Equestria. A land that, thousands of years ago, was home of the alicorns, ponies with wings, horns, a deep connection to the earth through their hooves, flowing manes, and more magic than any other being on the planet. They existed in harmony with nature and the many other races of the world, living for millennia in peace and prosperity. Their source of good fortune? The elements of harmony. With these six powerful jewels and the tree of harmony in the center of their land, they were able to keep peace and happiness all across the world. But unfortunately, things eventually took a turn for the worst.

Though the elements were strong, they would occasionally need to be returned to the tree of harmony to regain their strength. After the defeat of the Spirit of Chaos, Discord, the elements were returned as normal. It was a few months later when everything went wrong. A dark black cloud filled with particles of red dust suddenly and swiftly invaded Equestria. It did not kill, but instead ruthlessly stripped the magic of anyone or anything it touched. Alicorns, unprepared for this assault, found themselves stripped of all magic and dragged deep into the depths of the cloud. Alone and trapped in small bubbles of air only a few feet big, they could do nothing but weep.

With each alicorn captured, the cloud grew in size and speed, soon spreading out and covering nearly half the world, all within the first twenty-four hours of its appearance. Other species were similarly attacked, but unlike the ponies, were not kept alive. Was it because they served no purpose to the cloud? Was the cloud simply toying with the guardians of the land? No one knew. As the cloud expanded, the rest of the alicorns fled, abandoning the tree of harmony and the elements, for they knew they could not remove them. They could only remove the elements once they had regained their strength, but not enough time had passed. Instead, they prayed as they ran, their numbers less than a hundred strong.

They prayed for a miracle.

With the defenders gone, the cloud moved in and attacked the tree of harmony, attempting to drain its magic. But just as it thought it had drained the last of the tree’s magic, as the crystal grew grey and cold, the elements fought back. They ignited the magic that had been stolen, obliterating the abomination from the inside. The resulting explosion left a giant crater where the tree of harmony had once stood. The plan worked, but at such a high cost.

The fleeing alicorns, upon hearing the explosion and upon seeing their pursuer vaporize, realized the threat had been vanquished. Upon returning to Equestria, the alicorns found the land damaged and torn to pieces. Green hills were brown. Trees were withered. Clear streams were brown and purple from excess magic. But what surprised them the most were the ponies they found. Every pony captured by the smoke was found and accounted for, but each only retained one-third of their magic. The alicorns with only their horns were renamed unicorns. The alicorns with only their wings were renamed pegasi. The alicorns with only their connection to the land were renamed earth ponies. The new species of pony were terrified, each having lost something that made them who they were.

The remainder of the alicorns devised a solution. Their magic could help to repair the land and remove the taint, but there was no telling how long it would take, so each one divided the new pony races into groups and took them to a small plot of land. Here, they built their homes and began the arduous task of fixing Equestria. The alicorns would provide protection, and the other races would work for them to insure they had the resources and strength to repair the land. Thus, The Alicorn Pact, as it would later be called, was formed.

In it, each of the new races was brought to serve the alicorns while they cleansed the land, and in exchange they were given protection, food, and an area to build a single city, one for each race. The pegasi built Cloudsdale high is the sky to serve as a weather factor, the Unicorns built Canterlot on one of the few remaining mountains to serve as a center of magical research and a meeting place for the alicorns, and the Earth ponies built the city of Manehattan as a center of trade and manufacturing, as well as a place for what remained of the other species to meet. Alicorns also lived in these cities, but they worked to make sure that each city fulfilled its role rather than direct rulers. At least at first.

But what of the elements of harmony?

The ten-mile blast site had become filled with what is now called “The Miasma.” Any pony who enters it finds that their magic is slowly eaten away, leaving horns, wings, and even hooves riddled with small holes, like termites devouring a log. However, thanks to the unicorn Star Swirl the Bearded, a spell was devised that would allow ponies to survive and explore The Miasma. Why risk the exploration at all? Shortly after the return of the alicorns, the Element of Kindness was found. It was damaged, with cracks running all across its surface, but it still glowed softly, showing that it was not yet gone from this world.

