Plagued by Strife, the citizens of Equestria: the earth ponies and their affinity with the earth, the pegasus ponies and their affinity with the sky, the unicorn ponies and their affinity with the sun and moon. Lived under the control of Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, as he liked to be addressed, for countless years, until them appeared.
Discord himself took no pleasure in causing any harm to his “subjects”, but the happiness caused by his mayhem only fueled his desire to cause more.
The earth was improper for planting, nothing would grow on the chess plains.
The trees were twisted beyond recognition, by color and shape.
The rivers flowed with the most twisted liquids, ranging fruit drinks to chocolate milk.
The weather was wild, scorching sunlight and downpours and snowstorms at the same time.
The rains shared the same problem with the rivers.
The sun and the moon, day and night, were unpredictable and caused restlessness.
Then the pony sisters came:
The eldest one, a tall figure even beyond pony standards, sported the whitest coat, a mane flowing as the northern auroras and the mark of the sun upon her, was called Celestia.
The youngest one, a little shorter than her sister but tall nonetheless, with a coat as dark as the midnight, a mane flowing with the nocturnal star lights and the mark of the moon upon her, was called Luna.
They bore the traits from the three tribes: the strength from the earth, the nimbleness from the sky and the astral magic.
Bestowed upon them were 6 magical jewels, each representing a virtue: honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, loyalty and magic.
United they imprisoned Discord and ushered a new age for ponykind. Or so they would’ve thought.
First month since Discord’s imprisonment – First month of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
The land was healing thanks to the united efforts from the three tribes and the new rulers, some areas would take years, or even decades, to be whole again.
But the hearts and minds of those who lived under this period would take generations.
Famine, neighbor against neighbor, would fight for scraps of food.
Despair, caused all of them to fight for the remnants from their lives, material belongings caused greediness on few, they would steal and kill for more than they’d need.
Resentment, revenge on those that misdeed them.
Bandits attacked the towns in search of richness and mercenaries were paid to protect towns.
Wild animals, be them cockatrices or manticores, dragons or devils, would prey on the weak.
Necromancers would raise armies and battles would be fought by the undead, the living paid an even bigger price, neither blood nor soul was spared.
A time where power, manipulation and crimes, were of the most common doing, the powerful got more powerful, the weak got weaker.
“Enough!” Said the elder sister. “We shall not tolerate this! An army shall be raised! A dungeon shall be built into the northern mountains! And harmony will be restored!” She proclaimed.
Across all the land, individuals were conscripted regardless of tribe, they would be later named the Royal Guard.
The dungeon was built, the mountain was hollowed and the imprisoned Spirit of Disharmony was housed within, his magic was syphoned and used to strength the stone, nothing would be able to get in or get out, it would be later named the Canterlot castle, as a means to disguise its true purpose.
The Royal Guard scoured the land, all sorts of criminals would be throw into the dungeons, regardless of crime, and pay their sentence. The dangerous beasts would be driven back or killed. Order was slowly being restored.
Year 18 of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
Cloak was a male unicorn, unlike most other ponies, he wasn’t conscripted into the military, he was a willing volunteer. The payment was good and justice was served, he saw many atrocities during his time, but he was unbreakable under every situation. He was skilled in illusory magic, blending with the surrounds and making no sounds. He tracked and hunted criminals. He rejected his promotion to Captain of the Royal Guard under the pretense that he would be better able to serve his kingdom, delivering justice with his own hoofs.
Dagger was a female pegasus, she had an unfortunate life, she was born at the beginning of the Two Sisters reign, she experienced all the bad things life had to offer, and she offered life the best she could to live. She would steal, find odd jobs, starve and be homeless. She threatened, but never murdered, the right pony born at the wrong time, her parents told her. Maybe her parents were the reason she had learnt to be this way, after all, she learned it from them.
Cloak meet Dagger during a search in random town in the middle of nowhere, a few miles west from Canterlot, a place where simple farmers were making a living. A body was locked in stasis by one of the unicorn residents, only waiting for the Royal Guard to arrive.
He searched through every corner of the town, yet nothing, his magic was useless against the unknown enemy, by the time that he was willing to call it a day, one of his squad mates appeared with the mentioned pegasus.
“She was hiding this!” He threw a dagger into the ground.
Cloak examined the weapon, definitely was the murder weapon, still, no residual magic from the involvement could be found in the perpetrator. He was perplexed.
“I swear it wasn’t me! I saw the creature, called itself a changeling, some sort of insect pony! It transformed into me and did it!” They both knew she had been telling the truth, he had troubles believing in an imaginary creature, she knew fully well she was framed for the crime.
