How Equestria Was Made

Pony Land was dying. Megan referred to it as Narnia; always winter but never Christmas for the seasons had stopped changing but unlike Narnia, where the sun had still rose, the sun of Pony Land no longer made it above the horizon.

With the exception of Megan and her siblings, all the humans had left Pony Land for more hospitable lands, as well as the Grundles and the Bushwoolies and a few other creatures the ponies have met over the years. The only other non-pony that seemed to remain was Spike, no longer a baby dragon but rather a young adult and twice the size of the other ponies, stayed and used his breath to keep the ponies warm as they huddled together in the biggest room of Paradise Estate. The baby ponies and the expecting Twilight were instructed to stay snuggled close to the dragon's side as the others did their best to scavenge for what little food and unfrozen water remained.

When the sun did not rise for a second day, Megan and a few of the ponies made the trek to the Moochick's; a journey that had never seemed so long in the blistering winds with only Button's horn to light the way. Not even Firefly or Wind Whistler could stay long in the sky, forced to trudge her way in the snow with the others until they reached the Mushromp.

Inside the Moochick's mushroom home was not much better then outside. The fireplace had nearly died from lack of wood, Habbit, the Moochick's silent rabbit assistant had already burned all the furniture they could break and had, with teary eyes, began to burn the books.

Beside the fire, wrapped in blankets, was the Moochick; pale and having difficulty staying awake.

"I was wondering when you would come," the Moochick barely managed a smile. "I had hoped it would be before," he stopped at Habbit's quivering lip and sighed. "The Princess pony's wands, that once oversaw the elements of our land, have been drained and the recharging crowns no longer have any power to give."

"Are you saying we came here for nothing?" Lickety-Split stomped her hoof, "that Pony Land is going to-"

"What about the rainbow locket?" Megan cut it. "Surely it can do something?"

The Moochick shook his head, "The rainbow of light is not enough." He turned Habbit and nodded. "We need to make something new, something more powerful."

"But how can we make something more powerful?" Wind Whistler questioned. "We don't have the materials or the ability for such a task."

"That, my smart little pony, is only half true," the Moochick took a box from Habbit when he returned. "The Princess Ponies used the last of their," he swallowed, "magic to send me their wands and recharging crowns. With these, and the rainbow locket, you can create what is needed to save our land."

"We can?" Posey shuffled her hooves timidly. "What about you, sir?"

"I'm afraid I won't be much help to you anymore," the Moochick patted a weepy Habbit's ears.

"What must we do?" Firefly asked determinedly.

"That I need to discuss with Megan, alone," the Moochick had never sounded more somber. "She has worn the necklace the longest, having the closest connection to the rainbow and thus is the only one who could possibly pull this off."

"Why do you have to be alone to tell her?" Firefly demanded.

Megan stroked Firefly's mane until the Pegasus looked up at her and she smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright Firefly, he's never lead us astray before."

The ponies followed Habbit to the kitchen, where he gave them some of the left over vegetables to eat while they waited. Though grateful, the ponies couldn't help but worry when he began to pack the rest in a satchel for them.

The discussion between Megan and the Moochick burned through two books, a third one being put on the fire when the Moochick waved the ponies back over to send them on their way. He tried to send Habbit with them but the rabbit sat by his side and refused to budge.

"What did he say Megan?" Firefly asked.

Her face expressionless, Megan didn't say anything and soon the snow and wind made any conversation impossible. Once back at the estate she went straight to the main room to speak in hushed tones with Twilight.

Trying to get the feeling back into her wings, Firefly shook them as she spoke with the other Pegasus that had gone to the Moochick with them.

"I don't like this Wind Whistler; Megan's usually not so secretive."

"It's probable that Megan simply needs to work out what must be done with a unicorn before she can explain it to the rest of us," Wind Whistler reasoned.

"But Buttons was with us, she's a unicorn," Firefly frowned.

At this Wind Whistler left to go to the library.

After speaking with Twilight, Megan left her to rest and went to sit with her siblings, pulling Molly to sit on her lap, though she was really too big and heavy for it now, and pulling Danny close to put an arm around him.

"Megan, I want to go home," Molly almost whimpered as she held onto her older sister in a way since she hadn't since she was a little girl. With Megan now a young woman, she was almost the age Megan was when they first began their journeys to this land that had once been fun and full of adventure but now she was in the beginning stages of a fever and spent most of her time sleeping or crying.

