The Eternal Night

It was a thousand years ago, a millennium since that fateful battle. Nightmare Moon remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered how she was once called Luna, that she and her older sister, Celestia, co-ruled the land of Equestria. While Celestia would raise the sun to create a new day 'Luna' would raise the moon to create a new night, a night filled with many stars. Yes, the night was beautiful.

But the ponies of Equestria thought otherwise. While they played, galloped and lived peacefully during the day, they slept during the night when the sun disappeared behind the horizon. They shunned the beautiful night Luna created, neglected the glittering stars where she put all her effort in to.

She cried, wept while everypony slept. Not even the love of her sister could ease the pain she felt inside her body. She cried but also waited, waiting for that fateful night when everypony would realize that the night was not something to neglect, that it was more beautiful, even more beautiful than the day. She waited long but the night she waited for never came to pass.

Luna fell into insanity, her mourns and sadness drove her into madness. While Celestia was about to rise the sun again, Luna refused to lower the moon and make way for the dawn. Luna was no more, her bitterness created a new 'Luna', a new goddess, a new ruler.

Celestia tried to talk sense into Luna but the younger sister didn't answer to that name anymore. Luna was gone but Nightmare Moon was born. When soothing words weren't enough for Celestia to bring Luna back to her senses she used brute force and a grave battle ensued, a battle that held the fate of Equestria on it's shoulders.

Celestia wanted to use a certain collection of artifacts to stop her younger sister but Nightmare Moon halted her actions before she could even find them. Nightmare paralyzed Celestia and turned her into a stone statue, which still stands today.

Today, a thousand years later. Equestria is no more, she renamed 'her' kingdom into Durdaedor, Dark Shadow Land, a name fitted for a kingdom that lived under an eternal night.

Twilight Sparkle was spending her time in the library of Nightmare Moon's citadel, Barad-Fuin, which lies inside the city Daerochdal, a place she visited since she was a little foal. The library was dark, the only sources of light where torches that where embed on the sides of the large bookcases that filled the hall and candles on the tables where you could read them. The little mulberry coated Unicorn just finished a book called: Outside of Town: A Helpful Guide To Survive The Horrors of the Night, when a little purple dragon came from behind on of the bookcases with a bunch of thick books in his paws.

'Here are the books you asked for, Twilight.'

'Thank you, Spike.' Twilight said to the little dragon and used her magic to lift the book from Spike's paws and put them right next to her on the reading table. 'Why are you reading so much?' He asked. Twilight gave out a little sigh.

'Because that's the only thing I can do.' She said, 'Everypony looks at me with frowned faces, they are all neglecting me for what I am. Not that I can blame them.' Anger and sadness could be heard in her voice. On the top of the staple of books sat a small blue booklet which Spike took and went to sit on the other side of the table. When Twilight was about to open the book Durdaedorian Mythologies a Pegasus Guard entered the hall. His dark gray coat is visible under his thematic armor and unlike the feathery wings regular Pegasi have, he has bat-like wings. One of the trademarks of the Royal Guard, another trademark is his pair of serpentine pupils. 'Her majesty demands your presence, Lady Sparkle.' He said and stood ready to escort Twilight.

'Twilight Sparkle, my fateful student.' Nightmare Moon said. Twilight felt a cold shiver coming over her spine, she hated to be called like that. Twilight was accompanied by Spike and her escort. Before the trio sat Nightmare Moon on her throne with her wings spread to show her might. Her coat was as dark as the night, her mane floated like a cloud filled with brilliant stars and her cyan, cat-like eyes were both malevolent and beautiful. Behind the Alicorn's throne stood the statue of Celestia, guarded by the queen. If someone would touch, or in some way free her, he or she would have to go trough her.

Twilight, Spike and the Guard both bowed down before their queen. Nightmare Moon raised her hoof and commanded the Guard to leave the throne room. When the guard closed the grand door Twilight cut to the chase: 'What is that you want of me, my Queen.'

'Straight to the point? Oh, how I love that arrogant tone of yours.' Nightmare Moon said with a malevolent smile, 'But did your arrogance clouded your memories of a certain... Shining Armor?' Twilight was shocked to hear that name. My brother... My BBBFF...

