The Legend of Beginning

by Phenoix12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Discord, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 4868

In the beginning there was ruin and stagnation. The world was dying; its great civilizations brought low by forces of nature and their own creation. Only three beings of great power remained

The following legend I have managed to cobble together from many similar accounts on the creation of Equis. Many races of our world have different takes on the birth of our world; though it seems most have some version of this legend. I have compiled these legends and taken the most common themes from each. I have now, what I believe to be, the story of the creation of our world.
I believe this to be true as many themes match up to what we know about our world to be true.
Enclosed is the compiled legend along with some side notes of my observations of the legend taking while reading.
- Princesses Twilight Sparkle

Author's Note: This story was written as a way to experiment with creative writing. As such the style of this fic may seem odd as I tried some new things while working on it.

Published 2013-11-01 20:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-17 04:14:07 UTC

The Legend of Beginning (With notes from Twilight)

If I have learned anything from my adventures it's that one should always heed the words of legends and myths as they could be based in truth.

All notes written with this legend are my thoughts at the time of reading.

~Princess Twilight Sparkle

In the beginning there was ruin and stagnation.

The world was dying; its great civilizations brought low by forces of nature and their own creation.(There are many stories and legends of ‘the lost ones’, though what little evidence of their existence remains is tentative at best.)

Only three beings of great power remained. (Almost all versions of this legend spoke of three beings surviving the death of the world)

The two born of the dead race had caused the great calamity that befell the world.

Each in their own way… (Most legends were vague on the goals of these two beings)

They manipulated the rulers of the world into war and strife, shifted the balance of nature to on a whim, all for their own gains.

Their meddling ended the world.

They are the Lords of Disharmony (Could Discord be one of these lords?)

The third being who we know by many names…

Faust, Origin, The Balance, but its true name is Harmony. (There are many religions devoted to this being, each calling it by a different name. In Equestria the most common name is Faust) (A lot of the legends referred to it by the common religious names of the region, they also commonly referred to it has Harmony at the same time.)

It was created by the very power the lords had unleashed into the world. (Harmony born from Disharmony. Out of all the versions of where Harmony came from, this one seemed the most insane… but for some reason it was the most common, so is it true?)

The Lords continued to fight over the ruins of the dead world. (I find this part strage; if they are both ‘Lords of Disharmony’ why not work together? Is it in their very nature to fight each other?)

Each trying to tip the balance of power in their own favor. (Tipping the balance of power between two forms of Disharmony? Could Disharmony come in different forms other than what we know Discord for? This requires more research)

Their clashing powers created and destroyed countless new life. (The clashing power of disharmony creates life, a recurring theme in every version of this legend)

Harmony could only watch, waiting for the day the two’s battle would end. (Were the two powers of Disharmony so great that not even Harmony could stop it? It’s a scary thought)

The war between the Lords went on for countless years until the final clash of Disharmony.

Their final battle raged on for but an instant.

Each throwing all their power into a final attack.

The great clash of energy lit up the world and when it was over one Lord stood tall. (I believe this being to be Discord. NOTE TO SELF: Interview Discord on this matter)

The Lords energy flowed uncontrollably into the world, raising mountings and flattening them in an instant.

Ice and fire rained from the heavens.

Life was born from the chaos. (Much of the wording between different versions makes it sound like after the clash the remaining lord lost control of his abilities, which ended in life being created)

And the last Lord of Disharmony fell into the fire, ice and earth.

Buried under the weight of the world he had birthed though accident. (It is said that when Discord first appeared, or should I now say reappeared, he burst forth from the earth in an explosion of chaos. These connections only continue to strengthen my suspicions of the truth of this legend and of Discord’s involvement)

Only Harmony remained in the world now, though not untouched by the great clash of the Lords.

Harmony’s power was almost completely destroyed by the great torrent of power from the Lords’ final battle. (This was the most confusing part of the legend. No version gave a straight answer as to the loss of Harmony’s power. This is all I could piece together.)

But it could still move to help the newly birthed world.

It nurtured the new creatures of the world so they may survive the harsh and chaotic world.

The very nature of the world helping to alter it, the new natural magic flowing unrestricted and free. (Harmony used the magic created by the Lords of Disharmony to help reshape the world? Again the theme of Harmony from Disharmony)

Birthing the Sun and Moon anew. (Would this make Harmony Celestia and Luna’s father/mother?) (Also, birthing anew... Could the sun and moon have been destroyed at one point, maybe by the cataclysm that destroyed the old world?)

The sun so life may be warmed by its light.

The moon so the nights may be safe under its glowing gaze and painting the sky with stars so that the darkness may be beautiful.

