private Nightmare's Return (1x1 with Explosionmare)

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce Glimmer

There was a quiet moment between the two mares that stretched for what felt like an eternity. Not as long as the eternity of sitting on the moon for 1,000 years felt, but it was close. Nightmare could see Magnolia attempting to study her, possibly to gauge her abilities. Nightmare stood stock still and did what she could to avoid giving away any of her skillsets. Power such as hers was not meant to be analyzed unless the empress was doing so herself.

When the silence finally ended, Nightmare was greeted with a mirror. Based on what Magnolia was talking about, she wondered if the mirror had the power to reveal one’s true self. She was the proprietor of dreams, so she would know best. She dared to step closer to it in order to investigate it. This unfortunately made her even closer to the conniving, wicked unicorn. Although Nightmare couldn’t say too much about her since she reminded her of herself, she did believe this mare was too high strung. She would never be fit to rule since her mind has no balance.

“You think I have no idea what this mirror does, but I know plenty about it,” Nightmare stated. “Even if my assumptions were incorrect, I can control dreams, so this mirror, in theory, can always be correct if it does what I want it to. By the way you are using it, it appears to be some sort of gateway to the truth; a reflection of one’s true self.”

Magnolia then had the nerve to say Nightmare was incapable of finding her. As if she couldn’t find her once, then ten times over! Yes, it was true that the empress was quite old fashioned in some departments, but her guards aren’t, so they could always stay up to date for her with new methods. If those didn’t work, then she had old ones to fall back on. In this way, she was much more advantaged. She did not say any of this to the mare, however, because she believed it was not in her right to know.

The last thing Magnolia said before she trailed off was something about finding solace in the night. Nightmare could agree that the night had many peaceful qualities to it. She then zoned out when Magnolia, or Moonlight, as she most recently called herself, began speaking of her past. She couldn’t care less about Magnolia’s backstory, to be quite honest. Besides, nothing could be more painful than watching your own sister betray you and leave you in the shadows. She began to dismiss the conversation, but then stopped herself once she realized the story may provide some necessary information. Putting on a sad face, she asked,

“What drove you to change that name?”

[Magnolia]

@ExplosionMare

Magnolia stood there and let out a bellowing cackle, it lasted a long while. She was so entertained with the way Nightmare Moon had answered. She had answered incorrect, and had expected someone like Nightmare Moon to know what the mirror had meant. The cackle was horrifying, it was wicked. Perhaps it was one that matched or even surpassed her own wickedness, for it was definitely a laugh that contained all the insanity in the world, so to speak. 

"You couldn't be more wrong, for the one who knows as much as you I am surprised. You were close with one thing, it's a gateway! I can exit this dream and return to the waking world using this mirror as an exit, and thus leave you within what remains. What happens after is not of my concern." she stated with a rather coy, almost playful grin. "If I find a way to trap you within a dream, you can never return to the waking world! Perhaps I already have something like that, perhaps I don't! Who knows?!?" she said, with a crazed grin reaching across her face and then cackled again. It was clear Magnolia was getting a bit over the top here, for she didn't answer why she was sent down this way. 

Magnolia then seemed to change the entire scene of the dream with one fell swoop of her hoof. It was clear that Nightmare Moon was dealing with an experienced dreamer. The scene would change to that of a large cave, it was a scene that Nightmare Moon would not have expected. The cave was huge, and there were large blue glowing orbs, each containing...a pony within. Different ponies of different types. Magnolia stood there wide a wide, predatory grin. "All of them, so innocent in their desires! All of them, innocent little ponies, look at them! They are mine!" Magnolia said in a wicked manner, and slammed her hoof on the ground which seemed to quake the fabric of the dream.

Magnolia's horn would light up a brilliant blue color, and a blue haze would set in around all the ponies. The ponies all whimpered, and cried as they felt themselves getting weaker. Nightmare Moon could see the ponies cutie marks gradually fading away, their strength and magic being transformed into a rainbow-ish stream of energy that swirled around Magnolia like a roaring flame. The look across Magnolia's face was that of crazed entertainment. "Weak! Pathetic! Thats what they all are! I'll leave them all here to rot, and they will never see their loved ones ever again! Of course you'd understand that, the most, right?" she'd ask as the rainbow energy surged right into her and Magnolia stood there. Her coat, mane, and eyes seemed to flash a white color when all of that energy sank in.

