Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there lived two regal sisters.
In the reality that we have come to love, these two sisters would control two different celestial bodies. The elder, a tall, magnificent white coated prankster known as Celestia, controlled the sun. While the younger, a dark navy coated mare simply named Luna, was in charge of the moon. When Celestia brought forth the sun, ponies would have fun and play in the light. Yet when Luna brought her beautiful moon, they would hide from the cool light and sleep, dreaming for the next day. With Luna's fear and anger only strengthening for every daybreak, Celestia's blind ignorance for her sister's worries would as well. We know that this path soon leads to the birth of the Wicked Mare of the Moon, Nightmare Moon, and to her eventual banishment by Celestia and the Elements of Harmony. She would soon be returned and defeated again by those very same elements... but. What if...? Celestia had never found the elements? What if...? Nightmare Moon had never been banished to a thousand years' imprisonment on her moon? What if...? Nightmare Moon had defeated Celestia and her sun loving ponies?
What if... the night lasted forever?
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Chapter One:
The Impossible Dream
“Since when have you ever had a challenge?”
Equestria: Present Day
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! I'm going to be late to see the Queen. Last time I was late, she gave me two weeks detention!" Yelling, a lavender unicorn was seen running through the dimly-lit corridor. It was lined with large extravagant stained window panes, detailing Equestria's past, alongside purple plates for the evenly placed candles that lit the hallway. From the right to left, the same direction the lavender pony was traveling, was the order in which time went, until it wrapped around to the entrance of the corridor. She had seen these windows thousands, if not hundreds, of times. She had seen them so many times, in fact, that she could give you a precise number for every color used. "Oh please just let me get there without any more distracti- woah, that's a new one." She skidded to a stop, having lived here her entire life she knew these walls like the back of her hoof. She was absolutely sure she hadn’t seen this one. The newly installed window pane vaguely detailed the Queen's newest accomplishment. It featured a black mare dawned in deep navy armor, shooting a sickly green laser at a bright yellow circular object, the sun.
"Wow, the artists really out-did themselves on this one. I'm completely stumped. What's the title of this one?" Unbeknownst to the unicorn, an unfamiliar yellow pegasus was hovering high above her. “Hold on, wait till I get down there.” She quickly added as she flew down to greet the lavender pony.
Looking down to the golden name plate that shimmered in respect of the candles, Twilight replied. “‘One-thousand Year Anniversary: Defeat and Control of the Sun.’”
“Is that what that’s supposed to be?” Questioned the yellow mare. Touching the bottom of her chin. “I knew that the Dusk-Dawn Celebration was within the next few weeks, but I never thought she would put it up this early. Usually she waits till the accomplishment is done, right?”
“Yes, usually. Although, this is the Queen we’re talking about. She makes careful decisions all while attempting lame, albeit funny, pranks. I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m Twilight Sparkle, assistant to Queen Moon. What’s your name?”
As if she was suddenly intimidated, she lowered her head, allowing her eyes to be covered by her pink mane. Softly she replied, “M-my names, Fluttershy.” It was so soft that not even a rabbit could have heard her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite hear that, can you say that again?” She said smiling.
Now scuffing the ground with her hoof, the yellow pegasus replied, “I said my name’s Fluttershy.”
“One more time for me please?” Widening the existing smile.
A high pitched whimper came from the now shy individual.
“Okay, well I got t-” Interrupting Twilight, the other was visibly shaking.
All of a sudden she laughed. “Hahaha. You should have seen your face, haha. Priceless.” Wiping her tears from her eyes, she replied, “Haha, sorry. I got you real good.” Sighing from the laughter, she continued. “Name’s Fluttershy, I know the name doesn’t really fit with… me.” Referencing herself, she circled her hoof all along her body.
