Sit down and listen close, for I am going to tell you the tale of how we all came to be. Keep in mind that this is only legend, and whether or not any of this actually happened is up to you to decide. But the thing about legends is that, sometimes, no matter how strange or bizarre or wild they may be, sometimes there is a little truth to them.

Back in the days before time and history, Equo-kind did not exist. Instead, two races walked the surface of our infantile world; the weak and pitiful "Mortals", and the terrible and mighty "Dark Ones". Though we would one day be born from the Mortal race, in those days they were little more than blank slates; beings of un-sculpted potential, and unremarkable in every way. It is said that this is because their hearts were unformed, and could not feel the flame of life, so they did not know of what they could become.

But the other race, the Dark Ones, they knew exactly what they were. From deep within the shadows they came in droves, terrible creatures and horrible monsters, and they held this world in their fists with an iron grip. The most power of them was their leader, who sat in his Tower of Darkness, lording over his kingdom from his Throne of Sorrow. A powerful magic user, It is said that the Nightmare King had the ability to alter reality in any way he saw fit, and that many of his monstrous minions were Mortals who had been corrupted by his dark powers.

For nearly a hundred years, The Nightmare King and his loyal subjects continued to rule the world un-opposed, the Mortal race unable to fight back against their oppressors. Having stood unopposed for so long, the Nightmare King truly believed his rule to be absolute. But if he were perhaps a little wiser, he would have known that there is no such things as absolutes, and that in time, even the greatest of kings must fall. And this would prove to be his undoing.

From within the Darkness, there came a spark, and this spark chose two mortals to be it's champions; twin sisters whose destinies it would be to defeat the Nightmare King and lead the Mortals into an age of peace and harmony. One sister would be given the power of light and fire, so that she could burn away the darkness. The other was given dominion over the darkness itself, and commanded the cold, so that she could turn the King's very power against him. Together, the two champions rallied their Mortal kin, instilling their hearts with hope and courage, and led them in battle against the forces of the Dark Ones.

War raged on, and though the Dark Ones proved a formidable opponent, they were unable to overcome the inferno that was now blazing in the hearts of the Mortals. Little by little, the forces of the Nightmare King were pushed further and further back; those who were not destroyed outright for their crimes were either captured and banished, or given the option to join their cause. Those who did join found them selves transformed by the sisters powers into new beings, thus beginning the races of Gryphons, Dragons, and the like.

As the war was brought to the Nightmare King's front door, the sisters chose to face him alone. At the top of his tower, the twins gave him one final chance to surrender.

"Your rule is at an end, Nightmare King! For too long have you caused strife and discord amongst the Mortal race!" The sister of fire stood tall and mighty, her presence radiant yet commanding of authority.

"But the spark that granted us our power has also granted us clarity! We know that you are a slave to the darkness that runs through your veins. In light of this, we offer you clemency." The second sisters voice was a loud and booming sound that shook the heavens themselves like thunder, and her intimidating presence sent chills down the spine of all around her.

"This is your chance to change your ways, Nightmare King. Join us, and we can free you from the evil that has claimed your soul!" Both sister spoke in unison, and it is said that no matter where in the world you were, you could hear them offer the Nightmare King one last chance at redemption.

But the Nightmare King would not be so easily swayed. "Your talks of freedom and redemption are waisted against me. I am not the on who needs to be freed, you are! I am darkness incarnate! Darkness has existed before the universe began, and darkness will be here long after the last flicker of light has been snuffed out! Try as you might, no matter how brightly you burn there will always be a sliver of darkness in each and every heart. And that is where I will be, waiting. Do your worst, sisters. You cannot be rid of me."

And he was right. The sisters knew that he spoke the truth, that darkness was an intrinsic part of the universe as much as fire or cold or light or love or pain or any other constant. They knew even deep within their own hearts that they also had the capacity for evil just as much as any other living being. They knew that even if they destroyed the Nightmare King, obliterated him and scatter his atoms to the far corners of the world, that his influence would still be there, somewhere.

So the sisters decided then and there to seal away the Nightmare king in a prison of their own design, like they had did to those of his brethren that refused their offer of change, for they could not force one to become something unless they truly wanted it.

While the Nightmare King's defeat provided the stepping stones towards a new age, there was still much to be done. Though the man was gone, his influence still lingered and scarred the planet. Waging a war and toppling a tyrant was one thing, but healing an entire planet? That was more then even they could do alone. So the sisters once again approached the Mortal race, and asked them to aid them one more time. They offered the unformed race a piece of the great spark that granted them their identities, in exchange for helping them to heal and tame the world.

They divided the Mortals into three groups, and gave each group a specific gift to aid them. To the first group they gave wings, so that they could help clear the dark storms that burned the skies. This group would be called "Pegasi".

The next group to receive their gift would later call themselves "Unicorn", and were granted the ability to harness magical energies to help purify the world around them, the same energies that Nightmare King had used to twist it to his whim.

And the last group was given the gift of knowledge, so that they could create tools that would allow them to tame the wild and unruly land. They called them selves "Terran", but we know them better today as "Earth Ponies".

As they had given new forms to the Mortals, the sisters did the same for themselves. The first sister drew inspiration from the sun, radiant and beautiful, and used it's light to solidify her form. The second sister modeled herself after the moon and the night sky, and her form was as dark and mysterious as midnight. Together, they watched over the mortal races as they worked to heal the broken world, trading off duties when their respective celestial bodies dipped below the horizon.

In time, and with much work, the Mortal race and the sisters wiped the world clean of the Nightmare King's influence as best they could. They knew that they would never truly be free of the darkness, but they knew that if they worked hard, and spread the ideals of love and friendship, that the spark of life would burn brightly in their hearts and keep the darkness at bay, just as they had glowed with love for one another and their brethren.

Years would go by, and little by little a civilization would rise from the ashes. Yes there would be bad times, and there would also be those who would try to bring back the darkness and subjugate the mortal race once more, and some times these threats would come from within themselves. But the sisters knew that as long as they believed in the spark in their hearts and in the hearts of others, there would be nothing they couldn't over come.

But then again, this is just a legend....