A Brief History of Equestria

by K9Thefirst1

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Original Character
Length: 60951

A look at how Equestria formed from the Tribal States to the Unitary Diarchy State of today.

[img]http://oi58.tinypic.com/b3x10k.jpg[/img]

Congratulations on choosing this, the first edition of A Brief History of Equestria!

For far to long, the vitally important role of educating our foals of the history of our nation has been delegated to Folk Lore and word of mouth, while the realities of the past have been documented, stored and educated only to the elite. It is therefore the intent of myself, the Royal Historical Society, and the Royal Ministry of Education to provide the common pony with access to a document that offers as full a history of Equestria as can be practically provided, which is the tome you now hold in your hooves.

Keep in mind that no single book cannot replace a properly structured and scheduled classroom on the subject, and while an Encyclopedia format would give a much more comprehensive narrative, the copious amounts of information would render the exercise counter-productive. As such, this book can only give what amounts to a summary of an abridged version at best. It is my hope that everypony who reads this gains an insatiable thirst for more. Hopefully with further editions, more knowledge can be included, along with a collection of tie-in texts that focus more closely on specific areas of interest.

-Twilight Sparkle, M.B.A., on behalf of the Royal Ministry of Education.

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Published 2012-05-01 20:04:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-19 05:00:43 UTC

A Word from Their Majesties

A Word from Their Majesties

Hello reader.

When Twilight Sparkle wrote to me about how no pony in her current home of Ponyville knew who Star-Swirl the Bearded was, which my sister Luna confirmed, I was shocked. Star-Swirl was without a doubt the wisest and most powerful unicorn mage of his time, and certainly on par with very few in all of history. Furthermore, for the brief time I knew him, he was one of the friendliest ponies I have ever met, and so the thought of him becoming forgotten disturbed me. In the further outlying provinces and on the frontier sure, after all, education is secondary when survival is on the line, but not so close to the capitol. If anypony deserves even the slightest eternal recognition, it is him.

Twilight recommended that she set up and teach a community college class on Equestrian history. It was a thoughtful gesture. However, I thought that something longer lasting, and more readily accessable, than a three-hour a week course would be more appropriate given the subject matter, and given the long history that Equestria’s story possesses, something which also had a little brevity would work as well. Therefore, I suggested that Twilight, along with scholars from the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Ministry of Education, write a book detailing the subject.

And so my little pony, I trust that you treat the knowledge that has been entrusted to you with care, because Knowledge, much like Friendship, holds so much magic.

-With love, Lady Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Equestrian Day

Salyutashons faire reedre

Hafinge bin gon theese past 1000 years, I hast much to groweth use too. The times changeth much en mein absense frome the worlde. I stil rememmbre quen Ecuestria was bute a skatred collekshon of smal statelets, waytinge too ter eashothre aparte ef nought fore my sistre and I holdinge there leadres lishes taught.

Und now Ecuestria es a vast land. Singuler in ets identitie, and the plase of one’s birthe es no matter. Exceptinge fore the few oferlie proud und boastfule.

The storey of Ecuestria es a most exsitinge taile my leettl ponies, and should bee cherished leik a rare yem.

Ut vobis requiem bene. Domina-Principem Luna, Dictatrix Speciosam Nocte

The Three Tribes

The Three Tribes

Documentation is more and more difficult to find the further and further back in time one looks. This is due to the fact that the farther back, the less accessible education becomes, and thus the fewer literate ponies there are to even write down their experiences, let alone the histories of their homes. Also, any documents that are made may be destroyed any time between when they are created to the time they are finally recorded in a more durable form with enchantments. Fire, flood, invasion, simple forgetfulness. These can all lead to vital information being lost forever. And finally, there is time itself. Time is the great enemy of anything that wants to last forever. Paper rots, enchantments fade, and even stone fades away under the onslaught of the elements.

It is because of these factors that the exact nature of the circumstances surrounding the three pony races drifting apart into their own paths is not clearly understood. One commonly held theory among historians is that the three types of pony merely stuck together out of both habit and the shared need to survive, which required teamwork, and small numbers. Once settling in the river valley, suddenly the need to get along or else was gone. And with the thousands of square acres of space suddenly available without a predator in sight, ponies could afford to wonder off and do as they pleased. This is a very cynical viewpoint, but sadly, given the archeological evidence, it is the most likely.

That is not suggesting that Pegasi abandoned their land-bound comrades at once, or that the Unicorns ran off immediately however. Rather, the three races stayed around the same settlement (the kernel that would eventually become the Bucklyn borough of Manehattan) for a few generations, possibly as long as 500 years, before drifting apart. That said, it is still difficult to map out the actual sociological and cultural mentality that would lead to such a split, or even give a likely candidate of who suggested it, if anypony.

Furthermore, the transition period between separation and the three races forming their own tribes is a virtual blank, with only scattered references that grant only the vaguest of timelines for this period in history, and most of these are immersed in so much myth and legend that it is hard to separate the Lore from History.

The Celestine Junta

Motto: Shield and Sword, Provider and Dictator

The Junta would be what we would today call a Military Dictatorship. However, the title is misleading. A Military Dictatorship brings to mind an illegal occupation of one’s own land, holding your own nation hostage while imposing your rule with an iron hoof without any legal authority or right to rule. Instead, it would be more accurate to call the Junta a Stratocracy: a legitimate government where the military and the government are one and the same. All holders of political positions are also ranked within the power structure of the military, backed by its own constitution of what powers it will and will not take.

The Founding Myth of Celestine states that they were founded by the pegasi mare twins Celest and Silus, and their story goes as follows:

After leaving the other tribes, the Pegasi were scattered amongst the sky, fighting each other over clouds and foraging territory in the forest and brush land below. Their mother was pregnant, but foraged for herself as she had no stallion to do so for her, and she took advantage of other pegasi fighting to get to the food before either of them could claim it for themselves. Then one day, Celest and Silus’ mother went into labor while on the ground, giving birth to the twins in a group of huckleberry bushes. While the mother was still recovering, a pack of Timber Wolves attacked. After a struggle of six hours (some versions claim six days, or six months, others as little as six seconds), the entire pack was driven off, with most of the members either dead or mortally wounded. The mother, meanwhile, still recovers, even as she nurses the twins. For the next three days, Celest and Silus’ mother rests, building her strength to return to the sky. Then on the dawn of the fourth day, a manticore attacks. The first blow is a sting to the mother’s chest. The venom of the beast weakens her, and eventually she dies (this is highly unusual, as the manticore never ventures outside of its territory of the forest).

After feasting on the mother, the manticore then smells the twins, and proceeds to stalk over to gobble them up.

However, the twins, both just under a week old, instead attack the manticore, with Silus biting the scorpion tail clean off at the base in one bite (ignoring that the base of a manticore tail is wider than a foal’s whole head at that age) while Celest grabs the head and turns it completely around. The twins then use the tail to open up the manticore’s belly, which the two climb in for shelter. The next day, the Spirits send a steer to the infants, who nurses the two until they are big enough to fly on their own and go home (which really ought to mean that it wasn’t a steer, but that’s what the translation says). The visual of a bovine suckling two fillies became the very essence of the Celestine Founding Myth.

After returning home, the twins become Cloud Shepherds, guiding rainclouds across the Earth Pony lands, dropping off water in exchange for food to bring back to the rest of the Pegasus Tribe. At the same time, Celest and Silus take note of how the scattered sky settlements of their tribe and the often vicious fighting over food weakens them, and how the other two tribes secretly laugh at them from below. Celest is much offended by the state of affairs and longs to do something to change it. Silus on the other hoof, ignores it, instead wishing to flirt with stallions and sleep, advising her sister to do the same.

But that changes when the Griffin Empire comes knocking on the valley’s door. At the threat of invasion, the three tribes begrudgingly unite. The Empire is driven back, and the pegasi suffered the most, having lost two out of three ponies in the battles. In the aftermath, Celest steps up into the spotlight, organizing the whole tribe into a cohesive whole. She forces everypony into drilling exercises, forging a military powerhouse in a few years, ensuring that such a crushing military defeat would be impossible. She also oversees the formation of all of the clouds in and around the valley into a veritable curtain of cloud, building a large city on it. Celest names it Silusopolis, after her sister.

Silus, however, is anything but impressed. In fact she is livid, saying that Celest should not have wasted so much time. The two get into an argument, and eventually Silus lets slip that she sold out to the Griffins in exchange for assurance of the safety of herself and Celest. Enraged, Celest attacks her sister, who fights back. Eventually, Celest manages to kill Silus. In part because of her wounds, and in part because of the realization of what she had just done, Celest dies. The city, and thus the nation, is renamed Celestine.

From the archeological record, the story is at best an exaggeration, an allegory at worst. Ignoring the story of their birth, there is no evidence whatsoever that the Griffin Empire, which was near its peak at this time, even knew that the region even existed, let alone mounted an invasion so far from their direct borders. That said, there is a spike in Pegasi graves around the estimated time of Celestine’s founding (ca. 3062 BW), most being dealt wounds from weapons, suggesting that something happened.

The Kingdom of Unicorns

Motto: Scepter and Wand, Magic and Beauty

The Unicorn Kingdom was unique in that it, as the title suggests, was a Patriarchal society as opposed to a Matriarchal society like the Celestine Junta and the Hyracotherium Republic. In the Junta, their constitution specifically mentions that Mares are to hold positions of authority, especially in the uppermost ranks, and while the Republic had no condition, the academic consensus is that it was just assumed that a mare would run for and be elected into office.

As the story goes, when the Unicorns settled the mountains, a small number of the more able-bodied amongst them managed to make the largest claims. These individuals and their families quickly acquired copious amounts of wealth, to the point where they could afford to hire others to mine their claims for them in exchange for a small cut and protection. These families soon set up the areas surrounding their claims as their own little fiefdoms that they effectively ruled. Ancient miner’s terms for how large or small or how valuable the veins of wealth were underneath their hooves soon became titles that ranked each master of the household according to his or her peers. This was the origin of the nobility that now exists in a much changed form in modern Equestria.

Within a generation the unicorn lords and ladies were ready to tear into each other in the hunt for more wealth. However, the most powerful among them in terms of influence and wealth was one Grand Archduke Æthelric the Stern of Two Dozen Sons, declared himself High King over all unicorns in ca. 3293 BW. In order to keep the other unicorns in line, Æthelric allowed the other nobles to keep near total autonomy over their own lands, so long as they all pledged fealty to him and his successors, promising to donate soldiers and coin in times of war. As his wealth meant that he could fund much larger armies on his own than any one of the nobles, and none of the nobles would be willing to work together against him and they knew it, the other Lords and Ladies agreed; thus setting up the Feudalism system of the Kingdom that would last up until the Warming, which would eventually become the bane of the Kingdom as well.

The Hyracotherium Republic

Motto: Plow and Ax, Husbandry and Sustenance

As far as can be seen, The Hyracotherium Republic may have been founded as early as 3501 BW, and thus is probably the oldest of the three tribes. With their two greatest sources of protection gone, the Earth Ponies had to organize quickly in order to make sure everypony was safe and accounted for.

The Democratic form of government was the product of necessity. With no concrete power structure to work off of in place, the Earth Ponies quickly turned to a hoof-ful of individuals who they felt would best lead them. This method of choosing leadership would remain in some form or fashion all the way up to modern day Equestria. Sadly, as the Earth Ponies were the most oppressed of the three tribes, having to feed not just themselves, but the other two tribes as well, we have very few records concerning the founding of the Republic, and no two agree with each other in even the slightest bit.

Political Realities

Political Realities

The Manehattan River Valley that served as the cradle for pony civilization was well protected, by the sea to the south, by the mountain chains to the north, east and west, and by vast uncharted territory beyond those. It was a most fortunate happenstance, because during these first few centuries of settlement and development, there were two great empires that shared the continent that would have wiped the pony tribes out to a mare without so much as a blip on their collective conscience.

The Mongrellian Horde

It is hard to believe that the packs of Diamond Dogs scattered about Equestria and the continent today are the descendants of a conquering horde whose empire covered more square miles than any other in history.

It all started in ca. 4199 BW with a Diamond Dog named Fluffy far to the Eastern desert, who united all of the Canis Tribes and declared the founding of the Mongrel state. With an ever burning desire for wealth in gems and precious metals, Fluffy’s horde proceeded to spread out in all directions, conquering civilizations left and right, enslaving many of the local populations, often ponies, as mine workers. If the stories are even half-true, the conditions in the mines were horrendous by any standard, with miners being worked to death, their bodies left to rot in the tunnels. Earth Ponies forced to pull overloaded carts up and down the tunnels; unicorns being almost totally drained of magic searching out deposits of gems, and being killed if they were unable to recover their reserves in time; and pegasi being locked in cages as living methane detectors, the physiology that made them able to survive at high altitudes and speeds also making them especially vulnerable to the poisonous gas.

Given the correlated dates, it is most likely that the nomads that would settle the Manehattan River Valley were in fact running from the ever expanding empire, stopping only when they made sure that it was safe, a condition the Valley gladly provided. Even though Diamond Dogs are excellent diggers, effective burrowing is only good for approximately half a mile in the best conditions. After that it becomes more and more difficult for the Dog to put forth the energy. The mountains that protected the River Valley are loaded with dense metamorphic rock, making effective burrowing nearly impossible, and after the Celestine Junta came into power, there was an addition military defense that made surface invasion a less appealing option. Therefore, other than a few stabs at the area, the Horde largely ignored the valley in favor of softer targets. Furthermore, the Horde had to deal daily with near constant slave rebellions, and by 2857 BW the Horde also had to deal with both the Griffin Empire, which was at its peak military might, as well as infighting over succession crises over which line of descent from Fluffy ought to rule. But the time of the Great Warming, the Horde was gone, leaving only scattered packs behind, each seeking out its own interests.

The Ancient Griffin Empire

The Griffin Empire has its roots far to the northwest, when eighty-six griffin tribes were conquered under the might of the eighty-seventh in the 36th Century BW. From there, they rose to prominence over the course of centuries, crushing smaller nations under their wings. By 3000 BW the Griffins warred with the Horde almost constantly over territory, resources and slave populations, with ponies outside of the Manehattan River Valley suffering the most from the power struggles. It seemed as though the juggernaught could not be stopped, having become too strong to be pushed back from where ever it set its sights.

However, by the 1000s BW the Empire had become thoroughly corrupt and weak from within. Those in power were either too lazy to address the problems of rampant inflation, crumbling infrastructure and barbarian invasions, or they were ambitious and lusting for personal power. In the final decades, the formerly glorious Griffin Empire was hemorrhaging territories like a wounded beast. Rogue war lords who were once loyal generals or governors and their personal armies freely fought each other and the Empire, and were winning battle after battle. Commander Hurricane commented that the Empire, once the “Ever-Looming Shadow over the Junta and her very existence, who both inspired and terrorized her dreams, is now nothing more than a sick old mare, to lame to even turn her head without stumbling. The Griffins stand now only out of the force of millennia of habit.”

The last Griffin Emperor, King Imperious XIII, was killed in 85 AW, and with him and his family dead, the Empire was no more. After the Talonhoof Assault in 100 AW, the Griffins as a race became splintered, the corpse of their Empire ravaged and balkanized, leaving only thousands of little statelets and city-states and ruins in its wake.

Inauspicious ends to be sure, but at their height the Griffin Empire and the Mongrellian Horde were indeed ‘the ever-looming shadow’ over the valley. From the stories of the few refugees who made it to the valley from the Empire and through Mongrel territory, the three tribes begrudgingly recognized the threat of the two empires, resulting in a treaty stating that if any one of the tribes were threatened, the other two would come to its defense. In the end it was not worth the parchment it was written on, for as soon as news of the empires stopped coming in, the treaty was forgotten.

The Interconnections

Even if either the Empire or the Horde considered wiping out the Manehattan Valley ponies, and there is little evidence suggesting so considering both the distances and the natural defenses of the valley, the very nature of the ponies connection to the world at large provided the largest reason to not invade.

The most obvious being the unicorns. Before the appearance of Celestia and Luna, the rising and setting of the sun and moon was reliant on their magic. The actual common knowledge of the spell involved is lost to all but a few ponies other than the Princesses, but careful study shows that the execution would require every single unicorn of the tribe pumping in so much power that it would not be uncommon for the entire tribe to be unconscious for at least an hour or more. But in spite of the obvious weakness to exploit, no sane commander or ruler would want to jeopardize their survival by enslaving or killing the only beings in the world that controlled the heavenly bodies.

Next, the Pegasi provided an equally strong deterent in their control over the weather. Any non-pegasus pony even today can feel the sort of respect one reserves for a potentially dangerous animal watching the pegasi construct a powerful storm, and that is after being exposed to their ability for one’s whole life. For a non-pony, that respect becomes stronger, and if he knows that his enemy controls one of the strongest determining factors of a battle, no sane military commander is going to want to deal with that on a large and organized scale, such as with the Celestine Junta.

And finally there are the Earth Ponies, whose strength per-pound and general stamina is the highest of any other race. Meaning that a properly trained or conditioned Earth Pony can out-fight and out-last any soldier, be they Griffin, Diamond Dog or anything else. Furthermore, with their connection to the earth and agriculture, given enough time, Earth Ponies in theory could cultivate a dense and vast system of hedges or brush that would slow even the fastest surface army down to a crawl, either buying the Earth Ponies time to escape, or leaving the army vulnerable to attack.

So, while the ponies of the Manehattan River Valley were without a doubt an easy and tempting target for any of the larger nations beyond their borders, the ponies themselves had formidable enough natural defenses that such an attack would become very unpleasant very quickly, thus settling the whole region into an uneasy understanding of Mutually Assured Destruction. This understanding was largely what kept the ponies in the valley from exploring beyond their lands. When the blizzards came and the three tribes decided to move, the major deciding factor, even more so than the cold and lack of food, was the status of both the Mongrellian Horde, which no longer existed in 10 BW, and the Griffin Empire, which was a landlocked vestigial version of itself that was crumbling around the ears of its rulers.

Biographies of the Founders

Biographies of the Founders

With the passage of time, the truth about significant events, and the ponies who made them, may be exaggerated, and sometimes flat out changed to make the story more interesting to the speaker and her audience. This has been the case with all of the founders to some extent or another, some more than others.

For example, if the historical Princess Platinum could see the selfish mare-foal she is remembered as, she would quietly mourn the piece of her soul that died. The historical Private Pansy would be hard-pressed to restrain her urge to strangle the timid leaf she is portrayed as on stage. And the real Commander Hurricane might look at his own pop-culture shadow and claim to fancy her for an evening.

So for the sake of giving at least a slight reminder of the real ponies that founded Equestria, the following chapters will give short biographies of each of the six ponies who lead the three tribes to uniting into our fair nation, and offer a look into the Tribes as they were in their final years up until the unification into Equestria, and the events that shaped these critical ponies' lives.

Commander Hurricane

Commander Hurricane

We need to find, and if necessary, to conquer, a new land.

As the only stallion, Commander Hurricane already stands out among the six Founders. But while all of the others were born into the higher positions of their societies, Hurricane was actually among the lowest ranked pegasi of the Junta, due to both his sex and the position in the hierarchy his mother held.

Born 52 BW, Hurricane was the only foal of Staff Sergeant Star Saber. Hurricane is suspected to have had an abusive home life due to being born ‘the wrong sex,’ and thus unable to carry on the family name. If true, this may have affected his actions later on as an adult. As a stallion, there were very few options open to young Hurricane in terms of a career. With nothing to go to, Hurricane joined with the Celestine Army as a private. He would make a name for himself for countless acts of bravery in battle, leading charges that by all rights should have been suicidal, leading some historians to speculate as to whether or not Hurricane was a death seeker at this point of his life.

Or, he risked his neck for the accolades of the mares. Either way, by the time that Hurricane reached the rank of sergeant, he had a reputation not just on the field of battle, but in the bedroom as well. It was a common practice among the commanding officers of the Junta to take one or more of the stallions under their command as lovers during a tour of duty, either to reward the stallion for an especially brave day in battle, or because he caught her eye and she fancied an evening with him. Personal accounts and correspondence from Hurricane’s superiors suggests that the stallion was very attractive in his youth, such as in the excerpt below from when Hurricane was serving under Colonel May Showers in 36 BW.

‘Patrol had been especially hard yesterday, with no action at all and blisteringly cold winds that seemed to possess a life of their own and ration resupply being delayed until next week. Damn lazy inbred Earth Stompers. However dear sister, I have made a little discovery that made the prospect of spending another month circling the Celestine-Wilderness border much more pleasant. As I may have mentioned in my previous dispatches, Lt. Colonel Surprise has been going on and on about a sergeant named Hurricane, who proved to be a difficult conquest but one well worth the effort. Evidently he is rather unskilled in Hay-Roll maneuvers, but he has more than enough punch to get the job done.

‘Well my dear sister, it turns out that I have the good fortune to have him serving under me in my regiment. And my goodness, he is simply gorgeous. The smoldering look in his green eyes suggests a distant caution that can turn a pleasant variety of violence if properly worked. The effect is heightened by the way that his mane sets upon his brow. His muscles are thick and taut, and each group can be seen working underneath his skin like a wild animal in a wineskin. I have seen him run drills and exercises for three hours straight at full speed with only some dampness, suggesting a great deal of personal endurance. Finally, I personally performed an inspection of Hurricane’s platoon in the morning hours just before the wake up call. And I must say sister that the prospects are promising.’

So Hurricane was well admired by the mares. While true that ‘orders were orders,’ a stallion could still, on paper at least, have the option of declining an offer to bunk with the CO, though Hurricane never did. While two reasons why this was the case are obvious, another reason would be because of the potential benefits. If a “pillow stallion” got his CO pregnant, and that foal was born strong and healthy, the father could look forward to monetary bonuses and a small note of prestige. If the foal happened to be a filly, then the bonus would be double, and his name would be bumped up the list of stallions in line for a prospective promotion. And it is quite clear that Hurricane took every advantage of the loophole in the taking advantage stigma. A few years ago a team of mages and scientists on an academic lark did a study on the relations among the three races. And according to the data, every one in seven modern day pegasi in Equestria is in fact descended from Commander Hurricane.

And evidently all of that attention had an effect on Hurricane’s personality. By the time that he reached twenty, Hurricane’s perception had changed from the ‘Bad Colt,’ ‘Troubled but Cute,’ mystique, to being a seductive charmer, able to weaken the knees of any mare he desired to. Anecdotes abound of Hurricane sleeping with mares he met just hours before on his wit and personality alone.

Around this time, Hurricane was now a Captain stationed in Celestine, entrusted as bodyguard to the five Chiefs-of-Staff, the ponies who answered to nopony, but the Commander and her second.

At the time, the Chiefs were Generals Haymaker, Downdraft, Bridle Chomper, Torrent, and Wind Whistler. Evidently, either all five of the Chiefs chose the captain for a night or two, or Hurricane abused his skills, because in autumn of 32 BW, all five of the Chiefs were with foal, and naming Hurricane as the father. The leader of the time, Commander Sullamander, was outraged. Sullamander’s misandrony and alleged animosity for Hurricane aside, there was a strategic element behind her wrath. When an officer was pregnant, she was allowed the remaining time of her pregnancy off duty with pay, as well as six months maternity leave. Within a two month span, Hurricane had practically crippled the Celestine government. The following excerpt is from the minutes of the meeting where the Joint Chiefs announced the identity of their unborn children’s father. According to the story, Sullamander had lined up the Chiefs in a line in the meeting chamber and asked them the same question.

Cmdr S: Haymaker. Is it true? Did you sleep with Hurricane?

Gen. H: Commander-

Cmdr S: Just answer the question.

Gen. H: …Yes, commander.

Cmdr S: And you Wind Whistler? You too with Hurricane?

Gen. W: Yes commander.

Cmdr S: Torrent? Did you sleep with Hurricane?

Gen. T: Not… Slept, commander.

Cmdr S: Oh? Then on a bench or in an alley way perhaps, or some other place? Not slept. And you?

Gen. D: *nods*

Cmdr S: And you?

Gen. BC: *nods*

Cmdr S: *paces before the Chiefs* …IS THERE NO MARE IN CELESTINE THAT HAS NOT SLEPT WITH HURRICANE?! Take them out! I will decide what to do with them later! And bring me Hurricane!

In the end, Sullamander did nothing to her Joint Chiefs other than force them to serve during their pregnancies, albeit at much reduced hours and restricted duties. By the time of their fourth quarterlies they were allowed to stay home. As for Hurricane, Sullamander discharged him and sent him to the gladiatorial arena, hopefully to die in the games.

The Celestine Gladiatorial Games were the most unusual, and most brutal and horrifying, aspect of the Junta. The gladiators were all little more than glorified slaves, forced to fight both each other and various creatures, often to the death, for the entertainment of the spectators. Most days, the Commander herself would preside over the hoof-to-hoof combat between the gladiators to decide who would live or die. The modern image of the hoof up meaning life, and the hoof down being death is incorrect. No gladiator wanted to see the hoof up, because the choice was not whether the gladiator would live or die, but whether or not he would be allowed to be killed by the victor. Therefore, all gladiators who were defeated and facing the point of a sword wanted to see the commander put her hoof down.

However, by then Hurricane was so popular, it would be political suicide to allow him to be killed, being a gladiator, and thus a slave, every mare in Celestine was now his superior, whether free-born or a fellow slave, meaning that almost every mare in the Junta would have a vested interest in his survival. Not that the stallion would ever be put in such a situation. With his keen intellect, unwillingness to fight fair, and actual combat experience fighting Mongrel raiding parties, Hurricane was the only known gladiator to never have been defeated in the arena.

Other than a few stolen hours outside of the games, and abandoned by his lovers who did not wish to pay, Hurricane seemed doomed to a lonely life, only seeing daylight when out in the arena. However, he did have one spot of light from a surprising source: General Wind Whistler visited Hurricane almost every day during her leave, and when she gave birth, Wind Whistler bucked all social conventions in regards to the father having any say in how his children were raised, and actually asked Hurricane what she should name their daughter. From his experience below the cloud cover, as the story is told, Hurricane grew fond of a certain flower found on the surface. With the filly’s colors matching this flower, Hurricane suggested naming her after it. It is clear that Hurricane had heard the name perhaps a single time, because while he was obviously talking about the Posey, the name he suggested, and that Wind Whistler gave, was Pansy.

As the years passed and the temperatures began to fall, Sullamander’s nebulous popularity fell along with them, culminating in the Lake Trot Crisis, where Wind Whistler rallied two thirds of the Celestine Junta’s armed forces against her former superior, with Hurricane and most of his fellow gladiators by her side. Hurricane and the now 16 year-old Pansy were by Wind Whistler’s side when she gave her last words.

“Hurricane, lead our tribe. For Glory. For Honor. For Celestine. For our daughter.”

With these words, Wind Whistler named Hurricane, a stallion, as her second, and thus the appointed commander should she die in battle, until his own death or resignation. There was much controversy over this turn of events, and there would continue to be until the end of the Junta with the creation of Equestria. However, the overwhelming popularity of both Hurricane and Wind Whistler swamped all objections, making Hurricane the first, and only, stallion to bear the title of Commander of the Celestine Junta.

Even though he was now the highest ranked pony in the Junta, the death of Wind Whistler hit Hurricane hard; for days after the Crisis, Hurricane locked himself away in his new chambers in the Commander’s Barracks, allowing only his closest friends and Pansy inside. Fortunately he was able to overcome his grief quickly. And on the Summer Solstice of 16 BW, Hurricane, son of Staff Sergeant Star Saber, former gladiator, took his command and his commission as Commander of the Celestine Junta. At his coronation, Hurricane, now Commander Hurricane, made his first public speech, where he outlined his vision for the future, a future of equal opportunity for all pegasi, and a greater focus on self-sufficiency.

“For too long, pegasi with all the qualities and character to lead our tribe, were denied the chance to show their mettle. For too long, those who had merit, were ignored. My tribe! This cannot stand, if the Junta is to attain true greatness! Sullamander’s rule is proof enough of that! A stallion is not just cannon fodder and a seed stock! He is a warrior just as any one of you! Grant him the chance and he can be as noble, as brave, and as courageous as Celest and Silus! Therefore, I shall enact Executive Order Number 59584740, which states: ‘any pegasi that shows bravery in battle, keenness of mind, and loyalty to the Junta, regardless of sex, shall be allowed the chance to any position that he or she is eligible for.’

[…]

“And finally, regarding the food situation that started the recent crisis. My Tribe! It is clear that we are over extending our means! Therefore! We shall all work on finding other sources of food, contacting other Earth Ponies beyond that of the Hyracothirium Republic directly below.”

If any other commander in the history of the Junta suggested either of these proposals, she would have been torn apart, figuratively if not literally. But Hurricane banked on his popularity and the newness of his rule to be able to get by with it. And the minor political finagling worked, but just barely. The Executive Order died a slow death among his Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, who put so many restrictions, secondary requirements and exceptions to it, that in the end it little, if anything, by the time it was passed. Furthermore, these two policies, along with the fact that Hurricane was a stallion who only got his position by being General Wind Whistler’s lover, produced much civil unrest in the Junta, which would plague him for the rest of his rule.

Obviously Hurricane was not as great of a politician as he was a leader. However, unlike many of his predecessors who saw war, conquest, and intimidation as the only truly viable and useful tools of diplomacy, Hurricane detested the waste of the lives and efforts of the ponies under his command. Therefore, diplomacy was the first resort, resulting in Hurricane declaring pogroms the least number of times out of all the previous commanders. At first this may seem rather liberal and counter to the perception of the Commander in popular culture. And for the time period and his background it was. However, bear in mind that Hurricane was still a product of the Junta. Diplomacy was a part of his foreign policy, but it was not wasted much on perceived lost causes, such as in the event of food tributes from the Hyracothirium Republic being late or short of the requested amount.

Like many of his policies, this provided little popular support. However, in 13 BW, as the slow but steady drop in food production began to cause more tension between the three tribes, this policy struck pay dirt. A small enclave of ponies consisting of all three races was found by Celestine scouts along the western edge of the valley in a small canyon the locals called Dream Valley, who produced nearly a quarter of what the Earth Ponies in the Republic could produce, and much of that food was either stored or wasted as the population was too small to consume the amount of food produced. There was an immediate call to send out a detachment to enslave the small tribe to force them to grow food for the Junta and the Junta only. There was also talk of justifying the invasion as a ‘liberation of [the Junta’s] pegasi sisters.’

Maybe Hurricane knew that the other two tribes would see through the blatant ruse and invade as well for their own ends (thus resulting in the area being devastated and useless for food production), or perhaps he knew that any harm or death to the Dream Valley ponies would hurt both their food production and their perception of, and thus willingness to work with, their new masters, but in spite of the strong pressure to conquer the Dream Valley ponies, Hurricane instead instigated a diplomatic mission, with himself as the leader. For seven months Hurricane and the small unit of pegasi with him lived and negotiated with the Dream Valley Ponies, and by the time Commander Hurricane returned to Celestine in a grand parade, he had both a treaty for any and all extra food produced in Dream Valley and their farming knowledge in exchange for protection from the Junta, and every venereal disease known to pony medicine at the time.

‘After the celebration, the commander came to my office, desiring to speak with me, and that it would require my services and those of the pegasi I could bring in on short notice. I quickly gathered a nurse and my apprentice in the examining chambers. When the four of us were alone, the commander complained of burning sensations as he urinated as well as discharge and painful sores in the groin. The commander then unbuckled his uniform and disrobed.

‘Given the commander’s reputation, I had a good idea as to what exactly the issue at hoof was, and in all my years, I have seen everything an ill-advised night can produce. I just haven’t seen all of them at once on a single pegasus. At the sight of the much maligned condition of the Commander’s body, the nurse instantly passed out and my apprentice ran out of the room to the lavatory, where a wet retching sound was heard. The commander and I looked at each other for a few moments. The commander then began to laugh, and after a moment I could not help but join in.’

-Set Bone, personal physician to the Commander

There is no other record to what happened, but within days of Hurricane’s return a request was made to the Kingdom of Unicorns for their best healers. Among the few that actually answered the call was Star-Swirl the Bearded. No document mentions who or what they treated, and any of the unicorns that went refused to acknowledge the question. Only Star-Swirl actually replied, and that was only with, as Clover the Clever writes, ‘a much hearty laugh that lasted a good three minutes.’ However, given all of the circumstances, the consensus amongst historians is that they were treating Hurricane and his diseased taint.

While the trade agreement with Dream Valley certainly helped the food situation in the Junta, it did not halt the rising tensions the dropping temperatures caused. Finally it was decided that the River Valley would be abandoned for a new, virgin land, leading to the Great Warming.

After the Warming and the creation of Equestria, Hurricane retired from both political and military life, taking an interest in farm work, starting a little estate not too far north from modern day Canterlot, where he grew various fruits and vegetables and raised pigs and dairy cows. He called his little refuge The Hideaway, and the entire estate from the land to the Mansion and the servants quarters are all preserved to the state they were in at the time of the Commander’s death.

Even though he had retired from public service, he didn’t retire from public life. Whenever he could break away from the Hideaway, Hurricane could be seen amongst the ponies of the infant Equestria, attending parties and talking with everypony that came up to him. Those who were closest to him could tell that there was a small change in the Commander. Now that he was relieved of his duties as a leader, unstressed with the problems of providing basic supplies to his subjects, Hurricane proved to be even more personable than ever before. As his exploits with the mares became known beyond the former Junta, young stallions flocked to him, begging for pearls of wisdom. Among them was his son by Colonel May Showers, Shadowed Glory, who Hurricane had a near constant correspondence with for years. After Hurricane’s death, many of their letters were published, showing a softer side to the Commander than most ponies think of him possessing.

Among the more interesting aspects of Hurricane’s Post-Warming life would be his relationships with the Unicorn Founders. For years many suspected a marriage between Hurricane and Princess Platinum, a union that would set the stage for a new monarchy for the new nation. However, while Hurricane doubtlessly flirted with her from time to time, neither of the two ponies were interested in such a relationship, satisfied with just being good friends.

‘The Princess is a charming lady, whom I have found to have much in common with. However, those things we share are best cherished when engaging in conversation about those we mutually despise, rather than in the script of courtship. Talking with the Princess is much like when chatting with my old friends from the barracks: A good time and a jolly laugh are often had, but little more than that.’

