Meanwhile in Ponyville, Sunset hid her tracking artefact behind some large books on the shelf to the left of the stairs, then left Twilight's bedroom. Rainbow remained at Pinkie's bedside, the latter lying unconscious on the extra bed, still tied up and gagged as a precaution.
At the bottom of the stairs Applejack and Twilight were waiting for her. Not far behind them, Fluttershy was reporting back to Angel, the rabbit watching her sternly with his front legs crossed as he tapped his hind leg on the floor. Spike was taking care of Rarity, who was still recovering from the scare.
"Still unconscious?" Twilight asked.
"Yes," Sunset sighed thoughtfully as she walked down the last steps. "She's just exhausted. Rainbow wanted to be alone; she'll stay up there and keep an eye on Pinkie."
"I still can't believe Trixie has joined forces with Pepper. I went to look in the lab and she actually broke in to steal the mane clip while we were away. I don't understand how she knew about the ornament and where she found the ring. Luckily, she didn't take anything else," Twilight said, looking at the display case where the six Elements of Harmony were.
"Pepper obviously didn't like hearing Trixie saying she knew the truth. Do you think Trixie is in danger, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"I'd be inclined to think Trixie's safe," Sunset said. "She knows who Pepper is, her crime, where the item was, and she appears just in time to help her. I have a feeling she was approached by Bitter Truth. It’s the only thing I can think of, but I can't understand why."
Twilight smiled, half worried and half relieved. "Let's hope you're right."
Outside, the sound of a wagon landing could be heard, and the next second, Princess Luna, with her wings spread out imposingly, entered the library. Everyone turned to greet Luna as she made her way towards Twilight.
"Princess Luna, what are you doing here?"
"Twilight Sparkle. One of my guards came to tell me that he heard from the oracle that Pepper had destroyed half of Ponyville. Imagine my surprise halfway through my trip here when I saw that everything was peaceful as usual. Having trouble believing that Bitter Truth could be mistaken, I came to you as a precaution."
Twilight was perplexed by the announcement. If Sunset was right, Bitter Truth helped Pepper through Trixie's assistance, and now Princess Luna said that she had received information from the oracle through a guard? What was his motivation? It seemed as if he was trying to help both sides. But such a theory didn't make sense.
Sunset smiled inwardly. Her plan had worked—the guards, being tied to their posts, had to resort to passing her message by word of mouth from one guard to another until they reached the throne room, and the expected chaos was now here.
Nightmare Moon chose this moment to make her unannounced appearance, her anxiety over her need to protect the changelings having gotten the better of her.
This caused an uproar, but having been warned beforehand by Twilight, almost all of them managed to keep calm, except for Fluttershy who hid behind Applejack.
Luna did not appreciate the initiative. "What do you think you're doing? Get back inside me immediately."
"I'm sick and tired of being there all day long, and as far as all the ponies here know, why deprive me of the opportunity to greet them," she said, before dipping into a meek curtsy. "Hello to you Twilight Sparkle, and I salute each and every one of your companions here."
Luna rolled her eyes, far from suspecting her alter ego's true intentions.
Twilight's group was confused to see Nightmare Moon behave with such humility. It suddenly made her less terrifying, in stark contrast to their first meeting in the castle ruins and the thunderous laughter she had then.
"I think I can locate her," Sunset suddenly said, going into the basement laboratory to get what she needed. Even though the blood had dried, that was all it took for a simple locating spell. She took a map of the continent, of which Equestria was a part, and returned to the main room of the library. Once the spell was cast, the magic reduced the blood to carmine dust, which immediately surrounded a specific area of the Badlands.
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"She was in the Badlands from the beginning," said Luna, who then cast a murderous glance at Twilight. "Why didn't you warn me sooner?!"
Sunset stepped in, directing a stare harder than steel at Luna. "As the stars bear witness to my words, we couldn't locate her until today." Her whole body was tense; the slightest wrong move on Luna's part, and she would use her body to defend her sister in heart.
