Stories from a Shattered Equestria

by Crimson97

Rating: everyone
Tags: Discord, Zebra, Alternate Universe, Anthology, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Adventure, Science Fiction
Length: 11273

A series of short stories telling of various events before, during, and after a magic war between Equestria and the Zebra.

WARNING SPOILERS
The world has ended, the civilized world at least. Follow a variety of characters as the explore and experience the new world.
This is the intro to lore for a PnP game I've been developing with some friends. If you're interested here's a link to our Patreon and Discord server:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=8548105
https://discord.gg/FjKmdF6

Published 2018-02-01 19:30:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-07-30 18:37:15 UTC

Creation

You awake in a room. It feels small, the air stale, your body is weak. Getting up is made impossible by the small shackles on your legs. They are meant to hold not to cause discomfort thankfully. You try to remember what happened, where you are, who you are; but you can’t. Your memories are blank.

“You’re awake, good”

A voice, you can’t see in the gloom but you hear her. Her voice is sweet but with a weight to it, It demands you listen. She sounds tired as she speaks, the weight she carries soon to become apparent.

“Your questions will be answered in time, but for now you will listen and you will learn.”

You see a light, a single pinprick of brilliant shifting color; the room seems to grow darker around it.

“In the beginning there was nothing, absolute incomprehensible nothing. Before time, light, or matter there was an infinite yet non-existent void. This nothing existed for but an instant, but existed for longer than our world ever will. It was in this dichotomy of infinite and nothing that everything came to be.”

The pinprick explodes, a mass of withering, flowing shapes fill your vision. Every color shifting like innumerable nebula in space.

“First there came a single absolute from which all things would come; magic. Pure and uncontained it would soon sort itself into the elements, then the realms, then in time planetes and life. The first elements that were formed were earth, air, fire, and water. Each formed from the splitting of pure magic and each forever in conflict.”

The magic splits, rock, fire, and water flying into the void. As you watch a planet forms, an earthen core covered in fire and water with air floating above it. It is now you realize something is missing, sound. All you can hear is the voice, even as planets collide and shatter, as suns form and explode the room is bathed in silence.

“With earth came stone and rock, a solid surface from which other things could collide, merge, or rest upon. Next came ice, gas, acid, and electricity.”

You watch as Ice forms, creating arctic scapes, gases rise from the oceans and lava flows. Acids bubble in deep pools, eating away at the land. The air sparks as lightning fills the forming clouds, great bolts rain down shattering the fragile ground below.

“Next came sound”

“With this our realm became stable and in time the first forms of life came to be.”

Great crude beasts of misshapen stone crawl out of the ocean floor, dragging themselves along the bottom. Mountains shatter as titans of shifting magma seek freedom. One after the other creatures from and fade. Each made of and sustained by one of the new elements. You watch as dozens of iterations pass until finally one, then a handful, of creatures are able to survive.

“The first forms of life, the primordials, were crude, unstable, and sustained entirely by the residual power of their element. Once that power was consumed they would collapse and release the power again. In time stable forms of life arose from the fragments of the primordials. These were the ancient races.”

The first of the ancient races resemble in many ways the primordials before them. “These first ancients were beings of crystal, each unique in their shape and sustained on magic as the primordials before them but instead of consuming it they shed gems, condensed magic, creating a cycle that would sustain them for millennia. Now only one remains, a crude biped named Kreed. Resembling more a walking mountain than a creature he’s disappeared into the frozen north a century before the crystal empire was formed.”

You watch as the planet is split, revealing great caverns deep below the surface. “Here you see what would become the underdark, a maze of stone and shadow. Strange magics fill these caverns warping any spell cast within.”

“It is here a unique ancient formed, known as The Whisperer in The Dark, or simply The Whisperer it in omnipresent and nearly omnipotent. But only within its caves. It feeds on those that die below, retaining their memories and souls while condemning their bodies to walk forever as undead monstrosities continually warped by its presence.” Fitting back together she shows the surface again. Turning it so the oceans are visible.

What looks like a small island is centered in your view until it moves that is. What looked like an island actually resembles a jellyfish. The image is pulled from the water for a better view. Instead of tentacles long necks ending in various colored dragon heads extend into the water. The mouth of each ‘dragon’ has a large bony plate turning their maws into a form of guillotine capable of cutting through any hide. “This is The Leviathan. From it all matter of sea creatures, large and small, prey and predator, would be borne. Even dragons can claim lineage to it. Today, if it still lives, it resides below the eastern ocean.”

The Leviathan disappears, replaced by a great bony-plated worm. Its sandy length circles you. “This is the Burrower, the land counterpart of The Leviathan. It survives in the layers between the surface and the underdark feeding on anything it deems large enough to bother with. Dragons, parked Zeppelins, even small towns have been consumed by it. No modern weapon can pierce its hide and no ship can out run it.”

The image shifts placing several in front of you. A giant minotaur, a gryphon and a great bird. “The minotaur, Valus, is the last of the Colossi. Standing 50 feet high he can also wield the raw elements as weapons, if one were to encounter him he is able to be reasoned with but make sure he doesn’t step on or smite you.”

The gryphon grows, it has a rich brown and sand plumage. Its claws glint in the magic lighting, and the predatory look in its eyes sends a shiver through your body. Arcs of lightning spark and crack along her body casting strange shadows throughout the room. You glimpse wings white as snow before the gloom returns. “Zis, the last Roc and patron of the gryphons. Legend holds that if she were to stand on her hind legs her claws would rend the sky. As with Valus she wields the elements specifically lightning.”

“The last ancient you need to know of is the Thunderdevil. The ancestor of phoenixes, hydra, and other magical beast it and its kind are unkillable by normal means. However as the magics of the world calmed they began to starve. One by one until only one remains. Now dormant in a mountain it poses little threat, but much has happened and mining has come dangerously close to reaching it. Should it awake few will survive its rampage and the magic that now permeates the land will sustain it for an age or more. Be wary of any mines and watch them close.”

The world takes up your view. It turns and ages the ancients clash, magic surges, and landforms are shattered. In time their numbers dwindle until the few that remain retreat to hidden havens and new life arises in their place. The first to appear were attempts by the ancients to interbreed. The various deformities carry with them traits of each parent race. As they develop new define and stable races arise. Dragons, gryphons, minotaurs, and other creatures from myth and legend inhabit the lands.

