Long ago in the land of Equestria, about one thousand years ago (the same length of time that it seems just about everything important happens) there was a goat by the name of Grogar. He was quite the fearsome fellow, what with his large curling horns, his deep red eyes, and his perfectly practiced evil laugh, not to mention that immaculately trimmed goatee.
Grogar, like so many other “Masters of Darkness” sought out more power, and more to subjugate that power with. He also wasn’t particularly fond of things that most ponies tended to enjoy, like sunsets, rainbows, or even dolphins. No, not even kittens and puppies were safe from his ire, but one thing he particularly disliked was friendship. Oh the mere word could cause his blood pressure to spike, though he did take classes for that, better to be safe and all.
Anyway, this hatred of friendship wasn’t particularly fortunate for the newly established country of Equestria, what with them not only using friendship to end the bitter fighting between the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns but also saving their very lives from the Wendigo menace. In addition, they were a new nation, ready to be subjugated. It really was just the perfect storm of incentives for Grogar to attack.
However, the ponies were not helpless. A battalion of the newly formed Equestria’s finest, led by Commander Hurricane and Clover the Clever confronted the Dark Lord and pushed back his armies of undead and demons, the two leaders managing to cut a swath all the way to Grogar himself. And though they both suffered mortal wounds, and the rest of their army perished, the ponies did manage to deal a crippling blow to the fearsome Dark Lord. However, before reinforcements could arrive he used the last of his dark energies to seal himself and the land he had claimed, which he had named Tambelon, into another realm.
Songs were written about the brave ponies who gave their lives to defend their fledgling nation, and a few fans with unhealthy obsessions even wrote of Commander Hurricane and Clover the Clever tearfully confessing their loves to one another in their final moments, proving that shipping is not a new thing. Peace was to come to Equestria, aside from the few other threats that came that needed to be dealt with, and it remained that way for one thousand years when it was ended by… well, all of the things that have happened recently, but also by the Dark Lord’s return...