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Well, here we are. My friends and I are standing at the very bottom of the staircase that leads up into the stone tower where Nightmare Moon is certainly waiting. I can tell that each of them seem a bit nervous with the exception of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I, in particular, am especially nervous. I do not wish to see either them or Nightmare Moon harmed.

"OK, girls. Elements on." Twilight spoke as her saddlebags opened. Out of each bag came three of the Elements of Harmony. One by one, they floated over to each of my friends and clipped around their necks while the Element of Magic rested atop Twilight's head.

"Now then, it's time we settle this once again." Rarity spoke with confidence. If she went from nervous to smug so quickly, the Elements of Harmony must be a force to be reckoned with.

I decided to speak up before we could enter the tower. "Girls... Hang on. There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes, James?" Fluttershy asked as all eyes fell upon me.

I sighed, "To be honest... I didn't come out here just to make sure you all come home safely..."

Pinkie Pie then smiled, "Then why else are you here?"

I paused, certain they would be angry with me. "I'm out here to make sure no harm comes to Nightmare Moon."

Rainbow Dash frowned, "James, come off it! You saw what she did! She sent the Shadowbolts after us to hurt us and put that armor in our way to smash us if we tried to pass! She even sicced a freaking pack of zombies on us! Does that sound like a nice pony to you?!"

I replied, "I'm pretty sure the zombies were entirely by chance. I don't think she has any control over them at all. But yeah... You're right about the other two."

Applejack then spoke, "Then why're ya still protectin' 'er?"

I sighed, "I met her once before... She isn't cruel. She's...hurt. She's gone over a thousand years without appreciation. Imagine what that can do to a person's mind."

Fluttershy spoke, "I don't think that's enough to really..."

Twilight nodded, "I know you mean well, James. But you need to accept the truth. Nightmare Moon is nothing more than a being of pure malevolence. This whole eternal night is proof of that."

I then frowned, "Really? Pure malevolence?" I then glared at them, "Maybe you should imagine yourselves walking a hundred miles in her horseshoes. For example..."

I looked down at Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie Pie. How would you have felt if you threw the biggest most elaborate parties in Equestria every weekend and no one ever attended?"

My gaze turned towards Applejack before I spoke, "Applejack. Imagine you working yourself to the bone on almost a daily basis. Harvesting apples from the hundreds of apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres. Thousands of apples to sell and hours upon hours of backbreaking labor, and no one ever bought a single apple from you. What would you have done if that happened?"

I then faced Twilight Sparkle. "And what about you, Twilight? Would you be happy if you studied diligently every single day for Princess Celestia, year after year, and your services were never once acknowledged?"

I then faced Rainbow Dash, "And let's not forget about you, Rainbow Dash. What would you do if you spent years developing your skills, becoming the fastest flyer in Equestria and being able to perform a Sonic Rainboom pretty much at will? What if you ended up outshining even the best members of the Wonderbolts? And despite your superiority, all of your attempts to join them were turned down?"

I then gazed at Rarity. "And what about you, Rarity? What if your garments, which you put your heart and soul into crafting, were of the absolute highest caliber? As in being fit for a king or queen. And not a single pony ever showed interest in them?"

Lastly, there was my girlfriend. "And you, Fluttershy. What if you spent years trying to win the hearts of the many animals that live near your home? Nothing but acts of kindness day after day, and the gentle creatures always thanked you by fleeing from you or baring their fangs. How would you have felt?"

I watched, waiting for a retort. The expressions on their faces seemed to be ones of deep thought and even a tiny bit of horror. I saw a tear trickle down Pinkie Pie's cheek. "That would be...awful."

Rainbow Dash sighed, "That would suck... I mean, royally suck."

Rarity nodded, "I cannot fathom such an existence. No recognition at all? Who could endure a life of that?"

Fluttershy bowed her head, "How did Nightmare Moon endure it for more than a thousand years? It's no wonder she became so bitter..."

Applejack sighed, "When ya put it like that... Now I feel a might awful fer thinkin' so harshly of 'er..."

Twilight frowned as she looked up at me. "I never once thought about that, James." She then smiled, "I think you're right. She just wants appreciation."

Pinkie Pie beamed at me, her sorrow and shame already gone. "Yeah! How do you humans think so deeply of stuff like this?!"

I smiled sheepishly, surprised that my words struck my friends so deeply. "Well... When I become interested in something, I tend to do a lot of thinking. Nightmare Moon is no exception."

Rarity smiled, "I would say that you have a better head on your shoulders than even Twilight here.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight retorted. We all chuckled in unison.

Fluttershy smiled, "I think we just need to go up there and have a nice chat with Nightmare Moon so she knows we understand how she feels."

Applejack grinned, "Then what're we waitin' for? Let's mosey."

I spoke, "Hold on, girls. Let me go first. She has no hostility towards me."

Fluttershy's eyes opened wide, "Oh... Right. We were the ones who..."

Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head, "Yeeeeah... I don't think she'll be happy to see us after last time."

I nodded, "Like I said, I'll go first. She might listen to me since I have a clean slate. Give me fifteen minutes. If I'm not out by then, feel free to head on up." I then removed my goggles and handed them to Twilight. "Could you hold onto these for a while?"

All of my friends nodded while Twilight placed my goggles in her saddlebag. "OK then, James. Good luck. We'll have faith in your judgment." Twilight spoke with a smile. Keeping the Celestial Sword sheathed, I marched up the stone stairs and into the tower.

The stone spiraling staircase led up in the same way as last time, the lack of light making it hard to see. Some moonlight was shining through tall vertical stone windows in the walls at times, but I still had no trouble climbing the stairs since I was just feeling my way along with my feet.

After a minute, I finally reached the long throne room where I had taken shelter during my first visit eight months earlier. The many large windows were allowing the moonlight in, filling the room with enough light for me to see. At first, I saw no one there. From the entrance, there were no signs of life. But after a moment of surveying my surroundings, I heard the clopping of hooves echoing through the chamber. I froze; ready to throw up my shield on a moment's notice.

Several stone support pillars down the room, someone walked into view. She... My god, is that really how she looks in person? She is beautiful!

An alicorn with a coat as black as the darkest night sky was walking across the room, her head hanging low. Her wings were folded, although if the illustrations I had seen were accurate, their overall shape was similar to bat wings. They seemed to be coated in feathers though. Her mane and tail were very long, probably taking up more space than even those of Celestia. They billowed constantly, leading me to suspect that it is a trademark of the royal family for their manes and tails to move on their own. Each was a deep blue, sparkling stars filling them. Her cutie mark was identical to Luna's, the only difference being that the 'night sky' color spots were a vibrant purple. Like the royal sisters, she was clad in metal clothing that I suspect was armor. On her feet were light blue shoes that strongly resembled Celestia's, although they reached higher with the tips nearly reaching the knees. A light blue chest plate hung from her neck, the design resembling a fleur-de-lis with the top spire splitting to reach around her neck. A white crescent moon symbol was in the center. On her head rested a light blue helmet, her ears and long pointed horn sticking out of it. Unlike the helmets worn by Canterlot's royal guards, it had no plume. It covered the back and parts of the sides of her neck. Her unhappy eyes had purple eye shadow on the lids and lashes, the eyes themselves being very unnatural in appearance. The irises were the same shade of teal as Luna's eyes, but the sclera was a lighter shade instead of white. Her pupils were slit and narrow like those of a cat. Despite these oddities, I found this alicorn to have beauty that rivals that of Celestia.

I watched the alicorn closely; hardly able to believe I was seeing Nightmare Moon herself in the flesh. I have long wanted to see her again, and now she was right in front of me. With a smile on my face, I took a step forward. However, the action of my greave colliding with the hard stone floor made a sound that seemed to get her attention. Her ears perked up as her eyes opened wide. Her head jerked up as she called out, "Who goes there?!"

Her voice was deeper than Luna's and had a great deal of boldness to it, exactly how I imagined her. Her expression showed one of hostility, but the instant she saw me, her expression changed to one of shock. I said nothing while I waited for her to act first. I wanted to speak out, but I was naturally nervous in the presence of this dark princess.

"It's..." She spoke. A few seconds later, her expression changed to one of true delight, a happy smile spreading across her face. "It's you!"

She began to approach me, the sound of her hooves clopping echoing throughout the great stone chamber. Her unusual eyes were fixated on me with no hostility in them whatsoever. She spoke in a bold, yet friendly, tone. "Welcome back, my friend. Has this eternal night been to your liking so far?"

I asked, "Well... I have been enjoying it quite a bit."

The alicorn stopped around twenty feet from me. "I knew you would...but wait. That armor... Isn't that the same one Celestia and I crafted? And that..... Is that the Lunar Shield and the Celestial Sword?!"

I nodded, starting to feel even more nervous. "Where did you even get those?"

I replied, "Celestia gave them to me..."

She nodded, "I know that much. Those are sacred treasures that only the royal family has access to. But if you truly appreciate me, then why have you come here brandishing weapons of war?"

I looked towards a window, "The Everfree Forest isn't the safest place in Equestria. Especially at night."

The alicorn nodded, "Fair enough. Even so..."

I asked, "May I come closer?"

She replied, "Only once you have cast those weapons aside."

I did as I was told, unclipping the Lunar Shield from my arm before levitating it away and setting it against the nearest support pillar with the Celestial Sword inside it. The alicorn smiled, "Now you may approach me."

I approached the alicorn slowly, not sure if she trusted me yet. I asked, "Are you...her? From eight months ago?"

She smiled warmly, "Yes. I was touched by your compassion, my friend. And before you ask, yes. I am Nightmare Moon."

We were eye-to-eye when I was standing right in front of her. I gazed at her and spoke, "You're more beautiful than I imagined."

Nightmare Moon's ears drooped as a blush spread across her face. "Me? Beautiful? You are sure of that?"

I nodded, "Very. Just as beautiful as Celestia."

She averted her eyes, "Why...thank you. I have never once been called beautiful. Frightening and hideous, but never beautiful."

I reached out and embraced the dark alicorn, "Well, that's mean. You really are gorgeous, your highness."

There was a moment of silence before I realized what I was doing. "Um..." I released my grip on her and held up my hands, "Sorry! Sorry about that. I'm just... Well, I'm just..."

She smiled, "You are very sweet."

I froze, surprised that she did not mind me reaching out and touching her so intimately. Nightmare Moon then asked, "Could you...do that again?"

I nodded, reaching out and embracing her gently. "This feels lovely..." She spoke next to my ear.

"That's because hugs are a sign of affection, your highness." I replied, stroking her mane. Up close, I could see that it was semitransparent, the rest of the room being visible through it. It, like Luna's, had physical mass. I could feel it in my hand as I stroked it.

Nightmare Moon spoke softly, "Friends don't need to use honorifics when speaking to each other."

I smiled, "Yeah... They don't. But what do I call you?"

I released my grip on Nightmare Moon, allowing us to look at each other again. She replied, "You may refer to me as whatever you wish. Moon. Nightmare. Or even just Nightmare Moon."

I smiled, "I think Nightmare Moon has a nice ring to it. Doesn't really sound scary at all."

She chuckled lightly, "You are the first to ever say that." She then motioned for me to follow her. "Let's get more comfortable. Right over here."

I followed the princess of the night as she led me to the throne near the back of the room. It looked exactly the same way it did last time.

