One thousand years ago, the Ancient Ones arrived. To each of their progeny they came seeking submission, and came to rule through peace or through blood. The Princess asked two sisters to cede their rule over Equestria. When they refused, she banished them to the moon, their forlorn visages to ever look down upon the denizens and nation they lost.
With the one thousandth Summer Solstice Celebration approaching, the Royal Scholar Twilight Sparkle discovers a prophecy that The Mares in the Moon shall escape with the aid of the Stars, and return to Equestria with fire and fury. However, she is ordered by The Princess to disregard such a false prediction and assist with preparations in the small township of Ponyville.
A madmare, a farmer, a braggart, a socialite and a wallflower may be her only hope of saving Equestria.
A Lovecraft-Lite AU which is inspired by the Lovecraft Mythos, but does not require having read Lovecraft stories in the past to understand.
Cover art commissioned from Nemo2D.
Thanks so far to Shaslan and Zontan with some proofreading help.
Surprisingly MLP reads differently when told from the perspective of a Lovecraft protagonist. Love what your doing with the characters and the world, can’t wait to see more.
Interested in seeing how this plays out.
Ooh, very interesting take!
9 to 10 says at some point Twilight will talk about hideous monstrosities of indescribable nature resting naked and mad in the middle of the galaxy slumbering.
That, or fear fish people.
Looks promising!
Me like this.
The author of the "darkness" series is doing a Lovecraftian Equestria series? Most interested.
The Eternal Wyrm, I imagine, symbolizes the show runners in the later seasons.
So far I get the impression of a "A Study in Emerald" type setting rather than a " holocaust of ecstasy and freedom" setting, which I suppose would be sort of unreformed Discord with more murder. The nature of the Solstice "sacrifice" Ponyville is supposed to carry out will be informative...
Wow this seems like it's going to be a very interesting story to follow, looking forward to seeing where it goes and hoping that you manage to continue this story to the end that you want.
(I've unfortunately seen too many interesting storys not finished on this website which is a shame)
Goodluck and have a great day 😊👍
10963849
A Study in Emerald was 100% what gave me the initial idea.
This looks like it'll be quite a trip. I have to wonder exactly how this tale will resolve, as the worldbuilding you've done has put this Equestria in a rather curious position. I also have to wonder if you have any plans for this setting beyond this story...
In an alternate universe, this was written in 2012 and inspired a decade of fandom creations.
For real, I'm in love with this prose. Really can't wait to see more
New Flashgen's story!
And alternate MLP story in Lovecraft style??
I will definitelly read it!
(Love cover art!)
I am not normally a big horror buff, but this piques my interest, as I, like Twilight, am a pretty darn curious person myself. And, to be honest, I'm pretty socially awkward as well XD.
I don't know what to think about this strange usurper, but I don't think I'm going to like her at all. Already I can see small but rather significant ways in how this 'Princess's arrogance and domineering personality has warped Equestria and the ponies into twisted parodies of themselves.
I mean. Twilight's mom seeing and treating Spike as some kind of mindless and weak pet?!
Still, this is certainly a different take on an old story. So, color me interested.
I have a feeling Ms Prissy Princess creature doesn't actually intend for Twilly to find the elements. Or, she does, but only so she can take them for herself.
This is fantastic! I want... more!
This makes me instantly sad about this universe. But this is a really cool set up, much more tragic and darker by the sound of it. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the mane are like
Yeah, that sounds even the tiniest bit like her for sure. How fucked is this universe?
I am most certainly going to have to give this a look later tonight, you had me at Lovecraft
Ooooh, this looks so good!
I'm excited for more my dude!
Very interesting I do like the Lovecraft approach to the pilot episode can't wait to see how it will affect the lore of that world. Best of luck on that
Aaand I'm hooked.
Adds fic to the list of "verbose yet incredibly enthralling epic tales." This will fit nicely in-between SPECTRUM and The World is Filled With Monsters.
You had me at Lovecraft.
While reading the chapter I envisioned it as if being read aloud by Wayne June, of 'Darkest Dungeon' fame, or late Sir Christopher Lee.
A very interesting Equestria indeed. Looking forward to seeing where it goes from here, and what revelations threaten to shatter Twilight’s unready mind.
10966032
Nice to see around again dude.
Damn this is a fun story, loved the world building with the other nations, can't wait to see when the actual horror aspect starts. Keep it up and I might just do some fan art of it already did some for the7Saviors, He'll vouch for that.
