//------------------------------// // Part I - Prologue - Legends of Equestria // Story: Records of Equestria: Elements of Power // by Gearcrow //------------------------------// “There are so many kinds of magic.” “That’s certainly true.” “Well, where does it all come from? I mean it has to come from somewhere, right?” “I don’t know, I never really thought about it that way. Doesn’t it just come from us? No, that can’t be right?” “Can’t it?” “No, I don’t think so. I mean there’s ambient magic right? Stuff that just kind of floats around.” “Like the Everfree Forest?” “No, no, the Everfree Forest is… it’s different. The opposite actually. More like, the seasons not changing.” “Isn’t that just how things are though? I thought seasons changing on their own was unnatural.” “You would think.” “What’s so funny?” “I think we may be the most unnatural things here.” - Starswirl the Younger and Unknown Year 1002 of the Era of Harmony (1002 EoH) The sun hung late in the sky and bathed the wheat fields of Maple Hills in a deep and orange glow. The wind whispered evening secrets as it rippled through the heavy grains, and the whole world seemed sleepy and ready to retire from its labors. Tumble was dragging an empty, yet still very heavy, wooden bucket back to the barn from the chicken coop, and since he wasn’t much larger than the bucket, it was slow going. He stopped for a second to catch his breath and to look at the setting sun. Young as he was, he could still appreciate the majesty of Equestria and the stunning beauty of nature. Many a night, Big Pa would gather everypony on the farm together around the hearth in the great hall and tell stories about the bounties of the earth and the magic that lived in all growing things. Tumble loved his stories. He knew what Big Pa said was real and important. He wasn’t sure why, but he could feel it all the way from his ears down to his stubby little legs. He bent his head to grab the bucket again but then stopped. The farm seemed unusually quiet. He cocked his head this way and that to see if he could hear birds or farm animals or even the distant gleeful shrieks of his obnoxious sisters, but aside from the wind in the fields, nothing stirred. Then he felt a warm tingling sensation in his chest and an irresistible urge to turn around and look back across the fields towards the chicken coop and the woods beyond. In the field right by the fence, not more than five paces behind him, stood a mare. She was large, much larger than any pony he’d ever seen, and looked strong enough to knock a barn down with a single kick. She looked at him with deeply knowing eyes the color of wet morning grass and smiled. The sight of her made his breath catch and caused his legs to tremble, though not from fear. He couldn’t say for certain why, but he knew instinctively that she meant no harm. The wind tossed her mane and tail, and for a brief moment Tumble could smell the sweet fragrance of apple pie and freshly gathered hay. Her sun dappled coat seemed to emit a warm and comforting glow, and he thought to himself that perhaps she wasn’t a pony at all, but rather one of them nature spirits Big Pa always went on about. “Hey there, little one.” She sounded like she might have been from Appleloosa, except that somehow Tumble could hear the tilling of fertile soil and the creaking of ancient trees in her voice. He tried to respond, but her presence was so overwhelming that for many long seconds all he could do was open and close his mouth in stunned silence. Eventually, he was able to squeak out a very quiet “Hi.” The otherworldly mare chuckled, a deep and throaty sound that contained the rumbling mirth of a mountain. “It’s a nice farm you got here. You must be real proud of it?” The sound of her kind joy put Tumble slightly more at ease. “I guess I am. Big Pa says we’re, um, blessed to live on such good land and all.” The large pony looked down at the dirt under her hooves and Tumble thought she looked an awful lot like his Ma did when she looked at Lil’ Hayseed. There was love in her eyes, like the dirt was special somehow. ‘Uh, I’m Tumble. Are you a nature spirit?” The mare looked up at him and laughed. “Maybe a little bit, but mostly I’m just a hardworking earth pony. Like you, I reckon. My name is Applejack.” Tumble, feeling much more comfortable around her now, squinted at her suspiciously. He was still young, and so, admittedly, didn’t know much about the workings of the world, but he was pretty sure you either were a pony or weren’t a pony. “How can you be ‘a little bit’ a nature spirit?” he asked. Again, Applejack laughed. “Well, I guess I’m just an earth pony then.” She leapt gracefully over the fence onto the path and walked right up to him. “Why don’t you grab that bucket, and I’ll walk with you back to the barn.” Tumble sighed and looked with dismay at the thing, but his Ma hadn’t raised no quitter, so he grabbed the handle with his teeth and began to walk. Surprisingly, the bucket suddenly weighed almost nothing at all. He still had to crane his neck back to hoist it fully off the ground, but he found that he felt both strong and rested despite all the work he’d done that day, and so lifting it really wasn’t very hard at all. “Well, aren’t you a strong one,” Applejack said with a sly smile on her face. They walked along in silence for a while before Tumble stopped and put the bucket down again. “My Big Pa tells stories about an Applejack. He says they’re from long ago when the Princess was still around, but they’re about you, aren’t they? The stories, I mean.” Tumble thought he caught a brief glimpse of sadness in Applejack’s bright green eyes, but she was smiling when she answered. “Your grandpa is right; those are very old stories.” Tumble nodded to himself and felt that he’d understood something important. “Those are my favorite stories,” he said before picking up the bucket and continuing on his way. He didn’t look back, but he knew that Applejack was gone. Still, the bucket was light and easy to lift all the way back to the barn, and when he entered the house, he felt stronger and more well rested than he’d ever felt in his short little life. Ma was sitting in a large green chair by the fire with Lil’ Hayseed curled up between her legs, sleeping. Big Pa sat across from her in his rocking chair. His eyes were closed, but Tumble knew better than to assume the old pony was asleep. Sure enough, as soon as he got close Big Pa opened his eyes and stared at him. “Took you a mighty long time to feed them chickens. It’s already dark.” Tumble just grinned at him and sat down on the rug in front of the fire. “Sorry, Big Pa. Just lost track of time.” - “Long ago, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived four princesses. They ruled in harmony, each one disposed towards benevolence and compassion. First among them was Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, immortal alicorns charged with the raising of the sun each morning and the moon each night. Celestia, the elder of the two, governed the day and managed the affairs of their kingdom, while Luna governed the night and the realm of dreams. The third princess, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, ruled the Crystal Empire far in the frozen north. She embodied family and nurtured the love that grows in every creature’s heart, using that power to bring joy to all those she served. Youngest of the four was Princess Twilight Sparkle, who embodied the most powerful magic of all, Friendship, and who kept all the inhabitants of Equestria, as well as the lands beyond, safe from the evil things that lurk in the shadows and conspire in the dark. “This story is about her—and her friends, of course—because what is the Princess of Friendship without her friends? They were the Elements of Harmony, the pillars of all Equestrian magic. Among them: the mighty Dame Applejack, Element of Honesty, renowned for her herculean strength and great deeds of power; the swift and indomitable Commander Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, bravest and fastest of all pegasi to ever take to the skies; Prelate Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter, possessed of otherworldly powers despite being an earth pony and who, more importantly, brought smiles to the faces of all she met; Saint Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, patron to the sick and injured, blessed with the magical ability to heal all ailments of the body and the soul; and Grand Duchess Rarity, Element of Generosity, who ensured that no creature ever wanted for food and shelter. “These were the heroes of ages, and they labored tirelessly to ensure the safety, security, and happiness of every living creature. Their legendary exploits would go down in history, and if not for them, there would be neither life nor laughter in the ages to come. This is the story of their greatest battles and their most heartbreaking struggles. This is the story of how the Magic of Harmony would go on to last forever.”