Magnolia would then step forward, triumphantly. It's clear that Magnolia was having some sort of power fantasy here. "I would be more of a ruler than you ever could be, I have the strength to punish those who would disobey me! I would have the strength to drain them, until they beg for me to stop! Fear the night? Hahahaha! Ponies would fear my wrath! And I'd turn them into stone should they even bat an eye at my orders! I would rule this land, far better than you ever could!" she then would grin wildly. 

What was wrong with this mare?

Edited June 8, 2021 by Starforce Glimmer

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce Glimmer

Nightmare Moon stepped quite a few paces back when Magnolia began to cackle in a fit of insanity. If this unicorn was here in the waking world, this kind of behavior would get her thrown into the dungeon immediately, maybe even exiled. Alas, the empress could do nothing at the moment but watch the crazed mare carry on.

Magnolia scoffed at the empress, saying that the mirror was a gateway, not a self-reflection tool. Nightmare looked at the mirror frustratedly, offended by its very existence. Nopony should have this kind of power over dreams except for Nightmare Moon herself! She hoped the mirror was merely a delusion of the mare’s rather than an actual source of power. If it was indeed real, she would have to locate this mare sooner rather than later.

Before the princess could speak up, Magnolia changed the wintry scene they were standing in into a dark cave. The only thing lighting the cave was a series of blue orbs with weakened ponies inside. Nightmare watched as Magnolia proudly drained what little power each pony had left. They whimpered and whined as their essence drew itself into Magnolia, and while the sight was haunting, what bothered the empress more was how crazed Magnolia looked after consuming that much power. It was time she put an end to this before things got out of control.

“You may have more advanced mobility in your dreams than most, but you forget that I have walked through many dreams for thousands of years. Therefore, I can override whatever power you think you have!” the princess said coldly.

As her wings flew out and her horn lit up, a raging expression crossed her face. The background became a blur, meshing the surrounding colors and forms with one another until they were unrecognizable. The rainbow essence slowly dissipated since it was no longer connected to its reality.

When the cyclone around the two ponies ceased, what appeared a narrow room surrounded by various medical tools. In one corner of the room were two ponies in long, white lab coats scribbling on clipboards. One scientist looked up and trotted towards Magnolia, who was now hooked up to a circular device on her head and strapped into a tall, cherry-colored chair. The other scientist went over to a wide, rectangular device and began typing in inputs. The inputs caused the devices on Magnolia to light up.

“I need you to understand that you cannot have this type of power or any type of power under my rule. You have already proven how dangerous power in the hooves of a non-ruler can be. Now, my little pony, let us work something out. Either you tell me everything I need to know about you, or these scientists here will extract the information from you.” she spoke before gesturing over to the scientist with the machine. The other scientist locked eyes with the pony at the machine, almost as if they were conveying a signal.

[Magnolia]

@ExplosionMare

When the scene had changed Magnolia seemed...completely calm and comfortable. She had no issue with what Nightmare Moon had done and she coldly analysed the situation around her. She was quite enraged by Nightmare Moon's attempt to intimidate her. Magnolia was not going to submit to Nightmare Moon but it seemed like Nightmare Moon had the upper hand here. However, Magnolia was not going to allow this to occur. 

Magnolia smirked malevolently to Nightmare Moon. "I will not allow myself to be limited! If you wanna know something about me, I've been denied everything my entire life! My parents hated me, nobody loved me! So I worked from the bottom, and you have the GALL to tell me I cannot have this type of power?!" she said with rage. The dream seemed to quake as she shouted.

"All of the ponies in this world get shit handed from free! I had to get it all from scrap, since my parents threw me out since they never loved or cared for me! Those stupid Canterlot elites, curse them all to HELL! Abandon me and others for the sake of their own personal gain! Unlike so many others, I WORKED day and NIGHT for what I have here, I bled, sweat, and tears to achieve what I have now, and I will not let anyone, or ANYTHING take it away from me!" she shouted, at a volume that was even louder than before.

She looked Nightmare Moon in the eyes, with a look like that of someone who was denied everything, from everyone. "I roamed the streets, as an orphan! I had nothing, absolutely nothing! But those Canterlot ponies overlooked me, and that became what I used for my purposes, I achieved, and I studied in secret, went to places I never belonged! And I reaped the rewards of my hard work!" she said with a degree of pride.

