//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: From the Ashes 
// by Ruki44 
//------------------------------//

Once upon a time when the world was still young there lived a vast horde of races, many of which only live in mythology today. Out of these ancient races, three reigned supreme: the alicorns, chimeras and dragons.

For years each race dominated their own area, living in harmony with one another. As time passed, newer races began to show up and fill the world. These new races looked up to the ancient races in admiration. Over time, some of the races began to look towards members of the ancient races for guidance and leadership.

Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns began to follow the eternal alicorns. Griffins, cockatrice and manticores took their allegiance among the rest of the chimeras. Over time small city-states began to form. The most prominent was the land of Equestria ruled by the alicorns. 

The alicorns became more and more powerful and prominent the more Equestria flourished. Soon, Equestria became the central hub of the world, and the alicorns began to be worshiped as gods and goddesses not only by the ponies who they ruled, but by foreign races as well. 

It didn’t take long before the alicorns were the prominent race worshiped and respected by all. Even the once prominent chimeras respected their alicorns neighbors. Besides, ruling wasn’t their thing. They preferred the freedom to live life freely. With the alicorns in charge, they were able to do just that as long as they didn’t cause unnecessarily trouble.   

Every race was content.

All but one race that is.

The dragons.

Dragons are proud creatures. They were insulted that the alicorns have gained prominence and power while they slowly withered away in the memory of the world. 

So, they sought to fix this transgression. They started attacking the lands close to them. 

They started by burning down the forests of Cervidas before flying over the Emberbrace Mountains (with a quick genocide at Himallama on the way) to Camelu. As the camels fought desperately against the dragons, the zebras, knowing they were next, pleaded with the alicorns for help.

The alicorns responded by declaring war on the dragons. Backed up by the rest of the races, a desperate war against the dragons began.

It was a long and bloody struggle. While the other races were making social advancements, the dragons were making military ones. They easily won battle after battle, leaving a complete path of destruction in their wake.

However, the alicorns refused to back down. Even though battles kept being lost, the alicorns fought valiantly. They eventually found a way to kill dragons easily; a well placed stab to the heart and the dragon went down. Even if it didn’t kill them out right, the rapid blood loss made them easy targets. Armed with this knowledge, they started pushing the dragons back.

The dragons couldn’t accept this. They’ve come too far to lose now. 

So, they started a campaign for the complete eradication of the alicorns. They hunted down each and every single alicorn and systematically took them out. 

Now, the alicorns were not going to take this lying down. They fought valiantly. Other races backed up the alicorns. The staunchest supporters were the chimeras, who over the years had formed a strong alliance with their sister race.

However, it wasn’t enough. Even with the alicorns and chimeras power combined, and the help the lesser races tried to provide, the dragons were too good at the art of war. At the art of murder. At the art of genocide.

They wiped out all the alicorns and chimeras. With the two ancient powerhouses gone, the rest of the races fell out of line and eventually gave in to the dragons.

Since then, it has been 1000 years and the dragons have ruled the world with an iron fist. No race in their right mind has gone against them since the Great War. Any rebel or rebellion is met with a swift death.

However, ancient forces which have been sleeping for the past 1000 years are beginning to awaken. A new chapter in the world history is about to begin.