(Prologue 1/2) Equus: The Great Purity
Equus: The Great Purity
The ancient goddesses; Starlight, and Aether, stood atop a scrap of land, overlooking the corrupt, and burning landscape of Equus. The land was bathed in a fiendish red glow. There were no trees, there was no water, nor clouds. The sky, a dark Crimson, like freshly spilled blood. Its very presence, a dark oppressing intimidation to the dead land. Any clouds visible were a pitch black, with the occasional smidgen of dark grey. There was no mortal life, no. 'Twas only the goddesses, and the world. Starlight looked to her sister, Aether, who looked back, discomfort etched upon her face.
"Our world requires purity, sister." Starlight spoke, her voice echoing with ancient wisdom. Aether nodded slowly.
"I find myself in accord with thy, sister." Aether replied, the discomfort in her face ever apparent. "Whilst we may have grown to be, in this world... 'Twill change for the better cause."
"Let us begin, then." Starlight suggested. She took a few steps back from her sister, a silent signal to begin.
Aether nodded, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were a glaring white. Aether began to rise into the air, becoming engulfed in a transparent sphere of white elemental energy. Eventually, Aether was no longer visible, the energy becoming more, and more dense 'till it 'twas as dense as the ground below Starlight's hooves. Aether could begin to feel her body working frantically as it tried to cope with all of the elemental energy she was conjuring up. She knew that if she attempted to hold on much longer, the energy might explode in a whirl of fire, causing even more damage to the scarred, and burning land. Aether been to quickly shape the elemental energy, envisioning slopes of green, seas of blue, and cliffs of grey. With a groan, she discharged her body, causing a monumental pulse of pure energy. She let her visions run wild into Equus. She watched as the rocky, barren land began to shape itself, as the energy found its way into every crack, and crevice of the charred land. She watched as the brown, infertile land became green, and watched the fires die down. Then turned around to watch as her wave of energy washed over the land, creating a sea of blue liquid. Aether then looked up to the heavens, which had lost its godly rage, calmly turning to an appealing blue, as if it 'twas attempting to mock its ground-like counterpart. She smiled to herself. The world she and her sister had grown up in, was gone. This lush, and beautiful world was good enough for them both. Suddenly, she felt a force on her face, it played with her mane, pushing it back into her eyes, and tickling her shoulders. She suppressed a giggle. This new world seemed good enough for life. She felt something touch her shoulder, she turned around to see Starlight's hoof on her shoulder. Starlight looked around in awe, happy to be rid of the Old World.
"Thine creations art most impressive, dearest sister." Starlight spoke softly. "But this world, 'tis unstable."
Aether nodded, and stepped away from her sister. A silent gesture that gave Starlight her permission to give to the world what she could. Starlight closed her eyes, and surrounded herself in a sphere, much like her sisters, but crimson, instead of white. Starlight could feel her body generating magic, preparing to flood the world, and stabilize her sister's creations. With a sigh, she released her magic, watching it flood over the world, filling the green fields, and the blue sea, filling everything it touched, until the world ceased to take more. Starlight allowed herself a small smile. This world, it differed to the world that had once existed on an incomprehensible scale. But that world was gone, now. 'Twas a new era of peace, and tranquility.
"Thine powers art breath taking, sister." Aether said, walking over to Starlight. They exchanged a warm hug, silently celebrating the first milestone in the dawn of a new world. "'Tis mine belief that we shall find solace, in the dawning of this new world. Whilst we may be the creators of this New World, we are the foreigners."
(Prologue 2/2) Dethronement
Equus: Silent Plains, Year Zero.
Starlight, and Aether sat upon their thrones in the Silent Plains. Aether's had a silver outline, to match her coat, with a white padding, while Starlight's throne possessed a scarlet outline to match her coat, yet with gold padding. It had been thousands of years since they had remade Equus from the scarred land that it had been previously, yet it had been a mere ten millennia since Starlight had given creatures like field mice, sparrows, and ponies to Equus, and only five millennia since she had given life to more intelligent creatures, commonly referred to as ponies. Starlight was proud to observe that they had advanced in their crafts. How they had gone from wandering in foreign lands, to establishing borders, and inventing the common tongue, was a miracle. The twin goddesses had kept a watchful eye over their world, keeping balance in order. All had gone well, until the goddesses received a plea to step down.
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“We beg thy pardon.” Starlight began. “Thy asked of us to step down?” She fixed her quarry with a stare, that, whilst steady was not unkind. The yellow colored stallion in front of the goddesses bowed once more as he continued to speak.
