The myth of Equestria's discovery is well known—it is told and retold each year by Hearth's Warming Eve pageants from Manehattan to Canterlot. The true origins of the nation are, however, far more complicated.

After defeating the Windigoes and forging an alliance between their three tribes, Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane, and Princess Platinum—not to mention Smart Cookie, Private Pansy, and Clover the Clever—have an uphill battle to fight before they can convince everypony to stop fighting and live in harmony. Legions led by Hurricane's political opponents plunge the pegasi into civil war, Princess Platinum and her father struggle to maintain control over insurrection-minded unicorn nobles, and Chancellor Puddinghead's hooves are full trying to convince the other Earth pony leaders of the importance of this new alliance.

It's a world of intrigue, war, and disharmony. Before the colonization of the new region of Equestria, the disparate tribes of Ponyland must be brought together—but this may come at a price.

(Author's notes: inspiration was drawn, in part, from this image: http://sakuyamon.deviantart.com/art/Founders-of-Equestria-277451481?q=boost%3Apopular%20equestria&qo=2 The depictions of the characters in that image are how I imagine them to be in the story, including the gender decisions made by that artist.

Also, some dialogue between Princess Platinum and her father was inspired by the musical Les Misérables.)