The Dark Comet

by ggs1995

Prologue- The Divine Duo

1 Million Years Ago

High above the skies, beyond the outer reaches of the newly created solar system, King Mundus and Queen Stella looked out from Their Grand Palace at Their greatest accomplishment, the planet of Equus and the new life that roamed its great lands.

Stella, with great admiration in Her voice, “It is beautiful, is it not, my dear?”

“Indeed, it is as it should be. Great effort was put into crafting this perfect world. But I think all of our previous failures were worth it in the end,” exclaimed Mundus, a small smile and even a hint of pride creeping onto his ever stoic features.

As the Divine Duo had figured out, one of the most difficult parts of creating life was imbuing it with free will. Creating a mindless slave was simple; creating a true individual, let alone an entire race, was a whole other matter, but They had done it! Many species small and large now walked Equus that would one day become sentient, but Her favorite had to be the ones They had named ponies. After all, they were created in Their likeness, and They were the Original and Perfect Beings.

“It fills me with great joy knowing that one day, these ponies, our ponies, will evolve past their animalistic nature and build great civilizations of their own!” At this point, Stella could do nothing to stop Her excitement from letting loose. After all, They had been at this planet building business for thousands of years. It was nice to know that Their endeavors were indeed not all for naught, as Mundus was beginning to consider.

“I will admit, it is rather fascinating to consider what the future may hold for… Our little ponies.” The King of the Cosmos was still slightly embarrassed by that term, finding it quite unbecoming of a creature of His status, but His beloved had taken to it immediately, and despite his personal feelings, He was not about to spoil any happiness She was experiencing right now.

The Queen of the Stars was deep in thought. The possibilities were truly endless for her ponies! Would they be a peaceful race, putting focus on science and technology for the greater good of all? Or perhaps a warlike culture, destroying or assimilating all those it came across? Or maybe they…

“My love? Are you feeling well?” asked Mundus, concerned. His Queen had a (in his opinion, bad) habit of getting too preoccupied in Her work.

“What was that?” Stella was brought back to reality, “Oh, yes. I apologize, Mundus, I was just imagining all the scenarios for ponykind’s future. Remind me, what was your opinion on the matter?” Mundus sighed in annoyance. This had to have been the thousandth time He had been asked that question.

“I will tell you once more, Stella, I haven’t the faintest idea. That is the wonder of free will. Ponykind, and all the other species for that matter, are the masters of their own futures. No longer must mortals be bound by the chains of destiny.”

“You’re just saying that to avoid answering my question.” She joked with Her King. She had to take any chance to lighten the mood she could with Mundus. She loved Him dearly, but He was far too serious for His own good.

“I am not! I simply…” Mundus suddenly stopped, a grave expression coming over His face. “Do you feel something strange, Stella?” asked the King, warily.

“I don’t… Oh my, now that you mention it I--”

“AHHHHHHH!” Both Divine Beings suddenly fell to the floor, writhing in agony. “W-what is g-going on Mundus? What is this terrible presence I am sensing?” The ‘presence’ in question was overwhelming to the Two, which was saying quite a lot, “It is like all the evil in the universe has manifested in one spot.”

Once the words had left Her lips, the Two came to a horrifying realization, seemingly at the same time.

“You don’t think it could be the… Dark Comet, do you?” questioned Stella, more afraid than She had ever been in her millions of years of life.

If it really was the Dark Comet, Equus was most likely doomed. The Comet was the most powerful vassal of Dark Magic in the entire universe. It had not been a part of Creation, rather, it was spawned from the gestalt evil and chaotic energies left behind from the Void of pre-Creation.

“I-I will go and see. Let us pray that we are wrong…” Mundus began a full on gallop out of the Grand Palace, when a voice interrupted Him.

Stella would not risk the life of Her beloved; if He went by Himself and it was the Dark Comet, then He would surely perish. “I am coming with you, my love.” Mundus started His (expected) protest, but was immediately cut off. “And I will not be persuaded otherwise. You know as well as I do that if it really is the Comet, then you will be killed by yourself.”

