A Snow Pony, to those living in areas other than the slums of Manehattan, or the freezing tundras of Northern Equestria is a crude statue of a pony made of snow. To those in the know, however, it is the name of one of Equestria's forgotten tribes. We are a humble race of hard workers, who help to ensure the safety and productivity of Equestria, just as the other tribes do.

A Snow Pony is similar to an Earth Pony in that they have solid bones, and no wings or horn. They make up for it with their adaptations to extreme heat and cold, notably their thick fur, neutral coloration, and padded hooves, which resemble snowshoes.

Snow Ponies find work in many fields. In coastal regions in the north, they are largely fisherponies, and are renowned for their ability to withstand the cold during ice-fishing season. In the tundra, they can be found hauling sleds loaded with commercial goods across vast distances, in much the same way as many Earth Ponies haul wheeled carts filled with supplies or commodities across Equestria's countryside. Snow Ponies also notably organize into militas in ethnically homogenous villages or neighborhoods, which is a practice unique amongst the tribes. This is probably because they are in fact barred from entering service in the Royal Guard. In the industrial districts of some larger cities, like Trottingham and Manehattan, they can be found working in factories, foundries, refineries, and other such places, where they have garnered a reputation as hard workers. Why is it that Snow Ponies have acquired this reputation, however? Furthermore, why do they take such a militant demeanor in their own communities? This requires a deeper dive into their history and culture, as only Snow Ponies such as us can give you.

This will be explored in greater detail in later pamphlets. For now, it is time for us to introduce the Thestrals, or Bat Ponies, as they are more commonly known. The Thestrals are even more elusive, than the Snow Pony, owing to their nocturnal habits and dark coats, but much more widely known, owing to their appearance, their distinctive sounds, and their conspicuous presence in Princess Luna's Royal Guard.

The Thestral is most similar to a Pegasus, having hollow bones, and wings, but is dissimilar in that its wings are fleshy rather than feathered, and its ears are longer and more jagged. They have the fascinating ability to echolocate (which is a topic that science textbooks will be much more informative about, as we do not have the time nor inclination to disuss it here), by producing an eerie sound, which they are known by.

The Thestrals have always been loyal to the Princess of the Night and have only recently become more well accepted in Equestrian society, as a result of her return. Still, there is much work to be done.

Contrary to popular belief, Thestrals commonly seek gainful employment, and usually do so through the so called "Dark Market," a parallel economy which employs the bulk of Thestral society, and involves, directly or indirectly, large portions of Equestrian society at large. By contracting Thestrals through the Dark Market, firms can ignore many employment regulations, and divert attention from their company if the activities performed are extralegal. Many a Thestral will tell you of how they or someone they know were forced to take the rap for a crime they committed in the service of an employer who got off scot-free by plausible deniability.

The Dark Market's actual activities range from simple manual labor in mines to the manufacture of weapons (often illicit) and the trade of controlled substances. This is a state of affairs which has developed as a result of prejudice on the part of common ponies, and neglect on the part of governing authorities. If Bat Ponies are to be meaningfully integrated into Equestrian society, the Dark Market must be dissolved.

Toffy Marble set down her quill, satisfied. She relaxed her neck from the strain of writing with a quill in her mouth. It had taken a lot of effort to get to this point, from scouring libraries to interviewing laborers, but it would soon all be worth it.

"Knowledge is power." She said to nopony in particular. Looking out the window of her annex of the tenement dwelling her family had near the docks, she saw something peculiar swooping through the midnight sky. A Thestral shrieking out its echolocation and carrying a bag overflowing with bits. Toffy had been so caught up in her work that she hadn't even noticed all of the commotion outside! Evidently, her father had, and he was gathering her little brothers into the annex and telling them to remain calm.

As she surveyed the situation, Toffy slowly got a sense of what was going on. The first Bat Pony she had seen was not the only one. Around a half-dozen were swarming around the nearby bank. One was huge, having almost fluorescent rose-pink wings and a dark grey coat. He carried two bags of stolen lucre in his front hooves, hugging them against his chest, and another in his mouth. His mane was fierce and wild, and a dull shade of pinkish-red. He flung the bag in his mouth down to another Thestral who was swooping under him, and the second caught it on his back. The towering one cried out another mighty shriek, screaming:

"The Forgotten Tribes will rise!"

Next Chapter: II: The Great Dark Mark Estimated time remaining: 9 Minutes