The King Sombra / Queen Luna Verse · 4:59am Jul 24th, 2015
Just had an interesting notion for an alternate universe within the Shadow Wars Storyverse:
What if Sombra hadn't been completely lying to Luna when he seduced her? What if he had really loved her (for Shadow-ridden values of "love")? Not that impossible, Crimson Quartz certainly cared for Luna, and Crimson Quartz's feelings were the basis on which the Shadow built to create the composite mind of King Sombra. (The likeliest POD is the death of Lady Tourmaline at some point before Sombra confronts Equestria). Sombra breaks Luna, but instead of casting her out in the hopes that this will force Celestia to fight alone, he has her summon a Shadow and become Nightmare Moon, to rule at his side.
King Sombra weds Nightmare Moon, who takes the title of Queen of Equestria. The combined power of Sombra and his new bride is sufficient to drive Celestia from the throne (her fate uncertain to me at the moment, but in the proper tradition of heroic fantasy, probably trapped somewhere outside the world, unable to directly influence events). Sombra corrupts the Crystal Heart and uses it to spread the influence of the Shadows all over North Amareica. Nightmare Moon, fulfilled by Sombra, is uninterested in bringing Eternal Night and would rather rule Equestria and expand her empire.
The alliance of the Crystal Empire, and its arcane pre-Cataclysmic science and sorcery, with Equestria's rising barbarian military might, is an unbeatable combination. Sombra is able to complete his life-draining Device, and Luna becomes the feared and charismatic Commander of the Pegasi, rebuilding and greatly-strengthening the Cloud-Castle of Derecho, and indeed building many new Cloud-Castles after similar plans. One after another, the free peoples of North America fall, until the whole continent is united under the cruel Empire of the Shadow Spouses.
With Sombra's scholarship and Luna's engineering united, much of the Age of Wonders returns, but in a sick parody of its former glory. None can stand against the heavily-armed Cloud Castles, manned by Queen Luna's most fanatical Pegasus warriors. King Sombra builds ever-more-destructive weapons of war, combining ancient science with modern sorcery. Any who dissent or rebel are fed to the Pegasus Devices, their life forces raped from them and used to power the Spouses' dire weapons.
Fast-forward to a thousand years later, and a prophecy that one day the Sun Mare will return and free the land ... but she'd better hurry, as the Empire has completed the conquest of the Amareicas, and only the Dragons and Griffons stand as protectors of the last hope of global freedom. And things are worse than that, for the cracks in the continuum are opening, and the secret masters of Sombra and Luna readying to seep through and claim the bridgehead that their vassals have won for them ...
Does this AH have any potential?
YES!
I'd say so, even if just done as a one-shot.
I seem to recall references to Albion in your headcanon, as some sort of opponent of Equestria. Assuming that it is not part of the conquered Amareicas, I insist that it be part of the liberation campaign, because Britons Never Will Be Slaves.
Insert complaint here about all the hints but no story.
I can't wait to see this. I want to see this. Do this.
I agree with Ardashir that it might make a cool one-shot!
(Of course, I've been wondering what a 'Sombraverse' might look like for a while, so I'm biased.)
This is intriguing. If Princess Celestia can purge the NightMareForces from Queen NightMareMoon, Equestria would be much more advanced. Unfortunately, the world would be far nastier.
Well, this sounds equally intriguing and terrifying. Of course, after a millennium of rule, there's probably no pony resistance; at least, not in the Amareicas. That would mean either a villainous perspective if written from the eyes of any of the Mane Six or a cast of OCs. These aren't dealbreakers, of course, but they are hurdles to bear in mind.
There's definite potential here... but you may want to put it on the back burner until you finish a few already started stories.
3265395 I agree. We'd have to deal with ponies who live according to Sombra's vision of the world having their country invaded by fanatics bent on imposing a baffling philosophy on them. We'd end up with a sort of Shattered Glass version of Equestria.