“Mumma?” the young filly asked.
Looking down at her precious daughter, the little one’s mother emitted an affectionate hum.
“What is it, my little angel?”
Tilting her head, the filly gazed up at her mother with sparkles in her eyes.
“Why does Princess Celestia do everything?”
At this, her mother chuckled and rustled her mane.
“Princess Celestia doesn’t do everything sweetie, she has many other ponies that help her out, called advisers. They all work together in a special group called the Royal Council. And once upon a time, her sister, Princess Luna, used to help a lot too. That was a long time ago, before she became Nightmare Moon. But, there used to be a time when they ruled Equestria together, but even now that she rules alone, the Princess is very strong and very wise, so she can handle all the royal duties that she has to do.”
The filly thought about this for a few seconds, and then had another question.
“Where did Princess Celestia come from? Did she have a mummy?”
Unsure whether to laugh or to frown, the filly’s mother pondered for a moment. The event surrounding the Sunlight Goddess’ birth was a very serious topic; she had studied it at the Canterlot University in her youth. Looking at the clock, she decided that it was time for her daughter to go to bed.
“It’s getting late honey. Go and brush your teeth and hop into bed, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
The filly gasped, another bedtime story! Without uttering another word, she rushed upstairs to brush her teeth. Exhaling through her nose with amusement, the mare acknowledged that if she told the story to her foal, she wouldn’t hear the end of it for months on end. However, her daughter’s persistent quest for knowledge was admirable, and with a shrug, she saw no harm in it. Besides, it was a riveting story, and not one many ponies knew these days…
Stepping into the living room, the mare found her husband explaining the ‘birds and the bees’ to their son.
“Well, that’s pretty much the basics.” he rasped, awkwardly clearing his throat, “Now, if you have any more questions, you can ask your mother.”
Another puff of air left the mare’s nose, this time more in displeasure than amusement. It was rather obvious what her other half had done; he evidently didn’t want to explain things in detail, and so he had shifted the responsibility onto her.
{Sneaky git.} she thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
Turning around, her son spotted her, and rushed over with a look of eagerness and curiosity. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mother silenced him, knowing precisely what dwelled on his mind.
“After I put your sister to bed, I’ll answer any questions you have, alright?”
Nodding sheepishly, the young colt scarpered off to his room. With husband and wife alone, the colt’s father made his approach, whispering to his partner in his deep, seductive tone.
“Well good evening, Vel…”
Stifling a shudder, she loved it when he called her that. Ignoring his flirting, she went in for a hug, instead of the kiss he was expecting. Having been married for many years, playing hard to get kept things fun, and seeing her husband grow more and more impatient filled her with excitement; it was always more satisfying to work for one’s meal. Still, she never wanted him to feel undesired, and so she planted a passionate kiss onto his neck, before pulling away to face him.
“I’ve just sent our little angel off to bed. She wants to know about the origin of Her Royal Highness.”
“Of course she does.” the stallion sighed, tutting, “I swear, that filly…”
“I know…” the mare replied, “Maybe someday she’ll want something besides knowledge.”
The stallion let out a faint chuckle, shaking his head.
“That’ll be the day… Well the history lesson is all yours, I’ve done plenty enough explaining for one night.”
“So I heard.” the mare giggled. “I’ll be as quick as I can, and then I’m off to bed.”
“Straight to sleep?” he hinted.
Leaning forward, she rested her mouth beside her husband’s ear.
“That depends…” she whispered, “The dishes still need doing, and you know just how I reward good behaviour…”
With that, she pecked the stallion on the cheek and trotted off upstairs, leaving him standing alone in the living room. And then, with a gulp, he shot off into the kitchen as fast as his hooves could carry him.
The door to the little filly’s bedroom opened, and in came her mother.
“I brushed my teeth!” she announced excitedly, bouncing up and down in her bed.
“Show me.”
Baring her teeth, her mother inspected them, and then planted a kiss on her forehead, taking note to avoid her little unicorn horn. Settling the little filly down, she tucked her in and sat down beside her, resting against the bedside table.
“Are you going to tell me a story?”
“Yes, and it’s a very special story.”
