In the world of Equestria, happiness is a strange word that differs between so many. Some view it as a precious treasure, a unique gift that should always be cherished. Others find their happiness to be an unforgiving curse that drags them down into a dark abyss. Sometimes, not even the pony knows what truly makes them happy until it is lost, forever.
Two hundred years after the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, a unicorn stallion sets off on a journey for Canterlot. In those royal halls was a hope to quell the obsession that plagued the pony’s heart. Now, all that's left is the past. In that past, Steadfast hopes to find happiness before his final judgment is met out.
Chapters (9)
This story has been the culmination of a yearlong effort, starting back in September of 2011. I wanted to put this in the comments section to avoid cluttering the top part.
From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank each and every person that helped make this story possible. Even now, after my five month break during the beginning of 2012, I am still learning about writing.
A big thank you goes out to those of the brony community that sprung up on the Bethesda forums. They were the first people to introduce me to the show and its happy nature. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic really caught me by surprise. In all honesty, I found MLPFIM to be a welcomed breath of fresh air, helping to get me out of a depressed state that sprung up due to real life issues.
I would also like to thank the sheer saint-like perseverance of the literature section of the Deviant Art community. When I first started this story, I had but a thought, and a whim, to make the story. Those in the literature subsection helped to teach me beginner concepts -- and advanced concepts -- of writing literature. The hardest example for me to understand was show vs tell and when it went into purple prose. However, it isn't limited to just that one aspect of writing. Even now, I am learning about more ways to improve myself as a writer, including when certain ideas are acceptable and when they are cliche/unacceptable.
Third, I want to thank the people on the mlpforums for their kind words of encouragement, as well as their help in getting the first chapter prepared for release. When I saw the first episode of season three, I began to question if I should continue with this story. Going from Sept to October, 2011 to 2012, I have put hundreds of hours into making an epic story, hopefully epic. Though I became disheartened by what I saw in the third season's second episode, this community helped to give me the encouragement to continue with my dream of getting this story on Equestria Daily and my goal of making it as legendary as the other stories within this great fandom.
Last, but not least, I want to thank those who have inspired me to write. It would be wrong to name only a few of the countless stories that I have seen, but several, "legendary" pieces of fan created fiction have driven me to try my hand at writing. Through my trials and tribulations, i've found enjoyment and happiness in creating a rich, detailed story within a well establish world by an illustrious creator and her amazing team.
Here's to the hope that everyone finds a small bit of entertainment in this story. I currently have twenty-three to twenty-five chapters written. Though I had the idea in my head for this story, it was the fan created fiction and Lesson Zero that really got me going to write this piece. My hope is to make a grand total of thirty-two chapters, spreading all of them across four separate arcs of the entire story.
Any ideas, advice, or opinions on how to improve the story are greatly appreciated.
I shall keep my eye on it! Sounds good.
I've made myself a promise. I will get this story pushed out by the end of Season 5. This story is rather dear to me, but I can't hold onto it forever. I know it won't please everyone out there, and, while it may not reach the heights of greatness that I wanted, I do hope the story becomes something special that I can fondly remember in my pursuit to be an accomplished writer. I also hope this story gives readers an entertaining experience.