Mundus desperately wanted to argue, but knew that once His Queen had Her mind set there was no changing it. Plus, they were running out of time, for the presence was growing closer by the second.

“Very well, but please, be careful Stella. I cannot stand the thought of losing you and my planet in succession. It is a rather disconcerting thought.” Stella was touched. Her King had not shown this much emotion since the day They found out She was pregnant with twin foals who would one day control the Sun and Moon of Their (at the time uncompleted) new planet. That was… 20,000 years ago, now?

After a single shed tear, Stella replied, “You have my word, dear. But only if you give me yours that you will do the same. The thought of ever losing you frightens me as much as it does you.” The King and His Queen stared into each others’ eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before sharing a long, passionate kiss under the watchful eyes of the stars and the night sky which adorned each of their respective flanks.

“Now, let us go confront this vile thing, whatever it may be.”

---

King Mundus and Queen Stella rapidly took flight through the cosmos towards Their destination: Equus. Whatever it was that was putting off these colossal waves of malign energies was now in close proximity to the new planet.

“Quickly Stella, we haven’t much time.” Mundus hurried His wife along. If the Two were to make a difference in saving Their new Paradise, it was imperative They arrive before what They had now confirmed to be, in fact, the Dark Comet. “The fate of our creations depends on it.”

“…” Stella was quickly becoming annoyed with Her husband’s constant prodding at Her slow pace, but bit back a sharp retort as She knew His heart was in the right place. She did let him know, “Mundus, you know I’m not as fast a flyer as you, so please, do not pressure me.”

“I apologize my dear. I am simply worried. It matters not, we have arrived.”

Indeed, They had made it to Equus in record time, and the Dark Comet was still roughly ten minutes away. If They were going to save Their new planet, it was the time to act. “Now are you prepared? Our magical output will have to be greater than ever before.”

Magic was the cornerstone of all life. Nothing in the universe could exist without it. Once they had gained sentience, the three pony subspecies of Equestria would be able to utilize it to its fullest potential. The Unicorns through their horns, the Pegasi through their wings, and the Earth ponies through their hooves.

“I-I am ready, Mundus. Prepare the Godshield.” When the Two worked in perfect harmony, They could create an enormous arcane barrier around the entire planet that, in theory, would be powerful enough to repel the Dark Magic of the Comet and send it back from whence it came.

For the first time in His eternal existence, Mundus was visibly nervous. This, needless to say, was of no great comfort to Stella. “I am ready whenever you are. We can do this, Stella. Focus on all things positive: Our love, the future of Our Little Ponies, and the coming birth of Our daughters. That is all we can do to weaken the Comet.”

The Comet fed off negativity, that was its greatest strength. Whenever there was hatred, violence, famine, etc. it would be there to further terrorize the mortals. Inversely, however, it was weakened by simply being in the proximity of anything good and sacred. It was the only way to fight Dark Magic.

As They were finally finished creating the Godshield, the Dark Comet itself finally came into view. In only a scant number of seconds, the fate of the newborn Equus would be decided once and for all. Would it have the bright future the Two so desired? Would it be destroyed outright? Or, perhaps worst of all, would the abhorrent corruptions of the Comet find their way onto Paradise?

“Here it comes my love, get ready. Full power now.” For those last moments, it was like time stood still for the Duo. They thought back on all the greatest times of Their long lives, one by one. Then…

CRASH!

The Comet collided with the Godshield with a force powerful enough to send ripples through the space-time continuum.

It was the ultimate test of will for the three parties involved. Mundus and Stella were noticeably shaken from the incredible show of exertion, but the Godshield held strong. The Comet, on the other hand, had no physical features, so the Two could not easily ascertain whether or not They had the upper hoof.

As seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned into hours, the Two were starting to wear down, while the Comet seemed just as intent on reaching its destination as ever, if not even more so. Mundus and Stella could practically feel the Dark Comet mocking Them, daring Them to try and defeat it.

