The Unknown History and The Magical Future

Training

The training for the Malhornesi of the Army of the Alicorn Sisters was crude, rigorous, cruel, and brutal. Malhornesi would be bred in large groups and taken care of until age three, at which time they would be placed in a training regiment. These regiments would have Sergeants who were chosen for their lack of caring and brutality. All the sergeants were second generation Malhornesi in case their paramount strength was needed to get control of some of the trainees. The Malhornesi would be trained until they reached age fifteen, at which time they would be sent to the war. The ponies would run all day, fly or do upper body exercises at night, and only sleep for five hours every week. The tests would become harder as they aged, forcing them to work together, and become a team. As they aged they would grow close to their fellow soldiers, becoming prepared for the final test. The sergeants were permitted to be extremely cruel and violent due to the fact that the third generation ponies reproduced very fast. The punishments for minuscule infractions became severe, and not often but sometimes entire regiments would hate their sergeants so much that they would rise against them and murder them. This may help some people understand just how cruel these officers could be. At the end of their training when the ponies became age fourteen there would be a tournament. Two Malhornesi would face off to the death, each Malhornesi would fight at least once. The Malhornesi were forced to kill the only people they had known their whole life, to prove they were ready for the war.

The three third generation Malhornesi, Somnus, Princeton, and Leech, were all in the same regiment. Since birth they all knew each other. Leech was the trusting, caring one. Somnus was the quiet, and intelligent one. And Princeton was the arrogant, prideful one. In the beginning of the training the three were inseparable. They would work together, share their food, and comfort one another. As the years passed they began to drift away from one another, Princeton became a prideful, rude soldier, the strongest in the regiment, and Somnus grew into a below average soldier, smaller and weaker than the rest. Leech was shorter than the others but was just as strong as Princeton. As they grew apart Somnus became an outcast. He was blind since birth and seen as a freak. For the chance of a Malhornesi becoming blind was below one percent. Princeton became the dominate Malhornesi of the regiment and grew into a prideful bully. He would beat up other ponies that annoyed him, secretly of course, but everyone knew who it was. Leech was just an average soldier, but he grew close to another Malhornesi warrior in their regiment: Rosetta.

As time went by Leech and Rosetta became normal soldiers neither special nor outcasts. They eventually began to feel for one another. One faithful night Leech confessed his deep feelings for the female Malhornesi, who responded by telling him she felt the same way. They would share their ideas and passions, and their gifts. Rosetta learned that she had a passion for writing and had been paying the sergeant with her weekly food amounts to teach her how to read and write. Leech on the other hand told her of his love for artwork. She would write magnificent narratives and Leech would turn her imagination to visual realities. But as time passed the Malhornesi couple fought together, grew together, and comforted one another when their seemed to be no hope. The beautiful Rosetta would sings sweet songs of their love while her love would create beautiful portraits of her. The only people who cared who these soldiers were, were each other; to the outside world they were noble volunteers who joined the cause, but they were really Malhornesi raised to fight and die for the new Equestria.

The Malhornesi had marched for hours, their hooves raw, bloody, and blistered. As they marched Princeton boasted loudly with another one of the regiment's larger soldiers. One of the smaller, exhausted ponies in back fell over out of dehydration. The squad was told to stop, and the second generation Malhornesi approached the unconscious pony. He raised his head and with it a whip rose magically levitating. For several minutes the sergeant relentlessly beat the laying pony. After sometime he commanded the soldiers to continue their march leaving the Malhornesi who had just been beaten to death before their eyes. As they moved along Princeton purposely lagged a second behind pushing the pony behind him to the ground. The sergeant brought his whip upon the pony that slowly raised until he stood at full height and began marching. For the next few hours Princeton laughed with another larger Malhornesi about the malicious trick he played.

