World Building: The Nightmare War and the Fall of the Sisters · 10:01pm Dec 25th, 2015
Okay... this is basically something that I've been wanting to do for a while, but could never actually figure out the proper way to handle it. It's a bit of lore that's part of the main conceit I've held with regards to my most successful story, but will likely never find a way to work into the narrative proper, and don't have the time to try and turn into an actual story on it's own. This, in my mind at least, is the point at which my strange and insane Alternate Universe diverged from the show canon and spiraled into the madhouse it's become.
Enjoy, and I apologize in advance for my attempts to make this seem like the opening to FiM. And for my atrocious grammar; I don't have editor team to look this over for me.
The Nightmare War
A thousand years ago, there lived two sisters. Blessed were they, with the magic of all three pony tribes, they of horn and wing were known as 'Alicorns', and they were to rule over the land of Equestria as princesses.
Princess Celestia, the dawn incarnate, unconquered sol, radiant light, and shepherd of the sun, ruled the day. Her grace and beauty were beyond compare, her wisdom and knowledge tempered by the ages, and her mercy without equal. It was she who taught and blessed the first of the Solar Order, granting them magic stemming from her own, and teaching them the ways of Harmony, so that they may battle the forces of evil and discord wherever they may be found.
Princess Luna, the mistress of darkness, guile moon, the blessed shadow, and lady of the heavenly stars, stood watch over the night. She was friend to all who who avoided the light, deceived those who would harm the ponies of Equestria, and never shied away when action needed to be taken. She was the first of the Gray Guards, using Dark magic to safeguard the land she called home when all other avenues failed.
For a time, these two sisters reigned in harmony with one another, and there was peace. Then, came the Nightmare.
A collection of the blackest, most vile magics given thought and will, it sought out the mare of the moon. It spoke to her, tempted her, fed into every jealous and spiteful thought she had ever had about ponies and her sister. All her fears and pains were magnified, and she grew to loath the very pony she once loved the most. In her madness, she delved ever further into Dark magic, finding spells to twist the forms of others, to create horrors the likes of which the world had never seen, to call forth abominations whose very presence could defile the land upon which they walked. With her forces gathered, she declared war upon her sister.
The battles that followed left the land scarred for years to come. While Celestia's forces were more vast, Luna had summoned monsters that could lay waste to entire battalions. The losses were countless, and Celestia began to fear that she would see the end of the ponies she sought to protect. To that end, she called Luna to a final test of single-combat; Luna, now entirely in the grip of the Nightmare, accepted, expecting a quick victory.
Sister clashed with sister as the two alicorns fought, tearing apart the lands in their wrath. Until, after countless days of endless fighting, Celestia plunged Zenith, the blessed sword, into the barrel of her sister. However, in one final act of defiance, the possessed Luna cursed her sister with blindness and drove Nadir, the cursed blade, into Celestia's very heart.
The mortal bodies of the two sisters perished that day, taking the Nightmare with them. Magic from their being flooded in the world, gifting their precious ponies with new magic, beyond even what unicorns had once wielded. Unable to return to the mortal world, the sisters ascended to the heavens, to watch over their little ponies. The Nightmare, purged from Luna by Celestia's weapon, followed with them, always listening and waiting for another pony to tempt in her devious ways.
It is through the Solar Order that Celestia's will lives on in Equestria, and through the Gray Guard that Luna remains steadfast in her protection of all ponies with the land. May their sacrifice never be forgotten.
Congrats!
After thinking about it for a while, and given the various characters we've seen, I think the Solar Order should be renamed.
"Attracting Opposites: finding Misunderstood 'Evil-doers' for curious Do-gooders."
Necrolyra X Palabon
Derplich X Doctor Whooves
Infernyl X Roguetavia
I'm fully expecting pretty much everyone in the order (or associated with it) 'hooked up' similarly.
3642924
Only problem with the theory there... neither Ditzy nor Time Turner are a part of the solar order.
Fascinating. Plus, it leaves a pair of artifacts to use as future plot hooks, a must for any campaign backstory.
3642971
Believe me when I say, this is only a tiny part of all the world-building I've been doing off screen regarding this verse. I'll probably post another one of these eventually, once I can get more of my ideas organized, but I hope you enjoy this one for now.
3642937
Ah, but they might have been involved.
sweet. I always love worldbuilding.
I just realized. This means no Elements of Harmony, which means, what's gonna happen when Discord breaks free?
3643976
You'll see eventually; this isn't the only world-building I plan on doing, and I have 6 more major deities I need to cover still.
Actually, it's short and focused enough, so it can be inserted into story after some stylisation, for example, as a story told to a small foal, or a bit from over-exposition-liking character, who then cut abruptly by someone else ("Come on, every small foal knew this story!"), or something else...
3646488
Eh... maybe. But I honestly couldn't think of a good spot to insert it, and it would probably detract from what passes for a story line in the fic if I did insert it.
3646556 Well, that's a reasonable approach, I guess :-)