Once I had taken a seat by the throne while the princess herself was seated on it, I asked, "So... How did you go from a shadow to...this?"

Nightmare Moon replied, "For the last two or three years, I have been steadily leeching off of the moonlight. With every night, I grew stronger. Although..." She then frowned, "I also got a nice boost from your surge of negative emotions."

I asked, "Negative emotions? When did... Oh." I remembered when I woke up to find myself transformed into an earth pony due to exposure to Poison Joke. "Yeah... That was a lot of negative emotion. But how did you get power from that?"

She replied, "I was practically born from negative emotions." I suppose it was not necessary to inquire further about that. "When I had regained enough of my strength, I regained my physical form."

I then asked, "I heard you used to be Princess Luna herself. How are you a separate entity?"

She paused for a moment, as if pondering my question further. "Well... I am not entirely certain how myself. I was Luna at one time, but I became myself later, if that makes any sense. I have all of Luna's memories from up until the Elements of Harmony purged me from her body."

I nodded, "Uh huh... So you're kinda like Luna, but at the same time you're different. But I still don't get the same vibe from you as I get from Luna. You really do feel like a unique person."

Nightmare Moon smiled, "I'm glad you understand that. You are far more open-minded than any other human I have known." I was not surprised that she had met humans before, but I decided to not ask about it.

"I think however I wish. I don't always think the way others do." I replied. I have always believed in the concept of free thought. The action of being forced to think how others want you to think is something that utterly disgusts me.

Nightmare Moon spread her wing that was closest to me and draped it across my back under my armor's wings. Its form was identical to the illustrations I had seen. "I'm sure that way of thinking is what allowed you to understand me."

I draped my arm across her back and gently leaned against her, "And I'm glad you're not the mad tyrant everyone has always made you out to be."

After a moment more of chatting, I decided to ask the fateful question. "So... Nightmare Moon. If you really aren't as evil as the stories claim, why have you brought out this eternal night again?"

She smiled at me, "It was a gift. For you."

I was taken aback by this revelation. "Hang on... This is all for ME?! Just for me?!"

Nightmare Moon chuckled, "Of course. You were the first and only person to ever thank me for my work in crafting the night. So I made it possible for you to enjoy it constantly."

I chuckled nervously, "Um... Wow. Thanks... And yeah, I have been enjoying it. However..." I then frowned, "This eternal night has to end."

She clearly did not expect those words. "WHAT?! But... You... You claimed... You..."

I placed my hand on her hoof. "May I explain?"

Nightmare Moon calmed down a bit at my touch. "Very well... Explain."

I nodded, "I know you mean well and that you only want to be appreciated for all you've done, but this isn't the right way. True, I love the night and prefer it over the day. But the world needs the sun if it is going to survive."

Nightmare Moon nodded in silence, showing that she was listening to me. "Without the warmth of the sun, crops will not grow. The land will freeze. Ponies will starve. And those that do not starve will freeze. To DEATH. Do you want that?"

This simple truth seemed to shock Nightmare Moon greatly. She looked away from me, "No... I don't want to see my people...die."

I then smiled as I patted her on the shoulder. "You know, the world needs the night too. An eternal day, like an eternal night, would only bring disaster. Rivers and lakes would dry up. Crops would whither. Grasslands and forests would become deserts. The night is needed to balance it out to prevent drought and the like."

Nightmare Moon looked at me, "I never once considered it like that..."

I then stroked her mane, "Also, the night is very much appreciated. All sorts of things happen at night that don't during the day. Meteor showers, campfire parties, catching fireflies during summer, and certain holidays. Do you know about Nightmare Night?"

Nightmare Moon's ears perked up, "Nightmare Night?"

I explained, "It's one of the most popular holidays in the world. And it only takes place at night. I think you would love to join it this year."

Nightmare Moon's gaze became one of deep gratitude. "All this... And only at night? There are ponies who enjoy the night?"

I nodded, "Yeah. And besides, it's not like absolutely everyone goes to sleep as soon as the sun goes down. Most ponies stay awake a few hours longer. So everyone stays up through the night to a certain point, meaning they get to enjoy it."

Nightmare Moon then did something I was not expecting. She nuzzled my cheek. "Thank you... I had no idea. All this time..."

I nuzzled her back, "So, will you end this night?"

She nodded, "When morning comes. Right now, it's past midnight."

I chuckled, "Well, that would make sense. Since when does the sun come up at three in the morning?" We both chuckled heartily.

Nightmare Moon then smiled, "Now that I think about it... I never asked you your name."

I replied, "It's James."

She grinned, "James... I like the sound of that name."

I am not entirely sure how much time passed. The two of us just talked and talked. I really could not see why Nightmare Moon always seemed so scary to the ponies of Equestria. But before long, I thought I heard someone call my name. Nightmare Moon and I looked towards the stairwell at the far end of the throne room. Against the wall of the stairwell was a moving shadow.

"It really IS Nightmare Moon..." I heard Fluttershy speak with a hint of surprise in her voice, apparently having heard Nightmare Moon's voice echo down the chamber and into the stairwell.

"Are those...?" Nightmare Moon asked, clearly intimidated by the presence of the six mares who defeated her the previous time.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "Relax. They're good friends of mine. And I had a word with them on our way here. They're not here to hurt you."

Nightmare Moon nodded, "I see..."

I then stood up and began to approach the stairwell just as Twilight's face emerged into the moonlight. "James! How'd it go?" One by one, the rest of our friends emerged as well.

"It's OK, girls. She understands! The night will end when morning comes!" I then turned to face Nightmare Moon, "Right?"

However, Nightmare Moon seemed to be gazing at my friends with a look of shock. But that expression quickly changed to one of anger as she glared at me. "You would dare deceive me?!"

I took a step back at her claim. "Huh? Deceive?"

She began to approach me, her angry eyes now focused on me. "You said they are not here to do me harm, yet they have the Elements of Harmony ready to be used!"

Crap... The Elements! They were still wearing them! "Oh man..." I muttered, realizing that Nightmare Moon had mistaken my friends as a threat since they were now wearing the Elements of Harmony, the very tools that had been used to defeat her twice before.

"You wretched... How dare you!" Her billowing mane lashed out at me like a tentacle or a beast's paw. I flapped my wings to retreat out of range, placing myself directly in the middle of the throne room.

"Nightmare Moon, stop! We're not your enemies!" Rarity shouted.

"Really! We're just here to..." Pinkie Pie added before Nightmare Moon could shout.

"SILENCE!" The dark alicorn screamed. "I know why you are here! To use the Elements on me so I may be erased from existence!"

I held out my right arm, "No! I swear, we're not here to fight! I don't want to see you harmed!"

Nightmare Moon seemed to pause for a moment before she asked, "Really? You are certain of that?"

I nodded, "Yes. I didn't come out here to help destroy you. I came here to save you."

Applejack grinned, "Ya see, yer highness? We're just here ta set things right an' help ya out."

Nightmare Moon seemed to scowl at my friends. "I know I cannot trust any of you. But..." She then turned her gaze to me and smirked, "You, I know, have deep appreciation for the night."

I said nothing, watching as Nightmare Moon extended her hoof to me. "Stay by my side, and you will always be bathed in the soothing glow of the moon."

It was a tempting offer. I do prefer the night to the day. However, Rainbow Dash then called out, "Don't listen to her, James! We need your help to stop her!"

Nightmare Moon retorted, that calm smirk never leaving her face. "Come with me, James. I know this is what you want. We are friends, aren't we?"

It had come down to being a moral choice. Choosing between what I wanted and what was right. I bowed my head, thinking for a moment. It is true I had come to view Nightmare Moon as a good friend despite us knowing each other for such a short time. And spending an eternal night with her does sound lovely. But if only we would benefit from it while the rest of Equestria suffered.....

I began to walk towards my six friends, all eyes focused on me while no one spoke. The only sound that was heard were the clanks of my greaves stepping on the stone floor. When I was just ten paces from my friends, I turned and looked back at Nightmare Moon. "I'm sorry, Nightmare Moon. I'm choosing to do what is right."

Fluttershy flew up to me and embraced me from the side. "I knew you would make the right choice, James."

However, Nightmare Moon asked, "Why... I thought you are my friend. That you wanted to save me... Explain yourself."

I replied once Fluttershy had let go of me. "True, I do prefer the night to the day. And I have been enjoying this night so far. But if the sun never rises again, Equestria will become a barren frozen wasteland. That's why I'm going to help my friends end the eternal night."

I then smiled at her, "And before you ask why, it's because it's the right thing to do."

Right when I said those words, I felt the air become heavy. I glanced around, feeling an odd presence. Pinkie Pie gasped, "Whoa! Look at them!"

When I turned around, I saw the six Elements were beginning to glow. Twilight spoke, "The Elements of Harmony are resonating! What does it mean?!"

I then heard Nightmare Moon speak, "It can't be..."

Just ahead of me, white lightning began to spark in the air. It did not seem any of my friends were causing it, so I merely watched. The bolts became more fierce as the seconds went by, seemingly forming an orb of electricity. Suddenly, the lightning compacted before exploding outward, engulfing the entire chamber with a white flash. I had to close my eyes. It was that bright.

"Eek! What is it?!" I heard Fluttershy shriek behind me.

Once the light had dimmed, I looked ahead. Floating in the air just ahead of me was what seemed to be a helmet. The majority of it was the same shade of blue as most of my armor, a white crest surrounding the face area that fanned out to look somewhat like wings. "Hey, that's my helmet! And..." I spoke, but paused when I took it into my hands.

"Is that..." Rarity asked, her eyes fixated on the same spot my eyes were.

Situated above the slanted groove at the center of the white crest was a polished white gemstone that had been carved...into the form of two doves facing each other with wings spread. Forming the general shape of a heart while the gap between them was a perfect heart. I spoke, "My cutie mark?"

Twilight gasped, "Then... That's an Element! But...how? There are only six Elements of Harmony!"

I spoke, finding that the gemstone was polished, but not cut like the Elements of Harmony. "It's the Lost Element..."

"Lost Element?" Applejack asked, clearly having never heard of it before.

I replied, "It's something that's been missing from this world for a long time... But what is it really called?"

Nightmare Moon then spoke up, "Well well... I never once dreamed I would see the day when the illustrious Lost Element would make its presence known again."

Rainbow Dash frowned, "You sound like you know what it is. Spill it!"

The dark alicorn explained, "Crafted by human hands, this Element can only be used by humans."

She then gave us a stern gaze, "The Lost Element. The Element of Humanity."

Humanity..... Of course! It is so obvious! Humanity! I looked at the Element on my helmet, amazed that I did not once consider its true title.

"Humanity? That's silly! What kinda Element is called the same thing as the people who use it?!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

I replied, "No. It's the other definition that this Element represents."

Fluttershy asked, "Other definition?"

I faced them, "Humanity is also the quality of being human. Being able to choose right from wrong. Good from evil. Compassion and the willingness to help others. Humans are creatures that epitomize morality, which is what humanity is all about." I then held the helmet in my hands, my eyes fixated on the gemstone on the forehead. "We can go either way. White, black, or gray. I think that's what this Element represents. Spiritual balance."

Rainbow Dash whistled, "Whoa... That's deep."

Nightmare Moon then spoke, "That is EXACTLY what that Element embodies. What you see is the Element in its purest state. You must have a kind, yet imperfect, heart just for it to appear."

