These are the words of Saeldur, the spectator, a forgotten member of the endangered race:

“Darkness looms over this world. It is ever present; the long enduring curse for which there is a forgotten answer. Suffering takes up her long spear and rides out; seeking to make war against all who desire rest. On her side is the aegis, a relic thought to be only a fairy tale. But she carries it nonetheless and its breadth protects her from many futile threats. Fear follows close behind her. That accursed alicorn; foal and grown pony alike seek to conquer her. But she ravages them without discrimination or mercy. Their cutie marks are symbols of massive terror throughout Equestria. They also revived Discord, the great Draconequus who was said to be vanquished all those years ago by Princess Celestia. Here he stands; his twisted mentality a great burden to all the world. They say that none can stand against them.

The ponies cry out in despair,

Who is like Suffering?

Who can hope to halt her advance?

Her long spear pierces through even the greatest defenses.

Her huge shield protects her from any who would seek to harm her.

Who is like Fear?

Who can hope to stand unafraid against her?

Her reach is terrible; her might unstoppable.

No walls are thick enough, no fortress impenetrable enough to keep her out.

Who is like Discord?

Who can make war against him?

He pits friend against friend and wife against husband.

Fighting each other, they cannot hope to touch him.

Woe to all the world!

The great three advance, screaming their battle cry.

They inspire all ponies to feeble flight.

None can escape their steel grip.

For so long Equestria has been ravaged by their oppression. There is not a day under the sun or a night under the moon when the fiery sting of their weapons is not felt. There is not a place where ponies can hide. The pegasus ponies stand in the clouds and the freedom of the heavens, but Fear still catches them even as an eagle swoops from the heavens and snatches his grounded prey as quickly and unexpectedly as lightning. The unicorns have their magic which is revered throughout all the world. They were the greatest and most feared warriors in the great war of five hundred B.L. No one could hope to best them. Yet neither their most skilled enchanters, nor their most talented magi can cast spells against the all-defeating Suffering. The earth ponies are strong and firm, yet Discord works his way around their power. They do not see his attack from behind and he fools them into fighting with one another. They do not realize that their war is not against their own flesh against blood, but against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.”

These were my thoughts before there was any hope for Equestria. A lonely sage, I have wandered around the world in search for wisdom. I was there when Equestria was founded and I will be there when the final age of the alicorn comes. But out of all I have seen over the years, one of the most profound stories that I can tell is this one.

I saw these things for many years and was very sad; for there was nothing that I could do to hinder the unrestrained three, the Terrible Three. I looked throughout all the world in disbelief. I said, “It cannot not be that out of all these ponies who live, there is not one who can hope to make war against the three. I will search long and hard. I will find just one who is able to grasp the prize of peace.”

So I began my search in Canterlot, a place of great wealth and fame. I looked around and saw stallions of great pride. They strode around the city clothed in expensive suits and enjoyed discourse with the noblest company. Sometimes Celestia, the princess of the world, raiser of the sun, would grace them with a visit; exiting from the great palace in her radiant splendor. Their wealth allowed them to lavish her with gifts and hold large parties in her honor. It seemed to me that nothing was too good for them. Nothing was out of their reach.

Yet I found that when the festivities of the day had come to a close that they went to their homes. There, they were alone and their faces and shoulders drooped. They slumped down upon the ground and wept. They wept and showed that they were miserable. To this I asked myself, “How can they be unhappy when all the pleasures of the world are within their grasp?”

My question was quickly answered by their daily lamentation:

I hate these things which give me pleasure.

They soon pass away; their feeling is fleeting.

I am left in a worse state then I was preceding them.

Now all that is left is to weep.

Woe to me for I am alone!

I have many so called friends,

But none love me. None would care if I died.

I am ever forlorn.

Why do I choose to continue with life?

My happiness is like the rise and fall of the sun.

Why must I suffer daily like this

When I could simply choose to die and sleep?

Death must be happier than this state.

Better to have never felt pleasure

Than to lose it again and again each day

Only to have it replaced by pain!

And I saw that Suffering had her hand on them even in the midst of their indulgence. She had made use of loneliness, one of the greatest pains. There was no joy in any part of Canterlot.

So I said, “I will go elsewhere, to a place where love is commonplace. Surely there I will find happiness.” So, I went to the southern region of Equestria where the ponies farmed the fields every day. I saw that they were hardworking, unlike those in Canterlot who put their play before their work. I saw also that they were happy when they were with their family and friends. In addition to spending much time with their close friends, once a year their families would gather together and share each other’s company. And they were never lonely. Again, I said, “Surely these must be happy. They have strength in their numbers, and together they can overcome.”

Yet I saw that when winter came and they could not work the snowy fields or harvest from the sleeping orchards, they grew afraid. They soon had no way to support themselves and Fear overtook them. They would mourn in the evening because they had little food, and by day they would scavenge; though neither of these things gave them any peace. Each day they spoke to one another about how they feared that they would not see the next rising of the sun. And I saw that they were no more joyful than those in Canterlot; depending on the seasons to determine their state of mind. As one, they spoke this lament:

Save us, oh Celestia!

