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// Prologue: Before the Dawn 
// Story: Birthright 
// by Flowing-Mercury 
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You want to know the tale of the Beginning of Harmony, young one? Haven’t I told you this story before… You want to hear it again? Very well. You know I could never resist that face. But I warn you. The tale might be a little different from what you remember. I’m afraid with age this old soul has forgotten some of the finer details. I doubt think even the Princesses themselves can remember this far back, let alone an old duffer like me… But I will try my best. For you.


Long ago, before the reign of Chaos; before the royal sisters, the realm of Equestria was a far different place. The residual magic of the world was much stronger back then. The sun shone gloriously in the centre of our sky. It’s radiance strong enough to shine to the far corners of the land, bathing all in its light.There was no night, as the sun never set. As a result the trees grew taller, and nature was far wilder than what we have now. The weather too was more aggressive. Storms raged across the land unchecked; the seasons changed as they pleased, a blizzard one day, blazing sunshine the next. Equestria was a harsher world for ponies to live in back then.
Contrary to what you may believe however, the races lived closer together than they had in generations. Yes, the world may have been harsh, but that just required greater cooperation to tame it’s ways. Every race had its role to play in the grand scheme of survival, and they embraced that role, knowing that they played their part in maintaining harmony.
The earth ponies had dominion over the lands, there role was ensuring that it was a safe living environment for all pony-kind. They cared for it’s animals, and tended to the farms and fields, providing food for Equestria's citizens. If the need arose, they could aid in controlling the wilder elements of the land. Their natural born strength and sturdiness gave them an advantage against the more aggressive beasts, as well as taming some of the wilder forests, or habitating more aggressive wilderness. Many of us in the early days owed our survival to those few with the tenacity to make the previously unlivable parts of the country safe for us to live. Helped, in no small part of course, by the Pegasi.
The Pegasi, as you would expect, controlled the sky. It was their role to attempt tame the harsh weather patterns. They would herd the rain to the parts of the land that needed it most, ensuring that the earth pony's crops had the right nutrients to grow. Like the earth ponies it was also their role to keep control of the more aggressive elements of Equestria’s weather. Destroying the bigger storms and blizzards, and attempting to bring the seasons into some kind of cope-able rhythm. It mostly worked, the odd frost would ruin the occasional crop,sparking a bit of professional rivalry between the earth and sky races. But, all things considered, it was better than the alternative.
Overseeing the whole thing was the Unicorns. Their innate affinity for magic made them the perfect candidates for controlling the magical fields that swirled through the lands. Magic back then, you see, was a naturally occurring substance. And it flowed through everything, the plants, the rivers and even the animals. Occasionally this magic would spike creating a dangerous new element of nature, such as trees that could think for themselves, or a creature of a larger size or ferocity than usual. This was the role of the Unicorns, ensuring that these things did not affect the balance and status quo of the land. They would never kill them however. Unicorns, by nature, are more inquisitive. They would never destroy something if there was an opportunity that they could study it instead. This, as you could very well imagine, put them at odds with the two other races. It’s hard to have sympathy for a new kind of bird that can summon lightning, if it is eating your crops and making your job of controlling the storms even more complicated.
Controlling the magic of the land, however, was only part of the role that the unicorns had en-tasked themselves. For you see, early in the founding of Equestria, the Unicorns had found something wonderful. A tree buried beneath the earth, a tree of almost incomprehensible power. With gems embedded within its trunk and branches, and a beautiful pink star set in the middle. The tree was dubbed the Tree of Harmony, because of the great sense of positivity that seemed to radiate out from it. A magic that seemed to grow stronger when already positive energy, from ponies, was presented in front of it. The unicorns had dedicated themselves to the study and protection of this tree, in the hopes that one day they could harness it’s magic. For the benefit of all pony kind, of course
Naturally, as you would expect, they gave this role to the wisest of all the ponies alive at that time. And there was none wiser than the great Starswirl the Bearded… Yes, that one. Starswirl dedicated most of his time to the protection and study of the ''Tree of Harmony'', learning all that he could from it, living in a castle that had been erected above the cave in which the tree dwelt. Ponies would come from all over the land to see the tree and, on occasion, seek His opinion on all kinds of matters from land disputes to settling petty squabbles. His wise guidance, coupled with the positive energy from the tree, was usually enough to make the ponies more cooperative. As such most disputes were settled with both parties satisfied. Even the three races prospective rulers would seek his guidance on occasion. After a while, it was generally accepted that Starswirl’s say was the final one. He was, all but officially, accepted as ruler of Equestria. A role that he would never have admitted to possessing, but which was his nonetheless. Starswirl ‘’ruled’’ with honour and Equestria was all the better for him.
But Starswirl knew this couldn’t last forever, that he couldn’t last forever, and he would need to pass his knowledge and magic to the next generation of ponies so that the whole world may continue benefit from the Tree of Harmony. And so it was that he decided to take students under his tutelage. Many came from across the land to train under the Great Wizard, but only a small few were selected. Two of which were the remarkably gifted unicorns; Sunny Shines, and her little sister Moon Dream. Starswirl did have other students but unfortunately their names have been lost to the annuls of history. He endeavoured to teach these students all that he knew about magic and harmony, lessons which they were eager to learn. Over time his prodigies began to look at each other as more than just classmates. They became the best of friends, and closest of family, learning together and playing together. Starswirl loved them all like his own children, and they loved him in return. But as is the way with any story it can’t always be sunshine and rainbows, something always comes along to spoil the fun.