From this duel of glances, only Nightmare Moon dared to step into the staredown, inciting Luna to step back literally and figuratively with a hoof on her shoulder. "As she travels through dimensions, it simply means that she was away all that time, and that she has returned for the third time. Now that we know where she is, let's go and flush that rat out of its lair." She couldn't suggest returning to the castle; the thirst for blood that animated Luna's heart left her no room for any other suggestion. Unbeknownst to all, she hid a clone in the shadow of the central table, then went back to hide in Luna.
"You're right." Without any consideration for the assembly, the Princess of the Night left without any farewells.
After Luna and her retinue flew away, the clone came out of hiding and took physical form, to the surprise of the ponies who were still emotionally recovering.
"How is that possible? I saw you leave with Princess Luna," Twilight said, taken aback.
The clone, that part of the Tantabus that was not connected to Luna, was the concentrate of the Moon Queen's feelings that had been repressed during the earlier conversation. She was furious. Not only had Sunset directed Luna exactly where she should not go, but of all the places at the regicide’s disposal, Pepper had to hide there. Finally, it was proof that Chrysalis had manipulated her by making her believe that there was nothing left of Pepper. The clone exhaled, exasperated. "We don't have time for this. The one standing in front of you is only a part of Nightmare Moon, and our physical form is limited by the magic that animates this fragment of the Tantabus. This body will disintegrate if we don't return to the dream plane soon enough. So let's give the reason for our presence: do we have your consent to possess Princess Luna?"
“What? I mean, why?”
“We've already explained why Luna should be kept in the dark. But now, thanks to the help of this mare’s initiative", she said, casting a brief glare at Sunset, “the changelings won't survive another day, especially if they have to face Luna. Even the bat ponies would not be a sufficient bulwark against Luna . And I doubt Pepper will raise an eyebrow at the sight of the ensuing bloodbath.”
Twilight understood that she had to make a choice. Despite the attempted invasion, the life of the changelings was no less important than that of a pony—or at least she imagined this was something Princess Celestia would say.
But Sunset didn't hear it that way. "So you are asking Princess Twilight to make a choice between you and Princess Luna? But in the end we'll be facing a Nightmare, and you've already tried twice to impose eternal night. Why should we rely on your good words to choose you over Princess Luna?"
"We've changed!" replied Nightmare Moon.
"Another fine word," replied Sunset.
"I believe her," Applejack said. "Her words don't sound hollow."
Sunset turned, looking sternly at her. "Just as you thought Pepper had good intentions?"
Those words spoiled the atmosphere.
"What were your words about her, Twilight? ‘Singular, but not malevolent?’"
The air was heavy enough to cut with a knife as Sunset turned towards the clone.
"That seems like a good enough description for you. So no, you won't force Twilight to make a choice, but whenever Nightmare comes back from the badlands, she will end up imprisoned in stone just like Discord. So if you were to take possession of Princess Luna's body, don't come back to Equestria. No ponies will ever consider you a legitimate princess of Equestria."
Nightmare Moon remained still in front of such vehemence. She could not blame her for thinking like that; she had no proof beyond her word, which had no value. "If this is your decision, we accept it, and we'll act accordingly." Emitting magic from her horn, she cut through the fabric of reality to open a precarious portal to the plane of dreams, which she immediately closed behind her.
Silence reigned in the room for a while. Sunset realised that in her outburst, her words had hurt her friends. "I am-"
The door to the room opened, "Girls! Pinkie's awake!" Rainbow said.
Everypony galloped upstairs to gather around the bed, but were taken aback by Pinkie's face.
Twilight soon noticed the instrument of the crime – a red marker half hidden under Rainbow Dash's rump and she was doing her best not to laugh while biting her lips. "Seriously, Rainbow? We leave you alone with Pinkie for five minutes and you put a red marker smile on her face?"
"Oh come on! She was like
After taking some precautions, Sunset removed the gag, thinking she'd be the quickest to react if Pinkie was still under the effect of the potion.
Pinkie, who had been watching them all, still and quiet yet at the same time worried to see them like this, asked them with a warm smile like only she knew a secret: "Girls! Why so serious?"