“During this time pockets of latent magic were scattered throughout the world. Some aided the development of races, some of plant life, while others posed a threat to it. The stability of this world attracted beings from others, using one such pocket Discord the embodiment of chaos entered into our realm” You watch as a rift tears in space, a land of chaos and wild magic visible on the other side. From the rift steps a creature unlike any other. The head of a horse, the horn of a goat and of a buck, the paw of a lion and claw of an eagle, the hoof of a satyr and the leg of a dragon, the wing of a bat and of a pegasus, all ending in a red snake’s tail and attached to a long brown body. He looks over the world and flies off, sealing the rift as he works to create a small pocket of chaos for him to live in. “Thankfully he was more satisfied to watch when he first arrived. His passive appearance wouldn’t last forever. In an age or two he rises up to conquer the known world. We’ll come back to him then.”

The world continues to calm and life to develop. The various races interact little avoiding each other other than occasional territorial disputes. “It is during this time sentience began to arise. New begins came into existence and spread across the land. It is during this final age of creation that the equines, earth, pegasi, unicorns, and zebra came to be. Through them a relative peace was established and civilization could develop.

You watch as the world slowly develops, monsters ravage the surface but heroes rise to protect it. Relative peace does not mean harmony though. The different races continue to clash, rarely working together even as the world tries to destroy them. After once such incident a unicorn is banished from her home and sent to wander. Lost, alone, she stumbles deep into a cave. Long after it's too dark to see she continues to walk, a hum fills the cavern, her stomach aches for food, her throat dries as a bone. For days she follows the humming sustained only by her festering anger at those who expelled her.

Finally she stops. Below her is a cassam, and within is a roiling pool of primordial magic, hidden away from the world and bathed in the emanations of the Whisperer. The once pure magic is thick as tar, gas bubbling out and filling the room with noxious fumes. With a grin she throws herself from the ledge and into the pool.

Sickly green light pours from the pool, the surface churns and flows until a black chitin covered form breaches the surface flying into the air on bug like wings and darting from the cave. “The first changeling, ancestor of chrysalis and a terror on the land for the next century to come”

The changeling travels to a secluded heavily forested region. Within days the plants begin to wither and die. Within weeks she has built a small hive, within months a wasteland has surrounded the hive. Within a year changelings begin infiltrating equestrian society.
“They find little success, and less sustenance. The split races experience little of the emotion needed to feed the chitin covered beings. But then things turned for the worse, because there are creatures that thrive in such conditions. The windigos”

“The squabbling and distrust of the tribes came to a head during a particularly cold winter. The earth tribe was unable to grow anything during the blizzard, while the pegasi and unicorns were powerless against it. As they fought the blizzard grew stronger, their hatred feeding the windigo. After a failed attempt to reach a compromise two ponies of each tribe, the leader and another of the same race set off to find new lands for their tribe. The pairs each meet up later on, arguing over who has claim of the land. They’re hatred for each other draws the windigos again, a new blizzard starting and forcing them into a cave. As the cold spread the leaders became frozen, leaving the other three huddled together. With their decision to forgo hatred in favor of working and living together the windigos are driven away, and equestria is established.

“The peace and prosperity the unification of the tribes brought allowed them to grow and develop a true civilization. But the world was not so kind. Beset on all sides by beasts, disease, dragons, and a shifting environment it seemed they were doomed to fall. In the constant war for survival six heroes arose. The six pillars of hope became the bulwark between equestrian life and the terrors of the world. It was during this time the sisters Celestia and Luna were born and ascended. Trained by Starswirl and groomed to rule they became the symbol of united Equestria.”

“With the rise of the pony of shadows and the final battle of the Pillars their artifacts were scattered across equestria, leaving the young sisters to rule alone in a scared kingdom. Luck was not on their side. With the disappearance of the pillars Discord the embodiment of chaos turned his sights back to the world. Brushing aside the sisters with minimal effort Discord turned the realm into his personal playground. Gravity, distance, day, night, the constants of the world had no meaning here. Nice became evil, pain became kindness, the child-like nature of Discord is all that saved many from a horrifying demise. The sisters had escaped, but without their teacher and with the pillars gone they had little hope of reclaiming their land.”

A great silver tree, hidden in a cave and studded with brilliant jewels comes into view, the tree of harmony. How did you know that? The elements! Six brilliant gems are taken from the tree and held between the sisters. Discord wait on his throne, buildings floating around, ponies move about frantically seeking any solid ground. The sisters approach, elements in hoof. Discord merely laughs and mocks them, up until the magic of the elements washes over him, turning him to stone.

“The elements of harmony, discovered beneath their castle were wielded by the sisters to turn Discord to stone. With Discord defeated the elements were placed in a large stone statue and the six element was hidden away. Even as things were meant to get better they got worst. Seeking to raise an army of shadows Sombra conquered the crystal empire and subjected its citizens.”

The images speed up as you watch the rise and fall of Sombra, the banishment of nightmare moon, the 1000 years of Celestia’s reign, the rise of the elements, the return of the pillars, the invasion of the storm king and his defeat.

“For a while it seemed things would finally calm down and lasting peace would return. With the return of the crystal empire new magic, artifacts, and knowledge flooded into equestria. The kingdom grew in power, a fact that was not lost on its neighbors. Among the new technology were crude early forms of what would become known as guns. These weapons were powered by cartridges crafted more from alchemy than magic meaning any race could make and use them. These initially novel items would become pivotal in the coming war give the ponies unmatched control of the battlefield. “

A large room filled with members of nearly every race comes into view. In the middle is a large table they sit around. While the ponies and their allies are at ease, the Zebra, bi-peds, and Gryphons are not.

“The continued growth of the equestrian empire made everyone nervous. Particularly the Zebra and gryphons who while distant weren’t on good terms with or had even close to the power of the united empire. The return of the pillars of hope brought with it a return of ancient ideas of expansion and taming the lands.”

The discussion seems peaceful, however it's obvious most leave the room dissatisfied with whatever agreement they had reached. A zeppelin, filled with zebra gifts of potions, gem artifacts, books, and medicines is unloaded as a similar ship is filled with pony books, artifacts, gems, and rare ingredients.