Fearing the return of the cloud, the alicorns locked the element in an anti-magic glass case, one that would prevent any external magic from contacting the element, as well as masking its presence from those who may seek it out. As time passed, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter were all located and locked away. The elements were also kept separate, to insure that if one were to fall to the cloud, that the others would still be protected. The Element of Magic, however, has never been found, even after nearly three thousand years. Some say it is still in the Miasma, which is why even today alicorns or their ponies explore it despite the risk.

But despite its good intentions, The Alicorn Pact had one fatal flaw. It gave alicorns all the control. As the centuries have passed, alicorns have become more ruthless and demanding, instilling sometimes crippling punishments for disobedience or rebellion. A few still upheld the original idea of the treaty, treating their ponies with love and compassion, but others…

‘Why am I remembering Equestria’s history now of all times?’ Night Light thought before wincing as the whip struck again. Night Light was a blue unicorn with a dark blue mane and two crescent moons as a cutie mark. Despite being chained to the stage with four hoof cuffs and a neck restraint, he was able to look around slightly as the whip continued to strike. He was in Canterlot, the city of gold and white marble rising all around him, and all around ‘lesser ponies’ as his lady, or his alicorn master, called them, watched. There were also a few other alicorns as well, some ignoring the spectacle, others smirking at the unicorn being put in his place, and one or two looking on in horror and disgust at the abusive treatment being issued. There was even a mother alicorn covering the eyes of a young filly, also an alicorn.

Despite the species difference, alicorns could still breed with the other three races, occasionally producing an alicorn offspring. When the cloud attacked, only female alicorns had escaped, most saved by their husbands, who stayed behind to buy them time. As such, all alicorns were currently female and had to rely on the other species if they wanted kids of their own. It had, over the years, allowed the alicorn race to bounce back a bit. Those who were born to an alicorn but not alicorns themselves usually became overseers of the other ponies, and their attitudes usually matched that of their parents.

The reason there were so many alicorns in Canterlot today was because one of their own had died less than a week ago. Although immortal, alicorns could still die of wounds or magical exertion. The latter had happened in this case, but for the life of him Night Light couldn’t remember who had died. Because of this death, alicorns from all across the land had gathered for her funeral. Night Light had been brought along as a servant of his ‘house,’ the term used to refer to a family of alicorns, their ponies, and the land they built their homes on. He was to assist his lady while she was attending the funeral in whatever she may need. However, shortly after their arrival, he had been chained and brought to the central square for punishment.

What crime had he committed that demanded such a brutal punishment? Giving away blank paper to his wife. He was a Keeper, a guardian of knowledge, responsible for preserving and sometimes copying knowledge found in books that had survived the cloud’s attack. It’s how he knew so much about Alicorn history, while most ponies probably never even realized that they were descendants of alicorns in the first place. His wife, who always dreamed of running a library, had been trying to write a book about the basics of unicorn magic so that other unicorn children could learn how to cast even the most basic of spells. But Lady Thorn, an alicorn with a red coat, black mane, red eyes, and a red rose as a cutie mark, had seen it in a different light. Rather than see his wife’s book as a way to teach children, she saw it as a way for the ‘lesser ponies’ to gain power, rise up, and overthrow the alicorns. Ludicrous, yet here he was.

“PLEASE! STOP!”

A filly’s voice rang out. Night Light took the break in the whipping to see who had called, and his heart skipped a beat. He had told his wife Twilight Velvet, a unicorn with a white coat, white and purple striped mane, and three purple stars for a cutie mark, to take their two children away before it began. But now she, his son Shining Armor, who was still a young stallion about fifteen years old, and their seven-year-old filly Twilight Sparkle were being forced to watch by two muscle bound earth ponies. His daughter was trying to break away from her mother and brother, crying in horror at the sight before.

“This is the price of disobedience, you brat!” Thorn spat as she whipped Night Light again. Night Light cried out for the first time, this last strike much more forceful than the last.

