//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - The Four Nations 
// Story: Beneath The Ice 
// by Murdock 
//------------------------------//

	“Princess, how do you know what came before Discord’s reign?” Twilight asked intently. “I have not read any historical works that were written before your rule.”

“There aren't any here in Canterlot and I haven't had anypony search the library at the Crystal Empire ...but I do know of something that was alive during that time.”

“Ya’ll don’t mean Discord, do ya?” Applejack said with a grimace on her face.

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“How could you trust anything that he has ever said?”

“This may not make sense, Applejack, but I don't believe he had a reason to lie to me. It didn't help him gain anything at the time. It is... probably best for me to show you.”

Celestia’s horn began to glow as the throne room surrounding them began to fade away.

“OOOO! Movie time!”

Pinkie suddenly held a large tub of popcorn in front of her and was eating furiously. Rainbow Dash was surprised by the selection of the snack.

“Hey, I thought you only ate sweets?”

“Well it is kettle corn, Dashie! Want some?”

“No th…MMMPH”. Pinkie shoved a hoof-full of kernels into Rainbow’s unsuspecting mouth. She began to chew slowly before swallowing with a large gulp.

“Not bad, Pinkie.”

Before them stood an unfurnished stone room, the floor covered with scattered hay. A wooden door sat on one side of the room and a single open window on another. To their left stood Discord, repeatedly tapping his left foot. To their right lay two unicorns: a young Celestia and Luna. Both were chained by their rear hooves to opposing walls. 

 “You two troublemakers. Have you no respect for your land… my land?”

Celestia, although chained, stood defiant against the draconequus. 

“You will not rule Equestria forever. We will find the Elements and banish you. You will not stop us.”

Discord was not amused by her outburst, throwing his arms wildly up into the air. “You think I haven’t heard that before? I don’t care what these “elements” are. Besides, you two won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

Luna echoed her sister’s statement. “A tyrant will never rule forever. Your time will come, Discord.”

“You two will never give this up, will you? Besides, I don't even "rule". I just let stuff happen! Do both of you even know why this land is mine?"

Celestia and Luna glanced briefly at each other before shaking their heads to signify the answer was "no".

"Oh, great." This revelation only increased Discord's annoyance with the situation. "Well, in that case, let me tell you… a story.”

Discord’s usually unstable demeanor faded as his face assumed an expression of thought and reflection. With a snap of his fingers and a puff of smoke, he was sitting in a large cushioned chair directly in front of Celestia and Luna. In his left hand, he held a large leather-bound book and in his right, a large smoking pipe. On his face was a pair of abnormally large reading glasses.

Celestia was duly puzzled. “You’re going to read us a book?” she asked with a hint of bewilderment.

“Hah!” Discord turned the book around to show nothing but blank pages. “This is just for effect!”

“Ok girls, let Papa Discord begin his tale!” With that, he cleared his throat and began to “read” from his tome.

Long, long ago, after the original founding of Equestria, the land was composed of numerous scattered villages and townships. Out of this chaos, a powerful realm formed in each of the corners of the continent. At the helm of each nation was an influential and unique pony.

The first was a lord of endless wisdom who lived in a magnificent temple at the very top of the world. His ponies were the most powerful magic users in Equestria and scoured the world for knowledge. Together they assembled the greatest archives of history and science to ever grace a pony’s eyes.

The second was a humble and revered matriarch who ruled from the vast swamps to the east. To her ponies, she was not only their leader, but also their second mother. She loved them as much as they loved her. She taught them to protect, preserve, and cultivate all forms of life. Their surroundings, although harsh, gifted her ponies the perseverance and resolve to overcome any obstacle. 

The third was a baroness that made her home to the west past the Smokey Mountains.  She ruled over a civilization defined by their elegant artisans, artists, craftsman, and performers. Although their focus was on the arts, they were just as capable in all other realms, including magic, athleticism, and knowledge. If she was to teach her subjects any single thing, it was to achieve balance in every aspect of their life. 

The fourth was a powerful chieftain who resided in the desert plains to the south. He built a vast empire of warriors and gladiators who were ready to defend themselves from any threat at any moment. Although they were vicious fighters they were bound by code to never use violence unless absolutely necessary. They approached every day of their life with boundless honor and courage.