“This exchange of gifts was the first of many, soon trade was opened between the countries while the gryphons, dragons, and yaks continued with their isolationist ways. The hope of the Zebra was to sway equestria away from them by becoming valuable; and it worked. The new items quickly became popular with equestrians of every status, gems flooded into zebra lands allowing for more and new artifacts feeding the cycle.”

Soon zebra boom towns were forming on the coast. Members of every tribe seeking fortune and a piece of the new and growing market. Equestria was flooded with artifacts from blades carved of crystal, to pocket sized terminal projectors, to trinkets that enhanced one’s health. Life had never been better, and neither had relations with the outside world.

Author's Note

Moving steadily forwards. Leave any questions in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.

Beginning of the end

“The abundant gems in Equestria along with the ease that earth ponies could obtain them quickly made it easier for Zebra to trade for gems than to gather them themselves. Tribes who practiced trade grew rich and began developing more pony-like settlements and towns. Those who avoided trade with the equestrians still benefited in easy access to gems but did not share in the wealth or the modernization of those who did.” The visual of nomadic tribes settling down and rapidly progressing through several eras of development comes into view. Once its down a group of nomads comes to the one-village seeking to settle for the winter in what once were tribal lands.

“This caused a split within the zebra, those who felt the trade was good and those who believed the zebra were now slaves to the whims of the Equestria market.”

The nomadic tribe turns away, asphalt and dirt roads making even temporary homes impractical. The inflated market offering food at prices never imagined, and the clothing sold for more than what most of them owned. Angered by the changes and fearful of their future they move inland where the trade is less and the land is still wild.

“In a way both were true, things went well for several years but not everything can last. As more and more Zebra sought to undercut the leading tribes by moving to equestria and offering cheaper goods the gem supplies they had become dependant on dwindled. Relations remained good, and while it wasn’t dire it was unsettling.”

The lights of the coastal town are dark as more and more zebra move away, returning to their tribes with vast riches of moving across the water to sell goods at a faction of what the home country could. Those who stayed continued living comfortably, but the boom had ended.

“Then as the supply of gems fell, their need suddenly grew; a contaminated shipment exposed a tribe to swamp fever. Initial attempts to cure it with gem magic all but failed serving only to spread the disease. Trees grew and the fever became a plague.”

Merchants were the first to report what was happening, booming towns going silent between trips, strange trees appearing out of nowhere. It wasn’t until weeks later a sample was brought in and the epidemic identified. The zebra continued to fight it with magic, soon managing to slow its spread, then its symptoms, but a cure was far from complete. Princess Celestia with the aid of Fluttershy began sending shipments of Flash bee honey to cure who they could. But with only one hive, and the need to keep it alive as well, they could only send so much.
“As the plague spread tribal medicine became a vector for infection. Doctors looking to cure it became infected and exposed numerous others. The zebra tribes became increasingly desperate. “

A map of the zebra lands with a blob of red along to coast traces the spread of the Swamp fever, soon thick veins run through the land. Pockets popping up here and there, even deep in the forests and high in the mountains. Soon deep red covers the continent, no place was safe.

“Finally in an attempt to force greater equestrian aid members of the Ko Tor tribe captured a merchant vessel and demanded an impossible ransom. They requested gallons of the honey, the princess sent as much as she could. In return for the paltry amount; she received the wings and horns of the captives. Celestia weeped for her citizens, but her sadness turned to rage. The wonderbolts were sent out in the first engagement of what was to become an endless war.”
The village where the prisoners were kept was largely civilians unaware for what was taking place around them. With the arrival of the Wonderbolts and their first display of force the town was in arms. Below them stood small battalion of zebra, however supplementing the force was strange zebra-tree hybrids. It seemed while the tribal magic failed to cure swamp fever it could stop it, to an extent.

Spitfire eyed the new things wearily as she demanded the prisoners, the town insisted they had none. A spear flew from the gathered crowd, it missed its mark but its job was done. The wonderbolts struck back, weather and lightning against strange tribal magic.”

A large coastal village comes into view, teeming with zebra. Overhead the wonderbolts fly about in formations once reserved for entertainment. Lightning and tornadoes tear through the populous as bolts of magic and spears fill the air. Soon it’s difficult to tell who is who as the clashing forces fill the area with smoke and multi-colored gem dust.

“As each side wielded the elements against each other for the first time collateral damage was unavoidable. When the dust cleared only the wonderbolts remained, now standing in a silent village. The majority of them made it through, a few rookies were lost and an aging Soarin was wounded but they had suffered minimally.”

The village however was smashed to flinders. Fires raged and rogue storms worked their way across the cost, bodies littered the streets. As the wonderbolts searched for the prisoners the weight of what happened settled upon them. This had been an act of war and no amount of honey or gifts was going to stop what was coming. In an almost poetic twist they found the captive they were searching for, but they had been dead since the fight began. It seems the zebra weren’t giving in no matter the cost.

What followed next neither side was prepared for. Three covert attacks by the Zebra in rapid succession. This unknowingly set the tone for the war, zebra covert operations became their primary form of attack. The first strike was the ponyville train station, this both showed the lengths they were willing to go and showed nowhere was safe even in the shadow of Canterlot and under the nose of Twilight the Zebra could strike. A series of swamp spore vials were hidden in the station and designed to shatter with the next train. Dozens of ponies were infected and the entire rail line had to be shut down until the train could be cleared of any spores that may have drifted inside.

Only a few days later came a failed attempt to infect the entirety of Appleoosa. By spreading spores onto the apple trees they hopes to infect anyone who ate them, including anyone who ate exported apples. Luckily a farming family soon came down with the symptoms and they were able to quarantine the trees. Though they failed to infect the town they did succeed in food shortages.

The last attack before the war began in earnest was a strike against Cloudsdale. It was the day of the annual water collection so they could make clouds for the year. The zebra had filled the lake with spores. Within a day most of the city was infected and the clouds holding the city together were filled with spores. Those who weren’t infected ran, those who were had little hope of a cure. With the honey supply already stretched thin due to the previous attacks only those deemed vital to weather control could be saved.
In a final attempt to save the rest of Equestria from the tainted city it was pushed out into the San Palomino desert where it remains today. Any trees formed quickly fall through the clouds dying from the impact and the intense heat that for some reason has left the clouds supporting the city in tact.

