//------------------------------// // The Spilling of Ichor // Story: The Dawn of Equestria // by Templar22 //------------------------------// In the beginning, there was only the All-mother and father, and they were happy together, wandering the vastness of space. But one day the All-mother decided she wanted a home, so she asked the All-father to make one for them. So he did. Within a week of expending his vast powers, he created the entire world, and they were happy. Until one day the All-mother asked the All-father if he was lonely. This confused him, how could he be lonely when she had her? She wanted children, so the all father took 9 of his finest wing feathers and 9 small slivers of the All-mother’s horn and ground them into dust with his mighty hooves. With the combined power of the All-mother and All-father, this dust was formed into clay, and the clay formed into rough statues of 9 alicorns. Then life was breathed into these statues. When the first alicorn cracked his eyes open, the All-father smiled on him, and called him Harmony. Thus were the firstborn of the All-mother and father created and named, Harmony being the eldest, followed by Dilectius and Templaric and Cura. They were followed by Monentius and Cantantus and Agerlum. They were followed by Celestia and Luna, the youngest of the immortals. Now with 9 children, the All-mother was happy. And they lived together on the world the All-father had created. And they were happy, and the happiness lasted for centuries. But then one day, the 9 children grew restless. They watched everyday as the All-father added mountains, and valleys, and streams, and animals to his world. Why was it that the All-father could create life and the 9 could not? So when the All-father prepared to make the first of the sentient species, the 9 asked if they could aid him. At first he refused, but after the 9 obtained the support of the All-mother, he relented and agreed to allow them to aid in populating his world. However unforeseen consequences soon arose. As each of the nine gave a piece of themselves to the new mortals, they became more and more like the mortals they had created. Some were pleased with the changes, others were not. All were changed save the youngest two, after witnessing the changes in here other children, the All-mother had forbid them both from aiding the All-father in his work. Some also heeded her warning, and helped very little, others ignored her and helped everywhere they could. Those who aided the creation of the griffons sprouted feathers all over their upper half, those who created the dragons grew scales, and as more mortals came in to being, the changes continued. Some grew the horns of the buffalo, others’ teeth were sharpened, some had wings change to liken those of the bats. The more species each helped create, the more they changed. Some such as Agerlum changed little, him only receiving a striped coat in return for creating the Zebrica. Others such as the eldest Harmony, became completely unrecognizable to their previous forms. Some were pleased, others were not. The two eldest of the 9 had been the most involved, and therefore became the most changed. They became the first Draconi. Harmony was pleased. The once fair and beautiful Dilectius, was not. She had poured some of her beauty in to each of the races, leaving none for herself. Her appearance became monstrous. She was greatly a saddened, and so were her siblings. Only the All-mother and father were not saddened, they had given her numerous warnings and she had heeded them not. This soon angered Dilectius, for the changes had not only affected her outward appearance, but soon the changes took hold in her mind, the many conflicting cultures, and ideals of each race began to drive her to insanity. As they did Harmony. This did cause the All-mother and father much grief, as they watched more and more of their beloved children lose themselves within their minds. Some remained strong however, and refused to allow themselves to fall to madness. Those who had changed little on the outside, also changed little on the inside. Those who remained themselves tried in vain to save their siblings who had not. Alas, it was all in vain. The once kind Dilectius was the first to fall, takeing with her, Harmony and Templaric. Thus the three eldest of the 9 separated themselves from their mother and father and went to cause mischief unto the very races they had helped create. These things took place over many years, and the long since unified ponies were by far the most advanced and prosperous of the mortals. They were the first to fall under the hateful gaze of the Draconi. They started with simple pranks, but slowly escalated to dangerous activities that threatened the lives of several mortals. This event caused the All-father to take notice, and he took it upon himself to recall his firstborn. He had made them, and he was willing to un-make them if he deemed necessary. He met them at the peak of the Mount of Kings. He spoke unto his three eldest, telling them of their wrongs, and urging them to recant and return home. His firstborn Harmony replied to father’s pleading thus, “We three are stronger than you, old one. And we no longer have need of you.” The resulting battle completely destroyed the Mount of Kings, leaving only what is now known as the Crater of Fools. It was there that the foul Dilectius was defeated. Her broken body buried deep within the crater. Her death only seemed to inspire the remaining two rebel firstborn to greater efforts against the All-father. During the battle, the immortals