“NO!” Twilight screamed, fighting against her mother’s grip as her horn sparked slightly before returning to normal.

“This is the cost of rebellion! The cost of forgetting your place! THE COST OF THINKING YOU ARE ANYTHING MORE THAN DIRT BENEATH MY HOOVES!” she yelled, whipping as she finished each sentence. Nightlight felt his head starting to spin from the pain as each whip stroke grew more and more powerful. Thorn continued to shout and whip him even more forcefully. “AND!” Snap “YOU!” Snap “WILL!” Snap “LEARN!”

“NO!”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes suddenly went pure white, her horn flaring to life and throwing out a wall of force that repelled her mother, brother, and the guards away from her. Even Nightlight, in his half-conscious state, could feel the raw magic coming off his daughter. Slowly she began to rise off the ground, her mane starting to flow as a breeze kicked up and quickly became so strong that nearby ponies, or at least those who hadn’t already fled, were struggling to stay in one place. But the wind only slightly blew Nightlight’s mane.

“What do you think you’re doing you lit—” Thorn began before a massive blast of magic sent her flying at breakneck speeds through the nearest building. And the one behind that. And the one behind that. Night Light stopped counting after five.

“AHHHHHH!”

Twilight screamed, the energy in the air spiking again as more and more magic continued to pour out of her horn. She was now almost entirely surrounded by a ball of light purple light. Streaks of lightning began to fire in all directions as magic was randomly discharged. One of the guards became a chicken, while the other became a potted house plant. The lightning never hit Nightlight, Twilight Velvet, or Shining Armor.

The nearby alicorns, who had up to this point been watching in shock at the sight of such power, now leapt into action, attempting to bring the filly under control. But it was clear they were fighting a losing battle. Every spell, even some designed to cause actual damage (much to Night Light’s horror) were simply absorbed by the glowing ball of magic that was his filly. Anyone who tried to get close was driven back by a flurry of lightning from the sphere as it continued to grow, the energy in the air growing heavier as each second passed.

Then, out of nowhere, two new alicorns appeared. Night Light recognized them. Lady Celestia and Lady Luna.

Luna was a dark blue alicorn with a mane like the night sky and a cutie mark of a crescent moon. Celestia was a white alicorn with a rainbow mane of light pink, blue, green, and purple stripes. Her cutie mark was the daytime sun. Unlike most alicorns, these two sisters had taken over raising the sun and moon, a task that had originally been left to the Keepers before their births. This was because after the attack of the cloud, the remaining alicorns found they could no longer touch the sun or moon with their magic. So instead, each house would donate one keeper a month to assist with raising the sun and moon. Due to the strain, they were swapped out each and every month so that they could regain their strength. When the sisters had taken over centuries ago, it had removed quite a large burden from the Keeper’s shoulders, however, Keepers were still taught the spell just in case.

Moving quickly, Lady Luna’s body dissolved into a starry mist that easily avoided the lightning. Getting closer, she changed back to her solid form and struck the sphere with her horn. A long channel opened up, cutting a path through the out-of-control magic. Lady Celestia was already inside as it finished and, faster than Nightlight could see, crossed her horn with Twilight’s.

Instantly, the magic cut off and all the random changes that had occurred were suddenly reversed. Twilight’s white eyes slowly returned to their normal purple, but Nightlight could just barely see in his current state that there were still trails of tears running down her cheeks.

“She wouldn’t stop. She just wouldn’t stop,” Twilight muttered continuously, staring endlessly into space. As she and Lady Celestia slowly returned to the ground, Celestia gently extended her wings and cradled the sobbing filly.

“Shhhh, it’s ok,” she whispered, her horn lighting as a soft sleeping spell was cast on the small filly. “Everything is ok. Your father is ok. Just rest, you’ve had a very trying day.” With this final command, Twilight’s body slumped as her eyes finally closed and the square was filled with the sounds of her breathing.