Danny, a young man, had stopped coming to Pony Land for several years before this last visit. He was much more interested in sports and his human friends on Earth then a land and talking ponies that seemed better suited to a fairy tale book but when Megan said Pony Land could die he didn't hesitate in gathering all the supplies that the six Pegasus ponies, that came for help, could carry and insisting on coming to help. He had boarded up most of the windows of Paradise Estate and did all he could to help it retain heat, even sharing a few laughs with his Pegasus friend Surprise before things took a turn for the worse and they became trapped.

"The Pegasus ponies can't fly in this weather," Megan repeated, "We'd crash before we could make it very far and only get hurt, and we don't have the medical supplies to spare right now."

"But couldn't they try? I want to go home, I don't want to die here," Molly sobbed and clung to her sister, her tears dripping onto the red heart locket Megan always wore when in Pony Land.

"You're not going to die," Megan assured her, stroking her hair and doing her best to give any sort of comfort. "I'll make sure you and Danny get home, just wait a little longer."

"We never should have come here," Danny grumbled and tried to stand but Megan kept a hold of him.

"You're staying with me tough guy," Megan took off his baseball cap a moment to kiss his temple. "Thank you for coming, for helping."

Danny put his baseball cap back on and grumbled, "Like I was going to let my sisters face this alone."

Her eyes misty, Megan kissed both of her sibling's cheeks, "I love you two so much, I'm sorry I never said it enough."

"Don't go all end of the world on us Megan," Danny subtly leaned more against her. "We'll get out of here; the Moochick gave you a way to save everyone, right?"

"Yes," Megan wiped at her eyes. "It's going to be ok, in the morning; everything is going to be okay."

"How can it be morning without the sun?" Danny listened to the howling wind outside their shuddering windows.

When they thought it was night all the ponies, humans and dragon went to sleep with the exception of Wind Whistler whom remained in the library, shivering and straining to read without the use of any sort of light or warmth.

It was in the near the time when dawn was supposed to bring back the sun that Wind Whistler galloped loudly into the main room and shouted when she saw two of the rooms occupants were gone.

"Wind Whistler," Firefly was the first awoken pony coherent enough to question the abrupt entrance but flew to her feet when the other Pegasus ran from the room and followed her. "What's going on?"

"You were right to be suspicious of Megan for being secretive; my research has indicated that the process the Moochick suggested will end in multiple fatalities," Wind Whistler flew towards the only exiting door, far on the other side of the estate in an attempt to keep in the heat.

"Speak normal pony, if you please," Firefly barely kept from rolling her eyes.

"Megan and Twilight will die," Wind Whistler emphasized the ending word.

Though her mind roared with questions Firefly kicked down the door and flew outside only to stop by a bright light. Could it be that the sun had returned?

Standing yards away was Megan, whom seemed to be the source of light, as she stood without her winter clothes on a patch of green grass. She wore five of the Princess pony recharging crowns, the first upon her head, two more on her wrists and the last two on her ankles as she held five of the wands in her hands with her arms crossed across her chest like a mummified pharaoh.

Beside Megan in the light was Twilight, wearing the sixth crown over her horn, which glowed with her power, as he held the sixth wand in her mouth.

Both Megan and Twilight had their eyes closed as they were surrounded by the rainbow, swirling around them, creating a wind that further scattered the snow and the colors of the only force that had protected them seemed to shred apart.

"Megan, Twilight; cease this at once, there has to be another way," Wind Whistler pleaded but neither one seemed to hear her.

"What is she doing?" Danny shouted, having followed them out. "Make her stop!" Not waiting for them to respond he shouted for his sister as loud as he could but she didn't so much as flinch and the winds the rainbow caused forced them to stay back.

Unable to fly, Firefly looked around until she saw a dip in roof, almost low enough to climb onto. She head butted Danny to get his attention.

"Give me a lift!"

Though the ponies were smaller then the counterparts on Earth, Danny struggled to comply. Even with Firelfy flapping her wings to try to lift herself up, her weight threatened to top him over. He shouted when Firefly used him as a launch pad to make the last stretch onto the roof, he was sure her back hoof connecting with his shoulder had shattered it.

