October 10, 2010, is a date that will live in infamy. Not because man walked on the moon, or swords turned to plowshares, but because a revolutionary children’s cartoon aired its series premiere: “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” It, like many cartoons of its era, left a footprint on an entire generation of children, arguably for the better. The show teaches valuable lessons about individuality, kindness, empathy, and most of all, friendship; which is the core theme of the show. Its premiere set the foundation for one of the greatest animated shows of the early 21st century.
Now, what is quite interesting is that according to the Many Worlds interpretation of multiverse theory, whenever a person makes a decision, a universe exists where that decision doesn’t happen. Alternatively, a slightly different outcome of that decision takes place in a parallel universe. For example, if someone decides to eat two pieces of toast for breakfast, then there must be a parallel universe where only one piece of toast is eaten by the person in question; or there’s even a universe where the person had Cheerios instead of toast! The possibilities are quite literally endless!
If you take this theory to its logical conclusion, something quite extraordinary happens. If a person comes up with an idea for a television show, whether live-action or animated, then it would be fair to assume a reality where that franchise is the universe exists. So, by Lauren Faust creating the Fourth Generation of MLP, in her unique style with witty writing, detailed lore, and clever characters, there just might be a universe of magical ponies. What would happen, if by creating a universe with characters that have godlike abilities, you accidentally allow a being that a human created, in a world of fiction, to enter his or her own reality? This is a story of what happens next.
It was a very cold winter day in White Plains, New York in Feburary of 2011. The My Little Pony TV show had already premiered, as well as a few episodes of the show’s first season. Many school-aged children in White Plains, as well as the rest of America and the world, have already been introduced to the show’s characters and morals. Among these children was a six-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome named Noah. Noah was a very kind, but introverted kid. His blue eyes were often looking inward, thinking about various topics, and his brown tousled hair was usually well-combed. At the advice of his autism therapist, he began watching MLP, as she told Noah that the show’s values of friendship could help him integrate better with his neurotypical peers.
Naturally, a six-year-old boy does not want to watch a show about ponies. He’d rather play on his Nintendo Wii, or read a book. However, his parents were adamant that Noah follow the advice of his autism specialist, and give My Little Pony the old college try.
“I don’t want to watch a show about girly ponies, mom,” Noah complained, as the season 1 DVD was queued up in his family home. A yellow porcelain bowl of washed green grapes sat next to the 1st grader on his plush, brown leather sofa. Noah was more focused on his favorite fresh fruit than the “girly” TV show he was told to give a chance. Noah’s mother sighed and explained to Noah: “Dr. Morningside said you need to learn how to talk to kids your own age. She told me that the main character of this show is a unicorn a lot like you, Noah. She is so, so smart, but doesn’t like friends.”
Noah wasn’t paying attention to his mother’s counsel and was really annoyed that he was being forced to watch this show. Nevertheless, he had enough intelligence to realize that resisting his mother’s sincere guidance would probably be self-inflicted damage, and he suggested a compromise.
“Mom, here’s my deal. I watch the two-part premiere, and if I don’t like it, you don’t have to make me watch a girly show again.” Noah proposed, trying to be the smart-alec that he is. While he was noshing on his green grapes, Noah’s mother reflected sincerely on Noah’s proposal. She smiled and said “Done. Two episodes. Just under 45 minutes. We have a deal, young man.” Mother and son shook on it, and using the universal remote, she pressed “play” on the DVD. It began to play, changing everything for young Noah for the rest of his life:
“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land.”
Noah sat on the sofa, enthralled, by the two-episode premiere. He didn’t say a word. He loves everything about it, from the characters to the cuteness, to the lessons about friendship. However, out of all of the aspects of the two-part premiere that Noah loved the most, he felt a deep, raw connection to the younger of the two alicorn sisters, that being Princess Luna. Even though he is the older sibling, and has a younger sister, he feels that he is living in the shadow of his neurotypical sister, because of his many deficits in social life. His sister has friends, after all.
