Three Years.

The thought brought a sadistic grin to Rarity’s face. It had been three long years since her Eternal Night had swept over the land of Equestria, and now her rule was absolute. There was no pony left to stand up to her. Celestia and Luna had long since been dethroned. Even the mighty Elements of Harmony were useless against her, as without all of their owners uniting, they held no power. It was a deliciously ironic predicament her friends had found themselves in, and Rarity had used it to crush them like bugs under her hoof.

She remembered how the Elements of Harmony had tried to “save” her, so to speak. But she wasn't as resistant as they had hoped she would be, having accepted the darkness and all the power that came with it. She not only overpowered Element wielders, but Celestia and Luna as well. She smirked at that memory, the light fading from their eyes as the 5 ponies tried in vain to save them…..

With her Shadow Army she easily took over Ponyville while crushing anything that got in her way, eventually forcing the five heroines to split up and flee their separate ways. They couldn’t risk their elements falling into the hooves of the newly crowned Queen. At first she scoffed at this, thinking she could capture them easily.

And yet to her surprise, among all the chaos the Element wielders had all remained fairly undetected. Rumors of them starting a rebellion took root every now and again, but no one but Nightmare Rarity's own troops paid them any heed. But any lead they had simply brought them to a dead end.

In the three years that passed, the once great land had fallen into turmoil… a large chunk of the population had been enslaved, forced to work wherever she commanded them to. Many of the fearsome creatures that would normally keep their distance from the once dominant Pony population now did as they pleased, knowing they would not be stopped by anyone. It was an absolute free for all.

The Nightmare Queen was brought out of her thoughts as her Captain of the Royal Guard slowly trotted into the throne room, he took a heavy bow before speaking up in a monotonous and obedient tone.

"My glorious Queen, I bring exciting news," he stated, still not leaving his bow. "After all these years, your patience has finally paid off. We have located each of the Elements of Harmony. Our stealth squadrons are on stand by, and have yet to be detected. All that's left are your own orders, your Majesty. What shall we do? I can give further information upon your request."

Nightmare Rarity made her way down the stairs of her throne, wearing her specialized battle armor, made from the toughest metal that could be forged, and adorned with only the finest, rarest gems.

Finally, these three years of patience bore fruit! she thought to herself as her minions bowed to her while she passed. Upon approaching the Captain she placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You have done well Captain, but what would I expect from Twilight's B.B.B.F.F.?" she said in a mocking tone as she smiled at her loyal minion.

Not long after the Element wielder's defeat, she was met with resistance from the Royal Guard's forces from Canterlot. While they put up a good fight, many of them fell to the same corrupted magic that gave birth to the new Nightmare Queen. Shining Armor had been the hardest to turn, especially against his own sister, but in the end he became her most loyal and powerful soldier. She had not stopped there however, soon after she managed to acquire the cooperation of several outcast Pegasi, eventually recreating the Shadowbolts.

"Now, tell me their locations..." she commanded.

"Without Delay, my Queen." Shining Armor gave another lifeless bow before creating an illusion of Equestria on the floor. The symbol for the Element of Honesty appeared above the desert. "Applejack… as well as her brother and younger sister seem to have taken refuge along the outskirts of Appleoosa, likely with assistance from its residents," He paused upon seeing his Queen scowl for a moment. "I assure you they will be punished severely, M'lady," he reassured her before continuing. "Due to the bareness of the desert, it's difficult to get in close without being spotted, and they may be changing locations once more in the coming weeks..."

Nightmare Rarity scoffed. "We will find a way. They may be strong, but we are stronger."

"Pinkie Pie,” Shining seemed to shiver slightly, even in his entranced state. "...actually she hasn't even left Ponyville. With the departure of the Cakes, we assumed the place had been long since abandoned, and we even had several investigations done, but only now have we actually detected her. She's been as quiet as a mouse, and as you may imagine, she's not in the highest of spirits, she likely won't be going anywhere anytime soon, and I doubt she will put up much resistance, so we won't have to worry about losing her," he said as the Element of Laughter appeared over Ponyville.

Shining Armor nodded before casting another spell, causing the symbol for the Element of Loyalty to appear. "Rainbow Dash, is.....tricky, as you may imagine. She seems to very rarely sit still, and her speed is as remarkable as ever. The last report I have received pinpointed her around Manehatten, but it has likely changed since then."

The Queen smirked. She may be fast, but even she can't run forever, she thought to herself.

"And finally, Twilight Sparkle," he seemed to hesitate saying her name, but only for a moment, "...as well as Fluttershy, are the only two that have remained together. Their relationship has become noticeably… intimate, my Queen," he spoke as both Elements appeared over the center of the Everfree Forest. "Surprisingly, they are located in the Everfree Forest, and reports show that they may have been there awhile… I suspect the Element of Kindness has had assistance from various creatures to cover their tracks and stay hidden," he concluded his report with another bow.

The Dark Queen arched a brow upon hearing about Fluttershy & Twilight's "relationship," but smiled regardless. "Well done Shining Armor, your Queen is very pleased with this new information,” she said before turning to the window. "Nightshade!" the Queen called out.

Immediately the blue-haired Shadowbolt swooped in through the window, landing in front her and bowing. "You summoned me, my Queen?"

"It appears the Element wielders have finally been found. I want you and the elites to go and secure each area, don't let any of them escape. I will handle their interrogations.. .personally," she finished with a dark, malicious smile. "You know where they are and you have your orders, now go!" she commanded. Nightshade nodded and flew off.

Nightmare Rarity walked out of the throne room with Shining Armor, making her way through the dark halls towards the balcony. Soon after her takeover, she rebuilt her kingdom at the summit of the mountain that Canterlot had once proudly stood upon. Said city was now nothing more than ruins.

She smiled as she gazed at the dark-blue aura that enveloped Equestria, blocking out any shred of sunlight and signifying her eternal night.

"Ready three of your troops, Shining armor." she commanded. "We're going to Ponyville."

Author's Notes:

This story was originally an RP I did with "Letterabcd" on a different site, I posted it with his permission.

Major note: The continuity is very different from the normal MLPverse, several event's have not taken place.