Have mercy on us Luna!

Let this season pass from us.

Return us to the happy times.

Bring us to the happy days

When the sun gave its light

And the crops yielded great surplus;

The orchards filling our stomachs.

Take from us this fear,

That we will be unfed today,

That we shall die tomorrow

And taste the sting of death.

Worry grips us with an unbreakable hold.

Doubt clouds our minds like the gloomy sky.

All of our goods have been sold

No food is left for us to buy.

For seven years, I went to almost every city and every region; seeing all the ponies who lived in Equestria, but nowhere did I find true joy. Seeing all these things, I fell down and shed tears and lamented loudly. These seven years were the longest that I had ever spent in this realm. They crept along like decades, and everywhere I went, there was no lasting desire to remain.

I could not understand it in its entirety. There was no war in this world. They did not know its pain. There was no plague that came upon them; wiping away one in every ten of their number. Yet everywhere I went, it appeared that the ponies were more hopeless than the ones I saw in the old days when these horrors were occurring. Even in those times there were those who had hope. Yet here there was no such thing. There was only the lull of the day which would eventually become night, and then become day again.

There is no meaning in life without joy. What is the purpose in doing something unless its end has some kind of profitable return? There was no reason to continue doing anything here except to exist. The question then arises, what is the point of existing? Where is the significance in clawing through life until the next day? Without joy, there is no reason to live. Yet for some reason, these ponies continued to exist despite this conclusion. No one chose to end his or her life. The monotonous wheel of nature turned undisturbed throughout the seven years, which seemed like eons. Towards the end of the years, by chance, I witnessed a council of the Terrible Three.

Fear spoke; her voice icy and chilling. “How lovely it is to torment this world. How great it is to afflict its inhabitants.”

Discord, the dragon-horse laughed. “Oh, indeed it is. There is no one to stop us! For miles around there isn’t a soul who is willing to do anything.”

Suffering spoke next. “Hold your gloating, you two. Victory may be ours, but we cannot be sure of total success. Discord, you say that there are none who oppose us. Take caution. Pride is the enemy of victory. While we sit and drink the ambrosial wine of the misery which we have beset upon this dark world, we must keep ever vigilant. For I believe even as we speak now, there is an adversary rising.”

Fear said in rebuttal, “Ha! Be it not so. We need not trouble ourselves over this matter. For as surely as the sun will rise, there will come an adversary. ‘Let them come,’ I say. Let them stand before me. Let them try and pit themselves against my power. They will soon flee in horror. Terror will fall upon them and they will do nothing against us.”

Discord added, “I agree. What do we have to worry about? I’ve taken care of a few heroes myself before. Oh, and it’s so funny when they think they can stop me. They come to me with confidence, but then I just turn that confidence against them. It just makes me so…” He burst into a fit of laughter.

Suffering shouted. “Cease your giggling, Discord. This is no laughing matter.”

“Oh, but it is. Your always so serious about these things. Why don’t you loosen up a bit? Enjoy yourself for a day.”

Hearing this, she said, “Enough of this. I shall be the one laughing when you are dethroned.”  Saying this, she stormed away.

Fear ended the discussion. “Let us go then, mighty Discord, son of Khaos, and flaunt our victory once more.”

Seeing this, I felt a twinge of anger. My wrath boiled, but it soon turned into frustration; for I could do nothing about this. I agonized over what I had seen for day and night. “Why is there none who seek to face them?” I asked.

Again, I received an answer. Hope spoke to me; coming from on high. Ah, the great Hope, a mighty pegasus with a white coat which is purer than the snow. Her eyes are blue like the sea and her mane is red like the glorious dawn. “Do not despair.” She said.

I responded with despair. “How can I not when I see that all here are living in darkness?”

She answered,

The ponies walking in darkness have seen a great light.

On those living in the land of everlasting night, the sun has dawned;

For as in the day of Discord’s defeat by the princesses of this world

The burden upon them will be obliterated.

The yoke upon their necks will be broken.

And the scepters of their oppressors will be shattered.

Their adversaries’ spoils will be given to them;

Lasting peace bestowed without cost.

For unto them a filly is born.

Unto them a daughter is given.

And she will be called the herald of joy, the bearer of courage,

Princess of harmony, vanquisher of frowns.

Of the influence of her peace there will be no limit.

Of the intensity of her passion there will be no end.

Their enemies will flee before her.

And there will be joy in Equestria for all of her days.

Hearing this, I was astonished and said, “How long must they wait for this mare?”

She responded, “She has already been born. In the town of Ponyville, her life began three years ago. Yet they must wait seven more years for her to mature.”

So I waited for three years; watching the anguish that went on in all the realm. Yet I did not lose hope. “Hope is no liar.” I told myself.

After this time, I asked of her, “Has she yet received her cutie mark?”