“Please take naught offense, my goddesses.” He began. “We do not wish to kick thee out. We wish to take on the ruling for ourselves. We want to show thee that whilst we art grateful for all thee has done for our health, how caring, and just thou hast been, we want to show thy that we can fend for ourselves. Please take no offense in this, my goddesses.”
Starlight closed her eyes, silently contemplating the stallion’s request. She wanted all of her ponies to experience joy, and to be pleased, yet the idea of letting them go on their own could cause the scales to fall out of balance.
“Doth others back thee in this request?” Aether’s voice cut into Starlight’s thoughts.
"I have spoken to others, my goddesses. We seek naught to anger thee. Only to state our opinions."
The goddesses looked towards one another. Turning her head back to her subject, Starlight spoke.
"We thank thee for bringing this to light." Starlight began. Her voice resounding within the chambers. "Thy shall receive our decision on the morrow."
The stallion bowed once more. "I thank thee for listening, my goddesses. I shall arrive here on the morrow."
The goddesses nodded, calmly watching as the stallion exited the castle.
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The goddesses sat in their thrones once more, twilight looming over the castle. Bathing the land in its crimson glow, whilst saturating the sky with a lovely sheet of violet, fading into orange. The occasional cloud a splash of pink, continuing its steady, tiring race towards its final destination. Their ponies all retired to their shelters preparing their supper. Aether sighed heavily, making her way towards the nearest window. She placed a hoof on the cold, grey wall, her head turning towards the view of the death of day.
"Sister," she began, "how shall we approach this?"
'Twas Starlight's turn to sigh, yet she made no attempt to get up from her throne. Instead, she merely turned her head towards her sister.
"'Tis thy decision, sister. I hast never possessed the wisdom thy hast shown in guiding these ponies."
"Very well, then." Aether stated calmly. "May I present my thoughts before thou?"
Starlight got up off of her throne, giving Aether all her attention. "Thy may," she calmly stated. Nodding, Aether let her hoof slide down the wall, savoring what might be the
last time she ever touch the walls of her shelter.
"'Tis my belief that we let the ponies look after their own," she stated. Her eyes bore into her sisters, but naught fierce. "I've always observed in dread, fearing this day. I had a sense the young would make this attempt. They are young, they defy authority, they perform the opposite. This trait has grown within them, each generation. One's offspring carrying more a nature than the parents."
Starlight had said not a word since her sister had begun her explanation. Instead, she simply looked in silence, absorbing every word her sister spoke, yet once her sister had spoke her last, Starlight nodded solemnly.
"I see thy's point of reasoning, my sister. Thus, thy moves to grant the wish of the ponies?"
Aether said nothing, merely bowing her head for the faintest of moments, failing to disguise the sorrow upon her features. "'Tis a hard decision, but 'tis for the best. I do not make this play for us. I do it for the ponies. Thou, of all must know why I make this choice."
"'Tis a true statement, my sister. I doth see where thy art choosing to stand, and I see why thy stands there, however, I must bring one complication to light. I doth not see how the ponies would be able to overcome such a change. Once we leave this world, there shalt be a new guide, with new standards. If I may create two last entities that share our goal to guide."
"Sister," Aether began, fixing her sister with a kind look,"thou knowst thy doth not hast to ask."
The goddesses smiled to each other for a moment longer, before turning in for the evening nap.
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'Twas high noon when the goddesses met once more with the familiar stallion. Before the stallion managed to get a word out, Aether began to speak.
"We've thought about thy request, and we hast come to a conclusion. As thy may know, we art not the only ones that reside here." Aether began. She waved her hoof around the stronghold before she resumed her words. "Thus, we art certain that others that reside within this shelter can teach the arts of guidance and wisdom to Starlight's final creations."
Before the stallion could give rise to the question of what exactly Aether was implying, Starlight conjured two spheres of energy. One, a bright white sphere, like a miniature star, the other a calm midnight blue.
"Celestia." Starlight stated calmly. She let the sphere fall from her hoof whilst letting the midnight sphere fall moments after, murmuring 'Luna' just before the sphere hit the ground. Once the spheres hit the ground, they exploded in pure energy, nearly blinding those present in the room. Once those of mortality opened their eyes, the goddesses were gone. Instead there were two foals, each with the wings of a Pegasus, and the Horn of a unicorn.
'Raise these two in the arts of guidance and wisdom.' Starlight's echoing voice sounded within the room. 'Then thy may truly be rid of us.’
Author's Note
I apologize if this chapter was rushed. I really wanted to get this story out, as I've been sitting on this idea for what feels like forever. I also need help with the old dialect I was trying to copy. I apologize if the poor dialect ruined the story. Also, expect chapters to be longer.