With one city starving, another wiped out, and the weather of equestria crippled the Zebra moved onto their next step.

The night Equestria lost

One night early in the war, unbeknownst to the world, a plan was executed. One that sealed the fate of the ponies and removed their greatest weapons from play before they could even become a threat.

Dragon king Ember sat on her throne. Before her was a swarm of dragons demanding actions in the rising war. Some wished to aid the ponies, very few wished to stay out of the war, and the vast majority wanted to go to war against the two weakened nations. They all knew her decision before she spoke. The young dragon king stood staff in claw.

“SHUT UP!... We will aid our pony allies, they would do the same for us. Those of you who want to fight can leave as soon as you are ready. You’ll meet with Princess Twilight and from there she will send you where you are needed.” She sat, cheers erupting from the dragons. Her sigh was lost in the excitement as the crowd cleared out, such a violent group. Not that she didn’t enjoy it herself but she was disappointed to see years of peace with the other races had done little to cool their blood.

As the crowd cleared only a few remained in the cavern, two large dragons on either side of her and two strangers in front of her. The dragons weren’t surprising, it was a regular occurrence for others to try and woo, bribe, or challenge her. In a one on one fight she could hold her own, and should they cheat she simply used the staff and they would stop in their tracks. Absolute control of her subjects seemed cruel but she had come to learn it was a necessity when it came to dragons.

But it was not dragons that stood before her, nor was it ponies, or changelings, or even gryphons. No Before her stood two emissaries of the Zebra. The dragoness glared at the newcomers. Someone let them in, the question was who?

“What do you want?” She raised an eyebrow, surprised they even made it here.
The one on the left spoke up, his voice was soft with a thick accent, something that reminded her of a snake covered in oil “Your highness, we come in the hopes of reaching an agreement.”
“Why would I make any agreement with you? You’re the ones threatening and attacking my friends and allies. Why are you even here?”

The second spoke up, her voice was young and demanding; it also lacked an accent. Born in Equestria, and now betraying them, how dragon like. “We request you do not aid Equestria in the coming war. In exchange, you’ll be given a healthy share of anything found south of Canterlot and will be given large swaths of Equestrian lands after the war has ended.”
The king scoffed “Or I can aid the Equestrians and take from you what I want. Many dragons have already made it clear their stance on the war and staying out of it was never an option.”

“So we noticed, perhaps you would reconsider your options then. Join the us and you can have anything you find and any lands you conquer.”

“This isn’t a debate, you need the leave. The dragons will aid their allies in Equestria as is my will as the dragon king.”

The male frowned “I’m sorry you feel that way” His bag glowed. Magic! The dragon king lunged… and froze. Paralytic magic washed over the blue dragoness as the staff was pried out of her claw.

Garble entered the throne room, a wide grin on his face as he took the staff. He looked at the trapped female. “Bring her to my new treasure room, and make sure my newest statue looks her best”

Dread washed over Ember as Garble left to address the dragons outside. In an instant everything she had worked for was gone. With the staff on dragon could resist Garble’s commands. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Had she known what was coming, the ex-dragon king would have reconsidered.

As Garble left the cave he rumbled deeply with joy. Before him stood an army of dragons; one that would be finally unleashed on the ponies that lived so close. Raising the staff a ripple of magic washed over the crowd lighting their scales in a call to war. “We will attack the ponies, they are weak and rich. It is time their castles of crystal and chests of gold were ours!”

A cheer ripped through the crowd, only a few abstained. Not all dragons were for this, in fact many of the youngest generation had friends in the pony lands. That night they gathered in secret to try and make sense of what happened and to discuss what to do. As they gathered and whispered they failed to notice the cave entrance being blocked. Garble was determined to snuff out any defiance in his subjects. Soon they clawed at the walls as lava then water filled the chamber trapping them in volcanic rock. No, the new king wouldn’t allow anyone to stand against him.

_________________________________________________________________________

The Mane six were in Twilight’s castle, staring at the map. It had been sometime since they had all gathered here at once and even longer since they had needed to wield the elements, or even intervene in anything worse than the regular friendship problem.

Most of the mares still lived much as they had; Applejack worked the farm with her kids, Pinkie Pie now ran Kandy Corner with the Cake twins and her daughter, Fluttershy cared for injured animals, and Twilight studied magic and did her best to be a princess. Rarity and Rainbow Dash had both been been forced to retire from their respective fields due to age and the changing tastes of the country.

Time had been less kind to the mares themselves compared to their occupations. Of the six, Rainbow had aged the worst. The constant stress of pushing herself had began to dull her coat, the high energy, hyper physical lifestyle and constant injuries had taken a toll on her body as well. On top of now mourning her parents and the loss of her childhood home the technicolored daredevil was struggling to keep together.

Rarity’s mane had begun degrading as had her coat. Years of product, sunlight, and constant stress threatened her once iconic appearance. Now it was a daily fight to keep bags out from under her eyes and prevent any hair loss. On top of her appearance she now suffered mild paranoia and anxiety.

Applejack was much the same. She had put on a little weight but was quick to point out “you try rise'n two foals and not gaining a little weight!”. Her eldest has recently passed leaving her to raise her granddaughter much as Granny smith had done with her. This now left the sleep deprived mare to half-doze at the table as this was the first silence she had heard in months.

Pinkie Pie had somehow avoided gaining any weight despite her high sugar-high calorie diet and raising a daughter on her own. Other than minor short-term memory issues (Caused by years of cannon launches) she was much the same.

The last two had aged by far the best though. Discord had seen to it that Fluttershy didn’t age making her appear as she did when they first met. Her weekly tea’s with Discord continue and she regularly cares for injured animals making her the only one of her friends whose life hasn’t changed since they stopped adventuring. She was quieter than normal today though, she had lost her family as well in the Cloudsdale attack. The toll was already high, how could the win if this was how things were going already?

Twilight was still ‘growing into’ her alicorn body, she now stood a hair taller than the others with a horn just longer than the average unicorn. Teaching had done wonders for her perfectionism and tendencies to overthink. She had spent much of the last few years pouring over Starswirl's library in Celestia’s castle.

The magic of the Elements and the tree had protected all of them from anything crippling, but they still aged. Most of them weren’t young mares anymore and they knew it. A war was not something they were ready to fight, if they even could at this point.

