How did it all go so wrong?
A question the old Celestian sage asked himself a lot.
was it the rising changeling aggression? who would either lay siege to the frontier, blitz the defenses or outright terrorize the populace? maybe they had a part.
was it the disappearance of the sisters? certainly, as they had unified equestria against all outside forces.
was it twilight sparkle’s attempts to help? yes, without a doubt her well meaning attempt to empower herself for the interim until the sisters returned, was the first actual domino to start the horrid chain of events.
applejack and many others who doubted magic had seceded and taken to holding the frontier without unicorn aid, the nobles withdrew and rarity, suffering a strange disease, took control of them, officially always a part of equestria, though in truth a haven for the rich.
fluttershy started hearing voices of the forest as she claimed and gathered likeminded around herself as well as tribes of zebras to bring the everfree´s chaotic influence over the rest of the continent and to complete the chaos, the corpse of pinkie pie had disappeared from her tomb, followed by the appearance of the laughing mare and the madness of the cult.
now house moon and star held but the most fiercely loyal cities and troops, of scholars and statesponies, originally aided by the pegasi gathered around rainbow dash, who sought to restore order, without much success, it went so far that she grew paranoid enough to flood her own hometown, once and for all cementing that none of the forces could reach understanding, much less peace…
now here it was, ponykind splintered up, the outside dangers continuing unabated, the princesses gone… the landscape changing and scarring over…
the celestian sage sighed, he saw the champions that would defy the collapse and seek their future, but he could not tell, which one would succeed, the future, until now a clear stream, had darkened over, denying him sight of itself… as if fate itself couldn´t tell what would happen next.
“i can only hope, equestria, that the blood of your children… will not drown you.”
the everfree’s influence was spreading, not towards ponyville, though it made for an adequate water source.
the animals and plants would hear the whispers of their master, the forest, and the singing of Fluttershy, their lady. she called for her favourite pet, it was time to answer her summons.