‘The Commander is a brute and a boorish fellow Clover, which compared to the shallow snobbery of the Court is like a breath of fresh air after months spent in a cave. However, much like a fine wine, too much of it would be adverse to my health. Besides, if anypony can tie down that brute, I dare say that it will be you. You may not care for the idea, but anypony with two working eyes can tell that you have him much smitten and besotted, and in a way no other mare I have seen him interacting with.’

This candid excerpt from Princess Platinum’s letters also clues in to the early stages of one of history’s great love stories, between the Pegasus Commander Hurricane and the Common Born Court Mage Clover the Clever. By the time of the Warming, Hurricane was almost fifty and the oldest of the Founders, and Clover was barely over the hump of sixteen and was the youngest. Much speculation has been made over what the Commander saw in Clover. Maybe it was her plain and objective view of the world, a sentiment that appealed to Hurricane’s low-born soldier mentality. Or perhaps he was feeling his age and courting a young thing like Clover made him feel young again. But whatever the specifics, the one facet all are agreed on was simply the fact that Clover presented a challenge.

Both from Clover the Clever’s extensive diaries and contemporary anecdotes, we know that Hurricane and Clover’s early relationship was rocky at best, often devolving into glorified sniping fests that provided as much entertainment for those watching as they did for the Commander. And considering Clover’s high intelligence, it is probable that Hurricane’s ability to engage her in debate and thinly-veiled insult-filled conversation and hold his own with her impressed her if nothing else. For example, this memorable exchange is alleged to have taken place at the two-year anniversary of the Warming. As the story goes, Hurricane made a blatant pass at Clover, to which she retorted:

"Sir, to say that any sort of time spent alone with you is a privaledge is like saying the same to an Ox: He is thankful for the honor, but he would very much desire that which was taken returned."

Without missing a beat, Hurricane is told to have said:

"Why my dear Clover! I had no idea you had them to begin with!"

While the exact details are foggy at best, it is clear that eventually the Commander would eventually managedto win the advisor’s heart, because in 10 AW they were wed, and in 11 AW they celebrated the birth of their child Twinkle. A filly that was surprisingly large and healthy for being born five months premature.

Hurricane and Clover would have two other children, the youngest and most famous being Lieutenant-Major Star Burst, famed for the defense of Friendship Cavern during the Talonhoof Assault.

But the Commander did not ignore the Earth Pony friends he had made during the Warming. Hurricane would also maintain a strong friendship with Smart Cookie, helping her transition from being just a secretary to the first Premier of the Republic. In her later life, Smart Cookie would credit the Commander with teaching her how to delegate the momentous duties expected of her to others who served below her, something she had little previous need to do, as she was used to being the one being delegated to. And considering the number of issues that plagued the early Republic as it was organized, this would have been a massive blessing.

As for Puddinghead, Hurricane would always be cordial, but it is worth noting that while he at least made passes at the other Founders, it was Puddinghead that he made no such attempt at. The following excerpt from a letter to Shadowed Glory explains why.

“My boy, it is well known that I love all mares. However, while I am a lecher, I am not a moron. You just don’t stick it in the crazy. Heed my advice son, gained from keen observation: It never ends well.”

And while he was a less than stellar politician, Hurricane was nothing if not a well respected and admired figure amongst the pegasi, especially the rank and file. During the debates surrounding what form of government the fledgling Equestria would have, it was Hurricane who would push the hardest to persuade the pegasi that a democratic government would be the ideal form to take; many historians speculate that a motivation for this, at least in part, was as a grand gesture to Clover, who was also pushing for democracy.

As the years passed, Hurricane would continue to socialize with his fellow ponies when he could get away from the Hideaway, and remained active in the maintenance of the farm well into his eighties. However, the winter of 48 AW was mild and wet, and the Commander contracted a chest cold that he never quite recovered from, even with the help of the best healers in the Republic. In the autumn of 50 AW, at the age of 98 years and 297 days, Hurricane died at the Hideaway, surrounded by all his surviving children, his friends and Clover, his wife of forty years.

A national day of mourning was declared, and Hurricane was given every honor at his burial from not just the Pegasi, but the Earth Ponies and the Unicorns as well.

Born to a lowly officer as the wrong sex in the strongly militaristic and matriarchal Celestine Junta, Hurricane beat all the odds, rising into the ranks as relentlessly as the morning sun, shattering every social norm that stood in his way. He hated, he loved, and he struggled, standing firm to his principals for all of his life.

Private Pansy

Private Pansy

"Although I make no argument to the contrary of how much I love my father, there still are times that I strongly dislike him. As to ponies of the other Tribes, I have no ill will."

The first thing that comes to most ponies when discussing Private Pansy is the famous line "Pansy is a timid and shy thing." Therefore, it is only natural that modern ponies think of her as a weak, indecisive and ineffective pony. However, the trouble with studying history is that it is all to easy to impose modern conventions and standards to historical events and ponies, at the expense of things such as the original values of the individuals involved and more importantly the context of the event in question. In the case of the aforementioned quote, it is taken from a letter from General Mutton to Commander Hurricane about his daughter Pansy during a campaign against Diamond Dog Raiders along the Manehattan River Valley border.

"While your adoration of your daughter with the late General is admirable, even you cannot deny that Pansy is a timid and shy thing. She spends far to much time and effort on mundane concerns that have no place in the Junta's military. When she needs to focus on wiping out these curs, she's maintaining communication and resupply lines and monitoring unit positions. Commander, daughter or no, such wasteful and irrelevant concerns are a drain on this army, and quite frankly very unbecoming of a pegasi!"

Clearly Pansy, in comparison to the rest of the pegasi of the Junta, was not the most 'courageous' of ponies.

Born to then-Captain Hurricane and General Wind Whistler of Commander Sullamander's Chiefs-of-Staff, Pansy could not have had better fortune in the station of her birth in the Junta. Furthermore, unlike many foals of the Junta, Pansy not only knew, but had a strong relationship with her sire. At the time of her birth in 32 BW, Hurricane had been dishonorably discharged from the military and condemned to a lifetime as a gladiator, a lifetime that Sullamander had hoped would be brief. But in spite of that, Wind Whistler braved the threat of drawing her commander's wrath and refused to abandon her lover, shelling out the money needed to spend as much time as they could manage together as a family. Later on, she would pay a small fortune on their daughter's birthdays so that Hurricane could leave the coltosseum for a day to play and be with his daughter. Given Hurricane's position as a soldier and a gladiator and his own personality, it should shock nopony that Hurricane had daughters other than Pansey, but there is no question that she was his favorite out of all of his children. It could be because that he had the opportunity to get to know her as a filly, or the fact that she was Wind Whistler's foal, but the result is the same in that she was the apple of his eye, as seen in this excerpt from a letter to a friend.

'I never had the chance to know my own father, so when Breezy [Hurricane's pet name for General Wind Whistler] asked me to play with this little bundle of blues and pinks, I had no idea what to do. In all honestly, I was scared. Scared I tell you! I've slain scores of Diamond Dogs and vicious beasts in the field and in the arena. And here I was, petrified of a tiny filly. But she looked up into my eyes, with this open expression full of love, without any wants or desires, grinning a toothless grin as she patted my snout. And I felt this strange feeling in my chest, and hot tears were running down my face. I've over-heard the ground-pounders speak of a father's love for his children. I've always tossed it aside as more ground-pounder nonsense. However... I think in this instance, they may be on to something.

'Honestly! I find myself, when out of the arena, thinking up activities to do with her the next time Wind Whistler brings little Pansey to me. I've already taken up cloud-crafting (anything to pass the time, am I right?), and just now I was sketching out a cloud doll. A cloud doll! A doll just as big as she'll be in a few months, shaped like a steer with wings, and she'll play with it, wrestle with it, and tumble with it to her hearts content.'

For the first decade and a half of Pansy's life, this was her norm, being raised by her mother with only a few spare moments with her father, when the two weren't watching him fight for his life in the arena. At the age of ten, Pansy was enrolled in the Celestine Military Academy to begin her training as a soldier and, due to her who her mother was, her education to become an officer.

In the academy, Pansy made exemplary scores on her exams, and her teachers had nothing but praise for her academic work. However, even at such a young age the filly made it clear that she was not quite up to the standard viciousness that all pegasi were expected to posses. While she performed admirably in simulated combat against dummies, during a spar she proved sub-par, never giving her full ability against her opponents. This is not to say that she allowed her opponents to beat her. Anecdotes survive of how she put all of her attackers in a 3-on-1 match in the medicae. Rather, she simply didn't try her hardest. From the records from the academy, there was much talk of expelling the young mare from the school, something that had never happened to any student in its 2500-year history. If it weren't for Wind Whistler's intervention as one of the Chiefs-of-Staff, Pansey would have become a pariah and shame to the Junta.

However, when a swarm of Wyvrns attacked Celestine in 19 BW to escape their cooling home territory, Pansy proved to be every bit a warrior as her classmates, killing a number of the flying lizards at the main gate all alone. Accounts vary, with some listing her kill-count being around four to being as high as twenty-nine. Either way, the young mare became a hero of the academy and all talk of giving her the hoof was silenced. Sadly, this act of heroism was not enough to turn around her combat grades, and when she graduated two years later, she was the only one in her class, and in fact one of the very few in the history of the school, to not receive a commission as an officer. Therefore, she was enlisted into the government as a Private, which in the grand scheme of the Stratocracy, amounted to little more than an aid to a lieutenant.

But then again, one popular theory among historians is that Pansy's lack of promotion was politically motivated, orchestrated by Sullamander in petty revenge for her actions during the Wyvrn attack.

When the attack was at its worst, Sullamander took a gamble and released the gladiators to supplement the defending armies. When the threat was largely broken and all that was left would be mopping up the stragglers, Sullamander sent out orders to the Academy students that the gladiators were rebelling and needed to be put down swiftly and violently. Anypony familiar with Sullamander's rule and her methods of operation, as many serving in the Junta would have been, would know her idea of a 'quiet assassination' when they saw it. Clearly she wanted a specific stallion dead, and Hurricane was her only logical target.

However, the students of the Academy were practically brainwashed from day one that Sullamander's orders were law. If she said jump, they were expected to ask 'how high.' If she told a student to kill her friend standing right beside her, that student was to ask for the preferred method of execution. Furthermore, the students were deputized by Sullamander as temporary majors in command of the army, and the punishment for disobeying a direct order from anypony higher-ranked than a colonel in an emergency (which the attack undoubtedly was) was death. Sullamander was nothing if not an opportunist. If she could not allow the highly popular Hurricane to be killed in the arena, then his death while putting down a rebellion would be just fine. Fortunately, she could not count on the love and loyalty a daughter could have for her father, and how those two things would motivate her.

When she heard the order, Pansy is said to have told her fellow students to belay it. The firmness and resoluteness with which she said it had an effect on her classmates, who were struck dumb, stunned into inaction. This bought Pansy enough time to fly to the central plaza, the great meeting place of Celestine where the Commander traditionally delivered her speeches to the masses. It was here that the gladiators had gathered during the attack to defend the Commander's Barracks. Flying above the amassed warriors, and her father, Pansy ordered them to stand down and return to the coltoseum, and to prepare for the games that would be put on in celebration of the day's victory. Without a word, the gladiators dropped their weapons and did as she told them.

In a shocking move, a single mare who had barely earned her cutie mark, and had no real position in the army, totally subverted the orders of the Commander. Normally she would have been killed for such insubordination, but Wind Whistler quickly spun the event as her daughter recognizing a hasty order based on a chaotic and confusing situation, and taking charge to prevent a needless bloodbath, thus pulling any legal standing Sullamander had out from under her, forcing her to begrudgingly congratulate Pansy rather than punish her. After that day, the true strength of Sullamander's hold over the army was known, and suddenly all of the resentment that the citizens of the Junta had for her was vindicated. A split was also apparent in the Chiefs-of-Staff as a result of Wind Whistler's blatant disregard for Sullamander's wishes. It is here that many historians identify as one of the events that lead-up to the Lake Trot Crisis.

In the year 16 BW, Private Pansy fought alongside both her mother and father in the Lake Trot Crisis, leading a platoon of soldiers in the final assault on the Commander's Barracks. Sadly, in spite of her training, her skills and her parentage, Pansy was still a youth, and so had not yet been properly conditioned to combat. This flaw lead to Wind Whistler's mortal wounding by Sullamander. In a rage, the young mare, along with her father, double-teamed the tyrant and killed her, but it was to late to save her mother. Wind Whistler's death, it is assumed, played a large role in shaping Pansey's future. She would never rise above the rank of Private, denying a single promotion above it, even when her own father offered one.

During her time after graduating from the Academy, Pansy met Armor Fastener Second Class Shield Skin, the latest in a long line of armor-smiths, and the two would become lifelong friends and confidants for the other. Few records exist that detail what exactly they discussed, but the few letters that survive show a strong bond full of trust and mutual respect. Shield Skin did not care who Pansy's parents were, and Pansy had no delusions concerning rank and position, unlike most graduates of the Academy. Among the topics that show up in their letters is the nature of the Junta, and Pansy's place in it, with Pansy expressing dissatisfaction with serving in the Junta's army. But sadly, there was nothing for it, and so for nearly six years, Pansey was nothing more than a private, content to stand guard at all hours of the night, running errands for every officer in the Junta, until one spring day in 11 BW.

Commander Hurricane's virility and almost supernatural magnetism to mares was no secret, and there was no better example than in the fact that, one right after the other, each of Hurricane's Seconds would become pregnant by the end of their first year serving at his side. Finally, in 11 BW, the Chiefs-of-Staff had had enough, and so used an old and rarely used power of theirs to appoint a Second for him. The list of criteria that the Cheifs were interested in boiled down to a single deciding factor that overrode all others: 'mares that Hurricane would be unwilling to lay with.' At the end of the day, there was one mare that all agreed on to both perform her duties competently and be to unattractive a target for Hurricane's eye was none other than Pansy.

"Shield Skin. It's horrible. This morning I woke up a simple private with no prospects of promotion. This evening? Second! Damn my father's loins! I don't know the first thing about performing such a powerful position! And from the looks of the soldiers around the Chiefs and I, I'm quite sure that saying no would mean my death, to Tartaurus with the consequences."

By the end of the year, Hurricane was sending scouting parties into the wilderness to look for a new land after the River Valley became a frozen wasteland. With the founding of Pegasopolis, Hurricane sent his daughter to the new capitol to rule until the transition of the government to their new home was complete. Surprisingly, Private Pansy proved to be an effective administrator, running Pegasopolis like a well-oiled machine. Under her command, maintaining supply chains and channels of communication took priority over personal glory, and because of this, the completion of the new cloud city was shortened from some sixty years to seven, with the final cloud being put in place in the year 2 BW. However, Pansy was still not satisfied with how her life in the Junta was progressing. Instead, she found contentment from a much more down to earth source.

In the year 10 BW, before the Shouting Congress, Pansy was injured in an attempt to dismantle one of the wild storms that had grown more common in the River Valley. She crash landed in the Hyracotherium Republic, more specifically the barn of a simple Earth Pony peasant named Trencher. The exact events are a common source of speculation in literature discussing this part of Pansy's life, but the stallion braved the potential wrath of the pegasus to nurse her wounds and share what little food her could spare with her. For a month the two remained in the tight quarters of his home, waiting out the storm until conditions improved enough for Pansey to return to the Junta. In the meantime, Hurricane was frantic, sending out so many wings of pegasi to find his daughter that the Kingdom of Unicorns and the Republic below were genuinely concerned about the possibility that the Junta was preparing for an invasion. When scouts returned with information concerning how Pansy was found living with an Earth Pony stallion, Hurricane gathered the Chiefs-of-Staff and flew to the surface to gather his daughter.

"The tension in the small hut was thick as a thunderhead when the Commander bucked the door open. From the expression on his face while looking at the stallion who stood over the Second, redressing a sprained wing, it was a small miracle that the young stallion did not burst into flames. With a gruff tone, he ordered the Second to his side. Quickly she did so, and as the Commander was about to leave, the Second asked about a reward for tending to his daughter in her time of distress. It was obvious to all of us that the Commander detested the other stallion as only a parent could. However, his love for the Second negated whatever instinctive urge he was suppressing.

"After a few moments sizing up the stallion, the Commander decried that he be exempt from being forced to give up a third of his food to the Junta, rather only giving a quarter. He then ordered us to return to the Junta. Most of the cheifs did so, but the Second and I lingered a few dozen feet about the surface, watching the Commander as he trotted up to the stallion. The Commander exchanged a few words with the Earth Pony before tossing a punch into his face, flooring him. The Second gasped in sympathy. I thought the violence was superfluous, but at the same time I could not fault the Commander. I turned the Second away from the scene, and the two of us turned and flew upwards to the Junta."

-Gen. Fire Brand, Chronicler of the Junta

Not long afterward, the Shouting Congress came and failed, prompting the three tribes to each seek out a new land, with Pansy being sent to lead the Pegasi expedition. Clearly Hurricane sent his daughter away, at least in part, to keep her far away from Trencher. However, it turned out to be for naught, because Trencher was with the Hyracotherium's own expedition, this time as a pioneer farmer. Officially, none of the three tribes knew of the other two's existence in what would become Equestria until year 0. However, a few scattered documents and stories exist to suggest that at least a few members of each might have come in contact with the others during those ten years. Nothing was done for so long due to the fact that none of them were in any position to take action when so much effort was being directed to founding their new nations and building their new capitols. Furthermore, the contact was mostly amongst scouts, who may have rattled sabers or exchanged words, but other than that nothing of significance happened.

By some lucky strike of chance, Trencher and Pansy ran into each other, and the two began a secret love affair right under everyponies' noses. It was during this time that Pansy evidently found something that she felt contentment with: farming. In a series of letters between her and Shield Skin that has survived long enough to be published (under the title of 'The Debate'), Pansy expressed a desire to resign from the Junta at the earliest convenience and live on the surface with her lover as a farmer's wife, running far away from everypony if need be. Shield's response is one of the happy rare instances where the phrase translates literally from the Ancient Equestrian to the Modern.

"Are you out of your bucking mind?!"

In spite of the repeated pleas from her old friend both via letter and in person, Pansy continued to visit Trencher for extended periods of time, and by year 0 she was pregnant with Plow Blade, her son by Trencher, whose birth proved to be the spark that ignited the powder keg that was Pre-Unification Equestria and starting the Winter War, and thus the Great Warming.

After the Warming and the formation of Equestria, Pansy made good on her intentions and resigned from the military to marry Trencher and help him on their small farm just to the west of what would eventually be home to Ponyville, where she largely fades from the historical record, working weather alongside her daughter on the farm, dying of natural causes in her sleep in 24 AW at the age of 56.

With the death of his only child by his first love, Hurricane was distraught, once again locking himself in his study in the Hideaway for nearly a week after the funeral, letting only Clover inside to comfort him. Pansy proved to be the model for the Post-Warming pegasus, a mare who focused not on martial prowess, but on serving her community. While true the perception of Pansy being a weakling and timid leaf lingers, her more far-reaching legacy is the society of Modern Equestria, where a pony can find love in any one of the other races.

Princess Platinum

Princess Platinum

“Then let it be known, that We do dub this land: Unicornia.”

The only child born to King Aurum and Queen Argentum in 21 BW, Platinum lived her early years in the shaky void as both the King’s only legitimate heir, and also a mare, and thus not allowed to inherit anything. Aurum and Argentum tried many times for another foal, however Argentum was haemophilic, a common ailment of the nobility due to the inbreeding that often occurred between and even inside some family lines. As one satirist wrote: “For the Nobility, the party line was ‘no pony is good enough for our family, but our family.’”

Due to her condition, the prospect of Argentum going through labor was risky at best, and certainly dangerous. But even so, the king and queen took those risks. Reason being that, over the centuries, the nobility of the Kingdom had managed to finagle their way into the nooks and crannies of the House of Æthelric’s power over them, testing the waters to see what they could and could not get away with. As the centuries passed, the Royal line produced the occasional weak-willed king, allowing the nobility to grab for more power under his reign. Therefore, by the time of King Aurum’s ascent to the throne in 48 BW, the Throne was approaching the status of Figurehead, and almost every day there would be rumors or thinly-veiled threats of overthrowing him if he could not meet their desires and produce an heir that would do the same. Furthermore, the nobility were well known to have had blood feuds amongst each other, often even within the same household, with sons trying to kill their older brothers in order to move up the line in the hopes that they might inherit their father’s wealth when he died, rather than being forced to look for work, most likely as a mercenary, due to the inheritance laws of the Kingdom.

In this cesspool of intrigue and chronic backstabbing, Aurum had only one unquestionable ally, that being his court mage: Star-Swirl the Bearded, who helped the King, his queen and what few servants were truly loyal work the court against itself, lest they try to manipulate the king to do their bidding, especially in regards to their food source, the Earth Ponies and their farms. Put more plainly, Star-Swirl and the King both wanted to avoid the nobility from overstressing their non-magical fellow ponies.

“Mark my words my friend, like a mouse cornered by a cat, when push comes to shove the Earth Ponies will push back, and push back hard. A society can only stand so long as it has food. What the nobles do not seem to comprehend is how food is not like the gems and metals of their mines. A crop of wheat or squash or potatoes takes time to grow and harvest. Furthermore, the ones growing it have a need for it as well if they are to keep going.”

-Star-Swirl, ca. 30 BW

Over the protests of the court, who never liked how he not only enjoyed socializing with peasants and non-unicorns, but also disagreed with their views on how the world worked, Aurum placed the education of the Princess in Star-Swirl’s hooves. Having been given control over the only heir of the realm, the mage wasted no time in teaching her in not only social strategies of the court, but in all the subjects an heir was expected to know, such as poetry, arithmetic, and philosophy.

In 18 BW, Queen Argentum was bit by the royal cat and bled out. Before her body was even cold, the court exploded with activity as each noble house put forth their daughters for the king to either wed or play mistress for and produce an ‘proper’ heir for the kingdom. According to the story, Aurum almost caved in to the pressure, but his allies supported him in his first choice to remain a widower, as him marrying any one of the houses could upset the precarious political balancing act they were playing. However, the court did not care, and so continued to pester the king to remarry for the rest of his life.

The rest of his life being until about 9 BW. The Ménages Quatre that was the Lake Trot Crisis and the disappointing results of the Shouting Congress proved especially difficult on the aging king, with his health falling in the months afterward. In the final hours before he lost consciousness (he would be in a coma for six weeks before finally dying), Aurum made a surprising move, even to Star-Swirl: He named Princess Platinum as his successor, and that she would be king, not her husband, and that Star-Swirl was to be her caretaker and the regent before she came of age. While the nobles naturally wanted to protest his choice of regent, Star-Swirl’s unprecedented power and unmatched wisdom silenced almost all protest. But it was his dictating that Platinum, a filly, would be King, a title that was supposed to be for a stallion, raised more than enough protest instead. As the story goes, Aurum gave as big a laugh as he could manage before saying his now famous last words…

“My ancestral father’s law says that the queen cannot rule. Doesn’t say the King cannot be a mare…”

And up until Aurum’s funeral the nobility raised objections and criticisms aplenty to Star-Swirl, but eventually they gave up when he ignored all of their arguments. Instead they focused on currying favor from the young princess, as well as working to influence her. However, in hind-sight, Aurum might have been considering this move for some time, as when he attended the Congress that was supposed to mean the three tribe’s cooperation, he brought Platinum, then eleven years old, along with him to watch. Therefore, it is speculated that Platinum may have received extra advice from her father on what to do, or perhaps more accurately what not to do, with the attentions of the nobles. From what few accounts remain from Platinum’s diaries, the mare was very resentful of the nobility and frustrated with what little power she actually had to control her own court, which would certainly explain her actions in the aftermath of the Warming.

Another major event that soaked up the nobility’s attentions would be the founding of what would be Unicornia. The expedition that her father sent off to find a new land returned to Platinum’s court in the spring of 8 BW with news of a vast land filled with more wealth than even the King’s personal mines, completely clear of the unnatural snowstorms that plagued the River Valley. For the first time in centuries, both the court and the throne were in total agreement as to the next course of action: Form a new nation in this land, and move the government their when the new capitol was finished.

As only the eldest son was expected to inherit anything from his father, the younger ones were thus left to find work, and perhaps earn a title of their own. Many found work as mercenaries, soldiers who sold their services to the highest bidder. The pony they worked for most often would be determined by who could afford to pay the highest salary. That would be the throne, this being the reason why King Æthelric was able to grab control of the other nobles in the first place: He could afford to pay for the most soldiers, and thus field the largest personal army. Even though she was only thirteen, Star-Swirl placed the settlement of Unicornia in Platinum’s hooves, who would use most of the throne’s own personal army as the settlement personnel, as well as offer a small subsidy to any pony of the gentry or lower nobility classes that would be willing to travel to this new land and settle.

While none of the nobles saw it as such at the time, most likely due to disregarding the idea of Platinum capable of subterfuge because of her age, her sex, and their own self-assurance of their own collective power over the throne, this would prove to be the foundation for Platinum’s own power grab and personal revenge in the aftermath of the warming.

For much of this time, Platinum was largely protected from the direct attentions of the court due to Star-Swirl’s position as Regent, and his well-known dislike for the court. But in 3 BW all of that changed, when Star-Swirl the Bearded vanished during one of his arcane experiments. At the age of eighteen, Platinum was the focus of the entire nobility and the court. Sensing weakness, the court quickly set up a Regency Council, which in reality was the final nail in the coffin for the throne’s hold over the nobility. It is commonly assumed that, had she not had Clover, whom she saw as the sister she never had, by her side, Platinum may not have had the strength to stand up to the court, allowing the throne to die a slow and meaningless death. At least, it would have been had the Warming not happened.

In 1 BW, the finishing touches on the new capitol were complete, and the court proceeded to move the seat of government to their new home. The journey should have only taken about a month, but it quickly stretched into three months, as most of the nobility were simply unused to doing actual labor, and their complaints and unreasonable demands on both Platinum and their own servants often consumed hours, if not days of time. The following excerpt comes from the diaries of Clover the Clever, concerning the crossing of a river. It should have only taken an hour, but soon took up twelve when one noblestallion was concerned about his fine clothes getting wet, and later on by a noblemare who lost a necklace, convinced that it fell into the water and demanded all movement stopped until it was found. It turned out to be right next to her in the bottom of the boat. This anecdote actually survives to the common version of the Hearth’s Warming Eve play, albeit in a much abridged and altered form.

‘Duchess Superfluous raised such an alarm this morning not three minutes after we began ferrying the nobles again, demanding the boat halted. She stated that her necklace was gone and that it must be found. I raised my objection, stating quite plainly that others could search for it, but the boats could not stop if we wanted to all be across and to the next checkpoint by nightfall. However, my voice was either ignored or drowned out by the concerned voices of the other nobles on both sides of the river and in the boat, who then began to look around, regardless of the lack of logic of them searching, especially the nobles on my side of the river, considering that there would be no way for the necklace to have already crossed. I was roused from my disgust at the sound of a hoof knocking on wood. Turning around, I perceived the Princess holding an ear to a tree trunk, then tapping a hoof to it.

When I inquired as to her intent, she simply said that she was looking for the densest tree in the forest. I inquired as to why she needed such a tree, but I was ignored. Finding a tree that evidently served her purposes to a sufficient amount, the Princess reared up onto the trunk and began to smite the tree with her cranium, and proceeded to do so repeatedly, and with such violence that leaves and ripened fruit fell from the branches. Seeing that the fruit was edible and perfectly in season, and that the Princess was not about to stop any time soon, I proceeded to add the fruit to our stores.’

Unicornia as a political entity lasted for about six months before the events of the Warming and the declaration that the three tribes were to unite into a new nation. While the peasantry and the soldiers were all for such a turn of events, the nobles would never stand for it. However, Platinum had elements in place to remove any objections that they might have.

Given how the throne had settled most of what would have been Unicornia either directly with its own soldiers, or indirectly by supporting those who wished to, the land was technically Platinum’s private domain, with soldiers by trade or by loyalty absolutely everywhere, waiting for word from the throne. Furthermore, at the age of twenty-one Platinum was now of age and thus entitled to everything her father left her, including the power to wage war or execute criminals in the name of the crown. And finally, as the Regency Council had no real legal authority over the lands, and in fact was a usurping power after the legal regent had left, making policy and declaring wars the throne never wanted, the entire court, their families, and most of the higher houses of the nobility, were declared enemies of the crown to be executed without trial or prejudice, with the justification (which given the above Platinum did not need, but it certainly helped calm the other tribes) that with their refusal to allow her to dismantle the Kigdom of Unicorns and Unicornia to form Equestria, they were a threat to everypony’s safety, in that they may cause the return of the Windigos.

According to her diary, Platinum was expecting the coming civil war to last years, with ghastly amounts of blood spilled on both sides. Small circles of distorted paper and blotched ink on these pages are interpreted by historians as Platinum crying as she wrote these entries, and some of the tears landing on the paper.

However, Platinum did not need to concern herself over the matter. In fact, the conflict only lasted a few days. The main reason being thus: the personal armies of the nobility were often paid less than advertised, and were treated little better than servants, which naturally irked most of their soldiers, being former nobles themselves. Many stories exist of the castles of nobles falling without a struggle, only for the invading royal army to find the noble and his family already dead, killed by their own soldiers, sometimes by a matter of days.

With the decadent and selfish member of the court either dead or largely rendered as irrelevant, Platinum was free to do with the realm as she wished, allowing her to merge Unicornia and the Kingdom of Unicorns with Pegasopolis and Celestine Junta and the holdings of the Hyracotherium Republic into Equestria.

As she wanted to avoid the political doe-see-doe that came with marriage amongst the Unicorns, even after ‘The Purge,’ Platinum would never marry, being more than content to act as godmother to Clover’s children. There is much speculation that Platinum herself may have played a part in the courtship of Clover and Hurricane. This largely coming from a single letter between Smart Cookie from Platinum, in response to the former suggesting something to that effect of the latter.

‘My dear Cookie, my formative years was spent among the scheming and conniving brutes of the court I inherited from my father. I would be more worried if I hadn’t developed a manipulative streak. But if all of my manipulations, assuming that there are any, lead to the lifelong happiness of my friends, is there really any harm being done?’

In spite of Platinum’s dismissal of playing any role in Clover and Hurricane’s courtship, there are several good reasons that would make her doing so advantageous to both herself and the fledgling Equestria.

One: Politically, it would be seen by the nobility of the unicorns that the union of Unicorns and the other tribes was a solid, long-term arrangement, something that all of them would have a vested interest in maintaining.

Two: As the former leader of the Junta, and the head advisor to the throne, Hurricane and Clover getting married and in love with each other would act as an example that the other pegasi and unicorns would follow. As Pegasi-Unicorn Relations were among the most strained of the three, such a union would add further incentive than simple survival against Windigos to remain amongst their fellow ponies.

Third: As she had mentioned several times in both private and in public that she saw Clover as a sister, Platinum, as the head of her family following her father’s death, had in effect adopted Clover as such. This means that any marriage of Clover’s could be used as a political loop-hole that Platinum could use to weasel out of any form of political marriage.

Platinum would serve as political advisors to the first seven Premiers of the Republic, assisting them along the winding road of political maneuvering in the new nation, which compared to the politics of the court of her youth, was much like ‘paddling a lake in a raft after riding said raft in a seastorm.’ Platinum would live to the ripe old age of sixty, dying in 39 AW after a spelunking accident. Sadly, the real Platinum is lost to most of modern Equestria. Instead of a strong-willed mare with a selfless character that was willing to do all that was needed to ensure a bright future, we instead see a caricature, formed as a mish-mash of the very same nobles she despised.

Court Mage Clover the Clever

Clover the Clever

“As we have no dungeon, I have a strong feeling that the Princess was using the passive-aggressive format of communication known as ‘sarcasm.’”

Looking at her station of birth, nopony could have guessed just how far little Clover would go for ponykind. Born the youngest of seven foals to a minor noble of the gentry class in 16 BW in the aftermath of the Lake Trot Crisis, the best Clover could realistically hope to achieve in her life would be to marry well and produce at least one strong male heir for her husband, even If she were to have large reserves of magic, which she didn’t. In fact, it is speculated by historians and scholars that Clover was in fact underpowered for a unicorn. However, what quickly separated her from others of her age group, and first set the stage for her future would be her intelligence. As the anecdotes go, Clover would sit in on her elder brothers’ tutoring session. At first she was shooed away, but her persistence eventually paid off in that both her brothers and their tutors would eventually give up, continuing the lessons and ignoring the filly in their midst. Then one day, when she was around five years old, Clover not only corrected the tutor, but pointed out the book and proper page that the correct information could be found. Clover was punished with bed without dinner for her troubles, but the filly had made her intellect and knowledge known, and eventually it would pay off.

In 10 BW, Star-Swirl the Bearded made it known that he was looking for an apprentice. Clover’s father, as with every other noble in the Kingdom, held high hopes that one of his sons would claim that title, and the family prestige it would bring in.

From all across the realm, unicorns flocked to the capital, all hoping that one of their family would claim the title. As Star-Swirl asked for all unicorns of a family to come, regardless of sex or power, Clover was brought along as well, even though nopony expected her to even test.

At noon, the entire throne room and the courtyard beyond was packed wall to wall with ponies, all eager to see the famed Court Mage and to see just who he would choose.

Among the hopefuls were the most promising and powerful unicorns of the generation, each one a fine stallion in form and magic, all of noble blood. Each one ready to perform any test Star-Swirl could put them through.

Except for the test he gave each and every one of them.

Star-Swirl went into his chambers, calling for the next unicorn in line. When said unicorn walked in, he closed the door and simply asked three questions: 1) his name, 2) his dream for the future, and 3) a miscellaneous question that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Certainly, more than a few in the last category were made up on the spot. They had to be, considering how Star-Swirl possibly knew a large portion of those that came before him, by reputation if not in person, so he would know which pony would not fit his standards of worth. However, for the rest the question was, in some form or fashion, either ‘what is it that matters most in life,’ or ‘what is the opposite of Love.’

One by one a unicorn came in, and almost as soon as he entered he was sent out, confused, angry or simply resigned. And so this pattern continued for hour after hour on end for over two days. Clover’s brothers, from the eldest to the youngest, had each gone in and come out. In a moment of desperation, Clover’s father dressed her up as a colt and kicked her into Star-Swirl’s desperation. Even if Clover wasn’t confused by the sudden change of events, Star-Swirl saw through the ruse anyway. According to Clover’s diary, Star-Swirl looked at her as she sat on the floor, stroking his beard for a moment before going into the quiz. According to Clover, when asked the second question, she honestly answered ‘I don’t know.’

