Disclaimer: The characters, mecha, and ship designs from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Mobile Suit Gundam belong to Hasbro and Bandai respectively. Any relationship between OC characters and real people is purely coincidence. I do this solely for entertainment purposes and in no way make any profit from it.
WARNING: Advent Friendship will have some gory scenes usually involved and related to scenes of battle. There will also be some if not a good deal of yaoi/yuri relationships depicted, namely amongst the Elements of Harmony. (Blame G-Wing for that :P ) this will include one or two sex scenes. IF any of this upsets you, you might want to turn on the mature filter and find something else to read.
CODE GUNDAM: Advent Friendship
Prologue
The Founding of the Kingdom of Equestria
The Kingdom of Equestria was founded over one-thousand years ago by an alicorn princess named Lauren Heliopolis. Lauren Heliopolis was the fifty seventh in line to the royal throne in the Kingdom of Britannia, however a year before her arrival in the land that would become Equestria, the Kingdom of Britannia became engulfed in the flames of rebellion and civil war. It is said in it's last days, the royal family of Britannia turned on one another in a frenzy of back-stabbing and betrayal all in a savage battle for the Britannia crown. Princess Lauren, who was easily one of the most beautiful, kindhearted, and gentle of the royal family chose to not to pursue the crown. At one point later in her life saying, "What good would it have done me to fight for a crown, who's seeming weight had caused my people and my own family so much grief?"
Instead of fighting her siblings and relatives for the crown, Princess Lauren took a fleet of her most loved and trusted friends and allies across the Sea of Peace and arrived seven months into the voyage on the shores of what would become the land of Equestria. At first the land seemed to be everything that her homeland once was; calm, peaceful, and full of potential to provide ponies with happy productive fulfilling lives. Several years prior to her arrival, three different tribes of ponies had come together and created the Republic of Equestria. Leading the pegasi tasked with both providing weather control for the republic as well as its main fighting force, was Commander Hurricane arguably one of the greatest pegasi warriors to have ever lived. Leading the earth ponies who were responsible mainly for farming and gathering resources, was Chancellor Puddinghead, while not the brightest pony in history, the chancellor was easily the most approachable and love of the Republic's representatives, seen as a everypony kind of pony. Leading the unicorn who's artisans produced some of the finest crafted tools and goods found was Princess Platinum, who while no longer technically royalty was respected just as much for her generosity and desire to see all within the Republic prosper.
Sadly the Republic was in dire straights, and its time was running out; for a year before Princess Lauren arrived, the republic came under attack by the forces of the Cult of Discord. The Cult of Discord was a cult of mad insane creatures who wished only to bring ruin, chaos, and disharmony to the world. The cult had recently found something to unit their scattered believers and together they had launched a war against the fragile young republic to usher in their lord and master simply known as The Darkness. Despite the best efforts of the pegasi of Commander Hurricane, and aid from the bravest of the Earth Ponies and Unicorn all seemed lost for the republic. As the greatest champion of the cult's forces a depraved creature named Hellavie lead the charge on the republic's capital all hope seemed lost. Hellavie was a monstrous creature; a pony with a scorpions tail, fangs, spines for a mane, and six armored crustacean legs, two scorpion claws, and eight eyes, she took manic delight in causing others pain.
When all seem lost and Commander Hurricane's forces looked set to break, Princess Lauren Heliopolis revealed herself and added her best forces to the fray, leading the charge as a figure of unearthly divine justice and retribution. She blazed a path of carnage and death among the ranks of the Cult of Discord, shattering their ranks with but a gaze and subtle gestures from her horn as she unleashed spells the likes of which none before had seen. The power of the alicorn princess was great and terrible, those who had done such wrong were shown no mercy. In one hour after her committing her forces to the battle to save the ponies of the land, it was all over. The greatest champion of the Discord cult, Hellavie, was slain her broken body incinerated by the unbridled fury of the alicorn. When at last the battlefield went still, and the clouds of smoke were parted by some of Lauren's pegasi friends, the first dawn of a new age for the ponies of Equestria had begun to shine through.