Twilight smiled, "That's something you've almost always had since the day you came to Equestria, James."

I nodded, "Yeah... Almost. I know I faltered a few times. But that's part of being human. They always make mistakes. We aren't perfect, but we try."

Rarity then smiled, "But still... You have your own Element, darling! And, like your cutie mark, it is absolutely dazzling!"

Fluttershy nodded, "It's beautiful... It really shows what you're all about."

Twilight grinned, "You've always been about love, James. That's part of what humanity is, right?"

I nodded, smiling as I held my own Element before me. "Yeah... I don't like to hate. It's hard for me to hate, even." I then looked ahead at Nightmare Moon, "That's why I have to save you, Nightmare Moon. Because I can't bring myself to hate you."

The princess of the night glared at us, "You must understand, James. I have made up my mind. I will NOT allow the night to end until I know for certain that Equestria truly has come to appreciate me! It is time that you decide! What will you do?!"

Twilight spoke softly to me, "James, I don't think there's any other way. We have to use the Elements of Harmony. If she survived the first time, I don't think we have to worry about them hurting her."

That is right. The Elements of Harmony are not a force of destruction. I cannot imagine them killing anyone. But still... My fears were strong. What would happen to her now that Nightmare Moon did not have the kind heart of Luna to shield her?

Applejack spoke, "James, she's yer friend. It's up ta you if we use the Elements or not."

I faced Nightmare Moon. She did not seem even remotely intimidated that the Elements of Harmony were right before her. Did she know for certain that she would not be harmed if they were used on her?

After a moment of contemplation, I threw up my left hand while holding the helmet against my chest with my right. "Do it."

Twilight nodded, "You made the right choice, James."

Applejack seemed to notice how smug Nightmare Moon was at the time. "Uh... Shouldn't ya'll be a might more worried than that? I mean... Ya don't exactly have anythin' ta stop us."

Nightmare Moon smirked, "You cannot stop me this time. The night will end only when I say it will."

Fluttershy sighed, "Well... I guess we don't have a choice."

"Stand back, James." Twilight spoke to me. I did as I was told, moving closer to Nightmare Moon to give them more space.

My six companions closed their eyes, the Elements of Harmony beginning to glow in six colors. Strangely enough, they began to float off the ground. I noticed a white glow beginning to expand out, engulfing them in its field. How do I even describe what it is like to see such power at work? I cannot, to be completely honest.

My gaze turned back towards Nightmare Moon, wondering why she was not panicking. To my surprise, I could hear what sounded like a chuckle coming from her before it escalated into wild cackling befitting a mad tyrant. "Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!"

Behind me, the Elements seemed to activate. A pair of rainbows, one of warmer colors with the other being mostly cooler colors, began to spiral out of the white glow and straight up into the air as if dancing around each other. But when they converged near the ceiling and swept down at Nightmare Moon in a single colorful rainbow, the dark alicorn shouted, "Fool me thrice... NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!"

I looked on, me eyes noticing dark sparks starting to appear around her. They seemed to be six orbs of dark lightning. Seconds before the rainbow could reach her, I saw something emerge from each crackling spark of electricity.

"Girls, there's something there!" I called out. As each orb of lightning vanished, six gemstones appeared and floated around Nightmare Moon. Strangely, they were identical to the gemstones that made up the Elements of Harmony minus the gold jewelry they were embedded into. However, the coloration of each gemstone was much darker than the real Elements.

Just as the rainbow was about to engulf her, the six gemstones glowed darkly as an equally dark swirling rainbow pillar shot up out of them. It swirled around her, looking much like the spiraling colors of one of those rotating cylinders you would find outside a barbershop. I could feel the air ripple as the two rainbows collided. After only a few seconds, the rainbow that came from the Elements of Harmony dissipated while the darker rainbow did the same a few seconds later.

"What happened?! Where'd that other rainbow come from?!" Pinkie Pie shrieked as she and the other mares dropped out of the air and landed on their hooves.

"Those gemstones... They look just like the Elements of Harmony. Minus their fabulous gold accents, that is." Rarity added.

"But they're so...dark... What are they?" Fluttershy asked, clearly intimidated that Nightmare Moon was unaffected by this seemingly unstoppable power.

Twilight shouted, "Explain yourself! Why didn't the Elements of Harmony work this time?! And what are those?!"

I asked, "I take it this is the first time the Elements failed?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah! Every other time, they worked perfectly! This is a first!"

Applejack then called out, "So, what gives?! Why didn't they work on ya this time?!"

Nightmare Moon smirked, "You foals... Ask yourselves this. Do you really believe I would allow the Elements of Harmony to be used on me a third time?"

None of my friends answered, looking back and forth at each other. I suspect they really did believe the Elements of Harmony would have worked for certain this time. Nightmare Moon then growled, "What kind of idiot do you take me for?!"

"Then... Those dark...things..." Fluttershy retorted.

Nightmare Moon regained her composure, "They are my finest work. I knew that sooner or later, Celestia and Luna would figure out where I was. It was only a matter of time. And the Elements of Harmony would certainly be used against me once more. That is why I crafted these."

The six gemstones all floated up in front of her, allowing us to see them more clearly. "After gathering the residual harmonic energies that still lingered in this chamber, I diluted them and compressed them into these as the perfect counter for the Elements of Harmony. And I see that they performed just as splendidly as expected."

She then smirked at us, "These are the Elements of Lies, Wrath, Betrayal, Cruelty, Greed, and Force. The Elements of Chaos. The opposites of the Elements of Harmony."

I instantly felt a very sinister vibe at those words. What kind of harm can the polar opposites of the Elements of Harmony cause when used?

"You wouldn't dare use those on Equestria, would you?!" Rarity shrieked, every bit as worried as I was.

Nightmare Moon chuckled, "Heavens, no. Besides, they are not strong enough to be used for offense. Their purpose is strictly defensive. To prevent the Elements of Harmony from being used on me. Nothing more."

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew... Ya had us goin' fer a minute there."

Nightmare Moon then extended her hoof to me, "Of course, if the Elements of Harmony cannot be used on me, then my grasp on the night will not loosen. James, stop wasting your time. I know you will enjoy this with me."

I said nothing. I knew that the night had to be stopped, but the sudden introduction of the Elements of Chaos had complicated matters. I slowly walked backwards towards my friends and kneeled next to them. "So... What now?"

Twilight replied, "I... I don't know..."

Rainbow Dash scowled, "Only one thing we can do. We're gonna have to force her to surrender."

Fluttershy whimpered, "You mean... Attack her? But...she's..."

Attacking someone as powerful as Nightmare Moon would certainly be a bad idea. Even two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns would be overwhelmed. I had not even seen Nightmare Moon fight and I was STILL wary of her power.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Rainbow... We'd just be settin' ourselves up fer a lotta hurt." Applejack spoke, clearly just as intimidated as everyone else. Except for Rainbow Dash that is.

"Quite. I doubt we can truly hold our own against here. Not to mention not necessarily all of us are capable fighters." Rarity replied, her eyes gazing at Fluttershy out of their corners.

I sighed, knowing exactly how to face Nightmare Moon. The only kind of being that can stand up to a royal alicorn is another royal alicorn. Or a being who has access to their abilities.

"I'll do it." I spoke while returning to a standing position.

"What?! Are you loco in the coco?!" Pinkie Pie asked, getting right up in my face by standing on Applejack's back.

I replied, "The only one of us here to can stand up to her is someone with similar strength and abilities. I'm the only one here who qualifies."

Rainbow Dash stared at me with an uneasy expression that reeked of worry. "I'll back you up."

I shook my head, "No, Rainbow. I need to do this alone. If Celestia or Luna was here, that'd be a different story. But I gotta do this alone."

Using magic, I called the Lunar Shield back over to me and attached it to my left forearm. "This is my problem now."

I took a few steps forward, but stopped when I felt someone embrace me from behind. "Please... Don't do it." I recognized the voice being that of Fluttershy.

I turned around, finding all six of my companions gazing at me with worried expressions. "James... I'm sorry, but I'm against this." Twilight spoke first.

Rarity took one step forward, "We have known you for less than a year, but you've become an integral part of our lives... We don't want to lose you."

I perfectly understood their points of view. I certainly have no desire to ever leave them either. Even so, I knew full well about my armor's limits. If I minded my defenses, I would probably be all right. I smiled at them, "I'll be OK, girls. I'm just going to stop her, but not kill her."

Applejack nodded, "Just...be careful in there, pardner. We'd hate ta lose ya."

I nodded, turning to face Nightmare Moon while spreading my wings. "OK... I'm not sure how I'll do this, but..."

I then placed my helmet on my head. "I... If you're my friend, I have to make you listen... Um... What's with that look?"

Nightmare Moon was looking at me with a rather.....surprised gaze. She spoke, "Well... That certainly IS dazzling."

Dazzling? What happened? Wait, I did hear some sort of faint sound right as the helmet was placed on my head. I then heard Rarity let out a gasp, followed by the sound of a thud. "Ugh, what is it this time?"

I turned to face my friends, each of them gazing at me while Fluttershy seemed to have a...wingboner. What was more, Rarity was on her back while seemingly dazed. "Uh... Is she gonna be all right?" I asked, wondering if my wingspan was the only thing that blew her mind.

Twilight slowly shook her head, "Whoa... James, I think you better take a look at yourself."

What? Myself? I had no actual mirror, but I suspected the shining polished blade of my sword would suffice. I drew the Celestial Sword from its scabbard and held the blade in front of me. I tried adjusting the blade to view from different angles by using it as a makeshift mirror. I have to say the helmet looked quite good on me, the Element of Humanity aligned with my upper forehead. "I really don't see what the big deal is." I spoke, wondering just what it was they saw.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying to keep a straight face. "Your hair! Look at it!"

I replied, "You can't SEE my hair when I'm wearing a helmet... Huh?" I noticed something moving right behind me that seemed to be trailing downward. I adjusted my sword's angle, my gaze never leaving the blade. I could see...a constantly wavering billowing mane.

"I have a mane?" I asked, noticing that it seemed to be extending from the back of my helmet. Down the middle of the mane, it seemed to be a deep blue night sky with stars filling it just like Luna's mane. But around the edges and tip, it had the multiple colors of Celestia's mane. Like the night being embraced by the gentle colors of the dawn. It was quite long, nearly reaching my feet. This was not a problem since it seemed to lack physical mass. This is a good thing, since it would have easily gotten in the way of my wings if it was solid.

"Dang... That's gorgeous." I muttered, looking at the mane the best I could by looking over my shoulder.

"Gorgeous? I think that armor is a work of art." Fluttershy replied, sporting a blush on her face.

I smiled, "Yeah. Beautiful, yet functional." I then struck a pose, holding my shield slightly lower than usual while standing straight up. I held my sword far out to my side while keeping my wings spread.

Applejack whistled, "Woo nelly, James! Ya know how ta strut yer stuff!"

Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves, "I need to ask the princesses to help make decorations for some of my parties if they're that good at making fancy armor!"

However, Rainbow Dash spoke, "Yeah, it's cool. Now, would ya stop looking so dang awesome?! I almost feel like you're TRYING to give me a wing... Dang it." Before she could even finish her sentence, her wings sprang open in a large wingboner. Every last one of us, minus Rarity, burst into laughter. I then decided to sheathe my sword since I had no desire to use it.