While the filly wriggled into a comfortable position, her mother pondered on how she was going to word the fable; it was rather complex, and she didn’t want to say anything that would confuse her foal too much. Eventually, she settled on how she would tell it, and took a deep breath.
“Alright my little one, this story is about how Equestria was made, and where the Princesses came from.”
“Ooh, ooh!” the young one squeaked with wide eyes, desperate to learn.
“Now-now sweetness… I won’t tell you if you don’t settle down.”
Within a heartbeat, the filly had gone limp, now silent as a dormouse. She loved learning more than anything in the whole wide world, and would do anything if it meant receiving another lesson. Smiling warmly, her mother couldn’t help but be reminded of herself when she was younger.
“Now then,” she began, “this is the story of how Equus came to be… Once upon a time, there were six magical creatures, called the Holy Titans of Harmony. The Titans were enormous, bigger than the Great Mountain itself.”
“The mountain where Canterlot is?” the little filly inquired, blinking innocently.
“That’s the one!” her mother confirmed, nodding, “Now, these Titans, in all their great power, worked together to create our world, Equus. It took them a very long time, and when it was finally done, they created tiny little things called cells, which slowly grew into all the plants and animals we see in the world today, even us.”
The filly had seen cells under a microscope, but she wasn’t told where they came from, so learning about their origin, along with the Titans, was like music to her ears. Continuing, her mother explained that the Titans then created a magical crystal sphere, known as the Titans’ Orb.
“The Titans’ Orb is very special,” she explained, “for it produces a bubble around our world, a shield that can never be destroyed. This, my little one, is so all the bad monsters can never come here.”
The filly’s mother then pretended to be a mighty beast, rearing up onto her hind legs and towering over the bed with a scowl, her hooves held high. She let out a playful hiss and stomped towards her daughter, of whom began to giggle. This giggle then became hysterical laughter as the monster was repelled by the Titans’ Orb, falling back with a loud retching noise and collapsing down to the ground. Getting back up, she calmed her daughter back down and gave her a nurturing cuddle.
“You, my darling, are safe.”
The filly held her back, squeezing her mother tightly. They then let go of each other, and the story continued.
“Along with the Orb, the Titans made something else as well. They created a sword, the Titans’ Sword, which was given to a very special pony, known as the Champion. This pony was the protector of Equus, and only they could use the sword without being hurt, nopony else could even try, not even Princess Celestia.”
The filly’s pupils expanded, captivated by every word.
“One day…” the mare continued, “The Titan of Mass, whose name was Appelox, turned evil, and he gobbled up the other Titans!”
“He gobbled them up?” the filly squeaked.
“Indeed, he did.” her mother nodded, “But it wasn’t all bad, because something really special happened just before that…”
The filly sat bolt upright in her bed, too excited to lie still.
“What? What happened?”
Laughing affectionately, the mare calmed her daughter down before continuing. She lightly placed a hoof on her child’s chest and gently laid her back down.
“The Titan of Mana, called Twilus, realised that Appelox was going to eat her, and so she reached out to her Champion, asking for help. The Champion, you see, was the first alicorn in this world, known only as the Regal Mother. Nopony knows much about her, only that she was the Champion, and that she offered herself to Twilus as a sacrifice, so that she may create two very special ponies…”
“The Princesses?”
Emitting an endearing huff through her nose, the little filly’s mother smiled.
“That’s right my little one, Twilus used the Regal Mother’s body to create Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. One pony to embody the sun, representing all the light and warmth it brings in the day, and the other to embody the moon, and the cold gentle darkness of night. It became their job to rule Equestria together, to watch over us now that the Titans are gone. After they were born, Twilus was gobbled up by Appelox.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the filly asked what happened next, and her mother dutifully pressed on.
“Appelox then tried to eat Equus as well, but he failed. Twilus had tampered with the Titans’ Orb, making it recognise Appelox for the monster he had become. He was given a great big nasty shock, and that mean old Titan ran away forever! And so it is, that even without the Titans any more, their Orb keeps us safe.”
The filly said nothing this time, and simply stared in awe at her mother, amazed that this was all true. So many questions now danced in her little head… What did the Titans look like? How big were they? Where was Appelox now? Who was the Regal Mother? Was there another Champion now? Maybe she could be the next Champion? Maybe if she tried really, really hard, the Titans’ Sword would let her use it?