Finally after around eighteen hours, They realized that there was no way of defeating the Comet on this day. There was not sufficient enough time to prepare and Their foe was simply too strong. Mundus and Stella gazed at each other with grim looks in Their eyes.

“W-we have lost, my dear. Equus… will fall victim to the evils of the Comet. After all our hard work, it will all be for nothing.” Stella was in tears now, both from the exhaustion of the Godshield and the realization of the gravity of the situation.

Mundus was deep in thought. “… perhaps”

“What was that, Mundus? You know I cannot hear you when you mumble.”

“I was thinking… perhaps Equus can be saved. Of course, assuming you are willing to pay a great price.” Mundus already knew what His wife’s answer would be. She always was one for sentiment.

Stella’s response was, as predicted, immediate and enthusiastic, “Yes! Of course, anything. I would do anything to save this world, even give my own life.”

Silence fell over the Two once more as They came to a mutual understanding. Suddenly Stella appeared uncharacteristically heartbroken, and Mundus was having a difficult time keeping up his stoic façade as well.

“… We will have to give our Life Force to save Equus, will we not?” asked Stella grimly, though She already knew the answer.

Mundus took a moment to compose Himself before replying, “Yes, I am afraid so my dear. It is either that or abandon Equus and keep on trying elsewhere.”

Queen Stella looked offended at the suggestion. “What, so that the Comet may find its way there eventually and destroy our life’s work once more?” The brilliant silver mare was fuming at this point. “No, absolutely not! I will not let such a terrible fate befall Our little ponies, or any of the other creatures of this world. I am ready to do what I must, Mundus, and that is final.”

The King was stunned by His love’s outburst, for they were exceedingly rare. He could sense the passion behind Her words, however, and at that moment, He knew what needed to be done. He got ready to say goodbye to the cosmos, His domain, that He had come to love so much.

“Very well. Then let us drop the Godshield and make our final preparations.” With that, the enormous barrier dissipated instantly and the Comet was free to make its final descent towards the infant planet. “We must do two things: first, our daughters. My heart aches at the thought but… it seems we have no choice. Our daughters, Celestia and Luna, must one day rise up to lead the ponies. This means you have to give them up now, Stella. How long will it be until they awaken?” inquired Mundus, for He truly had no idea.

Stella thought about it for a moment before answering, “Just a few thousand years under one million. My best guess would be 995,000 years.” Mundus seemed satisfied with this answer.

“Alright, now if I am correct, the Darkness will not have taken a physical form by that point. Our daughters will rise up and forge a great kingdom of their own that will combat anything that the Comet throws at it. It will be glorious.”

‘Well, that solves one problem’, thought Stella, ‘But…'

“That is all well and good, my dear, but we both know that the real threat will arise once the Darkness Incarnate comes to be. What-”

“That is where the second thing I mentioned comes into play. The reason why we must sacrifice our own Life Force.” Mundus interrupted, to Stella’s slight annoyance, but she urged Him to continue.

“We will give our own lives and all our power to create Six Artifacts of ultimate power. They will be called… the Elements of Harmony. Only those ponies who best exhibit each positive trait associated with each Element will be able to wield them. If used in tandem with each other, they will release a wave of magical energy the likes of which only we could create at the height of our strength.”

“Which should be enough to one day defeat the Darkness Incarnate!” finished Stella excitedly, followed by a nod from Mundus. She was sorrowful that Her own life and that of Her King were coming to an end, but was exuberant that both her daughters and her ponies now had hope for a brighter future. “But what are these six traits the Elements will embody?”

