Empire on the Moon

by Kingless knight

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Luna, Original Character, Adventure, Shining Armor, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Dark, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon
Length: 9555

When nightmare mom returned, an ancestor of her army and her daughter. Now they’re stuck on eques til the lunar empire can send help or they can teleport back.

Many moons ago, Nightmare Moon was banished with her servants and soldiers. For centuries the colony forgot about their conquest of Equestria and just decided to survive a century before the Nightmares' freedom. They prepared for a war that would never come, yet even then, their grand general wouldn’t be easy.

The cover is a piece I made in school

Published 2023-07-10 14:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-01-31 00:13:30 UTC

Canterlot Conquest

On the eternal night. “Empress?” He asked, tired from a day without sleep. First, they had to call the army. The grand general and his wife, the princess of justice, appeared in Equestria.

“You will go to the capital. I need to speak to my subjects. I will bring the rest of our forces once I have secured the destruction of the elements.” Nightmare moon turned to mist and went to Ponyville.

The two appeared inside the Castle, and the general easily knocked out multiple guard ponies while his wife continued to the throne room, looking at the stained glass, lifting her veil a little to see a bit clearer. “My mother and Celestia has had so many adventures before my time.” The unicorn with bat-like ears and eyes nodded, looking at the artwork.

He sighed. “Take it in before miss madness shatters it all.” Alecia rolled her eyes at the remark, even if she agreed. “So, wanna sit on the royal throne?” He asked jokingly as the princess looked at the seat of the nation.

She just thought about it and decided to jump to it. “Aaahh, it feels nice to be a princess of Equestria. I wish Nightmare Moon gave me a seat instead of making me stand all the bucking time! My legs hurt after four hours!” He chuckled even if he stood in attention. “Don’t worry, the old hag isn’t anywhere close to listening to us. Kinda odd, the Unicorns here don’t have the same ears as we do on the moon.” Shadow swipe nodded as a white unicorn with a blue mane entered. “Oh, another toy to break?” She asked as shadow swipe readied for a fight.

Then Cadence stepped in and greeted the Royal blue Alicorn with a shady purple mane. “Hello, I’m Cadence, and I wanted to ask why you’re attacking Canterlot?” Shadow Swipe relaxed his stance, and so did Shining Armor.

Alecia sighed. “Finally, an Alicorn. My name is Alecia, nightmare moon returned, and she is going to destroy the elements of harmony.” The Cadence and shining were shocked at what they had heard. “We’re here waiting for her to be defeated or return, having destroyed the elements.” Shining armor glared at the unicorn in armor, which appeared to be some kind of jacked with metal plates on it rather than made of metal.

Shining armor took a domineering stance. “Then why did you attack my Guards and take Celestia’s throne?” Shadow Swipe sighed, annoyed rather.

Shadow spoke “I took down your guards, and it’s hedging our bets. Because ponies on the moon worship Luna as our guardian and see her current state as heretics poisoning her, it is said one great star and five gems will cleanse her of this poison and lead to a new era without the evil of Nightmare.” Shining nodded. “But neither I nor my wife trust prophecies, so better take over the palace and keep her majesty's throne warm.” Alecia finished enjoying the cushions.

“Is that why you just knocked them all out?” Shadow Swipe nodded. “And you’re from the Moon?” Shadow Swipe nodded again, the scarred dark gray pony growing annoyed. “I don’t believe you’re actually from the moon; I mean, you wouldn’t have any air. Twilight has told me enough times that no pony could live on the moon unless they were immortal or an Alicorn.” The Alicorn cleared her throat at that remark.

Alecia spoke. “Well, we didn’t live on the moon, more like we lived inside the moon. But honestly, that’s a story too long to repeat. But the abridged version, long ago, our ancestors, made up of those ostracized by ponies, started asking for help from the only one with power. They viewed her as not being controlled by the nobles. My mother, Luna, then asked Celestia, yet she didn’t listen. She called her followers criminals, leading to her turning into Nightmare Moon, and we all decided to start a civil war. At the Siege of Everfree, the soldiers of the Lunar army won, but at the last moment of the fight between the corrupted nightmare moon and Celestia, the elements chose her and launched us all into the moon.” Shining Armor was about to question a few things until he remembered Equestria hadn’t conquered land in centuries.

Once they saw the sun, their bodies stiffened. “Let’s hope Princess Luna is safe.” Shadow Swipe spoke, and worry filled his chest.

Alicia stepped off the throne. “Cadence, wasn’t it? Would you kindly give us a tour of your magnificent palace?”

Harvest Moon walked to the citadel, a large fortress at the edge of tranquility that stood in the middle of the nation. “The army is still standing, and I don’t believe the false beast has control of our true queen.” The committee grew silent before cheering with joy, and Harvest Moon sighed in frustration.

The oldest bat pony started to speak. “That’s enough. There is an issue.” He spoke one eye blind while the other was as piercing blue as the ocean. “The queen, our princess, and the grand general are all stuck on eques. If that’s the case, we don’t know how the eques ponies will treat our royalty.” He turned to harvest the moon. “Am I the correct student of our princess?” She nodded.

“With all my attempts, there’s no magical way of reaching eques without some physical rune door. Most of you understand that rune gates work for those in the room with fewer investments," She Looked at the nourishment Officer Carb apple, who smiled at her, embarrassed. "They allow us to travel between two places by using rune doors, yet without a rune gate on eques, we are stuck, and so is the Queen. Hopefully, my bro-“ She cleared her throat. “The grand general should be able to produce such a gate and, from there, Assist us with some of our local issues." They looked to the elderly The water management officer.

"Yes, I feared this might happen, but our efforts of sending probes to Jupiter and Saturn's moons have been successful, and without the false queen’s wasteful decadence baths, the supply we have now will last us months, and with the army now returned we can concentrate on producing water." They let out a sigh of relief. "The food issue is still open. We don't want the black famine again." The older unicorns looked at the ground while younger ones cringed when a new mold infected and destroyed the crops. The death toll was in the millions. "We can't just dig food from the moons of Saturn or find grain from cores of asteroids! Our population just now have we regained pre-famine numbers!” The entire committee looked shocked as the nourishment officer had a little meltdown. “Sorry, just don’t want it to happen again.” The water management officer put a hoof on his shoulder.