With her mind racing, Firefly hadn't even heard Danny's shout. She ran to the far end of the roof and ran back towards the winds, launching herself into the air without the knowledge that she could fly, hoping to soar into her human friend and make her stop. She couldn't let Megan die, she was the one who brought Megan into this, and she couldn't let her friend die.

Just as Firefly came close to colliding with her, Megan opened her eyes, they glowing a solid white right before rainbow seemed to explode into white, blinding Danny and Wind Whistler as it surrounded the human woman, pregnant unicorn and desperate Pegasus. They did not see a little streak of black escape the colors and fly off into the world to find a new host.

The light slowly faded as the other occupants of the estate began to pour out, though only Wind Whistler and Danny knew to rush forward.

On the small bit of cleared meadow laid three familiar and very still forms and three smaller unfamiliar ones, surrounded by five sparkling orbs the colors of the rainbow minus indigo.

"Babies, all that for some useless foals?" Danny demanded; glaring at the three huddled forms snuggled up to Twilight, whom now looked as if she had never been pregnant at all. He kneeled beside his sister, lifting her up into his arms; barely noticing that the princess crowns and wands were gone, replaced by a golden tiara with blue jewels on his sister's head, with metal wiring on top as if to hold and ornament that had yet to be decided. His voice cracked, "Okay Megan, you had your fun; now wake up."

There was no response from Megan other then stillness, the warmth of her body beginning to flee it.

"This isn't funny," Danny shook her, "wake up!"

When Megan failed to respond again, Danny's form shook as he held her close, the ancient sound of grief wracking his body as he held her tight enough to bruise if she could still feel it.

"I don't understand," Button's voice was hushed, tears running down her face, an identical situation to all the ponies that surrounded her. "Why would they do this? What would it accomplish? And Twilight was only expecting one foal, not three."

The largest of the foals, the white one with a pink mane, moved or rather wiggled. With strength one so young shouldn't have, she stood and shook, spreading her feathered Pegasus wings. She shocked the other ponies further when she turned, revealing her horn and her blank flank. As she walked she seemed to grow in size and age, a young child as she reached the end of the circle, making the orbs glow. She looked at the other ponies before leaping into the air, as she reached the height of her jump the sun raised above the horizon and a golden sun appeared on her flank.

The tears of the ponies grew in strength, some of them falling to their knees and into the snow, which began to melt under the new sun.

After observing them a moment the white foal walked over to Danny and sat beside him, nuzzling his side.

"Don't be sad Uncle Danny."

The human boy, no man, turned to her, keeping Megan away as if the foal would steal her from his arms.

"What did you cal me?"

"Uncle Danny," the white foal repeated. "Your sister, Megan, Twilight and Firefly all gave my sisters and I life, therefore you are also my family."

"I want no part of you," Danny shouted, taking the crown off his sister's head and throwing it at the white alicorn, who dodged it and backed away. "Because of you my sister is dead!" He turned to the ponies that he had known for so many years. "Get Molly, we're leaving and we're never coming back."

"Danny," Surprise tried to approach him but he swatted at her.

"No, don't you dare speak, none of you! You're going to take me and my sisters' home and then you're never going to come back! You hear me? After today, as far as I'm concerned, none of you exist!"

The ponies, unable to find words did as Danny asked. They retrieved Molly, doing their best not to fully wake her as they sat her to hold onto North Star for the flight, and three Pegasus ponies took the humans home but not before the white foal managed to nuzzle Megan's hand and say good bye to one of her mothers.

"Now what do we do," Lickety-Split sniffled as their friends became disappearing dots in the sky.

"We mourn and we remember," Wind Whistler nuzzled the white foal who had returned to huddling up to her sleeping siblings, who also had wings and horns, and the still Twilight. "Little one, I may not be one of your mothers but we were all your mothers' friends and we shall do our best to take care of you and your sisters."

The white foal smiled a little and nuzzled Wind Whistler back.

"They need names," Fizzy pointed out.

"Normally foals are named after their parent but we can't have three Twilights," Buttons pointed out, "And two of them still don't have Cutie Marks."

"I'm sure they will by tonight," the white foal assured them.

That night the dark blue foal with some black on her flank and a blue mane rose and grew as her sister did that morning. When she leapt the moon rose and a white crescent moon formed after flank.

Shortly after the light purple foal with a dark purple mane with a light purple streak through it rose and grew the same as the two before her. When she leapt the stars began to shine and her flank as adorned with yellow and white stars.