"Enough! What are you hoping to accomplish?!" We all stopped as Nightmare Moon shouted at us. I turned to face her, finding the dark alicorn to be looking at us with an annoyed glare. "So, your armor is now complete. But what are you going to do with it?"

I looked down at myself before looking back at Nightmare Moon. "I'm going to do the right thing. The sun needs to rise."

Nightmare Moon's face seemed to show one of shock, but it quickly changed to one of anger. "You... I gave you this wonderful gift. And now you are throwing it away?!"

I could not offer a reply. I truly felt bad that I had only just met her again yet had already angered her. Before anything else could happen, I noticed a deep blue aura surround a small chunk of rubble near a support pillar before the rubble came flying at me. "Ungrateful scum!"

I held out my empty right hand, stopping the rubble from striking me by countering with a levitation spell of my own. I then grabbed the rubble and looked at it for a moment before directing my gaze back at Nightmare Moon. I then spoke, "I am grateful, Nightmare Moon. It's just that the night has outstayed its welcome. If it goes on for too long, the people of Equestria will begin to crave the sunlight to the point where they will never want to see the moon again. Do you want that? For them to HATE the night?"

Nightmare Moon seemed surprisingly unfazed by my words. "Like I said, I have made up my mind. Now, choose! Who will you side with?!"

I looked back at my six companions, their faces showing genuine concern for me. Even Rarity had joined them after regaining her bearings. I then looked back at the dark alicorn and began to approach her. "I already answered that."

She growled, "So, you wish to use force? So be it. Draw your sword."

I replied, "You're kidding, right? I came here to save you, not to slay you."

My refusal to fight seemed to only anger her more. "You dare to mock me? Claiming you stand against me yet refusing to draw your weapon?" Her horn was engulfed in a deep blue aura, a small orb of light forming at the tip. "Enough of your charade! ATTACK ME, COWARD!!!"

To my surprise, a flash of lightning was launched from the tip of her horn. Even though lightning moves almost at the speed of light, this bolt was somewhat slower. I had enough time to throw up my shield, easily blocking the blow. It had no physical force behind it, so I felt like nothing had hit the shield at all.

I moved the shield aside, not feeling very intimidated at all. It almost felt as if I was simply listening to a friend vent about something that had angered her while I stood and listened. Only the words were bolts of magic lightning while the ears were the Lunar Shield. I actually felt quite safe in the secure confines of my armor; even more so now that I had completed it by adding its helmet. My face was still exposed, but I was doubtful Nightmare Moon's aim was precise enough to hit me there.

My goal at the time was to try to get Nightmare Moon to listen to me by being as nonviolent as possible. If I drew my sword, it would be a sign of aggression. Although I must admit I may have looked rather silly holding a large shield on my left arm, but no weapon in my right hand.

I asked, "Are you done?"

Nightmare Moon growled, "I will never be done until Equestria embraces the night just as they do the day! And if you will not stand down..." She let out a yell as a much larger arcing volley of lightning was launched from her horn.

"James, get outta there!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout. I did not retreat, opting instead to get myself lower to the ground to make certain not a single part of me would be exposed around the edges of the Lunar Shield. The shield held, the lightning surging past the edges while I stood my ground. This lightning actually had a great deal of force behind it. I would have been blown right off my feet if I had not braced my legs a second before it struck.

Unlike before, this electrical assault kept coming. A constant stream of powerful lightning trying to push me away. I decided to try to get closer to Nightmare Moon, hoping that maybe my touch would calm her. I began to push my way against the lightning, effectively bulldozing my way through with the Lunar Shield acting as a barrier. It felt like I was pushing against a powerful gust.

I kept a close eye on the walls at my sides, knowing that they began to curve inwards near the end of the throne room where Nightmare Moon was standing. I could not look past my shield without risking getting my face fried. Once I was sure I was close enough, I engulfed my right gauntlet with its golden yellow aura. Hopefully it would give it a little more protection. I reached past the shield, my hand grabbing something long and narrow.

As soon as I grasped what was in front of me, the lightning stopped. I moved my shield aside to find that my hand was now holding Nightmare Moon's horn. Near the base, her aura was still billowing. But above my hand, the aura was nonexistent. It seemed that the opposite polarity of the magic in my gauntlet had disrupted the channeling of her magic.

The two of us shared a momentary gaze. "That's enough, Nightmare Moon." I spoke softly, trying my best to calm her. At that time, my gaze glanced at the Elements of Chaos that were still floating around her. They seemed to not be reacting to my presence at all.

Nightmare Moon growled, "No... It will never be enough." She jerked her head away, forcing me to let go of her. Before I could regain my balance, she held the tip of her horn squarely to my chest. "This night shall last forever!"

Before I could react, Nightmare Moon blasted me at pointblank range with a massive bolt of electrical magic. I felt a chill pass through my body as I stood paralyzed. That feeling you get when you are about to fall off a ladder or when an incoming vehicle is about to collide with you.

"No!!!" I heard Fluttershy shriek somewhere behind me.

A few seconds later, I stood frozen with my right arm raised over my face. Was I dead? Was I alive? I muttered, "Am I dead yet?"

There was no response at first, so I opened my eyes while lowering my arm. Nightmare Moon was looking at me with a bewildered expression. "I'm OK?"

Nightmare Moon shouted, "What?! That was one of the strongest spells I could muster!"

I flapped my wings to give myself some distance from her, still slightly shell-shocked from the experience. "This armor really is magicproof..."

Right after landing, I felt something bonk me on the top of my helmet. "You dummy! I thought you were dead right there!" I recognized the voice as Rainbow Dash.

I glared at her, "You think I was TRYING to get myself zapped?"

Before we could get into an argument, I heard Nightmare Moon roar again as she sent another bolt of lightning at me. Only it was likely that Rainbow Dash would get caught in it too.

"Dang it!" I yelped as I levitated the Lunar Shield up to Rainbow Dash to shield her from the lightning. I had nothing to fear since my armor on its own could endure the magical attack.

"Whoa! Thanks, James!" Rainbow Dash spoke while looking down at me.

"No problem. Now get back." I replied. Rainbow Dash did as she was told, flying back over to our friends.

I turned to face Nightmare Moon again. Since my armor was capable of enduring any of the spells she threw at me, I decided that the Lunar Shield was no longer necessary. I cast it aside, standing completely unarmed in the center of the throne room.

"You think your armor can save you from everything? Think again!" Nightmare Moon shouted at me. I then heard what sounded like creaking and crumbling.

I heard Pinkie Pie shriek, "James! Heads up!"

I glanced up and stared wide-eyed as two support pillars were beginning to fall towards me on opposite sides. "Knock it off, Nightmare Moon! Keep that up and you'll bring the whole house down!" I shouted while trying to use the levitation spell with both gauntlets on each pillar.

"James, they're too big and heavy! Stopping those pillars from falling requires great focus!" Twilight called out.

I was too focused on saving myself to really pay any mind. I am not certain how I managed it, but the pillars stopped descending towards me with less than ten feet of distance from me. I 'pushed' the pillars back up to their original positions, hoping that Nightmare Moon would not try it again.

"How did you manage that... No novice of the levitation spell can stop something that large so easily!" Nightmare Moon shouted at me. I did not immediately offer a reply as I shook my head, although I did know that each gauntlet possesses alicorn level magic potential.

"I dunno! I have no idea how magic works!" I replied, truly having little understanding of the process of using magic.

Rarity called out, "Oh, the levitation spell is as easy as it comes!" I looked back at my friends for a brief moment. "All you must do is... James, look out!"

I looked back at Nightmare Moon to see what seemed to be a 'drill' of blue that was the same color as Nightmare Moon's mane coming right at me. I stood my ground and held up my shield after quickly calling it back over to me, but the thing ended up pushing me through the air and slamming me into one of the support pillars.

I let out a brief yell the instant I was smashed into the sturdy stone pillar. My armor protected me from actual harm, but the force of the impact still knocked the wind out of me. The 'drill' backed away, the swirling mist dissipating to reveal Nightmare Moon herself. I wheezed, "Whoa... Nice one, m'lady."

I was held against the wall, probably being held aloft by Nightmare Moon's own levitation spell. Her mane reached forward and seemed to cup my chin as she looked me in the eye. "You know you can't win. Please, stop this. I know you want the night to last forever, so stop trying to end it."

It was puzzling to me to hear Nightmare Moon tell me to stop fighting her. Moments ago, she hit me with one of her strongest spells and even demanded that I try to harm her. Was she merely testing me to see where my loyalties lie?

"Get away from him!" I heard Twilight shout just before a bright pink beam of sorts hit Nightmare Moon in the neck, pushing her away. It must have broken her mental focus since I immediately dropped down to the ground.

Nightmare Moon seemed unharmed, just hovering in the air while glaring at my friends with a most irritated gaze. Her horn was then engulfed by a dark blue aura as a sphere of sparking electrical energy began to form at the tip. "You foals dare to raise your hooves against me?!"

I knew what was coming next. I quickly flew over to my friends and held up my shield just as Nightmare Moon launched another volley of lightning at us. My shield held, being just large enough to protect the six ponies from being fried. I then hurled my shield at Nightmare Moon, pushing it through the lightning before it struck her in the face, disrupting her assault

"It's no use! She's not gonna stop!" Rainbow Dash shouted as Nightmare Moon hovered between us and the throne.

Twilight nodded, "I know! James, we don't have a choice! We need to use the Elements of Harmony!"

I replied, "But the Elements of Chaos..." I noticed Nightmare Moon flying back towards the throne before landing in the circle made up by her own false Elements.

Pinkie Pie spoke, "Ooh, I got it! Why not use your own Element with ours?"

My eyes glanced up, trying to look at the Element that rested on the forehead of my helmet. "That's not an Element of Harmony! I don't even know what it's supposed to do!"

Fluttershy then asked, "Well... Could you at least try to use it?"

I looked back at Nightmare Moon, who seemed to be looking quite confident while surrounded by the Elements of Chaos. I must admit I was impressed. Despite being a pony, her power is not something to gawk at. She really can fight. And with my lack of combat experience, I could not hope to overcome her without risking injuring her.

"Darling... I know you want to save her, but it just doesn't seem possible anymore. We must use the Elements." Rarity spoke while placing her hoof on my folded wing.

"We need ya more than ever now, James. Yer Element might be the straw that breaks our enemy's back." Applejack spoke, looking up at me with a somber expression.

No matter how many times I told myself in my head that there had to be another way, I could not deny the truth. Nightmare Moon's bitterness had consumed her and she was not going to listen to reason. The only way we were going to end this eternal night was by using the Elements of Harmony.

Twilight looked at Nightmare Moon and spoke, "I'm sorry, Nightmare Moon... I was really hoping that we could be friends."

The dark alicorn smirked, "You can use the Elements of Harmony as many times as you wish. The result will stay the same!"

My friends stood in a circle, the Elements glowing as they once again began to float into the air. Rainbow Dash called out to me, "James! Use it! The Element of Humanity!"

I was uncertain of what to do. What would happen to Nightmare Moon if seven Elements were used against her instead of six? I walked into the circle made up by my six friends and looked up. The two rainbows shot up from the Elements, swirling around each other. But this time, they stood their ground.