Following her victory over the forces of Discord, Lauren revealed the truth to her victory, she had known about the horrors happening since she arrived a month before the battle. Instead of rushing into the fray then, she sought out aid and to learn of her foes to better her chances of victory. It was heart-breaking to watch how ponies suffered because of her choice not to act immediately, however, she did not wish to risk the future of the land for the sake of sating her own heartache. Her actions in the end were rewarded, as she made a powerful friend and ally during the month she held her forces back hidden from view. Among the cult of discord was a race of creatures called draconequus, dragons who had been touched lightly by The Darkness and as a race had become so insane and depraved as to be almost unforgivable. One of the draconequus however, had broken free of the madness and did not desire The Darkness to be summoned. For if The Darkness was summoned the entire world would be destroyed, there would be no chaos or order, only nothingness. This brave creature named Quu chose instead to aid Princess Lauren and betrayed his fellows cultist and his own species.
During the final battle while the Princess gathered her forces, Quu quietly worked within the cult's forces sabotaging as much of their weapons, tools, and potions as he could both by claw and crook. Finally before the final charge was made by Hellavie, Quu gave the chaos champion a special potions to drink when she might be in need of more power. When the taurtarus creature faced Princess Lauren, she drank the potion that Quu had provided, only to find herself weakened horrible by the powerful toxin the draconequss had brewed. Drained of power and wounded from her rampage up to that point, Hellavie was no match for the alicorn princess. For his actions Quu and those of his kind who would follow his lead would be welcomed within the lands of Equestria. He was also named a friend to Princess Lauren, one whom she would cherish deeply for many years to come.
Following the liberation of the land from the forces of darkness, the pony tribes set about repairing and rebuilding their broken land. During this time it was first suggested in whispers, and then soon it was brought before the leaders of the three tribes; the ponies of the land wished to crown the alicorn as their queen. The move was a surprise to all, even Princess Lauren who was willing to live as an equal amongst the ponies. However, the pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns of the three tribes saw how much the princess genuinely cared for them all not just as tribes or groups but as individuals. She loved the land, she admired the skies, and respected knowledge and wisdom. To the ponies of Equestria, Princess Lauren had everything they could ask for in a queen, and then some.
After a year of debate, discussion, and voting it was decided on the first summer solstice of the second year after Princess Lauren had arrived. By a over whelming majority vote, Princess Lauren Heliopolis was crowned the First Queen of the new Kingdom of Equestria. Following that day every year on the first summer solstice, there would be a summer sun celebration for the royal family of Equestria. One of the first edicts of Queen Lauren Heliopolis, was directed to her own family line.
"For all future Queens and Kings of Equestria, I Queen Lauren Heliopolis the first crowned Queen of the Kingdom of Equestria, hereby do so decry."
"That it is us who serve the ponies, not the ponies who serve us."
"That it is by the will of all ponies of Equestria, pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorn that the crown of Equestria exist."
"From this day forward the motto of the crown shall be: Be thy for the ponies, always faithful to our ponies."
So it was, and so it was recorded that every crowned Queen or King of Equestria would swear to rule fairly, justly, honestly, and with love and friendship for all their subjects no matter their place in life.
The Beginning of the Nightmare War
For two-hundred fifty four years following the arrival of the alicorn princes, the Kingdom of Equestria enjoyed peace, stability, and harmony. Queen Lauren Heliopolis went on to marry, a handsome, strong, and loyal unicorn stallion named True Heart. Together Lauren and True Heart raised a strong family with two sons, and three daughters. Following the death of Queen Lauren at the age of ninety-two, her husband True Heart had died of old age only a few months before her; their oldest the lovely and gentle Princess Opal Heliopolis was crowned Queen following her mother's death. The reign of Queen Opal was much like that of her mother's, as a time of peace and prosperity for the kingdom. Liker her mother Opal ruled justly and fairly, taking adviced from some of her most trusted friends and advisers from amongst the slowly forming nobility amongst the three tribes of ponies as the kingdom grew.