Every single aspect of Luna resonated deeply with Noah, from feeling neglect, ostracization, and even lashing out because of the desire to feel loved. Being sent away for being different, even if not for a thousand years, is something that Noah felt deeply in his very being. Luna’s “evil” alter ego Nightmare Moon, in particular, was something that Noah could relate to immensely. He didn’t see her as evil, just extremely lonely and in need of affection, that other ponies in the show didn’t give her. “Nightmare Moon is so cool. I wish I could be her friend.” Noah said to himself, as the DVD player finished the two-part premiere. Little did Noah know how true his wish would come, literally hours later.
The nighttime in White Plains during the winter is extremely cold and bitter. Even with the warmest and coziest blankets, pillows, and bedsheets, it is still possible to feel the frostiness in your fingers and toes. It’s not enough to get frostbite, but it’s a painful cold temperature. That night happened to have a full, visible moon in a cloudless sky. Having just watched the first two episodes of MLP: FiM, Noah knew that Luna was trapped on the moon for one thousand years. He looked out his window, seeing the full moon rise proudly above the horizon. He knew that Luna wasn’t there, but he felt a sense of immense calm and serenity looking at the moonlight that night.
“Welp. I had a boring Sunday. Maybe I’ll have a better day at school tomorrow. 1st grade has its fun, sometimes.” Noah thought to himself, as he chittered his teeth from the immense cold that February night. He rolled over onto his left side, and tried to calm his very active mind, to fall asleep. He usually falls asleep quickly, in under fifteen minutes.
As Noah was trying to fall asleep, in a reality far detached from Earth, a very familiar alicorn deity of the nighttime sensed an immense pain in her very being. She felt a sense of loneliness and despair in someone, very similar to her own pain from the past. She might have been an “evil” alicorn sometimes, but one Nightmare Moon had a heart of gold for the downtrodden and less fortunate. Nightmare wanted to gain as much information about the source of this despair as she could, and if there was anything she might have been able to assist with.
“This is truly terrible. We must determine who is in such sorrow, and if We can aid this being.” Nightmare Moon thought to herself. Taking a very deep breath, she ignited her obsidian purple horn and cast a spell to geolocate the origin of the sadness. What pony in Equestria could be in such pain? After a few seconds of buffering, the thaumic resonance connected to an atypical source. It showed a human child’s bedroom. Nightmare peered closely at the human boy trying to fall asleep, and saw his immense loneliness and pain. Realizing the unique situation, Nightmare reflected to herself if there was anything she could do to intervene.
“By the Constellations. It’s a child of Man! We have not encountered one in many thousands of years.” Nightmare exclaimed. She continued to weave her spell, peering further into this child’s mind. She quickly learned everything she needed to know about the young Noah. She saw his Asperger’s, his raw untapped intelligence. His social deficits, his fear of living in the shadow of his younger neurotypical sister, his own self-esteem collapsing on itself.
“No creature should feel this pain in their youth. We will travel across the realities and planes to comfort Our young friend here. He needs…a patron god.” With that, the goddess of the night decided to take matters into her own hooves. She spread her wings and cantered over to her citadel’s window. With a running start, she launched herself into the air and cast a spell to open a quantum tunnel to White Plains, New York.
“Young Noah will finally feel love and affection. It is our destiny and calling to aid him.” Nightmare exclaimed, entering the quantum tunnel. With a loud pop, the tunnel closed, sending Luna across the myriad planes of reality separating the realms of fiction from reality. After thirty seconds, the quantum tunnel opened in White Plains, New York, above the suburban sky. Nightmare Moon was spat out into an alien and unfamiliar environment and took a moment to find her bearings.
“We will find this Noah and give him our undying love and care.” Nightmare thought to herself, as she navigated the skies above White Plains to find her future charge.
