Darkness spread across the sky, enveloping the world in its deathly grip, a vast force of emptiness and oppression.  Below the black-stained heaven stretched a land that was dead and cold as the sky above.  No stars shone and no waves rose and fell, the ocean barren and silent as the earth and the sky.  No living thing walked, or breathed, or gave life.

But silence lasts only as long as there is no sound, and an infinity of darkness may be destroyed by a single shard of light.  After time untold, a thousand, a million, ten billion years, or perhaps an instant, the world changed.

The sky lit up with stars.  Millions upon millions of stars.  They cast their light down upon the barren ground, and were dismayed by its deathliness.  But then the earth trembled, and the seas shook and danced.  Waves roared forth and broke onto the shore, reshaping and rebuilding the land.  Mountains were forced up from below, tall and grey and mighty to behold.

And the sky broke away, and the light of the stars lit up the world, and gave it hope, and life.

Millions of years passed.  Now the life flourished, but still in darkness it remained.  The Everfree Forest spread across the world from horizon to horizon, choking the land with its evil.  Among the trees, black trees that oozed slime and poison, lived the beasts of Everfree.  There were many fearsome creatures in the world, vicious monsters that hungered for flesh.  Manticores, hydras, minotaurs, timber wolves, cockatrices, and great grey trolls were among the worst.  All other animals fled before them in terror of their lives.  

But greatest among all the beasts that lived on earth were the dragons.  They dwelt high up in the mountains, where the forest could not grow, and came down to feast upon all things, for all things were their prey.  Undisputed, they were masters of the world, and soared high above it in glory and awful might.

Yet among all the dangers and hidden fears of the forest, there were yet some creatures that lived in purity.  Animals that did not slay to eat, that lived on what little nourishment grew in the undergrowth.  These creatures served only as food for the larger, the more powerful, the brutal hunters that ruled the endless night.  There was one tribe among all these animals, one species unlike all the rest.  In darkness they lived, and in darkness they would die, for darkness was all their world.  In fear of death they came together, protecting and guiding one another, learning and teaching and passing on their knowledge of survival.  They were the ponies.

The ponies were weak, and possessed no means of self-defense other than running and hiding.  But together they stood firm, warning their companions of dangers, so that they all might live another day.  Still, many were slain, and devoured by the awful beasts of Everfree, and still they lived in fear and despair, not a moments rest or an instant of safety.

And then they arrived.  The Six.  From the sky they came, or out of the fabric of the edge of the universe.  Behind them came the rising sun, shining for the first time upon the world, and its golden light broke through the canopy of the Everfree Forest and illuminated all the lands in its brilliance.  The six beings came before it, riding the wind, where it was they were born, or what powers drove them and burned in their souls, is known to none but themselves.

Their leader was Elthendos, and in his heart was shining a fire as bright as the sunlight.  He burned away the Everfree Forest, until it cowered in pain and defeat, but drew close together, and regained once more its darkness.  Across the lands now released from despair he made the land green and beautiful, with rivers and meadows and rising hills.

He called the land Equestria.

But his new domain was empty, devoid of laughter or merriment, and he and his companions had of yet no physical shape, they were formless and undefined.  He bade each of his five companions to go forth into the forest and find a creature that was worthy, a creature that would live under their protection and learn from them, a creature that could love and tolerate.

But the five of them had trouble searching, all the beasts they encountered were vicious and evil, and gave no thought to kindness or life itself.  In despair, three of them gave up the hunt and returned, only two continued.

The first of these to find a candidate was Virokir, and his choice was the dragons.  In them he saw power, and majesty, and brutal violence held in check by honor and justice.  Lusting himself for might and glory, Virokir asked if they would come to Equestria and live there under Elthendos.  In anger and pride the dragons refused, resenting the coming of the Six and wanting only to be left in peace and freedom.  Spitefully they drove Virokir away, and he returned to the court of Elthendos empty-handed, disgruntled and bitter.