“Oh, ha, well, yes. You most certainly fooled me.” Now taking a closer look, Twilight could see nasty scars running across her body, her back-leg being completely made of metal, an ear chipped at the edge, a necklace of large-sharp teeth, and more. What happened? Twilight thought to herself, quickly wanting to disregard the teeth she continued. What happened to her that she had received so much damage to her body? I mean I’ve heard of some ponies that return from war zones with damage, but never to this degree. She thought back to General Armor, her older brother, and how he told stories from the warzone, and how he would barely see any allied forces take any damage. Interesting, though. Shining Armor talked about how the ongoing war had barely any casualties, not to mention the soldiers that couldn’t fight anymore. Was she a bystander or a soldier? Is it just a normal prosthetic? Or a cybernetic one? I wonder if she would let me examine her leg?
As if the pegasus had read her mind, she turned to her side and presented the shiny plated metal leg to the unicorn. “Go ahead.” She said, “I’ve been gawked at enough to know when someone is pondering the inner-workings of my leg. Just don’t try running off with it.” She snickered as she finished.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just wondering if it was cybernetic? She quickly replied.
“Yeah, it is. I’m a sol- was a soldier.” She corrected herself. “I was medically discharged just around a week ago. Anyways, I lost my leg in an ambush involving the dragons awhile ago. Took the bastards’ head with me though.” Just as she finished saying this, she lifted the toothy necklace. “Ahh, memories. Have you ever killed a dragon? Tough bastards they are. Their scales are so hard that gold tipped arrows do nothing. Only way I took this asshole down was by making him forcefully swallow a Nehcrai, you know one of those magi-bombs? Specifically a disintegration one. Disintegrates everything but bone. Ah yeah. I mean look at these, doesn’t it make me look, I don’t know, 20% cooler? Ah, who am I kidding? I’m 200% cooler with this.” Once again attempting to bring attention to her ‘unique’ necklace.
“Right…” Twilight rambled quietly, unsure of how to continue the conversation. “Well, since you are no longer a soldier, have you taken your S.C.A.T. then?”
The S.C.A.T. An acronym standing for ‘Specialized Category Assignment Test.' It's an exam specifically meant to give you an assignment within the Lunar Empire with frightening accuracy. It was so accurate, in fact, that the entire reason the realm of Equestria hadn’t lost a single war in the last 400 years, was because of the careful job assignments of the S.C.A.T; or so they’ve been taught. Said to have been painstakingly created by the Queen herself, she had spent around 600 years perfecting it.
Yet, Twilight couldn’t disagree with this fact. After all, this is the same exam that gave Twilight her very own assignment: Queen’s Apprentice, a title that only a hoof-ful have been given within the past centuries. Shining Armor’s was Captain, although he still had to earn his position. Mom was a Caretaker, a position only the kindest and most patient ponies could be given. Finally, Dad was a Head-Stallion Engineer, essentially he makes sure all weaponry and vehicles work the proper way and supervises those who work on them.
“Yes, my results were, drum roll please…” Twilight, reluctantly, started tapping her hooves together in response. “Royal Advisor!” Fluttershy said as she presented her badge from under her wing. It was just small enough to fit in a wallet and read ‘Fluttershy: Apprentice Advisor ’. “I was so surprised when I got it, though. Expected something completely different, like. Strategist or something like that.”
“Yes, well, our destinies are directly answered by the S.C.A.T., not only are our cutie marks. Although, I must say that-”
A deep chuckle rolled throughout the indigo corridor, interrupting the lavender pony. As if in sync, The moon itself seemed to be amused by the two ponies, and moved along with the laughter.
“Twilight…” a soft voice whispered. “Oh where art thou? I call upon thee...”
“Fluttershy…?” Another said, this time lower and more raspy. “Oh where art thou? I call upon thee…” The voices continued to whisper, repeating the same four sentences of dialogue. “Twilight… Fluttershy… Oh where art thou? We called upon thee.” With every repeat, they grew louder and louder and louder.
Distracted by the voices, they didn’t realize that dark clouds of a nearly invisible blue were starting to spread around them. Slowly the dark clouds rose to eye level and attached themselves to their new hosts, completely covering their eyes, all while the voices continued to get louder and louder. Suddenly, the clouds turned a vicious black and now blinded the ponies.
“Augh. What the hell?” Shouted Fluttershy as she now flailed her wings carelessly. “Why can’t I see?” She could feel the dark cloud starting to cover her body, at least that what she assumed since a cold wet substance was now in places that it shouldn't be. “Twilight! Did you do this? I swear if this is some joke, you're gonna get a real close look at my leg.”