Noah was finally feeling comfortable in his bed, cold weather notwithstanding. His mind wasn’t racing like it usually does, and it seemed as if he was finally about to enter the much-coveted state of REM sleep. The stress of the previous day’s many sensory and social mishaps was finally no longer on his mind. Noah was approaching the only time in the day he felt free. When he wasn’t thinking. Fate had other plans for the young boy.
Noah’s bedroom, while quite chilly, slowly began to fluctuate in temperature. It went from a bitter chill to an ambient coolness, akin to the backside of his pillow. This brisk temperature fluctuation shook Noah out of his near-REM state. He sat up and saw the most fantastical thing. A cosmic mist, comprised of what he could have sworn was stardust, began to coalesce in the center of his bedroom. Noah immediately recognized this stardust. Was…was that Nightmare Moon’s essence, like from part 2 of the premiere? This seemed too good to be true!
And, thankfully it wasn’t. The stardust essence of all the cosmic colors finally merged together, indeed forming the shape of none other than Nightmare Moon herself. When it dissipated, Noah couldn’t believe his eyes. A 7-foot-tall alicorn, no, an alicorn goddess, was standing in his bedroom. Nightmare Moon was wearing her signature armor, and her platinum horseshoes reflected beautifully in the moonlight. She looked strong, and her entire body was incredibly muscular, which makes sense for a horse. However, she also looked incredibly cuddly and cute at the same time. Nightmare’s wings were folded by her sides, and she looked at Noah and smiled.
“Noah, son of Man, art thou not?” Nightmare asked the boy. Noah was in a state of awe. He climbed out of his bed and bowed.
“Queen Nightmare Moon.” He said, respectfully. “I…I…are you real, Your Majesty?” Noah asked, both in awe and a bit of fear. Nightmare Moon smiled at him and replied. “Would thou liketh to pet Us? Indeed We are real. Come, son of Man. Feel our softness for thyself.” Nightmare said, being incredibly friendly. Noah slowly but surely approached Nightmare Moon. The alicorn lowered her head so Noah could pet her mane. Noah’s small pale hand shook with trepidation, but Nightmare was calm and collected.
When his hand finally made contact with Nightmare’s mane, he felt a euphoric sense of calm, one he’d never felt in his life. Her mane’s softness could be described in mere words. Noah gently and slowly caressed the mane of the literal goddess in front of him. Nightmare smiles warmly at him, and knickers softly, like a common horse would on Earth.
“There there, son of Man. Indeed, we are quite soft.” Nightmare said with a smile. She felt quite fulfilled and happy seeing Noah not be so stressed anymore. After Noah had his few moments of caressing her. Nightmare’s horn lit up, and she sat down on her haunches, right next to Noah’s bed. Noah sat down next to her.
“Q…queen Nightmare? I, uh-”
Nightmare shushed him quietly. “No, child. Please, use our real name. Luna. Thou art not a subject of Equestria, under Our dominion.”
“Ok…uh…Luna. Why are you here?” Noah asked. He still couldn’t believe that a character from a TV show, an alicorn deity no less, appeared in his bedroom. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t going crazy. Nightmare looked at Noah and just smiled. “Noah, we felt thine despair realms apart from thine own plane of existence. We know full well that Our existence is a legend amongst your kind. The raw, unmatched emotion thou hast felt for companionship was enough to transcend reality. We felt an obligation, not as an alicorn, or even as a Queen or Princess, but as a common pony to make sure thine wellbeing was okay.”
“Luna I don’t speak old people. Can you say that again?” Noah asked, totally unfamiliar with the parlance of Old Ponish.
She smiled at him, and licked his forehead, as a mother pony would do to her foal. Noah laughed and smiled at Luna. Luna looked at him and said “Hold still. We will quickly learn thine current dialect.” True to her word, Luna/Nightmare Moon’s horn lit up, and she quickly cast a spell to transmit knowledge directly into her brain. After ten seconds, her horn quieted down, reverting to its regular obsidian purple.