The six sat around the normally brightly lit map, and for the second time since its creation... it had gone dark. Twilight had immediately summoned the others fearing the worst. All was silent, save for Spike cooking down the hall - ‘something to help them think’ was all he had said. The girls sat quietly, waiting for something to happen when Applejack spoke up. “We don’t need no fancy map, we’ve been fine for years without it. We’ll head to Canterlot tomorrow and get the supplies for a proper war room.”

“Agreed” Rarity added. “It will be a royal affair! I have plenty of pins we can use at the studio, you’ll be the envy of every general. OH! I need to make uniforms, I’ll do it tonight!” The girl’s attempts to lighten the mood did little. This wasn’t like old times, this was far far worse.
Spike entered the room “Hey, I made you all some tea. The cupcakes will be a bit though.”

“Cupcakes! You’re. a. genius! We’ll make cupcakes for the zeb-” Pinkie Pie was cut off.
“That’s not gonna work! Even the Wonderbolts couldn’t stop them! What makes you think cupcakes would?”

The rainbow haired mare sipped her tea, normally it would have been long gone but she needed the comfort of something warm right now. The others sat quietly as well, sipping and thinking. Soon a yawn was passed around the table. Twilight blinked the sleep out of her eyes, looking at the dragon. “That was some yawwwwn good tea… what was in it?”

The dragon looked down as the mare fell asleep. His eyes fell on a single dark rock hidden under the table, a fragment of Chrysalis’s throne. Right where he had placed it. Setting down the tray, he left the room, returning with a group of Zebra. Within moments they were all gone, leaving Spike alone. He had had no choice; this was the dragon kings will, and it was his will that Spike would forever be an outcast from both races he had failed to bring together. “Stupid staff…” he muttered, mourning the loss off so many he held dear.

He sat is a home that was no longer his, surrounded by gifts from friends that were no longer here. He locked the doors of the castle isolating himself within and slept. Dragons were known for century long hibernations, the dragon could only hope things were better by then, or that he never woke..
The next day no one knew what happened, all they knew was that the castle was sealed and the school never opened. It was days before they were able to get in and doing so server to only raise more questions. There were rumors and theories of course. Everything from them eloping with secret zebra lovers to having perished in some epic spell the effects of which wouldn't be known for years. But in truth the only one who knew was spike and no one knew how to wake a sleeping dragon...

____________________________________________________________________________

Discord sat, high above on a mountain ledge watching the world below. Something was brewing, he could feel a shift coming on as for the first time in centuries harmony gave way and chaos began to blossom... he frowned. The first week of this war had been little else, the world was rife with chaos now, zebra scrambled to choose a side, ponies panicked, armies assembling, yes things would have been good if he didn’t have a personal stake in this. Each new shred of chaos meant things were getting worse; but this was not a shred, with was a castle sized ball of chaos. Something big was happening, something he was not looking forward to learning of.

It was early in the war, the zebra had the upperhoof at this point. The ponies simply didn’t have time to respond before the zebra were able to strike again, they seemed to have the whole war planned out already. Discord didn’t like getting involved in wars, he had a bad track record of losing… but he couldn’t stay out of this one, not much longer. If his friends had any hope of even surviving he would have to step in.

“Discord!” The voice was unfamiliar, but the ascent was unmistakable. Without turning around the ancient being calmly responded. “What do you want Muroian?” It was an ancient word, one that was old when Equestria was founded, it was the name of the first zebra tribe.

The zebra was caught off guard, as Discord had intended. “How… Discord we have come to parlay. You are the most powerful being with a sake in this war with your aid we can end it quickly and with minimal bloodshed.”

Discord turned his gaze to the zebra, and his five companions. Each carried a sack that hummed with powerful magic. They weren’t here to parlay he knew that much. “What would you have me do, vaporize a whole nation? Betray my friends? What do you have to offer that could make me do anything to aid you?”

As he watched each zebra revealed what they carried. Six large gems, five inlaid in necklaces and one on a crown. Discord’s breath caught. “How did you…?”

“We both know there’s only one way we took these without notice. We have your friends. Aid us and they won’t come to harm.”

“Blackmail then, how cliché.” He snapped his fingers and watched as the Elements evaporated in their hooves. “Now then, you’ve lost your aces and I’m still standing. Without the elements you can’t hope to stop me from doing as I will. I’m going to go find Fluttershy and you’re going to report back saying you failed and the war is over.” The zebra backed up, joining ranks with the other five. He was right they were defenseless without the elements… almost.

As Discord attempted to teleport away he felt himself collide with… well something. It was odd and flexed a little under his weight but pushed back, leaving him sprawled on the mountain top. The Zebra sigh in relief, the barrier held.

Looking closer Discord saw a large bubble surrounding the mountaintop, a bubble that reeked of logic and harmony. “A barrier. You never did intent to parlay at all, why not just leave and let me find it once you were long gone?”

The leader of the zebra circled the barrier from the outside, walking over the snatch the elements from where they landed; a short distance outside the bubble. Again the Draconequus glared, he had intended to send them far and wide, across planes of existence if possible, not 10 feet away. “Because, we wanted you to know it was over. The dragons are under our control, the elements are ours, their wielders are hidden away. By the time you get out, if you ever do, the ponies will have lost and you’ll have no one left. We will keep your friends alive as insurance should you escape, they won’t be harmed or experimented on so long as you promise to save your wrath for someone else once you’re free.”
The draconequus shrugged. “I could use a vacation, come find me when it's over.” the mountain terrace became a beach paradise, complete with ocean view, palm tree, and beach chair. Discord was already lounging in said chair wearing a wide brimmed hat and sipping from a coconut. The zebra were for good reason taken aback.

“We’ll do that…” Watching him with a suspicious eye they began to descend the mountain. Trapped or not Discord had little doubt how things would turn out. His friends never failed and the bad guys always lost, a lesson he had learned personally, several times. Looking out over his personal sunset he had to hope he was right. As he sat and watched he had to wonder how the world would do without his influence.

Little did anyone know the consequences of severing the world from a being that had been absorbing its latent chaos for millenia. In places of powerful magic and growing dissonance small pockets of chaos began to coalesce into small evershifting cubes. Though visibly harmless they began unleashing their condensed chaos onto anyone unwitting enough to come into contact with them. Later named Prize Boxes they would become a sought after item as they tended to turn into potentially valuable items, however they also tended to explode, or even mutate those who seek to loot them.

