This story is a sequel to Changing Expectations
This is an anthology of non-canon side stories for the Changing Expectations series, each story detailing a different take on the story, on the world, or any other story that can't function as a standalone. Reading Changing Expectations is required.
The entire course of history can be changed by a single butterfly flapping its wings. So what if an entire war was won instead of lost? What if a King never existed? Distorted and twisted, parallel universes offer an infinite number of stories to tell.
Waning Crescent: A world illuminated only by the moon and the stars above. Despite not wanting for light, there are far too many shadows.
Pursuit Of Happiness: Equestria might be the world of sunshine, rainbows, and magic, but not everything is perfect for everyone.
Phasma Is Considerably More Evil But He Is The Main POV Character So It’s Okay: Everyone loves a good villain story. But I'm fresh out of those, so have a mediocre one instead.
Cover art is by Rich May
Special thanks to all my prereaders for proof reading each chapter!
Interesting so I'm guessing what happened is that Moon won against the Main Six and arrived in time to help or save Phasma against/from Chrysalis. Look forward to how it develops and if Phasma realizes what she is. Also wondering if Thorax ever came back.
Absolutely love this so far, it feels drastically different than the path in the main story. I especially love the slow build up of tension as more is revealed and how there was some constants between universes (the alien Phasma theory) and some pretty major (and obvious) differences. I greatly anticipate the next chapter.
Oh boi oh boi oh boi oh boi mmmmmmmmmm yes good boog, yes, yes, yes, mmmmmmmm boog is good for my soul
LETS GO!!! I love some alt-history, especially in stories like this, thanks very much Slider, you’ve once again Changed my expectations
My boy is alive!
Loving this so far!
Oestridae lives and remind me who was Intelligencer Ocelli where did they show up in main story
Oooohhh yeeesss... This is intriguing. I thought that you were going to be posting the sequel directly after Changing Expectations, and at first I thought that this was that sequel, but this... This is, something else... And I like it.
I expect that this will do wonderfully.
also, really hope that one of these short storys covers the reality that the cover art describes.
I like What if's?
Though I always wondered what would have happened if Princess Prochoerodes had been reborn either instead of Phasma or with.
11272463
I think they were the one who was part of the red hoof but betrayed them?
11272540
No, that was Tarsus.
11272463
11272540
11272570
Commander of the Infiltrators
I literally finished Changing Expectations like two days ago and suddenly this drops omg
Excited to see where this goes!
*sees new KKSlider work*
*ahem*
This is a Certified Pogchamp Moment.
Huh, this is quite the pleasant surprise.
I do have somewhat mixed feeling about it tough.
On one hand, this is something I've wanted since the first Battle of Canterlot and it's already proving to be everything I desired it to be. On the other, "1/3"? A story tackling such an interesting premise ought to be ten times longer that three chapters, at the very least!
11273034
On the one hand, I mostly agree that the potential of this story has no way to fit into 3 chapters of similar size to this. On the other, this is supposed to be an anthology of What Ifs. Maybe if this timeline doesn't end in finality, it'll get a second shot.
Either way, I'm looking toward to more, whether it be this story, the next timeline, and eventually the prime timeline's sequel.
11273097
It won't end in finality. I definitely could continue it. But.... I've got too many other things I want to do. This will be a collection of ideas that could be expanded into full stories, if I had the time.
Looks like Phas successfully correlating his coup alongside Nightmare earned him all the happiness and joy of an abusive relationship.
Not to bust balls but, and I think most would agree, we need more Oestridae. Mans is the biggest bro.
Looks like this timeline's changelings ran face-first into the step that comes after being the conqueror: being the occupier. And the problems that come with being the occupier, especially for a species that thrives of love: almost everybody hates your guts and isn't willing to do things for you without being prodded with a weapon. That's going to make for a rather less than comfortable new home for a race of empaths.
Interesting that Locksdale still exists in this timeline though, considering that the original one didn't become the changeling research and containment facility until after Daybreaker entered the scene. Perhaps in this universe, it is where Nightmare Moon squares away her undesirables?