‘From what I remember, Star-Swirl looked surprised, but pleased, at my answer. Finally, he asked me what the opposite of Love is. My first instinct was to say Hatred, but something, I know not what, stopped me. Something about that answer did not sound right. So, I thought about it. Seeing from the corner of my eye that Star-Swirl looked even more pleased, I thought harder.’

Clover’s answer stated that Nothing was the opposite of Love, just as Nothing was the opposite of Hatred. As to have an opinion on somepony and their condition was an admittance of caring, however little or warped, about that somepony on an inherent level. But to have no feeling at all, total Apathy, was to have no heart. The court mage paused, and then asked Clover the final question: ‘what is it that matters most in live?’

Clover’s answer was ‘to feel loved, and to love in return.’

Without a second’s hesitation, Star-Swirl scooped up the filly, marched out into the courtyard and announced to all present that he found his apprentice in this small, clever filly.

The nobility were stunned that not only a magically weak unicorn would be chosen over literally hundreds of others to be apprentice to the most powerful stallion in known history, not only one from one of the lowest families in the hierarchy, but a filly at that.

‘After Star-Swirl held me aloft, I must admit that much of the remainder of that day is a blur. I remember Mother being happy for me, and Father, for once in my whole life, actually seemed to look right at me, acknowledging my existence as a pony, more than an extra mouth to feed, or some foal-maker to be married off. As for my brothers, Willard seemed happy for me. But then, as the eldest he would win either way. My other brother’s seemed rather miffed that their baby sister would show them all up like this. That evening, mother stayed with me for the night to make sure I was settled in properly before starting my training. As she was arranging my bed, the Princess entered to welcome me to the castle on behalf of her father. I followed mother’s example and prostrated myself before her. After a moment she beckoned us to stand, and then walked to me and began to actually speak with me. While I have always felt a connection with the Princess as a friend and perhaps as a sister, I still could not bring myself to follow her first and only real command to me and call her by her name.’

For the next seven years Clover, now called Clover the Clever by Star-Swirl and later by Platinum in public settings, trained with her mentor. However, Clover’s magical power never developed very far beyond that of her fillyhood levels, it would almost seem as though she compensated by channeling those energies into retaining knowledge and practically memorizing whole tomes in a matter of hours. It has been speculated by historians and scholars that Clover’s special talent was in fact her photographic memory, and being able to connect the separate pieces of information into a coherent thought as needed. It was her ability to both catch small details and remember them that made her indispensible to Platinum after Star-Swirl’s disappearance, landing her the position of Head Royal Advisor.

However, because of her sex, Clover and her advice was often ignored by the court and Regency Council. However, as her advice and predictions always turned out to be right, eventually a few of the more prominent members would at least listen to her by the time of the Winter War. In fact, it was Clover’s suggestion to find shelter in a nearby cave that lead to the leaders of the three tribes being in Friendship Cavern.

After the Great Warming, Clover worked with Smart Cookie and Hurricane, with support from Platinum and Pansy, on convincing the Pegasi and Unicorns to accept a democratic form of government for the new Equestria. It was during these long hours of talks that Clover and Hurricane first spent considerable amounts of time together. Clover’s distaste for violence at first put Hurricane off of his well known game, and his shameless mareanizing disgusted Clover, this lead to a multitude of arguments between the two. However, rather than springing from genuine dislike and widening the rift between them, the banter they shared at every probable opportunity, from the viewpoints of those around them, seemed to have become something of a private game between the two. It is Smart Cookie who is believed to have made the first noteworthy and public commentary on the matter. The famous play The Commander and the Advisor staged the scene the best, and is the influence of every adaptation that is even remotely historically accurate.

“Am… Am I watching foreplay? Or am I just a big perv?”

According to the anecdotes, Private Pansy first broached the subject with her father while visiting him after giving birth with her second foal with Trencher. The response is different depending on the source, but all agree that Hurricane, by 3 AW was consciously enraptured with the mare, who was now 19 at the time.

Clover herself, however, is another matter entirely. Time and again in her diary, Clover expresses her dislike of Hurricane in such a manner. However, as she repeats the same grievances over and over again, often word for word, when she is normally much more articulate, and her confessions of dreaming of the Commander on more than one occasion, there is more than a shadow of doubt about just how objective and honest she is being with herself.

This all changes, however, one night in 7 AW, as the next excerpt details.

‘I was kidnappedaccosted abducted this evening. I was just settling down for the evening to sleep as my last candle had burned out. And then my breathing was obstructed by two strong forelegs wrapping around my torso. I tried my best to resist my assailant and sound alarm for assistance, but the event was simply too swift for any meaningful resistance. And so, I struggled fiercely against my abductor, and almost succeeded when I noticed that we were already an appreciable height above the castle and climbing. It was then that I recognized the scent of my thief, even before his chiding laugh came into my ears, his voice being instantly recognizable even in my dreams, as you would already know diary. I cannot fathom the reasoning inside that insipid head of his that made the concept of abducting the Royal Advisor from her chambers in the middle of the night seem like a sound course of action, but that is precisely what Hurricane did not seven hours ago.

‘When I demanded an explanation as to what he wanted with me, Hurricane simply tossed me into the air, and then maneuvered so that I would land on his back. I instinctively secured my hold around his thick neck. I belatedly feared that in my panic I might choke him, but it would appear that any concern would be unfounded, as Hurricane made no sign that his breathing was obstructed. At his laughter at my blatant concern, I momentarily, and irrationally, feared for my maidenhood. On one hoof the Commander’s reputation is well known. On the other his honor is equally well known. But at last Hurricane answered my inquiry. A tour of Equestria he said. A tour! At my undoubtedly ill-humored countenance, Hurricane pointed to the ground, now a good two miles below us.

‘Diary, to say I was speechless would be a gross understatement. I am already well versed in the details of our land thanks to the multitude of well-wrought maps in the library. But tonight… It just seemed different. There was not a single cloud in the sky above or below us, and the moon was full, filling the whole length and breadth of the land in a gentle daylightesque glow, highlighting every field and stream, every village and hamlet, every tree and hill. It was… Beautiful. The sort of beauty I scarce can conceive of an equal. I only now wish I had my paper, ink and quill with me so that I could have made more accurate maps.

‘I am embarrassed to say that I did not realize that Hurricane was speaking again until after he was already half-way through his first sentence. Evidently, it was Hurricane’s intent to show me the world as he did. We soared above the land, with Hurricane pointing out features I was familiar with either by personal experience or by reputation. After almost an hour of this, I noticed a cloudbank ahead, which Hurricane did not deviate from. When I made vocal my note of this, Hurricane gave a laugh and stated that it was not just any cloudbank, but Celestine itself.

‘Once again I was rendered dumb. I was familiar with Celestine’s shape from below, but I never even dreamed that I would have the fair fortune of actually seeing it from above, but there I was, weaving with Hurricane around towers, markets, the Coltiseum and barracks. Hurricane told me everything he knew about everything we saw, and was patient to deal with my curiosity. All my life, I had thought Celestine as a barren, spartan and cheerless place, with neither ornamentation nor life. I was wrong. While true, the city has a clearly militaristic and function first bend to the architecture, every building, every plaza and meeting place, each had its own character, its own place in the whole without being lost amongst it. And then there is the sheer scale of the city. Yes, the pegasi have always boasted about the size of their city, but all the talk about how it covers whole square miles always seemed like talk. In short diary: It is no empty talk.

‘Hurricane alighted atop a tall guard tower towards the middle of the city, one of several that surrounded a portal in the clouds that looked down to the ground below. On a low table was a dinner for two, consisting of cheese and bread with a bowl of fruit, two lit candles sat in the middle. Without warning, Hurricane rolled over, though he took care to ensure that I remained above him, so that I would lie on his stomach and chest, which only this evening I have noted as being still handsomely cut, even for a pony of his years. Confused at his intent, Hurricane waved a hoof over to the vista below us, showing both the expanse of Celestine, and the window down to Equestria below us. With a hind hoof, he dragged the table over to us and removed a pear from the bowl, saying that he also wished to share a private meal with me. Normally I would scoff at such an invitation but for some reason, I could not bring myself to find fault with spending time with him. For hours we munched on the food he had provided, admiring the view below us, talking about… a multitude of topics, that seemed to follow no logical path or lead to no destination.

‘As I have mentioned many times before diary, I have always found Hurricane’s company irksome on its own. However… for some reason, this past evening seemed pleasant. More than pleasant really, and soon I actually found myself curling up on Hurricane’s chest as though it were the most natural thing in the world. I even fought down more than a few yawns in the hopes of making the time together last longer, but alas one did managed to escape, leading to Hurricane wordlessly rolling back over, placing me on his back and flying straight for the castle. He even tucked me into my bed! He apologized for keeping me up so late, and then flew out of the window. I wanted to go to sleep, I was more than sufficiently relaxed. But for some reason I just could not, my mind being so active.

‘Well, I apologize. That was a lie. I did sleep, but not for long, because Hurricane appeared in my dreams. Doing… things to me. And what is more confusing is that I thoroughly enjoyed it! That was three hours ago diary, and I had evidently missed or ignored the call to raise the sun, as dawn’s light is clearly visible in the sky as I write. However, if I were to explain the events of last night to the Princess, I am certain she would understand and forgive me.

‘I am very, very, confused right now diary. What is wrong with me? Why do I get this fluttering of my heart? What is this warmth I have in my cheeks? What is it about these musings on Hurricane that brings these reactions to my body?’

This night proved to be the turning point for Hurricane and Clover’s relationship, for three years later they were married after a surprisingly quickly tossed together ceremony, and early the next year their first foal Twinkle was born. It is unknown what Pansy's reaction or thoughts were to having a step-mother who was half her age. Or if that fact even registered in her mind, given her Father's past. But all contemporary sources agree that the two mares were the best of friends until the end.

As an addendum, one document from around the same time as the above entry, is this copy of Princess Platinum’s order to her Captain of the Guard to relax the night watch for a single night:

‘Captain, feel free to let a few of your guards have the night off tonight. Furthermore, I have a feeling that a certain pegasus will be visiting a lady friend. Please do be a gem and pass the word amongst your stallions to let him through would you?’

It is commonly suggested that this order was given the day of the above diary entry, thus explaining how Hurricane could pull off such a stunt without getting caught. Also, it is suggested, that since Platinum and Hurricane were such good friends, the two of them might have even conspired to arrange the meeting. However, there is little correlating evidence to support this view.

After Hurricane’s death in 50 AW, and with her children grown and starting their own lives, Clover was alone, the last of the Founders still alive, and so once against stepped into the political spotlight at the age of 66 as an advisor to the Premier of the Republic, and Archmage. Using her wealth of knowledge, Clover opened a magic school for every filly and colt in walking distance, free of charge to the students and their families. This would lay down precedent for Celestia’s school, as well as the public school system of modern Equestria.

One final contribution Clover would make to the nation her husband and friends had built, would be to finish the Mentor-Student cycle, as the personal teacher to Mimic, arguably the most powerful unicorn in all of history. Only Star-Swirl the Bearded and Twilight Sparkle have equally credible claims to being the most powerful, but as none of them were alive in the same time periods, we cannot say for sure which was truly the most powerful.

Clover would live to see the Centennial of the Equestrian Republic, which, ironically, was celebrated with the Talonhoof Assault, the only major invasion of the nation, and the closest Equestria as a national identity came to being extinguished. Though blind and 116 years old, Clover would live to see her student triumph over the invasion, and secure Equestria’s survival. Sadly, the strain of the attack proved to be too much for her heart, and by the end of the second day of celebrations, Clover the Clever, youngest daughter of a poor family, student to Star-Swirl the Bearded, wife of Commander Hurricane, died warm in her bed, in the hooves of her student and surrounded by her surviving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in 100 AW.

Chancellor Puddinghead

Chancellor Puddinghead

“Hold on to your hooves! I am being brilliant!”

“In a Democracy, anypony can become the leader. It’s one of the risks you take.” The pony who wrote this piece of satire has been lost to history, but the idea that he or she was talking about Chancellor Puddinghead, born in 49 BW in what is now Pudding Center Park on Leggington Avenue, is hardly improbable.

Unlike the Founders we have previously discussed, particularly Hurricane, Pansy and Platinum, whose traits were either exaggerated or glossed over entirely, Puddinghead has actually been toned down from the reality. Had she lived in the modern era, Puddinghead would no doubt have been placed in a psychiatric ward for study and an attempt at counseling. However, as modern medicine of the mind was millennia away in the future, mental illness was only vaguely understood and often confused for other things, such as Changeling impersonation, demon possession, or being divinely inspired.

Few documents exist concerning Puddinghead’s early life, we can’t even be sure if that is even her real name, and not a nickname, considering her most famous, or infamous, fashion statement . However, we do know that she had always been longing for the center of attention, as a large collection of ancient documents have been recovered over the years hinting that she was often muscling her way in to perform in the local theater productions, more often than not as the lead. However, many of these documents highlight of just how poor an actress she was. During this time, other contemporary sources describe Puddinghead’s eccentricities, such as public consulting a tiny, invisible human who lived in her front right hoof named Mr. Thimble, as well as her insistence of wearing a bowl of fresh pudding on her head every day. It was during this time that she first developed a taste for politics, with her first foray as an aid for her mother, senator Apricot the Elder.

In 20 BW, Puddinghead ran for election for the Chancellorship, even though she was too young to be a legal candidate. Naturally, she didn’t win. However, Puddinghead put forward that the election was rigged. Nopony believed her of course, but the fuss she raised was certainly entertaining to the ponies of the Republic, and for each of the next three elections the drama would repeat, with the young Puddinghead’s popularity growing with each try. From what records exist, it is believed that Puddinghead’s appeal with the Earth Ponies, especially the younger Earth Ponies, was less on her stand of issues both real and of her own invention (an example of the latter being on Pot Colors, with Puddinghead being on the side that they should be green rather than black), and more with the sensationalism her campaigns generated, along with her amusing personality.

In 17 BW, Puddinghead was finally old enough to run, and won the election for the Chancellorship by a landslide, thanks in large part by her large fanbase becoming eligible to vote as well, rather than her proving to her subjects that she would be the superior candidate. According to Puddinghead’s biography by Historian Luscious Day, when her parents learned of Puddinghead’s success, her father, Germination, was quoted as saying “So the bedlam runs the bedlam house. Now we’re all Sons of Bitches,” and proceeded to drink heavily for almost a week. However, there is some speculation that she may have been exaggerating.

At the start of the new Chancellor’s term in office, it was both tradition and law that said new head of state would give a speech to the senate to lay out her policy for the year, appoint a Speaker of the House, and try to encourage a cordial relationship between the Legislature and Executive halves of the government. In her speech, Puddinghead vowed to work to start a series of public works projects to improve the living conditions of the citizens of the Republic, the abolishment of certain unpopular taxes, and reform of the military.

“…all of which were all well and good, and the new Chancellor received many ovations during her speech, but the one point of concern that all of senators were agreed on was the fact that not once did Puddinghead face her audience during her forty minute speech.”

Luscious Day

Among the projects Puddinghead commissioned were the construction of two aqueducts to bring in more water to both the growing urban centers and more importantly to the farmlands, as well as the setting aside of forest for firewood to battle the ever lowering temperatures. She also commissioned for repairing the temples to the spirits in the capitol city, as well as an amphitheater and racetrack. However, Puddinghead also devoted funds to projects whose purpose was either obscure, or wasteful, such as building a giant ship for no particular reason. Puddinghead would use the ship as a personal luxury yacht. In 932 ANM, the remains of said ship were discovered in Lake Neighmi, and brought to the surface, and each feature described by near-contemporary historians such as Luscious Day, such as the marble floors, the stained-glass windows and mosaic-tile murals exalting Puddinghead’s family history were all there, in pristine condition. The ship now rests inside the Manehattan Museum of History. Puddinghead would also commission the construction of a bridge across the Manehattan River, connecting the capitol with the farming settlements that would eventually become Bucklyn. Considering that the river was over a mile across at this part of its course, the project was ignored. However, Puddinghead’s commission would in fact be completed as ordered thousands of years later with the completion of the Bucklyn Bridge.

However, Puddinghead’s projects were very expensive, with Luscious Day listing the total price being some 2,700,000,000 copper pieces in six months, which in modern currency would be about forty billion bits. Naturally, a financial crisis followed, and Puddinghead’s approval rating plummeted as a result. Puddinghead’s political career looked destined to die young, and no doubt she would have been voted out of office, if not for the Lake Trot Crisis, where Puddinghead pushed through major overhauls in the training of the Republic’s army, which had been considered a joke by both the Celestine Junta and Kingdom of Unicorns for centuries. From the tactics described by Luscious Day, by all rights the army should have been slaughtered in every campaign during the crisis. However, considering the outlandishness of Puddinghead’s reforms, it is almost universally agreed by historians and scholars that the only reason that they were so effective in battle was because the Pegasi and Unicorns were stunned by what they were seeing. Either way, the Hyracotherium Republic proved to no longer be the rope that the Unicorns and Pegasi could pull at in their tug-of-war for more food. As a result, Puddinghead was re-elected by a unanimous vote, much to the horror of the Senate.

For the next decade and a half, Puddinghead would be re-elected every year, even after she had served the constitutionally allowed five terms of office, and each year Puddinghead grew more and more detached from reality. In 14 BW, she appointed her pet Parrot, Pluminary, as Speaker of the House, and did so every year. According to Luscious Day, it would seem that the only phrase Pluminary could speak regularly would be praises to Puddinghead’s brilliance. Even after he died, Puddinghead would continue to appoint him, even going as far as to stuff and mount the bird, and insisting that he was still alive.

With the abysmal failure of the Shouting Congress in 10 BW, Puddinghead made a surprisingly lucid decision to seek out a new home for the Earth Ponies, out from under the shadow of the Junta and Kingdom. In fact, from what records exist, it is widely accepted that it was the Hyracotherium Republic that actually sent out the first scouts to search for a new land, as far ahead as a week before either the Junta or the Kingdom, and by 9 BW the Republic had made the first stabs at claiming territory.

To do this, Puddinghead presented the Homestead Act to the Senate, which was ratified in surprisingly short order.

A decade later, the new land that the Republic had settled was in the middle of deciding its future, when word came in of Pegasopolis seeking out a Republic citizen by the name of Trencher for crimes unexplained. Without a second’s hesitation, Puddinghead declared war, even above Secretary Smart Cookie’s call for calm and caution, leading to the Winter War and eventually The Warming.

After the Warming, Puddinghead shocked both the former Senate and Smart Cookie by stepping down from power voluntarily, and would spend her time working to bring the three tribes together in a social setting, starting massive celebrations with hundreds of ponies from each tribe together that would last for days, with no purpose for celebration other than being together. In 3 AW, Puddinghead would die while taking up a dare to drink a gallon of hard cider while swallowing goldfish on a flagpole, falling off and breaking her neck doing so. According to Luscious Day, nopony noticed that she was dead for hours.

Luscious Day notes in her histories that the Equestrian Republic saw a foalboom in these early years; of note being most mares refusing to name the fathers, and almost as many giving birth to foals that were not their own race. Luscious suggests that the Spirits were at work to help encourage the merging of the three tribes into a single nationality. However, modern academia agrees that, given all of the cider that was often consumed at Puddinghead’s parties, and the general high mood, a great deal of merrymaking of a different source was going on that many ponies were awkward about discussing with others.

But Luscious Day does have a point: Puddinghead, in her own special way, ensured (if not expedited) that the national identity of Equestria would be of a single group, rather than three groups working for a single goal.

Secretary of the Interior Smart Cookie

Secretary of the Interior Smart Cookie

“It does not matter if you have wings or horn or just four legs: We are all ponies, and that is all that is truly worth counting.”

Born in 45 BW as the first born to Sweet Roll and Puff Pastry, Smart Cookie from an early age showed an interest in public service, ultimately serving as lawyer, statesmare, diplomat and political theorist, along with as the last Secretary of the Interior under Chancellor Puddinghead, and as the first Premier of the Equestrian Republic.

The reasoning behind her quest for service stemmed from a sense of pride and familial obligation to the citizens of the Hyracotherium Republic due to, in her family’s tradition, being descended from one of the original founders of the Republic. As such, she studied law from books in her mother’s library almost as soon as she could read, and was sent to what was then the Orohippus College (now Herdvard University), where she served with distinction on the Debate Team and served a term as the Student Body President. It was during her years at school that she first met Star-Swirl the Bearded during one of his many visits among the other tribes. For one reason or another, the old unicorn found an interest in Smart Cookie, often being found spending many hours at the local school tavern debating the nature of ponykind, and the pros and cons of the three tribes mixing and becoming a united entity. It is unknown what her true leanings on the subject were (or those of her family) before meeting Star-Swirl, but by the time she earned her A.M., Smart Cookie was fully convinced that the three tribes were only hurting themselves by being separate.

In 17 BW, Smart Cookie celebrated two major accomplishments in her life. First she married Able Smith, a long-time friend from foalhood, and she was admitted to the bar, serving as a highly respected attorney on both sides of the aisle, and well-known for being respectful to clients and her opponents. However, her strong, vocal and repeated stance and debate with her colleagues on how all ponies were equal turned many away on a personal level. In a letter (one of many) to her husband Able Smith, Smart Cookie famously described herself as “obnoxious and disliked by the more solid of my fellows on the matter of unification.” However, historians have noted how Smart Cookie had a history of self-depreciation now and again, thus it is widely assumed that this was hardly the case, or at least not as extreme as she assumed.

In the wake of the Lake Trot Crisis and Puddinghead’s rise to power, there was more and more concern about where the Republic was heading, especially with a chancellor that seemed to behave more and more like an autocratic king. Among the concerned was Smart Cookie, who helped draft an amendment to the Republic’s constitution that would allow the Senate to more forcefully enforce the limit of the number of terms a chancellor could serve. To ensure that the amendment would not cause a worse crisis in the future, she studied the history of the Republic extensively, observing precedents and the legality of them and how Puddinghead’s actions compared. In the winter of 12 BW the amendment was presented to the Senate. Sadly, it died at the voting table, being unable to generate the 70% of the vote to be ratified. This being due to, with Puddinghead’s unparalleled popularity with the youth of the tribe, many of the senators feared for their political careers to introduce such a limiting piece of legislation, and many more feared that the amendment would set a precedent for a similar amendment that would limit the number of terms a senator could serve.

When the news, and the reasons for it, reached Smart Cookie, she is said to have been livid. As she told her husband in a letter, “I have reached the conclusion that One useless mare is called a disgrace. That Two are called a Law Firm, and Three or More, are a Senate. And Able? I have had it with this Senate!”

However, Smart Cookie’s political troubles with Puddinghead were far from over. On seeing her skill with the law of the land, her sensible attitude and her stubbornness against what she saw as wrong, it was quickly decided in the Senate to appoint Smart Cookie as the Secretary of the Interior. With this position, it would be now Secretary Smart Cookie’s job to interpret, dictate, and carry out the Chancellor’s decries and policy. It was the expectation of the Senate that Smart Cookie would be able to act as a buffer between Puddinghead’s madness and the Republic.

A chambermaid was in the room as the Senate nominated and voted on the position for Secretary.

“Then came the time to nominate the Secretary, with the only nominee being Madam Smart Cookie given. Normally a good two or three others would be named, but the Majority Leader never asked for others. It was quite strange really.

“When her name was given, Miss Cookie vehemently objected, which was over-ruled. However, Miss Cookie continued to object and list many reasons why even as each individual senator gave her vote of ‘Yea.’ Half way through she resorted to pleas and swearing at each senator that voted. I had no idea that a simple lawyer could have such a filthy mouth. It’s a pity she’s married, my brother would want to meet her I’m certain of it.

“Finally, the vote was tallied, with the decision being unanimous that Smart Cookie was to be Secretary of the Interior. Upon seeing the results, Secretary Cookie looked much like my father does when he learns that Mother’s Mother is coming to visit: Unnaturally pale, wide-eyed and sweating raindrops. As the Senate began to applaud Secretary Cookie bolted for the doors. She managed to make two or so steps outside the building before the other senators managed to grab her and drag her back inside to swear her in. All the while Secretary fought back, clinging to furniture, railings and doorframes, screaming ‘No! No! Don’t make me work with that nutjob! Please! Have a heart!’

“I dare say I believe that she was crying like a little foal as the Minister of Justice read her the oath.”

Much as Smart Cookie clearly did not want to work with Puddinghead, she still had a job to do. At first the two mares clashed like water in a grease fire; the most famous incident being Smart Cookie trying to convince Puddinghead that her much beloved parrot Pluminary, her repeatedly appointed Speaker of the House, was dead. This incident, and numerous others, became a source of comedy throughout the centuries from the Macky Palms comedy troupe to the Cook and Puddy puppet shows.

However, in spite of the misery that Smart Cookie had to put up with in the service of Puddinghead, Smart Cookie was able to learn on how to curb Puddinghead’s more extreme moments by saying the right phrases, all while playing at being the dim-witted yes mare to the Chancellor. While at first pleased at having found a way to control Puddinghead, Smart Cookie soon grew guilty at the blatant manipulation she often worked on the pony, especially when it became clear that she saw the younger mare as a friend and confidant, as a letter to her husband details.

‘There are days that I feel sick with myself Able. I strongly suspect that elements of Puddinghead’s foalhood made her the way she is, what with the stories she sometimes tells me late at night while working. Granted I am far from ruling out her being totally nuts and the stories she sometimes tells me are nothing more than fabricated trash generated from a sick mind, what with how sometimes a story is never the same twice, but even as I trick her into a more constructive way of thinking, even if it is for everyponies’ own good, I cannot help but feel like I am bucking the puppy we got the little ones.’

As Secretary of the Interior, Smart Cookie’s duties were restricted to solely the internal affairs of the Republic, so when the summit that would become the Shouting Congress was held, Smart Cookie was unable to go, not even to act in Puddinghead’s stead. Historians have debated for centuries how much, or how little, good Smart Cookie would have done had she served as a representative of the Hyracotherium Republic, considering how King Aurum had been reduced to a glorified mouthpiece for the narrow-minded and self-centered court or face civil war, and Commander Hurricane was an opinionated and stubborn blowhard.

In either case the failure to cooperate meant that the River Valley was a lost cause, and thus the Republic would need to move if it and the Earth Ponies were to survive. With the discovery of the new and fertile land of what would be Equestria, pioneers were needed to settle the land to prepare for the transfer of the government. As Smart Cookie would be unable to leave the capital, and the weather meant that the family farm was practically failed already, she sent Able and their children on ahead with friends to start up a new home under the Homestead Act as Cookie and Puddinghead over saw the dismantling of the government in preparation for the transfer.

With the Great Warming and the unification of the Tribes into Equestria, there was the issue of securing the fledgling nation’s existence against invasion, for no longer were the old securities of a small valley with high mountains available to the ponies, and with the warming of the climate the snow would soon vanish, making the new Equestria vulnerable to the many roving Diamond Dog bands and the various War Lords that splintered off from the declining Griffin Empire. When assured by Hurricane that the Pegasi would be more than sufficient to rebuff any invasion, Cookie is said to have replied “I thank you for your offer sir, but I would sleep better if that was not a requirement for you.”

Within a week of the Warming, Smart Cookie led a small detachment consisting of members from each Tribe to the Griffin States that bordered Equestria to secure favorable treaties. In particular being the Gryff Republic, the only other noteworthy republic in the world in the day, and the most powerful state in the Border Regions. With the aid of the griffin Foreign Minister of the Southern Territories Johann van der Goostoppen, Smart Cookie and her entourage was able to secure a favorable non-aggression and security treaty with the republic and the new Equestria, along with the recognition of the new pony state as an independent government, along with a loan of five million silver Clutchers to support the construction of the future Equestrian Republic’s seat of government. The house Smart Cookie bought in the area became Equestria’s first embassy owned on foreign soil anywhere in the world.

During the Government Accords, where the form of government of the pony’s nation was decided, Smart Cookie and Clover the Clever, along with Princess Platinum, Private Pansy and Commander Hurricane, worked together to secure a democratic government, Puddinghead by this time having already died. However, it is assumed by scholars and historians that even had she lived, Puddinghead would most likely have been too busy organizing her many parties. With Cookie’s knowledge of Law and the tyrannies of Puddinghead’s chancellorship fresh in her mind, Smart Cookie was instrumental in the precise wording into how the elections were to be run, and in determining the eligibility of a candidate to run for office. While many of her friends and colleagues either teased Cookie or dismissed her attention to detail, it should be noted that not once in the thousand years the Republic stood was a pony unfit for governing ever so much as allowed to run, let alone elected, all thanks to Smart Cookie’s highly clear and precise wording of the constitution.

Given her newfound popularity after the Warming, and her celebrated work with the Government Accords, Smart Cookie was elected in 5 AW as the First Premier of the Equestrian Republic, and was re-elected every time for her legally allowed four single-year terms in office. Smart Cookie’s tenure in office was largely uneventful, as the completion of settlements, the transport of Celestine over from the River Valley to Central Equestria, and the integration of the governments of the three Tribal Remnants took her full time, and with a buffer zone between the Republic and all hostile foes secured by the Gryff Republic meant that foreign concerns were minor.

After the completion of Smart Cookie’s fourth and final term in office in 9 AW, Smart Cookie retired to a private life on her farm with Able Smith and their younger children and grandchildren. However, it is said that Smart Cookie’s door was always open to her successors looking for advice on what troubled them, regardless of the time and how busy she was.

In 45 AW, at the age of 90, Smart Cookie’s health began to degrade rapidly, finally giving out on the anniversary of the Founding of the Republic, her last words being ‘Clover and Hurricane still live.’

With Smart Cookie and her stubbornness and humility, the Equestrian Republic was able to flourish for centuries as a paragon of the ideals of Friendship and Pony Unity, ideals that ring ever truer even now, in spite of everything that has happened.

Star-Swirl the Bearded

Star-Swirl the Bearded

“All you have to decide in life, is what to do with the time that has been given to you.”

Though he did not have a direct part in the actual founding of Equestria, there is no question that the unicorn Star-Swirl the Bearded, Father of Modern Unicorn Magic, played the vital role of laying down the foundations that the Founders would follow.

Sadly, little is known of Star-Swirl’s early life, not where he was born, or when, or even the name of his parents. Anecdotes and folk stories abound, however. Given the fact that he is one of the most powerful unicorns in all of history, there have always been those who claim him to be not entirely natural. Most stories say that he was a cambion (a demi-pony whose father was a changeling), if not a Changeling Prince himself. Still other stories claim that he was in fact Shadowed Fact, a powerful figure from ancient Pre-Historical mythology, in mortal form to guide ponykind.

Regardless as to his origins, we do know that the first confirmable record of his existence was in 190 BW, when he defended a small Hyracotherium village from a Greater Shadow that had been preying on them. Even this far before the founding he already had the look of an elderly unicorn stallion with a grey mane, coat and long beard, along with his now famed robes and hat, adorned with bells of an even now unknown nature or purpose.

After this he is recorded as having wandered the River Valley among the three tribes, interacting with members of each and carrying out tasks that they needed done, whether he was asked to or not. Sadly, almost all of these tasks are lost to us now, except for the anecdotal mentioning in one of Star-Swirl’s journals of some affair involving an Earth Pony named Humble Pie and a Pegasus named Silver Lining. Nothing else is known of this event.

As a result of his selfless work, Star-Swirl became well respected by the lower members of all three tribes, the only Unicorn of the Pre-Equestrian era to claim such a fact. However, being popular with the populous did not mean being popular with the rulers. While the Hyracotherium politicians at least pretended to appreciate Star-Swirl’s voluntary work, and the Celestine Junta more often than not held a begrudging respect (as soldiers and officers often became officers and higher officers), the nobility of the Kingdom of Unicorns were all but outright hostile, tolerating his existence and his tendency to voluntarily interact with the rabble of the other tribes only because of his unheard of amounts of power and his own work for the unicorns. The chief and most recognized example being how he saved the life of the much beloved (read: weak and easily twisted by the Court) King Tellurium (150-99/102-99 BW) from an attempt on his life in 101 BW from his nephew, who claimed that the King murdered his father with the leaves of a Yew tree for the crown. Given the weak will of Tellurium and the well known reputation of the court, modern scholars and historians agree that the whole incident was in fact the most public incident of a behind-the-scenes war amongst factions of the court for control over the throne, which would continue in one form or another until the Purge after The Great Warming. This particular incident being the last that Star-Swirl would perform for any of the nobility, and starting their now well-known antagonism. Had Star-Swirl been anypony else, he would not have lasted long amongst the court and their hired assassins. After this event, Star-Swirl took the king’s nephew with him, where he disappears from the historical record, and until his return to the castle to assist then Prince Aurum to the throne almost a century later, Star-Swirl was unwelcome to the court, due to a reputation of “disturbing the peace.”

The most potent reason for this view of Star-Swirl is most likely due to something that fascinates scholars and historians even today: his surprisingly modern view of the world, more specifically relations between the three pony races, and how they needed to work and live together. A matter of particular interest is Star-Swirl’s Philosophy of the Alicorn, the first treatise of which he produced in 110 BW.

An Alicorn, Star-Swirl claimed, was the epitome of all that is Pony. A being that is all at once Pure Unicorn, Pure Pegasus, and Pure Earth Pony; expressing all of the positives of each race, and cancelling out all of the negatives of the same; that they are in fact Gods and Goddesses in all senses of the word. This is interesting to scholars, not because he proved to be right (given the existence of the Princesses), but because, prior to Star-Swirl, there is no record at all, in any culture or mythology or cosmology in the world, that even suggests at a possible source of inspiration for Star-Swirl. In effect, Star-Swirl seems to have invented the concept out of whole cloth. However, those he shared his beliefs and speculations with didn’t know what to do with what Star-Swirl shared with them, assuming he had a specific goal to begin with. However, the Alicorn quickly became a symbol of the Pan-National sentiments that, while spread out far and wide within the Valley, never grew into a major movement. In fact, Smart Cookie is the only known public official of any of the tribes who publically expressed Pan-Nationalistic tendencies before The Great Warming. However, the idea of a being with the features of all three races proved unpopular among the upper classes of the three tribes, as it meant that Star-Swirl was in effect that the three Tribes were equal, a notion that at the time was disregarded as ridiculous.

