Luna is a Harsh Mistress

When Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, she didn't go alone, but with her loyal army. Now they're trapped in an alien environment, with tensions high and the air running out. If they don't work together, their princess will soon be alone after all.

When Nightmare Moon’s rebellion tore across Equestria, leaving a trail of blood and horror in its wake, Princess Celestia knew that merely banishing her sister wouldn’t be enough. Her army was too powerful, and too bloodthirsty, to be left behind without a leader. When she finally turned the Elements of Harmony against her, she didn’t just banish Nightmare Moon. She banished thousands.

Now they’re in a race against time, to find a way to survive in an environment so alien that every aspect of it is trying to kill them. They face suffocation, freezing, boiling, starvation, radiation, meteorite impacts, low gravity… the list goes on.

Nightmare Moon thought she should be the ruler of all Equestria. Now, in a world nopony was ever meant to survive, her abilities will be put to the ultimate test.

This story now has a hardcover! If you'd like one of your own, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

Editing by the indulgent and patient Two Bit and Sparktail. Coverart by Zutcha.

Note: I intend this story to be as faithful to our current scientific understanding of the moon, and I’ve consulted for help with the aspects outside my technical purview. That said, I fully expect to make decisions that some may see as mistakes, based on their own independent interpretations.

I am a storyteller first, and I realize it’s likely I’ll eventually make a mistake, or an arbitrary decision to simplify the storytelling over accuracy. I’m doing my best here, but this isn’t a NASA white paper. Set your expectations accordingly.

This story was commissioned by Canary in the Coal Mine on my Patreon, feel free to contact me if you’d like one of your own!

Teen

Complete

Alternate Universe

Science Fiction

Violence

Death

Drama

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

226480 words: Estimated about 19 hours to read

Download:

66 Chapters:

Chapter 1: Crash Landing 2019-05-24 18:36:37 UTC
2712
Chapter 2: Desperation 2019-05-25 15:00:02 UTC
3253
Chapter 3: Hollow Heart 2019-05-26 15:00:03 UTC
4481
Chapter 4: Iron Crown 2019-05-27 15:00:02 UTC
3847
Chapter 5: Dead Air 2019-06-01 17:00:02 UTC
3798
Chapter 6: Fiery Stone 2019-06-08 17:00:02 UTC
4288
Chapter 7: Lunar Company 2019-06-15 17:00:01 UTC
5504
Chapter 8: Conflict Resolution 2019-06-22 17:00:02 UTC
4696
Chapter 9: Lord Commander 2019-06-29 17:00:03 UTC
5083
Chapter 10: Steel Salvation 2019-07-06 17:00:03 UTC
4202
Chapter 11: Last Chance 2019-07-13 17:00:03 UTC
4349
Chapter 12: City 2019-07-20 21:43:28 UTC
4793
Chapter 13: Sunrise 2019-07-27 17:00:04 UTC
4105
Chapter 14: Sow 2019-08-03 15:50:02 UTC
4918
Chapter 15: Plow Under 2019-08-10 13:00:03 UTC
3960
Chapter 16: Light 2019-08-17 13:00:02 UTC
4043
Chapter 17: Aminon 2019-08-24 16:10:19 UTC
4052
Chapter 18: Penumbra 2019-08-31 13:00:02 UTC
3753
Chapter 19: Lightning 2019-09-07 13:00:01 UTC
4101
Chapter 20: Stolen Wisdom 2019-09-14 13:00:02 UTC
3936
Chapter 21: Spin 2019-09-21 13:00:02 UTC
4559
Chapter 22: Colonize 2019-09-28 13:00:01 UTC
3543
Chapter 23: Faithful Color 2019-10-05 13:50:01 UTC
3898
Chapter 24: Dead City 2019-10-12 13:00:01 UTC
3586
Chapter 25: Awesome 2019-10-19 13:05:02 UTC
4088
Chapter 26: Corpse 2019-10-26 13:20:01 UTC
3261
Chapter 27: Blind 2019-11-02 13:00:01 UTC
3073
Chapter 28: Vision 2019-11-09 14:00:01 UTC
3095
Chapter 29: Clarity of Mind 2019-11-16 14:00:01 UTC
3387
Chapter 30: Clarity of Sense 2019-11-23 14:00:01 UTC
3009
Chapter 31: Purple 2019-11-30 14:00:00 UTC
3036
Chapter 32: Magpie's Hoard 2019-12-07 14:00:01 UTC
3244
Chapter 33: Secret Luxury 2019-12-14 14:00:01 UTC
3121
Chapter 34: Near Grip 2019-12-21 14:00:01 UTC
3078
Chapter 35: Rebellious Fate 2019-12-29 03:05:01 UTC
3066
Chapter 36: Defiant Fate 2020-01-04 16:00:01 UTC
3226
Chapter 37: Determined Fate 2020-01-11 16:00:00 UTC
3695
Chapter 38: Sanctioned Fate 2020-01-18 16:00:00 UTC
3073
Chapter 39: Armored Fate 2020-01-25 15:59:59 UTC
3080
Chapter 40: Polar Fate 2020-02-01 20:59:59 UTC
3275
Chapter 41: Sacred Fate 2020-02-08 14:59:58 UTC
3025
Chapter 42: Pure Fate 2020-02-15 14:59:58 UTC
3106
Chapter 43: Clear Fate 2020-02-22 14:59:57 UTC
3040
Chapter 44: Returning Fate 2020-02-29 14:59:57 UTC
2793
Chapter 45: Desperate Fate 2020-03-07 14:59:56 UTC
3244
Chapter 46: Fate of Nations 2020-03-14 20:04:05 UTC
3047
Chapter 47: Fated Siege 2020-03-21 14:59:56 UTC
Chapter 48: Fated Contest 2020-03-28 14:59:55 UTC
3997
Chapter 49: Fate of Mercy 2020-04-04 14:59:55 UTC
2950
Chapter 50: Final Fate 2020-04-11 14:59:55 UTC
3164
Chapter 51: True Fate 2020-04-18 14:59:54 UTC
3284
Chapter 52: A Fate, Whole 2020-04-25 14:59:54 UTC
4618
Chapter 53: Crystal Sphere 2020-05-02 14:59:53 UTC
3191
Chapter 54: Sluice Gate 2020-05-09 14:59:53 UTC
3010
Chapter 55: Starlight Focus 2020-05-16 14:59:53 UTC
3131
Chapter 56: Rotten Pillar 2020-05-23 14:59:53 UTC
3125
Chapter 57: Iconoclast 2020-05-30 15:00:52 UTC
2557
Chapter 58: Beat Cop 2020-06-06 14:59:53 UTC
2532
Chapter 59: Ordered Rot 2020-06-13 15:39:39 UTC
2561
Chapter 60: Friendly Ghost 2020-06-20 14:59:25 UTC
3030
Chapter 61: Her Nightmare 2020-06-27 14:59:12 UTC
3463
Chapter 62: Last Sunrise 2020-07-04 14:58:58 UTC
3689
Chapter 63: Puzzled 2020-07-11 14:58:44 UTC
2969
Chapter 64: Homecoming 2020-07-18 14:58:31 UTC
1416
Chapter 65: Iron Quill 2020-07-25 14:58:18 UTC
4271
Epilogue 2020-07-25 15:03:18 UTC