When Queen Opal was nineteen, years before she became Queen herself she married a kindhearted and gentle earth pony stallion named Honey Wheat and together they sired four children; two daughters and two sons. Their oldest daughter who was next in line to the crown was Princess Aurora; which caused some amongst the nobility to become worry about the prospects for the kingdom's future. Princess Aurora was seen by many to be nothing but a spoiled brat, who was doted on by her mother and father to much. She was selfish and always saw to her own desires before anything or anypony else.
A week before Hearth's Warming Eve, a freak accident took place inside Castle Harmony within the capital city. A magical explosion erupted from the bedchambers of Queen Opal and her husband King Honey Wheat. Neither of them survived the explosion, the cause of which was swiftly blamed on a dissident force within the kingdom the, Draconequus clan of Quu. The draconequus that had survived the war some two-hundred years earlier had followed in Quu's footsteps and chosen to while still be creatures of randomness and chaos they would not do anything that would permanently affect the kingdom or harm its ponies. Thus following the war and the deceleration of Queen Lauren that Quu was and would always be a welcomed and trusted friend, the draconequus that survived formed the Clan of Quu.
Despite the belief of some of the most seasoned mages of the unicorns; the newly crowned Queen Aurora Heliopolis at the age of thirty-eight, launched a crusade to purge all draconequus from the kingdom for the murder of her parents. In the dark of night with only her most loyal guards she launched a surprise attack on the mountain sanctuary that Queen Lauren had set aside for the draconequus to use as their home. The night would become known later as The Night of Bitter Tears; Queen Aurora used her powerful magics as well as commanding some of her most powerful followers in the slaughter of any and all draconequus that she could find within the sanctuary. Only with the coming of the dawn did the slaughter and bloodshed end, with the near total annihilation of the entire Clan of Quu.
This would have been fine and well, if only the real target of the new queen's actions actually been within the boundary of the sanctuary. A young draconequus buck named De'Lan had previously tried to win the heart of the young Princess Aurora, but the alicorn filly always rejected the young draconequus' affection and feelings. Undeterred De'Lan had even gone so far as to seek an audience with Queen Opal and King Honey Wheat to ask for help in just talking to the princess. Aurora's parents were impressed with the buck's desire to win their daughter's heart and so did agree to speak with her on the matter. Only later was it learned that Aurora had learned of this and felt such bitter anger and felt so betrayed by her parents that she had them assassinated and in turned moved to blame it all on De'Lan.
In the end her actions only lead to more suffering, and this in turn started a new cycle of anger and resentment. Having lost his family and friends De'Lan tossed aside his old name and took on the new name of Discord. With his new name he swore he would break Queen Aurora and make her realize just how much he had loved her, and how much suffering her selfish actions had caused him. He would cause a war so great and horrible it will easily cause the queen monarch a hundred times more suffering than anything he had felt.
For several years nothing was known of the surviving draconequus, and despite continued attempts to learn the truth regarding the deaths of Queen Opal and her husband, Queen Aurora moved along and set about enjoying a life of lavishness and splendor. Openly disregarding the oath her grandmother Queen Lauren had set as the oath of the crown. Only one pony Aurora felt warranted anything equal to her own indulgences, and that was her little brother Prince Starbright who was born mute. Aurora loved her little brother more than any other pony say for herself. Discord knew this well when he decided to make his first strike of his war against the queen.
In the dark of night Discord had the castle set ablaze with enchanted fire oil, which burned so hot as to cause the stones of the keep to glow an angry red. The fire was to be a test for the Queen in the draconequus eyes. If she saved any pony but herself he would see she had a chance to redeem herself and make amends for her actions, however she did not instead Queen Aurora fled from the castle ignoring the pleas and cries of help from the ponies trapped within. Discord however did hear their pleas and hastened to rescue all who were left to die by the arrogant and selfish mare. One of the ponies he saved was the mute prince, who upon learning from Discord all that had transpired and how Discord suspected Aurora had in fact been the one to kill their parents Prince Starbright made a sound.
