. . .

"Once upon a time on the techno-magical planet of Earthquestria…Something was very, very wrong. Because there wasn’t supposed to BE an ‘Earthquestria.’ And, if action wasn’t taken, then very soon there wouldn’t be anything at all.”

. . .

Introduction:

“Okay, here’s my first idea: we have the ‘Mane Six,’ as the fandom calls them, as humans and—”

“Humans?” Lauren interrupted. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of this being a ‘My Little Pony’ video game?”

“Well—” Tetsuya tried to explain.

“And these outfits you’ve drawn the Elements of Harmony, as the professionals call them, in are very, well, suggestive,” Lauren went on. “I know this show has a large adult fan base, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s so beloved because it has its roots in qualities that children love and can be safely exposed to.”

“I’m getting to that—” Testsuya was able to break in again.

“And why do they all have swords shaped like—”

“Mrs. Faust, please, if I may,” Tetsuya interjected. “I know you have your vision, and that’s what made ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’ so successful that it warranted a video game of such production value. The thing is, though, that Square Enix has rather high standards, and with this much money being spent on converting your show into a video game, the company expects something that will sell like crazy. Now, it probably would regardless of content, but Square wants something that’ll be good enough to warrant a sequel.

“I’ve dealt with massive crossovers before, and that became one of Square’s flagship gaming franchises,” Tetsuya finished. “I hope to do the same with ‘MLP,’ as the fans refer to it, but I can’t do that—I can’t take it to the next level—unless we incorporate some classic Square Enix elements and some entirely new innovation into the game.”

“But, Mr. Nomura, I too want to take it to the next level,” Lauren protested. “That’s why I chose Square Enix out of all the high bidders wanting to design the game. I wanted a unique art style, which I know you are known for, to compliment the unique animation scheme of the show. I also wanted a good story, which I also am aware Square Enix is well-known for. However, when I agreed to let Square Enix design the game I thought that we’d be making three-dimensional models of ponies, not their humanized counterparts. And honestly, what’s the deal with all the zippers and belts?”

“We at Square Enix are indeed masters of storytelling and digital beauty,” Tetsuya agreed, ignoring the last question. “But we also want to tell our own story as well as those of the ones we cross over with. In your email, you stated that you were looking forward to making a playable version of the conflict with Nightmare Moon. However, Square Enix is always looking for new and interesting tales that have never been told, and while that part of the show’s mythos will certainly be incorporated, we wanted to tell a story that the players will have never experienced before.”

“Such as?” Lauren raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I’m glad you asked,” Tetsuya grinned.

. . .

“Once upon a time, on the techno-magical planet of Earthquestria…

“There were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her spellbinder powers to maintain the Light Magic. The younger balanced the Magic of Darkness. Thus the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of Earthquestrians.

“But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The Earthquestrians loved and marveled at her sister’s Light Magic, yet shunned and feared her beautiful Darkness. One fateful day, the younger sister gave into the raw energies of darkness she was supposed to maintain and was transformed into a wicked monster of destruction: Nightmare Moon!

"To stop what was once her sister from shrouding the land in eternal darkness like the new monster had vowed to do, the elder sister combined her Light Magic with the Elements of Harmony—the balancing force of the third Magic, the Magic of Order. Using the Magic of the Elements of Harmony alongside her powers of Light, the elder sister defeated the monster her younger sister had become, banishing her to the Moon.

"The elder sister took on the responsibility for maintaining both the Light Magic and the Magic of Darkness while the Elements of Harmony were left to govern the Magic of Order by themselves as they always had. Thus, the three Magics were in balance, and harmony reigned across the planet of Earthquestria ever since.

"Until the thousandth year.

"On the Festival of Lights, the yearly celebration of Light Magic, Earthquestria was shrouded in darkness once again as Nightmare Moon escaped from her lunar imprisonment and planned to ravage the world with endless night. The Earthquestrians’ one hope was for the elder sister to harness the Magics of Order and Light alike to defeat her younger sister again. Just when Earthquestria needed the eldest sister the most, though, she was nowhere to be found.

"Seeking the Elements of Harmony in a last-ditch effort to save Earthquestria from Nightmare Moon by themselves, the young student of the keeper of Light and her five newfound friends sought the Elements of Harmony in their last known location: the deadly Everfree Forest. Though Nightmare Moon attempted to cut the noble young Earthquestrians off at every turn with peril and deceit, each imperilment only left the friends’ bond all the stronger.

"At last, the six friends found and used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, redeeming the younger sister and keeper of the Darkness from her corruption. The keeper of the Darkness begged for forgiveness, truly ashamed of the crimes she had committed, and received pardon from her elder sister and was welcomed back into Earthquestria with open arms.

"After Nightmare Moon’s defeat, the six friends were recognized to be the chosen keepers of the Elements of Harmony, the maintainers of the Magic of Order. Many more trials and tribulations were to face the new keepers after their struggle, but their friendship won against them all, each doing nothing more than strengthen their bond against future threats.

"The gryphons of the Third Reich were defeated by these friends, their holocaust of the People of the Light and their attempts to take over the world cut short. Genghis Khan and his army of dragons were prevented from scorching the land into ash. Even the city of Atlantis was prevented from sinking into the sea before its time.

"These friends, the two magic-wielding spellbinders, the two winged weather-casting nephilim, and the two steadfast and sturdy earthbound, vowed to defend Earthquestria from any threat with their new powers as keepers of the Elements of Harmony and the Magic of Order. Even when Discord, master of Chaos Magic and antithesis to the Elements of Harmony, broke free from his ancient prison and sought to cast Earthquestria into endless disorder, these friends stopped the threat and recaptured the monster.

"Or…

"…did they?

"…did any of that happen at all?

"…Or is something much, much more sinister at work here?

"What is real, and what is fantasy?

"What happens when the two meet?

"Do they join together into one?

"Do they destroy one another?

"Or do they do both?"