Nightmare Moon cackled evilly over the ponies of Ponyville as she stood in triumph; the guards who sought to oppose her now crumpled on the floor, and her magic wrapping around the room and the world, plunging it into darkness.
“Why,” Fluttershy managed to speak out. “Why do you have to do this?”
“Why, I'm very glad you asked that, my little pony,” Nightmare Moon said with venom, whipping some of her magic cloud across Fluttershy's face, creating a small gash. “Because that's a very good question.”
“I was once just a tiny little weak pony like the rest of you,” Nightmare Moon began a monologue, lifting her might wings to fly over the crowd. “I ruled over the night in peace, with my sister, Celestia,” gasps run through the crowd at the revelation of this monster being directly related to their beloved ruler.
“But then,” Nightmare Moon landed in the center of the room, the ponies clearing out of her way, wanting to be as far from her as possible. “Things changed. Hit it!” Nightmare Moon unleashed a burst of magic that pulsed through the grand hall, a powerful gust of wind blinding all the ponies. When they opened their eyes, a grand, black piano was sitting in the center, Nightmare moon laying across the top of it. A small, dark pony sat at the keys and began to play. Around the piano were a few other monstrous looking pegasi, holding a variety of trumpets, trombones, and tubas in their hoofs, as well as a number merely glaring at the audience, there to ensure order.
“Tell me she's not,” Twilight Sparkle said, in horror.
“She is,” Rarity replied, who had walked down the stairs to the balcony to be closer to her friends.
“Wow! I wish I could do that!” Pinkie Pie whispered with jealousy.
When a ruler acquires a certain age Nightmare Moon began, singing in a rich, regal voice.
And the ones you rule over refuse to swoon
They love only the sunlit days,
And ignore the light of my kindly moon
And I grew so weary, of you folk, Nightmare Moon pointed a hoof out towards her subjects, a sadness in her voice.
And thus my weakling years were done
I had to wait, and grow my hate
To take my revenge on the sun Nightmare Moon punctuated the last line with the very hatred she had built up over a thousand years, finally able to express a millennium worth of emotion and bitterness.
The rest of Nightmare Moon's impromptu band began to play; one played a creepy xylophone composed of bones, and the others prepared to breathe into their horns. Nightmare Moon rose up from her previously timid position, and stepped with confidence around the crowd, moving menacingly with her words.
When I was a mare by my sister's side,
Celestia of the light Nightmare Moon gestured to one of the many banners around the room which was fixed with an image of Celestia, beautifully stitched into the fabric. With a blast from her horn Nightmare Moon plunged the banner into flame, to the gasps of the crowd.
She said to me that I was loved,
Though you slept right through my night Nightmare Moon lashed out and grabbed Rainbow Dash with her magic, who had been being held back by Applejack. Rainbow Dash struggled against the hold, but it was fruitless. Nightmare Moon forcibly closed Dash's eyelids to illustrate her point, before throwing her high above the crowd until Rainbow Dash crashed into a wall and fell to the ground. A number of ponies rushed to the pegasus' aid, but Rainbow Dash sprang right back up. She tried to rush the Queen of the night for revenge, but she was again held back by her friends.
But I was not a dumb mare, Nightmare Moon continued.
I knew none of you ponies did care
And so, on my own, I did contrive
Revive the night, and make it come alive A flash emitted from Nightmare Moon's horn and an explosion of small shooting stars came springing out from it, somehow beautiful despite the pony they were coming from.
I studied well, I grew my strength, Nightmare Moon's mane contorted to form two massive, muscled, human arms that flexed and displayed a powerful amount of muscle. The ponies cowered in fear at the menacing looking arms, and Nightmare Moon showed off their power by punching straight through a wall, before willing the arms away.
For I would go to any length
To beat my sis' and take the land, Nightmare Moon unleashed another burst of magic, and the remaining banners in the room became painted in black, or else changed to imagery of the night she ruled over.
And rule it within the night's hand Nightmare Moon again summoned one of the strange arms, the hand of which she opened and conjured up a small image of Canterlot within the palm of it.
It soon became my ambition,
Straight from my intuition, Nightmare Moon walked right up to Twilight and bent down over Twilight, her hoof pointing to her own head as she stared into Twilight's eyes. Twilight could swear Nightmare moon knew exactly who she was, though the purple unicorn could not fathom how that was possible.
To gain a full remission Nightmare Moon continued treading through the crowd. To the surprise of all present, she conjured up a large ball of light that warmed and shined like the sun, flying above everyone in the middle of the room.
From that painful, burning sun Nightmare Moon glared at the object above her, charging up a spell to unleash her wrath at everything it represented.
Every little ray of sunshine
Drove me off the wall Nightmare Moon launched a bolt of lightning straight at the ball of light, destroying it and dashing the hopes of many of the ponies below her.
Who gets blame?