Already, Butlers of Celestia and Luna’s house were moving in, surrounding Lady Celestia and assisting Twilight Velvet and Shining Armor back to their hooves. They also had a small colt with them. He was a ‘Butler-in-training,’ with orange fur and a blue mane and was dressed in the traditional attire of a butler: a black suit with a shirt matching his mane color and the cutie marks of his Ladies on the front sleeves of his jacket.

Despite their name, Butlers, whether mare or stallion, were some of the most dangerous ponies in the world at this point in time. They not only worked for the alicorns as their personal servants, but they also were their personal bodyguards. Butlers of all races were taught to use easily concealed weapons and how to use and counter a variety of alchemic chemicals. They were also, on rare occasions, used as assassins by alicorns to take out those they saw as threats, whether they were their own ponies, other alicorn’s ponies, or sometimes even other alicorns, although this last type of attack was usually done to cause fear rather than death. They were fiercely loyal to their Ladies and would almost always follow any order without question. Even now Nightlight could see the young colt had a pair of wing blades, although they were most likely made of wood rather than metal since he was still in training.

As the Butlers removed Night Light’s restraints, he heard the two sisters whispering to one another, followed by a nod from Luna, who turned and flew off towards the castle. Night Light tried to stand, but his body had had enough and he simply groaned and sank down. One of the Butlers, a mare with a red mane and cream colored fur and glasses came forward and pulled a medical kit from one of her suit's enchanted pockets.

As the mare began to work, and as the pain slowly began to ebb away, Night Light found it harder and harder to keep his eyes open, and quickly found himself submitting to sleep. Had he remained awake, he would have seen his family and himself being escorted towards the castle in the center of the city. He would have seen Celestia refusing to surrender his daughter to the angry alicorns nearby. He would have felt the soft touch of an alicorn sized bed as he and his family were allowed to rest under the watchful eye of Lady Celestia and her Butlers.

A short time later, in the grand meeting hall of Canterlot Castle…

There was chaos among the alicorns far worse than any had seen in many years. While argument over the treatment of their ponies was common, this was the first time an alicorn had been seriously injured by a non-ascended pony, let alone a filly.

The meeting hall was a large and elegant room with a small stage and podium in the center and raised rows surrounding it, as well as a larger, singular area for the Queen. The Queen had a black coat with a bright green mane that matched her eyes. Her cutie mark was blurred and distorted, a side effect of those who had survived the attack of the cloud. What could still be seen appeared to take the shape of a scythe wrapped in red flames. The Queen was the strongest of the alicorns, one of three surviving members that had seen the Cloud with their own eyes, and she was also approximately twice the size of Celestia. However, for the moment, the Queen simply watched with an unreadable mask from atop her mound of cushions.

“I’m telling you, we need to break that little brat’s horn!” Lady Thorn yelled angrily at her opponent. Thorn had been bandaged and treated after being shot through twelve buildings by Twilight’s flare. Her horn was cracked, but it was an injury that would heal. Or at least it would if she stopped trying to use it.

“Are thou mad!?” Luna yelled. “Thou would be crippling the most powerful unicorn in recorded history! Not to mention she is but a FILLY!”

“She threw me through TWELVE BUILDINGS! SHE IS A THREAT THAT COULD ONE DAY TRY AND OVERTHROW US!”

“Maybe there wouldn’t be talks of rebellion if you didn’t resort to such barbaric methods,” a white alicorn with a gold and pink mane said from the sidelines. Her cutie mark was three golden hearts. She was Lady Golden Heart, Ruler of the Crystal Empire. Nearby, her daughter Mi Amore Cadenza (or Cadence as she preferred to be called) was glaring at Thorn. Cadence was a pink alicorn with a yellow, pink and purple mane and a crystal heart and two golden branches as a cutie mark. Her mother was loving, kind, and cared deeply for all her ponies, traits that Cadence had also developed, despite still being a young mare.

“Your ponies are soft and weak,” Thorn replied with a scoff. “Mine are strong. If the cloud were ever to return, you would be the first to fall, and even your little invention would shatter under the stress.”

“The crystal heart fought back the frozen north and created a bountiful oasis. You’re still just mad you can’t even purify a river of tainted magic.”