Harvest Moon nodded. “We just have to trust the general.”

General threw an entire desk at the wall. “What do you mean you don’t have any ARCANE INK?!” After which, he lay on the floor.

Alecia gulped. “So, do you know any good places to drink?” Shining nodded

First day in Equestria

Alecia had a warm smile, not wearing her veil. "Mother has told me so much about Celestia. It will be nice to meet her.” Shadow Swipe nodded, tired as his armor weighed on him. “Dear, you should take that off.” He shakes his head, eyes filled with determination and grit. “I’m the grand general! I will stand proudly in Uniform.” Shining armor looked impressed at his professionalism. “If she orders you to remove it?” She teased, and he answered. “I will put on my ceremonial uniform.” Alecia frowned, rolling her eyes. “And you should put on your veil.” She scoffed. “Mom’s immune to it, and so should her older sister.”

Luna rode with Celestia on the chariot, having her sister back, and then she almost had a heart attack after looking into Alecia’s eyes. Thousand years was guilt repeated, before her husband but on her vail back. “Who are you?!” She demanded, powering her horn. Luna jumped between her, and Alecia felt a little guilty. “She’s your Niece, Celestia.” Alecia waved with a smile. “I apologize, ''Celestia stares. “How?” she asked and saw the armored unicorn wearing an updated lunar guard armor from nearly a millennia ago. “Is he one of the soldiers of the lunar rebellion?” Luna shook her head, and then a shadow swipe saluted and spoke. “Hail the true princess of the Lunar United domes!” Celestia was getting a headache. Luna looked to the general. “Rest, Shadow swipe and remove that armor.” He nodded and left. Celestia took a long breath. “How about breakfast?” Alicia smiled.

Celestia quickly made pancakes that were foreign to Alecia. “What are the colorful decorations?” She asked, poking the berries. “No, dear, those are berries,” Celestia said worriedly. “That’s a lot of malt sugar.” She said, cutting the pancake up and taking a bite. Her eyes turned massive, and then she started licking the plate. “Alecia, table manners.” Alecia giddily nodded. Easy to tell she was sugar high. “It’s nice she likes my cooking.” Cadence saw what was happening to Alecia and decided to take control. “How about we let you two be?” She led Alecia out of the dining room and, at that moment, flew out of the palace screaming. “The sky is beautiful!” She laughed, doing loops.

Shining armor walked next to Cadence with Shadow Swipe following him, who was eating a chocolate bar. “Wait, why are you, not Sugar High?” He swallowed, “Because we have malt sugar on the moon, Alecia was banned from eating sugar by the false queen.” They just watched the Alicorn of Justice giggling in the air. “I think it was because she was annoyed with her getting sugar high when she was a filly.” Cadence and shining armor just looked worried at her. “What do we do when she crashes?” As she jinxed it.

Shadow swipes eyes widened when she started failing. He teleported, caught her, and used himself as a cushion. “Argh.” Alecia groaned, rolling on her back. Shadow Swipe stood up and helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry if I caused an inconvenience.” Shadow Swipe chuckled. “Protecting you is never an inconvenience, my princess.” She smiled before Cadence came to them and noticed Shadow Swipes’ uniform was damaged.

She mended it with her magic and turned to cadence. “Are you two alright?” She stared at Shadow Swipe, who didn’t have a scrape on him. “We would like to see our rooms please.”

Luna rubbed her hooves. “So, how’s Equestria?” Celestia smiled. “Peaceful as ever! How about your kingdom? Tell me about it?” She was excited to hear about a nation on the moon.

“It’s peaceful, and I don’t know what the awake one looks like.” Celestia looked perplexed. “On the moon, the kingdom was split into the dream realm. It was a peaceful nation of hope and joy, but in the waking world, it was ruled by Nightmare Moon tyrannically with a concentrated effort on invading Equestria. I gave my ponies hope in the dream realm. They built their future. In the physical world, it was a never-ending grind for survival. Only in the last century did my ponies finally gain the ability to live without struggle.” Celestia looked with empathy. “I even got married and had a child in that realm, and it was a miracle that Alicia was born from a dream. She’s my little Miracle.” Celestia smiled, but she had to ask. “Why did I feel all my thousand years of guilt when I looked into her eyes?”

Luna cringed. “Yea, it’s her punishing gaze. She represents justice like her cutie mark.” Celestia remembered it being the sun and moon on a scale. “She has a hard time controlling it; people with guilt will experience their crime in an instant over and over until she looks away from you.” Celestia nodded and felt fear for the first time in a long while. “Wanna see her foal pictures?” Celestia was going to enjoy this as Luna pulled out her memories and turned them into images.

On the moon, the current head by rank looked over the paperwork. “The rock farmer union wants what?” She spoke in complete disgust.

The Union leader answered. “To raise our wages.” Harvest Moon gave him a silent glare as if challenging him to ask again. “I will leave.” He said, shaking in fear. Harvest Moon was many things, the daughter of the galloping Shadows clan, master of the dark arts, and student to Alecia the Just, current headmistress of Lunar Magus academy, but what she wasn’t was a head of state.

The door knocked, and she opened her horn. “Mistress of the night, I have some good news.” She let out a relieved sigh. “Your brother is alive.” The Watermelon red Unicorn jumped with full concentration at the runemaster. “From what we could find, it appears ponies of eques have stopped the usage of runes.” Harvest didn’t care; she wanted to know where her brother was. “His enhancements and protection runes activated, and it appears he fell from a great height.” He became confused and turned to worry, but not to her brother. “You don’t think—“ The runemaster interrupted.

