Days of Discord

by Caedrus

First published 22nd of August, 2012

An exploration of equestrian history after the windigos but before Nightmare Moon

Everyone knows the story of Equestria's founding thanks to the hearth's warming eve pageant. However there has never been any mention of how much time intervened between those events, the reign of Discord, what really turned Luna into Nightmare Moon. Take a journey into Equestria's past and discover a hidden history known to the precious few who lived it.

Events begin to gather

The Federation of Equine nations had had a mostly peaceful existence since their inception a little under three centuries ago. For the time being all was well, though the griffons threatened the north eastern border of Equestrian lands that was Pegasus territory and of little concern to the Unicorn nation in the southeast quadrant of the land. Though as a member nation of the equine federation the unicorns and the earth ponies were both helping the pegasi with their negotiations for a longer term peace. And as long as all three pony nations came together and renewed their vows of peace and friendship every year at the stone hearth where they were originally made by the founders of the equine federation, the winters were not to long and harsh to prevent the population from prospering though one could usually gauge the severity of the coming winter by the political climate of the land and how much arguing had gone on between the pony nations as the windigos had not yet been fully driven off.

Such was the state of the day when Dawn-born queen of the Unicorns great great granddaughter of Queen Platinum gave birth to twins. The elder was a pure white coated golden maned filly she named Celestia. The younger by several minutes was a dark coated silver maned filly that was named Luna their birth was celebrated thru out all the unicorn lands as a herald of a new time of increased unicorn prosperity. In all the excitement and celebration it was hardly noted when the second daughter of an offshoot branch of the unicorn royal line ran away out of Equestrian lands and was not seen nor heard from again

Time passed and the two young fillies grew they were quite close oh they had their occasional spats but by and large relations between Tia as she preferred to be called by her close friends and Luna were warm and close. Celestia kept a much needed stabilizing hoof on her carefree younger sister while Luna prevented Celestia from being too solemn and somber a young mare. Together they filled the palace with laughter and energy seldom seen within the normally too serious unicorn court.

One day a messenger came out of the eastern wild lands, his news threw the court into a terrible uproar and the twin princesses wondered what news it could be though any time they inquired or sought to find out on their own they were stopped and rebuffed being told that they would be told all in due time. Though one night some days after the first messenger Luna on one of her nightly forays managed to catch a glimpse of a carriage entering the palace walls and two figures leaving it before she had to leave or risk being caught and getting punished. The next day the unicorn court positively boiled with barely restrained intrigue and rumors. Tia and Luna determined not to be kept in the dark any longer listened to half whispered conversations and made their own plans. Knowing their best chance to overhear anything worth while was in their mothers private study they hid themselves in there in the small spaces only a young limber filly could fit.

Queen Dawn-born was in an uproar. While normally she kept a firm hoof on the reigns of her temper she was well known for having them but this, this was a full blown galloping fit that threatened to consume anything in its path. “What was she thinking!” thundered the queen. “Coming back here with that... that child!” she spat the last word venomously. “If word of this gets out we will be the laughing stock of the Federation! And nopony makes a laughing stock of the Unicorns!” The queen paced muttering to herself for a moment longer. In their hiding spots Tia and Luna giggled softly to one another still not fully understanding what their mother was on about but finding amusement in her antics nonetheless. The door burst open again and the twin mares covered each others mouths with a silencing hoof to observe the new development.

An unbelievably aged stallion entered the room with a mane and beard whiter than snow, both so long they dragged the marble floor as he walked. He wore the trappings of a master magus of the unicorns though the cut of his cloak and hat were severely out of date with current fashions. For all his apparent age and strangeness the stallion stood with his head held high and firm deep set eyes that shone with wisdom. His stance was the confident stance of a powerful pony in the midst of much weaker lower ranking pony's who must defer to him in almost all matters. Which made no sense what so ever to the fillies. They were in their mothers private study, she was queen, no one held higher rank than her here or as much power. The queen whipped herself around to fix the intruder with one of her fiercest glares. He would soon learn the mistake of his presumption.

