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// Chapter 2: The Age of War 
// Story: URBC: The Legends of the Seven Tribes 
// by Banjo64 
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Shortly after the remaining thestrals fled, the combined armies of the other tribes arrived at what remained of Vespertilio. The monsters had only just begun to set out across the countryside, and were still all gathered in one place. The thestrals’ sacrifice had not been in vain. Even so, the following battle was harsh as the ponies were forced to face the grim reality of war at a running pace. It was a cruel lesson to be learned, especially by the terrans.

In the end, the ponies were victorious, and the beasts were struck down to the last. The land was saved, but at a terrible cost. Countless lives were lost in the battle, and among them were almost the entire thestral tribe, including Lion Airs himself. His body was said to be found entangled with that of some sort of enemy commander, surrounded by hundreds of other slain beasts.

Many legends would be told about the thestrals’ last stand, but the fact remained that less than a dozen thestrals escaped the massacre. And unfortunately, this was far too few to repopulate the tribe. Despite their best efforts, and many a mating attempt with the other tribes, the thestrals were doomed.

But there was no time for the ponies to mourn the loss of their kin. Merely days after the beasts were struck down, a new threat appeared, forcing the ponies to march to war once again. But now, somewhat familiar with the art of combat and inspired by the bravery of the seventh tribe, the ponies rallied and drove these new invaders back to dark emptiness from which they came.

The new threat was defeated, only for another to appear. And then another. And another. For every time a dark presence was defeated or driven back to the void between worlds, a new one would emerge, and the battle would continue.

And so began the Age of War. For over five hundred years, the world would be consumed with the fires of combat. Before long, the Age of Light was reduced to little more than a legend told to children to give them hope through these dark days.

But not all otherworldly visitors were hostile. Some, such as the griffons and minotaurs, were willing to negotiate with the ponies, and were given permission to live on Equis in return for their aid. They proved to be mighty allies of the ponies during this dark age. Bearing weapons and trades from their abandoned homes, these allies helped ensure that ponykind survived the centuries of war.

Others threats, such as the dragons, had no interest in the ponies, and simply entered the world and set off to make their own homes within it. The ponies were simply too busy fighting to survive to bother with such beings that kept their distance, and so they were unofficially permitted to remain.

But the majority of the visitors were invaders, and not all of them were successfully driven away. Dark magics, vile monsters, and other horrible things slipped through the cracks. The undead began to appear. Ponies abandoned their tribes to worship dark powers or forge their own paths. And with the thestrals gone, the ponies had no one to protect them from their nightmares and other nightly horrors.

Hope, however, shined brightly still. The sun and the moon continued to move uninterrupted through the sky at the will of the cornu. The infant royal daughters were raised in the safety of the salvares tribe’s well hidden city, ignorant of the turmoil that consumed the world.

And among the ponies, there emerged those who proved worthy of the Queen’s blessing and ascended into greater beings. They would be called Alicorns, and bear the titles of Princess and Prince in honor of their lost Queen. Together they would lead the tribes through these dark times and beyond.

The first was of the alas tribe: a mighty warrior named Gusty. Through unwavering valor and wisdom, the alas managed to seal away the power of one of the first truly great evils to invade Equis. And when Gusty ascended into an alicorn, ponies readily rallied behind their new leader.

The second was of the cornu: the wise mage Twilight Requiem. A magic expert of which would only be surpassed by Starswirl the Bearded, she crafted spells that are still widely used today. Though the most reluctant to bear the title of Princess, she would bear her crown as skillfully as her equals.

The third was a hippocampi: Princess Aquarius. Ascended after striking down an unnameable horror, her greatest strength was her utmost devotion to the Queen. She was the incorruptible; the stone unyielding to the waves she commanded with unmatched skill.

The fourth was Princess Viridi Flore, Princess of the papili. A compassionate soul, she was the one who ensured peace with ponykind’s new allies. Every alliance forged had her hoof in its creation. And despite her kind heart, she never once shrinked her duties during the endless war.

And finally, there was Prince Lapis of the salvares. Though late to ascend, his calm and friendly demeanor quickly made him the Alicorn of the common pony. And as the leader who was to care for the royal daughters, he quickly became a figurehead of ponykind as a whole.

The terrans alone would remain without an ascended ruler. Why this was the case is uncertain. Some say there was a terran Alicorn, but he betrayed his kin and was struck from history as a result. Others believe it was some form of punishment for the tribe’s reluctance to prepare for war during the Age of Light. Or perhaps there was simply none among the tribe worthy of ascension during the Age of War. Whatever the reason, the fact remained that the terrans had no Alicorn to lead them.

As so it was, for centuries, that the ponies raged war. But then, after almost five hundred years of warfare, things began to change. The light that drew these terrible being to Equis was being smothered by the world’s forming shadow. Eventually, the attacks started to have gaps between them. These gaps turned to small periods of peace, then later seasons without conflict. And finally, at last, the war’s end seemed within reach.

But before the end, there was one last horrible invader that needed to be stopped. An invader far more terrible than anything the ponies had ever faced. And in order to end this threat, another great sacrifice would have to be made...