And that's how Equestria was made!

by The Collab Cage

Flutterverse

Written by Hope

“It all began with silence. The world was neither dark nor light, but a perpetual haze of light diffused across all existence, and all was quiet.”

“Slowly, the light began to coalesce into a single point of flame. The Sun.”

“A pony of great power, but so young as to be an infant, appeared on the face of the silent world, and its first sounds were the cries of a child without a mother. The Earth saw this child weeping, and did not want the young pony to cry, so the Earth brought forth plants and other pretty things, to bring a smile to the foal’s face. Those plants lived from her smile, growing strong in the everlasting sunlight.”

“For a time, that was all the child needed to be happy; the gardens of the Earth brought her joy for many hundred years until the now aged filly began to grow tired of the silence that only she shattered when she would trot across the land. In her sorrow, the filly hid the sun for the first time. The night greeted her with no stars or moon, only the infinite depths of space.”

“This frightened her, and she brought back her Sun, only to see the plants and gardens had withered without her light. The filly began to feel fear for the first time, the darkness driving her scared thoughts to the concept of death, that now lay all around her for the first time. The filly cried again, afraid of death and afraid of the darkness. The Earth brought the gardens and the plants back from the brink of death for the child, and strengthened them to survive the times when the Sun would not shine.”

“The Sun would swing with the frightened pony’s mood, sometimes staying in the sky for years, other times swinging out of view with astonishing speed. Now that the filly had tasted fear, her thoughts were dark more often than light.”

“With these dark thoughts came more tears, and the Earth sought to quell these tears with animals, companions to the lonely and scared pony.”

“Most of these animals were like her, and walked upon the earth on hooves or paws, eating from the plants. A few of the animals would prey on the smaller animals, and since they had been created this way, the filly saw nothing wrong with it. A small number of these animals flew, and the pony wanted to fly with them, so the Earth gave her wings and the power to shape the clouds into her own playground.”

“She found great joy in the calm and gentle creatures, playing with them and celebrating the life they shared, until in a blink it was over. She did not know how to handle the death of a creature, and she looked to the plants to see what they did with their dead. The plants were simple, and when one died, it would fall to the ground and decay over time, before becoming dirt or sprouting up as a new plant.”

“She buried these first animals, hoping that they would sprout anew, but she waited in vain. The first graves were shallow and dug with only hope in mind. The ones that followed became deeper, and more somber. The night returned whenever one of her animal friends died, and the Earth saw the pain that the pony felt. The pony needed a creature that would last.”

“The Earth decided that the young mare needed an equal, a creature that would stand with her through both the day and the night, and while the Earth could not create more light, it gave birth to a great mirror, a shining Moon to show the Sun how bright it truly was.”

“So the second pony was born.”

“The ponies did not speak, but they communicated through the dance of their Astral bodies through the sky above. The two ponies danced their way through the gardens and through the skies of the Earth, as the Earth looked on in joy at the peace and happiness that had come to it’s surface. Sadly it was not to last forever.”

“The plants and animals of the world suffered as the Sun and Moon played across the sky, sweltering or freezing since they could not tell the ponies of their suffering. The Earth could feel the pain that played across the magic of the world, the magic of closeness and love that gave all things the strength to live. The Earth pondered for a great time how to make the ponies understand their effect on the world around them, so finally the Earth gave them magic.”

“With their new horns, the sisters of the sky were able to feel the chaos and hurt that the world felt, and they found a balance. The Sun and the Moon would journey across the sky in a gentle pattern, giving each their own time above, and an equal time below.”

“With this new order, the Sisters could not communicate as they once could, and they were forced to create words and speech. This language allowed them to speak and to share their thoughts without harming those around them. The words grew stale over time, however, and the sisters did not speak. They would play with the animals, or dance in the gardens and clouds on their own, but there was nothing to tie them together.”

“The Earth wanted the sisters to be happy as they once had been, but they were drawn so closely to their own interests. The pony of the night spent her time with the intelligent, aggressive, and sturdy animals. The pony of the day spent her time with the gentle, carefree, and proud. The Earth took the sum of these animals and created three new ponies.”

“The pony of the Earth was sturdy and carefree, the pony of the sky was aggressive but gentle, and the pony of magic was proud and intelligent.”

