Ponyville was silent. The Canterlot castle was silent. All of Equestria was silent. Or it would have been, if not for the symphony of agonised whimpers and screams that came from the sleeping mouths of every single citizen of Equestria. Alone in their dreams, they lay trapped in their worst nightmares. But among the terror and pain, a single happy sound echoed above the voices in the castle. A single, ethereal mare walked alone past the sleeping bodies, letting out a soft laugh as she did so. The dark figure wandered the home of the Princesses with a cruel grin playing across her face. She said nothing as she walked aimlessly around. She only let out another light chuckle when she found herself in the chambers of the Princess of the Night. Her hooves clopped noiselessly as she crossed the large room to where the rulers of Equestria lay. Looking down on the lighter one, the mare spoke at last.
“Well, Celesita,” she said, her voice cold as the night air surrounding her, “it seems you cannot defeat me now.” The grin grew into another chuckle, which in turn grew into a full-scale laugh that lasted for several minutes. Once she regained her composure, the mare walked over to the other slumbering Alicorn.
“Luna, Luna, Luna,” the mare said as she shook her head. “We could have made quite a team, you and I. But it turned out I don’t need your help. With you and your sister and everypony else trapped in their nightmares, there is nopony to stop me now.” The mare turned away and walked over to the window. She raised her head and looked at the full moon that was once her prison. She took a deep breath of the cool, night air and smiled happily before continuing. “So finally, at long last,” the mare said as her teal eyes flashed in the dim light, “the night will last
“Forever.”