//------------------------------// // Cause of events // Story: The Great Equestria Wars // by Vespulan //------------------------------// King Bremane Puddinghead (a successor of Chancellor Puddinghead) marched out of Canterlot Castle accompanied by his Royal Guard and stood inspecting the furry comet that had landed in his courtyard. Barking questions at his secretary, Bremane trotted in circles whilst Ponies sprang from hiding to get home and see if they had fallen victim to the 'natural disaster'. However, this disaster was far from natural. Thorse's grotto had been its epicentre and his creation now lay staring into the face of the Earth Pony King – the horrendous Chimera (more tastefully called a Draconequus): Discord. For fifty years, Thorse had sat in the mountain capturing goats, griffons, salamanders, even dragons with the sole purpose of embodying the spirit of chaos – Discord incarnate – and upon griffon shoulders lay a head with a thinning, grey coat and fading black mane. With a deep, groaning sound the beast raised its snout and stared into Bremane's eyes, mimicking his expressions and raising the rest of its body painfully from the ground. Suddenly a misshapen wing flew outward, catching one of the Guards in the cheek and sending him spinning. Instantly seven more Earth Ponies from the Guard threw themselves at Discord, attempting to contain the menace, but were quickly defeated by ferocious claws and dark magic spewing from both of his horns. A blood-curdling roar escaped his mottled jaw as awkward wings carried Discord above Canterlot and West, towards the beautiful nimbus of Cloudsdale. If you had seen what Discord had seen as he floated up, above the peak of Canterlot mountain, you might have seen the upside-down tip of Aching Rock off the East coast of Filly Delphia (the island that has now become Manehatten) and a huge, dark patch just South of Canterlot that seemed to be growing roots: the Everfree Forest. It was in this damaged world that a new era began under chaos and tyranny: the Great Equine Wars. “The King is sick in bed, ma'am.” A sturdy guard stood smartly to attention addressing Sharp Cookie, the new court Secretary. “We are doing everything we can but none of our apothecaries have ever seen anything like it.” It was three days after the arrival of Discord, and an inexplicable illness had taken hold of Bremane, Sovereign and General Flood (not related to Commander Hurricane or Private Pansy, elected instead for his hard-line policy on Unicorn relations). Members of all three races had now retreated to their respective holds and the Pegasi particularly stood isolated in Los Pegasus and Cloudsdale. Cookie dismissed the guard and stepped over to a blue coated Unicorn – one of the few not travelling West - with a grey, hooded cloak wrapped around her shoulders. “What do you think Sentinel? If these reports are correct, the King is suffering the same ailment as your Queen.” “And Flood; they flew him down to Los Pegasus yesterday. They even came to us for help,” muttered Sentinel as she stared out across Canterlot. Born into a very strict and well-off family, she had been destined to end up working in Royal affairs, but it had come as a surprise when Sovereign had asked her to be Ambassador in Canterlot. Canterlot! Ever since she had visited it with he parents on one of her mother's business trips she had become enamoured with the mountain-side city: great spires towered towards the fresh, mountain sky and gentle, flowing streams etched their way from springs up-high, cascading into shimmering pools and canals that separated the Canterlot districts expanding from the base of the mountain. She had always thought it would have been best under a Unicorn rule. “Has there been any news from the scouts you sent South?” “Yes, an owl flew in just this morning and I'm afraid its pretty foul. Apparently a small hamlet town was completely destroyed when the rock hit and now dark-branched trees are growing from the ground at an incredible rate. I was planning on taking a look myself, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me...” Cookie turned to Sentinel trying to determine her response, but her expression was nonplussed. When Sentinel had arrived at Canterlot as ambassador, Cookie had always been there making her feel at home. Cookie was the one Earth mare she thought she could really trust. Suddenly a warm grin spread across her face. “Of course! But we'd better hurry. It doesn't sound like a place we want to be when it gets dark.” As the pair walked through Canterlot, it was clear something had got the residents traumatised. Although the market had been re-erected and people still chatted busily throughout the smart streets, it wasn't with the usual Earth Pony vigour – as though a curtain of shadow and doubt had been painted across their minds. Heads turned and glared at Sentinel as she passed through and a foolish teenage filly even approached her and spat at her hooves. Cookie instantly brought her own hoof into the filly's chin, sneering aggressively: “What in Equestria has got into you all? What's she done that deserves such insolence?” Cookie spoke with such authority that the filly's yellow coat turned a deep shade of red, and the gathering crowd which was in danger of becoming a mob humbly retreated, murmuring incomprehensible curse. “Maybe I should have brought my cloak...” Sentinel turned towards the castle but instead felt a reassuring leg around her neck. “N-no, don't do that. I... like you said, we need to get their before dark!” Smart Cookie rushed her words and nudged her companion down a less-populated alleyway. By the position of the sun, Sentinel reckoned it was getting on early afternoon, but her mind was slightly distracted by Cookie – she was acting strangely and whatever had worked up does other Earth Ponies, she figured it might have affected her as well. She mentally prepared herself in case any kind of conflict arose. As the pair hurried South, it became obvious that the old, peaceful town that sprawled across open country, inhabiting thick glades and hugging one of the larger rivers pouring out of Canterlot had been completely destroyed - replaced instead with grim pine-trees that seemed to grow by the minute and threatened to completely obscure the stamped-out path crafted by the scouting party before them. Although the sun had not quite set, inside the sprouting forest it may as well have been midnight. Sentinel furrowed her brow, emitting a bright light from her horn and lighting the way before them. However, the further into the coniferous mess they travelled, the worse the path had been defined – and it didn’t help that branches thrust themselves outwards, as if to embrace the tree opposite them and forming a dense barrier. Cookie drew herself to a halt just in time to avoid poking her eye out on a low-hanging branch, panting heavily following the exhausting run. Taking in a deep breath of foggy air, she realised her vision had become dark and blurry. She shook her head, blinking, but no improvement came. It was now that she realised it wasn't her own vision that had worsened, it was the light being created by Sentinel's magic. “Sentinel...” Her voice echoed throughout the forest and, pivoting on her hooves, she turned just in time to see her companion collapse in a lapis-coloured heap on what remained of their path. “Sentinel!” Cookie rushed towards the unicorn, placing a hoof on her waist and rocking her gently. “Sentinel, wake up! We don't have time for naps.” Squeezing gently on the Unicorn's stomach caused her to groan and stir slightly but, as she did, what was left of her glow flickered out and the two were left in utter darkness.