“No, I don’t believe the queen nor the princess all fell out of the sky. The star readers said the princess is safe, but they’re more worried about a different path.” She raised a brow. “A being of chaos will return and reign until the stars defeat him.” Harvest Moon Nodded. “Is the canon still operational?” The runemaster nodded. “How about we use that if this chaos thing harms our princesses.” He gulped and nodded. “What else is there to worry about?” He took out his notes. “The food supply is still worrying, and the population is questioning why their dreams aren't taking place in Elysium anymore, and the rock farmer union is requesting increased wages.” Harvest Moon hit her head on the desk. “Have crab apples concentrate all water to the agri dome. Tell them that till the true princess returns to set up dream catchers and have Spectator walkers fix any possible nightmares and increase the wages by 10 percent so I have one less Issue.” He wrote it down and left. She rubbed her head as the feeling of a threat got closer; she turned around and jumped out of the path of the nightmare. “No, you won’t!”

She fired at the black mist. “Call the lunar guard and the War mages!” Multiple guards entered the unicorns firing on the growing nightmare while the rest took their rune-powered staffs to fire a dome of light around it. “Pray the princess returns soon.” The war mages teleported and took off their cloaks, their foreheads cold branded with runes. She bowed, and they did the same. “May the art of magic never leave you.” She continued. “May the eternal stars bless you. Now contain that thing and launch it into the void.” The two teleported into the office and started to battle The Nightmare.

Shadow Swipe took off his uniform, looking at the runes branded into his flesh. “You know that isn’t a sign of shame.” He still looked at it. “Maybe, but it’s unseemly here, isn’t it?” Alecia hugged him from the back. “You know I can punish them for hurting you, my Bubi bear.” He blushed at the nickname.

“Daughter, we have found one who could help you create the Arachne ink.” Luna interrupted a possible love-making session. “Did I interrupt anything?” She asked with a glint in her eye.

Alecia let go of her favorite stallion. “Celestia knows someone who can assist us in making contact with the moon.” Shadow Swipe let out a breath of relief. “Oh dear, have some trust in Harvest Moon.” Alicia berated him. “She’s your student, yet as her brother, I worry for her more than most.” Alicia pulled his check. “Come relax.”

Luna cleared her throat. “Yes, my daughter speaks the truth. You should put more trust in your sister.” He let out a sigh.

Meanwhile, on the moon

Harvest Moon and stood in a ritual room, with eight war mages keeping the weakened Nightmare contained in a flask. “If it were any other circumstances, I would love to study whatever you are. But.” The mages released lighting from their horns, causing an unbound measure of pain to the creature. “You corrupted our princess during her weakest hour and forced us into a millennia of pain and suffering. Now we will show you the treatment you gave us, and this room time moves at an accelerated point. An hour can feel like a day or a century." The war mages placed multiple crystals around the black mist. “Goodbye. Hope You’re no longer in existence once we return.” The door closed, and the mages heard the lighting erupt on the Nightmare.

“Wasn’t that relaxing?” Harvest Moon teleported back to her office.

The Deep moon.

Alecia greeted them with smiles and waves. “Your daughter seems to be taking this like second nature.” Luna smiled with pride, watching her daughter. However, many of the nobles feared her worse than Celestia or Luna because one accidentally took her gaze and ran out of the room. Most of them were visited in the night by a mare in Red, a snake-haired monster of a pony with bat wings and eyes to match. Being chased by her in a never-ending desert as she cackled, taking glee in hunting, only for Luna to appear and vanquish this beast of a nightmare. Yet, in reality.

“I am your end, and your crimes shall be paid with your life!” Luna mocked, and Alecia answered. “Oh yeah? What about, ‘I’m the guardian of the innocent, and you shall not continue your reign of terror!’ ” they both laughed at their tacky acting. “That Fury form you take is perfect for the role of punisher.” Alicia smiled. “Took me a while to get it just right.” they giggled at their little pranks while Celestia was snoring.

Mean the General was currently doing the night shift with the newly formed night guard. “So, are all ponies on the moon part bat?” The stallion asked, which the general let slide because he wanted to talk about his home. “Yea, it’s so common that most ponies on the moon would be surprised at ponies without fangs or stuffy ears. The eyes are a bit rarer there’s no pegasi in the domes.” The soldier looked surprised at that. “I don’t know why or how but I think the bat gene became more dominant over the millennia, The good thing is most moon ponies can eat insects.” The guard pony nodded. “Kinda wanna visit.” Shadow Swipe sighed. “So how did you get married to a princess?” Shadow swipe mind went to the past.

20 years ago in the Deep moon

He waited at the food line before an older pony ran him away. “Get out of the way, Galloping shadows, your clan is Pathetic.” Shadow Swipe glared at the older pony. “Don’t even dare.” He kicked the foal to the curve.

Shadow’s horn lit and in an instant, the older pony was turned to stone, some gasped but most didn’t care, these were all stocky built and their hooves were bleached with moon dust. “I presume he’s a criminal?” One of the ponies in pure white cloaks giving out bread nodded. “Can I have his rations?” The Pony in white gave him three Sattels. “Thank you, Inquisitor.”

Then a Pony in red armor creeped out of the nearby shadows and swung a malet to shatter the newly formed statue. Shadow Swipe continued back to his home, the deep moon was ancient with graffiti and runes written all over. Shadow entered a cave the walls cowered in Hoof prints, he placed his own two under those much larger ones. “Shadow!” A little melon-red pony with a silver mane. “I thought the blood Mon got you!” He smiled warmly at her as she opened the Sattels, finding fried roaches, mixed with bread and an apple. Excitement roared from her eyes presenting it to her older brother. “Look! It’s an apple!” Shadow Swipe nodded, taking it with his magic and slicing it for her enjoyment.

Harvest Moon teared up. “Harvest, what's wrong?” He asked worriedly. “It’s so sweet! I’m so happy.” He smiled and hugged the little filly.

Shadow Swipe walked through the deep moon, his dreams were always the same. Then he saw a filly the same age as him walking toward him with a scythe and then he stared into her eyes as razed her scythe. “I couldn’t imagine such a beautiful mare.” The nightmare pony lost focus and tripped. “Are you alright?” He stepped to her.

