//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Headless Horse // by GhostQuill //------------------------------// Years ago, there lived two alicorns, both Princesses who ruled over the waking and sleeping land of Equestia. It was a peaceful and wondrous land. But when the Princess of the Night felt forgotten from her subjects, she turned on them. Declaring that she would make her subjects live in her beautiful night and respect her for the true Princess she was. Few agreed with her. Except for her personal guards. They had spent their time under her rule, basking in the beauty of her night and believed that all ponies should too. Sadly the Princess of the Night’s sister; Princess Celestia didn’t see things as her sister did. And sent her to the Moon to stop her sister’s rampage. This was a bad move. Princess Luna’s royal guards were furious at what happened to their beloved ruler, and when Princess Celestia came to them and told them all to put away their Lunar Armour and don her Celestial Armour, and those that wouldn’t, would be fired. That was the last straw. She was telling them to turn their backs on the Princess they had served all their career and forget her. Celestia didn’t realise the repercussion this would have. That night, under the Moon of their fair Princess Luna, they attacked. It started with one pony, one earth pony who stood at the entrance to the city of Canterlot. Donning his complete Lunar Armour over his pale brown fur coat, he looked up to the Moon with the Alicorn shadow on it for confidence. With his face set in determination and dark brown mane flowing over his deep red eyes, he took one stomping foot forward on the worn cobblestone road. It echoed through the whole city reaching all corners. Taking more he marched through the streets of the Canterlot of old, shouting out over the city; "My brothers! Join me, stand by my side and fight with me!" The further he went, the more who joined, all soldiers wearing Lunar Armour, marching further and further towards the looming castle of Canterlot. Following the Earth Pony and listening to his words. "We must stop this tyrant who claims to be our ruler, who sent her own sister to the moon so she could rule all of Equestria by herself. Follow me and we will reclaim the throne for the rightful ruler!" "TO THE CASTLE!" They all shouted as they marched quickly to the castle gates. More recruits came out of the alleys of shadowed streets, others walked out the doors of their homes, all stood behind that one Earth Pony. With practiced precision, all of them marched in unison, their hooves slamming on the cobblestone like thunder. High up from the balconies of the castle, Celestia and her guards watched as the thousand Lunar Guards made their way to the castle gates from the streets below. Unmoving and with one order, she made the command to stop them all; “Kill them.” Her Celestial Guards left and barricaded the gates to the castle while the pegasi guarded the skies; weapons at the ready and magic sparking with anticipation. The Lunar Guards were not hurrying, they stayed with their slow march and chants. But 200metres from the gates, they ran. Shouting a war cry that chilled the bones of everyone who heard it. Breaking unison but staying in line, they sprinted to the gates while the pegasi took to the sky. Hooves and swords clashed above them while magic bolts were shot at the gate to break it. The Earth Pony stood before them all facing his troops as the unicorns fired at the gate. "We can break through! Come my Brothers! We will storm the castle! Take back what is ours!" Each side strained to hold the barrier longer, but the Lunar Guards finally broke through, the gate blew off its hinges and shot into the closest Celestial guards trapping them momentarily. "Follow ME!" And now the war began. Like a tidal wave hitting a cliff-side, the two sides clashed in a moment of chaos. The Earth Pony stood at the front and led the Lunar guards in a ‘V’ formation through the Celestial Guards, a light sword clutched in his teeth which he swiped from side to side and charged straight forward through them all, the others following him confidently. None could match his skills; he’d swipe somepony in front of him while bucking a guard from the side with one of his back legs. Reaching the front doors, the V parted and from the middle of them, came six ponies all carrying a huge log. As soldiers defended from the sides, the group holding the log bashed it against the door repeatedly, like a huge war drum. The Earth Pony shouted at them; "We must advance! Break through these doors and we will stop our oppressor!" The doors cracked and fell to the polished marble floor. There was a pause, and then they charged. While others fought off the Celestial Guards, the rest sprinted through the halls of the castle, knocking over everything in their path and tearing paintings from the walls. The Earth Pony, still in the lead, ran with his head low and close to his chest, his breathing heavy, angry, and loud. Drool dripped down the sword he kept in his mouth. As they all rounded the corner to the main hall, lines of the Celestial guard stood in their way. Without hesitating, they struck. The Earth Pony cut up all around him; barely giving the enemy a chance to strike with his unbelievably fast moves. Kicking all and striking down anyone in his way, the Earth Pony pushed against the doors to the royal hall. Finally the doors to the main hall burst open. Celestia’s guards at the door defeated and Luna’s force stood before the last might of Celestia’s army. The Earth Pony and his force stood in the doorway, unmoving, as across the room, Celestia and her force stood still, neither side taking the first move. And then finally, the Earth Pony spoke to the Princess, “Give up Celestia! Your army is defeated.” “Stop this now! There is no need for more bloodshed Commander.” “Only if you release Princess Luna.” “You know I can’t! The world cannot live in an eternal night, it needs both day and night to balance it. If I bring Princess Luna back she will try to plummet the world into darkness again.” “Then die with your precious sunrise!” Their armies attacked. Celestia stood still and let her forces run before her. The Earth Pony and his forces poured in from the doorway and charged forward. Many tried to engage him in a fight but he leapt away from them and made his way to Celestia, dodging attacks from all sides, and even from above. With one last line to push through, he jumped onto them, and used them to push off of and rocket at the Princess. He came leaping at her, sword in mouth, and hooves aimed for her. Centimetres away from her, she beat her powerful wings in one huge sweep and flew into the air away from him while he landed where she once was. Like instinct he dodged to the side right before a magic blast from her horn hit the ground where he once stood. With this second