What Little We Know
Anypony who finds his or herself perusing the Royal Library in Canterlot could easily become lost among the tens of thousands of texts kept on its ancient shelves. There are books on mathematics, psychology, art history, and herbal remedies. There are ancients tomes full of magic spells that date back thousands of years. There is an entire wing dedicated to astronomy, and an enormous room containing only cookbooks and recipes. There are research papers on topics such as parasprite migration patterns and the caloric density of various types of cupcakes. Novels, textbooks, reference guides, maps, just about anything you could possibly imagine and every subject known to ponykind can be found in the labyrinth of hallways and staircases within the vast library.
But there is one room that almost nopony is permitted to enter. Of all the information open to the public at the Royal Library, you will find nothing in reference to the Schism. That is because these records are kept in the Elements of Harmony room. The Elements of Harmony room – or “The Tomb” as it is colloquially referred to – is guarded twenty-four hours a day by two high profile royal guards; although, they are hardly necessary considering the door they flank is virtually impenetrable. It is made of solid two-foot thick marble with no hinges and no visible means of opening. The surface is bare, save for a few odd indentations and the words: Int Nefftini Lærmuu: Ancient Equestrian for “The Chosen Few.”
Every piece of reliable information on the Schism and those who were involved in it is kept locked away behind that stone door. The list of those with permission to enter the room is only a few names long, and consists entirely of members of the Royal cabinet. The reason for this over-emphasized security is not well understood in the general community. As such, speculation is common.
What the average pony does know about the Schism is that it all happened nearly seven hundred years ago, not even a century after the millennial Summer Sun Celebration. It is also understood that the Schism culminated in the severance of the Royal Alliance when Princess Luna seceded from her throne as Guardian of the Night and abandoned Equestria, taking a small group of followers with her. Finally and most mysteriously, it is known that the Schism had a great deal to do with the legendary Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle is something of a folk hero in modern Equestrian society. According to legend she became the first (and only) non-bloodline princess the kingdom has ever seen. For many, she represents the potential that all ordinary ponies have within themselves. Also according to legend, she contributed more to the field of magical theory than anypony since Starswirl the Bearded. This seems plausible, considering Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was renamed Twilight Sparkle Academy for the Magically Advanced. There is a national holiday held every year in her honor and a few stained-glass windows depicting her likeness at the palace, but other than that not much is known about the Princess.
Of course, her current whereabouts are also a complete mystery, hence the speculation.
Some conspiracy theorists say her magic became so powerful that Celestia felt threatened and banished her to the moon. Others say that she turned out to be a fraud and was quickly swept under the rug. Many aren’t sure if she ever really existed. A few ponies claim that she must have died, although this seems highly unlikely to anyone familiar with the way royalty works in Equestria. Princesses are immortal, after all. But the most widespread theory about the illusive miss Sparkle – at least according to the stories that parents always told their foals – is that she is hiding in a cave high up in the mountains somewhere; biding her time and waiting for the right moment to reveal herself. Truthfully, none of these answers are very likely seeing as this all happened hundreds of years ago, long before the times of any living ponies. Any ponies except the Princess of course, who for whatever reason is unwilling to explain.
Any attempt to infiltrate the the Elements of Harmony room or spread top-secret information is punishable by banishment; fortunately this measure has never needed to be taken – nopony has ever tried.
There is a small minority who complain, a few who have demanded the release of records on Princess Twilight or the Schism. Their movements are always small, and usually die out without notice from the public at large. They are no more than shouts in the dark, destined to fade like a distant echo. There really is no sense in challenging the system.
So for the most part, life goes on in Equestria. Merchants sell their wares on the streets and astronomers conduct their research in the observatories. Fillies and Colts receive a well-rounded education and most grow up to lead relatively satisfying lives. Seasons come and pass, and harvests yield more than enough to feed the populace. Equestria exists in a state of perpetual peace and tranquility thanks to Princess Celestia, who raises the sun every day and the moon every night and watches over her beloved citizens. The common pony is more than content busying him or herself with the vast collection of knowledge free to access at the Royal Library and turning a blind eye to the vault-like room and its forbidden contents.
But this story does not begin with a common pony. It begins with one of those shouts in the dark, an the ancient secrets she was destined to uncover.