And so, Twilight made herself the donkey.
Well, sacrifices. This just got got very dark, very fast.
Just reading the description and already I'm hooked I cant wait to read this
Wow. The more I read about this new Equestria you're building, the more I believe that it's actually some type of dark and tyrannical autocracy ruled by some kind of Lovecraftian monstrosity with psychic and magical-draining powers. And the worst part is that the ponies don't seem to realize or care that they are living in such a cold, heartless, and unforgiving land.
Of course, that's just the IMPRESSION I'm getting right now. I could be wrong....
....
....
But I don't think I am.
...
... ...
... ... ...
I don't see a next button. Is it because She doesn't want me to see the next button yet? Has She left it in the void, with the maws of screams and dreams? Or have I been relegated to the void myself, by Her eternal glory, waiting for the time I'm worthy of Her divinity? Am I the one who screams?
...
... ...
... ... ...
I don't see a next button...
Sacrifice the sun-screen eaters.
Well. Pinkie was....disturbing. And this chapter gives more details I didn't pick up on previously. So every nation seems to have their own...patron, let's call it. My brain also auto-corrrected "Everlorn" to "Everfree" so I didn't even notice the name change at first. Looking forward to see what the others are going to be like. That scene with The Princess was.....well, certainly eldritch lol
Poor pinkie, loving this so far. The nice with the princess what very unsettling. Awesome work
This whips so far, eager to see where it goes.
Awesome, I would have thought AJ would have been more weary/judgmental of city folk or had a more superstitious streak to her, thought it might go against the concept of the element of honesty, thought this sounds like the Element's of Harmony what replaced with something else or something hat imposed itself in their history. I wonder if the alternate elements will affect her being later own.
If in this universe pear butter is an apple, does it mean that bright mac is a pear? And does AJ's wary way to speak about the forest and sacrifice has something to do with him?
10981426
See, this is what happens when you trust your memory of an episode completely instead of double-checking. Updated the list of names.
10981426
Pretty sure in Canon she changed her name from Pear Butter to Apple Butter when her father disowned her for falling in love with an Apple.
I'm more surprised she's alive in this AU honestly. Wondering if the mythos Princess here has actually been a boon to ponydom. Though it seems a much more dangerous world.
Seems the Cakes might be in more difficult straits than they are making out to be. AJ was pretty friendly until Twilight brought up the sacrifice concept. Looking forward to next chapter.
10981690 No, they just called her Buttercup from that point forward. No name change, just a nickname.
10981646
Man why have you changed it? AJ parents in reverse would've been better for this AU
10982541
Cause it's just not what I had in mind.
What a delightful story so far. It even seems as if the Princess cares for her ponies on some level (which doesn't seem to fit with the general depiction of the Old Ones), unless Equestria is just being used as a reliable source of sacrifices which would be a disappointing motive. If she does have some affection towards ponies I almost feel sorry for Her, so bound by Her nature that even her love can create only a cold and fractured shadow of Harmony.
More mysterious surrounding the Everlorn, can’t wait to find out what that’s all about later. Find it comforting that Applejack is still the same old dark pony we know, and that she’s welcoming to Spike, (somewhat scared about how the others are gunna treat him).
Nice to see Pear butter is still alive, though does this mean Bright Mac is dead, part of me thought that he was this sacrifice they talked about but I dunno
I regret that I have but one like to give to this masterpiece.
Awesome chapter, it was nice to see RD being closer to herself in this story, Pinkie was delightfully cryptic with apparently having a foresight of the past present and future giving her a more serious tone to here despite no losing much of he zaniness. I wonder if those elements were corrupted in some way
It’s nice to see aspects of our Twilight despite the unique circumstances.
I LOVE!!! the bleakness you're invoking with this Lovecraftian narration, the hints of Miskatonic U in the descriptions of Twilight's studies, and the fact that their Princess is an Eldritch (...) wait, you haven't revealed their true forms yet.
Please...continue, as I devour the rest of your stories.
I'm absolutely riveted by your story telling, bleak as is appropriate for the setting, but still true to each character. Thanks for writing this, looking forward to more!
10983435
I suspect The Wound has something to do with how "The Princess" treats Equestria. Remember it's rainbow-colored, and it is the only unchanging part of The Princesse's visage.
I have always had the head cannon that "Harmony" was the type of elder god herself.