fought their way over a small village. For such was the plan of Harmony. As the mighty forces clashed, the All-father was thrown bodily into a building of mortals. His immense body crushing several young foals. He made as if to throw himself back into the fray when he realized what he had done. He paused to breathe life back into the innocence he had destroyed and as he did so, his firstborn seized upon the opportunity. He came behind his spellcasting father, and rammed his horn it’s full length into his back., the golden ichor of the immortal staining the ground. “Harmony! Why!?” the All-father cried as his spellcasting was interrupted and the last vestiges of life were snatched away from the mortals. With a cruel sneer Harmony replied. “I am no longer Harmony. I am Discord, Lord of CHAOS!” With triumph in his voice, he sent the defeated All-father home, mortally injured. As he collapsed on his doorstep he gasped out to the frantic All-mother. “Harmony is no more, the monster in his place must be destroyed.” Thus the blood of the first immortals was spilt. The All-father was laid upon his bed to rest, perhaps indefinitely. The remaining 7 were more than willing to go out and exact righteous justice unto Discord and Templaric but the All-mother forbade it, as she was loathe to lose any more of her family. Thus the Discordian era came about, and for two years time Discord and Templaric did as they pleased unopposed. Much technology was lost as archives were destroyed and priceless artifacts hidden forever. Still the All-mother refused to risk any more of her family. Until the Draconi set their sights upon the Zebrica. They caused no rain to fall for many seasons causing great famine and hunger. The zebras called upon their gods to save them, and one did hearken unto them. The youngest son, Agerlum heard the cries of the Zebrica and against the All-mother’s wishes, went to see Templaric, for surely his brother could be made to see reason. The mighty half dragon Templaric, wouldn’t hear his younger brother and instructed him to run home. Agerlum refused, stating that the needs of his people came first. This caused Templaric to challenge Agerlum, thinking him a coward. For surely he would not accept. Agerlum accepted his challenge once again stating that his people needed him. Templaric held nothing back against his younger brother, beating him soundly again and again, until he realized Agerlum would not surrender. His slain body was cast away in the very deserts of Zebrica he had helped create. When news reached the home of the All-mother, she was full of much sorrow. For not only had she lost Agerlum, she knew in her heart that Templaric was no longer her son as well. She shut herself in her room, and none of her remaining 6 children could console her. Monentius, the last remaining son urged his sisters to join him against their brethren, for the suffering of the mortals was too great for him to stand. Cura and Cantantus followed him. Celestia and Luna could not, for the grieving All-mother had locked her two favored children away with many enchantments, lest they follow Monentius and die in battle. Nevertheless, Monentius led his two sisters against Templaric. He was still spent from his duel with Aguerlum and through the combined efforts of Monentius, Cura, and Cantantus he was defeated. They smote his ruin deep within a volcano, to ensure he would not rise. Discord had initially fled from them, seeing that they had defeated the mighty Templaric. He released his rage in a terrible vengeance against each of the three’s chosen people, one by one. Monentius charged to the rescue of his beloved griffons only to fall into his brother’s trap. Dark chains of chaos ensnared him, allowing Discord to cause much havoc before dispatching him easily. Draining the power from him to empower himself even greater. The sisters Cura and Cantantus found themselves greatly outmatched by their brother. And they perished defending one another against the madness of Discord. Much sorrow spread throughout the land, as Discords grip grew tighter and tighter as the 9 fell. The destruction of all his children save two caused the All-father to awaken. Though still very much weakened. He convinced the All-mother that Discord could not be saved, and for the good of the mortals they had created, he must be destroyed. The two immortals combined their powers to create six amulets of immense power. Power enough to defeat even Discord. Both weakened by this one last creation, it fell to the two youngest, Celestia and Luna to defeat the monster known as Discord. At first the last Draconi laughed as his two youngest siblings, who to him where little more than foals challenged him. His overconfidence proved to be his downfall as the two sisters were able to unleash the power of the elements upon him, forever encasing him in stone. The two sisters were triumphant, and returned home to relate all they had done unto their parents. But the All-father forbade them saying- “We are now too weak to keep the balance of night and day, it fall to you my last children to raise the sun and moon. The mortals wish to make you their rulers, grant them their wish, for I know thou shalt make grand rulers. Go now, and always remember the sacrifice of thy brothers and sisters.” Thus was the diarchy emplaced, and the immortals became the two princesses of Equestria. The equine kingdoms found a new age of peace and prosperity and though the damage of Discord was great, all things were mended with the passage of time. Such were the first days of what became known as modern Equestria.