A great centaur named Tirek had heard about the powerful magic that coursed through the lands, and the denizens that lived there, and had arrived in Equestria with intent to steal that magic and make it his own. And while Starswirl, and Tirek’s own brother Scorpan, were able to imprison the outsmart the monster and banish him to the plains of Tartarus, it was too late. The land had lost most of its natural magic, and began to fall into ruin. The sun, which had been held in the sky by the magic that flowed through the land, could no longer create the light and warmth the world so desperately needed and began to fall over the horizon. Equestria was plunged into it’s first and most terrible night. Terrible storms raged as the plants and creatures began to die. Even the combined efforts of all three races could not stem the tide and it became apparent that soon the world would be no more. But all hope was not yet lost. As Starswirl’s two students, Sunny Shines and Moon Dream, were about to take their stand.
Sunny, whose talent for fire magic, it was said, was matched only by her warmth and compassion for others, became distraught by this horrific turn of events. She could not simply stand by and watch as ponies everywhere suffered. Fuelled by this, she used her talents, inspired by her cutie mark (Which strangely enough was of the sun itself, symbolising her kind nature as a warm light for the everypony to share) to catch hold of the falling sun and, with a not inconsiderable effort, hauled it back into the sky. Though greatly weakened by Tirek's greed, the sun was still large enough in expanse to cover the land in its warmth and light. It was a start, but it wasn’t enough. She could only give light to a small part of the world but not it all, and even then she could not hold the sun forever. Eventually it would fall again. And the storms would return.
Moon Dream, a little filly whose smile could light the darkest of days, was nowhere near as powerful as her elder sister, but she was still determined to help in any way she could. She could see how much pain it was causing her sister. And was determined to do what she could to alleviate her suffering.  Using all the artistic talents she possessed, began to decorate the darkness. Little twinkling lights were spread out across the sky, inspired by the glittering of her adopted father’s beard, to create a beautiful canvas of patterns and shapes which she called ‘’stars’’. But the masterstroke of this canvas was her ‘Moon’, a vast mirrored orb that would hover in the sky and reflect the light of her sister’s Sun, to the places it could not reach. Whilst it would never provide much in the way of warmth or light, like it's great sibling, it proved more than sufficient for it’s purpose. Hope was restored to the hearts and minds of the ponies and, like the windigoes before them, the storms were driven back. Equestria would once again know peace.
However it takes a great deal of magic to keep such great wonders of the sky to their intended purpose; and the sisters, much like Starswirl and the tree before them, would have to dedicate their entire lives to their care. But Sunny Shines and Moon Dream did not falter, they would guide their charges around the world and share it in equal measure with all the creatures who lived upon it’s surface, for as long as it took. Because in the end that was all that truly mattered, the happiness of others.
The tree of harmony, charged by such compassion, began to pulse with great energy. These two sisters had achieved a magic greater than had ever been seen before, and had restored Harmony to Equestria, not for personal gain, but the benefit of others. The sisters had  proved that they were ready for a higher form of magic, and the world was ready for a different kind of being. The two sisters were granted with even greater power so as to fulfil their newly given role with ease, as well as a vastly extended lifespan so that they may continue their task, till such a time as the sun was once again strong enough to shine alone. Which would not happen for thousands of years, such was The Demon's damage. It was a formidable task, which lay ahead of them, a role which the two sisters happily accepted and embraced. And the ponies of Equestria embraced them too. They were crowned as princesses, a title only befitting for the saviours of Equestria. Sunny Shines was crowned The Celestial Princess, and Moon Dream, the Lunar Princess. Under their guidance, the world entered into a new golden age of prosperity, where everypony was equal as symbolised by the trinity of races in it’s rulers. Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Pony, together in harmony, The Alicorn.
The final symbol, however was still yet to come. In the days following the ascension of ‘’Celestia’’ and ‘’Luna’’, as the sisters were now being called, a new star had appeared in the night sky. A star unique in that it glowed a lot brighter than the others.  Nopony, not even Luna, knows how it got there, but most believe that it was placed there by the Tree of Harmony. In no small part because it glows the most dazzling shade of violet, almost identical to the star at the centre of the tree. It is the first star to appear in the evening, and the last star to disappear at night. And always hovers over where our princesses reside. For this reason the ponies of the age dubbed it the ‘’Alicorn Star’’, and for many it is seen as a symbol of hope. For if they can see the Star they knew they were safe, that they were home. And that all was well…


And for you, I'm afraid, it is time for bed... No, I have kept you awake long enough. I can almost feel the stern glare from your mother if she knew you'd been awake this long. Now off to bed... your Grandpa needs his rest. Sleep well, my little pony, and remember. As you look outside your window tonight, and see the Alicorn Star shining in the night sky, know that the princesses are safe. And as long as that is the case, Equestria will always know Harmony...



