‘I remember the first time I met him. We were young then, I had barely gotten my talent mark, a term no longer in use, to us he seemed frightful, but his cheerful demeanor welcomed us from behind our mother, playing to our eager curiosity. He moved with liquid ease, twisting and turning as he moved, changing his shape, trying to make us laugh. He had no wings, yet he flew using his graceful movements to create a dance unlike they had ever seen. My mother spoke to him, her voice sweet and kind, yet with the firm ton of a monarch, asking of the treaty with the Dragons. He stopped moving then and got a somber look on his pony like face, unlike the others of his species. He settled on the ground, curling into an s shape, his tail coiled over and over. He was smaller, thinner nothing at all like the massive creatures that flew over the lands as they migrated. His body was a uniform gray and covered in a fine down. He had a mane that was charcoal black, but stood up much like the zebras. He was a mystery to our young minds, so pony like, but yet not. He drew my curiosity like a moth to flame. Later we were told by our tutor that his kind came from the far east of the dragon’s territory, far past where anypony had even traveled. How they possessed great magic, magic dragons normally did not have, left their tutor as well as his pupils confused. The ambassador was named Discord, named after his magical ability to create things from nothing, often adding appendages or changing the function of an object. He used his power to make children laugh, never using his power for harm. He frequently traveled back and forth between the two kingdoms, often taking days on end to return. When questioned by my Father on why he simply did not just magic himself to the lands, Discord only replied that magic was looked down upon in the Dragon Court and was distrusted by all but the far eastern clans. Discord did not speak to us about his clan, as much as we pestered him about it remained silent. During a long but mild summer, Discord stayed with us in what is now called the Everfree Forest in our ancestral home while my father made frequent trips to the Crystal Empire and my mother was struggling to keep the peace between ponies. When fall came the leaves had barely changed colors when they became coated in frost. My mother vanished on the same day the unnatural winter swept the land, but I still lacked full control over the sun and thus could not heat the land to melt the snow, but it would have been folly as my tutor warned me while I was in a fit of rage, that I can flood the world and thus Discord took it upon himself to discover why. My father was still deeply involved with the Crystal Empire, where my elder brother had married the princess just before he sent her parents on through time with the rest of the alicorns from the Empire. He found that creatures called Windigos, spirits originally created to bring in the winter that now fed on hatred and fighting of the three pony kinds had caused the land to become encompassed in everlasting winter that grew colder and harsher as the days passed on. The winter however never reached my home, and Discord said that on one of his many trips to locate my mother, spotted three groups of two ponies traveling in the same direction, towards what is now the Lands of Equestria. One morning when I awoke, as I normally did with the rising of the sun, the air was warm and the long winter over. Surprised by this change of events I looked for Discord, to find him in conference with my mother. It was only then that I realized, every winter my mother vanished and my father ruled. Since the land was struck by an unnatural winter it only made sense that she had fallen while visiting my father in the Crystal Empire and he could not leave to notify us because of her weakened condition. Luna still must have been asleep when my father as well as my brother reappeared with dire news as she was not instantly by my brother’s side. The Crystal Empire had been attacked by a dark unicorn, intent on removing the alicorns from this world. He cursed Princess Crystalline to a fate worse than death, forced to roam the world searching for the one thing she always took for granted, the one thing we all took for granted, love. My brother was downcast and broken, a side I had never seen to his normally cheerful nature. The regal white alicorn with his golden mane and purple eyes was using his magic to levitate a pink wrapped bundle. He introduced his daughter to my mother and me, as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or simply Cadence. The filly was then given to me and I was instructed to take her to Luna’s old nursery, for the filly now had her own talent mark, one that matched mine in power, the full control of the moon and the night sky. It was when I was instructing one of the servants on her care that my father must have reached the conclusion to move the rest of the alicorns through time, to become safe and protected. It was not until Discord told me, although my parents had forbidden him from even speaking of the meeting, what was going on. Luna and I were summoned by our father to the royal chambers; there he told us that the alicorns in this room were the last ones here in Equestria. My mother and father stood side by side, giving each other strength, my brother was nuzzling his daughter, in what seemed to be a final farewell. Luna and I were waiting for my father to continue to speak and when he did our hearts fell. On the day my father took my mother and brother across time and while Luna locked herself in her tower, her confidence in her ability broken and her faith in her family shattered he was ever my faithful companion. However our friendship slowly grew, from curiosity to admiration, then friendship onto, what my father had warned me never to partake in, forbidden love.’

Author's Note

This is something that came to mind when watching a few episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I didn't take anyone's idea, but it may be similar to another story or comic and any similarities are purely coincidental. I have a past with writing fan fiction, but this is my first one for MLP: FiM, so please be gentle. I wrote this late at night when I couldn't sleep so there may be a few errors, but I tried to weed them all out.

The cover image is done by the talented nirac to whom I am forever grateful for letting me use her picture. If you want to see more of her work go here: http://nirac.deviantart.com/.