In the end, Harmony knew that if it tried to guide every aspect of the life of this new world it would be no better than the Lords.

If life was to truly be harmonious they must be so by their own will.

So it split itself into six parts, instilling each segment of itself with the virtues and powers that would lead life to prosperity so that they may be used to fight the chaos if it ever returned. (Obviously the Elements of Harmony) (In the time before the races of ponies learned to harness and control the chaos of nature the world was far more dangerous. It must be hard to live in parts of the world where nature isn’t regulated)
And so time went on anew, the chaotic new world full of new life, birthed from ruin and stagnation… (It is interesting to think that we owe our very existence to the death of an entire world. Kind of sad if you think about it)

Author's Note

I've been kicking this idea around for a while now.

I'm planning on using this idea on how the world where Equestria is located was created to springboard some other stories ideas.

Some people might be thinking why I did this in two chapters… The reason is simple, I wanted one chapter without Twilight’s notes so you could gain your own perspective on the legend without Twilight’s thoughts altering it. Then I wanted you to see what Twilight's thoughts were. So Two chapters!

Edited and proofread by RoboKitty

Interview with Discord

The following interview was conducted by me, Twilight Sparkle, and transcribed by Spike the Dragon.

Interview with Discord
Subject of interview: Creation of the world

I go into this interview with the pretenses that Discord is the surviving member of the Lords of Disharmony, mentioned in the myths and legends surrounding the creation of the world.
~~Ok now that that’s out of the way lets head over to Fluttershy’s and see if we can find Discor- Spike are you still writing everything I’m saying? Well stop it… You’re still doing it… Spike you’re wasting ink and paper!~~

((For the sake of simplicity the transcription different speakers shall be highlighted in different color inks. TWILIGHT // DISCORD))

So the runt is going to be a stern ston ste What do you mean you don’t know how to spell it? Didn’t your mother teach you how to spell? I will not refrain from using big words. I can say whatever I like. Like bananas an- are you actually writing that?

Spike please stop writing everything he says… Unless it has to do with the interv- Spike are you writing down what I’m saying? What did I tell you back at the library! By the way the word was spelled s.t.e.n.o.g.r.a.p.h.e.r and no it wasn’t an insult. Now please stop writing unless it has something to do with the interview, ok.

Ok Discord I have a few questions I would like to ask you about-

Cotton candy?

No, please le-

Lemonade?

Discord plea-

Pinkie Pie’s powers?

Wait you know about that!?

Nope…

Then why did you menti-

What about chocolate milk?

DISCORD!

Yes?

Please can you take this seriously!?

Oh but Princess you know I take everything I do seriously… What’s with that face? Did I say something wrong?

Discord can we please just do this interview… The sooner we get it done the sooner we can leave.

Fine… Get on with it then… I’ll be ~serious~ about it.

You promise?

Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a soufflé in my eye.

Don’t you mean cupcake?

Yah, what I say?

Nervermi- what are you doing now?

Looking at what your little dragon is writing down… …oh come on you can spell soufflé without help but not stenographer? What have you been teaching him?

Could we please not talk about what I teaching Spike... I have some important questions to ask.

What if I don’t want to answer them?

Then I’ll go and ask Fluttershy to persuade you.

…have I ever mentioned how much I dislike you since you’ve become a princess?

No you haven’t

Well then… I dislike you since you’ve become a princess. You’re all bossy… well bossier then you were. Spike take a note on how bossy she’s become since becoming a princess

Spike don’t write that! Can we please get back to why we’re here?!

Fine, what questions do you have for me oh Great and Powerful Princess Twilight. Make sure you capitalize the great and the powerful kid… good.

-sigh- Well let-

Wow he ever wrote down your sigh...

-s get on with the interview, please…

Fine by me

-Ahem- A few days ago I finished compiling and creating what I believe to be the definitive legend of the creation of our world. It took many months of research. And I believe one of the figures it mentions may be you.

Really?

Yes, in the legend two beings known as Lords of Disharmony are mentioned several times.

Lord of Disharmony… Well that sounds like me. Many ponies do call me the sprit of disharmony. I prefer Lord of Chaos and Fun Times though.
Wait… You said two beings? OH CELESTIAS SWEET FLANK IS THERE ANOTHER ME RUNNING AROUND SOMEWHERE?!

No no no… According to the legend you killed hi- wait you’re saying that none of this is true? Because it seems like all this is new to you?

I’m not saying anything about anything being true or false…

…this was all a waist of time wasn’t it.

I’m not sure you haven’t asked me a question yet… That is why you’re here.

Even if I don’t get the answers I want this still is good research material I guess. Ok, Discord, what do you remember of the creation of the world?