She jumped up, stepping away. “No! I’m here to punish you for killing a pony!” Shadow raised a brow at the notion. “I didn’t kill anyone.” She stood up turning into a shadowy mist form with white eyes. “View into my eyes and speak the truth!” He didn’t show any emotion looking into the eyes of the Alicorn of justice. Alecia grew frustrated. “I only turned him into stone, it was the inquisitor who shattered him. She sat down returning to her true form with eyes covered in a veil. “I apologize First Time on the Job.” Shadow gave an understanding smile.

Alecia looked at her surroundings, realizing it wasn’t anywhere in the Lunar Empire* “Where are we?” She looked around the carved doors, in a circle with a throne at the bottom without a single light possible to reach it. “The deep moon, the cradle of the moon ponies, now it’s the prison. Anyone who angers nightmare moon ends up here, including your descendants and their descendants. Like me.” She looked angered, her cutie mark glowed with the moon turning red while the Sun’s rays spread across her like fire. “This is unjust! You shouldn’t pay for the crimes of someone you don’t even know!” Shadow sighed, already having accepted his fate. “My family has been here since our attempted revolution almost eight hundred years ago. The minute war we were forced to dig deeper and deeper from the youngest colt to the oldest stallion, we built our prison.”

She teared up imagining such actions being done. “The Galloping Shadows! The clan formed from the army who revolted against nightmare moon!” Yelled at the ceiling with pride. “As punishment, we became the miners of the Lunar empire slaving away for centuries, the weak dying and the survivors becoming stronger and they protected the weak that came after. The strong rule and weak survived.” He spoke the words nostalgic but Alecia gasped, her jaws tightening in rage. “I promise, I will make this just!” She was pulled into a ball of darkness, Shadow swipe ran at her attempting to pull her away.

His eyes shot open, and the first thing he felt was his younger sister using him as a pillow. After breakfast, he went to work and Harvest was brought to Ore finding class. Shadow Swipe joined the other ponies in the mines, for once in his short life he had hope that things could be better.

He smiled. “We had the same goals.” The guard nodded, not certain what he meant, while Shadow Swipe hummed a tune walking to his room.

Ten years ago in the deep moon

An older Shadow swipe sang with the other ponies in the mine. “The deeper we go!” They continued hitting the Rocks. “The closer we are!” “The further we got” “closer we are!” “No matter how long!” “She will be there” They continued working until they filled up the carts. He went to the rations office, just to get attacked by his sister. “Hey bro, how’s the mining?” He shrugged, swiping away the sweat. “Not much work tough as always.” She nodded and then saw someone pushing in front. “Idiots.” She went bat pony who by guessing came only a few hours ago and was encased in ice by the unicorn. ”Being tough huh?” Shadow rustled his little sister's hair, before getting their rations.

The ponies all went to the only bar in the deep moon. Which was named Moon Shine after the owner, for drinks and show. The Piano played, and the drinks were poured. “I’m telling you we should think about going to the top!” Moon Pie said. “It’s time we took our place back!” Everyone else rolled their eyes at him, the head of the rock farmers had gained an ego by being the youngest and most successful in his duties.

Harvest Moon listened. “Please that would only happen if the queen herself came down and said we were forgiven of our crimes!” The entire bar erupted as only one didn’t laugh being shadow swipe. “Bro what’s wrong?” She asked as her brother was being too silent. “I’m just more optimistic, the newer idiots said there was a princess.” The others mumbled. Moon Pie jumped up, pointing at the Galloping Shadow member. “You see, the strongest of us believes it can be better!” He rolled his eyes at that.

Then the song started as the crystal piano played. A wholesome dressed mare entered the stage, her coat white as ivory and her main green as sea foam. “Life down here has been hard for you, life has made you strong.” The entire crowd went silent, seduced by her angelic voice. “Let me lift the moon for you.” The tempo changed and she danced. “It’s a tough life, it’s a hard life, let me be there for you.” They clapped. “Hey ponies, strong ponies let me be there for you. Don’t worry and have some fun with me!” She went behind the currents.

Shadow drank from Ale while his sister got the moss water. “I didn’t know there were pretty mares like her down here!” Moon Pie said a bit tipsy playfully hitting shadow. “Maybe you should introduce yourself.” Harvest giggled while they laughed.

The curtains retreated revealing two more mares, both white as Ivory as the first with pink manes dancing. While their older sister sang. “Hey ponies, drink your ale and sing a song!” She pulled her dress away revealing a blue one-piece and fishnet stockings. “Hey ponies, let’s have some fun tonight! Let me take away all the blues! Let us have some fun tonight! There’s No blues tonight!” They cheered the drunks singing along.

Then the ground shook and everyone ran out of the bar, after paying for the entertainment with gems. They saw the queen, and they all bowed except one. Shadow Swipe glared at the false queen, standing against her like a dam against a rushing flood, as fired her magic against he formed a shield blocking it until she stopped and he panted. Nightmare flew down and held him by the chin. “A physic perfect for soldiers.” She fired his petrification spell at her only for her to shatter out of it. “Truly worthy of my army.” He was teleported away.

He found himself in a ritual room and in an instant he was assaulted with hot irons branding him with runes.

An alicorn stepped out of Shadow Swipe biting the pain but his pain disappeared once he saw the eyes of the Alicorn's red eyes. “It is good to see you again.” He smirked and bowed. “How May I serve?”

He came to his room to find his wife asleep, her legs spread out. “Dear?” In a surprised expression of speed, she grabbed him and held him tight. “This is Fine.”

Author's Note

Nightmare Moon calls the moon nation the Lunar Empire and so do most of its citizens during her reign while they’re awake. On the other hoof In the dream realm, the moon nation is called the United Domes which will be explained why in the future.

Learning about the moon

Twilight POV

I woke up stretching, then went down. “Morning Spike, morning—.” I realized there was a scarred vampire pony sitting at my breakfast table wearing a purple office suit. “Aahhh—“In an instant, no sound escaped from my mouth as he presented me with a letter from Celestia and Luna.

