your face.
 
>The next day was so far surprisingly free of any incidents.
>Nightmare Moon had returned the Discorb while you slept, and you handed it back to her once breakfast was over.
>You lost count of how many hours you had wasted away sitting on this couch.
>Your feet were tired from all the aimless wandering, so you tried random rooms until you found something comfortable to sit on.
 
>You weren’t too worried about getting lost, you always found your way to wherever you wanted to go eventually.
>Thrusting the empty staff at nothing, you made silly sound effects to try and fill this void of boredom.
 
>At least back on the hill you could watch the stars with her to pass the time.
>Now all you had to look at was obsidian bricks or waste even more hours trying to find the observatory again.
 
>There was a low-pitched buzzing in your ear, slowly growing louder.
>A sudden flash of light blinded you.
 
>“Anonymous! What is this now!?”
 
>You were back on the hillside, sitting underneath the tree with an angry looking Nightmare Moon.
>The Discorb started weaving figure eights around your heads as it looked on in smug glee.
 
“Believe me, I really don’t know.”
 
>A strong force seized hold of your arm.
>Despite all your efforts to wrestle control back, it moved unfazed to wrap around her neck.
 
>“What... do you think... you're doing...”
 
>Her eye was twitching like crazy as she grit her teeth together in barely contained fury.
>There was a blast of force in your side as your body was pushed against hers.
>The Discorb gave a feeling of a thumbs up as it pulsed rhythmically in laughter.
 
“L-look what’s happening with the stars!”
 
>You blurted out the first thing that came to mind as you tried to find a way to save yourself.
>Thankfully, her meticulous nature drew her attention away from you as she focused on the sky.
 
>There was a chilly, tingly sensation wherever her amorphous mane touched you.
>In fact, her whole body was cool to the touch, especially her armor.
>It wasn’t unpleasantly cold, but it was quite noticeable.
 
>“Anonymous...”
 
>She turned her armored head to look at you, a soft expression on her face.
 
>“If you don’t want me to blow your arm off with magic, you will remove it.”
 
>You choked on air as you realized she was being serious.
>The force let up and allowed you to make some space.
>Nightmare Moon stood up and started walking back to the castle.
 
>“That was for making me worry about my stars.”
 
>The Discorb slowly floated back onto your staff as you sat there.
>You exchanged nervous looks with the artifact.
>The rest of the day passed quietly.
 
>The next day you were unexpectedly called to the throne room a few minutes after exchanging the Discorb.
>She looked annoyed as she sat on her obsidian throne.
 
>“This... PEST, is refusing to divulge its secrets until I follow along some stupid plan with you.”
 
>You grimaced internally as you got the feeling of confident nods from the Discorb.
 
“What is it?”
 
>“It wants us to travel through a portal to some location it has shown me. We are to ask for a pony named ‘Swifty Serve’. It says we’ll know what to do then.”
 
>What the hell was the Discorb planning this time?
>It was keeping its non-existent lips sealed, urging you that it was a surprise.
>With a resigned sigh you slotted it into your staff as you waited for the portal to open.
 
>Nightmare Moon’s projection appeared immediately after you crossed over, the look on her face telling she wanted this done and over with fast.
>Soft classical music was being played as the warm smell of food wafted toward you.
 
>Looking around, you appeared to be standing in a very high-class restaurant.
>It had the whole kit and kaboodle, with laurels, gold trimming, and its very own band.
>The music stopped abruptly as the ponies finally noticed that Equestria’s number one terrorist and its old historical oppressor had come for a visit.
 
>Everything went dead silent as you realized what the Discorb had planned.
>It was flashing in glee at the reactions of you and the patrons.
 
“C’mon Nightmare...”
 
>You lead her to the nearest table.
>With a wave of your hand you shooed off the couple that was eating there.
>They didn’t speak a word as they gave up their seats.
>Nightmare Moon was oddly quiet as she followed along.
 
“Bring me Swifty Serve.”
 
>Your order was followed immediately, the ponies too afraid to try anything brave.
>A shaking earth pony mare in a classy waitress outfit approached your table.
 
“Two menus, and clean this table.”
 
>You extended a finger for each command, pulling the seat out for Nightmare Moon.
>She sat down with an unreadable expression.
>Sitting on the opposite side, you watched Swifty move with an almost blinding speed to gather all the plates and utensils.
 
>Laying the staff across your lap, you waited for her to return.
 
“Everybody go on about your meals, and start playing that music again.”
 
>There was no need to shout your instructions to be heard, you could hear a pin drop in this stillness.
>Things returned to a somewhat quieter din as the band started playing again.
>A team of waitresses soon arrived to your table.  
 
>They were working to impress, as they simply removed the old tablecloth and replaced it with a brand new one.
>Swifty was among them as she handed both of you menus.
>Judging from how her outfit was different from the others, she must be the one in charge of the servers.
 
>“W-w-what can we g-get you t-two to d-drink?"
 
>You were a little sympathetic to her nervousness.
>There was no way in hell her customer service training covered this scenario.
>Nightmare Moon said nothing as you looked at her for any recommendations.
 
“Just give us the most expensive one.”
 
