Chapters There was once a land of rolling fields, wispy clouds and jagged mountains. In this land there lived three tribes, their lives in symbiosis. The first tribe was the Earth Ponies, these where hardy creatures that lived on the plains, in the forests and hill sides. The Earth Ponies where skilled in manual tasks and most importantly farming. The second tribe was the Pegasus, these ponies where gifted with flight and could control the clouds. The Pegasus would change the weather to enable the Earth Ponies to grow more crops and received their share in food as such. The third tribe was the Unicorns, these Ponies where horned and gifted with magical powers. The Unicorns where skills in fine crafts and where the scholars of the three races, they could manipulate the climate though advanced magic to bring about the seasons so essential for the other ponies and also received food in turn.
While the three where reliant on each other through decades of cooperation as the years passed mistrust grew between the tribes. The Pegasus living in the clouds and in the high reaches of the world became increasingly cut off, developing their own cultural practices. The Pegasus where the most warlike of the races forming a warrior caste and fulfilling any defensive purposes required of the tribes, this warlike culture though began to make them hostile. They became suspicious of the earth walkers believing that the Earth Ponies where not paying there due to them for the weather they gave them. The Pegasus became demanding and aggressive.
The Unicorns with their superior knowledge and skills began to look down upon the other tribes. They believed themselves monarchs over the others, accumulating great wealth and developing advanced social structure. They soon saw the Earth ponies as lesser with their lack of powers and the Pegasus as uncivilized. As such the Unicorns became snobby and despised by the others.
Faced with other races the Earth Ponies became greatly begrudged, believing there was no justice in their toiling the earth to create the food essential to those, which mistreated them. The Earth Ponies did not understand the Unicorns or Pegasus in their ways, which seemed so foreign and beyond their Earthly world.
And so the Earth Ponies became suspicious and resentful.
With such suspicion and mistrust the relationship worsened and worsened between the tribes. It was then a great tragedy began to befall them, a tragedy which would strain them to the brink. A great storm engulfed the land, snow covered the world and froze the earth. Such an event was devastating to the Earth Ponies who could not grow the crops; they immediately faced pressure from the other tribes so reliant on their crops. Faced with such critics the Earth Ponies blamed the Pegasus who after all where tasked with clearing the skies, was this a scheme to assert dominance? The Pegasus meanwhile confused at their inability to control the storm could only believe it must be the magic of the Unicorns, they after all could bring about the season of winter. The Unicorns being the first to have their food cut off blamed the Earth Ponies for hoarding the food which they believed should be rightly theirs.
All of the tribes felt shame in being unable to perform their tasks, the Earth Ponies where after all unable to tend the land they knew so well, the Pegasus to clear the sky and the Unicorns to change the season. However this shame was nothing compared to the scorn they poured upon the others who did not come to their aid or resolve a problem they must be responsible. In the setting of this emotion and crisis as great gathering was called with representatives from each race.
From the Earth Ponies came the eccentric Chancellor Puddinghead, The Unicorns sent Princess Platinum and the Pegasus Commander Hurricane. A gathering such as this was unheard of and the three leaders carried the weight of their people like never before, that weight became the desperate emotions of their tribes boiling over in to accusation. The Chancellor widely accused the Pegasus of failing their duty to control the sky, a deep insult for a proud race and then turned on the Unicorns throwing scone on their sacred magic as the cause. Princess Platinum dismissed the Pegasus as being equally inept and viciously defended their position insulted by the idea their magic had failed; they accused the Earth Ponies of hoarding food and slacking. For a race feeling deeply aggrieved and mistreated the Earth Ponies where angered to the point where Chancellor Puddinghead refused to ever give food to the Unicorns again or the Pegasus for that matter. Commander Hurricane had not come to be dismissed and insulted so after also heaping blame on the ‘weirdo’ unicorn magic he promised to retrieve the rumoured ‘hoarded food’ of the Earth ponies via any means necessary.
And so the conference ended with the Earth Ponies cutting themselves off from the others, the Pegasus readying for military action and the Unicorns snubbing both of them. The Earth Ponies of course could not survive, many had already succumb to the storm and their crops had failed. The Pegasus had no military strength left to commit, many had starved and their cloud homes where most exposed to the elements. Not even the Unicorns magic could save them from the ever worsening storm and lack of food so they too where on the brink. All of their respective commanders decided to only option was to leave in search of a new land.
Soon the Earth Ponies had found fertile green fields to grow their crops, the Pegasus had found a new peaceful area of sky and the Unicorns welcoming mountains race rich in gems. Quickly though they realised they had in fact stumbled upon the same land as each other. Racked with selfish desire and fear of their fellow Pony the tribes began to fight. Now free from the ravages storm and recovered with what food could be gathered the Pegasus struck out.
