//------------------------------// // Prologue: As Read From "A Brief History of the Civilized Races" // Story: This Strange Yet Wonderful World // by SolvableSphinx //------------------------------// Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a group of many ponies. These ponies were not normal ponies, as you or I might think of them, but they were magical ponies. They were capable of speech, of agriculture, of creating fine crafts and fine arts. These ponies came from the North, and though they were united now they were divided into three types. Firstly are the Earth Ponies, who as their names suggest are magically bound to the land. They used their connection with the land to master the agrarian arts, and also excelled in metalsmithing, and the creation of fine pottery. Secondly are the Pegasi, winged ponies connected to the air. They can control the weather and build great cities from the clouds themselves, and by temperament are masters of the arts of war. Thirdly are the unicorns, ponies possessing a single horn who are connected to the luminous aether, who formed the noble and clerical classes. When a pony comes of age, they receive a special insight into their destiny. This insight normally manifests itself through a magical mark which appears on the pony’s hindquarters. They are called many things throughout history, and still within regional dialects, though today the most populous nation of thinking ponies refer to them as ‘cutie marks’. Several ponies have been set aside to have a very special destiny. Whether through birth or through magic, they have come to possess the connection to magic of the unicorn, the connection to air of pegasi, and the connection to the land of the Earth ponies, though they may not possess these traits in equal measure. These special ponies are formally known as 'winged unicorns', though most of the pony-folk refer to them as alicorns. For a time there were two pony nations in the land of Equestria, each ruled by noble alicorns. There was the Principality of Equestria, ruled by the noble and wise sisters known as Celestia and Luna, who embodied the Sun and the Moon, and also the cardinal virtues of the pony-folk: generosity, honesty, kindness, laughter, loyalty, and magic (also known as friendship). There was also the Empire of the Crystal Ponies, carved out by hardy members of the pony folk as far north as inhabitable. Still, they were not evil, for they were guided by a kind Empress who embodied the more universal virtue of Love. The nations conducted trade, defended one another, and lived in peace and harmony. One day, nearly a thousand years ago, Discord fell upon the land. In the Crystal Empire, the Empress had taken a consort, a wise pony who could gain insight into dreams. He was but a normal unicorn, though, and though he loved his Empress greatly he knew that one day he would be parted from her. So he began to study magical arts, those which are forbidden for good reason. This unicorn called himself Sombra now, and he sought to possess his lover and sovereign as collector possesses a piece of fine art. He also sought her power. Instead of being captured, though, the Empress fled her nation and sought the aid of her southern neighbors. Celestia and Luna agreed, and together sought to purify Sombra. Yet it was too late. Sombra, who had assumed the title of King Sombra the First, had corrupted the Crystal Empire, turning its inhabitants into his willing slaves, and had turned his eyes towards the Griffin Kingdoms, as well as to Equestria. The two princesses used their virtue to expel the evil King Sombra before he could cause more havoc upon this world, but at a terrible price: the Crystal Empire would be lost unto the world, save it be that King Sombra returns. And yet, even so, that was not the only consequence. For in the moment the corruption spread to Luna. And it came to pass that as the corruption took hold, it began to warp her mind. “Why should one such as I be relegated to control the affairs of the night?” she asked herself. “Why should I be awake, when every pony save my court sleeps? Why must it needs be that I spend so much time crafting my elegant and beautiful sky, when no one is around to admire it? Why must it be that I am always the lesser of the two sisters? “But most importantly of all, why must I be so lonely?” There was some truth to her thoughts, but it was not so simple. There were ponies who admired the nighttime sky, and even studied it, such as Starswirl, whom Luna loved. The arrangement to share power was flexible, and Celestia tried to placate her younger sister. And yet it was not enough. Eventually Luna gathered those sympathetic to her cause (for indeed, she was never as lonely as she thought herself to be) and sought to seize control of the entirety of Equestria for herself. And thus Luna became Nightmare Moon. A great war was waged, against Celestia’s Solar Kingdom and Nightmare Moon’s Lunar Republic. A great and terrible war that tore Equestria apart, and pitted brother against brother, sister against sister, and parent against child. As the war grew increasingly desperate, so did the measures that both side resorted to: new and more powerful destructive spells, foreign mercenaries, golems and even the undead. Yet the war continued, until Celestia was able to cast the final spell of that war, and banish the corrupted Luna to her very source of power. Thus it is that Nightmare Moon became the Mare in the Moon. Yet her banishment is not forever for it is prophecy: that in the thousandth year the Mare in the Moon shall return to the Earth, and bring forth night everlasting, save it be that those who embody the cardinal virtues of Equestria the best bring forth the mystical Elements of Harmony to dispel the evil, purifying Luna and allowing her to become a co-equal ruler standing side by side with her sister, Queen Celestia. Thus it is written, and thus it shall be. Twilight Sparkle finished the story aloud, looking around to notice that she had attracted a small crowd around her. They all began to clap their hooves. “You’re a really good storyteller, you know that? You could be an actor if you applied yourself, you know that,” one of them said. “I’ve never heard that one before? Where did you find it? Is it a Zebra book? An elven one? You must really have a talent for languages.” “You should really come to Moondancer’s party. His family’s all history nuts. You’d be a hit!” Twilight began to blush furiously. How was she going to get out of this now?