'Would you please say that again but a bit louder, Twilight?' Nightmare Moon commanded, again with the smile. Twilight's arrogant tone came back. 'My Brother. My BBBFF, Big Brother Best Friend Forever...'

Nightmare Moon laughed loud and maniacally, the BBBFF part brought the real feelings of Twilight above water and the Queen loved to toy with her little subordinates feelings. 'Big Brother Best Friend Forever. Oh such beautiful childly innocence.' Spike looked towards Twilight and sees that she's keeping her anger and hate for the Queen at bay. 'He is indeed your big brother,' Nightmare Moon continued, 'But a best friend he is no more. You live under MY rule, dear Twilight, and you WILL do the things I tell you to do.'

'Then what is it that you command, my queen?' Twilight asked, her eyes pierced Nightmare Moon's with hate. 'Your BBBFF is leading a rebel alliance to overthrow me. I received clues that his base of operations lies in a little town called Ponyville. I want you to go there and inspect the situation there and gather intel.'

'And how do you think that I, Nightmare Moon's faithful student, can blend in with the population of a tiny town?' Twilight asked, a mocking smile appeared on her face. 'Oh yes, I know about this city's 'distaste' of you but you need not to worry, my dear student, for that Ponyville is quite far away from Daerochdal and the only ones that come here are simple merchants.' Twilight's smile disappeared. 'There used to be a librarian there but she sadly passed away recently. Since you're such a fan of books I took the opportunity to give you the spot as her replacement, aren't you happy?' The arrogance dripped of Nightmare Moon's face like liquid, Twilight could do nothing than 'accept' her offer and move to this Ponyville.

'Good, you have the right to say goodbye to your parents in Rochband. A couple of the town's merchants requested me to escort you. You can find them before the citadel's entrance outside when you're ready.'

'You're seeing your big brother again? Isn't that good news, sweety?

Twilight Sparkle was inside Durdaedor's most feared prison, Rochband. She stood before a Unicorn couple in a cell, the cell itself was much more cozy and luxurious than the other cells. This one had, for example, better light sources instead of the single torch other prisoners have to live with. 'I really can't really call it good news, mom.' Twilight said to the periwinkle coated Unicorn female. 'What's the problem then, my child?' A blue Unicorn male said to her. 'The problem is... It is that I have to...' Twilight gulped, 'Betray him...' a little tear dropped from her eye.

The couple looked at each other in concern. 'Oh sweety...' The female Unicorn said, 'It know that it can be painful to finally see someone you never saw in a long time only to hurt both his and your own feelings.' The blue Unicorn continued, 'We know that you had to make a great sacrifice. We know that everything you have to do is against your own vision of justice but remember this. You may be Nightmare Moon's pupil but you're still our child and we will always love you.' Twilight started to cry silently, tears dropping from her eyes like water from a bucket. The couple spread their front hooves and Twilight embraced them and the trio hugged each other, not caring for the iron bars that separate them.

Twilight was ready to take off to Ponyville. Her personal belongings were transported to the town's library by Nightmare Moon herself, all she had now at the moment was her noble companion Spike and a coat to conceal her identity from Daerochdal's citizens. They just came trough the citadel's main entrance right into the courtyard, where a wooden kart full of barrels guarded by two brightly colored Earth-Ponies stood. One was big and red while the other was smaller, orange and wore a cowboy hat. 'Do you think they are the ponies we seek, Twilight?' Spike asked, 'As there are no other forms of transportation at the moment, I'm sure of it.' Twilight answered.

The couple walked down to the kart and were greeted by the orange Earth-Pony, 'You tha new librarian?' she asked with a southern accent. Twilight nodded and the Earth-Pony continued, 'Name's Applejack, and big red over there is ma brother, Big Macintosh.'

Editor's Note

Are there questions in-story? They will be answered in time.

Durdeador is Sindarin for Dark Shadow Land

Barad-Fuin = Dark Tower/Gloomy Tower

Daerochdal = Dark Horse Valley/

Rochband = Horse Prison