of opportunity while she was performing the spell, he flicked his head and threw the sword at her. It swept through the air, making barely a whistling sound. Caught off guard the sword struck into Celestia’s wing and stuck there. With only one wing holding her up, she fell from the air and landed hard on the castle’s stone ground. All around the fights of Lunar and Celestial guards stopped and stared as the Princess had been grounded by her foe. He pulled the sword from her wing and held it above her. He got ready to strike, but Celestia’s injured wing struck out at him first and sent him reeling, her blood spattered across his face as he held the sword firmly in his mouth. Pulling herself into a somewhat regal pose she readied herself to attack again, her wing dragged on the ground beside her bloodied. “I’m giving you one last chance Commander, end this now.” She spoke. “You know my terms Celestia.” “And you know I can’t allow it.” “Then death it shall be!” He lunged at her and she blew another blast of magic, it missed and hit the carpet igniting it. Some ponies tried to put it out but she kept firing and setting more carpets or curtains on fire as the Earth Pony dodged each of her blasts. One such blast that he missed, instead hit one of the Celestial Guard who had tried to put out the fire. She barely noticed, focused entirely on the Earth Pony. Her guards around him helped the poor guard who’d been shot but the fire was now out of control. None of them wanted to continue to be in the castle as it spread but Celestia and the Earth Pony ignored them, and the fire. Every pony fled. The fire chasing after them, the blazing inferno sent clouds of smoke bellowing out the top of the castle, even the city ponies fled to the surrounding land for safety. All but the Princess and Earth Pony. He closed in and went to strike but she suddenly grabbed a sword herself and blocked it, each pushing harder to break the other’s defence, fire licking at their heels and the flames dancing around them. As he pushed against her sword, he kicked her in the leg and she fell on her side. She tried to lift her head but he stood one of his feet on top of her horn and pulled back his head to stab down into the exposed flesh of her neck. Just as he was about to stab her, a magic blast from the side hit him and he was flown back into the wall. His fur singed from the fire and as he tried to get up, a beam from the roof collapsed and trapped him under it. His whole side was burning from the heat of the beam and he yelled out in pain. The Princess was getting up with help from her saviour; a unicorn with a deep dark purple coat and blue mane, his cutie mark had three bright white stars on it. He was one of her guard who ran back to check if she was okay. He helped her to her feet and created a shield above them from any debris. “Thank you. I apologise for not knowing your name.” “It’s Spell Bound my Princess, but we really should leave, the building’s coming down.” *cough* “Yes of course.” When she was about to go, she heard a groan and saw the Earth Pony stuck underneath the beam, fighting to get out while coughing raggedly with fire licking at his fur. She was going to leave him to die in the fire, but she stopped. Going over to the Earth Pony, he was trying to pry the beam off of himself but the smoke was going straight into his lungs and he was coughing and the smoke went into his eyes so he could barely see. He was becoming weaker and less aware of his surroundings. With a last effort he pushed at the beam and managed to get it off himself. But he no longer had the energy to get up, coughing a few times and taking a blurred look around, he collapsed to the ground, his hairs still burning slightly. The Princess looked at his lifeless body and with the help of Spell Bound’s and her magic, they carried him out of the castle while trying to not have the whole place fall down on them as the walls fell down behind her. Outside the castle and outside the city limits as the whole thing went up in flames, all the ponies watched in silent horror as their homes, their lives, went up in smoke.Many fell that day, their bodies burning with the fire, None of the Lunar Guard were seen, supposedly fled. All except the unconscious Earth Pony. Taking him into the forest with his sword and a few guards, he awoke after having his head dunked in a river. He turned to look around and was in a sudden rage when he saw Celestia. He tried to attack her but many guards held him down and he really didn’t have the energy after having his lungs filled with smoke. He recognized the purple unicorn standing by her as the one who have shot him and threw insults at him. Ignoring them, the Princess came up to him and said, “Commander, you have committed crimes against the crown and Equestria’s ruler. Crimes that are punishable by death, have you anything to say before that punishment is filled out?” “Only that your mangled wing looks beautiful in the moonlight.” “Fool!” She went to hit him but stopped and took a breath. He took this moment to speak, “Me!? A fool! You’re the one who took me from the burning fire, I would’ve died in there but for some reason you decided to take me out here?! What? Didn’t want the fire to get me? Wanted to save the privilege of killing me to yourself?!” He spat at her feet and turned an angered gaze at her. Through clenched teeth she said, “Please give your name Commander,” the words like a foul taste in her mouth, “so all will know of the Stallion who died trying to overthrow the crown and burned down the royal home in doing so.” “If I recall correctly, it was your terrible aim Missy, which set the castle on fire, you even hit one of your own guards.” “Remember who you speak to! You will address me as Princess Celestia or her Highness! Now what is your name.” “You are no Princess, none that I follow! You are an oppressor, and you are not getting anything out of me, Missy.” “Very well.” She nodded and her guards moved him so his head was resting on a rock and he couldn’t move. The dark purple magic of Spell Bound wrapped around the hilt of the Earth Pony’s very own sword and levitated it above him. “For you crimes against the crown and myself the ruler of Equestria… I sentence you to death.” The unnamed Earth Pony was buried within that forest which would one day become the Everfree Forest. His resting place shown only by his sword acting as a head stone stuck in the ground where his body and severed head lied, but the area where he was buried was forgotten to the ages. As the years passed, many ponies said they’d seen a headless horse wandering that very forest, and made-up tales of a headless ghost; saying he was searching for his long lost head and that if you weren’t careful, he might take your head instead. But this is all fake right? He was buried with his head, so what reason does this headless ghost have to wander the forest at night…