Children of the Night
is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic animation by Duo Cartoonist. The animation uses a cover of "Come Little Children" from Hocus Pocus.
The animation starts with a narrative by a mare. After Discord was defeated, Luna and Celestia became the rulers of Equestria. One day Luna proposed the idea of a colony to help ponies who were dealing with hardships after Discord's rule. Celestia disagreed because creating a select colony would divide the already weak Equestria.
Luna didn't listen to her sister. In secret she took orphaned foals and led them away similar to The Pied Piper.
The song tells of a time just before Nightmare Moon. The disagreement between Luna and Celestia is the catalyst for Nightmare Moon being born. Thus, the animation acts as a sort of prequel to The Moon Rises, a Luna Villain Song animation also by Cartoonist Duo.
Children of the Night provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: Although Discord is not seen onscreen, the video implies that his reign of chaos was a lot worse than actually happened. In the series, Discord’s doing is unmade by a World-Healing Wave soon after he is turned into stone, while in the video his defeat left a realistic war scenery, with crops ruined, ponies struggling to survive and several orphans. As much as evil Discord enjoyed playing with ponies’ minds, he is not seen killing anybody onscreen (at least not intentionally), and in the Cosmos comic arc he saves a group of foals from a building melted by his psychotic companion. If Discord had killed so many ponies, hardly Celestia would have thought of giving him a second chance and neither Fluttershy would accept to try and reform him. Oh well, it is an Alternate Universe.
- All There in the Manual: The creators made a reference sheet for the designs and names of all the foals Luna spirits away. The mare that narrates the opening is known as Gari.
- Animal Religion: Fausticorn (a ponified version of Lauren Faust) is depicted multiple times and seems to be revered by ponies.
- Friend to All Children: Like in canon, Luna has a fondness for children. In fact, the entire conflict is based on Luna wanting to give these foals a happier life.
- Heartwarming Orphan: Luna takes a bunch of cute orphan foals and flies them away someplace better.
- Original Flavor: It's done in a very on-model animation style.
- Title Drop: The narrative pony title drops the animation's name at the start:"Nopony knows that we are still here, smiling beneath the moonlight while remembering our dear mother. For we will forever be her children of the night".
