Family Secrets

Family Secrets - Prologue: Pages of a Book

Miss Phoenix trotted briskly to her desk, beckoning us impatiently to follow suit. She quickly levitated a small chunk of white chalk up to the blackboard, and used her years of experience to swiftly write the objectives on the board. Her hooves clicked loudly against the wooden desk. “Alright, class, listen closely. Today we will be learning about ...” Miss Phoenix paused to glance at the board. “... The First War of the Nations!” The class erupted into groans and wails.  This was the ancient story of our founding: the oldest, dustiest book on the shelf, and as boring as you could get.

Miss Phoenix silenced the class with a promise that there would be extra homework on Equestria’s history for anypony not silent in the next 10 seconds, before proceeding with our lesson. “Open your textbooks at Chapter 5, entitled ‘The First War of the Nations: an overview’, and begin reading. I think you covered the first four chapters last year with Mr Pie, and I will NOT be going over them for anypony who has forgotten them. And do try to take in at least some of the information, or you’ll be helpless tomorrow when we analyse it.” Her tone was so commanding that we all buried our noses into the textbooks and began without an ounce of complaint.

Chapter 5 – The First War of the Nations: an overview

The First War of the Nations, the war that set the foundations for today’s Equestria, was caused when the three great nations first formed, and the regular ponies resisted. We will need to understand the origin of the Benders, to understand the war.

The Equestria of one century ago was ruled by two alicorn princesses capable of controlling the Sun and Moon’s path across the sky, including the ascent and descent each morning and evening. They were the supreme authority over ponies, and were know as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna (these mares still live today – as is the nature of alicorns).

Papers written at the time confirm it was on an expedition to the Everfree Forest on the outskirts of Ponyville that an ancient relic was discovered, releasing the Elements of Life. The Elements of Harmony, six leaders named Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, were called upon to test the three ‘bendable elements’: fire, earth and air.

The two unicorns found they could bend fire, the pegusi air, and the earth ponies earth. Thus our three nations were founded. Everypony was summoned to their town centres to be tested (this was called the ‘Bender Test’) to find all the benders in Equestria. The first benders of Equestria wanted to remodel our world to suit benders, yet the ‘regular’ ponies found this ignorant and unnecessary. War broke out, with both sides fighting for the right to own wherever they lived as a ‘bender’ or ‘regular’ area.

WN1 was led by the first six benders, and backed by each pony that had passed the ‘Bender Test’. After many a ‘battle’, so they were, had been fought, and the conviction that had driven the armies wore down, a peace treaty was formed. The treaty, now in possession of The National Museum of Equestria in Canterlot, read as follows –

For the better interests of the citizens of Equestria, three nations will exist from this day forth. They will be based around the three great cities: Canterlot, Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and be designed to fit the needs of benders and regulars alike.

Benders must live in their own nation, so as to be cared and trained correctly. In the rare occurrence that a pony bends a different element to that of its nation, they must be moved to the according nation immediately.

Regular and bender ponies must treat each other equally and with respect, and no longer shall this war continue.

Signed

Equestria

And The Princesses Celestia and Luna

Many additional clauses have been added and changed since the creation of that document, but the above is the phrasing of the original. What has changed in today’s Equestria? Is the treaty still applicable?

The Pegusi proceeded to leave Equestria after the Second War of the Nations, but that is covered later in this book.

The bell rattled feebly in the corridor, and Miss Phoenix looked up from the books she had been marking to calmly instruct us. “Close your books, class, and stand behind your desks. You may leave when I call your name.” The class giggled and shouted, creating a general buzz that washed over the room as we shoved books into our bags.

“Well, since none of you seem to feel like leaving- wait, Katya appears ready. Class, I suggest you follow her example. Katya, you can go.” I should probably tell you now that my name is Katya. As Miss Phoenix meant me, I slunk embarrassed to the door and with a burst of magic, flung it open so I could disappear behind.

My accident-prone best friend crashed into me as I navigated the crowded halls. “Sorry Katya, didn’t see you there!”

Lofty picked herself up and self-consciously pushed the cloak she was wearing further along, so that it fully covered her flank. Wrong move - Lofty never cared whether anypony teased her about having a blank flank.

“Lofty,” I asked carefully, “what’s with the new outfit?” Lofty looked guilty, trying to avoid my eyes. “Come on Lofty, I’m your best friend, remember?” I pleaded, as I carefully removed the cloak from behind. Lofty shifted around, still trying to hide her flank, but not before I glimpsed exactly what she was trying to conceal.

The cloak fell to the floor, and I gasped. Lofty froze, then with a small squeak braced herself for my reaction. “Lofty! You got your cutie mark!” I cried. Lofty sullenly accepted her predicted fate with a sigh.

“Yes. It’s terrible, isn’t?”she moped. I let out a small whimper. Why was Lofty being so sad about the situation? Then it dawned on me.

“Did you think I wouldn’t want to be friends anymore?” It seemed that I had guessed correctly, as Lofty jumped in surprise, like I had given her an electric shock.

“It’s ... it’s not just about my cutie mark. It’s because I ... I can bend now, and I figured you wouldn’t want to hang out anymore if you couldn’t bend, but I could.”

I released the breath I didn’t even realise I’d been holding. “Lo-fty! I’ll never stop being your friend. Why would I? And as for bending, that’s awesome! When did it happen? Which element is it? Fire or earth? Or can you bend air? Oh Lofty, this is amazing!” Lofty smiled in relief and answered my frantic questions.

“Umm ... well, I was having an extra bending lesson and-” Oh yes. The extra lessons. Lofty’s family were wealthy and lived in the upper part of Canterlot, our home city. Her parents were desperate for Lofty to become a bender, and had paid for Lofty to attend the best school in Canterlot. Since that clearly didn’t help Lofty, they applied for extra lessons, meaning Lofty was stuck with eight different bending sessions a day. Anyway, she continued: “-I was just feeling mad that I my extra training wasn’t getting me anywhere. Then just as I was doing one of the routines, I felt a tingly feeling in my hooves, and the fire moved exactly like it was meant to!”

My best friend moved around so I could see her flank. “I guess that’s when my cutie mark appeared.” she whispered. I took a closer look at what I had only caught a glimpse of before. Where I was used to seeing Lofty’s tan coat move seamlessly towards her wavy ginger tail, a single, seemingly flickering flame now broke the smooth flow.