11273799
This was something I myself had wondered way back when those chapters first came out; If Phasma is successful and they take Equestria, they’re going to have one hell of a time keeping it.
How’re Changelings, being Empaths and Emotivores, going to live long-term in a land where they are almost unilaterally mistrusted, feared, reviled or even outright despised? Nightmare Moon’s despotic rule and claims of legitimacy would only go so far, there’d always be some kind of resistance both internally within and externally supporting their enemies, what we see are the Griffons in this short.
Sort of like the Nazi’s occupying Poland and France, only Phasma was smarter than that here as it appears, staying in the shadows and not being overt. I suppose the Changelings would act as Nightmare Moon’s own SS and Gestapo.
Still, I’d imagine a couple months or even a year into this new rule, revolts would break out somewhere and we’d see the equivalent of the Warsaw Uprising.
Through a mirror darkly...
Very interesting story you have crafted here. A 'What if?' I find quite enticing.
Oh my a vary Dark and foreboding chapter , i like it.
That cover art is some good shit 👌
Boy, seems awful yandere here today!
I’m getting Johnny Depp and Amber Heard vibes, may she go bankrupt. Phasma, if you’re in an abusive relationship, you need to get out PRONTO
Edit: Wow, can’t believe how many Amber Heard Supporters there are here, getting disliked like that.
It's funny to me how Nightmare Moon seems to actually care for Phasma, but is really shit at expressing it properly.
Phasma is stuck in an abusive relationship and as one of the leaders of a tyrannical regime. He's really in a shitty situation here, huh?
From what I'm hearing about Locksdale, it's sounding like a love-collection concentration camp for ponies. And poor Shiny. I hope Twilight isn't dead.
Phasma’s position seems all the more terrible reading this chapter. Nightmare’s empire seems to steadily be building up with yes-men who fear her, Changelings have become the Gestpo/SS of this regime, and Phasma is stuck in a state of fear for his hive and himself.
His relationship with Nightmare, is especially heartbreaking. While in the true timeline Phas and Luna have a well built and beautiful relationship, Phasma’s relationship with Nightmare in this alternate timeline is a distortion of that. Phasma sticks with her for the benefit of his hive. He fears getting her angry, mainly because if he makes the wrong move he just might catapult his entire race into extinction. While those worries seem exaggerated (for now) we have no idea if his fears would come true.
Another harsh aspect of this relationship is the abuse. As far as we know this was the first time things got physical, but emotionally Phasma is a complete wreak. He easily connects his relationship with Nightmare to being similar to the one he had with Chrysalis. That is not a good sign at all. Not only that, but his role in Nightmare’s Reich (a fitting name as far as I can tell) has put him and his entire race into jeopardy. Changelings are showing themselves as oppressors. The enforcement of a tyrannical regime that becomes an immediate scapegoat should everything go wrong.
As for Nightmare, IMO she is far more scary than Chrysalis was. She easily shifts from being cruel, manipulative, unstable, and seemingly repentant all within the span of five or so minutes. Her being so close to Phasma also makes this dangerous, because while Chrysalis was cold and distant Nightmare has asserted herself very personally with him (and us readers). She is a terrifying presence, and I only wish this would be a story all on its own due to how well Slider has done Nightmare’s characterization.
I also find it ironic that the very prison Daybreaker sent Changelings (in PrimeTime) is the same one Phas is using for keeping the captives. Truly horrible, seeing how one event changes our wonderful protagonists from the pragmatic heroes of the original story into the desperate villains of this one.
Has a " when it shouldn't
This just feels like trading one Chrysalis for another, very foreboding and depressing honestly.
OOoooh? So NMM involved an Umbrum far less in line with Epitaph's goals than Daybreaker's was. That's exciting, and makes this whole alternate world much more promising.
To see an alternate version of phasma where he is not the outwardly confident, charming, and well established ruler he is does not sit well.
Having to appease to nightmare so closely is a terrifying prospect, I do not know what the next chapter holds, but I dare not hope for something pleasant.
This, this is bleak.
