Chains

Pages into the Past

Eight years. It had been eight years since Chains was brought to Twilight Sparkle. Eight years since she had named him, and eight years since she was accepted into the Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns as her personal student. It has also been four years since a baby dragon became old enough to live with them, since Twilight Sparkle was considered old enough to take care of him.

The eight year old dragon known as Spike slept in his own small bed. He had grown a fair amount since he was born. According to Twilight, dragons have several spurts of growth through early life and one last one before reaching adulthood.

The teenaged Twilight was also asleep. Her bed seemed plain, with violet sheets and blanket. The decor of the bed had not been something she cared for. Her focus on her studies had made her care little for much else, causing her to leave the room in a mess over the years. It would be trashed if Chains and Spike, on occasion, weren’t around to clean it.

The human teenager in question was sitting on a small mattress at the foot of Twilight’s bed. She had bought it for him as a sort of anniversary gift last year, celebrating seven years since they first met each other. He was happy she gave him something, but was sad that he couldn’t give her anything in return. She told him he did plenty, but he still felt like he owed her more. For now he sat, being the first awake as per usual. He waited for them to awaken as he paged through a book he was borrowing.

Twilight had taught him to read years ago. She was very proud of him when he finished his first book. By now he had almost finished reading the entire collection twice, and what amazes Twilight more is the fact that he can remember everything he reads without difficulty. She can depend on him like a walking encyclopedia, asking him if he remembers anything from what he read, and it would only take a moment. The Princess’s apprentice had come to rely on his memory for quick references when she needs it.

The book was a newly published compendium, but the subject of the book was what urged the boy to ask for it specifically from Twilight. The title of the book was, “Humans and their Enslavement,” the first few sections were on diet, behaviors, and sales figures for human slaves. It was of little interest to Chains, but he read it anyway so he would know it. He then came to a chapter describing early humans and their arrival in Equestria. The book then transitioned to the journal of a prominent scientist who was observing them from when they were first discovered to the time of their enslavement.

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May 2nd, year 721 of Celestia’s rule

I am starting this journal to document the discovery of a new species, and to keep as a personal record of this groundbreaking discovery.

My expedition has come to observe the group of creatures that have come into the lands of Equestria, to document the discovery of this new species, and to decide if they are a threat or not. If we can prove they aren’t then military intervention will not be called for. A lot rides on us. Celestia’s brightest minds have come with me to learn whatever we can of this species’ society and way of life.

We have to observe from a distance, otherwise we may startle them. They have yet to notice us as far as we can tell. We have already prepared if one or two wonder off and stumble on us; we would erase their memories of the last little while and then somehow get them close to their settlement to leave them to be found. I hope we won’t need to, even if we do clean their memory there is no guarantee that they will forget completely.

We have already started observing them through telescopes, and from what we can tell their appearance is similar to that of a primate with significantly less hair, it only being present atop their heads and on their face occasionally. It would appear that they wear clothing to keep warm because of the lack of fur. They walk upright and have opposable thumbs, which they use to great effect for tool use. I would be lying if I said I did not desire to observe these appendages closer, but I should keep that far from my mind at this juncture.

Their settlements are made up of simple huts, in which families live. They are much like ponies aside from appearance. It is clear that while they are extremely intelligent, and equipped with natural abilities giving them an advantage over most other creatures, they are primitive. These creatures also appear to be omnivores, gathers and hunters go into the nearby woods and bring back slain animals for food, along with berries or other edible plants the forest may provide.

These creatures don’t seem to have knowledge of farming, or if they do have not put it to practice yet. Perhaps they are dependent on meat, despite being capable of eating from a large variety of food. This will have to be observed in further days.

May 3rd.

One of the pegasi with us has discovered several other settlements in relatively close proximity with this one. When we went to observe them as well, I was amazed to discover my theory on the creature’s farming capacities to be true. I was shocked to say the least. This group of creatures seemed to be different all together. While the other tribe had simple huts and was dependent on hunting and gathering, this tribe had sturdier shacks and small fields planted with something.

It is my current theory that the farming tribe is more intent on staying where it is, while the other tribe is more nomadic. They still had tools for hunting as well, but perhaps they were aware that the wild animals in this area were far scarcer.

It is only the second day of observations and I find myself even more fascinated than the day before.

May 4th.

It took us a whole day to reach the next settlement. They were larger than the others, and were clearly more sedentary. The fields for farming were far larger, and were constantly being worked. I wish we were able to get closer. I wonder what it is they are planting. This tribe also seems very industrious; through the telescope I observed as one put together a kiln and began to smelt copper for tools.

As we went to return to our base camp, the same pegasi returned, and told us of more settlements all across the region.

I wondered to myself where these creatures had all come from.

May 5th.

I have taken it upon myself to name these tribes to help keep track of them. The Hunters are the first group we have observed, we had a unicorn observe them up close while they were invisible and document their hunting techniques. They would stalk their prey and ambush it once they had it cornered, bringing it down fast.