Who did this?
Who to curse?
You know the only one to blame would by my enemy my sis!
Snuff out the light Nightmare Moon's cohorts fully joined in, blowing their horns hard and creating a background chorus for her chilling voice.
Claim your right
To my world of darkness Nightmare Moon's mane of magic stretched out far over the crowd, darkening the room even further, causing many ponies to cower in further fear.
Snuff out the light
Neophytes
Of my world of darkness!
Nightmare Moon went on a mad power rampage during a instrumental interlude, randomly lashing out with her magic and flinging ponies about the room as she danced to the beat of her own music. The ponies, not wanting to be near the magic of the moon anymore, tried to run for the door and windows to escape.
Little ponies, the night's on, Nightmare paused her various lashings to start up her own voice again.
All the sunlight is now gone
You can't run, don't try to flee Before any pony could run away, Nightmare Moon slammed the doors shut, conjuring a massive lock on the handles. The windows were covered with her magic, stopping any ponies from approaching it for fear of what the magic would do to them.
For your princess hereby decrees: Nightmare Moon teleported back to the balcony overlooking the ponies, in a symbolic gesture to indicate her place above them.
I'm your new lord and master,
You shall love, obey, and adore, Nightmare Moon blasted bolts of magic through the crowd, causing a number of ponies to bow down to her, despite how much they struggled not to.
“I've got to get out of here and get help!” Twilight Sparkle said, finally moved to take action despite her fears. She concentrated all of her magic to get through the dark haze that Nightmare Moon had created and teleport out of there. Her horn charged with red energy.
“You can do it,” Rarity whispered in encouragement, realizing what Twilight was trying to do and hoping that someone else would be able to do something to stop Nightmare Moon.
I am your queen now, don't try to fight, Nightmare Moon noticed and interrupted the spell, slamming Twilight to the ground with her magic. Twilight groaned under the strain and pain of the force on her.
Because my night is here forevermore, ha! Nightmare Moon teleported over to Twilight and sung in her face, gloating her victory over Celestia's prized student.
Snuff out the light Nightmare Moon flew into the air as her band and chorus played in the center of the room. She spun her magic around her in a dark tornado, eye glowing, lightning slicing through the air at random intervals. She was a terror to behold as she prepared to finish her song of power.
Claim your right
To my world of darkness
Snuff out the light
Neophytes
Of my world of darkness
Nightmare Moon, in an awesome display of power, lifted the top of the tower clean off the bottom where all the ponies were standing or cowering in fear, and teleported it out of eyesight (it would be banished to the moon). Nightmare Moon laughed, at the awe that stretched across the faces of the creatures below her.
“Yes! Watch in awe as you see the night rule the sky!” Nightmare Moon shouted, before picking up on a musical cue and completing her song:
Snuff out the light
Claim your right
To my world of darkness
Snuff out the light
Here tonight-
Whilst this verse occurred, the band and chorus of Nightmare Moon began to fly up, stretching out their bat-like wings to join their master in the sky. Even those playing large percussion instruments flew up, their respect instruments being lifted up with them by their lord's magic. The swirling vortex of Nightmare Moon began to form ghastly shapes and images, causing screams to ripple through the crowd as they witness hideous monsters pop out of the Nightmare Moon's mane. Some of the beasts blasted out of the vortex itself to terrorize the ponies up close.
Apparitions of eternal darkness Nightmare Moon's guard sang a verse without her, creating a freezing harmony.
Spiraling in circles through the night
Ponies, in beguiling blackness
No more squinting in the light
Bats and owls and coiled sea dragons Nightmare Moon joined in, and as the group of darkness listed off monsters, the beasts came out of Nightmare Moon's vortex in large number to scare the crowd below into a panic.
Crocodiles and Carrion beasts
Swirling in the growing darkness
Celebrate with a grand feast
Specter, wraith, and apparitions
Spirit demon phantom shade A variety of ghouls, ghosts, goblins, and demons sprang out of Nightmare Moon's mane, and began to dance around the the crowd of horrified ponies, many of which had collapsed under the stress of it all.
Salamander serpents, dog-faced devils,
Dance and watch the dying sunlight fade! With a massive flash of light, all of the monsters, servants, and Nightmare Moon herself, vanished, leaving to usher in a new rule all throughout Equestria.
“That was...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, having long since become compliant as the display of power even got to her. “I don't even know what that was.
“Is it over?” Fluttershy whimpered from under a table with a tablecloth, not even daring to poke her head out to check.
“It's not over,” Twilight answered, somehow able to remain some composure though many of the other ponies around her were complete wrecks. Applejack helped Fluttershy out from under the table, and the two of them, along with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie (who was giggling very quietly), surrounded Twilight Sparkle as they sought to hear answers from the one who was clearly the most informed of what had just transpired.
“I fear it has only just begun,” Twilight Sparkle stated.