“HA! The captain will love to hear this, regardless, you are charged with murder, tomorrow at sunrise you’ll be hanged, may Celestia and Luna forgive you.” That was the capital punishment for murder, on the few cases that it had been proven to be in self-defense or accident, the guilty would be freed.
But on this case he had nothing and all evidences appointed to her. He searched the town for hours, every corner and resident this time, to his sadness, nothing was found. If the true murderer had been really smart, it would’ve left the town already, he went to the pegasus to confirm his suspicion.
They talked, he saw the innocence and harshness she had lived with, they talked about her past crimes: the main and only being thievery. If he could prove it wasn’t her, he would’ve done it, but there was nothing he could do, he felt the guilt of an innocent upon him. He wouldn’t let this happen.
“If I let you escape, promise me you’ll never commit a crime again.” She nodded between her sobs and tear of happiness. She was locked in a magic prison, no way to escape, only the local officer would be able to dispel it, or the would be Royal Captain.
Between teleports and invisible shrouds they left the place. In a few hours of walking he dropped the spell and took his armor. He knew the punishment for traitors, it unsettled him. He would find a way help others, regardless of his allegiances. He looked at her and she immediately planted a kiss on him.
That day, they both fell in love.
Year 21 of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
They’ve been on the run since that day, settling into the far northwestern corner of the kingdom, the town of Small Tale. He finally proposed her and together, led a happy life.
He heard about innumerous incidents, the most recent being the revolt of Cloudsdale, the pegasi left the kingdom, the Royal Guard was instantly summoned to subdue the rebels, since the earth kin were unable to participate due to the nature of the conflict, only unicorns were called.
It was a massacre, the fields were littered with bodies of the sky and magical kin, that day would be latter remembered as the Massacre of the Unicorn Range, the day when the sky wept, the magical veil was sundered and the earth feasted.
Cloak was happy he left their company, he would never be able to forgive himself. He saw from the outside the atrocities committed in the name of harmony.
Year 21.5 of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
It was happiest moment of Cloak and Dagger’s life, she was pregnant with his child and soon a parental bond would be formed. They knew the meaning of love.
Year 21.6 of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
“None shall escape Justice!” Was the Royal Guard motto, it could take days, months or 21 years, but they would eventually find their targets.
His house was in flames, magical fire burned everything he had. His home was taken from him.
His spouse was there, at the tree, the blowing as she sways back and forth. His lover was taken from him.
His child was unborn, the one that would never see the light of the day, laugh, play. His happiness was taken from him.
But his vengeance, wouldn’t be taken from him. He waited for nightfall and delivered a silent death to the ones who cursed him with their doings.
Still, nothing would replace what was lost… or could it be? He remembered the day he was introduced into the Royal Guard, the tale of the power from a god, the same god who threatened the land during his foalhood days, the power to change reality, the power to will things… the power to bring his love back to life.
“Below the Castle of Carterlot lies the Chamber of Chaos.”
He would have his family back.
Year 22 of the Royal Pony Sisters reign
He did everything within his grasp to achieve his goal, he worked hard for his money, he manipulated all and everything within his grasp, he killed those who hindered him, all for this moment.
His memories of the castle were still clear as the memories he carried with the dagger within his hoof, the dungeons and later the vault were deep into the mountain.
Using magic and subterfuge he finally did it, he reached the final step, an immense stone door waited for him.
“Eternal death awaits any who would seek to steal the treasures secured within this room.”
He knew the risks, the reward was too high for someone who had nothing to lose. He charged his horn and opened the door, there he saw it, a pool if unlimited magical energies, ready for the taking.
He was careful as always, searching for any traps that would otherwise cause the abrupt end of his journey, nothing. Surely clear of it, he went to the vortex and drank from the mana.
He was feeling heavy and slow, he noticed he had stopped breathing and feeling his fur, he looked back into the crystalline pool and saw it, he was being turned to stone, there was nothing he could do.
“I failed.” A single tear escaped his stony eye, the last thought he had was that he would be together with his family.
“So speaks the Ladies of Sun and Moon, and so it is written.”
The moon sister strode into the chamber. “Another one…” She thought. “Celestia, we can’t do this anymore.” She said.
The sun sister followed in her wake. “My dear sister, trust us, it is for the best. It is a small price we pay.”
“The price is too great, does the future holds such a promising fortune?”
“Harmony is just a step away and the peace will be the greatest prize.”
Celestial lifts the statue in a magical grip and crushes it, spreading the material into the chamber walls. “You too shall server a greater purpose.” She thought.
They left the vault.