I'm suddenly reminded of some commenters who were pushing Nightmare/Phasma and poo-pooing the Luna relationship.
I'll see if I can find them, I think this was one of the proposed results in the arguements.
Edit: It was just Mithal, that's a shame. His stuff is best fresh so replies could be hit by the downvote fairy that followed him everywhere.
11275404
The Nightmares/Umbrum always had a massive hard on for 'survival of the fittest' to the point where betrayal is expected if not welcomed.
So Nightmare Moon going after Epitaph is not unexpected and not due to the 'merging of desires' later mentioned about Alicorn posession by Nightmares.
Unless Phasma pulls an Alexander the great, we're fucked.
I cannot help but note the similarity here. The knowledge that they did something wrong, the deflecting, the justifying... this isn't just an abusive relationship, Nightmare Moon is emboldening all of Phasma's worst traits.
11275321
Or worse, a love farm, with all the methods of sustaining the livestock population levels that come with it.
And given Phasma's attempt at deflection, I think that's where Twilight is. Phasma was pretty confident that Shining would bail out if he told him the truth, but Shining is strong enough to hear "I haven't heard any news yet" and hear "which also means no bad news." That Phasma had to deflect suggests the real news he had was worse.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And Phasma is speeding down that road.
Phasma you gotta pull that crazy B together. I would say kill her, but that leaves the awkward moment of nobody to control the sun/moon
boog boog boog boog boog boog boog boog
11275435
Aye, but it seems the others are at least mostly united in wanting to end life or generally do horrible things to the world. NMM is relatively tame in only wanting to rule it.
11275515
Reminds me of Pax Chrysalia. I'm probably the only map gaming loser here who knows what that means. But on the off chance that there's a fellow chronic mouse clicker reading this, good evening to you.
Bit late to the party, but holy hell this timeline has been completely fucked over. The soldiers are being pushed too hard and have no hope to keep them going, the higher ups are forced to push them under threat of death, the elements are in an unknown state, changelings are being kept alive on what is essentially a whim by Nightmare Moon, and the relationship between Phasma and Nightmare seems to be built more on necessity than love and is ready to collapse, but it does seem to have genuine love somewhere in it.
I really don't know how you plan to wrap all of this up in just one more chapter, there is so many things that would need to be tied up, even if you leave most of it open-ended. At this point I'm honestly expecting this to be something akin to a bad-end where they simply lose but I look forward to what you plan nonetheless!
Rejoice! The Equestrian Concentration Camp lives on!
One bad thing about this story is that NMM's superb amazingness highlights how much of a missed opportunity Daybreaker was in Changing Expectations.
Even the introduction of their Equestrian Concentration Camps is massively better in this instance. I mean, this is how you handle a concentration camp! It should be ominous and horrifying, it's mere existence revolting to the good and kind-hearted! Such a thing shouldn't be mentioned as a side note and then be of absolutely no consequence for most of the story.
Bah, and just like that I'm back to rambling about Equestrian Concentration Camps. What can I say, I simply can't help myself.
Ouch, that's a painfully accurate portrayal of how many abusive relationships work.
11275957
You're certainly, uh, enthusiastic about the topic.
Interesting turn of events. Poor Phasma, he has it harsh. And it seems that while Nightmare Moon can’t go against her nature and can barely control her temper, her exile spend in solitude has made her rely emotionally on Phasma. Too bad this is a one-shot story. I would very much enjoy to explore more of what this timeline has to offer.
Swazdo-lah!
11276182
Early lunch for Konzu!
11275330
Some things change, some things remain the same.
11275245
11275274
11275330
11275416
11275515
11275925
11276073
The benefit of doing this In Media Res, jumping straight into this point in the story, is that the best that this timeline has to offer is being offered right away. The rest of the story would be relatively lacking compared to this feast of misery that is NMM's and Phasma's relationship. I always found it funny when people pined for NMM, because their relationship would be so damn abusive: politically, emotionally, and physically. What's even funnier is that writing this relationship is far more entertaining than normal Luna's and Phasma's.
Guess I'm a sucker for some whump-fics.