They swooped down upon the Earth Ponies demanding them to leave or subjugate. The Earth Ponies fought back and the Unicorns joined the fray. With such aggression a cold chill shuddered across the land. Suddenly the storm swept over the hills and battered the ponies. The tribes where forced to end their fight and shelter in a nearby cave.
In this cave Commander Hurricane, Princes Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead continued to bicker as the storm intensified so much it froze their very bodies. It was in this final hour of desperation that Commander Hurricanes second in command; Private Pansy stretched out the hoof of friendship to the others. The so-called Smart Cookie, the Chancellors adviser welcomed such friendship as did the unicorn scholar Clover the Clever of the Princess retinue. It was in this moment that something incredible happened, together they gave great power to Clover who used the warmth of their new found friendship to banish the cold. The cave thawed, as did the commander, chancellor and the princess. As their bodies thawed so did their hearts. Together the tribal leaders agreed to live cooperation once more and share the new land, the land they named Equestria.
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Twisted Desires and Disharmony - Discord's Story
Twisted Desires and Disharmony - Discord's Story
There was once a land known as Equestra, in this land there lived three races of pony. The first lived in villages of wood upon great open plains of fertile land where they frolicked in the fields, skipped through fruit groves and rolled around on bountiful bales of hey. They grew crops a plenty for the others to delight in for these where the Earth Ponies and they fed the world and kept the land.
The second flew through the sky on wings divine. They dwelt in a large cloud metropolis of wispy columned palaces and plazas known as Cloudsdale. It was here they homed their flying skills and learnt to master the weather of the world. These where the Pegasus and they protected the other Ponies from storm and sword.
The third race lived in beautiful cities of stone that looked out across the sea or perched up in high mountains. Here they wondered at beautiful gems, homed their magical skills and mused on matters of wisdom and foresight. These where the unicorns and they dealt in all that was beautiful and kept the heavens in order.
The three races lived in peace but not unity. They all had their own ways and customs, their own celebrations and stories. There was however one story that they shared. The legend of the Wendigos, cold malicious creatures which had come to feed on their mistrust bringing a freezing storm to turn the world as cold as their hearts. It was fear of this fate that kept them together in fellowship but as the years past a new spectre would haunt them.
Unknown, elusive and without form a dark power was forming throughout Equestria. It grew in strength when Earth Ponies bickered over the size of fields. It gathered power when Pegasus squabbled over glory. But most of all it found its potency in the dark magic of the Unicorns. Such strength it took from the magic of the unicorns, it was like a leech on their strength that it turned their minds dark and grey. Soon it crept into the dreams of all ponies of the land, stirring up their minds into a thick storm of wonder and confusion.
From the confusion came disorder. Dreams became nightmares and when the sleep of the land is disturbed so is the work of the day. Sluggish where the Pegasus clearers of the sky, lax where the harvest of the Earth Ponies and where once there was precision there was now negligence in the work of the Unicorns.
Meals became poor quality, craft work shoddy and soon enemies where at the door. The long peaceful realm of Equestria was beset upon by vicious wolves of timber, dragons of fire and all manner of dark creature to prey on the disorder of the land. Pony turned on pony and with the blame years of friendships where lost to distrust once more. From the disorder there had come Chaos and when Chaos takes form there are none who can resist it.
In this hour of despair a group of Unicorns turned to a dark ritual in order to coax the spectre from out of their nightmares and give their tormented minds respite from this plague. They focused in their magic and found it bent against their will, with the conditions of the world their tormentor had played them as puppets and now finally took its physical form. For emerged from the storm of Chaos there came the lord of Chaos, Discord.
Standing there before the unicorns they saw a creatures whose very existence insulted their ordered minds. Its body weaved up from a snake tail, it rived around on hoof of goat and dragon. It had an eagle claw and a lion paw and flapping upon its back was a wing of feather and one of scales. Its head was that of a pony with one antlered twisted out from its skull and the other pointed. Its eyes where of rich yellow which stared deeply into the soul. It had a mouth which couldn't resist slyly smirking as it relished in the madness of the world.
The unicorns tried to resist the creature but there was no resisting Discord. They fell under his spell within moments, enslaved to do the bidding of the puppet master. Colour was washed from the underlings of Discord and he had only just begun. Discord bellowed out a devious laugh and set about his plans to dominate the lands of Equestria.
