Setting the Stage

For millennia the three species of man have dwelled upon the planet of Equestria. The Terrans; physically strong and durable, farmed the planet’s vast plains for generations. The Pegasi; winged men of the sky who possessed the ability to shape and manipulate the clouds high above. From this ability they had been able to construct sprawling metropolises among the clouds. Finally the Unicorns; a race of advanced magicians, able to harness the mystic energies of the universe and bend them to their will.

The fragile peace between the three races was maintained only by the power and leadership of a fourth race, the Alicorns. Alicorns were the peak of man’s evolution, comprising of the best traits of each race. Though only able to maintain a small population, for nearly two thousand years the immortal Alicorns ruled Equestria in peace and harmony. That all changed when Discord attacked.

Discord was a powerful, and unstable, being of unknown origin with unmatched magical ability. With the support of an army of changelings, insectoids that could mimic the appearance of others, he turned the peaceful kingdom on its head. Slowly but surely changeling agents began destroying the equestrian civilization from the inside out.
Equestria was reduced to a shell of its former self. The will of the people was broken, the land twisted and warped by Discords manic powers. In a final demoralizing blow, Discord massacred the Alicorns without mercy. The royal families that bound together the kingdom, were completely wiped out; save two young girls, Celestia and Luna

The children had escaped the slaughter with the help of a family friend, who smuggled them out of the royal palace along with the Elements of Harmony. The Elements were set of Alicorn weapons, keyed to Alicorn DNA patterns. Augmenting magical abilities to impossible levels, the elements were an invaluable asset in shrouding the young girls from harm.

For nearly a thousand years the sisters hid themselves away in the cave systems under the Everfree forest. Training their bodies and magical talents rigorously, preparing for the day they could emerge to the surface and take revenge against Discord.

When the time came to finally challenge the tyrant, the sisters emerged from the caverns, witnessing the extent of the corruption upon the land first hand. Drought parched the once grand amber fields, reducing them to little more than massive dustbowls. Plague ravaged the land, Equestria’s population a measly third of what it had been when the sisters had entered exile. As a result widespread hunger was omnipresent.

The people of Equestria had been broken long ago, fear and anguish now presiding over their lives. Not a single sole lived without constant paranoia towards those around them, always wary of changelings in disguise and the immediate death sentence that could be carried out if one stepped out of line.

Armed with the Elements of Harmony the vengeful sisters began their crusade to take Equestria back from Discord. For decades the sisters fought a losing war, until Luna made a pivotal discovery. She had devised a spell that could project a large magical field capable of reverting any changelings inside of it to their original form. Aided by the Element’s power, Luna was able to cast fields across entire cities as Celestia lead her forces against the changeling forces. With hope renewed, the peoples of Equestria slowly began to rise up against their oppressors once again.

Only months later the sisters arrived at Canterlot’s doorstep, ready to challenge Discord. The battle lasted for several days; the very foundation of Canterlot itself was uprooted from the sheer force given off by the three great magics clashing. On the eve of the ninth day the sisters emerged from the ruins of the city victorious, declaring Equestria free of Discord’s tyranny.

Declared the new rulers of Equestria, the sisters lead the country to prosperity for over three thousand years.
The invention of Arc-Tech’s Nebula drive planted seeds of unrest through the kingdom. The Nebula drive granted space vessels the ability travel through slip-space, making galactic travel possible in a short amount of time. With the successful colonization of the planet Beta Centarion, man flocked to the stars, eager to explore the vastness of space. The Kingdom of Equestria soon became The Solar Empire, coming to encompass nearly a fourth of the galaxy.

Nearly fifty years after the establishment of the Empire, Empress Luna began to question her sister. Her spy network had been sending in reports that Celestia had been ordering the death of politicians with secessionist views and quite often their followers as well. Unable to stand by and let the people be mercilessly slaughtered, Luna organized a rebellion against her sister for several years.

Catching wind of this betrayal Celestia confronted her sister. For hours the sisters clashed, nearly reducing the royal palace to ruble, until Luna was finally brought down by the combined strength of Celestia and her top Unicorn guards. Luna fled the planet, stealing her half of the Elements of Harmony in the process. Sending out a call to the Rebellion to join her, Empress Luna fled Imperial space with nearly fifty thousand followers behind her.

Luna and her followers weren’t heard from again for a millennium. Most had forgotten about her, Celestia ordering her name to be stricken from history. The Solar Empire continued to expand its reach through the stars, even annexing the Zebra peoples, a very new space faring race, into the empire. This all changed in the year 4349 A.D. of the Solar calendar.
From beyond known space emerged a people long forgotten by the Empire. Armed with a vastly superior military and Griffin mercenaries at their call, Luna returned from exile declaring war between the Solar Empire and the New Lunar Republic.

Note: This is only a prologue of sorts to flesh out the very AU universe I was creating. Hope you guys are interested in the story. The next chapter is almost done, and should be out soon.

Oh and on a side note, I was considering doing a side story about Luna and Celestia's war to take back Equestria. The setting would be equivalent to the late medieval/early renascence periods in design. Anyone interested?

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