"And for that I say, your fear tactics will not work on me! You may control through fear, but you will not control me through fear! Drop your attitude, right now and we will work something out, keep acting high and mighty, and I will end this on my terms. Do you understand?! I tell you what you needed to know, and you can infer the rest!" Magnolia shouted, it was almost resembling Nightmare Moon's own canterlot voice. Perhaps that was due to the dream, or perhaps that was how loud Magnolia was truly shouting. 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Starforce Glimmer

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce Glimmer

Nightmare Moon smiled in satisfaction. Here she thought the mare would try to put up a fight or attempt to rip the science equipment off her body. Instead, she admitted to everything right then and there. She said she was unafraid and unwilling to submit to authority, yet here she was doing exactly that.

Fascinating how little she understands about just how much I have controlled her already. All I had to do was strap her to an imaginary machine and that is all it took. she thought smugly.

She strode over and toyed with the wiring on Magnolia for a moment. She thought about releasing her, but decided it would be wiser to consider that for later. For now, she wanted to talk about the deal the mare had mentioned.

“I had wondered what we had in common other than advanced magic, and now I know. You and I have both been cast off by the world, unappreciated. However, it is only because of those circumstances that he were able to grow and learn, and we both did that all by ourselves.” Nightmare began in an affectionate tone. She knew that it would be easier to talk to Magnolia if she could calm her down first, much like how a parent would talk to a misbehaving foal.

“That is why I am drawn to your power. It is unique and something that can be used to empower and protect the kingdom. However, it is also quite powerful, and can become dangerous if it is not used carefully or used in the wrong environment. That is why I must have you come with me. I can teach you how to use it properly and how to increase your skills. This will allow you the chance to use your powers without judgement, so long as they do not pose a threat to the throne.” she explained.

The empress kept silent about how not coming with her was not an option as she did not want to immediately cause distress again. She could use distress to her advantage with Twilight, but the same method would not work with Magnolia. Magnolia needed to be coaxed out of her insanity and her countless delusions if she was to ever come to reason.

[Magnolia]

@ExplosionMare

Magnolia listened to that and her expression seemed to soften. Magnolia was planning on what to do here, it could definitely be a trick. A lure to get Magnolia somewhere as to where Nightmare Moon and her guards could somehow disable her magic or ambush her. She wasn't going to allow that to happen, nor would she allow herself to be posed to other un-needed risks. Magnolia had a lot to think about once she got out of here. First off, Magnolia had to find a way to keep Nightmare Moon out of her dreams and to do that she would have to raid the Canterlot library to find more books. And in doing so, she'd knock Nightmare down a peg. She had to think about that more, but it was a possibility.

To her statements, Magnolia would smirk widely. "I find it highly dubious you would let one of my power anywhere near your castle, lest you'd have a way to disable my power or some other method to render my power inert. I know what your thinking, you'd definitely be doing that and you would also teach me some washed up version of the power I have so that I wouldn't stand a chance against you. I know how you think, you only want such power for yourself." Magnolia said tactfully, grinning wider with a coy look.

Then Magnolia would laugh as if she was also entertained, "Your attempt to establish a connection between us is foolish, you only want to break me and make me serve you. You don't want a connection with anyone, you only want to rule and to establish dominance over all else. Well I'll tell you something, if I was in your place I would do the exact same thing. But alas, I am not, so I can see through your facade of lies." she'd state with a laugh.

"Be that as it may, I have some reading to do. Esoteric Shadow Manipulation, Volume 12 to be specific! But one more thing, if I had intentions on attacking you I would have already done so! Keep the populace in the dark for me, will you?" she shot a wide grin to Nightmare Moon and pulled out the mirror. She did a sort of nodding motion as she looked into it, then a side to side movement, then a click of the tongue. The dream seemed to change and warp, before it all suddenly poofed away to darkness. 

Magnolia had woke herself up the dream, leading Nightmare Moon in her thoughts. 

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Starforce Glimmer

[Nightmare Moon]

@SuriPolomare

Nightmare Moon’s expression softened as Magnolia took a moment to process everything. She did her best to remain patient for when the mare was ready to submit. However, Magnolia was not ready to obey the empress just yet. Once again, she had the audacity to challenge Nightmare.

“It does not matter what you think, to put it bluntly. You are doing yourself and your kingdom a disservice by not complying!” Nightmare sneered.

She frowned when Magnolia explained how she was able to see Nightmare’s setup. The empress was able to tug at a few heartstrings, but she was not able to break them. It seemed that if Nightmare really wanted something with this mare, she would have to let go of the fact that Magnolia would never come to her on her own. Nightmare would have to go to her instead.