The second of the two that searched on was Celestia, apart from her sister, Luna, she was the youngest of the Six.  Through the forest she walked for many miles and many days, until at last she gave up hope, and lay down, exhausted and hopeless.

As she lay, her body formless and ethereal, a sudden movement caught her attention.  From the foliage that clung like shadows to the forest floor came a tiny creature, shy and quiet, colorful and innocent.  So it was that Celestia beheld a pony for the first time.  In her wonder, she barely noticed as her shapelessness took shape, her material converged and became like the creature she beheld, only greater and fairer still.

Quickly she brought the creature back with her to the court of Elthendos, where she was greeted with shock and wonder.  She displayed her find to her companions, and they too took the forms of the pony but gave themselves greater power, and called themselves Alicorns.  Elthendos agreed that these animals were to be found and led out into Equestria, where they would be guided and taught, until they grew to their full maturity and potential.

Only Virokir was unsatisfied, he had taken upon himself the form of a dragon, and scorned the ponies for their weakness and small size.  But in his heart he knew that Elthendos was right, as he always was, and so he agreed to be a part of the founding of the pony society.

Over the next few thousand years, the ponies grew and learned under the rule of the Six.  They loved their masters, and worshipped them as gods.  Apart from Celestia, who they revered as Queen of the Rising Sun, there was Luna, the Princess of the Moon.  There was also Anare, the Lady of Wisdom and Justice, who shared with them secrets of the earth and the universe.  Foroken was the master of the wind and the rain, and he brought them fair weather and watered their crops.  To Virokir, who openly disliked the ponies, was given the task of guarding the borders of Equestria.  The Everfree Forest had grown, though was still kept out of pony lands, but the dangers within were not silent, and the ponies feared its darkness.

But Elthendos was most powerful of them all.  He was their leader, their ruler, their undisputed master, and they loved him.  Elthendos was kind and loyal, honest and generous and mirthful.  With these five qualities, in his epic power, he forged out of the heartstones of the earth itself five glorious artifacts, talismans of his ability, with which one might hold all power in Equestria: the Elements of Harmony.

With his new tools, he blessed the land, and to each pony he gave a gift, the Gift of Elthendos, that when they came of age, and discovered in themselves their true inner being, they would receive on their flank a mark, a sign, or a rune to help guide them on their path.

For many thousands of years the land of Equestria was peaceful and free of pain, but as light can cast away darkness, so can a drop of black ink pervert a clear glass of water.

Virokir, ever apart from and separated from the rest of the Six, in constant contact with the Everfree Forest, grew bitter and twisted.  His task was perhaps the hardest of all, and yet he received no thanks, no offerings from the ponies.  His constant exposure to the violence and hideousness of the forest turned his mind, and he became wild and mad, no longer bitter but malicious and crazed.  In secret he met with the creatures of Everfree, and founded an alliance, and they made him their master, for they had fought against him for centuries, and knew of his power.  For after Elthendos, Virokir was the most formidable being in the world.

Still, Virokir knew that against Elthendos and the Elements of Harmony, all the forces of the Everfree Forest combined were no match.  As yet the dragons had refused Virokir’s offers of alliance, and had threatened to reveal his treason to Elthendos should he bother them again.  Without their aid, Virokir knew he could not best his enemy in open battle.

But one thing Virokir possessed in quantities greater even then Elthendos, and that was cunningness, deception, lies and deceit.  Unable to comprehend in his heart and mind that which drove creatures to evil and violence, Elthendos could not recognize Virokir’s treachery.  Convinced that his companion was still firmly in the light Elthendos followed him out of his palace, leaving behind the Elements of Harmony, for, as Virokir promised, he would not need them where he was going.  Quickly, after his master had departed, Virokir returned, and stole the Elements of Harmony, though they hurt him to touch, and sealed them in a magical vault.

