Twilight’s echo of the Lunar Legion war cry resounded throughout the dilapidated war room, empty save for her and Luna. A single candle illuminated them in the inner sanctum of the castle. The princess began to pace around the room.

“If we are to do this Twilight,” said Luna, “then you must first learn history, the true history. Now tell me, what do you know of the founding of Equestria?”

The young unicorn began to recite what she knew, as if reading from a history book. “Equestria was founded two thousand years ago during the Great Unification of the three pony tribes. It is said that during a time of turmoil that the disharmonious spirits of the ponies brought about the Wendigo's freezing of the land. Only working together were the ponies of old able to defeat them, which ushered in a new era of peace for which Equestria was founded.”

Laughter, loud and full, greeted the unicorn for her answer, causing her ears to wilt and her face to flush red in embarrassment. Luna’s slip into old Equish did not help.
“Pray tell thou jest, Twilight Sparkle!” When she noticed the look on her face however, she stopped.

“Thou art not jesting, are you? Sister hath truly buried the past in a mountain of lies and deceit? It is of no matter; I will be happy to give you the true history of Equestria.” Seeing the sparkle of happiness and hunger for forbidden knowledge in her new student’s eyes sent a delicious tingle down Luna’s spine. “After all, how often will anypony get a chance to learn about the founding from a warrior whom was there.”

The past was a troubled time, ponies were not as they are now. Before the great cities and towns that we know today, we instead had many feudal territories whereupon collections of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi gathered for protection from the harsh wilds. It was in these groups that we find the formation of the land that we now call Equestria.

Many of these territories fought over food or other resources, occasionally even other ponies. These various warring factions constantly searched for ways to turn the tide in their favor. This is what initially pushed the development of magic, as well as the ingenuity of science and engineering. Anything they could use to overpower or overcome the obstacle that was their enemy. Eventually the drive and advancement in the magical field grew and War Mages were born. War Mages were tasked with not only being a keeper of knowledge on all thing arcane, but to also further advance and push the boundaries of Magic.

My sister and I began training to be War Mages under the guidance of a unicorn you may have heard of, Starswirl. He was... an interesting teacher, and very much a father figure to Celestia and I. He had a dry sense of humor and loved to talk in riddles, and he had a way of making you find the answer to any question you had.

We learned much over the years, and received a proper education in all things arcane, even assisting in his experiments. It was during one of these experiments that he attempted to make it easier for the unicorns to move the sun and moon. A noble pursuit with a bitter end. We found ourselves anchored to the two celestial bodies, twisting our forms into something more. This had the side effect of releasing a tremendous amount of Chaotic energy. Starswirl tried in vain to contain the magic and was transformed into the being you know today as Discord.

Driven mad by the Chaotic energies and with nearly limitless power, he turned on us and the ponies he swore to protect. It was here that my sister and I seized power and united the pony tribes into the kingdom of Equestria. It was also here, I believe, that something snapped in Celestia’s mind at the betrayal of her mentor. She began to see any form of Chaos, and by extension anything that differed from ‘normal’ ponykind, as evil. She purged records, rewrote history, all in an effort to prevent something like this from happening again.

As the years went on and Harmony’s influence spread, those that did not ‘conform’ to the ideas of purity were ostracized or outcast, including the Threstials. At some point, either due to their reclusive and nocturnal nature or simple fear of creatures in the wilds, they were seen as a ‘bad omen’. A Threstial born into a family was seen as a curse rather than a blessing. With myself being the princess of the night, I felt it was my duty to look after them, so I used my power and influence to adopt any and all Threstials and give them a purpose. Tis how I earned the title of Night Mother when I formed the Lunar Guard.

For a while that worked and seemed to soothe society’s fear and mistrust of the Threstial race. Eventually because so many Threstials were flocking to me for protection, I made the decision to form a reservation of sorts and founded Hallow Shades. Soon though it wasn’t just Threstials pouring into Hallow Shades, but ponies from all walks of life that just wanted to be able to be themselves away from the persecution of the ‘Sun Sworn’.

The Sun Sworn were ponies devoted to Celestia. Ponies that worship the very ground she walks on. Eventually they began to surround Celestia swaying her decisions in the favor of their kind, blinding her to the truth of the atrocities they themselves were committing, all in her glorious name.