His wail of anguish, fury, and sorrow was so heart wrenching that even Discord who's mind had fallen further into madness after embracing his kinds natural chaotic natures was brought to tears, feeling both pity and sympathy for the young alicorn. The young prince driven by the new burning seething rage and resentment for his sister forced himself to make a voice with his magics.
The first thing he said was, "I am Prince Starbright Heliopolis no more, Discord I forgive you for setting fire to my home, I ask you please forgive my family for what wrongs we have committed, please grant me the strength to right this horrible wrong. To make my sister pay for what she has done."
Discord happily obliged the young alicorn, imbuing him with powerful chaotic magics which in turn forced the young prince to undergo a painful transformation; becoming the first Nightterror seen in the world in over five-thousand years. As soon as his transformation was completed, the young stallion now bore wings of a bat instead of those of a pegasus, his snout was filled with fangs and razor sharp teeth like a shark. His eyes could see a hundred times better in darkness than any other creature, he could hear and see the very heart beat and blood-flow of other living creatures.
As soon as the transformation was done the new stallion spoke. "I am the Nightterror Fenrir, and I thirst."
Following this, Discord went north where another source of pride for the Queen warranted his own attention. In the far north of the kingdom lay the Crystal Empire, a kingdom of Crystal Earth Ponies and Crystal Unicorns that had existed and defended itself for several generations before the foundation of the Kingdom of Equestria. In the most recent years the Crystal Empire's king had shown an interest in merging with the Kingdom of Equestria through a marriage to one of the daughters of Queen Opal. However, following the death of Queen Opal the rulers of the Empire chose to distance themselves from the rule of Queen Aurora. Queen Aurora still desired the merge and was also quite fond if not actually in love with the ruler of the empire.
Discord arrived within the Crystal Empire and sought an audience with its king. What transpired during the meeting is unknown and is lost to the sands of time, what is known is following this meeting Discord now counted amongst his allies the Crystal Empire as well as the forces under Fenrir's wings. King Sombra Shalehoof was a young, and very much loved ruler among the crystal ponies of the empire, and many within the empire trusted him without question. So when King Sombra declared that he had allied himself with Discord and Fenrir the ponies of the empire believed it was for good reason.
After this, Discord had both Fenrir and Sombra send letters to the Queen. What was contained within these letters will never be known, for as soon as they were read the Queen incinerated them and flew into a mad frenzy. Shouting curses towards the heavens and vowing to destroy Discord and his allies. Soon she ordered her older brother and sister to make the kingdom ready for war. For once they were ready they would march north and destroy the Crystal Empire which had allied itself with Discord and Fenrir.
Despite still being in morning over the received death of their younger brother, both Prince Golden Lance and Princess Seastar did head the call of the queen and began mustering the kingdom for war. Prince Lance moving to train an army of capable ponies while Princess Seastar worked to keep the common pony folk upbeat and optimistic that the war would be short and was for the good of the kingdom.
The Nightmare War and its End
Queen Aurora launched her first attack on the Crystal Empire four years after she had come to power, with the aim goal of killing Discord, and his allies King Sombra and Nightterror Fenrir. The conflict was expected by many in the queen's military to take only a year at the most due to the Crystal Empire's smaller military. In truth the conflict would last almost ten years and become a massive drain on the population of the Kingdom of Equestria. Part of this was due to the Queen's belief that she knew better than her generals and often she would arrive before a battle and give her own orders disregarding any plan that had been made earlier.
While military of the Kingdom of Equestria had been enlarged and given a great deal of financing by Queen Aurora she was a horrible strategist and often watched angrily as the Nightterror Fenrir lead one successful camping against her forces after another. He strategies and troops fared even more poorly against the discipline and well trained formations of crystal knights lead by King Sombra who himself was possibly the most powerful unicorn alive at that time. Despite these set backs however, the Kingdom of Equestria had two things in its favor, the first was the queen's older brother Prince Golden Lance who was not only a brilliant strategist, but a very gifted and skilled warrior. The second thing in the favor of the kingdom was the queen's sister who was able to keep the ponies within the kingdom upbeat, and optimistic on a good outcome to the war, and remind them that the crown was to serve them.