Before she could even move a step, the dream had shifted as soon as Magnolia pulled out the mirror. The empress tried to formulate a spell that would keep the dream together, but it vanished before she could even realize. Now she was back in her room, unsuccessful in her attempt to persuade the mare.

Perhaps reaching out to her in a dream was not enough. Nightmare thought. If I am to get anywhere with her, I will have to locate her in the waking world. Not only must I know of her real power, I must know of her real connection to me. She may understand the goal of my mission better once it’s grounded in reality.

Slowly, the empress got up and slipped on her armor. It was a bit early in the evening, but it was rather pointless to go back to sleep now. The empress paced towards a shelf near a corner and telekinetically grabbed a couple stacks of papers. She not only needed to initiate plans concerning Magnolia, she needed to work on her previous plans in order to keep everything running.

Although the citizens know much about my kingdom already, a quick debriefing would be healthy for them. she declared to herself as she made her way towards Inkwell’s office.

[Magnolia]

@ExplosionMare

Magnolia had awoke within the pine forest outside the town of ghastly gorge. Ever since the takeover of Equestria by Nightmare Moon, she had resolved to be hidden within the foliage of the trees or even within her cave dwelling. She was of course, not at home. Magnolia had a few goals in mind, she wanted to go on a hunt for more spell books to steal. Magnolia were quite frankly at a loss for words at what had just happened for a dream, it was far too real for it to be a normal dream. Nightmare Moon had indeed visited her. Magnolia didn't know what to think, perhaps she opened up too much but that wouldn't be a problem.

Magnolia didn't care if Nightmare Moon knew a little about her. However next time, she would be sure to either find a way to keep Nightmare Moon from her dreams, or even find a way to perhaps trap Nightmare Moon in the dream realm. She couldn't allow herself to be belittled in any way, shape, or form and had concocted a plan of vengeance. She was after spell books, right? So why not raid the Canterlot library? She had been there a long time ago, and to deny Nightmare Moon access by stealing important books would be a good course of action. Perhaps those books may offer her insight, if she were able to trap Nightmare Moon in the dream realm, or at least do something to knock her down a peg, she could suddenly strike. Perhaps even dethrone Nightmare Moon! But that was all wishful thinking...and quite risky as well. Not yet. 

She would pack up her saddlebags with her gear that she needed to survive on these long voyages from her home. Stepping out of the forest brush, she inhaled the quiet calm nightly air. Truly, the absence of the sun was quite the blessing, as it allowed her to hide within the shadows of the world and never be discovered. She had Nightmare Moon to thank for that, in a weird way she both admired and despised Nightmare Moon. Looking out over the gorge itself, the currently blood red moon cast the world in a dim eerie glow. One that Magnolia personally thrived in. She would jump right off the cliff near by, her form and saddlebags taking that of pure shadow. Surging along the cracks of the gorge, the shadowy mass flared forth from the craggly rock shadow, and surged forth into the nightly air.

No guard, nor any creature would likely spot it. It was dark, flowing with black mist against an already dark sky. Her target? Canterlot. She intended on observing Nightmare Moon from a distance, and coming up with a plan of how to go about what she wanted to do here. Knock Nightmare Moon down a peg, and claim some items of information for her own self.

-

Nightmare Moon walked past the various guards who had kept watch over the castle as she slept. It was quiet, besides a few guards talking quietly as they normally did. The floors were buffed, and everything was cleaned. Either maintained that way by magic, or by the castle staff. Twilight Sparkle nor Rainbow Dash were up yet, but Nightmare Moon would soon arrive in Inkwell's office. Inkwell always got up sooner than everyone else, not only because of her position, but because that is what she normally did. 

Upon Nightmare Moon's arrival, Inkwell would bow. "Good evening, Empress. I trust you slept well?" she would ask, lacking her usual nervousness. It seemed she had started to get used to her new form.

[Nightmare Moon]

@SuriPolomare

Nightmare Moon pondered how she should handle Magnolia in the future, at least as far as the dream realm was concerned. She knew confronting the mare directly was dangerous. Perhaps she could shapeshift into something trustworthy. The only issue there would be not knowing what or who the mare considers trustworthy. Nightmare pushed that idea aside for the time being. She then considered involving Twilight as a line of defense. Her magic was similar in power to Magnolia’s, perhaps they could bond and Twilight could persuade her to join the staff. That idea was more plausible, but it still needed some adjustments before it could be enacted.

