Nightmare Moon AU · 5:09pm Oct 29th, 2022

I keep musing about ways Cadence being canon before S2 could have fun influences on fics and the story but I just had an idea for an AU where upon returning Nightmare Moon steals the Elements of Harmony before anyone even gets close to them. Twilight and company still become friends, but then they barely escape the castle being collapsed on them and have to be saved by Zecora; as they recover, Nightmare Moon sets about in her conquests.

As all this is happening Cadence has magical duplicates running all over Equestria and even foreign ports trying to keep things calm and hoping her aunts plan works, but as that hope dims her own plans come to the forefront. A gargantuan Storm Cannon that will launch an Admontite spear right at Nightmare Moon; she doesn't necessarily think it will work but she hopes it'll give her enough of an advantage to win the fight or otherwise find and free Celestia. It, sort of works, she manages to wound Nightmare Moon but can't beat her but does use her love spell on her causing a near fracture in NMM's personality as Luna tries to tear herself free allowing Cadence to slink away and recover.

Characters will occasionally see the sun try to rise and even occasionally get a couple of hours of sunshine, but the moon is always present making it clear NMM is still in control. This is due to NMM needing a fair amount of power to continue suppressing Celestia and being divided by Luna's influence and other matters, such as her long term schemes. Namely, she wants to create her own Elements of Harmony, recruiting Tempest Shadow & fixing her horn to gain loyalty for example, using DJPN3 as Laughter for the joy her music and club going brings, ETC. She also ressurects King Sombra and uses him as her dragon.

The main cast are recovered and return to Ponyville, likely ensuring Zecora at least is welcomed, and trying to figure out their next move. I imagine they have somewhat episodic adventures, travelling around, righting some wrongs, uncovering some secrets, needing to avoid capture, that kind of jazz. They eventually link up with a resistance movement thanks to the info broker Trixie where they also see Glynda who is ecstatic to see Rainbow Dash and was looking for her, plus is part of Griffon Kingdom aid cos they are struggling even mroe than the ponies without the sun and so Cadence is sending them food, farmers, magic ETC.

They encounter Cadence whos been having her own adventures building a resistance movement and sporadically fighting Sombra and even NMM, but the latter is spooked by her love magic and so never totally commits. Cadence is the one sporadically raising the sun and also sending it far away from the planet to give the other side of the planet artificial night, but she claims its with the aid of Celestia who is trapped in there. Cadence when alone also sings this song, imagining a spectral Celestia comforting her and generally feels incredibly ill equipped despite putting on a brave front.

(Long story short, Celestia & Cadence both have magical prisons designed to hold them in case they turned evil, Cadence's is that crystal catacomb and Celestia's is the sun. NMM coopted Celestia's "If I turn evil" plan to trap her, after Celestia was exhausted fighting the Eldrich Star beings that freed NMM.)

Cadence as it happens also has a plan, one the Elements are leery of, namely she wants to stop focusing on Equestria for a bit and send their forces North as the Crystal Empire will soon return thanks to Sombra's early resurrections. Cadence believes if they can reclaim the Crystal Heart and use it, its magic will be able to strengthen Equestria to better survive the long night and give them a fortified position to fight from rather than underground bunkers and caves. Its not well liked especially by Dash but Glynda convinces her by informing her of the plight of none ponies and such. Sombra betrays NMM while she's fighting the Storm King (He was goaded into attacking partially by the loss of Tempest and info smuggled to him by Cadence's agents) running off to reclaim the empire but is defeated. Nightmare Moon won her fight with the Storm King but is enraged (& happy on the Luna side) to see the Crystal Heart restored, and is then approached by Chrysalis.

Also Discord either doesn't exist or was thrown into a black hole or is otherwise dead and not sure what happens after this or who NMM's other Elements are besides herself as magi and the aforementioned loyalty and laughter. I imagine Changeling saboteurs do a lot to undermine the resistance in the second arc, though Chrysalis is likely killed by Cadence after she gives a badass speech about how "I stood against the return of Tambelon and its master, I slew the Crystal Dragon, I turned the armies of Chimera King into a Glass floor! I am a goddess you parasite, so take my power, but pray you can stomach it!" Effectively overwhelming and obliterating her, likely followed by NMM catching her.

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