Equestria, the magical enchanted world of the ponies. The peaceful land is, for the most part, inhabited by the miniature equines we all know and love. Prosperous towns and cities are scattered across the land, all occupied by unicorn, earth, and pegasi ponies alike. The fair princess Celestia rules it all from the capital of Canterlot, and her recently unbanished younger sister, Luna rules with her. All has been well since Twilight, Spike, and her new friends defeated Nightmare Moon, only a few short days ago. It seemed that the endless peace would at last return again, but only Celestia knew it was just the beginning.

But, I'm sure you already knew that. Many don't know that there are other lands out there, not just Equestria.

Across the great ocean eastward, lies the Gryphon Empire, which is largely unknown, undocumented, and mysterious. To the south east, is the tough dragon occupied continent, which is just as mysterious, but is a tad bit more understood. Both continents are only dotted with a few thousand ponies here and there. Almost nothing is known or documented about either area, but many predict it would be just as strange as Equestria.

If not, a bit stranger..

Chapter One - The Royal Message

June 1st, 2010 - 4:30 P.M

On an island, near the coast of the dragon continent.

We begin on a small island, named, The Edge of the World. The island itself is not even a quarter of a mile away from land, but it is the furthest point westward before the sea takes over. Because it is closer to the ocean, and further away from extreme weather, the area is relatively calmer and temperate than the central lands most dragons live in. Far from the other inland cities, is a small dragon village on the south side of the island, complete with even a few docks. Here, roughly 2 dozen dragons have made this island their home, but on the north side, 2 stallions live in a shack near the ocean.

The young stallion searches through a forest for something important.

"I know it's here somewhere..." Says the stallion ominously to himself, as if quietly looking for something dangerous.

His name is Zylo, an earth pony 18 years of age. He has lived peacefully on this very island with his step father, Andor for his entire life. He is perhaps the most colorless pony you've ever seen with simple snow white fur, and a frayed, black and red mane. Oddly enough, the colt doesn't even have his cutie mark, and at such an old age too. His appearance never really concerned him. What concerned him more is the object he searches for. All over the coastal forest, he scans for it, looking almost irritated in his sky blue eyes.

"Dad said it was on this side of the island!" He whined. "I can't give up..."

Advancing deeper into the coastal forest, he pushed through a vicious thorn bush, trying to keep the thorns out of his black and red mane. Then, at last, nearing the edge of the forest, there it was. The object he had been searching for!

"AHAAA!" He screamed, as he trotted right up to it.

At last. This is what his father was speaking about, right on the edge of the beach too. Zylo was glad this was over faster than he expected.

"We meet at last..." He said ominously. "After all these years of searching, I've finally found you... TREE!"

Zylo reared up and triumphantly shouted in the air. He had been searching for quite a while. Thankfully, it was a cool day for the first of the month.

"YEAAAHH!" He yelled to the heavens with energy. "All's I have to do is smash it, then bring it home, chop it into burnable little pieces, then I can go back to bed."

Zylo backed up slowly, then began to slowly lower his head. Recklessly, he sprinted as fast as possible toward the tree, and rammed into it hard with his head. His headbutt put a dent into the tree so deep, the tree couldn't hold it own weight, and it quickly bent in. Many of the tree's nuts went soaring into the air on impact.

"Too easy!" Said the pony, as he scratched himself. "Is there anything harder than my head?"

Several of the nuts hit the pony on top of the head, causing him to wince in pain.

"Oww..."

Almost seconds after that, a gruff voice called Zylo's name, who immediately snapped to attention. It was only a mile or so away, but Zylo quickly realized who it was.

"Oh no. I've got to hurry!" Cried the pony.

Quickly, the young stallion grabbed the strongest branch he could, and yanked the tree slowly back down the path. The voice yelled his name again, and every time it did, Zylo would strain to trot backwards faster, while pulling the heavy tree back home. Slowly but surely, the dirt path turned to cobble, and it led back to Zylo's home.

