@Kerion  
We can’t, but we can’t be sure that she did, either.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
How can we be sure she didn’t go after Celestia first when she got free? There was sometime that passed after the mare in the moon vanished before she made her first appearance.

@Ms. Harshwhinny  
Indeed, and then NM defended herself.  
Nah, seriously, what are you referring to? We never saw or heard about NM attacking Celestia post-exile, and the guards came at NM first.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
There is no miscommunication to attacking someone.

@Ms. Harshwhinny  
Chill, man, just having fun here. Though I don’t see how my logic is circular. I’m proposing a scenario of miscommunication.

@VladimirMacHolzraum  
Dude, Go back to your stupid forums.
 
 
@AlsoSprachOdin  
You’re just using circular logic now to skirt around the issue. The point is: NMM was evil. You’d have to be completely braindead not to realize this.

@Ms. Harshwhinny  
Thank you for digging up nearly year old drama.
 

@Ms. Harshwhinny  
But did NM know that the guards didn’t know she was a rightful princess? (sorry for the double negatives)  
She was aware that people had forgotten her after the initial impressions, but then Twilight identified her as the Mare in the Moon. And given how transparent that legend was, I think there’s room to speculate that NM assumed at this point that everyone knew who she was. Guards included.

@Ms. Harshwhinny  
Who was the Mare in the Moon in the book? Or did the Old Mare’s tale thing make everypony simply not care? :j

@AlsoSprachOdin  
No, Nightmare moon identified herself as a ruler. And Nobody knew princess luna was nightmare moon but nightmare moon, luna, and celestia. The guards, twilight, NOBODY would be able to discern that luna was nightmare moon. They did not have that information at the time.
 
Not to mention, it seemed like nobody even knew Celestia had a sister at the time.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
Two problems with that.
 
Part the first- you’ve made an implicit assumption that the Elements of Harmony are somehow malign in their function. That runs counter to all indications in the actual canon, and given that Luna acquired and used them against Discord, claiming that their subsequent use against her is morally objectionable seems a bit hollow.
 
Part the second- your argument has a somewhat speculative foundation in assuming the royals are, in fact, completely above the law. They may have written in legal precedents specifically taking magical, mind-altering threats to consideration, and therefore included conditions by which a citizen may be required to detain someone of higher caste. I’m afraid this is something I cannot adequately answer, as we have little to no official indication of how Equestrian law actually functions.

@Bronitarian  
Maybe in your world. Benevolent =! Malevolent.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
So now we’re assuming the elements of harmony are evil?
 
Okay, we’re in bizzaro land. Up is down, weather controls pegasis, the everfree forest is the only good place in equestria, chrysalis is a benevolent saint, and nightmare moon was a good person.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
I really, really, REALLY want to the The Spark explained eventually, yeah. X3

@Bronitarian  
Not conclusive evidence either.  
And the elements do seem to have brainwashing effects, however allegedly benevolent.

@Kerion  
No, I didn’t make that assumption. See below.  
And what you are talking about is the merit of the guards’ actions. I was talking about the merit of Nightmare’s actions.  
And Twilight would be aware that Nightmare Moon and Celestia’s younger sister were the same, as she’d read just that at the very start of the first episode.  
The only ones present that were even vaguely “posed a threat to” were the guards themselves, and only after they tried to arrest their princess. Or am I missing something?
 
For clarity’s sake, I’ll restate and rephrase my previous argument:  
I said that Nightmare identified herself as a princess and Twilight supported that she was the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare referred to signs and legends while speaking to the guests, and may have assumed that people knew that the Mare in the Moon was Celestia’s younger sister and Diarch of Equestria. After all, it’s information readily available in books.  
Therefore, Nightmare might have thought that she wasn’t negligent in informing the guards of her station, which would have certainly made their attempt to arrest her all the more understandable and appropriate. But she tried to, and she’d hardly done anything at that point that a princess would be liable to be arrested for.  
So, with the guards’ apparently full knowledge that they were acting against a princess of their own country, their actions must be interpreted (by Nightmare) as siding with Celestia in a conflict of between the royal sisters (perhaps effectively constituting civil war).
 
But, to come back to the guards, I think they could have at least asked Twilight if Nightmare moon really was a legitimate princess. Would be pretty embarrassing to arrest one’s own ruler essentially for crashing a party and declaring an unpopular policy.  
And please don’t bring up the Eternal Night ice-age without reading the previous points on that.

Nightmare moon also has a habit of senseless destruction and mayhem, as was shown when she blasted apart their old castle for no other reason then to show off her new power. Again, nit a good sign for her being a stable or reasonable individual.
 
Also I think what’s important to remember is her reaction to being freed of nightmare moons power, which seemed to be overwhelming regret fpr what she’d done and joy of being free once more. With all this talk in here one would think turning into nightmare moon was something she wanted and enjoyed.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
You’re assuming that those that currently serve in the royal guard are the same ones that served before Luna became Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon’s banishment was centuries ago, the only being still alive to remember the fact Luna & Nightmare are one in the same is Celestia. So the guards were justified as Nightmare Moon posed a threat to those that were present.

@Background Pony #A89A  
Does that make it any less self-defense on her part?  
(oh, what fun we shall have!)  
You might argue that she provoked the guards’ response by her appearance and statements, but keep in mind, that this nutjob is actually a princess of Equestria, with whatever rights and prerogatives that may follow this title.  
And it’s hardly her fault if she’s been forgotten since the banishment, but she does make sure to let the guards know of her identity before they attack her. Her claim is even supported by Twilight Sparkle, protege of Celestia.
 
So, if those guards decided to side with Celestia in regards to the sisterly spat over the throne, that’s their decision and responsibility. I’ve yet to see solid evidence that Luna’s intended take-over was completely unjustified and illegal. Nightmare herself claimed that it was her duty to destroy Celestia.  
I’m just saying it’s possible. I have reasonable doubt that Nightmare’s in the wrong.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
Given that some nutjob had just walked out where their liege was supposed to appear and declared herself queen of the world, I’d have to say they were justified. After all, they were acting in defense of state from what could only be surmised was an attack.

@AlsoSprachOdin  
If she were actually seized then, she’d probably just stand there as stiff as Cell against Satan. X3

@Background Pony #A89A  
Wasn’t that self-defense?

>”no OP, no one actually thinks like this”  
>an entire thread of people thinking like this

Прям анусы заполыхали)