For now, Nightmare Moon focused on the batpony in front of her, Inkwell. Unlike the rest of the staff, she was already up and ready to begin the evening. Eager to get ready for business, Nightmare sat down and placed her paperwork on the desk.

“Good evening, Inkwell.” she replied, dodging Inkwell’s question. Answering it would have brought up a lengthy discussion she had no time for. “I am ready to make my statement to Equestria. Not only will it ease the minds of my citizens, it will prepare them for what lies ahead and what they should expect. I need to make arrangements now, so look for a good time in my schedule. I would like as many ponies as possible to attend, but I also want the event to be heavily guarded.”

She sat a for a moment in silence, giving Inkwell the time to glance over all the papers. Her mind went from this event to Magnolia, as the mare was the most pressing matter at the moment. She needed to be handled immediately but in a way nearly nopony would notice. She would have to have a private discussion with her guards later.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

Inkwell nodded and took out Nightmare Moon's time table. On it were several meetings, and such she had planned the previous days. Inkwell would ponder her thoughts. "I'm thinking you can skip the meeting with the construction ponies tonight, or postpone that until later. I am sure they will be able to continue their work, as they have already been working hard. Hmm, I also would suggest that you postpone other minor meetings, as you will be having this statement to all of equestria, it would render any meetings you had planned for tonight a non-issue? At least that is how I see it." she suggested and dotted down some notes, but would only fully change the schedule once it was approved. 

Meanwhile, the guards were waking up and they had changed shifts for the morning. Other guards came onto this shift, and this shift was where any staff in the castle were now being woken up. Smart Planner and Twilight had woken up. Smart planner had reported to the construction site she was supposed to be at today, as usual. Twilight groggily would get up, looking to her personal guard, Rainbow Dash who gave her a rather rude awakening. Upon awakening, and getting her morning shower and getting freshened up Twilight proceeded to report to the throne room with Rainbow Dash, to receive the orders for today. 

[Nightmare Moon]

@SuriPolomare

Nightmare smiled satisfactorily at Inkwell. She seemed to know what direction the planning was headed without having to ask the empress. The diligence of this mare was impressive, indeed. Of course, this was expected of not just Inkwell, but all staff members. Nevertheless, the efficiency was appreciated.

“That is precisely what I was planning. The meeting with Equestria is top priority. I understand, however, that construction cannot be delayed for long, so that meeting will occur next.” Nightmare told the batpony.

Seeing as there was nothing else to do here, Nightmare stood up and headed towards the throne room. She expected Twilight to be there already. Indeed, she was there with Rainbow Dash, awaiting orders. Once the empress was able to sit down, she spoke to the purple batpony.

“Tonight’s task may be a bit unusual to you. I want you to see what you can find on dream magic or anything related to it. However, do not read the texts. Dream magic is not meant for those who are not capable of wielding it.” she ordered calmly. “That is all I have for you for now. You may leave. Rainbow Dash, bring the guards forth. I must speak with them on an urgent matter.”

She gestured to Rainbow Dash to signal to her to collect the other guards. She had a plan in mind for them to track down that mare. Normally Nightmare didn’t have a problem thinking of her name, but tonight that coy unicorn had gotten on her last nerve! It was time she stepped down and learned where her power truly belonged.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

Inkwell nodded and wrote down the schedule change in full, so it was now official. "Excellent, don't hesitate to t-tell me if you need anything else." she stated and watched as Nightmare Moon left, afterwards she would attend to her other duties

When Nightmare Moon entered the throne room the guards, and Twilight all bowed before her. They would all listen and then rise after she spoke. Twilight stepped forward. "I will do my best in order to find those books. If I find anything about it I'll tell you." she said and went off the forbidden section. This time, Rainbow Dash didn't follow her so she felt as though she had a little more freedom. It's not like she would disobey, or leave though, it just felt interesting to not have Rainbow Dash breathing down her neck. Upon in the archives room where she studied before, she would proceed to look for what she was supposed to look for.

It was puzzling that, when she eventually did find the dream magic section there were a few books missing. A few of the more advanced spell books were missing! That was most troubling, why would they be missing? It made no sense. There was a guard assigned to the outside of the room itself, but unlike last time there were no guards inside the room watching over Twilight. She proceeded to read the dream magic spell books. Though only the simple and more novice ones were available, she read through them quickly. However, little did she know none of these books contained what Nightmare Moon was after, as the other ones had been...stolen.