“No, I don’t know what’s going on! Can you feel the wet stuff too?” She said in response.
“Grrr, when I find the bastard who did this, I’ll-.” Suddenly, she stopped yelling, and a mysterious noise that could only be described as tearing paper could be heard.
“Fluttershy? Fluttershy? What's going on? What happ-” Twilight was now cut off from talking, this was because she no longer had a body, physical body to be exact. Although, she could still feel her coat being wet with a slimy substance, shifting and rolling across her body. Odd, she thought to herself, more with curiosity than fear. She could still hear as well, this was proof by the paper tearing sound she heard once more.
“Twilight, The Queen called you several hours ago. Around lunch time I believe. Do you know what time it is?” A now more familiar voice crawled through the darkness. One that only narrowed it down to two different mares. “I understand that you are busy, but when your Queen calls you, you respond asap. Honestly, what am I going to do with you? You forgot about your classes, you forgot about the S.C.A.T. and you missed the train coming back from Sombra’s ruins.” Wanting to disagree, she thought up a retort in disagreement… only for the voice to respond with, “You forgot Spike at Pony Joe’s. Spike! Pony Joe’s! Spike!” With this new fact, Twilight knew exactly who she was dealing with. This wasn’t actually a pony, but a pseudo-physical manifestation of a persona. She was talking to the Wicked Mare of the Moon, Nightmare moon. Rather, listening. “For realsies girl, I don’t know how much more the Queen can take before she punishes you again. Okay, well maybe she won’t punish you that bad, even after missing her class, again.” Twilight could almost physically feel a jab at her in reference to that fact. “We're at the throne room, be prepared, although she doesn’t look to be mad.”
Just as quickly as the cloud had taken her vision away, she was given back her body. Opening her eyes, she could see that Nightmare Moon had told her the truth, she was now in the throne room. Unlike the castle itself, this room was a beautiful dark red, almost the color of blood mixed in with the excitement of anger. Purple banners decorated with the sigil of the moon, a crescent to be exact, were spread thinly around the room. White pillars, each having an increasing era of historical art, surrounded and conjoined with the walls, slowly leading towards the center. A chair sat lonely in the middle of the opposite wall where Twilight was, with an overabundance of tall paper towers. Some of the towers seemed half-finished with signatures, leaning dangerously towards another, somehow not tipping over to create a hurricane of papers flying about. Others had been perfectly stacked with clean straight edges, and yet Twilight had a feeling that those ones hadn't been touched yet.
Just after noticing the towers, another black cloud came right up next to her and spat out Fluttershy, who was still thrashing about. “What. The. Fuck. What just happened? Did you feel that too? Did- How- What? Grrrr. Whatever I give up!” With a frustrated groan, finally giving up her rough housing, Fluttershy threw up her hoofs into the air. Face planting into the floor and groaning even louder.
“Seems like you haven’t met the Mare in the Moon.” The other calmly responded.
The pegasus froze, slowly look towards Twilight. Quickly, she raced to meet Twilight, nearly tripping in the process. She was so close that you could consider their muzzles to be touching. “You mean, THE Mare in the Moon? Like Nightmare Moon?” A chill raced down her spine. “Like the REAL Nightmare Moon?” Eyes widening, she gasped. “OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh!” She, once again, started shouting in a repeated fashion, flapping her wings down with every ‘gosh’.
Twilight, surprised by the pegasus’ reaction, tried to calm her down. “Yes, THE Nightmare Moon. The Queen’s second in command.” She said knowingly.
The remaining clouds floated and joined together in front of the throne to give a new physical form seen many times by Twilight... or in Fluttershy’s case, on stained window panes and history books. First, bright blue eyes gazed upon the two, then bat-like wings expanding to cover the paper towers. Finally, a body was now able to be seen and solidified. Revealing a tall, black feminine figure. The red moon-lit room greatly contrasted against the mare’s very blue armor, giving off a purple hue. Her mane was that of the night sky, only bluer. Shimmering stars popped in and out of existence within while flowing and licking at the air around her. She landed gracefully on the ground, and stepped aside.
