//------------------------------// // Us Three (Diary I) // Story: Many Million Moons Ago // by The Real Darkness //------------------------------// All three of them stood at the plains crossroads, a massive crowd of ponies stood quietly and stared on at them. Vast Nebula, a deep but vibrant blue coat contrasted her wispy white mane that flowed to a very slim end, her tail followed the same style. Comet Streak, her pure alabaster fur provided a perfect backdrop for the many golden locks that drooped down from her head and flank, swirling and twisting in many little ringlets. Unlike her siblings, she put an incredible amount of effort into syling her magic filled mane and tail. Novae Canvas, a stallion who stood behind both his sisters. His pink fur popped his blazing orange mane and tail out even more as they pulsed, beating with a life that you wouldn’t see often in his eyes. Even at this moment, one could easily tell he was already thinking of something completely different. “We’re overjoyed that you all should trust us with this responsibility and we promise to always keep your best interests in mind,” Novae Canvas began giving the speech with his only line, withdrawing behind his two sisters. They could each remember the trials that everypony overcame under guidance they rose to. Vast Nebula recalled back then when she quickly gathered up every able pony she could when news of a griffon invasion started. She had wasted no time in teleporting around, city to city, as the talented unicorn she was. Nebula spent wach visit barking orders to each mayor of all the pony towns who refused to act until they knew as a certainty that others were sending ponies to guard the Eastern shores. She thought it preposterous and chewed them all out, all seventy-eight of them. Her words bit into them harshly as she arrived at each. Cowards, that’s the specific word she chose. Her only regret was that she could not partake in the battle herself, having exhausted all her magic just to get everypony capable there. The sudden spark of leadership and unity popped wings onto her back and the griffons were repelled later that afternoon. She could still recall all the sounds of ships sinking, wood splinting, and voices screaming. Get your flank back here, we’re not fleeing, we’re fighting. We can handle this! Unicorns, charge your horns! Send them to the sea! Pegasi! Board their ships as they come ashore! Earth ponies! Buck them all right into the ocean! Her cries of war reverberated in her mind while she looked over this huge crowd, smiling contently to herself. She deserved to be here, she needed to be. She had to help lead them to protect one another and find comradery regardless of who they were and how many differences they had. Somepony had to show them the way, why not let it be the Vast Nebula? First of her siblings to gain her wings. Comet Streak looked to her sibling and knew that look of pride, Nebula was reliving glories in her head. At a time like this. But that spurred the sister to remember the day she claimed her own wings, Comet was the first to ascend. She could feel a fraction of that pride when she had first opened trading between other kinds of ponies. Sure, they all came from the Poll City and they were all unicorns there, but ever since she was a filly she was very tired of going to bed hungry after eating so little. She did something incredibly taboo and unheard of, but the reason why it was shunned was lost to time altogether. That was the biggest nonsense that stuck out to her. She hated tradition for tradition sake. So, Comet Streak took it upon herself to trade with the neighboring farm filled with Earth Ponies. She offered tools enchanted with magic to help till the land without breaking, even helped them to harvest all their crop herself so they could plant more and share with the residents of Poll city. Then she talked the pegasi into giving her rain clouds in boxes after she gave used the excess food they stored up to start off with a good relationship. She was being the hero of her own story, blazing a new way for all ponies to live. They shouldn’t have to live in such poor quality when they could all prosper together. She was the biggest dreamer of all of them and did all these things behind the scenes. Snuck around in a black suit at night, returned home just before dawn, bumbled through days exhausted moon after moon. She felt she was making a huge difference. There were some close calls and then there were even times she got caught, but only by one or two ponies that quickly ‘forgot’ she was even there. All things comes to a head eventually and the tribes of ponies caught on and began arguing among each other that all this talking and trading between pony kinds wasn’t right. Comet Streak challenged that status quo again. So what?! You’re happier! They’re happier! We’re happier! Why do we even stay separate?! And nopony had a good enough answer for it. See! None of you even know why! We’re all living better because of each other, it’s time we throw out the old and welcome the new! The evidence was right in front of them, their populations boomed after that. All Comet Streak had done was just show them the way. Novae Canvas was last to sprout his own wings. He was always quieter than his sisters, but that didn’t mean his heart was any less true. He left this speech to them, but he could remember his own words he shouted. All of you just sit on your hooves! Sit on your money thrones and your business empires! Sit behind your desks with your titles! All of your beaurocracy takes so long for any help to reach somepony it no longer mattered! He had faked letters, taking dozens of moons after the population boom and economic shift to perfect some forgery skills. He called all seventy-eight mayors down to the plains crossroads and locked them in a shield, refusing to let a single one go. This isn’t right! You can’t keep us here! This is kidnapping! They were right, but he didn’t care. Just like his siblings, the very thought of seeing somepony else suffer tore his heart. Novae Canvas spat back at them just as harshly. I don’t care! You either start helping your citizens in each of your cities and towns or I’ll depose of you myself! And you’re all gonna help me do away with these giant empires that suck the meaning of living from everypony! They shot back at each other hour after hour until it turned into day after day. You’re nothing but a salted griffon! And your feathers are all just for show, too! Sometimes it would devolve into just insults, but Novae didn’t let that shield down, not once. On the fourth day of no food the mayors had finally convened together and agreed to his demands. Sure, they called him a terrorist, but nopony suffered nearly as much after that day. His wings flung open the moment he let down his shield and the mayors saw his way as the right way even more. With the support of mayors, he had many laws and regulations wrote into action to restrict the exploitation of more common ponies and allow them to chase their dreams, talents, and hobbies. He magnified the happy way of living his sisters built the foundation of. Together, the three of them made the nation what it was now. All the mayors and even all the citizens unanimously voted on this action. “...and we three come together, having taken steps to move all of us to a better future,” Vast Nebula continued the speech. “We promise ourselves to all of you, citizens of Caballica!” Comet Streak announced the name the three of them agreed upon, one she proposed. Cheers of their names, cheers of their past heroisms, cheers of anything in approval of them rose from the large crowds, booming over the castle that had just had its foundation laid out behind them. A new era was dawning for all equines, an era of peace ensured by those who truly cared. Vantor yawned as he laid the diaries down, marking the pages and shutting them closed. He’d need rest if he wanted to continue finding his way out, but the allure of the diaries and exploration of the Deep Lock was beginning to become tempting. He had to continue the adventure of the ponies he just read about. Where Comet Streak had the luxury of millions of moons to prepare and plan and enact her strike back at her sister, Vantor has days if even that.