Rainbow Dash, as ordered would proceed to gather the guards together for an urgent meeting. After a few minutes of waiting, Rainbow Dash would guide Nightmare Moon into the guard meeting room in the guard only section of the castle. She could see the vast selection of guards, as well as the captain and first officer, Moonlight and Afterglow sitting together at the end of the table, signifying their important role over the other guard. 

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

Nightmare Moon nodded and headed out of the office. She allowed Inkwell to take care of any remaining paperwork. With that out of the way, she could tell her guards of her plans. She also had to make sure that they understood that there was no such thing as too much security. There was always something to be prepared for, especially when there was a high potential for a threat.

Before she spoke to them, she saw Twilight off as she headed to the library. Rainbow Dash did not follow her this time. She instead led the empress to where the meeting would be held. Each member of the guard was there, along with Moonlight and Afterglow.

“I know that your last task, in the end, involved no physical threat,” the empress began. “It was only a precaution. So is this new task I am about to give you. As long as somepony or something poses a threat, that threat will be acknowledged and addressed. Tonight, I want each of you to venture out into every part of this land, starting from Canterlot forwards. If you see any signs of danger, strange shadows in particular, detain it and bring it to me immediately. I will deal with it accordingly.”

She waited with a stern expression on her face for anypony to ask any questions. Normally she would not open the floor for questions, but a matter this important could not afford to have any uncertainties involved. If there was a discrepancy, it would be solved immediately. Otherwise, the guards were free to begin their mission.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

The guards all sat there at the table with stern faces as the guards normally had. Moonlight and Afterglow listened most intently. She could feel the very formal and professional atmosphere of the guards, it was quiet in the room as she spoke. There must have been at least twenty guards at the table in full with the other guards on duty throughout the castle. Just because Nightmare Moon called a meeting, it wouldn't mean that the guards would abandon all of their posts.

After she finished speaking, Moonlight would be the first to speak. "This is an oddly specific request. Have you seen something unusual? We didn't find anything last time. I would hope that something this time turns up. Lest we risk abandoning our posts, and something unforeseen happening when we are away." Moonlight spoke calmly.

"The best way I could think of detaining...shadows would be containing it within magic bubbles. That would be my best guess, I would suggest we should all go out and attempt to uncover what you are requesting, and we will leave the current castle guards here. They should be able to handle their duties." another stallion piped up. 

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

“Of course, the guards should not abandon their usual posts,” Nightmare responded. “The castle must be protected at all times. The only purpose of this mission is to prevent something that may be catastrophic if not dealt with in proper time.”

She looked at Moonlight who found the request to search all areas of Equestria to be unusual. It was fair given that the guards hardly knew what they were searching for. Calmly, Nightmare explained the situation.

“A strange door has appeared in the dream realm in a place it shouldn’t be. It is as if it is calling to me. The mare behind it, Magnolia, is a unicorn mare with magical skill similar to Twilight. She has threatened me more than once in the dream realm and I feel as though she may threaten me in the waking world if given the chance. I need her here so that I may redirect her powers to serve the throne just as I did with Twilight.” she stated.

She then turned to another guard who made a suggestion as to how they would capture the shadows. A magical bubble sounded plausible, although most of the guards did not have horns atop their heads. Twilight could perform the task, but unfortunately, she was still needed here to study. Perhaps their was a way to create portable magic just as the batpony machines were created.

“A magic bubble sounds the most logical but the majority of you do not possess magic of your own. It will have to be created, just as the batpony machines were. I encourage you to think of more efficient options, but if the bubble is truly the best one, then I will have Twilight conduct research on it immediately.” she stated.

Nightmare waited for their responses. If they wanted to use a magic bubble, then she would consult Twilight in the library. Otherwise, she would come up with a strategy on her own.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

The guards all sat and thought. "Hmmm, such a task would take time. We do not know if such a bubble or spells like it are easily available for us or if such machines could be constructed in a timely manner. Considering the importance of this task I would recommend that we get on it. If we fail in our mission, then you should look into it. However if we succeed, we will know we were not wasting precious time." Afterglow spoke calmly and the guards all collectively agreed. There was a moment of silence.

"I have to agree with that, I think the best course of action would be to go see what we can find if anything. I'd highly recommend ordering the rest of the guard to be on high alert. Pull on reserves if you would need to." another mare said, as Moonlight was thinking deeply.