“The antitheses of everything the Darkness stands for.” replied Mundus, a stern expression now on his face, “Honesty- always staying true to yourself and others even when a lie may be the simpler option. Kindness- showing sympathy and love to all living things, even when others may believe they don’t deserve it. Loyalty- remaining faithful to those closest to you when they need you the most. Laughter- putting the happiness of other’s before all else. Generosity- the rejection of greed and avarice, giving freely of oneself to those in need. And finally, Magic- that which binds all the others together; the spark of a true leader. These six Elements are all that the Darkness is not, and if used at their full power, should defeat Him once and for all.”

Stella listened with rapt attention as Mundus explained about these Elements They were now set on creating, and when He finished, She replied with finality, “That is a wonderful plan. I feel reinvigorated, confident that Our ponies will succeed. I just pray that our legacy will be one of triumph in the end.”

“As do I, my dear, as do I. Well, are you ready?” They would only get one chance at this, and it needed to be now.

“I am. Let me prepare our daughters for safe transport to Equus.” With that, Stella’s magnificent horn glowed with the intensity of the Stars she controlled, and the fetal forms of the future Princesses of Equestria appeared in a bright light. “I must implant upon them the knowledge of the Dark Comet and what they need to do to prepare. When they finally awaken, they will be ready.”

She cast the spell on Her daughters with a brilliant flash of light, then as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. The daughters of Mundus and Stella were ready for transport.

After a moment of admiration at the perfection He and His wife had made, Mundus took the two in his hooves and spoke in a forlorn voice, “My dearest daughters… Celestia, Ruler of the Sun, and Luna, Mistress of the Moon, you will be truly great one day. Your love for one another shall be absolute, and I know you will do everything in your power to protect Our life’s work. Whatever the future may bring, know that your Father will always be in your heart if you need him, and will be proud of you no matter what. I love you, a-and… goodbye.” Mundus gave one final kiss on each of His daughters' foreheads before turning them over to Stella.

Stella was weeping at the thought of losing Her daughters, but Her resolve remained strong. “I can say no more than your Father already has, my beloved children. I love you more than the very Stars themselves, you are the lights of my existence. I will miss you dearly. Fare thee well on Equus, Celestia and Luna.”

After one final glance, the Two both lit up their horns and teleported the Princesses down to Equus, to a place where they would be safe until the time of their Awakening. And just like that… they were gone.

“There is no time for sorrow, my dear. We must act swiftly if we are to create the Elements of Harmony.” Despite His brave words, Stella could sense great distress in Mundus’s voice, but knew He was right.

“Of course, you are right Mundus… I suppose this is goodbye, is it not?” The sadness in Her words was so thick it could be cut with a knife. “We will continue existing, in a way, as the Elements, but never again will we be able to gaze into each other’s eyes, or admire the beauty of the cosmos, or-”

Mundus could bare the pain in His love’s voice no longer. “Shhh… Do not fret, my dear. We have had a wonderful existence, and so long as we are alive in some form, we will never truly be apart. If the termination of our physical bodies is what is needed to save Equus, than I cannot think of a better way to go, wouldn’t you agree?” The smile on the King’s face was bright and genuine. Stella could not help but offer one as well.

“Yes, you are right of course Mundus. I-I love you so very much my dear.”

“And I, you, Star of my Life,” said Mundus, using His old pet name for Her. “Now, let us begin.”

“I am ready. The Dark Comet will not destroy my people’s future.”

Then, just like with Celestia and Luna, the Two’s horns lit up in a brilliant light that lasted for what seemed like hours. As the light became blinding, They looked into each other’s eyes one last time before giving a final smile.

And when the light cleared, the Divine Duo were no more.

In their place floated six hexagonal jewels that shone with the same brilliance as their progenitors. The Elements of Harmony were born.

As the Dark Comet slowly started taking its roots down on Equus, the Six Elements made their way down to the spot that would one day become the Everfree Forest, and when they arrived, a Tree began to sprout.

You could say, it was a Tree of Harmony.

Author's Note:

A/N: I'll mention this once: special attention goes to the AU tag. Canon will be followed… loosely. Not ignored, but liberties will be had. :)

Comments

[steelerbrony]

Really cool story man! I'm proud of ya