Again, a chuckle rolled throughout the room, this time it was higher pitched, louder and more... equestrian. Then the chuckle turned into a voice, it was middle grounded with an ancient accent. “Why did I have to send in my second to fetch both my students? Can either of you tell me?” Waiting for a response, the two students remained quiet. Both Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other in confusion, knowing only that one of the two were a student.
‘I thought you said you were an advisor.’ Twilight mouthed, eyes widening with excitement.
‘I am.’ She responded with confusion.
‘Then why did she say ‘both my students?’’
‘I don’t know!’
‘Well she seems to think something different!’
“Silence!” The voice quaked, shaking the room. A navy alicorn walked out from behind the paper towers. “Now, answer the question before I invade your dreams and show you why they once called me Nightmare Moon.” Her voice rattled inside their heads, seemingly to physically shake their heads in sync.
Twilight was completely dumbfounded, struggling to mouth or voice any words, only making incomprehensible noises. Fluttershy stood in place, not daring to move a muscle.
“...3…” The Queen started counting.
‘What do we do?’
“...2…” She was impatient, her body moving closer with every second in between the counting. With every foot step she took, it was as if she were stepping upon bones, breaking them.
‘I don’t know! You’re her student, you buckin guess!’
“...1…” She was now on top of them, looking down at the two ponies with disdain and hatred.
They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Fear, restless as a raging river, was seen in Twilight’s eyes, Fluttershy noted. While Twilight found an empty vast void within Fluttershy’s. Hearts beating faster, the pair had dropped the gazes to the floor, tears welling up within them. Both ponies closed their eyes, wanting this misunderstanding to be corrected. An eternity passed, waiting for their ‘punishment’ from the Queen as they waited… and waited… and waited… and waited, until a snicker was heard from the darkness. Opening their respective eyes they quickly find that the intimidating Queen, who was just standing over them, was now holding her hoof to her mouth trying not to burst out laughing.
“Bahahaha,” The lunar queen had bellowed out her now uncontained laughter. She fell back clutching her stomach, all while rolling on the floor. “I can’t- I can’t-I can’t” As unfortunate for her, she couldn’t- “Breathe! Hahaha!”
Both Twilight and Fluttershy forgetting to do the same, they took a second to recompose themselves, Twilight attempting to regain an annoyed and unamused face while Fluttershy, reaching to grab her necklace.
“Hahaha, you should have seen your faces! Nightmare show them- Haha!” Quickly, the black mare faded back into her normal cloud and within seconds, made the faces of the scared pair just moments ago. Twilight had just accepted it, while Fluttershy on the other hoof.
“I wasn’t scared! I’m Fluttershy the Rage! I’m not scared of anything. Grrrrr!” Roared the fellow scared pony. “You are lying. My face was something more like this.” Following this saying, she created a battle scarred face, and only ‘improving’ to look more rough. Even though she started to look like a penguin.
“HAhaha,” with the new faces that Fluttershy had created, an ever louder fit of laughter started to erupt from the lunar queen.
The cloud had formed back into Nightmare Moon, and whispered to her master. “My Queen, if I may be so bold, we have two important matters to discuss with your students.”
Finishing her bout of laughter, she cleared her throat. Her face stiffened, her pose rising to be that of an actual queen. A serious and deep voice had crept throughout the throne room. “Yes, I forgot about that. Thank you. First things first. Fluttershy, your Advisor role has been denied.”
Fluttershy just stood there, frozen in time. “Wh- I- How- Why?” Was all she could let out before the alicorn queen.