"What's this?" I heard Nightmare Moon speak as she looked on from the far end of the room. This too baffled me. Instead of combining and rushing towards Nightmare Moon like the last time, they just swirled around up there as if waiting for something.

I could feel a strange presence just above my forehead as a white glow began to emanate from it while a gentle hum filled the air. Was the Element of Humanity resonating with the other six Elements? Could it be that the Element of Humanity has a connection to these Elements so pure? Even stranger was the sensation I was feeling. Surrounded by my friends and the Elements they represented, I felt a serene calm fill me. I have never before felt such comfort. As if knowing that as long as I was with them, everything would turn out fine. Like I knew that this truly was the right thing to do.

I closed my eyes, holding my arms out to the sides while looking upward. My wings spread, my feet beginning to rise off of the floor as I floated in the air with my friends. I opened my eyes just in time to see a seventh color shoot up from the center of the circle my friends had form. It was white.

The seventh color was coming from the Element of Humanity.

Between the two swirling rainbows, the white strip shot up, forming a small white light at the top of the two rainbows like a guiding beacon. The two rainbows converged upon it before swooping down at Nightmare Moon. Along with the six colors from before, a white strip stood in the very middle of the rainbow.

"Oh, please! This again?!" I heard Nightmare Moon shout, the Elements of Chaos reacting to the incoming purifying rainbow. The dark crystals began to glow just before an equally dark rainbow pillar shot up from them, the rainbow from the seven true Elements colliding with it.

"You cannot stop the night! This night shall last for... What?!" I heard Nightmare Moon shout. Over the sound coming from the Elements of Harmony and my own Element, I could hear the sound of...glass cracking?

The Elements of Chaos. They were buckling under the strain of the seven Elements! They could resist six, but not seven. I heard Nightmare Moon shout, "No, please! Stop!"

Her confident bold tone had developed into a very fearful and even pleading voice. She called out, her form still obstructed by the dark rainbow barrier. "James, don't do this! Please!"

It was painful to hear her call out to me in such a frightened voice. What made it all the more painful was that I was powerless to help her at this point. All I could do now was have faith that the Elements of Harmony would not harm her. Speaking of them, as the seconds went by, the six colors of the rainbow began to become thinner while the white color remained the same size. Were they exhausting themselves against the Elements of Chaos?

Finally, with a powerful sense of finality, I heard the sound of cracking being immediately followed by the sound of glass shattering. The dark rainbow barrier that surrounded Nightmare Moon vanished, allowing me to get one brief look at her just before the rainbow of seven colors engulfed her as she screamed in horror.

I felt my pulse quicken in anticipation. What was going to happen to her? The rainbow continued to surge like a vortex. What I found odd was that its angle seemed to be moving further down and closer to us. I soon found out why. I could see her. Nightmare Moon struggling against the power of the seven Elements as she pushed through it.

Her eyes were squinted shut, tears streaming down them while being sucked right off her by the vortex of colors. Her unnaturally colored eyes opened wide, her expression painful to behold. "Why?! I thought... You..."

Her hoof began to reach out, her body trying to resist the pull of the rainbow. Probably acting more on instinct than thought, I dropped down to the ground and ran towards her with my arm reaching out to her.

"I thought... I thought you were...my..." Nightmare Moon was not able to complete her sentence. Just as I came within one foot of her, Nightmare Moon let out a wail as her resistance finally crumbled. She was swept off her feet and carried by the rainbow further down the chamber before landing somewhere before the throne. The seven colors erupted upwards in a pillar of seven colors with a shocking amount of force. I looked on in horror as it began to dissipate. Chunks of stone from the ceiling came loose and fell right onto the area where Nightmare Moon had fallen, burying my friend in a pile of bone-crushing rubble.

How do I even describe the sense of horror I was experiencing at that moment? The air became still and silent. I had just...watched my friend... She was looking at me while reaching out to me only a moment ago, yet now she was... Where did I go wrong?

My body began to carry myself forward at a sluggish pace, my eyes fixated on the rubble before me that now served as Nightmare Moon's tomb. There was a light metallic clink that filled the air. Her helmet, the only part of her that was not buried, rolled off the rubble and stopped before me.

I was almost expecting my friends to cheer at their victory like cheerleaders whose team had just won a football game. However, the area was deathly quiet, with the only sound being heard being my own shuffling footsteps.

Once I was standing before Nightmare Moon's helmet, I dropped to my knees with a clank. I gently picked up the helmet in my hands, looking at it as Nightmare Moon's final words echoed in my mind.

Why. That was the question she asked. Why did I allow this to happen to her? The longer I beheld her helmet, the more blurred my vision became. I have never once witnessed someone I care about die. Until today.

I could not contain my emotions. I clutched the helmet tightly against my armored chest, teeth gritted as tears streamed down my face. I wanted to speak, but I was too choked up to string together any words. Nightmare Moon's helmet... It was all I had left of her.

I heard the clopping of hooves, my friends approaching me from behind. I said nothing, not even really able to think clearly. I could only think of her. The beautiful dark alicorn I was not able to save.

The clopping sounds stopped shortly before I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I slowly turned my head, finding Rarity looking at me with the most mournful expression I had ever seen on her face. I then looked to my right, finding Fluttershy gently holding my body in a tender embrace. All around me, the six mares stood, the Elements of Harmony still rested upon their bodies. At that moment, as my eyes beheld them, I felt a twinge of hate towards the very forces that had slain my friend.

"James... She..." Pinkie Pie muttered, clearly trying to find the right words to say without inducing more pain. Her face, like all the others, showed nothing but a profound sorrow.

I nodded, gritting my teeth as I held Nightmare Moon's helmet against my chest tightly. Rarity reached out to me, wiping a tear from my cheek. "Do not blame yourself, darling... You did the right thing."

I sobbed, "Then why... Why does it feel like I made a horrible mistake?"

Fluttershy replied, her eyes too beginning to build up tears. "You didn't make the mistake... We did."

Twilight nodded, "We never should've taken out the Elements of Harmony so soon. We should've waited until it was clear we would need them..."

Pinkie Pie added, "She must've thought we came here to get rid of her when she saw us wearing them... And we kinda did..."

Rainbow Dash bowed her head, "Well... At least now, maybe she can catch a break. No more suffering where she is now."

This was only a small comfort in a sea of guilt for me. I asked, "But... I understood her... I never tried to hurt her..." I then looked at my friends and raised my voice, "So why couldn't I save her?!" Never before in my life have I felt like such a failure.

"James... Sugarcube..." Applejack reached out and placed her hoof on my hand. "It wasn't yer fault... We didn't want this ta happen either. Yer heart was in the right place the whole time. I think... Nah. I know Nightmare Moon felt lucky ta have a friend like ya."

Together, my six companions embraced me. There were no words, their eyes closed in silence. I could not speak. All I could do was bow my head as my body shuddered. I could hear my armor rattle as I shuddered in their grasp.

"James... I think she may have loved you." Twilight spoke.

"Wha... Loved me?" I muttered, my eyes looking at her, their grasp on me not releasing.

She replied, "The way she kept trying to make you join her. And how she called out to you just before the Elements of Chaos shattered. I think..."

Pinkie Pie nodded, "Yeah... I noticed too. She really seemed to want you, James."

Fluttershy smiled faintly, "I think you were the first person to ever show her love. At the end... At least she was kind of with you."

This revelation did nothing to lift my spirits. If anything, I only felt worse. If she had indeed loved me... Not only had I been unable to save her. I had utterly betrayed her.

"Girls... Let go of me." I muttered. My friends did as they were told. "I...need some time alone..."

Twilight nodded, but she and the others then faced Nightmare Moon's makeshift grave. After a brief moment, I noticed tears beginning to roll down their faces.

"Nightmare Moon..." Twilight spoke. "I am so sorry it had to end like this. We used to think that you were nothing but a monster. However, thanks to our new friend, I think we were able to understand you a little. I wish... I wish we could fix this mistake... You deserved better..." She then bowed her head, "I hope you can forgive us in time... It was...an honor getting to meet you one last time. Goodbye, Nightmare Moon. And...thank you for being there for James when he needed you."

My friends turned and began to walk past me, their heads hung low. However, Rainbow Dash placed her hoof on me, a somber frown on her face. "Take your time. We'll wait over at the exit." I could only nod in silence. I watched out of the corner of my eye as my bold pegasus friend walked past me.

I said nothing as I kneeled there, clutching Nightmare Moon's helmet in my arms. I am not even really certain how much time passed. Time meant nothing to me right there. I wanted to ask Nightmare Moon for forgiveness. But no words came. I began to wonder if I was truly worthy of being connected to the Element of Humanity. I followed my heart, but still failed to save her. Was it truly the humane thing to do?

A moment later, I heard a clank next to me. I looked to my left and found the Lunar Shield on the ground, the Celestial Sword still securely lodged in its scabbard. Rarity stood next to me, giving me a somber smile. "I was saving you the trouble of fetching it yourself." I nodded silently. "I'll be over there with the others. Come along when you're ready, darling." She then left my field of vision as I turned my gaze back to Nightmare Moon's tomb.

I am not certain how much more time passed, but I finally stood up and returned the Lunar Shield to my left arm. Grasping Nightmare Moon's helmet in my right hand, I began to debate whether or not to take the helmet with me. I finally decided that it would be best to leave it where Nightmare Moon had fallen.

I approached the rubble and gently set the helmet on the floor before it while making certain it was facing the only entrance to the chamber. This way, if anyone else were to visit this place, they would know who it was whose corpse was buried beneath this pile of rubble.

I reached out, placing my right hand on the pile of rubble. Once again, tears began to stream down my face. I muttered, "Our time together was short..... But I'm glad I got to meet you..."

I could not bring myself to say more. I turned and began to walk across the throne room towards my friends.

I do not know if I will ever be able to recover from this failure. I truly wanted to save Nightmare Moon. At least now... She can finally be at peace. I can see my friends waiting for me at the end of the room. They are saying nothing, just waiting for me just past the doorway. I really do not have anymore desire to continue writing now, so I will... Wait... What is that?

The air has just become heavier... And it is becoming heavier still.

"Somethin' don't feel right..." Applejack spoke as she and the other five ponies began to glance around.

This foreboding presence... I can almost hear my own heartbeat in my head. Could it... That sound. What was it?

I could hear the faint sound of pebbles rolling around. Was it...coming from behind me? I turned, facing the pile of rubble. Without my glasses or goggles, I could not make out the details from my current distance. However, I could distinctly hear a sound coming from the rubble.

I froze, watching and waiting to see if my suspicions were true. A moment later, it happened. The rubble exploded as something burst out of it and high into the air while letting out the most wrathful scream I had ever heard in my life.

My heart swelled with hope as I saw her high above me, Nightmare Moon alive and well. However, as soon as she stopped rising into the air, she threw her head forward. A powerful blast of lightning was launched from her horn at the entryway into the chamber. My friends shrieked, parts of the wall collapsing over the entryway while still leaving enough room for them to peer through. A dried tree that seemed to have grown out of the wall at some point in the castle's history was dislodged and fell across the rubble before igniting upon being exposed to the lightning.

This...was a very aggressive change to Nightmare Moon's demeanor from before. I was happy to see that she still lived, but at the same time was intimidated by her angry and violent actions. "Nightmare Moon...?" I muttered while looking up at her.

