So, we all know how much of an impact [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles Rainbow Dash's first sonic rainboom]] had for the Mane Six. However, in the grander scheme of things, how important ''was'' it exactly? And how much different would things be... [[WhatIf if it never happened]]?

Well, like it or not, Twilight will have to see this for herself as she wakes up one day [[AlternateUniverse in a world of eternal night]].

''A World Without Rainbows'' can be found [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/92 here]], [[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-world-without-rainbows.html here]] and [[http://freedomandchaos.deviantart.com/journal/World-Without-Rainbows-Chapter-List-252985344 here]] and is currently in Act III.

Compare and contrast ''[[Fanfic/StrykesRandomElements Random Elements]]'' and ''FanFic/AMinorVariation''.
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!! This fanfic provides examples of:

%%* AxCrazy: Silver Shield.
%%* AlternateUniverseFic: Sort of a given.
* TheBadGuyWins: The Moonside universe the story explores is one where Nightmare Moon won during the events of the pilot and created a world of eternal night.
* CooldownHug: Fluttershy uses one of these to stop [[spoiler: Moonside Twilight's SuperPowerMeltdown]].
* CrapsackWorld: Thanks to the rainboom not happening, the world is... not a fun place.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Faced with the "realization" that she is not a good flyer, Fluttershy... um... [[BodyHorror became an earth pony]].]]
* {{Doorstopper}}: Although it is currently in Act III, [[http://freedomandchaos.deviantart.com/journal/World-Without-Rainbows-Chapter-List-252985344 this]] journal entry currently states that the [[ShrugOfGod current plan]] is that this story will have 6 acts.
%%* ForWantOfANail: Oh dear, if it weren't for that rainboom...
%%* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: Twilight]], in the alternate universe.
%%* FacePalm:%%Quotes aren't acceptable context.
%%** In Chapter 10 (chapter 1 of Act II), Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie pass the time playing I Spy.
%%--->"My turn!" ''the pink mare shouted excitedly.'' "I spy something rainbow-colored."\\
%%''Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes.'' "It's me, isn't it? Nothing else in this room is rainbow."\\
%%''Pinkie Pie gasped in surprise.'' "Fine then, Dashie. I've got a harder one. I spy something wearing a hat."\\
%%''Rainbow buried her forehead in her front hoof.''
%%** And later on in the same chapter.
%%--->''[Alternate Twilight] levitated a book off of one of the shelves and opened it, tearing out two pages.''\\
%%''Rarity gasped, and Twilight shifted her eyes toward her, concerned.''\\
%%"What?" ''Twilight said.'' "The book's already in terrible condition. It looks ancient. Really, how valuable can a book like that be?"\\
%%''Rainbow Dash facehoofed for a second time.''
%%* GhostMemory: [[spoiler: Caused by Alternate Twilight when swapping minds.]]
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler: In order to travel to the Sunside world, alternate Twilight swaps her mind with Sunside's Twilight.]]
* ItsAWonderfulPlot: Twilight find herself sent to another world where the Rainboom never happened. Because Mane 6 never become friends, they weren’t there to stop Nightmare Moon.
* ItsPersonal: Silver Shield's lover Stone Wall was killed by [[spoiler: Alternate Twilight.]] He wants blood. [[spoiler: It turns out she was also pregnant with his child.]]
* MachiavelliWasWrong: Nightmare Moon's modus operandi is leading by fear. When [[spoiler: Soarin dies, Spitfire realizes she loved him more than she fears Nightmare Moon,]] and pulls a HeelFaceTurn.
* MeaningfulName: [[InvertedTrope Inverted.]] Silver Shield was raised by arrogant unicorns who thought unicorns were better than everyone else. When he was born, this family looked down on him because he wasn't a unicorn, and named him Silver Shield, as Silver is not good for making shields.
%%* TheNightThatNeverEnds: In the alternate Universe.
* PaintingTheMedium: Each chapter begins with a placard colored red or blue (or a gradient). The chapters with a red title are set entirely in the canon universe, while the blue chapters are set entirely in the alternate universe. The gradient chapters focus on both. [[Series/{{Fringe}} Sound familiar?]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Rarity delivers a truly scathing one to [[spoiler:Madame Orange]]. Surprisingly, [[BigBad Nightmare Moon]] of all ponies later agrees with her.
* RunningGag: Everyone that gets stranded in the moonverse Ponyville ends up useing 'Trixie' as an alias.
* SchizoTech: Okay, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E14SuitedForSuccess DJ tables]], and [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E21OverABarrel horse-drawn steam locomotives]] are understandable, but Madam Orange's [[BuffySpeak helicopter balloon thingy]] was a little harder to explain (at least before [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E9SweetAndElite "Sweet and Elite"]] aired in canon).
* ShoutOut:
** The author points out that in "Act II - Part 7: Loyalties", Pinkie's speech is based off of the Doctor's in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Bad Wolf". [[spoiler: Funny, considering how Doctor Whooves is involved with the plot.]]
** According to the author, parts of the story, including the alternating universes throughout the first act, are inspired by Series/{{Fringe}} doing the same at the start of Season 3.
** A projected image of [[spoiler: Stone Wall]] says "[[Franchise/StarWars Help me, Twilight Sparkle. You're my only hope.]]"
* SpotTheImposter: When Applejack reminds Twilight to write her Friendship Report of the week, Twilight is for some reason extra nervous. As Twilight writes it, Applejack reminds her to address it to "the person who more or less raised you." [[spoiler: Twilight addresses the letter to her mother. "Wrong answer."]]
* SuperPowerMeltdown: When challenged by Applejack, [[spoiler:Moonside Twilight]] loses control of her magic and almost destroys Ponyville.
* TautologicalTemplar: [[spoiler:Madame Orange]] seems to spend a lot of her time insisting it's NeverMyFault and finding ways to make selfish desires look like noble self-sacrifice. She insists she's just being realistic and doing her best to help.
* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Sunside Twilight initially, though once her friends catch up with her it become more a question fo chosing to stay until Nightmare Moon is defeated.
%%* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Alternative Twilight]] has shades of this.
* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld: The Sunside world has a hot air balloon. The Moonside world has an airship.
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