//------------------------------// // The King and Queen of Equestria // Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// There's not a pony in Equestria today that remembers the King and Queen. Even Celestia and Luna, their own daughters, do not recall their own parents. Queen Chrysalis and her changelings did not rise until long after their sudden disappearance, though even she has heard tales of their power. They were beloved as the guardians of Equestria, the bringers of the First Harmony during the Age of Unity and they ruled and cared for their subjects for generations. They also left behind the only home and the only family they knew, abandoning them. But not forever. In a time long past, the King and Queen did sit the throne in the Kingdom Before Kingdoms, the Enchanted Valley where all creatures great and small did live in peace. It was a time not without problems or strife, which the King and Queen themselves did right. Ever watchful, it was their duty as ordained by the Creator(Fausticorn) to maintain harmony across the world. They wielded power unparalleled, authority unquestioned and ruled undisputed for their long reign over Equestria. They knew they were bound to be the champions of this world, they alone to preserve peace and harmony. But they were never told why. Through the ages, the burning question of why would remain unanswered for the King and Queen. As the world changed, they did not. Civilization developed and grew, expanding further and further. With the rise of society came the increase in problems and threats, forcing the King and Queen to go to greater and greater lengths to protect their kingdom. They never faltered, and their subjects served them faithfully, fulfilling their own dreams and desires. The King and Queen watched over them as they struggled and strove, competed and cooperated, triumphed and failed to find their purpose, to fulfill their destiny. Their lives were fragile, but free. Something the King and Queen would never know. But something they would always desire. Seasons came and went. The dangers the kingdom would face grew as more would seek to conquer them, to claim power for themselves, to rule the world. This was the way things were until the day the King and Queen received something unexpected. They received the greatest gift a pair can receive in all of Equestria. A blessing was born unto them. And she entered the world as a ray of light from the sun. Celestia's birth gave them new purpose and new meaning. The kingdom celebrated and the subjects rejoiced. In the long history of their lives, the King and Queen had never been so happy. They couldn't imagine being happier. Until... their blessing was doubled. After one very long day, a second daughter arrived in the night. Her eyes shone through the darkness like the moon, so did they name her Luna. They were a royal family. More than their own happiness, the entire kingdom was blessed. Never was there a time when beings of every kind shared in the joyous love of one another, a love so strong and powerful it was said to flow throughout the kingdom like a second source of magic, an energy all its own. For the first time, the world envisioned something greater than harmony itself: they looked to the stars and saw prosperity. They were on the verge of a bright future, thus it was known as the Age of Prosperity. An endless realm of possibilities and discoveries waiting to be explored was open to them. Unfortunately, it did not last long. A being of immense power saw different uses for Equestria's magic. Rather than prosperity for all, he saw power for himself. Where he came from is not known, but it is said that his arrival heralded the corruption of magic and the creation of dark magic, the first real villain. The King and Queen did fight this being, who called himself Lord Tirek, many times for control of their kingdom. Tirek gained a band of followers- beasts and monsters, some of which were corrupted and others which had not been on Equestria before his arrival. At first, Tirek attacked the kingdom alone to seize the throne, but each time he was defeated, he would return and his armies and powers would grow. When Equestria became threatened by the conflict, the King did decree that Tirek deserved punishment beyond simple exile or imprisonment. Tirek would be banished to a dimension separate from the reality of Equestria itself, a prison without walls to contain his awful might that not even he could escape from. And so, Tartarus was created for its first prisoner- Lord Tirek. His beasts would be imprisoned with him to keep Equestria safe from their terrible wrath. But it would not remain safe. Before Lord Tirek was banished, he left the King and Queen with a parting message. He told them that they would one day become a threat to their own kingdom, that they would one day use their powers against those they protected. He foretold that one day, they would become what they fought against and bring ruin to their subject, to the lands they guarded and the subjects that they loved and cherished. Even their own daughters. Tirek's greatest attack was not upon the kingdom itself but by planting a seed in the hearts of its rulers. The Age of Prosperity had ended, the shortest era in recorded Equestrian history. Time passed. Celestia and Luna took long to grow up- Luna had barely learned to walk before their parents made their decision. With heavy hearts, the King and Queen bid farewell to the world they protected, the subjects they loved and everything they had ever known. They left in charge of their kingdom a wise unicorn friend named Starswirl and a pony named Discovery who would watch over their daughters until they came of age. The King and Queen promised that one day, their daughters would bring about a New Age of Harmony to Equestria and peace would reign once again. Before they departed, they used their powerful magic to decree that nopony shall be burdened with not knowing their purpose. Thus, the first cutie marks were created as a guide for ponies. The King and Queen took to the stars to seek out their Creator and discover what their purpose was. On occasion, they did look back to Equestria, to the land and subjects they loved and were happy to see it develop. It was prophesied that one day, they would return themselves once they had the answer. They searched the galaxy, finding new planets, moons, stars and other celestial bodies amidst the vastness of space. But they found no sign of their Creator. Ages passed. Day and night, time itself became irrelevant to the King and Queen as they searched the cosmos for the one who had created them. But they did not find them. Still, they searched, the burning question remaining inside of them, the desire driving them on, further and further from Equestria and the ponies they loved. They searched... And searched... And searched... Until the burning in them finally died... but the question remained. Out in the darkness of the perpetual night, far away from Equestria, the King and Queen's desire subsided into something different. Something cold and dark. For hatred flows hot and cold, and when it found the hearts of the King and Queen, it did take hold. It grew within them until the light and love was shut out, overwhelmed by a living nightmare that is a broken heart. It is unknown if there is any love that remains in them to this day. They still look back to Equestria now and then. But it is now with apathy, and barely do they recognize the world that once they loved. It is another rock to them, far removed and of no interest. The kingdom they once ruled has become lost to history, a legend only surviving in books. Historians do not know the truth of the true King and Queen of Equestria, some debating on whether or not they even exist. They still watch, though. Watch... and wait. They stopped searching a long time ago. What did they find out there? There are none today who know. One thing can be known for certain, however: Nothing can compare to what they lost.