The dark alicorn's blue armor was bent and fractured, but it was mostly intact. With her helmet missing, I could now see her entire face. She hovered in the air, her wings making loud flaps as she maintained altitude. However, her eyes were filled with a bright white glow to the point where I could no longer see her eyes. Her breathing was deep and harsh, as if seething with rage.

I took a step back, already feeling fearful of my friend. She growled, "My grasp on the night has been severed... The sun will soon rise... You have succeeded in ending this eternal night..."

Pinkie Pie cheered, "Yes! You hear that, girls?! We did it! Everything's gonna be OK!"

However, Nightmare Moon then seemed to glare directly at me as a sphere of white electrical energy began to form on the tip of her horn. "But you....traitor...will not escape."

I gulped, realizing that she was referring to me. "Traitor?! But he didn't..." Fluttershy called out.

Nightmare Moon roared, "If I cannot have my eternal night, then YOU will not live to see the next sunrise!"

She pointed her horn directly at me. Even though all of her magic had failed to penetrate my armor thus far, I immediately had a bad feeling about this one. Even so, I was rooted to the ground. I could not move.

"James! RUN!!!" I heard Twilight scream at me. That was all I needed to get moving. I sprinted forward, just narrowly evading the blast of lightning as it exploded into the floor where I used to be standing. I ran under Nightmare Moon, hoping I could jump out a window and fly away. I was no longer relying on complex thought. I was so afraid; I could only act on instinct.

"Heads up!" I heard Rainbow Dash call out. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Nightmare Moon on the ground launching another blast of lightning at me. I turned and stood my ground, holding my shield up to block the attack. It held, but Nightmare Moon kept the lightning going in a constant stream of electricity. I tried to push against it, but soon found myself being pushed back while being held aloft in the air as it swept me off my feet.

What happened next still blows my mind whenever I think about it. The lightning pushed me across the room before bulldozing me right through the stone wall! The force of the impact was jarring enough to stun me. The armor protected me from any real injury, but the sheer force of the impact probably made my heart stop for a second.

As I fell with stone bricks falling around me, I had to act quickly. I managed to turn myself over with a flap of one wing and immediately tried to fly away. However, I found that I was not rising as much as desired. When I looked at my wings, I felt a sense of dread. The wings were tattered. Nightmare Moon had successfully damaged my armor!

Knowing I could not hope to properly fly with my wings being as damaged as they were, I tried to break out into a glide. This approach was successful as I streaked across the Everfree Forest's canopy. During that moment of peace, I noticed some light coming from the east. It seemed that Celestia was already hard at work in making the sun rise. I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps if she could get the sun back in its proper place, something might happen.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing the large hole in the wall at the back of the throne room. However, I then saw Nightmare Moon leap from the hole, dive for a moment, and then spread her wings as she began to pursue me. "Coward!" She screamed, clearly having detected me.

I felt a twinge of horror as I glided along. She could fly while I could only glide. In a desperate move, I folded my wings and dropped down through the canopy below. I landed safely on a tree branch before jumping down to the ground. At this point, all I could do was run.

I sprinted through the forest, my armored legs carrying me as swiftly as they could. The dark and twisted trees passed by me rapidly, almost giving the feel of me being in a horror film with a crazed killer or monster chasing me. And considering Nightmare Moon's state of mind at the time, she easily qualified as one.

After a moment, I began to feel like I had escaped my pursuer. I heard no sounds that may have been coming from her. Still, I did not relax. Until the sun had risen, I could not drop my guard. I had to keep running to insure that she would not locate me.

My surroundings had already started to seem slightly brighter than usual despite the thick canopy above me. Was the dawn already on the verge of arriving? However, I then heard a crash just to my left, the trees buckling and being uprooted as Nightmare Moon swooped down at me while letting out a yell.

I lowered my head as I sprinted, trying my best to stay ahead of her. I could hear the flapping of her wings growing louder. She was probably going to ram me from behind. I stopped and flapped my wings as hard as I could. Tattered as they were, they were able to trap just enough air under them to launch me around twelve feet into the air, more than high enough to jump over her. As expected, Nightmare Moon swooped under me and just ahead, her horn constantly cracking with electrical energy.

"On your knees!" She shouted, turning and launching a powerful concentrated bolt of lightning at me. Her aim... What did she hit? I suddenly felt myself lurch to one side as I noticed half of my right wing had been shot off.

"What?!" I shouted in surprise as I realized what had happened to me. What kind of power is she using to rip my armor apart?! I hit the ground with a clatter, landing on my side. Nightmare Moon then followed her previous strike with another bolt. I was able to move out of the way slightly, but it still struck my right pauldron. I heard a loud crack and found that it had been fractured.

"Immune to all but the most powerful destructive spells..." I muttered, reciting the words Celestia had said to me when I first received my armor. Before I could be struck again by lightning, I threw up the Lunar Shield to block the attack. I then quickly drew my sword, "Please, stop this!"

Nightmare Moon's wrathful expression became even more defiant. "You raise your sword to me as well?!"

I shook my head, maintaining a defensive stance. I had no desire to harm Nightmare Moon further, but my fear was driving me to do whatever it took to survive.

Nightmare Moon did not approach me, instead trying to strike me with another blast of lightning. I stood my ground, blocking the bolt with my shield. However, I then felt myself float off the ground while being surrounded by a deep blue aura.

"Levitation?!" I shouted, surprised that a nondestructive spell like the basic levitation spell could be used on my armor. Perhaps the armor is resistant to magic that is meant to PENETRATE it.

Before I could say anything else, I was slammed into a tree against my back. I let out a shout, the impact stunning me. Before I could relax, I was then yanked through the air and slammed into another tree. For the next twenty seconds or so, I was at Nightmare Moon's mercy as she smashed me into our surroundings like a rag doll.

Finally, Nightmare Moon threw me facedown into the forest floor, knocking the wind out of me. As I tried to climb to my feet, she once again lifted me off of the ground before slamming me back down into the ground onto my front. She did this again several times, greatly whittling down my stamina. By the time she stopped, I felt so weak. I coughed hard, having great difficulty breathing during the abuse from the constant whiplash.

I turned my head up, too worn out to move. Nightmare Moon was pointing her horn at me, magical electricity sparking from a sphere at the tip not even six inches away from my face.

"I'm sorry..." I spoke weakly, not feeling afraid at all. Somewhere inside me, I felt as if I deserved this fate.

"Not good enough, traitor." Nightmare Moon growled as the electricity surged more. "I trusted you and you threw it all away! It's time you receive your judgment!"

I said nothing, looking at the enraged alicorn while lightly panting. But just before she could unleash her magic upon me, something came sailing into Nightmare Moon's face from my left, sending her flying with what looked like a kick. "I got your back, James!"

I recognized my rescuer immediately. "Rainbow?!"

Rainbow Dash looked down at me out of the corner of her eye while still facing a staggering Nightmare Moon. "I was worried I wouldn't make it in time. You OK?"

I replied, "Forget me! Where are the rest of the girls?!"

She retorted, "They're on their way. But they were too slow, so I went on ahead." She then looked back at Nightmare Moon with a confident smirk, "I'll hold her off! You get outta here!"

Suicide. As fast as she is, Rainbow Dash could not possibly hold her own against Nightmare Moon. If someone with even my equipment could not stand against her, how could she possibly hope to triumph?!

"Rainbow, I'm the one she wants! Get outta here!" I shouted at my friend, fearful of what would happen if even just one of Nightmare Moon's lightning spells hit their mark.

Rainbow Dash looked down at me and smiled, "Hey, my Element is Loyalty for a reason, ya know."

Nightmare Moon growled, "The Elements of Harmony were not enough to defeat me, so what makes you think the Element of Loyalty alone will make a difference?!"

Rainbow Dash smirked, "I don't care. You're not getting James!"

"RAINBOW, NO!!!" I shouted as my friend swooped at Nightmare Moon using her characteristic speed.

Nightmare Moon wasted no time in bombarding my friend with lightning while I took shelter behind the Lunar Shield. Much to my shock, Rainbow Dash darted and weaved around the lightning without slowing down while sometimes making 90 degree turns. How are her reflexes that responsive?!

"Pesky insect!" Nightmare Moon roared, trying her best to shoot Rainbow Dash down.

"Man, you couldn't hit the broad side of Applejack's barn! And she has a HUGE barn!" Rainbow Dash laughed as she began to swoop around and circle Nightmare Moon. How could she be having fun in such a situation? I was scared out of my wits for her safety.

"You cheeky... Agh!" Nightmare Moon yelped as Rainbow Dash barged into her several times over the course of a few seconds.

"Cakewalk! Why were we even scared of you in the first place?!" Rainbow Dash called out while still circling Nightmare Moon at high speed. By that point, even my eyes were starting to roll around in my head from trying to track her movements.

"Why?" Nightmare Moon asked. She then pointed her horn in one direction, "Perhaps because of THIS!"

Rainbow Dash suddenly froze in the air. Her wings were still flapping, but she was now floating in the air without moving forward. She was coated in a deep blue billowing aura. "What the?! No fair!"

I felt a great chill course through me as I saw that Rainbow Dash was now helpless, trapped in Nightmare Moon's levitation spell. Yet, for some reason, I could not get my body to move. I prayed that Nightmare Moon would spare her; I was too overwhelmed with fear to do anything.

"You're mine now, you wretch!" Nightmare Moon growled as she pulled Rainbow Dash closer until she was being held a short distance from her horn, a sphere of electrical energy beginning to grow on the tip.

"No... No, I don't want this!" Rainbow Dash pleaded as an expression of profound horror spread across her face. She then reached out to me with her foreleg, "James, help me!"

My body was shaking. I knew then that if I did not do something soon, I was going to lose her. Still weakened from my earlier beating and too full of fear to move quickly, I tried to stagger to my feet. But once I was finally standing, Nightmare Moon roared, "TOO LATE!!!"

It felt like time stopped. Or at least slowed down. I saw a flash of white bolts of electricity. Rainbow Dash was engulfed in it to the point where I could no longer see her. Seconds later, which felt like minutes at the time, I saw her. She fell from the lightning limply, rolling across the ground for a second before coming to a stop. Her eyes were closed, her light blue coated heavily singed.

She did not move. She was not breathing. Rainbow Dash was.....

I could only stare motionless. My mind was a mess of emotions. I could feel myself quivering, my armor rattling as I clutched the Celestial Sword tightly in my right hand. Nightmare Moon approached Rainbow Dash, her eyes still filled with a white glow. She pointed her horn at my friend as another sphere of electricity formed at the tip.

My ears began to go haywire. All I could hear was noise and possibly my own heartbeat. I took a step forward, then another step. The last thing I remember before everything became a blur was that I was starting to run towards them with my sword being raised.

I am not certain how much time passed before I began to regain my senses. Ten seconds? Thirty seconds? A minute? Regardless, it did not feel like much time had passed. I was panting hard, my heart pounding in my chest. My vision began to become clear as Nightmare Moon stood before me. Only... What happened to her?

All over her body were deep cuts in her coat, crimson blood oozing down her body. There was an exceptionally deep stab wound behind her left shoulder. Her eyes had returned to normal, but were now gazing at me with sheer fright. Her long black horn was coated in blood as well, but I could see no indication that it had come from her.