With such distrust and panic in the air a creature of such power as Discord could quickly barter favour from the powerful ponies of Equestria. He released the Earth Ponies from their nightmares and brought back their harvests but left with no joy or pleasure in their hearts. They became slaves to his bidding. The Pegasus resisted him the strongest but they too could not tame the Chaos, the clouds turned to the colours of the rainbows and blundered round the skies knocking down any Pegasus in their way. The rainbows where drained of all their colour and sucked the fight from the souls of the Pegasus who looked upon them. Soon not even the mighty fortress city Cloudsdale had will to put up a fight. The Unicorns he was merciless against, he turned their love of gems into greed akin to that of a dragon. They mauled each other in the street for the smallest diamond and barricaded themselves in their homes for fear of thieves. Their libraries where burnt, palaces smashed and their thrones taken for his own.
Discord now ruled Equestria like no pony had done before, he took the most splendid Unicorn city, Canterlot, as his own and coronated himself King in a twisted ceremony. Once ruler he quickly succumbed to boredom and the Lord of Chaos turned madder still. He made day and night change instantaneously, turned rain to milk, suspended rocks in the air and changed the anatomy of woodland creatures to match his fancy. Cities of upside down houses floated above tentacle adorned trees with seven foot rabbits hunting legless deer. The erratic joy of their one twisted ruler brought perpetual misery upon his Pony subjects. There was no law. Life itself was torture. Chaos ruled supreme.
So it is here that the story might end, total suppression, no hope to cling too. Yet not so, some of the subjects of Discord where not under his total control, some unicorns had spared as many scrolls as they could from Discords purge. One scroll spoke of the arrival of two unicorns of great power over the heavens, perhaps enough magic would they wield that they could over power Discord's.
On one fateful night born into the camp of the resistance there came a foal named Celestia. Her magic was unrivalled to anything the Unicorns and seen, even though a mere child. She had a coat of brilliant white and a mane of all the colours of Sunlight. When she reached the age of training she summoned forth enough power to hold the sun in the sky, though but for a moment she over powered Discord and overcame his intent. Her flank became adorned with the mark of her talent upon completing this act; it was simply an image of the Sun. No sooner had this happened that her parents birthed a second child.
This foal named Luna was as black a night, her mane flicked with such a shine it was said you could see the stars within it. She in turn could hold the moon in the sky and sun beneath the horizon as Celestia could control the sun. Her cutie mark appeared on her flank as a moon among stars. The Unicorns where now sure the prophecy had come true but no sooner had this happened had the two sisters disappeared.
The ponies feared that Discord had learnt of their presence, disturbed by their sway over with the day and night and banished them. Indeed it was so that Discord now knew of the sisters and brought them before him. He mocked them and played with their childhood minds, twisting them before him. Chaos erases all prophecy he claimed yet that night the Moon lit up bright and the sky stayed darker than ever before. Veiled by the darkness Luna slipped away from his grasp. Then when day came the sun shone brighter than ever before and beneath its bright gaze Celestia slipped away from beneath Discords dazzled eyes. Perhaps he feared the two sisters or perhaps he relished in the challenge of a worthy new foe but Discord never brought them before him again and let them go about their business.
The two traveled the land of Equestria, inspiring resistance in the Earth Ponies they met. While those who had looked upon Discord could not be freed from his will all others where touched with a light that gave them strength within themselves. The Unicorns knew of their escaped reading the patters in the sky and the Pegasus they waited to present themselves too until the time was right.
The Sisters where touched by the friendship of the ponies they met and the ponies in kind. A new power crept into Equestria; Laugher was heard once again, Kindness was shown, Generosity given, Honesty became commonplace and Loyalty betwixt Ponies and unto their new hero’s given. Celestia and Luna were soon known throughout the land as the delivers of all from Discords veil of madness and misery.
Deliverance and liberation where not yet possible though and so scorned Discord to those which tried to establish order in his realm. Yet it was already becoming too late, even as he gathered an army of brainwashed pony slaves too protect his palace. For through the power of their kindred love, winged upon the hope of their people the Sisters brought into bloom the tree of Harmony. Its pure shining branches stood defiant in order against the whirling madness of Chaos, like a beacon onto the two sisters it beckoned them it and gifted them the elements of harmony. These six mighty relics embodied the power of friendship shown between the Ponies of Equestria; Laugher, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty and the last infused with the power of Magic.
Upon their creation Celestia and Luna summoned forth all of their power and brought balance once more to the heavens ending Discords rule of the Sun and Moon. With the power of the Elements and mastery of a new powerful magic effused with love and friendship the sisters ascended to a new level of existence. What is now known as Princesshood, they became Alicorns. They held the strength of an Earth Pony, the Wings of a Pegasus and the Magic of Unicorns, yet this magic was seemly boundless in comparison to a normal unicorn.