“Who dares enter the queen's private chambers unannounced, unasked for and uninvited! We shall have you clapped in irons and left to rot in the dungeons for this affront to our dignity.” The queen bellowed in the traditional royal voice at the aged stallion. It was easy to see from this display where Luna got her flair for the dramatic from. The elder pony just scoffed as though he was unimpressed with the tantrum of a filly. “Dawn-born I had white in my mane when your great great grandmare Queen Platinum was no more than a filly. Do not presume to threaten me. Now I had come to see if my presence could help protect pony-kind from the dark days I see coming ahead though if they haven't yet learned to let go of the strife that destroyed their first homelands and nearly prevented them from finding these new lands then perhaps they don't deserve the help of Star-swirl.” The magus turned as though to leave “Wait M-master Star-swirl don't leave yet!.” called the Queen to him, he stopped, from their position the girls could see a small smirk on his face before he turned back.

The two twins were wide-eyed! The strange pony was Star-swirl the bearded!? How? He had died shortly after the founding of the Equine Federation or so everypony claimed. Even his own successor Clover the Clever had attested to this and she was decades in her tomb as well. The queen looked as though she'd been slapped at the news even as she called for him to hold. “Everypony has thought you centuries dead though had we known you were alive and coming here....”

“Yes, yes had you known I was coming you would have thrown a grand fete whilst sneering at me behind my backs, or you'd have thrown me out as a charlatan. Don't you see young mare I came the only way I could that would convince you of the reality of who I am. Unannounced and unasked for. For who but the one of the greatest magi to ever live as well as the only master of temporal magic living could have made their way here without being caught first. Now quit fawning, quit whining and listen!” He stomped his hoof on the ground for emphasis, a crackle of pure magic radiating out from where he struck the marble floor. The sight caused Luna to squeal aloud in shock giving away the twins position. The Queen and Star-swirl both turned to look, Luna jumped up onto a pillowed chair to escape the dying magic wave. Tia just sighed and removed herself more slowly though didn't bother to try hiding as she knew it would be pointless. Star-swirl was smiling while Queen Dawn-born looked mortified. It was the queen who spoke first. “You foolish foals! What were you doing here?! Out out! I will deal with the both of you later!” Tia made towards the door obediently not foolish enough to risk her mothers wrath and Luna did her best to hide behind her elder sister doomed to failure though it was. Star-swirl chuckled and held up a calming hoof. “Now now, though I did not foresee this either perhaps it is not a bad thing. It is in the unlooked for that destiny often makes its move.” he motioned the young princesses over indicating they should stand beside their mother. “Now as I was saying. Fleethoof's son you will welcome him into your home, this court and your family. If you do not do as I ask I will return and I will NOT be happy, am I clear?” The queen too dumbfounded by the command only nodded her assent, while Tia and Luna nodded along. “Also, do not punish these fillies for their curiosity that brought them here today.” Then Star-swirl turned his attention to the fillies and grinned gently “You two have a new cousin coming to stay with you. He is different from other ponies but he is still your family and he has a grand fate upon him. Please be kind to him, I don't suspect he will have many friends and he will need all the friends he can get. Remember to look past the surface to the heart inside.

Star-swirl turned and left thru the door to the study as he had come in. the door shut with a hard bang behind him, unmoved by any apparent action on anypony's part. A moment passed before Queen Dawn-born rushed to the door and pulled it open, rapidly looking about though there was no sign of the ancient stallion magus. She shut the door after ascertaining this and then leaned against it heavily breathing hard. The queen shook a bit and stood there with her eyes closed. “Celestia, Luna, my darlings” she called to the girls. “Be dears for me would you? I know you probably don't fully understand what just occurred but you can understand this I hope. What happened in this room is a secret from everypony else ok? So please don't speak of it to anypony until I give you permission. Now then run along and play or go to your lessons whatever it is you are to be doing at this time and Celestia, please inform the servants that I do not wish to be disturbed for some time.” This said the queen left the door with visible effort going to sprawl on the couch behind her desk worry written on her face.

Celestia and Luna left the room after promising not to tell anypony what they had witnessed in the study. On their way out Celestia made a point to find one of the queen's mares in waiting and informed of her of her mothers desire not to be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon. Though the girls longed to find a secluded spot where they could discuss all they had seen and heard their nurse caught up with them scolding them for hiding away from her and delaying their lessons. It was hours before the fillies were released for dinner and even though for once dinner was a quiet affair with no guest to entertain or politicking to be had there were other ponies present which prevented Tia and Luna from discussing the encounter earlier It wasn't until they had bathed and made ready for bed that the two princesses were finally left alone so that they could talk.