Not wanting to push his luck at the court, Star-Swirl abandoned the King’s Castle and traveled amongst the ponies of the three tribes, taking time to interact with the commoners. The most famous example being the time he often spent at Orohippus Collage as a guest philosopher (the first unicorn to ever hold any position at an Earth Pony institution), more specifically his time as a mentor of sorts to future Secretary Smart Cookie. After his appointment as Court Mage and eventual promotion to Regent of the Kingdom of Unicorns however, Star-Swirl had to resign, coming to the university only as the occasional guest speaker.

Late in the night of October 48 BW, the Radical Anti-Monarchist faction of the Court in the Kingdom of Unicorns turned militant, rising against the Royal family and their supporters, dragging the King, Queen and their family from their beds and murdering them in the basement, intent on establishing an oligarchy of the nobility, with their faction naturally at the head. According to tradition, King Palladium and Queen Ruthinium, along with the three oldest sons died in the first magical volley. However, Princess Osmium was found to be alive as the revolutionaries gathered the bodies. Osmium was known for a streak of paranoia by even by the standards of the court. Convinced that somepony of the nobility would murder her, the princess took to wearing clothing that had gems sown into the lining, specially enchanted to guard against all harm, even her sleepwear as the story goes. Sadly, she was unable to take advantage of the time bought to escape, as the pony that discovered her status dispatched her at pointblank range. It seemed as though centuries of schemes and effort were successful, and the house of Æthelric the Stern of Two Dozen Sons was finally fallen. Except for one, it was soon found. Because King Palladium had four sons, and there were only four male bodies on the floor. Prince Aurum was alive and elsewhere.

The Prince was the youngest of the four sons, still at that age where mischief and sneaking about was expected. His status as the youngest son also made him a spare to the throne, and as such the Royal Guard was less concerned with his security than his elder brothers. At the time of the uprising, Prince Aurum was enjoying a secret rendezvous with his then-betrothed Argentum. When the screams started, Aurum had the presence of mind to hide himself and Argentum until the coast was clear. Realizing the danger he was in, Aurum left Argentum in the safe-keeping of her family and went into exile, seeking help from the one unicorn of power who would be willing to help him: Star-Swirl the Bearded.

At the time, Star-Swirl was staying with a detachment of pegasi at a surface fort, sharing stories and drinks with the warriors when a commotion was heard at the gate. A group of Unicorn Mercenaries were pursuing a young stallion through the snow, who was making his way to the fortress, calling out for sanctuary. Star-Swirl quickly went to Aurum's aid, the warriors begrudgingly giving him backup. This resulted in a lopsided battle between the monetarily-motivated mercenaries of the Radical Anti-Monarchist Faction of the Kingdom of Unicorns and the highly trained warriors of the Celestine Junta. The sentries brought the young prince to Star-Swirl, who told all present what had happened.

Until now, Star-Swirl was content to leave the governments of the three tribes to do as they wished, instead simply being an influence on the consecutive generations to bring about pony unity. However, the blatant aggression and needless bloodshed roused Star-Swirl from his personal non-interference policy, returning to the Kingdom with the young prince in tow, members of the Pegasi detachment following to oversee the events. Or as Star-Swirl himself puts it in his personal journal, “to enjoy the show.”

From the time of the ‘revolution’ to Aurum’s return with Star-Swirl, three months had passed, and the court was in a riotous uproar. As the Royal family (they assumed) was no more, there was no longer a need to play nice with each other, and age old and petty grudges, feuds and jealousies could now be carried out fully. The Throne Room now held the entire court, and each noble house was in the middle of a shouting match over who would hold power, and things were going to turn violent at any second.

As the story goes, Star-Swirl caught everyponies’ attention with a burst of bright light. Once their attention was on him and not their feud, Star-Swirl berated the nobles responsible and demanded that they all stand down and cease their attempt to supplant the throne. In response the entire court launched themselves at Star-Swirl, enraged at his attempt to control them and restore the Royal Line. At first this seems like an unwise move on the court’s part. However, considering how it had been nearly a century since Star-Swirl’s last visit to the court, and thus the last time anypony of the court had actually seen Star-Swirl’s full power. While the Junta soldiers watched from the windows and doors with laughter, and Prince Aurum made his way to the throne, Star-Swirl proceeded to beat the entire court (depending on the source, this numbers anywhere from 19 ponies to as many as 600) into submission on his own, without killing a single one. After the dust settled, Aurum donned the crown of his father, declaring himself king as he addressed the court.

“In light of the recent murder of my father the king, my mother the queen, and my brothers and sister, We do decry that all of those involved in the plot and responsible for the bloodshed are to leave Our realm before sunrise, or face execution. The remaining members of the court are to line up, where every tenth will then be banished from the palace for life for their accessory to the recent conspiracy.

[...]

“If it pleases him, We would like to request that the venerable Star-Swirl the Bearded, well known for his wise council and awesome power, become Our Court Mage and Advisor on all matters domestic and foreign, as We are quite young and unused to the weight of the crown.”

Against the protest of the court, Star-Swirl accepted the appointment, moving into the palace and setting up a Magi Laboratory in the highest room of the tallest tower. For the rest of both Aurum’s life and Star-Swirl’s time Pre-Equestria, Star-Swirl would serve the throne, tutoring the Royal line in political intrigue to counter the antagonistic court. The now Court Mage would also take advantage of his suddenly rooted living arrangements to carry out his magical experiments. Among his most enduring would be laying down the foundations for the Amniomorphic Spell, which revolutionized pottery craft for Unicorns, making bowls and jars and related containers able to preserve food and drink by weaving potent magics into the material of the container itself, without the need of the long and arduous process of embedding expensive gems and precious metals into the container itself.

But Star-Swirl also experimented in more esoteric magic, spells that pushed at the boundaries that separate this world from the Beyond, knowledge that he gladly shared with his only protégé, Clover the Clever. Among these is the Time Travel spell. While it’s nature of establishing only Stable Time Micro-Loops makes it worthless for any application practical or academic, the intricacies of the spell itself is a fascinating study for Magical Scholars.

This hobby would continue even after the dying Aurum named him Regent, with experiments that would push further and further beyond Time and Space. His final experiment is a mystery, as he had either destroyed his notes, or they were incinerated in the resulting explosion. However, concerning the events that brought the Princesses to this plane, it is clear that Star-Swirl was looking for some way to contact the Alicorns that he, and he alone, knew existed somewhere out there. And in a cold autum morning in 3 BW, the entire palace was awakened by a massive explosion coming from Star-Swirl's tower. When Princess Platinum, Clover the Clever and the guards arrived, they found the laboratory in ruins, and not a single sign of Star-Swirl anywhere. However, Clover and Platinum did find a single sheet of parchment left behind for them to find. Evidently Star-Swirl did not wish to leave his charges Platinum and Clover without some closure, leaving this letter behind for the two young mares:

‘To Princess Platinum and Little Clover, and whomever they deem it may concern.

If you are reading this, and my body is not splattered about the lab, then my latest Arcane Experiment has been successful, and I have breached the barriers of all that is and have pierced into the Immaterial. Though you may wish not to, I encourage you to weep if that is your heart’s first inclination, for not all tears are evil, nor are they all signs of weakness, but rather a sign of the great capacity for Love.

“To Clover, I leave all of my books, my equipment, and all of my notes to use as she sees fit, so long as she continues her studies without me. To Platinum, I leave all that her father intended in this eventuality. The key is hidden in a place I am certain that she hasn’t not reverse-covered. And to them both, I leave these words.

‘The two of you have grown into fine young mares, who shall certainly lead ponykind into a bright and glorious future. When the time is right Platinum, I know you shall do what is best for everypony, and you need not fear how I may judge your actions on that day. And Clover, this conversation was due to take place anyway, so I may as well express my sentiments now. While it may not happen today, or tomorrow or next year, eventually the nobles of the court will try to force you into a marriage. Platinum will certainly use what little power she has to deflect such attentions, and my final request that you be left be will certainly turn away the more honorable members of the court, how few they may be, I can no longer protect you little one. Therefore, be strong, and resist. If you are to marry, it must be by your choice, and no pony else’s. If you choose to marry, find a stallion who is stout of honor, and firm-holding to his principals, and good heavens may the Alicorns Above grace him with at least a half-decent beard!

‘I make no promises about what is to come. But I assure you that I have lived on this plane of existence for long enough, have held the helm of ponykind’s course for long enough. During all the years I've been taking care of you, I feel that you in return have been taking care of me. Though I have never said it aloud, I do think of you two as my own grandchildren, and you always will be. But now, you are growing into a lovely pair of mares too. It is time that you youngsters started gaining control. This is the only way that you will be able to grow now. Without an old fuddy-duddy bore like me in the way. But! But! One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Perhaps in some long-to-be time, when ponykind is in its darkest hours, I shall return with the allies who will assure that Love, Tolerance, and Peace shall know each and every pony’s heart. But even so, I fear that our paths must now part, forever. Now then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. All I ask is that you simply decide what to do with the time you have each been given. Goodbye Platinum. Goodbye Clover. Goodbye my dears.’

After the Great Warming, Star-Swirl became something of a National and Folk Hero for Equestria as the first Pan-Nationalist, a powerful unicorn that saw worth in the other tribes, and as a wise scholar and politician. However, with the passage of time, and the presence of the equally (if not even more) powerful Mimic and the Reign of Madness, his memory has sadly faded from the Equestrian consciousness, with his accomplishments and role in the shaping of Pony society fading along with it.

Celestine Unrest

Celestine Unrest

As touched on in earlier chapters, Sullamander, the penultimate Commander of the Celestine Junta, was a less-than-effective and even less liked ruler. This can be explained in part by her rise to power.

In 65BW, Sergeant Sullamander’s best friend Mareinus became Commander, and broke the promises she had made to several allies in her rise to power by appointing Sullamander as her Second, this over the objections of not only all five of her Chiefs-of-Staff, but the other generals of the Junta and to the dismay of many of the common soldiers. This being due to Sullamander being something of a pariah to the Junta because of a horribly botched mission that she had led in the summer of 70 BW. The exact details are scarce; however, the consensus of scholars and historians is that it involved turning back a large raiding party of Diamond Dogs, a threat so common that it was considered routine amongst the Junta. Evidently, the entire mission was fraught with mistakes. If it could go wrong, it did, resulting in a high casualty percentage in regards to the fighting ability of their foe.

The reason why Mareinus would choose the incompetent Sullamander as her Second, friendship or no, has eluded scholars for centuries. In recent decades, the theory has been brought forward that the two mares were much more than simple friends. The scant evidence brought forward to support the ascertain is how Mareinus never took advantage of the hundreds of stallions under her command while allegedly producing hundreds of pederast sonnets in private (though considering how not even a sentence of her supposed writings have been uncovered, it is generally believed that this was part of the Anti-Sullamander propaganda produced after the Lake Trot Crisis), along with Sullamander’s well known and confirmed disdain for all stallions in general; Hurricane especially, well-known for his flirtatious prowess. However, this is shaky evidence at best, and is most likely the result of poorly researched and less-than-wholesome scholarship. But whatever the reason, when Mareinus died suddenly and mysteriously in 59 BW, the law dictated that Sullamander was to take command, and all pegasi in the Junta was to follow her orders for better or worse. And Sullamander held everypony in the skies to that, at the point of a sword if need be.

As a Stratocracy, the pegasi of the Junta were more than familiar with the idea of staying with the leader no matter what. However, most of the commanders before Sullamander were well known for their bravery, leadership and strategic skills before rising to that post, and so had the loyalty of the troops without the need for conscious effort. Without this critical element, the Junta faced the risk of factionalism and rebellion for perhaps the first time in its three millennia of existence.

As the years went on, Sullamander cracked down on ancient traditions in the Junta that she found detestable. The majority of the pegasi that were the most affected by these reforms were the stallions, especially when she began tampering with the methods of promotion for said stallions. No longer would a stallion receive a bonus or recognition for fathering any foal, but strictly if the foal was a filly. As most of the mares of the Junta did not have much stake in having stallions talented in the art of war progress to the point of sharing their experiences to younger troops, this reform passed with a minimum of complaint. Later on, this was changed to the father being docked wages or even rations if the foal was born a colt, in effect punishing him for something he had no control over. At this point, more voices among the rank and file were raised in protest, but again the reform passed largely in ambivalence. One additional reform Sullamander introduced was to forbid the stallion from having even the slightest amount of interaction with his foals. This proved especially unpopular even among the mares of the Junta, as it robbed them of even the option of letting their foals even seeing their father, even if it would be as a newborn.

Even though most female officers in the Junta that took advantage of the Comfort Stallions were ambivalent about the importance of the father interacting with her foals, it was widely known that more than a few mares became fond of certain studs, and liked to ‘play house’ on occasion. By taking away the option of even this simple pleasure, Sullamander did more than further reduce the stallions of the Junta to the status of Second-Class citizens, she began to make enemies with most, if not all, of the mares of the Junta. As open rebellion was unthinkable in the Junta, there were none of the rallies or talk of civil war that would be common in the Hyracotherium Republic or Kingdom of Unicorns in a similar situation. However, the common soldier and a good number of the officers of the Junta began to become lax in their discipline, and showed less than total respect when the subject of the Commander came up.

All this came to a head in 35 BW, when Sullamander attempted to prevent officers in high command from having relations (with stallions in particular) both on and off duty. The reasoning she gave for this particular law being thus:

“How can a mare concentrate on doing what is for the best of the Junta if a disgusting, boorish, sex-crazed male is humping her leg all the time? If the officers of the Junta cannot keep their minds on the true threats to the Junta, then it is my privilege as Commander of the Junta to see that they do.”

When the Chiefs-of-Staff saw Sullamander’s draft of her new law, they were (according to the Historian-General Fire Brand) ‘gob-smacked and dumbfounded.’ The five mares tried to persuade Sullamander to abandon the bill, saying that it would ‘not go over well with the officers or the soldiers.’ When Sullamander refused to stand down, General Thistle Whistle is said to have given Sullamander a scathing dressing down on her attempts to control the private lives of the Junta’s soldiers and officers, and accused her of consciously weakening the populace’s ability to produce more soldiers. In response, Sullamander shouted that, as Commander, she could do “whatever [she] wanted with the soldiers’ private lives,” and proceeded to run Thistle Whistle through with her sword. Sullamander then gave the four remaining generals to bring Thistle Whistle’s replacement up to speed, and to reconsider her new orders. She then gave the ultimatum that if the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff did not agree unanimously to enact and enforce her orders in one day, they would all be killed for insubordination and replaced with pegasi who would.

This episode would prove to be the first true break of trust that everypony had in Sullamander’s capacity to act and control her power as Commander. The four remaining Chiefs-of-Staff, knowing of the uproar Sullamander’s newest orders would provoke (out of fear of what else of their private lives she would target next if nothing else), the generals were at least hesitant about coming back in line. What might have happened has been the subject of scholarly debate and alternate history fiction for centuries. However, the idea that they might agree with Sullamander’s demands was rendered moot by the pony that was in line to replace Thistle Whistle: General Wind Whistler. Given the similarity of their names, it is often assumed that the two ponies were related. However, this is not the case, merely an accident of fate.

Wind Whistler was an exemplary soldier throughout her entire career. Having made top scores in the Celestine Military Academy (ultimately graduating with Honors as well as the Valedictorian), Wind Whistler holds the honor of being the only student in the centuries-long history of the school to have never received so much as a single Disciplinary Point (said points were given out by the faculty and staff for even the slightest misconduct carried out by a student) in her time there. That alone would have placed her on the fast track to the upper echelon of the Junta’s High Command. But when coupled with her cunning tactical and strategic thinking skills, she was able to win even heavily lop-sided battles against Diamond Dog raiders without so much as a single fatality among the troops under her command. These factors combined into making Wind Whistler a very popular and respected general among the populace and soldiers of the Junta. These factors also gave her a more aloof outlook to most situations, allowing her to consider actions that wouldn’t come to other soldiers. In other words, she was the last pony Sullamander should have allowed onto her Chiefs-of-Staff.

Within thirty minutes of the ultimatum being given, Wind Whistler was in the room and informed of the situation. According to General Fire Brand, who at the time was just the Staff Reporter, Wind Whistler took one look at the other generals and proceed to tell them that they were ‘incompetent,’ and explained why that was so by giving them all a lecture on the spot on the more obscure parts of the Celestine Junta’s constitution concerning the powers of the Commander, and what was to be done with a commander that abused her powers.

The next morning Sullamander walked back into the meeting room, expecting to find a sufficiently cowed Staff and a return to business as usual. However, what she got was anything but, with the new Chief-of-Staff taking the lead when asked if the Staff would now cooperate, as Fire Brand’s minutes show:

Gen W: No.

Comm S: Ah yes at last. Wait, did-did you just say no?

Gen W: Affirmative. We will not allow you to begin to dictate who your troops and officers will or will not sleep with in their private time whether it is on or off duty, as such matters are not within your power to dictate. Not only are your orders illegal, but also highly illogical.

Comm S: Now you listen here girl, you are treading on very misty clouds right now. Do you know who I am? I am your superior officer, and to disobey my whim would be madness.

Gen W: On the contrary Sullamander, the orders that you consider ‘reforms’ are what would be considered as madness. At least in the colloquial definition of the word. Clinically I find nothing unsound of mind in them, unless one considers a hyper-inflated ego and overestimation of one’s influence on others’ decisions a variety of mental illness. In which case yes: you are quite mad indeed.

Comm S: *a long series of inarticulate sputters followed by a number of abortive attempts at threats concerning Gen W and her insubordination*

Gen W: On the contrary Sullamander, it is you who are out of order in her conduct. Quite grievously at that. So grievously that unless you back down I will be forced to kill you.

Comm S: So it has come to open treason then!

Gen W: Actually no. It is you who are committing treason. Quite openly and flagrantly at that.

Comm S: …What. By whose authority?

Gen W: By the authority of the Articles of Command, which you swore to uphold when you rose to the position of Commander. *brings Full Copy of Articles from under table, places on table*

[Editor’s note: It should be noted that a Full Copy of the Articles of Command {effectively the Constitution of the Junta} consisted of one-thousand six-hundred and twenty-six sheets of twenty-inch by eight-inch parchment, and often weighed a good forty pounds when fully bound, which is likely the version Wind Whistler used. This version of the Articles was commonly called the “Doom Thunderer,” as the simple act of opening it and turning to the appropriate sections of the articles often echoed in the room.]

Gen W: Article XCV, Section 6, Sub-Section B, third paragraph. *quotes* Should the Commander prove to be malicious in her command of the Junta, by warfare sabotage, misuse of treasury funds for uses other than the maintenance of the Junta’s army and/or infrastructure and/or the city of Celestine, or over extending the personal powers of the Commander into dictating the personal affairs of individual officers, soldiers and/or citizens of the Celestine Junta, then the Commander is to be considered unfit to command and be branded a traitor to these Articles of Command and the Celestine Junta. *ends quote*

Comm S: What.

Gen W: And as the Articles clearly describe Sullamander, your orders that officers should not seek out relations with the stallion of their choosing, regardless of if it is on or off duty, is a clear invasion of power into the lives of the officers, soldiers and citizens of the Junta, and thus you are a traitor. Plus, since in the long run a lack of relations means a smaller population and thus a smaller fighting force, you are in effect weakening the Junta, and thus you are committing Warfare Sabotage, thus making you a Double Traitor.

Comm S: What?

Gen W: And in Article CCC, Section 9, Sub-Section ZZ, first paragraph, in the event of the Commander turning Double Traitor, the appropriate action is to, and I quote… *quotes* Give the guilty party the option of standing down and addressing the grievance in question as described in Article XCV, Section 6, Sub-Section B, third paragraph. The guilty party is to be given no less than ten seconds (or a count of ten by the head of the grievance-airing council) and no more than thirty seconds to comply. If the guilty party does not comply then she is to be run through the stomach with an Ndima spearhead and left to bleed out. The body is to then be beheaded, disemboweled, and then strung up and placed on display in the main plaza for a time in-between four to six days, after which it is to be cast from Celestine to the earth below to be fed upon by the carrion beasts and birds. After the Double Traitor is dispatched, the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff are to rule in the interim until a new commander who is not among the Chiefs-of-Staff can be appointed. Should the former commander have a Second, the Second is barred from consideration. * ends quote*

Comm S: What!

Gen W: Now, this *produces an Ndima blade from under the table* is an Ndima blade, as you can see it is well designed for its purpose of stabbing ponies. Bleeding out, I would like to remind you, is a slow process when the source of the bleeding is in the abdomen, often lasting at least four hours and I am told to be very painful. Now, as I am certain you had no idea that this eventuality was covered in the Articles, I will give you the full allotted time of thirty seconds to comply with our demands that you drop this matter and refrain from further invasions of privacy in the future. Your thirty seconds start… Now.

Comm S: …Guards! Seize them! Kill them all!

*the two guards that hold watch at the door look into the room, then at each other, and then slowly back away and even more slowly close the door*

Gen W: You still have five seconds by the way.

In the face of being executed on the spot, Sullamander naturally backed down and accepted the Staff’s demands. However, this would be the start of Sullamander’s long-standing hatred for Wind Whistler, and highlight Sullamander’s tenuous grasp of true power in the Junta, who only tolerated her rule by habit and fear. After the confrontation, Sullamander’s promotion reforms, while not repealed, became ignored by the pegasi in charge of them, rendering them repealed de facto if not de jure.

To prevent another usurpation of power from her own officers, Sullamander took a direct approach to the Academy itself, turning it into her own personal indoctrinization machine, churning out fanatically zealous officers loyal only to her. However, even this plot was not without its hiccups, as Pansy’s disregard of Sullamander’s orders during the Wyvrn attack in favor of her father proved.

Growing paranoid at the rising popularity that General Wind Whistler and then-gladiator Hurricane were gathering in spite (or perhaps more accurately because of) Sullamander’s actions, the Commander sought out any avenue to improve her own rocky public relations. With the ever dropping temperatures slowly freezing available water sources, she ultimately settled on taking Lake Trot for the Junta.

However, with tension slowly rising over slowly dwindling food and water sources amongst the tribes, the only remaining major body of drinkable water would no doubt set off the powder keg, something that Wind Whistler knew all too well, and told the other Chiefs-of-Staff as much. But while twenty years earlier she had been able to convince the other four generals to stand against Sullamander, in this situation she was unable to sway all of them. Gone were the older generals she served with, being by death or retirement. In there place was a new generation. Generals Haymaker and Bridle Chomper were wholly convinced of the Junta’s racial superiority to the Unicorns and Earth Ponies, and that owning all of Lake Trot was within the Junta’s right. On the other hoof, Downdraft and Torrent were convinced, but were hesitant to speak up against Sullamander. A fierce debate arose in the meeting room that almost turned violent. When Sullamander gave her orders to the Staff to prepare for war, Wind Whistler kept quiet. After the meeting, Wind Whistler took generals Downdraft and Torrent, the only other generals on the Staff to disagree with their orders, to her home for a small meal before heading out. Or so she told Pansy. But as the then-filly tells in her memoir, the actual topic was treason.

‘Mother sent me out to prepare refreshments for the generals and herself. She told me that it was a social call and that I need not involve myself. However, as mother never invited anypony for any reason, I had a hunch that something else was ahoof.

‘Therefore, after I left the snacks and wine, I hid behind the doors rather than go off to my room as mother had told me. After forty minutes or so of idle chat and partaking of wine, which mother drank not so much as a drop of, mother began to speak of the upcoming invasion to the surface to take Lake Trot for the Junta. It has been many years since then, but the gist of the conversation went about with generals Downdraft and Torrent, by now more than tipsy but less than drunk, expressing incredulity at Commander Sullamander’s disregard for the balance of power in the valley, calling her things like ‘warmonger’ and ‘tyrant’ and ‘power mad.’ Mother then suggested something I had never before dreamed of hearing from her lips: When their armies gathered on the surface, the three of them were to instead attack generals Haymaker and Bridle Chomper’s armies rather than the Earth Ponies and Unicorns stationed at the lake as was planned. Treason! Civil War! I had never heard mother so much as entertain the thought of open contrarian actions to the Rank of Commander, let alone open conflict of arms.

‘At first Torrent expressed similar thoughts, but Downdraft agreed with mother whole-heartedly, and Torrent was quickly persuaded to their line of thoughts. Mother’s plan became clear: By getting her fellow generals drunk, she would lower their inhibitions and get them to agree with her mad plans. I always knew mother to be a Xanatothian manipulator, but never before had I seen her skills play out in person.’

On the eve of battle, Wind Whistler, Downdraft and Torrent all met together with the staff of their armies: the generals, majors, colonels and captains that served under them. Wind Whistler spoke for her fellow Chiefs-of-Staff, describing what Sullamander wanted to do, and what it would mean for the Junta politically and militarily.

‘As you know, while we can certainly, after many many casualties, take the Lake, the real question is if we can hold it, as the Hyracotherium Republic and Kingdom of Unicorns will not sit still with this. You are all smart enough to see beyond simple dogma that the Academy pushes on the students these days, beyond the indoctrination we put on the grunts to see this strategic truth: While the Junta might be able to take out either the Republic or the Kingdom one-on-one, it is a very long shot if we take on both at once. Sullamander runs the risk of destroying what power we hold on the surface, cutting us off from our only source of food and water. Stallions and Mares, I have been in conference with Generals Downdraft and Torrent, and we are in agreement: Sullamander cannot be allowed to command the Junta any longer. However, she has too much influence over the younger officers and Generals Haymaker and Bridle Chomper will not hear reason.

‘Therefore, the only way to remove Sullamander from power is to do the unthinkable. I will understand if you are not comfortable with the ultimate logical conclusion, and what it means for you, your troops, and the Junta. If you cannot in good conscious join the Generals and me in usurping Sullamander, I understand, and Downdraft, Torrent and I have discussed this, and if you promise not to interfere or expose our plans, we will allow you, and any troops under you of a similar mind, to sit this out. You will not have it held against you, and you will all be allowed back into service when this is over, no questions asked. What is your decision?’

As the story goes, nopony answered for what must have been the longest and most awkward silence anypony in there had ever experienced. But suddenly, tradition holds, Private Pansy surprised her mother by showing up and announcing her intention to fight by her side. After that, a captain stepped forward to serve. Then a general, then a major, and before long the whole room was full of staff coming forward, ready to fight against Sullamander. As the story goes, the voluntary affirmations soon turned into a mantra, the staff all chanting Wind Whistler’s name, all affirming their loyalty to the one pony who would dare stand up to Sullamander.

And so in the dead of winter, 16 BW, the armies of the Celestine Junta (the First Army under General Haymaker, the Fifth Army under General Bridle Chomper, the Third Army under General Downdraft, and the Fourth Army under General Torrent), gathered on the shore of Lake Trot under the control of the Junta. The only general and army missing were the forces of the Second Army under General Wind Whistler. The four generals debated on their course of action, but ultimately decided to carry on with the plan and leave Wind Whistler to the wrath of Sullamander. At dawn, the generals gave the order to attack, with the First and Third Armies assigned to attack the forces of the Hyracotherium Republic, and the Fifth and Fourth to attack the Kingdom of Unicorns.

However, Haymaker and Bridle Chomper soon found themselves flanked. Even as they fought their enemies before them, their troops took attacks from the rear as well, but instead of a surprise attack from either the Republic or the Kingdom, it was in fact the Fourth and Third Armies attacking their fellow Pegasi. As the four armies of the Junta converged, communication broke down and so did the ranks from Armies down to Legions, and from Legions down to Battalions, and from there on down to platoons, unable to get in contact with anypony higher up the chain and all following their last orders and try to continue the ultimate plan. Outside the two brawls, the forces of the Republic and Kingdom lost sight of who was fighting who. Those in command of the Kingdom of Unicorns’ forces, seeing their chance to gain more territory and larger access to Lake Trot’s water, pushed the offensive on not only the Fifth Army, but on the army of the Hyarcotherium Republic. Likewise, seeing that the Unicorns were attacking as well, the Republic’s own army stationed at Lake Trot attacked in kind.

In the Sky, the Second Army, under the command of General Wind Whistler (along with elite elements of the Third and Fourth), had diverted themselves from Lake Trot after leaving sight of Celestine, holding position over the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Unicorns. Knowing that, with the city’s own defenses and the no doubt fanatical loyalty the Home Guard had for Sullamander, Wind Whistler would need more than her single army to take the city, she would need help. Around three in the morning, Wind Whistler managed to infiltrate the Palace and break into Star-Swirl the Bearded’s room. If anypony in the Kingdom could be trusted to help her, and not take advantage, it would be the old stallion.

According to tradition, when he heard of what was happening, Star-Swirl was heartbroken. However, he promised that he would organize what few ponies he could trust in the Kingdom and the Republic to help her from the ground.

Six armies fighting amongst each other for control over a single lake, while above a seventh fought defenders to grab control of a city, all while the rest of the Manehattan River Valley risked being totally consumed by war where only one tribe would survive. The Lake Trot Crisis had begun.

While the three Tribes pounded away at each other below, in the skies Celestine was embroiled in a civil war. General Wind Whistler led the invasion from the front of the central column, the other two thirds of her army were to flank the city and divert attention from the defenders, her daughter Private Pansy ordered to stay by her side. Twenty minutes into the battle, large bursts of magical bombardment began to pound into the city at roughly one shot every five seconds. Confusion filled the forces of both the Second Army and the Home Guard. However, Wind Whistler calculated the trajectory of the magical artillery and realized that it could only come from within the territory of the Kingdom of Unicorns. In the four hours he had, Star-Swirl had managed to gather enough unicorns loyal to him to assist him in a large combat magic spell, and was using it to help demolish the defenses of Celestine.

Not knowing how long Star-Swirl could keep up the assault (accounts vary, but given the calculations historians have made, it could not have been more than two days, a third of the time the Crisis lasted), Wind Whistler and her forces pressed onward, fighting street by street against their fellow pegasi. Without even being ordered to, units of the Second Army explained the situation to their counterparts on the other side, often yelling over the sounds of battle. The pegasi on the other side often ignored them, continuing to fight until thoroughly defeated. But sometimes, when they realized who was in command, and what they wanted to accomplished, units would quickly defect and begin fighting their fellow comrades in the Home Guard. These recruits not doubt helped replenish casualties on her own side, and were always welcome; however, if Wind Whistler was to succeed, she was going to need much larger numbers than what a few handfuls of pegasi could supply. Which was why Wind Whistler’s legion was attacking the Entertainment Quadrant of the city, homing in on the Coltiseum, where hundreds of gladiators, and her lover the charismatic ex-Captain Hurricane, were waiting for liberation.

At sundown of the second day the magical bombardment stopped, but the defenders of Celestine were in such disarray that it was no longer needed. This was also the time when General Wind Whistler, Private Pansy and the troops directly under her command broke into the Coltiseum and freed the gladiators with a single command: Take the Commander’s Barracks. It would be slow going however, with none of the units of the Second Army seeing the Barracks until midnight of the sixth day of the Celestine Civil War.

After the attack started, Sullamander took refuge in the Commander’s Bunker, organizing the defense from there. Accounts from the bunker over the next seven days depict a Sullamander rapidly losing her mind to anger and paranoia that only got worse as the days went on. It would not be until early the third day that Generals Haymaker and Bridle Chomper would learn of the situation above, though given the confusion on the surface if would not be until nightfall that the two generals, and what few units they could spare on the surface, could return to Celestine to bolster the defending forces. But by then Sullamander was, as one account describes:

‘…Like a mad dog, frothing at the mouth and lashing out at everypony for incompetence and treachery. Not even General Haymaker could escape her wrath when she and General Bridle Chomper returned to aid us, calling the two a collection of names I dare not repeat for fear of attracting the Spirits’ attentions.’

Sullamander proceeded to devolve in her facilities, ordering attacks on quarters of the city that were either untouched by Wind Whistler’s forces, or so far behind enemy lines that it would be more tactically sound to attack elsewhere. On the morning of the fifth day, Sullamander walked up to the defenders of the Barracks, which were made up of recent graduates and underclassmares of the Celestine Military Academy. Some of whom did not even have their cutie marks, and all of whom were ready and willing to lay down their lives, not for the Junta, but for Sullamander. There she gave out Lightening Crosses (the highest honor the Junta could give the soldiers) and returned to the Commander’s Bunker, where she ordered that the whole Home Guard was to converge on the Coltiseum and kill Hurricane, even though she would have known already that Hurricane (and the rest of the gladiators) were free and attacking the Home Guard. The order was given to General Bridle Chomper to carry out. However, seeing the degrading condition of the Commander, Bridle Chomper quietly ignored the order and focused her forces on other aspects of the battle.

Two days later, as General Wind Whistler’s forces began their attack on the Commander’s Barracks above, Sullamander gathered her aids and the remaining Chiefs-of-Staff into the War Room for an update. According to accounts, General Haymaker tried three times to explain the hopelessness of the situation, but Sullamander ignored her, asking Bridle Chomper how the execution of Hurricane went. When she told Sullamander that she had not carried out her order, Sullamander ordered everypony out of the room except for her Chiefs-of-Staff. Once the door had closed, it is said that Sullamander went into a long tirade, accusing them of being in league with Wind Whistler, of being incompetent, and a host of other things before stripping them of their ranks and putting them both to the sword, reportedly saying the old proverb of “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

After this episode the historical record grows fuzzy, blending fact and fiction together. Some accounts continue the bloodshed by saying that Sullamander proceeded to kill everypony else in the bunker, others say that an aid had caught Sullamander’s eye during the attack and that after killing Haymaker and Bridle Chomper she dragged the poor mare into a closet and raped her repeatedly. However it is believed that this account is either more propaganda, or more less-than-wholesome research.

An hour after the deaths of her last generals, Sullamander and the remnants of her government now had to face the forces of Wind Whistler when they breached the Barracks and worked their way down into the bunker. Alongside Wind Whistler were Hurricane and Pansy, the small family felling every soldier that stood in their way, contemporary accounts describing Wind Whistler and Hurricane as a beautiful ‘dance of death’ that was unstoppable, with their daughter maintaining watch on their blind spots.

