Chapter 4: Separation
"Once, many years ago, Ponyland was whole. The ponies existed peacefully as one herd, united in our homeland of Dream Valley. Those days were always sunny and blissful, for our problems were few and far between. Aside from the occasional smoozing, in fact, our worst problems were things like Munchy tying Paradise's and Bowtie's tails together!" Majesty laughed quietly at the memory, and Glory and Victory gave a sad smile. "We worshipped the rainbow that appeared in the sky every day. Now, many believe its magic was the only thing that kept the great herd together. But no matter what else it did, the rainbow was a symbol of each colour, each type of pony, all of us existing in glorious harmony.
But that all changed the day the rainbow vanished from the sky. We lost touch with the humans, even the Hasbro-ites that made toys in our likenesses. Some of our kind was trapped on the other side of the rainbow, but luckily the Hasbro-ites have kept them safe. Skyflier, a fellow unicorn, was one of them. We have occasionally been able to contact her telepathically by pooling our magic. The last time we spoke with her, she said the Hasbro-ites couldn't make the rainbow return, so had given up on us. They were instead making a new line of toys under our name, and making us appear starved giraffes that lived in some place called Friendship Gardens. We will never see Skyflier, or the other ponies in that group, again.
When the rainbow vanished, ripples of mistrust spread through the herd. The pegasi blamed the earthlings, who blamed us, while we blamed the unicorns. Finally, the great herd split into three smaller herds; the casters, which are unicorns, the airborne, which are pegasi, and the trotters, which are earthlings. Two of the three herds spread just outside Dream Valley's borders, to a place known simply as Servitude. We are in the east, airborne are north, and the trotters remain in Dream Valley. The herds are at war against each other, determined to destroy all pony species save their own. As former queen of Dream Valley, I became leader of the casters, but my habits are nowhere near warlike. Therefore, Glory and Victory became the head strategists and generals of the herd. Their names should hint at how good they are," Majesty gave a small smile, nodding to the pair of unicorns at her side.
"A tragic tale, I'm sure. but what does this have to do with me?" Moonstone tilted his head, his brain feeling deflated from the long-winded tale of woe.
"Though our foals have never seen a rainbow, and most of us have forgotten it, we used to have a legend," Glory spoke up, apparently having caught on to Majesty's idea. "About a race of ponies who lived above the rainbow. They were its children, and so had manes and tails with the same colors as it. Rainbow ponies. Six greater, and below them the younger, weaker generation, the lesser. When they came together, their already mighty powers combined to create a force nearly nothing could stop. This power could destroy, but could just as easily repair and create. So what Majesty's hinting at is. you must be a rainbow pony!" She declared breathlessly.
"Exactly. If you could summon the other rainbow ponies, you could bring back the rainbow and therefore reunite the great herd." Majesty nodded.
"But. I'm no rainbow pony! I've never even heard of that in my life!" Moonstone protested, ignoring a nagging feeling in the corners of his mind. "I just happen to have .er. a red mane with a blue streak that blends in nicely." He sighed, twisting his head in a vain attempt to look at his mane.
Glory looked about to try to convince Moonstone he obvious was a rainbow pony, but a look from Majesty quickly killed the idea.
"Very well. Then tell us at least what is required from a normal unicorn requesting to join the herd. What are your powers?" Majesty, now sounding much older and wearier, turned to leave.
"Er, control of gravity, kind of like telekinesis. winking. and. um." He trailed off, staring at the ground.
"Right. Welcome to the herd. Victory, be a dear and stick by Moonstone for a few days. He'll need help keeping his worshippers at bay." With that, Majesty trotted off, Glory trailing after her.
"Worshippers? But I'm a normal unicorn!" Moonstone called in response.
"Y'know, there's a river in the human world called the Nile." Victory finally remarked, in a dry whisper almost too quiet to hear.
"Once, many years ago, Ponyland was whole. The ponies existed peacefully as one herd, united in our homeland of Dream Valley. Those days were always sunny and blissful, for our problems were few and far between. Aside from the occasional smoozing, in fact, our worst problems were things like Munchy tying Paradise's and Bowtie's tails together!" Majesty laughed quietly at the memory, and Glory and Victory gave a sad smile. "We worshipped the rainbow that appeared in the sky every day. Now, many believe its magic was the only thing that kept the great herd together. But no matter what else it did, the rainbow was a symbol of each colour, each type of pony, all of us existing in glorious harmony.
But that all changed the day the rainbow vanished from the sky. We lost touch with the humans, even the Hasbro-ites that made toys in our likenesses. Some of our kind was trapped on the other side of the rainbow, but luckily the Hasbro-ites have kept them safe. Skyflier, a fellow unicorn, was one of them. We have occasionally been able to contact her telepathically by pooling our magic. The last time we spoke with her, she said the Hasbro-ites couldn't make the rainbow return, so had given up on us. They were instead making a new line of toys under our name, and making us appear starved giraffes that lived in some place called Friendship Gardens. We will never see Skyflier, or the other ponies in that group, again.
When the rainbow vanished, ripples of mistrust spread through the herd. The pegasi blamed the earthlings, who blamed us, while we blamed the unicorns. Finally, the great herd split into three smaller herds; the casters, which are unicorns, the airborne, which are pegasi, and the trotters, which are earthlings. Two of the three herds spread just outside Dream Valley's borders, to a place known simply as Servitude. We are in the east, airborne are north, and the trotters remain in Dream Valley. The herds are at war against each other, determined to destroy all pony species save their own. As former queen of Dream Valley, I became leader of the casters, but my habits are nowhere near warlike. Therefore, Glory and Victory became the head strategists and generals of the herd. Their names should hint at how good they are," Majesty gave a small smile, nodding to the pair of unicorns at her side.
"A tragic tale, I'm sure. but what does this have to do with me?" Moonstone tilted his head, his brain feeling deflated from the long-winded tale of woe.
"Though our foals have never seen a rainbow, and most of us have forgotten it, we used to have a legend," Glory spoke up, apparently having caught on to Majesty's idea. "About a race of ponies who lived above the rainbow. They were its children, and so had manes and tails with the same colors as it. Rainbow ponies. Six greater, and below them the younger, weaker generation, the lesser. When they came together, their already mighty powers combined to create a force nearly nothing could stop. This power could destroy, but could just as easily repair and create. So what Majesty's hinting at is. you must be a rainbow pony!" She declared breathlessly.
"Exactly. If you could summon the other rainbow ponies, you could bring back the rainbow and therefore reunite the great herd." Majesty nodded.
"But. I'm no rainbow pony! I've never even heard of that in my life!" Moonstone protested, ignoring a nagging feeling in the corners of his mind. "I just happen to have .er. a red mane with a blue streak that blends in nicely." He sighed, twisting his head in a vain attempt to look at his mane.
Glory looked about to try to convince Moonstone he obvious was a rainbow pony, but a look from Majesty quickly killed the idea.
"Very well. Then tell us at least what is required from a normal unicorn requesting to join the herd. What are your powers?" Majesty, now sounding much older and wearier, turned to leave.
"Er, control of gravity, kind of like telekinesis. winking. and. um." He trailed off, staring at the ground.
"Right. Welcome to the herd. Victory, be a dear and stick by Moonstone for a few days. He'll need help keeping his worshippers at bay." With that, Majesty trotted off, Glory trailing after her.
"Worshippers? But I'm a normal unicorn!" Moonstone called in response.
"Y'know, there's a river in the human world called the Nile." Victory finally remarked, in a dry whisper almost too quiet to hear.