Slowly Queen Aurora took notice of her brother's skill and results, ultimately handing complete command of the military over to him after a nine year stalemate with Discord's forces in the Crystal Mountains. Following this change of command the conflict immediately in a matter of months began to change in favor of the kingdom over the empire. Despite Fenrir's and Sombra's power and skills, combined their efforts faulted repeatedly against the brilliant strategies of Prince Golden Lance. So much so that following a massive defeat with the lose of close to two hundred crystal knights and supporting pegasi, Discord order all of his forces to make a full retreat to the last defense line of the Crystal Empire. The sudden move resulted in two disasters for the kingdom. First the army under Prince Golden Lance's command was exhausted and completely drained from its long stalemate with enemy forces. Second, the order to retreat came suddenly and was executed perfectly under the cover of darkness at night. Much to the prince's shame and humiliation the majority of Discrod's army was able to retreat and regroup at the last defense line.
Upon hearing this news Queen Aurora threw into a fury, and ranted and raged against her brother who she felt was incompetent for allowing the enemy forces and Discords allies to escape to safety. She ordered him brought back to the capital to be tried for treason for allowing the enemies of the kingdom to escape. Prince Golden Lance was tried for the crime of treason through incompetence by allowing the forces of Discord to escape and regroup. Despite the sound arguments made in his defense, the court with the Queen herself as judge found the prince guilty and sentenced him to death by beheading. He was to be the first pony executed by a new device the Queen had commissioned to be created in secret; the Guillotine. However, fate had a different hand to play; having learned of the prince's plight Discord informed Fenrir of his brother's situation and asked if he wanted to do anything about it.
Fenrir, did want to do something about it. Fenrir spent several days in secret talks with both Sombra and Discord, before he quietly made his way from the Crystal Empire into the Kingdom of Equestria along with a force of his newly created Kestrels; pegasi who had undergone a transformation much like himself and now instead of feathered wings they flew upon the wings of bats, with fangs, brilliant night vision, and acute hearing and a sense of smell. With a force of one-hundred Kestrels, Fenrir launched a surprise attack on the capital and Castle Harmony; which the Queen had rebuilt after the fire Discord had set years earlier, turning it into a monument of depravity and corruption. Fenrir freed his brother, but made no open deceleration as to why.
Stunned and unsure of what to do about the sudden turn of events, Fenrir was able to say what he had come to say to the one he wish to talk to. "Prince Golden Lance, I am the Nightterror Fenrir at my side are my chosen children a new race of pegasi I have named Kestrels. They are here to make sure we are not interrupted, and I am here to give you a chance to taste victory over chaos."
At this instant Fenrir presented to the prince a single sword to wield, while he himself would only wield two small short swords. It was simple in the eyes of many, this was a challenge to a duel that the two had often attempted to have but due to the carnage of the battlefield they had been denied this chance many times. Without hesitation the prince took his presented weapon and lunged forward to do battle with the twisted Nightterror. Driven by the Price's action of boldness, the guards of the castle rushed to do battle with the forces Fenrir had brought with him.
The battle between the forces of Fenrir the Nightterror and Prince Golden Lance and the Royal Guard was witness by many, and was recorded in both song, poem, and the written word of story and history so that none may forget it. The Prince fought bravely, with the sun itself seeming to shine more brightly as if to aid him in his battle with the alicorn of the night. Like wise the very weather seemed to head the call of Fenrir bathing the city in shadow from thick heavy clouds full of rain and thunder. Soon the city became a landscape of darkness, light, and shadows. With streaks of lightning illuminating the whole city as a savage storm appeared over head.
Fenrir fought with a savage nature the likes of which the Prince had not know before, even in their previous battles. Still the Prince would not be defeated and in one instant looked set to deliver a death blow, when Fenrir performed a brilliant faint with his weapons; deflecting his adversaries' weapon away and knocking from his magical grasp by deliver a sharp kick to the Prince's face that sent him flying into a wall. The Prince had been struck down, and all who stood their watched as Fenrir stood poised to kill the noble alicorn. To their shock nothing seemed to happen, with the bat-winged alicorn looking down at the fallen prince.