"This Magnolia is of most interest. For her to threaten you in the dream realm is no easy feat. I'd recommend taking the form of someone else within the dream. Get her vulnerable. Ask questions. Pry, but do not pry too much. The more we know, the better." Moonlight spoke calmly, as if matching Nightmare Moon's own tone.

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

“It is better to try than to wait until disaster strikes,” Nightmare stated. “Begin the search now with as many guards as possible. The guards at the castle will be on standby but they will not be obvious about it as they were before. Too much intimidation might further provoke an attack. The goal is to remain low but ready to strike.”

The guards appeared to be in agreement with one another, so carrying out the plans would not be difficult. Of course, the guards around the castle did not know of the plans yet, but there would be time to inform them. With that in mind, Nightmare listened to the rest of the suggestions.

“Changing forms does indeed sound simpler than confronting her directly,” Nightmare replied to Moonlight. “I can of course also alter her entire dream to make her vulnerable if needed. I made her confess a few things before, there is no doubt I can get her to confess more. She is much stronger than I thought, but that does not mean her weaknesses are inexploitable.”

She grinned coily at that last statement. A bit of ego was creeping its way into her words. Even though the empress knew she had to be cautious in this situation, she couldn’t help but think about the look on that unicorn’s face once she tasted true defeat.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

"Excellent, we will proceed exactly as you command. I believe we have all we need to know. We will all search as wide of an area as possible, and as much as possible. We will do our best, and we will return within say, 6 hours? Does that seem reasonable?" Afterglow asked, to which the guards had mixed reactions but none would object to this. 

Moonlight nodded to the idea of changing forms and she would grin ever so slightly at Nightmare Moon's grin and statement. "Excellent plan. I trust it that you all will be able to do exactly as you are told." she said to the guards in a commanding fashion and they all would get up and push their chairs in. The meeting was settled now. 

The guards would all then salute Nightmare Moon as they left, she would hear the clanking of their armor as they left. Before they left, they would reveal what they had met about to the other guards so they could be all informed about the situation at hand here. Soon enough, the guards that were instructed to leave would all fan out and search the city of Canterlot and the surrounding areas. Moonlight and Afterglow wouldn't leave each other's sides though. 

Nightmare Moon was now left to resume her plans, the guards had left and she had Twilight to meet with. Once Twilight was with Nightmare Moon, she would reveal that she wasn't able to find what she was looking for because the books were not there for whatever reason.

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

“Six hours is a decent amount of time. You may go now.” Nightmare told Afterglow. The time period gave the guards enough time to do an expansive search of the land while also ensuring that they didn’t have to worry about keeping up with too many resources.

As Afterglow left, so did Moonlight and the remainder of the guards in the room. Nightmare waited until she could no longer hear the clink of their metal for them to leave. Quietly, she strode out of the room to head towards the library. Certainly Twilight had found something useful by now.

She entered and immediately asked Twilight what she found. She was both shocked and disappointed to find that some of the spell books were missing! Nightmare snarled, disgusted at this news.

“Whyever would they be missing?” Nightmare asked angrily. “Did you take them with you? If you did, I sincerely hope that was accidental! I also suspect somepony else took them, but who could have gotten past all of my guards? You are the only one I know to be here, so is it not fitting that I suspect you first?”

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

Twilight was made rather nervous by the way Nightmare Moon had snarled, and talked to her here. "I-I didn't. The books themselves were long gone and there was even dust where they once were. If you don't believe me, you can come see for yourself. If not then, you can search the castle for them. I don't know where they could have gone or who had stolen them..." she spoke in a rather frantic manner. She didn't want Nightmare Moon to not believe her words. 

Twilight's mind was racing with fear of what Nightmare Moon could do to her if she didn't believe her. After all, there was no chance this was her own fault, right? Twilight took solace in the fact that she had nothing to do with the missing books but that didn't stop her from feeling afraid.

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

Nightmare Moon huffed through her muzzle and took the opportunity to search the library. She looked up and down each shelf carefully to see if she could spot anything suspicious. All she found were the dust markings Twilight had mentioned, which hardly told her anything. Still feeling rather skeptical about the situation, she told Twilight to follow her somewhere else.

“Let us check your bedroom. May-haps the texts are hidden in there. After all, it is a logical hiding spot considering you spend your evenings alone in there.” she requested, trotting out of the room so Twilight could follow.