“First calm down, second I’m Shadow Swipe grand general of United Domes and third no I’m not a vamp pony.” His horn went dormant. “He is nice, twilight! He gave me this rock candy!” I watched Spike devour some gemstones, then turned to the letter. “Dear Twilight I and Luna need your help, Mr Shadow needs assistance with magic long lost and he doesn’t want any of the nobles to learn of this project. Further details will be given by him. Your beloved teacher Celestia. P.S. Don’t get panicked at the scars.” I was a bit worried but any challenging magic was a plus! “Now Mr. Shadow swipe what is this secret project?” He looked grizzled with an aura of secrecy around him.

He pulled on his suit a bit revealing the scars. “RUNES?!” I gasped; it was like finding an archeological gold mine! “They were banned after the council of Night Spector! All books were destroyed, I recognize one from building ruins, may I make a few copies?” He nodded and Spike brought me a note pod. “How do you have something like this? I know you’re not some cultist if both princesses trust you.” For the first time he spoke, his voice was rough. “They were branded into me after I took my position.” He put his uniform on, I cringed at the idea of being branded. “I’m sorry it must have been painful.”

He nodded. “It’s common on the moon for certain ranks and positions to be marked with runes to enhance our abilities.” Then I stopped, that wasn’t right! There was no such thing as ponies on the moon. “Listen, you need to be serious or else I can’t help you.” He didn’t answer, only giving me a look that I had never seen disappointment. “If you’re from the moon, give me some evidence.” His horn lit and the entire room filled showing a domed city and the glass ceiling showing Eques. Around me, I saw the ponies like him all sharing similar traits like his ears and eyes, even bat ponies in suits walking outside the ceiling. “This is amazing! Why didn’t we know…” I turned to see a statue of Nightmare Night.

I took a defensive stance with Spike behind me only to feel My entire body be petrified. “Before you accuse me of being some follower of that heartless, evil, insane—“ He cleared his throat. “We were reigned by Nightmares Moon. So we were ordered to build monuments to her, even if none of us wanted to.” He let me go from petrification. “Where did you learn that spell?” I panted having never heard of a spell like that. “Even my heart was turned to stone yet my mind was still active!” He looked apologetic. “Sorry, Twilight Sparkle for turning you to stone and It’s a clan spell. So no, I won't teach you.” I understood that unicorn clans with special spells are always protective as if they were treasures.

On the moon in the agri dome

Crab Apple looked over the failing crops. “What is the issue?” The high inquisitor asked, wearing a black robe, his coat dark blue.

Crab apple had a simple answer. “Low Nitrogen. The mines ran out and the amount of fertilizer can’t match the need.” The Inquisitor was tearing up. “We just need to ration, but unless we don’t find a solution we will be hungrier and hungrier with each new generation.” The inquisitor showed no emotions, his eyes simply showed nothing but desperation. “What if we can’t ration it?” Crab apple chaw clenched. “Please answer me.” The inquisitor requested, and Crab Apple let out his answer.

“Famine.”

He looked at the sky with a somber expression. “What’s wrong?” I asked as we walked to Rarity. “I miss seeing eques.” I was surprised. “What do you mean you’re on eques.” He explained. “It’s not what you think, Twilight Sparkle, it’s seeing a blue marble above you, every day questioning your existence.” Now my curiosity was awakened. “What does the sun look like on the moon?” He shrugged. “Boring, no pretty sun sets or rises and no rainbows. It’s a massive white ball, it’s nothing special on the moon.” I couldn’t believe it but it made sense someone from the moon would have such opinions. “Why are we going to your friend, Twilight Sparkle?” I sighed. “Twilight is fine. You said you needed gems right?” He nodded his eyes scanning the area if he was prepared for an attack. “My friend Rarity has a large collection of gems and she would gladly help you,” I explained.

His Face kept the stoic streak as we entered the boutique Rarity greeted us. “Ah welcome and—“ She gulped once she saw the rough moon pony. “Twilight, who is this gentle stallion?” She asked looking over the royal purple uniform. “Who designed this? I mean the color is exquisite!” She felt the fabric. I panicked but Shadow seemed to not care. “This material is nothing I felt before! It’s soft, yet tight and stretchy! Oh, you have to tell me where you got this!” She stepped back. “Apologies I’m a rarity and you would be?” She was making flirtatious looks at him. “Grand General Shadow Swipe, I need assistance in acquiring gems to be exact Zircon.” She hummed and rushed to her supply and brought her zircons. “Here you go, darling.” She smiled as his horn lit, producing an orb of purple light. “Oh, what’s that?”

I asked, realizing that it showed things that wouldn’t be seen like a few stains. “It’s an orb of ultraviolet light that makes the process much easier.” I was a bit confused til I realized some of the zircons were glowing while others weren’t. “The more magic stored, the brighter. Now we need a mirror and a candle.” I got the mirror and Rarity brought the candle. He placed multiple gemstones into the candle.

He offered said candle. “Twilight could you hold this?” I did as asked. “Now stand in front of the mirror.” He lit the candle. “Now repeat harvest moon three times.” I chuckled; it sounded like a filly game at slumber parties. “This is Serious Twilight, now repeat it.” My throat cleared. “Harvest moon.” I started feeling cold. “Harvest moon.” I started hearing writing and someone else’s thoughts about the forge dome needing more resources. “Ok, this is weird.” All odd side effects. “Twilight please no harm will come to you, it will be really helpful to me.” I sighed Celestia trusts him, so I should do the same, I looked into the mirror. Ok, Harvest moon, Harvest moon, Harvest moon.” I blinked and then I noticed I wasn’t in the same place and then I saw a mirror on the desk. “What in Celestia’s name?” I was a melon red unicorn with silver hair but my eyes were the same. “That must have been advanced body—.” I stopped speaking, once I saw the blue orb easily and saw from this office, it was awe-inspiring being so small and so insignificant at the same time. Did the ponies on the moon feel the same? I looked around after I collected my thoughts. “If I’m here, who in my body?” The door kicked open. “It is I the great and powerful Grand Inquisitor Trixie!” Oh no.