Author's Note

That's it for this chapter. If you want me to add the specifics on acquiring the elements or the initial meeting with Garble post it in the comments along with anything else you want expanded on.

A second origin

As the war waged on many began to see other races less as equals and more as enemies to be eliminated. It became far to easy to ignore the idea that these were beings with families, friends, and a history all their own. Long after the dust had settled and magic blight had poisoned the world a book would be found. This book was like many others, it was old and beaten, but inside it held a story worth more than anything. Before the reader was the history of the zebra.

In the beginning the world was a great sea filled with monsters and evil spirits. Time meant nothing as there was no day and all life was ageless. This world had no sun, no moon, and no stars there was only the endless night and bitter cold. Deep within the earth something grew, out of the water came a great mountain Zix’muro; mountain of the sun. The heat of the mountain pushed back the cold of the world, the fire at its core brought light to the endless darkness. It was on this mountain that plants first grew and the first zebra walked. This first tribe was named the Muro, for the mountain that gave them a life and home.

On this mountain, they lived and died, sustained by its heat and by the ancient plants that grew upon it. Each day, the greatest warriors descended the mountain to guard it from an evil more ancient than time that desired the power of the mountain for itself. Each day fewer warriors returned, until the day they didn’t. That night the wisecolts and mares prayed to the mountain for an answer, for a solution, for hope... and they were answered.

Deep in the core of the mountain rested a fire hotter than any the tribe had made and more powerful than any spell that would ever be. It showed them how to make blood iron, a powerful metal infused with a beings life force. By mixing blood iron with the fire, a weapon would be born that was powerful enough to slay any creature that threatened the mountain. So the elders ventured into a forgotten cave, following the path revealed until they came to a great cavern with a pit in the center.

It was here the oldest of them gave his life to produce the blood iron needed. From it the others forged a small oval of silver metal and cast it into the fire. The mountain erupted! and for the first time there was day. Above the village now rested the sun whose light burned away the evil below the mountain and freed the tribe to spread across the land.

With the sun above them and the land below now safe to colonize many zebra were eager to leave their mountain home. A great number left, filling the fertile lands with new tribes with new magics unique to each. Those that chose to stay became the first of the new tribes. The Zecix lived as they had before the sun rose into the sky. Safe on their ancestral home they honed their martial craft into one of reflection and self defense. It was here where they found the ring of blood iron, only now there rested within it a large clear gem from which sunlight always shone.

Ruled by the oldest and wisest stallion and mare the Zecix flourished over the coming decades. Their role was one of advice and supervision, things that concerned the tribe were brought before them and their knowledge consulted, and the best course of action decided. The original village remained small with only a few others being established. At the base of the mountain a single town was built that served as their link to the wider world. It was here they would trade, mingle, and hold festivals on holy days.

When the plague came the Zecix were the second to last tribe infected and were nearly eradicated by it. Their small population and village lifestyle caused it to spread quickly, only a few managed to avoid infection and only a handful of those infected were cured. During the war the primary goal of the survivors was to train new warriors who would be able to keep the traditions of the tribe alive. Many of those sent to fight the war quickly dissented, determined to not use their sacred magic and training to kill. The few who did stay and fight were some of the most dangerous individuals, however as ranged weapons and magic evolved their combat value was lost.

As the zebra left their mountain a group was sad to find it devoid of life to share it with. Seeking to change this they returned to the base of the mountain and found the bodies of the fallen warriors. Using their blood they forged an iron helmet. Then they placed gems off all different colors into the enchanted metal, creating an artifact known as The Breath of Life. Using this crown the leader of the new tribe gave life to the animals that they would share the land with. For the first time birds filled their air and rabbits burrowed in the ground. These became known as the Delinia a tribe that would go on to celebrate all good life, even that seen as abominations. When they began interacting with the other races, villages of the Delenia became safe havens for Hybrids and those hunted by the mysterious Wesenrein.

As the world of populated by new life, it brought with it new ways to keep this life in check. Disease and famine blossomed in the crowded forests and overgrazed plain. These new threats risked destroying the paradise the zebra sought to inhabit. Two tribes banded together to protect their new world. The Delinia established farms and learned what plants were safe to eat, while the still forming Hy’till developed medicine and began to care for the sick. While searching for herbs a Hy’till alchemist discovered herbs that had grown in the blood of the warriors who fell at the base of Zix’muro. From these herbs he created a magic bundle that he believed could cure any disease.

The Hy’till and Delenia remain closely linked, each protecting life and giving aid to those who seek it. In these villages females are held in slightly higher standing and particularly fecund mothers are treated with reverence as they are the bringers of life into this world. Each village is led by two wise mares, one from each tribe, who advise and oversee the farms and doctors throughout the year. It is their duty to ensure enough of each crop is planted and that the stocks of herbs are upkept.

Due to their emphasis on peace and high female population these villages are major targets for raiding Renshe and often welcome members from other tribes and hybrids from other lands into their villages. The newcomers are offered food, medicine, and a chance at a new start in exchange for protecting the village. Those adopted into the tribe, once they have proven themselves, are given a tattoo of the Delinia or Hy’till tribal mark with a personalize mark on top of it. Though this is a process common to all tribes these two practice it the most, and are the only tribe to tattoo non-zebra.

During the war they would serve as medics to both sides and in secret supplied food to starving settlements. Many of the surviving Zebra in Equestria are from these tribes, their aid was vital in seeing many civilians and families through the war. Those who practice the magic of either tribe are welcome in most settlements, and tolerated by even the most xenophobic and racist groups.

As famine entered the world one tribe became suspicious of the Delenia. As animals and disease ravaged their food supply the Kull tribe gathered stones from the mountain and created weapons then they gathered herbs from the plains and created poisons. Gathering their new tools they moved deep into the northern jungles and swamps, shunning the other tribes. In the heart of a grove they found a great beast, fearing competition for food they slew the beast and crafted a powerful quiver using its skin and stone from the mountain.

As the beast died other animals gathered. One by one they came and drank from the growing pool of blood. Those that drank were changed, no longer were they prey. Wolves, hawks, chimera, hydra, and other predators came to being here. These were the creatures the Kull would share the forest with, and in time they learned to respect and hunt with the Kull just as the Kull came to respect them.