Once again, she could not find anything suspicious enough. No oddly placed items, no secret crevices, no cryptic messages. She came up empty hooved, which she supposed was a good thing. She let out a small sigh, then turned to Twilight with a calmer expression.

“Stay here for the rest of the night. I will look into the missing books on my own.” she said as she trotted away, closing the door behind her.

[Twilight Sparkle (Universe 114A)]

@ExplosionMare

Twilight was quite confused at what was going on, Nightmare could tell she was quite nervous of this situation and was glad there was nothing within her room that was hidden. She didn't understand where the books could have gone and there was no clues as to when the theft had occurred. "W-well good luck, I hope you can find some answers...this is serious. I hope nothing happens." Twilight said with hushed nervousness before Nightmare Moon left.

Nightmare Moon could search anywhere in the castle. The books she was looking for were gone and there were zero clues. If she asked any guards none of them would have any idea. It felt eerie that was for sure. It was not in any way connected to Twilight's dream. It felt a little strange knowing that Afterglow, Moonlight and the other guards that she had instructed to leave were not here. It had only been around 15 minutes since they had left. It would probably be around an hour by the time she had realized she wasn't going to find any answers in the castle.

Magnolia had stepped out from behind a tree on a hill overlooking Canterlot. She was most impressed with the renovations that were still continuing on but her grin became wicked. "Split gains and spoiled milk, you have no idea what you are in for." with that said, her form disintegrated into pure shadow and began to move towards the castle. Not a soul in the world would spot her since she moved within the shadows of the darkest alleyways. After a bit of time, she was now in viewing distance of the castle. 

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

Nightmare eventually went to search the castle high and low, but came up with nothing. She discarded the idea of Twilight stealing the books, because if she had done that, the books would have appeared somewhere near Twilight’s room or in an adjacent room. The books had vanished, and since the majority of the guards were off on their mission, the empress couldn’t ask anypony about them. Well, almost anypony. Inkwell was still around.

She strode towards the office, her head held high and her eyes squinted in a determined and fierce look. Her steps were spread apart and each one lasted a few seconds, her every step filled with purpose. Slowly, she turned the doorknob with her magic and allowed the door to creak open on its own.

“Inkwell,” she spoke softly in a somber tone. “Are you aware that some of my most advanced spell books are missing?”

[Magnolia]

@ExplosionMare

Inkwell had been organizing some events for the future since as the exact timescales of the events Nightmare had requested and other minor things. Her small fluffy bat ears perk up when Nightmare Moon enters in the door. She turns to Nightmare and rotates her chair to face her. Her bat wings are extended calmly and rested against the back of the chair and her small white legs dangle down softly. "The guards had just informed me about it. I looked where I could and I have been unable to find anything. I had the guards search the other rooms but nothing came up." she said, sitting up straight and folding her wings in. 

"I don't think they are anywhere in this castle. I think someone stole them from the outside, but that begs the question...who would steal them, and how would they get in while not being noticed by the guards? This doesn't make any sense...but I have to ask though, how long have these books been missing for?" Inkwell tilts her head, the slits of her eyes narrowing slightly at the seriousness of the question.

Meanwhile, Magnolia had drawn closer to the castle. Now she is standing just outside of it. Sneaking around in the shadows, she easily avoided the guards that were outside of the castle who suspected nothing. In her shadow form, she moved along silently and not a soul noticed. She knew where the library was, her shadowy mist flows up the side of the castle and into an open window. Checking to make sure no guards noticed her, she would enter into the castle and move along the dark corner of the wall towards the library.
 

[Nightmare Moon]

@Starforce

Nightmare did not suspect Inkwell as much as Twilight since Inkwell never had that much magic to begin with. However, that did not mean the empress would not be weary. She would keep an eye on this mare just as she is with Twilight, although given what Inkwell just said, interrogating the staff could be fruitless. It was better to investigate another source for now.

“You say somepony could have stolen them from outside?” Nightmare asked. “Now, who could have possibly done that, and escaped the guards no less? Inkwell, you must look outside immediately and tell me what you see. Do not make expose yourself, lest you want whoever is out there to see you. This is an unusual request, I know, but if the guards had done their job, the books never would have been stolen.”

Nightmare Moon ruffled her wings and took a few steps back. She waited for Inkwell to leave. As she stood there, she thought about how she would confront the guards later. Although they were very loyal and quite diligent in their work, they had managed to make a mistake that could potentially put the entire castle, and maybe even the kingdom, in danger. Carelessness like that would not go unnoticed.