When Virokir returned, he guided Elthendos to a vast gorge on the edge of the Everfree Forest, which was later called Ghastly Gorge, and Virokir showed Elthendos the signs of a powerful holding spell that hung thick in the air.  Curious, Elthendos tested the spells power, it held firm.  Growing more cautious, the great being sent his magic around the barriers, seeking to uproot it and discover its significance.  Failing at this too, Elthendos grew impulsive, and slammed with all his magical might against the spell, it shattered.

All around him were revealed hordes of monsters of the forest, thousands of them, the entire population of Everfree come to have revenge for the burning of their dark home.  Wrathfully they leapt upon Elthendos, tearing at his flesh and biting at his legs, but the master of Equestria fought them off, and slew many, he called out to Virokir for aid, confidently at first, and in growing despair ever on.  But Virokir only stood in place, his dragon wings folded up against his body, as he watched with a satisfied smile on his face.  And then Elthendos knew he had been betrayed, and his anger smote the earth and blasted away the creatures of Everfree.  Then Virokir knew fear, and cowered in terror, but before Elthendos reached him the monsters of the forest were upon him again, in greater force then before, and Elthendos was caught under them, and brought down to his knees.  In the form of a great stallion, with iron wings and steel horn he battered the waves of attackers, sending them flying in pain and broken death, but in the end, though he was the most powerful being in all the world, they overwhelmed him, and he lay crippled and beaten, blood flowing from his thousand wounds.

Virokir approached him, confident and arrogant, and taunted his once great master.  He ridiculed Elthendos for his weakness and his foolish trust, and beat him brutally across the face.

But Elthendos would not yield, he would not beg for mercy.  In righteous fury and cold anger he cursed Virokir, and gathered to himself all the power that remained to him, and struck out at the traitor, cursing him, breaking him, shaming his pride.  The enchantment that gave Virokir the form of a dragon was cast away, and his body was twisted into that of many creatures, an ugly mixture of random beasts and birds.  Virokir writhed in agony and fear, and Elthendos rose to his hooves and spoke, he tore away the name of Virokir and gave him a new, fitting title: Discord.  He cursed him, so that all Discord’s plots and ambitions would come only to chaos and disharmony, so that he could never use or master the five Elements of Harmony.

But then his might ended, and he fell to the ground, and Discord, after a moment of recovery, in  divine and demonic fury flew at Elthendos, and tore open his chest and ripped out his heart.  And then he knew pain as no pain has ever been felt by any living creature before or since.  In his hands he held the heart of Elthendos, and then he knew that he had unleashed the sixth Element of Harmony, the Element of Magic.

Discord mastered the pain, and held firm to the great force, and knew now that he held the chaos and destruction of all of Equestria.  Laughing spitefully, he came away from that place, where his revenge had begun, and behind him came all the horde of the Everfree Forest, trampling and breaking the green earth under their feet, slashing and ripping at all things that grew around them.  So it was that Discord and the army of the Everfree Forest entered into Equestria.

The ponies had lived for millennia in peace.  Their society was built around small, rural villages and close-knit communities, but was always welcoming to strangers and foreign ponies.  Being active and social meant more to ponies than wealth or power, and they were content and happy.  Their masters, Anare and Foroken, Celestia and Luna, were kind to them, and walked among them openly and freely, not remote or holding themselves superior.  All the ponies were familiar to the four rulers, and loved them dearly.  Virokir they had respected, and been grateful for his protection, but to him they would never have gone for comfort and solace the way their children had come to Celestia or her companions.  No matter how important their tasks were, the four of them always had time to speak warmly to a colt or filly that was feeling sad.

Now the ponies fled in confusion and terror.  The farthest west settlements, closest to the forest, had been taken by surprise.  The horde of beasts had swarmed over them, burning the houses and slaughtering the ponies as they tried to escape.  Discord, his dark might growing as he gained more and more mastery over the Element of Magic, rained down fire and thunder upon them, reveling in the chaos and glorying in the deaths of his enemies.  

