Before the benevolent autocracy of Princess Celestia, the six heroes of Ponyville, the return of entire cities and the redemption of the vanquished, there was an era of stability and peace, brought about by the efforts of Princess Celestia herself and her heart wrenching decision to banish her corrupted sister. History remembers the sacrifice of the Princess and her dedication to sustaining the throne, the success of which allowed 1000 years of prosperity. History does not emphasize or highlight the background in which this event took place, however. Indeed, history neglects to mention the conflict that gripped the entirety of Equestria, the tensions that ran between neighbours and royalty alike, and the story of a small band of individuals who sought to find that one spark of light in the darkness that had fallen over the world. There are many tales that are no longer believed to hold any fact, including the destruction of a small town near Canterlot, the pony who, like a phoenix, rose from the ashes, the journey that united both friends and foes, and the fact that the banishment of the Mare of Darkness was merely the finale of an epic showdown that had began some time before. These are the tales that history neglects to mention.