>Nodding quickly, she ran away from your table as fast as she could.
>You scoffed as the rest of them followed suit.
>Opening the menu, you started looking at all the strange named food with ridiculous prices.
>Hah, good thing you weren’t going to pay for any of this.
 
“Anything you like on there, Nightmare?”
 
>Her blank expression gave you no hints as she slowly cracked open the menu with her magic.
 
>She opened her mouth to say something, but the resultant string of words was in a language so incompressible your mind automatically filtered it.
>Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes as she turned her menu to you and pointed it out.
>It didn’t help you understand it better in the slightest.
 
>Nod and smile Anon, nod and smile.
 
>You just opted for something or other that was seasoned with expensive herbs and spices, you weren't really paying much attention since you couldn't understand it's name.
 
>With an extremely forced smile, Swifty returned to your table with your drinks.
 
>“W-would you like an a-appetizer while you wait?”
 
>Nightmare Moon was nodding, so you followed her lead.
>Service was unsurprisingly fast as a large tray of stuffed mushrooms was brought to you.
>There was a brief glow of magic over them as Nightmare Moon lifted them up for inspection.
 
>“No defects on any of them... oh, and they’re not poisoned.”
 
>Smiling slightly, you plucked one out of her magic field and ate it.
>Your eyes nearly popped out of your head as you were struck with an explosion of flavor.
>This place was no joke, they had to skills to back up the pomp.
>Polishing off another of them, you watched Nightmare Moon daintily take a bite out of one.
 
>She chewed slowly, an analytical look in her eyes.
 
>“It’s acceptable.”
 
>You had to stop yourself from laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
>You could see a pony in a chef hat peeking out of the kitchen door with a terrified expression on her face.
>As soon as she realized you noticed her, she darted back inside.
 
>You wondered if the Discorb could enjoy such fancy foods.
>Propping up the staff against the table, you held one of the mushrooms next to the prismatic crystal ball.
>Nightmare Moon was watching in amusement at your ridiculous antics.
 
>You both had horrified expressions as you watched a blob of chromatic light seep through the crystal walls and absorb the food.
>Neither of you commented on it as you quickly set the staff across your lap again.
 
>Taking a sip of your drink, you found it held a fruity aftertaste.
>There was also a slight hint of carbonation.
>Nightmare Moon seemed to slowly relax, taking a sip of her own as your meals were brought out.
 
>Her meal looked more like an art piece than a salad.
>There were fruits that you’ve never seen before and edible gold flakes arranged in a stunning pattern.
>Some soft looking bread accompanied it.
>A rich dressing made the lettuce shine brightly in the ambient lighting.
 
>While less impressive, your dish was also quite fancy in its own respect.
>Intricate weaves of some kind of sauce crisscrossed across the top of the... whatever it was as it sat on a small bed of leafy greens.
>There was a set of some sliced vegetables lined up in a roll on the side of the plate.
 
“So uh... how is everything?”
 
>Both of you were a few bites in as you broke the ice.
 
>“Hmm, while I’d much rather be working more on unlocking the Discorb’s secrets. I think this is a good enough break.”
 
>There was a sense of a high-five coming from the artifact in question, but you were still too creeped out from earlier to return it.
 
“Well... I’m glad you're enjoying it.”
 
>You barely managed to keep your hand from shaking as you lifted your glass upwards.
>Why in the world were you so nervous?
 
“To us?”
 
>“To us.”
 
>There was a clink of glass meeting glass as she accepted your toast, a sly smile on her lips.
 
>You calmed down somewhat as the meal progressed.
>There were few words between you, but you traded glances often.
>The rest of the patrons, only somewhat reassured by the fact you hadn’t blown the place to bits yet, relaxed a little as well.
 
>In your mind the rest of the restaurant didn’t even exist anymore, it was just a private meal for two in the endless void.
>Nightmare Moon met your look with half-lidded eyes, taking off her helmet with magic to let her mane flow freely in aetheric winds.
 
“Pass. me. some. of. that.”
 
>You were broken out of her hypnotic stare as the Discorb interrupted you.
>Weren’t you supposed to be helping out instead of ruining the moment!?
 
>A mirthful laugh drew your attention back to her.
>You realized you were shaking the staff violently as you yelled at it in your mind.
 
>Still annoyed at the Discorb’s interruption, you quietly slid it some slices of vegetables.
 
“Oh. man. I. should. have. tried. this. eating. thing. long. ago.”
 
>Pushing that disturbing comment out of your mind, you tried to enjoy the rest of your meal with Nightmare Moon.
 
...
 
>You had a nervous little smile while you waited for the exit portal to open.
 
>“That wasn’t too unpleasant, Anonymous. We should do something like this again.”
 
>When the hell did she get so amiable?
>Opting not to question good fortune, you simply smiled in return.
>In the corner of your eye you could see the kitchen staff fearfully watching from the door.
>With a twirl of your staff, you had it burn five stars into the tablecloth.
 
>Or at least, that’s what you intended.
>The tablecloth was completely fine while the table was transformed into a stack of five wooden stars.
>Grimacing slightly, you quickly hopped through the portal before anything worse happened.