The ponies ran through barbed wire, leaped over tall wooden walls, and dodged swinging axes and blades. The obstacle course stretched on for a mile. Leech lifted Rosetta above the inch deep pool of lava and flew her to the other side. Leech walked on the single wire that ran above a pool of water and electric eels. Rosetta waited for her turn to cross it. Behind her stood a tall, green, muscular Malhornesi. Princeton shoved Rosetta out of the way and lowered his head biting and snapping the thin cord Leech was balanced on. Leech fell straight into the still water and a nearby eel swam by him and bit on his left ear. As it electrocuted him it pulled back its head taking the tip of Leech's ear with it. The cold, pained Leech leaped out of the pool and flapped his way back to the beginning of the course. Princeton laughed and hoof bumped a nearby soldier. Rosetta filled with raged used her hind legs to buck Princeton head first into the cold, waiting water. As he emerged and passed by her he cursed her name and whispered profound things to her.

All the Malhornesi of one regiment were given the same birthday: the day their regiment was formed. It was on the ponies' fourteenth birthday when they were given the dreadful news: only half of them would go on to be soldiers. Each Malhornesi was given a rival, then they were then sent to a fighting arena. Leech was to fight with a massive Malhornesi twice his size, Aborior. Aborior was on Leech as soon as the bell rang, the massive pony crushing the smaller Malhornesi under his hooves. Aborior had his hooves crushing Leech's neck, but Leech reached up and tried, with futility, to throw the huge Malhornesi off him. He clenched the larger pony's sides while he lost he last breathe...then with a surge of energy Leech's legs extended a foot longer, and bulged with great muscles the now smaller pony was threw into the air and slammed against a nearby wall. The now taller Malhornesi swung his enormous hoof at Aborior. As the hoof met his snout, there was a loud series of cracks as the Malhornesi crushed his rival's skull. Leech then shrunk back to his previous size and an image of a black hole appeared on his flank. A endless energy sucking abyss. The victors were eventually called from their arenas and lined up, the sergeant then walked by each pony stating their rival and the victor.

Leech vs. Aborior Victor: Leech

Somnus vs. Baceolus Victor: Somnus

Decipiat vs. Potens Victor: Decipiat

Princeton vs. Rosetta Victor: Princeton

Leech just stood there, taking in what his sergeant had just said: The love of his life was gone forever. At first he denied it, looking down the line of Malhornesi to see Princeton, smiling covered in Rosetta's blood. Leech looked at the arrogant, cruel pony who had not only dominated the entire regiment but who had mercilessly assaulted a blind, helpless, pony (Somnus) and murdered Leech's love. Leech charged down the line and laid a heavy hoof across Princeton's face. He head snapped sideways with a loud thump. Princeton then looked at the shorter Malhornesi with hate, and quickly brought his forelegs up knocking Leech back with the sudden blow to the chin. He then brought his hooves down on the smaller creature's head shoving him into the dirt. He then turned 360 degrees hitting Leech in the face with his back left hoof; as Leech got up he was grabbed by the back of his neck and lifted up into the air by magic. The sergeant then walked Leech over to a warehouse neighboring the training arenas. Once they were inside the sergeant strapped Leech to a chair and got out his punishment tools. Nopony had ever dared to start a fight with a sergeant present. Leech's cries rang throughout the training camp and as he walked out of the warehouse, all the other Malhornesi could see the metal boots nailed to his feet. He was walked past all the other ponies by the sergeant, and when he reached the end he returned to his spot in line, only two ponies between him and the smiling Princeton.