The horde came south, along the edge of the forest, for they were still fearful of the remaining four who were loyal to Elthendos, though Discord assured them they would be triumphant in battle.  All the lands against the forest were pillaged and destroyed, and all the ponies slain.  After this campaign of blood and gore, Discord spoke to his army, ordering them no longer to kill all the ponies they could.  For, he said, he wanted to rule over Equestria himself, to draw out his punishment and to hold the ponies enslaved for an eternity.

At this time Foroken and Anare had met, and Celestia and Luna came soon after.  With them came many refugees who had fled the march of Discord and now sought protection.  There in the old palace of Elthendos they held a council of war, and it was agreed that any pony who wished to fight against Discord would be given the chance.  Foroken, though usually gentle and friendly, had been stirred to a wrath that nearly drove him mad.  Seeking vengeance and justice, he gathered to himself a mighty force of ponies, the strongest he could find, and to each of them he gave a set of powerful wings, the Gift of Foroken, and thus made the first Pegasi.

Anare knew nothing of war and despised violence, but for this she was all the angrier at Discord, and desired now only to have him destroyed.  She mustered a force equal to that of Foroken, and gave to each of them a horn on their head, that could channel the magic of Elthendos, and thus was the race of Unicorns created.

Celestia and Luna found no such army, but consented to join the forces of Foroken and Anare, and fight alongside them.  Many ponies, peaceful and terrified, remained where they were, and received no such gifts as the Pegasi and Unicorns, and ever on they were known as the Earth Ponies, and were often scorned as cowards and traitors.  In reality they were only living and acting as was in their nature, to not fight, but rather to hide, as they had long ago in the darkness of the Everfree Forest, from whence they themselves had originally come.

So it was that the army of Foroken and Anare marched out to fight against the forces of Discord.  The two armies met at the center of Equestria, after the horde of Everfree had turned north and entered into the heart of the land, carving a path of destruction behind them.  There the two forces sat and waited, across the Stormridden Plains, glaring at one another.

Celestia and Luna went forth to meet with Discord, and to speak with him.  Grudgingly the tyrant consented to the meeting, and they came face to face at the center of the plains.

“Celestia, O how beautiful you seemed to me once.” Said Discord, “When all this is said and done, and Equestria lies broken at my talons, there will be a special place for you by my throne.”

“We shall see who lies broken at whose hooves in the end.” Replied Celestia, Luna said nothing, gazing at Discord with cold hatred.

“I see little doubt as to the outcome, my little pony.  Now why are you wasting my time here?”

Celestia raised her head high into the air, staring Discord eye to eye, “To demand your complete and unconditional surrender.  You have broken the laws of Elthendos, and have let the Everfree Forest into Equestria.  You have failed in your task.  Leave now, leave Equestria and never return, and you shall be left alive.  If you seek war, then war we will give you.”

The sky darkened above her, the earth trembled ominously under her hooves.  Celestia, Queen of the Rising Sun, shone with a mighty brilliance, as if Elthendos himself had awoken within her.

But Discord laughed, he howled and shrieked and chuckled as if what Celestia had said had been a hearty joke, and he her appreciative audience.

“You ponies, wage war on me?  Why ever would you think such a thing?  You’ll be slaughtered!  Crushed!  Annihilated!  You want war?  Very well, I will give you war!”

He laughed harder still, unable to contain himself.  It seemed to him as if Celestia was playing directly into his hands, and in a way, she was.

“We do not know what is to be, and there is no use to try and run.” Said Celestia, “What is to be, let it be done.”

Discord recovered from his fit of giggles, rising up into the air he addressed his speech directly to Luna.

“Come, my darling Luna, do you hear what your sister is saying?  She goes blindly into certain defeat, here.” with a flick of his finger he lifted Luna up into the air.  

