One day on the moon…

It was almost time. Freedom was near. The stars were aligning, and the day was close.

Then— CRACK!

A bolt of lightning shattered the silence like a hoof snapping a twig.

Nightmare Moon flinched. Even after a thousand years of solitude, she still wasn't used to sudden noises. But wait—lightning? On the moon? That didn’t add up.

Her slitted eyes narrowed as she spread her wings. "WHO DARES DISTURB NIGHTMARE MOON?!" she bellowed, her voice echoing into the void.

Silence. Not a single peep.

"SHOW YOURSELF, AND I MAY SPARE YOU!" she commanded.

Then she saw it. Something unusual. Something that had never been there before.

A large, metal container sat in the dust, aged with rust and strange markings. A red gem embedded in its lid gleamed under the eerie lunar glow. Nightmare Moon had spent a millennium on this forsaken rock, and she knew every crater, every ridge. She would have noticed this before…

Wouldn’t she?

Purple lightning crackled around the container. A sinister energy pulsed from within. The alicorn hesitated. She had no way of knowing what lay inside, but… curiosity won.

Her magic flared, gripping the lid.

She pried it open.

A gust of energy burst forth, and four figures tumbled out onto the lunar surface. One looked like a dog. Two resembled monkeys. The last one—hulking, golden-armored, and winged—seemed more menacing than the others.

"ALRIGHT WE'RE OUT!" One of the monkey like creatures yelled in joy. This one was blue in a weird combo of knight armor and engineering gear. "RITA! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WE'RE FREE!" He yelled into the container then came out another bipedal creature this one in a weird dress and it had a staff resembling a cresent moon with a red gem in the center.

Another figure climbed out, stretching and yawning. She wore a long, elaborate dress, and her gnarled staff bore a crescent moon with a red gemstone at its center.

"Ahhh!" she sighed.

"Uh-oh! Morning breath! Let me get some air!" the blue creature babbled, covering his nose.

"Oh it's good to be free after ten thousand years." said the dog like creature. Ten thousand years? Nightmare Moon’s ears flicked forward. Were these creatures older than her?

"Here, your evilness, let me help you! Walk with me, talk with me!" sang the second monkey-like creature, who bore a passing resemblance to a spider.

"Ugh, you made me step in a puddle, you nitwit!" Rita snapped, shoving him aside before turning and pointing her staff at the container. With a blast of magic, she obliterated it into nothing but dust and loose parts.

"WE HAVE COMPANY, YOUR HIGHNESS!" the golden-armored figure suddenly shouted, snapping to attention.

"Perfect! Stand back—I’ll handle this!" Rita smirked, striding forward.

Nightmare Moon scowled. "WHO ARE YOU, FOOLS?!" she demanded, her ethereal mane swirling with rage. These creatures were not what she had expected.

The woman scoffed. "I am Rita Repulsa, the greatest sorceress in the universe!"

Nightmare Moon laughed, her fangs gleaming. "HA! I AM NIGHTMARE MOON! PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT AND SOON THE SOLE RULER OF EQUESTRIA!"

"MY QUEEN! SHALL I DEAL WITH THIS CREATURE?!" bellowed the golden figure.

"No! I can handle this myself, Goldar!" Rita snapped, waving him off. She smirked at Nightmare Moon. "You clearly don’t know who you’re dealing with."

She turned to the dog-like creature, who had placed small clay figures on the ground. With a flick of her staff, she fired a bolt of magic. The clay trembled… then began to shift.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened.

The figures twisted and grew into humanoid beings—gray-skinned with black stripes and glowing red eyes. They twitched and moved erratically, babbling in gibberish.

"What in my sister’s name…?" Nightmare Moon muttered in shock. "What are these things?"

"My Putty Patrollers!" Rita declared proudly. "Loyal soldiers—if somewhat dimwitted." She rolled her eyes. "But, well, that’s what happens when you make minions out of rock."

Nightmare Moon shook off her shock, refocusing her rage. "That still does not explain why YOU WERE ON MY MOON!" she snarled.

"Your moon?" Rita snorted. "HAH! I’ve been trapped here for TEN THOUSAND YEARS, and I’ve been alive even longer! The moon is just a rock!"

Nightmare Moon’s pupils shrank. "JUST A ROCK?!" she roared. "I CREATED THE NIGHT SKY! I SPENT CENTURIES PERFECTING MY STARS! AND YOU DARE CALL MY CROWNED ACHIEVEMENT—‘JUST A ROCK’?!"

Rita held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I yield! It’s your moon." She smirked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. "But trust me, I know what it’s like to be locked away for far, far too long."

Nightmare Moon hesitated. As much as she despised this creature, she couldn’t deny the truth in her words.

"Then tell me," she said, her tone lowering. "Why were you imprisoned here?"

Rita grinned. "Oh, I tried to conquer a planet called Eltar. Started a war. That miserable Zordon sealed me in that space dumpster and flung me into space." Her grin widened. "But I got the last laugh—I trapped him in a time warp!"

Nightmare Moon listened, intrigued.

"I don’t usually do team-ups," Rita continued. "But you? You’ve got power. Real power." She extended a hand. "Join forces with me, and together, we can conquer this world."

Nightmare Moon considered her offer.

Then, a wicked smile spread across her face.

"Agreed," she said. "Not only will Equestria be ours, but all of Equus shall bow before us!"

Rita threw back her head and laughed. "HAH! YES, YES! IT’S PERFECT! WHATEVER LITTLE BRATS LIVE DOWN THERE WON’T STAND A CHANCE!"

"Indeed," Nightmare Moon purred, her eyes gleaming with malice. "No force in this world can stop us now."

Together, they turned toward the planet below—the world that would soon be theirs.

And in perfect, villainous harmony, they laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Author's Note

"AHHH! AFTER TEN THOUSAND YEARS I'M FREE! IT'S TIME TO CONQUER EQUESTRIA!!"
Sorry I had to.

I am pretty new to mlp and everything so I may not get everything right so if I mess up the characters please don't get mad but anyways I hope you enjoy the story!

Hello everyone, so I originally started this back in 2023, but life (and school) got in the way for a while. Now I’m finally back and have rewritten the first chapter a bit. Excited to continue!