The Kull became increasingly xenophobic and isolationist, avoiding nearly all contact with other tribes. Choosing instead to live and hunt in the forests. They established numerous small villages throughout the jungle and swamp. Within each village there is no define leader, only those who are respected and have proven their ability. As a tribe however the different villages are held in widely varied esteem. Each tribe has a ‘domesticate’ creatures they use to hunt, in truth these creatures are far from tame but recognize the benefits of working with the Kull. Those with the most powerful and dangerous creatures rank highest in the tribe. As a result war parties with the goal of stealing another village’s hunting animals are common with the more powerful creatures serving as a deterrent to weaker villages and a target to stronger ones.

When the swamp fever came they would be the last tribe affected and the least affected. During the war that followed the few that served were assassins and beast masters who turned Equestria’s animals against its own inhabitants. The majority chose to stay in their forests, where they were the dense vegetation and dangerous animals prevented any incursion by Renshe warriors, Zirix weapons, or even Xivix magic.

One tribe saw opportunity in the vast of the south desert and tundra of the north. They split into two groups, each led by a mare and stallion married to the mare and stallion leading the other group. By separating the couples just as they split the tribe they believed their leaders would lead them back to each other no matter what came to pass.

As they moved into their chosen regions both groups found impediments to any form of settlement. In the north endless snow flurries frozen anyone in them, while in the south endless sandstorms flayed skin from bone. The leaders of each group convened with their greatest artisans and their most powerful casters. Together they captured the flurries and sandstorms in a two endless wind storms, then cast them into the empty sky. That night they looked up and for the first time it was filled with the twinkling of stars. In the end all that was left of the great storms was a single small flury and a tiny sandstorm that swirled around the wrists of their owner, the caster the leader had consulted. He in turn gifted each to one of the stallions leading the groups as symbols of their position.

The stallion leading the southern tribe gave the sandstorm bracelet to his wife in the other group, while the stallion leading the northern group gave the flury bracelet to his wife leading the southern group. And so both groups were forever bound to meet time and again, during each meeting the leaders were allowed to rest and spend time with the love they had left with the other group, while the tribe members mingled and traded. Marriages were held at this time, as were birthdays. In time these meetings involved into major celebrations where zebra from far and wide would come to meet, trade stories, and share long nights by a fire.

The Sheek became traders and connected the tribes who lived on the fringes of their lands to the wider world. They became life lines of tools for the Zecix, supplied rare herbs to the Hy’till, and crafted weapons of sand and ice for the Renshe. The sheek were masters of bending their lands to their will, and just as they had with the storms that once claimed their land they learned to craft tools, artifacts, and beautiful pieces of art from the sand, stone, snow, and ice. But their greatest ability is being able to cast magic without gems. The elders of the southern group discovered tiny gems mixed in the sand of their desert, and they learned to cast spells using the tiny particles of magic held there.

When the war began just as the Kull remained unaffected the Sheek remained safe for a time. Their festival was no longer public but held in secret with pit fires and hushed whispers. The lands they lived in became a haven, the heat and cold killed any swamp spores or trees long before an infection could take hold and the Renshe had little success extorting troops or supplies from them within their deadly homes.

The remaining headed east to the vast coast of their lands. This group was interested in furthering themselves rather than the zebra as a whole. Once they arrived the group quickly splintered into four distinct tribes. The Ko tor who sought to conquer the sea, the Renshe who sought to conquer the land, the Zirix who sought to advance in technology and conquer the natural world, and the Xivix who sought to conquer zebra magic and through it control death itself.

Those that became known as the Zirix traveled to the eastern coast of their lands. Here they discovered forests, beaches, and mines rich with gems. They saw a future of advancement and an easy life for the entire tribe, with a small price. Forgoing traditions the Zirix began to develop the land, destroying the forest for wood, draining the mines in pursuit of magic, and filling the beaches with docks and cities. When Kreed was discovered deep within those mines the Zirix saw an opportunity like no other. In their haste to harvest the behemoth they succeeded in only awakening him. Climbing out of the ocean Kreed revealed his full being, standing nearly 1000 feet tall he was the shape of an upturned mountain with wide thick legs near its ‘peak’ and a boulder like head at its ‘foot hills’. Made entirely of pure white gems it was a sight than shook the Zirix to the core. However the creature showed no wrath, instead is left the city unharmed.

Now the tiny piece they had managed to collect became the most prized item the Zirix had ever held. Determined to harness its potential they gathered every creature from the now treeless forest and in secret used them to create the smallest bit of blood gold. A material never before seen and never seen since. Coating the gem in the metal they infused it with their ideals and desires, creating the Spark of Invention.

Using this artifact they excelled and developed faster than any other tribe creating cities long before any other. However it wasn’t long before greed and disregard for morals in the pursuit of advancement caused heavy infighting and soon factions began to form. The Zirix renaissance ended shortly after as government and codes of conduct replaced free experimentation and unregulated building.

During the war the Zirix worked with the Xivix to develop the first gem cores. They also used the mines below the cities to gather the gems needed and soon began experimenting with the various weapons that would later come to rival pony guns. When the plague came the Zirix were the first infected and along with the Renshe were among the hardest hit. The cities were abandoned as trees and spores spread faster than they could be eliminated. Now they stand in mute testimony to the hubris of the zebra that destroyed the world.

As the Zirix established themselves on the coast and built cities and school the Ko Tor followed behind them. The new tribe had their sights set on a distant archipelago and need ships. The Zirix agreed, giving them a fleet in exchange for promises of trade and supplies. Leading the ships was the one who would become known as The First Captain and the patron of pirates.

Wave Rider was a wise and firm leader, she had led her tribe-to-be from the west seeking a haven across the sea. The fleet had been travelling for a week and on the horizon was the islands they sought, all they had to do was make it. The sky was clear and the water calm, then it wasn’t. Before them one of the islands was moving. There was still a lot of distance between them and it, but that's the problem with the ocean, there’s nowhere to run. Scrambling they scavenged together what weapons they could, in an era before ship warfare these were few.