To the shock of many the dark alicorn handed back the prince's sword and took a few steps back. After a moment of shock, the prince grasped his sword and prepared to fight once more, this time the fight was quick and decisive; with the prince spearing the nightterror through his barrel cleanly. As the dark stallion slumped against him, at some unseen command or perhaps something else the Kestrels many with tears in their eyes fled into the storm clouds above and disappeared from view.
To the ponies of the kingdom and the guards it looked as if the Prince had vindicated and proven himself to all having slain the evil nightterror. Eventually Queen Aurora reappeared; she had fled into hiding within the castle as soon as Fenrir and his forces had appeared, and she publicly forgave her brother for his failures. Strangely in the eyes of some, the prince with tears in his eyes pledged to continue the momentum he had started there with the defeat of Fenrir.
Unknown to anypony say for Fenrir's Kestrels, the Nightterror had concluded the only way to save his innocent and ignorant brother was to allow himself to be slain by his hooves. Despite the wishes of friends, including Discord, Fenrir chose to putting on as large of a show of his brother's strengths for all to see. When he had felt it was right, Fenrir allowed his brother to make a mortal blow against him, and there while his brother had him pierced with his sword Fenrir revealed everything to his brother. He told him who he was, and how his sister the Queen had abandoned him to a fire, how she had lied about Discord and his kind, how it was she not Discord who had murdered their parents. That he had become a Nightterror so he could enact true justice on Aurora for all that she had done. There speared on his brother's sword, resting against the shoulder of his older brother Fenrir admitted in his last moments that his actions were in most ways no better than hers, but that he did hope that his big brother would not become what she had become. That he being next in line could right the wrongs she had committed and make the sacrifice of himself, Discord, and King Sombra worth it.
Unaware of what had truly transpired, Queen Aurora ordered the now seemingly more loyal and devoted Prince Golden Lance to lead a new army and attack the forces of Discord and destroy them completely, and so it was with such orders the Prince set out towards the Crystal Empire after a year of preparation. When the newly formed army with the Prince in lead arrived at the Empire's boarder they found a strange reception. Nothing, all the defenses that had been made or thought to have been prepared for the armies arrival were gone. To his shock all that stood there was Discord and King Sombra themselves, and a few Crystal Knights. The Prince feeling this was a trap asked aloud what it was the two villains were planning.
To which they responded, "Our friend has fallen, and our friends and the ponies we lead are no longer fit to fight another battle. We are willing to surrender our lives to you if you show mercy to our ponies and the empire."
The Prince wishing to end the fighting readily agreed to this, and moved to take the two into custody as prisoners. However, the Queen had followed behind with a reserve force of her most loyal and most powerful unicorn casters and when the Prince moved in to bind the draconequus and unicorn in chains; Queen Aurora and her unicorns launched a surprise attack seeking to silence Discord and King Sombra in one stroke. Rather her brother lived or died mattered not to her, and so they hit them with a devastating magical attack, the likes of which neither was prepared for. She and her force stuck Discord and Sombra down in one strike, and would have killed her brother if not for Discord's fast actions to spare the noble alicorn a death blow.
Broken and near death the two watched as the Queen approached them, gloating about her victory and how neither of them could stand against her and the crown. Discord seemed unfazed by his fate and openly laughed at her despite his mortal wounds. When she asked what he found so funny, he replied calmly, with his lion like paw outstretched to her and his one good eye glaring at her defiantly.
"It...looks...that way. But no...not quite."
"So long as I have my own will...I'll STILL be me."
"We are beings of soul, of mind, and of will."
"So long as I have my soul, my mind, and my will it will never be over."
"You, I loved you with all my heart once, but now I see you for what you are."
"You're a pony-like monsters, while I am a monster-like pony, I suppose."
"I declared war on you when you destroyed not just my heart, but took away all that I had loved."
"I took away your beloved little brother, and I took away the stallion you wished to marry and all the power he had."
"So let us wage war!"
