//------------------------------//
// 2: Of the Powers that Rule Our Realm 
// Story: The Book Most Ancient and Holy: Volume 1 
// by Colt McCoy 
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Of the Powers that Rule Our Realm


The Hunger beckoned for substance, and the call was answered. Nopony can say how or why, and nopony will ever be able to. That is simply the way of Equestria. But it is known to everypony what young deities answered this call. 
The first to spring forth was a terrible spirit. His words, expertly placed in the hearts of ponies, can spur them to terrible deeds. His actions, deftly kissing our Equestrian dimension, are the plight of ponies everywhere. He is the antithesis of everything good and whole – he is Discord, the spirit of disharmony.
Second came the sisters eternal, Celestia and Luna. As much as Discord represents dissonance, these two stand for unity. However, they are nothing alike. One is as beautiful as the sun is radiant, and as wise as it is old. The other is mysterious as the distant night sky and dark as the far side of the moon. Their counterbalance is what keeps the rhythm of Equestria’s days and nights, their wisdom what governs its ponies. Their union is life.
Third came our land, Equestria. A spirit in itself, Equestria is the mother that sustains us all. It gives us the soil we farm and live on, the water we drink, and the sky we fly, and asks for nothing in return. It is the simplest of the gods, and yet, in some ways, the most profound. Some argue the land isn’t a spirit, it just is. However, ask any Earth Pony and they will tell you – the land holds a certain type of indescribable magic.
That brings us to the last and most powerful deity of them all. That title belongs to Magic. Magic can be studied and learned, and mastered by powerful unicorns, but can never be fully understood. That’s simply what makes it Magic. Some say Magic is even older than the Hunger itself. The only thing that can be known for sure about Magic is that nopony can ever fully comprehend it.
The wise pony grasps one lesson: without Luna, there is no Celestia. Without Celestia, there is no Luna. Without Discord, there are no sisters eternal. Without all the struggle of the world, there is no joy of life. Without dark, no light. And Magic? Magic is above all else.