The chronicles of the Horsemaster

by Paradise Oasis

Gloom and Discord

Gloom and Discord

And so it was, that the land of Equestria was established, and all ponies came to live together in harmony as their creator had intended. The six leaders, now the council that governed the new land, wanted to establish a place that symbolized the friendship the three tribes had found. Therefore they commanded that a great city be built high on the mountain of Canterlot, that holy place where B'zekre had first created the six original mares, and it was here that the greatest community of Ponydom's new home.

"We have finally brought peace to the tribes once more." Pansy told the others with satisfaction. "Surely only prosperity and peace shall follow for all generations of ponies to come."

But these ponies did see that there were still many threats to Equestria's harmony, however. There were still many foes who wished to invade the country from without, and there will still many amongst the three tribes who still bore the old hatreds, and could threaten harmony from within. It was then, that Clover the Clever did discover something that could threaten everything. It was a bridge of rainbow, a solid band of light that blazed a trail to another world. A few pony explorers were sent over to explore this new world, and thus it was that many of that place's legends of Pegasus and unicorns.

"This new world must be kept a secret from all of ponydom, and all the rest who inhabit this world." Smart Cookie did declare to the others. "Therefore, let us take steps to ensure that no one is able to locate it."

"Let let us take measures to protect this secret." Clover agreed. "A society shall be formed, to protect the bridge from discovery."

And so it was decided that a secret society, called the order of Gloom, was founded without the knowing of the common ponies of Equestria. Made up of all three kinds of ponies, this group would operate in ways other ponies would consider vile, in order to protect Equestria. To this day, the alicornists deny that these mysterious ponies exist. But our royal unicorn bloodline did reveal to us this secret, so we followers of the horsemaster know the truth. As time passed, the order of Gloom took it's activities more and more into the shadows, and in time even the leaders of Equestria forgot about them.

And so the generations passed, and Equestria prospered under the rule of the council of six, with it's ever changing members. We horsemasterists from all three tribes did dwellpeacefully as a minority in the shadows of our alicornist neighbors, the house of Sunsparkle serving as our community's spiritual leaders. Princes and Princesses, they still held on to their royal titles, the last branch of the old royal houses of the three tribes still remaining. The ponies of the kingdom did spread out across the land, starting the towns of Fillydelphia, Manehatten, and Baltimare; towns that would one day become the great cities of Equestria.

But all of this peace and prosperity drew the eyes of a creature most terrible. Out of the shadows of the past, that one last draconequuis, who had escaped the wars as only a tiny infant, came out of his place of hiding deep within the untamed wilderness of the mountains. Now a full grown adult, this creature saw the ponies playing happily under the sun, and the rage of his memories of the Penna's little pets filled his blackened heart.

"These ponies must now know the suffering I did, whilst I was growing up in my miserable solitude." The creature reasoned. "Therefore, I shall bring the discord that is myself to these ponies, so that they too will know what it's like to lose order and harmony."

And so the creature that called itself Discord descended upon the unsuspecting ponies, defeating their armies with his great powers, and enslaving ponykind in an endless reign of suffering and unhappiness. Now, this monster did not have the evil of his forebearers in his shadowy heart, but was instead content to play malicious pranks upon his miserable subjects, turning Equestria from a harmonious society into a chaotic mess. Ponies were able to continue their lives, in a sense. For discord left them just enough order to grow their food and live their lives under the shadow of his rule. But it was a miserable existence nevertheless, one in which the ponies would thank their luck every morning, that they had lived to see another day.

As to we horsemasterists, we persevered in the shadow of this new threat. With discord having dissolved the council of six, our ancestors cried out in agony to B'zekre, pleading for her to provide new leadership for ponykind.

"We did not abandon you, like the alicornists did." B'zekre's children cried out in their agony. "Will you now abandon us?"

And so it came to pass, that the horsemaster brought about another miracle. It came to pass that a mare, known as Rainbow Curl, was out in the forests of Dream Valley. Having wandered away from her family's farm, she was searching for some grubs to cook into her stew, when she noticed a strange light emanating from a grotto nearby. Following the light, she came to a wondrous sight. A crystalline tree stood before her, glimmering in the darkness of a small cave. The mare was struck by it's beauty, and speechless before it.

Little did the mare realize this was the tree of Harmony, grown from the seed planted by the six great pillars of Equestria, and embodying their powers of harmony and friendship. B'zekre had guided the mare to this powerful tree, so ponydom could use it's power to fight the evil that plagued them.

"I must show this tree to my friends." Rainbow Curl thought to herself. "So that they too might enjoy it's beauty."

And so she brought four of her friends- Raincurl, Ringlet, Stripes, and Streaky- and brought them to the mysterious tree. Amazed by it's beauty, the five horsemasterist mares came to sit beneath the great tree's branches, in long hours of contemplation and prayer. They kept their ritual a secret from their fellow ponies, so that discord would not learn of the wondrous tree. Then, after many years of silent contemplation, all of the mare's manes suddenly exploded into a sea of flowing rainbow colors. Though the tree of Harmony, the horsemaster had brought them to full enlightenment. They were normal equines no longer, but now the rainbow ponies- holy mares dedicated to the service of the great horsemaster.

"Come, we must minister to our fellow pony, who suffer so under Discord's power." Raincurl told the others. "And we must prepare the way, so that the tyrant's downfall may one day be brought about.”

And so they acted quickly ,putting both he royal family and the golden crown of Queen Sunsparkle into a safe place of hiding. To the other ponies of Equestria they became a growing legend. Appearing with their flowing rainbow manes that moved as if they were alive, and helping any mare or stallion that was in pain before vanishing just as mysteriously. Even with his great power the chaotic one could not catch up with them or track their mystical movement, so he relegated them in his mind to the realm of an inconsequential threat. It was in this way Discord sowed the seeds of his own eventual downfall.

And upon receiving a vision from B'zekre, the Rainbow Monks sat back and waited. Awaiting the birth of two pony sisters, whom the horsemaster would send to free all of ponykind.

"My fellow rainbow ponies, we must wait." Stripes told the others, as they all stood in their crimson robes beneath the sacred tree. "For the coming of the sisters of sun and moon, shall signal the end of Discord's tyranny..."

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[Celestias Paladin]

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In a way all holy books are propaganda for their parent faith, some are better than others. It also depends in how the books are interpreted.

-Rev. Aurum Apple