Somnus

The fifty seventh regiment followed the magical trail left behind by the creatures of chaos. They had fled the battle that took place the day before. The Malhornesi followed the chaotic forces into the Barren Lands. The creatures of insanity had left death and destruction in their wake and were lead by draconequus. It was organized chaos as Discord had put it at the beginning of the war. Somnus chuckled to himself. "Organized Chaos," what a joke. The blind pony could fall in line and follow orders even without his sight. His lack of vision had forced him to rely on his other senses. His hearing was extraordinarily acute, his sense of smell was keen, and his ability to feel the slightest tremors was uncanny.  He did not fear dying for the cause of bringing order and prosperity to the world. He was brought up to understand he was created to fight the fight, to kill the unjust, and die for what was worth dying for. But he did fear one thing, a legend that had grown completely out of hand and spread like a wildfire to every pony in the army. The myth of the lord of darkness: Metus. He was said to be the bearer of all things malicious and evil. The legends spoke of his nameless power, completely unstoppable. It made sense, the only thing to fear: fear itself.

The Malhornesi all stood before their leader who informed them of the statistics. "...and by tomorrow we will be upon the enemy and they will be brought to justice, and order!" The warriors returned to their already set up tents. Somnus could hear the breathing of the two other ponies next to him. The tents were to be shared by three Malhornesi. He laid there while thinking he brushed his hooves across the scars that masked his body. He had a collection of terrible memories that went along with them. Training, battles, punishments. His body shook lightly as he pushed the memories away. Somnus ever so slowly began to slip into unconsciousness as his mind was concentrating, preparing him for the assault that was about to come.

The Malhornesi were up before the dawn. Their things were all packed away and at the commander's order they marched onward. After only two hours the ponies came to the base of a tall plateau. Their leader used her magic to teleport the thirty soldiers and herself atop the massive surface of the structure. The ponies set eyes upon a true sight to behold. The first beautiful scene of their lives was a long meadow with a blanket of rainbow colored flowers. Beyond the luscious colors of the weeds was a large, shadowy cave. The commander gave the signal and the warriors silently advanced on it. Several minutes later the squad was marching down into the dark tunnel system that made up the plateau's interior. The commander leading the troops turn to face the ponies, "Looks like there's nothi-" She was cut off by a blast of magic that smashed into her back. She fell forward dead. Her back was covered in large gashes, and deep cuts. Out of the darkness emerged a draconequus. He laughed as behind him the forces that fled their previous battle appeared. Then, they lunged.

Blood splattered against the cave walls and shrieks of pain and death filled everypony's ears. Though the Malhornesi were strong, they were now leaderless and taken by surprise. Most of them couldn't fight in the dark. Most of them. Somnus was used to complete darkness. He faded into the shadows. The blind Malhornesi would pop in and out of combat breaking necks and committing deadly strikes. But he emerged from the shadows to end the life of a distracted mantacore. A massive changeling in the form of a hell hound tackled him to the ground. It opened its jaw wide and was about to chomp down on Somnus's head, when another Malhornesi rammed into his side, jamming his twin horns into its side. He smiled down at Somnus and held out a hoof to help him up. Somnus could tell there was a outstretched hoof in his face, he reached up but only heard a loud cry as the pony was ripped off of Somnus and pulled into the darkness by a ravenous swarm of parasprites that feasted on his flesh. Somnus raised his head, which was slammed back down onto the cave floor by a burst of magic. He could feel the warm liquid pour down his face from a large hole that appeared in between his eyes. The Malhornesi collected himself again and stood tall. His senses were overwhelmed by the smell and taste of blood, the sharp cries of pain that came from his fellow Malhornesi, and the sticky wet floor that rested beneath his hooves.

Little did he know the battle was lost, he was one of the last four soldiers still standing. His instincts took over and his flared open his eyes. Instead of a pale white they were now golden as he could see. For the first (and the last) time in his life, he saw the ground. It was far below him as he floated into the air. His entire body glowed as the magic that had been stored in his body his whole life erupted. The magic exploded outwards in a transparent wave, putting every creature in the vicinity into an endless sleep of death, all except two newly laid dragon eggs that rested at the heart of the tunnel system. He fell to the ground exhausted, his sight fading away once again. His eyelids closed only a moment after he saw a cutie mark appear on his flank: golden sparkles of sleeping dust that showed he was the caretaker of dreams and sleep.