What came into view was a small shack, made from oak and tin. It didn't even have any windows, and was so small, two or three dragons couldn't even sleep in there, if they somehow managed to slip past the door somehow. There was a porch with 2 chairs on it, one for Zylo and another for his father of course. Speaking of his father, he rounded the corner of the wood shed a few seconds later, finally coming into view.

"Aye lad! Haul that wood over yonder, so we can chop it to bits!" Said the large pony with a slight slur to his words.

"I know, I know..." Said an unenthusiastic Zylo, as he grabbed an axe.

Zylo's father grabbed one too, but the axe almost seemed small in his hooves. He goes by the name, Andor, and he is a strong and large earth pony, just like Zylo only much larger. His mane is an actual red mane, a ginger colored, unlike Zylo's blood red tint. His fur, possibly white in his youth, has now turned a light grey. His cutie mark is a great warhammer. Not much is known about him, except he decided to leave Equestria behind decades ago. He now spends most of his time in town, drinking whiskey, and raising his son. A simple life, easy enough for him.

Slightly frustrated, he combs his beard with a free hoof, and stares at his son as he struggles to move the tree around.

"What took ya so long, lad?" He asks, while trying to hide his slurs. "Come now lad, it's just a tree!"

"Don't even start." Said Zylo, who picked up his axe, and chopped the large annoying branches out of the way. "You had a select tree in mind this morning, for some reason. Do you know how long it took me to find it?"

Andor cocked a smile while he watched Zylo make a small pile of brush by the water.

"Aye. Ha ha ha!" He chuckled, as he began to chop. "I've been meaning to chop this very tree down me whole life!"

"Why's that?" Asked Zylo skeptically.

"Because, it's a hickory, boy! An ancient hickory!" He said, as he finally chopped the first log, only taking three chops. "It'll burn all night, and winter is coming up before ya know it."

"Dad! It's June!" Proclaimed Zylo. "The first of June."

Instantly, Andor struck again, already half way through the second log, but he stopped, then glanced at Zylo, who immediately looked away nervously. Andor simply stared at him, until Zylo shyly glanced back at him.

"Boy!? Are ya gonna chop wood or blab all day?!" He yelled.

"I-I'll chop." Said Zylo who immediately got back to doing just that. Andor smiled, but then frowned shortly afterwards.

Today, he had received quite possibly the most important news of his life, and even more important for his son. Earlier today, Andor was having a few drinks at the old Steel Wing, the local bar, when all of the sudden, the mayor came in for a drink. He was searching for Andor, and told him to pass a very important message along to his son.

This message was no ordinary one mind you, but it was sent by royalty all the way from Equestria. Andor nearly choked on his pint of apple ale when he heard the letter was from the all-mighty Celestia. Never once in his life did he thought he would ever hear that name again.

And now, that's what he's figuring out how to do. How was he supposed to do this?

"So, boy..." He began sheepishly. "I... Uhh, think there is something that you should know..."

"Yes, dad?" Asked Zylo, who switched to a hatchet to cleave the smaller branches off. "Something wrong?"

"Yes. Well, no." He said, as he stuttered. "It's just... well, something happened at the bar again today."

This wasn't going smoothly for Andor. How does one break such a strange message to their only child? Thankfully, his naive son didn't notice him searching for the right words.

"Ooooh! Another fight?! Did ya win?" he asked, with enthusiasm, taking it the wrong way.

"NOOO! NO NO NO..." He dismissed immediately. "Ha ha ha. It was actually about you, boy."

"Me?" Asked the surprised pony, who lodged the hatchet in a branch to pause.

"Sure!" He said. "The mayor stopped by today, and had a few words with me. You'll never guess what he said..."

The kid didn't have a clue what he was babbling about, but he patiently listened, or at least tried. Andor continued to chop away. Unknown to Zylo, Andor began to swing harder and harder out of stress.