One day, a legion of dragons came to Equestria from across the sea and brought destruction across the countryside. The four leaders met one night at the center of their homeland and agreed to an alliance in order to defeat the invaders. By combining their forces and abilities, the lord, baroness, matriarch, and chieftain were able to vanquish the dragons and return peace to all of their lands. 

All four, through their benevolent deeds, were granted long life so they could guide and inspire their subjects for the rest of time. The four nations continued to grow across Equestria and lived together peacefully for centuries. As time passed, however, they began to experience the pain and loss that came with their great "gift".

Slowly, their ideals began to shift and distort. The lord ran out of aspects of the world to learn and catalogue, and turned to forbidden magics to satisfy his hunger. The matriarch began to manipulate the life she taught her subjects to nurture and protect. The baroness began to urge for the perfection of her ponies’ arts over all else, even to the point of self destruction. The chieftain began to loathe the prospect of eternal peace with his neighbors and felt a subtle itch for battle and glory.

The lord soon lost control of his magic. A spell designed to expose the underground of Equestria went awry and obliterated one of the matriarch’s cities, causing vast destruction. She vowed revenge against him but was held back by the chieftain, who urged caution and patience.

The chieftain and baroness hosted a summit between the lord and matriarch to help protect the peace but it did little to calm the situation. The matron stormed out of the meeting, vowing to never assist the lord again. The relationship between the baroness and chieftain also began to break apart, as they blamed each other for the summit’s failure. A tense peace held for several years as the climate in each of the nations deteriorated. 

The civilization of the baroness soon fell from poise into excess. The chieftain, disgusted by their indulgent behavior, began to plot their demise. The lord continued to seethe and scheme from his throne to the north. Meanwhile, under the matriarch’s orders, her most trusted servants concocted a plague to unleash upon the lord’s forces when the time was right.

After one of their annual conferences, the inevitable occurred. As the baroness’s forces were busy with a series of magical rituals, the chieftain’s forces struck, laying waste to many of her most precious subjects. In a single moment, he betrayed his own code and was afflicted with an insatiable lust for battle. He also turned his forces onto the matriarch, who fought valiantly to hold them off.

The lord offered his assistance to the baroness’s weakened forces, summoning some of his most powerful magicians to his side. He protected them from a distance as the battle raged. Soon, the matriarch’s forces began to break under the chieftain’s assault. Facing annihilation, she ordered her servants to unleash the plague onto his forces. Within minutes, the battlefield was covered with a green mist of disease. No pony was spared.

Except for the forces of the lord; he had foreseen this development and disengaged before they could be afflicted. The other three were not as fortunate. They retreated to their respective capitols and attempted to recover, but it was too late. The plague unleashed by the matriarch began to spread through their cities and towns, weakening them greatly.

It had gone as the lord had planned. One by one, he assaulted each of the kingdoms, trampling over their forces with his powerful magics. He imprisoned the other three leaders in magnificent tombs, never to be heard from again. With his foes defeated, the lord of the north began a long trek back to his kingdom to plan his new future.

On his journey back, the lord was surprised by the appearance of a new foe. The war between the nations had granted him victory, but it had also granted immense power to… something else. 

Something he couldn’t plan for. 

Something he couldn’t understand. 

Something he couldn’t control.

He struggled mightily against it for years but it was all for naught. With the last vestiges of his power drained, his eternal spirit was trapped behind a wall of stone and ice at the very top of the world. With all four nations extinguished, Equestria fell into a state of disorder. This time, though, there was a difference.

Equestria had its guide.

Equestria had its visionary.

Equestria had its prophet.

Discord pulled off his glasses, set down the blank book in his claws, and leaned towards the two imprisoned unicorns.

“ME.”

The vision abruptly broke, bringing Celestia’s throne room back into view.

Twilight sat in awe in response to the scene that she had just witnessed. The ending to the story had caused Fluttershy to put her forehooves over her eyes, and she sat silently with her body slightly shivering. Rarity and Applejack were a few moments behind, still trying to understand what Celestia had shown. 

Pinkie Pie, jaw agape, was the first to speak. “WHAT A TWIST!”

Twilight facehoofed on cue.

Fluttershy uncovered part of her left eye. “Is it over?” 

"It was only a vision," said Celestia. "No reason to be fearful.”

