Title:           Once upon a time in Equestria, long long ago, the land as we know it was so very
Author:          Anonymous
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/qFzPajWN
First Edit:      Monday 13th of May 2013 12:32:07 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Monday 13th of May 2013 12:32:07 AM CDT

Once upon a time in Equestria, long long ago, the land as we know it was so very different.
 
The rolling plains and grasslands were not as you see them today, but instead sprouted trees as far and wide as a pegasus could fly in a day. It was the ancient Everfree forest, you see - long before it turned dark and dangerous, the oaks and maples and birches spread to almost every corner of Ancient Equestria, before our ancestors came to this land from the far north, before the Windigoes drove them away, before the warmth and magic of Friendship was discovered.
 
And within this vast and mighty forest strolled a strange and curious race; they had no name for themselves, and gave no name to the creatures and plants and trees which grew amongst the Everfree, and the forest itself knew no name but "Home" to them.
 
But no realm can truly know peace forever, and jealousy, as ever, can spark the bitterest wars. The Queen of Light, Daughter of the Sun herself, desired ever to increase her kingdom, that land of Sand where she sat upon her sun-scorched throne. And the Queen came to the edge of her realm, where desert turned to grassy plains, which turned to hills of rolling green, which turned into the Elder Everfree. "Mother!" cried the Queen. "Look upon this mighty forest. It defies you! Bring your wrath upon the land, burn away this wood, let the land become as our own in fitting tribute!" And the Sun, obliging her daughter, turned her force upon all the Earth. Rivers dried up, seas boiled away, clouds vanished, trees withered and died, animals choked in the heat and fell to the ground, dead. The ancient tree-walkers grew distraught as all about them, their home was brought to ruin.
 
The Queen cackled, and ordered her Sun Spears to invade; to chop down trees, burn the wood, dig up the earth, and turn all to destruction. Fires in the night spoke of the forest denizens being slaughtered and burned, both for eating and sacrifice.
 
But in the heart of hearts, deep in the eldest wood where the trees grew like mountains and clouds passed through the leaftops, the tree-walkers gathered. They did not speak, for they had no words, but all knew what must be done. They were not made of flesh, but root and vine, leaf and twig, fruit and seed, and as one, they joined. Each individual became one; became part of a whole; became a spirit of nature's vengeance. Where many had stood, only one great creature of myth remained. And this great Tree-walker dug into the Earth; alongside root and stem, placing great tendrils within the ground that tunneled for miles and miles to every edge of the forest that remained. The Sun Spears were caught unawares as suddenly, all around them burst forth great green roots, seizing them by leg and head, by tail and mane, pulling them screaming into the forest. The great trees were pulled apart, and the whole forest shrank within itself as the army was destroyed, and the Sun Queen raged in fury.
 
With a cry of anger, the Queen flew into the air, into the sky, into the highest heights, and summoned the limits of her power, but it was not enough. Turning on her own mother, the Queen used her magic to steal the very essence of the Sun, taking away its memory and ability, leaving it only a hollow shell, granting the Queen the power to control the Sun itself. Bursting into flame, the Queen screamed as she dropped from the sky towards the forest, a raging fireball of destruction whose banshee screams deafened Equestria.
 
One group of birds glanced at the burning fire became blinded, and fled to nearby caves shrieking, where they became the first Bats.
 
Another group was caught in a trail of the magical fire, setting their feathers alight and turning them to dust, but the life within the fire would not die and so they were reborn, becoming the first Phoenixes.
 
And throughout the land animals fled in terror, leaping into the empty rivers, lakes, and oceans seeking to escape the maddening heat that grew, and they became the first Fish.
 
The forest appeared doomed as the Queen approached in her fury, the ancient Tree-walker knowing not fear, having done what it could but with nothing else to stop the destruction. But it was not the only creature opposed to this wanton rage. The Moon King, angry at the encroachment of the Sun on his territory, flew from the City of Evernight to stop the evil Queen. Drawing upon the power of Night, he too was forced to take the Moon-Father's very essence in order to shield the land from the Queen's burning wrath.They met and struck a horrid blow, fire beget shadow, light beget darkness, wrath beget cold determination.
 
The Queen's fire blew into a thousand shrieking pieces, burning paths through the sky as she was destroyed. The Moon King was bitterly wounded, and collapsed along a brook beside the forest's edge, a shard of Pure Fire piercing his heart and spilling his life's blood.He lifted his head to speak, and noticed a sight that trembled his lips - one of the Sun Spear maidens, having escaped the forest's fury, but not without her own wounding, lay not far away in suffering as he did. She looked at him, not in anger or sadness but only with acceptance, and it moved his heart. Dragging himself upright, he managed to reach the young Sun Mare, and lay his head upon her side.
 
"Do you see what such wrath and the desire for ever more and more has done to this Earth?" he asked.
 
"I do," said the maiden mare simply.
 
"Will you," he choked, "endeavor not to let such an event pass again?"
 
"I am dying," she replied.
 
"Take this gift," said the King.
 
And from his heart he pulled the shard of Fire; with his horn glowing, he encircled the shard with his magic, until it grew and grew, becoming fainter, its shape transforming to match that of the mare, the burning fury tempered by his spirit, until the edge of the Fire and the Mare became as one.
 
"With this Light, teach of love, teach of friendship, teach of laughter and kindness."
 
And then the King plucked a single feather from his dark wing, and within in poured all that remained of his control over the Moon. Just as the Fire grew, so did the feather, a blackened form as dark as deepest cave or clouded night, coming to rest against the Mare as before.
 
"With this Dark, teach of truth, teach of generosity, teach of loyalty, temperance and service. You will have... two..."
 
And with those words, he died, there beside the stream.
 
The young mare, her wounds magically healed, knelt beside the King and wept. With the magic of her horn, she gathered his body, spread her pegasus wings, and flew deep into the forest.
 
There she gathered rocks, building a cairn with which to honor the fallen monarch. She worried about the forest spirits, but none bothered her.
 
She lay the crown upon the pile; six smooth round rocks gathered from the river.
 
Then the young Alicorn, the power of Sun and Moon within her, flew back to her home.
 
And within the forest, the ancient Tree-walker sighed. From its roots spreading across the land, it gave up its power, bestowing it upon tree and creature, and what remained of the Everfree promised to resist further harm, forever controlling its own ways.
 
The End