Once upon a time, many many thousand years ago, when the two pony princesses had not yet been born, the land of Equestria was wrought with chaos and disharmony. Fights broke out in the streets, ponies were forced to either hide, or fight to survive. But one day, the leaders of the three pony tribes, called a truce, and a treaty was forged among them. This treaty stated that the earth ponies would provide food for the unicorns and pegasi, while the former would bring day and night, and the latter would control the weather to the favour of the earth ponies below…
“Aw, we’ve heard this already Miss Sunlight! We hear it every Hearth’s Warming Eve!” cried Sweetie Belle.
She and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, as well as the numerous other young fillies and colts expressed similar feelings of disappointment towards their teacher. They were situated in the old mansion, tucked away on the outskirts of Ponyville. Its façade was dark and worn, but its age did not give a sense of dirt and cobwebs, but rather a sense of experience. The interior was spacious yet cosy, sporting 2 dozen rooms on each of its two wings and several larger rooms deeper inside. The hallways and rooms were lit by curious, yellow crystals, regardless of the time of day. Despite its hill top position, one wouldn’t even see the mansion without knowing where to look. The foals were gathered by the hearth of the main library, listening attentively to the mare taking care of them all for the evening. Miss Sunshine took care of any foals whose parents could not pick them up straight away after school. She is a pale yellow Pegasus with long, straight yellow mane and tail, a slightly darker shade than her coat. She wore a golden circlet on her head adorned with a diamond shaped deep purple gem and a cutie mark in the shape of a simplified sun, an orange disc surrounded by eight tear-shaped rays of light.
“I know, I know, Sweetie Belle,” she said “but please bear with me for the moment, this story is different,”
“Fine,”
“Now then, where was I? Ah yes,”
A raised hoof interrupted her once again.
“Yes Rumble?” she sighed, patience was not a common commodity among teachers, but if they didn’t have it, they hid it well.
“Can I please go to the little colt’s room?”
This request was met with un-abstained giggling from the rest of the foals. Miss Sunshine threw a quick glare at her charges to silence them.
“Of course you can Rumble,” A grey Pegasus colt with wavy black hair got up and trotted off to the west side of the library.
“Now” Sunshine continued “Are there any more questions before we get started?” Another hoof shot up, this one belonged to a pink unicorn wearing a tiara inset with diamonds.
“Yeah, where’s the weird guy?” she hollered. The entire assembly giggled, minus an unamused adult.
“Diamond Tiara, please! Inside voices, we are in a library you know”
Tiara harrumphed and sat back down. The “weird guy” in question was a midnight blue unicorn stallion with straight, spiky, yet neatly combed mane and tail of a deeper shade of blue, nearing black. He would be seen occasionally around the mansion or in one of its many workrooms by an overly curious filly or colt.
“My brother Mister Star is on business in Canterlot following preparations for the Grand Galloping Gala,” Miss Sunshine answered
“What kind of business?”
“General organiser, he is also currently working on the dresses that my family and I will be wearing to it,”
This was met with a collective “Oooh!” by her assembled audience.
“Ah! Rumble, your back. Please have a seat so we can continue the story. Good boy, now, where was I…”
Years the races have toiled, under their uneasy peace. Distrust began to fester and just when it began to boil, the Crystal Empire Intervened. Little known to the three tribes was that the Crystal Empire has been taking over every one of its neighbouring nations, not through military conflict, but through peace. The Zebras, Griffons and surprisingly, Dragons have accepted the new peace. The three tribes reluctantly ended there skirmishes and joined the Empire. For those of you who have not seen it, the Crystal Empire was a huge city far in the north of Equestria, even larger than Canterlot today. Every building was hewn from crystal, even the very ground on which you would stand is made from it. In its centre was the Grand Spire, a tall, thin building that reached to the sky. It held The Empires Parliament as well as its most precious and powerful artefact, the Crystal Heart. True to its name, it as an aqua, coloured gem about the size of a pony’s head, despite its shape, it was not carved, but found. Stranger than this, is its ability to channel, amplify and release the emotional energy from the Empire’s inhabitants, Crystal ponies. The heart was what kept the monsters of the Everfree away, as well as the cold of the Empire’s frigid location. It was what kept the Crystal ponies safe, and warm, but like all good things, it must come to an end…
“And I’m afraid young fillies and colts it is time to conclude our story for now.”
She was met with a chorus of “Awwww”s and pouts from the assembly.
“Don’t be that way; I’ll see you all tomorrow after school, goodbye for now! Chestnut, can you please escort the children to Cheerilee’s school house?”
“Of course Mistress” she answered. She worked for Miss Sunshine as a maid, and Butler. She has a chestnut brown coat (After which she is named) and a chocolate brown, curly mane and tail, the former was done up in a single braid down her left side. She also wore a white collar and green bow tie around her neck. Her cutie mark was a door, with a blue bow on it.
“Will Master Star be joining you this evening?” she continued
“I’m afraid not,” Sunshine answered “He has business in Canterlot,”
Chestnut nodded glumly and went for the door as the last filly walked out of the room.
“Oh, and Chestnut?”
“Yes Mistress?” she asked
“Don’t be so formal dear granddaughter, we are family remember?”
A ghost of a smile touched Chest Nut’s lips as she exited, silently closing the door behind her.