“Tia, Tia!” said Luna as she hopped into her sisters bed and nudged her. Celestia turned and muttered sleepily at her “What?” for while Luna may be a night owl and content to stay up all hours of the night. Celestia was very much a daytime person who felt the night was for sleeping, she never was one for staying up incredibly late. “Do you think that really was Star-swirl the bearded?” Luna asked, bouncing somewhat on the bed. Tia rolled to face her sister though she resolutely kept her eyes shut hoping that might quicken this whole conversation. “Well its logical isn't it? He got in and out of the palace without a trace didn't he? I asked around quietly earlier no pony had seen an elderly pony with a mane and beard that scraped the ground as they walked, wearing the symbols of rank for magus. Clearly that speaks of powerful magic especially if he teleported away but didn't disturb the castle-wards I didn't think that was possible.” “Yes well... I suppose you're right. But who do you think this Fleethoof is?” Luna rolled onto her back and splayed out, her hooves bumping into Celestia. “Quit moving so much I'm trying to go to sleep.” she told her with a long suffering sigh. “Well I don't know much but I managed to go the library for bit...” “So that’s where you disappeared to during our Astronomy lesson, Madam Bright-shine wasn't happy” exclaimed Luna “Yes well I’ll apologize to her tomorrow anyway, I got into the library and read up on our history a bit, Fleethoof is a cousin of ours. She's descended from Queen Platinum too thru her youngest daughters line.” explained Tia, “So she could inherit the throne?” asked Luna to which Tia just rolled her eyes “Yes though half the court would have to be made ineligible one way or another first. Now are you sleeping with me tonight? If so get under the covers and stop squirming around.” Luna made a happy sound and dove under the covers coming up next to Tia, she nuzzled her affectionately “Night sis!” said as she made herself comfortable. “Night Luna.” said Celestia who nuzzled her back before softly drifting off to sleep.

Several days passed without remark though the court rumor mill did steadily churn the waters of gossip and intrigue that plagued the court. Though all the rumors seemed to come back to the mysterious arrival from the other week. Today was to be the day the rumors were put to an end though. The court had been invited to watch the queen and her strongest magicians raise the sun as they did everyday. The queen and her assistants shone with mystic power their combined lights taking on a mother of pearl hue as magic always did when sufficient unicorns worked in concert on a task. Dawn broke over the grand hall spilling down onto the upturned faces of the unicorn nobility. As the sun steadily rose into the sky once again set on its path by the might of the unicorns which in the minds of most of those present clearly demonstrated the superiority and authority the unicorn nation had and should have over the other pony nations, though in the interest of not freezing to death they did play nice as far as they were forced to with the rest of the equine federation.

The queen stood on the solar dais her magicians bowing respectfully out of the way. The sun glinted off her jewel encrusted royal mantle and crown an impressive sight for all to be hold. Celestia and Luna stood off to the right with their father and a handful of other more important ponies.

The queen's horn flashed and the chime of a bell rang thru out the grand hall. “My ponies, you were invited to see this daily raising of the sun for a reason for this dawn marks a happy occasion. Our kinsmare lost to us this decade passed has returned recently from the wild lands outside our borders! Today will be a day of celebration thru out the land! Lady Fleethoof come forth!” The doors to the grand hall swung open, a mare with a coat the color of ash and a beige mane stepped into the hall. On her right was a strange creature. He walked on all fours like any other pony though his forelimbs did not end in hooves but in strange five-digited claws. His body was longer and more flexible than that of a pony and his tail seemed to be a sinuous continuation of his body rather than being made of hair. Upon his back were two rudimentary wings though they were not feathered, no they were rather bat or cockatrice like. His features were not handsome, not by any stretch of the unicorn definition and his one nobbed horn seemed almost out of place on his forehead. The creature stuck close to Fleethoof as though for protection. They strode up to the foot of the dais upon which the queen stood. Where they paused and bowed. “I am Fleethoof kinsmare of your majesty, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming us back into the herd of Unicorn society. And my I present to your majesty my son Talon.” At this the creature by Fleethoof's side bowed again and there was a low nicker that rose thru the gathered nobility. Tia and Luna stared at their new cousin, more intrigued than off put his outlandish appearance. “Well met young Talon, you are welcome into the Unicorn herd.” Then looking up and out to the gathered nobility “All you my ponies have witnessed this reunion and re-welcoming of Fleethoof and her get to this court, She holds rank and is a distant kinsmare of mine may all treat her with the respect and dignity than confers. Now we shall hold a Fete in her honor!”