Applejack was next. “Ah know ah already asked this but, do you have any other proof that Discord’s story is true? He’s not exactly sincere. After all, he tricked Rainbow into…” 

She turned her head around to see a curled up Rainbow Dash snoring on the floor. She motioned to the others, who all looked to see what halted her question.

“Not again!” Pinkie gasped.

“Oh, dear”, said Rarity. “That’s not very cordial. I’ll wake her."

 	Applejack, on the other hand, was visibly irritated. “Rarity, I’ll handle this," she said, sticking one of her hooves in front of her friend.

She walked over to the sleeping pegasus and violently bucked her hind legs on the tile floor. A loud clap echoed through the hall. Rainbow shot straight upwards from her sleep, colliding with the ceiling and getting caught in a chandelier on the way back down.

“C’mon, Rainbow! What do ya think you’re doin’ sleepin’ through Celestia’s story?”

A disoriented Rainbow Dash was still trying to gather her surroundings. “It’s… it’s Pinkie’s fault! She gave me the popcorn and I always fall asleep during movies if I eat!”

Twilight whispered under her breath. “Always an adventure.”

Celestia gave a muted chuckle and offered a reply. “I happen to have an answer on that, Applejack. For a long time I believed that Discord may have been trying to intimidate us while he held us captive, but even then, I considered the possibility that what he said was true.”

Princess Celestia motioned to one of her guards, who trotted over with a small wooden box.

“This was found deep in the royal archives, where Lancer had been searching.”

The guard set the box down onto a small table and opened the lid. Inside were two small items. The first was a small pendant or clasp carrying the mark of a raven or crow. The second was a silvery-white ring with prominent black text engraved on its outer face. 

Each of the elements took turns looking briefly at the two artifacts; Twilight was the last. The pendant looked fairly ordinary but the ring had an unequestrian quality to it that she couldn’t quite understand.

What kind magic is able to place black text on silver?, she thought. As she continued to look closer at the inscription, she could almost feel it pull her in.

“Twilight?”

Her eyes remained locked onto the box, unable to blink. After a few seconds, her right ear began to twitch.

“TWILIGHT!”

She jerked her head away as Rainbow Dash screamed into her right ear. 

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Twilight blinked her eyes and shook her head as if to clear her mind. “I was… trying to make out the lettering on the ring. It looks like old Equestrian.”

“It’s in a heavy dialect, but the head librarian was able to translate it for me.”

“What does it say, Princess?” asked Twilight.

Celestia’s face came down with a grim expression as she took a deep breath.

“All praise the Lord of the North. All praise the Lord of Knowledge.”

The mares gasped and looked at one another before focusing back onto the Princess.

The reality of their situation finally hit Twilight with all of its force. “These other spirits did exist... and their war allowed Discord to take over.”

“Yes. This Lord of Knowledge was an ancient ruler of Equestria. More importantly, though, he was one of the beings that set off a chain of events that led to Discord’s reign. He might be the most influential of all of them if the story is completely true.”

Applejack, once skeptical, was now fully convinced. “And Lancer is going to try to free 'em, if he can find 'em.”

“Even if he doesn't find him, he could freeze in the north," added Fluttershy.

“Elements of Harmony, the task I ask of you tonight is to do something you have not done before. You must pursue Lancer and rescue him before he is able to reach this imprisoned Lord, or is lost to the wilderness. I have some of my best scholars tracking his last location right now. I hope to be able to give you this information in the morning. I do not know where your journey will take you, so you must be prepared for anything. Are you willing to do this?"

"Of course, Princess," said Twilight. "We will do whatever we can to save Equestria."

"Very well. I thank all of you for being willing to do this. I have had a set of rooms in the guest quarters prepared for each one of you to spend the night. Please go rest and be ready to leave tomorrow."





Back in Ponyville, Spike was ready to sleep for the night. Although he had wanted to go with the others, having Twilight gone meant he wouldn't have to get up whenever she would have. He slid into his bed, shut off the lights, and began what would be a long and fruitful slumber.

And then there was a knock on the door.

He slid the sheets down from his eyes, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.

"WE'RE CLOSED. TWILIGHT IS GONE. PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW," he yelled.

Another knock.

"Uhhhhhhhgggghhhhh." Spike groaned as he walked down the stairs into the library's main room and towards the door.

He spoke as he opened the door. "I told you already, Twilight's go...."

