Equestria Chronicles: How Pinkie got her Cutie Mark and Other Stories

by Nom dePlume

Disharmony

Harmonia, Queen of Equestria and Guardian of Magic, disliked what she saw happening within Her realm. It was her job, her role as Queen, to maintain peace and order throughout Equestria. To facilitate this, she often wandered the world in pony guise. As she walked through Her lands, however, all she saw was arguing and chaos. One incident in particular was the final straw.

In the market of a small city, a unicorn noble rode through the streets in a gilded chariot, pulled by a pair of earth-ponies and flanked by two pegasus guards. Suddenly, an overripe tomato whizzed out of the crowd and struck the stallion's shoulder, staining his pale blue coat and purple cape with dark red.

A earth-pony, smudged with dirt to the point where one wasn't sure what color her coat was, pushed through the crowd A pair of tomatoes still on the vine marked her flank, and hatred blazed in her orange eyes. "You monster," she screamed, "taxing us to the point of poverty, parading your wealth in our faces!" She advanced on the stunned lord, teeth bared in a snarl. "You treat the earth-ponies like we're dirt, like we're animals, and there's nothing we can do about it! Everywhere you go, those stupid featherfaces are guarding you. Well, I'm done with it! It's time someone ran the risk and stood up to a bully like you!"

"Featherface?" One of the pegasai guards threw his dark gray head back in indignation. "You think I want to be here, dirt-grubber? I'm only in this idiot's service to get my family out of debt!"

"And as you are in my service," the unicorn growled icily, "I demand you take this loudmouthed fool to the stockades. A week locked in the middle of the square should correct her behavior."

The two pegasai stallions looked at one another and shrugged. "What choice do we have?" the gray one asked his tan companion. "He holds our families captive." Unable to protest, the two pegasai guards picked the struggling mare up and flew away.

Harmonia, disguised as an earth-pony herself, frowned and brushed strands of indigo mane from her violet eyes. This was not the world that Omnia and Vaccuss had intended. She wandered through the streets that led away from the market, and saw that the distraught mare's words were true. The further away from the square she went, the worse the conditions became. Here, a mother wept over a sick child, begging the doctor to lower his fee. There, a pair of foals fought over a scrap of vegetable scrounged from the trash. In one small place, on the edge of the city, a pegasus, hardly more than skin and bones, nibbled at the short-cropped grass that grew stunted in the city's marvelous gardens.

Enraged, Harmonia stormed to the lord's estate, changing herself into a unicorn lady to pass the guards. The nobleman welcomed his mysterious lilac guest warmly, but his warmth was not returned. In an effort to ease the strange mare's mind, he sent his guards away and invited her to sit with him.

Alone in his hall, Harmonia faked a smile as best as she could. "My lord," she grated out, "I see your lands are fine and verdant. The gardens that surround your city are simply beautiful. Yet I saw no food plants. What shall your people do in times of famine?"

The lord laughed and conjured a glass of wine for his guest. "It is simple, fine lady. There will be no famine here. All food can be summoned magically, like this wine here. Everyone will be able to provide for themselves."

Harmonia tensed, but held the ruse. "Everyone? What of the earth-ponies and pegasai, who cannot bring things to their hoof by magic?"

The lord frowned and thought a moment, then waved a dismissive hoof in the air. "Rest easy, my lady. I am sure they will all be fine. The earth-ponies are master growers after all. It is the only thing they are any good for, anyway."

Harmonia took a sip of the wine, fighting to swallow the sour, overspiced brew. "Truly," she murmured. "And what of drought? Outside your city's gardens, the land is barren. What of the farmers, suffering to pull a meager crop from the dust? What shall they do?"

The unicorn lord laughed and refilled his wine glass. "My dear, you worry too much! I will summon a storm to ease their troubles tomorrow."

Harmonia set the glass down gently. "Why can the pegasai not bring a gentle rain? The winds of your storm will blow the dust about in great gusts, and the pounding rain will wash away any planted seeds."

The noble snorted and took another long pull from his drink. "All the city's pegasai of use have fallen deep into debt. They are employed in my guard and nowhere else, lady. You wish the farms to have rain? They will have rain. Magic can accomplish this much faster and easier. After all, magic is much more powerful than physical strength. Why do you think we are the ruling class, my lady? We hold Harmonia's Gift; we are her chosen race. Why not let the worms dig and the birds flutter about? It is their place, just as it is our place to rule."

At that point, Harmonia had had it. The goddess leapt to her hooves, letting the illusion fall as she landed. The whole hall was encased in blinding white light. By the time it had cleared, the lord was shocked to find Harmonia, her purple coat gleaming and white armor sparkling, standing before him.

"You dare to tell me who I chose to rule?" Fire flickered in the Alicorn's brilliant purple eyes, and her mane flared out around her head. "Fool! Once I resolve this faulty distribution of power, your punishment will come. For now, you will live as your people do, but with none of their gifts. You will have no more connection to the aether, and none to the sky or sea or land. You will be alone, completely and totally, with no help but what you can find with your own hooves and head." She turned away and looked over her shoulder. "Good luck," she added with a sneer.

Harmonia locked herself away, and was never seen again. One day, years after the Alicorn had disappeared, a great glittering rainbow exploded across the land. All over Equestria, cities collapsed and fell, destroyed by the torrent of magical energy. Magical beings arose, griffins and dragons and things too numerous and terrible to mention. It is said that the unicorn lord's spirit was collected, and he became the first Wendigo, forever attracted to the hatred he had caused.

Against Harmonia's intentions, the four pony races fell back into themselves, becoming more xenophobic than ever. Disharmony was still brewing, but war would be postponed for many, many years to come.