Within the hour the moving island burst from the water, what would be known as the leviathan attacked the lead ship. A talon alone was the size of Rider’s ship, and it had four on each leg. The wood crumpled from the blow, flinging Rider into the cold ocean. She watched as the creature attacked the other ships. It had 8 legs, four ended in massive talons. It was easily the size of a dozen of their ship with smooth crisscrossing scales over leathery skin. Within moments the entire fleet was flinders and it was returning to its resting place, meaning it had to pass Wave Rider. Drawing her dagger from an arm sheath she doze, determined to take *something* from the creature in retribution.

As it passed she saw its head, huge and reptilian it reminded her of a crocodile, if crocodiles had hundreds of eyes and teeth larger than her. Undeterred she swam deeper, now with a target in mind. Clinging to a ridge on the base of its skull she brought the dagger down, not as easy task when holding it in one’s mouth while being drug under water, into the nearest eye. The beast recoiled in rage and pain, the ocean shook and roiled as it roared and the dagger came down again. In an attempt to escape this new sensation known as pain the Leviathan began to dive. Not one to die for revenge Rider pried out one final eye as a trophy and let go. But she had never heard of an undertow, no one had yet. Clinging to her dagger and her trophy the creature pulled her into the depths.

The blood of the Leviathan filled the water, it covered dirt making plankton, it coated rocks forming scavengers, it rolled in the sea foam making fish and collected on the flotsam making sharks and predators. Rider watched this as the blood surrounded her, accepting it was the last thing she would see and when her breath left her water filled her lungs… but the world did not go dark. She could breath! The weight of the water disappeared from her body, she wasn’t being crushed either. Kissing her new trinket that could only be the item that saved her she waited for the undertow to release her and swam to the surface.

Breaching the surface she found numerous Ko Tor had survived, many were trying to interact with the sea creatures forming around them. Working together they gathered what they could and set out to the islands. The Leviathan was never seen again, but now and then the water turns a deep red and the Ko Tor know it's only wounds have opened again. Once on the island they built homes and discovered rare herbs and bizarre fruits. In time they built a new ship and returned to the mainland with stories of their success. Wave Rider lived far longer than any Zebra before her, the blood of the Leviathan coursed through her lending its strength, longevity, and numerous other blessings. The few foals she bored carried these blessing as well and went to establish ports on the neighboring islands. Her family controlled the oceans until the day the bombs fell, and beyond.

When the plague came they isolated those infected and closed their borders. A few rouges helped during the war but no outsider saw the sands of their islands during the war and no one has since. How they fair and what goes on on the islands is known to only them.

The Renshe watched the other tribes grow and prosper and soon grew jealous of their artifacts and dawning civilizations. Gathering a great army the males of the Renshe honed their skills at combat, developing new weapons and new ways to fight. On the eve of their first attack a group traveled to Zix’muro and carved a war horn from the last bone of the Evil at the Base of the Mountain. This horn became their rallying call and heralded each attack against the other tribes. After each victory the blood from greatest warrior of the defeated village was used to annoint the war horn, imbuing it with new power. The First War Horn became a sacred artifact, and one that often turned the tide of battle. As the Renshe introduced war to the world the other tribes were quick to adapt. Zecix members began living in Hy’till and Delinia village, Kull would patrol their forests attacking invaders, Sheek learned to use their lands to devastate any would be attackers. The Renshe were not cowed, but they did began to experience defeat and drew back. The would be conquerors because a tolerated nuisance and caused villages to remain battle ready should an attack come.

The Renshe were the main instigators of the war, and when the plague came they became the primary vectors of transmission. By attacking villages they exposed more and more to the deadly spores making the disease many time more virulent than one its own. As the war raged on the Renshe were the only tribe still fighting with the swamp fever, as more and more of them were sent to war they became increasingly desperate. Eventually the Renshe were nearly wiped out, now only a few pockets remain in equestria and none still reside in their ancestral lands.

The last tribe to break away were the most ambitious. Having seen the raw power of Kreed they sought to do what the Renshe had failed at. They developed a way to imprison and harness the power of Kreed to turn their leaders into limitless archmages. By predicting the ancient’s course they surrounded him with an army of their best casters, as Kreed looked down to observe the new arrivals the ground rose up encasing him in a great sphere of gems and stone that was then thrown into the sky. This became the moon and was designed to siphon the power from Kreed into a single artifact known simply as the moon siphon. As the ritual reached completion the last of the Muro approached and slew the lead casters stopping the final portion that would bind the artifact to their leaders.

Using a powerful curse the Xivix were cut off from zebra magic and their bloodlines forever to bare glyph marks of the moon in place of glyph marks unique to the individual. As a final blow the only way for a Xivix to use magic is by taking a life or releasing a spirit to the after life. They became a tribe of exiles and necromancers, determined to punish those who cursed them. A few Xivix has not embraced the ways of their tribe, choosing instead to seek out and destroy undead wherever it may be. Know as Summer Priests they seek to redeem themselves and earn back their position with the tribes. While tolerated they are still looked down upon by many. The artifact that was created was hidden away, rumors abound as to where, but many believe it was placed within the heart of Zix’muro itself in a place no live can survive and no darkness can reach.

Along with the Renshe and the Zirix the Xivix were the third major proponents for the war and used it as a way to build up massive armies of undead. Nearly untouched by the plague due to their exile the Xivix became a major power and now rule over much of the zebra lands using their armies to enslave those who don’t willingly follow them. Perpetual wars are fought between the necromancers, each seeking to create new more corrupt undead in a vain attempt to become the sole ruler of the continent.

As history unfolded and the tribes established themselves a single tribe remained. These were to be the bearers of history. They would carry with them the events of the past and teach its lessons and mistakes to the generations to come. The Xei’el were the last tribe to form, the members came from the different tribes, gathering at the base of Zix’muro where they forged a book with covers of iron, inlaid with gems, and enchanted with the last bone dust of the evil at the base of the mountain. In this book of infinite pages they recorded the creation of their world and the history of the tribes. In time this book would become the cornerstone of their tradition with the events of every year recorded in immaculate detail. The location is known to only a few, and many fear it was lost when the plague came.

During the war the remaining members of this tribe held to their duty and masqueraded as members of the other tribes, as pony-allied zebra, and and emissaries. They would record the events of the war in secret, few outsiders even knew of their presence. After the war they still follow their sacred task, sharing their knowledge with anyone who asks.

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long!