However, the reunited family unit was suddenly broken. According to former aid, now General, Fire Brand, Sullamander attacked from a side hallway, aiming to kill either Pansy or Hurricane. Instead she stabbed Wind Whistler, with an Ndima, when she placed herself between Sullamander and her daughter. While the rest of the soldiers with the three fought off the mad Commander, Wind Whistler quickly bled out with her lover and their daughter by her side. In her final moments, Wind Whistler said her goodbyes and named Hurricane as her Second. After a moment of silence, father and daughter both picked up their weapons and went searching for Sullamander. They eventually followed her up to a balcony before she could escape. Most of the final battle are lost to us because General Fire Brand missed most of it, and neither Commander Hurricane nor Private Pansy would recount the fight for the rest of their lives. However, the final blows are described below.

‘…And when I ran through the door, there was Hurricane, his helmet and armor dented and cracked by so much abuse, and his face beaten so badly that one eye was swollen shut. Sullamander was not much better, with her left eye missing (if the gore flowing from the socket was anything to go by), her head and jaw were each tilted at an unnatural angle, and a network of slashes going up and down her forelimbs, her one eye gleaming evilly with madness, laughing all the while and going on about finally getting her chance to kill Hurricane. She unsheathed her sword and was about to do the deed when a dagger tumbled from out of nowhere and embedded itself in Sullamander’s right kidney. Sullamander seemed to not feel the pain, as her only reaction was to start and turn around. We all did, and we saw Private Pansy. Her wings were bloodied and mangled, and she was limping on her hind-left leg, and in her mouth was another dagger, ready to be thrown. Without missing a beat the private lobbed the second dagger, which embedded itself in Sullamander’s neck above the collar bone. Other than the spout of blood from the wound, the second dagger didn’t seem to do anything to Sullamander. If anything it just made her angrier, as she adjusted her mouth’s grip on her sword and charged at Pansy.

‘Time seemed to slow down: Sullamander was charging at Pansy, the ancient mare loaded with unnatural injuries that by all rights should have killed her. And Pansy herself, while without weapons and injured and unable to get away, still looked at the oncoming death, brave as any mare of the Junta ought to be. Then a sword blade burst from Sullamander’s chest, and time seemed to restart. Hurricane had picked up his sword and run Sullamander through.

“You have taken the Love of my life.” He said, “You shall not take my daughter.”

'For what felt like hours, Sullamander hobbled, staring at the blade in her chest in rage. For a moment I was afraid she would continue to attack, when at long last Sullamander fell over and died.’

At long last, Commander Sullamander was no more, and as Wind Whistler’s second, Hurricane was to be Commander with her death. However, all was not well in the Junta. After seven days and nights of street to street fighting, much of Celestine was in ruins, and while with the internal hostilities over with the rebuilding could begin, the civil war still left a bitterness in the ranks. Some of it was due to some soldiers felt that Wind Whistler and her soldiers were traitors, the fact that they up rose against a pony like Sullamander was irrelevant, thus making Hurricane unfit to rule by association. Furthermore, Lake Trot had frozen over, rendering the entire war, and the lives lost, meaningless. And the climate continued to chill. The simmering anger would linger for the rest of the Junta’s existence, and towards the end it became so prevalent that Commander Hurricane dared not leave the Junta, just in case there was an uprising that required him to put down.

So it was not only a ploy for a new home and fresh start, but also a plan of desperation to have something for the pegasi of the Celestine Junta to focus on other than him and the memory of the Celestine Civil War that caused Hurricane to send scouts, and his daughter, to find a new land.

The Lake Trot Crisis

The Lake Trot Crisis

Lake Trot today is both a recreational site and the largest freshwater source for Manehattan. Every year some twelve-million tourists flock to its sandy-white beaches, and young lovers rent out the famed paddle boats for a traditional voyage. At some twelve-thousand square miles it has the third largest surface area of any lake in Equestria, and with a maximum depth of eight-thousand feet (due to its ancient rift origins) it is the deepest known body of freshwater in the world. It is well noted for the salty hot spring that feeds into Trot Creek (a distributary of the Manehattan River) two miles upstream from the lake itself, which has been a hot spot for those wanting to soak in its waters, long since rumored to hold innate magical medicinal properties.

Before the crisis that takes its name, Lake Trot was very much as it is today: local ponies would swim near its shores and soak up rays if there wasn’t work to be done. However, in 16 BW those same beaches were also home to the majority of the armed forces for all three of the tribes, this due to how the lake being a source of fresh water was arguably more important at the time than it was before or since. For the better part of a century, the climate of the River Valley and the surrounding territories was dropped slowly but steadily. By the year 17 BW, the temperature was cold year-round, resulting in smaller bodies of water, from ponds and other lakes to some streams, creeks and brooks, freezing over for longer periods of time each year. Due in part to its depth and to Trot Creek being warmed by the salty hot spring up stream, Lake Trot managed to still maintain largely unfrozen even in the dead of winter. As one Hyracotherium soldier wrote to his family while stationed there:

“Looking out to that there big old lake, so vast in scale I can’t help but catch myself thinking it a sea, with waves and gentle pounding on the shore lulling me to sleep at night, I can’t help but think of Prayerful Pond back on the farm Ma, and how we can’t swim in it, or even draw water from it for the animals or the crops. This lake is a treasure, and if it should fall, I scarce think what will happen to the farm you and Pa and all of us young ones have worked so hard to keep from failing.”

Of course, the lake itself had been strategically important for centuries before. Such a vast natural resource, in this divisive political climate, could not be allowed in the total control of any one of the tribes, regardless as to whether or not the parties needed it. And so, the three tribes metaphorically jumped on the lake and tyrannically negotiated the rights each tribe had to it.

In the end, the final result was that Lake Trot became the corner for all three of the tribes’ borders, and in fact was the only area in the River Valley where all three tribes met. It would be the furthest south the Kingdom of Unicorns would reach, a peninsula of Unicorn influence over the whole northeastern shore of the lake, all to control Trot Creek and the allegedly magical hot spring and all the waters the flowed from it. Hyracotherium held the southern coast and Trot Brook that served as the outflow from Lake Trot and back into the Manehattan River, serving as a waterway for food tribute to the other tribes to reach and be distributed amongst the other two tribes. To the west the Celestine Junta dominated the shore, more as a venue for a constant show of force to their fellow ponies than anything else, however Lake Trot served as a good body of water for the pegasi to draw water from in order to make rain, more so as more and more bodies of water began to freeze, and stay frozen.

In today’s society, where heat sources are readily available for most of us year-round, the importance of liquid water is overlooked. During the dead of winter, as many water sources freeze over, the only way to obtain liquid water for everything from drinking to cleaning to cooking food would be to burn firewood to melt frozen water or snow if liquid water sources were not available. As firewood is a precious commodity in a Pre-Modern society due to the amount of work that goes into preparing logs, its use during a long and cold winter must be carefully monitored, lest one run out and run the risk of hypothermia.

Other than a coating of ice on rocks on or near shore that naturally comes with winter, Lake Trot had never been recorded as having frozen over, and so in the face of the growing and alarmingly worsening cold, Lake Trot was seen as impervious to the elements, an ever loyal servant to ponykind.

This importance became even more apparent as the winters grew longer and longer, with year-round temperatures reaching record lows year and after year. It is difficult to place a reliable beginning of what is now known as the influence of the Windigos on the Manehattan River Valley’s climate, with some placing the start date as early as 300 BW, but all scholars agree that the effort had began in force by 22 BW, when the climate became too cold for the local Wyvern population to maintain their ancestral nesting grounds, leading them to lash out at Celestine as they sought out new territory in 19 BW, as well as rendering a small but growing number of bodies of water being frozen year-round. At the same time, springheads in the northern mountains began to freeze, backing up groundwater and flooding ancestral mines of a number of the nobility of the Kingdom of Unicorns, and as the mining practices of the day exposed a great deal of poisonous substances and elements, this rendered the water unusable, forcing the population to emphasize on water sources further downhill, or risk freezing by using precious firewood by using it to melt the frozen water at the springs. The Celestine Junta was similarly strapped for water usage in that while the clouds held an abundance of water, the same material also built the cities and most of the fortifications they used and lived in. And the Hyracotherium, with the slowly shrinking number of usable water sources, ultimately focused its eyes on the same body as the other two tribes: Lake Trot. It was for this reason that, in the years 17 and 16 BW, the shores of the lake saw an increased military presence from each of the tribes, more than was the norm.

Tensions began to rise amongst the forces of the Republic when the First and Fifth Armies descended to the Junta Militarized Zone on the Western coast of the lake, followed over the course of the week with the Third and Forth. While the Royal Army, the troops in the employ of the Crown, were as famously stoic as ever, the mercenary forces of the Nobility, under the command of Viscount Arsenic, looked on with mixed feelings, and none entirely positive. Meanwhile, the Viscount looked on with a calculating and ambitious eye, and made preparations for war.

At the same time, it is believed, Wind Whistler met with Star-Swirl about the situation. It could not have happened any later than the Third Hour of the Graveyard Watch, because that was when Star-Swirl requested awoke King Aurum for a private audience, where he explained the situation to his liege. We know this because Princess Platinum, then a very precocious five-year old, had managed to sneak in to her father’s chambers and eavesdropped on the conversation, remembering it well after the Great Warming when she wrote her memoirs.

‘…Star-Swirl went on at great length about what one General Wind Whistler discussed with him concerning the actions of the Junta’s sovereign over the next few days. When the extent of the graveness of the situation was impressed upon him, father seemed stunned and almost at a loss as to what to do. Meanwhile, Star-Swirl was confident as to what he wanted to do: Pull back the soldiers at the lake, and have as many unicorns as possible help him in launching assault upon the Pegasi city itself using an artillery spell of his own design. My father, however, did not totally agree as to the situation.

“You would have me order an attack on Celestine itself from this very keep. Star-Swirl, that would draw their forces upon us. I cannot risk my citizens to invasion here in the mountains. I cannot risk open war.”

Star-Swirl was unimpressed with father’s concerns.

“With all due respect Aurum,” he told my father, “whether you would risk such a thing is irrelevant, for it is quite clear now that Sullamander will, and in fact is risking it as we speak.”

“Be that as it may, old friend, it would be the pinnacle of irresponsibility for me to order our forces away from the Lake, the setting and goal of the attack. I’m sorry old friend, but I will not help you aid the enemy.”

“I have told you already Aurum: Wind Whistler is not our enemy. She and I have had a long and most cordial discourse in person and in dispatch for years, and I can tell you with complete honesty that she is honorable and above all dependable. If we let her take the lands around the lake, we will have them returned with the successful conclusion of this conflict.”

“I’m sorry old friend, but I cannot bring myself to do that, the Court would rise up regardless of the outcome. I will warn our forces stationed at Lake Trot, as well as the information you have given me Star-Swirl, with orders to help the Pegasi aligned with this Wind Whistler in securing the coast from Sullamander’s forces.”

At that, my father walked to his desk and began writing.

“Aurum don’t be a fool! The one in charge of the army there is Arsenic, his father and grandfather both orchestrated your family’s murder! His youth was all that spared him, but he is by no means meant to be trusted with this information!”

“What else can I do Star-Swirl. There is no guarantee he would follow an order to retreat, not with the Pegasi on our very doorstep. At least this way I can know that I tried. I’m sorry Star-Swirl, but I cannot aid you. Not today.”’

In the aftermath of the Crisis, as the Kingdom of Unicorns consolidated their forces at the command center for the Lake Trot garrison, an unopened, sealed envelop bearing the Royal Seal was found amongst the garbage of Arsenic’s office, indicating that the Viscount received his orders from his king, but never bothered to read them. At the time it was long-rumored that the lands of the Hyracotherium Republic were loaded with untapped and virgin veins of precious gems and metals. Given Arsenic’s vain personality and well-recorded greed and lust for treasure and power, the consensus is that the Viscount longed to take the Lake, carving out a personal Viceroyalty for himself to both set up a trading monopoly between the tribes, and to also use it as a staging point for conquest campaigns of the Republic, without the influence of either the Crown or the rest of the nobility to hinder him. So when Bridle Chomper’s Fifth Army attacked, Arsenic not only resisted the Pegasi assault, but also sent the other half of his forces south to conquer the Earth Pony coast of the lake.

Further south stood the Republican Army of the Alfredo Sauce. The ultimate result of Puddinghead’s recent attempt to ‘modernize’ the army, it was officially to protect the Hyracotherium Republic from the “Evil Lich-Queen of the Cuttlefish of the Damned,” but in practice the military used it to monitor the situation at Lake Trot. Reason being that there is no evidence either archaeological or modern or even in Folk Lore that there was ever an undead ruler of Cuttlefish at Lake Trot, of the infernal sort or no, mostly due to the fact that Cuttlefish are in fact marine and not freshwater dwelling.

The Earth Pony army consisted of six-thousand troops divided into four regiments, each with their own battalions of cavalry, dragoons and infantry, all of whom were under the command of Lady Cripps the Pink, who had a personal score to settle with the Kingdom of Unicorns.

Her mother was the daughter of one of the larger apple farmers in the Republic, while her father was an anonymous stallion of the Kingdom (most likely one of the many “Gentlecolts without Inheritance” who sold their services as mercenaries) who seduced Cripps’ mother at the consent of her parents under the promise both by legal contract and by a “Gentleponies’ Agreement” that he would marry her. However, after staying with the family for almost a month he left in the middle of the night without so much as a word of good bye or even a note of where to find him, leaving the young mare pregnant. Growing up, Cirpps was raised by her single mother and family, and as an adult harbored a strong dislike of Unicorns in general. So much so that as an adult she took the Noble title of Lady for herself as a way of mocking the Kingdom, and when she heard about Puddinghead’s raising an army for use in the event of a Unicorn attack, Lady Cripps left her family’s farm in the care of her servants and used her influence and wealth to secure a commission as the Commander-In-Chief of the new army.

When she arrived at her new command in the spring of 16 BW, she was, put simply, disappointed with the “roughshod and positively gruesome nature of these soldiers. They have no concept of discipline, and are more a danger to themselves with a weapon than to the enemy.”

Even though she had no formal training as an officer or soldier, Lady Cripps the Pink took to commanding the six thousand ponies under her like she had with the virtual army of hired hooves who worked her family’s orchards every year, and within two months’ time turned it around into arguably the most efficient army the Republic produced in the latter part of its existence.

As the armies of the Junta massed to the west, Lady Cripps could tell the signs of the storm of battle coming, and took what little time she had available to prepare for war. Ultimately it was a simple matter, as the troops under her command had drilled and drilled the procedures until they could do it in their sleep. Furthermore, even though the level of alertness ordered from the Republic could be described as ‘mindful,’ Lady Cripps instead kept her army at constant High Alert. In the end this constant readiness may have saved hundreds of lives, as when the Junta attacked at dawn, and the Kingdom ambushed them minutes later, the ponies of the Hyracotherium Republic proved to be able to launch a much more resilient resistance than all projections had previously suggested, even before the Armies of Downdraft and Torrent attacked their fellows.

To the northeast, as previously discussed, stood the armies of the Kingdom of Unicorns. The core was made up of the Royal Army, consisting of soldiers solely loyal to the Throne. However, they ultimately numbered about two-thousand total, and so did not have the numbers necessary to sufficiently guard the Kingdom’s coast of the lake, so a second army of between four to ten thousand mercenaries, depending on the current wage paid, supplemented the forces present, all of these under the command of Viscount Arsenic. Universally described as spiteful, haughty and by today’s standards sexist, and the son and heir of one of the leading families behind the 30 BW massacre of the Royal Family, Arsenic only gained the appointment through a combination of court manipulation and possible murder, in spite of the fact that he all but openly admitted to plotting to decapitate the Throne for personal power. In the months leading up to the war, he maintained an open and caustic exchange of letters between himself and Lady Cripps. Partly because of this, it is commonly depicted in fiction that Arsenic was Lady Cripps’ father. Which would be an equally impressive and illegal feat, considering that he was only two years her senior.

And finally to the west amassed four of the five main armies of the Celestine Junta, each outfitted with four-thousand regular infantry, twenty-five hundred air cavalry, and one thousand Shock Troopers, the elite of the Junta’s soldiers and masters of Lightning Martial Arts. The name is not an artistic nuance: the Lightning Martial Arts involved the use of actual lightning in combat, making them among the most effective and feared of the Junta’s forces. In total, this amounted to sixteen-thousand infantry, ten-thousand cavalry and four-thousand Shock Troopers, for a total of thirty-thousand soldiers verses the six-thousand Republican Soldiers and the ten-thousand Royal and Mercenary soldiers of the Kingdom.

At dawn, the Celestine Junta opened the assault, with the Fourth and Fifth armies pushing east into Kingdom territory. At first the Unicorns seemed doomed to being cast from the field, however the much celebrated Charge of the Illuminated Brigade bought the Mercenary and rest of the Royal Army enough time to reorganize the defense until nightfall. On the second day of battle, the Unicorns were given a second reprieve by the Fourth Army when they turned on the Fifth with an assault from behind. Seeing weakness in the Junta’s forces, Arsenic ordered his forces to attack the pegasi. Over the following hours all land that had been lost the day before was regained, and Arsenic ordered to press into Junta territory, while also ordering almost half of his forces to the south to invade the Hyracotherium Republic, paying no mind to his flank along the coast, in spite of the warnings and reports from his generals and advisors. Historians agree that, had Arsenic not been so greedy or arrogant and withstood the attacks, towards the end of the Crisis he would have been in a more advantageous position to gain land by day four or five, when both the Junta and the Republic forces were exhausted.

Instead it was a disaster. The forces of the Junta eventually reorganized and returned the attack with force by day four, and this time their press into Kingdom territory would not be reversed. Before the end of day five, the Unicorns lost Trot Creek and the pegasi would continue to press the advantage until the end of hostilities. Meanwhile the attack against the Republic proved to be an even bigger embarrassment, with the Earth Pony defenses proving to be absolutely impervious to attack, and the border region became littered with the bodies of scores of dead unicorn stallions. In addition, the Republican Navy would prove to be an additional thorn in Arsenic’s side in the form of off-shore artillery attacks in addition to the beaches being another avenue for invasion. With the center unable to hold, the right flank collapsing, and hundreds of mercenaries deeming the entire exercise not worth the wages they were being offered (and abandoning their posts by the hour starting on the third day), the Viscount could only watch as his dreams crashed around him. One aid who survived the battle claimed that Arsenic was unable to comprehend where he had gone wrong.

‘How can this be possible? These are damned bloody earth pushers by spirits’ sakes! They have no intelligence to organize a proper sandwich let alone an army, and are lead by a bleeding mare at that!’

To the nobility’s great displeasure, Arsenic would commandeer tens of private yachts starting on day four to fight the surprise threat of the Hyracotherium Republic’s navy, but it would prove to be far too little, far too late, and in the evening of day five he would die during the last naval battle of the Crisis.

To the south, the Junta, against all odds, was not doing much better against the Republic than their Unicorn counterparts, never so much as able to push the Earth Ponies back an inch, and eventually the Alfredo Army was actually able to gain ground by the third day, and towards the end was able to gain an alarming amount of momentum against the Junta forces. For centuries the exact reasons why an agrarian society of farmers with a miniscule military culture was able to stand up to, and eventually push back, what by all rights should have been the mightiest military power in the region, even with General Wind Whistler’s civil war concurrently being waged, has baffled military historians. The matter was unable to be settled until 799 ANM when historians and volunteers were able to re-enact the Crisis on a smaller scale using the most accurate recreations of the equipment and armament available. The conclusion reached for the Republic’s success was their weaponry, though military enthusiasts would greatly disagree with the use of that particular term.

When Puddinghead took office, she dumped large amounts of money into what she considered amounted to ‘revitalizing’ the military. The most extensive development being what she called ‘Overt Covert Arms,’ which in the end amounted to weaponized pastry recipes. Cakes, breads, cookies and especially pies were baked in such a way that, when thrown, become just as effective as any sized cannonball. From the looks of the recipe, there should be no way that (as an example) a cupcake, if fired from a cannon, would be able to hold together, let alone dismember an entire formation of soldiers. And for years, pegasi and unicorn military experts professed that the Republic success instead came from the audacity of using pastries in battle. And yet contemporary and modern accounts show that just such impossibilities were happening, and that it is possible, as the use of thrown variants of the Puddinghead Apple Pie recipe in the recent Appaloosa Stampede Riot shows. And yet, if a pegasus or unicorn pony were to bake one of the pastries using the recipes, the result would be a simple, ordinary baked good, no different from any normal member of its kind, but if an Earth Pony were to bake the same pastry with the same recipe, it becomes a deadly piece of ordinance. The most logical conclusion is that it is a subconscious spell of Earth Pony magic that makes Puddinghead’s recipes work.

Military hardware or no, the Republic’s forces were still outnumbered. However, all experts agree that the tactics of the Hyracotherium was what saved the day for the Earth Ponies. Upon reading surviving copies of Puddinghead’s manifesto on what she claimed to be the superior tactics of a proper military, commanders have either laughed or shuddered at her descriptions of troop movements, which essentially amounts to full frontal assaults, regardless of the obstacles. And by all accounts, Lady Cripps followed the manifesto to the letter. However, military analysts suggest that Cripps used the insanity of the plans to her advantage, banking on the fact that the Junta’s soldiers, with their more extensive military knowledge and training, would expect more than what they saw, and thus doing half of the work for her in defeating them. Considering that the forward commanders of the Junta were convinced that the Earth Pony attacks in front of them were in fact a diversion, and that they had more troops hiding behind the surrounding hills and forests, waiting to ambush them in an obvious trap, all are agreed that Lady Cripps the Pink’s assumption, had she made any, was dead on.

In later years, the pegasi would hold Lady Cripps the Pink as the ideal military strategist, first in irony, and eventually as a matter of course, especially in more humorous works, where she is used as the Eternal Opponent that any pegasi military commander will eventually face, and ultimately fail against. The usual model in literature follows as such:

‘So there I was you know, [some sort of military activity, such as ‘on patrol with my buddies’] when all of a sudden, I hear a noise coming from [a small or unlikely place for an attack to spring from, such as behind a tree] , so I look and all of a sudden there’s this [a large number of troops, such as a battalion] of Earth Ponies there! And they proceed to kill all of my buddies! How the hell did four hundred ponies hide behind a freakin’ tree!? It must have taken some sort of tactical gen-- ….CRIIIIIIIIIIIIPPSSSSS!!!!!!!’

Speaking of the pegasi, Lake Trot proved to be the one of the worst battles of the Junta’s existence, nearly as bad as the battle of Celestine’s founding story. Units lost track of each other, and communications broke down, leaving the generals blind to the nature of the fronts. Eventually platoons were cobbled together from different units based on proximity than official assignment, often times even from different armies. The most famous being The Burning Timber Wolves, made from no less than sixteen platoons from all four armies. When word reached troops from the First and Fifth armies precisely who was in charge of the mutiny and why, they all flocked to the fledgling emergency unit, killing their superiors if needed. Under the assumed command of Captain Lightning Flash (formerly of the 409th Infantry, Third Army) the Burning Timber Wolves would play a key role in wiping out the Unicorn garrison Headquarters with what may have been an F4 tornado on the third day of the Crisis, along with many other targets over the rest of the Crisis. Commander Hurricane himself would award Captain Lightning Flash and other officers in the new unit with the Lightning Cross for bravery and perseverance and taking the inititive in battle, and made them an official unit on the roster, and when she was appointed Second, Hurricane would go one to place Private Pansy as their unit commander. The Burning Timber Wolves are in fact still in service, having been reorganized as an Emergency Response and Stunt Flying unit famed the world over: The Wonderbolts.

However, triumphs were not the only results of the confusion. With communications unreliable, commanders were often left with faulty or vague information, and in the now-or-never environment of a fierce battle, those same commanders had to make the call that instance, sometimes leading to a nick-in-time save, and other times leading to many otherwise avoidable tragedies. One of the most famed and celebrated in folk lore being the death of General Torrent.

On day four, reports came to General Downpour of a hostile command post being set up within Storm Front range of her own. Given the state of the armies there was no way to verify where the information came from, and for who it was originally intended. And yet if the command post was for either of the Fifth or First Armies her own command post, as well as the lives of Downpour and her aids, would be forfeit. So, she made a judgment call and ordered an attack. However, the messenger was from Haymaker’s First Army, and it was intended for General Haymaker herself, and the ‘hostile’ command post was the field HQ of General Torrent. However, when word reached Downpour, it was far too late.

Torrent, her staff and her inferiors fought famously, lasting well into the early morning before the task force Downpour sent finally broke into the command room, slaying everypony within. The Last Stand of Torrent would be a source for songs, plays, novels and paintings for centuries to come. It stands as the greatest example of Celestine Tenacity and unwillingness to give up, and it was fought against their own allies.

When Downpour learned that Torrent was dead, and that she had ordered the pony she famously said loved as a sister was killed on her orders, she could not stand it.

“The general then got real quiet, and had this far away look in her eyes. And no matter how we tried, we could not rouse her. I saw in her eye a single tear fall, though no one else seemed to notice the quiet display from our famously stoic commander. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, there was a sense of a heart-rending melancholy. I will never forget her next words.

“‘I fear I have been in this business to long Miss Tailor. You find that with the years the line of Enemy and Friend blur. You are in command now Miss Tailor.’

“And with that she removed her armor, unsheathed her sword and slit her throat. It all happened so fast we could not act, could not think, to stop her. I cannot forget that.”

—Major Wing Tailor, ca. 43 AW

From primary sources, historians estimate that the temperature around Lake Trot was around the mid-forties on the first day. On day three, some personal diaries of more observant soldiers and officers take note of a light snow and the waters of the beach being frozen under about two inches of ice that was not present that morning. By now, historians calculate, the temperature had dropped by half that of what it was two days previous, and by nightfall it is believed that the temperature dropped an additional ten degrees, sending the ice up to a dozen yards from the coast. The Windigos’ work had begun.

On day five the Last Naval Battle of the Lake Trot Crisis was fought between the Republican Navy and what forces Arsenic could cobble together to constitute as a ‘navy,’ resulting in the total destruction of his navy, and his own death, and by morning the next day the lake was totally frozen over, the temperature possibly dropping as low as the negative single digits. The fighting would continue until evening, as more and more ponies noticed that the formerly blue waters of the lake were white, and solid. Major Wing Tailor sent a flight over the lake to get a grasp of the situation, and when they returned her greatest fears were realized: Other than the hulks of the Republican Navy in the north-eastern half of the lake, the entire lake had been frozen solid from coast to coast, and it was thick enough to stand on even in the middle. By moon rise the ceasefire orders were being sent out, and requests for Parlay received by the commanding officers.

The Question of the night was ‘what now?’ The lake, which the now dead Sullamander had hoped to claim totally for the Junta was solid ice, denying anypony of victory.

If one were to go by conquests as a deciding factor, then by all rights the Junta should have had the right to make any claims it pleased, having taken Trot Creek and huge swaths of Kingdom lands, and even after taking the losses taken at the Republic boarder, the Celestine Junta controlled some sixty percent of the lake coast. The Hyracotherium Republic did especially well, claiming the vast majority of the Unicorn lands, leaving the Kingdom control of only three percent of the lake under their control, and with one in ten of the Royal Army dead and most of the mercenaries abandoning the fight, it was a tenuous hold at that.

So it was with a little surprise when the terms of negotiation came down from the Junta with the commander’s seal, and even more when the terms were dictated: No reparations paid, and territories exchanged to the return of their Pre-Crisis positions. There is no illusion then or now that Hurricane would give up territory gained in battle to the other tribes out of the goodness of his heart. Rather, with the recent death of his beloved Wind Whistler, he felt duty-bound to fulfill her wishes, which was to see the balance of power in the valley maintained. Being the only one allowed to sign any treaty by law, King Aurum agreed to the terms without so much as a minute to consider, and when the nobility inevitably protested how he did not even try to gain more favorable terms, Aurum was oddly blunt in his reply.

“If you desire to renegotiate these most favorable terms, you are free to take it up with the several thousand disgruntled and ill-tempered brutes currently making themselves comfortable in your estates and lands, and guarding them with their thunderbolts and swords and spears and general tendency to be more than happy to gut anypony who makes them even the slightest bit displeased. Assuming of course they don’t smite you on sight on your way there due to boredom.”

Lady Cripps the Pink was also quick to accept the terms, calling her troops back to the Pre-Crisis lines even before the ink was dry on her signature. The Senate was especially at her accepting a treaty on her own power, when the Senate was the only authority that was allowed to negotiate international agreements, calling the treaty illegal and void, and that Cripps was seeking power for herself. There were calls for pressing criminal charges, a court-martial, and one especially hot tempered senator calling for her to be tarred and feathered on the spot.

The Republic citizens and soldiers, however, had a much different take on the event: High off of fighting off not just the Unicorns, but also the Celestine Junta, the mightiest military power in the whole valley. Cripps was hailed as a national hero, and her taking the initiative signing the treaty and giving the Unicorns and Pegasi their land back was a show of moral superiority, refusing to take anything from a defeated foe even though one had the right to it, in effect spitting in their face, and saying that what was theirs was not worthy of being taken.

When Cripps trotted to the Capitol building to testify, she was followed by a massive parade of grateful citizens, singing her praises. The scene is described in contemporary sources with foals running up to her to hug her legs, of old mares in tears thanking her for protecting them, and a mass if ponydom that stretched for nearly a mile. Seeing this support Cripps had, the Senate inquisition lost most of its momentum, with the prosecution being half-hearted at best. In the end the charges were dropped. Cripps would resign her commission when it became clear that the threat of invasion was gone, returning to her family’s farm, remaining with the agrarian life for the rest of her days.

In the wake of the Crisis, Lake Trot was rendered worthless as a resource, as the water all three tribes needed from it was locked under several feet of solid ice, and so within weeks the entire coast was abandoned. Except for the occasional unicorn who made the dangerous trek across the frozen water to salvage wood from the ghost ships of the Hyracotherium Navy before the crushing forces of the ice sank them.

The Crisis also left a lingering reminder in the cost of lives wasted. Out of the thirty-thousand troops of the Junta, only some five-thousand would survive, most of the casualties being by their own forces.

But per capita, the army that suffered the most was the Royal Army. Due to the nature of their business and loyalty being stronger to coin than anypony, it is impossible to accurately calculate any losses amongst the mercenaries, but of the two-thousand knights of the Royal Army, only five-hundred would survive the fighting. King Aurum, Star-Swirl the Bearded and Princess Platinum would spend the next decade and a half rebuilding the army.

Meanwhile, the Republic Army of the Alfredo Sauce suffered only one fatality: Sergeant Pepper, choking on a deviled-egg sandwich.

With the last source of liquid water frozen, firewood became all the more of a precious commodity in order to melt snow for water. Smiths’ forges would now need to be closed for even longer periods of the year to save on fuel, rendering a damaged tool needed for farming or mining useless, further hurting the Hyracotherium’s ability to grow food.

The next sixteen years, the threat of war would continue to smolder, content to play in the background as the fight for survival took center stage.

The Manehattan River Valley could maintain the livelihoods of ponykind for only so much. The days of the Hyacotherium, the Kingdom of Unicorns, and the Celestine Junta were numbered.

Boiling Point

Boiling Point

The Eternal Winter

From archeological evidence and historical accounts, historians agree that the temperature dropped as low as into the negative double digits for anywhere from two weeks to as long as two months. From accounts taken from diaries and letters, the dates link up for the length of time that tempers were at their highest concerning the Crisis.

But, eventually bad feelings gave way to brutal necessity, and the need for the cultivation of food. However, the temperatures never reached, let alone exceeded, Freezing, and thus the snow never went away. Even when the time for Spring to start came, the Weather Brigades of the Junta found that the cloud cover and air temperatures were responding sluggishly, and even when a sizable portion of the Junta’s pegasi were brought to bear, the best that they could do was what amounted to pinpricks in the cloud cover, and as 15 BW turned into 14 BW, they found that the weather became even more stubborn.

During this time while it is commonly assumed that the Unicorns did nothing to assist, the truth of the matter is that there really was not much in the way of concrete efforts that they could do other than do away with the night and just have the sun shine twenty-four/seven, which would have obviously done much more harm than good. The best that they could do, as decreed by King Aurum in 14 BW, was to add an additional thirty minutes.

However, in the end it was still totally on the Earth Ponies of the Hyracotherium Republic to produce the food for all three tribes, and in such conditions they were barely able to feed themselves, even with all of their native magic being worked to the fullest extent. The Kingdom of Unicorns proceeded to demand the same amount of food as always, and for a time the Celestine Junta did as well. However, the newly commissioned Commander Hurricane, being the practical military pony, saw the potential harm in starving the Earth Ponies. Therefore, he sent out scouts to the mountainous border regions of the Manehattan River Valley on the off-chance of finding additional food sources. It was a risky move all things considered, especially if the other tribes found out what the pegasi were doing. If they did, any chances of a substantial supplement to the Junta’s food supply would be negated. But, in what was supposed to be the summer of 13 BW, Hurricane’s scouts uncovered a small valley along the western mountains. As one scout’s field report put it:

‘The very walls are coated in green from peak to peak! And the little stream that runs through it is pure water from the spring to where it joins the tributary, the air is warm as a mother’s nose, the barrier between the cold of the outside and this over-sized ravine is so fine that one can have one side freezing and the other side more than comfortable. And I dare say that the Commander would enjoy a stay here, as the natives are most fair. Though the company they keep is unusual.’

The unusual company the scout referred to was the fact that the local pegasi all lived amongst their Earth Pony and Unicorn neighbors in peace and harmony. Records show that there was some debate among the Junta about the nature of what was, to them, a most unusual set up of the three races living together, along with how the valley in question could be so warm when the rest of the world seemed to have descended into a frozen wasteland, but ultimately it was ignored in light of the fact that they produced more food than they needed, and could in fact produce more. Of course, now we know that the fact that the three races living in the little valley together was what was causing the power of the Windigos to be rendered null and void, but the pegasi did not even know that the Windigos existed, let alone were causing all the weather oddities to begin with. But either way, when he came, Commander Hurricane did indeed enjoy himself during his stay in what the locals called Dream Valley. For the first time in almost a decade the wind was a comfort rather than a cutting force, and he and his contingent were surrounded by what summer was supposed to be, and for the first time in years they were able to partake in feasts so extravagant that at least three among them, Hurricane included, grew sick.

By Autumn Hurricane returned with a treaty for any and all excess food the Dream Valley ponies produced, all of it being classified as Highest Top Secret, keeping the whole existence of Dream Valley and their treaty with the Junta a secret not only from the other tribes, but from most of the Celestine Junta as well, all in the name of preventing a war over the territory and the ponies that lived there.