Celestia screamed in fury, “Put her down!  We met in agreement of peace!”

Discord smiled, a wicked, malicious smile, “No treaty holds me, leave here with your life, and consider yourself lucky.”

He raised his other hand, a cruel lion’s paw, and the ground beneath Celestia broke and blew high in the air.  The pony spread her great white wings and soared away, back to the army of Foroken and Anare, tears of bitterness stinging her eyes.

Together Discord and Luna sped over the field to the camp of the invading army.  There the pony goddess beheld the vast horde of Everfree, monsters foul and loathsome to look upon.  Thousands of them, spread out over the hills, burning great bonfires and chanting rhythmless chants of their ancestors.

“There,” said Discord, “You see now why Celestia will only lead you to death?”

Luna said nothing, but floated in midair,

“I have watched you Luna, watched you from the dark.  We are more alike, you and I, then I think you realize.”

Luna was frantically shaking her head, a wild, despairing look in her eyes.

“I desire power, power over everything that lives.” Said Discord, “But I cannot hold it steady, all I take comes to chaos in the end.  Chaos is a fine thing, the finest thing of all, but it needs its opposite.  You, Luna, I know you better than you know yourself.  You seek acknowledgment.  You resent her don’t you?”

“No…” Luna finally found her voice, but it was week and trembling.

“You can give me what I need, order!  And I can give you everything you desire.  Imagine!  Endless night across all of Equestria!  The moon shining bright as the sun, and you, my Queen!  My Nightmare!  Just say the word, precious Luna, and it will all be yours.”

In silence they hung above the world, the two of them waiting, for what, they did not fully know.  At last Luna bowed her head, and said in a whisper, “Do with me what you will.  Kill me, torture me, make me your slave, but I will never yield to you.”

For an instant Discord’s face contorted wrathfully, his calm demeanor shattering into brutal hatred, but then he regained himself.  Coolly he looked on at Luna as her body twisted and writhed in the air, she opened her mouth to scream, but could make no sound other than a deathly gasp.  After a minute she relaxed, though her limbs still shook.

“Just a taste, O nightmare beauty, of what I might do to you.  Think it over, you have everything to lose, and everything to gain.”

He took her down to his private dwelling and had her put under heavy guard.  He set many powerful enchantments on her, so that she could not break free.  Last of all he bound her soul to an iron crown, black as night, that was set before her.

“If you should escape, somehow, then you shall die.  Your life is now one with this crown, wear it, and you shall be given power equal to mine, reject it, and you shall remain my prisoner until the end of time itself.”

He left her there, confused and terrified, still trembling from the pain of her torture.  She lay on the hard earth, weeping bitterly for her sister and her friends, wishing only to see their loving, gentle faces once more.  But deep within, the lies of Discord still echoed in her mind.

Celestia returned to her comrades and told them of Discord’s breaking of the truce.  Dismayed by the news, Foroken and Anare agreed to attack the next morning, in an attempt to save Luna from her dark imprisonment.

They marshaled their troops at dawn, gathering the forces across the darkened plains, looking out at Discord’s army.  Knowing they would be fools to try and take the enemy camp by surprise, Foroken decided the best strategy would be to seize the field before the foe arrived, and find a defensible position.  Two hours later, he and his two remaining companions were satisfied that their arrangement would provide the best possible defense against Discord, while still allowing for offensive maneuvers.  Proudly the ponies sounded their horns of war, and waited.

Then sounded the great dark war trumpets of Everfree, and the rolling of deep, heavy drums.  A darkness rose up on the opposite end of the field, small and low at first, but gradually growing, and rising, and drawing nearer.  The horde of Discord appeared in the darkness, a vast and terrible thing to behold.  In its midst was a great chariot, pulled by snorting minotaurs, and in it stood Discord, clad in black armor, and at his side was Luna, an iron crown on her head.

Here ends the first part of The Equestrillion.  The second part tells of the War of Disharmony.