“These three ponies fascinated the two sisters, and soon they had names for them. The pegasus, the unicorn, and the earth. However, the three new ponies then asked what they should call the sisters.”

“The older sister gestured to the sky, and was thus named Celestia. The younger gestured to her moon, and was named Luna. Thus began the age of the ponies.”

“The ponies quickly became the most common animal on the Earth’s surface, spreading out across the plains and valleys and mountains. Wherever they went, the sisters followed, learning about the ponies. The Sun and Moon set themselves into a pattern that the ponies enjoyed, one that lasted just long enough to find food, enjoy eachothers company, and then to sleep through the night.”

“The ponies became used to having the sisters around at all times, though they became jealous when they would spend more time with one of the ponies over another. This jealousy and rivalry for the attentions of the Sun and Moon became so bitter and charged with hate that the first windigo was born from the conflict. The windigo fled from the harmony that the sisters represented, in fear of the power they held.”

“The three types of ponies began to hold contempt over each other for the attentions of Celestia and Luna, even when the two would each visit a separate group, there was always one group that felt that they were being left out. Most commonly, it was the Earth ponies who were left without one of the sisters to care for them. Though this caused anger between the other two races and the Earth ponies, the Earth ponies became stronger and more self sufficient from caring for themselves.”

“The Earth itself watched all this with great worry and sadness, seeing the strife between the ponies. The Earth wanted to bring a third sister into being, to care for the third group of ponies, but its magic was stretched too thin. It pulled its magic back from the many ponies that lived across it, but the magic was tainted with a hurt and coldness that the Earth had never felt. Despite this, the Earth wanted to help the sisters, so it brought forth a third being, a being tainted by the pain and hurt the ponies felt. This being was not a third sister, it was a brother, and it named itself--Discord.”

“Discord looked out on this world full of bitterness and strife, and he was happy. He had been born into a paradise which he turned into his playground. The unicorns were the first to fall, their pride making them weak to the trickery and lies of the Chaotic brother. The Earth ponies were second to fall, as they felt the sting of a now familiar neglect that Discord reminded them had been their lives for far too long. The pegasus held out longer, sheltering the sisters from their new sibling with their aggressive nature, and gently turning aside the tricks and attempts Discord made on them.”

“They did not hold out forever. Finally Discord had his reign over the world, and the sisters fled. They had never been outmatched before, and they turned to each other in fear and sorrow, knowing that they could do nothing to hold him back.”

“The Earth itself cried out in pain as its magic was corrupted, bent into a twisted mess of its former self. Luna cried out with it, her Loyalty egging her on and demanding that they stop Discord, but Celestia reminded the brash sister that they would do more good by finding another way.”

“The world around them began to die, and Celestia had had enough, crying out that they could at least steal away the ponies to another place, to care for them Kindly. Luna stopped her sister, pointing out that the ponies were not as kind as they once were.”

“As they sat and watched the rivers of fire and ice consume the world around them, Luna began to Laugh and smile, much to the shock of her sister, but Luna explained that even in these dark times, the memories of the past and the beauty of the world were still there, and a light returned to their hearts.”

“Discord finally came for the two sisters, riding upon the backs of monstrous beasts he had created during his rule over the land. The sisters rose to greet him, but their brother offered them not death but a deal. He wanted their power, he wished to be able to control the Sun and Moon. This power had always been the sisters alone to wield, and they were quick to denounce it, but Discord offered something in return. He would let a single, unharmed, unchanged pony go free if they agreed. Celestia thought of the pony she could save, and in the spirit of Generosity, she gave her power without knowing if she would ever get it back. She relinquished a small portion of her power to him and collapsed from the pain.”

“Luna screamed and raged at her brother for so long that her voice faded to a whisper, and finally she gave a small part of her power as well. Luna then turned to her sister and revived her, caring for her until Discord returned with the pony they had won. The pony was young, an earth pony who had never known anything but chaos and disharmony. The pony was afraid of the sisters, who were so kind and so gentle, but slowly she began to open up to them, and the Earth found it’s conduit to help Celestia and Luna. As this new friendship grew, the young pony told the sisters that they had done wrong. She told the Sun and Moon themselves that she had not been worth the sacrifice. This Honesty was the final key to the Magic that lay at the heart of all things, and it summoned the Elements of Harmony from the order and structure of magic that made up the Earth itself.”