With extra food secured, Hurricane renegotiated the terms of tribute from the Republic, allowing them to reduce the gross tonnage by a third. This allowed the Republic to still have enough food for itself for the next year and a half, even though they still had to struggle hard for even the meager amount they could grow. And in fact during this time the temperatures may have risen by an average of ten degrees.

However, in the Spring of 11 BW there was a cold snap. In spite of the convenient timing, it is believed that it was completely natural and not the work of Windigos. But the effects fell in their favor nonetheless, because the suddenness of the drop in temperatures brooked ill-will among everypony, which sustained the cold and in fact made it worse, especially when the New Year rolled around.

In the Kingdom of Unicorns, Star-Swirl the Bearded read the signs and realized that the now six-year long winter was not natural in the slightest, because records show how he sent a number of letters to high-placed officials in all three tribes he had managed to befriend over the years, requesting an emergency summit, with the leaders of all three tribes present. The intent: to work out some kind of solution to ensure the survival of every stallion, mare and foal in the valley.

The Shouting Congress

The fact that not only was the proposal for a summit meeting of the three tribes concerning the weather made, but all three agreed and made arrangements to meet, shows that, on some level, the governments of each tribe knew that something was wrong, and none of them could fix things alone. It also showed some willingness to hear out what the other tribe leaders might have to say. Sadly, what Star-Swirl called the Winter Emergency Summit, history calls The Shouting Congress.

The historiology of the Shouting Congress has shifted the blame of its failure many times in many different directions, commonly pinning the blame on either Commander Hurricane, Chancellor Puddinghead, or King Aurum. But at the end of the day, the simple truth is that the personalities and situations of the individual leaders each contributed equally, and if even one of them was either more even-tempered, freer to act, or more coherent, or been replaced with somepony else entirely, then something resembling success would have been possible.

Commander Hurricane, as is well known, was used to a soldier's life where orders were given or received, and those orders were carried out. The one giving orders either knew everything, or knew the pony who knew what he or she needed to know. He was used to either giving orders, or taking them. While he was used to brainstorming with his Chiefs-of-Staff, they were still his inferiors, never before had he the need to brainstorm with equals. Furthermore, Hurricane was especially set in his thinking of the inferiority of Earth Ponies at the time, which would prove to be especially important a decade later. Historians agree that the Summit would have gone better had his daughter and Second gone in his stead. Private Pansy, having spent the better part of a month with her future husband, Earth Pony and Hyracotherium Republic citizen Trencher, very recently at the time, would have had a better understanding of the political situation of the Republic, and would have handled Puddinghead's eccentricities with much more grace and tolerance than her father.

In spite of what the traditional layout of the Hearth's Warming story says, Princess Platinum was still just eleven years old at the time, and hardly a proper delegate for such an important event. Rather, it was her father, King Aurum, who attended and represented the Kingdom of Unicorns. however, given the tenuous hold the throne held over the nobility, King Aurum felt he was unable to truly act in the best interests of the three tribes, and in fact had to somehow fill out the ridiculous demands of what the court wanted out of the Summit, or risk another attempt at toppling the monarchy that had killed his family twenty years earlier. As such, it was less King Aurum that sat at the table, but rather an abominable amalgamation of the most powerful nobles of the Kingdom of Unicorns that was situated opposite Hurricane and Puddinghead. In such a situation, it is little wonder that the image Aurum presented to the other tribes was so poor. The princess herself saw the eventuality, and suggested that Star-Swirl the Bearded go instead. He was always happy to anger the court, and they would be unable to do anything about whatever arrangements he made in the name of the Greater Good. However, Aurum and Star-Swirl were both still concerned about whether or not ponies in the court would take advantage of Star-Swirl's absence and plot against the crown. Ergo, the powerful unicorn stayed behind, praying that the nobles that attended the summit with Aurum would not make a fool of their king. Which they did.

Puddinghead was mother-bucking insane.

Star-Swirl had intended the summit to last for about a week, with the possibility of extending that time should anything promising developed. However, it only lasted twenty minutes. Hurricane blamed Puddinghead and the Republic of hogging all of their food for themselves, Puddinghead, in one of her more lucid moments, blamed the pegasi and the Junta for the freakish weather that hampered their efforts to grow any food period. Now on the defensive, Hurricane turned the blame onto the unicorns of turning the weather impossible for the pegasi to properly control, while Aurum, wanting to reduce the tense atmosphere, refrained from continuing the blame game and simply tried to deny any unicorn involvement, followed by a long list of 'requests' that would 'end the late unpleasantness in the favor of us all,' which anyone could tell was in fact what the Unicorn Court wanted out of the summit. This included everything from annexation of territory to larger shares of food to reparations from the Republic for damages done to the private yachts during the Lake Trot Crisis. Hurricane, distrusting the unicorns, took the ploy as good as an admission of guilt (with the 'requests' being demands to be met while the unicorns held the rest of the ponies hostage), and stated so, along with a short diatribe of racial slurs against both the King and the Chancellor, the latter of whom then began a five minute bought of mimicking Hurricane and repeating his every statement. This, naturally, enraged the Commander even more. King Aurum tried to restore order by asking Hurricane to calm himself, but only caught the pegasus' ire directly, which ultimately more or less ended the meeting right then and there. The combination of Hurricane's brashness, Aurum's outrageous demands in the stead of his court and inability to act independently, and Puddinghead being Puddinghead, led all three leaders and their parties stormed out at the same time.

The Tri-Serendipitous Expeditions

Even contemporaneous sources say that most of the population thought that their leaders could have tried harder to have made progress at the summit. Star-Swirl famously became cold to Aurum for months afterwards for what he felt was a betrayal of his teachings, and their principals From Princess Platinum's memoirs, she remembered spying on Star-Swirl and her father, and remembering quite vividly of the former calling her father 'a sickening snake, a slimy hagfish, spineless and slippery. A shark, hungry for security and unable to support himself upon the land of Standards and Morals. A Leech, sucking on the blood of those destined for death so that he might outlive them.' However, what was done was done, and everypony of each tribe felt that each tribe could do without the other tribes. This ignoring how the Junta and Kingdom could not grow food on their own, and that without the pegasi and unicorns, the Republic would be greatly disadvantaged in defensive and productive matters.

But nationalism would not bring warmth to the ponies of the tribes, and for the sake of survival each of the governments made motions and policies to find greener pastures. Literally in the Hyracotherium's case.

In a moment of lucidness, Puddinghead requested Smart Cookie to come to her office and hammer out the needs of the Republic in order to survive, and what routes would best carry out those goals. This became the 'Colonial Initiative Act.' This legislation would allow the government of the Republic to fund expeditions outside of the valley to find a new land for farming. The long-term goal of this bill was to settle the supposed new land, and then over time move the populous and the government to this land, in effect abandoning the pegasi and unicorns to their fates of hypothermia and starvation. Within hours of the bill being introduced to the senate it was passed at a ninety-nine point five percent for.

In a letter to her husband, Smart Cookie expressed horror at the bill and what it meant for the other tribes.

"Death. Death Able Smith. That is what we are consigning our fellow ponies too: Cruel and Unusual Death by robbery of the belly and robbery of the blanket. 'Tis murder! Nothing but the most cold-blooded murder and nothing else! And what is worse is that I am the progenitor of this murder most foul. Of mares and stallions, too old to move out of their beds for the pain in their joints, and of tiny little fillies and colt, too young to have found their calling in the world, too young to create the wonders of their races, be it the crafting of spells, or the joyful wonder of the eagle's flight.

"Murderess! Infanticide! Genocide! These shall be my crimes Able Smith. These sins are even now being carved into my very soul with Death's scythe, glowing white-hot with the fires of Hell. You have laid down with a murderess! Your children have the blood of an Infanticide in their veins! My parents have brought forth a Genocide from their loins! Monster! Demon! Devil conceived in the bleakest womb! That is my nature! This is my fate!

"My prayer, if there are Just gods in this world and the world beyond, is that each and every expedition shall fail, and we shall all die with our fellow ponies. For any race that can imagine such a murder, and desire to bring it forth with joy and celebration, is not a race the world should suffer to live."

But regardless of Smart Cookie's misgivings, the expeditions were more than successful within twenty days of the passing of the bill. Once they made it through the Manehattan Mountains, it was discovered that the terrain became gently rolling hills, and for miles and miles and miles it was nothing by virgin soil, freshwater lakes, gentle rivers and streams, all of this making land more fertile than any farmstead in the Hyracotherium Republic, Dream Valley, and the whole of the River Valley they called home. And all of it totally untouched by the icy winter that had gripped the River Valley.

Within an hour of word returning to the Republic, the senate sub-committee formed to manage the expeditions was reorganized into the sub-committee in charge of surveying the suddenly much expanded view of the world just over the mountains. While the new land was being mapped out, the senate debated and drafted legislation that would enact phase two of the agenda. Called the "Homestead Act," it would divide the fertile land into two-hundred acre lots, assigned to any family able to move immediately, with a twenty-year no interest mortgage and the understanding that they would develop and cultivate the land for farming, said mortgage intended to fund the government during the settlement and transition periods in lieu of taxes. Even before the votes were tallied in the senate the regional boards of commerce were swamped with farmers whose farms had either failed or were rapidly heading that way, and desired a fresh start.

It was soon discovered that the land discovered had enough land for every stallion, mare and foal in the Republic to have a two-hundred acre farm, with miles and upon miles of territory left over, dwarfing the land in the Manehattan River Valley by a factor of a thousand, in theory securing agrarian society for generations of farmers getting their own plots of land, along with prospects for future urban centers. With the prospects of the citizens of the Republic secured, the Homestead Act was passed with only one vote, Smart Cookie's, against, and the first homesteaders crossing the Manehattan Mountains on New Year's Day of 9 BW. Among these being Trencher, an Earth Pony who up until then would have been overlooked by history, if it weren't for his part in events to come.

But in the skies above, the Celestine Junta was far from idle.

As soon as Commander Hurricane returned, he ordered Pansy to call an emergency meeting of strategy with the Chiefs-of-Staff. The next morning, the five highest ranked generals in the Junta, Second in Command Private Pansy, and Commander Hurricane locked themselves into the Situation Room, planning the next move for the Junta to make without being dragged down by the Hyracotherium Republic and Kingdom of Unicorns. From the minutes of the meeting, General Heart Throb was the first to suggest abandoning the valley entirely, seeking out new territory for the Junta so that they could survive. As Commander, Hurricane was the only one who could have the final word on any plan. After consulting with the other Chiefs-of Staff and considering the matter, on the condition that the ponies of Dream Valley be brought with them. While it is tempting to see this as an example of genuine loyalty and love, the truth of the matter was much more pragmatic: The Celestine Junta were nothing but soldiers, and not a single one of them knew how to plant a seed, let alone tend to crops. Bringing the Dream Valley Ponies with them to any hypothetical new land was nothing more than good sense.

Long into the night, the seven ponies hammered out the strategy of what would become Operation Withdrawal.

The plan was simple: Phase One would be to organize a long-term regiment intended to seek out the territory beyond what was controlled by the Junta for any prospective areas that the Junta could move in to with relative ease.

Phase Two would center around setting up permanent settlements that would double as redeployment depots and lookout points. during this the Dream Valley Ponies would be moved into the land to use as they saw fit.

The third and final phase would be the longest and most audacious of the operation: The entire city of Celestine would be moved from its anchored position over the Manehattan River Valley, and transported to the dead center of the newly carved out territory. The estimated effort would require every single pegasus in the Junta, from the youngest foal able to fly on her own to the feeblest mare, to push the cloud city in six-hour shifts, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. And it would be a slow affair to ensure that the city was moved intact and unharmed, meaning that the transfer would take anywhere from twenty to fifty years.

Most ponies would suggest that it would be easier and more practical to either dismantle the city into individual blocks and move them into place, if not abandon the city entirely. However, the city of Celestine was the heart and soul of the Celestine Junta, a combination of natural capitol and sacred holy land. The concept of abandonment or damaging the city, even temporarily, was not only unthinkable, but vile.

Operation Withdrawal was approved at midnight, and the next morning names were put together for the new unit tasked with seeking out new territory for the Junta. Placed in charge of the whole operation was none other than Private Pansy. A copy of her orders from her father that has survived suggests that he had the utmost confidence in Pansy's ability to manage an army of any size. But one section in particular implies that he was sending his beloved daughter away for potentially years due to a 'clear need of her own duties outside of the Junta, to discourage foul rumors of inadequacy, and far away from any dirty distractions from fulfilling her utmost potential.'

Considering that her run in with the farmer Trencher was very recent, Hurricane was clearly trying his best to see to it that she stay as far away from the Earth Pony as possible.

But overprotective parenthood or no, Hurricane was right to pick Pansy for the job. The first order of business was to set up a mobile platform for the ponies under her command to live and work from as they carried out the expedition. Such platforms were common enough in the skies over the River Valley, scores of the small cloud-constructs stood guard, allowing soldiers on patrol a place to rest, fix a meal, and monitor developments below with easy.

However, this platform, codenamed Pegasus One, designed by Pansy herself, was a platform on a much larger scale. Covering forty-seven square acres, Pegasus One was the size of a small hamlet, could comfortably accommodate four-hundred and twenty ponies, and had a small Thundercloud forge, a hospital, exercise room, and a briefing room for organizing missions.

When Hurricane questioned Pansy about the need for such a massive platform, Pansy is said to have told him:

"You are sending me and a whole battalion of troops into the unknown regions, for months or even years on end, to scout out lands for settlement that we have no idea is even hospitable, let alone capable of sustaining a population near the size of the Junta. How does that sound like self-sustainability is not required?"

The construction of Pegasus One took seven months, well into the next year. Pansy used the time to examine hundreds of troops, all volunteers, for her complement of soldiers, taking the best of the best with her. When the platform took off, it was with celebration from the whole city unlike anything seen in years, with escort by the Burning Timberwolves.

Having had patrols and sorties along the mountain ranges for centuries, the Junta had the best idea out of the three tribes as to what lay beyond, and thus had several targets of promise, though the ponies of Pegasus One quickly realized that all of their targets were part of the same whole. The mission was expected to take years, but Hurricane got this message within sixty hours of Pegasus One crossing the border:

"Phase One complete. Maps coming shortly. Begin Phase Two."

While caught off guard by the suddenness of the development, Commander Hurricane ordered the construction of more mobile platforms modeled (if modified) on Pegasus One. These platforms would serve as the seeds of additional pegasi cities and defensive fortresses around the territory claimed by the Celestine Junta.

Meanwhile, Private Pansy was charged with managing the troop assignments into the new territory, stationed at Pegasus One, which was ordered to maintain a security position to monitor the situation on the ground for potentially hostile activity near the main pathway the future immigrants, and eventually Celestine itself, would travel. In order to carry out its new mission, the Chiefs-of-Staff ordered that Pegasus One, under the watchful eye of Private Pansy, be expanded in both size and accommodations for the now much larger complement of troops to be stationed there, including living quarters and zones for non-military personal to conduct business with the troops on and off duty. This in effect turned Pegasus One into a city that, once completed, would be second (if distantly) only to Celestine itself in scale and population. To better reflect this change in status, Pegasus One would in turn be renamed: Pegasopolis.

Of the three tribes, it was the Kingdom of Unicorns that dragged its hooves the longest on the subject of seeking a new land. Not due to feelings of obligation to the other tribes, in fact the idea of abandoning their fellow ponies to the ice and snow was being discussed even before the Shouting Congress. No, the issue was the fact that doing so would mean abandoning their ancestral mines, and leaving behind their hordes of gold and jewels. And in fact, a full half of the nobility of the Kingdom and their families would choose to remain even as the rest of the ponies abandoned the Manehattan River Valley, subsequently freezing to death. It would not be until 5 BW that the more sensible ones agreed that all the treasure and lands in the world would not be worth dying of malnutrition or hypothermia for.

Of course, Princess Platinum had a plan. Even before her father's deathbed appointment of his daughter as his heir to the throne, the then twelve-year old princess worked out a long term and complex agenda.

First, using the royal treasury, her family's personal wealth, Platinum (by a pseudonym) paid bands of mercenaries to go beyond the mountains to seek out new lands for citizens of the kingdom to settle. Within months they returned with news of mountain ranges beyond that proved to be more full of riches than the entire Kingdom. Rewarding the band with one of the veins they found as payment, Platinum quietly began funding the gentry, gentlestallions of fortune, and what few nobles were loyal to the throne to move out of the valley to set up their own lands of residence beyond, and to bring their families as well. By doing so, Platinum secured a loyal population base who would be more than willing to do as she asked, one that far outnumbered her court. Furthermore, by taking the lion's share of the new veins, Platinum was able to finance the restoration of the Royal Army to the proud status it once held, far beyond what middling, pathetic force it was at the time of the Lake Trot Crisis. Recognizing that the land would be structured differently than her homeland, Platinum dubbed it Unicornia, though she had no intention of it remaining as such. From her memoirs, her long-term goal was a feudal, Oligarch Despotarchy, with her stepping down from power, where the populous would be ruled by a Triumvirate with absolute power over the land, and whose members would be required to rule with competence and willing to ignore their peers in favor of what was best for the populous, and with no hoofholes where a nobility or court could be able to weaken their rule. Over time, enough Earth Ponies and pegasi would be invited to live and work in Unicornia, being treated as equals to unicorns under the regime to invoke solidarity and peace (failing that, then supporting their own states to generate trade), as subjugating and dominating any sizable population would be a constant drain on resources that were better spent elsewhere.

In 7 BW, after the settlers had managed to found their own dominions, and her new palace was well under way in its construction, Princess Platinum announced the existence of the territory to the court and began the task of maneuvering their thinking into one favoring transitioning the government out of the River Valley, though, from her memoirs, it is clear that she would otherwise happily abandon them to the cold if it weren't for Star-Swirl's presence, and the need to seem like an innocent and loving princess with no ability to connive to save her life.

The Decade of Settlement

Over the next decade, from 10-0 BW, the three tribes largely ignored each other as they went about exploring and settling their new territories in what is now Equestria, ranging from the lands just on the other side of the Manehattan Mountains and into modern day Baltimare, Boasttown, and as far inland as the foothills of the Canterhorn. The layout of each tribe's settlements wound up being with the Earth Ponies settling the south, the unicorns to the north, and the pegasi and their Dream Valley allies in the middle. Now, in the traditional story, the three tribes were caught by surprise by each other's presence in the new, idealic land. However, the reality was much more complex.

Given the proximity that the respective colonies had to each other, and overlapping territorial claims each tribe had, there is simply no way that the governments weren't even somewhat aware of the others, even if subconsciously. In fact, near where Fillydelphia is today, settlement maps from each tribe show that a silver mine, a homestead, and a mobile platform were all in sight of each other.

Fortunately, everypony was too distracted by the complicated and time-consuming task of colonization and settlement to put too much effort into the movements of the other tribes. Usually. However, as always, there were exceptions. One example in particular being Private Pansy of Pegasopolis, and Trencher, whose homestead in a stroke of suspicious coincidence was situated within a short flight from Pansy's assigned station.

But, the peace via willful ignorance could not last, and in 0 BW the territories the tribes first found had been settled, and they found that they could not expand into the rest of their claimed lands, as one of the other tribes had already settled them. Furthermore, old tensions rose again, with some members of the unicorn court demanding that the Earth Ponies give them tribute as they did in the old lands, the Earth Ponies demanding the other tribes get off their land, and the pegasi caught in the middle and threatening military action if the other tribes did not stand down. And in this tumultuous political situation, Private Pansy found herself pregnant. by her Earth Pony lover Trencher.

The Winter War

The Winter War

In order to better understand the events of what would lead up to Hearth's Warming, it is important to understand the Windigos and how they work.

Going by how the traditional story tells it, many ponies believe the Windigos to be ethereal spirits that came from nowhere, much like ghosts in many horror stories, such as the Olden Pony or the Headless Horse. Unlike the aforementioned old ponies tales, Windigos are, or were, very real.

In reality, Windigos were large ectoplasmic, monoecious parasites. They sought out ponies in situations that are conductive to hatred, and laid their microscopic eggs on the coat of the host. When the eggs hatched, the larvae would burrow into the bloodstream where they would embed themselves into the walls of the cardiac chambers. The Windigo larvae would then fight for dominance, leaving one alive. The survivor would then begin to take over the host, transforming him or her into an adult Windigo, feeding off of the animosity and hatred of the host, until the larva has enough energy to force the host to undergo a metamorphosis, the latter process possibly taking place over the course of days, if not hours, after years of siphoning off of the host. Given the ectothermic nature of Windigos and there lifecycle, heat would be sucked in, reducing the ambient temperature of the surrounding temperature. To help the young grow, Windigo adults would work to keep the temperatures of the area down. From Star-Swirl's notes, zoologists suggest that Windigos had a long life cycle, such as a single Windigo generation could last as long as three or more pony generations. Given the generally shorter life spans of ponies, the full development from larva to adult Windigo was rare. However, the more hatred the host harbored in his or her heart, the faster the development, but it is estimated that as few as a couple Windigos and their larval young could conceivably freeze a region the size of the Manehattan River Valley with the amount of animosity the Pre-Warming ponies harbored, and given the events of the Winter War, could cover a much larger area with sufficient nourishment.

With everypony fleeing the River Valley in the hope of a fresh start, only to find that the other tribes had more-or-less followed them, tensions and tempers were already high. All that was needed for all out war was a single spark, one otherwise unimportant incident, to ignite the powder keg.

That spark came in the 0 BW, during an unusually warm winter, with the birth of Pansy's first foal. Even though many of her colleagues and her own father repeatedly inquired as to the identity of the father, Pansy kept mum, telling only Shield Skin, her closest friend from school. Everypony in the Junta did not think too much on it, as it was not unusual for a mare officer in the Junta to not think about the father of her foal beyond the night of conception for one reason or another. The common punch line implied that the prowess of the stallion in question was rather poor. However, Pansy had a very good reason for keeping the identity of her foal's father in the dark for as long as possible. Because the father was an Earth Pony named Trencher, whom had been her lover of ten years in spite of Pansy's father Hurricane's attempts to drive them apart. For the eleven months of the pregnancy, Pansy tried to hide her fear of the nature of her child's father being revealed, a fifty/fifty chance of the foal being born with or without wings.

In a series of letters between herself and Trencher (having somehow dragged Shield Skin into being the mailpony intermediary), Pansy pleads and begs for Trencher to abandon his farm and hide out in the hills the closer her due date arrived. But regardless of how much she tried, the farmer would not pull up the roots he laid 'just because [her] father [would] throw a hissy-fit.'

"I stood up to him once, and by thunder I will do it again if it means he will stop trying to keep us apart."

In the end, all of Pansy's fears came to pass, because her son Plow Blade was unmistakably an Earth Pony, meaning that the father was also an Earth Pony.

From Fire Brand's chronicles of The Winter War, Hearth's Warming and the events that led up to them, the scene in the maternity ward when Hurricane first saw his grandchild was described as:

"...silent as death. The Commander looked at the babe, and then to the Second, then again at the babe and again to the Second, taking in the sight. The brain that had divined the plans of diamond dogs and tyrants in moments struggling to conceptualize how a pegasus could birth an Earth Pony. And looking into his eyes, one could see the moment when it all clicked, and the Commander's face became a mix of horror, sorrow and fiery wrath.

"The commander did not shout, as we had expected from experience when he was angered, but rather he spoke in a chillingly soft voice. I for one would have preferred he bellowed. He demanded of the Second as to the identity of the father of the foal. And I shall never forget her response. A look of resignation, and then spiteful determination came over her face, and she matched her father's calm tone with her own, all while cuddling the sleeping babe to her chest, lest it fall through the clouds.

"'All right. So the secret is out now then. Fine. Trencher. Plow Blade's father's name is Trencher. I'm sure you remember him. You punched him in the face ten years ago for taking care of me when I was hurt on duty and could not return to Celestine. I love him Father, and he loves me, and the foal I hold shows. Congratulations Father, the race you so despise is now a part of our family tree. Unless you would kill an innocent foal that carries Mother's blood in his veins, as well as mine.'

"The Commander seemed conflicted be what his daughter told him, and said nothing as he marched out of the ward."

Even though Pansy was over thirty years old at the time, a soldier in her own right and his own Second in Command, Pansy was still Hurricane's only child by his first great love General Wind Whistler, and one of the few of his children who he had spent any time with, and had spent the most time with her through her fillyhood besides. So while on one hoof the resulting reaction was clearly foalish, on the other it is understandable as a father coming to grips with a startling and unforeseen revelation from a beloved child.

In what must be the most impressive case of selective hearing in pony history, Hurricane ignored Pansy's confession of being in love with an Earth Pony, and concocted in his own mind a horror story of his precious little filly being held against her will as a filthy Earth Pony Stallion raped her, defenseless without her loving father to protect her, and abandoning her, leaving her to fend for herself and the bastard love-child, unable to face the shame of telling her father, for fear of losing his love for her.

A rather fanciful and ridiculous view of the reality, to put it nicely, but for whatever reason that was the conclusion Hurricane made, and it was with the anger forged by this that Hurricane demanded the Hyracotherium Republic to hand over the farmer Trencher to the Celestine Junta to face justice. Naturally, the Republic denied the demand. Hurricane sent the demand again with the ultimatum of war.

And again, the Republic refused to give in to the commander's demands. For generations the story was told that Puddinghead added an additional insult in the refusal, but it was disregarded as hearsay for the sake of a good story. At least, until two-hundred years ago when the original copy was uncovered. On the bottom of the document, in Puddinghead's distinctive hoofwriting (just below her signature even), is the phrase "Once you go Earth, you always want girth," with an obscene sketch that is always edited out in reproductions, hence why it has never been publicly displayed. Within the hour of the rebuttal, the Celestine Junta declared war.

In Unicornia, Princess Platinum was still trying to salvage her plans when word of war came to her castle. Within minutes, Platinum sent a letter to the Republic that Unicornia would come to their aid. Clover the Clever recollects the event.

"I entered the Princess' chambers to talk with her on the wisdom of her actions. After all, while the Royal Army was stronger than it had in centuries, it was still scattered and in the process of organizing, and an open war with any nation could prove disastrous. But the Princess was much troubled, pacing the chambers back and forth, her mane unkempt and an unnatural glint in her eyes, and she kept muttering about how 'the plan is yet salvageable' over and over again. I ashamedly admit that after taking in the sight I tried to make flight, the Princess enveloped me in her levitation grip, forcing my face within an inch of her own.

"'THE LINE OF ÆTHELRIC STILL STANDS! I CAN FIX THIS!' she said, at the top of her voice, so loud that my ears rang.

"It was clear as day that the Missed Destiny Madness had taken her at the unexpected turn of events, and so to prevent an uprising I barricaded the Princess into her room for her own safety, and endeavored to do my best to wage a war, something Star-Swirl had neglected to teach me."

Unlike the Lake Trot Crisis, where each side had a cleanly laid out set of battle lines, the Winter War was a sloppy affair, with confusion and mayhem in every quarter, and the forces of Unicornia (that of the Royal Army and the Mercenary Forces of the Nobility) were divided as to who should be fought, with the Royal Army fighting the Junta alongside the Republic, and the mercenaries fighting the Republic alongside the Junta, or both sides, or every other army in the name of plunder. Within hours the three sides stalled in their respective advances, and by the end of the first twenty-four hours had dug in, turning whole fields into networks of trenches within a No Mare's Land covered with ever thickening layers of ice and snow.

And it was the weather that would prove to be the first clue as to what was going on back in the River Valley, as the same inexplicable wintery weather also chocked the land. In the course of hours, the territory controlled by all three tribes was covered in feet of snow, and archaeological evidence and first-hoof accounts suggest the temperatures dropped from about fifty degrees down to the negative sixties. In the course of a day, the new land had been covered in the same proportional amount of snow that had chocked the Manehattan River Valley, a process that had taken some thirty or more years, in a region that was much much smaller than the new settlements. Much debate and many theories have come to pass concerning on how this could happen amongst scholars. The modern consensus is that the animosity generated by Hurricane's racism and disregard of Hyracotherium sovereignty, the resultant war, on top of the already tense atmosphere, produced an environment conductive to the hyper-development of Windigos, producing a rapid and extreme version of the deep freeze of the River Valley.

Given the above, we cannot accurately plot out the movements of the Founders during the two days of fighting. All we know is that Hurricane and his Chiefs-of-Staff managed to abduct Trencher, and Smart Cookie was taken captive too (the consensus being that she had managed to get to Trencher's homestead minutes before Hurricane, and tried to get him to leave). Pansy and her foal had been placed under house arrest in all but name and managed to escape but dispatching her guards (the only record of the incident comes from a letter by Pansy herself 'I told them to let me go. They said no. I took exception to that'), and Clover, managing to turn into a surprisingly competent military commander for one so young and inexperienced, plotted out the most likely place Hurricane could go given the weather conditions, and Private Pansy (whom she met along the way, wielding two swords and bearing Plow Blade in a jury-rigged papoose from a bloodied bandage and stitching needles). As Clover later recalled, she felt that if Hurricane could be stopped before doing anything permanent, then the fighting just might stop.

With Clover's attention to detail and Pansy's knowledge of both the terrain and her father's likely actions, the two mares soon came across the cavern that Hurricane and his troops had taken shelter in with their captives. When they arrived, they found Smart Cookie tied up as set at one side of the cave, and trencher held down by Hurricane, who was about to stab him.

"Pansy cried out to her father so suddenly and with such volume that it caught everypony off guard, which in turn saved Trencher's life. Although his daughter's voice did not stop the Commander's motion, it did in fact altered his aim, sending a killing stroke into his chest into a much more treatable wound in the leg. Seeing her lover so harmed, Pansy held the foal to me and charged her father, demanding that I help the young stallion. I knew some healing magic, but with my own reserves I knew that Trencher would bleed out before I could close the wound. Praying that his wounds were not as serious as they seemed, I left the foal with his father and ran for Secretary Cookie, in hopes that she might know first aid. Even as made the inquiry as to her proficiency, Smart Cookie was running to Trencher and pulling out a wad of cloth, needles and some thread.

"'Something one learns on the farm,' she told me as she looked Trencher's wound over, 'is how to patch oneself up in lieu of a doctor.'

"She asked me if I knew any unicorn magic that might help, and when I said I did, but I was not very powerful, she said that it would be enough and began to instruct me on how to staunch the bleeding, and asked that I do what I could while she sewed up the wound. It was remarkable really. We had only known each other for only a few minutes, and already we seemed to have been in sync. Smart Cookie, with a bedside manner I can only describe as maternal, kept Trencher awake by asking him questions, about what he saw in Pansy that made all of this worth it. I will not repeat what he said, as it is private, but I will say it was very sweet.

"Smart Cookie also inquired as to what had happened with Star-Swirl the Bearded. Evidently he knew her when she was in school, and I was very happy to hear that the Earth Ponies had such fond feelings towards my mentor.

"It was during an instance where Smart Cookie talked with Trencher that I managed to look towards Pansy and the Commander. I freely admit to not having much in the way of a martial education, but looking back it becomes apparent that Hurricane was fighting purely on the defensive: only blocking, and any strikes were intended to exhaust the opponent. As to Pansy, while tears were streaming down her face, I cannot say for certain one way or the other if she was genuinely trying to kill her father.

"As the fight wore on, I could see Hurricane's body growing a host of ice crystals upon his coat, and on the cave floor I saw a trail of frost everywhere he stepped. I could recall these details as important, something from my mentor's teachings on Beastiology, but before I could nail down the exact lesson, two surprise appearances distracted me.

The first was Princess Platinum. To this day I know not how she not only found this place, but how she got out of the castle.

[Editor's Note: From other records, stone masons had to replace the entire exterior wall of the Princess' chambers, which was approximately three stories above the ground.]

"Out of the blue she charged into the fray and, the look of the Missed Destiny Madness in her eyes, demanded that the Commander stop the violence. At least, that was her intent. In actuality she had a few choice, and highly unladylike words that I dare not repeat. No sooner had those words escaped her lips than the Earth Pony Chancellor entered the cave, a most horrifying glint in her eyes and a bloodied knife in her teeth. Smart Cookie demanded to know what she was doing at the cave, and the Chancellor replied that, and I quote, 'the Lich-Queen's Stallion-Slave shall die tonight, for it has munched the wee men, and 'napped my good li'l Cookie.' She then charged at the Princess and the Commander.

"However, in the span of a few seconds, both were dispatched by bucks the Commander gave them to the face. Fortunately they were not killed, merely rendered unconscious, which by the fact that Hurricane apologized to them for it, I believe was his intent. I will freely admit that such control of his fighting prowess was impressive. But it was still unspeakably barbaric and not worth any girlish fantasizing. As Pansy once again charged her father, I took the time to notice that both the Princess and the Chancellor were surrounded by pools of frost that had not been there before, and icicles hung down from their noses, and yet they did not shiver"

From Clover's personal recollections of the incident in the cave, all three of the leaders showed signs of intermediate Windigo infection: trailing paths of frost where ever they tread, ice matting down their coats and icicles hanging from their bodies.

"The cavern was then filled with a soft by chilling sound, a disembodied whinny not possibly made by any living pony coming from the mouth of the cave. Smart Cookie heard it as well, wanting to know what it was even as she finished stitching up Trencher's thigh. Turning to the source, I saw the shape of what seemed like a pony, and yet was nothing like one. For one thing it was far too large, and its body tapered off at the waist into a trail of smokey, transparent ectoplasm. Its small eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and looked upon the world with a disgusted countenance. I then noted how the very air of the cave grew impossibly colder still, and that the mouth of the cave began to be closed off with a sheet of ice.

"Then it all clicked. The unnaturally long and cold winter, the rapid freezing of this whole new land, and how it all seemed to tie in with how much anger, hatred and animosity ponies felt. It was something Star-Swirl taught me early in my education, of a beast that fed off of the hatred of ponies, and in turn turned the world around them as cold as their hearts, and how sometimes a pony could hate so much, they too become one of their number, and in turn fed upon the hate of their fellow pony.

"Windigos. Everything that had transpired since before I was born could in one way or another be linked to that creature standing in the cave, watching us like a noble would an insect.