Now winged they flew up high above the land and rallied the Ponies to fight off their tyrant. Celestia flew above the lands of the Earth Ponies presenting herself to them and then finally returned to the unicorns. Luna flew up high to the Pegasus presenting herself as one of their own and gathered them up to resist. Together they then formed up on Canterlot and faced off Discords army. The Ponies of Earth, Pegasus of sky and Unicorns of power battled together in unity and Celestia and Luna broke into the palace to face Discord. Yet as the battle pitched the suddenly sky faded and all the world flooded.
Discord with all his power twisted the world to the limits of reality, air was water, the ground chequered pink, the palace and the armies gone. Still sure in his power unrivaled, he mocked and flirted with the Sisters yet with the power of the elements they had the strength to end his rule. Summoning forth all their power in unity they turned Discord into hard stone and ended his reign. In that moment out of Chaos there came harmony and all the world was returned as by miracle to normality.
Victorious the Free Ponies together united welcome back those who had been enslaved in mind. Now all three races where free but it seemed their perils would not leave them be without a protector. The chaos of Discord and the distant legend of the Windogos left a terrible scar. Such a scar though seemed to be healed upon gazing upon the Princesses of Equestria. So with willful submission the Pegasus, the Unicorns and the Earth Ponies crowned their beloved sisters supreme rulers and protectors of Equestria. What a reign would begin, unrivalled to this very day.
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The Glory and its Shadow, Part One - Luna’s story
There was once a great Kingdom of Equestria. From a wondrous hall, in glorious castle, in a forest of freedom did two Princesses rule. The first and elder was infused with a spirit of wonder, that all who looked upon her would see her as their Princess. She banished the shadows from the soul with her warming eyes. Her white coat shimmed with sanctity and purity. Her mane flowed eternally with all the brilliant colours of the morning light. Her reign was glorious, her power unbound. She had mastery over the sun itself. She was Celestia bringer of light and hope. She ruled the day.
The second and younger sister was infused with a spirit of enchantment, that all who looked upon her would be cast under her spell. She soothed the soul with her twinkling eyes. Her dark coat rippled with allure and mystique. Her mane flowed eternally with the swirling constellations of starlight. Her reign was wondrous, her power eternal. She had mastery over the moon itself. She was Luna bringer of darkness and peace. She ruled the night.
Through their benevolence and vigilance they did keep their Kingdom safe. One to care for the day and the other the night. They supported each other in rule and in life, for deep was the love of these two sisters. With their splendour came a great price; the burden of their people and the curse of immortality. Timeless was their life as if their existence was eternal but not was the lives of those they loved. Family passed into memory, friendships where fleeting and the pain grew with each year. To rule is to be lonely and with such a burden the isolation grows. Truly they only had each other.
The loneliness gripped Luna hardest. Celestia’s glorious rule of the day brought her praise and adoration. No such friendship did Luna know, the night was ignored. Its glory neglected, its beauty seldom wondered at. Worse pain of all was that as the years went on a distance grew between Luna and her sister. Celestia’s business took up such energy that even a Goddess of the Sun such her could not take the strain. Wars, plagues and crisis’ drained the Sun and soon it was only for brief moments in the twilight did the two share companionship.
Cut off from the world the Moon Princess began to despair, would anyone love her? Fearful and insecure Luna turned to her powers to try to find the adoration she surely deserved. Luna crept into the dreams of her subjects as was her duty to banish nightmares but now she sort to dazzle them with rich dreams of velvet emotions. The power of the dream enchantress captivated the minds of those who saw wonder in such things. Particularly did she mesmerize the minds of the young, children saw her in the light of a mystic love.
Even such little attention of little ponies was cherished by Luna, it seemed to her that those few which keep close to heart the glory of the night should keep together. If Celestia’s Kingdom was that of the day then Luna would forge a new Kingdom of the Night. She gathered to her all that would follow and left for a hidden place within the dark caves of the Equestrian mountains.
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Luna’s increasing despair and the now disappearance of ponies, many of them children would have caught Celestia’s eye if she had not been distracted by matters of increasing importance to the north. For far beyond the cold mountain passes of North Equestia there lay another realm of pony folk. The origins of this Kingdom where a mystery, it’s lands where expansive and strange. The jewel of realm was a vast city of crystal which gave its name to the realm; The Crystal Empire.
The beauty of the city was unrivaled, even Canterlot the great capital of Equestria could not match. Its building shimmered with shining stone, as did the coats of its inhabitants. Ponies of crystal they said, creatures of wonder and wisdom. The spire of the city reached to the heavens made of the clearest crystal known. Within the spire was the palace of the rulers of the Crystal empire. These Princess and Princes had kept on good terms with the Sisters of Equestria but of late they had fallen quiet.