At Sugarcube Corner, a purple unicorn now with green eyes was devouring multiple cupcakes and pies. “If I understood correctly you swapped Twilight's mind with your sister’s?” Rarity just watched as her friend ate an entire cake, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Wowza I hope Twilight is having fun whoever she is right now.” Pinkie brought the apple juice and Harvest Moon drank it in a single gulp. “I apologize for my behavior to the utmost degree, it’s just that there is no sugar or cakes, or cookies, or chocolate where I come from.” Pinkie Pie just stared and hugged her. “I’m so sorry! That sounds like the saddest place in the world.” Harvest Moon looked uncomfortable. “Pinkie dear you’re scaring her.” Pinkie jumped back giving an apologetic smile and went back to work.

Harvest Moon smiled. “No worries now dear brother, why haven’t you made a rune door here?” He looked annoyed at her sweet smile but even the two who didn’t know her knew that smile was holding in a lot of rage and fury. “Harvest, my beloved sister, the ponies in Equestria have lost the knowledge to create runes. That's why I need the recipe for Arcane ink.” Her left eye twitched, as she stood up and took a long breath. “You know how annoying it is to create arcane Ink? It’s one the greatest creations of magic and where are you going to find someone of pure heart?” Rarity thought for a moment only one pony came to mind.

I was being interrogated by two unicorns, one wearing a witch hat, robes with a light blue coat, and a white mane. Second Unicorn’s coat was ashen-gray and her main was a light pink, she wore robes, had brands on her forehead just under her horn, and wore multiple rings on it as well. It seemed I was stuck on the chair, I was optimistic! It was once in a lifetime of learning about magic that deviated a thousand years from Equestria! “What is your name intruder?” Asked the gray unicorn. “Twilight sparkle.” Both looked surprised at me. “As in clan sparkle? The clan of dark sorcerers?” I looked shocked I didn’t know anyone in my family practicing dark magic. “No, none in my family practice the dark arts.” They looked impressed as the gray unicorn eyes changed color, she took a scanning look over me. “Yea, none. She’s not the grand admin and she doesn’t have a drop of darkness.” The blue unicorn looked annoyed. “Then who sent you here?” She got close enough that I could feel her breath.

“Shadow swipe.”

Both went silent, a change in their eyes appeared, panic. “Well then we Apologize for our um overreactions miss. I will have you brought to your family home and maybe a tour of the citadel?” The gray unicorn removed the charms placed on me. “Are you daft Ash bright?! She is still in the body of our high admin’s body! Trixie will return her to her office and keep Twilight Sparkle there until the High admin's conciseness returns.” Ash bright sank into her own shadow, shocking me as the shadow sped out of the room.

“Sorry, sorry! Please stop, we have enough and I’m sorry.” Harvest Moon said to Fluttershy, feeling completely guilty for making her cry, even if she didn’t mean it. “But you said that you never saw animals and that’s just sad.” She started crying again and Shadow Swipe had a bucket full already. Rarity was thinking about a solution. “You can bring a few birds to the moon, the agri dome would appreciate it.” Fluttershy smiled at the proposal, whipping her tears. “Really?” Harvest Moon nodded with a smile. “O-ok but is this agri dome safe?” Harvest placed her on Fluttershy’s head and showed the images of the agri done. “Oh, that does look like a nice place for birds and a few bees too.” He nodded and they left the cottage.

Harvest reviewed her mental list. “Throw a zircon in there.” Rarity removed a diamond from the candle and Harvest blasted it with a spell causing the liquid inside to change color. She looked satisfied with her work. “Now we need, the screams of joy.” Rarity blushed and Harvest continued. “Not that kind. More being accepted into a special school or finding you won a lottery.” Shadow Swipe nodded. “Why does she have a Librarian's haircut? I mean seriously!” Her brother answered. “She lives in a library.” Harvest Moon groaned. “Oh did mention Alecia expecting.” She took a long breath.

I heard a long buzzing noise “Do you hear that?” Trixie shrugged. “What is an Inquisitor?” The great and powerful Trixie gasped. “We’re the guardians of the domes! We secure peace and make sure suffering will never spread! Healers, punishers, and judges!” I nodded but I wanted to get a less theatrical answer. “How did it start?” I said my best to not show annoyance.

She looked annoyed but answered. “Yes. Eight hundred and four years ago, Nightmare Moon created the Inquisition to root out anyone opposed to her. However, we were completely loyal to the beautiful, powerful, great, and perfect princess Luna!” Yep, same with Celestia in Equestria. “In Elysium the dream kingdom we found and imprisoned those who attempted to spoil paradise, the only place where we felt peace and joy. The Inquisition's main duty became securing Elysium, many came to Luna asking for help and the Inquisition did so, yet those who wanted to abuse their knowledge of Elysium for power were sent to the deep moon where the power of Luna didn’t reach her.” She looked soberly at what was a badge of a Galloping unicorn. “For our order to exist, the entire Galloping Shadows clan rebelled against nightmare moon, a hundred and four fought because they wanted to be Elysium real. Even under torture none of them told nightmare moon of our refuge.“ I stared at an entire kingdom in a dream, it sounded amazing.

Then my mind went to what they had said about sparkles on the moon. “You said that there is a clan of sparkles on the moon?” Trixie gulped, her eyes widened.

Harvest Moon was hitting her older brother with a newspaper. “Stupid! Why do you have to be a jerk?!” He smirked as she continued hitting him even though it didn’t have any effect. “I don’t want to interrupt whatever this is, but the buckets are really heavy now.” She poked to find it was gelatinous. “Oh good, now we need someone to compress it, or just beat it til it’s liquid again.” They went to sweet apple acres and asked if they had a butter churner. “Why did you assume we had a butter churner?” Granny brought out the butter churner. Applejack looked confused about where it came from. “It was ya mother’s, if ya friends need 'em, just don’t break it ya hear?!” After Rarity explained what was happening.