"However, only Smart Cookie, Trencher and I deemed the sight of that monster as worthy of attention, as the father and daughter continued to duel. However, the Commander evidently grew weary of the fight with his daughter, and thus dashed from her, making way towards us. Or Rather, to Trencher. But at the last second Pansy was once again standing between her lover and her father, this time locking her father's blade between her own.

"Hurricane then demanded how Pansy could possibly stand to tolerate the stallion between Smart Cookie and I, and what drove her to defy him. Even if I could not recollect memories as though I still lived them, I doubt I would forget the words that came from her mouth.

"'Because he is to me, what mother was to you.'

"By the look in his eye, and how two tiny icicles fell from his face, I could tell the phrase meant something special to the Commander, and even as I write this I wish I could have met the obviously very special mare that carried Pansy into the world, that she would have such an effect on the stallion, years after her death. The Windigo clearly felt it too, as it made a whinny that I felt sounded concerned. 'That's right,' I thought to myself, 'cower before the love of lovers you sack of shriveled hearts!'

"Even as I thought this, Hurricane looked beyond his daughter, and to the weakened body of Trencher, and the foal that slept on his chest. And with great reluctance and personal willpower, Hurricane relented, and eased his sword away from his daughter, and to the ground with a quiet ring.

"The next thing I knew was Light, and a comforting, all embracing Warmth. The likes of which I had not felt before, nor since."

Fortunately, while Hate is food for Windigos, Love and Friendship are both poisons. As the Dream Valley ponies show, basic well-regard for one's fellows not only keeps away adult Windigos, but also fends off their artificially induced chill, and it was this that saved everypony in that cave, as well as everypony else outside.

And as Clover the Clever and the rest of the founders, and more importantly the Windigos, realized, the power of Friendship and Love could be weaponized against that which seeks to destroy it. The extinction of a species is usually regarded as a tragedy and with anger. However, nopony yet has come forth with sentiments towards the Windigos that was intended to be taken seriously.

But it was not just this surprising turn of fortune that defeated the Windigos. Outside, regardless of the turn of events inside the cave, the power of the Windigos would have been broken that night. Because the scattered and intermingled armies of the tribes, stuck in their trenches by the weather, manages, against all odds, to form a friendly armistice.

As the story goes, somewhere in the massive tracts of land that had become a battlefield, one of the soldiers of the Celestine Junta decided to break up the monotony by singing march songs, most famously Blood Upon the Aerials. Soldiers of the other tribes were within earshot, and returned with songs of their own. Eventually the singing spread throughout the territory, and more and more songs were discovered to have been known to the soldiers in the trenches of the other sides. By midnight, a few brave soldiers tentatively braved the No Mare's Land, meeting with their opposites from the other armies. Within an hour large gatherings of ponies of all three tribes, and at least one game of unknown sport being played amongst the troops.

By dawn, the three armies had managed to work out an uneasy truce, the ponies in charge of their respective armies agreed to end the fighting until their Heads of State, who had gone missing in the massive confusion, were found again. Though from letters and journals that have survived it becomes clear that most of the rank and file would have gladly ended the fighting if their respective leaders sent the orders. It is from this incident, and not the famous cave, that the traditions of singing songs and playing games on Hearth's Warming began.

Even after only a few hours of peace and goodwill against all odds or reason, the food for the Windigos was weakened enough for warmth to return to the land, and by nine in the morning the next day, much of the snow had melted, and the air temperature rose to levels it had been days earlier.

When Clover came too, the Windigo was gone, and the ice at the front of the cave was vaporized. Platinum and Puddinghead were awake, but nopony was in any condition to leave just yet. And so for the rest of the day, everypony who did not know each other already got acquainted, and most importantly, Hurricane, Pansy and Trencher worked on their relationships, and by noon the two stallions (or rather, the elder towards the young) held respect for each other, and by nightfall, they were cordial, if not friends, with the Commander finally seeing Plow Blade as his grandson and not as the spawn of an Earth Pony. Having the hatred being used to feed a soul-devouring abomination no doubt helped change Hurricane's attitude.

The farmer would walk with a limp for the rest of his life, but he and Hurricane would in time be good sports about it, even making light of it in their greetings to each other.

Meanwhile, Platinum managed to recover from her 'momentary lapse in good judgment' swiftly, with Clover filling her in on what she missed over the previous few days.

The next day, the eight ponies were well enough to leave the cave. While the plays and traditional story suggest that everypony were now life-long friends for life, that was not truely the case. That would come later, but at that time to much had happened to be forgiven and forgotten over the course of a day. However, as they left, Hurricane, Platinum, Clover and Smart Cookie were already discussing the possibilities of pulling together in light of the damages the wars and extreme weather caused, mingling the three tribes into something more than the parts alone. These idle chats would lead to much debate later on, but for the moment the three Tribe leaders were more than willing to abandon claims to the new land they had mutually discovered, and instead share it.

As they debated on what to call the 'whatever-this-is,' Clover the Clever and Smart Cookie simultaneously suggested a name derived from the name Star-Swirl called Ponykind.

Equestria.

And that is how Equestria, came to be.

The Governance Question

The Governance Question

In the years immediately following The Great Warming, there was little in the way of an actual, central government. It was decided that that particular issue would come later, with a congress agreed to meet in five years time, to see if the three races could even live side-by-side, and forge a society. In the meantime the three tribes still needed to finish settling in to the land, and more importantly get used to the idea that the three races were now to live together. To do this, the three leaders acted in their own ways to help the situation along.

Chancellor Puddinghead stepped down from power, and helped organize get-togethers that would encourage inter-ration friendships, whose tones ranged, depending on how lucid she was while arranging them, from calm, dignified banquets that many of the Earth Pony Gentry and Unicorn Nobility found most enjoyable, to rowdy fracases that no sane parent would want their children attending.

In fact, the three common synonyms of such celebratory gatherings all come from the same Ancient Equestrian root word, each one from the connotation meant by the three types of celebration Puddinghead arranged: the kind that was calm, social, and acted as more of an especially large gossip event with the occasional Ball turned the root word into 'Soirée,' the more rambunctious, energetic gathering with cheap but tasty foods that focused on games, dancing to common music and having a good time descended from the root into 'party,' and the final type changed the word into the Modern Equestrian word the word 'orgy,' which had alcohol aplenty, and tended to result in either foals, or an epidemic of venereal disease, depending on who showed up. Given the population boom the records show in these three years, Puddinghead's last, in proportion to the cumulative population growth in the years previous, it can be reasonably speculated which type might have been the more popular.

Hurricane, meanwhile, did what was no doubt a very difficult thing for him to do: He actually disbanded a full third of the former Junta's army, and ordered the troops to branch out and learn what they could about the kinds of work that the Earth Ponies and Unicorns did. The intention being that, since all three tribes were now supposed to work in direct cooperation now, rather than mutually leaching off of each other, the Pegasi needed to learn new skills other than simply controlling the weather, or waging war.

To assist in this endeavor, and to set a good example, the Commander actually stepped down from power, and, with the help of Smart cookie and her family, set up his own little farming estate to the north of where Canterlot now stands. This in spite of his lifetime of superior demeanor towards the Earth Ponies. No doubt it was a bitter pill to swallow. However, from his many letters after the estate was completed and in full operation, Hurricane expressed a newfound respect for the farm work of Earth Ponies, of how the fight to grow enough food to last through winter was 'a more vicious and unending war the likes of which no soldier can comprehend.' He also go on to express wonderment at the miracle of life and watching seeds he himself plant turn into a field of crops or mighty trees.

As for Platinum and the former Unicornia, the Princess had plans for the Nobility before settlement began in earnest almost a decade prior. With what she dubbed her 'new nobility,' unicorns from the lower classes who settled the land first using funds from the Royal Treasury as loans, and close allies in the court won over by being gifted lands, and the revitalized Royal Army, Platinum intended to wipe out the whole families of the most notorious members of the court, and those of their easily manipulated 'friends' whose main purpose was to bolster their voices in the court. With no heirs left to inherit their lands in the River Valley and Equestria, those same lands would either revert to the Throne, or be digested amongst the surviving neighbors. After The Great Warming, Platinum's plans went unchanged, and in fact took advantage of the fact that, with most of the populous out and celebrating, the overthrow would be either unnoticed, or celebrated, as the recent revelation of the Windigos involvement in the plummeting temperatures, and the ponies own hatred causing it, resulted in a heightened awareness of any antagonism, and fears that individuals who were especially malevolent might cause the monsters to return once more.

With this accomplished, all of the obstacles that stood in the way of Platinum's political agenda were wiped away, giving her free reign to do as she wished. Her original plans for Unicornia shot, she instead took a second glance at what the other tribes had to offer, politically, and decided that Democracy, with all its faults (Puddinghead's reign being a prominent example), had the best chance of ensuring that leadership that cared more about the position of the nation, rather than that individual. And in fact, the fact that it did not require, and in fact discouraged , a hereditary line of rule was perfectly in line with her own agenda of fading out the Line of Æthelric, and the idea of mortal kings and queens, from the pony governing concept. From Year 0 onwards, Platinum would work behind the scenes, subtly encouraging the idea of a democratic rule. But encouragement is not the same as concrete, legally outlined reality, and it was only a matter of time before the anarchy of Post-Warming Equestra was taken advantage of.

While in the years after the Warming ponies began to tentatively intermingle, there were still large swaths of territory dominated by Earth Pony, Unicorn and Pegasus society, and thus the typical trappings of the now dismantled states of Celestine, Kingdom of Unicorns and Hyracotherium were still lived by, and in some cases imposed upon. By year 4 AW, tensions began to rise in more evenly ruled areas over who was truly in control. This came to a head in the Wet Hooves Massacre.

The very name of the incident is an example of the politically-charged nature of The Governance Question, as it was not a massacre at all. In fact, nopony was even harmed, physically at least (and even then, not seriously). The small village of Wet Hooves (in present day Trottingham), one of thousands founded during and after the colonization period, was founded as an Earth Pony settlement, but after the Warming retired pegasi warriors and unicorn serfs flooded into the area, creating a unique blend of cultures in the short time period. In the spring, the son of the noble that the Unicorn serfs of Wet Hooves had in fact fled servitude of, one Count Atropine, came into the village to call the ponies back to his domain. However, he and the small army of mercenaries he had with him were surprised to find that not only were the former peasants highly antagonistic to the idea, but their fellow villagers, earth ponies and pegasi all, were actually standing in protection of them.

According to the accounts of the few literate villagers, Atropine was confused and off-put by the unexpected resistance, and tried to regain control of the situation in the typical noble fashion of boasting and general saber-rattling. However, at least two of the pegasi did not even give him the chance and in fact body slammed him before he could unsheathe his sword, resulting in maybe a black eye and maybe a lost tooth, after which the count, no more than a colt, turned tail and ran. Not precisely a horrendous episode, but to hear the count tell the tale one would be mistaken for assuming that more monstrous actions occurred. And with the nobility of the former Kingdom's love of gossip, the entire situation grew so far out of proportion that even the most proficient teleporters could not reach one end of it to the other. And with the recent death of Puddinghead there was no pony to help stem the tide, by way of utterly confusing all the ponies involved if nothing else.

When the talk finally began to die down, it was clear that the breaking point of anarchy was being reached. Princess Platinum wrote to Smart Cookie, Pansy and Clover the Clever immediately to begin organizing a Governmental Congress.

'...If a government is not established soon, then the less nationalistic amongst our number will force a government upon the land, and thus instigate a civil war the likes of which none of us in our lifetimes, or our ancestors' lifetimes, have ever seen. The [Lake Trot] Crisis will seem an amusement in comparison. And whomever wins will impose a despotic tyranny upon the land and all ponies, crafting a steaming hatred in the hearts of two-thirds of the populous. This will lead to another civil war, whose end will lead to another tyranny when the majority victors eventually turn upon each other, creating more distrust and hatred, repeating the process ad infinitum.

'Clearly my friends, a convention simply must be held. One whose intent is the form a government all three races can live under happily. Otherwise, everything we and our loved ones fought and sacrificed for will come to naught.'

In the month leading up to the fifth anniversary of the Warming, the four mares began inviting representatives from each tribe to the cave the six founders fought off the windegos, now called Friendship Cavern, to hammer out a constitution for a government for Equestria. Even before all of the delegates arrived, it was clear that the simple fact that the four-fifths majority needed to even decide on the type of government was going to be a clear hassle.

The representatives of the Earth Ponies wanted a democratic government, the pegasi a stratocracy (or at least something very similar to it) and a majority of the Unicorns wanted either a return of the Monarchy with Princess Platinum on the throne (the majority of which were the landed gentry and ascended nobility set up during the decade of colonization), or a return to the pure feudal system before the monarchy (the majority of which being the survivors-by one way or another-of Platinum's purge).

Even with four of the five living founders in favor of democracy (Smart Cookie due to her believe in the ideals of the system, Pansy by default due to her dislike of the idea of a monarchy, Clover by her belief in ponies instilled by her mentor, and Platinum by her personal dislike of the nobility) there was still strong opposition centered around two individuals. For the Pegasi this was in Colonel Thunderbolt, Pansy's half-sister and a strong believe in the concept of "The Might of the Mighty," a political ideology where the Right to Rule was granted by a strong military to enforce the Rule of Law and grant protection from Foreign Threats.

In the years before and after the Warming, Thunderbolt wrote many treatises and pamphlets defining The Might of the Mighty and how in functioned in the context of government. The writings proved very popular amongst the Pegasi and even many Earth Ponies and Unicorns thought her arguments were well articulated. Smart Cookie in particular was impressed with the mare.

'That youth [Thunderbolt being only 29 at the time of the convention] is like a prize rooster: She looks pretty enough, but she has some nasty claws that can scratch you up something fierce.'

While the Pegasi were the more monolithic in their opposition, the Unicorns were fragmentary. From her diaries, Clover confides in Platinum's thoughts on the matter.

'The Princess is both grateful and dreadful of the disunion of our fellow unicorns. Grateful because the disinclination to come together means that there is no wave to batter through in order to gain support. Dreadful because so many factions makes it most difficult to work. Like a fire that has worked into the very walls of a home, the moment the flames or irritation of one faction are dispersed, another faction with widely different grievances arises. However, I can tell that she, and I agree in this, that a thousand little waves are a better prospect than a singular mammoth wave, as all of the little factions will be too busy fighting amongst each other to be heard that by the time of decision comes about, that many of them will be in effect abstain entirely, not counting any alliances and coalitions we convince to our side.'

On the opening day, it was decided that, in order for the convention delegates to debate toward their true consciousness', the public at large would be barred from witnessing the proceedings, enforced by soldiers from all three races. However, Clover the Clever insisted that accurate minutes be taken to preserve the convention for posterity. Thanks to this, little episodes of drama have been shown for us to witness as they happened. In the first day, when each delegation was given the chance to propose and explain their pet model of government, both the Pegasi (represented by Colonel Thunderbolt) and the Earth Ponies (represented by Smart Cookie) each gave their arguments as a singular body. The Unicorns on the other hoof, gave no less than thirteen speeches by thirteen representatives. In fact, most of the first day was taken up by hearing the opening arguments of the Unicorns, at least four of which were totally alike except in wording that reflected their faction's vision of Equestria.

However, the fourteenth and last representative of the Unicorns, Grand-Duke Benzatine, gave not a plan for a government, but a call for his fellow Unicorns to come together in a unified front, otherwise "[they] will be stung up singly, if we cannot make ourselves hung uniformly." He then motioned that the meeting be adjourned for the day, which was seconded simultaneously by the entirety of the Pegasi and Earth Pony Delegation, sans Pansy and Smart Cookie respectively. Benzatine then invited the entire Unicorn Delegation to his new mansion for a feast and a bed to spend the night, which a large portion of the delegates accepted.

The next day, Benzatine proposed a Unified Unicorn Proposal that would have established a Monarchy with Platinum on the throne, with the nobility granted a degree of autonomy, in addition to being expanded to include the most respected members of the other two races amongst their number. The proposal was not surprising to the Founders, but the fact that a vast majority of the other unicorns either were for it or at least unopposed was very unexpected.

Benzatine, in addition to being very charismatic, was one of the few nobles of the court who had worked in the best interests of the throne rather than his own selfish goals, thus ensuring that he survived the Purge five years previous. Plus, as his title suggests, his own personal mines were rivaled by none in the former Kingdom, and surpassed by few other than the Royal Treasury itself. Altogether, the Government Convention may well have stalled or even failed had he lived. However, within a week he died after indulging in too much wine, after which the alliances with the other unicorns he had been working on broke apart before he was even buried as the multitude of factions turn upon each other.

In the days and weeks that followed, Princess Platinum, Clover the Clever and Pansy managed to produce a steady flow of defectors from the Unicorn delegates. The reasons for the conversions being either a true desire to see democracy at work rather than the constant bickering of the nobles, a sense in the changing winds and wanting to be a part of it, or simply to spite one rival or another.

The Unicorns dealt with, all that was left was to break the back of the Pegasi's call for a Military-Government. However, whereas the Unicorns came pre-broken and requiring more effort to hold together than to break down, the Pegasi had a culture of unity in the face of opposition, and thus Divide and Conquer would not work, and may in fact have backfired. For months, every day, Colonel Thunderbolt and her supporters would bicker with the Democracy Party over the merits of one form of government over the other, with tensions slowly rising every day. Finally it came to a head when Thunderbolt gave an ultimatum: Kneel to an Equestrian Junta, or be forced to. After which she and the Pegasi delegation stormed out.

The next day, just as the meeting was to come to order, the entire Pegasi Delegation, plus what must have seemed like the entire Pegasus population of Equestria in arms, marched upon the cave. At the lead was Colonel Thunderbolt, demanding the convention's answer.

Naturally Clover the Clever, as President of the convention, would have declined, regardless of what the dozens of other delegates may have said, but in the end it would not come to that. The reason being that at that time, Hurricane, in full armor, his personal War Banner flying, with the entirety of the surviving members of his Chiefs-of-Staff from throughout his tenure as Commander of the Junta (all twenty of them, also in full battle dress) marched upon the mob. Thunderbolt welcomed the Commander, taking his presence and state of dress as a sign of Hurricane's approval. However, the old war-horse famously said "Junta ponit eam non solum resurgere."

"I did not put down the Junta just to see it rise again."

In the stunned silence that followed, Hurricane then praised Thunderbolt for her well argued political tracks, but then began to pick apart her points and arguments from each and every one of her pamphlets with personal experience and historical incidences within the Junta, from corruption to simple abuses of power. Sullamander and Mareinus were surely mentioned, but other past tyrannical commanders were certainly mentioned as well. It is a great tragedy of history that the minutes-takers were either too far away or caught unprepared to write down what he said, as the debate would have most certainly filled a number of chronological and historical gaps in what is known about the history of Celestine.

However, Smart Cookie mentioned the incident in a letter to her husband, and gave the best of a transcript she could manage for the end of it.

'Thunderbolt, bless her heart, seemed all sorts of torn up by this. Oh would wouldn't tell from the audience by the way she was standing and the tone of her voice, but if you were right there front and center like I was, and you could tell she was heartbroken to see her daddy dead set against her. I know you always say I look to far into things and all of that. However, I know little fillies Able Smith. I carried seven and raised four, and I know when a young filly wants to make her daddy proud and knows she's only made him upset in the trying, and the look on Thunderbolt's face was exactly the same as when Rotekraut broke the wagon axel trying to carry the produce to market on your birthday.

'Now, I've said many a time of how I don't like how Hurricane never played a role in rearing his own kids, pegasi culture be damned. I don't care what clover says it's not right. However, I dare to think that Hurricane, somehow, knew that look on her face too. He was more of a daddy to Pansy than he was to any of his other little army of ankle-biters so I suppose he has practice. Because then he put his hoof on her shoulder, and said in a voice real quiet like, "I agree with you on one thing though daughter, a strong military is mandatory for a safe home. But what is the point of freedom from the threats from outside, when the inside is vulnerable from attack? You were two [sic] young to remember Sullamander's madness, but trust me when I say that I shudder at the thought of her like coming to power, and no pony being able to get rid of her."

'Then he did something I found right peculiar. The old boy cantered on over to Clover, and took her hoof in his own, putting his other hoof over it. He had this real sweet and warm smile on his face looking at Clover's. Bless her heart, I would have thought that that little filly would have just died right then, what with that big blush on her cheeks, wide eyes, ears as far back as you please and chewing on her lip all nervous and surprise. Cutest little thing I ever saw. Pansy and Platinum have mentioned now and again of how Hurricane was all smitten over Clover, and she was the same way but too shy to admit it, and Ill tell you what, after what I saw I'd buy it. I know stallions like to do big and fancy things to show off for their Lady Love, but I'd say that circumventing a coup and turning into a political rally for the movement of said lady's pet government type is a new one in my book. Of course, when one is giving a speech, it's important to not leave it off being vague about what you're trying to say, so he said this bit loud enough to be heard. Amusingly right in Clover's face.

"That is why I toss in my lot with this 'Democracy' idea. Let those being ruled decide what is the best sort of leadership for their land. And when that leader proves ill-fitting or unworthy of that title, let those being ruled have the power to cast them out, all without the loss of a single drop of blood."

And Able Smith, I don't think I've heard cheering so loud since the Warming. I'll admit it. I cried a little.'

The convention was adjourned for the day, to allow everypony time to recover from the scare. After the next day, Colonel Thunderbolt offered the pegasi's support for a democratic government.

However, that was simply the biggest hurdle to leap. There were still scores of other issues and subjects needed to be ironed out. Who got taxes? Who collected them? Who said how much each demographic paid? Just how much territory did the Equestrian Republic actually encompass? Who was eligible to vote and/or serve? How long would they serve? And how often?

Furthermore, Puddinghead, being the last Chancellor of the Hyracotherium Republic, did not provide a positive example of the sort of pony most would want to see in a position of Executive Power, and thus requirements limiting on who could run would also be needed, plus hundreds of other little things debated, weighed, debated again, voted on and finally decided.

Smart Cookie had drafted a provisional constitution that addressed what she saw as flaws in the Hyracotherium's constitution that allowed Puddinghead to both get into power, and stay there. Granted some changes were made and almost every sentence was heavily debated, but by and large what Smart Cookie had written was what was passed and ratified. In all, the Constitutional Convention lasted eleven months, with almost all of the delegates meeting every day, on one occasion even as one of their number gave birth, refusing to abandon the floor during her speech. But at long last Equestria had a solid government with all the powers and responsibilities that suggests. And much to her chagrin, Smart Cookie was nominated and unanimously voted in as the first Premier of the Equestrian Republic.

The First Century

The Equestrian Republic: The First Century

Settling Accounts

With the question of just what sort of government Equestria would have solved, the next order of business was figuring out how the day-to-day operations of government would work, as well as how to best integrate the existing institutions of the three previous governments. After all, each of the tribes had their own military force, judicial system, financial institutions, and a host of other departments that were all now mutually redundant. Due in large part to the bureaucratic inertia all of these institutions had developed over their lifetimes, it would be years before the confusion was phased out. Over the course of the following twenty-five years after the convention, it would be decided, via natural selection more often than not, whether or not the tax system of the Unicorns would be used, or that of the Republic, or if a synthesis would be more efficient.

In large part, it would be the third option that would be the most common solution: Superfluous or corrupt practices of one or two of the institutions would fall away, adopting the more expedient practice of the third, which would likewise be scrubbed of bulky matter in preference of more lean workings taken from the other two. Of course, while this synthesis would be clear to anypony examining the details, on the whole it would be obvious that the rule of thumb would be that military matters would adopt the mechanics of government from the Junta, the machines of governance from the Republic, and, surprisingly enough, the tax system would be largely transferred from the Kingdom.

Territory

One matter of debate concerned just how much territory the infant republic covered, and how that territory was to be divided up, which could not so much as be opened for debate in full until the former question was answered.

The issue was complicated due to the fact that much of the territory had been left entirely unexplored. The Aswipeh Mountains in the far west prevented the Griffin Empire from expanding their borders. The mountains extend far into frigid far north, cutting off that route for rounding the mountains, leaving the best avenue for expansion to be by sea. However, by the time the Empire reached the mountains their internal strife had grown to the point where further expansion was impossible to consider without risk of becoming overextended. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Mongrel Empire had significant holdings in the territory, but nothing suggesting permanent has remained to the modern day as of this edition. Although digs are always finding something new every few months, so future editions may include information on discoveries.

Without knowledge of what was out there, it was argued by some, it would be the height of folly to simply grab up territory that held dangers, or worse, nothing of value at all. However, the arguments of the majority of the convention, that claiming the territory would make expeditions of exploration more expedient, and that with the population of the Republic booming living space would be a must, won out. And so with a single vote the Equestrian Republic grew in size from an average-sized state huddling around a mountain with a little bit of coastline to a state that covered an area in size that rivaled that of the Griffin Empire during its golden age of expansion.

The delegates then looked over the population distribution of the territory, and divided up what was settled into thirteen provinces, ten on the mainland, three on the two, large islands just off the coast. These territories included provinces that many ponies would recognize even in today's Equestria, such as Stalliongrad, Trottingham, and Canterlot.

Reproduction of the Ancient Equestrian borders of the key provinces. The northern border was left unspecified due to both the cold of the far north, and the mountain regions north of Manehattan. Note the size disparities of Stalliongrad, Coltifornia, Bitalia, and Illineigh. This was due to the territories in question being sparsely populated at the time. The land on the western side is the Claimed Territory, which was agreed by the delegates to be used as a settlement territory to be divided up at a later date. That date would never come as for much of the Republic's existence the population still had plenty of room to grow in the core territories, a situation not helped by the Talonhoof Assault. Note how Neighpon is also regarded as Claimed Territory. The first ponies to settle the islands would not arrive until the late 850s AW.

1: Canterlot (a corruption of the Ancient Equestrian term for 'Friendship Cavern')
2: Manehattan
3: Stalliongrad
4: Bitalia
5: Lippinstein
6: Trottingham
7: Lyrland
8: Coltifornia
9: Illineigh
10: Maneitoba
11: Shetland
12: Nopondy
13: Mountreal

Votes

Another area of debate was over how voting would be carried out in terms of representation, whether it would be proportional to population, or a set number of representatives from each province, thus the debate became tightly entangled with the territory debate.

The side backing the set representatives side, chiefly the provinces such as Stalliongrad, Coltifornia and Bitallia, argued that doing so would ensure that the provinces with smaller populations would be given equal say with provinces with more ponies. However, the side backing for proportional representation claimed that as the populations changed in the future, the representatives would be unable to accurately advocate the motions of their constituents. After nearly a month of debate back and forth, Smart Cookie and Platinum unveiled The Vote Compromise.

Smart Cookie, taking into account her years of political experience and knowledge of the history of Democracy in the Hyracotherium Republic, and Platinum's political savvy, essentially presented a model with two houses of representatives, each selected by different methods. One house, the Congress, would be voted in by proportion per capita for the population of each province. The other house, the Senate, would be equally represented, with three senators voted in from each province. Also included in the compromise was a series of criteria and hard-wired restrictions into the voting process that would prevent another Puddinghead coming into power. No doubt something she had been drafting for over a decade.

The compromise was largely a success at the convention, except for the Unicorn Faction, who demanded a separate house for the nobility. The next day Clover offered them just that, the House of Lords, where members of the nobility could meet and debate the issues of the day and send bills to the leader to be signed in. However, the constitution that was ultimately formed gave the House of Lords no power to authenticate any bills produced, and in practice the House of Lords was little more than a country club without the country that young nobles could join and leave at their leisure because it looked good on a list of credentials.

The final area of debate was focused on the nature of the leader of the Executive Branch of the new Republic. After nearly a year, the delegates present had grown used to Smart Cookie's brand of fair but firm leadership, and thus they all managed to quickly form up the sort of office a prospective Premier around her. For further reading on the constitution of the Equestrian Republic and how it changed throughout the Republic's existence and how it can be felt even in Modern Equestria, consult Long Breath's sixteen volume The Equestrian Concordance, An In-Depth Look at Ancient Equestrian Law, Jurisprudence, Office and Executive Powers and Modern Equestrian Law, Jurisprudence, Office and Executive Powers; In Which the Governments of Princess Celestia and Premier Smart Cookie are Examined and Cross-Referenced.

With the uneasiness of a lack of a government addressed, the ponies of Equestria could focus on other matters of importance, such as the establishment of towns and villages, laying down and maintaining infrastructure, and of course keeping track of the exploding population. As today, a census was held every decade, and these records show the population, now no longer constrained by geo-political boundaries (and self-imposed mate selection boundaries based on race to an extent), growing at a geometric and towards the end of the century an almost exponential rate.

Furthermore, racial integration continued apace, however while all other departments in the new state continued to improve, the blending of Pegasi, Unicorn and Earth Pony cultures and societies was sluggish at best, regressive at the worst. But other than this and the slow die-off of the Founding Generation, little else of real note occurred in the Equestrian Republic's first century.

However, one area in particular worth mentioning is that during this time period came the birth of two individuals who would irrevokably change the fate of all Equestrian's forever. One being the unicorn Mimic, known to historians as Mimic the Great and Powerful, and the Hippogriff Talonhoof.

Talonhoof the Reviled.

The Talonhoof Assault: Opening Movements

The Talonhoof Assault: Opening Movements

While Hearth's Warming and the founding of the Equestrian Republic had unified ponydom politically, one does not simply erase thousands of years of tradition and cultural conditioning in one day, or even one generation. Even though ponies were no longer divided, they were still segregated.

One prominent example being Star Burst. Even though he was the last foal Hurricane would ever father, and by all rights should have been welcomed with open hooves by the pegasi when he chose the Military as his career, and regardless of the fact that he proved time and again to have the intelligence, cool headedness and rationality of a great General, he was never allowed to rise above the rank of Lieutenant-Major. For decades he continued to smack against the glass ceiling as other, less qualified pegasi sailed up the ladder in spite of how time and again he proved in tests of aptitude and skill how he was the superior candidate. The reason? Because he was born a unicorn rather than a pegasus. The fact that he reached the rank of Lieutenant-Major only months before Hurricane's death in 50 AW would, to a cynic (though not without some strong merit), along with there being no record that survives of any other unicorn or Earth Pony who received so much as a commission, let alone to the same rank or higher, suggests that the only reason he got as far as he did was out of respect the pegasi had for their old commander.

All evidence suggests that his mother Clover the Clever was livid and insulted at the blatant racism, but there is no evidence that suggests that Star Burst ever considered using his mother's political or social connections to advance further. In fact, judging by his letters exchanged with Clover, his wife, and his daughter-in-law where the conversation alluded to the possibility, he found the idea insulting and dishonorable.

From surviving records, many ponies noted the racist standing policies in many walks of life amongst the Republic's businesses and branches of the government, and sought to bring legal reform to curtail, if not outright remove, such practices. However, the resultant outcry turned out to be little more than a gentle murmur. And other than some debate in the last spare allotted minutes of the Senate meeting for the year of 75 AW and of Congress for the year 90 AW, and a bill that circulated and died an unnoted and ignominious death before reaching either House by 82 AW, nothing of note happened, and from the looks of it nopony really cared and wouldn't for some time. If ever.

Amongst the most outspoken ponies was a young unicorn by the name of Mimic. Born in 79 AW, ordinarily such a young mare would have been ignored totally. However, her status as Clover the Clever's protégé and at the time the intended for Star Burst's grandson allowed her to give a voice to her outrage. But either way the most she could do was maintain the coals of the debate, and no more.

Still, most civilians did not even notice any issues. The economy was rapidly climbing, the crime rate was lower than it had ever been before the Warming, everypony had food in their bellies and a roof over their heads, and other than the occasional dragon raid each day was just as peaceful as the day before. Certainly the fall of the Griffin Empire Remnant in 85 AW to a lone assassin named Talonhoof, who then began to bring the rest of the Griffin States to heel along with the Diamond Dog Packs, was unnerving, but ultimately it was a novel piece of news that ultimately could be brushed aside.

Unfortunately, hindsight would show that this event would be a major turning point in history, and a portent to darker things to come. Even before the assassination of the last Griffin Emperor and the murder of his family, Talonhoof was clearly working on a build up to power. According to Diamond Dog records and Lore Keepers, as early as 72 AW, and likely earlier than that, Talonhoof began reuniting the Mongrel packs via Ascension by Combat: the ancient method of honorably usurping power from the current Alpha in One-on-One combat. Using his brute strength and brutality Talonhoof was able to reunite two-hundred and twelve of the major packs, and force the smaller or weaker packs into the fold by intimidation alone. With him on the throne of the now defunct Griffin Empire, Talonhoof was able to use his own personal stature and his army of a revitalized Mongrellian Horde to force the warlords, petty kings, and generals of the thousands of Griffin successor states into the fold. In 92 AW the last of the break-away Griffin States were annexed into Talonhoof's empire, creating the largest contiguous state in all of recorded history. The name of this state has been a source of much debate both good-natured and heated. Only in existence for nine years, it did not live long enough to create a national identity, an issue compounded by the long animosity between the Griffins and the Diamond Dogs. Contemporary Griffins continued to call it the Griffin Empire, even though realistically the empire had been dead for years, and the Diamond Dogs called it the Horde Reborn. The Pre-Assault Ponies simply called it the Griff-Canine Empire. Historians however, call it everything from the Talonhoof Empire to Long Breath's famed term, The Bloody Sword Consortium of the Hippogriff Talonhoof Created with the Intended of the Total Destruction of Ponykind.

In any case, animosity between Talonhoof and Equestria was evident as early as 89 AW when he first enacted his "Mineral Acts," or as Clover called them: the Slavery Acts. All ponies within the borders of Talonhoof's realm and those of his vassals were to 1) have their property confiscated, 2) be imprisoned, and 3) sent to a life of hard labor in the multitude of salt mines within the borders of Talonhoof's empire, never to be heard from again and regardless of age. As the victims were not Equestrian citizens, neither Congress, nor the Senate, nor Premier Jelly Spine deigned to raise so much as a protest. Meanwhile Clover the Clever, half blind and at the ripe old age of 105, raised copious amounts of Hell to anypony who would listen. At first her protests were 'dually noted' and filed away. However, in 91 border citizens and settlers in the Claimed Territories were being ponynapped from their homes and put in the mines, to the outrage of ponies across Equestria. Diplomatic missives were sent almost weekly, but not a single one was given so much as a Return to Sender. In a near prophetic moment, Lieutenant-Major Star Burst is accredited with claiming that "With a bottomless pit as an ambassador, the only logical policy upon the mind of a nation's leader must be war."