“Ok. Is this better, Noah? Do I sound more “modern”?” Luna asked. Noah nodded and replied soundly: “Yeah, that’s better. I don’t need to think about what you’re trying to say, Luna.” Luna's eyes shimmered with a mix of curiosity and compassion. "Noah," she began, her voice gentle, "I've traversed realms and realities to be here with you. I felt your loneliness, your yearning for understanding. Tell me, what does it mean to you to be different?"
Noah hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It's... it's like being in a room full of people speaking a language you don't understand. Everyone else seems to fit in, to know what to do, but I... I just feel lost." Luna nodded, her mane flowing gracefully around her. "I understand that feeling all too well. When I became Nightmare Moon, it was out of a sense of isolation, of not being seen or understood. But being different, Noah, it's not a curse. It's a gift. It means you see the world in a way no one else does."
Noah looked up, his blue eyes meeting Luna's. "But it's so hard, Luna. I just want to be like everyone else."Luna sighed, her wings rustling softly. "But why would you want to be like everyone else when you can be so much more? Your uniqueness, your perspective, it's what makes you special."
Noah blinked back tears. "But I'm so tired of being alone."
Luna's heart ached for the young boy. She took a step closer, her voice filled with conviction. "Then let me make you a promise, a divine covenant. I swear, on my own immortality as an alicorn, to be by your side for the rest of your days. To be your guardian, your protector, your friend."
Noah's eyes widened. "Really? You'd do that for me?"
Luna nodded. "If you ever need moral support, emotional care, or even just a pony to hug, I'll be there. Always."
With that, Luna wrapped her divine wings around Noah, enveloping him in a cocoon of warmth and safety. She gently tapped her horn to his forehead, sealing their bond. Then, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
"I'm your Nightmare Mom, now," she whispered, her voice filled with love and tenderness.
Noah chuckled through his tears. "I never thought I'd hear those words."
Luna lay down on her side, her plush underbelly inviting and soft. "Come, Noah. Let's have an alicorn snuggle session."
Noah hesitated for a moment, then crawled into her embrace, nestling against her soft tummy. It was like lying on the softest pillow imaginable, and her wings draped over him like the coziest of blankets. Noah drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle rhythm of Luna's heartbeat, he felt a sense of peace and belonging he had never known before. And he knew, deep down, that he had found his true place in the world.
The night passed peacefully, with the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the window, casting a serene ambiance in the room. Luna, even in her rest, maintained a protective stance around Noah, ensuring his safety and comfort. As dawn approached, Luna stirred, her eyes opening to the first light of day. She looked down at Noah, still nestled against her, and a warm smile spread across her face. She knew that this bond, this covenant, was just the beginning of their journey together. Noah began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. He looked up at Luna, a look of wonder and gratitude in his eyes. "Luna," he whispered, "thank you." Luna nuzzled him gently. "It is my honor and privilege, Noah. Remember, you are never alone. Not anymore."
Noah's eyes lit up with genuine emotion, and a radiant smile played on his lips. "Luna, I'll always remember," he whispered, holding the weight of his vow. They remained intertwined in that moment, the connection between them palpable. As the world's rhythm carried on outside, within the confines of that sanctuary, everything else melted away.
Luna, her form still that of Nightmare Moon, tenderly brushed her tongue against his forehead in a maternal gesture akin to the mares of Equestria with their young. She leaned closer, her voice a soft murmur, "Hey, Noah. I vow to you that when you've matured just a little more, you'll have the chance to soar with me. A midnight flight beneath the stars sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Yet, perhaps six might be a tad too young for such an adventure atop an alicorn. But one day, I assure you. And the magic? I'll be your guide through its wonders. You're truly blessed, my dear one."
Fuelled by her words, a renewed vigor and dedication took root in Noah. The bond he shared with this celestial deity grew even more profound, and he was determined to honor their unique relationship.