Delving back through the depths of time, mysteries abound, uncovering the veiled origins of everything we think we know. Journey back to a world before Equestria was founded, before the dark forest of Everfree blighted the land.

What shaped the land of ponies all those millennia ago? This is a tale of love turned to jealousy and then hate. Of sacrifice and vengeance. Of pain and desperation in the face of overwhelming power. Was all of it justified? You be the judge.

Lingering questions demand answers: What compelled the forging of the Elements of Harmony? Why have the ponies of Equestria been kept oblivious to their own ancient past? What dark secrets were too terrible to be passed down through the generations? What truly corrupted Sombra and led to Luna's tragic fall from grace? Most importantly, who set all of this in motion, and is everypony safe from it happening again?

Thanks to everyone I've worked on the lore of the saga with over the years.

In the heart of Equestria, shadows gather and secrets lie buried. A young alicorn named Nyx carries the weight of a dark past, while a relentless adversary seeks revenge that could shatter her resolve. As a deadly game of intentions unfolds, alliances will be tested, and the boundaries of morality blurred. Unveil the enigmatic journey where loyalties waver and a sinister peril looms, threatening to unleash chaos upon an unsuspecting land. 'Black Feather' is a tale of mystery, vengeance, and the choices that define heroes and villains.

Special thanks to Pen Stroke for writing Past Sins and inspiring this story.
Thanks also go to my friends, colleagues, and editors over the years, who helped make this project what it is.
DuvetofReason for helping shape the vision of the universe
Pawz for support and consistency help
BernardDK for inspiration and artwork
OrionWolf for detail coaching in 2016-2018
OnlyaNorthernSong for help with Nyx's characterization way back in 2015-2016
TundraStanza for proofreading
A host of others for a myriad of contributions ranging from painful to awesome but all shaped the story.

Autumn Mist is not your average twelve-year-old unicorn. She has recently been accepted into the most advanced magic school in Equestria, located in Littlehorn Valley.

Misty's thoughts are on an Equestrian hero this day. She shares with her friends her own hopes and dreams of one day being just like her idol. As doubt creeps into her mind, Misty must reconsider her concept of what being a hero truly means.

When tragedy strikes at the school, how will this affect Misty’s view of her heroine? Is a pony still a hero even if they can’t be there to save everyone?

Editing and review credit goes to my development team:
Pawz, onlyanorthernsong, DuvetofReason, TundraStanza

Last-minute feedback credit goes to:
Windmill 7, Between Lines, Bad Dragon, PrinceUniversa, Jordan179, and Fervidor.

Original credit for Nyx and the Littlehorn event itself go to Pen Stroke and Kkat respectively.

This is the original version of the first story I've ever written, over the course of three months as a brand new writer in late 2014.

I'm including these chapters here as a record of how the story looked when it began. This was the prototype for what would, over many years, become Black Feather. The story has gone through multiple complete rewrites, but this was the initial version. Enjoy reading my clumsy first steps into the world of writing!

Note: I will make the chapters visible again after Black Feather is published to avoid spoilers.

Commissioned cover art by SilFoe
Special thanks to onlyanorthernsong for encouraging me to write this and helping to envision Pen Stroke's Nyx as an adult.
Extra thanks to Pen Stroke for permission to write the adult version of his character Nyx.