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Author Note.
First off yes I know I badly need an editor, now accepting applicants for the job, will be payed in wubs and cookies please PM me if you would like to volunteer for this position. i would be ever so grateful.
Secondly please until an editor has been found please don't post errors out in the comments section as they will be fixed.
Thirdly. I love you all so please be gentle the is the first fanfic I've written that I've been brave enough to post.

Fleethoof's tale

Upon the announcement by the queen a stream of servants began to move bringing in tables and chairs for the gathered unicorns then swiftly followed by platters covered in mountains of food and a veritable river of drink. There was loud cheering throughout the gathered crowd for even while they looked askance at Fleethoof and Talon nopony turned down a reason for a party not even the stuffy unicorn nobles though this party was more of an excuse for the wheels of court to keep turning. Planning, plotting, the buying and selling of favors. Promises kept and broken all part and parcel of the intrigue of court. Queen Dawn-born took her rightful place at the head of the central table, to her right in the seats of honor sat Fleethoof and Talon. To her left sat Celestia and Luna, Celestia watched the proceedings with veiled interest as the heir apparent to her mother her lessons in statecraft were more stringent than that of her sisters and she had long ago learned to keep a neutral face in an unsure public setting. Luna showed no such concern though, eating with gusto merrily chatting with the ponies near her. Other colts and fillies near their age who were at court with their parents. Some of the kinder nobles who treated with the princesses in their own right rather than as pawns of the queen. And she utterly failed to hid her interest in their unusual cousin.

The seemingly impromptu breakfast carried on as the ponies ate and drank their fill and slowly did more and more attention turn towards Fleethoof. many of the court remembered Fleethoof from her younger days as a member of the court, and all present were curious about her son. Eventually Dawn-born spoke “My dear dear Fleethoof we are perishing with curiosity, as I'm sure all assembled here are, to hear your tale. Could you not be encouraged to tell your tale for us that we may better understand what travails and hardships befell you before your return to us?” Fleethoof blushed a little and sipped at her goblet of juice. She looked around to the expectant faces of the crowd then to the queen. She smiled when she saw Celestia gently smiling behind the queen and Luna close by her with a beaming grin practically bouncing in her seat in eagerness, this more than anything convinced her to speak. Fleethoof cleared her throat and began her tale.

“Ten years ago I was a more foalish mare than I am now. I was discontent with my lot in my mothers household, brash and eager to make a name and stand in my own right. I had a head full of a young fillies dreams, gorged upon romanticized tales of history. Eventually I quarreled with Radiance, my mother. That is what decided me to strike out on my own. I decided I would leave our lands in search of our long abandoned ancestral homelands once denied to us by the windigos that even now plague us if not as strongly as they once did. I thought perhaps that maybe unmentioned in our history were stubborn herdsmen whom might have stayed behind refusing to give up their homes in the face of adversity and cruel weather. That they may even now be scraping out a living in a harsh unforgiving land. Were I to have encountered them I would have told them of the bounty and wonder of our new homes I would have convinced them to leave behind their primitive estates and be welcomed back into the herd by their estranged kin.”

Fleethoof paused for a drink and then continued. “I realize now how foalish of me these dreams were but at the time they seemed so close and possible to achieve. So I packed a few necessities and set out on my own with nothing but my wits and old mares tales to guide me. I failed to plan and pack adequately for my journey. My supplies quickly ran out but my anger at my mother and my youthful stubbornness prevented me from turning back. I forged forward alone and hungry, I learned to survive, watching the wild beasts for what was safe to eat and how to find water. For months did I wander, living as a cavepony and never seeing another living soul. If I wandered thru our ancestral lands at any point I did not recognize them for they had lost any of their no doubt once great splendor. Winter came upon me and still I wandered having long since lost all knowledge of my place in the world or the route back home. By chance I came upon a protected valley in a low mountain range there a stream fed by a hot spring kept the valley tolerably warm even in the depths of winter feeding just enough vegetation to live on thru the cold winter months. A cave I lined with leaves became my home for the winter. Who knows how long I may have stayed there before setting out to return if I could find my way back at all. Winter turned to spring, I had learned from my trials though and decided to delay a while longer seeking to cultivate what plants grew in the valley to supply me for my journey. As spring wore on to summer I learned that I was not alone.