“The element of the Bard took the form of a necklace that shone every color of the night sky and the moon. Luna wore it with a smile as she stood by the side of her sister and the young pony.”

“The element of the Sage took the form of a shimmering cloak that shone like the most brilliant sunrise, and Celestia wore it with humility and grace.”

“The element of the Warrior choose the form of armor, plating the pony in deep crimson metal that matched her coat. The mortal pony thought it looked tacky.”

“With these elements, the friends were sure that they could defeat Discord, for the first time they were confident that they would be victorious, so they set off to find him. But he had been watching, and when he saw that they had managed to unlock a new source of power, he fled.”

“Across the broken and ever changing world, the three chased the one for many years, always one step behind, but spreading order and harmony along the way. In the path of their hoofsteps now lies every major city in the history of the world.”

“After years of chasing the chaotic brother across the face of the Earth, they finally cornered him on an island that once stood to the west, and they waged war. The warrior wielded magic of the Earth itself, tearing up the land to wield as weapons. The sisters negated their brother’s power and let the warrior strike the final blow. The magic of the Earth turned the brother back to what he had once been, a figure of stone.”

“This ended the reign of Discord and began the age of harmony. The tribes of ponies were suspicious of the sisters, after living for so long under the rule of their brother, and they turned their tails when the sisters came to visit. The mortal pony that had fought with them grew old, and when she passed away the Elements were returned to the earth along with her. The sisters raised a great monument to her over her grave, a mountain taller than any other that rose from the center of the continent they now called home.”

“Her name had been Canter, and the was the eternal reminder to the sisters how much they needed the mortal ponies to survive and be happy.”

“Over the following years, the sisters watched from afar as the ponies developed their own culture, their own laws and government, and eventually their own problems. The sisters attempted to keep the cycle of day and night as rhythmic as they could, alternating roughly every 12 hours, but the lands that the ponies inhabited became cold, crops began to fail and ponies began to suffer despite their efforts.”

“The sisters were still turned away on every visit. It had been hundreds of years since the reign of Discord, but the age of harmony was still frightened of the ones they saw as gods, the now aged mares who never changed in the eyes of the short lived ponies frightened them.”

“As the lands grew colder and colder, the ponies began to fight. Wars broke out, and many were lost, but the conditions continued to grow ever worse. Some children grew on unrefined hay alone until the day they passed away. Finally a council was called together, and all three tribes sent their finest leaders to figure out the situation and resolve it. Sadly they were unable to put their prides aside for the sake of their people.”

“The tribes left the lands to the north and traveled south, following the path of the birds. All of them found the same beautiful land and tried to establish the same systems they had in the past, but the cold followed them. We all know the tale of the windigo, but what is not told is that the sisters fought back all but the weakest of them, to give the ponies a chance, to let them fight back with a glimmer of hope.”

“The tribes finally found their peace when the snow cleared, emerging to see a paradise with the sisters clearing away the snow. Talks were held, the sisters told the ponies of their desire to guard them and make sure they never went hungry or cold again.”

“Finally the ponies saw the wisdom and kindness of the sisters, that showed not a glimmer of the madness their brother had held. The government was disbanded, and leadership was thrust upon the sisters, who became the Princesses of the new land. The Earth looked upon the new land of peace and prosperity, and it was happy that its children had finally found happiness.”

“And that... is how Equestria was made.”

Fluttershy finally opened her eyes from the telling of her epic tale, her forelegs spread wide into the air with an expression of wonder on her face.

The three fillies in front of her had mixed expressions. The first to speak was Sweetie Belle.

“What does coalesce mean?” she asked politely.

Fluttershy’s face fell.

Scootaloo had fallen asleep and was snoring softly as she mumbled something about “awesome” but Apple bloom seemed to be fascinated.

“Is tha’ really wha’ happened?” she asked eagerly.

Fluttershy ran a hoof through her mane nervously.

“Um... I don’t know. But it was a really good book!” she said with a sheepish smile.

Comments

[Regidar]

Flawless logic.

[Shiva_Black]

I agree good sir .

[Sasha Nein]

*pant pant* I'm almost done!

EDIT: OMG My story would not do this collab justice nuu!

[Themaskedferret]

1717936 I concur.

[justsomerandompony]

Seems legit