It was around this time that I finally approached Celestia with ideas and reforms in an attempt to quell the civil unrest that was boiling in the streets. However, rather than listen to her own flesh and blood, she dismissed my concerns, saying they were unfounded and that everything would work out. For a short time I even believed her. Oh, how foolish I was.

Choosing to listen to the Sun Sworn advisors over the counsel of her own sister, my future pleas for peace and stability fell upon deaf ears. At the same time the Threstial population that had suffered abuses and been treated like second class citizens had enough, and they fought back. They burned Sun Sworn temples and killed many of the high-ranking clergy that were ordering the purges.

Enraged by the audacity of the ‘Lunar scum,’ Celestia’s advisors hid many facts from her, instead whispering words of treason in her ears. She ordered the attack of Hallow Shades, something the Sun Sworn were more than happy to carry out with great zeal. That night 2,800 of the 10,000 Hallow Shades residents were executed in the most brutal fashion. Foals were ripped from mothers' arms and thrown from the city walls. Entire families were burned alive in their homes. I was visiting the city when the attack started. Not knowing Celestia had ordered this atrocity, I raised the Lunar Guard to repel the attackers. Most of Celestia’s forces were destroyed and the ones that weren't fled into the nearby forest.

By the next morning any remaining survivors of her forces had made it back to her to deliver the news of a slaughter. I of course was overseeing the damages to Hallow Shades and could not be there to find out what exactly was said to her. However, I can be almost certain that it was not the truth. After three days I returned to the Castle of the Two Sisters to inform Celestia of what had transpired. I was instead met with force and declared a traitor to Equestria and Harmony. That is how the Lunar Rebellion started. Word spread like wildfire and soon the country was divided, and I was given the moniker Nightmare Moon.

The wars lasted for 14 years and decimated the country. The 9th Lunar Legion, who’s banner you saw earlier this evening, were strong in their resolve, but even they couldn’t hold out against the Solar army. They fell in a final desperate attack on the Castle of the Two Sisters that I ordered in an attempt to make my sister see reason. Obviously, I lost and was subsequently banished to the moon for a thousand years.

Without me there to protect them, the rest of the 12 Legions went into hiding but were pursued relentlessly. Forced into living in the shadows, they would pass down their loyalties, honor, and skills to the next generation, patiently awaiting the return of the Night Mother and the Lunar Republic.

Looking across the table in the waning flame of that single candle, Twilight couldn’t help but sit in silence, her mind moving at a break neck pace as she tried to process just how far and deep her former mentor’s web of lies spread. The thought made her feel sick with righteous indignation.

“Princess... How can she justify it all? It just doesn't make sense. How can she be so cruel in the name of Harmony? Doesn't it go against everything it stands for?” She almost had a pleading tone to her voice.

“Twilight my dear, you know naught of the true nature of Harmony. In order to truly understand it, one must also understand Chaos and the balance between the two. And there is only one I know that has mastered Chaos....”

“Discord.”

“Yes. His body may be trapped in stone, but his power cannot be fully contained. One can never fully control Chaos, a mistake my sister continues to make. Discord can project his consciousness from his physical form, and has since met and been befriended by a young pegasus living in Ponyville. A gentle soul named Fluttershy. Perhaps you should consider visiting them during one of their tea parties.”

“For now though, I believe I have given you a great many things to think about, and a direction in which to pursue the hidden truth. Take great caution Twilight Sparkle. When somepony tries to erase history, they usually do not react well to it being uncovered. I will return here in a fortnight to discuss your findings and to bring further study materials. If you are to help in this endeavor, you shall need to round out your education in magic. Prepare yourself, for you shall be the first new War Mage in nearly a thousand years.”

With this Luna stood and walked out, leaving Twilight alone. She sat in silence there for a time, listening to the creaks of the old castle and the distant sounds of the forest nearby. The words of the Night Mother swirled in her mind, eventually solidifying into a single purpose and determination that swelled within her. Her horn began to glow, and in a moment, the dying candle was snuffed out.

Author's Note

More horse words in my own odd universe, hope y'all enjoy! ~<3