Who did this to her? I was overcome with fear for her safety. However, my gaze soon gazed down at the blade of the Celestial Sword in my right hand. Coating the glowing white blade was fresh blood that was dripping from it. I was filled with horror as I began to understand what I had done. I dropped the sword, my hand quivering. "Was... Did I...do this to you?"

Nightmare Moon panted, "Such malice... What were they thinking, bringing a monster like you back into this world?" She then spread her wings, which had somehow escaped harm. "I can't let you live... I will not let you bring ruin to Equestria like your predecessors..."

She began to hover high into the air above me, slowly ascending above the canopy. A billowing black orb of magical force began to form at the tip of her horn before very slowly expanding outward. Witnessing this filled me with a powerful sense of dread as I pondered what this new spell would do to me. I took a step forward as I tried to think of a way to stop her. But the instant my body lurched forward, I hunkered forward as I groaned loudly. A powerful jolt of pain the likes of which I have never felt before surged through my body, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Ugh... What the..." I groaned, not knowing what had hit me. It took every ounce of restraint I had to avoid screaming. It was then that I noticed a strange feeling. A warm sticky substance oozing down my left leg and making my pants stick to me. I slowly looked down and was horrified by what I witnessed. In the lower left side of my cuirass was a gaping circular hole. Blood was oozing from it constantly.

Nightmare Moon's horn... Had she stabbed me with it? And what kind of power could make it sharp enough to actually penetrate my armor? Wait... I could feel the same sticky fluid oozing down the back of my leg too. My hand reached around behind me and found a slightly smaller hole on the backside of my cuirass in the same position as the front. It was then it dawned on me.

I had not been stabbed. I had been impaled.

"James... You're..." A familiar voice spoke behind me.

I felt a surge of hope and relief fill me as I recognized the voice. I slowly turned around, trying to avoid bringing more pain to myself. On the ground behind me, Rainbow Dash was looking up at me, her face showing silent horror. A few drops of blood was on her face, probably my own. I must have been standing between her and Nightmare Moon when I was impaled. "Rainbow...?" I asked, already starting to feel weak from blood loss.

"You're bleeding... We need to get you to... Ergh..." Rainbow groaned as she tried to climb to her feet, but failed. "Dang it... I'm fried..."

I carefully lowered myself until I was on one knee. My hand touched her side, "I thought you were..."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "I'll be fine... I'm tougher than I look, ya know. But... We need to get you outta here! That wound will..." She coughed, clearly still weak from being blasted by lightning.

I looked over my shoulder at Nightmare Moon, the black sphere having already engulfed her and was now expanding further outward. Was it a type of capture field?

I looked at Rainbow Dash and myself. I could barely walk with my injury and with one of my wings nearly destroyed; there was no way I could fly. And Rainbow Dash could barely move. And there was still no sign of our friends. We were not going to escape. But perhaps...

"We can't get outta here, Rainbow... But..." I then unlatched the Lunar Shield from my arm and draped it over her. "I can at least save you."

The shield was large enough to completely conceal her entire body. As long as it was between her and Nightmare Moon, she would be fine.

"What?! But... What about you?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

I replied, my left hand clutching myself over the wound on my body. "Your injuries aren't that bad. You'll be fine. And she's not after you. Just stay here and you'll be OK."

She asked, "OK... But...will you be OK?"

Me... It was only then that I began to grasp just how dire my situation was. Circular gashes are very difficult to treat as opposed to vertical cuts. And with how much blood I was losing...

I bowed my head, a sense of silent doom beginning to come over me. "I'm not an idiot, Rainbow... I'm not going to survive this wound."

At those words, the tears began to stream down my bold friend's face. It was actually painful to see her cry. "Don't say that! C'mon... We'll get you back to Ponyville! The ponies at the hospital can..."

She stopped when I placed my hand on her hoof. We locked eyes for a moment before she sobbed, "I... I just don't wanna lose you..."

I smiled, "Rainbow. These last eight months were some of the best days of my life. And I partially have you to thank for that. You've been a great friend to me and I'm honored that you came to my aid when no one else could."

I slowly climbed to my feet, "If you don't see me again, tell the others I was honored to be their friend." I then added, "And tell Fluttershy I love her."

I levitated the Celestial Sword to my right hand before turning around to face Nightmare Moon's direction. "Thank you for always being there when I needed you, Rainbow Dash..."

As I began to stagger forward while clutching my wound with my left hand, I heard Rainbow Dash call out, "No... James, don't go! Please... Come back!" I gritted my teeth, my own tears beginning to stream down my face. Rainbow Dash's pleas were replaced by sobbing that was painful to hear.

I knew I was not going to see my friends again. But at the very least, I could protect Rainbow Dash from Nightmare Moon's wrath. I was soon standing just before the spot where Nightmare Moon was hovering above me, the dark alicorn being just above the treetops. The growing black sphere was engulfing everything it touched, like a blanket of blackness.

If I was going to stop Nightmare Moon at this point, I was going to have to throw the Celestial Sword at her with magic. However, I could not bring myself to harm her further. What was more, I no longer felt afraid. In fact, I felt calm. Like this fate was something I had come to deserve. After the hell I had put Nightmare Moon through, I certainly did deserve to be punished.

As the expanding sphere of darkness began to reach me, I quietly pleaded, "Do whatever you want to me... But please... Spare Rainbow Dash."

Seconds later, there was a strange sound somewhere above me that seemed to echo. When I looked up, I saw that the expanding sphere of darkness had vanished. Nightmare Moon was...

The dark alicorn seemed to be frozen in time while a beam of white light was impaled through her body. It seemed to be coming from the east... The sun? Was it Celestia's doing?

Even though she did not seem to be bleeding from where she had been 'stabbed', Nightmare Moon seemed strangely silent. The beam of light soon vanished, the dark alicorn still floating in the air without her wings flapping.

I could feel tears beginning to fill my eyes as I began to understand what had happened. Seconds later, Nightmare Moon went into a freefall. Her body was limp; eyes wide open as she fell. I felt as if I had gone deaf, no other noises caught my attention. My eyes were glued to the sight of my friend as she fell. Halfway through her descent, my tears spilled over and cascaded down my face uncontrollably. Seconds later, she hit the ground with a crash.

She did not move. Did not speak. Did not even so much as groan in pain. I could only stand there, looking down at my friend. This time... She really was... Oh god, what had I done?!

A complex mixture of guilt, anger, disgust, and sorrow filled my mind as I slowly staggered forward, my body no longer able to notice the pain from my injuries. I had failed... I truly tried my hardest to save Nightmare Moon. And now she lied dead before me.

I did not know what to do. I could only cry as I slowly approached her. But as I drew near... The sound of quiet sobbing. And it was not coming from Rainbow Dash behind me.

I saw tears beginning to trickle down Nightmare Moon's face, her mouth quivering. Her voice weakly spoke, "So... It happened again..." She then gritted her teeth and squinted her eyes shut, tears being pressed between her closed eyelids. "Is it all futile? Am I...really just a monster who can't change? A monster Equestria wants destroyed?"

Nightmare Moon looked up at me for a second before laying her head back down. "Just get it over with... I don't...care anymore..."

She was alive. But...she had clearly given up. She seemed so weak. So fragile at that moment. I had to do something to help her.

I took the Celestial Sword into a reverse grip before stabbing it into the ground, its gentle glow illuminating the area like a lamp. Nightmare Moon seemed surprised, probably expecting me to stab her. "Why... Even you hate me... If you really do have pity, then put me out of my misery..."

I dropped to me knees, ignoring the pain brought on by sudden movements. I then reached out and lifted Nightmare Moon's head until I was cradling it in my arms. I sobbed, trying to hold back my tears. "I didn't come out here to kill you... I came out here to save you..."

Nightmare Moon's expression remained unchanged, showing true defeat. "Lies... You just tried to kill me a moment ago..."

I gritted my teeth, "I don't even remember that... I don't know why... I saw Rainbow Dash fall and..."

She interrupted me, "You became determined to save her... You... You really are a great friend..."

I nodded, "That's why I can't let you die... I want to save you... You can become a princess everyone admires. Celestia and Luna will listen to me. I swear they will..." I then looked her in the eye, "But you need to live for that to happen. Please, trust me..."

Nightmare Moon weakly asked, "How can you possibly not hate me... I harmed your friend... Nearly killed you..." She then raised her voice, "Look at yourself! You've been mortally wounded! Why do you not hate me?!"

I frowned, my tears beginning to slow. "I don't remember being impaled..... I'm glad I don't remember..." I then stroked her face, "Besides... I don't hate easily. You would have to work hard to earn my hate."

More tears began to stream down her face, "You..." She then leaned her head against me, "James... I'm...honored to have a friend like you..."

I embraced her gently, hoping that no more harm would come to us. I gently stroked her exposed face and faintly smiled, "You have a lovely face... You look better without your helmet." She could only smile weakly at me in return. However, I began to feel even weaker. And cold. We both looked down at the blood that was oozing from the hole in my armor. I asked, "Nightmare Moon... Am I going to...die?"

She replied, "No... Be still."

Nightmare Moon then pointed her horn directly at the hole in my armor as a deep blue aura engulfed it. But before anything could happen, I heard a voice shout, "Get away from him!"

The two of us turned to face the direction Rainbow Dash was in. We saw her slowly crawling along the ground while still wearing the Lunar Shield over her back like a turtle shell. She grunted and groaned, slowly drawing closer. "Don't...ugh...you dare lay another hoof on him..."

Nightmare Moon moved her head away from me and watched Rainbow Dash just as I did. Once Rainbow Dash was right in front of us, she began to struggle to her feet. Very slowly, while groaning constantly, the bold pegasus mare slowly rose from the ground as the Lunar Shield slid off and fell to the ground. I was amazed she was able to move in her condition, let alone stand.

Rainbow Dash panted and glared at Nightmare Moon once she was completely standing in front of us. "If you even TRY to hurt him again..."

I spoke, "It's OK, Rainbow. She's not evil anymore."

She looked at me, "But...look at you! That wound didn't just come outta nowhere!"

Nightmare Moon replied, "I know. And I'm going to set things right." She then pointed her horn at the hole in my armor again. "Relax, both of you. I know what I'm doing."

Before she could protest further, I placed my hand on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "It'll be OK, Rainbow. Give her one more chance."

Rainbow Dash did not reply, instead choosing to let out a snort while watching Nightmare Moon with a cautious glare. As the glow of her horn began to shine from the hole in my cuirass, I felt my pain rapidly fading away. I felt the blood stop flowing on both sides of my torso as well. "There. You should be fine now."

I looked down at myself. I could see my bare flesh inside the hole in my armor. It did not even look like I had been wounded at all. I was still feeling somewhat weak from blood loss though. "You healed me?"

She nodded, "I undid the damage I had inflicted. I only wish I could use it on myself."

I felt an immense sense of relief as I realized that I was no longer in danger of dying. "Thanks... You see, Rainbow? She's not bad anymore... Rainbow?" When I turned to face Rainbow Dash, I saw that she was looking at me with an unusual gaze that seemed to show... I am not sure. Relief? Sorrow? Fear? I cannot honestly say. Her mouth was hanging open slightly while just looking at where my wound used to be. "Rainbow?"

Out of nowhere, tears began to cascade down her face as she gritted her teeth. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, squeezing more tears out before she collapsed into my arms while choking on her tears. "I thought...that was the last time I was ever gonna see you alive..."