Nothing, nodda, zip, zil, zero. I don’t think I was there… My earliest memories are wakening up under about a ton of rock and dirt.
I tried digging down but I just found hot burning molten magma… So then I tried going up and well you know the history… me exploding out of the ground in a blast of chaos leading the early nation of Equestia into chaos.
Good times…

Nothing else? Nothing before that?

Nope not- well… Hmm… let me think…

Are you remembering something?

Yah well… no… yes… maybe… All I got is fuzzy pictures. Like looking though glasses that belong to someone who has a horrible eye condition... Like that filly with the speech problem. She makes good peppermint sticks.

Please tell me more about the images.

Well for as long as I remember I’ve had these images. I’ve thought nothing of them, just sort of forgot about them for a while.

You’ve never wondered what they are?

Well sure I did… for about a second after I woke up, then I got board and dug down then up… Did you know there are some underground dragon lizard things that you can inflate like balloons until they explode? Kind of strange…

Discord if you don’t mind I’d like to cast a memory spell on you to see if I can’t help you clear up that image.

Doesn’t that spell make you remember everything? I don’t want to relive every moment of my life… well I would just not those statue years.

I can adjust it so you can remember only before a certain point in your life. In this case, when you woke up and reentered the world.

Fine… But only because it be funny to see you fail.

…ok… there! You remember?

…nope nothing…

Let me try again.

Nothing

One more time

Nope

How about-

Stop you’re embarrassing your self… on second thought keep going.

How come it’s not working?!

Well those memories are, if you’re correct the whole ‘Lords of Disharmony’ thing, as old if not older then the entire world. Plus I spent what is most likely countless boring years asleep under the surface of the world. So forgive me if my mind couldn’t hold on to them properly…

-sigh- But I was hoping that we could answer all these questions I have on why the world is what it is…

Maybe something aren’t meant to be learned, ea?

But… I was hoping…

You know what I’ll be nice and tell you something about one of those fuzzy pictures. Fluttershy always says I should be nice and help others so… yah…

Really? Well then what about that memory?!

What’s the magic word?

…please Discord.

Actually the word was aneurism, but I’ll accept please.
Ok… This one fuzzy shape I remember… It’s kind of strange but I hate it.

What?

Yah I hate this fuzzy little memory. I don’t know whenever I think of it all I get a surge of emotions every time I think of it… …like right now.

What kind of emotions?

Hate, odium, loathing…

Those are all the same thing.

Yah, but there different words for the same thing.

So what does this image look like?

You know, fuzzy, out of focus, I think it had a head…

So it was a living being?

Could be? Or it could just be a stuffed animal.

It could be the other Lord of Disharmony. The legend did state that you fought to the death with him.

Could be… but it doesn’t really matter now does it… I mean I’m here and he’s not so yah, go me!

It does matter, this could help explain everything about the way the world works the way it does.

Well I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but I think we’re done here.

…yes… thank you for you time…

No problem. OH and I’m sorry about the pudding in your bed this morning…

THAT WAS YOU?!

-end of interview-

Author's Note

This chapter is a bit boring to me… But I’m the one who wanted to write it in the form of a dictated to paper interview.
I did the color coded wording thing to avoid a scrip like writing of
TWILIGHT: talking talking talking
DISCORD: talking talking talking

It would have looked bad to me…

Man writing is hard.

Celestia's Story

After my interview with Discord I decided to talk to Princess Celesta about the beginning of the world. Her and Luna’s answers were the same, that they do not know what truly created our word; though they are familiar with the myths and legends. I decided to ask her a question I’ve been wanted to ask for while now… What her earliest memories are. The following is her answer to this question, recorded by spike. (Whome has been instructed to only record Celestia’s words)

~ Princess Twilight Sparkle

My and my sister’s earliest memories… Luna and I awoke in a cavern on a stone dais. The cavern was small with the carved stone dais in the center, and the only source of light was from a hole in the roof shining down onto the dais. That place held a special place in our hearts… It still does, but sadly it is long gone.

When we first woke we were only newborn foals, we had no memories of anything before then. We only knew our names and that we were sisters. Those facts seemed to have been burned into our minds.

We were terrified. Everything was new to us; we didn’t understand anything that was happening around us. I remember we huddled together, both to keep warm and to find some feeling of safety.

I’m not sure how long we were in that place, but a small group of ponies took refuge in the cave one day. When they saw us they were taken aback by our appearance. We were the first Alicorns anypony had ever seen. They thought we were some spawn of Discord.

Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn’t I?… This was during the time Discord ruled Equestria. The cavern was on the border of the badlands, at the very edge of Discord’s territory of influence.

