Equestrian Knights

In the beginning there was a Throne, a Queen, and her loyal Knights. For an insurmountable amount of time that was the status quo of all the cosmos, and it seemed it would continue infinitely. However, nothing can progress in a vacuum, and so the entities known as Fate and Destiny intervened, causing a change of epic proportions. In the wake of this cataclysm, the Queen lost her Throne, and her Knights lost their physical forms, as well as their individuality; only their power remained, crystallized in stone. Being immortal, the Queen could not die, but she was now a shadow of what she was, and could not return to where she'd been and thus her Throne was left vacant. Unable to contain its own power, the Queen's Throne lashed out with all its primordial might, raising mountains, filling oceans, and sprouting life like weeds.

Lacking the means to mediate this spontaneous eruption of energy, the Queen watched events unfold, and for a time all was well. On the small planet that served as the Queen's exile and home, life evolved until one species came to dominate the primitive world; a race of beings that walked on four legs, and devoured grass of all things. Intrigued by these creatures the Queen carefully monitored their progress, but took great pains in avoiding direct contact in fear of causing more harm than good. Over the ages the Ponies, as they came to call themselves, evolved into three subcategories; Earth Ponies, who retained their primitive ancestors appearance, Pegasi, who gained the gift of flight, and Unicorns, who became in tuned with the ethereal energies of the cosmos itself. The Queen was so happy to have had the opportunity to see these wonderful creatures evolve, that she no longer cared for her own misfortune, and now only wished to watch over them forever.

However, unbeknownst to her, in the darkest corner of the planet, something else has been watching her little Ponies mature as well, though his interest differed from hers. It came swift and without warning, whole cities were razed, thousands perished, and that was merely the beginning. The Dark Entity spread its influence among the masses, and it was not long till suspicion and paranoia threatened to destroy the Pony's unity. Refusing to watch any longer, the Queen sought out nine Ponies, three of each race, and empowered them with the mystic energies of her former Knights. Thus enchanted, the Queen lead the new Knights against the Dark Entity, and after a war that lasted for fifty years, they proved victorious.

Using her magic, the Queen sealed the Dark Entity away in a black pearl, and then cast it into the heart of a mountain at the edge of the world. With peace restored, the Queen sought to return to her philosophy of inaction, as well as reclaim her Knights' mystic powers. However, one evil was merely replaced by another, for though the Dark Entity maybe gone, its influence endures within the hearts and minds of her little Ponies. The Ponies quickly grew distrustful of one another, Kingdoms were formed, alliances were made then broken, and it wasn't long till many wars broke out. Seeing no other way, the Queen allowed the Knights to keep their powers, so long as they use them for the good of all Ponies, and maintain peace across the divided lands; they agreed.

Many more years passed, and the Knights kept to their word, even until their final days. When the day came that the last Knight drew her final breath, the Queen feared chaos would ensue, but the virtue of the Knights had somehow balanced the darkness in every Pony's heart, and the unity of old had been rekindled. Content with the knowledge that the Ponies may once again live as one, the Queen simply vanished into the shadows of history, but left behind nine standing stones. Legend has it that one day nine Ponies will be summoned to the stones, and be granted the Knights' powers to defeat the enemies of the equine race. None who live today know if there was any truth to this, but one young scholar was about to find out first hoof, and perhaps even more than she bargained for,