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“I’m tellin’ you this cloud is gettin’ HEAVIER!”
“And I’m telling you to clouds don’t have weight. That’s how they float!”
“Well this one does! And it’s gettin’ Heavier”

Gail force placed her face in her hooves, then stared up at the night sky. Her team had been going like this for hours. Why had she agreed to take this job? She could have been home in bed?
Oh yeah. She needed the bits.
But she was starting to wonder if she really needed them all that badly. Yes, the return of Tirek had done a number on Equestria’s Eco-system and now the natural weather wasn’t working properly anymore, Equestrian weather was  almost 100% Cloudsdale produced now. The production factories were now working 24-hours to keep up with demand. But his defeat was over a year ago now, surely the princesses could have done something by now to get it back on track. There was 4 of them. However the princesses just kept reassuring everypony that this situation was only temporary. It would re-adjust itself in time, as it had before.
But it hadn’t yet. And now Gail Force and her team were transporting a storm cloud to Canterlot in the middle of the night, so that the capital could have it’s scheduled storm in the morning. And now her team were fighting! However that wasn’t the reason Gail Force wanted to be at home in bed. She had dealt with fighting colleagues before. It was best to just ignore them, like annoying gusts of wind. No, this was something else, a feeling.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong

Sandy Hurricane, a dust coloured Pegasus with a tornado cutie mark, scoffed at her colleague, a silvery white stallion Pegasus, “Well, Silver, maybe if you did more pushing and less complaining the cloud might get lighter then, mightn’t it!”
Silver Lining made a rude gesture at Sandy, “I’m pushin’ plenty, it’s Nimbus that isn’t pullin’ his weight…” he looked around, “Hang on a sec, where is Nimbus!?”
There was a rustling amongst the cotton of the cloud and a teal head with a blonde mane emerged and looked around. “Huh,” said Swift Nimbus, rubbing his eyes, “Are we there yet?”
This was too much for Sandy Hurricane to bear. “You were asleep. In the cloud?!” she seethed, smoke flaring from her nostrils, “How long have you been in there for?”
Silver Lining was looking victorious, “HA! I knew the cloud was heavier!” he cheered, pointing a hoof at Sandy. “Told Ya”
Nimbus, however, simply shrugged, “I dunno,” he mumbled in answer to Sandy’s question. “ I guess I got tired at around Midnight and thought I’d take a quick nap, no bigg..he” He stifled a yawn, then noticed the look on her face, “Why, what time is it?” He had a sudden realisation of his own mortality.
“It’s 5 o’clock in the morning. The sun will be up in an hour!!” Sandy was snarling now, her face within inches of Swift’s, “Do you realise that we have got to have this cloud in Canterlot in two hours! This is the first storm they have had in Three Months. They cannot miss this one. The royal gardens are beginning to dry up!” Her face had gone Mahogany now, “Do you want to be the one to explain that to the princesses? Cos I sure…”
“What time is it!?”
Sandy looked around at Gail Force, still fuming. ”I said it’s 5 o’clock,” she turned back to Swift Nimbus, continuing her tirade, “And if you hadn’t been slacking off we could have been there by now…”
But Gail Force wasn’t listening anymore. Her eyes were frantically scanning the skyline. She knew that something was wrong, but just couldn’t put her hoof on what, it took her colleague telling her the time for to realise what it was. And it was bad!
“We need to get to Canterlot,” Gail exclaimed suddenly, letting go of the storm cloud, “NOW!”
Sandy looked around, annoyed “That’s what I’ve been saying, if these two!” she pointed at Silver Lining and Swift Nimbus, “Had done less moaning and more pushing…”
Now it was Gail’s turn to be annoyed, “Leave the cloud! We need to get to the city and speak to the princesses before sunrise!”
If it was possible for Sandy Hurricane to be more angry, she was now. “And what,” she asked, crossing her hooves, she wasn’t even worried she was talking to her superior.  “is so important it can’t wait until after we get to Canterlot anyway in a few hours, therefore still keeping our jobs?”
Gail Force looked back up at the night sky, she should have seen it by now, “Because the Alicorn Star is Gone!!”
The four weather ponies abandoned the cloud and made their way straight to Canterlot as fast as their wings could carry them. Maybe some things are worth losing your jobs over.