She nodded. “So you’re not mah friend? She’s having a vacation on the moon!? You’re the general of the military on the moon and ya need to make ink to travel to the moon why?” Harvest She whispered into her ear. “Wow, ok I will help Ya!” After churning the ink for an hour it took on a sickly red color. “We need a drop of fluid from an athlete.” Harvest Moon said, causing everyone except shadow swipe to look at her suspiciously. “Just a drop. Even a spit is enough.” Applejack ran to Fluttershy, so she could find Rainbow Dash.

Trixie sat silent for an entire hour. “Um, Trixie?” She screamed. “Sorry, Trixie was just having a Flashback when Trixie was in magic kindergarten, using the levitation charm so Trixie wouldn’t get crushed under a rock.” Ok, that's worse than my experience in magic kindergarten. “Yea, being born a unicorn is like being born to serve. Glory to nightmare and that.” She opened a drawer to find some liquor and took a gulp, she looked sad. “But every unicorn born is trained by sparkles. The most brutal training in all of the world. Levitating holders over your head while studying, electrocution if you don’t finish before the lock is done, meditation with a magically animated creature that would attack you if you lost your concentration!” She was shaking and panting.

I was just shocked and one question was stuck in my head. “Why?” She turned to me, gulping another glass. “Because the domes run on magic and hard work. Even the bat ponies have to be masters of maneuvering through caves and asteroids while earth ponies are farming and mining. We had so little leisure time it used to be common for some to just fall over out of being tired. Now it’s better, some things are automated but only thanks to magic and science.” I stared, the unicorns on the moon were the opposite of those on Canterlot. I felt awkward because we needed to change the subject matter. “So how does this spell work?” Trixie looked glad to change the topic. “The spell runs on two rules. One is that the two who will swap do not know each other, the subjects have to be of the same age, gender, species, same body type, and have a similar amount of power. Finally, a mirror luckily the walls of this room are surrounded by mirrors. The spell exists as a tool for spying, it ends once one of the two falls asleep.” I guess it makes sense for a dictatorial nation to have such a spell.

“Why did I agree to this?” Shadow asked as they prepared for a hoof wrestling match. “Because no one calls you a pencil pusher and gets away with it!” He wanted to get this done and try at having some private time with his special mare friend. “Ready to lose, pencil pusher?” He sighed, placing his hoof on the table. She then pushed his hoof but it didn’t budge, his hoof was bleached white after years of mining through the caverns of the moon.

He sighed “Oh, wow you’re really strong.” He said sarcastically as rainbow dash did her best. “I’m from a mining family, I did this professionally during my breaks you won’t win.” Dash only got a nudge before he figuratively crushed her hoof into the table, but the table split in half. “Done, now what’s next?” He looked at Twilight Moon. “That’s all, no you just need a door.” He sighed with relief. “And write five hundred characters perfectly.” Shadow Swipe wanted to scream. “I wrote the blueprints, it should take you about a year.” Shadow Swipe glared, holding back all his rage.

Rainbow Dash stood back up. “What’s so important? I mean why do you need a door.” Shadow swipe answered. “Would like to meet the fastest Bat ponies in the world, who maneuver boulders for training?” Dash’s Brain: That’s awesome! “Yea!” He sighed. “Then I need to open a portal to my home country. I better return to Canterlot and speaking of return.” He hit Twilight's body with a sleeping charm and in an instant Twilight was back in her body and Harvest Moon had Heard news of possible famine.

Magic is knowledge, painful, and hard.

Harvest Moon was in no better words terrified. “Ok, take a breath, he’s the high magus. Master of science and lord of knowledge he will be nice.” She slowly opened the door to find the high Magus. To say he was intimidating would not be enough, the pony had multiple if not tens of tubes connected or simply fused to the back of his skull, There was only one tub that seemed to feed him and his eyes were eight different cameras. Worst of all his hoofs were replaced with claws and his bottom legs were tracks.

He drove close to Harvest Moon, close to her face, his breathing loud and heavy. “Hello, um I’m Harvest Moon the current high admin and I seek your advice.” He simply breathed After a closer look Harvest Moon had a revelation that this pony had sold his body for his current state. He didn’t have bones left, his organs floated in jars connected to his body only in a superficial way. “I need to know if you know a method to enrich the soil in the gardens?”

He stopped breathing, Harvest Moon panicked till the robotic voice spoke. “processing…
Your request is being processed…
Answer: all methods would lead to the death of hundreds.”

She gulped his voice unnaturally, but nothing on the moon was natural. “Is there a method where no one has to die?” His eyes turned red, she almost panicked again.

“processing…
Data searching…
Simulations run…
Analyzing…
Answer: Yes, would need the creation of a hibernation spell, placing multiple ponies in said hibernation would allow us to save the quantity of food if more fruitful time arrives.

Harvest let out a sigh of relief. “How long would it take us to create such a spell?”

“ processing…
Data searching…
Simulations run…
Analyzing…
Answer: A year”

Harvest gulped. “How long till we expect a famine?”

He answered quickly, predicting her question “Answer: six months.”

Harvest sighed. “Brother please get that stupid rune gate working. What if- ”

“All resource-saving methods would only extend your food supply by a few months.” Harvest sighed.

“What if we get all the Mages, and even the Inquisition into this hibernation project, even you.”

He laughed, in fact for a few minutes, Harvest felt creeped out by the laughter. “Finally some bucking stones! Estimates with my involvement, Seven months.”

Harvest Moon smiled. “Make it five, high Magus Mathias sparkle.” He chuckled as desks and multiple bookcases rose from the floor, his horn lit and they floated toward him.

Shining armor simply stared as the earth pony Solar guard was beaten again and again by the Lunar pony. “Your technique is too flashy, gives too many openings, and who doesn’t bite in a fight? gold is not good for armor.” One of them stood and rushed toward Shadow swipe stepped and kicked him into the wall.

“Fine, the Bat pony next.” Shadow swipe asked for stretching.

Shining looked a bit confused. “There’s one but he’s on leave—.”