“Instead of an advisor, your new role is Queen’s Apprentice. Now, matter two. Oh, before I go on, do not question me. I know that S.C.A.T. is successful in its own right, but remind yourself who created that very test.” She said, staring at Twilight with a huff. “We’ll talk about details later. Both of you are to travel the land in search of the most powerful elements, The Elements of Harmony. Or as I like to call them, The Elements of the Seven Deadly Sins. These elements are as follows; Greed; Envy; Lust; Wrath; Sloth; Gluttony; and finally Pride. Of course these are just the elements’ names, if you want their true natures I’ve written and sent them to your dragon friend, Twilight. I’ve discovered who two of these elements are. Fluttershy the Rage, you of course have a fitting name: Wrath. While Twilight... I am unsure which you are, I suspect Pride, though. Trust me when I say this. You are one of the sins.” Without skipping a beat, she continued. “It is your mission to find who the other five are. I know of the locations of two more. Manehattan, and PonyVilla. I believe you should start there. I expect this to be done before the Dusk-Dawn Celebration.”
Fluttershy hadn’t moved at all. The shock of hearing that not only being a Seven Deadly Sin, which she’d dreamt about since she was just a foal, but that she received a new title, Fluttershy: the Sin of Wrath, “I’m a deadly sin. I’m a deadly sin.” She repeated over and over. This being said, she didn’t hear any part of the conversation past this point.
Twilight, who somehow had found a paper and quill, had bubbling questions in the back of her mind. Namely, questions about her fellow ‘student’ and these elements, but they would have to wait until later. “Excuse me, your highness,” she began sheepishly, “I don’t understand how I can find another three other of these ‘elements’ without locations AND find the two with locations in just three weeks. I may have been your top student since the beginning of kindergarten, but don’t you think this is too much of a challenge?” She was sweating now. Normally, she wouldn't mind going outside the castle, she even has been sent on low-grade missions like this before. Only differences was that she knew the location and name of the individual in question, and the only thing she needed to do was drop off mail and summons requests.
“Twilight, my dear apprentice. Since when have you ever had a challenge?” The Queen responded in her most royal and queenly way possible.
“Well, there was Spike’s hatching, the Discordant Exam, the S.C.A.T.” She trailed off, the Queen on the other hoof lost interest and had looked at her plainly. Twilight, not noticing, continued to ramble on and on.
“Twilight,” the lunar queen attempted to stop her students’ talking. “Twilight,” this time a little louder. “Twilight!” She shouted, ending the students’ current train of thought.
“And then I-” The lavender unicorn stopped suddenly, and blushed. “Oh, sorry, was I rambling again?”
“Yes. Now as I was saying. Ugh.” She glanced over to entranced yellow pegasus, who had now been clapping her hoofs together. What is she doing? The lone alicorn thought to herself. I have a paranoid unicorn and now a daydreaming pegasus soldier. Hugh. I guess I’ll have to get this one’s attention. “Fluttershy, if you do not want to die, look at me.”
Immediately, as if by instinct, the yellow pegasus had stopped her train of thought and saluted proudly shouting the following. “Yes ma’am!”
“Alright. Now listen, both of you. Normally, I would be the one to find something as top class as this, but I have to prepare to raise the sun for the Empire’s Dusk-Dawn Celebration. Something is coming, but I don’t know what. Not yet at least. The Sin’s are going to be our last line of defense. Only in case I can no longer fight. Only in case Nightmare Moon is captured or unaccounted for or… lost.” The black mare’s eyes had grown softer upon hearing this. “I know I only played the Elements as mere myths and bedtime stories, but legends had to come from somewhere. Like I said earlier, your dragonborn has more information regarding the elements and their natures. Twilight, my pupil. Pupils," She corrected herself, "I’m trusting the both of you.” As she finished with this, she closed her eyes.
“Y-Yes, my queen.” Fluttershy stuttered, barely able to get out the sentence. “Come on Twilight, let’s go.” She tugged the unicorn, who was struggling to say something, but after admitting defeat, the unicorn turned and walked through the giant wooden doors.
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Far beyond Equestria, far into the stars. A lone alicorn sat waiting. In silence, a secret anger hidden from the breathing world. In silence, a lone mind thought on a desolate, cold landscape. In silence, nothing but lone regret was felt. In silence, flame flickered to and fro. When the silence broke, murmurs could have been heard; nobody but the lone alicorn could hear herself. “Dear sister, how long have you kept me from my home? A decade, a century, a milenia? Well, no longer. I am coming back for my throne. Just a little longer.”