"Ahem." Andor cleared his throat so he could talk clearly. "The mayor said that Celestia contacted him today. She told him that I was to tell you that the princess has requested an audience with you."

The teenager gasped. "Whaaaat?! ME! What in the hay for?"

"I know, lad. It's strange. It amazes me how she even knows that we exist, even all the way over here. But your going." He demanded. "You don't have a choice!"

Zylo's heart stopped. To leave his little island would be to leave his entire world. The only thing he ever knew was this island. He lived and breathed the island! How could he be leaving so suddenly? It was almost scary to think about.

"But... I mean... I-I-I..." Zylo failed to make words. He was astounded.

"Believe me, I was just as dumbfounded as you." Said Andor who grew more serious. "But it tis true. And the strange thing is, it's Princess Luna who requested you visit, not Celestia. Celestia merely sent the message."

"Uhh?" Exclaimed Z. "Princess who?"

Zylo hadn't a clue who this new princess was. Luna had just recently agreed to rule with Celestia. As far as he knew, Celestia was the only one that ruled Equestria. Was this message Luna's first order of business?

Andor face hoofed. "Princess Luna, boy!? Have ya never read the news in all of your life, lad?"

Zylo scratched the back of his head, and looked at his father like he was silly.

"Not really..." He answers coldly. "Sorry, it doesn't exactly interest me."

"Argh! Celestia's sister?" He yelled in question. "The one who was on the moon for 1000 years? Just recently came home?"

Zylo only mindlessly stared at his father.

"Look boy! Does it really matter?" He exclaimed. "She's a princess, and you are a commoner. Which means, you don't have a choice in the matter. You are to go to the dragon village and prepare for your journey at once!"

Zylo frantically shuffled for an excuse, but was quickly overwhelmed. He really didn't have a choice, especially because his father said. But that didn't mean this wasn't scary to think about.

"Well? Okay, but do I..."

Immediately, Andor began to load Zylo down with a heavy saddlebag packed with almost everything that he could need. It seemed that dear old dad already prepared before hoof.

"Hey! Ow!" Zylo gasped, as he was quickly weighed down. "I'm leaving now? So soon? But how come?"

"Because, you can't keep a princess waiting!" Said Andor, as he practically pushed Zylo away.

It was so odd to Zylo. What would the princesses want with him all the way in dragon territory? And now, he has to venture all the way across a huge sea just to go see the princesses? Alone?

"Well, I guess that's true, huh?" Said a defeated Zylo, who was still wrapping his head around the situation.

"Aye lad, ya don't! Ha ha ha!" He chucked heartily "But, your young, and strong. And I think I raised you to be a proper pony. You can do it."

"You sure did, Dad! I remember everything you taught me. 'Don't take trash talk form no one!', 'Sometimes you gotta fight to be a stallion.', And... what was the last one?"

Andor put a shoulder around his son and patted him. "Ha ha ha! Why, the most important one! There's nothing wrong with a few ales here and there."

"Right!" Said Z, confirming.

Andor enjoyed his last laugh with his son, but he quickly sent him away. Time was wasting, and it was already past five.

"Now... Go! I'll finish this log by my lonesome. Don't forget me all the way in Equestria now."

"Ha ha. No way I could." He announced.

"Take care... son!" He said, as he proudly waved his son off.

Zylo never took his eyes off of his father until he went back to the tree. For some reason, he felt sad that he couldn't stay longer, not even long enough to cut one final tree down, as father and son. He really didn't see his day turning out like this. Although still a bit scared, at the same time it was exiting to finally leave the island and see the world.

The unthinkable has happened! A small peasant colt summoned by Princess Celestia, and all the way outside of their jurisdiction too. How did Celestia find the stallion, and why him? What does this all mean, and more importantly, how will Zylo begin his journey?

Find out in the next chapter of The Chaos Breaker!