“Well, that’s about it, darling.” her mother said, getting to her hooves.
“Wait!” the filly begged.
Raising an eyebrow, her mother waited, prompting her to go on.
“What happened to the sword?”
Sighing, her mother sat back down, and told her about the following Champion.
“Long before our time, before even Nightmare Moon, there was a pony who found it. No one knows his name any more, but from what’s written, he was a good friend to the royal sisters, and dutifully served as Champion for many years. He’s gone now, and there hasn’t been a Champion since.”
“Oh… Where’s the sword now?”
Hanging her head, the mare’s patience was beginning to wear thin; it seemed that she would never get away from the seething mass of questions her foal now had for her. Still, she had brought this upon herself, and proceeded to explain that the sword was now kept with the Titans’ Orb, sealed away in the lowest region of the Canterlot Caves, deep beneath the earth.
“Will it ever choose anypony again?” her child quizzed, tilting her head.
She could tell in her daughter’s voice that it was her final question, and to be honest, it was something that even the mare herself had wondered on occasion. It had been a long time since she had read up on her ancient history, but the few books on the subject did mention the ever-flowing back and forth between Champions and Calamities. Looking down upon her daughter, she recited the honest truth of what little she knew.
“Well, an old legend says that one day, a bad thing will happen… something called a Calamity.”
“A Calamimmy?”
“Close enough, darling.”
Chuckling, she explained that someday, Equus would find itself in grave danger, and when all hope seemed lost, a hero would arise. The sword would accept them, and they would be named the Champion of the Titans. With the sword at their side, the Champion would protect all the ponies across the land, and defeat the Calamity. Mesmerised, the little filly lay there for a good few seconds before speaking.
“Wow…”
The mare smiled warmly and tilted her head, her love for her daughter, almost overwhelming. The filly then rolled onto her side and looked up, blinking innocently with her perfect little eyes.
“Me be alright?”
“Yes, my sweet little angel, you'll be alright.”
Leaning forward and kissing her kin on the head, she turned away and left the room, leaving a young Twilight Sparkle to drift off, thinking of all the incredible things she had learned today.
Her story, was very much yet to begin…
Fourteen Years Later
A shadow, unnoticed and unheard, slithered between the rocks and crystals, closer and closer to its target. The numerous guards had no idea what was coming. It was then that a tiny stone was dropped behind a large cluster of crystals, which only one of the guards heard.
“Huh?” he mumbled, leaving his post in order to investigate.
{Straying from the light, how witless…} the dark form thought to itself, waiting patiently for its prey.
The guard walked around to the back of the crystals, and before he could blink, a sharp blade was placed beneath his chin and gashed his throat open. Within seconds, he was dead.
{Pitiful…} the creature thought, silently crawling up a stone pillar and onto the ceiling.
Upside down and submerged in shadow, none of the remaining guards had a clue as to what unimaginable peril lurked above them, observing them, and mapping out their patrols, planning how each of them would soon die. Within the next half hour, another six guards had been killed, and now only three remained. At long last, the Captain of the Guard realised that their numbers had significantly thinned.
“Hey, where did the others go?”
“I last saw Coinhoof over there.” one of his companions replied.
The Captain walked off in search of his fellow guards, while the other two remained in place. If only he had looked up, he might have spotted the faintly glowing eyes looking back down at him. With its mandibles clicking, it uttered quietly to him, knowing it was out of earshot.
“When you return, you’re going to find a rather curious sight.” it said, twitching with excitement, “Your brethren will be my canvas, and your terror will be my ink…”
Skittering across the ceiling, it made its way to the two guards, who were still totally unaware. This was all too easy, and the creature was somewhat disappointed by the facile pickings. It had expected finer protection for such a prize, had its time away truly been so forgotten? Withdrawing its identical twin swords, the creature detached from the cave roof, landing with enough finesse to remain perfectly balanced. Whipping around to face it, the guards opened their mouths in horror, but before either of them could properly catch a glimpse at their adversary, it had swung its blades, beheading them both in a single X-shaped swipe.