The first inkling of danger crept into the mind of Celestia when the passes of Northern Equestria began to freeze in think solid snow. She sent word to the Empire but received no reply. Soon a great darkness was drifting over Equestria. Celestia feared the worse but still was reluctant to do anything, with her Kingdom in need of her aid and her Sister increasingly absent. Yet as the months past the darkness deepened, the same shadow she felt over the North began to drain the joy from her subjects. Perhaps it was the same presence that darkened Luna’s mood and drove her away, she did not know. What she did know was that she could no longer resist the threat, she need her sister.
Word reached Luna in her sanctuary that Celestia had summoned her. Tentatively she responded for she loved her sister dearly. Despite all her troubles there was no darkness in her heart, she did not feel bitter towards her sister. There was however little urgency in Luna, her secret corner of Equestria was protected by her magic and she knew not of the threat that loomed. Luna arrived in Canterlot in a mindset Celestia mistook for complacency. Scorn did Celestia pour upon Luna, anxious and weary from her duty she accused Luna of failing in hers. Stricken by such accusation the Luna Princess followed her sister north in a somber mood.
The coming of the Sun and the Moon to the Crystal Empire was like the shining of a torch to a long forgotten crevice. The light of hope and love that had once had the empire shimmer in brilliance had all but been extinguished. The Crystal Heart of the Empire was a thorn of darkness. An evil had posed the land and it was made manifest in the King of the Empire. As laid low was mood of his subjects so was the mood of the King, known now only as Sombra. Sombra the slave driver, Sombra the Dark King, Sombra darkest Heart.
The evil was overpowering, beyond comprehension of the two sisters but such compassion they felt towards the ponies they witnessed enslaved, toiling in misery that they committed to banish Sombra and store the Crystal Empire. They summoned forth there finest and loyalist soldiers to march on the Empire and gathered to them the Elements of Harmony that had delivered Equestria from the darkness.
The battle was a struggle unseen before outside the Crystal Spire. Dark minions and spirits of Sombra fought the shining guard of Celestia and fighters of Luna. Yet it was inside the Spire that the true battle was played out. Before the steps of the throne Celestia and Luna battled the power of Sombra.
Striking from the shadows with a spear of darkness Sombra struck out at Luna and felled her before the throne. Wounded but cling to life Luna struggled on, resisting the darkness around her and watching her sister battle the Dark King alone. Celestia now was locked in battle against a tide of unimaginable evil, she called upon the elements but they gave no answer. Desperate, her thoughts on her dyeing sister she succumbed to Sombra. Visions filled her mind of her most fearful nightmare. She saw Luna turned to darkness and her kingdom ripped apart. Sombra told her such things where her fate but against the tide of terror she took a final gasp of hope and charged the hall with light breaking the trance.
Falling to her knees Celestia was lost of her strength, tearful and crying out for her sister she heard a whisper from her side, that of Luna. In that brief moment their sibling love charged the Elements of harmony, which struck out at Sombra The dark kings body was thrown back shattering as it clattering upon the throne itself, a bitter scream of anguished filled the hall. For a moment the darkness vanished but then it rushed out across the room flashing through the minds of Luna and Celestia. The Elements of Harmony flicked and the walls of the hall disappeared.
The two sisters now stood alone in the middle of an arctic wasteland. The Crystal Empire had vanished; its subjects, its houses, its mighty spire, the palace and vast library, the live stock and crops, all gone. Only a void of ice remained and upon it stood the two princess of Equestria surrounded by a thick storm of snow. As the snow began to clear their where figures visible, pulling themselves up from the snow. The remnants of Equestrian army had survived it seems. A hand full of guards and passed through to the other side along with the Princesses.
It seemed that Sombra’s power could only be banished along side the Empire he possessed. The survivors combined arctic via a starlight which quickly healed Luna of all her wounds. They found no reminisce of the Empire savour one. Buried in the snow they found the remains of the dungeons of the Crystal Empire and within it, huddled together, the few surviving members of the Royal family of the Empire. Broken and tortured, their love for one other had kept them protected from the darkness and a higher destiny drawn them out of the curse that had befallen their realm. Celestia took them under her wing and as they all returned to Equestia gave them hidden sanctuary to heal. The story of the Crystal Empire was over for now but the true ordeal was only just beginning. For what evil they had faced in the Empire of Crystal was only what evil they took with them, as an illusion its darkness and spender was and as the Empire vanished before their eyes all that it was filled their hearts.