The Planters are the second tribe, and the Smelters are the third. With so many new tribes coming, I will need to call them other things I am sure. I will also need to send to Canterlot for more pegasi to observe the different tribes.

May 10th.

There were no new observations during the past days while we waited for more ponies to arrive, while we were also waiting for the ponies already stationed in other settlements to report what they have documented from their observations.

It seems that some of these tribes trade with each other, and some even wear symbols on their clothing. Some of those in the Smelter’s tribe wear a symbol which looks like a blue sun. Could this be a symbol of a hierarchy?

The Smelter’s settlement has quickly become the largest. They had even begun to construct wooden palisades for protection. It seems many of the smaller settlements, including that of the Planters, pay homage to this tribe.

It’s possible that all these tribes are one, and the Smelter’s settlement is a capitol.

It may be possible that these creatures also have developed government coordination.

May 21st.

Since the mass settlement, several tribes have come together in several large locations. The Smelters seemed to have taken the lead in one region. Another powerful tribe has taken their place as leaders in another.

Even in this short time, they have begun to use their symbols as their standards for the tribes they’ve brought together. We observed an argument between two individuals. One was wearing the Smelter’s blue sun symbol, and another wearing a red fist as his own. They began to fight one another, and several others from both tribes were brought into the fray.

It’s likely that they were fighting over resources or land. I would be lying if Equestria and her neighbors had never fallen to the same passions. Due to this struggle, tribes in the region have taken sides. It looks like this will descend into a war.

I’ve taken to calling the faction which is led by the Smelters as the Blue Sun and the opposing faction the Red Fist, as per their symbol.

I would also be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in how these creatures fought.

June 5th.

The separation has not come to conflict yet, but it must be documented how both factions prepare for war. They have similar training methods it seems, from what we are able to observe. But the Blue Sun seems to have better equipment. The Smelters are able to make exquisite armor and weapons, though we should not be surprised I suppose.

The Red Fist clearly has numbers on their side, and though they use similar weapons and armor, they just don’t seem to be made as quickly or as high quality as the Blue Sun can produce them.

It is likely the tribes were all from one original tribe, seeing as they are so similar, the bronze weapons and armor and troop formations that are put to use in training seem to suggest that this is more a civil war than a cultural dispute.

September 8th.

It took so long for all of them to get ready, and then they met on a battlefield just a mile or so from the Smelters settlement, more of a town now as strongly built as it is. They each took position, formations of troops standing strong, opposing one another, banners flying, and commanders in particularly grand armor stood waiting. We could not get an accurate count, but it must have been hundreds of soldiers.

The Red Fist troops flaunted their numbers in hopes of unnerving the Blue Sun. They sounded war cries, and banged their shields and spears, making as much racket as they could to frighten the warriors opposite of them.

As an answer, the Blue Sun sounded their own cries of battle, crashing their shields and weapons together as well, the din of battle filling our ears even from the distance we took watch from.

What happened next was a massacre, or at least that’s what I felt it was.

The master craftsmen in the service of the Blue Sun had done their duty. The superior arms had given the Blue Sun a clear edge over the Red Fist.

That wasn’t all there was though, as the commander of the Blue Sun’s forces was clearly a genius in battle, surrounding and crushing smaller pockets of the enemy as he quickly forced them to flee the field or die.

It was frightening to say the least.

January 1st, year 722 of Celestia’s Rule

I am glad to say that the conflict had finally stopped. The Blue Sun was victorious, and it seems that their right as the victors has brought all the other tribes under their vassalage now as well. I have already sent word to Canterlot. With this peace in place, and from our observations for most of the last year, I believe that we should make contact with these new people.

It’s strange; I called them creatures for so long. I wonder what they call themselves?

January 2nd.

The victorious army marched into the capitol of the Blue Sun, to the sound of cheers. We took position on a nearby plateau to get a better look.

It was strange seeing the commander without his helmet. I’m not sure what passes for young in this species, but he seemed quite young in deed. To think one so young would be so skilled in warfare.

I will await Celestia’s ruling on the matter, but I find it hard to contain my excitement at possibly meeting these fascinating creatures.

January 5th.

Word has arrived; tomorrow we will reveal ourselves carefully to them.

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Chains turned the page, only to discover, to his disappointment and, in a small way, horror, the diary entries were no longer written there. There was only a short synapse saying that short diplomacies were made, and 2 years after contact, the humans were enslaved by ponies for the purpose of labor.

Chains read on in hopes of finding more about human culture or anything, but it just explained that as time went on, that human slavery had also become a status symbol for the aristocracy in Canterlot and other large cities.

The teenaged human sighed and placed the book down, closing it, finding no more desire to finish reading.

He looked to the clock on the wall, and stood up, going to the door. It was time to get breakfast for Twilight and Spike. Maybe cooking with the kitchen staff would help get his mind off of what he had learned, and all he still wanted to learn.

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Authored by Bookybrony
Edited by SpyroManiac_1