“No, it will come in its own time. And this will happen in the least expected of places, a place of suffering. Yet she will see a sign from Heaven and will realize a great truth, the greatest secret to joy. The amazement she has will be so great that joy will follow her all of her days by her choice alone. Yet unlike Platony’s Republic, which argues that those who find wisdom only wish to find more and do not wish to impart the light that they have found to those chained in the darkness, she will have an irrepressible desire to share her epiphany with all the world. Her passion will become quickly so intense that she will stop at nothing to drive away the three. And after a great war, she will prevail. Rejoice. Salvation approaches from the most unlikely of places.”

In awe I asked of the messenger, “Where is this place. Is it in the city, or outside?”

“It is a rock farm just outside the city.”

Because of events which demanded my attention in another place, I could not immediately confirm the birth of this filly. For three years, I was called upon by one greater than me to do my duty as a sage; spending every day in a great library to unveil a secret. In the early part of the fourth year, I finally completed the task that I was assigned. Then I remembered the words of Hope and travelled to Ponyville.

The town was small in comparison to most of the cities. This is why I did not visit it in my search for joy. Although, upon my arriving there, it seemed to me like the center of the world as all roads led into it. And I searched the region outside its boundaries until I found a group of fields which were infertile like the desert. There were many rocks sitting atop the soil in that place. Located in the center of the fields was a house and also a large silo. “This must be that for which I am searching,” I said. Though, as I spent time there, I did have my doubts about the possibility of joy coming from that place. The whole region was surrounded by small mountains that gave it a feeling of enclosure, as though the land itself was a prison. The sky was always cloudy there, so when one looked up, all one saw was grey.

It was night when I arrived. The princess had only just raised the moon. So I sat and waited until dawn. At this time, three fillies came out of the house, accompanied by a stern-looking stallion, who I discerned was their father. The grey stallion assigned each of the fillies work to do for that day, and they began on their toil. He also went to one of the fields and began to work. Thus seeing this, I went to observe the hard labor which the fillies were doing. I looked to the west and saw a filly who had a coat colored a mix of grey and blue. She looked to be about six years of age. All day she moved the rocks from one edge of the field to the next. I looked into her eyes and saw only a blank stare. She appeared quite focused on her work and did not stop until the sun began to set.

I looked also to the south and saw a filly who was wholly grey. She also appeared to have about six years. Likewise, she was moving the stones from one edge of the field to the next: from the south to the north. Upon her face was also a blank look. I suppose she was masking her emotion in the best way that she could. Her work must have been backbreaking; especially for one of her age and size.

Then I saw the third filly. There was something different about this one. Unlike her sisters, her coat was pink and her mane was a slightly darker shade of pink. Her eyes were blue like the sky at midday. As she worked on, I did not see that her face was void of expression. Rather, I saw that she was quite despondent. Each time she finally brought a rock from the west end to the east end, she would let out a large sigh. She stared at the ground and slowly traversed back to repeat the task.

For the years that followed, my gaze was focused on this filly who looked so depressed and devoid of spirit. All day long she toiled under the heat of the sun, and there was nothing to encourage her because her work was so monotonous and multitudinous. Every so often, she would look towards another of the fields and look forlornly at one of her sisters. I perceived that she was quite lonely in her solitary work. Her movements were always slow and too deliberate. Clearly, she was suffering.

I said to myself, “Surely, this cannot be this mistress of joy for which I am searching. I will spectate another of the three. At least they do not appear so grim.”

But even as I said this, Hope said to me, “Do not be deceived. The one you gaze upon will indeed be the savior of this world.”

I could not believe my ears. There was nothing about this one that was even happy, much less joyful. I could not see how she could triumph over any of the Terrible Three. I did not see how any sign from heaven could change the circumstances under which she lived. A great writer once said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. When I looked into this one’s eyes I saw oppression and loneliness, two of the greatest kinds of suffering that mortals can endure. Yet nonetheless, I did not take the words of Hope for folly. I kept my eyes fixed upon her; eagerly awaiting the prize for which I looked for all those years.

Nor did my patience go unrewarded. The prize always goes to the runner who endures. On the dawn of the eighth year, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, as predicted, there was a great sign in the heavens. I looked up and saw and enormous rainbow which rippled out from an epicenter in the sky, a Sonic Rainboom. When I saw it, I was astonished. Such an event had not happened since my early days long ago. So much time had passed since such an event had occurred that it was regarded as only a legend which was contained in foals’ fairy tales. Although my memory of the last one was still clear in my mind, the very idea of seeing one again in this day and age was nearly unimaginable, much less expected.

Realizing that this had to be what I was waiting for, I ripped my stare away from the sky and returned my attention to the pink filly. A look of amazement was upon her face. Now, understand that amazement is not an emotion, but a state characterized by the complete understanding of a revelation. Before her, the sky opened up and for the first time since I had been there. The blue, endless vault that was the heavens was revealed to her in plain sight. The sun was also now clearly visible; not giving only half of its light through the clouds. As the clouds parted and the sun began to shine on the pink filly, her eyes slowly opened wider than I had ever seen them. Gradually, a massive smile grew across her face. It was wide and open-mouthed. I saw that in addition to her amazement, she experienced absolute joy; not transient happiness, but long-lasting joy. Then, without warning, she abandoned her work and hurried into the silo. My mouth fell open. What I had seen was truly astonishing.

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