He chuckled at the mistake “Oh right Pegasus, they are rarer on the moon, never fought one but similar principles. Throw him at me.” The pegasus stood up. “First Time fighting Pegasi.” He smirked and flew above the shadow swipe, attempting to rush him. “Doesn’t mean I can’t smell rookies.” They crashed to the floor. “Moonwalking spell, it adds weight to the target, the addition is about a hundred pounds. On the moon, without this spell, everyone lives on a massive trampoline. Now the unicorn, I will make this easy with no magic from me.”

The unicorn guard started simply laser spells which shadow swipe dodged, closing the line between him and the guard. He created a shield and Shadow swipe stabbed it with his horn and shattered it before punching the unicorn to the floor.

“What did you learn?” He asked the rookie. “Never underestimate a new enemy!” He yelled, causing them all to straighten. “wide steppe, you scoffed when I said it would be a hoof-to-hoof fight, what did you do?”

He gulped. “I left myself open and got tripped.”

He continued to the Pegasus. “Valiant strike, I told you that I have never fought a pegasus before. What did you do?”

“I attempted to get to the high ground and rushed in too quickly.”

“Now, to the only one who treated it like I was trying to kill him, private, tranquil aegis. What you did wrong was that you flinched and created a shield spell.” The unicorn gulped as a shadow swipe glared down on him. “The closer the opponent the more your spells have, you should continue to cast until you hit me. Dismissed”

Shining armor stepped next to Shadow Swipe. “You’re Dismissed for the day, and take what our guest has told you.”

They left the training room. “Are you this hard on the moon?” He asked as they walked out of the training room.

“Yes, our rookies fight revived skeletons of criminals.” Shining eyes widened. “Oddly, all necromancers are usually earth ponies, which makes their job easy I guess.”

“How?”

“I think it’s because after burying they’re infused with magic, my sister says earth pony necromancy is—“

“No, I mean how are you comfortable with undead working your fields?” Shadow swipe shrugged.

“We have to do what we have to do. I wanted to ask when was the last famine Equestria experienced?”

Shining scratched his head. “I Don’t Know, maybe five hundred years ago?”

Shadow swipe raised a brow. “Our last was six decades ago, it was called the Black Famine because of a dark mold destroying the grain supply. Now we are facing population growth combined with low crop yields so don’t question what we're forced to do shining armor.” He stood up and left the table. “I need to work on the Rune gate.”

Luna and Alicia were in the palace laboratory wearing lab robes and Protective goggles. “Pull the lever, Mom!” Luna did so the floor opened up to the trash shoot Alicia fell. “Whyyyyyyyy” Splash. She teleported back to the laboratory. “Does this place have a trap door?” She demanded.

“It used to be a dungeon by our sister’s account and they threw bodies down there,” Luna explained. “Wait, why didn’t you just fly?”

“I panicked and I’m not used to Eques gravity. I didn’t get the weight runes Shadow swipe got.” Luna nodded and pulled the other lever that activated the Rune gate.

“Huh, it’s working, with Harvest Moon’s horrible horn writing we were expecting—“ Tentacles and skeleton dogs came out. “That.” He turned the gate off and cut the tentacles off.

The skeleton wolves growled at Alicia and pounced at her, only for Luna to vaporize them. “Thanks, Mommy.” She said shaking and terrified, hugging her.

Celestia came down to see the destruction. “I assume everything is not going so well?”

“Sadly it seems our daughter’s student’s horn writing is horrible.”

Celestia giggled. “Remember Starswirl's horn writing?”

Luna had a flashback of burning his notes. “They were a completely different language, we hated that he wrote the books we had to study.” Celestia snorted, holding back the laughter.

“Now dear sister and niece let me try.” She looked at the Rune gate made up of hundreds of hexagonal stone rods with runes carved into them. “Ok, if we arrange it like this and remove this, rotate this by a few degrees.” She smiled and both looked at the now reformulated gate and pulled the lever only for it to start sucking everything in the air. “Aaaahhhh!” Luckily the lever got pulled by the portal sucking.

They all painted. “Why is this so hard?!” Luna demanded. “We had multiple Runegates and doors all functioned perfectly!”

Alicia sighed. “Because we had over two hundred ponies specially trained to calibrate and work those gates, Mother, not to mention Harvest only went to a workshop on Runes gates and doors.” Celestia just looked confused.

“What’s the difference?” Celestia questioned.

Alicia looked. “Rune Gates Are Made From Stone and is what we have here.” She pointed to the now offline Runegate. “A Rune door is one solid frame with runes carved into them, they also have a door that closes and opens which turns the gateway off.”

Celestia was shocked. “Wait, you had hundreds of ponies to maintain these?”

Luna rebuffed. “How many ponies does it take to maintain an airship or a train station?”

Celestia thought about it. “Makes sense, wait why isn’t Shadow Swipe doing this?”

flashback

Alicia came to the laboratory to find the gate open. “Dear? Honey bunny bear?” Shadow swipe came back breathing heavily covered in green blood. “I assume you have had a hard day?” He nodded slowly, lying down. “Want me to try fixing it?” He nodded. “How about you have a nice bath and let’s turn this off.” She pulled the lever and it went offline.

Shadow swipe stood up and left. “Mom wanna work on a project?” Luna teleported.

“Sure, dear, anything to spend time with our only daughter.”

End of a flashback

“He got set on fire and covered in slime. He needed a break before we jump into bed.” Celestia blushed and Luna was confused. “Well, I’m going to bed.” She left.

“Makes sense Alicia kicked a lot when we carried her. We assume she also kicks in her sleep.”

Celestia burst out laughing. “Shouldn’t you be raising the moon right about?”

“Buck! Buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck buck!!!” She teleported out.

Celestia had a realization. “Wait I would be a great aunt… I can’t let them have a foal!” She tried to interrupt only to find over a hundred ward placed by an Alicorn. “Please I don’t want to be called great auntie!”

Next morning Alicia looked fully energized while Shadow swipe appeared to be at the gates Elysium. “You two should have foals, it’s been five years already.” Celestia just glared at her sisters smirk. “We heard what you said.” She whispered. “And We are going to spoil our grand foals worse than that blue blood colt.” She left and Celestia laid her head on the table defeated.