Night Reigns

by tursi

Chapter 0 - History

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.

But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.

She vowed that she would shroud the land in Eternal Night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony she defeated her younger sister and banished her to the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony was maintained in Equestria for generations.

But it could not last. Ten years ago, on the longest night of the thousandth year since her exile, the stars aligned and allowed the Mare in the Moon to return to Equestria. She was furious and went straight to her tasks: she banished her elder sister and denied the sunrise, shrouding the land in the Eternal Night that she promised so long ago.

Nightmare Moon took up the throne in Canterlot, ruling in darkness with absolute decree and force. Those who had grown loyal to her legend took up her cause and formed the new Royal Guard, while those loyal to the Sun were forced underground, under threat of imprisonment.

Over time, Nightmare Moon's fierce involvement in the lives of her citizens waned. While the laws remained strict, new laws were less frequent and far less arbitrary. Dangerous creatures, such as those from EverFree, were fought back and contained in their home ranges. Magical lights lit the crops and fields. The ponies grew brave enough to begin living again, re-opening businesses and even daring to laugh now and then.

A decade of night had passed, but a precarious balance seemed to be approaching.

Comments

[Scarheart]

I'm surprised nobody commented on this...

Was the chapter too dark and nobody could see it because there was no sun?

[Qussar]

6890227

[CommanderBigMac]

6890227
Ayyy. Thats quite the bright observation there