But still, rather than prepare for the worst, the leadership of the Republic maintained Diplomacy, sending a small team consisting of two members of each pony race, each one a respected figure in one branch or department of the government or another, into Talonhoof's territory in 92 AW. And even after all communications ceased without warning and none of the diplomats were heard from again, not a single pony in the Legislative or Executive branches of government so much as breathed a motion to debate the possibility of war, even though harm coming to a foreign diplomat in one's country was, and still is, grounds enough for a Casus Belli.

Of course, not everypony was willing to let the sleeping dragon that was Talonhoof lie. In 95 a pegasus named Rash Blade and four others charged in with the intent of assassinating the Hippogriff and freeing the enslaved ponies.

Only Rash Blade would be seen again, stumbling into what is now Canterlot dying from exhaustion on New Year's Day of 100 AW. From the coroner's report, both his wings were not just clipped, but the bones crushed and evidently 'seared in oil multiple times.' All four of his legs had been broken multiple times and forced to heal incorrectly, and by the cuff-link scars on his ankles and around his neck, and the general state he was in, he had been forced into hard labor in filthy coal mines with little food or water for months at a time, if not years. What's more, his cutie mark had been flayed from his flanks, and sewn onto his right flank was a parchment with a chilling message for the Equestrian Government:

I Come.
Through the License of my Hate-Forged Will, I Come.
With my Wings and Talons I dominate the Base Earth as I Come for You.
I am the Scourge of the Spirits,
For if you had not committed great sins I would not exist.
My Air Legions shall darken the Skies.
My Dog Hordes will sunder the earth.
With my lance I will gut all I survey.
I am Talonhoof.
I Am Coming.

Out of nowhere, the Equestrian Republic found itself at the business end of total war. But nopony could have imagined the horror that was barreling towards them.

Coming Thunder

For the first few weeks, nothing came about of the threat, and after three months everypony in Equestria allowed the declaration of war to slip from their minds. However, given the thousands of square miles of open territory and the negligible population density of the area even today, it bears little surprise that Talonhoof's army went unnoticed by the Republic until it was far, far too late.

That said, that does not mean that no one saw the army. The Buffalo Tribes pass down legends of "shadows uncountable" in the skies. An army of griffins so thick that "e'en in the highest sun of the longest day, the sun could not show her face." And on the ground, "the very earth shook, and the soil disturbed by the digging of a thousand-thousand claws."

It would not be until the first day of spring, just as the ponies of Equestria were finishing up their wrap-up of winter, when the first confirmable clashes between Ponies and Talonhoof's army were to take place.

The place was a fortified military base/settlement colony named Applegeddon, approximately 425 miles west of where the small frontier town of Appleoosa now stands, and 800 miles west of the modern day border of Stalliongrad. At the time, the population of residents stood at about 2,500, which bloomed and shrank each season with the massive migrations of ponies heading west to establish a homestead. Dozens of other establishments dotted the trails across the borders, but Applegeddon was the largest. It was also the only one to have survivors that made it back to Equestria Proper to tell the tale, though only a few were able to speak of what they saw, and most of them were far away from the settlement when the attack happened.

As the defenders were all killed to a pony, and most of the refugees all died either by enemy action or the wilderness, or were so traumatized that no coherent series of events can be reconstructed with certainty, our only record of the Battle of Applegeddon comes from Rin Tin, Talonhoof's personal chronicler.

As was tradition, the Alpha Khan offered the defenders of the city the chance to surrender. The leader of the pony garrison looked upon our numbers and retreated into the barracks with his advisors to discuss options. According to tradition, the Alpha Khan would wait for the defender's reply. It was a tradition that stretched as far back as Fluffy, and there was no reason to think the tradition was not to continue, even if the new Alpha Khan was half-pony. So the others settled down and began to make camp in the event that the defender's discussion stretched on. The [Griffin Legionaries] looked disgusted at the display, but as they were our hated enemies, and outsiders at that, none of us paid them any mind.

The point became moot anyway. For as soon and the Khan of the defenders was inside his [Headquarters] , the Alpha Khan called for an all out assault. The youngsters hesitated but a moment. After all, Tradition dictated that Fluffy Khan waited for a reply before laying waste to a settlement. But us older warriors understood that Fluffy Khan and his successors were known to be liberal with what counted as a 'reply,' and so our older warriors responded at once, the Bird-brains for once acting as truly loyal warriors and did the same. Within moments the walls were ours and the city within minutes was as well.

It was hardly a glorious battle, as the defenders, while admittedly weak, were unmotivated, pleading for their lives after being disarmed. As the Alpha Khan's orders were to take no prisoners, they were slaughtered soon enough. Save, of course, for the Khan of the garrison and the not-warriors that seemed the kind to fetch a healthy ransom. Within the hour the not-warriors had fled to the plains. Our warriors went after them as well, though the birdies, as usual, did not revel in the massacre. As the proverb goes, 'one cannot be a warrior without first bloodying one's paws.'

Sadly, there was little in the way of plunder to be had. But the settlements and cities over the horizon was promised to hold great treasures, so the warriors were content to divvy up what was available. My great-nephew in particular was most pleased with the fine gown some girly pony left behind. I cannot say why.

The battle done and the spoils collected, the prisoners were lined up in the square for inspection by the Alpha Khan, the Khan of the Two-Bears High-Fiving Pack taking the credit in presenting them. However, the Alpha Khan threw himself into a rage and beat him senseless. The Alpha Khan then reiterated his orders of no prisoners. Taking Estelnehtar, the Alpha Khan leveled it to the thirty prisoners and slain them all, leaving naught but dry bones and whatever personal effects the ponies wore, along with horror-stricken warriors of both the assembled packs of the Horde, and in the Griffin numbers. After that, no one bothered to try and take prisoners. What would be the point in it if the Alpha Khan would simply kill them before even a ransom demand was made? However, it was the beginning of the warriors doubting that the Alpha Khan had plunder, slaves and territory in mind in this conquest. And as the weeks went on, more and more evidence came into the light.

The Assault Begins

When word reached the capitol, the ponies of the Congress and the Senate were reported to be stunned dumb. Then came the endless debate. A tiny few called for taking up arms, but they were drowned out by cries for how to appease the warlord and his army, and a large number declaring that the survivors, some standing right there in the room, were outright lying. And as the debate stretched on from days into weeks, more and more innocent ponies died under the sword, talons and claws of the on-coming horde. Precious few records of survivor testimony have stood the tests of time, but what little remains is unfit to print.

However, as the weeks dragged, the Mongrels and the Griffins both began to lose respect for their leader Talonhoof, though up until the end mutiny never seemed to grow beyond an idle thought. But that didn't mean that Talonhoof's soldiers enjoyed the dirty business they found themselves in. Within days their food ran out, and the rapid march they were forced on that their supply chain was hard in keeping up with the main forces. Thus the soldiers were forced to 'forage.' That is to say: Pillage everything that wasn't nailed down for supplies. And if it could be pulled up with a pry-bar, then it wasn't nailed down. And when that proved to be insufficient to supply the largely carnivorous armies with meat, they were forced to feed on the dead bodies of their pony victims. Rin Tin mentions a conversation with Talonhoof regarding the supply issue at the start of the Assault, who claimed that 'our battles will supply us.' It was by now clear just what he meant by that.

But as history has often shown, even in the darkest hours of war, odd, and often spontaneous acts of kindness and mercy between enemies happen. And as it became clear to the soldiers that their leader was more interested in specicide than in plunder and tribute, this would have naturally happened. At least, had Talonhoof not shown what would be the fate of those who defied him. Rin Tin once more supplies us with such an incident, just outside the borders of Stalliongrad.

Once more our armies came across another tiny pony village, and once more our warriors razed it to the ground, and once more not a soul was spared. Except for one. A young warrior in the midst of his plundering found a tiny girl pony child, hiding and afraid. Rather than kill her, he instead cut through the back wall and forced her to run for the forest beyond.

Around midday the next day, the Alpha Khan ordered the march halted. While this was not usual for the Alpha Khan, the warriors were grateful for the chance to rest. However, the Alpha Khan called out the name of the young warrior to come forward. When he did, the Alpha Khan ordered him restrained by his fellows. The Alpha Khan then produced a sack, and in the sack was the pony girl, squirming and struggling.

"So," he spoke, "I understand you spared this little one's life."

The warrior could not look up from the ground, even as the pony girl begged him to help.

"I did."

"This is treason. And treason is to be punished."

The ones holding the young warrior were told to hold him tight, going so far as to order his head forced in one direction and his eyes pried open, so that he would not miss the consequences of his actions.

The Alpha Khan then took a spear and broke of the blade, leaving naught but the shaft, twirling it before dropping the pony girl onto the hard ground.

"Before the business begins, I must thank you warrior. Despite the battles I've fought, I've not had the pleasure of dispatching a child yet."

The Alpha Khan then began to beat the child. Slow at first, with each strike being singly, then with more and more force and energy, each blow coming more swiftly than the last. With each smite the child screamed. And the brutality of it began to affect us all, from the young warrior, to the warriors holding him, to myself and even to the griffins. Soon no one could bare to see more. And soon we began to cover our ears to block out the scream of each hit, and when those fell silent, the sound of wet meat being tenderized.

Finally, after three-quarters of an hour, the Alpha Khan halted his beating of the dead pony, tossing the ruin of the spear aside before turning on the young warrior, now unashamedly weeping. He was not alone, though none dared let his sobs be heard.

"I am your Khan." the Alpha Khan stated. "My word is law. And my law is no survivors. To break that law is treason. And treason is capitol."

Without another word, the Alpha Khan plunged his talons into the soft belly of the young warrior, sending out his blood to join the pony girl's. His entrails littering the ground.

"Gather your things. We march. Leave him."

And so, the point well made, the warriors gathered their affects and began to march, none daring to defy the will of the Khan and look at, or let alone help, their wounded comrade. For many long minutes warrior after warrior passed him. Friends, family, all walked around the scene and did not look. Until, much time later, with the Alpha Khan long since go at the front of the march, a feather-headed griffin [Author's note: most likely a Griffin Centurion or even the Legate of a Legion] paused before the young warrior. The Griffen put a talon on the warrior's shoulder, and whispered something in his ear. He then pulled his sword and cleaved the warrior's head in two. Exchanging a long and painful death for one that was quick and painless.

For months this went on, when finally the houses of congress made their first action, asking for a peace deal. With each dispatch sent with proposed terms, Talonhoof's answer was the same, heads in a box, presuming anything was returned at all.

Finally, the oncoming horde came within weeks of the borders of Equestria Proper, from Stalliongrad to the coast of Coltifornia, the border was besieged, and threatened to be crossed. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of Diamond Dogs and Griffins stood ready to flood into Equestria and continue their inundation of bloodshed. Finally, the government could no longer sit by and wait for Talonhoof to go away, and thus Jelly Spine was forced to send in the army.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Republican Army at the time of the Assault was a pegasi mare at the age of 63 by the name of Blistering Gale. A student of the Celestine Academy of mediocre accomplishment, she nonetheless rose to the position. However, due to the century of peace it is suspected that the army's standards had either decayed or fell to political influences, as her record did not leave her as an ideal candidate, especially in the face of Star Burst's flawless career. And by her dismissive behavior towards the elder unicorn when he volunteered his years of experience, as well as her boisterous braggartism concerning Talonhoof and his army, one wonders how much of her motivation was due to her oath to protect Equestria, and how much of it was due to the chance to finally attain some glory that would no doubt put her on the same level as the late great Commander Hurricane.

One the first day of the month before the Summer Solstice, Blistering Gale rode out with the First, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh armies, five of the six formations of the Army of the Republic; containing the commanding officers of the entire military and upwards of a hundred-thousand or more soldiers, and leaving Star Burst in charge of the Twelfth Army. The Twelfth Army, derogatively called by the other, Pegasi-dominated, armies the "Tossed Salad Army," due to it consisting of largely every non-pegasus soldier in the military along with every pegasus 'unfortunate' enough to not be considered worthy of fighting by her fellow pegasi in the 'real' armies. Even as Blistering Gale took wing, ignoring him all the way, Star Burst continued to request, encourage, plead and beg the General to look beyond her own nose and think tactically about how Talonhoof's army fought. But, like many throughout history, he was ignored, and the massive army of the Republic went out to fight their foe before they could cross the Equus River, the Western border between the Republic and her claimed territories.

What happened after that has stumped historians for centuries. In defiance of orders from General Blistering Gale herself and the government of the Republic, Star Burst ordered his troops to gather their equipment and say their goodbyes to their loved ones. The next morning at dawn, they marched. Without the universal use of wings, they had a long trip ahead of them, and all the while couriers demanded their return to their post.

For all of his some eighty-four years, sixty of them in the service, Star Burst projected himself as the perfect soldier and officer, hoping and no doubt praying that, somehow, someway, it would give the unicorn the recognition and respect he deserved from the pegasi of the army, on his own merit, and not due to whom his father was. And yet here he was, going AWOL with an entire army, marching without orders. Many theories have been put forth to his motivations for this one-eighty in behavior: Perhaps he had that 'gut feeling' that the worst was yet to come, and that his army would be needed. Perhaps after decades of being ignored and looked over while less qualified ponies advanced he snapped. Maybe there was a miscommunication. Tin Foil, largely as a joke it is suspected (and hoped), that Star Burst simply ate some spoiled food and had gas. Regardless, Lieutenant-Major Star Burst and the twenty-three thousand troops under his command marched out of the shadow of the city of Bitalia and towards Celestine, currently floating just beyond the Western Border of the Stalliongrad province, just forty-five miles north of the shared boarder with Coltifornia. Days beyond there was where Blistering Gale was taking her forces, and it would be days beyond there where the first clash between the Griff-Mongrel and Pony armies would fight.

No confirmable record of the battle has survived history, as Rin Tin was suffering from an inflammation of his gout over the time period the battle most likely happened, and while we know that there were survivors from the Ninth Army, they appear to have been towards the rear of the order of battle and thus were only engaged after Talonhoof had taken the field. All we know is that scouts from Celestine came across three stacks of corpses of the missing soldiers, some one-hundred or so feet high and on fire, a well-known, traditional atrocity of the Griffin Empire, used to shock an enemy into submission, and that two Griffin Centurions barged into the meeting of congress with a stone box, and in the box were two items: One, the butchered and dismembered remains of General Blistering Gale, and Two, a message from Talonhoof.

"Ponies. I offer you the leader of your army, broken and dead by my talons. I am coming. Expect me by the end of the autumn."

Immediately, Congress and the Senate put together a surrender proposal. First with a conditional white peace, which they sent back with the centurions. It was rejected. So they sent a second surrender, unconditional. This two was rejected. The surrenders grew more and more desperate as the days stretched on, ultimately resulting in total annexation of the Republic and the population enslaved. This last one Talonhoof did not reject with words, but with Celestine.

The Fall of Celestine

At sundown on the Summer Solstice, Talonhoof's Griffins of the IX and XIII Legions attacked Celestine.

The only surviving record of the attack comes from a farmer, who watched the battle with his grandson on a hill within sight of the city. Given the vast scale of Celestine, this would put them easily between three to ten miles or more away. And given additional evidence later in the account, they were more likely just under three miles.

There were so many Griffins, it boggles the mind. Hundreds, thousands of them, flitting about like gnats, lit up like lightning bugs with their torches in one claw and the light gleaming off their swords in the other, fighting the pegasi in a deadly aerial dance. And yet the Pegasi outnumbered them many times over. My boy cheered the Pegasi on, but the longer the fight went on, the longer something tickled the back of my brain that something was wrong, very very wrong. Finally, about midnight, I was about to wash my hooves of it and go to bed. But that was when the whole darn city blew up.

One of the great mysteries of the Griffin Empire was one of their superweapons. Called Griff Fire, it is described by ancient sources as a liquid, jelly-like in consistence, and murky transparent yellow in color. It does not appear to be much; however, when lit, it proves impossible to snuff out, not by submerging in water, or by cutting it off from oxygen. At the height of its power, the Legions of the Empire would pump this substance through special cannons to coat enemy fortifications if on land, or enemy ships if at sea, and then ignite the Griff Fire. Within minutes whatever they wanted destroyed was nothing but ash. By the time of the Warming the recipe for making Griff Fire was long since lost to history, and all that remained were a few dozen barrels of the stuff that were at least three-hundred years old. We know that Griff Fire had a shelf life of a few decades, but if the Griffin historians are to be believed, that shelf life refers to the Griff Fire being safe to handle. After some seventy years, it is speculated, the compounds begin to break down into less stable molecules, presuming the Griff Fire was chemical in nature. If it was arcane, or worse a mixture of the two sciences, then all bets on just how the internal mechanics worked are off.

It is suspected that, in the months or even years before the declaration of war, Talonhoof had sappers infiltrate Celestine with these final barrels of Griff Fire, and poured them into one of the dozens of mind-bogglingly sized cloud water reservoirs of the city. Given that nearly the entirety of the modern day city of Cloudsdale could fit snuggly in one of these reservoirs, it comes as no surprise that nopony would have ever noticed. The most likely choice would have been the Leoneighdas reservoir. Reason being that, while certainly all of the reservoirs allotted a certain amount of water to forming the clouds that made up the city, the Leoneighdas was built and operated specifically for that purpose. Therefore, the theory goes, the Griff Fire mixture would have been aerated along with the water to form the clouds that formed the streets, the walls, the buildings, the very houses of Celestine, so that by the time of the Assault, Celestine was no longer merely a city of clouds, but a giant floating Fuel-Air bomb.

Additional evidence for this is in the farmer's testimony concerning all of the Griffins holding torches. While true the battle took place at night, astronomers have found that, on that date, there would have been a full supermoon. This, in addition to the fact that the Pegasi had traditionally kept the skies around Celestine clear of cloud cover, means that the Legionaries would have had illumination on par with a noon-day battle, rendering the torches superfluous and a hindrance. However, if the Griff Fire theory is correct, then Celestine would have only needed a single lick of flame from a single torch falling into the city to detonate the clouds.

Alternatively, another theory suggest that the torches were part of a ruse. Given the size of the shockwave produced by the explosion, any Legionary that was close enough to drop his torch without the fire being blown out before making contact, would have been killed instantly, and the soldiers of the Griffin Empire were not ones for suicide missions. This theory suggests that the Legionaries were feinting and goading the Pegasi into using the cities lightning artillery batteries, normally only used against much larger forces than what was waged that night. Their plan of action may have been to refrain from being so earnest in their attack that the Pegasi soldiers fire while the Griffins were in the blast radius, but not be so restrained that they stopped bothering with the battle. Finally, so aggravated with the Griffins' attacks, the captain of the city garrison might have ordered the Lightning Batteries fired. Just a single barrage would have supplied more than enough of a spark to detonate the clouds with only minimal risk to the Griffin soldiers.

But however the spark started, the result was the same, as the historical record continues:

And I do mean blew up. One second the city was up there, lazily floating as you please, and the next it was like the sun popped up with no warning. I turned to my grandson and put myself over him on gut instinct alone. What seemed like forever later there was a massive explosion, a wall of air that pushed the both of us back a good ten feet and shoved the air out of my lungs, and we were both gasping for air for quite some time later. Looking up, all the trees around us were uprooted and the north wall had been blown in and the south wall blown out. It was right around then when it started getting dark again, and against my better judgment I turned back, making sure my now crying grandson couldn't see.

Up where the city used to be was a giant shapeless black cloud, glowing like hellfire deep inside, rumbling like a thunderstorm that never stopped. And I also heard another sound over the rumbling. It's a sound that even now, six years later, I can't get out of my head. Screaming. Thousands. Millions of voices screaming. In fear, in pain, in rage, I can't say, only that there was a continuous roar of screams. And that was when I saw them. Little smoke trails, first one, then a couple, a dozen, hundreds, I lost count. Some had a little light at the end, falling through space. It was right about then when I realized they were ponies. Some on fire, some smoldering. All falling, all screaming. And those screams went on for many minutes before coming to a sudden stop, when those lights and dark smoke trails hit the ground.

It has been estimated that Celestine's footprint, had it been a terrestrial city, covered five-thousand, three-hundred square miles, with a population estimated anywhere from thirty to ninety million. Regardless of where or how the explosion originated, the detonation was trans- or even supersonic in nature, meaning the entire city was ignited within as little as two minutes, thirty seconds, with other estimates suggesting as long as three minutes. Anypony that somehow survived the wall of fire and compressed, superheated gasses that preceded it would have been suffering from at least second or third degree burns at best, to say nothing of their lungs being charred via breathing in the flames. After that the clouds they stood on would be vaporized for an instant before recondensing on any and all airborne debris, but just long enough for it to no longer hold up any pegasus atop of the clouds, and so they would have fallen straight through. Unable to breath and with wings to damaged to fly, everyone in the city not obliterated faced at least a minute and a half or longer, depending on how high the city was drifting above the surface, before crashing into the ground at terminal velocity. And along with the population, anything and everything that survived the fire fell straight to the ground as well. Statues, weapons, art, chests, dishes, toys, cribs, beds. Everything fell, leaving a debris field many times larger than the city they came from, all of it charred and damaged by the fall. The most iconic being the colossal statues of Celeste and Silus that dominated the grand plaza in the middle of the city, left in situ even to this day where they landed.

The destruction of Celestine could not have been more perfectly timed. Being in the middle of the night, everypony would have seen its glow even in the early morning twilight. And given the mix of the unknown properties of Griff Fire and the lingering magic in the clouds of the Ruins of Celestine, the massive cloud front that was once a city lingered and continue to glow for weeks on end, a beacon to all and sundry just what had happened, and no one could deny the event without looking like a fool.

The Battle of the Corridor

When the Twelfth Army marched across the Equus River, it was seven in the morning with the rising sun to their backs, and the ruins of Celestine in full view over the plains, before them. With that sensational sight before him and his soldiers, Star Burst ordered his troops to make camp. They had been marching for a month, and could use the rest while their CO and his officers pondered the situation and what their next course of action would be. The ruins of Celestine, by now a massive black cloud with a Hellish glow in the middle that was slowly being digested by the surrounding weather patterns, no doubt played a role in the discussion.

Hours later, the sentries sounded the call of ponies coming their way. An MP, his name lost to history but his diary preserved for posterity, was with Star Burst those harsh days, and was kind enough to record what he saw.

When the call went out, the Major instantly was out of his seat and marching for the front, breaking into a trot when the first of our fellow soldiers came into view, in fact I had to struggle to keep up with him. Eventually they could be made out clearly, and put simply they looked like Hell. Bloody, filthy bandages across their heads, their limbs, their barrels. Hollowed gazes in their eyes, coats unwashed in what seemed like days, an almost unnatural gait to their strides. As they got closer, the tattered remnants of the Ninth Army's banner could be seen distributed amongst the wounds of a group. The Major trotted up to the first soldier our group came across, and had to physically push on him to stop his march.

"Tell me lad. What happened?"

For what seemed like the first time the soldier realized the Major was there. He worked his jaw for a moment or two, but no words came out. Instead his eyes watered, his mouth quivered, and the soldier began to weep, his head falling into the Major's chest, who wordlessly embraced him and patted his head.

A minute or so later another, more composed, soldier, a pegasus with no wings, walked towards us, who the Major addressed.

"Son, which unit are you lot from?"

"Can't say, we're all mixed up. All I can say is that we're all that's left of the Ninth." he said, as he began to pass us.

"Well who is in charge? Who is the ranking officer?"

At that the pegasus turned to the Major and looked at his rank insignia.

"You are sir." And with that he left, continuing towards the camp.

The Major, from where I stood, looked utterly stunned at that. Weeping soldier still in his embrace, he turned to back towards the west, with the dark ruin of Celestine above and the dark pre-dawn beyond that. Then on the horizon we saw a mass of shapes, thousands, hundreds of thousands of them. The Major handed the soldier off to another of his comrades and pulled out his spyglass and looked at it for a minute and I saw his expression turn dark, intense. Determined I suppose. He looked at me from the corner of his eye and hoofed over the glass for me to look, then he barked for his staff to gather. Meanwhile, I looked into the glass, and I saw ponies. Lots of ponies, all of them civilians. Old, young, mares, stallions, foals, all of them appeared to be starving, or wounded, or both. In the minute or so I looked I saw no less than five die on their feet on the spot, only to be walked over by the ones behind. In short, I was seeing a mass of ponykind, a swarm of refugees who for all I could tell may have been marching non-stop since Applegeddon.

After an hour, maybe two, the Major called for all refugees to get what treatment we could give before being shipped out to the nearest outpost, and all day and all night we did just that, even though a goodly number of them died within a few steps of the camp. At about eight the next morning, a wild thunderstorm was brewing beyond the Ruins, and a little bit after that we all heard the call we've been dreading all year.

"Claws and Paws dead ahead!"

We all turned around, and sure enough the Griff-Mongrel Army was dead ahead and closing, and what I estimate as a quarter million refugees still on the between them and the river, and us. Already I could see our troops backing up for a fighting retreat, with no pony questioning that we leave the refugees to their fate and we save our own skin. Everypony, that is, except the Major.

"To arms! To me warriors! Form a defense around the bridgehead! Make a corridor for the refugees, clear a path and get these ponies out! Hold your ground to the last platoon! Now! Now Now!"

It was madness. It seems like madness even now. Before us was over two-hundred thousand civilians before us, and beyond them was the army that had wiped out every resistance it had faced. And behind us was a clear path of retreat and a good chance to survive. And we were to ignore that and stand and die?

And it would have been madness, had it been anypony else but the Major. The Major who believed in us when nopony else did, who treated us no different from our brothers and sisters in arms, be they pegasus, unicorn or earth pony. And furthermore, we all knew how he was the Last Son of the legendary Commander Hurricane, and we were on the doorstep of the ruins of his ancestral home. Frankly, I guess we all wanted to inflict a little righteous vengeance on the monster that killed the city before us, and to stop the murder of our fellow ponies, we just didn't realize it until then. Even the survivors of the Ninth Army, who had no reason to follow the Major's orders, soon enough picked up their arms and joined our ranks.

Within minutes, Lieutenant-Major Star Burst's orders were carried out to the letter, and a corridor through which the refugees could flood through was formed, allowing the refugees the chance to cross the Equus without molestation from Talonhoof's forces. But that doesn't mean that it was made any easier for the troops, especially considering the stragglers holding up the flow. Soon enough, soldiers from the Twelfth Army and surviving elements of the Ninth went to work with relaying the elderly, sick or wounded to speed up the process.

Except for Star Burst, our MP friend mentions in his account of a chance look in the right direction at the right time allowed him to see Star Burst, who was well into his eighties by now, carrying an old mare and a foal on his back and running at full tilt through the corridor, and out pacing less encumbered soldiers not even a quarter of his age.

Within hours Talonhoof's army, and Talonhoof himself, converged on the Twelfth Army, even with refugees, an estimated seven thousand or more, still on the west side of the river. But despite being outnumbered, quite literally, thousands-to-one, the Twelfth Army and the surviving elements of the Ninth held firm, orders of "hold the corridor!" being heard over the din of battle, which soon enough became a chant or a battle cry while hundreds of refugees flooded between the lines. However, while the sides of the mob closest to the bridge were safe enough, the ponies at the rear were at risk of being slaughtered, so Star Burst ordered six battalions, one which he himself at the lead, rushed along the outside of the refugee herd and ran interference and distracted Talonhoof's army from the refugees. And it was here that Talonhoof and Star Burst one-on-one, for the first time showing himself in battle and there being a large enough number of survivors for us to have a reasonable idea of the fight.

Both combatants were beyond their prime, with Star Burst in his middle eighties and Talonhoof himself was fifty. However, Star Burst had been blessed with the same vigor that both his parents had, with the physical capabilities of a stallion half his age, and Talonhoof had spent his whole adult life at war. Star Burst's only advantages were that he had a unicorn's magic, and that he was fighting to protect his soldiers and the refugees. And by all accounts the Assault could well have ended that very day on the shore of the Equus River. On two occasions Star burst had flipped Talonhoof onto his back, winding him, and could have killed him, first with his sword and the second time with the edge of a Centurion's misplaced shield, which would have decapitated him.

Unfortunately, the first instance, Talonhoof was able to block the blow with his mystic pike Estelnehtar, and the second instance, where it is suspected that he was well and truly unconscious, however breifly, a burrowing Diamond Dog jumped Star Burst, distracting him long enough for Talonhoof's minions to pull him out of the battle. While the Griff-Mongrel Army could not be turned back, they were still able to by time for the refugees to cross the river before the Twelfth Army crossed themselves, and destroyed the bridge behind them, after which they began to march to Canterlot.

Considering the impossible successes Talonhoof's army had in all previous engagements, it almost seems incredible that An army of only twenty-plus thousand troops could survive a straight out fight when a force five times that was destroyed almost to a pony. However, the Discord is in the details.

First of all, the Griffins and Diamond Dogs on Talonhoof's forces had fought a major battle just a week or so earlier, and furthermore had been marching for six months solid with very little rest, and encouraged to outstretch their supply chain. In short, the troops were tired and hungry, meanwhile the Twelfth Army was fresh, and thus could but forth more resistance. An additional benefit of this factor was that Talonhoof's army, desperate for rest and food, could not be pushed further than the Equus River, at least not until the supply chain caught back up and the troops were able to rest. Ultimately this recuperation would last a month, allowing Star Burst, Mimic, and all of Equestria to build up their defenses.

Second of all, Star Burst's goal was not to fight and win a battle, but to run delaying action, in essence fighting purely a defensive fight. With little in the way of concern for formations and simply holding the line, the troops could focus more on seeing where the enemy was and not what part of a strategy he or she needed to do.

Thirdly, the armies Blistering Gale brought with her were over ninety-five percent pegasi, and probably purer than that, and thus could only engage in combat in one avenue of attack. Meanwhile, the Twelfth Army was predominantly earth ponies and unicorns in addition to pegasi, and with the addition of the survivors of the Ninth Army those numbers were much more even. That meant that while the Earth Ponies held the line behind their shields with their superior strength, the unicorns and pegasi could engage the enemy with their magic and with swords and pikes, providing a much more uneven mode of attack.

Fourthly, there is something to be said about fighting to defend someone against an assailant. Call it what you will, spirit, adrenaline, protective instinct, it has an effect on a soldier.

The Battle of the Corridor provided a morale boost when the army, and Equestria as a whole, was in desperate need of it. The destruction of Celestine, at long last, woke up the last holdouts to the reality of the assault. This war was not about territory, or resources, or even slavery. The only terms of surrender that Talonhoof would accept, many finally realized, would be the total eradication of all ponydom.

As Star Burst and the Twelfth fell back, the Lieutenant-Major ordered that every bridge but one across the Equus River be destroyed as soon as possible, and for word to reach out across all the land that warriors were needed for a suicidal mission. As he told his staff: "The war is lost. It is now time for the Resistence."

Table of Contents

History of Equestria

Table of Contents

A Word from Their Majesties

Pre-Equestrian History

The Tribal Origins

The Three Tribes

The Celestine Junta

The Kingdom of Unicorns

The Hyracotherium Republic

The Political Realities

The Mongrellian Horde

The Ancient Griffin Empire

Biographies of the Founders

The Pegasi

Commander Hurricane

Private Pansy

The Unicorns

Princess Platinum

Court Mage Clover the Clever

The Earth Ponies

Chancellor Puddinghead

Secretary of the Interior Smart Cookie

Honorable Mention

Star-Swirl the Bearded

The Great Freezing

Celestine Unrest

The Lake Trot Crisis

Boiling Point

The Shouting Congress

The Tri-serendipitous Expeditions

A New Land

The Great Migration

The Decade of Settlement

Square One

The Snow War

The Great Warming

Building a Nation

The Governance Question

The First Congress

Wheeling and Dealing

The Constitution Committee

Unanimity

The Equestrian Republic

Sociology: The Mixture of the Tribes

Government: Dividing the Lands

The First Century

The Talonhoof Assault

Biographies of Significant Individuals

Grand Archmage Mimic, the Great and Powerful

Famous descendants

Talonhoof the Reviled

Premier Raccoon

Speaksclear

Worthy Words

Premier Polyp

The Dark Times

Civil Unrest

The Shadows of Enemies

The Fearsome Hour

Salvation from On High

Reunification

Balkanization

All the Little Equestrias

Threat of War

The Sisters Declare Diarchism

The Constitutional Congress

Modern Equestria

Nightmare Moon

The Solitary Millennium

The Lunar Restoration

Tribal Origins

Tribal Origins

Given the long history of Equestria, it is difficult to place a finite start date of when Ponies first civilized themselves. From Archeological evidence, the first nomads that would become what we would recognize as ethnic Equestrians first settled in what is now the Manehattan River Valley (Manehattan literally translates from Ancient Equestrian to ‘Protective-Mother’) some 4000 years Before the Warming (BW). Before the bustling Metropolis that dominates the landscape, the entire area was a relatively flat coastal plain with a stable floodplain that produced fertile farmland, while the mountains further up the river produced cartloads of gems and metals ranging in worth from semi-precious to enchanted, and the stable climate made the local sky ideal for pegasi cultivation. Even more importantly, with the mountains on either side and behind, and the sea to the south, predators and foreign invaders would be very hard-pressed to make it into the valley. Therefore, it was ideal for all three types of pony to settle. However, their new home produced other pressures that would shape their society for years to come.

From the evidence found in ancient burial sites found both in the area and on the most probable route the nomads took from where ever it was they came from, it is apparent that Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth Ponies all lived together in harmony. This was most likely due to the fact that survival would be more easily assured together than separated. Earth Ponies, with their natural affinity for agriculture, would be able to find more food during foraging. Pegasi, with their ability to fly and manipulate weather, would be able to detect enemies before said enemies could find the rest of the herd. Unicorns, with their magic, could find valuable resources for trade, and would also be able to cast protective wards and shields to delay any particularly persistent enemies so that more ponies could escape. And finally, with all of these factors together (along with Earth Ponies’ enhanced strength and endurance), meant that the three could fight off a force significantly larger, better equipped and better trained than they could alone.

Ironically, and tragically, upon settling the river valley and having the survival pressures of being together removed, these same differences caused a schism. Unicorns moved back into the mountains, and the Pegasi retreated to the sky. Over the course of generations, this self-imposed isolation resulted in the birth of the Three Pony Tribes, each one with its own unique set of social conventions and cultural identities. Which shall be the focus of our next chapter.