The three winged and horned sisters had not grown the same though. The eldest white sister had become a child of about ten, the second blue sister a child of about five and the youngest purple sister a toddler of two. After much discussion the ponies named them Celestia, Luna and Stella respectively and raised them together.

As the sun rising each day became a consent yet again the ponies found that their sea pony and flutter pony friends had vanished. They hoped the sea ponies had gone out to sea and had declined to return when the rivers and lakes thawed while the flutter ponies found a new hidden valley to protect themselves in but they feared they would never know for sure.

Going out on her own Posy went to the Mushromp with some seeds to grow the Moochick a garden only to find Habbit sitting alone before a mushroom shaped headstone. She silently nuzzled the weeping rabbit and swore to take care of him from that day forward.

Over the years the mushrooms of the Mushromp shrank and the trees overtook it. It became the only place that remained how Pony Land had been before. The weather changed, plants grew and animals took care of themselves without pony influence.

At the same time the ponies tore down Paradise Estate and began to build a village. They included benches and other things they hoped Danny and Molly would like when they returned and though that day never came they continued to build such things in other towns and cities as the pony population expanded.

In later years the ponies began to revere the three Alicorn sisters and named them the princess' of Pony Land, which had been renamed Equestria at their crowning. The ponies built them a palace and, at Celestia's request, built a monument to their three Mother's in the garden and a pedestal inside the palace to hold five of what the sisters had named the Elements of Harmony, the crown Megan had worn having mysteriously disappeared until the day it was needed again.

As Princess Celestia finished her lesson in mostly forgotten Equestrian history, Twilight Sparkle continued the walk in the Ever Free Forest with her mentor in silence to collect her thoughts. It took a while for her to return her attention to her teacher.

"Princess Celestia, I don't understand," Twilight Sparkle admitted. "If you and Princess Luna have another sister, where is she?"

"Stella, of the three of us, was the only one who refused to live at the palace except for when she slept. She was good friends with Spike, the dragon who kept the Pony Land ponies from freezing, and actually married and had a child. She named her daughter Twilight Star," Celestia smiled fondly at her most faithful student. "After her husband died and her daughter was grown, she left Equestria with Spike the first and we haven't heard from her since. We believe she is still alive because the stars still mostly come out without assistance from neither Luna nor I but we do not know for sure."

Again Twilight Sparkle was silent for a bit before speaking, "It sure is a coincidence that there are other ponies named Twilight in your story."

"Not so much," Celestia paused outside the ruins of her and her sister's old castle. She waited until her student stopped before bending downwards to nuzzle her. "You are not only my most faithful student but my wonderful, many times great niece."

Though she had been nuzzling the princess back, Twilight Sparkle stilled at those words. She backed away to look up at her teacher.

"Why have you never told me before?" She hesitated. "Is that why you chose me as your student?"

The princess of the sun nuzzled Twilight Sparkle again, smiling when her student did not pull away.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle, I have watched over my sister's descendants for many years and you are the only one who has ever been my student because you are, as I said, an amazing little pony with much potential. I would have chosen you for my student even if I had never known of your existence before that moment."

The two nuzzled a little longer before they continued their walk to the back of the ruins where the garden had once been. There, in the center was a statue of three figures that had once had a stain glass arc over them that had been shattered with time, only shards of color left in its frame. In the middle was what Twilight Sparkle assumed was a human woman, even in stone she imagined the human Megan had been quite pretty with her wonderful smile. To Megan's left was the Pegasus Firefly posed heroically on her hind legs and whose expression reminded Twilight Sparkle greatly of Rainbow Dash. Then, to Megan's right was a unicorn, the first Twilight, whose appearance, Twilight Sparkle felt, mirrored her own, reminded her of her mother, Grandmother and whose face could be traced in many of her female relatives.

"You still haven't told me why you haven't told me before, why isn't any of this common knowledge?" Twilight Sparkle returned her gaze to her teacher, whom only smiled.

"You know how Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon became a legend when it had been fact," Celestia waited for her student's nod. "Truth often fades into fiction but you, my little pony, have a wonderful magic in you that seeks out knowledge. I had hoped with your help we could help all of Equestria remember the sacrifices that had made to make our lives here possible."

"I'll do my best," Twilight Sparkle said determinedly but then hesitated to add, "Great Aunt Celestia."

The princess of the sun smiled as the rose shined above them.