The Book Most Ancient and Holy: Volume 1

by Colt McCoy

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, Princess Luna, Original Character, Random, Discord, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 2267

I have set out to write a composition that is a sort of "mythology" of sorts for Equestria. Enjoy!

The ways of Equestria have been so for all of eternity.
Everypony knows how the sun sets, the rivers flow, the trees groan, and the mountains stand.
Everypony knows the joy of the birth of foals, and the heartache of the death of old mares.
Just as these truths hold eternal and ever-present, the roots of this world shall forever be known to all...

Published 2011-10-17 03:56:43 UTC
Last updated 2011-10-18 23:46:12 UTC

1: Of What Came Before

Of What Came Before

First, there was nothing.

A swirling, violent maelstrom of nothing. A void which beckoned and called to be filled, a starving absence of life that demanded action. Thus it is known to all ponies simply as the Hunger.

From the Hunger sprang forth everything we know today. The earth and water, the clouds and fire, even Celestia herself. To it we owe everything, of it we know nothing. It just simply was, and without having to be comprehended, existed.

It bodes well for ponies not to dwell on such things as the Hunger. Many an erudite old stallion has gone mad musing over the existence of such an entity. Ponies would be wise to glean a single lesson: from the Hunger the world arose, and to the Hunger it shall return again. Everything shall pass.

3: Of the First Ponies

Of the First Ponies

Thus things were. For many eons, these entities simply existed. Then, with a spark of Magic, the eyes of the gods turned downwards towards the land. Life had begun.

In those early days, very few walked the harsh land that was Equestria. The dragons slept dormant in the mountains, not yet having been woken by the new life surrounding them. As for the rest of the land, three species alone occupied it.

It was only fitting that the first race to touch the virgin soil of Equestria was the noble lineage of the Earth Ponies. The strongest and sturdiest of the three lines, they share a deep bond with the land around them. Although they do not possess any magic of their own, they are inseparably tied to the magic of Equestria itself.

The next race to appear was the Pegasi. These graceful creatures soared through the untouched skies of Equestria, settled them, and made them their own. Many will attempt to explain the flight of the Pegasi through their hollow bones; however, if you ask one yourself, they would explain it simply as a magic of their own.

Lastly, the unicorns came forth. Their awesome might stems from their union with Magic, that ancient power above all others. Through their horns they corral its strength towards earthly goals, and bend that power to their will.

A pony would be wise to observe these differences and respect others for their strengths. But in those days, they were not so wise.

4: Of the First Days

Of the First Days

First sprang forth Discord, and he was first to rule.

He fixed his gaze upon these new ponies and delighted in what he saw. He saw their intelligence, their will, and their powers, but most of all he saw vessels for what he loved most: disharmony.

The evil draconequus swooped down to the new land. He spread the whispers among the people, and laughed as they spread like wildfire from a single spark. His means were simple, and his plan terrible. Soon after the ponies had all arrived, they were quarreling. The Earth Ponies resented the Unicorns for their magical abilities. The Unicorns, in turn, grew jealous of the Pegasi for their graceful flight. The Pegasi soon blamed the Earth Ponies for the bad weather that their rage had caused Equestria to unleash. All this infighting was the work of Discord alone.

As the ponies quarreled on and on, the weather became worse and worse. Equestria could not bear to see her children strained so. Finally, a blizzard was unleashed upon the land. The pain and suffering were so much for the ponies that they were forced to move where they could, perpetually attempting to outrun the wrath of the storm. Yet everywhere they went, they bickered, and the storm increased.

Finally, the ponies ran into a mountainside. The blizzard advanced on them like a wall of cold fury, and they did their best to silently hunker their cold bodies down. Then, the miraculous happened. Some say it was a twist of fate; others suggest it was Celestia’s intervention. Whatever the case, the ponies began to discover, one by one, that the only way they could keep warm from the storm was by gathering in close and sharing the only thing they had: the warmth of each other. Just as soon as they gained this communal haven, the storm disappeared. The world warmed, and the ponies stayed together. The Unicorns built the famed city of Canterlot with their magic, and invited all ponies to join them there in a celebratory party. Every year, the Grand Galloping Gala celebrates their triumph over disharmony within themselves.

However, a foe still lingered above Equestria, not yet banished from their hearts.

5: Of the Establishment of Peace

Of the Establishment of Peace

Until this point, Celestia and Luna had been faithful in their duties towards their respective cosmic bodies. Never straying from their cause, never even glancing down to Equestria to see what was happening. But now, as the ponies began to live in harmony, it awoke them from their heavenly slumber. They looked down to Earth and saw a new magic forming: that of friendship, between all of the ponies of Equestria.

But they also saw Discord, spiraling up and away from Equestria, ready to pester them. When they came face to face with the foul spirit, they could feel his evil aura. They knew then that Discord had to be stopped for good, else he venture back to Equestria and sow again the seeds of dissonance. But as they took turns fighting him, they realized his magic was too powerful. They simply could not best him.

The eternal alicorns needed something else, something more to defeat him. Thus for a second time they turned their gaze to Equestria, where new magic was constantly brewing. And as they did, they watched these new ponies. They saw what made them powerful and strong, and what kept them together. The ponies had loyalty and honesty, and generosity and kindness. Even laughter contributed to their newfound bonds. And, as always, a little bit of magic contributed to everything.