The ponies took pity on us and took us back to their village. It was a sad place, made up of rickety buildings nested around the crags of the badlands, out of the sight of Discord. There was hardly enough food to go around and several ponies didn’t like the idea of additional mouths to feed, but they couldn’t just abandon children in need.

Both Luna and I had always felt a connection to the sun and moon. But during that time we couldn’t control them like we do now. It made us feel terrible watching how the sun and moon moved at the whim of Discord... at the time we didn’t know why we felt this way, though.

Several years had gone by and I remember sitting on a cliff overlooking the land of Equestria. Watching the pink clouds moving against the wind. The occasional mounting rising only to fall a minute later. When I was struck with the thought, why doesn’t anypony try to stop him? When I brought this question to the town I was laughed at… “Nopony can stop Discord” they said.

Soon both me and Luna left the village to go to Equestria. We thought there had to be a way to defeat him, maybe if we gather enough support we could overthrow him.

I didn’t work…

We managed to gather a resistance, but he only laughed at our attempt to overthrow him. With a simple wave of his claw the land beneath us turned to fudge, trapping half of our group. The other half he turned against each other.

He looked at us next… we ran. Luna and I ran as far and as fast as we could. Back to where we first awoke. We sat there holding each other in fear… In fear of being found by Discord, in fear of what he would do to us for trying to overthrow him.

In our fear we found hope… The cavern became awash in a glow of colors. Us sitting in the center of the dais, six points of light coming from a different point around it. We felt such power… Not raw and wild like Discord’s, but calm and tempered. The six points of light rose above us… As you properly already guessed, they were the Elements of Harmony. The cavern was the shine that held them...

We were born in the shine that housed the Elements. I wondered if we were created by the Elements themselves. Of course, you did the research on the creation of the world, and the part that Harmony created the sun and moon lends some credit to that… But if this is true then why were we given physical forms only after Discor-? Oh I’m sorry, I’m getting off topic, aren’t I?

Well… The rest is pretty well known history. We returned to Equestria with the Elements and defeated and sealed Discord away. Nothing much left to tell. It was quite easy, Discord just laughed at us and let us take the first shot… Needless to say we used the Elements on him and he turned to stone.

Is there anything else you want to know Twilight?

No? Well then how about we go and get something to eat? I think the kitchen whipped up some cake today… Yes I know the kitchen makes cake everyday but that doesn’t make it any less good…

Author's Note

Edited and proofread by RoboKitty

Closing Notes (All the Stars in the Sky)

All the secrets of the universe could be answered by a simple question: What created our world? I’ve only scratched the surface of this question in my research and I am no closer to a definitive answer then I was when I started. If anything I’ve only created more questions that need answering.

Is Discord a lord of disharmony? Did they have a role in the creation of our world? What exactly was the being known as Harmony? Did it have something to do with the princesses’ birth? Is any of this true? Who were the ones that came before us?

All of these questions I want answers to, but none are found. No matter how hard I look for them they don’t ever seem to show themselves. Is it because they have been lost to the annals of time, forgotten by even the oldest of beings? Discord himself is one of the eldest beings in existence and even he can’t remember anything but blurred images and disjointed emotions from the time before our world.

Maybe som

“HI TWILIGHT!”

Twilight was suddenly pulled away from her writing by a voice calling her name. She looked down from her desk at the tiny white filly standing next to her.

“Yes Sweetie Belle?” she said, mustering all the kindness she could and hiding her annoyance at being interrupted during her work.

“Could you help us Twilight? We can’t figure out how to work your telescope.” Sweetie Belle chimed, radiating an aura of cute that Twilight couldn’t resist.

“Sure Sweetie, lets go take a look…” Twilight responded before turning to follow Sweetie to the other crusaders out on the balcony.

She, Scootaloo, and Applebloom were visiting the library tonight trying to get their astronomy cutiemarks. She was happy to let them use her telescope; after all she loved it when young fouls wanted to learn, and that and it wasn’t something destructive or dangerous like when they tried to become circus performers… Twilight remember the conversation with Pinkie on why she shouldn’t let children use her party cannons that occurred after they got Apple Bloom unstuck from Time Turner’s roof. Luckily nopony was seriously hurt.

Twilight and Sweetie stepped out onto the balcony. Scootaloo and Applebloom were fiddling with the knobs on the scope trying to figure out how it worked. Twilight could only chuckle at their antics.

“Twilight!” Scootaloo yelled, “We can’t figure out how to get this thing to work right”

Twilight gave out a sigh and walked over to the telescope. She hoped they hadn’t actually damaged it. She took a look though the scope and saw nothing but darkness… then she realized that they hadn’t removed the lens cap. In less then a second they used her magic to screw the cap off the lens and showed it to the crusaders. The looks on their faces as they realized their mistake was priceless.

