//------------------------------// // Prologue: In Which a World Is Laid Out // Story: A World Without Alicorns // by JLawPony //------------------------------// A World Without Alicorns Law Bringer's Guide to Equestria - Compiled by Autumn Teach Chapter One: Equestria, the Pony, and the World in General The land of Equestria. A land filled with bounty. Or, at least, it used to be. Thousands of years ago, when the Divine Sisters Celestia and Luna still walked these lands, watching over the land. However, due to some reason (sadness at what Their ponies were becoming, perhaps?), they left. To where is unknown, but there have been no recorded sightings of either Sister for generations. Without their guidance, the world slowly became wilder. The weather slowly would no longer acquiesce to the Pegasi. The fields would no longer give bountiful harvests, barely allowing for enough food to filter into market, most going to the families that simply grew the food. The Unicorns suffered most of all, according to legend. Supposedly, the Unicorns were able to influence the world around them merely by force of will. Magic, as it were. (Note: The writer himself places no belief in such fairy tales). As ponykind slowly adapted to the harshness of the world, evolution came about and added even further into the confusion. In a mere matter of generations, all that ponies had been before was irreversibly changed. No longer were ponies to remain on all fours, but were slowly developing into bipedal creatures. Another trick that evolution decided that ponykind would inherit a few short generations later was the addition of hands instead of forehooves. The Earth pony was changed even more. In addition to its usual connection to all of the earth, they gained increased fortitude and endurance. In fact, there have been several accounts of determined Earth Ponies who have traveled countless miles in several days with only the barest amount of rest, whilst carrying the heaviest of loads. The Pegasi also saw a change in their physiology. Their bones, while already light, became even more so, allowing for even faster speeds to be achieved in the air. In addition, their wingspans grew as they rose from hooves to hands, with some topping out at a maximum of seven feet in length. The Unicorns, on the other hand, may have gotten the short end of the stick. Most of their species became unable to bear children as evolution had them grow. Also, the horns upon their heads grew to be barely more than ornamentation. However, one thing that WAS gifted unto them was apparently a marked increase in mental acumen. As evolution forced us to adapt to our new abilities (and deal with our lost ones), nature grew ever more fearsome. Carnivorous beasts that usually could only be found in the deepest portions of the darkest woods expanded territory quickly, often leaving trails of destruction in their wake (see Chapter Five: Major Disasters of Equestrian History). One such creature was the fearsome Abyssal Wyrm, a creature that would only let a small tremor in the ground be a warning of its coming, often swallowing entire villages in a matter of hours. However, ponies are strong creatures, and surmounted the challenges put before them. Of course, as with all problems, new ones rose to take their place. We survived years in the wilderness, only to come to new problems: ourselves. The Earth Ponies became tribes, often settling in large clans on the plains. Some clans were the Apples, the Shoe, the Colti, and the Manan tribes. These clans have fought for decades, both politically and physically. Unlike the Earth Ponies, the Pegasi grouped together. They became strong. Fierce. Independent. They forged for themselves a new identity: The Cloudborne Empire. Nature gave them brittle bones? They forged themselves armor to compensate. No longer able to control the weather? You don't need to worry about the weather if you've got bustling metropolises. They were at the forefront of innovation, experimentation, and exploration. No corner of the world was safe from the mighty Cloudborne Empire. In recent years, they've had tussles with both the Buffalo Tribes of the Equestrian Steppes, and the Griffin Kingdom in the Everwhite Mountains. We now reach the strange story of the Unicorns. Instead of settling down, much like their kin, they traveled the globe, as part of large caravans. In fact, traveling seems to be part of the Unicorn bloodline. The need to know more, as it were. In fact, if given the chance to observe such a caravan, consider yourself lucky. No one has seen the inner workings of these mysterious ponies in decades. If a description were to be applied to this unknowable species of Pony, it would have to be "Gypsy". They blow into town unannounced, and offer their wares. Even with the progress of the Cloudborne Empire, the Gypsy Caravans of the Unicorns always seem to have superior items. Speculations abound, one can only wonder at what marvels they are truly capable of. However, in recent history, the Cloudborne have been cracking down on Ponies of differing descent. Pegasi occupy the highest echelons of society, often citing their abilities to wander the skies and clouds of the realm as "almost Godlike". This "Godlike" potential has given the Pegasus breed a bit of an inflated opinion of themselves, as it were. (The views given by the author are his alone, and are not in any way, shape, or form condoned by the publishing company.) Next on the social ladder are the Earth Ponies. While not capable of flight, they are quite capable of leveling mountains and walls. As such, it would simply be remiss to anger them, as there is no clear estimation as to the true size of the Earth Pony Tribes. This brings us to the dregs of society: the Unicorns. They are looked down upon simply due to having been given no discernible traits. It doesn't help that they come and go as they please. As who else but ne'er-do-wells and thieves would do such a thing? Due to this social breakdown, any Pony of Unicorn descent is often shunned by society... - An excerpt from Autumn Teach, Earth Pony Scholar of the Cirrus Citadel