I embraced her gently, trying to comfort Rainbow Dash the best I could. For her to be showing such weakness, she must have been utterly overwhelmed with emotion. "I'm gonna be OK, Rainbow... Really. I'm not gonna die today."

She slowly began to calm down. "I know... It's just... I was scared..."

I nodded, "Me too, Rainbow... But...everything's gonna be fine now. Right, Nightmare Moon?"

My new friend panted faintly, seeming very weak. "I... I hope so..."

It was then I noticed that Nightmare Moon's wounds were still oozing blood. I asked, "Are you sure you can't heal those wounds?"

She nodded, "I'm sure... It's a safeguard to prevent the magic from being misused."

I felt a twinge of fear. Nightmare Moon needed immediate medical attention if her wounds were that bad. I looked at Rainbow Dash. "Hey, Rainbow? I need to ask you a favor."

My friend dried her tears and smiled faintly, "OK... Whatcha need?"

I explained, "I need you to fly to Canterlot and let Celestia and Luna know we need emergency medical attention right away. Lead them to us so Nightmare Moon can be taken to a hospital."

Rainbow Dash glared at Nightmare Moon for a second before looking back at me. "No offense. I mean, I don't exactly like her yet, but even if I wanted to help her, I'm not exactly in the best shape of my life right now."

"I can fix that." Nightmare Moon said just before casting another healing spell on Rainbow Dash.

"What the?!" She yelped. But in a flash of light, Rainbow Dash's singed coat looked completely normal. She glanced down at herself and began to stretch her legs and wings. "Whoa! I feel great!"

Nightmare Moon smirked, "Satisfied?"

Rainbow Dash nodded with a grin, "Yeah! That works fast!" But when they locked eyes for a moment, she frowned, "But don't go thinking we're buddies now. I can't trust you that easily."

I spoke, "Rainbow..."

The bold pegasus nodded, "Yeah, I know. And you're right, James. She must be nicer than we thought if she healed me." She then began to hover, "So, go to Canterlot, tell the princesses, and lead them back here?"

I nodded, "That's what we need, Rainbow. Think you can handle it?"

She smiled, "Yeah, piece of cake. Just don't move so I don't have trouble finding you when I get back!" Rainbow then looked at Nightmare Moon, "And you! Don't let anything else happen to James while I'm gone. Got it?"

Nightmare Moon solemnly nodded, "Understood."

"OK, I'm outta here. See ya in a bit!" Rainbow Dash spoke before quickly rising above the canopy and flying east.

"OK... All we can do is wait." I muttered, sitting down next to Nightmare Moon.

My friend looked at me and sighed, "James... I'm sorry for any trouble I put you through..."

I gently stroked her beautiful billowing mane, "It's OK. I don't even really remember getting hurt. Just don't move too much. You'll speed up your blood loss the more you wiggle."

"I know... I'll be still." She retorted, resting her head against me. After everything she went through tonight, she must be exhausted.

The two of us spoke little. We just rested against each other while enjoying each other's company. It truly felt like a well-earned moment of respite after a massive ordeal.

Not much later, I began to feel a faint tremor in the ground. "Huh?" I muttered, sitting up while letting out a yawn. I was not sure how much longer I could stay awake with how weak I was feeling.

Nightmare Moon spoke lightly with a hint of fear in her voice, "They found us."

I looked into the trees. Seconds later, five ponies ran forward and stopped before us. I recognized them immediately.

"Phew... Ya'll had us worried, James. Did Rainbow Dash find..." Applejack spoke as she looked at me. After a second, her face changed to one of horror. "James... What did..."

Rarity spoke up, "What did you do to him?!"

I felt anxiety fill me as I realized that while my wounds had been healed, the blood that had already been spilled was still caked onto my left greave and lower cuirass for all to see.

Nightmare Moon looked away, probably in shame. Fluttershy then got right up in her face and growled, "How could you?! After all the trouble he went through just to protect you from us?!" Nightmare Moon could only grit her teeth, her ears drooping.

Pinkie Pie lowered herself closer to the ground. "I thought he was your friend! Since when do friends make their friends bleed?!"

Finally, Twilight shook her head, "I'm sorry, Nightmare Moon. I really wanted to believe you could change. I really did! But... This just proves it!" I noticed Twilight beginning to levitate what seemed to be a thick tree branch into the air before raising it up. "You're still just a monster!"

I am not sure where I found the strength, but I lunged in front of Nightmare Moon and raised my right arm. The branch clashed against the thick white plate on the back of my arm. "James?!"

I panted faintly, already more exhausted than I can ever remember. "Stand aside! She's not your friend!" Rarity called out.

I tried to stay calm, not prepared to have to defend Nightmare Moon from my own friends. "She IS my friend."

Applejack spoke, "Snap outta it, James! She ain't yer pardner! Not after what she did ta ya!"

I then pointed at where my wound used to be, "Then tell me this. Do you SEE any blood being spilled right now?"

My five companions said nothing as they took a closer look. The skin on my torso that had been exposed was completely bare with not a speck of blood on it. "You're...NOT bleeding?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"She hurt me, yes. But she also healed me. I would be on my way to the grave if it wasn't for her." I explained, still making certain that my friends could not get by me.

"Still... After all she did, how can you be so certain she is not a threat anymore? You saw that rage! She is dangerous!" Rarity spoke to me, clearly itching for a chance to hurl a rock at Nightmare Moon.

I growled, "Just listen to you girls. What happened to all the compassion you had for her from earlier?"

Applejack nodded, "Yeah, we know whatcha mean, but that don't..."

I explained, "You know how she felt. Don't you think she would be bitter and easily angered after centuries of frustration? I dare you to tell me you wouldn't have done the same things she did tonight if you went through the crap she did!"

This seemed to catch them by surprise since they looked at me with expressions of shock while glancing at each other. I spoke, "Look, I know she's done some bad things. But it wasn't entirely without reason. Besides, I'm pretty sure the reason the Elements of Harmony spared her is because somewhere inside her bitter heart lies some genuine goodness. She was Luna at one time, you know."

Fluttershy gasped, "That's right... If she really was too evil... The Elements of Harmony probably would've..."

Twilight nodded, "I don't think she would even exist right now..."

Rarity smiled, "Perhaps... Perhaps we should have a little more faith in the Elements."

I nodded with a smile, "There you go. So, are you going to be civil?"

Fluttershy stepped forward and walked past me until she was looking at Nightmare Moon. "Um... Nightmare Moon? Are you still going to try to keep the eternal night going?"

My new friend bowed her head, "No... Equestria needs the day...just as much as it needs the night."

Fluttershy then smiled, "Then you really are a changed pony. Um... If it's OK with you...could we..." She then partially hid her face behind her long locks of pink hair. "Could we...be friends?"

It was clear Fluttershy was not comfortable asking such a powerful entity with ties to the royal family such a personal request. However, a single tear trickled down Nightmare Moon's face. "You...mean that?" Fluttershy nodded with a whimper. Nightmare Moon's expression of guilt changed to one of somber delight. "I... I would like that."

Fluttershy then cautiously reached out and placed her hoof on Nightmare Moon's. "I'm Fluttershy..." Nightmare Moon nodded with the calmest smile I had seen on her all night.

Applejack stepped forward while the rest of our friends followed. "Well, it's great ta see yer all settled down after that whole mess. The name's Applejack, yer highness."

Rarity smiled warmly, "I am Rarity. And now that I have a chance to approach you without fear of being harmed, let me be the first to say that your mane is fabulous to behold with all those stars shining in it."

Nightmare Moon chuckled faintly, "Yes, I suppose it is..."

Pinkie Pie then hopped forward and grinned before speaking very quickly, "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I can't wait to show you around Ponyville! I know you've been all mean and scary for a while, but I just know the ponies back home will welcome you if they take the time to know you! Then I can show you to...mmph!" She stopped when Nightmare Moon stuck her hoof into her mouth.

We all watched in silence, surprised that there was someone who would be bold enough to interrupt Pinkie Pie when she was on a chatting tirade. Nightmare Moon gave her an irritated glare, "Stop that. I'm in enough pain already. I don't need a migraine as well."

Pinkie Pie nodded silently before Nightmare Moon removed her hoof from that silly pink pony's mouth. Lastly, Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, "It's my turn. Nightmare Moon, my name is Twilight Sparkle."

Applejack then spoke, "C'mon, Rainbow Dash, yer next... Wait a sec! Where's Rainbow Dash?! Did she find ya?!"

I nodded, "Yeah, she caught up to us. She went to go get help and..." I then dropped to my knees, finally feeling my exhaustion kick in. "I need a nap..."

Applejack trotted over to me, "Easy there, pardner. Ya'll OK?"

Twilight looked down at the blood that was caked onto my left greave. "Heavy blood loss will do that, Applejack. He needs to rest."

I moaned before letting out a yawn. "Ugh... Now I know what it's like for people when they donate a pint of blood." I felt lightheaded as well, everything around me seeming to move without me doing anything.

I removed my helmet and let it roll away from me. "Awww... I'm going to miss that fabulous mane of yours, James..." Rarity spoke. I noticed a vertical golden slit in the back of my helmet with small golden engravings near the hole. It would seem that the helmet's mane only appears when it is being worn.

Twilight used her magic to help me lie down gently. "You've done enough work for one day, James. Leave the rest to us."

However, I then forced myself up, propping myself up with an elbow. "Hang on... I need to tell you girls something."

Fluttershy smiled, "What is it, honey?"

Nightmare Moon smiled, "Honey? Is he your lover?"

Fluttershy blushed deeply, "Um...no? .....OK, we are..."

I spoke, "Listen... I'm not gonna be awake much longer, so you girls need to make sure Nightmare Moon doesn't suffer anymore harm... She..." I paused for a second to yawn. I cannot recall the last time I was so tired in my life.

"If anything comes up that might try to hurt her, it'll be up to you to protect her. Use my sword if you have to..." I then pointed at them, "But seriously... When I wake up, she better be alive and well... I mean it. Promise me!"

Pinkie Pie grinned, "Leave it to us! We Pinkie Promise! Cross our hearts, hope to die, stick a cupcake in our eyes! If somepony tries to hurt her, they'll have to get through us first!"

"Good..." I muttered before leaning back. However, I felt like I was resting on the most luxurious air cushion. "Huh? What's..." It turned out I was relaxing on Nightmare Moon's tail.

"Um... May I stay here? I really don't want to be moved." I asked, Nightmare Moon looking at me over her shoulder.

She smiled, "You've given me so much tonight, James. You may do whatever you wish. I owe you at least that much."

I yawned, "Thank you..." I then rested my head back onto her soft blue tail.

What a night. I am amazed by how much I did today. Perhaps it feels that way because time seemed to stand still as long as the night went on forever. But regardless, I feel like I accomplished something important tonight. I am somewhat fearful of leaving Nightmare Moon in the care of my friends, but I have faith in them the same way they have faith in me. They have never let me down before and I am certain they will not start now.

Nightmare Moon is...truly a good person. I can only hope Equestria will be just as open towards her as they were with me when I first arrived.

Ugh... I cannot keep my eyes open. I need to sleep. Never before have I been so eager to just let myself be carried away to dreamland. But wait... What is that voice I hear singing so beautifully?

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed."

......Thank you, Fluttershy. That is all I needed. Good night.