In that instant Queen Aurora flew into a frenzy and struck at Discord with a spell known only to the most powerful students of magic, a spell that was forbidden as a spell to cruel and vile to warrant it's use by any decent creature. The Queen seemed to revel in the draconequus's suffering and seemed poised to draw his suffering until a thought seemed to strike her. She turned to the Crystal Empire with its landscape and buildings of crystal, the crystal earth ponies and crystal unicorns all before here. She started to case a spell the strength of which only the most powerful of unicorn could match, and set poised to unleash it on the Empire. Her brother asked what it was she intended to do to which she replied.
"They betrayed us, so they shall suffer as horrid a fate as these two vermin."
In that instant she launched the spell at the empire and to the horror of all who witnessed it watched it vanish into thin-air.
"I have banished them into limbo for a thousand years." She declared
For this action, there was no hiding anymore the kind of pony Queen Aurora was, and so it was that while she laughed in jubilation at her victory that her brother Golden Lance struck her down with a single blow, piercing her heart with a steel lance. As the Queen slumped to the snows that had been stained red by her own blood, dead and with the lance still piercing her hide, her brother turned to the fallen unicorn king and the draconequus. The prince admitted that he had turned a blind eye to his sister's growing corruption, and begged Discord and Sombra to forgive him and the kingdom for allowing this suffering to transpire. To the shock of many Discord laughed and offered the prince a warm smile despite being at death's door.
"It is not you who should ask to be forgiven, but it is we who should ask such from you. This was our war of revenge and we used innocent ponies to do it. Please forgive us for involving the innocent, both in the Empire and within the Kingdom in our chess game."
As the draconequus and unicorn drew their last breaths, the prince wept and declared that all would be forgiven, that the war was what a war should be, a horrible thing that all of pony kind within the kingdom should remember. To always remember the horrors of war so as not to allow the same mistakes to be repeated. A month later the prince was crowned as King and he set about repairing all of the damage his sister's reign had caused. His first day as the crowned king of the kingdom of Equestria, he ordered the moving of the capital from Castle Harmony; which would be demolished as a sight of corruption and moved to the mountains in the west. As the new capital Canterlot was being constructed the new king publicly took the oath of the crown, and began to work side by side with the common ponies in building the new capital.
Thus began a new age for the Kingdom of Equestria, as it strove to move past the horrors of the Nightmare War, and to not allow such a horrible mistake to be repeated. To this day, the oath originally spoken by Queen Lauren Heliopolis has been spoken by every alicorn that has worn the crown. No matter the age or sex, each and every alicorn ruler has taken to hearts the ancient oath and the lessons learned from the horrors of the Nightmare War. King Golden Lance lived on to found two new cities, in addition to relocating the capital to its present location in Canterlot. He also saw to the creation of a public education system, the standardization of the nations municipal currency, the creation of national road network, and the formal standardization of the Equestrian writing and language.
Few since King Golden Lance, have achieved as much change, but few if any had as many reasons to. Having lost his little brother, his parents, his older sister, an entire nation, and countless innocent lives lost in conflict, Golden Lance had every reason to try and make the kingdom a better place. The kind of place he only got to live in for a short time before war came to it. A world he spent the rest of his life building its new foundation. A foundation to this day is looked to for guidance by the rulers who have since come after him.
Still the legacy of the war lingers on, in the Crystal Empire that has since returned, in the decedents of the original Kestrels created by Fenrir, and in something far more powerful and destructive burred by Discord and his allies during the height of the Nightmare War. Something, that could very well prove to be the salvation of the kingdom and even the world in the near future.
Recently strange lights have appeared in the skies over the world of Avalon, and an unusual number of shooting stars have also been seen falling from the skies to the far east and north of the kingdom. Queen Celestia and the royal family have received a mysterious message imploring them to investigate the Crystal Mountains. With an air of caution and suspicion the Queen has sent the Bearers of Harmony; twelve ponies each gifted with unique ability to use one of the six elements of harmony, out to investigate the Crystal Mountains. Lead by the student and apprentice of Celestia and her brother Solaris, Twilight Sparkle and her brother Dusk Shine are now on a journey with there friends to learn the meaning of the message and what it means for the kingdom.