This was my first meeting with Talons father, my love Ferrarius. He was a dragon, and while he would have been very old by our standards by their standards he was still young, barely more than a juvenile. He was kind and strong and solicitous to me. For it seemed I had stumbled unknowingly into dragon lands though it was only the very outskirts. Fully grown dragons are massive creatures who claim large swaths of territory for their own, though they are careless over it and many lesser creatures might wander thru it completely unnoticed. Ferrarius had never met a pony before just as I had never met a dragon, and so he encouraged me to stay. We taught each other over the course of weeks and months marveling at the differences and similarities of our two peoples. I learned he was all but outcast from the other dragons being considered small and weak even for a youth of his kind and he had made his abode far from the usual flights of other dragons that he may reside in peace. We grew easy in each others presence and eventually I came to live in his hoard with him. If this could be considered matrimony it was an odd version of it. We were content to live with each other far away from both pony and dragon kind. Eventually I bore my son, the first of his kind, half dragon half pony. Ferrarius doted on him as loving a father as ever there was.

This contentment was not last however. Others of his kind found our hidden home.” Tears began to spill down Fleethoof's cheeks but she forged on, continuing her tale. “He had told me of the cruelty other dragons could exhibit, how might was law among his kind but having only him for an example I had not truly believed it. Once again I was proven foolish and wrong. They tormented us day and night for months on end I was unable to leave the cave and grew fearful for our lives. Their torments and ambushes grew crueler and more violent until finally they dared to attack Ferrarius and I directly! We held them off for three days hoping that the violence might draw the attention of an elder dragon that would drive our torturers off. It was to no avail. I packed what supplies I could and gathered Talon with me. My love went to face our attackers and distract them while we made good our escape, it was the last I was ever to see of him. It worked though and Talon and I managed to flee with our lives. We left Ferrarius's marked territory though I stayed as close as I dared hoping that somehow he might have escaped that we might flee together as a family. For six months did I hold out this hope until at last I had to leave our camp in the foothills or risk the same cruel death for me and my son. Over the course of the last year slowly but surely we made our way back towards pony lands. Last weeks snow storm nearly did us in and it was only by the grace of the horn that we were close enough to pony lands to be found and saved. Which brings us to the present time here before your majesty and old acquaintances and new friends.” Fleethoof wiped the tears from her eyes and everypony stayed silent for a long moment after the finishing of her tale. Nopony knew what to say in response to it.

Finally Queen Dawn-born broke the heavy silence “It is clear cousin that many trials befell you in your long journey away from civilized lands. Truly nopony can imagine the depth of what you must have experienced. Now you are back among your family again who has missed you dearly where you and your son will be most welcome. And We shall ensure that you will soon be well settled in. Now your tale has left us saddened in empathy for you. Shall we retire to the hall of games where happier events and memories may fill us? All who wish to join are welcome!” Fleethoof bowed her head “As your majesty wishes.” This seemed to be the indication of dismissal. Some ponies left quickly others stayed to chat. Servants began to clear the tables of used dishes and empty platters.

Celestia and Luna made their way thru the crowd eager to meet their cousin properly. Tia approached their mother who was giving orders to a servant, once she was finished she began “Mother it our wish, Luna and mines to give our cousin Talon a tour of the palace and grounds surely that might be better than the hall of games for him now?” spoke Celestia to the queen. She merely nodded eyes upon the hangers on that desired a moment of her time “Yes my heart you may if it his wish, remember he is not one of us and not used to our ways so do not force him into aught that he doesn't desire.”

Luna left the asking of permission to her elder sister and had already trotted over to Talon beaming a wide grin and displaying her boundless enthusiasm. “Hi I'm Luna we're cousins! Our mothers the queen but you can forget that. You're half dragon? That's amazing Tia and I are gonna give you a tour of the palace if you want to come please say you'll come please please!” she assaulted Talon with her enthusiastic words and then delivered the final blow with her best pleading stare. The faun furred half pony chuckled a bit and gave a somewhat shy smile to the enthusiastic young princess.”I would be honored if your uh... highnesses would allow me to tour the castle with you.” Luna let out a cheer of unhindered delight. Celestia came up behind her having secured permission from their mother. She smiled at the sight of her sister so happy “Well met cousin Talon. I belive I speak for Luna as well when I say please given names are fine we are too young to stand on formality, you may call me Tia. Feel free to speak normally as we will with you, if that's ok?” Talon nodded and chuckled again. With that the three young ponies left the great hall to wander the palace at their leisure.