Luna couldn't be more excited for the events of her first Nightmare Night since her return. But, call it sisterly worries, Celestia wants to make sure she does the right things for her first impression. Formalities change after a thousand years you know.

Art created by egophiliac of DeviantART.

This story is a sequel to An Empress' Wish.

Chains and bars are what hold a prisoner from escaping physically. Mentality and reflection are what holds a prisoner from escaping emotionally. Once a prisoner to chains, whether of mind or body, you are a prisoner by all names.

The only consolation of being imprisoned is that you are alone with your thoughts. Thoughts of what went wrong and how you found yourself where you are.

Cadance, Shining Armor, you had one job--don't make a baby that will bring about the apocalpyse of ponykind as we all know it.

Well, so much for that plan of action.

Yes, Flurry Heart is here, she's powerful, she's an alicorn, and she nearly took out the Crystal Empire just by crying! Time to take a look at some 'off screen' moments about how exactly everypony is coping with this information and all of the events it set into motion.

Looking for a clear plot? Ha, I dare you to find one! This story is as slice of life as you can get!

  In a world where the stars shine through both day and night, a savage attack upon the Phoenix Tower of Canterlot Castle leaves the city in chaos, a princess abducted and the stars fading from the sky.
  Now, Princess Sunset Shimmer dons the legendary Solstice Raiment and the Flareblades of the Sunmother in a desperate quest to save the glittering heavens and the love of her life.
  Because if the stars die... her world will soon follow.

Historian's Note: Set in the distant reaches of the multiverse, this tale is loosely connected with the events of SunLight Sliders, yet requires no knowledge of that story.

Cast: Princess Sunset Shimmer & Princess Twilight Sparkle with Philomena & introducing Faerana

Entry for FanOfMostEverything’s Imposing Sovereigns Contest
Prompt: Princess Sunset Shimmer - Warrior

Featured on Equestria Daily on April 9, 2017!
Featured on FimFiction on March 19-20, 2017!

Cover Text & Section Break Design by Amber Spark
Goddess Sunset Shimmer cover (2024) by Overlord Neon
Original Princess Sunset Shimmer & Princess Twilight Sparkle designs used on cover by Overlord Neon
Sunset Shimmer Cutie Mark By Millennial Dan

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill - Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Tchernobog - AppleDash Fanatic, Special Guest Beta Reader
Little Tinker - Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn - Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction

Special Thanks
Fahrenheit - For his invaluable assistance in creating an epic Elevator Pitch and Synopsis to fit the scope of this story!

Word Count: 15,000
Version: 5.2

It had been months since the Elements of Harmony failed to defeat Nightmare Moon, and a resistance force had prepared the perfect plan to finally defeat her. But just before they could pull it off, the unthinkable happens:

Someone else beats them to it.

The new alien overlord known as "Mental" seems better than Nightmare at first, but the ponies quickly learn that the reality is that he is far, far worse.
Out of options, the former resistance, headed by Twilight Sparkle, forms a desperate plan. They need a hero; someone who is brave, someone who is capable...
They need someone who is serious.

Three hundred years before the banishment of Nightmare Moon, the world was a very different place—and some ponies lived very different lives. A pegasus who serves the gryphons of Eaglesburg is fed up with the way he and his fellow ponies are treated. But escape from the cruel gryphon overlords seems impossible, and he has little hope.

Then his grandfather tells him of a legend—a young country ruled by kind pony princesses, where pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies can live peacefully. The pegasus and his earth pony friend, along with a small unicorn filly who is in immediate danger from her gryphon masters, make a daring escape. They head north toward their only hope for freedom—the land of Equestria.

"Ponykind must have run out of colours when they finally got to this pony. Everything from his mane to his ass was all seven colours of gloom and doom. He was so dark and brooding he probably ate glittery emos and shat vampire bats.” - Quote of the Week

1000 years the ponies have prayed for a saviour to deliver them, whether it was their long lost sun goddess Celestia, or even Nightmare Moon, maybe even the chaos lord Discord, anypony! After suffering under the yoke of a tyrant god for so long, they decided any saviour will do, even a dark demonic overlord. One unicorn sorceress finally decides to take matters into her own hooves. She sets out to the frozen ruins of a long lost Empire in the Crystal Mountains bearing a grand sacrifice of 1000 ponies in an attempt to summon the dark demonic overlord of the Crystal Empire.

When the dark ritual turned up a blank, the universe decides to shuffle in the next best thing. Will he rise up to the expectations of his newfound flock? He'd better, and quickly, for the tyrant god's inquisition is out to get him and the 1000 'blasphemers' involved in his summoning. With a nation to build and an evil tyrant god to fight, never has there been a taller order to fill. But it's alright, he's a dark demonic overlord, right? He quickly finds that with some smokes and mirrors and the help of 1000 very magical ponies, anyone can look the part, even an entirely magic-inert pizza delivery dude.

Now a long-haul fic! Many thanks to everyone who convinced me to make this a reality!

Many many thanks to the Editing team, Dumbgamer99, Not A Hat, and Brad The Brony. Be sure to thank them by checking out their pages!

Our lovable number one overdude assistant, Crystal Heart, now has a musical theme, aptly titled 'Dual Core A.I.', kindly provided by AdmiralTigerclaw! Epic now comes in an entirely new flavour! Many thanks!

Somebody kindly messaged me and told me I should announce here that the story was featured from 27 - 30th of April. I completely missed that but many thanks for making that possible, everyone!

Cover Art: Placeholder drawn by me. Will be a background for a full cover at some point.

Pirate edict. The very phrase seems almost crazy. But, there's ten rules on how to be a good, top class pirate. Good thing Pipsqueak and Luna are here to lay each and every one of them down. They may even do a little shanty while they're at it!

Near 100% dialogue.

One-shot

This story is a sequel to You Hired Me Three Years Ago.

Twilight Sparkle earned her title of Princess of Friendship through hard work and dedication. There's literally a book she wrote on how to be a good and attentive friend. You couldn't find anyone in the entirety of Equestria who knows Friendship or Unity better than her (aside from the collection of friends who taught her maybe). Everyone knows her, everyone loves her; she knows everyone, and she loves them all equally.

Which is why it has been driving her up a tree for weeks that this mare is working in her library and she has no idea who she is! Worse yet, everyone else knows her! Surely she's not going crazy... right?

Top Featured 6/24/25-6/29/25! Thank you so much!

Throughout history, ruins and relics have been lost to the sands of time. Most of these are artifacts and places of great value and import, but what if there were some things that were never meant to be found? Artifacts and ruins so evil, their mere presence corrupts the most innocent of souls to the promises of power. One such artifact is sought by Celestia herself, but for purely innocent intentions:
The Overlord's Armor.
This relic was thought to have belonged to an ancient being, who ruled as god among the ancient races of men, elves, and dwarves, and commanded an army of powerful minions to do his bidding. Needless to say, His armor was said to be the source of his dark power, and has been long sought after by collectors and historians for years, but no lead was ever found... Until now. Now, commissioned by the princess herself to find this relic, Twilight and her friends go two the barren wastelands of the overlord's old tower to find his tomb, and his armor with it... But sometimes, Power and riches can come with a very evil price...