The chronicles of the Horsemaster

by Paradise Oasis

The growth of Ponykind, and the Birth of the Tribes

The growth of Ponykind, and the Birth of the Tribes

And it came to pass that ponykind began to spread across the world, their numbers increasing as the years passed. Now the world was a dangerous place in those early, chaotic days. And the herds could easily fall prey to predators, datural disasters, or some other such calamity. It was for these reasons that pony families began to organize into herds for protection, so that ponies could more readily defend themselves. The children of Queen Sunsparkle ruled the herds with wisdom and compassion.

Now it came to pass, that ponies found that they were all good at many different skills. Some learned, through trial and error, to grow and raise crops from the soil. Others found skills in making the shelters that protected ponies at night, or telling stories to the foals of each herd to put them to sleep. The herds live communally then, dwelling in primitive tents under the stars. But many ponies felt frustrated, unable to discern what their paths in life should be. Ponies would waste half their lives trying to find their special talent, and thereby discern their place in society.

Seeing her children so troubled, B'zekre declared. "Dear little ones, the marks to which I gave your foremothers, so all of you shall receive them now. Therefore, all ponies shall know what their special talents is, as their cutie mark shall signify and commemorate it's discovery, emblazoning upon each pony a symbol of their special destiny." It was in this way that cutie marks first came to Ponykind, guideposts for the equines along their stages of life.

Now it was also about this time, that the Tirac caused his first trouble in the hearts and minds of Ponykind. Stirring up jealousy between mares for the stallions that belonged to other mares, and jealousy among the stallions for each others mares. Much pain and strife occurred amongst early ponykind because of cheating and betrays, so B'zekre declared. "No longer may pony join with pony freely. Let their be a lifebond to be formed between each mare and stallion, joining them as one soul. Stallion and mare shall share life's pleasures and pains together, and none may tear their unity asunder." And so it remains to this day, a lifebond between mare and stallion has never been broken.

In those early days, the lands that would one day be the mighty nation of Equestria were submerged beneath the waves, ruled by the ancient horrors of the deep that the Tirac had placed there to bring suffering into the world. But as the centuries passed, it so happened that the great waters receded, and the Ancient horrors were driven back into the deep places of the world. It came to pass that the Penna birds, the wise and beautiful avian race the horsemaster had created, came to drive the last horror back into the deep, and began to build the world's first great civilization, spreading their righteous and just rule across the land.

It was at that time, that King Ruffitania, great sovereign of the Penna empire, saw the primitive tribes of Ponykind, and said "These beings are gifted with an intelligence that equals our own. Come, let us invite them to live amongst us, so we might teach them the ways of civilized beings." And it came to pass that many herds took the Penna up on their offer, and came to dwell amongst them. To these ponies, the great bird folk taught the gifts of reading and writing, how to build and live in houses of stone, and how to make clothes for themselves to keep warm.

But the Penna also knew mighty magics, which they had discovered over the ages from meticulous research and study. The bird folk had learned ways to change their bodies to any shape they desired, altering their shape and size in any way they wished. They taught these wonders to ponydom, who then used them to bring great B'zekre's words of prophecy to fruition. The ponies reshaped themselves into the Pegasus who fly, and the seaponies who swim, To the unicorns who cast spells, and the crystal ponies who glisten. Each tribe then began to differentiate themselves from their fellow ponies, and a branch of the house of Sunsparkle came to rule over each tribe.

The Penna had proved themselves mighty, building great pyramids of stone, and creating mighty cities that would stand through the centuries. But this might was their own undoing, as they used their magics to conduct all sorts of experiments that twisted and transformed the nature of living things. The Tirac put pride into their hearts, making them reached for the forbidden. From these foolhardy actions, was born a race of pure chaos, who would challenge the Penna's great might. Thus came into being were the Draconequui, beings of pure chaos, whose inherent magic was as great as the Penna who had sired them. Quickly freeing themselves, these horrors set about turning an orderly world into a sate of utter chaos.

At the silent urging of the Tirac, Rivers flowed upwards, and birds flew backwards. Griffins felt the pain of being on fire, but the flames could never be put out, yet never consumed them. For ponykind they chaos beings reserved a special fate; they created a disease that caused many cutie marks appeared upon their bodies, casing them to do an untold number of special talents all at once. They carried out these torments without the knowledge of the beings that they tortured, and the Draconequui reveled in the suffering they caused. Enraged, the penna could not sit idly by, and let their creations weak havoc upon the world.

What followed was a magical war the likes of which the world had not seen before or since. The Penna and their draconequui foes tore the landscape apart as powerful spells were thrown at each other, carving out valleys and pounding mountains into dust. The pony tribes fled before this terror, the sea ponies and mermares fleeing to the open ocean, while the other tribes fled to the neighboring land of Argyte for safety. As to the Penna, they and their chaotic adversaries nearly wiped each other out, with only a single Darconequuis child feeling into the shadows to survive to another day. But the great penna civilization had fallen, leaving only scattered tribes of the bird folk in it's wake. and the great shaping magic, along with the other wonders of pennakind, were lost forever.

As to the ponies, they soon found the Draconequui's magical assaults had left the forces of nature themselves in chaos. With both moon and sun in the sky, and weather sporadically changing from one minute to the next, the ponies and the other races of the world cried out to the horsemaster in agony. In response, the creator dropped a few seeds into the ruined soil of the old penna empire, and from these seeds quickly grew the most beautiful tree the world had ever seen. One day to be called the tree of Harmony, this mighty plant took root, and brought order back to a world thrown into chaos.

Although ponies knew not of the tree's existence, they quickly felt it's wondrous effects. Pegasus suddenly found they could control the weather, and the unicorns found they could raise the sun and moon if they worked together in groups. The soil would only respond to earth pony magic now, and so they were needed to grow crops from that point onward. And so, the three remaining tribes found a peaceful existence in their new home of Arygte, working together to make things better for themselves. But the day would soon come that ponykind would be at each others throats, and the lessons of harmony and friendship would quickly be cast aside and forgotten.

Comments

[Celestias Paladin]

It always comes down to the Abomination doesn't it? So much strife in two worlds caused by the same being. He nearly killed the Great Mother, he nearly brought ponydom to it's knees, he wiped out nearly six thousand years of history and culture. Even if Discord is a far greater evil, even he will not be remembered with the same hate as Tirek.

-Rev. Aurum Apple

[PresentPerfect]

I appreciate the nods to previous generations, but this story really needs to be edited.