“Why you…”

“ENOUGH!” the Queen’s voice boomed as she let loose a small burst of magic that shook the room, causing the room to drop into silence and all arguments dropped immediately.

“Your majesty, the filly…”

“Has gained a pink, six sided star as part of her cutie mark,” the Queen replied, causing the entire chamber to gasp. It was well known what the element of magic looked like, and if what the Queen had said was true, this meant that Twilight was not only VERY powerful, which had already been proven, but also that she may actually have a chance to find the element of magic. The last pony with such a mark had been very strong magically and had improved Starswirl’s protection spell.

This fact only reinforced Luna’s resolve. Twilight must be trained, and no unicorn could train her correctly, just as Celestia said.

“My Queen,” Luna called out, “I would like to request that the filly and her family be brought under the care of House Shining Star immediately.”

Before Thorn could protest Luna trying to take her ponies, the Queen responded, “Approved.”

“You can not be serious! You can not possibly expect me to accepts this—” Thorn protested, only to be immediately silenced.

“YOU DARE QUESTION ME?!” The Queen thundered, her magic flaring and causing the room to immediately darken. Many of the alicorns winced in terror while Thorn nearly collapsed from fright. Even Luna took a step back in fear. There was a reason she was queen. No alicorn could match her strength. “I do not care for your ramblings or conspiracy theories, Thorn,” the Queen rumbled as her magic died down. “This filly has far too much potential to be crippled like so many other ponies under your or your sister’s care. If she can help us find the Element of Magic, then she MUST be trained. Any threat she poses is insignificant. So long as she doesn’t interfere with our efforts to locate the Element, she could overthrow you for all I care.” Thorn gasped at this while Luna just smirked internally.

“Luna,” the Queen said in a much more even tone. “You and your sister were successful with in training other powerful unicorns in the past.” As she spoke, hey eyes drifted over to the guard captain of Canterlot. She was a mare with orange fur, and red and yellow striped mane, and a red and yellow sun for a cutie mark. She was only a few years older than Cadence, but she had already proven herself to be the strongest and most competent of the guard captains in the history of Canterlot.

Said mare was Sunset Shimmer. Like Twilight, she had a strong magic flare as a filly, though not quite as strong, so Celestia and Luna had personally taken on the task of training her. She lacked the temperament for a Butler or Keeper, and was uninterested in becoming a Seeker (those who braved The Miasma and other dangerous locations in search of pre-cloud artifacts and knowledge). So, in the end, she had become a guard, and had quickly taken to the role like a fish to water.

“Can you train this new filly?” the Queen asked. “I understand your mother’s death is still fresh, so if you can not…”

“We can,” Luna responded confidently, looking the Queen in the eye and never backing down. “We will ensure that whatever her talent may be, it will be put to use in assisting us in the search for the element.”

The Queen nodded. “Very well. You and your sister will take her and her family under your care. Assess the filly’s potential and keep me posted with monthly updates, just as before. Dismissed.” She stood and trotted out of the room, a slight limp in her step. With a nod, Luna turned and walked towards the nearest exit, her tail smacking a stupefied Thorn in the nose as she left. Once out of the room, Luna turned to the right and began to walk back towards the suites reserved for her and her sister. Normally she would take time to talk with Lady Golden Heart, but right now she needed to speak with Celestia.

When she arrived, her two Butlers outside their rooms nodded before opening the door. Her room was still empty, but was connected to her sister’s room via a door. Luna knocked quietly. After a few seconds, the door opened and another Butler bowed slightly before standing aside. In the room, Celestia was lying on the edge of her bed while the rest of the unicorns were lying on a pile of pillows in the center of the bed. Night Light was heavily bandaged and was lying completely on the pillows with a gold blanket draped over his lower half. Next to him, his son Shining Armor was also asleep, and Luna could tell from his tremors that he was still reliving the day’s events in his dreams. On the other side, Twilight Velvet was the only one still awake and was cradling her sleeping daughter.

