“We have a problem.”

“Do we, now? What else is new?”

“Sunset Shimmer just became Captain of the royal guard. Even now, day by day, she is happier and more fulfilled– And through her happiness, the castle’s defenses are heightened, and her loved ones become stronger.”

“Ironic, that making her our vessel once more would undermine all of that– But it is impossible, with her as fulfilled as she is.”

“And that meddlesome fool Luna continues to protect Equestrian dreams from our Nightmares. Our influence is waning, we are running out of options.”

“Luna will get what’s coming to her eventually; Sunset Shimmer is the Priority.”

“If she becomes an alicorn, we could have a serious problem. What would stop a Princess and the Queen, both wielding the power of the sun, from flying over here and bathing our land in light?”

“Relax. We have time– it is unlikely she will ever become one. Let them all feel comfortable and safe, while we plan their downfall. We from the dark can bide our time, for as long as we need.”

“We need a new vessel, YESTERDAY. I am TIRED of biding my time.”

“A vessel would do us no good with things as they are. Even Nightmare Moon fell before Twilight Sparkle; And now they are all united, and strong. We need to divide them before considering our next attack.”

“If you have a suggestion for a vessel, I’d love to hear it! We do not have forever!”

“Not a vessel. An ally.”

“What?”

“Through scouring dreams, I met an interesting individual. I found her having a nightmare about Sunset Shimmer– OUR Sunset Shimmer, mutilating her. It seems we have a common enemy.”

“Are you kidding me? An Earth Pony? A weakling, missing a leg? How could she possibly assist us?”

“She has access to a power no other possess, and she is the only one that can wield it. Yes, she is weak. Incredibly so. But through us, through the shadows, we may be able to give her power all it requires to divide all of our enemies, and then all that would be left is to CONQUER.”

“What use is she, if even she barely knows how to wield her power?”

“We will help her. We will fuel her power with her hatred. We will ensure that it is capable of anything.”

“I refuse to trust in a frail little gardener. She would make for a horrible, weak vessel.”

“And yet she would make for a powerful ally. Leave the convincing to me; It will take time and planning, and we will need her fully conscious and pliable– But I imagine no one in Equestria would like to see Sunset Shimmer fall more than her.”

“If she is fully conscious, what is stopping her from resisting us?”

“Nothing. She will obey us willingly because we will give her the tools for revenge. Our interests align.”

“Our enemies become stronger and more united than ever, day by day– And your plan is to rely on a meek Earth Pony to beat them?”

“None of this is bad news. If Sunset Shimmer insists on becoming a pillar to hold her loved ones, then all we need to do is topple the pillar, and they will all fall.”

Author's Note

TO BE CONTINUED? DUN DUN DUUUUN?

Okay jokes aside, this is probably the first time I made a cliffhanger in the end of one of my fics, lmao. You all know who this chapter is talking about, and i've dropped plenty of hints for what my next fic will be: A rewrite of the best piece of media from MLP gen 4: Forgotten Friendship, set on this universe.

Those that are keen on the comics might know that the forces of the dark side of the moon are directly related to Nightmare Rarity! Which is also smth I considered greatly for a sequel of Princess and the Peasant, but I make no promises that I'll ever write that, after I'm done with the sequel to THIS, my priority will be returning to the Shimmerverse with gusto, heh.

STRONG reminder that if you love my writing and are anxious for the sequel to this, there is already one, and it's the Princess and the Peasant. Go check it out if you want more of this universe!

I plan on wrapping up some personal projects before I hop on the Forgotten Friendship rewrite, (I'm making a ytp babeyyy) but I've already been writing PLENTY of notes regarding it, and am gleeful to finally, finally get to write one of the most interesting antagonists in all of gen 4, and CERTAINLY the most interesting nemesis: Wallflower Blush.