The Captain of the Guard’s right ear twitched, what was that sound? Now alone, with no idea of what was happening around him, he carried on searching for his companions. He then noticed a trail of liquid, pooling in some parts of the uneven stone floor. With the little light provided, he couldn’t distinguish what it was, and decided to follow it. His investigation then fell short, as he stumbled upon the mangled corpse of his fellow guardspony, Coinhoof.
“Uh… Ah! AHHHH!” he screamed, bolting.
The creature had to act fast, if the alarm was raised now, it could very well fail in its task. Sheathing its blades, it darted towards the Captain at an unfathomable speed, gliding across the floor like a vengeful gust of wind. It launched at him, smacking into him at full force, driving him into the ground so hard that it cracked open one of his legs at the shin.
“GAAAAHH!” he howled in pain, squeezing his eyes shut and writhing in agony.
“So, this is her finest guard?” the creature spoke, eyeing him up and down, “Pathetic…”
The Captain opened his eyes, and what he saw caused him to soil himself. He could not speak, and he could not move, for the sight reflected in his eyes was so horrifying that it left him completely and utterly petrified. By the time he was able to snap out of it, the creature was already tearing into him, parting hide from flesh, and flesh from bone. His screams echoed all throughout the Canterlot Caves, until they stopped abruptly. Dropping the scattered remains, the creature headed at last towards its prize…
The Titans’ Orb sat upon a small crystal podium, paired with the Titans’ Sword, which was embedded within the podium itself. All but a dome of magical energy stood between this creature, and the only thing that kept Equus truly safe. It placed its claws on the forcefield and made an attempt to push through, only to be met with a violent shock. He had been expecting this however, and had most certainly not come unprepared.
The world of Equus was home to many relics and artefacts of great power, and from this monster’s back, was drawn such an artefact, one that formerly belonged to the very ruler of Tartarus, the great Lich of the Underworld and Caretaker of the Dead.
Yes, indeed… the relic in question had once belonged to Hades, and took the form of a ridged bone staff, bearing the skull of an alicorn, which in turn bore the horns of a minotaur. Asymmetrical in nature, the other end of the staff housed the malformed claw of a griffon, which tightly clutched at a crystal of a most vile green hue.
With its mandibles clicking eagerly, the creature thrust the staff towards the forcefield, and a sickly green mist began to emanate from it, fusing with the magical barrier. The mist spread like a poison until the entire dome had become a deep emerald in colour. It then grew darker and darker until finally it collapsed upon itself, disintegrating into black flakes that hung in the air.
“Finally…” the monster spoke, its fangs still wet with pony blood.
After all this time, after centuries of patiently waiting, the creature would see its oath fulfilled. Its blackened heart swelled with a sense of pride for finally reaching this moment. Taking a moment to inspect the Orb, it clambered the stone monument and peered into the crystal sphere. It pulsated and swirled with enough mana to ignite a thousand suns, and it almost seemed a pity to ruin such a perfect thing. Backing away, the beast took aim with the staff, and started to chant an incantation.
“Tswesya si set, vrrtep syura. Tswesya si, ulte ska’a fì’u swok zum!”
The language was that of the First Tongue, a long-forgotten language from Ancient Equestria, which had been almost entirely lost to time. The gravelly demonic voice rippled through the air, and more sickly green magic emerged from the staff, enveloping the Titans’ Orb and causing it to rise into the air. The crystal podium it had sat on crumbled apart, and the sword embedded within floated up to join the Orb, hovering just beneath it. The Orb then began to hum loudly, and brightly glowing cracks started forming upon its surface.
And then… BOOM!
The entire cave was shaken viciously, with masses of crystal and stone being dislodged and shattered by the sheer force of the shockwave. As the smoke cleared, it was revealed that both the Orb and the sword were gone. All that remained was the scorched rock, littered with countless pieces of broken crystal, which shone faintly with the residue of the Orb’s energy, and the sickly green magic that had destroyed it. With a haunting chuckle, the creature slipped away into the shadows, its plan at last in motion.
“And so it begins…” he croaked, “The arrival of the end of all days is now in motion. Equus shall burn in the fires of war, and in the final moments of their apocalypse, all shall know the name…”
“Nah’Lek.”