//------------------------------//
// The Era of the Two Sisters 
// Story: A Complete History of the Kingdom of Equestria 
// by Book_Wyrm 
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Chapter 3: The Era of the Two Sisters 

The early years of the Era of the Two Sisters was marked chiefly by the death of Chancellor Puddinghead in 17 E.E., of Marelaria contracted in Hayseed Swamp. Her position of Head of Agriculture in the government was taken by Smart Cookie, Puddinghead’s former secretary and one of the Trio of Unity, who held it until her death in 36 E.E., at around age sixty. One well preserved document that sat for centuries in the Manehattan Archive was the last will of Chancellor Puddinghead. It detailed which of her many creations to eat at the funeral feast, and recipes detailing their preparation. 
The years after the Chancellor’s death were filled with peace, save for the death of Pansy, one of the Trio, in 29 E.E., the beginning of the loss of the true original founders. Clover the Clever, after his famous Trials, died in 51 E.E., a very lucky time to die. For soon after his death, and the loss of Starswirl the Bearded and the Pillars in 41 E.E., began what is known as The Age of Chaos.  
The Age of Chaos was the first of the great challenges of Equestrian history. In the year of 59 E.E., Discord, the Avatar of Chaos, came in full body to Equestria. It is highly important to understand the difference in this. Discord, the spiritual representation of the concept of chaos, is everywhere there is chaos and anarchy. However, during the Age of Chaos, his physical avatar which had the power to physically cause chaos himself, and was immensely powerful, arrived and conquered Equestria. 
At this time, both Princess Platinum and Commander Hurricane, the final founders, died of mysterious circumstances or chaotic doings in 60 and 61 E.E. respectively. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were forced into hiding.  Discord ‘ruled’ carelessly, causing much suffering with his alterations of the natural world. Ponies at that time relied heavily on a steady and constant environment. The upset of the natural world caused chaos, upsetting not only the entirety of pony society, but their natural harmony with where they lived and their magic. Discord did not take an active hand in the creation of suffering, but his many monsters and the magical mayhem of Equestria temporarily derailed the kingdom’s advancement and stability.  
For nearly half a decade, there is not even a rumor of the whereabouts of the Royal Sisters. Historians dispute the location of their hideaway. Many say that it was located deep in the Everfree Forest, a claim supported by the location of their future castle, and the forest’s natural resistance to strange magics. The other purported location of their sanctuary was the caverns of Canterlot Mountain, which is also well supported. Nevertheless, the Princess sunk deep into hiding, most likely to plan and eventually attempt to locate the at the time rumored Elements of Harmony. It is not known how they located the elements, but the first hint of the Princesses whereabouts comes from the town of Hollow Shades. It was here that they made their grand debut, driving back a shadow lurking in the near abandoned town and healing their vampiric opponents, revealing their true nature as threstrals. 
From here, records show that the two sisters made their way east. It was in the small village of Bulltown, a town named after Princess Platinum’s father King Bullion, that the Two Sisters, the Battle of Chaos. They turned the Elements of Harmony on Discord, petrifying him. The village, though eventually cured of both his chaos magic and the residual power from the Elements, remained abandoned, and is by this era rotted away into nothing, though the event is commemorated on a great pillar that is said to be imbued with the Magic of Harmony, and brings peace and balance to all who approach it. All Equestrian treaties are signed in the presence of the Pillar, and some of history’s greatest disputes, such as the great fight between Alexander Hoofliton and Aaron Spurr, some centuries later. 
The chaotic magic was expelled from Equestria at Discord's defeat. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna brought the statue of Discord with them. They also began the construction of the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest, so to mark a new era for the Equestrian Government.  The castle was completed in the year 69 E.E, becoming the headquarters for all branches of government, except the judicial, which remained in Manehattan. At this point, Equestria truly became a diarchy, for with the death of the Founders, the two princesses took complete control over the government. Celestia ruled over the Day Court, and Luna ruled over the Night Court, alternating daily, their courts and magic adjourning and meeting at dusk and dawn, with both sisters presiding over the once weekly Dawn Court.  
The fall of Discord was also the time at which the Two Sisters began to be revered more as goddesses than as ponies, as their unchanging appearance supported. Between the years 74-100 E.E., there was even a cult which worshiped them, though it fell apart after the death of its leader, Holy Heart.  
In 127 E.E., one of the most shocking and horrible events of pony history, occurred. That year marked the rise of Sombra, King of Monsters and Fiend of the North.  He removed Princess Amore, the leader of the Crystal Empire, a kingdom located in what had once been an ancient and near impenetrable Yak city. The details of this shall be discussed in a later chapter. Enslaving the crystal ponies, a subspecies of pony with fur that was at times shimmering and near transparent and gem shapes in their eyes. Sombra began to build an army of slaves and umbrum, a species of shadow creature.  
The Princesses called upon the ponies of Equestria to stand for the cause. At the time, the Royal Legion was small. After Sombra’s appearance, its numbers swelled as ponies rushed to fight. Over the course of two bloody years, the greatest war in Equestrian history was fought, with death counts on both sides totaling nearly one-hundred thousand. Fought in the beginning on the border of Equestrian territory, the military at first suffered many defeats. For the first seven months of the war, Equestrian forces were pushed across the border, losing ground with every battle.  
After the bloody victory of Saddleburg, the army began to push back, reclaiming the land they had lost. Always at their head was Princess Luna, the warrior princess of Equestria. It is said that she fought more battles than any other creature in documented history. With her might and the force of their army, the Equestrians began to advance of Crystallia, the capitol of the Crystal Empire.  
Nearly twenty months into what is known as the Crystal War, Celestia herself finally came to the front. Unlike her sister, Celestia rarely participated herself in the battles, working mainly as a strategist. However, she did come out onto the field for the final battle, the Battle of Crystallia in 129. The umbrum, in the form of great crystals, slaughtered many by growing out of the ground, impaling them. Pegasi were taken down from the sky by Sombra’s spells. Crystal ponies were used as shields, cast away and killed by the dark pony. 
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna confronted Sombra themselves, in the throne room of his dark palace.  What may be considered the greatest magic battle of all known time took place there. Princess Celestia announced that it was Princess Luna who finally ended Sombra’s reign, though at great cost. Though he was banished to the icy north, Sombra did not leave without getting his revenge. Using some dark spell, he cursed the Crystal Empire, banishing it with him, sealing it away in limbo.  
After Sombra’s defeat, the Royal Legion was split in two, turned into the Solar and Lunar guards. Each served their princess faithfully, though they would take orders from the other. The ponies of Equestria and the two rulers settled back into their routine.  
With the defeat of Tirek in 135, Equestria entered a time of peace. The twenty years that followed saw an influx in learning, as the Princesses began to order schools built across the westward expanding Equestria. However, without warfare, Princess Luna was relegated to the background behind her sister’s politics. And through this led to a new chapter of Equestrian history.