Worldbuilder

I fell.

From the farthest of heights I fell towards the vibrant mosaic of life filled colours covering the planet; through puffy white clouds in the blue sky, all the way down to the deep greens and dark browns of the fertile land below.

So long had the empty shades of space surrounded me, that when I finally touched down and looked at the world around me, it felt truly alien. But this was still my creation… our creation. He was still up there, shining on the lands below, helping give heat and life to all that we made.

The soft blanket of green cushioned my hooves for the first time and continued to grow tall in the wake of my steps. This world was a new beginning, the next chapter in the universal story. But even with this changed landscape, it needed more; it was only a canvas for greater things to come and I was the artistic instrument to make it become real.

Magic flowed from me, reaching for the light of this world and pulling at the very strings of creation. It stretched and squished as I kneaded it into several shapes. Moulding it seemed almost trivial, being guided by my skill and yet coming alive on its own as if some unseen force was lending its insight. An ethereal form soon stood before me; one crafted in my equine image. The magic didn’t stop there; others being fashioned together until a herd had formed; the first herd in history.

The air remained ripe with magic, and as we danced, ate, and played, crackling bolts shot off haphazardly in all directions. Flocks of winged creatures soared from struck trees, small rodent creatures sprang from bolts impacting the ground, and on the largest of strikes, creatures that were bigger than any member of our herd came into existence.

Life generated exponentially as we wandered along the landscape until chrips, squeaks, howls and buzzes filled the air in a cacophony of sounds, letting the world know that they were alive. Each step we took left the ground crackling with our life-giving electricity, but eventually that sound started to simmer and the wild chain reaction slowed as the magic cooled.

The ethereal shapes of the new equines were starting to become more defined, solidifying and sheading the star-like lights outlining their form. They still held onto their translucent properties, almost similar to that of a precious gem.

They weren’t the only ones who were changing either; even my own hooves were starting to match the crystalline features of theirs. I could feel each of my steps in the field much more distinctly, the cool air filling my lungs for the first time, and the gravity of this world grasping hold and tying me to it.

Wandering didn’t last long. Soon we were moving from fields to homes, building up into castles and then kingdoms. Ponies learned, grew, and developed into a civilisation that dared to last through the ages. From humble beginnings they were flourishing here, growing outside of my territory onto new lands past the horizon. Before, I had all beings under my watchful eye, but my vision over them became limited and I could no longer sense every creature here. My magic tempered too as our kingdom expanded and ponies multiplied. Incredible feats of celestial creation were behind me, yet I still could do more than anypony here.

I had met many and connected with them through their lives, getting to watch as each generation grew and helped build upon what their parents had left before them. We were reaching new highs, but not all was perfect.

As our lights grew, darkness from the voids above always seemed to creep in upon this land, trying to take what we had built and return it to nothingness. It started as small shadows here and there, until evil creatures spawned and disrupted all in their wake. The small incursions were manageable at first, but as they grew in strength and numbers, there was only so much I could do alone.

It wasn’t long before my children had to be sent out to defeat them. Proud warriors; they went by hoof, wing, and magic to each corner of the world. Wielding metal and spells, they fought bravely to hold back the darkness. Most never returned, and I could feel my magic grow each time it happened.

The shadows pushed like a blight upon the land until more of my children succumbed; each time my magic grew. And as my power rose, I could help bring life back to this land, growing us up until we saw the pinnacle of our civilization once more. But from there my power fell, and the darkness took hold again and slowly pulled away what we had built; there was little I could do to stop it.

Through the ages, my magic ebbed and flowed in this cycle of strength and vulnerability. I tried to push further each time, but like a giant staircase, getting up to the next step was a daunting task.

Then six came.

They were smaller lights to help in this world and keep all that we held dear. As if they were a gift from the ether, they came from throughout the world, brought together by a purposeful spark. Strangers who forged a friendship that was greater than any of them ever thought at the time. Quelling the darkness, they helped push it back time and time again when my magic had faded into a fraction of what it once was. Crisis after crisis they stood together, defiantly holding strong and rising to the occasion when all was on the precipice of disaster.

They reminded me of a time so long ago. I was once one of the six, but that was before I took upon this mantle of responsibility. Time had me nearly forget this role, but seeing them thrive in their destinies brought a sliver of that memory. Warmth filled my heart each time I thought of it, but then the cold reality took over; a place I’d never get back. Was it even worth knowing when each time it hurt to remember?

Our kingdom seemed safe as they took up this duty of care. They were all heroes, students, and friends. Each for me to help mentor and grow into the best versions of themselves; leaning on me for help just as much as I leaned on them. But even with them and everypony else that I knew, it all felt hollow in its own way, like I had been through this before.

I had been through this before.

My friends, my family, all lost to the sands of time. There were others here, sure. They helped fill some of the momentary emptiness, but could never fully repair the wounds that had been left by all the passings and memories that faded away. Even now, I couldn’t remember their faces or their names; there was just the faint inkling in the back of my mind that they did exist, holding on until they were truly forgotten.

Even the shining blue star above – my brother – seemed like a naïve wish to believe he was here with me. But every time I reached my magic out, crossing the distance to meet him up there, I could feel his spirit. He remained like me, lingering on through time in our own ways. Maybe I would see him again, feel him beside me, but for now my home was with these ponies; our children.

And our home was in danger.

The creeping darkness may have been pushed back for a time, but try as we might, it never stopped entirely. It would win. It had always won in the end.

One by one, the six eventually faltered or faded away, and each time a little more of our kingdom was taken away permanently. Six more eventually came back to replace the others, but it was like trying to plug holes on a sinking ship. They may have helped keep us afloat for just a bit longer, but it was only delaying the inevitable.

Even with my magic surging to the highest point it had been at in recent memory, restoring the life back to this place would have been futile. Day after day my powers increased. The skies had turned from their blue into a tainted orange and brown. When the trees and grass grew in the spring, they held autumn colours of orange, red and yellow, with barely any hints of green on them.

I had wandered through the pastures where we had once begun so long ago, feeling a faint cracking on the ground as my hooves walked on the earth. Another memory of good times now lost, only leaving me searching for something more.

My eyes turned up to the skies and to the stars. The blue star shining bright called to me again, asking me to join it up above and leave this place. My wings caught the wind as I rose above it all, colours fading into dry earthy smears across the landscape.

I departed, leaving this world and the few who remained behind to their fate. There was little I could do waiting here and had to go elsewhere. I knew I had to move, had to look; there was something I was missing, something I needed.

Maybe the stars would help me find it again.