Celestia looked up as her sister entered the room. A slight nod was all she needed to know. Returning the nod, Celestia stood up and stretched, prompting a look from Twilight Velvet.

“My lady?” she asked nervously, her expression one of concern. “What… What’s going to happen to my daughter?”

Luna looked over at the mother and smiled lightly. “Thou have nothing to fear, Miss Velvet. Your daughter has an incredible talent in magic and as such, the Queen has decreed that she is to be trained by myself and my sister. As of today, your family is now under the protection of House Shining Star. Lady Thorn will not be able to hurt thou anymore.”

Twilight Velvet’s eyes widened at the declaration. “R-really?” she whispered. Luna nodded. “C-can I write my book? I-I was writing it to help my daughter learn magic. L-Lady Thorn wouldn’t allow it, but…”

“I would be grateful for a book to help train our young unicorns,” Celestia said with a smile. “For now, however, I think you should rest. You have all had a long day. Our Butlers will be here to protect you. If you need anything, just let them know. Flash?”

“Yes, my lady?” The young colt responded.

“You should get some rest as well. I want you to wait on the family tomorrow. Get them anything they need."

The colt nodded and bowed slightly. “Yes, my lady.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Velvet replied before yawning. Celestia smiled before casting another light sleep spell. Luna cast a dream spell as well to eliminate any nightmares the family might face that night. Soon, Velvet had also fallen asleep and all four members were sleeping peacefully. Flash, meanwhile, had moved to one of the smaller side rooms to rest. With a nod to the rest of the Butlers in the room, Celestia and Luna moved back to Luna’s room. With a flash of Celestia’s horn, a sound-proofing spell surrounded their room.

“News?”

“The Queen agrees with your assessment. Twilight Sparkle may be connected to the Element of Magic. She believes that training her may allow her to one day help us find the element of magic.”

“It is still too early to tell what she can do. Thank you for convincing the Queen to allow us to train her.”

“Our work with Sunset Shimmer paid off. Tell me, sister, do you really believe Mother’s final prophecy to be true?”

“She was never wrong,” Celestia said, pulling out a small slip of paper and reading it one last time before setting it on fire. Their mother, Lady Faust, better known as “The Prophesizer,” had recently passed on. Lady Faust had the uncanny ability to see the future, and had never, ever, been wrong. She had helped save thousands by predicting an earthquake and countless other by predicting a rogue dragon attack. She was one of the most revered alicorns in existence, despite having one of the smallest houses. Unfortunately, she had no control over her talent and the magic responsible for it was highly toxic. It slowly ate away at her health until she passed away.

As the fire slowly consumed the paper, one could just make out the words before they disappeared.

When the Element of Magic is found, the child of magic shall ascend. This child shall liberate the ponies of Equestria, and bring an end to the tyranny of the alicorns. When the Elements are liberated, Freedom Shall Ring.

Author's Note

Well THAT escalated quickly. Also, don't worry if this chapter turn you off of this story, many of my chapters won't be nearly this dark. It was merely away to introduce the world and give an example of how bad it is as well as set up our main story. Also, sorry if there was a bit to much exposition, but I thought it better to just get it out of the way now.

I'll be honest, I have no idea how my mind came up with the idea to write such a dark story. It just started as a simple idea of "what if there were more alicorns?" then this happened.

Good news, I already have six chapters written. Bad news? I will only be posting about three of them now and posting the rest later. Why? I have a slow update schedule so I don't want people to think this story is dead. I will never just abandon a story, so don't worry if it takes me a while to update. I will continue over time at my own pace.

Other than that, enjoy the rest of the chapters and a special thank you to my Girlfriend (an english major and incredible talented writer) for editing my story and finding the major flaws in it :)

See ya all next time!

(Also, please don't yell at me for Luna and/or Applejacks dialogue. Neither me nor my girlfriend know how to write accents very well, so i'm sorry if it sounds bad or I don't do it right. Any advice in that area is welcomed)

EDIT: Added what Thorn looks like. I can't believe I forgot that! Thank you to AandWguy for pointing that out.