“Girls, next time remember to take the cap off, ok?”

“Yeah… thanks…” Scootaloo sheepishly said.

Twilight turned to go back in to return to her work before Sweetie Belle’s voice caught her attention once again. “Hay Twilight, do you want to look at the stars with us?”

Twilight stopped and thought, she did enjoy looking at stars but she needed to get those notes done. She turned around to tell Sweetie “no”, but the pleading look at her face instantly made her change her mind.

“Okay” Twilight sighed, “But only for a few minutes I have some notes I need to finish”

Twilight ended up helping the crusaders look at stars for thirty minutes.

“Twilight, what exactly are stars?” Applebloom aked. “ah know they are pretty lights in the sky, but what are they made of?”

“Well Applebloom” Twilight began, “Stars are balls of magical energy, much like the sun. Only they are much smaller and are sort of wrapped in a blanket surrounding our whole world…”

“So stars are just very tiny suns?” Scootaloo asked

“Yes and no. The sun is large, about the same size as the moon, and orbits the world giving us light and warmth. Stars don’t move unless somepony, namely Princess Luna, makes them. Also they don’t give off any heat, only light.”

“So… what’s past the stars?”

“Nopony knows, not even Celestia or Luna. Some ponies tried to use magic to look beyond the cloud of stars that surrounds the world, but they only saw darkness.”

“So there’s nothing?”

“Now I wouldn’t say that. Some say there is something out there, others say it’s just a void. The problem is there is no evidence for either option. Sometimes things just can’t be figured… out… by… us.” Twilight trailed off, an epiphany dawning on her. “Girls, it’s been fun but I have some notes to finish, and it’s about time you go home.”

A few moments and a few groans of annoyance at not having got a cutiemark from their endeavor later, Twilight was back at her desk look at her unfinished notes. She grabbed her quill with her magic and dipped it in the ink.

Maybe somPerhaps these questions will never be answered. To say I’ve tried my hardest would be an understatement. But I’ve exhausted every lead and turned up no answer.
In the end these questions remain unanswered. But sometimes things just aren’t meant to be answered no matter how badly we want to. The questions remain but the answers are lost to us.

~Princess Twilight Sparkle

Author's Note

Edited and proofread by RoboKitty

The Legend of Beginning

In the beginning there was ruin and stagnation.

The world was dying; its great civilizations brought low by forces of nature and their own creation.
Only three beings of great power remained.
The two born of the dead race had caused the great calamity that befell the world.
Each in their own way…

They manipulated the rulers of the world into war and strife, shifted the balance of nature to on a whim, all for their own gains.
Their meddling ended the world.
They are the Lords of Disharmony

The third being who we know by many names…
Faust, Origin, The Balance, but its true name is Harmony.
It was created by the very power the lords had unleashed into the world.

The Lords continued to fight over the ruins of the dead world.
Each trying to tip the balance of power in their own favor.

Their clashing powers created and destroyed countless new life.
Harmony could only watch, waiting for the day the two’s battle would end.

The war between the Lords went on for countless years until the final clash of Disharmony.
Their final battle raged on for but an instant.
Each throwing all their power into a final attack.
The great clash of energy lit up the world and when it was over one Lord stood tall.

The Lords energy flowed uncontrollably into the world, raising mountings and flattening them in an instant.
Ice and fire rained from the heavens.
Life was born from the chaos.

And the last Lord of Disharmony fell into the fire, ice and earth.
Buried under the weight of the world he had birthed though accident.
Only Harmony remained in the world now, though not untouched by the great clash of the Lords.

Harmony’s power was almost completely destroyed by the great torrent of power from the Lords’ final battle.
But it could still move to help the newly birthed world.
It nurtured the new creatures of the world so they may survive the harsh and chaotic world.
The very nature of the world helping to alter it, the new natural magic flowing unrestricted and free.

Birthing the Sun and Moon anew.
The sun so life may be warmed by its light.
The moon so the nights may be safe under its glowing gaze and painting the sky with stars so that the darkness may be beautiful.

In the end, Harmony knew that if it tried to guide every aspect of the life of this new world it would be no better than the Lords.
If life was to truly be harmonious they must be so by their own will.

So it split itself into six parts, instilling each segment of itself with the virtues and powers that would lead life to prosperity so that they may be used to fight the chaos if it ever returned.

And so time went on anew, the chaotic new world full of new life, birthed from ruin and stagnation…

Author's Note

Edited and proofread by RoboKitty