Spike found himself staring at four dark blue legs with elaborate bracers around their hooves. As he raised his head to behold his visitor, he found himself face to face with a pair of large teal eyes and a dark flowing mane, sparkling with hundreds of stars.

"PRINCESS LUNA!" he gasped in shock. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just trying to sleep, you got me at a bad time, I didn't mean..."

Luna placed a hoof over Spike's mouth. 

"That is perfectly fine, Spike," she said with a smile. "May I come in to discuss something with you?"

"Of, of course!" the dragon stammered. "Come right in."

He led the Princess into the library, closing the door behind her.

"Before getting to further business, I would first like to let you know that both my sister and I are very gracious for the bravery that you showed in the Crystal Empire. The decision for you to remain here was not a result of your actions there or anywhere else. I'm sure you were disappointed."

"I wanted to be able to help them again. I mean, if I hadn't been with them in the Crystal Castle, the Empire might have been lost to Sombra."

"Both of us appreciate your dedication, I assure you. That is one reason why I need your help with something else that is very important."

"What?" he said as his eager eyes lit up. "You need my help for a special mission?!? You've got the right dragon for the job!"

"Also, you are not to speak of our interaction to anypony. Not Twilight, not my sister. This is between you and me."

"A TOP SECRET mission?!?" said the enthralled dragon, now in an all time high. "Where do you need me? What do I need to bring?" He inched closer towards the princess, with his hands clenched together.

"Can I wear a tux?"

Luna briefly rolled her eyes before responding. "I will arrange a royal carriage to pick you up from the library tomorrow night; please be ready by 8. My guards will bring you to Canterlot where we will discuss this further. As for your outfitting, you are... free to bring whatever you wish. If you are to be gone for an extended period, we will be able to supply you with anything additional you may require."

"I will be ready tomorrow, Princess! You can count on me."

"Thank you, Spike. Have a good night."

With those last words, the dragon ran over to the door and ushered the Princess out of the library. After closing the door behind her, he cracked open a few blinds on one of the windows to see Luna's chariot fly off into the night sky.

Spike skipped into the center of the library, his hands firmly crunched together in a set of fists. He tried his best to compose himself, but it was all futile. He screamed out at the top of his lungs.

"AWWWWW YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..."





Back in Canterlot, Twilight stood silently in her guest room, staring out at the city's skyline through a pair of locked windows. Luna's handiwork always had incredible depth and detail, but there was an uneasy feeling clouding everything on this night. As thoughts raced through Twilight's head, there was a muted knock on her door. She turned her head to face the door behind her.

"Come in."

Applejack, who might have been the strongest confidant amongst her friends, quietly walked in.

"Evening, Twi. I saw your light on in the hallway. Everypony else is asleep except for you."

"There's a lot going on," she replied, turning back to face the window. "A lot to think about."

Applejack approached Twilight's side. "Ah thought that this might be bothering you. About what happened to that classmate of yours."

"How could... Princess Celestia just let him go and not help him when he needed it?"

Applejack took a few moments to gather her emotions before responding. "Twi, everypony makes mistakes. Even the princesses. Look at what happened to Luna. She let a couple bad thoughts take over her mind and that lead her to become Nightmare Moon."

"But she's been here for so long... a thousand years of rule. She knew he was miserable and yet... did nothing?"

"Every pony is different. I know that Celestia's never known anypony like you." Applejack tapped one of her forehooves across Twilight's front shoulders. "I've never known anypony like you." 

The orange mare continued. "Besides, the most important thing for all of us to do is communicate. We need to communicate when things are good and we need to communicate when things are bad. It didn't sound to me like he ever talked to the Princess about what was truly bothering him. Did he ever talk to other ponies much?"

"No, not really."

"See, even the Princess couldn't force 'em to speak from his heart. We have to learn to do that ourselves. No one is to blame for this, Twi. It is what it is. We'll be headin' off tomorrow morning to find 'em and bring 'em back safely. All of us are here to help you do that."

"Thanks, Applejack."

"Everything good then?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now get 'sum rest. I think we're gonna need it tomorrow."

Applejack quietly closed the door behind her, as not to disturb anyone else down the hall. After she left, Twilight continued to ponder the mission that she and the others were about to undertake. One question rung heavy in her head. 

What if their places had been reversed?

That could have been me. If he had never been here, Celestia could have made the same mistake with me. I could be the one out in the wild right now.

Why, Princess?