Celestia and Luna grasped these six qualities and crafted of them the Elements of Harmony. Harnessing their immense magical power, they came together and finally defeated Discord, trapping him forever in a prison of stone. Having banished this ancient evil from the realm of Equestria, the land could finally enter peace.
Many a filly wonders where one could find these incredible Elements of Harmony, or what they would look like. A wise pony knows that although Celestia and Luna did craft them into tangible objects, these qualities, like numbers or morals, were not invented – they were discovered. Thus, to find them and harness their power like the sisters eternal, a pony must turn to a pony’s self.

6: Of the Great Battle

Of the Great Battle

So it was, after Discord had been vanquished. Equestria lived in harmony. The ponies spread across the land, the animals roamed freely through the wild, and the sisters eternal looked down in approval on the peaceful world.

These idyllic years were peaceful for everypony. We remember them as a pony remembers their halcyon filly days: full of joy and bliss, ignorant of what the future has in store and mindfully enjoying everything life has to offer. However, as the years progressed, one pony was not too fond of the proceedings.

Luna, ever watchful of the ponies she and her sister had come to love, now felt a growing resentment. The ponies lived and laughed and loved in the warm glow of her sister’s sun. But when the soft glow of the moon touched the face of Equestria, they receded into their homes to sleep. Luna felt slighted by their rejection of her beautiful night. Every night, her bitterness grew bit by bit.

One fateful night, Luna did the unthinkable. In the middle of the night, she held the moon still, refusing to lower it. Some ponies say it was out of the rage felt towards her sister for receiving all the love of the ponies; others say it was out of desperation, just wanting the ponies to see her beautiful moon. Whatever the reason, Celestia confronted Luna. A great argument was heard from on high, and everypony in Equestria could hear the terrible shouting. In the aftermath, Luna was no more. In the younger sister’s place was a frightful mare known only as Night Mare Moon.

Celestia’s magic, although slightly superior to Luna’s, was no match for Night Mare Moon’s. Her anger drove her to such power that Celestia could not overcome her and keep the moon moving through the sky. Night Mare Moon proclaimed that the moon would forevermore stay suspended in the sky, and eternal night would rule the land. So, once again, Celestia called upon the Elements of Harmony to protect Equestria from evil.

Summoning all the magic of the Elements, Celestia banished Night Mare Moon from the skies, and bound her to the moon she once controlled. As suddenly as the conflict had begun, it was over. Celestia had restored order to Equestria, and saved the day. The ponies rejoiced and held a party for Celestia, who came down to celebrate with them. However, in banishing Night Mare Moon, Celestia had lost her only companion – her loving sister. Seeing no other option, Celestia vacated her heavenly throne and came to live on the surface of Equestria with her beloved ponies.

Thus the current state of Equestria came to be. Celestia rules from her castle in Canterlot, and all ponies are her loyal subject. Everypony lives in relative harmony, strained only somewhat by the schism of the sisters eternal. Since the banishment of Night Mare Moon, pony civilization as we know it has grown. We began to settle down and farm, record our history, and study the sciences. Every day, we continue to grow. We owe all of our progress to the first pony: the one who has once and again saved us from peril, the one who raises the sun and moon, and the one who watches over all of us. We owe everything to Celestia.

These are simply the ways of Equestria.

*****END BOOK 1*****

2: Of the Powers that Rule Our Realm

Of the Powers that Rule Our Realm

The Hunger beckoned for substance, and the call was answered. Nopony can say how or why, and nopony will ever be able to. That is simply the way of Equestria. But it is known to everypony what young deities answered this call.

The first to spring forth was a terrible spirit. His words, expertly placed in the hearts of ponies, can spur them to terrible deeds. His actions, deftly kissing our Equestrian dimension, are the plight of ponies everywhere. He is the antithesis of everything good and whole – he is Discord, the spirit of disharmony.

Second came the sisters eternal, Celestia and Luna. As much as Discord represents dissonance, these two stand for unity. However, they are nothing alike. One is as beautiful as the sun is radiant, and as wise as it is old. The other is mysterious as the distant night sky and dark as the far side of the moon. Their counterbalance is what keeps the rhythm of Equestria’s days and nights, their wisdom what governs its ponies. Their union is life.

Third came our land, Equestria. A spirit in itself, Equestria is the mother that sustains us all. It gives us the soil we farm and live on, the water we drink, and the sky we fly, and asks for nothing in return. It is the simplest of the gods, and yet, in some ways, the most profound. Some argue the land isn’t a spirit, it just is. However, ask any Earth Pony and they will tell you – the land holds a certain type of indescribable magic.

That brings us to the last and most powerful deity of them all. That title belongs to Magic. Magic can be studied and learned, and mastered by powerful unicorns, but can never be fully understood. That’s simply what makes it Magic. Some say Magic is even older than the Hunger itself. The only thing that can be known for sure about Magic is that nopony can ever fully comprehend it.

The wise pony grasps one lesson: without Luna, there is no Celestia. Without Celestia, there is no Luna. Without Discord, there are no sisters eternal. Without all the struggle of the world, there is no joy of life. Without dark, no light. And Magic? Magic is above all else.

Preamble

Preamble

The ways of Equestria have been so for all of eternity. Everypony knows how the sun sets, the rivers flow, the trees groan, and the mountains stand. Everypony knows the joy of the birth of foals, and the heartache of the death of old mares. Just as these truths hold eternal and ever-present, the roots of this world shall forever be known to all.

Know these words which are given to all ponies, and bind them to your heart; let them be a light to you when none exists outside of it. Learn these stories and fasten them in your head; let them be a gift to your young. Become the righteous pony that all seek to be, and you may wrap your triumph around you as a cloak when you lay to die.

These are the ways of Equestria. This is the way of the pony. Thus it has been for a thousand years, and shall be forevermore.